***
The decision had been made. They were going to attack the Jukal home world. Their aim was simple: if they could remove the emperor, then the system made around him would be thrown into chaos. Using this, they could consolidate their gains and continue to build up their strength.
From giving the order to getting all of the parts needed to attack the Jukal home system was a grand undertaking.
Suzy and Lucy worked tirelessly to organize people and materials, making sure everyone was supplied, as the admirals went over the plan with their captains and ships’ crews. They worked with the ground forces leadership, talking about their plan of attack.
The ground forces were mobilizing across Emerilia. They were kept in key positions, ready to move through bases and teleportation hubs until they stepped through portals to their final locations.
All ongoing operations were completed and the forces were pulled back, to make ready for the coming battle.
The Jukal fleet continued to release more portals across the Jukal Empire. It seemed that the Jukal emperor had been keeping a number of portals in safekeeping. These had new codes and a different encryption on them, making them nearly impossible to hack in a short time and making the codes that Bob had with the Datskun useless.
Even with all of this rising tension, the two forces weren’t fighting on any fronts. People seemed to sense the atmosphere and looked to get somewhere safe. Whatever happened in this battle would change the Jukal Empire forever, no matter who won.
Ship portals and ground portals dotted Emerilia, with military forces waiting around them to move through.
Frank ran through his checks on his console and the people under his command. Everything looked good. He looked out to the screens relaying the findings from the magical sensing spells.
Around the portal, Deq’ual and Pandora fleets moved into position, making one massive fleet. The asteroid base and all of the secondary bases had worked tirelessly, getting another two fleets in working order and replacing the ships that had been lost in fighting the Jukal invasion fleet, putting eleven fleets under the Pandora Initiative’s command. They had one hundred and thirty-five ships manned and ready for the battle. Any ships that had been completed were sent to join the rest of the warships not assigned to a particular fleet. Even when they had been fighting the Jukal invasion fleet, they had done their best to gather complete fleets before sending them into battle.
The arks that had been all over the Jukal Empire, supporting the different fronts, numbered thirty-three. They were the true backbone of the defensive and offensive work in the assault. They would be invaluable, acting as troop transports and bringing in the vast majority of the ground forces.
Frank had said his good-byes and sealed up his apartment, staying aboard the BloodHawk and looking out over the various systems. His crews were as ready as they were going to get. He had drilled with all of the other fire controllers in the sub-fleet and worked with the fire controllers for the entire fleet. It had been complicated at first, but they needed to get it done, so they had worked tirelessly until they were able to fight as one entity.
Weapons reading good across the board, full stocks of rounds and missiles. Frank checked the status of his systems and people once again.
“The fleet will be departing in two hours.” Admiral Adams’s voice cut through the bases, fleets, and forces arrayed across Emerilia.
Frank had already completed all of his checks and turned to Captain Xiao. “Sir, request leave to go talk to my weapons techs.”
“You are free to go,” Captain Xiao said. After being in a number of battles, they knew that two hours would pass slowly and that Frank would be back in time for their departure no matter what.
Frank left the command center, a secondary taking over his position. He walked through the halls, using onos that remained on constantly to teleport across the ship. He used them as naturally as someone might walk through a door.
It didn’t take him long to reach the firing line, open decks where dwarves and grungy-looking characters moved from gun to gun and checked the missile tubes and the magazines they linked up to. There were people talking to one another and checking the interceptor modules and the shell feeds into the cannons.
A no-nonsense-looking dwarf wandered over when he saw Frank. “How’s it going, Frank?”
“Not bad, Len. How are we looking?” Frank asked.
“The boys and girls are ready. All weapons are good. Just giving them make-work right now so that they’re not all on edge as we head over to destroy the Jukal home world.”
“Good stuff.” Frank’s eyes wandered over the people in front of him.
He might be the fire controller of the BloodHawk, but these men and women were the lifeblood to his actions. With his orders, they reacted with precision. This was not a single-man operation but rather an operation combining the efforts of tens of people against all that dared to show their faces.
There was something undeniably powerful about seeing all of those weapon systems ready and waiting and the weapons techs covered in grime, working with their magical carvers and using their magics to work on the weapons systems. The flare of runic lines along the cannon barrels made them seem like slumbering dragons just waiting to attack and tear apart their enemy.
Frank and Len talked and walked the line, going through the different decks where the weapons systems were located.
Then they went to the weapon locations that were not along the broadside of the ship. Frank and Len parted as Frank checked with the loadmaster. They looked out over a hangar filled with portals ready to deploy at a moment’s notice.
They also reviewed the forty portal relay modules that were mounted on the underside and spine of the BloodHawk, ready to be supplied with power and tossed out into space, also available at a moment’s notice.
With the new portal relays, Gunboat Isle had been expanding at an incredible pace. Thankfully, with all of Emerilia working together, they were able to supply them with weapons and ammunition. The automated miners, engineers, mages, and weapons techs were still working to get more ranges online so that the fire controllers and fleets had more options of weapons fire to pick from. Otherwise, each portal would only be allowed to unleash one payload.
