Welcome to my first crossover story. I'm a fan of Storm Hawks but specifically the main antagonist and always felt that if most kids shows were not restricted because of their target audience they could be really dark, depressing and intense. Like Avatar the last Airbender, Adventure time, or more recent cartoons like Amphibia and Steven Universe. Those are some examples that pushed the boundaries of the rating system at the time.
(Disclaimer: All property in this is a work of fiction. I do not own any of official tv shows or manga. Except for original characters. Please do not sue me)
So My version of the Cyclonians will be very Dark and probably pretty Disturbing as it takes inspiration from World War Two specifically the acts of the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy and the actual Oprichnik from the reign of Ivan the terrible. Officially they were the Russian Empire's first secret police. ( Don't quote me on that.)
This Story is rated M and set in a Alternate timeline were the final battle was lost and Master Cyclonis is Victorious and Rules the entire planet of Atmos unchallenged, this will be Focused on Characters from both sides of the Gate (As best I can since i haven't seen the Anime except for some of the battle scenes on YouTube and will use the tv tropes as well as the wiki, so please go easy on me.)
So we will begin with a prologue set on the third Anniversary of Cyclonian's Victory.
I will also put some Original Characters and change character motivations (at least on Cyclonia empire's side) to try and keep it interesting. (I must admit that I am absolutely horrible with making names so if any of you have ideas please don't be afraid of putting them in a list. )Like this: Cyclonians M:
F:
The Saderan Empire: M:
F:
(Nice and orderly so it doesn't ruin your review)
So let's get onboard for a Wild ride.
Prologue.
Atmos——Terra Cyclonia—Capital of the Cyclonian Empire.
"Squadron lo–" Piper signed fighting tears beginning to form in her eyes yet again. It is over! She raged inside. We lost and this is my new purpose in life. She took a cloth and began to wipe her eyes before taking a few deep breaths before picking up her pen and resumed writing in her journal. "Cyclonian's top tactics and crystal adviser to The Master." She wrote slightly sighed again and plowed on "It's been nearly three years since victory was declared against all Sky Knights squadrons and All of Atmos has been under her control ever since."
Even after all this time she could still remember it all. The strange frightening equipment that had been employed into the Master's personal guard, rallying the entire Sky knights of the Free Atmos, the Master trying to get her to join her and informed her of the Binding a evil and extremely powerful form of Crystal mastery. She could feel the tears again and her heart felt like it was being stabbed with a flamer crystal. As Piper took a few moments to calm herself before focusing her hand to continue writing. "Her empire hadn't slowed down if anything it had been boosted by the growing ambition of three things: exploration of all the resources of every Terra, technological advances from both the far side and most frightening their own imagination.
Piper remembered something Cyclonis herself said as she gloated about lunching the first Space Station nearly two months after her victory, she had personally designed. It was something like: 'You would be quite surprised what can be accomplished when war dose not consume all valuable material resources.' The film she had seen of it taking off for the outer limits of the unknown replayed in her mind: The Station was a slightly bigger version of the one. She and her team ——My friends ——took down.
She once again took a moment to control her emotions as she wrote down her feelings about seeing the symbol of all evil to her people leave the world and go somewhere no one had ever been Space.
The symbol in question was of a bird similar to that of a vulture that looked like it was spying on it's dying pray. "I thought the horrible nightmare I have been stuck in would end but it only continued to get worse as the Master took it upon herself to reinforce the reality of the world here and now by taking me to a private tour of the new launch site that was built on Terra Bogaton, most of the terra was repurposed for The Master's most trusted engineers, astronomers, and of course scientists. Bogaton became the second most secure Terra, second only to the capital of the whole empire. I must admit I was extremely horrified by how fast they were able to build their own launch site. Piper then remembered something to add to her journal but the very thought and remembering the shear hopelessness of the memory almost made her completely sick and vomit and just barely stop herself from beginning to vomit when someone knocked on her door she looked at the door for a few seconds before calling out. "Yes, what is it?" She asked "Head Tactics Adviser , the Second in Command of the Armies has summoned you to her office." The female voice said.
"I'll be right there in a moment." She said quickly putting her journal in a drawer and locking it then taking a moment to review her outfit in the mirror: she wore purple almost violet body armor with matching pants that was newly decorated to represent her new job with the symbol of Cyclonian empire in dark purple right in corner of the armor, she quickly gave herself a small satisfactory nod. Normally she would be wearing a lab coat over her armor but since the master had been graces enough to let her take a few weeks off to let her mind relax and reflect on her progress on some new developments of unraveling the power of three newly discovered crystals in the Far Side of Atmos.
