War of Drekis

Chapter 15:


The Gathering Part II



-----Attragon slowly descended into the depths of the Endless Caves, discovering new hives and intricate chambers that the Drekis Empire had constructed. It was a testament to the hive workers that such a massive complex had been created in these caverns; few Khazanians had ever succeeded in venturing more than ten miles beneath the menacing interiors before falling upon some tragedy. The Drekis minions, though, held no such fear of the eternal depths. Even the malevolent creatures that dwelled in the deep earth did nothing to impede their progress, for as Attragon traveled through his new home he came across the battered and burned remains of wild beasts that had been known to be fiercely territorial.
-----By now the internal depths of the Endless Caves were no longer caves at all; the hive workers had succeeded in turning every visible piece of bedrock and soil into the delectable darkstone that they favored so much. The darkstone seemed to ooze with life and vigor, but to the touch it was nothing more than inanimate stone. The dark, reflective surfaces were like fractured obsidian, though the material was stronger than anything that he had ever come across before. In fact, he had been curious enough to test his vast strength against a solid wall of the artificial metal, and had been pleased to find that neither melting flame nor piercing blade could tatter the very surface of it.
-----In many ways the Drekis lair was much more alive and invigorating then the Saramach palace had been. For centuries the Saramach had been a dejected, deprived civilization; they were not fit for living a life of luxury or glory, they could only wallow in the pits of their eternal curse and rot on the Dark Continent. Although Drekis’ actions had inspired great things in the Saramach, there could still be no comparison between the dreary, inactive halls of the undead castle and the fearfully vivacious hives of Drekis.
-----For every breath that Attragon could take, another minion was spawned from the pulsing walls of the hives. Large bubbles erupted from various pores, each one soon giving way to some burdened creature inside. The most fascinating thing of all was that the hives seemed to have no logic behind their workings; the hives produced minions, and they did so because that was their function. No preparations or complex magic’s went into the birth of any of the lesser minions, nor did there appear to be any need for a mother beast to spawn eggs. In this way the hives continued to manufacture new weapons of war while completely unmonitored. It was an endearing sight to behold.
-----Attragon was unsure of how he was able to navigate the sprawling passages of the lair so well, but through some manner of unseen guidance he immediately found the chamber that he had been directed to. The vast, open circle was the largest space that he had encountered yet, and there could be no doubt that it had at one time been the largest natural fissure in the Caves.
-----There was only one entrance to the mysterious room, the likes of which was guarded by two deminites that mindlessly started into the darkness. Their eyes brightened as Attragon’s immense figure loomed ahead of them.
-----“Make way!” Attragon boomed. “I have business in this chamber with your lord!” His feet smashed into the ground as he stopped in front of them, casting his gaze at the deminites that refused to move.
-----The two minions looked at each other and then stared back at the newcomer with slanted jaws and dumbfounded eyes.
-----“What is wrong with you!?” Attragon sneered. “Did I not say to move out of my way!” He raised his armored hand as if to strike, but before he could even make a threat the two guards whimpered off, scattering into the shadows.
-----The dimly lit chamber was like an ancient arena—in many respects it was a bastardized version of the famous Khazan Arena that had become such an attraction on the nexus. He could see no living thing as he entered, but the center of the room was littered with mounds of dead flesh and bones.
-----These remains were not the same as the ones that he had found earlier, for these were clearly the corpses of humanoids. Humans, elves, gnomes, and envari, he had fought them all in wars long past, and now he recognized their tarnished carcasses. There were other species that he could not distinguish, but all of them were obviously citizens of Khazan.
The pile itself could have stood as a warning to all of the enemies of the Drekis legions; a small portion of its gruesome image could have paralyzed anyone who was faint of heart, or perhaps it could have incited the fury of wounded loved ones. In either case, it was a clear demonstration of what happened to those that fought and died in the War of Drekis. The fresh smell of blood told the tale of recent battle, and Attragon snickered at the thought of the countless minions that he had seen emerge from the hives. Every mortal that the Khazanians lost would bring their forces down, both in morale and in numbers. Conversely, Drekis’ legions would never falter, never cease to be the most relentless aggressors on the planet. As a being of war, Attragon couldn’t help but sigh in pleasure at the beauty of the conflict.
-----“Does this sight bring you joy Attragon?” a darkening voice hissed.
-----The armored warrior looked over his shoulder to see Drekis materialize behind him. “My lord, I did not realize that you were here.”
-----“Physical location is a bothersome limitation that my body does not always share.” Drekis explained as he motioned closer to the expanding sea of bodies. “You see in front of you the spoils of our war. This batch merely represents the fools that stood in our way in Xaelon; they are compliments of Jon “Darkenfire” Avalon.”
-----“It is an incredible sight to behold,” Attragon admitted, “though a little disconcerting as well.”
-----“Is that so? So then you feel some sympathy for their plight do you?”
-----“Not at all!” Attragon quickly replied. “It is merely in my nature to represent all facets of war; Selegon engineered me to have both virtue and wrath, pity and cruelty. However, my opinion of the mortals is ultimately linked to the mortal’s opinion of war. People have always detested war, regardless of what the reason behind it was. I have no choice, then, but to detest them in return. Such is the nature of how I am; such is the rule by which my actions are governed.”
-----“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Drekis said with a deep laugh. “Tell me, Attragon…would you like to be free of your own nature? Would you like the ability to govern your own thoughts, your own opinions?”
-----Attragon shifted his armor slightly as he looked at the Chaos Avatar, “I have never considered that. I have always been what I am, nothing more. The thought of being something else is beyond me.”
-----“Nonsense!” Drekis roared. “Nothing is beyond chaos! At least, nothing is beyond complete chaos!”
-----“Complete chaos?”
-----“Yes.” Drekis said with an expression of amusement. “Despite the fact that we are beings of Chaos…Attragon, you and I are forced to live in a world of detestable order and fate. For the most part we escape those shackles and live freely, but you and I both know that we can never be truly free in this universe. Never free, without there first being a change. If you follow me Attragon, and help me attain my final goals, I will see to it that a universe without any laws or rules is born. Then, and only then, will you understand what it means to carve your own path.”
-----“I freely desired to follow you out of duty to chaos,” Attragon contested, “but if you truly choose to grace me with such a reward, then I will gladly accept, and I will fight twice as hard for your cause! But tell me my lord, what does this sea of corpses have to do with our discussion?”
-----Drekis gestured an elongated arm towards the billowing pile, “These corpses will be of assistance to you, Attragon. You see, you are a General of my Chaos legions now, but each General that serves me must have two lord minions by their side: an Advocate, and a Disciple. These two are the strongest subordinates that a General possesses, so it is only right that you must now receive one as well.”
-----“One?”
-----“For now we shall only give you a Disciple, and that is all that you will need.”
-----“Then…you intend for me to make something from this unholy mound?” Attragon said. “How inconceivable…not once did I imagine that chaos magic could go so far as to create life from a pool of death.”
-----“It is not as simple as creation.” Drekis bellowed, snapping his fingers. Several sparks of power flashed out from his hand, and at once there were several ghost-like figures floating in the air around them. “These phantom sorcerers will assist you in using the chaos power to animate this flesh. From this mountain of corpses you will form a minion worthy of being called your Disciple!”
-----“But, I do not understand this. I have seen many others walking through your lair, people who bear names and have minds of their own. Surely these people are far better than the lower minions; why can I not take one of them as my servant.”
-----“They are not worthy of such a task,” Drekis answered, “Here in this pile are the remains of heroes with various powers…powers that were at one time beyond the scope of human understanding. From them you will be able to use these powers—shape them together as you see fit, and grant your Disciple the might of their fallen lot!”

