“The US Military has agreed to establish security guarantees to the City-State Italica yesterday. With the failure of a peace treaty with the Empire, the newly established Alnus/Uros Committee and Committee led by Senator Ryan Laymen of Texas has authorized Lieutenant General Stanford to garrison captured cities, territories, and provide security to anyone group who sides with the NATO Expeditionary Forces.” – Free Alnus News

***

--- Out of Town Resort, Restaurant, 4 hours later ---

July 13th, 2025

After a fun day of learning about the country that the girls are helping in the war effort and doing some cultural exchange of good old American consumerism. It started with just getting some new clothes, so they look more professional in front of the President. That turned into many hours of them going place to place, they want to see everything they could.

Sharpe did not mind, except for the fact that they are going to bankrupt him. It was fun and pleasant watching this special glow in their eyes. They see and experiencing everything for the first time, experiencing everything for the first time, like a kid during Christmas.

Now that they are at the resort, everyone is at one of the inside restaurants. The three girls are all talking about how exciting the day has been and showing off how cutie their new clothes to each other.

The small resort is a few miles away from the city, a little out of town vacation stop. Far enough away from most of the population so as not to raise suspension of the Secret Service guards there. Far easier to buy out the facility so no civilians can interfere with the diplomatic meeting.

Sharpe admits, Selina looks cute in her new sleeveless red dress with black buttons going down the front of the dress. There are two black lacing with one on the bottom edge of the dress and the other two buttons up. Small black bows are around the dress between the two laces. She has this purplish bow on her right arm.

Lelei is wearing a new gray two-piece knitted sweater with many woven designs on it. On her head is this brown French hat. Looking like a young college student.

Rory, looking down at her new favorite dress is a black, maroon gothic two pieces lolita dress with capelet.

"I thought you didn't like new clothes," Selina said, teasing Rory.

Rory just glares at her; not happy she has been getting called out for her past statements.

"Knock it off you two. Don't make me separate you," Sarah said to them.

Selina looks away happy that she got under mighty Rory skin.

"I hope you all had fun," Sharpe said to them. "I have one more special surprise for you all. I had to pull a lot of strings to arrange this."

Selina looks at him, "What is it? Is it that food you promised hours ago?"

Rory looks to Selina, "Good point." She then looks to Sharpe and points to him. "You lied to us!" She is joking, just giving him the business.

"Well fine then. You don't get anything then" Sharpe crosses his arm, smirking at Rory reaction.

Rory then raises her head and turns around, crossing her arms showing her defiance. "Well fine, I didn't want any of it anyway."

"That just means more for everyone else," Sharpe said, continuing to escalate.

As the two continue to escalate, trying to out-compete each other. Sarah was about to interrupt them, seeing how stupid this is.

Lelei moves her staff to block her. "Don't."

Sarah looks to her. "Why?"

Lelei just watches the two continue to try and one-up each other. "I want to see how long they go."

"… Lelei… I expected better from you," Sarah said shocked by her intentions. Looking at her, she can see in her eyes that watching them is like watching some science experiments.

Sarah looks back up Sharpe and Rory. "Oh my god… you’re both thick-headed. Knock it off. Sharpe, go get the pizza."

Selina looks to Sharpe, confused by the word. "What's pizza?"

Sharpe looks to her, excited now himself, "Oh, you will see. Trust me."

Right before Sharpe walks away, Selina tilts her head and thinks. She smiles back at him. "I do not."

That stopped him for a second. "Well fine then. I will never be nice to you ever again." And then he walks right off.

Selina just giggles knowing full well he is full of it.

"My god… you are all picking up his worse traits… why are you giggling at that Selina?" Sarah stands there, confused.

"Rule number One Sarah," Selina tells her.

"The first thing anything Major Sharpe said is a lie. An honest lie at that but still a lie." Lelei adds.

"So, the first thing he ever said is a distraction from his true intention. Intently trying to trick you. I believe you people call it psychological warfare." Rory said and then gives Sarah a wink.

Sarah stands there just baffled. "He has corrupted you all."

Then all three of them giggle.

After they all calm down, Lelei looks to Sarah. "Lieutenant Rose, I have a question. It has been bothering. Why are we here? Hidden away from the public?"

"It's politics my dear Lelei." Rory interrupts. "Their leader wants to keep us away from the public until their president has had a chance to judge us."

"While I would say that more diplomatically, but she is correct Lelei," Sarah adds.

"Why though? Wouldn't it be easier to show that not everyone on the other side of the Gate isn't an enemy?" Selina asked, not understanding why this must be complicated.

Sarah takes a deep breath and looks at Selina. "It should be that easy Selina but sadly it isn't. Our world is very divided right now and any wrong move could result in a massive crisis. The Gate made it hard to interact with the nations of Earth. Almost everyone wants to be involved in some manner. Everyone is watching us very closely."

"That is why you have that building around the Gate? It’s to prevent people from seeing what you are doing?" Lelei said.

Sarah nods. "Yes, Sharpe always said your sharp. Hmm, that's strange to say."

