Yes - as long as there are people dropping breadbaskets, cocktails will be an appropriate response.
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Well, due to internal corruption, this scenario is more likely to hit the Arcadia Self Defense Force than the Imperium itself.
Oh, we're starting to see theories and guesswork about the deja vu incidents.
Remember: I'm planning for this story to have two endings. The deja vu incidents may only relate to one of them.Naturally, of course.
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Since the conversation suddenly turned to characters this week, I want to share a neat little behind-the-scenes detail about Year of Hell:
The Morbuzakh, a minor character that has been getting a lot of attention from the readers recently, is not the only character of its... origin... to appear in this story. Remember, it is originally from LEGO Bionicle, a story-driven toyline I was obsessed with as a little kid. I've changed and modified the Morbuzakh a bit to make it mesh nicely with the world of Stellaris, it is supposed to be a new variation of its 2004 iteration. This is not the first time I've "borrowed" a character for my own stories, and I'm actually gearing up to do it again:
I have been planning for a second character created by the LEGO Company to appear in Year of Hell. Just like the Morbuzakh, she'll be a minor recurring character with a bigger part to play in the grand finale. She has not appeared yet, but her first appearance is only two chapters away, meaning you will get to see her later this week! (probably on Saturday) So I can share a few small details about the new character without spoiling much:
This new character is originally from LEGO Ninjago, a story-driven toyline seen by myself and others to be the successor to Bionicle. I've tweaked and modified the character to make her fit seamlessly into Year of Hell. I'm going to put her through a small story arc that will make her into a very different character from the source material, just like I did to the Morbuzakh in previous chapters.
Each of our two guest characters will be playing a minor role in the story overall. However, each of them will have a special part to play in one of the two alternate endings:
The Morbuzakh will guide Cali and Moka into the Light Ending.
The incoming new character will open the way to the Dark Ending.
The two guest characters will serve as warning signs before we get to the point of diversion. Pay attention to both of them, so that when the time comes... you'll have an idea of which ending you want to accept.
The Morbuzakh, a minor character that has been getting a lot of attention from the readers recently, is not the only character of its... origin... to appear in this story. Remember, it is originally from LEGO Bionicle, a story-driven toyline I was obsessed with as a little kid. I've changed and modified the Morbuzakh a bit to make it mesh nicely with the world of Stellaris, it is supposed to be a new variation of its 2004 iteration. This is not the first time I've "borrowed" a character for my own stories, and I'm actually gearing up to do it again:
I have been planning for a second character created by the LEGO Company to appear in Year of Hell. Just like the Morbuzakh, she'll be a minor recurring character with a bigger part to play in the grand finale. She has not appeared yet, but her first appearance is only two chapters away, meaning you will get to see her later this week! (probably on Saturday) So I can share a few small details about the new character without spoiling much:
This new character is originally from LEGO Ninjago, a story-driven toyline seen by myself and others to be the successor to Bionicle. I've tweaked and modified the character to make her fit seamlessly into Year of Hell. I'm going to put her through a small story arc that will make her into a very different character from the source material, just like I did to the Morbuzakh in previous chapters.
Each of our two guest characters will be playing a minor role in the story overall. However, each of them will have a special part to play in one of the two alternate endings:
The Morbuzakh will guide Cali and Moka into the Light Ending.
The incoming new character will open the way to the Dark Ending.
The two guest characters will serve as warning signs before we get to the point of diversion. Pay attention to both of them, so that when the time comes... you'll have an idea of which ending you want to accept.
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Chapter 21: Area Denial Operations
Chapter 21: Area Denial Operations
Year of Hell, Day 112
Moka J’Bassim
People’s Liberation Army
East Lagos, Arcadia
Stardate 2256.06.21, 15:47hours
“The Imperials are massing for a counterattack! Everyone back to your positions!”
“We can’t stay here! They’ll overwhelm us!”
“Everyone stay put! If we lose this position, we lose the bomb factory on Rue Jean-Jaurès! Our comrades are counting on us!”
Moka was in awe. This was the first time she had ever seen Alari Commissar Mak B’Than “in action.” Of course, she had heard his voice blaring over the loudspeakers, countering the equally loud Imperial propaganda, but now he was here on the battlefield. With only strong words, Commissar B’Than stopped the mixed force of Hellfighters and Minutemen from abandoning their positions.
The guerillas were defending one the Industrial Districts in East Lagos, though at first glance, it was difficult to tell they were in such an area. Morbuzakh vines had overrun the whole area in leafy growth. Even though it was the middle of the day, the city was dark. The warship Last Talon was still overhead, blocking the sun. What little daylight got through was then blocked by dense clouds of black smoke. Guerillas and insurgents were setting fire to stacks of car tires, using the plumes to signal the arrival of enemy forces in yet another part of the city.
Moka, Commissar B’Than, and about two hundred insurgents were holed up inside of the Pactical Industries factory complex. Pactical was a Human Megacorporation that manufactured small arms, light weapons, as well as the ammunition for said weapons. This particular factory had been turned into a fortress. The complex was massive, sprawling about two kilometers in each direction, with underground facilities already connected to Feu D'enfer tunnel network.
As the defenders moved back to their positions, Moka’s radio squawked.
“This is Stellaris 1-2.” Moka spoke into the receiver. “Last calling station send your message again, over.”
“This is C-2.” Said the voice of Moriarty. “Stellaris 1-2, there’s been a change of plan. I want you to move to the southern side of the Pactical Complex, link up with a pocket of guerillas, and await new orders, over.”
Moka looked at Commissar B’Than, who had overheard the conversation. He gave her a quizzical look. Moka called Vir back.
