5. Chapter 5(2)

She didn't say anything.

Dennis said "So, yeah... I see you as any other person... you have the... different ears and... a tail, but..."

He motioned with his hands, unsure of what else to say.

The girl responded by closing her eyes.

The hallway was deathly quiet.

Dennis waited for her response, not sure what to expect.

"You're naïve." she finally said after a minute of thought.

Now the American crossed his arms.

"Maybe."

"You aren't arguing?"

"Lady, what do you want from me? Yeah, it's a naïve idea, hell, my world wasn't much different from this one a thousand years ago, and my country's pretty young comparatively! You're right, it's naïve to think of every person as just another person, it just hasn't stopped us."

"Hasn't... stopped you..." she repeated, a lingering sadness in the words.

Before he could respond, Dennis noticed her ears perked up once more and her crimson eyes darted to the left.

She turned and looked at him again.

"We shall continue this matter another time. Coordinate with your superiors, I'll inform Bouro to meet with you. We must end Molt Sol Augusts' reign no later than tomorrow." she sighed.

She turned to leave but paused.

"Thank you for the conversation."

She said, looking away.

"...sure."

She walked away, disappearing down the hall's corner just as footsteps came from the opposite direction.

Dennis closed the door and frowned at himself.

Being polite when you don't have to... am I that desperate for some company?

He couldn't get the fact his eyes had occasionally turned to admire her form.

Yeah, she's attractive, but...

His mouth formed a thin line when his door shook.

"Open this door, child!"

Oh, what do you want?

He stood up and walked to the door, finding August outside.

"I'm missing a knife."

Dennis nodded, his patience running thin.

"It's of sentimental value. My wife bought it for me before I moved here."

"Sorry, I haven't seen it."

The man grabbed his tunic and pulled at it, looking him over.

"I don't have it." he sighed.

Realizing the 18-year-old had nothing on him, the man shoved him aside and entered the room, looking around.

Just a bed, a cheap desk, a cheap chair, and a small crate that appeared empty.

Realizing there really was nowhere to hide the blade, the man turned and said "Are they paying you?"

"For?"

"Working in the kitchen?"

"Probably. Haven't been paid yet."

"Huh... that explains this bare-bones room. It also makes you suspicious as my knife is rather expensive and would go for a steep price."

"So, if I see it, I should sell it?"

The man gave the American a dangerous smile.

"You have quite the mouth on that head of yours."

Yeah, ma always told me to keep it shut... should've listened more...

"Sorry, I was trying to lighten the mood... long day."

"No excuses. Step out of line again I'll hurt you. I find out you took my knife; I'll kill you and feed you to the pigs."

Dennis didn't reply, only lowering his head as the man exited the room.

He closed the door only to immediately feel the temperature drop a dozen degrees as a voice said "Trained spy or not, you're certainly patient with these people."

The voice being in English made it clear who was in the room.

"How do you get in and out of here?" he asked, still speaking in the local tongue.

Bouro said "I'm a trained spy. Her Highness said you had some information for me?"

"Yeah, my commanders are thinking of delivering the killing blow themselves. We have no guarantee your poison will work and if Molt is hellbent on burning everything to the ground in order to slow our advance then he needs to be taken out as soon as possible."

"Our poison is effective and it will give time for the killer to escape."

"Our poison is quick and gets the job done. The killer doesn't even have to be present when he drinks it, he just has to put it into the chalice."

"That leaves a small window of opportunity to deliver the poison. One cannot place it before the cook inspects the drink, it must be after it is served."

"My superiors are looking into it. You're pretty sneaky, couldn't you just sneak the poison into his food if we give it to you?"

"I... I mustn't get involved too directly at the moment."

"Any reason why?"

"Some in my clan are still loyal. I planned on manipulating things so that the loyal ones took the blame for the poisoning of the emperor..."

...you're hiding something...

"Understood. I'll inform my officers. I think we can cook something up if you help us gain entrance to the kitchen."

Silence.

"Do you have someone to deliver it?"

"We're looking into it according to the higher-ups. I think we have some well-trained individuals that can accomplish the task at hand. I think we can have the plan in motion by tomorrow morning."

"I see. That way you can poison his dinner by tomorrow night. I'll hold my people back then. If your operation fails, then we'll accomplish the task. Molt must not be allowed to carry out his scorched earth policy."

Dennis only nodded.

He felt the presence begin to leave when it hesitated.

"So... do you have an interest in Tyuule?"

"Get out."

"Is it not a valid question?"

"It's none of your business is what it is."

The low chuckle sent a chill down his spine as the presence fully disappeared from his room.

With an exhausted sigh, Dennis shifted slightly and fell on the wooden bed, falling asleep in seconds.

Not too far away, Bouro appeared next to Tyuule, the fallen queen staring into the starry sky.

"Did he tell you about the poison?" she asked.

"Yes, though I worry about your new allies."

Tyuule only sighed.

They're naïve... certainly naïve... at least he is... and yet...

"Molt was serious about killing you. He ordered me to finish the deed if Zorzal does not."

She smirked.

"It's nice knowing things are changing. Just this morning I was still that bastard's toy... now I have some power back and the spineless coward of an emperor knows he should be afraid. He dies tomorrow, understood?"

"Yes, your majesty... now, if I may..."

"What?"

"I'm curious, are you interested in the American?"

She never expected to be caught off guard by a question the disgusting creature in the shadows made, but to her surprise, she was very much caught off guard.

"Interested how?"

"I noticed how you eye him up. After he said he was here to help, I thought-"

"He said that?" she asked quickly.

"Yes... he told you once the meeting ended earlier. Did you not hear it?"

Tyuule fell silent, faintly remembering that he said something while she was busy thinking back on her people, too distracted to hear him properly. Internally she grimaced, as help had been exactly what she had wanted a long time ago.

Even when she was in charge of the tribes, she had been acting alone, helpless to stop the armies of the Empire, a suicidal last stand being the inevitable result, she had chosen to surrender. She had resented never having allies, never finding any sympathy in the senators... the offer of help had never been made to her in those long 3 years of abuse.

She felt her throat tighten as she considered that the American might have been genuine in his intentions to help her.

Still, she couldn't let the creature believe it had something to hold over her that wasn't information.

"Mind your tongue, Bouro. I don't like that it drifts to places it shouldn't."

She spoke more composed now.

"He said something similar." came the response.

Tyuule did not reply.

She focused on the word "help".

She was helping them if anything, but they were helping her get her revenge and avenge her people. She thought back to her family, shut her eyes tightly once more as she recalled the screams of mothers as their babies were ripped away to be torn apart or sold into slavery.

If only they had arrived then...

