Anime & Manga GATE: And Thus the UNDF Fought There V2

[Quickdraw101]

After Action Report:
Many factors were recorded as for why the battle occurred and ended the way it did. The first and foremost reason was the close proximity of Ground Zero to Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. The object which we now know as "The GATE" was located roughly 14.5 kilometers from the city. Due to the relatively small police force, as well as the fact that Iceland has no formal military, lead to horrifically high casualties in the areas closest to "The GATE". The statistics below outline the lives lost in each of the surrounding towns and municipalities.
hafnarfjörður: The town was given very little in the way of warning, but it was still enough for many civilians to evacuate before the Saderan army arrived. However, the small police presence, coupled with jammed roadways from thousands of people trying to escape, led to the death and capture of 5,391 of the 42,876 of the population. A 12% loss in population.

Garðabær: The region closest to Ground Zero, Alftanes, which is a part of the municipality of Garðabær was among the hardest percentage wise in terms of overall casualties. Of the prewar population of 24,375, 7,942 people were killed or captured, equaling 32.5% of the population.

Kópavogur: Due to the distance of Kópavogur from Ground Zero, there was enough time for a large majority of the population to begin evacuation procedures and for Icelandic Swat teams to prepare themselves. However since at the time it was believed they had no means of transportation besides foot travel, residents close to the nearby port and bay were unprepared for dozens of galleys landing on the shores and deploying hundreds of men. This caught emergency services off guard and led to an evacuation route being blocked off in the ensuing chaos, resulting in even more loss of life. Ultimately higher numbers of casualties were avoided due to the Saderans viewing the streets as complex and hard to navigate, as well as having to find their way through clogged highways and roads. Nevertheless, 2,118 of the 50,000 residents were killed or captured in the attack, a 4.2% loss of life.

Seltjarnarnes: Despite being farther away from Ground Zero in Alftanes, a second point, known as Bravo Point, had been opened in the nearby bay, which embarked hundreds of troops onto their shores. The municipality became the staging ground for their naval forces, which used it to advance into Reykjavik quicker than the ground forces already on their way. Due to no warning and no expectation of naval force to embark forces, there were catastrophic casualties. 4,587 of the 6,100 residents were killed or captured, a 75% percent loss of life. This was the hardest hit region by the Saderan army.

Reykjavik: Reykjavik was the farthest the Saderan army had gotten before their logistical line was stretched to thin and they were meeting considerable resistance from police and Swat teams throughout the city. When they had finally reached it, they began an orgy of rape, murder, and pillaging when they were informed it was the capital of the city. They even raided and burnt every foreign embassy to the ground, killed the security personnel, and captured the embassy staff. Thankfully, many thousands had fled north on the highways away from the invading force, but the coastal areas meant that important evacuation points, such as Route 40 and Reykjavik airport, were cutoff and trapped many fleeing civilian between the Saderan army. Of the 167,000 residents within the city, 6,563 were killed or captured, a loss of 3.9% of the population.

By 2080, due to not being affected by the war many decades before, and seeing a baby boom like every nation on the planet after the war decades before, Iceland's population before the battle was 423,713 people. After the battle, there were a total of 26,601 Icelandic civilians either dead or captured and brought onto the other side of what we call "The GATE", which was a 6.2% loss. Of those dead, 503 of those belonged to the 1,100 large Icelandic police force. This isn't taking into account the 567 dead foreign nationals and 111 missing, nor the military casualties which will be detailed below. This represents the single largest loss of civilian life since the war ended almost 43 years ago.

Military casualties: Once US Marines from the 26th MEU had arrived, the painstaking task of clearing out stragglers had begun. While major fighting had ended on the 4th, sporadic fighting ended on the 6th, when the last Saderan army troops had surrendered to them. Of the 150,000 strong invasion force that had invaded Iceland, an estimated 50,000 legionaries had been killed, alongside 35,000 auxiliary, leading to a total 85,000 killed. A total of ten thousand legionaries and auxiliary were captured in the aftermath, with the rest of the invasion force retreating back behind "The GATE". of the 150 "Wyverns" that had fought in the battle, two were captured alive and were moved to a secure location for research. The giant "Flame Dragon" that appeared from the "GATE" was also moved for study in a secure location. However it soon became clear that it wasn't the only creature to come from the "GATE" located in the bay, as another creature the same size as the "Flame Dragon" was detected and tracked by the USS John Paul Jones roughly 5 miles north of Reykjavik and was hunted down and killed just outside of the town of Gardur by the USS Barack Obama, on December 5th. Due to the potential of more alien species wreaking havoc on the environment, a massive sea net was built around the perimeter of that section of the bay.
UN casualties were comparatively light, given how outnumbered they were against Saderan forces.

The United States: By the end of the fighting, two Marine Corps UH-700 transport helicopters were destroyed, and a total of 30 marines and 22 airborne were killed in action. Two marine LAV-30's were damaged in the battle, but both were repairable. 3 member of an FBI HRT were also killed while clearing a residential district on the 6th.
Canada: Four Humvees, one M-ATV, and one LAV-30 was lost in action, with another mission killed, but repairable. A total of 35 Canadian soldiers were killed.
The United Kingdom: One FV435, one transport truck, and three land rovers were lost. A total of 26 royal marines and 17 army airborne were killed in the fight.
Russia: One Bulat APC and 23 airborne troops were lost.
Norway: 7 soldiers.
France: 8 soldiers and 6 GIGN.
Germany: 4 soldiers and 5 GSG9.
Denmark: 10 soldiers.
Sweden: 3 soldiers.
Poland: 5 soldiers.
A total of 204 soldiers and police officers from 10 different nations died in their mission to drive the enemy from Reykjavik and the surrounding towns.
On an unrelated, but still interesting topic, Phauthi military vessels were recently observed swarming one of their colonies on the moon of Titan. Why they moved such a substantial force into place and what it means is currently up in the air. The UNSS Icarus 01, a special reconnaissance vessel under joint UN control, has been dispatched to get a closer look and report their findings.

 

[Quickdraw101]

By the time the war had entered it's second year, it became increasingly clear to the nations of the world that an all volunteer military wouldn't be capable of achieving victory. With over one million military casualties taken within the first year alone, the world's major powers enacted a massive draft program to recruit millions of new soldiers to fight. As the war dragged on, with casualties unseen since the second world war, the United States, Russia, China, and the European powers had built numerous training facilities to facilitate the massive influx of manpower they were receiving. With tens of millions of young men and women being drafted to fight for Earth's very survival, draft dodgers were looked down upon heavily and faced sheer penalties. Execution for those who refused to serve was common, although most reluctantly joined after imprisonment and other means. In prisons throughout the world, all inmates, with the exception of murderers and rapists, were given the opportunity of a full pardon for all crimes if they joined the military. The US prison system, which had the highest incarceration rate in the world, dropped to record lows with roughly 60% of inmates agreeing to serve. It is estimated that nearly 300 million men and women from around the world served in the armed forces during the war, half of which were confirmed killed in action. Post war, many criminal organizations, such as the various Mexican cartels, were also granted full pardons for their help in the evacuation of Mexican civilians and their assistance to US military forces on the US-Mexico Border Wall. However, the pardon came at the agreement that they no longer perform illegal activities, otherwise they would be hunted down and eliminated.

The war had left a deep impact on the world's surviving countries and forced nearly all of them to implement mandatory national service. Every citizen who is physically and mentally capable, with special exception made for conscientious objectors, who are given non combat roles, are required by law to serve at least two years active service, before being put into the ready reserves. Most nations took after the Israeli model for national service, seeing as it was the most effective post war. During the first two decades post war, millions of personnel were needed for rebuilding efforts throughout the world, which provided a steady career for millions of soldiers. However, since 2067, most newly trained soldiers were sent back into civilian life, only being required to train one week a month. With the implementation of the Directed Energy Air Defense System(DEAD) starting in 2065, which were designed to serve as umbrellas over cities to nullify air assaults and nullify enemy aircraft. Such defense systems were erected around every major military base, city, and industrial facility on the planet, millions more personnel were redirected back to civilian life as to save money and allow them to pursue other career choices. Now with the United Nations Security Council having declared war for the first time in it's history, mobilization of reserves is underway at record pace.

In addition, it was also decided that regional commands be set up to help coordinate UN forces should another attack take place. Five regional commands were set up, each zone taking the responsibility of defense over it's respective continent. This however, does not mean that forces from other regional commands can't assist, it just outline the respective zones set up by the surviving UN member states. The number of active military personnel in each combat command is listed below on the map.

 

[Quickdraw101]

The Sydney Uprising represented one of the greatest partisan victories in occupied territories during the war. The uprising, while shortly lived, demonstrated a great flaw in the occupational forces of the Phauthi. To help understand how this was able to occur, one must delve into the occupational duties of Phauthi forces during the war. While they had developed advanced robotics technology, allowing them to utilize not only robotic infantry units, but unmanned fighter craft as well, which made fighting them even more difficult, they were still vulnerable to electronic jamming and EMP. They also didn't trust them to undertake normal military duties, with one captured Phauthi soldiers saying, "You don't trust a machine to do the job of an organic" when asked why they didn't have bigger roles in their military. This meant that most of them were used for pacification duties in already conquered territories. The drones were programmed with simple parameters, obey the orders of their superiors and to defend themselves from human attack. They had utilized a similar system to the Three Laws of Robotics, by Issac Asimov. Their automatic targeting system, which identified any armed humans, as well as four other unknown species, were deadly efficient in their job. Coupled with their armor being far too strong for normal civilian and law enforcement firearms to pierce, most armed resistance was effortlessly put down.

This was a problem realized by other partisan groups around the world, seeing how most were incapable of effective resistance. A group of hackers, working in tandem with Australian SASR, came up with an idea. The plan was risky and had a high probability of failure, but it had to be attempted. Using their remaining ammunition and explosives, they would ambush a small patrol of the RIU's at night, away from any witnesses or other patrols. They wanted to find a weakness within the robots, something not only they could use, but the rest of the free world could use as an advantage. They though that if they could get their hands on at least a few of the robots, they could learn the coding inside of it and possibly use it against their occupiers. Coordination was already difficult due to most avenues of communication being disabled, including the internet. However, an avenue in New Zealand, which was surprisingly overlooked by the Phauthi for being insignificant, had been used to communicate with. Shortwave radio's helped to connect with Australian and foreign survivors who could potentially help with this.

On May 15th, 2038, the 3rd Sabre squadron, sent out a platoon to a suburban neighborhood in Sydney with a clear objective. 50 men in all, they quietly stalked through the night around the suburbs tracking the positions of local patrols for the next three days, marking their patrol patterns and gaps. On May 20th, they made their move. With everything they had left, they ambushed a patrol of 10 RIU's at approximately 2400 hours. Having memorized their patrolling patterns down to a T, they managed to minimize their losses and ammunition while engaging the patrol. Working in tandem with radio jammers created for the operation, the drones were unable to call for assistance from the drone flights that patrolled the area's not far from where they were. In the end, they destroyed or disabled every RIU, but at the cost of 37 men killed. With each unit weighing roughly 400 pounds, they had to be lifted by the survivors into a group of trucks, which they then brought back to their hideout within the city. The bodies of each man were brought back and given proper burials in an area where they wouldn't run the risk of being disturbed. It was fortunate that the tracking beacons within each unit was destroyed in the fight, else the plan would've failed before it began.

Now with their hands on pieces of Phauthi robotics technology, they worked tirelessly, day and night, to understand the coding inside the robots. Thanks to a liaison in New Zealand who was operating shortwave radio, word of this plan had relayed itself back to the United States, who had previously interrogated many prisoners and had a rough understanding of the language. Carefully, thanks to barely any maritime surveillance being done against the world's navies, especially in the southern hemisphere, a SEAL team arrived in Sydney and delivered a rough translation of the Phauthi alphabet, which proved to be invaluable in deciphering the code within the CPU's of the robots. Finally on July 25th, after two months of arduous and round the clock working, they had finally broken the code within the robots.

Now all that was left was to create a program to override their targeting parameters and turn them against their creators. On the 27th, when they had managed to put together one of the robots and insert the program into it, they were identified as friendly. Now all that was left was to find a way to send it to every bot within Sydney, estimated to be around 100,000. It was planned that by using an array of antennas set up around the city, they could direct signal which would break through the security firewall and IFF system. Utilizing old infrastructure still set up in the city, to transmit the signal. By mid August, everyone had enough faith in their plan to finally test it. A copy was sent to the United States and also relayed to other groups around the world so it could be used. With the press of a button, the world had changed.

When the signal activated on August 15th, the 100,000 units in the city immediately turned on their handlers, who never caught wind of the plot, and slaughtered them. Given how the Sydney airport was a staging ground for Phauthi aircraft, the sudden turn of the 25,000 RIU's in and around the airport wreaked havoc on their operations. In addition to their forces being overrun throughout the city by an unexpected enemy, what was left of the Australian army still in the country, alongside partisan fighters, took to the streets and fought their occupiers. In just a day, they had driven most of the occupying force out of the city proper, with only a few airports and strongholds with heavy weapons holding out. When intercepted transmissions and even a few recordings had hit news outlets around the world, they knew they had found one of their enemy's weaknesses. But it wouldn't last long. By the early morning hours of August 16th, the Phauthi retaliated. Repeated nuclear strikes had leveled much of the city, followed by troops in radiation suits mopping up survivors and any remaining robots. Over the course of the next few hours, all resistance would be silenced as they slaughtered their way through every single survivors. All male survivors over the age of 13 were executed, with the rest being scattered into the shattered remains of the city.

Luckily the hackers responsible for breaking the code, were evacuated to New Zealand before the retaliatory strike could claim their lives. The HMAS Canberra, one of the few surviving Australian naval vessels, which had previously been stationed with US naval assets in Yokosuka, had been been ordered by the Australian prime minister to transport remains of the robots, as well as the survivors, who resided in New Zealand, to the United States and Canada for research. Due to a reconnaissance aircraft flying over New Zealand when the Canberra was leaving, they were soon struck with the brunt of bombers which crippled every port, airport, and military facility within the small island nation. Those that did survive and tried to fight back were obliterated in short order by an invasion force of 50,000. However they soon withdrew to more pressing fronts after they had confirmed their military was neutered, and claimed they would come back to finish them when the war had ended. Luckily, the Canberra escaped, but it's escort, HMAS Hobart, was sunk off the coast of New Zealand.

This act of courage and ingenuity proved that not only would humanity always rise from even the grimmest of circumstances, but that no matter what territories they occupied, we'd still find ways to fight them, even by turning their own weapons against them. Soon they were unable to use their own robots effectively, which forced them away from front line service entirely. Smaller situations like this had happened in the months following, which greatly hampered Phauthi operations, until they started indiscriminately killing off population centers whenever such incidents would occur. The codes were later used on multiple other fronts and shared with Europe, Russia, and China, who also made great use of the knowledge granted to them, which helped turn the odds ever so in humanities favor. The robotics part gained from the Australian resistance also sped up robotics technology by decades when it was properly analyzed by mechanical engineers the world over.

 

[Quickdraw101]

With the nation of South Africa on the verge of civil war between the government and Zulu and Boer populations, they weren't as prepared for the invasion like most countries. When the Phauthi attempts to secure a landing zone in the northern hemisphere had failed, they had focused their efforts on three countries in particular. Argentina, Australia, and South Africa. When the bulk of their forces retreated back into orbit, they began a preemptive strike on the nation. Six major cities were obliterated in a series of thirty nuclear strikes. Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, East London, Durban, and Port Elizabeth were destroyed, allowing the Phauthi to create a beachhead on Earth. By the end of February, 3rd, 2032, one day after the strike of South Africa, half the country's population was dead or injured. When they began their landings in the southern portion of the country, they had met virtually no resistance. Only a few military bases in the country had been lucky enough, or in many cases, unlucky enough to survive. The few air and army bases that had survived attempted to mount a counterattack against their landing forces while the remaining cities were undergoing evacuations.

Bases in Makhado, Langebaanweg, and Bloemspruit had scattered their air wings in separate regions to distract Phauthi forces for as long as possible. However, by the 6th of February, when the Phauthi had offloaded enough of their fighter craft from transport vessels landed in the outskirts of former cities, the entirety of the South African air force was obliterated. The largest military base in the country at the time, Tempe military base, was able to move most of it's forces out of the base before it was struck by airstrikes. They had fortified the cities of Kimberley, Welkom, and Bloemfontein, as to buy time for evacuating civilians to leave the country and head north. At this point any survivors within the already destroyed cities were systematically hunted down by RIU's. Realizing they couldn't launch anymore orbital nuclear strikes(which took the form of tungsten rods with nuclear bombs in the center)in the short term without severe environmental consequences, they were forced to fight the entrenched defenders. By the 16th, those three cities were lie in ruins, the South African military had suffered 90% causality rate, and a further 25% of the country's population was killed. Only one submarine, the SAS Queen Modjadji, being out of port at the time, had survived the attack.

