Chapter 3: It’s Less Trouble Than an Election
Chapter 34
Less Trouble Than an Election
“With the lower-rank promotions completed, it’s time that
we move on to the higher ranks. The move from captain to major with
the PPA is a big one. It signifies your ability to control a large
section of troops, and a major portion of the battle. Er, no pun
intended.” Ron received the expected laughs at that. They’d been home
from New York a week, and most of the injured had recovered enough to
return to training, although Susan Chandler still grumped that they
weren’t ready for combat yet.
Ron had decided that a ceremony was in order to lessen the
stunning impact of the adjustment in the command structure caused by
the NYC battle. He had gathered his remaining troops on the parade
ground, and had begun, without preamble, to award promotions.
It had not been easy deciding whom to promote into new
positions. Ron had spent the intervening week talking to soldiers from
each unit and team, hoping to establish who had been instrumental in
the battles. He had found out that several of his junior officers
deserved a severe increase in rank. Although he knew this fell outside
of military protocol, he didn’t really give a damn, and so he did it
anyway.
“Now, moving on to those being promoted to colonel,” he
said, after making the promotions to major. “The rank of colonel is
crucial. It designates a leader of several teams, someone to oversee a
large chunk of a given battle. Although it sometimes seems that our
battles are nothing more than chaos, if it hadn’t been for the colonels
in New York, many more of us would have gotten injured or killed
driving off the FC menace.”
“In light of that, only a few new colonels have been
chosen. These are individuals who have shown immense courage in
battle. Also, they have shown forethought, good judgment, quick
thinking, and the ability to adapt. Of course, each has some pretty
impressive psionic skills, as well.”
“Our first new colonel is someone I fought alongside in the
last battle. His psionic strength and dexterity are impressive. His
ability to lead a team into combat is like few I’ve seen. Although he
is a rookie, and New York was his first major battle, he acquitted
himself nicely, and his team took out the highest ratio of enemy
troops. So, I would ask that Captain Termannic step up to the stage,
to receive his promotion.”
The audience applauded as John Termannic ascended the
platform. He saluted his commander, and Ron stylishly responded in
kind. Then Ron removed the man’s silver bars, and replaced them with
the silver eagles of his colonelcy. They saluted again, and Col.
Termannic stepped down off the stage.
Ron turned back to the assembly. “Our next promotee served
beside Colonel Kim during our last fight. She showed bravery,
tenacity, and loyalty by never leaving her commander’s side. She was
very nearly killed twice in the fighting, and certainly saved the
Colonel’s hide a time or two. This candidate has been overlooked for
promotion in the past, and that was a mistake. Her cunning and courage
far outshine some of her superiors. It is the policy of this army to
promote to the rank for which you are qualified, regardless of your
current level. In our largest promotion this cycle, I would ask that
First Lieutenant Shana Veltor come to the stage.” There was an
eruption of applause from the Hunters as their comrade came to the
stage shyly, and respectfully saluted her commander-in-chief. Ron
snapped off a picture-perfect salute in reply, and replaced her gold
bars with the eagle of her rank. They repeated the salute, and Shana
hurried off the stage, to a continued ovation from the troops.
Ron let that continue for a moment before silencing the
audience. His voice took on a somber tone. “Our final promotion to
colonel is more like a commission. He never accepted a rank; people
simply followed where he led. Unfortunately, we lost Jeff Durant in
our battle with the Russians. And, though I know he has gone to a
better place, we will miss his encouragement, his skill, and his
heroism. We hereby posthumously award Jeffrey John Durant with the
rank of colonel, for it was the job he longed for, if not the title.”
A sergeant, standing at the edge of the platform, bellowed,
“Army, *salute!*” As a single force, the Provisional Psionic Army
saluted their fallen comrade. At the sergeant’s second signal, arms
were lowered. The atmosphere had definitely sobered.
Ron, sensing this, needed to get things back on a better
footing. “And now, the promotions to general rank. We have only one
of these. She has shown herself to be a competent fighter, an
incomparable leader, and a good strategist. She has led, commanded,
planned and put into practice all of the principles the PPA stands
for. She and her unit have the highest long-term fight rating in the
army. She is long overdue for promotion, and it’s time we fixed that.
Colonel Kim, please step forward.”
Kimberly had not been told to expect this, and was a little
startled. As a leader, she was already on the platform, so she stepped
forward to salute her leader. Ron returned the salute with a smile, as
he removed her eagles, to replace each with a shining silver star. He
stepped back and, before she could manage, snapped a salute to her.
She returned the gesture, blushing. Then she stepped back into
position.
“There are further citations to be awarded to the military,
but I would first like to make our first civilian citation. Would Jill
Mercer please come to the stage?”
Jill was shocked, as no one had told her that she was to be
recognized. She climbed up onto the stage wearing her own version of
the PPA uniform, a dark blue jumpsuit that fit against her body as
snugly as that of the army. She wore her hair back in a pony-tail, and
had on white sneakers. Ron thought she looked very nice in the outfit.
“To those of you who may not have met her,” he said,
turning her to face the group, “Jill Mercer has been with us from the
start of this war. She has handled civilian affairs for us. It was
she who handled the registration of the civilian refugees. It is she
who continues to care for their needs. If not for her quick and
selfless actions during the attack on our headquarters, dozens of
civilians would have been killed due to confusion and panic. She kept
her head about her, organized the evacuation, and held the civilians
together in a time of real crisis.
“In recognition of her faithful and unwavering service in
time of need, the Provisional Psionic Army awards Jill Mercer the
Distinguished Conduct Medal. We would hold her out as a shining
example of what even a civilian can do to aid others in time of war.”
The army erupted with applause, and Jill blushed. Ron gave
her a soft kiss on the cheek, since they were in public. He whispered
in her ear. “This is just my way of saying thanks.”
Finally, the ovation settled, and Jill walked off the
stage. Ron continued for some time, passing out awards and recognizing
meritorious conduct among his troops. It was a lesson he’d learned the
hard way: if you want them to keep fighting, you have to let them know
they’re doing it right.
As Ron stepped down off the stage, he had to pass by a
young woman who looked familiar, but he couldn’t place her. She was
exceedingly beautiful, with long blond hair, and blue eyes. Her pink
sweater went well with her faded jeans, and her relaxed posture seemed
to indicate that the war going on around her didn’t affect her much.
As he approached the spot where she was standing, she said,
“Nice ceremony. Kind of long, though.”
The voice opened the proper door in his memory.
“Callista! Wow, I never expected to see you here! I must say, though,
that you look very nice in street clothes.”
Callista smiled at him. “Thank you. I tried to pick
something that wouldn’t stand out too much.”
The rest of the people with Ron were looking on in
confusion, so Ron decided introductions were in order. “Guys, this is
Callista. She’s a Guardian. From the Spirit Realm.”
There was a collective set of mutters. The group quickly
formed around her, so that Ron could properly introduce them all.
“This is Lars. You may remember him from our little fiasco
with Kumiko.”
“Yes. I hope things are going well?”
“As well as can be expected, ma’am,” he responded a little
stiffly.
“And this,” Ron went on, “Is my mother, Sandra.”
“Welcome,” Sandra greeted.
“Thank you, ma’am. You should be proud of your son. He is
very well thought of on the other side.” Sandra beamed a smile at her
as Ron carried on.
“This is my little sister, Nikki.” Nikki greeted Callista
with a warm handshake and a “hi”.
“And this,” Ron concluded, “is Kimberly.”
