Chapter 1: Detente
Mountain Range of Ice and Snow, Falmart
It must have been five years by now.
Maybe more.
But the biting snow, the screaming wind, and the now dull blade he stabbed into the pile of snow to mark as his last comrade's final resting place never seemed to care.
He swallowed, then tightened the fur coat around his frame and adjusted the hood over his rabbit ears, the determination no different now than five years ago. He was in deep snow that only grew deeper with the screaming wind that carried it from on high. Vision was minimal. He assumed it was early morning, but the glow of the sun was impossible to see.
And he presumed he was long lost by now.
Truly, how long would it take him to clear the mountain range? Simply traveling to the mountains had taken them a year, he recalled. They'd always had to be careful with the Imperial forces moving everywhere like ants across Sadera. Slow. Infuriatingly slow. Especially in their group of four. The rumors he'd heard in that one year were grim, but he and his companions remained forever undeterred.
He remembered the start of that second year. They had made it, the roads to the mountains of ice and snow were as barren and empty as they had hoped, and they quickly began their expedition toward winning their war once and for all be pushing out of even those barren trails. Up the untravelled landscape where only the gods were supposed to tread. It was easy going at first. Nothing unexpected had happened. No one stopped them.
And with that glimmer of hope, they had all promptly begun to die as they reached the snowy peaks.
They had no idea where they were going after the second year in that confusing hellscape. Even their mission did not have a set destination. They had only heard legends of the mountains. Legends they held something to save their people and win the war against the Empire invading them.
He was still good on time, he knew. The Warrior Bunnies had enough people to survive a decade if they fought to the last. Fifteen years if they were careful. But it was simple mathematics. Even with the blessing of the gods, they would never outlast an Empire that spread across the entire continent of Falmart. He had faith that Queen Tyuule would at least be capable enough to hold out until they came back with victory assured.
So with a biting sigh that only made him feel colder, he turned around and kept walking up what might have been a trail further up the desolate mountain range. Directionless. He believed he was going north still, but with no sign of direction from the heavens above, and with the storm only becoming worse, he could not tell. He was tempted to stay in the small cavern where his last comrade died, but without another body to keep warm with, there was no point.
Angered by the whipping winds, he bellowed to the heavens in direct challenge.
"Hardy… goddess of the underworld… Emroy, god of war… I still stand!"
His screams were met by the howl of the wind and nothing more. He turned to glance at his fallen comrade. He couldn't see the grave anymore, the blade he'd left there gone in the wind and buried in the snow.
He felt his heart twist in fury and anguish. Was this really what the gods planned for him? To be lost so pathetically? So uselessly? He wondered how many of his people had died in battle by now. Honorable deaths, he was sure, but even those who were denied the chance to fight by the imperial's cruel and cowardly tactics would have at least died more honorably than him.
He could feel his fur coat hardening further around him, as if the icy spirits of the mountain were already holding him in a chilling embrace, refusing to release him until he succumbed and joined them in their slumber.
He wanted to scream.
He could not see his hand in front of him, or his leg as the snow now covered up to his waist. He could no longer bear the mask keeping his lips from freezing, yet he knew better than to remove it. But what was he to do? The screaming wind was deafening to his sensitive ears. The cold felt more unnatural now as if it were actively trying to kill him. How he longed for the cool and paradoxically warm summers out in the northern plains, where he could lie in the grass. He could hunt game or, if in the mood, worthy opponents. He thought of the passionate nights he'd had with one particularly tough warrior who'd only let him have his way with her once she'd been well exhausted in combat. He internally smiled at the memory. He'd bested her, she'd let him have her for a night, and then they had gone their separate ways once more, what with male warriors being such a rarity. That memory warmed him somewhat, but then, with a pang of internal pain, he remembered the fact that a benefit of success here would mean he would be the next king.
He'd have to be!
But how could he succeed if-
He stopped moving.
He wasn't sure he'd seen her at first.
Couldn't be sure.
But then, through the screaming wind, she became clearer.
Ethereal, unnatural, impossible, and… beautiful.
She eyed him for a moment, her features warm and silent, her hair unmoving despite the violent winds that now threatened to push him into the deep mountain snow. She left no tracks where she walked despite touching the snowy ground. She was an arm's range away, her gaze curious, her eyes emerald green, and the temperature only dropped further so close to him, which gave her identity away immediately.
