"The Major's plan better work… I don't normally approve of such plans but then again. He was going to destroy it eventually…" Crocker tells his thoughts to Samantha as he sipped a cup'o joe from his MRE as he overlooked the outskirts of Neuogonia.

"It's old Militech-tech. But I understand your concerns, unlike last time. Major's people will keep it on a leash." Samantha answered.

"Hold up… sensors are picking up movement… oh no… it's here… they are here now." Cold sweat escaped Kayin as he monitored the UAV's Radar from his laptop monitor.

"Obed here, that's a large flock of birds…" Obediah radioed.

He spotted before him on his binoculars a mass gathering of about hundreds of unusually shaped avian creatures flying towards their position with haste. To make his old heart stressed more was that he now can hear the heavy treads of an army uniformly and slowly approaching them alongside.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, our guests have arrived."

Stryder Group dug in a fortified and old townhouse near the outskirts of Neuogonia. Barbed wire fences, a ditch, several mines, and other adjacent strongholds of similar built were all that protected the house from the outside world. Utilizing the limited manpower and the defensive terrain to their advantage, the combined Laniyea and UFEAF forces awaited eagerly for the impending charge of the Black Elven Army.

Over the distance, they can see Lehsol slowly setting herself down upon the horizon as the sun embedded its heated kiss upon the UFE's eyes.

"Those are Erynias. Avian Monsters native to the Tavai Islands. They say that their screeches can cause anyone who hears them feel immense pain." Aliathra explained.

"They're in range now." Kayin looked over the binoculars. "What is our orders?"

"All Anti-Air Weapons, fire for effect." Samantha radioed her orders.

"Affirmative, Chakrams rotating." Radioed the Air Defense Captain.

He the roar of the Militech Chakram SPAD burst to life as its Twin 30mm Gatling Guns and Radar Guided SAM tore unleashed lead rain upon their flying attackers. The pint-sized little brother to the Militech Fjord IFV, sacrificing size to accommodate a full weapon loadout of Anti-Air weaponry and equipment to take down any hostile object who so happens to vulture around an effective 20 Kilometer radius. They were soon followed by those brave men under the banner of the 20th Engineering Battalion's PAAL-2 Slingshot MANPADS and Ullr Missile Batteries that fired surface-to-air missiles that fragmented into shrapnel upon detonation near their targets aimed at the Erinyas. Both weapons finding their marks upon the avian monster's flock with lethal precision tearing the large birds of prey apart without their talons ever tasting the blood of their prey. They leave an inhuman and profane shriek that gave a haunting chill to those who heard of them even hundreds of meters away as their bodies plummeted to the green and ash grounds of the Slaegian Heartlands.

"GAH!" cried the Air Defense Captain.

"Son of a bitch!" Crocker gnashed his teeth as he grasped his ears painfully.

All of Stryder Group could feel their eardrums disgorge themselves as they heard the Erinya's screams of pain.

"You weren't kidding when you said they scream so loudly…" Samantha cringed. "O-Obediah? How are you doing?" she turned to their sniper who situated himself on the second floor of the house.

"I feel… a bit queasy… but I think my Ear Filters stopped the worse'em." Stryder's Marksman answered calmly, his head was still ringing but he can still function normally in combat.

"Orion? This is Stryder Group status report?" Samantha turned to the town's Air Defenses.

"Damnit we are at… at best Fifty Percent fighting strength ma'am. Those screams knocked out a good number of my Weapon Teams and Vehicle Crews." reported the Air Captain. "Getting them out of her righ---SHIT!" he screamed.

"Orion?! Orion!?" Samantha cried, shaking the radio intensively to garner a response.

"We got… Giant… Bat…Lizard… things…attacking the 20th! They barely register on my… Thermals!" the stutter of the radio barely giving a coherent explanation of his panic.

"Katakans. Those must be the Katakans!" Aliathra alarmingly informed.

"You know the drill Captain. Bring out your Incendiaries." Samantha ordered, reminding them of Aliathra's insights into these monstrous beasts.

The 20th Battalion Captain nodded and unleashed from their reserves their Incendiary weapons, Fiery Grenades enchanted by Iris and Flamethrowers were thrown upon the Lizard-Batlike Monsters whose biology has an instinctual aversion to sudden spikes in temperature and loud noises due to their enhanced echolocation-centric hearing and frigid native homelands of the southern and untamed lands of Ysanigrad. Another hazardous score about these native beasts is that their unique scales reflect light in such an illusory way that combined with their cold-bloodedness they can easily slip past most of the UFE's Detection Equipment with relative ease.

"Shit!" Obediah recoiled as one such Katakan caught sight of him resting his rifle upon Stryder's House with its eagle-sighted eyes. The aviary reptilian swooped in upon, aiming its razor-sharp claws eagerly for prey as the Widower Sniper barely escaped its clutches just in time as the monster crashed through the wooden frame of where the Sniper had rested upon.

The Katakan cried thirstily in vain as it tried to reach inside the Obediah's room but its large size could barely breach through the broken window.

Quickly drawing his Hunting Revolver, Obediah fired two .357 Magnum rounds off of his Koncha Pistol named 'April' towards the beast. Piercing critically through its scales and through its heart, killing the monster instantly as its body fell down upon the house's front door.

"Katakan's are in full retreat! They… we have casualties…" the Air-Defense Captain radioed.

"Finish them off and rally all those still who are still combat-capable. This is only just the beginning. I need Pounder's ready to fire at my mark." Samantha ordered.

"Acknowledged." The 20th Engineering Captain nodded.

Artillery Pieces were now being set up and tuned to the direction of their predetermined coordinates as their shells awaited Captain Roses' signal.

Samantha looked over the approaching Black Elven army marching towards the UFE's lines with a stiff yet determined march towards them. Thanks to ISAC's Combat Calculations, the optimal location and timing of the UFE's Support Artillery was designated on her visor now awaiting the adversaries to merely walk into their death trap. All of the Armymen and all of the Laniyea anxiously awaited for the signal as the grasps their guns as the Black Elves loomed over across the fields, not knowing they were doomed the very moment they stepped close to Neuogonia's outskirts.

"Fire!" Samantha shouted.

"Send it!" 20th Engineering Captain nodded.

Mortars, Shells, and Missiles arched over Neuogonia's defenses as rained fire below to the Black Elven Infantry absolutely devastating their formations into a scrambled mess of corpses and shell-shocked troopers stumbling blindly from the artillery barrage's blast zones. Some of the higher of ranked Pact Soldiers raised their swords to rally the shocked men to continue on the march in a hasty rush to close the distance between the Black Elves and Neuogonia. From that point, a second volley, one of the bullets was unleashed upon them from the UFEAF-Laniyea defensive positions. Each choosing their shots carefully in rapid succession as automatic Machine Gun fire burst through enmassed Black Elves taking dozens upon dozens of lives in seconds.

"Keep firing!" Samantha oversaw Sgt. Crocker's Machine gunfire as he burned through hundreds of 7.62 mm bullets with his LMG.

"Back off!" Iris rolled her hands as torrid airs conjured around her fingers before the Vampire Witch let loose a smiting blade of lightning. Unlike her previous histories of only able to crackle enough of a current to electrocute one person from close range, her deeper insights to a lightning bolt's essential characteristics the Principle of 'Breakdown Voltages' thanks in part to Samantha and Kayin has allowed her to cast the spell to gain the additional effect of the electrical current able to jump between multiple targets, searing through the Black Elves heavy armor into hollow slags. This improved variant of the Lightning Bolt Spell to be called Iris' Electro-Avalanche in which she dubbed haughtily much to both the chagrin and humor of her peers.

Their ambush's opening hours managed to quickly cut down a multitude of Black Elven troops when they had detonated their mines and had them walked into the waiting arms of their prepared Machine Gun and Mortar kill zones. Additionally, the Mines that the UFE were able to set up caused their Testudo-style Infantry Formations to crumble sending the Black Elves flying if they were Anti-Personnel mines or electro-tased still if they were the non-lethal Electrical Stun Mines to be easy prey for the Laniyea's newly-formed Reifflywrs to finish them off. The Stun Mines also as predicted, temporarily disrupted the meta-physical phasing effects that the Sisters of the Blade relied upon to dodge most of their attacks, resulting in them being killed before they realize what had just happened. At first, the Elves were frightened by the hearing and sight of the Federation and Laniyea's weaponry but they were able to craftily shield began to recompose themselves. Several hid behind a Sorcerer's Warding shells only for their protective magicks to shatter upon the weight of the Federation's arsenal whilst others were blocked off by the ballistically resistant D'ao Clay Golems whom the Federation have a difficulty penetrating its oleaginous bodies, merely absorbing most of their gunfire. It was only resolved when Iris and Karliah cast several Magical Missiles upon several of the 50 Golems which caused them to erode like broken soil.

However, even with the large volume of fire the combined Amelioration and Federation forces inputted towards their adversaries, there most vulnerable moments, the equally sizable Black Elven Army of those who could still keep their composure pushed forward under the cover of their slowly being battered down and sapped Magical Wards and Golem screens.

"Shit!" Clay cursed as he narrowly dodged the Black Dragon's Acidic Fire Breath as he rushed back into his squad's bunkered down house.