Callista looked her over very carefully. Kimberly felt as
if she was being appraised. Finally, Callista took her hand, and shook
it firmly. “You I’ve been wanting to meet. You have done well in this
war.”
“I have had a lot of help,” she responded humbly.
“Yes. I’ve been on the receiving end of that help myself.
He’s very good at what he does. *All* of what he does.” Callista let
the obvious meaning of that sentence hang in the air, while Kimberly
felt embarrassed.
Ron asked, “Callista, why are you here?”
“Can’t a girl just pop in to say ‘hi’?”
“Not when she lives in another dimension, no,” he replied
with a chuckle.
Callista smiled at him. “Well, you’re right. I did have a
reason for coming. I want you to come back to the Spirit Realm for a
little while. Just an afternoon, in Spirit Time. Shouldn’t take but a
minute in Earth Time.”
“Is something wrong?” he said with immediate concern.
She waved him off. “No, no. Just that someone wants to
see you, is all.”
“Oh. Okay, well, let’s go back in the house, then, so that
my body can have someplace to sit while I’m not in it.”
Ron led Callista to his bedroom. Kim and Nikki joined
them. “We’ll be waiting for you when you get back,” Nikki told him.
“Don’t forget the juice,” he said playfully.
“I’ll give you some juice, all right,” she said, giving him
a wink.
Ron lay down, and concentrated, and seconds later, he was
in the Spirit Realm. Callista was standing next to him when he
arrived. They were on the Plane of the Watchers, but no one else was
to be seen.
“Where is everyone?” he asked.
“Cindy is keeping an eye on the Earth Realm. Megan and
Jessica are probably already at the party.”
“Party?”
“Yes. You see, it’s my mother’s 30,000th birthday, and so
we’re throwing a big bash. She wanted you to come, and of course, none
of us objected.” She gave him a little kiss on the cheek to punctuate
the remark.
“Thirty thousand, huh? Seems like you’d stop counting
after a while.”
“*We* do. But there are others who keep track of such
things. It’s just part of our culture.”
“Well, I’m glad you invited me. I’ve never been to a
Spirit Birthday before.”
Callista laughed easily. “Boy, are you in for it! These
parties can go on for days!”
“Days? I don’t know if I can stay gone that long…”
“Mom doesn’t expect you to stay for the entire party. She
knows you’ve got work to do. But she did want you to come. She really
likes you.”
“I like her, too. I like all of you.”
They walked arm in arm up to the gate to Guardian Hall. It
was no longer guarded, and they passed through without challenge. Even
from out here, Ron could hear the party happening inside.
Once they got inside, there were people everywhere. Some
were dancing, some were talking, albeit loudly, over the orchestra.
There were performers and entertainers wandering through the room
amusing the guests. There were waiters carrying trays of drinks and
hors d’ouevres as well. Callista grabbed a drink from a passing tray
and handed it to Ron.
“Here, try this. You’ll love it!”
The liquid was blue in color. It reminded him of Kool-Aid,
but Kool-Aid didn’t have foam on top. He took a tentative sip, and a
warm, pleasant feeling flushed his body. He downed the rest of the
drink, and nearly passed out.
“Easy! That stuff is potent! If you’re not a Spirit, it
can really knock you down!”
Ron let her lead him through the room. He was sure they
were going somewhere, but his experience with the drink had disoriented
him a little. Finally, she led him into a quieter room. Here, people
were mingling, talking in a more peaceful setting. It was as if this
room was a place to rest from the chaos of the first hall. Callista
led him by the hand over to where a knot of Guardians were sitting.
As they approached, Ron finally recognized Calliope sitting
among them. *Funny, she doesn’t look a day over 29,006,* he thought to
himself with a quiet chuckle. His head was starting to clear, and it
was obvious the group was expecting their appearance.
Arriving before the guest of honor, Ron decided to give her
a flourish. He dropped to one knee, bowing his head low. With a
sideward sweep of his hand, he said, “By all that is earthly, I am
duty-bound to wish the young lady the most joyous of birthdays!”
As he rose to a round of applause for his unique entry,
Calliope rose from the couch. “My knight in shining armor!” she said
warmly. She embraced him and kissed him on the cheek. He held her
gently, remembering how soft and supple she had been that day, a year
ago.
“How I have missed you!” she cried. “It’s been so long
since we’ve seen each other. You should visit more often!”
“Yes, mm…” He almost said “ma’am” until she looked at him
sternly. “…mm’lady!” he finished. Her stern expression broadened into
a smile. She led him across the room, saying hello to guests as she
went. When they were in a quieter part of the room, she paused.
“Ron, I really am glad you decided to come. Unfortunately,
you’ve shown up just at the point where I have to go do something. In
a party like this, the guest of honor is expected to do all sorts of
things.”
“I understand,” he said.
“Promise me something. Promise me you won’t leave until we
have some time to spend together. Promise me that?”
“How could I refuse the beautiful young woman anything she
desires on her birthday?”
She kissed him again, this time on the lips, before
traipsing out a doorway, humming a tune.
Ron was now lost amid a sea of people. Calliope had
departed over a half hour ago, and he hadn’t seen her since. He’d
wandered about, shaking people’s hands and saying hello, but doing
little else. He watched a mime for a little while, and then remembered
the old joke, “A mime is a terrible thing to waste.”
Finally, he felt an extremely tall presence behind him. He
turned to see a large Centurion standing behind him.
“Marius!” He shook the giant’s hand, and then silently
counted all his fingers.
“Ron, m’boy! Good to see you again! I gather the ladies
wanted you to enjoy the hospitality of the party! Having a good time?”
“I’m a little lost without a guide.”
Marius laughed heartily. “You know, they still talk of our
exploits in the Centurion Garrison. Even though it was nearly two
hundred years ago!”
“Two hundred years… oh, that’s right, because Spirit Time
is weird.”
“So human of you!” Marius belted out another laugh. “A
good time was had by all! Well, except your lady friends, but we did
manage to get them free.”
“I never thanked the Centurions properly for that.”
“Nonsense! We live to fight! If the Judges would let us,
we’d fight the demons from sun up to sun down, and start again the next
day! Give us a cause and let us loose, that’s our motto!”
“Well, I was glad you were there.”
“Loved it, m’boy, loved it! Now, I hear you have a little
tiff going on down in Earth Realm these days.”
“You could call it that. Most folks are calling it World
War Three.”
“Messy thing, war. You’ve got to have the stomach for it,
to truly enjoy the fighting. How goes it?”
“We finally got a win on the scoreboard.”
“Glad to hear it! Well, I must be off, to see and be
seen! That’s why everyone comes here. Take care!” And just like
that, he was gone, melting into the crowd.
It wasn’t long before he felt someone at his elbow. He
turned to see who it was.
“Minerva, am I glad to see you!” He embraced her, and she
clasped him strongly. He let her go, and then she kissed him hotly on
the lips.
“Sorry I couldn’t get around to seeing you sooner,” she
said, “but in this madhouse, some of us have to keep things running.”
“That’s okay, you’re here now. How are things?”
“Since your last visit, things have calmed down quite a
bit. I understand that life for you is not so pleasant, though.”
“Well, it’s a war down there. Someone has to fight.
That’s me, I guess.”
“Yes. Now you know why we were so worried about you
fighting Mordreon. If he had killed you then, who would be leading
now?”
“Beats me. I guess it wouldn’t have been my problem then.”
“True. Well, come on. As nice as it is to see you, I’ve
really come to summon you.” She led him off through the crowd until
they got to a door, which led to a mercifully empty hallway. She
continued to walk through Guardian Hall, taking stairways that Ron had
never even noticed, let alone explored. The Hall was far bigger on the
inside than it looked from the outside.
