Hey, everybody.
So, this is where something major diverges from the storyline of Middle Earth that will forever change Arda compared to what we know it.
Let's get to it.
Chapter 44- Final Enemy
(September 4, 2021)
As the sun is setting over the regions east of the Blue Mountains, a large force of armor and soldiers is moving north at high speed. Riding at their head is Eonwe, who is ready to finally bring this war to an end.
In the aftermath of Morgoth's defeat and the destruction of Angband, it had been discovered that Morgoth's lieutenant Sauron had escaped and presumably fled east. However, the Allies had discovered something. When Maiar and Valar used some of their divine power, it let out energy bursts on certain energy frequencies. An American satellite orbiting Arda had detected a brief energy spike in the north of Middle Earth, north of the region of Eriador, just south of the borders of the region known as the Forodwaith.
Eonwe had decided to go and bring Sauron to justice. General Abrams had agreed with this and dispatched the 10th Armored Division and half of the 90th Infantry Division, numbering almost 40,000 men and hundreds of tanks, to accompany Eonwe and bring Sauron to justice. They had moved quickly over the Blue Mountains and headed straight for the area where the energy spike had been detected, hoping to catch Sauron there before he fled further east.
The American force has now reached the area where the energy spike was detected, and discovered a small fortress in the area. As the American force comes within two miles, the commanding general, a new major general named Jameson Harris, issues orders for the force to split and surround the fortress.
As Eonwe watches, the force splits into thirds, with half each of the 10th Armored circling around to the north and east of the fortress, while the half of the 90th Infantry continues moving in from the south.
Eonwe carefully monitors the US forces as they slowly surround the fortress. He knows he has to move quickly before Sauron has the chance to escape.
It doesn't take long before the Americans have surrounded the fortress. Seeing this, Eonwe turns to General Harris and says, "Go ahead."
"All units, advance and engage all enemy forces," Harris orders.
The 10th Armored and troops of the 90th Infantry quickly advance past their ready positions and move on the fortress. As they come closer and closer to the fortress, the American troops are starting to feel a little uneasy at the lack of any enemies spotted.
In his mobile HQ, General Harris is listening to the routine radio calls coming from his troops. As he hears that no enemies have been detected, he sends out an order, "All units of the 10th Armored Division are to halt at 1200 yards, and all tanks are to fire two shots to destroy outer fortifications. All troops of the 90th Infantry Division are then to advance into the fortress.
The tanks of the 10th Armored slow to a halt at a distance of 1200 yards from the outer walls. Then, in the space of a few seconds, each of the division's tanks fire their first shot, with a second shot following up 5 seconds later. Several hundred 120mm shells impact the outer walls of the fortress, which collapse under the impacts. The second volley batter the fortress itself, wrecking the outer portions and leaving the fortress open to entry.
Seeing this, the troops of the 90th Infantry advance towards the fortress. Knowing they will need his help if they encounter Sauron, Eonwe rides across the frozen land to join the Americans.
Finally, the troops of the 90th breach the broken outer fortifications of the fortress and begin to enter the fortress itself. Eonwe enters the fortress, his blade drawn and ready to confront Sauron.
As the troops move through the first floor of the fortress, it's immediately clear that Sauron is not on the first floor. However, as troops move up through the upper floors of the fortress, clearing them bit by bit, there is still no sign of Sauron.
On the ground floor of the fortress, Eonwe is growing concerned about the lack of Sauron. Finally, the search team assigned to search the top floor come down to the ground floor. The leader comes up to Eonwe and says, "Lord Eonwe, we searched the uppermost floor. No sign of Sauron."
Eonwe feels a sense of discouragement. "This makes no sense. He was detected here not long ago, and there's no evidence he already fled this place. But he's not here," he muses aloud.
One of the officers of the 90th that is standing just a few feet away speaks up and asks, "Well, can't he just appear in other forms or even without a form?"
"He can, but it doesn't erase all signs of his presence. And even now, I can sense a darkness in this place. More than just somewhere affected by evil. But yet…where is he?" Eonwe asks.
One of the officers then gets an idea. He quickly gets on the radio and asks, "This is Captain Marcos of the 90th Infantry Division. Requesting a tank and a Bradley from the 10th Armored Division into the fortress, please."
The request is quickly sent out to the 10th Armored, and a tank and a Bradley are dispatched from the eastern force. The vehicles roll right through a breach in the outer fortifications and into the outer part of the fortress where they halt. The tank commander gets on the radio and says, "This is Lieutenant Morris, 10th Armored Division. We are here in the fortress. Awaiting further instructions."
