4. Chapter 4(2)

The Secretary of Defense hid his discomfort.

The truth was, the Pentagon and the young president had butted heads more times than he cared to admit. Many generals saw the man as inexperienced in spite of his service in the Second World War, and the man's attitudes towards nuclear weapons had caused many generals to whisper that the president was too soft for the job. His elimination of the Eisenhower strategy of "Massive Retaliation" in favor of what he called a more "flexible" response only added to that attitude from the generals, and yet the young president held his office and had managed to avoid global war without actually making major concessions to the communists.

The Secretary of Defense simply kept his mouth shut, knowing he would likely get many complaints about the president "telling us how to do our jobs", but he would bear with it like any good soldier.

April 7th, 1964

Imperial Capital

Casel Residence

9:00 AM

He had gathered a sizeable group of senators and now Pina knew her hopes had been nothing but a dream.

Five.

Five senators of the forty needed to even pass a resolution to propose to the emperor, let alone one with actual backing.

"Princess, please fret not. Many of our colleagues agree with the idea of negotiating. They just disagree with the prospect of demanding the emperor go along with it." one of them said.

Pina covered her face in a sad attempt at hiding her shame.

"Your majesty, we've been able to come up with an idea to evacuate the capital and go along with these Americans. Once there we can begin searching for allies and secretly send messages to sympathizers that we must sue for peace as soon as possible. Even if your father doesn't survive, the empire will."

Pina looked at the man with a horrified expression.

"Am I just supposed to let my father die? Maybe... maybe I can kidnap him! Beefeater is great at-"

"And what would that accomplish?"

"I..." she sank in her seat.

The Americans would, at best, throw him in a prison for the remainder of his life, assuming they let him live in the first place.

The man wasn't begging for peace or mercy, that was for damn sure, and even Pina had heard of nobles who preferred death to shame or imprisonment.

But still...

"I have to try... I just... I just have to try."

She stood, said "Ready your families... we leave in four days." and exited the Casel residence.

She moved quickly through the clean roads and marched straight into the palace... and right out of it.

She walked out through the sunny gardens, through the marble columns, and finally... to the kitchen.

Amongst the usual chaos, she found the American awkwardly heating up some vegetables in a pan, looking very clearly unhappy.

Next to him, a chef by the name of August was clearly berating him.

She heard the man loudly say "Never take your eyes off the bloody pan! Don't even blink!"

Pina heard the American quickly bark back a "Yes, sir!"

She sucked in a breath as several cooks saw her, acknowledged her, but kept working to ready the meal for the evening.

The nobility ate far, far better than the common people, and the size of the kitchen and its staff were a testament to that.

She walked over, noticing the American was heating some meat and decided to interrupt.

"Excuse me, August, but I need him."

The man turned, smiled at the princess, shoved the American aside, violently taking the pan, and said "Good, get him out of here."

Dennis didn't seem to react to the rude treatment, instead of glaring at the princess, as if asking "now what do you want?"

In fact, once outside, he did.

"What do you want?"

Alright, Pina, small talk! Get him on your good side...

"Um... they don't seem to be very warm to you in there."

"I'm an amateur working with professionals, obviously they'll be irritated with me getting such a position without even trying. As long as they don't suspect anything I'll be fine. Now, what do you need?"

Pina pursed her lips before quickly saying "I need more time for the negotiations!"

A pause.

The American studied her, placed his arms on his hips, looked at the floor, lifted his head, looked at the sky, then turned back to look at her with a look of disbelief.

"Lady-"

"My father believes he has a chance at victory but if I can just make him see that-"

"Stop... what exactly do you want me to do? Call my commander and tell him to stop our advancement?"

He noticed her hands balled into fists as she tried to find a way to save her father.

With an exasperated sigh, the American said "Fine! Come on... I'll patch you through to the guys in charge and they'll try to relay a message back home... it's a long shot but if that's what you want..."

"Thank you... it's all I ask... I... I have to try everything before giving up."

Dennis shook his head but didn't reply.

Once in his quarters, Dennis revealed the radio.

Pina heard him speak in his strange language.

He paused and she heard a voice on the other end, albeit faintly.

He then turned to her and said, "They're telling us to wait a bit."

She stood there, not saying anything, her heart pounding.

A minute passed, then two, then three, then...

"Yes, sir?" Dennis spoke.

"We are not deviating from the plan. If she has failed to get her father to see reason, then tell her to be ready to evacuate along with the senators she managed to convince. That is all."

"Understood."

He turned to her and switched to the local tongue, saying "The answer is no. Be ready to evacuate when the time comes."

The finality of the words might as well have been a blade cutting through her chest.

She nodded, knowing arguing was pointless.

The 18-year-old studied at her defeated expression, frustrated.

Your father attacked us, your father signed off on an attack that killed hundreds of my people without cause, and you want us to be lenient?!

He crossed his arms, finally saying "Princess, your father has allowed cruel policies to rule the land and attacked us without just cause. If he refuses to surrender it's on him, at least worry about the people that could suffer from this!"

She said "I don't expect you to understand... this is our world, this to us is... normal... I disagree with how my father runs things, I disagree with how most things are run in the Empire, but... family is everything here... I don't want to lose him or... anyone..."

"Even the crown prince?"

She winced at the venom behind the words.

Dennis continued "I don't care if this is normal in this world, and neither do my commanders. We have our mission, mine involves cooking and cleaning and dealing with the pompous things in that kitchen... yours involves trying to gain enough support to have a functioning government once we take out those that wish to keep fighting us."

"That doesn't make it any easier!"

"Well, I didn't sign up to be a Ranger because it was easy, and I doubt you became a knight because it was easy."

Pina scoffed.

"I wanted to prove myself useful... it seems I'm only useful as a puppet."

The American eyed her, not disagreeing as his job was to be the inside man, not an emotional crutch to a collaborator.

He hid the radio and said "Still have a job to do. Get to it."

He led her out of his quarters and walked off, leaving her alone in the hallway.

Pina stared at nothing in particular for a moment, finally deciding on a last resort to saving her father.

She made her way to the main Palace where Molt was discussing things with several generals.

