OFS Kestrel II, Le Brias, Kingdom of Altaras — December 8, 2019
Alright, listen up! In the week following Ambassador Harling’s rescue and the subsequent air raid on Eshirant’s defences, the IUN and its coalition forces have been able to move into position for a multi-pronged invasion of the Parpaldia Empire itself. As of right now, the Kestrel II and Admiral Andersen remain at anchor in Altaras, while the Vulture and Buzzard II have secured the Empire’s main trade routes through Fenn and Awan respectively; Muan naval vessels are also en route to establish a naval blockade along the coast of the Marl Kingdom. With Parpaldia isolated economically and politically and its best naval assets no longer capable of posing a significant threat to its neighbours, we are now free to move at our own pace; HQ believes that a swift offensive along the coast of Philades combined with simultaneous invasions of the Empire’s colonies will be more than enough to force the Parpaldian government to capitulate.
To that end, we will be teaming up with the LRSSG to provide air support for a naval landing near the port of Duro; the settlement is believed to be a major industrial hub and home to several Parpaldian military assets. If we can secure a foothold on the Empire’s home territory, then we will be able to assist local resistance efforts throughout Philades and push along the coast towards Eshirant.
Our designated landing zone is near the village of Ludia, a small settlement located south of Duro itself; our analysts have determined that the stretch of coastline located nearby is ideal for our forces to establish a beachhead and offload our armoured vehicles. Unfortunately, the Parpaldians also seem to think likewise and have lined the entire coastline with bunkers, trenches, traps, and barricades—naval and ground forces should make quick work of their countermeasures, but your presence should hopefully make things a lot easier and reduce potential casualties. We have the technological advantage, but that doesn’t mean that we can simply let our guard down—we’ve already had an unpleasant encounter with the Wyvern Overlords, so let’s not let that happen again!
The Osean counteroffensive begins now. Get to your planes, everyone!
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Duro, Parpaldia Empire — December 9, 2019
“This is Long Caster to all forces, be advised: HQ has given the go ahead to deploy ground forces onto the coast. The invasion of Parpaldia begins today; Strider, Cyclops, Mage, Golem, you’re all cleared to engage!”
Two fighters shot forward towards the shore of Philades, five escorts on each flank, water spraying like a sword cutting through a fabric; fourteen missiles glowed and shot forward, finding their targets as a wall of fire erupted along the beach in Duro’s outskirts. Each flank veered to the side, neatly slicing through the debris as the four squadrons all went forth towards their respective targets: key military installations, notable defensive positions, hangars and barracks for the defenders and their wyverns, and critical roads and bridges vital to allowing any possible reinforcements to relieve the soon-to-be-doomed defenders. A loud blaring noise began to echo throughout the city of Duro for the first time in countless centuries as its residents came to a shocking realisation: the Oseans had finally arrived.
“Mage Two, good hits on those bunkers. Looks like their first line of defence is already collapsing; HQ, be advised: ground forces are now cleared to push up onto the coast!”
“Copy, Long Caster. All units, greenlight, greenlight!”
Ten hovercrafts slowly descended upon the beach, their fronts unfolding to form a ramp for its cargo; several armoured vehicles rumbled down from their transports and onto the ground, their drivers unaware of the historical significance of their actions as the first foreign invaders on Parpaldian soil in a thousand years—with each step forward, the mighty empire that only a few months back dominated the Third Civilization Area shrunk just a little. Small, yet no less insignificant for those who had known nothing but the Red Wyvern for all their lives.
“This is Unit A; we’re on the beach!”
“This is Unit B; we’re on the beach!”
“Unit C, on the beach!”
“HQ, be advised: we’ve begun to engage the surviving defenders along the front line. Most of their ground vehicles have been disabled; we estimate completion of the first stage of the operation in about three to five minutes.”
“Affirmative. Continue as planned, out.”
In the town of Duro itself, explosions rang out within the industrial sector as the air squadrons made quick work of the Imperial Army Base; the distant thunder of the Oseans’ naval guns was quickly followed by a series of fireballs erupting amidst the ruins of the coastal factories. Wyverns and pilots alike burned alive as Strider and Cyclops swept the skies clean of any air units lucky enough not to be within the crumbling fortifications below, the echoes of their fighters’ engines drawing the eyes of friend and foe alike.
