The War of Old Grudges and New Wounds (Completed)

[Vetega]

Haktiva

Izon nodded.
'A soldier eh? Interesting. ' he thought to himself.
"Very well. The Astraeus is leaving in 12 hours. Make your decision by then Shoko. " he stated before turning to Jackson.
"We've retrieved the Pagian Secretary of Defense. She's fine. "
"Take her to the beach. The flight decks of the Astraeus are busy right now. " Izon replied.
"You know, Aridani will have something up his sleeve. "Aegis said as he appeared from Izons watch.
"VETA? "
"My predecessor is only one. New Ixis may be without power, but the warheads within the Complex can be triggered via detonator. It's a simple task of rewiring the detonation protocols."

Izon sighed and rubbed his temples.
"Alright let's get to the FOB and figure it out there. "

Revani

David barely kept control of his anger. New Ixis was right across the ocean, but it was guarded by nearly the entire Arcadian Navy. The Coalition Fleet would arrive at Revani in 26 hours.

"Rebuilding will be a challenge. The Civil Wars we had were one thing, but this mass genocide is another. Even if we survive all this, the Federation cannot recover on it's own. Not this time. " he replied.

As they exited the shelter he could see people stumbling amongst the debris in a daze. Air raid sirens were still going off. The ground rumbled as a skyscraper in the distance collapsed from the damage it sustained.

"We've lost all contact with the fleets we had gathere in the bay. The fleets moved into the open ocean to avoid being targeted by Avalon. I have no way of knowing whether they're coming back or not. We'll have to wait another 26 hours until the Coalition Fleet returns. " he added.

Javiks Pass

"We've established an FOB on the beach. We've been asked to take you there. Something about a first generation AI Daniel's father and Marcus Destraud created codenamed VETA. " the marine replied as he helped her onto the gunship.

[Haktiva]

Vetega
Dawn broke over the ruined buildings the Spectre crept through. In a few more hours, the guns of the Haktivan fleet would blast apart the Arcadian positions. The Paratroopers that had been fighting the occupiers guerrilla style in the name of the Vetegan people would launch a simultaneous assault on the Arcadians from the other side as the Marines landed on the beach.
Spitter and Alex had regrouped with Sohara and Zen, their explosives primed and ready.
"How long", Alex asked.
"About two minutes", Sohara replied. "We better get moving, THessia Team should be waiting for us". The other Spectres nodded and ran along the ruined street of the main highway towards the countryside. As they cleared the last checkpoint, the explosives went off. Buildings crumbled behind them, a massive dust could erupting. Alex, Spitter and Zen looked on in shock, Sohara smiled with pride. "My own special blend, took me about a year to get it just right", she said.
"Did you let Kirimi know about that?", Spitter asked.
"No, she would've asked me to share the recipe, a girl's gotta have some secrets", Sohara replied.
"Well when I see one I'll be sure to respect those secrets", Alex said. Sohara swiftly kicked him in the groin as a result. "Point taken Ma'am", Alex groaned and he got back up, hunching over as they started running back down the streets.

[Page]

Despite the beach being a scene of carnage, with mangled bodies littered throughout it and plenty of debris and shells scattered across the sand, Ryyth was oddly at peace. Sometimes she felt detached from everyone else.

They were waiting on Izon. Ryyth reached in her pocket, hoping she hadn't lost something important in the chaos. She felt what she was looking for, a small container that held two marble-like devices. They were the new anchors, meant to be ingested by her and Izon, which would establish the astral projection ability again. This, she thought, would be useful in the near future.

But she had someone else on her mind right now, and wondered if he would respond. It seemed many times he was omnipresent, though this was not quite true.

"AEGIS..." she called out loud in a voice just above a whisper. She spoke, as if to no one "twice in Pagian history did kings commit fratricide in struggles for the throne. I wonder if an AI could do the same. VETA, in the hands of Aridani. Can you stop him?"

[Vetega]

Haktiva

Aegis appeared next to Ryyth.
"VETA is of a different design than myself. The only way for me to stop him is for someone to get me a hardline access. Which means someone needs to get inside the Core Chamber and access the system. Aridani has severed VETA from the network I control. That was a smart move on his part. "He replied.

