Tepoc City

It was early morning when Polk arrived in the City. He was wrapped from head to toe to stave off the cold night air. He slowed the horse and wagon a ways off from the main entrance. The ape dismounted from his seat and blew a burst of warm hot breath into his paws. He looked around and squinted towards the brush to his front. He then turned a quick three hundred and sixty degrees but still spotted nothing.

"Where are you?" he muttered under his breath as he searched for his contact. His horse neighed and jerked the wagon as the cool morning air joined the perspiration on its pelt. He took out a bag of oats and placed it in front of the stallion. He rubbed her shout and patted her softly on the neck. "Shhhh girl, Shhhh. Here you go, Hon" he added with affection.

Minutes later an ape emerged from the foliage. He intentionally came out behind Polk and softly said "Turn around, slowly". Once he made positive identification he lowered the weapon but maintained a rather distant demeanor. "Give me the payment" he demanded sternly. Polk tossed the simian a small bag. The orangutan opened the pouch and began counting out the currency. He pulled out a large gold coin and twisted it in the moon light as he watched it glisten. He smiled as he dropped it back into the sack, jingling the coins. "Music to my ears" he stated.

"Look …whoever you are … It's all there and I'm freezing my tail off out here." Polk said letting his irritation show.

"Keep your bloody voice down, Major" the ape warned. "You're going to give us away". He eyed the pouch and then looked up at Polk and shook his head. He finished with, "Ok, it had better all be here though". It was a hollow threat but the ape felt better saying it.

Before Polk could reply, the simian tossed him a set of work clothes. "Put these on, quickly", he instructed, "And don't say anything to the sentries at the gate. You pretend you're sleeping. I'll do all of the talking. We don't want you recognized". The tone was sincere but what he really meant was, "I don't want you screwing things up. I have a lot of gold at stake"

Polk threw on the assorted garb and helped the grumpy orangutan stack some tools in the back of the wagon. They'd been stashed in the woods a day earlier. Once the items were loaded, the two climbed on the cart and entered the city. Polk's contact had all of the paperwork and knew just what do and say. Gold was a heavy motivator and the primate had planned things down to the smallest detail.

Once they were inside, the ape guided the cart through the main section of town and then into a small business district. He stopped the wagon in front of an old building and said, "Ok, this is it. There's a room above that shop waiting for you. You can enter through a door at the top of those stairs, just around the corner. It's cold and drafty but inconspicuous, as you requested. You can stable your horse there" he added pointing to a large barn-like structure at the end of the road. The ape dismounted, grabbed the sack of coins, and slipped away into the darkness with a gloating; "And that concludes our business", rolling off his tongue.

Polk lodged his horse and gave the stable owner a few extra pieces of copper for waking him so early. It wasn't a lot but seemed to appease the old ape. No need to rock the boat and draw attention by upsetting the local merchants. And there was no need to flash large sums of currency about, either.

He walked down the empty streets and slipped into an alley as a random squad of soldiers passed by. The Major noted how sloppy they were. It looked more like a stroll through the park than a standard patrol. They were laughing and joking and gave the alleyway little attention. "These fools wouldn't spot the sun on a clear summer's day" he mumbled once they'd passed. He was certainly a long way from home.

Moments later he reached his new residence. Polk climbed the wooden stairs and lit a candle, once he was inside and secure. His new dwelling was anything but luxurious, however it would suffice. There was a bed, a modest kitchen and a small work area. It was very drafty and in need of repair but for now it would suit the ape's purpose just fine. Besides, with any luck he'd be here for only a short time.

"Ok, let's see if all that gold I spent paid off." He said looking under the table. He noticed the small box containing the items he'd requested along with some food. Within minutes he'd set up the communications equipment. He pulled out a piece of folded paper and followed the instructions Dr Emus had relayed. The instrument hummed softly and gave off a dull bluish hue.

"Ok, the cheese out, let's see if I can catch a rat" He said. Polk covered the equipment with a blanket. He then laid his tired body on the tiny cot and fell quickly asleep.

