Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. - Colossians 3:21
Shattered Citadel: Madam Ambassador
US Martian Capital Building, USC New Eden, Mars (Sol), 0255 EST, 04102064
Five hundred Marines manned a hastily constructed barricade around the Martian capital building. Their black armor was worn and dirty, and they were in no mood for the spectacle unfolding around them. "PEACE, PEACE, PEACE!!!" Hundreds of thousands shouted in protest, their cries shook the ground with each word. The Marines nervously clutched their rifles and anxiously watched the crowd surge back and forth. Reaching within spitting distance then retreating as the Marines shot off a warning shot above their heads. These Marines were supposed to be on leave; after serving six months of combat duty on the Martian plains of Utopia, but although exhausted they were ordered to defend the woman inside.
"Do you not hear them? Should I open the windows Madam Ambassador?" A tall white man with an amputated arm told a young olive skinned woman who said nothing. She stood alone in the center of the massive congressional chamber; she scanned the room and spotted the flags of all eight colonies. She thought to herself, how coincidental it was that she was wearing black to what now was essentially a funeral.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please you must listen to me." The Ambassador pleaded to the people within the chamber.
"We've heard enough Madam Ambassador!" The tall man barked at the woman, pointing at her with his stump of an arm.
"Governor Tsourakis, calm down. It was my belief that Martians were good listeners." The Ambassador said, producing a few nervous laughs from the audience in the chamber.
Governor Tsourakis was taken aback by her diplomatic insult, but he quickly recovered. "Madam Ambassador we've heard it all before. Nothing you say now can change our minds. Earth doesn"t care about us. So why should we care about Earth?" The Governor turned his back on the woman and took his seat within the chamber.
"The United States cares about her colonies, that is why I am here. We can solve this problem… together." The Ambassador paced slowly back and forth on the floor of the chamber, in an effort to hide her nervousness. She had to choose her words carefully, because the fate of a nation rested on her shoulders. She didn't want this job, but all the other ambassadors on Mars were dead. Killed in the war or murdered. She looked at the men and woman in the chamber and hoped that they would somehow be swayed by her. "I hear the people outside. They are scared, as am I. Billions are dead. Earth is a nuclear wasteland and America itself is on the verge of collapse. Must I remind you, that most of the people within this very chamber were born on Earth. We are family. Don't abandon us. Don't abandon your brothers and sisters to die. We need you. Independence? We cannot give that to you, autonomy maybe after the war." An angry cry rose from the room and a few hurled insults at the woman, but she continued. "These demands you have given the United States are impossible to meet. We cannot just end the war. I pray to God every day that it would end, but a hundred and fifty million Americans are dead and more than half of our country is occupied. We either win or cease to exist as a nation. The Chinese Hegemony and its allies will not stop until America is nothing more then a footnote in history. This is why we ask so much from you, this is why we ask for your sons to help defend the motherland." The people in the chamber rose in anger and began to toss crumpled paper at her. She ignored their insults and did not flinch as the paper and pens flew by her. "America paid dearly in blood to force out the PLA and the CFR from the other outer colonies. Bringing peace to Venus, Earth's Moon, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus and the Asteroid Belt. Mars itself is under a sort of peace. The PLA and CFR only control 30% of the planet and are confined to their sector. America needs more soldiers, fleets and technology. America paid dearly to bring peace to the colonies, losing hundreds of thousands of men and half of our territory on Earth. Please I beg you all to reconsider."
