crvboy presents: Queen Of Ice by Christopher Patrick Lydon

"Reposition us one mile over the target area," Commander Brad Tamerin ordered, walking around the cramped command centre of the USS Colombia, "Exec?"

The Executive officer looked over the ELF orders held in the Communication Officer's hands, "the order's are authentic Skipper."

The Communication's officer nodded in agreement, checking the serial number on the orders with the appropriate codes for the day, "I concur, they are authentic."

The Commander took the orders, scanning over them reading that headquarters had authorized the deployment of Colombia's nuclear arsenal on an Earth based target.

"Dear gods," Brad uttered, pulling out his nuclear key. "Radar, conn," Brad called across the command centre, "relative position of the Excalibur?"

"She is manoeuvring to shadow us, sir," the sensor operator called out.

"Is she planning to intercept us?" the Commander mused aloud, "Weaps, stand by with offensive missiles, target the sensor cluster to port of the bridge superstructure, and stand ready to fire. If she arms weapons I want you to knock-out her combat sensors."

"With respect Commander," his Exec leaned in, "we have no authorization to attack the Excalibur. Orders from Headquarters were to leave her alone."

Brad cocked his head, "have you forgotten what they did to us the last time we went up against VonGrippen? I sure as hell haven't, and I am not about to take any chances of that ship nailing us again while we get ready to perform a Nuclear launch." He held up his key, "now activate the fire control system, we have a job to do."

Commander Durnham looked up towards Ben and Commander Maguire on the command tier of the bridge, "Colombia has just opened its silos. Excalibur is detecting an increase in heat registering in the open ports, they are preparing to deploy nuclear weaponry."

Ben shook his head as he rubbed his eyes, "re... manoeuvre us about two points to starboard, keep a weapons lock on the Colombia, but stand ready with our Aegis systems, defensive measures only..."

"What are you intending to do?" Maguire leaned on the shoulder of the command chair Ben was sitting in, "you can't engage the Colombia..."

"If we do, we'll win," Ben said matter-of-factly, "escort frigates or not, our weapons would chew their way through your ships, deployed the way they are for orbital strikes, they won't know what hit them." Ben glanced up over his shoulder, "and I won't hesitate if it means saving peoples lives."

"Hesitate in what?" Maguire pressed, "your defensive measures won't stop them deploying nukes, the only way to stop Colombia from commencing an orbital salvo is to destroy her. She has too many nukes for you to stop them all, and American space-to-surface missiles are MIRV missiles."

"A single launch vehicle deploying up to five warheads simultaneously," Ben responded, "I know exactly what will happen if I don't act," he took a ragged breath and steadied himself and fought down the visions that swam before his eyes, "Excalibur's Aegis system could handle a significant number of those warheads..."

"But not all of them," Maguire warned, "even if you could get close enough to use your CIWS's Colombia and her escorts would have point blank range on Excalibur, you'd be cut to pieces, and at least one of those warheads would strike its target."

"Are you giving me advice on how to stop these missiles?" Ben demanded.

Maguire grated his teeth reluctantly, "deploy VF-54, let them intercept the MIRV's, Colombia won't shoot at F-90's."

"You're asking me to put my faith in American planes and pilots to stop a nuclear strike deployed by an American ship?" Ben sounded incredulous.

"I made a promise to VG," Maguire stated calmly, "and I have my orders from Vice-President Aquinas to assist you..."

"A promise from a man attached to the government who ordered this attack," Ben pointed out.

"You're running out of time," Maguire urged, "if you are going to deploy fighters then it needs to be now..."

"Deploy the fighters," VonGrippen's rumble cut across the bridge, as everyone's head pulled around to stare at their Admiral, resting heavily on one of the crewmen, his trouser leg cut and knee swathed in bandages.

"I gave an order Benjamin," VonGrippen said hobbling forward with help from the crewman, as he sank into his command chair, "launch the fighters and manoeuvre us into position over the target area, put us between the Colombia and the planet surface."

Ben pulled on a headset and began to issue orders, as the alert fighters were scrambled, VF-54 under Lieutenant Colonel Tam Lanford roaring off of the Excalibur's flight deck, hurled by the deck catapults into space. American fighters wearing VonGrippen's colours, arrayed like a cloud between the two warships.

