Clone Girls

Rika felt immense pressure as she watched the scenery from the passenger window of the luxury black car she was in.

In a few minutes, she would be meeting with the president of the Borkian Confederation. While she had already met the man before, she had not been in a position to speak with him more than a few words. Not that she ever wanted to though.

This time however, the president himself had requested for them to meet up at his presidential palace. He only mentioned this was a consultation about ‘her position’, which could mean a lot, either good or bad news…

When I received the news, I contacted my allies to see if the other ones also got the notice. Only Mr. Mayers got the notice, and it was as vague as mine…

Under such circumstances, Rika could not help but fear they were about to be accused of something, but Atrax-ia seemed to think otherwise.

The AI behind the academy seemed less worried than Rika. While she did not have personal links with president George Rollers, she did remind Rika that he backed her up when she created her own faction. Rika thought this was due to the AI’s influence, but the latter denied it, saying it was a surprise to her too.

Still, it might have been due to the balance of power…

Empowering Rika would create a new faction and reequilibrate the political situation of the Borkian Confederation. At least that’s what Rika thought the president had in mind when he backed her up.

But now that an entire army of clones is coming back however, things have changed…

When Ticia finished her expedition, she came out with a huge number of clones. This could of course not stay hidden and they had to announce it. It caused quite an uproar in the senate who demanded immediate cession of this army to them. 

Rika however did not answer their call to appear publicly. She remained within the protection of the Academy and left Atrax-ia deal with the situation. With the AI’s personal political experience, further clarification from Ticia about the status of the force as a ‘mercenary group’ as well as an unexpected declaration from the Phillian Empire of support for the clones. The senators shut their mouths.

Still, the situation was tense as people and surrounding nations wondered how this ‘Clone Crisis’ would end…

Rika’s own faction was not spared and she was bombarded with questions from faction members and the secret backer who she still did not know. She played ignorant, saying she was as clueless as them. Licia and Ria were the ones who reassured them by once again affirming the loyalty of the clones to Rika.

But of course, all this was not enough to calm the most turbulent people, that’s when the call from the President came…

Honestly, it’s not surprising that he intervenes at this point, so much attention is on us right now, both from within and from outside the Borkian Confederation. He can’t really stay silent…

She lets out a sigh.

Well, at least it looks like I’m not the most stressed one here…

Rika looked to her right, unable to hide the small smile on her face. There stood a fidgeting Licia and a calm looking Ria.

“Where did all your confidence from before go, Licia?” She asked in a teasing tone, hoping some light teasing would help her vent out a bit of stress.

“I-I mean, he’s still the president in the end, right?” Licia blurted out helplessly.

“Exactly, which means you need to be careful. For all we know the worst scenario could happen.”

“Ugh…” Licia grunted at Rika’s words, while Rika did not mean to put pressure on the sixteen year old looking girl, she had to admit that she found her current behavior quite amusing. She was just like her mother, Ticia, on that part.

“You need to calm down, eldest sister.” Rika said calmly from the side.

“I-I know. Rather, how come you’re so calm Ria!?”

“It is a matter of fact. I cannot allow myself to panic.”

“But you’re in the same state as your sister though.” 

“Eh?”

Rika’s comment made Ria freeze up while Licia looked confused.

“I’m perfectly calm though?”

“There’s no need to hide it, I know your habits.” Rika shook her head, pointing towards Ria’s right hand. She had been tapping on the side of the window with her index finger ever since they entered the car. Rika had noticed this was one of Ria's habits when she was overthinking something.

“Ugh… Well, yes, you’re right, I’m a bit stressed out right now…” The second Null admitted, looking slightly embarrassed.

Geez, she doesn’t need to act older than her age with me, but it’s just how she is in the end. Rika thought, a wry smile on her face. She was happy she’d grown this close to Ria now that the latter even showed weakness to her.

“Heeee? Is that so? Fufu…” Seemingly having understood something, Licia smiled, looking at her little sister with a knowing smile.

“W-what is it, eldest sister?”

“Nothing, I'm just glad to know you’re just as tense as me. Come on, let me help you relax a bit.” She suddenly made a tickle attack on Ria.

“Hya!?” Ria jumped.  “Wh-what the hell sis!? You know I’m ticklish there! This is revenge!” She said, before launching her own tickling attack.

“Kya! Now you’ve done it!”

