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Chapter 40: Pilgrimages

Office of Commanding General Hazama

General Hazama swore softly as he finished the reports from security and the 407th. The security of his command, of his people, and the people they had promised to protect had been threatened. His own aide had been stabbed and if Yanagida was not the easiest or most personable officer to deal with, he was very capable at his job. All this and the threat to Miss Mochizuki right under the noses of the press and security had turned up nothing!

Well, nothing except the revelation that these shapeshifters could be detected. This was a fortunate revelation as the threat of an undetectable infiltrator getting through the Gate had caused Hazama to quietly suspend all outgoing traffic through the Gate. The report of a reliable means of detecting the intruder at least allowed Hazama to reopen the Gate, albeit with increased security, assigning field medics to perform screenings at critical access points. Hazama had already ordered his security people to prioritize recruiting any Warrior Bunnies willing to serve with Allied forces.

It had been fortunate that they had been able to reopen access to the Gate quickly, allowing him to report the temporary closure and increased security measures as an 'Infiltration drill' to the surprised representatives of the media. Of course, only good fortune and the efforts of the 407th CSH allowed Hazama the option of such an explanation. Had the intruder actually succeeded in killing Miss Mochizuki, it would have been a public disaster. At least the damage was contained. For now, security would be tightened but the immediate sense of panic had passed and there was still a mission to perform.

With the probability that the intruder had made a clean escape, there was a real concern that the intruder could have penetrated an outgoing patrol or detachment, with Itami's Elbe detachment being the most vulnerable… If, of course, any assassin wanted to try hiding under the nose of Rory the Reaper. The thought that the intruder might find himself at the end of the Reaper's blade gave Hazama a cold sense of amusement and satisfaction at the idea.

It was still possible that the intruder was on base, hiding in their midst but Hazama and his commanders deemed that unlikely. The longer the assassin hid among them, the greater the chance he would slip up and be cornered.

Hazama would have much preferred the intruder's scalp on his desk but that would have to wait. He poured himself a glass of Seventeen-year-old Hibiki whiskey, raising a glass to his aide, now recovering in a hospital bed. The General sighed. There were days when being the boss sucked.

Task Force Itami, Five miles south of Alnus

With an agreement reached between Janus Theater Command and King Duran of the Elbe, Lieutenant Itami and his unit were assigned to escort Duran safely back to his Capital. There was very little doubt that Third Recon Force backed up by Rory the Reaper would be able to handle this mission. But, to further guarantee success, twenty of Duran's surviving retainers had been repatriated to serve as an honor guard, having been escorted and assembled to a secure location just outside Alnus and away from prying eyes. The other surviving Elbe soldiers would be quietly released once Duran returned to his throne.

Of course, once returned to his Capital, Duran was then expected to fulfill his part of the agreement: That He, Duran would mediate talks with the leaders of the Empire's other vassal states to facilitate their exit from the Empire's war. Elbe and the other vassal states would not be required to take up arms against the Empire as Molt's plan to devastate the vassal armies had succeeded beyond even his expectations. Elbe and any other vassal state which withdrew from the war need only look to securing its own borders from possible Imperial attack.

Naturally, Elbe would be required to grant access to Alliance military forces in case the Alliance decided it was necessary to mount offensive operations against the southern territories of the Empire or against any vassal kingdoms which refused to voluntarily withdraw from the war. Naturally, there were some, like Lieutenant Yanagida, who felt that with the might of a modern military leveled at Duran's throat, the opportunity to force major resource concessions from the Elbe Kingdom existed. Fortunately more restrained heads had rejected such reasoning, pointing out that their main purpose was to secure peace and not to engage in a high-tech mugging of the local states. Arguments that 'The other guys started it' were unbecoming of a nation attempting to lay claim to the moral high-ground.

Duran had been privately informed that the various Alliance governments would be interested in negotiating trade concessions at a later date but that such discussions were dependent on Duran being able to secure stability in at least his own Kingdom. This candor Duran accepted calmly as it was no surprise that his Kingdom's new allies had certaIn ambitions, goals, and aspirations beyond their stated mission of securing peace but this was a matter for later.

"Ah! To smell the air of home!" Duran commented, addressing his men. "Where ever you travel, nothing compares to the skies and fields of home!"

The Elbe soldiers nodded and smiled at this. They too had been sleeping under foreign stars for too long.

In the meantime, Duran spied a wry look over at Itami. He had plans for the affable young officer. The death of the Flame Dragon was a feat worthy of great reward as the beast had posed a threat to more than just the Dark Elves. Much as the Elves had done, Duran had been quick to award Lieutenant Itami with a title of nobility and an appropriate grant of land to match. Of course, Emperor Molt might not like the resurrection of the County of Greenslake, nor the claims that went with it but Duran expected that there would be precious little the Empire could do about it. Certainly, no more than Duran had been able to do twenty years earlier, when an Imperial survey had conveniently adjusted the border, annexing the lands of the recently deceased Count of Greenslake. After all, it was only fair that Duran would be able to find an advantage of his own in this new alliance?

