Here is chapter 16, it has taken me a while to upload it because I didn't have much time and it has taken a few days to complete it.
LD: Titan AE does not belong to me.
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Mr. Wong looked at the three men before him, siting across his office's desk with a small smile playing on his lips. Lin had informed him of the successful arrival of the seventh colonial fleet. Things had played better than he had expected. Apparently the colonization fleet had arrived just in time to save Cale and the others from a mysterious enemy attack. When they reported this to the other representatives he would make sure it was leaked to the press. It would give him a great advantage for the government elections due for the planet's third anniversary.
One of three men spoke pulling him out of his thoughts. The man wore a white short sleeve t-shirt, some old jeans and sports wear shoes. His name was James Chang "JC" for friends. He had about the same age as Mr. Wong and had been his right hand man for his "underworld" empire ever since the days of the old world. Together with him were his sons, Tom Chang and Scott Chang, completely dressed as their father but with different colored clothes, they too served as his aides when it came to his criminal empire. And depending of how one saw it Mr. Wong was about to give them a reward of shorts.
"Chief" JC called him again pulling out of his thoughts again.
"Mmm" Mr. Wong replied looking at him with a confused expression.
"You were about to tell us some news" JC said rolling his eyes.
"Oh" Mr. Wong said. "That's right. I have some very good news to tell you." The three men looked at him curiously but none spoke, waiting for him to continue. "As you know there are going to be elections for the Planetary government body and I'm running for president on those." He was replied by nods of his three subordinates, so far they were following him. "But to do so I may have to retire from the post of boss of our little organization at least for a time, it wouldn't be good for my campaign if someone discovered I was connected to the mafia."
The three men stared at him with wide eyes at least the two younger Changs did. The elder Chang didn't look surprised at all. "He knows me and the price of power too well" Mr. Wong thought before continuing.
"As such I'm going to need people I can trust to run things until I return." He said. Surprise was erased from the two young men's faces as they looked at him with smiles on theire faces, JC's face didn't reveal any emotion.
"You can count on us boss" Scott said emotion clear on his voice.
"You bet" Tom added looking happy. Their father threw them a stern look and both of them calmed down immediately.
"We are deeply honored by your trust boss" he said simply.
"Of course I hope you realize it's just a temporary arrangement. Should I not be elected president I think I will retire from politics and dedicate myself to my other bussinesses. Should I be elected I'll return to be in charge again once my term ends." Mr. Wong said. He knew he had been very clear but he had to be really careful here, he doubted JC would betray him but his sons were another thing, they were too young or pehaps to stupid to not make mistakes every once in a while.
JC nodded. "Of course boss. The organization will always be yours." Both sons looked at their father and their boss and finally nodded.
"But what about the profits we obtain from our bussiness?" Scott asked. "Should we keep it for you or..."
Mr. Wong smiled, at least one of the Chang brothers was cautious.
"You may do whatever you want with that money. I'll have no need for it when I'm in office. I will ask you for donations every once in a while you'll haave to arrange it so it looks completely legit money." Mr. Wong replied. Scott nodded and it was clear that Tom would have screamed in joy hadn't Mr. Wong been in the room. JC looked at his boss with an expression that clearly told the other man that he wanted to talk in private. Mr. Wong smiled and pulled out his wallet took out some money and put it on Tom's hand. "Take this money and take your brother to have a few drinks and celebrate."
"Thank you uncle Wong!" Tom said, calling by the name both he and Scott used to know Mr. Wong by when they were young. Mr. Wong just smiled as both boys got out of the room closing the door behind them and leaving their father and "uncle" to talk alone. Mr. Wong looked at JC with a serious expression.
"You don't seem to be happy about this reward." He said sitting back on his chair.
"Well I guess it's a reward, at least in a sense." JC replied. Mr. Wong sighed, from all his subordinates, JC was the only one he allowed to express his opinion against his plans or ideas freely, as long as he didn't do so in front of others. The man hadn't really used that privilege much, something Mr. Wong was sure had helped them build a strong friendship and bussiness relationship.
"What do you mean?" Mr. Wong asked through narrowed eyes.