Zorzal hadn't given them any mercy and had sent his most sadistic men to take ensure her people suffered before dying. She recalled how he mocked her, how he hurt her... and then she felt the all too familiar arm on her shoulder.

"Oh, there you are. Is the matter settled?" Zorzal asked her.

Bouro was still in the shadows, she could feel him, but that mattered little

Exhausted as she was, she was still strong enough to brave a fake smile.

"Yes, your highness. The matter is settled."

Knowing what was to come never made it easier, but it helped knowing she could manipulate her tormentor with greater ease now.

April 13th, 1964

Trade City of Itálica

12:00 AM

Delilah's posture compared to Mamina's wasn't entirely different, yet it showed a clear contrast between both maids.

Mamina was clearly a touch more professional, arms on her lap, staring straight ahead, and Delilah allowed herself to a touch more freedom, arms crossed, head looking around.

What Trent Colbert noticed both the bunny girls had in common was the posture of trained soldiers. He turned to Caine who only nodded at him in order to confirm that yes, the US government had permission to make the request of the Formal Clan.

He took a deep breath and began to speak.

"Apologies for the short notice, but I've uh... been informed you two are... best suited for this task."

He wasn't as well versed in the local tongue as he would have liked.

He could speak it well enough, but it was obvious to anyone with ears that it wasn't his language.

Delilah only asked, "What do you want with us?"

"Your help."

"Help? With what?" Delilah asked.

Mamina's eyebrow furrowed ever so slightly, silently asking the same question.

The man from the Central Intelligence Agency stood up and walked to the desk in the room.

He retrieved a folder with several pictures and papers.

Handing the photographs to the two women he said "Recognize him?"

The black and white images showed Emperor Molt Sol Augustus from a distance.

Delilah quickly took it and excitedly said "Are you moving in to kill him?"

"What?"

"Are you moving in to kill him?" she repeated, slower this time.

Trent shrugged.

"We're waiting on today's word to confirm if we're carrying the operation through or not. The man may finally see reason at the very last second and try to negotiate with us for peace. But if not, then yes... the plan is to kill him."

Mamina only said "Is it safe to discuss things here? The Empire has ears everywhere."

Trent only said "Doesn't matter much if they do when they can't do anything about it. The man we have on the inside has the help of several important people within the Emperor's inner circle and we plan to use that to our advantage."

"Can't you just use them to do the deed then?" Delilah asked.

"Not directly. But they will be helping us take out the Emperor."

Mamina then said, "If taken out, won't his son make things worse?"

"Not necessarily. Prince... Zorzal... he can be manipulated. In fact, your queen is helping us do just that."

At the mention of the former ruler, Trent noticed the room temperature dropped significantly.

Mamina's expression didn't change in spite of her eyes seemingly turning hateful.

Delilah on the other hand...

"You're working with that snake?!"

Trent replied by frowning at the girl.

"She betrayed us all! How can- Eek!"

Caine suddenly flicked the girl's forehead with her index finger.

"How often have I told you that vengeance is a fool's errand, Delilah?"

She didn't argue, only sitting back down.

Trent replied with "If you're not capable of carrying out the mission then I suggest you leave right now."

She quickly shook her head.

"What's the mission?"

Trent rubbed the back of his head.

"We're going to poison the emperor, but make the prince think the Haryo tribe he controls did it. The problem is that the palace is under much higher security after the attacks on the eleventh. It's going to be an issue getting our agents in and out with ease, so we plan on using you two instead as you can blend in as slaves. Once inside you'll meet up with several of our soldiers who will give you kitchen uniforms. You are to sneak into the kitchen, pretending to be slaves hired for such a task. Then, when dinner's served, drop this into the Emperor's chalice."

The girls stared at the tiny... thing... wrapped inside a transparent... something.

"What is that?" Mamina asked.

"A special poisoned pill we have. You drop this into any liquid and it dissolves like salt. Anyone drinking from the alcohol will die in a minute. Two if they're unlucky."

"Unlucky?" Delilah asked.

Trent nodded solemnly.

"You want revenge, right? Well, tonight we take out the man who allowed your people to be enslaved."

Delilah immediately asked, "What about Zorzal and Tyuule?"

"We're using them."

"For WHAT?!"

Caine was about to discipline the girl again but Trent said "It's a valid question. We're going to allow Zorzal to become emperor for a brief time as we take control of the area between Itálica and the capital. That way we can manipulate what information he gets if he sends troops out like he keeps saying he wants to do. Tyuule is very cooperative in helping us there as she's his only remaining slave."

"S-slave?!"

"Yes. As she showed loyalty by 'choosing' to remain his slave, he gave her the role of advisor. He thinks he has made her fall in love with him it seems, and we're going to use that to our advantage."

"Why not just use your flying machines to destroy him?" Mamina asked.

"You saw the princess?"

"Yes."

"Well, she's begging us not to bomb the capital again... in the interest of saving lives we're obliging her, but we're bringing in more... flying machines if things go south. But things haven't gone south yet. The only thing that we didn't expect was the Emperor panicking and accelerating this... scorched earth campaign. It's why we need him out of the picture right away."

Delilah asked, "What if we kill him and Zorzal surrenders or comes to the negotiation table?"

"If he does then we'll give him the option of surrendering and stepping down to allow Princess Pina to rule the Empire. We can arrest him for crimes against humanity then."

"And Tyuule?"

"Tyuule is actively cooperating and evidence suggests she did not betray you. In fact, it seems she surrendered in a desperate attempt at saving-"

"Lies..."

"Lies or not, it's what the evidence suggests."

"I saw her! She was supposed to lead us from her fortress yet SOMEHOW, she appeared in the Imperial camp! Zorzal even-"

"Did Tyuule order you all to surrender? Personally?"

"No! But the fact she-"

"Yeah, yeah, surrender is the coward's option, that's why you see her as a traitor, I get it! But the fact is that she didn't do it to save her own skin, or at least that's not what happened. We've seen the conditions she's been surviving under. She isn't living it up with the nobility, she's sleeping in a cold cell wearing nothing but rags. According to the princess, she was very willing to help and she's been cooperating immensely."

"I... I don't believe it."

"Yeah, well I don't care if you do. We have a job to do and you two are probably the best equipped to get it done. You can claim to be part of some new slaves the emperor bought in order to ease the work of the palace staff, and before anyone has time to question it, you've already done the job and would be extracted from the capital."

"...so you intend to take us there and bring us back."

"Correct."

"How?"

"Flying machines. Are you up for it?"

Delilah turned to Mamina.

The still sitting maid said, "If we can avenge our fallen comrades and help bring the Empire to its knees then I don't see why we shouldn't go ahead with it."

Delilah only said "Fine... but if Tyuule gets in the way..."

