"No one who saw it could forget it, a foul and awesome display. Now we are all sons of bitches."
- Kenneth Bainbridge

Act I: Time and Place
In Soumerca, Amy's search for Tails brings her to Station Square just as someone returns from a long absence. Further south in the continent, Team Dark's investigation into reports of activity from the Battle Bird Armada finds two members deep in a hostile jungle filled with nature's savagery as well as civilisation's. Up across the Southern Sea in Northamer, Sally and Sonic still struggle to adjust to their post-war lives and its alien challenges, which includes dealing with stately business, and a royal visit leaves Charles to safeguard a Nicole separated from her closest friend. Halfway across the world in Mercia, a general fresh off a victory against Royalists forces heads with his own troops to join his marshal as ordered. On the other side of the civil war, a secret agent in the capital, frustrated with deadlock and incompetence, begins to take matters into his own hands. And in the western deserts of Northamer as well as in the south of Hesperia, inside the steel halls and rooms within and under a mountain, two strange hedgehogs find themselves in stranger places.

Chapters:
I: Nature Versus Nurture

Act II: Arisen from Ruins
[REDACTED]

Act III: Vision in Volition
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Act IV: Blood to Steel
[REDACTED]

Act V: Against the World
[REDACTED]

Epilogue: DfD
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Segment Titles Below:
Pride Goeth Before The Fall
The Villains...
And The Heroes
The Great Powers...
And The Not-So-Great
The Airships...
And The Air Fleets
Author's Note (Meant for returning readers)

[ALL OPTIONAL. Nothing necessary to understanding the story is below that won't be covered in chapters. Anything that isn't covered isn't necessary; this is merely for the curious. Also, everything below can be read in any order.]

Synopsis of the Recent History of Mobius

Pride Goeth Before The Fall

The Doctor's (Former) Empire or: How the Chapters Learned to Stop Worrying and Disarm the Bombs:
The year is 3,242 and Mobius marks its fourth year of reprieve from the dreaded dictator and tyrant, Doctor Robotnik. His fall from grace was precipitated by the fracture of his disparate, ad hoc empire back into the many factions they had previously existed as; this in turn was caused by the loss of his principal method of keeping them all in line: Nano-explosives. Implanted into all of them upon induction into his empire, mainly via slipping them in during a cybernetic surgery to provide them with augmentations. They would explode if tampered with in any way, and could be remotely detonated by him at any time. This deadly deterrent served to ensure obedience to him from them no matter how much they desired otherwise. Such a state of affairs only lasts as long as it's perfectly maintained however, and many of those held hostage by this system actively searched for a way to undermine and escape it.

Many attempts were made by the various Grandmasters, but all bore no fruit. The detonation of Lord Hood's implants following his defeat and capture by the forces of Mercia prompted the head of the Dark Legion chapter, Grandmaster Dimitri Jordann, to accept that they'd never overcome the Doctor's insurance policy on their own. He reached out to none other than the Freedom Fighters through his distant kin, Knuckles. The Guardian spoke with his friends, urging them to aid the Legion in figuring out a way to free themselves and the rest of the empire from Robotnik's dangerous leash. They agreed, and placed their best two people on the case to aid in this task, those being Charles Hedgehog, genius biologist and engineer, and Tails, juvenile savant and polymath.

The two were invaluable additions, with Charles unmatched expertise in the fields of bionics, genetics, and cybernetics combined with Tails intricate understanding of nanotechnology and explosives engineering proving to be necessary additions to the Grandmaster and Doctor Finitevus' own extensive knowledge. The four then expanded to include Snively Robotnik and Regina Ferrum, a clear sign of the rot inherent in Robotnik's empire.

The six of them undertook rigorous study and, eventually, experimentation to figure out all they could. After months of arduous labour, they reached a level of confidence in their understanding of the explosives great enough to allow them to undertake a dangerous surgery to extract the nano-explosives from a willing individual in order to safely test if remote detonation had been disabled. The tests proved successful and a signal was crafted that would broadcast a kill switch to anyone with the implants, making it impossible to remotely detonate them. However, the nano-explosives still remained inside the bodies of around a million individuals across the globe, and continued to pose a risk of detonation if ever tampered with in an improper removal. The surgery to remove just one individual's nano-explosives required tools, personnel, and expertise far in excess of what anyone would be able to spare as well as a great deal of time, making the prospect of mass removal prohibitive for all. The kill switch proved to be more than enough to motivate them nonetheless, and the entirety of Robotnik's empire shattered and scattered in spectacular style.

The splinter of the various forces of evil across the globe occurred in a surprisingly cordial fashion. No wars were waged and no blood was spilt. Instead, all the chapters simply cut contact off from one another and went their separate ways. The greatest and most heinous force to blight the face of Mobius disintegrated without even a whimper in protest. With these factions no longer coordinating their efforts, the world was at last relieved from the constant chaos, tyranny, and warfare that had plagued it for the preceding thirteen years, and over three billion people were now free to live in relative peace. A majority of them, anyways.

The Villains...

Julian Robotnik, Extirpated and Exiled:
The man who once brought the world to its knees now avoids its eyes. After the various Grandmasters of the chapters displayed their varied allegiances, the only common factor among them being that they were not to him, Robotnik found himself in a position of sudden weakness. His foes, meanwhile, were stronger than ever and firmly united in their opposition to him. Seeing the writing on the wall, he abandoned all territories he still held sway over, viewing their continued possession as untenable, and centred the remnants of his empire around what was left of his air fleet.

The global power faded into a ghostly phantom, and the Doctor has remained silent for the past four years. No sign of activity of his has been detected by anyone, anywhere. Still, most doubt that is the last the world will see of him. With him still out there, it is widely understood that he is more than likely biding his time and laying plans for an eventual return, whatever, whenever, and wherever that may be.

