The Council of Mars

Nameless’s mind and soul rebelled, squirming and sprawling inside. A year ago, he had been a solitary bounty hunter, scraping credits together by killing scum. A month ago, he was corralling his disorganized friends from harm. Not because he was qualified, but because he was all there was. And now they wanted him to lead everyone to the city? All those fighters in the streets and caves? That mother and her daughter?

He wasn't qualified, and not worthy. Julia, Ardo, Auntie Mai, even Hyforian was more suited for that role. His chest burned. This was not what he signed up for when taking the job in that smoky tent so long ago. To think it had just been a month—or was it two? How long had all this taken anyway? He had lost track; so much had happened.

This wasn’t fair. He didn’t care about any of these people, so what if the wastes wanted to rebel? This wasn’t his problem. He just wanted to get paid, and leave this Gods forsaken planet. Why was everyone always trying to make their problems his?

“Nameless?” a distant female voice called.

He looked upward, seeing Julia's concerned face peeking out of the briefing hall doorway.

Nameless shot up.

“Hey!” He chuckled, brushing off the thought cluttering his mind.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I'm good. What's up?” Nameless walked closer.

Julia pointed behind herself with her thumb, nodding with her head. “They're waiting for ya.”

He nodded. “Be right there.”

Julia nodded, biting her lip. Nameless knew she was worried. He had seen that look before on the day he stepped off for the chemical plant. Julia relented and retreated into the hall. Nameless followed, semi jogging, exchanging waves and salutes as he closed the door. He swung it open and followed Julia down the long hall.

“You sure you're okay?” Julia asked.

“Yeah, why?”

“First you wander off, then everyone comes into the room worried, talking about big plans. I don't like this, Nameless; they're talking about a huge war. For Mars,” Julia said in little more than a whisper.

“Yeah, that's all everyone seems to be talking about.”

Julia leaned in. “I took a peek at the professor's brief.”

“And?”

“What kind of professor gets sent to overthrow a government?” Julia asked.

Her eyes where darting, her brow furrowed, rubbing the back of her neck. Nameless could almost see the whirlpool of thought whipping around in her head. She knew something.

Nameless halted and Julia twirled around.

“What exactly did the plans say?” Nameless asked angrily. It was one thing for an old guild master to muse over the future, another for levelheaded Julia to be anxious.

“I mean, there was a lot more detail, but it looks like he's gonna rebuild the whole government from the ground up,” Julia said.

Nameless rubbed the bridge of his nose with his pinched fingers as he squinted.

“They asked you to help him, didn't they?” Julia asked anxiously.

“Oh, gods, I fucking wish it was that simple,” Nameless spat.

“What do you mean? What's going on, Nameless?”

Nameless grabbed Julia by the shoulders. “Do you trust him?” Nameless asked. “Like, genuinely?”

Julia bit her lip, her eyes darting back and forth from Nameless's left eye to right.

“I trust you.” She sighed. “You haven't made the wrong move since we were kids.”

Nameless let her go.

“I trust him,” Nameless sighed. “I don't trust whoever sent him. C'mon!”

“What do you mean? The hell is going on?” Julia asked frantically as she followed him down the hall. “I'm scared, Nameless.”

“Same here.”

The two charged toward the door at the end of the hall, Spiders, and Listeners leaping out of their way. They came to the door, and Nameless grabbed the handle. He inhaled and exhaled deeply, then ripped it open.

Inside, the room was barely recognizable as the one that Nameless had just left. The room had been completely rearranged, with tables and chairs formed in a semi-circle around a projector. At the first table, the vagabonds sat, all grumbling and bickering through their hangovers.

Seated at the table to the left of the vagabonds, Auntie Mai sat with her Lieutenants. On the right, Ardo and Anna sat with theirs. Next to Ardo was Forge Master Johnathan with his commanders. The rest of the tables were populated by numerous crucial mercenaries, loyal rich folk, and former slaves elevated to leadership positions through merit. Or at least that is what he assumed, maybe they all happened to be just as good at killing as the vagabonds were. As Nameless and Julia entered, the room ceased its buzzing, each pair of eyes or ocular implants turning and scanning the two new arrivals.