“C-2, what about the East side? We’re expecting the enemy to push here at any moment. Over.” She said.
“We are aware of the incoming attack, 1-2.” Replied Moriarty. “Right now, you need to get moving. Someone will be in touch with you momentarily about your new orders.”
Moka gave Commissar B’Than an apologetic look. He shrugged.
“I’ll wake up Cali and ask her to fill in while you’re gone.” B’Than said. “You should get going.”
Moka took off at a jog, clutching her radio in one hand and a Laser SMG in the other. As she scrambled across the shipping/receiving grounds, she got another radio call.
“Stellaris 1-2, this is Paradox 1-1, come in, over.”
Moka groaned. She knew that someone from the Scyldari Special Forces was calling her. Reluctantly, she replied curtly:
“Paradox 1-1, this is Stellaris 1-2. Send your message, over.”
“C-2 just told us about the change in plan.” Said the voice of Vir B’Scul. “Listen closely, we need you to step up and take command of Hatchet Squad, how copy? Over.”
Moka was so surprised she stopped running. Gasping, she said:
“Are you serious, 1-1? What makes you think the guerillas would accept that? Over.”
“There’s no time for debate, 1-2.” Vir replied. “We need to move fast and C-2 said you already know Hatchet Squad’s mission. Break.”
There was a pause. Moka started heading south through the factory again and a moment later, Vir continued:
“Look, C-2 gave you this task because he thinks you can handle it. All three of the Resistance leaders are on board with it too. We’ll let Hatchet Squad know you’re inbound. Their callsign is ‘Enterprise.’ Paradox out.”
Moka continued running across the factory complex, making sure to pass through as many buildings as possible so that the enemy starship above could not track her movements. Meanwhile, another conversation played out on the radio, this time Moka could only listen:
“Enterprise, this is C-2” Said Moriarty. “Be advised: Moka J’Bassim will be taking the lead on your operation. She will arrive shortly to assume command. Over.”
To Moka’s surprise, the voice that replied was one she knew well, but had not heard in a long time:
“C-2, Enterprise 1-2 here.” Said a Korean voice. “Are you sure, commander? I’m just saying, Yan knows the mission. Over.”
“Do not talk back to me.” Moriarty replied in a stern tone. “I am certain. The Imperials are spooling up for something big and we need all hands on deck right now. The Alari is competent and knows your mission already. Paradox has vouched for her ability, and there will be no further discussion, do I make myself clear? Acknowledge! Over.”
It was true that Moka already knew Hatchet Squad’s mission. She had seen them during the aftermath of several defensive battles in the previous week. Whenever it looked as though the Imperium was going to capture another part of the Twin Cities, Hatchet Squad would fill the area with as many booby traps as physically possible. Mines, pitfalls, spike traps, collapsing buildings, anything that would inflict both casualties and morale damage.
About twenty minutes later, Moka arrived at a railroad station that connected the Pactical Factory complex to the rest of the Twin Cities. Hatchet Squad was here, consisting of four people, one of whom Moka had already met:
Pol T’Talok gave Moka a hearty slap on the back as she arrived, greeting her with a smile. The other three squadmates were Humans, two Chinese and one Korean. The Chinese man was called Yan Chen, while the Chinese woman was named Xiao Guanyu. The Korean was someone who Moka recognized as soon as he introduced himself.
“I’ve spoken to you before!” She said. “You’re Mulmangcho, the guy who helped me get into Tianjin!”
“Guilty!” Said Mulmangcho, taking off his cap and bowing in a grandiose kind of way.
Mulmangcho was a small and scrawny man who reminded Moka of a mouse. Yan Chen was much less welcoming to Moka:
“Listen here.” Yan said in an unfriendly tone. “We’re following you because the Commander told us to. You’d better know what you’re doing, Alari.”
Moka nodded and picked up her radio.
After conferring with other Minutemen leaders, Moka was given permission to turn the railroad station into a minefield.
“I want tripwire bombs in all the doorways!” Moka ordered, pointing into the nearby office complex. “Anti-tank mines on the west access road! Xiao, do we have a connection to the tunnel network?”
“Through that building.” Guanyu answered, pointing to a warehouse. “We had a sniper nest on the third floor, but they had to clear out. The enemy is flying drones over the area.”
“Drones?” Moka repeated.
“It’s part of a counter-sniper operation.” Guanyu said. “The drones are fitted with thermal cameras, they can see us through walls now.”
Moka swore. She grabbed an Anti-Drone Gun from Yan and scanned the skies with it. Sure enough, there were about a dozen Imperial drones flying over the industrial sector.
“What happened to the snipers in that tower?” She asked.
“Both of ‘em are dead.” Mulmangcho answered. “Imperial COIN operatives will take the tower and use the sniper nest against us in a few days unless we do something about it.”
“I’ve got an idea.” Moka said. She picked up her radio. “Stellaris 1-1, this is Stellaris 1-2. I need you to meet me at the Pactical Industries railyard.”
An hour later, Moka’s plan was coming into fruition. Thanks to some help from Cali, the soldiers of Hatchet Squad had acquired an artillery shell. Measuring 200 millimeters in diameter, it was a heavy high-explosive round normally used in siege weapons. It had to be carried through the tunnel network by a team of eleven men before it was painstakingly carried into the warehouse.
“The Imperials will have to clear the entire building before they’ll consider it safe enough to use the sniper’s nest upstairs.” Moka told her team. “Someone find me an office that’s close to a load-bearing support.”
In moments, Mulmangcho found the foreman’s office. It was located close to a wall that was critical to the structure. If an explosive was detonated here, the entire warehouse would come crashing down.
