Chapter 26 – The Battle part 1
D161/10 ABY
The battle had begun. Surtur struck the first blow, and it could be felt throughout the realm. Even ships in hyperspace could feel it. A few had already evacuated to Vanaheim. The rest were still in the process, but being attacked by Muspelheim ships brought little relief. Surtur's strike had thrown Thor into the Bifrost, destroying parts of the rainbow bridge. Meanwhile Heimdall fought two of Surtur's spawn – Sindr (Surtur's heir) and her sister Laussa.
Surtur's strike hadn't just damaged the Allfather, but also destroyed nearby combat vessels, and ships far away, even the ones in hyperspace. The heat of this battle could be felt throughout the realms.
On Chandrilla, Midgard where Mon Mothma the former Chancellor was enjoying her well-earned retirement with her family, she could feel this blistering heat. Similarly, on Krownest, Countess Wren felt a too warm. Which was unusual for the planet. Bit by bit the heat she felt increased, and Count Wren reported to seeing the snows melt outside. Zeb, Sabine and Mira who were back on Shili, waiting for Ezra and Ava to recover, felt this uncomfortable heat. Sabine went outside looking for Gabriel and found him standing looking at the sky.
"What going on?", Sabine asked.
"Asgardia – the realm, is under siege. I fear this may be Ragnarok.", Gabriel answered.
Worried Sabine immediately went inside to contact Hera.
D165/10 ABY
Hera flying a Quinjet led a fighter squadron, with Kanan as her co-pilot. She had just received word of the siege of Hominum – a world that lay on the outskirts of Asgardia. This world was also bordering between the space of Vanaheim, Alfheim and Midgard. If that world fell, their evacuation route was cut off. Along the way she contacted for angel reinforcements.
"Stall the enemy. We are on our way", came the clear command of the Seraphim general Alvis – a humanoid with scaly skin and green irises. She had snakes on her head instead of hair, her race had in fact descended from Jormungandr. This race was called the Gorgons, and they had moved to live in Asgardia to free themselves of persecution, for the inhabitants of other realms saw them as monsters, yet the truth was far from it. These snakes could extend and attack her enemies. Her personality was rash, unyielding and frivolous. She cared for her people, for her realm, for those under command. Right now, she and a squadron of angels were fighting fire giants over her home world – Gorgontua.
"Acknowledged, General.", came Hera's answer.
Alvis then felt a small group of powerful cherubs who could fight evenly with a young Seraphim like her, being led by Fenrir and the champion – Tarre Viszla, go towards Hominum.
In Hominum space, Ahsoka was part of the fighter squadron sent to break the fire giant blockade. Her children, Hera's son, Satine, Erin and Shaak Ti were among those onboard one of the evacuation vessels that had to get past this blockade. She had seen her fair share of war and destruction, yet this was the first time she witnessed a galaxy on siege. Asha was her co-pilot and she too was sharing Ahsoka's sentiment.
"They are cutting our fighters to pieces.", Asha spoke.
"We need to hold out until reinforcements arrive.", Ahsoka spoke.
The squadron commander then reported that reinforcements had arrived – specifically Hera's squadron and a group of powerful Cherubs. But by then it was too late, for even with Hominums' fleet, many of the evacuation vessels had been destroyed including their escort Helicarrier. Ahsoka sensed the ship her children were on crashing on the planet.
"What is it?", Asha asked as Ahsoka changed directions and flew to the planet.
"The children.", Ahsoka said. Asha didn't say anything but shot enemy crafts that were in the way. Ahsoka could feel that Gabriel, Skyla, Jacen and Erin were unharmed, yet was worried nonetheless. Before she could reach the surface, her own fighter was attacked by two fire giants. Crashing towards the surface, Ahsoka and Asha quickly escaped before the fighter exploded and headed to the crash site of the evacuation vessel. Reaching there, the two saw an enraged Kelda with glowing red eyes fighting off two fire giants, while the civilians were assaulted by a group of fire goblins. She heard a whooshing sound and saw Mjolnir collide go through the goblins, after which Tarre landed, his wings unfurled and power emanating from him. Behind him was Fenrir and together they destroyed the force that was currently attacking the civilians.
Snapping his fingers, Fenrir teleported all civilians (including his family), Ahsoka and Asha to one of city domes nearby, where they would be safe from the attack. Ahsoka quickly located Gabriel and Skyla. They ran towards her; she knelt and quickly took them in her arms. Behind her she could see a visibly shaken Shaak Ti, a worried Satine with Erin and Jacen standing next to her, their hands firmly grasped in her own.
"What's going on?", Gabriel asked her.
"We were under attack, but now we are safe.", Ahsoka spoke in a reassuring voice, "Your father and the other angels are out there protecting us."
Asha and Ahsoka looked at each other, 'We can't stay here, as warriors we must fight alongside him.', Asha conveyed this in an unspoken manner. Ahsoka nodded and Gabriel heard Asha's thoughts. He wondered how this happened, and so tugged his mothers' hand worried.
D166/10 ABY
Outside, angels and Giants were battling. For each giant they felled, two more took its place. By now Alvis and her group of angels had joined in the battle, focusing on the giants in space around the planet, while the angels led by Fenrir, Tarre and Kelda focused on the enemies on the surface. They were soon joined by the Hominum's army, with Ahsoka, Asha and other warriors tagging along. As they proceeded, they felt the power of Thor eclipsing that of Surtur, and through the force they all felt the ruler of Muspelheim being terribly injured, signaling the turn of the tide in this war.