Both of them began a round of tickling. Rika looked at the two clone girls with a smile on her face. By now, the two sisters' bickering had become a habit.

“Letting out stress is good and all, but be careful not to mess your clothes.” She warned them lightly, which made the both of them stop in their tracks.

““Ah, of course, general.”” They both said, settling down and verifying the state of their clothes with slight embarrassment on their face.

That was exactly what I needed. Now I can tackle anything. 

Rika looked outside once again as the landscape shifted. They weren’t in the city anymore, but an isolated villa area with beautiful landscapes. This was one of the Government’s private areas. It was designed as a form of vacation location where officials could rest while still working if necessary.

From what she knew, the president of the Borkian Confederation had been residing here since the beginning of his current mandate.

It was an odd choice as it isolated the usually very active president from other sieges of the Borkian Government, most notably the Senate, but it could also be said to be the most secure place ever since this place would only be staffed with the President’s own men.

Rika had a lot of questions, but she could not skim on them. She needed to settle as much as possible of the situation before Ticia returned.

She’ll be back tomorrow apparently.

She had received a call from Ticia this morning. She told her the clones had managed to improve the pace of space travel of her ship. 

After a while, the car slowly came to a stop in front of the biggest villa in the area.

“We’ve arrived at our destination.” Atrax-ia said through the speakers. She had been remotely piloting the car herself.

Rika nodded. She looked at her escort of four ECGs before looking at Licia and Ria. Both nodded back at her. They all came out of the car.

“It’s quite a big residence.” Ria said to no one in particular.

“The security looks strong too, hmmm, how would we get out of here if there’s a problem?” Licia commented out loud as she took in the sight before her. This got her a light elbow hit from her younger sister.

“Don’t just say that out loud, idiot.”

“Oh, ooops.”

“Shall we do as we said before?” Atrax-ia asked one last time through an earpiece Rika had.

“Yes.”

“Roger that, I shall try to sneak in to get some information and record your whole conversation with anyone from here on.”

Rika nodded before removing the earpiece so as to not raise any suspicion. If anything happened, Atrax-ia would sound a discreet alarm on Rika’s wristwatch.

Soon after they walked away from the car, they were surrounded by journalists.

“Brigadier-General Rika! What do you think the President is consulting you for?”

“Any news on the position of your clone force, General?”

“Miss Unkillable Valkyrie, do you think you should be granted a place in the war office?”

“Who are the clones you brought with you to this meeting?”

“I am sorry, I do not know more than you. Please excuse us.”

Rika skillfully avoided the questions from the journalists but they still blocked her way. She would need the ECGs to open the path for her.

Just as she was about to silently give the order however, she heard a voice from behind…

“I’ve been waiting for you, Rika.”

Rika froze. A sour taste filled her mouth as she controlled her facial muscles, trying not to grimace. As if time had stopped, the usually noisy journalists all quietened down.

She turned, facing two men. One in his prime and the other in his middle teens.

“...Mr Doesson.” She said in the most neutral tone she could muster.

“How cold, is this how you greet your father now? I did so much for you, my heart is hurt…” Her father, Davie Doesson, let out a sigh of sadness. Well, at least that’s how it looked to the journalists. Rika knew better. He was faking it.

He planned this. She thought with disgust.

Her father, Davie Doesson, was an amazing actor who knew how to control his emotions. Rika had been fooled more than once by his façade, until he snapped at her one time. From then on she realized his caring side was just an act… 

“Sup sister! How have you been?” Unlike the well mannered Davie, his son, Rika’s brother, was genuinely happy to see her. But his interest towards his sister immediately disappeared once he saw the Null CGs standing quietly on guard on each side of Rika, no emotions on their faces. “Oh? Hey Hey, these two girls are cute, can I have one?”

“No.” Rika’s answer was immediate and cold.

“Aww come on, you can keep one if you want.”

“They’re not toys.”

“Unfair! Dad! Dad! I want one! Tell sister to give me one!” Dannie then began to throw a tantrum like a kid.

“...I told you to call me father outside.” Davie said back in a soft yet severe tone that made his son freeze in place.

“Yes, father…” He became quiet, but did not stop looking towards Licia and Ria.

He’s as dumb as ever. This is what happens when you spoil someone too much. Rika sighed in her head. Well, not like I’m one to talk. If it wasn’t for my sudden enrollment into the army, I’d be as spoiled as he is, if not worse…

“I don’t know if you’ve been told about your mother.”