Moka, Pol, Mulmangcho, and Yan carried the artillery shell into the office. Once it was deposited on the floor, Pol said:
“There’s a conifer tree outside the back door, and I know how to hang a bomb from the branches. You want some cable for your own trap here?”
“Yes, thanks.”
Moka spent several minutes in the office alone, rigging the artillery shell to a very simple tripwire detonation device. Her plan was simple. When Imperial soldiers entered the building, the doorway leading to the foreman’s office would be closed and locked. The enemy would have no choice but to open the door by force, breaking it down. When this happened, the tripwire device would strike the primer, causing the high-explosive shell to detonate. The explosion would bring the warehouse down, denying the enemy access to a valuable sniper nest, and hopefully killing several dozen Imperials as well.
Proud of her work, Moka inspected her tripwire mine once more, then she closed the office door and armed it. The explosive booby trap was now live. Moka looked around the office one more time… and then she discovered the horrible mistake she had just made:
The tripwire bomb was live. If the door was opened, it would explode. There were no windows, no other ways to leave the room.
Moka had locked herself inside the office with a live bomb.
She uttered the foulest, most profane word in the Alari language.
Year of Hell, Day 115
Skrand Sharpbeak
Imperial Counter Insurgency Task Force
East Lagos, Arcadia
Stardate 2256.06.24, 09:55hours
After three days of fighting, the Imperial Army captured the Pactical Factory complex. With no enemy forces left in the immediate area, the Imperial soldiers let their guard down and started to clear the buildings in a leisurely fashion.
This was a mistake.
A pitfall trap, the bottom of which was lined with punji sticks, killed two Fevarian troops. A Necrophage was called in from Tufsin to re-animate the corpses, but he was killed by a pipe bomb. It was hanging by a rope from a tree, and manually detonated by a nearby Morbuzakh plant. Landmines were everywhere, and they were also booby-trapped. It was very commonplace to see an anti-personnel landmine tied to a hand grenade by a string. If one was tampered with, the other would detonate.
Imperial minesweepers reported to the scene of explosions, only to find the ground overrun by freshly grown Morbuzakh vines. The explosives were hidden beneath leafy undergrowth that went out of its way to be uncooperative. Out of frustration, flamethrowers were brought forward to beat back the Morbuzakh. This tactic was a double-edged sword. While the Morbuzakh was forced to retreat, the fires would also spread to civilian buildings, causing even more death and destruction.
Amidst all of this, Skrand Sharpbeak and his COIN task force arrived at the Pactical factory. Some of the most elite soldiers the Galactic Imperium had to offer escorted the avian commander onto the scene. Sharpbeak and his forces cleared the factory complex systematically, scanning for booby traps and destroying them from a safe distance.
When the COIN team reached the warehouse, Skrand looked up at the tower above and immediately thought of snipers.
“Don’t worry sir.” Said an Imperial soldier. “One of our AV-85’s put a railgun slug through the tower. Those rebel snipers are definitely dead.”
“We cannot be certain until we have people up there.” Skrand replied. “Clear the building at once.”
Skrand and his COIN team breached the warehouse, clearing it room by room. Finally, they came to the foreman’s office. One of Skrand’s operatives scanned the doorway.
“There’s an IED on the other side.” The soldier said. “Something’s off, though. It’s not armed.”
Skrand put his shoulder to the door and forced it open. He found the 200mm high-explosive shell. However, the tripwire detonator was disabled, rendering the entire trap harmless. Skarnd raised an eyebrow. He knew why the bomb was disarmed.
Hours later, Explosive Ordinance Disposal experts (EOD) arrived. They took the artillery shell out of the building and dropped it down a sewage drain. Then everyone backed away. Inside the sewer, the artillery shell was safely detonated. The force of the explosion shook the ground and cast a pillar of white smoke into the sky. Meanwhile, Skrand addressed his team of COIN specialists.
“I think we may have been duped, gentlemen.” Skrand said. “Tell me, did anyone find an escape route the insurgents could have used?”
“An… escape route?” One of the operators repeated. “How do you mean, sir?”
Skrand used his talons to scrape the ground.
“We were fools to neglect the possibility.” Skrand said. “We must rectify this at once and regain the initiative. Start searching for a tunnel network!”
Trivia: this sequence of events is adapted from a near-death experience my dad went through during the Yugoslav Wars. (He was a UN Peacekeeper during the initial phase and an acting company commander during the NATO intervention) He really did find a high-yield IED in a factory office, left behind by the Serbians. He opened a door to find an artillery shell on the other side with a disabled detonator. Just like Moka, the Serbian trooper responsible for this had accidentally armed the bomb without leaving an escape route for himself. So the Serbian disabled the trap and bailed.
Dad really did drop the shell into a sewer and have EOD blow it up. Controlled detonation is one of the safer ways to deal with IED's.
Year of Hell, Day 112
Moka J’Bassim
People’s Liberation Army
East Lagos, Arcadia
Stardate 2256.06.21, 15:47hours
“The Imperials are massing for a counterattack! Everyone back to your positions!”
“We can’t stay here! They’ll overwhelm us!”
“Everyone stay put! If we lose this position, we lose the bomb factory on Rue Jean-Jaurès! Our comrades are counting on us!”
Moka was in awe. This was the first time she had ever seen Alari Commissar Mak B’Than “in action.” Of course, she had heard his voice blaring over the loudspeakers, countering the equally loud Imperial propaganda, but now he was here on the battlefield. With only strong words, Commissar B’Than stopped the mixed force of Hellfighters and Minutemen from abandoning their positions.