"Oh, no. If she shows up you don't touch her. We need her and right now you need her, too. Uncle Sam is willing to give your people dual citizenship in exchange for your help, but we need her for that to go through."

At this, both girls turned to raise an eyebrow.

"Who's Uncle Sam?"

"Oh, right... the United States government."

"Why do you call your government an uncle?"

"Because the letters in our language are... oh, forget it. It's not important. You have two hours to prepare, so get to it."

He was impressed at how quickly both maids stood, bowed, and rushed off.

Caine said "They suffered a lot before Lord Formal hired them. Despite their duties, I think they have both been waiting for this moment a long time."

Trent only replied with "All that matters is that they get it done... better go give the others the heads up."

He put on his aviators, grabbed his things, and exited the room, looking at another paper folder he had with him.

On it was a picture of a young girl with aqua-teal hair.

Imperial Capital

7:00 AM

Emperor Molt observed the uneasy looks coming from the senators.

He knew very well what was to come.

He glanced at his daughter's empty seat, his features hardening.

He then looked a touch beyond it and frowned.

Where's Senator Casel?

He impatiently tapped his fingers against his chair, wondering about the potential traitor's whereabouts when Dussie approached him.

"Majesty, I received this letter from Senator Casel mere moments ago." the senator said, handing him the parchment.

Molt raised an eyebrow and took it.

He read it aloud.

"An emergency came up and I had to evacuate the capital. I plan on returning no later than next week, please prevent the Emperor from carrying out the scorched earth-"

He crushed the parchment and tossed it to the floor, garnering the attention of the senators.

"Emperor-"

"Sit, Dussie... as for ALL of you... what have you achieved since yesterday?"

The senators glanced at each other.

Dussie pursed his lips and spoke calmly.

"We believe it can be done, sir. Between us, we have fifteen thousand men ready to set fire to the fields, and we believe we can evacuate most of our domains in a week's time should General Tiberius hold them off for that long."

"Good. We organize today and begin tomorrow morning."

"But... your majesty... if I may... some of us would like to at least consider listening to what the enemy wishes."

"Who?"

Silence.

Molt leaned forward in his seat.

"Dussie... who thinks we should listen to the men that attacked our capital, killed our generals, and stole my daughter?"

Dussie only said "It was said in confidence, Emperor. I cannot in good conscience-"

"Rubbish! Who amongst you is betraying me?!"

The room was silent.

Dussie finally said, "We still require salt in large quantities if we wish to make the earth-"

"Get it done!" he said, standing angrily.

He glared at the fact that his son's seat was empty and stormed out of the senate building.

Outside, in the early morning hours, it appeared things were calming down slightly.

There was no smoke in the air, and the noises of the city appeared to be less panicked.

He stumbled upon his personal chef, Clef, seeing the man smoking some opium.

Clef turned and said, "Emperor, care for-?"

"Please." the emperor sighed, taking the offered pipe.

Clef sighed.

Molt only said, "Is your staff ready for tomorrow?"

"Most of them travel light. Give us the word and we'll be set to go at a moment's notice."

"Good. Clef?"

"Yes?"

"Make tonight's feast special... it will be the last time we eat so well I believe."

"Nonsense. You have August and me as cooks, and all our underlings are top class... well, most of them. Regardless, we'll work to make the best out of this crisis."

Molt took a breath, more relaxed.

"...Pina always wished to negotiate... she never understood how... how... how important it is to maintain control of things. I did say we should be open to negotiations, but right now... right now it would destroy us."

"Of course, sir."

Both men stared at the palace gardens for a moment, the green grass and well-trimmed bushes decorating the marble palace, a structure that took decades to construct and centuries to reach the level of elegance it had now.

Destroying it would be a tragedy, but a necessary one in Molt's eyes.

"If I may, majesty?"

"You may."

"Your son's attachment to that beast is concerning."

"Yes, Marcus has complained as well. My son's young, he doesn't understand that he should strive for more victories, not just fixate on the first one. Worry not, if she's not dead by tonight, she'll be dead in the morning."

Clef only nodded.

"About time, if you ask me."

"It's... it's good to know people still support me. Not everyone understands how my actions are, in the end, correct."

"The old legends are full of men who knew what the right thing was when the people did not. It is why you are the ruler, after all, Emperor."

"Indeed. Who knows? Perhaps I am overreacting and Tiberius will crush the enemy."

Dumas Mountain Range

"Yeah, up on the ridge! Concentrate your fire on coordinates zero, one, five, two!" Dom said over the radio as gunfire continued to roar around them.

That kid wasn't lying...

Men were in the trees several meters above them, shooting arrows down on the Americans pushing up the mountain.

"Thought this was going to be an easy scouting operation." Shaun sighed, firing a quick burst, not really aiming as the men were too far away to see clearly amongst the trees, which only meant the same for them as the arrows weren't hitting anything.

Then the artillery shells impacted, the sound briefly silencing the battlefield as the smoke cleared and the men waited.

When there wasn't any movement from the hill, Shaun stood up.

Dom pushed ahead of him and shouted "Alright, everyone, move up! Keep your eyes peeled."

The men from the 7th pushed up cautiously.

The forest itself was mossy and full of dead leaves, which would have made for decent concealment of any enemy army.

Not the brigands, however.

A man from the 7th moved a dead body with his foot.

"The hell? This guy's wearing pelts."

Shaun noticed it.

"Probably a commander of sorts. Not great for concealment, though."

There was a reason soldiers no longer saluted their commanding officers on the battlefield.

"How many bodies up there?" someone called.

"I count ten... or maybe ten and three quarters!" Shaun called back, eyeing up the gory mess left behind by the artillery.

Dom shook his head.

Makes no damn sense... was this another probing attack? Why waste soldiers like this? Unless...

Hidden a fair distance up the mountain, General Tiberius observed the men from a rocky ridge.

The leader of the Brigands said "This is what they do every time we try to take their soldiers head-on, even with arrows. They wait for that magic to kill most of us and then they move in."

Tiberius shook his head.

"Then attacking head-on was always suicide. We need new tactics... any word on how far they've gotten?"

The leader of the brigands only said "They're pushing daily, it seems. We had that town in our sights and they already set up a base there."

Tiberius said, "Then they will reach the capital in a few days at the most."

"Is the emperor serious about burning everything down?"

"Yes. Somehow, we must achieve that. I- down!"

The men hid behind the rocks as several of the large metal birds flew on by.

Tiberius shook his head.

"Those birds could be vulnerable to our wyverns... send messengers up the mountain to our bases, tell them to conceal what fliers we have. I don't want them finding the nests and using that magic on them."

The leader of the brigands eyed the craters left by the explosions and nodded.

