With the death of Admiral Dimitri, his supposed grand plan to turn the tide of the war wasn't executed with the best consideration. With the 9-ship fleets commanded by a second Russian admiral without much experience, the charge occurred on the morning of the 1st of January instead of prior, leaving the Empire with ample time to prepare.
All around the sky, jet fighters skirmished far ahead of their main battleships. However, the moment the massive capital ships were within range, hell was let loose above the skies. The roar of the cannons split the heavens, and the flashes of explosions cracked the earth. As the heated exchange became increasingly desperate for the two imperial fleets fighting the Allied coalition of 9 fleets, the crew on the bridge desperately looked for any possible reinforcement on their side.
[Crew] - "Captain, we've lost contact with the 19th fleet's carrier. "
The captain of the 21st Imperial fleet held on to a handrail to steady himself as his ship shook violently. Upon looking out of the window, the captain noticed the Shadow Reaper, carrier of the 19th fleet, bursting into flame before falling toward the ground. With a grim look on his face, the captain knew the situation was fatal for them.
[Captain] - "Ram! Order all non-essential crew to evacuate. If we are going down, we are at least taking some of them down with us! Aim for their lead vessel, full power! "
All around the carrier, soldiers and crew were ordered to abandon ship. As the Imperial carrier began heading toward the enemy vessel, the Russian captain immediately ordered his carrier to take evasive actions. As the two ships came head-to-head, the Imperial captain was shocked to find his ship too high to properly ram into the main body of the enemy vessel.
[Captain] - "Shit! Why are we not catching up to their speed? "
[Crew] - "Sir, we have received engine damage earlier! On top of this, the evacuation has not been concluded! There are still many of our troops aboard. "
The captain looked at the situation and noticed one of his jets performing a cobra maneuver in a dogfight outside of his window. After carefully analyzing the situation, the captain was determined to make the most use of his assets in this suicidal struggle.
[Captain] - "Tell the Roman marines to prepare the assault pods. We will tilt our ship upward to lose speed and altitude so we can crash into the Russian carrier below. Meanwhile, the Marines will launch and preferably land on that Russian carrier above us. "
The crew on deck was in shock upon hearing the captain's orders, but knew that they didn't have much choice besides his plan.
[Captain] - "Men, it has been an honour serving with you! We fought for freedom and a better world under the Empire. When our old world oppressed us, Lord Apogee and his knights gave us a chance to fight back. We signed up for duty knowing that we might one day have to die in battle, so today is the day. We fight and die for the Empire, we die for the people! Men of the 21st fleet, we are the Emperor's Gladiators! Let's die with honour! "
Yelled the captain as he raised his fist in the air.
The crew on the bridge cheered beside the captain while the Roman marines entered their assault pods with haste. With a pull of the controls, the massive carrier's air brakes extended before its massive triangular front faced the sky. In a rain of meteors, the assault pods were launched toward the Russian carrier in front while the wounded carrier gracefully fell down to its doom. In a spectacular crash, the carrier of the 21st Imperial fleet smashed into the Russian 1st fleet carrier below, bringing two giants down toward the ground in a massive fireball.
As the flames of the two ships' demise reached the marines in their pods, many of them saluted their fallen comrade. Just as the captain intended, most of the assault pods crashed into the hull of the Russian 3rd fleet carrier. Within the ship, the tense mood soon turned to terror as the Russian crews watched massive drills punch through the roof of their hangar.
[Roman Marines] - "For our fallen brothers! "
Yelled the marines before dropping down in their power armour.
Like ants, many more assault pods soon burrowed into the Russian ship's hull, releasing the vengeful marines they carried within them. Upon landing amidst his squad, General Julius of the 1st Roman Marine Division charged forward, followed by his banner bearer, Sergeant Milano, who fired his carbine with one hand while carrying the banner with the other.
