“To Priestess Erada, we have received your report regarding recent events within the Nevali Region. We congratulate you on securing the Altaerrie personnel from Kallem Verliance. We believe the Temple of Light will be pleased by the knowledge of these humans.

Once the Temple is secured, we demand that all equipment and survivors be transported to Palonpulas as quickly as possible. Based on early mind reading from your mages, the Altaerrie seemed to be a dark, lightless world that believed in many false Gods. For us to continue to spread the ever-expanding Domain of our God's light, we will need to learn everything about them for their “future correction”.

For now, give the current Lord of the Aristocracy the usual treatment. Bless his troops for how the Krata is gazing upon them at this moment. That the Unity blessing is grand, and if they remove the sickened souls from their lands, their families will be touched by our once the current cleansing against the Coalition has been complete.

We bless your stance and await the final report on this current event.” - Odessia Eraunis-Horkuo of the Temple of Enlightment 

 

 

March, 5th, 2048 (Military Calendar)

Salva, the former Confederacy of Daru'uie

Nevali Region, Aldrida, Alagore

 

*****

 

Walking through the streets of Salva, a city he could barely find on a map the week before. Now, Kallem Verliance had conquered the town twice then, becoming one of the most critical places in the world. More if he failed to defeat this enemy here and now.

As the Vampire Lord stood on the old stone city street, scared from the recent battles, he noticed one of his generals, a J’avias approaching, Oralit’ee, the head of the Kajia Clan. Like the rest of his kind, they were slightly shorter on average than the Lats and Nagals human types. He had tanned skin with his long black hair that dropped to his shoulders, breaking past his dark purple helmet and his long beard around his square chin.

The man was one of Kallem’s elite generals who had sworn to serve him. Three generations ago, the previous regime of the clan had exited their home from Hispana. In an agreement, the Vampire Lord agreed to hand them a City-State and, in return, serve the Aristocracy until the end of times.

"My lord," Oralit'ee said. "We brutally defeated the Altaerrie. I believe I was correct. They are just as weak as the other powers."

While the General was an accomplished soldier, Kallem had always been annoyed by the constant arrogance toward the J'avais human cousin species. He ignored the clan leader and stared at the enemy's bulky vehicle. It was still tilted in the ditch, with the side fuming from the Amplifier and the Accelerator Walker attacks.

Seeing the other dents and scorch marks around the hull, the Vampire Lord was impressed by how much damage the enemy construct could withstand. The amount of engineering that had gone into the vehicle without any visible signs of magitech was possibly equal to the Unity level of engineering and crafting. While different, he saw the alien logic for why the Altaerrie valued heavily armored constructs over agile ones. But he already could see the vehicle's weaknesses: However, the enemy would be forced to use roads and wide paths to move, which he found strange. The only other usage he could theorize was that this weapon platform was used as an armored spearhead, punching through the enemy defensive line to deploy the infantry within it—something he could exploit in the future.

Hearing a Walkering passing by, Kallem turned and saw an Accelerator quickly walking through the northern ridge that oversaw the city as it marched to the Temple. Turning back to the wreckage, he wondered if Oralit'ee was correct in that he overestimated the Altaerrie. The fact that they stormed the city so quickly made him reconsider his original opinion on the Altaerrie. The Aristocracy Lord wondered if he was blinded by how different their technology was and overreacted or if the enemy needed more time to be ready for a counterattack.

"We shall see in the coming battle," Kallem said. "They will either surprise us or falter."

Kallem approached the strange tracked armor construct to place his hand on the colder section. It was similar to the design they recorded from Indolass. While the construct was seriously damaged, one of the field sages reported that some of the alien equipment was still functional within—enough to study the methodology of enemy technology.

"Why have you not removed this vehicle from the road yet," Kallem inquired. "Lift it out of the ground."

The mage who trapped the armor construct, a J'avias, turned and acknowledged his Lord. "We have already tried, my Lord. The vehicle is too heavy for our Geomancy magic. We need a Walker to pull it out."