But he no longer cared.
"G-g-goddess… H-H-Hardy?" he managed.
The goddess tilted her head ever so slightly to the left, like an animal, then grinned in delight.
"A Warrior Rabbit worshipper. A male one at that! How delightful!"
"G-goddess, I-"
"Oh, goodness me, where are my manners? I am indeed Hardy, the goddess of the underworld! And you, my dear warrior, are quite lost, are you not?"
"I-"
"Really now, so deep in the mountains! No soul has been here since the creation of this world! What a discovery! What were you seeking here, pray tell?"
"Goddess, my people need your help to defeat the Empire!"
The ethereal goddess paused, her emerald eyes never left his darkened ones as the cold wind continued to attack him but respect her. She didn't answer. She only stared. Like a child studying a strange animal. There was, he could have sworn, confusion lining her beautiful features. So he forced himself to speak once more.
"Goddess, we are under attack. We have the warriors to put up resistance for ten years, maybe fifteen if Queen Tyuule manages things correctly. It-"
He paused as the goddess muttered something he could not understand.
"Goddess Hardy?"
She shook her head, then said "I am sorry, young warrior. But that mission has long since been a failure."
He straightened up, his mouth hung agape as he began to form a question that was immediately interrupted by the voice of the goddess.
"I cannot give you the help you desire. I can perhaps lead you to safety, where all will become-"
"No!" he snapped.
"Young warrior-"
"No!" he could tell his voice was desperate as he began screaming "I did not come all the way here, I did not lose all my friends, Cormac, Anii, Cia, all to be denied now!"
"Young warrior, please understand that what you wish is impossible."
"I will not be denied an army or miracle to defeat the empire! I will do whatever it takes to ensure Queen Tyuule gains total victory!"
The goddess stared at him in silence as if she were studying him.
With what sounded like a sigh, she began to back away.
"Do not leave my sight, goddess!" he screamed and tried chasing after her, following her now down a trail that allowed him better movement.
As he did this, she called back, "All are equal in death, Ciaran. Royalty or peasant. Man or woman. Young or old."
He screamed back "I care not of death, I care only of victory for my people! Please, goddess!"
"I shall give you an opportunity. Squander it or embrace it, it is your choice. I advise you not to hold grudges. I advise you simply ask them to take you home. I advise you to move on. But…" a dark, twisted smile formed on her lips, "I am also very tempted to see where this goes, my little warrior!"
"Goddess, what are-?"
The snow around him vanished as he tripped over something, and then…
He glanced up to see a strange light in his eyes, and once they adjusted he realized that the beautiful goddess was gone.
"U nas yest' odin!"
His eyes slowly lifted as men in strange clothing grabbed him, touched his skin, removed his coat, and while he could not understand them, he noted the wonder in their voice.
"Krolik! Eto khoroshaya nakhodka!"
"Udivitel'nyy!"
He sat up slowly, the ground beneath him humid from the melted snow of his coat and-
Melted snow?
He glanced down and saw he was on some hard surface, smooth like shaved stone, but he was uncertain as his vision adjusted.
"Hello, do you understand me?"
He squinted and saw the man in white clothing. It looked strange. It looked… wrong.
"W-who are you?"
The men muttered quietly amongst each other as if trying to not bring attention to something. Not that it mattered. He heard them clearly enough, his ears still working very well, but he couldn't understand them whatsoever.
"You are a… warrior rabbit… yes?" the man asked suddenly.
"Y-yes. I… I am looking for help to save my people from the Empire. Goddess Hardy, she-" he groaned.
"You saw a goddess?" the man asked suddenly.
"Y-yes. She said something about an opportunity?"
Again the unintelligible muttering. There was no excitement amongst these strange men. It was as though they were discussing subjects as boring as decaying lumber or melting snow.
"Get some rest. We will-"
"No! Not until-"
"Sir, please. We will make things clear to you, but first, we must know things. For example, what is your name?"