Selina giggles on how Sarah said that.

Lelei nods her head, thinking about that. "I get it. Having us walking around in full public display might make other nations jealous."

"Will we ever get a chance to see the rest of your world? Or any other nation?" Rory asked, looking at Sarah.

Sarah thinks about the question. "I am sorry, but that question is above my paygrade. But my opinion is yes. Our world just needs time to adjust to the new reality. Thanks to the Major I think you three have seen some examples on how we thought we were going to make first contact with aliens."

"Robots in disguise," Selina mumbles after Sarah finishes her sentence. Right then a thought occurred after saying that.

Sarah just giggles at that and then continues. "If our country doesn't do this right, we might lose our coalition against China. Any goodwill we have right now will go away in seconds. I would guess our President wants to just meet you so she can understand. So, when she goes public with our alliance, she can be more honest and stronger about it."

"This is why I got out of politics," Rory said, looking away.

That is when Sharpe returns, holding four think boxes. He lays them out on the table. "Alright, dig in."

All three of them open the boxes, curious but nervous. Once open they look down at this thin round looking food.

"What is it? It looks strange." Rory said.

"It smells good," Selina said, trying to judge it.

"This food looks very thin. How do you gain enough substance?" Lelei asked herself, trying to do the math in her head.

"These two boxes are pepperoni, and that one is cheese. The other is what we call a supreme pizza." Sharpe said. He grabs a slice of the pepperoni pizza and takes a bit from it.

Rory watches and then looks down at the pizza. She picks the supreme one, the one with a lot of items on top of it. "Hmmm…," She smells it and then slowly takes a bit from it.

Right then her eyes open wide and jump in the air, holding the pizza up as high as she can. "This is delicious!" Then she starts eating her pizza.

Seeing Rory doing a one-eighty on her opinion on the pizza, both Selina and Lelei starts to try it. They both have the same reaction and begin eating.

"How is this possible? There are so many flavors. How…?" Lelei asked Sharpe, amazed by the food.

Sharpe stands chuckling on their excitement. "That is a trade secret. Maybe one day we will share it."

"The Secret Server ordered it from down the street. This good is quite common on our world." Sarah said, rebuffing what he said. "It isn't that healthy for you though."

"Daa." Sharpe interrupts, holding out a figure. "If it tastes good then it is healthy for you."

Sarah slowly lowers her pizza, staring right at him. Just baffled by that he said. "That is… no. That is wrong. How am I still shocked by you? That is wrong in… every way."

"Yeah… yeah," Sharpe responds, pretty much brushing what she said off. "So how are you all liking Earth so far?"

"It is very interesting," Lelei said first. "I am surprised how compact everything is. So many people in such a small area."

"Really…" Rory said, glancing over to Lelei as she holds a half-eaten pizza. Not shocked that is what Lelei took away. "Figures. I really like the museums and statues. I might be immortal, but I still only can live a thousand years. Those statues and history seem like it will outlast me. And they tell a deep story just by looking at them."

Selina looks at them. "I thought it was just interesting how many different vehicles there are."

"I notice that too." Lelei comments. "Why are there so many different designs?"

"Because people want different things. Some people like blue, others like red. Some like driving a big truck while others like small cars." Sarah explains. "If someone wants something then our market finds a way to provide it."

"Yes, but it is very inefficient. You have all these different designs." Lelei counters. "I like your military vehicles because it is standardized. Each one is the same, doing the same role."

"That's not how that works Lelei. Everyone wants to express themselves and this is one way to try to do it." Sarah adds. "Americans like choices so the market gives them choices."

Selina looks to Sharpe, "Major Sharpe, I have a question."

Sharpe looks over to her. "What is it, Princess?"

Selina was a little shocked to hear Princess, she was informed that adults on Earth call daughters princess as a mean to be cute, not royalty or nobility.

"I was wondering, are any of them are those robots from your show?" Selina asked.

Sharpe thinks about it, a little surprised by the question. He then chuckles. "Nope. It is just a show."

"How do you know though?" Selina said back to him. "They could just be hiding in plain sight?" Referencing the show.

"Could be, never know. But good chance no, they are just made up. Entertainment." Sharpe answers back.

"That's what you said about us, Sharpe," Lelei adds to the conversation.

Sharpe was about to reply but then stops. Lelei raises a great point. Everything on their world we thought was just made up, a fantasy story. Apparently, it was all true in some manner. How do we know if other parts of Earth's culture are not out there somewhere? Either fantasy, science fiction or his favorite cartoons.

"That is a good point Lelei." Sharpe thinks on it more, realizing the limitless possibilities on what is out there, in the universe. It is a scary thought the more he thinks about it. "That could mean some interesting times down the road. That is why we must do this right now. Set the standard."

"Like the statue?" Rory said, referencing Washington.

"Washington. Yes." Sharpe replied. "Going back to what Lelei asked before, the Gate opens up so many possibilities. There is so much we can do. If the day ever comes when we learn how to control the Gate technology. Whatever we do today will set the standard and foundation going forward."

