The 'Battle' of Terra Atmosia

Terra Atmosia——Civil War Museum—— The Cyclonian Empire.

Walking among the citizens of Atmosia, Lynn looked around her surroundings with a miser of pride and suspicion.

She had been assigned to this position for only a few months and was currently on duty for patrolling the area for any possible violations from any rebel forces even though the situation was considered neutralized with the main leadership in prison and the destruction of the last two remaining rebel organizations that were an actual threat.

But Lynn was always vigilant about her surroundings and most importantly her safety when in large crowds, occasionally she would look out at the various buildings and monuments dedicated to remembering the victims of both civilizations and soldiers from both sides of the war. The memorial had held relics from the former council like documents and photographs from which the Cyclonian government had put out to display the failings of the enemies leadership. Lynn had been in a sort of dire position when the war was over and decided that fighting would only bring the death of her home terra as well as her own group of friends. She supposed she was also very lucky that the Cyclonian commander she surrendered too was able to get her to join again and since she already had been in the military academy she was quickly able to secure a good position in a combat unit and helped put down scattered enemy forces. Becoming a distinguished soldier in combat and was known as a professional pilot among the Talons, as she continued walking through the crowd she met with another veteran who unlike her had switched sides a little earlier.

Each of them wore the same uniform that was standard issue for a soldier in the Cyclonian army, blood red long sleeve uniform with matching pants, brown combat boots, with a elaborate scabbard on their belts with a Hand Cannon on a separate holster, they also wore a cap of the same color as their uniforms that bore the insignia of the empire. Lynn was fascinated with the power the Cyclonian army had provided to it's soldiers and was horrified to think that had she been in a rebel group by now she'd currently wound up either killed, captured or horribly wounded. But she had also managed to impress her superiors with her adaptability with the new weaponry and tried to hone her hand to hand combat skills both in the air and on the ground. She started at her veteran colleague and superior officer, Dove was once a member of the rebel ducks which was a shell of an actual rebel group that had attempted to continue a futile attempt to resist the Cyclonian takeover of their territory and took shelter in the higher ground terra. Dove realized that any attempt at resistance would only lead to an unpleasant outcome for her and her remaining family and much like the mostly unknown second in command of the armed forces. She had attempted to get her remaining family to understand her point of view on the situation of the hopeless lost war but she had been forced to sold her only family member out when they went there separate ways after evacuating the high ground terra.

Dove had been rewarded for her defection from the slowly dying Sky knights in receiving actual body armor and at the time the most advanced switchblade elites. Dove's own feelings were a mix of pity and resentment for those poor lost souls who were still trying to fight for something that had been lost when the empire had gained the power of the far side. She had been involved with the more… messy operations in bringing the scattered resistance to an end since she was a former Sky knight and had a very intense training history on the new recruits when it was her turn to get them ready to become real soldiers. She also was gifted for those efforts by overseeing her home territory becoming more accepting of the empire's rule.

Both veterans stood there looking into each other's eyes and then they both smiled at one another. They had become fast friends with a lust for bloodshed against their enemies and often trained together in different styles with the newer created weapons that used crystal energy to power them, but also with the new melee weapons that were ether improved or completely new. Lynn had twin curved blades that each had two different types of crystal powered ammunition. Her left blade could be activated to become electric and her right blade could be become frost powered to freeze her enemy in place.

Dove had an upgraded energy staff that could at the push of a button become a double bladed energy staff with the ability of setting opponents on fire. Dove had used that to her advantage in a few fights in the mopping up operations of the final days of the war, normally like now the pair would take a lunch break at an old local restaurant that had been founded in the opening days of the civil war. Most of the time they would swap war stories from when they were separated on different locations far apart from each other.Each of them took a seat at their usual table and ordered their respective meals Lynn was the first to speak.

"How was the flight from Terra Gale?" The mauve haired girl asked. It was a standard question for any pilot traveling across the planet. Her green haired friend smiled as their waters arrived then after taking a sip she answered. "Very well, it was quite nice nice in the early morning and best of all no accidents." Dove had a slight accident in her voice as she was from a distance mountain terra and all terras were known to poses their own native language but could understand each other due to the Cyclonian empire establishing a universal language that helped everyone better communicate and understand each other in the event of bargaining or a dispute. Lynn nodded in understanding her own flight to the museum Terra wasn't that difficult but every now and then it was tedious on ether Anniversaries or Remembrance Day, which varied wildly but generally were organized to minimize an overflow of visitors ether paying respect for the fallen or just wanting to remember how the terrible war began. The entire terra was filled with monuments of the whole war's history from beginning to end, sometimes on Dove's days off she would listen in on some of the various conversations that were going on among the tourists. She was astonished by the way the people were angry at her former colleagues for attempting to resist the Cyclonian empire in the last desperate days of the war. It made sense since the war only ended four years ago and was still recently fresh in the minds of the public and much like herself or Lynn they were just trying to accept the reality of the situation, which for many veterans who traded sides found themselves being treated with praise and gratitude for seemingly escaping the delusional fantasy of attempting to fight for something that was impossible to achieve.

