Chapter 4 of The day Britannia fell.
It feels quite stressing from having to write two fics at the same time. But oh well, I've already thrown the javelin so...gonna have to follow it.
Special thanks to Gamerman22 for the character Jynetta. Don't worry about the plot line, I've managed to make it fit for both of us. Well, this chapter, her role isn't really significant, but in later chapters, she will, so stay tune.
Disclaimer: I do not own SW or any of its characters, nor the OCs I borrowed.
Chapter 4: From the shadows
Somewhere in outer suburb of London
The place stands a large building, completely dominating the landscape nearby by its unusual features. It is only a two stories building, but its height is 200 meters soaring, patterned by red hexagons.
No doubts, it is a Neuroi's building, specifically the production building.
Inside the second floor, exist a huge cylindrical machine, with a tube made of transparent aluminum. There were no wires like human's machines, only panels, which is used mainly through interaction with the machine itself.
There, a figure stands.
And inside the machine, yet another one, this time a familiar one, floating within the water inside with a glowing left arm.
'Ten more minutes to go.' Eris checked the time using her internal clock, patiently
The time she spent under the command of Alexander has given her the virtue of respecting the flowing of time. She isn't particularly impatient by birth, but having a gap in intellectuality with the young commander means she had to deal with a few questionable task that he gave her. It was certainly preferable to help him with what he wanted to do, but considering common senses, it wasn't really tactical to say. Nevertheless, for some reasons, most of them worked out.
Ten minutes for her is just a blink of an eye, as she waited, until the panels of the machine glowed with intensity.
Slowly, the machine powered down, the water was drained from the tube, and the floating figure soon descended on the bottom of the tube, its arm stopped illuminating.
That figure, was no other than Alexander Kherol, the conqueror of Britannia.
The tube was then removed, and he took a first step, to the outside of the machine, wearing his usual black coat, only without the left sleeve.
"Sorry, but I cannot rematerialize the missing part of your coat. That will have to rely on your own data of it. Also your zeppelin body of yours, it requires a bit of time before you can reconnect yourself to it." Eris said to him, as he jumped down to the floor. Looking at her smugly with his crimson red eyes, he replied
"You've already done most of the work. Now, do you mind recapping everything?"
"Sure, the result of the previous battle is very encouraging. The Gallian fleet aside, 3 battleships of the combined fleet were destroyed, 1 heavily damaged. Another 6 of their cruisers and 4 of their destroyers were sunk, along with various aircrafts. But unfortunately, the carrier still managed to retreat unharmed. On our side, around 400 small sized aircrafts were destroyed." She detailed
"A good margin. How about the Gallian fleet?"
"About that, this way." She hovered away, quick paced.
Eris escorted Alexander away from the recovery area, all the way to the port near river Thames. There a huge Gallian battleship was floating savagely in the water. The ship was broken in two, its main mast missing, while the secondary batteries faring no better, unrecognizable. Fortunately, the main batteries are still in working state, and only that is already enough for Alexander.
Arriving near it, Eris finally stopped, facing Alexander, and spoke.
"This is battleship Britagne, lead ship of the Gallian Britagne-class battleship. This is the ship that was sunk in the last attack by the combined fleet before you intervened."
"Its design looks old, and outdated. Seems like it was built somewhat 30 years ago." He replied.
"Perceptive as always. You're right. It was built in the 1910s, the main armament was also a 1914 model, 370mm in caliber."
"That doesn't seem to be powerful, is it?"
"For the ships of the time, it is powerful. But now, not really. Its modules and armaments, comparing to its peers, the HMS Hood, the Bismarck, and the latest Fusan battleship, the Yamato, aren't anything."
"The Yamato? Be more specific about that."
"IFN Yamato, one of the few super-battleships that floated in the world's ocean, is the command ship of the entire Fusan naval command facilities. Its info on its armament is still a stub, but rumors said that it is equipped with three menacing 460 mm tri-cannons, along with a few 155 mm secondaries."
"46?" His eyes widened in surprise. "That's interesting." But after that is a confident smirk.
"That will prove to be a great hindrance when faced in a battle. Or maybe that is also their win condition."
"Don't worry yourself too much. As soon as we receive new information about this ship, we'll analyze it carefully."
"Hmm." She nodded her faceless head, as Alexander continued.
"Judging by the marks on the hull, the fading color of the paint, this old battleship must have contained a lot of information. Any success in finding them?"