The guerillas were defending one the Industrial Districts in East Lagos, though at first glance, it was difficult to tell they were in such an area. Morbuzakh vines had overrun the whole area in leafy growth. Even though it was the middle of the day, the city was dark. The warship Last Talon was still overhead, blocking the sun. What little daylight got through was then blocked by dense clouds of black smoke. Guerillas and insurgents were setting fire to stacks of car tires, using the plumes to signal the arrival of enemy forces in yet another part of the city.
Moka, Commissar B’Than, and about two hundred insurgents were holed up inside of the Pactical Industries factory complex. Pactical was a Human Megacorporation that manufactured small arms, light weapons, as well as the ammunition for said weapons. This particular factory had been turned into a fortress. The complex was massive, sprawling about two kilometers in each direction, with underground facilities already connected to Feu D'enfer tunnel network.
As the defenders moved back to their positions, Moka’s radio squawked.
“This is Stellaris 1-2.” Moka spoke into the receiver. “Last calling station send your message again, over.”
“This is C-2.” Said the voice of Moriarty. “Stellaris 1-2, there’s been a change of plan. I want you to move to the southern side of the Pactical Complex, link up with a pocket of guerillas, and await new orders, over.”
Moka looked at Commissar B’Than, who had overheard the conversation. He gave her a quizzical look. Moka called Vir back.
“C-2, what about the East side? We’re expecting the enemy to push here at any moment. Over.” She said.
“We are aware of the incoming attack, 1-2.” Replied Moriarty. “Right now, you need to get moving. Someone will be in touch with you momentarily about your new orders.”
Moka gave Commissar B’Than an apologetic look. He shrugged.
“I’ll wake up Cali and ask her to fill in while you’re gone.” B’Than said. “You should get going.”
Moka took off at a jog, clutching her radio in one hand and a Laser SMG in the other. As she scrambled across the shipping/receiving grounds, she got another radio call.
“Stellaris 1-2, this is Paradox 1-1, come in, over.”
Moka groaned. She knew that someone from the Scyldari Special Forces was calling her. Reluctantly, she replied curtly:
“Paradox 1-1, this is Stellaris 1-2. Send your message, over.”
“C-2 just told us about the change in plan.” Said the voice of Vir B’Scul. “Listen closely, we need you to step up and take command of Hatchet Squad, how copy? Over.”
Moka was so surprised she stopped running. Gasping, she said:
“Are you serious, 1-1? What makes you think the guerillas would accept that? Over.”
“There’s no time for debate, 1-2.” Vir replied. “We need to move fast and C-2 said you already know Hatchet Squad’s mission. Break.”
There was a pause. Moka started heading south through the factory again and a moment later, Vir continued:
“Look, C-2 gave you this task because he thinks you can handle it. All three of the Resistance leaders are on board with it too. We’ll let Hatchet Squad know you’re inbound. Their callsign is ‘Enterprise.’ Paradox out.”
Moka continued running across the factory complex, making sure to pass through as many buildings as possible so that the enemy starship above could not track her movements. Meanwhile, another conversation played out on the radio, this time Moka could only listen:
“Enterprise, this is C-2” Said Moriarty. “Be advised: Moka J’Bassim will be taking the lead on your operation. She will arrive shortly to assume command. Over.”
To Moka’s surprise, the voice that replied was one she knew well, but had not heard in a long time:
“C-2, Enterprise 1-2 here.” Said a Korean voice. “Are you sure, commander? I’m just saying, Yan knows the mission. Over.”
“Do not talk back to me.” Moriarty replied in a stern tone. “I am certain. The Imperials are spooling up for something big and we need all hands on deck right now. The Alari is competent and knows your mission already. Paradox has vouched for her ability, and there will be no further discussion, do I make myself clear? Acknowledge! Over.”
It was true that Moka already knew Hatchet Squad’s mission. She had seen them during the aftermath of several defensive battles in the previous week. Whenever it looked as though the Imperium was going to capture another part of the Twin Cities, Hatchet Squad would fill the area with as many booby traps as physically possible. Mines, pitfalls, spike traps, collapsing buildings, anything that would inflict both casualties and morale damage.
About twenty minutes later, Moka arrived at a railroad station that connected the Pactical Factory complex to the rest of the Twin Cities. Hatchet Squad was here, consisting of four people, one of whom Moka had already met:
Pol T’Talok gave Moka a hearty slap on the back as she arrived, greeting her with a smile. The other three squadmates were Humans, two Chinese and one Korean. The Chinese man was called Yan Chen, while the Chinese woman was named Xiao Guanyu. The Korean was someone who Moka recognized as soon as he introduced himself.
“I’ve spoken to you before!” She said. “You’re Mulmangcho, the guy who helped me get into Tianjin!”
“Guilty!” Said Mulmangcho, taking off his cap and bowing in a grandiose kind of way.
Mulmangcho was a small and scrawny man who reminded Moka of a mouse. Yan Chen was much less welcoming to Moka:
“Listen here.” Yan said in an unfriendly tone. “We’re following you because the Commander told us to. You’d better know what you’re doing, Alari.”
Moka nodded and picked up her radio.
After conferring with other Minutemen leaders, Moka was given permission to turn the railroad station into a minefield.
“I want tripwire bombs in all the doorways!” Moka ordered, pointing into the nearby office complex. “Anti-tank mines on the west access road! Xiao, do we have a connection to the tunnel network?”
“Through that building.” Guanyu answered, pointing to a warehouse. “We had a sniper nest on the third floor, but they had to clear out. The enemy is flying drones over the area.”
“Drones?” Moka repeated.