It was estimated only 10% of the country's population had managed to escape into neighboring nations, with the remaining 15% trapped in the country. By the time European and American forces had liberated the continent in December of 2037, much of the South African population that had initially survived, either in nearby countries or within the former country itself, were wiped out. Of the 60 million strong population that once stood, there was estimated to be 4.5 million survivors remaining, most of which were Zulu's. They had adapted to living off the land and had mostly survived the occupation by spreading apart and staying away from the ruins of cities and military bases. The regions where they mostly resided were, at least compared to many other locations around the globe, mostly left alone. It had helped that they also spread out into other countries, mainly Mozambique. Only about 350,000 of the survivors were white South Africans, who had either evacuated from the country in the early stages, or had survived the occupational period.

It would later be revealed that fifth column units within the regional occupational forces had tampered with drone recordings and data regarding holdouts of survivors, specifically around the southern east coast of Africa. This led to many survivors being outright ignored. This became apparent in regions of South America and Southeast Asia as the war had intensified, leaving little manpower to handle occupation and extermination duties. This allowed for the fifth column units across their military to take up such duties, these same units who would later call for a ceasefire and overthrow their current leadership.

In the end, Zulu populations from across all of Africa had begun to flock back to their ancestral homeland to not only rebuild what they had lost, but to create a new nation, free from the corruption of the old government who sought to oppress them. The Zulu Republic has control over the regions of KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, Mpumalanga, as well as the former territories of Lesotho, Swaziland, and part of southern Mozambique within their borders. As of 2080, their population stands at 7.5 million people, most of which reside within KwaZulu-Natal. The Boer Republic, which has a standing population of roughly 500,000, are focused mainly in Limpopo, with the rest residing in North West and Gauteng. Most of the population are descendants of those who had survived in Africa or of refugees who came back to their home, seeking to form their own country. Both nations, who's population hold a deep distrust and hatred for the United Nations, for not helping them in their time of need, but for also seeking to replant the few survivors of the former corrupt government, back into power, had refused to join the United Nations after the war. With most of the surviving South African populations living within both of the new countries, who would've resisted militarily against any attempts to end their sovereignty, the United Nations had left them alone. and recognized their sovereignty.

Today, both nations hold close ties with one another, providing mutual security for one another, using a mixture of old weapons from the remains of South African military installations and captured Phauthi weapons. In terms of economy, both nations economies mainly come from agriculture, which they use to feed not only their own people, but what they also sell to the United Nations forces in Africa, which are in turn used at various refugee centers. Others come from selling scavenged technology, manufacturing, and what little market there is for coal in the world. While both nations had given their condolences to Iceland after the recent attack, as well as sending 100 combat medics each to assist with the carnage left afterwards, they refuse to take part in the upcoming war with the UN.

Spoiler: Map

 

[Quickdraw101]

To help gather an accurate number of those who died in The War, comprehensive lists of every nation that existed prewar, as well as the last census to have been taken in those countries, help put together an accurate number of those who died around the world. By a combination of refugees, battlefield casualties, and estimations of bodied found in mass graves, it is believed that this is the most accurate number in regards to global fatalities from 2032-2037. This list will travel in alphabetical order of each continent and nation, as to make this list more orderly and easy to navigate. To help with understanding the measurements taken, post war survivors also include refugees found in surviving countries after the war ended. For Sub Saharan Africa, the region of Africa hit the hardest in the war, nations like Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Kenya had high numbers of survivors due to their large economies and better living standards, which allowed many to flee their countries before the Phauthi moved in. Many had taken refuge in the United States, Canada, and Europe before and after the war. However due to the large tide of refugees from impacted areas, combined with immigration policies and no economic support for them, only 5-15% of refugees were found abroad. Note, this applies to global refugee counts, not just one region.


In regards to the habitability of the middle east, below is a map of nuclear detonations across the region from the war. This list does not include nations like Egypt, Turkey, or Iran, nor does it show the fallout patterns from the salted cobalt nuclear detonations. This list also doesn't include island nations, as many were left alone by the Phauthi during the war, as well as having been evacuated due to rising sea levels in the aftermath of the war, which has led to the construction of sea walls around major coastal cities.

NUKEMAP by Alex Wellerstein

NUKEMAP is a website for visualizing the effects of nuclear detonations.

nuclearsecrecy.com

Africa:

Algeria: Pre war population 49.1 million; Post war population 25 million; Current 55 million

Angola: Pre war population 41.6 million; Post war population 5 million; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence. City of New Luanda is home to roughly 5 million people, many of which are descendants of survivors from across Africa. City and surrounding region under UN control, but city has local government, otherwise isn't a country as of 2080. Could change within the decade.

Benin: Pre war population 16.2 million; Post war population 100,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Botswana: Pre war population 2.8 million; Post war population 10,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Burkina Faso: Pre war population 28.6 million; Post war population 30,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Burundi: Pre war population 18.2 million; Post war population less than 5,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Cameroon: Pre war population 34.3 million; Post war population 30,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Central African Republic: Pre war population 6.7 million; Post war population less than 10,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Chad: Pre war population 23.1 million; Post war population 300,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Pre war population 127 million; Post war population 2.2 million; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence. Note; most survivors were those living in rural regions, away from combat zones.

Republic of Congo: Pre war population 7.1 million; Post war population 15,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Cote d'Ivoire: Pre war population 33.5 million; Post war population 230,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Djibouti: Pre war population 1 million; Post war population less than 3,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence. Radiation from repeated nuclear strikes in the middle east drifted down onto the country, killing off many of the initial survivors.

Egypt: Pre war population 120.4 million; Post war population 80 million; Current: 135 million. Note; Realizing that the Aswan Dam was a large vulnerability to the country, the Egyptian government, with assistance from Israel, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia had constructed a number of spillways into the Gulf of Suez to reduce the pressure if it was ever broken. While the dam was destroyed in the war, the spillways had proven invaluable in saving millions of lives.

Equatorial Guinea: Pre war population 1.2 million; Post war population less than 5,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Eritrea: Pre war population 7.6 million; Post war population less than 5,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence. Radiation blankets region.

Ethiopia: Pre war population 143.5 million; Post war population 35 million; Current: 47 million. On track to become nation within the next few years. Resettling efforts were hampered by eastern half of the country being blanketed in radiation. Addis Adaba, which is home to 4.5 million people, sits directly outside primary radiation zone, which divided the country in two.

Gabon: Pre war population 2.4 million; Post war population 7,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Gambia: Pre war population 3.2 million; Post war population less than 4,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Ghana: Pre war population 38.1 million; Post war population 200,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Guinea: Pre war population 19.1 million; Post war population 100,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Guinea Bissau: Pre war population 2.6 million; Post war population 35,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Kenya: Pre war population 68.2 million; Post war population 14 million; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence. With the region having a population of 27 million, Kenya is on track to become nation once more within next few years.

Lesotho: Pre war population 2.5 million; Post war population less than 5,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Liberia: Pre war population 6.7 million; Post war population 120,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Libya: Pre war population 7.5 million; Post war population 3 million; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence. Due to ongoing civil unrest within the country, similar to South Africa, quickly collapsed when the war reached their doorstep. Most of the population resides in Tripoli and Benghazi. Two thirds of country absorbed by Algeria and Egypt post war.

Madagascar: Pre war population 37.7 million; Post war population 2 million; Currently being used as a naval resupply facility by the navies of the UN for shipment of aid to coastal African cities. Like most island nations, Madagascar was initially overlooked and seen as a waste of time, thus giving them some reprieve initially. However, being overlooked for occupation didn't mean they were untouched. Ports, airports, military bases, and major highways were destroyed in the second month of the war. Due to this, what farmland was in the country, was inaccessible and food shipments were unable to reach major cities, leaving many to starve. However as the war came to a close, many Phauthi units still loyal to the original objective began slaughtering populations that survived in such regions, leading to such low percentages of the population surviving. Estimated to achieve nation status within next five years.

Malawi: Pre war population 28 million; Post war population 20,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Mali: Pre war population 28.9 million; Post war population 200,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Mauritania: Pre war population 5.8 million; Post war population 50,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Morocco: Pre war population 40.3 million; Post war population 15 million; Current 38 million.

Mozambique: Pre war population 43.5 million; Post war population 340,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Namibia: Pre war population 3.3 million; Post war population 12,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Niger: Pre war population 37.8 million; Post war population 25,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Nigeria: Pre war population 274.8; Post war population 75 million; Current 165 million. Due to Nigeria having the largest economy in Africa before the invasion, as well a higher GDP per capita than most, this allowed a great many people to flee the country long before the Phauthi had arrived. Even when they did arrive, the Nigerian military, having bought surplus military gear from the United States, gave them the most resistance out of any nation in Sub Saharan Africa. Of those survivors, roughly ten million applied for citizenship within the United States and Canada, while the rest returned to their nation after the war to help rebuild.

Rwanda: Pre war population 16.3 million; Post war population 10,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Senegal: Pre war population 23.9 million; Post war population 13,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Sierra Leone: Pre war population 8.8 million; Post war population less than 5,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Somalia: Pre war population 17.4 million; Post war population less than 10,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence. Radiation covers region.

South Africa: Pre war population 60.6 million ;Post war population 4.5 million; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence. Look at report regarding Boer and Zulu Republics for modern details.

South Sudan: Pre war population 18.5 million; Post war population 185,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Sudan: Pre war population 58.7 million; Post war population 1 million; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Swaziland: Pre war population 1.5 million; Post war population 7,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Tanzania: Pre war population 87.6 million; Post war population 4 million; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence. City of Dar Es Salaam is home to roughly 5 million people as of 2080. Could become nation within next five years.

Togo: Pre war population 10.9 million; Post war population 23,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Tunisia: Pre war population 12.8 million; Post war population 4.5 million; Current 10 million.

Uganda: Pre war population 65.5 million; Post war population 70,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Zambia: Pre war population 26.7 million; Post war population 45,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Zimbabwe: Pre war population 22.1 million; Post war population 100,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.


Asia and Oceania:

Afghanistan: Pre war population 45.2 million; Post war population 30 million; Current 28 million.

Armenia; Pre war population 2.9 million; Post war population 900,000; Current 1.9 million.

Azerbaijan: Pre war population 10.7 million; Post war population 5 million; Current 12 million.

Bahrain: Pre war population 1.6 million; Post war population unknown. Region irradiated.

Bangladesh: Pre war population 189 million; Post war population 270,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Bhutan: Pre war population 896,000; Post war population 350,000; Current 500,000.

Brunei Darussalam: Pre war population 500,000; Post war population negligible. Region heavily depopulated.

Cambodia: Pre war population 19.3 million; Post war population 700,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

China: Pre war population 1.4 billion; Post war population 1.2 billion; Current 1.9 billion. Please note that this also includes Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, which reunited with China shortly after the war, the latter of which is a special administrative region.

Cyprus: Pre war population 1.3 million; Post war population 1 million; Current 1.5 million.

Georgia: Pre war population 3.8 million; Post war population 1.5 million; Current 3 million.

India: Pre war population 1.5 billion; Post war population 1.2 billion; Current 1.7 billion.

Indonesia: Pre war population 299.4 million; Post war population 50 million; Current 150 million. Indonesia was another example of a country with large rural populations that managed to survive the war.

Iran: Pre war population 89.1 million; Post war population 55 million; Current 85 million.

Iraq: Pre war population 56.7 million; Post war population 500,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence. Due to much of the middle east being irradiated during The War, casualty counts have been difficult. Even more so when Turkey closed their borders to refugees when the war began, closing off their only avenue of escape. It is safe to assume most of the Iraqi population was killed off. However in an odd twist, the Kurdish region of the country has recovered the best out of most regions in the middle east. This led to the creation of a Kurdish state in parts of Northern Iraq and Syria. Much to the displeasure of Iran and Turkey, they are backed by the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, and Israel, making them a legitimate nation. Kurdistan's current population is estimated at 2 million.

Israel: Pre war population 10.2 million; Post war population 4 million; Current 8 million. Despite having prepared heaviest out of any of its neighbors, Israel and its population still took devastating losses during the war, including the complete loss of its capital city, Jerusalem. Despite the number of ABM sites surrounding the city, it was completely destroyed in a nuclear bombardment by Phauthi forces during their campaign against the worlds major religious cites. That region of Israel is still inaccessible due to radiation even today.

Japan: Pre war population 118.9 million; Post war population 103 million; Current 147 million. Japan got of relatively light compared to many Asian nations, but even they weren't immune to the effects of the war. In the final year of the war, the Phauthi invaded Tokyo with every transport asset they had available, seeking to break the island fortress. After inflicting horrendous casualties on the local civilian and military population, they captured key points around the city. The JSDF was well equipped, but was lacking in experience, which caused lopsided casualty numbers. It wasn't until the US 7th fleet arrived with 50,000 Marines that their luck had changed. On March 3rd, 2037, they launched one final thrust into Tokyo, liberating the city. However it was due to the actions of one Marsoc operator that changed the outcome of the battle. During the battle for Yokohama bridge, Phauthi reinforcements attempted to move an armor column across the bridge, carrying a prototype anti air weapon. A weapon that, should it have become operational, would've nullified American and Japanese air power. Connor Morgan, leader of the Marsoc team at the bridge, reported an armor column rolling in at the mouth of the bridge. However with friendly forces to close for an air strike, Connor took matters into his own hands. As the last friendly Abrams tank on the bridge were destroyed by the enemy armoured column, he lit a flare and threw himself directly onto the lead vehicle in the convoy. With friendly air having eyes on the flare, they unleashed hell at the mouth of the bridge, destroying Phauthi forces in the process, as well as severing the bridge. The actions of one Marine led to an allied victory in Tokyo that day.

Jordan: Pre war population 9.3 million; Post war population 2.3 million; Current 5.5 million.

Kazakhstan: Pre war population 20.3 million; Post war population 11.7 million. Current 18.6 million.

Republic of Korea: Pre war population 60.9 million; Post war population; 58.5 million; Current: 93 million. After the Peninsula was united once more in 2025, the northern section of the country was left in ruin. With over half of the former North Korean population either dead or fleeing into China, the ROK took up the responsibility of rebuilding the region from the ground up. With 10 million more souls to care for, this task would prove difficult for the nation. The cost of educating them for a modern world costed billions of dollars, and in many cases, it simply failed. Even with family in the ROK, many just couldn't cope with the new life. The Republic of Korea was mostly untouched by the war, aside from occasional bomber strikes in and around Seoul. The bulk of the causalities came from Operation Hammerdown, in which the Koreans mobilized their military alongside Chinese, Japanese, and American military forces in order to free Asia.

Kuwait: Pre war population 5 million; Post war population negligible; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence. Region irradiated.

Kyrgyzstan: Pre war population 7.2 million; Post war population 4 million; Current 6 million.

Laos: Pre war population 8.6 million; Post war population 327,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Lebanon: Pre war population 5.3 million; Post war population 1 million; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence. Territory controlled by Israel and Turkey until government is established.

Malaysia: Pre war population 36.7 million; Post war population 8 million; Current 21 million.

Mongolia: Pre war population 3.5 million; Post war population 3 million; Current 5 million.

Myanmar: Pre war population 60.8 million; Post war population 105,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Nepal: Pre war population 33.5 million; Post war population 27 million; Current 35 million.

Oman: Pre war population 5.2 million; Post war population 35,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Pakistan: Pre war population 251.8 million; Post war 200 million; Current 280 million.

Papua New Guinea: Pre war population 10.3 million; Post war population 15,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence

Philippines: Pre war population 126.4 million; Post war population 65 million; Current 110 million. Note, as with Nigerian and Ethiopian communities in the United States, the Filipino community grew exponentially during and after the war.

Qatar: Pre war population 2.8 million; Post war population unknown. Current N/A, nation no longer in existence. Any survivors more than likely consisted of wealthy individuals who evacuated before Qatar was destroyed.

Russian Federation: Pre war population 137.4 million; Post war population 113 million; Current 180 million.

Saudi Arabia: Pre war population 39.9 million; Post war population unknown. Current N/A, nation no longer in existence. Due to radiation contamination in Saudi Arabia, the only accurate body counts came from the ruins of Mecca and Medina taken last year. Even then, the teams were only able to stay for a short time before their suits would be compromised.

Singapore: Pre war population 6.4 million; Post war population 700,000. Current N/A, nation no longer in existence. When the remains of the Singaporean military were forced to evacuate the city, they evacuated into Malaysia, and when that failed, they fell back into China. After the war, the number of Singaporean survivors was severely limited. 250k were military personnel that took part in the liberation in the ruins of the city. Another the rest were refugees who settled in various camps throughout Asia post war, many of whose descendants currently live within the rebuilt portion of the city near the jointly operated Chinese/American naval base.

Sri Lanka: Pre war population 21.5 million; Post war population 500,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence. India took in majority of refugees before the island fell and was subsequently depopulated to make way for an invasion of Southern India.

Syria: Pre war population 29.4 million; Post war population less than 5,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence. Between the civil unrest and distrust in the Assad government lingering from the Syrian Civil War that ended in 2020, the country was not ready for another long term conflict. However that was a moot point as much of the country was reduced to radioactive slag when the Phauthi reached the middle east. Even as refugees fled towards the borders with Turkey and Russia, contaminated water sources and radiation plumes decimated survivors from not only Syria, but across the middle east. As of now, the region is still uninhabitable.