After a fair amount of walking, they reached a door that
was made out of some kind of translucent crystal. A soft light shone
through the doors.
“In there,” Minerva said softly.
“You’re not coming with me?”
She smiled slightly. “No. I would be… in the way.” With
that, she kissed him on the cheek, and departed silently back the way
she had come.
Ron hesitated for just a moment, and then pushed open the
doors.
It was as if he had stepped into another world. *You *are*
in another world, stupid*. But the room he had entered was so unlike
the rest of Guardian Hall, which was bright, airy, and open. This room
was suffused with a soft, bluish light, and it was cordoned off by
hanging sheets of fabric. He moved forward, stepping onto a plush
carpet. The doors swung silently closed behind him. He walked into
the maze of fabric, finding that there was a path, although it was a
winding one to block out all noise from the outside.
Once he made his way through the outer cloth barriers, he
entered a small area, no larger than his bedroom at home. And the
comparison was apt, since there happened to be what appeared to be a
soft mattress on the floor. On the far side of the room stood Calliope.
Her blonde hair flowed down her back, freed from her usual
pins and ribbons. She was turned away from him, but her head was
cocked to the side. He knew that she was aware of his presence, but
she said nothing. He felt the urge to slip his boots off, and did so
with his extension, pulling his socks off at the same time. He walked
across the carpet barefoot, feeling it caress his feet with its
softness.
She remained still as he reached her. What was not obvious
from across the room was that she was only wearing a thin robe, blue
like the rest of the room. Her hands rested against a table that sat
at the edge of the clear area. He could feel her body heat as he moved
close to her. His hands softly encircled her waist, and she closed her
eyes, a slight smile playing at her mouth.
“It is our tradition,” Calliope said very softly, “That on
a female Guardian’s deka-millenial birthdays, she should bring a mate
to this room. In the old days, this was said to guarantee a child
between the couple.”
Ron was a little startled. “Calliope…”
She turned in his arms. “Oh, don’t worry. I’m not asking
you to give me another child. Even if you were really here, we are
not… ‘interfertile’.” She blessed him with the sweetest of smiles.
“But that doesn’t mean we can’t go through the motions.”
She melted into his arms, her head turning so that she
could rest it on his chest, her arms around him. He could feel her
soft breasts pressing against him, and he was quickly rising to the
occasion. Eventually, she tilted her head up to look at him, and he
kissed her softly, their lips brushing lightly.
Soon, that was not enough, and their kisses became more
heated. She pressed herself against him more firmly, and his hands
caressed her back through the flimsy robe she wore. Her tongue
requested and gained entrance to his mouth, slipping wetly across his
tongue as she moaned softly.
Without breaking their kiss, Ron moved slightly away from
her, his hands moving upward to her shoulders. He pushed the fabric of
her robe off her shoulders, and it tumbled to the floor. The beautiful
woman before him was now completely nude. He pulled the zipper of his
jumpsuit down, and she helped him remove it. Stepping out of the
uniform, he was now wearing only his briefs.
Their bodies moved back together, and he could feel her
flesh against him, could feel her breasts radiating heat into his
body. He pulled her tightly to him, and she came willingly, her arms
wrapping around his neck as their tongues continued their dance.
They shuffled over to the mattress on the floor, slowly,
ever so slowly sinking down onto it. Ron was shocked at how soft and
comfortable it was for being so thin, and sitting directly on the
floor. He forgot about the bed as he felt a hand sliding down his
chest. Calliope’s fingers reached under the band of his briefs and
encircled his cock. Her fingers were cool, and soft, and nimble. She
caressed his hard dick as they continued kissing.
Finally, she broke the kiss, and gently rolled him onto his
back. She moved down to carefully pull off his briefs, exposing his
prick to her sight. She sighed as she took it into her hand, slowly
jacking it until it reached complete hardness, which didn’t take too
long. Then she snaked her tongue out to touch the very tip of his
dick. Ron groaned quietly at the feel of her velvety tongue slipping
across him.
Her tongue slid down the side of his shaft, maintaining
light but stimulating contact throughout. She slid back up the other
side of his cock, until she reached the head, which she circled again
and again, watching the precum ooze from it. She lapped the clear
liquid up before moving down his shaft again, her tongue sliding wetly
against his skin. She moved past the base of his cock, down to his
balls. She licked each one, and then gently sucked one into her mouth,
lavishing it with strokes as gentle as a feather before letting it slip
from between her lips again. She switched to the other ball, and
repeated the treatment. By now, Ron was more than fully erect.
She ran her tongue along the underside of his shaft as she
moved her mouth to the tip of his cock. She didn’t pause for an
instant as her mouth closed around him, her tongue still sliding
against the underside as her lips traveled down his shaft.
As Calliope’s mouth began to dance on Ron’s dick, he
reached out to caress her tit. She moved to give him easier access to
her body, but never stopped her mouth’s motion. Ron gently groped her
breast, fondling it with just the tips of his fingers. When he reached
her nipple, he tweaked and twisted it, eliciting a moan of pleasure
from Calliope that thrummed along his cock, sending shivers up his
spine.
Wanting to get more into the action, Ron reached out with
his extension and lifted Calliope’s body, while leaving her mouth on
his dick. He moved her on top of him, so that he was now looking up at
her gorgeous, dripping pussy.
He hesitated not a moment, but reached out with his tongue
to lap up the juices there. Calliope shuddered as she felt his tongue
on her sensitive cunt lips. He continued to lick, letting his tongue
probe the folds of her nether region, driving her to higher points of
pleasure.
When he took her clit into his mouth and gently flicked his
tongue across the tip of it, her moan vibrated his cock until he was
near the point of bursting. He increased his pace, hoping to give her
as much pleasure as he was receiving.
Soon, the vibration and friction on his dick were just too
much. With a final grunt, he exploded in her mouth. She continued to
suck, swallowing every last drop of his cum, and keeping him hard. He
tried to keep tonguing her, but it wasn’t easy with the pleasure she
was giving him.
Once he settled down, he returned to licking her pussy with
a vengeance. She kept her mouth on his prick, but only to keep him
stiff. His tongue lashed at her clit now, and her body moved above
him, her hips thrusting down at him as his tongue pleasured her.
Finally, she erupted in a wonderful orgasm, her juices coating his
face. He held on as she bucked on top of him, crying out in joy.
Her climax soon subsided, but she was hardly sated. She
slipped off of him, and turned to kiss him. She licked her own juices
from his face before she moved back on top of him, her tits pressing
hard into his chest. His cock was now snuggled between her thighs, and
she gave him a lustful grin.
She reached between them with one hand, and positioned his
rod at her opening. Then she slid down onto it, letting out a long
“oh” of satisfaction and pleasure. For his part, Ron was enjoying the
tightness of her cunt slipping down onto his prick.
Immediately, Calliope pushed herself up onto her hands, and
began thrusting against Ron with all her strength. She was hot, and
already mewling and grunting with each thrust. Ron’s hands reached up
and played with her tits, which earned him an, “Oh Yes!” in response.
Calliope had a small orgasm just then, but didn’t even slow her
thrusting.
After that, Ron decided he would give her his very best for
her birthday: he would pull out all the stops. He concentrated, and
lifted them both off the mattress. As comfortable as it was, nothing
beat the softness of air itself, as long as you were properly supported.
