The Fate of Terra Ch. 14

Following the trail of men and women wearing their dress uniforms, she was led to a large dining room that was serving breakfast. Stumbling over to the coffee, she observed that nearly everyone was in as bad a shape as her, with a few looking decidedly worse. Mara's words from the night before trickled back to her. Sun Mi found an empty table and ate, nursing her coffee.

About a half hour later, a smartly dressed sergeant came in and expressed -in the special way only they could pull off- that they were forming up now and the patrons got up and began moving towards the exits. She didn't follow them to the flat, open area, but made her way towards the packed grandstand and the crowd that was hovering around it. The icy morning air cut through the fog and cleared her senses. Despite her ordeal, she felt oddly refreshed -as if what she'd experienced had somehow made her more alive.

The imposing blackness of the Intrepid was reflected in the water's surface and the gray sky cast a pall on everything. It made it seem like the dark-clad figures lining up in ranks were getting ready to cross some barren, ashen landscape. Sun Mi felt an odd pang of regret when she saw her former comrades and realized she was saddened that she wasn't joining them. She was jarred out of her thoughts as she heard a voice ahead of her exclaim, "Ttal!"

Her head shot up at the sound of her father's voice and she was shocked to see her parents standing there. He was in his full admiral's regalia with an arm around her mother. She only briefly noticed this as suddenly she was in his arms, having sprinted to them and thrown her arms around them. "Appa! Eomma!" Admiral Song was stunned to see his daughter crying, embracing them, and calling them anything but their names.

He didn't remember when it had started, but she hadn't been one to show any sort of emotion for a long time. 'Just what happened to her?' he wondered. "I'm so sorry," he choked out. "We'll never let you go again." As her father continued to try and reassure her as well as himself, a sad smile crossed her face, buried in his shoulder.

Just then, voices rang out and an army of twenty-five thousand crew, pilots, and soldiers snapped to attention, backs straight and heads up, heels together with fists at their seams. Sun Mi saw a platform rise from the ground and hover beside a railgun emplacement, the large flag depicting the goddess of Victory hanging below. On the platform, she saw Michael standing in the center with Admiral Lindström to his right and General Weber to his left.

Not many people were able to see Kat at the back of the platform, unwilling to leave his side even in this. She was cloaked in a dark army greatcoat, hand on her Beretta, scanning the crowd. The drums started and the crew began to move forth, organized into four corps: Command, Tactics, Engineering, and Support. The onlookers were floored by the precision in which they marched as thousands of men and women moved in perfect unison. In the dim light, their black dress uniforms made it seem like a shadowy monster was approaching them, stepping closer each time the drums beat.

After a review past the grandstand, they stopped at the edge of the water, facing the Intrepid and Michael's platform. They didn't have far to go, but the sheer number of them made it take awhile. Then, James led his division forward consisting of five one thousand-man wings of pilots and deck crew. The aliens that had slept in the hotels had been awakened by the noise and were just starting to trickle out. They were stunned by the sight that met them, assailed by fear and awe.

Last to move were the infantry --the only ones who happened to be armed. In reality, they would have been wearing suits of armor instead of dress uniforms, but there was nothing ceremonial about the plasma rifles resting against each of their right shoulders. One by one, organized into ten battalions, a hundred companies each containing a hundred men marched out, kicking up a dust storm. Finally, the last of them came to rest, a solid mass of dark-clad figures facing Michael and the Intrepid.

As the last step was taken, the drums went still and the infantry placed the butts of their rifles on the ground at their sides, barrels pointed upwards. Silence pervaded the clearing and the ranks stood immobile against the slight breeze. Marcus took a step forward and shouted in a voice that seemed to carry even beyond the mountains, "Parade. REST." The formation complied in a single, unified movement.

Marcus took a step back and Michael stepped forward and looked out at the men and women he was going to lead to distant worlds that held countless enemies. How many of them would die on foreign soil? How many deaths would he fail to prevent and how many would blame him for it? He took a deep breath and began.

