Hyperdimension Neptunia - Across the Multiverse
A HyperDimension Neptunia Fanfiction by Dumbrarere1
Chapter 20 - Alinor
The group on the Sea Strider had been at sea for a few days. Having left the bay, and the Niben River, they were now sailing west towards Alinor at full speed. They were currently south of Valenwood, and had been joined by other Imperial ships heading to Alinor.
"Gentlemen. I know you're chomping at the bit to fight the Aldmeri Dominion. To be fair, I'm kind of nervous, too. We'll be receiving reinforcements from Ulfric's boys and the Jedi Knights coming out from Solitude once we make landfall. If you see any of those Sith, or the rogue CPU Kurome, leave them to the Jedi and the CPUs. We'll deal with the High Elves, and show them that the Empire will not be trampled over." General Tullius said, addressing the men. "We are to fight through their Gods-forsaken heartland, and force them to capitulate. If any one of you find General Silinius, you have permission to kill him on sight. That is all." he continued, to the cheers of the soldiers. Asriel sighed as he sat on a crate, bored out of his mind.
"I swear, it wasn't this bad on the Endeavor…" he groaned.
"I feel you, Asriel… The stark contrast between a starship and… well, this… is glaring." Kira agreed.
"The Sea Strider may not be the kind of ship that you Jedi are familiar with, Kira, but she's the best ship in the Cyrodilic Empire's fleet. At the least, she is a ship." Gonnaer said.
"That's true, I suppose. Perhaps you can get used to it, Asriel." Kira said, trying to appeal to both of their comments.
"Yeah, but… I just wish there was more to do, here." Asriel said, peering off the side. That was when General Tullius approached, sighing as he took in the sea breeze coming in towards the coast.
"I'll admit, I've never been much good as a naval commander." he said.
"Dragonborn! Dominion ships off our bow, closing fast!" an Imperial lookout shouted. Gonnaer, Andrew, General Tullius and Ulfric ran to the bow. Indeed, a large fleet sailed toward them, aiming to halt the invasion in its tracks.
"That's quite a large fleet…" General Tullius said.
"All hands, prepare for combat!" Gonnaer shouted. Around him, shouts can be heard as the bronze cannons were loaded with gunpowder and iron balls. On the bow, incendiary bolts were loaded onto the ship's ballista.
On board the Dominion flagship, one of Alinor's best admirals, a Justiciar named Eriath Joral stood at the bow as the Thalmor soldiers loaded incendiary bolts into a massive ballista.
"Admiral Joral." her first mate began.
"What have you got me?" Eriath asked as she peered out to sea.
"I believe that, through the Dominion's spies in Cyrodiil, I have identified the flagship of the invading Imperial fleet, ma'am. It's the Sea Strider, the Empire's most advanced warship. She's armed with extremely heavy guns, and…" the first mate began. He hesitated to continue, however.
"And?" Eriath asked, slightly annoyed with the young officer's hesitance.
"And it's currently under the command of the Dragonborn from Skyrim, ma'am… Gonnaer the Unwavering. Three of the Jedi that Lord Denzion warned us about are with him, as are the CPUs, General Tullius and Ulfric Stormcloak." the first mate continued. Eriath tightened her grip on the railing in anger.
"All hands, prepare the Alinor's Flame for combat. I'll take on the Dragonborn myself." Eriath said, turning to the crew.
"I recognize that ship…" General Tullius said.
"What?" Asriel asked.
"The Alinor's Flame… It spearheaded the Dominion invasion of Cyrodiil through Anvil during the Great War. I've seen artwork of her in battle when I was in training." General Tullius said.
"Guns are loaded, sir!" a sailor called out. The Imperial archers stood ready with flaming arrows, ready to loose them at the enemy ships.
"Hold! Wait for my signal!" Gonnaer said as they crossed into the fleet. The Alinor's Flame fired its ballista at a smaller Imperial ship, and it instantly burst into flames. "Hold…" he continued. The seconds ticked by, until they were between the enemy flagship and its sister ship. "NOW!" he shouted. The sea suddenly echoed with cannonfire, and large splinters of wood came out of both of the Dominion ships. The archers loosed their burning arrows into the Alinor's Flame, followed by the incendiary bolt from the Sea Strider's ballista. These set the enemy flagship's sails and mainmast alight, stopping it dead in the water and leaving embers that caught fire on its deck. The rest of the Imperial Fleet soon followed with their own fire arrows, laying waste to significant numbers of the Aldmeri fleet.
"Enemy boarding party! To arms!" General Tullius called out as a gangway lowered, acting as a bridge between the two flagships. Eriath was the first to cross, using magic against the Dragonborn. As ruthless as she was, and in spite of her using ward spells to protect herself, she woefully underestimated Gonnaer's strength; her attempt was met instantly with a blast from his Thu'um, sending her flying halfway across the deck. His shout almost deafened the Sea Strider's guns as they sent another volley into the enemy flagship. That was when a Sith Apprentice with a double-bladed lightsaber joined the battle. He snuffed the life out of the weakened Eriath, before turning his attention to Asmund.