As for the metal birds...

Were they headed straight for the capital?

Imperial Capital

8:00 AM

Mamina searched among the crowds for the person that was supposed to take them into the castle.

It was Delilah who said, "This is insane... do they really expect this mission to work?"

"Look around you. The capital is essentially in chaos."

Delilah only sighed.

Mamina had a point, the streets were full of people who were walking around far more cautiously than normal as soldiers and armed civilians patrolled the streets.

The Americans really did release most of the slaves... no wonder there is such chaos.

Someone pulled on her sleeve and Delilah instinctively went for her knife but froze as the girl said "Fireflies in the night..."

Both leporine girls turned to meet one of the Rose Knights.

Mamina said, "Individually shine."

Hamilton sighed, saying "Thank goodness... I'm glad I recognized you. If it weren't you two then I don't know what I'd do."

"Do you have the official documents from-?"

"Yes. Right here." Hamilton reached into her satchel and handed the girls forged documents that classified them as slaves to a certain pro-peace senator.

"Come, I'll take you into the palace."

"Understood."

Both girls followed the young knight through the chaotic streets.

Delilah noticed a few people go to blows only for a soldier to pull them apart and arrest both.

Hamilton said "It's getting worse. The Emperor never made any announcements yesterday and the legions have been struggling to contain some of the chaos. Most of the escaped slaves have gotten away into the capital or into the Red-Light District, so cleaning things up isn't easy, either."

"Impressive..." Delilah said.

"Watch your tongue, please. The soldiers are just as uneasy as the mob. Beefeater found that out the hard way..."

"Who?"

"One of our knights. She got into a fight with a legionnaire... she's fine but her black eye won't be gaining her anyone's favor."

Mamina said, "Is Senator Casel alright?"

"Yes, he's in hiding with the Americans. Once the assassination plot was confirmed he decided to hide here and see if he could... I don't know, try and steer Zorzal to seek peace? I doubt it will work. The emperor is too paranoid and the prince is too delusional."

Delilah laughed.

"I must admit, seeing your kind get what's coming to them is quite cathartic!"

Hamilton didn't say anything.

Mamina chastised her partner, saying "Do not draw attention, Delilah. Right now we're in the lion's den..."

"Right... sorry."

"Forget it. As long as you keep your head down you should be fine. Plus you have the American backing you."

"Right..."

Never met him, but if he hates the empire then he's a friend of mine.

They walked several blocks before the entry to the palace finally appeared.

"Right, we're here. Remember your roles, do what you can... I'm sure you will succeed."

The palace gates lay ahead and Mamina and Delilah braced themselves.

...

Being in a crowd made it worse.

Or... at least being in this crowd...

There was a strange isolating feeling that came with being in the middle of a group of busy people that he knew not only cared little for him but openly resented him. Here he was, an amateur cook working with the best of the best, only hired because a royal liked him while they had to actually work their way up to their current position.

It was an entirely understandable resentment.

One female cook plopped some more lettuce next to him on the counter, no instructions were given, and the second he made eye contact all he got in return was a glare whose message was obvious: "don't get in my way."

Dennis didn't allow himself to complain, simply continuing the job he had already been doing.

At this point, he was in a small corner of the kitchen where he was chopping vegetables... again... in order to pass it over to the man next to him who would mix it into some strange salad that included beef of some sorts.

Dennis didn't know the man's name, just that the man appeared to like talking to himself out loud but not loud enough for anyone not paying attention to hear. This was probably for the best as all the man was doing was nervously asking the same things over and over again.

"Why are we doing this now? Why are we doing this when we're under attack? What is the Emperor thinking? Why did they pair me up with this unskilled brat? Why are we preparing such a meal in the middle of an emergency? Why are we doing this now?"

The man kept going in circles, asking the questions as he flawlessly handled the ingredients to create a fairly enticing dish.

Dennis didn't care for it, passing the man the chopped-up lettuce, the man not even acknowledging it as he mixed it into the beef(?) salad.

He got back to chopping more lettuce when Clef approached them.

Dennis could tell it was the chef by the man's stature.

"Good to see you both getting along... Den, come with me for a moment."

"Yes, sir." Dennis stopped what he was doing, noting the cook added "why did they take him away when I need him?" to his circulating list of repeated questions no one would answer.

"Kid, I know you're from the country. What region?"

"The northern province, sir. Close to-"

"Right, right... Do you know these two?"

Dennis only raised an eyebrow as the man opened the door to his office.

Mamina and Delilah both responded with an awkward wave.

Their kitchen clothes hid their ears and tails perfectly, and they looked like normal cooks in the kitchen.

Why the head chef was asking him was beyond the American.

"Do you recognize them?" he asked again.

Dennis responded with "Not that I recall. Have we met?"

"I don't think so? Perhaps at the market?" Mamina spoke politely and relaxed.

Clef only narrowed his eyes.

"Chef, is something wrong?" Dennis asked.

"Get back to work."

"Yes, sir!"

And with that Dennis was off.

Clef eyed the two girls with a glint of frustration.

"The Emperor did not tell me you two would be helping us..." he said after a moment of studying them.

"Well, it's been a chaotic week, hasn't it? Perhaps he was busy." Delilah said with a polite smile.

Clef only responded by saying "Busy and paranoid. Unless you intend to help carry things, I don't see how you're qualified to cook anything."

"I know many dishes, but I was ordered to just help here as there is a very limited number of slaves in the city after the attacks..." Mamina said.

"I don't know much about cooking, but I clean up better than anybody!" Delilah replied cheerfully.

Clef narrowed his eyes.

These "slaves" are well cared for...

"Tell me, who was your previous master?"

"Oh, Senator Casel."

"That coward?!"

"Perhaps, but he's a good master." Mamina lied with great ease.

Clef scoffed.

"Allow me to verify that information first..."

"Senator Casel had an emergency and had to leave if I'm not mistaken."

"Oh, how convenient..."

"He left word with Senator Dussie."

"Ah, of course... another coward. Interesting..."

The Chef eyed the girls.

"Go clean up the kitchen. Do not step outside, do not speak to anyone unless spoken to. I may just be the head chef, but if I suspect either of you of working for the enemy, I won't hesitate to sick my personal guards on you."

Both girls stood, but the man stopped them.

"Of course, first things first... hats off."

Mamina and Delilah did as they were ordered.

Clef smirked.

"Oh, well what do you know? Warrior Bunnies?"

"Yes, sir." both girls replied.

Clef only said, "Huh... you're aware of your current status?"

"Yes, sir."

He got close to both of them.

"I'm already being very patient with that brat, and he has a bit of an interest in your kind... you do not get to leave this kitchen unless you have my permission, understood?"

"Understood, sir."