"Many of you may be wondering why we're taking this little jaunt across the galaxy." A few grins broke out at that. "Some of you," he said, "believe the B'Amuf are no longer a threat. There are those out there who would leave the job of their pacification to our children." Lips pressed into fine lines at this. "They would throw away the advantages we have wrought and have the next generation fight a better prepared, better informed enemy." Many looked angry at this.

"They say once bitten, twice shy." Michael thrust out his arm and growled, "Well they've already been bitten twice and I shudder to think what they'll be capable of the next time." While the ranks maintained their stony silence, those in the grandstand began murmuring their agreement. "Still, that alone is not enough," he went on, making a cutting motion with his hand. "Self-preservation might fuel your actions when their ships are bearing down on us, but it won't be enough to maintain the strength and determination required to do our duty when we're over there." "Not nearly enough," he added in a whisper.

"No," he continued, "because when our numbers have been whittled down, our supplies have been depleted, our ammunition is running low, and we are 'all' bloodied and battered, you need to believe with every ounce of your being that what you're doing is righteous and that there is no other way. To do that... you need to 'hate;' you need to do what every parent, teacher, role model, and support group always told you never to do."

Many of the observers looked shocked at this, but the soldiers, the crew, the pilots -the ones Michael was really talking to... waited in silence. "Faith will not get you through this," he declared. "It will vanish like dust in the wind the first time you see a child die on the battlefield. Knowledge will be useless -you will not be able to make sense of this war. Commitment to your cause will fade over time. Your sense of justice... there is nothing just about what we go to do."

"Freedom, security, even greed... none of that will get you through the coming days!" he roared. Then, in a quiet voice, he repeated, "You must hate. It will be the only thing that will fuel you when you've forgotten what the air on Earth feels like, you can't remember what you're fighting for, and you aren't able to tell which aliens are the good guys or what even makes them good to begin with."

"It is difficult to hate something you know nothing about," Michael admitted, bowing his head like an unseen opponent had just scored a hit. "You can tune into the holo-networks every night and listen to the talking heads discuss how amazing it is that the aliens share so many similarities with us." He looked out at the vast and silent audience. "We know virtually nothing about those who came here. We don't know if some B'Amuf were forced into their position. We haven't seen a single female of their race. We don't know if their citizens have been brainwashed, or if there are peaceful factions... we just. Don't. Know."

His eyes flashed and he gripped the railing and leaned towards them. "I'll tell you what I 'do' know," he announced in a hard voice. "I know that an entity came here with the sole purpose of making me a slave. I know that when I fought for my life, they killed over half a million of my race. I know that even now, that entity is somewhere else doing the same to dozens of other planets." The ranks almost seemed to be buffeted backwards as Michael's anger hit them in a wave.

His voice dripped with acid as he raged, "I will stop them. I will kill them. I will grind their leaders into dust and scour the universe of their existence!" The fear, hatred, and excitement that seemed to permeate the crowd all blended together, leaving them feeling lightheaded. Michael straightened and people saw a weariness in his eyes. "But not even hate will be enough. Not alone..."

"For we are blind out there and though we might be able to destroy, we won't be able to build. I will tell you now that the B'Amuf are not our greatest threat," he said. Those in the grandstand, the crowd surrounding it, and the aliens who dotted the beach, all furrowed their brows and glanced at each other in confusion. "There are other races out there more powerful than the B'Amuf. If we are to survive in this wild and unforgiving new universe we find ourselves in, we must think long-term."

Raising a hand palm upwards, he said, "If we 'only' defeat the B'Amuf, this mission will be considered a failure." Some eyes widened at that. "In order to face whatever else the darkness of space tries to throw at us, we'll need to expand our power base. That means gaining new allies and trusting them to help us navigate the various pitfalls of galactic relations, of which we know nothing about."

"You know who these allies are. They have suffered an even greater loss than you and they are 'still' suffering." Michael looked out at the crowd and every individual felt as if he was staring through them. "In days past, you have fought with them. Last night, you laughed with them. In the days to come, you will bleed and die with them." Michael shook his head and they could feel his despair at what was to come.