"And that is why the President is being careful right now. I think she understands that this situation is bigger than both of our worlds. Literally, the universe is at our figure tips. That is a lot of power, a lot of responsibility. It will either make us or break us." Sarah said, thinking more deeply on the topic.

As Sarah and Lelei begin talking about the physiology of the Gate, Sharpe walks around and sits down by Selina. Out of the three, he notices she has struggled the most coming to Earth. It must be such a massive shock on how different our worlds are. He then looks down at her.

She looks up at him and smiles. She then hands him her pizza.

"All good kids. Got one." Sharpe looks at her purplish ribbon. He has seen her wear something like that before back on the base. More and more recently he has noticed her wearing something like that. Is it a fashion statement or some cultural meaning?

The more he thinks about it the more he realizes he does not know much about her people. He has gotten used to having her around. Sometimes he forgets she is alien from another world. It is a bit easier to see that Rory and Lelei are aliens, for obvious reasons.

While Sharpe does not care that Selina, Lelei, and Rory are aliens and just considers them all equally part of his team, even part of his people. That includes the one without special abilities Selina, being the most normal out of the three, just with a troubled past. He has spent so much time trying to include her, making her feel welcome.

The first thing he did was very stupid, but he could not think of anything else to do at the time. She was in the back of their vehicle scared to death. Showing his favorite franchise, the 1980s Transformers show(1). Something he enjoys and hopped that it was a sign that she could trust him.

He remembers that day every time he sees her. Seeing her as a sex slave for those three sick prick slavers. Every pulse in his body just could not turn away. He guesses he has been trying to avoid learning more about her, so he did not 'hurt' her with those memories when she was abused. It still has not been that long ago.

But that is not a good enough reason, and he knows it. Honestly, he is more afraid of dealing with his past and that has been preventing him from learning more about her.

"Selina. What is up with the ribbon? It looks good with your outfit." Sharpe asked her, more forcing himself to ask.

Selina looks up at him shocked that he asked a question and happy that he did. Since they first meant all she has wanted to do his gain his approval and attention.

To Selina surprise, she freezes a little. Now a bit embarrassed about the answer. "Yeah, well. It represents my goddess Miritta. Certain stages in a women's life, singling either her role, intentions, desires and…." She said struggling a little to put the proper words together.

Sharpe listens, thinking he understands what she means. Far more meaning than he expected. It would be good to learn more about these other cultures. Never know when they will come in hand during with the Uros villagers.

The idea of gods seems strange. Their version of religion is so different from Earth's. While Earth is faith-based, their gods seem to interact in people's daily lives. "Who is Miritta?"

That is when Sarah interrupts, explain who Miritta is. That her worshipers prevent deaths by childbirth. The key price for this blessing is that her worshipers must prostitute themselves when she can bear children. That life requires sacrifice.

Everyone stops and looks at her, shocked that she knew all that.

Sarah looks at them, shocked by their reaction. "What?"

"How did you know that?" Rory asked.

"What do you think I do at base all day?" Sarah asked back.

"Sleep," Rory states.

"Playing chess," Lelei said next.

"Watching those shows about soup with opera," Selina adds, referencing soup operas.

"I was going to say using my credit card," Sharpe said last.

Sarah sits there, with a 'what the fuck' reaction.

Lelei looks to the others. "Wait… wasn't the bet saying something about a world with warcraft?"

Sharpe looks to Lelei. "No, well yes. That was Sergeant Andrew Steele. He bet that Sarah to play the game World of Warcraft while we are on a mission. But I think the only reason why that idea got five votes was that it was very unlikely."

"… you guys had a bet on what I do at the base?" Sarah asked, shocked by that.

"Well… yes." Sharpe said, realizing that probably was not the best of ideas to say that outload.

Rory looks at Sarah. "To be fair, it gets pretty boring sometimes. You should hear the questions, rants, and debates they have over their radio devices to pass the time."

"…and who is the smart one who thought this was wise?" Sarah asked, already knowing the answer.

All three girls point to Sharpe and all say at once, "He started it".

Sharpe glances away. "Anyway, why do you have that one?" Speaking to Selina. "Wait… your way too young to worry about childbirth. Way to young." The more he thinks about it, the more its mases sense. Remembering the prostitution part that Sarah said. "Wait. No, no, no."

"No what?" Selina asked, scooting away from a little.

Sharpe noticed that his tone scared. He did not mean to but cannot help it. "I mean if that ribbon means your open for business then no. That… needs to be treasured." He said, struggling to talk about the subject.

Lelei listening to the conversation roll her eyes. "Major, things like that are normal on our world. It is coming for a worshiper to sacrifice something to gain some kind of ability. It varies god to god. Don't your gods demand something like that?"

Sharpe looks to at Lelei, somewhat relieved that 'talk' is pushed off, for now. "What do you mean? Our ancient gods or our modern gods?"

"What do you mean? There is a difference?" Lelei asked, not understand what he means by modern.

Sarah looks to her. "What he means is that in ancient times, there are far more gods than we have today. Things have streamlined since then. Now a mainstream religion only worships one all-powerful god for the most part."