"Well, we couldn't savage most of the cargos, but we've managed to capture a few of the sailors that were stuck in the lower deck when the ship sank. We're interrogating them right now. Hopefully they'll leak some information soon."
"Once finished, take this to the reconstruction center. This battleship will prove to be quite a good asset for our fleet."
"Yes sir."
Alexander nodded lightly a few times in acknowledgement.
"Also, allow me to remind you of the arrangement we have today."
"Today?" He inquired.
"The emperor may have mentioned that in his telegram to you yesterday. Reread it if necessary."
As she said that, Alexander instantly switched himself off, concentrating his energy to the message reading and converting system in his core.
"Yes, you're right." He switched back after a few minutes. "A strategy meeting, at the Berlin hive."
"It starts in less than 2 hours. If you want to make it there in time, we have to go, now."
"I agree."
The duo traveled to the transport center, which was a few hundred meters away from their position. There they took the high-speed transport pod, a cylinder like shuttle which can travel at up to Mach 1, used mostly for inter-hive transportation. Here, because the Britannian hive hasn't been set up just yet, the transport center also serves as hangars for the pods.
The pod is 2 meters in width and height, 3 meters in length. There is only one seat, because this is intentionally for one user only.
"This is quite cramped for two." Alexander noted, as he tried to free his shoulder from being stuck on the side of the pod.
"We only have one pod to spare here. The time when setting up a hive is the best time to maintain vehicles, so you get the point."
"1 hour shouldn't be long."
After settling in their seat, Eris sets the destination for the pod.
Berlin hive
Transport section A2.
Begin.
Having pressed the button, the pod began to move. At first, slowly. Then it accelerated, quicker and quicker, until a huge white cone-like vapor could be seen at one moment at the rear of the pod, an indicator that the shuttle has reached supersonic speed.
Better take a nap.
The shuttle, despite moving at incredible speed, is running quite smooth, and is surprisingly comfortable, aside from the fact that he is sharing this with his adjutant. He must admit, it isn't bad to spend this with her, but if there was one more pod, he would choose to use it.
He laid his back onto the ship's side, carefully placing his leg so that it would not get in the way of Eris.
After making himself comfortable, his eyelids closed. And his consciousness was drifted away slowly.
To a vast unknown region, where he is the center of everything.
He is in a huge grass plain
Looking around, he could see nothing, nothing but grass and greens.
It is a plain of nowhere. A huge, unending plain that only existed in one place.
Dream.
A dream that came to a person who is never supposed to have one.
Just what?
He was clearly confused, struggling to soak this into his data storing system.
Where am I?
All of this experience, no strangers to human, but is so foreign to him. Neurois aren't capable of dreaming, their core could not discern this new phenomenon. But for some reason, he is seeing this, with his red eyes, the unbelievable things happening around him.
Reasons…
"Alexander…"
A voice called out to him, from somewhere.
It's hard to figure it out whose voice, where it is coming from, and its implication. But it certainly is a female one.
"Alex…"
And it sounded familiar, yet distant.
"You may be different from us. But we are willing to welcome you…."
Not the usual Neuroi's communication method.
He looked around again, but couldn't trace the origin of it.
"We know, you are not the one who you think you are."
What is she talking about?
He couldn't even sense where it is coming from.
But it wasn't hostile. It was rather…warm.
He didn't dislike it.
"Alex."
It was so…peaceful.
"Alex. Wake up"
His body suddenly regained life. He was back, to reality.
"We're here?" Alexander lifted his body to see the pod already docked in its specific location. The engine is still hot, so it looks like it has just arrived.
"You seem to have a good sleep." She noted.
"I do. In that sleep, I had…a dream." He answered, his mind still fresh with the vast and endless grass field.
"Dream? Is it even possible? Are you sure you aren't making things up?" But Eris is in disbelief.
"According to human's definition, images between sleeps are dreams. I believe what I saw is indeed a dream."
"What did you see?"
"An empty grass plain, with someone calling me from afar."
"That sounds creepy."
"But it's actually the opposite. I actually liked it, until you woke me up."
"Sorry for ruining your dream, but we can't afford to be late."
"I know. Let's get out of here."
They both exited the shuttle, preparing themselves for the important meeting that was to come.
Berlin's super-hive.
1830.
The night over Karlsland's capital, Berlin, isn't that much different from the day, because of the presence of the super-giant hive that clouded every single corner of the city. A few dozen kilometers of width, length and height, seen from the surface of the moon, this serves as the Neuroi's largest base of operation, with powerful ultra-heavy types numbering to hundreds, gathering in its hangars, while thousands of smaller sized patrolled the city, every hour, every minute.
