Technically this does serve as an ending for the most part. Quite frankly I need a bit of cheering up at least so indulge in the crazy and contrived plot twist.
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We'll be borrowing this to slay the great evil… not you, the other one. You're still screwed though.
(S.E. 253)
"This is Storm 1, Storm 1 reporting." The lead pilot of the flight of FN-33 naval fighters reported crisply. "Flight on way to anomaly. Presently no abnormal readings."
"This is Pac Command, report acknowledged." The coordinator onboard the EN-8 AWACS replied "Continued your designated course."
"Acknowledge, Storm 1 out."
Hundreds of meters above the seemingly ever calm South Ocean the Union fighters continued their interception course with the… whatever thing that the AWACS identified an hour earlier.
Whatever that things is, it's damn big, moving slightly above the water, and on a course heading straight to the old continent at a speed of over 780km per hour, comparable to most top of the line jet aircraft.
Ever since the collapse of the "coalition" following their all too brief moment of self interest induced collaboration the waters around the Old continent was filled with tension. Out in the vast reaches of blue was the place to display the newest weapons and their power, to show the world that they are not be messed around with, and woe to all who gets in their way.
In other words, a lot of showboating, with the occasional death when someone went too far in the intimidation, but on the scale of nationstates it was just the small price of vanity and knowledge.
Which made the current situation even more bizarre, according to the reconstructed flight path provided by the AWACS, the anomaly obviously came out from the South Continent, which the Lasce Imperial State own the entirety of it lock, stock, and barrel. Specifically from a region that's only labeled as a mining complex.
However, there was not a damn noise from the pointy ear fascists about any such project or object of that scope. Not from Naval Intelligence, State Security, or even the Lost Bureau. All that leaves possibilities that were best not to be dwelled on for too long.
Which was why now a flight of naval fighters from the Union carrier UNS Entrada going on an intercept course.
"This is Storm 1. We should be within visual range any minute now… WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE GODS IS THAT?!?"
"Pac Command, repeat please?" Despite the crisp reply, a tone of concern seeped into the coordinator.
"EVASIVE MANEUVERS! EVASI-" The voice was suddenly cut off in a shower of static, signally connection lost, which for something as small as a fighter aircraft almost always meant the destruction of the craft itself. The destruction of the entire flight of fighters was confirmed almost immediately as they winked out of existence on the main radar display.
The command crew of the EN-8 looked at each other in growing horror as the realization of what transpired out there. They didn't have long to dwell on that however, as the plane suddenly made a hard bank towards port, almost knock them out of their seats.
It wasn't enough to evade the beam of malevolent light heading directly towards them, and within moments it too was little more than gently falling debris into the endless ocean.
By the time the Union taskforce arrived at the plane's last coordinates there was nothing to been seen except for specks of debris floating in the ocean.
------
"Was that really necessary?" Amberea asked, watching the scenes of destruction as it occurred through the eyes of the one carrying out the destruction. "While preserving secrecy was important…"
"Unfortunately, yes." Oesa nodded. "The general staff agreed that having the orcs discover the Triumphant Will without the proper context would in fact spark off the very conflict that we would wish to avoid at the present time."
Amberea merely nodded, and returned her gaze at the huge flatscreen dominating the north wall of her office.
Despite ruling the Imperial State for over six decades by this point, Amberea's office was surprisingly bare of decorations as popularly imagined when most people when asked their perception of the lifestyle of the powerful and despotic. Then again, much like certain leaders of Earth's 20th century, who the elven fuhrer was very well aware of, she too was more than a mere despot, but the embodiment of the will of her people, or a tyrant so in love with the abstract concept of political power itself as to disregard the material benefits of said power.
Then there's the flatscreen TV, made out of the finest of crystals and crafted with the best magic and science that government money from an autocratic system could buy, seems rather out of place. Especially when it was a time when even cathode ray tube sets were luxuries and the number of TV stations could be counted in one hand. Of course it wasn't for mere entertainment purposes, but one of the minor but final pieces of the Imperial State's WMD deterrence.
It was not enough to merely mutually annihilate each other, as the orcs, humans, and dragons have resigned themselves to that state of affairs. The Imperial State seeks to win and stand after any nuclear exchange. The mana shields and the mass produced anti-radiation spells was only the beginning. It was not enough merely to survive, but also to conquer the ashes of the enemies to ensure a permanent domination.
Enter the Leviathans: massive beasts of alloy and crystal, built with the finest of technologies and materials, fueled by the essences of unspeakable horrors. They are the ultimate embodiment of the militant madness of the Imperial State and its insane fuhrer. Such was the importance of these constructs that each has a direct two way visual and audio connection to the office of the fuhrer, which brings back to the flatscreen.
The
Triumphant Will was in fact the first pre-production build, the prototype,
Deus ex Machina, was still undergoing final testing. But now time was of the essence. The orc nations have finally threw in the towel over at Ironi, and have begun the long, bloody, and painful process of withdraw from that accused continent. News of that wasn't taken well to their constituents, and both nations were facing the withdrawal symptoms of the sudden cutoff of ores they have come to rely on. Needless to say geopolitics on the old continent was more tense than ever, as nations in their moments of weakness tend to gamble and bluff much more…
A voice suddenly interrupted the the two's viewing.