"That is silly and lazy," Rory said, baffled by that. "How can there be one god that can do everything." She then moves forward and looks to Sharpe. "Tell us about the gods."

Sharpe looks at all three of them, seeing the interest. He then looks to Sarah, wanting her to bail him out. To his surprise, she shakes her head no and then winks at him. Most likely her version of getting revenge for that betting joke about her.

He looks back at them. "Well, I am not an expert on these things. Every culture has its version of ancient gods. Unlike your gods, our ancient gods represent a specific… role…" He finishes, struggling to find the proper word to end his sentence.

"You have the King and Queen of the gods, Zeus and Themis. They have children and they have children, all being gods themselves." Sharpe adds.

Rory leans forward. "That sounds silly. How do they live like that?" Rory asked, trying to understand how different their gods are from her gods.

"What do you mean?" Sharpe asked her, not understanding.

"What Rory means is that how can someone serve a single god in that manner?" Lelei tries to explain the context of Rory's question. "Emroy provides many different roles to his worshippers. While a person can overlap with some of his roles, their wiggle room you can say. An example is if a person serves your god of war, how do they gain benefits of something else? Or do they have to be a soldier?"

"In short to what Lelei said, can you go back and forth between gods as you please?" Rory adds to what Lelei said.

Sharpe sits there, realizing that this is all above his ability. He thinks about his questions, trying not to intentionally misrepresent something or give them bad information. "Well, from what I understand. It is more like this. People would worship all the gods at once. But when you needed something more specific than you go to the one you need."

"Give me an example please," Lelei asked, interested in the conversation.

Sharpe also notices Rory's very interests. Make sense, they live their daily lives interacting with their gods. Even Selina does, which will have to be a private conversation.

He takes a deep breath, thinking. "Lets say this. If you were going to the ocean to go fishing. You might ask the gods Neptune or Poseidon for their blessing."

Both Rory and Lelei look at each other confused. Then they look back at them.

Sharpe looks to Selina and she seems just as lost as they are. She seems more interested in just listening since this topic seems complex.

Rory speaks first. "Why do you have two gods for the sea?"

"Well, Poseidon is the sea god for the Greeks while Neptune is the king of the sea for the Romans." Sharpe answers. "See, each culture has different gods, and they might overlap. Zeus can control lightning and the same with Thor. Thor is part of Norse religions."

Both seem frozen in place. Both Lelei and Rory are struggling to wrap their heads around what he is saying. Earth religions and mythology are so different from theirs.

"How is this possible," Rory mumbles as she thinks about what he said.

With that Lelei had an idea appear in her head. She realized Sharpe just mention three different separate religions. "How many different religions does your world have?"

Sharpe shrugs his shoulders. He reaches down into his pocket and pulls out his phone. After doing a little research he looks back at them. "Over four thousand worldwide. The ones we are talking about are the Western civilization ones."

Rory jaw just drops after hearing that. "Four thousand? And these are just yours? How many gods is that?"

"I am sorry Rory; I have no idea. Today as we said, most religions worship a single powerful god," Sharpe explains.

"And since I haven't seen any apostles yet. And since when we first meant you were very shocked at my abilities, how do you interact with your gods then?" Rory asked, struggling to understand.

"As I said before, it is faith-based. We just believe there is a god or gods. Some people think he… or she interacts with people in nondirected ways." Sharpe explains. "Basically we have to figure things out on our own."

Rory looks at him. "I think I understand how you people felt when we first meant. I thought you people were just very naive and silly. It is just so different."

Sharpe smiles, enjoying the conversation. Even though he feels way under-qualified to talk about it. "Do you want to know what gods I think you are? On Earth terms."

As Rory and Lelei begin a debate, seeing how anything he said is possible.

Sharpe spent time thinking about the matter throughout his career. His old mentor, Major Harper always told him to always have an open, learning mind. The more a leader knows, the more he could apply that knowledge and see tactics, strategies, communicating and understand people, and more.

Because of Harper, during his downtime he looks up subjects from YouTube, Bitchute, Rumble or Minds. Always listening to history, philosophy, politics, space and science and mythology. And god himself, sensitive topic. Then a thought occurred, if their gods are real then maybe the ancient gods or even the modern version might be real too. That only angered him even more.

Sharpe takes a deep breath, calming himself down. He feels a poke from his side, that coming from Selina. "What's up?"

Selina sees that he does not approve of the god she worships. "Well, if you don't like Miritta then what god do you think I should worship?"

That is not what he meant before. "Selina, you can believe in any religion or god you want. You have the freedom and right and is a core foundation of this country. I don't know much about Miritta so I can't say. I just don't want you to give yourself away like that. Love is earned, not given."

Selina thinks and looks back at him. "So, what god would I worship if I was born on your world?"

"Wait!" Rory overheard the question and looks over with much interest. "Who do you think we are?"

Sharpe sits there, seeing all of them staring at him. He is always surprised that they want his opinion or feedback. Lelei has proven to be far smarter than him and with Rory, she has always shown to be able to handle herself. Selina at least makes sense since she is young but still, she is stronger than she gives herself credit for.