"Truly moving," Governor Tsourakis stood up from his chair and gave her a golf clap. "The people of the colonies have spoken. Since America will not end the war, we will end it ourselves. Too many innocent colonists have died in this war. Do you not remember the attack on EUC Deutschland near Noachis Terra? A battle between US and PLA forces caused the city to lose its life support and 90,000 colonists died in the most horrible way. Thousands of children suffocated and you did nothing. Mars sent thousands to help retake Mercury and we were nothing but meat for the grinder. I lost my arm there, Madam Ambassador. The colonies are not even equal partners with Earth. We are governed by men and women fifty-five million miles away. We don't even vote. Well we will vote today." Governor Tsourakis made his way down to the center of the chamber, nearly pushing the Ambassador aside. The floor beneath their feet began to shift and separate, and a large metal pillar rose from the ground. The floor came to a halt and the pillar split open, revealing a large document that the metal and lead pillar was protecting. "Madam Ambassador. What you see here is the constitution of a new nation. A nation modeled from the old America, before it changed and forced us to leave her behind." Governor Tsourakis turned his back to the Ambassador and now addressed the audience. "I, Governor Logan Tsourakis representing the colonists of Mars and her two moons, hereby sign the Constitution of the Colonial Alliance, effective immediately. Mars and her people are a separate and sovereign nation from the nations of Earth. All prior laws and treaties between Mars and Earth are now void. Including, but not limited to, the declaration of war between the United States Coalition and the Chinese Hegemony, the Communist Federation of Russia and the Holy Islamic Empire." Outside the building the news reached the protesters and a massive roar erupted from the people outside. The building shook and thousands began to sing "God Bless Our Native Land." Governor Tsourakis empowered by the singing outside, signed the document and made a V sign with his one hand and waved it around.
"This is treason! This won't bring you peace; there is no stopping our enemies. After we're all dead, they'll come after you. Please…" the Ambassador emotionless and professional before, now broke down and cried. She had failed miserable. She knew that they were signing her death warrant.
"Madam Ambassador. Was it not treason when George Washington and the founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence? We are embarking on our own grand experiment." The audience inside the chamber all gave Governor Tsourakis a standing ovation. The less important representatives of Mars finished signing and all the other colonies lined up to sign the document.
"I, Governor Jacob Issac of Jupiter and her sixty-three moons, hereby sign the Constitution of the Colonial Alliance. Joining our fate with our brothers here on Mars."
The Ambassador continued to weep as she watched the representatives of Mercury, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus and Earth's moon sign the document. Each time someone signed felt like a knife being plunged into her chest. The loss of Earth's very own moon was the worst blow possible. She thought of all the colonies, Earth's moon would be the one that would stay. Only Venus, the smallest and poorest colonized world stayed. The seceding colonies tried to convince the two Venusian delegates to join, but they just listened and refused politely. Their brave act of loyalty did little to comfort her.
"Madam Ambassador as interim President of the Colonial Alliance I have a message for your superiors in New York or where ever your capital now is. Tell them that we will have peace. We demand the removal of all US forces from Mars and every other member colony in the Colonial Alliance. The Colonial Alliance also demands the removal of all US forces from the Asteroid Belt, its rich resources are the sole property of the Colonial Alliance. Tell them that we are officially neutral parties of the war raging on Earth, as such, we open dialogue to all of Earths nations including the PRC, CFR and HIE. We already made arrangements with the Chinese and Russians, they have already begun abandoning the colonies. Many of their colonists have stayed against their governments wishes and we have given them our protection. Peace? Madam Ambassador we have our peace. Now leave. You and your protectors are not welcome here." Governor Tsourakis pointed toward the door with his stump.
The two Venusian delegates stood to her sides, protecting her as she walked down the corridor and outside. The harsh Martian air filled her lungs, decades of terraforming had made it breathable but it was like breathing in a dank coal mine. The protesters spotted her and surged forward smashing into the barricade. The US Marines manning the barricade snapped their rifles up, all in unison making a sharp cracking sound. The protesters tossed themselves on the barricade trying to climb over it. The Marines shot a few warning shots in the air, but the crowd still surged forward clutching their red and blue flags. The Marines retreated to a second prepared fighting position as the colonists overtook the first barricade. A shot rang out and the Marines unloaded a salvo of bullets into the crowd. Screams filled the air as men and women collapse on the ground grabbing their bleeding legs. "Next time I WILL order my Marines to shoot to kill. Now pick up your wounded!!!" A Marine First Sergeant barked from a loud speaker.
