Sandopolis Zone.
A land of rolling desert, broken wastes, shifting sands, and timeless ruins. Against the glaring sun, amid scattered pillars and fallen statues, and in the shadow of a great pyramid, small black shapes moved. In a bunker built into the sand blasted mortar of a long dead city, through airtight doors, part dozens of guards, and down a hundred feet, the walls turned from metal to back stone. Down ancient but newly restored corridors, past a guard station, and a sealed airlock, lay the fittest tribute to modernity.
It was part lab, part medical ward.
And all those who worked there, did so under the auspices of the Dingo Armee Komissariat of the Interior. Among the half dozen that were present stood the leader of the Dingo Military Police: Major General Kage. He watched the officers in white coats work with his hands cupped behind his back, back ramrod straight. Only his slow breathing and his ever moving eyes betrayed his being anything more than a lifelike statue in uniform.
Along one wall of the lab, different pictures, the results of tissue scans and a thorough biopsy, were on open display. They were of the dingo assassin the Major General had brought in, but few could have told that from them. Tissues. Cells. A seemingly endless genetic code, ever scrolling downwards. It was not Kage's job to understand such things, so he did not. Curiosity did not motivate him. Duty did. Duty, and a love of country.
For that, he would kill without hesitation.
For that, he would die, should it be necessary.
Directly ahead of him, behind a see-through plastic curtain, three medtechs worked on a brown furred body. As time passed, another dingo in the gray and black uniform and trench coat of the Military Police walked in, spoke to his commanding officer, and handed him a report. He read it, nodded briefly, and the other dingo left. Finally, one of the doctors emerged from the plastic screen, holding a small tray.
"Simply fascinating!" He walked up to Kage with a small smile. "Partially degraded, but it is just like the MRI showed."
"Should it be exposed to the air?" The General asked, looking down at the small black prune in the tray.
"It should be perfectly fine, my good General. Once taken out of the bloodstream, the material appears stable and in no danger of degradation," The doctor explained. "Another few hours, though, and it wouldn't even be in one piece. It was wise to order an immediate operation to remove it, after the second scan picked it up."
Kage nodded. "Find out all you can."
The doctor went off to another area of the lab, where he and his fellows went back to work. Kage mulled over the possibilities. This was not the first unsanctioned act of dingo rebellion against the echidna. There had been many over the last few years, since the destruction of Dingo City and the return of Echidnapolis. It was disorderly, and it was insulting to the dingo as a race to have such a thing occur. For the last half a year, however, instances of insurrectionist behavior unapproved by Central Command had been on the rise, not in number, but in scale.
Assassinating a Senator?
Firing an RPG at a visiting dignitary?
Bombing an Aurorium?
Which was not to say that Central Command would be averse to blowing up a church full of echidna, should it become a military objective, but to do it without orders from higher up was unbecoming of a dingo. It galled General Kage no end: the lawlessness and pique of it all. No: Central had not approved of any of those attacks, so they simply should not have occurred. That rogue dingo would execute such brazen acts (instead of quietly murdering some random echidna off the street or some such) was doubly surprising.
Many of the dingo had been soldiers (all dingo were technically in the Army of the Hegemony, but not all served for a living), and had carried out their attacks with calculated precision. They did not, could not, fit Kage's normal view of the rogue dingo: the loathsome hund. What they were doing was foolish, as well, and according to their records, none of the dingo who committed these attacks had been idiots.
Even echidna hit back after a while.
And hit back they did, against dingo vagrants, settlers, and even patrols. Almost weekly, there seemed to be something of that nature, obviously the work of echidna. It was so obvious, in fact, that Kage was having a hard time believing it. He had been ordered to keep quite about the deaths, to avoid the risk of riling up the dingo population. Echidna papers, on the other hand, made the attacks into headlines. So much trouble caused…!
Could it really be the work of insurrectionist rogues?
Of lowly hunds?
Kage knew, instinctively that it could not. For a while, he had suspected higher levels within the Echidnapolis government of brainwashing dingo, and having them commit unsanctioned attacks. Perhaps an element in the Self Defense Forces, eager to overshadow their Security Agency cousins by trying to prove them ineffective in protecting the people? It was a sound theory, but lacked tangible proof. Finally, finally, he had something on which to build a proper hypothesis.
Already, the General's mind worked, planning his proposal to Central Command, and his father: Vicktor von Stryker. Surely, orders to plan counterstrikes and retaliatory actions would not be far behind. The challenge of what those counterattacks would entail made Kage smile, involuntarily.
But first, he needed his proof.
None of the previous insurrectionists had tested positive for known mind control drugs. Now Kage knew why. Most (reliable) mind altering chemicals were administered directly into the bloodstream, after which the subject was subjected to indoctrination and repeated conditioning. It was a process Kage, as the head of the Armee Komissariat for the Interior, was quite familiar with. But now, it seemed, the echidna had a new method of administering the agents.
Directly into the brain, via a small bio-implant.
Kage waited, while the medtechs worked.
Eventually, an hour later, the same doctor approached the still standing General. Kage had not moved eve an inch from his spot. As the other dingo approached, the General did note that he no longer wore a smile, even a small knowing one. The doctor seemed nervous, and a little embarrassed, but that was all. Outsiders would have likely expected fear, as Kage knew that something was wrong from the doctor's body language if nothing else. However, failure was not punished in some terrible sense among the dingo: those who succeed advanced in rank, and those who failed were replaced by those who didn't. The more a dingo failed, the less responsibility he was given.
It was a simple process of merit.
"General von Stryker…" The doctor began, using Kage's formal title. The same as his father's, except that the son was only a Major General, and the father was simply The General. "We have analyzed the structure… several times. I… We… do not believe it is of echidna manufacture."
