6 months later

For the first time in centuries outward aggression between ape and man was nearly nonexistent. This new pseudo-peace wasn't without problems and it was far from perfect, but a feeling of stability was evolving. Misgivings and distrusts were still strong; however, through the fist of retaliation St James had forced hostility inward. Rioters had been annihilated. The few initial acts of terrorism completely failed. Rather than having their entire city destroyed, the unorganized resistance was turned in by its own kind. As a symbol of their newly acquired might the humans put on a display that seared images of devastation the apes wouldn't soon forget. All of their heavy equipment had been grouped and obliterated by the ODN. At a minimum it had driven the resisters underground.

The shaky trade agreement between the two species had one positive effect; prosperity. Basic provisions were more readily available. The new trade accord also bought economic growth. People and simians alike were more docile when both their purses and bellies were full. The newly reorganized ape military had also eased up on the civilians under their control. The tax burden was relaxed and private services rendered to the military government were now monetarily compensated. That sparked healthy competition and resulted in an increase quality of both product and service. Under General Voss those services had been mandatory and abusive.

Finally, the last of the humans occupying Ceasera had withdrawn. Control was formally given to the new Territorial commander, General Grazot. Anyone who might cause trouble and the numbers were initially large, went missing or suffered unfortunate accidents. There had been a trial or two but most of the old guard was quietly and decisively dealt with. The illusion of normality was slowly creeping in.

The ape city of Devoir

It was a cool but sunny morning. Off in the distance, the final stage of construction to the new Territorial Divisional Headquarters was finishing. The pounding and clanking echoed through the area as apes minced away at the wood, stone, and mortar. In the market wagons, loaded with supplies and wares, trotted back and forth. Apes were bartering, some were simply strolling through the square, and a group of small children were scaling up and down a half constructed structure as their mother frantically tried to establish control.

A simple looking chimpanzee tossed the local merchant a few mixed pieces of copper and silver. "I'd like a jug and some fruit please. And let me get a loaf of that bread too." the ape stated nonchalantly.

The overweight gorilla, on the other side of the long table, smiled and made small talk about the weather as he tossed a few pieces of fruit into a gunnysack. He shouted back to where the ovens were and called for some fresh bread. The plump ape casually looked left, then right, and pulled out a folded piece of paper from his shirt pocket. He dropped it in with the produce and tied the sack. Next, the ape grabbed a small container, filled it with wine and sealed it tight. He handed the chimp the objects and thanked him for the business.

"And what can I do for you, madam?" the gorilla said, immediately turning to the next patron.

The chimpanzee pulled the hood over his head and casually mixed into the crowd. He chuckled at the sight of the female ape that'd finally gathered all of her young ones and was now lecturing them as calmly as she could. The ape deliberately avoided a couple of soldiers who were randomly strolling through the market. He tore off a piece of the hot bread and chewed on it as he gazed around. The sweet taste and pleasing aroma made him all the hungrier.

The city certainly carried an impression of economic success. He noticed a small metallic tracked vehicle off in the distance. The area was gated with armed guards stationed sporadically about. Several uniformed men were unloading boxes. Apes were cataloging items and separating containers. His sources had informed him of the Territory wide initiative to overhaul the existing power system. More benefits provided by their new masters.

It was an unusual sight. The men looked exceptionally sanitary and their uniforms were unsoiled. Quite a different picture than he was used to. Even when he'd first captured one of the animals they were never this well …groomed. The men were still the same scrawny runts they'd always been, but these looked quite a bit more nourished. A human soldier struck a flint and lit a cigar for a chimp conducting inventory. They were both smiling and engaged in light chatter. The ape growled quietly under his breath as he watched the spectacle evolving before his eyes. A year ago he would have never believed what he was now witnessing. It only convinced him more that this new order had to be toppled. These soft headed imbeciles were like smiling swine. Grinning away as they were willingly lead into the slaughter house.

"What in the world has happened?" The Simian angrily stated, accidently dropping his guard. He glanced around to make sure no one had taken notice of him; especially the two soldiers off in the distance. Luckily no one paid him any attention. No, the soft headed swine were too busy rolling in the slop.

