Carlos Benitez D.I.D

[Carlos_Benitez]

Sunset.
The orange orb illuminating the sky fell beneath the dark ash mountains, and the colour of the sky chnged gradually from orange and green, to a deep brown.
A purple vein pulsed in Carlos' neck. Stress.
He found himself sitting at his desk, once again, in his office at Myrtos Villa. He poured over a coded transmission his brothers had intercepted.
Sent from the leader of the OPG to the Brotherhood, it contained specific details of a plan to betray him.
For months, Carlos' closest brothers, Zavier, Jose and Chico had worked tirelessly towards creation of a new ruling body for Planet Crete. Dedicated to the freedom and equality of honourable Corsair warriors, the new Senate would have been a testament to the Corsair's might and dedication to justice and freedom for their people.
For months, his hermanos had laboured and negotiated in attempts to make a number of stubborn warlords subscribe to the doctrine that would have allowed all Corsair peoples to stand together united under a fair democracy.
However, the transmission on Carlos' display had crushed all hope for such an achievement. The warlords who had had control previous to the negotiations had made a pact with the Benitez' supposed allies. The pact described that the two parties would band together their military power and use it to supress all who might oppose the government they would create.
The battle had been lost.
Carlos sat back in his chair and closed his eyes. The hum of the ships arriving and leaving the base melted away as Carlos retreated into his mind.
Since shortly after he awoke from the coma, Carlos had been using this technique, suggested by one of the doctors, to clear his mind and help him recapture lost memories.
But, in the deepest recesses of his mind, Carlos sensed something. A whispering, a quiet voice.
Carlos dismissed it as just a part of his subconscious, but as he fell deeper into his meditative state, the voice became louder.

"You have failed, Carlos."
Carlos ignored the voice, and concentrated on his meditation.
"Failed to make the senate. Failed to be the voice of the silent masses"
It was distracting. Carlos addressed the voice with his concious mind.
"I'm down, but I'm not out. They will listen to reason."
The voice argued back.
"You're mission is over. Your credibility and dignity destroyed. You feel this."
Was this part of the process? Carlos replied.
"I'm not beaten yet, and neither are the familia. They'll never give up.
"You're fighting a losing battle. Why don't you go to Montoya's house now, and give yourself up."
"Why would I do that?" Carlos asked. The voice answered.
"They'll have you executed. Surrender to them and you may be allowed to live.
"This isn't civil war, and they're not savages. Anyway, no part of me would ever submit to that. Why would I?"
The voice replied; louder, colder.
"It would please US."

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