"Not of echidna manufacture?" Kage adjusted his footing, obviously taken by surprise. "How do you know?"
"This implant seems to be some sort of bioceramic. The fabrication is… is like nothing I've ever seen before. As we suspected, it released chemicals into the brainstem, maintaining a perfect quasi-delusional state. However, it not only released these chemicals, but had some capacity for manufacturing and regulating them as well. Additionally, when the subject dies and nutrients to the area cease, the material… dies for lack of a better word, and breaks down. This technology is entirely removed from the cybernetics and bionics the echidna prefer."
"Are you telling me that that… implant was alive?" Kage asked.
"Alive is a subjective term, in some ways," The doctor avoided the question. "But this particular device was not made by echidna, dingo, mobian or human hands. From what I've seen and read of Eggman technology, this is also completely different."
"Can we make use of it?" Kage then asked, a little hopeful.
"I don't think so, sir," the other dingo admitted, and looked down shamefully at his prognosis. "Maybe after a few years of research…"
General Kage sneered, one lip rising to reveal a canine.
'Someone is playing us. Someone is using us to their advantage. The question is whom?' The dingo commandeered pondered, eyes narrowing. 'And to what end?'
Two weeks ago.
The Conclave met in a large domed room, constructed specially for that purpose. It was designed and built to exact specifications that every member of the Quaz Xialjyet Alliance agreed to. Gold outlined hexagonal shapes arched up, giving the room's domed ceiling a certain majesty. Equidistant from each other, the Seven Crests of the Alliance founded a generation ago hung proudly. As the Conclave was, this year, meeting in Goldenhive, the very apex of the dome also sported the crest of the hosting party: a simplified bee shape in a gold circle.
As host, Charmy's father presided over the Conclave's meeting.
Which was not to say that he contributed.
'The senile old man can't contribute much, now-a-days,' Charmy mused, a little bitterly. His father sat on a raised dais, at the north end of a circular table. The raised platform served both as a show of respect for one's elders, and as a way of discouraging contact. Watching his father's somewhat hunched composure and half lidded eyes; Charmy felt pity for his sire.
Charmy only vaguely remembered his father in his prime. He had once been a Great Prince, and one of the Seven Visionaries to found the Quaz Xialjyet. It was somewhat difficult to reconcile the stories and images he had seen of his father with what now remained. His father, the Great Prince, who had brokered peace with the terrible Hornet Hive of Yamato, who had reigned in the haughty Yellow Jackets, and who had sought out the cruel and reclusive Paper Wasps… That was a mobian of Legend.
What sat on the dais now was a husk.
By the time Charmy had returned to assume his place as Prince of Goldenhive, his father had long since begun the slide into senility. Still, between those sad memories, Charmy swore that he would never forget the look of pride and happiness on his father's face at his son's return. What remained now as the King of Goldenhive was a sad shade of past glories.
As far as he knew, he was the only Hive Prince to find the idea of dying eight years after his honeymoon the least bit unnerving. They had a ready acceptance of it born of never knowing any alternative. Charmy's mother, at least, would keep her wits as she withered and died. Not that she paid him as much notice as she did her successor Saffron. Charmy had never particularly liked his parents, even as he admired his father's adventurous youth. Their soon-to-be passing only drove home the terrible severity of the dilemma forced upon him.
He would either do his duty, or Goldenhive would die.
"I apologize for the lateness, my friends. I lost track of time." Charmy offered the assembled Hive Princes a polite bow of the head. Their reactions were mixed. Diplomacy was a new thing to the Hives, and to those born into the simplicity of a rigid caste system. As a result, virtually all the Princes wore their emotions on their sleeves. Clockwise around the table, he saw their expressions.
His old friend, Prince Mello of Nickelhive, chuckled mirthfully. He and Charmy had known each other since their earliest years, and Mello's father had been the first to join Charmy's on his quest to bring peace to the warring Hives. Princes normally didn't think of having 'brothers' in the normal sense, as each was completely unique to the Hive, but Charmy thought of Mello as one. They were even similar in size and coloring, though the Prince of Nickelhive was never without something blue colored on his personage. Mello, by choice, wore less finery than he should, looking more like an adventurer than a royal.
Next to him, Prince Ferric of Ironhive had his eyes closed in indifference. Ironhive Princes were an analytical and methodical type, evolving out of their strong defensive mentality. While Prince Ferric, too, was similar in body size and shape to Charmy, his coloring was pale. His attire was almost identical to Charmy's, with similar studded gloves, boots, belt and cape. His crown, however, was different: a simple iron circlet around his temples.
Prince Argent of Silverhive had his lips pursed in obvious annoyance, and typical petulance. He was taller than Charmy, and dressed in highly ornate plate armor. His royal coronet glittered with precious gems. Silverhive had always been Goldenhive's rival, and had been the last to sign onto the Quaz Xialjyet charter (after the Hornets of Yamato, if it was to be believed). Argent kept up the tradition of trying to counterbalance Goldenhive, and he and Charmy had quickly developed a mutual dislike and distaste for each other.
Past Charmy's empty seat waited the first of the Vespidae, ancient enemies of the Apidae. This was the lanky Prince Taji of the Yellow Jacket Hive. Taji seemed both anxious and happy to see Charmy enter the Conclave. Which was unusual. The Goldenhive Prince guessed that Taji already knew everything that was about to be discussed, and knew the outcomes of the resulting debates. The Yellow Jacket Prince was highly intelligent, and served as the Spymaster of the Quaz Xialjyet. He was cunning, but generally cautious. Like all the Vespidae Princes, he was very proud, but Charmy really harbored no ill will towards him, and truly believed they had more in common than either realized. Taji always kept most of his body hidden behind a black silk cloak.
