Imperial Warrior's Story

The UDW Purgatory boiled in towards the combat zone, smooth and silent on its counter-grav drive as it began to enter a sort of aerial slide, bringing its port side guns to bear. It parked a few kilometers out of the strike zone, hovering over the prairie. Abyss usage was locked in the scenario, but frigates were built for atmospheric operations just as well as orbital ones, and the heavy barrels of its Ballista cannons were brought to bear on the larger of the Cybran ships. Smaller, triple bored turrets lined up to engage the larger minor units, while the hatches of dozens of missile silos cracked open.

Spectre, in command, per Storm Witch's absence, surveyed the tac screens on the bridge, nestled within the heavy armored belly of the beast. His command reclined in their stations, eyes closed as they linked through their implants to the shipboard AI, forming a formidable union of men, women, and computer. "All stations, fire at will on Cybran painted targets. Extrude sniper platforms and get the Hounds and Wolves with heavy rifles out on the deck. Kick out Sparrow."

As one, sixteen Ballista's thrummed before the resonant shock of 100mm slugs were blasted downrange at Mach 6, each one no mere chunk of metal. Each was equipped with a three stage enhancement, an optical targeting camera, miniscule fins and a plasma rocket booster, and underneath the camera unit was a thermal core that just before impact, initiated the transformation of the outer shell into dense, superhot plasma. The bolts thundered across the sky, minorly adjusting courses to strike the center of mass on the Cybran warships, where if they struck, carried enough kinetic shock to blow large craters, if not tunnels, straight through their targets.

Exactly three seconds later, they roared again. And would continue to do so for as long as targets remained on the scopes.

At first, dozens, the several hundred missiles rose from the frigate, climbing high into the air to gain maximum velocity. When they turned earthward once more, they kicked on a counter-grav drive that sent them blistering into the forefront on the assault closer to Mach 13, each one releasing smaller smart bombs that rode in their wake as they dropped to hammer the front lines with sheer kinetic shock and a delayed explosion equivalent to a single ton of TNT. The smart bombs, however, only carried a scant equivalent of 200lbs of TNT, but three released per missile changed the perspective of those on the receiving end when they struck almost 5 seconds after the missile volley. The Purgatory held back the next volley for "sweeping".

At the same time, the triple bored turrets of the frigate released line after line of high output lasers into the melee, each throwing a 15 gigawatt/second charge into the larger of the minor Cybran combat units, simply hammering the heavies as the Iron Hounds and Steel Wolves came out onto sniper platforms bearing huge, menacing rifles that they slapped down on mounts at the edge of the platform, targeting particularly effective small Cybran units or leader appearing types, putting 20mm hyperballistic slugs screaming across the sky with deadly efficiency and the skill of long practice at such extended range combat.

Finally, something substantially large rose on the top of the frigate, sailing off the bow before active stealth systems wrapped the A.I.M., taking it from sight as it began a cautious approach of the combat zone.

All said, the sheer destructive force of a single Dark Rain frigate was crippled only by the lock out of its Abyss cannons, but even as it was, it would be terrifying to behold.

Suddenly, a large second force erupted from the seas, vast battleships arming up their weapons as they appeared from under the surface. A vast fleet of tanks and heavy vehicles pushed towards the land, climbing onto the beaches before they stopped on the flat plains about ten miles from the beaches. A set of engineers quickly began to build a number of firebases, loading their materials off the trucks that came through a constant stream of weaponry and supplies. There was then a number of armoured command units that pushed themselves up from the water, with a group of support command units appearing from behind them.

A vast starship calmly pulled up from the vast ocean pushing it's thrusters to counter the gravity and test it's systems before a couple more appeared to the sides of it. At the command of the HDNS Purger was a younger commander, out of training and armed to the teeth. He stroked his chin before nodding to his systems commander, "Send us up."

