Republic of Tactics

Republic of Tactics: Chapter 16

Chapter 16

I storm out of the tent room. Olden and Nelson are conversing and stare at me when I join.

"They said I was mentally unstable and erratic! And that I set ablaze a- tactic, public- something." I rage.

"It doesn't matter. They just judge by opinion." Nelson says.

"What about that device for your head." I continued.

"What device?" Olden asks.

"The device to look into your brain or something." I responded.

"We didn't get that test." Olden says. I slap the slip of paper with my results on Olden's chest.

"That device is only used on special class." Nelson tells.

"What about the silhouette cards?" Olden wonders, handing the paper to Neslon.

"Um, I was showed three. I said, dark, will, Rome." I tell them. My information settles on Nelson, making him think of something.

"Say that again." Neslon tells me.

"Dark will Rome." I repeat, this time I hear it, and so does Olden.

"Dark will Rome." I chorus with Olden.

"What does that indicate? Who's the dark? The Alphas?" I ask.

"I- ,maybe." Nelson says sincerely. His voice is convincing enough to relax my thought that WE might be the dark. Right when I was about to say something about the cards, confusion fills my head. I decide not to ask any further.

Later, I have to wait for Olden to complete his tests, when he does, he has the same rage in his eyes.

"Guess what? I am evidently vulnerable." Be says sarcastically with a tone of irk in his voice.

"It's not as bad as being mentally unstable and erratic." I don't know if I should laugh or be concerned for Olden's comical test result. I decide to act serious, fighting the urge to be hysterical.

"Where's Nelson?" He asks.

"He had to go back to the hospital for some reason." I say back.

"Well, tomorrow's the big day. All the Elite leaders want to have a meeting discussing the gimmicks and plans to rescue mother and Derlie and what not." Olden informs.

So then we walk back to town to a building near the hospital. They call it the "dome" it is only two stories and used for secret and significant meetings. Some people are entering through the cracked double glass doors when we near the dome.

The steel walls inside chills the room and there is cold metal chairs inside. Lined up by rows of six. A screen hovering over a small stage at the front of the room shows the flag of the Elites. (The one with the number 10 on a blue circle over a white backround.) Me and Olden find our seats and wait for another twenty or so soldiers to do the same. There are only seven Elite leaders left without Elite six and three and now without Ellis. The seven of them stand in front of the screen and patiently wait for the room to silence.

"Welcome to the dome soldiers. Unfortunately, Ellis couldn't join us today. Anyway, we are here to discuss the tactics for rescuing the remaining Ashermans. " says Ivory, the leader of Elite ten. She points to us with her look and returns to look at Sterling. He presses a button on a small remote and begins to speak.

"This is an animated visualization of the plan. Now please pay close attention." He says. Before the clip begins, I interrupt with a question.

"Why is there just twenty of us here?" I ask.

"Because you are the commanders now, not soldiers anymore." Branock responds, a large number 5 is on his chest.

The clip begins and Sterling starts to give a vocal demonstration while the clip is playing. Me and Olden are sitting at the front, with a clear view of the demo.

First, we will be split up into twenty squads with a commander in each. I will be the commander for squad 1 and Olden for squad 2. Each squad will contain twenty-five soldiers. Once we are designated, our transportation will be an Eagle, a different type of hovercraft that can become transparent while flying. We will be dropped off at a huge city named York. After that, squads one through five will be assigned the task to safely arrive at Command Central at the heart of York. Where Mother, Derlie, and Koppe will be constantly under Alpha watch. Our job will be to wipe out the first batch of Alpha soldiers, then the second until all of them are dead. Once we secure and lock the door, squad 5 will traverse Mother, Derlie and Koppe out onto the roof to be picked up by helicopter and brought back here to Septimus.

A second clip starts playing.

"After the helicopter leaves, squad four will have to signal the other fifteen squads that the coast is clear. Then from Command Center, each squad will split up and, basically shoot every soldier in sight on the street or roofs or wherever they are. After that, squad one and two will have to make its way to the Capitol Building. The tallest one in York. Now this won't be a typical Sunday stroll, they'll be bombs at every corner, shooters, booby traps. In there, you need to have each others back." Sterling lectures. Then sits down and now it's Payne's turn to talk.

"Once your in the Capitol Building, you'll have to fight your way into Chief Hall, President Jery and Dorothea will be there." Sterling says.

"So you basically have to kill everyone in that room before you get out." Barton interrupts, the leader of Elite 9.

"Thanks. After that's all done, Bovise will need to be filmed for a special clip that will be shared nation wide. An Asherman will be a sublime icon for the rebels. So then the rest of the Alphas will give up once the chiefs are dead. Making us the victors, prospering from our ashes." Sterling concludes.

The video has ended and a chatter is spreading in the room.

"I can't believe this is it." I tell Olden.

"I can't believe this either." He says.

"Commander Bovise." Lowen calls, the leader of Elite 4.

I walk over to the table quickly, Olden trailing behind.

"Your uniform is ready for you. Jules will take you to the safe lock where it lies." Lowen says. I look over to Jules, smiling slightly.

My uniform. Extreme enthusiasm and anxiety forms in my head. I picture in my head what I expect the uniform to be like.