Next to Taji, Prince Kenichi of Yamato took his seat. Kenichi was the largest and fiercest looking of those assembled. He was slightly taller than Taji, and far more heavily built. He wore neither crown nor garments of any type. His body was armor enough, covered as it was by steel-hard organic plates. Charmy had, upon first meeting the Hornet Prince, seen that he was of a vicious sort. He had soon learned that Kenichi was no brute, though he was more likely to operate with a chainsaw instead of a scalpel. His straightforward intellect was matched only by his utter ruthlessness as Quaz Marat (or Prince of Princes).
Lastly sat the thin, almost sickly, black frame of Prince Pierre of the Paper Wasp Hive called Maison. Wearing an elaborate robe and pointed black crown, the Wasp Lord looked at Charmy disdainfully, but this was hardly new. Long before they met, Pierre had developed a feeling of superiority to Charmy. Then again, Prince Pierre felt superior to everyone, though he never outright said so. He preferred barbed words and not-so-subtle jokes. He was a vile little coward, as far as Charmy could see, but his Paper Wasp Hive was essential to the plans of the Quaz Xialjyet, so all (even the mercurial Kenichi and overly sensitive Argent) put up with his self-aggrandizement.
Charmy quickly took his seat, and the meeting began.
"This Twentieth Meeting of the Conclave of the Quaz Xialjyet has begun," Charmy said, with little excitement, but just enough ceremony. He eyed where his father sat silently, and then went back to matters at hand.
"First, let me say that I hope you are all enjoying the hospitality of Goldenhive," Charmy began. "I regret that I never got the chance to meet at either Yamato Hive or Maison. I only wish that, when this Conclave meets again five years from now, my mind is sharp enough to enjoy and remember the sights of your remarkable civilizations."
The Conclave met on a rotating schedule. Truthfully, though he had heard that Maison was an engineering marvel, Charmy had no desire to visit there or the infamous Hornet Hive of Yamato. He simply couldn't find himself trusting his life to the hospitality of Princes Kenichi or Pierre. Then again, it wasn't like any of the other Princes to visit those Hives came back worse for wear. All honored the Alliance of the Quaz Xialjyet, it seemed.
Except, perhaps, the son of the mobian who founded it?
That slice of irony made Charmy's smile become a smirk.
"It is a fine place. Fine," Taji said, nodding his head in approval. "Much larger than I imagined."
"The size of it is… more appropriate than impressive. I suppose with so many drones around, some measure of inelegant scale and crowding is a necessary side effect." Pierre sniffed rudely.
'He's calling Goldenhive a slum?' Charmy thought, angrily. He, too, had his pride as a Prince. Still he reined it in.
"Let us move on to more important matters," Ferric intoned, his voice emotionless and typically monotone.
"Agreed!" Prince Argent added, likely feeling that he had to get at least one word in edgewise.
Charmy's back stiffened. "Very well."
He snapped his fingers, and an attendant, one of several waiting in the periphery of the room, handed him (and all those present) small handheld control panels for the main holoprojector built into the table. Quaz Xialjyet hardware, a mixture of conventional and organic technology, had taken Charmy a little while to readjust to after his return home. The equipment was strange but effective.
He powered up the holosystem, and it immediately produced a three-dimensional map of Angel Island, as it floated serenely over the ocean. Featured prominently on the map were the major topographic landmarks: Mt. Fate, Mt. Thunder, Angel Lake and Azure Lake. In the north sat the verdant and exotic Mushroom Forests, and in the south the harsh desert expanse collectively known as Sandopolis. Tiny Lava Reef in the east contrasted sharply with the vast tracts of fertile grassland in the northeast, central, and northwest parts of the island.
For a moment, the Island looked uninhabited.
Then the system loaded up all the information on habitations and settlements. Echidnapolis was the largest and most obvious addition from its perch in the eastern central part of the island, just off Angel Lake. Smaller, but still quite large, were the metropolises of Hydrocity in the island's east, and Marble Garden City in the northeast. Both sat on the very edge of Angel Island, and were major commercial hubs for traffic on, off, and around the island. Smaller Echidnapolis sponsored cities dotted the land, along with newly built roads and railways. A small underground passage in white marked the old Undertunnel (or Grand Canal) that connected Hydrocity with the central lakes and mountains.
Finally, the hologram displayed the Seven Colonies of the Quaz Xialjyet.
Goldenhive and Silverhive were both in the northwest, among fertile and rich grasslands, but built near the island's rocky edge. Ironhive sat at the northwest edge of the central mountains, called the Ice Cap Zone, near Mount Thunder (the highest peak on the Island). South of Ironhive was Nickelhive, nestled among a stretch of foothills. East of that, deep among the forested mountains, hid the Colony of Maison and the reclusive Paper Wasps. West of Nickelhive, past the aptly named Rocky Hills, were the Colonies of the Hornets and the Yellow Jackets, also built into the island's sloping edges.
So the stage was set.
Kenichi cleared his throat, to get the attention of his peers. "Honored Princes, before we discuss our war plans, we should clear up matters relating to politics."
"Politics?" Prince Mello rolled his eyes. "You mean assassination."
"Yes," Prince Ferric added, in agreement. "What of the covert operations you and Prince Taji have conducted? How go they?"
The Yellow Jacket Prince spoke up then. "Some time ago, we attempted to assassinate the current leader of the dingo Hegemony and place the blame on the echidna. The mission was a failure, in that Stryker managed to survive the bombing with apparently minor injuries, however we are confident that they believe the echidna responsible. Yes they do."