On the top of the cone-like base, height reaching the orbital level, a large spacious room, with views magnificently overseeing the endless horizon, contains several Neurois inside, most of whom, have human-like forms.
"I'm certain that there is no humans would dare to come near our storage hive at Gallia. While it's true that there are some rebel insurgents rising there, there is absolutely no evidence that they are intending to steal our valuable assets." One faceless Neuroi, who is covered simply in black coverings and red dots, voiced his own views, in great confidence.
"No evidence, but that doesn't mean the humans aren't capable, or aren't planning to do so! There is always a possibility that they will take action to raid the hive, and steal our necessities!" The human-like Neuroi, with a long waist-length brown hair, glassy red eyes, and red hexagons dotting several spots on her body, replied, in a very irritated way, as ever since she arrived at this room, none of her opinions were quite accepted or considered.
"But we can't afford to spend resources to this nontrivial matter. Remember, we are having a conquest, and as far as I know, those humans aren't ready to give up yet." He replied, in a way calmer than her, but on the inside, he is already seeing the blues. He wasn't the one who is into diverse viewpoint.
"But what would you say if it becomes trivial?" Suddenly, a calm yet calculated voice echoed from the back of the room, drawing everyone's attention as a shadow emerges, wearing thick clothes and a peaked cap.
As the shadow came closer, the room occupants soon realized the Neuroi talking to them: First-in-command, commander of Earth's expeditionary forces, supreme general, Alexander Kherol.
"General Gawain?" He finished his question, as he finally stepped into the light.
"Ah, supreme general Alexander." One Neuroi, with a human figure, wearing somewhat a plain dark grey uniform, with no decorations whatsoever, aside from a few red hexagons, said, in a respectful manner. He is the captain and overseer of the Neuroi's hives on Earth, and will be the one supervising the construction of the Britannian hive, Walfried Lzammer.
Upon hearing the name of the powerful Neuroi commander who conquered three of the largest nations on Earth, the female Neuroi couldn't resist saluting to him, albeit awkwardly and a bit flustered.
"At ease, at ease." Alexander raised his hand in gesture. "Respect is good but you needn't stress things out like that."
The girl put down her arm, struggling to do what he said.
"Now, what would you say, general?" His voice suddenly turned manipulative.
"Umm, your question again?" Asked Gawain
"What would you say if the humans actually do the break-in, and steal our works for their own weapons?"
"They won't. I can assure you."
"Then what if they do. Put yourself in that situation." The others' inner temperature suddenly dropped, as a ghostly, but terrifying voice came from the supreme general.
"Well, that's…" He took a long pause, obviously struggling to find an answer.
"If you are so sure, then place your dignity to this bet. I'll put mine to it." Alexander then placed his hand on the table in front of him, as a gesture of betting, and looked at Gawain, unwavering, waiting for an answer.
He already knew the result it from the beginning.
"Alright, I'm quite convinced." Gawain said in resignation. Honor and dignity, it's the two things he can never put ahead.
The girl looked at Alexander in awe as he just tamed his impulsive subordinate.
"Can you explain this a bit, sir?" She said.
"Sure…" He accepted, but took a moment of silence to ask her name.
"Jynetta, sir."
"Yes, Jynetta. Well, Eris, help me." He called out, and she came to him from the shadow. She placed her hand onto the table panel, and shut down some of her body parts so as to import data into the table. Then a few centimeters from the surface of the table, a hologram appeared, showing a profile of a middle-aged human officer, having a fade mustache, with a black peaked cap and a Britannian officer uniform.
"This is the profile of a certain human officer of the witches, air chief marshal Trevor Maloney." Alexander began. "Before the fall of their homeland, the Britannian air force sometimes executed early morning air skirmishes on some certain locations in Gallia, with forces numbering from 1 to 2 of their squadron."
Eris then switches to a map of Gallia.
"This is all of its location. Taken separately it may seem unrelated, but if you look closer, over half of these skirmishes happened near, or very close to the Gallian hive, a fortress of our battlefront troops."
"Maloney is currently the commander of the 501st Joint Fighter Wings, a squadron of witches who opposed our attacks on Britannia. A capable but delusional officer, he holds…quite a grudge against the use of witches in combat." Eris shut off the hologram, and returned to her normal self, to support Alexander's theory.