"Ammo's here! Load up!" the Engineer tapped Samantha on her shoulders, carrying the said box of ammunition and his MAR-A5 Rifle clumsily passing much-needed supplies for the UFEAF Soldiers.

"Gah!" Clay collapsed behind a wall and frantically grabbed his Radio Piece from his breast pocket. "Someone shoots that damn Dragon down now! It's roasting us!" he yelled.

"This is Orion! We are trying! But the Dragon is just shaking off whatever we are throwing at it. It's just regenerating whatever wounds we make on it and just burning the whole place down. I am now down to one SAM and two AA's over!" the Air Defense Captain responded to the Radioman's calls.

"Regeneration? Dragons can regenerate wounds?" Aliathra's ears perked curiously on Clay's radio chatter. "They… don't heal that quickly." She mentioned.

"Then how are we going to kill that thing?" Kayin urgently questioned.

The Black Dragon's Breath was indeed a terrifying weapon to behold, strafing across the UFEAF's defensive lines unleashing its fury to the defenders below, and unlike the failed Meteor Attack, the monster's attack run found several of its marks. Liquefying several key defensive installations and positions from garrisoned homes to even several mechanized elements. The Beast managed to draw the ire of most of the Federation's heavy defense ordinates to itself buying precious time for the Black Elves to close the distance towards Neuogonia's defenses.

"They are getting closer. There's just too many of them!" Karliah cried.

"Keep firing! Don't let up!" Samantha ordered.

They needed to hold this position for as long as possible until their reinforcements arrived and their Fire Supports could reload their weapons for the next barrage yet even then, the situation is slowly becoming dire by the second as the Black Elves inched closer.

A loud horn-like sound blared above the horizon that she could hear from far away. Three repetitions of the same note the soldiers in Neuogonia heard.

"What is happening?" Samantha asked.

"Three howls from the War Horn, that means they signal the coming of the second wave of attack." Aliathra gripped her Bow tightly.

Over the distance, the beleaguered defenders see before them additional columns of Black Elven Infantry running towards Neuogonia at double the pace. Marching alongside them was a great abomination gave emitted an unnerving presence upon sight, making Aliathra, Karliah, Iris and the Laniyea Reifflywrs lose a significant amount of their hearts. The monster was a hydra-like creature with five snakes like appendages sprouted from its portly and scaly bodies. But instead of multiple heads like the Greek Myth of old, it sported upon each of its elongated appendages a circular mouth with a rotary of stalactite shaped teeth and a snake-like tongue. It screeched a sickening roar as it hurled itself maddeningly towards Neuogonia.

"What the hell is that thing?!" questioned Kayin.

"Gods have mercy! It is an Abyssal Kharibdyss!" Karliah gaped her mouth.

The former College Mage had only heard vague descriptions and conflicted illustrations of the beast but the one feature that all depictions had in common was its many worm-like mouths with razor-sharp teeth that salivate to devour its prey deep down in the darkest corners of Tolio's domains, Gliesia's Seas, hunting whales, other similarly sized prey or in some cases finding hapless ships to devour less the crew performed the religious prayers necessary to not incur the Water God's wrath.

"Enemy got another B.A.M!" a UFEAF Soldier cried.

"Call in an Airstrike on that ri---aaahhh!!!!" a Ymosiod Squad Leader tried to rally his shaken men but his radio suddenly fell into static before dropping the call dead.

"Shit! Some of the Black Elves gotten through! Engaging!" a UFEAF Soldier radioed.

Around the western flank of the Federation's defensive line, a contingent of Sisters of the Blade managed to slip past the mines and line of sight of their foes and now came close enough to engage in melee. Dodging their point blank gunfire with their material phasing abilities before reforming to cut them down with their dual curved swords, they managed to slice down several dozen worth of Laniyea and UFEAF within a span of a few minutes However, due the previous casualties they had suffered earlier, they simply couldn't slaughter the bewildered UFEAF Soldiers fast enough before the tandem-cooperative of the UFEAF and Reifflywrs were able to reorganize their cohesion and using small squad tactics to surround and isolate the murderous Battle Nuns before returning the favor. Taking a frightening timing to fire their weapons just as the Sisters materialized themselves to swing their blades for the kill.

The same could not be said for the Air Defense Platforms taking the full brunt of the Black Elves fury. From the Black Dragon's Acidic Breath to the Unseen's hidden arrow fire, the 20th Engineering desperately held their nerves to fight back, to stay alive and continue returning suppressive fire to their foes.

"Shield-Father! Shield-Father! We need fire support! There coming in full force on Romeo and Delta now!" Clay radioed.

"This is FNMF Indian Sea. We are on the scene. I have Thousand Pounder Kinetic Strike missiles on my Batteries. Paint your target." The radio opened forth a ray of hope as the Missile Frigate announced its arrival.

"Indian Sea, Strike Package Alpha and Bravo on my coordinates over!" Samantha nodded as she activated her laser designator and pointed its forest gaze upon the Kharibdyss. "Take out that Hydra!"

"Firing, maintain a line of sight. I repeat maintain a line of sight over." The Missile Frigate tells her sternly.

Captain Rose's sweat dropped nervously to the cold wooden floor as she maintained her composure of the terrifying beast that crawled upon its four chimera arms towards her position. Its mouth salivated glutinously as its spongelike pores scented the taste of prey to feast. If Samantha were to falter, she would break her Laser Designator's line of sight and the Missile will not be able to precisely hit its target. Its frightening shrieks, however, the closer upon approach excavated Samantha's primal flight-or-fight chemicals that besieged her will, causing her hand to shake just as violently as the Kharibydss' colossal charge.

But just as her legs were about to liquefy, her hands turned to boiled noodles and the laser designator's line of sight was about to prematurely break a firm hand grasped her weary limbs.

"Bring that wanker down!" Crocker shouted.

The Hypersonic Missile Strike struck the great beast as an implosion of smoke covered where it once stood about fifty meters away from Samantha's position. A perturbing silence followed as Stryder Group looked onto the damage they had brought.

"It is dead… it has to be dead." The Captain muttered, praying her words become true.

As the smoke from the coordinated attack dissipated, they can see from beneath the blackened linings that the Kharibdyss. It stood majestic and proud…

Before letting a mighty roar before its mouth frothed in its own salivated blood and collapsed heavily on to the floor dead. When the smoke fully dissipated, Samantha saw before her even more of the ruined dead of Black Elves who perished in droves of the thousands along with the Kharibdyss, their bodies an unrecognizable charred mess brought forth by the Supersonic Missile's incalculable damage.

------------------

"Kill confirmed Indian Sea. the B.A.M. has been neutralized." Samantha ecstatically radioed the Missile Frigate.

"Do not celebrate just yet Captain. UAV Drones report that there is still a massive gathering of Opfor's converging on your position." Colonel Polonksy interrupted her early celebration.

"These stubborn ol'fucks just don't know when to give up eh?" Crocker passed his comments.

"Well by the looks of it now they are going for broke. ISAC counts about 25,000-foot mobiles marching into your position." Polonsky informed them. "Sitrep on the situation on the ground over?" he asked of them.

"Not looking too good sir. We had to dodge that Dragon just to keep our guns fed sir. We are running low on ammunition. What happened with that big lizard anyways?" Clay asked.

"This monster exceeded far beyond my expectations too Sergeant. 20th Engineering's been decimated just to even try to make a dent on its scales. As we speak, I have scrambled two squadrons of Aerofighters to deal with the situation one." Polonsky replied.

Another distant horn roared above the horizon as another three long and winded howls that chilled the hearts of the Federation-Laniyea Soldiers.

"Vlos Areion! Vlos Areion!" cheered the 3rd wave of the Black Elven Army.

Another trumpeted wail echoed the battlefield above them. Three more repetitions of the horn, signaling the beginning of a 3rd Wave to finally sweep down Neuogonia's Defenders in one final attempt to obtain the glory the Expeditionary force sought after from thousands of miles away from their homes. Lead by the Acropolis Wardens and the surviving Sorcerers, the Black Elves charged stoically passed the bodies of their fallen brethren, glaives, swords, and claws rearing their fanged teeth towards Neuogonia's defenders.

"I will not be long before their unending numbers slowly overwhelm us…" Karliah huffed as she downed herself a potion to recuperate the expended the tremendous calories she had to exert.

Samantha and the rest of Stryder checked their ammunition. She and most of her squad reported they only have a magazine left on their pockets before running dry, nowhere near enough to fight off the upcoming horde of hostiles flooding into their position in a few minutes. Additionally, the defenses they had set up from the traps and firing positions have all been destroyed or spent during the previous waves. The fighters of the first defensive lines of Neuogonia are simply in no capacity to fight off another wavelet alone stand on its two feet.

"This is Shield-Father to all Federation Forces in Neuogonia. I am ordering a General Regrouping to the second line of defense at the double!" radioed Colonel Polonsky on Clay's radio.

"Is there nothing more we can do here?" Karliah shrugged her arms and asked.

"I am afraid not for now. If we stay here any longer, we will get overrun and slaughtered." Samantha informed the College Mage.

