CHAPTER 5 The fall of Ninevah
High within the towering arcology, pilots deftly maneuvered the lumbering beast into formation around the Rift, securing their position alongside her 4 other sister arcologies. The 4 other arcologies making the bulk of the reinforcements set to go enforce the 3rd fleet. In the war room, general Ramses met with his officers. Starting the briefing, he inquired, "Report on the status of the magical battalion, Major Johnson?" The Major, grappling with the challenge at hand, replied, "The integration of such diverse powers into a cohesive combat unit is always a formidable task, sir. Regrettably, this contingent exhibits a below-average aptitude. An unusually high number of peculiar and impractical abilities have surfaced, but the outliers promise dangerous talents. Notably, Offenders Babba and Maximus show promise as a formidable pair, should they withstand initial skirmishes with the enemy." The General, let out a disappointed breath, "Deploy those ready for combat and put the stranglers through training hell unto they can reach our standards.”
The general went ahead, “Titus has informed me that there are indications of expansion in the Goblin sector. Any movement from them always puts a strain on the 3rd army, which is already grappling with the more formidable challenge of the Ork sector. Our aim is to penetrate the sector, establish our Forward Operating Base (FOB), and begin providing our troops with actual combat training. Given our lack of veterans, attempting to breach the capital with our current level of experience would be tantamount to suicide. I need more details about the extensive cave system, so I’m counting on your Grim Folk teams, Major Harris, to infiltrate and survey the sector a tall order I know, but one your group is uniquely qualified to handle.” Major Harris assured, “Yes sir, we’ll delve as far into enemy territory as possible. I’ll direct them to concentrate on identifying easily accessible choke points within the dungeon, from where we can eliminate the Goblins without reinforcements.” The General responded, “Excellent, and Major Harris, I’m aware of your men’s proficiency in instilling fear, but I want them to maintain a low profile initially. I want the Goblin high command to remain ignorant of our operational capabilities as long as possible. Once they catch on to us, your men can unleash their full potential.” The Major grinned, “Yes, I’m eagerly awaiting it, General.”
General Ramses turned to lieutenant General Fritz, “Give me some good news Fritz.” Fritz gave a menacing smile and said, “While some troops were sleeping my men have been training for close to 3 years. I have whipped the rabble into shape and feel confident our men can take and give a good beating. Our Crawler crews have been training hard and are ready for their first deployment. Our mechs although a modest 3 meters are honed and itching for a fight. Our pharmacists have surpassed expectations, producing meals that profoundly transform the mind, enabling Melody to convert 3.2 million criminals into formidable warriors, now fully prepared for the relentless demands of war. We have in total 3,200,000 men ready-armed and waiting sir.” Ramses smiled, “Great news as always general Fritz.”
The arcology was designed to venture into the Rift and establish a self-sustaining base within the Dungeon. While the Empire had a better understanding of the ethereal nature of dungeon travel, it remained largely a mystery. The first sector, known as the cosmic sector, was an immense pocket of space whose size baffled even the greatest minds. Within this sector, there were safe lanes for fleets to traverse quickly. However, the farther one strayed from these lanes, the stranger the sector became. Entire planets could appear one day and vanish the next. Those who ventured too deep into the cosmic void met a mysterious mist that acted as a barrier to the more dangerous parts of the dungeon. The Empire avoided the mist, and no sentient race within the dungeon was ever seen willingly entering it. The cosmic sector was rich with planets teeming with resources, and it was here that the majority of the dungeon's profits were made, with entire teams working to strip planets bare before moving on to the next.
The cosmic sector expanded into four vast sectors, among which the Goblin sector stood out starkly. It was bordered by a vast stretch of fungus filled land, too immense for any eye to fully encompass. The Goblin sector stood as a wall of earth to the naked eye it went on infinitely in all four cardinal directions appearing as if you were approaching an infinitely large flat planet from space. Enormous tunnels, each spanning 50 miles in diameter, carved through the Goblin territory, serving as arterial highways. The goblins, adept at inhaling the mana-dense atmosphere, constructed grand airships. These vessels, with their colossal sails, harnessed the ambient mana to glide through the skies. It was towards this surreal realm of gravity defying passageways and fungal woodlands that the Arcology made its journey.