"But sir, how did you know so much?" Walfried asked, curious, as Alexander tossed a few sheet of papers on the table.
"Private correspondence of this guy to his subordinate officers. My network of intelligencers has been restless these days."
The three Neurois picked up each of them, skimming through it, in awe as if they had struck gold.
"They haven't completely revealed their plans yet, but according to these private letters, they are currently developing some kind of mecha, to replace the witches in our opposition. The contents also mentioned the use of Neuroi technology in this mecha, but what they will use is still a mystery. It could be our laser technology, or regenerative technology. But in any cases, this is enough proof that the humans are plotting to steal our assets."
The detailed explanation has carved an inch of information onto the storing system of all the listeners, and Gawain could only sighed in relief that he didn't bet his dignity to this.
"Then what do you intend to do to solve this?" He said.
"I won't stop them right away. I will let them complete and execute their plans accordingly to them. And then I will rain utter defeat down upon them. Their overconfidence…shall be their greatest demise."
Alexander's voice, calm, yet cynical, eliminates all questions and doubts lingering in their minds. Although not concisely drawn out, the way he put it makes it so persuasive that they see it as almost flawless.
He knew what he is doing. That is what they thought.
Underground London.
2330
The weather in December could drop to a low of 3 degrees Celcius. Usually endurable for most Britannians, provided that they are given warmth clothing. Not for someone who had her clothes tattered after the battle that costed her entire country, and living under a humid underground prison.
"Bishop-san, are you alright?" Patricia said, as she wrapped one of her arms around her cellmate, deeply worried about her friend's well-being.
"I'm ok." Wilma replied, trying her best to force a cheery smile. But behind the smile was the exhausting white fume, frozen by the cold temperature, and a hot forehead.
"You're not." Cecelia also noted the redness of her face, as she came closer, touching her forehead. "You're heating up. I think you have a fever."
"It will go away soon. Don't worry." Yet another forced smile and reassurance from her. It didn't really work, her heavy breathing is seriously concerning.
"We have to do something, she won't last in this cold weather with such clothes." Patricia exclaimed, as she watches Cecelia shaking her head.
"We aren't faring any better. If we let her borrow our clothes, we'll freeze to death, naked."
"Then what can we do?" Patricia watched her friend's breathing getting labored. Feeling as if it was necessary, she moved closer to her, and hugged her, lightly, hoping that her body temperature would rise her, then followed by Cecelia.
Until a certain figure entered the prison.
"You three are still awake?"
It is Alexander.
"What do you want from us?!" The twin-tailed witch immediately bolted up, cursing venoms at him.
"You know, the reason I came all the way from Berlin is to check up on you guys, not to hear your rebukes."
"Check-up? Is this what you called checking up?! By leaving us to freeze to death?!"
"Well, it's getting a bit cold in here-" It was not until he came close to the prison cell that his facial expressions started to change.
"Huh…You again?" Wilma opened her eyes, to see the coated Alexander's grim expression.
He looked behind him, to see no one.
The guards weren't there, for some reason.
He was alone, with the three Britannian, one of whom was pretty severely sick.
But hell, it was just one night. How come one person could be in that situation after one night?
"Are you pretending things?"
"Tell that to your guards. They fed us nothing, not even a single drop of clean water."
No wonder he isn't here at the moment.
He's dead for sure.
My hours have been stolen.
Alexander thought so, as he eyed her again. Witnessing her face getting pale, her lips getting dry from the cold climate, he sighed.
Who am I kidding?
Suddenly, the prison cell door was opened, surprising the three prisoners.
Walking slowly into it, the young Neuroi appears towering over the three girls, his expressions unreadable.
His knees then bended down as he approached the trio. By force, he pushed the two girls hugging her, and wrapped his arms around Wilma, lifting her up. At first, she offered resistance, but due to her fever, and Alexander's Neuroi strength, she eventually gave in to him.
"What are you doing?!" Patricia yelled out to Alexander, as he placed the sick Wilma on his back.
"That's none of your concern. I'm not going to do anything to her, so just rest with ease." He replied, with only a peak of his eyes looking back.
"I'm not gonna let you take her away!" She lashed out, holding his coat tightly, determined not to let go.
But to her surprise, he lets go of…his coat.
Simply by dispositioning the Neuroi particles, he dropped the coat onto her, revealing a black, long sleeved clothes with red embellishments at the front. Then he quickly closed and locked the cell door
With nothing to grip on, she had no choice but watch him carrying her friend, Wilma, away, helpless.