The next three weeks flung by. During that time the Army mobilized, the navy mobilized, production of firearms and ammunition went through the roof and every single reservist solider was called up. Everyday something new about the preparations for the American invasion was in the news, the masses of troops gathering at the various, coastal forts around the country or the new ships rolling out of Lowell Machine Yard. One morning I was sitting at the table eating breakfast with Adelind, and the kids were playing Xbox when my phone rang. When I picked it up, I saw the caller id was Nolan.
"Yeah Nolan?", I said answering.
"It's time Tyro", he said, "you and Adelind need to get down to the docks, the fleet sets sail in an hour. I'll meet you down there."
"Were on our way", I said hanging up.
"Who was that?", Adelind asked.
"Nolan", I answered, "fleet sets out in an hour, you and I need to get going."
Adelind sighed and put her plate in the sink. We let the kids keep playing as we got dressed and then walked back out to the living room.
"Hey guys", I said tapping Ace's shoulder.
"Yeah?", Ace asked pausing the game."
The fleet sets off in an hour", I told him, "your Mom and I are going with it, which means you guys have got to stay at the hatchery for a while."
"When will you get back?", Tyson asked.
"8 days to two weeks", Adelind answered, "most of that is just the trip though, we'll keep in touch."
"Do you have to go?", Dusk asked.
"Yes", Helix said, "you know Mommy and Daddy are in charge of the whole thing right?"
"Not quite sweetie", I laughed.
"Hey she's close though", Danny laughed, appearing in the door way with his 40mm cannon strapped to his back.
"Sure", I said laughing.
"Cloud will watch the kids", Danny said, 'it's better than having them hang around the hatchery for a week."
"Okay but I'm bringing Minecraft", Ace said grabbing the game and his controller from the shelf. Adelind and I walked them down ton Danny's house and then headed for Port Talon. When we got there, the Docks were swarming with Army and Marines as well as the white and black uniformed ISA agents, Navy Seals and countless dragons of all sizes and colors. Two hundred humans and dragons at a time were boarding large troop transports while the SEALS and the Marines were boarding submarines and aircraft carriers. ISA soldiers were climbing abroad Cruisers and Destroyers and EPA units were climbing into a huge, floating fortress known as a Missile Carrier.
"Wow", Adelind said, "that thing's huge."
"It's a Kennedy Class Missile Cruiser", Hudson said, "they carry 40 Tomahawk and 10 Apache misses at any time."
"That's a shit load of firepower", Ator said, "anyway, Tyro do you know what ship were supposed to be on?"
"Nope", I answered, "Nolan said he'd meet us here."
It took Nolan another ten minutes to show up. When he finally got here, I found he was in a full combat load and was wearing an ISA uniform, he also had his wife with him and she was armed with the same rifle that Mnerloth had.
"Sir", I said."Major", Nolan said, "if you and Raven will follow me, Shadow, you and Nina too."
We followed Nolan to the end of the docks to Artimus waiting battleship. Artimus herself was standing at the bow, looking out over the vast ocean.
"I have quarters down stairs", Nolan said.
"You guys go ahead", I said, "I wanna talk to Artimus."
Nolan nodded, "I'll show them down and then come back for you."
Nolan headed below deck as I walked over to Artimus. She was dressed in a digital blue uniform that had medals and awards pinned all over it. She was standing very near the edge of the ship, her hands behind her back and her tail was swishing anxiously.
"I was born in California Tyro", she said, "San Francisco to be exact. The apartment where I grew up is right on the same beach were about to roll over."
"That's not all that's bothering you Captain", I said, "I can't claim to know you, because I don't, but I know that's not what your thinking."
"Your right", she said, "it's not."
"So what is it?", I asked.
"I've seen a list, Major", Artimus said turning to face me, "a list, of all the Navy SEALS that will be waiting to defend San Fran when we hit it. My brothers are on it."
She looked at the guns of her ship.
"Chances are one of those 30 inchers below deck has their names on it."
"You don't know that", I said.
"Your right", Artimus said, "I don't, that's what worries me. I haven't slept more than an hour since I saw that goddamned paper. The very last thing I want is to give the orders to shell the living daylights out of San Fran, and have Jake and Allen get blown up or get a limb blow off and bleed to death on their sister's orders."
"I take your ship is out front other wise you wouldn't be worried over this", I said.
"Lead", Artimus said, "all other ships will pound the beach once my first shell hits."
"Maybe if you can talk to Nolan he can send another battleship out first", I said.
