Learning to Dance

He got back in time to watch Headquarters explode.
The commanders were gathered around the strategy
room’s viewscreen. Up knew it was too late the moment he
saw the orange plumes unfurl across the screen, the thick
grey smoke clouding the satellite images, the shattering
boom hit his eardrums. They’d actually done it. He couldn’t
believe it.
Some of the commanders watched the screen avidly, or
with a sort of grim determination. Others were looking
firmly at the floor. Dr. Claw watched calmly, his robotic
hands propping up his chin.
“How many Rangers?” Up said darkly. The other
commanders turned to see him, framed in the doorway,
dripping wet, his uniform slashed and hanging in tatters.
Some wouldn’t meet his eyes.
“Commander Up, how good of you to finally join us,”
Dr. Claw said warmly. “That must have been some detour
you took.”
“How many?” he repeated, this time directing his
question at Commander Li, who at least had the grace to
look upset at the horror unfolding – the horror they’d
unleashed.
“Five hundred and fifty seven,” she said. “Eighty-eight
of whom were high-ranking officers.” Our superiors, her
eyes said, though she didn’t say it out loud.
“It didn’t have to be like this,” Up said.
Dr. Claw opened his mouth, but it was Commander Li
who spoke. “But it did, Up,” she said. “Dr. Claw is right –
we’ve been losing this war for hundreds of years now. It’s
time to turn things around. We should have done this a long
time ago.”
He looked at them all, friends and colleagues, and saw
them solemnly agreeing with her. Dr. Claw sat in the