---2---
Upgrades

-----“So we’ll be leaving Axia alone!?” Corporal Arlington exclaimed, his voice rising to overcome the indomitable clatter of grinding metal and screeching blowtorches that had filled the Axian Factory.
-----“Never alone!” Kitazawa corrected. “We’ll act as a team, and the 478th will be more than enough for this mission. Remember, this isn’t some suicide rush with the intention of actually killing the enemy.”
-----“So we’ll act as a diversion.” Foster elaborated, leaning against the heel of her mech with her arms folded. “Still, it will be a dangerous task; to merely launch any kind of assault against a base that large, and with only our compliment…even if it’s only a diversion we could still be killed by their retaliation.”
-----“No one ever said this wouldn’t involve any risks.” Captain Kitazawa stated. “More importantly, this is a chance for us to make a real difference. All we need to do is make sure that Uberman’s team infiltrates their lair in the Endless Caves. If we can do that, and if this mission is successful, we could see a quick resolution to the war.”
-----“I’m all for the resolution,” Graham declared, spinning a mechanics wrench around his finger, “But even if this is all a deception, wouldn’t we still be able to draw the enemy’s attention away from the task force if we had more mecha assisting our team?”
-----“I’ve talked with the General about that,” Kitazawa explained, “but the fact of the matter is that if a large portion of the mecha-nized military assaults the mountain base, then we risk the chance of them prematurely sending out a strong defense.”
-----“I get it now,” Graham said, clenching the wrench tightly, “It’s a sneak attack, from beginning to end. It’s not even really so much a diversion as it is inflicting confusion within their ranks.”
-----“Will the enemy fall for such a trick?” Sergeant Atatsuya interjected. She sat on a small wooden rest bench as she gazed up at their respective mecha. Each of them was lined up, one after the other, and the damage to each seemed to get worse from left to right. “And besides that, our mecha aren’t exactly in any condition to go on this kind of mission, not after what happened in Xaelon. Will our superiors grant us new models Sir?”
-----Kitazawa grinned as he looked at the dust-covered Gemini. “Better than that. Our current models are going to be receiving upgrades. You can think of it as reconciliation for all the hell we’ve been through. Axia is going to pay for most of the equipment this time around, so if there’s anything special you’ve been wanting to add to your mech you better ask around now.”
-----“Upgrades…” Graham sighed as he stretched his arms behind his head, “Will they even have the repairs done by that time.”
-----“The damage isn’t as bad as it looks.” Lieutenant Foster answered, knocking her bare fist on the cold metal exterior of Dragonflare. “I’ve been promised that all of them would be up and running by tonight…repairs and upgrades included.”
-----“I don’t doubt that.” Arlington said as his eyes turned to a large ascending structure. A series of flexible cables carried an immense rifle into the air, slowly tugging it across the factory while countless robotic arms toiled with its circuitry. “Looks like my SOR is getting replaced by not one, but two SOR-A’s.”
-----“You guys and your toys!” Atatsuya huffed. “We could go off to war the very next day, but now you’re gloating over your new equipment.”
-----“Hey now,” Arlington said, “with all due respect we all have some commitment to our machines. And besides, what about Ratilda?”
-----“True,” Graham cracked, “that woman has been right up there with the engineers on those hover-platforms. She doesn’t want anyone toying around with her mecha unless she’s there to see it personally.”
-----“That’s not surprising.” A young voice chipped in. Cecelia strolled into the conversation, yawning out loud as she wiped grease away from under her eyes.
-----“Ah, and speaking of hardcore mechanics.” Graham said.
-----“You’re mech wouldn’t fall apart as much if you took as much care of yours as I do mine,” she lectured, pressing a finger into his shoulder. “Anyways, we’re all allowed to personalize our machines with our own money, and everyone on the 478th has done that so far. It’s no surprise that we take the repairs of the mecha seriously.”
-----Kitazawa nodded. “You should all be proud of the machines you pilot, and you should be proud of yourselves for coming this far in your careers.”
-----“What about you Captain?” Atatsuya asked. “We wouldn’t be a proper squad without you.”
-----“I’m not allowed to accept praise yet.” Kitazawa replied sternly as he suddenly turned. “We’ll see…after this mission. I think I’ll go get some rest now, so you guys carry on. I expect every one of you to present at Lady Relissan’s meeting!”
-----The group, though off duty, saluted their leader as he walked away.
-----“The guy just won’t quit will he?” Angelhart sighed. Her neck cracked as she tilted her head from side to side. “Well at the very least this mission could do him some good.”
-----“It’ll do us all some good.” Arlington said as he watched the new rifles connect with the arm units of the StormBringer. “To be honest I’d like to take a few shots at the enemy for Dezzman’s sake as well.”
-----“You and me both runt,” Graham uttered as he turned his attention to Cecelia, “so how about your mech? Got any helpful upgrades?”
-----“Can’t say until I get the finished product.” she replied with a smile. “Although it does look like I can expect a BAR as a new weapon. Not like I’m complaining; it’ll be a lot better than those 60mm’s I’ve been lugging around.”
-----Graham whistled excitedly as he scratched his chin. “Damn, a BAR for you, and two SOR-A’s for the runt! Axia’s a pretty generous State Kingdom.” With a beaming expression he looked at the Senki, which was quite possibly the most heavily damaged mech in the group. “Well, well, I can’t wait to see what mine will have.”

---3---
Reunion

-----Telissa Ravan pressed her shoulders into the wall as she sat on the palace bed and gazed out of the orange-tinted window. Her arranged quarters were much nicer than she had anticipated, and the accommodating mattress was among the best that she had ever had the pleasure of resting in; yet still, she was restless.
-----Her life among the Seekers had never permitted her to live a life of luxury, and in all honesty she had become somewhat indisposed to lavish treatment. The lush gardens and golden hallways of the Axia palace were a breath of fresh air, but she could never bring herself to live in such a rich establishment. Even the city of Axia Prime was far too grand for her tastes, and the same could also be said of Khazan City. She had always preferred the darkened alleys of downtown slums and the quaint lodgings of rundown apartments. Perhaps it was simply what she was used to, but nevertheless she had grown too accustomed to a harsh life to ever let that change.
-----She bent her knee close to her chest and rested her chin upon it. She could feel her eyelids slowly falling; her entire body was demanding sleep, but she was too agitated to find peace. Even as she began to drift into unconsciousness she would hear some excited voice in the streets that would shake her back into a fit of heavy breathing.
-----In the end she found herself staring out of the window, watching the seemingly happy Axian citizens stroll down the cobblestone alleys. As the sky darkened the people began to disappear; crowds became groups, groups became couples, and couples became individuals. There were no signs of a bustling night life in the city—or at the very least, she couldn’t see any near the palace.
-----As the number of people outside diminished, Telissa found herself carefully observing each individual. It was, oddly enough, the first time that she had been able to actually look upon the people of Khazan. Since her arrival she had been dragging herself through immeasurable throngs of people whose faces had blended into one giant mass. She had been so intensely focused on Drekis that she had barely taken the time to look at the nexus, to appreciate one of the mysterious wonders of the multiverse.
-----Humans were still the most common people that she observed, but every once and while she was pleased to discover an estranged being or too that defied her neglected imagination. To think that people from every dimension, from every alternate reality in the cosmos, could come together on this planet—it was a bewildering phenomenon that she had not given proper consideration to.
-----Among the people that she observed she was attracted to one human in particular who had abruptly appeared from some manner of public transportation craft that descended from the skies. The airtaxi quickly left as the man stormed towards the palace gates and asserted himself against the guards.
-----Telissa didn’t know why a human would catch her attention so readily, but there was something familiar about the tall, dark haired man. Even the way he walked was recognizable. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of an emblem across his uniform. She was certain that she had seen it, but was it possible? Slowly, as if half-afraid of the truth, she pressed her face against the warm glass and stared unabashedly.
-----The chiseled face was there, and the dimples around his cheeks when his mouth opened wide. The familiar wave in his cherry wood-hair, the tiny hairs across his chin—there could be no doubt that it was him!
-----For Telissa, the complexity of the upcoming events passed by in one forgetful moment, leading up to an unforgettable dream come true. She rushed out of the quarters, nearly taking the door along with her. By the time she had finished throwing herself down the spiral staircase word had already come from the royal chambers to allow the stranger to enter the palace. The guards were just admitting him in when she dashed down the main hall, sometimes forgetting to touch her feet to the floor.
-----She threw open the doors to the lobby and found him standing there, surrounded by stoic guards in the center atrium. Robert was surprised to see her standing there, gasping loudly as she stared in disbelief.
-----“Wow,” he said after a long pause, “I was told I could find you here, but I had no idea that you’d be waiting. And here I thought I was the one who was going to surprise you.”
-----She tried to shout his name as she ran towards him, but such an expression was unnecessary. She buried herself in his arms and held him tightly. “I’m so glad. I didn’t know…”
-----Robert fell back as they embraced. “What’s with the melodrama here? You brought me to the hospital didn’t you? You knew I’d be all right.”
-----“I know. I know. I always knew I hadn’t lost you yet…still I’m glad that you’re here. Its odd being out here alone, you know?”
-----“You used to be alone all the time when you started out in the Seekers.”
-----“I was never alone after you became my partner. You know how accustomed I get to states of affairs.”
-----“I wish I could have been there with you, through whatever you’ve gone through since we came to the nexus. But now I’m ready to complete our mission, the reason we came here, remember?”
-----Telissa laughed as she clasped her hands around his. “Your timing is impeccable as always. We’re setting the stage for something that just might get our mission accomplished before the week’s end."
-----“So we’re going to do it then?”
-----“Yeah.” Telissa nodded. “We’re going after Drekis. Robert, after all these years, we’ll finally make him pay…”