"You heard the Colonel! Crocker shouted. "Pack up and fall back!"

Stryder group wasted no time leaping off of their feet, barely being able to catch their belongings as they escape their fighting position as they retreated south of Neuogonia towards the Town's Keep.

"This is Lima-Fiver of the Western Army Group! We have arrived! Sorry for the delay." Clay's radio sparked to life once again, Captain Rose recognized that voice to belong to her acquaintance Captain Mendoza.

"Cover retreat then regroup at the Central Keep, Captain Mendoza." Colonel Polonsky ordered.

"This is Sparrow-One. My Squadron is in range of the Black Dragon." A UFE Free-Star Aerofighter Pilot descended from its mother carrier the FNAC Tenacity readying its Peregrine Air-to-Air Missiles for battle.

"Sparrow Squadron you are clear to engage the beast. Eliminating the Black Dragon should be able to break whatever is left of the Enemy's morale. Godspeed. Over." Polonsky ordered the pilots.

"Wilco." Sparrow Squadron's lead pilot acknowledged as he and his squadron engaged with the Black Dragon. "Fox-2!"

To the nightmarish beast and Lord Vokhol himself, these strange insects that dared to lay their fingers upon both of them were exceptionally fast and equally powerful in their attacks. Drawing both of their ire, the Dragon foregoes its original task of setting Neuogonia ablaze in Demon cleansing fire to engage with these adversaries, buying the retreating units the cover they need to reach back to the second defensive lines. The lightning-quick projectiles it unleashed from their wings harried the Dragon to no end in spite doing only cosmetic damage against it as it vainly attempted to swipe down these strange griffons, pegasi, eagles, or whatever they are that Dre'sah could attempt to recall from his many vile feats the Dragon had done in its lifetime.

Meanwhile, the UFE-Laniyea retreat wasn't as steady as the coalition had hoped. Despite their more mobile selves running through the demolished gauntlet of the now battletorn landscape of Neuogonia, the Black Elves continued to give chase from the surviving Sisters of the Blade Nuns and the Unseen attempting to rout the weary retreaters. The opposing army crashed through the now-abandoned defenses, pushing away the sandbag and upset wood fortification as adrenaline dulled their discipline and replaced it savage murderlust, seeking to shoot, cut, slash, and stampede over all those 'lesser' of species than to their exceptional selves.

"Fff-ack!" cursed Clay as the support of his legs failed him causing his heaving weight in no part with his Radio Set making eat the dusty Gliesian dirty face first.

Emerging from his left heel was a crossbow bolt, protruding across his leg drawing blood, being mixed with an unidentifiable liquid infecting his leg.

"Their Mage is wounded! Kill them all!" a voice echoed from beneath the chaos of the battlefield.

"It is the Unseen!" Aliathra cried.

The Black Elf ambushers were an elite skirmishing unit of the Pact specializing in attacking their prey from their enchanted cloaks that allowed them to hide under shadowy masque of invisibility. Additionally, their usage of poison coated Ngden'nir Repeating Crossbow bolts made them a sinister contrast to the Ethuilen equivalent of their Glade Rangers in which the Elven Princess had honed her survival, biology, and archery teachings.

"Switch to Thermals!" Samantha shouted. "Get to cover!" she ordered.

Crocker carried the wounded radioman over his shoulder whilst Kayin, Obediah and Samantha turned on either their Thermal Vision's on their goggles or their sights providing the cover they need to push Clay into safety. Yet the Unseen were tenacious hunters as per their reputation. They will not let go of such a tactically valuable quarry escape their grasps. Despite their cover being blown, they were still a cut of the most dexterous of the Black Elven populace to become their Rangers, able to unleash torrents of arrows and bolts towards Stryder Group's pinned position. The UFEAF Soldiers could barely to almost not return fire thanks in part to the Unseen's lethal expertise.

"Taking heavy fire!" Samantha gnashed her teeth.

"I can't cast my spells! They keep shooting at me." Iris cursed.

"Uukhai!" a barbaric yet by the tone of Samantha's ears, a chilling cry stilled her battle-stressed heart.

A thunder of hooves followed as the Unseen turned around to weigh the source of the sound is coming from. No sooner than they were given the answer when a stampede of whirling axes met their bodies cutting several of them down. The Young Captain emerged from the cover of her stone hiding spot to immediately recognize their unexpected Saviour. It was Kimora, one of the Yoshadninyuddi Daosne Beastfolks. Wielding in her two hands with savage grace like the flowing winds, a spear in one hand and an ax on the other.

"It is good to be by your side Sky-blooded one! I will take the heads of these tyrants one by one!" she frothed savagely. Her mind was no longer of this world, instead fully immersing itself into a trance-like state of the same primal fury she had unleashed mere days before back in Marnia's Bluff.

She led the tireless vanguard of West Army Group's Marines to link up with the besieged Eastern Army Group in a hasty response to fully secure the strategic crossroad of Neuogonia so that their Supply Lines can finally be secured. Many of the jarheaded Marines bought the precious amount of time the UFEAF and the Laniyea needed to fully pull back from their spent defenses to the second line of defense, dropping their Smoke Grenades and surprising the Black Elves from their flanks. This devastating turnaround was impossible to have happened if it were not for Diaz and his Aparo Mercenaries eliminating the Pact's Scouts from reporting of the Jarhead's reinforcing approach.

"That War Maiden! Kill the Centaur!" a Black Elven Sergeant ordered his men. Before long, a contingent of Black Wardens began to pour through the ruined streets and battle-torn fields of Neuogonia to reinforce the final push into the Crossroad Town. It was now or never for the Pact to achieve the victory they had traveled far and invested so much to obtain. When news comes of their trial, the loses they had incurred will surely be recompensed by waves of sponsorships and favors from both the local Slaegians and from the Midnight Camarilla's constituency from their capital of Dúrnimloth, and they will not let one crazed Yoshandinyuddi Thug prevent them from achieving their sought-after glory.

Daosne, was perhaps in a begrudging sense to the Pact, the worthiest of adversaries in terms of physical prowess the Elves had fought. Their battlefield prowess matched only by Elven dexterity and tactics. Prisoners captured from the northern hinterlands of Ysanigrad were prized for their physicality in various fields from labor, indoctrinated slaves, and even for extended periods of pleasure, fetching exorbitant prices upon being sold off back home or into the colonies. However, much of their premium prices can be justified into simply taming a free-spirited and openly defiant Daosne who much prefer to die than to be taken in alive by slavers. But that cruelty was equally reciprocated by those same Beastfolks themselves. Daosne would often exterminate with extreme prejudice entire Black Elven Slavers and expeditionary forces barbarically to please their ancestors and gain more fame for themselves as warriors just the same for the Slaegians too.

"Die Thieves! May my ancestors be sated by your spilled blood!" Kimora shouted.

"Damnit she's going to get cut up." Kayin nervously announced.

"Fuck me an'dis bollocks, keep Clay ste'hee and cover me! I am getting' her!" Crocker growled as he finally had a moment of respite to reload the belt feed of his MG-70 SAW.

The Staff Sergeant emerged from his cover and made a mad dash towards the Centaur War Maiden, vivaciously unaware of the fatal tactical error she had gotten herself into. Over 30 Black Elven Acropolis Wardens plus one Sorcerer began to surround Kimora holdings their heavy halberds upon the gallic Kimora to impede her wildfire of a berserk state, managing to pierce several parts of her body causing her to recoil from the spiked feedback her adversaries returned in kind. She tried to fight back by thrusting her wooden spear towards one of the Acropolis Wardens but the much more disciplined Black Elf and their ever so reliable and deadly Iron from tip to staff Halberds, easily parrying the crude weapon before the heavy axe blade of the Warden's Halberd cut it down to fibrous ribbons leaving only Kimora with her hand axe and naked self against an aggressive foe with overwhelming numbers.

She tried to scream, kick and attempt to take a few more down of these overseas tyrants but the Black Elf Sorcerer quickly cast Hold Person onto her body, paralyzing her and now left to the mercy, for which there is none, impunity of the Acropolis Wardens. When her arms were bound, her legs were made still and her Axe cast away, the berserker rage that ember within Kimora's soul was snuffed out. She was now without a weapon, tired and exhausted beyond belief. There was just simply too many of the Black Elves for her singular warrior's spirit to overcome. Beneath her pride, a hidden cry, a soft yelp by the cackling sadistic glee from the pointed ears of the Black Elves just as they are about to put her down from her rabid rampage. Kimora closed her eyes and reluctantly readied herself for her fate to meet her ancestors. Like a wolfpack that finally cornered their prey, they readied to thrust their many-fanged shaped spears on to her soft hide…

Yet death never came. Instead, the Centaur War Maiden heard the loud throttle of thousand raindrops perk her ears, reverberating them with deafening beats as she opened her suppressed eyes to see what caused her sudden turn of fate. It was the 'Ogre-Breaker', one Lewis Crocker who became her unexpected savior. From his massive stave, he unleashed a flood of hail upon the Acropolis Wardens, turning their thick and sleek armors into slag making the once proud and thought to be invincible warriors of the Black Tree Pact fall to the ground shamefully that they never had a chance to slice their halberds in battle. He roared ferociously as his stave continue to fire, shaking the ground in every blast of its black powder bolts upon the Black Elves like an all-consuming inferno that for a moment, Kimora could see the manifestation of her ancestors aureate before Crocker. Even when his stave gave out, he continued to press on. Unsheathing his hatchet from his pocket and with herculean strength began to hack away the Black Elves just as ferociously as a Daosne Chieftain's Chosen Warrior. Some of the Wardens tried as they might stop him but his exo-skeletal Hercules Armor was simply too fast and too strong to keep up in any tangible way as Crocker cut them all down one by one in a blurry succession. His savagery with his E-Tool was to such a great extent he actually pushed well beyond its durable limits, breaking the sharp shovel after it caves the head of a hapless Warden whose last vision was the staring between Crocker's cold, adrenaline-addled brown eyes.