Before turning to the door and opened it to find one of the second in command of the armies assistants a female about five foot, four inches wearing a blood red long sleeve uniform with matching pants, brown combat boots, with a scabbard on her belt for her energy sword which was not currently activated but would do the job of killing it's opponent just the same. And a new weapon that the engineers had dubbed A Hand Canon in a separate holster on the opposite side of the sword. And a different colored but same symbol of the empire this one was bright orange and a little smaller one in blood red on a dark purple background pined in the center of the cap. The female herself had light turquoise eyes and tan skin, with light orange hair. Her hands were clasped behind her back as she studied Piper with a messer of curiosity. Then she made a Follow me gesture with her arm and they both began to walk briskly to a higher level of the Cyclonian empire's tower, witch was not only the empire's command center of it's military might but also had one of the most powerful, secret weapons that helped bring the empire's victory: a gateway to the Far Side of Atmos. Witch was a region of advanced technology and unknown species. The region was cut off by mountain ranges and was impossible for airships, skimmers and even the switchblade elites of the Cyclonian soldiers to get over and the only way anyone could see even a glimpse of what was beyond it was onboard the empire's space station.
The assistant didn't speak again and Piper didn't try to engage in a conversation with her. They passed soldiers wearing similar outfits to that of the assistant. It was a newly created version of the normal regulation armor that was created to welcome a new era of prosperity to the entire planet. All of the soldiers gave her salutes and any civilian functionaries did the same as they were aware of her place in the master's inner circle and so those acts of politeness were out of either begrudging respect or more likely fear of her complaining about rude behavior from functionaries and soldiers to their leader.
Inwardly Piper still couldn't grasp at the power she had held over others since being given her new status by Cyclonis herself. She still remembered what she had told her when they were alone together after Piper discovered that it was the Master herself attempting to get her to join forces.
We're a lot alike you and I... More than you like to admit. The statement always clawed it's way into her mind every day since their defeat each time more frequently but especially on the day of victory but for now she pushed it back into the depths of her mind as both of them took the stairs up a floor passing some of the blast proof windows giving a somewhat surreal beauty of the lighting storm that constantly loomed over the empire's capital, sometimes rarely when Piper was working in her room, office or private laboratory late into the night she could see the storm partway to let in moon or early morning sunlight wash over the wasteland. The wasteland was known as a region that surrounded the lowland of entire planet, it had been declared to be an inhospitable place of fire, lava and rock with treacherous rock formations. And were bloodthirsty creatures live and thrive such as gigantic lava eels and fire scorpions among other carnivorous beasts, it made do for a place of banishment meant for incompetent high ranking officers who had failed too many times and were declared to be forgotten in the worst part of the world. It was either that or become test subjects for new better weapons or improvements on already existing weapons and other things.
Shaking her thoughts clear Piper and along with the assistant stood in front of a heavily armed door flanked by two soldiers dressed in different armor, though they still wore the same color as the regular soldiers the only differences were that these two were wearing a black mask that covered their mouth and nostrils and black goggles so they're eyes couldn't be seen. Both of them turned to look at the new arrivals for a few seconds and then both opened the heavy doors with ease and both nodded to them as if to say: Go ahead she is expecting you. Piper gave a respectful nod in return before going into the office along with the assistant the heavy doors were closed quickly and quietly as soon as they both stood in front of the desk. The office was only slightly bigger than Piper's and was decorated with shelves of military books, metals and paintings of what was essentially the opening moves of the civil war. The desk in the center of the room was medium sized and was semi clean with only a few scattered papers and a glowing yellow crystal just to the left of the scattered papers.
One decoration stood out from the rest, it was mounted above the center wall of the desk in it's wake. It was a shield which bore the insignia of a former sky knight squadrons that had been betrayed by their fellow members and were killed by the rogue squadron, it was the insignia of the interceptors. And the lone survivor of the traitorous attack had been through the wasteland from that moment forward at least inwardly but had always remained a mask of emotions always wearing it in public or when with any co–op missions but when the war was finally over she decided to join the enemy ranks and to prove her loyalty for the new order she hunted some of her former sky knight colleagues.
When she came into contact with a couple of elite talons sent to re-occupy and put down a riot that had sparked on Terra Atmosia (the former Capital of the Free Atmos) after the announcement of the end, she delivered the Scream Queens and The Rex Guardians both respected sky knights of their own Terras and had beaten them and tied them up with broken legs arms and even two or three of them had broken jaws. She had suffered from the fight too having her right arm nearly burned to the bone. Apparently one of the Scream Queens had done it regardless from what Piper had heard from tales she had declared her allegiance to the Master herself the moment she revealed her captives, she was awarded for her efforts by being elevated to the Second in Command of the Armies and having her right arm replaced with a metal arm with built in crystals that helped amplify her lethal hand to hand combat abilities, she even gave herself a new nickname known among her former sky knight colleagues.
