First Choice --Part 1--

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I would tell them a story of morning glory, but no one really turned their attention to me. Nobody said that I was doing it right, so I bid them a goodnight.

~~~

I sit in the conference room next to the most powerful people I know; Commander Soraru, Lieutenant Kuroneko, and our majesty, King Mafumafu.

I stay quiet as the three debated and discussed typical politics. Typical politics as in typical politics. Boring ol' politics. There is never an end to politics. It's always senator this and senator that, or approve of this or veto that. I mean, it's great to argue important things, but as intriguing as it is, it gets repetitive, and that's the turn off.

Lieutenant Kuroneko works like a professional in whatever she does. As second-in-command in the cabinet, she wants zero distractions and is always on point; loud, aggressive, and a good fighter. She also is considered the King's right-hand woman. Did I mention sometimes heartless?

Commander Soraru is a responsible programmer. As third-in-command, he always stays indoors, (a bad habit of his), and does all the research and tech consult. He's assertive and is the smarts of the whole cabinet. He does go outdoors when the King or Lieutenant orders him to.

And lastly, there is King Mafumafu. As first-in-command; he has a strong leadership, a great deal of intelligence, and tremendous skill in combat. He is not like those other kings in fairytales, a man who sits down on his throne and orders his subjects around; he gets up and fights alongside the military, develops trading deals in the market, enforces laws with the senate, and discusses issues with the cabinet.

Cosmo looks like a city, and functions like one because it is one. We don't live in a kingdom; it's more like a metropolis on an island. We don't take care of public and private affairs in a castle; it's more like an organized building. We are different than what fairytales describe. It is more like the 21st century. This whole piece of land, is all governed by the King.

I am fourth-in-command in the cabinet; General [Last Name]. I take care of Cosmo's militia and arsenals. I carry out plans and backup consult. I am skilled in many areas other than just one. I can fight, scheme, and code; I have attitude, perseverance, and authority. Basically, I have everything that the Commander and Lieutenant have combined. But despite what rank and talent I have, people still wonder what my use is in the government. People don't know what I do, or exactly who I am. They know my name, but they don't praise me. They just shrug me off as nothing more than just a backup.

I always felt underestimated by the people, the senate, the military, and also by the Commander, Lieutenant, and King themselves. Even if the King and the cabinet members know me personally, I always feel the same. But, I'll stay quiet. I won't fight for the attention I lack. I let them discuss with each other while I listen, and if they need a fresh mind when they're stumped, I'll be there to aid. Sooner or later they might just see what I am worth.

Especially the King.

I remember the attack seven years ago, Astral's air-force made bombs rain down on the East Harbor of Cosmo's Bay area. They planned their attack accordingly, everyone was sure. It was easy to tell that it was pre-meditated. Our long-time rival had declared war. Astral showed no mercy when it came to each battle. The blood of the innocent and the blood of the fighters were shed in vain on Cosmoan soil; barely any on Astra soil.

We won the war just by a sliver.

The war lasted five years. It has been two years ever since it ended. Over a year and a half since Mafumafu was coroneted into the King.

The previous king, Mafu's father, was assassinated by an Astra spy after the declaration of victory. The same spy also executed the members of the cabinet.

The killer was charged with treason... he's gone now. But that did not change the fact that the old king was gone also. It did not change the fact that Mafumafu, at age 23, was next in line. He became the youngest ever ruler of Cosmo.

Mafumafu, now aged 25, is the reason why I never turn my back from my position. I was hand-picked along with Soraru and Kuroneko to protect and work by his side. I promised to lay my life down for the King's sake, be it by angry inhabitants or by Cosmo's other oversea enemies.

I'm sure Soraru and Kuroneko would do the same, but I feel like I am somehow different.

Other than my life, I'll also give my heart.

"Commander Soraru, I genuinely understand the point you are trying to make in order to help Cosmo's cyber-economy. But that is by hacking. Hacking is a crime. We are discussing how to prevent that crime. You see the loophole here?"

"Crystal clear, Lieutenant Kuroneko. We could encrypt the hack to make it look like a government-issued bug. That bug will collect information on possible suspects trying to pry open the security firewall protecting the online servers."

"Or we can just scrap the hack and just purely implant the bug," I say. "We don't need any fancy shenanigans or complicated plans."

"The General is correct, that's one thing," the King justifies. "We have been spending twenty minutes on this topic has already wasted time when we need to talk about a more important topic. Soraru, will you take care of the bug?"

"Yes I will, sir."

"Great," he sighs. "Let's talk about Astral."

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