Calliope felt the change, but was too wrapped up in what
she was feeling to care. Ron grabbed her by the hips as they turned in
the air, soon leaving him on top, pulling her into him with the same
force she had been using. Her cries continued as he rammed his cock
into her.
His hands were busy, and so he formed his extension into a
double snake that slithered along her skin up to squeeze and massage
her tits. That sensation caught her attention, and she looked down to
see the shimmering extension plying her wonderful breasts. She moaned
loudly as each glimmering serpent tweaked a nipple, sending her into
another orgasm.
They shifted again, so that Ron was sliding into her from
behind. Her tits swung on her chest, still being fondled by his
extension-snakes. As he continued that pressure, he slipped his cock
out of her pussy. He pressed it gently against her anus, and she
groaned in anticipation, pushing her hips back at him. He pressed in
slowly, feeling her relax and loosen around him. When he was all the
way in and she had relaxed, he began to thrust into her ass. Her cries
increased in intensity as he sped up, his cock ramming into her.
Another extension formed, slipping up into her pussy where
his cock had just been. Her eyes opened wide and she screamed in
pleasure. Soon, he was moving in and out of her so that when his cock
was sliding out, his extension was slipping in, and vice versa.
Calliope was in heaven, her body being pleasured all over.
Or almost all over. Ron formed one last part of his
extension, which snaked up between her legs, and between her large
breasts. Her mouth was open and panting, and so he slipped his
extension in and down her throat, filling her every hole with his
essence.
As she felt his extension fill her throat, she closed her
eyes and groaned. She could feel his energy pulsing inside her, feel
him everywhere. He was slamming into her ass, filling her pussy,
rubbing her tits, and she was even sucking him off now, all at once.
It was every sexual experience she had ever had, all rolled into one.
She was on the brink of an immense orgasm, and she could
sense he was ready, too. There was nothing she could do to bring him
closer, but her own body started to convulse in the throes of climax.
As her body began to squeeze his dick and his extension,
Ron could not hold back the dam he had been controlling until now. He
gave one last thrust and a loud grunt, and his seed poured forth into
her ass. He could feel his energy flowing through her as much as he
felt his cum pouring into her. He could feel her throat vibrate as she
screamed in ecstasy. He could feel her pussy and her ass contract on
him.
They both groaned and screamed out their climax, writhing
and twisting in mid-air, fulfilling their animal urges. It was an
astonishing outpouring of energy, and neither of them could take it.
Ron managed to set them down on the bed before they both passed out
from exhaustion and bliss.
When they finally awoke, they were snuggled against each
other, resting comfortably on the bed. As Ron opened his eyes, he
sensed the room was brighter than before. Calliope woke up as he sat
up on his elbows to look around. He spotted it just as she opened her
eyes.
“Well, would you look at that,” he said in wonder. What he
saw was a luminous bird, roughly the size and shape of a dove. Its
colors alternated, though the light coming from it was mostly white, it
would sometimes shift to a shade of bluish-white, or reddish-white, and
then back again. Other colors were also present, and it was perhaps
the single most beautiful thing Ron had ever seen. The bird looked at
him as though it had intelligence, staring straight at him as though
waiting for a response.
Calliope straightened herself out and saw the bird for the
first time. “Oh, hello, little one,” she said quietly.
“What is it?” Ron asked.
“We call them Realmbirds. Some people call them Love
Doves. It’s a manifestation of the energies and emotions we shared
while we were together.”
“You mean it’s like… we really did have a baby?”
She laughed softly. “Well, not quite, but I suppose, in a
way. This is another part of the tradition, but it’s never happened to
me before. The Realmbird is said to come to stay with the woman while
the man is away. There are other stories about Realmbirds, too, but I
don’t know if any of them are true.”
“Well, it’s the most beautiful bird I’ve ever seen.”
“They are splendid. And so were you, my love.” She kissed
him softly. “No one has ever treated me to such… unusual sexual
activities.”
It was Ron’s turn to laugh. “I’m glad you liked it. My
sister absolutely loves it when I have the time and energy to treat her
like that.”
“She’s a lucky girl, to have you around for her.”
“Why don’t you have a husband, Calliope?”
She sighed, and sat up, hugging her knees to herself. “I
did, once. He was killed in a skirmish with demons on Earth. I’ve not
felt the urge to replace him. At my age, you begin to think that love
isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, anyway. Of course, then someone like
you comes along, and reminds us all that we’re jaded because we live to
be 30,000 years old. You still have a zest for life and living. It’s
refreshing. I’m glad I’ll have something to remember tonight by.”
She looked over, and the little bird flew to her, landing
on her shoulder. Ron very carefully reached over and stroked the top
of the bird’s head. When he caressed its throat, the bird began to
sing. It was the music of an orchestra, all in one voice. It was the
sound of strings, and it was the sound of synthesized music. It was
horns and flutes, all at once. It was an indescribably beautiful
melody of sound. The couple sat enraptured by the tune.
When the bird stopped, they had no words. It hopped from
Calliope’s shoulder up onto Ron’s hand, and sat, looking between them
for a while. They looked back. Ron was stunned to find the bird
weighed nearly nothing. Even for a bird, it was light. Suddenly, the
bird flew high up into the room, and settled on a small shelf there.
It was obvious the shelf had been designed for the bird, because it was
all that could possibly reach the shelf.
“I will cherish the bird as a memory of this night,”
Calliope said.
“You know, it’s not like we’ll never see each other again.
I can always come back to visit from time to time.”
“True, but it will be fifty or so Earth years until a night
like tonight could be repeated. I *would* like you to visit, but we
won’t have a night quite like tonight.”
They sat quietly together for a little while, not moving,
Ron’s arm around her shoulder, her head against him. Finally, she
straightened.
“Oh, my. If I don’t get back to the party, they’re all
going to wonder if we got stuck in here.”
As they each got dressed, which, of course, took Ron a lot
longer to do, she said, “There are two other things that I need to tell
you. They’re “business” related, so I wanted to wait until we’d taken
care of more personal matters.”
“Sounds good to me,” he said, kissing her warmly, having
finished dressing. “What are these two things?”
“Let’s leave here.” She whistled, and the bird flew down
into the room, navigating the folds of cloth easily. It waited for
them on a perch above the door. Once Calliope opened the door, the
bird flew down to rest on her shoulder. As they walked, Calliope
asked, “What should we name her?”
“Her? How can you tell it’s a her?”
“Boy Realmbirds are supposed to be more yellow than white.”
“Oh. Hmm.” Ron looked at the bird for a moment. The bird
stared back at him with intensity. “Call her Valkyrie.”
“Why that name?”
“She looks like something that belongs with the gods, and I
get the impression that you shouldn’t make her angry. I don’t know
why, I just do.”
Calliope nodded. They continued to walk. Valkyrie
swiveled her head.
“So, back to these two things…”
“The first is, the Council of Judges has authorized us to
get involved directly in the Earth War. If you need us, we stand ready
to assist you.”
“Calliope, how vulnerable are Guardians on Earth?”
“Just like humans, we can die there. We are what you would
consider a medium-strength psionic when we’re in the Earth Realm.”
“What happens when a Guardian dies? I mean, humans go to
the AfterRealms, but where do Guardians and Centurions go?”
“We… don’t know,” she answered haltingly. “It’s something
that bothers us from time to time. We don’t have that information.”
“Oh. Well, I thank you for the offer. I will *try* to win
without endangering the Guardians. However, I may need you at some
point.”
“We will be ready.”
“And the other thing?”
“Your friend Michelle. She is not a friend to you.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that she has gone to the enemy with what she knows
of your plans.”