The Roman Marines fought as the last surviving vestige of their fallen fleet, tearing and carving their way through the enemy forces. Due to their near-indestructible power armour, no amount of gunfire was able to bring even a single one of them down. As Julius advanced, one of the Russian SU-75 jets turned toward him and unleashed a hail of 23mm bullets at him at near point-blank range. Immediately turning to face the threat with his heavily armoured left side, Julius braced the bullet barrage thanks to the stabilizer deployed at his feet.
Acting quickly, Milano moved to the side and sent a single perfectly aimed plasma bullet shot into the cockpit, killing the pilot. By this point, Julius suffered a minor injury on his elbow plate as the disrepaired joint gave up during the hailstorm of bullets crashing against him.
[Milano] - "General! I'll call in a medic for you, just hang on! "
Said Milano as he rushed to provide cover for his commander.
[Julius] - "No! Proceed to the central generator room! Russian ships aren't built with reactor protection like the Chinese carriers. Overload the fusion core, and it will go up in flames! "
Suddenly, gunships from the Chinese carriers in the fleet smashed into the hangar to their Russian comrades' aid. As the ramps dropped, waves of Chinese Marines in copied Imperial Marine armour pattern rushed to contain the chaos. Before, the Roman Marines used to massacre the opposition with impunity, but now, the first Roman Marine casualties occurred, followed by another, then another.
[Julius] - "Captain Augustin, lead a squad to the reactor, now! Me and the rest will hold the Chinese forces off. "
Nodding clearly, Augustin and a squad of Roman Marines rushed through the hangar past the bodies of the crew and their fallen brothers. Meanwhile, as the overwhelming number of the Chinese Marines began to liquidate the few Roman Marines remaining, Julius stood up and grabbed his side pistol, ready to fight.
By now, it was just Julius and Milano standing as the enemy closed around them. With a precise shot, Julius only managed to strike down an overextended Chinese Marine before being shot multiple times in the chest and helmet by returning plasma fire. Though also shot multiple times by this point as well, Milano held his ground, firing even as a plasma-tipped round punched a massive hole in his abdomen.
[Milano] - "The 21st fleet lives, and may you bastards die with the tyrants you serve! "
Yelled Milano before a Chinese Marine rushed forward and chopped his head off with one clean strike of his plasma sword.
Suddenly, the ship shook violently as warning sirens began to ring with deafening intensity. Realizing what was happening, the Chinese Captain immediately signalled for his men to return to their gunships.
[Chinese Captain] - "Evacuate! Now! "
However, before any of the men could retreat, a massive explosion shook the ship, followed by a massive fireball that broke the ship apart from its center. Augustine's squad was successful as they had overloaded the central fusion generator, causing a catastrophic explosion. The 21st fleet was avenged at last, through the sacrifice of its brave soldiers.
Meanwhile, Mike stood beside Knight Marshal Komich Valentine, commanding the 5th fleet, the Blitz-Marines. They watched on the bridge of the carrier, Imperial Decree, as the fleet crossed deep into Russian territories without much resistance besides the sporadic AA fire. Finally, as Moscow came into view from a gap in the clouds, Valentine ordered his ship captain to begin the assault.
From the perspective of the people on the ground in Moscow, it seemed as if the sky caught on fire before rains of lava dropped down upon the city. Using ballistic pods, these descent vehicles crashed into the ground at speeds of mach 10, before geometrically breaking apart, leaving the Marines inside safe while the surrounding area gets obliterated by the shrapnel.
Known for their brutality and efficiency, the Blitz Marines of the 5th fleet immediately sprang into action the moment they exited their drop pods and began to systematically wipe out the city's defenders without mercy. However, the problem is that they didn't mind shooting civilians. In fact, they wanted civilians to be present during their assault so the enemy couldn't properly organize a defence in the chaos of the fleeing populace.
Methodically, the Blitz Marines terrorized the city with an ungodly amount of weapons. Instead of a standard assault like other fleets, the Blitz Marines deployed heavy marauder Marines with attached drum magazines to their back that belt-fed their arm-mounted carbines. The defenders tried desperately to mount defences against the advancing enemies, yet even their BMPs' 30mm rounds bounced harmlessly off the marauder's armour. With unrelenting savagery, one of the Blitz Marines grabbed a Russian soldier and used his body as a bullet sponge as he advanced.