“Yes, I know.” Rika replied to her father's words.

“Then why didn’t you come to her funeral?” He said reproachfully.

Cause she isn’t dead. She wanted to tell him with a defiant smile on her face, but held back. 

While she wanted to see the look on their faces and make them look dumb in front of the journalists, her mother’s plan needed her to be oblivious of the situation.

It’s a good thing the Doesson family sucks when it comes to gathering intel. They don’t have many allies after all.

“I was busy. Besides, I’ve cut ties with you all.” She replied shortly.

“That’s not an excuse. The least you could have done is show a sign of mourning.”

“Yeah. Grandpa- I mean, Grandfather is pissed.” 

“Dannie.” Davie once again softly rebuked his son, before looking at Rika in the eyes. “So, at least come see her grave. We’ve put hers right next to her parents.”

The audacity! Rika fumed. If her mother was there, there’s no doubt she would have slapped Davie by now. The Eiko’s couple, Meiko’s parents, had a small, common grave far from the main sepulture of the Doesson family. Meiko was the only one taking care of it, and there weren’t even any corpses inside!

“I’ll see when I have time.” She said briefly.

“We need a date now, so that we can prepare for your ‘return’.”

“You wouldn’t tell us a lie, would you sister?”

“...” Rika looked around her. The journalists were analyzing every bit of her muscle movements. They were like greedy birds of prey looking for a tasty meal. She couldn’t afford any errors right now, else her popularity with the common people, one of her main sources of power, might crumble…

“...General, we need to go, the president is waiting.” Ria said from the side, giving her a life-saving hook.

“Yes. Sorry, but I can’t answer now. Of course I want to pay my respect to my mother, but I still have matters that take priority for the sake of the confederation.” She nodded to Ria and answered to her father. Putting a lot of strength into the last words. 

No one can say anything if I turn it like that.

It worked. Davie slowly nodded.

“...Of course, you can’t make our great president wait after all.”

“I’ll send you a mail with my answer, would that be enough?”

“We’ll be waiting then.”

“Wait, what about my hot girl, sister?!” Dannie shouted just as Rika turned to take the path the ECGs had just opened for her through the crowd.

““Never.”” Both Licia and Ria replied coldly.

“Screw you, I didn’t ask you!” Dannie said back, pulling his tongue.

“Let’s go.”

““Yes, General.””

“Hey!”

At Rika’s words, both girls followed her. Dannie raised his voice, but his father put a hand on his shoulder.

“Dannie, enough. Stop making a fuss.”

“But you have so many women, dad! Why not me?”

““...””

Now that’s a bit of information I didn’t have! Nice one brother! 

Due to Dannie’s sudden words, all the journalists' eyes were now on Davie. They smelled a very interesting drama scoop and now wanted more. 

“...You’ll get one eventually.”

“Really? Thank you father!”

In the end, Davie ended up having to deal with not only his son but the journalists, which left ample time for Rika and her group to escape.

After they had put some distance, the Nulls spoke up.

“That was horrible.”

“You’ve been living with people like that, Rika?”

“Yeah…” Rika nodded to Licia’s question, though she held back from saying she was similar to Dannie in the past…

Only Ticia knows how bad I was. The others are either dead or… well, probably dead, only those like Riley are doing well, but I was already somewhat changed when I entered the academy anyway.

The only moment when her bad personality came back in full blow was when she encountered Ticia for the first time. Thinking back on the past, Rika could not help but be bitter. She couldn’t say she was different from the Doesson duo they just met, though things had changed drastically…

“It seems they’re still after you, and us.” Licia said, to which Ria nodded and added.

“Yes, but there’s not much to worry about, that plan has been progressing well after all.”

They did not mention what ‘that plan was’, since they all knew. Meiko had been moving in the background, preparing her own vengeance. Rika had left it entirely to her after hearing her plan.

Soon the Doesson family will lose everything…

“Still, maintaining a level of wariness is necessary.” She said out loud, to which the two Nulls nodded. They continued on the path towards the villa, but just as they arrived at the door, someone came out…

“Field Marshal Twill.” Rika straightened, making a short salute.

“Brigadier-General Rika.” Barry Twill saluted back, before asking for a handshake. Since this was normal protocol between officers, Rika took it. There were still a few reporter’s cameras on them after all.