The so-called ceasefire seemed to be benefiting the furless vagrants much more than his kind. Food and water were abundant and the threat of constant war was no longer over their heads, but it had been replaced by a threat of; unconditional compliance or total obliteration. The horseless tracked relic made the ape scowl even further. It was an omen of things to come. These humans had a massive advantage with that blasted ancient defensive net and now they were exploiting the technology and information from the old capital, as well. If things didn't change they'd soon become the masters of the whole planet. They'd even allied with the tree-dwelling Visitors. His world was turning on its side and everything stable was spilling out.

They'd already proven they were soulless. The Ceasera riots were a testimony to that. St James hadn't wasted a second. He'd brought down a rain of fire that swallowed half the city. Hundreds of innocent apes … gone, in the blink of an eye.

The man also killed all of the top military without as much as a trial. And he'd watered down the Territorial ranks with soldiers from the northern ape nation. They weren't exactly human sympathizers, but they didn't possess a sorted history with the species either. Apathy, he concluded. Something had to be done. He was only one generation away from losing his way of life.

Eventually, the chimp reached the large house. He grabbed the brass handle and knocked on the oak door three times. Seconds later, it opened and he stepped inside. He grabbed the paper from the sack, kept the jug of wine and the bread, and handed the female simian the bag of fruit. "Here you go, Dianna", he said.

"Thank you, Major" she replied.

"Dianna, you have got to stop calling me that. If anyone of significance was to hear, I could end up in a world of hurt. I didn't switch places with a dead soldier so I could be shot out here while buying food." Polk answered. "Now where's your brother?"

Shortly after his incarceration, Major Polk changed places with the Lieutenant sharing his cage. The ape officer died due to the unsanitary condition of the cells and the treatment by his human captors. That opportunity came to the right place at the right time. The two simians were both chimpanzees and posses a similar height and build. Polk quickly switched their uniforms and hung the body of the dead ape from a leather belt. To the humans, they all looked the same. For all they knew, Polk had hung himself out of shame. Shortly after he'd told the humans he was ready to cooperate, gave them some useless information, and was released a few weeks later when the men withdrew from the city.

"Lant's in there" she answered, pointing to a room just down the hall. "He's feeling a little better today but he needs rest."

The Major wrapped on the door. He didn't wait for an invitation and simply walked in. Lant lifted his head and in a tired voice said "Hello Sir, How'd it go?"

"I don't know what it is with this family but you're all determined to see me genuinely hung." Polk stated in a lighthearted but somewhat sober tone. "You've got to lose the military vernacular, my friend." The Major paused, finally taking note of the exhausted Captain. "How are you feeling, today?"

Lant made a comment about old habits dying hard and played down how he actually felt. He was slowly dying of poison. He'd managed to make it to old Buffalo and back but the area was toxic to simians. All thanks to the virus placed on the Prefect's Electronic Operations Center centuries earlier. Sullen's device had inadvertently brought its revenge to Lant's doorstep. The contaminant released from the chemical attack was in the water, soil, plant life, animals, and food. In short, it was everywhere. Lant had mostly eaten rations but at one point they'd caught a couple of wild rabbits and he'd consumed some of the meat. That was all it took. It hadn't been enough to kill him instantly, but it was still strong enough to try. Within days he'd lost strength and coordination. They'd barely made it back home. Every ape in his expedition was now dead except for him.

"Here, I brought you this. It should help with some of the pain, drink" Polk said holding the container up to his mouth.

Lant took in a couple of gulps, thanked him, and followed up on his previous question. "So were they able to make contact?"

"I don't know. Things have been tightened down since the last riot. Let's find out." Polk opened the folded page and read aloud. The written reply was intentionally generic but the meaning was clear. "Gentleapes, I have considered your business proposal and I accept the offer. I hope to be in the city in a few days and would like to discuss the details over a fine meal." Doctor Emus was on his way.

Emus had been, and still was, one of the apes top scientists. In fact, with the executions of Doctors Janus, Ingrid, and Omari he was now, the only, top, scientist. His execution was stayed and because the orangutan was incredibly old. He'd been released to the care of his family.

"…A few days. That could be any time now. We probably ought to get that stuff out of sight" Polk stated pointing at the half empty crate.

Captain Lant picked up an odd looking piece of equipment and instinctively shook it. "I wonder what it's for." He said. Lant then set it down and grabbed the flat square disk beside it. The light flicked off the slick surface as he flipped it in his paw. It was the size of a large book but very flat.

Suddenly, as it always did, a rush of pain flared up in Lant's body. His muscles cramped and the device slipped into his lap.