"But I don't want you to fight 'because' of them," he clarified in a low voice, pointing towards the aliens. "The minute we liberate their people, they will start committing atrocities in revenge towards their conquerors and it will be our job to stop them and maintain order." The humans in the audience flinched in realization and it was like a light bulb had gone off for them. The alien observers grimaced, but could not disagree with those words. They had many wrongs to right, even if those they took their pain out on weren't necessarily the ones that deserved it.

"'So what?' ...some of you might ask. Didn't you just tell us to hate? Why should we care what happens to them as a result?" Michael paused, and then spoke softly, "Where does it stop? Should we write their entire race off as a lost cause? Why even land on their planets to begin with? Why not just nuke them from space?" He looked out and everyone saw the anger blazing in his eyes, "Do any of you want to be the one who presses the button that silences seventy billion lives?"

Some of the people bowed their heads in shame. Michael's eyes raked the audience. "It might come to that," he admitted. "But I'm not willing to give up my humanity until I'm 'damn' sure it's the only way to save Earth. There will be times when we kill in cold blood, times when we can't afford to take prisoners, times when everything we believe in and find morally acceptable goes right out the window.

"However," Michael warned, "when we are out there, the entire galaxy will be watching and judging Earth by the standards we set. We have a responsibility to set the bar high; to show them something I already know --that 'we are better than them!' There is no equality here. We are the best this galaxy has to offer and if you don't believe that, I don't want you on my ship..." Backs straightened in the ranks. Shoulders and legs that had been shaking from fatigue suddenly locked as adrenaline flooded their limbs.

"So when the enemy surrenders, you will cease fire. If there is a way for you to save a life without endangering others, you will make the effort. You will use only the force necessary to accomplish the mission. And if I find one of my own committing atrocities that stain the honor of the men and women putting their lives on the line," Michael promised, "there will be no court-martial --I will kill you myself."

Silence reigned again, but what the onlookers couldn't see was the acceptance that shown in the faces of those in Michael's army. "We will conquer the conquerors," he declared. "We will stand tall and raise our flag on their homelands while their ability to make war lies in ruins. We will not let ourselves be drawn into extended conflicts, but strike hard and fast, making sure each time the job is done and the final blow has been dealt."

"No more shall the B'Amuf make slaves of other races. No more shall entire populations be wiped out because they didn't conform to their wishes. The sound of their death knell is upon us." He thrust his fist in the air and shouted, "We are Terran and we will be the cleansing fire that purges their wickedness from the galaxy.

Michael stepped back and the ramps leading into the Intrepid's central hangar began to lower. Marcus stepped forth and bellowed, "Forwaaard." All down the line, from the division to the battalion to the company, commanders repeated the word. "MARCH!" The platform slowly started to descend as the mass of troops marched inside the ship. Kat moved up and threaded her arms around her lover, resting her head on his shoulder, becoming a pillar of support. Michael closed his eyes and leaned back, resting his head against hers and drawing strength from her presence.

When they reached the ground, Marcus went off to talk to the infantry and Michael suddenly found himself the focus of all of his girls. Tanya ran up and threw her arms around his waist, congratulating him. He smiled and brushed her hair, knowing his surprise was about to arrive. The girls were chatting away when suddenly Kat and the twins perked up as Takeshi and Jennifer walked towards them. In the distance, they could see Councilman Whitmore and his wife. Further out, Michael's parents were approaching. His mother was helping an elderly gentleman with a cane. Aurora let out a gasp as she recognized her father.

"I thought you all might like to spend some quality time with your folks before we leave," Michael told them. "Go wherever you want, just enjoy yourselves." Each of the girls hugged him and kissed him before running off. Michael stopped Aurora before she could go, "I'm sure you want to show him your baby. As I recall, your father was captain of a vessel himself back in the day. Try to find a way to tell him about the nanites and ask if he wants them."