"Northern Legions arrived this week and will be ready to move in a few days' time." she overheard Tiberius say before she interrupted.

"Father... excuse me, but may I speak with you?"

Molt turned and smiled warmly, saying "Certainly, daughter, I believe the matter here is settled for the time being, yes?"

The other generals nodded, saluted, and exited the room.

Molt sighed, turning to Pina.

"What bothers you, daughter?"

Don't hold back, Pina... it's now or never.

"Father, I'm begging you to at least send a messenger to the Americans that you would agree to negotiations."

He raised an eyebrow.

She didn't let him interrupt.

"Father, I know that showing weakness isn't what we do, but they showed weakness first, so please let's just try to hear them out. We don't even have to agree to what they say!"

Molt shook his head, still smiling.

"Father!"

"So how long have you been working for them?"

Pina was struck by the words and her entire line of thinking came to a crashing halt.

"Come now, daughter, it's obvious they forced you to come here, they forced you to demand I do what they ask... tell me, what's the threat? Utter destruction? Extermination? Slavery?"

"They hate slavery with passion!"

"Destruction then? If neither then how do you know this?"

"Because they made a point of it when we met! And I'm not working for them, I'm... I'm trying to work with them to save as many people as I can..." she finally admitted, her voice cracking despite her best efforts.

Molt sighed.

"You always were quite the egalitarian, your mother being who she was I... understand you see the commoners... differently. Daughter, you must understand something if you ever wish to rule the Empire."

"Rule? But Zorzal-"

"Zorzal is a semi-competent idiot that can be easily manipulated. You and Diabo understand as much. It's the main reason I chose him to be the crown prince. But he does have a quality you and Diabo lack... he understands that an Empire that cares more for its citizens than for its structure can never survive."

He turned to one of the few decorations in the royal chambers, an ancient clay piece of a broken vase.

"You know the legends of the great Caesar. A man for the people, a man whose will could carry the burden of the ancient Republic. Like him, we have made our Empire strong through the conquest and subjugation of savage tribes and barbarian nations. But what was his mistake, daughter?"

Pina didn't reply, trying desperately to find a way to convince her father of the opposite he wanted to conclude.

"He was so distracted in gaining the love of the people he failed to see the very senators he rightfully ruled over conspire against him. 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. Do you understand?"

"Father... is the opposite not also true?"

"It is... which is why I haven't ordered the capital be destroyed yet. I think we're close to victory if the fact that they're desperate enough to send you to beg for my presence is any indication."

She whispered, "I'm... begging you of my own volition."

"Oh, I'm quite sure you are... when you see them, tell them I'll happily accept their terms of peace and I won't request they surrender any slaves. I'm an amicable man, daughter."

"Y-yes... father..." she said, finally composing herself.

April 11th, 1964

Imperial Capital

12:00 AM

Dennis stood near the forested area of the hill, looking over the city the main palace was built on.

He checked his watch and turned to the camouflaged men.

"Any word on the knights?" Drew asked.

"They're getting the slaves out... you guys will have quite the interesting escorts."

The Green Beret said nothing, glancing at his watch.

"Think that bunny slave is going to work for us or think she's going to try and play us."

Dennis only motioned towards his holstered .45 and said "I'm curious if her servant is immune to one .45 ACP round, let alone seven in a row. She tries anything with him, I won't hesitate."

"Give us a heads up if something happens, kid. We don't need any deaths right now."

"Yeah..."

The men stared at the large palace behind them.

The tapping of footsteps got their attention.

Hamilton carefully led a group of women to the cart they had hidden near the forest.

Drew said "Nevermind, showtime!"

Dennis stood by as the men rushed to help carry the slaves, doing his best to ignore the injuries visible even in the darkness.

He focused on the information he had to give the one he recognized.

...

She heard the tapping on her cell door and was startled to see several Rose Knights and the door open.

"Come." the blonde said in a dark tone.

Tyuule did as told, noting the cells as she ascended were all empty.

Several dead guards lay on the floor, throats slit and blood polling on the ground.

This... is really happening...

She kept her head low and hid the cruel smile that formed on her face.

Upon reaching the top of the stairs she met the red-headed princess who appeared exhausted.

"Well... let's not keep them waiting..." the princess sighed.

Tyuule said nothing.

"Are you sure we should let this wench live?" the blonde said quietly.

Pina immediately said "Whatever your thoughts are of her, the Americans wish to work with her and we promised to bring her to them. Don't touch her."

The knight glared at the bunny girl but did nothing more.

Tyuule suppressed the urge to laugh.

She followed the knights in silence down the darker corridors of the palace.

They stepped outside, Tyuule seeing several Rose knights and a figure standing near some bushes around the entrance.

The soldier!

Pina pointed to him without looking and said "He'll be informing you of what comes next, give you some options... I think you understand."

Tyuule said nothing, eyeing the young man, who once more, only waved.

Pina turned to a brown-haired knight, asking "Are we ready?"

The young knight solemnly said, "The senators have packed up, and we have but minutes before the attacks commence."

"Attacks?" Tyuule asked.

It was the American who said "Slavers, rich architects, swordsmiths... people that back Emperor Molt specifically. We're hitting them tonight as we evacuate anyone that wants peace with us."

Tyuule turned to see the young man, still in his kitchen "uniform" standing by a tree, looking at her.

"Dennis Orville, by the way," he added before turning to look at the city below.

Pina turned to Tyuule, seemingly wanting to ask something, but instead said "We'll be heading out... farewell, your majesty."

Tyuule stared at the princess with uncertainty, choosing to simply wave back at her without saying a word.

As the knights left, she turned her full attention to the American.

"So... Dennis of Orville?"

"Just... Dennis Orville... or Dennis... We don't exactly have many honorifics back home. Nice to meet you, though."

How old is he?

"We met last week."

"Well, nice to be formally introduced, I suppose."

She noticed he kept his eyes elsewhere as if he was distracted when a light breeze reminded her of what she was wearing.

No wonder he's averting his gaze...

"I see... so... what do your people intend to do with me?" she asked, rubbing her left arm, very aware of her appearance, noticeable even in the darkness.

"Simple, you have three options."

She didn't reply.

