The Price of Peace   von chelle76
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                         Kapitel 26: Business As Usual
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I DO NOT own Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs or Sei Jushi Bismarck, they are
owned by their respective animation companies.

The Price of Peace

Chapter 25: Business As Usual

"I don't like this, Amanda. It seems too risky," Robin says as she sips her
tea.

Amanda nods, "I'm not exactly thrilled either, Robin. I am glad that Dr. Izumi
got the glasses back to Saber. He even got him some contacts, but he didn't seem
too inclined to use them. I wish I could be with him, but since pretty much
everyone knows I'm pregnant, I can't even try and slip out to go with him."

"Well, it's fairly obvious that you're pregnant now. People can tell just by
looking at you," Robin says with a smile. "Although you do look a little bigger
than I did at sixteen to seventeen weeks."

Amanda looks at her confused, "Colt didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Robin asks.

"I'm not sixteen weeks pregnant. I'm only thirteen weeks along," Amanda
replies.

Robin looks at her in disbelief, "No way! You're already showing!"

"I'm carrying twins, Robin. We didn't know until almost a week ago. It's why my
hormone levels were off."

Robin shakes her head, "Twins! I can't imagine it. I have a hard enough time
keeping up with Wil. I can't imagine trying to keep up with two at the same
time. Do twins run in your family?"

"Not to my knowledge. And, according to Thomas, there apparently is no history
in Saber's family of twins either," Amanda replies.

"So I guess it was really a surprise then. I do remember Colt saying that you
didn't know that your were even pregnant."

Amanda nods, "Yes, it was a bit of a shock, but I'm glad it's happened. I just
pray that Saber and the others don't get hurt during this."

"Well, so far so good, Saber," April says. "The convoy is halfway to Calvary
Command."

"I hope this means that perhaps it was just dumb luck on the part of the
Outriders," Colt adds.

"It's too quiet, if you want my opinion," Fireball says looking over Saber's
shoulders at the monitors.

"Yes, it is a bit too quiet for my liking as well, Fireball," Saber replies, not
bothering to look up. "It's almost as if somehow they knew this was a ruse."

The ship continues on for a while longer, when suddenly it is surrounded by
other ships. "Hey, Captain Rider, we're under attack here! Keep going, we'll try
and cover you." A female voice says over the com-link.

"Roger that, Kawamura, Rider out," Saber replies and closes the connection.
"Showtime, Colt." He turns to April who nods, "Colt, fire at will. Fireball,
keep that ship pushing forward."

"I've got the censors activated, Saber. If it gets hit, we'll know so we can
react accordingly over the com-link," April says as she scans the various
readings on her screen.

"Good, at least that seems to be going according to plan," he replies.

"Saber, I think they're trying to destroy the ship!" April calls out, "Put out a
distress call!"

"This is Captain Rider, we've taken heavy damage here. What is going on?" he
says over the com-link.

Erika's voice come in, "We're trying to draw their fire, sir. Hold on!"

The screen starts showing more and more damage, then it goes dark. Saber kills
his outbound connection, so they can't be heard. "April?"

She stares at the screen in shock, "We're dead. The ship...it's gone," she
replies barely audible.

Colt lets out a whistle, "So technically we just died?"

Saber nods, "So it would seem," he replies quietly.

"So what now?" Fireball asks after a long silence.

"I'm not sure. I didn't think things would go the way that they have," Saber
replies honestly.

Commander Eagle enters the control area, obviously in shock, "Well, we need to
get you four somewhere besides here and quickly. I did not anticipate them
trying to take you out of the picture."

"Sir, we could go back to my place," Saber begins. The commander goes to
protest, "We can stay in the hidden basement area. We are the only ones that
know about it. It'll be a bit cramped, but we can get food and stay in contact
with you that way."

The commander thinks for a moment then nods slowly, "That may be your best
option. I'll stay at your place so that I can break the news to Amanda and
Robin. I just hope they can go with this."

"Amanda knows, sir. She'll do what is required."

Colt pales, "Oh God, Robin doesn't know what exactly is going on."

"A bit too late for that now, Mr. Wilcox. I'll try and talk her into staying in
the bedroom with Amanda. Perhaps that will help console her a little," Commander
Eagle states. "Let's go. The others are on their way here." They all get out and
follow him to a waiting vehicle that takes them to a rear entrance to Saber's
estate. They head to the secret entrance and they try and settle in. "I'll come
down the back way and update you as soon as I can," the commander says and he
goes back out to the vehicle and heads back towards the command center.