"Jedi!" the apprentice shouted, before running in to attack, killing sailors and soldiers in his way. Asmund was quick to retaliate, using the Force to shove Ulfric out of the way of an oncoming strike from the Sith that was tearing through their forces. He then quickly turned the tide, disarming the apprentice by cutting off his hands. Ulfric saw Asmund's heroism and thanked him as he was helped back to his feet.
"Take this!" Asriel shouted as he sent a blast of fire magic towards three Thalmor soldiers, who quickly jumped overboard to snuff the fires. That was when an explosion suddenly sent a Thalmor warship alight, as the Ballista did its job. More cannonfire echoed, and the forward mast, ballista and steering mechanism on the Alinor's Flame were knocked out.
"Down you go!" Andrew yelled as he took three Thalmor soldiers on, killing them one after the other instantly. A cowardly Altmer attempted to jump overboard, only to be shot by a fellow Thalmor archer with an arrow. One final blast of the Ballista and cannons sent the now-burning Alinor's Flame to the bottom, an ironic twist for the ship that acted as a beacon for the Dominion's conquest of Tamriel. The sudden loss of the flagship and its sister ship broke the spirits of the enemy, and though many Altmer tried to continue the fighting, they either surrendered or were ultimately cut down. Even what little Sith were left in the fleet recognized they were beaten. What was left of the Aldmeri fleet that was in fighting condition either surrendered as well, or turned and fled.
"They're… they're surrendering!" Kira exclaimed.
"Victory is ours!" Andrew cried out, to the cheers of Imperial soldiers on board.
"Clean up the bodies, give our brethren a proper burial at sea. We shall continue towards Summerset Isle in their honor." Gonnaer ordered. The sailors and soldiers cleaned up and tended to their wounded, and thus they returned to full battle readiness within the hour.
Another two days of calm followed, before they were met with the rest of the Imperial invasion force from Anvil. They were already establishing a beachhead in Dusk Harbor for the rest of the invasion, but they were being whittled down by Thalmor archers and snipers from the Sith Empire, who were entrenched in defensive positions along the High Elven city's perimeter.
"Our men are being cut to pieces along the docks… What kind of weapons are those?" Ulfric asked.
"Blasters… Ranged weapons native to mine and Asmund's home dimension." Kira replied.
"Now the Sith Empire has soldiers in Tamriel? What kind of madness is this, anymore?" Asriel asked.
"While Lord Denzion would stop at nothing to conquer other dimensions, I doubt he would employ such a large force of soldiers here. More than likely, the snipers assisting the Thalmor are part of a larger, single company of about two hundred and fifty men, as a contingency against our invasion." Scourge said, thinking about Denzion's battle tactics.
"Why don't we take the heat off our men? Load the portside cannons and Ballista. Helmsman, bring us about, ninety degrees starboard." Gonnaer ordered. As ordered, the Sea Strider turned ninety degrees to starboard, while gunners loaded the bronze cannons and ballista.
"Guns loaded, sir! We await your order!" a sailor said.
"Alright! Knock down the gates!" Gonnaer said, and the cannonfire echoed towards the beachhead. He turned to the soldiers and the rest of the group on deck.
"Alright everyone! Advance at the sound of our cannons! We shall not stop until the city is ours!" Ulfric shouted, to the cheers of the Imperial soldiers. "Let's show the Thalmor what it means to mess with the Empire!" he concluded encouragingly, once again to the cheers of the Imperial soldiers. They then went to the boats and, with the group in tow, proceeded to row towards the docks.
The Imperials fighting along the docks were having a tough time, facing not only the archers, mages and soldiers of the Thalmor, but also soldiers armed with alien weaponry. A few had magics they were unfamiliar with and unprepared for.
"Dammit, we are getting cut to pieces here! We have to retreat from battle!" an Imperial Legate shouted, witnessing the losses they were sustaining. That was when he heard the echoes of cannonfire to his rear, and the Aldmeri defenses entrenched along the city walls were met with a nasty surprise. The alien weapons were silenced for a mere second, allowing the soldiers to rush forward towards cover.
"It's the Sea Strider! By the Divines, help has arrived!" another Imperial officer shouted. Behind them, they saw boats carrying reinforcements coming to shore. They were shocked to see Ulfric Stormcloak among them. The reinforcements made it to shore despite the heavy resistance coming from the city walls, as an incendiary bolt from the Sea Strider's ballista set some of the wall's occupants alight.
"Legate, what's the situation?" Ulfric asked.