"General Starling, I present the Head tactics adviser." Announced the assistant before the Head of the Armes. Starling sat in her chair, putting aside paper work and focused on the arrival of a former colleague and friend with the slightest hint of pity before thanking the assistant and ordering her to go back to her duties. Once they were properly alone and the door was locked Starling looked at Piper for a few more moments before speaking. "How has the new freezing crystal bombs coming along?" She asked in a professional voice. Piper took a breath before answering. "Very promising, and the results will be detailed in the report that should be given to the master within the next few days, the only thing I am amazed at is how these are able to only hurt their intend targets and leave the area itself unaffected." Starting nodded in a satisfied way. "It is always fascinating and intriguing to peek with the evolution of the development for the weapons of the empire's warriors, but the true reason I requested you're presents is that there is some strange developments that require your attention." The General's voice turned intriguing.
"What kind of strange developments, General?" Piper asked keeping her own voice neutral. "Energy readings are spiking in certain areas on Terra Atmosia, at first glance we assumed it was the Terra's many public museums that were placed in historic locations on the Terra for a constant reminder to the people of what started all the madness of the war. As has happened in the past due to the large scale of tourism there but it is not the case." The Commander of the armed forces proceeded to present some of the recent documents over to Piper, after looking them over she too became intrigued with curiosity about this strange developments. "The Master herself wants you to lead a expedition to collect samples of this mysterious energy spikes accompanied with some of our finest troops as your security forces due to some of our new scientists have gone missing." That had been a roomer within the military that was quickly suppressed from the general public Piper had heard only bits of it here and there but mostly focused on her own work. "Once it became obvious that the strings of disappearing guests and citizens were increasing must have something to do with the energy spikes you are assigned to be accompanied with some of our finest troops as your security forces due to some of our new scientists have gone missing soon after the reports of missing guests." The General waved the concern away.
"Most of the guests were possibly rebels trying to from another group of Sky knights and then ambushed the scientists." While officially declared to be dismantled tiny resistance movements tried to spring out of one Terra or other but the majority of the planet were already used to the new regime and just went on with their lives. It was as the Master herself put it at one of their meetings. 'A scar from the war that will be removed in time.' Perhaps she was right the attacks or formations of resistance groups were becoming less liked by the majority of the people and were far more likely to be seen as a symbol of fantasy,delusion then anything else. The two former friends spent the next few minutes going over the basics of the planed team to investigate the situation but a thought seemed to occur to the General who asked. "Is it possible I could view a demonstration on some of the newer weapons? The general looked genuinely content and had a glint of her predatory glare in her eyes. "Not just the freeze bombs but also our improvements to the shield crystals, newly developed artillery and shells?"
Piper was no stranger to showing off for high officials in the advancing of tactics since it was her purpose after all and she became very enthusiastic about how well the weapons preformed. The last demonstration General Starling had been given was seven months ago and she was even more amazed by the fast pace of the empire then her. She put her own question to the general. "Well of course, but I feel I must ask if this is a inspection?" The second in command of the armed forces gave a half nod. "Partly as I said I am most interested in the evolution of our warrior's weapons and I feel a inspiration is in order and more importantly the Master herself will be joining us, you will have about four weeks to prepare one of my assistants will be waiting at your office when you are dismissed from here." She held her metal hand to stop her from speaking and continued. "It will just be the three of us and some of her finest Night-crawls, so do not be concerned about lower ranking generals bombarding you with idiotic comments or questions."
Some of the more older generals were resentful of the rapid rise of newer strategic and military personnel but knew better than to complain about the so called 'destruction of traditional values of the empire's military.' The Master had made a point in that old ways must evolve or eventually the movement of weakness seen by the people would cause another revolution. Her point was driven by the focused retirement of certain individuals who had been nothing more than obstructionists and were hoping to take power away from her as the war was nearing a satisfactory conclusion.
The Nightcrawlers were able to make sure their leaders orders were followed to the letter, which was not a issue as they were the Master's personal guard and were rightfully responsible to ensure the safety and security of their leader but also were a elite group that would spy upon potential enemies or targets and had a reputation for being dangerous silent as could be especially since they had been evolved from the end of the war to now. Normally they all knew full well that the Master could take care of it herself in a one on one environment and wasn't content with sitting on the throne. Piper nodded gratefully at a chance for a private show with the Master herself and an old friend from another life time.
Not long after that she was dismissed and walked back to her office and as the General had said an assistant was waiting by the door standing. Both spent more than 3 hours for the two weeks. Once it was done early the date was set Piper wanted to be certain every thing would be in order finally satisfied with the preparations the event got underway.