Metal Sonic, Vanished Venator:
Robotnik's closest asset ended up being as loyal as his most distant, despite all programming to the contrary. With the situation degenerating as rapidly as it did, the azure android, possessing more autonomy than the Doctor expected, saw no obligation to stick around. Without hesitation, they flew off to parts unknown, engaging in one last fight on the way out. Like its creator, Metal has fallen off the face of Mobius, and there has not been a single known sighting being reported in the past four years. A powerful and dangerous entity, their disappearance comes with a great deal of worry about a potential resurfacing down the line.

The Dark Legion and Shadow Schisms:
A potent sect long before Robotnik's ascendancy, the Dark Legion chafed under the Doctor's submission and thus played an active role in his downfall. Grandmaster Dimitri was one of the key figures responsible for said downfall, and by extension also a key figure in freeing much of Robotnik's empire—and thus most the world—from his grasp, the Dark Legion included. For this achievement, he earned and enjoyed widespread support among his fellow legionnaires, allowing him to make a clean break and fully commit to his reformist agenda. Having reconciled with Angel Island through the last Guardian, Knuckles, he has discarded his original mission and tactics and has sought to turn the Legion into an instrument of good. Now renamed to simply "The Legion" to distance itself from any negative connotations, he has promoted cooperation between it and the government of Angel Island.

Despite his feats and approval, the hardliners of the Legion utterly rejected these changes, and coalesced around the Duumvirate of Lien-Da and Finitevus. The two at first attempted to convince Dimitri to change course, but soon realised it to be a hopeless endeavour. They and 4,000 others, around a tenth of the Legion, officially seceded from the main group, declaring Lien-Da as the legitimate authority and naming her Grandmistress, citing the line of succession, with her being the sibling of Grandmaster Kragok before and the eldest surviving child of Grandmaster Luger before that. They renounced Angel Island, their ancestral home, and since then have entered the employ of the Republic of Albion, the birthplace of the echidna people. Operating as quasi-mercenaries, they have offered their expertise in espionage as well as military and technological matters in exchange for accommodations. They have mostly kept a low profile, doing the bidding of the government while currying favour and cultivating influence from within.

The Iron Dominion and the Iron Lady:
Regina Ferrum, like the Dark Legion, once stood as a fearsome power in her own right and likewise groaned under the weight of Robotnik's might. Once she and her forces were freed from the threat of death, she immediately asserted her independence from the Doctor and broke away from his empire, declaring the resurrection of the Iron Dominion. Her campaign to subjugate the Far East, a brutal conquest undertaken in some form or another for over a decade, never ceased, and so simply continued in much the same manner as it had before and during the Doctor. The forces of the Iron Dominion continue to engage in fierce battle against Generalissimo Ken Khan and his broad alliance of those who would stand against her. During the collapse, Snively fled to the Iron Dominion and has been in the service of Regina ever since.

The Battle Bird Armada, Pirates of the Soumercan:
Great Battle Kukku XV had long faced both hushed and outspoken criticism by many Battle Birds over the subservient status of the Armada to Robotnik, a ground-dweller, with there even being rumours of discontent among the airship captains. Once the opportunity arose, he quickly jumped ship and returned the Armada to their old ways of roaming the skies and plundering the shores and seas of south Efrika and the Alexandry as well as the southern Great Ocean. The air fleet with a state engages in sporadic raiding and pillaging of ships and settlements across this vast area spanning nearly the entire Southern Hemisphere in order to build up their strength. And while they do so, they continue the search for their fabled homeland of Babylon, believed to have been forged and promised to them by the chief god of their religion: Anu, lord of heaven. Wave currently resides aboard the flagship of the Armada, the Battle Lord's own "Babilon", after the other two Babylon Rogues were apprehended and imprisoned by Sonic, and plots to free her friends from captivity.

The Western Barony, a State in the Sand:
Beauregard Rabbot, a lifelong renegade and opponent of the Acorn monarchy, quickly moved to secede from Robotnik's empire the moment the opportunity presented itself, declaring the territory he ruled over in the southwest of Northamer as an independent aristocratic republic. This transition was smooth, both due to being near unanimously supported by those he ruled over as well as having been secretly planned and prepared for long before secession occurred, ensuring a cohesive and orderly foundation. The first election, resembling more a coronation, saw him chosen to lead it as expected by everyone, and he has continued to work towards his original goal: The downfall of the Acorn monarchy and the separation of the Southern Baronies into an independent nation-state.

He, like most of the other splitters from Robotnik's empire, has maintained a low profile, and focused on maintaining independence. Engaged in nation-building, he has made use of the valuable oil deposits in the Barony's possession to acquire foreign capital and assets. Due to refraining from aggression, he has also managed to begin properly rebuilding his relationship with his niece, Bunnie D'Coolette.

And The Heroes

The world-famous Freedom Fighters along with their friends and allies, the individuals who were paramount in securing the defeat of Robotnik and freeing much of the world, stand as heroes and legends in the eyes of much of the globe. Most have found purpose in their new post-war lives, but not all have been so lucky.

Crown Princess Sally Alicia Acorn, The Realm's Delight:
Heir to the Kingdom of Acorn and once the acting monarch, Sally led the Freedom Fighters and country as a whole from their lowest point in the immediate aftermath of Robotnik's coup to their eventual triumph over a decade later. Many held it as self-apparent that she would simply ascend to the throne as queen once victory was achieved, formalising the de-facto reality. The revelation that her father still lived along with his rescue changed that though, and he returned to the throne he had been ousted from over a decade prior. She was more than happy with this state of affairs, overjoyed that her father was alive, and hesitant to step into the role of a peacetime ruler; the prospects of handling administrative, judicial, and legislative matters appeared more intimidating to her than the role of a wartime leader which she had naturally filled her whole life.

Despite her relinquishment of the throne, at least for the moment, she remains near-universally popular, even in the most dissenting sections of the South, and is seen as an effective leader who guided the country through its darkest hour into its finest one at present. She mostly remains in the capital, being educated and groomed by her father on matters of statecraft, politics, ruling, and governance in order for her to be ready and able to inherit the throne when his time comes. However the shackling of Nicole and the disappearance of Tails have proved most detrimental to her.