"First option. You leave, right now. Not with the princess, cause if someone identifies you leaving with her and reports it to his royal pain, he may start spreading rumors of Pina being a traitor, which we can't afford right now. I can take you to one of our outposts in the city and they'll get you out during the chaos that's about to ensue. It's safe, quick, relatively easy-"

"No."

The boy seemed somewhat surprised, if not impressed, she couldn't tell, but he clearly didn't dwell on her response.

"Alright, then option two. You go back to your cell, tell no one of this meeting, and when Zorzal finds out his concubines all chose to escape except for you, we use that to our advantage. You get his trust, you get him to talk about important things, and you make him think he's in control of the situation. It won't matter much if his father panics and surrenders, but if that doesn't happen, and a part of me thinks it's exactly what's going to happen... well... the plan is to install Zorzal as Emperor. I've only seen the guy here and there, but he isn't exactly the brightest star in the sky, is he?"

Tyuule scoffed.

"What?"

"Nothing... please continue."

"Not much more to say on that. We keep making him think he's got things under control, that the evil enemy from beyond is halted and unable to advance, that he's in a position to make demands. We keep him and his main army in the capital, kill or capture what troops he sends out but we control what information he gets so that he doesn't find out about his defeats, and when the time is right, we push for him to go out... then we destroy him and anyone who didn't surrender."

"That easy?"

"Hopefully."

"What's the third option?"

"You run off and do your own thing, not really helping us, maybe get in the way for some reason or another. It's an option, though not one I recommend."

"I agree."

"Good." he seemed to say with a degree of relief.

"What do I get in exchange for giving your people my help?"

Dennis quickly said "Your people will be granted immediate American citizenship. They will be under the full protection of the United States of America, can freely travel from this side of the gate to our side of the gate, and in the eyes of the law they'll be considered the same as me or any other American."

She stared at him in shock.

"No way it's that easy."

"Well, you would have to sign some treaties once this is all over, and we would both have to succeed in our missions. Can't imagine it will be easy, but that's what I was told. We can get you out of here tonight and you can work on a similar deal-"

She got uncomfortably close, jabbing a finger in accusation.

"I have endured 3 years of that man's abuse and humiliation, do not think for a second it will be difficult to hold for another three! My only wish is for this empire to be obliterated!" she growled, her features contorting in anger that almost made the Ranger take a step back.

The amount of abuse she had experienced, the amount of torture her people had been put through... how exactly was she to just forget it all and run away?

Not again... not again...

The American nodded, seemingly understanding her point.

"Alright, alright... But at best we only have to wait a month or two, so don't... don't overexert yourself. We do need you alive in order to help us." he quickly added.

Tyuule appeared to relax and took a step back, taking it all in.

"I... I have been waiting for an opportunity like this for a long time... I will do what I can to help destroy them." she said after taking a deep breath.

It may be the one way I can atone for nearly dooming my people then.

The American nodded.

"Good... and before we wrap things up here-"

"Wrap?"

"Finish. Forget it... I have a question."

"What?"

"Did you... send someone to talk to me?"

"Ah, Bouro... I did ask him to speak to you, ask if you were an enemy spy, an American, ask you why you were here, what you wanted." She then frowned and said "It would have made me less nervous knowing you were here to help. Apologies if he frightened you or bothered anyone in this mission."

Dennis huffed and shook his head.

"Err... probably would've gotten us nervous regardless. What the hell is he?"

"A shapeshifter, one of the Haryo tribe."

"Haryo Tribe... they an ally of yours?"

"I suppose. He... he gives me information when I request it. He has a complex network of spies hidden in plain sight to an impressive degree. He even informed me of the Battle of Italica before the emperor found out. He gets his payment, and I get some information that may be useful to me. I believe he can be a valuable asset to ensuring the Empire doesn't catch on to your nation's plan."

Dennis wasn't about to ask what she paid for said information, instead, he said "Well, if they side with us then great. I'll let my superiors know."

"Are there more Americans in the palace?"

"Nah. Just me. There are others in the city, though. We communicate through radio, a... a box you can use to talk to people who are somewhere far away. Technology, not magic." he clarified.

Tyuule said "I see... well that's... fascinating. And you're a spy?"

"No, just a soldier. I just pass the information along. If things turn bad, then I'm supposed to make sure you get out alive. Same for anyone we get on our side... which is just you at the moment. If that Haryo tribe helps us then great. Easier for us."

Tyuule was unsure of how to react to the statement.

I'm supposed to make sure you get out alive.

She hadn't had help. No one had ever really come to help her, not even the almost mythical Haryo tribe, whose leader was mostly just giving her information in exchange for a taste of her.

Now she had someone there with the express purpose of taking down the empire that destroyed her country.

A wish come true... but how to react?

A thank you?

She wasn't even sure she could muster one that sounded honest enough or true enough to her own feelings.

Not yet, at least.

Instead, she turned to look at the city and asked "Now what?"

The American glanced at something on his wrist before turning to her.

"Now? Now they're waiting... I suggest we head back to our respective living quarters because in a few minutes this city is going to shake to its core."

The words left his mouth and Dennis noted how the girl's ears perked up slightly.

...huh... cute.

The girl turned to him.

"Alright... your name is Dennis... Orville?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Tyuule rolled the name over in her mind.

"I look forward to working with you."

The young man shrugged, replying with a polite "Same."

Then a distant, unnatural roar sounded in the clouds above them.

"What-?" she began, the American interrupting her.

"Not a storm, Ma'am, and I suggest you head back. You don't want to be seen outside right now."

She understood, noting the slight urgency in his voice, it would be very suspicious if someone saw her at this hour outside when she should be in a cell.

Tyuule looked at the sky for a second before swiftly making her way back inside the palace.

Dennis watched her leave before shaking his head.

Cute? Come on... she's a savage... same as the rest of them.

His mind brought back the awful images of Italica and Alnus, their aftermath, and subsequent cleanups. He remembered the news he had read of the initial attacks in Dallas, and the hell that the police and army forces had to endure in order to take some parts of the city back.

He took a turn at glancing at the sky, an evil smile manifesting in defiance of the feelings the memories brought him.

Let's see how these Romans react to carpet bombing!

