Chapter 48: A day gone by

John Baptist crawls out of bed grumbling to himself. He smoulders downstairs his half-naked Creole body kissed by the morning sunlight. His muscled chest heaving as he approaches his breakfast bespoke metallic table. John says, “Are you here Athena?” A slender porcelain hand waves at him from behind the kitchen brown wooden door. Athena is on a Neural call again. They are expensive secured and rare in the inner sphere.

John waits for her to finish assaulting his red bread buns and green eggs. he has always liked Martian eggs over the traditional sunrise kind. By the time he is done with his breakfast, she is done with her call. She wearing only a simply Bodice dress. John can’t help but smile bringing her in closer to his lap. She chuckles as his impressive strength sweeps her off her feet again.

Her hand rubbing his chin she says, “What’s wrong you look like you about to take a huge shit?” Eyes rolling back, stifling a laugh.

John Baptist says, “It’s nothing really honey. we should…” She with her delicate arms and soft hands pats him on the cheeks. If she hit him any harder it would be a slap…”Fine, I got jumped and killed just now in Odyessy.”

Athena says, “You big man Naga with all your healing spells, Monarch class and all those big…” she kisses his neck…”Strong muscles?” Her lips coupled with a bite. John Baptist rears his neck she nearly took a chunk of flesh. Putting his hand to his neck.

John says, “They are after you. This was to get your attention.” He is rubbing his neck because it is the exact same spot he just got decapitated from.

Athena smiling the way she does when is about to do something silly says, ” What did she say?” She knows John Baptist his fatal flaw is his belief in the classic gender roles. That primitive sense of patriarchal chivalry. Sometimes it is okay other times…’It is just who he is Athena. Remember who you are and it will be fine.’ She lets out a deep breath waiting for him to answer.

John Baptist says, “How do you know it was a girl? It could have two white dudes creeping in the night playing cops.” Rotating her body so that she sits cowboy style on his lap. Her hands running up the back of his head.

Athena says, ” I know you…”

John Baptist says, “She said something like, This is only the begin the Crimson dawn never forgets.”

Athena says, “That’s really odd. ” She sends a neural data burst while kissing John Baptist.

—Access Granted—

Enquiry – Crimson dawn

/processing – + – +

/Result…

Request – Further instruction

—Connection Terminated—

She has just received a data burst with over a hundred different search results in regards to Crimson Dawn. Only one catches her eye thou. An incident twelve years ago. She relays this information to her handler and Kisses John she would much rather be kissing him anyways. She starts to have her fun with him. When an extranet call comes through. The kitchen wall shows an older dark-skinned woman. Lovely as the day is red. Athena thinks, ‘it is always red on Mars.’

John almost ashamed jumps and says, “Mom how are you? Lunar these days you guys enjoying it.” Athena slips away his mother is after all ‘HIS MOTHER.’ They haven’t officially met yet since his mother thinks that Athena stole him away and moved them to mars. Even though he has explained to her that they met a month after he moved her on the lands rights development grant.

Seeing as how it is still early morning Athena goes to do some katas before heading to shower. They still have a long day ahead with all the others.

A few hours later

A group of nine young people. All dressed fashionable walk into a cafe. The traditional Martian red brick prefab hall was converted into a cafe. It is spacious and built to last. Raul is ordering from the auto box. Most of the gang used the social menu all Raul is doing is making sure. He likes to double certain things, especially where machines are involved.

Sihle helps Mei to her seat. Rowena smiling at the pair. She says to Raul, “Look at them aren’t they just perfect together.” Raul grumbles going over the order and finally joining everyone else. Rowena stayed by his side to get a look at the table not too far away from where the gang are sitting. Something odd is going on there.

John Baptist starts, “Odyessy is really amazing in twelve real hours. We have managed to a few million.” John baptist is trying to soothe his soul more than anything. After splitting it nine ways and deducting expenses. He in truth they are each probably left with only a couple of thousands of Credits.

Raul says, “Si, we were very lucky today.” He doesn’t want to be a complaining Karen. He just wants to remind everyone it is unlikely they will get so much in the near future again. His intelligence already shows they have quite the list of growing enemies and it is still only day one.

