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Mother Confessor:

Tears streaming down my face, accompanied by the sharp pains of laughter. Commander Riley had just finished telling a rather funny story from his child hood. Working on our second bottle of the strong liquor. I was most amused at getting the loopier version of the stringent and obtuse officer back. This was far more effective a way to get information, and a bit more than my method.

This swapping of funny stories has been most enjoyable. However, I had to keep my guard up from his many interjections of sexual advances. I did not want to compromise the foundation I had laid elsewhere.

“Well Mr. Riley, excuse me Phillip”, I said in my intoxicated giggling, “Thank you for being a good participant in all of this. However, I must conclude this encounter. Too bad that things had to be this way.”

He takes a few moments in his own stupor.

He then slurrs his response, “It is too bad, that we must be at odds, Head Mistress. I suppose I should be headed back to my cage.” Letting another round of laughter erupt at the word play.

“Good night, and good bye Mr. Riley”, I playfully say to him. Letting the guard know that it was time to take him back to his cell. The Centurian guard stone faced walks over and shackles the drunken officer. Leading him out of my domain, the echo of laughter fading as they depart.

Wobbly I rise from my own seat, the room sloshing back and forth. Taking very unsure steps, as my vision impairs my equilibrium. It seems like I have to cross a vast expanse, though it was only about five meters or so. Knocking my shins clumsily against the soft mattress. Gravity pulls me onto the soft surface. Falling hard on my face, everything goes black. The only sensation revolving like a planet in a starless universe.

Marckus:

As REM cycle starts easing into my sleep, it begins a very sobering scene. Wearing my dress uniform and walking stiffly down a very strict hallway. My dress shoes echoing off the marble floor and granite walls. Passing between Spartan columns on either side of the path to the large double doors in the distance. Feeling confused and afraid of what is behind those heavy doors. The wave of feeling mounts in the loud open hall, sounding my arrival to what has yet to be revealed. Pushing through the despair, not wanting to back down from anything that will come. Marching proudly the final strides to the heavy wooden doors.

Taking off my hat and holding it cordially in my left arm, I place my empty hand on the cold door handle. Taking a deep breath before depressing the brass lever. Pushing the brass handle down, listening to the latch click as it slides out of its housing. Entering the room with a low groan from the heavy door.

Seeing the vast expanse of the room at the end of the hollow hallway. Closing the door politely behind me, as I enter this large court style arena. It was far larger than what it should have been. The multi tiered docket filled with all of the dead officers that I had on my heavy ring. So many different faces of the many species and societies I had fought in the galaxy and domestically. They all stared sternly down upon me as I made my approach to the little wooden gate. Their war torn faces seem divided on my summons to this tribunal. Coming to a halt before the wise old beings that have passed on.

Gazing back at the high perched military officials, holding myself stiff and ready to receive my hearing. Then the first General that I had ever killed in combat cuts the silence wide.

“Well if it isn’t the proud Ober-Commander Syrilious. Why have you called this counsel to assemble”, his gruff voice rings out in the open court. I take another deep breath, trying to find the words I wished to say.

“Sir, I am formally requesting advice before I enter my upcoming campaign”, I respond to the dead.

“ So the great Syrilious ask upon us for our collective wisdom”, the past General mockingly throws back at me. The others fill the hollow chamber with a roar of laughter.

“From what we collectively decided on is that you were undefeatable. Yet here you stand before us, asking for advice on what to do”, he continues in a stern tone, “We have been watching you, and your evolution in these recent events. We are divided in our stance towards this altruistic ideology you have adopted. There are those among us that do agree with your heavy-handed ruling against totalitarianism. In addition, those who feel that Earth deserves to be crushed under the weight of it’s own egotistical follies. With the exception of expanding outside of their own species of course, they still may not be easily swayed in your favor.”

Banter fills the docket in a quick deliberation of what to offer me. Standing in the silence, taking the verbal attack as nothing more than residual aggression. Their deliberations continue for several minutes, filled with hard glares and angry gestures.

Then breaking through the many debates being held, the loud crack of a gavel being pounded into its block trying to bring back the silence. Finally, the rabble rousing dies back into silence. It hangs in the air several seconds, the tension so high. Not daring to take a breath, lest the action incite an eruption from the mixed company.

“We have come to a conclusion, Syrilious”, the General begins their collective verdict, “ We find it in your best interests to take your own advice when it comes to passing farewells to those who surround you. Likewise for the very men under your command. Secondly, we cannot say you are going to win in an all out war with an entire planet. If it is any consolation however, we do know you will prove once more that your relentless resolve shall prove you a devastating adversary. That being said, good luck. Dig in and give them hell! Sometimes blood must be shed to drive home the point that to be free, you must sacrifice and pay the highest price. For there to be liberty, you shall pay this price, and the tree of liberty is thirsty. Funny after all these many years that it has come down to the shedding of blood. Though you are out manned, know this. To be free, the soldier shall sacrifice for the masses. May you fight with honor and discipline, and bring them to their knees. Never retreat and never surrender. Though you will do neither, no matter the odds nor the enemy. In the end, hoist your banner proudly. Send the message so that those around you see your colors, and rise to aid you. Sometimes the blade is needed when the pen fails. So stand proud, with our blessing that you restore the rule of a fair and just society.”

