Alice's Point of View
"Back to reality..." Taras said glumly.
Alice sighed. Their time together had been healing for her. With all the confusing feelings she had about Reka and her past as the Hero, Alice could just focus on the task at hand. The Vanguards had been thoroughly tested now; they were ready.
Her boss was doing a good thing. The world had forgotten about Ukraine, but bombs were still dropping, people were still dying. Taras was a living reminder, a boy who had to become a killer before his time.
No help was coming from anywhere else. The Americans were unwilling and the Europeans were unable. It had to be Reka, and her Queen commanded her to become a general.
General, huh.
In a few months Alice accumulated more experience commanding in battle than most officers could boast of in their whole careers. It was only robot versus robot, but the combat was very real. The robots destroyed each other by the thousands. The scale was only possible because their factories could churn them out even faster.
The section of Hungarian countryside they reserved for these war games looked like the moon, pockmarked with craters and scorched in places. Mud and dead vegetation stretched as far as she could see, a little desert in a lush land. Whether you wanted to call the Vanguard a terminator or a Necron you couldn't deny it's destructive potential, a potential Alice felt she was just beginning to discover, and Taras was right with her.
"You have to go now?" Alice asked, breaking the thoughtful silence as they gazed on the battlefield together one last time.
"I can't afford to delay," Taras said seriously. "These last few months have been magical, truly. I never imagined the things I've seen here were possible. Your Queen is brilliant, but strange." He smiled, but it looked to Alice like he was putting on a brave face. If Hungary was heaven, then Ukraine was hell.
Alice smiled back in a way she hoped looked reassuring. "People never expect Reka to be the way she is."
Taras looked at her pointedly and scoffed. "That's one way to put it. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised at a genius being eccentric. At least the love story memes turned out to be real."
"Oh?" Alice looked at him in interest.
By way of reply, Taras opened an app on his phone and handed it to her.
She scrolled for a bit. NikNak was full of Brad/Reka edits, of course. Brad's recent glow up only added fuel to the fire.
"Everything Reka does, she does for him," Alice said with complete confidence. "It's why I decided to work for her. Nobody that in love can be all bad."
He hummed in agreement. "I'd like to fall in love some day, if I survive the war."
Alice didn't really know how to respond to that so she just let the silence hang for a while. By unspoken agreement they started walking back to her car.
"Three brigades, fully equipped," Taras said as they passed a burned-out husk that might've been a truck in life. "The brass reserved the last of the Bradley Fighting Vehicles for me. I've already got a plan. One brigade will be fighting, another on standby, and the third refueling and rearming in the rear."
"In the last battle I noticed you were practicing rotating them," Alice observed. It was a good plan.
Once they were safely in her car Taras told her more. "It really has to be today. The Russians are making another push on Kupiansk, a big one. The Vanguards will take time to move to the front, and Kupiansk could be encircled if I don't get there in time."
"Is it really that important?" Alice asked. At this point she felt herself to be a decent tactician but logistics was still a bit beyond her. Wasn't Kupiansk a rail junction? She'd spent some time studying maps but not enough, evidently.
"Absolutely vital," Taras said emphatically. "If Kupiansk falls then the road to Kharkiv is open. It's do or die. We're stretched thin as it is and if the Russians can achieve a major breakthrough we don't have the reserves to stop them. Potentially, they could drive all the way to the Dnieper."
When he talked about the war Taras looked ten years older, maybe more.
"What about the other drones?" Alice asked, eyes on the road. "The Hunter, the Solyom?"
"The dragonflies are great," Taras said sincerely. "I've heard losses to Russian drones have been reduced by a lot. That makes a difference. The heavier Solyom is still having trouble finding Russian armor. Never say the Russians are stupid. They know we're hunting for them so they've gotten good at concealing their hardware."
"The Dragonlances are coming soon," she said, trying to sound positive.
"Not soon enough," Taras replied. "Not that I'm ungrateful, just the opposite, but the reality is Kalibr missiles are going to be raining down on us, win or lose. We can deal, especially with the Hungarian electricity, but it won't be a good time for anyone. My hometown has blackouts all the time."
The longer the drive went on the more the cheerful boy faded away and the grim soldier emerged. Alice even noticed a bit of stubble on his cheek, as if Taras' beard grew to complete the look.
When they arrived at the train station Alice noticed Vanguards boarding under their own power. There was no effort to pack or hide them.
"Once we cross the border Russia might try something, so we're dispersing the shipments as much as possible," Taras said. "They can ride the train just like human passengers, oddly convenient."
"And you're riding with them?" Alice asked.
Taras didn't immediately answer. "Maybe," he said noncommittally. "I could take one of the trains, randomly chosen, or find another way. In any case, the plan is for our Necron brigades to rendezvous at Lviv and proceed east from there. We may take some losses in transit, but this is war."
This is war.
The casual resignation to tragedy in Taras' voice broke Alice's heart a little. He was really very strong.
"You've got the silverback spirit, Taras," she complimented him, silently praying for his success.
He snorted. "What?"
What's with that blank look? I was trying to be serious!
Then it occurred to Alice that they never really talked about the MMA gym cult she used to belong to. Oh well.
"Just win and don't die!" She hugged him fiercely, hopefully not for the last time.
******
Reka's Point of View
"Ah, all our enterprises thrive!" Reka said happily, dropping the packet of reports on their coffee table.
GDP growth was in the double digits, and the new subsidized energy plan was well-received indeed. It was the height of summer and air conditioners rumbled carelessly across her royal capitol.
We'll have to do something about the state of this planet in the long term, she thought, but the air conditioners were an acceptable temporary measure.
