Heartbreak
did anybody ever come back from the dead any single one of the millions who got killed did any one of them ever come back and say by god i'm glad i'm dead because death is always better than dishonor? did they say i'm glad i died to make the world safe for democracy? did they say i like death better than losing liberty? did any of them ever say it's good to think i got my guts blown out for the honor of my country? did any of them ever say look at me i'm dead but i died for decency and that's better than being alive?
-Dalton Trumbo, "Johnny Got His Gun"
November 8th, 1995 - Uzbek-Aldastani border - 0743 hours
The rest of the night was a haze for Jim. It all passed through his numb, exhausted mind like cold water eroding a river stone, grinding away with relentless motion until all that was left was smooth and small and still.
He thought he could recall finding his way back to Toyama through the tunnels. Somewhere along the way, Agent Tanya had told a bizarre story about Russian mind control projects and a nightmarish mission in Cuba. He remembered seeing that Toyama had managed to stabilize Colonel Burton, the last survivor of the USA's 'Achilles' Army Special Forces unit. Toyama had put Parker's broken right wrist in a sling while Solomon stared down at the tarp she had used to cover Ben's body.
(Ben had trusted Colonel Burton. Ben had followed Colonel Burton. And Colonel Burton had led Ben and his team into the command room, moving fast and dumb into the range of a suicide bomb, rushing to claim credit for getting Doctor Thrax. And now Ben was dead and Burton was still alive.)
Eventually - minutes later, hours later, Jim wasn't sure - friendly forces had found them and escorted them back to the surface. Night had fallen by then, and the dark world above had been dominated by ambulances, medevac choppers, and personnel in full MOPP gear: the product of the massive anthrax bomb that was the parting gift of the late Doctor Thrax. More hours had passed as they were shuffled through a series of decontamination procedures - cleansing sprays, changed clothes, injections, tests to determine if they required quarantine.
At some point somebody, maybe Lieutenant Eva Lee, had told Solomon the butcher's bill of Operation Caduceus. The Global Liberation Army's main base in Aldastan had been wiped out, with few prisoners taken among the dedicated defenders. The deadly Scud missiles and their sarin payload were disarmed and secure. Doctor Thrax, the man behind it all, was confirmed dead.
Jarmen Kell was also believed dead, but his body had vanished from the battlefield. Solomon hoped that GLA survivors had simply spirited away the remains for propaganda reasons.
(Ben would have known more about Kell.)
Coalition forces had seized a treasure trove of valuable intelligence and munitions. The remaining enemy militants in the city were left in a hopeless position. There would still be skirmishes and sniper attacks and IEDs against the inevitable Chinese occupation, but the Battle of Bishkek was effectively over.
The chemical atrocity in Beijing was finally avenged, but at a dear cost. Bishkek had been devastated in the fighting, with shops flattened by Chinese artillery, homes collapsed by American air strikes, and roads cratered by GLA booby traps. The civilian dead were still being tallied, but would almost certainly be in the thousands. China had lost hundreds of soldiers in combat. Many more would die long, lingering deaths from anthrax infections ravaging their skin and their lungs over the coming days, the cruel legacy of Doctor Thrax's final trap.
The USA had lost fewer troops, but they were irreplaceable: Achilles Team had been the tip of America's counterterrorism spear from Yemen to the Philippines. One member of Achilles Team was especially irreplaceable. At least to James Solomon.
Eventually, someone had put him and his team on a Chinook helicopter alongside a mass of materiel. It was the start of a long flight back to Air Base Dugan, where the Rorqual waited. Solomon hadn't been able to get confirmation on whether Lotus and Adilet were there, or at the Chinese base outside Bishkek. He wasn't sure where Keller had ended up either.
Through it all, Solomon had fought, moment by moment, breath by breath, to keep acting like a commanding officer. Instead of acting like what he really was: a man who had just watched his big brother gag out his last breath.
"I'm sorry, Captain."
Toyama. He sighed, made sure there were no tears in his eyes, then forced himself to look at her. Her voice was hushed, funereal, and he strained to hear it over the Chinook's rotors.
"Your brother - he saved my life," she said. "If not for him, the explosion…" She took a shuddering breath, letting her tears roll freely down her face. "He didn't hesitate."
"Of course." Jim shook his head. "Of course he did that."