"Take it easy, my friend. Here, give me that thing" Polk said. "Why don't you get some rest? I have some last minute arrangements to make"

Washington

"This is the Human Coalition broadcasting in the open. Is anyone picking up our communication?" The automated recording stated. It was transmitting over multiple signals and went off once every hour. It wasn't a global signal but it was strong enough to reach most of the continental United States, Canada, Mexico, and parts of South America.

"Man, I am getting sick of listening to that thing". The communication's operator stated. "We've been signaling for over four months and no one has replied. It's obvious no one is out there."

"Well when they elect you General, you can stop it." The soldier next to him joked.

The Master Sergeant on duty added his two cents and instructed the two to get back to their duties.

Outside, crews were salvaging metals, plastics and other necessities. Several city blocks had already been cleared and a base of operation was now established. The structures were powered and a pluming system was in the works. It was a massive undertaking but New-Washington, as it was being called, was slowly rising from the ashes.

000

The newly promoted, Captain Berger, strolled through the city and silently thanked God that winter was coming to an end. It had been a relatively cool spring but the frigid temperatures of the last few months made it feel a great deal warmer to the man. He'd spent his winter much farther north than he was used to. The snow and cold he'd personally witnessed was something he hoped he'd never have to deal with again. The older he got the less he cared for it.

He walked into the newly constructed building and up the stairs. It was an odd sensation as he noted the immediate illumination and change in temperature. At the top he met a guard who came to attention and concurrently opened the door. Berger thanked him and stepped inside.

"Ah, welcome back, Captain. How was your trip?" Major Yuden asked. "Forgive me for not standing but…. The man joked, pointing at his mangled leg.

"No worries, Sir, I know how lazy you are" the Captain joked back. "How's the wound holding up?"

"Some days are better than others. I certainly won't be leading any patrols again." He stated. "I'm just lucky to be alive. It's not everyone who can go through an artillery attack and live to brag about it. Get yourself some coffee and relax for a moment" Yuden added, pointing to the pot in the corner. "The Colonel and General should be here shortly. I'll bet you're glad to be back home"

"Glad is an understatement. You wouldn't believe what's out there, Sir." Berger replied. "Cities just like this one; all in ruin. Some with half standing structures and others were just a desolate waste. Most of the landscape is scorched until you get very far into the north. Then it's like being in paradise; trees, grass, rivers, lakes, wild game. I would have never believed it. Course it's colder than a prostitute once she's gotten your gold"

Berger stretched his back and arms and went for the coffee. He poured a cup as he continued. "It took us over a month and a half to reach their territory but we finally made it. And right smack in the middle of their civil war too. Although the miserable weather conditions and massive amounts of snow, slowed things down considerably. They're a pretty backwards bunch. They don't even have a national name. They simply refer to it as; The-Settled-Territories. They also have more of a fear of humans, than your typical hatred. Anyway, with the resources and people we sent, they've been able to secure and hold most of their provinces. There are some pockets of resisters but with those peashooters they carry there's no chance for victory. Their government was nonexistent but they're reestablished a Council. Seems like kind of an odd concept for a bunch of civilians to lead a nation. The return of their Prefect appears to have brought some stability. At a minimum, it's bolstered morale. Their newly acquired firepower has helped with that too. I think that if they…"

Berger stopped and turned his attention to the briefing room door as it briskly swung open. He rose to his feet and stood at attention as General St James and Lieutenant Colonel Nate Childs walked in. Out of habit he almost shouted, "On your feet" but he caught himself beforehand. Yuden had a decent sense of humor but Berger didn't want to accidently insult his superior, or worse, embarrass himself.

Childs had also survived the artillery salvo and miraculously escaped unharmed. Both he and Yuden were in the forward most part of the element when Ulysses gave the order to fire. Once the rounds hit they'd been able to find shelter. Childs replaced the late Thad Lynch as the Brigade Commander. Yuden was promoted to Major and became the new Intelligence Officer.

St James walked in, waved his hand, and added a quick, "As you were".

Berger gave his briefing and addressed the General's questions and concerns. Formal trade with Sullen and his apes had been established but St James's request for an official embassy had been denied. Sullen's nation was not quite ready to have humans, officially or otherwise, running around their provinces. A century and half worth of lies had to be covered with new ones, first.

