Flames licked the sky, fueled by kerosene and the miserable pile of little arms. Burning human flesh had a distinct smell: an acrid, bitter quality foreign to any other sort of sublimated meat. For Tsutsukakushi Natsu, it was the first time he had ever smelled so much of it at once. His eyes watered and his throat clenched. He felt as if he would drown in the horrific odor, and yet he found not the will to escape to fresh air. Furtively, he tried to catch Haruka’s gaze, though he knew not why. Was it to apologize? To pledge his assistance? And yet there was nothing to apologize for, and there was nothing that he could do to help.
Nonon wrapped a callused hand around his arm and dragged him to his feet. Much as Natsu wanted to stay, he knew that Haruka’s orders were absolute, and that she was correct. Silently, dutifully, Natsu brushed his coat off and allowed Nonon to lead him to the waiting horseless. He knew that in the next few days the leadership of ZaPRA would perish, now that they had truly attracted Haruka’s ire. But what would happen afterwards? Others would surely take their places. Sons were compelled to carry on the work of their fathers.
Unless something changes. Unless we can disrupt the cycle of blood and vengeance. Unless we break the circle…
Lightning Imperial Colony of Roenesia
…1200 Hours, a week after the sack of Mui’Kahalo
Masao yawned and shifted in place. The barrel of the FAL autorifle resting across his chest slid off his shoulder and banged against the sheet metal interior of the tuk-tuk wagon he rested in. He cursed under his breath.
“Falling asleep on the job? Typical,” Nonon snorted. A minute later, she also stifled a yawn.
Masao cracked a lopsided grin at her. “If ye can stand, sit. If ye can sit, lay down. If ye can lay down, sleep. T’is all standard training, Orochi.”
Nonon sighed and stood to sweep over the vehicle column with her binoculars. “You sure they’ll even show up?”
“Aye, this’ll be the first open military assemblage of the ZaPRA cunts. Flexin’ their muscle n’ front of Shinbatsu n’ everyone. Next step is open armed rebellion.”
“Fuckers had better make muster, then. How’re they gonna war in the streets when they can’t be arsed to drop their cocks n’ put on their socks in the wee hours?”
“It’s why we’ll fokkin’ kill ‘em all, as Lady Shima says,” Masao winked over at Haruka, who also fought off the urge to sleep in the same truck bed as the others.
Like Masao and Nonon and the rest of the hundred and fourth, Haruka sported the same stained and battle-worn fatigues and load-bearers as the rest of her soldiers, with a brace of pistol-bolters slung low across her hips.
It had been her idea to infiltrate the township of New Kanto in the early morning hours, to place her soldiers in position to encircle the promised ZaPRA rally. Under her command, the ANBU detachment had been hard at work disguising a caravan of troop transports as ramshackle buses toting the faithful on pilgrimage. Each church tuk-tuk was jam-packed with Selous Scouts as well as Colonel Shin’s sepoys, who waited with bated breath for the chance to act.
That entire week, however, she had not spoken with Natsu once. He had seemed to avoid her on purpose, and when they had inevitably passed each other in the halls, his eyes refused to meet hers. She had given herself no choice but to accept it. After all, she was a shinobi on a mission, nothing more, nothing less. Natsu inhabited a different world than she did, and those worlds had never been meant to intertwine. She had already seen the consequences of one such interlude.
They had found one survivor after the raid on the village: a child missing her right arm. Masao had wanted to call Natsu back, but Haruka had already determined that the girl had only minutes left. As Haruka had cradled the dying girl, she had sung softly to the child. It had been one of the only songs she remembered, a simple hymnal that everyone in the church of Raiden knew.
“Oy, I can see why they never let ye into the choir!” Masao snorted.
Nonon’s face reddened to crimson as she realized she’d been singing softly to herself. “Oh, eat a bowl of dicks!”
Haruka looked up, jarred out of her thoughts. The sides of her cheeks were wet. Hurriedly, she wiped them dry.
“Milady? You right?” Masao asked.
Haruka nodded and clenched her teeth. The old Sennin’s word came back to her. He had been right: this was something she needed to do not for her family, and not even for him. This was something she needed to do for herself.
“Hush, I’m getting signals,” Nonon whispered excitedly. “ZaPRA leadership is coming up to the square! They’ve got at least a company’s worth of armed rebs with them. Stolen muskets, bolters, marksman rifles, you name it.”
“Good,” Masao said, and slammed a fist into an open palm. “Not that I mind massacr’n these fuckwits, but them being armed makes it all the sweeter. Orochi, make sure the boys’re loaded, safeties off, steel unlocked!”
True to Nonon’s predictions, the square nearby started to shake with the noise and footfalls of an agitated crowd. Loudspeakers erected overnight started to belt out a speech. The words were harsh and in Shu’ar, but the message was clear: ”Now is the time to fight! Now is the time of blood and strife!”