“It’s part of a counter-sniper operation.” Guanyu said. “The drones are fitted with thermal cameras, they can see us through walls now.”
Moka swore. She grabbed an Anti-Drone Gun from Yan and scanned the skies with it. Sure enough, there were about a dozen Imperial drones flying over the industrial sector.
“What happened to the snipers in that tower?” She asked.
“Both of ‘em are dead.” Mulmangcho answered. “Imperial COIN operatives will take the tower and use the sniper nest against us in a few days unless we do something about it.”
“I’ve got an idea.” Moka said. She picked up her radio. “Stellaris 1-1, this is Stellaris 1-2. I need you to meet me at the Pactical Industries railyard.”
An hour later, Moka’s plan was coming into fruition. Thanks to some help from Cali, the soldiers of Hatchet Squad had acquired an artillery shell. Measuring 200 millimeters in diameter, it was a heavy high-explosive round normally used in siege weapons. It had to be carried through the tunnel network by a team of eleven men before it was painstakingly carried into the warehouse.
“The Imperials will have to clear the entire building before they’ll consider it safe enough to use the sniper’s nest upstairs.” Moka told her team. “Someone find me an office that’s close to a load-bearing support.”
In moments, Mulmangcho found the foreman’s office. It was located close to a wall that was critical to the structure. If an explosive was detonated here, the entire warehouse would come crashing down.
Moka, Pol, Mulmangcho, and Yan carried the artillery shell into the office. Once it was deposited on the floor, Pol said:
“There’s a conifer tree outside the back door, and I know how to hang a bomb from the branches. You want some cable for your own trap here?”
“Yes, thanks.”
Moka spent several minutes in the office alone, rigging the artillery shell to a very simple tripwire detonation device. Her plan was simple. When Imperial soldiers entered the building, the doorway leading to the foreman’s office would be closed and locked. The enemy would have no choice but to open the door by force, breaking it down. When this happened, the tripwire device would strike the primer, causing the high-explosive shell to detonate. The explosion would bring the warehouse down, denying the enemy access to a valuable sniper nest, and hopefully killing several dozen Imperials as well.
Proud of her work, Moka inspected her tripwire mine once more, then she closed the office door and armed it. The explosive booby trap was now live. Moka looked around the office one more time… and then she discovered the horrible mistake she had just made:
The tripwire bomb was live. If the door was opened, it would explode. There were no windows, no other ways to leave the room.
Moka had locked herself inside the office with a live bomb.
She uttered the foulest, most profane word in the Alari language.
Year of Hell, Day 115
Skrand Sharpbeak
Imperial Counter Insurgency Task Force
East Lagos, Arcadia
Stardate 2256.06.24, 09:55hours
After three days of fighting, the Imperial Army captured the Pactical Factory complex. With no enemy forces left in the immediate area, the Imperial soldiers let their guard down and started to clear the buildings in a leisurely fashion.
This was a mistake.
A pitfall trap, the bottom of which was lined with punji sticks, killed two Fevarian troops. A Necrophage was called in from Tufsin to re-animate the corpses, but he was killed by a pipe bomb. It was hanging by a rope from a tree, and manually detonated by a nearby Morbuzakh plant. Landmines were everywhere, and they were also booby-trapped. It was very commonplace to see an anti-personnel landmine tied to a hand grenade by a string. If one was tampered with, the other would detonate.
Imperial minesweepers reported to the scene of explosions, only to find the ground overrun by freshly grown Morbuzakh vines. The explosives were hidden beneath leafy undergrowth that went out of its way to be uncooperative. Out of frustration, flamethrowers were brought forward to beat back the Morbuzakh. This tactic was a double-edged sword. While the Morbuzakh was forced to retreat, the fires would also spread to civilian buildings, causing even more death and destruction.
Amidst all of this, Skrand Sharpbeak and his COIN task force arrived at the Pactical factory. Some of the most elite soldiers the Galactic Imperium had to offer escorted the avian commander onto the scene. Sharpbeak and his forces cleared the factory complex systematically, scanning for booby traps and destroying them from a safe distance.
When the COIN team reached the warehouse, Skrand looked up at the tower above and immediately thought of snipers.
“Don’t worry sir.” Said an Imperial soldier. “One of our AV-85’s put a railgun slug through the tower. Those rebel snipers are definitely dead.”
“We cannot be certain until we have people up there.” Skrand replied. “Clear the building at once.”
Skrand and his COIN team breached the warehouse, clearing it room by room. Finally, they came to the foreman’s office. One of Skrand’s operatives scanned the doorway.
“There’s an IED on the other side.” The soldier said. “Something’s off, though. It’s not armed.”
Skrand put his shoulder to the door and forced it open. He found the 200mm high-explosive shell. However, the tripwire detonator was disabled, rendering the entire trap harmless. Skarnd raised an eyebrow. He knew why the bomb was disarmed.
Hours later, Explosive Ordinance Disposal experts (EOD) arrived. They took the artillery shell out of the building and dropped it down a sewage drain. Then everyone backed away. Inside the sewer, the artillery shell was safely detonated. The force of the explosion shook the ground and cast a pillar of white smoke into the sky. Meanwhile, Skrand addressed his team of COIN specialists.
“I think we may have been duped, gentlemen.” Skrand said. “Tell me, did anyone find an escape route the insurgents could have used?”
“An… escape route?” One of the operators repeated. “How do you mean, sir?”
Skrand used his talons to scrape the ground.
“We were fools to neglect the possibility.” Skrand said. “We must rectify this at once and regain the initiative. Start searching for a tunnel network!”