“Ah! There they are!” Professor Zion cheerfully called from the back of the room.

“Professor Zion,” Nameless nodded.

The Professor's grin cracked, unused to his real name being used by Nameless.

“Yes-yes, well, take a seat,” Professor Zion said, resuming his upbeat momentum. “We shall begin shortly.”

Nameless and Julia sat down. Hera was playing dodge the fingers with her switchblade on the table. Sammy and Carla were both sipping the rare delicacy orange juice with huge bags under their eyes. Aj was sipping something that smelled distinctly like whiskey from his canteen cheerfully. Captain Spider vibrated in his seat like a toddler, ecstatic to be included in this crucial meeting.

“Where you guys been?” Hera asked hotly, looking up as her knife hand kept gracefully stabbing the table in between her fingers.

“Busy,” Nameless whispered hotly.

Hera nicked one of her fingers and snarked, holding the blade to her mouth as she squinted at him.

“How you guys feeling?” Julia asked, concerned.

“Couldn't be better!” Aj chirped, several bandages covering his face.

“Urgh!” Sammy moaned, clutching her head with her palms, elbows on the table.

“And here I thought we had some drinkers in the group. Guess only mom and dad can keep up with the alcoholic,” Hera griped, pointing her blade at Julia and Nameless.

“We shall begin in a few moments, everyone! Captain Spider, dim the lights if you please, my good lad,” the Professor asked politely.

Spider launched from his chair like a rocket, sprinting for the light switch with a grin on his face. He hit the button, and the room went black.

“S-s-sorry!” Spider yelled. He turned the light up a bit, filling the room with a dim ominous light.

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The Professor hit a switch on the holographic projector, and the entire planet of Mars buzzed into blue existence.

“Ladies, gentlemen, and good Spiders!” The Professor beamed. “I present to you: Operation Sol Invictus.”

As he spoke, the planet was divided into six sectors.

“As you may know, we are all located in sector A-1, in the mining network refueling station known as Oasis. Only a few hundred kilometers from the city formerly known as New Washington!” the Professor proclaimed eagerly.

“It's the Big City now, Earther!” a dark, grumbling voice heckled from the crowd.

The Professor stuttered.

“Y-yes, yes quite. The ‘Big City,’ as the locals have affectionately nicknamed it, is the current seat of governmental power over Mars. It is here that the corporations reside and commence their bidding. It also houses the majority of the Vector, armored vehicles, aircraft, and munitions manufacturing,” the Professor pointed with a metal indicator.

“We know that Earther!” another voice heckled.

Thunk.

Hera had stabbed the table and shot out of her seat.

“Spider,” Hera seethed. “Hit the lights.”

Captain Spider slunk from his seat and turned the lights on.

“If one more of you mother fuckers interrupt a Vagabond while they're speaking again, I'm gonna kick your ass!” Hera snapped at the room, pointing her finger. Several people melted into their seats.

“Kill those fucking lights, Spider,” Hera spat as she sat back down.

Spider again slunk from his chair, his face grinning mischievously as he once again dimmed the lights, correctly this time.

“Thank you, Miss Hera,” Professor said gratefully.

“Now, as you know, thanks to the brave efforts of the special team known as the Vagabonds, and the combined efforts of her good citizens, Oasis is now considered officially liberated by Sol Naval standards. This is a great leap toward freedom! Unfortunately, we have a long way to go before the sons and daughters of Mars once again have a bright future,” Professor Zion said.

“What's this all about?” Aj whispered innocently.

“Just listen,” Nameless said grudgingly, his arms crossed as he watched. Aj grunted.

“What you may not know is that this fine city is not alone! Several key locations across the surface and, dare I say, underneath the surface of Mars have also overthrown their overlords. This is excellent news! As we speak, sectors, B-5 and K-12 have formed special forces and armies, determined to free themselves!”

As the Professor spoke, the planet disappeared, replaced by a video recording. The Professor hit a button, and the video feedback played.