He does not know why but these names appear in his head. Looking at them he looks at Lelei first.

"Lelei, you are Athena, the god of wisdom. Your ability to understand and grasps subjects and events has completely impressed not just me but the other soldiers in Alnus. You have not just learned how to interact with us and our technology and knowledge, but you have shown us that we can learn to form each other. On top of that your ability to use that knowledge in battle and lead with strength. Your also able to express your knowledge in a way to make the average joe understand." Sharpe said to her, meaning every bit of it.

He then looks over to Rory. "Now you are more complicated. You can be either Ares, the god of war or Aphrodite, the god of love."

Rory looks at him. Even though Emroy is best known as the god of war and violence, they have never been her primary belief. It has always annoyed her that everyone always sees her this bloodthirsty war demon. But that is when she sees Sharpe holds out two figures, clearly referencing the second option that he just said. That made her happy, not many mortals seem to understand her, but she is glad that he does.

"Rory, you are Aphrodite. While you are strong and powerful. And… able to kick every man ass and slaughter pretty much anything in your path. Everything you do is to protect your common man. To protect everyone around you. You are deeply passionate about what you do, always trying your hardest to help people in need. Not abusing your power. Unlike most motivations people have, the core motivation of your character is love. Every act, every duty, and every word are based around that." Sharpe said to her.

Selina sees both Lelei and Rory's faces are all red. Clearly blushing and embarrassed. She is happy for them since they have done a lot for Sharpe people. Always side by side fighting. When she heard Sharpe say her name, she is shocked and confused since she has been on the sidelines a lot recently.

"Selina. You are not out of this yet. You're the god of Astraea." Sharpe said and wrapped his arm around her, causing her a little discomfort but also very welcoming. "Astraea is the god of purity and innocence but with a strong sense of justice. You are wanting to learn and grow but not for yourself but to help the people around you. Your there when you are needed." Sharpe said to her, remembering her little tribute when talking to those elves in the Elias Forest.

Selina looks at him, feeling just like Rory and Lelei now. He always seems distant, not wanting to share anything about himself or her. But seeing that deep inside her renewed faith about her feelings for him. That he does not see her as a nuisance.

Sharpe sits there looking at them. He is shocked and wondering where the hell did all that came from. He has learned more then he thought. He takes a long deep breath, not knowing what to do next.

That is when all three of them look at him. This sudden center of attention has become very disconformable, not liking this sudden attention. Especially after that little touchy-feely conversation.

Rory is the one who speaks first. "So, what god are you then? Who do you serve?" She asked, smirking as her cheeks are still bright red.

Hearing Rory's question would distress Sharpe a little. It is not just that he feels uncomfortable talking about himself and even comparing himself to a god. It is more that he does not see himself as worthy.

"Well… I... yeah…" Sharpe begins to say and then mumbles. He struggles to answer the question, just glancing away.

"Apollo." Sarah suddenly said. Everyone looks at her. "Apollo has a strong national belief, staying true and loyal to his people's beliefs. He is an encourager of just civilization, building and establishing new cities and civil institutions. Most importantly, a protector. Not just for his people but others who are fleeing oppression and destruction such as refugees and fugitives. When evil arrives within the world, Apollo is there to challenge and defeat it. Not for himself but the protection of others. The ultimate guardian for those who need it."

They all look at her, shocked by her statement.

Sarah sees the girls all smiling, agreeing with Sarah's choice of god for Sharpe. However, she sees Sharpe with a more skeptical face.

Sarah then looks down at the girls. "Alright ladies, you all should head off. We have a big day tomorrow."

"Meeting the leader of the free world?" Selina said, finishing Sarah's point.

"Shouldn't that be worlds now?" Rory adds, making a joke.

"Well. Falmart isn't free yet. So, there is a long way to go." Lelei explains, always having to think of everything in an academic fashion.

The four of them get up and heads off.

When they walk off, Sharpe looks away and thinks. "Fuck… I am getting too attached again."

--- 25 minutes later ---

Rory jumps into the air and body slams the high-quality resort bed. "Oh Emroy… this is the softest mattress I have ever felt. What is the god for delouses food and soft beds?" She finishes as she snuggles in the bed.

"That's my god Miritta. A mother provides nourishments to the young. At least that is what my cultish priest told me." Selina responds to Rory. "Well… I don't know about the mattress one."

"O yeah… I knew that." Rory states. "We should create a god for soft mattresses."

As Rory and Selina debate about how there should be a god for mattresses, Lelei is sitting on the edge of the bed. She is holding a remote, flickering though the minds app of the television set. "It is so clear." She said about the screen quality.

"Just pick something," Rory yells, getting slightly annoyed that Lelei has not picked something yet.

"How? There are thousands of channels. In Alnus, they only have a few and there just military approved. This is raw and natural." Lelei said, memorized by the television. "Luckily, I have a list of things the Major likes."

Selina walks over and hops on the bed.

