FIGHT and LOVE

FIGHT and LOVE
KATHOS LIBERATION FRONT
STORIES OF THE WAR FOR FREEDOM KATHOS NATION
FIGHT and LOVE
Contents:
RISE_ Captain Jephfryee McAylystaer ...................................................................................................................2
SOULS of IRON_coastwardchippy ...........................................................................................................3
WEIGHT in GOLD_coastwardchippy .................................................................................................... 16
The Black Rose_DrCaulder1 ................................................................................................................. 59
The Darkness at the End of the Tunnel_Rebel562 .......................................................................... 88
Onward to Glory_ Captain Jephfryee McAylystaer .............................................................................. 103
FIRST FLIGHT_coastwardchippy ......................................................................................................... 139
Baron Frederick Alvaz Story_Joseph Allen ...................................................................................... 141
A man who I can called King_Joseph Allen ..................................................................................... 170
Nallum Invasion of Sedales Islands_Joseph Allen .......................................................................... 172
Theimar's diary_Joseph Allen ............................................................................................................ 202
The adventure of Franco Hobalt_Joseph Allen .............................................................................. 205
Waltz of Shadows _Ducimax ............................................................................................................ 210
APPENDIX-A_Guests ....................................................................................................................... 217
APPENDIX-B_Game Fanart ............................................................................................................ 288
APPENDIX-C_WHO IS WHO IN KATHOS NOBILITY .................................................................... 296
Issued to support the fight for the freedom of nation Kathos.
Expand according to their possibilities.
KATHOS UNITED – Team authors
FIGHT and LOVE
ILLUSTRATION: ISOTX ©
General Alrisa Alembick ©
PUBLISHED BY: Kathos Liberation Front 2013
PRINTING: Kathos Liberation Front
First Issue
1
FIGHT and LOVE
RISE
BATTLE ANTHEM OF KATHOS UNITED
Captain Jephfryee McAylystaer
Through battlefields of blood and tears, 80 years of wars.
Civil rights fall as Rhamos lords rise, a Kathos occupied!
Across the land, across the sky, bells of freedom shall ring!
All Kathos- Unite! Fight for your freedom, your rights,
for our glorious land, now rise!
Ages ago in our civil wars, the lords of Rhamos invaded.
They conquered our land, brought peace with their hands,
they brought respite from our pains.
But then in the night, changed was our plight, for came Nallum with their claims!
They damned us with near a century of war,
Atelia gone, Kathos dying!
Marauders- Unite! They're ready to fight,
to save a Kathos now torn we sacrifice our lives!
Yet still they pity their Rhamosian lords.
Put 'em to death, that's what I say!
Kathos United, rise up and strike back,
now you must fight or die!
Now hear the bell toll,
that freedom a ringin'.
Victory shall be ours!
Out of the night, and into the light,
Kathos stand high! Stand proud!
They may kill us all!
With our blood paint these pages of history.
They may hang us and call us all fools.
They may beat us down, but again we will rise!
We won't take it anymore, our voices shall be heard!
Kathos take up arms and rise, our revolution justified!
Union binds us all with pride as men, women, and children die.
We will sacrifice our lives for freedom!
They've murdered our kin, committed crimes to us all.
Hear us now Rhamos, by our hands you will fall!
All Kathos will fight, we'll fight and we'll die, before we will bow to your King!
They may strike us down, they may tear us apart with their cannons!
They may think that one day we'll concede!
They may kill us all,
but for freedom, our Kathos will rise!
2
FIGHT and LOVE
SOULS of IRON
Coastwardchippy
PART 1
They came in the night.
A week ago they came, a bandit raid in the middle of the night turned what was no more than
an ink stain on the map of the world into nothing more than a memory of those that survived.
3
FIGHT and LOVE
Local militia bought us time, their valuable knowledge of the local geography and use of
guerrilla warfare held back the intruders valiantly but they were outgunned and ill-equipped,
military grade weapons being used by the bandits proved that they would raid any type of
settlement, no matter how well defended. The shock baron fortress in the town square was the
only fortification that gave our enemies pause, the inclined barrel of the gigantic cannon
standing defiantly towards the sky blasting shells towards the bandits with explosive ferocity.
By the fourth morning we could see its burning remains.
Lord Stafford sat in the command cradle of his personal atavar tank, the squat bulky tank led
the convoy of assault archos, savars and cargo trucks carrying civilians. The mechanized
column of vehicles roared across hidden dirt tracks and old highways, the belch of the throaty
engines challenging any attackers to try if they had the guts. Lord Stafford was uppermost
authority of the town that no longer existed, he held in his hand a scrawled note that read
"Jasmine's Gentleman's Club- Anchorpoint". When he first received this note, he had thought
that this destination would fund his luxury retirement in some hidden corner of the Osatian
sea through rather salubrious means, as befitting of the establishment's repute, however the
events that he had witnessed through the past week had changed him. The destination written
on the note was the only hope for the remnants of his community, the funds could provide a
new town for those that had survived, letting the memory of those friends, siblings, children
and parents live on through the survivors living a long and happy life. This journey was no
longer fuelled by survival, it was his personal crusade to give a new home to his citizens.
As long as hope lived, so did danger. The journey had led them into the Sondar valley, a
wooded valley that used to support several rural communities who had been decimated just
like his had, bandits were rife here, the thick woods were perfect ambush territory, and
everyone was all to aware of it, especially after seeing the charred remains of an assault
archos at the side of the road, and suddenly every set of tracks was a threat.
Safety felt so far away when the high peaked mountains and and foreboding forests was all
that accompanied us....
PART 2
Our fast moving column of iron stopped for nothing.
Lord Stafford couldn't help feeling anxious as he watched from the top hatch of his atavar
tank, the pintle mounted heavy machine gun sat beside him unused in a position that
suggested this was a leisurely afternoon drive, not a group of frightened men and women
fleeing for their lives, the former being something that used to be the norm in what used to be
Lord Stafford's life of luxury.
The world rose around him, the peaks of the mountain range that shaped the Sondar valley
soared towards the sky, tearing through the cloud layer like a knife. The trees of the wood that
surrounded him clung desperately to the side of the mountain, climbing as high up as they
4
FIGHT and LOVE
possibly could, but looking no more than a green and brown blur as they passed, racing across
the open ground of the grassy valley floor. The trees acting like an organic wall, defining our
route, continuing endlessly on ahead of us where our journey planned on leading us.
It was midday when the sight of wrecks along our path foretold our possible fate. The interval
between wrecks becoming continually smaller, the knuckles of Stafford's clenched fist turning
whiter and whiter as each one passed. When he noticed the gutted coffin of a command
destroyer, an involuntary gulp passed his lips and seemed to echo round the hull, the spooked
eyes of his loader turning towards him, it was at that pointed that he ordered the column to
bunch up through his oak furnished radio, his only possession saved from his burning estate.
His radio represented the transformation that had undergone the entire convoy, what had once
been domestic is certainly now military, especially the people.
Half an hour we found the scorched remains of a farming community, one that had most
likely suffered the same catastrophe as ours had, it was a sobering thought wondering whether
they had been as fortunate as we had been, if you could call us fortunate.
He ordered the column to come to a stop, for what was to come next, they were going to need
a rest.
PART 3
Lord Stafford's martial brain raced as he set about ordering his subordinates, the military
indoctrination of one of such aristocratic birth had put him in good stead so far, yet again the
privileges from such a high birth overshadowing his own prowess.
"Have the archos covering the tree line and the savars covering the valley, they won't be able
to hide tanks under the trees so they would have to come the same way we had, at least we
able to see them coming", mutters of assent coming from Lord Stafford's comrades, none of
them having the necessary military knowledge or energy to question his orders. "Keep the
patrols isolated, if we are then sighted, they won't have complete knowledge of our
disposition. Thank you gentlemen, dismissed".
He returned to his atavar as his makeshift army hurried around him. The radio crackling into
life moments after he had climbed back in,
"meet me in the town center"
"affirmative" Lord Stafford replied, knowing that only one other person had access to a radio
in the convoy.
The tank edged its way through the debris of the town, "good, cautiously now, I don't want
anything disturbed", he warned to the humpbacked figure of the driver who muttered an
inaudible confirmation, his eyes pressed against the driver's view port, never looking away,
even to engage in conversation.
5
FIGHT and LOVE
"I knew a friend who was born here" the loader broke in tentatively during the long silence of
the tank traversing, the hiss and clank of pressurised gas and hydraulics replaced by his
uneven pitched voice of someone in the latter stages of puberty, complete with a greasy face
full of freckles and auburn hair. "He's dead now".
There was little that marked the site of the town centre except for the gaggle of civilians
huddled nervously around their cargo trucks and the brick skeleton of what was once a town
hall. The tank pulled up next to a tall man who stood alone by an archos.
"Coming to stretch your legs?", he asked,
"Nah, their was a farmer's wife that told me she would haunt me if I touched her daughter, can
ghosts penetrate armour plating?" he replied with the naivety of youth.
Lord Stafford chuckled meanwhile the driver grunted in reply.
The figure that greeted Lord Stafford as he climbed out was somebody who would have
formerly been considered his butler, a long distance exile who had committed some war crime
that he considered so atrocious that he would never speak of, even under the harshest
questioning. They hugged each other like they were brothers. He had taught Lord Stafford the
lessons of life that Lord Stafford's father should have. The exile had a bronze complexion and
far taller and slender than most.
"Henry, how are our provisions holding up?"
"well sir, we should make it as long as don't lose any of the supplies stashed on our cargo
trucks" he replied in his wistful foreign accent, Lord Stafford nodded anxiously in response.
Before they could say any more, they noticed a pair of horseman racing down the side of the
mountain before disappearing amongst the trees, they were both certain that the horseman
were heading straight for them.
PART 4
Fear is a strong catalyst of animation.
Word spread quickly down the chain of command and within minutes Lord Stafford's ragtag
army was thundering away from the small settlement. The atavar tank of Lord Stafford ran
ahead of the main body of the army acting as a makeshift scout, designed in particular for
close range warfare and armoured to cope with such dangerous situations it was perfect in the
role.
Wearing his thick furs Lord Stafford pulled himself up through the top hatch, taking the heavy
machine gun to brace against the onrushing wind, as well as any hostiles that dare show their
faces. It was a sensible vantage point to survey the battlefield but little would have prepared
him for what he was about to see.
Lord Stafford turned to see the rest of the column trailing behind his lead, the town that they
had briefly stopped at now disappearing quickly into the barely visible distance, suddenly a
tide of horseman burst out from underneath the canopy of the woods identical to the pair of
6
FIGHT and LOVE
horseman that had foolishly tipped the convoy off about the ambush, charging in the wake of
their fleeing targets.
"What do we do?" Henry crackled over the radio,
Lord Stafford instinctively reached down for his radio, an action that saved his life. At exactly
the same time a wrecker came crashing out of the tree line from the right, leaving a trail of
destruction in its wake, centuries old trees being snapped like twigs by the seemingly
monstrous machine, the dual caterpillar treads churning the grassland into muddy oblivion as
it traversed. It charged directly at the atavar tank, the huge iron wrecking ball swinging wildly
ahead of it as it went for the almost tiny tank in comparison. Fortunately, the speed of the
atavar meant the wrecker shot past harmlessly behind the atavar, the wrecking ball swinging
disconcertingly close over the top hatch where Lord Stafford‘s head had been mere moments
ago.
Lord Stafford was ill prepared for the dilemma that raced across his synapses, attempt to
outrun the cavalry, or make a stand against the cavalry charge, hoping that distance and the
fact that they were unsupported would outweigh the sheer quantity of horseman.
―Fight!‖ Lord Stafford screamed down the radio, not considering the ear-piercingly loud level
of volume for the recipient at the other end of the radio before scrambling to the defence of
his own tank.
PART 5
Lord Stafford, barely aware of the great wrecking ball that had swung just above his head ,
jumped to the heavy machine gun mounted to the top hatch. Steel nerved he clenched the
bulky weapon with both hands and gritted his teeth so hard his mouth went numb. With sheer
determination he yanked the unwieldy thing round so it faced the rear end of the tank.
In the ever increasing distance Lord Stafford could see the engagement between his forces
and the onrushing assailants, the details of which were far less important than the ominous
wrecker looming broodingly over Lord Stafford, its two huge, upward exhausts that sat
behinds the glass cockpit roaring with the power of a mythical beast and drowning at all other
sound including Lord Stafford's own thoughts of self preservation. The driver of the wrecker
certainly looked like a stereotypical thug, a black leather trousers paired with a sleeveless
black leather jacket. The jacket's unbuttoned state allowed the toned muscles of his torso to
poke through meanwhile the lack of sleeves clearly showed his well endowed biceps, the torn
threads around the shoulder making it look like he had torn the sleeves off himself. He was
also bald with a strong forward set forehead matching his cheeks and chin, finally he had
small beady eyes and a one-toothed grin created by his malevolent, single-minded intent on
our demise.
Lord Stafford pulled the trigger and released a salvo of tremendous firepower at the glass
cockpit that made not a sound compared to the audible barrage of the wrecker, the
considerable recoil diminished by Lord Stafford's iron grip. Much to his infinite
disappointment Lord Stafford realised the cockpit was made from bulletproof glass, however
7
FIGHT and LOVE
the driver of the wrecker grin widened even further as the high caliber ammunition made
harmless impacts around him.
The wrecker was finally coming about and beginning to chase down the atavar, the
opportunity that had arisen through its large turning circle wasted by the unwanted surprise.
The weighty nature of the wrecker disguising an unnatural speed, a fact that Lord Stafford
discovered as the wrecker closed infuriatingly close. Lord Stafford dived back into the
relative safety of the compartment as the wrecker swerved across the the trail of the tank
violently from right to left, using the momentum of the wrecking ball to swipe at the tank, but
the imprecise method of the aiming thankfully meant that it failed to hit, but then tried again,
the wrecker's persistence rewarded with a glancing hit across the rear of the atavar and the
sound of rending metal reverberating around the cabin of the tank.
Lord Stafford knew he had one option, if he could stop the tank at the point where the
wrecking ball was at the farthest point of swing then it would pass harmlessly in front of the
vehicle meanwhile the wrecker would overtake allowing the main gun to be used. But to do
that, there was only one extreme course of action.
PART 6
The wrecker came for another swipe, this time there was a deeper impact and the occupants of
the avatar could feel the tank being battered about as their claustrophobic world shook with
violent abandon, Lord Stafford could see the driver struggling with the controls in the dimness
of the cabin, even the driver's normally cool composure was beginning to strain. The sound of
the tank buckling under immense force was as painful as a bullet to the brain for Lord
Stafford, this was his tank, his family's tank. It was the only part of his father that he
cherished, and is all that remains of his wealth, power and status.
"anyone have any objections" he asked waveringly at the top of his voice. No one replied. The
driver too preoccupied with trying to main absolute control especially with wrecking ball
swinging about, and the loader too startled to even move.
It was the hardest thing in his entire life.
No, not quite.
It was the second hardest thing in his entire life.
He peered just over the rim of the top hatch, timing the swing of the wrecking ball with the
utmost accuracy. The world seemed to turn silent, the creak and rattle of iron chain rang in his
ear. Lord Stafford presses two buttons just by the command cradle and the jolt of mechanisms
shake through the tank. Suddenly a terrible fear struck Lord Stafford as he feared that he had
mistimed the swing, realising that the wrecking ball may swing straight into the side of his
beloved tank, cleaving through the compartment and mangling all of them in the process.
8
FIGHT and LOVE
Then the mechanism that Lord Stafford had activated finally worked, one diamond edged
guillotine on either side of the tank sliced through the tank's treads, the wheels slipping free
off the suddenly loose band of metal into the soft grassland where the lack of traction
immobolised the tank instantaneously. Lord Stafford leaped at his driver and wrestled him
free of the controls, something which would have been extremely difficult when considering
the territorial nature of tank drivers. Lord Stafford pressed himself against the driver's view
port. He held his breath, waiting to see the wrecker shoot past but equally expecting the
terrible crunch of wrecking ball on tank.
Thankfully the sight of a wrecking ball flying across his view only inches away from his face
made him jump from his seat with a sudden exhale of breath, the sight of the wrecker
shooting past only moments later. Lord Stafford slammed down on the the trigger of the main
gun, hoping that the loader had preemptively loaded the ammunition into it.
The sound of a volley of shotgun rounds punching through the air, shortly followed by an
explosive eruption that rocked the inanimate atavar tank and lit the cabin briefly with a
yellow, incandescent fury.
"its over" Lord Stafford whispered with uncontainable relief.
PART 7
Lord Stafford awoke with a pair of concerned, hazel eyes staring back at him through a pair of
gold rimmed oval glasses that precariously teetered on the tip of its owner's nose.
"good sleep", Henry asked softly, as softly as you could in the rattling tin bucket of a roaring
assault archos,
"good enough", Stafford replied halfheartedly as recent events flickered through his mind,
reminding him of the terrible world he had just returned to.
One image kept replaying in his mind, a trio of gold pieces chained together, tattooed to the
forearm of the wrecker's driver's corpse, the symbol of the goldchain slavers. A group of
pauper merchant princes who used to roam the Rahmos sea, but now have turned to more
forceful means to earn their wage. Their sudden increase in power and notoriety led to rumors
of funding from an unknown power, no longer were they just a beggar nuisance, Lord
Stafford now knew these rumors to be true, but had never thought that he would find out first
hand.
The battle in the sondar valley had come to an end suddenly, the mounted horseman fled en
masse upon seeing the striking sight of their wrecker burning, even though the atavar was
immobilised. Lord Stafford's duel was the turning point of the battle as whoever had won
would have cut a bloody swathe through the opposing army.
The convoy had no time to lick their fairly minor wounds after the battle though, upon
horizon was the seething mass of a far larger horde of weaponry and armor, although they
were about two days behind. The confrontation that had just passed had merely been the net,
9
FIGHT and LOVE
now came the spear. The open ground ahead of the convoy felt so inviting as they fled for the
relative safety of the mountain passes and highways.
Tearfully, Lord Stafford vowed he would one day to return to the sodding valley, to honour
the fallen and find the rusting carcass of his once great atavar.
But now they were here, their supplies had held up and their convoy shared the highways with
caravans and armies alike, all eying each other up suspiciously while never keeping their
hands far away from their firearms. Lord Stafford's journey neared its destination, fortune
awaited him and the opportunity to find a new home, but the hive of activity that lie ahead of
him was unsettling, and where large groups of people exist, so do hidden agendas.
PART 8
Anchorpoint lie just ahead of Lord Stafford's trundling column, their souls hardened by the
past week. The sight of it was magnificent to behold, a city clinging desperately to the side of
the mountain, a city with all the exuberance of life despite being so close to the abyss. Huge
walkways dotted the city, providing a far from convenient city with the infrastructure needs.
Intricate carved stone walls mark the flat foundations of the city, tentatively emerging rock,
pinpointing the vertical nature of the city. The architecture was an angular affair, most
buildings being fairly squat structures packed in tight around its neighbours, a pair of domed
structures sat above the rest of the city in the uppermost boundaries, the lavish residence of
governance and the stalwart and mighty military headquarters rising above all else as the solid
core on which this population remains civilised. The docks were as busy as the rest of the city,
bustling with people, the docking platforms being the structures furthest away from solid
ground, only the hardy members of the airship crews daring those precarious gangways.
Anchorpoint was like a eagle's nest, where the predators of humanity flock on wings of
leather and canvas, the smell of burning gas and other fuels permeated the city, but the slug
like giants of the sky were never far away, the airships symbolised the supposed opportunity
and freedom that could be found here, at least that's what Lord Stafford hoped.
The highway that led into the city was precariously close to the edge, much like the rest of the
place, where vertigo inducing sights of the verdant but not entirely safe land could be seen,
beneath the graceful rolling of unperturbed clouds. The final obstacle between Lord Stafford
and Anchorpoint was a psychological one, to reach it the highway crossed an unimaginable
expanse onto an opposing cliff, if the occupants of the convoy hadn't become unhinged by the
past week then this crossing certainly would, uncontrolled relief swept the column after they
had crossed.
Lord Stafford left the column in Henry's capable hands to find "Jasmines Gentlemen's Club"
on foot, thankfully it had been quite visible on the journey into Anchorpoint, the large signs
displaying "Jasmine" and the outline of a seductive temptress making it rather stand out, that
and the building being pink, so he had a good idea where to go.
10
FIGHT and LOVE
The streets were almost a battlefield, every street was a press of bodies, every moment you
was shoulder to shoulder with a new stranger, some welcoming, some contemptuous, and
some much much more devious, the eardrums were assailed by city life in all its forms. All
the while feeling that somebody else was watching you.
Lord Stafford caught site of his reflection in a shop window, the sight shocked him, his black
hair was on the verge of unruliness, faint traces of a mustache and beard corrupting his
usually clean shave face, his pronounced cheek bones and chin made his face look sharp as a
dagger when it had once been strong and highly visible bags hung under his eyes. Lord
Stafford had become an image of weariness. Even under his heavy brown furs, it seemed he
was slowly wasting away.
Lord Stafford finally reached his destination, briefly checking his scribbled note for
unnecessary confirmation, even though he was certainly in the right place due to the sound of
saucy laughter, the overpowering smell of sickly sweet perfume and of course, the monstrous
signs.
Before Lord Stafford had the opportunity to enter, an undeniably familiar face left the
establishment, a scantly clad floozies ladled on each arm. He had the same strong face and
black hair as Lord Stafford, he was slightly shorter and showing all the sings of living well.
The last time he had seen his uncle had been under far more hostile circumstances, the reason
why blood is thicker than water is because it is mixed with poison.
"Its good to see you are doing so well" Lord Stafford said with well concealed venom, "I've
come to finally resolve our business venture",
"oh good, enjoy yourself then" his uncle replied as he passed, not recognising Lord Stafford,
being too busy flirting with his companions,
"hmph", was all that Lord Stafford could manage say, startled by his uncle's lack of
acknowledgment, especially after everything that had happened in their contributing pasts.
Lord Stafford stood on the threshold, the promise of a fortune couldn't overcome his
apprehension, what lie within and the source of this supposed fortune was unknown, but the
thought of being able to home his citizens was encouraging enough to force himself to enter,
however, Anchorpoint is not the most safest nor the most honest of places, and Jasmine's is
the eye of the storm.
PART 9
Upon entering the establishment, Lord Stafford found that it was much like any of its kind,
soft plush furniture and decor, a fireplace crackling gently in the corner and everything
coloured in the shades of pink or red. Unsurprisingly he found that all the customers were
men, each with a scantly clad, soft skinned beauty in their laps or arms. But amidst all of this
was the strangest site, a child no older than five was playing with a pair of gaudily painted
metal cars on the floor wearing nothing more than a pair of white pants. The child monkeyed
around on the floor with all the enthusiasm of childhood, completely unaware of his
inappropriate surroundings, placing his head perpendicular to the floor the child closed one
eye and poked his tongue as he tried to imagine himself in the driving seat of his toys.
11
FIGHT and LOVE
But before Lord Stafford could contemplate this anymore, he had found that bronze skinned
woman had dived in his arms and was nibbling his right ear, whispering sweet nothings,
"I love a man in furs, you never know whats underneath", she purred with a voice which was
as liquid as water.
"Natya, down", a new voice called as smooth as velvet, but with all the unspoken authority of
a general. The girl called Natya complied quickly, slinking away like a defeated feline, as if
aware of some serious unspoken threat.
The owner of this new voice stood before him, a slender beautiful woman with bountiful hips
and a well endowed chest. She had a soft, loving hear shaped face and a dark brown hair
which had a delicate pink flower entwined in her parting, and wearing only a red bra and frilly
mini skirt, ribbons coiled round her arms like snakes. She made a gesture with her head to
follow, Lord Stafford feared he had little choice but to comply, suddenly aware of a tension
that would be unnoticeable to the men who had been lulled into a lustful haze.
She led Lord Stafford up many flights of stairs, past euphoric men and closed doors, grabbing
a pink silk gown as they went, embroidered with red vines which ended in glittering
diamonds, the gown was translucent and failed to cover anything up though Lord Stafford. A
lone door stood at the uppermost landing which must of been just below the roof, beyond
which was a bare brick room which had no furnishings except for a pair of wooden chairs and
a desk which sat between them.
Jasmine offered Lord Stafford a seat which he took meanwhile she perched her perfectly
formed bottom on the desk. Lord Stafford had no idea whatsoever about what would happen
next.
PART 10
"Your uncle has done well in Anchorpoint", Jasmine started casually as if talking about the
weather, for Lord Stafford, talk about his family was no casual subject.
"My uncle does not recognise me, how do you know who I think I am?", Lord Stafford asked
in all seriousness, not at all disarmed by her nakedness. "Anchorpoint trades in all kinds of
currencies, not just the tangible ones, ammunition and men being most in demand nowadays.
If something is seen as valuable by an interested party, well, people do not like to trade in
unknown quantities", she replied as she edged tantalisingly closer to Lord Stafford.
"I see", Lord Stafford responded coolly, "your whores down their satisfying your customers is
all just a known quantity".
A surprisingly hard slap came in response, but Lord Stafford took it with unflinching dignity.
"The wealth obtained in Anchorpoint can do a lot of good, my girls are merely supplying one
of the most basic demands",
"How philanthropic of you", Lord Stafford replied expecting another slap, but instead a
wicked looking combat blade suddenly appeared between his legs, uncomfortably close to his
groin, still vibrating from the force of the unseen impact. Face to face Jasmine stroked the
handle of the knife teasingly, arcing one eyebrow in a gesture which seemed to be an
122
12
FIGHT and LOVE
unspoken gesture. She finally moved away from and turned her back to him, to Lord
Stafford's surprise she began to remove her bra, normally any would have been overcome by
the site of the unblemished body, however the sight of a series of grotesque scars that would
normally be concealed by her bra straps.
"This is what one meat-headed piece of atora dung once did to me", Jasmine said almost
whispering, in a rather more sombre tone, "he though he owned every pound of flesh that I
inhabited, my establishment prevents this, all my girls down there were once the orphans,
urchins, beggars and pariahs of society who one day would have been found in some desolate
gutter the morning after some bugger having his wicked way with her. I am giving them the
protection I never had. Believe me when I say its not the cowards who hide away in that
lavish fortress that run this city", the last sentence being spoken with inherent sadness and
unresolved trauma.
Once redressed, her indomitable feisty attitude returning with her occupational battledress.
"Back to business. I am aware of the hostilities to your uncle, but despite them, he is happy
for you to receive the necessary funds that constitute as a return on your investment. He has
amassed a considerable wealth through his many business operations".
"He looked as if he was enjoying the good life", Lord Stafford riposted.
"His latest venture is an investment in the goldchain slavers, a group of foreign merchants",
"Beggar exiles more like" he replied with considerable venom, the sudden turn of events
astonishing Lord Stafford. Jasmine replied with an identical combat blade appearing perfectly
in line with first, disconcertingly closer to his groin, and with that Lord Stafford stopped
arguing.
PART 11
The last embers of sunlight were slowly being dragged below the horizon. Fantastic hues of
orange flared from the gradually diminishing, semi-sphere of light meanwhile the once
crystalline blue sky darkened broodingly, in the wake of the death of the day. The floating
tufts of cloud strewn across the sky turned gray and heavy, suddenly looking as if they were
made of lead instead of cotton. Even in these twilight hours airships still traversed their
invisible highways, some distinctly elegant, designed by and for rich men, meanwhile while
others look liked drifting scrap heaps, cobbled together by a patchwork of mismatched slabs
of metal, crude rivets and bolt desperately trying to keep the rust bucket together. The airships
were not alone in the sky, flocks of birds lazily flapped towards their hidden dens and
majestic predators soared and swooped, the light of the dieing sun making them look no more
than vague black shapes.
Anchorpoint was as busy as ever, lanterns hung outside shops and homes, gently glowing
with soft warm light and ironwork lamppost burst into life with harsh artificial illumination.
And glowing brighter than all else with ostentatious luminescence the large signs of Jasmine's
Gentleman's Club". The docks bustled with low light activity, the crews of the remaining
airships busied themselves with their assigned errands or set off to enjoy the wild nightlife of
this city, the long shadows cast by the setting sun trailing in their wake. Lord Stafford stood
13
FIGHT and LOVE
alone in his furs, looking like a hairy beast in the half light, and the busy crewmen were right
to keep their distance.
It was difficult to comprehend that at these outermost reaches of the city their was only a
couple of metres of rock concrete and iron girders between an unimaginably long fall towards
a beautiful yet fractured landscape, a fall that mirrored Lord Stafford's only life, barely over a
week ago he was the lineage of minor aristocracy and now little more than a penniless
fugitive. He was never one who had suffered from a fear of heights but if he had not been
deep in thought then he certainly would have been able to stand so close to oblivion.
It had been a miracle that the convoy's supplies had held out long enough for them to reach
Anchorpoint, but when your living so close to the end of your basic needs then their is little
room for contingency plans. He had about forty-eight hours before the survivors would begin
to starve, forty-eight hours to find a solution, but he had to find the convoy and Henry first.
However in retrospect this couldn't be too hard as he was looking for the only army that didn't
belong to a marauder. Lord Stafford stood like a gargoyle as he endlessly weighed up his
options, the promised land had turned out to be anything but, the treasure that had been
invested by his uncle had been placed into the hands of the very the people that caused the
situation he was currently in, however the force they annihilated in the Sondar valley was
small in comparison to the vast army and resources of the Goldchain Slavers, but if Lord
Stafford were to wait for his return on that investment he still needed to feed his convoy.
Anchorpoint was not short on marauders and Lord Stafford could provide a sizable and
experienced army but then what would happen to all the non-combatants, they would only
have a certain amount of use on a marauder's airship and Lord Stafford owed them much
more than risking their lives on that long and treacherous journey just to put them once again
in the line of fire. However he could also ditch the civilians, but as quickly as the thought
occurred to him he also scolded himself for such a vile thought, Lord Stafford was not his
father's son and he never would be.
14
FIGHT and LOVE
Before his introspection could come to conclusion, a long shadow proceeded an approaching
figure as well as the cloying smell of an expensive cigar. From the shape of the shadow it was
clear that this mysterious stranger was wearing a cape and a top hat but little more was
distinguishable before the shadow dived head first over the lip of the platform.
"You are not s secret as you think you are", the stranger whispered, "my associates know a lot
more about you than I care to mention. And I know exactly what happened in the Sondar
valley". The last two words sent alarm bells ringing in Lord Stafford's head, if others new
about the confrontation in the valley then it could have far reaching consequences, especially
for his pending investment, but before he could fully understand what he had go himself into,
"My associates are very displeased", the stranger finished. And then Lord Stafford had the
sudden horrifying realisation that he was being grabbed, the lack of solid ground in front of
him instantly becoming a lethal prospect.
15
FIGHT and LOVE
WEIGHT in GOLD
Coastwardchippy
It was like staring through a monochrome filter, a world drained of colour. Life cannot be
measured in antithesis'. Black and white, yes or no, boy or girl, right or left, true or false. Life
and death. There are no true extremes in reality, only shades of grey.
Even though he knew where he was so well, after all it was his family home, it felt so cold
and emotionless, so distant. So dead. Everything was as he had left the estate all those years
ago, not a spot of dust was out of place, lacking any desecration caused by battle, fire and
time. The marble fireplace of the drawing room crackled gently with a dull white inferno,
sparking memories of family gatherings and peaceful evenings, but the recollections felt like
they belonged to somebody else, the faces had no names or connections and the fire gave no
light or warmth. A surge of remorse overcame him when he found his bedroom, a lone made
bed surrounded by a scattering of miscellaneous possessions, but despite knowing it all
belonged to him he could not remember how he acquired any of it or their personal value,
even the vague memory of his own mother tucking him into bed every night would not
resurface. No matter how hard he tried. He wanted to scream, but his body would not let him.
Lord Stafford felt like a child again, door handles were at head height, bookshelves felt like
deadly cliff ascents and any shelving that he once was able to reach may as well have been in
the heavens. Like when he was a child every door was open to him, except one, the black
wooden door in the kitchen that led to his fathers study, it was such a dark black that it looked
like an inky wound in a photograph, saturated with sorrow. But seeping through underneath
was a spectrum of colour, promising all that the warped dreamworld could offer.
He tried the door but it stood steadfast and unmoving, unwilling to give entry, "hello?" came
from the other side of the door, the gruff melancholy tone ubiquitous of his father sent shivers
through his body, reaching every extremity and clasping at his courage. Lord Stafford tried
again and again using two hands and more force but with unchanging results, his unseen
father replying after every attempt with an increasingly infuriated tone, "yes?" "who is it?"
"what do you want?". He started to try with his whole body, caring less and less about his
own well being. "Do you mind?" "This is my study?". He could feel his body being battered
about, every impacting giving him bruises and cuts. "You are not welcome here?" "This is not
you place". He knew what he had to do, surrendering his body whole would appease the cruel
gods of this reality and open the door, he took a step back and prepared a run at the door, fully
aware of the pain of the impact. He ran at it, every stride being more and more confident
despite the torrent of abuse and the guaranteed pain that awaited him. "You will never have
any of this" "You will NEVER BE A STAFFORD".
He hit the door, the trauma of it woke Lord Stafford up.
The sun beat down upon him, unrelenting and angry. The sudden intake of breath made him
realise he had been holding his breath, the feel of cold sweat upon his brow was the lasting
remnants of the terror he had just fought through. He sat up from the sun lounger and necked
the last dregs of devestator rum that sat in a crystal decanter on a table to the side of the
lounger, savoring the sensory kick after the ordeal of his dream. Pulling a clockwork pistol
from his pocket, nostalgic of the times when the intricate brass clockwork innards used to tick
away, but now it was lifeless.
16
FIGHT and LOVE
Lord Stafford was not alone for long in the vast expanse of the sparkling blue sea entwined
with the bleached white sand, all underneath a still blue sky. Like a mirage, a shape emerged
from the shimmering sands, seventy years of age, hairless and wrinkled, but far fitter than he
looked, their was only a twenty year age difference between Henry and Lord Stafford but
practically it meant nothing.
"There here, sir" Henry started with clipped precision and caution,
"Finally we can repay our debts" Lord Stafford replied,
"In what currency, sir?"
"We shall see" Lord Stafford finished with questionable feelings about the future "get the men
ready, man the cannons.........."
17
FIGHT and LOVE
Twenty Years Earlier
It was nice for the world to be at peace for a change, after the thunderous tumult and upheaval
of the last few days, for the first time in too long she had a sense of belonging.
She kept her eyes closed tightly, knowing that the environmental harmony would be disrupted
too soon, savoring every lasting moment. Even though every inch of her being was soggy, the
sea gently lapped at her legs as the tide quietly crashed against the sandy shore with a soul
soothing shhhhh, the beach felt warm and soft underneath her and the red shade of her closed
eyelids promised luscious weather alongside all the other tidings she could deduce through
her senses.
Opening her eyes, the briefest glimpse of the overbearing sun left spots in her eyes. Sitting up
she blinked her vision clear meanwhile feeling the indent her back had made in the sand while
she had been lying face up. Regardless of the degree of wetness she checked her clothing,
feeling over her secret pouches and stashes, making a mental inventory on the condition of
her equipment, the leather catsuit she was wearing surviving rather well.
She crawled to the waters edge, using its lucid surface as mirror, pulling some seaweed out of
he hair and generally tidying herself up. She couldn't help but marvel at the stunning frizzy
look her hair had transformed into, originally her hair had been a much longer sleek waterfall
of dark red hair which she normally wrapped up, because practically, hunters having long hair
is not considered beneficial and the last thing you needed was hair falling in your eyes. Her
previous captors had lopped off some of her hair in a reckless fashion and combined with the
salt of the sea, she now had a new look entirely.
Standing up, she looked at the nautical horizon with a macabre sense of longing, she had
spent just over a month at sea in the company of the goldchain slavers and captive company
certainly isn't pleasant company. She had come from a small tribal community hidden from
most prying eyes, surrounded by mountain ranges and tall woodland she lived in the rustic
remnants of an ancient Rhamos. Back then life was simple, where the food that they were fed
had been caught, when she had a name that the rest of the civilised world could not
understand or pronounce and her male peers brought her romantic favours (even though most
of the time the favours she received were pathetic compared to the prey she could catch
herself).
Then the great might of Rhamos rolled into town, decimating the populous, murdering her
childish courtiers in front of her very eyes and stealing her away into a life of servitude and
slavery. Or so she thought. The time spent in Rhamos under captivity was relative luxury,
spending a week in a suite that provided all the needs and wants someone could have possibly
imagined, but for her the lack of freedom was agony and the fact that everything she was fed
had not been caught by her own means was an almost excruciating sensation for someone
who usually provided her own existence. She wasn't unhappy to say goodbye to that
apartment, but she remembers feeling just as apprehensive about where she was going next.
The transportation from Rhamos to Kathos could only be described as a floating city, a missmatched tangle of old wrecks, hulls and other extensions bolted on hurriedly. It was a vast but
slow leviathan that was far more than just a slave ship. Your typical slave holds were present,
masses of filthy men, women and children all thrown together in communal pens, it was
disgusting, it was cruel, it was heart-wrenching. But the militaristic presence was far too big
18
FIGHT and LOVE
to go unnoticed. The cells that were provided for her and a select few were as close to
luxurious you could possibly get when being in the middle of the ocean, the arrangement of
the cells was far more social but allowed no direct contact, a far cry from her unfortunate
peers in the other slave cages, however the luxurious cells were also under unwavering vigil
by only the most elite and trustworthy of guards, with good reason though, her neighbours
were convicts, murderers, war criminals and other assorted killers.
Being the only dignified female in the vicinity she received a fair few advances from passing
guards, it soon stopped after three broken noses, two broken ribs and a cracked skull scared
them away, however similar antagonist abuse was aimed at the other inmates, but after the
murder of a drunken off duty guard who was up for a fight she realised just the sort of
company she was sharing with, but when no retribution was sought and the ominously quiet
and steadfast guards continued their vigil, questions began filling her head. The conclusion
she came to was that the inmates that shared these luxurious cells were of such vital
importance that they were untouchable. But why?
She had planned her escape, it was all she could think about confined in that constricting cell,
but the opportunity arose one dark and stormy night, at great risk to her own health but
washing up in a small sandy cove had proven that she still had some form of luck on her side.
She crested a sandy dune as she began to leave the cove behind, pulling her rifle scope from
one of her pouches and playing it other the landscape. Signs of vegetation in the distance
meant she could find some sort of food one way or another, but as she kept viewing the world
through the zoomed lens of hers, their was one sight that filled her with utter disbelief.
A full scale landing.
An armada of airships filled the sky like a swarm of insects meanwhile amphibious transports
landed on the shore unceremoniously, unleashing their trundling heavy cargo upon an
unsuspecting Kathos and beyond in the ocean the leviathan that brought them all here waited
silently and still. The motive of this invasion was unclear, the idea of occupying Kathos
outright has as many supporters as it does protesters, meanwhile others would rather adhere to
the status quo, then there's the suspicion that the puppet ruler of Kathos is in fact a Kathosian
sympathiser and many are aware of the rebellious nature of barons. The Crystal Pentacle, an
icon of the conspirative nature of the barons is not exactly a well kept secret. It would not be
out of the question to suspect a certain amount of espionage, the Kathos and Rhamos branches
of the goldchain slavers have been planning this and suspicously many of the airships had
been captured from notorious anchorpoint marauders who are revered and feared in equal
measure, giving the slavers almost unfettered access to anchorpoint and its defenses.
But she was no general or politician and unaware of the machinations of the powers that be.
However what drew her attention was the clusters of parachutes that began deploying, drifting
lazily through the sky, each parachute marked with distinct purple border. The invading force
were deploying their elite scouts, soon the time for battle would be upon her but now she
merely had to survive.
While in captivity the goldchain slavers branded a new name on the small of her back, it still
seared with pain, this new name was a common name, one that the wider world could
19
FIGHT and LOVE
understand. That name was Emilia, she thought it was a nice name, a name many would soon
learn to fear.
Meanwhile in anchorpoint,
...Before his introspection could come to conclusion, a long shadow proceeded an
approaching figure as well as the cloying smell of an expensive cigar. From the shape of the
shadow it was clear that this mysterious stranger was wearing a cape and a top hat but little
more was distinguishable before the shadow dived head first over the lip of the platform.
"You are not s secret as you think you are", the stranger whispered, "my associates know a lot
more about you than I care to mention. And I know exactly what happened in the Sondar
valley". The last two words sent alarm bells ringing in Lord Stafford's head, if others new
about the confrontation in the valley then it could have far reaching consequences, especially
for his pending investment, but before he could fully understand what he had go himself into,
"My associates are very displeased", the stranger finished. And then Lord Stafford had the
sudden horrifying realisation that he was being grabbed, the lack of solid ground in front of
him instantly becoming a lethal prospect.
Despite the surprise nature of the attack, Lord Stafford's assailant was rather weedy compared
to his bulk. The sudden drop off into oblivion in front of Lord Stafford lurched uncomfortably
as he fought for his balance, weight of another person pushing against his back. There was
something hallucinogenic for Lord Stafford as he stared beyond the precipice at the vertical
drop, the peaceful and benevolent clouds, contorting in the rising winds, transformed into the
vague form of a puffy face, "care to join me son" it whispered in a voice that he instantly
recognised as his fathers. "NEVER" Lord Stafford bellowed, the revulsion of his lineage
twisting in his gut like a knife. Lord Stafford pushed back with determination, jabbing his
elbows into his attacker guts for good measure. The pressure against him eased and gratefully
he fought away from the gaping chasm.
With one final piece of effort he pushed the stranger at his back away, he spun on the spot,
turning to finally face the person that attacked him. He found a man a head taller than himself
standing in a fencing pose, holding a black cane in a gloved hand, aiming squarely at Lord
Stafford's chest. The mysterious stranger wore a grey double-breasted jacket lined with red
fabric that hid the shape of his body entirely, what was underneath, Lord Stafford could only
speculate. A dark green cape was draped over his shoulders and stopped abruptly at about
knee height. It was buttoned up at his throat by a shining and ostentatious gold broach.
Seemingly ancient brown leather boots had silenced his approach but what deduced from the
shadow was correct, a black top hat sat firmly atop his head, hiding any hair he may have had
and a monocle, reflecting the sunset like a hellish inferno, sat in front of one of his cold and
calculated eyes. A lit cigar lay on the floor discarded where, moments ago, it had been pursed
at lips, neighboured with a short cut goatee, with a split moustache and a centre stripe down
the middle of his chin, all made from the same brown hair as his arcing eyebrows.
20
FIGHT and LOVE
The mysterious stranger came at him in an instant, swiping at Lord Stafford's head twice,
reversing into an opposite swing each time, Lord Stafford dodging back, just, the gold tip of
the cane whooshing past the point of his nose. The plummet to infinity once again beckoning
Lord Stafford closer. This was followed by a downward strike which Lord Stafford blocked
with crossed arms.
It became a desperate battle for Lord Stafford, a series of jabs, swipes and blows continually
came at him. As Lord Stafford twirled, dodged, ducked and blocked he took in his
surroundings. The winds were whipping up now, clawing at his attire. Streaks of orange and
violet made long shapes along the concourse of the docking promenade made by the setting
sun. Crew members and workers of the docking promenade had downed tools and become
entranced by the confrontation that was taking place, the onlookers aware about becoming
embroiled in the conflict and gave the pair a very wide berth, the closest members of the
crowds being tens of metres away. The crowds were nothing more than than hazy swathes of
shadow thanks to the setting sun, but there were even more shadier types within the crowd, a
few brutish thugs watching with a different type of intent than the rest of the crowd, ready to
spring into action as tide changed against the favour of whomever was paying them, caressing
suspicious bulges in their clothing. Lord Stafford had met enough goons in the company of
his father's associates to know what one looked like.
The formulation of a plan was beginning to come together and not a moment to soon, an
unexpected turn of events was happening however, a single figure had emerged from the
crowd and the goons had begun to meet this unseen and unprepared for threat. Paying to much
attention on the battle at hand Lord Stafford could only make out a few details about this
interloper, he thought he saw a one legged man in a white overcoat hobbling along on a
crutch, how could such a an worry armed goons he thought to himself, but if he can, he may
just be able to save me.
Meanwhile, elsewhere
An enormous eight-sided emerald hung in the air at the center of the city, hanging from four
arcing supports, wrought in a cruel spiny black iron facade, that sprouted from the perimeter
fortress wall which looked just as wicked and painful as the overhanging support structure.
The emerald‘s almost unholy glow caused a permanent aurora display above the city‘s
inhabitants, although everyone who visited would gradually acclimatise to the light show and
ignore it, realising the far more pressing concerns that demanded their attention. The emerald
covered the most of the city, its huge bulk hanging precariously above the city, waiting to fall
cataclysmically at any moment like a child waiting to crush an insect, the lowest point
squarely aiming at a little fountain at the perfect center of the city.
A lone figure stood by that fountain.
He washed his face with a handful of the trickling stream that shot from the fountain, an
unsettled reflection of a tall lanky man staring back at him, furrowed eyebrows and a stern
21
FIGHT and LOVE
face, the omnipresent emerald looming above. Something far more foreboding than a huge
crystal was troubling his mind.
The streets were bare and empty, nightmarishly black cobblestones blanketed the city‘s streets
and buildings that stood upon them were made from dark slates, stone and concrete. The only
light that shone was the one emanated from the emerald above; it was bright enough to see but
gave everything a sinister alien quality. In fact nearly everything about the city was sinister
including the secret society that actually ran the place, operating somewhere deep within the
confines of the emerald. The smell of sulphur was all encompassing due to the city‘s
surroundings.
Few people stalked the streets this time of the night, only people with a purpose, and those
that did eyed any strangers suspiciously.
The lone figure approached a dark and unassuming stone pub named ‗The Emerald‘s Noose‘,
only the slightest sounds of revelry coming from within. He went in and founded it bustling
and noisy, here shoulders nudged and clothing rubbed whereas the rest of the city was far
from being this equal. The overwhelming sound of so many men and women talking with one
another in such a confined space was a shock compared to the stillness of the outside world.
He shouldered his way through the crowds and found his way to a quintet of four aged brown
leather chairs in the far corner, one of which was occupied by a short plump man with rosy
and even plumper cheeks who greeted him without rising. His hair ran raggedly down to his
shoulders and looked as if it had never seen a pair of scissors. Despite the informal and warm
surroundings he wore a brown suit, just like the newcomer.
―Glad you made it Luthous‖,
―Who do you think would stop me Tamworth?‖ the newcomer replied, ―You look
comfortable‖.
Along the stone walls were glass tubes which directed lava flows from beyond the city limits,
they acted as both an an efficient lighting and heating system as well a rather unique
attraction. Four glasses of claret had been poured and left on a table between the seats, one for
each expected guest. One was nearly empty. Luthous reached for his and sipped it gingerly.
―It‘s true, Lou‖
―What is‖, Luthous replied as he took a larger sip,
―You know‖,
―Unfortunately, I do‖, he sighed,
―Rhamos has landed‖, Tamworth stated a little too loudly, ―and it‘s not official‖. A sudden
bustle at the bar alarmed Luthous but quickly quietened down.
Tamworth was a merchant prince, a trader of traders, his contact network was vast and along
the way had acquired many diverse intelligence gatherers, but Luthous considered him a little
too excitable and naive and he thought Tamworth‘s temperament would one day get him
killed, especially in this place.
A lean figure entered the pub and immediately came to join them; he too wore a brown suit.
He looked a rather timid fellow, but you would be mistaken. There was some commotion in
the crowd around the door, Luthous was certain they had followed his drinking companion
into the pub.
―How goes the arms trade nowadays Iggy?‖, Tamworth asked,
22
FIGHT and LOVE
―Bulletproof. As ever‖, Iggy replied taking a seat but not taking a glass of claret, making no
sign of knowingly cracking a joke.
Half an hour of idle talk later and Luthous looked beyond his empty glass towards the empty
seat and the untouched glass. Around the pub several figures began moving, it may have been
the alcohol thought Luthous, but it seemed they were looking in their in the trio‘s direction.
He was certain a net was tightening.
―Where do you think we‘ll find the corpse‖ asked Iggy darkly, noticing Luthous looking at
the empty chair,
―NO, they haven‘t got to him, he wouldn‘t let us down. He‘s bringing the defector‘s letter‖,
Tamworth replied a little too loudly again while turning slightly pale,
―We do know what we do now, at least‖, Luthous said,
―Yes, we leave and we work out what happens next‖ Iggy replied.
More movement, this time with no sign of trying to be covert, Iggy noticed this time a
pretended to stretch, clenching both fists as he did so. Both Tamworth and Luthous noticed
the signal, the former nodding nervously meanwhile the latter did it with rather more
professionalism. Before they had a chance to do anything the pub was in chaos. Tables were
overturned as a full on brawl exploded across the establishment. Within moments Tamworth
was on the floor unconscious, Iggy had taken down six fools with only six blows and Luthous
was busy fending off a pair of thugs, one f which had grabbed him from behind.
―The rumours were true‖, Luthous thought, ―and this time with subterfuge. Nothing like a
good old declaration of war‖.
23
FIGHT and LOVE
Back in Anchorpoint
Around him the docking promenade was in chaos. The crutch wielding figure that Lord
Stafford had previously sighted and his four companions began efficiently dispatching the
goons that had spread themselves out amongst the crowd. Meanwhile the crowd itself broke in
panic at the open conflict, stampeding away in blind desperation, many were trampled in the
rush, including a number of goons, and anything caught in the way of the stampede was
smashed aside, no matter how stoic it thought it was.
But Lord Stafford thought he was about to finish this mysterious stranger.
The attacker swung wildly with his cane across the space where Lord's Stafford's chest had
previously been, aware of the changing situation he had put too much desparation into the
swipe and had inadvertently overextended himself, unable to bring the cane round for the
reverse swing. Lord Stafford managed a glancing hit with a right hook but the stranger jabs
back with the cane putting some distance between the two brawlers and forcing Lord Stafford
to step back towards the edge. Lord Stafford braced himself against the winds buffeting his
back.
Curiously it seemed that the mysterious stranger was aiming his cane like a gun, subtly
cocking it and closing the eye partially obscured by the reflection on his monocle.
Lord Stafford flinched. It saved his life.
A tiny projectile like a miniature shuriken launched from the cane, cutting a new parting
through Lord Stafford's black hair and nailing a lone bird that was unfortunate enough to be
flapping by. It squawked mournfully as it plummeted through the clouds like a feathery
comet.
Confusion hit the stranger's face like a gale force wind. Lord Stafford dived for the floor
before another piece of shrapnel came flying at his face, throwing his furs up in the air as he
did so. Just as he hoped, the wind carried the furs straight at his assailant, hitting him like a
brick wall, the weight of the flying furs knocked the attacker to the floor meanwhile the furs
tumbled to the floor ungracefully, their mission complete. Lord Stafford jumped on the
sprawled stranger, giving him a number of kicks and punches as pay back. He was knocked
off by a cane to the face, awaiting retaliation Lord Stafford was surprised by a ball of smoke
that erupted around him, he stumbled blindly, swiping at his invisible enemy somewhere in
the smoke.
Once the smoke dissipated he realised that oddly, the mysterious stranger was nowhere in site,
nor was any sign of the mercenaries that he had brought along with him, not even their
injured. In fact the docks were now almost entirely empty, the only exception was the quintet
that had also engaged the hostile forces, they began to approach. Time to find out who had
saved his sorry arse.
It was clear that there were only five of them, as strode through the rubble and wreckage
strewn along the docks almost surreally. Victorious they walked with an air of dignified
24
FIGHT and LOVE
confidence but to Lord Stafford it was a stale victory, being wanted dead purely for
surviving, he had lost his people, he had lost his home, he had even lost his beloved atavar
tank, and now fate still wanted to reap further. At the head of the quintet strode the previously
noted one-legged doctor, his black pants tied into a knot below his right knee, he was also
wearing a matching black shirt which was contrasted by the white medical overcoat that fell
his shin. Hair matching the colour of his overcoat fell to his shoulders in a rather ordered
fashion. His angular tired face and bloodshot deep blue eyes was not quite the most
welcoming site, especially after seeing what he could do if happened to be on his bad side, but
to Lord Stafford nothing in Anchorpoint had been quite what he had expected. Two of the
approaching group seemed to be elite battlefield soldiery, wearing distinctive warfare
uniforms, not the personal possessions of the other three, they wore standard issue gear
equipped with an arsenal of utilities to deal with any situation, they moved and breathed as
one, it was like someone had placed a mirror between the two of them, even right down to the
smallest detail to the angle of their cap and where they keep their many pouches. Their faces
were obscured but the way they slinked along silently made Lord Stafford certain they were
feminine, that and the fact they did not have the masculine bulk despite the muscle they had
shown during the fighting. The remaining two figures were as contrasting as the black and
white of their leader‘s clothing. One was most definitely a tank commander wearing a brown
leather outfit and a goggled cap slung across his head, a strong fellow but not outwardly
imposing compared to his other comrade, a madman in a coat, an extremely intense man that
practically oozed dangerous cunning with the determination of a berserker, white paint was
daubed across his face and his ragged tuft of black hair was far more untidier than his
clothing.
―That was some show, boy. Excellent work. You'd have had him had he not decided to run
like a coward.‖ Their leader greeted upon approach, flanked almost by the two more
distinctive companions in an almost intimidating fashion, ―Most people who cross that
particular fellow don't live to see the next sunset. If you'd like, we can give you a bit of
shelter, for the night.‖ Lord Stafford simply replied with a nod, adrenaline pumping to
furiously to try and garner what was going on or who had been his mysterious attacker. But
despite the general good will and co-operation a bubbling undercurrent of apprehensiveness
simmered and Lord Stafford found himself questioning the company that he now found
himself in due to changing events.
The assumption the their leader was a doctor was correct, several times was he referred to by
his title by his companions but Stafford could not seem to remember his actual name, it was
used at some point but it had entered one ear and left another. Travelling with them took Lord
Stafford took him into untested territory, the underbelly of Anchorpoint. Lord Stafford trailed
at the back of the group, trying to distance himself as far as possible from the person he
considered a nutter who kept making quick devious glances back at Lord Stafford meanwhile
their leader did what he did best and lead from the front despite his physical disability, for that
Lord Stafford had a sneaking admiration for this amicable stranger. The rest of the group kept
to themselves so Lord Stafford had little else to do than fret at his newfound surroundings.
Dank alleyways were preceded by grim street corners and nefarious figures which the doctor
greeted as he passed them by. The shroud of night had fallen over the city and made Lord
Stafford feel in an even more inhospitable place. Moonlight caused dazzling light shows
along the cobbles under foot.
They reached an old building covered in boards and locks, condemned, exactly how Lord
Stafford regarded this part of this city. They continued round the back of the building to find a
25
FIGHT and LOVE
door with a rather suspicious heavy duty lock. "Stand back, if you would, gentlemen. There's
a reason this lock is so large", the doctor announced with a flare of showmanship. He
produced a key from within his coat, sliding it deftly into the lock and turning it slowly until
the lock made a distinct click, then another half turn resulting in another click, then finally
pulling the key free and opening the door.
Upon entering, Lord Stafford found a well equipped laboratory, a paradise of sterility and
harsh white light. The doctor pointed to a steel gate hanging above the door connected to a
motor, wiring to similar devices above all entry points. Security was certainly the utmost
importance for the doctor and he was certainly prepared for any unwanted intruder. Various
orderlies hurried about their business set on some predetermined task but still making
questioning looks at Lord Stafford, he felt strange being the outsider. Many test tubes, beakers
and other scientific apparatus littered the various workbenches as well as armaments which
would more commonly be found in a warzone than in a scientist‘s lab. One thing that drew
Lord Stafford‘s eye was a cubic beaker containing small cubes for swallowing, which was
stacked in perfect rows and columns making another cube insider the beaker, however one
was missing from one of the uppermost corner. A label called the contents ‗honeyed dew‘, a
warning stated ―may cause pyromania and a fondness for cute animals, and also may cause
involuntary high pitched noises‖. What horror had the doctor unleashed on the world, thought
Lord Stafford.
"It's rather wonderful, really, knowing that the only person who can get in here is me", the
doctor started rather sociably but finishing the sentence in a far darker tone, ―Now tell me
exactly why you have a squabble with the Stranger, and why I should continue risking my
neck helping you.‖ Lord Stafford complied, not wanting to infuriate a man with armed guards
around you, particularly the madman the doctor kept in his company, he explained his flight
from his home and the confrontation with the Goldchain Slavers, he explained his purpose in
Anchorpoint was to call in some old family favours and finished with his conversation with
Jasmine. When he‘d finished it was then that Lord Stafford noticed the atmosphere had
changed, it seemed everyone was at ease. "So, you're stuck here, looking for supplies, eh?
Can't say I blame you, this place is a treasure trove if you're smart enough", the doctor replied
to Lord Stafford‘s story. "Hassan, Vancer, a moment, please", the doctor asks, pulling
together his comrades for an impromptu discussion out of earshot of Lord Stafford, a few
moments of hush talking later and the doctor begins to hobble back to Lord Stafford,
chuckling, ―Well, against my better judgement, I'll help you. Just make a list and I'll try to get
it done‖.
Suddenly the doctor‘s name occurred to Lord Stafford, ―Thank you Doctor Caulder‖, he
replied, accepting a proffered a hand, ―I have few enough allies as it is‖.
Doctor Caulder had been as good as his word. Within an hour the doctor‘s agents had found
Lord Stafford‘s convoy, it hadn‘t been that difficult, there wasn‘t exactly that many armies
that did not belong to a marauder within Anchorpoint, nor where there any armies quite as
poor. Henry, who was now Lord Stafford‘s number two de facto, had been quite bewildered
by the fact that these strangers the suddenly knew everything about his convoy, it took a
conversation between Stafford and Henry via radio to diffuse the situation. Doctor Caulder
also very helpfully provided a rundown off all the marauder captains currently in port that
may have been willing to help Lord Stafford and his convoy. What he really needed now was
a marauder that was willing to allow Stafford‘s convoy to stay aboard temporarily while
25
26
FIGHT and LOVE
things in Anchorpoint calmed down and whatever nefarious powers that habited there would
hopefully forget about Lord Stafford and his convoy.
The best choice was the one Lord Stafford visited first; things went well enough and now he
found himself standing at the stern of the airship ‗Blissful Ignorance‘ watching Anchorpoint
become a collection of little yellow dots against the billions of stars that looked nothing more
than silvery specks splattered across the night sky. The moon was not out tonight, the clouds
looked dark and heavy like the iron airship carrying Lord Stafford and the remainder of his
citizens, instead of the golden herons that he had seen at sunset.
The ‗Blissful Ignorance‘ was a coral class support cruiser; it was clearly designed to support
ground forces in battle, its boat-shaped underbelly and prow bristling low calibre weaponry. It
was a slow, ponderous, well armoured ship, not particularly elegant, but what it lacked in
elegance it made up for in sheer blunt force. A bulbous prow leading a convex hull
accentuated the mainly arrow-straight ship, a pair of outwardly curving, swooping wings
being the other exception. The only sliver of open aired deck was a strip that surrounded a
dome on the uppermost deck which housed the command deck as well as the captain‘s
quarters. It was one of the hardest points of the airship.
Very graciously, Lord Stafford had been given open access of the ship, which was extremely
surprising for him to find such a trusting nature from a marauder, as he thought their all
supposed to be bandits and brigands. He had also been given the option to stay in the
captain‘s quarters but Lord Stafford declined, preferring to bunk up with the likes of Henry,
and the crew of his deceased atavar tank in the cargo hold. He was no longer a Lord, not truly,
and although he had command he felt he didn‘t deserve that level of privilege. He had
accepted the opportunity to bathe though as well as some fresh garb, now wearing a coarsethreaded beige tunic and a pair of beautiful brown trousers as well as a clean, dark fur cape.
―The offer is still open‖, a voice suddenly came from behind, jovial in tone, smooth and
instantly charismatic, ―I like to show my guests that we‘re not all pirates. My mother taught
me that if your hosting you should offer every courtesy‖.
―It‘s very gracious of you, but still no‖, Lord Stafford turning to look away from where he had
come from to see a rather strapping middle aged man with a shock of golden hair wearing an
almost regal read suit with gold braid, ―I have told my comrades to offer support in any way
they can. I am just another whisper on the wind and I shall do the same as the rest of my
convoy‖.
―Oh, no one should deny a Stafford, let alone a Lord‖, he replied laughing, ―your ethic is
commendable; I see I was right to listen to Jasmine and the doctor. I know we‘ve agreed on
the return trip, but for a fugitive like you wanted by the mysterious stranger, the Crystal
Pentacle might be the making of you‖. Lord Stafford gave no sign of recognition, ―oh don‘t
tell me you‘ve never heard of the Crystal Pentacle, a meeting place for various kinds of
aristocratic conspirators and the center of an intelligence network. We‘ll be stopping there for
a little while; you may well find something of use. If there‘s anything else you need you‘ll
know where captain Sirus is‖.
27
FIGHT and LOVE
Elsewhere, at a far lower altitude....
Night came as surely as one of her shots finding its mark. Sand had given way to more arable
terrain and soon she had found traditional farmsteads, just as her rather miniscule canteen had
run dry. She had kept away from as much air and ground traffic that was heading inland,
certain that even if they seemed neutral, she could not risk meeting a convoy that had been
captured and subverted by the invaders. A single boat shaped airship drifted high up in the
sky, heading the direction the goldchain slavers had come from, Emilia prayed, to no entity in
particular, that they avoided those evil clutches, every marauder ship that was captured was
another ticking time bomb, another sleeper tool lying in wait to enact whatever dastardly plan
the goldchain slavers and their Rhamos puppeteers.
She came across an ancient farmstead run by a wizened old woman, the gravity of age
showing her many years, harvesting some vegetables from her small crop in the front garden.
A small bungalow was all that was being lived in, the rest was in ruin. Three impromptu
headstones had been made from some pebbles and a couple of twigs. A broken farm for a
broken land. The lonely woman had been unsurprisingly suspicious at first but when Emilia
had explained she only wanted some food and water she received a far more welcoming
reception, of course what harm could a slightly dishevelled unarmed woman be. Introducing
herself as Emilia felt almost alien, but right.
The meal was the most nourishing thing she had had since being in captivity, even if she had
been fed far richer cuisine, the sheer thought that it had been made through simple minded
toiling and survival reminded her of what freedom felt like.
As friendly and hospitable the old woman, she was sad and mournful, clinging on to what
little of the past she could remember. Emilia handed her host an ancestors ring, the only
possession she had managed to smuggle into captivity when she was first abducted, its
supposed to be handed down to the youngest member of the family when they come of age
and is supposed to bestow the owner with the good fortune of those that went before. Emilia
knew that her path meant she would never have children, a fugitive with no friends, no family,
no home and no god. Just a woman and her means for survival. The gift seemed to please the
old woman immeasurably.
Upon departing she headed towards the dilapidated barn on the ruined part of the farmstead to
draw some water from the well within. She could feel the past was engrained deeply within its
four walls. She refilled her canteen and then decided to finally assemble her sniper rifle. She
had already been carrying her scope, toying with it on her travels to keep her eye in, pulling
an imaginary trigger as she watched swooping birds of prey. The time she had spent getting
accustomed with her weapon of choice had been used wisely, it took her barely a minute to
recover all the parts from the various pouches and assemble them.
Ready for the world she left the barn, and then noticed a pair of figures on the horizon.
She hurried back in the barn and watched through various cracks as they approached, these
were elites, there may have been only two buts all they needed. They were well equipped
wearing camouflage uniform and webbing with pouches much like Emilia‘s. She had seen
them before during captivity and was very aware of the rumours. But they would die like
anyone else.
28
FIGHT and LOVE
She waited for them to separate as they encircled the farmstead, one circled north while the
other circled south. Emilia found a missing panel behind a pair of hay stacks; she nestled
between them, laying her rifle through the gap in the wall, she lined up a shot. Held her
breath. And at the very last moment closed her eyes, knowing all to well what happened next.
She pulled the trigger and opened her eyes knowing full well the outcome moving on to the
other target. This time she took aim from a broken window pane that was not quite as
concealed as the previous position, same process again. But as she closed her eyes something
pointed painfully between her shoulder blades, she realised with horror it was a gun muzzle,
she opened her eyes in shock. ―Not. A. Twitch‖ a mysterious voice whispered. She pulled her
trigger hand free gingerly and then suddenly another figure came into view confiscating her
weapon.
This was not the first time she had turned from predator to prey, the last time she fought she
had been dead for sure and it was the same this time, she had never expected a handing
holding a cloth covered with chloroform fly into view before she blacked out.
An unknown time later, she opened her eyes to complete and utter darkness, she knew she
was not dead for a fact, she could feel the chair underneath her and the bonds attaching her to
it. Somewhere a door opened and hastily slammed shut. With no effective vision a sociably
gruff voice greeted her, ―my my my, it seems the sparrowhawk flew the nest, not realising its
wings had been clipped. Your spirit makes you particularly useful. I apologise for any
inconvenience, I would shake your hand if doing so didn‘t mean you would break every bone
in my body, but I am sure we‘ll get on amicably soon enough when everything becomes clear.
You‘ll soon realise it‘s foolish to deny me. I am commander Stafford, but you can call me
Jerome‖.
Emilia knew there would be at least one more bullet she would be firing, it would have his
name on it.
Morning had dawned by the time Commander Jerome Stafford had reached his quarters in the
Anchorpoint arsenal, the domed structure that stood towering over the aforementioned city as
the sole form of order for hundreds of miles. The commander‘s quarters were as lavish as
could be expected; a soft bed, plush furniture, a fully plumbed bathroom, but it also awarded
other benefits. A secluded, unseen and unguarded entrance allowed the occupants to come and
go as they please, intended for both security and personal reasons, previous commanders had
all had their side dealings, women, booze, any sin you care to mention but perhaps none as
nefarious as treason. No-one had seen Jerome go for shore leave and no-one had seen him
return, his many ‗friends‘ had him well accounted for while he was away on ‗business‘. Noone questions a commanders business.
Jerome looked at his stately surroundings, ―these meagre trinkets and an unworthy title such
as commander is not becoming of a Stafford‖. The Stafford bloodline had always been a
proud lineage but it had never been part of the old money, they had been the new money,
blood stained new money, and they had never received the respect they deserved from the
other nobles. The Stafford wealth had been made mostly by Jerome‘s brother, backing the
right side in the war, willing to do their dirty work in the process. But he wasn‘t capable in
covering his tracks. That‘s where Jerome and his brother differed, Jerome had been part of
Rhamosian black ops for many years until the conquest of Kathos, he saw things and did
things that he never wanted repeated, his group‘s actions were the real reason the Rhamos
invasion had been so quick and effective. And now he was paving the way for Rhamos again.
29
FIGHT and LOVE
Jerome undressed, removing his various medals, pins and awards from his mauve ceremonial
battle dress, lined with gold braid, matched with the trousers made by world‘s finest tailors
and leather shoes made from the most sumptuous atora hide that shone within an inch of
infinity. The outfit was what he had worn during the award ceremony after the Kathosian
occupation, only three of the five operative in the outfit had made it through the action,
including himself, he remembered them standing proudly beside him as they received the
honours for their actions, in that secret ceremony. One more died days later, knifed in a pub,
somehow he had been discovered. Ironically his last surviving comrade had turned rogue and
was now warring against the forces he once fought for in Atelia. A few trinkets were not all
that he had gained though. The secret service of Rhamos was in dire need of agents to ensure
the continued stability of Kathos by remaining there, the royal family were no longer a threat,
but the barons were both numerous and powerful and not all of them had sworn fealty to
Rhamos so eagerly. This had been appealing to Jerome as he could avoid being shipped out to
Atelia to try and repeat what he had done in Kathos, but also this was when his brother had
received his minor lordship, so he couldn‘t turn down living nearer what little family he had
left. Jerome was then stationed in Anchorpoint, which was then the main port in Kathos for
shipping and the national military; he was a non-commanding officer then. He soon found
himself rising through the ranks, a series of auspicious deaths amongst the Kathosian
sympathisers in the force found him at the top of the chain of command.
The plans complicated. Jerome‘s brother past caught up with him, his rather too righteous son
had somehow uncovered the truth about the Stafford wealth and the boy‘s disdain for the
blood money caused quite a mess. Jerome‘s nephew inherited the lordship from his late
father. It was then Jerome stepped into the fold, relying on his nephew‘s trust in him, he used
the ill-gotten wealth to ‗do some good‘ by using his connections in Anchorpoint, promising
that one day his nephew would receive the returns on his investment. This happened not long
before the Atelian crisis, when the remaining Kathosian security forces were ordered to the
border, chaos ensued as the marauder menace appeared and Anchorpoint became their
gathering grounds.
Then opportunists in the upper echelons of Rhamos began secretly plotting, Kathos may have
been a puppet state but there were too many conspirators, too many variables, Kathos was
fractured and now Rhamos could finally make it their own. Anchorpoint was open and it was
simple to smuggle an army into its boundaries, you just needed the right cover, and the
Goldchain Slavers were the perfect organisation to do so.
Jerome‘s nephew had always been a spanner in the works, his righteousness was a certain
danger and would disapprove strongly if he caught a whiff of what his uncle had been up to, it
was disappointing seeing him alive in Anchorpoint, especially after Jerome himself had paid
the Goldchain Slavers to target Stafford lands. It would have been a wealthy target, no-one
would realise it was actually an assassination. But the chance encounter between Jerome and
his nephew had not been coincidence, acting in ignorance to his nephew‘s existence was far
easier than getting him involved. Both his nephew and the mysterious stranger had
disappeared from Anchorpoint which meant one thing, the hit had failed yet again.
Jerome was now wearing his Anchorpoint clothing, a uniform befitting of a commander over
a fat suit. Commander Jerome Stafford of Anchorpoint was not who everyone thought he was.
He was considered the man about town, he had contacts in all the social circles of
Anchorpoint, some he had forged himself, some originated from the agencies he had once
worked for. Jerome had always had a plump and flushed face, but he still had the physique of
29
30
FIGHT and LOVE
a black ops operative, people thought he leeched off the role like his predecessors, becoming
bloated and sluggish off its benefits. He was not a threat to society, the people around him,
both above and below could be complacent around him. Complacency that they could not
afford.
Jerome Stafford would soon be the ultimate ruler of Anchorpoint, he did not know how, he
was not prior to those plans for his own security, but soon Anchorpoint would belong to the
Stafford‘s and Rhamos without anyone even knowing it. He was a Stafford, a master of
servants, a puppeteer of puppets, a player amongst the pawns. But something gnawed at
Jerome, it may have been greed or it may have even been his conscience. He had spent so
much time away from Rhamos, secretly furthering the aims of a powerful few who had
willingly provided Jerome with rather exposing resources without question. He had also seen
the damage done to Kathos, both during his covert operations and in the aftermath, spending
so much time away from the hypnotic propaganda of Rhamos made him question both his
actions and the actions of his superiors. He had the resources to break away from his former
affiliates, just like his sole surviving comrade, and his tracks would be covered.
The question was. Did he take Anchorpoint for Rhamos? Or for the Stafford‘s?
(Authors note: this symbolises a new act in the Stafford saga, it’s time for fresh pastures so
wave goodbye to Anchorpoint, for now, all events in Anchorpoint have taken place over a
couple of days which is pretty ridiculous considering the amount of parts I have done so far,
but I guess that’s the nature of a continually progressing series. Welcome to the Crystal
Pentacle, be careful who you trust. Also even any devs see this, if you want to use the Crystal
Pentacle in a future update of Iron Grip then feel free, you’d make me a very happy writer. )
Two days later, somewhere within the Crystal Pentacle.
Iggy and Lou stood alone in the lava sewer, hearing the only sound of their panting, they
could no longer here the screams and gunfire of the surface, they were now so, so deep.
Despite their eyes adjusting to the gloom, it was still dark, the cobbles of the spherical rat-run
were soft edged and everything was cast in an almost nightmarish dark, inky blue. The
shadows may have been so dark that they could swallow a man whole, but even they could
not hide the acts that had been undertaken to ensure survival. Especially for the two that now
stood in said shadows.
The two comrades sat facing each other, backs against the curving walls, across a seemingly
bottomless chasm. In truth that chasm was only a metre deep. They were once the trenches
that the lava was sent flowing down, a remnant of a past where lava would be the future
proof, renewable energy source that would provide heating, lighting and power widespread.
Not just as unique attraction in a chosen few locations. You could jump over the trench now
the lava was gone, jumping between the walkways that ran either side of it against the walls.
The walkways were only wide enough for single file so Iggy and Lou chose to split between
the two to provide covering fire for each other.
31
FIGHT and LOVE
―I wonder if Tam‘s still safe‖, Lou called across, remembering the events two night before as
they fled from that pub. Since then the city had descended into chaos, whoever ran, or was
now running the Crystal Pentacle had begun a genocidal rampage. At first it had seemed that
Iggy, Tam and Lou had been the target due to their membership of the global intelligence
network, then it also seemed that it was the systematic execution of similar espionage
organisations, as there were many within the city. But then they realised there was no
discrimination of targets. It was actually worse than that, the Crystal Pentacle had never had a
dedicated army before, the private policing had somehow worked well, but now anyone who
was not part of this insidious force was a target. Lou recognised some of those that had been
indoctrinated, before he had to kill them, but the conversion of some parts of the populace did
not explain the reason why this was happening.
―He blooming well should be‖, Iggy replied, it was the closest he had ever come to showing
any emotion in his voice, his lean face looking like the sliver of a knife in the low light, ―that
warehouse is my most secret, this is the first time someone other than me has stepped foot in
it‖.
―Do you reckon he‘ll be able to get word out?‖ Lou asked hopefully, despite assuming the
worst,
―The radios work, but you know full well the signals here are terrible generally, but with a
coup as thorough as this, I would not be surprised if they have a jamming signal‖, Iggy
answered, as detached as ever.
―We‘d better get moving, we don‘t have long‖, Lou announced glancing at his gold
chronograph despite the darkness, ―he won‘t be long‖.
―Since when have we had an excess of time to escape from a sticky situation‖, Iggy
responded, rhetorically.
Lou was not completely certain of Iggy‘s past, he did know that there was a reason why he
was such a good arms dealer and that he could handle his wares so well. Luthous had been an
Atelian Confederate before coming to the Crystal Pentacle, he had helped the natives defend
their homeland, but he was an outsider, not born in the nation, and as soon as the fighting
eased up just enough so that not every soldier was needed, he was outcast at gunpoint. He had
unwittingly joined a thankless cause. It was then that his life had changed. He dropped his
belief in duty and dependency on a greater cause and spent a short period as a self serving
mercenary. Somehow fate had brought him to where he was now within an agency he felt
content with. It was ironic that he was now embroiled in the kind of guerrilla warfare that he
had escaped from, but it had put him in good stead.
They moved swiftly down the passages with co-ordinated discipline, they were the predators
of this claustrophobic environment, an any death squad that they came across they would be
dead before they knew they were even there. They reached stairwell fifty-five B without
incident, but the sound of careless footsteps alerted them. The duo had ditched their suits and
had stripped down to their waist-coats and trousers during the process of the conflict
underneath a flak jacket. Mobility had been key to their survival. They carried nothing shiny,
they were both well aware of the aspects of stealth. Iggy and Lou dived into the trench and
hugged the shadows of its walls. Four figures emerged from an open hatch in the wall, all
wearing brown leather bodysuits and pointy emerald coloured helmets, reminiscent of the
dangling crystal up above. The outfit was synonymous with the death squads that had been on
the prowl the last few days, but this squad was the ones being prowled. Lou and Iggy opened
fire, Lou firing his grey, stubby silenced shotgun and Iggy using an exquisite pair of mattblack silenced revolvers, their enemies never stood a chance. Iggy splintered two of the death
32
FIGHT and LOVE
squad‘s helmets with one perfectly simultaneous headshot from each revolver meanwhile Lou
caught the remaining two with one surprise shotgun blast. Finishing one by throwing the
shotgun like a javelin and impaling him through the chest with the under slung bayonet.
After recovering the shotgun, they move on wordlessly, unmoved by the slaughter they just
committed.
Through the hatch and up the stairwell, time was not on the side and now they had broken into
a run. They reached the surface without any encounters, they found a bleak moonless night,
brief lightning flashes lighting up an even bleaker world. In the sky they could just make out a
boat shaped hull. The cavalry had arrived on angelic iron wings, just under more disparate
circumstances, but they weren‘t the only people to greet it. Up on the spiny perimeter wall,
one hundred metres high, a battalion strength force of infantry and anti air tanks had
assembled. They opened fire, launching a seething blanket of death into the night sky.
The sky that night was evil.
Angry, foreboding clouds rumbled not far overhead, seemingly thick and heavy with nature‘s
raw fury. Every time a spear of lighting crashed by Lord Stafford clenched his hands tighter
around the iron handrail. It was the first time he had flown, and most of the voyage had been
fine. There had been no pirates or banditry in the skies around them, in fact there had been no
air traffic entirely which seemed strange despite Kathos being the marauder capital. Nor had
they been troubled by weather, up until now. Mere miles from their mysterious destination
33
FIGHT and LOVE
Nor had they been troubled by weather, up until now. Mere miles from their mysterious
destination and they had been caught amidst a terrifying lightning storm of godly force. Lord
Stafford had a particular dislike of lightning, during his childhood three of his pets had died
because of it, one cat had been hit directly, fried on the spot meanwhile another had been
killed by a stricken tree. The third had been the only dog he had ever had as a pet, which was
unfortunately electrocuted while Lord Stafford had been bathing him, before his very eyes.
That was the last pet he decided to have, and since then he had always thought that the actual
chance of being hit by lighting was relevant.
As vile as the sky was though, Lord Stafford harboured no love for the ground far below.
Mile upon mile of volcanic rock and magma stretched endlessly towards the horizon. The
black rock was as malign and unwelcoming as the sky, beset by fiery flows of furious magma,
pouring forth from vast seas of lave around rocky islands amidst the hellish inferno. Staring at
the distant but deadly floor was an attempt to forget about the storm the clouded the sky, but
Lord Stafford had been looking at it for so long it had an almost hypnotic quality, some of the
rock seemed to be moving on its own accord, even upstream. A strike of lighting made him
flinch away from the edge of the airship but when he looked down again he could no longer
find the rocky outcrop he had been following.
―Magma wurms‖, Captain Sirius announced with an airy wisdom, Lord Stafford shot him a
questioning look before the Captain continued, pointing, ―there like Mortts but they can swim
in lava‖. The captain had been keeping his honoured guest company, Lord Stafford‘s
discomfort was clear, so Sirius was also trying his best to keep Stafford occupied.
―Are they dangerous?‖, Lord Stafford asked, turning, and audible quiver in his normally stoic
attitude.
―Certainly. They can knock airships out the sky.‖ Sirius answered entirely truthfully, finishing
with a smile to disarm the situation, a slight tremble in Lord Stafford‘s legs thankfully
vanishing. ―A Stafford should not fear a meagre magma wurm, a Stafford belongs up here, a
Stafford should be ruling up here‖.
A trident of lighting crashed down to earth but Lord Stafford was oblivious to it. The Captain
had been far too familiar with Lord Stafford as if Sirius was prior to knowledge that Stafford
was unaware of and he had had enough. Lord Stafford turned fully to face his generous host,
no longer holding onto anything solid, he had reached his ultimatum.
―WHAT DO YOU MEAN?‖, Lord Stafford started, flaring, ―you allow me onboard to fulfil
some private pact you‘ve made. I find a perfectly matching fur cape in your quarters as if it‘s
been waiting for me. You hint at the Stafford name as if it‘s something respectable and
honourable. I am grateful for all you‘ve done but the shitstorm I have been pulled through so
far has tested my resilience beyond breaking point. I will no longer be a pawn in peoples plots
and schemes, I demand you explain to me how you know the Stafford name.‖
―Maybe there‘s something I have failed to mentioned‖, Captain Sirius started answer, startled,
the least composed Lord Stafford had seen his host ever been.
But it was all he had time to say. Lord Stafford notice a city not so far away, a bleak, dark
city, not to different from its surroundings, an ugly curtain wall and an oversized eight sided
emerald made Stafford wonder whether it was truly a safe haven in this hostile land. The
answer came quickly. The wailing shriek of a combat siren forewarned the incoming
34
FIGHT and LOVE
onslaught. The pwang of ricocheting bullets hammered repeatedly against the hull around
him, but the sound of armour plating being punctured was far scarier. One of the wings tore of
the airship and tumbled to earth, plummeting like a dagger. The ship began to careen
disconcertingly. Suddenly Lord Stafford was alone, the sound of the Captain‘s footsteps as he
ran to fulfil his vital duties, he felt like a ghost trapped on a doomed ship, not a soul could be
seen or heard. The cacophony of sensory assault caused the barrage being directed at them
was all consuming.
Lord Stafford clung to the handrail. His arms were locked in place, completely rigid, he could
not move them, and he could not feel them. It was as if they were no longer his own. His legs
were likewise locked in place. No matter what was launched at him, he would not be moved.
Lord Stafford could the feel violent assault against the ship beneath his feet; he could feel as
he began to plummet faster and faster, like a fallen angel. He closed his eyes, resigned to his
fate. Despite what was going on around him, serenity filled his mind, a vision of the cloudy
face of his father that he had seen before the attack by the mysterious stranger appeared in his
thoughts. He quietly vowed that he would enact his vengeance upon his father in the next life.
(I apologise this has taken so long but I am now back with a vengeance, I was intending to
commemorate my dedicated readers, Omabytes, Legolas, Ar Adunkahor and former comrade
Outsider who I have given me permission to place them in my story, if you want anything
changed please let me know. I have been unable to fit you all in this part as this section
reaches 3 pages on word. To my unknown readers, there are perks to being vocal, but once
again thanks to everyone)
Iggy and Lou watched on, curiously transfixed, as the airship tore apart mid-air. The sustained
onslaught it took was excruciating to watch. It was as clear as day to see the ship splinter and
break, the chunks of metal work shimmered like metal shavings against the unwelcoming
night sky and the flak cannons made fiery blossoms around the ship‘s hull. The emotional
connection the on-looking pair had towards the ship, its crew, captain and precious cargo was
the hardest thing about the sight, but what was more threatening the impacts it would have
when it hit the ground.
How anything could survive such a descent was not a question that they wanted to think
about.
It did not take long for ‗blissful ignorance‘ to reach its inevitable destination. An intact piece
of airship wing hit the city as prelude to the destruction that would ensue when the body of
the ship hit the ground. The wing struck the curtain wall like a plunging knife, piercing
straight through the entire height of the wall. It lodged in the wall, eternally remaining like an
irregular structure. Even though the impact had taken place to the east of Iggy and Lou in a
neighbouring borough, the pair could physically feel the explosive impact.
The remains of the airship, a burning wreck of its formal glory, ruptured with countless
varying holes, descended faster and faster despite its engines had failed. The prow of the ship
35
FIGHT and LOVE
had dropped faster than the prow, pointing the nose up towards the sky as if the ship
clamoured for the heights where it should belong as it was dragged down by gravity. The
airship hit the ramparts at an angle, despite countless tonnes of armour plating it cracked like
a nut. The front end slammed down on the ramparts with full force meanwhile the rear
hammered against the face of the curtain wall causing it to cave in. This was moments before
the engines exploded.
A section of wall the size of a runway vanished in an angry fireball along with the assembled
military elements on the ramparts who had survived the initial impact along with the ground
that it had been previously founded upon. However the leading portion was propelled forward
deeper into the city. Iggy and Lou could only run as the sky fell and lava seeped in through
the newly made gap in the curtain wall. Pieces of airship caused cataclysmic impacts as they
hit the earth. Everything was a threat, buildings were turned to brick grenades which
converted flying masonry into deadly bludgeoning instruments, in places the ground cracked
open under the pressure and the sky continued to rain, irregular, metallic death.
A lone engine landed dead center on a self enclosed manner, leaving only the outer walls
standing; it was as if the building was being worn like a set of clothes. Iggy and Lou could
only run, being showered in infinite types of detritus, the rest was up to the gods.
***
Lee Golas stood like a gargoyle, perched on the edge of a roof in a city that was tearing itself
apart. A tall, thin figure that was entirely ignorable compared to the chaos around. Luscious
golden locks tumbled to his shoulders contrasting with his slightly pale but unblemished
complexion. His looks had never been one of his worries but such aesthetic perfection had
brought other problems. He had been bullied throughout his childhood for standing out and
during his early careers he had been dubbed vain and skin-deep. Such prejudice seemed
impossible to escape despite trying countless times to prove the allegations wrong.
Then he became an artist, he had escaped the tyranny of narrow minded, stereotyping idiots.
He no longer had to work with people and he managed to make himself a decent life from his
talent. But then tyranny caught up with him and a dictator came into power. The creative arts
are the first casualty of such a scenario alongside anything that is deemed a threat to stability
including those of differing beliefs and the freedom of expression. When the supposed
liberators came wrestled control of power they instead turned it into a military regime,
conscription and martial law became the norm, things that once had never been considered.
Lee had escaped, left his former life and his former hell. For a number of years he had toured
the globe. He had used his art to earn him the money to travel, never staying in one place for
too long though. He had searched for a means to free his homeland, but he found tyranny
existed on all continents, sometimes it was a hunger for power and other times it was
capitalism, or it may have been that he was in fact an ideologist. He had never found what he
sought though. Once he had considered procuring a mercenary army, but he had seen the
damage force and violence had done to his nation and thought there must be a better way.
Besides the last time he had wielded anything was bat during sports when he was at school.
But then Lee had heard rumours of a lawless city run entirely by its inhabitants, but the
Crystal Pentacle was not that simple. It was a viper‘s nest of crime, corruption and greed.
36
FIGHT and LOVE
Order was maintained purely by self interest. And then tyranny played its hand, the cities
sinister overseer‘s began a tide of unrelenting violence. Lee had been there since the
beginning of it all, he had survived by stealth. He would not die by tyranny‘s hand. But he
had not expected a piece of airship wreckage to plough violently into the building beneath his
feet.
