The crisp mountain air was charged with tension. Blackspire Keep, the rebels’ newfound stronghold, was alive with activity. The clang of hammers echoed from the workshops, recruits sparred in the training yards, and scouts rode in and out of the gates with reports of noble movements.

But amidst the progress, Juri Winkler could feel the storm brewing. The nobles would not let the fall of Blackspire go unanswered.

From the top of the keep’s highest tower, Juri surveyed the landscape. The snow-dusted peaks of the mountains stretched into the distance, their ridges providing natural defenses. The road leading up to Blackspire had been fortified with traps, barricades, and hidden explosives. His sharp blue eyes tracked every possible entry point, every potential weakness.

Kira climbed the narrow staircase to join him, her expression as serious as his. “You’ve been up here for hours,” she said, brushing her dark hair from her face.

“Just thinking,” Juri replied, not looking away from the horizon.

“About what?”

“About what they’re sending next,” he said quietly.

The answer came sooner than expected.

A scout burst into the command hall, his face pale and his breath coming in ragged gasps. “They’re coming!” he managed, doubling over as he tried to catch his breath.

Juri stepped forward, his voice calm but commanding. “How many? What are they bringing?”

“An army,” the scout replied. “At least two hundred soldiers, mages, and… something big. Bigger than anything we’ve seen before.”

The room fell silent. Even Halrick, usually quick with a quip, looked grim.

“It’s Project Eclipse,” Kira said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Juri’s sharp blue eyes narrowed. “What do you know about it?”

Kira hesitated, then sighed. “Back when I was with the nobles, I heard rumors. A weapon of overwhelming power. They’ve been developing it in secret for years. If they’re bringing it here, they mean to destroy us completely.”

The news sent ripples of urgency through the camp. Juri called an emergency meeting with his core team and senior rebels. The map of Blackspire and its surroundings lay on the table, marked with defensive positions and fallback routes.

“This is it,” Juri said, his voice steady despite the tension in the room. “The nobles are throwing everything they have at us. If we hold Blackspire, we prove we can’t be beaten. But if we fall, the rebellion dies here.”

Halrick grinned, his sword resting against the table. “No pressure, then.”

Juri ignored the comment and continued. “They’ll hit us with overwhelming force, but we have the advantage of terrain and preparation. The road leading up to Blackspire is narrow, which means they’ll have to come at us in waves. We’ll use that to our advantage.”

He pointed to the map. “Garrick, I want sharpshooters positioned on the ridges. Target their officers and mages—anyone who looks like they’re giving orders. Kira, you’ll lead the ground teams defending the gates. Halrick, you’ll hold the inner courtyard in case they break through.”

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“And what about you?” Kira asked.

Juri’s gaze hardened. “I’ll be in the Dominion. I’ll keep their big weapon busy.”

By the time the nobles’ forces arrived, the rebels were ready. Every trap was set, every position manned. The air was thick with anticipation, and the cold wind carried the distant sound of marching boots and the faint hum of magical energy.

From the battlements, Juri watched as the nobles’ army emerged from the treeline. Rows of soldiers marched in tight formation, their armor gleaming with enchantments. Behind them, mages carried glowing staves, their runes flaring with power.

But it was the massive machine at the center of the column that drew everyone’s attention.

Project Eclipse was a towering monstrosity of black steel and glowing runes. Its body was shaped like a hulking humanoid, but its proportions were grotesquely exaggerated. Massive cannons were mounted on its shoulders, and its chest housed a swirling core of raw magical energy. The machine’s steps shook the ground, and its very presence seemed to drain the air of warmth.

Halrick whistled low. “That’s the biggest damn thing I’ve ever seen.”

Juri’s voice was calm but firm. “And we’re going to destroy it.”

The nobles opened their assault with precision. Mages unleashed a barrage of fireballs and lightning bolts, targeting the ridges and barricades. Soldiers advanced in disciplined formations, their shields glowing with protective enchantments.

The rebels responded with gunfire and explosives. Garrick’s sharpshooters picked off officers and mages, while Kira’s ground teams defended the gates with Repeaters and makeshift grenades.

Juri guided the Dominion into the fray, the mech’s Repeater tearing through the nobles’ front lines. Missiles streaked through the air, detonating amidst clusters of soldiers and forcing their formations to break.

Despite the chaos, the nobles kept advancing, their numbers overwhelming the rebels’ defenses.

As the battle raged, Eclipse stepped forward, its massive cannons charging with magical energy. The machine unleashed a devastating blast that obliterated an entire section of the outer wall, sending rubble and debris raining down on the courtyard.

Juri gritted his teeth. “All units, focus fire on Eclipse! We can’t let it break through!”

The Dominion fired a volley of missiles at Eclipse, but the projectiles detonated harmlessly against its shimmering magical barrier. Garrick’s sharpshooters targeted its joints, but the thick plating deflected their shots.

“It’s shielded!” Kira shouted through the comms. “We need to take out the barrier!”

Juri’s mind raced as he analyzed Eclipse’s movements. The barrier pulsed in time with the glowing core in its chest—a clear sign that the core was its power source.

“Kira, Halrick!” Juri called through the comms. “We need to disable its core. That’s the only way to drop the shield!”

Kira led a team of rebels toward Eclipse, using the chaos of the battle to approach unnoticed. Halrick charged ahead, cutting down any soldiers who tried to stop them.

Under Juri’s guidance, the Dominion provided covering fire, drawing Eclipse’s attention and giving Kira’s team the opportunity to plant explosive charges near the core.

The charges detonated with a deafening roar, shattering Eclipse’s barrier and exposing its core. The machine staggered, its movements growing erratic as sparks flew from its damaged systems.

Juri seized the opportunity, guiding the Dominion into a full sprint toward Eclipse. The mech leapt onto the machine’s chest, its Repeater firing point-blank into the exposed core.

Eclipse let out a deafening roar as its core overloaded, the swirling energy collapsing inward before exploding in a blinding flash of light.

When the smoke cleared, Eclipse was nothing more than a smoldering heap of twisted metal. The remaining nobles, realizing their ultimate weapon had failed, retreated in disarray.

The rebels stood victorious, but the battlefield was littered with the scars of the fight. The outer walls of Blackspire were in ruins, and the ground was strewn with debris and fallen soldiers.

Juri climbed out of the Dominion’s cockpit, his body trembling with exhaustion. Kira and Halrick approached, their faces streaked with dirt and sweat.

“We held,” Kira said, her voice tinged with both relief and exhaustion.

“Barely,” Halrick added.

Juri nodded, his sharp blue eyes scanning the battlefield. “They’ll be back. And next time, they’ll be even more desperate.”

“But now they know we can beat them,” Kira said.

Juri smirked faintly. “And that’s what makes us dangerous.”