Loyalties

Chapter 7: Jade

The dropship circles the battlefield. All in black, with no lights whatsoever, I look at the carnage below, really amused. So much for a simple simulation, I think as a wicked smile comes to my face. The Black Sun Empire has conquered all of Regecide, and after the attack on my father, remained silent. Now, after three years, we have become strong. Extremely strong.

"Shall I take you down, ma'am?" the pilot asks, looking back at me. I nod, and feel the ship dip down slowly. I check my two pistols. They're black rail revolvers, the sights illuminated yellow. The rear sight is a circle seeming to be floating above the rails, and the front sight is a dot in the middle.

Before we land, I wrap my katana's sheath strap around me, and all in black, step out into the fray.

Almost immediately, a laser just misses my hair. Seeing my target, I draw a pistol, and hammer a rail into his chest. The soldier falls, clutching his chest. Black Sun soldiers all around me fire their pulse rifles, every shot hitting its target. Taking cover, a brute slides in next to me.

"Hello Jaque," I say, smiling. Jaque Coshette, commander of the First Strike Battalion and leader of the assault left the Royal Navy to be with us. Already high ranking, he wishes to see the Emperor fall.

"General," he says, popping up to take a few shots, and taking cover once again. "Any orders?"
"Keep Admiral Adrian alive," I say, spitting out my ex's name. "I want to show that ignorant imbecile what it means to betray the Black Sun." Jaque nods, and in one bound, takes to the front lines.

Hoping over the berm, I unholster my pistols, and let the rails fly. No more than a couple feet in front of me, a Royal Navy soldier surprises me. Both my pistols aimed at his chest, I quickly pull the triggers. The hammers working furiously, the man's chest gets torn apart with each rail. Once I stop firing, I examine the carnage. Where the abdomen should be, there lies a cavity, with only pieces of flesh and organs left inside. The ribs are broken, and blood and bits of flesh and armor litter the ground. Pleased with my work, I holster my pistols, and draw my katana.

Running towards the battle, I dodge pulses from a rifle of an obvious cadet. Fearful, he starts to run, but falls. Before long, I stand over top of him, looking into his eyes. Everything about him reads terror. He opens his mouth, probably to plead, but my katana plunges into his heart, and blood trickled out of his mouth.

I turn around. The fighting all stopped. I walk the battlefield. There are no dead Black Sun. A smirk crosses my face, knowing that this victory proves the Empire to be weak.

"Stop squirming, maggot!" I hear Jaque say, followed by a hard slap. I turn. Jaque, along with four other Black Sun soldiers hold Adrian. He looks at me. One of his eyes are blackened, his nose is bleeding. "Just like you ordered, ma'am," Jaque says, and the soldiers throw him to the ground. Adrian starts to push himself up, but Jaque yanks Adrian to his knees.

"You picked the wrong side, Jade," Adrian says, his gaze stern, unmoving, unemotional. "Why would you do such a thing to your father?"
"I wanted a new Empire," I say. "Now, I have one. One that can protect everyone, listen to everyone. Join us, and you can be part of it." With my thumb and forefinger, I stroke under his chin. Adrian quickly moves his head, and gives me a state of complete hatred.

"I'll never join you," Adrian says, and spits on the ground in front of me. "Traitor," he mumbles.
"Take him back to Regecide," I say. "Get up," Jaque says as he brutally yanks Adrian up, and elbowing him in the back, makes Adrian walk. The four soldiers walk by, and I stand still, watching them carry Adrian away. Once their VTOL takes off, I sigh, and look at the ground. I still have feelings for him.

***
Grand Duke Lawrence's Palace, Codename "HomeBase", Demeanor VII, Regecide

I sit in my room. It's black, just like every other room, with a window where cell bars once were. Because of my high rank, I have three combined cells. All the iron bar doors are taken out, all emergency ray shields deactivated. Now, it all is one long room.