Chapter 3: P3 TESSERACT

LESTRANGE POINT 3, COLONY VX239870, COLONIZATION ERA 167

The man strode through the rubble, looking at the carnage around him. He had not expected the blast to destroy the residential area as well, and the sight of the orphanage and the burning cribs with the charred infantile bodies reeking of burnt flesh and wood made the bile rise up in his throat. Even after so many years in this profession, he found the scenes of carnage sickening, although his expression never changed from the cold sneer that was his trademark amongst the many assassins who could be found participating in the Seed Wars. Of course, he was no mere assassin. He was the assassin, codenamed Kenneth Highland, and the most wanted assassin in the entire Empire. No one knew who he really was, and if he had ever known his true name, he had forgotten it.

He paused, staring at the only thing standing, a beautiful archway of pink granite, chipped and scorched. This archway originally had led into a park, where the beautiful sakura trees from earth had been imported at initial construction of the park. No more. The Sakura were in flames, the smoke overpowering the delicate scent. A quiet footstep echoed through the carnage, and he turned, and stared at the toddler in front of him. The entire time he had been on this portion of the colony, a cat and a dog had been the only signs of life, yet even they died by the time he had drawn level to them. He had not expected for there to be any survivors, human or otherwise.

The boy looked up and whispered, “Anata wa… soko ni maska?”

Kenneth knew the moment the brown eyes blank from shock and glassy with unshed tears looked at him, that his life would never be the same again.

ALFEA, COUNTY HYDE, COLONIZATION ERA, 175

"Stay here, Kid," said a tall an with gold hair and grey eyes.

"Be careful," said a boy, only seven or eight years old with messy brown hair and cold prussian blue eyes. "You're getting old."

"None of your sassiness, now, Kid. Once I get Amarfi, we can get out of the business, and we'll settle down as a real family, and you'll get a name, alright?"

The boy nodded as he hefted onto his thin shoulder a missile launcher almost twice his size.

The man nodded coolly at the boy and walked away...

"We shall not allow the rebels to run about, spouting obsenities about our bright kingdom! We who are loyal to the Federation shall bring the fools to their knees!" Nicol Amarfi bellowed.

His black hair, which fell to his shoulder blades were pulled into a high ponytail with a single braid on his left temple framing his face. His grey eyes shone with a fierce light, and his silk clothing in vibrant greens and golds shimmered in the cool glow of the napatha lights.

Beside him, stood his daughter, Serenity Amarfi, her black hair pulled back in a braid coronet, studded with clear stones. Her amber eyes, inherited from her late mother, were cool and blank, her pale face beneath the silver mask studded with white gems, gave no indication of her thoughts, and her lush red lips were set in a firm, yet demure line. Her reputation in court and among the people was reflected in her gown, a pale silver studded with clear stones and embroidered with silver. A silver chain hung around her pale, swan like neck, a diamond cut in the shape of a star nestled in the hollow of her throat, and silver rings dangled from her wrists while pearl drops hung from her ears.

Kenneth smirked as he observed the two nobles from his hiding spot in the unused balcony. The Lady Marquise, even at the tender age of fourteen, had truly earned her reputation as the Lady of Ice and Beauty in the Federation.

His eyes widened fractionally when he saw her sharp amber eyes sweep toward his hiding spot from behind her mask, and he ducked behind a pillar. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Perhaps the rumors about the young noblewoman’s secret genetic enhancement operations were true after all.

His eyes narrowed. If so, he would have only one chance to take out Nicol Amarfi before the genetically enhanced teen had him executed. He waited a few minutes until he was sure Serenity Amarfi was looking elsewhere before stepping out from behind the pillar and leveling his gun. He pulled the trigger back slightly, disabling the first safety. He started when he saw Serenity’s amber eyes moving, though her head did not, and zeroed in on the blonde assassin on the platform. He quickly pulled the trigger, and the young noblewoman’s eyes widened.

"Father!"

She leapt forward, in front of the podium, her arms spread wide, and jerked backwards, crimson blood blossoming over her pristine gown. She fell backwards into Nicol's shocked arms.

Kenneth swore as Serenity’s lips moved and Nicol and his main guard looked up, and he turned around and ran from the balcony, the gun still in his hand.

"Go!" Nicol snapped, his voice echoing throughout the chamber. "Bring him down!"

Kenneth knew at that moment as he heard the nobleman’s command that he wouldn’t get to see his surrogate son again.

ALFEA, COUNTY HYDE, AMARFI PALACE, COLONIZATION ERA, 175

"Kenneth Highland, you are found guilty of attempted murder against his excellency, Count Nicol Amarfi, and inflicting greivious bodily harm against her grace, Marquise Serenity Amarfi. You are hereby sentenced to death."

Kenneth Highland was led out onto the platform, blindfolded, dressed in nothing but the coarse black military trousers that he had worn when he had been captured. He knew his executers, five military gunmen stood in line in front of him, their rifles on their shoulders at parade rest.

While the herald read off the list of his crimes, Kenneth’s mind drifted toward the boy he had raised and trained for so long. He’d never given the child a name, no matter how dear the child was to him, he had refused to name him, in hopes that he could remain impersonal if the boy had no name. He wished quite vehemently at that moment, that he could at least see the boy one last time, and give him the name he had promised…

Johnathan Highland…

He heard the clicks of five safetys being disabled, and the roar of gunfire. Pain blossomed in his chest, and the image of a pair of blank brown eyes in a pale face with black hair flashed breifly in his mind’s eye.

“Anata wa… soko ni mas ga?”

The words echoed in his mind…

How he wished he could see the boy one last time…

“Boku wa… koko ni ru… da yo… Johnathan…” he whispered as the pain faded, and he drifted off in the cool embrace of death…

The nameless boy watched as his guardian was executed. A strage prickling was starting up in his eyes, and he watched as the body fell, watched as the lips moved…

“Boku wa… koko ni ru da yo… Johnathan…”

Johnathan…

Was that the name he had promised?

The boy turned and walked away, his eyes blank. Johnathan… If it was the name that he was supposed to receive, then he would keep it, and use it, in the memory of the man who had raised him for as long as he could remember…

“Hey, kid, you wanna become a Mecha Pilot?”

The boy looked at the old man and said, “Sure.”

The old man chuckled, a harsh grating sound. “Than come with me, boy, come with me.”

The boy followed the man.

Neo-Lestrange Point Three, Sector F4, Colonization Era 180

“P3. Target sighted. Beginning drop.”

“Affirmative P3. Begin Decent Phase One.”

“Yokai.”

Joseph Marsten, once the surrogate son of Kenneth Highland, worked silently, maneuvering the shuttle concealing his Mecha into the atmosphere. He spoke only to report on his progress, saying only what was necessary and no more, his voice toneless.

“Target in range. Tesseract in flight. Activating Hyper-Jammers.”

“Opening bay doors.”

“Yokai.”

Large metal doors in the lawn opened and P3 manuevered the Mecha into the hanger. The doors whirred shut over head, and the Mecha continued to descend into the darkness. There was a slight jerk as the Mecha's feet connected with the floor, abrubtly halting it's descent.

"P3 entry into safehouse 3 successful. Secondary report to be transmitted after Phase 1 of Operation Silverfish is underway."

"Yokai."

TO BE CONTINUED...