His voice didn't sound very godly to him right now. It sounded strained, cracked, a little boy in a man's body. And his hot, dry throat kept trying to close up as he spoke.
"He was a real badass." A broken wrist wasn't slowing down Parker's mouth at all. He was leaning back on his seat, head resting on his good left arm. "At least we got payback, right Cap?"
Solomon chewed the inside of his cheek, hard. "Get some sleep, Parker."
"Like her?" Parker jerked his chin to Agent Tanya, eyes closed and face slack next to him, her hand resting on the butt of her pistol.
"Exactly like her. I've got a feeling you could learn a thing or two from her."
He spoke with confidence, or at least hoped he did. The truth was that it felt like someone had slammed a crowbar into his chest and was trying to pry it open. He breathed deep, inhale and hold, exhale and hold, counting four-four, four-four, and made himself focus on what was in front of him.
Agent fucking Tanya. A legend in the flesh. Obviously not the same Tanya Adams who had rescued Einstein, exposed the Iron Curtain project, and stormed Moscow decades ago, but still: Tanya. Twin pistols, plastic explosive, and probably wearing a tank top under her arctic gear, just like one of her action figures.
(Ben had played with one of those, when they were kids. He'd shared with Jim anytime his little brother had asked.)
Hero of the Allied Forces, terror of the Reds. And Tanya wanted to join Echo Nine - had apparently travelled across the globe and tracked his team down in Aldastan just to get the chance, like a new graduate chasing an internship at a prestigious company.
Solomon didn't know what to make of Tanya or her story yet. It was something to sort out later. After sleep. And after he figured out -
Ben.
After he figured out what came next. Sleep first, though. He was tired. God damn, but he was tired.
"Captain?"
Toyama again. He chewed his tongue a moment before answering.
"Yes, Lieutenant."
"When we escaped, on the surface, I saw… the Supply Centre was bombed, wasn't it?"
She sounded resigned. Like she already knew the answer.
"Yes, Lieutenant. No survivors inside. Someone must have fucked up while targeting the airstrikes. I'm sorry."
Toyama made a noise. It was somewhere in between a laugh and a sob, with a bit of a wheeze joining in.
"It's been a hard night, Lieutenant," Solomon said, trying to gentle his voice. "Try to get some rest."
He thought of reminding her that she'd rescued the hostages (with Ben) and that she'd saved Colonel Burton (but not Ben) and still helped treat Parker's wrist (after watching Ben die). Then he decided it could wait.
"Night's over," Parker said. "Check it out!"
The first rays of sunrise shone through the dirty little window of the Chinook, illuminating the Pskem mountains rolling by beneath them.
"We're over the border." Solomon closed his eyes. "Almost home."
He kept breathing deep, in and out of his abdomen, timing each movement. Don't think, don't feel. Focus. Four-four, four-four. Four-four, four-four.
(Ben loved sunrises.)
Echo Nine did not return to Air Base Dugan in triumph. They half-stumbled off the helicopter onto the tarmac of the American airfield, filthy and exhausted and missing half their members.
Yet Solomon could see that things were different now. Before, American troops had treated the presence of the United Nations 'fact-finding' mission on their runway with a mixture of confusion, mockery, and outright hostility. A day ago, Colonel Burton had been seriously considering breaching the Rorqual to snatch Adilet from Solomon's custody.
Now, ground crews whispered among each other as the team passed, or gave Solomon's people respectful nods. Even Tanya had mentioned that Echo Nine's exploits had caught the attention of the Allies' famous intelligence network, leading her to them.
If only Ben could see this, Jim thought, and then wished he hadn't.
"Hey." Tanya was coming after him, talking at the back of his head. "Look, I'm real sorry for your loss and all, but we gotta plan our next move. I've got a witness to those mind-control experiments stashed in a safe house, and he's not gonna stay safe much longer."
"First things first, Agent. You need to meet the team."
And James Solomon needed to get inside, and get a door between him and the rest of the world. Now.
The Rorqual lay ahead, the big transport plane's tan paint gleaming golden under the early Sun's first rays. The sight of it lifted Jim's heart. The Rorqual meant sleep. Sleep meant not thinking or feeling anything for a few hours.
The passenger stairs to the plane's upper deck were already down, he noticed. Maybe Keller and the others had already returned. Solomon took the lead upwards, Tanya close behind.