The vast starship pushed its way up out of the atmosphere, with a few others following it. They were already preparing an orbital strike of Volaria, with a number of heavy artillery and missile silos quickly being put into swift action, starting to round of shells as soon as they came out the factory. The sheels went into the atmosphere then started landing on the denfive points all over Volaria. The front line bases where the clement had dried within a few minutes were already have hive of activity, great flags and banners being put up along with the anti aircraft weapons. These forces had to rely on anti aircraft guns until the SAM launchers were pulled out the sea. There was already a vast amount of civilians pushing their way around to settle into their new homes on the surface after years of living under the sea.

Unfortunately as the forces located the small path - which would provide little in the way of moving a large body of troops very quickly - the solarcannons once more tore across the cliff lengths in a devastating line of destruction. Paths were closed off as molten rock poured down, and once more gravity took hold as the forces trying to reach the height of the towering cliffs were once again sent cascading back down to the beach below where the turrets continued unabated in firing into the masses gathered on the beaches.

With the artillery strikes and solarcannons lancing along the coast, it was making it difficult to scale the cliffs head on. Even if the Cybran shields could hold against such damage, the cliffs couldn't, and without secure rock to gain purchase on they were left to fall. All along the coastal cliffs entire sections of sheered rock were being knocked loose to crush the Cybran's at their base.

It was proving a poor strategic location for a seabased assault - and serving as a display of why such assaults were so difficult given the massive quantity of lives to be thrown against the rocky cliffs just to make it ashore. They were leaving themselves pinned between the ocean and the enemy artillery.

The poor fishing village itself was at the very height of the cliffs, and wouldn't be so easily overtaken without first breaking through the enemy artillery, and the villagers were making short work of fleeing inland which left little to take but shanty shacks should the Cybrans take the cliffs.

As the tower began to draw more fire, the dome atop it opened further yet and the crystal grew all the brighter. The tower was well designed to hold up under heavy fire until reinforcements could arrive and once more it stood through the reprisal blasts of plasma that dispersed across the shield.

With the towers still up and UCON lending heavy artillery along the coast line, the Cybran's hadn't yet managed to neutralize the defensive measures keeping them from progressing and thus wouldn't be able to simply breach the cliffs casually without a change in tactics - or an ongoing siege that could well span hours, if not days or weeks.

Meanwhile reinforcements were arriving - and it would seem that Avantia's earlier call to reinforce the regions further north had been the right one. As the Cybran's sought to overcome the watchtowers further up the coast, they were swiftly being met with the arrival of transport ships carrying Volarian troops aboard. The Volarian's had the high ground - an advantage that even large numbers would find difficult to overcome. And for every inch the Cybran's fought to gain, there was a rain of artillery bombardments all along the beaches to thin the tide. The few that might reach the heights would be faced with the arriving reinforcements ready to drive them back to the sea once more.

Haigara rose once more as he braced against his stone prison, and as he strained against the great weight a keening wail once more shook through the faults of the rock until with a rumble that was muted by the deep sea he broke free. Immense chunks of rock tumbled away to sink deeper into the ocean depths and into the seemingly bottomless chasms while Haigara himself made for the surface.

Free.

His strength was returning to him along with the vigor of wakefulness and his murky form swept past the remains of an underwater ruins - once a city of Shintenchi that had been swallowed up by the sea long ago. At the center of the ruins stood a large statue depicting an ancient sea-god standing poised and proud, but as Haigara swept past the rock began to crack and crumble.

The creature encased within snapped its eyes open as the rock shattered to reveal the form of Haijiri, son of Haigara and once king of the Val'hai. He woke to an emptiness though. The Val'hai were gone, and only the ruins remained. What had driven them from these waters?

With questions on his mind he too began to ascend towards the surface after Haigara.

The large behemoth had a lead on Haijira though as he continued to gain momentum. The ancient dragon knew his enemy now. These people with their machines had invaded his waters.

The ocean surface churned violently in a thick froth before Haigara at last erupted in a geyser of water among the Cybrans trying to reach the shore. His scaly hide was almost blinding in the glaring light of the afternoon sun before with a great groan, the beast arced to the side and came crashing down atop several Cybran vessels to likely snap them clear in half.

The great sea-god was monstrous in size, and the keening wail that it emitted into the water was almost concussive to the Cybran's in the ocean.