"I'll try", Artimus said, "but I doubt it."I
sighed and turned around, walking back to the bridge, finding Nolan standing there waiting for me.
"What was that about?", Nolan asked.
"Artimus said she saw a list of SEALS patched to defend SF", I told him, "her siblings are on it."
Nolan stood up, "really?"
I nodded, "she's afraid when she gives the order to start the shelling one of those shells will have their names on it."
"I'll give the order to the RBS Samaritan to take the lead", Nolan sighed, "but I just hope she still realizes that she might hit them anyway. Lots of other people here probably have family on that beach and don't know it."
"Do they realize it's a possibility?", I asked as we started walking below deck.
"Yeah", Nolan answered, "chances are good that Draco rounded up everyone's siblings and forced them into the project because of our little invasion plan."
"This is bad Nolan", I sighed, "there is no way this can end well for either the US or Romeo."
Nolan sighed, "acceptable losses? I don't even know what to call this. If we don't invade then Draco will keep kidnapping kids and tearing apart families, and then throw them out a year or so later."
"But if we do", I said.
"Good people die either way", Nolan said, "how much you want to bet those SEALS on that beach have never heard of Project Draco?"
"I'd bet my life", I answered.
Nolan sighed. We walked down a few more corridors and then Nolan showed me a small bunk room where Adelind was hiding out. There were two beds up against the left wall and there was a small table against the right that held a Windows 13 laptop. The room was lit with a single light bulb and floored with green tile.
"I figure it's a week and a half trip for the states", Nolan said, "the ship has satellite internet, so you can contact the you kids whenever you want, might wanna strap down, the fleet leaves in 20 minutes."
"Will do", I said as Nolan left. I sighed, took off my vest and then lay next to Adelind.
"What was the deal with Artimus", Adelind asked.
"She found out her brothers Jake and Allen are SEALS on the Californian coast", I answered, "she was worried that one of her shells had their names on it."
"Oh wow", Adelind said, "how'd she find out about that?"
"She saw a paper that had the names of all the SEALS who were gonna be on the beach", I said, "told me she hasn't slept more than an hour, total, over the past few weeks."
"Poor girl", Adelind said.
"Nolan said he was gonna put the Battleship Samaritan out front", I said, "but he knows that no matter what he does, people are probably going to end up killing family members before this is over."
"And we can't back out", Ator said appearing in the door way, "I just wonder if I have anyone down at that beach. Count yourself lucky boss, your HDR, you ain't gonna have family down there."
"You are family", I growled, "Hudson, Trent, Logan, Wyatt, Frank, Jackie, Rolland, Faline, Shadow, Nina, Artimus, Mnerloth, your all my family. Go ahead Sargent, say it again, I dare you."
"Point taken", Ator said, "but at least we won't be on the other end of your 105."
I sighed, "message received as well Sargent, anything else you wanna add, maybe make my day a little worse?"
"If I think of something I'll let you know", Ator sighed, "aren't you and Adelind worried though?"
"About?", Adelind asked.
"What if one of you takes a fatal bullet?", he asked, "or steps on a land mine, or some combination of bullets and explosives send one of you two under?"
I buried my head underneath Adelind's neck, not much caring to answer the question. I knew the answer to what would happen to me if she got killed, but in truth I wasn't sure how she would take my death.
"Bridge we cross if we get there", Adelind said laying a wing over me, "hopefully it won't come to that."
Ator sighed, "I don't know what I would do if I lost Vanlith, curl up with my boys and cry myself to death I guess."
"Ator enough", I said.
He sighed, "yeah, I'll see you guys later."
Ator left and shut our door behind him.
"Well that was a pleasant talk about death", Adelind sighed, "right before the biggest combat op of our lives."
I sighed, "of all the things."
"What's bothering you?", Adelind asked.
"Nothing", I answered.
"It's something", she answered, "you only try to bury yourself underneath me when something is really eating you alive, so what is it?"
I sighed, "how would you take my death?"
Adelind looked at me for a minute, then lay her head on my neck.
"Find a way to close the planet sized canyon just long enough for the kids to grow up", she said, "then die shortly afterwords."
The words were like a knife through the heart.
"That helped", I whimpered."Sorry", Adelind said quietly, "that's the truth."
I sighed at myself. The chance was there that neither of us would come back from this. There was the chance we both would and the chance that only one of us would. Either way, unless we both came back alive, the kids lost both of us, one to bullets or explosives and the other to a broken heart.
That couldn't happen.
We sat there in silence for what seemed like hours before the Draco gave a lurch and a humming sound came from below deck. We were on our way.