President Macdonald watched from the situation room in the White House, his hands folded neatly on the table before him, "when the Excalibur is engaged I want you to order the USS Kingfisher to open fire."

On a separate screen, within striking range of the Sino-Russian amphibious force the American ballistic nuclear submarine, belovedly nicknamed a boomer by submariners, lurked in the shallows off of the northern Japanese island. Deliberately off the Overlord TAC-net and undetected by the Excalibur, or by the Chinese, it sat ready, a single nuclear armament ready to do the unthinkable.

"Everything is in place Mister President," Secretary Morgan reported triumphantly.

"It had better be," the President warned, "the moment this warhead detonates, I want you to begin the airlift from Pearl Harbour to Mainland Japan, I want as many troops as we have left to land."

"The preparations are already made," Morgan responded, "however that's almost our entire land forces deployed, we're preparing to push forces up from South America, but we're on a two front war..."

"Right, then we'd better make this quick then," Macdonald replied, "and let's hope China doesn't have the testicular fortitude to play by our rules."

"They're firing," Commander Durnham reported.

VonGrippen nodded, "order VF-54 to intercept, and assist them with our cover fire."

He watched tightly, despite the pain in his leg and the grogginess caused by the painkillers. The fighters rising to meet the missiles as they separated into their shower of nuclear warheads like blossoming flowers descending through the atmosphere towards the Chinese forces. The Excalibur's rapid fire missile launchers spitting out missiles at a phenomenal rate, exploding into the descending missiles path, blowing them apart as still more warheads rushed downwards.

Something was wrong.

An itch at the back of his mind that tugged at him. Something that, were his head clearer, he would have realized, instead he had to wrestle with it, trying to put his finger on what could be wrong.

The Americans knew that the Excalibur would be deployed to stop an orbital strike, concentrating its firepower towards the Colombia, tying up precious resources while... while a strike came from elsewhere.

Markus had delivered him Overlord; he knew that VonGrippen would trust it... VonGrippen looked up at the tactical scopes. What if the Americans had taken extra precautions? What if someone had anticipated that he might have access to the TAC-net system? Would the Americans be paranoid enough to hide something even from their own A.I.'s near omnipotent eyesight.

The holographic displays sprang to life around the command chair at a wave of his hand, he tapped the sensor displays, searching for something airborne, but the sky was deathly quiet except for the planes and escort choppers flying about the Russian Forces.

The Pacific fleet under the USS Enterprise was still too far away to be a factor in the Japanese engagement. The aged nuclear carrier outdated and obsolete would take days to be relevant. And all the orbital stations were too far away, deliberately placed on different orbital paths so as to avoid the engagement zone.

Up, through the observation windows the fighters danced with the missiles, persecuting them relentlessly, American pilots doing their duty without argument or complaint. Consummate professionals knowing that their orders were clear. Commander Maguire, acting as the ship's CAG, co-ordinating them with Commander Durnham.

If it wasn't in the air, and it wasn't in space then that left... the sea.

VonGrippen called up the sensor data collected from the area directly around the Japanese islands, looking for a submarine. The surface ships of the MDF were steaming full tilt to intercept the Sino-Russian forces. He spotted the heat signature in the water, a nuclear reactor that was running on such low power that were he not looking specifically for it he would have glossed right over. "Got you," he murmured, looking up, "helm hard one eighty, take us into a dive. Full power to the heat shields."

"Admiral?" Commander Durnham asked as the Excalibur curved about, the observation windows suddenly filling with the view of the planet, the Excalibur dropping like a stone as she roared through the stratosphere, heading for the surface at considerable speed. Her shields engaging as they deflected the heat of re-entry away from the ship. The anti-gravity generators kicking in to keep her steady and airborne as she powered down towards Japan.

There was a vibration resonating through the deck, the glass plotting boards surrounding the CIC rattling in their mountings as charting tools danced across the surface of the situation table. Instinctively crewmembers reached for the edges of their consoles, or for the support braces as the ship continued its power dive.

An alert siren began to resound as the vessel plummeted, the helm screaming that it was entering the point of no return, that moment when the ships drives, even on full power, would be unable to avert a collision with the sea. And at the speed they were travelling, approaching mach twenty, the sea would be as hard as concrete.

"Sir, we have to pull up!" Commander Durnham demanded, the hologram unaffected by the vibrations stepped closer to the command chair.