Oblivious to the King's thoughts, Itami looked up from the maps he and Lelei had been using to plot their path to Duran's capital.

"I think we're ready to get underway. Unless you have any advice or suggestions?" Itami asked.

Duran took a look at the map and Itami's chosen route. "The route seems to be a good one. Normally…" He pointed to a smaller road. "I would suggest bending our path west. The Baron of Medou was once a very close friend. But he has been addled by age for years. I can no longer count on his lands as being hospitable to us. If his sons are as ambitious as I fear that mine has become, then I wish not to seek false comfort."

"Alright then," Itami turned to his people. "Mount up!"

If Lieutenant Itami was hoping for a peaceful and uneventful passage to the Elbe, Lieutenant Taylor was under no such illusions as his party set out from Italica. The Lady Agrippina was going home and was prepared to exact bloody retribution upon her former lover and soon to be ex-husband. She had waited, sharpening her blade as she listened for news of her husband and lands and trained with Corporal Nakamura and now she deemed it time to return home and literally put Her House back in order. Proceeding southeast from Italica, Taylor's party would first stop in Alnus for resupply before returning Lady Agrippina to her estate. After this, Taylor's party would travel north, along the coast of the Blue Sea, up past the port of Antica and the heart of the Octavus lands.

Following the guidance of her mentor, Lady Octavia, and after careful consideration, Agripinna had privately negotiated the security of her lands as an extension of the 'Italica Agreement'. In meetings with Countess Myui and her advisers, Agripinna had well come to see the threat posed by marauding bands of deserters who had taken to banditry after the disastrous battles at Alnus. Having powerful allies who could protect her lands would be very important and Agripinna had quite well realized that the Empire was in little position to protect her or any other citizens of the Empire, even if they were inclined to do so. And at Italica, she had witnessed that aside from Princess Pina's knights, any Imperial troops still garrisoning out here would probably be of disappointing quality at any rate. So, any pragmatic view of the situation required 'other arrangements'. To that end, the party would take on a contingent of Seabees and a squad of marines and these men would be carrying radios. This single device, Agrippina recognized as extremely powerful, especially when combined with the incredible speed of offworlder machines. In exchange for a powerful ally who could appear almost at will in an emergency. Agrippina was willing to risk the opinions of her neighbors and fellow nobles who had not seen these things.

Taylor almost regretted that he would not have the proud noblewoman to accompany the rest of his journey. Certainly, her insights into the local 'lay of the land' would have been useful but, on the other hand, Aurelia and the knights Panache had assigned to accompany him would be fully qualified to guide him in the intricacies of local feudal politics. Further, only one man held Agrippina's attention and Taylor certainly did not envy him.

Of course, that again was only the first stop on their planned journey, so it was as well that Zivana and Kahlua had already undertaken a number of patrols with marines from Lieutenant Mayer's platoon. It was a good mix as the knights and marines respected each other as professionals. This did not mean that some of the third squad's marines were above attempting to show off in front of the two knights nor that all of their efforts went unnoticed. but it seemed to Taylor that the Lady Kahlua had already singled out the squad's Field Radio Operator, a nineteen-year-old Lance Corporal named Walter Peterson for her own interest, having asked him if he 'liked mixed drinks…'

Taylor refrained at showing amusement at the Corporal's embarrassment and Kahlua's forward conduct but he would try to make sure the young man did not get in over his head. No matter what, the trip would be an 'interesting' one, he thought as he mounted his horse. Patting Lexington fondly, he raised a hand and thrust it forward.

"Head 'em up and move 'em out!

407th CSH

As others came and went, Father Mulcahy greeted the day as usual. He had seen worse days than this. In the first days of the campaign, he was one of only a handful of priests ministering to friend and foe alike, all too often administering last rites to young men cut down in horrible ways, a testament to man's inhumanity to his fellow man. And if by far, the vast majority of these young men were Saderans, were men who prayed to strange gods, it made no difference, for were not all men 'God's Children'?

In the following months, Mulcahy had the opportunity to talk with many of the people who lived in this strange land. Some were Saderan soldiers whose lives had been saved by the work of doctors of the 407th. Some were ordinary people who had come to Alnus looking for a fresh start and whose species ran from Humans to Elves, Orcs, Faeries, Leoprids, such as Parna, Sirens like Koire, Canids, Vulpines, Dwarves, Dragonoids… All of them raised in cultures so vastly different from what Mulcahy knew, yet they were all God's creations. The Father had even met the Apostle, Rory Mercury. He admitted that he still did not know what to make of the Apostle but as he had stressed in his reports to his superiors… Both in the army and the church… she was not to be dismissed simply. They had talked a few times, always at her initiation. He didn't know exactly what Rory Mercury was. He was not ashamed to admit that. He could not say it was comforting that she seemed so at ease with killing.

On the other hand, the local people… children, farmers… simple folk all felt comfort in her presence. They welcomed her with smiles, for despite her protestations that the Gods and the Apostles did not care about the lives of mortals, that she; in fact, did care.

