5. Chapter 5(1)

Chapter 5

Assassins

April 12th, 1964

Dallas, Texas

"How are you feeling, son?"

The wounded soldier smiled at the American president.

"Doc says I'll walk again if I'm careful, sir..."

"That's excellent news... on behalf of the American people I want to truly express my gratitude for your service."

"Thank... thank you, sir... I couldn't vote the last election, but... but ma voted for you, and-"

"And I appreciate that I truly do, but right now I want to make sure you and your family are taken care of, alright? You've done your country proud, Martinez."

The American president shook the young man's hand and said his goodbyes.

Then it was back out to the cold halls of the hospital.

It had been a relatively decent hospital when it was founded and it still was, but now it had all the medicine and funding the American military could give as it was relatively close to the Gate and serious cases could be transported from the battlefield with ease.

His wife waved at the crowd of reporters, the members of the press respectfully keeping their distance and giving the American president and his wife some breathing room.

"Should probably take some questions before heading out..." he mumbled.

"They're going to follow you through anyway, let's just spend some more time pretending they're not an issue."

She clutched his arm a bit tighter.

He didn't argue, walking ahead to the presidential car.

News had been much in the previous week as the invasion force pushed into the lands beyond both the city of Itálica and Alnus hill, taking control of everything in between.

However, it was well known to him that the war wasn't over. Worse, if things didn't go properly, it would cause a lot more problems than he would like.

He glanced at the binder one of his secretaries had left him.

He had read it on the way over and now was very uncertain about his actions going forward.

Prime Minister Khan is requesting further assistance as the peaceful resolution appears to be less and less likely.

He rubbed his eyes.

Against what could perhaps be his better judgment and a variety of other reasons, the American president had allowed a coup to overthrow a certain Vietnamese Prime Minister, and now the Republic of Vietnam was, for lack of a better word, under a military junta that was not gaining the necessary support from the public. If it wasn't for the US pulling out and (perhaps embarrassingly) Soviet support keeping things from escalating, the US would likely be sending more soldiers to defend the South while things cooled down enough for a peaceful unification...

A unification that would likely favor a communist government.

But he already knew that.

The problem for him was that it could be used against him in the election.

That meant that he had to focus on winning the war in that other world as soon as possible... preferably without losses.

Moral reasons aside, it was the practical reason for his visits to both wounded troops and now the refugees rescued by US forces.

And the only way I could get the brass to agree...

He was as tired as anyone would be after dealing with the heads of the US Military, actively looking for excuses to keep him out of "their" affairs.

His mind briefly shot back to the October Crisis.

How close we came to the edge...

He was looking forward to meeting with this interestingly named princess.

The car stopped outside the military perimeter around the Plaza and the President kissed his wife goodbye, his security pretending to shield him from the dozens of reporters taking pictures, knowing full well the president needed to show that he was a family man to the American people.

The young president smiled and waved to said reporters, turned and entered the military perimeter, and immediately turned serious.

"Alright, what's the latest?" he asked the officer that greeted them.

He would only have a short time to get an early situation report before he met the press on the other side of the gate and he would have to put the mask on again.

"We've made contact with a variety of villages, some burned to the ground, some with survivors... seems the armies turned and went towards the mountain range nearby, and most villages and towns we've approached around that area have been sacked and burned. Almost no survivors."

"Damn."

"U2s are through, though, and we're ready to begin more effective aerial reconnaissance. We think they hide when the Thunderchief's and Phantoms do their fly-by's."

"Alright, alright... what's our situation in the capital after this morning's attacks? Odds are the press will have a lot of questions."

"All we know is that the emperor gathered the senate. We're waiting for news at the moment."

"Any civilian casualties?"

"None caused by us it seems, thank God. Our guys in the capital found some supporters that helped evacuate the area we bombed, but it seems that removing a crime lord is causing its own chaos, and we can only guess how many people will die from that. The troops we have are planning to secure an area once things settle down, place called The Red-Light District, appear to be the city's ghetto."

The president only grimaced.

"We'll have to move quickly then... If the emperor doesn't surrender, we'll have to continue pushing around the capital, protect civilian dwellings, make it so that they don't destroy everything they've built."

He got into the military transport, United States Marines guarding the entrance to the structure.

"Oh, another thing, sir. When the Marines made contact with a village early in the scouting operations, they encountered an individual who may win us the entire hearts and minds campaign. She seems to be highly respected by the locals and they seem to see her as a religious representative. She has very willingly sided with us."

"Sounds great, why do you look worried about it?"

"She's... a bit strange."

"Strange?"

"It's complicated and we're still learning about her. She seems to have superhuman capabilities."

The president froze as he entered the vehicle.

He turned to the aide and asked "Why wasn't I informed sooner?"

"Unclear, sir. It's possible she didn't reveal her abilities until recently."

The president said nothing.

No one spoke.

He finally said "Thanks for letting me know, John..."

His aide knew the tone.

He had heard about it but never been present when the young president used it.

The man was exasperated in a way that only happened when he butted heads with the heads of the military.

As the transport left, the aide could only wonder how large the divide was between the American president and the US Military.

Outskirts of Itálica

The small village was silent. Doors left ajar creaked and moaned as the wind shook them. The same wind pushed aside from tools and broken blades, some still splattered by blood. Some clothes had been left out, mostly dry now, except for one small cottage near the edge of the village.

The woman didn't complain as she put some of the recently washed clothes to dry in the early morning sun. She turned to the steps of her small wooden cottage.

Her son and daughter were still there, huddled together as she had told them, both toddlers watching her.

Worried.

None of them spoke.

The woman occasionally glanced at the remains of her home's grain supply.

Nothing remained of it but some ash.

She didn't complain.

The little girl's stomach on the other hand didn't have her reservations as it growled loud enough that she could hear it.

In the empty village, the noise might as well have been a drum.

She turned and said "Only one more day, Katia. Alright?" she said, trying to appear brave.

The little girl nodded weakly.

The little boy nervously glanced to nearby forests that covered the Dumas Mountain Range.

She followed his gaze.

It was quiet, green, and peaceful.

She shut her eyes, going back to work on the laundry they would try to take.

Assuming those monsters don't show up again...

She eyed the empty homes briefly.

Shook her head.

As she clipped a blouse to one of the cables, she heard it firsthand.

A low rumbling noise that sounded almost like a growl.

It was entirely alien to her and when she turned to look around, she was surprised to see vehicles coming up the road.

At this both children ran to her side, the little boy clutching her dress while the girl named Katia gripped her mother's hand, tugging at it.

"Hide?" she asked, whimpering.

Her mother nervously took a step back but said "N-no, I... I don't think it's the bad people."

And if they are, our hiding spot isn't viable anymore... I'll have to...

She took in a breath, now taking her son's hand, and slowly pulled the children behind her

Then she froze in place as she recognized a figure on one of the carriages coming towards them.

She held her ground.

The strange horseless carriage that carried the familiar figure stopped at the entrance, some continuing around the empty village.

Several men followed the Apostle of Emroy.

Rory Mercury, her smile never fading, asked "Hello, children. Are you alright? What has happened here?"

Upon seeing the woman begin tearing up, the Marines were all too ready to help.

"Are you hurt?"

"Is there anything you need?"

"Rory, did she say anything?"

The dark-haired girl only shook her head.

The Marine sergeant huffed, frustrated.

The United States Marine Corps had dealt with some of the bloodiest battlefields and warzones in American military history, and odds were that all Marines there had heard of the horrors of battlefields like Okinawa, where Japanese troops abused the civilian population to the point of using them as human shields if some accounts were to be believed.

In this world it was different.

Large armies could only maintain their own logistics for so long, and it was far more practical to rely on the land and civilian populations for food and water.

He noticed the woman fell to her knees and began begging or... praying(?) to their ally.

He narrowed his eyes as the older-than-she-looked girl nodded slowly as the woman sobbingly said something he didn't understand.

Miss Mercury turned to him then and said "This village was sacked and its population slaughtered once the men you pursue arrived. She and her children hid inside a part of the cottage's wall while her husband attempted to distract the men. He's dead now. The only reason this village still stands is that they didn't manage to get all the supplies, it seems, and may have been planning on coming back to it once they were a bit more organized. She planned on escaping with her kids to Itálica."

The Marine sergeant felt his nails dig into his palms as his hands balled into fists.

We're late again...

"Hey, sergeant! 7th cavalry says they landed in an untouched village! People there welcomed them with open arms! Captain says we're moving out to reinforce 'em!"