Rory looks over and smiles. "Had fun kiddo?"

"Yes… I hope we can come here another time. Without it being a mission." Selina answers.

"Yup. We only been here a day and look. Imagine being here for a week. Or a year!" Rory said as her eyes get bigger with that though.

Rory looks back to Selina and notices her a little conflicted. "What's up kiddo? Didn't you have fun? I like this side of Sharpe, not so rigid."

Selina thinks and nods. "It is not that… I had fun. And yes, I prefer that side too. But why doesn't he like Miritta? He got so angry and I don't understand why."

Rory looks ta Selina and then glances down at Lelei. "You can jump in anytime."

"Na... wha, ok," Lelei said, still flipping channels, getting a little addicted to the screen.

Rory rolls her eyes and sits up. "Selina don't overthink it. He is just being overprotective."

Rory then thinks. In all her centuries she has been alive, the far west is one of the few places she hasn't traveled to. It has been about three hundred years since she visited that region. From what she can remember the Edras Kingdom as some loose confederation of cultist nobles. The value in pumping out babies fast so they can wage wars.

They were always at war with their neighbors for one reason or another. And that was before the Empire intervened. For a region that is always at war with someone, she has always been surprised how little Emroy presence is over there. It is one of the big reasons why Rory does not go over there often.

"If we learned anything today. Our worlds are extremely different. BUT!" Rory said and pokes Selina. "We are very similar to what is important." She said, reflecting on what happened today. Then she smirks, having this lovely romantic thought in her head. "How about this. I will go talk to him, see if I can straighten him out."

Selina looks up and rolls her eyes knowing full well what she means. "You mean sex."

Rory glares at her, not like that this little brat called her out. "I hate you."

Selina smirks, happy that she got under her skin.

"Hey!" Lelei then yells. "You two want to see this."

Both Selina and Rory scoot up to Lelei. They all look at the talking picture box.

"I remember on Sharpe computer he has all these links and saved channels to what he called space. They were all blocked by the military as unsafe, but they seem to work here. This is one of the channels he had saved on his computer." Lelei explains.

"Hello everyone, this is the Channel Subverse News. We are here to report that Artemis-4 has successfully entered Lunar orbit. Within hours the crew of Artemis-4 will reach Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway to dock."

The channel shows video and images of NASA rocket launching into space and releasing the Artemis spacecraft.

"The flight took four days to get to the moon. This is the third flight to the moon with the maiden mission back in 2024. Until the last two missions, NASA said this time one of the Artemis-4 missions will be investigating for a future spot and the starting stages of construction for the International Lunar Outpost or known as Armstrong Outpost."

More image of the moon, the Artemis spacecraft and now the Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway orbiting the moon.

As the two people on the screen talk, all three of them sit there in pure shock at what they are seeing. The gravity of this world truly hit all three of them. The people of Earth are not gods, they have transcended the gods through technology.

So far, they have only seen the military side of the Americans and their allies. While impressive, this is their civilian side. Able to leave the skies of their world to another. Without a Gate.

"Now Artemis-4 will dock with the Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway. From there they will descend to the Lunar surface for a twenty-day exploration mission."

"While the Director of NASA continues to state that exploration of our solar system is the true future of our species, many from both sides of Congress have begun to question the need for a manned space program. The idea is that all resources in learning the Gate technology. Some think that is short-sighted however the cost is going to the moon and establishing an outpost is high. This includes NASA long term plan to send a man mission to Mars in eight years. We will continue to inform you as new developments."

"The U.S. International partners have split into two groups. Many want to end their support for current space tributes and focus on the Gate while countries like Japan want to continue establishing a lunar outpost. Japan is the largest U.S. partner in space. While the current administration still shows full support for the Artemis Program, the fate of the program is currently in question."

The screen changes to something else. Lelei changed the channel to some of Sharpe's shows.

"So… they can go past the sky and into the spirit realm?" Selina asked. "So, these people worship Idos?"

Idos, the god of Cosmos. Everything above the heavens like Uros moon.

"No Selina. Our gods cannot leave our world. Idos is not here. Just like Emroy isn't here." Rory said. She must admit, before she was confused about why Sharpe and his people were trying to keep so many things away. In some things, they were an open book. Others tight as a lip even though the subject is common knowledge for them. Now she understands why their power is so far beyond ours that they are trying to protect her world from this.

"I think that is enough education today. Put on one of his fun shows." Rory said, knowing that Lelei would just dive into all that knowledge until someone stops her.

As the other two sits there and reflect on the day and watch this show. Rory sits there and thinks how lucky their world turned out. It could have been a different powerful nation from this world or even somewhere else and we would stand a chance. These people's ideas are getting in the natural order of things and she likes that. Today confirmed all that for her.

"I will be right back. Getting a drink." Rory said as she hops off the bed.

--- Resort Bar ---

Sarah walks back to the bar, to check up on her boss. Today has been incredibly fun, more fun she has had in a long time.

She sees him sitting there at one of the bar booths, taking a shot glass. A sight she does not like, especially after a great day like this. Why is he so afraid to enjoy people?