The ape city of Devoir – Three days later

The meeting with Kawaka ended an hour earlier and St James and the human delegation were on their way back to New Washington. Though Grazot's command had been established for half a year, contention with his blended staff still caused many problems. All of the old leadership was either imprisoned or long dead but there were countless apes who wanted nothing to do with the hated humans. And rightly so; if Grazot were honest part of him mildly agreed. They were supposed to be allies but it was obvious that General St James was pulling the strings. Of course he'd been upfront and at times quite blunt about reminding the apes they were there as conquerors and not liberators. Grazot had steered him clear of that expression when the last meeting nearly ended in the start of a new war. And after all, he hadn't conquered Kawaka and unless he wanted to deal with strictly Territorial apes he'd better find a way to either expand or curve his vocabulary. Sullen was already entertaining thoughts of severing ties now that the Territorial nation was on a leash. Patrols and reconnaissance missions were already underway in the Banned Territories. The once 'protector of technology' was now doing everything he could to equalize the playing field. Grazot knew that in time his nation would step into a new era. He'd come a long way since he'd first decided to ally with March and Hayes but he still believed wholeheartedly in obtaining as much of that technology as possible; For it held the keys to absolute might and power.

His immediate problem was that there simply were not enough apes left from Narr's Contingent to fill every spot on his staff. And the few that had been captured by St James lacked the experience to fill senior positions. And those he'd released longed for home and family. Grazot had little choice but to pick and promote some of the qualified Territorial officers; Colonel Eli was a prime example. Eli had been in the Territorial Army since he was eighteen. The ape was now approaching forty. He'd spent several years in the enlisted ranks before receiving a field commission in his late twenties. He was battle hardened and straightforward but had spent much of his recent career in Tepoc, tucked away as an administrative liaison. Grazot appreciated his candor but his stubborn temper was not easy to swallow. Eli was well respected and well known, not only in Tepoc but also in Devoir. The soldiers held him in high esteem and were extremely loyal. That also, was something of a two edged sword, but for now it had solved many a problem. Unfortunately, the ape also loathed the humans and was directly confrontational with any he came in contact with.

"I don't believe a word of it." Colonel Eli stated dragging the argument out. "The western lands are nothing but desert. We've scouted hundreds of miles it. No ape has ever found as much as a blade of grass out there. And how long are we going to be led around like a pack of dogs by these filthy mongrels? Instead of working with them we ought to be finding a way to neutralize or steal their newly acquired advantage. That gloating human General walks around waving his arms and making demands and we sit here like a bunch of pups nodding our heads in obedience. How effective would that ODN be if we matched into his territories with an army? He couldn't even use it unless he wanted to wipe out his kind along with us."

"That's enough Eli" Grazot rebuked back in anger. "If I've heard this speech once I've heard it a hundred times. They could hit us anywhere and at any time and you know that. It doesn't matter where our armies sit. He could flatten Ceasera, Tepoc and several other cities all at once. Just how do we resupply or reinforce when everything is dust and everyone is dead? And you can thank my predecessor, General Voss for all of this. If that fool had welcomed the Visitors instead of sending them out to be butchered, things would now be quite different. The northern ape nation owes that, 'gloating human General', their lives. Too much has changed and pointing a gun first and asking questions later isn't going to do anything but get more of us killed and strengthen the humans hold further."

Eli huffed and began to respond but Grazot shut him down with a defiant glare.

"I'm not finished, Colonel, but you are." he continued "I do believe the threat Kawaka reported and I don't want to hear another word on the subject. You're a damn fine officer Eli but you let your emotions rule your brain. For now we take what we can get. St James has agreed to help refit our factories. That in itself is a huge step towards gaining our autonomy. Besides, two thirds of Ceasera is already independently powered. Our citizens are content. And content citizens are obedient ones. It's been months since we've had even a hint of riots". Grazot laughed inside. If he hadn't said it himself he would have thought the words were coming from the mouth of Magistrate Ndola.

The other staff officers shared their opinions and the meeting concluded shortly after. Once Grazot left the room an ape Major pulled Eli aside, "Sir" he stated. "What do you really make of all of this? Why would St James lie about such a thing? The Visitor leader sounded quite convincing. We're already under the Humans thumb of oppression. Why make up some crazy story like this? What is there to gain? It couldn't be to send us out to the desert to die. Grazot is right; they could flatten us anytime and anywhere they wanted."