Asa grabs her drink before the tray even touches the table and says, “I thought Lihle was going to be here Sihle?” She hasn’t seen her in six months. When Lihle was admitted she was travelling because of her grandfathers’ death and only recently came home.

Sihle looking down at his hot shake says, “It’s worse than we thought. The money helped as we upgraded her medical package. But those bastards at Baron really did a number of her.”

Mei says, “They did a number on all of us.” She has lost her mother to Barons’ Poisoning. Made worse by the fact that her father died in a mining accident because of Baron’s cost cutting.

Rowena says, “I spoke to her just after our break early. She said she is in a SKY Marshal War college.” All of them take a deep breathe the aptitude test for the Any of the Liguria’s War colleges is absorbed.

Raul says, “She is our hidden power so please keep it under wraps.” He, Asa, and Sihle had to give up quite a lot to get her in. But it is worth it a real Sky Marshall we will be a game-changer for them.

Frey says, “at least one of Asa’s guys is helping now. We should be able to bring a powerful case against them. At least that’s what I hope Sihle.”

Sihle says, “Of course the amount of money, we will make from Odyessy will do more than just fund the case against them…” Sihle stands up suddenly shocked and utterly confused. In front of him sitting at the next table over is Aria. She is flanked by a number of well-dressed bodyguards and some Baron Inc lawyers. Sihle is quite intimate with that scaley one at the back of the procession.

She looks up at him their eyes met. Memories of their future blast into his head, dropping back to his chair. Everyone else is confused at his behaviour.

mei says, “Should I call a doctor, the symptoms of the Poisoning can present in many ways. Even as madness.” The memories fighting side by side with her in Odyessy elate him. While still a while off she is an important part of their future and if his memories are anything to go by. They will have to work much harder to catch her attention. Grabbing onto Mei’s hand.

Sihle says, “No, that’s how we kill Baron. She is the key.” The table all turn to the petite yet well-tanned girl. Aria stands up walking towards them. Shocking everyone presents even her guards who she waves off. pulling a chair as she arrives at their table she lets them get over their shock first.

Then with an almost commanding voice says, “Do you guys have a problem with me?” The group still mesmerised by what is actually happening shake their heads. Even Raul is stunned never has he seen anyone of her social status. Sit with low ranking people. To him even he is probably trash compared to her.

Sihle says, “Not at all shorty!” Gasps from the guards, representatives and even his friends. All showing sunken faces they can all tell she is someone important. Insulting her is not the way to make a lasting impression. She can’t say anything back. If she demined herself to respond to his provocation. Aria will be the one seen in a bad light.

The lawyer from Baron Inc smiling widely. ‘Now that this punk has insulted the princess. We can take advantage of that and hopefully get on her good. He doesn’t even know how much he has just helped me.’ Their spies have already uncovered these kids identities in-game. They made the mistake of recruiting mostly local people to help them which included a few Baron Inc spies. These kids don’t even know how much money Baron is pumping into Arcadia Planitia.

Aria says, ” I’m still growing besides all this travelling is messing with my sleep.” Her cheerful disposition is a veneer. Indeed just as Sihle remembered her. Except why would she sit here, she is the heir to the greatest fortune mankind has ever known. The last living heir of Kolob Tech Empire. The power Behind Cantos Industries. Others might not know maybe even the Baron Inc people probably don’t know her real identity.

Rowena says, “Don’t mind him hun, he just made he is ugly.” Uneasy laughs escape from the gang. One guard even laughs. Rowena has been analysing her since they walked in it was. Aria seemed to have been waiting for them until she spotted them her head had been bouncing around all the tables.

Aria says, “Exactly! Anyways I’m Aria. Aria Cole nice to all of you. I hope we can be friends in future.” As quickly as she arrived she is gone stealing a glance back at their table. As she leaves the cafe, no longer interested in talking to the Baron people. The cafe empties by half some planned clothes people wear part of the guard.

The Baron lawyer sends a message to his supervisor explaining how he has the solution to their problem. A short campaign should do it and they will deliver the fool who dared to insult the princess and their win her grace.

The group sits to arrange the conquest of the Island…

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