At that moment Izon appeared while riding a Zeus Tank. He hopped off it and walked up to the two.
"Aegis, nice to see you're still around. "
"Back at you kid. "
Izon frowned. He was the youngest, except David of the group.
"Anyway, we all need to talk. I've also ordered a connection with Revani to be made. I want to know if they survived. "

[Page]

Daniel's image appeared on the screen and he immediately said "the time for survival is over, the time for conquest is now." He had a look in his eyes that Izon would remember - he had only seen it once, at the start of Page's Civil War, when the Icewraith made first contact with the Federation seconds away from being annihilated by their fleet. It was a look of desperation and vengeance, as Daniel reflected on the devastation and mass murder of his people by the Arcadians.

"Save for the forces aiding our civilians and maintaining order, I am dedicated all of our military might to retaking the Federation once and for all. With the Haktivans and the rest of your loyal forces, this will be the largest invasion in world history. Unfortunately, most ruined of all is our navy, we have two armadas left and it is not enough to break through the Arcadian's wall of ships. But once our rangers and tanks our on the ground, I am confident New Ixis will fall to us within days. How harshly to deal with Avalon is your choice, and if there are any innocent lives there, they should be grateful it is not mine."

[Vetega]

Izon nodded. That very same fire was now in his eyes.

"New Ixis will fall to us. We'll have what's left of your navy, mine, and Haktiva's engage them. Apparently, the Haktivan Spectres have been causing havoc in the city. Several bands of resistance cells have sprung up to aid them. We have the 10th Legion on the ground. They will simultaneously launch an assault from behind.

And Avalon defected from the Federation. The city is Arcadian. Therefore it means nothing to me. One Centrifuge warhead will deal with them. The Coalition Fleet will arrive at Revani in 12 hours. Then we'll attack when the sun sets. " he replied.

David walked past the screen behind Daniel carrying supplies. The young man was helping the people like a good king should.

"How is everyone there? I heard Zion was hit with 2 FLEIA warheads. " he asked.

[Page]

"The place itself is ashes, it is lucky most of our forces were out to sea when the FLEIA hit" Daniel answered. "Your son damn near died trying to help after the firebombing, I almost had to drag him underground when we saw the incoming FLEIA on the radar. We spent nearly all of our Freezing Rain singularities defending the Pagian mainland, this place was defenseless. Still, at least there is now a chance for revenge."

[Vetega]

"I see. " Izon replied.

The last Federation safe haven had nearly burned to the ground. Revani was a large island. It would take months to sweep it for survivors. He heard a ships horn in the distance.

"Thats our queue. We'll swing by Page to pick up any ships we left behind, then we'll head to Zion to pick wall of you up. " he stated.

[Haktiva]

Vetega
Ashley looked through the scope of her rifle, which had begun to suffer from some wear and tear from battle, but it was mostly cosmetic. "Four individuals approaching from the city, moving fast", she said.
"Arcadians?", Miranda asked.
"Haktivan, must be Noveria Team"
"Took them long enough"
"Well we better meet them before they get shot", Ashley said, standing up from her prone position. Thessia Team slid down the slope of the hill they watched the city from, running ru=ight into Noveria Team as they passed.

Sohara, Zen, and Spitter raised their weapons, thinking they had run into an ambush, Ashley and Miranda did the same.
"Get. Off. Of. Me.", Alex said. The other Spectres turned to see Alex face-down in the dirt with a dazed Kaede on his back.
Haktiva
Isadore looked on with pride as the Arcadian ships either fled or sank into the sea. He felt a burning sensation in his arm and leg, they were bleeding steadily. He shrugged as he turned to face the men and women behind him. "Well what are you standing around for? We still have to get the Vetegans their country back!", he shouted. All the soldiers behind him cheered in response, the sound was almost deafening.

[Vetega]

Page

It had been 6 hours since they loaded up Haktivan troops and left. They were now joining up with Pagian fleets at Andryland.
"VETA is watching us. I can sense that much. "Aegis said.
"I figured as much. "
"Know it all. "
"Egomaniac. " Izon replied.

