13-06-2000 05:53									#1
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Inevitability

Coronal Corazon Santiago stood alone in the vast interior of the Command Nexus of Sparta Command. Only the ghostly data displays and holographic representations of battles, most of them from the recent past, illuminated the dim interior. In one corner the pale images of an elite squadron of hover tanks did battle with legions of mindworms that erupted out of the endless fungus, and in another a perfect 'V' of Spartan needlejets soundlessly raced toward their unknown targets. A great databank to the right displayed schematics of blunt brownish enemy cities, outlining known and probable defenders and intrinsic and automated defenses, and also a sequence of images showing a burning squat and massive dun-colored city. Images played out and were replaced just as quickly, seemingly in an endless queue.

Santiago stood in the foreground in front of the primary horizontal holo display, which showed the entire surface of Chiron. Even as she looked it was updated from defense pod orbital data, showing a great singularity explosion that resulted in the vaporization of an enemy city. Santiago exalted at the majesty of the 'explosion', or rather implosion. In reality it was really 'nothing', and the 'explosion' was matter rushing to fill the void. On the display the Central Chiron Sea was rushing into the deep welt bored into Planet's surface, forming a cloud of steam and debris as the water flashed when hitting the magma of the exposed mantle.

At that a grim smile crept onto Santiago's implacable face. Another enemy city destroyed, she through as she brought up a summary of lost production and the dead: 180,000 people and transcendi, as well as the vanguard of an enemy army. Mentally she weighed it against the cost of the singularity planetbuster and decided that she was the victor in this exchange.

Above the holoboard there was a twinkling, which drew Santiago's attention. At her glance the view expanded, showing that a planetbuster had been intercepted. Her hooded eyes simply acknowledge the defense of the enemy city, as she understood that each expended defense pod diminished their ability to resist, and diverted resources from offensive and defensive armament.

Another twinkling on the holo board caught her eye, and this one was on the surface of Planet. A city's icon changed color, indicating yet another conquest. At this Santiago simply nodded, since she knew it would happen - it was inevitable, and unavoidable; military doctrine made it so. As she watched another city's hue shifted, and then another.

Santiago leaned forward, her face illuminated from below from the holo table's gentle glow, which accented her smooth tanned skin and her brown downturned eyes. With an eye cursor she reviewed the disposition of forces in a flash, and assimilated the disparity in armaments in a mere second.

Yes, Santiago thought, nodding slightly it is inevitable.

She straightened, passing out of the light of the holo table and into shadows as the drama played out in front of her eyes.

"Computer, activate comm channel 3," she ordered crisply.

Above the holo table at eye level formed an image of her long-time enemy, who stared at Santiago with a scarcely veiled malevolence.

Santiago let the silence lengthen for dramatic effect. After all, this is an important day, a day that would live in the annals of Planet for all time. She looked her nemesis in the eye, as she always had, as if daring Lady Skye to say a single word.

Maintaining her reserve of regal calm Santiago drew back her shoulders proudly stated, "My defeat is total and complete.

I surrender."