Sir Sonic of Mobotropolis, Stuck in Peace:
A living legend and heroic exemplar, Sonic was knighted for his valour in the war, like his uncle before him. Globally acclaimed for his deeds, he has remained active in the defence of the kingdom from any and all threats, especially since the idea of aiding in the messy effort of reconstruction did not appeal to him. As part of this, he has rounded up a variety of enemies to the kingdom's, and the world's, peace wherever possible. Some names include Drago Wolf, Raiju Lynx, Nicolette Weasel, the Sand-Blasters, and the Babylon Rogues sans Wave. His peacetime idyll was crushed by Tails' disappearance, which has hit him hard, made even worse by the fact that he was not there when it happened. The days bleed into one another as life grows more and more normal; even the King is respectful to him now, often even cordial. Now he's left to figure out the answer to a question he hadn't considered before: What's a hero to do after the world's been saved?

Miles "Tails" Prower, Missing Prodigy:
A renowned Freedom Fighter, genius inventor, and son of a war hero like Antoine, Tails took an active role in the reconstruction of Acorn in the aftermath of the war. Charles immediately appointed Tails to the position of Vassal of the Lord Empirical, making the fox his apprentice. The two involved themselves in a host of projects and ventures to both rebuild the kingdom from the devastation it had suffered and advance it towards a better future. He also, along with Rotor and Antoine, played a major role in the formation of the Royal Acorn Air Fleet, and dealt with a variety of aspects of both the airplane and the airship branches, including their design, engineering, electronics, mechanics, armour, armament, propulsion, and manufacturing. Curiously, he displayed an in-depth understanding of the ins and outs of airships in all matters, and proved to be the single most essential factor in granting Acorn the second largest air fleet in the entire world. He also worked with Rotor to develop a variety of inventions and innovations for the army as well.

And yet, despite everything he had done in service of the kingdom, the King did not seem to approve of him, let alone his ideas. Many of his independently proposed plans were constantly undermined and rejected by Maximillian for reasons not fully understood by anyone, not even Charles, and a strange sense of hostility, which had previously manifested in a general acerbic personality displayed to most, had intensified and focused itself on Tails and Tails alone.

Feeling as if his talents and abilities were being squandered and wasted and that he was not as welcome as he had previously assumed, he grew unsure of whether or not he was in the right place anymore, and began to display a side of him alien to those he knew. In spite of his doubts, he forged on and remained in his position, motivated by a sense of obligation to his friends turned family, in the hopes that things would eventually change for the better, with occasional rises in his spirits. Those hopes and high spirits withered and faded away once Nicole was punished, his breaking point. Already alienated from his adopted home, he now simultaneously felt as if he had failed those he cared for and had been failed by them. One night he vanished, and has been unheard of in the two years since.

Agent Shadow, a Girl's Best Friend:
The Ultimate Lifeform has come a long way since he was awakened by Robotnik. Overcoming his initial anger and grief, he went from trying to end the world to saving it, and was thought to have died when he fell from orbit. Rediscovered in a strange pod by Rouge some time later, he was reawakened, and at her urging became an agent for G.U.N.'s Team Dark, along with her and Omega. The two creations of the Robotnik line found renewed purpose in this way, with it being far more suitable for them than other avenues. For Shadow, the ability to make up for his previous sins and keep his promise to Maria was something he could never turn down, and the chance to potentially repair the damage he caused to his own name was also welcome. For Omega, the opportunity to destroy his creator's makings and fulfill his self-imposed prime directive, and to do so with the backing of the most well-supplied military in the world, was a rational choice without alternative. Later on, Hope Robotnik joined, motivated by similar reasons as Shadow.

Since then, the four members have undertaken a variety of missions of paramount importance to the Federation, with the most important of these being various operations against Robotnik when he still threatened the world. Though the truth of whether Shadow is actually who he thinks he is or merely just a clone will likely never be found, he has come to terms with it and has achieved peace and meaning in his current role as a protector and guardian of humanity, a role he is sure Maria would be proud of.

Guardian Knuckles, Bridgebuilding Peacekeeper:
With Robotnik defeated and reconciliation with Legion achieved, Knuckles has found himself in a position he's never experienced before; secure and at peace. The last Guardian, free from constant danger to the Master Emerald which he is sworn to defend, has involved himself in trying to play peacemaker among his people. One of the first things he did was engage in a variety of serious efforts to achieve a lasting settlement with the dingoes who also inhabit Angel Island; despite no concrete agreements being reached, real progress has been made between the two rival groups. However, the recent split between the echidnae of Angel Island and Albion has proved to be a significant setback to his goals, and in response he has devoted much of his time and energy to the mediation of disputes and mending of relations between the sister republics in order to promote goodwill among all echidnae. Cooperation with Dimitri and the Legion has helped in his endeavours, but the hardliners residing in Albion instill unease regarding the government's intentions.

Guardian Blaze, Fiery Feline:
The custodian of the vaunted Sol Emeralds since she was a child, Blaze has frequently been forced to defend her charge against the Doctor's machinations. Originally tricked by him into believing Sonic was a threat to the Sol Emeralds, she battled with the hedgehog several times and eventually found him her equal, if not more, a situation rather reminiscent of that which occurred with Knuckles and the Master Emerald before her. Upon realising that she'd been deceived, she allied with Sonic and the two repelled the Doctor, and would continue to do so many times after. Blest from a young age with gifts of incredible strength and speed as well as pyrokinetic abilities, she quickly became one of Robotnik's greatest obstacles and one of the world's greatest protectors against all of its threats. Though friends with Sonic and several others in the Freedom Fighters and beyond, Blaze has lived one the most isolated lives out of any of them. Residing in the Temple of Eternal Morning which houses the Sol Emeralds, she rarely interacted with people outside of religious ceremonies of the priests and state visits by the Princess now turned Duchess. Hers has been a largely lonely existence. Things changed for the better after Robotnik involved her in the world, in an ironic turn of events, and in the course of things she ended up meeting her closest companion, Marine, during an adventure with Sonic and Tails across the Emerald Sea.