A while later, he returns to the estate accompanied by General Whitehawk and
some other soldiers. The soldiers follow the two men to the enter the house and
Thomas leads them into a sitting room where Amanda and Robin are sitting and
talking. They turn and look up and as soon as they see the men's faces Amanda
pales. "What happened?" she manages to say.

"I think we should talk elsewhere, Mrs. Rider," General Whitehawk says somberly.
"Somewhere more...private."

"Upstairs then, sir," she replies and slowly gets up.

"Come with us, Mrs. Wilcox. This involves you also," Commander Eagle says.

Robin nods, afraid to speak and gets up and follows them upstairs. They enter
Amanda and Saber's room and they sit on the foot of the bed, the two men taking
the two chairs and sitting across from them.

Amanda looks at their faces and takes a deep breath, "Things didn't go as you
had hoped the would?" she finally says breaking the overbearing silence.

Commander Eagle shakes his head, "No, they didn't," he manages to reply
quietly.

"What is going on?" Robin asks nearly in hysterics.

Amanda glances to Commander Eagle, who nods, "Tell her the plan before we tell
you the new information."

Amanda nods and takes a deep breath, "There is most likely a traitor within
Calvary Command," she begins. Robin nods and forces herself to calm down, so she
continues, "Saber, Colt, April, and Fireball are part of a trap set to try and
lure out the traitor. Evidently, things did not go as expected. That is why
you're here, isn't it?" she asks looking to the commander.

"Yes Ms. Amanda, you are correct. How the two of you handle this could very well
be the key to finding the traitor. As far as everyone knows, save us in this
room, Saber, Mr. Wilcox, April, and Mr. Hikari were on board a cargo ship that
was transporting a new weapon." Amanda nods and Robin looks between them before
nodding hesitantly and he continues, "They were actually not on the ship, they
were controlling it remotely. I am glad now that ended up being the case. As
expected, the Outriders attacked the convoy. What was not expected is that
instead of trying to take the cargo ship, they destroyed it, and presumably the
four with it."

Amanda lets out an involuntary gasp and covers her mouth. "So everyone believes
that they are..." Commander Eagle nods. "And those soldiers are their Honor
Guard because you two came here to tell..." she trails off and tears begin to
fall as she struggles not to lose control of her emotions.

Robin starts crying and Commander Eagle comes over and places a hand on her
shoulder, "They are safe, Robin. But no one can know that. You must act as if he
is gone. Can you do that?" he asks gently.

Slowly, Robin looks up and him and nods slightly, tears still falling down her
face. "I don't think it'll be too hard to do sir, I will do my best."

He nods and looks to Amanda, he notices she is upset and trying not to show it,
and places a hand gently on her shoulder, "You have already dealt with so much,
but I need you to go with this. You know what can happen if we don't stop
this."

"I do sir. And I will do whatever you need for me to do. I only ask that you
allow me to talk to Elaine and Thomas. I will just tell them to trust me and to
go along with whatever you tell them until otherwise instructed. Would you be
amenable to that, sir?"

Commander Eagle looks to the General and the General nods, "A reasonable
request, Mrs. Rider. I feel we can accommodate that. Perhaps we can send for
them under the guise of having Ms. Elaine bring something up for the two of you,
and then we can tell them what has transpired. Keeping the two of you in closed
quarters up here as much as possible can be helpful as well. Given your present
state, the less stress you are under the better."

Amanda nods, "Thank you, sir," she says quietly.

Commander Eagle gets up, "I'll go down and ask both Thomas and Elaine to come up
here," he says as he heads out the door and down the back stairwell to the
kitchen. He enters the kitchen just as Elaine comes in from the other way with a
worried expression. "Ah, Ms. Elaine, could you and Thomas please join us
upstairs. We need to talk," the commander says trying not to worry her.

"It's about those soldiers out there, isn't it?" she asks, her voice breaking
slightly. He nods and she gives him a nod and turns to her quarters to get
Thomas. A couple minutes later, they both come out from the room, Thomas wearing
a serious expression.

"Ms. Elaine, do you have something you could bring up for Ms. Robin and Ms.
Amanda? Something that won't take long to prepare."

"Yes sir, I was going to bring them up some soup and a sandwich. It's ready now,
all I need to do is dish it out."

"Would you do that, please? Make a point of going through the living room with
it and taking it upstairs. Thomas and I will meet you in Ms. Amanda's room and
then I'll explain things to you," the commander says.