The Ambassador picked herself up after a Marine tossed himself on top of her to protect her. She approached the Marine First Sergeant who was growing extremely restless from the rapidly deteriorating situation. "Stop this, those are our people."
"News flash lady, their traitors and they want us dead; if it was up to me I'll shot "em all." The First Sergeant responded with his rifle still raised and pointed at the colonial medics who were carrying the wounded away.
"Well it's not up to you. It's up to me." The Ambassador said. The crowd stunned into silence by the Marines action, began to cheer once again. The crowd split in two and from the center of the crowd emerged two thousand soldiers from the US Martian National Guard. Marching in front was a man the Ambassador immediately recognized.
"Marines, lay down your arms and leave, or we will force you to leave." The General in front of the Martian National Guard formation ordered.
"Who the hell are you? We don't take orders from you." The Marine First Sergeant shouted from his loudspeaker. The Marines quickly brought out heavier weapons to face this new threat.
"This is General Montana of the 1st Light Martian Infantry. The US National Guard is no more, and so is your authority here Earthling. We do not want any more bloodshed. Please lay down your arms and join us. You don't have to go back to that war. We would love to have young, brave and skilled men, such as you join us." The man in front of the Martian troop formation pleaded. A few Marines tossed their rifles aside and walked toward the crowd.
"Any Marine takes another step and I'll shoot you." The First Sergeant said after he shot at a Marine closest to the crowd, purposely missing, but grazing his shoulder.
"Let them go. LET THEM GO!" The Ambassador said forcing the First Sergeants rifle down. She could not see the expression under his black helmet, but she was certain he was giving her a death look. One hundred Marines left their rifles behind and entered the crowd. The crowd embraced them. The women kissed their helmets and the men shook their hands. All was forgiven.
The radios of the US Marines and Colonial soldiers came to life as a voice called out "Broken Arrow. This is USCENTCOM, we request immediate reinforcements from the colonies. The PLA are counterattacking and are pushing us back to the Mississippi. Broken Arrow. American forces in danger of being overrun…" the Colonial General switched it off and the other Colonial soldiers did the same. The Marines who left to join the colonists bowed their heads in shame, but still stayed. The Marine First Sergeant said something to his radio and nodded.
A large bulky transport ship arrived soon after and hovered above the crowd. The remaining loyal Marines and the Ambassador boarded the ship and within an instant the ship was hurling past Mars towards Earth. The Ambassador sat in her room alone for weeks, crying. Eventually she came to accept her fate. The door to her room opened behind her and three men entered. "What took you so long?" She asked without looking behind her. She got no answer. "Will it be quick?"
"No." The Marine responded with a bit of glee in his voice.
The Ambassador recognized the First Sergeants voice and a black hood was forced on her head. She was being moved, but didn't know where. The hood came off and she was left alone in a large room with a two massive doors. She immediately recognized the room as being one of the ships airlocks. The emergency lights flashed and the doors locks began to turn. She exhaled, releasing all of her oxygen in her lungs. She didn't want to rupture her lungs; she wanted to live as long as she possibly could. Her eyes watered and she felt ashamed that even after accepting death she was still scared. The door opened and a powerful force swept her out of the room, into the vacuum of space. She watched the ship and her military escorts hurtle past, out of sight in less than a second. In the distance she could see the massive brownish-yellow orb of Earth. Brilliant flashes of light erupted from its surface; she did not want to think about it. Her last moments of life can't be wasted on such horrible things. She turned her body. Her brain screamed for air, her skin was desperate for relief from the intense cold, and she was losing consciousness. She no longer saw the war torn Earth, she saw the sun rise from the lunar surface. The tears from her eyes evaporated the saliva in her mouth boiled, and her skin burned from the intense ultraviolet light. The Ambassador died with a smile on her face, the first in nine years.