***
Omabolov Bytes hurried double time across the market square with his bodyguards. The
merchant district clustered around the city centre. The crystal hung ominously in the night,
bearing down on the retinue with the most supernatural shade of dark green. The tall three
storey buildings penned them in down narrow streets that made sinister faces as the group
passed.
Those that knew Omabolov called him Oma, but most, in hushed whispers called him the
underbaron. A short man, and like most things in the Crystal Pentacle unassumingly
dangerous. He had aged puffy skin with sharp eyes and a sharper intellect. He was no soldier
though and was not physically strong but he was lightning quick and had been a regional
fencing champion during his adolescence. His real lethality came with his political power and
influence, Oma Bytes would have been a baron long ago had it not been his willingness to
achieve by any means and consider things that other would find morally ambiguous. He was
not truly evil, such caricatures did not exist in the Crystal Pentacle, but he just did what was
necessary to survive as the kingpin of the underworld. Many had tried to overthrown him, but
their names are now among the forgotten.
―Hand me the spud-launcher. NOW‖, Oma yelled, still able to maintain the slightly pompous
tone of someone educated despite the pressure. One of his bodyguards handed it to him, a
fifty-odd Kathosian who was eternally grumpy. Just as Oma took the rocket launcher, the
sniper in the mercantile hall took another shot, nailing the aforementioned bodyguard who
lurched forward leaving a crimson trail in his wake, even though he was a gambling man who
wouldn‘t like to have bet on who was the intended target. Oma wouldn‘t be mourning
anytime soon, in fact he even considered the savings he would make on wages. However Oma
quickly took his vengeance, although he was no professional gunman it was not difficult
lining up a shot considering the monstrous size of the mercantile hall. The rocket fired with a
bloodthirsty whoosh, billowing a thin trail of smoke. The rocket hit in a puff of masonry dust,
the building shook from the explosive force and it crumbled in a waterfall of rubble. A
century of history gone in an instant. Oma was not going to hang around and search for a
body.
The remaining trio continued across the square unopposed, but the sound of footsteps was
getting louder, a large loyalist force had been tailing them and the sound was so constant that
it had become ignorable. The thrum of engines and the clank of treads however was a sudden
stomach lurching change of events. Omabolov found a heavy machinegun nest setup by a
sandbag checkpoint, he do not care who had made but only if it could be used. The three of
them briskly set to work to get it running but thankfully it did not take long. The company that
had been tailing them flooded the square like a tide of emerald supported by archos‘ and
savars. The trio opened fire and the loyalists fell like wheat, an archos buckled under the
weight of sustained fire. A single tear ran down the underbaron‘s cheek, revenge for the fallen
he thought.
37
FIGHT and LOVE
No matter how long the underbaron thought he could make his stand for, he couldn‘t sweep
the notion aside that this was the end. Sandbags exploded around, explosive shells dug craters
in the ground and made showers of dirt. He had never expected a large chunk of airship to
plunge into the square like a comet and plough through enemy forces. The only problem was,
it didn‘t look like it was stopping as it surged towards Omabolov Bytes.
***
What Lord Stafford thought would be his last moments on earth looked to be in surroundings
that were the closest possible recreation of hell. The sky was on fire, burning wreckage
continued to fall but in decreasing severity, buildings took the brunt of the damage and in turn
were caught in the tidal wave of destruction. The crackle of fire was unmistakeable, the
inferno filling the world with suffocating heat, and then there was the smell of charred flesh.
However the world was still uncomfortably black, the sky above was like an infinitely deep
chasm, any moment the world would fly off into its void like grasp, and the remaining intact
streets seemed impossibly black, as if any form of light no longer existed. But Lord Stafford
noticed little of this, his senses numbed to the point of isolation, a man trapped in a self
contained shell left only to his thoughts.
Lord Stafford had little time left. His express fall to the ground was a blur, but he remembered
each wound and injury with unenviable clarity. He found himself trapped, half sitting and half
lying, his legs crushed by a piece of decking he had once stood on and a jagged pipe pinning
his shoulder to the ground. He couldn‘t move any part of his body, a deep shrapnel wound in
his chest felt like his body was on fire and the broken ribs that jutted out his side flared with
the agony of being stabbed. His vision swam constantly and erratically, fighting with every
inch of willpower to maintain consciousness despite the pain, but it was a losing battle. But
the worst thing was that he knew he had failed, failed the Stafford lineage which would now
end, failed the survivors of his backwater community that had placed him as their saviour,
failed to uncover the mysteries and conspiracies that seem to surround his very existence.
Lord Stafford could not move his head; his vision was stuck on the horrific view of an
impaled deckhand that Stafford vaguely recognised. But things became a lot worse. Beyond
the mangled crew member, figures emerged from the nearby ruins, but all Stafford could
make out were shadows. A few moments later and he realised they were actually shadows,
black oily figures made in the shape of a man but entirely featureless, they did not seem to
belong in Lord Stafford‘s reality. He put it down to his wounds and blood loss, the way they
moved impossibly smoothly made him certain that they were mere hallucinations, but what he
then saw disquieted him immeasurably. As the shadows reach the corpse the huddled round it,
focused on it. They then began to probe the corpse, it was then he realised they were entirely
real. Lord Stafford involuntarily lurched in fear, causing a piece of rubble to skitter off, the
sound of it drew the attention of the shadows and, as one, and they turned their unbreakable
attention towards Lord Stafford.
For the first time in his life, Lord Stafford had genuinely been terrified, preferring death to
whatever was about to happen. As the shadows closed the distance he just wanted to lose
consciousness, he couldn‘t bear the thought of being face to face with those things. He urged
the bodily strains that he had felt moments ago but now he was so petrified and filled with
adrenalin that his past quarries were forgotten. The shadows were so close now he could feel
their slippery fleet crunching against the ground, like distortions, it was impossible to truly
38
FIGHT and LOVE
focus on them. Just as they were about to stare face to face two odours hit his nose, one
representing each of his lost loves, the warm welcoming smell of his mother‘s home baking
and the sweet flowery smell of his childhood sweetheart. Content, despite the presence of the
shadows bearing down on him, Lord Stafford passed out into a dark dreamless sleep.
(Dedicated to former comrade outsider)
A shadow, a figure, an outsider sat in the corner of the patient’s room.
The outsider sat in the corner of the room. The room was small, barely large enough for the
gurney which the injured lay unconscious on, even though no-one expected for there to be
room for guests or a chair, yet there the outsider sat, as unobtrusive as a moth. He sat with no
inch of flesh showing wearing a hooded piece of woodlands uniform which he clung to like a
child would cling to a dying pet, and like a dying pet the uniform had its fair share of old
wounds. He also wore a smiling theatrical mask of pure white; it looked to be made of
porcelain like most masks but was actually made of Kevlar.
The outsider cradled a magnified scope, it was universal and attached to any iron sights that
allowed a scope, he had taken countless lives with it but never had he saved one. He had been
out on an assignment when he saw the airship come down, he had tracked the descent with his
sights, watching helplessly as the crew perished, and then he noticed a man trapped on a piece
of open decking and he followed every injury and wound until the ship hit the ground.
Something otherworldly and unexplainable had compelled him to inspect the crash site for
survivors, and in the end a group of them snuck through the city like shadows towards the
crash site where they found the man that now lay on the gurney. He was a rather
indistinguishable man, as are most wounded, however the tattered remains of a cloak or cape
hung off his shoulders. He had a look of a hard man, a hard man with a hard face whom had
lived a hard life.
Like a guardian angel, the outsider had an unquenchable urge to protect this man at all costs,
he had watched fervently as the medics gave the injured man field aid, he had also wanted to
be present in the operating room but the surgeons had told him afterwards that the condition
he was in after such a crash was miraculous. Since then the outsider had remained his vigil,
leaving only when he had to, if divine intervention had saved this soul then perhaps
something similar was toying with his emotions.
It had been a number of days since the injured man was placed on the gurney, and since then
there had been no signs of consciousness, yet the battle raging in the Crystal Pentacle had
entered its second week. Every day he waited, he had urged to the quiet yet ever present life
support machines to show signs of activity, the outsider hadn‘t saved the stranger for him to
give up. Once again the outsider urged the unconscious figure to live, to show any sign of
consciousness.
39
FIGHT and LOVE
And then, the figure‘s fingers twitched.
Consciousness. A doubtless sign of life. The outsider had never been an excitable man, calm
and professional, but it made his heart race. But equally it disturbed him. The last time he had
become emotionally attached, it had nearly cost him his life and he couldn‘t allow it to happen
again. He foolishly still clung onto his old uniform and occasionally swore in his mother
tongue, but he wondered one thing as he left the room, how would coming so close to death
affect the figure that would soon wake up.
Lord Stafford woke up, his vision hazy. He thought he could see Doctor Caulder standing
over him, the lab coat wearing professional with a friendly demeanour, but that was before he
noticed he had two legs. He blinked and the hallucination disappeared. It was then, with a
flood of mental images, that he remembered last standing on Captain Sirius‘ airship as it came
under attack. Then there were the people that suddenly rushed towards his thoughts: Sirius, Dr
Caulder, Henry, his former comrades and the men and women who had fled their former
homes. The lack of knowledge of what had happened to them hit his heart, like the ravishing
hunger hit his stomach and a thirst that made his throat feel like a desert. However the lack of
certainty about the fate of those that he knew drove him onward beyond despair like a
desperate need for food or water would push a man great distances to fulfil such needs.
Hope is the greatest of assets. Until it is crushed.
Lord Stafford found himself in a small room, made entirely out of stone that was so smooth it
lacked any cracks or fissures. The room was barely large enough for the gurney he slept on,
everything was cast in a greenish hue by the life support machined that gently hummed with
power which solely lit the room. He carefully removed the tubes carefully that connected him
to the medical equipment and covered the tiny wounds they had made with the plasters that
had held the tubes in place. He got to his feet and instantly stumbled against the wall, it than
that the full state of his injuries came to realisation. His upper body was stiff and sore
meanwhile his legs were extremely unsteady and he wasn‘t sure whether they could keep him
standing unsupported. Lord Stafford was glad to find a pair of crutches by the door.
Lord Stafford found himself in a long corridor made from the same stone of the room he had
just left; the corridor was much darker though with no lighting whatsoever. The end the
corridor shone like a beacon, the light drew Stafford towards it like a moth as he struggled
towards it, he may have been as agile as a drunk and as nimble as a borthos, but he struggled
towards it nonetheless. Willpower and determination pushed him onwards, beyond his
physical limits.
Something had changed for Lord Stafford, his body felt weak and battered but mentally he
felt empowered. He saw himself in a passing mirror and did not recognise himself, skin clung
to his bones like rags, his eyes seemed like deep sunken pits and his hair had receded. He also
realised that someone had shaved him, despite not seeing a soul whatsoever. All those that
Lord Stafford had ever had failed he was ready to avenge; he was ready to change things and
save those who still remained uncertain. Lord Stafford felt that in his mind he could murder
the mysterious stranger with his bare fists, defeat the goldchain slavers single-handedly, get
the attention of his uncle Jerome and ultimately prove his late father wrong.
40
FIGHT and LOVE
Lord Stafford passed darkened rooms on either side as he trudged down the corridor, some
full wards and others a similar size to the one he had occupied, but all were empty. Either
there had been no casualties, or the wounded had never made it back from the frontline he
thought grimly.
Lord Stafford had not known what to expect when he reached the end of the corridor. The
sudden change in light blinded him, but once he faded he found himself in a war room. He
had seen many during his childhood when he had toured with his father, such a place
reminded of people he mistrusted and reviled. It was a large vaulted chamber that felt even
more cavernous due to the insistent stonework. Lord Stafford ignored a minor blur of
movement in the corner of the room, to awed by the spectacle before him. A bank of tiered
doors that led up as high the ceiling, accessable by stairs, the many entrances hinted at the
sprawling complex Stafford found himself in, but the real questions he wondered were where
was he and who occupied this place. Various machines were strewn about the room but a
massive table dominated the room, piled with reports maps and other official documents. Lord
Stafford couldn‘t help but look them over, even though they were written in his own tongue
none of them made any sense to him. It was then that Lord Stafford felt he was in a hostile
and alien land as he had been when he had arrived in Anchorpoint, only this time he was
ready to conquer those that opposed him.
Lord Stafford stood alone and unwelcome, contemplating that fate would no longer lead his
life, he vowed it would be his to lead. But he would not be alone for much longer and then
would come the incident with the madman and the chaos that led on from there.
To Lou, it felt like the end, the bitter taste of defeat.
It had been two Days since the airship crash, the timely arrival of Captain Sirius aboard
Blissful Ignorance would have provided much needed reinforcements and firepower that
could have ended the genocide taking place within the Crystal Pentacle. Instead, the airship‘s
arrival became a heart wrenching turning point for the conflict and since then Iggy and Lou
had desperately sought an alternative salvation.
The pair trudged on through the ruins, Iggy being supported up by his partner. Their pace had
slowed to a crawl due to a shrapnel wound in Iggy‘s hip which had been taken from a stray
grenade. They had both tried to treat it as best as they could in the field but it was unclear how
deep the wound had gone, with Iggy‘s temperature dropping as well, Lou was concerned that
there was an infection developing. He had shouldered his shotgun and was now carrying one
of Iggy‘s revolvers in his spare right hand. They had been searching for a fabled resistance
headquarters, it was only a rumour but it had supposedly been built in the city‘s early days
and had been apparently built on the sewer infrastructure. Since the airship crash they had
scoured every building once related to the sewer network where the base may reside,
unsuccessfully though. It was barely twelve hours ago Iggy had taken his wound when a death
squad had chanced upon them in such a location.
The fabled headquarters had been established by a sect that had a foresight to mistrust the
overseers of the Crystal Pentacle, they had some iconic procedures that were well known one
of which was a hand signal of solidarity. Iggy and Lou had not been alone within the city as
they tried to stay one step ahead of despair; they had seen others trying to survive but always
at a distance. Trust had died alongside liberty. Such survivors had made similar hand gestures
and it was deeply motivating knowing that somewhere people, were still fighting.
41
FIGHT and LOVE
The pair had reached a precipice, a man made cliff looked out upon what had once been a
verdant and beautiful parkland. ―This could be the place‖, Lou announced too eagerly, as if a
part of his mind still only expected the worst, hope entirely crushed, ―and it is nearly time‖, he
finished in a whisper, checking his chronograph. Iggy only grunted. Since the injury his
demeanour had worsened dramatically, Iggy was always a realist, and no matter how
depressingly accurate his evaluation of a situation was, Lou could always take solace in the
fact that they had always made it through worse. Iggy‘s nature had always been the same,
whether it was a bi-product of his occupation or something deeply grained in his psychology,
no-one was willing to ask him and find out. But now he considered himself dead weight, a
liability, an obsolete limb that needed to be amputated, but Lou was ruled by his emotions in
this matter, he found great strength in his companions and he could not bear to leave his
partner, no matter the consequences.
Lou propped Iggy up against a crumbling brick wall and gave him some rations of what little
they had left, Lou then walked towards the ledge and surveyed the expanse that sprawled
below them. An ugly black cliff surrounded the park, it was quite a drop, the park was the
lowest point of the city founded on one of the few natural land masses. The park represented
nothing of what it used to be. It had become a scarred and barren wasteland just like the city it
was within, craters, ruins and wrecks now inhabited the place instead of relaxing citizens. All
greenery had vanished and the trees had become black withered husks. It was truly bleak, and
Lou could feel despair once again niggling at the back of his mind. He took a closer look
through a pair of night vision binoculars, suddenly the greenery had returned but in a harsh
luminescent form in a shade of green not dissimilar to that of the thrice-damned eight sided
crystal. That colour and shape would eternally be remembered as object of pure evil to those
that would survive the conflict. If they survived the conflict.
Lou focused intently, looking for any signs of resistance or the building he was looking for, a
power station built into the cliff face, the altitude of the park also meant it was the closest
point to the sewer network. He found no sign of the building but after ten minutes searching
he noticed a heat signature, tiny but definitely existent. He found five people, no more than
ant like figures, one of which smoking a pipe. They were clearly heading towards a fixed
destination and they moved as a cohesive unit, but they were well camouflaged and tiny at the
current distance.
The sound of a crunching boot and a stone skittering made Lou‘s blood run cold.
Lou instinctively dropped the binoculars. A sideward glance saw the binoculars tumble down
the sheer drop but he was far too concerned to curse aloud. He reached for his shotgun and
turned around to see the surrounding ruins were as lacking in life as they had been before, he
also noticed that despite Iggy being too far gone in pain to show any real reaction he still had
reached for his weapon. From experience, Lou was too cautious to turn away too soon and
waited and watched for an amount of time that could have been deemed paranoiac. His
concerns were not to be found unfounded.
A short man trundled casually into view, armed in almost an overcompensating fashion, a
previously mounted machine gun in his hands and a bazooka slung across his back. Despite
the armaments, he did not look to be a man Lou wanted to mess with. Aged sagging skin
foretold the life experience the newcomer had meanwhile the sharp eyes, almost feline proved
he had the cunning to survive any incident, maybe even the current situation. It was
impossible to tell what the stunted figure thought as he noticed Iggy and Lou, those cool and
42
FIGHT and LOVE
calculating eyes gave no clue to its owners thoughts. Yes, survival of the fittest was true, but
you could never rule out those that could potentially outwit you.
The short man spoke first, ―your no pointy head?‖, he asked in a vaguely pompous tone but
mostly overcome by weariness,
―friendly‖, Lou replied curtly.
Iggy instantly slumped back into semi consciousness with no obvious imminent threat, but
Lou was more uncertain. He knew full well who this newcomer was, having a hand in global
espionage meant he was prior to confidential intelligence, particularly the who‘s who of the
Crystal Pentacle. The newcomers coat was the least identifiable part of him, a similarly sized
coat made of a brown scaly hide that was probably taken from a now extinct animal. The
underbaron certainly was not the most trustworthy of comrades, especially if your inherent
value began to dwindle, but personally, Lou and Omabolov had unknowingly crossed paths
before and so had their aims. The underbaron moved closer and offered a hand, which Lou
took begrudgingly, well aware of the troubled times he was stuck in. Lou‘s hand was met with
a firm grip. Omabolov signalled to his hidden companion and another newcomer appeared,
tall and well muscled but just as battle scarred, this one kept his distance though. Lou was
happy about that as the other one was a Rhamosian.
―Glad to see you taking precautions‖, Lou started, well aware that Oma could afford to.
―Just another hired hand‖, he replied nonchalantly.
―Trustworthy?‖.
―I‘ve paid for his aim and his tongue‖ he answered, pleased with the opportunity to
demonstrate his wealth, ―seen anything‖, he continued as he nodded towards the depressing
vista of the formerly lush park that now lay behind Lou.
―Nothing‖ Lou lied, not wanting to lead the underbaron to a possible resistance headquarters.
―Well you can‘t miss this‖ Omabolov said as he pointed back towards the park below them.
Lou turned, not certain what to expect, and found an utterly unexpected sight. A loyalist army
had entered the park, the crystal helmets made it seem like a tide of emerald, chasing after
what seemed like one man. With the binoculars gone, it was impossible to truly understand
what was happening but the ferocity of the chasing army could still be felt from where the
pair stood. They watched in silence as the chase gradually passed across the landscape, but
once sometime had passed and the lone runner had reached the cliff face at the other side of
the park, things became interesting. The cliff face seemed to return fire in many different
places, and suddenly the pursuit force was besieging the cliff face. A sudden dreadful
realisation had befallen upon Lou, somewhere within that cliff face was a resistance base, and
as far away as the ongoing battle seemed, he felt physically and emotionally battered. The
sheer size of the loyalist force meant one way or another, any resistance are likely to be
overwhelmed.
As the defending resistance tried to chip away with rocket rounds and maching gun nests at
the horde bearing down on them, the cliff face began to cascade and crumble under the weight
of the incoming onslaught. Lou could no longer bear to watch as salvation was once again
taken from his grasp and he was once again alone in a world that wanted to kill him. He
walked away and went to check on his friend in an attempt to occupy his mind, Omabolov
lingered at the sight for slightly longer, but when he followed, signs of stress were even
apparent on this cool operator.
43
FIGHT and LOVE
―How‘s your friend?‖, Oma asked, but when silence was the only thing that answered him, ―I
have some medical supplies‖, he continued falteringly.
―Painkillers?‖, Lou replied quietly.
Instantly, a syringe was in the hand of the Rhamosian bodyguard who attempted to
administer it to Iggy. The attempt failed as he fought the bodyguard off. Lou hoped dearly
that he resisted the treatment due to an inherent mistrust of Rhamosians, but he also dreaded
that this was another sign that Iggy had resigned himself to his fate.
―Give it to me‖, Lou asked, and upon receiving the syringe dutifully treated Iggy.
They waited in silence as they listened to the continuing siege, their isolation becoming more
and more apparent to each individual, ―what now?‖, the underbaron braved. Lou tried to
mumble something about Baron Evenstar but was suddenly interrupted by Iggy who had
perked up due to the affect of the drugs. ―We go home‖, he announced with sudden and
unclear wisdom.
(finally able to include Adunkahor’s character, Ataman, sorry it’s taken so long Adun)
Troubling, his entire situation was nothing but troubling.
Lord Stafford had not exactly been welcomed when the owners of the command centre
returned, and it did not help his cause with the fact that he could not explain how he had got
there. Whoever these armed strangers were, they were not professional. There was a wide
variety of social classes present, where people were rubbing shoulders with people they could
never have expected to in a normal situation. And the animosities that a culture clash was
causing was just the beginning, whatever was happening elsewhere clearly had them spooked
and they did not have a particularly exemplary chain of command.
Lord Stafford did not have to suffer the accusations long before his was thrust into the clear
cut chaos of combat or the threat of it anyway. A siege. To Lord Stafford, for a brief time that
was a good sign, if someone was try to get in from the outside that also meant there was a way
out. Hopefully more than one. But he then realised that the occupants seemed to be running
from the fighting and not towards it. He could not judge them too harshly however as he
began to remember the guerrilla fighting that had taken place before he had fled his home. He
quickly stifled the memory though, he could not bear to think of the life he had lost and the
new life he had been thrust into, not here, not now. Lord Stafford soon found him with
everyone else as he was in no condition to fight. At first he felt like he was part of a bestial
stampede as the defenders fled, the stone corridors funnelled and bunched the numerous
people fleeing. It was highly claustrophobic as they jostled determinedly in a bid for survival,
damned the hindmost and damn the injured such as Stafford himself. Deeper into the complex
though, everyone headed in different directions and Lord Stafford could no longer keep up.
Alone, directionless and lost in a labyrinth of identical stone passageways. Things seemed
grim.
43
44
FIGHT and LOVE
Lord huffed as he continued to trudge along, wandering blind. The occupants had found their
mouse holes but the ever persistent sound of gunfire kept him from complete isolation and
complacency. Someone somewhere was fighting and dying. Stafford had ditched one of his
crutches due to a need for speed. He was still in pain, but he could cope, however his hunger
clawed at his stomach like a rabid beast and dehydration was causing him dizziness.
As Lord Stafford rounded another corner that he could have walked round tenfold, he began
to realise the strange acoustics. Sound, its direction and distance did not correlate. Gunfire
could be heard in a nearby corridor but on closer inspection there are no signs of battle.
Footsteps act like apparitions, forewarning non-existent wanderers in the corridors with Lord
Stafford. Paranoia was creeping up on him like the armed stalker that he thought was nearby.
Around the corner that could have been the exact same as before, but this time he was
confronted what at first he thought was a hallucination, a woodlands camouflage wearing
figure with a porcelain theatrics mask covering his face.
―With me, quickly‖, the figure ordered in a cold, harsh voice. Stafford complied deciding the
tentative grip the figure had of his sniper and the crispness of the order meant this man was
among the living and not the dead.
Lord Stafford noticed how the masked man looked back at him, eyes full of concern.
―Who are you?‖ Lord Stafford asked amidst ragged breaths despite being led at an
accommodating pace,
―An outsider. A nobody with a gun‖, he replied with no intention of giving an insightful
answer,
―No. You are somebody. I have seen enough people with a vested interest in my life to know
how to spot such a person‖, Lord Stafford insisted knowing that to get an answer was like
trying to chip away at a brick wall with a loaf of bread. There was moment where Lord
Stafford thought he was about to get an answer, but instead the supposed outsider held up his
hand. Still, in silence, the both noticed how the footsteps had got louder, a lot louder.
―Round that corner‖, the outsider whispered with utter clarity. Lord Stafford hobbled in the
direction and upon reaching said corner turned back to notice his newfound companion had
braced his sniper in an expert technique. Soon, the chatter of automatic gunfire poured along a
crossing corridor. Then a figure emerged ahead of the gunfire and ran towards the pair.
Funnily enough he looked fairly like a pirate, a weedy un-healthily pale man wearing a brown
leather waistcoat over an airy white shirt. Underneath the waist coat, a flak jacket was being
worn as well; another example of the combination of absurd and practical was a pair of
cutlasses and two revolvers with double that number in shotguns. Each weapon unique in
some way as it dangled around his crowded belt. A quartet of gunmen quickly appeared
behind him wielding heavy automatic weaponry and heavier armour, things just seemed to be
getting weirder in Lord Stafford‘s mind as these gunmen wore curious crystal shaped
emeralds as helmets which looked as ugly as they did unpractical.
The would-be pirate nodded to the outsider as he ran towards him and they had a brief
unspoken conversation using head gestures. The pirate then proceeded to run up the right
hand wall and propel himself off of it, turning in midair to face his chasers. In a co-ordinated
effort the pair massacred the group with combined fire, the pirate using his revolvers to take
down half and the outsider using only one bullet to kill the others.
The pirate landed gracefully on his behind after all of his chasers had hit the floor.
45
FIGHT and LOVE
After things had died down, the pirate introduced himself as they began to walk off, ―Ataman,
pirate, marauder and general madman‖. Once he was closer, Lord Stafford noticed a strong
stench of alcohol and an odour far stronger than just tobacco, the likely sources for his
complexion. Veins bulged on the man‘s exposed forearms and forehead and he breathed
raggedly as if he had just run a marathon.
―So, was this your doing Ataman?‖, Outsider asked, it was clearly apparent that they already
knew each other,
―Possibly, maybe. The last few hours are a blur really‖, he replied in a gruff but undeniably
friendly voice,
―I don‘t blame you. The patrol strategy was flawed from the start. Yes it minimised resistance
losses but the loyalist would eventually find us. Do you have enough bark to keep you
stable?‖ He responded in slight resignation,
―I do‖ Ataman said, producing pipe as he did so that seemed to be made from a hollowed
borthos tusk, a beast Lord Stafford had heard about but never seen thankfully,
―Hold on, resistance? Please inform to what‘s actually going on here‖, Lord Stafford
interrupted, frustration finally overcoming his patience,
―This is the Crystal Pentacle‖, the outsider answered un-begrudgingly, but that much Stafford
new, ―A dangerous city, built upon a foundation of conspiracy, deceit and plotting, where the
world‘s rogues could find whatever they needed. At the best of times, the misguided would
not want to linger, but these are the worst times, and you are either one of them or you are a
target‖.
―But what is this place?‖,
―It was the resistance headquarters, but it is no longer ours. It is built on the foundations of the
complex sewer network beneath the city, which is where what the remains of the resistance
have undoubtedly run to. We‘re nearly there now‖. That was all Lord Stafford had needed to
hear, there was a feud going on and now he knew which side would be the most
accommodating, it was clear his allegiance had been chosen for him.
True to the outsider‘s word, they soon found themselves in an empty sewer made of curved
brick walls, Lord Stafford considered it nice to have escaped from a place so uniform.
―What now‖, Ataman asked the outsider in the most relaxed manner as if he was asking about
the weather,
―We head for Baron Evenstar territory, the last I heard they were still holding out. I reckon
that‘s where others will be heading because it seems we have no other choice‖. Choice was
also out of the question for Lord Stafford.
They did not travel far before they came across someone else. Disturbingly the figure was
curled up on the floor. Clothes torn, blood smeared face and bloodied hands clutching a
likewise smeared knife. ―Great, another nutter‖, thought Lord Stafford, ―two possible
psychopaths and a reckless narcotic using pirate‖.
―My name is Lee‖, stammered the curled figure.
The sunrise was an ugly, putrid thing in the Crystal Pentacle.
The surrounding lava fields meant the atmosphere was highly sulphuric. When the sun rose,
the horizon glowed with an unhealthy and smoggy aurora. Like a bruise, the lava fields were a
hideous injury amongst a perfectly natural and beautiful world. A hint of auburn sunlight had
began to filter down upon the stark, black streets of the city. The organised layout of the city
cast long straight shadows which gradually receded into the cold light of day. The temperature
46
FIGHT and LOVE
had not changed with the rise of the sun, the surrounding environment meant it was
perpetually warm all year round.
Iggy, bolstered by the medical treatment he had received, led a blistering pace, dauntlessly
unaware of his injuries and the events of the previous night. The rest of the quartet wearily
trudged on behind at a distance, incapable of keeping the pace. Lou and Omabolov walked in
silence side by side meanwhile the Rhamosian body guarded took the rear, constantly
scanning the environment with his finger never far from his assault rifle trigger. After Iggy
had come down from his drug induced high, he coherently explained that he had been leading
the group towards his secret compound where he had established an arms depot. Of course,
once Iggy had returned to a level of normality, the underbaron was able to recognise him from
previous transactions. But if Omabolov recognised Iggy, would he also recognise Lou from
their crossed paths, and in that case would Oma want vengeance. Lou dearly hoped he still
seemed to be a nobody.
―We‘re here‖, Iggy exclaimed with a little too loud enthusiasm, the drugs were still affecting
his demeanour to point where he was brighter than the sunrise. Here however was a
surprisingly unassuming place. An industrialist‘s paradise, four rows of identical terrace
houses, made from poor quality terracotta brickwork that had already begun to crumble,
however these houses were in a much better condition than the rest of the city. Each row
ended perpendicular to another row of houses causing them to make a square with all the
houses facing outwards. Lou had a good idea of what was being hidden by all these houses.
―Make yourselves comfortable‖, Iggy offered to the underbaron and his minion with an air of
audacious professionalism, ―I normally use them for my clientele, but, strangely business has
dried up‖, he finished, stating the obvious in all seriousness. He tossed a key toward Oma
which was cleanly snatched from the air, ―That one there‖, Iggy pointed to one of the many
nondescript houses in the row, ―You should find some comfort and refreshment‖.
―I am very grateful‖, the underbaron replied, almost humbly, ―these are weary times indeed,
and any modicum of luxury is much appreciated‖.
As the pair moved off towards their offered house, Iggy headed towards another identical
house in the same row, Lou began to follow before being stopped by his close friend. ―No
offence‖, Iggy started apologetically, ―but there still are some secrets I wish to take to the
grave with me, as soon as that may be‖. As he said that he touched the wound that was hidden
underneath his dirtied clothing, he physically winced as he did so, pulling his hand away to
find his clothing soaked through. Iggy‘s other hand had been caringly placed on Lou‘s
shoulder, during the inspection of the wound, that hand had begun to tremble. Concern
suddenly consumed Lou to the point where it must have been clearly visible on his face.
―Don‘t worry about me, see to the underbaron, we both know the sort of person he is‖.
Lou was forced to comply and simply nodded, his mind racing with what ifs and could haves,
as he walked away from his wounded comrade he could only wonder how much had of injury
had been hidden.
He entered the front door of the appointed house and found a hallway barely large enough for
one person. Stairs led up to the first floor, but he did not want to see the rest of the house, it
was a barren soulless shell, never truly lived in. A brief unwelcome flashback of his childhood
home reminded him of this very house, an upbringing as emotionally cold as the man he had
come to check up upon. As if his thought were being read, Omabolov appeared in the hallway
from an adjoining room. He had removed his scaly brown overcoat, and now his expensive
47
FIGHT and LOVE
collection of holsters and weapons were on display. ―I thought I heard you come in‖.
―Iggy just wanted to make sure everything was to satisfaction‖,
―Ah yes, ever the professional, my grunt is making a flask of coffee, with something a little
stronger, can I offer you some?‖,
―No. Thank you.‖ He replied awkwardly,
―I understand, don‘t take the risk. It could be poison for all you know‖, a devilish smirk on
Omabolov‘s face, ―give Iggy my thanks‖.
Lou turned to leave, but before he could exit he found a knife at his back. ―I know who you
are Luthous, turn around‖. The knife in question was one that had not been visible, a balanced
long blade made from a non-reflecting grey metal that glinted faintly with malice. The handle
was made from a perfect piece of ivory inlaid with pearl. ―I was waiting for you to discover
me, waiting for you to finally turn as expected‖, Lou accused with utter contempt, ―get it over
then, crystal be damned‖. He closed his eyes waiting for the dagger to plunge into his heart.
The blade never came.
Once Lou opened his eyes again he found the blade was now pointing hilt first. ―I am sorry to
disappoint‖, the underbaron quipped in a smarming manner, ―but I am going to have to put
trust in you‖. ―I cannot trust my meat shield no more. An army cannot appear from nowhere,
nor can a man avoid bullets that have his name on. Too many times has someone else been in
the path of a bullet headed for that Rhamosian. I suspect him of being a plant, from whom is
anyone‘s guess, but I would not be surprised if there‘s a connection to this crisis. If there is
going to be a dagger in my back, I would prefer it to not be my own‖.
Lou took the blade and left.
As he made his way back to Iggy he weighed the intricate weapon in his hands, thinking to
himself ―nothing is ever as simple as it first seems, is it?‖. He returned to the house that he
expected Iggy to be in, shutting the door behind him, but as he did so he was certain he could
hear gunfire and tank treads threateningly close.
The underbaron stared at the back of the departing figure, wondering, just how much longer
he would have to place his faith in others. To Omabolov, every being had a value, a worth in
which he could base his prized trust upon. Luthous, or Lou as he now referred to himself was
not an enemy, enemy was a far too uncompromising term for the Crystal Pentacle. Once, in
this city, you would earn an enemy through some injustice or another, and injustice was
commonly paid and trade. Overzealous ideology was not welcomed, and more often than not
actively rooted out and exterminated like a tumour. But now the Crystal Loyalists swarmed
the city like a plague, conquering all those that did not belong to their doctrine. The founding
principles of self achievement and self priority had died with the inception of the loyalists.
Oma had seen and fought enough of the loyalists to know they had not materialised from
nothing, he had recognised the faces of some of the most influential citizens amongst their
ranks, many of which he realised bitterly had once been clients or business partners at one
time or another. The underbaron‘s ability to deal in the illicit and illegitimate had once
prevented him from becoming a baron, and now once again had had his willingness to be
involved in muddier waters had cost him an approach.
48
FIGHT and LOVE
But as idealistic as the masterminds behind the loyalists could be, there must be a purpose to
indoctrinate people of power.
And if they have schemed to conquer and cull the supposed heathens that remained within
the Pentacle, what other plans and objectives did they intend.
And then of course there was the unknown variable of his one remaining henchmen, the goon
that had caused Oma to put his life in the hands of someone who had once been an....
opposition in manner of objective. The underbaron had always been a wary man, especially
when monitoring his minions. The power and wealth he owned enticed greed in his inferiors.
Many had made overt attempts to overthrow him; fewer however assumed they had the guile
to achieve such a thing covertly. Being a man one step ahead of his rivals was what had kept
himself alive. The Rhamosian bodyguard had joined his service and wormed his way to his
side quickly, he had managed to survive and protect through encounters where others had
fallen alongside. Oh yes, Oma was well aware of this man with a seemingly ironclad loyalty
and conspicuously empty past, but he strongly believed in the old ethos of keeping your
enemies close. Neither was he exactly unprotected.
And now was where he found himself, alone with said surviving bodyguard, without his usual
backup and resources to monitor his staff.
A creaking floorboard announced the arrival of his minion into the room. The underbaron
held out a hand expecting it to be promptly filled with a warm thermos. It never came, instead
the sound of a muttered curse heard from behind Omabolov. He turned, to find his bodyguard
fumbling with the previously occupied dagger sheath, ―bastard‖, the underbaron exclaimed as
he instantly launched a fist towards toward his bodyguards face. ―Bastard, bastard, you
traitorous BASTARD‖, he continued to yell red faced as he landed a trio of increasingly hard
jabs in the stomach, meanwhile a tidal wave of swears pouring from Oma‘s completely and
utterly enraged mouth.
The underbaron‘s anger, fuelled by the turncoat that was now before him, created an almost
machine like efficiency; the end of each blow was the beginning of the next. A tirade of
48
47
49
FIGHT and LOVE
attacks with an unstoppable and unrelenting momentum. The onslaught began to push the
winded and battered Rhamosian towards the small kitchen and out of the smaller sitting room,
but he was beginning to come to his senses and Omabolov was so determined to get to grips
with his former minion using his bare hands, he continued to engage unarmed and was
beginning to overextend. His emotion was beginning to rule him, and it would make him
vulnerable.
Then the counter came. One last punch from Omabolov‘s bruised knuckles, to its owner‘s
surprise, collided with nothing but thin air. Sidestepping the punch was easy for the
Rhamosian since the attack was telegraphed louder than the grunt that accompanied it.
Omabolov then found himself stumbling away from his enemy, his momentum destroyed
along with the sudden red mist that had clouded his thoughts. He quickly balanced himself
and spun around, reflexively blocking as he did so. It saved his life. His crossed arms had
stopped the downswing of a knife plunging into his face.
The knife shook as both combatants struggle for control, but the underbaron could foresee that
due to his height disadvantage, it would not take long for his muscled brute to overpower him.
The knife in question was smooth and reflective, like a mirror, Omabolov could see the eyes
of his attacker who shared the same look of murderous disdain that he had himself. It was
comforting to know that their feelings were mutual.
―So you finally made your move‖, Oma dared to quip as he continued to struggle, ―not a
particular clean kill is it‖,
―Rebellions, oppressions, marauders, genocide. Nothing needs to be particularly clean in this
world‖, the Rhamosian replied darkly and unemotionally, more intent on the knife, ―every
drop in the lake has its ripples, no matter how round the drop is‖,
―How comforting, not only are you a turncoat intent on my demise but you‘re a philosopher
as well‖,
―Your demise was never the plan‖, finished the conversation as he finally began to overpower
and descend the blade. It was inexplicable for Omabolov to see his own death coming towards
him as the knife lowered gradually closer, the morning sunlight streaming from the sitting
room window made it shine with the colour of blood. The blade tip was at his nose when it
flew sidelong out of grasp, joined by the sound of a window smashing and a gunshot.
The sudden course of events left wide eyed shock in both combatants, but Omabolov was the
first to take initiative. His senses returned and every ounce of muscle no longer locked into
keeping a blade from his flesh. He kneed the traitor in the groin with as much might as he
could muster. It still felt good getting revenge but no longer was he deluded by a primal
bloodlust. With his victim keeling over, Omabolov prepared himself to finally execute his
former employee, but curiosity overtook him and he could not help but first look in the
direction of the noises that had saved his life. He looked towards the window of the sitting
room expecting to see one of his companions holding a smoking gun.
He was very wrong, instead he saw an emerald coloured tank.
Instead of finishing the turncoat who was beginning to recover, he shoved himself away and
scrambled into cover, which there was little of. The sitting room and the kitchen were
unfortunately laid out open plan, a wide arch dividing the two rooms. The underbaron and his
former employee took cover either side of the arch from the kitchen as loyalist forces began to
besiege the house. Omabolov looked across the expanse of the arch noticing that there was
very little arch to hide behind for his traitor being beside the exterior wall of the house.
50
FIGHT and LOVE
Whereas he realise that he himself had plenty of cover and ample room, a set of stairs being
beside him, but then he also realised they were also penned in, no other doors or windows
were present in the kitchen, just thick impassable walls.
Then the assault began. A tank round shook the foundations of the house, blowing a large
hole where the broken window had once been, brickwork and dust flew inwards ruining the
once pristine and humble sitting room. The underbaron took a peek from cover at the opening,
noticing with dread at the organised swarm of loyalist that had appeared, moments afterwards
disappearing under the cloud of a smokescreen. He could sense what came next and hunkered
down. A wall of gun fire came at them, heavy and suppressive; they tore through the tension
with an eruption of sound and ferocity. The kitchen fell apart under the pounding it sustained,
the kitchen units and walls riddled with holes from the enfilade. Beyond the arch, the sitting
room vaporised into unrecognisable rubble, what had survived the initial intrusion was ripped
apart, the soft furnishings exploded with clouds of feathers meanwhile all the decor became
part of the ever increasing collateral. And then of course there were the two living things
amidst all this, hidden behind a slither of wall the Rhamosian was pinned between a wall and
an uninterrupted stream of hot lead, all the while the underbaron stood like a statue as the arch
fissured and ruptured under the intensity of the assault. Both of them could barely move,
unable to even draw a weapon, their previous conflict forgotten in an instant. Almost.
Omabolov Bytes edged away from the frenzy before him, toward the relative safety of the
stairs, staring at the Rhamosian pressed against the arch who could only stare back in terror,
flinching at each near miss.
―I don‘t care who sent you‖, the underbaron yelled, trying to be heard over the noise of the
onslaught, ―all that matters is that you never report back to them‖. Whether or not he was
actually heard was uncertain as the recipient continued to remain frozen in terror.
―I would happily have finished you myself, but from past experience I can tell you it‘s just as
easy to let someone else do your dirty work‖.
He gave a mocking salute to the former employee, ―Goodbye. Comrade‖, he said, smiling,
before clambering away up the stairs.
Iggy and Lou hurried through the hole that had moments ago been filled by a jukebox, the
sounds of nearby combat ushering them through. The gap closed behind them and returned to
its domestic invisibility. It was unreal to say the least. This was the first time Lou had visited
Iggy‘s depot, he had just been standing in the kitchen of a terrace house and now he found
himself in a fully fledged military compound.
The compound occupied the combined garden space of the four terrace rows that hid the
place. It was an expansive space but filled to the point of claustrophobia. Stacks of heavy duty
crates, taller than several men, were laid out in messy narrow aisles meanwhile larger items
dotted the piles, covered in tarpaulin, to the curious such items were like militaristic treasure.
The sky was blocked out by camouflage netting and underfoot was a thick uncompromising
concrete. It was easy to forget about the outside troubles of the Crystal Pentacle when inside
the insular man made jungle of the compound.
The pair made their way towards the centre, weaving around the piles that towered above
them towards a sky that was no longer there. Occasionally a crate would be partially open or a
tarpaulin was only partially covering, teasing at the cutting edge hardware Iggy was privy to.
And then amongst it all, a bunker emerged, a stout monstrosity that looked as if it could stand
551
51
FIGHT and LOVE
against the erasure of time and the forces of nature. It was windowless, its only access a high
tech security door. Iggy meekly placed his hand on the scanner and the door whizzed open,
but Lou had noticed that his partner was now limping badly, his face wrought in a perpetual
grimace. And all Lou could do about it was silently worry about his friend.
The pair stepped through into the poorly lit gloom of the bunker, one almost carrying the
other. Iggy stumbled through; desperately looking for a something to sit on meanwhile Lou
was awestruck by this sacred sanctuary. A chamber large enough for a pair of tanks, lined
with terminals and display screens, they whirred and chattered, quietly communicating
information on the world‘s armed forces and their weaponry needs. It was a hub of
information and activity, despite being entirely unmanned. Lou knew he was standing in the
global center of the arms trade, most superpowers had at some point been clientele within that
hallowed ground, and now the man that had managed this empire could well be dying.
Before Lou could adjust to the light he found himself being hugged, which, after spending
days of slaughter or be slaughtered, felt rather alien. As his eyes adjusted and the gloom
receded he looked down to see Tamworth clenching him tightly.
―Its good to see you old friend‖, Lou greeted warmly as he finally returned the hug, holding
back tears. But in the back of his mind he was alarmed, it was the first time they had seen
each other in a number of days, and despite not being in the field, Tamworth was far from an
image of his former self, the colour had washed from face, looking as weary as Lou felt. He
was the definition of haggardness. His unchanged clothes were beginning to look baggy and
his portly stature had diminished towards the point where his skin was hanging off him. ―I‘m
glad you‘ve been safe‖.
―Did you manage to get a distress through?‖ Iggy asked weakly, picking himself up from a
stool he had found. Tamworth pulled away from Lou and sighed, shaking his head. ―Well
then, it is all as we thought‖, Iggy continued in resignation, ―Did you manage to complete the
other task I gave you‖.
―Perfectly‖, Tamworth replied, showing his green paint covered homes.
Lou looked questioningly at his friend, he knew he could be cunning, but if his injury had
been degenerating far more than he had been showing then what else had he been hiding. Iggy
gestured them all into to an adjoining room. This new chamber was half the size of the
previous one, and was equipped in a manner that made it seem like a mechanics workshop.
Tools hung from racks on the walls or aligned on tables, all in a far more organised fashion
than the goods outside. Several empty tins of green paint stood in the corner, discarded. But,
finally, covered by a tarpaulin sheet, a very large object sat enticingly in the middle of the
room, filling the room and drawing everyone‘s attention. Iggy stepped forward, and pulled off
the tarpaulin like a showy salesman. ―One Atavar tank, urban variant, custom design‖, he
pronounced proudly despite his wound. The sight of the tank took him back to that first night
at the bar when this all began, the first time they had had ever heard of crystal loyalists, and
the first time they had ever had to fear anything green. ―Lower ground clearance with full
skirts with dozer blades for rubble clearance. Turret mounted main cannon with full three
hundred and sixty degree rotation. Better suspension, weight reduction, smaller crew
requirement and capacity alongside a smaller engine allow for higher mobility in place of
maximum speed. A magazine system with automated loading and overall streamlined
operation. In summary it is a smaller, nipper tank able to conquer the most labyrinthine cities.
―If that‘s you sales talk then I‘m surprised you‘ve still been going all these years‖, Lou
riposted jokingly, ―but I admit, it is an impressive piece of work, and you‘ve mimicked the
chequered diamond pattern perfectly. So, what‘s your plan?‖.
52
FIGHT and LOVE
―Well the airship crash has breached many parts of the city, with lava floods making the
sewers unusable; the loyalists had begun to scour it anyway. But since the resistance has
fallen, only baron Evenstar remains as force to reckon with the loyalists. And this tank will be
a means of getting to him and delivering your news of hope‖.
―What do you mean your news of hope?‖ Lou replied alarmed,
―Well...‖, Iggy began anxiously, but was unwilling to finish his sentence,
―We have one last emergency measure‖, Tamworth interjected, understanding he would have
to inform Lou, ―underneath this facility is a jet powered prototype shuttle. Since we cannot
get a transmission out of the city then we will need to physically get someone out to tell the
world what is happening here, and this shuttle is the only thing fast enough to avoid any anti
air flak. But, the power required for the launch will decimate the surrounding area. And. It
only has enough space for two people‖.
―I am no longer combat able‖, Iggy finally summed up the courage to explain, ―the shrapnel
went deep, and the infection is worse than I have admitted. I would be needed to launch the
shuttle from inside it anyway, but Tam, he is not a soldier, and I need him to reach another
cell of operatives in case I can‘t make it‖.
―I understand, but this whole affair has gone far beyond our personal welfare, it does not
make it any easier though‖, Lou responded, remorsefully, ―how do we get the tank out of
here?‖
―The tank descends into a tunnel which opens up beneath one of the surrounding houses. One
last thing, there is a weapons locker stowed on board with some of my prized oddities and
rarities, if this place is going to be blown to kingdom come then I would like some of my
treasures to make it out of here‖.
Lou knew there was nothing left to say.
He hugged his two friends and wished them best of luck, for all of their sakes.
Lou clambered aboard his new ride. Meanwhile Iggy activated the descent control. As Lou
began to gradually descend into the earth, he gave his treasured friends a formal salute, the
sharpest salute he had ever given anyone in his entire life. He did not know whether he would
ever see them again, whether they succeeded or not. But he was certain once he had returned
to the surface and rescued the underbaron, he would make it to baron Evenstar. No matter
what.
The sounds of gunfire whipped at Omabolov‘s heels. It was only a matter of time before the
downstairs diversion expired, and Omabolov dearly hoped to escape before that happened.
Being king of the criminal underworld, Omabolov was not averse to dirtying his hands, but he
was no lunatic, he may be prepared to kill but only when practicalities necessitate such a
course of action. Something had changed though. He had handled far more difficult characters
with more grace and calm that had abandoned him during the dealing with his former
bodyguard. Never had anger overwhelmed him, not even slightly. Maybe it was the fact that
the bodyguard had been a traitor, or maybe the whole situation within the Pentacle was
pushing him towards his limit, all that was certain was that he had never been so fixated on
the demise of an individual nor had he ever revelled in the opportunity for slaughter.
The first floor of the terrace house was much like the downstairs, cramped and narrow, which
made it a good bottleneck in the worst case scenario. At the top of the stairs Oma found a
small, square landing with faded carpeting and peeling flowery wallpaper. He was also faced
with two locked doors that would not budge whatsoever. As far as Omabolov was concerned,
52
53
FIGHT and LOVE
he was trapped at a dead end, no back doors or rear windows to escape through and most of
his arsenal left downstairs in his coat. All he had on him was a couple of daggers, and he
strongly doubted that daggers alone would not hold out well up against a squad of armed
loyalists.
He also realised that the suppressive barrage below him had stopped, the sudden eerie silence
intermingled with the odd crunching footstep finally meant that the diversion had expired and
now fate was coming for him.
He could sense them below. The previous barrage had blunted the senses, it was gone though
now and so the finest of details were suddenly crystal clear. Footsteps, shuffling along carpet.
Broken glass cracking underfoot. A muffled gunshot, not completely silenced, taken at point
blank.
The Rhamosian had been executed.
That meant they were in the kitchen. He had not expected his escape to present itself in the
way it would.
Suddenly the still expectation of the inevitable was broken. Omabolov‘s world shook around
him as he flew forward in a shower of splinters, flat onto his face, just avoiding a tumble back
down the stairs. He jumped up to find a hole in the ceiling and a similarly sized hole through
the centre of one of the locked doors. He dived through wondering whether the commotion
attracted the attention of those below.
On the other side of the door he found what had once been a young girl‘s bedroom, largely
intact. Another circular breach, wider than the others, opened the bedroom out onto the street,
letting in the horrors of the outside world into what should be a child‘s safe haven. A pink bed
with a heart shaped headboard set the tone for the rest of the room; its legs had collapsed
underneath the weapon crates that had been piled on top of it. The bedspread, depicting many
types of colourful ponies, lay discarded and ruffled on the floor. A rocking horse sat in the
corner, unmoving and covered in dust, a Kevlar helmet with night vision goggles rested
alongside an urban pattern special ops battledress where a child once sat. A bookcase turned
barricade covered the door, answering why the door resisted so, in a condition utterly
devastated by the blast. Only scraps of paper remained on it. Girlish stickers were peeling off
the windows that were still intact. It reminded of a time when Omabolov had not been the
underbaron, when he had been completely powerless, when his daughter had been taken from
him. He had personally made sure that the culprits had paid their debt, but it did not make the
loss any easier, even after all these years. At least there was one place in the Pentacle that was
not smeared in red.
He knew he had little time, prioritizing what to take first. He opened the first crate and found
a few proximity mines which he promptly activated and threw down onto the stairs. Opening
another crate he found a prototype machine gun, a chrome tube seven inches in diameter, the
front end was entirely exposed revealing a revolving chamber much like a minigun. It had no
stock, but a bipod was attached to counter its considerable recoil. Its ammunition came in
bulbous drums, that, when loaded looked like a curled metallic leech, one drum was already
loaded and two spares had been stashed with the weapon. ―This‘ll do‖, the underbaron
thought to himself gleefully. The mines had not detonated yet so he knew the loyalists had not
reached the stairs yet. He clambered towards the rocking horse and threw the helmet on his
54
FIGHT and LOVE
head, the battledress would have been to cumbersome to put on. And then the mines
exploded.
The door shook from the force of the explosion as the anti personnel mines gave the stairwell
a destructive facelift. When he reached the door and readied himself, bracing the gun against
the hole in the door, noticing that that the stairway suddenly looked apocalyptic, walls
crumbling under a veil of smoke.
Smoke stirred in anticipation, forecasting the inevitable advance of the loyalist squad. And
then the suppression came. Neither side could see each other through smokescreen, the
loyalists, who despite having the numbers were disadvantaged by being at the bottom of the
stairs, opened fire first. The underbaron quickly returned fire and so began the blind fire
exchange where neither side knew what they were firing at.
As impact violently thudded around him, Omabolov realised it was only a matter of time
before the cover disintegrated and leaving him to the mercy of potluck blind fire. It all
constantly wobbled around him with no respite between shots, the door hinges screamed as
the door threatened to be torn from its hinges from the force of the barrage. But Oma was
mercifully unaware of the possibility of the door toppling on him, too busy being buffeted by
the assault that came at him, drowning out everything. Until the unexpected happened.
Omabolov had been well aware of the tank outside, it was what had most likely caused his
entryway into the room, he had seen it when the initial siege began downstairs and he
assumed it would remain parked in the vicinity of the house. However when front of the
house was illuminated by a furious detonation, it gave him a moment of pause. He knew what
had just exploded, but he could not explain how. The sudden eruption had caused gunfire to
stop coming his way, Omabolov realised that he had also stopped firing, everyone was utterly
mesmerised by the sudden turn of events. Omabolov fired off another brief enfilade and threw
a grenade he did not realise he had in an attempt to halt any advancing loyalists who may
have been made curious by the explosion. He then turned to breach in the bedroom to see an
atavar tank, painted in the chequered pattern of loyalist mechanised forces, pulling up behind
its kill. To the underbaron‘s surprise he watched the top hatch open to reveal Lou, scanning
the surroundings with a pistol in hand. Of all people, Lou had been the last person he had
expected to be his salvation from the loyalists.
Hammering began on the door, reminding Oma of the urgency of the situation. Firing another
salvo at the door in dissuasion, he then then hopped down onto the tank and climbed in. After
pulling the hatch closed the pair familiarised themselves with their crewing positions. The
pattering of small arms fire pinging of the hull urged them to get moving and so they did, Lou
determined to escape before the entire place blew to kingdom come.
Lou had noticed a new demeanour in the underbaron, broodingly quiet, a far cry from the self
confident villain-noble. Something had happened in that house and he was unwilling to ask
what had happened to the bodyguard, especially after what he had been told. He did not need
another pair of hands operating tank so left Omabolov to himself.
Several minutes later and a neighbourhood of the Crystal Pentacle vanished under a column
of fire that matched the scale of the crystal which the city was named for. Lou did not see the
explosion, he was busy parking the tank in n out of the way hiding spot, he certainly felt it
though. The tank itself was lifted off the ground at the rear, and momentarily lost traction,
54
55
FIGHT and LOVE
when it hit the ground, the cabin continued to shake awhile. Omabolov was completely
unperturbed by the event. Lou knew that only ashes remained of the empire that Iggy had
built and operated from, he also now felt very alone with his two closest friends no longer in
the city, he would possibly never see them again. They were the only hope of reinforcements
though, and whether they succeeded or not, the explosion would attract a lot of attention.
All of a sudden, the midday tranquillity was shattered as a district of the city vanished amidst
a sky high pyre of flame and destruction just down the road from the group. The ensuing blast
found all of them flying through the air with their feet pointing to the sky.
―What da fuu...‖, Ataman trailed of in an explosion of expletives,
―Heaven above‖, outsider muttered at the awe inspiring destructive force,
Lee just yelled in shock,
And Lord Stafford remained quietly amused.
And then they all landed. Hard.
The quartet had been crossing one of the many inter-district highways at the time of the
sudden explosion; it was four lanes wide which meant crossing had left them in the open for a
few desperate moments. Outsider was first back on his feet, he had rolled as he returned to
ground but it had still winded him, ―get up. GET up‖, he desperately urged as he pulled the
others up, ―they‘ll be swarming towards that explosion like bears to honey. We need to hide
now‖. They had to half drag Lee who was suffering from some minor shellshock. None of
them realised the unbridled relief they‘d experience as they reached the cover of the row of
houses on the other side of the road, untroubled, but even so they could just about hear the
marching of military boots and the rumble of tank treads unsettlingly nearby.
They had spent about a day together and they had already created a squad synergy between
them as if they‘d been through multiple theatres of war together. Unsurprisingly, Outsider
held the position of authority, sure footed and stealthy; he seemed to have a destination in
mind but had not chosen to share. No one was going to argue though. As gung ho and
endangering Ataman‘s nature was, experience and trust meant even he deferred to Outsider,
but his tribalistic narcotic addiction was a bone of contention that everyone was aware of.
Lord Stafford‘s injury from the airship crash had abated to some degree but he still was not as
physically able as the others, however he did still maintain a reliable aim and even though he
was no specialist sniper he was regarded as a steadfast fire support. Lord Stafford had taken it
upon himself to keep an eye on Lee, a lost soul caught in his first ever conflict.
―We‘ll hunker down for a while, we have the supplies and we don‘t know just how much heat
has been stirred up‖, Outsider began to order quietly but still authoritatively. Things had
become easier, in some respect, since they came across Lee. When they first met in the sewers
he had fled from them in his blood covered state, still in shock from events he had either seen
or been involved in. They tailed him to a survivalist‘s den that had clearly not been his own,
burrowed into the smooth sewer walls, stockpiled with all the kinds of supplies they could
possibly need. Suddenly they could tend to their wounds, feed themselves, slate their thirst
and arm themselves. Well everything accept the necessary drugs for Ataman. Thankfully they
managed to calm the cornered Lee before things became violent.
And nearly a day later, scraping through the dirt to avoid the ever increasing death squads, but
at least they weren‘t having to take the risks of scavenging. Things still weren‘t exactly
simple though.
56
FIGHT and LOVE
The quartet settled into a simple detached house, the front door was found blown from its
hinges and the front facade was littered with bullet impacts, its windows shattered. The inside
was not much better, looking like the target of a bomb site. They tried to make themselves
comfortable amidst the wreckage of a life that no longer existed. Lee began handing round
sealed ration packs that tasted of a vague nothingness meanwhile Ataman idly began smoking
from his ornate pipe watching patrols roll by on the roadway.
―So what did you make of the explosion?‖, Lord Stafford asked Outsider as they sat at the
remains of a table, munching,
―Either there is still some formidable resistance forces giving the pointyheads the run around.
Or more likely the loyalists have an even greater arsenal at their disposal‖,
―You‘re a local, any idea what sort of greater arsenal?‖,
―Well, there‘s nothing in the skies so it‘s not airship or artillery based. If they‘ve got the
resources to arm their grand infantry divisions as well as mechanised I‘ll assume they have
the resources for specialist gear, maybe they used a bomb to take out another HQ mayhaps?‖
He paused. ―Sadly, our numbers will only dwindle herein‖. They both finished their meals
and sat in silence, now they had stopped weariness finally had caught up.
―What is your story? How did you end up here, I mean, before you rescued me, before this
war?‖
―Just another lost soul. Like most. I had the combat skills to succeed in this city but I did not
have the selfish streak. I became a gun for hire, a highly skilled and demanded one at that, but
I only accepted jobs that equated with my own moral beliefs. You see with this city, even
though it primarily exists as a safe haven for the fugitive and illicit, it is not the paradise that
the crime lords will have you believe. Only the most cutthroat and the most ruthless succeed
here, and like any city it still houses the dispossessed and the disenfranchised, there is still
slums and run down residential districts. I wasn‘t trying to be a messiah with a rifle; all I
wanted to do was, well, do some good. Not many charitable of philanthropic causes existed. It
all seems so pointless now with what the emerald masters had been planning‖, Outsider
finished seemingly exasperated.
Silence fell upon the both of them and the house in general. But not for long.
―THE BLINKING BASTARD‖, Ataman shouted from his perch, ―he burned ma house
DOWN!‖. Everyone ran towards the ruckus, concerned the shouting would attract unwanted
attention. They found him standing with both cutlasses drawn and his precious pipe dropped
to the floor. He was staring at the eight man patrol that was passing by, supported by a savar
tank. Before anyone could achieve some clarification from Ataman, especially since the entire
patrol was wearing helmets, he was off running in a silent consuming rage.
He padded up behind the patrol, not bellowing his typical war cry, and struck very
successfully. They marched in pairs, making it all the more easier for Ataman‘s perfectly
synchronous blades. Firstly he swept low, taking the rearguard pair of their feet, and then
reversed the sweep into a backwards plunge as he passed. Without breaking stride he struck
down the next two with another dual strike. He next rank had turned by the time Ataman
reached them, he however dove between them as they lunged with bayonets, he rolled as he
landed barrelling straight onto his feet and spearing the chests of the front pair. He then spun
to face the last two, parrying another pair of bayonet lunges that would have penetrated his rib
cage with crossed swords. He sliced outwards trying to behead both of his oppressors who
avoided it, the left clubbed at Ataman‘s head meanwhile the right swiped across his body with
blade point. Ataman dropped to his knees and ducked the clubbing while simultaneously
57
FIGHT and LOVE
knocking away the other strike which was now at face height, he returned to the one on his
left who was about to spear down upon him. He parried, holding the strike in place with one
cutlass and impaling the attacker with the other, finally finishing the fight with one swift
beheading strike in a similar manner against the other. Barely did he have time to draw breath
before he was back on his feet jumping aboard the Savar tank that had led the column.
The rest of the group had enough time to draw arms before it was over, but in the headlong
rush Ataman had not noticed another eight man patrol coming up the road. Caught out in the
open, Ataman would not be able to draw his firearms before they gunned him down. However
Lee, Outsider and Lord Stafford had already taken up firing positions from within the house,
ready to cover their comrade, knowing that they would be drawn to the site of their fellows
being mowed down by a lone swordsman.
It took ten shots between the three of them to take down the entire patrol. Not a single shot
managed to come in response. For a civilian, Lee had a surprising degree of marksmanship,
maybe paint-guns are a lot more similar to their military counterparts than they seem.
Seeing two dead patrols littering the road meant it did not need to be said for them to know it
was time to move out. The trio went to find Ataman further down the road. As they reached
the now stationary tank they began to hear grunting and angry muttering, cautiously they
circled the tank with weapons drawn. They turned a corner to find, surprisingly, Ataman
straddled atop a loyalist‘s corpse, Ataman had punched clean through the helmet‘s visor to
reveal the face of its owner. It was almost unbelievable to remember, that after the predatory
inhuman nature of the loyalists, they were still merely human beings. Despite being dead
Ataman continued to pound him with his fists around the face, a face which already had
countless bruises.
Lord Stafford was about to intervene when suddenly Outsider‘s hand was on his shoulder, ―I
wouldn‘t‖, he whispered, the discarded pipe in his other hand, ―he‘s burning through his
remaining supplies. He‘s overdosing. Dangerously delusional. His house hasn‘t even been
burnt down‖.
They were all suddenly reminded of the danger of the beserker.
58
FIGHT and LOVE
The Black Rose
DrCaulder1
(So, this is just a story about my character, Caulder, and how he became a Marauder. From
brilliant scientist to insane Marauder captain, this will chronicle his rise to greatness.)
Chapter 1
It had been an uneventful day, so
long ago. As Caulder sat on the
bridge of his Taveron and stared
ahead at the open horizon, his
mind kept wandering back to that
fateful day so long ago.
Caulder hadn't always been a
Marauding madman, oh no. Nor
had he always commanded respect
out of fear. He had once been a
brilliant scientist under the employ
of Baron Mordon, employed to
research new forms of tanks and
infantry armor for the Baron's
troops in order to make them that
much stronger. That was back
when his usual attire consisted of a
full lab coat and black pants
beneath. Nowadays, he looked like
a surgeon fresh out of surgery,
blood stains on his white overcoat,
scrubs beneath covered in splotches of red and black, his wrists no longer bearing the fine
watch or bracelets he often wore in the employ of the Baron.
Now, his wrists were perpetually red, as were his forearms, his coat soaked with blood from
his own men and his test subjects. His white hair had grown out substantially, hanging down
to his shoulder blades, unlike his old haircut which had been a very short six inches of white
atop his pale head, which strangely retained that perpetual look of curiosity he had.
His thoughts began to mull over exactly what he had done wrong. Back in those days, he
carried a black rose around in his right coat pocket wherever he went, and he used it as a
writing quill when need be. But he would also give it to lovely ladies he wooed around town.
One night, he was working late in his lab, his assistants having returned home for the night,
when several of the Baron's armed guards burst through his door. "How dare you?! Barging in
here without knocking!" he exclaimed, standing up straight from his work and setting down
the black rose he was using to write a report about his latest creation. They grabbed his arms,
and led him through the manor to the Baron himself.
"What have you to say in your defence, Doctor?" the Baron asks in a heartbroken tone, as
Caulder looks about with a quizzical look on his face "About what? I've done nothing wrong,
nor do I know why you have dragged me from my work at such an hour!" he proclaims, as the
guards shove him onto his knees, one of them saying something about being respectful.
57
59
FIGHT and LOVE
"My daughter. My daughter was found murdered several hours ago in her room. Poison. She
had a black rose laying on her bosom." the baron says, as he stands slowly and walks forward,
the good Doctor looking up at him with his usual curious look "Have you anything to say
before you are taken to be executed?" he asks, the troops lifting him up so he may look the
baron in the face. "I guess you won't be wanting my new tank designs, then. And I figured
you for a smart man who would understand a framing when he saw one." he says, in an
almost nonchalant tone of voice, as if he didn't actually care about the Baron or his daughter.
"Since you seem not to care about what goes on in this province, I suppose you won't mind
being exiled. Guards, strip him of all his monetary belongings and throw him out of my
province. If I ever see your face again, Caulder, you will not live to see the next sunrise."
And with that, Caulder suddenly found himself exiled from the very province he had
strengthened. He still had his mind, his clothing, and his boots. All was not lost. So he began
to walk. He put the Baron and his province behind him. And forged ahead to a new life.
Chapter 2
The sun had been beating down on him for quite some time now. He moved during the day,
and slept during the night, like any normal human being. He had found a stream a day ago,
but that was the last water supply he had found. As he walked, he kept running it over and
over again in his head. His flower pot was kept in his room, by the window sill. So how could
anyone have gotten one of his roses? He mulled it over many times, until finally he slammed
head-first into his salvation.
An abandoned Archos. He immediately began to climb aboard and slid down inside. He
sniffed the air and heaved at the scent of decomposition inside, the pilots long-dead. His first
order of business was to lift them out of the tank and dump them on the ground outside. Once
that was done, he began to check the systems, and yes, it did work, though there was no
ammo left for the gun, and the engine couldn't maintain a speed higher than ten miles per
hours, it was better than walking. He began to fire it up, and within several minutes he was
kicking up dust behind him. As he continued onward on his journey, he began to familiarize
himself with the vehicle, noticing how well it rode.
It wasn't too long until his vehicle drew attention, however. They were on him in minutes.
Bandits riding Archos of their own, painted with all kinds of graffiti and profanity spraypainted on as he ground to a halt. The bandits began to circle him, before all of their turrets
were aimed directly at his tank, and he stuck both of his hand out of the archos to wave. He
began to pull himself out slowly as the bandits dismounted, and began to walk towards him.
"Well, well. Whadda we have here? One of the Baron's scientists testing a new Archos eh?"
one of the bandits asked, then began laughing as he kicked the archos and a layer of rust fell
off where his boot had impacted. "No. I am but a humble scientist, just travelling. I am hoping
to reach the city of Anchorpoint soon, however. Could you fellows point me in the right
direction?" he asks, the bandits bursting out into laughter as one of them aims a rifle at his
head from his hip. "How about you take that piece a' junk of yours and go drive off a cliff?"
60
FIGHT and LOVE
the bandit says, Caulder suddenly reaching out and grasping his weapon, looking it over and
beginning to take it apart, storing the parts in his coat pockets before he finally stopped
"Aha, just as I thought. Your firing pin is, like all of the other ones, out of alignment by .2
millimeters, leading to an increased chance of misfiring. But it's all fixed now." he says,
taking the parts back out of his coat one bit at a time and putting the rifle back together before
aiming it at the bandit "Now, I have quite the deal to make with you. You take me to
Anchorpoint, and I will personally tune up all of your Archos and your weaponry on the way
there." he says, then holds the rifle out to the bandit "Every weapon has a flaw. I can fix them
and make them better than ever before."
The bandits agreed. Though they did so with contempt for him, they took him to Anchorpoint.
Along the way he fixed their guns, and brought two of their four Archos back to top
condition. His next big challenge, however, was to find some way of putting his skills to
actual use. He knew the spot was a notorious Marauder port, and that was his plan. He would
find a Marauder band that would value his brains over his brawn, and he would make use of
them.
Chapter 3
Anchorpoint was...........Interesting, to say the least. Many people who walked the streets had
an air about them that only seemed to justify the rumors of this town being a Marauder port.
Many of the men he passed wore weapons openly or had some manner of body modification.
Many had both. He began to feel he was sticking out like a sore thumb in his lab coat, so he
ducked into a clothing store and began to look around. He found a large white overcoat that
seemed to suit him quite well, as well as a new pair of pants that fit much looser on him. The
only problem was, he couldn't find his billfold with his money. It was at that point he reached
onto his right middle finger and removed a silver ring, setting it on the counter "Will this
suffice?" he asks, the clerk picking it up and examining it, then nodding, pointing her thumb
over her shoulder at the dressing room in the back.
As he tried on the coat and the pants, he kept thinking back to what the Baron said. Poison,
and a black rose on her chest. If someone had intended to frame him, that was most certainly
the best way to do it. When he had finished dressing, he felt his hands were missing
something, so he went back out into the store. He found a pair of black leather gloves that fit
him nicely, the clerk waving him off "This more than covers the clothes and gloves. Take care
now." she said as he left the store. The coat hung down to his knees, and his hands were
partially covered by the sleeves, but the coat felt right for him. He decided it was time to seek
out a Marauder captain who would hire him on.
He began to walk about town, until eventually, he came upon the marketplace. He looked
down at his watch, and the rings he now carried inside his coat. He could get a pretty penny
for each of them, and probably buy his way onto a marauder crew. So he decided it would be
best to pawn the rings and watch. He began to walk through the marketplace, a few of the
shopkeepers giving him strange looks as he approached what he thought to be a pawn shop.
61
FIGHT and LOVE
When he entered, however, he was greeted with a shotgun barrel pressed against his nose.
"Hold it right there. Password?" the man behind the shotgun asks, as Caulder blinks several
times. "Password? I know no password, nor do I know what you are talking about. I am just
here to pawn a few things, my good man." he says, his right hand reaching up and slowly
pulling down the barrel of the shotgun away from his nose.
The man behind the shotgun was an older man with a cap on his forehead, and a cigar in his
mouth. "Well, you come to the wrong place, friend. I only deal in soldiers and equipment."
the man says, sitting down and setting the shotgun next to him "But if you're looking for a
pawnshop, you could try the shop down the street. They usually give a fair price. Usually." he
says, taking a puff of his cigar and blowing the smoke in Caulder's direction, as the scientist
went over everything the man said. "You said you deal in soldiers and vehicles? Do you deal
with many Marauder Captains?" he asks, a hint of excitement in his voice. "Yup. I only deal
with captains. Why?" the man asks, cocking his head back and taking a nice long pull on his
cigar.
"I'm looking to join a Marauder band. I don't have much in the way of fighting. But I can fix
almost anything and I know a lot about combat medicine." the good Doctor says, reaching
into his pocket and pulling out a solid gold ring marked with the seal of Baron Mordon. "My
name is Caulder. I just fled Baron Mordon. This is the ring he gave me as his head researcher.
I'll give it to you as payment for finding me a captain." he says, dropping the ring on the desk.
"Damn, you're one of Mordon's researchers?! Well, why didn't you say so, I'll find you a
captain lickety split." the man says, snatching up the ring and looking it over with a
magnifying glass "Head on over to Jasmine's Gentlemen's Club. Give her your ring, and tell
her what you need." he says, handing the ring back to Caulder. "Thank you, sir. Thank you
very much." he says, taking the ring back, then exits the store. Finding the gentlemen's club
wasn't too difficult. The real problem was explaining his situation to Jasmine without falling
in love with her appearance.
When he had handed her his ring, she knew right away that he needed help. He explained the
situation in detail, and when all was said and done, Jasmine left the room, and came back
several moments later with a piece of paper. She told him to follow the instructions on it, and
that they would lead him to a Marauder captain who would make good use of his services.
He left, thanking her for all she had done, and followed the note to a mighty Taveron-class
airship docked in the port. As he slowly walked up the pier that lead to it, several militiamen
began to walk towards him, one of them with a rifle trained on him. "Hold it right there, man.
What's your business here, man?" he asked, his stance as relaxed as his voice. "I am here to
speak with your captain. I wish to join your marauder band." he says, his right hand still
holding the note from Jasmine. One of the other Militiamen spoke up "Hey, bro, that's one of
Jasmines, notes. She must have sent him here. He's gotta be of use to us." he says, the first
militiamen nodding and motioning for Caulder to follow. Once they had arrived at the bridge,
the militiamen announced him and pushed him forward lightly.
"So, Jasmine sends a scrawny man in a thick white coat to my humble airship. What could
YOU possibly provide for my warband that any of my men can't already do?" the Captain
says as he looks over Caulder, the Doctor looking him over as well. He wore an old military
uniform, and had a helmet on his head. His eyes were slanted, and his face seemed to have a
constant scowl on it. "Well, Captain-" He is cut off as the captain speaks up "GENERAL!
GENERAL! I was a General in the army, and now I'm a General of my own Army. Isn't that
62
FIGHT and LOVE
right, men?" he asks the militiamen behind him, who respond by shouting "YES, GENERAL
BANG SIR!" as Caulder raises his right eyebrow "Very well. General, what I can bring to the
table is vast knowledge of vehicles and mechanics, as well as my capability for chemistry, and
my knowledge of medicine." he says, the General not even reacting. "If we bring a man to
you, can you save his life?" the general asks, his curiosity piqued. "Most likely, yes. I am not
the best surgeon. But I can keep a soldier alive long enough to receive decent medical aid."
the doctor says, his right hand reaching up and brushing his hair back. He had been sweating a
lot recently, and was feeling it in his hair. "Very well, Doctor.........I never caught your name."
the general asks, sitting back down in his chair, as Caulder states his name "Very well, Doctor
Caulder. You will be my chief surgeon and mechanic. Do not disappoint." the General says,
ushering them away.
It was a new beginning for Caulder, and damned if he wasn't going to make himself useful.
Chapter 4
Caulder's first day was most surely not his busiest. But it still had him on his toes. He was up
three hours before his usual time, and was being hurried to the mess hall. He had barely
managed to finish putting on his heavy white coat when they arrived, to many of the
militiamen filing out, and many of the tankers and mechanics slowly piling into the mess hall.
He decided on an Atora Pie, which he didn't think sounded too appetizing, compared to the
grand food he had eaten for so long in the employ of the Baron. He chose a seat next to one of
the many mechanics, who was covered in engine oil and grease from head to toes, eating
some kind of steak with his bare hands, and telling a tale to the other mechanics at the table.
"I'm telling you, the new engines we got to upgrade the Archos to perform like a one-oh-3
model? I test-fired it this morning, man, that baby purred like a kitten." he said, hunching over
and taking a nice fat bite of his steak. "I'm tellin' ya. Wherever Bang is gettin' these supplies,
they're top-notch." one of the other mechanics states, a hefty man who might easily weight
300 pounds or more, sporting a shiny shaved head and the same layer of oil and grease that
the first mechanic was.
When he sat down, however, the first mechanic turned to look at him "Hey, we got a new face
around here! Howdy!" he says, holding out his right hand, Caulder giving him a quizzical
look as he himself looks down and chuckles "Oh, right, sorry about that. Name's Mickey. If it
runs on fuel, I know how to fix it. The big guy is Bruno, if it spins and makes the vehicle go
fast, he knows all about it. And the skinny guy over there beside him, that's Joshua. He's the
math whiz of the three of us. Together, we keep the Archos and Savars in this army runnin'.
What about you, newbie?" he says, Caulder listening intently as he had already begun digging
into his pie. "Name's Caulder. Or just Doctor if you prefer. I'm what you'd call a jack of all
trades. I can fix people, and vehicles. And guns. Don't forget the guns." he says, taking a nice
fat bite of his pie.
Mickey laughs at the statement. "Well, then, how about you help us out? We could use a
fourth man fixing up the cannon fodder." Mickey says, holing up his left hand, which seemed
much cleaner than his right. "Sounds like a plan to me, Mickey. Just know I may disappear to
63
FIGHT and LOVE
stitch up a few soldiers." he says, taking Mickey's hand and shaking it. "Oh, don't worry, it's
no problem."
After the meal was finished, the four of them headed for the workshop, where all of the
vehicles for General Bang were kept and repaired. When Caulder arrived, he was almost
overwhelmed by all the sounds that filled his ears. "First order of business, is to get that new
Archos one-oh-three operational. Then we have a couple of Savars that need some barrel
alignment, and lastly, there's an Elite Destroyer in storage that we need to make sure works
properly. Think you can handle all that work, Doctor?" Mickey asks, Caulder taking in the
sights and sounds of the workshop as a smile creeps onto his lips. "Oh, but of course. Savars
are my specialty." he says, as he and the three mechanics set to work.
The day passed, with Caulder learning exactly WHY Mickey was caked with oil and grease.
And as the sun began to set, he could feel the airship shift beneath his feet as a siren began to
sound. "What is that, Mickey?" he asks, looking around as the workshop darkens and is
illuminated by a red warning light. "That'd be the combat readiness alert. General's deploying
the army, so we've gotta be ready to fix 'em up. I think you should head down to the
infirmary, we can handle things here. Doc Adams is gonna need all the help he can get."
Mickey says, pointing over his shoulder as Bruno finishes polishing the Savar they had been
working on. "Thanks, Mickey. We'll fool around in the elite Destroyer after the battle."
Caulder says, and begins legging it across the ship to the infirmary. Inside, the doctor, Doc
Adams, as Mickey had called him, was prepping himself for incoming casualties. When the
Doctor approached him, the only nurse in the entire infirmary approached him.
"Please clean yourself if you're going to be in here. We need to be preparing for any and all
casualties." she states, the Doctor stating who he is, and why he was here, causing Adams to
turn around "Well, at least they sent someone competent in the field of medicine to assist me."
the Doc says, Caulder taking off his heavy overcoat and hanging it on a hook, before donning
some scrubs and washing himself clean. He had a feeling that things were NOT going to go
well for the General today.
Chapter 5
It started off light. First there were the soldiers with bullet wounds, nothing outside the scope
of Caulder's abilities. Some had taken one in the leg, others in the chest cavity, but most
seemed to have bullets perforating their arms. Caulder found this intriguing, though his mind
remained focused on keeping the soldiers alive. Then, as the fight wore on, more severe
injuries began to flood in. First the shrapnel wounds, then the missing limbs and gaping holes.
As he worked, his hands slowly began to shake, until finally he could work no more, and he
sat down on an unoccupied bed, taking off his gloves and removing his mask. By that time,
the fight had begun to die down, and the General's forces were on the retreat, when Caulder
felt the airship shift beneath him, and felt a feeling of rocketing forward.
"What the hell was that? Did we just take off?" he asks, looking over at Doc Adams. "Yep.
Looks like the general decided to leave the stragglers behind again. He's brutal, and pretty
64
FIGHT and LOVE
damn careful. He never risks his airship. Ever." the doctor says, removing his gloves and then
taking off his mask as well. "You look tired. Or like you've seen a ghost." he says, walking
over and grabbing Caulder by the chin, then looking into both of his eyes. "Sleep deprivation,
I'd wager." he says, releasing Caulder and sighing.
"No. I was just reminded of all the things I did under Mordon. But now is not the time for a
guilty conscience. There are vehicles to repair, and designs to re-write for the good General."
Caulder says, standing and removing the scrubs from his person before putting his long
overcoat back on. "If you need any more help, I'll be in the workshop." he states, and heads
for the workshop.
Down in said workshop, it was a mess. Mechanics were running about scrambling for any
spare parts they could, and Mickey and his team were clambering all over a half-destroyed
Elite Destroyer trying to fix it. "Hey, Caulder! Get over here and help us with this! The pilots
are trapped inside and the hatch is stuck!" he yells, Caulder sprinting over to the tank and
hopping aboard. "The problem doesn't appear to be external. It looks like one of the shells it
took warped the steel around the hatch." Caulder says, feeling around the hatch and hrm'ing as
he then snaps his fingers. "Get me a Savar shell, and get the pilots to move as far from the
hatch as possible." he says, looking about for the right tools. He returned with a thick rag, a
chisel, and a hammer. "Hold the shell in the rag, Bruno, and make sure it's held tight. Put it
right against the hatch, and I'll fire it off with this." he says, handing Bruno the rag and then
holding up the chisel and hammer. "Be sure to drop the shell after it fires, because it's going to
be very hot." he says, as Mickey brings a Savar shell over to the group, helping Bruno wrap it
in the rag.
When they were ready, runo held the shell in place and Caulder readied himself "Alright,
everyone! COVER YOUR EARS!" he yells, striking the chisel with the hammer and thus
hitting the firing pin of the shell, causing it to punch a nice neat hole right through the hatch
and out the bottom of the tank. The pilots inside yell out for all to hear "DAMMIT YOU
MORON! DID YOU HAVE TO MAKE US DEAF?!" as Caulder smiles and Bruno drops the
hot shell. He reaches inside the tank to help the pilots out, as the rest of the mechanics cheer
for him.
"What do you have to say for yourself, Caulder? One day and you've saved many of my
soldier's lives, destroyed an Elite Destroyer, and helped restore several Archos and Savars to
working order. I don't know if I should shoot you or praise you." General Bang says, later that
night, after Caulder had been called to the bridge. "I did what came naturally to me, General.
My true specialty is research, not mechanics and medicine. Those are just a hobby of mine."
he says, his usual curious tone of voice taking over as he slowly begins to pace about the
bridge. "What about you, General? You leave your men behind, demand excellence of them,
and yet you show nothing of the sort?" he asks, facing away from General Bang and staring at
the world map that sat in the center of the bridge, covered in various markers for different
marauder leaders and baron provinces.
"You have quite some nerve, Caulder, insulting me on my own bridge on your first day. I
would have you shot were you not such a valuable asset to me." the General says, standing
from his chair and aiming his pistol at Caulder's head, the scientist not even flinching. "Then
how about a bet? Are you a gambling man, Bang? We duel. No witnesses, no interferences, a
good old fashioned gentlemen's duel. The winner gets to command this grand army you've
built." he says, turning about and grinning an evil grin at Bang. "What say you, General?"
65
FIGHT and LOVE
he asks, as the General begins to smile himself "A duel. An honorable duel. I like it. Very
well, prepare your sidearm and return in one hour. I will be waiting." the general says,
holstering his side-arm and sitting back down in his chair.
Caulder nods and departs from the bridge at once, intent on showing Bang the meaning of
brains over brawn. His first stop was the armory, where he looked over several of the sidearms until he settled on a revolver. One that seemed fitting for a duel. He spent the next hour
taking it apart and cleaning it, as well as modifying it to work at its full capacity. When the
time came for the duel, he walked onto the bridge with his revolver in his right hand. "I hope
you are ready, General. For today is the day I take this ship from you." he says, then smiles as
his right thumb cocks back the hammer of his weapon. Bang stands, then quickly draws his
pistol, firing it before Caulder can finish aiming his hefty revolver. The first shot misses,
however, as Caulder aims at the General and squeezes the trigger, Bang managing to fire off a
second shot before the hammer strikes the bullet. Both men are hit, Bang in the shoulder,
Caulder in the hip. Both struggle to remain standing, but Caulder's will manages to beat out
Bang's, as the General falls over. "You win. I leave the airship in your hands." he says, his
right hand reaching up to grip the wound. Caulder looks it over, and smiles "The wound isn't
life-threatening. Take your weapon and get off my bridge. Or I'll make sure it is." he says,
sliding the revolver into his overcoat's right lower pocket.
~And the rest, as they say, is history.~
Now, having remembered his rise to greatness, Caulder sits on the bridge of his airship,
wondering where to go next. His mind began to spin, running through calculations and
possibilities, and he settled on the Boneyard. Yes, there would be a good place to continue his
research.
66
FIGHT and LOVE
Chapter 6
The Walker Boneyard. A place many marauders feared. And a place many came to salvage
rare parts and find their fortune. Here, in this boneyard, Caulder would find what he needed to
complete his masterwork machine. As his airship flew in over one of the few anchoring
towers in the entire scrap yard, Caulder stared down at the wrecks flying by on the group.
Destroyed Behemoths, old terror walkers, even the remains of an Ironclad near the docking
station. As his ship approached, one of his soldiers entered the bridge. "Sir, radio message for
you. From some guy named Joaquin. Said it was important." the soldier says, as he hands the
message to Caulder and salutes, his rifle slung on his back and his uniform covered in what
could only be assumed as dirt and possibly blood. "Thank you, Lieutenant. Are your men
ready to act? We may be deploying at any time." he states, adjusting the cuffs on his overcoat
and then sliding the note into his pocket.
"Yes sir. The new Armor Crackers are prepped and ready. And the mortar team is ready to
mobilize as well." the Lieutenant says, shifting from a salute to a relaxed stance. "Very good.
Tell Mister Murtas and Doc Adams to prepare for casualties as well. What of Sir Vancer and
his knights of iron?" Caulder asks, seeming to think several thoughts over in his head, the
Lieutenant seeming to be offset by the archaic terms. "Uh. Vancer and his armored battalion
are ready to roll. The Devastator is gassed up, and the Terror Walker is fully loaded. Tank
Destroyers are in prime condition, and we've fitted a new repair crane on the repair truck. All
in all, the armored battalion is good to roll." the Lieutenant says, before Caulder nods and
dismisses him. Caulder wasn't going to have any surprises, not like last time.
