Post by Kavid on Jun 8, 2004 21:25:25 GMT -5
Chapter 15
The Cost of Glory
It took two days to reach Mt. Hoploy. We wanted to avoid the Outpost and go around the ridge. The Gustav, now with a big burn-mark on its side, was very cramped. The cockpit wasn’t made for six people. Sifen and I eased the troubles by sleeping in the PAC-Wolves. And we slept a lot.
Kavid and the Death Sniper pilot were getting worse. The Particle-Breaker blast may not have killed them, but it was killing them.
The pilot’s I.D. identified him as Namor Bruticus, but that was probably a fake name. He was a thief, after all. He was a bony fellow who desperately needed a shower. I didn’t want him to die, mind you. Just pay the price of admission.
A squadron of Storm Sworders was the first to see us approaching the mountainside. They circled us and asked for identification, but when we remained silent they called in the ground support.
A lot of ground support.
Dozens, if not hundreds of Shield Ligers, Command Wolves, Raynos’, Gun Snipers, Gunblusters, Dibisons and Cannon Tortoises cut off our ascent up the slope. These guys weren’t taking any chances.
Fortunately for everybody, we surrendered peacefully. We didn’t come back to battle.
Once we reached the base, Kavid, “Namor” and Katrana were sent to the Emergency Room. Sifen, Bruno and I were quickly locked up in cells. I knew we would have to wait.
But he would see us. He had to see us.
Three days later, Colonel Sared finally called Sifen and I into his office.
The inside of the office looked much different this time. The medals and pictures were removed from the walls and shelves and were packed into boxes. The Colonel still had his liquor supply, though, right by the desk.
Katrana stood behind her father, looking much stronger, but sad. Surprisingly Kavid was sitting on a chair by the desk, fully awake, but looking weak and tired.
“Ah. The heroes of Mt. Hoploy.” Said the Colonel. His tone was darker than before. He took a drink. “I suppose I need to thank you for saving my daughter’s life?”
“That was Bruno Saltus’ decision,” I coldly answered, “Not mine.”
“Then I shall thank Mr. Saltus at a different time.” His stress level was rising.
“Do you know how long I’ve been in the Helic Republic’s Army, Captain Kelt?”
“I believe about forty years, sir.”
“Forty-three years, eight months and seventeen days.” Katrana placed her hand on his shoulder. “And do you know how long it has been since I’ve received an award of any kind from the Army?”
“No s--.”
“Twenty-two years, three months and five days.” He set his glass down and his eyes began to water. “Do you know what ‘Washed Up’ means, Captain Kelt?”
“Yes sir, I believe I—.”
“No. No you don’t. You think you do, but you don’t. When you spend half of your career failing again and again at receiving any kind of recognition for your achievements, then you get re-assigned to some pointless out-of-the-way military base, then you’ll know.”
I wasn’t sure if I should say anything.
“The Plasma Armor was to be my crowning achievement for the Helic Republic. The one thing that would get my name remembered for the rest of time, to get my picture placed in school books for children to be read about…AND YOU TOOK THAT AWAY FROM ME!” He smashed his glass into the wall and started to breathe heavier. “Do you know how that feels?”
Now it was my turn. “Your precious Plasma Armor is useless, Colonel! Oh, it’s powerful all right, but it can be broken. Even you know that!”
“THAT WAS EXACTLY THE POINT!” he roared as he stood up.
I was too confused to say anything.
“The Death Sniper had agreed to steal the Plasma Armor. He was then going to sell it to the Empire! Once all of their Zoids had been energized with it, they would attack!” He saw the doubt in my eyes. “Of course they would! They would think they were invincible! Why wouldn’t they attack? Then, when all seemed hopeless for the Republic, I would reveal the Particle-Breaker Cannon and wipe out the Empire in one fail swoop! I would be the hero of the Republic! I would have saved the day!” The Colonel smiled, but started shaking. “Who knows, maybe they would have even made me President!” He hunched over and his eyes glared right through me. “But now… NOW I HAVE NOTHING!” He hammered his desk repeatedly and Katrana tried to settle him.
I couldn’t believe what I just heard. All the suffering that my Command Wolf Unit--the Orion Unit--had suffered through these last few days, was all because an old man wanted to be a hero. He was fighting for his country, all right, but for the wrong reasons.
“Colonel, I didn’t take your glory from you, you threw it away.”
He looked hard at me and asked, “What are you talking about?”
“If you had made this an official Army mission it might have worked. Instead, you worked with a mercenary and endangered your men, just so you could get all the glory. You took a brilliant plan and threw it away BECAUSE YOU’RE JUST A GREEDY OLD MAN WHO’S LOST HIS PRIDE!”
Colonel Sared tried to think of something to say but couldn’t. He sat back down in his chair and Katrana started crying.
“Get out.” He said.
“Excuse me?”
“Get out. Get out of my office, get out of the Army, get out of the whole damn country.”
“So we’re free to go?”
“Yes, you’re free. As long as you keep your mouths shut about this whole affair. If one word leaks out about this…”
I looked the Colonel straight in the eyes and said, “That’s for you to decide, Colonel. I’ve had enough. But if you’re the great leader and hero you claim to be, you know the answer.”
With that, I helped Kavid up and started towards the door. But then I remembered, “What about Bruno?”
“Take…take him with you. And that Private Mansod, too. Get out.”
Katrana’s eyes were weeping, but she managed to smile at me and wink.
