Cayro Zaraki
07:51 MST
November 2, 2030
Crescent Moon
Denver, CO
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I sat at my desk, tucked beneath the upper deck of the bridge, listening to the captain give orders as we prepared to depart Denver. After the battle in Salt Lake City, I’d ordered both the Star Lancer and the Crescent Moon to Denver, partly to check on our units and partly to verify the condition of the I-70 Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel. An earthquake during the Second Twilight Winter had collapsed the tunnel, effectively sealing off I-70 past Denver.
Right now, the only reliable way to cross the mountains was either by air or along a grueling off-road trail. The 3rd Infantry Division units stationed in Denver had been using helicopters to move between the two ends of the corridor. Now, with the Chinese starting to make moves on multiple fronts, we were taking extra precautions to ensure the tunnel remained sealed.
President Andrew Clark, leader of the Free States of America, had personally assigned me and the 102nd Airborne Division the task of defending the Free States’ western front and pushing back Chinese advances. Just a few days ago, I’d handed Salt Lake City’s defense to the 2nd Infantry Division, turning it into a fortified stronghold. Piece by piece, the Free States military was coming together, and we were laying the groundwork to drive the Chinese forces back to their territory.
With Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado now united, we’d built barricades along the Arizona and Nevada borders, keeping the Chinese from advancing farther into the southern states. But with the former U.S. military gutted and each state left to form its own forces, there were challenges. It was a double-edged sword: states could guarantee their own security, but it also exposed gaps in training and cohesion across regions.
Texas, as the powerhouse it was, had grounded itself in the old U.S. military doctrine, setting the standard for training. New Mexico saw the benefit and partnered with Texas to bolster its own forces, aiming to achieve a similar level of capability.
Initially, letting each state handle its own military seemed logical, even popular. But as the Chinese threat encroached, it was clear we’d need a unified national force. That’s where I came in. With the old U.S. military dismantled, the country had been left defenseless, leaving California to fall into enemy hands. The Chinese had pushed up the Pacific coast unhindered, and now we were playing catch-up.
In recent years, we’d scrambled to form a viable military force. With the reveal of supernaturals and the emergence of newly forming magic, I’d been tasked with creating the first human-supernatural combined unit while the old military structures were restored. Our mandate was clear: act as the nation’s elite guard. Small, swift, and lethal, we were designed to strike hard, stabilize the situation, and make way for the more conventional forces.
So there I was, half-buried in paperwork and satellite images of the I-70 corridor, preparing to move on to New Mexico and inspect our other major routes. Midway through a report, my office phone rang. Without checking, I half-expected it to be my father-in-law calling to share updates on my daughters or some other minor detail I didn’t need to know every ten minutes.
Since becoming a grandfather, Dr. Zaraki had taken to showering my twin daughters with the kind of affection that almost bordered on obsession. I sometimes thought Star, my wife, might actually knock him out cold with one of her wrenches. He’d missed so much of Star’s life that he was making up for it with the twins, determined to be the doting grandparent he hadn’t had the chance to be with his own daughter. Honestly, I couldn’t blame him. If I’d been in his shoes, I’d have made the same choices to protect my family, no matter the cost to relationships.
Now that things had calmed down and we weren’t constantly under threat, Dr. Zaraki and Star had finally started making amends. It wasn’t perfect, but it was better than it used to be. And the more I thought about it, the more I knew I would’ve made the same choices he did if it meant keeping Seren and Celestia safe.
When I glanced at the caller ID, though, it wasn’t Dr. Zaraki. It was the President. Sighing, I set down the report, picked up the receiver, and answered.
“Yes,” I said, keeping my tone professional.
“Good morning, General Zaraki. I didn’t catch you at a bad time, did I?” The President’s voice was calm, almost too polite.
“Sir, I always have time for you.”
“Excellent. I was hoping to discuss the upcoming Thanksgiving celebrations.”
I felt my shoulders relax. Thank the stars, he wasn’t calling to pile more on my plate. Holidays were a safe topic. We all came together to celebrate as one large, chaotic family, and I genuinely looked forward to it.
“Oh, have you and my father decided where we’ll be celebrating this year? Last year was at the mansion. Will it be at the new national capital this time?” There was a touch of excitement in my voice—until he replied.
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“Well…” he began, pausing a bit too long. “I’d like to host dinner here at the new capital. However…”
I felt my heart sink. This wasn’t going to be one of our usual dinners. “However?” I asked, trying to sound calm as I braced for whatever he’d say next.
“I want the entire 102nd Airborne Division here for a national Pass and Review, an award ceremony, and, well… I’d like to use the holiday to showcase your victories and promote national unity. Especially with everything going on.”
My temper flared instantly. He wanted to turn Thanksgiving into a spectacle? In the middle of a star-cursed war, no less?
“Are you out of your mind, Andrew?” I snapped. “We’re in the midst of a war, and you want us to play dress-up?”
“General, this is an order,” he replied flatly, just as Star entered my office with two mugs of coffee. Her eyebrow arched as she gave me a questioning look; she’d clearly heard me from outside.
Clenching my jaw, I felt my Draconian side flare as I gripped the receiver. “Yes, sir,” I growled.