Tajikistan: Pre war population 11.4 million; Post war population 8.7 million; Current 12.3 million.

Thailand: Pre war population 67.9 million; Post war population 15 million; Current 40 million. Many survivors fled to China when Bangkok fell.

Timor-Leste: Pre war population 1.6 million; Post war population negligible; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Turkey: Pre war population 88.8 million; Post war population 68 million; Current 125 million.

Turkmenistan: Pre war population 6.2 million; Post war population 2.1 million; Current 4.5 million.

United Arab Emirates: Pre war population 11.1 million; Post war population unknown. Current N/A, nation no longer in existence. Region covered in radiation left over from the war.

Uzbekistan: Pre war population 34.7 million; Post war population 30 million; Current 42 million.

Vietnam: Pre war population 106.2 million; Post war population 35 million; Current 92 million. Most of the post war population either fled into China or to the United States during the war, most of which returned post war.

Yemen: 37.5 million; Post war population negligible; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.


Australia and New Zealand:


Australia: Pre war population 29 million; Post war population 2.5 million; Current 5 million. Note, most adults of fighting age were killed during the five year occupational period. It was due to the decision of sympathetic elements within the Phauthi that children and elderly were relegated to Tasmania during the war. However, with conditions rivaling the concentration camps of Nazi Germany, many elderly and young children were killed within those five years. Those who survived were forever changed as individuals and had been diagnosed with some type of mental disorder by the end of the war. The population of adults between the ages of 20-55 in mainland Australia numbered less than 20,000 throughout the whole nation. Another half million had made it to New Zealand, the United States, and Canada, before all avenues of escape were cut off. It was miraculous that Australia had managed to become a functional nation once more, although a heavily scarred and fragile one.

New Zealand: Pre war population 5.1 million; Post war population 3 million; Current 5 million. Aside from the retaliatory strike the country faced after the Sydney Uprising, which killed half a million New Zealanders, the country escaped the war almost unscathed. However, various factors ranging from destroyed infrastructure and lack of imports, led to shortages of many essential goods. Fuel was exhausted and transportation of food to the major cities was cut off, which lead to starvation in major urban areas. Winter was also a major issue for the country, as power was strictly rationed, led to many freezing to death over the years. Even as militaries tried in secret to supply the country, it was proven to be useless as the Phauthi destroyed anything that got to close to the island nation. Such chaos over the next five years led to the deaths of another 1.5 million people.



Europe:

Albania: Pre war population 2.9 million; Post war population 2 million; Current 3.2 million.

Andorra: Pre war population 78,000; Post war population 69,000; Current 105,000.

Austria: Pre war population 8.8 million; Post war population 8.1 million; Current 12 million.

Belarus: Pre war population 8.8 million; Post war population 7 million; Current 11 million.

Belgium: Pre war population 12 million; Post war population 11.5 million; Current 17 million.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Pre war population 3.5 million; Post war population 2.8 million; Current 3.3 million.

Bulgaria: Pre war population 6.1 million; Post war population 5.5 million; Current 8 million.

Croatia: Pre war population 3.9 million; Post war population 3.3 million; Current 4.4 million.

Czech Republic: Pre war population 10.4 million; Post war population 9.1 million; Current 17.7 million.

Denmark: Pre war population 6 million; Post war population 5.7 million; Current 8.2 million.

Estonia: Pre war population 1.2 million; Post war population 1.1 million; Current 1.5 million.

Finland: Pre war population 5.7 million; Post war population 5.5 million; Current 7.3 million.

France: Pre war population 68.4 million; Post war population 51.3 million; Current 85 million.

Germany: Pre war population 78.9 million; Post war population 66 million; Current 93 million.

Greece: Pre war population 10.4 million; Post war population 5 million; Current 11.3 million.

Hungary: Pre war population 9.1 million; Current 8 million; Current 12 million.

Iceland: Pre war population 368,000; Post war population 348,000; Current 397,000. Note, after the Battle of Reykjavik, roughly 6.2% of the total Icelandic population was either dead or missing, constituting 26,601 Icelandic nationals.

Ireland: Pre war population 5.2 million; Post war population 5 million; Current 7 million.

Italy: Pre war population 58.9 million; Post war population 41.2 million; Current 75 million.

Kosovo: Pre war population 1.9 million; Post war population 800,000; Current 1.3 million.

Latvia: Pre war population 1.7 million; Post war population 1.6 million; Current 2.2 million.

Liechtenstein: Pre war population 40,000; Post war population 39,000; Current 43,000.

Lithuania: Pre war population 2.6 million; Post war population 2.4 million; Current 3.2 million.

Luxembourg: Pre war population 691,000; Post war population 660,000; Current 1 million.

Malta: Pre war population 428,000; Post war population 200,000; Current 350,000.

Republic of Moldova: Pre war population 3.7 million; Post war population 3 million; Current 3.9 million.

Monaco: Pre war population 41,000; Post war population 40,000; Current 50,000.

Montenegro: Pre war population 615,000; Post war population 320,000; Current 550,000.

Netherlands: Pre war population 17.6 million; Post war population 17.2 million; Current 21 million.

North Macedonia: Pre war population 2 million; Post war population 1.5 million; Current 2.4 million.

Norway: Pre war population 6 million; Post war population 5.7 million; Current 9 million.

Poland: Pre war population 36.8 million; Post war population 33.5 million; Current 50 million.

Portugal: Pre war population 9.7 million; Post war population 7.3 million; Current 10 million.

Romania: Pre war population 17.4 million; Post war population 14 million; Current 20 million.

San Marino: Pre war population 34,000; Post war population 30,000; Current 40,000

Serbia: Pre war population 8.1 million; Post war population 6 million; Current 7.9 million.

Slovakia: Pre war population 5.3 million; Post war population 4.8 million; Current 7 million.

Slovenia: Pre war population 2 million; Post war 1.5 million; Current 2 million.

Spain: Pre war population 45.8 million; Post war population 30 million; Current 65 million.

Sweden: Pre war population 10.8 million; Post war population 9 million; Current 15 million.

Switzerland: Pre war population 9.3 million; Post war population 8.8 million; Current 13 million.

Ukraine: Pre war population 40.2 million 30.1 million; Current 58 million.

United Kingdom: Pre war population 70.6 million; Post war population 60.3 million; Current 94 million.


North America

Belize: Pre war population 485,000; Post war population 50,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Canada: Pre war population 40.8 million; Post war population 38.5 million; Current 62 million.

Costa Rica: Pre war population 5.4 million; Post war population 150,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Cuba: Pre war population 11.1 million; Post war population 7 million; Current 9 million.

Dominican Republic: Pre war population 12.2 million; Post war population 8 million; Current 5 million.

El Salvador: Pre war population 6.4 million; Post war population 100,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Guatemala: Pre war population 22.1 million; Post war population 300,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Haiti: Pre war population 12.7 million; Post war population 4 million; Current 5 million.

Honduras: Pre war population 9.9 million; Post war population 200,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Jamaica: Pre war population 2.8 million; Post war population 2.1 million; Current 4 million.

Mexico: Pre war population 150.3 million; Post war population 50 million; Current 100 million.

Nicaragua: Pre war population 7.1 million; Post war population 50,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Panama: Pre war population 4.8 million; Post war population 20,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Trinidad and Tobago: Pre war population 1.6 million; Post war population less than 5,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

United States of America: Pre war population 359.7 million; Post war population 310 million; Current 415 million.


South America

Argentina: Pre war population 50 million; Post war population 1.5 million; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence. Note, most survivors took refuge in the United States during and after the war.

Bolivia: Pre war population 13.4 million; Post war population 150,000; Current 400,000, nation no longer in existence. Note, while the region is integrated within American Command, the nation is far from having a stable government. It is integrated simply due to the number of the population that serves and is deployed within the region. It is being decided whether or not Brazil will incorporate the territory of the former nation into it's own.

Brazil: Pre war population 230 million; Post war population 40 million; Current 100 million. Note, most survivors kept around the coastlines and rural areas throughout the country if they were unable to escape the country.

Chile: Pre war population 20.4 million; Post war population 3 million; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence. While roughly 1 million refugees settled in the United States post war, the remainder returned to rebuild their country. This is seen in the city of Santiago, which boasts a population of roughly 5 million people.

Colombia: Pre war population 53.5 million; Post war population 15 million; Current 40 million.

Ecuador: Pre war population 19.9 million; Post war population 2 million; Current N/A, Nation no longer in existence. Region is settled by roughly 7 million individuals who were descendants of the refugees brought back after the war, as well as from neighboring countries.

Guyana: Pre war population 824,000; Post war population 30,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Paraguay: Pre war population 7.9 million; Post war population less than 10,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Peru: Pre war population 37.4 million; Post war population 4 million; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Suriname: Pre war population 604,000; Post war population less than 10,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Uruguay: Pre war population 3.6 million; Post war population 13,000; Current N/A, nation no longer in existence.

Venezuela: Pre war population 37.2 million; Post war population 5 million; Current 12 million.

 

[Quickdraw101]

"This is Renee Syhan, back once again from New Delhi, with news regarding the news about the upcoming offensive by the United Nations Defense Force against the Saderan Empire. While it's been over two months since the devastating attack in Reykjavik, the effects are still being felt across the world. Bases are working round the clock as reservists and volunteers continue to flood into active service. In major cities around the globe, troops can still be seen guarding important infrastructure, in the off chance of another attack elsewhere. Right now, as I'm delivering this message to you, the leaders of the United Nations Security Council, as well as leaders from other key nations, are meeting once again in Geneva, Switzerland, to discuss the troop deployments, as well as the emergence of the Phauthi within this new world. While much of the world see's this as a defensive operation that will bolster the defenses of Earth, as well as rescuing all those who were kidnapped by the Saderans, many have called this operation into question."

"Many have pointed out that the world beyond Alpha Point is full of untapped resources, which will almost certainly draw the attention of the major powers within the United Nations. Critics have called the UN military buildup a "repeat of 19th century imperialism" at the expense of the native populations. Protests outside of the UN headquarters in Geneva because of this. While we have attempted to question the UN secretary general on that topic, we weren't given a reply. However it has been stated that the first priority of the UNDF will be to eliminate any potential threat towards Earth and to locate and rescue any civilians captured during the attack. Nonetheless, this is more than likely to be discussed in detail later this evening. But above all else, the emergence of the Phauthi in this world will have almost certainly taken priority over any other topic of debate today. While many experts have stated that it's unlikely for them to reinstate hostilities, military leaders are taking no chances."

"While it was originally planned to use older, outdated gear in what is being called the "Special Region", the emergence of a peer opponent has completely changed all that. This has sparked new logistical concerns about housing, storing, and transporting new gear to Iceland. While the last few months have seen the construction of new harbors and airports, the fact still remains that it is a small country, with little infrastructure for maintaining a large military force. While many nations have already pledged a set amount of personnel to take part in future operations, some nations still haven't completely decided. However, logistical concerns are the main concern for military leaders across the globe. For the moment, it seems that the United States, Great Britain, France, China, and Russia will be handling the bulk of the logistical issues, with both America and China drawing upon their reserve fleets for future amphibious operations. As things currently stand, hundreds of thousands of soldiers from across the world have been mobilized for the campaign. Even nations like France, Norway, Germany, and Canada have opened their ranks to Icelandic citizens who wish to serve and avenge their fallen countrymen."

"This is Renee Syhan, BBC news, New Delhi."

 

[mwkillkenny84]

Got there, registered, watched the thread... how much I missed?

 

[Quickdraw101]

Got there, registered, watched the thread... how much I missed?

Thankfully not much. I've just been updating grammatical errors and contradictory statements while I work on getting chapter 16 finished.

 

[mwkillkenny84]

Thankfully not much. I've just been updating grammatical errors and contradictory statements while I work on getting chapter 16 finished.

Many thanks.

Oh, remember, any soldier from nations that have (as mother tongue) a latin-derived tongue should have an easier-ish time into finding common points between the Saderan language (itself derived from the latin spoke during the Late Roman Empire, if the origins of their ancerstors have not been retconed for this fiction), nevermind the eventual attached military chaplains that the bigger formations will inevitably have...

 

[prinCZess]

Spoiler

Godasen knew this question would be asked. He dreaded having to think about what he saw in that mans head. The images of fire and untold destruction. But if he was to convince the senate and royal family of the dangers they faced, they would have to see what he saw. "To help you understand the situation that now lie before us, we need to understand what our enemy is. Our enemy isn't just a single nation, but a total of 85 countries that reside on the other side of the GATE." Godasen projected a cloud before those assembled and it showed a large variety of flags. But at the center was blue flag with what appeared to be many continents in the center, with two fig leafs on both sides. "There used to be far more nations in this world, but a great war soon changed all that. When I probed the minds of the important prisoners, I got to see what the otherworlders used to fight their wars. And their most recent conflict and their sworn enemy." Godasen muttered a spell that allowed him to cast his memories of what he saw earlier into the cloud for all to see.

This might be a consequence of the paragraph-eating XF2 seems to do, but using the above as an example--do a bit more paragraphing or less interruptions of speech when someone is talking?
I don't know if it's a 'rule', but I try to limit myself to a line of narration at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a character's words, just because it makes things much more 'clean' and easy to read. Extra paragraphs can be gone to if you need the character to engage in another action or notable thought/movement. So, just as personal opinion, I might break the above up like this:

Spoiler

Godasen knew this question would be asked. He dreaded having to think about what he saw in that mans head. The images of fire and untold destruction. But if he was to convince the senate and royal family of the dangers they faced, they would have to see what he saw.

"To help you understand the situation that now lie before us, we need to understand what our enemy is. Our enemy isn't just a single nation, but a total of 85 countries that reside on the other side of the GATE." Godasen projected a cloud before those assembled and it showed a large variety of flags, but at the center was a blue flag with two fig leafs on both sides, "There used to be far more nations in this world, but a great war soon changed all that. When I probed the minds of the important prisoners, I got to see what the otherworlders used to fight their wars. And their most recent conflict and their sworn enemy."
Godasen muttered a spell that allowed him to cast his memories of what he saw earlier into the cloud for all to see.

Spoiler

The man who was brought through the tent was Charles Lee. Lee was just visiting his family in Iceland when he heard air raid sirens went off and police were buzzing around his neighborhood. He had assumed it was a drill of some kind until gunshots rang out. Lee thought he'd be safe with his family in their house, until they came. A foreign army, for the first time since world war two, has invaded Iceland. And they were carrying sword and shield. He never thought his Latin would ever save him and his family's life. Now he was being marched towards a purple tent under escort from a dozen armed men. When he was shoved into the tent, everyone laid their eyes on him. Before he could ask a question, what appeared to be a Roman legate stepped forward.

As another nitpick/complaint (apologies but it is my Sovereign Right and Duty to nag! Pretty sure it's in the Constitution or something.😜), this 'style' of tangent where you focus on a character and give a bit too much of their background and personality in narration introducing them seems a bit too common to me (it also crops up during the introduction of the Seal Team, as another example). This goes back to that old saw of 'show don't tell', but Lee's background and personal feelings should come out through his portrayal a bit more than they are told to the reader like this---so he's fug-buck terrified and confused, perhaps stammering or taking a long time to answer as he tries to remember latin words or the like as he's interrogated, and maybe we get a bit more representation of how much he's cooperating because of the threats to his family. Some of the 'background narration' could stand to be cut or put elsewhere--that he heard the air raid sirens or that Iceland's been invaded for the first time since WWII could be edited out, for instance. They're more distracting than informative, perhaps?

I, admittedly, know of Gate only through...honestly I think reading this and people giving one-line descriptions of it elsewhere, but the gist of things seems basic enough. I think the one thing 'broadly' that bugs me is that the alien invasion plays such a major role in readjusting earth's history and background, but it seems to be unreferenced or very rarely alluded-to by the human characters we see? It seems like this kind of near-apocalyptic war would still be hanging in people's minds a bit more than it seems to be, and there'd be more references about technology or military hardware having stagnated or been jerry-rigged into continuing to work for years--something that struck me particularly when the A-10 was referenced in the pilots intro. That just kind've causes a head-tilt because it's 2080...In that case, some 'background narration' about the things being pressed into service 'because oh shit aliens!' seems like it'd be appropriate...Or, it might be easier to narrow the time-difference down just a tad? I dunnow, just something I thought I'd voice.

 

[Quickdraw101]

This might be a consequence of the paragraph-eating XF2 seems to do, but using the above as an example--do a bit more paragraphing or less interruptions of speech when someone is talking?
I don't know if it's a 'rule', but I try to limit myself to a line of narration at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a character's words, just because it makes things much more 'clean' and easy to read. Extra paragraphs can be gone to if you need the character to engage in another action or notable thought/movement. So, just as personal opinion, I might break the above up like this:

Spoiler

Godasen knew this question would be asked. He dreaded having to think about what he saw in that mans head. The images of fire and untold destruction. But if he was to convince the senate and royal family of the dangers they faced, they would have to see what he saw.