"Of course sir," she replies and goes about preparing the food.

Thomas follows the commander up the back stairs, Elaine joins them a few minutes
later and looks a bit startled to see both Robin and Amanda visibly upset. "What
has happened?" she asks as she places the tray on the desk.

"Please, sit down, both of you. What you are about to be told does not leave
this room, is that understood?" General Whitehawk says as they sit on the bed
either side of Robin and Amanda. They both nod.

"Good," he replies and looks to the commander, "Charles, you have a better
rapport with them, why don't you explain things."

Commander Eagle nods, "Yes sir," he replies and takes a deep breath before
beginning. "As far as the rest of the New Frontier knows, Saber, Mr. Wilcox,
April, and Mr. Hikari were killed this morning when the ship they were using to
transport a new secret weapon was attacked by the Outriders and destroyed."

Elaine gasps, placing her hand over her mouth and then looks to Amanda and
starts to speak. Amanda holds a hand up to silence her, "Please Elaine, hear all
of it first." she says trying to remain calm.

Commander Eagle continues, "What you will know that the others do not, is that
they are actually safe." Elaine looks at him with a confused expression, but he
continues, "That being said, you should know that they are here. They are in the
hidden part of the basement. We must minimize contact with them, so as to not
let on that they are alive. There is a traitor or possibly traitors within
Calvary Command. We are hoping to flush them out. Just evidently not the way we
intended."

"So you need us to act as if this has actually transpired, correct?" Thomas asks
finally speaking up.

The commander nods, "Yes. I am hoping to not have to go through with funerals
and such, but I will if need be. I will also need you to make sure that they
have food and things that they will need while they are down there."

Elaine nods. "I'll do anything that you require of me, sir." She then looks to
Amanda, "Lady Amanda, you will be considered the head of the house now. We will
however have to get you some appropriate clothes. Black of course is the
traditional garb, but we will have to get you a Tartan sash made for you to wear
for clan representation, as you are now the head, Thomas will also get you the
house ring, just in case any of his distant relatives come trying to lay claim
as head of the house."

Thomas goes to their dressing area and takes a small box from Saber's dresser
and opens it, pulling out a ring, "You must keep this on you at all time, Lady
Amanda," he says as he returns the box to the drawer and brings the ring over to
her to see. "It bears the family's coat of arms. I don't think it will fit on
your finger, so you may wear it on your necklace with your coat of arms." He
then hands her the ring before turning to Elaine, "I'll see to having the Tartan
made, Elaine. If you can find her some clothing to wear," Thomas says quietly as
Amanda removes her necklace and adds the ring to it before putting it back
around her neck.

"Thank you, Thomas," Elaine says. " I may have a few things that will work for
now, my lady," she says to Amanda who nods. "Commander, when would you like me
to get some food prepared for them? I know they still had some things down there
and can cook over a fire if they have to. Perhaps later tonight, after some of
the people have left?"

"I think that later tonight would be good. Perhaps we could allow Ms. Robin to
see her husband briefly, if she is willing to help you take the food down."
Robin nods quickly and he turns to her, "Just remember, you must act as if he is
gone. If seeing him makes that too difficult, I will not allow you to do so. I
am willing to allow it as a courtesy to you," the commander replies.

"I can and will act as if he is gone when I am not down there, sir," Robin says
firmly.

The commander nods satisfied and looks to Amanda, "You however, should minimize
going through the secret stairwell as much as possible. You have already been
under extreme stress, and constantly going up and down might do more harm that
good. I do think one trip down would be all right, if you eat something first. I
cannot allow you to go at the same time, that might arouse suspicion."

Amanda nods, "Knowing that he is safe helps, sir. I can wait a bit to see him.
Why not let Robin see Colt first, before little Wil wakes up. It would be harder
for her to go down with him awake. I can go tonight with Elaine if necessary."

"Very well. Ms. Robin, would you like to go down now, before your son wakes up?"
Commander Eagle asks.

Robin's face lights up and she nods, "I would like to very much, sir."

"Then let's go. General, would you like to go down as well?"

"I would like the opportunity to speak with them, Charles."

"Very well, why don't you and Ms. Robin go down for a short time. I'll stay here
while Thomas and Elaine see about their duties and necessities for Ms. Amanda,"
the commander says as Robin and the general stand up. He leads them to the
dressing room and shows them how to open the door and hands the general a
flashlight. "Follow it down slowly, the stairs are rather steep. Do tell Saber
that Ms. Amanda is doing as well as can be expected, and that Thomas and Elaine
will be sure protocol is followed."