As Haijira rose towards the surface as well, something else caught his attention aside from Haigara's flare for destructiveness. The Cybran base was down there in the murky depths of the ocean, and it was from there that these others came. His strength too was yet to return fully but he could feel the base now within his minds-eye as he ceased his ascent towards the surface.

The telepathic draconian sent a brief image to Haigara of what he was detecting deep down there in the ocean depths.

"The shield is holding," Asha told the officer as a particularly large and overcharged plasma blast struck against it which momentarily sent the tower readings fluctuating. "Taiyou and Losenyu reinforcements should be here in two-minutes."

"What in the -"

Those within the tower had a clear view of the monstrous behemoth that had just erupted from the water, and many of them did little more than stand and gape. Sure everyone knew the legends of Haigara, but none had seen sign of the great sea-god in over a century.

Haigara's presence was a mixed omen though, for the beast would not likely differentiate Taiyou from Cybran once the Taiyou arrived on the scene. It was only through Haijira that Haigara was known to be tempered.

There was an odd feel to the skies that day, and it was because something below had stirred.

A beast from above wormed through the air and lashed about, its body resembling that of a snake. It had no scales, but a furry mane sprouted from its head to the very tip of its tail. Upon its head, there were two long antlers. Long whiskers whipped and snapped from its snout as it flew. In its talons, five with each hand, clenched tightly onto a shiny white pearl. From a clasp at its chest and held around its neck, two strips of cloth made from a rich and decorative material flowed with the beast's movements.

The celestial titan cast its eyes down to the sea below, diving down from the clear sky above. Though not as large or bulky as the sea god from below, the titan from above still held an intimidating presence. It was not a simple animal, nor just a feral dragon. Both its behavior and appearance dictated that it had some kind of intelligence. All of that which was Ming Yu came swooping down toward the battle.

It would seem that incoming fire peppered the Cybrans from all sides, from UCON, Dark Rain, and the Avorians. Though the incoming Artillery had yet to come from every conceivable direction.

Seconds went by before brilliant yellow streaks of light filled the sky from above, and ordinance began to rain down on the Cybran ships in the Astral Sea, tearing their hulls to peaces and engulfing them in brilliant plumes of orange and white flame. No armor in the universe could stop these slugs, as they carried enough velocity to tear metal, ship, and rock asunder from orbit. With each impact water and metal vaporized in brilliant plumes of steam, and mere seconds after the first volley, the second followed.

Just east of the Cybran fleet, the Taiyou fleet had finally arrived, with the full force of everything the Taiyou had sent to Losenji. A fleet of fifteen Taiyou capital ships chugged their way towards the battle, with the Shokaku Class Carrier, the Zuikaku Class Carrier and the Shogun battleships, along with the support craft of the Taiyou Fleet.

Commandant Katamura watched as the Cybrans continued to shell the Volarian coastline, alarms blaring as the ship launched it's complment of Aircraft, Jet Tengu alongside Jigabachi AV Attack helicopters moved fourth from the Aircraft carriers, burning at full speed towards the Cybran fleet, which was still being subject to orbital shelling from the Taiyou fleet in orbit.

The nuclear warheads speed towards the Volarian coastline, but something caused them to suddenly turn course--

They were heading right for the Cybran fleet in the water.

Katamura watched the spectacle unfold, before she sent a wide-band message to all allied forces in the area.

"All Friendlies, All friendlies, this is Commandant Katamura, we have nuclears in the field, all friendlies brace for Nuclear detonation, it's about to get really hairy out there!"

The missiles, shells, and other warheads screamed towards the Cybran fleet, and would detonate near or at where they had launched from. The unseen force having diverted their course away from the Volarian coastline.

With the task completed, beads of sweat formed on the young girl's brow. "They will all pay!" She growled, and then she concentrated, and the water and even the Shokaku Carrier buckled and rocked from the sheer power being put fourth by this one child.

The Central Command ship would likely and suddenly find itself being lifted out from the water, literally carried from the water by an unseen force. The Shelling continued and would tear gigantic craters into armored hulls, and as the Central Command ship rose in altitude, the lone figure would find her nose and ears bleeding as she let out an inhuman scream.

