CHAPTER THREE: CONFERENCE OF IKELDES.
The whizzing of the Laser Engines woke Emily up from
her slumber. She looked around the cab and noticed everyone was awake.
"Sleep good?" Taz asked.
"Never Better" Emily yawned. She could feel the
helicopter begin to descend.
"Alright! Everybody Up and at 'em! We need to be
prompt, we are already behind. " Dickhead commanded. Nobody budged. "Come on guys, wake up or be woken!"
A beverage cup bounces off a soldier's head after it
was launched by Dickhead. "Ow!" The Soldier Cried out.
"Garetiaz, we both know that didn't hurt you in the
slightest. As for the rest of you! Get up!" Dickhead ordered. Nobody budged a
inch.
"Reginald, Ease it up." Emily advised. "Alright guys,
stop yanking his chain."
The squad began to gather their things in unison. Their
Squad consisted of Captain Richard "Dickhead" Jones, Specialist Emily Leigh Ensie,
Corporal Taz Parker, Private Hernando
Garetiaz, Medic Paige Reagan, Weapons Specialist Tony Roger, Tech Specialist Lacy Cheng, Airmen Jack Lehem and Brady Wench,
and Senior Airman Peyton "Hammerhead" Henderson.
The sunrise radiated through the skyline,
giving off this mellow aura that was calming, but yet urgency could still be
felt in the air. The helicopter shook as it touched land. A group of men began
to approach the Helicopter.
Ikeldes, Dremerian Soil, 0600, 4/18/1046 A.T.C.
The group piled out of the helicopter to greet the approaching men. "No funny business, I mean it." Dickhead demanded.
"Wasn't planning on it" Emily firmly said.
"Hello Richard! Great to see you again!" a man from the group greeted.
"Mr. Parsons, it's been a long time." Dickhead said as he took Mr. Parsons' hand to shake it.
"Only a couple of Years" Parsons joked. He was a near elderly person, but seemed healthy enough to not take lightly.
"Macshmel, What was the rush?" Dickhead asked.
"No time to talk about it here, I am going to need you, and miss Ensie to follow me. The council has been waiting for your arrival. Please. Hurry." Parson's suggested.
"of course, lead the way. " Dickhead agreed. Parsons turned around and the two followed him.
The Conference of Ikeldes, Ikeldes, Dremerian Terrian. 0700, 4/18/1046 A.T.C.
"after the riots in Ikelms, we don't know if we have the support to rally up the troops to aid The U.C.A.!" a board member stated as Richard and Emily entered the room.
Everyone stood silent as the everyone noticed them. "Richard! Emily! So glad you could join us!" a man stood up and greeted with a smile.
"Thank you, Hansel. I'm sorry we were late. As you were." Dickhead replied.
"The uproar in Ikelms has really hurt our image, Head of staff Harlem. As I was saying, we may not be able to rally the support we would need to push back Kassinger in Utopia." The board member continued.
"I understand that Ulrich. Things have been rather complicated as of late, but we will endure! We need those men Mr. Dakem. I Don't care how you get them. Get your territory in line!" of Staff Harlem commanded.
"Well it doesn't help when you have a rogue team out there creating controversies! The rhetoric that has gone around since the raid in Ebeom. The word is that your team is responsible for the reactor failing!" another Board member contested.
"Lance, we know the situation. The rhetoric is misinformation. We had nothing to do with the reactor, it would have failed with or without us." Hansel assured.
"The Alliance is holding on a by a thread Hansel. You must remember, our forces our not what they were when the Mittlekens were in power. After Dantes death, his troops either joined you, or went to the U.C.A. There are people who are starting to believe in the rhetoric around Dantes death about you. Do not forget that." A woman conjected.
"Rachel, now everyone in this room knows I was not there the night Dante was killed. Those accusations are ridiculous! We commanded and worked side by side! We all know this. So why even bring it up?" Hansel defended.
"No, sir. You misunderstand. Everyone in this room knows what happened. All the receipts are documented. What I am saying, Commander, is that there are people out there who wont believe that, and we can't just make them join us."
"I don't Care. Regardless of their ignorant beliefs, WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A WAR! We do not have time to be discussing such useless things!"
"Well sir, if you push that narrative, then even more people will turn against you. We NEED to prove your loyalty to the people." Rachel advised.
"Which is why we need to Parlay." Head of Staff Harlem suggested.
"Parlay? What do you mean, Harlem?" Hansel said.
"We received word that Kassinger himself wants to meet with the leaders of both Our Alliance and the U.C.A.'s. He said he wants to find a solution for peace once and for all." Harlem explained.
"and why didn't you tell me sooner? This is information that should have been addressed immediately!" Hansel frustrated.
"Sir, everyone, including you, has been busy. What do you think this Conference is for?" Harlem eased.
Mixed feeling hit Emily like a brick wall. "You can't seriously be considering this." She spat out.
The room fell silent. "Excuse me, miss Ensie?" Harlem asked.
"Every night. Every morning. I am haunted by the face, the mask of the man who killed my mother. Trauma that still sticks to me to this very day. It keeps me up at night, and you expect me to Parlay? To bend the knee!? To play by his rules?" Emily stated, her tone growing more fierce with every syllable.
"Miss Ensie, you need to put your personal feelings aside. There is too much at-" Harlem began.
"FEELINGS? Feelings?! Feelings is why we are fighting this war in the first place! What Kassinger has taken from every person on the planet creates a lot of feelings! How do you think we got here! The problem here is your not using yours! You want parlay! Well I refuse! I want justice!" Emily demanded. At this a roar of cheering could be heard from the audience outside, who were watching screens as the conference was being broadcasted to secure networks.
"Justice! Justice! Justice!" Protestors could be heard from the streets.
"Everyone! Quiet!" Harlem ordered. The people in the room and the protestors outside fell silent, showcasing Harlem's range of respect. "The hard truth of the matter. We are out-gunned, out-manned. For our survival, we must compromise. This is final. Hansel. You are to meet with Kassinger. The rest of the details are irrelevant."
Dickhead finally stood up, after keeping his mouth shut for so long. "This is bullshit, and you know it." He said in frustration.
"If you have any other solutions, please speak now. Until then, you are dismissed." Harlem said and pounded his Gavel.
The Board members piled out of the Conference room Into a sea of reporters and protesters. "What is your take on the Head of Staff's decision?" A reporter asked. Emily just simply ignored the question and followed Dickhead's lead.
Emily came around the corner behind Dickhead. Trying to keep her eyes to the ground, she looks straight but notices a man approaching the people navigating the crowd.
"This is Kassinger's Will. Die and Parlay." The man says and pulls out a gun and fires it. Rachel Oseom fell to the floor, dead. More gunfire rang out. Dickhead jumps and collides with Emily as he lays his body over her, protecting her.
Gun shots rang out. People scattered out of the building as armed men opened fire. The screaming and shouting deafened Emily's ears.
The gunfire rang out until the rate began to accelerate. There was one last gunshot and then the thud of a body dropping to the floor.
Head of Staff Patrick Harlem came around the corner to see what all the commotion was, deducing that the height of the conflict was over, gun in hand.
" Is this not enough, Head of Staff Harlem?" Emily spat at Harlem as she stared him directly in the eyes.
Three bodies lay on the floor, dressed in Kassinger's red, black, and gold attire.