Shattered Citadel: Madam Ambassador
US Martian Capital Building, USC New Eden, Mars (Sol), 0255 EST, 04102064
Five hundred Marines manned a hastily constructed barricade around the Martian capital building. Their black armor was worn and dirty, and they were in no mood for the spectacle unfolding around them. "PEACE, PEACE, PEACE!!!" Hundreds of thousands shouted in protest, their cries shook the ground with each word. The Marines nervously clutched their rifles and anxiously watched the crowd surge back and forth. Reaching within spitting distance then retreating as the Marines shot off a warning shot above their heads. These Marines were supposed to be on leave; after serving six months of combat duty on the Martian plains of Utopia, but although exhausted they were ordered to defend the woman inside.
"Do you not hear them? Should I open the windows Madam Ambassador?" A tall white man with an amputated arm told a young olive skinned woman who said nothing. She stood alone in the center of the massive congressional chamber; she scanned the room and spotted the flags of all eight colonies. She thought to herself, how coincidental it was that she was wearing black to what now was essentially a funeral.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please you must listen to me." The Ambassador pleaded to the people within the chamber.
"We've heard enough Madam Ambassador!" The tall man barked at the woman, pointing at her with his stump of an arm.
"Governor Tsourakis, calm down. It was my belief that Martians were good listeners." The Ambassador said, producing a few nervous laughs from the audience in the chamber.
Governor Tsourakis was taken aback by her diplomatic insult, but he quickly recovered. "Madam Ambassador we've heard it all before. Nothing you say now can change our minds. Earth doesn"t care about us. So why should we care about Earth?" The Governor turned his back on the woman and took his seat within the chamber.
"The United States cares about her colonies, that is why I am here. We can solve this problem… together." The Ambassador paced slowly back and forth on the floor of the chamber, in an effort to hide her nervousness. She had to choose her words carefully, because the fate of a nation rested on her shoulders. She didn't want this job, but all the other ambassadors on Mars were dead. Killed in the war or murdered. She looked at the men and woman in the chamber and hoped that they would somehow be swayed by her. "I hear the people outside. They are scared, as am I. Billions are dead. Earth is a nuclear wasteland and America itself is on the verge of collapse. Must I remind you, that most of the people within this very chamber were born on Earth. We are family. Don't abandon us. Don't abandon your brothers and sisters to die. We need you. Independence? We cannot give that to you, autonomy maybe after the war." An angry cry rose from the room and a few hurled insults at the woman, but she continued. "These demands you have given the United States are impossible to meet. We cannot just end the war. I pray to God every day that it would end, but a hundred and fifty million Americans are dead and more than half of our country is occupied. We either win or cease to exist as a nation. The Chinese Hegemony and its allies will not stop until America is nothing more then a footnote in history. This is why we ask so much from you, this is why we ask for your sons to help defend the motherland." The people in the chamber rose in anger and began to toss crumpled paper at her. She ignored their insults and did not flinch as the paper and pens flew by her. "America paid dearly in blood to force out the PLA and the CFR from the other outer colonies. Bringing peace to Venus, Earth's Moon, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus and the Asteroid Belt. Mars itself is under a sort of peace. The PLA and CFR only control 30% of the planet and are confined to their sector. America needs more soldiers, fleets and technology. America paid dearly to bring peace to the colonies, losing hundreds of thousands of men and half of our territory on Earth. Please I beg you all to reconsider."