"Hold your course!" Ben snapped, his complete faith in VonGrippen's actions caused by his foresight holding true as he grapped onto a support brace.

VonGrippen kept his eyes locked upon the deck, murmuring something under his breath as his mind counted down the seconds until he had to act.

The pull of gravity began to affect everyone on the bridge as they leaned backwards as the ship dove, VonGrippen holding onto the arm of the command chair, looked up at last, tilting his head to the helmsman.

"Stand ready with the Jump drives," he fed co-ordinates directly from the sensors for a line of sight jump, watching as the water rushed up to meet them. The sea ahead, in which lurked the submarine that was launching its payload of nuclear warheads, the first bursting from the surface of the water and hurling itself aloft.

"Now helm!" VonGrippen barked.

The Excalibur, meters from the water shuddered and flashed, ripping atmosphere and a section of the sea with it, as it roared out of hyperspace just out past the moon. The water dispersed, pulled apart and spread as it was scattered in every direction. The USS Kingfisher rotated once in space as the Excalibur's drives engaged, pulling it up and away from the stricken American vessel.

VonGrippen steepling his fingers as the Excalibur re-orientated herself powering back towards the Colombia, leaving the Kingfisher dead in space, torn from its element and already rapidly cooling. It would become an icy tomb, a monument to the price of breaching the nuclear treaties, and to House VonGrippen's resolve.

Maguire slipped the headset from his head as he turned to VonGrippen, "you can't just leave them there."

VonGrippen shook his head, "I can and I will. I will broker no one breaching the nuclear treaty. There is only one punishment for that now, and that is death." He winced as he adjusted his knee, drawing his hand away from the blood stained bandage, "Commander, target the Colombia and stand ready to engage."

"Sir, Colombia has exhausted its nuclear payload," Commander Durnham reported.

"And it's conventional arms?" VonGrippen murmured.

"She still has a significant payload of defensive and offensive missiles," Ben warned.

"And she is in low orbit," VonGrippen pointed to the sensor data, "I want you to target her drive section, a target I am sure you are all familiar with."

"Admiral..."Maguire pressed again.

"Oh be quiet," VonGrippen looked up at the American Commander, "if I had intended to kill your crew I would have done so by now... just shut up and watch."

The Excalibur bore down upon the Colombia as the F-90 fighters of VF-54 pulled away from the engagement zone and returned to the Excalibur. The mighty warship's rail cannons altered their positions as they sighted in. Ordinarily the Excalibur's deck guns were useless in ship-to-ship combat, but with the Colombia climbing out of a low orbit, she was a sitting duck.

Her escort frigates swarmed up to cover her. But VonGrippen had no intention of using missiles that the Aegis frigates would be able to shoot down. His plan was clearly kinetic.

"Fire," he commanded sinking back into the chair as the Excalibur's four primary rail cannon batteries fired simultaneously, the ceramic shells slicing though the space at mach five, crashing in a cluster in the delicate aft section of the American warship, tearing and rending the drives from the bow of the ship. The drives powered forward, while the bow section, fought a loosing battle against the pull of gravity and began to sink. The engines pulling free as they tore their way along the dorsal surface of the bow as it plummeted earthwards.

Crippled and dying the Colombia's escape pods began to jettison. The abandon ship order being given, the crew bailed out of their wounded warship. And for the second and final time, VonGrippen had beaten the Colombia.

He looked over at Maguire, "your crew will have ample time to abandon ship," he said pointedly.

Maguire's face faltered, watching his ship in its death throws, being pulled down fighting to burn up on re-entry. Her hull plates and armour splintering away as she smouldered, the last few escape pods blasting free before the Colombia became a fireball.

"Colombia's escort ships closing to weapons range..." Ben announced.

"Engage them," VonGrippen commanded as he closed his eyes to the pain, his breathing ragged.

Macdonald swore, looking accusingly towards Secretary Morgan, "I thought you had this 'covered', I don't call this covered at all!"

Morgan rounded in shock as he looked towards the President of the United States, "I didn't know he could do that..."

"I have warned you repeatedly about VonGrippen," the DDI, sitting quietly at the far end of the table looked up, "but time and time again you have failed to listen to those warnings."

Macdonald smiled coldly, "I'll expect your resignation on my desk tomorrow morning Mister Morgan," he said calmly.

