They pushed the opposition back several more blocks before they were proven right. The rumblings of mechanical warfare machines around the corner of the street were unmistakeable. Jahn turned to his makeshift army and signaled for them to fall back while he and his leadership group ducked into a building to discuss the turn of events.
"We're mud." Dael cursed.
They had known this was a possibility, but it was a measured chance they were willing to take. The rumors surrounding the Vondumian Elite Troopers were varied and often bordered on fantasy. The pieces of the stories that they figured were as good as fact were that the equipment and supplies were nearly always kept in a very secret and safe location when not in use for training, and that their technology was so far beyond the normal bounds of the planet that they would destroy any conventional force. They had hoped that the government hadn't taken their movement seriously, and a surprise assault would not allow time for the Elite Troopers to assemble.
"I did not come this far to turn back." Jahn growled.
Dael sat down on the ground and began checking his weapon. "What choice do we have? If we continue, your powers will probably allow you to survive, like they helped you survive your crash. The rest of us will most certainly be killed, and not even you can enforce your will on the entire government with nobody left supporting you."
Jahn merely kneeled on the ground and closed his eyes, attempting to concentrate on his options. Dael nearly continued his rant, but decided instead to wait it out.
Finally, Jahn opened his eyes and spoke. "We talk to them. Ask them to surrender or leave as others have." Sensing the unease of his group, he cut them off. "I usually get a feeling of danger when it's near. Right now, I'm not getting that feeling. Besides, if all the stories are true, they could simply blow this wall down and kill us while we sit here."
He sheathed he sword and walked out of the building with his hands in the air before any protests could convince him to change his mind.
-------------------------
After being escorted for nearly half a click, he could easily confirm that there was enough firepower arrayed against them that they would be crushed. He was told to stand and wait while the unit commander was called over.
A man approached on an armored quadripedal animal, wearing his own armor and a holster that blinked the readiness of his energy weapon. "Jahn, is it?"
Jahn nodded.
"Come to surrender?"
He shook his head. "I've come to collect your surrender. We're here to crush all those in our way. There's been enough of your people lost already."
The commander laughed. "Not my people, I assure you."
Jahn shrugged. "Regardless, we won't be stopped until our goal is achieved."
"Don't be foolish. What is your goal?"
"Freedom. We'll take it however we have to."
The commander stared at him as though he was trying to read his thoughts or even his soul. "Obviously, we cannot surrender to you. We have our duty to protect the government and the society as a whole."
Jahn's muscles rippled as he tensed in preparation for an attack.
"I offer an alternative." The commander held up a hand as if it would calm Jahn. "Allow us to pledge our alliance to your fealty as the new King of VonDuum. We will serve you as the rightful ruler of the planet, and do what is best for the citizens here as well."
Jahn scoffed. "I have no interest in being 'King'. That was a nickname perpetrated by others, not I."
"Then we have a quandary. I think you seem intelligent to understand that you cannot affect real change by simply killing those in power. If that even served you to your goal, how long would it last? No. The only way to truly fix the problem at hand is to revive the monarchy and have one deserving ruler in place to make all the right choices for our people."
Jahn was confused, but he tried not to show it. The support the Elite seemed to be offering would guarantee his success, but he had no desire to 'lead' this backwater planet and make decisions about what color to paint the sidewalks or whether to clean the gutters twice or three times a week. He still believed that his destiny was beyond the scope of this pitiful place. He regained eye contact with the Commander. "Why?"
"Let me tell you a story. It's a simple story, but understand it's only one example of a widespread problem that many if not all of my men can attest to."
Then he did. He told the story of his brother Dahn who had fallen into a rather minor debt and was working it off. It took a few years, which was not long compared to most, but greatly outweighed his original offense. He was a hard and valuable worker. He was months away from earning freedom when he was in an 'accident' that only he and the foreman were witness to. His debt was now triple his original charge, and with interest, he would likely only see freedom at the end of his life, if then.
Jahn understood. It was indeed a quandary, as the man had put it.
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