New Terra: The First Wave (Volume 1 of the New Terra Trilogy)

Chapter VIII- White Doves

Queen Radcliffe stood upon a cliff, staring down at a war-torn Shanghai. The Shanghai citizens were rebelling against the New Terran Army. Queen Radcliffe laughed as bodies fell.
Suddenly, everyone stopped. They all looked up at Queen Radcliffe and began screaming at her. Those who had weapons began shooting at her. "We have nuclear missiles incoming!" She screamed happily. "You're all dead!" She looked back as aircraft flew towards her from a distance. "You see?"
Queen Radcliffe felt a hand grab her shoulder. She looked back and lost her smile. "Jane?"
Jane nodded. "We are all here," she said, pointing at the others. Fink and Lafayette were back, and had body armor over their prison uniforms. Jerrybot and Angus stood on opposite sides of Mai. Avi stood alone, Harbinger at the ready.
"My Queen, this is suicide!" Jane yelled. "There are eight of us versus an entire army!"
"I know," Queen Radcliffe promised. "This'll be fun!"
Queen Radcliffe pulled out her pistols and jumped off the cliff the New Terrans stood upon. She laughed as she fell alongside the nukes.
---
Queen Radcliffe rocketed upright, screaming at the top of her lungs. She wiped the sweat off of her forehead and looked around widely at the dark room she laid in. "What the hell?" She whispered.
"Hey, are you okay?" A voice rang out through the darkness.
Queen Radcliffe sighed. "I'm fine, Mai. It's just a nightmare."
"I'm not Mai," the voice said. The lights flickered on. Queen Radcliffe gazed around at the hospital room she laid in before noticing the young Hispanic girl in the doorway. "How are you feeling, my Queen?" She asked.
"Better. May I ask who you are?"
The girl held out her hand. "I'm Huntress Rolán."
"You're Avi's daughter," Queen Radcliffe thought aloud, shaking Huntress's hand.
"That I am. Do you remember what happened yesterday, after the battle?"
Queen Radcliffe looked down at her shoes. "I'm afraid I don't. Everything seems hazy after our victory... And Jane."
"I was told you had a Super-Enhancement Gel applied to your ribs. It wore off after the battle, and you passed out from oxygen deprivation. So two women named Dr. McCormick and Eleanor Lawton brought you here while while my father, that Mai woman, and a robot rescued someone called the Oracle."
Queen Radcliffe processed the new information for a few moments. "Wait... Jane's gone... And Lafayette and Fink left... There should be two robots on that mission with your father."
Huntress pointed at the door. "One of them is actually here. He wanted to make sure you were alright."
Angus leaned into the doorway and waved. "Hi, Queen Radcliffe!" He greeted. "Dr. McCormick told me your ribs are almost healed! You should really be more self-conscious about your health."
"I should, Angus," Queen Radcliffe agreed, smiling. "Hey, Huntress. Did Dr. McCormick say I have to stay here at all?"
"No. She said you're free to go whenever you want, free of charge. Just make sure not to overdo your ribs, they're still at ninety percent."
Queen Radcliffe held her hand out. "Help a sister out, will you?"
"You're more like my aunt," Huntress replied, pulling Queen Radcliffe up. "So... Some people call you Honey. Everyone else calls you Queen Radcliffe. What do you want me to call you?"
"Lord Badass the Third."
"I'm not."
Queen Radcliffe laughed as Huntress and Angus led her out of the room.
---
Queen Radcliffe held a world meeting in front of her castle. Hundreds of news teams and high-ranking government officials stood in the crowd. Queen Radcliffe cleared her throat to gain the crowd's attention.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen," she greeted. "Yesterday, our fight against Bristinon ended. I will reiterate: winning this war has ensured that the economy of our solar system stays in balance. No one will go hungry or lose their jobs simply because one man says so.
"A memorial will be built where you stand now to commemorate those who sacrificed their lives for the greater good, as well as the Brii who died simply because they were following orders. Compensation has been given to the people who have lost their fathers, husbands, and children.
"As we speak, a Brii known as the Oracle is being rescued. He can see the future, allowing us to stop terrorist threats and wars before they occur. With him, I can assure you that the solar system will be safe once more."
The crowd started cheering. "I will personally make sure that more information is given out once we receive it. Until then, I will be using money from my treasury to help rebuild the cities that were hit by the bombs dropped by Bristinon's army. Thank you."