"You can't fire me..." Morgan spluttered.

"I am the President of the United States," the President bit out sharply, "somebody remove this man."

A pair of Secret Service agents walked forward to clasp the former Secretary firmly by his arms, leading him towards the doors.

"I supported you," Morgan yelled back.

"You convinced me to make the biggest mistake of my career," Macdonald looked up, "Get him out of my sight!"

The President settled back into his seat looking at the others at the table, "I want conservative estimates of our losses if that amphibious force makes it to the Northern Japanese Island."

"There is going to be a total loss of the Northern Island inside of a week," one of the generals reported, "but we can probably hold them off if we can get our forces on the ground in time to save the other islands."

"Then we write off the Northern Island and concentrate upon saving what we can of the rest of it." The President surmised, "and where the hell is the Secretary of State, hasn't he landed yet?"

Macdonald mopped his brow with a handkerchief, he'd gambled and lost, and now the whole world knew he was desperate enough to use nuclear weaponry. It showed how weak the United States really was.

"The Secretary is on his way to Canada to deal with the Canadian crisis." One of his aides reported, "the State department feels that..."

"Recall him," Macdonald cursed again, "what is it with everyone today? Can I not have at least one person be exactly where they are supposed to be?" He shook his head and dropped the handkerchief onto the table, "I don't care about the Canadian crisis, we're about to have one here if word leaks out about the Kingfisher, and the Colombia."

The SAS column was joined by a large convoy of trucks as it approached the city of Brussels, a large convoy of tanks all bearing German markings, despite the fact they were all crewed by Kaynin. A combined British and German force making its way to the European capital to reinforce the scattered European forces that had been picked almost clean of the best men and equipment just to hold the precariously thin front lines.

No one stopped them, no one questioned them. General Merkht was plainly visible in her Landrover at the head of the column along with a female British Field Marshal. As was common, especially in wartime, the eyes were set upon the hero of the Reich. Merkht had distinguished herself on several occasions and to catch a glimpse of her was something special to the people, and so they didn't seem to notice that the British officer bore a striking resemblance to the Queen of England.

The tanks ground their way through the city streets, and people came out to see the procession, some of them cheering and waving European flags, the ring of stars on a field of blue. After all what other reason could the troops have for being there? They had to be there to reinforce the city.

A cluster of guard units and commandeered police officers had mounted a token defence around the European Parliament, but with the combined forces holding all of the access roads into and out of Brussels a tight net had been established around the city, a net that had swept in to encircle the Parliament in a ring of steel as tight as any noose.

There was no bloodshed, outnumbered and precariously under equipped the guards surrendered, allowing the hardened SAS veterans to seize control of the Parliament with little fuss. The Kaynin reinforcing the city while Merkht sat in her Landrover mulling over her choices.

Beatrice descended, looking across the parking lot as a troop of SAS escorted the French President across the grounds, the man looking wild and dishevelled. The leader of the European Union had been caught hiding under his desk.

At least the rest of the Parliament had maintained the dignity of waiting for the end to arrive in their seats. They too had gathered on the far side of the parking lot staring at the soldiers, the tanks and the Kaynin.

Octavius had gathered a small collection of the Kaynin officers off to one side each of them looking uneasy at what they had been asked to do, but they had been bred for loyalty. And that loyalty lay first and foremost with their own kind.

"Mister President," Queen Beatrice greeted with a tilt of her head, "you're leadership is at an end."

"What do you hope to accomplish here?" The President asked quietly. "The other nation states of the Union will not stand for this outrage..."

"They are going to be given no choice," Beatrice warned, her tone like steel, "France and Germany will capitulate to my rule, as will Spain and the other member nations. For you see I have something they do not."

"And what is that?" The former President demanded.

"An army," Beatrice stated, "and a warship in orbit that will support it. And since the only other option is for the member nations to recall their armies home and allow the Sino-Russian Alliance or Madame VonGrippen's Balkans to take Europe one nation at a time. My option is by far the best they have and they will come to learn soon enough."

She looked back at Octavius, "we have control of the European headquarters, see to it that a new directive is issued that all recall orders must bear a specific authorization code or are to be ignored." She turned, walking across the lot to the Parliamentarians gathered under guard, "bereft of an army... perhaps now you see the folly of an amalgamated defensive corps? There is one source of orders, and that is now me."