---4---
The War of Oblivion’s Fall

-----Tim and Raea walked into the palace lobby, their clothes still damp from their aimless excursion through the city streets. The entrance was quiet now except for a few guards who patrolled the floor, but Tim could see Telissa sitting at the center fountain with someone that seemed vaguely familiar.
-----“Is that Telissa?” Raea asked, following his gaze. “I didn’t know she had left her chambers. She’s been a little depressed ever since we came to Axia.”
-----The expression on Telissa’s face was certainly not one of depression. Where she had once been agitated she now appeared to freely lose herself in conversation. She was smiling brightly and laughing at the things that the man said; occasionally she wiggled her fingers into the cold fountain waters and splashed them towards the man.
-----“I think I recognize the guy she’s with.” Tim declared. “I remember when I first met her, she had crashed her ship on Khazan…there was someone else with her who was badly hurt. We took him to the First Khazan hospital but that was the last I saw of him.”
-----“The First Khazan hospital? Well I’m sure they fixed him up in no time; that must be her partner from the Seekers. And from the looks of it, maybe in some other manner…”
-----“You and your dirty mind.” Tim cracked as he nudged her shoulder.
-----“Nothing dirty about it; just an observation, that’s all. I have a better eye for those kinds of things than you.”
-----“Right…”
-----“Yep. Anyways, I’m going to grab a cup of coffee from the palace café and then change out of these damp clothes. You want anything at the café?”
-----“I’m fine. I’ll probably just go rest before the meeting. I’ll see you there alright.”
-----“Alright then.” She rubbed her hand across his arm and took off, disappearing down one of the many halls that branched off from the lobby.
-----Tim approached Telissa and her partner nervously, unsure if he should leave them alone. Under normal circumstances he would be happy to leave them to their personal conversation, but there was something important that he had been meaning to ask Telissa—something that he was sure that she had an answer for.
-----The couple didn’t even realize that he was standing next to them; they carried on with their conversation excitedly, ignoring the whole world around them. Telissa was relating everything that had happened since the crash landing in an inexhaustible and rapid voice that recounted all of the details of a month into a few quick sentences. She was about to explain the ordeal in the Frozen Wastes when she finally realized that Tim was meekly standing before them.
-----“Tim! I didn’t know that you had returned so quickly.” She gestured towards the man and happily introduced him. “This is my partner, Robert Neil.”
-----“So you’re Tim.” Robert said as he stood and shook Tim’s hand firmly. “Telissa’s told me a lot about you. You were the one who helped carry my corpse to the hospital weren’t you.”
-----“Don’t say it like that,” Tim laughed. “I’m glad that I could be of help to you. It looks like you’re good as new.”
-----“New? Hell, I’d say I’m better than I ever was. This planet of yours has got some pretty fancy medicine. I’m sure it’s got a lot more surprises for me.”
-----Tim shrugged. “There aren’t many places in the universe like the nexus.”
-----Telissa calmly circled her index finger in the water and watched the smooth waves expand across the surface. “You have a pretty serious look on your face there Tim.”
-----“What’s that?” Tim replied nervously.
-----“Something on your mind?” She inquired. “Somehow I don’t think you came just to meet Robert.”
-----“Give the kid some credit,” Robert chuckled, “or do you really think there aren’t any more nice guys in the universe?”
-----Tim stirred his eyes towards the erupting waters of the fountain. “I…no, she’s right. Actually, I did want to talk to you about something. Both of you…in fact, you both probably know something about it.”
-----“A question?” Robert shrugged. “I don’t know what you’d want to know from me; what the hell, shoot.”
-----“It’s about the War…of Oblivion’s Fall.” Tim said hoarsely. His eyes shyly shifted away from them; part of him was afraid to get the answers…the answers concerning something that his father took part in.
-----Telissa’s face froze; her gaze met Robert’s for a moment but there was silence between them. It almost seemed as if they were conversing with each other without words or even thoughts; was there something about the war that he shouldn’t know?
-----Robert eventually broke the stare and nodded with a grave expression. “How do you know about the War of Oblivion’s Fall? You well read?”
-----“I think I mentioned it before,” Telissa interjected, “maybe once or twice. I didn’t think you’d even ask about it though. It’s not the easiest thing to talk about.”
-----“Normally,” Tim croaked as his voice nearly went out, “I wouldn’t bother you with any prying questions. But I’ve been informed by the queen that my father participated in the War. All I know is that it happened away from Khazan.”
-----“Far, far away.” Robert affirmed. “Thousands of light years—whole galaxies away, to be exact. Consequently, not many people on Khazan know about it. This Queen of Axia must know a lot more than we originally thought; we might have to make a note of that.”
-----“The War of Oblivion’s Fall started over a hundred years ago.” Telissa abruptly exclaimed. “It ended about ten years ago. I was fourteen when I joined the Seekers…we had been commissioned by the GDF to assist them in their efforts. So I fought, and the war ended when I was fifteen. In that one year I saw a lot of things that I didn’t care to…and before that I saw a lot of the damage that the war caused. I can only imagine what it was really like…that whole hundred years.”
-----“It lasted an entire century?” Tim gasped in disbelief. “Even if it happened so far away, a war that devastating…how could Khazan not know about it!?”
-----“Thing’s aren’t that simple.” Robert replied softly. “You have to remember this is the nexus. Big as the war was, it was a war fought in only one of thousands of different realities that this anomaly is a part of. The truth is that some heroes from your world did know about it, but it was never really public knowledge; my guess is that those heroes had connections, other means of finding out. Over the years there were many participants who have been recorded as saying that they came from Khazan, so I guess it’s possible that your father was among them. I can’t confirm that though.”
-----“I know it’s true.” Tim stated. “He was gone for most of my life, and I never knew why until recently. Somehow, after the Queen told me…I knew she was telling the truth. She doesn’t have a liar's eyes. But there’s still so much I don’t know about the War itself, like why my father fought in it. I know it has some connection to Drekis…”
-----“Drekis did start the War of Oblivion’s Fall.” Telissa explained. “But still, the war was a horrible experience for everyone. An ungodly number of planets were destroyed during that century. Entire civilizations vanished”—water slowly fell from her eyes, but her breathing and voice remained strong; she was shedding tears without crying—“more lives that you could ever imagine…extinguished. Almost all of my people were killed during the war, but our planet was destroyed during the tail end of the conflict…there were thousands of tragedies that had occurred before then…your father, like any of the other heroes, probably participated because he couldn’t sit idly by while such things were happening.”
-----“And if that’s true then your father was a man with the kind of courage that I envy.” Robert said. “Telissa and I hunt down Drekis because of revenge. I’ll be the first to admit it. Of course we want to stop him from hurting others, but mainly it was because we lost our people to that murderer! The war was going on for the last hundred years, our people could have done something about it…but they didn’t, they looked the other way…thought it didn’t concern them. Now our planets, destroyed…our people, divided, scattered, dejected. And maybe, we could have done something to prevent it. It took an awful lot of anger…and guilt to get us to fight, so I have the utmost respect for anyone who went in simply to save lives.”