Nodding in satisfaction at the one-sided confrontation below, Long Caster’s attention was quickly drawn towards a flash of light from one of his consoles.
“Mage, Golem, listen up: we’ve got visual confirmation of Parpaldian ground and air reinforcements from the east. Redirect your efforts to that sector and—”
“Break, break—Long Caster, this is Puffin! Be advised, we’re seeing several large creatures further along the mainland and heading towards the coast—they look like they’re serving as armoured transports. We haven’t had the opportunity to fully land our own tanks and APCs, and we’re still focusing on the remaining Parpaldian forces along their defensive lines!”
“Copy, Puffin! Mage, Golem, take out the Parpaldian armour and give our boys on the ground some space to get a breather!”
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“Damn it, we didn’t make it to Duro in time!”
From his person Land Dragon, General Brem looked upon the smoking ruins of Ludia and Duro with no small amount of horror. Both the military reports and eyewitness accounts from Louria and elsewhere had made the technological prowess of Osea all but clear to those who would take them for their word, but even the sight of one of Parpaldia’s most prestigious cities up in flames was one that the seasoned general would have never envisioned witnessing in his lifetime. The man’s sentiment was shared amongst his men; murmurs and gasps of shock and anger spread throughout the armoured column as the carnage became visible to everyone present. Removing his portable mannacomm, an aide stepped forward to the officer, his face no less ashen than everyone else present.
“Sir, the entire coastline has fallen to the Osean invaders and the city is at risk of being captured. Their air force has destroyed the Army Base, and we’ve yet to reestablish contact with Lieutenant General Strim or any of his staff; all other ground and air defences are believed to be either combat ineffective or destroyed. What are our orders, sir?”
Slowly, Brem turned to face his men. “Push forward and engage the Oseans. We are outnumbered and outgunned, but on us lies the hopes of our Empire; we fight for the survival of Parpaldia, and we will prevail or die trying!”
With a mighty cheer, the Parpaldians motioned at their Lindwurms to move forward, unaware of the fighters circling overhead.
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Knocker watched as Trigger and Clown shot downwards; a blur of missiles and machine gun fire rained down upon the armoured creatures, making quick work of the reinforcements and their passengers. Yet more beasts continued their slow march towards the coast, seemingly unperturbed by the rapidly growing casualties.
“Golem, on me; let’s give Mage a hand here! Long Caster, any chance of getting Strider or Cyclops to lend us a hand?”
“Negative. Cyclops and Strider are still sweeping up the remaining wyverns above Duro; it’ll be another minute or so before they can regroup with Golem and Mage, Golem One. Make do with what you have until they wrap up or our ground forces finish setting up along the coastline.”
“Damn. Trigger, got any of that fancy pilot shit in your blood today?”
“Flight lead, did you really have to say that?”
Ignoring Clown’s complaint, Knocker veered his plane towards the armoured column with no small amount of amusement as his beleaguered counterpart’s wingman promptly shot out of formation and levelled itself right above the ground, the jagged three strikes visible on the plane’s stabilisers to the Parpaldians as Trigger weaved back and forth through the creatures, shooting and dodging bursts of arrows, muskets, magical ammunition, and fire all the way. The effect was near-instantaneous: the creatures struggled to manoeuvre around their fallen companions even as their singular foe continued to harass them, the reinforcements quickly finding themselves increasingly disorganised and in no position to provide any meaningful means of countering everything being thrown at them.
“Long Caster, this is the Puffin. Be advised, all ground units are ready to begin pushing forward—disengage from the enemy units, and we’ll take it from here.”
“Copy that, Puffin. Golem and Mage, you hear that?”
“Affirmative, Long Caster. Trigger, get out of there unless you want to get hit by the tanks or naval fire!”
Rolling into the open fields, where the Parpaldian Land Dragons flailed about uncontrollably, two dozen tanks turned their barrels towards their foes. At the same time, the Puffin’s batteries came up to bear.