Taji continued, "Though that particular assassination, our most ambitious to date, was admittedly a failure… we have had many successes. Many more successes. The effort has paid dividends, I think. Yes. While we have not been able to foment an actual state of war between the echidna and dingo, we have done much to add to the already notable ire between them. Their public press, their 'newspapers,' bristle with editorials lambasting each other. Especially after we killed that echidna Senator. A very fine thing for us. A fine, fine thing."
"This is not the first time this year you have made use of dingo agents," Charmy commented. "How were you able to secure their cooperation?"
"Cooperation?" Taji asked, a little taken aback by the suggestion. "Oh! I catch your meaning, yes. My Colony has made impressive advances over the last few years in the field of mind-altering drugs. Oh yes. Many advances in that field. It still takes some time to break a subject's will, and… ah... adjust its thought processes and perceptions of reality. But the results are most pleasing. Most effective."
"Do you have any other entertainment planned for us, Taji?" Pierre asked, glibly.
"We are conditioning an operative for a new and rather exciting mission. Oh yes. Very exciting!" Taji exclaimed. "As you may know, the leader of the Albion echidnas: a female named Gala-Na, is paying a visit to Angel Island. With her assassination, we believe, open violence should erupt between the dingo and echidna. Open violence. Very good for us."
Charmy's brows creased as he frowned. "What else?"
"For my part," Kenichi said, when he was sure that Taji had finished. "I can proudly say that our operations have gone off without a hitch. Over the past year, forces under my command have judiciously struck at vulnerable targets: isolated echidna homes, vagrant dingo, and the like. Acquiring dingo and echidna weapons was almost laughably easy, and convincing the two groups that these attacks were the work of their respective old foe was similarly child's play."
"It is a wonder you didn't get caught, Prince Kenichi," Charmy cut in, eyes narrowing in veiled anger. "I suppose you've been rather lucky, as well."
Kenichi obviously misread the source of Charmy's displeasure. "While bold, these operations in no way threatened to compromise the security of the Quaz Xialjyet. As to whether we have skill, luck, of the gods to thank for this… is ultimately irrelevant."
Looking at the Hornet Prince, Charmy could guess that Kenichi had likely been a willing and eager participant in all those murders. The only regret that the Giant Hornet likely had was that he had to commit the murders with a foreign weapon instead of his own hands. Charmy had known of the murders for several months, but had been paralyzed about what to do about them. Leaking information about them would save lives, but could drag the Quaz Xialjyet into a war it wasn't ready for. Which would, in turn, doom Goldenhive.
Even leaving the Alliance wasn't an option.
To do so would bring swift and immediate reprisals from all the other Hives. Except maybe Nickelhive. But two against five? Both would be wiped from the map without question.
"Good Princes," Kenichi said, after a few moments of general silence. As the elected Quaz Marat, or Prince of Princes, he had the authority to steer discussion in any way he choose. "Let us review our war plans. And let us discuss the changes to them that will have to be made in light of recent events earlier this year."
They all knew the plans, but the other Princes nodded their heads in collective agreement. More than the fairly foreign and bizarre world of covert warfare, which really had no precedent in the history of the Hives, all were much more comfortable discussing straightforward plans of conquest.
"The Floating Island… Angel Island…" Kenichi motioned grandly to the hologram before them. "Our Island. Ages before the echidna and dingo arrived to despoil the lands of Downunda, millennia before they rose this landmass into the sky, we… The Hive Princes… ruled over our great people. With every spring and summer, we prospered. With every winter, we withered and died. How tastefully ironic that it was those who decimated us, the echidna, who would now give us our chance for glory!"
"The position of the Island now, here, is optimal. The climate is perfect for us. The winters are mild, and the summers perfect. The Island is far from any other major mobian powers, like the Kingdom of Acorn or the surviving humans. The echidna claim all of Angel Island as their own, but three military powers contest the land."
Lines on the map divided it three ways. A slice of the Island, maybe one fifth of it, off to the west, was marked as controlled by the Quaz Xialjyet Alliance. A small patch of land in the barren south was marked as controlled by the dingo. The rest was labeled as under echidna occupation.
"Ourselves. The Dingo. And the Echidna. As we all know, our esteemed fathers planed to expand throughout Angel Island without encountering organized resistance. That was the world of our fathers, my honored Princes." Kenichi let that most important fact seep in. "But it is not our world. Our world has cities of echidna where there had once been only ruins and empty fields. Our world will be a more difficult prize, but one we none-the-less aspire to. Can we as Princes of the Quaz Xialjyet do any less? Over the years since the return of Echidapolis, we have prepared ourselves for this coming conflict."
"I think…" Kenichi noted the looks of approval and agreement from most of his fellow Princes. "I think we have done a job worthy of our titles. Worthy of our fathers' legacies. This war may at times be costly and difficult, but we shall conduct ourselves as Princes, and we shall emerge victorious!"
Even Charmy found himself moved by the short speech, as much as he loathed Kenichi and the coming war in general. The other Hive Princes buzzed loudly with excitement and eagerness. Even stoic Ferric joined in. Charmy did so as well, if only not to show his disapproval with the Quaz Xialjyet so openly. He stole a look at Prince Mello, and hoped that he, too, was faking his enthusiasm. It was difficult to be sure, because while Prince Mello was a good-natured fellow, he still didn't have much of any regard for the Island's other races. Charmy only had it in him because of his time with the Chaotix.
"The first of our enemies, and the first we must dispose of: the remnants of the Dingo Hegemony!" Kenichi pressed a button, and the map highlighted the southern part of Angel Island, known collectively as Sandopolis. "The Dingo command hierarchy exists in primarily two locations: Echidnapols and the ruins in southern Sandopolis… the ruins of Old Dingo City."
