Chapter 23, Part B.

Location: 0245, 058, 458 at 100,000 miles away from the Martian reef zone,
Speed .6 miles a second.




The Magestic Battle Cruiser, sailed through the blackness of deep interplanetary space, as it made it's way back to Earth Sector. As most of its crew sleept, their captain held an off the record meeting with their benefactor.





“So if I succeed, you get full Admiralship of the 3d Fleet along with command of all lunar forces, correct?” Asked Marcus as he sat at his desk, wearing absolutely nothing, however the person he spoke to could only see from his chest up.

“That basically it, we don’t have the sufficient manpower to do a full scale invasion and sense nuclear weapons, and orbital bombardments are out of the question this is the only real choice.” Vice Admiral Von Schuler spoke with almost complete sincerity and frankness.

“You do realize, you are sacrificing me for this position. More then likely I wont be coming back. I extremely doubt Arturo can lead the 181st, he is a superior pilot, when it comes to the Iron Fist but that’s about it, Roberto, Drake, Vladimir, and Natasha are all good pilots, but they wont cut it for long. Not to be egotistical but I die the 181st dies.” His eyes were set low; an expression of exhaustion was set across his face.

“Yes, I do realize that as well. That’s why I am giving you a choice. This is purely voluntary.” The older man spoke as he purred himself a glass of some expensive whisky.

“ Well seems to me like there is no real choice. Either do this and end the war a hell of a lot quicker, or keep fighting this stalemate for the next 10 years or more. I don’t mind I will go, if this is the price I must pay then so be it. I know I won’t be going to heaven when I die. I have to many sins on my soul, to ever be redeemed. I sold my soul in the name of vengeance long ago.” Marcus rubbed the sleep away from his eyes. As he ran his hand through his long hair he sighted and took in a deep breath.

“Woman, children, innocents, soldiers, civilians, so many have died at my hands. If I am to go in a blaze of fire to the gates of hell then so be it. Enjoy your new position Admiral Von Schuler, make sure the glory of the TA is forever carved into the Solar system.”
The screen turned to black. He sat there relaxing, contemplating, remembering, the awful memory.

For 3 months he had known heaven. He felted, touched it, breathed it, tasted it, and even lived in it. With her there was nothing else that mattered. She was the sole answer to everything. A farm girl who lived in the Punjab region, beautiful lightly tanned complexion, with the most beautiful long golden, orange hair, he had ever seen. His first assignment was to do recon on a small EAP military installation in the region. After having infiltrated the base and taken all the Intel, he had settled in the village where she lived about 100 miles away.

His mission completed Marcus had asked to stay behind to keep tabs on EAP activities in the region. This basically meant he could spend all his days with her. He would often joke with her how his job was to love her, and make her happy.

The memory of his final walk with her came back. They walked through the same forest as they always had done in the past. Except this time he held her in his arms. He remembered her mangled body, how her intestines all came loose from her shredded corpse. Yet her face showed no pain, no agony, just sadness.

Everything after that moment became a blur. Bits and pieces would flash back from time to time. Some would be images of him ripping out a soldier’s throat with his combat knife. Another would be of him executing his enemy with a high-powered rifle point blank range. He also distinctly remembered a hand-to-hand fight, where he literally tore out the eyes of the man with his bare hands. The feeling of his thumbs inside the eye sockets would forever be engraved in his memory.

Suddenly the once powerfully sculpted body that stood naked before her became twisted and raked with pain and anguish. A low almost hushed sob would emanate from the darken figure as it lay there, swollen up in its own misery.

The smell of burning human flesh clogged his nostrils, the taste of human blood filled his mouth, and the feeling of having forever surrendered his soul to the darkness all but crushed him in. He twisted in agony, as if fighting to escape, what was clearly a self created hell.

Calling upon every fiber, every cell, every nerve, slowly contracted muscles began to expand once more. Soon the figure, managed to craw to the desk, and pull out a drawer. Spilling all the contents onto the floor, it searched hungrily, desperately for something. As if the solution to all the torments, lay amongst the scattered items, that littered the carpeted floor. Soon he found its salvation, opening up a small white bottle, the figure hungrily consumed dozens of pills. After its almost animalistic feast, it lay motionless, for what seemed an eternity.

Choosing not to watch the lowest point in her lover’s life, Natasha just pretended to look out the view port above the bed, at the hundreds upon hundreds of stars that emanated all around. She stared with amazement loosing herself from the cripple ling reality of the moment, into one of almost timeless existence. Seeing she floating amongst them she felt as if for a second she could almost stare at God, as God stared back at her.

Finally feeling the wonders of the universe flow into her body, healing her, empowering her, with the strength she so desperately needed. Rising from the bed the sheets gently glided off her smooth yet semi muscular body. Walking towards the slumped figure she, place her hand on his head, gently letting her fingers sink into the endless dark ocean that was his hair.

“You know, people say time heals all wounds. I have come to realize , that’s a load of bull######” Breathing heavily Marcus slumped form rested against his desk. His feet flat and stretched out before him, as his back laid flat against the side of the large wooden desk.

“The only reason, you’re wounds have not healed is because you don’t want them too. You keep the pain, the anger all of it you keep it and you fuel it. You keep all that sorrow right there, always burning. Why? Why do this to yourself, you have no love for yourself, do you?” Her words pierced all his barriers, all the mental walls and armors he had up, they where all sliced through as if they where nothing but of silk cloth.