Following Robotnik's defeat and disappearance, Blaze and Soleanna as a whole breathed a heavy sigh of relief. With potential threats to the Sol Emeralds low and people's confidence returned to previous highs, she has asserted her rights and independence, and spent leisure time abroad. Some pursuits include sailing the Emerald Sea with Marine, visiting Team Dark in Hesperia and the Freedom Fighters in Northamer, and even being flown to the poles by Tails, much to his discomfort. From traveling over warm, azure waters to relaxing on a sunny beach under the shade of a palm tree to building snowmen in the freezing Arctic and Antarctic, she has rekindled a childish wonder and joy that was nearly extinguished by the duties and responsibilities foisted onto her at a young age due to her abilities.

N.I.C.O.L.E., Formerly Nicole:
Sally's closest friend, Nicole played an essential role in the fight to liberate Acorn and along the way grew from her origins. Beginning as a hologram inside a tiny device, she later gained access to a true body through nanite technology and became capable of walking and interacting with the world like everyone else. But when peace and victory were achieved, she was not greeted with the same enthusiasm and gratitude that the rest of her companions were. Thanks to Robotnik and others, everything from robians to robots acquired a chilling aura around them as far as most people were concerned, King Maximillian included, and AIs fell squarely into that; an immensely powerful one from an unknown source that was unable to access key chunks of her own database certainly ticked off most boxes of concern. Despite the whispers, rumours, glares, and stares, Nicole forged on with the help of Sally and company, hoping to help, and thus prove wrong, those who feared and reviled her.

Such hopes were dashed in 3,240, when Regina Ferrum and the Iron Dominion made a targeted strike against Mobotropolis, seeking to eliminate Sally and the Freedom Fighters as retaliation for their previous aid to Ken Khan. One aspect of this assault was an attempted hacking of Nicole. Though it was a failure and Nicole proved to be in no danger of being compromised thanks to her incredibly sophisticated defences, the attack and its potential still caused great concern and panic among the general public. Hearings were held, trials were tried, and the King along with his Privy Council pondered and deliberated on what should be done. In the end, the King decided that termination was unwarranted, though this may have only been due to Sally and Charles' insistent pleading on her behalf, but ruled that Nicole would be deprived of her nanites, stripping away her body and forcing her to return back into being just a hologram. In addition, she was to be confined to the royal palace due to security concerns. All her friends, having previously spoken out on her behalf, did so once more, and none were more impassioned than Sally. Their pleas for leniency fell on deaf ears, and in the end Nicole was subjected to the ruling. She accepted it without resistance, seeing any other choice as liable to make things even worse. As a final insult to an already grievous injury, all documents and officials of the government from that point on were ordered to refer to Nicole as "It", "They", "Them", or "The AI".

Dame Amy Rose, Royal Rough Rider:
Following the war's end, Amy was knighted like several others, but soon found herself as the odd one of the bunch among the Freedom Fighters, relatively speaking. Hailing from Mercia, she considered returning home, but the thought of leaving Acorn wasn't an easy one. The outbreak of the Mercian Civil War put an end to any such ideas and she remained. Following this, she floated between the others, from occasionally accompanying Sonic in his missions to assisting the D'Coolette's in building up their estate to visiting Tails and Charles in Mobotropolis, Knuckles on Angel Island, Shadow in Hesperia, Blaze in Soleanna, and taking holidays in Station Square as well as the occasional trip to Spagonia or Empire City to cheer up Tails whenever he got too dour. Outside of her personal leisure, she also spent many months traveling the countryside of Acorn, ensuring that various towns and villages were safe from Robotnik remnants or rogue bandits, as well as other issues like lack of food or housing. Things have changed since Tails' disappearance two years ago, and she has been fully engaged in a search for her missing friend, as hopeless as it is.

The Duke and Duchess D'Coolette, Accomplished and Blest:
Antoine and Bunnie fought hard as Freedom Fighters to liberate Acorn, and following the war's end were both lauded with honours. Bunnie was knighted, Antoine styled a duke, and the two have remained married. Antoine, along with Tails and Rotor, worked to form the new RAAF, a project which had previously been unsuccessfully attempted near the end of the Great War. Antoine focused on the administrative and personnel aspects of the airplane branch. He was also returned to his father's old estate and was granted land extensions by the King, both in recognition of his own efforts as well as his father's. He and Bunnie laboured extensively to rebuild the desolate and withered lands into a place fit for living, constructing a new manor and gardens as well as a nature preserve. She later decided to do more, and undertook the task of turning their home from just a personal residence into a true estate, with various dwellings, accommodations, and such so as to establish it as a refuge and sanctuary for robians. Antoine maintains a rank in the air fleet and often resides in the capital to attend to such matters, while Bunnie handles the estate.

Lord Empirical Sir Charles of Mobotropolis, the King's Right-Hand Mobian:
The King's oldest friend and ally, Charles was returned right back to his old position as Lord Empirical of the Kingdom of Acorn, and has resumed his pre-war studies with the vigour and enthusiasm of the past. The majority of these are bio-research of an agricultural or medical nature. He also labours relentlessly on cracking the seemingly insurmountable challenge of de-Roboticization with unmatched determination. A renowned hero of both the Great War and the war against Robotnik as well as one of the most senior statesmen in the entire realm, he stands as the greatest voice for robians, who still arouse much suspicion and fear among Mobians due to the years of chaos and terror. The disappearance of Tails came as a blow to him, and he holds himself as chiefly responsible for not predicting or preventing it.

