Chapter 1 - Rebellious
Angband, FA 1000
On the Eve of Battle
Mairon, Melkor's second-in-command and the commander of his forces, prepared for war against the Hosts of Valinor. Tension had been mounting for a long time, and it was about to come to a head.
Messengers flew back and forth between the two warring parties. The most recent dispatches from the Valar had taken on a new tone, one of menace and threat. Melkor returned them defaced and unopened.
The Greatest Force Ever Assembled
In the meantime, the forces of the Rebellion strengthened their own defenses far beyond what they'd ever been before. The Valar attacked them during the Age of the Stars, and reduced their fortresses to ruins. Now, Angband was protected by Thangorodrim, raised for its defense, as well as an extra curtain wall, higher and thicker than before.
In the plain before the gates of Angband, enormous armies of orcs stood in formation, rank upon rank. Black banners snapped in the wind. The mood was festive. They were eager to hear the horns signal the start of battle, and show what they could do.
Their armies were more than sufficient against the armies of Elves and Men, but in the coming contest, they would be facing the Host of Valar. An array of Balrogs stood ready to meet them, each one armed with whip and mace, and trained to fight in formation. The Valar fought one-on-one in an undisciplined way. The close combat tactics, drilled over and over, should give the advantage to the Rebellion.
A Secret Weapon
But Melkor's greatest weapon was something the Valar had not seen before. In great secrecy, Melkor bred a host of dragons deep in the pits of Angband.
Mairon walked up and down the kennels in the dragon pits, reviewing their progress. Many were still juvenile, like Glaurung was when he assailed Nargothrond, but some were fully grown. The largest and most dangerous of these was Ancalagon the Black. He was the reason the forces of the Rebellion didn't fear the Valar.
We're ready. Bring it on, he thought.