The bridge was a hive of activity as different officers scrambled to check and double check readings as they prepared every station to go into combat alert. A hum went on throughout the entire arcology and on every level troops were piling into formations. The Mechs gleaning under the fluorescent light armed and ready to be launched into space and invade the grimy goblin metropolis. The pilot bays launching squadrons of fighters each team ready briefed and getting in formation behind the frigates. 3 Hell-Blazer class cruisers went again of the arcology followed by a Leviathan class battleship.
"Supreme General Ramses, the Hell-Blazers are in a position to engage the enemy’s navy," reported Communications Officer Raleigh. Before them lay a sprawling goblin metropolis, jokingly dubbed Ninevah by the intel officers, home to an estimated 100 million goblins. This city, nestled at the sector's edge within a colossal cave, was fortified by a 50-mile wall completely blocking out the cave’s entrance and boasted a massive port extending from the cave’s entrance and hanging over the massive empty expanse of space outside of the Goblin sector. Countless ships, both merchant and war vessels, were docked. The goblin navy was forming up, with squadrons of nimble frigates and formidable cruisers ready for battle. In the distance, large goblin battleships, their vast sails absorbing mana, were slowly coming into view, preparing their cannons for the impending conflict.
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Supreme General Ramses roared out a single order, “FIRE!”. With that the main gun of the arcology lovingly named, Mother’s last tears roared into life firing a mana infused uranium shell shocking the whole arcology as the energy bolt left the cannon. The once proud city of Ninevah was now engulfed in an explosion so powerful it ignited the mana in the local area creating a cataclysmic explosion destroying most of the once formidable city in a single blast. The shock wave spread far across obliterating the docked ships into tiny burning toothpicks.
The goblin navy, now too close to retreat, faced the full might of the Empire’s 5th fleet. Suddenly, twenty panels on each cruiser slid open, unleashing a torrent of firepower. The dark void was illuminated with the red glow of the incoming barrage. The smaller goblin ships, though sleek and fast, were ill-suited for open space combat, having been designed for tight cave skirmishes. The blasts quickly shattered their shields and ripped through the frigates. The goblin cruisers, though slightly more resilient, struggled to withstand the onslaught, their shields on the brink of collapse. The Hell-blazers' missile bays fired, and within seconds, hundreds of warheads struck the cruisers, reducing them to mere debris. The Leviathan-class battleship unleashed its large-mounted energy cannons piercing the powerful shielding on the goblin battleships and overwhelming their systems and exploding their shield generators leaving them vulnerable to the rest of the fleet.
The Supreme General sat smiling as he saw the goblin navy attempting a retreat each goblin battleship getting peppered with fire from the cruisers and outmaneuvered by the fast Empire frigates keeping out of range until ready to swoop in and fire a quick burst then swiftly fall back before the main guns could sight on them. The goblin’s broken and burning ships were now falling into the void below them to be eaten by whatever lurked within the mists. A newer officer amazed at all the carnage the Empire produced with only 10 minutes, questioned his superiors, “This is considered a serious threat to the Empire?” The intelligence officers within earshot said, “yup, the goblin sector is staggering in size and generally they are not so united, but after meeting us in battle for years now we believe their fractured warbands united against the Empire when they saw our potential. Of course, this is the first time we’ve been able to send an expedition into their territory, usually its them with the marauding fleets coming in and attacking our harvesters in the cosmic sector. They had reigned supreme in both sectors until the 3rd fleet came and pushed them back.
General Ramses gave the next order, “send in the troops and prepare a place to call home.”