"Ulfric Stormcloak…? The Dominion has our forces pinned to the docks… They're using weapons we've never seen before." the legate reported.
"General Tullius, Ulfric Stormcloak and I have been named supreme commanders of all Jedi, Stormcloak and Imperial forces on Summerset Isle. Advance at the sound of the Sea Strider's cannonfire. Let the Jedi and CPUs handle the Sith." Gonnaer said. The legate didn't know what to make of the information handed to him, but nodded in understanding. Cannonfire echoed across the sea once more, and the troops advanced. A sniper with a longblaster was unlucky enough to be directly below a cannon round as it hit the wall, causing it to crumble from underneath him and sending him falling to his death. Asmund and Kira leaped onto the ruined wall, taking out the remaining snipers and Thalmor archers. This helped to break the first line of defense, allowing the Imperials to breach the outer wall and pour into the city. The hordes of Altmer and Sith stood in their way, however, and despite taking them out fifteen to one, they were ultimately pushed back.
"Gods, Damn it!" the Legate from before shouted.
"We're being pushed back! We've got to retake control, or we're done for!" Andrew shouted. He, Asriel and Neptune activated HDD in an effort to halt the enemy's sudden countercharge, but found their efforts fruitless. That was when a loud roar echoed across the landscape, and the shadow of a dragon approached.
"Dragon!" an Imperial shouted.
"Stand fast, Dovahkiin. Bormahu dein pah; Akatosh guards all!" The dragon, Odahviing, shouted, before using fire breath on the enemy hordes. This sudden act pushed the Aldmeri defense to its breaking point.
"The dragons, sir, they fight with us!" the Legate shouted.
"All forces, advance! Push the enemy out of Dusk, or wipe them out!" Gonnaer shouted, raising the Dragonbane as he led the charge, regaining lost ground. Asmund and Lord Scourge leaped in front, quickly killing a Sith Lord and his apprentices long before they could become a threat.
"What's going on?! We're being pushed back!" an officer of the Sith Empire asked in shock.
"The Empire has Dragons fighting with them… This was unforeseen." a Thalmor Justiciar said.
"Our forces are far superior to theirs! This is a disgrace to our Dominion!" a Thalmor lieutenant shouted.
"How could it come to this?!" the Thalmor Justiciar asked.
"It's them… the CPUs… They dragged us all towards this humiliating defeat!" the Imperial officer shouted. "Lord Denzion was right… Our forces are no match for them…" he continued. The Thalmor justiciar wrote down on a piece of parchment, sending a message to the rest of the Thalmor invasion force bound for both Solitude and Anvil to cease preparations and join the defense of the Dominion. He tied the message to a carrier pigeon, before sending it off.
"Message is away… Pray to Auri-El that they make it in time…" he said.
The battle continued to rage, as the clashing of steel and the fury of soldiers echoed through the landscape. The roar of Odahviing's attacks supporting the Cyrodilic Empire's advance, as well as the cannonfire from the Sea Strider, oftentimes deafened the noise. Kira spun her lightsaber in front of her like a pinwheel, deflecting blaster bolts fired by scouts of the Sith Empire that were mixed in with the enemy battle lines. Asriel then used Star Blazing, the Area of Effect attack once again decimating the enemy lines.
The hordes continued to come, and it was clear that they were facing roughly half of the invasion force that was to attack the Empire. However, the combined Thalmor and Sith force was losing the battle one hundred and twenty-eight men to one, and as a result the chain of command responsible for Dusk's defense began to crumble rapidly.
"Fus Ro Dah!" Gonnaer shouted, sending some of the defending soldiers flying. A few of them slammed into soldiers behind them, killing or stunning them. Andrew used Meteor Storm as an area of effect attack, also knocking down large swaths of the Thalmor hordes. As the attack slowly chipped away at the Dominion forces' morale, the mounting losses began to increase. A Thalmor Justiciar raised his staff and called a lightning storm on the Imperial assault, but this did little to halt the advance.
"For the Empire!" a private shouted as he rushed the Justiciar, managing to shove his sword into her chest before being shot in the neck by a Thalmor Archer. They managed to take the Square, and the majority of the city's defenders lie dead at their feet. That was when a loud horn finally signalled the Aldmeri retreat.
"The day is ours!" General Tullius declared triumphantly. The Imperial soldiers cheered.
"It is regrettable that we had to kill so many to achieve this victory… This would all be easier if they had just surrendered." Kira said as she sheathed her lightsaber. Asmund and Scourge followed suit.
"Denzion's followers appear to be fanatical beyond reason. I doubt they'd have entertained the option of surrender." Scourge said.
"Message incoming!" a Thalmor scout shouted as a carrier pigeon landed at the staging camp north of Dusk. A Justiciar untied the note and read it, growing pale almost instantly.