---
The doors to the throne room opened. Queen Radcliffe sat up on her throne. "We're back!" Avi called, leading the rest up to Queen Radcliffe.
Huntress ran up to her father and kissed him on the cheek. "I missed you, father!" She said.
"I missed you too, Huntress." Avi took Huntress's hand and stopped in front of Queen Radcliffe.
A tall humanoid accompanied Mai, Avi, and Jerrybot. "Queen Radcliffe," he mused. The humanoid bowed.
"The Oracle." Queen Radcliffe bowed to him. "Do you have another name, Oracle?"
"I am called Basileus Raptis." Basileus's long white dreadlocks inched their way towards Queen Radcliffe. Basileus spoke in a foreign language and cleared his throat. "Please forgive my children. They have not had food in a while, and they find you quite attractive."
Queen Radcliffe looked at Basileus's hair. "... They're snakes. Your dreadlocks are snakes."
"They are what see the future. The reason why I can't see everything is that they don't get along very well. Whenever they fight, they are too distracted to do any predicting."
"Well, you're an interesting case," Queen Radcliffe told Basileus. "We have some new spots open here at the New Terran Castle. Care for a position?"
"I seem to have noticed that you do not have a castle library. Would it be alright if I brought my books from Bristinon and started a library here?"
"Be my guest." Queen Radcliffe turned to her friends. "And for you guys... I have some ideas."
"Shoot," Avi said.
"I'll be moving Eleanor up to Senior Pilot to fly alongside you, Avi. In case of emergency, I want you two in the air for surveillance and air strikes."
"You got it, my Queen." Avi smiled and bowed.
Queen Radcliffe turned her head. "Huntress, if you'd like to join us, I'd really like for us to have a foreign ambassador. Something tells me you'll do well at that."
"I'll try my best, my Queen." Huntress started laughing as her father hugged her from behind.
"Angus, you're my new Senior Advisor," Queen Radcliffe said.
Angus started jumping up and down while clapping. "Yay! What an honor!"
Queen Radcliffe looked at her shoes and smiled. "You know... General Jerrybot rolls off the tongue quite well."
Jerrybot's jaw dropped. "I'm the general now?" He asked.
"Damn right," Queen Radcliffe answered. "Mai, I'd like to speak with you privately. The rest of you are dismissed."
Avi got Basileus and Huntress to follow him, Jerrybot, and Angus. "Let me show you two around," he said.
Queen Radcliffe put a hand on Mai's shoulder when the other five had left. "It's been incredible seeing you again," she said.
"And I enjoyed it every step of the way," Mai agreed.
"Mai, I've gotta tell you something," Queen Radcliffe said. Her cheeks turned a bright red.
"No need to," Mai told Queen Radcliffe. "I already know what you're about to say."
"So... Is it a yes or a no?"
"Yes, idiot." Mai kissed Queen Radcliffe before she had a chance to react. The two kissed for several moments before taking a breath.
"I love you," Queen Radcliffe said.
"I know." Mai smiled at Queen Radcliffe before looking at the doors to the throne room. Queen Radcliffe looked in the same direction.
"Damnit, Avi!" Queen Radcliffe yelled.
Avi ran into the room and started cheering. He did a celebratory dance by himself before leaving the room.
"Let him have his fun," Mai told Queen Radcliffe. "He'll have to get used to calling me Queen Devereaux, after all."
Queen Radcliffe laughed before taking Mai by the hand. She led her outside into the courtyard. "I completely forgot to tell you, by the way. Our memorial for the fallen just got finished."
Queen Radcliffe showed Mai a large slab of stone, covered in names. A statue of Jane stood at the top, reaching up to an apple tree that was planted in the courtyard. "Each name is someone who was killed in the war and identified."
"I'm surprised I didn't hear about this being finished," Mai wondered aloud.
Queen Radcliffe picked an apple from a nearby tree and sat on top of the memorial. "Now I can enjoy my apples while sitting next to one of my greatest friends ever."
Mai climbed up next to Queen Radcliffe and wrapped her arm around her. "Let's make sure we never lose another New Terran life again. You and me. Avi and Huntress. Basileus and Angus. Eleanor Lawton. Hell, even Jerrybot. We should call ourselves 'The Eight Guardians' or some shit."
"Make it ten." Basileus walked into the courtyard in a hurry. "My Queen- or Queens, if what Avi told me is true- there are two people here to see you."
"Who are they?" Queen Radcliffe asked.
"Thy call themselves Robin and Toni Romero. I believe they would like to help us."