Redemptions Revolution PT5 Counting Coup

Jiangyin Late August 2507

Looking to his right Allen wonders if the sight before his is truly possible. Months previous he had been changed, though not much. Things he did on Persephone weren’t much different than some of the work he’d done long before but now he somehow feels vindicated for the deeds of which he had sought redemption. This was it. This is why he still moves and breaths and loves. With his Lily laying at his side and a small wooden crib just beyond her he, despite his happiness, sobs aimless.

Lily, her face awash with early morning light does not stir. Though not asleep, she holds back sullen and regretful for not holding her husband. Something tells her that he merely needs to get it out on his own. Even he had said there were things he did not wish to pass to those he loved and he was right. Sort of. She despised his ways. And she loved them. For some reason there were things she could never hope to understand. But it was the same for her. He could never understand the social graces or obligation that came with the biannual gatherings she was forced to attend by her family. He could not understand her frustration with having to live without him for months at a time. It was different before. Most of the time she could go wherever he was bound for work.

Work. Teaching people things they should have learned before using their money to buy property they could not properly manage. To manage people who had little education and even less hope. Indentured, as civilized as it sounds means the same as slave. How could her husband condone such barbarism from his clientele? And training security officers to do what, drive the slaves? She understands there is villainy throughout the universe but why would people of such wealth and finery move to such desolate places?

Even with so many questions Lily clears her mind for a moment to reach out to Allen. As she touches his face her eyes open. His eyes and jaw are clenched hard holding some strange power over her gaze. She cannot look away. There is something vile and rotten about the moment. Her gut tightens and a cold sweat starts between her shoulder blades. Images, flashes of terrible things pass before her as she closes her own eyes very tight as if trying not to see any further. The images worsen.

A pile nearly five meters high. Hands and feet, light brown coats and helmets, broken rifles and heads. So many heads strewn about a cliff base. Above, screaming. “No man screams like this.” she tries to tell herself. “It must be hungry birds.”

Another coat fluttering from the cliff top. Thump. Another helmet. Two hands and two feet next and more screaming. Suddenly it stops. Then a head. A head still gasping for air.

She is in the trees with Allen and the squad. They look on without horror or anger. In their minds they are planning their ascension. Behind Allen Amarok twists a silencer on his sidearm. Aside from Am she doesn’t know the others. They don’t know each others names except Am and Allen. Just nicknames.

A man with bear like features looks through the optic on his rifle and a younger man with lighter skin and a nearly featureless face looks through a small pair of binoculars along the cliff.

“We can hook right. There is a slight grade and it is much easier than climbing that gorram cliff.” the bear like man says.

The featureless man, deep in thought replies, “’Rider and Am should be able to move in close to drop that evil bastard. If you got rear guard I can flank left and play pick up.”

Amarok, chewing on a piece of jerk meat hands a piece to the featureless man before speaking. “O got a good plan. But how many you think is left? I will go up for one man but how many did they get?”

“First squad and the corp disappeared what, a day ago.” Rider states checking the sub gun and its ammunition. “Heard some PDU’s saying they have to pay ransom for theirs. Independents are being executed under the table regardless of who they are.”

A brief darkness before Lily can see Allen and Amarok again. They crawl cautiously to the edge of a clearing. To their left a dozen Independent soldiers under light guard stand chained together awaiting their fate next to the camp latrine. The camp itself is small and undetectable without either coming through the wooded area concealing it or by deducting where the pile of body parts and uniforms at the bottom of the cliff came from.

Beyond the strange dome tents and some supply containers a large man, a giant standing with a strange crescent shaped sword wipes blood from its blade while several Alliance soldiers drag away the remains of another Independent soldier.

“We’re taking the Reaper live, frag the rest.” Rider tells the other three through the microphone in his collar. Whizzes and thumps are heard throughout the camp. Casings rattle from Amaroks pistol as Allen keeps his eyes on the man they call The Reaper, bodies dropping behind him as he retains his focus on the man.

A cold chill. Lily can’t help but feel the emptiness and cold feeling surrounding all of them.

Over the radio she can hear, “Clear in the rear” “Clear right” “Clear left side”.

The cold increased ten fold as Allen speaks. “Ursus, target front. Eyes on. If he moves saw off a leg.”

“Aye.” the bear man replies gruff over the radio.

Moving forward Allen moves with his primary weapon aimed at the mans head. As he moves Allen’s thoughts are static without coherent discernment. Lily shudders when suddenly she see’s them together sitting in the wood where she played as a child. Their engagement and celebration in the wood.

“Drop your weapon!” Allen orders. The thought sticks in his mind as he orders the man on the ground. Binding his hands and feet several unarmed Independent soldiers arrive with the chains they had previously wore.

One of the soldiers tells Allen, “We’re gonna chain this hwoon dahn by the nuts to a tree and drop him offa that cliff.”

“Jien tah duh guay! We’re taking him to be transported to the Colonel. I’m sure he will want to use him to campaign against the things he did. This war might not have rules yet but we will not allow this thing to lay with the remains of our guys.” Allen tells them. His thought is still of Lily and him lying together in the wood. There seems to be a sudden return of warmth within him.

“I called in the coordinates and we should have transport for The Reaper in twenty.” States Ursus over the radio.

“Wanna lead them out Am?” Allen asks Amarok. He nods and leads the soldiers and the chained Reaper into the tree line. Allen stands for a minute and retreats into himself for a moment before breathing deeply. There is some peace settling over his heart as Lily feels his hand on hers. Gently he pulls Lily’s hand from his face.

“You thought of me when you captured that man?” Lily asks Allen as he watches her open her emerald eyes.

“I always think of you in bad times. There is a place I git to goin’ that I don’t ever want to be in again.” He tells her as they interlock fingers.

“I felt it.”

“I’m sorry.” He pulls her closer to him before saying, “But that is only the beginning. I don’t want you to ever do that again. You are my light. My saving grace. My angel. My love. These things will ruin you. It is my burden to carry. Not yours. That space you feel in your heart will fill with hate and malice. I will not poison you with that.” Allen tells her sincerely. Lily moves closer to him hooking her leg over his.

“I want to feel the love of that thought.” She tells him softly trying to shake off the cold feeling. Sliding on top of him Lily presses her beast tight to his chest.

“I love you.” They say at the same time almost as if mimicking each other. The heartbeat of their exchange: drums and dancing.