“Wait a minute! The Watchers said she wasn’t a trap!”
“She wasn’t, then. Only since she has returned to your
home has she become a threat. I believe that her time in prison,
accompanied by your denial of her, has deluded her into an incorrect
course of action.”
“So, then this is my fault.”
“No. This is her fault for holding on to an unrealistic
belief that she would be your one and only love, even after being gone
for so long. She would never have accepted your lifestyle, by the
way. At least, the Watchers don’t think so. I’m sorry it has to come
to this, but she is now truly an enemy.”
“Well, shit. Thank you for telling me, at least I can
change our plans to protect my people.”
“Yes. That is the important thing.” Ron nodded. They had
reached Calliope’s normal bedchamber, and went in. Valkyrie took a
quick look about, and flew off Calliope’s shoulder, landing on top of
one of the posts of the bed.
“Do they ever dim?” Ron asked.
“Only in realms with a night cycle. Here in Guardian Hall,
even when they’re asleep, they glow brightly. Well, I must be getting
back to the party, and you should probably be returning home. I want
to thank you again for coming. This has meant more to me than you can
ever know.”
The two kissed again, embracing each other one last time.
Ron noted out of the corner of his eye that the Realmbird glowed more
intensely when they were together like that.
As he turned to leave the room, he called, “Good-bye,
Valkyrie!” The bird swooped down before him, circled his head once,
and then flew back to her perch on the post. Ron chuckled. “I guess
that’s her way of saying good-bye.”
Calliope smiled, but did not respond. They walked out to
the front door of Guardian Hall, and paused.
“I realize this is probably not meaningful in any way to
the Guardians,” Ron started, “but if ever there is anything I can do
for them, or for you, I am ready and willing to do it.”
Calliope nodded her understanding with a slight smile. No
words were necessary. She hugged him again, and then walked back
inside. Ron walked down from the home of the Guardians, realizing he
had never once spotted Megan or Jessica. He thought to go back in, but
figured they must be all right. The Guardians had never lied to him,
and Callista said they were in there someplace. He didn’t want to
detract from their fun.
As he stepped onto the Plane of the Watchers, he
immediately spotted a trio of young ladies whom he immediately
recognized. They approached quickly, and when they arrived, the four
embraced.
“It’s good to see all of you,” he said after they broke the
group hug. “Cindy, you are looking beautiful as always. I am glad you
chose to stay with me, though I was a little surprised when Megan told
me.”
“Some day, Master, when we have time, I will tell you what
life was like for me before you took me in. Unwilling or not, I was
made a better person by your treatment. You gave my life meaning when
it had none, and you gave me safety when I was in mortal danger. I
will do my best to repay that debt to you, but I will never succeed.”
Ron kissed the girl, and then directed the three of them to
walk with him. They talked for a while before he had to head home.
Finally, with another embrace from each, they departed, and Ron thought
his way back into his real body.
A few days later, Ron was having a discussion with Karen
about the efficacy of her new tactics.
“Just how well did they work for you?” he asked.
“I had a lot of success with them. Of course, New York was
damned near built for sneak attacks, and it was something we hadn’t
done before, so my results may not be entirely reproducible elsewhere.”
“No, but is the doctrine sound, is the question.”
“I think so. If you can get people who you know can work
alone to travel around, avoid getting in each other’s way, and take
people out one at a time, moving on after taking out just one or two,
then you’re looking at an effective tactic. One person can take out a
dozen or more, if they’re careful about it.”
“You took out a lot more than that.”
“I took chances that I shouldn’t have. In retrospect, I
was lucky. There were several times I should have gotten injured or
killed, but lucked out, and wasn’t spotted.”
“Fortune favors the foolish,” he said with a smile.
“Thanks a lot, boss!”
“Seriously, we need to consider – “ Ron’s attention wavered
as he saw Dawn hurry past his office door with Nathan in her arms. He
raised a finger to Karen meaning “wait a minute”, and followed Dawn.
She took the child into their room, and closed the door.
Ron listened in on what took place.
“How many times,” Dawn was saying, “do I have to tell you
not to play with the people in gray? They are mean. Stay away from
them. I’m not going to tell you again. Now, you stay in here until
you can learn to obey!”
Ron slipped away before Dawn stormed out of the room in a
huff. He made a note to take care of this as soon as possible… or at
least to try.
Ron took Dawn and Nathan out into the garden. Strangely,
it had survived the Russian attack nearly intact, and had needed only
minor pruning to fix some of the trees. They spread out a blanket, and
had a nice lunch. Ron eschewed his uniform for civilian clothes, to
mollify Dawn’s anti-PPA tendencies. He had gotten her out here on the
pretense that he wanted to get to know his son better. This was true,
but wasn’t the real reason he was taking time away from a busy schedule
and people that actually wanted to be around him.
He waited until Nathan was off playing with the puppies
that Nikki and Tammy had gotten for Christmas before beginning his talk
with Dawn. He looked around quickly and noticed that Jessica was lying
in the grass about a hundred yards away. Jessica was another presence
that Dawn could not tolerate. It seemed that anything outside her own
view of normality was completely unacceptable.
“Dawn, we need to talk,” Ron started.
“Oh? About what?” she retorted indifferently.
“About you. And Nathan, and the way you’ve been acting
around here.”
“What about my behavior?”
“Dawn, you’re trying to scare your son away from people who
want nothing more than to protect him.”
“Right. They have no ulterior motives about controlling
him at all, right?”
Ron sighed. “Most of them couldn’t control him if they
wanted to. Most psionics are kinspecs. They have limited mind-control
powers. Their strength is in telekinesis.”
“Oh, right, and you’re what? A fluke?”
“Actually, yes. When a psionic gets to my level, they tend
to be more generalized. But most of the people here aren’t at my
level. And it’s unfair for you to turn our son against good people
just because of who they are. That’s bigotry.”
“*Our* son? Where the hell were you when he had colic?
Where were you when he had ear infections? Or for his first haircut?
Or when he took his first steps?” She was clearly ready to rattle off
further diatribe when he interrupted.
“I’m not the one who left, Dawn. You are. I asked you to
stay. The rest of the family asked you to stay. You decided, on your
own, that you couldn’t stay with us, where you had protection. No, I
had to endanger a friend, who ended up getting killed, because of your
stubbornness! Don’t try to lay this shit on me, Dawn!”
“Yes, I left, because you started a goddamned war!”
“I didn’t start the fucking war, Dawn. The Russians did.
Did I get involved early? Yes, I did. And doing so probably saved our
lives. At least we knew what was coming. Thousands of other families
were wiped out because they weren’t prepared! What did you want me to
do?”
She didn’t answer him. She turned away and lapsed into
impenetrable silence. She refused to be baited any further. Finally,
Ron gave up, and went to play with his son. He had hoped for a better
result to this discussion, but he hadn’t expected one. He knew her
fears were too deeply rooted. He also felt that she was emotionally
unstable now. He thought about altering her, but dismissed the idea
out of hand. People had been dealing with emotional trauma for
millennia, and they didn’t need someone fucking with their heads to get
through it.
He did worry about Nathan, though. There were definite
signs of superior intellect in the boy. Ron knew instinctively that
the child had The Ability. What made that hard to deal with is that
Ron also knew that Dawn would leave here as soon as the war was over,
and that Ron was unwilling to stop her. She would want to take Nathan,
and she had a good argument. His only apprehension was her state of
mind, and he was still clinging to the hope that she would get over
that after the war ended, and she could return to something like a
normal life.
