It wasn’t until the next morning that Mai felt as though she was ready to face her people. Barely reaching her room before her emotions came spilling forth, she had sobbed into her pillow before drifting off into a deep sleep.

Stepping out of her room, she nodded at a passing rebel, returning their salute before making her way to the canteen. As she did so, she heard the rebel whispering, no doubt letting the rest of the command staff she was up and about.

Not wanting to be crowded, she made her way to the command centre, pausing as silence descended as soon as she entered, all eyes turning on her.

“As you were,” she ordered, making her way over to the central holograph table. A quick glance at the map showed that their borders were still secure, with Dakota’s attack on X gang having seen their border shrink due to a number of other factions rushing in and taking whatever they could.

“Morning boss,” Dakota joined her at the table, dragging a couple of markers across the map to redraw the Talisman’s border again. “They’re seriously getting their arses kicked. Most players have left their ranks. I doubt they’re going to last to the end of the week.”

Mai nodded, glad that her friend hadn’t mentioned the previous day’s events.

“Okay, push our people out. Take a block at a time. As soon as they start to push back hard, pull back to the previous uncontested block. No point losing lives at this point.”

Dakota gestured to Biyu, who started issuing orders, dragging icons representing various different units to staging points. Once she’d done that, she traced the lines of advance they were to follow, and the objectives they had to seize.

Selecting a hovering ‘Commit to Mission’ icon, Biyu sent the orders to the units on the table, creating missions such as ‘Take and Hold’, ‘Sweep and Clear’, ‘Seek and Destroy’. Messages started to pop up on a hovering screen as the units moved into place and accepted their missions, with the members of those units also then accepting the missions.

“Any players in those units?” Mai asked.

“No, we thought it best to hold them back right now. We’ve had to place some of the … mutineers into the units we’re sending into action. We didn’t want to risk old grudges rising to the fore right now.”

“Wise. Where are the players?”

“Cooling their heels in the canteen. I’ve got some of my people watching over them. Any sign of our people trying to kill them again, or them deciding to mutiny like the last lot, we’ll be able to react and shut it down like that,” Biyu snapped her fingers.

“Talking of which,” Dakota interrupted, “we’ve got a player who wants to talk to us. Says it’s really urgent.”

“Really urgent?” Mai quirked an eyebrow, drawing a laugh from those gathered in the command centre. “Well, show them in by all means.”

Dakota sub-vocalised a message to the guards on post at the entrance of the centre and less than a minute later the player stepped hesitantly into the main room, head darting back and forth, tongue licking their lips.

“How can we help?” asked Mai, picking up on the player’s fear and keeping her tone as calm and neutral as possible.

“We’ve been monitoring social media in the re …” he paused, and gulped, “in our world. You’ve been too successful. The Emperor has gathered an army consisting of every player in the Upper City, as well as his elite units. We’ve seen the Celestial Shards, the Lightning Tridents, Lucky Eights, Golden Circle, Red Apples, Bronze Monkeys, Golden Apes, and the Cranes have all been deployed to one-mile. They’re clearing it of undesirable elements so that the rest of the army can follow through into Nether City.”

“To what end?”

“They’re going to kill everyone who knows the truth,” the player choked out, swallowing hard.

“Everyone?” asked Mai. “Not just me, and the rest of the command staff?”

“Everyone, I’m so sorry.”

Mai grabbed hold of the table to support her. All of her people were going to be killed. And if they resisted, then others would die not even knowing why. Mind racing, she felt as though the room was spinning around her. Bile rose into her throat and she swallowed hard, refusing to vomit in front of those assembled.

“It’s not going to be just us though. We know what players are like, and there’s little chance they won’t take the opportunity to rank up by killing locals under the Rules of Subjugation.”

Everyone nodded at that. The Rules of Subjugation meant that anyone serving under the Emperor to bring a rebel sector, or even planet, under heel, could take any action they believed necessary to pacify any resistance and bring the enemy into the fold. Not only that, but anything they seized, such as UC, or jewellery, was also fair game.

“We need to tell everyone. We can’t keep this a secret anymore,” Mai declared as she looked around the communications centre. She could see that every rebel understood her reasoning, some nodding as she met their eyes. “Send a city-wide broadcast, tell everyone that I’m going to speak to them. Open a channel to General Ayres, I’ll let him know what I’m going to do.”

There was a flurry of activity. Then Ayre’s face appeared on her retinal monitor. Taking a deep breath, she let him know what she planned.

“People of Nether City. No doubt you all know who I am. What you don’t know is what I am, and what you are,” Mai stared into the holocam broadcasting her face to every retinal monitor and holoprojector in the city. Mouth suddenly dry, she paused, aware that what she was about to say was doing to destroy the lives of every citizen in the city.

Before her fear overwhelmed her, she explained everything that had led to this moment, her nature, their nature, and the threat that they faced from the city above them. Looking into the camera, she stated that she and her people were going to fight and hold the city that they viewed as home. With one last appeal, she asked that the people of Nether City join the rebels in fighting against the coming army. Flicking a menu option, she put up a simple poll, asking Yes, or No, then signed off.

“Well done, Mai. You’ve done all you could.”

“Have we got units on the streets to make sure any riots are nipped in the bud?” Mai asked as she looked over at Biyu. She nodded, not needing to say anything further.

“You did well,” Dakota drew Mai in a hug, wrapping her arms around her. “No matter what they vote, you gave them a choice they would never have.”

“I did, but in telling them, did I just doom them to death at the hands of the Imperial Army?”

“They would have died anyway. Rule of Subjugation, remember?” Dakota spoke softly into her ear, so quietly that no other would hear her words. “You just gave them a fighting chance, and to understand what they faced.”

“Well, they have another thirty minutes to decide. I need a drink, coming?” Mai stood and left the command centre without even waiting to see if Dakota was going to follow her, a small smile on her face as she heard her friend’s footsteps follow.