The Marine sergeant nodded.

"Alright, radio for a med-evac first. Want to make sure these people are safe before we head over."

Rory Mercury observed the man, internally sighing.

They were killers, all of them.

Damn good ones at that.

Their firearms slaughtered faster and more efficiently than any sword, and when it came to fighting enemy armies... well, she had seen the aftermath of the battles of Alnus and Itálica.

Yet here they were, worrying about the peasants and even devoting- no, diverting resources, valuable resources for the war effort, to making sure they were safe.

Not even she could say the same, mostly protecting worshippers of Emroy when possible, and even that required her presence.

Still doesn't make it fun for me, though... I wonder when they'll let me fight.

Imperial Capital

Zorzal's mind ran with wild possibilities as he pondered what the exact plan would be, but not doubting for an instant it would work.

He knew Tyuule would perform marvelously in her task.

The question on his mind now was whether he could get the support from the generals he needed for this to work.

Time was of the essence after all.

He found one of them in his office, going over several parchments.

"General, I need to speak with you!"

"Highness, I am at your-"

"Yes, yes, skip the pleasantries, please... I wish to talk about my father."

The general stiffened.

"Are you and your men really prepared to carry out these... what orders are these?" Zorzal asked, looking over the parchment.

"Ah, yes, sir... elements of the second and fourth armies are going to focus on grabbing whatever we can use from the surrounding countryside and burn what we leave behind."

"And I suppose also kill anyone that cannot be of use to us?"

The general did not reply.

Zorzal sat on the man's desk and said "Alright, general, err... Otto..."

The general did not reply.

"What do you make of last night's attacks?"

The man only huffed, saying "Cowardly, certainly... but I believe it clearly shows our enemy is far stronger than us. If we are to fight them, then we certainly need to follow the orders of the emperor."

"I sense a but coming along..."

"You're asking for my honest opinion, highness?"

"Otto, my good man... honesty is something I need in these trying times! Speak freely, please!"

General Otto nervously rubbed the hair on his head, saying "Well, highness, I would have at least tried to negotiate with the enemy first. These are last resort tactics when there is only total destruction that awaits a surrender... we don't even know for sure if the enemy was lying when they sent the princess to try and get them to negotiate. I do not entirely agree with these orders."

Zorzal's smile widened.

"I take it you are not alone in that opinion."

The general was silent.

Zorzal laughed.

"I'm with you, my good man. I, too, despise the way Father is despairing so quickly. I believe the enemy is powerful, certainly... but I also think they are desperate! Why else go to such theatrics for an attack on the capital? Felt more like a raid than anything else."

Zorzal grinned.

"Gather the other generals and burn those orders."

"Highness?"

"I believe my father is ill, Otto. I believe I will be able to prove it tonight."

"I... I don't-"

"Question not, my good general. Soon you shall see the truth, and... and besides. This way you won't have to burn down your home or... bury your sickly mother."

Zorzal relished the brief flash of emotion in the man's eyes.

Tyuule is already proving great at managing our spy network's information... I wonder if that little cook will pay off as well?

...

Dennis kept an indifferent expression as he walked down the halls as fast as possible without appearing out of place or like he was hiding something.

He made it to his room, closed the door behind him, and went for the radio.

"Stalker 1, you there?"

The garbled reply quickly arrived.

"This is stalker 1, what's the situation?"

Dennis sucked in a breath.

"Rabbit was way more competent than we expected. Just gave me the heads up on a plot to murder Emperor Molt and replace with him Zorzal headed by... well... Zorzal."

A pause.

"Trojan, is this a joke?"

"Negative, Stalker 1, I'll say again. Rabbit gave me a heads up on a plot to kill the emperor and replace him with his kid. Prince Zorzal plans on poisoning his father."

"Copy, Trojan, time frame?"

"To be determined. Soon if what she's saying is anything to go by. She wants to know our position on the patricide plot before pushing it along, though it sounds like they don't have much choice. Emperor seems to want to start a bigger scorched earth campaign."

Another pause.

"Understood, we'll discuss with the higher-ups. Keep an eye out for her. If things go south, we'll have to get you both out ASAP. Same for the knights and Senators still in the capital that sided with us."

"Copy, Stalker 1. Will be in touch."

He hung up and hid the radio once more, quickly standing up and turning to leave the empty room, a dark smile on his face.

Things are moving quickly... at this rate, I'll be out of here in no time!

He was walking down the hall when a hand materialized out of thin air and crashed some parchments onto his chest, Dennis barely able to grab them on time.

He turned to his left and saw the horrid figure of Bouro staring back at him.

"What-?"

"Tyuule is currently being observed by your uptight boss. Hurry up and pretend she asked you to deliver these papers."

Not about to waste time, Dennis nodded and sped away.

Surprise assassination plots, surprise shapeshifters coming from the walls... God, I want out of here.

Going outside, past the decorated garden, now sitting empty as it seemed nearly the entire palace staff was terrified of leaving their quarters after the previous night's attacks.

He got to the kitchen, finding the bunny girl staring at some unheated steaks.

Dennis looked around, noticing the door to Chef Clef's office was partly open.

Nosy bastard...

"Here are the papers, ma'am."

He spoke as professionally as he could, keeping his focus away from her.

Tyuule raised an eyebrow but took them.

Dennis whispered in as quiet a tone as possible "They'll discuss it and give me an answer tonight."

The girl heard, smiled slightly, and whispered "Good. I'll see you then."

Dennis nodded absentmindedly, making a point of not looking directly at her as he got back to work.

He didn't think anything of the last phrase until Chef Clef slapped the back of his head, startling him more than he would care to admit.

"You interested in that beast, boy?!"

"Sir?"

"What did she mean when she said see you then?"

Dennis shook his head, now unsure of what to answer.

"I... I don't know, sir! I sure ain't interested in her! She was an enemy of the empire and a savage one at that."

Such a savage she begged her people be spared, in fact... much more than I can say about you people.

As if noticing his hidden resentment, the chef smiled and said "Oh, is that all you have? Simple denial?"

You people...

Dennis crossed his arms and said "She's most likely referring to tonight's dinner. If she's Prince Zorzal's new advisor, odds are she'll be there when we-"

"What papers did she ask you to deliver?"

"Possibly a guest list. She asked me to do her a favor and bring it to her from her office." he quickly lied.

"And you went and did it?"

"Was I supposed to not do it?"

"So, you did not read the papers?"

"No, sir."

"Why not?"

"None of my business."

"Oh, but doing the bidding of a savage is?"

You people...

"Prince Zorzal made quite the show of her being his new advisor just a moment ago, sir, I don't think I'm in the position to ask questions."

The chef smiled deviously.

"Certainly, certainly... So... Young Den... son of Tobias... what is your game here?"

"Sir?"

"You're awfully obedient, you seem to be in the right place at the right time, seemingly unphased by these attacks... That dead princess hired you... son, why are you still here?"

Dennis suppressed a sigh.

"With all due respect, sir, I do like it here." he lied through his teeth.

"No, you don't. I'm old but I ain't blind! You hate cooking, it's obvious! Everything you do feels forced to the point that it's unnatural! We just got attacked by an enemy that came into the palace, killed several guards, stole just about all the slaves... yet here you are, calm as can be, ready for the day's work!"

"Ma and Pa always taught me to-"

"Oh, shut up about your disgusting little commoner family. I'd bet your father deserted the army and died as a bandit and your mother killed herself out of shame!" he slapped the counter in frustration before glaring at the American and continuing. "People want things when they act like you, and I want to know what that is! Or are you just here to honor the dead? Because if you are, then I only see you as another dead weight, unable to do anything of worth."

Dennis bit his tongue to try and hide the anger the words brought forth in him, only barely managing.

The chef still noticed.

"Oh? That bother you? Doesn't matter here. You want to work with the best you damn well act like the best. All you act like is a tool for someone else. Maybe that's all you are... all you'll ever be... unless you're secretly plotting something... Regardless, I'm sending you home assuming it still exists."

What?!

"S-sir?" he choked out, not expecting the statement.

"You are no culinarian; you are nothing but a rusty old tool that has been used too much to work in a kitchen, an errand boy whose services are no longer required, deadweight. Get out of my kitchen!"

You son of a bitch...

Before he could explode at the chef, someone interrupted.

"With all due respect, you are not the one that decides that, Chef."

The two men turned to look at the door and saw Tyuule standing there, arms crossed, her impish smile sending a chill down the American's spine.