When the airship had finally docked, Caulder departed, alone, for Joaquin's Bar, which was
described in the note, alongside a message that said "Come alone, and I'll give you a job.". He
didn't bother to wash his overcoat, nor did he care to check his hair in a mirror. These days, he
only cared about his men, and his research. To hell with what people thought of him. Plus the
blood on his wrists and gloves probably scared the living daylights out of everyone, he
figured. When he arrived, he was impressed. The bar was full of men and women hooting at
dancers, all of which varied in gender, build, and physical attractiveness. Most of the patrons
seemed to be of the extremely "rough'and'tumble" demeanor, and what few noticed him gave
him filthy looks. One, he could have swore, had barely any teeth left in his head. As he
walked through the bar, a heavy-set man in what looked like a dancer's outfit and a fancy hat
with a feather atop it stopped him "Hold on there, partner. You can't be coming in here lookin'
like you just came from killin' a man with your bare hands." the man says, as he takes a drag
from a cigarette and puffs it into Caulder's face. "You must be Joaquin." Caulder says,
reaching into his jacket and pulling out the note, his coat swaying enough to reveal his
revolver for a few seconds. "I can see you mean business, pardner. Right this way." he says,
leading Caulder to an empty table at the back of the bar, where Joaquin sat across from him.
"I have myself a problem, Professor." the man says, Caulder holding up his left hand "Doctor,
please. Or just Caulder."he says, Joaquin nodding. "I find myself in need of some outside help
to deal with an inside problem. Lo and behold, a Class-A marauder like you docks at our little
corner of the boneyard. Feel like lendin' me a hand, Doc?" Joaquin says, holding out his right
67
FIGHT and LOVE
hand to Caulder, as the good Doctor thinks it over. "Fine. So long as I am compensated for
my services, I will help you." Caulder says, taking Joaquins hand and shaking it.
Joaquin explained that there was a large group of Mortts slowly encroaching on the port
where his bar was located. None of the regular soldiers around were strong enough for this
job, so he needed an entire army to do it. That was where Caulder and his troops came in. And
while an army of mortts was no problem, these were different. These were new to him. As his
airship hovered over the mortt-infested area, he looked down from the observation bay of his
Taveron with profound interest. There were several Mortt species he had not seen before.
Some were spitting some kind of green material onto pieces of scrap, and it was melting away
like butter on a hot day. Caulder did eye something interesting, however. He noticed, atop the
mound under which their queen dwelled, there was a rare piece of machinery, largely intact.
An Ironclad Walker. "Lieutenant. Tell Vancer to prepare the mechanized. I want that queen
eliminated, and one of those spitting mortts captured for study." he says to the Lieutenant next
to him, a man whom he had picked for the job of second in command out of redeeming
qualities. He didn't mind being called by rank instead of name, and he was a stickler for
following orders. "Yes sir, Captain. Should I mobilize Murtas and the infantry?" he asks,
Caulder still staring down the observation scope. "No. The mortts would eat them alive.
Mobilize the mechanical corps and ensure that they destroy the Queen. And make sure you
recover that scrapped Ironclad sitting atop the queen's hive. I want to rebuild it myself." he
states, standing up straight and turning to face the Lieutenant, who bowed and exited the
observation bay. Caulder followed, and made a bee-line for the workshop. Mortts were an
easy target to destroy, but those spitters were going to inflict heavy damage, he knew it.
When all was said and done, the mortts had been wiped out, but the only units remaining were
Vancer's tank, barely functional, and his Devastator cohort. One of the spitter mortts lay
wounded underneath the Devastator's treads, squirming and dripping acid everywhere.
Caulder, as well as a few infantrymen, had left the Taveron to survey the battleground. The
Queen had fought to the death to protect her hive, and Caulder could see why as he examined
the remains of the hive while his troops set about trying to sudbue the spitter mortt. Inside,
there were litle to no eggs that hadn't yet hatched, but there was something that interested him.
An egg nearly twice the size of a normal Mortt egg. It seemed to glow faintly in the dim light,
and Caulder's curiosity kicked in. He snatched the egg up in his arms, and slowly hefted it out
of the hive, before carefully setting it on the ground, it being almost as big as he was. Outside,
the soldiers had managed to bind the mortt's maw in iron, preventing it from spitting acid,
while they bound its legs as well. "Gentlemen. We have made quite the bounty here. A
mostly-intact Ironclad, a new breed of mortt to experiment on, and this!" he yells, lifting the
egg over his head. "With this, I can breed an army of mortts capable of fighting for us. Our
troubles are over, men!" he yells, setting the egg down gently as the other soldiers cheer and
begin strapping the spitter mortt to the back of the devastator. Caulder hefts the egg up, and
sets it atop Vancer's tank, where he sits and holds it while the other soldiers all hitch a ride
atop the Devastator back to the airship. Yes, today was a decisive victory. Not just for his
army, but for his future.
68
FIGHT and LOVE
Chapter 7
The ride back to his airship had been uneventful. Vancer's tank rolled steadily forward,
though it began to gurgle and clank as it neared the final stretch, before breaking down at the
bottom of the ramp up. Caulder hops down off of the tank, and grabs his giant egg, taking it
up into the ship and setting it down carefully, the Lieutenant already waiting for him with a
puzzled look on his face. "Lieutenant, keep an eye on that egg. Do not let anything happen to
it." he says, pointing at the egg, before trotting back down the ramp, more of a slow stomp
than anything. Vancer was already hauling himself out of his tank, with some mechanics
helping him. Once he was out, they all got behind the tank, and proceeded to push with all
their might, before giving up. "It's no use, Doc. The transmission's probably fused." Mickey
states, his hairline having grown out substantially since Caulder's first day aboard the ship.
"Alright.....Bring the devastator
around.........We'll push it up the ramp." Caulder
says, panting from his exertion, as Vancer signals
the Devastator to back up, then come around to
push his tank up the ramp, the mortt strapped to
the back still wriggling and trying to free itself.
Caulder led the mechanics and Vancer back up
the ramp, the Lieutenant looking back out. "Only
his tank and a devastator?! You went out with
four Tank Destroyers, two Terror Walkers, one
of our prized Wreckers, and this Devastator, and
that's all you come back with?!" the Lieutenant
seems to shout at Vancer, as he curls the right side of his lips inward as if he had just tasted
something sour. "Lieutenant! We did not come back empty-handed. There is an Ironclad husk
out there ripe for the plucking, and I intend to retrieve it before we leave. Vancer did his best,
so I expect you to do your best to lead the men while I am gone. We're deep inside Mortt
territory, so be prepared." he says, issuing orders to the mechanics to repair Vancer's tank and
whip up a cage for their new mortt friend. He then ordered a large flatbed down the ramp, as
well as several of his veteran troopers and bazooka infantry on-board to escort it. "Vancer,
Lieutenant, take care of the ship while I'm gone!" he calls back as he hops on the flatbed and
rolls off.
The Ironclad sat there atop the junk pile, just as it had been earlier when they had first arrived.
The real problem was getting it down. He lacked any kind of heavy equipment back in the
airship save the flatbed he was already standing on, and he didn't want his troopers
weaponless in the event of an attack. It was then that an old Wrecker without its wrecking ball
caught his eye. He hopped down and began striding over to inspect it, one of his trooper
squads moving with him as protection. He clambered up into the cab, and blew the dust off
the old controls, before turning the key and listening to the motor churn several times before
finally turning over. He then operated the controls enough to turn the arm to face the Ironclad,
and began to extend the chain. "Alright, men! Grab that chain and tie it around the ironclad!
We're going fishing!" he yells over the engine, several of the bazooka troopers setting their
weapons down and trotting over to pick up the chain before climbing the mountain of scrap
towards the ironclad. They then wrapped the chain around the urret, and made sure it was nice
and secure before sliding down the tetanus-infested hill. Caulder then hits the button to retract
the chain, and begins to turn the cab while doing so. The end result is a grinding, clanking,
cacophony of sounds that ends in the entire pile of scrap falling over like a house of cards.
The troops then move over and untie the chain from the wrecker, which Caulder is clambering
69
FIGHT and LOVE
down from, and begin to attach winch chains to the ironclad's legs. "Alright, let her rip,
Horus!" he yells to the driver, who turns on the winches and begins to haul the ironclad up
onto the flatbed, where the other soldiers take their positions. Caulder then looks down at his
feet, and spies a piece of scrap metal that seems to take shape before his very eyes. He picks it
up, and then walks back to the flatbed, which heads for the airship.
Once they had returned, their precious bounty in tow, Caulder set to work immediately. His
first goal was to have the Ironclad put in his own private corner of the workshop, where all of
his projects were stored so no bored mechanic would take that joy from him. His next order of
business was to get his new Mortt egg and living spitter mortt situated in his lab, which was
slowly growing day by day. Situated just above the bridge, it was the perfect place for him to
just work, between raids and pillagings, of course. He was a proper Marauder, after all. Once
the mortts were settled and he was sure the Spitter couldn't get free of the new iron muzzle
they had welded for it, he went down to the workshop for some thinking. And to make the
shape he had seen in that piece of scrap metal he had brought back. He donned his welding
goggles, as well as his welding gloves, and set to work. He started cutting, welding, and
folding the piece of scrap up he was satisfied with his level of work. Then, when it was done,
he took a can of spray paint and sprayed it completely black. He had crafted a rose out of that
piece of scrap metal, and now, it was black as night, just like the flower that had ruined his
life, and led him to this path. He holds it in his right hand, twirling it slowly, before sliding it
into his right chest pocket as he always had so long ago.
Chapter 8
The days seemed to fly by, just like the Boneyard beneath his ship. Ever since Caulder had
located his precious Ironclad Walker, the only thing he wanted to do was fix it and experiment
on his new Mortt pet. The egg he had found was incubating quite nicely, and his research on
the acid those new types of Mortts spewed was going swimmingly. But as he lay on a creeper
underneath the Ironclad he had been working on so hard, he began to hear the silence.
Everyone had finished their work long ago, the aftermath of the massacre at the Mortt Hive
mostly cleaned up. There was no banging of hammers, or sparking of welding torches. There
was only the ratcheting of Caulder's socket wrench, as he tightened the last loose bolt on the
undercarriage.
All that was left now was the vital lifeblood of this machine. Gasoline, Oil, and Hydraulic
fluid. The hydraulic systems had been bled dry and cleaned, and were ready to be given new
life. As he began to pump new fluid into the machine, he began to imagine himself in this
mighty monster, leading his army. Once he was sure the hydraulics were ready, he began to
fill the tank with gasoline, and then, he got down to the dirtiest job yet. Ensuring every joint
and bearing was oiled properly, and that the engine itself had enough oil to sustain itself.
When all was said and done, Caulder's coat sported a new patch of black over the right elbow,
and his face sported a fresh layer of oil. But his prized machine was ready for combat. He
didn't dare start it up yet, he wanted to surprise everyone else. He rubbed the oil from his
hands onto a rag, and made sure his tools were out of the way. Then he decided on a light
dinner and some more research. But that wasn't going to happen.
70
FIGHT and LOVE
On his way to the mess hall, the Lieutenant came over the loudspeaker. "Caulder to the
Bridge. Repeat, Caulder to the Bridge immediately." Upon hearing this, Caulder began racing
towards the bridge of his ship, arriving only seconds before a teeth-shaking jolt shakes the
entire ship. "Okay, Lieutenant, you can fill me in any time now." he says, heading for his
captain's chair, another jolt causing him to lose his balance, as he stumbles forward. "Sir,
we're under attack from ground-based anti-air positions." the Lieutenant says, using the map
table for support as the ship jolts. "We would be out of here now, but the first salvo hit our
engines. We're losing power." he says, turning his head to face Caulder. "Get me the
observatory. I want eyes on whoever the hell is shooting at us!" he yells, as he sits down in his
command chair and a pipe extends down from the ceiling, a voice coming from it. "Sir, I don't
know who these guys are, but they're sporting some wicked colors. Black paint and white
skulls all over the place. The leader's sitting on what looks like a wrecker. He's got the same
skull tat on his face as the vehicles do." the observatory operator says back to Caulder, as he
holds his chin in his left hand. "Alright, nice work, Observatory. Now get to the cargo bay and
find a parachute, we're going down." he says, the tube retracting into the ceiling.
"Lieutenant, I want everyone on the ship to evacuate. I don't care what you have to do, get my
people off of this ship in one piece. I have to go ensure my experiments won't fall into the
wrong hands." he says, then stands and stumbles at the next wave of explosions ripping
through the underside of his ship. His first priority was the egg. He needed that if he was
going to complete his plans. Once he arrived at his laboratory, however, the place was a mess.
Beakers broken and dripping chemicals everywhere, the spitter mortt dead from exposure to a
toxin that had fell on its head, and the Egg's incubator shattered. Caulder immediately rushed
over to secure the egg, which, thankfully, was still intact. He began to heft it out of his lab,
and began heading for the cargo bay, where he was sure to find a parachute.
As soldiers and mechanics alike gathered, Caulder began looking over them to try and find
the Lieutenant, not seeing his formal attire or his hat anywhere in the crowd. "Lieutenant!
Where are you!" he yells into the crowd, as the cargo bay doors open, ejecting everyone out
of the back of the ship. As he is ejected he stares up into the sky, and swears he can see the
Lieutenant up on the bridge, trying to keep the ship from falling out of the sky. As they fall,
Caulder can see some of his vehicular units falling as well, some with parachutes, others
without. As he looks downward at the other parachutes deploying beneath him, he remembers
to pop his, and holds onto his precious egg tightly.
The evacuation had been a mess. Of his three thousand-strong men, only five hundred
remained. Murtas and Vancer had managed the fall, as had Murtas' ambulance and several
medical supplies to treat the wounded. Caulder began looking over what few vehicles had
survived, and began mounting up pilots and gunners to form a defensive perimeter. It was
then that he saw his Ironclad, sunk into the ground feet-first. He rushed over to it, and began
to clamber onto it. Vancer had been sitting atop his tank this whole time, but finally elected to
speak up. "So, what are we gonna do now, Boss man?" he asks, the other soldiers looking up
at Caulder for guidance as he stands on his Ironclad. "We're going to find the bastards who
did this to us, and we're going to make them regret the day they were born, that's what. That's
the Marauder way, ladies and gentlemen!" he yells out, popping the hatch to his ironclad and
hopping down inside of it, then turning it on, lifting the legs out of the dirt one at a time.
"MOUNT UP! AND MOVE OUT!" he yells from inside the ironclad, the hatch then closing,
as his army cheers and rushes for their vehicles and weapons.
71
FIGHT and LOVE
It was time Caulder proved he was just as capable a fighter as he was a researcher. With the
Egg in the safe care of Murtas, and his army ready to march into hell itself, it was time to take
on the Boneyard.
Chapter 9
Matthieus. He was sure it was Matthieus. At least, he was pretty sure that was the name of his
Lieutenant. who had gone down with the ship. He was also pretty sure that the Lieutenant was
many things, but a risk-taker was not one of them. But that all became a moot thought as his
Ironclad shook with the force of a Savar shell impacting the turret hull. "Boss man, those
tanks are shredding us! They may just be Savars, but damn are they agile!" Vancer yells over
the radio as he fires a shell downrange at a Savar, missing by several feet due to their speed.
"Whoever this guy is, he must have souped them up. I've never seen Savars move this fast
before." one of the Elite Destroyer operators says, as it stops and fires one of its twin cannons
across the battlefield at one of the Savars, nailing it in the turret and sending it toppling away
from the small warband that Caulder'smen had been reduced to.
"As he moved his Ironclad forward slowly, he could feel the Savar rounds impacting him on
all sides as they ducked behind pieces of scrap and destroyed vehicles, only to pop out
seconds later to hammer him again. As he advanced, his screen of Tank Destroyers and Elite
Destroyers, reduced to only two of the former and three of the latter, fired upon the small,
nimble tanks, barely making so much as a scratch. It was then that a voice came over the
radio. "Whoever you are, you're persistent. How about you call off your little pets and we'll
see just how strong you are." the voice says, as Caulder begins to chuckle, the chuckle
breaking into a full-blown laughter "HA! As if I would abandon my men and walk right into
your territory in a single Ironclad. I may be full of myself, but I am not an idiot." Caulder says
back over the radio, as Vancer fires a canister shell into one of the Savars, the force knocking
it off course and causing it to slam into another tank, both of them crumpling together. "Form
up! Switch from screening to three-sixty degree coverage." he says into the radio, the tanks all
falling back and forming into a circle around his ironclad.
Not four seconds after that, a loud horn blows in the distance, and a large Wrecker comes
steaming down a pile of scrap, a man with a white skull tattooed on his face driving it and
screaming in anger as he slams the wrecking ball into one of the Elite Destroyers, flipping it
over from the sheer force. "I tried to save your men, whoever the hell you are. Now you've got
to deal with me!" he yells, his wrecker winding up, then swinging not just for one of the Tank
destroyers, but hitting it and slamming it into Vancer's tank. The former ends up sideways
against a scrap pile, and the latter, upside down next to Caulder's Ironclad. "Leave him. Focus
on the Savars." Caulder speaks into the radio, turning his Ironclad and staring down this
mysterious leader. "At least tell me your name, stranger. That way I'll have a new story to tell
when I crush you." the stranger says into the radio, Caulder smirking. "Caulder. Doctor
Caulder. And I'd like to know your name as well." he says, the Wrecker operator laughing.
"I'm Hassan. I'm the man who INVENTED this kind of combat. And now that you've decided
to fight me, you're doomed." he says into the radio, charging at Caulder with his Wrecker and
slamming it into the side of his turret, Caulder groaning as he adjusts the strength in the legs
72
FIGHT and LOVE
to prevent the Ironclad from being knocked over. "Is that all you have, Hassan? I've fought
BANDITS stronger than you!" he yells, firing one of his cannons at Hassan's Wrecker, barely
making a dent. "PATHETIC! Try some of this!" he yells, winding up for another swing as
Caulder turns the turret of his ironclad and aims carefully, then fires the second shell, hitting
the wrecking ball right on the money and causing it to swing wildly out of control, until
eventually it hits Hassan's Wrecker in the back and sticks.
After that display, Hassan turns on his radio.
"Hold fire, men, hold fire! We're beaten." he
says to his units, who stand down, Caulder's
men doing the same. Caulder then opens the
hatch of his Ironclad and clambers out,
walking towards the disabled Wrecker and
climbing up to the operator's cab. "So. You
DO have a bit of integrity. And here I
thought all raiders were honorless
scumbags." he says, crossing his arms and
hanging them inside the cockpit as he rests
his head on one of his wrists. "You've beaten
me, and you can go now. Get the hell out of
here." Hassan says, reclining in the chair set
up in the operator's cab, a very angry look on
his face. "I have a better idea for you,
Hassan. Join me. After all the casualties we inflicted on your main force on the way here,
you've got to be hurting. Join me, and I promise you'll be given fair compensation for your
efforts." Caulder says, looking at Hassan with that same curious look he always seemed to
have. "Heh. You have a twisted sense of the world, Caulder. I like it. And you managed to
beat me with only two shots from that cannon of yours. That's admirable. Alright. Me and my
boys will follow you wherever you go, so long as there's money to be made." he says, sitting
up and holding out his left hand, Caulder taking it and shaking it.
Things were looking up for Caulder. Especially since his force now had some strength back.
Now all he needed was an airship.
Chapter 10
Getting an airship was not truly hard. Getting to where he had to GO to GET the airship,
however, was. He managed to talk Joaquin into chartering passage back to Anchorpoint while
his men waited in the boneyard for him. The deal for it was, when he returned, that he did
another favor for the owner of that lewd bar, and, having no choice in the matter, Caulder had
agreed. Now, wandering across the docks of Anchorpoint, Caulder had a new goal in mind:
Finding a new airship. He had stopped himself in the bathroom in his hotel room, staring at
his blood-covered outfit, and had decided it was finally time to wash out those old blood
stains, a mark of his old life before he had lost most of his army. It took him several hours,
73
FIGHT and LOVE
and when it was all said and done, he looked like a proper marauder once again, not some
mad scientist ready to tear out your heart for his experiments.
As he walked the wharf where airships docked, he eyed one in particular several times, and
even after passing it, he couldn't help but turn back and take one last look at it. It was a
massive and industrious-looking Majestic-model airship, fit to ferry a King and his entire
court around the world. When he asked whom the majestic belonged to at the Wharf Master's
office, he was awe-struck. He found it belonged to Baron Mordon. Hiding his jubilation,
Caulder began inquiring why the Baron kept an airship so grand all the way out here. It turned
out, according to the Wharf Master, the Baron kept one here in the event that he needed to
rally his troops to a faraway land. Luckily, it was not such a time as the ship seemed to be
abandoned from the outside. Now was the issue of getting INSIDE to start his plot. He
decided on the direct approach, seeing no alternative. He started up the quay, and began to
make his way to the Brow, an ornate set of stairs that led into the ship. Halfway up the quay,
several soldiers stopped him and asked what he was doing. "You dare impede me? I am
Mordon's chief researcher, Caulder. He has given me leave to use this ship as a mobile
laboratory. He seems to be interested in the mortts up north." he says, the soldiers glaring at
him as one of the men chuckles, noticing the black rose in his chest pocket. "Yeah! I
remember you! You used to hand out flowers to pretty ladies in town. Where have you been
these past few years?" the guard who had chuckled asking, the other guards turning to meet
his gaze. "I've been abroad for all this time, doing research for the Baron. Now, are you going
to allow me to follow his orders or am I going to have to contact him myself?" he says in a
very snobby mood, the soldiers grumbling and standing aside. His plan had worked, if only
because of sheer luck.
Operating the airship alone was tricky business, but he managed to get it to the boneyard in
one piece, though several of the engines had burned out from lack of care during his flight
from Anchorpoint. Once he had landed near his soldiers, he lowered the cargo bay ramp and
made his way back to the cargo bay. Hassan and his men had already driven their vehicles
onto the ship, and several were helping to move Hassan's barely-functioning Wrecker out of
the way. "Nice place you got here, Doc. My boys are going enjoy it, at least." the formerscavenger-turned-mercenary said as he surveyed the cargo bay, Caulder's original forces
moving their vehicles into it as well. "Caulder, can I talk to you a second?" Vancer asked,
pulling the good doctor aside. "I don't trust that Hassan, and don't expect me to fight alongside
him." he said in a hushed tone, so that Hassan couldn't hear him. "Same goes for his men. I'll
lead our own troops, but I won't lead those men he calls soldiers." he continues, Caulder
nodding, then asking in a hushed tone. "Do you still trust me, Vancer? Will I expect a knife in
my back from you one night?" he asks, Vancer shaking his head. "I've always followed you.
That won't be changing. But know that I won't follow this........Hassan guy, into battle."
Caulder nods in acknowledgement, and sets about helping his men load all their cargo onto
the ship. Murtas was the last to load on, bearing Caulder's precious Mortt egg and a note from
Joaquin. "He sent a messenger for you with this note. Let us hope that whatever he asks you
to do does not result in too many casualties." the doctor says, then goes about organizing his
medical supplies. It was then that Caulder realized they had lost Doc Adams in the crash, as
well as most of the mechanics. He felt like a royal bastard for not noticing it, but he came to
the logical conclusion that the moment of vengeance had swept him away. It did not dull his
pain, however.
Once the men and supplies were in order, he went back to the spacious and overly-decorated
bridge with the note in hand. Sitting in the captain's chair, he opened it. Inside was a note
74
FIGHT and LOVE
from Joaquin detailing a band of smugglers that were bringing bootleg fuel into the area for
the truckers and all the machinery needed to run the outpost. The problem was, they kept
falling under attack from an unknown enemy, and it was Caulder's job to find out. Folding the
note and tossed it to his helmsman, whom he had picked from the crowd of people still left
from his original army. "Helmsman, there are coordinates in there. Plot us a course to that
area and set us down off the smuggling route. We're going to give the smugglers the
protection they need." The helmsman nodded, and Caulder sat back down in his chair.
Though he had finally found his freedom and exacted some small semblance of revenge on
the Baron, it was hollow. He had lost many dear friends on the way, and gained a few new
ones.
But now was not the time to dwell on such things. He had a job to do, and he was determined
to do it.
Chapter 11
The first thing Caulder thought when he poked his head out of his Ironclad was that it was
colder than hell. He and all of Hassan's men had mobilized, leaving Vancer and the remnants
to guard the airship while they were away. Hassan's wrecker was an impressive piece of
machinery, and was most certainly a challenge to repair on the way over. Now, they rolled
alongside the smuggling caravan, who were loaded down with enough bootleg fuel to make
one hell of a bang if a stray cannon shell hit them. And that added weight made them slow,
meaning even Caulder's unwieldy Ironclad walker could keep up with them. Behind him and
Hassan trailed several Savars, sporting the same paint job as Hassan's wrecker, black with
white skulls covering them, as well as a few Archos and Hassan's lieutenant, in a massive
Devastator. The formation was very loose, and the vehicles often drifted left to right as they
drove.
Time seemed to stop as they traveled, the cold of the night biting into Caulder's face and neck
as he popped his head out of his Ironclad to check for threats, even though he could barely see
more than five feet away from his walker. Hassan and his men were reporting the same lack
of visibility, which meant that an ambush would be perfect for their enemies. Strangely, the
night passed without incident, though the next day did not. When the caravan stopped for
lunch, gathering around in a circle to eat, Hassan and his men divided into two groups, one to
eat, and the other to patrol the surrounding area. As they ate their lunch of beans and salted
meat, a single cannon shot was heard, followed by a massive explosion, and chaos began to
ensue over the radio. Caulder scrambles to his ironclad, Hassan standing and charging his
wrecker, a piece of meat hanging from his mouth as he climbed into the machine and started
it. Before the lunch group could fully prepare, a sound as familiar to Caulder as his own
heartbeat began to sound over a mound of scrap. The continual thump-thump of legs on the
ground, practically shaking the earth beneath him as it crested the mound of scrap. There, atop
that pile, stood an Ironclad similar to his own, except it was sporting the same paint job as
Hassan and his men: Black with white skulls all over it.
75
FIGHT and LOVE
"Friend of yours, Hassan?" Caulder asks over the radio, ensuring that both of his cannons
were loaded. "Nope. We don't use Walkers. They must be other members of the Black Skull
cult." Hassan says, his Wrecker turning and revving as the Ironclad begins to slowly clamber
down the hill. "Black skull cult? you'll have to explain who they are after we blast this guy."
he says, turning his cannon and aiming it at the Ironclad, firing both shells at it. The first went
wide, hitting the scrap heap it was clambering down, but the second struck true, hitting it in
one of the legs and causing it to slide down the rest of the way, though the pilot managed to
right it enough to land upright. As it began to turn and aim at Caulder, a mighty yell was
heard from both the radio and Hassan's wrecker as the machine charged the Ironclad,
slamming the wrecking ball directly into the turret and knocking it back into the pile. "Don't
screw with me! I'll smash you to pieces!" Hassan yells, swinging the wrecking ball around
full-circle and slamming the Ironclad in the turret again, this time the machine tipping over on
its side. "Nice work, Hassan." Caulder says, as the sound of other ironclad begins to echo
through the area. "That does NOT sound good." he says, as two more ironclads crest the scrap
heap, albeit lacking the strange paint job. They also had something Caulder hadn't seen
before: A massive cannon rammed through the center of the turret, and aimed directly at him
and Hassan. Before they could even react, both ironclads fired, their massive armor-piercing
shells slamming into Hassan's wrecker and causing quite a bit of damage. "Caulder, those are
stronger than any shell I've ever seen. Watch yourself!" Hassan calls out over the radio.
Caulder groans as his ironclad reloads both of his cannons, noting how long it seems to be
taking these new enemies to reload theirs. Once both cannons had been reloaded, he waited
for them to adjust their aim, targeting him next, and aiming at the one he thought would fire
first. When it fired, Caulder fired within a second, causing the impact of his shell and the
recoil of the enemy cannon to send the machine tumbling backwards off the scrap heap. As he
re-sighted, the second one fired, and Caulder repeated the process with the same results.
However, there was also a downside. As the adrenaline began to subside, his right leg began
to ache, and when he looked down, he noticed that from the knee down, he HAD no right leg,
the shell having torn right through his cockpit. "Hassan........Radio Vancer, and tell
him...............Tell him to bring Murtas." Caulder says, shock beginning to set in, the world
slowly going black.
Caulder awoke several hours later, with a
distinct throbbing in his right knee. As he sat
up and looked around, he realized he was in
Murtas' all-terrain ambulance, with the doctor
watching over him like a hawk. "Ah, our
fearless leader awakes. You had me worried
when I arrived and you were in shock. It's a
good thing you were sitting down the way you
were or you'd have bled out." the doctor says,
looking over at Caulder's stump of a right leg.
"Murtas. How bad is it. Is the knee still
intact?" he asks, Murtas nodding slowly as he
turns to grab a syringe. "The knee survived, as
well as part of your Tibia. The Patella is intact
as well." he says, then begins filling the
syringe. "I was just about to give you a dose
of antibiotics when you came around." he says, then grabs Caulder's left arm and holds it out,
tapping up and down the lower arm to reveal a vein, then promptly sticking him with the
76
FIGHT and LOVE
needle and injecting the antibiotics. "We should get back to the airship. I need to fix my
Ironclad as soon as possible, and I have several ideas about fixing this missing leg." Caulder
says, inching his way to the edge of the gerny, before Murtas hands him a crutch "Here. I'm
not going to try and stop you, but at least use this." he says, Caulder accepting the crutch and
setting his left leg on the ground, then using the crutch to heft himself out of the bed. As he
hobbled out of the ambulance, he could see that they were back at the outpost, and the
smuggling trucks had already been driven inside. Outside, he noticed Hassan and his men
waiting, their numbers severely diminished. Hassan himself was butting heads with Vancer,
whom seemed to be judging Hassan as unworthy of protecting Caulder. When they both
noticed him, however, they turned and ceased their argument to look at him hobbling towards
them.
"Stop arguing about whose fault it is and get ready to leave. We'll settle whether Hassan is
worthy or not once we're on our way out of here." he says, then begins hobbling towards the
outpost, intent on boarding his airship and getting underway. Once they loaded up and made a
course for Anchorpoint, Caulder hobbled his way down to the machine shop, calling Murtas
down to join him. He and the doctor-made-medic began their work. Measurements and
calculations began to span a chalkboard that Caulder had set up, and soon the shape the good
Doctor had envisioned began to form as spare steel and servos melded together into a
makeshift leg, a fitting replacement for Caulder. It wouldn't fully replace his leg, but it'd allow
him to walk like a normal human for short periods of time. It wouldn't be his replacement for
a while yet, for Murtas still had to operate on his surviving knee and tibia. But at least there
was hope.
Chapter 12
He remembered the gas. And he remembered a needle going into his stump of a right leg. But
that was about it. All in all, Murtas had taken two hours to operate on his leg to install the
socket and locking mechanisms needed to allow him to attach and detach his new prosthetic
leg. Once he had woken up, he found the doctor sitting next to him, changing the bandages
around the socket. "Well, how'd it go, Murtas?" he asks, groaning as he sat up. Murtas only
smiled at him, then pointed to his stump. "It still needs to heal for a few days. Until then, keep
the prosthetic off. You're damn lucky you still had the tip of your Tibia left, or this would
have been nearly impossible." he says, Caulder sliding his way off the bed and grabbing his
crutch, then hobbling out of the medical bay. "Thank you, Doctor. I'll stay off it for a few
days." he says, then begins his hobble to the Bridge.
Once he had arrived, all of the crewmen there stood and saluted him, Vancer and Hassan
already waiting for him, and seeming to be butting heads before he arrived. "Captain, I think
you should know, Vancer here doesn't believe I should be a part of your crew." Hassan says,
as Caulder hobbles to his chair and sits down with a sigh, holding his crutch up and pointing it
at Vancer. "Vancer. You have no idea what happened out there. Hassan was almost killed just
as I was. In fact, if it hadn't been for him, I'd be dead right now." Caulder says, then plants his
crutch on the ground and runs both of his hands through his hair. "Both of you, either learn to
get along, or get off my ship. I'll not have my best sergeants fighting amongst each other." He
77
FIGHT and LOVE
says, then looks ahead, Anchorpoint looming on the horizon. "Once we get to Anchorpoint,
you can both recruit the men you want to serve under you and myself. But know that they
must pass my own personal standards first, and yours second." he says, watching as the bridge
crew goes about their work.
It was then that one of the tubes lowered down next to Caulder's ear, and a voice began to
speak. "Sir, radio transmission for you. Says it's urgent." the man on the other end of the tube
says, Caulder sighing. "Send the signal to the Bridge if you would, please." he says, then the
tube retracts, as Caulder hauls himself up and hobles to the bridge radio station, picking up
the microphone as he waits for the signal to be routed and the comms officer to give the goahead. "This is Doctor Caulder, who am I speaking to?" he asks, a chuckle coming from the
radio. "Caulder. Long time no talk. You've got something of mine, and I want it back." a
familiar voice states, Caulder grinning widely as he presses the talk button. "General Bang.
It's been far too long. Didn't I leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere?" he asks, the
general shouting a string of curses then regaining his composure. "Yes, you did. But I
managed to make my way back to Anchorpoint and build an army worthy of conquering all of
Kathos. Now I want my Taveron back." Caulder begins to chuckle at this, then breaks out into
full-blown laughter. "You can have it back! It's a pile of scrap burning and melting back in the
Boneyard!" he says, then begins laughing once more. Bang unleashes another string of curses,
several involving Caulder's family tree, before quieting down and speaking in a calm tone of
voice.
"Well, ince my Taveron is worthless, I'll just take your new airship for myself. Keep an eye
out behind you, Caulder. Your back will always be exposed to me." the General says, then
cuts the transmission. "Well, Vancer. How do you feel about fighting your old boss?" he asks,
turning around and hobbling towards his captain's chair. "I'd relish the opportunity to fight
him. You're a much better Captain than he ever was." Vancer states, as Caulder chuckles and
sits down in his chair, Hassan raising an eyebrow. "This Bang. Is he the same General Bang
wanted all over Kathos? If so, we've got nothing to worry about. He may be a wanted
criminal, but his army is crap compared to myself and Vancer." Hassan states, Caulder
nodding and leaning back in his chair. "We'll just take it one day at a time until we're back to
full strength." Caulder says, then begins to nod off into a nap.
Chapter 13
Ah, Anchorpoint. Such a wonderous city. Caulder and his entourage of Hassan, Vancer, and
two Elite Troopers were sauntering down the quay from his newly-acquired airship, Caulder
more hobbling than sauntering, having forgone his false leg for today. "Alright, Hassan,
Vancer, where should we look for now blood?" he asks, still hobbling along as Vancer brings
up one area, and Hassan another, the two of them locking stares as they walk behind the good
Doctor. "Come come, boys. We'll try both spots." he says, a feeling of joy in his voice as
memories flood back to him of his heist here in Anchorpoint.
Those good feelings, however, began to fade as the day wore on. Every new recruit Hassan
had brought forward was too brash or mentally unsound for his tastes. And yet, Vancer
78
FIGHT and LOVE
seemed to have just as little luck, as all of the recruits he drew in seemed all too young and
eager to die, and lacked any real experience in combat. Finally, Caulder had had enough and
decided to say to hell with it and hobbled off on his own, leaving the two to bicker as he and
his elite troopers walked about town.
It was then that he came across the marketplace, the very same place that had led him to the
position he now occupied. How humorous, it seemed, that he had come full circle. He decided
to stop by the merchant shop that had directed him to Bang, and thank to good merchant.
When he entered, he received the same welcome as the first time, only this time he drew his
own weapon and pointed it at the shopkeep, who stood frozen for several seconds before he
began to burst out into laughter. "Caulder! By my billfold, I never thought I'd see you here
again!" the merchant said, putting his weapon away and holding out his hand to shake
Caulder's. "You've been making quite a stir in the underworld, Caulder. Everyone knows your
name these days, and most marauders know to steer clear of you. Bang's put out a huge
bounty on your head." he says, Caulder looking about at the random trinkets lying about.
"You're well-informed. Do you also know that my army is almost gone? I'm looking for
troops and vehicles to bolster my ranks." he states, sitting down in a nearby chair and rubbing
the stump of his leg. "Well, now......I think I might be able to help you with that. Yeah." The
shopkeep begins to grin, and he starts sifting through filing cabinets as Caulder starts to grin
himself.
By the time the shopkeeper had written him up a list and made the neccessary arrangements,
the sun was already starting to set, and Caulder decided to head back to the docks to wait for
Vancer and Hassan. When he got there, he found something much more interesting. He found
a crowd gathered around what seemed to be a brawl, a man in a cape and suit fighting off
some other man that Caulder could not recognize. Everyone seemed to be giving the two
some birth, though figures amidst the crowd began to shift and move, and Caulder caught the
unsightly bulges in their clothing, hobbling through the crowd with both of his troopers right
on his tail. "Now, you wouldn't be planning on interrupting a proper, fight, would you?" he
asks one of the men, holding him by the shoulder with his free hand and smiling like a moron.
"Shove OFF!" the man said, and shouldered aulder to the ground, both of his troopers
seemingly materializing out of the crowd and hitting him in several vital locations, then
knocking his feet from under him. "Sir, are you okay?" one of them asked in a feminine voice,
as Caulder used his crutch to steady himself and stand up on his good leg. "I'm alright, but
you didn't have to go knocking his lights out." he says, his left hand reaching into his coat and
pretending to scratch his chest, when in actuality he was preparing to reach for his revolver in
the event something went wrong. And it always did in these events.
Several more of the strange men, all of differing build and stature began to emerge from the
crowd, all reaching into their coats or cloaks or whatever manner of attire covered their torso
for weapons. Caulder simply whistles, quite loudly, and suddenly, people begin to proclaim as
Vancer starts shoving his way through the crowd, Hassan actually plowing his way through
them shoulder-first. "You rang, boss?" the latter asks, taking up a defensive position to
Caulder's left, and Vancer flanking him to his right. "Yes. These gentlemen are in a most foul
mood, and are planning on ruining a perfectly good fight. Show them why Marauders love a
good fight." he states, Hassan suddenly yelling and shoulder-plowing into one of the men,
knocking him flat on his rump as Vancer dashes forward, landing a punch to one of the men's
jaws, and the two elite troopers begin to engage the other men. All the while, the fight rages
on between the man in the suit and the stranger, Caulder hobbling to the edge of the crowd
and observing while his four companions teach the strange men a lesson.
79
FIGHT and LOVE
Chapter 14
Caulder stood at the edge of the crowd, observing as the two men dueled their deadly duel,
while Hassan, Vancer, and Caulder's two Elite Troopers squared off with the four men. The
largest attempted to shoulder-ram Hassan, and his response was to dodge to the right and
bring his fists down with interlocked fingers on the man's neck as he did so. The man goes
tumbling across the docks, before landing face-first in a cart full of fish, with Hassan
stomping after him. ancer was having a much rougher time, exchanging blows with one of the
other assailants in what looked like a genuine boxing match. Both fighters were already
showing signs of abuse, and the fight wasn't likely to end anytime soon.
The Elite Troopers, on the other hand, were faring far
better. Their attacks seemed to be perfectly
synchronized so that they could trade off opponents at
the drop of a hat. One would hit one, retreat, wheel
about, and hit the other, whilst her partner would do the
same to the opposite. Within several minutes, both of
the strange interlopers had been neutralized, and the
troopers took up position next to Caulder as a slight
smirk formed on his face.
It was at that point that all hell broke lose. The largest
burst from the fish cart, sending fish and ice every
which way, and even grasping the largest, a trout, to
slap Hassan over the face with. This elicited a growl
from Hassan, who threw all his weight into a haymaker
at the large man, striking him directly in the solarplexus,
and sending him toppling backwards as Hassan stepped
over him and pressed his boot against his face "I
wouldn't get up if I were you, pal." the man says, as
Vancer bumps into him on the backtrack from his fight
with the last opponent.
The last thug had Vancer on the defensive, and was
easily scoring body and facial blows from Vancer's
weak defense. It was only after he bumped into hassan
and moved to dodge out of the way one of the thug's punches went wide and struck Hassan in
the side. Hassan growls and then steps off of the large thug, raising his right foot and planting
it directly in the boxer's chest, sending him skidding back on his rump across the docks.
Before the angered warlord could move in to finish the job, however, a blast of smoke and
coughing fits filled the area, and once it had cleared, the thugs, and the strange man in the suit
and cape, were gone.
Caulder, having watched most of the fight, smiled as he approached the mystery man with a
hobble. "That was some show, boy. Excellent work. You'd have had him had he not decided
80
FIGHT and LOVE
to run like a coward." he says, Hassan and Vancer walking up behind him and stepping to his
side. "Most people who cross that particular fellow don't live to see the next sunset. If you'd
like, we can give you a bit of shelter, for the night." he states, grinning as the man nods,
though Caulder was apprehensive of this man, seeing as he dressed like a noble, save the
filthiness of his outfit.
Chapter 15
The man had proved Caulder correct. He was a Lord, indeed, but the doctor had forgotten his
name within moments of him speaking it. He disliked nobility the most of anything in Kathos,
and this one was no different. Though he did have a different air about him, Caulder thought
as he made his way through the city until he reached an old building that was covered in
boards and locks to keep people out, and, to most passersby, it would look like nothing more
than a condemned building. He began hobbling around behind it, through the alleyway until
he had arrived at a door with a heavy-duty lock on it. "Stand back, if you would, gentlemen.
There's a reason this lock is so large." he states, pulling out a key from inside his coat and
sliding it into the lock, turning it very slowly until the lock clicked, then turning it another
half-turn until it clicked again. He then turns it back a half turn and withdraws the key,
opening the door and stepping inside, his entourage following.
Inside, many a beaker and test tube lay scattered around the numerous workbenches. Up
above the door was a massive steel gate, with wiring running down from a motor to the door,
then running along it and linking into the lock. When asked about the contraption, Caulder
points out the wiring leads to several other gates that can also drop down and block any of the
doors or windows in to the building, and also points out that they are all tied in to some
manner of device to prevent unauthorized entry. "It's rather wonderful, really, knowing that
the only person who can get in here is me." he states as Hassan, Vancer, and the two Elite
Troopers escort the noble into the lab. "Now tell me exactly why you have a squabble with the
Stranger, and why I should continue risking my neck helping you."
It was then that his name stuck. Lord Stafford. He had lost a lot. His village, his men, his
honor. Caulder couldn't help but sympathize with the man. "So, you're stuck here, looking for
supplies, eh? Can't say I blame you, this place is a treasure trove if you're smart enough." the
doctor says, hobbling about the lab and fiddling with a few beakers and running a few liquids
through the mass of tubes running around the lab. "Hassan, Vancer, a moment, please." he
states, as the two step around several tables and lean in close to Caulder in a form of huddle.
"Sir, I don't like it. Nobles are always trouble. We should toss him back out on the street for
himself." Vancer says in a low voice, Hassan nudging him. "He held himself pretty well in
that fight. To make it through with nothing more than scratches is an accomplishment. I say
we help him." the mercenary says in an equally low tone of voice. Caulder nods and then
stands from the huddle, hobbling towards Stafford and chuckling. "Well, against my better
judgement, I'll help you. Just make a list and I'll try to get it done." he says, locking hands in a
handshake with Stafford.
81
FIGHT and LOVE
Chapter 16
True enough to his word, Caulder had sent several agents out into Anchorpoint to locate
Stafford's remnants. By the time a.......Situation.........Of mistrust between his second in
command had been resolved, Caulder had already put together a list of marauder captains that
might be willing to shelter him. When all was said and done, Caulder saw to it that the noble's
men were escorted to the airship he had chosen, whilst the doctor remained in his laboratory
for several more hours, working on several different projects at once before finally, Hassan
entered his personal lab and sat down on a spare stool, the stool creaking from every
movement the man made. "So. You really going to sit here in a lab while the men sit around
twiddling their thumbs?" the man asks, running his hands through his hair to keep it out of his
eyes. On closer inspection, it would seem Hassan was sweating, and his face was red. "No. I
intend to lay low until whoever hit us back in the Boneyard forgets all about us. Just because
the Convoy was their objective does not mean they won't kill us for interfering."
It was at that point the stool scraped across the ground and clattered to the floor as Hassan
stood up. "That's bullshit and you know it. You're a Marauder, and so am I, and all the men
who work for you. Why sit around here and cower in your safehouse while there is money to
be made?" the mercenary says, walking towards Caulder as he speaks, his arms making overly
flamboyant gestures. "Because I do not wish to make money. I wish to advance all of
mankind. Being a Marauder is merely a part of that goal." the Doctor says flatly, setting the
beaker he had been examining the whole time on the table, then turning about. "And even if I
were to want more money, Kathos and the Boneyard hold nothing for me. Where do you
suggest we go?" he asks, Hassan grinning as he crosses his arms. "We fly southeast. To
Atelia. The Nomads there are always looking to sign on to a passing Marauder ship, and
there's rumors of heavy Baron activity there." the mercenary states, smiling a broad grin, his
yellowing teeth showing through. "Atelia, hm? I hear there are massive beasts there, the
Borthos. They would be very valuable to my experiments." he states, then nods once. "Run
ahead and inform the crew. We leave at sunrise tomorrow." And with that, unbeknownst to
him, Caulder had set a course for something much grander than his own plans.
The sun began to rise over Anchorpoint the next morning, as Caulder stood on the bridge of
his massive airship, the last of their supplies being loaded on board and all of their new
soldiers settling in at the barracks. Hassan and Vancer stood next to him, as all of the
engineering crews sent the all-green to the bridge. "Pilot, take us out, nice and slow. Then set
a course for Atelia." he states, his arms crossed as he leans on his left leg, still not trusting his
prosthesis much. As the ship begins to pull out of port, another, smaller, faster airship nearly
collides with the rear end of the mighty Majestic, Caulder shouting an expletive as it does so.
Aside from that, their exit from Anchorpoint was uneventful, for the first few hours, at least.
As Caulder's airship speeds along towards Atelia, one of the bridge crew speaks up. "Sir. An
airship is closing on us from astern, on the port side." the technician says, as Caulder stands
and begins to walk towards the edge of the large half-dome that covered his bridge, looking
out to the rear, and squinting to focus on the approaching airship. "Reduce speed. Let's see if
he's trying to intercept us or if he's just passing by." he states, the ship slowing down as the
82
FIGHT and LOVE
closing airship whizzes past, then begins to come about. "Arm forward cannons. Make ready
to fire should they prove hostile." he says, as a radio transmission comes in for him.
"The mighty Doctor Caulder. I never thought I'd find you after the way you fled from the
Boneyard. I figured you'd be more of a challenge, but then again, those old Ironclad walkers
are pretty slow. Guess the machine matches the pilot, HAHA!" The voice then stops as the
airship finally points directly at Caulder's Majestic, speeding towards it. "As it stands, you're
worth more to me alive than dead, so just give up now and I won't blast you out of the sky.
Resist and I'll blast your oversized tin can to pieces." the transmission then ends, as Caulder
points forward. "Arm all weapons systems, tell the men to prepare to evacuate should the
engines fail. I want rounds on that airship NOW!" he begins to shout at the end of his
statement, the forward batteries extending from their hidden ports within the ship, as the main
cannons begin to fire shells across the sky at the airship. The smaller vessel proved to be far
more maneuverable than Caulder thought it was, shifting course just enough to dodge the
cannon shells. As it came closer, it began to slow down until it was barely even moving, at
which point it began to paint a line of destruction along the starboard side of Caulder's ship,
causing the whole ship to shudder. "All weapon batteries online, Sir!" one of the bridge crew
shouts as several other members begin to order teams about to quell the fires and repair any of
the major damage that had been caused.
"Arm rear missile launchers and prepare to lock on to the enemy ship!" he shouts, the many
missile batteries mounted near the rear of the ship surfacing from behind their hidden plating
as the small nimble craft whizzes past and begins to come about. "Locked, sir! Firing!" the
weapons master shouts as a massive volley of missiles begins to shoot out from the rear of the
ship, turning and chasing after the small craft, hich seemed to have a hard time dodging them
as it begn to speed away. It didn't get far before one of the missiles struck a vital component
of the engine, sending the vessel tumbling forward through the air as it also began to plummet
towards the ground. "Stand down all batteries and begin damage response. I want a damage
assessment within the hour." he says, then walks towards his stateroom, a slight limp in his
right leg from the prosthesis. "And call Dr. Murtas to my stateroom." he says, then opens the
heavy door before slamming it shut behind him and sliding off his heavy overcoat, hanging it
on a rack before sitting down on his bed and burying his head in his hands. "Yet another
thrill-seeker looking to collect on my bounty. Stupid punks." he thinks to himself as he lays
back and stares up at the ceiling, wondering exactly how long that he'd be dogged by Bang's
men.
Chapter 17
Caulder awoke to the sound of the intercom buzzing beside his bed, as he groggily sits up and
places his left hand on his forehead, a pounding headache having developed while he slept.
He sat there on the bed for a good minute before he stood and checked his prosthetic leg,
satisfied that it was still attached properly. He then limped over to the intercom and pressed
the button. "Speak." he says, his grogginess evident in his voice. "Sorry to disturb you, sir, but
we've arrived at Baggerstown. They're requesting to see the captain immediately before we
can dock, however." says one of the bridge crew through the intercom as Caulder groan and
83
FIGHT and LOVE
shrugs on his overcoat while the officer speaks. "Very well. I'll be on the bridge in a
moment." he says, then presses the button for the intercom and walks over to the mirror,
staring at his own hair with a frown. "Screw it." he thinks, then walks to the door and exits
onto the bridge, the young officer standing and saluting him. "Sir, they won't let us dock
properly until they're allowed aboard to inspect us." he says, Caulder sighing and sitting down
in his chair.
"Let them aboard, but make sure they're under guard while they're here." he says, his face in
his right hand as he tries to ignore his headache and fails utterly. "You know the drill, people.
Hide the contraband we're smuggling, and try to hide some of the gear too. I don't want them
to find out we've got two battalion's worth of guns and vehicles sitting in our cargo hold." he
says, then runs both of his hands through his hair and sighs. It wasn't long before the 'officials'
from Baggerstown had come aboard, inspecting the ship from stem to stern, with their
commanding officer, a heavy-set man with a mustache Caulder had mistaken for a hamster,
looking over the bridge. "This is military ship, correct, Captain?" the man asks, looking over a
few of the officer's shoulders as they work to keep the ship slowly circling Baggerstown while
it's inspected. "I assure you, Officer, this ship's purpose isn't for war. It's mainly used for
transporting civilian groups and large amounts of cargo. The weaponry mounted on board is
for defense against the many other Marauders who wouldn't think twice to shoot down a ship
carrying civilians just for the hell of it." Caulder says, as he stands with his arms behind his
back, the large officer slowly working his way around the bridge. "But you do admit it can be
used for military purposes, Captain?" the officer asks, looking back at him as Caulder grins.
"It can be should the need arise and the client deem it necessary. Many a passenger would pay
their last bit of gold to kill their pursuers instead of flee." he says, the officer finishing his
inspection and walking back towards the exit off of the bridge. "Well, unless my men find any
contraband, you'll be cleared to dock. Just try to keep your crew under control, Baggerstown
doesn't take lightly to fools with short fuses and hair triggers." the officer says, a very serious
tone in his voice as Caulder nods at him.
Once the officials had left, Caulder had his men dock the ship and he set about his own
business in town, with Vancer and the same two Elite Troopers who had escorted him in
Anchorpoint following him about as he wandered the streets, before stumbling upon a large
marketplace that seemed to run the diameter of the large floating city. "Gentlemen, we're in
luck." the Doctor says, as he begins to walk down the central lane, his eyes darting back and
forth as he does so. He stopped abruptly at one stall, which had a group of men with large
shotguns strapped to their back all talking with one another, several more of their shotguns on
display at the shop. "Hello. You looking to buy a new weapon for yourself?" the man closest
to the counter asks after turning to meet him, a very thick accent in his voice. "Well, that
depends." the doctor says, and leans closer, motioning for the man with the shotgun to move a
bit closer. "Do the shotguns come with men to shoot them?" he asks in a hushed tone, the man
grinning and making a motion with his left index and middle fingers, one of the other men
turning from their conversation and walking around the stall. "This man will show you where
you need to go." he says, as the man begins to lead them through the marketplace, before they
cut off the main street and begin to duck through a series of alleyways.
Their destination, it seemed, was an old housing building which looked like it was about to
fall apart it was so covered in rust and grime. Inside, Caulder was escorted to a dimly lit room,
alone, and brought before a man sitting on a large chair covered in strange fur. "So, you want
to recruit some of my nomads, do you? How many are you looking to buy mister........." the
man pauses as he shifts on his seat, Caulder placing both hands in the pockets of his heavy
84
FIGHT and LOVE
overcoat. "It's Doctor. Doctor Caulder. And I was hoping to hire all of you." Caulder states,
the man raising a brow, before he bursts out laughing. "All of us? Ha! I like this man! He has
high hopes." the man says, grinning and standing from his seat, several of the furs following
him as he stands, making up a cloak he wore. "You couldn't afford all of my men." he says,
and begins walking towards Caulder. "But I do move around quite a bit. Plus if you ever
wanted freedom from my employ you'd be free to leave and we'd drop you off anywhere you
want." he says, drawing out his left hand and looking at a pocketwatch he kept within, before
replacing the watch. "Plus everywhere your men go and fight, they'd get to take whatever
plunder they deem fit to keep. Within reason, of course. And you'd get a portion of the profits
from any jobs that you'd take part in." he states, the man roaring with laughter again. "Doctor,
you presume much to offer such good terms of service to us. Why do you want us to join you?
Can you not go to the Boneyard and scrounge up a few walkers? or recruit more cheap labor
from Kathos?" the man asks, his grin broadening as Caulder notices several teeth missing.
"We recently lost many of our men on a mission, and I need to be at top fighting form in the
event my pursuer decides to launch an attack on me." he states, reaching inside his coat with
his right hand and drawing out a wanted poster for General Bang.
"See that ugly man in the picture? He's got a price on my head. I need the best if I want to
crush anything he sends at me. I'm assuming your Nomads are quite powerful, and power is
exactly what I need to survive Bang's onslaught." he states, the man once again roaring with
laughter. "You would reveal to a profiteer that you have a price on your head! Now I'm
convinced you're either crazy or the bravest man alive. If you're brave, that's one good reason
for us to follow you, but if you're insane and throw our lives away like trash, we'll pack up
and leave." then man says, reaching out a hand and grabbing the doctor's, squeezing it quite
hard as he shook. "I am known as Warlord Korik. And all of my men will follow you to hell
and back if there's good odds of survival and plenty of pay afterwards." he says, the Doctor
smiling and nodding, "Oh, there will be much pay. I'll make sure of that." And with that,
Caulder was assured his army was back at fighting strength. Now was the hard part.
Chapter 18
Baggerstown, once you got over the biting cold and cramped streets, wasn't really that bad of
a city. Nomads came and went, either hiring themselves out to Marauders or wealthy land
barons, or picking up supplies for their tribes, whichever the reason, there were always
nomads roaming the streets. Caulder had folded two of the shotgun troopers into his personal
guard, which now consisted of what the rest of his men called "The Twins," as well as two
shotgun troopers, and, when they could be coaxed into leaving the airship, Hassan and
Vancer. He made quite a wake as most seemed to shy away from the armed men guarding his
flank, though many more just stood and watched as he walked down the street. He had been
invited to a smoking den on the far side of the massive floating city, so he was making a beeline through the streets towards the lavishly decorated building.
On arrival, his men, or, in The Twins' case, women, were relieved of their weapons and
escorted to a private room, where Caulder asked them to stand outside. Inside, a single man
sat smoking a thin cigar, and barely even moved when Caulder sat down next to him after
85
FIGHT and LOVE
adjusting his coat. The room reeked of smoke, and Caulder wanted to get this overwith as
quickly as possible. "So the illustrious Doctor Caulder actually came to meet me in person."
he says, reaching the cigar up and slowly breathing in, before exhaling just as slowly. "I
believe a mutual acquaintance of ours has put a price on your head. I am to understand you
are looking for him, to put an end to his life." the man states, quite calmly, as Caulder notices
how richly dressed the man is, wearing a green suit to cover whatever other clothes he had on,
the material looking to be very high-end. "And just who exactly are you, to know so much of
me and show your hand right at the start?" Caulder asks, the man chuckling before taking
another slow draw on his cigar. As he exhales, he hands one to Caulder, who accepts, and
places it in his mouth.
"I believe I can assist you in finding and eliminating him.
He has been hassling many of my clients since he put the
price on your head." the man states, reaching a lighter over
and lighting up Caulder's cigar for him. "Think for a few
moments, enjoy the flavor. I'm sure you'll come to the right
decision." he says, taking another draw on his cigar, Caulder
inhaling as well, then exhaling with a sigh. "Quite a good
brand you have here. Whjy go to all this length to help me,
some random Marauder?" he asks, clearly suspicious of the
man, as the strange man begins to laugh. "You really don't
know, do you? I'm Frannel, proprietor of this fine
establishment. I also handle things of a more sensitive
nature, the kind which can make or break a good marauder
band." he states, finishing his cigar and smoldering it in the
ashtray built in to the seat. "Smoking dens are very
secluded. Very private. Information is easier to exchange
here than in a gentleman's club." he says with a smirk,
standing and straightening his suit, Caulder still smoking the
cigar as he listens. "Bang has been a thorn in my side for too
long. I want him removed, and you want him gone for good.
The way I see it, we both stand to profit." he states, Caulder
standing and smothering his cigar as well. "What did you
have in mind, Mister Frannel? Unless it involves me
dropping bombs on him from cruising altitude, I doubt
highly that you can anticipate that madman's defensive
strategies." the good Doctor states, sliding his arms into his
coat pockets and listening. "I'll do you one better. I managed
to acquire all of his different radio frequencies and encryption codes." Frannel says, smirking
as he slides his left hand into his suit pockets and pulling out a pocketwatch to check the time.
"Very well, what do you ask in return for this information and Bang's death?" Caulder asks,
walking towards the man with a devilish grin on his face. "I want you to come to me for any
information you need in the future, and I want any and all of his equity that remains after the
battle." Frannel states, closing the pocketwatch and returning it to his coat pocket. "If I find a
vehicle or schematic I find could be useful to me, I'll keep it, but any other equity you can
have. Vehicles, guns, equipment, all yours. Though I'll be sure to pass on copies of schematics
I decide to keep, to be fair." he states, the gentleman smiling and holding out his right hand
"Then we have a deal, Doctor. Expect a runner to deliver the information to your ship
86
FIGHT and LOVE
tomorrow.What you do with it is up to you." he states, Caulder taking his hand and shaking
it, before seeing himself out.
As Frannel had promised, the runner had delivered an envelope stuffed with all manner of
encryption keys and radio codes, to which Caulder gave his radio operator. Not shortly thereafter, they departed Baggerstown, heading for a location also contained within the envelope.
Now all he had to do was train his men in how to operate their radios more than "Press button
to talk, release to hear."
87
FIGHT and LOVE
The Darkness at the End of the Tunnel
Rebel562
Part 1: Casting Their Gaze on the Ground, Trudging Along...
I made my way along the path, kicking stones with my worn leather boots and lugging around
my disassembled AF-5 on my back. Sisely was close behind me, and the rest of my men
followed. We were a sorry bunch, scores of wanderers, most of us armed with no better than
malfunctioning rifles. My men could barely be called Militia. Among us were four men who
carried submachine guns, because we only had four that worked. About a dozen Dragoons
were among our ranks, who, except for their horses, were equipped no better than the rest of
my men. We only had two vehicles, both battle-worn Assault Archos, who could commonly
be counted upon to malfunction. Only myself and my trusted friend Sisely carried AF-5 heavy
machineguns, because those were even harder to come by. All things considered, it was
surprising we had gotten this far.
We were just nomads
with guns.
I used to be a
Marauder captain, and
a dang good one too,
but I lost my airship
and my entire army to
a nest of mortts. The
few survivors and I
picked up our weapons
and started looking for
someplace better,
whatever that might be. Along the way we picked up other wanderers, enough so that we
could be called a tribe. And a large one at that. We just wandered, looking for supplies,
weapons, other things. When trouble came, we shot it. We got through the battles. Any men
we lost were soon replaced. We kept moving. We kept looking.
Presently, we were trudging through the remains of an old Atelian village, destroyed in the
war. We were somewhere on the east side of Osatia. Who knows where.
We were shambling our way along, our morale as low as it ever was, when Sisely stopped me
with his arm. "Did you see that?"
"I saw the ground." I replied.
"Up ahead, a stone fell from that ledge. From behind that shrubbery." Sisely whispered.
I looked back, pointed at a man with a rifle. "Shoot into that shrubbery." I said.
The bullet flew off, and just as soon as it did, a man fell from the shrubbery, dead. He held a
very expensive submachine gun and bore the markings of a baron. As soon as he did, three
more men of the same uniform and weapons emerged from other places in the rocks and
opened fire into my ranks. My men fired back. By the time the three of the Baron Troopers
were dead, six of my militiamen were dead as well. I turned to Sisely.
88
FIGHT and LOVE
"We've a got a baron somewhere around here. I intend to rob him blind." I turned to my men,
and signaled five militiamen and three Dragoons to come forward. "Sisely. You, me, and
these men will be a scouting party. The rest of you, stay here and try not to draw attention to
yourselves. If you are found, kill the enemy before they can report your location. I'll be back."
With that, my scouting party and I turned and made our way further down the path.
Part 2: Wrecking a Wreck
About a mile down the path, a slope led down into a large basin. The far half of the basin was
covered in a thick forest, and the closer half had a few scattered ruins. There was an unusually
large one, however, that caught my attention.
"They're building something." I said. Indeed, the ruin was surrounded by building materials
and machines. There were also a couple of patrols walking around the area. Other than the
patrols, the area seemed void of people for the time being.
We made our way down to the building, hugging rocks, trees, and construction equipment.
We stopped inside a large cement pipe near the base of the ruin. I was gazing out at the ruin,
trying to figure out what they were building, when Sisely grabbed me and pulled me inside
the pipe. Mere seconds later, a patrol walked by. They were carrying bazookas.
"I would love to have some of those." I whispered longingly.
The patrolmen were talking. "Why are we guarding this thing? The closest populated area is
some forty miles away. Baron Consintuss sure is overprotective of this weapon grid he's
building."
"Weapon grid? What do they mean by that?" Sisely wondered aloud.
One of the patrolmen turned around abruptly. "Did you hear that?"
"Crap." I said, and quickly began putting together my AF-5. Sisely did the same. The men
walked over slowly and carefully, checking around them. Their mistake. By the time they got
to the pipe, we had our machineguns assembled. The entire patrol lost their heads.
Unfortunately, that meant noise. We quickly disassembled our guns and ran back towards the
slope. I signaled my men that we had been located.
Along the way, we ran into a Baron Trooper unit. They were taken down with no casualties
on our part, but not before the enemy figured out where we were going.
By the time the slope was in sight, it was blocked by dozens of men, armed with very
expensive weaponry.
89
FIGHT and LOVE
Sisely and I dove behind a rock formation and began assembling our AF-5s. The Dragoons
fled to cover in a nearby patch of trees while firing upon the enemy. The militiamen got about
one shot off each before they were gunned down completely.
Our two AF-5s did excellent work, and the Dragoons were slowly picking off men, but it was
obvious we would soon be overwhelmed. Suddenly, a rumbling filled the basin. Out of the
trees came a Command Destroyer, also bearing the markings of this Baron Consintuss. It
drove up behind the line of patrolmen and began blaring its loudspeakers. "Surrender now and
your deaths will be painless."
I stood up and yelled, "Think again!" and ducked down right before a bullet zipped past where
my head previously was.
They obviously didn't take my comment seriously, because they didn't notice my army of
armed militiamen coming over the horizon. Before they realized it, the line of patrolmen were
dead, leaving only a bullet-riddled Command Destroyer. The top hatch opened, and a
decorated man arose, his hands in the air.
"Seargent Magallus, second division of Baron Consintuss's men. I surrender." He said.
I laughed. "Always assume your enemy isn't bluffing. Now, tell me about this, 'weapon grid' I
heard about."
"That ruin over there is being used as the base for a highly-advanced Shock Fortress. They are
much more efficient, powerful, and armored than the versions that protect towns. Baron
Consintuss is building a huge grid of these to protect this area. That was designated Shock
Fortress #42." The seargent said shakily.
"And where can I find this baron?" I asked.
"I'm not sure, but Major Garbrooks might
know. He's stationed at Shock Fortress #13
on the opposite end of the basin." Magallus
said.
"Thank you." I said. "Get out of the tank."
Magallus did as I said. "Now run." Again, he
followed orders. "Men, we now have
ourselves a tank." I said.
I turned to look at the forest, which was
dense and concealing a Shock Fortress at the
other end. "How are going to get it through
that?" I pondered.
"How about this?" Sisely yelled. I hadn't even noticed he had left my side. I looked for him
and found him at the forest's edge. Sitting in a wrecking machine.
"That might work." I said.
90
FIGHT and LOVE
Part 3: Close-range Combat
The Wrecker crashed through the trees, it's wrecking ball doing only half the damage. The
noise it made was tremendous, so I wasn't surprised when we were met by a group of three
Baron MBTs in a clearing. The Wrecker left only one man alive.
I picked him up by his collar. His limbs were bloody, indicating that he couldn't resist. "I'm
aware Major Garbrooks is at the end of this basin at Shock Fortress #13. How can we identify
him?"
"The Major is very particular. He's obsessed with gold. He drives a Baron Battle Walker
painted completely golden." The man choked out.
"Thank you." I said, and dropped the man. I continued walking forward, leaving him to bleed
out.
My men continued moving forward, with the Wrecker in the lead. Suddenly, a huge bang
resonated across the forest. "Get into the trees! I yelled!" Several seconds later, an explosion
sounded and the clearing was reduced to a crater. Several militiamen and the Command
Destroyer were burnt and obliterated inside it.
"That must have been the Shock Fortress." I said. "We've got to get moving before it can fire
again." Another bang sounded out. "Crap! I forgot they have a lot of these things!" This
Shock Fortress was slightly off its mark, creating a large crater in front of our path but not
injuring any of our men. At least it cleared out the trees.
The sound of turning gears reached my ears. "Crap again." Five Baron Artillery Walkers
came through the trees, pushing them down as they went. They began firing on my troops
when they reached the end of the crater.
"Assault Archos! Get up here!" I yelled. "Fire your secondary rockets at them!" The Archos
did as they were told, each of the two firing off one rocket. One of the Walkers took the
rocket head on, not heavily damaging the Walker but killing the pilot. Another Walker had a
rocket hit its leg, throwing it off balance and causing it to fall into the crater.
"That's two down!" I cheered. But I was wrong. The Walker was artillery, after all. It fired out
of the crater in an arc onto my men. I had lost a good several dozen when another bang
sounded throughout the basin. "Fall back!" I yelled.
Even more off its mark this time, the Shock Fortress managed to hit its own; four of the five
walkers no longer existed, and the fifth couldn't move, though it fired upon us until my
Archos took it out. "I think they're on our side." Sisely said. He was again standing next to
me; someone else was driving the Wrecker.
91
FIGHT and LOVE
We continued moving, with no more opposition than a single patrol here and there. "Its like
we've exhausted too much of their forces. Unlikely, for a Baron rich enough to build a grid of
forty-two highly advanced Shock Fortresses."
After another mile, we reached the end of the basin. There was a slope leading to the top,
where the Shock Fortress sat. In front of it were three enemies; two Wreckers, and a golden
Baron Battle Walker.
"This calls for some close-range combat." I said, unsheathing both swords I carried at my
waist. Several of my men, now carrying bazookas from the Baron's patrols, stepped forward
and began firing upon the two Wreckers. My Wrecker drove forward, and, with some quick
thinking and maneuvering, managed to smash one of the now-damaged enemy Wreckers, but
the other Wrecker came forth the duel with it. Meanwhile, Major Garbrooks drove down the
slope and began unleashing bullets upon my men.
Therefore, I did what would give me the largest advantage; I climbed a tree. Once at the top, I
pulled out my .50 revolver and fired a shot at Major Garbrooks. He rotated to face my
direction and came closer to bring me within range. Once he was close enough, I jumped on
top of his walker.
I forced the entrance hatch open, but Garbrooks was waiting for me. He jumped out, slashing
a sword of his own. I blocked with my right hand and slashed with my left hand, but he
parried successfully and kicked me in the chest. I fell off of the Walker and landed on the
ground on my back. He jumped off the Walker after me, only to fall straight into my sword.
The man began coughing up blood.
"How about you tell me where I can find Baron Consintuss." I said.
The man sputtered out blood and words. "Atan... Atanvarg..." He managed before he died.
"Atanvarg is a town northeast of here. I assume our friend the Baron is presently dictating it."
Sisely said. He had again appeared beside me.
I looked over to my left. The two Wreckers were still fighting. "You know, I've always
wanted to try one of these." I gestured to the Baron Battle Walker. I suppose now would
work. I climbed in and made my way over to the two Wreckers.
I came up behind the enemy Wrecker and prepped to fire. The Wrecker suddenly spun
around, the wrecking ball coming at me. I fired just before it hit, a spray of bullets going out
in all directions. The enemy driver was killed, and the wrecking ball hit my Walker. It
knocked my Walker back and it fell over. Sisely came running.
"Captain! Are you alright?" He called. I climbed out of the wreck of the Walker, slightly
dazed.
"Yeah, I'm fine." I murmured. Suddenly, the cannon on the Shock Fortress began turning.
"Take that thing out, quickly!" I yelled. The Wrecker drove up the hill and swung its
wrecking ball at it right before it fired. The structure crumbled down, causing it to misfire and
explode itself. The Wrecker seemed to have gotten out of the way.
92
FIGHT and LOVE
"Good." I said, rubbing my head. "Now let's pick ourselves up and head for Atanvarg."
Part 4: Tavern Talk
We were positioned on a grassy ledge above the town. Sisely was next to me, and we were
looking down at Atanvarg. The town was set up in a perfect square, with a large building on
each corner. Atop each of these buildings was positioned one of the Baron's advanced Shock
Fortresses.
"According to the scouts we sent out, the buildings under the Shock Fortresses each serve as
both a base for the Baron's troops and as a storage facility for weapons and vehicles." Sisely
said.
"Alright, Sisely, we're obviously not winning any battles with our current force. Take a large
group of men and see if you can hijack a large group of vehicles. You'll probably have to take
out any troops in the building." I said.
"What will you do?" Sisely asked.
"I'm going to walk into that town, fully armed and with intent to kill, and order a drink." I
replied.
I chose fifteen men, three with the Baron's bazookas and twelve with the Baron's
submachinegun. They walked behind me as I marched through the gates of my town, both
swords visibly at my waists. I walked straight towards the center of town, where the Baron's
mansion was located.
Two blocks before the mansion, a street that branched off to the right spawned a Baron MBT.
My Bazooka men made quick work of it. "That confirms the Baron is here." I said. "No point
in attacking someone who's intentions you don't know if you aren't home to be defended."
There were MG Turrets right outside the mansion, and they turned to face us. One block
before the mansion, when we were still out of range, I turned right and walked into a tavern.
Eleven of my men waited outside while four of my Troopers came in with me. We strolled in,
sat down at the bar, and ordered a round of drinks for ourselves.
I had chosen wisely. The bartender was chatty and foolishly unswayed by four men with
expensive submachineguns and one with two swords and an AF-5. Soon he was telling me all
about local happenings.
"So Tarver's* dead." I said, sipping my drink. "I remember him. We met a couple times, back
when I was a proper Marauder captain. We got along. Fought a few battles together. Never
thought anything would be strong enough to take his army down."
93
FIGHT and LOVE
"Oh, yes." The bartender said, stereotypically wiping off a mug. "It was actually a swordfight
that did him in. Some captain from a new appearance."
"Very interesting. But not my main concern. What can you tell me about Baron Consintuss
that I might find... interesting." I said.
The bartender leaned in. "Word around the table is, he and a couple other Barons made a pact.
They're workin' together now, I hear. Poolin' their resources to get a powerful hold on Osatia.
Now that's somethin' ya don't hear every day, eh?"
"Yes, very unusual." I said. Barons were normally enemies with eachother. But if several
Barons were working together, their combined power could be bad. "Thanks." I said, and got
up.
My four men and I walked out the door, ignoring the barkeep's objections about how we
hadn't paid.
----------------*Captain William Alexander Tarver II; character from Jephfryee's "Onward to Glory".
Part 5: Conflicts, New and Old
Strolling out of the tavern while
maintaining a casual appearance
was easy. Ordering my men to
destroy the MG Turrets was easy.
Dealing with the six Baron Terror
Walkers escorted by, I'd say, about
thirty-two of the Baron's men
armed with submachineguns was
difficult.
First, three Baron Terror Walkers rounded the corners of the Baron's mansion on each side,
two in front and a third behind them. After that, sixteen footsoldiers flooded from around the
corner on either side. My three men with bazookas and four of my men with submachineguns
decided to try and fire. They were reduced to bloody bits before they could aim. My men that
held their fire were not shot at.
"I suggest you surrender." A thick, annoying voice called from above. I looked up to see an
overdressed man standing on a balcony. He must have been Baron Consintuss. "But after that,
feel free to join me for a cup of tea."
"I think I'll take you up on that offer." I called. As I walked into my enemy's base at gunpoint,
I was thinking only one thing.
"God, I hate tea."
94
FIGHT and LOVE
I was escorted into a room that, although very large, had only a small table and two incredibly
comfortable plush chairs inside. The wall with the entrance door was made of glass, so my
eight men who were captive outside as well as the Baron's men could observe. However, only
the Baron and myself were actually inside.
"So, I'm told you know of our little scheme." He said. His accent was so annoying. "A little
birdy that happens to cater drunks told me what he told you, and rest assured you won't be
getting any more information from that source."
"I was told you were working with other Barons." I said.
"Yes, including me, we have a grand total of eight Barons working alongside one another.
However, expanded control over Osatia, as you might have been told was our goal, is merely
a side-effect. This coordination is in response to the invasion of a new faction. They attack
with enormous armies and can rarely be held off. They managed to set fire to Anchorpoint, a
hub for powerful Marauder captains. The other seven Barons and myself have encountered
them in combat only once, and managed to succeed with great casualties. Now that you
understand our intentions, will you stop your hostilities?" He said.
"Sorry, but the good of the people is not something I care about. I want my army and status
back. And raiding Barons is quite an effective way of gaining power." I responded.
"Won't that be a little difficult to accomplish, considering the only reason you've gotten this
far is because you obtained a small portion of my advanced technology? Barons have much
more of this technology, as well as men trained to use it effectively." He said, somewhat
gloatingly.
"Your tech? Ha!" I exclaimed. I grabbed my AF-5 from my back, which I had been lugging
around assembled in case of emergencies. I slammed it on the table with a thud. "Meet the
largest Kathosian machine gun ever made. It wants to correct your statement about relying on
your tech." I pulled the trigger, the barrel inches away from the Baron's head.
Seeing Baron Consintuss fall dead shocked his men outside temporarily. My eight men used
the opportunity to grab their weapons and kill them. The sound of gunfire began attracting the
Baron's other men, who my men tried to hold off.
Suddenly, the sound of moving vehicles filled the air. I picked up my radio. "Sysely? Done
raiding that building yet? We could REALLY use your help at the Baron's mansion." No
response came back. "Sysely?" Still just static. I began to worry.
Outside in the large hallway, a Baron Battle Walker appeared from around a corner. "This
place is huge." I said to myself. The Walker approached, my men's bullets bouncing off of it
like rubber balls.
Just before it was in range, the wall at the end of the hallway exploded. A Baron MBT drove
in. "Great, more things to get murdered by." I groaned. Surprisingly enough, however, the
MBT fired at the Walker, destroying it. The top hatch opened, and Sysely appeared.
"Hello." He said. Suddenly, a bullet rang past my head. I forgot the footsoldiers were still
coming. Conveniently, a Baron Terror Walker appeared behind Sysely.
95
FIGHT and LOVE
"Our raid was pretty successful." He called.
Part 6: Walking into the Boneyard
The Baron Terror Walker made quick work of the attacking footsoldiers. I ran up to Sisely's
MBT and hopped in with him. He turned around and drove out of the mansion, only to be met
by several enemy MBTs. Suddenly, several of my men on horseback rode in and tossed
explosives onto the enemy tanks.
"Are those... Mounted Bombers?" I asked.
"Yeah, the building had some stables and a large supply of explosives. Some of our men are
equipped to be Grenadiers as well. But that was mostly it, save for a couple vehicles. No
weaponry for infantry in terms of firearms." Sisely replied.
We continued driving away from the mansion, several enemy infantry units appearing in the
streets to oppose us. They were all taken care of by the Baron Terror Walker.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Later, out of the town and at night, we were sitting at a camp my men had set up with
equipment from the building. Me, Sisely, and man that would technically be my Seargent in a
proper military arrangement, Asheng, were sitting around a fire discussing what to do next.
"I need more Barons to raid. You've seen how one has bolstered my power." I exclaimed.
Asheng spoke up. "You have enough power now to raid softer targets, like towns. Perhaps
you should stick to those until you have a reliably substantial amount of power." His voice
was heavy and husky.
"No, Barons will be the quickest way. I think we should force our way past whatever is left of
Consintuss's force back into the mansion and see if he has the locations of any other Barons
documented." I said.
"Be careful." Sisely said. "Asheng might be right. You seem a little power-hungry."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The next day, a V formation of the five Baron MBTs I had obtained from Sisely's raid drove
straight up to the mansion with little resistance. Sisely and I were in the lead MBT. In the
middle of the V was the Baron Terror Walker, driven by Asheng, with my mounted men and
footsoldiers close behind. For the first time in a long time, we looked presentable and
respectable as a military force.
96
FIGHT and LOVE
There were eight armed men at the ruined gates of the mansion, and they immediately ran.
Directly inside were three Baron Rocket Tanks, who bravely tried to stop us, but to no avail.
When the mansion narrowed to the point of which vehicles could not progress, the infantry
continued. We met opposition in the hallways, by men who believed the narrow space could
cancel out our numbers advantage, but they were wrong.
In the Baron's bedroom, we found letters from a man named Gamhal. The content informed
us that he was a Baron working with Consintuss who was running a huge salvage operation in
Walker Boneyard. That immediately became our next destination.
On our way out, we encountered six Baron MBTs trying to sneak out. Our forces all aimed at
them. The hatch of one immediately opened and a man popped out with his hands up. "Don't
shoot! We're no longer hostile. With no Baron left, we're leaving." He said.
I sighed. "I suppose that's acceptable." I said. They left, and then we did.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------We were traveling to Walker Boneyard when the MBT in front of me stopped. "Hey, what's
the hold-up?" I called. The driver came out.
"Out of fuel, sir." He said.
"Dang it." I turned to the other vehicles. "What about you?" The other MBTs were also very
low on fuel, but somehow the Assault Archos, the Baron Terror Walker, and the Wrecker had
enough left to make it to the Boneyard.
"Well, I guess we're walking into the Boneyard." I sighed.
Part 7: Barging In
Two large hills of wreckage rose from the ground, with an artificial valley between them. At
the entrance to this valley was a Baron Battle Walker on either side, and three of the Baron's
men with Bazookas underneath both. At the top of the either hill was a Baron Artillery
Walker.
Just getting into this place would be more difficult than completely obliterating Consintuss's
army was.
I commandeered the Baron Terror Walker from Asheng and went over my plan with him and
Sysely. After that, I marched the Baron Terror Walker, and only it, straight up to Baron
Gamhal's frontal guard.
97
FIGHT and LOVE
"Stop, sir." One of the Baron Bazooka men called. "Your Walker bears marks of Baron
Consintuss. What business have you here?"
I opened the hatch and leaned out. "A message, to Baron Gamhal. Baron Consintuss was
attacked recently and his communications are down, so the message had to be delivered via
person."
"I suppose I can let you through." The man said. I walked through, and a couple hundred feet
later, turned and obliterated the Bazooka men. My Assault Archos emerged from the path
leading to the valley and used their missiles to take out the Baron Battle Walkers. Then, my
Grenadiers appeared at the top of this hills and took out the Baron Artillery Walker's legs,
causing the bodies to tumble to the bottom and end up dented pieces of garbage.
An alarm began to sound. I paid it no heed. My hordes of infantry began marching through
the valley. About halfway through, a Baron Terror Walker emerged from openings on either
side and began cutting through my infantry. I opened fire on one, breaking through to the fuel
source and causing it to explode. I turned to the second Walker, breaking through the body
and killing the driver. One of my men took control of the slightly dinged Baron Terror
Walker.
My new Baron Terror Walker was now at the front of my lines. It reached the edge of the
valley first, and it exploded first. The explosion was huge and incinerated several of my men.
Some ran back into the valley with only burns, yelling "SIEGE BEHEMOTHS!" From what I
could deduce from their screams, two Siege Behemoths, one on each side, sat out of sight at
the end of the valley.
Using the first plan that came to mind, I used my Baron Terror Walker to scale the side of the
hill to my right and join up with a group of my Grenadiers. The Grenadiers got to the edge
and began bombarding the top of the Siege Behemoth. I assisted with my chainguns. We did
very little besides loosening a bit of armor plating. It was enough.
98
FIGHT and LOVE
I got out and slid down the hill on top of the Siege Behemoth. I crawled inside through the
new gaps in the armor and made my way to the control room. Unsheathing my swords and
entering, I cut through the men piloting the Siege Behemoth and took control.
I fired at the other Siege Behemoth. It was shaken but not destroyed. It began turning to face
me. I fired again. It was heavily damaged now, but still operational. It was aiming at me,
about to fire. I shot again, this time destroying the entire front half.
A very loud, clanking sound suddenly reached my ears. An explosion sounded, and suddenly I
was being tossed through the air. The Siege Behemoth's armor had protected me, but been
destroyed. I landed on the ground with a thud. I looked over to where the remains of my Siege
Behemoth should be.
Three other Siege Behemoths were standing hundreds of feet away, all aiming at me.
Part 8: Sometime in the Past...
I looked at the girl riding next to me. Atelian Nomad Riders. Everything about them was
perfect for me. I was a nomad by both choice and nature. I wasn't Atelian, though. Dad was a
Rhamos noble who married a Kathos peasant. My original homestead was in Rhamos, but I
was born in Kathos. I couldn't take either side. So I chose the Atelians. The large group of
Nomad Riders didn't really care that I wasn't Atelian. Neither did I. We rode.
Presently, we were advancing into Rhamos-controlled Kathos. Oh, the irony. I was with a
large group of about eighteen Riders in all, including me. The terrain was rocky, hilly plains
coated in thick brush. We were an advance scout party, really just expendable mercenaries.
Suddenly, gunshots sounded and four of the Atelians on the right of the party fell dead. Their
mounts ignored them and kept riding. Two more Atelians on the left fell dead as well seconds
later. Out of the brush ahead of us jumped a man in a Kathosian uniform. He ran straight
towards us, firing. He dropped two of the Atelians in the front of our party before I whipped
out my revolver and put a bullet in his head. Explosives from the rest of our riders flushed out
two others dressed the same, one from both sides.
"Identify yourselves." A man at the front of our party called.
"Kathosian Elite Trooper Squad #3." One of them stood up bravely and said.
The man behind him was kneeling at the dead Kathosian's side. "Sysely, he's dead." The man
called, his eyes tearing.
"I can see that, Asheng. Compose yourself." The one named Sysely said.
"Arturi, think we should kill them?" One of the Atelians called. The man up front, Arturi,
shook his head.
99
FIGHT and LOVE
"Why are you shooting at us? We are enemies of Rhamos and Nallum, not Kathos." Arturi
asked.
"Rhamos is forcing us to fight for them. I'd rather not go into detail about how." Sysely said
Suddenly, A bullet caused a splash of blood to shoot from Arturi's head. Five other Atelians
immediately fell dead as well. Men in Rhamos uniforms began spilling from the tops of hills.
"Run!" I yelled. The three remaining Atelians and myself put their mounts to running. As we
passed, I grabbed the man named Sysely and the girl beside me grabbed Asheng. The two
other Atelians were shot off their mount. Just me and the girl, who was just that, a young girl,
were left of the original eighteen Nomad Riders.
We continued riding, trying to escape from the soldiers of Rhamos.
Part 9: A Girl for Every Gun
Almost all of my men, almost all of them, were lying dead in that valley. I was being
personally escorted by exactly forty Baron Troopers to Gamhal's dwelling.
The building was huge. The only thing I could reference for size were the row of ten Siege
Behemoths, five on each of the huge doors, lined up in front. They appeared fully armed and
battle-ready.
"God, you're almost as bad as Consintuss was." I said, remembering his grid of over forty
protective Shock Fortresses.
The entrance hallway was bigger than the hallway in Consintuss's mansion, which housed
several war vehicles. It was enormous, its size complimented even more by another Siege
Behemoth standing in the center. I actually quite liked the look of it as a centerpiece.
The entrance hallway split into three other hallways at the end, and I was escorted down the
center passage. This hallway had catwalks spanning it on both walls, upon which stood lines
of Baron Troopers standing at attention.
After that, we went through a set of doors which led outside into a small, completely enclosed
basin. The sides were huge, steep hills of junk. The top was lined with a ring of Baron
Artillery Walkers. At the end of the basin was another set of doors, guarded by a Baron MBT
on each side.
I was escorted through the doors, which led into a large square room. Another set of doors
was on the other side, with a Baron Terror Walker on either side. Next to both Walkers was a
Baron Rocket Tank.
100
FIGHT and LOVE
Through the doors was a circular room that held eight chairs. Seven of them were arranged in
a half-circle on the opposite end of the room from the entrance, facing the lone chair with its
back to the door. In the middle of the group of seven sat a vainly overdressed man. In front of
the other six stood Baron soldiers, each holding Bazookas.
"Wow, this place is going to be fun to get out of. Glad I'm getting in the easy way." I said out
loud.
