The Battle of Ouros had been brutal for the Cisalpine Legion. The 13th Independent Military Group was on the receiving end of the main Alliance offensive upon the yellow planet. Even with the help the Central Army and the 9th Legion, the 13th once more had to contend with the might of the Alliance hoplites. But not just, as the Alliance showed other aspects of their Army, showing the depths unexpected to the Earthborn when the Lambda War first broke out on Altair Prime.
First, the helots; these were lizardmen, much smaller in stature than the armored giants known as the hoplites. The cold-blooded reptilians made up for their size with numbers. Though the helots were armed only with spears, their numbers meant chaos for the opposition. Their purpose was to take enemy pressure away from their hoplite allies.
The opposite to the helots were the valkyries, Lakamodians in flying armor. Like with the medics, all valkyries were women. Up in the sky from afar, they sniped their flying enemies. While the hoplites and the helots took center stage for the Alliance, the valkyries lurked from afar. Their mighty sniper rifles had proven to be very lethal, causing havoc on UEC lines.
The warriors of the Alliance worked terrifyingly well in tandem. But even so, the UEC were able to overpower them with numbers. The helots could never outnumber the buggies of the UEC. Meanwhile, air support was able to put an end to the valkyrie threat; that and Special Agent Petrovsky as UEC psi-operatives were formidable snipers also.
And thus, the the Alliance attack on Ouros failed, forcing Prince Alexios Spektre to withdraw back to Altair Prime. But the UEC’s victory came at a heavy cost. So many of their dead littered the fields of the savannah. So many more Earthborn were wounded, among them were Sergeant Major Marco Icardi. Marco could have been killed himself, but a timely warning from Petrovsky, sent directly to his mind, allowed him to duck just in time to avoid a valkyrie sniper. Rather than blowing out his brains, the bullet instead grazed his upper cheek.
And now, Marco had to spend his time at the Waterloo’s medbay.
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***
“Sir?” Icardi said in surprise. He did not expect to see Commander Jack Green flanked by Captain Nyerere. To see the legionary commander with his second-in-command... Icardi knew something serious was going on.
“Sergeant Major,” Jack said warmly. “It’s good to see you recuperating well. I need your help with a prisoner.”
Marco narrowed his eyes. “Prisoner? Who?”
“Who do you think?” Nyerere interjected with sarcasm. “Your lady friend, Lambda!”
“But she’s not my...”
“Oh never mind that!” interrupted Green. “The point is, she has been open with you. So we really need your help.”
The Sergeant Major paused. In all honesty, he didn’t want to do it. Duty demanded it, to be sure. But Marco Icardi had no desire to exploit Arlena Spektre - the prisoner girl whom he had developed a relationship with - like that. Of course, Marco would say that ‘relationship’ was a bad word to describe the situation.
Nyerere noticed Icardi’s hesitance. He began to shout, “Sergeant Major! If you refuse to obey...”
“Peace, Nyerere,” Commander Green said. “Let’s not pull rank just yet.” He turned to Icardi. “Sergeant, I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but General Tyrone Murray had assumed command of the Central Army ahead of the Altair Prime campaign.”
Marco’s eyes widened, his mouth agape as horror filled his heart. He knew exactly where his legionary commander was going with this. From the UEC briefings, he was well-aware of the Alliance’s food issues on Altair Prime. And he still remembered the conversation he and Commander Green had with then Major General Murray during the Altair Prime Revolt...
> “Indeed,” Murray said, smiling. “If it were up to me, I would’ve skipped the whole ground invasion and simply blockade the whole damn planet. Starve the rebels into submission. Unfortunately, the pansies at the Pyramid don’t have the gumption for that kind of thing.”
>
> Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
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> Jack grimaced. “You’d be starving 20 million people to death, sir.”
>
> “A small price to pay, if you ask me,” Murray said.
At that moment, Marco knew what he needed to do; all sense of scruple disappeared right then and there. The Sergeant Major knew he needed to talk to Arlena, if only to save the lives of everyone - the soldiers of Earth, the warriors of Lakamodis, the hapless people of Altair Prime - from the wrath of General Murray. Even if the Lakamodian girl ended up hating him for this, it would all be worth it.
“Let’s go, sirs.”
***
Down in Cell 3, Arlena grimaced as she saw Commander Green and Captain Nyerere approaching her. She knew she was in for yet another interrogation. But she couldn’t help but feel comforted when she saw Sergeant Major Icardi among them. Of course, she knew all too well why he was here. Even so, she was glad that Marco was well, especially after she heard how he nearly lost his life on planet Ouros.