"Truly moving," Governor Tsourakis stood up from his chair and gave her a golf clap. "The people of the colonies have spoken. Since America will not end the war, we will end it ourselves. Too many innocent colonists have died in this war. Do you not remember the attack on EUC Deutschland near Noachis Terra? A battle between US and PLA forces caused the city to lose its life support and 90,000 colonists died in the most horrible way. Thousands of children suffocated and you did nothing. Mars sent thousands to help retake Mercury and we were nothing but meat for the grinder. I lost my arm there, Madam Ambassador. The colonies are not even equal partners with Earth. We are governed by men and women fifty-five million miles away. We don't even vote. Well we will vote today." Governor Tsourakis made his way down to the center of the chamber, nearly pushing the Ambassador aside. The floor beneath their feet began to shift and separate, and a large metal pillar rose from the ground. The floor came to a halt and the pillar split open, revealing a large document that the metal and lead pillar was protecting. "Madam Ambassador. What you see here is the constitution of a new nation. A nation modeled from the old America, before it changed and forced us to leave her behind." Governor Tsourakis turned his back to the Ambassador and now addressed the audience. "I, Governor Logan Tsourakis representing the colonists of Mars and her two moons, hereby sign the Constitution of the Colonial Alliance, effective immediately. Mars and her people are a separate and sovereign nation from the nations of Earth. All prior laws and treaties between Mars and Earth are now void. Including, but not limited to, the declaration of war between the United States Coalition and the Chinese Hegemony, the Communist Federation of Russia and the Holy Islamic Empire." Outside the building the news reached the protesters and a massive roar erupted from the people outside. The building shook and thousands began to sing "God Bless Our Native Land." Governor Tsourakis empowered by the singing outside, signed the document and made a V sign with his one hand and waved it around.
"This is treason! This won't bring you peace; there is no stopping our enemies. After we're all dead, they'll come after you. Please…" the Ambassador emotionless and professional before, now broke down and cried. She had failed miserable. She knew that they were signing her death warrant.
"Madam Ambassador. Was it not treason when George Washington and the founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence? We are embarking on our own grand experiment." The audience inside the chamber all gave Governor Tsourakis a standing ovation. The less important representatives of Mars finished signing and all the other colonies lined up to sign the document.
"I, Governor Jacob Issac of Jupiter and her sixty-three moons, hereby sign the Constitution of the Colonial Alliance. Joining our fate with our brothers here on Mars."
The Ambassador continued to weep as she watched the representatives of Mercury, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus and Earth's moon sign the document. Each time someone signed felt like a knife being plunged into her chest. The loss of Earth's very own moon was the worst blow possible. She thought of all the colonies, Earth's moon would be the one that would stay. Only Venus, the smallest and poorest colonized world stayed. The seceding colonies tried to convince the two Venusian delegates to join, but they just listened and refused politely. Their brave act of loyalty did little to comfort her.
"Madam Ambassador as interim President of the Colonial Alliance I have a message for your superiors in New York or where ever your capital now is. Tell them that we will have peace. We demand the removal of all US forces from Mars and every other member colony in the Colonial Alliance. The Colonial Alliance also demands the removal of all US forces from the Asteroid Belt, its rich resources are the sole property of the Colonial Alliance. Tell them that we are officially neutral parties of the war raging on Earth, as such, we open dialogue to all of Earths nations including the PRC, CFR and HIE. We already made arrangements with the Chinese and Russians, they have already begun abandoning the colonies. Many of their colonists have stayed against their governments wishes and we have given them our protection. Peace? Madam Ambassador we have our peace. Now leave. You and your protectors are not welcome here." Governor Tsourakis pointed toward the door with his stump.
The two Venusian delegates stood to her sides, protecting her as she walked down the corridor and outside. The harsh Martian air filled her lungs, decades of terraforming had made it breathable but it was like breathing in a dank coal mine. The protesters spotted her and surged forward smashing into the barricade. The US Marines manning the barricade snapped their rifles up, all in unison making a sharp cracking sound. The protesters tossed themselves on the barricade trying to climb over it. The Marines shot a few warning shots in the air, but the crowd still surged forward clutching their red and blue flags. The Marines retreated to a second prepared fighting position as the colonists overtook the first barricade. A shot rang out and the Marines unloaded a salvo of bullets into the crowd. Screams filled the air as men and women collapse on the ground grabbing their bleeding legs. "Next time I WILL order my Marines to shoot to kill. Now pick up your wounded!!!" A Marine First Sergeant barked from a loud speaker.
The Ambassador picked herself up after a Marine tossed himself on top of her to protect her. She approached the Marine First Sergeant who was growing extremely restless from the rapidly deteriorating situation. "Stop this, those are our people."