Her smile widened, saying "In fact, Prince Zorzal very much enjoys his cooking skills... it would be a shame for you to make things difficult for his highness."

Dennis turned to look at the chef.

The Chef scoffed.

"Now you two are working together for something, huh? Whatever you think you have going on; the emperor is going to evacuate us and kill those that betray him. I'd do the same under these circumstances, beast. Unlike you, we actually care for our people."

"Evacuate? Where did you hear that? Are you doubting the might of the empire, chef? Are you afraid we may lose this war? It is clear the enemy is desperate and only wishes to frighten us. If anything, you spreading fear is making the work more difficult as we continue to resist this foe from another world."

"I have my connections. And what do you mean we?! You aren't-"

"I am his highness's advisor. A former enemy of the empire, certainly, but I know my place. Do you know yours or do I need to remind you of it?"

She kept a level stare, her smile maintaining an aura of danger that the old man recognized.

The chef only sighed.

Even if she was bluffing, she spoke with such tone and authority he simply had no way to argue. He turned to the American with a frown.

"Get back to work, child." then turning back to Tyuule, "And as for you... you're not worth the trouble. Get out of my kitchen."

He turned to go to his office but stopped.

"What were the papers for?"

Tyuule said "Just some information for Prince Zorzal, chef."

"And you dropped them off already?"

"Certainly."

Silence.

The chef muttered "Beast..." and entered his office, shutting the door.

Dennis didn't breathe a sigh of relief.

He didn't acknowledge the girl, only turning and continuing to chop the lettuce he had been working on as ordered.

Tyuule was tempted to say something but didn't.

I shouldn't have said anything when I left... I forget how difficult even the lower imperials can be.

She watched the American for a lingering second before fully turning around, grimacing.

Tool or not, he's my connection to the people that will help me avenge my people and destroy this empire. Can't let him get cornered like that.

She turned and left, leaving the American to his thoughts.

Dennis continued chopping the lettuce, but on autopilot.

His mind switching between the memories the chef had brought up and the present situation.

Memories of his mother preparing a meal.

His boots crunching a bloody hand as he walked over countless bodies back to safety.

The vague memory of his father throwing him a baseball.

His sore finger squeezing the trigger of the M16 as more bodies fell in a pile.

The memories kept interwinding like a string tying a knot that he couldn't untangle.

You'll lose it all and gain nothing.

He winced, noticing he had scraped the top of his index finger with the knife, not yet cutting it, but almost.

He sighed, frustrated.

From his office, the older man called "I told you, you ain't no cook!"

Shut up... just... shut up.

His jaw clenched.

He continued chopping the lettuce, masking his anger, thankful he was practically alone in the kitchen.

He wondered if it would be easier to hide if there were people around.

Trading City of Italica

The CH-47 landed neatly on the grassy fields outside the city and Pina exited, followed by a few senators who had been sent along with her.

Her first action was to hide how nauseous the ride had made her, both out of self-respect and to not appear weak before the Americans.

The pair of Senators accompanying her didn't have such reservations as one quickly vomited up his early breakfast, collapsing to the ground.

"Mister Tyueli, please... there's no need for such theatrics." the other Senator sighed, though the old man looked visibly ill.

"Are you okay, Father?" the little girl asked, her mother looking equally concerned.

The man sighed, nodded, and calmly stood up.

Pina only walked forward Beefeater trailing her.

Gray was standing by the entrance, waving.

"What's the situation?" she asked him.

"Oh, they're waiting to send you and the diplomats to Alnus. In the meantime, we're coordinating to get rid of this guerilla movement as quickly as possible, but it may prove a challenge." the older man said with a sigh.

"Challenge?"

"It appears they detoured from heading north and chose to hide up in the Dumas Mountain Range. The Americans have been trying to find them in order to engage them. Success has been limited, but Italica has remained safe since I arrived."

Pina nodded slowly, letting the diplomats catch up.

"I would like to summon the rest of the order, that way we could better assist them in these efforts. Maybe I can garner some support and rescue father."

Gray said "Not a bad idea. You have leadership skills, princess. You just have to apply them."

Pina only nodded, entering the city.

She froze as she saw the progress being made in regards to fixing the damages made by the attacks only a week prior.

Gray laughed, saying "They've been working nonstop to help this city. I'm a bit envious of their resources."

The destroyed wall was being rebuilt by their strange machines, and their workers were all over the place, guarded by armed Americans who were working with what remained of the local militia.

That's right... they intend to take all the territory up to Italica in order to carve out some land for themselves.

The fact was that the Americans were moving with or without her, and if she hoped to make things better, she would have to hurry.

Pina whirled around and stormed towards the flying machine.

"How long until we're back on track to Alnus?" she asked her interpreter, the soldier milling about, smoking something Pina did not recognize.

The young man said "Forty minutes. We had to... feed the bird. Take some time to relax, highness."

"Can it be any faster?"

The man said "Relax, our president won't leave without meeting you. Trust me."

Alnus Hill

11:00 AM

Oh, this... this is too much...

The young American president nervously shook hands as what he could only describe as a very happy werewolf. The canine humanoid vigorously shaking the man's hand as cameras rolled.

The wolf laughed, saying "A small man, but a strong grip! I must thank you for helping my people!"

The president only smiled, like any good politician, resisting the urge to rub the now sore hand.

He turned to his interpreter, asking "What did he say?"

"Err... it was a bit messy, sir. He called you small, but also thanked you."

"Ah, well... tell him we're here to actually make a difference."

The interpreter turned and spoke.

The wolfman laughed loudly, said something incomprehensible to the president, and left.

The president turned, expecting an explanation, but the interpreter looked just as confused.

"Well?"

"He said only the gods could make anything change... it sounded like there was more to it, sir."

The president only shrugged as the wolfman left the room.

He muttered, "Won't be easy getting people used to people like that... maybe we should rethink the whole citizenship thing..."

"Well, there's a reason we didn't grant citizenship to all US territories until some time had passed, sir."

The young man felt like arguing, but didn't.

At the end of the day, most of congress was on his side on several issues, and the fact that the US needed to carve some territory for itself in this world was a given.

The reports of abuse, atrocities, and awful living conditions were enough for most to agree that it was better for the Americans to just do their thing and at least improve some aspects of daily life in this strange world of monsters and magic.

But politics was still an ugly, ugly game...

An officer walked in, then, moving to the president and whispering in his ear.

"Mister President, we have confirmed the assassination plot against Emperor Molt Sol Augustus."

The president didn't reply, remaining as if nothing had been said.

Slowly, he turned to the man and said "Is the princess en route?"

"Yes, sir, she's expected to arrive in ten minutes."

The president grimaced.

This... complicates things...

Truth was, even he had expected the Emperor to at least come to the negotiation table after such an attack had been carried out, but the man had stubbornly refused even now?

Stranger still, he had support?

An assassination plot by his own people was clearly inevitable, but a part of him wondered if the same would have happened had the man come to the negotiation table. Would they have needed to make a deal with that fallen queen then?

Complicated indeed.

He sat back into his chair, wondering whether to approve the mission or not or allow the assassination to continue or not.

What to do? What to do?

"Mister President?"

"Yeah?"

"Princess has arrived."

…

For Pina, the base was both more impressive than she had expected and underwhelming.

The base was certainly large, but it appeared almost bare.

No grand constructions, no large buildings, no architecture...

It was a slightly more sophisticated version of the base camps she had set up with her Rose Knights during some expeditions into the capital's forests.

Well... except for...

One of the metal birds screeched through the air and Pina couldn't help but notice that when it passed over her head she didn't hear it... until it was farther away.

As if they could fly faster than even sound.

"Huh... so they used those to attack the capital last night? Didn't see them." Gray muttered aloud.

Pina only walked ahead, the diplomats and their families only looking on in amazement at the flying machines.

She saw the ever-present red cross sign that seemed to characterize all the medical personnel these men from another world brought with them. She stopped walking to look at the medical buildings, mostly large tents it seemed, but...

"Where are the refugees?" she asked out loud.

Her interpreter caught up to her.

She turned and asked "Where are the refugees? Didn't you say they were being kept here?"

He nodded.

"They're probably on the outskirts of the camp. We've been getting an influx of them and we can't just take all of them into the base, so we're helping them build homes around our main base."

"Ah... I see."

Why am I so surprised? They're concerned for the wellbeing of civilians, they hate slavery, they can fix century-old walls in a week...

The American base was forming quickly.