“Units A through C are standing by. On your command!”
“All units, fire!”
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Great Eastern Countries Conference, Qua-Toyne Principality — December 10, 2019
“Kanata?”
“Ah, Ambassador Harling! Good to see you’re still in one piece—still haven’t let the Parpaldians get to you, I hope?”
The Osean diplomat grinned in spite of his visible discomfort. “Nothing a few days of rest won’t be able to fix, I assure you. Now, about this event…”
In the year that followed Osea’s transference to Elysia, the Principality had seen a dramatic transformation from a small nation on the edge of known civilization, barely considered worth mentioning even within the Third Civilization Area, to a bustling economic hub where traders, travellers, merchants, diplomats, and businessmen from across the planet congregated before taking the journey to the Federation itself. The unprecedented surge in trade and tourism could be seen in the span of a few months—the streets were newer and brighter, the towns busier and livelier, the farms now transformed into vast open fields, and even the capital itself was now almost seemingly on par with the likes of Duro or even Eshirant with all the new ports and facilities and businesses and the new wing of the city itself dedicated to housing the latest in Osean and Elysian architecture.
With Qua-Toyne clearly having experienced the greatest economic impact out of all the nations now within the Osean Federation’s orbit, it was a no-brainer for the next meeting of the Great Eastern Countries Conference to take place within its borders.
“Harling, a moment. Could I perhaps ask you for a favour?”
Vincent paused. “Oh?”
“As you probably know, the Great Eastern Countries Conference is not one that sees many, if any, nations from the so-called superpowers attend; this makes your presence on behalf of the Osean Federation, if anything, near-unprecedented. Our opinions and viewpoints are normally without the tacit and subtleties that would be required whenever in the presence of a far more powerful Elysian nation—therefore, the other delegates would like to know if you would be acquiescent to this form of conduct while the Conference remains in session.”
“Ah, I see. I believe my government would be perfectly fine with listening to the viewpoints of the members of the Conference, no matter how frank or honest they might be; if there are any concerns, then I do believe I would be able to help come to some sort of arrangement. Besides, Osea will only be attending the event as an observer rather than an active participant.”
Recognizing the implied assurance that the Oseans would not retaliate against any unfavourable criticism from the guests present, Kanata nodded in acknowledgment. “That is good to hear. Now, I have also received an interesting request from a few of the delegates present; would you be willing to submit yourself to a series of questions from the Conference about your nation’s long-term plans with Parpaldia and the rest of Elysia?”
The ambassador blinked. “Like a formal committee?”
“Something along these lines, Ambassador Harling. While we do recognise that the Assembly of Nations exists specifically for this purpose, some of us would like further clarifications regarding the ongoing situation with Parpaldia; a few of our questions remain even after your address a few weeks ago, and we would rather dedicate our time in the Assembly for developing our proposals based on what your responses may entail.”
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
“I don’t see any reason to refuse; answering questions was partly why I was sent here.”
“Brilliant; I will notify the delegates of your decision when the meeting is formally called into session. On behalf of the members of the Great Eastern Countries Conference, our deepest thanks for your cooperation.”
“All in a day’s work, Kanata. All in a day’s work.”
Seeing several of his fellow Qua-Toynans approach him and Harling, Kanata decided to put business to the side for now. “Ambassador, I take it you’ve met my successor as Prime Minister, Matara? And this here is his successor, Minister Hayvan, formerly of the Second Fleet…”
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Bright Hill, Oured, Osean Federation — December 10, 2019
“Another naval fleet?”
Clements gestured unhappily towards the projection on the briefing room wall, where satellite imagery of a hundred Parpaldian naval vessels sailing out of a small island obscured by fog. “We picked up a massive reading of magic signatures within this region—shortly afterwards, all these ships began coming out of the inlet. They’ve since began sailing east towards the Osean continent instead of south towards Altaras as originally expected; we think the Empire might be seeking to make some kind of retaliatory strike against our territory in return for us hitting Eshirant and Duro.”
“Damn hard-headed idiots,” Bartlett grumbled irritatedly. “Where exactly are they headed as of right now?”
