Lieutenant General Salomon had found himself at the top of the Military Headquarters once again as he did at least once each week since the beginning of the Terran-Titanian War, giving press releases on the progress in the struggle to requisition precious Terran land. Land that would fuel the boom in population of Titan’s mainland, caused by the cessation of endless civil war in the latest bout of Karesti rule. It was a peace maintained in the homeland at the expense of the destruction of a foreign world. However, it was clear that even this peace was beginning to crack and peel at its edges.
This was not a typical congregation. Salomon was joined by the supreme leader of the Military herself, whose adjutant had returned to working by her side. Behind them were a few handpicked members of the Central Council, including Rhona’s cousin and his companion in dealings within the Council Chamber, the head of the Calvo family. And before them, occupying the plaza, were not only members of the public and the media, but hundreds of bodies, kneeling on the ground with sacks over their heads, hands bound behind them. Each one of them wore a prisoner’s uniform.
“It was so kind of you to allow Colonel Gerlachus’ subordinates to partake in this ceremony, Major General Brose,” Rhona spoke with a smile about her lips as she gazed out onto the scene, a prideful tone in what seemed to be a compliment. At this point, the only signs of her battle against the Red Devil on her body were the eye patch on her right eye, and the scar on her left cheek. She stood unassisted. “You should be elated that both of them are able to receive such a platform and hone their skills at the same time.”
Brose, who was positioned behind the duo consisting of Fabian and Rhona, along with the other Central Council and their guards, kept his discomfort hushed.
“I really… couldn’t thank you enough for the opportunity, General Karesti.” Brose instead spoke, keeping his head low and his voice quiet.
I know you hate to see this more than anyone, Tove, his inner thoughts bounced inside his head. These are students of the Heimat Academy, not famed executioners.
Tove’s two pupils calmly made their way through the rows. The actions were quick, each iteration of it lasting no more than five seconds. The male student would pass his hand over each prisoner’s head, which although it was no obvious show of brute force, caused them to fall to the ground before they could finish their breath. The second soldier would then put her fingers to their throats to look for a pulse. Death was all but confirmed every single time, and each was documented in the kameras of the press, each imprinted in the minds of thousands of everyday Titanians looking from the edges of the plaza, cordoned off with Barriers.
Each time a body fell, another round of applause filled the air, celebrating the death of a traitor. But the Central Council knew it was more than just that.
“This will show them all,” Rhona spoke with pleasure. “This is what deserting leads to.”
Salomon’s fuses were blown. He had watched 360 of the Titanian Empire’s fine soldiers fall helplessly at the hands of two pure-blooded Terrans, forced to kill their own comrades for the past hour. He swiveled his head to his left, Rhona’s side-profile entering his view.
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“Rhona, what is this meaning of this!?” he exclaimed, shaking his fists at his sides. Several of his fellow Councillors gasped at his outburst. “We are at war, fighting at a scale we haven’t seen since the Solich’s were still around. At a time where we need more manpower than ever, you take it away! Do you understand the immensity of what you’re doing right now? 2,341 soldiers, all being tossed away for deserting… I know desertion is a grave crime, especially at such an event as the Battle for Depot-011, but it does not warrant such a reaction as this! No one has killed so many of their soldiers at once… not even a Solich! Are you trying to prove something?”
Not even Emperor Henrik, he wished to add. This is worse.
“If you think I am doing this as a simple show of my power, you are deeply mistaken, my Lieutenant General,” she met his gaze. Wickedness from within her soul emanated from her pupils, causing Salomon to freeze up in fear. If she were to fly off the handle, even the entire Central Council behind the both of them would just barely be able to fight back and would very well cost them most of their lives despite the fact that she had not yet returned to full strength. Yet he stood grounded in his opinion, likely the same as his fellow Councillors. “What I am showing is that I do not have to stick to tradition if I don’t need to.”
“Tradition?” Salomon wondered, his gaze remaining focused despite his unease.
“Two Terrans on our side, doing as their General asks. Has anyone seen that before? Has it been done before? And look, no blood. It’ll be a pleasant clean-up. It’s perfect.”
“N-No, Rhona.” he shook his head slowly.
“This is what our Emperor would’ve wanted to see,” Rhona laughed to herself. “Terrans and Titanians side-by-side, capable of acting peacefully with one another.”
She’s gone mad. She’s lost control over this war, and herself as well, Fabian remained defiant despite the sheer difference in power between him and the General.
“So, why don’t you try to end this war like Emperor Halsten would’ve wanted it? Why not begin the selection of negotiators and gradually call off the troops?”
Rhona’s gaze returned to the scene of the execution, where Titanian soldiers continued to fall like dominoes on the field of moss below them at the touch of Joakim Laine’s hand, the cessations of life confirmed by Klaudia Nordskov. And she looked on, silently, for a while. It seemed that she was not immersed in watching the show of death at that moment, but was deep in thought of something else.
“He’s the only one who can end this war,” she said after a deeply uncomfortable spell of silence. “I don’t negotiate with terrorists, but he had no problem doing so. Bringing him back will end this war. Bringing him back will return the balance.”
“We’ve already been there, for Pizna’s sake!” Salomon cried. For once, he was glad that kameras were on the butchery before him, and not on him and his colleagues. “How many more of our brothers and sisters will die trying to capture a single half-breed bastard?”
Antelius shuddered, at the back-most corners just in front of the Military Headquarters doors. How many more of his comrades would end up like his own squad before the asset was finally in Titanian hands?
“I’m done risking good, proud, loyal soldiers’ lives in the pursuit of that child,” Rhona’s voice finally took on a scornful tone, insulted that Salomon even suggested that thought. “I used this ceremony as a way to prove that my next method will work, and it has indeed proved to be successful,”
She pointed an outstretched, glove-clad finger at Joakim, still sapping life out with his Anti-Reserve, storing it to later use as his own Reserve.
“That’s our method, Fabian. He will bring our Emperor back.”