"Good. Scram. If it needs cleaning, clean it, if anyone needs anything provide it. I'll be watching you."

"Yes, sir."

Clef watched them exit his office and quickly move to grab the cleaning equipment.

Not like it matters. They'll both be dead soon.

"Can you believe how pompous he is?" Delilah mumbled almost silently.

Mamina only responded with a stoic "Compose yourself, slave. We have a job to do."

"Yeah, yeah... I'll keep an eye out."

"You two! Get these plates clean!" a tall man yelled.

"Yes, sir!"

They quickly got to work.

Clef on the other hand frowned.

He stormed out of the office and rushed to where he knew Emperor Molt would likely be.

Nearing the man's chambers he was shocked to find himself face to face with the beast the crown prince actively kept alive.

"You!" he said, surprised.

"Chef Clef... how may I help you?"

"I'm here to speak to the emperor."

"The emperor is quite busy right now. You shouldn't-"

"Oh, is he now? Why are you standing outside his door?!"

Tyuule frowned at the interruption but continued.

"You shouldn't bother him. He is discussing important matters with the crown prince and does not wish to be disturbed."

Clef scoffed.

Tyuule did not reply.

Clef walked up to Tyuule and got uncomfortably close to her.

"I know you're up to something. Those warrior bunnies that showed up at the kitchen today are yours, and I promise you they are not leaving this palace alive."

Clef felt a degree of satisfaction at the brief hint of anger manifesting on the girl's face, but it quickly disappeared when she said "If you intend to kill them, that's none of my concern."

Clef winced.

Tyuule followed up with "I betrayed my people for the empire, remember? Why would I care for some vermin from the plains? Do with them what you will."

Clef only said "You beasts are truly disgusting creatures. Tell his majesty that I wish to speak with him."

Tyuule bowed as the man walked away.

She glared at his back with enough hate to burn him alive should she have a machine that transformed her thoughts into action.

Instead, she whispered to no one "You will rue the day... I swear it!"

12:00 PM

"No! No! No!"

Dennis did not reply as the cook tossed the chopped-up vegetables to the floor in anger.

"You need to be more delicate! Delicate! Did they not teach you this back home?!"

No reply.

"Do it again! Properly!"

Dennis turned to August who only smirked at him.

In turn, Dennis took the bowl of vegetables from the floor and picked up the fallen chunks of food.

The kick startled him, but he did his best to remain composed.

"Don't clean it up! Get a new batch! Now!"

"Yes, sir."

"Slave!"

"Yes, master?"

"Clean!"

Mamina quickly ran over and picked up the mess from the floor before bowing and running off to get rid of the wasted food.

August rolled his eyes.

Dennis got back and quickly started chopping up several vegetables at once, not taking his eyes off the food.

Chef Clef walked over to August.

"How's the meal for tonight?"

"The main course is still being cooked. Den and Kelvin over here are preparing some side dishes... Kelvin is doing me a favor of making sure Den learns how to properly chop up vegetables."

Clef turned, eyeing up the two slaves, efficiently cleaning up the kitchen far better than any of the previous slaves in the palace.

He turned to August and said, "What about the bunnies?"

"Haven't let them out of my sight. They're doing a decent enough job of cleaning, though. Shame we won't be able to use them after tomorrow."

Clef said nothing, eyeing the girls.

The fact they did not react to the words bothered him.

It was common knowledge Warrior Bunnies had impressive strength and agility, but their incredible hearing capability was a less talked about aspect of their race, and he knew they could hear them perfectly well talking about the fact they would likely die soon.

Yet they continued on as if nothing had happened.

As if on cue, Den turned and said "The girls aren't going to work with us tomorrow?"

August and Kelvin immediately shouted, "Back to work!"

Outwardly, the young man cowered and did as told.

Internally, Dennis smiled.

Any way I can get on the nerves of these pompous jackasses works... so long as I don't push it too far...

He considered it vengeance for the kick to the face Kelvin had struck him with.

Delilah on the other hand was nowhere near as internally calm.

They plan to kill us... more than likely immediately after the dinner is served...

She hated to admit it, but she was nervous.

Sure, they had an easy escape route, but then the mission would be...

She kept looking around the kitchen, fully aware of the poison in her pocket.

Just have to get through this...

2:00 PM

Drew Goldwater silently scratched the skin just below his eye, careful not to remove much of the dark camouflage his unit had painted on their faces in order to better blend in with the dark forest just outside the palace.

He observed several guards patrol the outskirts of the palace.

Turning to his radioman, he said "Number of guards definitely increased from four to eight. Same pattern, though."

The radioman nodded and quickly relayed the information back to the other teams.

This entire operation is a mess...

It was hastily planned, dangerous, but ultimately necessary.

Molt could not be allowed to continue that scorched earth campaign.

It was rarely stated how little satisfaction most soldiers found in killing their fellow man.

It was so simple and black and white on the big screen. Once the hero got to his objective and had his happy ending, the audience could cheer and forget about all the death and destruction that had transpired in order to really reach that happy ending.

Like many other soldiers, Drew had to think back to the film "The War of the Worlds" and how dark and grim that film managed to be in spite of its happy ending of God's tiniest creations ultimately saving mankind from an unstoppable threat from across the stars.

He gripped the M3 "Grease gun", his rifle left behind at their little headquarters and glimpsed at the marble walls.

To his surprise, two guards dressed in purple walked over to the forest.

"Hey... hey, Clark!" he hissed.

His radioman glanced up and froze.

Both men lay as flat as they could under the bushes.

The two purple guards walked over to the edge of the forest and stood there, laying two large spears on the ground.

Drew didn't move an inch.

The older of the guards sighed, saying "So the damned warrior bunnies are in here?"

"You saw them. Better to be safe than sorry."

"Ah."

"...how long till they send them here?"

"Few hours. No later than sundown so we have plenty of time to wait. Got the cards?"

"Yeah, got my money?"

"Yeah, but don't get too greedy. I feel lucky today!"

"Sure, sure..."

Drew clenched his jaw.

Things just got more complicated.

8:00 PM

Kelvin looked at the chopped vegetables and smiled.

"Good. See? You're getting better by the minute."

"Thank you, sir!" Dennis responded, ignoring his bleeding fingers.

Kelvin picked up the vegetables and mixed them into... Dennis wasn't sure what the man was preparing anymore, and he honestly didn't care.

He noticed Clef and August were busy inspecting the Emperor's chalice where they would serve exactly what would kill Molt.

A special Wine that had allegedly been aged to perfection.

August tasted the wine himself and stood his ground for a moment, Clef observing.

After a moment, August nodded and they began to fill the chalice with the special wine.

