THE BLACK VERITECH
Chapter 17: The Price of Power
Global had a lot of problems with Khyron's zentraedis attacks, even the zentraedi had managed to take Kyle and Minmei hostage, thank goodness Lisa came up with a good plan and they were able to rescue the two hostages with Rick's help, however, Khyron's fame grew and more and more zentraedis joined his cause.
Knight also had problems, but he solved them by restricting various civil rights of the population or by cheating, such as replacing each union or citizen association with parallel bodies that were subordinate to him.
He also bought up all the media and made sure to enact laws that only served to curtail those who opposed him, even created a paramilitary agency that could not be traced back to him, which served as an instrument of intimidation and shock, and made military and political bribery an art. Knight couldn't afford to waste his time repelling popular demonstrations.
In La Paz, the advance to fortify the city was 80% and the entire western and royal mountain range had bases that would repel medium zentraedis attacks.
Now that we have completed the fortifications of the mountain ranges, we can breathe a sigh of relief in the Peru Quadrant," celebrated Anatole Leonard, who had gone to the site to see the advances in the city as supreme commander of the Southern Cross Army.
“It is strange that they call this quadrant "the Peru Quadrant" because La Paz and the future base of the UN Spacy and the REF are in Bolivia.”
“And you, Mollinedo, where part of the quadrant did you serve," Leonard asked.
“In what was once Bolivia, of course, the highlands represented a small part of the country then, most of it is in what is now the Zentraedi Zone of Control," replied the old colonel.
“You did a magnificent job, Colonel," Knight flattered him.
“Thank you, commander, I hope you will forgive me for focusing not only on the fortification of the city, but also on the cultural preservation of the city," Mollinedo told them as they made their way to what was once the old country's palace of government.
“Superb," said Leonard, "there are no more such buildings today, their baroque architecture is beautiful.”
“Actually, it's neoclassical," corrected Knight and Leonard was uncomfortable.
“This structure has the name of "burnt palace",” Mollinedo said happily.
“Burned palace? And why is that?” Leonard asked him.
“An attempt was made to storm the palace, and when this was not achieved, it was set on fire in the 19th century.”
The commanders entered the site and Leonard suggested that to celebrate the launch of SDF-2, a gala party be held there with several South American RDF and Southern Cross commanders, to which Knight agreed.
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On Christmas Eve, Knight received the sad news that Khyron had attacked Macross City, and it was a good thing that none of his friends were injured.
“Come on, come on," said Leonard, "let's put aside the sadness and celebrate the early launch of SDF-2.”
Several waiters served fine drinks and Knight in his militar gown caught the attention of the commanders' wives and daughters in particular.
Knight was about to make a speech when he fell like a rock on the ground.
“Call a doctor, quick!” shouted Mollinedo.
Several commanders surrounded Knight's stationary body and a doctor came to the scene and after examining him said:
“He's dead, Colonel Knight is dead.”
Several shouts of both men and women present reverberated throughout the place. Intelligence personnel rushed Knight's inert body to the military hospital to cover appearances, and other officials ordered that none of this be disclosed to government journalists.
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Late at night, Leonard and several high commanders were in one of the rooms of the burnt palace discussing what had happened to Knight.
“I don't deny it, I got very nervous when Knight drank the poison," said an RDF commander.
“Everything came out by mouth, we even have the scapegoats for Knight's death," said another Southern Cross commander.
“Yes, Mollinedo will serve this purpose well, the man is too good for his own good.”
“Men like Mollinedo have a very clear destiny... destruction.”
Several other commanders, including Leonard, who planned the entire conspiracy, were present and were uncomfortable but also somewhat rested because Knight had been taken out of the way.
“Excuse me, sir, your daughter sent you this errand," a young officer showed Leonard and he prepared to leave the room.
“Excuse me, I'm informed that my daughter is ill.”
Leonard left the palace, and as soon as he took a few steps outside the door, he stopped short with his face broken. In front of him was Knight.
“My daughter, give me back my daughter," Leonard said as he knelt in front of Knight, who looked down at the palace with a beautiful face and a strange smile.
“You know, Leonard, I can forgive you for trying to kill me, but I can't forgive you for failing.”
“I don't care what happens to me, but please my daughter....”
“Of course, your daughter, I must say she's a beautiful child, and she's just about the right age to eat her, it's a shame they lose the adorable when they reach adolescence.”
“Monster, monster...” Cried Leonard lying at Knight's feet.
“Please Anatole, you least of all are the one to tell me that. I know you worked for the Anti-unification League and the EBSIS since before the arrival of the zentraedis, in fact you were the one who sabotaged the valkyrie project in favor of the destroid project and with the help of your dog, Colonel Edwards tried to destroy the SDF-1 before it was operational.... Had it not been for Roy's intervention in his veritech prototype...”
Leonard looked up and turned and saw in horror that the palace was being consumed by the flames and several shouts were coming out of the place but no bodies. As he turned around, he no longer saw the image of Knight, but of a young Roy Fokker, the same young man who destroyed his plans to destroy the United Earth Government so many years ago.
“Forgive me, forgive me, forgive my life... I'll do anything.”
“You, you conspired behind my back, you Leonard, you are vile and treacherous... Good! I can use a man like you.”
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The death of several senior military commanders in the fire did not receive much media coverage by order of Knight and after a couple of weeks was old news with the launch of SDF-2, which descended from the factory satellite to the Bolivian highlands.