As they discussed their plans for a couple day off to visit the Far side and perhaps if they were lucky enough possibly be posted there, the Far Side was full of advanced technology and was only now starting to give the Master power that made most of everything both sides made during the war obsolete. Such as of now only the highest ranking veterans were allowed to accompany researchers to the largely unknown areas. After taking the conversation into the new kind of flight power that was certainly being issued to all veterans their food finally arrived, they were absolutely stunned by the prospect of jet engines being a new standard for all veterans showed that the Cyclonian scientists and engineers were only now able to fully grasp the technical advantages of not being in a civil war. The new Hand cannon was also a fascinating idea for a weapon, it was created out of a lighter material from the far side that could fire a Crystal energy pulse into its target and then depending on the setting of the Crystal. It either could fire a energy pulse that would stun the opponent or kill the opponent with ease.

This weapon was incredibly effective, very light and didn't require much reload effort as the Crystal that powered it was designed to be self rechargeable. So it was effectively a weapon with infinite energy. The potential for other weapons to have this was unlimited, they were only soldiers but veterans could provide their impressions on how to use them in combat on occasion. It also sparked some debate over the old system of using blades or crossbows were to be replaced? Thankfully the technology was still fairly new and there were some improvements as with all new tools and most preferred methods were the old ones. Lynn was just about to comment on such a diverse range of weapons when something caught her attention.

Screaming could be heard from a few corners and as Dove turned her head to the noise the two noticed their was a crowd of people running away with fanatical urgency. As the two got up from their seats their radios blared in scattered fragments. "--Attack, repeat-- known enemies attacking-- support requested at once!!" That was more than enough for the two to unsheathe their respective weapons and quickly load their Crystals into them and give each other a quick look at one another. "I was hoping today was going to be entertaining." Lynn said as they then practically sprinted through the running crowd and were momentarily stunned by what they saw.

Men wearing strange armor and carried shields, with a strange emblem on their flag that had a purple dragon with golden four wings creating an x or a cross overlaying the dragon it also had tiny golden triangles that were visible on the covers of the flag. Lynn was also noted they had monsters with them some were nearly naked and other men were riding strange beasts that also had armor on. They also noticed that whoever they were they were attacking civilians cutting them down or stabbing them with swords and bashing people in the ground with their shields. The pair didn't hesitate any longer they went in with their weapons raised and proceeded to fight back against these unknown forces with a blood lust to avenge the ones who were caught in the crossfire.

Dove actually stayed behind a moment to radio for more air support and provided more reinforcements, but Lynn was already in the thick of battle cutting through the invaders with ease, she stabbed her blade in mouth of one opponent and tore through his cheek causing enemy blood to spill over to the next couple of attackers, her electric sword helped shock the next four attackers who were stunned by her attack, freezing the throat of another enemy she quickly cut off the head of unfortunate enemy and sent it flying into the battlefield, Lynn could see nothing but enemies. There were just too many of them, Dove for her part used her double edged staff to heat her opponents intestines and attempted to skewer as many as she could. The older veteran also managed to wrestle a shield off one of the attackers trying to break Lynn's back and proceed to use it to deflect crossbow bolts, then after ten minutes that felt like three quarters of an hour. They were able to kill a dozen more opponents with the help of metal shield that was battered into uselessness ordered by radio to help as many civilians to the nearby main museum in the terra's center square that was once the former Council Building of the Sky Knights. The two veterans fought there way out of the battlefield along with other soldiers who were stationed on patrol in this area none looked seriously injured and proceeded to help as many people as possible. Once the enemy forces understood they were going on the defensive they attempted to overwhelming charge into the building but the gate that prevented rebels from attacking it was closed in their faces and locked down, a nearby officer came up to Dove and said. "I just got the message that our air support is about three minutes away, what ever this is it could be worse." As if to prove the officer wrong an animalistic shriek was heard from outside and another officer on the second floor yelled. "They have dragons!" Dove snatched one of Lynn's swords and struck the officer with the flat end of it . "Next person to say something idiotic like that, I will personally throw into the wasteland!" She roared acidly. Then a thought occurred to her she wondered were this enemy was from? An undiscovered terra, it was possible but they didn't seem to have Crystals and the enemy also had controlled monsters Lynn and Dove herself had killed some of them. Lynn made a gasping noise for the first time noticing her uniform was now drenched in blood and dirt from the battle.