"Sir…what are you doing," Sarah asked him.

Sharpe looks to her. "What? I am not going to get drunk. Just a shot. Nothing to worry about. Long day." He finishes, reflecting on the day.

Sarah walks over and sits on one of the stools at the bar booth. She thinks about what to say for a second but notice he spoke first.

"They definitely had fun today," Sharpe said.

"Yeah, they did. Admit it, you did too." Sarah said back to him. She looks to him, grabbing a shot glass herself and pouring a small amount of liquor in it. "You do know your good at this."

"Good at what?" He looks at her confused.

"There is no way you're that dense Sharpe." She said, annoyed by this sudden attitude. Every time he has fun and then he realizes it he goes back to this brick wall. "I meant everything I said."

Sharpe already knows where that is going. "I know what you are doing. You don't have to."

"So, you disagree with my pick?" Sarah asked. "Which one do you think you are?"

Sharpe takes a drink from his shot and put it down on the ground. "I don't believe in that stuff. I said it to make them happy."

Sarah looks at him and thinks. "I don't believe that." She sees that he was about to say something. "Look, I was sitting right there. It might sound cliché, but it came from the heart. It really meant a lot to them. The whole day, why are you doing this?"

She thinks for a second and speaks, not wanting him to defend himself but just give answers. "Is this intentional? Every time you feel you are getting close to people you automatically push them away."

Sharpe sits there, fully knowing what she is saying is correct.

Sarah stands up and takes a few steps forward. She then stops and looks to him. "Look, they adore you. It is not just them but the team. Your team believes in you, they believe in you. Half the damn base believes in you. They have already proven that when they followed you back in Italica. In Sedera. Why can you believe in any of them back?"

Sharpe wants to respond but the words could not form the words.

It is true that not that long ago he wished that he were back with his old team. Nothing against the Rangers and his Vanguard team, just going from Delta to the Rangers is a big step back. Honestly, he has started to enjoy being with the Ranger team. In his eyes that is an excellent unit, worth leading.

But that is not the issue here. He does believe in them. The Rangers and the girls. They earned that multiple times now.

Sarah notices he has not answered her question and gets frustrated. She just turns around to leave.

"It is not that. It's just, am going to get them all killed." Sharpe said before Sarah walks out of the door.

She comes back confused. "What? How on earth do you believe that? You are good at what you do. Good enough to get a demigod to believe in you."

She crosses her arms as she looks at him, trying to figure out what is going on in his head. She and everyone else knows something happens.

"Look, Sharpe. I know whatever your doing is coming from a good place. But look." Sarah said and then points to the table they all were sitting at, having a great time bonding. "We want that man. That man led the assault on Sedera and faced a demigod face to face. That man freed one of our people in the throne room. That man ran across a field of Imperial cavalry to save his team and a platoon of soldiers. That man saved a city under siege, saving thousands and faced off a dragon which saving hundreds of refugees. Most of all, that man saved a twelve-year-old girl from a life of being some sick perk personal pet. That man is Apollo." Referencing that conversation since it was the dinner topic.

Sarah takes a breath, more confident in her choice of ancient god now than before. "We all want him. Now, this. I know the military and its rules. Trust me. But this, whatever it is, is eating you alive and we all can see it."

After Sarah let all that out, there is this awkward silence. She sees that either that gag order is strong or that he just is such a deep refusal to share what is going on in his head. This is pretty much pointless which is not fair for anyone. Especially for the girls. He has earned their love and respect, but she does not want this, whatever this is to hurt them.

Sharpe looks down and thinks. He knows she is right. So much has changed so recently. He reflects on everything she just said. He can tell Sarah is about to walk out of the bar, which would end this conversation. But deep down inside he does not want it to end.

"We spent five years in the southeast pacific. You already knew what was going on in Mexico. Chinese commies funding cartels to destabilize North America. So SOCOM transferred us to Mexico," Sharpe suddenly said, reliving every memory that is flashing. The events only happen a few years ago, still fresh on his mind.

"Our objective was to either capture or kill the King of the Cartels, Armando Carvallo," Sharpe said.

Sarah knows that name, many do. Armando Carvallo is not an actual king; it is a silly nickname the man gave himself. Very wealthy and immensely powerful. He makes the North Korea leader Kim Jong-il look like a teddy bear. However, he is intelligent while being brutal. The United States government has spent years and billions of dollars trying to find this name and they only got a picture from when he was in high school.

She is shocked that Sharpe's team was the one assigned to go after him.

"The mission was supposed to take six weeks. I took five of my best and closest men from the platoon. Best men I ever served. Jessy, Cortez, Nicholas, Quincy, and Tim. Been through a lot." Sharpe said, struggling in starting his story.

Sarah knows only the first three of those names. When Sharpe was first transferred to the Rangers, she found emails from them, checking upon him. Of course, he never bothered to read them, so she did. That is when she discovered there was far more about him than him just being a dick.