Neither the Nulls nor the ECGs saluted the old Field Marshall however, staying true to their words. They did not consider him as ‘their’ leader after all. Barry glanced at the clones who showed no emotions briefly, but did not comment, he lit up a cigar instead.

“I’ve got some good news for ya. There’ll be a rotation of units on the front, your allies will be put on reserve for now.” He said in a low voice as he began to smoke.

Rika was surprised. She did not expect the old field marshall to start a small talk, nor bring her good news. She simply nodded at his words, expecting some kind of trap.

“Haa, I wish I could send someone as competent as you on the front, but that’s beyond my jurisdiction right now.” Barry let out a sigh seemingly frustrated.

Now that I give him a proper look, it looks like he aged about ten years. Must be tough being at the head of an army… Rika thought.

The old field marshall looked tired, which wasn’t a surprise? The news from the front were not particularly good recently. 

After the dismantling of Escort and Guard units, Barry took some emergency measures to patch things up. While he managed to keep most of the Escorts and some Guards units, a good amount of the latter enlisted en masse in private military companies or security units created by senators, which meant not only a loss of power for himself but also a drain of manpower for the frontlines.

Not only that, a few former Escort units deserted, some even joined the other side. One of the biggest criticisms he received was his failure in preventing the desertions and letting them go, since desertion of entire units to the enemy had been such a rare case before. 

Some people began to demand harsher measures. They advocated for the decimation of deserter units, or those who were suspected of having such thoughts. Barry Twill stood firm against them however, playing the deaf ear.

While it looked like the Borkian lines would end up destroying themselves under a planned Ionian assault, Barry somehow managed to save the situation and showed restrained measures that proved efficient at preventing more desertions. Still, he was still held responsible by the Senators, who knew nothing about war.

What he has achieved is nothing but a miracle. Really, those people don’t get how much they owe him. 

With the current situation, it would not be strange for Barry to request raising more troops or to raise the army budget. While he had done the latter, he had yet to do the former. He had instead delayed requested rotations from frontline units to the back. Although there was most certainly the possibility of political shenanigans, Rika knew this would be untenable in the long term, which forced Barry Twill to apply the same conditions to everyone, even his own troops.

It was a temporary fix, and Rika was sure the old field marshall knew that…

“Excuse me for saying, sir, but what about General Fika?” She said, implying he should send his protegee.

“Ah, yes, of course. Fika…” Barry nodded, his face looked a bit clouded for some reason. He let out another sigh. “I wish I could send him, but some people in the senate are blocking it.”

“I see…”

“Well, that’s something for the president and my staff to deal with, you just go on ahead, don’t make the president wait too long.” He ended up saying, patting one of Rika’s shoulders with one of his big rugged hands before leaving. The action itself nearly triggered the clone girls into action, but rationality overtook their judgement. There was after all no malevolent intention behind this act.

Rika remained quiet, trying to understand the field marshall’s intent.

It’s weird, he did not request me to commit my new army…

The fact that he did not mention the whole ‘Clone Crisis’ was surprising to Rika to say the least. She had expected him to make a move and try to take over this new army…

Something changed it seems…

Before Rika could continue her train of thought, someone called out to her.

“Brigadier-General Rika, we’ve been expecting you. Please follow me.”

She looked towards the origin of the voice and was more than surprised when she saw a child in her early teens standing there in a suit. The girl looked no more than 12 years old…

Without giving Rika the time to even ask who the child was, she began moving towards the villa’s entrance.

The Nulls gave Rika a look, asking for what to do. Rika nodded and they all followed after the girl.

The hallway of the villa was richly decorated, but that was about the only thing about the setting that caught the eyes of the group.

There was another noticeable matter that caught the group’s attention instead.

“...There aren’t many people around.” Rika said to no one in particular, hoping for their little guide to answer by herself, which she did.

“That is normal. Mr President only has the minimum staff here.” She said matter of factly, but did not delve further on the matter. Rika decided not to pursue further.

They continued in silence for a bit longer before they reached a door guarded by two men in armored skinsuits.

“This is where we part ways.” The young girl said. “The president is in his office. Please leave your weapons here before entering.” 

Rika nodded. She took her pistol and put it on the nearby table, not too far from reach. The two Null CGs hesitated before doing the same after Rika sent them a look. The ECGs guarding them were going to do the same, but before they and the Nulls finished, the young girl spoke again.