-----“But Drekis…was the enemy you were fighting right?” Tim whispered.
-----Robert’s eyes narrowed, “We already said he was the one who started the war. Do you…does your question have more to do with Drekis?”
-----“I just…I just want to know everything that I can. I’m sorry, but there’s so much more; I really, shouldn’t tell you the rest. But just for my own security, I want to know what Drekis did during that War.”
-----“It’s not an easy thing to talk about.” Telissa admitted, wiping the tears from her cheek. “A century ago Drekis had a General—one of the most powerful minions he ever had—named Oblivion. A fitting name for a cold-hearted killer. Drekis had begun his campaign, whatever the hell you want to call it, on several planets. At some point in time he commissioned an easy way of carrying his legions across the stars to attack other systems. He created some sort of living ships that could fly through space; he used them to march out through the universe. In each case where he encountered an inhabitable planet he destroyed the surface, usually in a long, painful conflict of needless destruction. When he was done his forces would turn the barren world into a hive. He’d increase his numbers a hundred fold, and then go on to the next world.”
-----“About ten years into it,” Robert elaborated, “Drekis had enough resources to create a fleet of his living starships that numbered in the billions, and enough forces in his legion to fill them all with…‘troops.’ Before that he had been spreading out in a weird fashion, sort of linear progression from one planet to the next but then occasionally zigzagging around. It was hard to follow, but wherever they went they were always concentrated in one continuously moving line. But not after that. When he had billions of ships at his disposal he put Oblivion in command of his space forces. It was Oblivion who was responsible for the tactics of the war after that point.’
-----‘Under his command the Chaos legions were able to extend themselves in every direction. It got worse as the years went on; billions of ships became trillions, and soon he was attacking damn near a hundred separate worlds at any given moment. The whole thing got so out of hand…people tried to fight back but it was too much. The GDF was around to fight them, but with so many planets being attacked at once they could only assist a few at a time! Either they would spread themselves out thin and get killed by Drekis’ numbers, or they helped protect a few planets…at the cost of letting ninety others fall.”
-----“It became painstakingly obvious,” Telissa continued, “that fighting Drekis meant an alliance of all the planets that had been attacked by him. The GDF gained allies from high-level civilizations all over the cosmos. Survivors from destroyed worlds, people from worlds that were under attack, and even people who hadn’t been attacked yet. Over time they finally forged an alliance strong enough to just barely match their numbers.’
-----‘But that wasn’t enough. They kept building and building…no matter how strong the alliance became they would become stronger. Oblivion’s tactics always overshadowed anything the GDF came up with, and with Drekis alive there was no stop to their advance. The battles were also too large to end quickly. Trillions of ships going against trillions of ships…the attrition was bewildering.”
-----“That’s why it lasted so long.” Tim said with a heavy sigh. “I couldn’t even imagine…it must have been horrible.”
-----“By the time we started to fight in the war,” Robert said, “The alliance had actually begun to get the upper hand. Over the last twenty years they had succeeded in reclaiming hundreds of planets from the Drekis legions. They were all void of life, but nevertheless each reclaimed planet meant that there was one less planetary hive—and one less planetary hive meant they couldn’t reproduce as quickly.’
-----‘Once this happened we took action immediately. We built up our forces with more allies that we ever had before and met them in battle everywhere. Each year leading up to the one we fought in became more and more intense. Attrition finally took its toll and Oblivion’s forces began to waver, but he was a clever bastard.”
-----“In the final year, when we fought,” Telissa interrupted, “victory seemed imminent. We were so happy then…we thought we’d see an end to the suffering. And then what happened? Oblivion came storming in; he cut through our defensive perimeters and began laying waste to our strongest supporters with his fleet. He had far less numbers under his command, but his tactics were devilish. For months he had us utterly perplexed. We tried to predict his actions and he completely outdid us in every way. He attacked us where we were weak, and moved away as soon as we reinforced that weakness. Then he began doing things to manipulate our actions, even got us to create new weaknesses in our fleet formations or the distribution of our forces.’
-----‘It all looked pretty hopeless. Just when we were on the verge of winning…he came back and humiliated us. He took the lives of our loved ones and then transmitted that festering voice of his…cackling…mocking us. We felt absolutely helpless during that time, but we kept on fighting…on and on, until one day he finally made a mistake. In short, we finally cornered him into one conclusive battle. Hundreds of thousands of ships fought on both sides. In the end we won, with only one thousand, six hundred some odd ships remaining. The Drekis fleet was destroyed, and Oblivion was killed. His defeat marked the end of the war.”
-----“I see.” Tim said, his mind still processing the immense story. “So you’re main enemy during that time was Oblivion.”
-----“Oblivion controlled most of the legion’s activities.” Telissa replied. “At least, on the surface he did. We knew of Drekis, but few people in the alliance, if anyone, had personally seen him. He used Oblivion as the perfect pawn, a representative of his malice and hate without having to reveal himself to the universe. We knew Drekis was responsible, but Oblivion was the one who mocked the death of our people. He was the one we heard, the one we saw. He was the enemy we knew on a disgustingly personal level.”
-----Robert bit his lower lip as he nodded again. “Yeah. So much so that to commemorate the end of the war they gave it that name: War of Oblivion’s Fall, just because it was that important to know that he ultimately lost. The end of the war brought a huge sigh of relief, as you would expect, but there was one problem.”
-----“Drekis.” Tim spat out.
-----“Who else?” Robert groaned. “The damn coward disappeared in the last year of the war. We may not have ever seen him before then, but we had always heard of his activities. We knew he was involved in the war on some level, even if it was in the shadows. But when Oblivion lost there was absolutely no sign of him or his Chaos legions. He just disappeared, and that was unsettling. We may have won, but we knew that he was still around, and so we knew that he could start the same shit all over again.”
-----“He came here.” Tim said. “It was here, wasn’t it? That was your estimate right?”—he looked at Telissa worriedly—“ten years, coinciding with the end of that war. So that means he came to Khazan…he’s been here all along.”
-----“That’s probably true,” Telissa responded, “but I don’t know why he would flee to the nexus of all places. I always had a bad feeling about the end of war…like something just wasn’t right.”
-----“What do you mean?” Tim asked.
-----“It just seemed so surreal. To have a battle go on for a whole century and then have it end like it did. As hard fought as it was, in the end it almost seemed so…so much like a storybook. Everything fell into place too perfectly, like it was all meant to be…or, like it was all planned.’
-----‘I know it sounds crazy, but sometimes I felt like Drekis wanted his forces to lose that war. Like he didn’t need his vast fleet anymore…like the war had served its purpose.”