In the video, Nameless saw an army. A large group of muscled bald, angry white and Asian men all roaring in a heavy, foreign language from old Earth. They were donned in old Earth green camouflage pattern uniforms, wielding old-world weapons. They were burning skyscrapers, dragging vectors tied to trucks and tanks in the streets as civilians shot rifles into the burning night sky, cheering.

“Of course, the Russians did it first,” one of the members grumbled.

“Yes, but it's not just the Russians,” Professor Zion said.

He clicked another video, and a new one played. This time, a considerable mob led by an army of Listeners, clad in pitch-black armor and gear, all chanting in Mandarin. They were beating drums, marching, and waving red banners with gold-stitched characters. The army wielded bullpups as they charged the ruling clans in the no man’s land of trench warfare. Man against the machine, waves of soldiers against machine guns. They were winning, but barely.

“Dear goddess,” Julia gasped, clutching her mouth, watching the carnage.

“The lights one more time, if you please, Captain Spider,” Professor Zion asked grimly.

Once again, the lights came on.

“Will the Russian and Chinese delegates, please stand up?” Zion asked.

Auntie Mai and a new young man stood up. He was dressed just as his comrades were in the video, a white tank top with blue stripes underneath his faded green camouflage fatigues. He had buzzed blonde hair, blue eyes, his tough skin was stretched over his gaunt face. He was highly similar to Nameless, down to the physique and stature. The two locked eyes, each judging the other.

“They know my face,” Auntie Mai said in perfect English, down to the local accent. “It is the Russian commander who is unknown here.”

“My name is Lieutenant Colonel Abakumov Yuliy Anatolievich. You will address me as Commander Anatolievich,” the young man said in a thick old-world Russian accent.

“Welcome, commanders Mai and Anatolievich,” Professor Zion bowed his head.

“Every second I waste here is another second my comrades are dying in the trenches outside New Moscow,” Commander Anatolievich said roughly.

“I like this guy,” Hera grinned.

“What was that?” Commander Anatolievich barked.

“I said you look like a bitch!” Hera cackled.

The Russians immediately flipped their table, drawing their daggers and weapons. The room exploded into a flurry of drawn steel and weapons as each table stared each other down. Captain Spider leaped onto the vagabond table, standing between Hera and the Russians, a pistol or dagger in each of his hands.

“грязный африканский мусор!” Commander Anatolievich roared.

“Was that racist? It sounded really racist. Fuck you, Vladimir!” Hera asked angrily.

“It was really racist, actually,” Julia admitted, spitting on the ground.

“I'll send your bitchass back to the gulag myself!” Hera cackled, her smg in one hand and a grenade in the other.

“I didn't know you spoke Russian,” Nameless whispered to Julia from behind his beowulf sight, amazed.

“Everyone, please! Let us not repeat the past! We are here to secure Mar's future!” Professor Zion begged.

“Let's all take a big deep breath; no one has to get hurt,” Nameless yelled. “The Earthers and the Corporations are our enemies; we are all Martians here.”

“Wait, hold on,” Professor Zion yelped.

“Agreed, there is no need for incivility here,” Auntie Mai proclaimed.

The Russians kept their guns up. Commander Anatolievich stared down Nameless and Hera. He grinned and put his gun down. His comrades followed suit.

“And here I thought Earth still had its claws in the Yankee stragglers they left behind when they lost the war,” Commander Anatolievich stabbed.

“We speak for ourselves. Do you speak for Russian Earth, Commander? Or you, Commander Mai, do you answer to China?” Nameless asked.

The two shook their heads slowly.

“Great. We are all Martian then; let's move forward as such. Everyone keep their steel holstered,” Nameless barked.

The room grumbled but complied, retaking their seats.

“I-I don't believe that is the proper attitude—” Professor Zion started.

“Quit while you're ahead, Professor Bullshit,” Nameless warned.

The Professor gulped and nodded, a bead of sweat running down his face.

“Right. Right, yes, the the um, we-we, well you see we are here, oh dear god,” the Professor stammered before collapsing into a seat, hyperventilating.

“Professor!” Julia and Hera wailed, running over to him.

Nameless groaned and looked over at Guild Master Ardo. The two locked eyes and the Master gave him a reassuring nod. Nameless knew what he had to do.