“Your guards shall also remain here.”

Licia and Ria immediately sent glances towards Rika. It was their request to come along with her. They had been rather insistent on the subject and would not back down. Since Ticia had allowed it, she took them with her, but she did get a small protest from Lidia, who just wanted to tag along with her for protection…

It’s not like I could bring the twelve of them either though. Sorry Lidia.

“These two are my aides.” Rika said to the young girl while pointing to the two first Null CGs.

“Ah, yes, of course they can come with you.” The girl nodded as if she had expected it. 

Both Licia and Ria seemed satisfied with the authorisation to tag along. They smiled a little, finished putting aside their weapon, before joining Rika. Once they were unarmed, the guards opened the door for them.

As soon as they entered the room, they closed the door behind them.

Rika took in the sight before her. The room they were in was spacious, yet there were no windows.. Instead, there were displays that made it look like the room had large windows leading to the outside. They showed the view of a gorgeous garden with flowers of flamboyant colors.

The room itself also did not lack greenery, in fact, there were quite a lot of plants decorating the room. Their flowery smell merged with the natural smell of the room, but Rika also noticed the smell of medicine.

In the center of the room was a huge wooden desk filled with computers and paper files. Behind it, seated on a wheelchair was George Rollers, the president of the Borkian Confederation.

His skinny pale look screamed of someone who should go rest instead of working, he looked even more ill and tired than the last time Rika met him. The man was so focused on his work that he had not noticed the newcomers to his office, or at least feigned to do so. 

“...Mr. President.” Rika said out loud and saluted, finally breaking the man out of his work.

“Ah, Brigadier-General Rika, welcome. We have a lot to discuss.” He said with a smile, showing with his hand the seats in front of his desk. Rika tensely nodded and sat on one of the seats. At least for now it looked like there was no danger, in fact the president seemed amicable, though that very well could be just a facade…

George Rollers' gaze then fell on Licia and Ria, who stood behind Rika with faces void of emotions. He smiled amiably to them.

“I see you’ve brought some aides with you, good, good… *cough cough*!” Just as he gestured for them to sit, he began to cough violently. Rika noticed some blood on his hand as he coughed. She got up, trying to get some help, but the president raised his hand.

“Don’t bother, I’m ok.” He said as his coughs came to an end. He took out some sort of mask from below the desk and took a few breaths in. He was clearly taking medicine.

Rika and the Null CGs observed the scene in silence.

I knew the president looked ill, but I didn’t know it was this grave…

Rika began to understand why the president appeared less and less to the public. His health kept deteriorating it seems…

“...What do you wish to discuss with me, Mr. President?” 

Noticing the fact that the president did not seem to want to talk much about his health condition, Rika went straight to the matter at hand.

“The future of the confederation.” The president said back after removing his breathing mask. He looked straight at Rika with a serious tone. “I’ll be direct, won’t you consider becoming the next president?”

“Sorry?” Rika blurted out in confusion. It took her a moment to process what the president just said.

What did he just say? He wants me to be the next president? Why?

Rika could not help but be suspicious. She knew George Rollers was a political fox. He had been in politics for so long that Rika could not help but feel the president now wanted to use her to achieve his goals.

I’m not doing that.

“With all due respect, Mr. President, I do not have any interest in the presidency.” She said in a careful yet respectful tone.

As if already expecting this answer, the president nodded.

“I know, I know… The reason why I am suggesting it to you is because of the current situation our confederation is in…” He said ambiguously.

“You mean, the War with the Ionian Republic, Mr. President?” Rika said, pointing to the most obvious matter and feigning ignorance about anything else.

“Well, that’s part of it I suppose. But I was referring to the internal situation.” George Rollers said back, a complicated look on his face as he tried not to show signs of weakness. “Ever since the Borkian-Pellian war, it has taken a worrying turn…”

“What exactly do you mean by that, Mr. President?”

“You know exactly what I mean, Brigadier-General. We cannot say the current internal matters of the Borkian Federation are stable, can we?” The president asked knowingly. Rika could not play dumb anymore if he pointed it out like this.

“Moreover, some outsiders are taking advantage of the situatio-*cough cough cough!*”

“Mr President!?”

Again, the president of the Borkian Confederation coughed. It seemed worse than before this time as he began bleeding from the nose and his eyes turned red. Rika got up from her seat again. If this continued, she was scared people would accuse her of having done something to the president, like poisoning.