---5---
Quiet Time

-----Cecelia placed her hands behind her head and stretched her arms out with a tremendous yawn. The palace café had a relaxing atmosphere that was more appropriate for a fancy dining establishment, but the extravagance took nothing away from the comfort. She sat back in her leather chair and took a sip of her coffee; the warm liquid smashed into her tongue, immediately rebooting her senses.
-----“I can’t believe I’m starting to fall asleep at a time like this.” she said to herself.
-----The café was vacant save for her and the jovial man who stood behind the sales counter. It was a quiet, personal eatery, which was to be expected of a café that was built entirely for the benefit of those who lived inside of the palace.
-----Her fingers, perhaps the only part of her body that didn’t reek with the sluggishness of fatigue, continuously tapped at her notebook computer’s keyboard. She pressed the same keys over and over again, with each tap changing the screen to display images of the modified Derringer. Text scrolled alongside the pictures, providing technical information for all of the new or redefined systems with the mech.
-----“So, even when off duty you obsess over your little military toys.” Paul Graham’s sarcastic voice rang in her ears. He sat down at her table, sandwich in hand, and proceeded to take a large bite out of his food while gazing at the laptop screen.
-----“Don’t be such a hypocrite; I know how you obsessed over the Senki’s modifications,” she replied.
-----“That? I did that hours ago. After all, you don’t see me staring at an LCD while I eat my dinner.”
-----“A likely story. Egg salad…sort of a pathetic dinner don’t you think?”
-----Paul took another bite and smiled as he chewed, “I don’t think so. Whatever I can get.”
-----“In any case I’m not eating my dinner, thank you very much; I just came for a drink.”
-----“Drink?” he stared at her half-empty cup. “Midnight Nova blend…pretty expensive.”
-----“Pretty good too.”
-----“I’ll never understand while you drink that stuff on the night before a big mission. It doesn’t do you any good by the time we actually go into action.”
-----“I don’t do it for the caffeine. It’s tradition.”
-----“Oh yeah? You know I have a certain tradition before going into a big battle too…”
-----“You try too hard, you know that?” she took another sip of her coffee.
-----“Well you never let me know if I’m getting anywhere.”
-----“I was never aware that you were,” she said with a sly smile.
-----“Sure, but you’ve never let me know that I’m failing either. ‘Not playing with my heart are you?”
-----She nearly dropped the coffee cup as she covered her mouth. “Playing…wow, that’s an interesting statement. I didn’t know your heart could be played with.”
-----“Of course…all the ladies play around with it,” he chuckled. “That’s the story of my life, you know?”
-----“You’re a funny guy Graham,” Cecelia said, “Ever consider joining up with one of the hero groups? You know, you could be one of their stock guys, the comic relief ones.”
-----“Yeah, I considered that,” Graham laughed, “But I already spend enough time being a decoy in the military. Oh, look over there. Speak of the devil, there’s one of those hero types now.”
-----Raea walked into the café, a little embarrassed by her wet clothing. A quick glance around the room and the realization that there were very few people among her quickly reaffirmed her resolve; with quick paced steps she approached the counter, but her voice was too soft to hear from Cecelia’s table.
-----“She’s with the Sentinels.” Cecelia explained. “She was there in the Frozen Wastes during that battle.”
-----Graham uttered a mellow whistle, “A redhead. Looks like you might have some competition there Angelhart.”
-----“I’m so incredibly jealous.”
-----“I’m sure you are.”
-----Cecelia leaned over to have a good look at the Sentinel as she was receiving her coffee. “I hear she’s a pretty smart cookie. She helped activate the militarization code for the androids at WinterScar.”
-----“Brains and beauty…” Graham whispered, “she takes after a certain someone that I know.”
-----“Seriously though, I worked on the last update to the machines and computers of WinterScar,” Cecelia clarified, “And it’s no small feat to get anything done over there. Updating that archaic technology to keep up with modern stuff is ridiculous; I don’t know why the military doesn’t just scrap them and replace them with entirely different systems.”
-----“Well, they were supposed to guard the Wastes from the Saramach, and they hadn’t attacked in a long time, so I guess the higher-ups didn’t want extra resources going to that fortress if they didn’t need it right away.”
-----“And now look at our situation.” Cecelia said with a sigh, “The news says that Saramach galleons appeared at Cretalia’s shore some hours ago. Now we have two enemies to fight.”
-----“How long before the meeting?”
-----“One hour,” she replied after glancing at her wrist watch, “then all of this quiet time vanishes.”