Atmos——Terra Bogaton ——Cyclonian empire's Top weapons,armor, aviation and space research facility.
The mood in the bright morning sun was a mixture between tense and hopeful as the Master's personal destroyer named: The Dreadful Vengeance appeared out of nowhere and landed on one of ten landing pads on Terra Bogaton, a small welcoming party had been assembled at the base of its entry ramp which consisted mostly of armed soldiers male and female all dressed in standard military crimson red uniforms with elaborate scabbards for their chosen swords and gray holsters for their hand cannons. Crimson red hats like the one general Starling's assistant wore helped protect their heads from the slight morning breeze of dust kicked off by the ship's dying engines.
As Piper stood to attention along with the soldier she could see a figure in a military uniform that was much like those around it except that the right arm was shining metal. The second in command of the armed forces was quickly followed by a security detail of Nightcrawlers, their black hoods covered their faces but left glowing red eyes as their only visible facial features as for their uniforms they wore black armor with the insignia of a gray crescent moon with three slasher marks over it. They wore hoods to cover their faces so anyone viewing them would only see their glowing yellow eyes, their claws were raiser sharp and could tear open flesh with a single motion. They were the Master's personal guard for a reason after all, as the figures in black strode forwarded as if they were one a leader singled out for his unique purple eyes lead the rest down the welcoming party. After the usual ceremony of introducing the leader to whatever function she was attending had passed the protective group parted and Piper instinctively made her hands into a fist and palm salute with a bow. Unlike the normal salute you are to give to officers or superiors in the armed forces when dealing with the Master of Cyclonian empire you must always do the hand and palm salute for not only was it a show of respect but it symbolizes that you were in the presents of the most powerful individual on the planet. This custom dated back to the very beginning of the empire itself.
Piper quickly stiffened to attention as she locked eyes with the one who had been the very architect of so much pain and horror for her planet and her people. The Master said nothing yet but looked intimidating as always dressed in her usual uniform of a purple cloak that covered her entire body with a special designed for free moments of her arms and her hands were in fingerless gloves. Slender spines that can fold into or out from the current hood by unknown means but was possibly used to intimidate subordinates and subjects alike.
Then in her usual soft spoken manner. "Piper it is good to see you again for a few demonstrations of my new and improved weaponry, I want you to know that I looked into your report on the freezer bombs a few days prior to this meeting and am most pleased with the results." The Ruler of all Atmos looked intently with a satisfied expression Piper nodded then said. "I am grateful for your satisfaction with one of my projects, Master." Piper quickly greeted General Startling after her reply in a respectful manner then lead the Master's entourage into the base property.
The soldiers were issued to report back to their guard positions by the commander in charge of the security forces on the terra. Inside the base was a group of scientists and soldiers who were tasked with preparing and demonstrating the various kinds of weaponry as the group had been told by Piper that a list of what was going to be shown first was a couple rounds of new artillery shells that were now had a variety of different types, unlike the simple ones used by both sides in the war which were basically just standard artillery shells this was to demonstrate the lethality and accuracy of lava shells, crystal shrapnel, freeze and even combustion shells.
Second on the list was newly improved shielding crystals that were able to withstand a high blast from multiple pronged attack, it was in many ways just an improved version of the original crystal that the Master had used for her own terra during the final battle of the war. There was a second version of this crystal for personal protection against an enemy attack that only could be deactivated by a Blocking crystal in the event of a mutiny or a need for an upgraded version of a depleted one.
Third was an newly original version of cannons built for the improved destroyers that were smaller than their bulky counterparts and made them easier to move on a ship with the ability to engage with enemy forces from behind without potentially damaging their own engines.
Fourth on the list is a new weapon for the infantry simpler to the hand cannon it was designed to be a rapid-fire, magazine-fed automatic rifle that could fire crystal energy and even be fitted with a long sword that could be used as a secondary weapon in case of it jammed. This was relatively newer and had more than a few drawbacks but once it was fairly simplified it would become a standard for infantry and possibly change combat styles forever.
There was far more currently still in development mostly due to the still recent gains by the end of the war had made the deadlines difficult to meet for now . But enough was manageable for the current evolution of the Cyclonian military and with every passing day the developments of other weapons and equipment became increasingly easier to attain. It also increased the major step towards achieving the Master's personal goal of achieving a Galactic Imperial Empire that would one day become the dominant power of the entire galaxy perhaps even beyond the very universe.
That had become Cyclonis's primary focus since ending the war and restoring Atmos under her regime and made perfect sense in a way at least to Piper. If her primary goal was finally accompanied then her entire empire would have been able to get raw materials from every habitable land mass unopposed and not have to be concurred by a civil war or sabotage efforts that were mostly seen as a threat to the various interests and survival of the empire that had existed since perhaps the beginning of their civilization. It had to be a broader concept that had existed since final months of the war.