He stared straight into the light and said "Ciaran. I am with the tribes of the Warrior Bunnies. I am going to save them all. And I promise you, if you help us defeat the Empire, when I am king I shall give you all the riches and land you desire! I'll give you my firstborn child! I will give you anything you want! Just help me defeat the Empire!"
The men were silent.
One asked something, the man next to him answered, then, with a tone that suggested exhaustion, the man spoke to him once more.
"You are an heir to the Warrior Rabbits' throne?"
Ciaran felt himself frown at the question. Should he lie and say yes? No, if these men were with the gods they should be able to tell. The truth it was.
"No. But male warriors like myself are rare in our tribes. There are very few candidates to marry the new queen, and I am the likeliest to win. If I succeed, then even if Queen Tyuule is already betrothed or even married she can be mine and by proxy, yours. I can give you-"
"Then you do not know."
"What? Know what?!" he demanded as in spite of the warmer setting he felt a sharp coldness in his gut.
"The warrior rabbits lost the war to the empire about six years ago."
He stared ahead in silence as the words reached him. The silence that followed was maddening as he considered it. That simply was not possible. That was a jest, surely. There was simply no way all those tribes of his lost in less than five years, let alone at a time when they had barely reached the mountain range.
"Sir, did you hear-?"
"Impossible! We had the people to last a decade! A decade! I went over the tactics myself! I discussed them with my generals, the- the whole reason we went on this mission was in the knowledge that they would still be there in ten years! How could they have lost in less than that?!"
"Queen Tyuule surrendered less than a year into the war."
He felt his mouth fall slack.
Tyuule? The new queen surrendered? The girl he intended to make his own had simply betrayed them all and wrought with her the terrible and unthinkable dishonor of surrender?!
"If it pleases you, the Empire was also defeated in war by a greater power. Three years after your queen surrendered-"
"You lie. Queen Tyuule, she… I know she was young when I left. Inexperienced, certainly but she wouldn't have surrendered so soon after we left!"
"She did."
"No. No, you are a liar and-" he went to jab an accusatory finger at the man.
Ciaran paused. His eyes had fully adjusted but even if they hadn't he would have felt the restraints. Now he could see he was chained in place, tied down to the bed but more importantly, the man in front of him, while wearing some kind of mask over his mouth and nose, his eyes were not dishonest.
Why would they lie to him?
He laid back in the bed; his eyes stared unblinking at the light above. How was it so bright even though they were indoors?
"Please… please tell me this is just a nightmare."
"It would be a lie, I am afraid."
Ciaran felt tears of rage well up from his eyes, but he forced them back.
"Tell me more."
"As I was saying, the empire was defeated 3 years after your queen surrendered."
"By you?"
"No."
"Who defeated the empire?"
"A nation that is a rival of ours. We can discuss more once you are at full strength, Ciaran."
"Was Tyuule killed?"
"No."
"Good." He grumbled, a plan slowly formulating in his mind.
Ciaran was a patient man. Oh, he'd see to it that this injustice did not go unpunished. He would wait all he needed. And he would carry out what orders were necessary, as for the first time in half a decade, he knew exactly what he would do next.
September 7, 1972
Fort Benning, Georgia, United States of America
11:07 PM
The screams, the ever-present smell of blood and gunpowder, the cracking of automatic fire, and the ringing in his ears.
It mattered absolutely nothing to him as he stared at her pained smile, her hands clutching a blade as she uttered a single-syllable word.
"Run", she had said.
Then strong arms nearly ripped her neck in two. He reached for her. He grabbed her, barely, pulled her towards him, as he saw the cruel, confident grin of a man he knew was long dead. Her body against his was warm, but the coldness surrounding him felt like it would rip her away at any second.
Then it suddenly did and he was alone in the dark again.
Dennis Orville felt his eyes shoot open. He remained frozen, staring at the bone-white ceiling above, and he resisted the urge to grab the soft hand on his forehead that pushed hair aside to measure his temperature with an all too maternal touch. After a moment, he did reach for the hand, which held his in return. He swallowed, then turned his gaze towards her crimson eyes.
"You fell asleep…" Tyuule sighed, then she added in a soft whisper "Another night terror?"
Dennis sat up slightly, and after a second, managed a tired "Yeah."
A sad expression manifested on her face.
"It wasn't that bad. Not like… before." He added in a whisper.