The YBD factory was now in full production with electric cars being sold as fast as they could roll off the assembly line.
They were really quite nice; Reka had even taken Brad for a drive in one. The experience felt truly advanced, almost like operating a starship in one of his "warhammer" stories.
The poets of this world could weave a mighty tale, Reka would grant, but what fool would place a temple on a battleship? Quite silly, really.
After the potentially revolutionary insight into soul-splitting she had combed the stories carefully, looking for ideas, but unfortunately, most of it was not practical or outright incompatible with her style of magic.
Brad liked the "space marines" but their "heavy bolter" was just not a good weapon. Reka was quite willing to "stand on business" when it came to this opinion, as her husband liked to say. The caliber was too large, and presented too much of a logistical challenge to adequately supply troops in the field, to say nothing of the difficulty of handling the weapon at all. She was not about to burden her undying legions with a weapon so impractical when simpler ones already existed. Speaking of her undying legions...
"Alice," she teased, "it looks like your boyfriend won!"
Her guard captain perked up immediately, then went cold just as fast. "He's not my boyfriend!" she declared.
"Yes, yes, whatever you say," Reka ignored her protests and handed her the report.
Alice scanned it with systematic efficiency. "The Russian attempt to encircle Kupiansk was repulsed with heavy losses," Alice read with growing excitement. "The Ukrainian counterattack was able to completely drive them out of Kharkiv Oblast and back into Donetsk!"
"Just three brigades were enough to turn the tide," Reka said smugly. "This calls for a celebration!"
"Maybe the other European governments will play nicer with us now," Brad said from behind his laptop. She'd allowed him to work with Galiban on the Dragonlance plasma cannons. Her husband was a fully-qualified engineer, after all. It was good for him to exercise his mind as well as his body.
"Yes, the Germans in particular have been prickly about our Chinese cars undercutting their models," Reka agreed. "They fear Russia, but are reluctant to embrace my fusion crystals. It's passing strange."
"It's American influence, I'm sorry to say," Brad said. "They don't want Germany replacing Russian gas with your crystals. They want Germany replacing Russian gas with American gas. Maybe if they realize we can protect them better than Uncle Sam can..."
Ah, Brad's Uncle Sam, her old nemesis! He took so much of her money when they were working out of the old house in San Guillermo!
"And protect them, we shall, my love!" she said excitedly. "Once the Dragonlances are complete they can sweep the skies clear and my Vanguards will have no difficulty driving the hordes of the Demon King back into his desolate waste!"
Yes, this is perfect, Reka thought. She would show the world how safe and prosperous it was to be under her rule. Hungary was just the start!
Galiban came in and brought Brad and Alice their pre-workout snacks. Her love would never have to fight himself but having Alice put him through the paces was good for his body and soul.
When they left for the gym Reka lingered a bit. It was her custom to watch them but she needed private words with her butler.
"How goes the Soul-Shredder?" she asked quietly.
"This Galiban has determined the theory is viable, your grace," he said. "There are six magical meridians in the human body, and if a man might be confined with six magical circles, his soul could be pulled into six pieces. Those shards could be divided into six more in turn, but beyond that..."
"In short, one human soul would yield thirty six shards, six times six," Reka nodded in understanding.
"Just so, your grace. Each shard might power a Dragonlance for a month before fading, more than enough time to bring the Demon King to heel."
"And the magical energy requirements for this process?" Reka inquired.
Galiban considered for a moment. "The Soul-Shredder would take her grace approximately a week to fully charge, impacting crystal production somewhat," he said regretfully.
"An acceptable cost," Reka decided. "For the nonce, continue Vanguard production. Ukraine shall receive two more brigades at the end of the month. Brad and I will visit the factory when they are ready. The world needs to see our resolve."
Galiban bowed. "Let it be even as your grace commands."
Leaving Galiban to his work, Reka clapped her hands.
Time to play!
Hopefully Alice would have Brad do the punching exercise where he hit her padded hands. She liked watching that one.
The media was informed of the day of their factory visit well in advance. She was wearing one of her tasteful outfits that looked appropriately regal by the standards of this world and Brad was wearing a fine suit, all very camera friendly.
Film crews were everywhere and Reka could feel the eyes of the world upon her, well and good.
Taking Brad's hand she ascended a podium that had been erected for her at the entrance to the robot factory.
Speeches are becoming a habit, she reflected.
"Thought I would stop, did you?" she asked the crowd. It was always a solid strategy to open with a joke. The crowd didn't laugh, though, they cheered.
Feeding off their energy, Reka pressed on. "That's right, my people. This is a new world we are building, but old problems have not been forgotten, as much as the old world might wish it were so. Many of you know Ukrainian refugees taking shelter in our country, heard their stories, felt their pain. No, Hungary has not forgotten our neighbors!"
The crowd cheered again.
"That is why we are sending them aid, and will continue to do so! Nuclear fusion is not the extent of my power, not even close. We are building a new world here, a world where everyone can be safe and secure. That is why..."
She trailed off. Were those sirens?
"That is why..." she attempted to continue, but cut herself off, sensing danger. Something was approaching fast.
The crowd, so jubilant a moment ago, scattered in panic.
Reka tackled Brad to the ground and grasped her locket, hoping no cameras would record her transformation as she wrapped her wings around him protectively.
Searing heat enveloped her and the ground shook violently from multiple impacts.
Once the explosions ended Reka realized they were covered in rubble. As she flexed her wings to shake off the detritus she noticed Brad was still.
"Brad?" she asked in a brittle voice.
He wasn't moving!
"Brad, wake up!"
"BRAD!"