She looked at her friend with a mixture of excitement and optimism. As Dove was just as spattered with blood and dirt as she was, "I hope that we can get back out there and see just who these guys are." Lynn was almost causal enough for it to sound like they were back at the restaurant. Not to be outdone Dove blinked and flashed a predatory smile. "They better because I am not going anywhere until they are utterly destroyed, and I intend to show them that the Cyclonian empire is not to be stabbed in the back with out even a declaration of war, it is uncultured and barbarous." Dove said her voice taking on a seething rage. They were both ready for another fight right away and both wondered what the enemy would think when the air support arrived and the other soldiers who were closest to them in the building nodded in agreement most of them were also drenched in the blood of their new enemies and wet eager to get back into the fight. The radio reported that reinforcements were coming along with the air support in one minute and when that happened they were to go out and take as many of the enemy as they could, "Activate our defenses against rebel forces, I don't want them coming any closer than they already are." Being a Senior Veteran Dove could take command from inexperienced commanders or even those who have higher rank since she had been seen as a capable leader in dire situations such as now. She was used to it and relished it when she thrown into combat at the head of a group. She would personally take who or whatever lead this attack to the Master herself.


Atmos—Terra Atmosia—The Gate—Saderan Fourth Legion —the Cyclonian empire

The Fourth Legion crossed out of the Gate and immediately began to attack the enemy of the new world. Calvary, war beasts and men all poured into the streets of the unknown land with a passion for conquest. They were chosen by their emperor to bring these savage barbaric locals into their glorious empire. The Saderan empire perhaps had the greatest military might within their known world and no power could withstand their wrath for long. The main reason for this expansion was because of two simple things that the empire required, slavery and raw materials they were the currency that kept the empire growing and helping them expand their glorious power.

The current campaign of subjugation to this unknown land was planned for about a year and all the generals were clamoring for a chance to lead their troops into this strange territory and bring glory to the empire. Eventually it was decided that the Fourth legion would have the honor to show the barbaric enemy the power of the Saderan army, which so far had been going even better than the commander thought it would of course the savage enemy was fighting back and quite ferociously but they would ultimately be defeated. It was invaluable for what power could withstand against the forces of six thousand warriors, that didn't count the war beasts or the mounted horsemen.

The Fourth Legion's commander, Arminius Canina strode proudly through the crowd of thousands of dead bodies as two men unfurled a massive banner of the Saderan empire and placed it right on top of the small hill of death, the commander unfurled a scroll of paper and began to read.

"Now hear this, you savages that we the people of the empire have declare the conquest and annexation of all these lands in the name of Emperor Molt Sol Augustus!"

His voice boomed through the sky as his army continued its assault against the savage enemy he was quite taken aback by the appearance of a decapitated head of one of his men being flown across the battlefield but he couldn't see were it was launched from as there were too many engaged in combat. His aide stepped up to him and asked if they were going to assault the nearby palace . The Commander looked at the strange structure that could possibly be a palace of a noble family then at the other structures that were a mixture of the similar structures back home and the even more strange design of the local inhabitants, he also noticed some of the sculptures depicted a hooded figure standing straight ahead and wondered if that was the noble's daughter? He conceded and asked. "It seems they have closed the gate, have we brought a bartering ram?" The aide quickly sent a runner to see what could be done, a moment later the aide returned and said. "Yes we can bring the ogres to position within the next few minutes." Yet again the commander considered if they could take the noble family hostage and force them to recognize their kingdom's surrender to the glory of the Saderan empire they could easily win and then proceed to take over this entire kingdom without any combat losses. "Proceed with capturing the enemy palace and be sure that the enemy within is not harmed!" He declared, as the battle progressed in favor of the Saderans with the enemy falling back. It was a great victory, but then a strange sound came from somewhere the sky.

As it was getting closer it sounded as if an unknown animal began shrieking, some of his men looked up and most of the horses began to get nervous but couldn't see anything and the noise only seemed to be getting louder and louder a lot of the men were beginning to panic and then suddenly an explosion had struck the left flank of his army then before Arminius could react another explosion had occurred in the frontline of the center right where the ogres were being placed. He was stunned by what he saw just as he began to find his voice the shrieking sound returned, his men began to start panicking but Arminius sat up on his own horse and unsheathed his sword then tried to encourage his army to continue the battle. "Control yourselves men and show them that the Fourth legion is not to be trifled with!" But even as he waved his sword yet another series explosions struck his entire army's right flank and center yet again, he could see something strange shore across the sky but he didn't see anything no dragons or any other creatures that could fly. The loyal aide rushed to him and shouted in his ear.

