Weapons of choice

"They'll make you their bitches because they can," he said softly. "I've served with some of those men. They're older than you in ways you can't even imagine. They've fought their whole lives. They've been making war while you have merely been preparing for war, pretending at war."

The lights surged up to full power again and he leaned back, rolling with the moment. "I don't really expect you to win today, gentlemen," he continued, outwardly somber. "You'd make your old man very happy if you did, of course. But I do expect you to improve. Dramatically. I expect you to learn from your training. And I expect that training to be carried out as though you are at war-and not just pretending. Because at war is where we may be, very soon."

"You think the Chinese will move in, sir?" Chen asked in a paper-thin attempt to deflect the old man's attention.

"I don't know what the Chinese will do, Lieutenant. But I'll prepare for the worst, and dare the good Lord to disappoint me," he said.

A fraction of a second later a pure, obsidian blackness swallowed them whole.

HMAS HAVOC, 1235 HOURS, 15 JANUARY 2021

Captain Harry Windsor was growing used to the relatively spacious surroundings of the submarine. She was a monster, stealthy and huge, kitted out to operate far from home, and for months at a time. Indeed, her clean fusion drive meant that were it not for the need to re-arm the torpedo bays and refill the galley, the Havoc could stay out indefinitely. The Aussies told him there had been even more room before a refit had crammed a bunch of cruise missiles into their video lounge.

Oh well, he thought. Things have gone pear-shaped all over.

He was just happy to have enough space to work through an abbreviated series of kata before a scrub-down and a feed. He could hear St. Clair rustling around behind him, making a god-awful racket, looking for Christ knows what.

Temper, temper. He was beginning to sound more like his grandfather-a famously cranky old bugger, as he recalled fondly.

Resettling his thoughts, he worked through a full suite of atemi waza, striking techniques from the Danzan jujitsu ryu. After a quarter hour during which the world contracted to the small circle in which he moved, he forced one last, great breath out from deep within his hara, bowed to the memory of his sensei and the spirits of the ryu, and cast around for Viv, who had disappeared.

Harry squeezed himself into the cramped unisex shower, washed quickly, and changed into a T-shirt and sweats. It would be a few more hours before the night's exercise began, and there was no point sitting around in his kit. He made his way through to the mess and found Sergeant St. Clair taunting an Australian submariner. They were discussing the chances of the locals rescuing the final cricket test of the 2021 series under the dome in Sydney. How sweet it is, thought Harry, to finally have a first eleven worth following after decades of humiliation. And that England's cricket revival should actually come Downunder… well, that was the sweetest victory of all.

"Guvnor, this idiot is offering two to one against our boys in Sydney," cried St. Clair. "True, it's only Australian money, but I think we're morally bound to relieve him of it anyway."

The Australian, an engineer at the end of his watch, grinned at Windsor like a hungry shark. "If your lordship would care to back his loyal subjects?"

God, but they do take the piss, Harry thought, as the lights dipped and the cook began cursing at his microwave oven. A short time later the lights returned to normal.

"Right, then," said Harry Windsor, old boy of Eton, captain of His Majesty's Special Air Service Regiment, and third in line to the British throne. "Let's see the color of your money, mate."

The engineer waved over a female petty officer to hold the bets. Carrying a mug of tea, she gave the young warrior prince twenty-five thousand watts of her smile as she bore down on him.

But before she could witness the bet, or make a move on His Studliness, the infinite dark consumed them all.

EAST TIMOR, ZONE TIME: 1238 HOURS, JANUARY 15, 2021

"Allahu akbar! Allahu akbar!"

Adil hammered out the ancient phrase, part supplication and part plea for the mercy of Almighty God, as he lay prostrate in the dust.

All around him the scrub was alive with screeching, panicking animals desperately attempting to flee the giant, swirling tsunami of light. It had filled the sky, perhaps the whole world, for just a second, but the afterimage would remain with Adil until he was old and wizened. Village children would gather at his feet decades from now, begging to be told the story of how Allah himself had cast the crusaders down into Hell.

He fumbled for the canvas pack that held the laser transmitter, still imploring God's mercy. His hands trembled so much he dropped the small device four times before regaining some measure of control over his actions.