Jack was the first to speak, “Miss Spektre.”
But Arlena ignored the Commander and instead focused on the Sergeant Major; she smiled. “I love the scar, it fits you.”
Marco smiled sheepishly. “Um… thanks?”
Arlena continued, “You would have made a fine Lakamodian, Marco Icardi.”
Green shook his head. “Enough of this! Miss Spektre, I’m not here to listen to you flirt with my soldiers.”
“My apologies, Earthborn Commander,” Arlena said sarcastically. “I was… pleasantly surprised at the company you brought. I had expected the mind reader.”
Nyerere interjected, “We thought we might change things around this time, Lambda. I heard the Special Agent makes you uncomfortable.”
Arlena narrowed her eyes, disbelief evident. “Uncomfortable? Frightened is the right word, I believe. I don’t know what kind of terrible things you Earthborn did to produce that freak!”
“Listen here you colonial...”
“Enough, Captain!” Jack said. “And calm yourself, Miss Spektre. I am not here to listen to you badmouth my soldiers.”
“It appears there are many things you are not here for, Earthborn Commander,” muttered Arlena. “Fine then, state your business.”
Jack suppressed a grimace as he struggled to remain calm. “Miss Spektre, I’m sure you are aware at this point that the UEC are going to retake Altair Prime.”
“You can try.”
“We will try and we will succeed,” Commander Green said, his voice raised. “But I won’t waste my time arguing the point. Will you not go to your brother and ask him to cease this senseless conflict?”
But Arlena was not impressed. “As I have said before, my brother will not let his personal feelings get in the way of his mission. And neither will I. We will liberate Earth from your UEC!”
“Again with this talk of liberating Earth,” Jack said in disbelief.
Nyerere spoke up, “Earth has no need for liberation, Lambda. We are not the bad guys.”
“Are you sure about that?” Arlena shot back. “Unnatural psionic soldiers? Insect war monsters? What about your brutal subjugation of Altair Prime?”
That last point sent both Green and Nyerere into silence. That Arlena even knew of General Murray’s reign of terror raised so many questions. More importantly, they had nothing to refute the Lakamodian maiden on that last point.
Thus far, Marco had only been observing. From the start, he knew his superiors wouldn’t get anywhere with the girl. But he had been struggling to get a word in. Now this was his opportunity:
“Lena, please...” Marco quickly caught himself; he cringed, expecting the girl to take offense.
But instead, she looked on curiously, waiting for him to say his piece. And with both Commander Green and Captain Nyerere doing likewise, Marco knew he had to press on.
First, Marco told Arlena of the food situation on Altair Prime. Icardi then explained to her the ruthlessness of General Murray and his readiness to starve everyone in Altair Prime to death, just to defeat the Alliance.
Arlena’s shock was unparalleled as she listened to Marco’s explanation. Her eyes widened, and her fists clamped in outrage. “Unbelievable!”
“That’s why,” Marco said. “Please talk to your brother, ask him to surrender. I promise you we will treat the Alliance soldiers with honor and dignity.”
Arlena’s response was shocking, to say the least. She started laughing softly, but her laugh grew louder and heartier. It was a good minute before she calmed down.
“I’m serious!” Marco said indignantly.
“I am aware,” responded Arlena, suppressing a chuckle. She smiled haughtily. “If it had been anyone else in this ship, I would have dismissed him as a liar. But you? I believe you.”
“Then...”
“But I cannot do what you ask of me. Victory or death, that is the way of Lakamodis.” Arlena then turned her back on the three men. “I have nothing more to say to you gentlemen... Except for you, Leo.”
“Leo?” Jack asked in confusion.
“Me?” Marco said, ignoring his commander.
Arlena looked back at Marco in the eye. “Thank you for everything you have done for me. You have shown me nothing but kindness ever since I was imprisoned here. I will remember you when my brother rescues me. And when that day comes, I will make sure that your death is swift and painless.”
***
Special Agent Nikolai Petrovsky had to do a double take when he saw Icardi at the Waterloo’s bar. A drunkard the Sergeant Major was not, not even close. With a quick delve into his psyche, the mind-reader learned everything.
Petrovsky made his way to Icardi and tapped him on the shoulder. But the Sergeant Major was not in the mood to talk:
“What do you want, psi-op?”
“I know what happened down in the brig, with Lambda. It must not be easy, especially since...”
“What do you know?!” interrupted Icardi.
And with that, Marco made his way out of the bar, shoving past anyone in his way.
As Petrovksy watched his interlocutor walking away, he could only whisper, “More than you think, Icardi. I know more than you think.”