Three Strikes [✓]

Double Crossed

Chapter Thirty-One: Double-Crossed

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Anchorhead Bay, Erusea.
September 10th, 2019.
1705hrs.

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Torres paced the bridge of the Alicorn, looking at the feed the drones had picked up and surveying the damage Three Strikes had inflicted upon the bay. He resisted the urge to chuckle, noting that the Erusean's stubbornness and ego had been their downfall. To think it had been one of their own that had given this information to a foolish, young Osean officer that was too eager to please and unfitting of his rank. Three Strikes had a price on her head that everyone, including her own countrymen, were eager to claim. This battle had been meant as a death sentence for both the Erusean fleet and for the Osean squadron. And yet it seemed that she and her men escaped death once again. Funny how that worked out.

As the crew clambered about, preparing to dock and resupply their mighty ship, Torres turned his attention to a computer that displayed a different video feed. Patiently waiting was Torres' old friend and shipmate, Edgar Saxon. Graying dark brown hair and blue eyes became him, and he still was very neat and well-dressed. Not much had changed in the last few years. Even at the bottom of the ocean he was still very prim and proper for a war-hardened Navy man. The man monitoring the computer moved aside, and Edgar straightened up as Torres approached. He greeted him with a quick, stiff nod. "Captain. It seems that everything went as it was supposed to."

"Yes, exactly as it was supposed to," Torres replied, still fighting a smile or a dark chuckle. "Meet us at the drop-off point. Three Strikes has removed all straggler Erusean forces, so I'd say everything is clear. The city's mostly empty now." He finally allowed the smile as he saw one creep onto Edgar's face, though he held back the laugh. Torres glanced over his shoulder at where his crew was preparing the sub to surface, then looked back at Edgar. "That did make for a good sideshow..."

Edgar chuckled, tilting his head back slightly and relaxing in his seat a bit. "I have no doubt that the Plan to Save Ten Million Lives will lead Erusea to true victory."

"Stop thinking so small." Torres tried his hardest not to snap, but he couldn't keep the irritation out of his voice. It was so much more than just that. It wasn't just ten million. There were many lives they could save by ending this war once and for all, maybe even ending all wars once and for all. If they just managed this, then everyone would finally know. They'd finally learn. "It's salvation on a far grander scale than that. The victory won't belong to Erusea, it will belong to the world and to generations that fought before us and those that will come after us."

"I'm sorry, sir. I keep forgetting to look at the bigger picture." Edgar seemed almost guilty, but it didn't last long as he came up with something else to discuss. "I've been meaning to tell you something. There's a rumor going around in the military, that's caused quite a stir from what I can tell." He lowered his voice a bit, adopting a more somber tone. "'Three Strikes in the sky is a sign of an ill omen.' It's weird, since for most of the Oseans she's the exact opposite."

Torres scoffed. "Three Strikes...she lacks the drive." He began pacing in a small line, back and forth in front of the screen. It earned him some worried and disgruntled looks from the crew, all of whom could tell that another one of his speeches was coming. He didn't care. After a moment, he found the right words and quickly continued, "Alright, imagine you're just about to be killed. Why am I going to be killed, you ask. It's because they wanted to steal from you, to torment you, to burn you, to cut you apart!" Torres began to raise his voice, becoming more and more passionate about the topic, hoping that it would make a greater impact and get his point across. "It was for your sins, your actions, your vengeance! There has to be a reason for the things that you do and for the actions you take against others. An eye for an eye! Three Strikes is a small piece to a much bigger picture, taking orders from others. She has no meaning behind her actions or behind her work. Nothing to fight for. She has NONE OF THAT!" He paused to catch his breath and cleared his throat. "I, on the other hand, do."