Jean didn't want to admit it, but she, an experienced Voyager who has survived three missions, was put under fire by a history professor who has never set foot outside his homeworld.

Jean knew about the coup all along. Her observers in the sky were unchallenged by the locals, and while they couldn’t pick up all the key information, they got quite a few. But she imagined the coup to be much more slower. If the rebels had any thoughts of self-preservation, they wouldn’t execute anyone important. Most likely, they would keep the President and his officials as puppets and hostages. Otherwise, it was certain Jean would be forced to eliminate them all.

Now that she thought about it, it was likely Uncle Sam guessed about her thought process as well. He knew he didn't have the technology to hide his army movement, but he could adjust it slightly so Jean would misinterpret the intentions and let it happen.

When the Romans struck, Jean immediately knew she was wrong. The rebels weren’t doing this for some political leverage or change. They were seriously trying to take over, and they were willing to conspire with the Romans, the enemy of both the locals and the Voyagers, to do so. If they were willing to attempt the life of a Voyager, there was no telling what other things they had in mind. As soon as that happened, she raced over here on a terran speeder bike.

But that was expected as well. 10th Division troopers were placed along the road between the ambush location and the court. Some of them might be real rebels. Others might just be following orders, but Jean had no time to care. Any attack directed her way would be erased, along with the attackers, but they still bought some time. By the time she was here, the harm was already done.

Jean felt like she was walking deeper and deeper into a carefully laid trap, designed by the one and only Uncle Sam. Every step she takes, every decision she makes, was taken into calculation.

Jean could see the crowd turning to her in anger and a strand of confidence. The fact that they were here protesting suggested they already had a grudge under the Voyagers and their current situation. Uncle Sam merely added another tank of gasoline to the already present fire.

“Ah...Miss Turner.” Uncle Sam grinned before kicking the corpse beneath his feet slightly. “You are too late to save your pet.”

Jean didn't even glance at what was left of the President. If she wanted to, she might be able to save his soul and potentially put him into another body for another life, but she didn't. Without his power, the President was nothing to her. Instead, her eyes were trained on Uncle Sam as she tapped her watch.

Armies of Purifier Swordguards emerged. Cruiseguards patrolled across the air as the ground units surrounded the court and all the rebels with enough firepower to obliterate the locals.

When everything was locked and loaded, Jean finally spoke up.

“Well done. I have to congratulate you for causing me quite the annoyance,” She smirked, “but that’s it. Annoyance. On the contrary, you and your people have exposed yourself, and now, you will be terminated.”

She was being cocky, and that was on purpose. She wanted to lure Uncle Sam into exposing his true intentions.

Yes. Jean knew with some confidence that this wasn’t all this Uncle Sam has planned. This couldn’t be.

Uncle Sam smiled with equal confidence. He looked nothing like someone who was about to die at the hands of a Reapress and her legion of mechanical goons.

“You are bluffing. You would never slaughter everyone in our cause. I have seen how your kind act. They have killed people, but it was only half a dozen people at once at most. Thousands? Tens of thousands? Can you afford to do that?”

Jean frowned, and her Purifiers ceased advancing. Gradually, everyone in the field, from General Johnson to the lowest rebel, took a breath of relief. Their plan worked. By holding the people hostage, they have convinced the monster to hold her blade.

And then a single word escaped Jean’s mouth.

“Yes.”

The next moment, all the Purifiers raised their rune blasters. Cruiseguards stopped in the air as they pointed their rune cannons to the ground, ready to lay down precise cover fire.

“You have a count to 10 to disband!” But instead of ordering the slaughter, Jean uncharacteristically gave another warning. “Leave! Anyone that remains will be executed!”

“She’s bluffing!” This time, Uncle Sam turned straight to the crowd. “She wouldn’t dare! If she kills us, her Protector masters will have her head! She may be powerful, but in the end, she is still nothing more than a slave!”

“10!”

General Johnson gripped onto his gauss pistol.

“9!”

Ms. Lane tried to stand up, but a 10th Division soldier held her in place.

“8!”

A 10th Divison soldier gulped.

“7! 6! 5! 4! 3!”

At this point, some of the crowd were trying to leave, but it was too late. They had no way of pushing their way through the sea of men and women that elected to stand their ground.

“2! 1!”

It was as if time itself froze.

And then the chilling order was given.

“Open fire!”

A thousand Purifier Swordguards started unloading into the crowd. Screams and cries exploded as layers and layers of protestors collapsed, dead. Rune blasters could go through Roman armors that were immune to automatic rifle bullets. Against the flesh and bone of ordinary human beings, each shot could pierce multiple targets before its energy disperse.

10th Division rebels put up an effort of resistance, but just like Jean said to the President, they weren’t on the same level as the Wardens and the Purifiers. The Swordguards didn't even have to form rune shields. The gauss bullets couldn’t even go through the reinforced alloy of the Swordguards.

A pool of corpses formed beneath the Swordguards’ feet as they advanced.