---6---
Overwhelming

-----Metalneck brought his left leg back to regain his balance as a blast of arcane energy struck his shoulder. The mech leaned forward as a Devonox swung at him from behind; the massive creature reared its claws for a second attack, but Metalneck threw out its arm and backhanded the monster with enough force to send it crumbling to the ground.
-----Enemy bio-fighters passed by overhead, strafing the ground with more arcane blasts as they overtook the MARS-550. Most of the blasts melted the ground him, but one made a direct hit to his chest, forcing him to once again regain his balance.
-----Inside the cockpit, Jennifer shook around violently from tremor-inducing attacks. “Report all damages!” she shouted.
-----“Minor damage to KOM-ium armor plating,” Metalneck reported, “All systems still functioning properly.”
-----“Well, we’re certainly testing your limits out here aren’t we?” Jennifer said as she glanced at the immeasurable mass of red dots that flashed across her radar screen. “So damn many of them. Even when working together It’ll be hard to get you out of this without at least some damage…sorry about that.”
-----“Do not worry about me Officer Chase.” The mech replied, “It is my duty to see that you get out of this with as little damage as possible.”
-----“Yeah, but the situation looks pretty grim doesn’t it?”
-----“Retreat is still a viable option,” Metalneck stated. “Units seven and twelve have already reported excessive damage…the third and fifth tactical squads have already begun falling back and are requesting cover fire.”
-----“The KPD won’t be able to help the military here for much longer,” Jennifer said as she eyed several bio-fighters heading in her direction, “But the military doesn’t seem to be in any good shape right now either, so let’s do whatever we can!”
-----Three bio-fighters swooped down, intending to scorch the ground with another strafing maneuver.
-----“I’m taking over the rifle controls!” Chase shouted. A smaller window appeared on the main viewer, showcasing an enhanced image of the center bio-fighter with beaming lights circling around it in the form of target crosshairs.
-----The bio-fighters, proving once against that their speed was beyond devilish, released the first volley. The blasts fell upon the ground in front of Metalneck, carrying mounds of dirt into the air; the rising dust blurred the image of the viewer, but the simple trick couldn’t fool the sophisticated equipment. In the beginning the bio-fighters had used their organic nature to avoid the standard sensory equipment used by Khazanian vehicles, but an aptly modified version of the sensors used in detecting life-signs had allowed the Khazan forces to bear the full power of their weaponry upon the biological craft.
-----With her target still locked, Chase engaged the simulated trigger and Metalneck immediately fired the massive positron rifle. The mech fell back slightly from the recoil, but the steaming pellet of volatile particles met its target in an instant, smashing through its wounded shields and segmenting the left half of its body. As if by instinct the wounded creature began its transformation, slowly deforming into their insulting mockery of the MARS 500 mecha.
-----“It’s not done yet!” Chase yelled. “We have to keep it up before it comes back!”
-----The positron rifle yielded three more shots; the combined backlash of the release nearly toppled Metalneck, but the mech stood its ground to watch all three shots strike the morphing creature in different areas.
-----It’s head was the first thing to go; white-hot particles ripped into its’ neck, sending a mixture of foul liquid and beams of light into the air as its screeching skull fell to the ground. The other two shots struck its chest and abdomen, further dissecting it into a pile of pulsating goop.
-----The ruined beast crashed into the ground at Metalneck’s feet, but the remaining bio-fighters split up, circling around the mech in different directions.
-----“Alright pal, I need your help,” Chase said, “See if you can take out the target moving behind us. I’ll try for the one in front.”
-----“Target confirmed,” Metalneck boomed, “Missiles engaged!”
-----The square-shaped launcher-attachment across Metalneck’s shoulder opened with a hiss; the ominous sound was followed by a swarm of missiles that flew about wildly. Each of the armaments seemed to fly in a different direction, but despite the wild maneuvers they all converged on a single bio-fighter.
-----The target veered to the left as the first few missiles slammed into its shielding, causing a haze of blue waves to pass over the hull of the craft. Fiery spheres illuminated the reddish sky as several of the projectiles missed the flailing bio-fighter, but a few more hit their mark, weighing down on the shields with their consecutive impacts. Six missiles still remained, each one converging on the fighter from a different angle. The target swayed to avoid one, but inevitably collided with another; the hit tore of the spines along its left side and sent it rolling into the path of another missile. One after another the missiles rammed into the damaged creature, enveloping it in a burning globe that incinerated most of its oozing body.
-----Jennifer kept her eyes trained on the third fighter. As if aware of the death of its partner, the organic vessel picked up speed and tried to bear its beam emitters against Metalneck. Invoking a swift turn in her mechanical companion, Jennifer fired the positron rifle twice, hoping to cut away both emitters before the attack could emerge.
-----The creature’s tactics, however, were a feigned act. As it turned about it began to transform, flipping in midair just as the particle shots soared under it. Arms and legs sprouted from the spiny beast as it took on the image of an organic mech. The beam emitters, now glowing brightly in the palms of its hands, emitted a bizarre, ghostly pulse that intercepted a volley of Metalneck’s missiles; the entire swarm detonated upon meeting the pulse, but both Metalneck and the bio-mech were pushed back by the multitudes of shockwaves.
-----“I am sorry Officer Chase,” Metalneck said, “No confirmed hits. The attachment has only enough armament for one more volley.”
-----“We’ll make it count!” Jennifer promised. Her eyes widened as she saw the enemy thrust its palm towards them, the beam emitter in its palm flashing furiously. “Metalneck…evade!”
-----The mech responded gracefully, stepping to the side just as the tremendous ray of light streaked by. The ground shook as the beam hit Khazan’s surface harmlessly, but the intense heat from a mere leakage of the beam dissolved the exterior of the launcher-attachment, forcing the missiles inside to explode.
-----Metalneck toppled, slamming his right hand into the ground to prevent himself from falling over completely. Jennifer closed her eyes as the viewscreens became clouded with intense luminosity. The cockpit shook as the explosions slammed against the KOM-ium plating, but in seconds the strength of the outburst diminished.
-----“Jennifer! Are you alright?” Metalneck said excitedly.
-----Officer Chase gently stroked her forearms as the burning heat from the explosions cooled down. “I’m a little uncomfortable, but alright. Let’s nail the bastard before he capitalizes on this!”
-----Metalneck swerved his head to catch site of the swift bio-mech. In spite of the excessive force used in its first attack, the enemy was already prepared to extend its other arm out and continue the assault.
-----A quick shot from the positron rifle barely missed the target, but succeeded in halting its attack for half of a second.
-----“He’s mistaken if he thinks those were the only missiles you have up your sleeves buddy,” Jennifer grinned. She flipped a few switches with a sense of yearning; multiple hidden compartments exposed themselves across Metalneck’s body, revealing additional lasers and missile launchers. Over two dozen crosshairs suddenly focused on the image of the last bio-mech, and Jennifer smiled with anticipation. Missiles and lasers fired together upon command, creating a muddled mass of armaments that traveled through the air. The bio-mech, caught off guard by the sheer size of the attack, was consumed by the flurry of blasts. Not one inch of the creature’s body was spared as it was run through.
-----Jennifer uttered a sigh of relief as she watched the slivered pieces of the target burn up from the excess energy of the attack. “There, we showed him.”
-----“Incoming, six o’ clock!” Metalneck warned.
-----“Damn it, not even a seconds rest!” Jennifer shouted as she spun Metalneck around to meet a charging Devonox. Metalneck jumped back just in time to avoid a heavy swipe from the brute’s claws.
-----The plating around Metalneck’s right shoulder altered itself as a medium-sized gatling gun raised up over it; a single second of burst fire unloaded over fifty shots into the monsters head, tearing out chunks of its face before the beast could drop dead.
-----“More coming, dead ahead!” Metalneck warned. “The number of enemies is staggering. Our allies are decreasing in number Officer Chase…if we stay here we risk being swarmed from all sides.” A large ball of flame smashed into his side, scorching the armor around his arm.
-----“Now even the deminites are attacking us!?” Jennifer said as she motioned Metalneck to jump into the air and avoid an encroaching mob of the minions. Jennifer looked back as her partner landed to see the outer walls of Riverwatch where hundreds of soldiers were retreating to. “That’s just great; they’ve already pushed us back to Riverwatch!”
-----“Sir Gaiden’s plan to evacuate the city was a good idea, though it came too late.” Metalneck responded.
-----“Doesn’t matter now,” Jennifer uttered as she fired a positron shot into a crowd of deminites, “They wanted to get those autocannons up and running before they went, but the Drekis army got here a lot faster than they anticipated.”
-----Metalneck nearly stumbled as the thunderous boom of heavy artillery began. A variety of energy weapons zoomed overhead, crashing into the Drekis army and obliterating any minion within the blast radius.
-----“What’s that?” Jennifer asked. “Those aren’t the kinds of weapons used by the KPD, that’s for sure.”
-----“It appears that they have succeeded in placing all of the automated weapon platforms across Riverwatch.” Metalneck observed. “The cover fire that they’ll provide for us will give us the chance we need to regroup with the other units.”
-----“Regroup? No reason to regroup…” Jennifer replied as she activated Metalneck’s boosters; the MARS mech slowly rose into the air and then flew up past the tallest structures of the city. “All we can do now is head for Arael.”
-----“The capital?” Metalneck said curiously.
-----“What else? That’s their target. We can only hope that those weapons will decrease their numbers to a manageable size.”
-----“And if they don’t?”
-----“Then Maiinverno may have to yield all of Araelis to Drekis.”