"Still." She whispered back.
Dennis lowered his voice, moved over to the edge of the bed, and reached for her hand again, taking it in his own as he pulled her closer.
"Hey, I'm alright. Really."
She smiled and squeezed his hand slightly before she spoke, never above a whisper.
"I finished writing for tonight. I can pack it up and leave it in the mailbox, or…"
Dennis only placed a hand on her hip and pulled her closer.
"Are you sure?" she whispered with a quick glance at the door.
Quietly, he nodded, and her smile widened.
"Good."
She straddled him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and then leaned into his left ear as her rabbit ears bent back slightly, playfully.
She whispered in a sultry voice, "Quiet…"
He didn't bother with a response as he locked lips with hers, tenderly at first before the kiss inevitably grew in intensity.
He needed her. Desperately, so. She felt warm to the touch, and as she slowly pulled away for a much-needed breath, he was quick to pull her nightgown's straps from her shoulders. He kissed where the fabric moved away and left exposed skin, earning quiet shudders from her. Dennis tried to force himself to focus solely on her and not the terror they had survived a lifetime ago by now, and Tyuule reciprocated by letting her nightgown fall to her waist.
He felt a delightful chill go up his spine as she let out a quiet and pleasant gasp once he locked eyes with her again. Her arms wrapped around him a little tighter as he allowed his hands to begin moving up and down her now-exposed pale body. She shifted her legs so she was a little higher above him, and his hands moved down to her thighs, and around the waistline where he kissed her again. He moved to her chest again, ignoring the old scar on her shoulder as he planted gentle kisses around her. She only returned the favor of moving her hands over his body, under his shirt, lifting it slightly but not taking it off just yet.
He tried to keep quiet. Really, he did, but as she gently kissed the top of his ear and neck and rubbed her ever-so-soft skin against his own…
Dennis gasped and resisted the urge to pull what little clothes she had on completely off, his nightmare long forgotten by now. Her face was flush as she pulled back to face him. Her right hand slowly moved down from his chest, to his stomach, to…
She smiled as he squirmed under her touch.
Then her ears twitched upright and the smile vanished. They both froze as they were. The room was as silent as the night outside. But…
Dennis mouthed a tired "no", but she only nodded in disappointment.
With a final warm kiss that only left him wanting more, she pulled away from their tight embrace and quickly lifted up her nightgown, then pulled up her panties with some discomfort as she gave him a mercifully understanding look as Dennis adjusted his shorts and shirt while he moved back under the covers. She took a deep breath, as did he, both pretending to have been in the process of falling asleep as they waited for the inevitable.
A second later there was a soft knocking on their door followed by an even softer, squeaky voice.
"Ma? Pa? Are you awake?"
Tyuule touched up her long white hair, and said "Yes, dear, what is it?"
"I'm scared."
Dennis shrugged as he rubbed at his eyes. Tyuule opened the door and shook her head at the small figure, but still picked up the little girl with droopy rabbit ears that were.
"Why are you scared?" she cooed.
"I heard noises." the little girl murmured, clutching a bear plush tightly as Tyuule carried her to their bed.
Dennis, suddenly more alert, asked, "What kind of noises?"
"I dunno." the little girl mumbled.
"I see." He muttered.
Tyuule sat on the bed and the little girl swiftly moved out of her mother's hold, dropped to the mattress, and quickly snuggled into the covers.
"Well, you're getting a little old for this, don't you think, Agatha?" Tyuule spoke quietly, though she contradicted herself as she tucked the little girl in.
The girl's rabbit ears perked up and she grumbled a tired yet indignant "Am not!"
"Alright, alright. Remember, you start school tomorrow, so go to sleep quickly, now."
The girl nodded, tightly shut her eyes, then shifted once as she held the teddy bear in her arms.
Dennis laid back on the bed and switched off the light. Tyuule mirrored him, though she hesitated for a second, eying little Agatha before the light was shut off.
In the darkness, they both waited, awake, their eyes adjusting as they stared at the little girl as her soft breathing became more relaxed and joined the rare sounds of the night in their room. She was asleep. Lightly at first, then, deeper. The perceived safety of being next to her parents was apparently a greater anesthetic for a five-year-old than anything else and they weren't about to betray that.