After killing over a dozen or twice that number of Black Elves, the exact number he couldn't recall, Crocker re-examines to see that there were only two people left in his immediate vicinity: the Sorcerer holding the paralyzed Kimora and one final Acropolis Warden. The Elite Infantry Elf proceeds to charge towards the Staff Sergeant with his Halberd but Crocker uses the arm frames of his exo-suit to block the Halberd from touching his exposed parts, forcing the two men to collapse to the ground with the Elf gaining the superior position over Crocker in a chokehold. Lewis' face turned lilac as he struggles to catch his breath from the Elf's sadistic hold upon him. Grabbing from his pockets, Crocker uses the severed spearhead he got from Brenya's weapon from Souviel tournament weeks ago and stab the Warden in the throat, killing him instantly and ultimately freeing his lungs from the brink of suffocation.

Inhaling a few quick breaths, he returned to the task at hand.

The Sorcerer tried to defend himself with one hand due to his other being occupied with holding Kimora as the Staff Sargeant menacingly advanced towards him. He fired a blast of magic at Crocker but the Stryder Second-in-Command rushes at him to tackle the mage down. Using his reinforced arms, he brutally pummeled the Sorcerer until his blood pooled over the cobblestone roads like spilled red wine.

With the magicks' source severed abruptly, Kimora was free from the bonds of the Hold Person spell and took a sigh of relief as she wobbled her feet back upright. She looked at Crocker before him, his inhaling and exhaling form exposing his zenith of a figure to the barbarian Beastfolk. By Daosne standards, a person of such prowess in the battlefield is the epitome of their Warrior-centric society. A being of not only great authority but of great privileges such as an honorary seat on the Chieftain's feasting table, the greatest portion of land, and the direct target of attention of the female folk of the tribe. A heat burned within Kimora as her eyes dilated at Crocker's as they locked each other's gaze for one brief moment.

"I…" Kimora was about to confess of her admirations but then she was instantly interrupted by the howl of War Horn.

Across a few distances away marched an entire column of Acropolis Wardens marching towards the ruined town haughtily as their bodies drowned the territory away from the UFEAF's control of Neuogonia.

"Come on!" Crocker urged Kimora up and took her by the hand towards where the injured Kayin lay before Stryder Group being attended by Aliathra.

The Crossbow Bolt she found was indeed injected with a noxious poison designed to slowly impair the ability of one from being physically capable but her fast intervention prevented the toxin from fully infecting the Radioman's body but not fast enough to fully attend to the splintered bone and bloodied flesh from the bolt's entry and exit wound.

Grabbing Clay around his back he hovered over Kimora and placed the injured Radioman over her back.

"Get this man back to the Clinic! It's by Keep. Look for a Red Cross!" He shouted to her before slapping her in the back to push her off.

The Centaur was slightly shaken by the sudden weight on her back but she managed to keep her stature, her strength slowly re-emerging from her body to make one more gallop with passenger away into safety. She sprinted a good distance away from Stryder as her flaking hair vanished amongst the misted chaos of the battle, her agile Centaur physique easily strides over the ruined Neuogonian streets guiding Clay back to safety.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Another push for the weary Stryder happened as they continued their tactical retreat deeper into the Crossroads.

A secondary defensive line was slowly being reinforced by the remnants of the garrison and their Western Reinforcements around the vicinity of the Central Keep of the town where the buildings were more defensible from rushed infantry charges thanks to their more packed formations and adjacency to each other. Still despite the casualties inflicted the vengeful filled Black Elves continued to pursue the retreating Laniyea and UFE Soldiers. To many of the Native-born recruits of the newly formed Army of the Amelioration. Their resolve was being tested to its limits as the Pact's Army closed in around them. The Laniyea Reifflywrs soon also found themselves that they were being severely battered by the attack with most if not all of the Tyr Rianni Soldiers essentially being fighting wounded if they can still stand in their two feet and hold their new crossbow-like BF-77 Battle Rifles towards the enemy.

"Men! Do not falter!" Prince Clovich rallied his men.

He was initially observing the performance of his new Laniyea far behind the Federation's lines until the Dragon's Fire Attacks has caused him to pull back much closer into the central fulcrum of the UFE's defenses which is the town's Keep and the Central Square. He had decided upon arrival that he will look over to see those injured men or those who perished by the makeshift Clinic that was in fact a converted Inn to enliven the spirits of his Laniyea. But when the chaotic retreat was called only minutes ago, the full weight of his entire new army flooded towards him detailing the never-ending chaos and hordes of Black Elves swarming their position. Some shuddered in fear, others were considering fully pulling back from Neuogonia but other's one led by a Sargeant Beynon urged everyone outside of the Inn turned Clinic to maintain the faith and keep fighting.

"We are being tested of our resolve my fellow men! Our Amelioration shall not end by these Tyrants from across the sea. We only need to hold on for another moment longer." Clovich encouraged them.

"They are getting desperate. We saw how we can wound their pride. Take a few more of them and they will surely break." Beynon spoke.

"How many of us are here?" Clovich asked.

"Not including you, milord there are about at least fifty-three o'us who can sill'fight, then'dere is eighteen of your own personal bodyguards widd'yu. The rest, I saw must'ah found them'selves with our Federation Allies. That is… how many?" Beynon attempted to count his fingers.

"That is about… seventy-one of us Sergeant," Clovich answered.

"I see… so where are the rest of the Ammo for our new Rifles? I am lo--- My Prince watch out!" Beynon shouted.

He noticed the brief glimmer of the sunlight that refracted on the former Yeoman's wet eyes. There above the roof was a humanoid-shaped figure whose blurry image of warm mirage-like visage was quietly stalking the rooftops with what looked like a bow being carried by his hands. Years back on his farm observing the skies, surroundings and the earth can train oneself such as him to notice many critical changes within the environment that those of lesser attunement would have overlooked. Sudden shadows, the flighted migration of a bird, or the ominous tune from the distance can predict many myriads of aftereffects such as the shift in weather or a warning of an impending monster attack. This gives Tristan an acute advantage in peripheral awareness compared to even the most predatory of monsters or the most discerning of personal bodyguards.

It was only a split second when the Sergeant suddenly pushed the Prince causing his body suddenly tilt away to his right slightly before a bolt struck him by the right shoulder. If he had maintained that clear and concise posture earlier, the shot would have otherwise fatally struck him to the heart, granting him an undignified and premature end to his Amelioration.

"Over'zere! An Unseen!" Beynon pointed to the roof top.

The 71 Laniyea Reifflywrs turned around and opened fire at the rooftop, unleashing a volley of what little ammunition they had left. They did not care if they were to run dry at that moment, they will be damned if they do not die or be caught neglecting their oaths to their Prince.

The invisible figure was quickly struck down, de-cloaking from his unseeable state before his bullet-riddled body plummeted to the ground. All of the Tyr Rianni soldiers nervously then looked onto their Prince as he was helped up by his bodyguards.

"Stay with us Sire!" one of the Prince's bodyguards carried his injured body through the makeshift clinic.

"You again, Tristan… Beynon was it not?" Clovich addressed the Sergeant personally. "You… saved my… life…Ah!" Clovich winced as the First Aid workers in the Clinic quickly applied a stinging disinfectant on his wound as they prepared to extract the arrowhead from the Prince's shoulder.

"Yer dream… our future will'nt end 'ere!" Beynon asserted. "We'll follow you to ze ends of the world fo'you." He vowed, his simpleton accent pushing pass his belief.

Just as the Prince was laid onto the surgery bed, the 71 Laniyea's heard again the Black Elven War Horn trumpeting amongst the ambiance of pained anguish that the Clinic emitted. Looking over by the Inn's windows. Beynon's eyes to his horror saw an overwhelmingly large contingent of Black Elven Warriors marching towards the Inn, their blood fresh with the slaughter of their countrymen who failed to escape swiftly enough to the secondary defensive lines.

One of the said Black Elven Warriors stood out, riding atop of an Elven Steed and wearing a pompous plumed helmet, he trotted forward ahead of his soldiers with a grandiose authority as he just as pompously forwarded his chest, ready to address the Tyr Rianni holed up inside the Clinic. Due to his standoffish attire, most of the Reifflywrs reasoned he is some sort of Captain high up in the ranks of the Pact's Army.

"Slay all the Thralls of the Otherworlders and take their staves as trophies!" the Black Elven Captain ordered.

