A/N: Sorry it took a while for this chapter to come out. The research took a bit of time and job searching with covid is just depressing.
Tmesithehus: I appreciate the help a lot mate. Feel free to correct me if I get anything wrong.
Anyway, I'll try to keep posting once a week and let's start.
Chapter 10: On each side of the Glass
Sadera, The Empire of Sadera, Falmart continent
20:58 hrs
The setting sun filtered through the stained glass above a golden throne, splashing on the red thick carpet that splayed out from the seat of power.
" The VI Malleus and VII Domitor corps* exist only in name and a handful of men," a bald middle-aged man reported urgently in a whisper, his waist folded, bowing at a 90-degree angle, "only 34 wyverns have returned with riders and a total of 41 legionaries."
A greying man sat leisurely on the throne adorned in gold and purple, legs crossed. He raised his right hand to rub his chin.
" What of the auxiliaries, Marcus?"
The shiny headed Marcus replied, " Most of the auxiliary infantry survived, we need to count to know the exact numbers. 3 giants, 15 orcs, and 37 goblins have also come back."
"And our gains?"
" Around 40,000 slaves and some artifacts that are being studied right now. We cannot afford a war like this."
" Hmph."
The Glorious Emperor of Sadera Molt Sol Augustus stood up, both hands grasped onto the arms of the throne, lifting himself off his seat.
" Let no one speak anymore about the gate. Execute the monsters that have returned and conscript the auxiliaries," he said as he strolled through the throne room. He stepped lightly on the thick carpet that led to the doors.
Following behind him, Marcus warned him.
"But sire, if the auxiliaries enter Imperial service and don't return to their city-states, the security of the fields will suffer."
The ruler just waved him off, " We need new Legions to replace the 10 we lost. The city-states will have to make do."
They paused in the conversation as two of the Imperial Guards stationed at the throne room doors opened the large door open.
The Emperor continued as they walked through the doorway, " I want a corp sent to fortify the gate, no one goes in and no one comes out. Send…"
They came to a halt, the man lifting his head in thought.
" Send Diabo and the II Gladius Imperium Corp to build constructs and seal off the gate. 5 veteran legions should be enough for him to hold the enemy back with the choke point. And it will let him get even with Zorzal's Northern campaign. Slowly mobilize the V and VIII Corps in preparation."
" A great plan, your majesty." Marcus bowed again, kissing at the man's feet, figuratively.
" I want the wyverns back to breed, we need to increase our air army if the vassals' revolt. Build up another monster army as well. Imprison the commanding legate's family, he has failed us."
Marcus interrupted Molt from his train of thought.
" Your Grace, shouldn't we be more worried about the other world. They did destroy 2 corps and a lot of the air army," the middle-aged man's face wrinkled heavily in worry, " the stories of fire, steel animals, and mages cause one to fear the other side."
From his pockets, he revealed several small, colourful cloth rectangles, each one with superb embroidery and scratchy backs.
" These seem to be the different nations of mages from the defenders' clothing," Marcus slowly flipped through the patches, " they may form together like the vassal kingdoms once had."
The first rectangle had a bright, white backdrop with a centered blue and red mixed circle and black lines surrounding them sat at the top, followed by a bloody full red rectangle, one large golden star surrounded in the top left corner by four smaller just as golden stars. Turning these two cloth pieces aside, he continued to display the others. A horizontally striped flag of saffron, white and green with a navy blue flag followed, pushed aside by a vertically striped red and blue box with a golden castle on the left and another blue, yellow, and green with a sun depicted on the right.
Reaching once again into his pockets, he pulled out another cloth piece, this one was torn and burnt. A somewhat white backdrop, darkened by soot and charcoal, with a barely visible red center.
The man spoke again, taking the flag adjourned with a golden castle and placing it into the emperor's hands.
" We believe this nation leads the alliance, with the others being allies and," he pulled the blackened and sun depicted flags to the top of the pile, " these two being the vassals as the sun describes constant work and the red surrounded by white represents the blood spilled for the country."
The leader glanced at the golden palace before closing his eyes in thought. Marcus paused as he waited for an answer.
Looking back up, Molt just patted the anxious man on the shoulder before replying, " No worries my old friend, our enemies will deal with that."
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The UNEFF, or the United Nations Emergency Forces for Falmart, was the peacekeeping mission formed one week after the cleanup of Rubkona to allow the nations to march through the Gate. The build-up of foreign forces continued into the country, to the protest of the South Sudanese government. Battle-hardened American troops, well-equipped Russian forces, trained Chinese soldiers, and mechanized Indian units flooded into the exclusion zone alongside the smaller forces of Mongolia, Korea, Canada, Japan, and the African Union.