Finally, Tyuule whispered, "We do have to take her to school early."
"Yeah." Dennis sighed. Then, defeated, he added "I'm off tomorrow. We can continue here after we drop her off."
He saw as she smiled in the dark, then she whispered "She's grown up so fast."
"She's still little."
"She's bigger than a month ago."
"Still looks little to me."
"Dennis Orville, she'll be a big girl soon." she teased with a smile.
"Not yet."
"Yes, not yet." Tyuule seemed to giggle at his denial of their daughter's growth, but he couldn't help the fact his mind still saw her as the tiny, bald, rabbit-eared baby in the hospital room a total of five years prior. Now she had fully dark hair, and dark fur on her rabbit ears and tail.
Still, she was small to both of them.
"She'll be alright." Tyuule whispered.
He only nodded. He knew she was reassuring herself as much as him.
September 8, 1972
"Oh, God, there she goes. Oh, God, the kids…" Tyuule mumbled, visibly more worried than the surrounding families.
If he wanted to mock her insecurity, he would have been a hypocrite. Instead, he took her hand and held it tight as the day began for the kids. Dennis watched with the eyes of a combat veteran as several boys and girls surrounded tiny Agatha Orville and fixated on her rabbit ears, some pointing as the little girl held her ears out like some new haircut. She twirled in place, then rose them and lowered them to show they were in fact real.
A girl touched them, then grinned as Dennis heard her loudly say "They're really soft!"
As the tiny Agatha also grinned at being the center of attention, he let out the slightest sigh of relief.
"Kids can be quite accepting of others, you know. It's all in the parenting." the teacher, an older woman, said as other parents looked on in equal parts nervousness, equal parts curiosity at how the children would react to a demi-human in the class. One of the other parents muttered something akin to relief, not that Dennis fully caught it. The classroom itself seemed safe enough.
So he instead muttered, "Well, as long as they don't cause trouble…"
Tyuule nodded, sighing again before she smiled and waved at Agatha.
The little girl waved goodbye while a few of the other first graders suddenly began to silently panic, the realization their parents would leave them there for most of the day apparently choosing to dawn on them now. Dennis saw several tears begin to well up as the braver kids tried to hide them and the more worried kids didn't bother at all as none of the cute and colorful educational posters on the walls seemed to help.
"Oh, dear… I'll go calm them down as best I can. Pick-up should be no later than 3:30, alright?"
Dennis nodded while other parents gave their thanks and walked off. Tyuule lingered a half second alongside a few other parents, then with a nod, they both turned away from the closed door and walked out of the school.
The drive home was quiet.
Their new car, a station wagon that was oh so popular now around the United States, drove on with them in total silence. Once at home, there was a brief instant where they both winced at the quietness of the house. They both knew what returning to a suddenly empty home was like. It brought unpleasant memories. Neither spoke of them.
Instead, Dennis made the first move to distract both of them from the past. He locked the door and quickly pulled Tyuule into a tight embrace that was all too quick to transition into something else.
2:45 PM
Tyuule drank the apple juice as she went over the letters on the table, her robe tightly tied around her while Dennis cooked in more casual clothes, his hair still wet from the shower. She moved the important letters to the table's corner as she went over them more absentmindedly than she cared to admit.
Dennis had his time off, but she still had some letters to go over.
Still, the several hours off had been a blessing. Little Agatha Orville took up a sizeable share of their time now. If not for the wives of other soldiers in Fort Benning, she doubted they'd have the time to be even remotely physical. She smiled slightly, her face reddening at the memory of those awkward first days.
She placed the last letter on the side, and said "Well, looks like the majority of questions this time around come from elves."
Dennis huffed, "The immortals, huh?"
"They can be a pretentious lot, most of these have to do with business endeavors. They seem to believe they can continuously prosper without the worry of increased taxes. There is a lot of misunderstanding in Falmart regarding equal rights in the United States. I can probably recycle some older writings to answer them."
"You'll never get the Pulitzer like that."
"Pulitzer is more for journalists and proper writers." then, with a glance to the family photo hung on the wall, "I think I'd be happier with one for my photos, though."