Frank left the loadmaster as he thought of the portal relay stations. In the simulations, they had shown just how powerful they could be. He had also spent time at Terra, watching as they were deployed around Emerilia.
They would leave the ground-sized portals. As soon as they exited the other side, they started to expand, slowly at first and then suddenly they exploded into motion, creating twelve portals that faced outward, looking for targets as the relay headed off on its patrol route.
Deployment time had been whittled down from two minutes to just forty seconds. However, that kind of speed was still a lot of time in the middle of battle. Even with that long deployment time, Frank felt that they would be invaluable in the coming battle.
Frank made it into the command center ten minutes before their departure time. He checked his systems once again. Seeing that they were all green, there was nothing to do but sit back in his seat.
He looked over the people around him. Many of them were from the Earth simulation, but others were from Emerilia, or were even players on Emerilia at one time.
They came from all manner of races; they had worked at all manner of jobs within the simulation, but here on this ship it didn’t matter because they were all fighting for those on either side of them and the people they cared for.
“Pandora fleet, move out!” Forsyth’s words carried over the fleet. Spell formations appeared behind the ships of the fleet, their ships coming to life.
“Moving into formation,” Navigation said. The fleets that had been arranged in their own areas now started to move together, their aim for the massive ship portal that jutted out of the moonbase. The fleets organized themselves from Fleet One to Eleven, stretching out from the portal lined up in
pairs to simplify the portal transition.
The portal activated. Its runic lines lit up as power surged through it. It took a few moments for it to power up and connect to the portal tens of light-years away.
The first of the Pandora ships entered the moon, passing through the portal at full readiness, ready to deal with whatever they found on the other side of the portal.
“Forward deployment area is clear,” Communications called out.
Behind the first ships, the rest of the fleet passed through quickly. Once they exited, the sub-fleets gathered together into fighting formations and then headed toward the jump point that would allow them access to the Jukal home system.
Frank was struck by the sight of the powerful force as they went to war, silently passing through space. It sent shivers down his spine as goose bumps appeared on his arms. Ships continued in pairs, rushing through the portal queue.
The BloodHawk passed through the portal, leaving the Emerilian system. From one moment to the next, the atmosphere within the ships changed, going from apprehensive to determined. They had passed the point of no return.
“Deq’ual fleet, move out,” Admiral Adams said. The Deq’ual fleet organized themselves similar to the Pandora fleet and followed them through the portals.
Their carriers, destroyers, and battleships were no less fierce than their Emerilian counterparts as they moved in concert through the portal.
The portal bastion followed, massive arcane fire spell formations projected through portals to push the massive vessel through. It entered the system after everyone else, more onos pouring out arcane spell formations to alter its course.
The ship portal behind it closed and then started to activate again. It connected to the ship portal around the asteroid base as the second newly completed portal bastion passed through.
The sub-fleets of the Deq’ual and Pandora forces moved together, the bastions taking positions opposite one another.
One hundred and sixty-eight Pandoran warships, one hundred and ninety-three Deq’ual warships, two portal bastions and tens of portal relays mounted on every single available space moved toward the jump point location.
Those that were in the system looked at the fleet with fear.
The combined fleet seemed to dominate the void as they moved onward, seemingly unstoppable. This would be the fight to determine the fates of Emerilia, of Deq’ual, and of the Jukal Empire, as well as its people.
One of these could not live with the other. From the ruins of their race and the prison they were watched for entertainment, humanity had returned once again to gain vengeance on those who had once beaten them.
Chapter 14: Opening Salvo
As the warships and bastions moved through the Jukal Empire system for their jump point, Emerilia continued to work tirelessly. It would take the fleet some ten hours to reach the jump point and then another three hours before they would come in contact with the Jukal Empire’s fleet and defenses.
It was twelve hours that no one was going to miss.
The Gunboat Isle was a sea of activity. People were pulled from other projects to assist. The Blood Kin seemed to just walk through the asteroid, waving their hands to create ranges, allowing for them to complete multiple batteries in just days.
On the ground of Emerilia, the fighting forces ran through simulations, ate food and did whatever they felt was right to prepare themselves for the coming battle. At ten hours to go, they ended training. The next time they would be fighting, it would be against the Jukal.
Water and his merpeople were there, as were the Mage’s Guild. All combat capable mages from the college had heeded the call and joined. The overseers were there, but instead of wearing their defensive cloaks and adornments, they were now wearing items that would boost their attack power.
Dragons circled in the skies, and let out roars. Fire and Mal were in Ice City with Dave and Deia, spending time with Desmond and Koi.
Dave smiled at Koi, as if remembering everything she did, trying to implant her image and the memories deep into his mind as to never forget them. In his eyes, there was sadness and hesitation, wishing that he could get out of this fight, to end it so that he could just stay with Koi. He let out a deep sigh. As much as he wished for that, he wouldn’t push his responsibilities aside. He had built up the Initiative—it was his brain child; he had established relations with Deq’ual and watched as Emerilia had come into its own. He didn’t think of these as achievements, but rather things that had to be done.