"I mean I'm grateful for everything you've done for me. Ever since I've got memory you've taken care and stood by me so I guess I can't shake the feeling you are abandoning us, you are abandoning everything we worked so hard to achieve." JC said. Mr. Wong stared at him with a neutral expression and JC continued. "But that's not all I think you are risking a lot in this plan of yours to the point that if it ever fails not only you but our organization will fall as well."
"So you are saying I'm being overly ambitious?" Mr. Wong said coldly even though he felt angry at what he saw like a betrayal. "I thought you would follow me until the end. That's what you promised all those years ago."
"And I will" JC replied calmly. "But if you are willing to go through with this I want to make sure my sons won't be affected by your failure."
Mr. Wong sighed no longer feeling angry. In fact he had expected him to raise this question sooner or later, he was the complete opposite of Mr. Wong when it came to his children after all and his loyalty to the organization came always second to this loyalty to his family.
"I guarantee you I'll make everything I can to prevent your children from been hurt in anyway by my actions." Mr. Wong reassured him. He was obviously lying but he had to make sure JC stayed loyal to him.
JC eyed him for a moment but nodded. "Then I'll take care of this job as faithfully as I have always done."
Mr. Wong smiled at his old friend. "Thanks, that sure is reassuring."
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"Cousin" laid on the bed of his personal quarters on the titan ship assigned to him. So far the titan race was proving to be a race worth to be called that. Leaving aside their defeat from what he had seen by staying with them on their planet they were born for war. Each of the soldiers of the titan race dedicated himself or herself, although it was weird some female titans were also soldiers, to train to polish their combat performance to their limits and they went up through the ranks by surpassing their limits time and time again. And after the time he had spent watching them he could say one thing for certain. He despised them with all his heart and certainly didn't like the mission "Brother" had given him of helping Hyperion with his mission.
King Cronus had given him twenty ships including several heavy cruisers to reinforce Hyperion's flotilla made only of Light attack titan ships. He was pulled out of his thoughts by a knock on the door of his quarters. A female titan, Hecate, one of the few female titan soldiers a female of long silver hair and eyes and a body that the titans considered attractive, spoke from the other side of the door.
"Lord "Cousin", Lord Hyperion, has contacted us via hologram, he is waiting for you on the bridge." She informed him. He sighed and got off the bed. He opened the door and saw the female titan with a emmerald green armor. He stared at her and waited for her to say something else since she seemed to want to do so but her cold expression didn't change, she turned and headed for the bridge.
Her behaviour gave Cousin an idea. Since he was forced to take this mission he might as well have fun doing so and nothing was more fun for him at that moment than testing Hecate's patience, after all she had heard some soldiers call her the "Ice Queen" because she apparently never showed any emotion which was why she was one of Cronus's favourite commanders.
"I heard one of your ancestors was a traitor to your race. That she joined the other side when the Earth rebelled against the titans." He said with a smirk on his face. Hecate stopped right on her tracks and turned to look at him with her cold mask still on. "I heard someone say she was just a cheap whore."
"It was a long time ago." She replied turning around again.
"Well" "Cousin" said pushing her to walk in front of her. "I don't care if you the descendant of a whore. But if you fail to obey me you will pay the consequences."
When cousin and Hecate arrived at the bridge an hologram of Hyperion was waiting for them. The titan general glared at "Cousin", a glare cousin didn't fail to return.
"So you are the one they call Cousin." Hyperion said. "Your presence here is unnecesary."
"It seems you are the only to think so." Cousin replied with a small smile. "Lord Cronus wasn't pleased at all by your performance Lord Hyperion." Cousin didn't have to use the honorific title but preferred to do so. It was his own way of mocking the titans.
"The attack on the space station gave us valuable intel on the human battle capabilities." Hyperion replied although it was clear that not even the Titan Lord believed his words.
"An information that was paid dearly. Wasn't it?" Cousin taunted. Hyperion seemed like he was going to reply to that statement but bit his tongue as he looked at Hecate mouthing something to him.
"Just don't get in my way." The titan lord said. Cousin smiled, perhaps the mission wouldn't be so bad after all.