[Valentine] - "Grand Knight, witness the effectiveness of my Marines. I'm sure my men will provide you with a satisfactory report to submit to Lord Apogee. "
Said Valentine as he looked down at the battlefield below from his bridge.
[Mike] - "The evaluation of a fleet's performance isn't solely based on battle prowess. Soldiers without a compass know no disgrace. Your fleet might be effective, but you will have to provide proper post-conflict support to the local populace as well. "
Said Mike, his disgusted expression hidden beneath his helmet.
[Valentine] - "Lord Apogee did not send you here to lecture me, Grand Knight. If Athena and her 9th fleet want to be such compassionate warriors, then why not send her here instead? Remember our duties well, Grand Knight. I was assigned by Lord Apogee himself to conduct this battle, and you are assigned here to evaluate my performance for the task I was given. "
Said Valentine in a confident voice.
Mike glanced at Valentine from the edge with an unimpressed expression.
[Mike] - "I am the Grand Knight; you will address me with respect. As a Knight Marshal, your head might fly high with ego, but your neck remains trapped between blades. "
Said Mike coldly as he observed the battlefield.
Though Valentine remained silent, he secretly swallowed in fear at Mike's words. While Valentine was distracted, Mike muted his voice from the outside world before switching his channel to communicate with Athena.
[Mike] - "I need you to get to Moscow as quickly as you can. Things might get a bit out of hand on the ground because of Valentine's troops. "
[Athena] - "Ugh, that bastard Valentine, I swear to God! My fleet is making haste toward Moscow, but it would be hard to establish safe zones for civilians if his inbred Blitz Marines keep burning everything down. "
Said Athena in a scornful voice.
[Mike] - "How long before you arrive? "
[Athena] - "A few minutes. I had to pick up some survivors from the devastated 19th and 21st fleets. "
Meanwhile, on the ground, a group of martial knights under Valentine's command approached the Kremlin, ready to clear a path for the advancing troops. However, as they wandered through the war-torn streets, followed by rows of enthusiastic Blitz Marines, a mysterious figure emerged from the debris. As the crystals on his forearms glowed, he whispered the name of his ability in secret.
On board the fleet carrier, Mike and Valentine were suddenly shaken by the sight of a massive fireball in the city before a blinding light shone through the window. To Mike's shock, as his helmet visor adjusted to the light, he noticed the unmistakable sight of a nuclear mushroom cloud. Just as Mike phased through the bridge to investigate the situation, a man suddenly landed on the hull of the carrier, clad in damaged cyberknight armour.
[Vlad] - "Greeting, Grand Knight. "
Below Mike stood a man who was clearly a cyberknight, but something was off about the man. Carefully, Mike landed before the man and observed him from head to toe.
[Mike] - "Well, looks like the culprit is ready to turn himself in. "
[Vlad] - "I will proudly take full responsibility for this. But notice this, Grand Knight, I did not kill civilians with my attack, unlike those bastards of the 5th. "
Said Vlad in a confident voice as he tapped on his chest with his fist.
[Mike] - "You still killed a few thousand men down there. Care to explain yourself? "
Said Mike calmly.
Mike could execute this man instantly if he so wished, but his action intrigued him.
[Vlad] - "It's a message! Something that will stir the pot enough for you to care about it. "
The system in Mike's helmet quickly identified the man as a traitor cyberknight who sided with the heretic Angel of War, Michele, who was responsible for the Luciferian Sundering, the betrayal that had almost shattered the Empire in the first months of the Cleansing Crusade. Because of the betrayal, a war that was supposed to last a year became a four-year struggle with billions of lives lost.
[Mike] - "A follower of Michele. You dare show yourself before me, knowing full well any knight who sided with the traitors during the Sundering is to be executed without mercy. "
Said Mike as he stared into the knight's eyes.