There was only so much that could be subjected on their home planet even counting the neutral environments only had so much energy and raw material that could be exploited to help keep the planet under it's control. So the Master turning her gaze on to the very stars was inevitable.
Shaking her head slightly as she heard Cyclonis say that she wanted to see the demonstrations in order but not to rush into anything and wanted to take breaks after every event was over so it would be easier for the team to set the next one up. The group nodded in unison before they all went on a automatic rail line that led to a small rest stop then led to some observation rooms and entrance and exit points on far side of the building. Another invention that was used primarily for traversing large terras cutting travel distances in half but was mainly for research facilities and not intended for the public not yet at least. Some day it was hoped that it would.
Bogaton Observation Station Four.
Overlooking the vast desert with craters of other bomb tests and remains mock buildings or the outdated sky-knights mock vehicles even Cyclonian destroyers of the older bulky war style littered the landscape was a rectangular building that housed an observation station, a monitoring station for gather-ing data on the effects of the various weapons.
Reinforced for the observation station was crystal proof glass that helped prevent injuries from the various debris that would sometimes fly in different directions so unpredictably that it became a first priority to the station workers. Currently only two seats were filled one by General Starling who had a look of interest with her hands settled on the armrests and the other seat was occupied by the very leader of the entire empire herself with a similar expression of interest and a hint of predatory glare in her eyes as Piper strolled towards the front of the room where the window was holding a clipboard to her chest and began the introduction of the first test which was a set of about three different types of artillery.
"We began with a new form of artillery called crystal shrapnel which would be used to break up enemy units and destroy not just potential enemies but also enemy fortifications. This type of weapon is made by firing a shell with built in crystals that when deployed are set to be imbedded into the target area and then after a few microseconds will detonate imploding the intended targets and capable of spreading out at least two times and doing the same before evaporating into dust." Piper finished her presentation and took her seat, General Starling had nodded through the description and had a look of predatory glee at the part about the capability of having a weapon that could spread across an enemy position and could easily cause twice as much damage without having to use as much ammunition.
The Master didn't change expression aside from placing her hands in front of her face and slightly nodding at certain points of interest, her eyes looked much like the General's in that predatory way. Then the count down began and the target was selected among the rubble it was a large area with a half building that was still standing along with couple of false forests and mannequins dressed up in mocking sky knights armor. Once the count was finished the artillery boomed from three separate positions and after the initial bombs exploded in their targeted area there was a slight pause and silence to everything but then In about three seconds the Crystal shrapnel went off and purple explosives were seen from the observation station, again the testing ground went quiet for about two possibly three seconds before again detonating and setting off the purple explosives once again which looked to expand in their range and burned brighter than for the final time silence fell on the testing grounds then three seconds passed by before a final explosion occurred less bright than the second blast but still quite good range in expansion. A probe that was designed for reconnaissance flew over the surface of targeted areas over the course of the demonstration and documented the various stages of the blasts.
After reviewing the footage and photographs from it the General had a look of amusement on the before and after photos. Starling had described the scene with a handful of words "Horrifically fascinating in advancing our way of warfare." Then praised Piper for her work in developing the new weapon then the Master spoke on her own view about it. "That was a very good demonstration of the power we can bring to the battlefield and shows that evolving our military capabilities is a key part of securing my empire's future." The group was given some more time to review the photos and film again as the next set of artillery was getting underway for the same target area.
Once there were proper targets made for the next round and they were ready to launch Piper stood up and started informing her audience of the next round of artillery. Unlike the crystal shrapnel this type of weapon had instead of normal explosives it was primarily used Lava and crystal powder to protect against it going off in the shells before being fired or going off inside the cannon itself. This type was used for defensive purposes and makes it harder for attackers to escape from their positions. The lava cloud burn for a considerable time that would very depended on how much crystal energy was released into the shell, which could cause probable headaches for crossing over into enemy positions. But other techniques were also being applied to help the process thus far results for a counter measure were mixed for now.
Piper finished her presentation and sat back down then the cannons boomed into life. Explosions were heard from the impact area as well as the surrounding area of the now melting ground, when viewed from the observation probe the ground looked like the wasteland had been carried out of it's deepest pit and placed on the target. This was a very satisfying result at least for the General and the Master, Piper was also satisfied that her visitors were happy with the results of the test.