The St. Johns, Spy Spouses:
Geoffrey and Hershey have remained active in their service to the Kingdom of Acorn as agents of the Royal Secret Service, assigned the codenames of Grace and Tom respectively. The two have remained married and close despite their long stretches of separation due to their work, with there being far more to do after the war than during, despite what one would think. Hershey is currently in Hesperia, engaging in espionage against the United Federation with an eye towards any special projects that might exist. Geoffrey, meanwhile, was assigned to Mercia after the first year of the civil war to intervene on behalf of Acorn and her interests. The mission, known as Operation August, was drafted by RSS Director Harvey Who and overseen by the King himself. In the three years since, he has been largely alone, whether out in the field conducting reconnaissance or within the halls of Snottingham Castle, conversing in secret with King Robert O'Hedge and a select few generals of the Royal Army. All his efforts are spent tirelessly working to assist King Robert in crushing the rebellion, mainly by providing intelligence to the Royal Army. This task has proven to be more troublesome than expected. King Robert, though meaning well, has proven to be unsuited for the active role of a monarch, having spent most of his life fighting a war instead of leading a country, while the Royal Army is plagued with a host of ossified aristocrats, and the Kingdom of Mercia as a whole suffers from a lingering medieval bureaucracy that has made it difficult to properly deal with the challenges facing it. These issues are exacerbated by the Maréchal's competence as well as intervention by a mysterious figure providing material aid and intelligence to the National Front known only as "The Soldier".

The Great Powers...

With the former threats to global peace and stability fragmenting and either turning a new leaf or simply laying low, the great powers have returned to the natural state of affairs, involving themselves in trade, power plays, and general geopolitics while also handling economic expansion and internal divisions.

The United Federation, a Sleepy Giant:
Before the war, the United Federation stood undisputed as the ultimate power in the world, peerless in its size, strength, and sophistication; today that remains very much the same. Thanks to stalwart defence by G.U.N. as well as the actions of the Freedom Fighters, it has been spared much of the devastation and destruction that visited most of Mobius. Despite its unparalleled might, the Federation has always maintained an isolationist attitude to global affairs, and remained idle until Perfect Chaos ravaged Station Square, finally prompting action. The two to three years of their involvement in the war against Robotnik have marked without a doubt the most active period in all the Federation's millennia-long history, both diplomatically and militarily.

Now, after four years of the Doctor's continued silence and absence, the fruits of open trade and travel with the rest of the globe begin to materialise for the Federation, especially in Westopolis, Empire City, and Station Square. Likewise, so has the natural impulse to return to the previous state of affairs returned to the fore. The competing aspects of newfound wealth and newfound issues, most evident in Station's Square ravaging and subsequent recovery, are currently manifesting in the form of the ubiquitous and contentious Isolationism Debate. Though millions of members of each side exist in all parts of the Federation, the city-states have for the most part taken their stances, save for Spagonia and Station Square, and battle in the fields of culture, information, politics, and economics to see their vision for the future triumphant.

On top of this fierce divide, a vast array of other issues besets the Federation on all sides. In the north, potential threats from the Mercian Civil War and a resurgent Albion in Eurish grow, worrying the trio of Hesperia—Westopolis, Spagonia, and Central City—as well as Empire City. In the south, a rampant and pervasive black market built on Mobian slavery continues as it has for centuries, as has the equally troublesome issue of Mobian marauders attacking humans living in the countryside on the frontier, many of the raiders being former slaves. In the east, the Iron Dominion continues to wage its war in Yurashia, driving many refugees towards Chun-nan, drastically upsetting the demographic and cultural status quo. In the west, the Felidae and Canidae skirmish in the Mystic Ruins, with their feud threatening to expand and engulf Station Square in it. Additionally, the Battle Bird Armada's nautical and terrestrial raids against Mazuri, Station Square, and the Hesperian trio damage trade and travel as well as worrying inhabitants, while a growing domestic energy problem across the eight cities of the Octad magnifies and approaches a crisis point. With all this, returning to the old ways may not be an option for the human hyperpower of Mobius.

Total Federation Population: ~559,000,000

Pro-Isolation: Chun-nan, Soleanna, Central City: ~216,000,000
Anti-Isolation: Westopolis, Empire City, Mazuri: ~205,000,000
Split: Station Square, Spagonia: ~138,000,000

Pro-North Mercia: Westopolis, Soleanna, Station Square: ~211,000,000
Pro-South Mercia: Central City, Empire City: ~151,000,000
Neutral: Spagonia, Chun-nan, Mazuri: ~197,000,000

The Kingdom of Acorn, a Royal Heart of Oak:
The land where it all began finally found itself freed and at peace after eighteen years of hard struggle, both in the Great War and the war against Robotnik. King Maximillian, originally thought to have died in the coup at the hands of his own Warlord, was found and rescued during the struggle against the Doctor, alive and relatively well, all things considered. Once victory was achieved, he was swiftly returned to his old throne in Mobotropolis. Much reconstruction and recovery has taken place in the years since, with the subjects of the kingdom happy to not only return to peace but, in some respects, to achieve prosperity not enjoyed before. Still, a serious divide remains between those untouched by the process of Roboticization and those not so fortunate, and embers of the old enmity between Oak Acorn and the Southern Baronies, once extinguished by the threat of Robotnik and the inspiring leadership of Princess Sally, have begun to flare up once more with the return of the king. The hegemon of the Mobian world has never been stronger nor has a more eagerly anticipated heir ever been seen, but the road to the future grows cloudier by the day as these questions and conflicts go largely unresolved.

The Republic of Albion, Nativism and Nationalism:
The first of the Mobian nations to achieve a level of sophistication even somewhat approaching humanity, Albion remains a proud land. Though hit by the war, it did not suffer as much as other nations, such as Acorn, Mercia, and the various polities of Central, Southern, and Eastern Yurashia, and remains an advanced and powerful country with a central and secure position as an island off the coast of mainland Eurish. Albion, like the Federation for most of its millennia-long history, has long pursued a policy of splendid isolation. However, unlike the Federation, the war did come to Albion, for she was too weak to ward off the threat. This fact has led to a key difference between Albion and the Federation. Whereas the latter has seen great demand to return to its old ways, the former has been galvanised into a brazen new path. The island's society is markedly different compared to decades prior, and the High Council has approved and undertaken several major projects and plans to ensure another Robotnik could never threaten them again. Some of these include a military buildup, several diplomatic maneuvers and statements that have raised eyebrows with neighbours in Eurish, and the sparking of a rivalry with Angel Island via old tensions, with the two echidna nations now being currently engaged in an aerial arms race.