Once again however, George Rollers stopped her with a wave of his skinny hand. He once again took out the breather mask from under the desk. He breathed in a bit, before looking at Rika with a dead serious  look.

“I don’t have much time left.” He said with a grim tone, before taking another breath from the mask before continuing. “Brigadier-General, the reason you did what you have is because you have some people you want to protect, right?”

“...Yes.” Rika was a bit surprised by the question, but answered honestly.

“Then let me give you some advice. Don’t trust the one who is backing you right now.” George Rollers warned. “That person is trying to be sneaky, but I know what their plan is for the Confederation. He wouldn’t have gone as far as he did without outside support.”

So that’s what it was about…

Rika nearly let out a sigh of relief. The health situation of the president spooked her, but it seemed like this was not the matter at hand. The president was more worried about keeping the status quo.

Honestly, that person is suspicious. She thought back on the mysterious backer that had helped her and Ticia. Their only contact point had been the cavalry officer Rowla since then…

“...Do you know who he is?” She asked.

“Yes, it’s the deputy of the minister of the army.” George Rollers said back.

“I see… Thank you for this information.” Rika said. She did not know who that person was, but she would ask Atrax-ia to investigate once they left the office. 

The president had clearly told her this information in exchange for a favor, which she guessed was what the president mentioned just before: her becoming president.

“But why do you want me to be the next president?” She asked.

“Simply put, you’re the least worst option for the Confederation, though I doubt it would survive even with you at the helm. If you want a more concrete answer, it’s because the one behind the academy is backing you, simple as that.” The president answered in one breath before putting on his mask again. Once Rika had nodded slowly to his words, he continued. “Besides, I don’t believe you’re a person greedy for power, nor do you wish for radical changes. You just wish to survive, don’t you?”

“Yes, this is what we want.”

“Licia.”

Before Rika could answer, Licia did for her. Rika reprimanded the eldest null CG with a slightly harsh tone, but Licia replied with a serious look.

“Sorry Rika, but let us handle it here.”

“...I see, so, you’re not the one in charge.” Seemingly having understood something, George Rollers muttered out loud. This made Rika panic.

“Well, I am-”

“Rika is in charge of us, we have an agreement. She’s part of our family, and we don’t leave family behind.”

“Ria…”

Ria cut her off and explained herself. Rika was kind of touched by the words from the second Null CG, who showed strong conviction.

…I see… So they planned this huh? Rika thought. These girls, it looks like they’re planning something. I’ll need to ask them more details later.

Rika was not against them planning their own things. In fact, she thought it was a good thing. At first she had thought the girls simply wanted to tag along so that they could learn to familiarize themselves in diplomatic affairs, but it seems like this was not their only goal. The two Nulls were clearly conscious of their position and that they would be leaders in the near future…

No, they are leaders. They want to prove they can do things on their own for the safety of their family.

Rika decided to let them go on.

“So, how can we trust you?” Licia asked, a serious look on her face.

“Heh, you’re quite direct, young one. *Cough cough*.” George Rollers let out a chuckle that finished in coughs.  “As you can see, I am a dying man. It’s a terminal illness, I’m basically done for, so I have nothing to lose.”

“Lies. You wouldn’t have called us if so.” Ria pointed out, her tone mirroring the one of Licia.

George Rollers did not seem annoyed by her tone, in fact, he seemed amused.

“You're a sharp one, aren’t you?” He said, a smile on his face. He pushed a button on his desk. “Annabelle.”

Not sooner had he said that, the door opened and the teenage girl from earlier appeared.

“You called, Mr President?” Annabelle asked, tilting her head. The president weakly beckoned her to approach with his hand. She obeyed.

“This is Annabelle, my illegitimate grandchild.” He said as he put a hand on Annabelle’s shoulder. “What I ask is simple. Just make sure she has a peaceful life.”

Rika was surprised. From what she knew, George Rollers had no descendants anymore. His son died a few years ago during the Borkian-Pellian war.

“Grandfather?” Annabelle also showed surprise, although she caught herself and quickly went back to her neutral, professional look.

The president continued.

“Currently, she occupies the lowest deputy position in my cabinet, which is separate from the ministry cabinet held by the prime minister. Fortunately, no one knows our relationship.”