Trivia: this sequence of events is adapted from a near-death experience my dad went through during the Yugoslav Wars. (He was a UN Peacekeeper during the initial phase and an acting company commander during the NATO intervention) He really did find a high-yield IED in a factory office, left behind by the Serbians. He opened a door to find an artillery shell on the other side with a disabled detonator. Just like Moka, the Serbian trooper responsible for this had accidentally armed the bomb without leaving an escape route for himself. So the Serbian disabled the trap and bailed.
Dad really did drop the shell into a sewer and have EOD blow it up. Controlled detonation is one of the safer ways to deal with IED's.
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Maybe Moka should've thought that through more. On the other hand, perhaps the bomb will be triggered by Sharpbeak in the future, conveniently killing him? That could be funny.
Also, I have a theory about the dark ending from your Character WritAAR of the Week post.
Also, I have a theory about the dark ending from your Character WritAAR of the Week post.
You said that our "heroine" (could be either Cali or Moka) would "pay the price". What entity in Stellaris is referred to exacting a price? The End of the Cycle (The price we paid is everything...). Perhaps the entire galaxy is destroyed by this entity due to the action of a psionic... and there's a convenient new character that you said would pave the way for the Dark Ending. An AAR hasn't covered a successful summoning of the End of the Cycle since After Everything, too, and even then that story only had it destroy a planet temporarily, so it would be unique... like you said the Dark Ending would be. Only one question remains... which empire triggered it? The Alari? The Scyldari (they're suspicious), the Galactic Imperium, or a different option?
My backup theory is that it's the Worm.
My backup theory is that it's the Worm.
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I am very happy to report that there will be another attempt on Sharpbeak's life in Chapter 23, just a few days from now. The chapter is actually named "A Plot to Kill Sharpbeak" and it will involve the use of a second bomb.
A larger bomb.
A VERY. BIG. BOMB.
I unashamedly enjoy the moment whenever readers build theories!Just in case anyone has not seen it, the offending post is quoted below:
Hold up, I've won this thing three times already!? (Turns out, yes. Twice for the entire cast of The Stormbreakers and once for The Paradox herself)
Cali and her self-appointed niece Moka have definitely come a long way from where they started. You know I first saw them as two leaders who randomly appeared in one of my Stellaris games? Cali just happened to be the admiral aboard the Automated Dreadnaught when I got the idea to steal it. Moka was flagged as the leader of the Manifesti faction when their movement overran my empire. All I did was try to figure out how everybody related to each other, not so much writing as it was putting a jigsaw puzzle together.
Many thanks, friend! We're a little less than halfway through Year of Hell, and I've got a very ambitious plan for the end of this AAR that I don't think anyone has attempted in a long time. Fingers cross I can stick the landing when we get there.
(seriously though, when was the last time someone wrote an AAR with more than one ending?)
...
Psst... hey you. Yes you. Want to know why I used my narrator voice at the top of this post? You'll have to read Year of Hell's Dark Ending once it arrives. I assure you, a story twist like this probably has not been seen on the AAR forums in a long time. Blame the Stellaris dev team for making it possible in the base game.
Don't forget now, Year of Hell. There is going to be a Light Ending and a Dark Ending. Pick the dark one. All answers will be revealed... once a heroine pays the price...
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Chapter 22: Allies Unknown
Chapter 22: Allies Unknown
Year of Hell, Day 119
Cyrus Borg
Civilian
East Lagos, Arcadia
Stardate 2256.06.28, 13:11hours
The Resistance was being pushed out of East Lagos. Moving first in dozens, then hundreds, and then by the thousands, civilians began to flee. Women, children, and the elderly abandoned their homes to cross one of six bridges across the River Orne. Once they were safely in the larger city of Lagos, Resistance fighters took the escapees into one of many Relocation Camps, temporary shelters for the displaced.
In the business district of East Lagos, one particular civilian was hesitating to flee. He was currently located in a skyscrapter branded with the name and insignia of Typhon Mining, a Megacorporation that was based on Earth before Humanity was driven off their Homeworld. This man was not going to leave the city… not just yet…
Cyrus Borg looked out of the skyscraper window, taking in the fight playing out in the streets below. The Imperial Army was about six hundred meters away from Typhon Tower. At this rate, the enemy would arrive here in just a few days.
Above him, the lights flickered. A computerized voice spoke from a nearby room:
“Emergency power low. Please save all work to avoid data loss.”
“Computer, estimate time to completion.” Cyrus said.
“Update installation will complete in two minutes.”
There was a loud pounding at the office door.
“Enter.” Cyrus said.
Ten heavily armed individuals entered the office. They wore the uniforms of the Scyldari Confederate Army, with the Special Forces patch adorning their chests. Cyrus could see that several of the Special Forces operators were looking very unhappy with the idea of escorting him to safety. He understood why.
“You are late, Vakor.” Cyrus spoke to the lead Scyldari.
A grizzled-looking veteran swished his tail in a cranky sort of way. Virpim den Vakor was covered in battle scars and some of the whiskers were missing from his snout.
“Out of my control.” Vakor grunted. “The other team needed our help. I had to give Iridar some of my troops and just got them back a few minutes ago. We’re ready to take you out of here now.”
“Just one moment.” Cyrus said. “I was struck by a last second inspiration. I must finish uploading the chances to my code before we leave.”
“Are you talking about your little messenger?” Vakor asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I don’t think of her as a messenger…” Cyrus confessed. “More of a guide. If we find ourselves in the worst-case scenario, she will be the one to guide others to the truth… regardless of the fact that she cannot comprehend said truth herself.”
One of the SF operators groaned.
“Are all computer programmers philosophers?” The soldier complained.