…

"Wish it wasn't so dark..." Sean muttered, the only real source of light being a torch stuck to a door on the other end of the street.

Alex shook his head.

"At least we have the moon. That scope working?"

The dispassionate sigh wasn't exactly an answer, but Alex didn't bother as the radio began to squawk.

"Stalker 2, this is Revenant, we are cruising at 2,000 feet, estimate to be over the target."

"Copy, Revenant. Hold position, keep an eye out for a flare."

"Copy, Stalker 2."

There was an awkward pause as the men checked their watches.

"Hope they hurry up..."

As he said this, Tom ran up the steps and dropped to the floor three other men running up after him and doing the same.

"Flare's set! Slaves are running, and they're a mess trying to catch them... I think someone saw us, though."

The distant roar of the head of the crime family screeching "BRING ME THEIR HEADS! I WANT THEM ALL DEAD! DEAD!" only punctuated the statement.

The Green Beret said "Doesn't matter right now. They have no idea what's about to hit 'em."

Then he grabbed the radio from the Ranger and spoke.

"Revenant, the target will be illuminated in thirty seconds."

"Copy."

The Beret turned to Sean and said "That winged lady really came through for us."

The Ranger smiled slightly.

"Hearts and minds pay off, sir. Hope she got all the civilians out, though."

"Given the lack of people we encountered, I'd say she did... keep your heads down."

A moment later, the flare shot upwards, lighting up the entire area sending the gang members around it into a frenzy as they tried to figure out what had just happened.

They didn't really get much of a chance to react, however.

Only a few thousand feet above them, the Marine pilots on the F-4 Phantom saw the flare below and knew the general area of their target.

Only off by a bit... adjusting...

The F4 was a revolutionary aircraft, capable of not only flying at twice the speed of sound but also capable of carrying around 18,000 pounds of munitions, which was almost three times the amount that the titanic B-17 bombers usually carried during World War 2.

Now those 18,000 pounds were ready to be used to show just how angry the American people could get.

As the pilots readied their payload, they couldn't help but think back to the early bombing missions of World War 2, many of which were done to make a point, such as the Doolittle Raid.

Wonder if this will make these idiots realize what they're dealing with...

The bombs were released.

Down below, Basara was screaming for his men to do something, anything!

"Well, where did they run off to?!"

"The guards were killed! These attackers are like shadows in the night!"

"Do I look like I care?! They released high valued slaves, and that damned light is actually helping y-"

Then the ground swallowed them up as the bombs hit the area they had made as a "home base", destroying everything they had collected, stolen, or otherwise. The buildings nearby collapsed as the main structure was obliterated, the people too close to it had their bodies turned into a fine mist.

Many more were left wounded, screaming, and dying on the city floor.

"Right, let's clear out. Still have some places to pay a visit to." the Green Beret said casually, admiring the smoke still visible in the moonlight.

The Rangers escorting his team nodded and made their exit.

Imperial Capital

8:00 AM

Molt awoke, startled.

The sun was shining through his window and all appeared fine, except...

He looked at the piece of parchment on his chest.

What?

He read it and immediately felt his body grow cold.

We will happily accept your surrender- President Kennedy of the United States of America.

The Emperor stood up and rushed to his balcony and froze.

He could see a large amount of smoke coming from the Red Light district, but also from various parts of the capital. Combined with the letter...

They did this?! I thought... did I underestimate them?

He rushed to the door for it to swing open.

A Rose Knight met him, worry on her face.

She quickly dropped to one knee.

"Y-your majesty..." she began.

Molt looked to his guards and froze, seeing their corpses on the ground.

"What... Hamilton, what has happened?!"

"The... Americans assaulted the city at night, they... the princess is gone... We... found this."

She handed him the tiara worn by his daughter at all times, another piece of parchment attached to it.

Don't let her sacrifice be in vain, Emperor. Surrender.- President Kennedy of the United States of America.

"Emperor, what should we-?"

"Silence! Go fetch my generals! I want these men OUT of my city and-"

"Emperor, I have been searching for your generals, but with the exception of General Tiberius, I cannot find any of them!"

Molt froze.

"This... this is a decapitation strike... by the gods..."

Hamilton wasn't pretending to be on the verge of tears.

Leave the city in a few days... pretty soon we'll have to evacuate as many people as possible if we can't come to an agreement and if I failed to find peace here then I doubt I can stop them from completely destroying the capital.

The destruction of the Basara Gang was proof enough that they could and would destroy the Capital if given the order.

The emperor nervously said "Find... Tiberius... gather the Senate... send the word to any living officers to gather here. Now!"

The young knight stood and quickly did as was told.

Molt, on the other hand, marched to his son's quarters.

He found him asleep in his bed, unharmed.

W-what? But if this was a decapitation strike then why is he alive... w-why am I alive?

He glanced at the strange parchment in his hand.

Surrender...

He gripped his daughter's tiara.

"Wake up, fool!" he demanded, kicking his son from his bed.

"Ah! What-? Father, what is the meaning of-?!"

Molt grabbed him by the arm and shouted "We were attacked and you remained asleep?!"

"What-?"

"Get dressed! I am gathering the senate! We are done playing games with these invaders!"

Senate Building

The outcry was deafening.

"They came into my home and tied me to a pole as they freed my slaves!"

"They torched my home and somehow blew my workshop sky high!"

"They killed my father from the darkness and slipped back into it before anyone could see them!"

"The escaped slaves are stealing and causing chaos! The legions are handling them fine, but along with the market losses in slaves, the damage is seriously going to become a financial burden moving forward."

"Hey, at least the Basara gang is no more."

"They kept the Red Light District in line! Now we may have to spare troops we can't to keep it from spreading!"

"Emperor, what will you do about this?!"

The emperor was weakly holding the tiara of his missing daughter in his shaking hands.

He placed it aside and stood, speaking with a thunderous roar.

"It is clear that our worst fears have been realized. The enemy... is unstoppable through conventional means. This means that we must wage war in unconventional ways!"

The senators were frozen to their core at the statement.

One stood and angrily demanded, "Do you still refuse to negotiate with them?!"