[Vlad] - "I'm not afraid to die, Grand Knight. I'm willing to take my chance to convey my message to you. Your actions during the war with your World Forgers fleet told me that you are a man of reason, of justice. I believe, as a knight who used to serve the Empire loyally, I deserve to be allowed a chance to utter my last words. "
Said Vlad in a sincere tone.
[Valentine] - "Kill that bastard, Grand Knight! He fucking decimated my men! What are you waiting for? "
Yelled Valentine over the radio in Mike's helmet.
Mike looked around and realized that the whole fleet was mostly busy watching him confront this enemy instead of continuing the rampage. Pressing the mute button for Valentine's channel, Mike turned his attention back to the rogue knight.
[Mike] - "Speak your last words before I end you, traitor. "
[Vlad] - "Michele was never a traitor; he was a man who saw through the lies. You never came down to take a closer look at the atrocities or the post-war administrations put in place by the Empire. There is no freedom or salvation; it's just replacing one tyrant with a different one. "
Said Vlad as he and Mike walked in circles around each other.
[Mike] - "Such rhetoric is nothing but a waste of your precious time. If you wish to convey a proper last word, make sure you didn't find your manifesto straight out of the garbage. "
Said Mike, clearly bored by Vlad's words.
[Vlad] - "Hahaha! Ah, fanatic as always, aren't you, Grand Knight? Okay then, the truth. "
Said Vlad, while lowering his gaze.
[Vlad] - "Apogee and the cyberknight order lied! You should be ashamed of yourself, declaring moral high ground while serving a bastard like Valentine, who has no issue using civilians as a shield for his men. The hypocrisy is on full display here. "
Said Vlad with sincerity in his voice.
[Mike] - "We gave people hope. Without the Empire, this world would've still been rotten. Michele is nothing but a lapdog for those who ruled the old world. To think his men were delusional enough to confront me by murdering imperial soldiers and preaching the words of a heretic in my face is just unbelievable! "
Said Mike with a spiteful look in his eyes.
[Vlad] - "If you would just let go of this delusion, Grand Knight, and step into the shoes of those who suffered! You would've understood something instead of being a mindless tool for Apogee! Look around you, look deeper. Did none of this seem wrong to you? Have you ever looked at the conquered nations? Seen what was done under your eyes? I guess not. "
Despite Vlad's agitated tone, Mike remained stoic before a vengeful look appeared in his eyes as he prepared to respond.
[Mike] - "I lost half of my fleet at the siege. Michele's bastards murdered millions of good men I personally led. I ran out of sympathy the day he stood against me at the palace gate. Quit your posturing, because I will not give a fuck until the day every last one of you pests is exterminated! "
Said Mike in a hateful and bitter voice.
[Vlad] - "I'm not afraid to die, I just want you to go look for yourself. You sat in your ivory tower for too long and became ignorant of what truly transpired down below. You only think of the war, the vengeance, yet you didn't stop to look at your own side's moral bankruptcy. "
Said Vlad as he began igniting his crystals.
[Mike] - "I will settle this accordingly. I will make you pay for all the blood you spilled. "
Said Mike with a killer stare.
[Vlad] - "Do what you have to do. However, just look! Once you understand that things weren't so black and white, then maybe this world would still have hope. "
Yelled Vlad as flames began to materialize around his fingers.
[Mike] - "I will look, but I already know what I will find: the evidence of your guilt. "
[Vlad] - "So be it, I'm satisfied. Echoing Verdict: Tsar Bomba MK.II! "
In an instant, Vlad aimed his finger at Mike and abruptly caused the hydrogen from the tanks on his back to enter nuclear fusion. A blinding light flashed through Moscow as the power of the sun was unleashed against Mike by Vlad's ability. However, to Vlad's shock, Mike simply walked out of the fireball unharmed a few moments later.
[Vlad] - "As expected from you, Grand Knight. Your reputation tells a real story. "
Said Vlad as his hands began to tremble in fear.
Suddenly, multiple fusion reactions happened all over Mike. In a blinding flash of light, multiple massive explosions should've occurred, but the fireballs never grew past their small ball-sized dimension. As Vlad observed the scene in disbelief, Mike abruptly sent all the compressed energy into space in a beam of light.