Mamina and Delilah both pretended not to notice as they washed the floors by hand and polished a counter respectively.

Dennis went to wash his hands, fully aware he needed to bandage them soon, unfortunately...

"Den, get the cart ready! We serve the meal soon!"

Damn it all...

He strode to grab the cart where they would put in the main meal for the Emperor and his generals, never noticing that Mamina had decided to try her luck at poisoning the drink.

She pretended to walk to a washbasin but headed for the one that was closer to Clef and August.

Clef wouldn't allow it.

"Hey, beast. Why are you still here? Your shift's over, scram!"

"I was heading to wash this cloth, master. I do wish to serve-"

"Don't start with your false loyalties. In fact, I want you out of my kitchen immediately!"

Dennis froze.

Mamina was about to agree when Delilah spoke up.

"Are you serious? We've been helping you all this-"

Dennis whirled around, as did every member of the kitchen staff, when August loudly stormed towards Delilah, yelling "You will speak to the head chef with respect!"

Delilah shrunk back.

"Your kind has caused us enough trouble as it is! YOu do not get to speak like that to any imperial citizen, let alone those in the royal kitchen."

"I apologize, sir, I-"

"Grovel and beg." came the cold reply, and Dennis noticed the cook's hands ball into fists.

Damn...

The attention was on the assassins and Dennis couldn't allow it to remain like that.

He gripped the cart and got an idea, albeit an idea that would hurt, but...

Rangers take point...

He turned the cart around, walked over to Delilah, and said "Actually, August, I need her help."

The dark glare August returned didn't faze him, already used to the hostile environment of the Royal Kitchen.

"Miss, can you help me push this over there? My hands hurt quite a bit."

Noticing that he was giving her a chance, Delilah was quick to take the cart over to Chef Clef.

August said, "You don't have the authority to order her around."

Knowing he needed to make sure everyone's attention was on him, Dennis promptly said "I think I have the authority to order slaves around. After all..."

He turned and gave the man the most irritating smile he could muster.

"I don't lose my wife's gifts."

Oh, now you've done it!

The hit to the face knocked Dennis to the floor, where he immediately proceeded to cover his head and neck as August began to kick him in a silent fury that no one seemed to really mind.

Noticing even Clef was shocked by the act of insubordination, Delilah was lightning quick in dropping the strange pill into the wine, marveling at how quickly the pill dissolved and vanished into the beverage.

Noticing the slave was too close for comfort, Clef shouted "I said I wanted you two out! NOW!"

"Yes, master, apologies!" Mamina said, quickly taking Delilah's hand and rushing out of the kitchen, pitying the young American.

The two Warrior Bunnies quickly began to run down the dimly lit halls, Mamina saying "Our extraction is on the north exit!"

"If memory serves! Think he'll be okay?" Delilah said as they ran out of the palace grounds and closed on the forest.

"Well, I hope so. Under the circumstances, I was amazed we even got the opportunity to-"

"HEY!"

Both girls froze as two tall shadows blocked their exit, spears in hand.

The praetorian guard had many roles, including protecting the palace staff, so when the head chef warned them of a pair of possible assassins on the palace grounds, the men already had a decent idea of where said assassins would try to escape through.

"Don't bother resisting. Your kind has suffered enough, don't you think?"

Both girls stood their ground, unmoving.

Neither was surprised when two figures emerged from the brush behind the praetorians.

The guards whirled around only to be tackled to the ground, struggling for an instant before being immediately silenced.

Mamina sighed.

Delilah said, "Gave us quite a fright there."

Drew said "Help us drag these bodies in here. No clue who might've heard us but there are more guards out tonight. We have to move. Fast!"

In the moonlight's shine, Delilah saw both men hide the bloody knives that were far straighter than any of the knives used by her tribes.

Given the bloody hole in the men's necks, they clearly did the job as effectively.

Now all that's left is...

9:00 PM

Molt tapped his finger with little patience as he observed the very much alive warrior queen standing to his son's right as the young man feasted on the very delicious dinner Clef had prepared for them.

The generals seemed just as tense as he was, but to his ever-growing irritation, the one person- nay, beast, that did not appear tense was that damned fallen queen herself!

No one had eaten.

He turned to August, who was holding his drink.

"I heard of the two new slaves Casel sent." he finally said.

August said "We plan to get rid of them tonight, sire. Given the preparations and need for some... disciplinary action, we were unable to-"

"Perfectly understandable, August. At least you tried to do your duty." he added the last part, glaring at his son.

Zorzal appeared oblivious as he said "August, you and Clef have outdone yourselves! I dare say this is the best meal I've had all year! I would like some more of this for-"

"Did you hear of the new slaves in the kitchen, Zorzal?"

The prince paused, looking confused.

Molt scoffed.

"Of course, you haven't. That beast likely has you wrapped around her finger... or mouth."

Zorzal only frowned.

"Two Bunny Warriors reported themselves to the kitchen today, seemingly on Senator Casel's orders, August and Clef kept an eye on them, ready to kill them before tonight, yet-"

"Oh, that's right! August, is it true the new cook was beaten half to death by you?!" Zorzal demanded.

August only said, "He disrespected my status."

"On purpose?"

"Does it matter?"

Molt said "It does not. As much as I would like to believe my dear daughter had a keen eye, it's clear he helped would-be assassins escape, even if it were an accident. If he dies, he dies, but I would prefer him elsewhere... the same goes for her."

Tyuule calmly said, "What makes you believe they were assassins?"

August said, "They kept eyeing the main course, and their posture was not one of the slaves, but of trained killers."

"Most of my people are trained killers, sir."

"Silence!" Molt ordered.

She was all too happy to ignore him.

"With all due respect, your majesty..."

...Which is none...

"After our tribes unified, my people can no longer carry out an assassination without a direct order from me, and I have granted no such order of assassination against you."

At least... directly...

Molt slammed his fist on the table, saying "Oh, so the senator that disappeared for no known reason this morning sent two slaves who just so happen to have been your subjects to work in the kitchen on his orders the very day after my son makes you his advisor all while we are facing an enemy that for all we know still resides within the capital?!"

Tyuule only returned a polite smile as she said "If there is any proof to the contrary, I would happily hear it. It would bring me much dishonor knowing that my people are acting against the arrangement we have with your empire, oh Emperor."

Molt scoffed.

"You're going to allow your beast to speak that way in my presence?"

Zorzal feigned innocence, saying "She sounded quite respectful, father. Would you like me to punish her?"

"Oh, you'll punish her alright... Rufus, find these slaves, and bring them here."

"I-"

"With haste, young general!" Molt stood and grabbed his chalice.

Tyuule held her breath.

Molt brought the chalice to his lips.

He drank the wine in one gulp.