"A negotiation now means even more confirmation that we stand no chance against them! We must stand strong and show a united front as we move to a new way of fighting. General Tiberius!"

The older man, hair now gray stood before the senate.

"I lost several officers during the attack, good men, but ultimately replaceable." he lied.

Then turning to the emperor, he said "I shall lead the Two Northern Legions to battle along the mountainous regions near Italica where the enemy is still holding up, preparing for more attacks. I shall depart immediately and put a halt to that and allow all of you to take the next steps. Salve Augustus!"

The man grimaced and made his exit as cries for explanation erupted.

The Emperor took a breath and said "Originally this plan was conceived with the idea that most of the Senate would still be present... unfortunately you will have to take their place."

That got the men to settle down and begin listening.

With a coldness only the Emperor could ever summon, the tired man said in a hoarse voice "All your men are to be conscripted, all your women and children are to evacuate to the Mountain Range of Ice and snow. The same goes for your neighboring districts that have lost their representatives. Those who live below the territory of the Mountain Range of Ice and Snow who cannot make the journey are to be executed immediately and burned along with all towns, cities, and villages. None shall be spared, including the capital. We shall deny the enemy any use of this land and force them to accept our terms after inflicting enough casualties."

A deafening silence.

It was finally Zorzal who spoke, loudly and obnoxiously, but with purpose.

"Father, that will only destroy the empire!"

"The Empire is vast and can be rebuilt! The area of control these... men... have managed to wrestle from our armies is little more than a quarter. If we destroy the land for a thousand leagues in every direction from Alnus while they are merely pushing out of it, they will not be able to sustain any further strikes against us and we will eventually be able to overwhelm them. Yes, the capital shall be destroyed, and yes... life will be difficult for some time... but I assure you, this guarantees victory."

"A victory cannot be as costly as a defeat!" another senator said.

Molt immediately shut it down by screaming "Defeat means the utter extermination of ALL the Empire's citizens! Look around you!"

He pointed at a random senator "HOW MANY DEAD TO TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR LANDS?!"

The man appeared insulted, and Zorzal even appeared confused.

That man is a descendant of one of the original founders of the Empire! His lands have belonged to him for generations, his family never killed for it!

"Or you?!" the emperor screamed at another senator.

Georgie Alejandro, yes, he conquered much of his land through brute force, but...

"Father, none of this is necessary! It-"

"It is the ONLY thing that is necessary! Do you not see the situation?!" he exploded showing the strange parchment that had appeared in his room.

Surrender.

"They are far more dangerous than anything we have ever faced! They could wipe us out without a second thought and we cannot give them the chance."

"Father their actions are those of desperate men, not conquerors or exterminators!"

All eyes turned to the crown prince.

He continued.

"Consider this: if they could get to you... any time... anywhere... whenever they please... why didn't they? In fact, despite some assassinations last night, why is it that most of our allies within the city are here and accounted for? If anything, the disappearances of many officers appear... random almost. Basara kept order in the Red Light District, but he was also an enemy of the Empire, why kill him? Freeing slaves would be a financial blow, but a temporary one. It would make more sense to destroy as many generals as possible. Do you see what I see?"

A senator immediately jumped on the opportunity to speak.

"He's right! The targets make no sense... which suggests they were targets of opportunity!"

"Exactly! And the attacks on the city? A show of force, certainly! But if they could truly bring about such destruction whenever they pleased... why didn't they do it before? For that matter, why bother negotiating at all? We all saw the remains of the Basala Gang's headquarters, and while it looks targeted I would argue they picked a spot they knew would cause the least amount of damage for one reason and one reason only... they want to occupy and conquer. Not exterminate. Father."

Molt glared at his son.

"Who have you been speaking to?" he asked in anger.

"I have merely observed the situation and arrived at a conclusion, your majesty. Our guerilla war or the destruction of everything within a thousand leagues of Alnus is not necessary. They're already desperate and are trying to push us further. You will note that there is no news of an impending attack, no advancements from Italica... no assassination of the people defying them the most."

Molt grit his teeth.

Casel spoke then.

"The crown prince has a point. We mustn't give in to fear and act brashly, Emperor. If-"

"The matter is settled!"

The finality behind the words silenced the room.

The emperor rarely showed his own fear or emotions, and to have him so visibly frightened, so panicked was a sight as alien to the men in the room as the invaders from the other world who could swipe their armies aside with great ease.

Allegedly...

Molt continued, "You arrogant, simple-minded fools have no idea the danger we face! You WILL do as I command or else!"

Silence.

Until Senator Dussie spoke up.

"Emperor even if we wanted to follow your plan-"

"Are you defying me?!"

"...no... emperor. But the men needed for such a task, the material-"

"You need nothing but able bodies and some flames!"

"As well as salt, coordination, logistical information, reliable communication networks so that there is no-"

"That isn't-"

"Emperor, this isn't a fighting retreat. What you are suggesting is the deliberate destruction of our homeland in order to prevent the enemy from taking it for themselves. A sound strategy, I applaud it. But unless you are suggesting we kill everything between Italica and here, we're going to need time, sir!"

Another senator said "We should meet again tomorrow. Clear our heads."

Several uttered an agreement.

Molt sucked in a breath, before slowly sitting back on his throne.

"Father, at least consider things once you have calmed down. You are clearly still... shaken by the loss of-"

The man raised a hand.

Then turning to the senators he said "Do as you please. We will meet here tomorrow. Early. Gather the information necessary to accomplish this task. GO!"

The men scrambled and exited the room.

Molt turned to his son once the last one was gone.

"Zorzal... your life of luxury has made you blind to the needs of the empire."

The younger man said "Father, you are proposing needless destruction, even I can see that! You are overreacting!"

The man stood and screamed into the younger man's face.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT WE ARE FACING?! NO ONE SAW THESE MEN LEAVE OR ENTER THE PALACE!"

A pause, a shaky breath, and then he continued his rant in a more calm voice.

"This is not the time to pretend we have a fighting chance! Bravado will only get you so far, child, and just because you conquered and exterminated one group of simple-minded savages does not make you a military genius! While you enjoy your foods and have your way with that beast, I have been looking at the losses!"

He turned and sat down, hand over his mouth as his mind went over all that had happened.