"As soon as you do, I want it sent to my Sages to be studied." Kallem then turned toward Oralit'ee. "Continue moving the rest of the 18th Order through the city and surround the temple. Do not bother securing the entire city, as time is against us. Enemy reinforcements will be coming soon, and I do not want to discover what other wonders they might throw at us in their desperate hour."

Oralit'ee Kajia extended his arm sideways so his fist was at the same level as his left shoulder, and the Verliance saluted with strength and solidarity. He was about to walk away, staring at the left bowed before finally leaving. Seeing the bow, Kallem knew that only meant one thing.

"I would not worry about such a thing."

Kallem closed his eyes and felt his fist grip from frustration. He recognized who said those words: Erada, the Unity Priestess from the Temple of Enlightenment. "What do you mean by that?"

"Simple," Erada said. "I have contacted my temple, and they took care of their Bridge for you."

The response confused the Lord of Verliance Aristocracy. He could not understand how a religious temple could conduct a military operation, especially sneaking behind these aliens and disabling the Bridge. It was his J'avais officer who spoke first, being just as confused.

"What do you speak of?" Oralit'ee asked. "How could this be?"

"As I said, I contacted my superiors, and they have acted," Erada said. "Be thrilled that the Katra has blessed your campaign. The Unity has laid the groundwork for your victory. They wish you to succeed so you can be back within their blessing."

"I do not live to serve them," Kallem said. "I am the Lord of the Aristocracy."

"Is that what you said when you kneeled to their will?"

Kallem saw the smirk on the Priestess's face. While it infuriated him to admit it, she was correct. He was forced to bend his knee to the Unity to save his country from unnecessary bloodshed. While his once reputational name was slandered throughout Aldrida for betraying everyone, it was a wise long-term sacrifice. The war had been bloody for the continent, and each nation that challenged the Unity expansion only fell to the sword until there were only two remaining opponents.

"Then excuse me," Kallem said. "I have a war to win."

"Speaking of war," Erada said. "I want this shipped to Palonpulas as soon as possible. The Council will be pleased to see this."

Forced to obey the order, Kallem knew this was a power play. Robbing his country of the opportunity to reverse-engineer this strange technology. It was not as if he could keep the secrets to himself. The Unity of Cordinlane was the sole Great Power, and they wouldn't risk losing that position to anyone.

The Lord of the Aristocracy walked away and went past the captured enemy construct. A new Walker appeared, and the engineers began attaching cables to the tracked machine and started pulling the vehicle out of the ditch to be transported away. At the same time, he saw the 18th Order rear staff setting up a command post for the upcoming battle. Within the command unit were fellow senior vampires in senior positions within his army. Below were a few orcs, nekos, and farians, but no J'avais, as he preferred to give them segregated commands when not filling the lower ranks.

Kallem had utilized the J'avais' race to his advantage since the rise and expansion of the Hispana Republic. These types of humans are skilled warriors, blacksmiths, and engineers. Their entire society was designed around fighting - not war as that had a national purpose, but fighting in general, being a way of life over a necessity evil of the world. Everything about them was designed to be about warfare, sometimes acting more as a mercenary or adventure species over a civil one. That has been their greatest strength and the cause of their stagnation as a species. None of them would ever accept a rear position like this outside of being a slave. Not a motuia but only forced as a slave, regardless of whether it was essential to win military campaigns. The battle was considered more important.

The nekos and farians are not natural warriors, typically positioned within the lower echelons of the racial hierarchy of the world. However, they are still helpful in society rather than in direct positions in the military and civilian life.

While the two are both beast species, they are very different. Nekos are felines, agile, and good for getting around. For the Farians, they are considered rodents, master scavengers, and trackers. They have similar ears on top of their heads, although Farianss are much larger. Also, their tails are vastly different - with the felines having a thin, long tail while the rodents have smaller but fluffy ones.