"Hey, we can plan a trip for that. Japan's got some views that might speak to the-"
Tyuule raised a hand and whispered, "Hold that thought…"
She eyed the window when suddenly there was a knock on the door.
"Tyuule? Dennis? Hellooooooo!"
"Starla." Tyuule muttered as she got up.
Dennis switched off the stove and followed after her to the door, which she dutifully unlocked.
The older woman's beehive reeked of hair spray, and she looked dressed to go out to some fancy lunch, her husband's waiting car on the road. Still, she greeted them as usual.
"Hi, deary, I- oh! I hope I'm not interrupting." She said with a forced laugh, her eyes switching between Tyuule and Dennis.
"How can we help you, ma'am?" Dennis tried as Tyuule already noticed the letters on the woman's hand.
"Oh, well, these were in my mail today. They're addressed to you, deary."
"Oh, thank you." Tyuule said, taking them.
"I'll uh… I'll leave you two kids then. Ciao!"
Dennis waved, whilst Tyuule gave a half-hearted nod.
As her car sped off, she mumbled "You ever think she spies on us?"
"She's a colonel's wife, she probably spies on everyone."
Tyuule gave him a once over, then said "Well, you're not helping things."
"Huh?"
She leaned over and kissed his neck softly, less out of desire and more to remind him, then pulled back with an eyebrow raised.
"Ah." he muttered, realization dawning over him.
He quickly adjusted his collar to hide the reddish mark left from earlier, then closed the door while Tyuule moved back, looking over the two letters.
"Um, this one's for you, Gate side." she said, handing it to him.
"Hmm. Probably Charlotte. Was wondering when I'd hear from her…" he muttered as he opened it.
"Probably. This other one- oh!"
She ripped the second letter open and took out the small card.
"What?"
"An invitation! I didn't think… I didn't think we'd get one."
"For?"
Washington D.C
"A peace summit?" President Nixon groaned as he eyed the newspaper, "Is this really the best-?"
His press secretary said, "It's to commemorate the first contact and hope for a more peaceful tomorrow."
"Uh huh… with the Chinese poking at 'Nam and the Soviets poking everywhere else?" he shook his head as he passed the page, adding "Loius, I gotta be honest with you, the way things are going we need action, not summits!"
"The trip to China ultimately went over very well, sir. Meeting with the joint Consuls of Sadera in Dallas might provide some additional advantages in dealing with the situation there."
A little defeated, he grumbled back "Well, I suppose we can clear something up in that case."
"Would help with the voters there, too."
"We could also take the opportunity to chat with the Saderan Pair on their end."
"Did they say they'd attend?"
"They're invited, and if you attend then I don't see why they would say no. Both sides can gain from this. Especially with the modernization policies still ongoing."
The president fell silent at that. There was the briefest instant of him considering his next words, of reflecting on the situation. Sadera had been slowly modernizing, with all the benefits and troubles that brought. There was only so much he could do about that. Still, attending might not be so bad for public relations. He allowed a slow nod before he spoke.
"Hmm, alright. Let's arrange for it."
September 15, 1972
American Sector, Berlin
Delilah huffed on her cigarette while she stared at the man catching his breath on the bed next to her. She wanted to laugh but knew better. Instead, she finished her cigarette and moved out of the bed as the man began to sit up.
"You're… you're not easy to please, eh?" he croaked.
She zipped up a pair of jeans and then gave him a side eye, her disheveled hair covering her left eye as she said "Obviously."
The man laid back down on the bed, then muttered "Spravedlivyy…"
As she tied up her bra a little tighter than necessary, Delilah said "Relax, Val, I'm sure you and your kids will make great West Germans when the time comes."
"Kids need a mother."
"And I need that recording." She said, buttoning up her shirt. It was already a little colder than usual in Berlin that day, and she didn't intend to stick around longer than necessary.
Val to his credit, understood his position. He sat up and reached for his pants which were neatly strewn on the floor on his side of the bed. From its pockets, he took out three small cassettes which he then handed to her.
She nodded and took them.
Pocketing them, she said "Now, about that gossip…"
"Well, Delilah, while I love how you move, I-"
The mere act of cocking an eyebrow was enough to put Val back in his place as he quickly said "Alright, I understand. As I said, it's gossip, but it did intrigue me and it might intrigue your handler."