He decided not to decide, and let the issue work itself out
in his future. He got down in the grass with his son, and played with
the puppies. He tried to ignore his sister sitting sullenly in the
shade of the big elm tree at the edge of the garden. If she chose not
to participate in their fun so that she could avoid talking about
things, that was her own misfortune, and he wasn’t going to waste his
energies worrying about it. He had far more critical issues that would
require his attention much sooner.
“We are standing here today, just outside the headquarters
of the PPA, the military group in charge of fighting back the Russian
invasion that has swept the nation. With me is General Ronald Chaffey,
Commander-in-Chief of the PPA. General, this broadcast will be going
out to everyone in Washington, DC. Is there anything you have to say
to those folks?”
“Yes, Melissa,” Ron said. “Get the hell out of the city.
It is the expected next target of the Russian psionic army, and we
intend to be there to defend it.” Of course, Ron knew that he was, by
the fact of being there, ensuring that it would be the next city
attacked.
“Defend is a strange word to be using in this war, isn’t it
General?”
“You could look at it that way, Melissa. Basically, what
it means is that the Russians will try to kill us while knocking down
the city. We’re just going to try to drive the Russians off.”
“Your goal is not their annihilation?”
“Not at this time. We had a major victory in New York, and
we hope to build on it in Washington. It’s the nation’s capital, our
seat of authority and power, and we’re not letting them take it without
a fight.”
“General, can we expect the same kind of loss of life as we
did in New York?”
“Of course not, Melissa. New York had over six million
people in it when the battle broke out. Washington holds slightly
under one million. It would be impossible to kill another four million
people in this battle.”
“General, that attitude seems awfully cold-hearted.”
“Look, I did my best to warn the citizens of New York.
They chose not to listen. They died. I *told* them they would die if
they didn’t listen, but they stayed anyway. Short of getting a whip
and driving them out of the city personally, I did everything I could
to prevent their deaths.
“It just goes to show you that, while New Yorkers may have
been tough, they apparently weren’t terribly bright. Now, Washington
has a chance to show how intelligent its citizens are. I’m issuing the
same warning: Washington is now in a declared state of emergency. It
would be advisable for all civilians to leave the city. If you do not
leave the city, chances are you will be killed when the battle
happens. The PPA will no longer look out for you. If you get in our
way, we will not stop to avoid you. In short, you’re going to get hell
from both sides of the conflict. It would be best for all involved if
you weren’t there.”
“How soon will you be leaving for Washington, General
Chaffey?”
“I’m sure your viewers have noticed, Melissa, although
you’ve been too preoccupied, that we are *already* on our way.”
Melissa looked around to see no ground beneath her. She
panicked for a heartbeat, and then composed herself. “To all of the
people in Washington, DC, I urge you to get clear of the battle zone.
Our prayers go with you. Reporting from… somewhere over the United
States, this is Melissa Conway, signing off.” She turned to Ron and
said, “You could have warned me, General.”
“True. But where would be the fun in that?” He turned
away as she stared at him, flabbergasted. She was handed off to her
new escort, Mark Chanselek. Kara was still recuperating from her
injuries. Ron flew off, to the head of the group, where his command
staff was leading the way.
Washington was sweltering. A tropical warm front had
driven its way up from the gulf and reminded everyone that this area
had once been a malarial swamp. The sun blazed down out of a cloudless
sky, and the wind was a mere wisp, the air hardly moving at all.
That’s not to say there was no movement. The battle had
commenced an hour ago, and thousands upon thousands of people filled
the skies, and swarmed the ground. The PPA’s numbers had increased to
just under six thousand with the trickle of new recruits they were
still receiving. The Russians had attacked with at least twice that.
Where they were getting all their troops, Ron had no clue.
Still, the battle was under way, and outside considerations
were diminishing into the background. The how and why could wait until
later. Right now the PPA was confronted with the what. And the what
was thirteen thousand angry Russians trying to kill them and take their
city. The PPA vowed that would not happen.
Ron flew down street after street, avoiding any involvement
in a battle at this point, making sure the new tactics were working.
After his visit to the Spirit Realm, Ron had met with Lars and a few
other trusted leaders to see to it that new tactics were put in place,
and a new strategy invoked. The “group” tactics he had used in the
past were exchanged for small-unit tactics. Teams of no larger than
ten would move about, engaging smaller groups. Any time a bigger group
was spotted, they would be sniped, picked off one at a time from troops
hidden behind buildings, cars, piles of rubble, or their own
invisibility. This was the legacy of Karen’s work in the last battle.
There were a few areas where Ron’s new style was not put
into force. The most important of these was the White House. Major
Bob Maxton, newly promoted, was again in charge of what he called
“Monument Patrol”. It was his sworn duty to keep the White House
standing. All other buildings were a non-consideration for his team of
two hundred.
He spread his team out, to keep them in hiding behind trees
and shrubbery. The building itself had been fully evacuated, just in
case. None of his troops were positioned inside: he’d used that trick
last time, and he didn’t want to repeat himself.
He scouted the positions of his men, and found them
satisfactory. He extended his televiewing to cover the area around the
White House, and found a large group of Filitov Council soldiers moving
in his direction.
*Okay, here they come… <Let’s get ready, people! Heads
up!>*
Farther south on The Mall, Col. John Termannic was leading
a set of teams. He had with him a small command squad whose major
purpose was to tell the other units what to do, relaying orders and
messages from command to each team.
John watched as a Russian group came onto The Mall from the
east. His orders went out, and the small teams moved to counter. One
unit, hiding in the trees near the Washington Monument, opened fire on
the Russians. The FC soldiers scattered and attempted to return fire,
but couldn’t easily see their enemy.
Having scattered, and their intended attack thwarted, the
Russians looked for targets of opportunity. One small unit was caught
in the open, and was fired upon heavily. But immediately other teams
lobbed cover-fire, until the exposed group could get out of the field
of fire.
John saw how the Russians were sweeping across The Mall,
and he gave his orders to counter it. His teams split into a set of
two, moving to either side of the FC, leaving their front completely
empty. Once the enemy had advanced into the field, Col. Termannic
ordered his men to open fire. The Russians were caught in a vicious
crossfire, and had nowhere to retreat to. They valiantly fought back,
but they were caught on open ground, and they fell as they ran,
retreating back from where they had come.
Cheers rose from the PPA soldiers, but John knew this was
merely the first wave. An area this important to the city would be
attacked many times before the Russians would give up.
Major Maxton had his men raise the shield to protect The
House, as it is known. The Russians came flying in, a force of three
hundred strong. Bob prepared for their onslaught, and it came. A
massive wave of energy hit the shield, and was deflected over it. One
of the more important tricks that the military personnel had been able
to teach Ron is that it is often more useful to deflect an attack
rather than stop it cold. In this case, the energy of the attack
impacted on the grounds around the White House, rather than damaging
the building itself.
The Russians were not happy, and shifted modes into more
directed attacks. Laser-like blasts were fired at the PPA troops
protecting The House. Their shields were temporarily removed from the
over-all capability of the master shield, but as soon as they were
safe, the master shield was reinforced again.
One hundred people held the master shield together. This
left another hundred to deal with the approaching threat. They hid
behind trees, walls, shrubs, and anything else they could find, and
started picking off the FC, one by one. After they’d fire two or three
times, they would shift position, so the enemy could never localize
them easily.
Bob saw that the strategy was working, and he hoped that
this battle would go as easily as that for the Statue had. These hopes
were dashed when more Russians moved in from the west to reinforce.