"My fuhrer, priority connection from the
Deus ex Machina." The communication operator announced through the intercom system.
"What?" Amberea asked, then turned towards Oesa, "You have any idea what could this be?"
"None…" Oesa was just as perplexed.
"Fine, patched it through the screen." Amberea said to the operator, who complied immediately.
The screen shifts towards the command center of a Leviathan, clearly different from the Triumphant Will, mainly in the personnel sitting at the various control stations. However, they weren't the expected crew of the construct. The figure sitting on the captain's chair being a rather famous face yet completely unexpected for that location.
"Paneia?!?" Oesa asked in shock, "What is the meaning of this?"
"Who?" Amberea was a bit slower on the uptake. Despite everything history was never her strong suit. Then again, those who revise history for their own ends tend to be selective in their memories if for sheer political necessity. "Oh right. YOU."
"Who I was and what I accomplished are irrelevant as of this moment." Paneia said calmly, "All that you need to know is that your regime of evil ends today."
"I doubt that." Amberea sneered back, "The Leviathans are post apocalyptic weapons, you have no chance against the full might of the capital defense force. Also I doubt your little foreign backed coup will inspire much in the way of support." Finally noticing the number of orcs crewing the various stations.
"Hang on a minute," Oesa interjected, "that thing should be empty of its power cells." What was not mentioned that said 'power cells' were in fact live, sapient beings. At one point in time anyways.
"We have a goddess hooked up down there, I think we'll be fine long enough." Paneia said curtly. "Besides, you're downfall won't be from direct violence."
"HOW IN THE NAME OF THE GODS YOU MANAGED TO KIDNAP A GODDESS?!?" Amberea was suddenly a lot less calm and collected.
"On the contrary, she was in with us in this since the beginning." Paneia finally cracked a cheerless smile. "Allow me to convoy her last message: 'Fuck you feminazi hitler wannabe and also fuck that big titties tanned Himmler. You bitches had a long time coming.'" She paused for a moment, "I don't think you'll understand all the terms but the message seems pretty clear."
Silence descended at the office as the two elves stared at the screen in shock. While relations with the water goddess was never that great, one of the main reasons why she was mostly sidelined in the South Continent to begin with, no one in the regime ever expected a watchmojo level of betrayal.
Paneia continued, "But as much as I want to blow your sorry arse to kingdom come that's not what we're going to do today. Allow me to indulge one final bit of grandstanding in this world."
Silence greeted her, which she took as her cue to continue. "Years ago some of the magis figured out a way to make it to the regime of the gods, all in a theoretical sense of course. Vast amounts of power was needed to open such a gap, and more power to actually deal with the asshole deities who keep sending all the assholes into our fair world. It was most considerate of you to greenlight the necessary project that happen to meet our needs." She patted her captain's seat.
Oesa sucked in her breath, finally realizing the extent of the infiltration among the general staff. Paneia merely nodded slightly, confirming her suspicions.
"After our gapping a prerecorded message will be broadcast through all channels and papers, exposing your regime's sordid history and endless crimes as well as calling for a popular uprising, all signed off by Jane herself, so I doubt you will be able to counteract those orders." Paneia continued, "So goodbye, in more than one sense of the word."
And with those words, the connection was cut and the screen fade into a storm of static.
A long moment of silence continued in that office.
------
And thus so ended the passage of humans into from Earth to that fair world, although it took decades for scientists and magis to confirm that, and far longer to make it into its proper place in the history books. What transpired in the world of the gods will however be forever shrouded in mystery.
As for the fall of the Lasce Imperial State, it was not the happy ending that Jane had hoped for. An idealist to the end, which blinded her to the reality on the ground, and probably a little bit of all that power of being a goddess finally getting to her head.
On the Old Continent, the revolution went pretty much without a hitch, helped by many of the older generation remember the days before the rise of the Imperial State. While for humans and orcs six decades are the span of generations for elves it was closer to merely a long nightmare, and it was time to wake up again.
Meanwhile the South Continent was a completely different story. Most of its population a result of the Imperial State, who poured countless resource, labor, and sacrifice to make the endless deserts bloom. For the majority there, denial was the order of the day, and with much of the leadership fleeing there it was soon obvious that the Imperial State will endure, even if somewhat weakened. The goddess would not simply abandon them like that, they are the chosen people after all.
In hindsight, the split was inevitable, the cultures and to a certain extent even the elves themselves were too far different apart from each other. It does not make it any less tragic that the dark elves of the south continent continued to wear their chains of tyranny. It was a problem that even the gods themselves could not solve.
Even for all those problems, the world was slowly moving to a more peaceful world. With their home continent firmly in their grasp, the rattlings and ogres of Ironi seemed to be content with their triumph over the invaders, and begin the long process of rebuilding their torn world from a century of invasion and exploitation. The South Continent, unrepentant as ever, turned inward to completely tame their part of the world. As for the Old Continent, the shocks of these world changing event finally spurred greater cooperation between the various nations and species. Orcs, elves, dragons, and later on even humans as finally the old lands of humans banded together once more (with a bit of discreet help from the others here and there).
It was world moving forwards, no one really knows where, except hoping with conviction that whatever it might be will be better than the past.