"Report, Justiciar!" Kurome said as she, General Silinius and Lord Denzion approached.
"It seems the Empire has invaded Alinor through the city of Dusk, ma'am… They had the CPUs, Jedi, the Dragonborn, and a dragon on their side. In all likelihood, Dusk has already fallen." the Justiciar reported. Denzion had to fight the temptation to strike this Justiciar down for reporting the failure, knowing that it wasn't theirs.
"Interesting. A dragon, of all creatures in this world, helping our enemy... This was not expected." Denzion mused.
"There's more. We have to call off the invasion and come to the Dominion's defense." the Justiciar continued.
"I figured as such… I suppose Phynaster is calling on Malacath and Magnus to help us focus more on our island before we take the rest of Tamriel." General Silinius said with a dreary sigh.
"What are our orders?" a Shock Trooper loyal to Denzion asked as he stood up, picking up his blaster carbine. General Silinius turned to the Aldmeri invasion force that was meant to reinforce the first wave of the invasion in Solitude.
"Gentlemen, as you have no doubt heard, Alinor is under attack. The Empire has most definitely pushed our initial forces out of Solitude, and retaliated through Dusk. We are calling off our invasion. Instead, we shall ride to the capital and aid in its defense. Justiciars, send word to the garrisons in the other holds to abandon their posts and move swiftly towards the capital. Kurome, Lord Denzion and I will take charge in the defense." he ordered. "The rest of you, mount up and follow us." he concluded. The combined force, minus the Sith in the mix, saluted in response, before mounting their horses. General Silinius, Kurome and Lord Denzion mounted next, before leading the force southeast towards the capital of Alinor.
It had been about a day since the initial invasion of Summerset Isle, and Imperial and Stormcloak ships arrived, carrying much needed reinforcements from Solitude. With the Jedi Knights and the Stormcloaks now amongst the troops, the coalition was now back together. Additional reinforcements and needed supplies came from Anvil and other coastal towns within the Empire. Around the city of Dusk, priests of Arkay were giving last rites to men on both sides in preparation for burial or cremation, according to the traditions of the fallen soldiers' races. Asmund oversaw the burial of a scout within the Sith Empire, as he and his weapon were lowered into the gravesite.
"From ashes to ashes… Dust to dust. May Arkay bless you on your journey in the afterlife." the priest said, before two Imperials and a High Elf began the final phase of the burial.
"Feels kind of odd to be overseeing the burial of a fallen enemy…" Asmund admitted to himself, before he left to join Andrew, Ulfric and Gonnaer.
"The result of this battle, while swift and decisive, left a lot to be desired. We lost some good men in this fight." Andrew said with a sigh, kicking a rock gently with his foot in minor frustration.
"Even with our decisive, strategic victory, a few of the recruits and auxiliaries here did not expect to witness the losses sustained on both sides… They're shaken, but not deterred from their will to fight." General Tullius muttered.
"I can understand why they would be shaken, General… War can be a hard concept to swallow, even for a veteran." Andrew said. He looked over towards a Stormcloak talking with an Imperial.
"One of the Solitude Guards swore he saw a blue box appear out of thin air. Claims it was one of those 'Time Lords'. The man's been hitting the skooma, I'd say." the Stormcloak said.
"You don't say? Are you sure he didn't get bashed in the head by a Thalmor swordsman?" the Imperial asked.
"It's possible. Hey, why don't you say we get ourselves a bottle of mead?" the Stormcloak asked.
"After our victory, why not?" the Imperial said as he walked off with the Stormcloak.
"This was an interesting first step on the road to victory over the Dominion. It's going to get worse from here." Andrew said, turning back towards General Tullius.
"Agreed. We have to steel ourselves for the long road ahead." General Tullius said, before looking to a Stormcloak scout that ran up to them. "Report, Stormcloak." he ordered.
"All of the other holds of Alinor have been abandoned by the enemy, sir. They appear to be converging on the capital city in preparation for a counteroffensive." the Stormcloak scout reported.
"Or they intend to bolster its defense." Asmund interjected.
"Talos Alive, facing tens of thousands of Sith and Dominion soldiers will be a massacre." Ulfric exclaimed, horrified by the potential numbers.
"Not since the First Great War, or even the Oblivion Crisis, have we faced such a vast army. But I'm sure we'll have a plan." General Tullius replied, looking towards Andrew and Asmund, the latter of whom looked towards Gonnaer the Unwavering as he spoke with Odahviing in the plaza.
"I see… Even if we don't have a plan right away, the Divines will see us through to the end." Ulfric said.
"There is one trick we could use to thin their numbers and gain the element of surprise." Andrew said. "Does the Sea Strider still have gunpowder aboard?" he asked.
"They'll be ready with their archers facing the sea. A bombardment with the Sea Strider's guns will be too predictable." General Tullius warned.