“Based on their current trajectory, they’re expected to reach Sand Island within the week. We’ve already mobilised the local garrison and the Coast Guard, but we can also deploy the LRSSG in Fenn to deal with them before they can even approach—”
Bartlett paused, an idea suddenly occurring to him. “What about our Arsenal Birds? Doesn’t their current deployment range reach as far as Sand Island?”
The Vice Chairman blinked. “The Arsenal Birds? Theoretically, yes, but we haven’t finished testing their combat and long-range capabilities. Heck, they don’t even have combat experience yet—”
“But they do have the weapons necessary to eliminate any aerial and naval threat within the 1,200 kilometre range of the Lighthouse, correct? I have read your reports on the latest resupply efforts for Liberty and Justice, Clements.”
Clements paused and pondered for a brief moment, rubbing his beard in thought. “We could send the Justice to Sand Island and keep the Liberty in Selatapura, but I’d highly recommend deploying Wiseman’s people over just in case we encounter any technical issues with the Bird itself or its UAV fleet. If we are to go ahead with your idea, Jack, this will be the first time any Elysian nation will have encountered a superweapon from our old world—and that’s not even counting that Falken we sent over to Eshirant after we rescued Harling. We’ll need this to run perfectly, or else we’ll be facing public embarrassment at best.”
Frowning, Bartlett slowly nodded. “Make it happen. Get all the necessary preparations done and deploy the Justice to Sand Island as soon as possible.”
With a quick nod of acknowledgement, Clements turned to leave the meeting room along with the other officers, leaving the President to silently ponder to himself.
“Relics from the past against harbingers of the distant future. Who would have thought?”
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Bright Hill, Oured, Osean Federation — December 11, 2019
“Mr. President, the delegation from the Holy Milishial Empire: Minister Phiam, Intelligence Bureau Officer Lydolka, Vice Minister Alpana, Technological Research and Development Bureau Development Head Veruno…”
Nodding and shaking hands in greeting, Bartlett’s eyes quickly observed and committed each face to memory. “Greetings, and welcome back to Oured. I take it your journey was uneventful?”
“It was indeed,” Phiam quickly replied. “On behalf of my people, we would like to offer our thanks for your government’s assistance in our admission to the IUN; perhaps we would be able to further discuss this in your office?”
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“Our first order of business: as a gesture of thanks for your assistance in Bana City and as an acknowledgement of the Osean Federation’s position in the Third Civilization Region, we would like to extend a formal invitation as a permanent member to the World Leadership Conference.”
Bartlett looked up at Phiam in surprise. “The World Leadership Conference? I understand that permanent members are normally the respective superpowers within the so-called Civilization Regions, but we were of the impression that the Parpaldia Empire had the sole position within this particular area of Elysia…”
The Milishial minister gave a tacit nod of acknowledgement. “In light of the Parpaldia Empire’s recent actions towards your emissary and Mu’s current assessment of the ongoing conflict in Philades, the Holy Milishial Empire has opted to formally offer you the position currently held by Eshirant. Your role in fulfilling the position that the Empire has neglected in its expansionist ambitions would be of great value for the Conference itself, and it would seem that the Osean Federation has already been recognized within most of the international community as having inherited that title in all but name.”
Slowly, Bartlett decided to take up Phiam’s offer. “I don’t see any reason why the Osean Federation should refuse the position, Minister; will there be any requirements for membership? International conventions or regulations that the Osean Legislature will need to ratify?”
“Well, resolutions agreed upon during the Conference are generally considered binding to all members; otherwise, membership only requires either the leaders of the member states or their representatives to be present whenever a meeting is held. The next one, if I remember correctly, will be held sometime next year—these documents should contain the general details regarding the event…”
The President silently browsed through the files from Phiam’s folder, nodding and frowning as his eyes panned through their contents. “Hmm…alright…fair enough…wait, ‘showcase of military capabilities’…you want us to bring our best military assets to Cartalpas?”