The Floating Island had two large-scale ruins on it: those of Old Dingo City and Old Echidnapolis, in the south and north respectively. Some still referred to them as the Twin Cities. Both had come to ruin because of the terrible Carnivore War, almost a thousand years ago. The war, involving almost the entirety of the races on Mobius, eventually turned against the Echidna and their allies. With Echidnapolis surrounded, and besieged by the Dingo and their ilk, one of their leaders unleashed a creature of unimaginable power and destruction: Chaos.
Charmy had heard stories of Perfect Chaos, and the destruction of Station Square.
Perfect Chaos had consumed seven Chaos Emeralds. Yet, the Chaos that destroyed Old Dingo City supposedly channeled the power of fourteen of the gems. The destruction this Ultra Perfect Chaos rained upon Dingo City was absolute, and even the surrounding areas were made into barren desert. While later Echidnapolis, too, had been sacked and burned by the enraged Dingo, now making the ruins of Marble Garden, Old Dingo City's fate had been more dire. To this day, there were stories of restless souls, ghosts, and the walking dead deep in the smashed ruins of Sandopolis.
"General Stryker and his staff operate from their command complex in the Sandopolis ruins," Kenichi continued, bringing Charmy's thoughts back to the present day. "The ruins and the nearby areas, including the southern island coast, are all dingo controlled. Most echidna are… afraid of the place, and hesitant to get anywhere near the ruins, giving the dingo a free hand. We will have to rout the dingo from their complexes, from the ruins, and then the island itself."
"Easier said than done," Prince Ferric interrupted. "While the dingo may appear beaten, they have been able to muster significant military resources. The Battles of Nor'easter and Knothole are proof enough of that."
"No one is denying their military prowess," Kenichi defended.
"They are in the process of emigrating off the island in large numbers for their new homeland in Mercia," Taji then added. "If our goal is to remove them from the island as quickly as possible, and in a thorough manner, then we should pursue a very quick campaign against them, and then follow up with a negotiated settlement. Yes. A settlement to our benefit."
"Negotiate?" Prince argent scoffed. Prince Pierre did the same.
"An unconditional withdrawal from the island in return for an end to hostilities," Taji suggested. "Rout them from their surrounding strongholds quickly, and they will be eager to preserve their strength through a settlement. The alternative is a costly and prolonged desert campaign to take Sandopolis."
"A logistical nightmare," Ferric said, as if anyone had forgot.
"Thank you, IronPrince. For the obvious." Pierre quipped, rudely.
Ferric composure never wavered.
"A quick campaign would be best. Our forces will face the most disadvantages in that sort of environment," Kenichi said, agreeing with Taji (as usual). "We also need that flank open and unexposed to attack. It is not as if we can simply ignore the dingo, lest we find their guns raining fire down on our Hives while we fight in other theatres."
"And what if the Echidna move to help the dingo when you attack?" Charmy asked.
"That would be troublesome. Yes. Troublesome." Taji shook his head.
"The likelihood of that is very low," Kenichi replied.
"The dingo and echidna… working together?" Mello barked out a laugh. "You always did have an imagination, Charms. You've lived among them. You've seen firsthand how much they hate each other."
"Agreed." Pierre interjected. "When we move to attack, both parties will look out only for themselves. No echidna general will send his drones to die for the dingo! We should be fine… Charms."
Charmy snorted angrily. "What Hives will be tasked to lead the attack on the Dingo?"
"The Hornet Hive of Yamato volunteers its warriors for this task," Kenichi said with a grin. "The dingo are formidable foes. If we wish to take them out quickly, we must not hold back our greatest strength. And I say without boasting that the armies of Yamato are the mightiest within the Quaz Xialjyet."
The Hornet Prince's boast made most uncomfortable, but none denied the truth of it. Prince Pierre was the first to speak on the topic. "If you insist, Quaz Marat. By all means, have at them."
"In this task, Yamato wishes to be aided by two other Hives, to insure total and overwhelming force is applied in the wake of our first attacks. Goldenhive. Nickelhive. Will you aid us in this endeavor? Will you lend this offensive your strength?"
Charmy and Mello looked at each other. Both saw it. Goldenhive and Nickelhive were close. Involving them in an attack on the dingo with the Hornets would force them to comply with the war effort, as their armies would be far from their home bases in the north. Any betrayal would, at best, strand the armies in enemy territory.
"A fine idea!" Prince Argent blurted out happily.
He knew that if Goldenhive and Nickelhive went fighting in the south, it would leave the initial defense of the northern territories to Silverhive and Ironhive. Which would in turn, put Prince Argent, as the leader of the larger Hive, in overall command of that theater. Charmy bristled at the thought. Still, to decline would be great insult and loss of face. He had no choice but to acquiesce.
"How many armies would you need to assist you?" Charmy asked.
"Ideally," Kenichi answered, making his terms known. "From each Hive, an Offensive Army to spearhead operations, in addition to both Expeditionary Armies hatched for the outbreak of hostilities."
"Both of them?" Mello asked, with a look of surprise.
"That would leave only one Defensive Army for each of our Hives!" Charmy growled. "And the Reserves, of course. We'd be nearly defenseless against a counterattack!"
"You will have the full might of Silverhive and Nickelhive to hold back the echidna." Kenichi pointed out.
"In addition to The Baq Tak, the Armies of the Yellow Jacket Hive." Taji promised. "Yes. More than enough to push back the echidna. Enough to advance on them, even! Enough to take the city of Echid Salir, I dare say."
"You will be well guarded." Kenichi promised. "Should the offensive fail, however, we will be in dire straights indeed. To this fight, Yamato commits ALL its Armies save the reserves. Ten Armies, a third of our collective forces, will descend on the dingo, and crush them swiftly. By the honor of Yamato, I swear it will be so!"