"I am as well. It would have cost me a dozen bullets to stop you if you attempted the hard
way." The man sneered. "Baron Gamhal. It's a pain to meet you." He looked towards his
soldiers on either side of him. "You may sit now." They sat. He looked back at me. "Take a
seat too, rat." He gestured to the eighth chair.
"Sounds like you don't think we stood much of a chance." I said.
"That's correct. Honestly, the only reason you're still alive is because I enjoy my foes' last
sight being me gloating and them knowing I'm right." He said.
"So what will you do when this new faction crushes you?" I asked.
"They won't." Gamhal said confidently. "We've got the armies of eight Barons, all of which
consist of the best vehicles and soldiers, and each of us is contributing to the war effort in
addition to that. Baron Consintuss is building a huge defense of Shock Fortresses around
Atanvarg, Baron Lystine is breeding and taming a huge Mortt army for combat in Dampine
Valley..."
"I suppose you haven't heard the news then." I interrupted.
"What news?" He asked.
"About Consintuss." I said. At the same time, I was wondering if the wall behind Gamhal had
that crack in it when I came in.
"What about him?" Gamhal inquired.
Another crack appeared suddenly. "You can ask him yourself when you see him in a minute."
I said.
"What?" He asked, confused. He started to say something else, but just then a chunk of the
concrete wall behind him fell in and crushed him.
Standing just outside was a massive animal. White, tusked, and with a caravan mounted on its
back, I knew immediately it was an Atelian Borthos.
"Man, I haven't seen one of those in a while." I said.
Gamhal's Bazooka men fired at the Borthos, but it only irritated it. From the caravan a wave
of bullets was unleashed, killing the men.
"Thanks for the help!" I called.
101
FIGHT and LOVE
"No problem! Though it wasn't for you." a voice called. It was female. A woman climbed out
of the caravan. "I had a bone to pick with Gamhal." she said.
"Well, he's dead alright. You got a name?" I called.
"Meredia." she said. Suddenly, clanking filled the air.
I glanced out the gaping hole in the wall. "Please tell me you've got an Atelian battle force
waiting out there, or something..." I said.
"Nope, just me and my crew." She said.
"That's bad." I said.
A Siege Behemoth appeared from behind a pile of junk outside.
"Crap."
>>>To be continued...<<<
1020
102
2
FIGHT and LOVE
Onward to Glory
An Iron Grip story by:
Jephfryee- Ex-Emperor of the Imperialis Sanctorum, noble
Marauder captain of the Kathos United and Atelian loyalist
The deafening roar of artillery could be heard all around. There was no escape from Baron
Septavia's trap now. It had been very well planned and was being executed with the utmost of
perfection.
Captain William Alexander Tarver II quickly dashed from his modified Devastator as a
barrage of artillery rained down it from the Baron's Bethes cannons and Royal Artillery.
Every shell hit it's mark and Tarver was thrown nearly fifty feet from the smoldering remains
of his prized tank by the concussion.
The Captain quickly recovered from his fall and dusted off his black, battle-dress overcoat.
Looking around him, Tarver quickly analyzed the battlefield.
"The Baron has played his hand and played it well, but I still have an ace or two up my
sleeve!" Tarver merrily yelled aloud. "Few would have had the foresight to so strategically
place their artillery. It's almost as if he was expecting my raid."
Tarver frowned as he realized that his second in command, Lt. Borshav Habendier, was
nowhere to be found. "Damn it!!!" Tarver growled as he realized what had happened. "That
double-crossing son of a bitch!"
Tarver turned and ordered his men to charge the Baron's lines and loot the town. He smugly
grinned as his line of nearly one-hundred Dragoons and Mounted Bombers surged forth. The
Baron's Troopers and Militia-men turned and ran into the town as they realized that they
would soon be overwhelmed.
A few stubborn troops remained and tried to fight off the chargé of the Captain's Marauder
cavalry. Tarver smugly grinned as he watched one of the Baron's more stubborn soldiers get
his legs blown off by a Mounted Bomber's hand grenade; and he nearly doubled over
laughing as
another had
his face torn
from his skull
by a
Dragoon's
rifle.
The Captain
slowly began
to walk back
to his
Majestic class
airship,
docked
behind a
nearby cliff.
1030
103
3
FIGHT and LOVE
"Yet another flawless victory against these stupid Baron's and their..."
Tarver was cut off by the sounds of men screaming in pain as they died. This normally
wouldn't phase the good Captain if wasn't for the fact that these screams were accompanied
with the cry of agony from many horses. Tarver looked over his shoulder at the town only to
confirm what he already knew. He angrily watched as the last of his cavalry were mowed
down by a well established line of Heavy Machine-gunners.
As the last horse and rider fell, a force nearly three-hundred and fifty Savars, Atavars, Archos,
and Tank Destroyers in strength poured from the town. They charged across the field, quickly
closing the gap between them and Captain Tarver.
The Captain, realizing that there was no way to make it back to his airship, pulled out his
feild-radio. As he turned it on he calmly said into the receiver, "Airship Prometheus, this is
your Captain. Do you copy?"
A staticy reply quickly issued forth. "Aye Captain William. What are your orders?"
Tarver made one last glance at the ever advancing enemy line. He then looked back to his
radio and said, "The battle isn't going well. I believe that we will need to bring our full might
to bear if we are to win. Send in..." the Captain paused and contemplated his choices, "... our
secret weapon first. Let the rest of our forces follow."
The noise of an alarm could be faintly heard through the radio as it clicked off. The Captain
turned and faced the line of enemy tanks undauntedly. He removed his furr cap and
straightened his hair. After replacing his hat, he smoothed his overcoat and tightened his
boots. Giving one last, rather assuring, look over his shoulder towards the direction of his
airship, Tarver drew his sword and his .50 caliber revolver and charged towards the Baron's
tanks.
The row of Archos at the front of the Baron line opened fire upon the Captain. Bullets danced
around his feet and one took a feather off of the side of his furr cap. Then, the roar of
automatic cannons erupted across the battlefield. The Archos were no match for the guns
mounted on the backs of the Atelian Warlords that were trundling across the field. The
Captain grinned as he saw all ten of his Atelian Warlords charging the Baron's tanks, with
another ten Borthos close behind.
Tarver soon reached the first Tank Destroyer and, hopping atop it, tore the hatch open and
jumped inside. The Baron soldiers within all stared dumbfoundedly at the Captain before he
sliced them down with his sword a moment later.
Quickly jumping out of the tank, the Captain continued to run into the enemy line. Behind
him, the Warlords had stopped and turned their guns to the hills behind the town. The
satisfyingly faint sound of artillery cannons exploding was carried across the wind.
The Captain soon reached another Tank Destroyer. This time, one of the crew had climbed
out to 'greet' him. Tarver casually aimed his revolver and pulled the trigger. The bullet blew
away nearly half of the unfortunate man's skull. Jumping inside the tank, he emptied the
rest of the bullets in the revolver's drum on the remaining crew.
1040
104
4
FIGHT and LOVE
As he exited the tank, the Captain saw that the Borthos were now upon the enemy line. A few
of the Tank Destroyers and Savars opened fire on the massive beasts. This only annoyed the
Borthos and Tarver gladly watched as his Atelian beasts ripped apart the remaining tanks with
their long tusks and mighty legs.
Further back, the rest of the Captain's Marauder forces poured from his airship. Leading the
charge were his many Atelian Nomad Riders. They were closely followed by the Captains
nearly fifty Devastator tanks and Iron Clad Walkers and Tank Hunters. The roar of cannon
and beast flowed over the battlefield.
Ahead of him, Tarver saw an infuriatingly familiar figure. As he ran towards the fleeing
soldier, the Captain recognized him to be none other than the recently disappeared Lt.
Borshav. Tarver quickly reloaded his revolver, took careful aim, and fired one shot.
The bullet screamed through the air and quickly met it's mark, separating Borshav's left shin
from his knee. The Captain slowly made his way to the fallen traitor. As he reached Borshav,
Tarver brought the man to his knees, looming over his ex-comrade.
With a steely look in his eyes, the Captain growled,"Traitors are not tolerated among my
Marauders. We respect only might and honor. You have failed to show either. Do you know
what I do to traitors?"
Onward to Glory-Part:2
A Hero's Return
The Captain drew back his sword and prepared to strike. Borshav attempted a desperate plea
for his life, to no avail. The Captain thrust his sword forward, plunging through Borshav's
chest. Stepping back, the Captain kicked his ex-comrade's body off of his blade and made
sure to step on the dying man as he walked onward.
The town's defenses had fallen in a matter of minutes. What wasn't torn apart by the Borthos
was destroyed by the heavy cannons of the Captain's tanks. Within the town, Tarver's men
had exited their vehicles and were looting the town of all that was valuable. Be it tea leaves,
copper buttons, brass instruments, gold or silver coins, silk clothing; no stone was unturned
and no home untouched.
The Captain decided to leave the looting to his men and instead began to search for the Baron.
Upon entering one house, instead of finding Septavia, he beheld a more irksome sight. One of
his Marauders was raping a townswoman. The Captain drew his revolver on growled, "Have
you no sense of honor?", before firing one shot through the man's chest, ripping his innards
apart.
As he walked out of the house, the Captain called to the woman and said, "I hope you haven't
been too greatly inconvienienced by our little, 'stop 'n' steal'. I like to be civilized about
murder and the likes."
1050
105
5
FIGHT and LOVE
As he stepped out of the house, Tarver was met by a group of his Atelian soldiers. Being
dragged along with them was none other than Baron Septavia himself. The leader of the
Atelian soldiers saluted the Captain and said, "We found the coward hiding under a pile of
dead bodies. What do you wish to do with him, sir?"
The Captain chuckled and motioned for his men to disperse. After a moment, the Captain and
the Baron were left standing alone. Septavia, with a look of fear in his eyes, began to plead for
his life. "You can't do this to me! I hired you not but a half fortnight ago to deal with some
troublesome bandits! We had a contract!!!"
The Captain gave an evil laugh as he replied, "That's right. We 'had' a contract, as in the past
tense. You're aristocratic scum of Rhamos. I am a Marauder captain with a seething hatred of
both Rhamos and aristocrats. What did you expect? Now, say 'ahhhh'."
The Baron managed to utter the word, "What...", before Tarver rammed his sword into
Septavia's mouth and out the back of his skull. Tarver kicked the body to make sure it was
dead, and then proceeded to return to his airship. The looting was done within the hour. All
the spoils were loaded into the airship just before it took off. The happy yelling of the crew
could be heard throughout the valley.
Some time later, the airship finally arrived at Baggerstown. The Captain disembarked here for
a short time while his airship refueled. After stopping off at the Black Market and ordering
some of the new Elite Devastator Tanks, Tarver desided to visit his old friend, Frannel.
As he entered the smoking den, the Captain was
immediately hit with a wave of nausia. The sheer amount of
smoke in the place was ridiculous. Seeing the Captain enter,
a tall, middle-aged man in evening dress came forth. "Hullo
there, William!" the man called out. "Care for
a cup of tea?"
The Captain looked up at the main and coughed, "Hey
Frannel. Is is just me or is your place always surrounded by
a cloud of smoke?"
Thirty minutes later; "So your raid was a success then?"
Frannel inquired. "Yes." the Captain replied, "It was a
success. We got managed to milk them of the equivelent of
nearly 50,000 gold pieces. And, I got to kill that bastard of a
Baron!!!"
Frannel sighed as he put out his ciggarette. "You know,
William, you've never told me exactly what it is that you
hate about Rhamos. Not to be pushy, but I'd like to hear
your explanation over the local gossip's."
Tarver glared at Frannel for a moment and replied, "As you
wish." The Captain removed his furr cap and put a grave
look on his face. "You see Frannel, I don't just hate Rhamos.
I equally loathe the Confederation. And even more so than
1060
106
6
FIGHT and LOVE
them, I absolutely hate aristocrats. These fools and their petty disputes over land and
resources get needless thousands killed and for what? Three feet of soil? Two pounds of tar?
One leaf of tea? Tell me, what the hell is the POINT?!"
Frannel frowned, "Yet you yourself are a Marauder captain. A pirate for lack of a better word.
You're no better than they are."
The Captain's hand wavered above his revolver for a moment, but he quickly drew it back and
placed it in his lap. Tarver scowled at Frannel as he continued, "Am I really as bad as them?
At least among my crew we have a code of honor! Sure, a few may be vile brigands, but for
the most part, me and mine are rather respectable. Besides, Baron's steal from the poor to
make themselves rich. I, on the otherhand, steal from the rich to eventually give back to the
poor. Besides, have I ever started and eighty year war because of a small, insignifigant nation
that was occupied by a larger one? No my friend, I did not do such a horendous act. Your
precious Rhamos Protectorate and the Confederation did that."
"So?" Frannel replied, "The war is over now. It doesn't matter anymore. Why are you getting
so worked up over it?"
The Captain stood up and glared down at Frannel. "Because Atelia was ripped apart and is
now preyed upon by these vulture-like aristocrats. Besides, like you said, who cares anymore?
Who cares about all the brave soldiers that sacrificed their lives for Kathos? Or all the
grieving widows and fatherless children? And if that's true, then I guess I never really cared
about the fact that I got to watch my wife and kids burn alive during the bombing of Solav.
And the same could be said for my old friend Dominic. The same thing happened to him."
Without another word, Tarver walked out of the smoking den and back to his airship. When
he arrived at the Prometheus, the refueling had been completed and the Devastators he had
1070
107
7
FIGHT and LOVE
purchased were being loaded. Once the last Devastator was aboard, the mooring lines were
cast off and the airship was underway again, this time, headed for Anchorpoint.
Onward to Glory-Part:3
Imerial Soveriegnty
Tarver was standing on the foredeck of the Prometheus looking out across the horizon. They
would be nearing Anchorpoint soon, which meant an inevitable trip to Jasmine's for
buisness... and pleasure. As the Captain looked across the sky, his eyes fell upon something
odd. Off in the distance, there appeared to be an airship, a very large one at that.
"Quartermaster!" the Captain yelled, "Bring me a looking glass! There's something amiss in
the skys today."
A moment later, the quartermaster appeared holding a spy glass. The captain took the glass
and, telescoping the lense out, made a closer inspection of the airship.
The other ship, nearly six kilometers away, was of no design that the captain had ever seen,
and he knew every airship model chart in Osatia. Along with this, the markings to designate
faction were of some foriegn design that he'd never seen before. Upon closer inspection, he
made out the words 'I.A.S. Pruflas-Warship of the Holy Lodis Empire' painted on the prow.
The Captain lowered the glass and rubbed his eyes. Lifting the glass back into position, he
tried to guess the dimensions of the airship. "Length- four-hundred and fifty...no, fivehundred meters. Beam, one-hundred and fifteen feet. Height, eighty-five meters. Draft, fifteen
meters. Armament, six 42 centimeter guns and maybe fifty 12.5 centimeter guns."
The Captain lowered the looking glass and folded his arms across his chest. "I don't who the
hell that ship belongs to, but it's a big one. And armed to the teeth too. I wonder, though, why
is such a large airship in the middle of nowhere seemingly by itself."
Tarver watched the Pruflas slowly move along in the distance. Suddenly, he turned to the
quartermaster and ordered, "Try and raise Anchorpoint on the radio and out the ship on
'General Quarters Alert'. Load the guns and prime the rockets. This might get ugly."
The quartermaster saluted and ran back into the Prometheus' conning tower. The Captain
continued to intently watch the Pruflas. After a moment, the Captain heard the sound of the
ship-board radio turning on. At the same moment, off in the distance, the Pruflas suddenly
belched forth a massive cloud of smoke as it turned straight towards the Prometheus. The
warship was headed straight for the Captain's ship at full steam.
The Captain quickly ran into the conning tower and up to the bridge. He quickly grabbed the
inter-ship radio reciever and yelled into it, "Gunnery deck! This is the Captain. We are under
attack, prepare the heavy cannons!"
1080
108
8
FIGHT and LOVE
Out on the fordeck of the ship, the two 50 centimeter guns and the four 38 centimeter guns
swung into position to fire. Just as the guns were in position, the Pruflas opened fire. A
barrage of artillery arced over the Prometheus... a near miss. A second later, the Prometheus'
own guns roared to life. As the barrage reached the Pruflas, most of the shells fell short of
their mark, but landed home and destroyed two of the enemy's 42 centimeter cannons.
The Pruflas, seemingly ignoring the damage, continued to steam onward towards the
Prometheus. The Captain watched as the Pruflas fired another volley of shells. Another miss.
The Captain grabbed the the inter-ship radio reviever and yelled, "Gunnery deck! Fire
everything! Full broadside! Shred them with our rockets!!!"
The Captain watched as the guns on the Pruflas swung into position one last time. If they shot,
it was the end for the Prometheus. The seconds ticked by like hours. Suddenly, the full might
of the Prometheus' broadside was unleashed. Heavy and light artillery tore the deck of the
Pruflas to peices and a barrage of rockets finished her off.
The Captain sighed with relief as the Pruflas exploded and fell from the sky. The satisfaction
of destroying another foe was just sinking in when the quartermaster ran onto the bridge.
Tarver turned to the man with an expectant look. The quartermaster caught his breath and
then with an air of panic and urgency said, "Sir! Anchorpoint is under attack! Their defenses
are failing and the Marauder captains are being slaughtered!"
The Captain growled and swore under his breath. He ordered the navigator to make the best
possible speed to Anchorpoint.
Thirty minutes later; The Prometheus quickly turned around the last cliff before Anchorpoint.
As the old fortress and hide-out for Marauder captains came into view, Tarver beheld a
grizzly sight. The fortress had been completely surrounded by a fleet of airships bearing the
same markings as the Pruflas, but none were anywhere near as large. They were throwing
relentless barrage after relentless barrage into cliff face, tearing Anchorpoint apart.
The Captain realized that there was no saving Anchorpoint and no escaping the battle at this
point. He ordered a full assult on the enemy fleet. As the Prometheus drew near the enemy
fleet, her guns and rocket batteries roared to life. Three of the enemy ships were immediately
torn apart and fell from the sky, and another two were heavily damaged.
Now the fleet turned upon the Prometheus and left Anchorpoint to burn. The Captain and all
of the officers aboard the airship ran out onto the foredeck awaitng their chance. As the
enemy drew nearer, the rest of the crew of the Prometheus ran onto the foredeck. As the
Captain had guessed, the enemy would come in close for the kill. One of the enemy airships
drew up alongside the Prometheus and as it did so, Tarver and his crew all ran and jumped
from the Prometheus and onto the enemy vessel.
A few men, of course not being very fit, fell to their deaths. Many more fell as the concussion
of the Prometheus exploding reverberated through the air. But, the Captain and his crew,
regardless, had managed the jump and boarded the enemy.
Soldiers from the enemy ship began to pour onto the deck of the airship in retaliation. As they
charged, all of the enemy soldiers yelled aloud, "This battle is a sacrifice to our GodEmperor! It is a Holy War!
1090
109
9
FIGHT and LOVE
After perishing in our Crusade, you will be guided to the God-Emperor's side! Holding
tradition, we will drop the hammer on those who have opposed us! All infadels will die!"
The Captain scoffed at this chant and yelled, "Charge!" Halfway across the deck of the enemy
ship, the two forces collided. Swords flashed in the sun and gunsmoke filled the air. Screams
of pain and death drowned out all other noise. Tarver, after slashing his way through nearly
twenty soldiers, made it behind the enemy main body. As he looked about, the Captain saw a
lone enemy soldier standing on the aftdeck in officer's attire. Tarver and the enemy officer
advanced slowly towards each other. When they were three meters away from each other,
they stopped. Tarver mockingly smirked at the officer and said, "Shall we? Or do you leave
ALL of your fighting to your cronies?"
The officer grunted and drew his sword. The Captain smiled and wiped the blood from his
own sword and took a fighting stance. The two warriors charged each other, the officer
making a jab at Tarver's chest and Tarver ducking and making a sweep for his foe's ankles.
The officer jumped up and landed on Tarver's sword mid-swing, knocking it from his hands.
He then brought his own sword up above his head and brought it down with tremendous
force. Tarver dove forward, narrowly avoiding the blow and rammed his head into the
officer's gut.
The officer went reeling backwards. Tarver fell face first onto the deck, but quickly recovered
and regained his sword. The next few minutes were a blur of calculated thrusts, blocks, and
parries. Tarver slowly began to realize that he may have finally found his equal in sword
fighting, possibly even his better. Growing weary of the fight, Tarver kicked the officer in the
chest, knocking him back about one meter and stunning him. Tarver then drew his revolver,
cocked the hammer, and was bringing it up to aim as he felt a shaft of cold steel be driven
through his chest. The officer had recovered quicker than Tarver had expected and plunged
his sword into the center of the Captain's chest.
With a haughty smirk, the officer said, "You lose." Tarver fell to his knees and began to
laugh. The officer growled and yelled, "Hey! Why are you laughing?! You're about to die!!!"
The Captain looked down at the deck of the airship and said, "No. I am the true victor today."
He then looked up into the sky above and whispered, "Filicia... I will return to your side soon,
for now I will follow to where you went so long ago.", and with these last words, collapsed
onto the deck of the airship and died.
The officer was gloating over his victory when a trumpet sounded. In response to the first,
another two trumpets sounded. Suddenly, a massive armada of Taveron-class airships came
steaming into Anchorpoint. Wriiten across their prows were the words, 'Kathos United-For
the glory of Kathos onward to Freedom'. The enemy fleet was quickly overwhelmed by the
Kathosian armada and thoroughly routed from Anchorpoint.
One week later; After Anchorpoint had been re-esablished and most of it's structures repaired,
the Kathosians collected the bodies of the fallen Marauders and their captains that had bravely
fought and died to defend their home. A mass burrial was held, for the number of the bodies
was to great for individual burrials. After respects had been paid to the fallen, the soldiers of
the Kathos United reboarded their airships and set off. This particular battle may have been
won at little cost, but with a new enemy invading Osatia, pushing the continent to the verge of
another war, only time will tell what is to happen in the coming days.
1101
110
0
FIGHT and LOVE
End of Onward to Glory
Afterword- Yes, this is the end of my three part series about Marauder Captain Tarver. I hope you
enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I really appreciate your support of my work. Don't
be disappointed though, this will by no means be the end of the story. I've already begun planning the
sequel, which I have decided to call 'The Means to an End'. This sequel series will document the
coming days of suffering for the people of Osatia and the spark of hope kept alive by the efforts of our
Kathosian bretheren. Since I don't have much actually decided for the series, this is your chance to get
creative. Give me some suggestions on things you'd like to see in the story or things that you think I
should improve on or if something confused you or you'd like some backstory, I'll be glad to type up
some background info for the series so that everyone is on the same page. I hope to be able to write a
new chapter for the story and get it posted on a daily basis. Check back regularly for updates on my
work.
Sincerely,
Jephfryee
The Means to an End
Chapter 1- War Plans
One month after the events of Onward to Glory: Part 3; The main meeting hall aboard the
airship "Capricornus" was filled with many of the prominent members of Kathos United.
Most noteable were Lords Stafford and Suramar and Adunakhor, some of the most important
members of the Kathos liberation forces. Accompanying them were many of the field
marshalls and the Master's of Science, Intelligence, and Lore. Other noteable figures were
present, but their names are many and will not be listed here.
As the meeting was called to order,
Lord Suramar strolled to the front of
the chamber and took a seat behind a
podium. Once the murmmuring of
the soldiers had died down, he stood
up and leaned on the podium. "As
many of you soldiers may have
heard, some twenty-eight or so days
ago, the continent of Osatia was
attacked. Anchorpoint appears to
have been the first battle that took
place, setting the stage for a series of
vicious conflicts that have only
recently been resolved. As you may
also know, this invading force is
believed to belong to a faction
known as the Holy Lodis Empire. Masters Ratkai and Ketch, if you would please..."
The Masters of Intelligence and Lore stood up and began to unroll a map hanging at the back
of the hall. As they did so, Ducimax began his speech. "Yes, it is believed that this 'mystery
1111
111
1
FIGHT and LOVE
faction' is known as the Holy Lodis Empire. From what we can tell, they are on some sort of
Crusade across our land for an unknown reason. Combating them will be difficult if not near
impossible. They posses massive armada's of airships along with enormous ground forces that
use weaponary possessing unbelievably destructive capabilities. Master Ketch, if you would
continue..."
Ketch pointed to the map, that now hung nearly floor to ceiling, and cleared his throat. He
pointed to the landmass on the map that was labeled 'Osatia' and began, "This continent is us.
We are unsure as to the origin location of our enemy, but many myths and legends from other
lands tell of events similar to what is happening now in our own. Unfortunately, these are
only tales from long ago with no proof to back up their validity. Regardless, it's all we have.
We may be facing a long dormant enemy that has been planning and schemeing for many
decades, or even longer. All we know for sure, is that these myths and legends all end the
same way, verbatim. '"And so the land, purged of almost all life, fell into decay for many
years. The invading force, that imense, unstoppable war machine, disappeared almost as
quickly as they had arrived. None had ever stood a chance."' This is very ominous and strange
that so many tales all have the same end."
Lord Stafford interupted the Lore Master and took the podium. "You don't need to tell us
twice that these are dangerous times. It is known that both the Rhamos Protectorate and
Confederation have already fallen. To our knowledge, we are all that remains in the way of
victory for our foe, but we will not fail! We will, no matter what, one day recognize our
dream of a free Kathos! This is merely another step on our way there!"
One of the soldiers in the group of gathered men and women stood up and asked, "But sir,
how will we succeed where even Rhamos failed?"
Lord Stafford grinned and replied, "Just wait and see my friend. Wait and see."
Hundreds of kilometers away, scouting the Kathos countryside; The airship 'Sagitarius' slowly
moved through the sky, many a watchful eye looking out from it to the farmland sliding past
fifty meters below. The airship's captain, Yohan Dorche, stood looking out from the ship's
observation platform. His leather jacket flapped in the breeze and his foot rested on a
Kathosian helm. In his hands he held a spy glass, which he was currently using to scan the
skyline.
Off in the distance, just coming over the horizon, he spotted a large cloud of dust moving. The
airship was to far away to make out anything clearly, but Yohan suspected that it was a large,
mostly vehicular, army on the move. Assuming this to be correct, he stepped into the bridge
and ordered that they land the airship and set up a camp in which to prepare for a coming
fight.
1121
112
2
FIGHT and LOVE
The Means to an End
Chapter 2- The Hammer Will Fall
Five hours later; As the army came into view, Yohan's suspicions were confirmed. It was a
large force of Holy Lodis Imperial tanks. Dorche's own force, consisting of a few Iron Clad
Tank Hunters, about fifteen Tank Destroyers, and twenty-five MM 2/4 Mortar teams,
SRRAD's, and Bombardiers.
The enemy had nearly two hundred-fifty various tanks of foreign design and very little
infantry. All of the infantry appeared to be some kind of Dragoons, probably so that they
could keep up with the vehicles. As the leading tank of the Lodis force reached Dorche's men,
it stopped. A stout man of a very muscular build climbed out of the tank and hopped to the
ground. The man casually walked up to Dorche's tank, looked up at Dorche, and said, "Sir,
you block our way. I know not who you are or why you try to block our way. I have no
quarrell with you yet so kindly move off the road."
Dorche undauntedly replied, "Why should I? Besides, why not just kill us without question
and move along? Or do you fear that this may be a trap?"
The man from Lodis laughed at this. "If this is a trap then you are a poor tactician! Besides,
you are of Kathos are you not? We of Lodis freed you from Rhamos. Why oppose us? Once
we are done with your land of Osatia, we will build our fortresses here and watch you and
move on.", the man's face became stern, "Now move off the road."
Dorche merrily smiled and motioned for his force to clear the road. The Lodisian man got
back into his tank and a moment later, his army was on the move again. When the last Lodis
tank had passed, Yohan was about to order his men to return to the airship, but something
strange happened. A group of five Baron MBT's burst from the nearby tree line and opened
fire on the Holy Lodis Imperial tanks. The MBT's, well known for their destrucive, armor
piercing shells, had already disabled or destroyed a good number of the enemy tanks before
the Lodisians could even react.
This is when Yohan said to himself, "Well, what's the worse that could happen? We get dead?
Eh... why not?", and ordered his own men to attack. The SSRAD's quickly hit the ground and
opened fire with their recoiless rifles. This caused enough comotion among the enemy to
allow the Bommbardiers to get in close and wreak even more havoc. A moment later the MM
2/4 teams opened fire, their mortar shells arcing into the enemy's front and back. The cannons
on the ICTH's and the Tank Destroyers roared with thunder as they lobbed shell after shell
into the Lodisian tanks. The battle was over almost as soon as it had begun. It had taken only
a mere fifteen minutes to reduce the Holy Lodis Imperial tanks to smoldering ash and twisted
and burnt metal.
The Baron MBT's quickly made their way over to Dorche. A man's head popped up from
within the formost MBT and he called out, "Thanks for the help strangers! We would've been
dead for sure if you hadn't been around!"
Dorche shook his head. "Then why did you attack on the first place?"
The man in the MBT chuckled and grinned. "Well, this is how it is. The Baron I worked for
was thrown from power when these Lodis guys came in and tore apart Rhamos. No Baron
meant no pay, and no pay meant no food. Me and my boys decided we'd starve soon enough,
1131
113
3
FIGHT and LOVE
so why not just end it now and go out with a 'BOOM'! Anywho, we don't have anywhere else
to go, so if you'll take us, we'd be glad to join Kathos United. That is, so long as you've got
food."
Dorche nodded, "Well, come on over and have a seat. Dinner's about to start and we're having
Atora pie. Kathos is always looking for a willing soldiers." All of the Baron soldiers poured
out of their tanks and ran over to Yohan's camp. Another victory for Kathos.
The Means to an End
Chapter 3- Another Piece of the Puzzle
Marauder captain Jephfryee McAlystaer merrily sat, staring out the window of his brothel
across the channel to Erus and Taetus Island. His brothel was situated on the shores of NorthWest Osatia, a wonderfully cold and snowy place with few people. Just the way that
Jephfryee liked it.
A noise made Jephfryee quickly turn from
the window and reach for his gun, but
seeing that it was only his slave girl, he
relaxed sat down in his chair. The slave girl
slowly shuffled into the room and, with an
underlying tone of fear, stammered,
"I...i..i..is something wr...wrong,
Master?"
Jephfryee softly smiled and shook his head.
"No, nothing is wrong my darling slave
girl. Is there something you needed?"
The slave girl walked forth and carefully
presented him with a platter that contained
an ice cold cup of sweetened tea, some
jaffa cakes, and a letter. "It's tea-time
Master, so I brought you your tea meal and this letter which recently came for you."
Jephfryee looked at one of his many clocks strewn about the room. The time read four o'
clock exactly. He smiled and patted his slave girl on the head as he took the platter from her.
"Good girl. I shouldn't be needing anything else for now, so you can have the rest of the day
off."
The slave girl squealed with delight, hugged Jephfryee, and ran out the door. Jephfryee smiled
and chuckled to himself as she ran off. After drinking his tea and eating a few jaffas, he
inspected the letter. The envelope simply read "Urgent- Deliver to Capt. Jephfryee with all
haste". He frowned as he read this. "Not ominous in the slightest bit. Let us see what this is all
about."
1141
114
4
FIGHT and LOVE
He opened the letter and began to read aloud, "Captain, this is the Field Marshall of Kathos
United. We are at war and are recalling all of our troops and captains. Please make haste, as
you have one of the largest warbands in Kathos United. This order is priority-one. No
slacking."
Jephfryee swore profusely and tore the letter to shreds as he finished reading it. He grabbed
his custom made handgun from the nearby table and stormed out the door. Before he left the
brothel, he wrote a short letter for his slave girl and tacked it to her door.
Nearly an hour later, he'd trudged all the way across town to his private airship hangar. The
quartermaster greeted him at the door, "Morgen, herr Kapitan. What are you orders?"
Jephfryee looked up his Majestic-class airship, the 'Iron Horizon', and then at the
quartermaster. "Load the ship. Now! I want her fueled, loaded and ready for take-off within
the hour! Make sure to load every damned combat unit we have too. I don't care how you do it
or what you unload, but my whole army has to be on this thing and headed for Kathos NOW!"
The quartermaster fearfully nodded and ran off as fast as he could. Jephfryee angrily watched
as his crew buzzed to life and prepared for take-off. Then he turned around and mumbled to
himself, "Those fuck-nuts sure do know how to pick the ripest time to start another war. I
mean Rhamos is plenty enough, but how does Stafford expect us to fight them and whoever
the hell these other bloques are? Eh, I'm more scared of the warmer weather than I am
anything else."
Five hundred kilometers south-east of Jephfryee; Colonel Richard Glendale the
Dragonhearted of the Holy Lodis Empire was making his way to the town of Akka. As he
scanned the skyline from his airship's observation deck, his second-in-command came up
behind him and asked, "Sir, this town of Akka? Why are we going their?"
The Colonel glanced over his shoulder at the man. "Oh, Baldwin. You see, within this town,
there is a man by the name of Jephfryee. It is known that he has one of, if not the, largest
military forces in the Kathos United; our only remaining enemy. With him out of the way,
battles will be much... easier to cope with. Besides, I have a bit of a personal quarrel with this
man. Jephfryee...", the Colonel paused and smirked, "how good it will be to see you after such
a long time."
The Means to an End
Chapter 4- The Initiative Part ½
Things were looking grim in Osatia. The continent was slowly being torn apart one piece at a
time. The Rhamos Protectorate and the Confederation of Nallum had set aside their
differences and banded their few remaining forces together against both Kathos and Lodis.
Kathos, still engaged against Rhamos and Nallum, was hard pressed to their fighting but was
holding fast. The way the war was going, though, that wouldn't last long. With only minimal
defenses in North-West Osatia, a few nomadic Atelians in North-East Essatia, and their main
1151
115
5
FIGHT and LOVE
forces spread thin across Kathos and upper South Osatia, Kathos United wasn't expected to
last for long. The Holy Lodis Empire's invasion force seemed to expand daily. Every week,
another armada of their airships arrived, filled to the brim with war supplies. Their Crusade
for their omnipotent leader, Pope Saldian, was on the verge of success.
Near Akka; Jephfryee uneasily scanned the sky as the 'Iron Horizon' steamed towards Kathos
at full-speed. He hadn't been feeling well since leaving Akka, and had become even more on
edge when he realized that there wasn't a bird in the sky. Something was amiss and he was
intent on finding out what it was.
Earlier that day; Jephfryee straightened his furr coat and firmly placed his furr cap on his
head. Securing his sword belt to his waist and holstering his gun, he was about to climb into
his airship when a familiar voice rang out from behind him.
"Master! What's happened? Where are you going? Do you have to leave so soon?"
Jephfryee turned around to see none other than his slave girl standing a few feet behind him.
He slowly walked over to her and placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "Sorry, but I have to
go, and now. Kathos United has urgently called out of my vacation, something about a war
with a new faction. I'll be fine so don't worry about me."
His slave girl looked down at her feet. "Can't I come with you?"
Jephfryee frowned and forcefully stated, "No. The battlefield is no place for you. Go back
home."
She didn't move. He frowned and yelled at her, "Didn't you hear me?! Go back home! Get out
of here!!!"
"I want to go with you!" she yelled back. "I promise I'll be useful! I can do anything you can
do with a little help!"
A look of pain shot across Jephfryee's face, but it was quickly suppressed. He turned around
and began to walk away from his slave girl. "Go away! I don't want to see your face!" As he
climbed aboard the airship Jephfryee gave one last glance towards his slave girl, only to see
her sitting on her knees crying. Looking away, he whispered, "I'm sorry. It's for your own
safety. Without you, I'd..." He stopped mid-sentence and climbed into the cargo bay as the
airship lifted-off.
Present; Jephfryee sighed and leaned over the nearby guardrail. As he blankly stared into the
distance, something caught his eye. About two kilometers behind the 'Iron Horizon' and a
little to the right was another airship. While this other airship appeared to be very heavily
armed, it hadn't attacked yet so Jephfryee waited to see what would happen. After thirty
minutes passed, the other airship had caught up with the 'Iron Horizon and pulled alongside it.
Presently, a man stepped out onto the deck of the other airship. Jephfryee thought he
recognized the man, but wasn't sure. A moment later, the man called out, "Hullo aboard the
'Iron Horizon'! Captain McAylystaer, are you aboard?"
Jephfryee grimaced at the man's voice for now he knew who it was. "Lt. Glendale, how
1161
116
6
FIGHT and LOVE
unpleasant to see you again. What does is warmonger like you doing in Osatia."
Col. Glendale ushered forth a robust laugh and replied, "It's 'Colonel' Gelndale now. As to my
being in Osatia, well you should know. You used to work for the Empire, you traitor. We are
here to subjugate this land. Any objections?"
Jephfryee sarcastically yelled back, "Oh no. Not at all do I object to unjustified religious
purging. Now, let us be gentlemen and end this the practical way. I've got to be somewhere
and I don't have a lot time to get there. How about we land these airships and duke it out on
the ground. First one to get his whole army destroyed loses."
Col. Glendale nodded. "Good enough for me. I'll crush you, not only making my job easier,
but also giving me my revenge! You disgraced me once before and I won't let it happen
again!!!"
At Dorche's camp; Dorche woke up to the sound of commotion. Stepping out of his tent, he
was met by one of the Ex-Baron men. "What's going on?" Dorche yelled over the din of
everyone rushing about and vehicles being prepped.
"A battle, sir!" the man replied. "An even larger group of Lodisians than the ones we fought
yesterday are headed here! They've got us almost completely surrounded!!!"
Dorche growled and stormed off towards the motor-pool. If his crew was going to survive this
fight, they would have to have their heads about them, which was the exact opposite of the
current state of things.
Kathos United H.Q.- Capitol of Kathos; "Damn it all to hell!!!" Lord Suramur yelled as he ran
down the hallway leading to the main meeting chamber of the headquarters. Kicking down the
door, he barged in and roared, "Somebody explain what's going on! Right this minute!!!"
Lt. Ratkai slowly stood and replied, "Sir, we are under attack."
1171
117
7
FIGHT and LOVE
The Means to an End
Chapter 5- The Initiative Part 2/2
Kathos United H.Q.- Capitol of Kathos; The High Council of Kathos United stood on the
balcony of the headquarters building. They looked out across the city with horror as a
battalion of bi-pedal walkers stomped through the streets. Incendiary artillery shells arced
over the capitol walls and smashed into the streets, burning whole city-blocks to ashes at a
time. Cries of fear and pain would rise up every few seconds and then be quickly silenced as
on of the walkers honed in on the source of the scream and tore that person or persons apart
with their machine-guns.
A half-kilometer outside of the city, a fleet of airship hung in the sky. Below them was an
enormous army of one hundred-thousand heavily armed and armored infantry. A gust of wind
blew across the scene, carrying the stench of burnt flesh, gun-powder, and hydraulic fluid to
the nose of Lord Suramur. He winced at the smell. "Throw everything we've got at them."
Somewhere in North-West Osatia near Akka; Mortar shell after mortar shell screamed across
the sky and burst into a ball of fiery death upon impact with Glendale's infantry. The MM 2/4
were soon spent of
ammo and Jephfryee
ordered his Atelian
Nomad Riders to
charge.
The nomads surged
forth, their great
warbeasts growling
in anger. One
moment passed, then
another, and then the
Atelians and their
beasts were upon the
enemy. The first lines
of soldiers were
either crushed under
the animals' hooves
or gored on their
horns. The ground ran crimson red with blood when the riders unleashed their hand-grenades
upon the enemy.
Bodies were tossed into the freezing air, torn limb from limb, with every explosion.
Suddenly, the crackle of rifle fire burst from Glendale's soldiers and the Atelians were mowed
down without a second thought. A cry rang out among the Lodisian soldiers as they charged
towards Jephfryee's men. At the same moment, a blood-curdling screech came from the
Atelian's under Jephfryee's command as they to ran forth. Numerous Fire-bombers and
1181
118
8
FIGHT and LOVE
Shotgunners climbed onto the Bortho's and Warlord's as they charged.
The Lodisian soldiers opened fire, their rifles and light machine guns merely annoying the
already enraged warbeasts of Atelia. The ground shook with each mighty foot-fall of the
elephantine creatures, soon followed by screams of agony as many of the Lodisian infantrymen were crushed beneath the Bortho's and Warlord's or burned by the cocktail-grenades of
the Firebombers or had the flesh ripped from their body by the Shotgunners.
Jephfryee smugly grinned, now confident in his victory. What happened next is beyond
description. More or less, one moment there was an Atelian Borthos almost to the Lodis
vehicle line, then there was an ear-splitting 'BOOM', and suddenly, all that was left of the
Borthos was carrion and bone. Jephfryee turned and ran to his own vehicle line as he realized
what had happened.
You see, it is a little known fact that Jephfryee formerly fought for the Holy Lodis Empire.
While his reason for leaving Lodis is unknown, his reason for running at this point was well
founded. The weapon that had been fired is an incedibly powerful, 'super-cannon', similar to
the gun on a Siege Behemoth or a Shock-Fortress, but much more powerful. Lodis is the only
faction known to possess these and it is believed that it is the brain-child of a Lodisian, genius
engineer, and the combined technologies of all the lands conquered by Lodis.
Jephfryee quickly climbed onto the front of his custom-made tank, drew his sword and his
gun, and yelled, "Charge! Move as fast as you can! Obliterate them all!"
Hundreds of cannons roared to life from Jephfryee's tanks as they charged. Cannon shells fell
like rain and the machine-gun fire was so thick that it seemed to form literal walls of bullets.
The Lodis force charged with equal vigor, their battle-cry of, "Kill! Burn! Purge!", rising
above the explosion of cannon and gun.
Jephfryee stood atop the front of his tank, undaunt, slashing down any enemies close enough
and shooting those that weren't. Ahead of him, Jephfryee saw Glendale standing on top of his
own tank. Taking careful aim, Jephfryee squeezed off one round from his hand-gun, which hit
Glendale square in the center of his chest. Both advancing lines stopped just before smashing
into each other.
Glendale, grasping at the hole in his chest, coughed out, "You win, McAylystaer. Be on your
way. I'll leave Akka alone, for now."
Jephfryee nodded and ordered that his men return to his airship. Upon return, inventory was
taken. It was recorded that one Borthos had been lost, along with a sizable number of Atelian
Nomad riders and various other infantry. Jephfryee determined that their losses were
acceptable and quickly made preparations for the 'Iron Horizon' to continue it's journey. At
this rate, he'd be in the capitol of Kathos in two days.
1191
119
9
FIGHT and LOVE
The Means to an End
Chapter- 6: A Kathos Divided
The next day- Capitol of Kathos; The relentless assault from the Holy Lodis Empire's
invasion force had been help at bay for the past twenty-two hours. The only saving grace of
the city was it's defense grid of eight Shock-Fortresses, which had managed to push the
enemy presence from the city and hold them just beyond the walls. Unfortunately, the
fortresses were running low on ammo and more soldiers from Lodis had arrived that morning.
Lord's Suramur awaited the enemy's next charge as he looked out from the top of his Black
Skull Devastator. Fear was so ripe among his men that it almost seemed a tangible thing,
hanging in the air, waiting to be sliced through. Behind him, the Lord could hear his soldiers
murmuring discontentedly, barely audible over the idling engines of the Savars, Atavars, Tank
Destroyers, and what few Devastators they had mustered.
Sensing the need to some way boost the morale of his soldiers, Suramur turned and proudly
called out, "Fear not! We will soon be relieved! Reinforcements are on the way!" Suramur
knew this to be a lie but said it anyway. "Brave men and women of Kathos! Do not falter in
your fights! Even if we fall in this battle, we will be avenged! One day, some way, we will
realize our ultimate dream! As one, free... a KATHOS, UNITED!!!"
Slowly, a cheer began to rise up among the soldiers. They began to chant the Kathos National
Anthem. Pride lit up in their distraught faces. Lord Suramur turned and once again faced
towards the enemy. Sweeping his arm in front of him, he yelled, "For Kathos!!!" His
Devastator lurched forward and charged out of the city at full speed. It was closely followed
by the rest of his army, battle cries of all kinds ringing out from them.
As they passed the city gates, Suramur's
force was met with a line of massive, bipedal walkers. Cannon and machine-gun
fire rang out from the walkers. The ground
shook with each mighty step that these twolegged behemoths took. The air shook with
the blast of Suramur's own guns going live.
The first barrage from the Lodis line wiped
out nearly half of Suramur's infantry.
Suramur's own first barrage was met with
the satisfying screech of twisting metal and
grinding gears as many of the enemy's walkers fell to the ground.
Suramur expectantly glanced off to the right and left of his force. His glances were met with
satisfaction as he watched Gregory Ratkai's own force charge out from the sides of the city.
The pincer attack had been executed perfectly. Gregory's Terror Walkers ate through the
Lodis infantry, hundreds of men being sliced down, the ground running crimson with their
blood.
Suddenly, Suramur was overcome with an unnatural sense of fear and dread. While his attack
was successfully killing many Lodisians, it seemed to avail. Every time one of their walkers
went down, two took it's place. As each infantry-man was torn a apart by bullets, ten more ran
and stood his ground. Suramur assumed that Lt. Ratkai had noticed this as well and called him
on the radio.
1202
120
0
FIGHT and LOVE
"Ratkai! Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Suramur yelled of his tank's cannons.
The staticy reply of, "If by that you mean have I noticed that our attack is doing about as
much as throwing pebbles at Mortts, then yes."
"Exactly." Suramur replied. He was about to continue, but was cut short as every gun on
every single Lodis airship opened fire. Moments later, the same was done with each airship's
rocket batteries. This preposterously massive artillery strike shredded both Suramur's and
Ratkai's forces almost out of existence. Seeing that there was now no chance of victory,
the whole of Kathos United evacuated the capitol and destroyed their H.Q. As they scattered
into the surrounding woods, many looked back to see the city burn, to hear the cries of those
who were too unfortunate to escape the Holy Lodis army. They began to lose all hope of
survival and gave up.
With Osatia in ruins, the task of holding against Lodis, of reclaiming their homes, and of
protecting their proud way of life, were left in the hands of, not any organized military or
revolutionary force, but in the hands of those with the courage and determination to succeed
when all else fails. To never give up. The last defense of Osatia was now left in the hands of
the leaders of Kathos United. But in their weakened state, one begins to wonder how they will
prevail...
The Means to an End
Chapter 7- Alone
Somewhere in the Kathosian countryside; Dorche continued to stumble through seemingly
endless miles of trees as night began to slowly fall. He'd been on the run for two days, ever
since the counterstrike from Lodis had arrived and wiped out his airship and crew. They
hadn't stood a chance and only a few men had survived long enough to run into the woods.
But, even under the protective veil of thick foliage no comfort was found.
Every half-mile, it seemed like another dead body or bodies of Baron soldiers was found. For
Dorche, it didn't matter. By now, he was so panicked that he couldn't tell the difference
between a mile traveled or a foot of soil. Fear tore at the very fibers of his being as the last
rays of twilight faded into the darkness of night. As the sun fell beneath the horizon, Yohan
Dorche could only think or say one thing, "I've gotta run! Can't stop running! Mustn't slow
down or they'll get me!"
This wave of insanity only took him for a moment, though. His body had been pushed to the
limit, and while he was void of all reason, Dorche did realize that he needed to rest, no matter
what. As the night deepened, so did Dorche's sobriety.
Finally regaining his wits, Dorche quickly ran about and pulled what clothing, weaponry, and
various other supplies that he could find off of any of the dead soldiers scattered about. While
this task was one done begrudgingly, Dorche desperately needed supplies. To comfort
himself, he mumbled, "He won't be needing this anymore...", each time he took something
1212
121
1
FIGHT and LOVE
from a dead body.
Eventually, he was satisfied with his collection of items and, making a small shelter of leaves
near a dead tree, curled up and fell asleep.
The Means to an End
Chapter 8 Part 1/2- The Hammer
Jephfryee looked out across the sky from the bridge of the 'Iron Horizon'. The day was cloudy
and he began to frown as he realized that there was no way of figuring out how close he was
to the capitol of Kathos without dropping nearly a kilometer of altitude. McAylystaer found
this course of action to be unsettling since he knew that his recent bout with Richard Glendale
likely drew even more attention to both him, and Akka.
The airship quickly descended out of the clouds and into the open sky, floating just a mere
half-kilometer from the ground. As Jephfryee walked out onto the foredeck of his ship, an
artillery shell screamed past. Running to the rails, Jephfryee looked down to see an enormous
army of Lodisian soldiers; they were marching away from the capitol. Smoke was on the
horizon, accompanied by the red glow of a massive fire.
Another shell flew past the ship from the ground. This one was significantly closer. As
Jephfryee ran back into the bridge, a third shell was belched forth from the Lodis artillery.
This shell was right on target and smashed into the front of the 'Iron Horizon'. A moment
later, the shell exploded, throwing twisted metal and bodies into the air as the ship began to
plummet to the ground.
In the bridge, the second-in-command ran up to Jephfryee and yelled, "Captain! What in
God's name do we do?!"
Jephfryee smirked as he sat down in the airship's pilot seat. "I know this guy that once cut the
balls off of a wrecker with a rusty old Atavar tank. We've still got steering, so let's see if we
can't just do one better." As he said this, he pulled the harness off of a parachute and tied
himself to the pilot chair.
The airship continued to gain speed as it fell to the ground. Yanking at the controls, Jephfryee
swerved the front of the airship up to a forty-five degree angle just as it hit the ground.
Skidding along the earth, the painful screech of tearing metal all around, McAylystaer swung
the tail end of the airship around and slammed it into the ground as well. Now, this three
hundred meter long behemoth of an airship, was skidding horizontally across the ground with
tremendous speed and force, straight towards the front of the Lodis army.
As the Lodis soldiers began to realize what was about to happen, they turned and ran. This
was to no avail and they were quickly crushed under the ship's hulking super-structure. Then
came the walkers. Even the gigantic bi-pedal walkers of Lodis were crushed beneath this
monstrous wreck.
1222
122
2
FIGHT and LOVE
The whole event, lasting only a matter of seconds, was over almost before it had begun. But,
it had bought Jephfryee enough time to think out a plan for escape. Since the airship had
remained upright through the crash, that meant that all of the vehicles and Atelian warbeasts
in the cargo hold were likely still in usable shape. Even better, the Holy Lodis army was in so
much confusion that they would be paying no heed to the airship for at least a few minutes.
That meant that there was a slim chance of escape, so Jephfryee rushed to the cargo hold
where he knew that the rest of the crew would also be heading.
The cargo hold of the 'Iron Horizon' was alive with the thrum of engines and the grunting of
Borthos and Warlords. Jephfryee, standing atop his custom made walking tank, stared at the
massive loading door on the side of the hold as he waited for the right moment. A moment
passed, and then he ordered, "Charge! Don't stop the line and make for the hills!"
The cannon on Jephfryee's walking tank fired a high-explosive
round into the cargo hold's door, blowing it clear off the side of
the ship. Jephfryee's tank pilot immediately shoved the tank's
controls forward causing the custom, six-legged walking tank to
surge forth with incedible speed.
As McAylystaer's tank leapt from the hold, it crushed a circle of
Lodis soldiers beneath it, and then began to clear a path through
the army, it's legs crushing the bodies of any soldiers unfortunate
enough to be in the way as it ran ahead. The Warlods quickly followed the walking tank out
of the hold, their automatic cannons and tusks tearing more soldiers apart and making the path
wider. Next followed the Borhtos. Those who weren't cut down by the machine-guns mounted
on these creatures' backs were flattened under foot.
The path being cleared through the Holy Lodis army was now wide enough for five
Devastators to run abreast. Tank after tank began to pour from the hold of the wreckage of the
'Iron Horizon'. Infantry clung to the sides of the tanks, slashing and shooting any enemies that
were so foolish as to get close enough to the armored column. Bringing up the rear were
Jephfryee's Wreckers. Their wrecking ball's ripping the legs off of any of Lodis' walkers that
opposed the armored column and crushing infantry beneath their treads.
Very quickly, the Lodis soldiers realized that there was no point in trying to stop the column,
so they began to move out of it's way. Soon enough, Jephfryee and his army were clear of
Lodis'. This in turn led to the Lodis army, now with no armored column disrupting their lines,
regrouping and charging across the field after Jephfryee.
Seeing this, Jephfryee ordered his men to push their tanks to the limit. Rushing ever forwards,
the Lodis army slowly began to slip further away. But, since he was a rationalist of sorts,
McAylystaer made sure that he lobbed every last cannon, artillery, and small-arms round
possible at the Lodis army until they were out of range. Having successfully escaped,
Jephfryee began the arduous task of finding the rest of Kathos United.
1232
123
3
FIGHT and LOVE
The Means to an End
Chapter 8 Part 2/2- Turn to the Maze of Steel
Near Walker Boneyard; Lord Suramar, against all odds, had managed to escape the Lodis
army. He'd met up with Ratkai some time ago and they decided to merge the remnants of their
two armies into one. Afterwards, they proceeded to make their way to the Walker Boneyard.
Entony Suramar believed that the Boneyard was likely the safest place left in Osatia, it
hulking piles of rusting mechanical parts and other trash forming heaps the size of mountains;
an easy place to hide.
On the way to the Boneyard, they'd encountered a number of remnant forces from both the
Barons of Rhamos and the Confederation of Nallum. Many of these stragglers had nowhere
else to go, so they took up with Entony and Kathos United. Even though Entony still held a
loathing hatred of Rhamos, any help from anyone was needed, and so a surprisingly large
number of Baron Troopers, MBT's, Artillery Walkers, and Rocket Tanks quickly accumulated
in the ranks.
After an agonizingly long day of marching, Lord Suramar ordered that his force stop and set
up camp. A small temporary base was hastily assembled. Once it was completed, most of the
soldiers collapsed in their tents and passed out from exhaustion. Entony, Gregory, and a few
others were sitting around a fire that they'd built in the middle of the camp.
Entony finished drinking a bottle of Mortt's Eye liquor that he'd been saving and then threw it
into the fire. He frowned as he watched the expensive glass bottle burn. "This new war, it's
not much different from the last one. All this new, intense combat brings back a lot of
memories... Venice..." He paused and stretched his legs. "Anyway, what about you Gregory?
All this fighting bring back any not so fond memories for you?"
Entony turned just in time to see Ratkai stand up and disappear into the deepening night.
"That man... I swear, he's so quiet it's almost unsettling." Turning back to the fire, Suramar
saw a familiar figure coming towards him from the direction of the Boneyard. As she got
closer, he immediately recognized her and stood up to greet her. "Jutwen! 'Tis good to see you
again! I haven't seen you in nearly three months!"
Jutwen quickly made her way over to Entony and sat down next to him. "Well, I've
unfortunately had things other than you to occupy my time lately. Maybe we can get...", she
paused and seemed to think for a little while, "reacquainted, later."
The next day; Entony and his force set off once again. Soon enough, they arrived in the
Walker Boneyard. With some help from Jutwen, they made their way deep into the Boneyard
where they would spend the next couple of days regrouping and planning their next moves.
Somewhere between Kathos and Essatia; Jephfryee's armored column was still speeding
across the Osatian continent. His force hadn't slowed down or stopped for the last three days.
Climbing down into his walking tank, Jephfryee tapped his second-in-command on the soldier
and asked, "You got any ideas on where we can find a Siege Behemoth? We're gonna need
some to fight Lodis."
The man shook his head and replied, "Outside of the Walker Boneyard, I don't think Siege
Behemoths even exist anymore."
1242
124
4
FIGHT and LOVE
Jephfryee went pale with fear from the notion of this. He quickly recomposed himself,
though. "Well then, I guess we're going to the Walker Boneyard. Just make sure that we go to
all possible lengths to avoid..." he paused and was almost overcome with fear again, "Joaquin.
Well, give the order to come about. We're heading back into Kathos!"
The Means to an End
Chapter 9- Hit it with a Tank
Walker Boneyard; Jephfryee stood atop his walking tank as it sped through the Boneyard.
Lifting his spy-glass into place, McAylystaer began to methodically scan the piles of junk. He
was in search of Siege Behemoths, preferably working but any condition was better than
nothing. As he panned across the mountains of scrap, Jephfryee came across a rather
comforting sight. Off in the distance, he'd spotted a large camp with the Kathos United banner
flying above it.
"Turn towards that encampment!" Jephfryee yelled down to the tank pilot. The pilot replied
with a near inaudible grunt. The walking tank belched forth a cloud of smoke and turned
towards the camp. The rest of the armored column followed and they quickly arrived at the
site without pause. Jumping off of his vehicle, Jephfryee was greeted by Entony, Ratkai, and a
woman that he didn't recognize.
"Captain McAylystaer, it is good to see that you're still alive! I hope that your warband hasn't
suffered too many casualties? It is still one of the largest in our ranks."
Jephfryee bowed as he stepped up to his superior. "Yes, although don't expect it to do much
soon. I have many wounded infantry, hungry Atelian warbeasts, and little food or water left.
1252
125
5
FIGHT and LOVE
We've been traveling without halt for near four days and all my men are tired and our tanks
are low on fuel."
Ratkai grunted and shook his head, causing his ponytail to flick about his side. Jephfryee
grinned and jested, "Still silent and ungroomed I see. Ever considered getting a haircut? I
know this cute little blonde back in Akka that's just a whiz with scissors!"
Entony cleared his throat and shot McAylystaer a look that clearly meant, 'Shut up. We don't
have time for your jokes'. "Anyway, whatever brings you to the Boneyard can be discussed
later. I say that we attend to your wounded and let your men get some rest. Our own forces
have recovered enough to stand their own for now. Jutwen, show Captain McAylystaer about
the camp if you would please, darling. I'll go get the medics."
The woman next to Suramar smiled and waved for Jephfryee to follow her. He did so rather
cautiously, giving one last glance over his shoulder before trotting ahead to catch up with
Jutwen. A moment later, Entony set off himself to get the medics, and Gregory simply
wandered off by himself somewhere.
As she led Jephfryee through the camp, Jutwen gave a rather thorough explanation of it's
setup. Of course, he heard none of this as he'd zoned out the minute they'd set off. 'Jutwen,
Jutwen, Jutwen... where have I heard that name before?' Jephfryee thought. Then it suddenly
dawned upon him. As he remembered back on some of the stories he'd heard about Suramar,
Jephfryee realized exactly who she was.
Suddenly, as he was walking, Jephfryee ran into something and nearly fell over. A split
second later he felt the driving force of a fist being slammed into his face. He'd run into
Jutwen, who had stopped walking, and she'd just punched him in the face for it. A moment
later she chimed, "And so that's the whole camp!"
Jephfryee rubbed his jaw and replied, "Yeah, thanks. Now run along lass and go do whatever
it is that you and Entony do. I'm gonna get some rest, so no more talking. Good day!" He fell
over onto a pile of junk and immediately went to sleep. Jutwen mumbled, "Talk about
gratitude..." and off to find Entony.
The next day; Since Jephfryee's own crew was still recovering, he had to make use of some of
Entony's men for his plan. It was reported that there was an enormous mansion nearby
belonging to a wealthy Baron, who just so happened to own a large number of Siege
Behemoths. It was also believed that a Marauder captain known only as Bengarr was being
held at this mansion as well. Jephfryee had every intention of stealing these Siege Behemoths
for himself and seeing if this captain was worth saving in the process.
"Alright!" Jephfryee yelled to Entony's men from his walking tank, "This is the plan! Drive
your Devastator's as close as you possibly can to those big, armored, bastards and keep 'em
from moving! Then you'll want to climb inside as quickly as possible and eliminate their
crews! Make sure to move fast! I want every one of these Siege Behemoths taken, in working
condition! Let's move!" The force of about forty Devastator's and Jephfryee's own tank moved
out into the direction of the mansion.
As the first Siege Behemoth came into view, a small group of Devastator's surged ahead and
immobilized it. A moment later, a few men climbed inside, followed by gunshots, and lastly
1262
126
6
FIGHT and LOVE
As the first Siege Behemoth came into view, a small group of Devastator's surged ahead and
immobilized it. A moment later, a few men climbed inside, followed by gunshots, and lastly
the Behemoth's engine shutting off. The same happened as again and again as Siege
Behemoth after Siege Behemoth began to appear. Watching his plan succeed without flaw,
Jephfryee merrily cried, "I ask for but one Siege Behemoth and this fool gives me twenty!!!"
Soon enough, Baron Trooper and Bazooka teams began to flood from the mansion.
McAylystaer left Entony's men to deal with them and instead ordered his walking tank to
scale the wall of the mansion and scout around back. As ordered, the pilot turned the tank and
it quickly skittered up the building wall and headed towards the back.
Reaching the rear of the house, Jephfryee saw yet another Siege Behemoth. This one was
slowly headed for a Borthos about halfway through the building's back wall, nearly twenty
meters away. Seeing this, the tank pilot sped up the walking tank, guessing at what Jephfryee
was planning. The guess was right, for when the walking tank reached the ledge of the roof
and jumped over the Behemoth, Jephfryee leapt from it and onto the top of the massive
machination below.
Ripping the hatch on the Siege Behemoth open, McAylystaer slid inside. The crew within was
startled beyond reaction and all were quickly bisected with a few precise slashes from
Jephfryee's sword. Climbing out of the Behemoth, he curiously stared at the massive Borthos,
it's grey hide standing out among the rust of the Boneyard. Standing atop the animal was a
man and an Atelian woman, both of which seemed familiar.
1272
127
7
FIGHT and LOVE
J The Means to an End
Chapter 10- Harbinger
ephfryee casually stood atop the commandeered Behemoth and waved to the two people
standing on the Borthos. "Hullo! How are you this fine day? Having fun I presume?" He
jumped to the ground and strolled across a pile of rubble and stood next to the massive,
elephantine, creature. After a few minutes of whispering from atop the beast, a rope was
thrown off the side and the two who'd been standing on the creature slid down next to
McAylystaer.
The first on the ground was a man wearing a rather worn out old winter coat. The other was
an Atelian woman dressed in Attora furs. Jephfryee chuckled at the sight of these two and
folded his arms behind his back. Turning to the man, he bellowed, "Captain Bengarr, I
assume?" The man nodded and replied, "If you so wish to call me by my middle name, then
yes."
Jephfryee then turned to the woman. "And you are..." She grinned and curtsied. "Meridia. I
must say sir, we are very much indebted to you. I had no plan to escape this Baron's vast army
of Siege Behemoths."
Jephfryee bowed. "Well, you are most welcome. Next you should consider bring some of
your prized Warlords, maybe? Anyway, Captain, I do request that you return to camp with
me. My commander wishes a word with you. The girl may do as she pleases." Bengarr
frowned and grunted, "If you'retrying to get me to join you it won't happen. I have my own
business to attend to." Jephfryee simply frowned and began to make his way back to his
walking tank. "Well, too bad then. Besides, with a reputation like yours, I don't think anyone
would hire you onto their crew." Behind him, McAylystaer heard the action of an AF-5 slide
back and lock into place. Nothing came of it, as at the same moment,his walking tank came
over a pile of rusted bolts.
Kathos United war camp; "What?! Twenty Siege Behemoths?!! All in working order??!"
Lord Suramur yelled as Jephfryee layed a report on his desk. Shining his buttons, which were
already polished to a high sheen, McAylystaer nodded. "Yep. And, get this, no casualties for
us. Then there's at least 1,000 metric tons of gold bars in the basement of that place. We still
haven't been through all the ruins either,so there could potentially be many more resource
hideaways."
Entony nodded and stood up. Patting Jephfryee on the back, he merrily exclaimed, "Good job!
With that kind of money, we'll be back to full strength in no time!!! Ah, also, a messenger
brought a letter for you while you where out." He began to shuffle through the hundreds of
papers and maps spread across his desk. Shortly, he came across the envelope and handed it to
Jephfryee.
McAylystaer noted that the letter had been mailed from Akka s he quickly tore it open. He
readthe letter once, twice, three times, before ripping it in half and crushing it with his fist. He
turnedto Entony with a grave look on his face. "Sir, I request permission to operate freely in
the field for the next two weeks." Entony, surprised by this request, simply signed a release
paper and said, "Well,I don't see why not. By the time you return, we should be back to full
strength. Just make sure that your men are ready for war when you get back." Jephfryee
nodded and stormed out of the command tent.
1282
128
8
FIGHT and LOVE
The Means to an End
Chapter 11- If only for a moment of madness...
Kathos United war camp; Jephfryee fidgeted with the silk bookmark hanging out of the book
he help as he watched his men quickly load crates of gold into their tanks. The bounty of
riches found within the Baron's manor was by no means meager. McAylystaer had decided to
commandeer about fifty of the crates of gold that had been found, equaling about threehundred thousand gold bars. Deciding this to be more than enough to acquire a new airship,
ammunition, and extra fuel, he'd taken no more, leaving his comrades to fight over the vast
spoils.
Somewhere in the Kathosian countryside; It had taken seemingly endless days, but Dorche
had somehow managed to escape the woods both alive and with his sanity intact. In the
distance, Lodis' lumbering walkers could still be heard tramping about, but they were miles
away. Looking about, he determined that he was somewhere in North-West Osatia. Upon
realizing this, he was grateful to have stolen the coats from the fallen soldiers for it was
nearing winter and this part of the land was well known for it's freezing temperatures.
On the horizon, Dorche could plainly see thick clouds of black smoke emblazoned against the
setting sun. Just below the smoke, and near impossible to see, was the distinct red glow of a
large fire. This didn't bode well and Dorche decided to head in the opposite direction.
Muttering to himself, Dorche jested, "What does it matter where I go? I'm on the doorstep of a
harsh winter, surrounded by the enemy, and am no better armed than a saber and a gun with
no shot. Might as well feed myself to a mortt if any are about. Things would certainly end
quicker..." He shook his head, pulled his coat tight about him, and set off with a brisk pace to
the south.
In Akka; Richard Glendale maniacally laughed as he watched the town burn. The screams of
women being raped and children being executed filled the air. Nearly every building in town
had either been burned to the ground was currently ablaze. There had been no resistance at all.
No one put up a fight and instead had simply stood in the streets to be killed. Richard reveled
in the noise of pain and agony. Proud of his job, he decided to take a walk around town.
Glendale made surprising speed as he walked, even though he was still recovering from the
bullet to the chest that Jephfryee had given him.
Some time passed before he neared the end of his walk. The din of battle had faded and the
only noise about seemed to be the 'clanking' sound that was made as his swords and
ceremonial chains bumped against his armor. Finally ending up at the back of the town,
Richard came across one building that still stood untouched. The sign above the door read,
"Brothel- Private Property of Capt. McAylystaer". Beneath that, in small print, was written,
"If you're not invited then bugger on home."
Promptly, a group of soldiers ran towards the building hefting buckets of fuel. Richard
stepped in front of them and yelled, "Stop!" The soldiers looked at their commander
questioningly. One of them cautiously stepped forward and squeaked, "But sir, you told us to
1292
129
9
FIGHT and LOVE
torch every building." Richard glared at the man and growled, "Well, don't burn this one. For
that matter, don't touch it or even look in it's general direction! Tell the rest of the men to
salvage what they can of the town and prepare defenses!!!" The soldier hastily saluted as he
and his comrades ran off.
Once they were gone, a sadistic smile spread across Richard's face. Snickering to himself, he
hissed, "Yes, leave it intact for now. Let us see what you will do now Jephfryee. What will
you do to save who or what may or may not be within that building. Yesss, what will you do...
mister Un-Holy Knight, Paladin of the God-Emperor Lodis?"
The Means to an End
Bonus Story- An Angry Jasmine Approaches!!!
'Jasmine's Gentlemen's Club' was as alive as it always was. Full of loud music, lots of
laughter, moans of pleasure and the occasional scream. Of course, from time to time these
screams were of pain if one of the customers didn't wan't to pay for his or her 'services'. But,
the club wasn't quite as innocent as all that. It was also the favorite attraction for many of the
most notorious Marauder Captains around. Then again, who else would be in Anchorpoint but
Marauders?
Standing outside the brothel was a lone man, dressed in a furr cap, a long furr lined over coat,
heavy green pants, fine leather boots, and a large furr lined cape. Pushing the brothel's
swinging door open, he slipped in without being noticed. He quickly shuffled into a nearby
1303
130
0
FIGHT and LOVE
corner and surveyed the building's spacious main floor. As he'd expected, nearly every
Captain in Anchorpoint seemed to be there.
As he was about to venture further into the place, a young woman dressed in red lingerie
stepped in front of him. She smiled and slyly chimed, "Why hello there. I didn't notice you
come in. I don't think I've seen you here before. Is there anything I can do for you?"
The man quickly looked her up and down, gave her a 10 out of 10 for looks, and pushed her
aside. Stepping into the brothel's lounge, he yelled, "So, who here is with a group of Captains
that raided Arch-Duke Kremerin earlier this week.?" About a minute later, six men slowly
stood up. At this, the man asked them, "And so that's all of you?" The ugliest Captain from
the group that had stood replied, "Yeah. We's the ones that raid the pretty-pants Duke. What's
it to ya?"
The man smiled and chuckled, "Only this..." Before anyone knew what was happening, the
man had drawn a revolver and opened fire on the Captains that had so foolishly stood up. He
effectively placed one bullet into each head of the six, blew on the muzzle of his gun,
holstered it, and walked out of the building. He didn't make very far down the street before he
heard the sound of feet chasing him. Grasping the hilt of his sword and spinning about, he
came face to face with the woman wearing red lingere from earlier.
"What in the hell do you think you're doing coming into my place and shooting it up?! For
fuck's sake, what is wrong with you?!!" she screamed in his face. The man, a bit startled,
cleared his throat and calmly replied, "Ah, then you are Jasmine? Well you see, it's like this.
Kremrin had hired me to guard some of his estates. He offered me a ludicrous sum of money
for the job, so I took it. Unfortunately, he didn't plan for being raided by six Captains at the
same time, so he hadn't supplied with enough of his Troopers. We were easily overrun and I
got blamed for it and wasn't paid. This made me mad, so I tracked the Captains here and just
now killed them. I am now going to go kill the Arch-Duke himself for being stupid and not
supplying me with enough soldiers. Then I'll steal all of his money and move on. Fair
enough?"
Jasmine was deep in thought for a moment. After a short while, she sneered at the man and
hissed, "You work for a Baron? That could get you thrown off the ledge in this place. I think
I'll..." she started to turn and yell, but before she knew it, the man had drawn his sword and
was currently holding the tip in between her breasts, just below the clasp of her bra. Glaring at
the man, Jasmine snarled, "You wouldn't."
The man simply smiled and winked. "If you want to keep believing that, go ahead. Just try
your luck." He slightly raised his sword so that the blade tapped the clasp of her bra,
producing a sharp 'ding'. Jasmine frowned and continued to glare at the man. In response, he
simply pulled a sack of gems from a pocket within his coat, handed them to her, and said,
"That should cover the damages." He then sheathed his sword and began to
walk away. Jasmine looked from the sack of gems, to the man, back to the sack of gems, and
finally back to the man. "Hey! Where do you think you're going? Do you have no respect?"
The man looked over his shoulder and said, "Nope, not one single bit. All I respect is money,
and lots of it. I don't care who it is so long as they're willing to pay through the nose for my
expertise in cold blooded murder and adeptness with tactics." Jasmine put her hands on her
hips and said back, "I could use a guy like you. How about you do a little work for me and I'll
1313
131
1
FIGHT and LOVE
forget about all the trouble you just caused in my brothel. Sound like a fair deal?" The man
nodded. Jasmine tossed him the bag of gems he'd given her and said, "Consider that payment
in advance." The man caught the bag and grinned. "The name is Jephfryee McAylystaer. At
your service." Jasmine turned and walked off. As she did, she called back, "Come to my
brothel tomorrow, early. In the mean time, get yourself and airship and a crew!"
Jephfryee leaned back in his chair and looked out the window of his brothel. Looking into the
distance he muttered to himself, "Good times. Pretty good times those were. I should stop by
Anchorpoint again one of these days, see what Jasmine has been up to." He shook his head
and chuckled. Jephfryee closed his diary and looked at one of the many clocks hanging on his
wall. Four 'o clock exactly, and that meant that his slave girl would step in any moment with
his afternoon tea. Jephfryee smiled and thought to himself, 'Yes, those were some pretty good
times. But so are these...'
The Means to an End
Chapter 12- Remember
Jephfryee's armored convoy thundered across the plains of Kathos as it made it's way to Akka.
McAylystaer calmly looked across the countryside as flew by at a speed to great to distinguish
anything. Unsurprisingly though, the Captain's calm demeanor was no more than a ruse, for
beneath the surface, he was burning with rage and anger, but was also filled with worry.
Sighing, Jephfryee climbed down inside his walking tank and decided that a little reading
would do him some good. Reaching into his coat, he pulled out a small book.
The book was a hard-back with a cover made of red velvet, faded from years of abuse and odd
environments. Many of the pages were torn or falling apart. They too were faded with age.
The pages were ghastly to look at with many notes and the like scrawled down in very bad
handwriting. The leather binding was cracked and worn and very little of the gold lettering
along it could still be seen. Surprisingly, enough of the lettering was left to just barely make
out the word, 'Diary'. The only part of the book still in acceptable was the bookmark, which
was mad of a fine red silk, bordered by black satin.
This book had been one of Jephfryee's only companions for most of his life, ever since he was
but a young boy growing up in Vastun. Jephfryee opened the diary to the first page. In his
mother's distinctive handwriting was scrawled, 'For Jephfryee- Never forget but always
forgive.' He smiled as he remembered his mother before turning further into the book and
beginning to read and recall his childhood.
Twenty years earlier; Jephfryee blankly stared at the test laid before him on his desk. Not one
of the questions had been covered before the test was issued, yet every other student in the
class was still trying to answer them. This went on for some time before the Class-Master
lumbered over to Jephfryee and loomed over the young boy. Glaring down at the boy, the
Class-Master bellowed, "WHAT do you think that you are DOING??! McAylystaer!"
Jephfryee simply looked up the man and matter-o-factly stated, "Sir, this information was not
covered and I cannot complete the work. I can only know what I am told. To know more is
1323
132
2
FIGHT and LOVE
impossible and to know less is ignorance. If you care to teach me now, I'll gladly complete the
task."
The Class-Master growled and slammed his fist into Jephfryee's side. The boy was knocked
from his chair and fell to the ground with a 'thud'. The Class-Master then proceeded to kick
the boy until he stood up and ran out of the building. Stumbling out of the front door,
Jephfryee ran across the street and fell against the wall of a deli to catch his breath. After
resting for a short while, he slid to the ground and yelled, "Damn it!!! That's the third
academy that I've been kicked out of!"
"Is that so?"
Jephfryee looked up to see who had spoken. Before him stood a man dressed in a full set of
armor with a very boisterous, purple velvet sash. Realizing that this man was, not necessarily
with the military, but still a very high rank Lodis official, stood and saluted. The man casually
returned the salute and merrily said, "I'm General Sveptus SacNyusan. If I am not mistaken,
your name is Jephfryee, is it not?" Jephfryee nodded and stammered, "Y..yes. Jephfryee
McAylystaer, sir." The man scratched his chin and tilted his head. "I thought so. You look just
like him... your father that is. He served under my command during the invasions of Haugan
and Athas. He was a good man, and a better soldier. Alas, he still fell and died with his men in
Ziapaoh. But you're his son, you know this."
Jephfryee blinked at this statement. He was rather surprised that a General was talking to him,
but the man did appear to have known his father, so McAylystaer decided to see where this
conversation would go. Clearing his throat, Jephfryee looked the General square in his eyes
and queried, "Sir, not to be rude, but what use does a man such as yourself have with me?"
Sveptus nearly doubled over with laughter before recomposing himself and replying, "Son, if
you're half the man your father was, you'll be a well needed asset to the military. Have you
ever considered being a soldier?"
Jephfryee carefully closed his diary and slid it back into it's pocket in his coat. While it hadn't
calmed him quite as much as he'd hoped, Jeohfryee did admit that he was no longer as
worried. Climbing back onto the top of his tank, he looked out to the horizon. It was a blazing
red plastered against the black night sky; the kind of red that only fire produces. The tank had
slowed down and Jephfryee could clearly see in the moonlight that the ground was torn and
charred, the unmistakeable imprints of Lodis' walkers still crushed into the soil. Akka had
already fallen. Jephfryee knew this for sure now. All he could hope was that his brothel, and
those within it, were still alive.
The Means to an End
Chapter 13- A Burning Field of Snow as Giants Walk the Earth
Jephfryee angrily snarled as he watched Akka draw nearer through his spy glass. The whole
town was in a roaring blaze, and what wasn't still burning was lying in smoldering heaps on
the ground. It also appeared that most of the populace had been murdered, their dead bodies
1333
133
3
FIGHT and LOVE
hung limply from makeshift wooden crosses staked around the town's border. Numerous
Lodissian soldiers could be seen standing atop what was once a defensive wall, now just
rubble. Further back, a battalion of Lodis' bi-pedal walkers could be seen standing ready for
battle. Jephfryee remembered the horrid clanking noise that those walkers made, and the
thought of it caused him to shudder.
By now it was obvious that the Lodis Army was waiting for them to attack. McAylystaer
found the idea that this enemy was waiting for him more and more disturbing. Lodis was
rarely in the habit of fighting otherwise than a straightforward frontal assault. Lowering his
spy glass, Jephfryee mumbled, "Why are they waiting? Why aren't they charging? They have
every advantage in the world..." He stopped mid-thought as he realized that there was only
one answer, and prayed that he was wrong about it. "Damn it! I can't think about that now! I
have to keep my head about me if we're going to pull this off!!!" he yelled to himself. Pushing
the thought from his mind, Jephfryee lifted his spy glass back into place only to duck inside
his tank a moment later, slamming the hatch shut behind him.
The barrage of artillery that had arced out of the town screamed towards the armored column.
Upon impact, the ground shook with the explosive force of what was at the least one hundred
artillery shells. Nearly all of the infantry was wiped out. Those that weren't made mad dashes
for the Devastators and the Iron Clads. Only a moment passed before the sonic scream of
artillery and the deafening noise of it's explosion was heard again, and again, and again, and
again, and still again. Even within the armored cocoon of Jephfryee's walking tank he could
smell the ash, the burnt soil, the blood mixed with motor oil and hydraulic fluid. Above even
the clamor of the walking tank's machinery he could hear the screams of dying men as they
were torn apart.
It seemed a year to McAylystaer though it was only the matter of two minutes that the
pounding of the Lodis artillery lasted. Quickly climbing back out onto the top of his walking
tank, Jephfryee surveyed the carnage. The snow, white a moment before, was now crimson
red, saturated with blood. No infantry was left and all but the heaviest of the armored units
had been destroyed. Turning back to face ahead, Jephfryee drew his sword and gun. He set his
eyes upon the broken gate at the entrance to the town, the only way in or out. Watching it
draw nearer, Jephfryee began to count the distance in his head. 'Five-hundred meters... fourhundred... two-hundred seventy-five... one-hundred...' At the exact moment that his walking
tank was fifty meters from the town gate, Jephfryee swung his sword before him and yelled,
"FIRE!!!"
The main cannon on the walking tank roared to life. It ripped a massive hole through the
defensive wall before exploding and sending bodies flying into the air. Following suit, the
remaining thirty or so tanks in the column opened fire as well. A maelstrom of machine-gun
and cannon fire tore into the front of Lodis' lines. Hundreds of bodies were tossed to the sky
from the sheer number of explosions. Even more of Lodis' soldiers were mown down as the
machine-gun fire from Jephfryee's column tore through their ranks. Even it this weakened
state, the armored column continued to spew forth volley after volley of gunfire so thick that
it seemed to form tangible walls of lead.
A mere forty-five seconds later, Jephfryee's force reached the gate, his walking tank stomping
into the town. He was closely followed by the remaining Devestators, Iron Clads, and
Wreckers, the latter of which formed their own entrances in the wall. The column was
immediately met with resistance. Three whole battalions of Lodis soldiers armed with
1343
134
4
FIGHT and LOVE
recoilless rifles and bazookas poured out of the destroyed buildings and into the streets.
Charging into the middle of this horde of men, Jephfryee's walking tank crushed many under
foot before unleashing a barrage of machine-gun fire. Then Jephfryee himself jumped off the
top of the tank and into the now confused and disorganized mass of soldiers.
Jephfryee quickly beheaded the first man that ran towards him with his sword. The next, he
bi-sected at the waist. Then he opened fire with his revolver and, upon emptying the last
round, drew a custom made automatic pistol and emptied it's clip as well. Now about forty
men lay dead around him as he stood beneath his walking tank. Not taking time to reload,
Jephfryee simply shoved the pistol in his belt before drawing a second sword. Leaping
forward, Jephfryee slashed open the gut of a soldier with one sword and ran the other through
a second soldier's skull. The rest of the soldiers surrounding McAylystaer cast aside their antiarmor weaponry and drew their swords, daggers, and sabers. At this, the walking tank turned
and quickly made it's way to another street before it became the center of attention again.
Madly slashing, thrusting, and
parrying, Jephfryee hacked his
way through Lodis soldier after
Lodis soldier. The bodies began to
pile up around him to the point
that the enemies had to climb over
their fallen comrades to get to the
Captain. This quickly became a
disadvantage for McAylystaer.
Realizing that he would soon be
trapped by the sheer number of
fallen foes about him, he waited
for the right moment to make a
move. As another group of Lodis
soldiers climbed atop the mounded
of their dead comrades, Jephfryee
shoved forth with all his might, knocking the pile over and sending those atop it to the ground,
many cracking their heads open. Even at this, the Lodissian soldiers stubbornly surged
towards Jephfryee again. More mad slashing as more and more of the enemy men tasted the
cold steel of McAylystaer's sword. Eventually, only a platoons worth of soldiers were left.
Jephfryee glared at them, his eyes ablaze with hatred. He only had to look at them once before
they dashed away from pure fear. Near three-hundred now lay dead about Jephfryee; each had
tried his blade and failed the test.
Panting heavily, Jephfryee collapsed to the ground from exhaustion. His previously black coat
was now soaked blood red, his boots, his swords and guns, his hat, he was covered in the foul
smelling, iron scented liquid from head to toe. Feeling the adrenaline leave his body,
Jephfryee began to shiver and madly wretch. He'd pushed himself far beyond the limits of
what a human body could take and it was amazing that he wasn't dead. His mind reeled as his
eyes began to grow dark. He began to lose all sense of smell and taste, and could barely feel
even his fingertips as they grew numb. Then, just before he thought he was to pay the price
and die for pushing himself to win, the dark thought from earlier, that he'd pushed out of his
mind, returned. Suddenly everything became clear again.
1353
135
5
FIGHT and LOVE
Jephfryee forced himself to his feet. He nearly stumbled over from a sudden wave of nausea.
Quickly grabbing a small, gem-encrusted dagger from his belt, Jephfryee stabbed it into his
right shoulder. Gritting his teeth through the pain, he quickly recovered his swords and yelled
at the top of his lungs, "Eternal damnation upon you all!!! You try and take that which is
precious to me away?! Hear me men of Lodis! FALL UPON YOUR OWN BLADES NOW
OR SUFFER MY VENGEANCE!!!!!" Following this, Jephfryee emitted what can only be
described as a the screech of an angered demon. Across the battlefield, Richard Glendale
heard this inhuman cry and it sent a chill down his spine. The once confident Lodis Colonel
was now not so sure of his victory, shuddering at the thought of what it would mean to lose
this battle.
Jephfryee, now void of all sense or reason and holwing like a madman, dashed through the
town, tearing every enemy he saw to pieces. The only thought left in his mind was to make it
to the back of town and the brothel. He even ignored it as what was left of his army was torn
apart or retreated. As he ran, he did notice that an increasingly large number of surviving
civilians were beginning to follow him, taking weapons from fallen enemies as they went. By
the time he reached the back of the town, the number of civilians following Jephfryee was
well over a hundred. Turning to them, he ordered, "I've done my part. I've confused them and
crippled them beyond all hope of success. Také back your town! I have a personal matter to
attend to." A great cry of enthusiasm rose up amongst the civilians as they turned and charged
back towards their homes, hell bent on reclaiming them.
Jephfryee turned and walked towards his brothel. As he approached it, he saw only one man
standing in his way. As he recognized who it was, he roared and charged forth. Bringing both
his swords down upon the man, he made a furious slash at his foe's head. The enemy simply
drew his own sword and brought it up to block the attack. He hadn't anticipated the force with
which McAylystaer brought the swords down and stumbled back half a step as steel met steel.
Jephfryee growled with furry at his foe, "Richard!!! You God damned BASTARD!!!!! I'll kill
you if you THOUGHT about..." He was cut off as Richard Glendale kicked him in the chest
to push him away. Smiling, the Lodissian Colonel replied, "Now Jephfryee, do you really
think I'm that unreasonable of a man? Simply surrender now, and no harm will come. See
reason my old friend." At this, Jephfryee charged forward and made a well calculated thrust at
Richard's chest. Realizing he couldn't block the attack, Richard jumped back only to find
Jephfryee's other sword arcing towards him from above. Glendale mad a quick dive away
from the second attack only to find himself now on the ground and vulnerable to a third. As
Jephfryee brought both his swords down upon Richard, the man realized that there was no
hope of escaping death at the hands of the Marauder captain. A soft 'thud' was made as the
swords hit their marks. Richard opened his eyes to see that Jephfryee had stabbed the swords
into the ground on either side of his head. McAylystaer quietly snarled, "You're not worth the
time or effort of killing, you scum. Besides, I've won. What does it matter that you're still
alive?" Richard sneered as he reached into his coat and pulled out a small, portable, short
distance radio. Clicking the button on the receiver, he calmly said, "Now."
Jephfryee watched in horror as he heard the sound of engines roaring to life and a whole
division of Lodis' bi-pedal walkers rose up from behind a wall of rubble behind the brothel.