She briefly glanced at a few soldiers seemingly playing a card game of sorts, smoking something as a strange box gave off calming music over the sound of the bustling base.

She continued walking, noticing the different material on some of the buildings when the man she was looking forward to meeting greeted her.

"Ah, Salve Princess Pina!"

She turned to meet the man who was apparently the leader of the American nation.

Her interpreter immediately stood at rigid attention and gave a salute.

The president saluted back and said something as the soldier promptly lowered his arm.

Pina noticed this.

A nation without kings or emperors...

The man turned to her and smiled warmly, though Pina noticed the look of worry in his eyes.

Remember the words...

"H-How-Low... M-mist-err Precedent!"

The American president chuckled lightly and said something Pina didn't understand.

Her translator quickly said, "He says hello and how he wishes this meeting could be under less dire circumstances."

"Yes... it... it truly is a sad day. Tell him I wish to work with him to find peace amongst our two worlds. I have brought two senators to act as diplomats and we have a few sympathizers in the senate to help ease things over."

Her interpreter nodded and repeated what she said without question, which was a touch better than what the previous interpreter who would occasionally look at her with a judgmental expression.

The president nodded and pursed his lips.

"There is something we need to discuss first. It, unfortunately, cannot wait."

…

"He WHAT?!"

"Princess-" Gray tried, only to be ignored once more so he instead focused on the sickly grey walls of the room was contrasted by the green military uniform of the American officers and the far more colorful official uniform of the Rose Knights worn by him and the princess.

At least the table they were sitting on was well crafted.

"He-he-he can't kill father! If he does, then his confirmation will not happen!"

The interpreter translated.

"Princess, as of right now it seems that he has some supporters who are rather high up. This doesn't seem to be a plot that popped out of thin air, your father has alienated many people in your government. Surely he can still become emperor if his father were to suddenly die?"

Turn, translate.

"But... but then... but you cannot let this happen! He hasn't gotten the chance to surrender yet!"

Turn, translate.

"I'm sorry, princess, but it seems he isn't interested in surrendering. In fact, if the information I have here is correct, he plans on burning everything down in order to deny us the land."

Turn, translate.

Pina sank in the chair.

How? How can I save him?

She weakly said "Then... then perhaps you can kidnap him and bring him here? Make him see reason?"

Turn, translate.

The president glanced at his generals.

"It's... it's certainly an option, sir. Risky, but doable."

The president looked at the Army general who appeared to find the idea contemptuous at best.

"Speak freely, general." the president said.

The general seemed slightly torn at least, the military discipline one showed when in the presence of a superior clashing with his honest opinion.

One eventually won out as the man spoke.

"With all due respect, mister president, I disagree. This man ordered a surprise attack on a civilian population- our civilian population without any justification or warning. Perhaps he was unaware and the decision was made by his generals. That's a fair contention... but even ignoring the fact that he refused to send any form of communication in the months after his forces were beaten back and were clearly prepared for a counter-attack given the military presence upon our arrival here last month... the barbarity we have seen done to civilians on the countryside was done on his orders. This is beyond scorched earth, sir, and frankly, to even consider taking the son of a bitch alive is an insult to all those that died on the twenty-second... sir."

The president nodded, asking "Even for a trial?"

"I don't think he deserves even that. I say let his own kid poison him. It's the appropriate fate for someone like that... but that is my personal opinion, sir."

The president nodded.

He then turned to the princess who was tugging on the interpreter's sleeve, asking what had been said.

The young president only said, "Ask her if she knows about the scorched earth campaign her father is carrying out."

The young man nodded and did so.

Pina only shook her head.

"I... the senators and I suspected as such, but we don't know if he ordered it or not, but..."

Daughter, if you focus solely on protecting the people, then you will never be able to make the sacrifices often necessary to protect the Empire and you will lose both.

"...but it's not impossible he did."

Turn, translate.

The president nodded.

His mind went back to all the operations he had denied and greenlit.

He had ordered US support of an invasion of Cuba be greatly diminished and he was mocked for the failure the invasion was.

He had allowed a coup in Vietnam to go unstopped and now the place was a powder keg waiting to go up in smoke, only barely contained by both support from the US and NATO troops in the South, and Soviet support in the North desperately trying to manage tensions.

He had almost seen the world end twice in his term and had just barely managed to steer things in the right direction, but even that was mostly based on luck and chance.

He still had nightmares about it.

Despite being one if not the most powerful man in the world, he was often as helpless as anyone else, and didn't always know what the best option was.

But if there was one thing he had learned after the October Crisis was that sometimes it was better to not act rashly.

"Alright... I plan on staying here a bit longer... no one approves or denies the operation. I want to hear what information we can gather by tonight and then we'll decide whether to assist, leave alone, or deny this assassination. We'll give your father a chance, princess."

Turn, translate.

Pina swallowed away the knot on her throat.

"I... I appreciate that..."

The president smiled.

She smiled back.

One of the secret service officers in the room cringed.

His companion only lowered his gaze.

Although both men doubted the president would pursue the red-headed princess, his reputation within the White House and the Secret Service was well known.

You become a secret service agent; you think you're going to be risking your life protecting the leader of the free world from assassins... then you find out your job is to make sure he isn't disturbed while he's having an interlude in the shower with two gals from Twelfth Avenue.

Still, it seemed that the American president would keep his urges in check as he was speaking with a fellow leader.

"Alright, let's walk... princess, what do you like to drink?"

Or perhaps not... Historians would never know for sure.

Outskirts of Italica

9:00 PM

Shaun sat in the fox hole, M16 on hand, eyeing the nearby forest.

He waved his flashlight around, actively trying to draw attention to himself.

Nothing happened.

He shook his head and turned to Dominique.

"Nothing."

His lieutenant sighed.

"What the hell are the higher-ups thinking? This is getting ridiculous." the young man muttered.

He glanced at the APCs and tanks nearby.

The very recently established "firebase" was made up of what could best be described as a disorganized meetup of whatever Army and Marine units were furthest away as the main force advanced into the lands beyond Italica and Alnus.

There were elements of the Army's 1st Armored Division... four Patton tanks and a few M113 APCs. There were elements of the 7th Cavalry milling about... four UH 1 Helicopters, just sitting in the middle of the ruined town. And of course, a platoon from the United States' First Marine Expeditionary Force... plus the "Reaper".

Shaun knew the artillery guns would come in soon, but at the moment, they were not a firebase despite the area being designated as just that.

They weren't scouting.

They weren't attacking.

And they certainly weren't killing any enemy forces.

We supposed to just act as an attractive target while the rest of the main force catches up?

Shaun sat in the dirt and rubbed the back of his head when the Marine Sergeant walked over.

The so-called "reaper" still clinging to his arm like a child... giant Halberg on her back like it was nothing.

"Nothing here either?" he asked in a much calmer voice.

"No... gotta be honest, the higher-ups aren't making much sense to me."

The Marine shook his head.

"Well, I have my orders, and miss Mercury here says they're around."

She happily pointed to the mountains.

"I can smell their bloodlust," she said with a child-like grin.

Shaun frowned.

The sergeant said "Not just that, but villages around here were sacked. Some recently, some as far back as last week. I think we've caught up to them, and if we can trap them in those mountains... well, the bombers should handle them well enough."

"There aren't caves or anything up there, right? Japs liked to hide in the mountains, too, and you guys had to drag them out." Dom said then.

The Marine Sergeant grinned.

"Even if they've got caves, I honestly have no doubt they'll surrender after our Phantoms drop some napalm on 'em. The area's all foliage that we can burn. Won't leave them much choice but surrender."

"Japs didn't have much choice either, and back in Italica these guys proved to be at least as fanatical..."

"What was that, sooty?"

Shaun said, "I'm just sayin' these guys ran at our machine guns as we cut them down by the hundreds with nothing but swords and knives!"

The Marine lifted his M14 up over his shoulder, saying "Let 'em! My sword's sharper than anything they can come up with! You ever see what happens when natives with spears charge a well-armed wall of guns?"

"Saw the aftermath at Italica."

"Yeah? My grandpa's from South Africa. Says them... Zulu warriors... they would charge the British with nothing but a spear and a shield. Guess how that turned out."

"Just saying it won't be easy." Shaun sighed.

The Marine shook his head.

The night was eerily silent.

Dom said "Miss Mercury, how well can we trust that nose of yours?"

"It's not my nose!"

"But you said you could smell them."

"Their bloodlust, certainly... however, I can see them just fine from here."

"Yeah?"