---7---
Princess of Axia

-----The silence around the palace was an unusual thing for Tim. Even if it was somewhat relaxing, it also made him agitated…anxious for the coming mission. Half of his being wanted to go to the Endless Caves, to actively seek out the truth, but the other half was afraid of what he would find there.
-----He took a quick shower to ease his mind, then changed his clothing and walked out of his room. As he walked down the halls he looked upon the exotic artwork that was layered upon the walls; he had walked down these very same hallways dozens of times since arriving at the palace, and likewise he had seen all of these paintings during every stroll, but there was still something about them that he couldn’t grasp.
-----Often he would find his thoughts being lured towards those vivid images, forcing him to contemplate their meaning, their nature. It was an annoyance under most circumstances, but now he felt that it was a necessary means of deflecting his mind from the upcoming mission.
-----The smell of fresh fruit stormed into his senses, and as he pursued the source of the flavor with an unconscious fervor, he suddenly became aware of a door that he had not seen before. How he had missed it in the times that he had walked through this very same hallway was a mystery. The door was unique in that there was nothing extraordinary about it. It was an ordinary wooden door, brown and rectangular, with no glossy colors, metaphorical paintings, or arched entry-ways. It was the kind of regular thing that stood out among a sea of rich details.
-----But the smell was not ordinary. It was an aroma that was extremely fanciful, though just familiar enough to be recognized as some sort of fruit. With curiosity taking hold of his better judgment, Tim slowly opened the door and peeked inside; inside was a glorious image of natural beauty, a garden of incredible stature that seemed to radiate with its own enchanting light.
-----The room was like a small, personal forest, filled with exotic plants and shrubs of all kinds. Whole trees ascended to the unreachable ceiling, where a large, partially open roof allowed the sun to pour down and the birds to fly in.
-----A sense of incongruity passed over him as he juxtaposed the garden image with the interiors of the palace. This was not the kind of wonder that one expected to find in a queen’s castle, and it was certainly different from any other room that he had seen.
-----“Do you like the garden?” a gentle voice asked.
-----Tim turned his head to see the young woman; she was kneeling by a particular plant, picking small red objects from its branches while she smiled warmly at him. She had very light skin, almost pale in complexion, though it was nonetheless very healthy looking. She was thin, tall, and attractive, with mesmerizing eyes that were the striking color of a cool night sky. Her long, ocean-blue hair fell over her bare shoulders, and the shimmering dress that she wore indicated some kind of status, though he had never seen her before.
-----“Aren’t you going to say something?” she asked as he plopped one of the red fruits into her mouth.
-----Tim suddenly realized that he had been staring at her without a word since she first called to him. “I…I’m sorry. I didn’t know that this room was here. I followed the scent…of the fruit. Come to think of it I don’t know quite why…?”
-----“Do you like the garden?”
-----“What? Oh, your question…yes…yes it is quite nice; more like a miniature wilderness—it’s quite impressive.”
-----The woman stood up, throwing the last few red fruits into a small woven basket that dangled around her arm and brushing her hair around to her back. “I haven’t seen you around here before. I take it you’re Timothy.”
-----Tim gasped in embarrassment. She knew who he was! Should he know who she was? He searched through his memories but could find nothing. “How do you know who I am?” he managed to say.
-----“My mother has mentioned you a number of times. You simply fit the description. You’ll forgive me if I sounded too presumptuous,” she smiled and extended her free hand as she walked towards him.
-----“No…no problem at all,” Tim muttered as he returned the handshake.
-----“My name is Aliana,” she said happily, her eyes closing into a gleeful expression, “Aliana Relissan…though I do prefer that you would simply call me Aliana.”
-----“Relissan!” he shouted. He bit his lip as he heard his echoing cry resound through the chamber. “Then you must be the Queens…”
-----“Yes, yes,” she said as she waved her hand playfully, “I was afraid you’d do that. Really I wish you wouldn’t refer to me as the queen’s daughter. Even daughter of Amanda Relissan, or daughter of miss Relissan, just don’t say that word.”
-----“Why?” Tim asked. He stepped back as he realized that he probably shouldn’t pry.
-----“It’s not really a personal annoyance. Really I just dislike the royal treatment. If I had my way no one would ever know that I was princess. But then again that would be utterly selfish of me. After all there are some good things I can do in this world that I can only do because of the position I hold. So sad that it has to come with the intolerable conditions of being kept in this place while being followed by pesky servants who think that I can’t take care of myself. That and the teachers…always trying to give me lessons about how to grow up and become a proper queen to succeed the throne. It’s nonsense really…most of it.”
-----“I…wow, you’re certainly not what I thought a princess would be like.” Tim said with a laugh.
-----“And why is that?” she retorted, her hands on her hips. “Is it because I happen to like doing things for myself, or because I don’t like being pampered and preached upon, or because heaven forbid that I dress like an upper-class citizen instead of royalty?”
-----Tim held his hands up in mock defense. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just had no idea. Forgive me; I was being naïve I guess.”
-----She grinned as she looked at him slyly with a half-closed eye. “Right…don’t look so nervous there Tim, I was just joking with you.”
-----“Oh, I see…”
-----“Truth of the matter is that I really am a rarity when it comes to receiving the royal treatment. I’ve never been partial to the life of a celebrity. That’s really what this garden is for. A place to get away from the richness of it all. A chance to sit in nature—by myself mind you—and have some time to do what I want to do.”
-----“Well then I apologize for disturbing your rare moment of quiet.” Tim declared. “So you were the one who created this room then? It’s an amazing work of art.”
-----“It doesn’t take much for me,” Aliana replied, “but that doesn’t take anything away from it.”
-----“Yeah, well, I better get going. I need to be at the meeting that your mother is holding.”
-----“Ah yes, that time has come hasn’t it.” She said with a sigh. “In that case we can go together.”
-----“You have to come to the meeting too?”
-----“Of course silly, I’m the princess, or have you forgotten already.”
-----“I guess I did,” Tim uttered, rubbing the back of his head nervously.
-----“Good. Keep forgetting that little detail.”
-----Tim looked towards the old wooden door and began to leave, but a series of unfulfilled questions reemerged in his mind. It seemed a little ridiculous to ask her of all people, but there was the chance that her mother had shared some things with her. Furthermore, she had already produced a sense of natural warmth about her that made it easier for him to talk with her. She seemed like an instant friend, and someone that he could open up to; even her eyes, by themselves, invoked a feeling that she would never judge anyone too quickly, or too harshly.
-----“Listen, prin…Aliana.” He whispered.
-----“Yes, what is it?” She asked as she walked in front of him.
-----“Did your mother ever mention anything about me, besides my name?”
-----The princess took out another of the red fruits and chewed it slowly. “If you mean to ask if I know about the conversation that you recently had with my mother, then yes. I know of those things, Mr. Timothy Sarachus.”
-----That name again!
-----“Is that really what you wanted to ask me?” she said.
-----“What I want to know is why she thinks I’m necessary in order to kill Drekis?”
-----“Why ask me,” she shrugged, “aren’t you the one who has already decided to go on the mission, even if it’s only to confirm things?”
-----“I’ve had some doubts about it, but you’re right I’ve sorted through my options and I’ve decided to go.” he exclaimed strongly. “But still, there are all these things that I don’t know…that she said I shouldn’t know because I wasn’t ready. Isn’t there anything you can tell me? Anything more, even the slightest bit…”
-----She turned and unexpectedly rubbed her hand against the side of his face. Tim took a deep, steady breath as she raised his face up and stared into his eyes. “You have doubt in yourself. You have doubt in a lot of things. It’s holding you back; you drive forward in spite of it, but it still clings to you, and that’s because of those other things that you doubt. You can’t shake those uncertainties with personal resolve alone…so you ask questions like these. You think that having the information will really cure you of the anxiety that you feel now?”
-----“But I…”
-----“You have nothing to fear.” she said, reaching her hand down into the woven basket. “Do not desire to know the answers to your questions. You don’t need to seek the truth just yet; you need to look within yourself. Then and only then will you understand the voice of the sword.”
-----“The voice…!”
-----She covered his mouth with two slender fingers. “And only then will you be ready to know anything more. Don’t worry; I have faith that you will succeed.” She lowered her hand from his mouth and placed it in his open palm. “Here, have some of these.”
-----Tim looked at the strawberries in his palm, the red fruit that she had been picking. “Strawberries?”
-----“Wild Strawberries.” She whispered with a smile.

