Suspicion

"I have some few questions of my own." a voice sounded in the lower section of the fortress.

Everyone in the room heard the voice clearly and few even gulped when they saw the pair of yellow eyes glowing at the far end of the higher ramp which was inclined from the lower section to this particular one. The one in particular at the end of the ramp was walking towards where the General was. His slow movement alone made it puzzling to all, how he was able to leave the war field outside and come here in a very short time. 'He did not even use the elevator' the general thought.

The General looked at the screen viewing the war front and saw the golden mecha standing there together with the rest of the other mechas and jublilating soldiers. Evacuation of injured and dead soldiers were being carried out. So how in the world did the Arch lord get to leave his mecha and make his way to this fortress if that was even possible considering the distance. Unless he wasn't in the even in the mecha when the enemy missiles hit.

The general gulped.

That thought alone of how the Arch lord was able to avoid enemy missiles whose target was locked on him and their damage range. His train of thoughts was interrupted by the Arch lord whose voice rang on the general's head.

"What's up with the stare general?" the Arch lord spoke to the general.

"And why stop your work. What's up with you guys" he addressed the others in the room.

As scary as the Arch lord was in the minds of everyone present and around him, he seemed to be a calm person or so he acted like.

"Well then" the Arch lord commented on receiving no response. "I believe I am quite the scare."

He turned to the general and stated at him with a smile on his face before throwing him a question.

"The attack of today, you do know that it was not coincidental. What do you have to say about that?"

The general was about to answer when the Arch lord hushed him. His eyes darted around the room and back to the general. "I believe I have said too much." he said noticing that his sentence had attracted attention. "Meet me military uptown, Special Ops building."

When he was done , the Arch lord began walking away from the general. No sooner had he gone than that he turned back to face the general. "On second thought" he said, "meet me at the squad site. I'll be waiting." before exiting the ramp.

The general heaved a sigh of relief before forcing out a smile to ease himself of the tension and pressure he felt he was under when the Arch lord communicated with him, though he gave no response.

"He does have a point" the general thought referring to what the Arch lord said. "Come to think of it, our defenses were at its lowest. Systems needed upgrades, the special package had been delivered for safe keeping in the Citadel. All of a sudden, the sector is attacked. Who knows if they were after the package. But how did they know all of that. "

" I better go see the Arch lord "he said aloud.

_____

True to his words, the Arch lord was standing in the open field staring in the distance when the general arrived. The squad site was where scouts squads in their hundreds hung out when there was no mission on ground. It was used for training, camping, relaxation and mostly as a check point for delivery of shipments.

The Arch lord however, had picked a location where there were not many people. Most of all the people that made up the population of this place at this particular time were affiliated specially with the Arch lord. It was characterized by several large, mostly 20 feet tall cargo containers stacked upon each other all around the place. The moonlight in the dark evening gave the place a resemblance in the similitude of a maze of several dark, widely spaced alley.

Dust and debris flew up in the air and away from a space due to a rotor down wash which was occurring around the area. A mini sized airbus with the large coat of arm crested in the dorm of an A at the front of it was landing some meters away from the Arch lord who backed the backed the hovering airbus.

The propellers firmly attached and evenly distributed among the four electric motors at each side of the airbus kept rotating at a speed causing the rotor down wash sweeping everything around it away. After some time, the propellers speed began to decrease until the airbus had landed. The door at the side of the airbus opened up and a man in military suit jumped from it and made his way toward the Arch lord who stood several meters away from the airbus. The general kept walking towards the Arch lord who looked unconcerned at his presence.

The confidence of the general quickly diminished when he saw two pair of electro guns strapped to the trouser of the Arch lord. A trench overcoat covered the gun, but the general could make out the unique shape of the hilt of the electro gun which stuck out from the overcoat. Fear was written over the face of the general.

'Why won't I be scared?' the general thought. The electro gun basically shot bullets coated with electric current. It was near the speed of light when shot. The all black clothing, the moonlight and the shipping containers that were situated by both sides of the site, added to the fear felt by the general.

