The dawn broke over Blackspire Keep, its golden light casting long shadows across the battered walls. The rebellion had survived another night, but Juri Winkler knew survival alone wasn’t enough. The assassin’s infiltration had rattled the camp, even if no one wanted to admit it.
Juri stood in the courtyard, watching as rebels trained with rifles, blades, and the newly repaired Dominion-class Mech. His sharp blue eyes scanned every movement, noting weaknesses, strengths, and potential improvements.
Kira approached, her expression as stern as ever. “They’re ready for the next step,” she said, gesturing toward the recruits sparring in the yard. “Morale’s shaky after the assassin slipped through, but they’re holding together. They trust you.”
“They shouldn’t,” Juri replied, his voice cold. “They should trust themselves—and what we’re building.”
“And what are we building?” Kira asked, folding her arms.
Juri turned to face her, his expression unflinching. “An empire strong enough to tear the nobles’ world apart. One battle at a time.”
Later that morning, the leadership council gathered in Blackspire’s war room. The map of the region lay before them, marked with red pins denoting noble-controlled towns and supply routes.
Juri tapped his finger on a cluster of towns east of Blackspire, near a critical trade route. “This is our next target. Three towns: Highwater, Ravenstone, and Stonepath. They’re small, but they’re crucial to the nobles’ supply lines.”
Halrick leaned over the map, his brow furrowed. “Three towns at once? That’s ambitious, even for you, Winkler.”
“Ambition’s the only way we win,” Juri said. “If we take these towns, we cut off the nobles’ flow of resources. It’ll force them to spread their forces thin, buying us time to grow.”
Kira raised an eyebrow. “How do we hold that much territory? Even with the machines, we don’t have the numbers to defend three towns and Blackspire.”
“We won’t hold them all,” Juri said, his tone sharp. “Not permanently. We’ll make them think we’re taking control, but our real goal is to disrupt their supply chain and draw their forces away from Blackspire.”
Garrick nodded slowly. “A feint. Hit them where it hurts, then pull back before they can counter.”
“Exactly,” Juri said. “And while they’re scrambling to respond, we’ll prepare for the real offensive.”
The rebels divided into three strike teams, each led by a member of the core leadership.
* Halrick’s Team would target Highwater, using a newly deployed Bastion Walker to break through the town’s modest defenses.
* Kira’s Team would infiltrate Ravenstone, a garrison town known for its supply depot. Their mission was to disable the nobles’ defenses and loot as much as possible.
* Juri’s Team would take on Stonepath, the most heavily fortified of the three. With the Dominion-class Mech leading the charge, their mission was to create chaos and draw attention away from the other towns.
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As the teams prepared to leave, Juri addressed the rebels in the courtyard.
“This isn’t just about winning battles,” he said, his voice carrying across the crowd. “It’s about sending a message. The nobles think they own this land—that their power is unshakable. Today, we prove them wrong.”
The rebels cheered, their voices echoing through the mountains.
Halrick’s team reached Highwater at dusk, their movements hidden by the fading light. The town’s defenses were basic—wooden palisades and a handful of poorly armed guards.
The Bastion Walker, piloted by a recruit named Lina, moved at the front of the column. Its reinforced shields absorbed the nobles’ desperate attacks, while its rune-infused hammer smashed through the gates with a single swing.
Halrick led the charge, his sword flashing in the dim light as the rebels stormed the town. The nobles’ forces crumbled under the assault, their poorly trained soldiers no match for the rebels’ precision and firepower.
Within an hour, Highwater was under rebel control. The townsfolk, though wary at first, began to emerge from their homes as Halrick’s team distributed food and medical supplies.
“This is what we’re fighting for,” Halrick told them. “A world where people like you don’t have to live in fear.”
Kira’s team approached Ravenstone under the cover of darkness, their movements silent and methodical. The town’s supply depot was heavily guarded, with mages patrolling alongside soldiers.
Using the Adaptive Drones, Kira’s team disabled the depot’s magical barriers, creating an opening. The rebels moved swiftly, neutralizing the guards with silenced weapons and planting explosives in the depot’s storage rooms.
As the mages realized what was happening, Kira and her team detonated the charges, destroying the nobles’ supplies in a series of deafening explosions.
Kira smirked as she watched the depot burn. “That should get their attention.”
Juri’s team reached Stonepath at dawn, the Dominion-class Mech towering over the surrounding forest. Unlike the other two towns, Stonepath’s defenses were formidable—stone walls, enchanted gates, and a garrison of elite soldiers.
Juri wasted no time. The Dominion’s Repeater roared to life, its rounds tearing into the walls as the rebels advanced. The nobles’ mages retaliated with fireballs and lightning, but the mech’s reinforced armor absorbed the brunt of the attacks.
“Focus on the gate!” Juri shouted through the comms.
The Dominion’s missile launcher fired a volley, shattering the enchanted gates and sending debris flying. The rebels stormed the town, their weapons cutting through the disoriented garrison.
Amidst the chaos, Juri guided the Dominion through the streets, targeting key defensive positions and creating as much destruction as possible. The goal wasn’t to hold the town—it was to make the nobles believe they had lost it.
By midday, all three teams had completed their missions. Halrick’s team withdrew from Highwater after securing supplies and leaving the townsfolk with enough resources to resist the nobles’ retaliation.
Kira’s team vanished into the forest, their sabotage complete. The nobles would arrive to find Ravenstone’s depot reduced to rubble.
Juri’s team faced the toughest withdrawal, as reinforcements from a nearby noble outpost arrived to retake Stonepath. The Dominion provided cover fire as the rebels retreated, the mech’s weapons mowing down pursuing soldiers.
“Fall back to Blackspire,” Juri ordered, his voice steady despite the chaos.
As the rebels regrouped at Blackspire, reports of their actions spread through the nobles’ ranks. Lorian Vehr stood in the war room of a noble stronghold, his fists clenched as he listened to the updates.
“They hit three towns simultaneously,” his advisor said. “We still don’t know which one they intend to hold.”
“They don’t,” Lorian muttered, his gray eyes narrowing. “This was a diversion. Winkler’s testing us, seeing how we’ll respond.”
Lady Alarice’s voice crackled through a magical communication device on the table. “And how will you respond, Lorian? You’ve already failed twice. Don’t make it a third.”
Lorian smirked faintly. “This isn’t a failure, my lady. It’s an opportunity. Let them believe they have the upper hand. When they overextend, we’ll crush them.”
The rebels returned to Blackspire victorious, their spirits high after the successful operation. Supplies were unloaded, wounded were treated, and the rebels celebrated their growing momentum.
But Juri remained focused. In the war room, he and his core team began planning the next phase of the rebellion.
“This was just the beginning,” Juri said, his sharp blue eyes gleaming with determination. “We’ve proven we can strike anywhere, anytime. Now, we take the fight to their heart.”