Charmy did feel a little better campaigning against the dingo instead of the echidna, but not a lot better. The other Princes however, buzzed excitedly again, stirred by Kenichi's words and bluster.
"With a settlement to have the dingo remove themselves wholly from the island, we will also avoid the possible intervention of the Kingdom of Acorn, which is still rebuilding in the aftermath of the Eggman Wars." Prince Ferric smiled, slightly. "Ironhive approves of this course of action."
"Silverhive also approves," Argent said, eagerly.
"As does the Great Colony of Maison," Pierre added.
Taji and Kenichi kept silent. It was obvious what their opinions were. With a sigh, Prince Mello spoke up. "Very well. Nickelhive agrees."
All eyes turned to Charmy.
"Goldenhive… consents to this course of action," he finally said.
"Good." Kenichi's broad smile showed twin rows of razor sharp teeth. "Once the offensive against the dingo is finished, we can push on to Lava Reef and Hydrocity. These are our main objectives in the war, in addition to wiping out the echidna."
"Lava Reef is an uncharted warren of volcanic activity. Must we really expend lives taking it?" Prince Argent whined.
Kenichi looked at Argent with mild annoyance.
"Lest we forget, Honored Princes… somewhere within Lava Reef lays the hidden city of Formicidae. To truly defeat the echidna, we must defeat their benefactors: our distant cousins the Fire Ants." The Hornet Prince slammed his hand down on the table. "They must be crushed. Utterly! That responsibility lies primarily with you, Prince Pierre, and the talented engineers of your Paper Wasp Hive."
"Underground warfare…" Pierre smiled crookedly. "Is the specialty of Maison. We have skirmished with the Fire Ants before. Remove all other distractions, and the full weight of Maison will bring down the walls of Formicadae. I will gladly direct all but our Defensive and Reserve Armies for this task."
"That leaves the rest of us to concentrate on making sure the dingo live up to their treaty, and wiping out the echidna military machine." Kenichi highlighted the expanses of territory controlled by Echidnapolis. "With the dingo beaten and withdrawing, we can push onward to Hydrocity and the settlements and industries east of Echidnapolis. With them occupied, fighting on the western front to reclaim Echid Salir, we will strike from both angles. We will grind them into dust."
"However," Kenichi cautioned. "This is contingent upon weakening the echidna in a first, mortal blow, from which they will not be able to recover in time."
"We have discussed this before," Prince Ferric stated. "How are we to cripple the echidna in a manner that gives us time to take the dingo out of the war?"
"Let us review the forces that will be arrayed against us," Kenichi began, obviously introducing his latest plan. "The Echidnapolis military consists of two branches, the so called Self Defense Forces, under the civilian authority of the Echidnapolis Defense Council, are led by this mobian: Conservator-General Wesson..."
The image of en elderly echidna, brick colored, with a graying beard, appeared.
"And the Echidnapolis Security Agency, under the command of Constable Remington."
Another image appeared: of a lighter red echidna, with a mop of black hair.
"Both are competent commanders, however it is the forces arrayed under Wesson that will cause us the greatest trouble. While the one known as Remington has organized successful tactical and strategic operations on a small level, it is not expected that his 'police' forces will conduct themselves in a manner threatening to our troops on anything more than an individual level. Wesson, on the other hand, not only has command over a formidable and growing military machine, he himself is a keen military mind with a sound grasp of strategy."
Charmy, who knew Remington on a personal level, had to agree with this. While the Constable was not one to be underestimated, he had never thought of things on the scale necessary to fight a war. His troops weren't even considered 'military' by anyone outside the Quaz Xialjyet. The Hives, however, had no notion of the need for a police force, as their workers and soldiers were all mindlessly obedient.
"I have read his book, "The Means and Methods Inherent to Modern Warfare," and I believe this is a mobian worthy of the title of Prince. To face both him, and his dingo counterpart General Stryker, in battle…" Kenichi gave a pleased grunt. "It is an honor we should all savor."
"Now!" Kenichi quickly got back to business, and the screen displayed a long scrolling text document. "This is an excerpt from our most up to date collective intelligence reports, all of which were forwarded to you one week ago. This summarizes the extent of the Echidnapolis military, as well as their Order of Battle."
He read from the text.
"Standing army is approximately twelve thousand, with forty three thousand listed as reserves, for a total theoretical army size of fifty five thousand soldiers. Echidnapolis can theoretically field eight full Divisions of troops, each having roughly five thousand five hundred men, including support staff. Each Division comprises four Battalions, which in turn comprise four Regiments, which are made of four Companies. Every Company is further augmented by high-energy field guns and missile batteries, as well as mechanized transport craft."
The screen began displaying pictures of the energy howitzers, towed by half-track vehicles. Another half-track sported modular missile banks attached to the sides. It then showed much larger weapons systems, fully tracked, sporting heavy armor.
"Every Division is also equipped, theoretically, with larger scale Divisional Artillery, of the 80 and 124mm variety, copied from dingo designs. These are all self propelled, as you can see, though not heavily armored. That honor is reserved for the neonate Division Armored Units, divided into Light Armor, Heavy Armor, and (supposedly) Transforming Armor Brigades. Echidnapolis currently operates two main heavy weapons platforms that fill these roles."
The screen changed, and split, showing the two squat tracked vehicles, one notably smaller than the other and sporting a much more petite barrel for its main gun.