"Yes! There's an oak tree over there oh... a hundred yards away... and a skinny man is watching us with a spyglass from its lower branches. Under the tree he has three comrades, only one of whom actually has hair on his head as it seems the others have shaved it... they're all armed with bows and arrows, although the man with hair is also carrying a battle-ax. Not as big as mine, though."

Dom glanced at the girl, then at Shaun.

Neither man spoke.

"Oh, nonbelievers? Sergeant, can I-?" the girl began.

The Marine sergeant ignored her and said "She's clearly got supernatural abilities. I think we can trust her judgment here."

"Of course, you can. I'm on your side!"

Still ignoring her, Shaun said, "Be nice if we could prove what she says."

The Marine said "Actually, if we attract the Brigands, we're supposed to let her deal with them. Thing is, I ain't seeing them either."

"I can go hunt them down!" the girl protested.

"Goes against the rules of engagement... Pres don't want dead civilians, and frankly neither do I."

Shaun then said, "How close are they again?"

The Marine turned to the girl.

"They're in those trees." the girl said, pointing. "If you open fire, you'll likely kill all five of them."

She blinked and narrowed her eyes as if getting a better look.

"My mistake, all six of them... there's a scrawny looking child carrying something."

Again, Shaun shone the light on the trees, which were, at most, 100 yards away.

He checked with binoculars.

Again, he shook his head.

"Can't see any of them."

Rory frowned.

The Marine said "You try taunting them? Like... in their tongue?"

Shaun said, "No... think I should?"

"Well, if it works and they shoot an arrow at us, we can set her loose, see what she can do."

The smile the girl got when the Marine suggested that sent chills down Shaun's back.

Dominique said "At this point, we might as well see if it works. Go ahead, Robinson, let loose with that Georgia jive."

"Shouldn't he be using the local-? Meep!" Rory went quiet when the Marine tapped the top of her head to quiet her.

Shaun ducked down a bit and began yelling in the native tongue.

"PATHETIC DOGS! SIMPLE-MINDED COWARDS! YOU HAVE FAILED TO START A SIGNIFICANT WAR AND WILL FALL BY THE WAYSIDE FORGOTTEN BY HISTORY AND-"

The arrow that flew overhead landed on a rucksack with a noisy *THWACK*.

Another bumped the turret of a nearby tank, alerting the soldier on it.

"Contact, east side!" a yell came.

The Marine sergeant shouted "Hold your fire, we have a test to run... okay, kid, go on... show us what you can do."

Once again, the grin on the girl only sent shivers down Shaun's spine, and when her petite figure jumped high into the air before speeding into the forest, clearing the distance in a few seconds and disappearing into the brush with a jump, he nearly yelped in shock.

"W-what the hell?"

"Told you, she's super-human... Could make for a helpful ally if we're ever in trouble... assuming she behaves herself."

As soon as he said that, bloodcurdling screams in the forest began to fill the night air.

"Jesus..."

"Yup... this world is full of wonders." the man said, shaking his head.

"The higher-ups really wanted you guys testing her?!"

"Just to confirm how super she really is I suppose. The locals worship her or... at least consider her as an angel, and she thinks that Gate was opened because of one of her friends. She's a weird one, fellas, but she's helping us."

"So... there's more of her?"

"Yeah, maybe... but at the moment our war is with the empire and its allies, not them... Woah."

The girl exited the forest, dragging a man through the grass.

"That was all under a minute... not bad."

Dominique said, "Our helos could do it in half that time, but for one person... eh."

The girl tossed the scrawny young man into the foxhole, the captured person shaking and whimpering words that not even Shaun could fully understand.

The Marine shook his head and said "What's he saying?"

"I... I think he's asking for mercy? He's jumbling his words all over..."

The girl, now revealed to be covered in blood, cheerfully said "He's willing to sell out his comrades if we let him live!"

Shaun and Dominique cringed at the sight, although the Marine sergeant only shrugged.

"Ah, a coward... well, we can use him. Bring him up, let's go."

"Aw! Sergeant, aren't you going to reward me for a job well done?" she wailed, pouting.

The sergeant rubbed his chin.

"Hmm... alright, I'll put in a good word with the officers. Let's go."

"Huh?"

"Do you not want to join us in future search and destroy operations?"

"B-b-b-but-"

"No buts! Come on."

Shaun and Dominique observed the bloody girl drag the whimpering mess of a man behind the American line in awe.

"Devil dogs... they sure as hell don't disappoint."

"Yes, sir... Don't know how he's so relaxed around something like that!" Shaun replied.

The second the words were out of his mouth he noticed the girl turned her head slightly and gave him a devious grin. A cat eyeing up a mouse as if deciding whether to just kill it and be done with it or toy with it for a short while for some cheap entertainment.

Shaun swallowed, nervously.

Can't believe I miss Atlanta... at least the crackers back home can't lift two tons with their bare hands and zoom around like Barry Allen!

Imperial Capital

The atmosphere was much tenser as the officers conversed in the much smaller dining hall reserved for the Emperor.

Dennis stuck to a corner, holding a pitcher of what he assumed was an alcoholic beverage, ready to serve anyone, while the rest of the kitchen staff finished setting the night's dinner on the table.

He watched as August delivered the main dish to the table in a professional matter.

There were no congratulations or even a simple "thank you", the Emperor seemingly focused on something as his generals discussed things amongst themselves.

Then the crown prince waltzed in, the white-haired girl following behind him with a look of apathy.

Unlike the princess, the most Tyuule did was make a brief visual contact before continuing behind the Crown Prince.

Good...

Dennis strained his ears to focus on the conversations he was hearing, but couldn't quite catch much of anything.

August walked up to him then.

"Deliver the drinks, don't bother anyone, do what they tell you."

"Yes, sir."

"Don't embarrass us."

"Yes, sir."

With that, the assistant chef walked away.

Dennis noticed the Emperor wasn't touching his food or calling the meeting to order, or really anything.

Did he really care that much for his daughter?

Dennis immediately perished the thought.

Naw, he's more than likely panicking about the fact he's going to die soon... either from our hands or-

As if somehow sensing his resentful thoughts, the Emperor stood up and walked over to him.

Dennis respectfully lowered his head and began to serve the man who had ordered the attacks on his country that had killed hundreds of people the not yet poisoned beverage.

"My daughter hired you, yes?" he asked suddenly.

Feigning fear, Dennis said "Y-yes, your grace."

"Hmm... you're a farmer, correct? Or... no, you're the son of farmers."

"Yes, sir. It's... it's an honor to work here."

"Pina always cared for the common folk... I think that was her weakness."

Dennis wasn't sure how to respond.

Certainly, looking out solely for the people could backfire if a leader decided to allow mob rule, but the red-headed princess seemed far more worried about making sure people were safe from harm.

"Sir?" he decided to risk asking.

"Well, she's dead is she not?"

"I... I pray she isn't."

He'd replied slowly, cautiously.

The man only shook his head.

"The enemy likely murdered her and stole her body to prevent a proper burial. It's them compensating for even suggesting negotiations... a part of me thinks she somehow convinced them to let her go by promising our surrender, and once she failed to deliver, they killed her."

"Wouldn't that label my dear sister a traitor, father?"

Oh, please don't come over here...

Dennis lowered his gaze and shut his eyes tight, frustrated as the crown prince walked over.

The emperor did not react.

"Yes, Zorzal... though I admit, I have no way of knowing for certain."

"I agree. We should immortalize her once this war is over. A golden statue that will never be matched."

Dennis glanced at Tyuule who gave him a knowing look.

"Bear with it, American"

Molt glanced at the girl and said "Why are you carrying her around... and what is she wearing?"

The crown prince grinned from ear to ear and nudged her closer to the emperor.

"Ah, I'm glad you asked. I have decided to formally make Tyuule my advisor during this crisis!"

Tyuule bowed politely, emanating some degree of elegance that reminded the American that she had once been a queen.

"I look forward to serving- ah!"

As the girl hit the floor Dennis felt his body go rigid at the sudden violence.

It was so fast he hadn't even seen it happen.

Molt, in one motion, had knocked the girl to the floor with a single strike of his hand, not even letting her finish her words.

Dennis forced himself to remain in place, his hands griping the pitcher tightly, his jaw forcing his mouth shut as he resisted the urge to help the girl.

Not even Zorzal had reacted as Tyuule slowly began to sit up, albeit for different reasons.

Molt's glare was powerful as it bore on his older son.

"What is the meaning of this?" the emperor asked in a cold voice.

