March 1st, 2017 of the Gregorian calendar
In a lone mobile radar station, a small team of operators quietly monitored for any activity on the Glass peninsula's west coast line near the neighboring finger peninsula. So far nothing had yet to happen and one of them was chugging down a bottle of water, "Hey, put that drink down!" Grumbles the leader, "I've use you as a mop if you spill an-" BLEPEBLEPE!!! Everydown turns to the screen where to their horror, most of it was covered by massive bloops headed southeast towards Alnus. "Om my God! Someone call Fort Cluster immediately, they've got an attack straight for them!
Later around Fort Cluster...
The massive five squadron fighter force cut throw the sky for one final showdown against the wyvern corps, most exhausted after days of constant fighting but they had to fight one final time. Both parties were going to throw everything they had at this clash and it truly would decide the fate of Falmart. Eyewitnesses had comfirmed that the Saderans had given their wyvern corps a massive amount to essentially near identical civil war era Ketcham grenades but much larger. It was rightfully feared that if they got through then they would try to destroy or at the very least damage the Gate, a possibility they were to prevent at all costs. But luckily this horde of reptiles had been in the range of Italica's air defenses systems with many reported to have been destroyed.
"This is Black pepper, you all now the drill." He told his squadron. He then looked down to the picture of his beloved wife taped onto the dashboard. 'I swear to God that the moment this ridiculous war is over, Im heading straight home. It's been too long since I've seen you.' He prepared the missiles and as usual, the battle opened up with a massive volley of AIM-9s towards their ignorant foe. With great speed the fighters conducted boom and zoom tactics on unsuspecting wyverns while the group became smaller and smaller. Because the Americans were rotating planes back and forth between and front and the airbase, there was always contact with the enemy.
Brooks fired one last burst at a wyvern before his Vulcan was dry of ammo, the winged creature letting out a screech before failing down to earth with the rider still onboard. "Black pepper here, imma head back to base." After getting conformation he did an Immelmann turn and put his plane in full throttle back home. By the time his plane was refueled and rearmed the defense systems went into action and sped up the destruction of the Wyverns.
He could see that the enemy's numbers were not as high as they were but still posed a threat. Ground based Ciwis and the AN/TWQ-1 Avengers were being put to their absolute limit, desperately sending more rounds and more missiles down range. Brooks gently pulled the stick towards him as his plane lifted off the ground and raced upwards to get back into the fight.
The pilot saw four wyverns diving as targeted them immediately, sending four missiles their way with all direct hits. "Fuck yeah!" He cheered as he went into an all to familiar rhythm of shooting down wyvern after wyvern, almost as if he was in a trance. It was in fact all muscle memory to him, find a target, drive down, shoot a burst, climb back up, and repeat. The poor bastards were utterly defenseless and could only truly wait for one of the angles of death to target them.
Brooks dove down and just when he pressed the trigger, nothing. He pressed it multiple times before he realized he was out once again and zoomed passed the lucky rider. The seasoned fighter pilot watched from his cockpit as the Saderans disengaged and hightailed it'd back to home, some fighters chasing them away from Fort Cluster until they were far enough for them to return to base.
A victory had been won and everyone was relieved but the looming possibility of more attacking stayed in his mind for some time as he landed his plane on the strip. But little did he know just how devastating this would be for Sadera until in retrospect.
Mars 1st, 688 of the Imperial calendar
Zorzal was sitting in the war room when the meeting commenced but he could see Woody, Gimlet, Pawodan, and even Mudra appear to be all nervous but failing to hide it from their emperor. "General Pawodan, how did the attack go?" His face turned white and looked like he was having a stroke, "My lord... the attack..." Gimlet finished it for him. "The attack was a failure my lord, they weren't able to inflict any noticeable damage." He felt his anger rise up but suppressed it, hoping that they could just do another attack the next day. "What was the casualty report?" "We lost almost all of them. Many of them mutinied and simply went home, including the ones being send to the capital." The emperor instantly exploded with fury. "THEY WHAT!!!!! MY WYVERNS!!!!!" He screeched with such hellish fury that some of the men though their ears were going to bleed.
"Your telling me a whole branch just evaporated??!!!!! Six hundred thousand men gone in just three days, you damned idiots!!!" His face was turning a deep red and everyone was petrified beyond words. "Pawodan!!! Curse your name!!! I entrusted you to save Sadera!!!! To help us win against goes those damned barbarians!!!" The poor man could only stand there as he was verbally mauled to bits. "Your family name will forever be stained in Falmart, I want you out of here! Out of my capital! Out of my empire!!! GET OUT!!!!!!!" Pawodan almost fell over as he yanked the door behind him with all his strength and scurried away. "You all may leave! I wish to see none of you unless I specifically ask for your presence, not go." He said as he slumped into his chair while his underlings left in a hurry.