“It’s not strictly necessary, but as the most prestigious international event in Elysia, it’s become something of an unofficial tradition to show off to the world our respective industrial and technological might. Having a respectable fleet would, at the very least, provide a positive impression for an attending member—more powerful nations, on the other hand, take the opportunity to present the latest in their magical and mechanical fleets. To be perfectly honest, quite a few of our fellow members are rather keen on seeing what technologies the Osean Federation has to offer, especially with the Lighthouse and the ongoing war with Parpaldia in mind.”
Bartlett winced. “Gunboat diplomacy isn’t necessarily something the Osean Federation normally practises anymore in this time and age, but I suppose a military demonstration could be arranged for our delegation’s escorts in due time.”
“That would be greatly appreciated.”
Satisfied at the President’s response, Phiam decided to move onto more pressing matters. “Now, as for our second order of business: we would like to inquire as to whether it would be possible to request the Osean Federation’s assistance in recreating their superweapons for the defence of the Holy Milishial Empire and its allies.”
Jack froze. Sensing the shift in the conversation, the Minister quickly changed tack, glancing at the other Mirishial officials present for support.
“It would, obviously, go without saying that the Holy Milishial Empire would take the greatest care to never place the Osean Federation and its people at risk from these weapons, should Osea be willing to offer its technical expertise. There would also be significant economic and political benefits that we would be more than happy to leverage in your favour, as an exchange…”
“You do realise that you’re asking the Oseans for quite a significant favour?”
“With the Federation’s reputation for openness and its collaborative nature with most of the Third Civilization Area in transforming the region into a major industrial centre, we would think that such an approach would also be adopted elsewhere in Elysia—”
“Yes, it goes without saying that we are always willing to lend a hand to those who ask for it, especially in this time and age. However, weapons capable of potentially changing the balance of power and the annihilation of entire nations at the wrong hands are a much different point of contention compared to mere financial and logistical aid, Ministers—why exactly would the Milishials be interested in adopting our worst tendencies, when other, far more peaceful and mutually beneficial vices exist?”
“There are concerns within the international community that a threat exists in the future that could potentially result in the annihilation of our entire way of life; we believe your technology, much as many of us would be loath to admit, could prove to be the key to Elysia’s salvation.”
“What. the Gra Valkans? Some other power beyond the known realm that makes up Elysia? Surely the combined efforts of the Elysian nations would be more than sufficient in its current condition for another military superpower to contend with, Minister Phiam?”
Recognizing her opportunity to jump onto Phiam’s argument, Vice Minister Alpana leaned forward to draw Bartlett’s attention. “Mr. President,” she interjected, “how much do you know about the Ancient Sorcerous Empire?”
The President simply shook his head and sighed. “Not a lot, but what we have heard and uncovered from the Third Civilized Region hasn’t exactly been the most promising: tales of an aggressive, highly advanced superpower almost on par with ourselves, powerful creatures and unusually powerful devices roaming the more isolated regions of Elysia. Our expeditionary efforts from the Lighthouse also seem to suggest the Ravernals might have also had an interest in that particular region above us as well prior to their departure…”
Even as he quietly noted down with internal horror the unspoken implication of the Ancient Sorcerous Empire of long ago having touched the stars just as easily as the Oseans did now, Phiam took the nod from Veruno to press forward with their request. “The Holy Milishial Empire sees its own commitments as the main superpower of Elysia as part of its vital role in preparing for the return of the Ancient Sorcerous Empire—and if our estimates are accurate, we believe that time to be much, much sooner rather than later. If the Oseans would be willing to join us in that effort, you would be saving countless lives with your own contributions.”
“We would, of course, be willing to provide additional concessions in return for your help—nothing in the insignificant scale of what the Parpaldians would normally offer, of course,” Alpana hurriedly added. “Our own expertise in regards to magical weaponry, for instance, or our intel regarding the ASE—or perhaps even a look into our own superweapons that we’ve been developing prior to your nation’s arrival, in the hope that you might be able to help us further prepare for their impending return.”