"A lot of things don't make sense, my friend." Eli replied laying a paw on the apes shoulder. "Like our new commander, for example. I've never heard of a Colonel Grazot. Even if he is from the outer city of Dassikar and even if he was held captive by the humans for all those years as he's stated; why does no one know him? And why is he so accommodating to his former jailors? Something isn't right but I haven't quite figured it out. Maybe it's the lure of power. Grazot seems very comfortable playing the alpha-male. Or maybe he's been paid off. I don't know but for now, he's right. We have no choice but to work with the animals until we're in a strong enough position to sever those ties entirely."

Eli left the briefing room and went back to his office to make preparation for the factory refit. The thought of returning to his family pleased him. He'd been away for too long. His infant sons would be grown apes if he lingered much longer. He poured himself a shot of whisky and opened the curtains to let in some of the afternoon light.

The ape paused as he noticed Grazot walking down the wide brick steps. Off in the distance an oddly dressed ape approached the General. Grazot looked startled. They argued but it ended suddenly. The General abruptly followed the simian to a wagon. The two climbed on top and the cart moved away.

"What in the…" Eli stated. "I told that fool he shouldn't walk around without some kind of armed escort."

Without hesitation the gorilla Colonel opened the window and skillfully leapt to a tree and then another and finally to a third. He dropped to his feet and confiscated the first horse he saw. Eli followed the two to a large house, opposite the market. Grazot and the mysterious ape got down from the cart and entered the home.

Eli dismounted and eyed the dwelling as he summed up the possible courses of action. Going through the front was not an option. On the side were a series of window. The gorilla looked around and leapt several feet into the air. He landed gracefully on the ground and slowly peered in the room …nothing. It was empty. He could hear talking but it was too muffled to comprehend.

Eli forced the latch and slithered inside like a large nine foot, seven hundred pound furry snake. The door on the opposite side of the room creaked as he pulled it open and peeked out. His eyes took a minute to adjust to the change in light.

He could hear Grazot. The voices were still muffled but the sound was recognizable. At the end of the long hallway, a female strolled past his view. Eli opened the creaky door further. It sounded like the percussion of a thousand instruments to the Colonel. Part of him felt like he'd just surrendered the element of surprise. Seconds later, however, he overpowered the female.

"ok" he whispered. "I'm going to remove my paw from your mouth and you're going to tell me where I can find Grazot. You scream and I'll snap your neck like a twig. Then I'll find him anyway. You be smart missy and this will be over quickly."

The petrified female didn't say a word but simply pointed towards the adjacent hallway and at a door on the far end. Eli instructed her to move slowly down the hallway. She was to knock on the door. If she was invited in she would open it and step inside. If not, she was to inform the occupants that someone suspicious was on the grounds in an attempt to lure them out.

Knock-knock

The apes in the room stopped what they were discussing as Polk turned and said "Yes, Dianna what is it?"

The door flung open and Dianna came stumbling in thanks to a firm shove from Eli. The female was followed by the Colonel holding a pistol. "Don't move" he said but hesitated as he recognized the chimpanzee to his right.

"Major Polk?" he asked in bewilderment. "Is that you …Sir?"

The sight was odd. It was indeed Polk. Another chimp was sitting at a table and a third ape was chained to a chair. The chained simian was unconscious and looked intoxicated; no, Eli concluded after taking a good look; he was drugged.

"Eli?" Grazot said "How did you know…"

"We don't have time for this" Polk interrupted. "Lower your sidearm, Colonel" he added. The word Colonel contained a ring of distinct sarcasm.

"The General and I go way back" Polk lied. "We served together during The Push, when we purged the southern ruins. I haven't kidnapped Grazot; I've brought him here because our nation is at great risk."

The Push took place more than twenty years earlier. The southern ruins were scarce on food but heavy with resources. It was a long forgotten, obsolete skirmish and it suited Polk's purpose perfectly. Grazot however was somewhat perplexed. Why hadn't Polk exposed him? An ape like Eli would surely jump on the Polk-band-wagon, if the truth were ever to emerge.

"I don't understand." Eli stated. "What's going on?"

"We have mice, my dear Colonel. And I don't have time to rehash everything." Polk stated.

"Huh?" Eli replied looking puzzled.

"That ape there is a scout from somewhere to the west." Polk explained. "He's part of a team that's here to assess our strength, defenses …anything that will give them an advantage. It's worse than that. There's more of them out there."