“Isn’t she a bit too young to hold that position though?” Licia pointed out, a frown on her face.

Like you’re one to talk, Licia. Rika wanted to point out, but held back. There was no use in saying Licia was less than a year old right now…

“Meh, nothing a few bribes can’t fix. Besides, she’s capable despite her age.” George Roller replied. “For now, I’ll keep her by my side, but once things turn south, take her into your care. Please.”

I see, so he is human in the end… Rika thought. The death of the president’s son might have affected him more than Rika and people thought, as he had shown no sorrow…

But something told her that he was serious this time.

This would leave us with a ‘hostage’ in case we want to ask for something…

Licia looked towards Rika for approval, Ria had already shown willingness to accept by nodding slightly. Rika smiled a little, even though the two CGs had decided to take the lead, they still needed her approval in the end. She gave a small nod.

“I see. I guess we can do that.” Licia replied to George Rollers.

“Thank you.”

“Is that all?”

“Yes. Quite frankly, I know there is no saving the Confederation at this point, so this is the only thing I can ask for.” George rollers said in an honest tone that surprised even Annabelle. “I’ve already asked Field Marshall Twill to stop pursuing you, and I’ll use my authority to give you and the other clones special legal status, that should help keep the Senate at bay for a while…”

“...That would certainly be helpful.” Rika said back, smiling. This was an unexpected gain…

“Just so you know, Field Marshall Twill isn’t one of your enemies anymore.” George Rollers told them.

“What exactly do you mean by that?” Ria asked back.

“That old man isn’t an idiot.” The president replied with a sense of familiarity towards the old field marshall. “While he will grab more power if he sees an opportunity, he’s more concerned with keeping his current position. Right now he lost a lot of influence due to the war dragging on and some inside matters, but he’s still the top dog of the military. Most of the troops are loyal to him. Well, ‘were’... Still, he holds strong authority. He happens to owe me a few favors, I’d recommend meeting him in person for a private meeting. I can arrange that, but it’s up to you all.”

“We’ll consider it.” Licia replied quickly. Obviously, the Nulls weren’t keen on the idea, which Rika completely understood. 

It’s hard to tell us the guy behind most of the troublesome people who have been harassing us isn’t an enemy anymore. However, this is politics. We might need to bite our lips and cooperate if we want to get through this… Rika thought. Also, I’d like him to get Fika away from me.

“Very well then, that’s already more than enough.” Sensing that this was a touchy subject, George Rollers did not insist. “The special status I intend to grant you is similar to the one the Guard Units had, it’s within my power to grant it to you. Your ‘backer’ has actually requested for me to grant you and the clones this authority. Even though there might be some grumbling here and there, I think they’ll do the necessary to shush the senate, so you don't have to worry much about it.”

“What about Mr Mayers? You summoned him too, right?” Rika asked, thinking of her ally.

“Ah, yes, he is the leader of the Pacifist Pellian Movement after all. There’s been reports of sabotage against our troops within the Pellian system. A revolt in the Pellian system is the least thing we need right now…” George Rollers said back reassuringly. Rika thought about the situation. Certainly, if a revolt were to happen in the Pellian system right now, then the already stretched out Borkian Military would not be able to answer swiftly. This might give ideas to other independentist movements throughout the Borkian Confederation…

Just as Rika was thinking about the risks and possibilities, George Rollers began to cough once again. This time however, his coughs worsened. Annabelle helped him. She gave him his respiratory mask and he stabilized.

 “...Looks like time’s up.” He muttered before looking towards Rika.  “About the presidency, I won’t force you to give me an answer now. I’ll keep contact with you through Annabelle. Since she’s already attached to the academy thanks to the youth selective act, she can move without raising too much suspicion. Once you come up with a decision, tell her, but know that you’re on a time limit, I can’t fight this disease forever.”

“Understood. Then, we’ll be going, President.” Rika said, stood up, and saluted. Licia and Ria also stood up and nodded in acknowledgement.

“Annabelle, lead them please.”

“Yes, Mr. President.” Annabelle nodded at the president’s words. She took the lead once again and led the group outside the villa. She remained quiet all the way, no doubt she had her own thoughts on the matter, like Rika and her group.

“Well, that was unexpected.” Licia blurted out once no one was around.

“You don’t say.” Ria replied, sighing.

“Still, it’s a win for us, right?” Licia said in a somewhat happy mood, to which Ria nodded back.