Captain Marcos gets on the radio and asks, "Alright. Lieutenant Morris, I want you to do something unusual. I want you to conduct a search of the bottom floor of the fortress with your thermal imaging system. I think there may be an entrance to a lower floor that we just can't find, but I think your thermal targeting system can find."
"Copy that, Captain. Starting the search now," Lieutnenat Morris responds. He switches on his thermal imaging systems before the driver starts slowly moving the tank forward into the fortress. The tank is moving so slowly that the crew can feel each individual track pad on its tracks hitting the ground.
As the tank moves slowly through the fortress, occasionally smashing through a low hanging part of the ceiling or the side of a pillar or wall, Lieutenant Morris carefully monitors his thermal imaging system, inspecting every bit of the ground in view of the camera.
After a search of almost 20 minutes, the tank reaches the northern part of the fortress near the outer walls. As he looks through the camera, Lieutenant Morris spots something. He quickly says, "Stop." The driver stops the tank in place, and Morris slightly rotates the turret to get a better look at it. Sure enough, a large, rectangular spot on the ground is glowing with more heat than the rock around it.
"This is Lieutenant Morris. I think i found the trapdoor leading down into a lower floor," Morris says over the radio.
"Copy that. On our way to your position," Captain Marcos responds. He then looks at Eonwe and says, "They found a door leading down into a lower floor. Let's go."
Eonwe nods, and the Maia quickly leads the soldiers gathered around him through the fortress towards the spot where Morris' tank is waiting. As the reach the spot, they see that Morris has climbed out of the tank and is standing over the spot he discovered, dusting off snow to clear the ground.
"Lieutenant?" Captain Marcos asks to get his attention.
"Here's the spot! Spreads out at least four feet in any direction from this exact spot," Lieutenant Morris responds.
Eonwe casts a quick spell that sends all the snow on the ground flying away. As the troops inspect the ground, they see a small indent. Hard to spot even with the snow gone. Eonwe quickly sees it as well. Eonwe grabs it and with a powerful yank pulls the door out of the floor, revealing a passage down into the ground.
"Follow me, but stay alert," Eonwe warns the soldiers around him before he descends into the lower floor, soldiers following him.
As they enter the lower floor, they can see a massive set of doors on the far side of the chamber they've entered, with light coming from under it. Eonwe looks at the soldiers around him before gesturing at the door. The soldiers acknowledge it with a single nod.
Eonwe leads the soldiers over to the door. Seeing that the door is secured with a bolt, several soldiers move forward and set breaching charges against it. The troops move back, and Captain Marcos counts down for the breachers. As he signals 1, the breachers all blow their charges, breaching through the bolt.
Eonwe shoves the door in, and the whole team moves in. Immediately, they see their target. Sauron is standing at a forge in the middle of the room, clearly having been working on forging something. However, now his attention is focused on the Americans and Eonwe.
The Americans fan out, aiming their weapons at Sauron as Eonwe faces the fallen Maia. Sauron looks fearful of Eonwe as the Maia brandishes his sword. Eonwe is the first to speak as he says, "Sauron. Or Mairon as I knew you once."
"Eonwe. How did you find me?" Sauron demands.
"You do not know the extent of what American technology can do," Eonwe says. He pauses, then says, "Sauron, you are to accompany me back to Valinor, where you will face judgement for your crimes."
Sauron looks fearful as he looks at Eonwe and the men facing him. Then, in an act of desperation, he reaches for his hammer.
"He's reaching! Light him up!" Captain Marcos orders. The soldiers fire their rifles and a grenade launcher. Sauron is hit multiple times, stumbling back in pain from his wounds. Eonwe rushes Sauron, slashing his sword and taking off Sauron's dominant hand.
Eonwe levels his sword at Sauron. "Come with us, and you may be able to avoid the fate of your master," he threatens the fallen Maia. Sauron realizes he's outmatched, and lays out his hands, allowing Eonwe and the Americans to bind his hands.
As Eonwe and the American escort Sauron up above ground, ready for transport back to Valinor, they feel a sense of accomplishment. The greatest of Morgoth's servants has been captured, and with Morgoth having been unhoused from his body and thrust through the Door of Night, at last, Arda is safe.
And, I'll the chapter there.
Next chapter will be set two years in the future and will serve as the final chapter of this story. It'll be up soon. Until it is up, please leave a review, and stay tuned!