It was decided by the UN council that the African Union and American soldiers would hold the outer zone border, searching and disarming any that entered. This turned into a massive undertaking as the US forces took a hard stand against the SPLA, arresting any who were suspiciously in the area and disarming them. The native populace, knowing that passing the zone border would mean safety and international aid, rushed to the UN established lines. The sheer amount of sanctuary seeking people caused the New Zealand UN commander in the country to send the Korean forces and parts of the Indian forces to aid the searching and processing of civilians.
Two 4-kilometre-long runways were rushingly paved within the zone to allow a large number of goods and troops to unload. A Berlin Airlift situation developed where Ilyushin Il-76s, C-130s, and Xi'an Y-20s would land every 15 minutes on the Eastern landing strip, offloading mass amounts of infantry and military equipment. The other paved runway had A400M Atlas, Kawasaki C-2s, C-17 Globemaster IIIs, and AN-124 Ruslans unloading a number of armoured vehicles and UN food supplies.
Kenya had offered its only port city of Mombasa to allow UN forces to land in Africa and use the only highway that led into South Sudan and to Rubkona. Of course, they would have to force their way into the reluctant country and travel almost the entire width of it, but this was the only choice for the large number of heavy vehicles, infantry units, and equipment scheduled to be in the exclusion zone. Emergency shelter and building equipment would be shipped in later to ensure any people who had been displaced by the direct combat zone from their homes would have their basic needs met.
The initial wave included the Chinese 12th High Mobility Medium Combined Arms Division**, three battalions of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, a battalion-sized contingent from the JGSDF Overseas Dispatch Force, the 33rd Armoured Division of the Indian Armed Forces, the entirety of the Mongolian 1st Infantry Battalion***, and the Russian Federation's 19th Motostrelki Division. The 4th Infantry Division of the United States of America would also be sent alongside to reinforce the Exclusion Zone along with all forces sent by members of the African Union. Other nations were either preparing or debating on forces to be sent in the second wave. Most notable of these were Rwanda and Korea, with the Rwandans massing mobile forces and the Koreans stuck in the quagmire of politics and national defense. Further forces of other UN peacekeeping participants would enter in a further third, fourth, and fifth wave.
It was unknown the full stance of the South Sudanese government on the mass amount of international troops carving a vertical path through the entire country from South to North, but it was decided to ignore the nation's protests, albeit with a watchful eye and a robust guard.
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Mombasa Port
15:40 hrs
The tan M3A3 Bradley IFV emerged from the engine roaring interior of the transport ship's hold and lumbered off the ramp to frantic flag flapping and gawking eyes. Kenyan civilians had flocked and surrounded the assembled UN forces as they landed. 1st Lieutenant Jack Ryan stood above his hatch, watching in somewhat awe of the masses cheering them on from the sides of the streets. His gunner, Hutch Kelly, also had his head above the turret grinning like a madman. None of the international forces expected such a warm welcome in an African nation. A lot of the foreigners could only smile and wave.
Mike Garcia, the driver, drove the tracked vehicle to follow after their wingman Bradley. They joined the line after the Russian formations. The hundreds, if not thousands of vehicles made their way through the adoring crowds in Mombasa to the quiet outskirts to the vast expanse of the bleak arid dusty road that led to South Sudan. A full 8 hours of driving allowed the lines of vehicles to halt outside of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, to swap drivers to allow the men rest. Another swap after another 8 hours, at the third swap, the border was reached. By now, a full day of travel had passed, another day was needed before Rubkona would be reached by the lead unit of the Russian tanks. However, for the second day of the 50-hour journey, ammunition was to be chambered and all guns ready to fire before crossing the border. A fuel station was formed with multiple tanker trucks stopping on the Kenyan side of the border, filling up every vehicle before they drove over the slight berm that represented the border between the two separate countries.
As the vehicles continued down the same dusty road, the men prepared themselves and became vigilant. The scenery didn't change as sand dune replaced sand dune and lonely trees replaced lonely trees as they dotted the landscape.
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A/N: I'll be honest, I kinda procrastinated with the chapter, and it's a short one. Don't worry, I'll make up for it. Anyway, see you in the next one, and review to help me out.
*One Saderan Corp= 5 Legions= 25,000 Legionaries
**Made up Chinese division as I could not find any divisions that would fit
***The Mongolian 1st Infantry battalion was assigned the peacekeeping unit of the nation in 1996