Richard grinned and taunted, "Really? Have you really won? I think that battle's only begun,
and you're already lost. Did you really think it'd be so easy to defeat me you insolent turncoat, Jephfryee?" He threw his head back and manically laughed as the guns of every walker
tilted down to point at Jephfryee. Then, as if by divine intervention, a loud roar sounded and
an Atelian Borthos charged forth from around the side of the town and ran towards the
1363
136
6
FIGHT and LOVE
walkers. It was followed by even more Borthos, Warlords, and Nomad Riders. The first
Borthos rammed into one of the walkers before it could react, sending it toppling to the
ground. The rest of the Borthos did the same as the Warlords shredded any walkers left
standing with their automatic cannons, leaving the Nomads to go in an finish off any
survivors. As the last walker went down, the lead Borthos lumbered towards Jephfryee and
halted a few meters in front of him. Riding the beast was a familiar Marauder captain. "Hey
there Jephfryee!" Bengarr yelled. "I was in the neighborhood with my Atelian friends here
and thought I'd give ya' a hand! We're even now! You saved me, I saved you. I'll be going
along now. Maybe we'll meet up some other time." Jephfryee saluted as his friend turned and
slowly rode away with his Atelian companions.He decided that is was high time that he dealt
with Glendale. He turned around just in time to see his foe run into the brothel. Jephfryee took
up his swords and quickly followed the man.
After entering the brothel,
McAylystaer didn't have to look
for Richard. The Colonel was
standing in the entry hall to the
building. He held in front of him
none other than Jephfryee's
slave girl, a knife at her throat.
Richard's face began to twitch as
he spasticlly threatend, "Hmmm,
welllllll... Jephfryeeeee? What,
he...hehe.....hahaha, will you
doooo?" He brought the knife
closer to the slave girl's throat.
She emitted a quick yelp and
fearfully looked at Jephfryee. McAylystaer slowly looked down at the ground and lowered his
sword in defeat. This is the very thing that he'd feared would happen. That he'd be too late to
save his slave girl, the only thing truly precious to him. This feeling of defeat only overtook
Jephfryee for a moment though. He brought his gaze up from the ground and glared at
Richard with a burning rage that none other could parallel. In the matter of a second,
Jephfryee had brought his sword to bear and flung it at his foe. Before Glendale knew what
was happening, the blade peirced his skull and he fell to the ground, dead. Jephfryee quickly
ran forward and grabbed his slave girl, wrapping her in his arms and embracing her. His slave
girl did likewise and looked up at him and began to cry with relief and joy. "Oh Master! I
knew you'd save me! I was so worried that you didn't get the letter and I..." Jephfryee looked
down at her and softly whispered, "Fret not about what could've been. All that matters is that
you're alive. I regret now not taking you with me and I promise I'll always protect you from
now on. You're all that matters to me in this world, and I want you to know that." Jephfryee
and his slave girl smiled at each other and after a short pause, passionately kissed each other.
Outside, the town of Akka had been reclaimed by it's inhabitants and Lodis had been
thoroughly routed. Against all odds, the battle had been won.
1373
137
7
FIGHT and LOVE
A Lodis Walker by: Gen. Alrisa Alembick (JosephAllen)
McAylystaer's Airship by: Gen. Alrisa Alembick (JosephAllen)
1383
138
8
FIGHT and LOVE
FIRST FLIGHT
Coastwardchippy
As the sun crested the horizon, and the sweet melody of the dawn chorus filled my ears, I
realised I had spent most of the night awake.
In all years I had to have been awake so early, in
preparation for a day of farmyard labour, I
mournfully never noticed how beautiful a sight
the sunrise was. The golden ball of light shining
down on the verdant rolling hillside and the now
barren fields. It was deeply sad knowing I would
never see such a morning again, nor would I see a
field ripe for harvest that had been tended to by
my own hands or hear the childish snorts of
laughter bursting from the animal pens. I owned
many memories of my childhood and adolescence
on the family farm, but memories are not so
comforting when such a past no longer exists.
The house was empty. It had never been spacious with a sister and many farm pets vying for
space, but now, with all of the removable possessions taken; it felt like an empty void that had
never been lived in.
Bandits had taken everything that had made it feel like home. They had taken our livelihood.
They had taken our animals. And they had even managed to take our spirit. Poachers and
bandits had always been a problem as far as I can remember, but they had never wanted a
fight, my dad‘s trusty air rifle had always scared them off.
But times were changing.
Bandits were becoming better equipped and more determined, no air rifle would scare these
attackers. And out here in the wilderness, it was well and truly lawless. I can still clearly
remember that last attack where the last of our crops were pillaged and the last animal was
taken, all we could do was hide and look on from behind a boarded window, hoping they did
not turn upon us. It was at that point that the farm would no longer sustain us and we had to
move on.
It was then that my parent planned to ascend the mountain ranges that surrounded us and
move to a small mining community that we had often traded with. They would promise to
feed and house any volunteers willing to work in the mines. But being the headstrong
adolescent I was, I demanded better of my life, I wanted to seek adventure, I wanted to see the
world.
I wanted fool‘s gold.
After patiently listening to my demands, my dad said to me with his hand on my shoulder and
a sad look in his eyes. ―Son, it‘s your life to live, and they will be your mistakes to make. I
love you dearly, but you‘ve made your bed, and now you have to lie in it‖. He had said that
the morning before the rest of my family had left, taking their possessions and leaving me
1393
139
9
FIGHT and LOVE
alone to be haunted by my memories.
As I found the door
to leave, I picked
up my worryingly
light backpack and
the saddle to my
horse. I turned one
last time away from
the door and looked
back at the once
happy home in
which I had spent
my entire life so
far. It was now so
dissimilar to my
memories that I did
not know how long
those memories
would last. One last
deep breath and one
last mental snapshot and went for the door, braced for what the future might bring.
ALTERNATE ENDING:
My mother also thought it for the best. She could sense I wanted to fight back and insisted I
leave before things went from bad to worse.
I begged and pleaded with her day after day but she packed my suitcase and sent me on my
way. She gave me a kiss and then she gave me my ticket. I put my walkman on and said ―I
might as well kick it!‖ First class, yo, this is bad! Drinking orange juice out of a champagne
glass. Is this what the people of Bel Air live like? Hmmm, this might be alright… But wait I
hear they‘re prissy, bourgeois, and all that. Is this the type of place that they should send this
cool cat? I don‘t think so, I‘ll see when I get there. I hope they‘re prepared for the Prince of
Bel Air!
The airship landed and when I came out there was a dude looked like a cop standing there
with my name out! I ain‘t tryin‘ to get arrested yet I just got here. I sprang with the quickness
like lightning, disappeared. I whistled for a cab and when it came near the license plate said
FRESH and it had dice in the mirror. If anything I could say that this cab was where? But I
thought ―Nah, forget it…‖ ―Yo homes, to Bel Air!‖
I pulled up to a house about seven or eight and I yelled to the cabby: ―Yo homes, smell ya
later!‖ Looked at my kingdom, I was finally there, to sit on my throne as the Prince of Bel
Air.
1404
140
0
FIGHT and LOVE
Baron Frederick Alvaz Story
Gen. Alrisa Alembick (JosephAllen)
The 347th Tanksmen of the 55th Cavalry Division
*This story take place before the event in Soul of Iron and Onward to Gloryduring the early
stage of Colonial War between Rhamos Protectorates and the Republic pf Aferos which was
supported and under influences of the Fahrong*
A new tank commander arrives the base,he takes a glimpse through a column of tent to look
for something.It have been fa year since the war begins,too many men have left their home
and might never comes back again,unlike other Continent,Zafir was a living hell to those who
were sent here.Tropical diseases,the lack of supplies,everything was horrendous on the
battlefield.More soldiers were enlisted,including our young officer who look for his
replacement position in the 55th Kathos Royal Cavalry Division.
The heat of the sun fell on him,he is sweating in his Khaki suit as each drop roll over his
face.His luggage is nothing more than a bag of clothes and his personal accessories.He takes a
look at the labelled name on each tent and finally comes to the ones that he is looking for,the
Command Post.It was an old, camouflaged tent covered with dust and sand.As he stepped
in,the commander of the division was there,he noticed him,but didn't say anything.
The Division commander takes a quick skim at his papers,then he turn to the young officer
who were standing there.He look at him for a while,and turned back to his own paper,the look
on his eyes is like he is searching for something,then he turned to the officer and look at him.
"Captain Frederick Alvas reporting for duty Sir"The young officer said as the Division
Commander still look for something on his paper.
"Hmm,let me see,Captain Alvas,Ahh Yes!I see it now!You are here to replace the dead
commander of the tank number 347"
"Yes..Yes Sir,is there anything else I need to know Sir?"He mumbled
"At ease soldier!I am General Anzalev Sevis,the commander of this division,As I see,you are
looking for your own crew,aren't you?"
"Yes Sir,do you know where are they now?"
"Those men are stationed at tent number 12,go there and find them,I assured that you will
have a good time with your own crew,commander."
"Thank you,Sir"The officer raise his hand salutes the General and walked away from the
tent.He headed to another tent column,wandering around and finally approached the tent
number 12.This is where he is about to met the men who will become his companions through
the war.
At first,these men are still too loyal to their old commander,saying that Frederick isn't a right
man for the job.Fred understand it and didn't get mad at all,instead he taken those words as an
advices for himself,he have to do something to makes him better than the ones before
him.Eventually after he have saved them from many troubles,they have more respects on
him.He knows everyone of them,from the youngest to the oldest ones in his tank crew.
1414
141
1
FIGHT and LOVE
From the left to right in the image:
Private Charles Hammington , tank mechanic and driver
Captain Frederick Alvas,tank commander and radio operator
Sergeant Adam Dalovar , loader and machine gunner
Private Bernard Devington ,tank gunner
After a few weeks,they became closer and even sharing their life before enlistments.Adam
was a man from a Noble family like Alvas,hoped to pursue politics careers in
Rhamos.Hammington on the other hand is an engineer who have an ambition to pursue racing
careers,Bernard is the son of a rich educated family,his parents wanted him to be a
doctor,instead he wanted to become a journalist.One day the whole crew held a small
party,and Bernard have written a poems as a tribute to the crew.
"From this day,to the day we fall
We in it,we shall be remembered
A Band of brothers filled with hopes
For those today,who shared my blood
A brother I called,whoever they are"
"Beautiful Bernard,simply beautiful!"Adam said as he trying to wiped the tear on his face
"We are brothers aren't we?"Charles gently smiled at Benard
"Yes Charles,we are brothers,we are,and forever we will be."Fred laughed as he begin to cut
the toasted meat on the fire.
The 347th tanksmen went through many battles as they cared about each others like a
family.Even more Frederick soon becomes Adam best friend,they have many
1424
142
2
FIGHT and LOVE
similarities.Both are from Noble family,and having similar hobbies,hoping to see each others
again after the war.But things didn't went through so easy as they expected.
The 347th tank,which was destroyed in Battle of Levoros
The battle of Levoros citadel,one of the most fierce battle of the war is one of the event
determine the life of lieutenant Alvas.The men of the 55th Division was tasked to defend the
town,1400 men and less than a hundred survives,Lieutenant Alvas was one of those
survivor,who are quite lucky enough.The battle have become one of his traumatic memories
for the rest of his life
"Move out!Damn,where are the reinforcements for god sake!"as the Captain try to remain
calm
"Enemy at 4 O'clock!Coming in close!" Charles reported in as he zoomed his periscope as far
as possible.
"Load the AP round in!"The Captain turned around and told Adam.
"AP shell ready to fire Sir!"Adam open the breech and load a 105mm AP shell into it.
"Turn the tank 45',we need to take it closer to make a better shot"Alvas ordered his men w/ a
tough voice of a commander
The tank rolling on the road,with machine gun bullets bouncing on its armor,Shell crates
making it even more difficult,the tank stopped and it open fire.
"BOOM!!" The shell hit the frontal hull of an Ontos,which was about 950m from their tank
"Critical hit!Reload,I need reload now!"Alvas yelled as Charles try to pull the tank back
1434
143
3
FIGHT and LOVE
"Shell loaded in,Sir"Adam replied as another round is about to be fired from the medium tank
BANG!Another shell flew from the 105mm barrel,this time,it hit a Warweaver which was
trying to climb over the hill.
"Direct hit!The enemy are retreating Sir!" Charles replied
"I will try to call for support ASAP but in the mean time,I belive we will have to defend this
position."Alvas said to his crew and turned to the radio
"Is there anyone hear me?We need backup now,Can you hear me!We need back up!"Alvas
yelled at the radio with frustriations,their tank have been left alone to defend the position.Two
other have been knocked out by enemy shells.Now their fate are in god hand.
"Enemy tank at 2 o'clock!"Bernard yelled as he tried to turn his turret against the Ontos.But it
was too late,The Ontos fired its HE round at them,the shell in contact with the ammo racks
and exploded.The whole tank have been destroyed.Alvas coughed and trying to climb out of
the tank as fast as he could,at a sudden time,he remember there are something he forgot.
His tanksmen are still stuck in there,he ran back to it as the Ontos is approaching closer,The
only man he could saved is Adam,with all of his strength,he pulls Dalovar our of the tank,and
tend to save others.The Ontos approached the burned tank,and Alvas have no other choice
than moved away with Adam.The rest of the crew have climbed out,but they were killed by
shots from the heavy machine gun of the Ontos.Alvas look at it,and turned away,what he saw
is a living hell,his comrades were killed in front of his eyes and there is nothing to do to save
them.
"Charles!Bernard!NO!"He screamed
"Oh God!"Adam gasped as he look at the horrendous scene of the battlefield
"We should go now!"Alvas said to Dalovar as they both walked away from the wreckage of
the tank
Frederick and Adam walked slowly on the dust of the No Man's Land,until Adam's suddent
hesistation for a rest.He have been wounded by a shell fragments in his chest,Adam can no
longer move further.With all of his final strength,he try to speak his final words.
"I...I'm sorry captain...I guess this...this is it...."He mumbled
"No!You will not die in here!This is not the end yet"Frederick sobbed
"Just leave me here....sooner*cough*or later,I will die anyway!"Adam replied with blood
pouring from his mouth.
"I'm not going to leave you behind!Your brother is waiting for you,Adam!He is waiting for
you to come home!"Frederick said
"Promise me one thing...You will hand these letter to him...Tell him I'm sorry about what I
said"Adam said the final word with his strength,and his heart stop beating,he is dead and Fred
cried over his shoulder,he feel guilt,the guilt is why he is the one who stays alive while his
friend are the ones who have to die.The world is unfair for him,its only a few months,they
have been caring for each other like brothers and now,everyone is gone,leaving Alvas
stranded alone on the no man's land.
1444
144
4
FIGHT and LOVE
Epilogue
The Captain wandering around the battlefield,he have nowhere to go,nothing to
lose.Everything that worth to him in this world have gone,everything.He is hurt,badly hurt,his
eye was nearly blinded by the mustard gas,his hand was injured by a 12.7mm bullet.His
whole body is wretched,but he have to move,he have to,there are someone expected for him
to come home,someone who loved him the most.He look at the sky,wonder about something
he feel guilt,he feel like he could have done anything better for the situation,but no,fate have
decided,and he couldn't do anything,the tears on his eyes rolled down to the bottom of his
neck.
"Oh god!Why?Why me?Why am I..the one who...alive?"
"I'm their...commander...I should...die...not them!"
"The world...It is...unfair...There..are...nothing...such as...compassion."
He kneel down on the ground,closed his eyes.Nothing have been left for him,no family,no
friends.He pull out a small photo,a photo of a young woman,around 18-20s,he look at it and
1454
145
5
FIGHT and LOVE
cried,His love is the only last hope for him,he must move on,he must survive,his lover is
waiting for him back home,and she believes he will come home,so that he can continue to see
her everyday.He closed his eyes,with all the strength,he stands up,and continue to walk.As he
walking,he saw a sign on the road,the friendly town is on the left side,and so he keep walking
to the left.He is thirsty,hungry and even more,his leg begin to feel like they can't no longer
move,but he keep saying to himself he have to.He having a hope,a hope that will keep him
alive and get him back home,with no more sorrow,no more pain.
A sudden artillery shell landed near his position,he fainted,and fell down to a abandoned
trench line.This time,he try to get up again,but he couldn't,he screamed in pain as the wound
in thee wrist started to hurt him.The captain have no strength left,he sitting down,look at the
time for one last time.Then he pull out a revolver from his pocket,he check the gun again.One
bullet left,he place it against his head,and start to press the trigger.But he didn't,an unexpected
event have come to his life,he found a wounded Confederate soldier whining and lying in the
sand,waiting for the death to take him away.The Captain pull the enemy soldier closer to
him,think that he still have hope,he isn't lonely out there.He closed his eyes,hold the dogtag in
his hand so tight that he was praying to the God of Theia,he pray that the God will bless for
him,bless for all of those brave soldiers out there who fight and die for their nations.He keep
praying and praying,with a hope to coming home someday.
1464
146
6
FIGHT and LOVE
The Sound of Love - Prologue
January 1, Alvas Estate,Hallana,Kathos
"My Lord,Do you think I should
clean these things?"General Alrisa
glanced up at Baron Frederick as he
trying to carry an old chest with
silver label from the basement.
"Hold on for a seconds,let me look at
those things first"Frederick turned
and pointed his finger at the General
as Alrisa bring the silver chest to
him.
The chest was dusty and heavy,it
looks like it have been in the storage
for too long in this room.It was
already being unlocked,there are no
lock to seal it.The Baron open the
chest,and he smiled as he open the
chest with the silver label,"Sedalia".
Frederick taken an old revolver,a
military coat and a Trinithism
cross,he hesistate for a while,then
pull out an old portrait photo of a
young couple,a young woman,
propably around 17 or 18,with a
military officer nearby hold her
close.He look at it and stand up,walk
around with the photo in his
hand,then he asked Alrisa.
"Have you ever been to Sedalia before,General?"
"No sir,but I heard that Sedalia have lots of beautiful mountains,and hospitality people"
He took the coat from Alrisa hand,and look at it.The coat is just as new as it was never been
used,the Baron takes a glimpse at it then turned to Alrisa.
"Alrisa,do you know how it feel to lose someone you love the most?"
"No My Lord,But I can presume that it is really painful,isn't it?"
"Ha Ha,Yes,but its not always have to be like that,let me tell you about my story"
The Baron turned to the chest,then he pull out a small diary from the chest,and give it to
Alrisa. Then he takes a smoking pipe,put it to his mouth as he try to remember his old past by
every words Alrisa read to him from the old diary.
1474
147
5
7
FIGHT and LOVE
The Sound of Love - Chapter 1
10 years ago - Velenzia Port,Sedalia
1484
148
8
FIGHT and LOVE
Awaken from the cold morning of the spring,I saw that the ship have finally arrived the city.I
look at the sky and think about my life as usual.I don't even know if is it because i was sad or
just having something bothering my mind.Emotions through my mind soon flow away like
river through my mind and I no longer bound with my past anymore.The ship funnel
whistling,and I was confused,not know that every passengers already left the ship.
The snow of have stopped falling from yesterday,and spring is coming.However,as I walked
down to the deck floor of the station,I can sense the remnants of the winter left behind after
one night.Snow have stop falling but the roof and the road are still being covered in the white
snow.It takes awhile for me to catch a cab and went to the subway station.My friendEmmanuel was sit next to me,and there are so much thing occured on his head.Can he catch
the train in time?Will the train leaves at exact time?Through the car window,I look at the
surroundings.Small stores emplaced besides the road,with people begins to arrange them for
new year celebration.A new year with Happiness,Prosperity and Love.
To me,the last year is like a depression of my past,I can still remember those who I know the
most,they have perished from my life.Zachary,one of my old gang mate just died about 3 week
ago,my father and his wife passed away 3 months ago.Those past keep haunting me,but if I
don't forget about my past,I can't have a better future,so I decided to leave those things
behind and moving forward.
The cab arrive the train station just in time,we finished our customs and head on to our train.I
look at the sky again,it was a clear blue sky,with the sun rising up high,I can see the bright of
the sun ray to my coat,and my cold breath of the morning.That clear blue sky hinted to me
that I finally can have a better life in here,away from the old life for good.I decided to restart
my life with a hope for a brighter future.
Our train stopped at the 14th District and from this point,we have to walk by foot to our
apartment.Emmanuel went pick up our luggages and he was late again,so I decided to take a
seat,and read one of my favourite novel "From a Distant Sky" by a famous Sedalian writer
named Gabriel Dovinski.I was draw into it,especially about a quote of the main character of
the novel.
"Fear,Hatred,Love,these elements that determines our life,they determine our lives and
continue after we are dead.Our life,are all relate to others,Past,Present,and by each way we
choose,it decided what our future to be."
"A beautiful story isn't it?"A soft voice spoke out as I noticed,a young girl stand besides me.A
young woman,propably 17,dresses in her school uniform with a light bag strapping around
her shoulders.
"The book is good!I have to said that the more I read,the more I interested."
"He is one of our famous authors,so tell me stranger,do you interested in Sedalian
literature?"She asked me gently
"Um...I have to said that,I have read a lot of Sedalian books but I guess this one are my
favourite ones above all."
"I belive we have something in common then."She sit besides me,look at my eyes with an
1494
149
9
FIGHT and LOVE
angelic face.
"Well...I have to say you have a beautiful eyes of an angel"Damn,what the hell did I just
say.Something tell me that it was not a really good thing.But contrary to my expectations,she
smiled and said to me.
"You don't know how to talk to women,do you?"
"Um..I guess the only women I ever talk to is my stepmother and my maids,I was too scared to
making out with other girls when I was in high school."I reply with confusion in my mind
"Well,I think you just talked to me recently,I didn't see that you are scared at all"She replied
to me with that angelic face again.It is hard to say that I ca resist that looks to my eyes,along
with the aroma of the vanilla shampoo that slightly passed from her hair to my
nose.Comparing it to the smell of my battle armor when i was in Cadet Academy,I can smell it
all day long and I think that I might dreaming about it too much that I can't focus on my
gunnery practice and my paperworks.
Right next to our chair is a line of peony bushes,the flowers are still not blooming yet,they are
as big as a human hand.I saw her takes a glimpse at it and she turned to me.
"I really like peony flowers a lot,they only bloom when it's spring,just like love isn't it?"She
said
"Love..I think about it all the time and still wonder,when I can have a woman who can share
compassions and feelings with me"
"The future will answers it all,it just takes a little time and the decision of each individual like
us to decide it."She said".Suddently,she look at the clock and turn to a nervous state.
"Oh God!I will be late for my bus!Sorry but I have to go now!"Then she leaves,just as my
friend Emmanuel came back with a bunch of our luggages.
"Who is she?"Emmanuel asked
"Just a stranger i met,there is nothing for you to worry about."I said,but my mind are still
confused and I don't know why I just keep looking at her until she left the park.
"Ahh,you like her,don't you?"Emmanuel raised his eye browns and asked me.
"Pshh!How can you assumed that?We just met each others,there are no way that we are..."I
argued with all the words I can think of,then I stop talking and nod at the chair again and I
saw a necklace,the young girl who I just talked to,she propably have left it behind in her
hurry.I picked it up,it would have been kinda too late to return it to her now,so I guess I will
give it to her when I see her again.
1505
150
0
FIGHT and LOVE
The Sound of Love - Chapter 2
We finally arrived the apartment,it was quite new compares to other building around it.A 10
stories tall building with brand new white paint on it.An old man greeting us,claimed that he
is the owner of this place and taken us to our apartment.Quite surprising,for the 1st time,I
saw a steam powered elevator in an apartment like this,I though we would have to spent a few
minutes walking up those stairs with a bunch of heavy luggages.
The elevator is quite elegant in many way,the doors were decorated with beautiful carving of
a dragon and a serpent.
By what I learned from Sedalian cultures,these creatures represent the symbol of prosperity
and strength,those elements that occurred within every human life.I can see that Sedalians
have a very peaceful way of life,unlike what I have seen in Kathos and Rhamos.Our
apartment are quite humble for what it looks from the outside.But inside is another thing,the
old man gave me the key,and he stares at me with a peculiar looks.
"You aren't from this area,aren't you?"
"Yes sir,but how do you know?"
"I can see that you look quite different from others around here,I can see something troubled
in your mind."
"Velenzia is way beyond what I imagined from the books Sir!I have to say, its really
beautiful!"
1515
151
1
FIGHT and LOVE
"Hehehe!You have a lot of things to learn around here young man."He give us the key,poked
at my shoulder with his walking stick,turned around,then leaves.
Emmanuel insert the key to the lock,turned it,and we walked inside,the apartment are quite
small,but its good enough for two people.A well decorated apartment with full supply of water
and electricity,what else can an Academic Students ask for?The bedrooms are quite roomy,we
can fit about 5 more people in,but I guess it is not really that much.
The next day
I went to the subway station from the Academy back to the apartment as usual,the train
carriage roaring itself with the oily diesel electric engines,it noise echoed across the corner of
the station.Our train was quite late than usual,so I look around for a chairs,take a seat and sit
down,and open a book to read while waiting.People moving around the station like an ant
colony,they are busy with their own matters,and seems to be rushing for it.At a sudden
moment,I saw a familiar female figure that I think I have seen before.I walk toward the figure
and I soon recognized it,the girl from yesterday,I takes the necklace from my pocket,and walk
toward her.
"Miss!Hey Miss!"I try to call out to her,she turned around and saw me holding the pearl
necklace in my hand.
"Oh!You,the man from yesterday!I recognize you now!" She turned around and talked to me
as I came closer
"Well!I think you dropped this thing behind yesterday when you left." I give her the
necklace.She hold it in her hands and grinned at me.
"Thank you!I was looking for it so desperately yesterday!This necklace was my mom most
precious gift,if I lose it,she will be really furious!"
"Hehe!You are welcome,miss!It was nothing,really!"
"Please don't call me miss,I'm too young for such an old title!" She turn to me and grinned
"What should I call you then?"
"Call me Helena,that's my name,Helena Amelina."
"Your name,it sounds like the name of a famous Sedalian opera singer"
"I know,my surname are quite familiar with Natasha Amelina am I ?What about yours?"
"Well,my name,I don't know but it have nothing special to it,Frederick Wihelm Alvas."
"It was not a bad name though,I think it suits you a lot,a very noble name."
"Thank you,miss"
1525
152
2
FIGHT and LOVE
"Oh!Please don't call me with the word miss again,like I said,I'm still too young to be called
as a miss."She laughed and poke at my chest
"Oh!I'm sorry,I don't mean by that,it just that your name are kinda confusing.Amelia or
Amelina?"And my face turned red
"Just call me Helena,thats enough for me."She said with her soft voice
We continue to talk about our enthusiasm in literature.The train comes and I went back to the
apartment.Something have bloomed in my soul that day,a feeling.My mind keep thinking
about her,a young Sedalian school girl,calm as the wind,and beautiful like an angel.That
night,I can't sleep,it is like something is bothering my mind again,but it was quite different to
other feeling I have before,I think I was attracted to her.
The Sound of Love - Chapter 3
It have been a couple weeks since I haven't see that girl around the station every time I went
there.I was expected for a figure,a response from her,her name,and the aroma of the perfume
and the shampoo in her hair still dropped at my nose.Without her,I feel like a part of my life is
missing,and I think I would never seen her again.We have a lot of conversations every time
we met,mostly sharing about our hobbies and personal life to each others,and we became
close friends.
Two days later
Emmanuel and me was
walking down the street
back to our apartment
like usual.We talked
about our specialized
skills in learning and
understanding
knowledge,Emmanuel
seems to be really
interested in
engineering class
lately.He said he have
an enthusiast in the
configuration of a
walkers,or should I
say,a vehicle on legs.He
really interested in it so
much that he even
bought a full pilot and operating manual for the Terror Walker 1st Generation,and even
more,he try to learn about the specific elements to build one,like the hydraulic legs,the central
gravity hull,...Really have to said that he have skilled brain of an engineer,he can fix anything
1535
153
3
FIGHT and LOVE
For me,Literature is always my favourite thing,it help me to express my feelings,with a
pen.Everytime I write or read a books,I feel like I'm soaring in a wide space with no limit or
boundaries,my feelings,my thoughts are free from the rules of this harsh world,somehow,the
image of that Sedalian girl appear in my mind again every time I try to think,it is really
frustrating to think about.I have too much things to focus on right now,my homework,the
homesick,and even more,I catch a fever,I don't know when,and my body becomes weaker
everyday,and today,those headaches,and my body keep shivering every night when I try to
sleep.
"Fred!Hey Fred! Are you alright?You looks really pale mate!" Emmanuel turned to me
"I'm OK! It just some cold,there is nothing much for you to worry about"*cough cough*
"Are you sure,you are really weak recently,you even abandon your meals too!"
"Nah!I will be fine,there are no sickness that can harm this durable body!"*cough cough*
"Seriously Fred,you need to take some pills,it will help you feel better."Emmanuel really
worried about my current situation
"C'mon!I will be fine!It..just takes...a couple miles...to get...there!"
And I fell down,fainted,in an unconscious state,I can still see around,but my body can barely
move.I'm sweating all over my face,every cold sweat is rolling over my chin,and my body
became even colder.I could barely remember anything from that moment,but I know one
thing,Emmanuel have taken me to a local hospital,and that is where an unexpected thing
happened to me that day.
The next morning,I woke up,only find out that I was on a bed,in a hospital.Around
me,everything was white,and I can sense the smell of sterilizers in the atmosphere.The nurses
were questioning someone outside the door,it was Emmanuel.After a while,he comes in,filled
with those worries on his face,I can see it through his eyes.He even bring some lunch and
those homework I haven't filled in,what a true friend that I can ever have.
"HeHeHey!How are you going mate?"He said with a cheerful voice
"Ouch!My head!I think I just fell into a coma yesterday am I?"
"Your fever made this poor fellow really worried you know that?HeHeHe!"He poked my
shoulders
"Haha!I'm sorry,I didn't mean to made you really worried much,I really appreciated it,you
even brought my favourite meal for me!Those Atora steaks with mashed potatoes looks really
delicious!"
"Well,I made them by myself,so what do you think Fred?"
"Uhm!Have to admit that they are really delicious,just need a bit more salt!Say,you really
have a talented skills at cooking!"I put a piece of sliced steak to my mouth and praise him.
1545
154
4
FIGHT and LOVE
"Pfft!I can even make something better than that!If you want,I will try to bring more!"
"Well I can't wait to see it,seems like you have a really handy skills in there!"
"Good heaven,I think I have to leave now!Can't let those customers waiting!"
"Hmm,let me guess,it was Charlotte and her family again isn't it?"
"Hehe!Just like always,what else can I say,I guess I'm attracted to her now!"Then he leaves
"Hey!Tell her if you want a date,haha!"I yelled at him
"Hehehe!I will!"He answered back and then completly disappeared from my eyes.
I guess I'm all alone,for now.At a sudden moment I heard a noise,a footsteps I can hear on the
ceramic floors,then I heard a small conversations between a nurse and with someone.The
voice is quite familiar to me,and that aroma.So familiar that I can recognized,with my
expectations,it was her,the Sedalian schoolgirl I talked to a month ago.Soon,my expectations
didn't fail me at all,the foot steps is closer,and eventually,she cames in.I saw her,she saw
me,and we both response to each other with a smile,then she come closer to my bed.
"What a coincidence isn't it?I though I would never see you again."
"I was busy for a couple weeks ago,I should have told you earlier am I?"
"Hehe,thats alright.I can't even believe that I would see you here!So,may I ask,what wind
brings you to such a place?"
"My dad is the head doctor of this hospital,I came here every weeks,just for visiting and
occasionally,provide him a helping hand if he needed."She said
"Really?Wow!I didn't even expect that!"I'm suprised and she response with the gentle smile of
an angel,then she sit down,next to my bed,looking at me,and touch my forehead with her
warmy hands.
I look at the window besides my bed,behind it is a beautiful flowers garden,nearly all kinds of
flowers been grown here.Violets,Roses,Sunflowers,but the most significant ones I have to say
is the peony bushes lining up creating a green wall that surround the garden,creating a
beautiful scene,then I turned to her.
"Those garden are beautiful!Look at those Peony bushes,they are really well decorated,the
person who did it must have a really flexible hands."
"It is,I never seen such beautiful Peony bushes like that!"She said,and then,a sudden idea
came to my mind
"Um,So tell me,Helena,do you like hiking?"
"Um,Yes,hiking is one of my favourite outdoor activities,but why do you ask?"
1555
155
5
FIGHT and LOVE
"I was thinking if you want to see Peony flowers blooming in the late spring on Tanzana
hills,then I will be pleased to be your guide."
"Well,I think my schedule is full,but I will try to arrange my time."
So,when you are free?"
"Hmm,let me see...how about Friday next week?"
"Friday,next week,picnic on a mountain,sounds good!But first,I think I have to recover from
this stupid fever first."
"I will see you around then."And then she leaves.I feel so happy,finally we can have our own
time,away from others.I guess,I can finally express my feeling to her,she is my soul sister,and
one of the best soul mate I ever have,but things turned out to be quite harder than what it
look.
The Sound of Love - Chapter 4
The cool breeze of the Friday evening blow in to our ears like it was whispering to us and the
sunlight is refecting on our fabric clothes.The fog from the morning have dissolved into a
clear view of such a beautiful cliff,I can see the drop of water remained on the greenish grass
leaves of the hill.At the moment,Something have caught my eyes,a marvellous,and yet the most
beautiful plant in this world.It was far more than those we have seen in the station,their
nature are untouched,and completly secluded from the others.She still worn those familiar
uniform in front of my eyes,the white sailor-based uniform with the blue skirt was blowed by
the wind to a direction,and her hair was the same,I can smell the same aroma like the day I
have met her.
Had there been peony flowers,and they all blooming around the hill.One bush on my left,other
at further distance toward my eyes and anothers.I look at her her,the figure of a young girl
who just grown fully matured,like these flowers,blooming with the spring encircled around
their life.Everything around us have create a beautiful image that I can't describe,birds were
mating with each others,the sound of the wind of the spring.Somehow,it reminds me of a song
I used to hear before,Heart and Soul,a song about a young love couple,yet blooming and
lively.
Heart and soul, I fell in love with you,
Heart and soul, the way a fool would do,
Madly...
Because you held me tight,
And stole a kiss in the night...
I look further away to the sea and try to get rid of those feeling off my mind,a beautiful scene
is happening in front of my eyes.The sea was shining,the sun was luminating with it's yellow
1565
156
6
FIGHT and LOVE
light,I can see the waves of the sea hitting the coast,with those splashing sounds to my ears.A
beautiful sunset at the ocean that I can see for the 1st time,I take out a camera and try to get
to the best angle I can found.Soon I spotted a good position,it was kinda steep,but
manageable,and so I decided to take some photos.
I standstill,and inhale with a long breathe,then hold it.In my mind,I was just thinking about
try to take the best photo I can get.The wind was getting stronger and stronger,and I think I
still can hold my feet like nails on the ground.Nothing is going to happen,I thought to
myself,everything will be OK.but things aren't like what I expected.
A cracking noise sounded from the soils under my feet,and it was quite clear that the position
I was standing are very solf soils to stand on,it was not a good place to hold a human being
like me.A flashing sound came from my camera,I finally be able to take the finest photo of the
sunset.Now,it was a time to think of a way to going back to where Helena stand,nice and
slow.I try to step slowly,a single false move can end up my life to those shard rocks below the
cliff.
At a sudden moment,the ground below me broken apart,I have stepped to a crack on the
ground.There are nothing can save me now,everything happened so sudden.I can't imagine
that I would die here,I was so scared,so scared that I don't even think I would be alive.My fate
is in god hands now
"AAAH!"I screamed,Even when I know I was about to die
Suprisingly,my hand was being able to catch a rock that was large enough to grab on.At a
certain distance,I saw Helena trying to reach to me.Stretching her arms,desperately,and
hoping that I wasn't losing the grip.
"Grab my hand,Fred!"She call out to me as I try to grab her hand with all my strength.So
tired,and yet desperate to hope that I would survive.
"I can't,it is too far,I can't reach"
"It will be alright!Look at me!"
I decided to willing my chances,I try to use all the strength I have left.My arm stretching
out,and the muscle was jerking,each sweat drop is rolling to my ear.Finally,st a distance,I
was able to grab her hand.One after another,she pull me up.It is really hard for a person with
a trait like her to pull a man like me,imagine if you were in her position.It takes awhile,but
atleast she was able to pull me up.There are no strength left,we both exhausted and lying
down on the grass.I turned to look at her
"You saved me"
"If you fall,I will catch you."She look at me and try to comfort me with her smile.I knew that
somehow,she have grow her compassion for me.The feeling of believe and soul mate between
us are unbreakable.I feel that my feeling wasn't wrong at all about my assumptions,she was
the best soul sister that I can have.
Later that day,around 6PM
1575
157
7
FIGHT and LOVE
We walked home together,and there is something troubled my mind.I can't stop thinking about
the fall at the cliff,it almost ended my life,without her,I wouldn't be alive at all.Somehow,she
know it,and asking me about the trouble in my mind.
"It seems like..something bothering you,am I right?"
"Oh No no no!I was just...Uhm...It just..."
"Well,that is kinda unpleasant,you shouldn't be like that while you are around a beautiful girl
isn't it?"
"I'm sorry!It wasn't like what you think,I was just..."I was mubling again,and she reply with a
smile on her face.
"It was the cliff incident,isn't it?"
"Ayy!You got me again,it is like you can see through my soul...!I was thinking about it,and
wondering myself what will happen if you are not there in time to save this miserable guy
from falling to death."
"It was nothing,besides,I can see that you seems to be really happy when having me around."
"As you can see,I don't have much friends around to help like you!Me and Emmanuel have to
do everything on our own."
"I will always be your friend Fred,whatever happen..."
"No!"I hesistate,with a thought that keep troubling my mind,I want to say it out,but keep
hesistate about it.
"What's wrong?"
"Uhm,I was just thinking,that we could be something more than friends...You know,like
lovers...!"I finally gained enough courage to say it out,and I can see that she was quite
surprise to what I say.
"I...I..."She is confused with what I just said,and still thinking about it
"So the answer is..No?"
"The answer is...Yes...!"She take a deep breath and look at me
"Thank you,Helena for being my best soul mate I can have...!"
"I will always be your soul sister,Fred,no matter what happen...!"
Her head lean back to the wall,and I lean to her,One hand around her waist,the other one
behind her head.Then,I lean forward,slowly press my lips to her,and we share a passonionate
kiss.So gentle,and yet lustful,we have been lost into the ocean of love.The world around us is
engulfing in the bursting flame,and our kiss become much faster,and even more urgent.
1585
158
8
FIGHT and LOVE
As our lips pull apart,a gentle breeze of wind blow through us,extinguish the flame of the
world around us.We take a short breath,and the world have returned to where it have been
from the place it used to be.
The Mercos Uprising/Massacre of 22nd street
As the civil war between Kingdom of Kathos and the new Kathos Social Republic,the
Rahmos offered the help to the Kathos government with total amounts of 16000 troops,the
West Taetus Fleet,which was considered to be the best modernized battleship fleet in
Rhamos,along with 30 tank battalions.The expendition army were sent,and the war between
the Kathos guerrilas and Rhamos Expedition Force became more intense.The Kathos
partisans who support the Social Republic were soon outnumbered,as a results,the Kathos
militias were crushed by the march of the Rhamos troops.
For many years,they have been nothing but a puppet state of Rhamos,many working
class,craftsmen,semi-skilled workers supported the partisans for 3 main reasons.The new
Republic offer them the things they always wanted to have,a better life.Secondly,a lot of
worker's strikes happened in Rahmos owned factories in Kathos recently because the workers
have to work 24/24 were beaten up to death,it driven them to strikes,but most of them were
ending up being disbanded by Police or armed force.The Rhamos force in Kathos were
confirmed to be a helpers,however,most Kathosian think they are "homeland invaders" and
1595
159
9
FIGHT and LOVE
they want the Rhamos to quit the desire to supress the Partisans.Many people believe the
Republic and the Kingdom can come to a negotiation,however,the efforts of using peace
failed,both sides can't come up with any peaceful efforts and the conflict still goes on.
Two Rhamos tanks during Kathos Civil War
The executions of 21
partisans takes place
after battle of Lorent
made many Kathos
civillians think that the
Rhamos Army is
cruel,ruthless beasts
without souls,especially
when the Rhamos
executed 10 more
members of the
Partisans on the next
day,and most of them
have Galatius origins.It
was confirmed that
Rhamos people think of
the Galatius like a
decent race,many
Galatius people were
executed in this war,and furthermore,these event were part of the cause to one of the most
shocking event in the history of Kathos Kingdom
.
Kathos airships on their way to bombardment
1606
160
0
FIGHT and LOVE
In an early morning,on 22th Street in Mercos,a protest consist of workers and intellectual
labours having a debates,their slogan:"FREEDOM OR DEATH!" was posted on every street
corners in Mercos,the protest purposes is to represent the idea of a Unification between two
governments with peace and against the Rahmos for bringing invaders to their homeland.
The number of people who joins the protest increasing from the early morning to
afternoon,with total of 4 millions participants,they march through every street,represent their
ideas through their
speakers and written
boards,For about 2
hours,traffic were
jammed and the
petrol carrier for the
Rhamos battleship
can't made it to the
destination,therefore
,after 2 hours of
delayment of
street,the
bombardment of
Partisan HQ was
abandoned,and the
protesters continue
their march to the
Rahmos Embassy.
A street in Mercos before the protest
The meeting of the protesters at 22nd street
1616
161
1
FIGHT and LOVE
As a group of protesters arrived the Embassy,a group of law enforcement police were
standing in front of the gate of the building,ready to dismiss the crowd.The protesters still
remains their ideas,to make it as a peaceful protest.However,the police alreasy receive the
order,to dismiss all the protesters as soon as possible,so one of the officer kill a Kathos
National University student with his SMG,and many others became enraged and the whole
protest turned into a riot.The Police,with their shields and guns,begins to opress the protesters
with bullets and tear gas,the protesters,known that the police will show no mercy on them
anyway so,they fight back,the riot getting much more intense.Protesters burns down the guest
houses for Rhamos visitors,and sabotage cars on street,it was a chaotic scene for a well known
city with peace and prosperity on them.
The Massacre of 22nd street
The crowds gets seperated as each of the protesters was gunned down by the police.Some of
them,University Students,Clerk Office workers,doctors were beaten to death by the ruthless
police.The whole riot have turned into a massacre,the protesters retreated back to their started
place on 22nd street with the police chased behind them.With all the thingd they can have,the
protesters have settled up the barricades,some were armed with hunting rifles,some other uses
their own weapons like pickaxe , pitchfolks ,crowbar and they begins to organize themselves
like an army,they fought against the police for 2 days.Afterward,a group of royal guards came
along with a Savar tank to clear out the barricades and nearly all of the partisan supporters
were killed.In total,20000 people were killed,400000 injured and most of the leaders of the
protest were captured,and they were executed for their ideology.After the protest,the Rhamos
have to withdraw their Expenditon army,however,they left behind 200 military advisors for
Royal Army,and the war still keep going as this event became one of the most important
aspect,it represent the idea of the opressed people,the freedom which were limited by their
fake "protector",the Partisans,from that time,their morales were boosted and now,they have
taken back the City of Lorent afterward.They know that they aren't alone,there are millions
1626
162
2
FIGHT and LOVE
people in Kathos are waiting for a hope,a hope for one day,the liberation army will finish the
mission that they have promised to the people 4 years ago,a promise to liberty.
Blood and Honor – Prologue
The local government have captured two partisan supporters,who were considered to have a
rebel act against the regime.They spread propaganda leaflets on the street,and it was not for
long until the police catch them,they resist and yes,all of them were brought to public.Their
crime were something that I called a heroic action,they dared to say all the bad things about
the local Duke.His corruption,and his wealth,made from the people he have ruled. Everytime
I walk by the cornfield ,I can see the whip of the Rhamos landlord hit the back of the poor
Kathos farmer,and there is nothing I can do about it.My teacher was a brave man,he was part
of the disbanded guerrila group who stand against the Rhamos and his fate was the same like
others,executed in public.I saw everything,even being threatened,Walter mind is as hard as
iron,unchangeable.There is no way to tell him to given up,he will keep fighting and fighting
until he have what he gained.The ruthless face of the Duke of Tohrun couldn't do anything to
Walter,his will is unbreakable,and so he was executed as I screaming and try to charge at the
Duke with my anger and sorrow,but the police stopped me and I almost got into jail for
supporting "national traitors" without my father's help.
The execution of two partisans
My name is Frederick Wilhelm Alvas,the only son of Baron Konig Alvas,I was born in a
fierceful day in Hallana.I never seen my mother before,the family of Hallana have kicked her
out after I was born.My father fell in love with her when he already have a wife,but his wife
can't gave birth to a baby so he have to find another way.My mother met him in a library in
Mercos,she was a young,beautiful woman based on what I have seen in their
photo.Unfortunetly,my grandfather didn't accept these kind of love so my mother was forced
1636
163
3
FIGHT and LOVE
to exile.My father was very sad,but he couldn't do anything,he was a part of the unhappy
marriage with a woman he doesn't know like my mom.From what he told me,he fell in love
with my mother before he was having this marriage.The whole marriage was set up by his
father and he couldn't doing anything but follow what his father instruct him to do.
After I spent 5 years travelling around the world,from Fahrong,Sedalia,to Rhamos,I have
seen many great things.Their technology in quite innovative,from underground subway to tall
skyscrappers,their nation are even more modernized than ours.Because of the Oppression,we
never got a chance to develop ourselves.The tectonic,aggressive Rhamos Overlords have
ruled our land for many years and my father,just like many other barons have to live under
their rules.The king himself is just a puppet in the hand of the Rhamos and he couldn't do
anything,he have no power at all,none of us have the power to stand against them.
The air station of Valros in Sedalia,where I have been working for 2 years of my life
My father's death was a shocking event,I wasn't there when he needed.He sent me a letter,said
that whoever you want to become in the future,good or bad,you will still be my son.I cried
over my father's death for few days.He was not a man I wanted to become,but he is a man
who I cared about when I was a kid.I used to think that I will become like him,and now I
am,his will have been passed on to me,I inherit his title and wealth,soon his legal wife also
passed away and I become the Baron of Hallana.I was too young for this,at an age of 25,I
know I wasn't ready for this yet,and so I left my house,joined the Rhamos military in order to
forget about the death of two greatest men in my life.Its happy to be with our home
people,they are cheerful,happy and didn't even know that they are about to decide their own
fates through the living hells in Far Eastern Continents.
1646
164
4
FIGHT and LOVE
I was sent to command a main battle tank platoon in the 4th Kathos Cavalry Division for 10
years,me and my men have fought throught many battles in Taetus,Zafir.Our men know that
we weren't fighting for the glory of our country,but what we were fighting for is to satisfy the
needs of the power-hunger rulers above us all.We were nothing but a prick in the eyes of the
Rhamos.They said that our army is weak,and the great victory in the desert of Denus is just a
luck.I dont like the Rhamos high command officers much,they were risking the lives of their
men out there,and I try to save them with all I have.As the Expedition War in Far East was
over,I returned home,the victory didn't bring glory to us,it brings the dramatic aura to our
land,as women were crying for their son,husbands who were sacrificed their lives out there.I
was soon promoted to General Field Marshall faster than any other officers by the Kathos
High Command,from my combat records in Far East Continents,they have seen many
remarkable things and ranked me up.Others were jealous with my title,afterward,I soon given
up from military services and decided to return to my hometown in Hallana,I have tired of the
war.Also I have received a lots of marriage offers from other noble families,but I refused and
decided to live in peace in Hallana for the rest of my life.
I was one of the most well known and respected tank commander of the war,but I never
consider it to be something I should have proud of,the 314 Falcon MBT was my tank during
the time i served in the Kathosian Expedition force in Far East.
However,fate have its own way,one day,when my maid was preaparing some cheese and
bread for breakfast,I heard the door bell ringing,As I open the door,it was a young 10 years
old boy,he was wounded,his chest was pierced with a bullet hole from the police,I couldn't
belive a kid like him were doing such a dangerour thing.We taken him to my bedroom,healing
him.He was unconcious that he was in a Noble house.After he woke up,he was quite scared,as
I explained to him what happened.I know that he was delivering leaflets to each house,
Delgado was his name,he was a mail deliverer of Baron Mordon,whom I just know recently
for his remarkable industrial progress on his lands.From what the kid told me,Baron Mordon
1656
165
5
FIGHT and LOVE
was spreading a guerrila warfare as a fear to the Rhamos Convoy,his force was unparalled
their face was never seen,they were silent,and fast as a fox,As the war between Confederate
and Sedalia have ended with the victory of the Sedales Islands,a small United Republic with
their armed force less than the army size of the Confederate,I soon gained my hope,along
with the motivation to set Kathos free from the rule of the Protectorate forever...even the giant
will slowly fell to death if an ant strikes it hard with the deathly poison it have,and the poison
of the ant is the revolution,a step to our liberation,a key to our freedom.
Blood and Honor – A beginning of a Journey
The kid soon get back on his feet and be able to walk again,he thank us a lot for taken care of
us.As a way of saying thank you, he gives me a propaganda paper,it was the recruitment
posters of Kathos Liberation Front.I was convinced that they were a group of newly formed
resistance who fought against the Protectorate.The point is,how long will it come to an
end.Besides,the Protectorate also facing problem with many groups of sky pirates who harrass
their cargo,along with the rising diplomatic crisis between the Rhamos and Fahrong.Small
conflicts between their puppet states have happened,but there were never a war between two
giants until it comes today.As the kid walk away,I looked at the paper and trying to remember
the so called 'glorious years of my life'.
The Great War,as most people called it,is a war between two superpowers,the Rhamos,with
their most powerful airforce,on the other side is the Confederate of Nallum,with a fully
combat capable army.People like me,a Noble,a soldier,a killer is just a part of this war.I have
seen a lot worse,I watched my mates died many times on the battlefield and I can't save
them.Sometimes,I wish I was in their place,rather than see them die in vain.The war itself also
taken away one of the most precious thing in my life, love.Yes,I used to fall in love with a
young Sedalian girl named Helena I met in the State Library.At first,I would think Sedalia is a
neutral state,but it isn't after the assassination of the Confederate Ambassador,the war
between Sedalia and Nallum broke out.
Everywhere,everyone is a target,there is no safe place in this world.I thought Helena was safe
when she was evacuated from the Sedalia Capital,but no,her convoy were destroyed,the
report soon came to a Kathos Officer who were stationed at North Osatia,and he have
realized one thing,if she is dead,love is also dead.The world is unfair to us all,even to a Noble
like me.She is gone,forever,and I cried,cried in vain.I didn't even know about her death,It was
only 3 weeks after I sent her my proposal letter,and she replied to me with a kiss and
warmhearted lines,but Death have taken her away from me forever,and there is nothing I can
do about it.
Anyway,back to the main topic,When I looked at my nation,it was bitterly torned by
war.Marauders,those who were ex-military men who raid on the Protectorate Convoy were
the results of this,they are just like me,just like this nation,torned by the war.I have seen them
many times,and I also do a few patrol sorties with my men before I retired,what I can see in
every death marauders is their ambition for a better life.They have been called as the worst
part of the society,but no,there were even something worse.I never wanted to kill
1666
166
6
FIGHT and LOVE
Anyone especially when it comes to my prisoners.I kept most of them in the Prison of Hallana
right after I retired,those who I considered to be desirable were freed,and those who were.
considered to be the scum of this Earth,the human beast will be locked in this hell,might be
forever.I never trusted the trained Kathos trooper much,instead,I prefer to have my own
options.Especially when it comes to forming my own militia army against the Protectorate by
using captured marauders or by recruiting at local villages
'How many do we have?' I asked my advisors
'1400 men Sir,including your guards'He replied
'I was expected for more from you,General'As I said to him
The numbers of men we gather is nothing much,I was expecting more than this,but anyway,it
doesn't matter.As long as I can cause the havoc upon the Protectorate Convoys,I still think its
good enough.By gathering my old friends from the Ghost tank division,we quickly trained our
men to get used to the modern equipments that were recently sended to my private army.Only
a rich noble can afford such thing,my father have left me a massive amount of gold and
wealth after his death.With those money I made a strategy for my best investments,through
trade routes with Marauders and Sedalian traders,My force is growing stronger,but Hallana
isn't the safest place I know.As a Baron,I must come up with a decision,and so I decided to
hire a group of pirates to do a job for me,take a small portions of land in Thorton to turn them
into a new safe house for me and my men,but thing isn't really going well like what I
expected.
'9000!'The Marauders demand
'8000,and thats my best shot already!'I replied
'8500,or we quit!'Those men bargain with me again
'Deal!8500 gold coins sounds not really bad!'I said
And so we packed our supplies to our airship,the Savior,it was a Modified Falcon airship and
headed to Thorton.Myself,I also joined the battle with them,and since it was a stealth mission,
we didn't take any vehicles with us,as long as we finish picking a place to dig the tunnel,the
place was ideal to set up a base here,its a forest,with a low chance of being detectedmwould
be a very suitable place for our resistance.
As I walked along the path of the wood,I hear something,as fast as a fox,I jump to a tall tree,
looking around,I pull out a binocular and saw three savars,one tank destroyer with a group of
marauder troopers approaching my position.I jumped from the tree,and ran as fast as possible
to tell others that we were being spotted.Also at the same time,I realized that these forest were
belong to Baron Mordon of Dalovar,a man who you shouldn't be messing with,and he
propably hired those men to get rid of us.
'Battle station!Battlestation!' A marauder in my crew yelled and everyone is preparing to
fight.gunners setting up their AF-5 HMG, bombardiers with their tank fists ready to kill all of
the enemy approach them,bazooka men hiding behind the bush,waiting for a potential target
came across,and so we wait,waiting for our preys to come...and we will ambush them,tear
them aparts just like a predator.Hide in silent, resilient and deadly,combined with the tactical
advantage of the forest,we might be able to eliminate them one by one.
1676
167
7
FIGHT and LOVE
A Baron's letter to a marauder
Dear Lord Stafford
I'm writing this letter to you for a purpose.What I have seen is much more worse than you can
imagined,the Noble Council of Kathos are now just a group of useless people who under the
control by the Rhamos.I'm not one of them,and I never will.I just a part of this war,and I know
how you feel to be an outcast,that's what I feel like,and I have seen much worse.
I was a Noble,just like who you used to be,my father have put a lot of expectation on
me.However I never was something he truly proud of,you see,I met a small street gang of 4 at
that time.They were like my brothers,we shared our time,compassion to each others.But one
day,my father inform me about the newsletter for education register at the Tohrun Junior High
School,and I never seen them again.I'm a forsaken bastard,my mom wasn't married,and those
spoiled kids keep ignoring me,day by day,and you will not that feeling when your mother was
illegitimate.After those years in high school,I return to my hometown,and heard that my
father have died.The last thing I heard from him is his disappointment for trying to be a
person like him,a Protectorate Baron.I know I would be the one inherit the title.My father's
legal wife treated me like her own son,and she is the only family member I ever have left until
she died from a disease 1 year after my father's dead.I was so depressed,so sad that I realize I
can't take this responsibility,and so I pack my own luggages and travel around the world to
see newer things.
As I travel through many places,from Rhamos to Sedalia,I have seen lots of things that I never
can find in Kathos,metro systems,jet powered airships.I feel like I wanted to forfeit my past
and head on to the future.Soon,I found a beautiful young woman named Helena and I fell in
love with her.We have shared our time,our feeling and it was an enchanted but also painful
memory.As soon as the War in Zafir broke out,I have to return to Osatia and applied for
duty,as a tank commander.During the war,I have seen the living hell,there are no mercy,my
mates died right in front of my eyes and I can't do anything to save them.Later,I was
promoted to Colonel and performed more sorties until the war is over.I returned to Sedalia for
a short while,knew that she was killed during the bombing of Velenzia,an earth quake bomb
destroy the cafe she worked at.They tell me that there are thousands of people died from the
bombing and she was one of them.I was so shocked,I was just about to proposed to her.I
though I can have a small family in here,away from the fierce conflict in Osatia for good.But
god tell me something different,he wants me to suffer.I look at her face for one last time,it
was the beautiful oval face,as white and calm as an angel,her laugh echoed through my ears as
I kept thinking about her.I mourn on her death for a while,and I realized one thing,there are no
such thing as fair,glory or perfection.I knew from that day that I have to make something
different to it,something that will change this world forever.
The Noble Council recommended me as one of those potential individual who have the
greatest contributions.I was promoted to Major General and currently being hired as a military
advisor and commander for other Baron's Private Army.I'm not really interested in it,and
killing is never the method I tried to win a conflict.I have forgiven many marauders,I
1686
168
8
FIGHT and LOVE
understand their lives,but I will not forgive to those who just slaughtering people for watching
this world burn,I will find them and annihilate them all.Those scum must be punished and
banished to hell.
Somehow,I have managed to contact to Lord Squato of the Kathos Liberation Front,and I
have contributed to their army with my supplies to fight against the Protectorate since.I can't
just stand here and watch those poor farmers dying,I want them to have a better life,a life with
no miserable,a better life with a happy family,instead of a wealthy but empty like mine.I wish
that we can all live in peace one day.I wish Kathos will be freed from the Control of Rhamos,I
wish that day will come to us all.
I have heard of your tales,many fellow troopers have tell me about those stories.One of them
is a modified Atavar tank that defeat a wrecker.That's really a couragerous thing you have did
out there,but I wanted to tell you one thing,you are being wanted.I know who you are,the
Stafford family used to have a trade with our family,and I heard that you were banished.Such
a pity,we have almost the same fate,being left alone,with no family,no friends.We both have
something in common,so why don't you come and cooperate with me?We could have been a
great team.I will use my influence as a safe way to protect you and your warband,on the other
hand,you will help me to do a few things to harrass other Protectorate Convoys for a few
sorties if needed.So what do you think?If you accept,meet me at Frannel Smoking Den at 10
PM, Friday December 27th,and we will talk about this.I looking forward to see you soon.
Your Sincerly
ALVAS
Kathos Baron of the State of Hallana
Frederick Wilhelm Alvas
A scrawled note, pinned to the door of Baron Alvas' private quarters.
Barons. People of agendas and self interest.
From your letter you seem to have a characteristic most Barons lack, morals. Your politeness
has at least placed me in an obliging frame of mind. Do not presume. The fact that you think
you knew my family does not give you the right to my co-operation. My warband, as you
called it, consists of people that were once civilian. I am not willing to risk placing them in
harms way without good reasoning. Since you say your fighting for people such as them, I
will not deny any operation that will help the downtrodden. But be warned, I will not cooperate in any political agendas, for too long have I been forced into engagements. I will not
be a pawn in someone's grand strategy.
Lord Stafford
(coastwardchippy)
1696
169
9
FIGHT and LOVE
A man who I can called King
Gen. Alrisa Alembick (JosephAllen)
The moonlight deemed on the hill of Northern Atelian Forest,the fire of the camp was
lightening up the dark.With a sparkle,a small wind breeze,the children gather around the old
Prophet tell them about the myths and legends that he know.The Prophet with the white
beard,smoking with the pipe.He look at the sky like usual,this time,there is something that
bothering him.He think about it for a while,take a long breath then asking the children:
"Do you know the Kingdom of Kathos,my dear?"
"No,But what is it about,father?"
"The Golden Sun once rise in the Kingdom,was lost,everything,everything became a
despair..until I saw him,a hope,a savior of the Kingdom"
The Prophet then tell the story
of the Fall of the Kingdom of
Kathos,something that he never
told to the villager children
before.A story that taken back
to the time near the end of the
Invasion of Kathos,a story that
was never being revealed
before.
The noise of the Rhamos siege
cannon echoed through the
air,shattering around the
Palace.The Royal army finally
met its last stand here,in this
mighty palace of Mercos,where
the King met his own fate.The
war was lost,right after the
Purge of the Kathos Resistance
Movements,the Rhamos turned
against the King,and thus they
Fangorn the Ranger
soon besiege his cities for few
days. Their Army footsteps marched through the land of his own kingdom,and there is nothing
can stop them.Cities lays in ruins,Villages burns in flame,a Kingdom that was once the
mightiest giant now have met its downfall.
Mercos was taken,all communications and supply lines were cut,King Barin XVIII knew he
finally met his fate here,his death was inevitable.His soldiers are still loyal to him ,to the
end,even when all hope are lost.Prince Sarka,the 2nd son of the King was dead after a failed
attempt to retake a stronghold in the city.Now it is only left for Barin to decide his own fate,he
could escape,but he didn't,he chosen to stay with his men til the last breath.The Rhamos when
they attack the King palace have thought that they have finally captured the King.Little they
didn't know that the King and his men have setting up the explosive and ready to explode the
structures.In the last hour of the battle,they detonate the bomb and thus killing themselves and
all the Rhamos troops inside the palace.People belives that the monarch of the Kathos King
was finally ended,little they did know that there is still hope left.The heir of the King must
survive no matter what it takes.
1707
170
0
FIGHT and LOVE
In the final hour of the siege before the destruction of the palace,the King have decided to
evacuate his family to Fahrong in an exile.It was not a choice,but rather the best solution of
Barin to ensure that his heir will never be lost.Princess Mellia,the 1st daughter of the King
have finally making a successful escape with several people.Eventually the convoy finally
made themselves out of the city through secret tunnel that lead them to the river.When the
convoy arrived Fharong,the Princess finally settled her place and lived in Fharong for the
rest of her life.She eventually married to a Fahrong General named Zarka Fangorn and have
a son named Angusta Fangorn.
It was then revealed that the Prophet was one of the elder in the Convoy at that time.He have
been live through ages,256 years old he is.Nevertheless he was also the former advisor of the
deceased king,and the caretaker of Angusta Fangorn,the ranger of Lorien. A wise man who
can tell the future sequences and destinies of others,and it was quite unexpected to say that
Fangorn was the last heir of the king,thing was hard to belive,but that's what the fate have
decide,he will be the savior,but it wasn't the time yet,when the time has comes,Kathos will
rise again to its former glory.
Angusta Fangorn was the son of the last princess of Kathos and the heir of King Barin
XVIII.He was a marauders,but unlike others,he was hired by the Fharong Government to raid
the Protectorate Convoys.A man with kindness and often put priority of others above
himself,he was well known for his command of the Rangers of Lorien,a group of independent
Kathosian Militia who swore their oath to the death King.Little did he know that he was
having a greater destiny than his current living,a destiny that was bounded to him,the fate that
he can't runaway from.With the help of the Confederate Government,the heir of the Kathos
King was protected,hidden away from the Rhamos,but how long will they be able to keep
it?War was near,and the Rhamos and Fahrong are on the brink of another global
conflict.Nevertheless,it will be his choice to decide his own path,to become the "Once and
Future King" or to remained in exile as a hired merchant raider of the Confederate of Nallum.
"One day,the Sun will rise in Kathos again,and the kingdom will be restored to its former
glory,a man above all will lead them to Victory,blood will be shed,there will be death,but
beyond all the casualties,a new sun will rises,it's light will shine the path of the people to the
former glory of the forgotten generations and there will be a savior for us all,a savior,a man
who I can called King"
From the Habruk village elder prophet,Lorien,Northern border between Fahrong and Atelia
1717
171
1
FIGHT and LOVE
Nallum Invasion of Sedales Islands
Gen. Alrisa Alembick (JosephAllen)
Chapter 1:The Escalation of a Conflict
The Great War,a global conflicts that rise from the small conflict between two superpower
alliances,One side are the Sovereign Republic of Rahmos and it's protectorates states.On the
other side is the Confederate states of Fahrong and it's Eastern Osatia Union,consist of 3
countries,the Fahrong,Karthonie and Naccaran. Two sides fight with each others for every
resources they can get,especially about iron and coal mines in Atelia. Sedales Republic on the
otherhand,was one of the neutral states until the discovery of massive oil mines in North
Teltos sea.Both the Rhamos and Nallum know it,and each side try to persuade the Sedales
Government to sell oils for them,the Rhamos try to bribe the Sedales Governor with
money,but it's useless,the Sedales Republic was well known for it's neutrality for every war
since 2000 years ago,it gives them the chances of avoiding politic problems and conflicts with
other nations.But will it keep their people away from the war?
The Oil mines in Teltos sea was located 40km away from the mainland,and yet,it belongs to
the Sedales government.At the beginning of the war,the Sedales already have 3 oil rigs in this
areas,it brings them lots of profits by selling them for commercial uses.1/3 oils in this planet
are exported from Sedalia islands afterward.The Local Petrol business still keep the traditions
of Sedalians,not selling it to military uses,but it doesn't mean that it will keep them safe from
the lust of two superpowers above them.Debates about the oil rigs still came to
nowhere,Sedales said that they will sell it to whoever they likes to,and it cause the political
conflicts between the two superpowers and Sedales government.A chance of having a war
against two powers might happened in a near future.
The Oil Supplies are massive,it can provided enough supplies for 4000 airships in 10 years.A
very strategical locations that every countries desires to have,a remote islands,with
oils,gold,iron as their main resources,the nation can be self-sufficient in case of a trade ban by
one of the powerful alliances in this war.By far,Sedalia is the only known nation to have a
huge amount of self produced oil reserves in their homeland.
As the war waged on between Rhamos and Fahrong,Sedales still remains calm until the
assassination of Fahrong ambassador in Valros-capital of Sedalia.This event was they trigger
to the invasion that started the war between Fahrong(Nallum) and Sedalia,the assassination
was actually being made up,a Sedales National Guard was bribed by a Confederate spy to
start the war with the Nallum,but the Sedales don't have enough proofs to show that it was
fake.The assassin was killed afterward,and all the traces was erased.The Confederate,became
enraged with the death of the Ambassador,decided to declares war upon the Sedales
Government.Thus,the Invasion of Sedales Islands was commenced.The Sedales have no other
choice but to fight against their invaders,they are no longer neutral,they have to fight back for
their fatherland,for their family,their home.
The Confederate intention is to disable major industrial locations such as tank factories,oil
rigs,and oil processing plants.They also targeted bombing locations in the cities such as
parliament buildings,King Jacob's Palace,hospitals,... to spread the fear to the Sedalians with a
hope that the Sedales governors will have to surrender.But the Sedalians will are very
tough,they willing to do anything to protect the fatherland from the invaders,the Confederate
try all the efforts to crush the AA defenses in Sedales,but ultimately failed as they still capable
of fighting even they have taken heavy damages. Civilians,especially women and
children,elderly people were evacuated from cities and moved to countrysides.Only Militias
1727
172
2
FIGHT and LOVE
and National Guards stationed at the city to defend against waves of bombing raids from
Confederate heavy bombers.
The map showing invasion plan of Confederate Force on Sedales Islands
The Invasion was planned to use air superiority through over the sky of Sedalia,then the
paratroopers will be dropped to Sedalia,with the landing fleet attack the coastal defense and
joined in with the paratroopers divisions.With the joined force,they will advance to the capital
of Sedales within 2 days and attack it with multiple bombing raids before enter the city.
Confederate Paratroopers drops during the invasion of Sedales
1737
173
3
FIGHT and LOVE
The Sedales have total strength of 100.000 service personels,845 tanks,include 345
indigenous tanks locally produced for homeland defense against invasion.Some modernized
artilleries were used,such as 88mm AT guns,105mm long range howitzer.89 locally produced
APCs were used for motorized infantry.Militia were trained to use stick grenade against
tank.Machine gun nest,barb wires, AT forts were set up in cities.Along with the coastal
defense line in Sedalia,they have prepared everything for the invasion,but they were
outnumbered when compared to the Confederate Force.
The Confederate Invasion forces,with total amount of 400.000 foot soldiers,780 tanks,993
walkers and 30.000 service personels.The airforce used none airships as they were too slow
for bombing raids and most of the times,vunerable for fighters.A new secret weapon was
designed by Fahrong scientists and it was used in this war,a revolutionary design in aircraft,a
tailess flying wing bomber,1st time deployed in the bombing of Valros.With a sheer numbers
of personels and vehicles,the Confederate might win this war by overwhelming,but their
tactics might not helps them.Sedalia was an island with mountain ranges,made it a suitable
place to hide artillery,thus provide a safe cover for Sedalian AA guns,lucky for the
Confederate, their bombers was designed for fast bombing,so AA guns won't be a problems.
Many of the Confederate personels,especially standard infantry are taught with basic survival
skills,but poorly trained with modern military methods.The spearhead of their armored force
were the infamous Devastator super heavy tanks,these tanks provide a good firepower,but
suffered mobility problems,these problems were fixed by adding an air cooler to later
variants.The Confederate were very confident and they think that they will be able to crush
the defense lines of Sedalia within 3 days,but the truth was not like what they expected.
Confederate devastator tank in Vallas
Details about the Secret Weapon of Nallum: It was the N-90 flying wing bomber,designed by
engineer Volga Frendel after the experience from Invasion of Atelia,it have proven that
airships are unable to cope with the fast bombing tactics,therefore,a new bomber was
1747
174
4
FIGHT and LOVE
designed. Capable of Intercontinental long range flight without refuel and large bombloads,it
have to pay off a price of agility.The speed of the plane was 560km/h,with maximum payload
of 9000 kg bombs,it was an excellent plane in general.The sleek,tailess design was a tough
target for AA crew because of it's operational altitude,made it safe from auto cannons,but still
vunerable to 90mm AA gun used by Sedales Army at that time.Defensive armanents have 2
turrets,with 2x12.7mm F-17 Heavy machine guns mounted for each turret.The plane was
nearly invincible from any other aircraft with armor of 14mm thick on the wing,helping it to
withstand bullets enemy fighters thrown at them when being chased from behind.
A squadron of N-90 on a low level bombing attack
Chapter 2:The call to Arms
Right before the Confederate bomb the city of Valros,they sent a warning message to the
governor of Sedalia.This message states that if Sedalia dismantled all of their defenses and
accept their instruments of surrender,the Confederate will not invade them and promise the
safety for the civilians.But if they aren't,the Invasion will be commenced.The Governor
finally met his politic challenge,to fight or not to,it was a tough choice for him to ensure his
people is safe.He held a meeting afterward near parliament building,he ask for opinions from
the people.Most of them have discuss and finally comes with a decision,to fight against the
invaders,even if it takes their life.The morales of the Sedalians were boosted as the Governor
read his war speech as a response to his people and a declaration of war on Confederate army.
1757
175
5
FIGHT and LOVE
"For many years,we have been neutrality,we have never been in such a war like this.We try to
keep a good political relationship with the Confederate,but they refused,we try to make a
peaceful efforts,but our enemy just keep using our hospitality as a tool to a war.I have
received a letter from Confederate,they told me our race will survive if we surrender,I choose
to stays and fight until my bones returned to my ancestors!And I'm asking you,will we given
every efforts we have made to build up the freedom of Sedalia?
No! We will fight back,we can't watch our home,our family dies in vain as the Confederate
army advanced right at our doors,slaughter our people,we rather die in glory,than became
their slavery!
My People!Men and Women of Sedalia!
We will stand and fight!
I understand that we might not be able to win this war.But anyone can makes a differences to
it.Anyone,young to old,it's time for us to forget about the barricades between languages and
religions and unite together.Sedalian shall stand!If you have gun,join our armed force!If you
don't have gun,use bow and arrows,and swords,and if you have farming tools,come with
us,we will ensure that the famine and scarcity will not come to this war.We will fight for our
Freedom!For our Glory!For our fatherland!
The time has come.We will sacrifice until the last drop of our blood,godspeed for our men
The war might be long,but with a solid will and the patriotic of our people,Victory and Glory
shall come to us all.
Long Live Sedalia!Long live Victory for us all!
From Governor Harkins of Sedalia to all Sedalians."
And so,the Sedalians have finally joined the Great war,which they called it as the Patriotic
War.50 years of neutrality have gone and now,Sedalia is at war with Nallum.
1767
176
6
FIGHT and LOVE
2 examples of Sedales propaganda posters followed after the speech of Governor Harkins
Chapter 3:Bombing of Valros
On a humid day in Karthonia ,a group of confederate planes were transferred to an airfield in
Karthonian coast ready for their bombing raids on Sedales cities.The strategic goal of this
mission was simple,to strike the terror and fear on the Sedalians and targeting at industrial
locations such as bridges,warehouses,harbours.The bombing raid was divided up to two
waves
1st wave of the raids:
Four T-22 fighters were tasked to bomb the airfield and the defense line near the coast in
order to penetrate deeper to the main capital of Sedalia,The Sedalian coastal air
defense,consist of modernized radar systems and anti air weapons were used.The most widely
used AA gun for the aerial defense is the 90mm Ragog cannon manufactured in Rhamos,these
cannon have a high velocity and a sufficient range of fire to shot down a N-90 heavy
bombers.These fighters attacked on a nearest coastal airfield,many Sedales fighters were
heavily damaged and unable to take off,the airstrip was damaged by enemy bombs ,the
nearest fuel depots were blown up by an incenary bomb carried in one of the T-22,then,the
Confederate planes fly away back to their base,one of these plane was heavily damaged and
crashed to the sea.Most of the AA guns were hidden in a specialized vaults constructed near
the beach,making them safe from enemy ground attacks.Along with a long network of radar
1777
177
7
FIGHT and LOVE
system hidden underground,most of the Sedales equipments are perfectly safe.Most of the.
casualties are bridges,airbase are heavily damaged,the base can be repaired,but it takes
time,therefore,fighters are unable to intercept enemy bombers for the contemporary
moments.Now what the Sedalians have is their ground defense against the 2nd waves of
enemy bombers
2nd wave:the attack on radar stations
Sedalian coastal airbases are still repairing their airstrips,it tooks 2 hours before the 2nd
attack.The confederate order 1 N-90 heavy bomber escorted by 4 T-22 fighters along with
their new goals,to break the link between Sedales Radar Network-Redfox.The radar have
detected the plane,and AA guns try to shot the N-90 down,it was a tough task for them.At an
altitude above the cloud,it's hard to predict where that plane have gone,they just shoot,and it
eventually severly damaged the N-90 by jamming one of it's landing gears.The N-90 then
commenced on it's mission,dropping 4x 250kg bombs on the radar station,but only one bomb
hit the target and damaged the radar channels and wounded 5 ground personels.AA gun
nearby taken down one of the enemy fighters and the rest of them retreated,the strategic goals
of the Confederate in this wave was a failure,the heavy artillery barrage made the bomber
unable to bomb the target precisely,they have to fly at a high altitude to keep it safe,the
casualties on the Confederate is two pilots and two fighter were shot down by Sedalian AA
guns,one pilot was captured as a POW,the other pilot status is KIA after his plane exploded
from hitting a 90mm shell.
Preparations for bombing raid in Valros:
As the Sedales High Command conclude based on the data they gained from high level
radar,the Confederate prepares another air raid,this time,it's on their capital.The High
command finally decided to evacuate civillians,women,elder people and children were put as
their priority.Fortify and improve AA defenses on the city.A strong radar network were
modernized to warn the defenders if there is a 3rd wave of the attack.
3rd wave: Air raid over Valros
16 N-90 heavy bombers with escorts taken off from an airfield in Karthonia and head on to
the capital city of Valros.The time these 10 bombers taken off are at the early morning for a
surpise attack.The strategic goal was simple,to strike the fear on Sedalian and lowering their
morales.16 bombers,took off with 9000 kg bombs on each,heading toward their target,the
capital of Sedalia.On their way,they were attacked by 3 Sedales heavy fighters.The
Confederate lost 2 planes and have to continue their routes to their targets with 14 bombers
left.
The air defense are strong,and it getting worse when they go deeper to the territories of
Sedalia,siren alarms in every corner of the city,barrage of AA shells exploded in the air,even
worse,these bombers needed to fly at a low altitude to bomb their designated targets,such as
bridges,hospital,parliament building.Many bombs were dropped from these planes cause
devastating effect against the ground,destroy nearly 70% of the city but they also tooks heavy
casualties.3 more bombers were shot down,then 5 more bombers were taken down by AA
guns.The rest of the bomber squadron soon passing through the city and return to their base.
But things aren't easy like what they expected,Sedalian aircrafts intercept them,with bravery,
the two heavily damaged T-22 escort fighter fight back,and soon,they were destroyed by
enemy planes. The Sedales fighters continue to chase the bombers,this time,AA guns are
dismantled to avoid friendly fire.
1787
178
8
FIGHT and LOVE
A Confederate N-90 heavy bomber escorted by two T-22 heavy fighters during the bombing of
Valros
Three more Sedales fighters come,and 2 more bombers were taken down,by then the bomber
squadron is at the sea already.Only 4 planes is left,they have to divide up for their survival
and they did.Each bomber goes on their own way home,one plane ran out of fuel and crash in
the ocean,later was saved by Confederate ship.Only three plane made themselves back to the
base,heavily damaged.Both sides tooks heavy casualties and none of them met any of their
strategical goals.The Confederate effort to lower enemy morales has failed,and the Sedales
have defended the city,but taken up with heavy casualties,most of them are civilians and
government personels,the Governor family were evacuated along with him to safer area,and
the ruins are beyond repair,Sedales engineers soon started to repair their city after the raid and
looks for survivors.This incident was tragic,it tooks up 40000 civilian deaths and destroyed
most of the important economic locations such as factories, harbors and power plants,...but
the Sadalians are still keeping their will,to fight against the Confederate until their death,the
bombing have enraged many soldiers who have relatives killed during the raid and it became
a propaganda tool for the Sedalians to fight harder on the next encounter with Confederate
force,the battle of Vallas.
It was one of the most devastating bombing raid ever during the great war,buildings lays in
ruin,people dying everywhere,the sound of the siren still echoed even the raid was over.It
spread the destruction and killing thousands of defendless civillians who still resides in the
city.The raid was widespread to other countries,and it became more than a propaganda tool
for Sedalians,now it's an anti-war subject and it's horror have became an inspirations for many
writers and artists.
1797
179
9
FIGHT and LOVE
The ruins of Valros after the raid
Chapter 4: The defense of Vallas/Operation Taetus
After the failure at achieving air superiority in bombing of Valros,the Confederate decided to
strike at the weakest defense area in Sedales Islands,the Vallas Islands.A strategical
location,with this island in their hand,attacking the main island will be much easier.In here,the
Sedalians have only 20000 troops,with 10 R-50 heavy tanks, and 200 modified light Savar
tanks along with 45 Sedales Medium tanks employed for the island's tank divisions. 22 Self
propelled rocket artillery,heavy 75mm mountain guns along with 47mm AT guns were
deployed on the island.The supply lines are very limited,Sedales troops often have to made a
conservative decision on using a shell before they firing it.With a light defense strenghth,they
might be overwhelmed by the incoming Confederate force who uses more armored vehicles
than them for their blitzkrieg tactics.
On the contrary,the Confederate force consist of 60000 soldiers,200 tanks,42 APC and 156
walkers were used during the battle along with 34 support vehicles. Most of the Nallum tank
corps are consisted of Ontos tanks with a limited deployment of Devastator tanks.This battle
is also the combat debut of a terrifying killing machine,the Terror Walker,a vehicle designed
to supports infantry with their dual pair of 4 barrelled 12.7mm machine guns.This was the 2nd
time the Fahrong uses blitzkrieg tactics,the 1st time they uses was in Atelia. Many tanks and
walkers were used,and most of them are suitable for infantry supports rather than counter
armors,it was not a problem for them because Sedales armored force on the island are weak
against a number of tanks like this.
1808
180
0
FIGHT and LOVE
Sedales R-50 heavy tank in Vallas,the R-50 was a Sedalian indigenous tank design that
corporate reliability,armor and firepower together,it proven to be an effective tank for
defensive tactic,especially in mountain terrain
1818
181
1
FIGHT and LOVE
Confederate invasion force on the beach of Vallas
The battle started with Confederate attack on the beach,preceeded by artillery strikes between
two sides.Both sides tooks damages,the Nallum lost nearly 45 heavy artillery walkers right on
the first two hours on the beach,with 34 damaged beyond repair,proven that Sedales gunners
are more precise than them.Confederate troops advanced to the defensive lines in Vallas,
consists of machine gun nests and AT guns.The defense are weak,and the defenders are being
outnumbered from 100 to 1.Walkers and tanks are used to clear out machine gun nests and
towed AT guns.The 3rd Anti tank regiments taken heavy casualties but still fight to their last
breath until they receive retreat orders.With the powerful AT guns,the Sedalians are able to
stop multiple attacks from enemy tanks until they faced with Devastator super heavy tanks,it's
armor is impenetrable for a 47mm AT gun,lucky for them,they got support from their own
heavy tanks against enemy.After sustaining heavy damages from enemy AT walkers and
therefore, they have to retreat, to preserve their fighting strength,leaving behind the desperate
defenders who sacrificed themselves to delay the advancement of Confederate army in this
battle.The Confederate also having a difficult time to get closer to enemy positions,it tooks
them the death of 2000 infantry men on the 1st day of combat on this island.Most of the
coastal defense on the island were wiped out,and now,the Confederate are advancing to the
Town of Vallas
A Rocket Artillery firing at Confederate tanks
The Tank Battle of Vallas:
A squad of 5 Ontos medium tanks advanced to the line,they faced with 3 heavy tanks,These
56 ton monster were designed to be robust,capable of dealing a high firepower against both
tank and infantry,with the configurations of multi turrets,housing both anti tank and antiinfantry weapons,it was considered to be the most advanced tanks of Sedales Armored Force
at that time.The low velocity gun of the Ontos aren't a problem for them,and most of the
Ontos were destroyed after they encounter with Sedales R-50 heavy tanks,only two tank
survive and one of them was abandoned by it's own crew when it ran out of fuel,The other
tank retreated with a shell hole on it's turret.
1828
1827
182
9
2
FIGHT and LOVE
AT gun crew during the battle of Vallas
One of the destroyed Ontos during the battle,a track of this one was disabled by a 76mm shell
of an R-50 tank and it got another hit in the sponson from the same tank
1838
183
3
FIGHT and LOVE
Another battle taken place with one R-50,controlled by Corporal Cyprus Pallas vs 3
Devastator tanks.The Devas open fire and none of the shell hit the R-50,the R-50 try to
maneuvering to avoid enemy shells.It also firing it's guns at the same time.a shot from the
Mortar of the front turret hit the ammo racks of a Deva and causing it's turret to explode.Two
remaining Devas continue to advance at the R-50,Cyprus quickly told his driver to stop the
tank,it was a dangerous decision,and yes a shell from one of the deva hit the side armor of the
tank,luckily it bounced off.Cyprus quickly told his gunner to aim at the leading tank precisely
and fire.The shell flew out of the barrel and hit the track of the leading deva,the crews soon
abandon the tank,but they were killed by the R-50 as soon as they got out of their tank as the
other deva retreated.
Chapter 5:The fall of Vallas and Operation Sea Horse/Evacuation of Vallas
Even with the tankers victories,the tide of the battle still not changed,the Confederate force,
with 60000 troops outnumbered 20000 Sedalian defenders.With all of their effort,the Sedalia
lauch two counter attacks against Confederate force,but they failed to achieve their goals.The
4th,2nd and 6th Motorized infantry divisions failed at retaking the defense lines. Another
failure is the Garol hills offensive,most of the Sedalian tacticians claimed that the major
failure in this battle is the failure in co-ordination between tanks and infantry,the 5th infantry
batallion have to retreat after taken heavy casualties from Confederate Terror Walkers squad,
as the 3rd tank division still keep advancing,and most of their tanks were destroyed by enemy
artillery,others were destroyed by enemy tanks,leaving out wrecked, burning hulls and dead
bodies of escaping tankers,thus non of the tankers of the division survived.The counter attacks
have failed as the Confederate Army slowly wiped out all the defenses on their way to the
town.
Sedales Infanry during the Valros Counter Offensive
1848
184
4
FIGHT and LOVE
Two Sedales Infantry Tanks in Garol Offensive
Ultimately,the Confederate are getting closer to the town and they started to damaged the
town with artillery bombardments.The High Commands of the island soon received order
from their leaders to retreat to the northern coast of the island,where Sedales battleships are
waiting for them.The high commands have no other choices,they finally decided to evacuate
all the civillians out of the islands,leaving nothing behind.The evacuations takes time,and the
volunteers,composed of 9th Infantry Battalion and 5th tank division along with some militia
with total strength of 5000 men.Their task was simple,slow down enemy advances as long as
they can.It was a suicide mission,when they chosen to stay behind and buy time for the
evacuation convoys,once they stay behind,they will not coming for the evacuation.
The defenders setting up their defenses,they buried their Savar tanks were re positioned.
Several MG nests were fortified with additional sand bags and barricades.AT guns were put
into portable position,where they can flank enemy tanks on both left and right sides.These
men know they might not survive,but their efforts was crucible for the evacuation convoys.As
the Sedales Dreadnought approach the coast,the Confederate Force attack the town, the
defenders fought back with what they have, they causing heavy damages to Confederate
infantry, nearly 500 infantry were killed by Sedalian HMG nest during the 1st wave.The
battle getting more intense as the Confederate used superheavy tanks to crush the defenders.
All the shots from AT guns and Savar turrets are useless,they finally destroyed the HMG nest
and moved to the town.With all 22 tanks lost, 4 AT guns destroyed,the remains of the
defenders retreated back to the church of the town,where they stand for their last breath.They
are exhausted,wounded by their enemy,but they still haven't giving up yet,the commander of
the tank division finally charged along with his tanks for the final attack,followed by the
infantry. Nearly all of the Savar were destroyed,3000 men from the Ares infantry division
1858
185
5
FIGHT and LOVE
were killed, 10 savar tanks were destroyed.Finally,the commander told 20 defenders to retreat
to the coast to report the situation to their leaders,a transport ship is still there awaiting for
them. Leaving behind 467 defenders left.The retreated defenders soon evacuated by the last
ship, and they regret they left their comrades behind.The defenders were soon killed with 12
remains captured and killed after the last ship departs from the coast of the island.
A Sedales Battleship provide covering fire for the evacuation convoys
Massacre of the Ariete and Ares divisions:
After the defend of Vallas town,only 1423 men survived,they were the remained tankers and
infantry from 5th Ariete Armoured Division.These men soon became catives of Confederate
force,whom used 'take no prisoners' method to their army.After the Confederate force taken
the town,they were executed following the order from General Delras of Confederate
Expedition Force.Their execution was one of the most cruel war crime case of the war.the
tankers were surrounded by 4 terror walkers,unarmed,they were slayed by the multiple shots
from the chainguns,and their bodies were disposed to the sea with their heads photographed.