---8---
Enacting the Plan

-----A minor panic had broken out in the streets of Axia Prime when the Marauder cruiser entered their airspace. The shadow of the arachnid-shaped craft had slithered across the river-ways and cobblestone as it approached the palace.
-----When it arrived the ship had shown no indication of launching an attack, so in response the Axia military created a firm but relaxed escort to follow the vessel as it descended. Pegasus riders were quick to land alongside the ship when it touched the ground in front of the palace, and hundreds of guards had inexplicably appeared to meet the unexpected appearance of Toc Darkone when he emerged from the ominous cruiser.
-----Toc was quick to explain his purpose, immediately showing not only the presence of his faithful Marauders, but the rescued heroes from Cretalia as well. With Captain Khazan and Shinsuke to back up Toc’s words, the guards reluctantly allowed the Marauders to enter the palace.
-----Queen Relissan had only smiled when she heard the news, and in many ways it appeared that she had expected them to arrive just in time for the scheduled meeting.
-----All of them met inside of a large war room that was only know to the highest ranking officials of the palace. It was the only other place in the palace—the first being Aliana’s vast garden—that did not share the paintings of the other rooms. For the most part the war room was an empty area, decorated only alongside its walls with computers and desks. A large, perfectly square table sat in the center of the room; its glossy surface and numerous keyboard buttons were obvious indications that it was some kind of holographic projector.
-----Amanda stood in front of the projector with Aliana at her side. Behind them stood Eric Melazai and Maya Reichard, who crossed their arms as they watched the holo-projector fizzle on. To the queen’s right stood representatives of the Sentinels and Maniacals: Uberman, Captain Khazan, Shinsuke Yagami, Lexington Miles, and Lara Corners. Opposite of them stood the Marauders: Toc Darkone, the Unsubtle, Roy Jones, Razor, Gazra, and Izohn Falaris. Across from the Relissan’s was Scout, the Khazan Ranger, and behind him were the soldiers of the 478th Mecha-nized division.
-----Meanwhile, others such as Tim, Raea, Telissa, Robert, Michael Cortelloni, and Natsume took their place outside of the awkward huddle, observing the meeting more than participating in it.
-----“We have all gathered here today to discuss one thing,” Amanda began, “The problem of Drekis which has gotten out of hand on Khazan…and how to bring an end to it.”
-----“I have already watched your…esteemed military try their hand,” Toc said, “And it has become painstakingly evident that you will not be able to defeat Drekis with such efforts.”
-----“Lexington and Captain Khazan have already told me about what you said,” Uberman stated, “the issue about them having no souls, and possibility that they are linked to Drekis’ power. Even if what you say is true, I don’t know why someone like you would want to work with us.”
-----“It is a rather suspicious act,” Melazai spat out as he observed the Marauder leader.
-----“Think of me what you will, it matters not.” Toc replied. “The fact of the matter is that Drekis’ army is not something that can be defeated by attrition. I know that Khazan has had just as many victories in this war as it has defeats, but the main difference is that their defeats have been minor setbacks, while yours have been grave losses.”
-----A large image rose up from the table, showing the hollowed ruins of the city of Raisa.
-----“These are the images taken from your craft.” Amanda said solemnly. “Evidence of what the Drekis legions will do to every major city across the main continent if he is not stopped.”
-----“What’s worse,” Captain Khazan interjected, “Is that we now have evidence that the Saramach are involved somehow. We don’t know why, but they’re working with Drekis.”
-----“The coordinated assault on Raisa is proof enough of that,” Lexington exclaimed. “Knowing why doesn’t amount to anything; it just means we have more enemies to fight.”
-----“There are some disturbing relations between the Saramach and Drekis,” Queen Relissan said calmly, “but they are not important now. What is important is that Toc Darkone is right. As long as Drekis is alive, and his power feeds his minions, he will have a limitless supply of creatures at his disposal. We can have no true victory here as long as Drekis is alive.”
-----“You certainly know a lot about Drekis.” Toc observed. “Then you will agree that we should take action; strike at the heart of our common enemy.”
-----“Do you mean to say that you’ll be going on this mission yourself?” Lexington scowled. “How unlike you.”
-----“Do not misunderstand my intentions,” Toc explained. “I do nothing for your benefit here. In the past few weeks entire Marauder strongholds have fallen to the Drekis regions. Every time that a city falls we lose a critical source for our…business. Drekis is out mutual enemy, and if we can defeat him by coming together temporarily, then so be it.”
-----“I bet he just wants to see this Drekis fellow for himself,” Lex said accusingly.
-----“There is that particular motive.” Toc admitted. “I have always favored the Void myself, but to see Chaos’ supreme avatar would be an interesting event, seeing as how close Chaos and Void are, and yet so different.”
-----“Toc’s intentions aside,” Captain Khazan said, “He also has provided us with the Unsubtle, who says that she has seen Drekis personally. With her guiding us it may be easier to locate Drekis’ hive once we enter the Endless Caves.”
-----“Assuming that she can actually remember,” Shinsuke said dryly.
-----“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” The Unsubtle retorted. “I happen to have a very good memory, especially when it comes to such unusual events in my life. In fact, I once…”
-----“Enough,” Toc interrupted, calmly thrusting his arm out in front of her. “You can take our word for it. She’ll be able to lead us to Drekis.”
-----“So if that’s settled,” Uberman said, “Then what’s the plan for get to the Endless Caves in the first place?”
-----The queen nodded towards Maya, who quickly pressed a few keys on the table. The image changed to a projection of the Champion Mountains, where a mammoth crater housed a fortress of spiny spires.
-----“As you can see,” the Queen continued, “This is the area in the Champion Mountains where Drekis created his first surface base. The area is well guarded, but it is also the one place where there are no full armies present in the vicinity.”
-----“Are you absolutely sure of that?” Uberman asked.
-----“Everything we’ve received on them in the last hour reports that their armies have spread out to cover Cretalia, Theneseia, Zel’Mier, Arael, Xaelon, and even Axia. Of course, we run the risk of running into a separate army that may still be concealed deep within the Endless Caves…but we’ll have to take that chance.”
-----“Quite a bold move” Toc said as he eyed the holographic projection. “So you really intend to launch an attack on this new fortress of theirs? Or rather, I would think you’d merely launch a diversion; since the Champion Mountains are directly above a large portion of the Endless Caves, it would make sense as an entry point.”
-----“A diversion, yes.” The queen replied, gesturing towards the pilots of the 478th. “These brave men and women you see before you have agreed to launch the distraction. Their initial attack will instill chaos within their ranks and provoke their numbers to draw away from the fortress.”
-----“And at that time we sneak in and make our way through the caves until we find Drekis’ lair.” Uberman elaborated.
-----“Yes, undetected if possible.” the Queen added. “That may be a fool’s hope, but if you can at least move deep into the caves before being discovered, then your chances of surviving down there will greatly improve.”
-----“We’ll need no such sneaky tactics,” Toc scoffed, “The lower minions of their breed do no concern me. If they bear their fangs against me I will snuff them out. We need only think of how to deal with Drekis once we find him.”
-----“Between all of us we have lot of firepower,” Captain Khazan said, “I’d say we could take him down if we all worked together. However, I have my doubts about how we’d get your Marauder team to cooperate with us.”
-----“Still have worries do you?” Izohn Falaris abruptly said. “As Toc already said, we have lost much in this war and stand to lose more if it continues. Haven’t you ever heard the expression: the enemy of my enemy is my friend?”
-----“Some friend…” Lexington sneered.
-----“Enough bickering.” Uberman declared. “The plan seems solid enough. Captain Takuma’s men will provide us with the cover we need…”
-----“Sir, we’ll do our best sir!” Takuma said with a salute.
-----“…and we’ll go in to fight Drekis.” Uberman continued. “Until that mission is complete, I’m counting on you, Toc, to keep your word. But be aware that I’ll have my eyes on you and you’re Marauders. You may be our allies on account of a mutual foe, but you’re not friends.”
-----“A wise precaution.” Toc said. “And I suppose I’ll keep my eyes on the Maniacal’s you have in your little group; I wouldn’t want those radicals to take advantage of the situation either.”
-----“I’ll tolerate you as long as your kind don’t touch me!” Lex muttered, crossing his arms and looking away from the Marauder leader.
-----“Then it is agreed.” Amanda said. “The threat of Drekis’ empire can not be lifted unless we destroy Drekis himself. The mission will launch just as we have explained it here. Remember, once you make it into the caves, you’re on your own. How you complete the mission is up to you”—she looked over her shoulder and stared at Tim.
-----Raea and the others barely noticed the Queen’s motion, but Tim saw that knowing look and averted his attention to the cold metal floor.
-----“Once you find him…Drekis,” the Queen said, “You must end this all—you have to kill him.”


End:

Next:
War of Drekis
Chapter 16:
Endless Caves…In the Lair of the Dark Lord