The plane's hatch opened. Black Lotus stood there, back to wearing her usual blue coat and fashionable civilian clothes, laptop case in hand. Solomon nodded to her, then turned to Tanya.
"This is our intel expert, Agent-"
"Bitch!"
Tanya surged past Solomon, almost knocking him off the stairs as she lunged at Black Lotus. The hacker had only a moment to drop her laptop and raise her hands to defend herself. Then Tanya's fist rocketed into her face. Blood burst from Lotus' nose.
Lotus fell backwards into the plane, toppling onto the floor outside the Rorqual's cockpit, blood running over her mouth. Tanya pounced on her, mounted her shoulders, and drew back another punch. But then Lotus' leg came up, fast and agile, slamming a bootheel straight under Tanya's chin.
Tanya's head snapped back. She tumbled off of Lotus, swearing blue oaths. She rolled over and both women scrambled back to their feet with their fists raised.
Solomon stormed up the last few steps into the aircraft behind them, cursing his own tired stupidity. Of course the Allied commando won't be happy to see China's best spy, he thought. You fucking idiot.
"Oi! No fighting on my fuckin' plane!"
Keller swore as he charged out of the cockpit, putting himself between the two women. Tanya paused, and Solomon seized the opening to close in, grab her by her waist, and pull her backwards.
She hit him without hesitating, ramming her elbow into his gut, reflex-quick. Nausea flooded him. He doubled over, wheezing, already bruised to Hell by the brutal fight with the cyborg. But then Toyama and Parker pushed past him, crowding Tanya, surrounding her.
All of Echo Nine now stood between Tanya and Black Lotus. Tanya reacted by putting a hand on her gun.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" She snarled. "Don't you know who this Commie is?"
"Hey, we killed terrorists together." Parker shrugged, but his good hand wasn't far from his own holster. "We've bonded."
"Agent Tanya." Lotus' voice was low and stuffy as she pinched her bleeding nose shut. Her eyes were slitted at Tanya. "Captain, we should keep her off this plane. She's clearly a liability."
"Yeah, I remember you singing a different tune in Hong Kong, asshole," Tanya spat. "Good people died because of you!"
"I did my job. You just failed."
Solomon straightened himself up, forcing air back into his ragged, tired lungs.
"Enough!" He roared, the Voice of God making a triumphant return to fill the fuselage. "Agent Tanya, stand down. Toyama, get Lotus to the infirmary. Take Parker."
"Aw, it was just getting good!"
Parker bitched, but he obeyed. Toyama was already pressing gauze over Black Lotus' bloodied face as she guided her backwards, away from the cockpit, deeper into the Rorqual's sanctuary.
Lotus went without resisting, but she didn't break eye contact with Tanya until she was out of sight. Tanya glared right back.
"Tanya."
It took a moment before she looked at him. A bruise was already forming on her chin where Lotus had kicked her, but she didn't seem to notice it. Behind her, Keller rubbed the back of his head, shrinking back from her intensity. Solomon dismissed him with a nod, and the pilot retreated gratefully back into his cockpit.
"You want on my team?" Solomon said. "First rule: don't assault your teammates."
"That piece of shit is not my team-"
"God damn you and your grudges!" Solomon yelled. "If you ever lay a hand on my people again, you're off my plane. And that goes the same whether we're on the ground or in the air. Understood?"
Tanya looked at him. Then she scoffed.
"Yeah, right. See, I did my research on you." She lowered her head, looking up at him from under her eyebrows. "You're a nice guy. That's why you ditched the regular Army to play peacekeeper with the UN."
"Try me." Solomon leaned towards her. "Find out how nice I can really be. Just remember - I'm your only hope of getting what you want."
That gave her pause. He saw it in her eyes. She still tried to bluff her way through.
"Yeah, right. What makes you so sure?"
"Because you're here," he said with confidence. "Not in London, whistling up support from Allied Intelligence. You're a rogue agent, aren't you? No one listened to your story, so you went off-book to find the only team crazy enough to believe you and tough enough to do something about it."
She grimaced. "Maybe. But-"
"Fortunately for you, I've seen enough impossible things lately to last the rest of my life," he continued. "You saved our asses in the tunnels. Plus you decided to slug Lotus instead of shooting her. Those three facts add up to me giving you one chance."