Those photographs were sent to the Governor of Sedalia as a warning to them,the Confederate
will not showing any mercy to their prisoners and captives.A similar cases also happened
during the battle of Ver, where the commander and his 40 command officers were executed
after they surrender.It was one of the most notorious massacre ever commited by the
Confederate force during the war.
Aftermath:
The Battle of Vallas shows the failures in strategical deployments on both sides.The
Confederate have taken 20 days to advanced to the town more than they expected,these men
expected that within 3 days,they can wiped out all the defenses and taken the town.But it was
worse,the defense lines of the Sedalians are considered to be nearly impenetrable,with coastal
defense guns and a network of defense bunkers,the Confederate troops have a hard time to
1868
186
6
FIGHT and LOVE
penetrate the defense lines,with the total loss of 10000 troops,134 tanks,452 walkers.The
Sedalians failure is that their units aren't equally postioned for their defenses and their failures
in tank-infantry co-ordination during the Garol Offensive,the tanks have failed to protect their
infantry against enemy HMG and Anti-Infantry Walkers.Meanwhile the infantry failed to
support the tanks,after taken heavy casualties,they have to retreat,leaving their tanks continue
to advance and being slayed by tougher tanks from enemy armored force.
All the military equipments along with civillian supplies have been carried away to the
evacuating ships.Most of the military personels and civillians were evacuated from the
island,except for the 5000 defenders.The battle have taken heavy casualties on both sides,with
the Confederate loss of 23000 men and the Sedales loss of 14000 men.Another possibilities of
defeat might comes to Sedalia after this battle,but will they still standing after their 1st
defeat,or they will fall under the oppression of Confederate Force?
Results and Outcomes:
+Pyrrhic Victory for the Confederate Invasion Force
+Strategical failures of Sedales Armed Force
+The annexation of Vallas
+Air Battle of Munni
Air Battle of Munni coast
The war waged on as the Confederate begins to increase more air raids on the territorries of
Sedalia,with the Island of Vallas fall into their ,things are easier for them,they built an airbase
there,now it's only takes a few hours for a bomber to strike at Sedalian Territories.The Sedales
at that time were lack of factories to built aircrafts even though their fighters were used in
limited numbers.For the crucial decisions,many automotives factories also being tasked with
assemblying airplanes for the war.The Sedalians finally able to built a sufficient amounts of
S-10 Adler light fighters along with a limited S-20 Drache heavy fighters.The Sedalians
formed more squadrons beyond the 1st squadron whom they used in defense of Valros.With
the increasing numbers of airpowers,the Sedales finally have a formidable air force consist of
11 squadrons,with total amounts of 540 aircrafts,wide ranged from trainers, fighers,
transports. The developments of Sedalian S-10 Adler at that times are still uncomparable to
confederate heavy fighter,which have better cruising speed and armor.Sedalian Air Force also
facing a greater chances of defeat,their enemy have more than 1000 aircrafts,with a size-able,
highly co-ordinated,and well supplied airforces.
The Sedalian S-10 Adler was a design formed from the requirements of the Reseach
Department, to design a cheap,durable fighter aircraft that can be used for homeland defense.
The result was the S-10 Adler,the fighter that have outstanding performances which still being
used by the Air Force until the end of the war.It speed outturn the Confederate T-22 heavy
fighter and it was armed with 4x30mm autocannons,making it a very powerful interceptors.
1878
187
7
FIGHT and LOVE
Sedalian pilots run to their planes.Even being outnumbered,these pilots have show their
courage by shooting down enemy aircrafts in large numbers,thus saving the nation from the
invasion of the main island
The Adler propably was one of the best aircraft ever built by the Sedalian,it provide the vital
roles in the survival of Sedalia.These plane,with their outstanding performance is the key to
the victory of the Sedales.
1888
188
8
FIGHT and LOVE
Another Sedales design is the S-20 Drache heavy fighter,the revolutionary design used twin
booms,with the central gondola.It was designed to met a specific specifications for the
Sedales 1st aircorps,an aircraft which can provide a long operational range for patrol,and can
be used for tactical intercepting mission against enemy aircrafts. Its durability certaintly is
higher than the Adler but it speed and maneuverability were slow,making it difficult for pilot
to control these plane properly.Armed with 2x 20mm forward firing cannons and a turret with
4x8mm machine guns,along with a moderate bombloads,it can provide for multi tasks such as
heavy fighter,qround attacker,Reconaissiance.It was a formidable design that became the
basic influences to newer Sedales fighter designs.
During the war,the S-20 was the primary heavy fighters of the Sedales Air Force.The key to
it's success is the changed in engines and the fitting of radio equipment,helping it fulfill the
roles of night fighter.Despite their slow performance,they still contribute to lots of victories
for Sedalian side.
On the otherhand,Confederate have the T-22 heavy fighter,slow,but it's armanent and
maneuver considered to be very useful for an escort fighter,armed with 4x20mm cannons,it
can destroy any enemy aircrafts with a high rate of fire.However the drawback is there are
only one pilot control it and it have no tail turret,making it vunerable to lighter fighters.
After a series of attack over Valros,the defense network on Sedalian territories were
strengthened further,so the Confederate have to pick another target,the oilrigs in the Northern
Sedales Island,where many fuel were supplies to the Sedalian army.The Confederate goal
were simple,to destroy and cut off the major fuel supplies for the Sedales army.They can't
sent their troops there,for a reason,their troops weren't properly equipped for the cold
atmosphere of the Northern Sedalia Island,named Kalros.Therefore,the island are virtually
safe from Confederate infantry,but it can be bombed by enemy bombers.It provide 300
million tons of oil per year,making it one of the largest oil reserves in Sedalia.The target that
Confederate picked are perfect,but its quite unsure if they can destroy it completly before the
1898
189
9
FIGHT and LOVE
Sedales air force comes or not,its still the matter of time After the Sedales Intelligience
Department decoded enemy messages,the Sedales Airforce have known that enemy will
attack the Kalros Oilrigs.Within 3 hours,aircrafts were restocked with ammunitions,some
were quickly repaired in order to take off to battle.With the strength of 125 aircrafts,the
Sedalian pilots took off and ready for one of the largest scale air battle in the history of the
Great War.
The Confederate tooks 86 N-90 heavy bombers,newly refurbished,with fully loaded
bombays,they were escorted by 100 T-22 heavy fighters for the raids.Their raid were divided
into 2 major raids:one group will bomb the oil processing plant,one group will bomb the city
of Kalros,the two other will finished off the oil rigs near the Munni Coast of Kalros island.
On the early morning,the radar station in Sedalia picked up a group of enemy bombers
heading toward the Northern Island with escorts.The air raid sirens turned on in every air
bases as each Sedalian pilots quickly rush to their planes and ready for take off.Sedalian
fighters took off from different airbases and finally joined with their mates on the way to
defend Kalros Island.On their way,they receive a distress signal from Kalros,the bombers are
dividing their attacks on different areas.The Sedalian fighters soon divided their group in to 5
groups to attack their enemies by following the direction from Kalros radar station.
The 1st group with 45 planes who headed for the oil rigs soon found the Confederate
bombers, with 24 aircrafts.These planes still haven't reach their target yet,so its their chance to
intercept the bombers.The group have successfully wiped out enemy bombers,but suffering
heavy casualties by enemy escort fighters.The remained 10 aircrafts returned to the base,14
planes were shot down and only 9 pilots were rescued and 5 missing in actions.
2nd group, consist of 32 aircrafts fly toward the city,realizeed that the enemy bombers are
returning from bombardment,these men turned their planes to engage enemy bombers,the
bomber apparently have no escorts,so attacking them is much easier.However no escort
doesnt mean unarmed.The gunners of Confederate bombers fiercely fought back at all cost to
defend their aircraft, but its useless,the disadvantage of the turret on the N-90 have become
the deadly mistake,it's tranverse speed can't compensate with enemy fighters.thus many
bombers were shot down when they can't even turn their turret in time.AA defense have
stopped when this fighter group comes.Only three out of 23 bombers survived with heavy
damages.The casualties on Sedalian side are quite moderate,only two planes,one were shot
down by friendly fire and the pilot was saved by ground AA crew.Other pilot was killed after
taken heavy damage from enemy aircraft.
The 3rd,4th and 5th group finally defended the Processing plant but taken heavy casualties
from enemy escorts.However,the Sedalians finally outwitted enemy pilots,mostly by applying
the performance of theit planes.The bombers also have caused a heavy damages to the plant,
making it un salvageable.Out of 86 bombers,only 10 planes survived,and for the escorts, they
lost 65 planes.The battle ended with the victory of Sedalian,57 Sedales planes were shot down
.Most of them are heavy fighters,it have implying that the Sedales Adler fighter is the plane
that outturn the Confederate fighter, with greater speed,formidable armanents, better
maneuver, it certainly is the best choice for the Air Force,These plane were later upgraded
with better engines,making them more formidable with their new roles,ground attacks and
high altitude interceptors.
The Battle also prove the weaknesses of S-20 heavy fighter,these planes are slower than the
T-22,making them a perfect target for enemy aircrafts,luckily,it was compensated for its turret
.With the positioned gondola turret having 4x machine guns,it can defend against enemy
fighters within it's range,or goes under a bomber belly and unleash a barrage of armor
piercing bullets against enemy bombers.
1909
190
0
FIGHT and LOVE
Many other weaknesses of Confederate plane also exposed during this battle.The N-90 was
diagnosed for their slow transverse turret,and the T-22 was considered to be weak against the
new,formidable Adler design of the Sedales Air Force.It appears that the Confederate will
need to develop a new type of fighter in order to compensate with the developing Sedales
Army.
The Victory,somehow have become a propaganda symbol shows the defensive powers of
Sedales Air Force and AA Defense.Among the pilots who participated the battle,there was a
Sedalian pilot whom became a famous Ace Pilot nicknamed 'the Wasp', he used an Adler so
effectively that he was able to score 12 kills within a day,this man later was awarded with the
Sedalian Distiguished Medal of Honour for his action in Battle of Geropole,it was one of the
most dedicated medal ever given to Sedalians.The Victory have finally helps the Sedalians
gained more trust to their government,with a hope that one day,the Sedales Island will gain
it's glory through it's darkest time,the tide of this war.
Chapter 5:The Teltos Sea Campaign(part 1)
Battle of Teltos Sea perhaps are one of the longest campaign during the Confederate-Sedales
war.It's core was centered around the bombardment of Confederate Navy on Sedales Islands
and the attempt to blockade Sedalia from receiving supplies from Rahmos.During the midwar period,the Rhamos and the Sedalia made an alliance agreement for exchange for supplies
between each others,the Sedales will provide oils and raw industrial materials for Rhamos .In
exchange,the Rhamos will sent their best military advisors and 10000 troops to Sedales
Island.As an island country,Sedales depends a lot on trading goods through sea and its need
more imported goods such as food,water and consumables in order to keep fighting against
the Confederate.
From the beginning to the end of this campaign,it was considered as a tonnage war,as two
sides mostly aimed at their enemy merchant and supply ships.The Sedales wanted to prevent
the Confederate Navy shipping reinforcement and supplies to Vallas Island,while the
Confederate push all of its effort to blockade Sedalia from receiving reinforcements and
goods from Rhamos.
The struggle between both Naval Force ended with the loss of Confederate Navy and the
victory of Sedalia-Rhamos Co-belligerences Navy.It involves with more than 200 convoys,
over 1000 merchant ships and further more 300 warships encounters with more than 1500
planes were shot down during the battle.The campaign lasted until the end of the war, making
it the longest campaign in the conflict between Sedalia and Confederate.
At the end of the campaign,the Confederate lost with the retreat of Taetus fleet,the Rhamos
and Sedalia won,but taken heavy casualities,with 4000 merchant ships,134 warships along
with 356 submarines were sunk by Confederate fleets.Both sides also having an arm race in
modernizing their own naval Force,with newer weapons,better equipments along with tactics
and counter measures developed on both sides.The Sedales have gained success in the
blockade of the occupied Vallas Island,thus making the Confederate Force on the island
getting weaker and weaker.Eventually the Sedalian took their chance and strikes back at the
2nd battle of Vallas.
1919
191
1
FIGHT and LOVE
An AA turret from a Confederate corvette,the CSS Endurance firing at Sedales fighters,the
CSS Intimidator corvette can be seen in the background
Commerce raiding and early skirmishes of Confederate Navy: With the handful Taetus fleets
available in the West Taetus sea,the Confederate begins to moves their fleet which were
operated in Taetus Sea to Sedalia.Their ships were regconized to be well armed and
formidable, however they lacks of sufficient firepower against Sedales Navy.The Commader
of Confederate Navy,Admiral Fer decided to put the use of Confederate corvettes into the
campaign as soon as possible.Most of these corvettes having faster speed than cruiser,and
with decent armaments,making them more effective for commerce raiding and mine laying.
When the Rhamos decided to help Sedalia,the Confederate soon focused on merchant raiding
tactics by using all of their available capital ships and corvettes available into the campaign.
The Sedales fleets are merely outnumbered,however,it doesn't mean that they are weak.
Before the outbreak of the war,Sedales Navy have total strength of 4 aircraft carriers,15
battleships,42 destroyers and 123 submarine along with 345 gunboats ,all of them were
locally built.The strongest point Sedales Navy is about their submarine fleet,which mostly
consisted of modernized cruiser submarines,they were well known as the Lion packs.123
submarines were deployed in 5 fleets,with their task to protect their allies merchant ships and
preventing enemy transport ships from entering Vallas Island.
A few encounters between Confederate Navy and Sedales ships happened.The Confederate
corvette sunk a Sedales Mine-Layer within an hour near Vallas coast.Another encounter
happened,this time it is between three Confederate corvettes against a Sedales old
dreadnought, the SMS Valiant,the corvettes soon outrun the dreadnaught and eventually sunk
it with their torpedoes.With more success came from the deployment of corvettes,Admiral Fer
planned to use maximum efforts with all of their available corvettes during the early period of
the campaign,most of them patrolling around Sedalia borders,these deployments however
1929
192
2
FIGHT and LOVE
made a few drawbacks,the harsh winter in Vallas ports have frozen the water on the
surface,trapping several newly built corvettes on ice.With the further heavy bombardments
from Sedales Navy,the Confederate have to withdraw their corvettes from the island back to
Karthonie to prevent losses.
SMS Jackal,one of the only two aircraft carriers in active service with Sedales Navy
The SMS Valiant,the oldest battleship of Sedales Navy which was sunk by Confederate
corvettes in Teltos sea
1939
193
3
FIGHT and LOVE
Submarine warfare:
Before the campaign started,a Sedales submarine captain named Robert Blecors submitted a
plan to the Commander of Sedales Navy,Grand Admiral Josef Karren.The plan states the
effectiveness use of submarine warfare could changes the situations of the war.The captain
also stated about his submarine tactics,which involved the use of "Lion pack" consisted a
small numbers of these underwater vessels.When the submarines sighted their targets,the pack
will attack and overwhelming the escorting warships,some individual submarines will be used
as a bait to draw fire from enemy ships,thus helping other vessels in the pack will have
chances to attack the enemy merchant vessels.Josef have calculate the total amount of 123
available Resolution class cruiser submarines would be able to causing havoc on enemy fleets
and eventually,he believes it will makes the Confederate stop sending their ships to Vallas and
isolated the Confederate Force in Vallas Island.
The SMS Resolution,the 1st vessel of the Resolution class cruiser submarines on it's patrol
Confederate Navy main anti-submarine methods are to use corvettes with torpedo launchers
and mine layers.However,their Navy counter submarine tactics were outdated,most of the
Confederate destroyer,in fact were designed to operate in fleets,if they go alone,they can be
easily outnumbered by enemy ships.Their corvette indeed is fast and agile,however,its armour
protection are weak and it's prone to torpedo attack from Sedales submarine.
1949
194
2
4
FIGHT and LOVE
Chapter 6: The Teltos Sea Campaign(part 2)
Sinking of the CSS Nallum:
One of the most important aspect of the campaign are about this battle.It was a desperate
struggle of the Sedales Navy to sank one of the most modernized,well armed heavy battleship
of the Confederate Navy,the CSS Nallum. By the middle of the campaign,most of the
corvettes proven to be inferior to Sedales submarines,thus the Confederate have to send their
escort capital ships.The CSS are the strongest capital ship and also the flagship of the Taetus
fleet.It's combat performances have been tested in the early phase of the campaign.It sank 150
merchant ships,and atleast 10 warships.Through the demmand of the Navy,this vessel were
ordered to strike at the coastal defense of Sedalia.After it's bombardment,this ship returning to
Karthonian port,however it was the last journey of the fateful battleship.
The CSS Nallum was constructed in Karthonie shipyard 3 years before the campaign,the
designs of this ship was changed through time as the Confederate requested for an interim
battleship classes for their newly established navy after the Annexation of Karthonie.The ship
design was named as CSS Providence,with the total of 6 ships were ordered,but only 4
completed by the end of the war,two others were damaged beyond repair during a
bombardment in Karthonie coast.The CSS Nallum was the most powerful ship of the
Providence class.With 6x380mm heavy cannons arranged in 3 twin gunned turrets and a
cruise missile launcher with a range finder system.It was also well protected with 4x AA
turrets on each sides,capable to tack a bit of damages to enemy aircrafts.CSS Nallum makes
the best ship of Nallum at that time,but it's not invincible like what they alway said.
The spearhead of the Taetus Fleet,the CSS Nallum before it's last battle against Sedales fleet
In the early morning,after the bombardment of the CSS Nallum on the Sedalia defense
line,the vessel returned to Karthonian port for refueling and resupply it's munitions.The ship
later was sent to Vallas for patrol purposes against any merchant ships from entering
Sedalia.During its journey,Sedales code-breakers have encrypted the message,and order their
men to chase after the Confederate vessel.With 4 destroyers,3 submarine and 1 aircraft
carrier,the Sedales finally found the vessel in the west Teltos sea trying to reach the port of
Vallas.The search for this ship might be hopeless without the help of the encrypters.The SMS
Vallas finally sent some of its sea tender aircraft for scouting.An hour later,the scouting plane
reported back to the fleet the current situation of the CSS Nallum,the vessel's steam turbines
1959
195
5
FIGHT and LOVE
were damaged,it have to stop for repairing itself.The Sedales Navy immediately took this
chance,launching their fighters squadron from SMS Backer to damage it's gun batteries.With
a handful of newly made Adlers,they begins their attack at 4:AM.By 6:AM,the CSS Nallum
have fired over 5000 AA rounds at the Sedales fighters,shot down more than 15 aircraft
within an hour.However one of it's main gun batteries were damaged by incenary bombs
dropped from Sedales fighter,the Sedales planes also damaged the range finder system,
making the situation even more difficult for the Confederate battleship.As the Sedales planes
retreat,the vessel still can't move itself,it's propulsion wasn't repaired yet,the Sedales fighters
just buy time for the fleet to catching up with the CSS Nallum.The vessel engines was fixed,
but it was too late,the Sedales fleet is behind it and now,they are able to catch with its speed.
An Adler taken off from SMS Backer
And yet,the 1st shot from Sedales destroyer leaves the barrel.It hit the leftside mounted AA
turrets,killing 14 sailors on board.The CSS Nallum returned fire with it's main guns,damaging
one of the Sedales destroyer,Another shot from the Sedales fleet,however it missed as the
Confederate vessel desperately trying to escape from the firing range of the Sedales
destroyers.The ship still keeping its moral:to stay alive and fight for their leader.It soon return
fire again and fall back further.At 8:AM a Sedales destroyer was damaged ,however,no
casualties have been found except for the gunners in the frontal main turret.A few more shots
between two sides occured until 11:AM,by that time,the Confederate ship already escape
from the range of the destroyer,heavily damaged with all of its main turrets are unusable.The
Sedales try to contact with the damaged vessel by offering them help if they
surrender,however,no response have came from the Confederate ship and the Sedales fleet
sent the 2nd squadron to chase and sink the ship once and for all.
The fighters squadron,consist of 9 Adlers made their count on each bomb they drop,2
missed,3 hits and 1 critical hit on their engines,thus immobilize the ship.The ship is still
functional but the captain ordered to scuttle it because it can no longer fight or move,all of the
remaining Confederate sailors on upperdeck were evacuated from the ship to their
lifeboats,the distress signal have been sent from the sinking vessel to their nearest ship 30
minutes before the ship sinking completly,however,none of their ship responses,and 145
remained sailors were stranded in the middle of Teltos sea,awaits for rescue.Eventually,they
were rescued and taken as prisoners of war by Sedales Navy.The battle was a success for the
1969
196
6
FIGHT and LOVE
Sedales,with no losses,however,the struggle of the Confederate vessel is very intensive,it have
no escort ships,even more it was damaged on its way to its destination,making it a perfect
prey for Sedales bombers.The Confederate attempts to rescue are too late,as the CSS Ferres
arrived the location of the sunken ship,they can only saved 10 survivors from the ship,leaving
behind 1500 sailors trapped in lower hull drowned as the ship sinking to the bottom of the sea.
Two Adlers fly above the wreck of the CSS Nallum
Chapter 6:The turning tide
With the sinking of the Confederate flagship,the CSS Nallum,the Confederate Fleet weaken
and three months later,the rest of the capital ships and corvettes retreated from Teltos
sea,leaving behind the isolated Confederate Force in Vallas island.
It was the crucial chance for Sedalian Army to strike back and liberated Vallas. Within 3
months,Sedales army have been extensively modernized and reformed.With the helps from
Rhamos military advisors and new equipments,the modernization progress is even faster.
Within few months, Sedales now have 10 modernized tank divisions,along with 5 organized
armored cavalry divisions and 4 artillery divisions with latest technology.
The Confederate defeat was already assured at first,with the retreat of Taetus fleet, its
impossible for Confederate Army on the island to retreat or receiving reinforcements.
However, they still have a strong defensive systems,consist of heavy coastal artillery turrets
on the Vallas coast,along with many camoflaged MG and sniper nests.About 4 infantry
divisions was used,consist of 2500 each.In order to strengthen the defense of the island, the
1979
197
7
FIGHT and LOVE
Confederate also employed the 15th Cavalry division,consist of 400 men with 14 Ontos tanks
and 12 Scarab armored cars with some usable walkers remains on the island.These vehicles
were camoflaged so that they are partially safe from enemy aircraft.
Sedales Heavy tanks on the beach of Reesoss,Vallas Island
The island have total of 10 small towns,supplies have been limited in these area due to the
blockade,the only way that the air force can help them is dropping supplies,but the air
dominance in this war have belong to Sedalia,so aerial supplies is impractical with the daily
patrols of Sedales recon aircrafts around the island.
On the other hand, Sedales armed force have 50000 infantry along with navy ,air force,
auxiliaries and nurses,air supports have become a vital roles in this battle.Most of the
Confederate Airforce on the island fight back with weak resistance,most of their aircrafts
were grounded due to lack of fuel,others were shot down before they can taken off from the
airstrip.Other coastal bunkers and fortifications are also destroyed except for their hidden
ones, followed by other air raids and bombardments on the island by Sedales Air Force and
Navy.
As the 3rd Amphibious Corps moved in,they faced heavy resistance from enemy artillery
walkers.Heavy casualties were taken with 12 tanks being disabled,10 others were destroyed.
However,the Sedales Army,with their bravehearts,continue to march even if they are under
heavy fire.
On the Northern side of the island,4th and 6th Amphibious Corps facing strong resistance as
they moved in to Perros Airfield,the airfield was bombed multiple times before the Sedales
infantry arrived.Damaged hangars,destroyed aircraft wreckage lying everywhere,the airstrip
was heavily damaged with bomb and shell crates.The Confederate diverse their force to lauch
another counter offensive on the airfield to protect it at all cost,but failed.Their Warweavers
1989
198
8
FIGHT and LOVE
used to lead the assault were immobilized or destroyed by Sedales Artillery Bombardments.
Confederate Ontos tank defending a section near Perros Airfield
The Sedalian army soon reach to inner border of the island.The Confederate still fought with
what they get,however,the crucial needs for ammunitions and supplies soon became a
problems.After 3 days of fighting,many Confederate troops were infected with
malaria.Medicine,water,food were scarce,they dont have much left.The Confederate defenders
eventually retreated to their mountain base in northeast side of the island,where they continue
to hold for 2 more days before surrender.
There were no much fuel left.Confederate commanders decided to bury their tanks in static
position and saved fuel for artillery walkers.Confederate troops eventually ran out of
munitions and by the 4th day of fighting,their Commander,General Alcerux surrendered to
Sedales Army.Total of 120 prisoners were captured,along with 10 Confederate high ranking
officers.This decisive battle have officially ended the Invasion.But does it ended the desire of
both power-hungry nations to conquer it for the massive resources that they have?Will it
end?The victory brought Humilliation to Confederate Government.
This invasion turned out to be just a small scale incident called the North Teltos Sea Crisis,
after this battle,the Confederate Military eventually launching a full scale invasion Force to
conquer Sedalia.For the Sedalians,they will have to make a choice,became one of the Rhamos
protectorate State to gain protection from COnfederate Force or choose to fight both.Sedales
politicians however,they were able to managed their policies with the Rhamos to stay friendly
with them without becoming a Protectorate state.The Sedales Government knew Rhamos
needs more men for their Expedition Army for their Far East Expedition and more vital
resources for the war.Their Industry were heavily damaged by continuos Confederate
bombings,luckily,those damages are minor.It didn't takes so long for Sedalia to repair its own
economic structures,also,in order to adapt to their current political situation,a new economical
1999
199
9
FIGHT and LOVE
policies were used in order to maintain their funds and resources needed to defend themselves
from the upcoming invasion.Sedalia however still can't solve their politic crisis with Nallum,
even the situation started to gets better.The Confederate eventually came up with a new
reason to making a 2nd invasion of Sedalia in 5 years after the incident it was another
ambiguous diplomatic problem between their relationships-The Gulf of Gerrat Incident.
Sedales Artillery gun firing at enemy armors during the battle.
Sedalia flag waving on the Mountain of Herrat,the victory have increased Sedalia
reuptations. Many other nations like Atelia,Kathos United Republic,Confederate Far Eastern
Colonies eventually cheering for this event,it encourage them to a path of revolutions which
later known as the Reformation of a New World.
200
FIGHT and LOVE
201
FIGHT and LOVE
Theimar's diary
Gen. Alrisa Alembick (JosephAllen)
*this is my Fiction about the point of view of a tank driver until he became a Marauder's
captain*
Day 1, Anchorpoint
Its my 1st time I have been here, in Kathos, A wonderful city,full of Marauders,including my
captain, he have been waiting for me like 2 hours since the airship landed.
My name is Gregory Theimar, Im a 23 yrs old tank driver who just graduated from the
Mercos
Tank Academy.After a Cadet graduated, we have to enlist in the Royal Armored Corps, or be
a mercenary who where paid to raid.They were called Marauders.
My captain, a 35 years old man. Unlike usual Marauder captain he was wearing a standard
Kathos Royal Officer uniform and a Beret. He looks really serious when I was just arrived the
Air Station.
''Private Theimar reporting for Duty, Sir!'' As soon as I approach him,I give my salutation
''What takes you so long, Its your 1st day and you better be quick!''He just smiled and ask me.
''You are...Gregory Theimar right?''
''Yes Sir !''
''This man will be your tank commander, go see him in my airship.''He showing me a paper
with a name on it, ''Lieutenant Henzer''.
''Understood Sir"
I walked along the airship dock and I reached the Hangar 45, where our airship park. It was a
big Majestic class frigate. As I walked in to the hangar and I saw a tank commander yelling at
his fellow troops.
Day 1, Anchor point,Hangar 45
The tank commander was yelling to his men by the time I arrived. He was younger than I
expected for a Tank Commander, He is probably 29 years old.He was instructing those
gunner in a Savar tank how to shoot a dummy tank which were made from wood that they
have setup.He saw me but didnt notice and still focus on his instruction lesson for two rookie
gunners.
''Move it to the left a bit!'' the commander said
The turret of the tank slowly turn 45 degree and...
BANG!!!, the Armor Piercing shell from the Savar in the static position were fired from 100
meters. But the shell missed and the Dummy were undamaged.
''GODDAMN IT!! I told you to move a littile bit left, DONT YOU UNDERSTAND!''
''But sir we have try to aim it, the Gun sight were too narrow for us to aim accurately!''Two
Savar gunners said
''How can you even shoot on a running tank if you cant shoot properly!''*Commander
Facepalm*
''We will do our best Sir!''
''Its Alright,you can take a rest and come back here tomorrow, understood?''
202
FIGHT and LOVE
''Sir Yes Sir!''
''Good,Now we dismiss!''
As soon as those gunners walk away, I ask him immediately
''You are Lieutenant Heinzer ?''
''Yes I am,Lieutenant Frederick von Heinzer, nice to meet you, and you are?''
''Private Gregory Theimar reporting for duty sir!''
''At rest soldier!We have a few arrangement for you.''
He tell me to follow him and finally he showed me a Savar tank w a long, High velocity
37mm gun .It was refurbished and modified by our captain.It was painted in brown with a
white skull paint in the front. The tank itself can run very well even without proper
maintenance.THese tanks are providing an effective backbone armored units for Marauders
like us.
''Alright,we are done with your baby*, now its time for your accomodation.''
''Where am I going to stay sir?'',Im asked
''Come with me''.We get in his scout car and we drive to our airship.
THe Modified Majestic class Frigate, named Magnificient Lightning belongs to our captainGeneral Nikolai Halik .Its engine is so big that the ship require two assisted rocket engines to
lift it when taking off.The main door opened and we drive inside the airship.
The internal of the airship,more than I can imagine,the General must have a lots of loots and
tropies.The wall was painted in white,there are some portraits of military leaders and scenery
arts. the floor are made from the best wood in Kathos,which was from a very rare plant
species-the Feluna.As I walked to a room number 266, Heinzer knocked the door and said.
''Hey Teo!You have a visitor here!''
the door opened and a young 19 years old man walked out of the room.
''Who is it,Heinz?''he asked
''Your new roomate!''
''Wait...what?This is my personal room and You cant touch this,You cant!''
''Woa Woa Woa, he is my roomate huh?So I have to share a room with this kid?''I asked
''Hey hey, listen to me OK?If you call me a kid again,I WILL BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF
YOU!''He yelled
''Dont worry, I think you two gonna be fine.''Heinzer smile at us
203
FIGHT and LOVE
''By the way, Dinner on the ship will be served at 7 O'clock,Remember to be on time OK?''
''Understood sir'' We replied
*The savar tank that Theimar will use as his 1st tank.
After we done with our dinner ,We were tasked to protect a convoy through the forest of
Osatia at 1 AM
Its really hard since we only have a few infantry squad,10 savar tanks to protect 11 trucks,we
might attacked by Mortt or some money thirsty warbands who ready to steal our gold from
these well armored Smuggling trucks.We begins to load our Supplies on these trucks.All the
munitions,Atora meat,Cigars,Wheat flour where sealed in these wooden boxes.
As soon as all the cargoes are loaded, I open the Savar hatch and get inside it.I start the tank,
its started smoothly with no problem,with the new engine the tank can achieve the speed of 64
km/h. Which mean we can run away from our enemy quickly in case of no more ammo left
Now we rolling on our way to the Rendezvous point.the only matters I have been consider
about is if our convoy were attacked, will we be able to defend it?
Now Heinzer taking in charge of driving the tank, and Im taking some nap for 1h then we will
switched our position again.
204
FIGHT and LOVE
The adventure of Franco Hobalt
Gen. Alrisa Alembick (JosephAllen)
Chapter 1: Intro and the tale of the Hammerhead
It was a beautiful night in Mercos,the light of the moon,cold air of the winter season.Little
Hobalt is so excited to see his father,a former Kathosian soldier retelling the stories about
Marauder's legends for his bed time stories.One of the story that Hobalt never get tired of is a
legend about an airship Hammerhead built by the Barons.The airship was a giant dreadnought
that was in service with the Barons during the conquest of Markos during The Markos
Incident, afterward,her cargo capacities were modified.some of her guns were removed and
cargo slots were placed in instead,the ship was well known around the world for it's
operational range and safety service records.However,a tragic accident happend on a stormy
day,it was mysteriously disappeared after a typhoon while on it's mission to Sedales .All of
it's crews were lost,with 4 millions specimens of jewleries and 50 millions newly brimmed
gold coins for the Sedales Governors as a peaceful gift from Kathos Emperor,the ship never
made it to the destination.
The father telling his son about the story of the legendary airship
For many years, archeologists have made many theories about the ship,their final conclusion
is that it crashed to the Unholy continent according to it's final co-ordinates on radar,a place
that non human ever set their foot on.The legend also told that a few Marauder's captains said
that they seen the shadow of this ship many times when they fly across the Unholy
Continent.It was nothing but a ghost ship.Some Marauders have travel to the Unholy
Continent,and there are very limited chance of survival once they were in it.The people who
survive from failed expeditions often said something about some giant 4 legged arachnids
hiding in the forests of the Unholy Continent.They said that these beasts are their terror.It fed
on blood of the dead bodies of Marauders,and with their sharp pincers,can tear off the armor
of the Devastator tank.These Spiders are hive minded,leaded by a 6 legged Queen
205
FIGHT and LOVE
Spider,surprisingly,the biggest hive was the wreck of the Hammerhead,discovered by a recon
plane of Kathos Airforce while on patrol.Until now,non of the Marauders ever reach their
hand to the ancient lost treasure of the past.The story ends as Hobalt was filled with energetic
emotions on his mind.He said to his dad,"One day,I will be a treasure hunter."His father just
smiled and kiss his head,"Yes,my dear son,one day you will" as Hobalt closed his eyes and
fell into his sleep.
Chapter 2:Origins of Hobalt family
Francois Hobalt live through 6 years of happy life with his father in a farm near Jeriah
range,everything seems to go well with him.Until one day,his father,suffered from lung
cancer passed away leaving his son behind.The child can't do anything but cry over the coffin
of his own father.His uncle feel sympathy for Francois,decided to adopt him and brought him
to his family.
Years later,Francois is now a 15 years old teenager,he have lived with his uncle,Harris Jelkins
since his father death.With all the money he had,Francois uncle opened a saloon,near the
suburban area of Mercos,over a cliff that pointed out to the beautiful mountain ranges of
Jeriah. The saloon were very well known for it's special beer recipes in the city,making their
living condition better.Francois have a new happy life with his uncle,but he can't forget about
his parents.Everytime when he sleep,he always wondered:"why my dad didn't tell me
anything about my mother?".
The interior of Harris's Saloon which was well known for it's unique beer recipe
One day,Francois,walk over the cliff and stood there,look at the sunset on the hill with a long
signs,his uncle approaching him,he assumed that Francois still can't forget about his parents,
he sit down near Francois and pull out a photograph from his pocket.Francois looks at the
photo, it was a photo of a young couple,the man is seen wearing a nicely polished army
officer uniform,the lady,was wearing a beautiful wedding dress filled with happiness on her
206
FIGHT and LOVE
face..
The photograph of a young married couple from Harris pocket
His uncle ask him:"Do you know who are they?".
Francois confused and ask him back:"I don't know?Who are they?".His uncle just smile and
said:
"It was your mother and your father,they looks so different aren't they?"
"I never seen my mother before,my dad told me she passed away when she was
young."Francois said
"Your mom was beautiful,isn't she?Your dad have make the right choice back then,Your
grandfather can't do anything to stop her,isn't he?It was her choice to stay with him."
"Who is my grandfather then?"
"The Duke of Garados,back then,your father was an artillery officer served under his
command,and he fell in love with the Duke's daughter,at that time,normal civillians can't
marry noble class you know?Your mother also develop her feeling for him after he saved her
from a group of bandits.The Duke knows it,and he didn't approve for the relationship at all.It
was her choice so she was exiled from the Duke's family,myself was banished too because I
was trying to support my sister."
"So I have Royal Blood,am I ?"
"You are!As I would say,what ever your mother has done,she is still the Duke daughter."
207
FIGHT and LOVE
"But why does the Duke hated my father so much?he haven't done anything wrong!"
"Ahh!Excellent question,because he was jealous with your father,you see,during that socalled Border-Conflict war,your father was one of the best military strategist ever served
under the King command,the Duke feels like he is just a shadow when he saw your father's
glorious victories many times,so he became to develop his jealousy on the young officer."
Now,Francois know why his father rarely talk about his mom,they met together in an
unexpected event.Then they got married without permission of the Duke,they lived together
in a house near Mercos suburb,then they have a baby,it was Francois,unfortunately,a few
months after Francois was born,she was killed by a Bandit,at that time,she was 25.After her
death,his father regretted that he couldn't do anything to save her from the Death
Francois put the picture to his pocket,he closed his eyes and walk away.After that day,the
image of his parents still haunted in his mind,he couldn't stop thinking about it,he wanted to
move on and forget about the past,but it have become a fragment of his past memory forever.
Chapter 3:The beginning of a journey
One night,a marauder walks into the saloon,and he tried to stand up.His appearance can be
assumed that he just have a battle,his shirt was torned,multiple gunshots on the chest armor,a
magazine clip with no munition left and his face was covered with bruises and blood.He
approached to Francois and fall down,try to reach him and painfully spoke each
words:"Help...me!"
Francois and his uncle help him stand up,they sterlizing his wounds and the wounded
marauder give him a scroll of paper and said:
"I know you are innocent,*cough*aren't you,I think that I shouldn't trust a stranger like
you,but I belive you aren't one of them."
"One of them?who are'them'?"
"Venta...Erus..."
"Those are one of the most dangerous criminal group in Donac Erus,how can we even help
you while they already known you are here?"
"I will...give...it to you...I believe
"This...scroll...it have a ....secret,the secret...must not fall into their hands"
"What secret?Tell me,what is it?"
The marauder coughed as he try to speak his final words
*cough*"The treasure of..."right after that his heart stop beating ,his face was fainted and
even when his uncle give the man CPR,it is useless as Francois curiosity makes him unrolling
the scroll and asked himself"What is behind this treasure and why do those bandits want it so
much?"
It turned out to be a geographical map of an island.Francois was so surprised as he finally
founded an X mark written in blood,possibly before this man comes in to the saloon.He was
intrigured in it,he wonder,why is it so peculiar?why do they chased after this map?
"We have to run,my dear"His uncle said to him as they both hear the doors slamming
noises.Voices of the heavy walking footsteps and reloading guns of the bandits,they have
finally found the marauder they looking for.One of them try to search his pockets
"My captain,this bastard didn't keep the scroll"
"Search his bag"As the bandit captain ordered
"It isn't there neither,my captain"his trooper said
"Damn!There must be someone who took them away!It could be those...Wait...All of
you!Search this house!Now!"The captain ordered his men as they looked in every rooms to
find the scroll of paper.
Francois and his uncle runaway through a hidden passage behind the bar table,it lead to the
208
FIGHT and LOVE
wine cellar and to the farm where his uncle keep the truck.As they try to escape,a rat making
cracking noise on the wooden floor,and it have been noticed by the bandits,they shoot the
table and still couldn't find anything.But then the leader have founded some footsteps of
Francois and his uncle.The leader then throw a HE grenade to the escaping passage.
"Look out!" Francois uncle said to him as both of them trying to run as fast as possible to the
end of the passage.
*BOOM!* the grenade exploded and wooden fragments,glasses splittering everywhere,the
bandits soon destroy the hidden door to the secret passage and chased after Francois and his
uncle.Finally they reach the truck and as his uncle started the engines,the Bandit Savar tank
have noticed them and aiming it turret right at the truck.Luckily,they were able to ignite the
truck engine right before the Savar begins to open fire.The truck moved and it's speed is
increasing slowly, the Savar shoot at it,luckily,the shell landed nearby the back of the truck.It
was a close call,the Savar tend to fire another round but then the truck have already run out of
their range.
209
FIGHT and LOVE
Waltz of Shadows
Lieutenant Gregory Ratkai (Ducimax)
I
The enormous Majestic class airship lazily floated into one of the larger docks in the lower
sections of Anchorpoint. It looked rather weathered, full of broken armor plates and burn
marks. But veteran marauders saw that‘s only a façade, to lure inexperienced fools to the
clutches of the beast; despite the cosmetics, the ship was battle-ready as it could be. As an
insignia, it bore a single, green tea leaf – the last memento of a long-extinct organization.
As the bridges extended and the hatches opened up, the crew swarmed out, mostly through the
large, lower doors, mostly used to take the heavy vehicles onboard. Most of them went
straight for the famous Wheelhouse Bar; some headed for another revered establishment:
Jasmine‘s. Only two men used the upper, thinner bridge: one was Sergeant Clint of the
infantry division, a tall and haggard man, with a stern look, lacking most of his hair. The other
was the leader of the force, now dubbed as marauders: Lieutenant Gregory Ratkai. As always,
he seemed to carry only his longsword, but his usual long, dark green coat could hide any
additional weapons – many fights proved that he just never runs out of sidearms and hidden
blades. His long, black hair tied in a ponytail at his nape, his short mustache and goatee
covered a large portion of his otherwise average face. His only notable feature was his eyes:
sharp as a knife, and with a peculiar color, bright green turning brown inward to his pupil.
The men‘s stroll led to the upper levels, the wide balcony under the statue of Baron Lotien,
the founder of Fort Hillpoint – the original name of Anchorpoint – who‘s known as the last
true Kathosian Noble, not like current lickspittles of Rahmos. There was a whole flea market
situated, anyone could get his hands on shiny new body armors and guns that punch through
them like paper. However, the real deal always happened in the darker, more hidden shops.
Ratkai‘s destination was one of these.
The place was simply dirty, in more then one way. So does the owner, an elder man with
shaggy gray beard, black leather cap and jacket, and a shirt that looked like he never even
once changed it, let alone washed. He aimed both his cigar and double-barreled shotgun at the
newcomers; both were about the same size. As soon as he recognized Ratkai, he let down the
gun.
- Lieutenant! What a pleasure to see you here again.
- Spare the pleasantries, Hank. We both know that you let me into your shop only because I‘m
one of your few customers who actually paying you for your merchandise. What have you got
for me this time? – the shopkeeper took away the weapon, and tried to look like a casual and
rich businessman. All for naught, Ratkai knew him too well.
- Terror Walkers. Skull pattern, second generation. Not in used state, I assure you, ready to
deploy.
- That is for me to decide. I‘ll inspect them, and if I find them usable, then it‘s a deal.
Anything else?
- Oh yeah, I got a letter for you form Jasmine.
Ratkai raised his eyebrows. It was unusual that one of, if not the most known person in
Anchorpoint tried to contact him, instead the other way around, despite the fact that he had his
history with the madam. He took the clean note, which still smelled of perfume, and opened
it. Then carefully folded the paper, and turned to his sergeant.
- Clint, can you look at those walkers for me? I have business to attend… alone.
- Yeah, who likes to go to the brothel in groups? – the soldier knew better than to insult his
210
FIGHT and LOVE
commander. It was just his personal joke time. – Well, have a pleasant ―talk‖ with the lady in
power, sir.
- I feel there won‘t be pleasure involved. Not this time. Tell the men to not get comfortable.
We might need to get out soon.
- Is this matter so urgent?
- I don‘t know. But she sent for me.
With that, he left Clint and Hank alone in the shop.
Anchorpoint was the gathering place of the worst scum the continent of Osatia had to offer.
But at the same time, that made it so peaceful and secure. These people doesn‘t born into
power, they fought nail to toe for each ounce of it. Most of them liked to display it somehow:
with shiny medals (most of them stolen or taken, they didn‘t have any real meaning anyway),
weapons or intimidating armor, let alone some accessories (he could swear he saw a man with
a bag of fresh heads… human heads) or just simply the many visible scars and body
modifications. Whether they do or not, these men and women had an aura of authority around
them. They respected each other‘s power, at least here. And if someone failed to recognize the
other‘s presence, or worse, ignore and intrude upon it, soon found himself kicked out of the
city. Into his airship, or the blue sky itself.
Gregory Ratkai was one of those who have no visible mark of power, but you could feel the
strong leadership in him – or not notice him at all, if he wished. Now, he walked in his
―authority mode‖, trying to memorize every face he met, along with their reactions. He got to
the great, red den of pleasure, knowledge and power play: Jasmine‘s Gentlemen‘s Club.
He was expected: as soon as he entered the dimly lit main hall, full of red and pink, plush and
velvet, laughter and moans, an all too familiar figure made her way to him, in her red laced
bra and miniskirt, and the compulsory ribbons. Jasmine herself greeted him with open arms,
and they could be mistaken as cuddling lovers for a fleeting moment. That is ended, however,
when Gregory gently snatched the woman‘s wrist, holding it away from himself: inside her
hand was a small, ornamented letter opener knife. They smiled each other.
211
FIGHT and LOVE
The man knew that if she really wanted to kill him, she would do it in a much more effective
way. This was just their little game of who can catch the other off guard. Although he was
sure that if even once the Madam catches him, she would not hesitate to really do it. He knew
her all too well, mind and body too.
- So, what was so urgent you had to send for me?
- We have to talk, darling. In private. – despite knowing her, she was just so alluring, the
Lieutenant had to be on his toes to keep up his acting, and not give in to his building desires. –
Come with me, to the usual place. The other one.
II
The ―other usual place‖ was a plain brick-walled office on the top level of the establishment,
lacking any of the signature decorations of Jasmine‘s. The window was semi-transparent, the
floor made of old wooden planks, and the only furniture was two plain chairs and a desk
between them. That, and the fact that Jasmine loosened on her seductress attitude as soon as
the door closed, somewhat lessened the weight on Ratkai‘s shoulders. She was still very
tempting for the common males, but the Lieutenant knew her well enough to have some
immunity to her charm.
Not being one to waste time, the man immediately sat
down to the closer chair.
- So, what is it that you need from me?
- Why do you think I want something from you, beside
some quality time, lover? After all, I am woman too.
She was a perfect actor, and her smile worth thousands
of gold. But her cynical answer met only with an
emotionless look on the Lieutenant‘s face, with the
obvious meaning: ―I‘m waiting.‖ in a few moments, the
Madam‘s smile was nowhere to be found, as she turned
dead serious.
- Do you know the name ―Audley Duchel‖?
- The so-called Devil. An ex-military officer with much
more ordnance and a far larger ego than he can handle.
– Ratkai‘s answer was a casual one, knowledge like this
was the reason he‘s still breathing. – Do you have some
business with him? If you‘re willing to take my advice:
don‘t.
- Not long ago, he‘s made an old shock fortress in the
Thorton region his base.
- Thank you for the heads-up. I didn‘t know that.
- The only problem is, there‘s a village not far from that fortress, which he threatens and preys
upon. I can‘t stand and watch it happen.
- So sad. – Gregory stopped counting the cracked bricks in the wall, straightened himself, and
looked into the woman‘s perfect, brown eyes. – And now, please tell me your real agenda.
You‘re not one to care about some backwater commonfolk. Even if you‘re so compassionate
212
FIGHT and LOVE
about young girls with a tragic fate that you‘re try to round them up at every step and make
them into whores before someone else does.
Ratkai knew what kind of reaction can be expected for the ―W‖ word. That‘s, and many years
of practice allowed him to dodge the sudden slash from Jasmine‘s knife. The wound probably
wouldn‘t kill him anyway, but would leave a deep scar on his chin – meant to be as a
memorable lesson, no doubt. But the insult also had its meaning: ―if you want me to take you
seriously, do the same‖.
- So?
- Fine. – the Madam put back the knife into the top drawer of the desk. – I have a… friend
there. More like, I sent her to that place, precisely because it‘s an obscured, backwater village.
I thought it would be safe for her, and now I feel guilty about it.
- Ok. – the Lieutenant folded his arms together – So, you want me to take care of Duchel.
- No, I have other men for that job, and even for the rest of his vermin. That is a job for a
hammer and an anvil, but I need a surgeon‘s knife too. I want you to clean out his men form
the village, without any of the locals being harmed. I trust you can do it.
- I can. But I think you already know my next question. What‘s in it for me? We‘re marauders
after all, not charity workers.
- How about one of my very special rewards? – Jasmine bended over the table, letting the man
see even more of her already revealed flesh.
- Tempting, but no.
- Not that I expected you to take it. You can have whatever the Devil‘s bunch leave behind,
and everything the villagers offer for gratitude. And, you‘ll have these.
Jasmine opened another drawer, and took a little pouch from it. It‘s contents soon have been
revealed: four piece of gems, two rubies, each the size of an eye, a smaller sapphire and a tiny
topaz. Ratkai raised his eyebrows. In the rotten continent of Osatia, where gold was rather
easy to obtain from any sources, these little shiny things held the only real value. Even top
secret military technologies of all countries, and lumbering battle engines could be bought for
a small amount of finely polished gems. Offering four of them for a house-cleaning mission
meant that this will be a lot harder than it seems – or, the one needs to be protected is
someone important.
At least for Jasmine.
- So, can I count on you?
They both knew the answer already, but Gregory decided to play one more round.
- Depends. How hot is her?
He was prepared to duck from a throwing knife for such a remark. She always had some toys
like that with her. Those revealing stripes of cloth could hold about the same armament as any
baron‘s trooper, and hided much more scars than those men used to have. Physical scars as
well as mental ones.
But surprisingly, Anchorpoint‘s most powerful women just smiled. And that smile held
awfully similar feelings to stepping on a Confederate walker mine.
- You‘ll know when you see her, lover of mine, oh yes.
213
FIGHT and LOVE
III
The night sky was clear, the moon shone brightly. That made the advance of the small army
easier, yet they could remain hidden in the dense foliage of the Thorton forest. There was
about sixty soldiers on foot and a handful of horsemen. They carried mostly rifles and submachineguns, but there were some bazookas, mortars, and even three ―bunker-buster‖
grenade launchers and an AF-5 heavy machinegun. The riders moved ahead and at the side of
the formation, spying the surroundings from their higher view, armed with long hunting rifles
and pipe-bombs. There was only one vehicle with the entire group: Lieutenant Ratkai‘s
command vehicle, the Stiletto. By the looks, it was a standard Mark-IV Command Destroyer,
the part of the infamous armor-shredder tank family with the open-topped turret. But it was
heavily modified on the inside: the engine and most of the moving parts had their own
suspension, and there was a layer of lining between the armor plates. Furthermore, each piece
of the threads had been wrapped in rags, and because all of these, the usually roaring battle
tank made as little noise as a walking trooper – nothing that cannot be repressed by the sound
of the wind and the noises of the night.
The foremost horseman signed back with his flashlight – they have arrived to their target.
Ratkai jumped out of his ride and gave orders on a low voice.
- Volkov, take two men and scout the northern perimeter. Alesh, you and two look at the
eastern part of the town. Clint, Merwon, you‘re coming with me. Don‘t let anyone see you,
otherwise this have been a long trip for nothing. Everyone else stay here and get ready.
- For what, sir?
- Anything, kid. Forward and backward.
Clint joined him as he moved towards the nearest edge of the forest. The dragoon who led
them up until now also dismounted and followed them, keeping his rifle at hand. Merwon was
of Atelian origins, a little more than a youngster. He was a fine rider, and a decent shot, if it
was about animals. Somehow, he just didn‘t have the courage to shoot down people; he
always kept missing vital parts. Except for confederate soldiers: the fur-coated kid with short,
brown hair always find his mark on them, and he was even known for his signature killing
blow: heart-shot through the sanctified insignia on their chest. Since Audley‘s men didn‘t
have the rage-trigger on them, Ratkai had doubts about Merwon‘s aim when the combat will
begin. Fortunately, he only needed his naked eyes right now.
When they were about to reach the edge of the woods, they went to ground, and take the last
ten or twenty meters by crawling. The sight before them was frightening, so to say.
Machinegun nests placed behind barricades, backed by portable AP cannons, and lots of men
with semi-automatic guns and grenade launchers. Also, they had two old Bethes selfpropelled bombard cannon, with open crew compartment. And further, half hidden by a
ruined house, the Lieutenant saw something that made him frown: a fully deployed RA-745
artillery unit, referred by most marauders simply as ―Royal Artillery‖. The copper shells of
that monster could spell doom for any infantry and light vehicle in the blast zone, and leading
an infantry division, Ratkai needed this one the least. Worst part of the sight was that all the
equipment was manned as if it were in daylight, like they won‘t even need a night‘s sleep. But
even with this, something was off about the whole situation. And Clint was the one finding
that out.
- All weapon point to the village. And the formation is not even a blockade. They‘re setting
up a defense perimeter, like they‘re frightened from something inside!
- Good observation, sergeant. That means we still have some elements of surprise. We only
need to set up a target priority, then commence the ambush before they discover us… or they
214
FIGHT and LOVE
decide to blow that village all the way up to Rahmos.
Be prepared as they may were, the attack from the backside of the Devil‘s Raiders caught
them totally off-guard. The loud bang of the hunting rifles echoed through the trees as they
took down the crew of the closer Bethes Cannon and a number of the troopers, and even then
they scanned the village for the shooters, not expecting an attack from the direction of the
forest. They only turned around when the rifles and SMGs started barking. They started to
search for cover in panic, or returned fire blindly, making themselves easy targets. The most
effective weapons, the heavy machineguns were useless, as they were deployed on top of the
barricades, the gunners didn‘t have any space to turn them around, they would have to pack
up then set up the equipment again in the right direction. Some of them died trying, others just
watched dread as the marauders aimed bazookas at them, forced them either to jump away or
be torn to ribbons by the explosive shells along with their gun and the barricade itself. The
operators of the other Bethes came to life, the two threads started rolling in opposing
directions, turning the vehicle into firing position, but before they could shoot, an AP round
from Ratkai‘s Stiletto destroyed the contraption with a loud explosion. He immediately turned
the turret to fire at the royal artillery, but the second shot was too early, and the ruins of the
house prevented the direct hit. The huge turret already turned to position, ready to bring a rain
of death and destruction at the attackers. Suddenly a trio of horseman charged at the war
machine, swooping beside it, throwing pipe-bombs at its supporting legs. The detonation torn
off the legs, but didn‘t do any real harm at the main body, which fired immediately. But
without the supports, the recoil thrown around the vehicle uncontrollably, and it‘s rolling
stopped upside-down. The shell fell short, the shrapnel killed four marauders, and about a
dozen raiders.
Luck was on their side, but it soon ran out. From the northern edge of the village, a group of
Archos armored half-tracks broke in, their machinegun turrets torn apart every men who
couldn‘t hide in time. Gregory also pinned behind the plates of his tank‘s turret, the opentopped design put him in danger too. He made a shot, just from instinct, and he hit the first
truck of the column. The others were smart enough to hide behind the wreck from the further
shells of the Destroyer tank. Ratkai made a sign with his hand, and two men set up a mortar
behind the cover of his ride. The first shell hit the farthest Archos, the remaining three had to
215
FIGHT and LOVE
make short moves back and forth to be able to turn and free themselves from the deathtrap
between the two wreck. It didn‘t work, as soon as they rushed out from cover, the Stiletto and
the grenade launchers take them apart.
They lost about twenty man and two horses, but the battle was won, the Devil‘s Raiders
wiped out, no prisoners was taken (they were simply too stubborn and stupid to surrender).
The village took almost no damage, aside from some stray bullets and grenades. But through
the entire fight, not a single house was alit, and no villager showed himself. Gregory thought
it was strange, since the raiders were so afraid of something inside. So he gathered his closest
men: Clint, Merwon, and two of his soldiers with SMGs, and went inside to pay his respect to
the locals.
216
FIGHT and LOVE
APPENDIX - A) GUESTS
A New Marauder Story
SirAceMcFly
Vancer is heading towards The Wheelhouse Bar. "It was raining like "Cats and Dogs", bad
weather since 3 days. I hope I am getting not going to get wet like an fish in the water." he
thought.
A cloud of cigar-smoke, the delicious smell of Atora Pie and stinking smell of unwashed
bodies wafts through him as he opens the door, Vancer then gets a smell of Mortt Ale and
smoke into his nostrils.
As he weaves through the tables full of sleeping and eating marauders, he noticed in a right
side corner sitting on the seats of a wooden table beneath the shine of a lantern is Harald
eating his oversized Atora Pie and Emilia toying with her rifle.
"Emilia is looking great as every time." Vancer thought as he walks toward them. "She is such
a cool and beautiful woman, but unfortunately she has only the fight against the evil Baron in
her heart, vengeance for the murderer of her Father, the Mayor of Anchorpoint, and badly no
place for returning my feelings to her!"
For a second as he sits down, she looks up to him. She has wonderful brown eyes like an deer.
"What's up?" Vancer asked.
Emilia: "We have an mission. We must smuggle
weapons and goods to a town nearby."
Vancer then ask Harald: "What type of units are
in the convoy?"
Harald munching through his pie, replies: "4
Smuggler Trucks, 1 Tri Scout, 2 Savars and 1
Tank Destroyer with an veteran crews, 2
Troopers and 2 Bazooka Squads, under the
Command of Lt. Hellkeepa"
"Ok!" says Vancer: "Let's go!?"
"Not so fast." Hotshot Harald replies.
"First I must eat again. With an half-empty stomach, it's not good smuggling under this
weather!?"
"Fine, at 19.00 o clock sharp, we meet at the Church, got it?" Vancer then smirks at Harald,
he next blink one eye to Emilla and leaves the Pub.
At 18.50 he jumps in his tank and check the engine and weapon systems with his other two
crew members, Harald and Emilla then arrived. He shouts while standing on the turret of his
217
FIGHT and LOVE
tank to Harald: "Off we go, but not before you give me one of your Cigars." (Exported from
the Colony of Kolos, the best Cigars of the World.)
"Here you can have 2 of them, but the second cigar, we smoke together after the successful
smuggling run!"
"O.K." Vancer replies and starts his tank engine.
"The convoy is on the way! The Tri-Scout in front is to maintain radio contact to all units of
the convoy. Vancer shouts to the Tri-Scout. "Yes, sir!" Sergeant Kaputt shouts back.
The Tri-Scout arrives at a Crossing. Five Fingers the Crossing is named, because there are 5
paths they have to choose to go through.
"I hear an engine sound!!!" Sergeant Kaputt shouts, He then go into reverse and heads from
the broken and beaten path into the undergrowth.
The convoy stops, engines turned off, lights out, all quiet, you can hear a pin drop. Haralds
finishing the cigar then throws it out of the window of his truck: "What a shame." He
mumbles. But the light of the cigar can be seen by the enemy and then they are discovered.
The engine sound gets quieter. "Barons Scout." The Tri Scout reports...
"O.K." Vancer gives the command:
"Convoy, march slow and carefully!"
10 Minutes later.... there was a loud BOOM!? The Tri-Scout has driven of a mine! Burning
metal and fuel, the vehicle was laying on the side.
"2 comrades wounded, but I'm ok." Sergeant Kaputt announced through the headset to
Vancer.
"O.K. get the wounded bandaged and then pull out, the rest of you prepare for an attack. The
enemy must heard the explosion." His words outspoken, for 2 seconds later three Bazooka
rockets hits the ground 1 meters close from his tank.
"BATTLE STATIONS!?" He shouts in his headset: "Smuggling Trucks are to head for rear,
fighting units to the front, don't do close wedge formation on the path, split up and use the
natural cover like those rocks and big trees. NOW MOVE IT!?" He next switched his monitor
on night vision.
"4 Enemy Tanks on the path up ahead 200 Meters!" He shouts in his headset: "Enemy
Savars!?" The first Savar tank fires a shot at Vancer. The shell ricochets and hits the ground a
few meters away. "HEY! I've painted my tank last week. I am getting angry!!!"
Vancer then aims at the right side enemy tank, fires an armor piercing explosive shot and with
a huge explosion the enemy tank explodes. On the left side 1 Enemy Savar tank stands on
flames, the enemy crew bolts out in a panic. The friendly 2 Bazooka squads finish off the
second tank.
218
FIGHT and LOVE
Meanwhile the friendly 2 Saver Tanks and Tank Destroyer finishes the other two Savar
tanks, leaving them smoking wrecks.
Vancer then notices an enemy scout retreating from the battle. "There!!" Vancer shouts: "An
enemy Tri-Scout is going in reverse. We must stop him!!" In this moment he heard a single
shot. He sees the Tri-Scout veering toward the forest and crashes onto a tree. "Got him!"
Emilla yells from the headset.
A clean shot had gone right through the back window of the enemy Tri-Scout.
Revor the enemy Tri-Scout co-driver gets out and runs into the nearby forest but then the 2
Trooper squads have surrounded him. Outgunned, he drops his pistol and raises his hands in
surrender.
Prelude: The Scrap Yard
Omabytes
Sun glinted off the droplets of oil as they flew through the air, iridescent rainbows shifting
upon their smooth surface, falling to the ground as the next puddle was disturbed by the fall of
a heavy boot. Thick soled, black and buckled up tightly, the muddy boot gave way to a pair of
dirty brown trousers somewhere around mid-calf, plain and well worn, a pocket on the thigh
sporting a suspicious looking bulge. Above this was an old battered bomber jacket, a rusty
orange colour and despite being of a small size it was still slightly too large for the wearer.
Cogs and other scrap parts had been clumsily sewn on to the sleeves and they rattled as the
person ran, catching the last rays
from a setting sun. This apparel
adorned a girl, not much more
than 12, slender and lean yet with
the first signs of maturity starting
to touch her features. She had a
pretty face and dark brown hair
tinged with red, tied in a loose
plait which swept out behind her
as she ran. Her cheeks were
flushed and she was starting to
show signs of exhaustion, every
now and then stumbling slightly as
she ran. Coming to a more shaded
area she slowed to a stop,
crouching down and gulping at the
air. She looked around. She had
previously been running through
narrow alleyways of twisted metal,
piled high on either side, but now
216
219
FIGHT and LOVE
she had reached a smallish clearing where the metal banked up higher than normal to her
right, blocking out the last of the sun. Two other ways led out from the clearing as well as he
one from which she had entered. This was the biggest scrap yard in Kathos, a couple of miles
in diameter and laced with the kind of corridors and clearings she'd been running through for
the last half hour. The Walker Boneyard they called it, owing to the fact that this was where
ex-military walkers came to either be disassembled for scrap or repaired for future use. It was
easy to get lost in a place as large and uniform as this, but she'd lived here since she was born
and knew the routes through the scrap better than most. It was a dangerous place to grow up
and you had to be careful, people weren't the friendliest around here, black market traders and
marauders were frequent visitors for the valuable items the scrap yard sequestered.
Voices called out from behind her, the words were indistinguishable at the current distance
but they were getting more distinct all the time, and they didn't sound friendly. A hand
nervously reached down to check that the item was still in her pocket. She couldn't run any
further, she just needed to hide and wait until they went past. She glanced around furtively,
looking for somewhere to conceal herself. Seeing a promising looking hideaway she jogged
over to the area of deepest shadow where the scoop bucket from an old loader truck lay
resting againt the scrap, bulging outwards so that there was a space behind that she could sit
in. The voices returned, suddenly sounding as though they were just round the corner. The girl
squirmed into the space but as she did so she kicked a precarious looking mound of rusted
hydraulic pumps. The mound wobbled, at its furthest point looking as though the whole thing
might collapse and make enough noise to let her pursuers know exactly where she was. She
looked fearfully at it, willing it not to fall over. They started to settle and the girl relaxed,
letting out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding. Noticing a small hole in the scoop
where rust had eaten its way through the metal, she slid herself down to a position where she
could see through it, just in time to see the first of a small group of about 4 figures run into the
clearing. 3 of the figures were the stereotypical tough, well-muscled and inevitably thick
morons who were typical of the main scrap yard work force. However leading them was a
smaller man, wiry and strong but with the first hints of a belly starting to show under his shirt.
He was unassumingly dressed until you took into account his one distinguishing piece of
clothing, a pair of bright pink, heeled boots. When he'd first appeared in the scrap yard
wearing them only a week ago, a couple of men had made made fun of him, but not for long.
The next morning they'd been found dangling from a digger arm, one with his throat slit and
the other with a bullet hole through the centre of his forehead, a look of surprise etched upon
his lifeless face. No one had messed with him since then, and his name and reputation had
quickly spread through the yard. Joaquin was not a man to be messed with. But people still
talked in hushed tones when he wasn't around, about where he'd come from, and why he was
here. Rumours about how he'd once been a war hero, but had been dishonourably discharged
for doing things to horrific to even speak of. And also about his enquiries into the availability
and price of the old rundown tower block beside the furnaces. Looking closer the girl was
sure she could see the traces of coloured make-up on the upper lids of his eyes.
―Where is that little bitch?‖ Joaquin spat, his voice echoing tinnily from the surrounding
twisted metal. The heavies shifted uncomfortably, evidently worried that the man's
displeasure might turn on them. Joaquin walked to the middle of the space, glancing down the
other 2 alleyways leading from the clearing, he sighed in disgust, ―If I catch her I swear I'm
going to beat the little bitch half to death.‖
A piece of metal was digging into the girls leg, she was trying to ignore it but it was becoming
rather painful and she was going to have to shift position. Taking her eye away from the hole,
she carefully took the weight off her legs by pushing up with her arms. As she lifted up, the
piece of metal which had been jabbing her came free, bouncing off an old rubber tyre before
launching itself at the inside of the scoop striking with a considerable amount of force. The
220
FIGHT and LOVE
scoop rang like a gong, causing the girls ears to remain ringing after the sound had died
away. She scrambled up to look through the hole, Joaquin was striding towards her hiding
place, a mad and gleeful glint playing in his eyes. The girl started to panic, but as she looked
down to glare at the offending piece of metal, she saw a small gap had been opened up by the
metal, leading in to what seemed to be a piece of piping, just large enough for her to fit in.
She dove into it, just managing to get her feet out of site by the time Joaquin's eye pressed
against the rust hole in the scoop. He stared through, but the girl was out of sight, curled up
tightly and breathing as
shallowly as she could.
His ragged breathing
sounded much to loud
and close for comfort.
Eventually his eye
moved away.
―Fuck,‖ she heard him
shout as his footsteps
crunched walking away
from her, ―What are you
guys doing, get moving!
You 2 go that way, you,
come with me, we're
gonna find the little
bitch or else I'm gonna
get angry, you know
what I'm saying!?‖
The girl heard footsteps running away, but she waited a good 5 minutes before she crept out
of her hiding place, climbing up to sit on top of the scoop. She opened up the pocket on her
thigh and took out the item that had got her into this trouble in the first place. 6 barrels
gleamed dully back at her staring eyes, the finely crafted wooden grip was stained a dark red
and the barrel was slender and evil looking. She took it in her hand, getting a feeling for its
solid weight. She'd seen guns all her life, but she'd never been allowed to hold one. She'd
taken this one from Joaquin's holster when he'd been looking the other way, then she'd ran.
She planned to return it later, hopefully he wouldn't be quite so wrathful once it was back in
his possesion. She held it up like she'd seen her father and others do at the firing range, right
shoulder up so she could see down the length of her arm to where the sights were, her left
shoulder dropping so that while straight it could support her right hand from underneath.
Relaxing her arms, she looked across the clearing for a target. Balancing on an oil drum on
the opposite side of the clearing, roughly 20 metres away was a large upright cog, about the
size of a dinner plate, teeth pierced through the top of the drum. Bringing her arms back up,
she looked down the sights at the cog, steadying her breathing. On her last exhale, her arms
stopped shaking, her vision sharpened. She pulled the trigger. The gun jerked in the girls
hand, the shot echoing around the clearing. She looked down at the cog, still impaled into the
oil drum. Well, it had been her first time, she hadn't really expected to hit it, but it still felt like
a bit of a let down. She put the gun back into her trouser pocket before jumping down from
the scoop, jacket tails flapping as she dropped, landing in a crouch. She walked over to the
cog, hoping to find the bullet hole somewhere around. However, a couple of minutes
searching turned up nothing in the surrounding scrap pile. Disheartened she looked at the cog,
probably one from one of the old walkers. Something caught her eye behind the cog, a hole in
the drum that she had glanced at previouly and presumed to be the one used for filling and
pouring. Now she looked more closely, it appeared to be too ragged to be part of the original
221
FIGHT and LOVE
drum design. Studying the drum with renewed interest she saw another hole on the far side,
this one with the metal peeling outwards, as though pierced from the inside, she hadn't been
that far away after all. Getting down on to her hands and knees she looked up through this
hole and out through the one on top. The holes lined up with the hole in the centre of the cog,
and through that was where she'd been sitting. She sat back on her haunches, dumbstruck.
Standing up she looked at the hole in the cog it was perhaps half an inch wider than the barrel
of the gun and as she looked she noticed one final thing. The inside of the hole was burnished
blue by heat and even as she put out her finger to touch it the metal had a lingering warmth.
She smiled, a twinkle in her brown eye both mischievious and jubilant, then looked up into
the sky. It was nearly dark now, and this was not a safe place to be once the sun had set.
Emilia turned turned towards the artificial arc lights now powering up in the near distance that
signified the direction of home and set off at a run, her boots splashing once again through
puddles of oil and mud.
Gold, rust and lead
Bryutal
Chapter 1
The tiny metallic dust beneath his feet glistened under the full moon, polished by constant
reshuffling. Between the drizzling rain that made the heap of rusty gears and bolts slippery
and the clouds hiding the moon every few moments, Ari was having trouble carrying the food
for the guards. He hasn't eaten much today. The roast rat he was offered for lunch smelled of
engine oil and he wasn‘t hungry enough to eat it at the time. Now, it seemed delicious... The
only hope of proper food was in the scraps that the watch would inevitably leave behind. The
baron's men were not locals, and had refined tastes, Harra said. As he thought about it, even
the way she said it left no doubt that it was a bad word, like aristocracy or degenerate. She
promised to teach him all the big words, after he learned to read and write well. He was going
along nicely, hiding the fact that he could already read. She smelled nice, and the view when
she leaned over to point out his mistakes ... He almost slipped and dropped the big basket
thinking about it. Forcing himself to think about other things, he trudged on, wrapped in his
ancient leather jacket.
Most boys his age were either working in the junkyard or carrying a gun and guarding the
storage. His unchanged voice, small stature, and beardless, grimy face led people to think he
was still a kid. He was in fact almost sixteen. He was also a decent shot with a rifle, but smart
enough to avoid the drafters that came to Scrapville, the small settlement in the shadow of the
immense, rusting walker wrecks. They promised fine food, gold and exotic women, and most
men went, as soon as they could carry a gun and hit something with it. Only cripples and
morons stayed in this graveyard, he heard one of those leaving say. Or people who can count
and remember, he thought to himself. He saw only a handful of those who left return with
gold and all their limbs, telling stories of excitement and riches. They were strangely tightlipped when asked about the battles, though. So he did his adding and subtracting, figured out
that one in ten came back alive and well, and decided he didn't like those odds. He pretended
to be younger and dumber, and learned, waiting for a chance to get out of there and go
222
FIGHT and LOVE
somewhere better.
The watch post was close now, just over the next rising. He hoped they were not too hungry,
the lamb stew smelled great. He could grab just a spoonful... No. The last person caught
stealing food from the baron's men ended up buried alive in a steel box, somewhere in the
junkyard. His own mother couldn't recognize the face of the man when they put him inside.
Ari had no memories of his own parents. Someone found him crying in some wreck among
the junk. They named him Aries, after a siege walker chassis, which got shortened to Ari. He
was raised by the settlement until he got his own place, a cylindrical chamber under a heap of
tank tracks on the south side of town. It was barely big enough for him to stand in, but it was
dry, the thick steel didn't rust through, and it was vented through a small shaft in the back. He
cleaned it up and put his stuff in. If it were smaller it would look a lot like a gun cartridge, but
he couldn‘t imagine guns that fired cartridges that big. The previous owner, a junk collector
that got crushed when a giant walker strut toppled on him, welded down two hinges and put a
sturdy circular door on the entrance. Ari felt safe in there.
-This way, kid!- Luckily, the guard showed himself high above him, just as he was heading
past their post to where he thought they were. The "watch post" was in fact a walker cockpit
atop a tripod of iron beams, fifteen or so meters up. An iron mesh basket came down on a
cable. -Put the food in there and come back in about half an hour!- There was no point in
going back to the inn; it would take him more than half an hour to get there and back. He hid
from the rain under the fender of an old, striped 'dozer, and waited. It was a wonder they
spotted him. The rain was getting stronger, and the moon was barely visible now among all
the clouds.
In this part of the junkyard, the landscape of derelict machinery formed a canyon of sorts,
leading past the watch post and continuing up towards the Salvage Market and further in. This
was the main entrance to this side of the vast Walker Boneyard. Baron Volkoff‘s men were
guarding this particular spot because the machinery salvaged from walker engines was kept in
a storage yard nearby. He heard from some of the junk collectors in the Baron‘s salvage crew
that a big shipment of parts would soon be heading north, to Volkoff‘s county. That might be
his chance to get out of this place, but he still hadn‘t figured out how to get into the convoy.
He couldn‘t sneak aboard one of the Atlas carriers, the security was too tight. He had to get
hired somehow.
The heavy rustling of rain on the huge fender sheltering him was all he could hear now. Down
in the distance of the metal canyon, something flashed in the darkness, probably lightning. Ari
was thinking to himself how funny it was he couldn‘t hear the thunder from the rain, when the
watch post turned into a fireball in a blinding explosion, raining fragments of steel and cable
all over the place and dropping a charred foot right in front of his shelter. Silhouettes with
rifles and machine guns materialized out of the night, advancing past the watch post up the
canyon, followed by armored cars and tanks. Trembling in the furthest corner of his shelter
and trying to sneak deeper under the 'dozer, he could just barely make out a terror walker
following behind the tanks, a shape he‘d seen so many times among the wrecks.
He was still hoping they wouldn‘t notice him in the night, when a woman‘s voice sent a chill
down his spine: -Hello, little mouse.- She was so close he could clearly hear her icy, focused
tone in spite of the pounding rain. -I see you know the best hiding places here. You really
must show them to me.- He slowly turned his head toward the voice. -What is your name,
little mouse?- Had she not spoken, he never would have seen her. Covered from head to toe
223
FIGHT and LOVE
by a rust-colored tarpaulin, she blended in with the decaying wreck she was lying under.
Without that large rifle barrel pointing at him, he could take that voice for a ghost. But the
gun was there, and very real. -A-Aries, but ev-ev‘ryone c-calls me Ari.- She slowly knelt up
and shouldered the huge rifle. Pulling out a slim bayonet, she leaned in and pulled him up by
his collar.-Well, Ari, you‘re coming with me, I need a guide. Be quiet. One loud squeak and
you‘ll never squeak again.Terrified, he led her slowly up and along the left slope of the junk canyon, parallel to the
soldiers slowly advancing below. The storm was now raging, the wind and intermittent
thunder almost covering the clanking of tanks. Ari carefully moved along the rusted tracks
and slippery walker shafts he knew like the back of his hand, pausing from time to time when
the ghost behind him ordered so. The woman kept pace, step for step, and so did the bayonet.
-We have to hurry and get ahead of the troops. Find me a view of the storage yard. Careful, if
we‘re spotted, you‘ll tumble down first.- Ari nervously nodded and led her up to the crest of
the debris ridge. Behind the curve of the canyon the slope lessened and they scrambled
through a 'dozer hull somehow stranded high above ground. On its other side, above the slope
facing the storage yard lay a segment of huge walker tracks, almost horizontal. Ari would
climb here on sunny days to hide and read the only book he had: an old military history tome
he found in a tank wreck. On such days, he had a perfect view of the whole storage yard.
From here, convoys of material bought at the Salvage Market were sent to their destination.
Here he would daydream of leaving with the convoys. The best part of it was that no-one
could see you from below. -Oh my... You do know the best hiding spots, little mouse.- She
pulled out a short chain with cuffs, and chained his foot to a bolt hole in the track.
Down beneath them the hangars and shanties in the yard shuddered, hammered by the
thunderstorm; the guards were skulking in their posts. No-one goes out in this weather,
thought Ari. He knew the winds could get so strong that they sometimes carried along tiny
nuts and washers like hail, only deadlier. People lost their eyes that way. They were safe up
high, but he put on his goggles never the less. Down below the wind was getting stronger. The
yard was well lit; they were loading transports around the clock. Most of the lights used in the
junkyard had thick glass casings that could withstand small debris, but large searchlights on
the watchtowers had to be turned off, to avoid damage. Ari thought he saw something like a
row of tank hulls on the far side of the yard, but the rain was so strong by now that he
couldn‘t see anything clearly.
-I knew Commodore Paulus was a madman,- said the woman with a strange smile, - no man
with his wits about would plan an assault in this weather!- She put down her rifle and started
to fiddle with a small tripod. -Then again, no-one would expect an assault now either, hah!With no earth underneath it, the tripod slid on the rusted metal beneath them. -Crap, this
won‘t work.- Folding the tripod, she looked at Ari, quietly terrified by the situation and sitting
in the rain, and asked:
-How old are you, Aries?
-Eleven.
- You're too calm to be eleven. Quit lying or I‘ll gut you, little mouse.
-Sixteen.
-I thought so. Would you like to earn a gold sovereign?
-Sure.
-How 'bout ten of ‗em?
-What do I need to do?
–I‘ll be too busy to look around, so you'll look for someone coming up. They probably won‘t
224
FIGHT and LOVE
be, but I don‘t take chances. OK?
-OK.
-Do well, and I‘ll be nice. I can be mean, too. Don‘t test me.
-Yes, Ma‘m.
The marauders‘ assault below had caught up with them in the mean time. Ari could make out
soldiers deploying mortars behind a dismantled wrecker and others slowly advancing towards
the yard from cover to cover. Tanks were still hanging back in the rear, with the lumbering
terror walker behind them. In the pouring rain, he could just barely discern the shapes and
figures of the attackers. He was not sure how they coordinated or even saw each other in the
storm, but he was positive the guys in the yard had almost no chance of spotting them.
-In normal weather, this would be too easy.- murmured the woman. She knelt on one knee,
steadying the gun barrel on the raised edge of the platform. The biggest scope he ever saw
was now attached to the rifle. -Things are about to get noisy, so you better cover your ears,
little mouse.- The deafening crack of her first shot blended with salvos of gunfire. Bullets
mixed with rain and flying debris, while the noise rose above the sounds of the storm, waking
up everyone in the camp. The barrage of the surprise attack cut down the observers and
guards along the walls and in the watchtowers, but more were coming. Ari could see guards
pouring out of the barracks and hear a deep, pounding rumble of engines starting somewhere
within the yard. Ari‘s first thought was that the surprise attack will wipe out the baron‘s men.
However, the terror walker and half the tanks didn‘t join the advancing troops. Instead, he
could see a small truck packed with crates and fuel tanks racing towards the doors. It almost
reached them when a shell blew it up, along with a dozen or so marauders caught near it as it
passed, pulverized by the horrible blast. The gunfire exchange went on, and the marauders
slowly came closer to the gate, flinging explosives at it, but it stood firm.
Even without the men killed in the first wave,
the baron‘s men still outnumbered their attackers
two to one. The fallen guards were soon
replaced and redoubled, and their heavy fire took
down the first casualties among the attacking
marauders, forcing them to take cover. It seemed
a mistake that they didn‘t use their full force.
The infantry and bombardiers trying to breach
the gate were the first to fall back, moving
behind a battered Savar that drew enemy fire.
Other marauders followed, some of them
returning fire and moving in a disciplined
manner, others in panic, running for their lives.
The defenders hesitated for a few minutes while the marauders retreated out of range, but then
the gates swung open and the baron‘s men poured out in pursuit. Troopers carrying assault
rifles and bazookas came out first, charging. Ari watched as the woman, now prone, picked
off soldiers careless enough to run too far ahead. -Kid, keep your head down. If we get out of
this alive, you might learn a thing or two. This looks bad, but that old weasel Paulus must
have a plan!- She masked her shots by timing them to those of retreating marauders.
As the woman blew out the brains of a running trooper, a mounted officer stopping by the
gate to organize the attackers spotted the flash of her shot. Pointing a squad of soldiers
towards them, he charged off after the marauders. Ari had to lean close to be heard over the
225
FIGHT and LOVE
howling wind:–To our left, four troopers are coming up! They‘re coming out behind that heap
of wheels there!- The woman turned without a word, took a deep breath and exhaled. As a
lightning flash lit up the whole hellish scene, she fired of a shot. The high-calibre slug went
clean through the chest of the first soldier, and took down the one behind him as well. The
other two hid behind a truck wreck and started firing wildly. Changing the clip, she muttered:
-There‘s a reason why that truck was scrapped, idiots...- She calmly shot one of the soldiers
through the plating, and the last one in the back as he ran back toward the gate.
The rumbling of engines within the yard grew stronger, and a column of tanks came out, led
by a huge four-barrelled artillery walker, firing blindly over the ridge at the retreating
marauders. The tanks caught up with the infantry and quickly powered ahead, while the
walker lagged behind, firing all the way. Seeing that he and the strange woman next to him
were the last of the marauder attack still fighting, Ari asked:
-Shouldn‘t we retreat too, Ma‘m?-I never retreat, I relocate.While they both carefully moved back along the ridge, the Baron‘s tanks down below opened
fire at a monstrous vehicle slowly moving towards them, giving cover to grenadiers trying to
get within throwing range. It was the ugliest machine Ari ever saw, a cross between a
nightmare and a junkyard dozer. When the ungodly sounds coming from a cluster of large
loudspeakers at its rear reached Ari through the storm, he felt an almost primal urge to run
away from there. A narrowing in the canyon of junk allowed the metallic beast to block both
view and passage for the tanks, and judging from the barrage pounding it, they decided to
clear their way. When the artillery walker directed its shelling at the hell-dozer as well, the
thing slowly backtracked, opening the passage, while a couple of grenadiers charged the
tanks. Prepared for their charge, the baron troopers mowed the marauders down before they
could lob their grenades, and then slowly followed the tanks, as the whole baron‘s force
advanced through the curving strait. They tasted victory; they could beat this rabble, as they
did many times before.
Nearly invisible in the night, the marauders were awaiting them as they came out of the strait;
every man and machine perfectly positioned to cover the hundred or so meters of open space
in between. Huge devastators and elite destroyers at the front, entrenched armor cracker teams
and machine gun nests, squads of troopers and dragoons, and behind them, a black terror
walker with a huge, glistening white skull emblazoned on its cockpit; all waiting in the storm.
Confident of their numbers and carried on by the momentum of their counter offensive, the
Baron‘s men and engines advanced, oblivious of the danger, firing at the last retreating
grenadiers that played bait. They came out in tight formation, a disciplined and organized
show of brute force that would frighten the ragged mobs they usually fought. But this was
different. The trap slammed shut, and they were in it. They had no chance. They just haven‘t
realized it yet.
The whistling of falling shells marked the beginning of the end. The mortars rained death and
destruction over the mass of soldiers and tanks, every round and shrapnel hitting its mark.
Tanks lost tracks, stuck in position, helplessly blocking the way while blood and body parts
flew everywhere, flung by the blasts. From five meters above ground, the revolving cannons
of the terror walker poured lead and pain over the Baron‘s men, like a steel personification of
death. The devastators fired in unison, the force of their hits tossing tank hulls meters away.
Through it all, the strange woman fired shot after shot, killing with grim concentration, as the
226
FIGHT and LOVE
wind howled its dirge.
From their new position, Ari could see several lightning flashes blossom in the distance, just
like the one he saw earlier that night. Insight struck him: -Those are cannons!- -No, tank
destroyers,- she answered between shots, watching the Baron‘s tanks burst into globes of
flame hit by the high velocity anti-armor shells. Their burning wrecks illuminated the canyon
with a reddish glow. The artillery walker waded into the battlefield, supporting the tanks and
troopers brought in as reinforcements, in a last ditch attempt to turn the tide of battle. Trying
to take out the terror walker in the rear, it managed to get in range and land a salvo, blowing
off one of the terror walker‘s cannons, before a marauder devastator tore into it from close
range. The woman struck the final blow with a shot to the boiler that blew up and tore the
walker apart. The battlefield was covered in blood, torn bodies and burning engines. Even the
storm was subsiding.
As the few surviving Baron
troopers ran back to the safety
of the yard, the marauders
turned to the offense again.
Dragoons charged ahead,
picking off stragglers, firing
in full gallop. The fast
marauder Savars followed
them, and then the whole
force joined, racing to capture
the storage yard and claim
their prize. They were yelling
in pure exhilaration,
celebrating survival, booze
and good times promised to them before the assault.
The woman stood up and shouldered her rifle, looking at Ari. -Well, little mouse. This is
pretty much over. I always pay my dues, so here is your gold.- She tossed him a bag of gold
coins, and unlocked the shackle on his leg. –Sorry about the chain, but I don‘t trust people.
Stay safe, kid. I‘m heading back to the airship.- Ari never saw an airship up close, let alone
flew in one. –Would you bring me along?! I can help you with whatever you need! I‘m also
good with a gun!- -We have plenty of guys that are ―good with guns‖, and it‘s not a life for a
kid. Go home to your Ma and Pa.- -I‘m an orphan, and even if I wasn‘t, I want to get out of
this grease pit! Please lady!- -I'm not a lady, kid.- She stopped and gave him a strange look,
sizing him up from head to toe, making her mind up. -Hmm... with some training you could
do for a spotter... OK, we‘ll see what the Commodore has to say. If he approves it, you're in.
Come on, it‘s a long walk to the landing zone.
227
FIGHT and LOVE
Chapter 2
They descended to the canyon floor and strolled along the battlefield, passing by burning
wrecks and over dead bodies. The scene was like something those Thrinite religious fanatics
described would happen at the End of Days, Ari thought. The numerous fires illuminated the
night so well he could find his way around without a torch. A few marauders were going
through the wrecks and corpses, collecting anything of value. Although the place reeked of
blood and burned flesh, Ari was strangely at ease. He somehow felt sheltered around this
woman, as if all this didn‘t concern him and he was somehow above the horrors that took
place here less than half an hour ago. She went up to a marauder destroyer that didn‘t join the
final charge, where a man in a tattered Rahmosian uniform was arguing with the repair crew
fixing the tank‘s track. As they neared the war machine, blackened and pitted with numerous
old and recent shots, the guy lost his temper, pulled out a pistol and started to yell at the
bearded mechanic kneeling next to the tank: –I told you Wattz, zis needz to be done RIGHT
NOW! I am not walking to zat yard, and I need my tankie to tranzport ze loot! GET TO
WORK!!- He cocked the gun and pointed it at the mechanic‘s head. The man seemed
strangely unperturbed by the prospect of imminent death.