"General the enemy's reinforcements have arrived!!" It was true but he was expecting to meet the foe face to face. As the smoke began to clear he saw them standing there and readying themselves to charge. He knew what he had to do. Arminius quickly found himself in a fight against an opponent who wouldn't be out of place if they were back on the other side of the gate, but before he could give the order to destroy their enemies explodes rapidly roared but instead of the frontlines being destroyed as he had expected he turned around to the back to find that not only did the enemy attack his back but they also had used some unknown magical abilities that seemed to make those unlikely in the rear had turned them into burned, unrecognizable living corpses and then it happened again as he was turning his head towards the back to witness purple explosions simultaneously go off twice more before the explosions stopped. As he was too distracted by the sudden destruction of his rear his own frontline was also stunned and didn't know how to react when they were heavily assaulted by the enemy reinforcements fighting broke out and the barbaric enemy unleashed its unnatural weapons some must have been magically because the General could clearly see most of the enemy swords glowing and tore through the finest armor the Saderan army possessed and then he saw a different weapon that left holes in some of the men around him that was also when he could see something terrible in the sky that suddenly appeared out of nowhere he could only imagine was the enemy equivalent to their dragons, but whatever it was it hung in the sky like a monster cloud and had a giant painted symbol of a bird in red. This caused the entire enemy force to let out a collective yell of triumph and only helped them fight harder. It was surreal how could a savage barbaric enemy have such strong weapons he suddenly lost his train of thought as he began to fight against this powerful foe, he was no coward and had been involved in combat before but the way that this enemy fought was simpler but more effective and he could see that some of them had to be young teenagers or just barely that age. He could hear the sound of scream of the dragons probably battling against the enemy's dragons but he could only see a glimpse of a familiar creature in armor before it was consumed by the clouds.

His attention was forced back to fight at hand with the best he could bring to battle but he sensed his Fourth Legion so confident of an easy victory against a barbaric force just couldn't take anymore and unceremoniously broke into a mob. Men were killing each other with abandon for their own sake to get away from their certain death, remaining housemen trampled over the infantry in a vain attempt to escape, what was worse was the enemy as if sensing their weakness charged forward to completely destroy the terrified fourth legion. General Arminius tried desperately to rally his troops to fight back but two explosions that were so close that one nearly had gotten him, causing him be catapulted into the air for a brief moment and into the shattered troops as he gained his footing he begin to charge into the remains of the frontline practically wailing. "I am General Arminius Canina leader of the fourth leg—" he was easily knocked unconscious and as he fell to the ground he saw the enemy that had hit him was completely covered with the blood of his soldiers had barely visible green hair though the mess and had a strange benevolent smile.


Atmos—Terra Atmosia—Civil war museum town square —The Cyclonian Empire

The surprise attack from the unknown enemy was reaching a satisfying conclusion and the enemy was in a state of outright panic. The soldiers held in the main museum got a front row seat to view the power of the Cyclonian army possessed, the first thing the air support gave them was a new jet powered rocket that were currently carrying the explosive fuel that had been used during the war and if Dove and Lynn could guess their Air Force just wanted to get rid of the obsolete fuel supply it probably surprised them as the enemy when the rocket was practically shrieking like a dying animal in the wasteland and then the explosions started they tore through the enemy infantry with ease and the they hadn't expected it but what happened next was actually quite surprising, with nearly everyone looking at the rockets landing on the enemy positions only Lynn and two others were able to see the dragon that had been flying over the terra but was blown off course by two jet powered switchblades which proceeded to shoot standard energy shots at the enemy target. While others were viewing the burned monster corpses that were standing in the center of the locked gate that separated them from the unknown enemy. And not all enemy dragons were killed by switchblades some were trying to lead them away from the terra.

Dragons were considered to be an extinct species by everyone with the establishment of air travel and were seemingly driven to extinction due to their constant attacks by them due to their frequent defensive actions and thought to be a rare find of remains within the wastelands until they were discovered in a final defensive location on the outskirts of the Sky's End. The resistance was crushed and the baby dragons were kept there under guard and closely monitored but left in their own habitat. If they could be able to capture an adult dragon they could advance their research into the animals behavior and possibly even make armor or even understand how they can be trained.

Those thoughts were put on hold for after they could beat this unknown enemy, their armor was extremely weak when struck by any crystal energy blade and was also vulnerable to the Hand cannon, which was also being used as a blunt weapon when the savage monsters and soldiers. It was truly an incredible feeling of accomplishment and not to mention an experience in fighting on the ground, most battles were fought in the air and the Master's armies had little experience on the ground, but it wasn't that difficult for one thing it was much easier to stay focused on keeping your troops on the enemy instead of being constantly concerned with falling or being thrown off and into the wastelands. As Dove gave a quick look to her friend who was currently firing her Hand Cannon into the heart of two soldiers and then cutting their throats and using one of their bodies as a shield. The reinforcements had already arrived circling around the chaotic battlefield as Dove could view the familiar transport vehicles better designed and equipped for helping move soldiers, their vehicles or even help provide small artillery fire around faster, that support was very effective in boxing the main enemy force and the only way out was through the maze of buildings that were most likely unknown to the enemy they'd be found in due time. With the help of the Crystal cluster artillery they only destroyed the enemy units and didn't harm the old buildings which helped identify where they were going, after the first charge to avenge the sudden attack by this barbaric force that was already nearly broken was cut down by the vengeance fury of the armed forces of the Cyclonian army and about two hours of fighting a broken enemy Dove had managed to capture what looked like the leader of the savage force who appeared out of nowhere after being flung by a explosion, she'd managed to get to him just as he got to his feet. With the remaining enemies that weren't fighting or running into the city for a place to hide had surrendered since the massive gate that was apparently the main entrance to their home was surrounded by two destroyers and about three combat units of veteran soldiers and switchblades.