“Fuck it,” Nameless groaned as he stood up and left the table, striding into the center of the room.

“Is he good?” Nameless barked, pointing at the Professor.

“Panic attack,” Julia said as she tended to the Professor. “He'll live.”

“Fan-fucking-tastic. I am Nameless; I'm the commander of the Vagabonds. I speak for the Spider and the Bounty Hunter guilds. I fought for the freed peoples of Oasis and any that have revolted in the sector. I also speak with the confidence of the Oasis Listeners.” As he spoke, he looked at Guild Master Ardo, Forge Master Johnathan, Commander Auntie Mai, each nodding their silent approval.

Nameless ripped his jacket and shirt off as he spoke, showing the room his scars and augments. The room was stunned, murmurs filling the air.

“This is the price I paid! I should be dead; I wish I was fucking dead! But for some reason, the gods hate me, and now I'm stuck here. So now it's the tyrants' problem. If any man, woman, or spider suspects my loyalty to Mars, stand up and voice your concern right now!” Nameless roared.

Not a soul responded.

“Great. Commander Anatolievich, do you speak for your sector?” Nameless asked hotly.

“I do.”

“Commander Mai, do you speak for your people's sector?” Nameless asked.

“I do,” She nodded proudly.

“Fine. Well, I speak for my sector. The Earthers sent down these professors, ships, spies, and Gods know what else to our sacred soil. They want us to form some puppet government, so we can languish over law and protocol like the rest of the solar system does. I say fuck that!”

Low murmurs of approval rose.

“The last time,” Nameless continued, “Mars tried doing things the Earth way, we were thrown into hundreds of years of darkness. I say, the best government we can have, at least for now, is the council seated right here in this room! Each and every single one of us has sacrificed more in one-day fighting than some fucking outsider has in their lifetime,” Nameless spat, pounding his closed fist into his palm to reinforce his point.

Some of the members softly banged their fists on the tables; others stomped their feet.

“I say we establish here and now that this council will decide Mars’ fate moving forward. There’s no point taking this city if we all just squabble over the ruins after. No Russian, Chinese, or American will speak for us. We will all speak as Martians!” Nameless roared.

“A vote!” Master Ardo shouted, standing up, Anna beaming by his side.

“All in favor of establishing the council of Mars will say aye. All not in favor will respond nay,” Commander Mai proclaimed enthusiastically.

“All in favor of this council being the one and only deciding voice for our peoples?” Nameless asked.

“This does not give your sector authority over mine,” Commander Anatolievich said grimly.

“Nor yours ours. This will only be the united voice of the sectors, each to their own otherwise,” Nameless said.

The Russian Commander paused, his comrades whispering to him. He grinned and nodded. Relief filled Nameless.

“All in favor?” the Forge Master called.

The majority of the room shouted aye.

Nameless saw in his peripherals all the vagabonds had shouted aye, except Captain Spider. He walked over to their table.

“Is that a nay, captain?” Nameless asked kindly.

Captain Spider, who had been twiddling his three sets of thumbs and staring at the table fidgeting, looked up astounded.

“I-I-I-I g-get a vote?” Spider asked meekly, so low barely anyone could hear him.

“You led the Spiders during the battle, did you not?” Nameless asked.

The tiny Spider’s face lit up with excitement, tears forming in his eyes. “Aye,” he whispered.

“Come again?” Nameless grinned, cupping his ear.

“Aye! Aye, aye, aye, aye, aye!” Captain Spider shouted, banging his fists on the table with each word.

“And they say politics is hard!” Nameless roared, grinning.

The council stood, cheering and baring their weapons as one. As they cheered, Nameless looked over at the Professor. He couldn't read the expression on the old man's face. It was a mixture of terror, pride, betrayal. Nameless couldn’t pinpoint precisely what the Professor felt, slumped in that chair.

A pang of guilt-filled Nameless. This wasn't what he had in mind. He didn't walk in, aiming to steamroll the Professor's plans. But he knew it wasn't Zion's plan; it was Earth's plan. Never again could such schemes direct Mars's path.

Their trajectory was set. It was time to plan now. Whatever lay in store for them, they were all in this together.