"You think I am without mercy, Father?" She had asked. "I grant mercy to those who would be merciful. I give protection to those who cannot protect themselves. I bring death to those who seek it. It is my purpose. Should one not feel joy at fulfilling one's purpose?"

And yet, with all the differences between them, he thought he could understand… at least a little. And she, in turn, respected Mulcahy and his principles. It was a simple thing to believe in the Gods in Falmart. Their Apostles made for a convincing argument as one Saderan soldier had triumphantly put it to the Father. And yet, how much more faith must a man have to believe in and serve a God, the entire proof of whom was SOLELY a matter of faith? Rory did not deny it. In fact, the very existence of the Gods of Falmart, to her implied an even greater power in the universe. Whether or not that was the God of Father Mulcahy, she did not know but it was possible.

And so Rory treated Father Mulcahy with a level of respect she granted not Kings or Emperors. Mulcahy had come to know from the words of locals that the Apostle of Death had decreed that the person of Father Mulcahy, as an emissary of the God of Abraham, was to be held sacrosanct upon her displeasure should any attempt to harm him or interfere with his duties. It was unsettling and comforting at the same time

At any rate, Mulcahy greeted this day as he had greeted many before with great thanks in his prayers for the survival of their patients. And this day had come with the blessing of a reunion and reconciliation for Parna and Delilah and Tyuule.

It had also come with news that Father Mulcahy would very soon be visited by two very important representatives of the Church: Colonel Maurice Hollister, Far Eastern Divisional Chaplain, and Cardinal Reardon. Both men were coming in response to Mulcahy's initial reports from the Janus Command. Of course, Colonel Hollister was actually an ordained Baptist as opposed to Cardinal Reardon, who was Pope Francis's designated emissary. Mulcahy had never met either man but Lieutenant Mulcahy knew well Colonel Hollister's reputation as the "Atilla the Hun of Chaplains" and humble Father Mulcahy also naturally knew the reputation of Cardinal Reardon. To say that their impending visit filled him with trepidation would have been an understatement.

Well, he still had his duties. He had rounds to make and a sermon to write for the next day...

"Excuse me?" A mild, almost melodic voice spoke behind him as he finished putting his eyedrops in. "Are you Father Mulcahy?" The woman asked with a hopeful tone.

"Yes," he said, blinking his eyes from the drops and then turned to a sight he never imagined. Seven very nubile young ladies, their attire seeming more than a little immodest. Each with slender wings and tails, their horns unmistakeable and their eyes like flawless gems. Mulcahy swallowed a bit as even a man of the cloth such as himself could not deny their beauty.

To his surprise, the apparent leader bowed humbly before him, presenting a volume with the words 'Holy Bible' written in gold lettering. The others knelt before him as she spoke.

"Blessed be the Prophet and the Emissary of our Lord! We were told that you had come! We humbly beseech thee to help us, those cast out, to better understand the ways and wishes of The Lord, Our God! Teach us, Prophet! So we may grow closer to Our God, The Creator of All things!"

Mulcahy looked skyward.

"Oh! My Lord!" He blurted before mercifully passing out.

He awoke a couple of minutes later on his cot with his jacket removed and his collar and belt loosened. His jacket rolled up under his feet, elevating his legs. His eyes fluttered awake to the relief of the inferni, who profusely apologized.

"Forgive us, Prophet!" Their leader beseeched.

Mulcahy blinked and blushed. "There is nothing to forgive. The need to apologize is mine."

"You only responded as a man could, Prophet," she replied. "We are not unaware that our appearance has an effect. It is a necessary facet of our survival…"

The Father smiled. "If you will forgive my reaction, then I will certainly forgive any perceived transgressions on your part." He promised.

"Of course, Prophet!"

"Now… Colonel Blake has told us of your people. He describes them as people of great compassion and charity. Your efforts in Italica left him quite impressed."

"As he impressed us with his own compassion and skill," Their leader bowed. "I am Mary, Church Mother of the Inferni, these are Church Sisters Ruth, Abigail, Sarah, Elizabeth, Anne, and Margaret." Again, they bowed low. "We have come to receive the word of the Lord, Our God."

"I'm hardly a great prophet. I'm just a simple priest!" He objected.

"As Our Lord was a simple carpenter. Who better to teach us? It has been a tenet of our faith that God would send his lost children a teacher, who would reveal His light to us. We have faithfully believed in the promise that God would remember us and His Promise is fulfilled! Our hearts are joyous that you have come! We pray that you will teach us and that our efforts to keep His Word will be pleasing to The Almighty." Mary told the Father. "Speak and we will hear!"

Mulcahy was not certain that he was in any way the right person to handle this but the Lord had seen fit that he, Father Mulcahy, was the one here. He had been called. He would answer. Mulcahy only prayed he was wise enough to do that which he was being called upon to do.

He thought carefully. Then he nodded.

"Before I can teach, I need to learn about your people and your ways. Talk... I'll listen."