"To help you understand the situation that now lie before us, we need to understand what our enemy is. Our enemy isn't just a single nation, but a total of 85 countries that reside on the other side of the GATE." Godasen projected a cloud before those assembled and it showed a large variety of flags, but at the center was a blue flag with two fig leafs on both sides, "There used to be far more nations in this world, but a great war soon changed all that. When I probed the minds of the important prisoners, I got to see what the otherworlders used to fight their wars. And their most recent conflict and their sworn enemy."
Godasen muttered a spell that allowed him to cast his memories of what he saw earlier into the cloud for all to see.

As another nitpick/complaint (apologies but it is my Sovereign Right and Duty to nag! Pretty sure it's in the Constitution or something.😜), this 'style' of tangent where you focus on a character and give a bit too much of their background and personality in narration introducing them seems a bit too common to me (it also crops up during the introduction of the Seal Team, as another example). This goes back to that old saw of 'show don't tell', but Lee's background and personal feelings should come out through his portrayal a bit more than they are told to the reader like this---so he's fug-buck terrified and confused, perhaps stammering or taking a long time to answer as he tries to remember latin words or the like as he's interrogated, and maybe we get a bit more representation of how much he's cooperating because of the threats to his family. Some of the 'background narration' could stand to be cut or put elsewhere--that he heard the air raid sirens or that Iceland's been invaded for the first time since WWII could be edited out, for instance. They're more distracting than informative, perhaps?

I, admittedly, know of Gate only through...honestly I think reading this and people giving one-line descriptions of it elsewhere, but the gist of things seems basic enough. I think the one thing 'broadly' that bugs me is that the alien invasion plays such a major role in readjusting earth's history and background, but it seems to be unreferenced or very rarely alluded-to by the human characters we see? It seems like this kind of near-apocalyptic war would still be hanging in people's minds a bit more than it seems to be, and there'd be more references about technology or military hardware having stagnated or been jerry-rigged into continuing to work for years--something that struck me particularly when the A-10 was referenced in the pilots intro. That just kind've causes a head-tilt because it's 2080...In that case, some 'background narration' about the things being pressed into service 'because oh shit aliens!' seems like it'd be appropriate...Or, it might be easier to narrow the time-difference down just a tad? I dunnow, just something I thought I'd voice.

Well I just copy and paste my chapter from SB and it wasn't until the last 5 chapters or so that someone offered to proofread them, so before that they were filled with grammatical errors. The War gets referenced steadily more and more as the story goes on, especially since the UNDF is preparing for its first military operation against an invading power. Then there's two chapters virtually dedicated to the political consequences of this. There's also discussion between the major powers of the resources on Falmart that they desperately need, since most of Earth's resources were exhausted. There is still old equipment that's in service, such as the sole surviving B-1 that was in Greenland sent for air support, to the F-35's, to many of the ground vehicles used in the Battle of Iceland.

 

[CarlManvers2019]

I honestly never read/watched Gate, but gotta ask, are the Falmartians really this fucking dense over why the people they’re sacking are so pissed off and are so willing to fight and destroy?

Also, I don’t think many primitive civilizations even called or look down on protecting one’s own citizens, even feudal leaders have to show some care. Sure they may do wars that result in their people getting attacked, but even they make efforts to protect them.

 

[Quickdraw101]

I honestly never read/watched Gate, but gotta ask, are the Falmartians really this fucking dense over why the people they’re sacking are so pissed off and are so willing to fight and destroy?

Also, I don’t think many primitive civilizations even called or look down on protecting one’s own citizens, even feudal leaders have to show some care. Sure they may do wars that result in their people getting attacked, but even they make efforts to protect them.

In canon, even after losing 60% of their military, they still refused to give up and believed they could win the war. Even as the Japanese ambassador arrived in the Imperial capital, one of the senators threaten him saying that the newly rebuilt army would crush Japan. And this isn't even getting into how they still fought after the JSDF dropped guided munitions onto the assembly hall.

As for the second part, in canon as well, Emperor Molt told them that their biggest weakness was caring for their civilians, saying that it would be their downfall. That was their response when Japan made it clear that they would rescue all enslaved Japanese citizens.

 

[CarlManvers2019]

In canon, even after losing 60% of their military, they still refused to give up and believed they could win the war. Even as the Japanese ambassador arrived in the Imperial capital, one of the senators threaten him saying that the newly rebuilt army would crush Japan. And this isn't even getting into how they still fought after the JSDF dropped guided munitions onto the assembly hall.

As for the second part, in canon as well, Emperor Molt told them that their biggest weakness was caring for their civilians, saying that it would be their downfall. That was their response when Japan made it clear that they would rescue all enslaved Japanese citizens.

Okay, man gotta say that’s somewhere between Cartoon Villainy and the beginnings of The Fall of Rome, arrogance and stupidity are a bad combination. Even more when you can’t see the practicality or strength of virtue or how strong people can be when fighting for a cause they deem righteous or have immense loyalty to something they love without being forced into it

 

[mwkillkenny84]

The Fall of Rome

Carl? The Saderans are of Late Roman Empire descent.

For their ancestors, the Fall of Rome was a decade after the GATE opened in front of them and took them to Falmart. Depending on what Legion Hardy selected to have her fun, of course.

 

[Aaron Fox]

Also, people forget that Rome was vastly different than other nations of the majority fo the periods it spanned. Remember, this is the same Rome that -when only owning 4/5s of Italy- lost a full fifth of its adult male population in Canne and decided to simply told Hannibal that they'll come back with more legions. Hannibal was basically going '... what?' at the said response... and is probably one of the reasons why Hannibal didn't march upon Rome.

Literally everyone else in history would go 'we surrender'. Rome was one of the few exceptions to that rule.

 

[Quickdraw101]

Carl? The Saderans are of Late Roman Empire descent.

For their ancestors, the Fall of Rome was a decade after the GATE opened in front of them and took them to Falmart. Depending on what Legion Hardy selected to have her fun, of course.

Late reply, I know, but there was that Roman Legion that disappeared in Britain around AD 120. That's one possible explanation.

 

[Aaron Fox]

@Quickdraw101, you've gotten me to start working on a Xenonauts/GATE fic...

... and a GATE fic using my own setting called A New World...

 

[Quickdraw101]

Imperial Calendar 687
Rondel, Falmart

"Greetings, fellow mages! I asked you here today because we stand at the precipice of great change!" Grand Mage Godasen announced to all those gathered in the Meeting Hall of Rondel. Over the last few weeks, he'd sent messages out to every mage in every corner of the Empire. With the Empire's recent military disaster at the hands of the otherworld plus the information they had gathered, he and his students had been very busy. He'd summoned not just those mages in the Imperial army, but also those in the Rondel Defense Corps, and those who dedicated their lives to studying magic. Not only did their survival depend on this meeting, but so did that of the city of Rondel, and the Empire.

"In this room are the best mages in this great land! I trained many of you myself over the years. Many of you are still my students. But this is not what I've called you all here for. We face a threat greater than any our world has ever seen before, and as things stand, we are not prepared to face it."
The last words he spoke caused the room to erupt in conversation among all those assembled. Most in the room looked shocked and confused that anyone would utter such words, much less the Grand Mage himself. Even Senior Mages Cato El Altestan and Mimoza Le Mer were taken aback by his words.

"What could possibly make you utter such words, Grand Mage?" brown haired student by the name of Arpeggio demanded. "What power could rival our own?"

"I am getting to that Arpeggio," Godasen replied quickly. "If I may have your attention, I'll explain our situation in detail. As most of you should know, four months ago, the Gate on the Holy Hill of Alnus opened up. The Emperor requested that we increase its size, so the legions of the Saderan Army might spread the light of the Empire and civilize the barbarians on the other world. However, when we had arrived, nothing was as we expected. When my students and I had arrived to assist Legate Tiberius, we found the land was far different from what we imagined. The nation we arrived in had no army, only a small guard force in their main city. These only put up meager resistance before succumbing to the legions might. However it soon became clear that they possessed many things which we did not. They rode in horseless metal carriages with bright blue lights atop them. They had weapons which allowed a handful of men to kill scores of legionaries. But they were few in number and we captured many of these weapons. That's when we realized something. The other world is without magic. Instead, they use mechanical devices, or at least from what my colleagues and I have concluded, devices that utilize forces far from our understanding."

"But how can that be possible?" one student interrupted, causing many of the mages in the room to murmur in agreement. "With what you have told us, they must be using magic. How else could they achieve what you described? Surely, you must have gained valuable information from the invasion? As well as captives who can construct such glorious devices?"

"Because the invasion failed," Godasen replied sternly. The room went quiet as all but the most senior mages, and those few who survived the battle in the other world, went wide eyed upon processing what they had been told. "It took less than a full day for us to be beaten back, despite the seemingly overwhelming might that was brought to bear. While the nation we invaded had no army, there were other nations who provided them with protection. That is when we learned the true extent of the otherworld army's ability to fight. Even before their main force arrived, they completely annihilated our wyvern corps. However, they were incapable of slowing down our legions." As he looked around, he could tell that nearly everyone was at a loss for words. What he told them went against everything they had been taught: that the Empire was the mightiest force in the land, and that their magic would make it unstoppable. Yet here they were, defeated by an enemy they knew nothing about.

"As we advanced further into the city, we began to probe the memories of captives to get a better idea of what we were up against. However, we needed to probe more prisoners than we expected to get a clear idea of the enemy's capabilities. They have devices that allow for near instant communication across continents, steel elephants whose fire can tear the limbs of a flame dragon off, flying metal birds capable of speeds never thought possible, cities made of steel and glass that reach the very heavens, and living conditions that make even the richest noblemen and merchants look like mere peasants.

"My final order before I departed back across the Gate was that all libraries be captured and their contents seized for further study, along with specific prisoners I had deemed important to our cause. Much to the displeasure of the Empire, we took possession of over 1000 slaves for that exact purpose, as well as nearly an entire library's worth of books that had been captured before the retreat. These books, providing great insight into the capabilities of their world, have also proven very difficult for us to understand."

"But shouldn't such information be easily understandable with mind probing? After all, wouldn't you be able to understand and learn the information being shown?" an elven student asked.

Godasen simply chuckled at the question. "Young one, it is not that simple. At least, not when dealing with our new opponents. When we tried to learn the information within a short time, many passed out from exhaustion. Over these last few months, nine of my fellow mages died from trying to absorb all the knowledge at once. We thought that we'd be capable of understanding it all, but we were wrong. While we are making great strides with the prisoners we have and using them to teach us, as embarrassing as this is to say, the technical capabilities of the otherworld are far in advance of what we have. Even the dwarves of the Romalia Mountains could not understand many of the weapons we gave them. Even after breaking them down, it seems that the metal working required to build such weapons isn't something they can do."

"Is there anything we have learned from them that we can use now? Something to help the Empire win?"

"While there is a great deal of information we have yet to decipher, we still have slaves who can do much of that work for us. But even the smartest that we took possession of still have trouble understanding working with us. Of those we do have, very few are teachers or warriors. But we have made progress. From the places of learning that we captured, there are textbooks on subjects such as the otherworld version of alchemy, which they call "fis icks". Thanks to such knowledge, we have gained valuable insight on how we can improve our spells. In the months since the failed expedition, we've used these teachings to enhance the power of our flame magic. Mimoza, Cato, an I, as well as a small handful of my students have learned much from these texts. That is why all of you are here. We've copied the texts into our own language in sufficient numbers for everyone here. I expect all of you to stay in Rondel and study to the extent of your ability. If we are to survive, studying and learning the otherworld knowledge is our top priority."

This was Godasen's best shot and he knew it. He had recalled nearly every mage across the continent, as well as every mage in training for this meeting. Unlike many of the more pigheaded senators, nobles, and legates, he understood the full scope of just what they were facing. He knew he had drawn attention by recalling the other battle mages from the various legions across Falmart, but he didn't care. They were the Empire's best bet at survival. He cursed the Emperor and the senate for ordering the Gate be expanded and and sending an invasion force through it. They had stepped on a griffin's tail and now they would face its wrath. If they were to survive, he would have to lead the Empire into a new age with new tactics and weapons of war.

"However learning all this new information will take time. Time we wouldn't have under normal circumstances. We have the ability to buy the Empire more time and strike back at the otherworld." All eyes were now on Godasen as he continued to explain his plans. "We have in our possession highly detailed maps of the world beyond the Gate, as well as information regarding the political situation of their world. We have the locations of their major cities, ports, and military bases. While the otherworld armies are large in number and very powerful, their world is extremely complex. It takes their armies months to prepare the necessary logistics to fight a war. Our fairy spies have provided us with valuable information since the day of the failed invasion.

"Combined with a network of spies, particularly skilled at telepathy, we know that they've spread their forces thinly across their world in preparation for another attack. That's why I propose a small diversionary attack in a region where they won't expect us."

"And just what purpose will this serve, Grand Mage Godasen?" Cato asked. "Shouldn't we focus our efforts on reinforcing Alnus? With the Emperor recalling half of the Immortals on the hill and the mother dragon, wouldn't it make sense to prepare for our enemy's inevitable attack?" Godasen looked over at his old friend. Like himself, Cato and Mimoza had worked themselves to the bone trying to understand everything they had been given. "What good would another attack do if the enemy is as powerful as you say? We've already lost a quarter of our mages, we can't afford to lose more!"
Godasen could only sigh as he approached him and put a hand on his shoulder. "I know this my old friend. That's why our mages won't take part in any future battles."

"I'm afraid I don't understand? What do you mean?"

"Like I said before, the otherworld military is stretched thin and slow moving. If we launch an attack where they least expect, we can force them to divert more resources to combat us. We have the ability to open more Gates, albeit much smaller than the ones in Alnus and the Blue Sea. I can convince the Emperor to lend a spare legion and a few wyverns for this. Not only will an attack like this buy the Empire more time by distracting our enemies and force them to divert more of their armies, but it will also allow us to gain more slaves and weapons for study from a country that would offer little in the way of resistance, but provide bountiful resources. And as for our remaining mages, they won't taking be part in more battles. Those that I do assign this task to will remain on our side and will close the Gate once we have achieved our goals.

"But where can we open another Gate to that would offer little resistance, but a large enough number of slaves for such an attack to be worth it?"

"Well we can't risk attacking any of the major nations, at least not at the moment. However there are a few regions of interest, all of them on the southern continents of the world beyond the Gate. One continent holds two nations that are very small and isolated from the rest of their world. From what we've learned from a prisoner that hailed from one of these nations, they aren't on good terms with the rest of the nations of the world beyond the Gate. During the war that united their world, their nation was left to fend for itself. Due to this, they hold no allegiance with their world government and their military, from what we were able to learn, is fairly small and scattered across small outposts throughout the country. Based on thorough studies of the maps and prisoner interrogations, it seems best available target."

"Are we sure that this will work? What makes you think the Emperor will listen?" Cato argued. "He's already sent Legate Tiberius to the glass peninsula searching for an old legend, while Marcus is on Alnus Hill. Many of those who came back were babbling incoherently about what they experienced. The surviving legates have focused solely on fortifying the Gate on Alnus Hill and nothing else. This was made even clearer during the probing attack that was launched on Alnus shortly after we left for Italica. You won't find any experienced commanders willing to go back there. And sending those without experience will only result in more losses for the Empire."

"We don't have a choice," Godasen responded as he rubbed his temples. "The Emperor has already ordered that we gather more otherworld weapons for study, as well as individuals who can help us understand and make them. Based on the information we have, I'm picking the easiest target that will offer the greatest chance of success and will work to our advantage in other ways. All that matters now is that we buy time for the Empire. After what those who joined me in the Imperial expedition and I witnessed, I know for a fact that we can't stop them should they arrive in full force. Not yet. That's why the Emperor and I have decided to launch another attack. It'll distract our enemies and allow us to gather more knowledge we desperately need.

"Make no mistake, we face an enemy far more powerful than any force that resides in our world. And while we've certainly gained a large amount of information about their world, they will almost certainly have done the same to us. They'll recognize our power and focus their efforts on us. If we are to survive this war, we must take extreme precautions, as well as weigh our options in the future, should Rondel be directly threatened. That is all for now. Report to the study hall later this evening, we have much to learn."

Joint Base Dunnottar
Guanteng, Boer Republic
March 17th, 2081
1900 Hours

Joint Base Dunnottar was the largest military installation operated by the governments of the Boer and Zulu Republics. Both governments had decided against clustering the majority of their forces within a single military base, as it was just a large target for any opponent to strike. South Africa learned that many decades ago in the War, when half the country was killed in a day, and its military command structure decapitated. Post war, it was decided that military units would be dispersed across the countryside in a large number of bases throughout their countries. Dunnottar contained roughly 20,000 personnel, split between Boer and Zulu troops. They, and a few other smaller outposts, were responsible for the defense of Gauteng and Mpumalanga. To accomplish this task, the base was massively expanded post-war to provide housing for soldiers and storage for vehicles. The base was home to the Boer 6th Infantry Battalion, who specialized in air assault, the Zulu 5th Infantry Battalion, who were motorized infantry, and the 1st Special Services Battalion, which was a Zulu armoured regiment. On top of that, the base currently housed one of the few fighter aircraft operated by the two Republics.
One old and refurbished JAS-39 Gripen fighter, which were equipped with the most modern compatible equipment that the two nations could afford. The upgrades received were state of the art in 2045, but not in 2081. There was also a single C-130 transport and a number of old American Blackhawks and Chinooks, plus some old Eurocopters, a memory of the long dead European Union. The base's aircraft were mostly for logistical and transport purposes. Two more Gripen fighters, as well as their small fleet of attack helicopters, were jointly operated out of Hoedspruit. The recent transfer of that fighter proved to be a saving grace because right now, they needed everything they could get their hands on.