There was a deafening snap, a sudden twitch from Yuriko, and a shockwave that split the very seas apart as the Command unit would more than likely literally be rend in two by the sheer power of the Psionic energies being exerted upon it, as if it was a piece of paper torn asunder by a pair of large hands, it was then, and only then the Command ship was allowed to freefall back into the water to sink to it's watery grave. The young girl fell to her knees, and vomited violently onto the deck of the Kaze no Tani.

As one of the volarian transports touched down Kim and her 10 man squad poured out around the landing zone. The cybrans were attacking and she and her squad needed to get into their defensive positions. She had a small supply of anti tank rocket launchers, and two heavy machine guns and a two man mortar her team was ready for defense. She felt she had a wide verse of weapons.

Before she and her squad could move out though they received the imminent detonation warning and all of them dropped to the ground bracing for impact. Kim closed her eyes as explosions could be heard far off. When she finally looked up she could see several mushroom like clouds over the ocean.

She waited a moment before her training kicked in again. "Alright enough staring we are still under attack, we need to double time it to set up in this equipment!" She shouted as she lead the way toward the fishing village. Rhino squad was quick to get to work as two soldiers ran forwards and dropped two ground breaching charges. They ran back and then the things detonated. They were the answer to quick trench building as a large trench resulted from the carefully calibrated devices which ejected their charges downward rather than outward.

The squad began to set up in the trench as they waited for the cybran attack. Her group had blown their trench right between two of the shacks facing the cliffs of the unattacked village. She placed the machine gun teams in the shacks and the moarter and the rest of the troops in the trench. She was confident in their positions for now but she wasn't exactly sure what would come over the cliff.

Bludgeon, 832nd Marine Armored Company, Objective March-13

"Hurry up you gagglefuck of a platoon, you're all too stupid to live forever!"

The Master Sergeant's harrowing voice called out across the strongpoint bisecting the tiny ribbon of coastal road that reached away from the enemy beachhead. Just barely a meter behind him the platoons CP, or Command Point, let out a wailing siren as the large radio mast was slowly brought down and fit to the sides of a GV-70 logistics vehicle. Shouts and calls went out across the platoons positions, large Vee formations on eiher side of the road, interlocking it and then stretching well over 2km to either side.

This formation was known as the "Biko Ambush" or the "Biko Bush", named so after the Bushmen counter-insurgent forces of the Forge who had minted the maneuver. A tactic nearly three centuries old but still as useful as ever in warfare.

These formations made head on assaults particularly costly through the defenses-in-depth, where instead of all forces are dedicated to maintaining a single line, commanders utilize successive defense lines to simply grind the enemy down until no advances can be made.

Outflanking these formations, tactically at least, meant that the opposing forces were merely exchanging one frontal assault on their objective for another. To nullify this maneuver, the entire attacking force would have to change its axis of advance, strategically recognized as a difficult change when under fire.

It was in these formations that Bludgeon company waited, their armored vehicles and tanks dug into the rear-areas defenses with infantry and other fighting vehicles at the front. With tanks held in reserve, amy infantry breakthrough could then be concentrated against will the full power of those armored reserves.

After looking at what was happening around them, and with the masses of reinforcements forcing their way in to attack the Cybran forces, Godheart decided to pull out all along the coast, the entire army turning to go back under the sea in order to teleport away. This was only the start of war he thought as he turned his lower half of the ACU and walked back into the waters, firing with everything he had in order to get as much forces as he could away from the cliffs and Volaria itself. They were already losing to an enemy that they had never thought existed, and the true might of all the forces in the area was what made them pull away. Those lands would be attacked again, some day.

As the starship pushed its way up from the ocean, it wasn't met with an empty island. No, Gonthar - along with the other two of the three titans - was in fact a popular tourist destination. The glittering oceans bordered by tranquil beaches were lined with tourists who scattered screaming as the cybrans emerged. People watched in horror from skyscraper hotels as the soldiers set about their work establishing bases on the beaches and other places beyond the city limits.