Silence fell upon them as tense air permeated the two soldiers. Sergeant Beynon was, to say the least, insulted to hear this fey-chested and cavalier Elf surveyed the Tyr Rianni with an abhorrent aura exhausting from his high-born mouth. He likely in all of his centuries-long life used to get whatever he wants within a drop of his sword and whip, only given the position of 'Captain' and be put in charge of a company of soldiers by sheer connection rather than merit. Not unlike Beynon who had to climb through sweat, blood, and tears to get to where he is now as a Yeoman Sergeant of the Tyr Rianni Guards now turned to the Ysanigrad Amelioration's Laniyea.

Beynon looked over to his fellow countrymen who looked onto him quietly of what they are to do. Their bravery was high but the odds were clearly not stacked into their favor as they can observe over a thousand or so Black Elves awaiting to besiege the Clinic against their measly 71 combatants, that is not also including the injured Laniyea and Federation soldiers with their attending Medical Staff also inside too.

Under the past circumstances, this would have been a hopeless endeavor, but when the former Yeoman saw with his two eyes the power of these black staves he now carried. Tristan knew that to simply allow these Elves to walk over him quietly would have thrown away all of what the Amelioration now stands for. He would be damned to let them take the one thing that the common man such as himself can equalize against skilled murderers such as the Black Elves. Remembering the vow, he had made to Clovich just as he was whisked away to Surgery. He swore to him that he will fight for the new future he dreamed off and now it is the time to commit to his words for him. And now, he fully understood what Clovich's Crusade truly means…

A Future. Where there was previously none.

Breaking the window of one of the Inn's windows overseeing the from the Black Elven Army. Sergeant Beynon inhaled and exhaled his breath as was his rifle training before he took aim.

With one crack of his BF-77 Battle Rifle, he struck the arrogant Black Elf Captain on the chest, mortally wounding him to a bewildered Elven Army who expected that the severely weakened defenders would yield to their distinct numerical advantage.

"Come and take'sem!" Beynon shouted.

Joined by several more of his countrymen, they too broke the Inn/Clinic's windows as they combined their arms together as they unleashed their blessed storm of black powdered and metallic fury against the Elves. Angered by this brazen insult, the Black Elves stoked themselves into a frenzy as they raised their weapons and declared to charge, making a beeline's rush towards the Inn.

"Guv'em nothing!" Beynon cried. "But take from'em… EVERY'SING!"

The Tyr Rianni Laniyea rallied behind his war cry as they braced themselves for the incoming Elven deluge hoarding to their bastion. The Sergeant ordered several of his men and those who could still walk within the Clinic to pass the 7.62mm ammunition needed for their BF-77 Rifles as they manned themselves to stem the Elven tide. Doctors and patients, ducked for cover as they frantically passed along ammo cartridges, grenades, and first aid to the brave 71 Reifflywrs who unleashed volley after volley of bullets upon the charging Black Elves most of the supplies were discarded weaponry from the injured or what the Clinic could spare.

"Milord…Sergeant!" one of Clovich's Bodyguards descended downstairs and haphazardly crawled towards the valorous Sergeant. "The Prince shall live. His wound is not fatal but we cannot stay here. We need to head back to the Keep with the rest of the army."

"Then what do you suggest we can do?" Beynon asked.

"We leave through the backdoor gradually and follow the rest of the retreat back to the Keep. The wounded has to go first." One of the Clinic Doctors suggested.

"How many injured are in this clinic?" Beynon asked.

"Exactly a hundred-and-nine, not including you and the Prince." The Doctor answered.

Beynon gritted his teeth as he absorbed the information. These men had families or were trusted new friends of the Tyr Rianni. Indeed, they simply cannot be here any longer as despite his displayed heroics, this position simply could not be hold not whilst the Black Elves held the numerical advantage.

"Then so be it." Beynon nodded. "Ge'mme some lads to carry these poor sods outt'o here!" he asked around amongst the 71.

A breakaway team of those 71 holstered their rifles as they began the evacuation of the Clinic's injured. There was a conveniently used during peaceful and more lofty days as the receiving mouth of inbound stocks behind the Inn that faced upon the direction of Neuogonia's Keep. Using the Inn as a strong point to prevent the flood of Black Elves from pouring into rout the retreat of the Federation-Laniyea Coaltion the valiant 71 Reifflywrs bought the injured precious time to evacuate to safety. Tried as much as the Black Elves might, the line that Beynon drew upon the sand upon was nearly impregnable. For every 20 or so of the proud sons and daughters of True Alfel-Nora, they would fall one of the Reifflywrs. A most inefficient exchange that the surviving lieutenants of the Black Elves soon realize. They had taken an unprecedented number of casualties in such an equally egregious short period of time. From their 70,000 Warriors they, as they counted the still standing banners with them of only about 20,000 or so less or more left of their once illustrious Camarilla-sponsored Expeditionary Force. This callous display of humiliation of the Elves shall not stand as long as one True Child of Alfel-Nora still draws breath. Picking up several boosts of verticality and a ladder from a nearby house, the Black Elves turned around over to the blindsides of the Inn and began to scale the walls of the building. The Inn/Clinic was a two-story building with a straw and river reed made thatched roof which if a sufficient focus of force is applied to a single spot can allow the surface of the Inn's top to be ruptured with a large enough hole to allow for an invasion. Using their axes, spears, and their bare hands, the Black Elves tore a significant patch off of the roof catching several Tyr Rianni unexpectedly from their superior vantage point.

"They are coming from above!" One of Clovich's Bodyguards yelled as he fired his Battle Rifle upon the rooftop breachers.

An exchange of projectiles immediately followed suit; each side reciprocating kills into their tallies. One of the Sorcerer's even tossed a fire ball into the Inn in order to scurry out the rats within their stubbornly defended borough causing the but the development of the second breach, of an alternative entry point plus the aforementioned developing fire wracked the nerves of the Tyr Rianni further. Now they must to evacuate the Inn.

"Hol'dem back jus' a little while longer!" Beynon shouted as he shoved several tables and stools towards the Inn's front door as a barricade just as the Black Elves were heaving their weight to breakthrough.

The Laniyea Sergeant could see the white of the enemy's eyes from the small cracks the humble wooden door that shielded him from. Picking up his BF-77 he fired several more shots through the door blindly managing to struck down several of the bunched up Elven Warriors who were trying to ram the door.

"Beynon! We have to leave now!" Clovich with a wrap of bandages over his shoulder cried as the ensuing inferno began to engulf the former Inn and Clinic just as the last of the wounded were carried out of the damned structure.

Leaving behind about 48 martyrs who lay their lives for the defense of not only their Prince but also the injured and clerics of the Clinic, the remnants of the 71 Reifflywrs covered the retreat of Prince Clovich's entourage using the emblazoned Inn as a momentary deterrent for the Black Elven advance had slowed down by the fire's choking flames. Overall, the Sergeant's valiant stand traded off 48 Reifflywrs for over 596 Black Elven Soldiers and priceless minutes for the Federation-Laniyea Coalition to retreat back into Neuogonia's Keep.

"This is Admiral Nishizaki of the FNAC Aurora. We have arrived in the scene." The radio chatter lit alight.

"And Major Holyfield, ready to show the full wrath of the Federation's Arsenal," Holyfield added.

"Major Holyfield the situation is getting desperate. If they breakthrough the Keep our men will be annihilated." Polonsky urged his colleague into action. "Now is the time to release that THING from Aurora's Holds now."

"It shall be." Holyfield nodded. "Standby for Lightning Strike at Killbox Alpha." The Major announced.

"Warning: Lightning Strike imminent." ISAC's early warning systems rang out on the Federation's radios.

Firing from the launching bay of the FNAC Aurora, a rocket pod zoomed over the skies, arching its thunderous path below to the grounds of Neuogonia below. The fighting near the Federation's headquarters of the newly captured Keep was where the exchange of blood, fire, magicks and bullets was at its most bitter and most desperate. Black Elves cut down on UFE Machine Gun positions while being shot dead by Federation Sappers and Laniyean Marksmen. Some fights resulted in close-quarters combat with bayonets clashing with swords as enemies faced to face themselves in vicious scraps. Both sides were at a stalemate fighting by the wide battlements of the Keep as no side wanted to give a quarter for the fate of Neuogonia to both sides would determine the fate of the War. Either the Otherworlders secure the vital crossroads of Neuogonia or the Pact stop the Demon Tide towards the Empire.

Before long, all of the Federation's defensive positions were now reduced to only the Keep and several isolated pockets as the Black Elves remnants gathered around for one final Assault. For before them, at last, was the Black Elven General who led this botched crusade, Lord Vokhol of one of the Crimson Lancers. Despite his normally passionate self as per the custom of his knightly order, he was severely injured. Earlier he was shot off of his Black Dragon from one of the Otherworlder's ballistae. Only the rough fall that was reduced in impact thanks to a timely 'Featherfall' spell had him cheated death albeit not before sustaining several scraps of injuries around his body. But in spirit, he still remained unbroken. Seeing that his enemies bleed before him and his men advancing towards the centrifugal point of their defense. The Black Elf called forth one final charge to finally attain the hard-fought victory that they all see looming before the horizon.