Jackson snickered. Aegis gave him a snooty look.
"I'm coordinating with AVA. In 30 minutes, we'll have the necessary regiments from Page. Their ships will join us. "
"This will be the largest sea battle in Earth's history. 3500 ships against 2378. "Izon stated.

Uru'baena
Aridani faced the cube like core that was VETA.
"They are assembling for New Ixis. Hammer Down is ready. " the disembodied voice said.
"Good. Ready the Antonov 225 supertransport. I'm going to New Ixis. "

[Page]

From the bridge of the flagship, Ryyth laid out a new strategy for the impending clash between the full force of the world's navies.

"The Ocean Wall strategy we developed for defense, in which targets were chosen with attention to maximizing enemy personnel casualties, clearly does not work offensively. No doubt, the enemy will anticipate this necessary change, which is why they will heavily guard their key ships. They will offer up much canon fodder to tempt us but we must remain focused. The key to victory here is careful use of ammunition, and overall disruption."

She displayed a map of the Vetegan coast and continued "What the enemy does expect from us is the fact that we would want as wide of a beachhead as possible in order to get the most troops on the ground quickly. Therefore the approach they will anticipate is one of an evenly distributed armada attempting to outflank them across the horizon. They undoubtedly are going to prepare for this by bringing their most potent ships to the edge of the ring, attempting to systematically destroy all the approaches."

AVA displayed three digital lines on the screen that penetrated the enemy's blockade from the middle and then branched off in seemingly random directions, like arteries and veins. Ryyth pointed and said "We will move like hollow point bullets, cutting through the strongest parts of the enemy and then tearing them apart internally. This is not without risks - if they still have FLEIA on their u-boats, they will not be hesitant to use it. Us again descending directly on them ensures they would take as many of their own down with them, but as we've seen, the Arcadians do not hesitate to do this. Therefore, the Icewraith will lead all the allied u-boats we have gathered to hunt down their missiles below the surface. Meanwhile, Pagian pathfinders will descend from the sky, and along with Haktivan SPECTRE teams and the Vetegan resistance, will begin to sabotage and destroy key enemy points on the land."

The Pagians were nervous, not yet having seen Haktiva's naval might in action - they hoped it would live up to the steel of their infantry.

[Haktiva]

Isadore appeared on one of the monitors, Kirimi behind him. "Our Spectres have been quite busy, with Miranda keeping us updated on the situation", he said as the image of his face was replaced by images from Vetega.
"As you can see the Vetegans have been having a very hard time", kirimi said, narrating over the pics of carnage. "Civilian casualties have been kept to a minimum, though the numbers still aren't pretty"
"We've received word that Noveria Team have destroyed a few Arcadian forward implacemens and made contact with Thessia Team, though I imagine this has put the Arcadians on high alert", Isadore said.
A loud beeping noise was heard, the pictures disappearing as Isadore and Kirimi's images returned.
"Seems we have an incoming call from the Spectres, specifially from Lady Ashley's villa", Kirimi said.

[Vetega]

Izon nodded as the plan unfolded. Being a tactical genius himself, he didn't really see anything wrong with it.
"There is one issue I'd like to raise. The Arcadians are using most of my submarine fleet. Aegis has upgraded their systems after the Lorian Rebellion. They'll see everything coming. The Astraeus still has an advantage in it's arsenal. "

Aegis appeared and a floating image of a single warhead.
"Centrifuge Assault System Mark II. It has increased destructive capabilities. There are only two in existence. If they use FLEIA we wouldn't be able to shoot them all down, however we can retaliate in kind. Which would bring their fleet to a more manageable size. We also must take my predecessor into account. VETA excels at tactical situations. The Arcadians will be much harder to defeat because of this. The 10th Regiment of Marines has already slipped into the city, so they can also assist in sabotage efforts. "Aegis stated.

"Despite the obvious dangers we face this plan of action is the most sane. They will have to adapt to our strategy, which will give us an advantage for a bit. We'll have, at most, a 40 minute window to land our forces. By then they will have adapted and we'll have to change it up. "Izon added.