Of course, he would position his kind within crucial leadership roles, being members of the higher station. The orcs preferred taking rear positions and direct roles and were the only exceptions, especially as they did not get along with his kind.

Only now did it hit him how difficult the Altaerrie military was and its lack of diversity within their ranks? All nations and city-states had their dominant races, but the lower classes were highly varied; each species brought some skill of value, regardless of its significance. Up to this point, and from the few prisoners he could speak with, all these humans were closer to being Lats, and that was it. No other races have been presented, not even the different types of humans.

Kallem turned to the senior communications expert within this command unit, a Farian named Farrier. "Farrier, is the seeker in position?"

"Yes," the Farrier said.

“What about the Amplifier?” Kallem asked. “Have they started darkening the surrounding area from daylight?”

“Yes, my Lord,” the Farrier said. “They began moments ago. The cloud cover should be enough when your forces are ready to assault the temple.”

Kallem looked over the farian and saw his hands were on a green orb. In front of the creature was a crystalized vision screen attached to the orb, allowing the farian to pilot the seeker remotely.

On the screen, Kallem saw the Altaerrie position from a distance. A sense of déjà vu as he had only a week prior when he was in a similar position against the Legionary Palatini. The only significant difference was that this enemy was far more entrenched and had more powerful tools to defend with, which he was unfamiliar with.

The other officers appeared; Oralit'ee Kajia and Verlcon Korva entered after performing their duties. Kallen turned to the large screen on the table, which showed the perspectives of many seekers, both flying and crawlers on the ground.

"Fancy, we are back in this position," Verlcon said. "I believe I owe you an apology, Oralit'ee. This war is going to be shorter than I expected."

"Do not celebrate before we win," Kallem said. "Same plan as before. Form up the infantry here, and they will thrust into their lines. I want the circilmen on this ridge here and here, covering both sides. And bring up the barricade to cover the infantry."

"From that elevation, those trenches should only have marginal protection," Verlcon said. "However, quickly storming them will be costly. Their bigger weapons seem to have a faster firing rate than ours without needing to build up energy."

"They can fire as fast as they want," Oralit'ee said. "Our shield wall will deal with it."

"Shields without support will be slaughtered," Verlcon said. “You know that. Sending them in alone might cause complications for the frontline bunkers; however, they have already demonstrated that they can counter once they bring their heavier weapons to bear.

"Verlcon is correct," Kallem said. "I want to resolve this quickly but not at the cost of the entire Order. The Priestess recently informed me that the enemy Bridge was sabotaged." He saw the sense of victory in his trusted officers' eyes. "Remain focused. Raegel's daughter is among them; theoretically, she could fix it. We should assume that time is still against us."

"Then we must end this now," Verlcon said.

Kallem pointed at a hill near Salva. "I want the accelerators here this time, and I have them prioritize this hardware here and here before focusing on the fortifications."

Oralit'ee Kajia leaned onto the screen with confusion. One target had a dish, and another was a large rectangle with wheels and cables attached. There were other types of hardware that they had never seen before.

"Why these?” Verlcon asked. “Why not focus on their entrenched bunkers on their larger weapons first?"

"Because we do not know what they are," Oralit'ee said.

“That is correct,” Kalle stated. The enemy brought them here, so they must bring something important to their defense. Unless it were vital, they would not bring anything this early in their offensive."

After a lengthy discussion on overcoming the Altaerrie position, Kallem headed to the roof for a better view. Once there, he saw the 18th Order march through the main street, again leading to the Temple of Indolass. There was excitement in the air as the soldiers were confident of victory. While the war started as a mission to suppress a rebellion from a frontier City-State, it quickly evolved from there. Outside of losing the beachhead, the Aristocracy had accomplished their objective on the Altaerrie homeworld and retook the city twice.