"Forward! Kill every last one of them!" He ordered, raising his sword meekly into the air to the inspiration of his troops knowing their leader still stands with them despite his current afflictions.

"Vlos Areion!" the 20,000 strong Black Elves cried as they charged forth towards the cornered Otherworlders. They will see their flag raised atop of the ashes of that Keep on this day or die trying.

"Comet!" one of the Sorcerer's suddenly shouted.

The murderous charged halted rashly as a great comet suddenly crashed through the cracked battlefield between the two great armies as dust kicked around the Black Elves' eyes as they looked over to this strange, almost divine like intervention.

From out of the smoke a single, large red eye opened, followed by several more juvenile-sized sanguine irises emerged surrounding the parent emerged. As the smoke dissipated, two large snouts protruded over it sides several meters apart from the bouquet of red eyes as even more red eyes stared deeply into the souls of several of the Black Elves who stood there frozen like deers caught between a car's headlights. Before long, the hostile natives saw before the full stripe of this strange arrival. It was a large walker of a monstrous proportion and design, sprouting forth twin, no triplets of the 'Death Totems' the Otherworlers had erected earlier, two for 'arms' and one atop of a large elevated tail that seems to move independently on its own. Its body was adorned in painted yet worn metals that formed an insectoid like body with three pairs of insectoid-like legs that carried its full weight. To some of the more veteran of the Black Elves, this monster that loomed over them that only comes short of the Black Dragon's own majesty was like the exotic poisonous arachnids that they collect from the Eastern Suzerainities.

One brave, or maybe foolish Black Elf of one of the Acropolis Wardens, recouped his courage soon enough before he charged his Halberd towards the monstrous beast. Hoping to heroically slay this monster that is likely summoned from the depths of the Otherworlder's Void to fight for them. However, as soon as his blade met the strange monster's metallic flesh, his halberd's blade chipped away much to the astonishment of the entire Black Elven Army.

The Metal Monster let out a loud angered scream from its exhaust fans as it locked its gaze upon the foolhardy Black Elf and tore him to chunks of vaporized flesh with its twin 'Death Totems'. It ominously summoned its energies into these eldritch erections as it began to cast its otherworldly powers upon the Black Elves, turning the tide of battle against the Black Elves as they were massacred in droves by this giant arachnid. Some Black Elves tried to cast calming spells to tame this beast whilst others attempted to spear an achille's heel within its carapace to fell the beast but to no avail.

From the Keep, Captain rose looked on to the change of fortunes with both fascination and confusion.

"Colonel? Eh… Major? Is… that a Phoenician Scorpius?" Samantha questioned. "I… thought they were all destroyed."

"Indeed, the Scorpitron's is what you are seeing. And yes, this is barely… read BARELY legal." Holyfield answered.

In Samantha's memory, Heavy UGV's and UAV's produced by the defunct Phoenician Corporation were once the pride of technological advancement in all of the Federation's technological innovations. Able to perform with exceptional performance a variety of combat tasks without the need for direct human input. However, about a decade ago, as part of the Project Golem an early means of security and crime prevention program sponsored by the incumbent government before the Common State Party's ascension those mechs who are of Lethal and Semi-Autonomous in nature of over 30-tonnes were deemed illegal and condemned to be scrapped. Originally, The Phoenician Corporation deployed unmanned BWPs such as the Scorpius were created and deployed against separatists, terrorists, or even criminals in several unstable Core Worlds. However, the advancement of sophistication in net-running making it incredibly easy to hack the drones who were managing to break through the firewall of the system by using the newly invented digital pathway called 'the Dark Tunnel'. This caused several incidents when most of the BWPS drones were hacked and turned against the UFE force, causing thousands of casualties. At first, the Phoenician Corporation defended themselves that their drones had 'the best firewalls of humanity' but it was discovered how easily the rogue hackers were able to bypass their supposed defenses and hijack control of the drones away from their operators. It was a case of engineering negligence that shattered all confidence within the company. To make it worst, the subsequent 'Phoenician Scandal' had also found out that the reason the rogue hackers were able to bypass much of the protective firewalls of the UGV's easily is that through several back channels through Gray and Black market purchases, the Phoenician Corporation had (allegedly) unknowingly sold their high tech Drones to said rogues in the first place allowing hackers to reverse engineer and unthread the needle that was the corporation's firewall in spades. This scandal became the catalyst for the ascension of the Common State Party's political regime in the federation with one of their first mandates being the aforementioned banning of production and the scrapping of all existing Heavy UGV's and UAV's from all arsenals by the dawn of the 23rd century.

Major Holyfield was the one who performed the arrest of the Phoenician Corporation's Scientists and Executives, having to fight their robotic security forces when they attempted to evacuate into the Federation's Outer Frontier Space. He nearly recalled one point during the campaign he nearly got killed when one such 'Scopitron', the nickname UFE Jar Heads gave to the 30-tonne UGV, brushed its twin Uranium depleted 30mm Gatling Gun around his general direction. Even Samantha's father, Desmond Rose had participated in this campaign, where he earned his title of 'the Hero of Bel-Taviv' and subsequent Medal of Honor when he rescued trapped civilians during the great robotic destruction brought forth by the Phoenician Scandal.

"Don't be lazy now Stryder Group. That Scorpitron of ours will take care of the Army. I need your team to find and neutralize that Black Dragon!" ordered the Colonel. "We end this now."

Samantha affirmed her orders, without needing to tell her squad, she urged them forward from their fortified position, now rallied that they have the opportunity to counter-attack.

"How do we bring that thing down Captain?" Clay asked.

"My Scanner says that the Dragon has an unusually high amount of Mana Energies running around its body. It seems to be fueling the beast with its power. Perhaps if we can cut through its scales quick enough to pierce that monster's Mana Equilibrium we might be able to kill it... in theory I hope..." Samantha gulped.

"Yes, I sensed it too... the Dragon does indeed have an unusual... abundance of Mana." Karliah nodded.

"What did my Fallen Kin do to that poor creature? That is unnatural, and I have an Iron Heart! It should not be able to regenerate so quickly. Aliathra stepped back, dismissively confused about what she, Karliah, and Iris could sense within the Black Dragon. It was indeed the most unusual of creatures. "I-I do believe if we can wound it faster than it can heal or even perhaps stifle its regenerative abilities we might be able to slay it."

"Stop it regenerating how?" Clay asked.

"Fire attacks. A tactic employed to slay Trolls and Slimes I had known when I was with the Rangers. I would make a wound out of its flesh then cauterize the said openings to prevent it from healing itself properly. It can be Magic or ordinary Fire, as long as it burns it should stop the regeneration." Aliathra explained. "But for as long as that Dragon is free to fly away from such an attempt on its life, it would be a difficult task to accomplish," she added.

"Then how about we cast a spell to stop it from flying away?" the Captain Proposed. "I have been working on this one but never got a chance to try it out until now. It's our only shot to even get that B.A.M. to hold still. I call it, the Gravity Well." Samantha answered.

"What is that Captain?" Clay asked.

"In short terms, I can create a sphere that forces anything who comes close to it to get sucked in by its gravitational pull. If we can trap'em into it, the Dragon should hold still long enough for us to call in a concentrated attack." Samantha replied. "You know, take away its flight so we can burst it down. I doubt it can regenerate from a full-on Saturation Attack."

"How'd you intend to grab its attention though?" Crocker asked.

"Captain Rose, you can use the Scorpitron to lure out the Black Dragon for your plan. It should have enough firepower to kill it. It is equipped with Uranium-depleted rounds which should be just as good as Fire. The Scorpitron should be wholly expendable for this plan of yours." Major Holyfield suggested. "The Black Dragon does seem to be easily agitated by constant harassment from our weapons despite its resiliency. If you can indeed hold that thing long enough for the BWP to get to work with it we might have a shot at killing it."

"Sounds like a plan Spearhead. I will create the Gravity Well, wait for my signal." She nodded.

Gliding across the battlefield, Samantha followed rampaging Scorpitron on its warpath against the Black Elves, finding herself near a large enough clearing that the BWP and the Black Dragon could personally duel with each other. Positive with the conditions she needed for the plan to work. Samantha focused the Mana Energies of her Hecate Suit to conjure the spell Gravity Well but a series of bolts brushed past her, barely conceivably zooming across her head as the intrepid redhead ducked down, her powers miscasting harmlessly from the suppressing fire.

"That one over there! The Share Holder herself! Take her alive!" Lord Vokhol raised his surviving retinue towards Stryder Group.

"Cover me!" Samantha ordered.

"I will challenge them, Samantha. Continue with the Spell." Aliathra stepped forward and raised her Elven Bow towards her fallen kin. "Nenya protect me!" she prayed as she moved forth to confront the Black Elves.

Drawing forth the enchanted energies on her weapon, the Elven Ranger let loose a barrage of arrows that as to honor her master's teachings, found their lethal marks upon several of the sundered armors of her fallen kin. Despite her grace, it didn't take long for Lord Vokhol to instantly recognize the prodigal daughter of the Illegitimate Alfel-Nora.