*<Here come the reinforcements, guys! We’ve got to hold
this building!>*
Kimberly and Shana were leading their group of Hunters
through the eastern portion of the city. They had already encountered
a large group of FC troops, which they avoided, but had then harassed
with guerrilla fighting for a half-hour. Finally, the FC unit had fled
at high speed, out of Kimberly’s area of responsibility.
Their group was comprised of a total of fifty people,
Hunters all. As they approached the capitol building, however, they
split apart. Shana took her team of twenty to the north, and Kim moved
her troops south. They had sensed a Russian group on the far side of
the building. At Kim’s command, they came around the building,
sweeping in from either side. The Russians, who had been hoping to
ambush an unsuspecting unit flying overhead, had not expected a ground
attack.
Suddenly, the fight was on. Kim was assaulted from three
different Russians, but her shields held. She managed to fire a
mind-whip at one of them, snapping his neck with its energy. She
sizzled a blast of energy at another, leaving only one attacking her
directly. Her enemy tried to flee, but Kim took her down with a
focused energy beam.
Shana, meanwhile, was wading into the Russians with a
vengeance. She drew a knife, which seemed a pitiful weapon against a
psionic, until it’s wielded by one such as Shana. She flew through the
air, knowing her own troops would move out of her way. She swerved and
dodged, coming closer and closer to enemy troops. Once she was in
their midst, she slashed, left and right, her arm flying in a blur.
Each stroke was accompanied by a fountain of blood pouring from some
Russian’s neck. After a minute, she stopped right in front of what
seemed to be a leader of sorts. Her body spun in a blur, and the
Russian’s head was struck so hard that it twisted off his body. Shana
settled to the ground, and turned to face the enemy, almost daring them
to come at her.
Come they did, and then they died. Her fighting would be
talked about for years. She moved like a cat, slipping out of danger,
and then coming back as the hunter, killing mercilessly anyone who
chose to get too near to her. Psionic blasts flew all around her, but
she wasn’t touched by a single one. She was born to fight, and fight
she did, killing anything that opposed her.
Kim and Shana finally joined back up as the battle grew
more confused. They immediately turned back-to-back, and proved that
the Hunters were not a team to be trifled with.
Lars and Karen were flying for their lives. They’d tried a
sneak attack one too many times, and it had finally caught up with
them. The group they were after had immediately wheeled around and
come after them, blasting away in the hopes of frying them in flight.
The two were leading a small team, now down to eight people
including themselves. They had been moving up and down the Potomac
River, hiding in trees, darting through open spaces as quickly as
possible. Unfortunately, the FC had finally figured out where they
were firing from, and had turned this latest attack into a desperate
struggle for life.
The group ducked under some trees, but the enemy set fire
to the trees in order to drive the PPA soldiers out. It worked, but
the small team came out firing, blasting away at the much larger force
after them. Several Russians fell to the assault, but so did one of
the Americans.
Now down to seven, Lars led his unit south along the
Potomac until he was just across from The Mall, where he could see a
pitched battle was still being fought. He swerved to the west instead,
not realizing until it was too late that he had just entered Arlington
Cemetery. The neat rows of headstones were not an image he needed just
now, but it was too late to turn back. The Russian team was hot on
their heels, and started firing psionic blasts as soon as the small PPA
unit was in the open. The ground beneath them was scorched as the team
dodged the incoming fire. Lars knew that the area beneath him was
being desecrated, and that there was little he could do about it.
Except, perhaps, to kill the bastards doing the work. He
launched a massive ball of fire up at the FC troops, razing two, and
scorching three others. The Russians dispersed, but did not leave.
They came in from different directions, blasting away. Lars and Karen
were side by side, using precision strikes to take the enemy down.
Karen, remembering her lessons from Ron, launched a visible
bird attack at one Russian, who dodged to the left to avoid it,
thinking it dangerous. The momentary lapse of concentration allowed
Karen to transfix him with a bolt of energy through his heart. He fell
to the ground below, already dead.
The small team moved on, farther west, trying to clear the
cemetery, but they were jumped by another band of Russians. Now they
had a team on either side of them, and they were quickly running out of
places to go. Karen had issued a call for help a few minutes ago, but
had no hope of rescue. The small group huddled in tight, forming a
defensive circle. They blasted outward, trying to take out as many
troops as possible, but they were heavily outgunned.
Suddenly, from the east, a blast of energy arose. It took
out six of the enemy before they had a chance to flee. Karen turned to
see Ron leading a company of more than a hundred men and women. Each
opened fire on an FC soldier. Many shots went for the same target, and
most of them hit. The FC was now outmatched more than two to one, and
they fled the battle quickly. Ron kept his unit in formation as they
flew over the cemetery, showing a sign of respect for fallen comrades.
The small group moved back into the battle, having gained a
few troops from Ron’s company. They would not let the Russians run
them off. Lars and Karen were determined to take the fight to the
enemy, and make the Filitov Council sorry it had ever heard of the PPA.
Major Maxton could not believe the amount of people the
Russians were committing to the battle for the White House. All around
the area could be seen fallen troops, more FC than PPA, but still they
kept coming. Soon, there were more reinforcements, their numbers
growing rapidly.
Bob reorganized his offensive units, hoping to get better
position on the attacking Russians. His numbers were down, as well,
and he called out for reinforcements of his own. He was assured they
were on the way, and he hoped they would get here quickly.
Maj. Maxton saw a large group of FC soldiers forming, and
he wondered what they had planned. First, they tried a direct energy
assault, blasting at the shield. It held firm, but the people on the
line were starting to wear.
The Russians sensed they would not get through to the
building quite that easily. A leader started directing the black-clad
troops to the south. Over a hundred of them moved off, still leaving a
sizeable force for Maxton to deal with. He kept his own shields up,
watching the enemy move off to the south. His heart dropped as they
surrounded the Washington Monument, which was visible from where he
stood.
As a team, the Russians concentrated, and as a team, they
managed to hoist the monument out of the ground. The building began to
crumble almost immediately, but it retained its basic shape as they
tilted it onto its side, pointing north.
Bob knew what was happening, and he directed his troops
accordingly. The team of Russians accelerated the toppled monument
until it was moving faster than a freight train. The team of PPA
soldiers on the line strengthened the shield directly in front of the
oncoming battering ram, turning it into a solid wall of energy that
nothing would penetrate.
Unfortunately, as the Washington Monument crashed into the
barrier, the remaining Russian troops fired off massive volleys of
psionic energy, penetrating the weaker portions of the shield. These
attacks were lessened by the shield, but still managed to make it
through to the building. Windows shattered, and the outside of the
building was scorched black in places. Maxton quickly added men to the
shield, buttressing its strength, but the damage had already been
done. The building still stood, but, like the country it represented,
it had been wounded.
The Washington Monument crumbled to the ground after its
impact with the shield. It made a massive stone hill that the Russians
could hide behind and fire at the shield without danger.
Or, it would have been without danger. Col. Termannic,
seeing the problem at The House, pushed his teams north, letting them
form up into a useful company, and took the enemy from behind. A
fierce firefight ensued, but the Russians were now out of position, and
their numbers were dropping fast. It was clear that this round had
gone to the Americans, and the Russian teams withdrew. Everyone knew
they would be back.
Ron had separated from the unit he had led in its cavalry
charge to save Lars’ and Karen’s small unit. He was speeding down a
street with fighting all around him. He was looking for other places
where an extra push was needed.
As he passed one building, something caught his eye. He
slowed to a stop, and couldn’t figure out what had set him off. He
realized, as he looked at the crumbled structure, that he was staring
at the remains of the headquarters of the Internal Revenue Service.