The Republic of Angel Island, a City Upon a Cloud:
Angel Island, by virtue of its airborne nature and advanced technology, managed to mostly remain unscathed by war, save for conflicts with the Dark Legion and the dingoes who inhabit the Sandopolis Desert that encompasses most of the western half of the island. Though the latter still dispute echidna dominance on the island, they have quieted down in recent years due to a mixture of no longer receiving support from Robotnik and Knuckles diplomatic efforts to them. This, combined with the reconciliation of the Angel Island government with the Legion thanks to the efforts of Dimitri and Knuckles, marked the beginning of what many predicted to be an era of good feelings for the island. The actions of Albion have led to a deterioration in echidna relations and the quick disappearance of said nascent era however, with many in the High Council of Echidnaopolis citing the recent events as reminders of why exactly their ancestors left in the first place centuries ago.

With the advent of an aerial arms race between the two, concerns over a conflict erupting between the twin echidna republics grows with every airship launched into the skies, and the fate of a hundred million souls with it.

The Airship Race, Making the Rubble Bounce:
The power and potential of aircraft was no alien concept to the world before the arrival of Robotnik; air forces were commonplace among industrial societies, and the Battle Bird Armada has cruised the skies for centuries. However the arrival of the Doctor's imposing fleet, which dominated the world and directed the flow of war, pushed all to fully engage with it. In the over fifteen years since the Doctor made his debut, the Federation, Acorn, Angel Island, Albion, and the Iron Dominion have all engaged in fleet construction programs, designed to build up a force of aircraft to both protect their skies and project force into others in a hypothetical conflict. The pinnacle of these fleets are the airships, be they battleships, fleet carriers, or, rarely, hybrid battlecarriers. These titanic vessels dwarf all other aircraft in both size and power, weighing anywhere from 82,000 to 200,000 metric tons. The pride and prestige of the great powers, none of them appear to plan on ceasing construction of more anytime soon. (The numbers on record for each fleet as well as their flagships and corresponding ship prefixes found at the bottom of page)

And The Not-So-Great

But the world is more than just the great powers that inhabit it. A host of nations of lesser status exist, ranging from recovering regional powers to war-torn lands, and the circumstances occurring in them are just as relevant to the balance of the world as those happening in their superiors.

The Grand Patriarchate of Mousecovy, an Ancien Régime:
Ruled by the dual pillars of murine power, the theocratic Patriarchs and the aristocratic Boyars, Mousecovy is in many ways much the same as it was centuries ago. A vast vestige of the past. It has long lagged behind most countries in Eurish and Northamer, including its principal neighbour to the south, Mercia. And though it never fully fell under the direct dominion of the Doctor, it suffered incursions and swathes of its lands did come under his sway. In the four years of peace, the ancien régime has reasserted itself, with mice solidifying their status as the masters of the Patriarchate, with all other rodents resigned to being second-class citizens while non-rodents, rare as they are, either languish even below that or enjoy privileged exceptions, all on an individual basis. Be that as it may, the advent of the ideas and technology of the modern world have been introduced into the mindset of the masses, often by the war, and many dream of a different state of affairs.

The Mysterious Country Without Wordplay:
The Mysterious Country, or as the locals call it, Santuario, has remained largely unaffected during the duration of the war, save for one incident in which Robotnik reawakened the ancient entity known as Chaos. Though still fiercely xenophobic and isolationist compared to most of Mobius, the Felidae have softened their ways thanks to the efforts of the Freedom Fighters, having reaccepted Razorklaw into their ranks, and now even tolerate the visitation of outsiders that either are personally known by them or who have been vouched by one of their own or said personally known outsiders, even if only for important business. A select few among their own ranks have been chosen to conduct minor diplomatic business, and they have even formed a small but permanent embassy with neighbouring Station Square. However they have received a disturbance in the return of old neighbours and rivals.

The Confederation, a Canine Commonwealth:
 The Wolf Pack, having been driven from their ancestral home in Northern Soumerca by Robotnik, forged a harsh existence through his thirteen years of tyranny. When he fell, they returned to their homeland, and brought back with them more than just wolves in their pack. Coyotes, dogs, jackals, and others joined and later settled with them. Grand Chiefess Lupe formed the various canidae that had flocked together into a nation by them, for them, like the Federation for humanity, Albion and Angel Island for the echidnae, Mousecovy for the rodents, and the Mysterious Country for the Felidae. They have followed in the latter's example to an extent, restricting access of non-canines to only a select few, such as the Freedom Fighters, who were invaluable in getting them back home, and have resumed their old conflicts with the Felidae in the form of territorial disputes over the Mystic Ruins.

The Far East Free-For-All:
The Far East remains divided by, and immersed in, the same brutal conflict that it has struggled with for over a decade, with Regina Ferrum and her Iron Dominion still endeavouring to subjugate the masses of the land. The Dragon Kingdom of old is but a distant memory, and any form of centralised authority outside of the Dominion has gone with it. Countless clans, warlords, and warbands have staked their claims and fight with one another more often than against Regina herself. Ken Khan remains steadfast in his opposition to her however, having formed the National Protection Army, and leads its forces in continued battle against the Iron Dominion as its head for years now. His job is not so straightforward though, and he along with his most devoted and capable followers, the Eighty-Eight, spend more time handling disputes within the NPA—as well as between disparate polities in order to gather support—as they do actually fighting the threat they were founded to oppose.