He looked at his watch.

"We'll arrive within Federation waters in about 30 minutes. We'll reach Revani in an hour and gather the rest of our forces. Then we'll begin as soon as the sun goes down. "
He looked up at the screen when Isadore appeared.
"The villa? They held it then. I thought the Arcadians would have tried to take it or just destroy it. "

[Haktiva]

"They have, but thanks to the efforts of Thessia Team, paratroopers and local resistance, the Arcadians were more concerned with making sure their barracks aren't blowing up", Kirimi said.
"Land-mines and ambush tactics help too", Miranda said, her image appearing alongside that of Kirimi and Isadore's.
"Indeed they do", Kirimi said.
"So what's the situation Miranda?", Isadore asked.
"Well we just got a hold of some intel Noveria Team grabbed from an Arcadian camp, it's encrypted and we don't have the equipment to properly decipher them, at least not anymore", Miranda replied.
"So we're sending them to you", Sohara said, popping into view on Miranda's half of the screen.

[Vetega]

"Databurst received. Beginning decryption protocols. " Aegis said.

A sharp intake of breath emanated from the AI. That was very human of him.
"What is it? "
"Aridani is in New Ixis. In fact he just arrived 20 minutes ago. "
"Good, I'll kill him myself. "Izon replied without hesitation.

Aegis looked pained.
"What Aegis. "Izon said impatiently.
"He's located the Hammer Down system and transferred it to VETA. I no longer have access to it. "
Izon frowned.
"He'll detonate when he sees me. Or anyone in the Coalition for that matter. "Izon stated.
"There's more. Arcadia's troop movements in and around Uru'baena. They've made it a fortress. They know we're coming, which isn't hard to believe since we've been making a big circle to end at New Ixis. And the usual troop information. Numbers,, reserves, worldwide intentions. Aridani is planning to destroy nearly ever powerful nation on the planet. Starting with Page and ending with the GAR and United Warrisons. If they get involved in this, then everyone will die. "

Izon took all this in. A plan formulated in his head. But he wouldn't tell anyone. Not yet.

"Is there anything else we need to discuss? "Izon asked the group.

[Page]

"Izon, I've trusted your judgment before, and I'll just have to do it again. If you get into a situation you can't shoot your way out of, you know how to call me." Ryyth told him. She ingested the capsule that held the new anchors for astral projection. Izon would soon notice his own in his pocket, which she slipped in without telling him. She resisted grinning at her own genius - the situation was grave and would require her to stay focused.

"Aericura Fleet, report in!" Ryyth said, beginning to call to all the Pagian Admirals to confirm battle readiness.
"All systems online, all troops ready, ma'am."
"Camulos Fleet?"
"U-boats deployed, ma'am. Following Icewraith to battle."

"Lugus Squadron, report!" Ryyth messaged the airforce.
"Commander, we have just entered New Ixis airspace. Deploying paratroopers in 18 seconds and counting."

Above New Ixis

Captain Kyro sounded off, leaning against the hatch of the plane, the roaring sound of the aircraft vibrating in his ears. He looked upon fifty soldiers tightly packed, all with parachutes on their backs.

"Pagian soldiers!!!" he shouted, both out of necessity and because of the adrenaline surging through his veins as he readied for battle. "Our ancestors are with us! Our king rides to battle alongside us, on the mightiest armada ever gathered on this planet! We are the angels of death, let us avenge our fallen!!!"

The soldiers all cheered in a frighteningly loud battlecry. A light flashed green and Kyro opened the hatch. In one pair at a time, the soldiers poured out of the jet. In the sky around them, warriors in dozens of other aircraft were doing the same.

[Vetega]

New Ixis

Aridani cursed loudly.
"I've begun issuing orders for manned AA positions to open fire. "VETA stated.
"What of Astraeus? "
"They've rendezvoused at Revani. They'll come to us eventually. "
"You are too casual. "
"No, I am filled with certainty that the Coalition will fail."
"You're confidence betrays you. You are prepared go.til the end. You are prepared to lose. "
VETA dis not answer.