The local police force held back, protecting civilians but not challenging the beach assault just yet - contact had been sent to the TNG and a military response would be en route. News crews broadcast the event to the world as it unfolded.

In one particular penthouse suite, a purple-haired woman leaned onto the balcony as she watched. A blonde boy walked up next to her, jaw still hanging as though dehinged from when the first ships had emerged.

"Well, Castiel," Castala remarked, "I suppose that's that for our vacation."

"I thought we came here to get away from this sort of thing." the youth groaned.

"I suppose that's lesson learned," the magician said to her assistant with a dry chuckle, "Next time I want a relaxing holiday, I'm going offworld."

From far in the distance, several people watched as the large ships pulled up and the starship ascended.

"This don't look good," said one, a woman with soft tanned skin and long hair pulled back in a ponytail. For as cold as it was, she wore little clothing, nothing more than a pair of baggy pants and a bandeau. She had a good amount of muscle on her.

"Did you expect mermaids to be flipping onto shore today, instead?" spoke a second woman, this one more slim, more feminine than her companion. Light, draping robes flowed down from her shoulders and stopped at her knees. Upon her skin there were a myriad of painted designs, a few of them tattoos. Her eyes, normally a smokey grey, were covered in a black film as she projected a spell of far sight over into the area.

Behind them there was a town, a small place of many within Gonthar. Though Albertine had moved there within the last three years, it had been Aldarine's home since her birth.

And now it was being invaded.

Cheery.

Vast factories and housing buildings went up within hours, and with a few minutes of it going up, resources and people started to move in. The vast military force made a move towards the cities that were already there, starting to shoot at police and civilians alike. There was already a mass death camp in the sea waiting to be loaded with people for building the new weapons and tanks that were waiting.

A second set of starships took off from under the sea, moving towards the city before they raised themselves out the water. There was already a fleet down there, waiting for the orders from the high order, whom were miles offshore and under the groand in the deep rock of the earth. It had took years to plan, and the teleportation from Volaria was only set one of the vast plan to attack the world. Only Godheart was a living being, the rest of the forces automated.

The Prince had relayed the order, and Shin'ichi had been tracked to a very conspicuous place that as Wing City. As he moved through the main entrance, an Adjacent apartment lit up with radio communication.

"Hyōteki wa ichi ni aru."

"Wakarimashita." The Imperial Warrior responded, before he creaked the window to the apartment open just enough to slide the muzzle of the Aschen Type 34 Focus Rifle, a long range beam rifle out the window itself. Obscured by potted plants and a fluttering tarp, the Warrior adjusted his scope and checked the charge on the microfusion cell.

"Mokugeki jōhō ga yoidesu." The Spotter added, while the Gunner lined up the digital scope and the small cross-hair on Shin'ichi's torso. A Good center mass shot. As how the warriors were trained.

He disengaged the safety, and slid the arm lever forward, and the weapon began to power up, while he lined up the shot.

His heart began to beat slowly, and in between beats the Taiyou pulled the trigger.

The shot echoed through the city, an audible 'Pop!' echoed across the city streets, immediately following could be described as a deafening crack, and A brilliant searing streak of purple light, accompanied by a blinding flash. The precision Aschen weapon would cause immense pain, and serious damage, but the chance of survival was often quite high as the blood vessels were instantly cauterized. However immediately around the impact, should the bolt hit would be severely burned.

The Losenji prince fell to the street beneath the blinding flash of light, and a brief flash of searing pain before sinking darkness met concrete. Tamotsu reacted swiftly in response to the fallen man, but neither did he seem to know from where the danger came. Startled bystanders and pedestrians stopped to gawk, which only further riled the creature. He coiled protectively around the fallen form of Shin'ichi and hovered overtop of him while all but daring anyone to step closer with his gaze.

None seemed inclined to try and intervene personally though; after all, whoever had shot the man was still there somewhere. Several of the bystanders were scattering up and down the street, or slipping into the nearest building to get off the street, but others remained to linger and snap pictures with their phones of the dragon and the fallen man whose torso had been charred and blackened by third-degree burns.