"I have a message for your parent nations," she called out, "one leader, one government, one house; The House of Windsor. Agree to this and we will stop the Chinese and the Balkans, opt out and you will find one of three occupying armies on your doorstep. Mine or theirs. And I assure you, mine is the better of those two options."

General Merkht folded her arms, making her decision. She would bide her time, and when the moment was right, she would seize control of the so-called 'House of Windsor'.

The motorcade of American cars, escorted by trucks carrying a sizable delegation of Americans assembled outside of Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

The Canadian crisis had continued to escalate, explosive riots that had reached even to the Canadian capital. The motorcade had pushed its way through a massive demonstration, held at bay by over stretched Canadian troops and RCMP officers. Trying to protect the cars that had a variety of refuse thrown in their direction.

The American Secretary of State led the precession through the halls of Parliament, making directly towards the Prime Minister's office. Troops taking stations around the doors as Morvanor was shown inside. Three of his generals accompanying him.

The Prime Minister was seated behind his desk, as the American delegation was seated. Morvanor wasting no time as he got down to business, producing the executive orders that Vice-President Aquinas had given to him. He slid the paper across the desk.

"What is this?" The Prime Minister asked in confusion.

"That is an executive order based upon a recommendation from the Joint Chiefs that for the mutual defence of Canada and the United States, that American forces be moved in to secure order in your country."

The Prime Minister stared at it incredulously, "you have no right..."

"That order, Mister Prime Minister," Morvanor tapped it, "grants me the right. And given the current situation, Canada is no longer in a position to disagree with this order. You may consider yourself relieved of your duties, your parliament is dissolved and a military governor will be established. At least until peace is returned."

"And then what?" The Prime Minister snapped.

"And then steps will be taken towards the Confederation of the Americas," Morvanor replied, "my guards will show you out." He smiled as he turned to the general at his side, "see to it that the RCMP is given adequate assistance to quell the unrest..."

Sephradon watched the large screen in the hotel room that displayed a Japanese emergency broadcast; the Sino-Russian forces were landing upon the Northern Island. The news was showing how the Starship Excalibur had snatched the only American submarine from the water, sweeping it away in a burst of light.

Sephradon didn't care, she shut off the television with a thought. Sitting down on the end of her bed and tucking her legs up and under her. Closing her eyes to just a flutter as she drew in upon herself. Calming breaths, remembering the pain on Phobos, the brutal training at the hands of General Michaud.

She concentrated. The newspaper page showing Jabin as he spoke about strength in trying times. The little one that had abandoned her like the others, the same that had gained the power to help her, had he bothered. Instead he had sought to clothe himself in his money, hiding behind power. Thinking that it would save him.

There was no saving him.

She drew and reached out, through the multitude of minds, searching for the one she wanted, sweeping in with murderous intent. She could feel him, feel his joy as he played with his young son. He had been happy for a time, happy dwelling in his guilt. Unaware that it would soon catch up and over take him.

She closed her mind around his, forcing his life from him. Crushing Jabin Denver's mind as she ended his miserable and selfish existence.

Gasping in the ecstasy of the kill she opened her eyes. That was eight accounted for. Simply seven remained between her and the end. The two lapdogs in China, Benjamin and Katherine, Sarah and lastly Markus.

She would save Markus and Katherine for last, there was a hesitation there. They had always cared for her... was it right for her to lash out at them? She had to close her mind to such thoughts; they led to dangerous lines of thinking. Things that would put her at risk. The end was so close she could taste it. A path of bodies that had seen her strike out at her brothers and sisters across the globe. She would...

She stopped as the doors to her suite opened, turning her head she stared at him.

"What do you want Uncle?" she spat.

Rikard folded his arms as he looked down at her, shaking his head, "I would have thought you would have been harder to find, but it seems you have been careless."

"I have no reason to hide," she rose to her feet, her white oriental dress falling about her as she slipped her hands into the sleeves, "I am the one who has to purge the world of your... mistakes."

"Are you a mistake?" Rikard asked her, sounding amused.

"How did you find me?" she demanded.

"I simply set bait and waited for you to come to me," Rikard responded, his Amsus guards slipping around him and into the room, one of them the alien enhanced variety.

She eyed them warily, "your men are no match for me."