Astraeus

The ship plowed through the waves at top speed. They would arrive in the bay in 2 hours

[Page]

"They're firing on us!" one of the paratroopers screamed, but no one could hear him. Even with his comrades just meters away, the roar of them in freefall gave way to the equally loud sounds of gunfire as their chutes opened. By the time they hit the ground, quite a few of them were dead. Others had their parachutes shredded from the anti-aircraft guns mid air. But for every one who fell, twenty more landed, on the streets and rooftops, and began to immediately open fire on enemy troops from every direction.

Each Pagian soldier was trained to act as a one many army, instilled only with the goal of killing the Arcadians. Some would fall. Others would cut through the vulnerable areas and form into battle groups and occupy strategic positions.

[Vetega]

Bay of New Ixis

The Coalition Fleet floated silently in the water. The battleships and cruisers took point along with the Astraeus. The moon was full, and the skyline of New Ixis was illuminated in a pale glow. The air was chilly, and as it touched the warm water a cloud of dense fog enshrouded the bay. Suddenly a massive line of ships could be barely seen. More ships appeared. Then more.

"I count 5,671 warships. Including the ships they captured from the Federation Navy. "Aegis stated.
Izon clenched his fist. The four towers of the Imperial Complex towered over everything else. He knew Aridani was there.
"Action Stations. " he said quietly.
Klaxons blared on the Supercarrier and all other ships. Sections of the flight deck slid back and the Astraeus's deadly guns rose from the bowels of the ship. All missile launchers turned on the enemy.
"We've been targeted. My sensors are off the charts. I'm also reading extremely high power surges from the Complex. The Vault has been breached. "Aegis reported.

The Vault was the facility directly under the Complex. Daniel and Ryyth were there at Aegis's core chamber during the Civil War. It held the the Federations last resort weapons. FLEIA, Centrifuge, and the prototype weapon Aereldos which was Centrifuge combined with FLEIA. Izon sighed. This would be a clusterfuck.
"Targeting solution obtained. "
"Fleet reports it's readiness to fight. "
"Enemy air units detected. Moving in at high speed from New Ixis. "
Izon crossed his arms.
"Incendere. Let's give our Haktivan and resistance friends the signal. " he said.

Each in the armada fired at will. The Incendere warhead detonated over the harbor. The first wave of Arcadian fighters were incinerated. The blast knocked over the massive cranes and several oil tankers exploded into brilliant fireballs.
"All air units are to descend from 10,000 feet and begin strategic bombings. However our first objective is to establish air superiority. " he said.

He turned to Jackson.
"Prepare my Stargazer. "

[Page]

As the battle began, Ryyth gave the admirals the initial orders and then ran down to Daniel's position. To his surprise, she hugged him immediately without saying anything.

Alison stood up and said "should I leave you guys?" awkwardly.
"I don't know" Daniel said, and looked at Ryyth for an answer.

"That would be best, dear, your mom won't want you wandering around at a time like this" Ryyth told Alison.
She nodded and said "okay", and an attendant came to escort her back to Ashley.

Daniel shut the door again and asked "so, I assume there is something you need to tell me. There's something I need to say too."
"You first, then" Ryyth told him.

"I've been thinking about the world, how we're going to rebuilt after all this. The Federation is devastated, it's going to take them centuries to recover from this. Our country and Haktiva aren't exactly in great shape either. And I keep seeing this future where everything happens all over again - these wars. I can't help but think this peace with Haktiva can't last past an alliance of convenience - it's human nature, the clashing of powers. I spent the last 10 years turning Page from ashes into a phoenix, and whatever greatness my throne brought our land, our people paid the price for now" Daniel said, and he started to pace around the room.

Ryyth took his hand and said "Daniel, you didn't bring this war upon us. Izon worked for years to try to stop this, but sometimes all we can do is prepare for the storm."

"But after our Civil War, all I wanted was to see Page's ascendancy. Maybe I can keep my homeland unified, but I can't do that for the world. And even if I am a good leader, I can't foresee what would happen if I were to die - and you and I tread the thin line between life and death every day, even now as we're out with this armada because like Izon we'd find it to be the height of dishonor to hide in a bunker while our people die" Daniel continued.