Then they took a break for an hour reviewing footage from both artillery shells and also had some lunch in the dining hall, which was a varying amount of vegetables, smoked meat buffet and even a couple of different kinds of drinks imported from Terra Rex. The Master kept rewinding the footage of the Lava and Crystal shrapnel with her eyes gleaming with anticipation of the duplicates that would be made available in the coming days if not weeks. The General was eating a plate full of lettuce with some sliced honey ham and drank tea with fresh lemon juice also looking at the test footage. Piper was eating a salad bowl with some water just enjoying the fresh food and waited for everyone else to finish. The Master herself was eating a similar salad bowl but with more lemon juice and a beverage of iced caffeinated coffee to help her stay awake during her long night of inventing and reviewing other reports though the day.
Once everyone was finished they were informed about their next project to visit was going to be the shielding crystal that was meant for infantry, a science officer handed Piper a new clipboard and she began to inform her audience about the new defense mechanism. "This Crystal is made for blocking attacks against an enemy with the ability to create a cycler bearer around the perimeter of the warrior carrying it and lasts for up to three full days and is capable of recharging either by the enemy attacks or by itself in a few micro seconds." Piper held up a white Crystal shard with a tiny black protective device on it. And passed it around she went on.
"I must note that it was difficult to get it to accept a form of fingerprint identification so that no can steal the technology from a corpse or if the officer were to go rogue thus we are still having trouble identifying a traitor from a loyal member but we are making progress on charging its power supply." The Master spoke as Piper finished speaking and twisted the crystal in her hand.
"I'm sufficiently impressed with this invention, perhaps I could help with the design issues having fewer of my soldiers die in combat is a good idea for gathering information on enemy capabilities and of course our people have a lust for battle." Cyclonis looked at Piper with a determined gaze in her eye. "I would like the members of this project in my office once this entry event has finished, they are to be commended for their efforts in strengthening our work to bring our warriors home safely." Piper bowed then said. "I will do so at once, Master." Then two soldiers entered the room each bowed to their Master as Piper politely took the weapon from the General and gave it to one of the soldiers, instructed the shorter male to activate the shield by pressing the black protector raped around the white crystal that caused a shining shield to engulf him then it quickly faded away the other male soldier was then ordered to strike at his command with his weapon which he did.
His weapon didn't break or bend but it did bounce off a field of glowing white light, he struck three times in different places to which his weapon still didn't break. To the satisfaction of Piper's audience they silently applauded and the demonstrators bowed to their superior officer and leader, then Piper instructed the shorter officer to deactivate the shield were ordered to leave and they would rewarded for their service in this demonstration. General Starling requested some more tea and a servant rushed out calling for a kettle of tea and a jar of iced water. The conversation that followed was mostly over how best to tinker with the process of this new defensive tool and how could it help against other tasks outside the battlefield. Possibly for construction purposes yet for the tactical purposes dominated the talks between the three.
Piper was praised for her efforts by the Master and the General and endorsed the Master's desire to improve the shielding capability, How could she not? When she and Cyclonis were together they were able to make truly remarkable achievements and progress on Crystal weapons. The Shied would take another few more trial and error tests before being released into the field. But it probably would get to the soldiers faster now that the Master herself had given it her attention. The conversation eventually ended when one of the lead scientists said that the next demonstration was ready to be viewed.
The torn up test ground now had a view of a large group of about four people tied up in rows of wooden poles separated evenly from each other and blind folded. They were dressed in the yellow prison uniforms of the empire that designated them as rebels and were about to be used as a visual aid for affect the final round of artillery strikes. It was difficult to see them from the distance between them and the observation station but the reconnaissance drone had helped to make the demonstration easier to see. Unlike the first or second demonstrations this one would incorporate both at the same time. The few times it had been done on similar occasions Piper knew what to expect. But the only chance was how quickly the victim would be killed and the answer often varied. Perhaps that is what her audience wanted to see in person of course the Master could have seen video of the process of both types but most likely she would have been far too busy and the General had seen some of the videos before but also knew that she had to see it up close. In person demonstrations were always made it personal and more enjoyable, inwardly Piper herself was hoping that the demonstration would be satisfying and finish these weapons and move on to other areas that were on her list.
The artillery cannons fired, the resulting explosions were heard echoing across the landscape and in the quiet moments there were a couple of inhumane screaming. Unlike the silence that proceeded the first time demonstration this had a constant presence of the horror that was found in war the prob continued to video the trashing of remains, some were burned and had missing limbs. Everyone had various expressions ranging from fascination, amusement and pleasure at the sight and the sounds of it all on various screens. The Master had ordered another artillery strike to end their suffering by firing the freezer shells and had also called for a halt to the weapon demonstrations mostly to have Piper taken back to the capital and because of other technological advancements that weren't part of Piper's Agenda, so it was seen as best for her to go back to work were she was needed. But before she was escorted to a landing pad to board a ship destined for the Capital, the Master had requested that they be given the room.