A few of the more helpful bystanders were calling the WCPD, and the local hospital.

With the confirmed hit, the pair of Imperial Warriors grabbed the large and cumbersome Aschen beam rifle before they started quickly down the stairs. They would need to dispose of the weapon and quickly. Moving down several flights of stairs, they reached the bottom and the back door of the seedy apartment complex, and ultimately into a back alley.

"Soko! Soko ni gomibako!!" He shouted, before the Warrior tossed the rifle into a nearby dumpster, before the pair split up and moved through the alleyways and into the sewers.

As Aeka tried to plead with the man, a single Imperial Warrior emerged from the Bar Door, standing firm for several moments, the Warrior turned to the princess.

"Ikimashou" He said firmly, inclining his head out of cultural respect.

"Ōji ga shinpai shite iru, Aeka-hime kitaku" He said, and the woman frowned slightly, and started to turn towards the door.

"Wakarimashita." She murmered, before she started out the door, the lone Imperial Warrior nodding, ushering the woman out.

Grim then looks to the impact site from which he just caused, the damage was done to both the roof and himself. "The better question is,can your roof fix itself?" With that said Grim reaches to his injured leg and with a bone crunching sound he begins ripping the flesh from the base of his knee and then a loud POP followed by a painful scream. Blood began to poor from the hole where Grim's leg used to be.

Grim then tosses his leg in the direction where Dominique stood, but it never hit the ground, no, his leg just seemingly began to float towards the scorch marks and rubble, suddenly a blinding white light fell from the sky and hit the roof with great magnitude, the force of the impact was great enough to throw Grim off the roof, due to the lack of his own strength.

As the white light slowly faded away the roof became more visible, the roof was repaired completely, the only thing left on the roof was Dominique, his left black leather boot and the lots of blood that surrounded the spot where Grim sat.

Grim fell in the direction to the front of the bar, while falling Grim quickly pushes his hand in front of him facing to the ground and with a snap of his finger a ball of dark magic forms around his right foot, he then switches his position to try and land on his foot. " Get out of the way!" Grim said desperately before he hit the ground with a earth shattering BOOM! The impact alone left a creator around the entrance to the bar. Grim was exhausted from the event that just occurred, his vision became blank and with that his consciousness faded as well...

Randin found himself laughing too. "You should write poetry," he grinned at her, leaning casually against the bar counter and rubbing at his eyes. "Don't worry about it. I get it." He smiled wide. "I guess I sort of feel the same way." He slid slowly off of the stool and struggled to hide a slight wince as his feet found the floor. His back was still hurting a bit from that fall.

The detective rolled one of his shoulders forward before making sure his shirt was properly tucked-in. He wasn't sure how much time he had left with her. Not enough time for another drink. Maybe enough time to say what he needed to say.

"So," he cleared his throat, "with T-Minus two minutes before I don't see you again for god-knows-how-long..." Randin looked down at Ari from where she sat, now no more than a couple feet away, "I would humbly take this time to ask you if there's any way I can get in contact with you while you're back on Terra." He grinned. "...anything. Really. Save me the trouble of frequenting every pisswater tavern in the Wing looking for you."

But then another voice caught Randin's attention. He looked swiftly over at Aeka and listened carefully to her cry for help.

"But it is urgent, I must find help before they find me! He will kill me if he finds me!"

The detective turned back and looked only once at Ari. His brows knitted together, his jaw gritting, his eyes hardening. "I'll be right back," he promised. He spoke with a stern, unapologetic truthfulness.

Turning away, Randin paced steadily over to Aeka and the Imperial Warrior. "Scuse' me!" His voice was a cannon. He flashed his badge. "I have reasonable evidence to suspect that this girl's life is in danger." He nodded to Aeka. "I'm obligated to take her into the protection of the WCPD." He looked between Aeka and the warrior, noting the absence of imminent fear in the young Takayama as she stood by the Imperial soldier. Randin supposed that this fighter was in her side, not her brothers.

He met Aeka's eyes and offered her a nod. "You asked for asylum. I can help you. Come with me."