"The smaller vehicle is the ACV3-B2, designated as the 'Tobor' class combat vehicle. This is the echidna military's preferred infantry support platform, and it designed to operate in purely an anti-personnel role. We are unable to verify the power of the main gun, a typical echidna plasma accelerator, but estimate that is it between 100 and 200 megajoules. More obvious on the design is a 20mm automatic grenade launcher, on a remote mount. There also seems to be a modular port on the left for other weapons systems."
"The larger vehicle is the ACV4-D1, designed as the 'Mathias' class." While Kenichi spoke, Charmy absently wondered how the Guardians felt about their dead ancestors being used to name weapons systems. "The 'Mathias' class utilizes a much more powerful version of the plasma accelerator used on the 'Tobor.' Again, we have been forced to make estimates to its strength, but believe it to be between 700 and 800 megajoules in output. Echidna press releases boast that the weapon uses a 'conical shaped plasma charge' designed to penetrate heavy armor. Its anti-personnel equipment is limited to a coaxially mounted laser and a standard non-remote machinegun swivel mount near the cupola."
"Lastly, I must bring to your attention: this," Kenichi said, and the screen showed what looked like a fighter plane with legs. "Even before the Battles of Knothole and Nor'easter, which demonstrated the power of the Transforming Armored Vehicle or War Machine, Legion Industries had began experiments on the concept. Despite being owned and operated by the Dark Legion, the Echidnapolis military quickly expressed an interest in their research following the end of the Eggman Wars, and in light of the Prower Dynamics monopoly on Transforming Fighter Technology. While Echidnapolis no doubt hopes to one day become an independent manufacturer of these weapons, it has for the time being placed a high profile order for 'Cyclone' class War Machines. Already, a squadron of six have been delivered, and are undergoing trial testing prior to integration into the EDF."
"Cyclones…" More than one Prince grumbled warily. The Battles of Knothole and Nor'easter had given the Transforming Fighters an impressive reputation. While the other vehicles in the Echidna arsenal were impressive, all were untested in battle. Cyclones were not.
"Honored Princes. Fellow Princes." Kenichi quickly cut in to squelch the grumbling. "Let us all remember that the Cyclone, while formidable, is not invulnerable. Moreso, the six that the echidna possess do not even have properly trained pilots flying them. More importantly, let us not forget that this is an army built to fight the Eggman, and his Combot Legion."
At this, the room calmed, and Princes nodded.
"This is an army geared for that purpose. But the Legion it was designed to fight no longer exists. It is also a strongly offensive army, ill suited to defending terrain. The echidna further lack the spirit and the strength of resolve to make full use of their technological developments. They are soft and pampered and weak! When their losses begin to mount, they will panic and become desperate. They will flee before us, and abandon their tanks and guns."
"So you think," Charmy countered.
"And… even if they do not, we shall still prevail. We will handily outnumber them, even with their reserve forces called up to fight," Kenichi boasted, proudly. "Their tanks and planes and artillery can and will be countered with our own weapons systems. And with our zeal. We, too, have constructed our own tanks, and our own guns, and our own bombs, and our own mighty weapons of war. There are really only two things we lack. The first is a Navy, but even the echidna possess only a handful of boats on Angel Lake, and the Ocean far below. So our lack of a Navy is not an issue."
"And the other deficiency?" Prince Argent inquired.
"We don't have… this." Kenichi loaded up a new set of images. There were of something large under construction in what appeared to be a drydock by the water. Another was of something similar but it was under construction by the edge of the island. Finally, images of drawings and computer models appeared. More than one Hive Princes shifted uneasily in his seat.
"There are four in all, in varying states of construction," Kenichi explained. "Modeled after the First Eggcarrier and the Flying Battery built by the Eggman, they are designed to be the centerpieces of a new Echidnapolis Air Force that will give it effective power projection onto the continent."
A slowly spinning image of the new airship began to display different statistics. Model Type: CBH-7. Command Platform Carrier-Battleship Hybrid. Length: 263.5 meters. Width: 45.7 meters. Height: 77.8 meters. Displacement: 27500 tons. Four Heavy Duty Fusion Nuclear Reactors. Mark Two Predictive Magnetic Pulse Shielding. Three Dual Barreled Plasma Cannons. Nine point defense laser interceptors. Two medium range missile launch bays. A hanger for attached Aircraft and Transforming Armor. Plus, what looked like a unidirectional Ion Canon at the nose. In fact, the whole ship looked like a flying gun.
Charmy licked his lips, and looked around the room. His father was, of course, not totally cognizant of anything that was going on. Kenichi seemed unimpressed, but he had seen the data before. Taji looked chagrined but he, too, probably knew all this already. The other Princes looked either shocked or a little afraid. What they saw before them was smaller and weaker than the newly rebuilt Nor'easter (the former Eggcarrier), but that particular ship was still beached like a whale near Knothole. If these ships took to the air (four of them!) then Echidnapolis could truly make the claim of being the world's foremost military power.
"These four ships… are the most powerful ever designed and built by mobiankind." Kenichi let that sink in. "However, Honored Princes, none of them are complete."
At that, there were relieved sighs.
"Incomplete, but for how long, Ken?" Pierre asked, wiping his brow. "How long before those things take to the sky?"
"I will get to that in a moment, Good Prince." Kenichi took a deep breath. "These massive ships are being built in two places: The Marble Garden Shipyards, far to the east, and the Angel Lake Shipyards, on the eastern edge of Ice Cap Zone. Those located by the lake are the two nearest completion, as those Shipyards are larger and more developed. Princes, I give you those two ships."
A picture of the Shipyard built at the edge of Angel Lake appeared. Numerous ships were under construction in the massive drydock complex, but the two nearly complete hulks that made up the battlecarriers were obvious and visible.