Despite his comment earlier, Polk spent the next hour going over everything he'd just explained to Grazot. Eli started piecing things together. St James and the Visitor leader weren't lying after all. Some kind of rouge element existed with remarkable relics. And if invasion was on their minds these newly acquired artifacts had to be something that rivaled the ODN.

When Polk had ended there was a small pause until Grazot spoke up. "Any attack would be suicide. As long as St James controls those orbital weapons no one will be able to sustain a successful conflict."

"Yes" Polk answered in a bitter tone. "It would seem that our new masters have an ace up their sleeves. The key however is, seem. There's more to this ape's story and if it's true, there's not just one mouse in the walls, there's a nest of them. And this is a unique situation. We're not dealing simply with human enemies, as we normally have. Men who look nothing like apes. Men who stand out, and are quite distinct. We're dealing with our own kind and that elevates this threat to a new plane. Any ape on the street could be one of these Empire fanatics and we'd never know it"

"Major" Eli replied "How do you know he's not lying? …Some kind of deranged lunatic who spent too much time in the desert?"

"Zolarin, Colonel" Polk answered.

"Zolarin?" Eli echoed immediately. "It's effective but also a known killer. Voss only sanctioned its use in extreme cases."

"And armed invasion isn't extreme to you, Colonel." Polk shot back with authority. As far as he was concerned this so-called Territorial Colonel was just a prop in the new human run government. Grazot fit that role too but due to abnormal circumstances the ape General had influence and was now a means to an end. The Major had already concluded that this situation was larger than that and the clock was ticking.

Polk took a step forward, invading the gorilla Colonel's personal space. Oddly enough Eli backed down. Sometimes perception trumped reality and in this case Polk's reputation, former position, and command presence all took to the forefront, all at one time. "Voss isn't here and as I said; this is extreme, Colonel. These rouge … westerners … are organized and highly developed and they're on the march. There's more." Polk paused. "Their nation is an empire consisting of both apes and humans. There are rouge human spies in their cities as well."

Eli almost didn't accept it, but Zolarin was never wrong. "What do they want, Major Polk?" he asked.

"What does any invading Army want? Resources, food, spoils, salve labor. Take your pick but make it fast because there's no time." Polk answered.

Polk turned to Grazot. "Now my old friend, I suggest we send the Colonel back to contact St James. If there are human spies in his ranks, and I have every reason to believe there are, we can't risk allowing them access to the ODN."

Polk didn't wait for a reply and addressed Eli again. "Set up the meeting as soon as possible. Tell them it's imperative that we meet in the old capital, not Devoir. Do not divulge what we've spoke of. You simply state you're doing what General Grazot instructed and that it's highly urgent. …HIGHLY urgent, Colonel!"

Eli looked at Grazot who shook his head in agreement. Inside, however, this was coming at him too fast. He couldn't help but feel he was being set up. Eli holstered his side arm and apologized to the female ape. He then said "Ok, but you'd better have rock solid proof Major or St James is going to have you publically hung." And with that statement, he left the room.

Once it was obvious the ape Colonel was gone Grazot spoke up. "Ok old-friend. What gives? Why didn't you tell him who I was?"

"Does it matter?" Polk answered. "What good would an internal civil war do us, other than insuring our defeat? Eli is correct. Zolarin is highly efficient. That one there sang like a lark after I gave it to him. If even half of what he declared is true this Empire is a bigger threat than you or ten human Generals."

"Well, the humans and that fool of an ape delegation from Kawaka brought my wife back. All it will take is a few loose words from her and you'll have the civil war you fear." Grazot replied.

The Banned Territories (Somewhere in the old western United States)

"What do we do?" the ape foot soldier asked the Group Sergeant. "There are too many of them and they'll be on top of us any second."

The dust from the approaching mechanized vehicles made the area look like one long golden-brown cloud. The gorilla NCO glanced around quickly and said "That rock formation, adjacent to that small hill …We'll hide there. It's larger than this one and should proved adequate concealment. With any luck they'll travel right past us".

No sooner had they both moved when a deafening sound of thunder echoed through the air. Their former position went up in a ball of red-black smoke. The force of the blast sent the two gorillas flying through the air like dried leaves on a windy day. Sand, dirt, and rock fragments peppered the area in every direction.

