10-August-3847, Earth
Personal Log: Encrypted
It's been almost four years since I fired Black Sun. 24-September-3844 was when the new war began, the Rift war. It's been that long since I last set foot on Earth. Father intended me to lead and guide the Cybran, to rule them and he would finally rest. My Princess turned me from that course. So many are dead. Now the final push begins. We strike at the arch.
Amalia and Aiko are with me. Celene has another mission: she will lead the assault against Kael's stronghold and put an end to the Order of the Illuminate. Thalia has gone with her. The Order is in anarchy, and there will never be a better time to strike. Hall agrees, and has sent Fletcher ahead of me. Together, along with Rhiza, we will secure Black Sun and destroy the arch.
[…]
This may be my last entry. Everything hinges on this. If we fail, the Seraphim will swarm through. We will not fail, my Princess assures me. I believe her. All she has said has come true, but after this? How will I manage without her guiding hand, her presence? What if the Seraphim should return? I have tried so hard to embrace the Way, striven to please her. I feel her smile and gentle chiding words; the Way is not about strife. All my experiences have led me to this one point, this place where everything changed. I do not know if I am up to the task, but I feel the shades of the dead weighing on me. Col. Arnold, General Clarke, Mach, Jericho, Marxon, Dostya. Aiko and Amalia look to me. Earth is ruined, but Humanity holds its breath. There is no more time. We gate in 00:05.
[…]
—Operation: Overlord. Objective: Destroy the Arch—
I barely recognise the landscape. It is blackened and the land is pocketed with craters. The radiation levels are the highest I've ever seen. Rhiza and Fletcher have set up forward bases, Fletcher to the north and Rhiza to the west. An Order Commander naming herself 'Vendetta' has taken up position on an island below Rhiza, and Thel-Uuthow occupies a position on the peninsular parallel to Vendetta's base. Fletcher's aircraft and naval units have driven the Seraphim back, but he will soon recover. A second Seraphim base surrounds the Rift. With Rhiza tied up with Vendetta, I have a limited window to act.
Hall believes I should occupy the northern point of the peninsular and drive south. Father simply wishes, "Be safe, my child, be safe." I know what Col. Arnold would do, but I'm no longer a rookie, and the traditional stratagems of the Aeon, UEF and Cybran no longer constrain me. There had to be a way to avert this. My Princess had raised the question 'What if they are constructing an Arch on the other side of the Rift?'. Hall wanted to wait, to give the techs 'a little more time'.
I couldn't let her sacrifice herself, not a second time.
[…]
Amalia and Aiko have begun constructing a base off the isle south of Black Sun. The western and southern isles both saw Aeon forces seize them in the final hours before the War ended. Mach held the peninsular Hall ordered I take. Aiko has informed me that 'Option Zero' is still active and is linked to the old Black Sun Control Centre. Dropships carrying assault bots, engineers, and mobile shield and mobile stealth emitters and interceptor escort have been dispatched to capture it.
Amalia has set about reinforcing the base while I have begun work on a gate. The Seraphim have dispatched interceptor and bomber wings, but Aiko's manufactories have begun pumping out interceptors of our own. It will not be long until the gate is finished.
[…]
I have arranged that components of the recovered Seraphim bomber be dispatched. Father has used QAI's databanks to recover the schematics. On all Coalition controlled worlds not immediately engaged with the Order, the parts are being produced and have been since Father first laid his hands on the intact bomber. Once the parts arrive, assembly should be in short order.
[…]
We have captured Black Sun's Control Centre. I cannot believe Riley was mad enough to want to use this thing against the people of Earth. The Seraphim have no doubt constructed anti-strategic warhead defences. I have finished construction on a second gate and begun work on a third. Amalia has finished fortifying the isle and has begun work on assembly of the bombers. The engineers are working on strategic missile defences of our own, and Aiko is busy constructing a flotilla of naval and air units.
[…]
The Arch is almost finished. There is little time left. I have welded Cybran mobile stealth emitters to the Seraphim bombers. Their wingspan alone is greater than twice the length of a Galactic Colossus Sacred Assault Bot. I have dispatched a set of interceptors to draw their fighters, and Cybran stealth bombers to target their sensors. They will never see their own units coming.
[…]
Fletcher has turned on us. He calls us 'monsters' and 'freaks' and means to take Black Sun for himself. Rhiza is furious, and Hall is beside himself. I am… calm. The Princess warned me to be wary of Fletcher, though I cannot say when. A dream. It is of little consequence. The control centre is secure, and Thel-Uuthow blocks Fletcher's advance. The forces of the second base Aiko and Amalia are dealing with, but most of their resources must be focused on the Arch's construction.
Vendetta's glee at Fletcher's betrayal will be short lived. The first of the sensor arrays have fallen, and three Seraphim bombers are en route.
[…]
Thel-Uuthow is trapped, cut off from the Arch. Aiko's dropships have landed, and her assault bots march on his southern flank. The third Seraphim bomber has been assigned a new target. I have ordered ramming commanders. Should Vendetta's ACU avoid the blast, the loss of her Quantum Reactor will leave her defenceless and Rhiza's bombers will move in.
Incomplete or not, the virus has been loaded onto Option Zero's warhead. It's time to end this.
[…]
There is nothing left of the Arch. The two remaining Seraphim bombers have targeted Fletcher. He has refused orders to stand down, claiming Hall sold the UEF out. Aiko and Rhiza can deal with him. I have launched the warhead at the Rift.
[…]
My Princess. I did all I could to forestall the vision you saw. You still entered and sealed the Rift…
[…]
Harmony to you, Champion. My Avatar.
— End of Report —