Gaump twisted a radio knob.  The screen in front of him was filled with static.  After a little less than a minute, he smacked the screen and an image appeared.  The Emperor was at his desk, looking over several papers.  He glanced up.  

“What is it, Arbiter?” he asked.

“Emperor,” Gaump began.  “I am calling to beg you to reconsider the nuclear strike on Boston.”

“If this is like the email you sent me earlier, reminding me of the people there, I know.  Honestly, this sudden look towards insubordination is rather pathetic.  I am well aware of the consequences and the loss of life.”

“Then maybe I can share with you the economic ramifications?”

“They were considered irrelevant.  The continued survival of The Breed Empire is paramount.  There will be no more argument, Arbiter.  And to ensure there is none, you are relieved of your duty.”

“Milord!”

“Two members of the Praetorian Guard are coming to arrest you.”

“On what charges?”  Behind his visor, Gaump was infuriated.

“High treason.”  The emperor threw the papers he was looking through on the desk.

“I have betrayed no one!”

“Your insubordination, Vradeus.  Every citizen must have discipline.”

Gaump would’ve blown apart the screen, but he maintained his composure.  “Please…”

“The decision has already been made!  The missiles were launched two hours ago.  Your replacement has already been chosen.  I suggest, that you cooperate when the two centurions arrive.  These are very serious charges.”

Gaump knew what the trial would be like.  A kangaroo court, where he would ultimately be executed, and not a single shred of decent evidence would be there, save for the email.  He knew this conversation would be recorded too.  Gaump didn’t care anymore though.  He knew there was more at stake.  He cleared his throat.  “Then may The Gods have mercy on your soul.”  He turned the screen off.  Gaump bowed his head.  “May the Gods have mercy on our souls, for what we must do.”

*****
Anubis didn’t like getting forced out of bed before revile, but it was ordered.  The cohort, along with several other teams, had been piled into half-track transports.  He rode in silence, with the rest of his cohort.  They were to be a part of the first strike on Haragath.  The cohort’s job was to get in, through the walls, and disable the automated defenses, while tribunal sorcerers reprogrammed them.

“Never thought I’d live to see the day,” one of the Bullhounds finally said.  “A military coup, and by all people, Vradeus Gaump himself!”

“This is no joking matter,” Fate said.  “If we fail, we’re all on trial for high treason!”

“Calm down,” Anubis said, putting his helmet on.  “At least we’ll die doing what’s right.”


The column of half-tracks stopped.  Within spotting distance, were the walls of Haragath.  The one at the head of the column, had a turret.  It turned, and fired a single missile over the wall.  In a split-second, it was intercepted by another, but the damage was done.

“EMP active!” the radio clucked.  “Blow the wall!”  The back hatch of the half-track opened.

“Go!  Go!  Go!” Anubis shouted.  The cohort filed out, raising peacemakers.  Nine other cohorts ran to the wall in the dark.  Combat optics made the field appear green and white and black.  One cohort reached the wall, and the Alpha Legionnaires set high explosives against it.  In a few seconds, they exploded and a gaping hole was blown in the wall.  The Legionnaires advanced.  Back where the half-tracks were, gunfire erupted.  The legionnaires knew there was nothing they could do, but complete their mission.  An air horn suddenly began to blare.

“Alpha Legion, You’ve been detected!” the radio cracked.  “Praetorian Guard has fired the first shots, you are all permitted to KOS.  Repeat: Kill hostiles on sight.”

“Move out!” one Bullhound centurion shouted.  His tactical cohort entered a building.  There were some surprised screams.  Because of the electromagnetic missile, there were no lights or electrical defenses, but still plenty of magical ones.  Anubis raised his hand as they neared a corner.  He heard, and smelled something.  It was a Cockatrikin, and most likely a detachment sent to investigate.  Sure enough, a cohort of the elite legionnaires rounded the corner.  They wore red cloaks, and full masks.  Each carried a peacemaker on their back, and spears scutums.

Anubis gave a slight nod, and the cohort opened fire.  The enemy cohort had been taken completely by surprise.  Not a single Cockatrikin got a shot off.  One lay, still breathing.  He tried to raise his weapon, but one of the Bullhounds aimed his peacemaker squarely at his head.  In a loud buzz, his brains quickly covered the asphalt.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“I don’t believe it!” Echo shouted.  “Him?!”

“Cassandra, please.  Calm down!” Kip asked.

“No way!”

Harriet sighed.  “I’m in charge here,” she said.  “You never told us about those drugs, nor that Jimmy gave them to you.  She folded her arms.  “You could quite possibly have killed everyone here if you were to be captured while high, by compromising everyone’s safety!  So, you will do this for us!”