"Yes. Which means they will be too busy to worry about what's happening beneath their feet." Andrew said. This comment drew a smirk across Ulfric's face.
"I think I like where this is going. Do go on." Ulfric said.
"I propose that we dig a tunnel under their wall and use what's left of the Sea Strider's gunpowder stores to knock it down, as well as collapse the city square from under them. If they evacuated the city, the resulting hole should take a decent chunk out of their fighting force and defensive potential without risking civilians. Our infantry and artillery can thin out the rest." Andrew proposed.
"An aggressive tactic, I admit. If there were other circumstances, I wouldn't go for it." Asmund said.
"This is what we've got, Asmund. There's far too many of them, and even with the forces we've got, we'd be overrun or otherwise forced into a long war of attrition. We have to use all of the cards handed to us and be smart about this." Andrew said.
"I like this plan. The moment we have the enemy capital in our sights, we'll hand out pickaxes and get men working on the tunnel as soon as possible." General Tullius said. Nepgear and IF approached, having taken stock of the situation.
"While I appreciate the short visit, and catching up with Nep face to face... Nepgear and I unfortunately have to return to Gamindustri, as soon as possible." IF reported.
"Why the rush, IF?" Andrew asked.
"As it turns out, things are starting to heat up all over Gamindustri. Muffet's new tea and pastry shop was looted not too long ago, and Sans needs my assistance in tracking down the perpetrators. My boss in the guild has briefed me on the situation, and all I can say is, it's not looking too good." IF replied, reporting the details of the ongoings back home.
"I take it that Histoire is returning as well?" Andrew asked.
"Of course. Oh, before I forget, Gears did some work on Asriel's new phone. It's now able to make calls from across dimensions, as well as having some new games if he ever gets bored." IF said as she handed Andrew a smartphone-like device.
"Consider it my gift to the Auxiliary CPU. I hope he likes it." Nepgear said.
"I think he will. Thanks, Gears, and good luck. Both of you." Andrew said, before Nepgear opened a dimensional gateway that took both her and IF back to Gamindustri.
Lance was focused on the work that Noire gave him while she was away. He couldn't help but admire his wife's resolve when it came to this kind of work. Part of the work was handling the PR and gamer fallout of Mackdivision's use of lootboxes in the latest installment of their hit Call to Duty franchise, as well as dealing with allegations of Mackdivision's CEO padding his wallet while firing over two hundred employees despite record sales.
As he walked amongst his people in the Market District of Lastation while following a lead from the Guild, he couldn't help but agree with Kagami's assessment that the sudden, corrupt behavior of Gamindustri's leading developers and publishers was either a part of, or a direct result of, the attempts by Kurome to resurrect the True Goddess and bring ruin to their world and countless others.
"Lance!" a feminine voice called out. He looked to see who it was, and the image of the combat medic from Gallia, Cossette, entered his view. She appeared to be with Sora and Cloud.
"Cossette? Sora, Cloud. What brings you here?" Lance asked.
"We were about to ask you the same thing, Lance. It's been a while." Cossette replied.
"Ah. I'm helping Noire, Uni, S-Sha and E-Sha investigate the issues related to the game development and publishing company Mackdivision. One of the Guild's leads brought me here." Lance said, explaining his wandering. "If you ask me, I agree with the assessment that the developments within that company are linked to our enemy's end goals." he continued.
"Ah. We were taking quests with the Guild, fighting the more ravenous monsters along the outskirts and bringing supplies to the various factories." Sora explained. The young Keyblade wielder placed his hands behind his head leisurely. "If you ask me, some of it is a drag." he continued, noting his displeasure at the absurdity of some of the quests.
"I feel you. Makes you wonder how Noire gets by with it. Can't help but admire her dedication." Lance said, agreeing with the younger boy's statement. That's when they heard screaming coming from the direction of one of Lastation's premier restaurants.
"Sounds like trouble!" Cloud said as everyone ran to investigate. They managed to stop one of the waitresses as she ran out of the restaurant, splattered food all over her.
"Ma'am, what's going on?" Lance asked.
"There's a ravenous monster, tearing up the restaurant! Run for your lives!" the waitress wailed, before attempting to make a beeline out of the area. Sora summoned his Keyblade, while Cloud, Lance and Cosette drew their weapons, before running into danger. The monster they were facing definitely had negative energy radiating from it, and it gave everyone a sense of dread. It was attacking a five-year-old girl, and she was crying for her mother in terror until Sora and Cloud intervened.
"We'll take this from here, Kid! Go find shelter somewhere!" Sora exclaimed. The little girl sought refuge with her mother while her rescuers kept the more ravenous monster from attacking her.
