Wise Anathema

[SpacingOutMan]

[i]"Intriguing..."[/i] a voice murmured from the veiled darkness surrounding a dimly lit table.

[i]"Given recent events, our military capacity has been hashed due to economic upheaval given our rather radical agenda. There needs to be a way to--"[/i]

[i]"What, appease the people? The people are our pawns to serve the greater cause of this nation. You, of all people, must recognize this. That [b]is[/b] the damned pointed of the Ecclesiarch; to brainwash and conform the people, Nicholas,"[/i] the same voice interrupted.

[i]"Cain, your words are too brash. Without pawns to play with, the king and queen are too exposed. They are the foundation of the Ecclesiarch and the Ordo Regis at large. In time it will be universally accepted and once that time comes, we will emerge from our hibernating rest,"[/i] the Minister of the Interior intelligently responded.

[i]"Ha, we will see how the international community responds to that; likely it will consist of an apathetic nature, but who knows!"[/i] Victor smugly called out, pushing himself into the airy light reflecting off of the table.

[i]"Vincenzo, what say you?"[/i] Nicholas called out.

[i]"What does he have to say? He is a descendant of a failed nation that held great potential but buckled under the pressures of internal unrest and lack of convictions. He is a dog and--"[/i]

[i]"You ought to hold your tongue, Cain, else I will rip it from your throat,"[/i] the young Minister of Defense curtly responded.

[i]"Oh, I'd love to see you try, boy,"[/i] the Minister of War proudly touted, revealing his caricature in the light.

[i]"Maybe another day when more pressing matters need not be attended to. In the meantime, the time is ripe for our involvement. Wouldn't you agree, Victor?"[/i]

[i]"Aye, indeed, I would. Nicholas, are you ready?"[/i]

[i]"Mmmm, I was ready from the start of this regime. We shall be the wise anathema people grow to respect and love, even if we must force it upon them. That is the only path to reach total efficiency and our goals as a nation. For the Emperor!"[/i]

The other three men immediately cried out, [i]"For the Emperor!"[/i]

[i]"And so our nation rebirths,"[/i] Vincenzo muttered under his voice.

[SpacingOutMan]

[font="Courier New"][b][3 Days Later][/b]
0800 HRS
Security Bunker Outside Arbatax[/font]

[i]"Initiate Operation Proteus."[/i]

Only silence would respond, waning desperately in the dimmed central-operations room filled with no more than five individuals. Across the west wall a white light splashed against it, emerging from a center ceiling-mounted projector. Illuminated on the wall was a red number five, sitting idly alone with a certain ominous nature. But in a moment's notice, the number began to countdown. All eyes stared onto the screen. Four. Their hearts pumped zealous blood, pulsing adrenaline through their entire bodies. Three. Anticipation took the form of angst as their muscles tensed up, letting their stomachs sink into the pit of their bowels. Two. Eyes began to waiver, shaking steadily in place, focused on nothing more than the numbers above. One. Everything stopped. Their thoughts came to a grinding halt, hearts froze, muscles seized, lungs collapsed, and chills shot through every spine. Zero.

Such a harrowing number zero represents; it is the fundamental number. Yet now, the number zero caresses the fragility of life. And, perhaps, a desired mental revolution.

[i]"Inform High Lord Torqameda that Proteus has been initiated and contact Adeptus Arbites Group Sigma,"[/i] a stern voice commanded as three lower officers scrambled to their respective positions and began furiously typing and securing communication lines.

One specter stood idle behind the commanding officer, looming over him with general discrete. [i]"Colonel Caliosto, shall I mobilize my troop?"[/i] he quietly whispered.

[i]"Station your men just outside central square in Cagliari. When stage three of the operation commences, we will be counting on your swift action, Captain,"[/i] the Colonel monotonously replied.

[i]"Yes sir,"[/i] he immediately responded. He straightened his body and religiously saluted, proudly hailing, [i]"For the Emperor!"[/i]

The Colonel obliged with a similar salute. Quickly the Captain left the room as he pulled a cell phone from his pocket with a mental plan already in mind.

[SpacingOutMan]

Thirteen carefully selected men scurried down the moist cobble, pressing their bodies against the facade of the Cagliari Cathedral. [i]"Alright... place them,"[/i] a lone voice whispered as the entire group responded, revealing high explosive charges. Quickly they activated the detonators and calmly taped them to the edifice.

5 minutes.

[i]"Five minutes starts now. Twenty feet ahead, 1 minute charge."[/i] The men quietly menaced forward, revealing another set of explosive charges. However, instead of high explosives, they were breach explosives; they quickly fastened the explosives to the wall and chucked large bags of water out of their bags. After taping up the bags to the explosives they cleared a few feet and waited for the detonator to go off.

4 minutes.

Breathing heavily, their vapor danced with the air, smoking high into the alley's canopy.

3 minutes.

[i]"Clear!"[/i] An explosion ripped into the inside of the Cathedral, tossing debris and pews in every-which direction. Immediately the thirteen men rushed into the empty mass, instinctively donning close-quarter sub-machine guns. [i]"Team One, clear left. Team two, clear right. Team three, hold."[/i]

2 minutes.

The group immediately broke off into three groups as teams two and three cleared the wings, pattered gun shots muzzled by the still-drizzling debris from the explosion.

1 minute.

The two flank teams re-emerged from their wings, some spattered with faint blood. They all just stared at one another and in a brief moment, an explosion ripped into the side of the cathedral, consuming the living quarters of over five dozen seminary students. Agonizing screams poured into the mass as wincing survivors crawled out of their doomed rooms, half-incinerated or mutilated by the debris. However, as soon as they crawled from their engulfed Hell, Team three callously mowed them down in a hail of automatic fire. The glint of fire and destruction permeated in the corners of their eyes, not even flinching for a single second.