"No, but then neither was Jabin. But I knew you would seek him out next. He was after all the easiest one for you to reach. The two in China are... beyond your capacity to reach... yet. Benjamin is in orbit, and if he isn't dead yet, he soon will be." He paused and shrugged, "I'll give you that Ben was a mistake... but you, you were perfection in craftsmanship..."

"Where are the others?" Sephradon pressed.

"Sarah is in Brussels, biding her time no doubt." Rikard responded flippantly, "Katherine is light-years away, frustratingly VonGrippen's meddling has kept her out of my reach. And Markus, well haven't you heard? He will soon become the leader of the not so free world."

"I will destroy all of your abominations..." Sephradon began.

Rikard shrugged and lifted his hand, pulling her arms close about her body as he propelled her against the ceiling, "you are a child who is throwing a tantrum." He brushed her against a wall like she was nothing but a rag doll allowing her to slide down it painfully.

Sephradon rose to her feet, anger blackening he features as she struck out with all her might, the blow turned aside at a brush of Rikard's hands.

"My child," he said suppressing a chuckle, "I made you what you are today, do you not think I have a way to stop you?"

He drew his other hand from behind his back, clasped around the alien crystal, its glyphs glowing blue and rotating. The same bloodroot crystal that had poisoned her body and nearly destroyed her.

He opened his palm, as the crystal floated there, point downwards, rotating slowly, "you have no choice but to listen to me Sephradon," Rikard intoned powerfully, "and you will obey me."

She hissed at him as she felt the power of the crystal burn in her veins, driving her to her knees, "w-what..."

"You are going to kill Sarah Merkht for me. And when you are done, you will go to China and kill the other two..." He smiled coldly, looking upwards, "but as a reward I will give you Benjamin."

"T-that's what you want?" Sephradon panted, laughing through her pain, "you didn't need to torture me to get that wish..."

"Perhaps not," Rikard said quietly, "but I have one demand, Markus is mine. You will not touch or cause him or his sister harm."

"W-why?" her eyes burned angrily.

"Because Markus has won, and Katherine, well let us simply say that she is the future. You will not interfere with either of them. Am I clear my child?"

Sephradon nodded through her pain, "as you wish..."

Rikard released her, allowing her to fall to the ground in a heap as he motioned for his Amsus guards to follow him from the room. His plane would be leaving for America in a few hours, and he had dallied too long in Japan as it was. Destiny awaited his greatest creation, and he had to ensure that he was ready.

Markus walked into the cabinet room, looking at the rows of individuals, stony faced with the exception of Secretary Morgan who was pacing too and fro under the bright windows, it was a sun lit day, hardly the kind of day Markus would associate with the end of the world.

Markus nodded to the table, sitting down in the middle, where the President normally sat and pointed to one of the Secret Service Agents, "summon the President."

Maggie, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, set a piece of paper at Markus's side, and without hesitation Markus clicked his pen and signed it, glancing down at the signatures of the men around the table. A morning of negotiating, or arguing over phones, and it was done. He had his majority. There were still some hold outs, and Markus noted the names absent from the paper, his clear blue eyes sweeping to each in turn, noting how they refused to look back. Their loyalties were to Macdonald, not that it mattered, Macdonald had made a terminal mistake, one that would see him topple before the day was out.

Markus rested his hand on the paper and watched the doors swing open, President Macdonald looking perplexed as he was ushered into the room by his own Chief of Staff. He had been in a meeting with the Joint Chiefs to discuss the looming Japanese disaster. He hadn't expected to be so abruptly summoned, especially not by his cabinet.

"What is going on?" Macdonald demanded, looking around the table, but his question was directed directly towards Markus.

"The Constitution of the United States is very clear Mister President," Maggie stood up, "your cabinet has lost faith in your capacity to fulfil your obligations as President of this nation."

"You what?" Macdonald stared in shock as he took a hesitant step forward.

"Under Article Four of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment," Maggie replied holding up the paper bearing the signatures, "your cabinet, Mister President has determined that your mental capacity has been compromised due to the stress of being a war time leader. As evidenced by your deliberate usage of the American nuclear arsenal without adequate provocation against a nation capable of retaliating in kind."