“Yes. Yes we are.” Replied Cyrus with a grin.
“Sorry.” Grumbled the soldier. “I just thought…”
“You thought that because I am wealthy beyond your wildest imagination, I would be vain and self-centered?” Cyrus replied. “No shame in thinking that. It would not be out of the ordinary. But if I was, the People’s Liberation Army would not be getting my money, would they? Now please, I just need one moment to say goodbye.”
Then, Cyrus turned in place without standing up. He was seated in an electric wheelchair, legs covered by a warm blanket. Physically unable to walk, Cyrus used his wheelchair to quickly cross the office and enter a small enclosed space. The Scyldari operators followed him and found a workshop.
Inside this little room, Cyrus was tinkering with an android. Shaped like a Human woman, the machine had a smooth outer covering that took on the appearance of unnaturally white skin. Purple conduction tracks adorned the android’s skin, the same color as the garment it was wearing: a purple robe with red trim that hung off one shoulder, leaving half of the android’s chestplate exposed. The android itself was lying flat on its back on a table while a complex-looking computer was positioned on a nearby table, connected to an emergency power source. A thick cable was connected to the android’s head. It ran off the table and to the aforementioned computer. Cyrus examined the computer screen and then gave a satisfied smile.
“Very good.” He muttered to himself.
Cyrus reached up and disconnected the cable from the android. All ten of the Scyldari soldiers leaned forward to get a closer look. A blue light, shaped like a semicircle, had just turned on deep within the android’s torso, located roughly in the position where a Human heart would be.
“Wake up.” Cyrus whispered. “It’s time to go back to work.”
The android opened “her” eyes. They were florescent green and emitted a faint glow.
“Update successfully installed.” The android said, sitting up and looking around. “My re-activation seems to have occurred earlier than discussed. Is there danger?”
She spoke in a soft, disarming voice that caused the Scyldari to loosen up a little.
“There is.” Cyrus told the android. “These soldiers from Scyldaria are going to take me away. You will follow the instructions I included with your latest software update, understood?”
The android paused for a moment, seeming to stare off into space. Then she nodded.
“Yes, sir.” The android replied. “Goodbye.”
Year of Hell, Day 120
Cali D’Kara
People’s Liberation Army
East Lagos, Arcadia
Stardate 2256.06.29, 15:37hours
“No… more… stairs!” Alya panted.
Cali laughed.
“One more flight, Night Witches!” Cali called back to her comrades. “Just be glad we’re not setting up on the top floor!”
“Learned your lesson, huh?” Estefania Rodriguez called up the stairwell. “No higher than the fifth floor, D’Kara. Stop at five!”
The team of Night Witches emerged on the fifth floor, and Ayumi Robinson wiped the dust off a sign on the wall.
“This is it.” Ayumi reported. “This was the data center for Typhon Mining. We can set up our Electronic Warfare suite in here.”
“Good.” Cali said. “Alya, go back downstairs and get the engineers to hook us up with a power supply.
The young Russian screamed in frustration before turning around and heading back the way she came. As she descended the stairs, Alya swore that once the power was back on, she would ride the elevator back to this spot.
Cali ordered Hinata to take point and they breached the data center. In moments, the room was clear, and the Night Witches started to clear the adjoining offices.
“This place is great.” Hinata said, pointing to the many computer terminals. “If only we could get all of these rigs up and running, this would be one of the biggest Electronic Warfare centers we’ve ever run.”
“Don’t bother, we won’t be able to hold this place for long.” Mulan reminded her. “Stick to D’Kara’s orders and re-activate just one of those computers.”
“If we can shut down enemy comms for a week from this place, I’d say that’s a job well done.” Cali replied. “Stealing a few drones and droids on top of that is just making a good day into a better one. Come on, let’s clear this room over here, it looks like it might be a workshop.”
The Night Witches stacked up against the double doors at the far end of the room. Estefania pressed her ear to the door, then backed away.
“Someone’s in there!” She said.
Cali, Hinata, Mulan, and Ayumi all pointed their weapons at the door.
“People’s Liberation Army, Night Witches!” Hinata screamed at the top of her voice. “Come out with your hands up! Don’t try anything or we’ll shoot you!”
A soft, disarming voice called out from the other side of the doors:
“Please do not shoot me. I surrender. I am unarmed. I will come out.”
The doors opened from the inside.
“Hold fire, it’s an android!” Hinata said. Then she addressed the Human-shaped machine: “Stay where you are! D’Kara! Scan that thing!”
Cali obliged, using as many of her implants as possible to interface with the android. To her surprise, she ran into a number of defensive firewalls, but each time she hit one, the android made a conscious decision to disable the firewall and let Cali pass. After a few tense moments, Cali penetrated the android’s core operating system; she could read its core programming code.
“She’s an AI.” Cali told the others. “She’s got some serious hard-coding in her head. I can see the if/then statement forcing her to surrender. Aside from a few lines of code her creator chiseled in stone, she’s fully self-aware. She’s got a personality matrix, emotion emulators, exploration protocols, experience cache, self-preservation directives, a cosmetic file labelled ‘the Three Laws of Robotics,’ pretty much the whole smash. Everything she needs to make her a full-on-lifeform.”
“My name is Primary Interactive eX-ternal Assistant Lifeform Mark-17.” Said the android. “Please call me Pixal.”
The Night Witches lowered their weapons. Estefania muttered something about Pixal’s full name making no sense to her. Mulan stepped to one side, and then moved the opposite way, alarmed by the fact that Pixal seemed to be staring at her face.
“I’ve seen androids like you before.” Hinata said. “Where’s your owner? He or she has to be close by.”