Sharpe tilts his head up, thinking. "We were there for six months. God, he was one hard nut to find. We spent weeks doing everything we could. Hitting some of his outposts, his trading runs, everything. It did not matter how big or small the target was. Playing by his game. He wanted to stay hidden, so we stayed hidden too. Ghosts.

"We didn't want to stay in one place at a time, so we hopped around the place to place," Sharpe said. His manners suddenly change. "But we ended up staying with this family many times. Usually, two to three nights between weeks. The house and barn were in a perfect position for our mission. The family, the Lopez family by the way. What a cliché name… But was very adorable. A husband and wife with this sixteen-year-old daughter."

Sharpe grabs a bottle. Not to really drink, even though he takes a sip here and there. It is more to hold onto something with his hands. "The kid reminds me of Lelei in away. Always asking questions, eager to learn." He takes a short pause. "The family didn't mind us staying in the barn during the day. These brave American soldiers here to save the day and stop the drug lords. I think they thought we could protect them honestly. Of course, they were not the only place we stayed at. Always relocating, staying low and quiet. Covering our tracks very well."

"Anyway… while the mission was taking far longer than expected. We were doing serious damage to the Armando Carvallo empire. We gave him two options, either stay hidden and watch his empire burn or come out of the shadows." Sharpe said, chuckling a little bit. Remembering all the raids his team conducted, hurting his empire. "When we hit one of his facilities, we always made sure he thought it was an inside job. We even got him to start shooting his inner circle, thinking someone is betraying him."

His laughter just disappears. He then takes a deep breath. "We figured out he was finally coming out of the shadows. This would have been the first time we got to see his face. Jessy, Cortez, Nicholas, and I went on a recon mission. Then nothing happens, really confused us but that happens sometimes. Intel goes bad."

"We were back at the Lopez house since we were in the area." Sharpe continues, forcing himself to speak but at the same time unable to stop now. Just mix emotions going on inside. "When we got back something felt very off. When we talked into the barn, we found both Tim and Quincy chopped up into dozens of pieces. Body parts and blood everywhere. The husband and wife hanging from the ceiling, arms slit."

Sharpe begins to struggle to speak, reliving the sight in his head. "It was clear the daughter was missing. The only message was an address. We hauled as fast as we could to that location. It was a trap; it was so clear but there was no way I… we going to let them hurt her."

There is a short pause as Sharpe struggles to form the words. He wants to shut up so badly but knows he cannot now. "It was some old refinery. Not a base of operation, just to lure us into a trap. Which… fuck it. It was a trap and we walked right into it. Surrounded and pinned from sniper fire, all we could do was sit there waiting for the Mexican army to rescues us."

"And then he arrived. Armando Carvallo. His people stop firing but we knew the snipers had us pinned." Sharpe points out, holding back a ton of mixed emotions. "Some of his people brought out Lizzie. Tied to a steak drenched in oil."

Sharpe stutters a bit, skipping over facts and details. Sarah can put the pieces together.

"All he wanted me to do was surrender me and my men. If I did that, we would end up just like Tim and Quincy. If I did not give that order, they were going to burn her alive." Sharpe stops, just struggling to say the truth. "I couldn't… I froze. For the first time, I had no idea what to do. If I were alone then the trade would have been easy but… I could not trade. I do not know…. It did not matter. Nothing mattered. No divine intervention, no backup. Everything that I have learned and done over the years meant nothing. Nothing meant nothing…"

Sharpe holds up his hand, still trying to understand what happened in his story. "All of a sudden I hear her screaming and crying out. Begging to be saved. The King lit her on fire just to take vengeance to us." Sharpe pauses, tearing up. Feeling everything inside split apart. "We tried to stand up but the fucking snipers. All I can hear was her yelling my name. Jackson… Jackson… Jackson… Every night I go to bed I hear that scream. Over and over and over."

"Apparently as she was burning to death the Mexican army finally showed up. Too late though. And…" Sharpe just stops, not able to finish his story.

Sarah stands there, in complete shock. She has no words, nothing. Everything makes sense though. From her time with him, she has learned he is a principal man. Faced a situation where those principles did not just conflict but were not on the radar.

That is when she hears him say something again.

"I… I am going to get everyone killed. See Sarah… I do not believe in myself. I… I…." Sharpe mumbles. "Everyone dies around me… I… I failed…"

That is when they hear a sound. They both look over to the source of the sound. They both see Rory standing there, her eyes are all watery.

Rory heard everything as she was passing by to get something heavy to drink. She has seen, heard, and even done some very nasty acts in her life. It is part of serving Emroy. But she knows Sharpe's heart and knows how much this must have hurt him.

She walks over to him and just hugs him. "I am so sorry." And in Rory fashion, she hops on Sharpe's lap and keeps her arm around him. "It wasn't your fault. And you have not failed any of us. Just as Sarah said before… you are worthy."

Sarah watches and realizes she needs to be the strong one here. "Sharpe. I am so sorry. But I want you to understand. We are all here for you. You are always there for everyone so we will be here for you."

Rory looks to Sarah and smiles and then back to Sharpe. "She is right. You do not have to worry about that happening again. We shall always be by your side."