"If they had stayed at Alnus this would be a different story... If they had just... stuck to a defensive position... held that... it would be all the proof that we had a chance... but they haven't done any of that. They're advancing on us the same way you advanced on the Warrior Bunnies. Even if they do so at a great cost, it..."

It was at this that Zorzal finally realized what ailed his father.

"You... you fear them!"

"What?"

"No, it's worse than that! You actually fear the possibility of retribution for all our glorious conquest!"

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the prince was flung to the floor.

Zorzal spat out the broken tooth and glared at his father only to begin cowering as the man picked up a metal chalice and lifted it up, ready to bash his face in.

"Do not. Ever. Speak that way of me again! I am still the emperor, and I know what is best for this empire, not you!"

He tossed the chalice at the younger man in anger, hitting his forehead to the point that it bled.

Zorzal was more shocked by the obvious madness behind his father's actions.

He stood up, unsure of where to turn to, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts and possibilities as he realized that his father was genuinely convinced that the only way to save the empire would be to burn it to the ground!

He wandered the halls of the palace, ignoring the worried looks of servants, slaves, and guards.

Is... is there no convincing him?

He walked down the steps almost unconsciously, unable to understand it.

Sure, we've been hurt badly, but we are not defeated.

He felt the stone walls as he kept making his way down the stairs.

There have been many moments in our Empire's history where we've been pushed to the brink and we have always bounced back... has he forgotten?

He ignored the empty cells around him.

Is... is there nothing I can do?

He turned to the cell he knew was still inhabited.

"Your majesty? Are you alright?" the white-haired girl asked, looking visibly concerned.

No one would have imagined she had been grinning devilishly as she heard him making his way towards her cell only moments ago.

9:32 AM

"I just don't understand..." Zorzal muttered, not caring one bit for the girl who was clearly in pain beside him.

Tyuule on the other hand wanted to scream at him, laugh at the story he had told her trying to garner pity, knowing the truth.

She might have done as much if she wasn't in so much pain.

She forced herself to sit up and not look like her ribs felt like they were stabbing into her lungs, and said "If... if I may, your majesty... could it be that he genuinely believes he's doing the right thing?"

She braced for the beating to come, but it never did.

Zorzal only rubbed the back of his head before speaking.

"That's what worries me... you were a queen, you've seen mad kings before, have you not?"

Tyuule said "Yes, my grandmother. Mother told me she stopped caring about the people and focused only on slaughtering her enemies to the point it killed her and hurt our tribe."

Zorzal mulled the information in his head.

"Well... Your savages are different from us. However..."

He turned to her and said, "Surely doctors can figure something out."

Tyuule noticed he was pausing more as he spoke.

Is he... testing me?

"Your majesty... do you... do you believe your father has lost his senses?"

Zorzal thought it over.

Tyuule could practically see the man's mind try to take it all into consideration.

He then said "Yes... I believe he is."

Tyuule didn't hesitate.

"Do you believe the doctors can help him?"

Zorzal thought it over.

"No."

Success!

"Then... if you are certain... there is only one option."

Zorzal said it himself after a second.

"Are you suggesting we kill my father?"

Tyuule said nothing, feigning shyness and fear.

Come on, you fool, admit it to yourself!

Zorzal stood up and grabbed her chin, forcefully making her look at him.

"You know I could kill you for even suggesting such a thing... your people are at my mercy and I know where they reside Would you like to be the last of your kind to die?"

"No!" she cried, not having to pretend to fear.

For all she knew, only a few of her people were safe, and even that wasn't a guarantee.

The threat was real enough that she was not about to risk it.

"Then... are you... suggesting... we kill my father?" he said, grabbing her throat, not squeezing, but firm enough that she could never get away if he chose to strangle her.

Gathering her thoughts as quickly as she could, she decided on the obvious answer.

"Whatever your choice is... I will support you... your majesty."

Zorzal grinned at that.

"Yes, you are after all my slave..."

He released his hold on her and said "Stay here. I'll have the guests deliver some more fitting clothes."

"W-what?"

"Be honored, Tyuule. I'm making you an advisor to me, starting now."

He stopped, turned to her, and said "Well, we can't act alone. Given my father's proposition, I have no doubt the senate backs anyone except him. However, I don't know if I can say the same for our generals... what we need is to take out the enemies of the empire quietly and quickly. Perhaps a servant would help us... Ah, but most of them are loyal to father... unless we can bribe them..."

She was impressed the crown prince had thought so far ahead.

Almost as if you've been planning this for quite some time, haven't you?

"I don't suppose you know someone that may side with us in this?"

Tyuule paused, shocked at how easy the man was suddenly throwing his trust to her.

She took the opportunity.

"I... think I know someone... or of someone."

"Really now?"

"Your majesty, the way he seemed to admire you was enough for me to notice. It's worth attempting, I believe."

9:59 AM

Dennis absentmindedly continued to chop some lettuce in the empty kitchen, his mind going back and forth between the furious chef, demanding he continued to work while making a point of how "brave" he was for "choosing to do so under such circumstances".

"Oh, young Den, so brave, fulfilling his duty even in such crisis! Truly an example of Imperial Bravery! Now here's the list. Get it done!"

Meanwhile, the head chef and his staff were having a meeting about them going forward after the attacks. Likely willing to abandon the "new kid" as most were veteran chefs who had been working with the man for years.

And Dennis wasn't a part of that.

Oh, but they could never just TELL him that. Oh no! They wanted to make sure he knew he wasn't part of it in as nice a way as possible!

Dennis had tossed the "head chef" hat dangerously close to a furnace and was considering dumping it inside.

Oh no! I burned it on accident! It didn't fit my head and fell in, oh golly, I'm sorry, Chef Clef, August... you patronizing bastards...

It was all he could do to keep his mind off much darker realities.

Then the door behind him swung open.

Back already? I thought-

He turned to see the blonde prince and the white-haired bunny girl, now dressed in certainly more eye-catching... "clothes".

"Your... majesty?" Dennis said, almost freezing in place.

He didn't have to pretend to be shocked.

"Hello, young Den. How are you?"

The devilish smile already had Dennis on guard, but the polite way of speaking worried him.