Knight's deception paid off; intelligence reports reported that the Zentraedi and Manaus Zone of Control were at peace, with a significant decrease in the number of skirmishes against hostile forces, whether these be Zentraedis or EBSIS.
Only the borders of El Vencedor reported unusual activity as General Mendoza moved several mechanized units to the border, but for that there was Leonard, who was sent to the border of ancient Uruguay to stop the advance of Mendoza.
“So, Knight, you and the other senior officers of the RDF are going on SDF-2 to Macross City?” Colonel Mollinedo asked him.
“That's right, Maistroff and the others will go with me, except Leonard, the image of SDF-2 will be very important to raise the morale of the population and I want to arrive in the city with style, Colonel .”
“Knight, I think it's time you called me by my name," said the old man.
“I couldn't get used to it, you're one of the few good soldiers I've met in my life, it was an honor to have worked alongside you, Colonel. I hope that when I return La Paz will be fortified.”
“Count on it, Knight, and have a good trip.”
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Knight didn't know that the death of several Southern Cross commanders left a void that would impact intelligence work, so he didn't imagine that Khyron's zentraedi cruiser had taken off from the Amazon and was also heading for Macross City.
“Are you all right, sir?” The captain of SDF-2 asked Knight.
“Yes, Captain, it's just that I have a few things on my mind. What about you?”
“It's an honor to captain the ship, at least to Macross City as it will be Commander Hayes who will be the captain of SDF-2.”
“Yes, Lisa deserves that position after all she gave to the RDF, she will surely be an excellent captain.... Excuse me Captain, but I think I will take a veritech and fly around the ship for a while.”
“Sir?”
“Out of nostalgia, I still remember my flights around SDF-1, and I also need to clear my head about certain skirt problems that I have.”
“Don't worry, sir, you can go to the hangar anytime you want," said a surprised captain.
Knight was in his cabin and changing his clothes in order to pilot the veritech.
“Roy... What the hell am I doing with my life... Every time I went to Macross City and then back to La Paz...”
Knight stopped dressing, his torso was naked and he started moaning.
“Sammie... Kim... Diana... Please forgive me, I'm shit.... I don't deserve to have received your love, I shouldn't have cheated on you... Roy, help me...”
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Knight climbed up to the veritech and flew around the ship, the feeling at the controls of the ship made every worry go out of his mind and even played a little bit and did some acrobatic flights trying to emulate the aerial shows he once saw in his childhood, in which Rick Hunter was the protagonist.
“Captain, I'm getting some strange readings," an officer on the bridge said.
“Can you specify the source?”
“Unknown sir, but they are ahead of us.”
“Damn it, just as we were approaching Macross City, I want you to communicate with SDF-1 and... Oh my God, EVASIVE ACTION!”
“VERY LATE, SIR, IT' S GOING TO HIT US HARD!”
Knight saw a beam of light heading towards SDF-2 and decided within milliseconds to move away from the ship, but he still knew that the blast wave of the explosion would hit him hard.
“Nooo!”
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Knight's veritech had crashed and its entire surface was burnt and blackened but did not appear to present any further damage, yet the pilot was unconscious.
“Knight, Knight, do you hear me... Get up, won't you save the girls?”
“Roy...”
“Do me one last favor.... Save Claudia.”
“ROY!” Knight shouted, as he woke up and put his hands to his right eye, apparently he had lost it, along with a good part of his left hand and right foot.
The black veritech ascended to the sky in the form ofguardian and then with the engines roaring it headed for Macross City.
“GRRRRHWWAAA!” Knight roared as he directed his veritech toward SDF-1.
The ship's Achilles' heel was the ramming attacks and Khyron's ship, which had reportedly been damaged, was headed for a suicide attack on SDF-1.
Knight remembered how he protected the SDF-1 bridge during Dolza's attack, but now he shot at the armored glass on the bridge and went to where the girls were.
“Colonel Knight!” Global shouted the same as the girls.
“Hurry up, hurry up!” said Knight in a plea.
Sammie, Kim and Diana clung to the veritech's left arm, while Claudia and Vanessa did it to the right arm.
“Lisa, where's Lisa!” shouted Knight.
“I already sent Lisa in an escape pod, she's safe," Global told him.
“Sir, hurry up!” Knight said, but Global just smiled and shook his head.
Knight wept for the eye he still had and went away with the officers.
Knight's veritech was flying erratically, but somehow he managed to land smoothly to save the women.
“Knight! Knight!”
“Oh my God.”
“Claudia, help me get him down!”
“Hurry up, call an ambulance.”
“Hold on, Knight.”
“Vanessa, come with me," asked Claudia, and the two women left to seek help.
Knight opened his eye and saw how Sammie, Kim and Diana surrounded him as they wept. The pilot wanted to get up but the forces failed him.
Knight turned his head and saw something in the distance.
“Those, those two over there.... Is that Lisa and Rick?”
“Yes, it's Lisa and Rick, they seem safe," said one of the girls, although Knight couldn't pinpoint who. That's when it started to snow.
“It snows... that's good... the snow covers and purifies everything... Lisa and Rick.... They... they must remain pure, only I must get dirty...”
Knight smiled at the three girls he loved so much and gave himself over to sleep, wrapped in a snowy blanket that descended gently from the sky.
FIN
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