The base was chaotic as soldiers were scrambled around with crates of ammunition, weapons, and other gear. Alarms blared the sound of aircraft taking off filled the air as they raced off to where they were needed. And at the center of it all was Ulwazi Guliwe, a newly minted private in the Zulu army. She had been recently stationed with the 5th Infantry Battalion as a combat medic. She had thought she'd be stuck doing drills her entire time there, but she soon learned otherwise. She never thought she'd fight off an alien invasion, especially not at the gates of the largest military base in the region.

"Incoming! Incoming! Incoming!" The alarm sounded as CIWS turrets locked onto a group of large winged creatures that swooped down low to avoid the base's defenses. But it was for naught. The 35mm shells ripped through the creatures despite the best efforts of the riders try to maneuver away. One such creatures crashed into the ground just feet away from her. The rider had apparently survived the crash, but he was injured. Despite this, rifle aimed towards the downed creature, she slowly approached. What happened next was something she hadn't expected. The man, despite the injuries he had incurred from the fall, leaped up at her and cocked his hand back and threw a punch her way.

Using the training she received in basic, she threw her right arm up and caught his own. She responded by delivering a powerful blow into his rib cage, forcing him to reel in pain and go to his knees. She then slammed her fist into the man's face, knocking him down to a kneeling position. However before she could draw her sidearm and finish her attacker, he launched himself into her midsection, knocking her over in the process. The legionary hit her with enough force to get on top of her and pin her down. The man then pulled a dagger out from his sheath and began pressing it down closer and closer to her exposed neck.

"Nunc moriatur mulier!" The legionary spat at her as he now had the upper hand in the fight.

"Is this how I die? To some alien invader with a dagger to my throat?" As the fear and adrenaline raced through her body as she struggled, she couldn't help but feel ashamed of herself for letting her curiosity get the best of her and give her enemy the advantage. The shame she felt for leaving herself open to such a primitive being. She didn't want to die and every ounce of her strength was focused on keeping the knife from piercing her throat. Seconds felt like hours as the blade got closer and closer to her throat.
But that changed when she saw a boot slam into the man's jaw, forcing him off of her. She looked up and saw a Boer soldier aim his rifle at the dazed man. "Die you fucking barbarian!" the soldier said as he pulled the trigger. He proceeded to pick up her rifle, which lay a few feet away from her, before offering her his hand. She took a few moments to catch her breath as the soldier kicked the corpse of the now dead legionary.

"Come on, we need to get moving now!" he ordered a she motioned her to follow him. As they ran for one of the last helicopters left on the base, she saw other personnel, both from her unit and not, scrambling to the airfield. The man glanced at the patch on her shoulder, which indicated she was a combat medic. She noticed men from her unit handing medical crates to the Boer soldier on board, before running to the next helicopter in line. "I'm glad I ran into you." the man said in a friendly tone as they began to take off, leaving the base behind. "The enemy has completely taken the town of Devon, with reports that enemy air forces have reached as far as Bethal and Delmas. We've got orders to insert in the city and link up with ground forces just outside of Devon and take the town. Hope you're ready, rookie, because we're going to war!" The soldier explained as they helicopter began flying eastward towards their objectives. But before she could reply, the engine roar from a Gripen fighter forced her to cover her ears as it screamed past them towards Belmas to the north. She could see smoke in the distance in both directions as they hurriedly flew towards the fighting ahead. She knew this was going to be a long day.

Devon, Boer Republic
1915 Hours

As the helicopter touched down at its destination, the scope of the attack became disturbingly clear. Dozens of bodies littered the ground as they dismounted at the local police station in the town. Hundreds of legionaries, as well as dozens of police officers were scattered all over the surrounding area. The flashing blue lights from abandoned police cars illuminated the trail of carnage along the road. From what other units were reporting across the town, civilian casualties were comparatively light which is a good thing for them, because the town's population was roughly 15,000 people, which would've been a massacre if the enemy chose to target civilians. It seemed that only a few specific points in the town were attacked. Ground units were just starting to arrive at the outskirts of the town, but they reported little activity.

From what they could gather, there were three targets in the attack. The first and most obvious was the police station. The second was the town library. Third was the local primary school which was directly down the road from their current location. Her team was ordered to secure the police station. As they investigated the area, they noticed something startling. Every weapon that belonged to the officers was missing. Even the magazines in their pouches were gone, along with their radios. Even pepper spray was missing.

"This is exactly the same thing that happened in Iceland. The police were stripped of anything one would expect to be useful in a fight. Only question is how the fuck did they know what to grab?" The Boer medic said to himself as he scanned his surroundings for enemy activity. Guliwe followed behind the Boer fireteam as they finished scanning the area.

"Area clear!" one of the soldiers shouted. From what insignia she could read on his shoulder, courtesy of what few street lights were on, she guessed he was the man leading the fireteam.

"Yes, Staff Sergeant!" The medic she met earlier obeyed. Reflexes made her follow his orders and she soon found herself checking the body of a nearby cop who lay on the road leading directly into the station. A useless gesture, as the officer's neck was nearly cleaved off from what looked to be a sword strike. She glanced up and saw the Staff Sergeant lead the rest of the fireteam to the entrance of the station. However they soon disappeared from her sight and into the dark building. As she went got up from her kneeling position next to the corpse, she felt a tap on her shoulder. It was the soldier who saved her earlier.

"I feel as if we didn't properly introduce ourselves." The soldier said, almost shyly. "The name's Eric Jansen, 6th Infantry Battalion"

"Ulwazi Guliwe, 5th Infantry Battalion. Me and my unit just arrived today, shortly before this all happened."

"Well you picked one hell of a day, rookie, I'll tell you that. Just keep that rifle up and help watch the perimeter while Staff Sergeant clears the building. It might look like everything has calmed down, but," he motioned over to a helicopter flying over the other end of the town. The crew served GAU-19 roaring to life at the hostiles below. More helicopters joined in the assault against the large formation of enemy combatants.

"Where did they go? Why didn't they stay and fight?" She asked as she paced around on the sidewalk outside the station. "And how did they know to take the spare magazines of the officers?"

"From what I can guess, based on the locations attacked, as well as the light resistance encountered so far, this wasn't meant as an occupying force. Whoever sent them here gave them very specific orders to gather items of importance, which is why these cops are missing their weapons, and the local library has been stripped of books. They're looking for things to use against us. And if they can do this here, they can do that anywhere. Looks like we'll be dragged into this war whether we like it or not." He explained.

"But why here?" Guliwe asked befuddled. "If they're looking to steal our technology to use against us, why choose here? This town doesn't exactly hold the whole of our world's information, nor does it have many weapons."

"It's more than likely a distraction. A probing attack to see what response they would receive. These legionaries focused on a quick smash and grab. They ran straight for their targets and got the fuck out. That's why we aren't up to our necks in enemy combatants. Even those dragons they used were nothing more than a distraction for our fighters."

"But how could they do this? How could such a primitive force be capable of learning all this in such a short time?" Guliwe didn't keep up with foreign events very often. She'd heard of the attack in Reykjavik, but lost track after reading about the counterattack that took the city back. The corporal just sighed at the young soldier. But he couldn't blame her. Many people still didn't know the specifics about what had happened in Iceland all those months ago. Many still didn't want to believe that these "Saderans," as they were called, were capable of this.

"If even half of the information that came out of Iceland is to be believed, this isn't anything. Rumors of men in blue cloaks that can steal information from people's minds. They saw our history and the victims saw theirs. That's how they used that broadcast station to send that message. And given how much they stole from the city before being beaten back, including 10,000 people they enslaved, they may already have a basic idea of how our world works. And what nations are strongest and weakest."

"So that's what they saw us as? Nothing but a pushover? Did they seriously think we'd just roll over for them?" Her tone of voice rose steadily with each word. Jansen could tell she was pissed and quite frankly, so was he. None of them had expected to be here having to fight an enemy in their homelands.

"A citizen of the Zulu Republic was in Iceland when the attack occurred and was reported as missing. If he underwent the same things as the rumors say, they would've seen that we aren't formal members of the United Nations, and thus wouldn't provoke an outside response. At least that's what I think." As he finished speaking, the roar of a jet engine could be heard in the distance. They looked up and saw two streaks of light in the night sky flying towards them at a northeastern bearing. Their eyes followed the exhaust as the aircraft made a course change and headed directly south. Mere seconds after the planes flew over their position, two fireballs became visible in the distance, followed shortly by two thunderous booms.

"Jansen," The corporal's radio crackled to life with the sound of the sergeants voice. "We need you and the Zulu medic in here immediately, we've got a situation in the chief's office!"

"Yes staff sergeant, we're on the way!" the corporal replied. As both Jansen and Guliwe rushed through the front doors of the police station, they saw the true extent of the situation. Dozens of bodies, both police and legionary littered the halls as they slowly made their way through the carnage all around them. Despite the sergeant and his team having previously cleared the building, they still took precautions and checked every corner, making sure there weren't any enemy combatants either hiding or playing dead. However as they looked closer, it was clear everyone was dead. As they approached the office of the chief, they noticed one of the squad members in the hallway, waving them towards the correct room.

"You guys are in for one hell of a sight in there. Not sure if you'll be capable of saving that poor bastard though." The man said as he shook his head as they walked by. As they stepped into the room, they were taken aback by what they saw. The police chief was nailed to the wall of his office. Nails were driven through his hands and feet, keeping him pinned. Dry blood caked his hands and feet, as well as the floor around him. The man's chest was also covered in multiple, deep lacerations, which took the form of some type of symbol. They were meant to find him like this.

"Dear God!" Guliwe gasped as the scene in front of them.

"Fucking savages," Jansen snarled as he looked the poor man over. Wasting no time, they got to work trying to save the man, or given his current state, ease his pain as best they could. But first they needed to get him down. Luckily the wall wasn't made out of stone, so they didn't need any heavy cutting tools. However, this meant parts of the drywall had to come off when they removed the nails from the wall.

Care had to be taken in order to prevent further injury to the chief. Unwrapping their sterile gloves from their bag, they began applying green gel across the deep lacerations across the man's body. The medical gel served as an antibacterial agent that's designed to seal off wounds and assist in coagulation of blood. Once it was settled into the scarred flesh, Guliwe began applying trauma bandages across his chest, while Jansen scanned a sample of the man's blood to determine the type. Blood type O, most common in Southern Africa. Reaching into his medkit, he pulled out a pint of blood, as well as a syringe of morphine, and began working on the chief.

"We'll have to wait for the medical convoy to bring a stretcher before we can move him out of the building." Jansen said.
As the medics worked to save the man's life, the sergeant noticed a piece of paper stuck to the chief's desk, held in place by a dagger. Pulling the dagger from the wood, he grabbed the note and looked it over. As he read however, he was shocked at what he had found. Two sections, one in what he could only assume was Latin, while the other, in perfect English, explained the purpose of the attack and what was to come;

Your world was warned of interference. We warned you of what would happen in your world was to stand against us. Yet you willingly fought against us when we sought conquest. You ignored our simple demands given to your leaders. Now you will face the consequences of your transgressions. We have learned much about your world since our first battle. We've learned your political structure, your weapons, and most importantly, your weaknesses. For how mighty a military you possess, it is slow to mobilize and spread thin. We have the capability to attack anywhere in your world and leave before any of your armies can defend you. We have not only captured many examples of your weaponry, but a great many of your scholars and books as well. We'll not only unlock the secrets to your weapons, but of your entire world. And when that happens, you will fall to our might! Let what has transpired here be an example to any more nations who seek to fight our glorious Empire! Your cities will burn if you dare oppose us. And those who have will face our wrath! You might think you are safe in your homelands, but we will strike where we choose and slaughter all those who stand in the way. Your cities will burn to and armies will fall should you continue to resist! You will not stop us! The mighty Saderan Empire will reign victorious, just as it always has. Heed this final warning. Surrender now, or you will be destroyed!
-By the Crown Prince of the Empire, Zorzal El Caesar, signed with his own hand!

"Command is just going to love this." the staff sergeant muttered in disbelief as he handed the letter to his squad mates. "Can you believe this shit?"

"This can't be real?" Another asked as he read through the letter. "So much for us staying out of this conflict."

"That might be for the better honestly. We've shut off ourselves from the majority of the world for too long," Jansen added, "They didn't have our interests in mind when the war ended, but times have changed. And whether our world likes it or not, more changes will be arriving." His voice trailed off as the sound of helicopter blades filled the air as they ferried men and equipment into the town, followed by the roar of engines from dozens of trucks and armoured vehicles advancing towards the last pockets of resistance throughout the town.

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"Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity."
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, from his "Mighty Endeavor Speech, June 6, 1944.
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"When Commodore Perry opened up Japan to the rest of the world, he set forth a chain of events that would lead to the rise of Japan as one of the great powers of the world and later their defeat at the hands of the United States in World War two. In the span of half a century, Japan went from an isolationist backwater, to a Great Power that defeated the Russians in 1905. many argue that the arrival and subsequent war with the Phauthi mirror these events in our history. Just like Japan after the Perry expedition, Earth underwent a massive societal and technological change post war. New technologies were introduced, which were decades, and in some cases even a century or more ahead of what Earth had before contact.
However one can only hope that by studying these similarities in history, we may avoid making the same mistakes as Japan made. Japan made the mistake of aggravating foreign powers, which eventually lead to it's downfall. When the time comes and humanity begins reaching out to the stars, in search of others like us, may our leaders not be blinded by hubris and greed. Should we meet other civilizations, whether they be primitive or more advanced than us, let it be with open arms and friendship, not warfare.
If we are forced to fight another war, be in against another interstellar power, let it be in defense of either ourselves, or those who can't defend themselves. If we are to rise to challenge those who claim empire among the stars, let our power come from conquering others, but by showing compassion and friendship to them. To show that a great power need not arise from pointless imperialism, but from mutual cooperation."
An excerpt from a speech given by historian Walter C. Burcham, at Oxford University, February 10th, 2069.
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Reykjavik, Iceland
Alpha Point
March 30th, 2081
0700 Hours
D-Day
For the first time in its history, the UNDF would be going to war. Since its inception in 2038 as the combined body of Earth's military forces, they'd been a part of numerous humanitarian operations, search and destroy operations against holdouts in remote regions of the globe, and the first human-crewed landing on Mars, as both a scientific and military achievement. But despite all the rhetoric, propaganda, and patriotism in the post war world, no one ever thought they'd ever fight a battle on Earth's soil. With all the defenses in and around Earth, most thought it was extremely unlikely for an alien force to break through. But when alien life invaded our world again, it came not from space, but from an interdimensional portal located in the northern hemisphere.

Once again an alien force thought they could conquer the Earth. That its people would either bow or crumble before their might. but they were wrong. And just like in the War, they were thrown off the Earth and humanity emerged victorious. Within a day, the UNDF had its trial by fire with their deployment to Iceland, facing off against an opponent that no one expected. While the enemy was defeated swiftly, it wasn't without losses. It was at that point our enemy realized the magnitude of the mistake they made. It was then they learned that they'd awoken a sleeping giant. A giant who had grown tired and weary of war, but didn't take kindly to trespassers. One that would make it's new enemy pay tenfold for every innocent life that was taken during the attack.

Now, in the fields of Alftanes and Gardabaer, tens of thousands of UN soldiers awaited the order to deploy through Alpha Point and into the new world. The first wave of soldiers, 10,000 strong, supported by 300 armoured fighting vehicles, would represent UN spearhead through the Gate and into the new world. In all, there were nearly 500,000 soldiers from around the globe, with more on the way, based in Iceland awaiting the order to deploy. But before they throw themselves into the unknown, they awaited a speech from the UN secretary general, Anatoly Volkov, of the Russian Federation.

As Volkov was escorted to the podium, he could see the true scope of UN military operations in Iceland. Since December, the region surrounding Alpha and Bravo Points had been heavily militarized. Even the nearby town had been demolished to make way for barracks and storage centers for vehicles. Reykjavik and Keflavik airports had been completely closed to the public and was host to flight after flight of transport and fighter craft deploying to Iceland. From the municipality of Hafnarfjörður, to Vogar, the once green fields that covered the land were replaced with barracks, motor pools, and storage centers for weapons and ammo. That's what he could see outside his tinted windows from inside his UAZ-3570. He watched as convoys of trucks, tanks, and IFV's sat parked alongside the road leading up to the Icelandic presidential residence.

As his transport pulled up to the podium where he would be making his speech, he got a glimpse at just how seriously the military took the situation. A giant dome, similar to the one used to cover the number 4 reactor of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, completely covered what was known as Alpha Point. Even then, dozens of tanks sat unmoving facing the direction of the entrance, prepared for upcoming attack. The one in the sea, however, was a different story. Naval assets had completely quarantined the portal with large netting, to stop invasive species from spilling over into our world. They even went as far to dump chemicals into the area to kill any potential invasive species. Frigates sat nearby blasting sonar in the direction of Bravo Point, to further discourage anything from attempting to get through. In all, seven aircraft carriers, dozens of frigates and destroyers, and hundreds of auxiliary and support vessels sat off the Icelandic coast, ready to act at a moments notice.