"I'll make sure to tell him," General Whitehawk replies. "Are you ready, Mrs.
Wilcox?" She nods and they descend the stairwell, closing the door behind them.

A few hours later Amanda wearing a black pantsuit, ventures down the back stairs
to the kitchen and spots Elaine cleaning up the kitchen, "Are the people still
in the sitting room, Elaine," she asks as she plops down onto a chair at the
table with a sigh.

"Aye, they are. I think they'll be here for a few days yet," she replies,
getting a groan of dread from Amanda as she rests her head on the table. She
casts her a bemused look, then eyes her with concern, "How are you feeling? You
don't look well, my lady."

Amanda looks up and sighs, "I shouldn't look well, should I? I've just lost my
husband and my closest friends," she says, her voice breaking slightly.

"True. I am just concerned for your welfare. Can I fix you something to eat?"

"Some tea might be good. I don't feel much like eating at the moment," Amanda
replies.

Elaine nods. "I won't push you to eat right now, since you had the soup and a
sandwich earlier. Later though, I will be a bit more insistent," she says as she
fixes the tea and brings it to the table. She sits down beside Amanda and gently
places her hand on top of hers, "You have handled yourself well, let me know if
I can do anything for you."

"Elaine," Amanda begins as she turns her hand and grasps Elaine's, "you and
Thomas have been nothing but wonderful to me. Without you, I would be lost. I've
started to think of you like the mother that I never had. Thank you, for
everything."

"You have more than proven yourself, Lady Amanda. Honestly, if I had gone
through half the things that you have, I would not have stayed around. You have
a good heart and a strong spirit and loyalty, all of which will serve you well
in the coming weeks. Sabers parents would have been proud to call you their
daughter.

Amanda smiles weakly and goes to say something when the doorbell rings.

"I wonder who that could be?" Elaine says as she gets up to answer the door. She
is met in the foyer by Thomas and steps back to allow him to open the door.

"Ms. Sincia?" Thomas says in shock as he steps back hesitantly and allows her
in.

Sincia steps into the foyer, her husband beside her. "I've come to find out if
what I heard was indeed true," she says quietly as she notices the soldiers in
the sitting room. "Is Richard really..."

Thomas nods, "I'm afraid so," replies somberly.

Sincia gasps. "I'm...I am sorry to hear that. He...he was a good man," she
replies. "What will become of this place and all of you? He had no other family,
did he?"

"His wife will become head of the house. Eventually, their children will inherit
the estate," Thomas replies.

Sincia's eyes widen in shock, then she regains her composure. "Wife? Children?"
she finally asks after a stunned silence.

"He was married nearly a year ago. His wife is currently carrying twins. She has
taken this rather hard, but is trying to be strong so as not to lose the
children as well," Elaine says. "Would you like to come in for few minutes?" she
asks politely.

"I suppose it would be proper to offer her our condolences. I've known Richard
my entire life," Sincia replies with a nod.

Elaine nods, "I shall go and get her. Thomas will lead you into the sitting
room," Elaine says and turns towards the kitchen.

"This way, please," Thomas says and he leads them into the sitting room where
the commander is talking with the soldiers.

He looks up when they enter and nods to some soldiers who quickly move to make
room for the guests. "I take it you're here to see Mrs. Rider?" he asks as they
take a seat.

The couple nod. "Yes. I was a childhood friend of Richard's," Sincia replies.

"Ah. I'm sure your kind gesture will be appreciated," the commander replies
quietly.

"Lady Amanda?" Elaine says as she enters the kitchen.

"Yes, Elaine?" Amanda replies quietly.

Elaine hesitates for a moment, "Lady Sincia and her husband came to express
condolences," she replies quietly, as she watches for a reaction.

Amanda stands up, looking a little surprised but nods, "Showtime," she mutters
under her breath and turns towards the sitting room, suddenly looking and
feeling more tired.

"Thank them and nod politely, that is all that you have to do, my lady," Elaine
says giving her hand a gentle squeeze before allowing her to leave the kitchen.

Amanda returns the gesture and nods slightly before passing from the kitchen and
into the sitting room. Several soldiers stand up and salute her as she enters.
She nods and they return to their seats as she walks over to Sincia and Sven.