As the Battle went from an Active Combat zone to simply Guard against possible fanatical outbursts and transport then to a prison terra, Lynn took a moment to sit down near a savage man who gave her a death stare but she wasn't even afraid of him in the slightest. As he wasn't as nearly covered with blood she also spat out a little piece of enemy flesh that must have been flung into her mouth during the madness. The bloodied mauve haired warrior let out a dry chuckle and muttered. "You're going to begging for a quick death and you and your pitiful leader who dared attack us without declaration of war."The man tilted his head in confusion and still looked at her with anger. Lynn rolled her eyes. They are not going understand our language she thought, Not until we dig inside and get all the information we can about them. Suddenly her attention was shifted on Dove as she focused a different soldier in a fancier uniform than the others to be loaded onto the nearest transport ship with what appeared to likely be the aide with some form of animal that was doubtlessly used as a form of calvary, but they looked frightened understandable considering their surroundings but they looked incredibly strange perhaps they could be studied in the future. The aide was at least on his feet and with the help of three other soldiers who were just as covered in blood as they were, once they exchanged prisoners Dove turned to Lynn and took a seat next to her and held out a piece of paper then she looked at her friend in the eye and said. "We are to accompany that prisoner to the capital and report directly to the General of the armed forces. We will be able to clean ourselves and give our full report on what happened the moment we saw the enemy advance." She stopped to let it sink in being interviewed by the Scorched Variant herself was either an extremely high honor or a horrible tragedy depending on the circumstances. Lynn was amazed, delighted and a little afraid but knew that their input would be very important in the coming days she wondered what the Master thought when word reached her. And what message she would give to the people of Atmos as a whole.


Atmos— Terra Cyclonia—Capital of the Cyclonian Empire- Master Cyclonis's office

Two days after the fiasco that led to the appearance of the unknown invading army on Terra Atmosia and the subsequent battle there the office of the Master was certainly in a meeting with her inner circle and reviewing the many reports from either civilians, soldiers who were involved in the fighting or from the many prisoners captured in surrender since General Starling went on a public broadcast to every terra and say that the situation was under control and soon they would be able to seek vengeance from their newest enemy. In the office of the ruler of All Atmos was as grand as possible for the a ruler who was not content with just sitting on a throne. And was filled with books of strategic strategy and on Crystal Mastery even some from the Far Side on Ancient Crystals that were hidden somewhere in the reconquered portion of the world. There was even the Original surrender treaty of Atmosia which ended the war and cemented the Master's reign over the entire planet and was fearfully guarded by her and her her most elite warriors. Along with an assortment of paper work that crowed her desk as both she and General Starling once again looked at the reports from civilians and military officials who were present at the scene. What struck her as most fascinating was the possibility of harnessing the gateways power into opening other doorways to other worlds, but the first thing was to assemble a team to do reconnaissance and potentially observe for the best strategy to obliterate the primitive enemy empire. The captives were adamant that their empire would prevail and win over them in the end, many including the Master though the idea idiotic and delusional and even the Scorched Variant compared it to the so called Free Atmos and their language was abused it took three days to completely translate the lead general's message from their 'invincible emperor.' The Master paused reevaluating the message and looked up at General Starling and had a predatory smile slashed her face. "What exactly have we learned thus far about this Saderan empire? The Master laced the enemy empire with venom and it even brought out her voice took on a creepy reverberation that channeled her voice into something else like she was speaking with her own and the power that dwelled within her.

General Starling inwardly tensed as she seared her ruler in the eye and began her opening statement from the interrogations. "To begin, a majority of the captured prisoners were apparently veterans of an older war of expansion and they expressed no regret in attacking civilians who they had viewed as nothing more than a potential slave labor once they had completed conquered the entire terra and-" the General broke off actual laughing a little before continuing. "The entire force was completely unaware that the terra is surrounded by the wastelands below which caused some to fall to their current death, but much like the dragon riders who we managed to capture before killing some of their animals they seemed to be unable to comprehend what they were going into." The General looked at a report from Dove that detailed the strange creatures that were also captured by the reinforcements and then back to her leader. Another person at the meeting politely asked a question aloud.