Then he whirled around and said, "We're going to do to you savages what we... what we should have..."

Molt began to grow pale all of a sudden, dropping to his knees.

"Majesty?!" August yelled,

Seeing this, Zorzal stood up, saying "Father? Are you alright?"

Molt began to lose his breath, feeling as if his throat was swelling and suffocating him from the inside.

"Get a healer! Now!" August shouted.

Zorzal ran to him.

"Lay him down! Help him breathe!"

The emperor's body began to shake violently as the man grabbed a hold of Zorzal's arm.

"Father, no! You cannot die! Please!"

Molt however was looking beyond his son.

With horror, his eyes met those of the white-haired girl.

Her cruel smile, entirely devoid of pity or mercy, was the last thing he saw as his body succumbed much faster than the Americans had advertised.

It had only taken fifty seconds.

August shakily took a step back.

Zorzal shouted "Well?! Hurry for the healer!"

As if without his own will, August whirled around and did as told.

Tyuule immediately hid her smile by covering her mouth, feigning shock.

General Rufus only said, "Is he dead?"

Zorzal nodded.

"He was ill, the senators will not question it, and we can cancel the scorched earth plan he had in mind... but we will immortalize him. He is to be remembered as a brave leader, as great as any!"

The generals nodded.

Tyuule said nothing.

"And then... and then we will face our enemy and crush them utterly!"

"Ave Caesar!" Rufus shouted, followed by the other generals, wrapping the now very much on his way to the throne young man in an air of victory he had not sensed his victory over the people the girl in the room had ruled over.

The men chanting his name, pledging their undying loyalty to him...

He never noticed Tyuule did not follow in the chant.

9:43 PM

I wish I had a mirror...

Dennis removed the wet cloth from his forehead and dumped it in a bucket.

The pounding on the door startled him.

"Open this damned door!"

August...

He cocked the M1911 and hid it under his tunic before walking over and opening the door.

"Sir?" he asked, too exhausted to start anything.

The man responded by grabbing Dennis by the collar and pulling him in close.

Briefly, within his mind, memories of getting tossed into a hostile crowd, swords and spears ready to turn him into a bloody mess, his salvation only coming from a mortar round exploding nearby.

Dennis forced himself to remain focused on the man screaming at him, pushing the intrusive memory aside.

"You did it, you poisoned the emperor's cup!" August accused loudly.

Dennis only said "What?"

"No one else could have done it! It had to be you! Or you helped them at the very least! Am I right?!" the man screamed hysterically.

"But I couldn't- hrrk!"

August pulled him closer, his face inches away from Dennis.

"Oh, don't try to deny it. Those girls that showed up today disappeared. They were both very close to the chalice when you distracted me... I know you helped them. I know you did!"

"That so?" he asked, allowing himself to glare back at the cook, his hand on the M1911.

August paused with a look Dennis wasn't sure he could correctly interpret.

Shock?

Disdain?

Anger?

Before the man could say anything, a voice from the opposite end of the hall called.

"What is the meaning of this?" Tyuule asked; two guards by her side.

August released Dennis and pointed at him.

"I believe Den here is responsible for poisoning the emperor."

Tyuule only raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.

"He distracted me in the kitchen today, I think the assassins must have poisoned the chalice then, therefore he's in league with them."

Tyuule replied with "How do you know it was poison?"

August huffed.

"Simple. I've seen this before! Do you think cooking for the emperor is a safe job? I've been here five years; I've seen more than my fair share of tasters die from poison. This was an assassination and he is a part of it!"

Dennis didn't bother defending himself, too tired to play the part, more than happy to let the rabbit handle things.

Tyuule didn't disappoint, saying "Emperor Zorzal has said his father was showing signs of illness."

"That little idiot doesn't know a damn thing!"

"That's the new emperor... and say it's true, August. Say it was poison... whose responsibility was it to ensure his drink was safe?"

August once again froze.

Tyuule then said "And if it wasn't the wine that was poisoned by Den over here. How could he have poisoned anything when he spent the evening in his room after someone beat him half to death?"

"It's the appropriate punishment for a brat that thinks so highly of himself. He lacked discipline!"

Tyuule only said "Certainly, certainly... but it leaves him indisposed if it meant poisoning the chalice, does it not? Unless he did it in such a way no one can trace it back to him... unless you have some hard proof, I suggest you keep your opinions to yourself, August."

The cook glared at her, then at the guards.

"You men are following this beast's orders now?!"

The older of the two guards took a step forward and said "August, come now. We aren't blaming you and the new emperor isn't blaming anybody. We have no evidence it was poison."

"But I know he did it!"

"I'm sure you do, and if he tries anything, then, believe me, we'll deal with him..."

The guard gave Dennis a dangerous glance as if warning him.

He didn't react.

The guard continued.

"But right now, we need to recover. We're still at war, and the new emperor has a different strategy. Come on, we'll escort you back."

"Stay away from me! I can get to my quarters on my own!"

"We know, August. It's just to keep you safe."

"...what?"

"It's a precaution. We know you didn't do it, but who's to say other staff members know? We'll keep you safe."

At this statement, the professional cook appeared to collapse emotionally.

He only nodded and turned around, silent.

Finally, without looking at her, he said "Beast... why are you down here?"

Tyuule only said "His majesty heard about the new member being beaten half to death and sent me to evaluate if he needed to send a healer. Would you like me to ask his majesty something?"

August didn't reply, walking away, the two guards following behind him.

Dennis didn't say anything as Tyuule walked into the room after the men disappeared.

He closed the door as she began to giggle.

God... here we go...

Dennis gave her a questioning glance but said nothing.

She only said "He's dead." with a triumphant sneer.

He didn't reply.

"The crown prince- no... the new emperor... ordered a day of mourning, so you won't have any work in the kitchen tomorrow. Consider it payment for your assistance."

The American only said, "I'll go report it."

"You... you do that..." she said, confused as she composed herself.

Is he not happy we succeeded?

Feeling somewhat brave, she took a step toward the American and observed as he operated the strange machine called "radio".

She heard the voices, she heard his own, again not understanding anything.

With a somewhat nervous breath, she decided on her next course of action on the spot.

Dennis turned from the radio and said "My commanding officers want to thank you for your efforts. The citizenship deal is still on the table, and we're pushing further into Imperial lands. We're hoping to locate some of your people on the way, maybe move them closer to our main base of operations."

"I... I see... give them my thanks, please..."

The boy nodded and spoke into the radio.

She still couldn't determine what word meant "thank you", or if he had a shorter version, but figured it didn't matter.

She decided to ask her question quickly.

"Orville?"

"Yeah?" he said, not looking at her.

"You... you said you were here to help?"