Sincia has a look of shock when she sees Amanda and her slightly swollen belly.
She recovers quickly and notices the pained look in Amanda's eyes and her gaze
softens and she stands to offer her hand in greeting, "I am sincerely sorry for
your loss Mrs. Rider."

Amanda accepts her offered hand and nods slightly, her eyes meeting Sincia's.
"Thank you for coming, Lady Swadjen. I'm sure Saber would be glad to know you
took time to remember him," Amanda says quietly.

"I thought Richard was done fighting. Why was he out on a ship?"

Amanda takes a deep breath, "He had recently regained some of his vision and had
agreed to help out with one last mission to give them a little more time to
replace him. No one expected things to turn out the way they did," Amanda says
quietly as they take their seats.

"So...you and he married," Sincia says and Amanda nods. "Did he have vision
then?" she asks.

"Not more than when you last ran into us. Just shadows and outlines. We had
little hope of him regaining any sight," Amanda replies simply.

"And yet you married him. Why?" Sincia asks honestly curious.

"Because I loved him. He was non-judgemental of me and my faults and we had
common interests. It didn't matter to me...," Amanda says, her voice breaking a
bit and she struggle to fight back tears.

"I'm sorry, but I think that you should go and rest, Mrs. Rider," Commander
Eagle says as he comes over to Amanda. "You really shouldn't work yourself up,
ma'am."

Amanda nods, "You're right, Commander," she replies and turns back to Sincia, "I
apologize, but it has been a rather long day and I am tired. I thank you for
coming," she says as she carefully stands up, feeling a little light-headed. The
commander notices and offers his arm to steady her and she takes it, giving him
an appreciative glance.

Sincia and Sven stand and nod to her, "Please keep in touch. I am sincerely
sorry for your loss," she says as they turn and leave out the front door.

"Are you all right, Amanda?" Commander Eagle asks genuinely concerned as they
leave.

"I think I need to go upstairs, sir," she replies weakly.

"Can you walk up there if I help you?" he asks. She nods and he turns to a
nearby soldier, "Go and ask Ms. Elaine to meet us in Mrs. Rider's bedroom
immediately." The soldier salutes and quickly heads towards the kitchen. the
commander carefully helps her up the stairs and into her room and they are met
by Elaine, who looks worried as soon as she sees Amanda.

"Lady Amanda! Are you all right?" Elaine asks as the commander helps her to lay
down.

"I...I don't know, Elaine. I feel really tired all of a sudden. Perhaps I just
need something to eat," Amanda replies sounding exhausted.

"I think perhaps you've worked yourself up a bit too much over this whole thing.
Eating something might help, but so should some rest. I'll bring up some left
over soup and some crackers. After you eat that, you should try and lie down and
sleep a while," Elaine says.

"I wanted to see..." Amanda starts to say.

"I'll see how you're feeling after while. I make no promises, judging by your
appearance right this minute," the commander says, stopping her protest.

Amanda sighs in resignation and Elaine brings her some soup. She eats and
changes into night clothes and lies down, drifting to sleep quickly.

The general and Robin find the end of the stairwell and eventually find the
release for the door into the hidden basement. The door opens and they come face
to face with the Bismarck crew, all of their blasters aimed at the door. "Glad
to see you all were prepared," the general says with a hint of amusement. They
quickly all put away their blasters.

Robin immediately runs to Colt, "Colt!" she hugs him tight and tears of relief
fall down her cheeks and onto his uniform.

He holds her in a tight embrace and feels her relax. "I'm sorry, Robin. I should
have told-"

She places a finger to his lips and shakes her head, "No, as much as I hate to
admit it, it was better this way. I know I may not see you for several days now,
but knowing you're this close will help me through this."

"Any news, sir?" Saber asks.

General Whitehawk shakes his head, "The Tirpitz crew was to return to Calvary
Command to await further instructions. I'm not sure just what to do next, to be
honest."

"How is Amanda, sir?" Saber asks, the concern obvious in his voice.

"She is doing okay, all things considered. She was still rather upset, but that
is probably a good thing, it makes everything more believable. I am just glad
that she is strong, otherwise, she might risk losing your children," the general
replies. "I am rather impressed with how she has handled everything, Saber." He
turns to all of the crew, "Elaine will be down in a while with some food for
you. One of us will come with her to pass on any news we have. We will find a
way for you to see Amanda, Saber as soon as we can, even if only briefly."

They nod and Colt reluctantly lets go of Robin and they take the passage back
upstairs. Robin leaves and goes to check on her son, and the general goes to his
room to make a few calls to see if there is any progress.


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