Delilah crossed her arms.
"Well, I overheard a few talks about sending weapons east. Passing comment, and I thought it may have been referencing the Chinese, but…" The man pursed his lips as he said "But I heard something I hadn't heard before."
"Yeah?"
"Yes. The Caravan."
Delilah rolled her eyes dismissively, and zipping up her jacket she said "You don't get to touch these again, Val. Off-limits to you from now on."
"Delilah, I'm serious, it was strange and maybe it means something to your boss!"
"I'll pass it along, you pervert. Take care now." She added sarcastically as she stepped out of the room.
The Caravan… well, might be worth something to someone.
The city outside felt all the more dangerous as she walked out into the night. But this was where she found herself excelling. The men who eyed her and considered abducting her. The challenges that she might encounter en route to her next destination. The ways she could deal with the challenges and have them not be traced back to her as a lot of bad things happened in dark alleys at night.
She was still a warrior at heart.
Imperial Capital of Sadera
Red Light District
It never had changed even after the United States Air Force quite literally bombed the area to oblivion. The bomb craters were still there, yet there were signs of people who'd been living there for a while. Abandoned pans, sheets that had been left behind, all signs of dwelling. But most importantly, some structures still stood. Some had been erected after by those who believed it was worth the effort as the area of the Imperial Capital was so abandoned now it only made sense for those who did not wish to deal with the rest of the capital's population.
And that led to the current problem.
The men in blue berets stood guard by the entrance of the broken-down hut as she approached. There were Imperial soldiers that stood in tandem with them, the new rifles on their backs which contrasted rather oddly with their old issue segmented armor. A piece that didn't belong. Outlandish. Out of place.
Yet Lelei La Lalena did not care for that.
The UN Peacekeepers walked her through the scene. Cars were not common yet, so she was not surprised to see the horse-drawn carriage torn apart by the shootout. The dead bodies were, of course, pale by now, and the four dead demi-humans, mainly cat folk, lay equally as pale.
The UN peacekeeper, an older Canadian, spoke softly in his accented English. Quebec, she knew now.
"The Imperial Guard noted they shot first. We did find this spent casing here, but her body is too torn up to tell her exact position at the time the imperials opened fire."
Lelei said "No, she definitely fired first. The lone eyewitness heard a very specific pop according to your men. The rifles carried by the Imperial Guards sound far louder."
The man nodded, then said, "Either way, she and everyone here were torn apart by the response volley."
Lelei walked over to the crates. She frowned, staring at the open one. There were some shattered gold coins among the broken pieces of wood and human parts that littered it, and that might have caught her attention even more. But the contents of the crate were far more important. Its significance simply could not be understated.
Kalashnikovs. A lot of them.
"Again." she breathed, frustration lining into her tone.
"They've gotten bolder." the Canadian muttered, but that wasn't what she meant.
Lelei stared at the dead bodies. Bullets had ripped them to pieces, but the reason for their deaths had been no different than that great massacre less than a decade prior. That was the problem. That's what caused her hands to ball into fists.
"It's happening again." she sighed, angry.
A/N: Well, well, well!
Three years ago today (September 30), I published the fanfic version of The Fight we Chose, and now... well... sequel time.
Overall, this chapter is more set up and proof of concept for the fic. The idea of exploring how the Cold War might change after the Gate scenario AND JFK's survival was always appealing, but since the original fanfic was centered around Tyuule, well... so should this one, and it took a while to figure out something that I figured would add to the setting and character.
So here we are.
Tyuule and Dennis are still living happily, but something is brewing in the background that may just drag them back into hell, Meanwhile, the Cold War is, of course, still raging. I figured Nixon would win his inevitable run had JFK not been assassinated and Vietnam not happened, so this may add a different bit of tension. Plus, the USSR is arguably at its peak here in 1972, so they may be another threat.
Only now Falmart is inevitably going to be an even larger part of it...
Special thanks to M3 Lucky Charms and TopHatGuy for proofreading this chapter (yes, we are still working on the main rewrite as well as other things).
And thank YOU all for reading! Hope to have the next chapter out... well... when I get the chance. I hope it was enjoyable and hope to see you soon!