He stepped closer, looming over her.
"Play ball and I'll put this 'Master' at your feet. Don't, and you'll wish you'd never left Cuba. Are we clear?"
Tanya glared at him. He met her without blinking, boring into her. She sighed, and looked off to the side, tossing her hair a bit. The motion reminded him of an irritated cat flicking its ears.
"Loud and clear," she sighed. "But I'm telling you, you can't trust Black Lotus. I've seen it firsthand - she doesn't have a heart."
"Lotus has proven herself. Now it's your turn." He held out a hand. "Your guns, Agent."
She immediately backed away, nostrils flaring. "Hey, no chance. Nobody takes my guns."
"If you're on my team, they're my guns," Solomon insisted. "I decide how and when they're used. You'll get them back when you need them - if I think you can be trusted with them."'
For a moment, looking into Tanya's dark and burning eyes, Solomon really thought she might draw on him.
Then she slowly unholstered both her pistols, ejected the magazines, and offered one gun and two magazines to him. Her gun belt and other gear soon followed, along with all its ammunition, maintenance tools, a knife, and an array of backup guns.
The last gun she kept.
"One gun," she said quietly. "With just one round in the chamber. I am not sticking around a Red spy without at least a chance at getting a shot off. I keep this, or I walk."
He thought it over. Then he kept thinking it over, just to remind her that she was waiting on his call. He kept his face stony, hoping the grief and the exhaustion weren't weakening his front.
"One gun," he said finally. "One round. And if that round ends up in my operative, you won't get the chance to reload."
She nodded. He took her weapons.
"Welcome to Echo Nine, Agent Tanya."
The Rorqual's infirmary was a small compartment with a fold-down cot, a seat, and a medicine cabinet. It was designed for one patient. Right now, it held three.
Adilet lay on the cot, sweating and groaning, stripped to his waist. Toyama had cleaned the blood from his skin, but some of it had gotten in his thick, dark beard, where it was drying in sticky clumps. She noted that the bandages on the shrapnel wound in his side needed changing. Poison and infection were a worry as well - Doctor Thrax's troops were infamous for tipping their rockets with deadly agents.
Parker was standing, leaning casually in the doorway with his injured arm supported in a sling. Toyama had never seen a man with a broken wrist show so little pain. She knew he was benefiting from the painkillers and cold compress she'd applied in the tunnels, and that it was a clean hairline fracture that should heal well once she got a cast on it. Still, Parker's resilience was exceptional. She had a bad feeling he would not be getting the rest he needed to let the injury heal properly.
And then there was Black Lotus. The quick, fierce fight with Tanya hadn't quite broken her nose, but still bloodied it. Cotton, ice, and painkillers would help until the swelling faded.
Toyama hated that she'd been too slow to stop Lotus from being hurt. Just like she had failed to protect any of the unarmed workers in the enemy base, or the defenceless civilians in shattered Bishkek. Just like she hadn't stopped Colonel Burton's reckless plan, or Doctor Thrax's final gambit, from killing the Captain's brother, or the rest of Achilles Team.
She knew that Solomon wouldn't blame her for Ben's death. But it was hard not to wonder, at least a little bit, if he should.
"So what gives?" Parker asked, jerking his chin to Lotus. "I thought you and Keller were taking Adilet to get help from your guys."
"It's not important," Lotus said, then visibly winced at the sound of her voice. With her nose clogged with gauze and blood, she sounded like she had an extraordinarily bad cold. Instead of continuing to speak, she held up a finger while opening her laptop, and fired up a text-to-speech program.
"The situation with General Liang's forces has changed," the computer spoke for her as she typed, its voice tinny but clear. "I decided it was better for everyone if we returned here."
Parker and Toyama exchanged looks.
"Meaning?" He asked.
"Moving forward, we shouldn't expect more support from China. Again, it's better for everyone if we leave it at that."
Parker threw up his hands. "What, are they gonna arrest you or something? You just helped save the world! They owe you a parade!"
"Please be careful with your wrist," said Toyama.
"Sure, Doc." He waved her off with his good arm. "Seriously, though: we should all get parades. I just killed Jarmen Kell. You saved a famous news guy, plus Lotus and Adilet shut down missiles loaded with nerve gas! And Cap got us all together." Parker grinned, proud and beaming. "This team rocks. Sure beats a court martial."