He rubbed Deia’s back, seeing how she was playing with Koi, her smile tinged with worry and sadness. If they died this time, there was no coming back. If they were gone, then Koi wouldn’t have parents.
Dave felt as if his soul was being rent in two as he looked at Koi’s happy face, oblivious of the turmoil of her mother and father.
This was the same scene that was happening all across Emerilia as men and women hugged their loved ones, their hearts heavy as they turned and left, leaving teary-eyed family members, looking to their brothers, sisters, and cousins marching off to war with them.
Adventurers, city guards, players, priests, clerics, paladins, and mages: they left their homes, their lives and turned toward the portals. They donned their armor, shrugged on their cloaks, pulled down their helmets, adjusted their casting hats, checked their blades and staffs.
Onos across Emerilia flashed with light as people returned to their units, the forces at the portals growing in size.
People laughed and joked, hiding their feelings as they glanced at the portals. Beyond them was a battlefield, one the likes of which the most traveled adventurer had never seen, nor the greatest player had imagined.
People mounted up their Devastator armor as the time came closer. Some slapped the armor before disappearing into the space of holding; others stepped in without comment. Others said prayers or did a ritual for good luck.
Racks upon racks of Devastator armor came alive. The dormant runic lines now glowed with fierce power as they stepped out of the racks, their feet shaking the ground.
Dwarven warclans armored with the Devastator armor shook the ground, their drums low and somber as the skies above them were filled with the screeches and roars of the various powerful beasts that they had trained up.
Dwarven Earth mages followed them, carrying their staffs; the ground under their feet pushed them forward.
Behind them, dwarven artillery cannons that had been heavily modified rolled forward, dwarven artillery crews around them.
Elven rangers wearing modified Devastator armor moved in precise ranks. Bows rested on their backs as their steps barely registered on the ground, every movement thought-out and predatory.
The DCA army seemed to appear out of the forests and swoop down from the skies. Their armor tarnished and battle-worn, they looked like a bunch of strays but there was a fire in their eyes and the way that they walked that spoke of the power and strength they had built up in the previous months and years. They might look dirty and unkempt but they were one of the strongest fighting forces of Emerilia.
Aleph controllers and automatons appeared. Their automatons had undergone massive changes, more dangerous and capable than ever.
Mounted forces both in the sky and on the ground, armies from across Emerilia: everything was in movement.
They took portals, teleport pads, and onos, arriving in front of Goblin Mountain.
Forces moved into staging areas facing the locations of where the first flying citadels had come from and were now the place of portals.
In the center atop Goblin Mountain was a massive ship portal, catching the light of the setting sun. Many arrived at the portals ahead of time, setting up camp and readying themselves for the battle to come.
Around Goblin Mountain, sixty-four flying citadels dominated the sky, making many look up in awe. The citadels were fully crewed; the walls and the inner castle were covered with artillery cannons, their crews and Aleph automatons. In the soul gem island undern
eath, the ground fighting forces were resting on the drop pads. Magical coding and runic lines covered the floors as people waited.
Dave got an alert on his interface as the fleet readied themselves to wormhole into the Jukal home system.
“We have to go.” Dave gripped Deia’s shoulder lightly.
Deia didn’t say anything, not trusting her voice as she rubbed Koi’s face before she picked her up. “Mommy loves you.” Deia kissed Koi.
“Daddy loves you, little one.” Dave’s voice got hoarse as his eyes got watery. He hugged them both and kissed the side of Koi’s face. They stood like that for a few moments.
Mal and Fire said good-bye to Desmond as one of the minders took Desmond away and Deia handed off Koi to the Dracul family minders.
Dave grasped Deia’s hand as she forced down the tears that were so close to making an appearance. Dave looked to Mal and Fire, sharing a glance and looking away as they walked out of the room, unable to look back for fear that they would stay there.
Dave’s simple clothes rippled as his armor and cloak appeared around him. Orbs appeared in the air around him and began to circle him.
Deia’s clothes rippled, changing into her Abscondita armor, her twin sword on her hip as her bow rested across her back.
Mal and Fire changed into their fighting leathers. Staffs that seemed to be made from living fire beaten into shape appeared in their hands.
“We’ll see you on the Jukal home planet.” Fire and Mal came to a stop.
Deia and Dave turned around.
“Look after yourself.” Mal wrapped Deia up in a hug and Fire hugged Dave as well before they switched. Fire and Deia looked to each other.
“I could never be prouder.” Fire kissed Deia on the forehead.
“Make sure you come back safe, and see that Deia does as well,” Mal said, barely keeping it together.
Dave nodded stoically. He and Mal had become close friends and he knew the love that they shared as they hugged each other again.
Flames appeared around Fire and Mal as they teleported away.
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