"W-working here, sir! Chef Clef is... out... at the moment, but if you want something, then I'm sure I can help you out!"

Zorzal glanced at some of the leftover foods and said "Yes, I actually do need your help with something."

There was an awkward pause, Dennis's eyes switched from the crown prince to Tyuule, visibly confused.

Zorzal grinned.

"Like her? She's my personal advisor now!" placing both hands on her shoulders in a congratulatory matter.

"O-oh?" Dennis said, trying his best to ignore the obvious bruises on the girl's neck and thighs.

"Yes, see... she's still my slave, but with her experience as a queen... what little she may have ruled over... I believe she can make for a fine servant. The empire has many races, and I don't discriminate over such petty things. She may have been a savage once, but now she has an opportunity!"

Oh? You don't discriminate? The A-C-L-U is gonna LOVE you...

"As do you."

Wait, what?

"Sir?"

Zorzal grabbed an apple and took a large bite out of it before sitting on the counter and turning to the American, placing his free hand on his shoulder.

"Young Den, son of Tobias... what do you make of the situation around us?"

Dennis didn't even need to think about it as he said "A cowardly attack by the Empire's enemies, your majesty."

Zorzal smiled.

"Yes... now... if I told you my father wished to surrender..."

Uh... tricky... what's going on?

"Then... then I would trust the emperor knows what he's doing."

He had spoken cautiously, very aware of the M1911 hidden under his tunic and the fact there were five exits in the kitchen.

Zorzal then said, "Yes, but... what if he didn't know what he was doing and there was no convincing him of the reality of the situation?"

"Then the crown prince and the senate must take control of the situation."

Zorzal smiled.

"If I told you that father wasn't... well. That we needed to get rid of him?"

Dennis's eyes briefly moved to Tyuule who gave him the eeriest smile he had ever seen in his life.

Did she...?

Zorzal interrupted his train of thought.

"No, she's not orchestrating this, no need to suspect her, although I understand. See, I have been speaking with my father and it's been... clear. He wishes to burn down the capital and everything from here to Alnus."

Dennis allowed his eyes to widen in genuine surprise.

"That... that would destroy..."

"Yes. All attempts at telling him to look for another alternative in combating these enemies have been met with failure... so there's no other choice. The problem is that we need someone in the kitchen to help us."

"I see. What exactly do you need me to do, your majesty?" Dennis asked, already figuring where this was going.

"Worry not about that, young Den! All we need is for you to deliver Chef Clef some ready-made meals for tomorrow's dinner! Tyuule will explain in greater detail. I just needed you to understand how... serious this is."

Huh... poisoning his food? That sounds like what we had in mind.

Dennis nodded, saying "I live to serve the emperor, sir."

"Excellent... I'll be sure to rewards you greatly."

"If I may, sir?"

"You may."

"All I ask is that I can keep working here. The place, the people... my... my parents would be proud... that's all I ask, sir, no more."

He had lied through his teeth, and he wasn't entirely sure the prince bought it, but at such an incredible display of humility, Zorzal only said "Consider it granted! This is a daunting task, I'm glad to see you're up for it!"

"I live to serve."

Moron...

The prince smiled, and Dennis suppressed the urge to sneer.

"Tyuule, I'll leave you to handle things here... I need to chat with my officers."

The second the man was out of earshot, Tyuule began to laugh, almost uncontrollably.

Dennis didn't say anything, his face contorting in irritation, but knowing there likely wasn't a lot he could do. A part of him figured she was on an emotional high finally getting vengeance, not that her malicious giggles weren't bothering him.

At least she didn't orchestrate the attack on Dallas...

She calmed down quick enough, saying "That was a good performance, soldier!"

Dennis only narrowed his eyes in response, less out of suspicion, more out of uncertainty.

"You can relax, he isn't within earshot. No one is."

She pointed to her own ears, which were still laid back.

Dennis ignored that and in a hushed tone asked "He serious? Is the prince really looking to depose the emperor?"

Tyuule didn't bother hiding her satisfied grin as she spoke.

"Your fellow countrymen did too good a job and now the emperor is shaken to his foundation. Indeed, he wishes to burn all the lands for a thousand leagues surrounding Alnus... including the capital."

"He's not even considering negotiations?" he asked, genuinely surprised.

She then sucked in a breath as she giggled almost childishly, saying "He fears you, but he refuses to consider parlay! Isn't that amazing?"

Dennis only replied with "Sounds like a nightmare... what's the crown prince's plan? Poison his dad and keep fighting?"

Still grinning, she said, "Yes. Since his father essentially plans on setting the Empire ablaze, the prince wishes to get rid of the Emperor in order to continue fighting a more... conventional war."

His eyes widened.

"He's... he's playing right into our hands... he's even moving the assassination attempt ahead for us!" noticing the eerie smile from the bunny girl, Dennis then said, "Wait... did you push him to this?"

It would have been quite an impressive achievement to get a son to agree to patricide.

Then again, if this is anything like Ancient Rome, maybe not so much...

Tyuule continued smiling impishly as she said "All I did was offer to support him any way I can regardless of what he chose to do. He proposed the assassination attempt, all I did was... oh, perhaps give him some confidence in going through with it. I certainly didn't suggest it."

Dennis then said "I see, but... I don't think my commanders are going to be entirely happy with the news. We were hoping Molt would at least come to the negotiating table after this, not get killed off by his own child so quickly."

Tyuule shook her head, her smile vanishing as some painful memories surfaced in her mind, which she quickly pushed away.

"Molt knows that going to the negotiation table is a sign of weakness in this world. The only way he would ever have agreed to any negotiation is if he thought he had a chance of winning or some guarantee of a beneficial outcome."

I should have known better...

Dennis eyed her for a moment, noting the brief glimpse of regret in her eyes.

Realizing she wasn't as simple as he originally thought, he said "So... what's the plan?"

She smiled again and spoke confidently.

"The Haryo tribe has many poisons they can use. All you have to do is allow them to place them in the kitchen."

"Then I have to let my commanders know, see if they give me some orders."

"Then go and tell them. I'll cover for you here."

"Pardon?"