Lotus went to pinch the bridge of her nose, immediately regretted it, then shook her head and typed. "I need to go. Lieutenant, thank you for your assistance."
"Try to get some rest," Toyama said. "And please, watch out for Agent Tanya. I'm sure the Captain has calmed her down by now, but even so…"
Adilet spoke up, saying something in Russian. Toyama was surprised he was still conscious.
Black Lotus nodded to him, then typed. "Before I go, Mister Kulov thanks you for trying to help the workers in the Supply Centre."
More Russian.
"He understands why they died. Things like this happen all the time in Aldastan, but usually, no one cares."
More Russian. Adilet seemed tired, straining with the pain of his injury, but kept pushing to get the words out while he could. Toyama wanted to tell him to rest, but could tell it would be pointless.
"He is going to survive this injury. He will go to Germany with his family, and build a new life. And when he can-" Lotus paused her typing, blinking and sniffing for a moment, wiping at her bloodied nose. "He will repay his debt to us, and serve GDI as an engineer."
"He doesn't owe us anything," Toyama said softly, her chest suddenly tight. "We help people. It's our job."
Black Lotus relayed this to Adilet in Russian. He immediately shook his head, and rose up on his elbows to face her, flinching with the pain the motion brought.
And then, Adilet spoke to Toyama in English.
"Thank you," he said to her, careful and slow with his pronunciation. Then he swept his eyes over the room. "Thank you all. For -"
He trailed off, pointing a finger towards his heart.
"Hold on," said Parker. "You speak English?"
Adilet gave a pained smile through his beard, and tapped his temple.
"Quick… learning."
Then he let himself relax back into the cot, and finally closed his eyes to rest.
Toyama hadn't saved Ben Solomon. She hadn't saved the workers or the civilians. She hadn't saved Achilles Team, except for Burton, who had seemingly survived his injuries by sheer force of will.
But she had done something, at least. The proof was right in front of her.
As Lotus closed her computer and swept out of the room, Lieutenant Toyama let herself smile.
Finally, there was a door between James Solomon and the rest of the world. The first thing he did was take off the commander's mask and, at long last, start crying for his dead brother.
I need to hand command over to Toyama, he thought as he wept over his cramped little desk, almost knocking over the computer monitor anchored to it. I'm making mistakes. No good to the team like this.
But Toyama was tired too, and battered in her own right. Could she keep Lotus and Tanya from each other's throats? Would she be able to juggle the interests of the USA, China, and now the Allied Forces in their team? Wasn't she already busy treating multiple injured team members?
Later. He'd hand control over to Toyama later.
For now, Tanya was in the main cabin playing cards with Keller, the only uninjured team member still standing. Solomon didn't expect the pilot could slow the gunslinger down if she tried anything, but he was sure that he had managed to get at least a partial hold over the ex-Allied commando. Pretty sure, at least.
(Ben would have known how to manage her. You didn't get to be a Master Sergeant in the Rangers without-)
Enough.
Jim was sweaty and filthy. But right now, the Rorqual's shower seemed a million miles away. Instead, Solomon started stripping off his soiled uniform and folded down the little cot in his office. Rank had its privileges, even operating out of an airplane. Today, that privilege took the form of getting some privacy while he fell asleep crying for his dead brother.
(And when he woke up, Ben would still be dead. Right now they were getting ready to put his body in one of those flag-draped coffins for the flight back to the United States. Right now, The Letter was being prepared for delivery by two solemn-faced soldiers in dress uniforms to Mary Solomon's home in Detroit, where she had raised her two boys. And when she found out, their mother would-)
Enough. Sleep. Everything else later. Later, I can-
A knock at the door.
Standing there in his stained white undershirt, Solomon wiped his eyes, then shut them tight and breathed deep. Four-four, four-four.
"Is this urgent?"
"I'm afraid so, Captain."
Black Lotus. The one person on the plane that Solomon knew for a fact wouldn't bring nonsense to his door. He sighed, wiped his eyes again, and then opened the door.
"Come in. How are you holding up?" He motioned at the blood drying around her nostrils.
