Ultima Ratio

Chapter 6: The Burial

"You have every right to be angry with him," Akira heard herself saying, unaware of how she was talking when her mind was too scared to think about anything but her self-preservation. "This man who betrayed you... That's Verus Rex, right?"

At the mention of Concordia's king, Danya's expression contorted even more, but that was the only move she made.

"What the hell are you doing?" Hale hissed.

"He's hurt all of us too," Akira continued. "He's hurt the entire world. He needs to be brought to justice. And we think—we were hoping that you could help us."

The long silence that followed was made worse by the chilling stillness Danya took up, not moving to even blink or breathe. And when she broke the ice with a sudden step, Akira flinched ever so slightly...

But Danya's next move was cut short by the roar of incoming fighter jets.

"Those idiots!" Hale muttered, her helmet looking to the sky.

Akira pressed her earpiece. "Connect to nearest—"

"You idiot!" Hale grumbled.

She wrapped an arm around Akira's waist and hauled her through a gaping hole in Building B421, throwing them both onto the ground. A moment later, an array of gunfire echoed outside, accompanied by a roar of rage.

"What the hell are they doing?" Akira exclaimed, squeezing out of Hale's grasp to peer out the hole they just went through.

A group of five fighter jets were flying in formation towards the center of the base, having just made a pass over Danya. Akira watched as they looped around as a unit, heading straight back for their target...and Akira and Hale.

"Connect to nearest air squadron channel!" Akira said, then continued as soon as she heard her earpiece beep in confirmation. "This is Army Captain Akira Dunn. Do not engage! I repeat, do not engage!"

"Captain Dunn, request overridden," came the reply. "Advise you take shelter and let us do our jobs."

"They're going to get themselves killed," Hale said, taking the words right out of Akira's mouth.

"They're coming in for another pass," Akira said once she abandoned the air squadron's channel. She stood and scanned the room, sizing up which of the dozens of flimsy office cubicles looked stronger than the others. "We need to take cover."

"Server room, there," Hale said, pointing a thickly gloved finger towards a door twenty meters away.

Akira didn't question the woman's judgment, and the pair rushed for the room, diving in just as another hail of gunfire burst through the air behind them. When silence returned seconds later, Akira scrambled back towards the door. The tall cubicle walls blocked the windows, and the hole in the wall they came through showed nothing but a thick fog of dust.

"Are they aiming for us or her?" Hale grumbled, her armor rattling as she heaved herself back onto her feet.

"Beringer, do you still have a visual?" Akira asked.

"Affirmative," Beringer said. "Transmitting now."

Soon after, an image appeared in Akira's vision, and Akira turned to project it on one of the dark walls.

The vantage point was from at least six stories high, looking down at their location from the other side of the main street. At first, all they could see was an opaque cloud where Building B422 should have been, along with the exteriors of the surrounding structures.

"You reckon she's dead?" a voice suddenly inquired from behind them.

Akira swore in two languages; Hale also swore but threw an elbow behind her as well.