"Go talk to them on your machine. If the head chef or some other imperial trash comes in here, I'll be sure to let them know you're doing something I asked."

"You... you can just do that?"

"I'm his majesty's advisor and favorite slave. Even if they hate me, they can't just hurt me and you're a child that doesn't know any better. At worst, you'll get scolded."

"And you?"

She paused, surprised at the question.

"What about me?"

"If Chef Clef complains to Zorzal or Molt, won't..." Dennis paused, as if unsure of what to say as he stared at her bruises, a look of insecurity on his face.

Tyuule felt her cheeks begin to grow warm as she crossed her arms, both in defiance of his implication and to prevent him from looking at her more exposed areas around her chest.

"I'm not stupid! His majesty will believe me over the chef his father hired. You just... just go inform your leaders! They must know in advance of what's happening, yes?" she finished with a huff.

The American slowly nodded, averting his gaze once he realized he had been staring.

"Understood... I'll be right back."

He quickly turned around and rushed off.

Tyuule watched him leave, a curious expression on her face.

She shook her head and then focused on the vegetables he had been chopping before being interrupted.

It was sloppy, clearly the work of an amateur.

She turned to look in the direction he had gone.

My job is to make sure you get out of here alive.

She shook her head again, unsure of what to think of the young man, her thoughts returning to what he had told her the previous night.

She wasn't used to anyone speaking that way to her, even as queen her guards rarely spoke to her, and when they did it was to relay information as efficiently as possible. This "Dennis Orville" was... or at least appeared to be... concerned for her well being.

Why? Is he just naive? Or perhaps...

She scowled and forced herself to focus on something else... like her new clothes.

It's like they want to humiliate me... was he staring at me or...?

She sighed, frustrated.

More importantly, why should I care? He's a piece to the puzzle that will bring down the Empire. Nothing more.

Suddenly hearing footsteps, she began to fiddle with the small vest she had to wear to see if she could use it to cover herself a touch more, as well as tugging at her annoyingly short skirt to accomplish the same despite the task being practically impossible. The prince wanted her to look like a slave even with her new position.

Damn it all...

She gave up and awaited the person coming down the hall.

The older man that entered the kitchen was obviously the head chef.

He looked at her in surprise and confusion.

"What the blazes are ye doing in here?!"

Immediately all thoughts and confusion left her and she gave the man a confident smile, what to say already prepared so as to not arouse suspicion to the plot to destroy the Empire.

"Oh, just taking a walk. I had to inspect your kitchen under his Majesty's orders."

"Ye aren't in the sun! You're working for him outside the bedroom now?" the older man said, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes.

"Certainly!" she said, forcing a friendly smile.

"Yeah? Where's the new hire?"

"I sent him to do something for me."

"What?!"

"Is there a problem?"

"He's my worker, last I checked, a slave like you doesn't have any say over what he does."

"I was merely doing his majesty's wishes. Would you like to take it up with him?"

The man narrowed his eyes but said nothing else, only muttering "Damned savage... out of my kitchen."

"Certainly, once your worker returns."

The man didn't argue, storming into his office.

She watched him close the door and immediately dropped her friendly demeanor, her smile vanishing and her eyes staring darkly ahead at nothing in particular.

I will destroy this Empire, even if it kills me!

A/N: So... LOTS to unpack here, but this chapter has gone on long enough.

Again, the Americans are NOT playing around here, and I think that would be enough to break someone like Molt who in the main canon is incredibly confident, and writing this I realized that the JSDF staying at Alnus may have contributed to that confidence. After all, why worry about a foe who is sticking to a fairly small piece of land and not invading into your own for anything other than small patrols?

Now the Americans made a point that they can and will hit Molt whenever they want, and I wanted to communicate how that winds up pushing him over the edge as he triples down on his scorched earth campaign.

This leads me to Zorzal, who some may argue is being a bit too competent here but I disagree.

In the original series, Zorzal is somehow able to not only maintain genuine support from many military officers, but he's smart enough to lead a guerilla campaign that is effective enough that the JSDF actually has to initiate a Blitzkrieg campaign, and according to the Gate Wiki, he even succeeds in overrunning some JSDF positions... albeit at the horrifying cost of most of his forces but still, the guy is no Emperor Commodus.

The point is that Zorzal can be easily manipulated but only if you know how to play to his weaknesses, something even Tyuule had trouble managing in the main canon, so in this story, the US is probably going to have to play a careful balancing act if they want to avoid more destruction, which they do but let's be honest, they don't have the qualms about bombing the capital that the JSDF does... in fact, I would argue the only reason the capital isn't being bombed into oblivion is because of Pina and the current US president both wanting to find the least destructive solution much to the chagrin of the upper brass, but we'll see where that goes as there is still the matter of stopping the destruction of the areas between Italica and the Capital.

I kind of want to comment on Tyuule, but all I'll say is that I'm surprised the JSDF never really did anything with her as she is exactly what they would need to defeat Zorzal, and Hitoshi Furuta could likely have convinced her to work with them or at least help her in some way. It's easy to forget Tyuule is essentially acting by herself given the authority she gets later on in the series, but at least here she's got some backing, although not a lot if you think about it... I'll save it for the next chapter.

As for Rory, I think most people figured she would tag along with the Marines if they ever showed up in the main canon, I just think they would likely force her to behave more unlike the JSDF usually let her do her own thing in the main series. Marines are all about controlled chaos after all, and if Rory gets unpredictable they would (I assume) realistically shut that down which is why the First Sergeant here is very strict about her not "corrupting" other men.

It is 1964, after all...

Anyway! Thanks so much for reading!

Reviews and suggestions are greatly appreciated, if you see any mistakes, historical or otherwise, PLEASE let me know!

Special thanks to TopHatGuy, for pointing out that I have to change the regiment number as the 75th Rangers isn't technically a regiment at this time they officially became organized as the 75th in 1969 although US Army Rangers had existed since World War 2, in the 1960s they specialized in Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol, which is what Dennis's unit is technically supposed to be, though now they're acting as a backup for the Green Berets, so... if any fellow historian can let me know if they spot some anachronisms, it'd be greatly appreciated!

Thanks once again for reading and I hope to have the next chapter out soon!