"How long can it be before we can secure the other side of the gate?" That was the General in charge of the military zone now under the gate's perimeter and was like everyone surrounded the table was very eager to show their true power against this primitive enemy. The room went silent and the Master glanced at a photograph of some of the other civilians that became victims of the sudden attack the enemy wasn't content with just kidnapping and enslaving them but it was also apparent that some were raped in the panic that followed the enemy braking into a mob and subsequently wandering through the streets. Cyclonis turned her attention away from the evidence of violence and turned to the Scorched Variant. "Almost immediately." She answered directly and continued with a tone of frustration. "You shall have anything I can provide, I want a report on the strength of the enemy armor and the best way to cripple it. After we have established a proper base for our operations we can begin to discuss how best to obliterate them as well as get a orbital observation of their entire world, but first we must expect them to be ready for us to come to them." She waved the translated message they'd captured from the enemy leader in the air and said. "I want General Canina brought to me in a few hours I believe it's time he understood who holds the true power in this unprovoked War and I want an immediate search of the entire world for any trace of My Tactics Adviser once we have the gate secured." The Master's voice once again took on that creepy channel deep within her. Everyone around the table nodded, Piper had been missing for a year and Cyclonis had been in the inner workings of that Terra, Herself for nearly twelve months and inwardly was beside herself with pure rage and fear for her lovers safety, if this barbaric empire had kidnapped her along with the missing scientists there would be no were for the leaders of this new enemy to hide. The Master was going to make sure of that. As the meeting broke up after a few more questions were raised about proper communication between the enemy leader and so far the means of how to speak the new language. As the inner circle began to leave to their assigned tasks General Starling asked if she could bring the prisoner personally.

As she was given a nod by her ruler she quickly spun on her heal and walked to toward the hangar with a small predatory smile on her face. Starling was as excited as anyone about the new gate and its opening for expansion into other worlds becoming frustrated with the lack of sport to due to the recent capture of the former General Ravess who had been banished from the capital for to many failures. The once capable general had became nothing more than a leader of a hopeless resistance movement. It was pitiful and just showed how desperate she'd been to continue a struggle against her former leader. As she made her way to her Switchblade a thought entered her mind. Could they use the dishonorable General to their advantage possibly not but a few force full demonstrations should convince her.

Starling sighed in frustration as she began to pilot her switchblade into the air as she knew it was going to be a very long day of paperwork no matter if the captured prisoners cooperated or not.


Atmos—Terra Gruesomus — Cyclonian empire prison, Psychological Warfare and Biological Weapons Research facility

The midmorning sun was shining over the prison facility that had been built since the signing of the surrender treaty between the Cyclonian empire and the Sky Knights of Free Atmos. The prison facility was built primarily to study how the mental state of an enemy could be reduced to a shell of its former self with the various types of poisonous plants and animals. There was another half devoted to the study of the strange and lethal natural environment and animals on the terra, but the majority was focused on breaking the enemy willpower and gathering all useful information from them before they were sent to Terra Bogaton for the proper disposal or to other research facilities. General Starling had been quite taken with the idea of destroying the enemies mind and occasionally came here to view the various aspects of how they would use the natural resources of the terra to gather information from their rebel prisoners and see how far their mental state could be pushed.

The results were fascinating it all depended on what type of experiment the prisoner was exposed to, two were strapped to chairs facing each other and had been both exposed to a new variant Crystal called Hallu which caused the prisoner to hear distorted voices and could last for several hours to three entire days. The distorted voices could either go in and out and become louder and more strained as if they were being drilled into the prisoners head. Both prisoners were said to begin begging for it to stop In about ten minutes since they subjected to it then both tried to break there heads against the wall of their chairs. Once the Crystal wore off they were more than ready to answer questions.

There were other things that were being tested that could be used for interrogations and was well appreciated by Cyclonis herself who also applied insight on how best to approach these topics. Both Cyclonis and the Head of the armies were highly interested in these new ideas for extracting information from enemies. The main facility was located in within the base of the mountain and was reinforced by natural defenses against possible quakes or rock slides. There also was a second facility used as a backup site incase of a major weather event or a catastrophic quarantine failure. General Starling descended from the sky with quiet ease and radioed in of her arrival when she was in the vicinity of the swamplands. The commander of the facility had arranged a small welcoming party and was waiting for her as the Variant landed she took a moment to envelope the landscape around her, all around the red carpet on ether side were soldiers dressed in their military uniforms and held their melee weapon in their right arm while they stood there on the pavement and almost as if they were in sync with the General lowered their blades as she passed them when she made it to the end of the carpet the soldiers were issued back to their respective duties. After a brief moment of pleasant conversation with the Commander of the terra Starling was taken to see the enemy leader while they walked through the facility to the prison complex Starling had requested that a transport ship escort be ready to take him and his direct adjutant. Two soldiers who were on guard detail immediately followed her orders and dashed off.