It was an awe inspiring display of military force. Force that would soon be used against a force that sought to conquer this country. He almost pitied the poor bastards. Almost. On top of all the Icelanders that were killed, he happened to know some of those working in the Russian consulate when everything went down. A good friend of his died that day. He wanted to see his friend avenged, and in a little over an hour, he would begin to see just that. As his transport stopped and his guards opened the door, he was greeted by the gaze of thousands of soldiers, of all different nationalities, standing before him. While they all stood in formation, troops from every nation were separated in blocks, each with their homeland's flag at the front. And atop the podium he was to give his speech on, the was dark blue flag of the UNDF.

Flanked on both sides by Alpha Group personnel, he took up position at the podium. Behind him stood many high ranked military officers, as well as religious figures from every major religion on Earth. Priests from every major denomination of Christianity, Imams of both Sunni and Shia background, Hindu Pujari, Bhuddist Bhikkhu, and Jewish Rabbis were all present at the ceremony. For when Volkov was to finish his speech, each religious figure would issue one final blessing to the followers of their respective religions. While the religious were not as large a portion of the population as they were pre-war, half the global population still clung to their faith. Christians, Muslims, and Hindus made up the vast majority of them.

"Good morning to all those gathered here today," Volkov began, "I wish that I could be speaking to you under better circumstances, but unfortunately our reason for being here today is in response to the events of December. Events that represent the reason why you are all stand here today. On Christmas Day, forty four years ago, the bloodiest conflict that humanity had ever fought ended. Five bloody years of fighting and billions of lives later, our world stood victorious against our greatest enemy. One that sought to wipe us out and claim our world for their own. In humanity's darkest hour, every nation on this planet combined their military might. We put aside old rivalries and fought side by side for the greater good. If there was but one positive event that came from the War, it was that it united us."

Volkov paused before continuing what he had to say. "America and Russia. China and Japan. Israel and Iran. India and Pakistan. If you went back to the times of our parents and grandparents, and told them that one day those nations would fight side by side, they would laugh. Before the War, many of our nations were bitter rivals, who would stop at nothing to gain an edge over one another. But none of them would have foreseen the events that would lead to the formation of the United Nations Defense Force. None could imagine our entire world working together for a common goal, the survival of the human species.

And in the decades since the war ended, we've achieved a level of unity never before seen in human history. In addition to our military achievements, we've achieved great scientific feats that would've taken far longer in the past. Fifty percent of all electrical power is produced by nuclear and fusion reactors across the world. Diseases and ailments that once affected hundreds of millions have either been eradicated or reduced to a fraction of what they once were. We built sea walls around our cities to protect them from the rising of sea levels around the globe. We've breached the boundary of our own moon with manned exploration and have mined the asteroid belt for the resources that run our world. We have even successfully set up an outpost on Mars. All of which is a testament to what we can do when we are united."

His face grew somber as he drew closer to the topic of why they were there. "But none of that has to do with why we stand here today. Three months ago, one of our worst fears occurred. Despite all the measures we took to ensure the safety of our world, a new enemy found their way here. Through a rift in time and space, an army from another world invaded Iceland. Their intentions were not much different as those of the Phauthi. They boldly declared our world to be their own. Demanded that we bow to their whim. To surrender our very sovereignty to them. Saw themselves as superior to us. They slaughtered thousands of innocent men, women, and children indiscriminately. Once again an alien force underestimated our resolve. And once again, we proved that we wouldn't back down in the face of invasion. Soon, our enemy will learn a lesson in humility."

Volkov grew a slight smirk across his face as he spoke his next words. "A lesson that you will teach them." As he glanced over the crowd of soldiers around him, he saw his words mirrored on the faces of hundreds of men and women, nodding their heads in affirmation of what he said. He could even see the eagerness in their eyes. To do their duty and uphold the oath they all swore before they joined the UNDF. Volkov took a serious tone, continuing. "But make no mistake, this will be no easy task. This is an undertaking never before seen in human history. You will be taking part in an invasion of an alien world. The road that lies ahead is mostly unknown. We know our enemy isn't as advanced as we are, but that does not mean they are to be underestimated. As recent events in the South African Republics has shown, they possess capabilities we do not understand. We may be more powerful, but do not forget that you are invading their homeland. And just as we fought tooth and nail against the Phauthi forty-three years ago, expect them to do the same. They know the land, we don't.

We have only the barest knowledge of the lands that lay beyond. We do not know if Alpha Point will ever close, and thus strand any of you on the other side, unable to return home. We know that our sworn enemy will more than likely be waiting somewhere on the other side. But do not let that discourage you in your mission! If you ever begin to doubt your mission, just remember this, there are billions of souls counting on you back home! They rely on you to keep them safe while they sleep in their beds at night! To be their line of defense against all those who wish to do humanity harm! You are the shield that protects the innocent and the sword that strikes down the wicked!
But it's not just the people back home that need you. Thousands of innocent people were kidnapped from their homes on the day of the attack. Thousands of lives that depend on the success of your mission. Not only is your mission to eliminate all those who pose a threat to our world, but to rescue all those who against their will were taken from our world and thrown into the chains of slavery. You are their only hope of ever coming home and reuniting with their families. Members of the Defense Force, serve us with distinction. We shall expect nothing less of you."

With the speech over, Volkov left the podium and took a seat in the area behind the microphone. The general in charge of the spearhead into the new world, took his place. He cleared his throat before beginning.

"I am Lieutenant General Daniels," the man bellowed out. Upon closer inspection, it was obvious he was American, even ignoring how he carried himself. "As many of you might be aware, several missions have scouted the other side over the last three months. The first ended in disaster, while subsequent missions were successful in retrieving those lost and gathering additional information. Most recent intel has shown large scale movement of enemy forces towards Alpha Point, so I suggest you be ready for a fight as soon as you reach the other side. We'll be moving out shortly, standby."

 

[Quickdraw101]

With that, troops made it towards their way towards their designated deployment zones, weapons in hand, and boarded their vehicles.

One of those vehicles was Komodo 6, an Indonesian Leopard 3 main battle tank. The tank housed four crewmen, commander, gunner, driver, and radio operator/loader. The commander was Sergeant Iskander Pandjaitan, an outspoken man with a long line of family who served in the military. Like his father and grandfather before him, he joined so that he could safeguard his homeland and protect those he loved. The gunner, Corporal Daniel Keloko, was a native of Jakarta, the former capital of Indonesia. Unlike the sergeant, his family didn't have a long military history, but he was conscripted the moment he graduated high school. But his story was the same as hundreds of millions around the globe. He was skeptical of finding enjoyment in the military, but over the years he's grown close to his tank crew.

The driver, Lance Corporal Agus Hardja, and radio operator/loader, Lance Corporal Elizabeth Ginting, were also in the same boat as Daniel. They, like many others, were conscripted after their schooling had been completed. The only thing that really stood out for both was their physical stature. Hardja was just tall enough to be accepted into military service. Despite this, he possessed impressive physical strength. This was due in part on how often he fought others in school and the army who made fun of his height. However, Elizabeth was the direct opposite. She stood as the tallest member of Komodo 6 and the entire tank company. Standing at just over six foot, the tank was a cramped fit for her, but it was where she excelled. She also enjoyed operating the mounted .50 caliber machine gun, mainly because she could stretch her cramped figure out the tank.

"Kick the tires and light the fires people!" The voice of Komodo 1 rang out in the tank, indicating the start of the operation. "Stay buttoned up and watch those vision blocks like your lives depend on it!"

"Alright ladies, get ready!" Pandjaitan barked as orders continued filtering into the tank. The engine roared to life and the hatches clamped tight as the tanks began moving. They, alongside the Germans and Canadians, would strike the first blow in this new world. "We're clearing the way for the infantry forces directly behind us. Keloko, the moment we reach the other side, I want you to sweep the forward area with FLIR. Hardja, we're taking the left flank with Komodo's 5, 7, and 8, so form us up alongside them!" He ordered.

"Move out!" Komodo 1's voice rang out over the net. Through the vision block, Hardja could see the large steel doors that marked the entrance of Alpha Point begin to open up. As they did, marshals set themselves up in rows around the entrance. There were six marshals in total, two in each column. One directed the Canadians, one directed their countrymen, and the last directed the Germans. Once the doors had opened entirely, each marshal began swinging their beacons in a back and forth motion. Directing their columns where to go in the direction of Alpha Point. Hardja swallowed hard and muttered one last prayer before he twisted the throttle and the tank drove forward.

"So what exactly are we facing on the other side?" Hardja asked as he faced his sergeant, who stared through vision block at the inky blackness that soon engulfed them. As the headlights turned on, it became clear that they were driving on a solid surface that was indistinguishable from their surroundings.

"From what the latest reports from the UGV's gave, which were promptly destroyed yesterday, we're looking at a force of roughly 55,000 enemy combatants, the ones that survived the battle back in December. On top of that, there are two large Class A Kaiju. However, it seems that the numbers originally reported are slightly smaller now. One Class A Kaiju, as well as 1,000 more enemy combatants, were reported as no longer being present. Regardless, that still means we're facing heavy resistance on the other side," he informed them.

"Heavy resistance," Ginting laughed. "If a force of only a few thousand were capable of slashing the original invasion force by two thirds, what makes this any more difficult?" This gained an annoyed glare from the sergeant, who didn't appreciate the remark.

"You never underestimate the enemy, Ginting," he annoyedly replied. "Especially an enemy that's been spending months waiting for an attack. If you ever underestimate an enemy's ability to resist, you will take unnecessary casualties. Not to mention that those Kaiju on the other side are by far the biggest threat to our forces. When the military made first contact with them, the dragon, for simplicity's sake, soaked up tank and aircraft fire like they were nothing. Sure, they hurt the damn thing pretty badly, but if it wasn't for the Americans bringing the pain with that new carrier of theirs, a great many more soldiers would've died that day."

"And we don't have air support for this operation." Hardja pointed out, his gaze still fixated out the vision block. "Which means we're going straight into the teeth of not only one, but two of those unholy monsters." The idea of taking a creature of that size and strength on directly sent a chill down their spines. Something that could slice a coast guard cutter in half could easily threaten their tanks.

"And that's exactly why they're sending in armor first." Pandjaitan clarified. "Command isn't taking this threat lightly. That's why us, the Canadians, and the Germans are each sending a tank company to specifically deal with them first. Our primary objective is to engage the dragons and eliminate them. Only the IFV's coming behind us will be capable of supporting the infantry, so that leaves the rest of us to take on the big guns."

"And that's also why every round we have is APFSDS, so we can specifically punch through the thick scales of the dragons," Keloko added.

"On top of that, we're doing this to ensure they don't maul the infantry forces coming directly behind us. Said infantry will be provided fire support from the armoured vehicles that are transporting them through. Once the dragons are confirmed to have been killed, we are clear to assist in supporting infantry in securing the other side, but our priority is the dragons. Am I understood?"

"Yes sergeant!" all three replied in quick unison as he finished explaining. The rest of the trip through the portal was uneventful, aside from sporadic chatter from various tank crews discussing their unease in the pitch blackness. But before long, they could begin to see a white light ahead of them, signalling that they were approaching the exit and closer to their target. As the near blinding light overtook them, they soon found themselves on the other side. Many of them still couldn't believe it. They were on an alien world! However they weren't here as explorers, but as soldiers. There wasn't time to enjoy the sights before them. They were here to clear the way for the primary invasion force.

"Contact front, 1,500 meters!" Komodo 1 screamed over the net. As Keloko flipped on the FLIR system, he saw what lay ahead of them. A large blob of heat signatures were positioned directly in front of them. And it wasn't just men. Dozens of smaller wyverns circled above the army, and as the optics began scanning the rest of the area, it became clear that wasn't the only problem.

"Scheisse! Wir stecken in einem verdammten Graben fest!"/ "Shit! We're stuck in a fucking trench!" One of the German Leopard 3's shouted over the net. As the turret began spinning around, they soon found that other tanks were in similar positions.

"Fucking hell, we can't fucking move!" A Canadian radio operator exclaimed as his Challenger 3 was also stuck in a trap dug by the Saderans. Soon orders were given by all company commanders to hold position until they could figure out what to do. As Keloko scanned the area with his optics, he saw the extent of their situation. The trenches, while very primitive, had caught at least four tanks total, including Komodo 3. But there was something else caught his eye. Through the thermal optics, he could make out humanoid figures running through the trenches ahead of them. Before he could report this to Pandjaitan however, the figures began rushing out of the trenches and onto the bogged down tanks. Wasting no time, Ginting took control of the 7.62 CROW's machine gun mounted on the turret and let rip.

"We have hostiles coming out of the trenches!" She yelled as she swept the controls from side to side, hosing down the attackers that had climbed aboard Komodo 3. Chatter exploded over the radio as more and more machine guns roared to life at the figures. While most were easily caught by the hailstorm of bullets from dozens of different tanks, some were moving at inhuman speeds, running faster than the gunners could lock onto. Ginting had tracked one of these individuals as they jumped on the hatch of a nearby German tank and attempted to pry it open. This however was met with a spray of 7.62 rounds from the CROW system on Komodo 6. But the direct opposite of what she had expected occurred.

"There's no way he survived that!" Hardja exclaimed as he caught sight of the figure atop the German tank. A flickering blue light surrounded the now visibly silver armoured soldier standing atop the Leopard. They all watched in shock as the man grabbed the machine gun and ripped it directly off the turret, tossing it aside before turning his gaze over to Komodo 6, unsheathing his sword as he did.

"Oh, fuck no! Keloko practically shouted as he saw the figure begin raising the sword, a distinct glow forming at the base of the blade. Wasting no time, he glanced over at Ginting, who had the same look in her eyes. She opened the ammo storage compartment, grabbing, and loading one of the 140mm armour piercing rounds they had. She nodded back as he rotated the turret to the right, as to get the soldier in his sights. Just as the figure began to swing the sword down, he had him locked in. "Let's see you survive this! One away!"

With the press of a button, the 140mm, APFSDS round left the barrel at 1,850 meters per second, just over mach 5. The armored man had no idea what had just occurred as the "long rod" separated from the sabot and barreled towards its target. As the round made impact with the figure, a bright white flash erupted forth from him. The blue barrier that had once protected the soldier from the small arms fire, had completely shattered in the face of a far larger and more powerful round. Once the round had made contact with the torso of the soldier, he erupted into a mess of gore as pieces of armor, bone, and flesh littered the tank and the surrounding landscape.

"And just what the fuck was that?" Hardja asked as he turned towards Daniel.

"From what I remember from the briefing, I believe what we just encountered was an Immortal. From intel gathered during and after the Battle of Iceland, they are the elite troops of the Saderan Empire. They have some type of magical shielding that can protect them from small arms, as well as the ability to direct blasts of unknown energy from their swords. Aside from that, not much is known about them. I believe a few were captured, but were sent off to some black sites run by the Americans or Russians." He finished explaining.

Not too long after, the commander of the German tank, came over the radio.

"Kann uns jemand sagen, warum gerade eine Runde über unsere Köpfe geflogen ist?"/ "Can someone tell us why a round just flew over our heads?" The German tank commander's voice sounded very confused and irritated.

"Sorry about that!" Ginting answered almost immediately, trying to clarify the situation. "You had someone climb onto your hatch and rip your machine gun off." There was a silence between the two for a few moments before the commander replied.

"Wie Bitte?"/"Pardon?" The voice on the other end sounded astonished and seemingly at a loss for words. As she listened closely in the headset, she realized the Germans were speaking just loud enough for her to hear their conversation.

"Ist sie ernst?/ Is she being serious? One of them asked astonishedly.

"Ich habe den Feed mit unserem Maschinengewehr verloren"/"I lost the feed with our machine gun." She could hear another inform the commander. But she was soon taken out of focus by an ear piercing roaring that shook everyone into focus. As Hardja glanced out the vision block and Keloko scanned with the optics, they found the source of the noise. Two large creatures were stirring from the enemy encampment at the bottom of the hill roughly 1,500 meters ahead of them. As the creatures rose up from the encampment, the full scope of their size was revealed. Its standing height was roughly 100 meters. If you counted the length of the tail as well, it was even more. This couldn't have come at a more inopportune time. The last of the tank units had finished pouring through and had set up their defensive perimeter against the enemy.

The first wave of armored fighting vehicles and self propelled anti air guns had began pouring through and offloading their men. Hundreds of American, Chinese, Russian, and Indian troops took up defensive positions and prepared themselves for the upcoming battle. It didn't take long until the self propelled AA began lighting up the night as the large number of smaller wyverns converged on their positions. Soon the larger dragons took to the air, showing off their titanic frames as they focused their attention on them.