"It's nothing." It was amazing, he thought, how composed and professional Lotus sounded even with her nose stuffed by her own blood. "I understand that Agent Tanya is joining our unit, despite her behaviour?"
He nodded. "She's got information. The kind we can't afford to ignore. I know I can count on you not to let this get personal."
"Of course. Disarming her was a wise precaution."
Solomon was tired, so he almost asked how Black Lotus already knew about that. Then he remembered who he was talking to.
"So we're clear, then."
"Sure," she said. "But with Tanya aboard, there are things you need to know. They affect our unit directly, but require great delicacy. I need there to be no doubt about my commitment to your team."
This already sounded like something he was too fucking tired for. But if there was one thing he trusted Lotus with, it was handling information.
"Go ahead, Lotus."
She opened her laptop and used the computer to speak for her. And she told him everything.
She told him about General Liang's plan for the Scud missiles. About being ordered to 'allow' the missiles to be launched at Air Base Dugan, devastating American operations in the region. About the Tigress offering to return Black Lotus to China as a hero. About the sabotage that had brought down General Townes' laser defenses, leaving his base open to a missile strike. About the decision Lotus had made, in the heart of the enemy base with the lives of millions at stake, to disobey her General's plan to advance China's interests.
"Why?" Solomon interrupted her.
Black Lotus didn't say anything for a few seconds. She stared over his shoulder, pensive.
"It simply seemed like the right thing to do," she typed. "I suspect that you already understand."
Solomon thought back to the moment he had decided to volunteer for UN peacekeeping duty. He'd been the only soldier in his unit not thrilled to participate in the American campaign to hunt down the GLA across the globe, no matter the cost. Then he nodded, slowly.
"Maybe I do, Lotus."
"This must remain between us," she said, abandoning the computer for the emphasis of her own voice. "If the truth were revealed…"
"It could start the war that Doctor Thrax wanted," Solomon finished. "Reading you loud and clear on that."
Through her computer, she told him the rest. At the battle's close, she had gone with Keller and Master Sergeant Chen to get medical care for Adilet and the two American hostages. En route, she had intercepted Chinese comms traffic: orders from General Liang herself for Black Lotus to be arrested the moment she arrived at the Chinese base. One quick hack of PLA satellite protocols later, those orders had been altered so that Echo Nine's members would head back to the safety of the Rorqual instead, while the hostages rescued from the Scud Storm went to Air Base Dugan - the same base that the Scud Storm would have destroyed if Black Lotus had followed her orders from the Tigress.
"I can never return to China," Lotus finished, her face stoic. "General Liang knows every tactic I've ever learned and every secret I've ever gained. She will see me dead before I'm permitted to come home."
She took a breath, a little shaky, then lifted her chin to conclude with her own mouth.
"Captain Solomon, Echo Nine is now my mission. I have nothing outside of GDI. I hope you'll remember this, no matter what Agent Tanya says in the days to come."
Solomon nodded again. Then he offered Lotus his hand to shake. Her grip was like steel, but warm nonetheless.
"You did the right thing, Lotus. I'm proud to have you with us. And you'll always have a place here, come Tigress or Tanya. Echo Nine has your back."
"Thank you, Captain. I won't forget this."
She left. He let out a long, long breath.
China's top-ranked General, widely considered one of the most powerful people in Asia and among the world's deadliest military commanders, had tried to drop nerve gas on the base of her ally. An American base. Just to remove an obstacle, to improve her strategic position in the region. And now that she'd been denied, she had a grudge against his team.
And he could never tell anyone. The further the truth spread, the greater the risk it would reach the ears of someone who would react by fanning the flames.
Great. Perfect.
He shook his head. He'd sleep now. Save the world later. Mourn his brother when he could.
The satellite phone rang.
Motherfucker!
Very few people had the number to the Rorqual's command office. They were all people Solomon couldn't ignore. He picked up the phone.
"Good evening Solomon - or I suppose it's morning there in Uzbekistan."
"General Sheppard. It's good to hear your voice, sir."
It wasn't. But Solomon had to see this through.
"Likewise." Sheppard's voice was warm, excited. "I just got off the horn with General Townes, singing your praises. Outstanding work with Operation Caduceus - oh, and my compliments to your people. This is exactly what I hoped for when I tapped you to lead the unit."
"Thank you, sir."
Solomon felt pretty fucking far from outstanding. But he'd make sure the praise reached his team. They deserved it.