"My… my… if it is not the tenderfooted scion of the Lareththor Bloodline! Aliathra is your name?" Vokhol mockingly acknowledged her presence.

"You and your minions will not triumph here! Tell your Midnight Camarilla that they will find nothing but death in Ysanigrad." Aliathra rebuked the Black Elf General.

"You humor me with your bravado Princess." Vokhol couldn't help but raise his head pompously with ridicule to his counterpart's response. "Has your 'corruption' blinded you to the simple truth? Was it because of your parents giving more of their affection? Their attention? To those tripes you call an elder sister and brother to you? I can already see it in your eye that those Otherworlder's had unraveled your mind, enthralled you to their songs of power and honor so denied by you from birth?" he asked her, continuing his mocking tone much to Aliathra's irritation.

"Silence! You know nothing!" Aliathra cried as she drew again her bow readying to shut the arrogant mouth of that murderous twit once and for all. However, Vokhol's highly alert bodyguards shielded him from any harm from afar she could inflict from her current position.

"Pah! I will gladly present your head to the Midnight Camarilla and to your Family." He dismissed her with a scoff from his vain chin. "Tira! Remove of this parasite." He ordered.

The Elven Ranger swore to herself that none of them shall pass her and protect her friends. She drew her bow and opened fire upon the charging Black Elves. Despite her dexterity, she was only one Ranger against several dozens upon dozens of murderous warriors who seek to gain the glory of taking her head as a prize for they had no intention to march her alive on Dúrnimloth in one of their Triumphant Processions through that city. They seek only to prove their decades of skill to fall a Noble one such as herself for the slaying of one of the more upstanding of their hated kin was a mark of bravery in Black Elven Society. Before long using skillful maneuvering, several Acropolis Knights, Sisters of the Blade, and common Infantrymen closed the gap, one of them able to cast a Magic Missile that targeted Aliathra's Bow, splintering the weapon into pieces leaving her defenseless.

"You are nothing for you have nothing Princess Aliathra!" a Black Elf Acropolis Warden guffawed. "I will end you quickly."

If Aliathra there was something the Elf remembered in all of her time with the Federation, these Black Elves were sorely mistaken. Despite all of the trauma that would have either killed or break anyone of lesser will, she had come out of it stronger. Her Cybernetic Heart giving her unparalleled stamina to even her own kin, her Legs allowing her to leap great bounds in single strokes, her Eyes that can literally see all that is faster, and her new Arms who are they themselves as her Cybernetic Mentor of sort Vincent Diaz would call himself, weapons themselves.

Just as the Black Elf was about to thrust his Halberd center mass to Aliathra, the Elf hurled her fist and with a quick conceptualization of her mind, her new Aparo-Corporation Rapid Movement Boosted Armier set (with some arcane enhancements courtesy of Dr. Mahelona) released from above her wrists a Nano-Ceramic Blade that hurled itself towards the Black Elf's throat. His eyes widened upon the realization that the cornered animal he was about to slay still had teeth.

"H—how…?" the Black Elf asked before he expired.

"I am not 'nothing'! I have become… EVERYTHING!" Aliathra growled.

The Elf Princess launched herself into a rapid frenzy using her Cybernetic Augmentations to snap back and forth with her Nanoblades, an endorsement by Diaz when she was selecting from a catalog of additional 'under the table' Augmentations that she had practiced with before the commencement of Operation Haymaker. Now she was in the offensive, slaying those of her Fallen Kin before they could even fathom what kind of demonic beast they had just angered.

"Kill her!" one Sister of the Blade phased in and raised her twin curved blades. But even with their uncanny evasion, Aliathra's second augmentation, the Targeted Electrical Discharge System, also known as the TESLA, which allows her arms to be capable of firing a 200-milliamp arc of electricity. Useful for incapacitating targets with its high voltage currents causing muscular contractions strong enough to clamp down on the heart and prevent full cardiac arrest, leaving the target unconscious and vulnerable. It is also capable of disrupting the molecular disruption the Sisters of the Blade do to themselves to phase their bodies from attacks, effectively negating their legendary evasiveness.

Despite all of 'Elven Grace' they simply could not compete with the Federation's Bleeding edge in prosthetic augmentations. In such an auspicious moment, Aliathra felt she had transcended into a new form of being that not even her greatest forebearers could have conceived of. A being faster, stronger, smarter and more perceptive than even an elf. She had become: Ascended.

Meanwhile, the rest of Stryder Group looked on to their friend from across several feet away slowly constructing the Dragon's Trap.

"Should we help her?" Karliah asked.

"If anyone is needing help it's those Black Elves." Samantha chided. She almost feels sorry for them. "Now you two help me channel this Gravity Well now."

Iris and Karliah followed the Captains orders and assisted her in channeling the expedient amounts of Mana energy needed to be plucked from the Aetherium Weave to allow the Gravity Well to have the Spellstrength needed to be able to ensnare a colossal creature that is a Black Dragon. Using all she understood, Samantha created a golden sphere around her person that resonates her weight to be pulled closer to its center nearly dragging the three mages into its embrace. But with a timely helping hand from Crocker's Hercules Exo Suit, Captain Rose, Iris and Karliah climbed out of the Gravity Well's artificial quagmire, with their bodies, most especially their bones intact before the Sphere itself reached its event horizon.

"Spearhead this is Stryder-1, the trap is set. Bring that thing in!" Samantha radioed.

Upon hearing of their gambit slowly coming together, Holyfield ordered the Scorpitron's Remote Operator to draw its guns at the belligerent flying lizard who had laid havoc upon him and Polonsky's men for too long. It was time to finish it. The battlefield set was as far away as the Scorpitron can push back the Black Elves from the Federation's defensive lines of Neuogonia's Keep where bodies of Black Elves littered the battle-torn streets of the Crossroad Town by the hands of its three Gatling Guns.

Just as expected upon a few bursts of its triple miniguns, the Black Dragon's attention was drawn to the rambunctious metal challenger from below. With a loud and equally terrifying roar, the Black Dragon descended upon the Scorpitron, whose scurried away on its six-legs pass Samatha's Gravity Well. The infernal creature was too blinded with bloodlust to realize too late it had been outplayed as her body was instantly weighed down by the Arcane trap. It squirmed, kicked, and screamed, turning over its body in an attempt to break free but its reflex and constitution were found wanting upon the incantation's Spellstrength.

"Now!" Holyfield ordered the Operator.

The Scorpitron whirled its miniguns at the Black Dragon, unleashing a torrent of armor-piercing bullets upon the monster with a hellish fury that even the Gatling Gun's barrels glowed into fiery-auburn with overheat. Thanks to its stationary position and the sheer volume of fire, the Black Dragons' eldritch regeneration was put to the ultimate endurance test as the mechanical monster crawled closer, seeking to tighten the noose around the Dragon for one killing blow. The Operator, realized through its medical wisdom had successfully perceived that the lower, less pointy scaled section of the Black Dragon was much more vulnerable to its minigun's razor-sharp thousand cuts than its angular upper body armor in which the Operator quickly exploited. The Black Dragon, realized what the metal monster was attempting to do shielded herself with its two frontal claws while attempting to fire several balls of its acidic breath towards the Scorpitron who managed to barely dodge it.

"It disabled the Tail Gun!" the Drone Operator fretted. His aggressive tactics had caused the Scorpitron its serpentine tail and tertiary minigun mount atop of it.

"Don't let up we have it on the ropes!" Holyfield cheered on.

The Black Dragon was slowly becoming desperate, tears streamed on its eyes as it tried to protect its center mass that was slowly being cut apart. Its flesh, slowly revealing a glowing, beating emerald heart from within its center mass that the Dragon desperately tried to shield from the Scorpitron's assault. The glowing heart emitted such luminosity that anyone within a close radius was easily blinded upon even the slightest of periphery vision in the limelight of uncertainty on which Great Beast was about to best who?

The Drone Operator threw his constitution to shake off the sudden light flash from his screen display. "Sir I am detecting a massive amount of Mana Energies around the Dragon's chest it's coming from its heart." the Operator attempted to explain what he is seeing while fighting with his constitution.

"Shoot the glowy part now!" Samantha yelled. The captain reasoned based on her intermediate knowledge of Arcane Theory.

She theorized that the source of the Black Dragon's unusual vigor was likely traced to its glowing, Mana-abundant heart. Dragon's at least what she can tell of all the old books, PDF's and nerdrotic media she had consumed in her youth have fatal weaknesses if one manages to pierce through their scales with a deep enough puncture. However, if she puts together Aliathra's statement about the Dragon's irregular Regeneration powers likely being of an artificial intervention has made the Black Elves were in another, unexpected and dangerous league of their own when it comes to the studies of the Aetherium.

"You heard her! Give it all that she got!" Holyfield ordered.

Pushing himself into high gear, the Remote Operator valiantly overclocked all systems within the Scorpitron. Pushing pass every known safety limit as the BWP walked in spitting distance around the now cowering Black Dragon, its overheated Miniguns not only nearing melting point but also about to run dry of its 30mm Uranium-depleted bullets. Before long, its hot steel Miniguns seared through the open wounds of the Black Dragon's flesh, cauterizing the diameter around the wounds and by its exposed heart. The Dragon revulsed violently, not wanting the 30mm barrels branding its vital core not one moment longer as it attempted to shake the Scorpitron who sought to push its knife further in for the Coup De Grace.