[Vlad] - "Ah... I never stood a chance, huh? Well... I'm glad I accomplished what I came here for. "
Said Vlad as he closed his eyes peacefully.
[Mike] - "Existential Judgement: 1st Dimension. "
In physics, the first dimension is defined by the presence of a single point with no dimension or movement in time-space. Although Mike doesn't control the first dimension, his attack ensures that his opponent is subjected to the conditions of the singularity. One must wonder, what would happen if a 3-dimensional being were instantly forced into a point?
A loud crunch filled the air as all that was left of Vlad was a few large cubes of solid ice and some diamonds. Under the titanic pressure of Mike's attack, water was instantly turned into ice while carbon was instantly turned into diamond. All this process took Mike only 1/1000 the power of a single active crystal out of four and only 5 microseconds of active technique time. Vlad was simply too weak.
Suddenly, Mike noticed the silhouette of Athena's 9th fleet in the distance. Soon, the drop pods descended from Athena's carrier like shooting stars into the eastern side of the city.
[Mike] - "Thank God! The cavalry is here. "
Said Mike with relief in his voice.
However, despite Mike not buying a single word of the rogue knight who confronted him, he couldn't help but feel like something had changed. As Mike stepped toward the edge of the massive carrier's hull, he looked down and noticed the hellscape below with towering smoke columns and raging fires. Though Mike didn't know what compelled him, he suddenly jumped off the carrier and landed inside the city's ruins.
As he raised his head, he was shocked to see that there were barely any enemy soldiers amongst the dead. Most of the people who were charred and shot in the streets were women and children. As he flew up into the air, he noticed entire streets raised to the ground by the cannon fire of Valentine's fleet. None of the houses or structures destroyed had any strategic military value.
Shakily, Mike grabbed the screen attached to his belt and scrolled through the 5th fleet's combat records. Every single combat record was clean, with no mention of war crimes or uncivilized actions, yet the scene before him told a different story. As Mike zoomed in deeper into the detailed combat report of the 5th fleet in their previous campaign, he began to notice the same level of destruction as this one, but listed as justified action.
[Athena] - "Master Mike, the Russians announce an official surrender. We won! "
Said Athena over Mike's radio.
However, Mike didn't bulge as he remained frozen in shock. Just as Mike was finally beginning to regain his senses, the massive echoes of an explosion shocked the city. As he looked up, Mike noticed the Kremlin crumbling under the bombardment of Valentine's fleet. With a gasp of shock, Mike flew up into the sky before abruptly crashing through the bridge of Valentine's ship, not even bothering to phase through the window anymore.
[Mike] - "You crazy son of a bitch! What kind of bat-shit insane bullshit have you been running under the banner of the Empire? Answer me, you bloody heretic! "
Yelled Mike as he grabbed Valentine by using his ability.
Before Valentine could answer, Mike slammed the Marshal into a wall like a ragdoll before dragging his face against the floor all the way until his face was in a puddle of blood before Mike's feet.
[Mike] - "You committed war crimes and torched the city and lied to me about the apparent necessity of it. You fucking piece of human filth! What have you done during the entire four years of war? Why did you shoot the fucking Kremlin after the surrender? "
Yelled Mike in a fit of rage as he lifted Valentine's head to face him.
[Valentine] - "Fuck... You are a fucking unhinged moron! You ruined my fucking face! "
Mumbled Valentine as blood dripped from his face.
Without hesitation, Mike punched Valentine in the face.
[Valentine] - "Ah! Fuck! What do you want to know, huh? We fought and bled to win a war about rebuilding this world. These buildings are relics of the past! "
Cried Valentine in a panic.
[Mike] - "That still doesn't justify what your troops did to the innocent civilians! The Empire isn't your playground of depravity; it is a common flag where the broken world gathers under. Yet, you ruined its reputation and broke its principles! "
Yelled Mike with passionate fury in his voice.