Aurora smiled thankfully and ran off. Michael watched as tears of pride fell from the older man's face and he collapsed to his knees gripping her admiral's jacket when he saw her up close. Aurora started crying too and knelt to hug him. Michael picked up his mom and twirled her around, laughing and joking. Plans were made by each of the parties and then the parents walked off to see the inside of some of the buildings while Michael and his girls came together to find out when they'd next see each other.

Sun Mi had listened to the speech and felt it resonate with her. She no longer felt her life would hold purpose by remaining on Earth. She sighed and turned towards her parents, still looking a bit shell-shocked at Michael's blunt, unorthodox rallying cry. She hugged her father and said, "I'm sorry, appa." Then she kissed his cheek and strode off towards where she'd seen the platform lower.

She was stunned when she saw Michael's cheerful face, hugging his parents and laughing freely. It was a side of him few people got to see and it was easy to forget that he was only in his mid-twenties. As the parents left and the group came together again, she put on a determined face and marched up to him. Kat had just told him that she would be spending the day with him and his parents and he'd been hugging her when he spotted Sun Mi approaching with a serious look that he thought looked adorable.

"I'll do it," she said without preamble when she'd neared them. "I'll join."

Michael's eyebrows rose. "Join?" he asked in mock confusion.

"Don't give me that shit," she replied. "I recognize an initiation when I see one." She looked Kat in the eye. "I didn't break. Even if I didn't know with all my heart that I belong among the stars, I know I- I know..." she took a deep breath. "I know I belong here, with all of you."

Aki grinned. "She's got spunk," she giggled, staring at their new addition with unchecked lust.

Michael looked to Kat and her lips pressed into a thin line, but he could see the grudging respect in her eyes. This contradicted greatly with the bored tone of voice she used when she admitted, "I suppose she was passable. I trust her to watch your back."

Sun Mi looked incredulously at the evil woman who was now her sister. 'Passable?' she fumed. Thus, she was completely startled when Dejah came up behind her and smacked her ass, producing a loud 'thwack.' "Relax," she told Sun Mi. "Kat won't recognize your efforts until you give her at least fifty orgasms."

"F-f-fi-" the girl tried to make out.

"Well..." Dejah continued, "it's other the fiftieth or the five hundredth. Either way, they pass fairly quickly." Leaving the girl speechless, the Felician walked up to Michael and kissed him soundly. "I will be spending the day with my father as well. Take care, my mate."

Michael reached into his jacket's inside flap and pulled out a set of documents, handing them to Sun Mi. The dazed girl took them on instinct and heard, "Congratulations, you're now head of the new Intelligence branch on the Intrepid. Rin will get with you later and tell you about some prospective candidates for the program. You will be working with Marcus since he handles security, but you report to Aurora as part of the Support Corps." Aurora threw her a naughty smile that almost made her rethink her decision to come along.

Then the realization dawned on her that they had planned this. Then the bigger realization hit her that not only was she going to be traveling among the stars, but she'd be in a position of importance; one that would challenge her intellect and drive to succeed. A smile bloomed on her face and she threw her arms around Michael's neck and initiated a kiss for the first time. They all split up to find their parents and Sun Mi trudged back to her father, trying to come up with a way to break the news that she had just willingly walked back into the clutches of her captors.

* * * * *

Michael had enjoyed the day tremendously. They had taken his parents' shuttle back to their winter house. They'd gotten a husky since he'd last seen them. The two didn't work anymore, but they still tried to keep busy while enjoying a life of anonymity. The five of them enjoyed a huge barbeque and caught up. The couple had brought Tanya along and the folks were very impressed with the little angel. So much so, that she decided to stay with them for the next few days.

Michael had Pandora fly their fighter to them and they were just now returning to the Intrepid which was currently in a spaceyard above Earth's orbit being modified. He was leaning into her chair in front of him, arms wrapped around her, breathing in the scent of her hair. She directed his hands to her tits and leaned back, contented. She was watching the stars as they were about to leave the atmosphere when Pandora suddenly veered the craft just before a blip appeared on the screen.

The maneuver was done too late however. A fusion missile hit the fighter and a blast so large it caused ripples in the Aegis shield lit up sky.