"Take this!" Cloud shouted as he used Omnislash against the monster. It howled in pain as Cloud's attack went to work. In support, Lance activated HDD, going from gunner to black knight in an instant, before he joined the fight against this monster. Eventually, the fight ended as the so-called 'Negativity Monster' was slain by a blast of light from Sora's Keyblade.
"You can come out, now." Cosette said, going to check up on the little girl's wounds, and those of her mother.
"You guys are heroes, you know that? If you and Black Shield hadn't shown up… how can we ever repay you?" the mother asked.
"No need to repay us, miss. Keeping the citizens of Lastation safe is a duty and an honor." Lance said as he left HDD. "Besides, Lady Black Heart would have done the same thing without a reward." he continued.
"There you go, little one. Your boo boos should be all fixed now." Cosette said as she finished tending to the little girl's injuries.
"Thank you, miss." the girl said, having gotten past her sobbing.
"We should return home, now. Goddess, bless you." the girl's mother said, before she and her daughter departed. Sora took the time to sheathe his Keyblade.
"The monsters that have been given citizenship in Planeptune would be terrified, if they had to face something like that… I can't help but worry about them." Cosette said.
"You sound like Compa." Lance said with a chuckle. "Anyways, I'm sure Uni, S-Sha and E-Sha have found some things out themselves, about what's going on. I should check in with them and compare notes." he continued.
It had been some time since the coalition forces were marching on the High Elven city of Alinor. Despite facing one attack after another in a battle of attrition, they remained strong, and finally, the city was in sight. General Tullius, Ulfric, and Gonnaer began handing out pickaxes to volunteers, whilst the remaining gunpowder barrels from the Sea Strider were brought in by cart. There was enough left to completely level the entire square.
The men began to dig, just shallow enough that the explosive solution would be insanely effective, yet deep enough that the enemy wouldn't see it coming. It took three days of plotting through soft soil, shoring up the ceiling and walls, and sheer force of will before the volunteers made it to the city square.
"Look above us. That's Alinor City Square, right there. Notice how the ground sags slightly from the weight of the statue?" one of the men, a Dark Elf, asked.
"We're in the right place. Shore up and spread the dig area around while we bring in the powder barrels. The Dominion's going to be in for quite the surprise." Andrew said, ordering the men to spread the tunnel into a cavern wide enough to put all of the powder barrels in one place, before leaving to give the go ahead to bring them inside. The volunteers knew that they were playing a game with death, working with gunpowder in such a way, but continued on regardless of the danger.
It took a total of six hours working through the surprisingly soft pocket of soil before the cavern was ready, and another hour before the gunpowder was in place. A Stormcloak finished the job by laying down a stream of gunpowder that could act as a makeshift detonation cord. When the order was issued to blow the barrels, all it took was a Dark Elf mage using fire magic to set the powder alight. Minutes ticked by, before the powder barrels detonated, collapsing the entire square and city gate, while simultaneously killing several thousand men in an instant.
"Charge!" General Tullius ordered as the combined army rushed towards the gates of Alinor. As Andrew predicted, the Dominion and its allies were caught completely by surprise, and the sudden charge that came after smashed their lines despite the numerical and weapons advantage that they held. Asriel quickly accessed HDD, and used Star Blazing to its maximum potential on the enemy hordes. Asmund threw his lightsaber, cutting down three Sith Lords and two Shock Troopers, as well as a Justiciar who got unlucky.
The echoes of the explosion that collapsed the city square made their way into the halls of the High Elven Elder Council chambers, followed by the cries of soldiers, the roar of a dragon and the clanging of steel as smoke rose from the city square.
"General Silinius! Councilmen! Alinor City is under attack! They've broken through our defenses!" a Justiciar reported as he ran in.
"What?! Our city is supposed to be an impregnable fortress! How'd they break through our defense so easily?!" one of the councilmen exclaimed in a fury.
"I- I don't know, wise Councilman! They did something to the city square before they charged in! They killed a fifth of our men!" the Justiciar shouted. It was clear that he was on the verge of panic. Lord Denzion looked up toward him with contempt. If it weren't for the fact that they were in the presence of the Elder Council, he would have killed this Justiciar right then and there, just because he could.
"A fifth of our entire army, killed in an instant?! This is absurd! Are you certain about this?!" One one of the Councilmen boomed.
"That explosion in the city square was no accident. Our friends in the Empire used black powder barrels to create that, probably from their flagship off the coast." another Councilman suggested.
"You seem to have given this a fair bit of thought!" yet another Councilman spat.
"Enough. This bickering isn't helping us." The Lead Councilman said, quelling the unrest within his Elder Council. Silence befell the room in that instant. "Alright. Kurome, Lord Denzion, General Silinius, I need the three of you to remain here and direct the defense. We cannot let the Empire and their Jedi allies enter this building, or everything we've worked hard to achieve will be forfeit." he concluded.