I winked back.
The Cost of Glory
It took two days to reach Mt. Hoploy. We wanted to avoid the Outpost and go around the ridge. The Gustav, now with a big burn-mark on its side, was very cramped. The cockpit wasn’t made for six people. Sifen and I eased the troubles by sleeping in the PAC-Wolves. And we slept a lot.
Kavid and the Death Sniper pilot were getting worse. The Particle-Breaker blast may not have killed them, but it was killing them.
The pilot’s I.D. identified him as Namor Bruticus, but that was probably a fake name. He was a thief, after all. He was a bony fellow who desperately needed a shower. I didn’t want him to die, mind you. Just pay the price of admission.
A squadron of Storm Sworders was the first to see us approaching the mountainside. They circled us and asked for identification, but when we remained silent they called in the ground support.
A lot of ground support.
Dozens, if not hundreds of Shield Ligers, Command Wolves, Raynos’, Gun Snipers, Gunblusters, Dibisons and Cannon Tortoises cut off our ascent up the slope. These guys weren’t taking any chances.
Fortunately for everybody, we surrendered peacefully. We didn’t come back to battle.
Once we reached the base, Kavid, “Namor” and Katrana were sent to the Emergency Room. Sifen, Bruno and I were quickly locked up in cells. I knew we would have to wait.
But he would see us. He had to see us.
Three days later, Colonel Sared finally called Sifen and I into his office.
The inside of the office looked much different this time. The medals and pictures were removed from the walls and shelves and were packed into boxes. The Colonel still had his liquor supply, though, right by the desk.
Katrana stood behind her father, looking much stronger, but sad. Surprisingly Kavid was sitting on a chair by the desk, fully awake, but looking weak and tired.
“Ah. The heroes of Mt. Hoploy.” Said the Colonel. His tone was darker than before. He took a drink. “I suppose I need to thank you for saving my daughter’s life?”
“That was Bruno Saltus’ decision,” I coldly answered, “Not mine.”
“Then I shall thank Mr. Saltus at a different time.” His stress level was rising.
“Do you know how long I’ve been in the Helic Republic’s Army, Captain Kelt?”
“I believe about forty years, sir.”
“Forty-three years, eight months and seventeen days.” Katrana placed her hand on his shoulder. “And do you know how long it has been since I’ve received an award of any kind from the Army?”
“No s--.”
“Twenty-two years, three months and five days.” He set his glass down and his eyes began to water. “Do you know what ‘Washed Up’ means, Captain Kelt?”
“Yes sir, I believe I—.”
“No. No you don’t. You think you do, but you don’t. When you spend half of your career failing again and again at receiving any kind of recognition for your achievements, then you get re-assigned to some pointless out-of-the-way military base, then you’ll know.”
I wasn’t sure if I should say anything.
“The Plasma Armor was to be my crowning achievement for the Helic Republic. The one thing that would get my name remembered for the rest of time, to get my picture placed in school books for children to be read about…AND YOU TOOK THAT AWAY FROM ME!” He smashed his glass into the wall and started to breathe heavier. “Do you know how that feels?”
Now it was my turn. “Your precious Plasma Armor is useless, Colonel! Oh, it’s powerful all right, but it can be broken. Even you know that!”
“THAT WAS EXACTLY THE POINT!” he roared as he stood up.
I was too confused to say anything.
“The Death Sniper had agreed to steal the Plasma Armor. He was then going to sell it to the Empire! Once all of their Zoids had been energized with it, they would attack!” He saw the doubt in my eyes. “Of course they would! They would think they were invincible! Why wouldn’t they attack? Then, when all seemed hopeless for the Republic, I would reveal the Particle-Breaker Cannon and wipe out the Empire in one fail swoop! I would be the hero of the Republic! I would have saved the day!” The Colonel smiled, but started shaking. “Who knows, maybe they would have even made me President!” He hunched over and his eyes glared right through me. “But now… NOW I HAVE NOTHING!” He hammered his desk repeatedly and Katrana tried to settle him.
I couldn’t believe what I just heard. All the suffering that my Command Wolf Unit--the Orion Unit--had suffered through these last few days, was all because an old man wanted to be a hero. He was fighting for his country, all right, but for the wrong reasons.
“Colonel, I didn’t take your glory from you, you threw it away.”
He looked hard at me and asked, “What are you talking about?”
“If you had made this an official Army mission it might have worked. Instead, you worked with a mercenary and endangered your men, just so you could get all the glory. You took a brilliant plan and threw it away BECAUSE YOU’RE JUST A GREEDY OLD MAN WHO’S LOST HIS PRIDE!”
Colonel Sared tried to think of something to say but couldn’t. He sat back down in his chair and Katrana started crying.
“Get out.” He said.
“Excuse me?”
“Get out. Get out of my office, get out of the Army, get out of the whole damn country.”
“So we’re free to go?”
“Yes, you’re free. As long as you keep your mouths shut about this whole affair. If one word leaks out about this…”
I looked the Colonel straight in the eyes and said, “That’s for you to decide, Colonel. I’ve had enough. But if you’re the great leader and hero you claim to be, you know the answer.”
With that, I helped Kavid up and started towards the door. But then I remembered, “What about Bruno?”
“Take…take him with you. And that Private Mansod, too. Get out.”
Katrana’s eyes were weeping, but she managed to smile at me and wink.
I winked back.
;D 