A second explosion followed, accompanied by automatic weapons fire. The Group Sergeant looked back only to see what was left of Corporal Brokk. And it wasn't much. He tried to put weight on his left leg as pain shot through his body. "I'm injured damn it" he coughed out. Putting the burden on the other three appendages the simian worked his way to the rock formation. He shook his head twice trying to get the ringing sound in his ears to subside.

A wheeled vehicle stopped and a mix of armed apes and humans spilled out. A human officer was barking out orders at the others. The Group Sergeant wrinkled his brow as he heard the animal speak. It was one of the oddest things he'd ever witnessed.

"Over here Sir", one of the combatants stated. "We hit something, maybe an animal. There isn't much left."

"It was no animal." An ape soldier replied, "Unless animals are now wearing leather clothes." The soldier handed the tattered material to his superior. The officer stopped and looked around as he rubbed the material in his fingers.

The next action the Group Sergeant observed was as strange as the talking man. The human squeezed a small four-sided figure clipped to strap on his chest and spoke into. As it spoke back the NCO flinched, almost giving his location away.

"Alright, everyone muster up." The officer ordered. "Tracks four and six are going to saturate the area in thirty… but before they do..." The human lowered his weapon, flipped a switch on his rifle. Group Sergeant Gerit never saw it coming. The round hit his position and blew him and the rock formation into nonexistence. The Lieutenant had spotted the trail of blood and prints leading away much earlier. He'd simply waited for thermal verification from the Fire Direction Officer before taking action.

He concluded with, "Ok, the FDO confirms that there are no more hostile heat signatures in the area. Sergeant Augusta, call in our situation to Battalion HQ. The rest of you mount up. The sun is setting and it's freezing out here."

Kawaka

The medium sized piece of equipment cried out as if it had a mind of its own. "Prefect, Prefect, This is Sigma-Twelve. We're under attack. I say again, we are under attack. Multiple mechanical vehicles and an unknown number of unidentified hostiles identified. Requesting we initiate TGS12, immediately" The metallic voice echoed within the small four walls. Sullen sprang up from his bed, half asleep, in a confused stupor. He mumbled something negative about this these things always happening in the middle of the night as he moved towards the device. His logic quickly trumped his annoyance as his brain processed what was actually taking place.

TGS12 was the predestinated emergence response code that St James and Sullen had worked out after the initial incursion, by the Imperiam, in the Banned Territories. Predetermined targets were now established, in key regions, with a unique identifier. In this case, it was TGS12. This was one of the rare cases where Sullen felt grateful for human intercession. St James had strongly suggested instituting these procedures and rehearsing the particulars on a regular basis. It was now time to see if all of that preparation would pay off.

The Prefect flipped the lid and a green-gray 3-D image of the ape officer appeared. Sullen could hear the shouting and weapons fire as if it were just outside his window. Without hesitation he brought the palm of his paw down on the red button to the object's left. "TGS12 approved." He shouted. The ape pulled out a book and began to flip through the pages. Adrenalin began coursing though his body, his blood pressure rose and the ape actually began to mildly perspire. "… TGS12 …TGS12" he mumbled anxiously searching for the authorization code. The room was dark. He hadn't had time to light the oil lamp, but the illumination from the box to his front was all he needed.

Within seconds a metallic voice stated, "Ready for DNA verification".

Sullen placed his palm on the flat pad. The DNA validation process took less than a second. "DNA match accepted at 99.099673 percent. Authenticate – Whisky-Tango. Scrambling in twenty-seconds …nineteen … eighteen …seventeen …"

Sullen frantically rolled his finger down the page looking for the Whisky-Tango auth-complement. "How am I supposed concentrate with that blasted thing counting?" he angrily mumbled. After what seemed like an eternity he found it. "I authenticate; uh, Oscar-Seven".

"Authentication accepted. Please have all friendly elements withdraw to the designated shelters." The voice instructed. "Birds are in the air".