"What- what is the meaning of this?! How dare you strike her unprovoked?!"

"Oh, like you're any different. What are you trying to pull off here, child?! Are you trying to save your little slave? Out of anyone in this capital she's the one that stands the most to gain by betraying us!"

Dennis felt his jaw somehow clench tighter, eyes darting between the emperor, the prince, and the girl now sitting on the floor. He did his best not to look angry, but a part of him was weary of the fact he wasn't exactly the best person for the job.

He wasn't a trained spy, hell, his entire mission was to just act as an in-between! Why the hell did he have to be inside the castle?!

Because we may need to make a quick extraction from the inside... damn it all... But if it comes down to it, I'll grab her and run... to hell with these people, we should just bomb them and be done with it.

He shut his eyes tight and forced himself to calm down, opening them up again and planning how he would get both him and the girl out of there.

I'd have to be quick... run to my room, grab the .45, radio for extraction... oh, who am I kidding? I'm no John Wayne!

He continued to listen to the conversation.

"Isn't it obvious to you?!"

Zorzal immediately countered with "If she was working with them then they would have rescued her when they stole all our slaves! She belongs to me, father, not these Americans! She's also a former queen that was a capable leader while she ruled! How can I turn down her advice in such a time?"

"Oh, are you blind?" he turned to the girl then, saying "Look at her!"

The girl was staring at the floor and Dennis could never imagine the hidden sneer on her face as her hold on Zorzal was finally proven without a shadow of a doubt.

"Tyuule, stand." the prince said, not even looking at her.

"Yes, your highness." the girl said, doing as told.

Zorzal placed both hands on her shoulders, and without a hint of remorse said "Father, she is my slave. Her body belongs to me, her mind belongs to me, her soul belongs to me... she would never betray me, that is a guarantee."

Dennis eyed the prince now, finding a new appreciation for the fact that the red-headed princess somehow hadn't lost her mind dealing with people like this her entire life. A brother who was overly confident in his own abilities and a father so cold his warm drink had likely gotten icy by his mere touch.

He noticed the girl's cheek was turning purple and felt his body stiffen in anger once more.

Tyuule's crimson eyes briefly moved to him, as if to say "stay out of this".

In response, he immediately focused his attention on the emperor.

Molt finally said, "Oh, I'm sure... get her out of here, I don't want her listening in."

"I must object. The whole point of my bringing her is to see what she has to say about the situation."

"Then you brought her in vain. I know her people and I know her mother raised her well enough before we came along... a savage like her will forever retain her devilish ways..."

Tyuule only lowered her gaze in response, hiding the hatred burning in her eyes.

"You! Boy!"

Now Dennis lowered his gaze once more as the emperor turned to him, less out of pretending to respect the man, more out of necessity for hiding his disgust with everything he had seen.

"Yes, your majesty?"

You sub-human beast?

"Get her out of here and leave that pitcher on the table... I'd rather discuss things in private."

"Yes, your majesty."

"But-" Zorzal began, but Molt cut him off.

"Any more objections out of you and I will strip you of your birthright and give it all to Diabo, understood?!"

"I-"

"UNDERSTOOD?!"

"...yes... father..."

"And you, don't let her out of your sight. Rufus!"

A general walked over.

"Hand him your sword."

"Your majesty?"

"Hand him your sword. Scrawny as he is, he does have a soldier's posture."

At this Dennis was about to stammer an objection when the Emperor turned to him.

"The guards are on duty and I don't want to interrupt them. Just stand outside and watch her. If she tries something lob her head off, stab her, beat her with this... surely you can manage that much?"

"Y-yes, sir."

"Pina must have seen something in you... do me a favor and don't let her down. Now scram!"

He nodded and motioned for the white-haired girl to move ahead of him, exiting the chambers and walking to the main hall.

Dennis followed the former queen outside where she promptly allowed herself to sigh.

"You hurt?" he quickly asked once they were out of sight of the guards.

"No, but the man hasn't lost his skill; I can say that much..." she huffed rubbing her jaw.

Just another bruise...

"Guess his royal pain will have to let us know what was said."

"No need, I can hear it more or less from here."

"What?"

She pointed to the building only a few meters away.

Given the silence of the night, Dennis could just faintly hear the voices of the men inside, but nothing he could understand.

"You can-?"

"Don't misunderstand, I can tell it's far away, but I can make out the words properly from here especially since no one else is talking. All I have to do now is write down what I hear."

Dennis noticed the small quill and parchment she had been carrying.

She sat down and began writing.

"Huh, impressive."

"What's impressive?" she asked, still writing.

"Well, I can't hear that far."

"My hearing's been damaged since coming here... now hush, please. And keep watch in case someone starts asking questions. We'll discuss the details of the plan once this is over."

"...Understood."

Dennis stood up and focused on watching the halls.

It was a pointless task, Tyuule knew.

She would hear anyone coming and even if she didn't, she was in a spot where she could easily make a run for it without being identified.

And if they saw the American, they would likely just assume he was waiting for the meeting to wrap up in order to collect the dirty dishes.

No, the real reason she had ordered him to focus elsewhere was that she didn't want him close at the moment.

He can be distracting...

…

Molt sipped the wine and served himself a second cup before sitting down, ignoring the disappointed look his son was giving him and turned to the generals.

"The plans were already drawn up. Can we do this?"

It was Rufus who said "Well... your majesty... with all due respect, without the information from the senate-"

"Oh, we all know exactly what those bumbling fools will do. Claim they can't get it done, or come up with more excuses to delay..."

He gulped down the wine and served himself another.

"I can hear them now... oh, we need a little more time, oh, maybe we should negotiate, oh, emperor you are unwell... The senate might as well be working with the enemy. Rufus, I'm curious... how many men can you spare tomorrow?"

"Well... most of the men are out, capturing runaway slaves and-"

"How many can you spare?"

"Fifteen at the most."

"Hmm... it'll have to do."

"May I ask for what purpose?"

"I plan to make an example of Senator Casel tomorrow. He's the one leading this group of fools that think we should negotiate... cowards. I heard some of them disappeared last night, which is good news as they won't arrive at the senate to help him or influence others to try anything before, we deal with them."

"Father, are you planning on purging the senate?"

"Only if they refuse to do what is necessary, son. As for the main campaign, have we heard from Tiberius yet?"

"H-he left this morning..."

"So, no word yet?!"

"...no, sir... we haven't received word."

Molt rubbed his eyes.

"We need to know if he's alive at least. I want to know if they pushed out of Itálica after last night's attacks."

Another general said, "Your majesty, some of these measures... concern me."

"Your concern is noted."

"Well, many of the people will be unable to make the trip... would it not be better to leave them here in order to slow the enemy down? It seems these Americans care about protecting civilians, so perhaps we should use that to our advantage."

Molt immediately said "No. If they cannot leave then they are to be killed. We don't fully know how far these Americans can reach, and even if we leave the city filled with the sick and dying, this will only serve to garner them more support."

He went to serve himself another cup but reconsidered as he stood up.

"Our image is going to be very much destroyed after this, gentlemen. We will be seen as cowards who ran away... but it is the only way we can defeat this force from another world."

Rufus said, "We could consider at least listening to their demands."

"They want us dead, general. No two ways about it. It's why I'm so suspicious of that beast my son carries around with him. Perhaps they let her live because she's a civilian... or perhaps they're using her."

Zorzal wanted to counter that possibility but was smart enough to keep his mouth shut.

"In fact,... Zorzal, has she made any suggestions to you recently?"

"Of course not. I control her, father. The only thing she would have given us any advice on was our strategy which you decided against. I suppose I can ask her later and see what she says."

"No, I don't want that beast knowing of our plans."

He paused, considering something.

"Zorzal, why do you keep her alive? Her people are scattered to the winds, her lands belong to us, and she's been tortured for 3 years, far longer than any of our enemy leaders. Put her out of her misery already."

"I conquered her; I get to decide what happens to her. Plus, she's the only concubine I've had that can even handle my libido."

Molt resisted the urge to punish his son for his tastes in concubines. Like most of his children, Zorzal had been on military campaigns since he was a child, so his appetite was an unfortunate side effect of that, much like how some older emperors had grown strange interests before ascending to the throne.

The battlefields do things to men, it seemed.

"Oh, of course, of course... she was a head hunter, yes?"

"I don't think so."

"Right, right... bring me her head by tomorrow night."

There was silence.

"What?"

"You heard me. She's an enemy of the Empire. The second these Americans give her the opportunity she will betray you like she betrayed her own people. Do as you are told."