"The one to the south is the EDS Midnight Prayer and the one to the north is its sister ship, the EDS Manifest Destiny, for which this class of ship will be named." Kenichi changed the display to the other shipyard. "The northern ship here is called the EDS Price of Freedom and the southern is the EDS Mostly Harmless. By our estimates, the EDS Manifest Destiny will be completed and ready for combat operations in one month. The Midnight Prayer will be finished in three months, as will the Mostly Harmless. Lastly, the Price of Freedom will be able to set sail in six to eight months."
"Troubling news," Taji said, gravely. "Troubling, yes. Very. A ship like that is very strong. Stronger than any of our planned airships. Much, much stronger."
"That the military base near the shipyard is also the base for the Echidnapolis War Machines should be seen as an additional opportunity to rid ourselves of yet more threats to our reconquest." Kenichi grew one of his trademark toothy grins. "But we must strike before the first Battlecarrier can be finished. We must strike at the closest shipyard, where the EDS Manifest Destiny is being fitted for launch. We must strike, and we must strike hard!"
The assembled Princes nodded at this.
"It will be months before they can launch another," Mello said. "Will it be enough time?"
"Even a great ship like that, all alone, will fall to our combined forces." Prince Argent sounded confident. "Four would be an almost insurmountable challenge. Even three would jeopardize our entire war effort. But one or two I think we can handle."
"At this point…" Prince Ferric paused, collecting his thoughts. "We can not turn back. The eggs have been laid; they only await the orders to hatch. We have kept that first generation in stasis for too long already. Every day, in Ironhive, a dozen eggs degenerate and must be destroyed. This attrition will exponentially increase as time goes on. I am sure that this is already occurring in your Hives as well."
The assembled Princes glanced at each other, and knew that it was true.
"We have stockpiled food and water for only six months, once the Eggs are hatched," Ferric continued, still in monotone. "We much begin the process immediately. We must begin raising our armies, and we must finalize a first strike plan of action. In light of the appearance of these ships nearing completion, our hand is forced. We must strike at them, and soon, or loose all hopes for expansion. In which case the Quaz Xialjyet has failed."
Ferric's dull voice belied the seriousness and weight of his words.
The Princes were silent for a full twelve seconds.
"We must strike," Argent said, finally.
"We must strike," Mello agreed, much to Charmy's surprise.
"We must strike." Kenichi added his voice.
"We must strike!" Prince Pierre shook his fist.
"We must strike!" Prince Taji repeated, forcefully.
Charmy was the last. He cupped his hands in front of him, and closed his eyes. "The dictates of the Quaz Xialjyet are absolute and the situation is do or die. Our standing Armies are all ready, and with duty in their hearts they await our orders to march. The Conclave is in agreement. We must… strike."
"Then… in the name of the Quaz Xialjyet…" Kenichi stood up, his fist in the air. "Ice Cap Zone… will be set aflame! And the Reconquest of Angel Island will begin!"
"What are you going to do?" Saffron asked, softly. Charmy had always loved her voice. He regretted not asking her to sing for him, one last time, before he left.
"What am I going to do?" Charmy blinked, and paused. She had to know. She had to understand.
"I'm going to do what I have to," he answered. "What I think is right. If I am to be King, let me at least try and keep my principles intact."
With that said, the Prince of Goldenhive, and former Chaotix, left his wife and future Queen. He left the First Nursery behind him, and quickly caught up to Prince Kenichi. The Prince of Hornets towered over Charmy, and both walked side by side up to a higher level of Goldenhive, and finally out to the Grand Chamber. This was the center north of the Hive, near the primary entrances, and it was the largest open space constructed by his people – a three quarters sphere, and two hundred meters in diameter at the widest. Charmy and Kenichi met the other Princes at another balcony, overlooking the Grand Chamber.
Arrayed in that vast open space, like a sea of yellow and black…
Rank after rank of soldiers waited, buzzing softly. They carpeted the chamber floor, and the many enclaves built into the walls. All of them together made a low droning noise: a sound that made it difficult to think, much less be heard. Not that they needed to hear any inspirational speeches, or excuses for why they should fight and die. They were mindless things, like toy soldiers or wind up dolls. And yet, they were family, too.
To Charmy's left, Prince Argent crossed his arms, as if unimpressed. "Pick out a couple thousand, and let's be on our way, will you please?"
Prince Ferric nodded in agreement. "We do not want to miss the rendezvous. Time is of the essence."
Charmy looked down at the assembled warriors of Goldenhive. They were only the beginning. Already, eggs had hatched. Already, drones were maturing, and being placed in their proper caste. Training took only a week or so, and maturation a month and a half. This was only the first in a series of terrible waves destined to wash over Angel Island, and drag it down into the Hell of War.
An attendant, another of the Breeder caste, approached. She wore nothing more than the soldiers below did, her higher caste was only easily discerned by her scentless pheromones. There was a helmet, white in color, a yellow and black organic vest over the torso, and a simple brown belt with a handful of pouches. The helmet, in particular, reminded Charmy is his time in the Chaotix, when he had worn the very same headgear, taken from the royal armory before he ran away.
"My Lord? Your orders?" She asked, her tone perfectly normal. Charmy's kind had no need for displays of loyalty and subservience, like bowing and kowtowing. Every breeder and drone knew their place, and never deviated. Absolute devotion made such showmanship pointless.
"Swarms Thirty Eight, Thirty Nine and Forty," Charmy slowly replied. The attendant inclined her head in acknowledgement, and ran off to gather the nearly two thousand seven hundred soldiers he had so casually made mention of. Charmy felt a clammy coldness in the pit of his stomach.
Angel Island had avoided the final days of the Eggman Wars.
And now, it would know a special brand of chaos.
And he, Prince Charmy, would be there to see it all fall apart.