"News flash lady, their traitors and they want us dead; if it was up to me I'll shot "em all." The First Sergeant responded with his rifle still raised and pointed at the colonial medics who were carrying the wounded away.
"Well it's not up to you. It's up to me." The Ambassador said. The crowd stunned into silence by the Marines action, began to cheer once again. The crowd split in two and from the center of the crowd emerged two thousand soldiers from the US Martian National Guard. Marching in front was a man the Ambassador immediately recognized.
"Marines, lay down your arms and leave, or we will force you to leave." The General in front of the Martian National Guard formation ordered.
"Who the hell are you? We don't take orders from you." The Marine First Sergeant shouted from his loudspeaker. The Marines quickly brought out heavier weapons to face this new threat.
"This is General Montana of the 1st Light Martian Infantry. The US National Guard is no more, and so is your authority here Earthling. We do not want any more bloodshed. Please lay down your arms and join us. You don't have to go back to that war. We would love to have young, brave and skilled men, such as you join us." The man in front of the Martian troop formation pleaded. A few Marines tossed their rifles aside and walked toward the crowd.
"Any Marine takes another step and I'll shoot you." The First Sergeant said after he shot at a Marine closest to the crowd, purposely missing, but grazing his shoulder.
"Let them go. LET THEM GO!" The Ambassador said forcing the First Sergeants rifle down. She could not see the expression under his black helmet, but she was certain he was giving her a death look. One hundred Marines left their rifles behind and entered the crowd. The crowd embraced them. The women kissed their helmets and the men shook their hands. All was forgiven.
The radios of the US Marines and Colonial soldiers came to life as a voice called out "Broken Arrow. This is USCENTCOM, we request immediate reinforcements from the colonies. The PLA are counterattacking and are pushing us back to the Mississippi. Broken Arrow. American forces in danger of being overrun…" the Colonial General switched it off and the other Colonial soldiers did the same. The Marines who left to join the colonists bowed their heads in shame, but still stayed. The Marine First Sergeant said something to his radio and nodded.
A large bulky transport ship arrived soon after and hovered above the crowd. The remaining loyal Marines and the Ambassador boarded the ship and within an instant the ship was hurling past Mars towards Earth. The Ambassador sat in her room alone for weeks, crying. Eventually she came to accept her fate. The door to her room opened behind her and three men entered. "What took you so long?" She asked without looking behind her. She got no answer. "Will it be quick?"
"No." The Marine responded with a bit of glee in his voice.
The Ambassador recognized the First Sergeants voice and a black hood was forced on her head. She was being moved, but didn't know where. The hood came off and she was left alone in a large room with a two massive doors. She immediately recognized the room as being one of the ships airlocks. The emergency lights flashed and the doors locks began to turn. She exhaled, releasing all of her oxygen in her lungs. She didn't want to rupture her lungs; she wanted to live as long as she possibly could. Her eyes watered and she felt ashamed that even after accepting death she was still scared. The door opened and a powerful force swept her out of the room, into the vacuum of space. She watched the ship and her military escorts hurtle past, out of sight in less than a second. In the distance she could see the massive brownish-yellow orb of Earth. Brilliant flashes of light erupted from its surface; she did not want to think about it. Her last moments of life can't be wasted on such horrible things. She turned her body. Her brain screamed for air, her skin was desperate for relief from the intense cold, and she was losing consciousness. She no longer saw the war torn Earth, she saw the sun rise from the lunar surface. The tears from her eyes evaporated the saliva in her mouth boiled, and her skin burned from the intense ultraviolet light. The Ambassador died with a smile on her face, the first in nine years.
US Colonial Marines securing an LZ near the Plains of Utopia during the Martian Campaigns, Third Human Civil War. 22072064.
SC: Madam Ambassador
Thu, 11th November, 2010
The Colonies break away from a Earth at war with itself, the Colonial Alliance is established.
Comments greatly appreciated. Feel free to leave one here.
Comments greatly appreciated. Feel free to leave one here.