Zorzal only turned to the other officers and gave them a knowing look.

"Which reminds me... the surviving Warrior Bunnies... how many are left and where are they situated? We may have to take care of them as well. They are the ones who stand the most to gain if these Americans reach them... we slaughtered them once, we can surely finish the job, yes?" Molt asked.

The soldiers looked as uncomfortable as he sipped the wine.

…

The quill broke in Tyuule's hand as she finished writing the paper, her jaw clenched and her eyes widened in anger, amplified by their crimson color.

Images of her fallen family members shot back to her and she shut her eyes tight as she stood up.

She took a deep breath, lowered her gaze, and approached the American, silently handing him the parchment.

He turned and took the parchment, reading it over.

His eyes widened.

"He's lost his mind."

Tyuule didn't reply.

"Have to go tell my higher-ups."

She didn't reply.

Dennis noticed, he glanced once more at the parchment, noting the threats against her and her people.

"Hey... listen..."

She looked at him.

"I can get you out of here, tonight. If he's threatening-"

"No."

Damn it, you stubborn bunny-eared woman!

"They're threatening to kill you. It may be safer to just evacuate you immediately."

"It only means we have to get rid of Molt. Fast."

She sat on the floor once again.

"Keep that blade on me, they're going to come out soon... we can discuss this further in your quarters."

"...Understood."

Dennis awkwardly unsheathed the blade.

He wasn't at all good with a sword as he was with a rifle, but he kept it steady, pretending to be keeping her in place.

"Try not to look so uncertain with the blade. You look like a child." Tyuule spoke in a mildly irritated voice, her mind on other things.

"Our soldiers don't use swords anymore. Never trained with one." Dennis muttered back.

"Then at least try to-"

She immediately shut up.

Two seconds later, the door swung open, and the Emperor walked ahead.

He noticed the young man holding the blade and said "Sheath that sword and hand it back to the general, please." before walking off, two generals escorting him, two more waiting behind.

Dennis handed the sword back to the General who nodded and silently waited for the emperor to be out of sight.

"He's lost his mind." Rufus finally breathed to the crown prince.

Zorzal turned to Tyuule.

"We need to move quickly. How are things on your end?"

"We're sorting things out. I believe that with access to the Haryo tribe we can act tomorrow night."

"Good. Now, come with me. The meeting gave me the most terrible headache and I could use your help in relieving it." Zorzal said in a seductive tone that came off more boorish than anything.

"I need to sort things out, your highness. I apologize but I'll be a little late tonight."

"Ah... of course, of course. I need to sort some things out as well. We must make certain Father never finds out of the plan. But do try to get there before midnight, my little bunny." he said, lifting her chin and pressing himself against her.

Zorzal noted the look of disapproval on the young man's face.

"Come now, Den. I was serious about not discriminating."

"I... apologize." came the reply, the young man turning to look away.

"He's going to help us?" Rufus asked, not entirely comfortable with the prince's display himself.

"I believe so... did Tyuule show you the transcript of the meeting?"

"Yes, sir... it's clear the emperor is unwell." Dennis said, visibly uncomfortable.

"I'm glad we agree... Tyuule?"

"Yes, highness." she said, taking the parchment' from Dennis' hands and handing it to Zorzal.

The man read it over and frowned briefly.

"What's with this little blot of ink near the end?"

"Apologies, but the quill broke as I finished transcribing," Tyuule said, bowing her head.

Zorzal frowned, handing it back to her.

"Rewrite it and make sure every senator gets a copy before tonight. Understood?"

"Yes, your grace."

"Good. Now come, men, we have things to prepare. Son of Tobias..."

With a nod, the crown prince and the generals left them, moving with purpose.

Tyuule huffed once they were gone.

"He's really thinking himself the great hero... moron," she muttered.

Dennis only said, "He's getting the support of the senate?"

"Yes, even without this information they would likely back him. If it means saving their lands and titles, they'll back anyone. Now come. Much to discuss."

"Yeah, like getting you out of here."

"I cannot leave, his highness can only be manipulated by me at this point and I can handle him fine. This is my duty, American, I will not be pushed aside simply because you're uncomfortable."

"Ma'am-" he attempted to object but she quickly cut him off.

"I will hear no further, Orville!" she said in a firm tone, her crimson eyes tearing into his own like a bullet.

Dennis paused.

Her eyes lacked the madness he had seen during the battles at Alnus and Itálica, filled with a purpose he couldn't argue against.

Right... she wants to see the empire destroyed at all cost...

He shook his head and said "Understood. We can let the higher-ups know about the plan for Casel and the senate through the radio. Maybe we'll get some help and get it done quicker. Gives us options at least."

He took a step forward, paused, turned to the girl, and said "I do intend to help you, you know?"

Tyuule only nodded and followed him, her mind too busy on the deaths she had witnessed and the suffering she had endured to actually register the words she had wanted to hear for so long, the words she had last heard come from the meeting cutting deeper than she had anticipated.

The second these Americans give her the opportunity; she will betray you like she did her own people.

She ground her teeth.

You cowards betrayed your oaths first!

Any mercy she might have held for the royal family was crushed, and she eyed the American ahead of her, fully intent on using him to destroy those who had hurt her and her people.

Honor and chivalry be damned.

9:00 PM

Casel opened the door to his home to find the young Rose Knight named Hamilton and a man he had never seen before.

The man was wearing some kind of paint on his face and was carrying a strange contraption.

"American?" he asked.

Drew only replied with "Yes, sir."

"Alright, what's this about? Isn't dangerous for you to be talking to me?"

"Senator, the king is planning to kill you tomorrow as an example."

"...I beg your pardon?"

"King's lost his damn mind, sir. We're going to push your evacuation ahead to right now."

"I can't leave now. If Molt wants to kill me then it will prove to the Senate that he is unstable and must be removed from power immediately."

"He's already proven that by ordering the expansion of the scorched earth campaign! Sir, you're leading the pro-peace faction alongside Pina, we can't let you stay here!" Hamilton countered.

Casel said "Many senators agree with him as they see the Americans as any other foreign invader! I have to get it through to them that-"

"Sir, with all due respect, it doesn't matter what they think, Molt is going to be dead this time tomorrow," Drew said bluntly.

Casel turned rigid.

"That- why?"

"Take a wild guess. Look, even if we don't permanently evacuate you, we need to ensure the safety of you and your wife, and right now it isn't safe here."

"A regiment of the Rose Knights is heading to Italica tonight, sir. Please, come with us." Hamilton pleaded.

Casel looked around.

"Is... is this really what it comes to?"

"Afraid so."

"...I never supported this expansion. The empire is large enough given all the monsters and bandits in the area... damn that cocky bastard and his entourage... they're the ones to blame for this nonsense... I need to send a letter to Senator Dussie before I leave."

The man turned and called his wife, grabbing a piece of parchment and scribbling something on it.

"Lady Hamilton, can you deliver this, please?"

Hamilton took the parchment and asked, "May I ask what it says?"

"Despite being in favor of continuing the war, Dussie is an intelligent man... I'm asking him to oppose the emperor tomorrow. No given reason, just... a favor for an old friend. I'll be ready to go in an hour."

Drew nodded and signaled to the men hiding in the shadows.

A man with a portable radio brought it over to Drew who took it.

"Overlord, VIP has agreed to evacuate, proceeding with caution." the Green Beret spoke into the radio.

Alnus Hill

Pina listened to the translation without much interest.

More loss...

If what the information she had heard was true, then not only were her efforts to convince her father of peace truly doomed from the start, the man was almost suicidal in the way he intended to continue the war.

Such tactics would...

She glanced at the American president who was on the strange invention the Americans called the "telephone", talking with several other people, his "cabinet" the translator had explained.

Essentially, his political advisors.

She took some comfort in knowing this wasn't a man of war, but one who actively tried to seek peace like her, but it was obvious there was no option but to fight her father and his followers.

And the easiest way to do that would be to...

The American president placed the phone down and sighed, frustrated.

He turned to the general.

"How're the efforts on surrounding the mountainous region?"

"We're moving forward day and night, mister president. By week's end, we should have control over this region on the map here... we already have an open path to the capital, but if we want to ensure the civilian population is safe from enemy forces, then hopefully by then we'll have control over how much damage they can do and then we can neutralize them."

"Good... as for the emperor..."

All too often were some important decisions made at the last second.

He glanced at the girl who was studying the photographs of the destruction out in the countryside surrounding Italica.