Recent events had puzzled the Vampire Lord. Throughout the hundred and twenty years of his life, he had never experienced such a series of events in such a short period. Significant historical moments had occurred, but a chain linked on a core issue, like the Rise of the Lats, the Kiriyaks Expansion, or the Templar War. The more he thought about it, the more he realized nothing had been customary since the Unity had waged its Crusade against the world.

Needing guidance, Kallem looked toward the giant blue, colorful Goddess in the sky. He wanted to ask her if the path he set forward was correct or if there was another option.

Suddenly feeling watched, he turned and saw Priestess Erada on the street staring up at him, almost as if she were waiting for him to act.

He knew that the Katra wouldn't tolerate any division of worship. Any prayer or service to the true gods of Alagore, Mother, and her children was outlawed. Kallem had to be careful.

For the sake of his people, Kallem decided to skip his prayer and head downstairs to join his warriors in battle. He understood the gravity of the moment, just like in the Battle of Porlace Plains, where the collective armies if Aldrida failed to stop the Unity invasion, would have drastic ripple effects throughout history.

All he hoped was that he was doing what was suitable for his people.

 

 

March, 5th, 2048 (Military Calendar)

Temple of Indolass, the former Confederacy of Daru'uie

Nevali Region, Aldrida, Alagore

 

*****

 

Captain Mathew Ryder saw his elf teammate, Fraeya Holiadon, studying what was wrong with the Bridge. Along with her were the remaining NASA and Guardian engineers and scientists working. It was clear that the device was dead, as it was not glowing. The elf girl was sitting on the ground, flipping through her father's journals with incredible frustration as she panickedly looked for anything to resolve the issue.

Walking through the chamber passageway, everything looked lifeless, unlike before. When Comanche first arrived, the walls had torches that lit the room. Now, only the artificial lights that were installed after the bridge have been deactivated. It seemed whoever built this chamber, everything was connected to the portal. Why, the captain had no idea. There were so many mysteries to be unlocked, and he would hate to give up after only a day.

Turning to his mentor and superior officer, Ryder asked, "So, the situation is that bad?"

"I hate to say it, I have no idea," Hackett replied. "But we will act accordingly."

"How could this even happen?" Ryder asked. "Hudson said it was sabotage. How could anyone get through five hundred Rangers and Minutemen? It couldn't be anyone we brought for Salva; they were still in the city when the enemy sabotaged the Bridge."

"We found four dead Rangers outside the perimeter," Hackett said. "They were on patrol scouting the local area. When their bodies were discovered, they were naked and torn apart like in some horror film. The only way we could have IDed them was through their dog tags. Apparently, whoever murdered them and stole their clothing didn’t see the value in them."

That made less sense to the Comanche captain. If what Hackett was implying were true, that meant the enemy killed those Rangers, used their information, and casually walked through a Battalion of Special Forces like it was another Tuesday afternoon. They knew exactly where and how to neutralize the Bridge and casually walked out again, only to be spotted when they already escaped. He didn't buy it for a second. "I call bullshit."

"I agree, but I do not have a better theory right now." Hackett took a deep breath. "Anyway, we cannot worry about that right now. You know her better than anyone; how long do you think it will take for her to fix it?"

"I have no idea," Ryder replied. "What I do know is that she will try her best. She is eager to please and respect her father's legacy, so I believe in her."

"Best might not be good enough right now," Hackett said. "This is not a defensible position, and I don't enjoy being backed against the wall."

Ryder thought about what his mentor said and then smirked. "You being back against the wall? I don't mind bailing you out a second time."

"Be careful what you wish for, Captain," Hackett said. "Next time, I might have to promote you to a desk."

"You wouldn't dare."

The two stared at each other and then let out a relaxing laugh.

Once the moment had passed, Ryder refocused on the matter at hand. "How is the Militia? I didn't see that many of them being deployed."

"We are having problems with them," Hackett said. “A few have stepped up and joined the ranks, but others seem hesitant to assist.