*Well, it couldn’t have happened to a nicer bunch of
folks*, he thought with a chuckle. Then, he quickly realized that what
had caught his attention was a flicker of movement, but it was coming
from the building next to the IRS headquarters. It was the National
Post Office Building, and what he saw there made his blood turn cold.
An auburn-haired beauty dressed in a black combat uniform.
Zinaida! But, immediately, he felt a presence behind him. He moved
out of the way just as the blast would have reached him. He turned to
see that his attacker was… Zinaida?
He immediately understood that one of these two was
Zinaida, and the other was Michelle. He had not wanted to believe that
she had turned, but now he had no option.
The girl standing on top of the Post Office Building flew
up to join the gathering, putting an enemy on either side of Ron.
One of them said, “Confusing, isn’t it?”
Ron kept his peace. He was trying to think of a way to
tell them apart.
“You’d better be careful. You wouldn’t want to hurt your
old girlfriend by mistake.”
Ron finally came up with something. “You only made one
mistake, Zinaida,” he said, not facing either of them directly as he
spoke, but a point in-between them.
“What’s that?” they answered in unison.
Ron slammed a mental control into the girl on his right.
She plummeted toward the ground, but he stopped her just short of
hitting. He laid Michelle on a pile of rubble, and turned to face his
opponent.
“You forgot to mimic her style of flight. Your hair is
lying limp. Hers always floats. Stupid error on your part.”
Zinaida screamed at him, and charged. He slipped to the
side, and as she passed, he gave her a push. It sent her spinning for
a moment, which was all he needed. He lanced a massive psionic blast
at her. She managed to block it, but the energy still pushed her the
rest of the way to the ground. She fired up at him, but without any
success. He dodged and evaded each and every attack.
Ron threw down small balls of fire on her head. She howled
in frustration, having to run away from the fiery rain. She turned one
last time, and blasted an energy wave up at him. He ducked it, and
prepared for more, but she was already speeding away.
*<We will meet again, General!>*
*<Count on it, bitch.>*
Ron collected Michelle from her bed of rubble, keeping his
mental control on her so that she could not move her limbs at all. He
carried her, psionically, back toward the White House. He had the
distinct impression that help was needed there. He called out to all
of his psionics, and told them to converge on that point.
This was another battle plan he had worked out on his own,
without consulting the others. As a group, the remainder of six
thousand psionics converged on the battle happening at the White House.
Bob Maxton was holding his own. After the Washington
Monument had been destroyed, several more attacks were tried, but none
had been truly successful. Now, suddenly, the sky darkened with
psionics, and Bob nearly panicked. But they rained down fire on the
enemy, and it was soon clear that this was the bulk of the PPA force.
The White House was soon protected behind a solid wall of people, who
raised the level of the master shield to a point that it was nearly
solid in form as well as appearance.
Soon, Ron appeared. Once he saw that the majority, if not
all, of his troops had gathered there, he gave his orders. *<Circle
out! Push these FC bastards out of our city! Give no quarter! Make
sure that if you leave a Russian, he’s either running, or dead!>*
The PPA moved out in a wave, widening its protective
circle. But the spirit of the FC was broken, and they were already
fleeing. Several dozen were killed as they fled the battlefield, but
then they were gone, and the PPA stood victorious again.
“Good job, Major,” Ron said to Bob Maxton.
“I didn’t do quite good enough, sir,” he replied, pointing
to the damage. Ron waved it off.
“The building’s still standing. That’s the important
part. Now, take charge of this… person. I’ll leave my control on her
for now, but you get to carry her back to base.”
“Thanks a lot, sir,” Bob replied sarcastically.
Ron turned to look at the city. Little had survived the
battle. Except for one or two monuments and memorials, the city had
been well and truly leveled. But, as had been his goal, Ron had seen
to it that the White House, symbol of American power, remained standing
for all to see.
Kim soon joined him to look over the ruin that Washington
had become in so short a time. He took her hand, and they stared in
silent astonishment at what war could wreak on a city.
All told, the PPA lost only 1,283 troops. It was estimated
that the Russians lost well over 3,000 in this single battle. It was
the army’s greatest victory to date, but Ron swore that it would not be
their last.
They took a day to rest inside Washington before returning
home. Spirits were high, and many people, even the wounded, were now
talking about winning the war. It was a sound he had not heard until
recently, and it was both infectious, and necessary to their continued
success.
The team flew down out of the sky, to land on their parade
ground, and was once again greeted with a tune from Queen. “We Are the
Champions” blared forth from the PA system, and Ron smiled to hear it.
Bob Maxton, who had been flying just behind the leaders,
dropped down beside him with his bundle. “What shall I do with her,
sir?” he asked.
“Put her in a guarded room. I’ll keep a mental lock on
her, but we’ve got to let her eat and use the bathroom, and stuff like
that.”
“Yes, sir. When do you plan on doing something about her?”
“Give it a day. I need to get the command staff together.”
“Aye aye, sir.”
“This military tribunal will now come to order!” Ron
intoned loudly. “General Ronald Chaffey presiding with the command
staff as panel. General Kim has recused herself due to the identity of
the defendant. Sitting in her stead is Colonel Shana Veltor. The
accused will step forward.”
Michelle rose from her chair and stood in front of the
panel. Not at attention.
“Michelle Donalli, you have been accused of treason. The
specification of the charge is that you did, knowingly and willfully,
give information to the enemy of your country during a time of war.
How do you plea?”
“Fuck yourself.”
“The court will assume that as a plea of not guilty,” Ron
said seriously. “And it will remind the accused that foul language is
not permitted in this court.”
“Go to hell,” she responded.
“Having already met and reviewed the evidence, the command
staff will now cast its vote on your guilt. This will be done by
secret ballot.”
The members all shuffled their strips of paper into a small
basket, which was then handed to Ron. He counted the strips of paper,
and made a notation on his pad. Then, he turned to face Michelle again.
“With greater than half of the command staff agreeing, you
are hereby found guilty of the crime of treason. Your punishment will
be threefold: you will have your psionic abilities removed. You will
be used as a messenger to deliver a challenge to the enemy, and you
will then return here, if still alive, to face life imprisonment at the
hands of the sitting authority. Do you wish to address the court?”
“You filthy piece of shit! Go and play with your whore!
You think I don’t know about you? You never respected me! You left me
in that hell-hole for months! Well, I got even! Killed a few of your
friends while I was at it, too!”
It was obvious that she was completely deranged by now.
She had snapped, and he hadn’t seen it coming. It was strange, he
thought, that he didn’t care more. She was just another problem that
had turned into an opportunity. *I guess I never really did love her.*
“The court finds your remarks pointless,” he intoned, “and
they will be stricken from the record. The prisoner will have her
powers removed immediately by the court-appointed Skill,” which was a
joke, as there was only one Skill in the army. “The rest of your
sentence will be carried out at a time of the Commanding Officer’s
choosing. Take her away.”
Michelle was dragged, kicking and screaming, off to where
James was waiting to do his part. For once, he and Ron were in
agreement about how to handle a situation. That worried Ron.
Ron turned to the others and said, “I wish we hadn’t had to
do this, but sometimes, you have to be harsh.”
“She decided to break the rules,” Lars said. “Even if she
has gone nuts, she had to make that particular decision consciously.
And, if she really is deranged, you don’t want her having The Ability,
anyway.”
“No. I’ve already got one crazy woman with The Ability to
deal with. One a lifetime is enough. Well, I have a plan, now. Let’s
go see if we can work out the details.”