Leaving his wrench on the ground, he stood up with hands crossed and looked up the barrel of
the gun aimed at his forehead: -Lagerfeld, you can shoot me, but then two things will never
happen. First, your ‗tankie‘ will not move. Not today, not ever. Second, you will never play
with your tiny Rahmosian nuts again, as when the Commodore gets the news you‘ve shot his
chief engineer, he will personally chop them off and feed ‗em to his dog. Now get the hell out
of my sight and come pick up your beloved pile of junk in two days! IS THAT CLEAR
ENOUGH?!- Whistling, he picked up his wrench, and returned to loosening a bolt on the
tracks, like nothing happened. Swearing loudly, the tank commander walked off towards his
crew, who figured how things were turning up some time ago, and were waiting for him to
head off to the yard... on foot.
-Chief Watts, can we hitch a ride with you?- the woman asked with a smile.
–Wha... ah, it‘s you. Not a problem. Just let me get this pile of trash moving. That moron
Lagerfeld must think Engineering is supposed to do regular maintenance for him, too! This is
almost baked solid with rust! Who have you got there?- he said, looking at Aries.
–A local. He was my guide and a spotter for a while. Did OK. Now he wants to join.-Hah! I‘d like to see the Commodore‘s face when you tell him that you recruited a kid!-Trust me, Watts, he‘s older than he looks.- Riiight, and I‘m a baron, I just like axle grease so much that I work as a mechanic! Look at
him, he can‘t lift a gun, let alone fire it. Hahaha!Before Ari could say anything, she pulled out the bag of gold coins from his jacket pocket and
turned to the bearded mechanic: -Ten sovereigns says he‘s old enough to shoot the banner off
that tank. Deal?Ari turned to see where she was pointing, and realised the target was at least a hundred and
fifty meters away. In the light of the fires, he could see a small yellow streamer hanging from
an antenna, scorched by the fire that consumed the wreckage of the command destroyer.
–At night, in this rain? Sure, free money, why not? Hah! I‘ll even give him my own weapon!The guy walked over to the back of the truck, pulled out a rifle, and gave it to Ari. –Don‘t
touch the sight, took me hours to calibrate it!Ari checked the markings. A standard issue 10-round Kham repeater, the rifle was longer and
heavier than the cavalry carbine he fired before, and considerably older, but in almost perfect
228
FIGHT and LOVE
condition. The woman looked at him with that same, strange smile:
-Let‘s see if you were lying just about your age, little mouse. This is your first test. In our line
of work, it‘s ‗do or die‘, but always for a profit. Watch your breathing.With that last piece of advice, she leaned against the tank and waved her hand, as if saying
‗the floor is yours‘.
When he knelt, a wreck blocked his view from the ground, so he climbed atop the destroyer.
He could just make out the hanging scrap of a streamer, drenched by the rain. The shot
wouldn‘t be so hard in daytime, but he never tried shooting at night, let alone during a storm.
At least the wind died down, he thought. He lay down on the turret and took his time lining up
the target. –Come on, I haven‘t got all day! I got a tank to tow, the rifle is starting to rust,
haha!- -Watts, don‘t be a jerk, let the kid concentrate.- His future depended on this. If he
wanted to get out of Scrapville it was now or never. Last breath, exhale and line up the mark,
hold it. Focus on the
target, don‘t jerk the
trigger, just squeeze it
gently. BLAM!
The woman was
watching through her
gun sight, and Watts
through a pair of
binoculars.
-Hah, he missed, the
streamer didn‘t move!
Pay up!-, said the
mechanic turning to
her.
-I wouldn‘t be so sure
chief, look again.-, she
answered, still looking. The top of the antenna slowly leaned over and fell off, cut in half by
the bullet. Looking through his binoculars, the mechanic stood in silent shock for a moment.
-Bloody hell! You little bastard!!-Sorry, I was aiming for the streamer but your gun carries a bit low.- apologized Ari.
–Low!? MY RIFLE?! Listen you little scoundrel, find some other dimwit to hustle! You
didn‘t hit the streamer anyway!!- He turned to leave, but the woman stood in his way.
-Come now, chief, it was an honest contest, I never saw the kid shoot before. We wouldn‘t
want people to say Chief Watts doesn‘t hold his end of a deal, would we now?- Something
about her voice didn‘t fit the smile she gave the mechanic. It was the same tone he heard the
first time she spoke to him, cold and calm.
–I guess you‘re right... here‘s your gold.- grumbled Watts, and counted out the money. –Now
hurry up if you still want that ride to the ship, hmph!As they sat in the back of the truck that slowly towed the tank, she gave Ari back the gold she
took before: -Here are your ten sovereigns, and another six. I‘d say that‘s a nice profit. The
rest is my... negotiation fee. I‘d spend some of that gold buying beer for Watts if I were you,
you want the chief engineer to like you, trust me. He can be a tough bastard, but if you‘re OK
with him, he‘s an honest old codger.In another half an hour they were almost out of the junkyard. It slowly dawned on Ari that he
could be getting out of the Walker Boneyard, perhaps for good! While he was digesting that
229
FIGHT and LOVE
idea, he saw the light beacon on top of a great airship docked behind a junk ridge. The whole
ship came into view only after they turned behind the mountain of metallic waste, and it was a
sight to behold. It descended to a meter or so above ground, and now hovered there, tied to the
ground by numerous thick ropes. Dozens of strong spotlights illuminated the ground around
the airship, and several scoured the surrounding landscape, one of them lingering on their
truck for a few seconds.
When his sight readjusted to the darkness, Ari could see many small, lit windows dotted the
whole ship. In the middle of the hull, huge hold doors opened down onto two ramps leading to
the ground and dozens of workers were carrying cargo, materials and livestock up one, while
soldiers and war machines came out down the other, directed by the yelling of the officers
aboard and supervisors on the ground. As they came close, he saw that a truck heavily loaded
with barrels of some sort was having trouble climbing on the wet metal of the ramp, and a
squad of workers was trying to get it inside. He could see soldiers and machinegun nests set
up in a wide perimeter around the ship, and a small balloon high up in the air, tethered to the
airship, observing. Even with all the commotion, it was the vessel itself that left Ari
speechless.
He had seen airships before, as traders and sometimes military gunships escorting them
landed at the docking tower in the middle of the Walker Boneyard. The airships of the traders
were large, bloated old things with patched up cargo holds and guns from other ships added
onto them, the additions clearly distinguishable even to someone who saw them for the first
time. They moved with the grace of a pregnant pig, and the smell was not much better, as they
carried a huge assortment of stuff, from livestock and food to guns, chemicals and even
fertilizer.
Compared to them, the gunships looked elegant. Although not designed for speed, their
construction was streamlined to maximize the benefits of their armour, and avoid blind spots
for the gunners. They carried enough machine guns to wipe out a small army of infantry and
two cannons on a turning turret up front. They were clearly designed to support and defend
other airships in bigger numbers, and he never saw fewer than three of them at once. But even
the biggest traders, not to mention the gunships, were so small and ugly compared to this
giant, thought Ari. The woman saw his jaw drop and smiled: –Heh, impressed by our Lady?- Where do they make ships like this?!- -In Rahmos, kid.- -She‘s beautiful!The Lady of Thunder, her name written in two meters high faded calligraphy at the prow, was
beautiful indeed. From what Ari could judge compared to the trucks and people next to it, she
was almost thirty meters high and about seven times as long. Her elegance was the product of
that ratio, and made all the weaponry on her seem somehow natural, like ornaments on a
deadly blade. As they neared the ship, he could make out the outline of two turrets with huge
guns on the topmost deck, one in front and the other behind the high central structure, which
was in turn dotted with antennae and a myriad of anti-aircraft guns. Every exposed bit of the
hull was covered with steel plates, and small machine gun nests were visible all over the ship.
The middle of the ship‘s flank, above the wide hold doors, was armed with a row of six
cannons in culverts facing to the side, and two more such batteries were on the front and aft
part of the ship. He wondered if the other side had the same arrangement. Some of the guns
were pointed down or up, and people were busy working on them. Something bothered him
about the ship‘s construction, but he couldn‘t put his finger on it until he looked at the balloon
above: the balloon holding this up must all be inside the ship! Now that he thought about it,
the smooth curve in some places hinted at the reservoirs behind the steel hull. This was not an
armored trader upgraded with stolen guns, this was a ship of war, made to withstand cannon
230
FIGHT and LOVE
fire and still fly. But how did a marauder captain get his hands on something like this?
It was clear, though, that the ship was refitted to carry more than it was designed for: there
were obvious additions at the stern of the ship that were just ugly, large cargo holds. The ship
must have seen combat as well, he could see where large armor plates were riveted to the hull
to repair or reinforce the armor. The woman jumped off the truck as it stood in line to enter
the hold. –Watts, we‘re off to see the Commodore, see you later! Come on kid, we‘re going in
the other way, the hold entrance is too crowded.- The grumpy mechanic just waved his hand
out the window. Ari followed the woman along the length of the ship, while she passed on the
good news of the successful attack to the marauders on watch, and got information from the
yard through a field radio. The marauders they passed as they walked towards the prow of the
airship wore a variety of uniforms. However, among the men in old Rahmosian Steel Legion
hauberks, soldiers in frayed Kathos battledress and fur-clad nomads, a brown uniform with a
vertical silver stripe appeared more than any other. He tried to remember those colors from
his military history book, but he couldn‘t. When a man wearing such a uniform and silver
lightning on his shoulders greeted the woman in passing, Ari couldn‘t resist asking: -Which
army is that uniform from?- -No army. Those are the Commodore‘s colors. That was a
gunnery sergeant, part of the airship crew.- They came to a small staircase lowered from the
very tip of the prow. The front of the ship was angled downwards, the armored prow forming
a menacing beak that ended level to the bottom of the airship. She was obviously familiar to
the two men on watch in front of the stairs, and they were both waved through. –Let‘s go kid,
climb up.The stairs they were climbing led up along the middle of the prow up to the top deck, lit by
small lanterns under the grille of each stair. Looking from the front along the length of the
ship, it tapered towards its top, a bit like an upside down single edged blade, only much
thicker. They passed cannon barrels pointing forward from a culvert on each side of the stairs.
Ari was awed beyond words. He was on a real airship! The woman spoke as they climbed: –
The crew is completely loyal to Commodore Paulus, and only to him. Some time ago a spy
for one of the barons tried to bribe the navigator to land the ship into a trap. The spy got his
landing, but alone, from five thousand meters. It was the spot he paid for, though.- About
halfway up the stairs, they reached a door to their left, leading into the ship, and Ari followed
the woman inside. They passed through a narrow hallway, and then up another staircase. He
could feel a slow, rhythmic vibration pulsing under his feet, like the breathing of a huge beast.
- Paulus keeps strict discipline aboard this ship at all times. There are no gunfights, no
gambling, and violence towards the ladies is a death sentence aboard the Lady. Of course, he
couldn‘t care less what his guests do when they disembark...- They passed another hallway
branching towards the ‗Common hall‘, judging from a sign on the wall above it. Two very
large crewmen guarded the door at the end of the hallway. –Drinking is allowed, but you
leave your guns when you enter that part of the ship, and get them back, or not, depending on
your state when you leave. Unarmed fighting is not completely forbidden, but if you cause too
much of a hassle or kill someone without a just cause, the stewards might teach you to fly
without wings, and it‘s a long way down most of the time. The Commodore is God here on
the Lady, and he prefers men to vent their aggression in combat.- They finally reached a
wider corridor plated in wood with silver decorations, leading to a steel door marked
Captain‘s quarters. The woman turned to Ari: –Be quiet inside. Talk only if he asks you a
question.- She knocked, and a deep voice answered from within: -Enter!The room Ari was led in had no windows, but a circular globe on the ceiling cast a warm,
231
FIGHT and LOVE
yellow light over everything in it. Cigar smoke permeated the small chamber. An ordinary
military bed was in one corner, and a small conference table filled with maps and various
instruments in the other. One side of the room was covered by a bookshelf from top to
bottom, more books than Ari saw in his life. A large collection of various weapons, from
swords and dueling pistols to a Praetorian machine gun, was mounted on the opposite wall.
The weapons looked clean and ready to use. On each side of the door stood a suit of armor,
and facing them was a large desk with a leather work-chair. A gray haired man sat in it with
his back turned to them, looking at a huge painting of a city covered in snow on the wall.
-Yes?-Lieutenant Cerberra reporting, Sir! The copper reserves are secured, and we got some coal
along with it. Our losses were lower than you predicted.The man turned his chair towards them. Ari couldn‘t judge the age of the person looking at
him. He was obviously not young, given the gray hair and wrinkled brow, but age has not
affected his stature in the least. Commodore Paulus was a heavy set man, almost cuddly and
bearlike at first glance, until you met his focused gaze. Under bushy, gray eyebrows a pair of
strangest, amber-colored eyes observed the world with cool interest. Strong, muscular arms
with large fists and a deep scar along his left cheek spoke of a man who has seen violence,
and gave back as hard as he got. Yet, every button and crease on his simple brown uniform
was in its place, and the desk was tidy and clean, radiating composure and control. This was a
man in power, Ari thought, and used to having his way, one way or the other. His broad face
with a square chin was clean shaven and tanned. Unlike many of the marauders, and the
Kathosian men of authority Ari usually saw, the Commodore wore almost no jewelry. A small
pearl earring, perhaps a remnant of a rebellious past, and a large signet ring with a black stone
were the only adornments he wore.
The Commodore put down his cigar and smiled, showing a row of white teeth:
-Excellent! I see you brought an informant for questioning, lieutenant?-No Sir, this is Aries, a local who served as my guide and observer. He would like to join us,
Sir.-Are you serious, lieutenant? This is a child!-Granted, he seems small for his age, but insists he is sixteen.- Ari nodded to that, trying to
look serious. The woman continued:
- I can vouch for his marksmanship, chief Watts too, and he served well in the field, obeyed
orders without fail. Plus, he is an orphan, won‘t be missed.-You seem to be intent on this, Emilia. I have one and a half thousand men on this ship, every
profession, temper and type imaginable; of what possible use could he be to me?- With a
slight frown, he looked Ari straight in the eye.
-What is your full name, young man?-Just Ari, I-I mean Aries, Sir. I don‘t have another name.-What do you think we do here?-You‘re marauders?-Not all of us. You want to be a marauder?-I want to get out of Scrapville. I‘ll be a marauder if that‘s what it takes.- Paulus turned to the
woman, puzzled: -What is Scrapville?- -Probably the local settlement, they all look the same
to me, Sir.- Turning back to Ari, Paulus asked:
-Are you literate?-What is that, Sir?-Can you read and write?-Yes, Sir, I read ‗On Nature of War‘ many times.-
232
FIGHT and LOVE
-Did you really? Ha! You lie, where would you get such a book?-It‘s true, I found it in a destroyer wreck!-Which part did you like the most?-The Five Principles of Battle, Sir.-Hmm, you are a novelty. OK, let‘s see what happens. He is your responsibility, lieutenant.
Find him a trainer and a teacher, and he is to report to me every Tuesday.He wrote something on a piece of paper, stamped it with his signet ring and gave it to Ari.
-Keep this with you, Aries. Show it to the quartermaster, and he‘ll get you new clothes and
dinner. Come back in a week.- He turned back to the painting, signaling that the conversation
was over. As they were leaving, the Commodore added:
-Ah, I almost forgot... Welcome to the Lady of Thunder.
Pirate Tales!
Layla, Pironious, Bryutal
The following list contains a few of the more popular tavern stories told by Marauders while
on shore leave. While the details change (generally becoming more outrageous and less
believable, usually as the amount of alcohol consumed increases), the key features of these
stories tend to remain the same.
A Convincing Performance
Former actor turned pirate Captain Junus Vetavon calls his five most loyal crewmen to his
quarters, and tells them of an audacious plan to steal
a solid gold bust of Marcus Mirrius owned by the
Protectorate Governor of Kathos.
Since he and his crew are all native Rahmosians, he
explains that they will simply dress as Conclave
agents and bluff their way into the Governor‘s office
using his acting skills, before smuggling the bust out
in an unremarkable wooden chest.
They make it all the way to the Governor‘s personal
secretary, only to come face to face with a group of
real Conclave agents who have just left a meeting
with the governor. In the following gunfight,
Vetavon and his partners manage to take down two
agents, three soldiers and five security guards before
being shot dead.
The Fastest Raid
Captain Huston ‗Hotfoot‘ Henning managed to defeat the defenders of the White Point bank
in less than four minutes, before transferring the gold held there to trucks in five, and finally
233
FIGHT and LOVE
getting his forces out of the town and into a
nearby forest in another seven. The entire
raid took sixteen minutes in total, the fastest
ever recorded.
A Fine Treasure
One night during a heavy drinking session,
Captain Aquillus Vitrus acquires a treasure
map from a shady individual in a bar. The
following morning, he is convinced that the
map is genuine, and spends the next several
years tracking down the place the map
indicates.
After much grueling investigation and no small investment, he arrives in a nondescript field in
south-east Kathos, and digs in the designated spot. His reward? Two crates of Evening Fizz.
The Long Escape
Following the audacious theft of a golden, jewel encrusted three headed bird idol from a
Trithinite temple – one of the most sacred
symbols of their religion – Captain Evain Sendi
flees across the country with the members of a
powerful cult known as the ‗Radiant Order ‘ hot
on her heels. The cult is tenacious, and Captain
Evain spends the following years fleeing the
fanatics, and fighting her way out of ambushes.
After seven years of chase, and being almost
dead-broke because no smart fence would touch
the idol, Evain decides to return it to the Order
to finally get some respite. The Radiant Order
thanked her and held a great celebration feast,
at which, unbeknownst to Evain, her execution would become the evening's highlight.
The Vanished Airship
Captain Seanton Borze conducts a lightning raid into Duke Fortright‘s four story mansion,
with his airship Borze‘s Fury laying down
suppressing fire while his veteran corsair
aeronauts rappell down into the master
bedroom and take the Duke and his wife
hostage.
In exchange for their freedom, the Duke
opens a secret vault in the basement, and the
pirates make off with chests full of valuables. As soon as the loot is loaded, Captain Borze
sets a course into a fierce storm to evade Rahmos military airships who had started to pursue
them. Borze and his airship vanish in the storm, and no trace of them or the stolen valuables is
ever found.
Lucky at Cards?
234
FIGHT and LOVE
Four notorious pirate Captains, now retired and elderly, are living in a remote coastal town.
They are sold out by an irate local after he loses a lot of money to them in a card game.
Rahmos special forces swoop in and capture the four men, who are publicly hung from the
airship landing struts in Torun.
((Disclaimer: In case it wasn't obvious, this is non-canon, at least until otherwise indicated))
The dread pirate Usami Maiko turned to piracy when her fiancée was lost in battle to the
confederacy, presumed dead by all save her. For years, she raided their lands, searched for
clues to his whereabouts and enacted bloody vengeance for her loss, always managing to
evade capture and gaining no small amount of notoriety to her name.
In a sudden and unexpected windfall some five years after the battle her lover was lost to, she
received information that he was, indeed still held incarcerated, a marvel that he hadn't been
executed. Instead, he was held in a secret prison facility high in the mountains which did not
officially exist. Drawing plans, her ship soon made its way there.
The wily captain had pulled some strings and made some generous offerings to arrange some
attacks from fellow marauders upon nearby settlements and installations, drawing out the
confederate forces in the area so that she could make her way to the prison. Her veteran crew
stormed through the under-defended facility until she reached his cell and as the door fell
down, she was at last reunited with her beloved. There was just one thing standing in her way.
A small group of elite confederate soldiers stood ready in the cell, between her and her
fiancée. She barely managed to dive for cover, grazed by several bullets as she became aware
this entire situation had been a clever trap with the perfect bait to draw her in. What was
worse is that she and her team could not return fire into the cell, for risk of hitting the very
thing they had come for. Nor would the confederates move out from the cell, instead
demanding their surrender, using their prisoner as a hostage.
With confederate reinforcements on the way to cut off the escape of the raiders, this proved to
be a mistake. By forcing her hand, they discovered that several of the raiding part, including
the captain herself were skilled sharpshooters and in a co-ordinated manoeuvre they fired into
the cell, eliminating the guards.
Releasing the other prisoners for the chaos it would cause, the rescue party made their way
back aboard the ship and made a hasty getaway, firing on the rapidly assembling blockade.
Still, they managed to punch through and make good their escape. The sad part is that this tale
does not have a happy ending, 5 years is a long time and the reunited lovers had too much
hurt between them now. They went their separate ways soon after and the Bladed Flower of
Usami hasn't so much as looked at another man since...
Grim Luck
After receiving their first officer's stars in a solemn and almost sacred ceremony,the Prime
Squad of Rahmosian Academy's young cadets (the best 16 cadets) customarily spice up the
night with a drunken binge, to celebrate the fact that they managed to finish one of the
toughest military courses in the land as the best, with flying colours.
The last generation to come out of the school decided to follow tradition... with a few extra
'seasonings' in the form of a small armored detachment. After 'confiscating' at gunpoint 3
235
FIGHT and LOVE
Tank Destroyers, 3 Savars and a Command Destroyer from the mechanics in the storage
hangar because of 'bad maintenance of equipment', the merry bunch decided to have a parade
along the countryside.
The parade lasted for several hours, pillaging wine cellars and food from villages along the
way, and generally having a blast, telling themselves they will be long remembered.
After sobering up somewhat, the squad returned to the hangars, only to find them burned to
the ground by a surprise raid of Captain Jared Terridal, infamous corsair. Lacking armored
firepower, the defenders quickly succumbed to the artillery supported attack. The majority of
the people in the academy base, including the visiting friends and families of the cadets, were
killed, and the plundered armory lay in ruins.
After burying their loved ones, the remaining cadets gathered around grief stricken Felix van
Todt, son of the late Duke and Prefect of the region, elevating him to general and their leader.
Soon to become known as Grim Luck, Van Todt gathered the surviving troops, tanks, hired
local guides and militia from the coffers of the dutchy, and proceeded to cut a blazing path in
pursuit of Terridal. With cruel determination, Van Todt burned to the ground every town, base
and hamlet that gave refuge to Terridal during his chase. After 8 months of hide and seek in
the mountainous regions of Rahmos, during which time Van Todt recruited any help he could
request, buy or steal from other dukes of the realm, a battle was joined one autumn sunset,
after Terridal, abandoned by all his allies, had to land his damaged airship.
The combat that ensued, dubbed the Bloody Twilight by glorifying historians, is still studied
in the military textbooks, and rightly so. Terridal was not a novice captain by anyone's merit.
His rocket artillery rained steel on the advancing troops, and two Terror Walkers he pulled out
of the hull of his ship were a terrifying death for most of the Rahmosian irregulars following
Van Todt . But nothing could stop the Prime Squad. Unified as one in fury and hatred, they
fought with calculated precision and discipline that came from months of obsessive drill. In
the rising evening fog, their tank squad performed a fake retreat, pulverized the slow walkers
when they came within range, about-faced and charged out of the fog straight towards
Terridals custom Devastator. Successive concentrated blasts tore apart the hull, until the blaze
of its ammunition lit the skyline.
The surviving marauders were hunted 'till late into the night, and the last surviving grenadier
was sent to a brothel known to serve as marauders watering hole, blinded, to spread the tale.
Scarred physically and mentally, Van Todt abandoned his political position, never married,
and still is, with his 11 surviving coleagues, Grim Luck, the legendary nemesis of every
marauder that wonders into Rahmos.
(Disclaimer: all characters and events are purely fictitious, and merely unofficial marauder
myth )
236
FIGHT and LOVE
Buried Treasure
The_SojaBird
The practice of marauders burying treasure in remote places is far less common than all the
tavern stories would have you believe, but it does happen from time to time. Ironically, most
marauders who hide away stashes of loot for safekeeping are usually captured or killed long
before they have any chance to return for it – one famous example is Captain Mordrus, who
robbed a gold mine
and hid the proceeds,
while noting down
the location on a map
he then kept on his
person.
A few years later,
Mordrus‘s airship
was intercepted by
two Rahmos Air
Force patrol
zeppelins, and in the
ensuing battle the
marauder crew were quickly overpowered. Mordrus himself was killed, and the Captains of
the Rahmos airships met to search his body together. They found the map, and realizing what
it was, began to argue about who should take it, until a sharp eyed crewman recognized the
area on the map, and unthinkingly said out loud where it was.
Immediately the two Rahmosian Captains rushed back to their airships and began a dangerous
race to be first to reach the remote Sedalian island where Mordrus had hidden his ill-gotten
gains. After three days of pushing their airships to their limits, the two Captains arrived within
hours of one another, landing on opposite sides of the isle.
Each set out with a landing party
to try and claim the treasure,
heading for a forested plateau at
the very center of the island.
It eventually came down to a
gunfight between each Captain
and their most trusted junior
officers, which eventually ended
with Captain Veius being mortally
wounded.
His men surrendered, and Captain
Rodotus and his crew took the
loot. Of course, the entire
competition turned out to be
irrelevant, since a Rahmos
Military Police detachment
apprehended both airships shortly
237
FIGHT and LOVE
afterwards, executing all senior officers and
assigning the other crew members to several
months of shore based disciplinary duty.
This is the only recorded instance of two
Rahmos military units intentionally firing on
each other, a testament to both Rahmos
military discipline and the power of greed.
The Many Faces of Booze
The_SojaBird
Managing the supply of alcohol
for a marauder voyage is not as
easy as it might at first seem.
Even with beer, there are
hundreds of varieties, of various
strengths and flavors and
qualities. Many experienced
quartermasters will happily speak
at length in taverns about the
importance of gathering just the
right kinds of booze for a
particular mission. A raid calls for
stuff to warm the belly and instill courage, without encouraging over-consumption, so flasks
of rum or whiskey perform nicely. On a smuggling mission you need something weak enough
to be consumed over a lengthy period of time without causing excessive inebriation, but it
must have a sharp tang or unusual taste to maintain attention throughout long, generally dull
journeys – there are in fact a number of specialty beers which are very rarely offered in
taverns due to their often slightly unpleasant taste, but which are purchased in bulk by
marauder quartermasters for distribution to smuggling convoys. Although a man might not
pay for such a beer, it‘s rare that a marauder will refuse free alcohol.
Then there‘s wine. There are usually several casks of inferior stuff
for the lower ranks to enjoy between missions, but the Captain and
other important individuals in the marauder hierarchy sometimes
have expensive tastes. Sometimes, a particular vintage may be
hard to obtain outside of heavily regulated, upmarket wine shops
of the kind that cater to Kathos Barons and senior Rahmos military
commanders. Naturally, a marauder quartermaster cannot simply
walk into such a business and place an order. A few enterprising
individuals make a living by acting as wealthy upper class ladies
or gentlemen, dressing themselves up and putting on a fake accent every few weeks to make a
purchase for a marauder crew. They then return to their favorite low class drinking dens and
238
FIGHT and LOVE
gambling houses to party until their money runs out. Some wine shops treat these imposters as
regulars, being taken in by elaborate made up family histories, their large orders, and their
ready coin.
On the other hand, the wrong kind of booze can lead to violence (against the wrong people), a
loss of focus on the mission, or worse! So next time you see marauders drinking on the job –
so, most of the time – appreciate the effort that went into making sure it doesn‘t affect their
ability to perform the task at hand!
EvEry oNe, SinG AlOnG!!!
"OHHH!
wizard-10rso
A long time ago, way back in history,
when all there was to drink was nothin but cups of tea.
Along came a man by the name of Charlie Mops,
and he invented a wonderful drink and he made it out of hops.
He must have been an admiral a sultan or a king,
and to his praises we shall always sing.
Look what he has done for us he's filled us up with cheer!
Lord bless Charlie Mops, the man who invented beer beer beer
tiddly beer beer beer.
The Curtis bar, the Jasmine's Pub, the Hole in the Wall as well
one thing you can be sure of, its Charlie's beer they sell
so all ye lads a lasses at eleven O'clock ye stop
for five short seconds, remember Charlie Mops 1 2 3 4 5
He must have been an admiral a sultan or a king,
and to his praises we shall always sing.
Look what he has done for us he's filled us up with cheer!
Lord bless Charlie Mops, the man who invented beer beer beer
tiddly beer beer beer.
A barrel of malt, a bushel of hops, you stir it around with a stick,
the kind of lubrication to make your engine tick.
40 pints of wallop a day will keep away the quacks.
Its only eight pence hapenny and one and six in tax, 1 2 3 4 5
He must have been an admiral a sultan or a king,
and to his praises we shall always sing.
Look what he has done for us he's filled us up with cheer!
Lord bless Charlie Mops, the man who invented beer beer beer
239
FIGHT and LOVE
tiddly beer beer beer.
The Lord bless Charlie Mops!"
Airship Stories - Pushing the Limits
Rawks
Long ago, in the early days of airship
usage, Confederate engineers
constructed a ‗height climber‘ airship,
designed for extremely high altitude
flight. They had been intended for use
in bombing raids where no defense or
retaliation would be possible, or
potentially for surprise attacks in
airship fleet engagements. Based on
accounts from the time, the design of
the airship was effective, but while
the airship could withstand the height,
the crew could not. A limited understanding of atmospheric pressure and the effect of altitude
on the human body meant the crew of
the first prototype didn‘t know what
they were getting into.
It was only when the fatigue, nausea,
headaches, constant coughing and faintheadedness became too much that they
recognized the danger and started the
airship descending – much too late. By
the time the prototype crashed into the
ground, the crew was unconscious or
dead from altitude sickness. Research
into equipment to improve survival rates
at these altitudes is ongoing
240
FIGHT and LOVE
Pirate Stories Ch.1: The Marooned Marauder
Rawks
He was cold, hungry, and alone. High up in some remote area of the Atelian Mountains,
huddled at the back of a small cave trying to shelter from the swirling snow outside. Really, it
was really more of an indentation in the mountainside, but he‘d heard stories of people
surviving up in these mountains by hiding in caves, so he tried to think of it as a cave. Of
course those people had been nomads, and they‘d been dressed for the weather and had more
than a few days‘ supplies with them… but it wouldn‘t help to dwell on that.
Stealing the Gem had seemed
like a good idea at the time. They
had been boarding a Baron‘s
cargo freighter, and there was a
bonus promised for the man to
capture the freighter‘s Captain.
He had been familiar with the
layout of the particular class of
airship, so knew exactly how to
quickly get to the Captain‘s
cabin.
When he got there, the Captain
was gone, but he had clearly been
in such a hurry to leave that he
had left many of his valuables
behind. There would be no point
in taking the gold bars, silver
candlesticks or other large
objects since he couldn‘t hide
them on his person, but then a
little red Gem had rolled out
from under the bed. A small one,
but worth so much. He‘d be able
to live a life of leisure for years… so he‘d stolen it. Stashed it in his jacket and hoped to get
away with it…
He hadn‘t gotten away with it. And the punishment for stealing anything worth more than two
gold pieces was marooning. So here he was, abandoned two days ago in the icy Atelian
Mountains with a canteen of water, a bottle of rum, enough food to last a few days, and a
pistol with a single bullet in it. He‘d drunk the rum, eaten the food, and was now left with
water and that single bullet. Part of him hoped that a band of nomads would pass by and
rescue him, but in his gut he knew that there had probably been no people up here in years.
Maybe no person had ever been up here.
241
FIGHT and LOVE
He looked out at the snow and decided he didn‘t want to freeze to death, or starve. Sure, he‘d
made more than a few bad choices in his life, but he had always chosen his own path, his own
fate. He drained the last dregs from the bottle of rum, checked his one bullet, cocked the gun,
and put it to his head.
Farlix’s lost love
Mechanicalangel
The bar grows quiet as Farlix softly starts talking, his voice sluggish: ―It was twenty years
ago, when I met the love of my life. I lost her the day I met her. Since then, I‘ve loved no
other girl, except Cinnamon of course. I can‘t even describe her. Her breath was pure as
whiskey and her eyes shone like the Northern Star,‖ his face is hidden in shadows, but the
yellow light reflects a single tear.
―All right, you wankers, I‘ll tell you a
love story if there ever was one,‖ Farlix
seems to have regained some of his
composure, but his eyes are still
focussed on an undetermined point in
the distance. He clears his throat: ―I
was fleeing the troops of some low life,
good for nothing, ass licking Baron,
when I bumped into her. Well, bumped
is a bit of understatement, it was more
like two planets colliding. She fell
down and her skirt was so short I could
see her knickers. As she looked up our
eyes met and I felt the gears of my
heart shift into place. She was the one,
I just knew it. And she was a real fox
too!‖
Farlix motions to the bartender for a
refill. He takes a big gulp of his beer and continues: ―She felt it too. I saw it reflected in her
eyes. But the Baron‘s lackeys were too close. I couldn‘t save her. I tried, but they were too
fast. I finally found you, were her last words as she died in my arms.
Since that fateful day, I have never loved another woman. I‘ve had girls aplenty. Large, small,
smart, dumb. Hell yeah, I even had some ugly ones. It don‘t matter to me as long as I can get
some.‖
―My friend, I will now reveal to you my secret, the Farlix pheromone trick. If you follow my
advice, I guarantee you, you‘ll be up to your eyeballs in girls,‖ he leans over and whispers in
your ear, the alcohol heavy on his breath: ―get a cat. Birds love that and you will get all the
real love you need from your furry friend!‖
242
FIGHT and LOVE
Sedales Serpent: Ep 1
Tom Goodfellow
Joseph Fearnon leant on the iron rails and sighed. Below him, there was only a dull mist,
covering the ocean that he knew to be there. As far as he could see, the sky was deserted, and
the only sound he could hear was the rough grinding of the engine situated in a room above
where he was standing. Joseph stretched his arms, trying to relieve some of the tension in
them. It was currently late afternoon, and Joseph had been awake since the early morning,
tinkering with the Serpent's generator, and half the other systems in the zeppelin.
The airship, named the Sedales Serpent, had been captained by Joseph Fearnon for just over
eight years, and it was beginning to age. When it was new, the Serro Airworks Model T5
airship had been modern without being impressive. It had few flashy gadgets, and was very
much a basic, functional zeppelin rather than one of the luxurious and complicated airships
favoured by the rich and powerful. In the eight years Joseph had owned her, he had replaced
and upgraded a lot of the electronics and smaller mechanical systems, but some parts, like the
generator, couldn't be replaced.
Not with Joseph's budget at any rate. Paying for any kind of generator maintenance or
alteration was expensive, and if you factored in the near antique state of the Serpent's
generator, the fees quickly became astronomical. So Joseph persevered with the old generator,
even if it did mean a lot of extra work whenever the mist got in. Like today. Flying over the
Daru Sea always meant mist, which was why Joseph tried to avoid it whenever he could.
However, the job today had been just too tempting. Joseph worked as an independent airship
captain, and was willing to take on almost any job so long as it paid well. So when he had
been approached in a drinking den in the city of Vel Kosa, and offered an exceptional amount
of money to transport a crate of old paintings to the island of Egastas, which was nearby, he
had jumped at the opportunity. He hadn't wondered why his employer hadn't just used one of
the regular transport zeppelins to move the paintings, he just assumed that there was some
kind of subterfuge involved.
A lot of the time, Joseph's clients wanted goods moved without any official record, and
Joseph was happy to oblige. The Serpent had several concealed compartments throughout her
hull, and could even conceal large items with relative ease. The extra fees Joseph charged
were worth the extra secrecy to a lot of people, which was how Joseph made his money.
Just then an icy gust of wind made Joseph shiver, and shook him from his reverie. He turned
away from the hand-rail and entered the interior of the zeppelin. Joseph was now standing in
the Serpent's largest cargo hold, which was currently empty except for a pile of scrap metal
and a few old crates. The Serro Model T5 was a civilian aircraft, but it was based off a
military design. Joseph knew that this main cargo hold could carry four light tanks, or two
heavy tanks with maintenance equipment. It never had while Joseph had owned the zeppelin,
but it could do.
243
FIGHT and LOVE
Joseph walked past the scrap metal and climbed a ladder to the second level, and into a
smaller cargo hold. There was a lift platform for moving cargo from the smaller cargo hold
down to the larger main cargo hold, but Joseph tried to avoid using it as it had become
unreliable lately. On this second level, in addition to the secondary cargo hold, was the engine
room and crew quarters. Joseph headed towards the engine room.
To get into the engine room, Joseph had to swing open a heavy metal door. As soon as the
door opened, an overpowering smell of oil swept over Joseph. He wrinkled his nose and
stepped inside. In front of him was the engine itself, but most of the engine room was taken
up with related mechanical systems, and of course the generator just above the engine. There
was a gantry way running around the upper level of the room, and Joseph climbed another
ladder to get to it.
Once he was up, Joseph immediately went to examine the generator. He could barely hear
anything over the noise of the engine, but leant in close to try and catch the sound of the
generator. He could just make out a weak sounding hum. That wasn't perfect, but it would do.
Ideally, a generator would give off a strong hum as it processed energy, but considering that
the Serpent's generator had been buzzing erratically a few hours ago, a weak hum was a
definite improvement.
Joseph turned around, and saw a man wriggling out from underneath one of the backup
battery arrays. Joseph waited patiently as the man got out and stood up. He was a short
balding man, wearing oily overalls and a cracked pair of goggles. As he got up, he took off
the goggles and used a towel lying on top of the battery array to wipe oil off his face, and to
try and wipe it out of his beard. Upon seeing Joseph, he scowled.
244
FIGHT and LOVE
―This damn ship of yours ‗ought to be put out of commission!‖ He slammed his hand down
on the battery array for emphasis. ―These bloody batteries are only half charged and the
linking cable's frayed, who knows how long it's been since you had them checked―?
―Stop complaining Galeo!‖ Joseph had to shout above the engine. ―Will they work long
enough for us to take down the main batteries?‖
―I wouldn't like to say!‖ Galeo shouted back. ―Most of these reserve batteries are working, but
only just! Could give out at any moment!‖
―Damn.‖ Joseph muttered, looking down and tapping his fingers on the side of the generator.
Then he turned back to Galeo. ―Try and fix the backups as much as you can, see if you can
get them in better condition! Then come find me at the bridge!‖
Galeo smiled broadly at Joseph, displaying the several gaps in his teeth, before giving him a
mock salute and ducked to crawl back under the battery arrays, replacing the goggles on his
face as he went. Joseph walked along the gantry way to another door, and with some relief
stepped out the dingy, oily engine room into a supply room.
He was now on level three of the Serpent, which was mostly supply rooms, but it also had the
crew dining area, which doubled as the general rest and relaxation room. The supply rooms
contained all the food, drink and miscellaneous items that the zeppelin needed for a
comfortable voyage, as well as spare parts, ammunition and weapons in case of disaster or
attack.
Joseph passed through all the supply rooms, and walked up the stairs to the upper access
chamber. This was just a room that allowed crew access to the top of the Serpent's gondola, so
they could observe and repair the lift-balloon. It also allowed access to a machine gun turret
mounted on top of the gondola.
The fourth and highest level of the Serpent (except the top of the gondola) consisted of the
bridge at the front of the zeppelin, the upper access chamber, the docking chamber, the rear
anti-aircraft machine gun turret, and the cannon chamber.
The bridge was the brain of the airship, and all her systems could be controlled from the
single room. The docking chamber served two purposes. The first was simply as a location to
attach the landing ramp if the airship was stopping briefly at an airdock and not offloading
cargo, and the second was to allow airship to airship midair docking. A risky procedure even
in good weather, getting two zeppelins close enough together to launch a landing ramp across
the gap was unnecessary in civilian operations, and the docking chamber in the Model T5 was
a leftover from the original military design. Joseph had never used it for midair docking, but
had taken the time to learn the procedure, just in case. The appropriately named cannon
chamber contained the Serpent's anti-airship defences, a pair of Kahv 60mm SP Cannons. The
rear machine gun was mounted in a ball turret, like the upper machine gun, enabling good AA
cover around the rear of the zeppelin.
Joseph went straight into the bridge. The only occupant was a tanned, muscled man standing
245
FIGHT and LOVE
at the ship's wheel. He turned around as Joseph entered, and nodded silently in greeting,
before returning his gaze to the front view-port. He was clean-shaven and had his brown hair
cropped short.
―Hello Barald. Everything all right up here?‖ Joseph asked. Barald Teller didn't look away
from the front view-port, but nodded again. ―Good, good. Hopefully we'll be getting closer to
land soon, maybe the weather will improve.‖ Joseph talked without really concentrating on
what he was saying.
He was busy inspecting the several panels of instruments and gauges around the bridge.
Barald was unlikely to say anything in reply anyway. He was a man of few words, and that
was that. Joseph spent a lot of his time trying to engage Barald in casual conversation, but
never managed it. Barald would only speak when it was strictly necessary, otherwise he
would remain silent. Joseph finished checking the instruments, and walked out of the bridge.
He felt at a loose end. Really, he should be in the engine room with Galeo, but he couldn't be
bothered. Galeo would do just fine without him anyway.
Suddenly, Joseph heard Barald's deep voice from the bridge:
―Captain! There's an airship approaching!‖
Seeing other airships around the skies wasn't unusual, but Barald calling out to inform Joseph
about it certainly was. It meant that Barald was either very worried, or very sure that the
Joseph would want to see. Normally it was the latter. Joseph swung around and jogged back
into the bridge. As he reached Barald's side, he felt his heart race. He knew why Barald had
called him out.
Through the front view-port, Joseph could see a single small airship. It was painted white all
over, and was quickly dropping out of a thick cloud where it had been concealed and moving
towards the Sedales Serpent at some speed. Joseph guessed what kind of ship it was, but
waited for the final confirmation of its purpose. The confirmation came as Joseph saw a large
black banner with a red sword over a white cloud emblazoned across it unfurled over the edge
of the airship's gondola.
Pirates. Joseph immediately leapt into action.
―Barald, you know the drill. Evasive action until we start shooting! Speed and altitude! Go!‖
Joseph was shouting instructions, but he was perfectly aware that Barald knew what to do
better than he did. Joseph was a good pilot, but not a patch on Barald.
Leaving Barald to fly the ship, Joseph sprinted out of the bridge and leapt down the stairs to
the second level. He felt his stomach drop as Barald threw the ship into a sharp climb, and ran
through the supply rooms. He had just reached the engine room door when it swung open and
Galeo stepped out, still wearing oily overalls. He looked concerned but not worried.
―What's happening Joe?‖ He asked, swinging the engine room door shut.
―Pirates! It's a small zeppelin.‖ That was all the information Joseph needed to give Galeo.
246
FIGHT and LOVE
Together, they both hurried through the airship's corridors up to the cannon room. As they
ran, Joseph ran various plans through his mind. The Serpent was relatively fast, but a pirate
zeppelin that size would easily outrun her. They could just stand their ground and fight, the
pirates wouldn't expect that. However, there was the possibility that the small airship was only
a scout for a group of pirates, in which case the others would be getting here soon. They could
of course give up, but Joseph wasn't willing to lose his ship.
He decided on a combination of running and fighting. They weren't too far off Egastas, and it
was unlikely that the pirates would follow them there. As Joseph and Galeo reached the
cannon room, they heard a dull thud against the side of the airship. A dud shell had just hit
them. This was either because they were lucky, or more likely because the pirates were
intentionally firing duds to scare them into surrender.
―Not today scum…‖ Joseph muttered as he unclipped the safety bars on the port cannon.
Galeo was already sliding a shell into the mechanism and locking it in place. Joseph kicked
the fire port hatch open and starting winding the cannon around to face outwards. Both men
stumbled sideways as the Serpent leapt upwards and sideways, and they heard a shell whistle
past beneath them. Quickly returning to the cannon, Joseph took a closer look at the pirate
airship. It was smaller than the Serpent, and had an unusual bulging gasbag. He guessed it
would be a Fliessmat Aerial Observer, an old design. His suspicions were confirmed when he
saw a gunflash from a circular section on top of the main gondola. That would be the cannon
room, containing a single cannon mounted on a ring of rails. It meant the one cannon could
fire in a 360˚ arc around the gondola, but it was slow to turn and it was, at the end of the day
only one cannon.
Joseph quickly wound the cannon barrel up to aim roughly at the gasbag of the other zeppelin.
With Barald's manoeuvres he would be unlikely to hit anywhere else, and the initial shot was
important psychologically. If the first shot hits, you look professional, dangerous. If you miss,
you look amateur and unthreatening. Joseph grasped the firing lever and pulled it back, then
quickly ducked down and covered his ears. With a loud crack the cannon fired, and the empty
shell casing clattered onto the metal floor of the cannon room. Joseph watched the shell fly
towards the pirate zeppelin, and then smash into the gasbag, tearing some of the padded outer
coating.
―Gotcha!‖ He smiled and started winding the cannon to a new bearing. Meanwhile, Galeo had
locked another shell into the cannon, and tossed the empty casing into an empty crate by the
gun.
―Good shot captain… ok, you're good to go again!‖
They both ducked briefly as another shell flew towards them, then passed by just above the
cannon room. The two airships traded fire for a few minutes, with neither making a successful
hit, but the distance between them was steadily closing, and the shells getting closer and
closer each time.
Finally, the pirates scored a hit on the Serpent. A shell flew into the side of a cargo bay, and
247
FIGHT and LOVE
exploded with a blast of metal fragments and
flames. Hearing the sound of the fragments
pattering against the hull of the gondola,
Joseph and Galeo looked at each other and
cursed.
―They're bloody using bloody rippers!‖ Galeo
shouted.
―I know, I know.‖ Joseph replied. ―I'm going
to aim for the cockpit, see how they like that.‖
‗Ripper' shells were feared among zeppelin
gun crews because of their contents – many
shards of metal or other materials, that are sent
flying when the shell detonates. They got their
name because of the effect they had on gunners
if they exploded anywhere near the fire ports,
sometimes literally ‗ripping' them to pieces. It
was generally considered unfair conduct to use
rippers in non-military conflicts, and most
civilian captains wouldn't even carry rippers.
However, if rippers were used against them,
most captains would use the other taboo tactic
in airship combat; aiming at the cockpit of the opposing craft. The Serpent's cockpit was well
concealed from enemy fire unless they were almost directly ahead of the zeppelin, but the
pirate Observer's cockpit definitely wasn't.
Joseph adjusted the cannon's aim to the left, and pulled back the firing lever. The shell tore
through the metal wall of the pirate gondola to the right of the cockpit. Quickly loading and
firing again, Joseph's next shell smashed the glass of the cockpit and passed through the metal
ceiling. They were close enough to see the pilot dive from the controls and roll under the
instruments desk.
―That ‗oughta put ‗em off.‖ Muttered Galeo.
Then the pirates fired another shell, this one slamming into the side of the cannon room a little
way to the left of the fire port. Galeo, on the right side of the gun, dropped down against the
wall, while Joseph had no choice but to dive and then roll towards the opposite wall. Joseph
heard tiny objects zipping past him, and then felt a sharp pain. Glancing at his right hand, he
saw a metal fragment had clipped him and left a nasty cut. Fortunately it wasn't bleeding
badly. He sat up, and saw Galeo look towards the pirates, then turn to give him a thumbs up.
―They're turning away! We spooked their pilot good eh?‖ He gave a gappy grin.
Joseph got up, and went cautiously to the fire port. He saw that the pirate zeppelin was indeed
turning away, quickly rising back into a cloud. He gave a sigh of relief, and was about to start
248
FIGHT and LOVE
winding the cannon back into a safe position, when he heard a noise in the distance. Like a
group of giant flies slowly getting closer. Joseph's heart sank.
―Galeo, do you hear that?‖ He asked.
―Hear what…‖ Galeo stopped mid sentence, and listened for a second. ―Oh, damn. Yeah, I
hear it all right. You want the top gun or the back?‖
Joseph indicated over his shoulder towards the back of the zeppelin. Galeo nodded and
headed for the upper access room and the top machinegun turret, while Joseph headed for the
rear gun. The sound had got louder now, and was unmistakably the drone of biplanes. It
seemed the pirate zeppelin was part of a group after all. And biplanes meant a much larger
pirate carrier, or a hidden pirate base. And Joseph didn't think there was going to be a pirate
base in the middle of the ocean.
*****
Inside the cockpit of the leading biplane, Marcus Sellia wiped the sweat off his forehead with
the back of his hand, and shouted back to his gunner:
―You comfortable back there?‖
The gunner, crouched awkwardly in the machinegun recess, gave him a rude gesture in reply.
Sellia grinned, and then immediately his expression turned to a grimace as a blast of hot air
and oil sprayed over his face. The biplane's engine had leaked some more fluids. He decided
he was going to give the mechanics one hell of a chewing out when he got back to the carrier.
Wiping the sweat away again, he focused on the target; a smallish transport zeppelin. He
could see at least two machinegun turrets on top and at the rear, and there could be more
underneath or at the front of the airship.
Sellia decided to surround the zeppelin, hopefully confusing the machineguns. He let go of
the control stick for a moment, and stood up in the cockpit, waving his arms to the left and
right as a signal to his wingmen. Dropping back into his seat before the plane dropped into a
nosedive, he spat oily saliva onto the cockpit floor, and tensed himself for the approaching
battle.
*****
Joseph rechecked the ammunition feed into the machinegun one last time, and gave the ball
turret controls one last test. There were five biplanes bearing rapidly down on the Serpent, and
if they realized that there were no machineguns on the front or underside of the airship,
Joseph might only have this initial chance to fend off the attack. If the pilots were smart, and
took advantage of the Serpent's anti-aircraft blind spot, the only defence Joseph would have
was one of the rifles in the storage rooms. Not ideal to shoot down biplanes.
Both of the machinegun turrets in the Serpent contained twin Palenn EX-9s, belt fed fast
firing anti-aircraft weapons. Like most things in the Serpent, they were well maintained and
good quality, but getting old. Taking aim, Joseph fired a short burst towards the biplanes to
249
FIGHT and LOVE
judge the range. His bullets flew short by some way, but the biplanes still took evasive action.
The five planes flew in different directions, and Joseph saw several flashes from their rear
mounted machineguns. As bullets started contacting the Serpent's hull around the ball turret,
Joseph squeezed the trigger again, sending a long stream of fire towards the nearest biplane.
At the same time, he heard the sound of the top machinegun shooting as Galeo opened fire.
Joseph got lucky with his first burst. The bullets caught the biplane across the engine and
wing, sending sparks flying from the former and tearing holes in the latter. The biplane swung
away from the battle, and flew back the direction it had come trailing black smoke. Galeo was
less lucky, only managing to put a few bullet holes in the wing of another biplane. But now
the other biplanes had caught up with the Serpent, and were close enough to fire accurately at
critical exterior systems.
One biplane went by to Joseph's left, and he saw the gunner firing relentlessly into the
atmospheric monitor, which subsequently caught fire. That instrument gave the pilot
important information about atmospheric conditions vital to pilot a zeppelin efficiently.
Another aircraft flew past so close that Joseph could make out the style of the pilot's
moustache, but their gun seemed to be jammed. Hurriedly, Joseph swung the turret round
towards the third plane, firing a line of bullets as it passed by, but all he got for his efforts was
a series of cracks in the turret glass as the biplane returned fire.
Cursing loudly, Joseph craned his head around to try and see what was happening behind him.
He could only hear the sound of machinegun fire and the drone of the biplanes. Suddenly, a
biplane appeared from underneath the zeppelin in front of Joseph. It had several tears in the
fabric of both wings, and the gunner looked injured. Pushing any thoughts of pity out of his
mind, Joseph fired straight into the undercarriage of the biplane. He watched as the oil storage
beneath the engine caught fire, and then exploded. The whole aircraft disappeared in a ball of
fire, and when the smoke cleared there was only wreckage spinning down towards the sea.
Two down, three to go, thought Joseph.
*****
Marcus Sellia winced as he saw the plane in front of him explode. Quickly swerving to the
right, he looked to see how his other wingmen were doing. He knew one of the remaining
pilots was a veteran flyer, but the other was a rookie, on his first mission. Sellia had hoped a
transport zeppelin would be an easy assignment, but it was clear the airship's crew knew what
they were doing in a fight. The main problem was the zeppelin's damned pilot. Most airship
pilots got panicky in a fight with planes, and forgot the advantages of their craft. Not this pilot
though. Sellia's biplanes couldn't get too close, because the airship pilot would swing towards
them. In a collision, the airship would be damaged, but not as much as the hapless pilot who
hit it. On top of this, the pilot was keeping track of the biplanes movements, and moving the
airship to get his gunners the best shots possible.
Coming round in a slow circle, Sellia took a close look at the airship. It had to have a
weakness somewhere, a design flaw, a poorly maintained engine part, something. He simply
had to find it. Just then, Sellia saw one of the other biplanes try to climb a little too steeply,
250
FIGHT and LOVE
and lose their speed momentarily. But the moment of reduced speed was too long. The
zeppelin swung to the side, and narrowly clipped the biplane's wing. It wasn't much of a
contact, but it was enough. The aircraft fell into a nosedive, and as the pilot tried to pull his
plane up the whole top layer of the clipped wing came off. Sellia watched in dismay as the
plane went spiralling down towards the sea below.
He decided there was no time to find a weakness. This battle had to end soon before his whole
squad was lost, either with the destruction of the airship or the retreat of his planes. He had
one last secret weapon to try out before giving the order to fall back though…
*****
Joseph clambered out of the gun turret. The planes had found the AA blind spot, they
wouldn't come in range of the rear turret again. It was time to get a rifle and head out to the
forward observation platform.
He had just picked up a rifle from a storage room when he heard footsteps behind him.
Turning, he saw Galeo enter the room.
―So we're onto the rifles then, eh?‖ Galeo said.
―Mmm.‖ Joseph nodded assent. ―I hope your shooting skills haven't got rusty.‖
―You don't forget how to shoot.‖ Galeo shook his head. ―It's like pullin' a man's tooth, you
never forget.‖
Joseph frowned at the image of Galeo playing dentist, then started jogging down to the
forward observation deck.
When he and Galeo emerged onto the platform, Joseph saw that one of the planes was moving
away from the Serpent, but the other was still circling, and firing into the vulnerable exterior
systems on the airship. Joseph brought his rifle up and started aiming at the circling biplane.
He and Galeo were using A-Pac 822 8.22mm Pump-Action Rifles. The weapons could be
bought cheaply as military surplus following the Sassoryan War, and Joseph had taken
advantage of this to buy a large number of the highly effective and powerful rifles. The pumpaction was unusual for a rifle, but allowed faster fire than with bolt-action rifles. They were
easily maintained and ammunition for them was easy to find.
Squeezing the trigger, Joseph almost fell over backwards as the rifle fired and slammed into
his shoulder. He had forgotten the heavy kickback that was possibly the A-Pac's only serious
flaw. Galeo chuckled and patted the thick layer of cloth that he had wrapped around the butt
of his rifle, before he started firing. Joseph took off the woollen hat he was wearing, and
placed it around the butt of his rifle. It wouldn't do much, but it would help. Aiming briefly,
Joseph fired two shots. It still felt almost like his shoulder was being dislocated with every
pull of the trigger, but it was bearable.
As both men started firing in earnest, the circling biplane's pilot noticed that he was under fire
and turned towards the observation platform. Joseph and Galeo dropped down to lie flat on
251
FIGHT and LOVE
the deck as the biplane's machinegun started firing at them. They crawled to the safety rails at
the edge of the platform, and kept firing as machinegun bullets started ricocheting all around
them.
Joseph's shoulder was starting to ache, but he couldn't afford to stop firing for a second. It
would only take one lucky shot from the biplane to incapacitate him or Galeo, and it would
only take one lucky shot from the rifles to knock out the biplane's engine. So he kept on
firing.
*****
As he turned the biplane to face back towards the zeppelin, Marcus Sellia felt around by his
right foot until he touched the smooth metal of his secret weapon. He hauled what looked like
a large metal plate onto his lap, and then focused on getting a good approach to the airship.
He could just see two men on an observation platform with some small arms firing at his only
remaining wingman, but decided they wouldn't be a serious threat.
Soon, the distance between the biplane and the zeppelin had closed to only a few hundred
yards. Now, Sellia stood up and grasped the metal plate in both hands, while keeping the
aircraft flying vaguely straight with his knees. They wouldn't be expecting this.
What Sellia was holding in his hands was a Garodosian A1-AT bomb, basically a large
magnetic explosive. Originally designed as anti-tank defence for infantry, it had become
obsolete a long time ago. However, it was still a devastating anti-armour weapon, it was just
too heavy for easy use by infantry in a combat situation, especially when ranged AT weapons
were available. But the A1 was perfectly suited for Sellia's plan, which basically involved
blowing a huge hole into the airship's cockpit and drive systems.
As the airship came into throwing range, Sellia flicked the switch to arm the explosive, flexed
his arm muscles, and then hefted the bomb towards the airship. Quickly dropping back into
his seat to swing the biplane down and underneath the zeppelin, he saw that the bomb had
landed and attached to the sloped surface just below the bridge's viewing window. Perfect.
Sellia was congratulating himself, when he realised that he was about to fly directly under the
observation platform, where he could see a tall thin man and a shorter man aiming rifles at
him. Cursing, Sellia was about to twist the plane sideways to put the floor between him and
the riflemen, but before he could move the control stick he saw a flash from a rifle and felt a
sudden pain in his shoulder. A second later, the second rifle flashed. All Sellia saw was a few
sparks appear in the engine assembly in front of him, and then an explosion of fire…
*****
Barald had watched the biplane's pilot hurl some kind of metal disk onto the hull of the
Serpent's gondola, and though he wasn't an engineer or a soldier, he could recognize an
explosive when he saw one. He activated the control lock to keep the Serpent flying straight,
and ran to the glass at the front of the bridge. He could see the ugly metal thing clinging to the
metal some way below him. Without thinking, Barald launched a kick at a glass panel near
252
FIGHT and LOVE
the floor. The glass cracked, but didn't break. A second kick sent glass shards flying out
towards the sea. Barald quickly dived through the broken window pane, cutting his arms on
broken glass as he went.
Landing on a small ledge running below the bridge outside the hull, Barald looked again at
the bomb. It was still there, unexploded as yet, but there couldn't be long left. It was just out
of reach of Barald's arms while he was crouched on the ledge, so he took hold of the edge and
let his lower body drop off the edge. He could now touch the bomb with his feet. Just then,
Barald heard a loud click from the inside of the bomb. Wasting no time, Barald wedged his
foot into a gap between the bomb and the hull, and swung his leg outwards. The bomb
disconnected from the hull and started to drop away. Barald was about to haul himself back
up when the bomb detonated in mid-air.
Joseph had just swung the bridge door open when he heard a loud roar outside. He entered the
room, and quickly registered the lack of a pilot and the broken window pane. Stopping only to
kick the glass shards away from the frame, he slid through the broken window and landed on
the outside ledge. Below him, Barald was hanging by one hand, his back blackened by smoke.
Joseph reached down and carefully pulled him up; Barald was grazed, cut in a few places and
covered in black dust, but he was in one piece. They both climbed back into the bridge, and
Galeo helped them in, before opening the medical kit he had brought up. Joseph turned to
Barald.
―What were you doing out there?‖
―Some kind of sticky bomb.‖ Barald replied.
―A bomb? You're lucky to be alive…‖ Joseph muttered.
Barald nodded silently in reply, as Galeo applied antiseptic to the cuts on his arm.
―You aren't hurt too bad though, nothin' serious here.‖ Galeo said. ―These cuts on your arms
are the worst, glass cuts I suppose?‖
Barald nodded again, as Joseph started going over the instruments to see how much damage
the Serpent had taken. At least the pirate carrier had never materialized. Looking though the
cracked and damaged glass of the bridge windows, Joseph noticed a solid mass start to
emerge through the mist. He almost gave a cheer as the coastline of Egastas appeared out of
the fog, with the bright red light indicating the airship landing ground. Despite the best efforts
of the pirates, they had made it.
Joseph felt a tap on his shoulder, and stepped aside as Barald took control of the airship again.
He could see Galeo gesturing that he should come over.
―Come on captain, it's your turn with doc Galeo…‖
―I can't wait.‖ Joseph said wryly. ―Barald, take her in, and make sure the landing's gentle, I
think the Serpent's feeling a little fragile at the moment. Once we get on the ground, I'm
buying everyone drinks!―
253
FIGHT and LOVE
Divided Loyalties
Desirina Boskovich
Fahrongi influence in the south of Atelia has long been strong, due to the influence of the
Fahrongi state religion of Trithinism and the Fahrong-backed Atelia Liberation Front.
Attempting to stem Fahrong's influence, Rahmos deploys their troops into the north of Atelia.
In a counter maneuver, Fahrong declares war on the A.A.S., which is funded by Rahmos.
Confederate forces, comprised mainly of Fahrongi conscripts, enter the south of Atelia and
force the A.A.S. into a retreat north. This epic coup is termed 'The Battle of Expulsion.' Now
the Confederate army is moving north as well, attempting to clear the Atelian City-States of
hostile A.A.S. remnants and citizen militias.
Beryl Jakov, a young member of the Atelia Liberation Front (Atel for short), recently fought
alongside Confederate soldiers in the Battle of Expulsion. An alliance has formed between
Atel and the Confederate forces. Now, Beryl finds herself moving northward with them in
their conquest of the Atelian City-States.
It was late afternoon as they approached the outskirts of the city-state Irva. The day was dark,
the sky heavy with chilly rain. Sleet pelted the faces of the plodding Conscripts, who pulled
their cloaks around their mouths to stay warm. Beryl and her Atel cohorts hung toward the
back, keeping their distance from the mass of Conscripts.
The Conscripts moved like a force of nature, a horde devouring the rocky hillside. It was easy
for the depleted Atel unit to move unseen in the eddy the Confederate soldiers left behind.
"So, this ought to be easy," Neida joked lightly. Neida was a just a few years older than Beryl.
She'd lost a baby daughter to sickness and turned to Trithinism for comfort...then joined the
Atel. She was soft-spoken and gentle, until she was in battle. Then she became a different
person, focused and vicious.
No one answered Neida, probably because they were concentrating on getting up the hill and
keeping the sleet out of their faces. So she continued. "Just roll in to town, break down those
walls and bust through the defenses, then roll through the streets, Arachs and all. Hang the
Fahrongi flag and move north!"
"Yeah. That's the plan," said Bren, their leader. He was unusually quiet today. "Come on,
Neida. Don't kid around, it makes everyone edgy. Just keep your eyes open, okay?"
"You got it, Bren," Neida said, cocking her pistol.
They all knew from hard experience that it wouldn't be that simple. The last city they'd
approached had been teeming with disorganized remnants of the A.A.S. militia, all ready to
fight like hell. Even worse, the A.A.S. had fortified their ranks with ramshackle citizen
254
FIGHT and LOVE
militias who'd cropped up in the past few weeks. And nomadic tribesmen had emerged from
the wilderness like hollow-cheeked ghosts, armed to the teeth and ready to join in the fight.
Bren turned to Beryl, with a half-smile and serious eyes. "You ready, Beryl?" he asked.
"Always," she said, and gritted her teeth. She knew the grimace on her face was a poor
disguise for the raw pain beneath. But it was the best she could do.
After that, they left her alone.
It was seventeen days now since the last major skirmish, a bloody battle with the A.A.S. in the
war-torn streets of Minagh. Seventeen days since she'd seen her own brother go down, his
chest riddled with bullets from an A.A.S. rifle. Seventeen days of unbearable coldness, and an
intense ache tearing through her own empty chest. The only time she didn't feel numb was the
time she spent in battle.
She was ready, all right. Ready to go give the A.A.S. some of their own medicine.
The city-state of Irva rose before them, rugged and imposing, its granite walls charcoal gray
and slick with rain. Jagged fortresses and crumbling walls intersected casually, and from
somewhere in the gut of the city, a needle thin spire towered upwards and disappeared into the
mist. Up ahead, the first rows of Confederate forces were now entering the city.
A ripple of unrest made its way through the ranks of Conscripts, massed rows undulating like
a scared snake. A shout rang loud, then a piercing scream. Then, the serial flash bangs of a
half-dozen grenades.
"That must be our welcoming party," Beryl muttered.
A cloud of rising smoke and the smell of burning carried thick on the damp breeze. Volleys of
gunfire rang out ahead, but the spooked Conscripts were firing blindly at the surrounding rock
walls. A few soldiers launched grenades at the closest tenements, and crumbling walls
exploded in plumes of dark smoke.
"Damn it, they're up in the walls!" Neida screamed, mostly out of frustration with the slowmoving Conscripts; the rest of the Atel unit already knew what was going on.
"Flush 'em out!" Bren shouted. "Beryl, Neida -- over there. Follow them, you six! The rest of
you come with me."
Beryl and Neida took off running, their teammates sprinting to keep up. They'd find a way
into the walls, where the A.A.S. soldiers were camped out in abandoned residential and
mixed-use buildings, firing down on the Confederate forces from their vantage point above.
Beryl shouted instructions to her people, gripping her pistol as she ran. The pounding of her
heart kept pace with the thud of her boots on the hard tundra. This was it. She was ready.
They picked their way through the rubble of jagged concrete, scrap metal and bleached bones.
They crouched against the closest wall, huddling against the wall for cover as shots rang out
above them. Where was the way in?
255
FIGHT and LOVE
"Up there," Stefan shouted. A narrow path cut through the debris, leading to a staircase
precariously gouged in the stone. They ran up the steps, single file. Behind Beryl, someone
tripped and cursed.
Ahead of her, an opening in the wall led to an abandoned street. A labyrinth of buildings
spread out on either side. The dark alley was filled with old trash and broken glass. She
looked around, but no one was there. The forces must be camped out in those buildings.
"It's clear," she said to Neida, and they ran across the empty alleyway to the nearest doorway.
They kicked down the door, which crumpled in a shower of splinters. The room was empty,
but there was another doorway on the opposite wall, and an outcry of voices somewhere up
ahead.
"They're in here," Neida tossed over her shoulder, pumping her shotgun. "Ready?"
Just as Beryl was leveling her SMG, two A.A.S. soldiers appeared in the doorway. The first
one shouted something, and squeezed off two shots on his rifle. She felt the wind of the
bullets as they whistled past her, heard the crack they made as they buried themselves in the
wall next to her. She threw herself to the ground, aimed upwards and took him down in a
burst of gunfire.
The second one ducked back behind the doorway for cover, loudly cocking his rifle. Neida
bounded up to the doorway and rounded the corner barrel-first, punching him point-blank in
the chest with buckshot. He fell to the ground gasping in a thick spray of blood.
"Beryl," Neida said, pointing to the bullet holes in the wall.
"I'm fine," Beryl said, picking herself up off the ground. "Come on. Cover us, people."
256
FIGHT and LOVE
Neida tilted her head to the side. "Let's get going, then." They flattened themselves against the
wall, reloading their guns. The others crept beside them.
They stormed the next room, but it was empty, except for some broken furniture and an oaken
staircase leading up to the next floor. Beryl led the way. The only light came from a window
at the top of the staircase. The glass rattled with gunfire from the battle raging outside.
Suddenly, a thunderous crash shook the building. Plaster fell from the ceiling above, filling
the air with dust.
"Arachs must have made it through," Stefan said, grinning predatorily.
"Keep moving," Beryl said.
They reached the top of the stairs, treading softly on mildewed carpet as they stepped onto the
second-floor landing. To the left was an open door.
Neida moved right, with two covering her, into the room overlooking the back alley. Beryl
and the others advanced into the open door on the left. It was empty. But the room next door
wasn't. The camped-out A.A.S. soldiers must have heard them, because a shower of semiautomatic shots burst out just inches away and tore through the thin walls. "Get down!" Beryl
shouted, and her people dropped to the ground as bullets rained down around them.
Crawling on the ground and cursing under her breath, she inched back into the hallway. She
grabbed the grenade from her belt... then rounded the corner, leaped to her feet, yanked the
pin out with her teeth, and bounced the live grenade off the door frame into the next room.
She jumped back and covered her ears just in time as the blast shook the floor.
"On your feet," she shouted to her people still keeping cover in the next room. When the
smoke cleared, they barged into the room. Only one had made it, and he didn't last for long.
Neida followed the sound of the blast to Beryl's side. "I'd know that sound anywhere."
"I hear it in my sleep," Beryl said. "Check them for weapons, Reta."
"Nothing worth taking, not anymore. A standard-issue rifle, but the scope's wasted."
"Let's move, then," Beryl said. "Next door is where all the action is."
They hustled down the stairs and out the door. Down the alley, they could see smoke
billowing from the spaces between buildings. They ran down the narrow street, staying close
to the building on their right. A few soldiers burst from a doorway and began firing at them,
but Beryl quickly dispatched them with a burst of fire from her SMG.
"In here," Beryl said. This building was a lot like the last. Up the stairs. Down the hallway.
Gunfire roared from the battle outside, and she could hear the hiss of machine gun fire from
the flat next to her.
She and Neida aimed in the doorway and started firing. Three of them in there; she let loose a
torrent of bullets toward the two on the right, while Neida took care of the one in the middle.
257
FIGHT and LOVE
They were reloading when a fourth ran in from down the hall and took aim with his shotgun.
Just as he was about to squeeze the trigger, a wet whistle sounded through the room and he
crumpled to the ground. Stefan appeared in the doorway, reloading, with Reta and Neils
behind him.
"Thanks," Beryl said.
"No problem," Stefan said.
Briefly, they glanced out the window to the alley below. In the ruined street, A.A.S. forces
and Atel were clashing in the open air. Beryl caught a glimpse of Bren, taking cover as he
reloaded.
"Down there," she said. "They need back up."
They rushed down to the ground level, taking cover in the doorway as they fired into the
street. For a moment, Beryl and Bren's eyes locked from across the street. Relief flooded his
face as he saw that she and Neida had made it. Then an explosion rocked the building down
the street, and they both turned away.
Gunfire rattled off the cobblestones. Beryl ran out of ammo and had to switch to the knife,
which forced her to favor close combat. Down here, it was utter pandemonium. Bodies lay in
the street, and at least one of them was someone she recognized. She was bleeding, too. No
time to think about that now. All she had time for was staying alive, and killing as many
A.A.S. soldiers as she could.
From somewhere behind her Neida screamed, but Beryl didn't have time to look. She knifed a
soldier through the chest and grabbed his pistol. Now she was back in the action. She camped
out in a doorway and shot and shot. She saw Bren run up the stairs of the building across the
street, and she held her breath until she saw him come back out again.
Suddenly, the alley was quiet.
No one left but Atel and bodies.
"Neida," Beryl said to herself, remembering. Her voice rang out loudly in the sudden silence.
Neida was leaning up against the wall, gasping for breath. Blood soaked through the arm of
her padded jacket and dripped down her cloak. Her face was pale. "I'm hit," she said weakly.
Bren was already at her side. He tore a wide strip off her cloak and bound her arm, using the
cloth as a tourniquet to tie off the wound. "You're okay," he said to her, moving fast to stop
the bleeding. "You're okay."
Beryl watched numbly for a moment, then started stripping the bodies of weapon and ammo.
"Where's Reta?" Stefan asked, panic gripping his voice. No one knew. "Reta? Reta!"
He found her just inside the doorway she'd been using for shelter, surrounded by shrapnel
from an A.A.S. grenade. His cry of fury echoed through the cobblestone streets like a siren,
258
FIGHT and LOVE
but no more soldiers came.
While the Atel unit had been keeping the A.A.S. militia busy, the Fahrongi conscripts had
forced their way into the city. If things had gone according to plan, they should be setting up
camp in the city outskirts right now. Probably in the biggest empty warehouse they could find.
"Come on," Bren said. "Let's go find the camp."
Finding their way was easy. Hundreds of Fahrongi Conscripts, preceded by a few ten-ton
Scarabs and a couple Arachs, tended to leave a pretty obvious trail. But the going was slow.
Three had died and four more were wounded. Those who could still walk supported those
who couldn't, and the strongest ones carried the bodies.
They ran into a couple citizens, two bent old women and a young girl dressed in rags. The
women just pulled their bonnets tighter, shook their heads, and disappeared into the shadows.
Finally, they found the warehouse. Two of them, actually, in an area of town that had been
industrial and was now abandoned. The warehouse walls were a rusted pale green. Instead of
windows, there were slits near the ceiling, filtering in a pale light. The floor was icy-cold
concrete.
Bren and Beryl helped their teammates put together a make-shift camp for their people,
bringing a Trithinite nurse to take care of the wounded. Then, they went to go report to the
Confederate commanding officer, Field Marshall Treman.
Field Marshall Treman was pompous and rotund, his self-importance spilling out as
generously as his overfed stomach. His manner was cold and reserved. When dealing with
259
FIGHT and LOVE
underlings, he wore an expression of harried distaste, like a man hastily disposing of a
particularly bad-smelling item.
He was sitting in a small office in a secluded area of the warehouse. Some pallets and empty
crates had been pulled together to create a table, where he sat, poring over a few maps. Maps
of Irva, Beryl saw, noting the spots marked with red. Those would be the enemy hideouts to
clear.
He looked up. "Nice work," he said coolly.
"And yourself," Bren said, politely returning the compliment. "My Atel unit cleared five
enemy strongholds in the walls. Killed 56 enemy fighters. Unfortunately, we suffered three
fatal casualties, and four more were wounded."
"I see," Treman said. "Five strongholds, eh? Nests, more like it. Five sounds about right. The
riffraff managed to take out about a hundred and fifty of my men before you cleared the
outskirts, you know."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Bren said. He actually did seem sorry. "We got there as fast as we
could."
"Yes, so it seems," Treman said, skeptically. "Report here at 17:00. I'd like to discuss the
strategy for clearing some of the strongholds nearby."
"Right," Bren said. "Yes, sir."
Bren and Beryl took leave of Treman and his office made of crates.
Ever since today's battle had ended, Beryl had felt numb. She'd taken out her fair share of
A.A.S. today, but she was even colder than before. The cost was always too high.
She wanted to explain how she felt to Bren, but it was hard to think of any words that weren't
curse words. "The fat pig is as sympathetic as always," she muttered sarcastically, once they
were out of earshot.
Bren glanced at her, his expression unreadable. He was still reeling from their losses today,
too. "About the casualties, you mean," he said flatly.
"Yes," she said. "Dismissed out of hand. He didn't even have the human decency to ask who it
was."
"He lost people too," Bren said, apathetically.
"Yeah, conscripts. Not friends. Not... family." She choked on the last word; it was still too
hard to say it aloud.
Bren put an arm around her shoulder. "I know," he said. "You're still in shock." He looked
anxious, withdrawn, like he was thinking about something else. "I should let you go home to
Sutten for a while, and grieve with your family. It's been a long time since you've seen them."
260
FIGHT and LOVE
"I don't want to go home," she said. "What good can I do there? I want justice. I want to keep
fighting and I want to kill as many A.A.S. as I can. And they're right here."
"Maybe you need some time," Bren suggested gently.
"Time isn't enough," Beryl said. "He was my brother. I'll never stop being angry."
Malik had been so young, only twenty-one, two years younger than Beryl. He'd been tall and
skinny, with dark hair that always fell in his eyes if it wasn't tied back. He'd always been the
only one willing to take their older brother Marek's dares. And he was the one who made their
mother laugh, even when she was exasperated with them.
Beryl had lost him. And the A.A.S. were to blame. How could she ever stop being angry?
Bren and Beryl made their way back to the Atel unit's corner. The Trithinite nurse was
dressing the wound in Neida's arm. "Can we talk to her for a minute?" Beryl asked, and the
woman left them alone.
"Hey," Neida said, smiling weakly.
"You okay?" Bren asked.
"Yeah. Pulling through."
"Good," he said, flashing her his brilliant smile and brushing her forehead with his hand.
"Good girl."
They moved on, pausing to speak encouragingly to the others who had been wounded. They'd
lost so many. Now every near-miss felt like a gift, a reprieve from the inevitable.
But Beryl wasn't done. She pulled Bren aside into an empty closet, littered with abandoned
machinery and thick with damp, foul air. "Bren, how can you not be angry?" she demanded.
"He doesn't care. Not about his troops, certainly not about us. We're all expendable."
"You never used to worry about death."
"It used to be different," she said. "A lot different. Remember? Remember the days when the
Atel listened to the Atel alone? When you weren't taking orders every single day from some
Confederate officer?"
"You hate taking orders, don't you," he said. "Even from me."
"Even from you," she agreed, though it wasn't really true. People followed Bren without being
asked and obeyed his wishes without being told. It was because he made them believe. Beryl
had worshipped him in those early days. He'd been so brave, lean and commanding, with that
glittering resolve in his blue eyes. He'd made her into the strong and fearless fighter that she
was.
But he was different now. His face didn't shine and he seemed tired, worn down. And he took
orders.
261
FIGHT and LOVE
"I'm serious, Bren."
He shrugged. "It was different, then. And now, with their help, we're finally beating the
A.A.S. We're sending Rahmos' lackeys running home with their tails between their legs. Isn't
it worth it?"
She was silent for a minute. "Yes," she said, finally. "It's worth it. We're paying the A.A.S.
back for everything they've taken from us. We're driving out the invaders, and the
Confederacy is critical to our mission."
But were they? Or was Atel just part of Fahrong's mission -- and an expendable part, at that?
She couldn't help but wonder.
"I'm sorry, Bren," she said. "No more complaining."
"Good girl," he said, and left her alone.
As darkness fell, Beryl grew increasingly restless. She needed to go off by herself and leave
the camp for a while. She needed some air. And a drink.
Her fellow fighters had built a small fire in the corner of the warehouse, knocking a hole in
the wall above for ventilation. They huddled around the fire, smoking and talking in low
voices. She excused herself, then slipped unnoticed through the ranks of Confederate soldiers.
Outside the warehouse, the air was briskly cold, and the smell of smoke still lingered in the
air. She headed out into the ghostly, deserted city of Irva.
Irva had crumpled under the weight of this war, and many others. The streets were dark and
narrow, filled with unidentifiable rubbish and debris. Abandoned shops and boarded homes
had been left behind by those wealthy enough to flee, then looted and destroyed by those who
stayed. The buildings creaked and listed to the side, cracked windows lined with cobwebs and
dirt. The descent toward total disrepair would now be brought on even faster, as the Arachs
moved through the streets, sending fault-lines whispering like spider-webs through the
weakened stone. Explosions would shake the city in shockwave after shockwave, and blood
would run in the cobblestone streets. She knew, because she'd seen it before.
Right now, the place was deserted. Many had left, when word had come of the Fahrongi
walkers and armored tanks massing on the horizon, making their way across the tundra. Those
that remained were the poorest, the youngest, the oldest, the most desperate and daring. The
city streets shuddered with emptiness, forlorn and abandoned.
So she crossed paths with only a few others. They looked at her with suspicion, then moved
on. Like many of the City-States in south and central Atelia, Irva was a place of fractured
alliances and divided loyalties. The A.A.S. militias might swagger through the streets,
confident with their backing from Rahmos. Their allies, the citizen militias and nomadic
tribesmen, lurked in hide-outs and byways, ready to spring. Yet, many within these walls
were still sympathetic to Trithinism, and by extension Fahrong. There were no well-defined
front lines; instead it was a patchwork of strongholds, jaggedly pieced together like a sloppy
quilt, separated by a strange no-man's land where loyalties were less clear.
This was Atelia. Uneasy peace was punctuated by waves of bloodshed. Loyalties were
262
FIGHT and LOVE
complicated, alliances were fleeting but fierce. Both friends and enemies were notoriously
unreliable, and could change in the space of a day.
Beryl found a likely pub, far enough from the camp to avoid suspicion. Bright yellow light
shone from inside the windows, in stark contrast to the shadowy streets. The bar was busy
tonight. She'd be just another face in the crowd. In her simple Atelian clothing, she'd pass
easily for a citizen, or a member of one of the citizen militias that the City-States had
welcomed.
When she opened the door, a wave of noise hit her like light. It was not exactly the best
environment for thinking things over, but it would have to do.
She sat at the counter. "A mug of beer, please," she said.
The barkeep brought it to her without a word, glancing at
her warily, but her simple clothing revealed no clues as to
her identity. She paid him, and he left her alone.
She brooded over her beer, thinking over the conversation
with the commander, and later, with Bren, in the dank
closet.
Field Marshall Treman passed out orders so arrogantly, as
if the Atel were just Conscripts. If he valued them any
more, it was only for their usefulness and experience. But
Atel was nothing like the conscripts -- the land they
fought for was their own. They belonged here.
The Confederate soldiers didn't belong here, any more
than the RSAS or the Rahmos-funded militia.
At first, she'd been so happy to have such a huge force
backing Atel. She hadn't considered that the Confederate
forces might have their own goals. Or perhaps she had
considered it, but then pushed the knowledge away.
"Another drink?" the barkeep asked. She shook her head.
The thing that kept her fighting: knowing that she was helping defeat the A.A.S.
Her fight against them was personal, now. They'd killed her brother. And before him, so many
others. People whom she'd cared for, even loved. She'd sworn that she'd go down fighting the
A.A.S.; she'd give her life to avenge her brother's. And fighting beside the Confederate forces
made that easy.
She had to admit the truth, though -- she was fighting for hate. It was bloodlust, not ideals,
that kept her going. But it wasn't the reason she'd signed up.
In the pub behind her, tension crackled in the air like static electricity. Some people were
263
FIGHT and LOVE
engaged in serious conversations. Others had drunk too much, and were beginning to carry
on, a few brash voices ringing loudly above the rest. A fight might break out any minute. It
was time for her to leave.
Then she saw him. Sitting at the far end of the counter. Head bent over a mug of beer still
frothy on top. All by himself, by the looks of it.
He was dressed in the ribbed jacket, fur vest and sturdy boots of a tribesman. His bare cheeks
were rough with a dark stubble. Black hair fell lank against his shoulders.
Her heart raced as she studied his profile. She took another gulp of beer, because her mouth
had suddenly grown dry as sand.
Maybe he felt her gaze. He turned to glance at her, and she knew instantly. He was older, but
she'd know that face anywhere. Andrei. As their eyes met, his flashed with recognition. He
knew her, too.
For a moment she was numb with confusion, but then she leaped into action. She shoved
some money onto the counter next to her drink and left hastily, willing herself not to look
behind her.
It was freezing cold outside, but she was too flushed to notice. She began walking quickly.
But not too quickly. Running would only raise suspicion.
Then she heard his footsteps echoing behind her.
Andrei. As children, they had played together. For decades, his tribe had passed through her
village a couple times per year. Unlike some of the more hostile tribes, his people were
honorable and just. They'd upheld fair dealings and productive trade with Beryl's village for
years.
Whenever his tribe was in town, Andrei had sought out Beryl's three brothers. They'd played
together for years, their boyish games evolving and growing more complex as they grew
older. Beryl had always been right beside them; she could run just as fast and shoot just as
straight, so they let her in on their games.
Andrei had been the strongest of them all.
Beryl and her brothers thought they were tough, and they were, but he was tougher. The
nomadic lifestyle made their farm-kid lives look cushy in comparison. So they respected him.
Even more, he was clever. Often, he'd be quiet and thoughtful, while Beryl's brothers were
tussling and arguing. But then he'd suggest some creative idea that took everyone by surprise.
It had been almost five years since she'd seen him. He looked much older. So did she. War
had a way of doing that to people. But she'd recognize those dark flashing eyes and that fierce
smile anywhere.
Except now they were fighting for different sides. Which meant no more games. She broke
out in a run, trying to lose him. But he caught up with her eventually. He always had.
264
FIGHT and LOVE
They were in a dark, narrow alley, surrounded on either side by towering buildings that
seemed to be empty. Andrei grabbed the edge of her cloak and held on tight. "Beryl, why are
you running away?" he asked.
She shrugged, embarrassed. She yanked her cloak from his grasp, and turned to face him. She
kept her hand on the hilt of her knife, just to be safe.
"Hey," she said, guardedly. "You look different."
He smiled. Same wide bright smile, but she saw the uneasiness at the edges. "So do you," he
said. "Are you planning to cut my throat, or do you always keep one hand on your knife?"
She didn't smile back. "Can't be too safe," she said. "So what brings you here?"
His smile disappeared. "War, of course. I'm here with my tribesmen. Trying to hold back the
Confederate forces before they make it any further north."
"So you're with the A.A.S.?" She asked carefully, trying not to sound too interested.
"No," he said, forcefully. "No. Sometimes we coordinate with them. But they're next. And
they know it. Come on, Beryl. I'm a tribesman and you're a Solav farm kid. We don't answer
to anyone."
"Yeah," she said. "That's what I used to think."
He looked at her searchingly, but she didn't elaborate. "How are your brothers?" he asked.
"Marek is married. Jonen is at home with him tending the farm. Malik is dead."
His jaw clenched, and pain crossed his face. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice quiet. "What
happened?"
She stared him down for moment, daring him to look away, but he didn't. "The A.A.S. killed
him," she said. "I was there. It was in Minagh. We're Atel. Or, were, I guess. Now it's just
me."
"Oh," he said. He nodded, and a frown deepened the lines on his forehead. Now he knew why
she'd run.
"I shouldn't be talking to you," she said.
"Yes, things have changed," he said, his voice taut.
She felt his fury, an echo of her own. "You've changed. I remember your loyalties lying...
very differently."
"You do?"
"Yeah. To your family. To your territory. To your own piece of Atelia."
"It was everyone else who changed, not me," she whispered, but he wasn't listening.
265
FIGHT and LOVE
"Things have changed for me, too," he continued. His voice was almost conversational, but he
pressed forward with that same aching determination. "A couple members of my tribe were
part of a resistance group against the Fahrongi invaders. They were discovered and the Field
Marshall dispatched a Herrad Legion to deal with them. They decimated us."