Without any hesitation, the tanks that could move raced from their positions, scattering not only to avoid large losses in numbers, but also specifically to distract and confuse the dragons. Chatter erupted from the radio as tank commanders screamed orders to their subordinates. The plan seemed to be working. The two dragons seemed focused on the advancing tanks. Shot after shot rang out into the night as they trained their guns on the very agile and tough targets. But for as fast as the tanks were, they weren't as fast as the dragons. One of the Canadian Challengers learned the hard way as it attempted to take one of the dragons head on. The large clawed foot of the dragon slammed down directly onto it, bending the cannon downward, making it useless. However as it landed, it was soon assaulted by a barrage of 140mm rounds that slammed into its torso, causing it to roar in pain.

"This shit isn't going to be easy," Keloko remarked as the beast took to the skies once more and unleashed a massive spray of fire from its mouth, which overtook half a dozen tanks in its radius. However, the fire did little but scratch the paint on the sixty ton tanks. What it did do however was scramble the infrared optics on board, which hampered their targeting abilities. "Hitting this thing is already impossible when it takes to the air, now our optics are fucked!" He exclaimed as he sent another round downrange towards the hovering beast.

"Just focus on your jobs dammit!" Pandjaitan ordered. "You all wanted to see combat, well here it is! Now stay focused and we'll get through this, understood?"

"Yes sergeant!" They all replied once more.

"Good, now focus fire on the closest one. God willing, we'll bring these bastards down, even if we have to expend every round we've got." Another thump rocked the tank as Keloko let loose another round. It was at the same dragon, except this time he aimed for the leg, which thanks to coordinating with the German tanks, callsigns 'Zerstörer' and 'Vorschlaghammer', they successfully blew its right leg completely off, which toppled it on its side. With its wings completely shredded from repeated fire, it was unable to escape.

"This is Komodo 1, all units focus fire on the downed Kaiju!"

"Alle Panzer, konzentriere das Feuer auf die niedergeschlagene Kreatur!"/"All panzers, focus fire on the downed creature!"

"Concentrate your fire on the wounded dragon!"

The orders had been given. Every available tank focused their attention on the downed and severely wounded beast that lay before them. Those who could actually see the dragon noticed something. As the beast writhed in agony on the ground, its eyes conveyed a very clear emotion. Fear. As the tanks surrounded it, its eyes widened at the realization that it was defeated. In less than a second, a cacophony of thunderous booms filled the air, overtaking the gunfire from the infantry units that were tasked with defending the hill. Dozens of kinetic penetrators slammed into the head and neck of the dragon. It let out one final cry of pain before it succumbed. One down, one to go.

Now the tanks focused their attention to the other dragon, which had overwhelmed the tanks that were distracting it. Two tanks had been knocked on their sides by the dragon, while another had massive claw marks running along the length of its turret and into the engine block, which had immobilized the tank. Realizing that the tank was defenseless, the dragon went to finish it off. It lifted the tank off the ground, took to the air, and dropped it. The force from the drop had severely damaged the tank. The optics were disabled; the treads were ripped apart; the suspension system was completely destroyed; and the barrel was bent sideways from the fall. The crew inside were either dead or knocked out, as all attempts to reach them via radio were met with static.

Despite this, the remaining tanks charged forward, letting loose their cannons one by one on the dragon. One thing the tank crews had noticed was that it was incredibly smart. It knew full well that it was faster and stronger than any single tank. It also knew that once it took to the skies, it was untouchable. And for how long the battle had been raging, each tank had expended upwards of 50% of their ammunition, as many of their shots had either missed or not caused enough damage.

"We keep going at this rate, and we'll run out of ammo before we kill this thing!" Ginting commented as she loaded another APFSDS round into the chamber. The tank shook once more as they fired on the move. The round hadn't hit where Keloko wanted, but it did damage nonetheless. The round hit directly on the midsection of the tail, which over penetrated and landed within the enemy encampment, and cut the tail in two. With its tail having been cut in half, the remaining tanks took the initiative. It was stunned, at least for now. It was now or never. A multitude of rounds tore into its wings from all sides. Even nearby IFV's on the hill had thrown some support their way in the form of anti-tank missiles, instead of the other way around. The crew watched as round after round tore gaping holes in the creatures wings. Well placed shots snapped the wing phalanges, as well as shattering the metacarpals, which made unable to move its wings in any capacity.

"Let's go, this is our chance, knock that damn thing out!" Hardja exclaimed as the dragon struggled to move through the pain.

"Shot out!" Keloko said as he pulled the trigger, targeting the left arm as he did so. But the dragon made a jerking motion towards its right, which caused the round to just barely miss. "Fuck! Load another round, I'm gonna get this bastard!" Once again, Ginting loaded another round and Keloko sent it towards his target. This time his round hit, causing the dragon to let out another shriek in pain.

"Nice shot Dan!" Hardja commented as he watched the round impact the dragon, followed by more hits from other nearby tanks. Each hit caused the dragon to let out an even louder cry of pain as its body was perforated by the dozens of determined and annoyed tanks. "It's not going to take much more of this." The last bit came out a bit giddy, but no one could blame him. Once the second dragon was eliminated, they'd be free to assist the main force on the hill, and fully secure the area.

"Then make sure your shots count!" Panjaitan barked. "We've got this unholy creature on the ropes, but it's still got plenty of fight left in it. Not only do we have fellow tankers who need to be rescued, the boys on the front lines need our support. So let's do our job and put this damn thing in the grave!" The battle was coming to an end rather quickly. Rounds from the Canadian tank 'Angry Beaver' and German tank 'Knochenbrecher' had severed the joints in the left knee of the dragon, forcing it down to the ground.

"Target is immobilized. Time to go in for the kill!" Ginting chimed in. The crew watched as Keloko aimed his shots directly into the rib cage, hoping to score a hit on its lungs in the process. Some of the crews others focused on the head, while others on the sternum. They watched as the tanks poured round after round into its large, yet grievously injured frame. When the smoke cleared and the commanders gave an order to cease fire, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Its limbs were all but completely severed from the torso, one of the eyes had been blown out from its skull after taking a direct hit from an ATGM, and its internal organs began to fall out through a hole near the rib cage. The beast was still breathing, although barely. They watched as it opened it's mouth once more and let out one last cry. A cry of pain and despair. A cry of fear. One that shook the earth around them and made some wonder if the battle was truly over. But it was. The dragon's last eye closed and its chest stopped moving.

"WE FUCKING DID IT!" Keloko screamed in joy as the beast finally succumbed to its wounds. Hardja turned back, raising his hand, and gave him a hard high five.

"You're damn right we did it. Great job everybody, we got that unholy monster," the sergeant congratulated them. Unlike his subordinates, he didn't show any overt signs of emotion. Aside from a smile on his face as he looked at the corpse of the dragon, he remained stoic, a trait he was well known for among his soldiers.

"Looks like we aren't the only ones celebrating." Ginting informed them. Over the net, she could hear the voices of dozens of tank crews laughing, swearing, and screaming in joy at what they just did.

"We did it boys, we got them!"

"Verdammt gute Arbeit Männer!"/Damn good work men!"

"Great work Komodo Company, standby for new orders!"

"How many rounds are left over?" Pandjaitan inquired. "Infantry forces still needs some support." Ginting opened the ammo storage section and took a few seconds to count the leftover rounds.

"We've got 15 left out of 40 rounds. I think we got lucky sir." She stated. "If there had been another dragon here, I'm not sure if we'd have enough ammo to cover it."

"There's no such thing as luck, lance corporal. Just chance and timing. However I'm curious as to why they would pull away defenses knowing full well we'd come back."

"And since the reports suggest that the larger one is supposed to be one of the parents, that makes it even weirder." Hardja spoke up.

"Why so?" Ginting probed.

"Vocalizations. When offspring cry, and are within hearing distance, mom or dad usually comes to check up on them. And given how loud those cries of pain were, if either of the parents happen to be in earshot, they'd come back rather quickly."

"Maybe they were unsure of how large and effective our response would be?" Keloko suggested. "Think about it guys. If they held us back, then they'd have no reason to tie up such an important asset. And if they didn't hold the line, they'd have scouts record our capabilities and use it against us at a later date. Either way, it's a way for them to learn how we fight and what our weaknesses are. And given that several tanks have already been immobilized, by what are still considered babies, it's probably a good thing we didn't encounter either parent."

"We'll still have to at some point," the sergeant reminded them. "These dragons are by far the greatest threat to our forces here. And it'll be our job, along with whatever reinforcements that they send, to hunt down every last one. And if I'm being honest with you all, I'd rather we get it done sooner, rather than later." Before anyone could reply, a loud explosion was heard from outside the tank, as well as frantic screaming from multiple tank commanders.

"What the fuck was that?" Hardja blurted out in shock as the explosion shook the tank.

"Corporal, check the FLIR and figure out what just happened." He ordered.

"Roger sergeant!" However as he activated the FLIR and scanned the area, both Pandjaitan and Ginting watched the color drain from his face as he recoiled in apparent shock and dismay. "Oh, we're so fucked!" Hardja was also staring at what lay ahead and began white knuckling the controls.

"What the hell is going on?" He barked out curiously. Kelko routed the feed from the optics system to the computer screen in front of him. He felt a chill run up his spine as he saw what was ahead of them. A dragon, one far larger than the two that they had just killed, stood before them. It landed directly on a tank in their company, Komodo 3, crushing it from the sheer force its foot exerted from landing. It stood there, observing its surroundings. It glanced over the tanks in front of it, then towards the hill, which had gone silent as both sides had focused their attention on the behemoth before them. After only a few seconds, it charged at the tanks, shaking the ground with each titanic step it took.

"Alle Panzer, zieh den Teufel jetzt zurück!"/"All tanks, pull the fuck back now!" The German commander screamed over the net. The tanks were scrambling to get away from the dragon as it made its way closer to them.

"Reverse, reverse, motherfucking reverse Hardja!" Ginting screamed at the driver as he tried desperately to back up from the dragon ahead of them. The engine roared and the treads dug into the ground as the tank was thrown into reverse.

"Dammit, I'm trying, but we can only go so fast." As he replied, a cacophony of booms echoed outside as the tanks scattered and engaged the dragon with everything they had left. Through the vision block, Hardja could make out the outline of a tank being thrown over them. Over the radio, he could hear the screaming from their commander, indicating in the process that it was from their company.

"You just had to fucking say something, didn't you, Hardja?" Keloko berated as he slammed the trigger down as he let loose another round.

"Hey, it's not my fault!" He quickly responded in defense. "I was pointing out what we should've factored in when we realized it wasn't here. You know, the obvious thing."

"Stow it, both of you. Bitching about the situation won't make it any better. If you want to make it out alive, then I suggest you both shut the hell up and do your damn jobs!" He bellowed out. Pandjaitan was already annoyed at the situation, and hearing their complaining had only annoyed him further." We've been ordered to hold the line, and that's exactly what we're going to do."

"We running out of shells, sergeant!" Keloko gave in a quick reply. "And this thing is eating everything we're throwing at it. Not to mention the sheer size of this thing is making it difficult to deal enough damage to it!

"Komodo 9 is down, as is the lead Canadian tank!" Ginting informed them. "Multiple tanks are reporting the same issues, ammunition is running low and we're not causing enough damage."

"All Komodo units, scatter immediately! I repeat, break formation and get some distance from that thing!"

"Dammit!" The sergeant muttered under his breath. He knew this was a shitty situation, but he hadn't thought it was this bad. They had read the reports on how tough and big these things were, but there wasn't any information about the size of the parents. Command had to figure out a way to deal with this thing, otherwise casualties would skyrocket if it reached the hill. However, his thoughts were interrupted by a slew of expletives coming from Keloko.

"What the fuck was that?" he commented as he tore his face away from the optics and looked over at Hardja. "Did you just fucking see that?"

"Yeah, I did." Came the reply.

"Where the hell did those shots come from?"

"Solange es auf unserer Seite ist, ist es mir egal"/"As long as it's on our side, I don't care."

"The shot came from the hill!"

As Hardja looked out the vision block, Keloko out of the targeting system, and with Pandjaitan and Ginting viewing from the on board tv screen, they could make out green streaks of light impacting the dragon. The on board computer tracked the trajectory as coming from the hill. But as far as they knew, there weren't anymore tank units present at this time. As more green streaks impacted the titanic creature before them, it cried out even more as large gaping holes were torn open through its scales. Whoever and whatever was being used, was working pretty damn well. As turned back towards the hill, they quickly figured out just what was firing upon the dragon.

"This is Warpig 1-1, hold tight boys, help is on the way!" An unknown voice came over the radio.

"Who the hell is that?" Keloko demanded. It wasn't long before he got an answer however.

More tanks came accelerating towards their position, guns firing as they did. Three separate companies and flags were visible. The first and most visible was the Americans, leading in the M2A1 Schwarzkopf, the Fourth Generation main battle tank that made up the armored backbone of the United States military. Followed close behind were Russian T-95's, and Chinese Type 100's, both of which were just as armed and armored as the Americans. But there was something else. The shots from their 140mm were distinctive in the fact that they didn't use tracer rounds. What they saw fly over them had a greenish blue glow to it. As they looked further back, they saw them. Multiple LVS's were now parked on the hill, with massive flatbeds behind them, and sporting massive guns on the back.

"What the fuck are those?" Ginting muttered as he saw the barrels glow green as the turret tracked the dragon.

"Railguns." Keloko said with a smirk.
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"Dismount!" came the order over the net. This would be the first taste of real combat. for the men of the 16th Infantry Regiment, part of the larger U.S. 1st Infantry Division. While it was against an enemy they had never imagined fighting, it was combat nonetheless, something which no number of training simulations could prepare one for. There was an old saying dating back to the 19th century, which stated: No plan survives contact with the enemy.

But this was an entirely different enemy. While most of the rules were the same, they were operating in unknown territory here. They still faced an enemy they knew little about. No one doubted they'd be victorious; however, many wondered just how many lives would be lost, and what they would learn in the process, to claim said victory. Alongside the 1st Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army, the 2nd Guards Motor Rifle Division, and the Chinese 6th Division, they would soon find out.

"Let's go, get to defensive positions!" Staff Sergeant Eric Lee ordered as his platoon dismounted from their AMPV's. Taking advantage of the crudely made trenches the defenders had built, they jumped in them, and awaited further orders. As they took up position, they could see the bodies of some of the unlucky enemy soldiers who got caught underneath the tanks. Others had been filled with holes courtesy of the AFV's that followed closely behind. As they advanced further, following their transports as they set up a defensive position behind their transports, they learned that not all resistance had been cleared from the hill. Without warning, dozens of soldiers popped up from spider holes hidden throughout the ground, and attacked them. "CONTACT!" Lee screamed as gunfire erupted on the hill.

"Man down!" one man screamed as his buddy was on the ground, writhing in pain from a sword shoved through his thigh. Before his attacker could finish him off, he was shot down by a nearby squad mate, who rushed to his aid. "I need a medic over here!" Troops began firing blindly into the ground as more and more spider holes were found and their occupants surged out and attacked. Luckily the wave of vehicles up front caught on and began hammering any position on the ground where they thought a potential attacker could be lying in wait.

"Platoon, fix bayonets, shits gonna get up close and personal." As Lee gave the order, he noticed a patch of dirt move ever so slightly a few feet ahead of him. After affixing his bayonet, he charged at the unusual sight. As he got close, the top opened, revealing a legionary with a spear hiding inside. As the man attempted to thrust the spear forward and into Lee's stomach, he responded by side stepping quickly to the right, leaving a distance of mere inches between his body and the length of the spear. He followed this up by thrusting his rifle forward, lodging the bayonet in the man's throat in the process. As the man's body tumbled to the ground, he let out one final gurgle before being taken by death's sweet embrace. "Anderson, set up that MG and prepare to fire. Marcus, get your ass to cover and dial in the distance!"

"Enemy forces 1,200 meters and closing." Marcus platoon's designated marksmen screamed in reply. He set up his Mk 14 and began dialing the cross hairs to the proper elevation and distance from his targets.

"Hold fire until the enemy breaches the 800 meter mark. Marksmen, commence fire on enemy officers in the front!" Lee ordered. As he said this, the mortar crews brought along began setting up and firing their 81mm High Explosive rounds into the enemy formations below.

"Yes, Staff Sergeant!" His orders were simple, scan the ranks of the enemy and locate their officers. It wasn't exceedingly difficult as the Saderans were basically a carbon copy of the Roman Empire, only with magic and fantasy elements. The Centurions could be seen proudly atop their horses leading into battle. One shot. All it took was once shot for the man's head to jerk back, and his body fall off the horse, and onto the ground. He watched as the faces of those following closely behind him twisted into confusion and horror. Even more so as other marksmen joined in and popped head after head, throwing their ranks into chaos. Some had caught onto this and began dismounting their horses, before blending into the formation of bodies marching their way. "Smart move. However that's not gonna help you once the big guns let rip." Marcus laughed. As he did, the 40mm Bofors brought along for air defense began lighting up the sky as the wyverns began their assault.

"These guys can't learn to take a hint." Anderson shouted towards Marcus. "A force much smaller than our own slaughtered a force larger than we're facing now, yet they still throw themselves at us." He laughed as he aimed back down his sights.

"1000 meters and closing." Lee yelled.