"Princess Pina?"

She turned to him.

She looked exhausted, beaten.

Then she stood up and spoke.

"My mother was never of royal blood, I should never have been allowed to rule anything, yet my father kept me around. I was always grateful and... and it doesn't matter anymore. What has been allowed to happen is nothing short of evil. This isn't any better than the savagery we often found ourselves fighting against throughout our own history... I won't pretend we're any better, I won't pretend I know any better... but my duty has always been to protect the people of the Empire, and..."

She glanced once more at the black and white photographs of a burned village.

"And I cannot abide by this. Do what you must. I will support you however I can." she said, sitting down again.

Once the interpreter finished translating, the American president nodded.

"Alright, then it's settled. Inform our agents, I want details on what this assassination plot entails and if they need our help, we'll give it to them... God help us all."

Once again, he found himself allowing another world leader not only to be deposed but executed.

It was far from the idealist values he pushed at his rallies.

It was, unfortunately, the dark side of being a world leader.

He reminded himself of the man's actions and then proceeded his attention to some rather interesting reports on the table.

The Kingdom of Elbe...

Pina on the other hand did her best to hide her devastation.

Gray patted her shoulder.

"Princess?"

"Gray?"

"...This must be hard on you."

"Not really... I don't feel much of anything right now."

"I believe you made the right choice. Allowing the emperor to carry out these operations-"

"I'm killing my father, Gray... not directly, but I allowed it. All I can do now is try and make up for it. Once Hamilton arrives, I want all the Rose Knights to evacuate the capital or... or at least most of them. I want to support our American allies as best we can in dealing with these Brigands... maybe we can even convince General Tiberius to surrender."

Gray said, "Tiberius is an intelligent man, but he is also a harsh and steadfast general... he never questions the emperor, and if he's away..."

"Correct... he'll need more than just my word to know he has no chance. And I doubt Zorzal will call him off given his warped view of this conflict. We're going to have to work on..."

"Princess?"

"Diabo has been away for some time... if we can get to him..."

"Princess?"

"Gray, could you get me some parchment? I would like to send Diabo a letter."

"Of course," he said, reaching into a satchel he carried with him, taking a quill and parchment he quickly handed her.

He noticed how both Princess Pina and the American President were focused on different yet similar things, both still doing the work of leaders.

It was a sight he appreciated throughout all the darkness at hand.

10:00 PM

Tyuule studied the mostly empty room as the American was speaking on the strange machine in a language she did not understand.

Dennis turned to her, and said "You're sure they can get the poison by tomorrow?"

"Yes. The plan is for you to simply pass the drinks over to the assassin."

"Do you know the poison they intend to use?"

"A potent blend of seeds that will not take effect until later in the night. Don't worry, it's not something that can afflict via touch. One must ingest the poison in order for it to afflict."

She noticed the American seemed bothered by the method but said nothing.

The young man spoke into the strange box, the box spoke back.

He turned to her.

"This poison will kill him? Guaranteed?"

Tyuule paused, lifting a hand to her chin.

"That's a good question... it's certainly meant to kill, but I recall stories of some who were able to resist its effects long enough for a healer to intervene."

"Healers, like... magic?"

"Yes."

The American pursed his lips.

His mind briefly thought back to the amount of firepower it took to stop a mob of armed savages with blades and axes. The fact this medieval society had incorporated some magicians in order to greater utilize flame arrows and if the battle of Itálica was any indication, create a primitive HE round.

Magic healers would certainly screw up the plan for both of us...

"Stalker One, Trojan Two just brought up a hiccup for the operation. The poison is safe to use so long as it's not ingested, the problem is that the Emperor has a magical healer, and if he resists the effects of the slow-acting poison long enough to get help, it could easily be undone."

"So, she needs something more instant?"

"Affirmative."

"Copy, hold one..."

He turned back to Tyuule.

"You may need something a bit more potent than poison seeds. If he's going to die, it needs to be a guarantee. He lives, not only will he set the capital on fire, it'll be harder for us to effectively defeat the imperial forces."

Internally she smiled as it appeared their goals were the same.

Instead, she said, "So you desperately want him dead?"

"Have a job to do, better do it right."

There was a pause.

She then said, "Perhaps your people could provide a killing agent?"

"Checking to see just that."

"Oh... interesting," she said, studying the American's face.

He didn't say anything, seemingly staring at the wall, patiently awaiting a response from the talking box he called a "Radio".

He looked uncomfortable with the methods they were using but said nothing of it.

Interesting indeed...

She heard the crackle of the "radio" and he then spoke into the box again, language being impossible for her to understand in spite of some words sounding similar

The box spoke back, he nodded and said something before turning to her.

"We'll provide the poison."

"I see. Shall I inform Bouro?"

"Yeah. We're going to need to organize this properly. Our poison acts much quicker, but it can also be dangerous to handle so we're going to set it up so no one else dies."

"Perhaps you could use a sacrificial lamb? There are plenty of imperial trash we could get to do this simple task," she spoke, the question clearly loaded as she wondered if her allies and the young man representing them.

What do you think of that, soldier?

The American frowned and quickly shot down the idea.

"Absolutely not."

"Oh? Why not?"

Naivety? A self-righteous sense of morality no different from the Empire... which is it?

Dennis turned, angrily saying "I'm not in charge for one thing, but if I was, I'd shoot it down right away to ensure success. The guys up top are the ones planning this with what they have, and they prefer not to leave evidence behind as far as I know, and if the person we get to do it for us is captured or kill it could lead back to us."

Practicality? Surely that's not all you have to argue...

"Ah, but the dead body would turn the trail cold, no?"

"Yeah, which leads me to another point. Prince Zorzal is secretly orchestrating this with the full support of the Senate and several generals if that dinner was anything to go by. Body or not, this won't go anywhere if it links back to him so why bother leaving a body? Just not necessary."

She smiled slightly, which to the American was creepy enough, but the tiredness of the girl had a way of making him uncomfortable in a way he didn't entirely understand.

"What?" he asked, placing the radio away.

"I'm just fascinated by your strange reluctance to kill your enemy."

"I'm not reluctant."

Liar...

"Of course, of course..." she said instead.

Dennis narrowed his eyes at her words.

"Hmm?" she hummed, tempting him to say anything, grinning cruelly, fully expecting him to push her away now that she was annoying him, secretly hoping he didn't.

"Nothing. Get lost, I'll give your assistant the information he needs once I get it."

He was clearly tired.

Her smile faded slightly, but she turned to leave.

Perhaps out of his guilty conscious or perhaps out of pity for the girl, the American quickly said "Before I forget, I'm grateful that you helped me out earlier in the morning... the old bastard was out to get me and you had my back. I appreciate it."

She stopped and turned to study the American, finding herself shocked that the gratitude appeared genuine in spite of his abrasiveness towards her.

"...think nothing of it."

She exited the room.

The instant she closed the door she covered her face...

...took a deep breath...

...and immediately turned and opened the door to the American's room.

"What's with you?!" she demanded.

"Huh?"

She then shut the door.

Dennis blinked now VERY confused.

He got up and went to the door.

He opened it and saw her by the entrance, arms crossed in frustration as if he had been late to an appointment.

"What was that all about?!" he demanded.

The analytical glare she returned stopped the American from asking further.

Tyuule looked him over before speaking in an annoyed tone.

"I'm trying to figure you out! You're clearly frustrated and bothered by your situation, yet here you are trying to be polite to me! There's no need for that nonsense!"

"You're telling me... not to be polite?"

"I'm asking why you're being polite when you don't have to be!"

"I- is that really so hard to figure-? Oh, of course, it is..." he groaned.

...backward planet, backward people...

At least she had the excuse of being tortured for several years and was still pleasant to be around...

Pleasant? Forget it...

He turned to her, stared her dead in the eyes, and said "Because back home we're taught to treat people as people, so yeah, until you do something to really piss me off, I'll treat you like anyone else."

If his word had any effect, she didn't show it. Remaining silent for a moment, seemingly analyzing what he had said, making sure she had understood.

"Is... that how you see me? Another, typical, human?" she asked, not cowering from the intense staring contest.

Dennis paused.

He glanced at her smooth legs, her fair skin, her slender form, her snow-white hair, her crimson eyes, her obviously human face that could convince any man of-

FOCUS!

"Yeah, you're human, same as anyone. Wouldn't say typical but... um..."

Now the girl seemed perplexed.

"Right, look... I'm what you would call... white, right?"

No less perplexed.