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Lin looked out of her quarters window towards the infinity of space as the new fleet advanced towards their destination. She wasn't looking forward to reach New Earth. She was growing increasingly uncomfortable with her father's plans as she grew more and more comfortable with her new friends. She knew that her father's plan didn't involve hurting or killing for now but for as she had known her father he had been a man of endless greed. For now he was consolidating a place for the planet first official general elections but once he won that she knew he would try to undo or reform everything Cale and Akima were achieving. And that, Lin was sure, would lead to an eventual confrontation.
And once that had happened she didn't know what she could do. She had hampered her father's first plan once by not boycotting Cale's and Akima's project. No matter how much she told herself to act a part of her, one that either believed in their plan or just tired of mindlessly obeying her father, who she had served many years providing many services from assassin to occasional sex slave, tired of a live that would never bring her true happiness. However there was one reason why she would not abandon her father. Her siblings.
Mr. Wong and his deceased wife had given her not only parents but siblings too. And as she rarely thought of Mr. Wong as her father or a true father to her anyway her siblings were everything she had and Mr. Wong had always been very clear, their welfare depended on her almost exclusively. Mei, her eleven year old sister was the only one of them who knew and had tried to escape a few times since she'd learnt the truth taking their siblings with her, trying to liberate Lin from them. She had failed and had been punished harshly.
After having seen that Lin knew that the only thing she would not do was abandon her siblings with that man, even if it meant serving him for life. But she didn't really want to harm her friends. Oh god she was confused. In fact that was the reason she hadn't met with the rest on the bridge she needed time to think.
"Seems like you are worried about something." A voice said pulling her out of her thoughts. She turned around to see a boy, a few years younger than her, he was one of the bridge operators although she wasn't sure she remembered in what he worked or what his name was, they had never been formally introduced.
"How long have you been staring at me?" Lin asked with an annoyed look on her face.
"About five minutes." He replied smiling widely without a trace of shame on his face.
"Didn't your mother tell you it's rude to stare at people like that?" Lin countered in a scolding tone.
"I suppose she would if I had a mother." He replied changing his expression. Lin immediately regretted what she said, she should have guessed it, Tortuga wasn't a planet that allowed families to live happily ever after.
"Sorry" she said. "What did you want?"
"Korso wants to see all of you on the bridge something about planning the next steps to follow." He said smiling again.
"I see, tell him I'll be there shortly" she said smiling a little.
"Sure" He said turning around a pulling out the radio.
"This is Alex, I have found Ms. Lin and I'll lead her to the meeting room shortly." He said.
"Copy that Alex" a female voice replied. "Hurry up, will you! You are needed here." The voice added.
"Don't order me around Charlotte!" Alex snapped but was interrupted by Lin's laugh. The boy blushed as he realized he'd just shown an uncool side of him to beautiful girl. Lin on the other side was relieved as her recent thoughts seemed far away.
"Well let's go." She said going for the door. "I don't want you getting into troubles because of me." She said teasingly.
"I wouldn't mind getting into troubles for a girl like you" Alex said trying to impress her with his "mature" tone of voice.
"Alex!" His sister's voice interrupted him making both realize he had left the communication channel on the whole time.
"Ok, ok we are going!" He replied. Making Lin laugh again as she followed him out.
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Meanwhile on New Earth Bob and Nanami had been working nonstop with Chief Lee and the Sheriff on the reform of the police while keeping an eye on the armed forces's training. Bob sighed as he filled signed some orders and approved new promotions in the army. He was completely and absolutely bored since it had been, together with hearing some politics criticize their word, the only thing he'd done since Akima and Cale were gone. Nanami was on another desk doing the same work with a professional expression on her face.
"When did you say Cale and Akima were returning?" He asked.
"The last communication said they would return tomorrow with new additions to our forces and a report on their mission." She replied without looking at him.
"And how much work do we have left?" He asked
"If you stop asking and actually concentrate on your job we could have the home to ourselves just for a few hours." She said with a smirk knowing what he was thinking.
Bob smiled mischievously and quickly got to work again this time thinking about the reward that awaited him at the end of the seemingly endless pile of papers.