Finally arriving at the entire block devoted to accompany all the prisoners of the Sandera empire, there were just to many for them all to be able to be in one place so they were separated in groups of three hundred of the remaining four thousand in the 'care' of the Cyclonian intelligence agency. The Shadows were a genuinely new force in the Cyclonian empire created by Cyclonis in order to watch over all branches of the empire's government both public and military. They were also an exclusive veteran service and were to directly report to the Master herself. It was something of a privilege to work in this field as a member of the Shadows, they were able to work outside the normal rules of the military and they were able to have access to Certain types of Crystal weapons that were seen as too harmful for war purposes but were put to use as intelligence gathering tools. This agency occasionally worked with the military to better protect civilians from rebels and to insure that there was no threat for another rebellion. As General Starling walked along the corridor of enemy prisoners she occasionally peered into some of them and saw most of them were either screaming or trying to escape, desperately scratching the walls and throwing the metal chairs at the door, it eemed like the Hallu Crystals were working fine, and then there was the enemy leader who was certainly in his cell unlike the majority of his men who were at the moment fighting against the Crystal he'd been spared from the torment because of his rank and the main role in the battle. He was adamant about his empire and his own experience under torture she doubted that but for now she shook her head and ordered him to be put up against the wall. She ordered two guards to put him against a wall so they could handcuff him and she could tell him where he was going.

This was going to be entertaining.


Atmos—Terra Gruesomus — Cyclonian empire prison, Psychological Warfare and Biological Weapons Research facility

Cell Forty, ten minutes earlier

General Arminius Canina had been listening to the sounds of his men in torture for about two days and was still trying to understand just how this could have happened. His army was in progress of achieving a great victory for his empire but he'd hadn't expected this barbaric enemy to have such strong sorcerers at their disposal and the enemy army was comprised of both male and female soldiers? That was completely absurd. Of course Emperor Molt had given his daughter a position in the military but the Rose knights were nothing but a ceremonial force at least to all those who held actual positions in the military and they weren't even battle hardened with the exception of Grey Co Aldo who was an imperial knight that was assigned under the Princess. A thought crossed his mind about this foe it was that most were incredibly young and they seemed to be in their teens, who could a savage force be able to overcome the might of the Saderan army it was unthinkable. The enemy had started it's interrogation of him almost immediately after he'd awoke from being unconscious, they attempted to get any information out of him they could but only got his rank and name and strangely they didn't resort to the horrific sorcery that he saw on the battlefield. It was possible due to his rank of being commander gained him immunity from the terrible torture that befell his men.

But it didn't stop him from hearing the terrible screams of torment and it was maddening that he couldn't do anything to help them. He was also a man of honor and thought that the end would be the eventual victory of the Saderan empire and that any harm that could be avenged against his captors. He'd been unable to find any means of escape from this terrible place, he'd also lost track of time because there wasn't any windows and the strange torch in his cell never went out. The entire situation was intolerable and completely agony in waiting another thought came to him perhaps his captors were planning to isolate him in the hope of braking him. He finally heard movement from outside the cell and presumed that it was the food cart.

Not unlike what he'd expected from home prisoners were given the same treatment in terms of prison food, it was a mussy paste that looked revolting but was decent enough to be editable. His cell door opened and immediately he was pushed into a wall of his cell by two guards who had rushed at him as his hands were bound together by metal cuffs he was forced to turn to the door to see a figure with a metal arm, purple hair and was clearly a female. Canina was shocked at what he saw who ever this was they must be a great warrior regardless of her gender. She spoke in her local language and the guards brought him closer to her, he didn't say anything but the female with purple hair continued speaking as another guard came up and they exchanged words when they finished she grabbed him by his neck and frog marched him out of the prison and outside to a strange metal box surrounded by armed guards as he was pushed into the box the female punched him in his chest and stabbed his head into the metal wall before getting out and closing the door.

Canina cursed inwardly and looked at his new surroundings, this metal box was slightly bigger than his cell and he had plenty of windows to view from. As he gained the effort to get up from the surprise attack he could see that the prison that had held him was on an island but there was no sea nor lakes. The entire island was surrounded by clouds, how could that be possible these people were able to travel by air? It made sense but how could they conquer them with their men mostly being foot soldiers, maybe dragon riders could be more effective but the empire didn't have enough to exploit them and from what he could see the enemy had more powerful weapons than any army he'd witnessed. They had strange metal dragons that could easily sore higher than the most skilled dragon rider and some enemies were battling one another as if they were simply training not terrified by the idea of falling into the abyss of clouds.

The journey from the prison was eventful Canina could view some of the other islands, some had mountains others had grasslands or even a small fort. However his attention was quickly focused on a growing sense of unease with a storm approaching and the various islands seemed to disappear as his moving cell went deeper into the worsening storm and he began to see a tall mountain in the eye of the storm but Canina quickly realized that it wasn't a mountain it was a fortress and it was enormous. There were lightning strikes every now and then to enunciate the hight of this terrifying structure. Who ever thought of building this structure in such a terrible place should have been given a award. And if his suspicions were correct then he was about to meet with the enemy leader why else would he be brought to such a hostile environment and he wondered if he would be executed by the leader as a sort of message to Molt? As the cell docked with what looked like a sea port he would find out what awaited him.


AtmosTerra Cyclonia—Capital of the Cyclonian Empire—Master Cyclonis's throne room

No welcoming party was made for the enemy leader and he was only meet with a squad of Nightcrawlers and the two soldiers who were there at the moment of the unexpected attack. Dove had a genuine smile as she saw her commanding officer and gave her a proper salut along with Lynn as they walked into the Master's throne room their prisoner looked around with awe and confusion as they continued walking through the hallways and coming to a stop at the massive double doors that led to their leader.