“Thank you, General. This will boost morale across the country. We need this.” His voice carried a mock cheerfulness that grated on every nerve. I didn’t respond.
Star’s eyes filled with a mix of concern and amusement as she set one of the mugs in front of me, her lips curling into a small smile that she tried to hide behind her own mug. Seeing me angry always seemed to brighten her mood. It was as if the worse my day went, the more she enjoyed it.
“And about logistics,” the President continued, still irritatingly cheerful, “I’ll be calling Dr. Zaraki to see if he can help with supplies. Maybe SkyTeam can lend some of their tech or ships. I know your transport unit is pretty top-notch—especially after Salt Lake City. Perhaps you could get them involved in moving supplies.”
I narrowed my eyes, already imagining how well that would go over with my Beta. “I’ll see what I can do, sir.”
“Good. I look forward to seeing you and the 102nd here for the celebration,” he replied before the line clicked dead.
I slammed the receiver down with such force that it snapped in half. Star’s smirk widened. I pointed a talon-tipped finger at her, narrowing my eyes. “Don’t even think about it. You’ve gone through ten phones in the past two months. That was only number three for me.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” she purred, clearly relishing my irritation. “I’m just enjoying seeing you all grumpy and growly.”
“You’d be just as furious if you’d gotten that call,” I growled back.
“Oh, please,” she said with a dismissive wave. “It can’t have been that bad. What is it this time? Dad being overprotective again? Not letting the girls out on an adventure with your grandfather?”
“Worse… Andrew wants to hold a national Pass and Review for the entire 102nd Airborne Division. All for the Thanksgiving celebration,” I huffed.
Star’s face shifted from playful amusement to utter horror. “Is he insane?”
“I’d say so,” I muttered, grabbing my coffee and taking a long, fortifying sip.
“We’re in the middle of a war! We should be out there doing our jobs—not putting on some dog and pony show!” she growled, her Draconian side practically flaring.
“Oh, it gets better,” I said, voice dripping with sarcasm. “He wants me to rope Lyra and her fleet into handling logistics.”
Star choked on her coffee, spewing half of it across my desk. “Holy shit! He is insane… Whose bright idea was this?”
I looked at the mess covering my reports and sighed. So much for paperwork. “No idea. But there goes any chance of a quiet Thanksgiving.”
“You do realize you just approved a two-week R&R for Dragon Fleet? Lyra is going to have a fit when she hears about this,” Star said, heading into the attached bathroom to grab a towel to mop up the coffee.
I rolled my eyes, knowing she was right. “Don’t remind me… I’m going to have to call Zak and see if he can talk some sense into Andrew.”
Just as I said Zak’s name, my office phone rang, and, as if on cue, Star’s phone vibrated. She pulled hers from her pocket while I hit the speaker button on mine.
“Yes?” I growled, barely masking my irritation.
“Hey, bro!” Zak’s deep voice boomed cheerfully from the speaker.
“Now isn’t a great time, Zak,” I grumbled, still fuming over the President’s latest idea.
“Actually, it’s the perfect time!” he replied, sounding far too pleased with himself. “President Clark just called. He wants me, Aura, and the NAWC to be part of some big Thanksgiving celebration that you’re organizing.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake…” I muttered. So much for getting Zak on my side.
Zak snorted. “I take it you’re roped into this too, and that it’s non-negotiable?”
“Oh, you think?” I snapped, biting back another string of curses.
“Well, on the bright side,” he said, unbothered by my temper, “Aura and I are bringing the Night Guardians. We’re setting up a massive concert for the event!”
I felt my stomach drop. What was supposed to be a family gathering was turning into a full-scale circus.
Meanwhile, Star was shouting into her phone. “Seriously, Dad? Are you out of your mind? You can’t just pack up the entire SkyTeam Pack and ship them to Knoxville. Director Staroko will lose it!”
I glanced up from the speakerphone in time to see her glaring at her now-silent phone. One look, and I knew it was about to meet its end.
“What’s going on over there?” Zak asked, drawing my attention back.
“Star’s on the phone with her father,” I replied, right before I heard the crunch of shattering plastic and glass. With a sigh, I reached down, opened the bottom drawer of my desk, and pulled out a brand-new phone, still boxed. I slid it to the edge of my desk, and Star snatched it up without a word, storming out with her Draconian fury on full display.
“How long did that one last?” Zak asked with a chuckle.
“Ten days,” I muttered, rolling my eyes.
“Jeez, you two must have an impressive phone bill,” he laughed.
“We have a contract with the manufacturer. Let’s just say we’re their best customers…” I huffed.
“Better you than me,” he quipped. “Anyway, I’ll let you get to it. Aura and I have to prep equipment for this concert, and I need to meet with the NAWC. Malachi’s going to love this.”
He hung up, and I set down my phone, eying it like it might explode.
Most of the units wouldn’t be too riled up about this. All they had to do was show up. But Lyra… she was going to lose it. She and her unit were on R&R, and this little stunt was about to ruin it. I could already see her reaction, and it wouldn’t be pretty.
Better yet, I could point her right at the President himself. She was still annoyed about being drafted, after all. Yes, that might just be the best course of action. If anyone could get through to Andrew, it was a furious Lyra. Maybe, just maybe, he’d finally understand how insane this idea really was.