"Lord Ra" the general called out when he had gotten close behind the Arch lord.

With his back turned to the general, the Arch lord spoke. "I had asked you a question previously, and I still await your answer."

The general had has some time to regain his composure after his first statement and replied the Arch lord's.

"I have observed as you have and and realized the possibility..."

"Possibility?" the Arch lord interrupted.

".. the occurrence" the general corrected himself. "I have realized the occurrence of a planned attack simultaneous to the activities going on in the settlement and in the citadel recently. In fact, the sector as a whole." the general paused to gauge the Arch lord's reaction. However, since the Arch lord's back was facing him, he could only guess one thing. Neutral.

"Even in all of these, I don't think you mean to say information is being given off to the rebels. Even at that, coincidence may still be playing out."

The Arch lord turned around and looked keenly at the general making the general take few steps backwards unconsciously.

" What position do you hold? "

" The position of the General of the sector G1 - 26 sir. "

"Who is your head general?"

"Head General Martin Swanwick."

"Interesting" the Arch lord remarked. "As a general, for things like this to escape your notice. It makes me want to think that you are undeserving of your position." he paused for a while before continuing.

"Maybe, you don't understand the severity of this kind of 'coincidences' which if I remember very well has occurred three times in a row. It is a potential threat to the Academy as a matter of fact. If not corrected early, then not only will the minor citadel be at risks, it'll move to the Academic Institutions, not forgetting the residence, or maybe even worse, the Academic citadel. "

The general was wondering why the Arch lord was speaking to him like this. He was no where near having concerns or being accountable to the institutions or residence, most of all, the citadel. It was not his responsibility. But things were about to be made clear when the Arch lord continued what he was saying.

"The position you hold, it does give you access to some vital information, it give you access to discussions with your head, some enlightenment of very important details, though not detailed. Most of all, it gives you access to everything that concerns the security of this sector. Sector... " he paused again as if trying to remember something.

" Yeah! "he exclaimed. "Sector G1 - 26"

The general summoned the boldness to ask the Arch lord a question.

"Sir, why are you telling me all this?"

The general looked at him with a smile in his face. After which, he turned his back to the general abs the smile was no longer visible.

"Sir" the Arch lord called out with a surprising tone of respect for the general. "I have reasons to believe that you are selling your people out to the enemy. But what puzzles me is why. However, that should no longer be a question seeing that people do things for various reasons. Some of them are incomprehensible and to me, inconceivable..."

" Lord Ra, I would never do such a thing. Why did you think of such. Even though the attacks and infiltration could only have been aided by someone on the inside."

"WHY?! Why would you think of such a thing "he shouted angrily. However, he soon regretted saying what he said when the Arch lord reached for something hidden behind his overcoat. Still backing the general, the Arch lord spoke. " If I reach out for my weapon, what do you think would happen to you? "

"I'll be dead in the fraction of a question" the general answered sincerely.

The Arch lord dropped his hands and took few steps forward, away from the general and replied. "You don't expect a rebel to tell you he's one. Do you?."

"Watch your back" he said turning to face the general. "Watch your people. I'll get in touch with your head general, see what he has to say. In the meantime, sit tight and watch. A rebel Commander has been captured, I'll speak with him. After which, I'll go see the Supreme Commander. There's a meeting tomorrow. I failed to attend the previous one even though the most recent was important. This one however, is for the executive." the Arch lord looked at the general deeply and let out a laugh. "I'm giving you vital pieces of information " he said. "Let's see what you'll do with it. Goodnight."

With that, the Arch lord moved away and had left the general alone.

'I have to be vigilant. But who is doing this?' the general wondered. 'I'm syre the Arch lod didn't come because of a little suspicion, but because it has already escalated to a point of concern. It seems like it's time for me to call in the graded scouts.'

The general looked towards the sky and heard a sigh of relief before walking towards the airbus.

Few seconds later, the squad site was deserted leaving no trace of two military personnel who just had a serious conversation.