Anubis walked down the hall, followed by the rest of his cohort.

“Any idea what the arbiter wants?” Fate asked.

“No idea,” Anubis replied to the War-Wasp.

“Always something,” one of the Bullhounds said.  “What did the comm. say?”

“Just that the Arbiter wanted to address The Legion, in the auditorium.”

“This can’t be good,” Fate said.  “I was part of Delta Legion, and we had two meetings like this.  Both meetings like this were decimations.”  She shook her head.  “Every time I was almost one of them.”

“How’d they do it in Delta?”

“They passed out coins.  On them was either a skull or a sword.  If you saw a skull, you were dead.”

“Were these decimations legion-wide?” Anubis asked.

“Always,” Fate said.

“I don’t understand.  Why Arbiter Kelwel would do that.  That would eliminate a tenth of the legion!”

“He believed the entire legion needed equal treatment.”  They soon walked into the auditorium.  There were hundreds of seats, and an equal number of legionnaires to match.  Several were in full armor.  Others, the same dark redish-brown tunics.  Anubis looked up at the stage.  Nine legionnaires sat on it, including the Hellhound, Cassius.  There were some sections for the soldiers to sit, according to their cohort.  Anubis led his team to one of the front rows, when they saw the Supreme Lord Arbiter emerge onto the stage.  Every legionnaire was on their feet, and saluted their commander.  The Arbiter approached the podium, and looked out upon the crowd.  He was in full armor still, and was wearing his visor.

“Be seated,” he said.  In perfect unison, the legionnaires of Alpha Legion sat down.


“In the course of time, there have been many men who have been corrupted by power,” Gaump said.  “Despite the fact we are not human, we still suffer from the same weaknesses.  There are also men in history who have fought against this corruption.  Scarab.  The first Scarab.  He fought the mighty Tyrants and the Dark Primogenitors.  He even defied the Avenging Angel, who sought to ruin him for his sins!  He was immune to this corruption of power!  When The Tyrants fell, he did not chase them to the ends of the earth, and kill them.  He knew that doing so, would turn him into that which he loathed and had hunted.”  Gaump paused and looked down at the podium.  “The Scarab family has become corrupt.  The First Scarab is in pain, seeing how our people have become warmongering brutes!  The very thing that The Dark Primogenitors intended!  I for one, shall not falter.  My loyalty does not extend to a corrupt ruler.  My loyalty is to my people.  The citizens of The Breed Empire!  And not to a throne!”  He put both hands on the podium.  “Alpha Legion, I ask you all who does your loyalty belong to?  Those who will not follow me should leave now, for the next mission none of us may return.”

Anubis looked around, seeing a few legionnaires file out of the auditorium, but the vast majority, including his entire cohort remained.  He remembered what he’d been taught by his former immediate superior officer, a Cockatrikin by the name of Cassim Vartus.  That their kind’s survival was above all other directives.

“You who remain,” Gaump continued.  “Are the hope of our species, as a hole.  If the conditions are right, in one day, we march on Haragath.”


A series of gasps and panic flooded the room.

“He can’t be serious!” one legionnaire said.  “That’s high treason!”

The loud bang of a gavel brought back order.  “The Imperial Family has known of a problem of our kind for centuries, yet they do not cure it.  Our very genetics are becoming more and more primitive, and we are reverting to the beasts from which we rose.  Within a few short generations, we will be animals.  The Emperor has not remedied the problem, and under his guidance, will not, for it will take away their power.”

“This is the work of the Inferiors!” someone shouted.  There were more and more shouts then.

Gaump banged the gavel on the podium again, and again.  “ORDER!  ORDER!  The Emperor has authorized a large nuclear strike on Boston.  I know for a fact many of you have loved-ones there.  Sadly, there will be no evacuation.  The Emperor feels that such an exodus would alert the insurgency, to also leave the city.”

As he spoke, the legion began chatting again, still in a state of shock.