General Johnson was killed instantly when he and dozens of his men tried to organize a counterattack. A single Cruiseguard unloaded a wave of rune cannons on the group, ripping all of them to a pile of unrecognizable flesh. Before he died, he was engulfed in a sense of confusion.

Was it really worth it? Dying for the cause as a martyr was noble, but was that truly better than being a high-ranking general with a bright future before him?

He would never find out the answer.

Before long, the bloodbath was over. Nearly three thousand protestors and hundreds of rebels laid dead on the ground. Finally, Jean walked up the stage, making no effort to avoid the puddles of blood.

The still-warm body of Ms. Lane was by her feet, but she didn't bother to give it a second. Instead, she grabbed onto Uncle Sam’s collar threateningly.

“What are you planning?”

Jean knew something was wrong. Uncle Sam was not an idiot. Setting up a coup like this and getting everyone into position without the government getting a hint wasn’t an easy task. Hell, he was smart enough to trick her. So what was he doing here? Nothing. The foot soldiers and the crowd might not realize it, but it should be obvious to him that Jean was never going to make a compromise. Killing thousands was bad, but it was better than having these thousands return to their home and pass their rebel ideas to millions. Even now, Jean has ordered her Warden AIs to infiltrate the local medias and prevent the world from seeing what was happening here.

Uncle Sam should’ve known she would’ve taken the tougher route, so why did he sit here and watch everything he has built crumble around him? His hard-earned military support was gone. His golden opportunity was gone. All it got was a few hours of Jean’s time.

“Wait…”

Uncle Sam looked at her and saw the sudden realization in Jean’s eyes. He gave her a final smirk before biting down on a pill in his teeth.

Cyanide.

He has never expected to make it out alive.

The poison was quick, but Jean was quicker. In half a second, she has already expertly pulled out Uncle Sam’s soul. She quickly ran through its content, and before long, she knew what was going on.

The entire time, she expected Uncle Sam to be a conspirator trying to use this chance to either gain power or expel the Voyagers or both. Fair enough. What she didn't realize was that he wanted neither. He didn't want power, nor did he want the Voyagers to leave.

He wanted everything, from the Romans to the Voyagers, to burn in this world.

Through his memories, Jean could see Professor Hardin’s despair. When the Romans poured out, he happened to be on a coffee trip. It was a matter of minutes, but the next thing he knew, his university, his home, has been leveled. Everything and everyone he knew, from his colleagues to his students to his loving wife, perished in the flames.

Pain and guilt consumed him. For the weeks that followed, Professor Hardin attempted suicide multiple times so he could join his family. But eventually, after another failed attempt, he came to a sudden understanding.

Why should he go through this pain while those truly responsible get to go unscratched? He wanted to die, but before that, he vowed to get vengeance on those truly responsible...both of them.

The Romans were guilty because they attacked. The Voyagers were guilty because they couldn’t save his family.

The coup, from the assassination to the mass execution, was merely buying time. Across the three months, an unspecified number of Roman infiltrators have come through the portal undetected. Uncle Sam has actively sought out and made a deal with their leader. He would let them through and help them kill the Voyagers. After that, they would leave Earth in peace.

Despite the promises, Uncle Sam knew the Romans wouldn’t leave this world after they kill the Voyagers. He has learned enough about ancient history to know no nation would let such a golden opportunity go, but at the same time, he also knew the Voyagers weren’t this easy to kill.

The deal was that the Romans would go straight for the assassinations and execute every single Voyager in this world. But from his thoughts, Jean knew Uncle Sam knew that would never be the case. Instead of deciding the fate of the Roman Empire by hoping the Voyagers were being careless, the safest way would be to infiltrate the defensive position at the portals and clear a way for the main invasion force.

In Uncle Sam’s mind, the Romans would stream across the portals, and the Voyagers would resist with all their might. Neither side would budge. The Romans because they would never find a chance as good as this one, and the Voyagers because of their mission. In the end, both sides would be bleeding out on the ground. He didn't have much info on what was going on in the Infinite Realms, but he could guess it was chaotic. Having lost most of their forces in the fight for control, both sides would fall easy prey to other, more powerful factions.

Even Jean had to admit Uncle Sam was a brilliant tactician. If the power scale wasn’t this tipped, if he wasn’t so eager to die, he could’ve been a real threat to her. Thankfully, his resources were so limited that even with all the planning, Jean could just walk over him.

Still, his actions have posed quite a threat.

Jean immediately started moving.

“Activate all Purifier units! I want all Capitalguards ready for deployment.”

“All Warden bases, report in!”

“Mobilize all Warden reserves!”

“Send a message to the other Voyagers. Tell them there will likely be an impending, full-scale Roman assault.”

Jean was about to leave before she halted right in her tracks. She materialized her halberd and waved it in the air. The next moment, thousands of souls merged into the weapon. When that was done, she finally returned all the Purifier Swordguards and Cruiseguards into her watch and sped away.

The local rebellion was shut down, but that was just the beginning, and now, she had Romans to kill.