"That's bull and you know it!" Macdonald responded, "you don't like one of my decisions so you seek to remove me from the decision making process? I'm the one man here who decides when we have to use nukes, don't you think I weighed the options?" He looked at each of them around the table desperately, "there was no other choice!"

"Your actions have pushed us to the brink of nuclear war, Mister President," Markus said calmly, "and that, by many experts, can be considered proof enough that you lack the mental capacity to discharge the powers and duties of your office." Markus spoke carefully, "we feel that this poses a clear danger to the safety and well being of not just yourself, but of the entire nation. And the Constitution is quite clear on this matter."

"We'll see about that!" Macdonald snapped turning to march towards the doors.

"I can't allow you your liberty," Markus said standing from his seat, "the decision has already been reached. The President Pro Tempore of the Senate as well as the Speaker of the House of Representatives will receive this letter in a few short minutes," Markus nodded to Maggie who loaded it into the Fax machine, "And effective immediately I must assume the powers and duties of your office as Acting President."

Macdonald turned in shock, "I'll appeal this before Congress..."

"That will take up to twenty-one days," Maggie replied, "and given that Section four has never been invoked, Congress will take the full time to debate and consider this issue carefully. You will of course be remanded for the duration of this time to under go psychological testing to ensure, indeed, that you are mentally competent..."

Markus nodded his consent, "until that time I am going to have to insist that you be confined to the residence in the White House. This government must speak with a single voice, you understand the need for unity in the executive branch, especially in a time of war."

Macdonald turned, "Et tu?" he quoted.

"Please," Markus smiled, "that is rather clich� for a man known for his oratory skills in the Senate." He extended his hand, "your nuclear authorization codes."

A number of the Secretary's turned their heads, while President Macdonald reached into his pocket and drew out the access card, turning it over in his hand before he tossed it down onto the table, "you son of a bitch."

"I am carrying out the duties of the Vice-President," Markus replied, as he walked down the table to pick up the card, "as now I will carry out my duties, without hesitation, as Acting President of the United States."

"Twenty-one days, Mister President," Macdonald shot back angrily, "then we will see." He stalked from the room, escorted by his own protection detail, now his gaolers.

As the doors closed, a collection of the Cabinet heaved heavy sighs. Maggie shaking her head as she produced the bible, addressing Markus, "raise your right hand, and place the other on the bible..."

Markus recited the words that made him the President of the United States, reciting them exactly as he had practiced a thousand times. Turning as he finished to look at Secretary Morgan, "thank you Mister Morgan. If you would be so kind as to summon the Joint Chief's?"

Morgan smiled as he placed a series of calls down to the situation room and have them brought to the Cabinet room.

Markus turned to the Under Secretary of State, "contact the Europeans and instruct them to send a delegation to Washington, it is time we talked terms."

"Sir... Mister President," Morgan corrected, after he set the receiver down, "I want to bring your attention to another crisis on our hand's sir, President Macdonald's orders sent the majority of our land forces to Japan, while the State Department's commandeered the rest to help stabilize Canada, sir, we don't have enough forces to secure our home states..."

"We have sufficient forces to hold the Americas," Markus stated calmly, "I am activating the Thirteenth Army..."

"The Thirteenth Army?" Morgan frowned shaking his head warilly, "we don't..."

"Two hundred thousand men," Markus said calmly, "they will secure our home assets..."

"But Mister President..." one of the other Secretaries began, "where are they coming from?"

"There are things you don't need to know," Markus replied, "just follow my orders and deal with the Chinese, and leave the defence of our nation to me."

Morgan shook his head, "that's suicidal..."

Markus lifted a hand and pointed to one of the screens, "access feed twelve nine two."

One of the technician's in the room complied, as the screen changed to show aerial footage of a sizable army on the march. All in American uniforms but armed with DT-09's.

"I present to you the Thirteenth Army," Markus replied with a gesture, "they will be in position to secure our strategic assets on the West Coast inside of twenty four hours. Another battalion will be moving in to secure Washington while we prepare to fight China." He cleared his throat, "I beg your forgiveness for the secrecy surrounding the raising of this militia force, but under the circumstances the Pentagon deemed it need to know."

There was an unsettled series of coughs from the Generals in the room. Markus nodded, "the training of the AMSUS forces indicate that they are ready for field trials. In war it is beneficial to always have a spare ace up our sleeves. And given the circumstances, it is time to play this one."