Bartlett shook his head. “Compelling as your arguments may be, what about after the Ravernals are defeated? Our own weapons were created as an effort to save our own species from near-extinction and to return order and stability to our world in the aftermath of Ulysses—but the individual squabbles and rivalries of our nations saw them used against each other instead to devastating effect. Would we have Osean science and technology spreading from the Milishials to the Parpaldians or a surviving remnant of the Ravernals, or the Gra Valkans countering with their own weapons of mass destruction in a desperate act of reasserting a sense of self-defence? The ruins of Stonehenge and Megalith, the fires above Oured less than a decade ago, the craters of Gracemeria, the wreckage of the Arkbird beneath our oceans, the radioactive materials lining the cliffs of Sudentor—these are the testaments to the destructive power that the technologies that we’ve created dealt to our strange little reality before the events that brought us here. Would you willingly bring that legacy to Elysia, even for the sake of saving countless lives?”
Phiam stared back at Bartlett, his expression grave but with determination. “It is our greatest responsibility to protect this world from the threats that would destroy us and everything we hold dear. While we cannot promise that your knowledge will not spread beyond our borders should you choose to disclose them to us, rest assured that the Holy Milishial Empire would not take our unprecedented powers lightly—if we should fail in our task and these weapons be used on those who would not deserve it—and it would be a dark day for us and all of Elysia if it should ever happen—the onus will fall upon us and us alone, President Bartlett.”
“Well…I guess that is as much as Osea could hope for.”
Bartlett’s eves glanced towards a model of the Arkbird perched comfortably on the side of his desk. Suddenly feeling a wave of weariness as the implications of either choice at hand began to weigh down on him, the President slowly and carefully rose to his feet.
“I’ll need to discuss your proposal to my advisors and the Legislature first before I can give any kind of formal response, Minister Phiam. Suffice to say, they’ll likely have far, far more concerns and objections than even I myself have at this point…”
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Osean Broadcasting Corporation — December 11, 2019
In a public announcement, the IUN has confirmed that its Osean-led coalition has landed on the shores of the Parpaldia Empire and captured the key naval port of Duro, marking the first naval invasion of the Third Civilization Region’s sole internationally-recognised superpower in over five centuries and the Federation’s first major military action since the end of the Circum-Pacific War over nine years ago.
Osean and Muan naval assets covered a detachment of the OGDF as it made landfall on the outskirts of Duro, while IUN air assets disabled key Parpaldian defences and throughout the port city itself—with the Empire’s naval headquarters destroyed and its wyvern fleets grounded, most of the city’s remaining defenders were swiftly and methodically pushed back into the heart of Duro and ultimately forced to surrender. IUN casualties are believed to be minimal at best, and the Kingdom of Altaras has confirmed that it will be hosting the vast majority of those who surrendered as prisoners of war on the behalf of the Osean Federation and its allies.
With a key stage of the coalition’s plan to subdue the Parpaldia Empire complete, reports indicate that the situation within the superpower itself has continued to deteriorate: more than a dozen provinces and colonies are now confirmed to be in active rebellion, and forces from the Kingdom of Marl, the Greater Magic Principality of Pandora, and the Kingdom of Riem have launched their own separate offensives into Parpaldian territory as well. Rumours of a split within the Imperial government between supporters of Emperor Ludius’s pro-war stance and elements of the Imperial Army and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have also circulated, but are yet to be verified as of this time.
In other news, Osean ground forces have continued their advance towards Eshirant as reports of multiple uprisings throughout the Parpaldia Empire continue to circulate. Bright Hill has also confirmed that armed forces from the Marl Kingdom, the Pandora Greater Magic Principality, and the Relm Kingdom have also entered Parpaldia as part of the newly-formed IUN coalition. Mu has also committed its naval and air assets in the Altaras Kingdom—previously involved in the rescue of Ambassador Harling—to the joint task force, and will be joining the Kestrel II fleet in anticipation of the upcoming siege of the Empire’s capital…
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“Mr. President, you might want to read this…”
Carefully reading through the document’s contents, Bartlett’s eyebrows slowly rose in growing surprise. Once he had finished processing the implications of the surprising turn of events, the president reached for the phone on his desk.
“Edwards, get me Harling and the rest of the Chiefs of Staff within an hour. Did you also get the declaration as well? Yeah…yeah, we need to talk about this, now.”