“If we prepare now, and Strike Haragath, we have a chance at stopping it.  You should also know we are not alone.  A few tribunals and other legions have a similar view, and they are with us.”  He bowed his head.  “May the Gods forgive us, for what we must do to save our people.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Harriet nodded as she paced the bridge.  Alysdir, and a few other resistance fighters were there too.  She eventually stopped and sighed.

“Are you sure?” she asked.

The man at the desk nodded.  “No radio activity since,” he said.

“What about Breed traffic?”

He shook his head.

“Something happened…” Alysdir said.

“And we’re not gonna find out until we make landfall.”  She walked to the desk and grabbed a stack of papers off it.  “We’ve got a bigger problem though.”  Harriet handed the papers to a few of the individuals.


On them was what looked like a rocket, complete and ready for launch.  However, there was a distinct green and gold double helix on the side of them.

“What are these?” someone asked.

“Before we lost contact with Bunker Hill, they transmitted these images, and a message,” Harriet said.  “What you’re looking at, Doradin, are Breed Orbital Rockets, outside the former city of Providence.  At that base is where they launched key components of Retribution into orbit.”

“And they’re rebuilding it,” Alysdir said.  “Great.  We going into another death trap?”

“No, thankfully.”  She sat on the desk and looked over a piece of paper.  “These rockets contain satellites, armed with a smaller version of the gun on Retribution.  There are eight of them that we know of.”

“They’re gonna network them,” a woman with oddly cut red hair said.

“Yeah, and with so many of them, they won’t need nukes anymore, but that’s still bad news for us.”

“What’s the plan, Hadassa?” a man asked.

Her brow twitched a little.  She no longer cared for the name she’d been given at birth.  It reminded her of all the atrocities she’d committed in the past.  Harriet was tempted to pull her knife and lodge it in the man’s throat, but she saw Ryan enter, and regained her cool.  She turned to the man, and said, “Please don’t call me that.”

“Sorry.  I just hear Alysdir say it all the time.”

The male Drow said nothing.  He just found a chair.

“What I miss?” Ryan asked.

“I’ll fill you in later,” Harriet said.

“Retribution’s back,” Alysdir said.

“Not exactly, but that’s the gist of it.  Now, listen.  It’s not been launched yet.  There’s a good chance we can take out all eight before they’re launched.  From there, we can launch the nukes they have too.”

“So, you’re telling us, we can take out a sizeable chunk of The Empire’s infrastructure and military if we do this right?” an Elf asked.  

“Yep.”  Harriet stood up.  “We’ll have a distraction in Massachusetts and find out just what happened there.  We’ll make landfall around Plymouth.  Good cover there too, and find out just what happened!”  She folded her arms.  “You guys are dismissed.”  Everyone started to file out.  “Except you two.”

Ryan looked at her, confused.

“Great,” Alysdir said.  “What now, Hadassa?”

She waited until everyone else was gone.  “You’re lucky you’re my brother.”  She sighed.  “Your little outburst with Echo really showed me a side of you I must’ve forgotten about.  Look, there’s other people here too.”

“Are you just breathing down my neck?”

“Your time on the surface has made you forget discipline.”  She looked up, seeing he was not pleased.

“I’m not…”

“I’m not gonna have you beaten.  Your punishment is you’re getting reassigned.  Echo needs discipline too, fornot telling us about those damn narcotics.  She’s your new spotted.”

“What?!”

“Until further notice!”  She pointed squarely at him as she spoke.  “You’re gonna show her the ropes, and how to survive alone.  With Ubers all around her, a girl like her could…”

Alysdir glared at her.  “Fulavi Dova  Duranial.”

Her face changed immediately.  “Are you looking to get flogged too?  ‘cause if that’s the case, I’ll get the Gorebag brothers up here and your back will become a maze of scars.”

“You haven’t changed at all…”

“Yes, I have.  All these the females back home had the rank, but never wanted the responsibility that came with it.  Insubordination must be dealt with, and be happy we’re not back home, because I’d be tempted to flay you right there!”

Alysdir began to finger a knife he had.

“Get out of my sight.  You know what you did was wrong.”

“Gladly,” Alysdir said, before she could finish.  He’d turned and left.