Both soldiers were politely told to wait outside until they were called upon by the Master as they were escorted to a nearby anti chamber where they could wait or even train with their weapons to pass the time. The doors opened and the Nightcrawlers and General Starling pushed their charge through the door and near the steps that led to a figure in a purple cloak that covered his entire body and wasn't currently facing the prisoner but continued doing something that was out of their eyesight. Another person who was hidden in the darkness revealed herself to everyone who had entered the throne room, she was dressed in a black suit with a Cyclonian pin that had a dark purple shadow enveloping it. The female in the suit gave a brief salute to the general and gave a scowl to the prisoner.

General Starling realized that the Shadow officer was an interpreter for now at least until the language barrier was broken. The Shadow officer had Black hair and was missing a tiny piece of her right ear, a war veteran who had been in combat Starling thought as the Master proceeded to look at a report from the other interrogations on Terra Bogaton

The interpreter had translated the master's first question, "why did you invade my empire?" The answer took a second before the interpreter could respond and the reply was what she expected. "I was given this task to subjugate all of this barbaric land for the glory of the Saderan empire." the interpreter gave a response to that preposterous answer. "We are barbarians? Your soldiers raped innocent civilians and killed hundreds of people and attempted to conquer an entire terra without a declaration of war?" The prisoner actually began to shake with visible fear. But definitely he stood up and shouted "You are the savage barbarians who use sorcery to combat my noble force!" The whole room froze and the master spun around and stare at the prisoner with undistinguished hatred. A few seconds of silence was followed then the interpreter said."you are going to wish you had died on the battlefield when I'm done with you." The Master then proceeded to take out a small light blue crystal and held it to the prisoner's skin.


Atmos—Terra Cyclonia— Master Cyclonis's office

Several hours after being told to wait in the anti chamber that led the Master's throne room both Dove and Lynn were excited when they were called into the Master's office. They'd been able to train together with for hours and as they reached the office, they were both searched by Nightcrawlers as a precaution. Then they were able to enter as they bowed and gave the fist and palm salute to the desk, then the leader spoke. "Please rise." They rose in unison and master continued. " As you both know the Cyclonian empire has been invaded by these primitive, arrogant savages." The voice become more distorted and it sent a shiver down both soldiers spirits in the slight pause she looked over the two officers her face was in a pure rage. "You both have experience with dealing with this enemy and most importantly you have that very thing that I want to deny this enemy." She jested towards a enemy banner that she levitated to her and proceeded to turn it into glass. Both soldiers stood at attention, Cyclonis continued in a calming voice laced with anger. "That is our greatest advantage over them, not just though technology and intelligence but experience in how best to obliterate our enemies." The Master then explained what the purpose of why they were here. " You both are capable enough in my personal opinion that I have decided to put you both in charge of the Shadows, do you know what that is?" When both answered no Cyclonis actually laughed and explained.

Lynn and Dove were stunned by their new premonition, and even more surprised when Cyclonis said that a force would be formed to invade and take control of the gate. The master went on. "The Scorched Variant will be accompanying you and you both can join in on the battlefields of course but you will report back to me, is that understood?" Both females nodded and the Master's smile turned predatory "Good, now let's get you both into your new office and new weapons."

Both soldiers looked at each other with smiles on their faces as they walked out of their leaders office. Master Cyclonis continued to walk through her office and shatter the glass that had once been a banner of an arrogant empire that had thought it was going to conquer her empire. She would obliterate this empire and expand her own empire and the gate was a very powerful tool that could bring her new places across worlds once this so called war was over the potential was unlimited.

But the personal reason for wanting to fight was eating her she needed her. Piper was the only one who understood her and was possibly the only real Crystal specialist she trusted and they both were really happy with each other if the enemy were as barbarous as she thought they were going to be begging for death!

Killing them would be far too easy! Cyclonis thought with a growing sense of urgency that what ever happened in the coming days it would bring horror to her newest enemy.


AN: I feel like i rushed through the battle scene, oh well there will be more and they will be more descriptive about the point of view shots.

I should say that I am going to skip the conquest of the hill itself but not the battle with the allied kingdoms just the Cyclonian empire taking the gate itself, and the next chapter will likely be focused around the Saderan empire's characters but please give me some feedback on how I did so far. I realized that the Far side could basically be like something out of Wolfenstein and I could just give the Cyclonian army any advance peace of technology.

The rockets that were screaming was a reference to the Nazi V-1s and I hope to put the Stuka siren in the next chapter there are many more weapons I can't wait to write about.

But I have a question for you guys do you think General Canina is dead? I'll hopefully give the answer in the next chapter but for now I'll see you guys when it's ready.

Stay safe out there everyone. And thank you all for following and favoring this it really motivates me!!