The General's voice softened. "And my deepest condolences on the loss of your brother. I can imagine how deep you're hurting right now. I understand he died a hero."
"He always was, sir."
Keeping his voice calm and level. Breathing slow and steady. Four-four, four-four.
"It's no compensation, but your actions have helped put GDI on the map for some pretty important people," the General continued. "Townes has mentioned us to President Fielding, while Russia and Europe are all watching closely as well. We can't afford to go public just yet, but the people in the know are liking what they see from us."
Sheppard paused, and Solomon could almost hear him smiling through the phone.
"Keep winning GDI that kind of support, and we'll be one step closer to a united world, Major Solomon."
It took Solomon a moment.
"Major, sir?"
"You've more than earned it. We're still working out GDI's rank and pay system of course, but one of the nice things about a black ops unit is that I can basically do what I want. And I want you promoted."
(Ben would have loved to see this.)
Solomon realized that his throat was closing up, and that Sheppard was waiting for him to say something.
"It's an honour, sir. Thank- thank you."
"You must be exhausted. I'll let you hit the rack in a moment, I promise. But first, I want to touch on what comes next after Aldastan."
Captain- Major- Solomon thought about Agent Tanya and Allied Intelligence, and about psychic experiments. About General Liang and what the future held for war-torn Aldastan. About how the USA might wield its new monopoly on spaceborne energy weapons, and how the world might react. About the Global Liberation Army, still seemingly determined to fight the entire world to the death. About the shadowy 'Brotherhood' and cyborg assassins. About a cryptic reference to 'green crystal' in a blood-soaked dossier that had helped seal Doctor Thrax's fate.
About his team and how many more impossible odds they could tackle together before they broke. About Ben.
"That could be a long conversation, General."
"No doubt, but I figured you'd want to hear this straight away. You're free to come home for your brother's funeral, of course. No one would blame you, and I'm sure your mother would be glad to have you back."
Mom. Learning that her firstborn was never coming home. Her face, her voice. Solomon wiped at his eyes and tried to focus on Sheppard's words.
"But I've been busy playing the political game while you've been in the field, and I'm happy to say the intel you've gathered has made a difference. A window has just opened up on a high-value target that I think you're going to want in on - but it won't stay open long. I'm sending you the details now."
"With respect, sir, I…"
Solomon trailed off mid-sentence. He was looking at the subject line of the e-mail that had just arrived on the monitor in front of him. And he was remembering.
Remembering Omar Waked's tea-stained smile and family photographs. Remembering Singh's steady gaze and unflagging courage. Remembering Carson's surfing stories and filthy jokes. Remembering Rahman's quick reflexes and quiet devotion. Remembering the blood and screams and burning as they died, on a hopeless mission for a secret objective, all for nothing.
Remembering also the smug, insinuating smile of the man who had so obviously known more about why. Who had played the rescuing hero and claimed the credit, while making sure the peacekeeping cause in Egypt died alongside Solomon's little team, out there in the pitiless expanse of the Sinai Desert.
The e-mail subject read:
[TOP SECRET: APPROVAL OF DENIABLE OPERATION - OBJECTIVE: HIGH-VALUE TARGET - LOCATION: EGYPT - TARGET IDENTIFICATION: GENERAL KASSAD]
"What do you say, Major?"
"I'd say we've got work to do"
He'd sleep later.
A/N: RIP to James Earl Jones, a legend across all mediums. This story likely wouldn't exist if not for his portrayal of General James Solomon in Tiberian Sun, and his service in the US Army Rangers. The author saw a photo of a young James Earl Jones during his military service, looking like he could storm a fortress single-handedly, and thought 'hey, Solomon probably kicked a huge amount of ass in the field before he became the Commander in Tiberian Dawn.' And now here we are.
Solomon's Tiberian Sun backstory mentions that he lost two brothers to Nod. This background has been adapted into Ben's demise for this story. Solomon practices 'box breathing' here to regulate his emotion. Writing this chapter was an interesting challenge, as it focused more on emotion and relationships than intrigue and action.
Apologies for the long wait between updates. I've dipped into other projects after 90K words of Command & Conquer fanfiction, but am still fully committed to this strange little story. Thank you very much for reading, hope you enjoyed this installment!