The American said "Yeah." still not looking at her.

"Can you teach me your language?"

Then he turned to her and said "Why?"

"Am I going to be a citizen of your country?"

"Well, yes."

"Therefore, I need to learn your language, yes?"

"Yes, but there're other classes you can take once this is all over."

"A head start doesn't hurt, does it?" she replied, giving him a look that said, "this is not a request".

Dennis couldn't disagree.

He rubbed the back of his head.

"Err... I'd have to go fetch some books, some parchments... how exactly do you plan on learning if you're dealing with the royal-?"

"I'll worry about that! Can you teach me your language?"

The American eyed her for a moment.

"Fine..." he said, tired.

She smiled, saying "Good! That's... good."

Neither spoke after a moment, Tyuule noting the awkward silence.

"Hey, Orville."

"Ah?"

"...Are you sure you don't need a healer? You look out of it."

Dennis shook his head.

"You're certain?"

"Yeah, he mostly hit my side a bunch, don't feel like he broke anything. Anything else looks worse than it feels. I'll be fine, so don't worry about it... I'll need to go get some books if I'm going to help you learn English."

"In-go-leash?"

"My language."

"Ah... I see..."

Another pause.

She finally said, "Then I'll meet you tomorrow night, at around this time, yes?"

"You sure you can?"

"Yes, I can make excuses of administrative nature to get away from that lecherous creature, now that I'm his advisor."

"You sure?"

Again, with the concern?

"I... I think I can make it even if he demands my... body. Does... does the time work for you?"

"Yeah, but... don't overexert yourself. We need you alive, remember?"

She nodded, slowly.

"Alright."

"Then I shall see you then!" she said quickly before whirling around.

She went to the door and stopped.

She turned, noting the American wasn't even looking at her.

What's bothering him?

She then got an idea.

"Dennis?"

The young man turned to look at her.

She said, "I'm grateful for your help."

His expression didn't change, but he seemed to manage a tired smile as he waved her away.

She waved back and closed the door behind her.

Finding herself in the dark hallway, she internally asked herself why did you ask him to...?

The answer was obvious, but her mind wasn't as soothed by everything as she had hoped.

The screams of her people still haunted her, and...

How come you get to be happy?!

The voice in the back of her head wasn't easy to ignore, but she managed to keep it behind her as she walked down the halls.

She still had a mission to accomplish.

Dennis watched her close the door and went for the radio.

He switched frequencies.

"Hastings? Alex? You guys there?" he breathed.

Alex answered.

"Read you loud and clear, Den, what's up?"

"You guys got any spare language books?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I need one. Think you can get one to me tomorrow morning?"

"Yeah, man, we also have to get you some maps. Might as well do it tomorrow. Market place?"

"Yeah, market place. Don't forget the books."

"Copy."

"G'night."

Radio shut off, he sat back on the bunk and sighed, rubbing his head.

I'm grateful for your help.

He shut his eyes.

He lied down on the bunk and shut his eyes, hoping for some sleep.

One minute... two... four... eight... sixteen...

An hour...

Then his eyes shot open as he began to draw heavy breaths through his nose as he suppressed the urge to scream.

He grabbed his chest, trying to eliminate the images of the swords and spears, and mountains of bodies tormenting his mind.

He sat up and stared into the darkness of his room, barely making the outline of the table and chair he had to work with.

A single voice echoed in his mind.

You'll lose it all and gain nothing.

He clasped his hands together and covered his mouth, shaking slightly at the realization.

"Oh, God..."

Out here you don't hear them, sure... but go stay in a hotel in Atlanta or Savannah and you'll hear them.

Breathe.

...Night terrors...

Breathe.

...Japs, Krauts, or Reds...

Breathe.

...coming to get you in the night...

He swallowed.

...The boys that went out and their bodies came back but they didn't! ...Not truly... their minds stay there and yours will too!

Dennis shut his eyes as tight as he could and forced the stubborn images of death and blood out of his mind, he willed himself to calm down by taking slow breaths only to freeze up as he thought of his parents.

He stopped shaking, his eyes slowly moving to the floor as he remembered one of the last things Mister Jones told him.

...Out here... no one will hear you screaming for help.

He kept his eyes open, blinking only when he needed to, letting the unwanted thoughts run their course as he managed to regain control of himself.

He had no one back home waiting for him.

He wasn't sure if it made it easier or harder going forward, but it put things in perspective.

Outside he knew the stars still shone, life continued, and it cared nothing for him.

All he could do was deal with it however he could, fulfilling his duty.

And hell, if staying awake kept him from exposing himself then so be it.

He still hadn't slept by the time the first rays of sunlight hit his face.

Dennis slowly reached for the radio.

He pressed the button to talk, hesitating slightly before saying "Stalker, it's Trojan. Still alive."

"Morning, Trojan. You good?"

"...yeah. I'll go pick up the books and maps."

"Copy."

He hid the radio again, turning to stare at the room once more as the sun began to shine into it.

Bear with it... just bear with it.

Then he turned and went on with his mission.

A mission that now included teaching English to the bunny-eared woman.

A/N: So... that happened!

Yeah, I tried showing how gray things could be from the side of the US as even our attempts at achieving peace aren't bloodless.

This makes me feel bad for Pina, but I don't see Molt surviving given his attitude in the original canon. I mean, the guy started a scorched earth campaign despite the JSDF not pushing out of Alnus, lied to the Allied Kingdoms that the JSDF was on the ropes and all they had to do was reinforce the Imperial Army knowing full well they would be destroyed (and therefore unable to challenge him), let important imperial cities be left to their fate, and I honestly believe that the sole reason he didn't fall on more desperate measures is that the JSDF was actively seeking peace, something the United States armed forces aren't pursuing as much. So, in typical Cold War fashion, better to discretely get rid of the more threatening leader and allow a less competent one to take over.

Speaking of, the Cold War is still raging on, and the Vietnam situation is still an issue given how much of a mess it was by 1963. Odds are full-on war could be avoided, but it's still a problem for the Americans which will impact the Gate campaign. Point is, the sooner they resolve the Gate situation, the better.

I again want to comment on Tyuule, but I think I'll save that rant for the next A/N (If you've PM'd me, you probably know what I'm talking about). Bottom line, she's a vital asset to the war effort and I wanted to show that here, especially by having the CIA employing the Warrior Bunnies to poison Molt, which may be a stretch, but hopefully I was able to handwave it away well enough. And now she'll be learning English... Yup!

That said, thank you all so much for reading! I really appreciate all the suggestions and advice I've been getting, and if you found something that seemed off please let me know. I want to improve my writing and with matters of history such as this one, I can use all the help I can get.

Thanks again for reading! Hope to have the next chapter out soon!