"It's still not going down!" Samantha cried.

"Operator, Do it." Holyfield ordered. "Overload its Hydrogen Reactor. Send them both back to Hell!"

"Take cover now. Danger close!" the Operator warned every UFEAF and Laniyea Units within the battlefield.

"Self-Destruction sequence activated. Five…Four…Three…" the Scorpitron's monotone voice announced the commencement of its ultimate Sacrifice.

A UGV Drone such as itself cared little of its self-preservation, aggression and the massacring of multitudes was its only directive in its life. It had a compact 100lb Hydrogen micro-fusion Reactor that powers the BWP overall. The Reactor also, when the Self-Destruct sequence commences becomes overloaded before blowing down anything within a 200ft radius. Used mostly when it had expended all of its ammunition to take as many more of its algorithmic targets with it to its kingdom come. It was quite ironic, cathartic even for Holyfield that the swan song of this once infamous BWP shall be the made to fight to protect the Federation, not to destroy it.

The remaining Federation Troops within the immediate vicinity soon realized what is about to happen. They scrambled for cover as the Black Dragon wailed one final cry as the proud yet malevolent and yet also majestic creature was now about to confront the very notion a creature attempted to avoid. The idea of Mortality, now clarified upon staring upon the soulless eyes of its many-eyed killer.

"May you be ashes… my old nemesis…" Holyfield bid his adieu to the last Phoenician Scorpitron as the live feed from the Operator's Screen cut off.

"Two… One… Detonating…" the Scorpitron says its last words as the

A great bright light encapsulated the BWP and the Dragon instantly vaporizing beings from the mortal coil. In its wake, a great shockwave rocked Neuogonia buildings and combatants alike. Most of the Federation-Laniyea troops were safely a good distance away from the explosion but the Black Elves were all but decimated. As the smoke dissipated across the slowly sunsetting sky, Stryder Group walked closer, their rifles aimed towards ground zero, hoping that their planned work. As they walked, Samantha gasped as she felt a sudden force tripped between her legs, tumbling before the grand. When she recovered her standing, she soon came face to face with the opened jaws of the Black Dragon itself. At first, the Captain recoiled, drawing her Gladius Pistol onto the monster and firing several desperate shots, yet suspiciously the Dragon didn't respond nor flinch. A closer examination by her made her realize, although this was indeed the Black Dragons head, it was only its head, severed head. The heaving cadaver had separated a good distance between it and its mutilated and charred corpse whose lower reptilian section was blasted off to overcooked flesh and bone. The Black Dragon had died, it had been slain by the Scorpitron's valiant sacrifice, destroying the means of its so-called 'Immortality' during the Hydrogen Reactor's Overload.

"Stryder… you did it…" Holyfield muttered, seeing Samantha's live feed from his screen.

"No... we all did it.... everyone did..." Samantha humbly sighed as her heart rate returned to a steady pace with a few inhalations. "This is Stryder Lead...target is K.I.A. confirmed. The Dragon is down!" the Captain smiled.

The UFEAF Command and their Laniyea Allies, upon hearing the gospellic news from Captain Rose roared in celebration for their triumph among the radio chatter as in contrast to the devastated Black Elves who saw their once-mighty Monster, the Pride of their Nation be reduced to a heap of burnt flesh.

"My Dragon! My sweet Dre'sah!" Vokhol despaired as he knees collapsed, staring despondently at the scene before him. His might Black Dragon, the pinnacle of Elven Supremacy was defeated, no humiliated by the scrapheap of a design contraption of these Otherworlders. This defeat must not go unpunished as surely the Midnight Camarilla will now see when the word has transpired for this disgrace.

"Surrender now Lord Vokhol! You have lost!" Aliathra forwarded her Arm-mounted Nanoblades at the Black Elf General.

"Never! You will pay for all of this!" Vokhol moaned, his agony emerging from beneath his typical confident façade as he allowed himself to degrade his actions through sheer passion. The Black Elf bid for a wildly swung sword slash but the Elven Princess easily parry he blade with her Arm Blades before in one fell swoop, she cut sliced Vokhol's sword arm, his right side, clean off. The General wavered as he grasped his wounded limb his eyes vengefully looking back at his assailant with soul-piercing antagonism.

"Now you see what they are capable of? What I am now capable of Lord Vokhol?" Aliathra inhaled her breath, accepting herself for what she had become. "May no one remember your name."

But before she could finish Vokhol off with a swift stab through his heart, the Elven Ranger's cybernetic hand was blocked off by the flighted intervention of one of Vokhol's Acropolis Wardens.

"Milord! You must run now!" he shouted as multiple Black Elven Survivors, specifically one Sorcerer and two more Wardens grabbed hold of their general. They were honor-bound to protect him with their last breath before any harm could fall to him, which they failed a few seconds earlier but not again.

"We must flee while we can. We have to report to the Camarilla of what great tragedy had happened! They must know the true power of these Otherworlders!" the surviving Sorcerer's advised as he prepares a Spell that will allow them to be teleported a short distance away for an opportunity to escape. They can only bring a few of themselves of no more than four people at a time as best as the Sorcerer's ability could.

"We will hold them off for as long as you can. Tivna shall welcome us to her Garden. May Tolios guide your path my lord!!" the Warden stoically readied himself to lay down his life for his master.

Seeing that the window of escape is slowly closing in and it would be dooming more Elven lives to the slaughter if he indeed stands and fight now rather than flee to tell the tale. Lord Vokhol, one of the Crimson Lancers, reluctantly nodded to his valiant bodyguards as he and those who volunteered to spirit him away were enraptured by the Sorcerer's spell.

"Do not think you have bested me yet Demons. The Midnight Camarilla will have its revenge!" he glared his golden eyes piercingly on Aliathra's azures as the spell whisked him away from their sight.

He will retreat for now and reassess his strategies with his fellow Crimson Lancer peers and the Midnight Camarilla. As he disappeared from view the Surviving Black Elves looked over the horizon to see the now relieved defenders of Neuogonia close in towards them. They readied their weapons and prayed to their Gods that they will all perish a valiant end.

"Surrender now!" a voice echoed from a speakerphone across all the way to the Keep. "And you will be spared!"

"Vlos Areion!" the die-hard Black Elf Survivors cried as they gave on last battle cry as they attempt to cut down as many of these Otherworlders with them. Each kill they shall make, an offering, a gift to Widall's unconquerable altar, the battlefield for he demands his worshippers to sacrifice themselves all in their pursuits, in their struggles against all obstacles.

They did not retreat, none of them surrendered, they fought with savage fury of ones who had nothing left to lose as they raced for whatever souls they could take with them off of this mortal coil. The UFE had no choice but to gun them down, there were however several of them who received the butt of the Otherworlder's rifles where they bring the shame of being captured alive but they were a drastic minority. For they are the 344 survivors of a once 70,000 Expeditionary Force. Of a completely wiped out Black Elven army, the Laniyea and UFEAF Coalition have taken 1,008 dead and of about 3,461 injuries during the Battle of Neuogonia. Despite the great mark of losses in the ongoing Campaign of Gliesian Pacification. It was an astounding strategic victory for the Federation as they now have a secured foothold and road access across all of the Imperial Slaegian Heartland, most especially one wide road straight towards the heart of its power, Haringpoint.

But overall, for Stryder Group who are found now resting and allowing a sigh of relief that they had all pulled through alive, especially Sergeant Clay who was cleared off of his injuries after a quick application of Anti-Venom and Medi-Gel.

Captain Rose was just glad that it was finally over. Unzipping slightly the tight constrictions of her Hecate Suit, she let go, exposing a part of her cleavage as she retired her weary back near a demolished piece of debris and took a well-deserved nap, at the warmth companionship of her close and true followers.

--------------

"With Neugonia secured, there is nothing but a clear road ahead of us to Haringpoint." Colonel Polonsky met with Major Holyfield in the flesh. "Additionally, Diaz and the Aparo Mercs managed to not only rescue the Black Elven Slaves but also secured a forward position from the remains of their War Camp."

"That is good news Colonel. Now the Imperial Seat lays before our grasps. We must strike when the iron is hot before the Imperials have time to regroup into the Capital." Holyfield nodded. "My Marines and your Militia folks will see to it our Ringed Flower flies proudly atop of the Imperial Senate building."

"Remember, I will lead the Vanguard for this assault. I must be there to claim the Throne from Uldin." Prince Clovich nodded as he held an icepack over his head from a bruise he had collected during the earlier battle.

"Which you will Prince, you will," Holyfield reassured him. "Colonel, get all of your men resupplied and ready. We converge our forces on Haringpoint in due-haste once your back to cohesion. We are going to end this war now." Holyfield tightened his fist.

For soon, the last breath of this pointless and bloodied war can be at a close, victory and the land of Gliesia now lay before them. They can all almost taste, see and feel the dying breaths of the Old World's embers crumbling away as its ashes become the foundation for the new Mandate.

Clovich's Amelioration.