"So this is what I wanted to talk about. In a way. But go on" Ryyth told him.
"Pagians can't survive in this world, clinging to symbols. And that's what my throne is. You were right, at my sister's wedding ten years ago, when you said I had the chance to shape Page in a new way. Which is why when this war is over, I'm going to step down from power. I'm going to call for the formation of a Pagian Republic - a democratic government. And I will ensure, as a statesman, rather than an autocrat, that peace in the Federation, and with Haktiva, does last."

Ryyth gave a slight smile and said "Daniel, all I wanted to say is that I never stopped loving you. And I still want a life with you. And now we can have one together. If that's what you want to."
"It is" Daniel said.

They kissed for a long minute, and then stopped and opened their eyes again. Daniel was the first to break the silence.
"But for now, we have a war to fight. Will you return to the command center now?" he asked.

"No. All my orders are given, the admirals will make good decisions. But I need to be with Izon, as he goes to make his destiny. Don't worry, I'm not leaving the ship. But our minds are connected again, and I have a feeling he'll need my help with a problem that force alone can't solve."

[Vetega]

The Astraeus shuddered as a Federation battleship exploded. The Arcadians were targeting the capital ships. Aegis redirected fire towards the Arcadian Dreadnaught that sank the warship. The enemy vessel was slammed by a single burst missile.
'The enemy is sending a new wave. '
'I noticed. Changing AA vectors. 'Aegis replied.

An enemy cruiser turned towards a sinking allied destroyer and launched missiles at the Supercarrier. It was suddenly split in half from below.

"You're welcome! "Banks voice shouted through the speakers. Jackson suppressed a smile. AA guns simply destroyed each missile. At that moment, Izons prototype VTOL fighter rose from one of the rear launch pads. He had taken the pill Ryyth had given him, then hopped in the cockpit before initiating takeoff sequence. Now, he joined the air battle that was forming above the naval mess.
"First wing form up on me. Second wing, take care of their FB-22 fighter bombers. We're going to punch a hole through their air cover. " he stated.
'New contacts, on vector 447. Heading directly for the Haktivan naval group. '
'Cruise missiles honing in on Astraeus. '
"Third wing intercept missiles. "
'We'll handle the Haktivan CAP. '
Izon looked down at his warship. The Beast, s t ad been dubbed, was spitting out fire and death from every gun she had. Izon switched to a secure channel.
"Aegis. Did you save the video file I made?"
'Of course. They'll see it when the time comes. '
Izon smiled. He pushed the throttle to it's limits. The others in his wing followed suit. A mass of F-22's assembled in front of them. Izon rolled his fighter and dived as his entire wing opened fire and separated to pick off targets. Izon pulled up at the last minute, therefore he was now flying right above the water. He weaved at breakneck speed through the multitude of ships duking it out.

Soon he was away from the battle. Coastal guns opened up on his fighter as he flew into the city. Alarms began to ring as he took damage. His starboard engine quickly caught fire.

"Dammit. " he yelled.
He switched from regular flight to VTOL. The fighter slowed to a stop, then it hovered. He lowered the fighter closer to the street, then engines shut down altogether. The battered machine dropped to the ground with a violent impact. Izon unstrapped and kicked open the canopy. He drew his guns and dropped to a crouch.

"Drop your weapons. Red King. "
Izon turned to see Aridani with 20 marines. All guns were pointed at his face. He dropped the two guns. He began to unstrap his sword.
"Keep your swords. You'll need it. "

[Haktiva]

"General quarters! General quarters! All hands man your battle stations!", The intercom sounded as the sirens went off though the Haktivan vessels. "All Marines report to your boarding craft, prepare to land! Marines and sailors darted down the hallways of the vessels like mad.

Shoko and her squad boarded into their transport. Shoko tapped the little device over her left eye, a green light shining over it. New communications equipment that allowed video and audio feed directly to command, but the signal was limited without a radio operator nearby. Am extre special little feature was the tracer program, which tracked the vapor trails of bullets towards the enemy's position. More advanced models had other functions, but this was more than enough for a Marine landing on the beach.