Kurome and Denzion were no doubt highly displeased. The world's fall into delusion was supposed to happen once the Imperial City was captured, and yet the opposite was occurring, and they both knew that their efforts in Tamriel were a lost cause. They would continue to act loyal, however, until the opportune moment.
The battle continued as the coalition pushed further and further into Alinor City, keeping the broken and disorganized enemy force on the defensive. Asmund watched as the odds began to shift further and further in their favor, as the Sith forces supporting the Dominion were getting cut down. It was a bloodbath, and Asmund hated the idea of it. He knew, however, that there were far greater things at stake. If the coalition offensive were to fail, they would ultimately be pushed back as far as Kvatch before the Empire could stop them, and by then it was likely that Kurome would have achieved her goal and destroyed the world of Nirn.
"Asmund! Look out!" Kira exclaimed as she leaped into his defense, blocking a Sith who attempted to cut him down while he was distracted. She disarmed him right then and there.
"Thanks, Kira." Asmund said as he got himself focused on the battle at hand, shoving his prior thoughts aside. Scourge leaped in and provided some much needed aid, and he and Asmund used a combined Force Lightning attack on multiple Dominion soldiers seeking to encircle the three of them and separate them from the rest of the forces.
"Star Blazing!" Asriel shouted, once again using Star Blazing on the large swaths of Dominion and Sith forces. Andrew and Neptune both began to notice that as the battle progressed, the situation began to rapidly deteriorate for the High Elves and their allies, and their attrition rate began to skyrocket, to the point that for every Coalition soldier was killed, at least seventy Dominion and Sith soldiers died.
With their morale in shambles, the vast majority of the Sith dead, and having suffered such staggering losses, the Dominion forces began to either retreat, surrender or outright change sides, and by sundown the enemy defense finally collapsed. Of the ten thousand strong forces that the High Elves assembled from the garrisons of the other cities, barely a thousand remained by the time that they reached the outer perimeter of the Alinor Palace, where the false Elder Council and the enemy supreme commanders were holed up. Despite the heavy price paid, it was a victory for the coalition, and the men cheered over it.
"Hard to believe that we've come this far so quickly. The divines have blessed us with a clear victory." General Tullius said as the CPUs, Asmund, Kira and Scourge finally joined them.
"We've paid a heavy price for this victory, General Tullius. Heavier than I'd have liked." Asmund admitted.
"We have. But I think we've humbled the High Elves. Never have I seen such a strong defense break so quickly." General Tullius admitted, before he looked towards Ulfric. "I never thought I'd be the one to say this, Ulfric… but I think I've come to respect you as an officer of the Imperial Legion." he admitted.
"As have I, General Tullius. Fighting alongside you, rather than against you, has opened up a new perspective." Ulfric admitted in return, before turning towards Asmund. "And you, Asmund. You and the Jedi Knights deserve some credit for this victory as well. If not for you, this victory would not have been possible." he added.
"To defend the Republic and its allies is a duty and an honor." Asmund said.
"I'm sure it is." General Tullius concurred.
"It's only a matter of time before General Silinius and his allies gather reinforcements in an attempt to push us back out. Perhaps we should finish this while we have the chance." Gonnaer reminded, looking towards everyone.
"Agreed. It is time that Talos return to his rightful place among the divines." Ulfric said. As the nine of them approached the palace courtyard. The Dominion soldiers that retreated into the palace knew what was coming, and wisely decided to back away as General Silinius, Kurome and Lord Denzion arrived to meet them.
"And so, you have us at a standstill, General Tullius. You gave us a humiliating and crushing defeat within our own city, and now have us cornered like rats in a cage. What now? Do you seek to humiliate us further? Will you chop off the heads of our government and feed them to the lions, and take what is rightfully ours?" General Silinius asked.
"This war is at an end, Silinius. You've broken the terms of the White Concordat, attacked settlements, towns, innocent people. The Empire will not stand for your conquest and subjugation any longer. It is high time that you and your false Elder Council answer for your treachery." General Tullius announced.
"You've got nowhere else to go, General, and the men under your command don't have the morale to keep fighting. Please, be smart about this and surrender. There's been enough bloodshed." Asmund said, trying to appeal to reason.
"The only surrender we will accept, is one where your empire falls, and all of Nirn recognizes us as their supreme rulers!" General Silinius shouted.
"Enough games. This has gone on long enough. You don't even have the manpower to keep fighting." Andrew countered.
"Oh, I think we have more than enough. With Lord Denzion and Kurome on our side, we can still put an end to this on our terms." General Silinius said, gesturing to those he believed were on his side. However, Kurome felt that it was high time she and her agent jumped ship.
"Actually…" she began. "...Lord Denzion and I have places to be." she announced.