"Well, that isn't going to kill us." St James said. "It took everything within my power to convince them to let General Grazot stay. And even Grazot was against it. As long as we have their trust and favor, it serves our purposes. I want to blend the ape forces as much as possible. It will keep the Territorial zealots guessing who is in and who is out. If they were ever to unify, they'd out number us ten to one"

"The General should be happier now. His wife was among some of their delegation to return." Berger stated.

"Yes … their delegation. I guess it's time to switch hats and play diplomat for a bit. I want you there, Captain. They're used to you. It will make them feel more at ease."

As St James finished his sentence there was brisk pounding on the door. A skinny young private appeared as it opened and nervously, stated, "Please forgive me, gentlemen but First Sergeant Dentre instructed me to give this to you on your return." The man handed St. James a plastic disk pad.

St James took the communiqué and dismissed the soldier. "What is it Sir?" Childs asked.

The General tapped the pad and said "Let's find out. It has to be important; we weren't supposed to hear from Kawaka for another two weeks or so."

The shiny pad lit up slightly and the recorded message began to play; "General St James, we have an issue we need to discuss immediately. One of our remote outposts was attacked. We do not know who it was but they possess some unique weaponry. Please contact us in two days."

"Two days?" Yuden stated. "If it's so bloody imperative why are we waiting?"

"The communications array we set up requires a significant amount of energy." Berger answered. "We went north with minimal supplies and equipment. They're using our old gear. Takes time to replenish the power. It's old, bulky, and requires a great deal of time to recharge."

"And that's how I want it." St James added. "I'm not ready to neutralize our military advantage. They are, after all, still a bunch of apes. We know little about them. Well, we know enough about them to know they certainly don't have a love for the human race." The man turned to his executive officer and said "Nate, make sure things are ready. This is already a day old."

Kawaka

Sullen jerked his head upward as the noise outside of his office abruptly woke him. It was followed by soft knock. He groggily yawned "Come in". With the death of his family and the destruction from the civil uprising, Sullen had made the temporary capital building his home away from home. His age was starting to take its toll. He felt his muscles cramp and his bad knee throbbed from the cold. He didn't have the energy he once possessed and every fiber within wanted nothing more than to doze back off and forget about the world and its problems.

General Mikos opened the door and apologized for the abrupt intrusion. "Please forgive the late disturbance, Lord Prefect".

"It's fine General. Nice to have you back. I just nodded off for a second. Please have a seat and explain what's on your mind" The Prefect said. He leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms and twisted his head in a circle.

"I wouldn't bother you sir but I didn't think you'd want it to wait until morning either." Mikos replied, taking a chair. "The detachment we sent into the banned territories did not check in as scheduled. Given the conditions of the terrain and the fact that winter is still here, I didn't give it much thought. But as a precaution, I took a full squad of soldiers out to investigate."

Sullen rubbed his temples and yawned again. "Why would you personally go and … never mind General Mikos, please just get to the point."

"Yes Sir, of course." The ape replied in an apologetic tone. "The relay post, due west of Sigma-Two, has been demolished. None of our soldiers were accounted for and we found some …"

"…The humans? The apes to our south …", Sullen shot back interrupting the General in mid sentence.

"We'll to play politician, Sir; yes and no and maybe" Mikos answered.

Sullen gave long sigh accompanied by a look of frustration that was teetering on anger.

"We found something Lord Prefect." Mikos soberly stated "Some sort of metallic vehicle; stronger than steel, but something or someone was able to take it out. I'm guessing it tangled with the small unit at the relay station. It was most likely engaged by one of those advanced rifles. No musket or standard repeater would have put a scratch on whatever that thing was. Whoever did this was probing the outpost. I believe to assess our military capability. We may have gotten lucky because if they possess more of those contraptions we won't stand a chance"

"That doesn't answer my question." Sullen stated this time with no signs of fatigue. "Was it the humans or the apes?"

"Sir," Mikos replied, "both the humans and the apes already know our military capability. Besides, why attack? We've just established trade. Why spend three months here helping us only to assault an outpost that's completely insignificant? Above and beyond that, neither nation contains machines like the one I saw. And there was some kind of bird pained on its side with the letters IM-on a banner in its talons"

"So what now?" Sullen asked. "We have yet another nest of …who-knows-what… running amuck in the Banned Territories?" His mind immediately thought of March and Hayes. Those two lunatics had General Grazot completely spellbound. They were constantly babbling on about equipment such as Mikos had just described. Maybe he'd finally discovered their tribe after all. Or worse, that tribe had now discovered them.