“You two…” Rika directed her gaze towards the two Nulls. 

“Sorry Rika.” Licia apologized. “But we want to be more involved from now on. This is also our future.”

“We can’t rely on you and mom all the time.” Ria added. “We also have our own thoughts about the situation and our own vision for the future. We want you to take that into consideration.”

Rika sighed. It was normal the Nulls would want their words in this now that they had grown up.

“Well, I don’t mind that much, but you better tell me before acting suddenly like that. You spooked me for a moment.”

““Understood.”” They nodded, though Rika had a slight feeling such an event might happen once again in the future. 

They walked away from the door and were soon swarmed again by journalists. 

“Brigadier-General Rika! What can you tell us from your meeting with the president?”

“Will you be sent to the frontline?”

“Has Mr. President given you a position in the war office?”

“What about your clone army? Can you tell us some details?”

“I apologize, all information from this meeting is confidential. You will hear more from the president’s office later.” Rika said professionally while the Nulls and the ECGs once again cleared a path for her to advance.

They made it up to the road, where a black car was waiting for them. it was of course Atrax-ia.

No sooner had they entered that the AI spoke up.

“Sorry, I lost contact with your group right after you separated from the ECGs. Looks like a huge amount of firewalls were put in place to block any possible communication devices. If I tried to breach them, I’d be noticed…”

“I understand. Don't worry, nothing happened, but I need to talk to Ticia ASAP. Schedule a meeting as soon as possible, and also contact Mr. Mayers. I need to tell him a few things.” 

“Understood.”

“I can handle Mr. Mayers if you want.” Licia said from the side.

“...You just want an excuse to have some time with Evelyn, don’t you?” Ria said back with a frown.

“T-that’s not true at all!”

“Thank you Licia, but I need to handle this one myself.”

“Oh, ok…”

Rika declined Licia’s help not because she did not trust the girl, but because she estimated she had to be the one to contact him in the absence of Ticia.

Licia seemed sad, which made Ria sigh in exasperation.

“Geez, you’ll see her tomorrow at the academy, so stop the sad act, eldest sister.”

“What? Are you jealous your older sister wants to have time with someone else?” Licia replied with a knowing smile, which made Ria huff as she turned her head away, arms crossed.

“Nope, that just means I can have Ticinia and Vinia all by myself after all.”

“Ah! Not fair!”

Rika smiled at the two girls’ habits. It amazed her how they could switch from serious mode to decontracted mode this easily. She wondered if Ticia could do the same…

She looked at the view from the car’s window. 

The meeting did not last long, but a lot happened.

First, the Doessons had shown up on Borkian Prime. While one of their main reasons seemed to be Rika herself, she could not help but feel they were after something else. She would need to investigate that matter.

Second, the Twill faction and the old field marshall. Rika still had doubts whether they could trust him in the first place. For anything to go forward, she’d first like for the field marshall to reign in the most agitated people from his faction as well as moving David Fika far away from her. Any additional compensation for the hurt he did to them would have to be discussed with Ticia.

Last and most importantly, was the president. Rika still had a hard time believing he wanted her to succeed him. Not only had she never thought of taking the presidency, but it also felt like something she was not fit to. Still, George Rollers gave them a lot of information in exchange, as if to entice them. They would need to slowly analyse and verify everything he said, though they were on a time limit..

If he truly is dying, then the situation will turn for the worse as he said…

The death of the president would provoke early elections in this time of war. Political instability would also appear because of the lack of a clear successor. Perhaps this was why he wanted her as his successor. This would make Rika his protégé and he would put his resources behind her. On one hand this would be a good thing for both Ticia and Rika, but on the other hand…

The situation might just escalate…

There was no guarantee other parties would just accept her. Rika represented a threat to other competitors and her own clone army. No one exactly knew what her policy would be, and worries would emerge.

In this instability senators would oppose her. It might lead to coup attempts and rebellions. In the chaos, some recently conquered worlds, such as the Pellian system, would flat out enter into a war of independence.

Rika tapped the tip of her left index finger on the window. Never had she thought she would be involved this deep into a political crisis.

Depending on the outcome, it could be beneficial for her, Ticia and Ticia’s daughters, or be the end of them all…

The president had made a gamble trusting her, now the ball was in her and Ticia’s camp. What should they do?

“Looks like the political scene will be hectic for quite a while…”