The Kingdom of Leonus, the Gem of Efrika:
Auspiciously situated on the northwestern peninsula of the continent, Leonus perfectly straddles the Beryl Strait which links the Alexandry to the Southern Sea. Any sailor from eastern Northamer and western Eurish heading to southern Efrika or the rest of Yurashia, and vice versa, must cross the strait, unless they wish to arduously trek overland or sail for far longer than necessary. The geographic leverage of Leonus' location was quickly seized upon by its rulers, who have collected tolls for centuries. Many a passing merchant or traveler have contributed in small part to the kingdom's current state, wherever they may hail from. Throughout its history, Leonus has always held close relations with Acorn, with its citizens speaking in a dialect close to theirs as well as adopting several cultural customs and trends.

At first, the kings enjoyed the fruits of this arrangement, living lavishly while using the wealth to strengthen their power through urban development as well as conquest of weaker neighbours. Over time however, there emerged a new class to challenge the traditional power of the nobility and military: The burghers. The same urban development carried out by the kings ended up sowing the seeds for their own diminishment, as it gave rise to powerful merchant families comprised of self-made Mobians. In time, they came to dominate the politics of capital, as well as those of other major cities throughout the kingdom. They pushed petitions, formed councils and assemblies, established banks, and earned charters.

A tripartite power struggle between the martial, the royal, and the commercial began, finally culminating when one king eventually proved openly hostile to the burghers influence, and willing to challenge it. In response, the burghers hired a multitude of mercenaries, including several dozen humans from Westopolis and the Overland who brought with them powerful modern weaponry. The conflict was quick and decisive, and though the kings of the Leonus dynasty remained seated on the Beryl Throne, in the end they were subservient.

Though affected by Robotnik's rule, Leonus stood on the periphery of his sphere of influence and close to the Federation's, and so didn't suffer extensively. The Federation's recent opening to global markets has brought great boons to Leonus, with ships from Westopolis, Empire City, and Station Square as well as caravans from Mazuri feeding the kingdom's coffers, as has the return of Acorn as a diplomatic and trading partner. Raids by the Battle Bird Armada have hindered this expansion however, and concerns over a direct assault on the capital by the fearsome avians linger in the halls and customs houses of the realm.

Mercia or La Mercie? A Faux Pas, Indeed:
Mercia, a realm united by the intervention of Sebastian Acorn over a century ago in the wake of a chaotic power struggle, has suffered greatly in the thirteen years of Robotnik's tyranny. The O'Hedge monarchy was betrayed early on by one within their own ranks: Lord Mordred Hood. For this, he was granted dominion over Mercia and ruled it as a despotic master. In spite of the iron rule he enforced, a combined effort of local resistance and outside assistance eventually toppled him and saw Robert O'Hedge brought to the throne his father was ousted from. Unfortunately, peace did not last as animosity and divides going back to the nation's very foundation, centuries ago, rose once again to the surface.

Capitalising on the window of opportunity provided thanks to weakened state of both the Mercian monarchy as well as the Kingdom of Acorn due to Robotnik's actions, a broad coalition of republicans, anti-foreign nationalists, and southern separatists, all led by a fox styling himself as the "Maréchal", attempted to seize a variety of cities and forts across the country in the hopes of executing a speedy coup d'état, with varying degrees of failure and success. In the end, most of the North remained in the hands of the Royalists, with the pockets of uprising that existed either being crushed or fleeing to join the main bulk of their fellow rebels, while the South fell into the hands of the coalition, with Royalists holdouts doing the same as their mutinous counterparts.

The rebellious coalition, having the advantage of surprise and initiative, moved first and set up a provisional government in the centrally located city of Marve. Lying on the River Meridian that divides the country in two, the city serves both as the perfect place for the mass of each army to cross in quick order as well as to block such a crossing. The Royal Army soon mobilised and eventually ousted the rebels from the city, but the rebels put up a stiff defence. This not only gave their rear elements the time needed to organise and form the Army National, it also showed the rest of the country that the Maréchal's uprising was no flash in the pan. The Marve Uprising had evolved into the Mercian Civil War.

The Airships...

Airships are categorised into three main classes, which are as follows:

Battleships:
A vessel employing an all-big-gun armament scheme which is designed to bring to bear the most devastating salvo possible. With strong armour and unparalleled firepower, they serve to rain a hail of indiscriminate ordnance against the enemy fleet, and take it in return. Their guns also serve to provide massed ground bombardment to large swathes of land, demolishing fortifications and potentially even cities if unopposed. They are also the slowest of the three. While rudimentary in doctrine and principle, they are simple to utilise and highly effective, even with a middling captain, though a proper gunnery crew is paramount to achieving victory.

Fleet Carriers:
 A vessel designed to carry large quantities of smaller aircraft, usually fixed-wing ones in the form of fighter and bomber planes or jets, though rotorcraft are also often present, usually in the form of gunships as well as recce, transport, and utility helicopters. In engagements, they often must remain at a far distance, using the space and their speed to avoid fire from stronger battleships and battlecarriers while also rapidly deploying their complement of aircraft. The goal of the aircraft is to make precise strikes against the enemy airship or ground targets, damaging or destroying crucial infrastructure to either force the foe to withdraw, knock them out of the sky, or allow friendly ground forces to win the day. In the case of battle against another carrier or battlecarrier or terrestrial-based aircraft, their complement must also screen against the enemy to ward them off and thin their numbers to reduce the risk of a strike; they are also equipped with more anti-air batteries compared to battleships in order to repel such assaults. Due to the required concessions made in order to make space for the aircraft, pilots, and supplies as well as the need for greater speed, they have less structural integrity, are far less armed and armoured, and tend to be larger than most battleships, with those few that aren't smaller being behemoths, and are often the flagships of their respective fleets. More complex to use than battleships, they are capable of delivering accurate and withering attacks while avoiding shots from the enemy, wasting time in the slugging matches that are broadsides, and causing collateral damage to friendly forces or civilians; their success hinges on the efficiency of their flight control crews, the bravery of their pilots, and their ability to identify and target critical vulnerabilities.