"Wake The Council immediately. Does the array contain enough power to send a message south?" Sullen asked.

"We're not scheduled to exchange status reports for a few weeks but there should be enough energy to send for a minute or two." Mikos answered.

Three months and two weeks earlier - Somewhere in old western Nevada

The human Communication's Officer and his RTS (*Radio-Transmission-Specialist) walked into the Imperiam Monarch Command center. They presented their identification and entered the security compound. The two were questioned, scanned, and then allowed to proceed.

"Good work, Eldon. You may get a promotion out of this." he stated, once they were through the check-point.

"Thank you, Sir but we all played our part. It wasn't just me. The entire section worked at pinpointing the location." Eldon replied.

"Alright, let's bring Cade the good news." The Lieutenant Colonel said as they reached their destination. He opened the door and simultaneously knocked. General Cade looked up and welcomed the two into the room. He offered refreshments but they both declined. The General poured himself a glass of whisky anyway.

"OK", he said as he gulped down the homemade concoction, "tell me what you've got."

"What we have Sir, is them" The Communication's Officer started to explain "We have a fixed location. Sergeant Eldon was able to triangulate all of the traffic. The consistent static broadcasts from that Human Coalition is east of here. It's a long ways off; about twenty six hundred miles. The other communications traffic is coming from the same area but broadcasting north of their location. That signal is closer, but it's still a good eighteen hundred miles northeast of here. Colonel Landry communicated with one of the desert excavation units. They were far into the north but still a several hundred miles shy. He wants eyes on the ground and they're the closest element to the signal. Those units have armor support."

"Well that's one piece of the puzzle." The gorilla General stated. "I'll contact Lord Darin. He's been waiting for an update."

The ape city of Devoir (present day)

Doctor Emus sat for a minute as he caught his breath. He was old and the trip to Devoir had taken its toll. Dianna brought in some hot tea accompanied by bread and jam. She placed it on the table, smiled at the old ape, and left the room. Polk had paid a lot money setting things up but no amount of wealth could turn back the wheels of time. Emus took a drink and ate some of the bread.

"How are you doctor? What can I do to make you more comfortable?" Polk asked.

"I'm fine, just not as quick as I once was, Major Polk". Emus replied. "The important thing is that though I'm slowing down physically, I still have my scruples. I'm not quite ready for the garbage heap. Now let me see the relics. I'm most anxious to look at them."

Polk left the room and returned shortly with a crate. Emus took a pair of thick spectacles out of his jacket and put them on. One by one he looked over the items in the box. Some he discarded as junk, others he segregated to the side, while others he simply cannibalized. He worked for several hours. His paws were rickety but he finally pieced the items together.

Emus adjusted and fidgeted with gadget until something very disturbing caught his attention. The ape tapped his cane on the floor a few times. Within seconds the Major was opening the door and asking if everything was alright. Captain Lant followed and took a chair in the corner.

"Yes" Emus stated. "I've been finished for awhile. There's something you have to hear"

"…To hear?" Polk asked not really understanding. Emus explained that Lant had recovered communications equipment. Not all of it was there but he'd been able to piecemeal and fill-in-the-gaps, as he'd claimed. Polk's initial reaction was anger. He needed weaponry, not fancy toys. But Emus quickly explained this tool was a very useful spy device.

"Major please" The ape said trying to reel the simian in. "There's something you have to hear". Without having the will or energy to explain further, Emus pressed the button and played the message.

Imperiam-command,-this-is-Monarch-2,-survalence-completed.We-face-multiple-threats. -The-eastern-kingdom-is-simian. -From-what-I-gather-there's-a-second-simian-nation-to-the-north-and-a-human-kingdom-farther-east. -I-have-mapped-their-capital-and-cataloged-their-military-defenses. -I've-obtained-local maps-and-plan-to-return-to-the-Empire, -on-time,and-as-ordered.

There was dead air for a few seconds and then a quick reply. After that it was just static.

"Imperiam? …The Empire?" Polk said not fully understanding. "…uh I mean, what's it all …mean?"

"I don't know." Emus said. He tapped some additional keys "The first transmission came from Tepoc. The location of the second communications came from there." Emus stated pointing at the 3-D map.

Polk snorted out a mild laughed. Not at Emus but in disbelief. "That's all desert. It's a wasteland. There's nothing there."

"Yes Sir, that's the same reaction Voss had when the Visitors arrived" Lant claimed.