Once they were properly alone the leader of all Atmos began to walk up to her and gently began to kiss Piper's cheek and embrace her in a hug tightly before whispering. " I must say you have out done yourself Piper, with this new approach to defending my soldiers can counter any threat from the remaining rebels."
The Master looked directly into Piper's eyes and continued. "The main reason why I'm putting a hold to your demonstrations is because of the strange circumstances that are happening on Atmosia and you are going be given a security force and lead a team of some of my best specialists in mysterious environments, they will be on loan from the Far side, I must remain here for a while longer reviewing the new jet engines and other additional advanced aerodynamic equipment that has evolved since first being introduced to the public." Jet engines were a combination of industrial designs from the minds of the empire and the advanced technology of the far side, along with the ability to cut through the distance between various Terras instead of taking half a day to a couple of months now only took hours or minutes. It also had a profound impact in the military industry gaining momentum in creating new tactical capabilities for striking an enemy's position faster than they could hope to respond with the more thrill seeking soldiers welcomed higher speeds and greater accuracy than their rebel counterparts. This again led to an increased interest among the more scientific community of the empire and helped increase the civilian view in favor of the Master's rule.
That was Cyclonis's intention to help the wider population accept her regime through advances of living standards and civil rights since the leader herself wasn't interested in males but rather females during the war that topic was discussed by both sides very differently while the empire welcomed the idea that a male could have intimate relations with another male and the same applied to females. The resistance was far more preoccupied with trying to establish itself as a functioning government than even after it had been formed no one could bring it into cerulean of politics due to the continuing war but apparently they didn't really care as it was a matter of small importance when set beside the larger issue of freedom.
But Cycloins had seized on the notion of the relationship between an individual with whom they shared their feelings for an intimate relationship are to be expected and above all respected by law even going so far as to write a different set of laws that would not just protect it but also set extreme punishment for those who could not see past their own views. The result was overwhelming popular in the eyes of the public and helped push forward other issues of intimate relationships with other species such as the Merbs, the Wallops,ethnic. It was seen as a major success for easing the tensions between a hostile public and the former enemy now in control. But as of now only the inner circle knew of The Master's true feelings regarding her Head Tactics Adviser, which was to be kept in the Master's private life at her own request and was enforced by a treat of the Master's personal wrath.
They embraced for a moment longer than the Master walked her lover to the landing pad where her personal flagship to personal see that she was settled off.
Atmos——Terra Cyclonia—Office of the Head of the Armed Forces , Capital of the Cyclonian Empire.
Reviewing the Documents and Videos of the latest tests from Terra Bogaton, General Starling looked in fascination over the new system of jet aircraft. The new data showed incredible performance that put nearly all the aircraft during the war obsolete, even the soldiers who had the privilege of flying them stated that they enjoyed the unexpected G-force and were enthusiastic about the new technique of jumping from one Switchblade to the other. The other documents were from Piper's artillery tests those were more gruesome in the details of the incidents regarding the two remaining rebels who were unlucky enough to only be lethally injured by the bombardment from the shrapnel shells then to freeze into with horrific expressions of agony by the freezer bombs. Details were very clear in the video attachments the general could literally see the progress of the body freezing into a statue with the slow motion one of them had their left eye hanging out of it's socket and was missing their left ear, it was impressive to watch she wrote comments about how quick the crystal had taken over the body and how much damage the shrapnel left on the surface of the skin.
Fascinating and Terrifying, the scientists were going to get a lot more testing funding and test subjects. Improvements were always welcome at least to the Head of the Armed Forces. However the key to eliminating this threat was not just evolving their weapons and tactics but annihilating the last few big groups of rebels hidden somewhere in the jungle Terra Amazonia and the ruins of Terra Glockenchime that were utterly destroyed by the Nightcrawlers in their surprise attack that unveiled Cyclonians possessed Far side technology. From the latest reports on the rebel leadership whereabouts were split between those two locations, it had remained unconfirmed but the remains of the pita-full resistance fighters were extremely lucky at least when it came to their leadership, thankfully with most civilians and Terras turning to the empire's side hiding locations were becoming increasingly difficult to keep. I want them alive or the bodies must be identified then disposed of if killed. That was Starling's personal decision sometimes she would contemplate her life and wondered if she chose the path that would make her a traitor in the eyes of the people but she had seen the scales of the war and how they were ultimately going to end in a Cyclonian victory and any change of fighting the power they possessed would be nothing but a suicidal fantasy. She considered herself with the rewards she was given by the Master personally: A replacement arm with a built in crystal defense and offensive weapons, The Rogue Group that caused her Squadron's demise, private viewings of the improved and newer weapons, interrogating captured rebels and watching their horrified faces as they see who they were up against.