"Perhaps this is my punishment for slaying father..." he groaned to himself, "Why can't those damned Other-worlders just die?" Then someone else entered the room, almost going off until he saw who it was. Tyuule since her "promotion", had begun to wear actual clothing with her at this time wearing a blue tunic made of thin silk that showed the thin white cloth that covered her womanly areas. "What do you want?" "I heard who incompetent those men were." She said as she walked up to him, a finger finding its way across the table top to him.
"I tell the army to defend the fatherland, they die like flies. I tell the navy to help, they sink in port without even fighting. I tell the Wyvern Corps to fight, they just desert! They're all cowards I say!" His mood begins to cool as he feels her messaging his shoulders, entrances by the pleasure he was getting. "I believe to have the answer to why the offensive failed." He felt bitter at the mention of that but continued on. "Why's that?" "Well, I was at the sleeping quarters the previous night when I heard someone talking to someone about the attack. I followed the one of the servants talking to that green swine, saying how their plan worked." He was shocked, he had been visited Bouro a few months back talking about how his band could spy on them, only to be laughed out of the room. "That mongrel! What did he do?!" "He found out about the attack and ratted it out to the Other-worlders!" Her voiced filled with vigor and hate. "He's responsible for that slaughter."
"I'll have him and his ring of spies flayed! I'll watch him squeal, begging for forgiveness!" "But my lord." Tyuule said, "I'd like to make you feel better my lord, more dear Zozal..." Her seductive voice honey to his ears, sending shivers all across his body. "Do as you wish..."
March 2nd, 2017 of the Gregorian calendar
The president was absolutely thrilled by the news, "So it's really true?" "Yes Mr. President!" Confirmed Kowalski, "The entire Wyvern corps is either dead, deserted, or a POW; we just mopped the last bits of resistance just an hour ago. Spies in Zorzal's court also suggest he's not too happy about that." He could only imagine the emperor throwing a fit at the thought of a integral part of the military wiped out in just three days time, something that would make any wise leader sue for peace.
"What are the casualties?" He asked and the general took a second to respond. "We believe that four hundred thousand wyverns are dead, one hundred and fifty thousand deserted, forty thousand converted to infantry and ten thousand surrendered. As for us, five Humvees and seven killed in action while another ten wounded in various conditions but Im afriad the citizens, especially at Italica weren't so lucky..."
Reed shock his head. "How many?" "For our calculations, possibly up to fifteen thousand dead and much more injured across the peninsula. Italica and Tourmaren were basically burnt to the ground." 'Those scumbags!' He thought, 'The barbarity is sickening.' The Saderans acted with concern with life and the Empire was an institution of evil, an abomination deserving to be torn down. The Doves were opportunistic and a barley trustworthy bunch but were better then the openly imperialistic warhawk loyalists in Sadera. Once the war had ended the new Saderan state would be under America's control and while allowed to progress, would be destined to never come ever close to reaching the power of the stronger puppet master.
"The Ugarian offensive will commence once the flooding has stopped and terrain is suitable for tanks again. Meanwhile the drive into Marais should take about three weeks to drive the crafty dogs out of their holes." "Really?" He hated that possibility, having survived the grueling bloodbath of Hue city during the Tet offensive in Vietnam. "Unfortunately yes, the space, landscape, infrastructure limitations, and enemy troop numbers will prevent us from swiftly attacking the capital but having our flanks secured is always good."
He could help to agree but he had to end the call and focus on more pressing matters like domestic policy and the ongoing coalition war against the Islamic State. "Alrighty, thanks general, goodbye." "Goodbye Mr. President."
Mars 2nd, 688 of the Imperial calendar
Piña was rather proud of herself as she laid in her bed, contemplating about the near future of Falmart. The RSA had temporarily been downsized after the POW ban but had steadily received more followers for her cause with most disgruntled merchants, adventurists and peasants desperate to feed their families. The organization swelled to higher then its previous high at thirty thousand. Many had been trained to shields, short swords, and what the Americans called muskets; better made versions of what Zorzal's army was fielding.
They were preparing the RSA to become the torch of security across their lands as the shadow of the Gate suddenly closing hung over them. Funnily enough the RSA despite being technically being the legitimate political force, they never really pushed their position of authority. She wanted to wait until Sadera was taken for her to enforce control. For now though the RSA was to as always protect the American flanks as auxiliaries, never seeing legitimate combat save for a few occasions along with the rest of the Falmart Defense Organization. 'Our time will come!' She thought to herself as she drifted to sleep, 'Things will get better soon, quicker the merrier...' She soon fell asleep, comfortable in her cozy bed. The princess would soon enter Sadera once more and peace, freedom, and justice would return as well. But first, the Imperial army would have to be dealt with first.