[Valentine] - "We are above them. The people below us were given the option to join the Empire from the start, yet they refused. Now, they fought against us, killed our brothers and sisters. When we conquer them, you expect us to treat them like our own? Never! "
Said Valentine in an unapologetic voice.
[Mike] - "They're civilians, you monster, not soldiers! They're non-combattant! "
[Valentine] - "So what? Victory at any cost! You didn't complain when my men shattered Michele's defences under your command. You are happy to label us the Empire's spear. Our reputation comes from our willingness to get things done, no matter the cost. At least I'm honest about what we do. Why don't you go beat up all the other fleet commanders who also bathed in civilian blood while lying to you? "
With a painful yell, Valentine yanked his hair out of Mike's grasp before taking a few laboured breaths.
[Mike] - "What the fuck did you just say? What do you mean the other fleets also did such a thing? "
Yelled Mike in disbelief.
[Valentine] - "Ah, how naive you must be... The 13th massacred cities while the 15th levelled entire refugee settlements. Other fleets also partook in countless atrocities. However, unlike us, they did it for sport and vengeance. Yet, I thought you knew. It's unbelievable how you are foolish enough to believe the Empire is pure! "
Said Valentine accusingly.
Mike, for all his qualities, was after all a military commander, not a civilian administrator.
There was wrath, dogma and evil in many of the fleets that suffered in the flame of the Luciferian Sundering, and many sought revenge against those who had sided with Michele, including the Chinese and their allies of the old world. So the world burned, lies spread, and corruption became rampant while Mike worked tirelessly to rebuild the shattered Empire in the wake of the Sundering.
For years, Mike trusted the Empire and the men under its banner blindly, like the indoctrinated child he was meant to be. When false reports came to his desk, he took them as truth. When administrators came in with false news, he took them as facts. When deeds usually deemed atrocious reached his ears, he believed the liars who spun them into justified actions for the greater good. Why? Because he was taught that the Empire could do no wrong by Apogee.
Today, however, when he finally decided to bear witness to the end of the war in person, thinking it would vindicate his efforts, he only saw a sea of fire where he was promised a utopia. This was Mike's first taste of the true nature of human malice, and it was beyond ugly.
[Valentine] - "I'm just much more of a realist, Grand Knight. I do not hide my actions behind petty pretext; I tell you the truth, unlike those who'd whisper lies to your ears. People are not like you; you are an exception to the rule. People are greedy, malicious and animalistic at their core. They are not delusional like you are. "
Mike abruptly stood up and took a few breaths of fresh air from the broken bridge window. He looked at the shattered glass on the floor, each piece jagged like the truth that had pierced him. He tried to make sense of what he had just discovered, yet all he could do was stare at the broken window, which bore his reflection. As he calmed down a little, he was reminded of his confrontation with the rogue knight earlier. With clenched fists, Mike abruptly flew into the air before disappearing into the horizon.
Inside the imperial war archives, Mike looked at the videos and pictures of the different atrocities committed by imperial officers and cyberknights. From ethnic cleansing to mass-scale massacres, the empire officers and their troops didn't hold back at all, considering they were in a position of power where no one could judge them. Many in the Empire also turned a blind eye as they considered their brutal action as justified revenge for the grievances left by the Sundering.
On the other hand, Karson wasn't the only cyberknight who abused the power he was given. Although rogue cyberknights were mostly hunted down and killed, others who killed in the name of the empire were not punished in any way. Many were young and naive knights aiming to prove their worth through violence, as the order lost 90% of its members thanks to the Sundering. Considering their power, they were above the law and nature when they abused their power against the helpless. Censorships and cover-ups allowed none of these events to become public knowledge to preserve the Empire's image.
Why is Apogee turning a blind eye to all this mess that has become his empire? What happened to the crusade and revolution that was meant to bring light and justice to a sick and corrupted world?
Mike inclined himself to the secretary as a sign of gratitude.
[Judge] - "Your audience with our lord Apogee will be tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. exactly. Do not waste his majesty's time. Use your words carefully. "
Said the Judge with a vexing stare.
To be continued...