Argos – Sigma-Twelve

Colonel Plateaus didn't wait for Sullen's reply. He'd heard the automated voice just as clearly as Sullen had. The officer yelled to one of the ape posted on the line and shouted: "Light it. Now!". Major Kossas dropped the torch. The sparks rose and moments later the line of black powder went off in rapid succession. The whole area lit up as if it were mid-day and quickly became saturated with a thick gray-black smoke. Kossas and the others were long gone before the first explosion ever took place. It did minimal damage to the approaching militia but slowed them down enough for the apes to take refuge.

The confused aggressors halted their advance and took cover where it was available. They indiscriminately fired into the obscure cloud, expecting some sort of counter offensive. Officers were shouting orders and soldiers were scurrying back and forth as they speculated and second guessed the next series of events. "Switch from starlight to infrared" one of the men shouted. "Bring the armor units on line."

The pause was long enough for the ODN to launch and reach its targets. The inbound projectiles coordinated amongst themselves accounting for; terrain, weather, and identified heat signatures. Adjustments and millisecond recalculations took place. The armed forces below realized what was happening a little too late. The series of detonations shook the ground and steel rain pelted a span of several kilometers. It took approximately three minutes but as quickly as the attack came, it ended. When the smoke and flames subsided, nothing was left standing. Craters, dirt mounds, scorched burning earth and mangled debris were everywhere. Fire crews attended to the parts of Sigma-Twelve that had been hit during the initial assault and the ODN retaliation.

Plateaus looked around in unbelief. He'd been briefed and they'd conducted several mock simulations. But seeing it played out in reality brought a whole new prospective. The deafening sounds, the extent of the destruction, all of was beyond imagination. The Colonel gave the order to search for survivors and salvage anything of value. He ordered a subordinate to contact Kawaka with an update. The last thing he did was raise his head upward and thank the great ape for his deliverance.

…Moments later…

"…Yes, Prefect we'll keep you posted. It's quite fortunate they attacked here and not at the northern part of the Argos Net. The new communications equipment isn't fully setup there. Our power cells are almost exhausted Sir, I'll contact you soon with more; Sigma-Twelve out."

Kawaka

Sullen sat in his chair as the first part of the message rolled around in his head. "Yes … how fortunate … What are the odds?"

The Prefect rose from chair grabbed his cloak and went to wake The Council.

Banned Territories; Five Miles from Sigma-Twelve

Lieutenant Colonel Parks adjusted the settings on the heads-up display of his field-gear. He spoke into attached mike wirelessly linked to a combat-recorder. He noted several battlefield statics as the mechanized unit and infantry support elements advanced forward towards Sigma-Twelve.

"What exactly are we looking for Sir?" Sergeant Eldon asked.

"We're just observing the events" Parks answered.

They both witnessed the black powder, the smoke and the ODN response. Park wrote the information down without as much as a gasp. When the events were over he turned to Eldon and said. "Ok, let's add this data to the rest and send in the intelligence."

"Seems like a waste, Sir. I mean all of those lives." Eldon stated.

"They were all told the risk and any criminal who has a chance to escape death, no matter the odd, usually takes it. Besides, we had to see what this ODN is capable of. The small amount of lives lost today will hopefully save a lot of other lives down the road. We'll never survive an attack as long as that thing is at their disposal." Parks replied. "Have Ulosski send in our report and then contact Monarch-1. We can recall Captain Rostra's team we have all the information we need."

New Washington

"I got lost …lost, I'm telling you! That's all!" the woman stated. She flashed Berger a smile and reached out and touched his forearm. "What's the big deal, anyway?" The woman was attractive and Berger found himself actually falling for the obvious ruse.

"Lost huh?" Captain Berger quickly replied, stuffing his attraction deep inside. "You just happened to stumble into the Coalition Mainframe and decided to access the catalogs? And what are these; unregistered relics? Why do they look new? Where did you …"

Berger felt a slight prick. When he awoke he was on a bed with several people looking him over. His head was throbbing. "Just sit tight." Lieutenant Colonel Childs said as he gently pushed the Captain back to a prone position. "Do you remember what happened?"

Berger explained the events that recently took place. But Childs was already up to speed. "We know Captain. The ape leadership is here and I've been sent to retrieve you. A lot is going on. The northern nation was attacked and it wasn't from us"

Berger laughed and rubbed his aching forehead. "Preposterous, who else is there?"

"That's what we're hoping to find out. Get yourself together and meet us in building fifteen in thirty minutes.