"Yeah, well I'm guessing they think they'll win because they have the home field advantage." Marcus yelled in reply. However, he focused back into his scope, he saw something rather strange. Five, very tall, and heavily armored creatures, were making towards their position, and very quickly at that. Even stranger was the fact that all of them were covered in a blue aura. The IFV's soon caught onto this and let rip on the monsters coming their way. But to everyone's surprise, the rounds didn't do any damage. "How the hell is that possible?"

"Anyone else seeing this?" The voice of another marksmen came over the radio. "The 40 mike mikes aren't doing a fucking thing to it!"

"I believe those are ogres that the drones reported last month. They had estimated that even if that armor was pure iron, with how thick it is, it would shrug off anything short of antitank weapons!"

"We'll handle this! Javelin fucking out!" Marcus watched as the rocket screamed into the sky, before barreling back down towards its target. The lead ogre had stopped temporarily to gaze at the weapon. A mistake which would prove fatal. The warhead slammed into its head, creating a massive fireball, and kicking up dust in the process. When the smoke cleared, the ogre remained still. The blue aura was gone, and the armor was utterly obliterated, and the creature was dead. It fell over, leaking profusely from every orifice on its body. Its internal organs had been liquefied from the explosive impact. This was followed up by more anti-tank missiles, from both infantry, and from supporting vehicles. One by one, each ogre succumbed to the firepower brought to bear. When it was over, each one lay unmoving on the ground.

"OPEN FIRE!" Lee ordered as the Saderans passed the threshold. On cue, thousands of rifles opened fire in a cacophony of hellfire. The smell of burning sulfur, cordite, and burning plastic filled their nostrils as they let rip with tens of thousands of rounds towards their enemy. Barrels overheated as the seemingly unending horde of men kept advancing forward, even as untold thousands fell to the entrenched UN forces. Mortar fire cratered the area directly beneath the hill, while autocannon fire from nearby vehicles had partly focused their attention on the auxiliary forces employed by the Saderans. This became even more apparent as the Saderan Elite, known as The Immortals, made their debut on the battlefield. They were described as being imbued with magical capabilities, which gave them speed and strength superior to that of any human, as well as magical armor which required .50 ammunition to penetrate. As such, they began receiving the brunt of IFV fire, as well as anti tank missiles thrown at them. But something was wrong. Very wrong.

"Why the fuck aren't my rounds hitting anything?" Marcus asked confused as he checked his dial. Everything was correct, yet his rounds weren't making impact with the enemy below, which while taking severe casualties, were getting dangerously close. There was something else too. The wind was picking up. Marksmen from across the battlefield were reporting strong gusts of wind hitting their locations very recently. "Anyone know where this wind fucking came from? Because I'm looking at the flags in the enemy ranks, and they aren't fluttering around."

"I think I found the source!" A marksmen from another unit called out. "Off to the right, about 500 meters southeast. In the gap between those Immortals." It didn't take long to figure out what he was referring to.

"Is that a fucking bird?" Marcus said befuddled as he rubbed his eyes, not believing what he was seeing.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it is. And it looks to be glowing green!"

"Anyone else seeing those wind distortions around her body? Looks like a mini fucking tornado!"

"How the fuck do you know it's a female?"

"Because I see boobs." The man replied in a deadpan manner.

"You have boobs, yet we don't call you a female, do we Richards?" Marcus snarkily replied, ushering in a wave of snickering from those over the net, even Anderson and Lee.

"Remind me to kick your ass later, Marcus."

"Can someone give the coordinates of that bird thing to the mortarmen? I'm sick of wasting shots here." Anderson interrupted, frustrated.

"400 meters and closing." Staff sergeant yelled out. Not long after, mortar fire began raining down on the coordinates provided by the forward observers. The gusts of wind stopped soon after, and the bird woman was no longer visible. All seemed to be going well now. The tank platoons, while suffering causualties, had brought the last dragon nearly to its knees, while the enemy force had lost over half it's numbers, with many falling back into complete and utter disarray. Every wyvern had been killed or grounded. Which meant there was only one enemy left. The Immortals.

"What the hell?" Anderson stammered out as as the ranks of the Immortals, despite their numbers being halved by mortar and IFV fire, were, just like the ogres before them, picking up speed thanks to a blue aura that overtook their bodies. They raced towards the defensive lines with reckless abandon, ignoring the casualties that had piled up on their side, the fact that they were virtually all that was left fighting, or how both dragons now lay dead. They ran. Even as another half of their numbers were thinned by the combined fire, hundreds still rushed forward, wanting nothing more than to inflict pain on their enemy. The outer defensive line was the first to be hit. Over 100 Immortals plowed into the troops manning the trenches there, turning it into a bloody melee.

"Look out!" Anderson shouted as he pulled one of his squad mates down to the floor of the trench, the sword swing from an Immortal missing him by a hair. Anderson responded by raising his M250 and hosing the man with bullets. Each impact created a spark against the aura around him, but did not damage him. The Immortal, unamused by the gesture, brought back his sword and swung it towards him. Anderson attempted to block the swing with his lmg, but it was cut in half by the blue glowing blade. His squad mate, returning the favor, yanked him up before the Immortal had a chance to strike him. The private then pulled out a frag grenade, dropped it, and yanked Anderson directly out of the trench. "Please tell me that fucking killed him," Anderson demanded as he pulled out his sidearm.

"Yeah, I think-" His words were cut short by a sword impaling him through the midsection. The Immortal had both arms on his sword as he raised the young man's limp body into the air, before jerking it to the side, tossing the kid away like he was nothing. As he looked around, he saw just how shitty the situation was turning for those in the outer perimeter. The Immortals, the ones that got through, were tearing through the infantry. American, Chinese, Russian, Indian, Saderan, bodies from both sides littered the area. He watched as soldiers were being forced from the trench and to fall back, so as to allow the IFV's to tear them apart. But just as Anderson scrambled to his feet, he heard it.

A dragon, much larger than the previous one, was standing atop the burning wreckage of a tank. Its roar was deafening to all who heard it. The mere presence of it had, at least temporarily, caused both sides to cease fire and marvel at its colossal frame. But it was only a temporary reprieve. The fighting began once more, the few hundred remaining Immortals were being thinned out slowly but surely. But for Anderson, and those still in the outer perimeter, the fight wasn't over yet.

"You have made a grave mistake, otherworlder!" the Immortal said to him. "Witness and tremble before the power of our mighty Empire." His voice boomed.

"How about you go fuck yourself!" Anderson retorted as he emptied him sidearm into the torso of the Immortal. This, however, was a mistake. The Immortal closed the distance in an instant, grabbing the hand holding the pistol, crushing it in his grasp. As Anderson screamed in pain, he attempted to drive his combat knife into the man's neck, but his strike was blocked by the Immortal's right hand. The blade snapped between his fingers, showing how futile the attack was. In response to this attack, he gripped Anderson's left elbow, tearing everything below the humerus completely off. He was then tossed to the ground, screaming and writhing in agony as the Immortal prepared to finish him off.

"Now you die, otherworlder!" Anderson knew he couldn't stop what was coming. He was bleeding profusely as his brachial artery was cut in half and felt pain more excruciating than any he had ever felt in his life.

"Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee." Anderson weakly prayed as he felt the life draining from his body. He watched as his memories flooded his mind, from his very first step, his graduation of high school and subsequent enlistment in the army, the birth of his daughter, and the events of the last few months. Now he waited. He waited for the sword to strike downward and send him off. But the direct opposite of what he had expected happened.

Before he could register what was occurring, he was blinded by bright white light. As his eyes adjusted and his vision returned ever so slightly, he saw it. The blue aura fizzled out on the Immortal, before he was thrown back by an outside force. Anderson thought he was delusional from blood loss, but what he saw proved he wasn't. A soldier, wearing an all black combat suit, fitted with an exoskeletal armor, was standing before him. His visor had a skull painted on it, as did the patch on his shoulder. The Immortal attempted to swing his blade, but it was cut apart by a volley of gunfire from an unseen force.

"Merrick, get that poor kid out of here," The unidentified soldier said as he unsheathed his knife. "I'll handle this one."

"Copy that Scarecrow!" The soldier replied as he fired off a burst of rounds into the head of a nearby Immortal, dropping him. As he looked around, he saw the remaining Immortals drop like flies to the newly arrived soldiers. "Ajax, I need help over here!" The man bellowed out.

"Don't you worry son, you aren't dying today!" another voice called to him. He saw two figures standing above him, giving him medical attention as they pulled him up and onto a field stretcher. As bright green flashes filled the sky above, the last thing he saw was the soldier, "Scarecrow", delivering a flurry of punches and kicks to the Saderan Elite, blocking every swing from the Immortal in the process. The next swing was caught by the soldier, who proceeded to put the Immortal in a choke hold. Realizing the strength difference between the two, the soldier quickly and efficiently stabbed the blade through the eye slit of the Saderan, before dropping its lifeless corpse to the ground. It was at that point that Anderson blacked out.
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"Good effect on target, repeat good effect!" First Lieutenant Michael Caballero stated as he readied the controls for another shot. The control panel to his left, glowed red, indicating the barrel was in the process of cooling down and wasn't able to fire. Until then, he, alongside three others in the cab of the truck, were inputting targeting parameters into the computer systems, which would then lock onto its target. It wasn't long before the screen to his left, lit up in a yellow hue, indicating the barrel was close to being ready to fire once more. His screen, which lit up green, indicated the gun was reloaded. "It won't be long before we bring this bastard down." He said to himself.

"Damn straight. The main force is already eviscerated the remnants are in full retreat." The driver spoke up.

"Gun ready!" The captain overlooking the control panel informed. She tapped in a few commands and the gun was ready to fire once more. They was at the helm of the most powerful weapon on the battlefield. The BAE Systems Mark II Railgun was the brainchild of a Joint US-British weapons program designed to give the US and British army more firepower on the battlefield. The gun, which fired a 35 pound projectile at mach 10, impacted with the force of 78 megajoules, enough to tear through any tank like tissue paper, and still have energy to penetrate another. It's origins can be traced back to Project MARAUDER launched by the United States in 1990, before being classified three years later. The war with the Phauthi had only accelerated the designs and technology behind it, which not only allowed for them to be fielded for use in ground forces, but for much larger version to be mounted on naval ships, as well as spacecraft.

"Firing." Caballero pressed the button, which charged the rails and accelerated the projectile towards its target. The greenish blue glow trailed behind it as the crew inside watched it smash into the torso of the dragon, exploding violently into a mess of gore and green flame as it made contact. The same results occurred when their counterparts in the Chinese, Russian, and Indian railguns fired onto their targets. Working in tandem with the newly arrived tank companies, they had more than enough firepower available to bring it down. "Initiating reload." He informed his crew.

"Acknowledged," the captain responded. "Use the cool down period to switch targeting parameters and lock onto its head. I want this battle over yesterday!" she ordered.

"Yes captain!" Marlow quickly replied. As he began inputting the new coordinates, the gun readjusted itself upwards shaking the cabin ever so slightly. Soon the screen lit up green, indicating that the computer had locked onto its target. Once the barrel had cooled down, another round erupted the barrel and screamed towards the creature. As the round got closer, the dragon shifted its gaze to the right, toward the advancing tanks. As it did, the round made contact with its jaw, tearing through it. It was joined by another and another as every railgun focused fire on the upper body. One of the railgun shots penetrated the jaw, knocking out one of its teeth, which fell and embedded itself in the ground. It's left eye had been blown out, and multiple holes perforated its cervical ribs and sternum. The Chinese and Russian guns were focused entirely on hitting the knees, which were seen as the dragon's biggest weakness. The Indian gunners however, were focused on the wings so it couldn't escape.

Just as it's offspring had learned both in Iceland, and at Alnus, it learned it was no match for modern weaponry. But the beast was far stronger than its offspring. Despite the heavy damage it had taken, it still had plenty of fight left in it. It needed to be brought down and brought down quickly. German and British self propelled guns had finished zeroing in on the coordinates taken by artillery spotters and small drones hovering above.

"All unit, advance now! Let's finish this!" The American tank commander screamed over the net. Boom after boom erupted, erupted as tank and artillery shells rained hellfire on the beast below. Explosions rocked the ground as hundreds of projectiles and missiles all focused on a singular target. The beast roared and thrashed, trying to fight its way towards the hill, but it was no use. Its movements became more and more sluggish, blood trailed behind it as it walked, and its internal organs had been battered from the seemingly relentless assault by artillery. Even if they didn't pierce the scales, which barely any hadn't, the kinetic force alone was enough to pulp its insides. Soon, it stopped moving entirely.

"All units hold fire!"

"Did we get that son of a bitch?" Marlow asked, turning over to Caballero.

"I think so. Optics aren't picking up any movement. No way in hell it survived everything we just hit it with."

"Dragon is KIA, repeat, dragon is KIA!" As the confirmation came over the net, cheers of celebration filled not only the inside of the cabin they were in, but from every tank and IFV in the field. But it wasn't without loss. At least half a dozen tanks had been destroyed or otherwise thrown out of commission, with many more damaged. But the battle was over. The enemy force, which numbered a little over 55,000 at the start of the battle, had been reduced to less than 5,000, disorganized, and retreating soldiers. They wouldn't get far however. While the artillery had stopped firing and tanks sat idle, the light armoured vehicles began racing towards the encampment, blaring requests for surrender in Latin, hoping those that survived the onslaught would take this rare show of mercy.
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Legate Marcus Asinius had failed. His remaining force of 55,000 troops was no match for the enemy, which tore through them like a scythe through wheat. Of the 2,000 Immortals he had been promised by Emperor Molt originally, half had been recalled to reinforce Italica, while those already there were to report to the capital. There was only a single Elven mage and a Siren to bolster his forces with magic. The mage assigned to him thought that with the assistance of magic, the ogres would be able to reach the Hill and shatter the enemy positioned there. That proved wrong. The enemy's flame arrows had felled each one in a large fireball. When that failed, the Siren attempted to use wing magic, hoping the weapons of the otherworlders would be stopped. But it only worked temporarily. Her magic was proven to be no match for the godlike weapons of the enemy.

The Immortals were the only part of his forces that reached the enemy on the Hill, and even then, they were slaughtered by the enemy's iron elephants. Even the mighty flame dragons, which had done the most damage to the enemy, were ultimately no match. The female flame dragon, which had also been ordered back, must have heard the cries of her young offspring, and came to rescue them. But even she died to the otherworlder weapons.

"Legate Marcus, it is in our best interest to begin a retreat before the enemy reaches us!" Flat El Coda suggested to the Legate in his war tent.

"It's truly a disgrace to the Empire that we are forced to give up the holy hill of Alnus to the enemy." The Legate gave a quick reply. "What forces do we have left? How many survived the charge?" He questioned the young mage.

"Not many I'm afraid." He gave a quick reply. "Barely a legion's worth of men survived the assault. We have only a few hundred men who stayed to guard the camp. All the auxiliaries perished in the fighting as well, aside from the few bunny warriors here in the tent with us."

"Have any Centurions reported back in yet?"

"The enemy targeted the Centurions at the start of the fight. If there are any left, they haven't reported in yet."

"And what of the Siren?"

"I'm afraid not. Myuute is likely dead. Apparently she incurred the wrath of the enemy's explosive magic when they had learned of her abilities to impede their own weapons."

"I see." The Legate sat there and pondered everything he had been told. His forces were barely a legion in size, and were in complete disarray. His Centurions were either dead or missing, and all his best assets were now dead in the field. Despite how much it pained him, he realized he had no choice. "Messengers, find the Cornicen and tell them to sound a retreat. Tell them we will regroup at Coda Village and from there we'll head to Italica!" He commanded.

"Yes, my liege!" They responded quickly before darting through the tent flaps and scattering throughout the camp.

"You must return to Rondel Immediately," Marcus ordered. "You must inform them of what you've witnessed yourself. We've proven that our enemy isn't invincible, that our methods can work, but we need time to adapt ourselves. I'll lead what remains of our men to safety, go now, time is of the utmost importance."

"I understand!" He replied quickly as he hurried to the tent flaps. But as he did, he noticed a small cylinder on the ground. As he picked it up, another one rolled in, this time with a series of small holes all along its body. Before he could react, it let out a bright flash, which left him and those in the tent, deaf and blind. The last thing he remembered was hearing shouting in a language he didn't understand, before something struck him on the back of his head.

"What's going on?" Marcus shouted at no one in particular as he attempted to fix his bearings, only to wander aimlessly around the tent. The bunny warriors guarding the tent, were now curled up on the floor, crying and holding their ears from the blast. But their cries soon went quiet, as did the screams of the men outside. Instead he heard loud thunderous booms around the camp. When his vision returned, he was met with a horrifying sight. Five soldiers, clad in all black armor, with skulls painted on their helmets, were standing around him. Flat, as well as the three warrior bunnies, were now bound and gagged by the soldiers. Each had a boot on their neck and stave pointed at their head.

"You think this one will be useful to us, Captain?" The soldier closest to him said without averting his gaze.

"Looks to be a legate. He could have information on the locations of bases and armies around this continent. Bind and gag his sorry ass, we'll drag him back with us once this camp is secure."

"By Emroy, stay back you demons!" Marcus yelled at the soldier approaching him.

"Oh, but you see, we aren't demons," the man laughed. "We're Ghosts." the man added before delivering a strike directly to Marcus' temple, knocking him unconscious.