Tarre and Fenrir were battling two troublesome giants on the southern hemisphere of the planet. The giants used fire, which Tarre blocked using the hellfire from his Uru arm. This gave Fenrir the chance to use his powers upon the giants and for Tarre unleash lightning from his right hand. The four traded blows like this for a while, until Tarre and Fenrir emerged victorious and the giants were reduced to ash. As this happened, a fire giant commander named – Agni landed near their position, with his own entourage.
"The champion of Asgard.", Agni regarded Tarre with much contempt as he attacked him. Tarre swung the hammer as fast as he could to create a powerful barrier against Agni's attack, meanwhile Fenrir fought the remaining entourage. Tarre could feel the heat from Agni's attack, and signaled Fenrir that they must retreat. Fenrir understood and on the first available opportunity created a giant wall of ice, cutting off the entourage. He then attacked Agni allowing Tarre to escape. The plan worked for now, as they regrouped flew towards the other angels led by Kelda. But this is where their luck ended, for Agni unleashed a devastating attack, one that engulfed Tarre and would've engulfed Fenrir as well, if Tarre hadn't thrown him away at the last possible moment. And so died Tarre Viszla, yet again – a meaningless death.
Laughing Agni turned to Fenrir whose face had turned white with fear. "What now little frost giant?", Agni asked in a condescending tone.
"You have no idea what you have unleashed here. There are some things far more frightening than death.", Fenrir whispered.
In the same hemisphere, quite some distance away, Ahsoka felt Tarre's death. Gabriel and Jacen old enough, sensed this as well, but Erin and Skyla didn't. Gabriel didn't know what to do, he felt something happen to his father but didn't know the gravity of death. As the young man was trying to understand this, his mind broke – the voices had returned. Satine seeing this quickly reacted, trying her best to comfort the boy.
Kelda felt this as well, as did the other Aesir. Ahsoka was fighting a flame atronach – a female humanoid comprised entirely of fire. What she felt was enough to break her rhythm and give her foe the opening to land her attack. Ahsoka was pulled out of harm's way by Asha, but by then the atronach had burned Ahsoka's right hand. Seeing this Kelda destroyed the atronach and removed the fire on Ahsoka's hand.
As Kelda started to say something, everyone on the planet felt something rising. What they felt could be described as pure rage and power beyond their capability. 'Only the Allfathers command such power.', Kelda thought to herself.
Back on Asgard, Thor and Heimdall were now fighting back and winning. Yet Surtur and his daughters were powerful enough. 'The two versus the three, a deadly stalemate that would go on for a long time.', Thor thought, 'We must gain an advantage over our foes.'
As he thought of a way to break this stalemate, all five of the combatants felt the enraged power on Hominum. 'Tarre!', thought Thor and Heimdall.
In front of Agni was the flying figure of Tarre Viszla, all the damage inflicted upon him was gone. Previously Agni had even destroyed his mask, but now the mask was restored too. Agni screamed in defiance, and fired his most powerful attack. Tarre in response threw Mjolnir, now glowing green at the enemy and killed the giant. As Agni fell, his body turned to ash and the ash disappeared. Fenrir saw this with horrified eyes, long had he prayed to Buri, that he never witnessed something like this again. It would seem his prayers had gone unheard.
Mjolnir flew back to Tarre's hand who raised it in the air. From the hammer emerged green lightning that struck every invader from Muspelheim on and around the planet, until none remained.
D167/10 ABY
King Kuzan was leading the fleet to quell the uprising of Azkaban. Having reached, the fleet deployed landing craft and angels to help quell the riot down there. Many dead giants and angels littered the ground. And feasting upon the still dying were the soul sucking dementors. Many inmates of this great prison facility had escaped, including a very powerful and crazy right-hand woman of a fallen Vanir Seraphim angel (who had been defeated a few hundred years ago). Where she was headed to, no one knew.
Kuzan himself had other concerns. He remembered Perrikus of the Dark Gods – 'God of Power and Energy Infinite'. Fending off the dementors in his way, the God of Winter went ahead to confirm if Perrikus was still imprisoned. It wasn't easy angering Kuzan, but upon discovery that Perrikus' cell was empty Kuzan's rage could be felt by everyone. This rage was enough to give pause to all the rioters, even the dementors. Quickly the subjugation force took control of the prison.
As Loki came face to face with his other son – Jormungandr, for the second time in ten years, he wondered if the Serpent – who had grown in size, almost encompassing a small planet – would listen. Jormungandr had been steadily attacking worlds in Jotunheim, until Aegir had routed him out, and now he was in Nidvaller – the dwarven realm and had already destroyed three worlds before Loki could reach him. Though it took nearly five days, the God of Mischief was able to lull his son – the Serpent God back to sleep. Now Jormungandr slept on an evacuated dwarven planet, encircling it. The crises had been averted.
As all of this happened, the second trickster – Utgard-Loki, giant and former disciple of Gabriel the first, looked at the capital of Jotunheim – the planet of Thrym (as it was called), from the cold comfort of space. The Frost Giant smiled and suddenly both he and the planet disappeared.