"Wait- What are you-" General Silinius began, looking towards the two as Kurome opened a dimensional gateway, leading elsewhere.
"Have fun, General." she said as she and Denzion walked through the gateway, before it closed behind them.
"Kurome! Agh, Gods damn you!" General Silinius raved. Asmund and Lord Scourge both crossed their arms, having a feeling that she would abandon them when things didn't go as planned.
"Abandoned by Kurome when the Dominion's superiority was reduced to ash… Can't say I'm surprised." Scourge said with a smirk.
"Shut up!" General Silinius bellowed, filled with unimaginable rage as the false Elder Council walked out.
"General Silinius, contain yourself!" the lead Councilman ordered. It took a while, before the enraged Altmer general gathered himself.
"The false Elder Council stands before us." Ulfric said.
"Indeed. We have seen how Kurome and Lord Denzion have betrayed our trust and abandoned us. We're left without enough soldiers, and our dominion is on the brink of destruction. We have little choice but to capitulate." the lead Councilman said.
"You coward! You don't care about our dominion, or its grand works! Have you forsaken your own people?!" General Silinius boomed, clearly on the brink of madness as he was blinded by his own pride.
"Silinius, Stand down!" a Councilman ordered.
"No! I will not allow this!" General Silinius shouted.
"General Silinius… As the last decree by this Elder Council, on the 5th of Mid Year, year 202 of the 4th Era, we hereby relieve you of duty, and strip you of rank and title for your continued aggression against the Cyrodiilic Empire." the lead Councilman declared.
"Even your false Elder Council recognizes when it is beaten, General. Please, don't make this any harder on yourself than it needs to be." General Tullius requested. Silinius, who was too prideful for his own good, unwisely chose not to heed his Imperial counterpart's words and attempted to attack both Gonnaer and Ulfric with magic, only to be killed by a Thalmor Archer that used to be under his command.
"A damn shame that he wouldn't listen…" Ulfric muttered, looking down at the dead Thalmor on the ground.
"This war was destructive on all of us... We shall convene with your people in the Imperial City to discuss the terms of our surrender." the lead Councilman said.
"You will find the terms not in your favor, much like the terms of the White Gold Concordat. We look forward to your arrival." Ulfric said, warning the Altmer of the future.
"If that is how it must be." a Councilman said in resignation.
Back in Solitude, everyone took the time to recuperate and regain their strength following the short conflict. The rebuilding process was almost complete, and everyday life seems to have gotten back on track. Master Satele was there with Revan, when the group met up with them.
"Asmund. How have things gone in Summerset Isle?" Master Satele asked.
"It was bloodier than I'd have liked, but we've succeeded in averting the destruction of this dimension. Sadly, Kurome and Lord Denzion have gotten away… they completely abandoned General Silinius in the final moments of the conflict." Asmund said, reporting on what had just happened.
"I see. A shame we couldn't stop them, but at least we've thwarted the attempt to destroy this world." Master Satele said. "Sadly, we must ask that you, Kira and Lord Scourge depart for the moment and return to our galaxy." she said.
"Is something the matter, Master?" Kira asked.
"Princess Esme of Onderon was kidnapped by Imperial Special Forces loyal to Lord Denzion, while offworld with Prince Denis of Naboo. We will tell you more once you contact me on board the Endeavor." Master Satele said, explaining the situation.
"Of course, Master Satele. We shall return to the galaxy at once, and then reunite with the CPUs at the next opportunity." Asmund said, bobbing his head.
"We will leave a contingent of Jedi Knights here to help restore order and rebuild in the wake of the war with the Aldmeri Dominion, General Tullius. Jedi Knight Lora Kei will be our liaison to your Empire in the meantime. Do not be afraid to request her aid in any and all matters going forward, be it contact with the Order, diplomacy or otherwise. May the Force be with you all." Revan said as he and Master Satele departed with Asmund, Kira and Lord Scourge, going through a dimensional gateway.
"I don't think I'll ever get used to Jedi and Sith…" General Tullius said with a sigh, before looking towards the CPUs. "We can take everything from here, CPUs. You should go after Kurome and Lord Denzion, or who knows what other worlds they might mess up." he said.
"Of course, General. Good luck to you." Andrew replied.
"Long live the Empire!" General Tullius said, before Andrew opened a dimensional gateway, heading to the next exciting adventure.
AUTHOR'S NOTES
I'm so sorry this took so long. I've not had the motivation to work on anything until now, and my muse was pretty much burned out for the longest time due to real life drama in relation to the COVID-19 outbreak, family drama, wanting to focus on other projects and a number of other issues. This is the reason this chapter felt so rushed and out of place. It is not my usual quality for fanfiction, but I hope you can forgive me.
So concludes the role that The Elder Scrolls plays in this timeline. As always, eat pudding and keep on Nepping! Cya!