Battlecarriers:
A vessel intended to bridge the gap between battleships and fleet carriers by combining decent firepower with a moderate aircraft complement. Some praise them as an ingenious union of the two halves into an avant-garde whole while others deride them as middling failures that lack the specialisation of either. They possess enough guns to damage a battleship and ravage a carrier—if they can catch her—, are faster than battleships but slower than carriers, and possess more firepower and armour than the latter but less complement than the former. No one standard for battlecarriers exists, there is instead a spectrum between the big-gun and the carrier, with each airship gravitating towards one end or the other to varying degrees, and perhaps there are one or two which strike a true balance. The firepower, armour, complement, speed, and size of a battlecarrier tends to vary wildly depending on how much towards whichever side she leans to. Proper wildcards, their effectiveness depends more on the quality and skill of their captains than the other two.

And The Air Fleets

"(BB)" next to an airship denotes Battleship status, "(CV)" denotes Fleet Carrier status, and "(BC)" denotes Battlecarrier status. The armament, composition, complement, and tactics of Battle Bird airships are very distinct from the other air fleets as well as from one another due to the influential nature of the individual "Kapteins", and thus are not classified.

Battle Bird Armada
Capital Airships: 24&5+1
Ship Prefix: Anunnaki [Offspring of Anu {Heaven}]
Flagship: Babilon
(All other Battle Bird airships are named after deities of their pantheon)
Utu, Nann, Adad, Ninurt
Isjtar, Nabu, Nergaal, Isjtaraan
Nisab, Zababa, Bunen, Gibil
Hadanisj, Isjkur, Irnin, Mandanu
Manzat, Ninsiaan, Ninlil, Ninzau
Enkie, Ninkie, Ninimm + Enlil (MIA for 12 years)
(There are 5 "livesjips" which are not built for combat but housing non-combatant population and raising children):
Ninhursag, Ninmenn, Ninmah, Damgalnun, Nintu
Population of Airships: ~145,000
Population of Liveships: ~60,000
Armada's Total Population: ~205,000

Royal Acorn Air Fleet (RAAF)
Capital Airships: 12
Ship Prefix: His Majesty's Ship (HMS)
Flagship: HMS Alexander (BB)
Former Monarchs: HMS Abraham (BB), HMS Silvanus (BB), HMS Sebastian (BC), HMS Frederick (BB)
Nouns: HMS Royal Oak (BB), HMS Sentinel (BB), HMS Aegis (CV), HMS Gale (CV)
Adjectives: HMS Victorious (BB), HMS Sovereign (CV), HMS Enduring (BC)
Airship Branch Personnel: ~59,000
Airplane Branch Personnel: ~90,000
Total Personnel: ~149,000

Albion Armada
Capital Airships: 9
Ship Prefix: Republic of Albion Ship (RAS)
Flagship: RAS Genesis (BC)
RAS Birthright (BB), RAS Renaissance (BB), RAS Phoenix (BB), RAS Primogeniture (CV)
RAS Splendour (BC), RAS Virtue (BB), RAS Fortitude (BB), RAS Incandescence (BB)
Airship Personnel: ~43,000
Airplane Personnel: ~31,000
Total Personnel: ~74,000

Robotnik's Air Fleet
(Based on last sighting 4 years prior)
Capital Airships: 8
Ship Prefix: N/A
Flagship: Annihilation (BB)
Dread (BB), Tyranny (BB), Vehemence (BB), Devastation (BB)
Catalyst (BB), Catastrophe (BB), Executioner (BB)
Fleet Personnel: N/A

Guardian Navy of the Nation (GNN)
Capital Airships: 7
Ship Prefix: Guardian Vessel of the Nation (GVN)
Flagship: N/A
Capital airship breakdown by city:
Westopolis: 3
GVN Federacy (BB), GVN Vesper (CV), GVN Polaris (CV)
Empire City: 2
GVN Liberty (BB), GVN Dynamic (BB)
Station Square: 1
GVN Southerly (BB)
Spagonia: 1
GVN Avanguardia (BC)
Airship Personnel: ~41,000
Airplane Personnel: ~60,000
Total Personnel: ~101,000

Angel Fleet
Capital Airships: 7
Ship Prefix: Angel Fleet Ship (AFS)
Flagship: AFS Ascension (BB)
AFS Auspicious (BB), AFS Empyreal (BB), AFS Azure (BB)
AFS Thunderbolt (BB), AFS Beacon (CV), AFS Sunrise (BB)
Airship Personnel: ~35,000
Airplane Personnel: ~13,000
Total Personnel: ~48,000

Iron Fleet
Capital Airships: 4
Ship Prefix: Her Imperial Majesty's Ship (HIMS)
Flagship: HIMS Iron Lady (BB)
HIMS Iron Will (BB), HIMS Dominion (BB), HIMS Indomitable (BB)
Airship Personnel: ~20,000
Airship Personnel: ~10,000
Total Personnel: ~30,000

Author's Note:
If you have no existing knowledge regarding this story's previous incarnation (What are you even doing this far down?), you may disregard all that follows.

Well, this was a long time coming. This is effectively a total reboot of the story Journey With No End, my first posting to this site. It did well, far beyond my wildest hopes. But as time passed, I looked at it and could only see the flaws, the improper execution, the disjointed, disconnected progression, and aimless meandering, and it became pain to look at. This was only made worse by knowing that I can, and have, done better. Eventually, I decided to take it down, though I've not forgotten all the positivity sent my way (Seriously. I can probably list off all the people who reviewed it). After lots of brainstorming, totally overhauling the plot, refining the setting, drafting a rough outline, and working on my writing, I've finally reached a stage with the new work that I feel confident in releasing.

To all those who may have returned to give this story a second run, I extend deepest thanks from the bottom of my heart, and enjoy this one; it's miles better than the old.