"Okay Marines, here's the plan. we hit the beach and kill anything that moves. Civilian presence is minimal thanks to guerrilla efforts, so don't worry too much about that", Shoko said. The alarm rang out again, the assault vehicles were getting ready to depart. "We already fought these bastards off at Kirava, now we take the fight to them!"

"OORAH!", Shoko's Marines shouted.
Haktivan Flag Ship Litany of Wrath
"On our orders Admiral", Isadore said, having little naval experience himself. Admiral Zackery Gergiona smiled in reply. He turned to the feet intercom.

"All battleships, hold the perimeter around the transports, don't let a single bogey through", the other captains sent their hails in conformation. The Haktivan ships numbered far less than their allies, but they made up for it in size and durability. The transport ships that housed dozens of landing vehicles each packed together in the center of the diamond formation, battleships of all types kept any Arcadian ships and aircraft at bay the best they could. Jets from the carriers razed Arcadian positions on the beach, hoping to weaken the Arcadian ground positions before the majority of the friendly troops landed.

Haktivan Guerrilla Units, Vetgea
Thessia and Noveria Team prepped their weapons along with the paratroopers, whose numbers had dwindled a bit in the weeks since they landed. Hitting the enemy from behind while they focused on the landing forces was a good idea, but it had its flaws just like any other plan. First: they were in danger of friendly fire, most likely from Pagian or Vetegan forces as they didn't share comms with the. Second: The Arcadian weren't idiots, they had come to expect some of the Haktivan actions, hence the casualties among the Paratroopers and local resistance, so there was the chance that their would actually be a chance for heavy losses.

Kaede knew how to handle a weapon, but she'd never really had to use it. She had always relied on her team mates to neutralize the enemy while she worked. She loaded a magazine into her rifle, Alex grabbing it before she could load the fist round into the chamber.
"Hey wai-", she said, Alex cutting her off. He unloaded the magazine and tapped it against his helmet.
"For luck", he said nonchalantly, handing it back to her. Ashley scoffed.
"If you like her just say so boy", she said in a some what mocking tone.
"I don't even know her last name", Alex replied sharply. Ashley cocked an eyebrow. Alex's eyes widened a bit, she was a superior officer, and he'd made a big mistake.
"Its Sakura", Kaede said a bit meekly. Ashley grinned, the slightest bit of malice in her eyes. She went back to her sniper rifle, saying nothing.
"You're in trouble when this is over, kid", Miranda said.
"That's what I guessed", Alex said in a resigned tone, the rest of his team snickering at his blunder.

[Page]

Ryyth saw through Izon's eyes and looked at the situation observantly - she said nothing and did not make her presence known. But she was pulled back into reality by one of the generals, who looked bewildered from watching her in an apparent trance state with no explanation.

"Commander. Our drones have locked in on Aridani. We have a clear shot, waiting for authorization to fire."
"Don't" Ryyth said, provoking further confusion from all of the Pagian military leaders in the room.

"But commander..." one of the technicians protested "we can end this now."
"Izon is there" Ryyth stated. "He's prepared to fight."

A view of the confrontation between Aridani and Izon was now on the screen for all to see.
"Commander, are you sure this is the right choice?" the operator of the drones asked.

Ryyth nodded and said "I've trusted Izon throughout this war, and he does things his on way. He will face Aridani down himself."
The general chimed in and said "but the Arcadians don't play fair, let us at least kill those marines."

"Do it. Leave Aridani and Izon" Ryyth ordered. She would ask Izon herself, but there was no time.
The four drones locked on with extreme precision. There was no rain of bullets, no chance for the enemy to shoot back. All at once, Aridani's men fell, each of them with a shot directly to the head.

"We got incoming!" another operator called out. A trio of enemy fighter jets had appeared, flying dangerously low to deal with the drones. Ryyth ran to the panel and entered a command protocol for burst missiles, right as the first fighters fired. One of the drones' feeds went black as it was destroyed.