Starling had been so thoroughly ingrained into the empire she didn't really want to look back on her former life. What I am now…… is something I should have turned into when my squad was betrayed but I was young and naive enough to still believe in the fantasy of a future where our people were free and could live in place without a tyrannical system but that is a system that has what the Free Atmos didn't have order, stability and what was the final blow actually leadership. At least in Starling's mind that was the fatal error of the Council.
Leadership was something that the former council of the Sky knights lacked almost completely as they were always either slow to respond with a response from a terra calling for help or lack the ability of boosting morale among the public and the most important part of taking responsibility for a failure. The contrast between both sides was evident when they reached the breaking point of the final stages in the surprise attacks with the Far side technology if it hadn't been for the Storm Hawks rallying every Sky Knight they could in a last desperate effort at resisting their inevitable defeat as they tried to retreat and regroup, one by one they were captured by Nightcrawlers each squad had been taken to Cyclonis's favorite souvenir from the Far side: a crystal prison it was a crystal that had the ability to hold a person in suspended animation for eternity inside it there was no sleep, no comfort, no time. But at least they were among friends, the ones who were able to evade capture were tortured for information about rebel bases or their possible involvement in crating new movements against the empire, when no longer of any use they simply were to be used as test subjects not just weapons but new devices to help them…see reason in giving the information about anything that the empire wanted to know.
It was something that the Master herself was very interested in the studying more intensely it was something that even Starling had been fascinated by psychological warfare. The ability to break down the enemy's mental state in a way that would leave them nothing but a shell of their former self was incredibly fascinating and at times very surprising at the differences between one rebel to another some would easily break down and tell everything they could about everything just to stop the horrific trauma or others whose showed strength in their resilience needed more suitable solutions for them to get them to revive their secrets to the empire. Starling was a major contributor to this as she became notorious as The Scorched Variant.
Only to the few remaining rebels of the empire known her as that name and She was rarely seen in public once it was proven that all resistance had been crushed Starling would reveal her true identity to the world. Unlike her predecessor who was unveiled in the early days of his defection, both she and the Master wanted her to remain a mystery to anyone who wasn't in the military. Those unknowingly in her charge were shocked by the revelation but quickly adapted to her position as sensible given her own background and reputation formerly as a Sky Knight. Some were less than convinced she had joined had been strongly put in their place by Starling herself, the result of her brutal career in convincing the more senior officers were spread throughout the military. Some other reports had caught her attention they were the newer weapons based on the now infamous 'Hand canon' and they were very promising and practical.
Master Cyclonis was quite taken by how portable this device was and wanted to become familiar with how to handle it and see how improvements could be made to not just copy them but also create new versions of various features that could be added, like a sword blade built into the edge of a future personal weaponry and thankfully the Far side of Atmos had plenty of creative options to help integrate these incredible powerful tools into the Cyclonian empire's arsenal. Starling herself had been open about how these tools worked and had even fired a hand cannon when it was still in final stages of development. The General wrote a memo to the researcher and development department of the new fascinating weapons.
It was full of praise about the prospect of the newly created weapons but also a strong suggestion about the evolutionary direction of their future battles against possible enemies:
The marvelous new possibilities are now at hand, however I feel that we should never forget our roots and incorporate melee combat it is our traditional way of fighting against enemies and must remain as a delicate balance between the new ways and our traditional. I will be consulting with the Master herself in the coming days to address this matter. Continue your duties and work towards our new age.
Excerpt from the memo from the desk of General Starling on the future of the empire's military equipment.
The rest of the day was devoted to preparing for a meeting with the Leader of the Cyclonian empire herself and contemplating the future of battlefield combat against any enemy that dares to attack the empire.
What they didn't know was just how soon they would be able put their newly created weapons and armor into proper combat and show their entire world just how powerful they were and what the Cyclonian empire's future of their technological capabilities would bring. But first they needed to expel the remaining rebels. And Starling thought she finally had a proper plan to deal with their annoyances.
Once and for all.
AN: Please remember this is my first time writing on this site and I hope to get better at this, there are more things and characters I want to address but I'll keep the answers in the dark for now. Please let me know how i wrote the established characters so far.
I do hope that I can expand the new world that the Cyclonians are creating as the story progresses and imputes help's but I may not always do what the audience wants and I want to focus on the points of views of the main characters and their impact as best I can.
And I hope to have more technological advancement in the future but I'll definitely keep the opportunity for suggestions open. Oh on a last note please keep in mind I am not going to involve the Japanese self defense force at all. This is it's own timeline.
So as a reminder for naming characters.
Cyclonians:
M
F
and
Saderan Empire:
M
and
F
Until the next chapter is ready. I'll let you guys guess what comes next.
Stay Safe everyone.