“No!”  She got out of the bed in the sick bay.  “Take me to Saint Lenny!”

“He’s dead.”

Echo shook her head.  “I’m not fighting for you.”

“They nuked Boston, Echo.  That capability is well within The Breed’s reach.”

“No, no, no!”

“Look, I wanna help you, but right now, you have to help us.  You’re Alysdir’s spotter, for this one time.  I’ll find him another spotter after this.”

“Where are my drugs?”

Harriet shook her head.  “They’re at the bottom of the sea.  Frankly, another hit like that and you’re gonna be a vegetable.”

Echo growled.

“Don’t you dare growl at me.  I am in charge here.  We need people.  We lost contact with Bunker Hill.  We’re the only resistance group left in this area.  Kip’s told you what we face.  We need your help.”

Echo sighed.  She didn’t want to be part of this rebellion.  She’d never wanted to.  All she wanted to do was go home, and see if her mom would take her back.  However, Kip had told her about Drow females.  She did not want to find out if the stories were true.  “Fine, I’ll be your slave this once.”

“Thank you,” Harriet said.  “Now get dressed.  We’ll be landing in a few.”


*****
Echo looked over her new clothes.  They fit her fine, but they were far heavier than what she had.  They had once belonged to a PDF officer, but he was dead now.  She pulled the curtain back, and saw Kip, still working on one of his inventions.

“Here,” Kip said, handing her a vest, with several pouches on it.  “This’ll help you a little.”

She slowly put it on over the Kevlar jacket.  “Kip…” she began.

“Yes?”

“Am I a burden to you?”

“No, of course not!”  He chuckled.  “Here, actually.”  He handed her one of the things he’d been working on the night she’d arrived.  “I got it working right!”

“Thanks…”

“I already showed you how to use it, right?”

“Yeah…”

“You can put your stormbringer in there.  I already loaded…”

“Kip…”

He stopped.  “What?”

“Do you ever worry about your family?”

A look came across his face.  “If I had any left.”  Kip sighed.  “Dad was sold into slavery when he was young.  He managed to escape though.  Mom died not long after I was born.  Then, dad got involved in the resistance, and I started to learn alchemy from him.  We moved away from where I was born, so I don’t know if I have any other family.”

“You poor thing!”

“Dad died a few weeks ago.  He was murdered in a massacre.”

Echo was almost in tears.  He had been kind to her since her arrival, despite the noise from his lab, and he’d never left her, to keep her alive after her overdose.  She gave him a quick hug.  “You’re welcome to come with me.”

“Thanks, but…”  He smiled.  “My place is here.  I can do far more for the people here than if I was out there, alone.”

Echo nodded.  She understood his drive and how he survived the madness and death around him.  “I might stay too.”

“That would be good.  We need all the help we can get!”

“I’m sure I could.”

“Especially with your powers.”

She sighed.  “Yeah…”

Kip sat down in a chair.  “So… what kind of magic do you use?”

“Huh?”

“Those… those things you made the other day.  I know you have to use magic to do that.  Is it a form of alchemy?”

“Uh…”

“Maybe it’s an elemental power.  Or necromancy?”

“I don’t know what kind it is…”  Echo sighed, and found another chair.  “I’ve always had it.”

Kip leaned forward.  “Tell me more.”

She sighed.  There was nothing she really understood about it either.  “Well… I’ve had it ever since I was a little girl.  It… it’s like it has a mind of its own too.  Like…”  She raised a hand.  Nothing happened.  “See?  It’s only if I’m being threatened.  Even when it happens… it feels like it’s not me controlling my body.”

“Could it be demonic?”

“NO!”  She looked terrified.  “Because of that, I’ve been hunted by religious groups!  I can hardly believe they still follow the faith after all that’s happened…”

Kip thought it best to change the subject a little.  “So… maybe it’s some divine entity then?”

“I-I don’t know…”  She sighed.

“Tell me more.  I might be able to help you.”

“Well…”  Echo sighed.  “It… it’s protected me too.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah…  Like…”  She sighed.  “I was being chased one time, by these things, and my power shielded me.  I could barely move afterwards though.”

“Hmm…”

“Yeah.  Same thing happened one time with a friend of mine.  Breed were going to kill her, but… my power shielded her.”

“That could be very helpful then.”

“Yeah.  I kinda wish it could be learned.”

Kip began to smile.  “Maybe it can be learned.  When we’re done with this mission, you could show me everything you know about your power.  Maybe, just maybe we can find a way to use it more than just… well, you.”

She smiled.  “We’ll see then.”