From the other's view, they watched the burst missiles shred two of the jets mid air, but one barreled nearer.
"I named it Razorwing for a reason" Ryyth declared.
"Slam it into the jet."

The operators executed the sequence as they were told. Just a few hundred meters above the ground, the drone and the last enemy jet collided and exploded in a spectacular fireball.

Ryyth entered deep focus again. A fiery hail was falling all around them, and Izon and Aridani were left in the middle of an inferno that raged near by. Some wreckage from the sky fell through Ryyth's ethereal form. She simply stood and watched - Aridani could not see her and Izon would scarcely notice her, but she needed to witness this, to see the fulfillment of Izon's plans.

[Vetega]

New Ixis

Izon thought a silent thank you to Ryyth before facing Aridani.
"Your friends are quite tenacious Izon. "
"That they are. " he replied.
Izon drew only one sword. Aridani drew his own. Arcadia was a nation that shared many things with the Federation. Including it's fighting style. Aridani was always strong. His life had been hard.
"You were always the better fighter Aridani. But that won't stop me. You'll die here today old friend. "

Chaos Crusade
19 years ago

Izon faced Aridani. All around them, fire and death occurred.
"This is the end Aridani. You'll pay for killing my father. "
"Your father was a fool. He refused to join our two nations s one. Too make us stronger. His death is only the beginning. "
Aridani shot Izon in the leg. Izon fell down in pain.
"We will meet again my friend. Count on that. " Aridani said before walking away.

Izon screamed in pain. Tears streamed out of his eyes.
"I'll kill you! I'll fucking kill you!! " he yelled.

That was the day that Arcadia surrendered. Thus ending the Chaos Crusade.

New Ixis
Present

Izon rushed forward. Aridani parried his blow and landed a solid punch to Izons face. Izon used his momentum to roll back, hop to his feet, and block Aridani as he swung. The powerful blow nearly knocked him down. But Izon held steady. He pushed Aridani back, then followed through with a strike to his arm. The blade tore through the fabric and sliced into his arm. Aridani grabbed the sword and ran Izon through his midsection. Izon coughed up blood. He jumped back. He ignored the pain and continued to fight. Their blades locked with each other. Izon drew his second blade. He growled and pushed Aridani closer to the flaming wreckage.

Aridani kicked Izon away, then he pulled out a gun. Izon threw his sword, taking Aridani's gun hand with it. The Arcadian howled in pain. He dropped his sword and pulled out a detonator. Izon pointed his sword at Aridani's face.

"Come any closer, and I destroy the city. " he wheezed.
"Damn you, dirty bastard. "Izon said.
He glanced at Ryyth's hovering form.
'This is VETA. It's his doing. Aridani has to die, and there is no way to block the signal. ' he said to her with his mind.

Bay

The three groups split and followed the path laid for them. The Arcadian ships tried to blocks them, as expected. The Astraeus launched a FLEIA warhead directly into the central mass. The warhead detonated, and a score of Arcadian ships incinerated. The waves spread out and sank even more ships. The Coalition fleet took no losses from this move. They weren't in range. The lead Arcadian warship, the superdreadnaught Archon, fired an Incendere warhead at the Haktivan ships. It would be a Luminous Blaze assault at sea. The Astraeus turned and fired on the missile causing it to detonate early.

David watched all of this. He stood on the bridge. His cell phone vibrated. He tapped the screen and saw a video file. It was marked with a single x, telling that he couldn't open it yet. But he couldn't shake this feeling of dread.

[Page]

AVA manifested at the field in human form, this time taking the shape of a gender ambiguous teenager, with eyes glowing a piercing blue. Ryyth looked over with some shock, and it seemed to surprise Izon as well, and even Aridani, who could see "her."

"I cannot take control of VETA. I only wanted to ask, why he anticipated this human's failure."
AVA said to Aridani "It would seem unfair for you to press that detonator when you were only another pawn in his game. He could have warned about the drones - he could have developed effective counter-maneuvers for close combat against the Red King. Instead, Aridani, here you lie on the ground about to die. And your death, and the destruction of this city, fulfill your master's plans. Yet you still have a choice."