Ryder felt frustrated; however, he could understand a bit. The militia lost their city twice, and their so-called savors were pushed out within a few hours. Their creditability was not high at the moment, and with the Bridge out, things only made things worse. “A few stepped up in the city before retreating. What is the plan?”

"Two issues," Hackett said. "One, we don't have an efficient way to communicate with them as Fraeya is busy. And second, they have no proper leadership that I know of. This would be fine, except that we are about to be attacked. I cannot focus on diplomacy right now."

"And I thought I made a breakthrough at the town," Ryder said.

"You cannot expect to build Rome in a day, Matt," Hackett said. “As you said, a few assisted in pulling out the crewwoman, so take that as a win.”

Reflecting on what his mentor had said, Ryder then heard Fraeya panic as one of the scientists yelled at her, stating that he didn't want to die on this moon. Pissed that this man was insulting a member of his team, he walked over and got between them, staring directly at the scientist. Seeing the scientist's name tag on the gray uniform, saying Stone. "Now, let's calm down here, Mr.Stone."

"To hell with that," Stone said, showing he was not fearful of the captain's presence. "We are all going to die from vicious aliens, and you want us to calm down! We are placing our lives in the hands of an alien child."

"And yet this child isn't yelling like a madman," Ryder calmly stated.

The scientist stared at the captain with anger but struggled to respond. Looking toward the crying elf, he looked back at the soldier and said, "I just don't want to die here. And I have to listen to a backward primitive who has yet to discover the concept of gravity."

Fraeya looked up with confusion, wiping a tear off her cheek. "Gravity? It must have a different meaning in your world. Here, it is why objects fall to the ground, not into the void. And why Tekali orbits around her and not float away into the Comsic Sea. Same with why our Goddess home orbits around the sun."

Stone glared at the Fraeya angrily, struggling to respond again as she made him look like a fool. It was clear to Ryder that he just wanted to blame the elf girl for current events.

"Doctor Stone," Hackett said as he intervened. "I believe I have an alternative solution for you if the current situation isn't to your satisfaction."

Ryder turned to his mentor with confusion. He watched as the Colonel pulled out his sidearm and held the barrel, showing the handle to Stone in an attempt to hand the weapon over.

The NASA scientists stared at the pistole with confusion and fear. "I don't understand."

"You have two options," Hackett said. Either help the young lady or join us on the front line, in the trenches."

Stone stared directly at the Colonel and saw that the man was not joking. His face faded into a pale white sickness with the understanding of what the options were. "I don't believe in guns."

"That is what everyone says until their life is on the line," Hackett said as he put his sidearm away. "Get back to work, and if I hear you complain again or upset the young lady, you are being drafted."

The threat had a desirable impact. Ryder could tell that Stone wanted to respond but remained silent. The scientist quickly turned and started studying one of the open panels on the base of the Bridge.

"Thank you," Fraeya said.

"No problem," Hackett said. "But we do need you to work quickly. We are expected to be attacked any minute."

"My father understands this subject," Fraeya said with a frustrated tone. "He dedicated his entire life to this cause. In elf terms, that is hundreds of years. How am I supposed to do it over a few hours?"

"Simple," Hackett said. "You are his daughter. Just have faith, and you will find the solution."

Seeing a renewed determination in the elf girl's eyes, the two officers walked away to allow them to work.

"Good job handling that," Ryder said. "I see why they pay you the big bucks."

"It just annoys me that a supposedly brilliant man was whining like a schoolgirl and not solving the problem," Hackett said. "Every second they delay, Rangers and Minutemen are going to die. I won't accept nonsense."

"Agreed," Ryder said. Now, back to the Militia problem. Do you want me to talk with them again? I have developed some kind of relationship with them, whatever that is worth."

"You can," Hackett said. "Don't spend too much-."

The chamber suddenly shook multiple times. Radio chatter quickly followed up the bombardment.

"Looks like we are out of time," Ryder commented.

"We will just have to work with what we have," Hackett said. "Regroup with your team and give them hell."