Beryl had only seen the Herrad
Legionnaires in action twice, but
she'd heard rumors. They were
notorious for their brutality. The
Legionnaires were keepers of the
cruelest weapons, rocket launchers
and flame throwers, and they had no
qualms using them against innocents.
Supposedly they'd responded to
insurgencies by leveling entire towns
and setting whole camps ablaze. Just
looking at a Legionnaire made her
shudder. And they were supposed to
be the good guys.
"So anyway," Andrei continued.
"Only a few of us remained. I knew I
had to come to the city and join with
anyone I could, to repel the Fahrongi troops before they make it any further into the heart of
Atelia."
"I'm sorry," she said, her voice thick with regret, and she didn't know if it was for her family
or for his... or for all the other things they'd lost.
His eyes were sad, too. "I'm sorry about your brother."
"I should go," she said. Being next to him made her feel anxious and claustrophobic, battling
with conflicting instincts. Most of all she just wanted to run.
"Alright," he said reluctantly. "Maybe I'll see you again?"
She shrugged. She couldn't tell him where the Confederate camp was -- that would be too
dangerous. It would be equally bad form to ask him where the tribesmen were holed up, even
though the Confederate armies were more likely to be focusing on clearing the A.A.S.
"If I live through tomorrow," she said, "I'll probably need a drink." She grinned cynically,
nodding slightly toward the pub they'd left.
He understood. "Be safe," he said. He left first, disappearing into the darkness with a
tribesman's stealthy grace. She hesitated to make sure he was gone, and then she left, too. She
took a twisting route back to camp, just in case she was being followed.
266
FIGHT and LOVE
Beryl spent a long, sleepless night, tossing and turning on her narrow roll of bedding. The
cavernous ceilings of the warehouse echoed with the rustles of sleeping soldiers, and the
moans of the wounded.
A memory danced at the edges of her mind, hardened and perfect like a diamond, and just as
unforgettable. Now, she relived it like a lucid dream.
It was her first battle. She'd been all of twelve years old, and the marauders had come, roving
bands of tribesmen and warlords from central Atelia. They preferred to take rather than trade,
and no one could tame them. It was autumn when they rode into town, laughing roughly and
spurring on their horses. Smoke from the fires they'd left behind curled and writhed on the
horizon.
Beryl's village was forced to defend their stores, the freshly cured meats and root vegetables
from the recent harvest.
Beryl had fought side by side with her three brothers, wielding wooden beams, torn metal,
heavy rocks, whatever they could get their hands on. Their father had led the defense. How
proud they'd been of him, so calm and collected and brave, shouting orders to the entire
village, leading them to victory. They'd succeeded in defending their territory, guarding their
stores and driving away the nomads.
When Beryl had first met Bren, he'd reminded her of her father: focused and courageous,
willing to risk so much. And the fight had seemed just as honorable.
As she fell asleep, another memory skittered at the edge of her mind.
She and her brothers were older now, teenagers. It was early winter or late autumn, and the
weather was bitterly cold. Andrei was there. They'd skated together on the frozen lake,
holding hands. Her brothers attempted to impress him with their tricks and speed, racing
away, racing back again. Their breath whispered away from them in silver curlicues. Malik
was thirteen, and so young and fresh-faced, his laughter ringing out across the ice. He joked
and teased, gliding away whenever they tried to tackle him. The white hillside stretched away
from them, deserted and pristine, all theirs.
This was their Atelia, the Atelia she'd remember, and the Atelia she'd fight for. Always.
The gray dawn came early through the high windows of the warehouse, casting a weird light
onto the faces of the sleeping soldiers. Next to her rested the Atel members she'd lived and
fought beside for years.
She watched them for a moment. Then she crept around the bedding rolls and bodies, and out
of the warehouse. She moved outwards, into the dimly lit shadows of the dilapidated city.
Somewhere out there, was her future, her fight. It involved courage, but not revenge. It
required dedication, but not hate. It demanded loyalty, but loyalty was complicated. This
much she knew.
267
FIGHT and LOVE
Exactly where she'd find it remained to be seen, but she was confident. She'd find a way.
The street swung left, a sudden turn. She followed it, edging between narrow buildings, then
emerging into an unfamiliar part of the city, framed by the pale sun balanced on the horizon.
To her right was an abandoned stretch of concrete, steel-gray and shimmering like ice in the
cold dawn.
For a moment, she imagined she saw movement: swooping and graceful, full of life. Malik,
waiting for her, beckoning her on.
She looked closer. It was just a bird, with a wingspan like a man's spread arms, a bird of prey.
It called joyfully to its fellows and they circled closer, feral and hungry.
She watched for a moment, then turned away. On foot, she headed into the heart of the city,
ready to begin her search.
Romy and The Sunbloom
Keva
I found this story in southern Atelia; it was told to me by a young woman named Marah. I was
there for her sister's first birth-- a healthy baby boy-- and she told me of Romy and her flower
in payment for the delivery of the boy. It seems to me that they use it as a moral lesson, to be
careful what you wish for, and what you sacrifice for that wish.
--Nava
There was once a farmer and his wife, and they had many children. Eight, to be exact, and the
very youngest was a girl they called Romy. She was small and unassuming, and not so pretty
as her older sisters. Because of her size, her father had no use for her in the barley fields, and
she was often consumed in her own thoughts, so her mother would rather shoo her out of the
kitchen than stumble over her during the day. The farmer's five sons spent the days in the field
with their father or off at the market selling their goods, and his other two daughters were
self-absorbed and spent the days in the kitchen and cleaning the rooms of the tiny farm house.
So Romy spent much of her time alone. She wandered the fields and forests, played with the
farm dogs and the chickens, and when he wasn't needed, she brushed and cuddled the family's
worn donkey. Her family thought it odd that she spent so much of her time speaking to
animals, and so paid even less attention to her, which in turn drove her closer to the animals.
One sunny afternoon after she had been run out of the kitchen again despite her eagerness to
help, Romy found herself wandering about the yard in front of the house. She walked slowly
towards the chicken yard, scuffing her feet in the dirt and watching the sun glint off the
swirling dust. As she peered at the ground, she stopped when she noticed something sparkling
brightly in the dirt. Being a curious girl despite her quietness, she stopped walking and bent
268
FIGHT and LOVE
over to take a closer look. Brushing away the dust that had settled, she found a large seed. It
was about two inches across, and shone like gold in the mild afternoon sun. She studied it
closely, and spun it in her hand to make it glitter. She had never seen anything like it before,
and decided to put it in her pocket to show her oldest brother, who had a soft spot for his
smallest sister, even though he spent much of his time away at market.
She put it in a pocket in her skirt, and continued down the path for her daily visit with the
chickens, excited about her discovery.
Later that evening, after dinner, and while her sisters and mother were cleaning (she had a
shrewd feeling that her sisters would try and take the pretty golden seed from her), she
approached her eldest brother with her finding.
"Romy," he said fondly, ruffling her hair like she was four instead of fourteen. He had been
preparing to marry, and had been home even less than usual. She was going to miss him when
he moved to his own cottage with his wife, even though it would be close by.
"Kalen, look what I found today," she told him happily, pulling the seed out of her pocket. As
Kalen studied it, Romy kept a close eye on the door to the kitchen. She had very little that was
hers, and didn't want to share the seed she had discovered.
"Well, little sister, I think you found a Sunbloom seed," he said finally, handing it back to her.
Romy grinned at him, feeling his excitement even though she wasn't quite sure what a
Sunbloom was.
"What is a Sunbloom?" she asked him. She knew it must be some sort of flower, but it was a
kind she had never heard of.
"A huge flower that looks like the sun," he said wryly, laughing at how obvious and unhelpful
he was being. Romy rolled her eyes.
"They're rare here, because it's so cold. Some people even say," he lowered his voice, "that if
it grows to full height, that it will grant you three wishes." he laughed again, showing that he
didn't believe it. He patted her shoulder, and then headed off to bed.
Romy peered at the seed, thinking about what her brother had said.
"A Sunbloom," she murmured to herself. A plant of her very own, and one that looked like
the sun! It was so cold and bleak much of the year that it would be a nice plant to have
around.
Romy went to sleep that night holding her seed close to her chest, determined to keep it as her
own.
When she rose that morning with the rest of her family, instead of going to spend it with the
chickens, she found a small patch of dirt far away from the farm house as she didn't want any
of her brothers trashing her project, and she gently planted the seed.
And for weeks, through out the chilly spring, every day she watered her Sunbloom seed. She
spoke to it, weeded it, and even brought it rotting table scraps so its little patch of gray dirt
269
FIGHT and LOVE
would be well fertilized. So by the time summer came, she already had a sprout about as tall
as her ankles to show for all her work. It was a soft yellow-green, and already had tiny leaves.
It seemed as though the summer sun had been what it was waiting for -- in a matter of days it
had grown almost double the size it had been at the end of spring.
It was when it grew taller than her head bloomed magnificently that the Sunbloom began to
talk, startling Romy and making her doubt her own sanity for a moment.
She had been talking quietly of her mother's scathing comments, when the beautiful flower
spoke up to comfort her.
"Don't listen to her, little Romy," the flower said kindly, his voice low and soft, not really
sounding like a human voice at all. She stared at him, not sure if she had actually heard him
speak.
"Did you just talk to me?" she asked the bloom in wonder. Not just because it was a flower
talking, but also because it was someone speaking to her without yelling or complaining.
"I did," the flower answered. Romy looked closer at the Sunbloom, and saw that there was a
face in the center. It was faint, and made from the outlines of the seeds that filled the center.
She thought the flower looked amused.
"I didn't know that Sunblooms could talk," she commented weakly a moment later, and the
flower laughed.
"Do you have a name?" she asked him, and the flower swayed, nodding.
"You may call me Sol," he answered.
And so now little Romy had a friend, another being to talk to. She spent her days tending to
Sol, who grew taller and taller with each day, and her evenings after supper discussing her
family, her wants, and anything else she could think of. It went on like this for several weeks,
until one evening, she remembered what her brother had told her.
"Sol, my brother told me that Sunblooms can grant wishes," she asked him, more out of
curiosity about whether he actually could do it than wanting the wishes. Sol froze after she
asked him this, and his petals drooped slightly.
"Yes, he is right. I can grant you three wishes, but after the third wish, I will wither and die,"
he explained.
"Oh," was all that Romy could think of to say. She hadn't expected Kalen to be right.
"Well, I won't use them all then, if I decide I need one. I'd rather have you than some silly old
wish," she told him, and Sol's petals brightened.
"It is better that way, because unless your wish is pure and very specifically worded, it
wouldn't be a good wish at all. You see, if you ask for a wish from me, you are taking away
my life force. So it should be a wish that is worth killing another creature for, although it
usually is not. Many people are worse off after their wish than they were before," he
270
FIGHT and LOVE
explained to her in earnest. He did not want to wilt away, but even more than that, he did not
want his little Romy to suffer from any wishes she might ask for.
"Then I won't use them at all," Romy said firmly, smiling up at where she knew Sol's face to
be. He was taller than her now.
And that was the last talk about wishes. Summer stretched on, and it was the happiest summer
Romy could ever remember. Even the sun was warmer where Sol was, and she wondered if
this was what it was like to live somewhere other than Atelia, where the weather wasn't so
cold.
But Romy disappearing and her moods improving could not go unnoticed forever. Her sisters,
convinced that their smallest sister had fallen in love and was sneaking out to see a boy,
followed her out to the corner of the farm one evening, to eavesdrop on her conversation and
see who the boy who had finally captured their odd little sister's attention was.
Instead they found her talking to Sol, to a Sunbloom, and could not contain themselves. He
was very beautiful, and moreover, they knew that he could grant them wishes.
They rushed forward from their hiding place, chattering excitedly with each other.
"Oh, Romy, how wonderful!" Her pretty blonde sister gushed as she came to stand behind her
little sister.
"Nothing magical like this has ever happened here before!" the other sister exclaimed, and
Romy's heart dropped into her feet as she saw them. She stepped back a couple of feet from
Sol, fighting back the sudden rush of tears that pressed against her eyes.
"We'll have wishes," the middle sister said, gripping at the oldest in excitement. They both
moved forward and were looking over every inch of the glorious Sunbloom.
Romy stood miserably behind her sisters, who were oohing and ahhing over Sol's gold,
yellow and orange petals. They would use up all her wishes, and then Sol would wilt away.
Romy stared at the subtle seed outlines that made Sol's face. He was looking at her, his
expression sad. And then he spoke to her sisters in his whispering voice.
"You may only have one wish each," he said, and Romy was surprised. He had never said
anything of the sort to her. And then she realized that he was trying to make sure that she had
at least one wish for herself.
Her sisters made annoyed noises, but didn't say much. One wish was better than no wish at
all.
"Well, I get to go first, I am the oldest here," said Katia, her blonde sister.
"I wish that I was so beautiful that every man would want me," she said, thinking of the
handsome merchant she'd been admiring.
Sol's petals drooped, and he sighed a sigh that sounded like the wind passing through the
271
FIGHT and LOVE
trees. Romy thought that it was a stupid wish; her sister was already quite pretty and could
have the man she wanted anyway.
"It is done," the Sunbloom said a moment later. Katia, excited, rushed to see if it had worked,
not even waiting to see what the middle sister asked for.
"And for you?" Sol asked again, sounding resigned.
Rahela thought for a moment. She couldn't pick beauty, because that was what her sister had
picked. She was already pretty enough, too.
"I want to be rich; a member of the nobility, even," she finally answered, her eyes shining
with excitement. Romy knew her dark haired sister loved fine things, so it wasn't quite as
stupid as what Katia had asked for. Shallow, perhaps, but not stupid.
"Very well," the flower said after a moment, and then Rahela disappeared as well to go and
seek out the results of her wish.
Romy approached Sol again when she couldn't see either one of her sisters anymore and knew
that she would be alone.
"And what do you want, child?" Sol asked her when she came and sat down next to his stalk.
She thought that his petals had lost some of their color. Now he looked weak, almost sickly,
not anywhere as bold and beautiful as he had been before he granted the wishes.
"I want people to love me," the words fell out of her mouth before she realized she was saying
them as she thought of her parents' indifference, her sisters' greed, and the way her brothers
treated her.
"You want to be adored?" Sol asked carefully, trying to clarify what she was asking for.
Romy shook her head.
"No, I want people to care about me, not worship me. I want a friend," she paused.
"I want you to stay, Sol. More than any other thing you could give me, I want you to never
wither and always be here to be my friend. That is my wish," Sol's seed eyes grew wide, his
leaves jerking in surprise at her words.
"Are you sure? You could have beauty, riches, love... anything you asked for, and you ask for
me?" he asked after his voice came back. Romy nodded.
"Then it is done," Sol said, and he didn't sound as sad as he had when he had granted her
sisters' wishes. His color returned, and he seemed to shine even brighter than before.
And so that is what came to be. Romy eventually married a man who did love her, and had
many children (all of whom she loved equally). Her first friend, her Sunbloom Sol, was
always there in the garden of the cottage she built on the edge of the woods. He told stories to
the children who came to visit him, and offered magical help to those who needed it. The
farmers and nomads came to love Romy and her Sunbloom, and so she was never lonely and
left to the chickens again (although she always did take the time to visit them anyway).
272
FIGHT and LOVE
But her sister Katia, who asked for beauty that would be wanted by all at the expense of a
being's life, did not fare so well. She did marry her merchant love, who was soon killed as
another man decided to claim her has his own. And so she spent the rest of her life, being
passed from man to man as a beautiful trophy, mourning the loss of her lover and cursing
herself for her wish. And the other sister, Rahela, recieved a marriage proposal from a
wealthy man in the city and accepted. She was left to a marriage without love, where her sons
were taken away for proper training, and had only her money and her fine things to keep her
company.
So little Romy, the forgotten daughter, learned that some things are not worth wishing for,
and that friendship and love is worth far more than money, which is cold and hard, and
beauty, which fades and can be claimed by others. She lived out her days in the warmth of a
Sunbloom's love, and died an old woman with countless grandchildren and friends.
Lisetta's Diary
InterfaceLeader
His name was Miesko Bilal, the smuggler whose arm I helped cleanse of infection. He is
almost completely healed now, the wound healed over and only a ridge of reddish skin where
it was. He helped me in the herb garden, digging over the compost heap. I'm going to set aside
the vast
portion for use
in growing
chamomile.
It's such a
useful herb,
but it grows
poorly in the
cold Atelian
weather. In
Nallum, they
have a giant
glass house in
which they
grow all kinds of wonderful plants, but glass is too expensive here. So I have built a deep cart,
in which I'm going to plant them. I will leave it outside during the day, and bring it in at night.
In this way, the plants won't be killed by the frost.
People are subdued lately. Beryl's parents are avoiding me, and even Malik visits less often.
There are three girls, whose mother died a few months ago of a terrible disease. They visit me
almost daily. They are quiet, and pray hard, and I can feel their grief like a cloud around them.
Their mother's story was a sad one. Her husband died soon after the last of the girls was born.
273
FIGHT and LOVE
Somehow she raised the three and worked the farm until they were old enough to help. They
started to build the place up, and then two years ago there was a violent raid on the place. I
don't think it was a tribe. The nomads know that if they wipe a place out, the farmers die or
move on. There's a delicate balance between the two groups, one that has evolved over the
many hundreds of years of their history. This group was... vicious. Desperate. They gave the
mother the sickness seen in fallen women. I'd seen it in Fahrong, in the women that came to
us, but never in Atelia before now. There is no remedy, and it is a painful death in the latter
stages. The disease progressed quickly, faster than I have seen before. I think she had given
up by that stage.
The girls lost everything in the attack. The crops were razed, the livestock slaughtered. Their
mother made sick. They did what they could, and the rest of the town pulled together surplus
food for them, but it was a hard winter for everyone. They came to me when their mother
became delirious, and asked me to pray for her death. I asked Sa to do what he could to end
her pain. It seemed so unfair... she was a good woman. She must have committed some grave
crimes in her past life, but by the light of this one she deserved none of it. Trials by fire. I
know it is to put us on the right path, so that ultimately we end up redeemed and made one
with Sa. Yet sometimes it seems so hard on people. So many years have hardship and
grinding misery.
They say this is how diamonds are made. That they begin as coal, and then they are crushed
slowly, over many hundreds of years. By the end, somehow, the coal is so dense and ground
down that they become diamond. It is an analogy that my Speaker used a lot, and certainly
diamonds are valued highly by the Sjah. But coal is not flesh. Coal doesn't bleed or cry.
Treacherous thoughts. I must pray hard for guidance.
Broken Glass
ProfessorWorldcrusher
The crown of the ridge had been a holy place for a thousand years and more. First there had
been wild, dark, heaving rituals. Savage dancers in furs and skins waved spears around a
shaman drenched in the blood of animals and men. In the center of a ring of fire, every voice
called out to gods without names to save them from beasts in the night and cold from the
north. Then the gods grew older. The dancers put down their spears to till the soil. They began
to want names for that which was unnamable. They christened God with ten thousand titles.
Every river, mountain, and storm had its own, and was divine. As the lives of men passed on,
so did the names of God, until only the sacred and fearful legend of Ikozi was left.
And then the Trinithites came, with their books and their figurines and their small, knowing
smiles. There was blood, and there was flame, and this time when the people laid down their
spears the name of God was Sa. Sa, the missionaries taught, hungered not for blood and fire.
Sa wanted buildings of stone and glass, and gifts of gold to build ever more of them. The
274
FIGHT and LOVE
people, eager to please their new master, built great gray walls for Him where once dancers
had twirled and the gods had no names.
The church they built stood quiet, and after a time became a mute old friend to the village that
had grown up around it. Mosses spread thick and blue over its foundations. Vines twined up
and framed every arching entrance. Windows of colored glass shone warm and bright and
clear in the bitter Atelian night, and every traveler took comfort in their light when the sun
dipped below the mountain.
It was during such dusk that the trees started to fall. A farmer looked up from his gate and saw
the earth of his field trembling, the forest beyond shaking loose its leaves. A younger man
might have fled, but the farmer had tended seventy-one seasons of crops on this field and all
his days of running were gone. When he saw steaming iron beasts burst through the thick
boughs of centuries-old trees, his heart failed him. His red and wrinkled fingers grew loose on
the gatepost. The beasts chewed across the field, drawing ever nearer, reducing his seventyfirst crop to broken stalks and muddy ruin. A younger man might have called to Sa, but the
farmer was old. When darkness took him, the god he called to had no name.
The groans of the dying echoed in the village, the fires of battle still burned, but both were
low and would soon be
extinguished. Massive,
squat Rahmosian tanks
blocked the road before
the village church,
mobile buildings facing
off against a stationary
one. Uniformed men
with smoking rifles
stood in a circle
surrounding a small,
battered group of weary
prisoners. One
bandaged Trinithite
sister limped among the
most seriously
wounded, tending them
as best she could
without supplies and under heavy guard. The wall of guns parted for a Rahmosi officer,
captain‘s stripes on his arm, and he stepped inside the circle. The captain stood watching the
prisoners with a mixture of amusement and contempt, and addressed the junior officer in
command of the guard detail.
‗Is that all of them, then?‘
‗Yes sir, Captain Norr. They were hiding in the Trinithite church just there.‘
‗How appropriate. Where are the rest of them?‘
‗The rest, sir?‘
‗You mean to tell me this sad little gang is the entire regional Atel resistance?‘ Captain Norr‘s
mouth twisted up at the corners, a distant cousin to a smile. ‗Nonsense.‘
‗Yes sir. We‘ve cordoned the perimeter and gathered all the villagers into the market square.
Shall I start a second sweep?‘
‗That won‘t be necessary. We‘d be at it all night. Our source within the Atel suggested a large
force, well-trained and reasonably equipped. This rabble couldn‘t even run away correctly. A
275
FIGHT and LOVE
discrepancy exists, but not to worry. We have all these war criminals here, eager to redeem
themselves. Or at least…‘ Captain Norr turned to face one of the captives. The man wore a
grimy bandage over his eye, and blood seeped out below it like tears. ‗…they will be shortly.‘
The bleeding captive sneered at Captain Norr, and spat on the ground. ‗You underestimate the
resolve and fighting spirit of the Atel. We will not weaken!‘
A prisoner with blue and yellow bruises swelling from under his silver beard spoke, his voice
resigned. ‗Shut up, Walter. They‘ve got us. You‘re only making it worse.‘
A sudden, brief snort of laughter burst from Captain Norr. ‗You really are new at this, aren‘t
you? Things couldn‘t possibly get any worse for you than they are right now. In the eyes of
your government and of mine, you‘re not even prisoners of war. You‘re common criminals,
and the only due process you get is what I decide to give you. You, my friends, are well and
truly out of luck. Unless, that is, one of you has a rare fit of good sense and tells me what I
want to know. For a cooperative soul like that, I may be able to muster some sympathy.‘
His eye roved through the mass of prisoners shivering in the rain, some standing, most sitting
in the cold, sticky mud. Captain Norr settled his gaze on the Trinithite sister. She tore strips of
cloth from the rags of the dead and moved from prisoner to prisoner, binding the wounds she
could and wiping the mud away from those she couldn‘t. Captain Norr took her arm when she
came near him, pulled her back. ‗What about you, sister? Want to spare your friends a bit of
death and dismemberment?‘
‗Of course. But talking to you won‘t spare anyone. Please, let me go. These men are hurt and
there is only me to help them.‘
‗Then you can help them best by keeping our conversation brief.‘ Behind Captain Norr, the
bandaged man with blood like tears staggered. The bearded prisoner caught him. He was
weak and could only control his friend‘s fall, going to the ground with him.
‗Look at that. They‘re falling to pieces without you. Better hurry, sister…where are the rest of
the Atel?‘
The Trinithite sister‘s eyes hunted back and forth between the wounded man and Captain
Norr. Her fingernails dug crescents into her palms, and finally frustration defeated reserve.
The sister‘s voice was a husky shout, too ragged and exhausted to scream. ‗I don‘t know
anything more! You‘ve captured all of us! You‘ve won, can‘t you see that? Please, don‘t hurt
this village any more than you already have!‘
The hard line of Captain Norr‘s mouth softened, and he again twisted his lips into his peculiar
not-smile. He released the Trinithite‘s arm, shaking his head, and his voice was like one
chastising a naughty child. ‗It seems, sister, that you do not trust me. But that‘s silly! We have
so much in common with each other. You‘re all men…excuse me, you‘re all people of honor,
willing to fight for a cause you believe in. So are my men. And I personally have much in
common with you, sister. You see, I‘m here on a mission of conversion as well.‘ Captain Norr
looked beyond the sister‘s shoulder to the mammoth tank blocking the narrow street, and
bawled out an order. ‗Gunner! Convert that church!‘
Without a word, the gunner dropped into his machine. The thick metal hatch shut behind him
with a hollow clang. A cloud of smoke belched from the tank as it rumbled back to life. The
massive guns rose, swung round, gears clanking under the weight of enormous artillery. The
barrel, big as a man‘s thigh, pointed directly at the church doors.
‗No, you can‘t…‘
The roar of the gun was like a hurricane, a mountain flood, the wrath of God. One moment the
church stood atop the ridge as it had for generations, silent, vine-strewn, a cheery glow
pouring from the windows. The next it was exploding outward, its bright, warm light a
shower of biting points raining down on the captives. Enormous blocks of stone slapped down
276
FIGHT and LOVE
in the sodden road around them and shot up tall plumes of wet black mud.
The Trinithite sister‘s mouth opened and closed, but she could find no words. Her eyes were
huge and blank, and the flames in the ruined church were reflected in them. Captain Norr
shoved her roughly back towards the prisoners. ‗Go on. Tend the sick. Raise the dead, for all I
care. And when I see you again, have an answer for me. Or the rest of this village goes the
way of your church.‘
Captain Norr let her stagger away. He placed a boot on one of the large blocks of fallen stone
and leaned forward, chin in hand. Watching prisoners die helped him think, yet nothing
horrible enough to make the Atel give up their secrets occurred to him. They‘d talk
eventually, of that he was sure, but Captain Norr wanted to take action right now. ‗Perhaps if
we start shooting the children…‘ he muttered to himself. His junior officer was watching him.
It wrecked his concentration.
‗Problem, lieutenant?‘
The lieutenant‘s salute was clumsy, his voice hesitant. His young man‘s face was not yet
skilled enough at disguising his emotions to hide his unease. ‗If I could speak freely, sir...I
don‘t mean to question you in front of the prisoners, sir, but…‘
‗Not at all, not at all. I welcome a free-flowing exchange of ideas from my men. That‘s what
Rahmos is all about, son. Freedom.‘ Captain Norr picked a small bit of broken stone from the
block under his boot, sent it spinning out into the mud. It bounced perfectly off the nose of the
unconscious man with the bandage over his eye, and landed somewhere behind him.
The junior officer took a deep breath, and spoke. He picked his words carefully, as though any
of them might explode in his mouth and send him reeling headless into the muddy road.
‗Thank you, sir. It just all seems a bit…I mean, we‘re supposed to be winning these people
over, aren‘t we? It seems like all we‘re doing is scaring them. Are we…is this the right
thing?‘
Captain Norr nodded, and took off his gray hat. He turned it in his hands, looked it over.
Raindrops beaded on the resistant surface of the fabric, gleamed like pearls in the light of the
burning church. ‗That‘s a question with more than one answer, son. I‘ll give you both and you
can integrate them as you like.‘ Captain Norr gave his hat a brisk shake and put it back on his
head. ‗Officially we are here to free the good people of Atelia from tyranny, religious
oppression, and ignorance. You, I, and all of Rahmos want to see a stronger, unified Atelia
come from our presence here. Peace in Atelia means a safer world for Rahmos, and our
families.‘
He paused to scrape a bit of ooze from his gleaming black boot. It plopped back into the mire
and settled there.
‗Unofficially, Atelia is a cesspool and Atelians are the bits bobbing in it. That‘s not a problem
for us, but this particular cesspool has valuable resources underneath. That wouldn‘t be a
problem, either, if the bits would bob to one side so we could reach under. They won‘t, and
that is the problem. Atelians live on top of wealth that they‘re too backwards to know what to
do with, and too stubborn to hand over to Rahmos.‘ Captain Norr paused to let his words sink
in, watched the lieutenant‘s reaction to them.
‗In other words, they don‘t matter. They‘re just things that are in the way. That‘s the extent of
it. If I could make them all disappear by shooting this captive in the face…‘ He tapped the
barrel of his pistol against the forehead of the man with blood like tears. ‗I‘d…well, I‘d shoot
him in the face.‘ He grinned, ruffled the unconscious man‘s hair. ‗I may do that anyway.‘
‗But enough philosophy. We have work to do.‘ Captain Norr holstered his gun and stood,
stretching his arms and rolling his shoulders inside his sleek gray uniform. ‗Go back to the
market square and make an announcement. Tell the villagers to remain calm. Tell them we‘re
sweeping their homes for poisons and explosives the Atel have planted, and that they will
soon be safe.‘
277
FIGHT and LOVE
‗Yes sir.‘
Captain Norr walked backwards into the small sea of mud and bodies and wounded Atel as he
finished giving his orders to the lieutenant. ‗I‘m off to get some answers from a particularly
difficult Trinithite. So no matter what you do, keep the villagers in the square.‘
He turned around to step over a twitching, moaning Atel fighter and swifly walked away, his
last sentence echoing in the lieutenant‘s ears.
‗We may have to shoot most of them before the night‘s over.‘
The Legend of Vel Livone
Wilson
The Legend of Vel Livone
Evaluated by Luisia Pieo.
This rendition of the legend is the result of collating all available versions of the story into a
single document. Any details that are not present in a majority of the different accounts of the
story have been removed, and many sections which do nothing to move the narrative forwards
have been condensed. The legend is being given a preliminary evaluation for the Board of
Historical Inquiry, as per the guidelines set out in BHI Paper 87-B.
The story
begins
with a
Syredese
farmer
called
Andren
Livo, in
the days
before the
Donac
Eros
invasion.
He had
always
been
considered
something
of an
eccentric
in the
small community of Rhet where he lived, with his insights into the future. Mostly these
consisted of predicting weather in the coming days, or whether couples had chosen a good
day to marry. Although some whispered that he was deranged, merely playing at the role of
278
FIGHT and LOVE
oracle, his predictions were often correct.
When Donac Eros soldiers landed on the coast of Syreden, news travelled quickly. The legend
has it that Andren Livo saw the invasion in his dreams, but knew that he would not be
believed if he tried to warn people. Instead, he chose to stockpile food for a great journey. As
soon as word of the invaders reached their town, Andren made an announcement. He claimed
that the people of Rhet had a choice. They could either stay, and become slaves to the
Erosians, or they could come with him, and travel to a sanctuary in the mountains.
Only the most sceptical remained, and in time they would be enslaved as he foresaw. The
others gathered what they could carry, and followed Andren on a journey that would last
months, and claim several lives, mostly the very young and very old. However, for every life
lost, Andren would find five more willing followers in the settlements that they passed
through.
Eventually, they reached the mountains in north-east Syreden. When he started to lead them
into the harsh
mountainous
region, there
were murmurs of
dissent, but most
of his followers
had come too far
to consider
turning back
now. In addition,
the only news
they had
gathered of the
war against the
Erosians was ill news. It was unlikely they would have had anything to go back to.
This final part of their travels stretched their resources to their limits. But through working
together, and refusing to give up, they finally reached the sanctuary that Andren had
predicted. A lush valley, hidden in the mountains. Fruit trees lined the shores of a great river
running the length of the vale. After the months of hard travel, it was a paradise. They named
the place Vel Livone, in honour of the man who had led them to it.
However, after only a few days Andren Livos became sick. It was a sickness that no-one
recognised, and appeared to be untreatable. He declared that he had served his purpose in
bringing people to the valley, and that a higher power would lead them after his death. Andren
retreated to a deep cave in his final moments, pausing at the entrance only to warn that should
anyone ever enter the cave after himself, they would doom all the people of Vel Livone to
destruction.
The next ten years passed quickly, and the people of the valley lived happily, even as the rest
of Syreden was conquered and enslaved by the Erosian invaders. They carved homes out from
the mountainsides, and farmed the land. This simple state of affairs was ended with the arrival
of a small group of Uusi priests. They were the remnants of a group of slaves who had fled
into the mountains after escaping from a crystal mine. When they arrived in the valley they
were starving and weak. Many thought that they had died and arrived in heaven.
As the priests were tended to by the people of Vel Livone, they told them of their religion,
and how Andren Livos must have been a prophet to lead them to such a place. As the priests
explained more about Uusi, many became convinced that it was the higher power that Andren
had spoken of before he died. Soon, the valley community was converted, and a great stone
temple was built at the head of the valley, where they had first set foot on its sacred soil.
279
FIGHT and LOVE
The priests wanted to recover the remains of Andren Livos to lay them to rest in the temple,
but they were warned of his final prophecy; promising doom if he was ever followed into the
cave. Despite this, many of the priests argued that Andren hadn‘t known the importance of
burial to Uusi beliefs, and that he was unwell and not thinking clearly as he made his
premonition at the cave entrance.
Late one night, five priests with torches and a casket sneaked into the cave to collect Andren‘s
remains. They were uneasy, but felt that they were doing the right thing. Scouring the floor,
they could find nothing, until they reached the back of the cavern. A small passageway led
deeper into the ground. It was concluded that the two youngest priests should investigate the
passage, which was narrow and steep.
The two men, Achino and Itezal, cautiously descended. They followed the passage for what
seemed like an eternity, before emerging into a larger space. The sound of dripping water
suggested that they were somewhere below the river. Advancing cautiously into the cave, a
sudden rush of air extinguished their torches, leaving them in darkness. Moments later, the
entire cavern was filled with a bright green light, emanating from a rocky pillar embedded
with a glowing coloured metal. Lying against the pillar was the skeleton of Andren Livos.
Before their eyes, the skeleton rose and spoke in a deep, booming voice that echoed off the
walls:
―Who disturbs my rest?‖
―Two faithful of Uusi!‖ Achino and Itezal replied, fearfully.
―You have sinned!‖ The skeleton spoke. ―You will bring suffering and death to this sacred
valley by your presence here!‖
―We are sorry!‖ The two priests cried. ―Please, how can we gain your forgiveness?‖
―You must cleanse and sanctify this place. Build a great temple here, beneath the earth. You
must discover another sacred pillar in the rock around me, and then you must run the river
above over them both. The pure water will wash the pillars free from the taint your presence
has caused. When the river runs over both pillars, then you must leave the temple here, and
ensure it is never again trespassed on by the living. You must guard this place always.‖
―It will be done!‖ The priests promised.
And so it was. Realizing their folly, the five priests who had hoped to recover Andren‘s
remains now led the community in carrying out Andren‘s orders. A second pillar like the first
was uncovered, and the temple was built. The cavern containing the underground temple was
located at the far end of the valley, away from the best farming land, so little disruption was
caused when a system was put in place routing part of the river down onto the pillars through
a pair of vents.
When this had been done, the entrance to the underground temple was guarded day and night,
as was access to the vents and the land around them. However, before long, the number of
guards was reduced, because the need for bodies in the fields was deemed greater than the
need for bodies to guard an empty temple. Eventually, it was decided that all the guards
should be removed, as no great disaster had occurred. The priests deemed Andren‘s spirit to
have been appeased.
As the last three guards left their places at the cave entrance and the two vents, a great roar of
anger was heard throughout the valley, coming from the underground temple.
―You have forsaken my resting place, and now you shall receive no more chances for
redemption! This place will be cleansed, and from this day none but those of the purest faith
shall be allowed to enter!‖
A moment of silence fell, and then two great pillars of fire rose from the vents into the sky.
Every living thing in the valley died at the same moment. For several days the pillars of fire
towered above Andren‘s resting place, before they finally extinguished themselves. To this
day, no-one with sufficient faith has discovered Vel Livone, and its location remains a
280
FIGHT and LOVE
mystery.
Evaluation
The legend of Vel Livone contains many elements which are likely to be true, and also many
elements which are almost certainly false. The sections of the text considered to be of most
importance will be discussed here by the evaluator.
The central character in the legend, Andren Livo, was probably no more than a man with
good common sense and a somewhat scientific approach to weather prediction. He would
have suggested that he could see the future in order to give his predictions extra weight in his
community. His decision to travel to the mountains upon the invasion of Syreden was not an
unusual one, indeed, many records exists of various groups moving to the mountains for
safety during that period. Andren Livo was doubtless a charismatic individual, and this would
have enabled him to persuade his community that he could see the future, and that it would be
in their interests to accompany him to the mountains. This would have enhanced his own
chances of survival.
The valley of Vel Livone seems a plausible location. It is doubtful that it was quite as perfect
as the legend suggests, but this kind of exaggeration is normal in any legend. Certainly it
would have been pleasant after the difficult journey through the mountains. The cave where
Andren went to die was possibly a kind of hidden workplace for him, and perhaps he warned
people not to follow him because he had hidden journals of some kind there, or perhaps he
just wanted to ensure that he was not disturbed.
However, given his esteemed position in the community at that point, his predictions of doom
for the entire valley seem excessive. It is possible that he merely asked for people not to enter
the cave, and his prophecy was added later, perhaps by the priests. It is also possible that he
was hallucinating or otherwise confused due to his illness. He may also simply have wanted
to make one last powerful prediction.
The part where priests who have escaped from a crystal mine arrive in the valley is probably
true. There are records of isolated and small scale slave uprisings and escapes during the
occupation, and at the very least some Uusi priests must have found their way to the valley for
it to have such a strong presence in the legend.
At this point, the legend becomes far more fantastic. The priests who enter Andren‘s cave
supposedly speak to his skeleton, which comes to life. This is clearly impossible, and that part
of the story was likely fabricated by the priests themselves. However, the mysterious glowing
metal would be an unnecessary addition to any story produced by the priests, and therefore
may well be real. The fact that part of the construction project that followed revolved around
channelling water onto the two pillars containing the material also suggests that the strange
substance was really present.
The encounter with Andren‘s skeleton may have been made up by the priests in order to
encourage people to identify with Uusi and to convert more of the valley‘s population through
the construction of the temple, and Andren‘s supposed recognition of Uusi. The slow
reduction of the temple guard would make sense if the project had been successful at
gathering new followers to the faith. They couldn‘t call off a pointless guard immediately, but
they could reduce it over time.
The final part of the legend is also interesting. The most likely explanation (assuming that the
unknown metal was present) is some kind of reaction between the water and the metal itself,
causing the ‗pillars of fire‘ (which may be exaggerated). Other possibilities include disease or
perhaps a natural disaster of some kind, but it would seem probable that if disease or a natural
disaster had been the cause of mass death in the valley, it would report as much in the legend.
281
FIGHT and LOVE
It is also clear that some people did survive the ‗pillars of fire‘, or there would have been no
one to tell the legend later. Perhaps the valley was made uninhabitable in some way, forcing
the survivors to leave.
Regarding further investigation into Vel Livone, it is suggested that while the site would
possibly be valuable from an archaeological perspective, the only element of additional value
in the valley would be the unknown metal. Because there is little detail regarding the features
of the metal, Vel Livone is recommended to be of low priority.
Luisia Pieo
Since Atelia
Isotx
"It's called writing Karon, you should try it sometime." Dominic glanced up from his study
table to see a tall gangly man with a toothless grin staring back at him.
"Eh, Captain, I've written a thing or two in my day," Karon paused to rub the scruff on his
chin, "but I‘ve never seen the likes of you scribbling nothing down before, not in a book like
that anyway."
Dominic dipped the pen back into the inkwell. "If we forget our past, then we have no future."
Karon wrinkled his scarred nose. The man—half lunatic, half genius—had proven invaluable
in a fight, but to ask him to comprehend anything even remotely intellectual was a bit like
squeezing blood out of a stone. "All right, Captain. I‘ve leave ya to it then."
Still, Karon remained in the door frame, the confusion obvious in his weathered features.
Dominic gestured to the bundle clutched in Karon‘s hands, "That for me?"
"Oh! Aye Captain, that it is! Torr asked me to deliver this to ya."
Dominic took the rolled parchment papers, set them down next to a stack of maps, and
nodded his acceptance. Once the door to his quarters clicked shut, he took another long drag
from his pipe, reveled for a moment in the pilfered high-dollar blend of tobacco, then returned
to his journal. He wasn't even certain himself why he‘d suddenly felt the need to record events
that had brought him such heartache. It was an anniversary for him—the death of his beloved
wife and daughter—but this same day came every year. Somehow, this one felt different.
I have a story to tell you…
The world has changed. Fifteen long years have gone by since the beginning of the
devastating war that consumed a generation and ravaged the land of the Atelian tribes.
Anyone is a potential target. Anything is free for the taking, so long as you are willing to risk
282
FIGHT and LOVE
your life to take it.
Unlike the novels he’d read as a boy, or the stories he’d heard told by his father and
grandfather, this war—this story—had no clear heroes or villains. Dominic himself, though
he fought originally with the Confederates, was half Kathosian through his mother’s blood,
Confederate through his father’s, and to mix it up even more he’d married a beautiful Atelian
city girl from Solav.
I was once an Air
Force Lieutenant for
the Confederation of
Nallum; eager and full
of the things young
men speak of lightly—
honor, hope, bravery,
though I must admit I
did not share the
religious fervour of
my fellow confederate
officers. We were all
primed with youthful
vigor on that beautiful
morning when around
ten-hundred we
received word that a
fleet of Rahmosian
Airships were
advancing from the North towards Atelia. Our leaders, believing the loosely organized
Atelian tribes would cave in a matter of days, claimed that they had no choice but to invade
Atelia from the South, lest the atheist Kathosian forces overrun Atelia and turn it into another
godless vassal state of Rahmos Protectorate.
You see, year earlier—long before I was born—Rahmos forces had invaded Kathos at a time
when Kathos was weak from generations of civil war. Lacking a central government, the old
saying of “united we stand, divided we fall” applies all too well to the demise of Kathos. The
divided Kathos proved easy prey. The invading Rahmos encountered minimal resistance from
the enfeebled and estranged Kathos leadership. Truth be told, many of the Kathos Nobles, on
both sides, saw the Rahmos as more a savior than an invading oppressor. What remained of
the fractured Kathos Royal family was imprisoned and their loyalists were either executed or,
if lucky, driven to take asylum in neighboring countries. Those nobles choosing to remain in
Kathos were forced to swear an oath of loyalty and submit to Rahmos.
Atelia's plentiful resources in Rahmosian hands would upset the delicate balance that had
stayed the tides of war for the previous 80 years. The Confederate military was convinced that
those very same resources would be ours for the taking if we invaded while the Atelians were
engaged elsewhere in battle. We were better prepared, better trained—victory was inevitable.
The Atelian tribes' response to the invasion, however, proved surprisingly decisive. Highland
tribal leaders put aside their blood feuds. Fierce highlanders stood arm to arm with thier
more cultivated lowlanders brethren, and amazingly the Atelians coalesced into an effective
283
FIGHT and LOVE
group unified by the common goal of protecting what was theirs. They appealed to the deep
seated ethnic pride of their culture, and called upon all Atelians to rise to the defense of the
homeland, to fight as one, and to take no prisoners. It was a vicious, bloody war; the Atelians
gave no quarter. The invaders had better weapons, but the Atelians had a fierce
uncompromising spirit and the advantage of knowing their mountainous terrain. The strength
of their resistance, bought in blood and borne at the cost of nearly a third of Atelia's territory,
inflicted heavy losses on both invading armies, and ultimately ended the invasion. The
previously beautiful northern Atelian villages and countryside were reduced to a charred,
unrecognizable landscape; the southern lands fared better, but the ravages of war were
undeniable. Hordes of refugees had no choice but to return to the place from whence their
ancestors had come—the mountains and valleys of the Atelian interior.
In the sudden stillness of bloodshed, the seeds of chaos took root. The Atelian tribes' stout
resistance against the northern invaders inflamed tensions between the Kathosians and our
forces in Nallum. Rahmosians' leadership, infuriated with the results of their campaign, were
especially displeased by the the paltry amount of Atelian territory gained when compared to
that acquired by the Confederates. In response to the growing discord, and sensing a possible
weakness in the previously solid Rahmosian military presence in Kathos, our Generals were
ordered to quietly build up forces along the considerable length of the Confederate/Kathosian
border. In retrospect it is now so easy to see that underlying the brewing conflict was the
raging molten core of a cataclysmic clash between the Confederate believers and Rahmos
non-believers.
Because the war with Atelia had ended, it felt safe to send my beautiful wife Amara, and our
precious daughter Delia, to my wife's family in the mostly untouched, well-fortified Atelian
capital—Solav. They were to remain there, safe, until tensions abated.
Fate had other plans. A rogue Confederate battle cruiser, in an attempt to extract a tribute
from the capital's officials, blasted a whole block of Solav to drive home the consequences of
disobedience. Amara and Delia were inside the house, probably enjoying a peaceful
breakfast, when the window shaking throb of an airborne barrage cannon heralded their
doom. The following day, news of my girls' horrible deaths at the hands of my Confederate
brothers reached me. I was immobilized with grief. The hours, weeks and months that
followed were a blur, but as time passed the reality of my situation sank in and my loyalties
grew tainted. My superiors eventually treated me as damaged goods and perhaps for good
reason, as all those around me had come to question my judgment and at times…even my
sanity. It was an easy choice to become a deserter.
Confederate and Rahmosian diplomats continued to try and civilly manage the rising threat,
but it was impossible to overcome the inherent distrust, soured by messages sent from
Rahmosian intelligence operatives emphasizing the growing size of the Confederate build-up.
These communiqués only served to fuel the fire. Finally recognizing the seriousness of the
threat, Rahmosian leadership ordered the Protectorate Regional Administrators in Kathos to
issue orders for the en-mass deployment of the Protectorate's Internal Security Forces to the
southern border area. What followed was chaos.
Even the massive Rahmos and Confederate armies were no match for the endlesslly
meandering border between the two Titans. Despite the massive number of troops occupying
the border zone, the concentration of men in any one specific area tended to be sparse.
Meanwhile vast areas of Kathos were no longer policed by the Protectorate’s Internal
Security Forces.
284
FIGHT and LOVE
This did not go unnoticed by the Kathosian Nobles who were heavily taxed and made to sell
anything they produced to the Protectorate, for a fraction of its value. While most were land
rich, but cash poor, some of the more politically savvy Nobles were able to expand their
wealth, especially those that had managed to retain control of their small but profitable
overseas territories. The rest, burdened with the cost of the failed Atelian invasion, the
unrelenting Rahmosian demands for tribute, and the constant presence of Protectorate tax
collectors, succumbed to the lure of blackmarket trading, and sometimes, much worse.
With no effective force to implement the Protectorate’s edicts, in combination with the
appropriately obedient outward appearance of the Nobles’ activities and the border conflict
in the south heating up, the Protectorate administrators were forced to ignore all but the most
flagrant of abuses. Soon, what started as black market trade, quickly developed into outright
piracy that ranged widely from bootleg and supply route holdups to other, more violent and
larger scale opportunities for plundering. Whatever their motivation, men without loyalties
flocked to the border region. Men like me.
Over time the Protectorate's southern provinces became lawless badlands as the Nobles'
more restrained militias were slowly outnumbered by a totally unforeseen disrupter—the
freelance Marauder Captains.
The Marauders, like pirates in the sky, travel in large airships crewed by ethnically diverse
battle hardened vets (such as yours truly), convicts, lunatics, privateers and a handful of very
risqué ladies; our common interest—plundering. Discriminating only against those whose
valuables aren’t worthy of stealing, we were then (and are now) just as likely to plunder each
other as plunder the Protectorate’s or Confederate’s installations and supply trains. Amongst
these displaced citizens, I found solace. I found ways to take things from those who took the
lives of the only two people in the world who mattered to me. One day, I'll find revenge. One
day, I'll take the lives of those responsible for my losses.'
But, back to the story…
While Kathosian Nobles were initially careful never to directly challenge Rahmosian
authority, as time progressed and the ranks of Marauder captains grew, tensions between the
two increased. Still, even now, so long as Rahmosians are preoccupied with the Confederate
buildup and the Kathosian Nobles reliably supply their military needs, the Protectorate
administrators tolerate their side dealing.
The situation in Kathos, especially the border area below Torun, steadily deteriorates as
increasing numbers of miscreants and refugees are attracted to the "anything goes"
atmosphere. Further compounding the situation is the seemingly unlimited supply of salvaged
and pirated airships that have been liberated from Rahmosian and Confederate forces
throughout the course of the Atelian invasion.
Dominic laid his pen down and rubbed his ink-stained fingers. The high altitude air currents
rocked the vessel, bringing out creaks and groans from the ship's metal skeleton. He picked up
his pipe.
Anyone is a potential target. Anything is free for the taking, so long as you are willing to risk
your life to take it.
285
FIGHT and LOVE
Sai's Dark Past
Mechanicalangel
A pirates‘ life for me! This saying might be famous, but no-one chooses this life. That is not
to say the sky pirates of Kathos are an unhappy bunch, after all they‘ve got the lovely Sai
looking after them. Makes you wonder how she ended up in Anchorpoint, though, doesn‘t it?
I mean, she didn‘t choose this life, so what led her to it?
Sai grew up as the middle child in a Rahmosian military family. All children were expected to
join the army and fight for the glory of Rahmos. At age five her parents sent her to a military
academy to be properly trained in the art of war. At the age of twelve, when the children get
their first flying lesson, it turned out she had a knack for airships. As the ace pilot of her class,
it was expected she would rapidly rise through the ranks in the air force of the Rahmos army.
Fate, however, had a different plan. Or should I say a certain pirate had a different plan. One
day, when Sai and her two sisters were on the ship back home for their spring break, their
airship was shot down and crashed. The girls thought at first that the pirates only wanted to
rob the ship, but when Sai disappeared in the chaos it turned out that the situation was much
more dire than that.
The shaking of the truck
woke Sai up. It was dark,
and she could barely make
out any details. A narrow
strip of light peeked through
the back of the truck. She
tried to remember what
happened. She knew the
ship had crashed. There
had been fire, smoke and
explosions? She was bit
fuzzy on the details. At one
point the world had turned
black. The next thing she
knew was this truck.
In her reminiscence she failed the feel the truck slowing down. Someone opened the back of
the truck. “Get out,” he grunted.
“Who are you?” Sai demanded, refusing to move even an inch.
“None of your business, princess,” the man grabbed her arm and dragged her out.
The sun blinded Sai for a moment, but when her vision cleared she found herself surrounded
by a band of thuggish looking men and a pretty looking blond-haired girl. The girl smiled at
her and extended her hand: “Hi, my name is Alesta. I’m really sorry we had to drag you out
here, but I need some insurance from your dear papa.”
Sai’s eyes widened as she realized what was going on. “I see you’re catching on,” Alesta
286
FIGHT and LOVE
twirled a strand of Sai’s dark hair around her finger: “Not all families in Rahmos support the
Emperor. Your daddy got in a little over his head with his plan against his sovereign. Without
my support, his betrayal will reach the Emperor. And well... you can guess what happens
next. So I proposed a deal to him. One of his daughters for my loyalty.”
Sai found herself in quite a predicament after her airship crashed and she was kidnapped by
Alesta and her band of marauders. Alesta told her that she worked with Sai‘s father to fight
against the Emperor of Rahmos. However, marauders are only loyal for a price. Alesta
demanded one of his daughters and he chose Sai.
In the days after her kidnapping, Alesta brought Sai to Anchorpoint, the biggest pirate town in
Kathos. At first Sai thought about escaping and going home. Her nights were filled with
visions of her mother and her sisters. But whenever she saw Alesta, she was reminded of how
her father had betrayed her. She wasn‘t being kidnapped; her father knew exactly where she
was.
When did she stop being a prisoner? One day, just after they reached Anchorpoint, Sai woke
up and realized going home wasn‘t among her options. Suddenly she fully understood what
Alesta‘s loyalty meant for her family. If Sai tried to go home, Alesta would sell the family out
to the Emperor. And the Emperor didn‘t deal lightly with traitors. Exile or imprisonment
would be the best outcomes. However, traitors of the Emperor were mostly sent to the
quarries in the North. Sai and her family would become slaves, chipping away stone for the
rest of their days.
Sai decided that morning that a pirates‘ life was all that was left for her. First order of
business; commandeering her own air ship.
287
FIGHT and LOVE
APPENDIX - B) Game Fanart
Joseph Allen
Royal Artillery(A misconception I made is that the RA needs to be deploy before firing)
Tank destroyer
288
FIGHT and LOVE
An artwork with 2 Savars supported by a mounted bombers, Elite Troopers and HMG
I wish there is a BS savar in the game too.Anyway,lets move on,Now I have an Archos try to
overrun an ironclad walker
289
FIGHT and LOVE
I have a modified Baron Artillery Walker with additional cargo slots at the back
For this one,its a Lv 23 unit, a Borthos (HMG variant)
290
FIGHT and LOVE
MainMeister90
Top Left: Meant to be a light bomber or cargo ship.
Top Right: An idea gone wrong. However, it could still be used as a flying watchtower.
Middle 2: Civilian medium cargo craft (and/or modified to be light pirate craft). Most of the
heavy guns would be pirate modifications. However, it is possible that Fahrong (using a
similar style of craft) modifies the inside hulls to make these types of ships into grappler craft.
They hide the grapplers underneath tarps, then open fire when a target ship gets close enough.
Bottom Left: Not the best drawing, but a light transport craft.
Zyggy
A little mountain town on the trade route, where a tired pilot can rest during a long flight...and
the resistance can steal his airship
291
FIGHT and LOVE
292
FIGHT and LOVE
Mandarax
Recently got some art of the forum dragon doing what he does best, dropping the banhammer
irl on those who oppose the Isotx takeover of the world!
I really think we should have this as an easter egg boss unit in Warlord 8)
293
FIGHT and LOVE
AllStarZ
The Centenari Legion
The Centenari Legion is the elite strike force of the Kelanian military. Originally a cavalry
detachment of a hundred cuirassiers founded by Charles the Recalcitrant, Fourth Lord
Chancellor of Kelanis, the Centenari Legion is now an infantry battalion composed of over a
thousand men, complete with its own artillery, aircraft, and armour support.
Unlike most of the Kelanian military, the Legion is entirely composed of regulars.
294
FIGHT and LOVE
Centenari riflemen are highly skilled in rapid-fire marksmanship: each man must be able to
hit a target three inches in diameter and over four hundred yards away ten times consecutively
within one minute. Though Legionaire riflemen are allowed to use their own weapons (so
long as they can accommodate standard ammunition cartridges), the overwhelming majority
prefer the Flail ranged rifle.
They are also equipped with the plastron, a type of cuirass with a large collar that provides
excellent protection against small arms fire even at close range, though the arms and legs
remain unprotected for maximum freedom of mobility. The helmet is also reinforced at the
brow to provide superior ballistic protection against even high velocity ammunition, though is
rather cumbersome and heavy to wear. A sword is also part of the uniform, and despite its
obsolescence in combat, is still often carried even into action.
A dark horsehair crest on the helmet was traditionally worn as an identifying feature, though
most units now use the horsehead badge instead, opting to wear the crest for parades instead.
Most also usually sport the emblem of one of the Four Cantons as an indicator of their
personal origins somewhere on their helmet or cuirass, or on their coat.
Riflemen operate in groups of thirteen men, known as a suit. Centenari infantry tactical
doctrine relies on groups of five riflemen providing covering fire in turns, allowing them all to
gradually move up and assault an enemy position. Four suits comprise a single deck, and form
the smallest possible tactical infantry unit in the Legion. The deck is also usually supported by
a single detachment of artillery and possesses its own vehicle transport.
295
FIGHT and LOVE
APPENDIX - C) WHO IS WHO IN KATHOS NOBILITY
wrote: Joseph Allen
Baron of Kathos: Frederick Alvas -The Black Wolf of Kathos Army
basic background info:
Title and aliases: Baron of Hallana(since he was 20 years old)
The Desert Hound
Black Wolf
Occupation:tank commander
Age:33
Rank:Field Marshall
Height:1m88
Hair Colour:Brown
Eye Colour:Blue
Introductions
Main Battle Tanks have been a standard
fighting vehicles of the Kathosian Armed
Force.They are well known for their
incredibly tough armor with highly lethal
Armor Piercing shells.Their usages have
been wide ranged,from the Expedition of
the Protectorates in Eastern Continents
against the Confederate,to the Civil War
between the partisans and the royal
army.They are often found difficult to use
because of their fixed cannon with no
transverse.However,a brilliant strategist
have successfully adapt an advantage
these type of vehicle-the low profile into Baron Alvas as a Tank Commander in Ghost Division
his armor doctrine during the battle of
Hessene Citadel in Far East.The most remarkable thing about this strategist is that he is one of
the most youngest Baron in Kathos.His name is Frederick Alvas, one of the most well known
tank ace in Kathosian Army.He is one of the most highly decorative officer in Kathos
Army,he also well known for his respects from his allies and enemies,along with his
dinstinctive personality that makes him different from many other Kathos Nobles.
Frederick was born in a rich noble family.He was an illegitimate son of the 3rd Baron of
Hallana ,Wilhem Alvas.His mother was not married to his father,thus she was forced to exile
after the child was born.As an illegitimate son of a Baron,he was always been bullied and
picked by other kids from Kathosian aristocracy families,the rough childhood,along with
many times he hangout with the local street gang.Caught by his father many times,he still
haven't giving up on stealing other's noble houses yet.A well educated,yet also quite witty
enough to fool his father many times.After finished primary education in his hometown,Alvas
was transferred to Tohrun Junior High School.During the time he study at the school,he was
influenced by one of his teachers,Walters,who was one of the Kathos Partisan
supporters.From what he learn in Walters,Alvas have finally understand the chaotic situation
of his own nation,Kathos,was under control by Rhamos,while the nobles of Kathos,including
296
FIGHT and LOVE
his father,virtually doing nothing but trying to making profit from the war.Alvas soon
discover more about Walters and their relationship eventually became close friends until the
day Walters was executed for posting Anti-Rhamos propaganda leaflets on the street.At that
time,he can't do anything but crying on his mentor cementary.
After finished his Academic year in Tohrun Cadet Academy,he returned to his hometown and
received the title of Baron after his father's death.Later,at an age of 20,he was sent to Rhamos
to begin his courses at Rhamos Army
Academy,where he learned about many
innovation in Rahmos Military
developments,much more advanced than
what he can imagined while he is still in
Kathos.Alvas knew about the armored
doctrines and he was trained with a
battalion of Rhamos MBTs to gained
experiences to develop the early Kathosian
Main Battle Tank Division.After he
graduated,he returned to his homeland and
was attached to 4th Tank Regiment,the
Regiment saw combat in the Civil War and
for his courage and quick,logical tactics,he
saved lots of his own men and gained many
victories in many battles,He was awarded
with the Distinguished Blue Medal and
promoted to Lieutenant after the Battle of
Garados.
Later, the war changed into a new state and
he was appointed as Commander to
Company D of 1st Kathos MBT
division,The Ghost Division,where his
reputation became widespread through the
progress of the war.Later,after the
Expedition,he was promoted to Field
Marshall of Kathos National Army,by that
time, he was 33 years old.
Baron Alvas after being promoted to Field Marshall
Alvas as a military commander:
Supplies and strategy:
Alvas was one of the most skilled tacticians ever known in Kathos. However,he seems to have
a little care in logistics and supplies for his own troops.An example is during the battle of
Herressa Hills in Far East desert,the supply vessels were shot down by Confederate troops.His
eagerness made the whole company failed to met their objectives,mostly due to the lack of
logistical supplies.Apparently he seems to have little care for supplies and instead,he focused
more on his advancements and strategy.
Personality:
Many of his lower subordinates said that Alvas is a tough man to get along with,but once you
know him well,he is a man you can rely on quite well.He also known to have little impatience
when his sub-commanders didn't do their jobs properly.Alvas always have a carefully planned
strategy.He calculate the risks and the potential dangers for his men.Sometimes he even
gambling his entire company in a battle under his command in order to achieve
297
FIGHT and LOVE
objectives.Since he is a Baron,frequently, he often have to went back to Hallana on special
occasions,and the officers of the company have to discuss their strategic decisions without
him,leading to many confusion.
Alvas Command Destroyer in 4th Tank regiment of Kathos Liberation Army
Relation with Rhamos officers:
Among the relationships with his men and enemies,the relationship between Alvas and fellow
Rhamos officers is the worst ones.He have a hatred tendency on them,sometimes his
insubordination,refusals to follow orders.Rhamos officers often lack of respect and trust on
him due to their differences in tactical and political ideology.However,Alvas was well
repected by lower officers and soildiers of Rhamos Expedition Force.
Ideology:
Although he claimed himself to be self-anarchy,he actually feel sympathy for the Kathos
Partisans and Atelians.His strong ideology also represented through the way he worked.His
Company was never being accused for war crimes,also along with his refusal to follow
Noble's policy to kill captured marauders.He followed a method he called "War Through
Peace―. His colleagues,like Pallas of Sedalia,Absolon Leandre or Cepheus often shows their
respect to him.Alvas also response with his respectation to each of them,for example,he said
:"Leandre was a brilliant and innovative officer";to Pallas,he praised:"Cyrus was a persuasive
leader with his charismatic tone".After the Expedition,he eventually joined the Kathos
Liberation Army and become their advisor in military strategy,especially in the field of
advanced armory doctrines.
298
FIGHT and LOVE
Combat Victory records as a tank commander:
10 Confederate Ontos
2 Terror Walkers
4 Tank destroyers
8 Savar tanks
6 Devastator tank
12 Confederate walkers
Honours:
Cross of Royal Knight with oak leaves:one of the highest military decoration in Kathos for
officer with exceptional skills and bravery.
Distinguished Legionnaire medal of Kathos:The highest decoration for individual who have
exceptional effort in protecting and developing the country.
Distinguished Expedition Badge:For military individuals who participate in the Far East
Expedition
Order of Hermann: A medal for individuals who have extraordinary personal archivements
With the total amounts of 12 000 men from his own army,Baron Alvas eventually reorganized
them and modernize them with the latest tech with the help of Sedalians.After he have seen
many merciless executions of radical Rahmos Overlords at his home city,Hallana,the Baron
ordered his men to fight back.Unlike other Barons,he support the Kathos Nationalists,A.K.A
the partisans, he defected and eventually supported by the partisan militia.Also,a Sedalian
Voluntary International Brigade have come to Alvas and offered to help his army to get more
organized.Among his army,marauders can be seen employed as either seasoned troops or
from captured prisoners.
The Baron
himself are
quite open to
these offer,thus
the Sedalian
Officers help
him to
modernized his
armored force
in order to cope
with the
modernized
doctrines.Thus
the face of his
army changed
completly,
Baron Alvas
armored force is
a picture of Baron Alvas with a Sedales tank crew in Hallana during the war
the 1st army in
Kathos ever to adapted a new lethal weapon into combat,the smoothbore cannon with its great
firing rate and powerful enough to destroy any types of heavy tanks,including Rhamos
MBT.Other vehicles were also being modified with more modernized equipments,such as
rocket tanks fitted with 380mm rocket mortars,capable of destroying concreate bunkers and
fortresses,he also have a group of foreign tanks from Sedalian,most of them are newly made
299
FIGHT and LOVE
Sedales heavy tanks,7 armored trains were also used got transport and communications
purposes,they were modified into diesel electric engines and retro fitted with better
equipments.
Alvas also adapted many modern weapons for his infantry,such as armed heavy exo
suits,designed for heavy infantry units,or 150mm recoiless rifle,used by his anti tank
divisions,his artillery divisions is currently using newly built Sedales 75mm mountain
howitzers,very useful for montainous region and can be disassembled into 8 parts ro
transport.Artillery also being supplemented with additional Self Propelled 105mm gun(Royal
Artillery) using newer engines and better chassis,among these units,the baron also have some
old mountain guns and short barrelled howizers and siege guns from his father's inventory.
The Baron of Hallana private army have total of 12000 men consist of:
4 infantry battalion(1500 men for each)
3 artillery divisions (800 each)
2 tank division(3600 each,Arctos Division 325 tanks,Lorraine Division:224 tanks)
Comparing to other's baron armies,Baron Alvas force were the most modernized with latest
equipments.It was also well known for its service members ,most of them consist of exAtelian militia,Sedalian,Kathos partisans,captured marauders and seasoned mercenaries also
includes along with his own Elite service personels.These men were well trained and armed to
the tooth,so if you encountered them,you might have a very little chances of survival.
Combat Equipments:
Weapons:
AF-5 HMG
M-5 Forson Assault Rifle
Revelli M-44 Designated Marksman Rifile
Breda M-7 Revolver
Breda M-14 LMG
Revelli M-44 SMG
Revelli M-14 Pistol
Breda L-6 Recoiless Rifle
AS-5 Carbine
N-44 Grenade launcher
300
FIGHT and LOVE
A few Illustrations about Baron Alvas infantry force:
The common combat infantry uniforms and equipments in Baron Alvas army during Kathos Civil War
uniforms and equipments used by the most distinctive division of Baron Alvas army,the Arctos
armoured division
301
FIGHT and LOVE
List of combat vehicles in Baron Alvas Army:
Modified Baron MBT
Sedales heavy tank MK A
302
FIGHT and LOVE
Savar tank
E-45 tank destroyer
303
FIGHT and LOVE
Towed artillery pieces used by Baron Alvas army:
From top to bottom:
R-77 105mm howitzer(also used on royal artillery)
Sedales M-47 75mm mountain howitzer
M-45 105mm dual purpose field gun(used on artillery walkers)
A-44 57mm high velocity AT gun
As the Baron can't control the entire army by himself,he have selected a few specific
individuals to be his subordinate commanders.Unlike other barons,he have a little interest in
hiring mercenary .Instead most of these individuals were volunteers and marauders who
support the partisans like him.They were well known for many of their dangerous sorties
around Kathos such as train hijacking,base attack,espionage,and even convoy raid.
Captain Charles Beucort
Role:Artillery Commander
Age:28
Eye colour:green
Height:1m84
Hair color:Blonde
Charles was a part of commanding officers in the International
Voluntary Divisions which were sent to help baron Alvas on his
own war against the Rhamos overlords and other barons.With his
military knowledge,especially in the field of artillery,he have
made several brilliant strategy for the Baron artillery force such
as camouflage,hidden position,...Among his men,he was
considered to be quite cheerful and also a man with a good sense
304
FIGHT and LOVE
of humours.With many Partisans begin to forming their own militia army,he offered them his
knowledge on the battlefield based on past experiences and every necessary combat
equipments for the partisan troops.
Beucort 1st vehicle in the baron's
army,a H-45 Self Propelled Royal
Artillery Cannon
Beucort's modified artillery walker
with Sedales 75mm fieldguns
Lieutenant Maria Dalovar
Role:Tank commander
Age:27
Eye color:brown
Height:1m76
Hairclolour:Brunette
As a sibling of Baron Mordon of Dalovar,she escaped from the
settled unhappy marriage of her life by joining the partisan
force.She eventually heard of the baron of Hallana who were
recruiting for the Partisan Army and came to see him.Maria was
then tasked into Lorraine tank division,5th company,where she met
most of the female tankers,including one of her old childhood
friend.Through years of fighting,she was promoted to Lieutenant
and become the commander of the 3rd platoon of the
company.Maria's brother's influences were also recognized by Baron Alvas,thus she was
promoted much faster than any other officer in the army. Besides her natural beauty,she is
also well known for her cunning tactics on the battlefield with.As a commander of a
platoon,she was recognized as a very serious leader,but also warmhearted and caring for
305
FIGHT and LOVE
others like her own family.
The modified Baron MBT used by
Maria
A Kathos Falcon main battle tank
used by Maria during the raid of
Tohrun fuel depots
Lieutenant Anna Kovasev
Age:27
Role:Scout/Sniper
Height:1m68
Eyecolor:Black
Haircolor:Blonde
Kovasev was well known as one of the most notorious sniper
during the Confederate Invasion of Atelia.Her marskmanship
were the terror to every enemy she met,her fame soon spread
among the continent as one of the best marksman in Osatia.After
the war,she become a gun for hire and willing to train any army
who needs an advisor.Her good eye visions and marksmanship skills were one of the most
important aspect for the Baron,especially when she was being commissioned to the 4th
reconnaissance battalion to train his troops.With the upcoming war against the Rhamos
Overlords,her skills are one of the most essential things needed for the upcoming modernized
warfare in North Osatia.
306
FIGHT and LOVE
wrote: mechanicalangel
Baron of Kathos: Baron Mordon of Dalovar
Some promising marauders have been contacted by the agent of Baron Mordon of Dalovar,
who is one of the most influential Barons of Kathos. The mysterious stranger is always
looking for scoundrels to fulfill the goals of his employer. Most marauders have heard
whispers of the guerilla tactics he uses against the armies of Rahmos. Few know what his
motivations are.
Mordon is an idealist with money to spare.
He will never openly speak against
Rahmos, but he uses his fortune to finance
marauders to attack Rahmos soldiers and
convoys. However, not every marauder is
worthy of his financial support. Only those
sky pirates who have proved that they can
keep a secret will enjoy his patronage.
The young Baron believes that Rahmos
needs to be kicked out of Kathos, for only
then will the people be free. This has
always been a point of strife between him
and his older brother Adam. When Adam
enlisted for the Rahmos army, Mordon‘s
resolve to free Kathos only grew. It wasn‘t
until his brother was killed in line of duty
that Mordon decided to actively fight the
Rahmos army. He mourns his brother‘s
death, but at the same time he wishes to
prove to the world that freedom is possible
for everyone.
When some young men decide to fight for
freedom they run away from home and
join a marauder crew. Not Mordon. He
recognized that he could do greater things
from his privileged position as a Baron. In secret he started to contact marauders skilled in
intrigue and underhand ways. It started with small attacks on Rahmos resource convoys and
small bands of soldiers. Later, the Baron became more confident and started to aim for larger
targets.
After five years of recruiting marauders, Mordon of Dalovar has gathered a trusted group of
talented people around him. Of course, they never meet in person and I doubt that they even
know each other‘s names. Are you interested in joining Mordon‘s ranks?
307
FIGHT and LOVE
Baron Mordon also have a sister named Maria Dalovar:
Baron of Kathos: Gaspard de Reis – The Grey Cardinal
There are rumors that the bloody battle between the Marauders in Anchorpoint was not an
accident. That it was an orchestrated conflict aimed at thinning out the ranks of pirates and
thugs. One name is spoken in hushed voices – Charles Gaspard de Rais, Baron de Kathos. But
who is this man and what is his involvement?
Born into the House of de Rais, Gaspard‘s life and view on the world was shaped by intrigue,
deception and betrayal, for such is the way in which the barons of Kathos deal with one
another. Only the strongest and the most devious survive this game of chess, and Gaspard has
proven time and again that he is one of the most devious barons to step onto the field.
The other barons are thugs and cowards. They gather armies, they fight battles and they
308
FIGHT and LOVE
proclaim their intentions in the open. Baron de Rais believes this to be foolish and, frankly,
inelegant. He believes that one dagger can easily achieve what a thousand rifles cannot. His
weapon is information and information
whispered in the right ear could decide the
fate of armies. Perhaps the recent incident in
Anchorpoint just proves the point, if the
rumors are to be trusted.
Through cunning, deception and
assassination, Gaspard and the House of de
Rais have been elevated to power and riches.
They say that the devil‘s greatest trick is
making people believe he doesn‘t exist and
Gaspard has made sure he is never in the
focus of events. Rumors suggest that his
influence extends to seemingly random
Marauder raids and, of course, the follow up
punitive expeditions taken up by the KSA.
No loose ends. As with the Anchorpoint
incident, only whispers speak of the baron‘s
hidden hand.
It is not by chance that Marauders raid the
territories of his political enemies. It is also
not by chance that KTA punitive expeditions
remove troublesome marauders. All of this is
happening right under the nose of the Duke
of Torun. All these events seem an ordinary part of life in Kathos, but also, all of these
apparently unrelated happenings seem to benefit the House of de Rais in one way or another.
Whatever the truth might be, what is certain is that the Baron de Rais is a hidden force to be
reckoned with. Some of the barons of Kathos barter for the services of marauders. Gaspard,
however, barters for the services of both sides of the law, without them ever suspecting it.
“Every sword can be turned aside with a gold coin”
- Charles Gaspard de Reis
Barons of Kathos: the Duke of Torun
Marauders shake in their boots when they hear that the Duke of Torun has distributed another
wanted poster. Who is this man, whose thirst for marauder blood seems insatiable? Of the
Barons of Kathos, the Duke of Torun is amongst the most notorious.
The Duchy of Torun has always been the most influential political power in Kathos. Since the
Rahmos invasion the dukes have desperately been trying to maintain some semblance of their
former power. Torun was one of the first areas in Kathos that started collaborating with their
309
FIGHT and LOVE
new overlords. As a reward, the
Duke of Torun is always the
leader of the Kathos Security
Authority, or KTA.
As leader of the KTA, Cassian
Torun, the current duke, is
responsible for criminal law
enforcement in Kathos.
Officially, the KTA is an
independent Kathossian
organization. But don‘t be
fooled. Cassian Torun is
completely loyal to Rahmos and
its associated police force.
Unlike some of his predecessors,
who passively accepted their new
leaders, Cassian has worked
closely with Rahmos officials in
a bid to gain more power. Not
that his forefathers would openly
oppose Rahmos, it is more that
they would let certain things
slide. This is not an option with
Cassian, as ambitious as he is.
He rules the KTA with an iron
fist and his subordinates fear him
almost as much as the marauders
do. His ruthlessness showed
early on the job. He was in office
for less than a year, when he got
ten older and loyal officers from
the KTA fired because, and I quote: ―They have grown fat with laziness and I need young and
smart people on the job.‖ Of course this move served his purpose. While these were indeed
loyal officers, they were not vital to the KTA. But this display of power showed the rest of the
KTA who was boss.
Ever since his early days as chief officer of the KTA, Cassian has been merciless in his
pursuit of marauders. Rumours about blackmail and torture carried out by the KTA were
quickly silenced. Cassian claims that crime has gone down in Kathos under his leadership, but
critics believe that there has been little real change, and that marauders continue to outsmart
the duke. What do you think?
310
FIGHT and LOVE
Barons of Kathos: Professor Murray
Artillery Walkers are the bane of the existence of many marauders. The brain behind this nifty
piece of technology is Professor Murray, the Baron of Vistorg. In his old age he mostly
spends his time as a family man, financially supporting his sons in their attempts to thwart the
pirates of
Kathos.
However,
in his
youth he
had quite
a
dangerou
s life.
As a child
Murray
already
showed
the
potential
to
become a
great
engineer. One time when he got a toy car for his birthday, he remodelled it into an air ship
within a day. From an early age he has always been interested in vehicles and how to improve
them. Off course, during his childhood years this was just play for him. As he grew up his
projects became larger. He would roam the scrap metal graveyards of the war and collect
useful parts to build into something new. This got him the attention of the engineering
department of the Rahmos army.
Recognizing his skill, they contacted him in secret. The intelligence agency of the Rahmos
army gathered that the Confederation was working on state of the art technology for Walkers:
huge robotic vehicles used to navigate the mountainous lands of Fahrong. They sent Murray
on an undercover mission to a prominent Confederate University in Nallum.
Murray pretended to be a student at the University. This wasn‘t very hard for him. He had a
natural aptitude for engineering and loved to study. He graduated top of his class and went on
to get his PhD and later his doctorate degree in engineering of war vehicles. After he became
a professor, he returned to Kathos.
During his time at the University he had learned all the secrets of the Confederate Walkers,
the greatest being their weak armour. Murray envisioned a machine that would be mobile, like
the Walkers, yet sturdy and with plenty of firepower. In short, he wanted to create the ideal
war machine. Many marauders have an intense hatred for these machines. What do you think?
Are Artillery Walkers the ideal war machines?
311
FIGHT and LOVE
wrote: isotx
General Bang
By Order of the Protectorate Office of Kathos
Under Authorization of the Duke of Torun
WANTED
The former General Bang
Wanted for desertion, looting, debauchery, bribery of officials and marauding.
Reward of 1,000 Gold Coins
For information leading to his capture or execution.
Senior Consul, Protectorate Office of Kathos
Thadeus Vinellos
Previously an officer in the Karthonese army, he deserted in Atelia after robbing the fortresscity of Ikeatem. He used the stolen wealth to fund a band of mercenaries and has since
terrorized law-abiding citizens across Kathos. He is notoriously corrupt and bereft of morals,
as evidenced by the incident at the Agared Estate last winter, where Countess Agared,
Countess Vilnar and Baroness Surondos severely compromised their honor following Bang‘s
forcing of wine upon them. He then killed each one of their husbands after they challenged
him to duels in response to his scandalous behavior, and reputable sources suggest he may
have cheated at these events.
The Noble Council of Kathos would like to state that rumors suggesting the three women now
live with the General permanently are false, with no basis in reality.
Security personnel who come into possession of information relating to the location of
General Bang should alert their superiors immediately, who can pass the information to the
Kathos Peacekeeping Authority. Security personnel should NOT attempt to arrest him
themselves. He is highly dangerous and has a large mercenary force at his command.
312
FIGHT and LOVE
Supreme Marshall Vanyard
By Order of the Protectorate Office of Kathos
Under Authorization of the Duke of Torun
Endorsed by the Noble Council of Kathos
WANTED
Count Vanyard, alias Supreme Marshall Vanyard
Wanted for treason, fraud, impersonation of authority, marauding and mass murder.
Reward of 1,500 Gold Coins
For arrest or capture.
Raised by the Noble Council of Kathos,
Intending to put him on trial for the defamation of his ancestry.
Senior Consul, Protectorate Office of Kathos
Thadeus Vinellos
Count Vanyard has disgraced his position by taking the role of a common marauder captain
and acting against the Kathosian State. He defrauded several of his relations to raise money
for his raider band, and claimed to represent a legitimate independent security force, which he
did not. Men acting on his orders have caused chaos across southern Kathos and severely
damaged the stability and prosperity of the region.
He is also responsible for the mass murder of the inhabitants of Balter, a village previously
home to more than 200 people. After they refused to acknowledge his authority, Vanyard
ordered his men to burn the village down and execute every single villager present, including
the women and children. He then used chemicals from a nearby industrial facility to poison
the ground and all nearby water sources, rendering the area uninhabitable.
The Noble Council of Kathos wishes it known that Count Vanyard is not representative of the
nobility as a whole, and that the majority of men and women of noble breeding are working
tirelessly towards a safer and more affluent Kathos for everyone. Furthermore, the Noble
Council of Kathos would like to express their considered opinion that full cooperation with
the Protectorate Office of Kathos and the Kathos Peacekeeping Authority is the most effective
way for the common citizen to contribute towards achieving this goal.
313
FIGHT and LOVE
BY ORDER OF THE PROTECTORATE OFFICE OF KATHOS
UNDER AUTHORIZATION OF THE FIVE DUKES
WANTED
DEAD OR ALIVE
REGINALD WAYLAND
WANTED FOR SYSTEMATIC POACHING, MURDER, MARAUDING AND
OUTRAGES AGAINST NATURE.
REWARD OF 2,000 GOLD
Sanctioned by the Senior Consul, Protectorate Office of Kathos
The ex-hunter Reginald Wayland was originally wanted by the Kathos Peacekeeping
Authority for systematic poaching in various forests and farmlands belonging to Kathos
nobility, and for gathering a marauder band to assist him in this task. However, he then found
that hunting animals illegally was not exciting enough for him, and turned to the hunting a
different species.
He is responsible for cases of kidnap and murder across the continent, as he captures men and
women before forcing them to flee in wilderness areas while he hunts them like animals. As if
this barbarity was not enough, he decapitates those he kills and keeps their heads or skulls as
trophies. He is also known to have a number of rugs and items of clothing made from human
skin.
Unwilling even to give his victims a sporting chance, Wayland often hunts with a heavy
machinegun, and has been known to fire upon groups of civilians to start an impromptu ‗hunt‘
for no reason other than his own deranged amusement.
While a reward will be paid for his capture and transfer to authorities, it is recommended that
prospective bounty hunters shoot to kill. No additional reward will be given for capturing
Reginald Wayland alive. If captured, he will immediately be sent to the scaffold for justice to
be done.
314
FIGHT and LOVE
Blood Captain Peccard
By Order of the Protectorate Office of Kathos
Under Authorization of the Duke of Torun
Also on Behalf of the Naccaran Royal Family
WANTED
Blood Captain Peccard, first name unknown
Wanted for grand theft and marauding.
Reward of 3,000 Gold Coins
For arrest or capture.
OR
2,000 Gold Coins
For evidence of his death.
Senior Consul, Protectorate Office of Kathos
Thadeus Vinellos
The vicious Blood Captain Peccard is responsible for the Cimalev Rail Yard Massacre, where
46 police officials and army personnel lost their lives along with 62 civilians, and several rail
cars worth of gold destined for the Naccaran Royal Family were stolen. In the process of
getting the stolen gold out of Naccaran, more than 100 other civilians and law enforcement
officers were killed by Peccard and his accomplices.
After selling the stolen gold, Peccard used his share of the money to raise a band of
mercenaries. Since then, the notorious Blood Captain has pursued a merciless campaign of
intimidation and robbery across Kathos, and rarely leaves anyone alive after his raids. He has
the blood of hundreds of innocents on his hands.
Security personnel who unexpectedly encounter Blood Captain Peccard are advised to shoot
on sight. Civilians or unarmed security personnel should flee the area immediately and alert
the Kathos Peacekeeping Authority.
315
FIGHT and LOVE
Kaddus Sterne
By Order of the Protectorate Office of Kathos
Under Authorization of the Duke of Mercos and the Duke of Torun
WANTED
Kaddus Sterne
Wanted for sodomy, defiling of the recent dead, escape from prison and marauding.
Reward of 4,000 Gold Coins
For information leading to his capture or execution.
Senior Consul, Protectorate Office of Kathos
Thadeus Vinellos
Kaddus Sterne is wanted for defying the law during his escape from prison and for leading a
large marauder band, but he also has yet to serve his full sentence for perversion. While
working as a professional host and entertainer, Sterne would often organize illegal parties
where excessive quantities of alcohol, drugs and general debauchery featured heavily. He
regularly arranged these illegal parties to convene at graveyards or crypts. He chose these
locations not only because they were quiet, but also to indulge in his particular sexual fetish.
He was caught in the act when one of his parties was broken up by the Kathos Security
Authority, and sent to prison.
While in Narone prison, near Mercos, Sterne joined a marauder gang known as the Red River
Bandits, and with members of the group he conspired to escape. By sheer chance, his plan to
distract guards and lead a mass escape worked.
After his escape from prison, Sterne rose up through the ranks of the River Bandits. As well
as leading combat operations, he also acted as a negotiator for the gang, which began to form
alliances with smaller local groups. After the original leader of the Valley River Bandits was
killed during a raid, Kaddus Sterne was unanimously chosen to replace him. He now has
hundreds of men under his command, who pillage and raid targets across the Kathos
countryside. All the while, he is believed to have maintained his sick fetish, often setting up
his command posts near burial sites.
316
FIGHT and LOVE
HERO MURTAS
Murtas, (known as ‗Doc‘ to friends and colleagues) was not always a marauder. Hell – he
doesn‘t even want to be a marauder!
Around five years ago, Murtas was living peacefully with his wife and daughter in a village to
the north-west of Anchorpoint.
One day, the villainous Telura Geen attacked the village, killing all the men and taking the
women hostage to serve in her all-girl army.
Murtas was not home when this catastrophe took place. He was in a neighboring village,
attending a difficult childbirth. When he returned home not a single soul was alive to tell him
what had happened.
But as we stated before, Murtas is smart, and it didn‘t take him long to connect the dots and
figure out that the absence of any female victims or survivors must have had something to do
with the notorious Telura Geen.
His family home had been thoroughly looted, and he had nothing left but the tools in his bag.
Despite this complete destruction of everything that had previously given his life meaning, he
soon came up with a cunning plan.
To hopefully save his wife and daughter – and possibly to get his revenge on Telura Geen –
he began offering his services to marauding armies. Paying for a trained doctor on the
battlefield proved to be a smart investment by Marauder captains.
Having a seasoned and cool-headed individual like Murtas around improves morale, not to
mention that training up new marauders is more expensive than keeping your current ones
alive
317
FIGHT and LOVE
And so for the past five years Murtas has been selling his services in the hope of someday
encountering his nemesis Geen, with the dream of getting back his wife and daughter.
Many marauders owe their life to Murtas, and a few of the more thoughtful ones deeply
respect this man‘s quest, as he endures battle after battle hoping to find his loved ones,
without ever firing a shot.
However, word on the street is that his wife never survived the attack, and that his daughter,
who should be around 15 now, is climbing rapidly through the ranks in Telura Geen‘s army.
Some even say that she is Geen‘s protégé, unaware of her background or her father‘s search
for her.
We can only hope this story won‘t end as an even greater tragedy then it already is!
wrote: InterfaceLeader
Captain Avitas
Captain Avitas is part of the
RSAS (Rahmos Sovereign Armed
Service) and he is determined to
track down the pirate ship Sedales
Serpent. He's a senior officer,
very confident and in control.
Somehow the Serpent has always
managed to escape him, but he's a
strong enemy...
318
FIGHT and LOVE
Galeo Decium
Galeo Decium acts as a doctor and general handyman around the Serpent. He has a good if
imprecise knowledge of medicine, and is a decent mechanic as well. Joseph recruited Galeo
from an airship tavern in the Kathos city of Lerno for a single mission, but as Joseph was
impressed by Galeo‘s performance he asked him to stay on in a permanent position as ship‘s
doctor, which Galeo accepted.
Wherever he goes, he tends to be known by local people, and not always in a positive light.
319
FIGHT and LOVE
Kathos United
FIGHT and LOVE
First Issue
Published by: Kathos Liberation Front 2013
Illustration: ISOTX ©, General Alrisa Alembick ©
Printing: Kathos Liberation Front 2013
ISBN 978-80-7387-499-1
320