“On your signal, Milady,” Masao said to Haruka.
Nonon wrapped a callused hand around his arm and dragged him to his feet. Much as Natsu wanted to stay, he knew that Haruka’s orders were absolute, and that she was correct. Silently, dutifully, Natsu brushed his coat off and allowed Nonon to lead him to the waiting horseless. He knew that in the next few days the leadership of ZaPRA would perish, now that they had truly attracted Haruka’s ire. But what would happen afterwards? Others would surely take their places. Sons were compelled to carry on the work of their fathers.
Unless something changes. Unless we can disrupt the cycle of blood and vengeance. Unless we break the circle…
***
Township of New KantoLightning Imperial Colony of Roenesia
…1200 Hours, a week after the sack of Mui’Kahalo
Masao yawned and shifted in place. The barrel of the FAL autorifle resting across his chest slid off his shoulder and banged against the sheet metal interior of the tuk-tuk wagon he rested in. He cursed under his breath.
“Falling asleep on the job? Typical,” Nonon snorted. A minute later, she also stifled a yawn.
Masao cracked a lopsided grin at her. “If ye can stand, sit. If ye can sit, lay down. If ye can lay down, sleep. T’is all standard training, Orochi.”
Nonon sighed and stood to sweep over the vehicle column with her binoculars. “You sure they’ll even show up?”
“Aye, this’ll be the first open military assemblage of the ZaPRA cunts. Flexin’ their muscle n’ front of Shinbatsu n’ everyone. Next step is open armed rebellion.”
“Fuckers had better make muster, then. How’re they gonna war in the streets when they can’t be arsed to drop their cocks n’ put on their socks in the wee hours?”
“It’s why we’ll fokkin’ kill ‘em all, as Lady Shima says,” Masao winked over at Haruka, who also fought off the urge to sleep in the same truck bed as the others.
Like Masao and Nonon and the rest of the hundred and fourth, Haruka sported the same stained and battle-worn fatigues and load-bearers as the rest of her soldiers, with a brace of pistol-bolters slung low across her hips.
It had been her idea to infiltrate the township of New Kanto in the early morning hours, to place her soldiers in position to encircle the promised ZaPRA rally. Under her command, the ANBU detachment had been hard at work disguising a caravan of troop transports as ramshackle buses toting the faithful on pilgrimage. Each church tuk-tuk was jam-packed with Selous Scouts as well as Colonel Shin’s sepoys, who waited with bated breath for the chance to act.
That entire week, however, she had not spoken with Natsu once. He had seemed to avoid her on purpose, and when they had inevitably passed each other in the halls, his eyes refused to meet hers. She had given herself no choice but to accept it. After all, she was a shinobi on a mission, nothing more, nothing less. Natsu inhabited a different world than she did, and those worlds had never been meant to intertwine. She had already seen the consequences of one such interlude.
They had found one survivor after the raid on the village: a child missing her right arm. Masao had wanted to call Natsu back, but Haruka had already determined that the girl had only minutes left. As Haruka had cradled the dying girl, she had sung softly to the child. It had been one of the only songs she remembered, a simple hymnal that everyone in the church of Raiden knew.
”There are loved ones in the glory,
Whose dear forms you often miss.
When you close your earthly story,
Will you join them in their bliss?
Will the circle be unbroken,
By and by, by and by?
Is a better home awaiting,
In the sky, in the sky?"
<i></i>Whose dear forms you often miss.
When you close your earthly story,
Will you join them in their bliss?
Will the circle be unbroken,
By and by, by and by?
Is a better home awaiting,
In the sky, in the sky?"
“Oy, I can see why they never let ye into the choir!” Masao snorted.
Nonon’s face reddened to crimson as she realized she’d been singing softly to herself. “Oh, eat a bowl of dicks!”
Haruka looked up, jarred out of her thoughts. The sides of her cheeks were wet. Hurriedly, she wiped them dry.
“Milady? You right?” Masao asked.
Haruka nodded and clenched her teeth. The old Sennin’s word came back to her. He had been right: this was something she needed to do not for her family, and not even for him. This was something she needed to do for herself.
“Hush, I’m getting signals,” Nonon whispered excitedly. “ZaPRA leadership is coming up to the square! They’ve got at least a company’s worth of armed rebs with them. Stolen muskets, bolters, marksman rifles, you name it.”
“Good,” Masao said, and slammed a fist into an open palm. “Not that I mind massacr’n these fuckwits, but them being armed makes it all the sweeter. Orochi, make sure the boys’re loaded, safeties off, steel unlocked!”
True to Nonon’s predictions, the square nearby started to shake with the noise and footfalls of an agitated crowd. Loudspeakers erected overnight started to belt out a speech. The words were harsh and in Shu’ar, but the message was clear: ”Now is the time to fight! Now is the time of blood and strife!”
“On your signal, Milady,” Masao said to Haruka.