Crawlers were troop transport vehicles capable of digging through dirt at impressive speeds, and during large conflicts like these we were launched from staging tubes within the arcology and aimed at enemy fortifications. Of the100 cramped soldiers within the crawler, Babba and I were the only magically enhanced ones. We sat silent as the grave as our full combat gear crowded the space. Each soldier had beads of sweat dripping down his face waiting for the red light to turn green, and we’d be shot through the void into the enemy. Finally a booming voice was heard through the radio, “Dive! Dive! Dive!” and the light switched to green and all systems were go.
Within seconds the once still crawler was now hurling through space at astonishing speeds. With my visual HUD (head’s up display) I could see the city of Ninevah, and the sight was frightening. A mass of smoldering earth at the mouth of the cave and as the city went farther into the cave the damage was less absolute and grizzlier. Buildings shredded to pieces, fires everywhere and a miasma of mana infused with uranium particles filled the air choking out countless millions of goblins. Still farther within the city only the windows and doors were broken. Before any thoughts could be had we sped through the broken city into the outskirt of the blast radius and crashed with into a 3-story building toppling it to the ground and quickly activating the bore and as we broke through the rubble and into the suburbs of the goblin city.
The goblins, still in shock from seeing their city obliterated in a single strike and their navy decimated within minutes, stood frozen in the streets. Along with 100 other ground troops, I exited the crawler, which quickly burrowed into the ground. We sprinted into the nearest building. My HUD, guided by Titus, highlighted the goblins in the streets and directed my aim. I fired quickly, missing the first two shots, but the third hit its mark. The 15mm round, designed for goblins in magical armor, tore through the young female goblin, severing her in two. Before I could target the remaining goblins, a drone swooped in and eliminated them both.
Overhead a Hell-Blazer flew by its belly launching hundreds of AS-400 battle drones, flying white orbs of death with 20 mm gatling guns mounted on each side. The AS-400s had a unique hum to them as they effortlessly glided through the air. Nothing was more heart-warming for infantry then the buzz of hundreds of asr’s coming in for backup, and nothing more terrifying for our enemies when they came. The once dazed citizenry seeing the hell-blazer unleash white death upon them awoke from their stunned silence and started running feverishly into cover. Dozens stampeded into the ground as panic ensued.
As I ran up to the building, I ignited my jetpack sending me flying up to the top of the house to get a better picture. I sat in awe as the AS-400s systematically wiped the life out of the city. The deafening buzz from the gatling guns drowned out everything. I looked behind me and incoming mechs having been launched from the Arcology were about to land. I saw in the distance ahead just outside of the city, goblin warriors pouring out of holes in the ground each a flint-locked mana rifle in hand and it hit me that they were here to kill me. I was about to jump off the roof when I saw a dozen mechs land ahead straight atop the goblin squishing them to pieces and start ripping into the approaching goblin tide.
The mech thundered as its 20mm auto-cannon blasted the goblins to shreds. I hit the jet pack again and was sent flying into the air as I decided to assist the mechs. The primitive goblin rifles bounced off the armor casing of the mechs, but I saw a large goblin exit the hole with a massive mana bazooka and before he could aim I used my Siren skill and shot a blast wave hitting the big goblin and causing him to instantly drop the bazooka and clench his head in pain. I aimed my rifle in his general area and started blindly firing knowing with that many targets I didn’t need to aim.
Back within the arcology bridge General Ramses smiled once more. Goblins had fancied themselves kings of carnage, but as the Empire unleashed over 3 million hardened killers onto the battlefield armed with the best training and equipment The Empire had, they would soon learn nobody challenges the Empire for long. Ramses smiled as he saw the mechs tearing though hordes of crazed goblins with ease, the AS-400s raining destruction overhead, Ramses sat back into his chair luxuriating in its comfort and said to his advisors, “Now that’s the kind of rehabilitation I like to see” a unified reply came back “here here!”