Taking a moment to let this sink into my thick skull.

He ends the ruling, “ Let the names of those who fight and die be remembered. Though they are from afar, they will stand with you. It may not be perfect, but in the end, the power of the masses should prevail. That being said, Syrilious, pursue this till the last man. Fight without mercy. If you should fail, they will fear that which with they have dared to prod. Fore even in death, you will be victorious over those who conquer the weak!”

Placing my hat atop my head, I salute the many fallen.

“ I will take from them everything, and shall give them nothing. For liberty I will stand, and need be fall. Thank you, for your words of encouragement in this most dire time” ,I respond strongly back to the docket. Saluting them, “I shall heed your words. Thank you for your wisdom, I am humbled by your insights and your honesty.”

Graxis:

Working on my second pot of coffee, pouring over the statements written in a multitude of languages. The linguist helping to decipher them with me keeps nodding off, despite my pushing coffee on him. Trying to run through the databases for similar lingual dialects, to begin to understand what was hastily scrawled upon the pages. Some markings here and there looked somewhat the same though I am sure that they may mean different things entirely. I have seen that to be the case from a few languages and dialects that seem to share some commonality and are distinctly different in context, pronunciation, and what they represent. Terran was hard enough to learn, let alone trying to learn a new alien language.

Sipping my coffee waiting for the terminal to interpret the many strange symbols, into a language. My eyes feeling heavy with the task, despite mainlining caffeine. My head bobbing as I fight the early morning hours for consciousness.

Marckus:

Jerking awake from my dreams. The heavy ring hung loosely in my hands. My joints ache from sleeping up against the wall. Stretching out my sore knees to rest flat on the floor, I pondered why I was told what I was. It all seemed reasonable to follow such simple instructions. I will do my best to honor the fallen.

Rising up from the wall, glancing at the clock mounted behind me. The dull red numbers display 0334, on its face. Placing the heavy ring on the desk, I work on my next move. Two different science installations lay between Mars and me. However, I am not looking forward to meeting the Colonial ruling party on the rust planet. It will be well worth the effort to have an ally.

Saturn has a smaller non-military installation, more like a science outpost. Fairly well hidden somewhere around Dion. Will take a bit to find it since I only know where the general vicinity of the facility is. Has to be close to a moon that has ice on it, otherwise it would be too hard to maintain decent long-term services out there by Saturn. Been out there a long time, how long I do not know. Just that it is a general science base located in the Saturn System. They should be able to help us with getting what we need in order to infiltrate and storm the military labs on Callisto in the Jupiter system.

Placing an order for a pot of coffee, I sit at my desk trying to sort out my thoughts. The last time I was out on Callisto, I remember some questionable practices going on there. As if ethics took a back seat to the fundamental rules of science as a whole. Terrible things have probably been done there since last I had been. The Confederation feels that it is a good out of the way place to study their specimens, chemical, and biological agents in a secluded area. Able to quarantine what or who they need to in the event that something should go wrong. A fortress, but not impossible to get into with a good player. I wonder just how defended it is. Most likely, more than my visit, seeing as the Confederation will not let an asset like that to be taken. Well not as long as they are on a mad power grab for their empire.

A knock on my door interrupts my thoughts. My coffee has arrived. I thank the young soldier for the pot and cup. Placing them upon the desk, I remove my mask. Inhaling the fresh brewed coffee with a renewed sense. Slowly pouring the hot liquid into the cup watching the steam swirl as it fills. Then it hits me, seeing the swirling evaporate rise into the air. To take Callisto simply hit her from all sides. Should not take much more than a medium size party with plenty of armor support to kick them in the teeth. It should also save on loss of my own men and hardware. Even if they did get out a call for reinforcement, the Confederation would not be able to get out there with a fighting force in time. I plan to be on Mars to work out a diplomatic alliance by the time they would be heading off Terra. The Martian Colonial will be watching their orbital zone intently for any military vessels in the area. Would the Confederation risk being torn from space by MC-490 Penetrator Missiles. I know I would not want to risk a missile strike on my ship with non-explosive diamond tipped ballistics. No conventional armor plating that I know of can stop the MC-490 Penetrator.

The old history lesson on the war fought between the Confederation and the Martian Colonial playing through my mind. So many lost in the annals of the past in one of the bloodiest conflicts that stole from both sides. They struck a deal and had a very strained relationship. Old scores to settle between the two powers, and their interests. One for solidarity. The other for conquest and empire. The coals of this old fire will glow brightly when they find out what they have been up to in spite of a very veiled agreement amongst their planetary armistice. One of war, the other of empire. The blood red planet shall rise to my need, if I can negotiate with the ruling party.