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332: Gabrielle's Schemes
[Three Months Later – Achilles’ Apartment]Gabrielle sat at the kitchen table with a very serious expression. She'd drawn a chart with crayons. Hearts. Stick figures. Arrows connecting them.“What's this?” Achilles asked, pouring her orange juice.“My plan,” she announced proudly.Curiosity piqued Achilles’ expression: “Plan for what?”“For you and Ms. Margaret Julian to get married.”Achilles nearly dropped the juice carton: “What?”“You like her. She likes you. I like her. So you should marry her.” Gabrielle pointed to her chart. “See? This is you. That's Miss Margaret. These hearts mean love. And this—” She tapped a stick figure with pigtails. “...is me being the flower girl.”Achilles leaned forward: “Pumpkin, it's not that simple.”“Why not? Mommy says Miss Margaret is good for you. Uncle George says you smile more when she's around. And I heard Aunt Rachael tell Aunt Dora that you're ‘smitten but too stubborn to admit it.’” She pronounced ‘smitten’ carefully, like she'd been pra
331: Something Real?
He cleaned up the apartment slightly. Changed into casual clothes and tried to relax.Thirty minutes later, Margaret arrived with bags of takeout.“General's quarters are nice,” she said, looking around: “Better than that base housing.”“It'll do. Gabrielle loves having her own room. Being in a real neighborhood.” Achilles took the food bags: “How was your day?”“Briefings. Security assessments. Personnel reviews for the new division.” Margaret followed him to the kitchen: “We start operations in two weeks. Officially.”Achilles asked: “Nervous?”“Excited. This is important work. Building something new. Learning from the mistakes that let the Archelords infiltrate so deeply.” She pulled plates from the cabinet. Comfortable in his space already: “Plus I get to work with you. That's a bonus.”“Even when I'm your commanding officer?”“Especially then. Someone needs to keep you from making reckless decisions.” She s
330: Star's Confession
[Achilles' New Residence – London – Two Weeks Later]The apartment was modest by military standards but luxurious compared to the safe houses and barracks Achilles had lived in for years. Three bedrooms. A proper kitchen. A balcony overlooking the Thames.Gabrielle's room was already decorated with her drawings and stuffed animals. She'd adapted quickly to their new life. Therapy was helping with the nightmares.Star had requested a private meeting. She arrived at seven, dressed casually. Nervous.“Thank you for seeing me,” she said as Achilles let her in.“You're Gabrielle's mother. You're welcome ‘cause she needs you in her life.” He gestured to the living room: “Tea? Coffee?”“Water will be fine.”They sat across from each other. The silence stretched.“I need to apologize,” Star finally said. “Properly. For everything.”“Star, we've been over this—”“No. We haven't. Not really. You've been gracious. Kind. Forgiving because of Gabrielle. But I need you to hear this. Need to say it
329: “Your Daughter Likes Me”
More applause. Longer this time. People stood.When it finally died down, Achilles continued.“But I also accept this with a promise. I will continue to serve. To protect. To lead. But I will also be a father. Be present for my daughter. Because my father's one regret was not spending enough time with family. Not balancing duty with love. I won't make that mistake.”He looked at Gabrielle. She waved at him, grinning.“This uniform represents duty. This medal represents honor. But that little girl represents why we serve. Why we fight. Why do we sacrifice? She's the future we're protecting. And I won't forget that. Ever.”Achilles stepped back from the podium. The ceremony continued with other commendations— the Faithfuls each received medals for their service. Other soldiers were recognized for their roles in the operation.But Achilles barely noticed. He kept looking at Gabrielle. At her innocent smile. At her pride in her father.After the ceremony, people swarmed him. Handshakes. C
328: The Ceremony
[Royal Military Academy Sandhurst – Three Weeks Later]The grand hall was packed. Military brass from across Europe. Government officials. Diplomats. Media crews from every major network, and somewhere in the front row, Gabrielle sat between Star and Margaret, swinging her legs excitedly.Achilles stood backstage in his dress uniform, adjusting his collar for the third time. He wasn't a big fan of ceremonies. Too much attention and formality.“Stop fidgeting Warlord,” Brigadier George teased, arm still in a sling but present: “You look perfect.”Achilles chimed in: “I look like I'm playing dress-up.”“You look like a Colonel who's about to be promoted to Major General and decorated for saving the country.” Rachael Beauty smiled. “Embrace it.”The trial ended two days ago. Ethan Hector was convicted on all counts, sentenced to death by hanging. The verdict was expected, but it still felt heavy.Colonel Pemberton; Raven, had also been convicted. Life imprisonment with no possibility of
327: Colonel Pemberton
“Need to ask you a few questions, about security protocols during the assault.”“Of course. Happy to help.” Pemberton gestured to chairs: “Please, sit.”Achilles remained standing. Margaret closed the door behind them.“We've been investigating how the attackers got access codes,” Achilles said. “Tracing communications. Financial records.”Pemberton's smile didn't waver, but something flickered in his eyes. “Good. We need to know how they compromised us.”“We do. And we found something interesting. Communications between someone on this base and Dr. Sarah Chen. The woman who tried to sabotage the infrastructure shutdown.”“Really? That's concerning. Do you know who?”“We do.” Achilles moved slightly, blocking the door: “It was you, Colonel.”Pemberton's smile faded: “That's absurd. I've served this country for thirty years—”“While also serving the Juma Archelords for at least six months. Probably longe
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