“I am employed by Cyrus Borg, a software developer employed by Typhon Mining. I do not know where he is.” Pixal replied, keeping her hands raised in a gesture of surrender. “I went into low-power mode to install a software update. When I reactivated, Mister Borg was gone and you were here.”
“D’Kara, what do you…?” Alya started to say, but she was distracted. Mulan had suddenly cursed aloud and taken a step away from Pixal.
“Uh… I’ve heard the name before.” Mulan quickly explained. “Borg… I didn’t remember his first name… anyway, he’s a super-rich and influential computer programmer. He created all of the Artificial Intelligence employed by Typhon. I’m guessing he made you, Pixal?”
“Yes.” Pixal replied, nodding. “Most AI’s in my position would refer to Mister Borg as my father, but he and I have established a professional relationship as executive and assistant.”
“Borg is physically disabled.” Mulan added. “Wheelchair-bound. Without his android, he can’t get very far, he must have had help leaving this place.”
Cali turned to face Pixal.
“Did you help Mister Borg leave this office?” Cali asked.
“I do not know.” Pixal answered, tilting her head. “There are gaps in my memory. Some of my cognitive functions have been disabled. I am not achieving optimal performance.”
All of the Night Witches looked at Cali. For her part, Cali scanned Pixal with her implants again.
“She thinks she’s telling the truth.” Cali said. “I’d really like to get some of my nanobots into your positronic brain, Pixal, just to be sure…”
But at that moment, the high-pitched whistle and subsequent BANG of a mortar shell reminded the Night Witches of the battle taking place just half a kilometer away.
“Hinata, take that android back to base and interrogate her more thoroughly!" Cali snapped. “Everyone else, I want this data center turned into an Electronic Warfare suite twenty minute ago! Now move!”
Year of Hell, Day 119
Cyrus Borg
Civilian
East Lagos, Arcadia
Stardate 2256.06.28, 13:11hours
The Resistance was being pushed out of East Lagos. Moving first in dozens, then hundreds, and then by the thousands, civilians began to flee. Women, children, and the elderly abandoned their homes to cross one of six bridges across the River Orne. Once they were safely in the larger city of Lagos, Resistance fighters took the escapees into one of many Relocation Camps, temporary shelters for the displaced.
In the business district of East Lagos, one particular civilian was hesitating to flee. He was currently located in a skyscrapter branded with the name and insignia of Typhon Mining, a Megacorporation that was based on Earth before Humanity was driven off their Homeworld. This man was not going to leave the city… not just yet…
Cyrus Borg looked out of the skyscraper window, taking in the fight playing out in the streets below. The Imperial Army was about six hundred meters away from Typhon Tower. At this rate, the enemy would arrive here in just a few days.
Above him, the lights flickered. A computerized voice spoke from a nearby room:
“Emergency power low. Please save all work to avoid data loss.”
“Computer, estimate time to completion.” Cyrus said.
“Update installation will complete in two minutes.”
There was a loud pounding at the office door.
“Enter.” Cyrus said.
Ten heavily armed individuals entered the office. They wore the uniforms of the Scyldari Confederate Army, with the Special Forces patch adorning their chests. Cyrus could see that several of the Special Forces operators were looking very unhappy with the idea of escorting him to safety. He understood why.
“You are late, Vakor.” Cyrus spoke to the lead Scyldari.
A grizzled-looking veteran swished his tail in a cranky sort of way. Virpim den Vakor was covered in battle scars and some of the whiskers were missing from his snout.
“Out of my control.” Vakor grunted. “The other team needed our help. I had to give Iridar some of my troops and just got them back a few minutes ago. We’re ready to take you out of here now.”
“Just one moment.” Cyrus said. “I was struck by a last second inspiration. I must finish uploading the chances to my code before we leave.”
“Are you talking about your little messenger?” Vakor asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I don’t think of her as a messenger…” Cyrus confessed. “More of a guide. If we find ourselves in the worst-case scenario, she will be the one to guide others to the truth… regardless of the fact that she cannot comprehend said truth herself.”
One of the SF operators groaned.
“Are all computer programmers philosophers?” The soldier complained.
“Yes. Yes we are.” Replied Cyrus with a grin.
“Sorry.” Grumbled the soldier. “I just thought…”
“You thought that because I am wealthy beyond your wildest imagination, I would be vain and self-centered?” Cyrus replied. “No shame in thinking that. It would not be out of the ordinary. But if I was, the People’s Liberation Army would not be getting my money, would they? Now please, I just need one moment to say goodbye.”
Then, Cyrus turned in place without standing up. He was seated in an electric wheelchair, legs covered by a warm blanket. Physically unable to walk, Cyrus used his wheelchair to quickly cross the office and enter a small enclosed space. The Scyldari operators followed him and found a workshop.
Inside this little room, Cyrus was tinkering with an android. Shaped like a Human woman, the machine had a smooth outer covering that took on the appearance of unnaturally white skin. Purple conduction tracks adorned the android’s skin, the same color as the garment it was wearing: a purple robe with red trim that hung off one shoulder, leaving half of the android’s chestplate exposed. The android itself was lying flat on its back on a table while a complex-looking computer was positioned on a nearby table, connected to an emergency power source. A thick cable was connected to the android’s head. It ran off the table and to the aforementioned computer. Cyrus examined the computer screen and then gave a satisfied smile.
“Very good.” He muttered to himself.
Cyrus reached up and disconnected the cable from the android. All ten of the Scyldari soldiers leaned forward to get a closer look. A blue light, shaped like a semicircle, had just turned on deep within the android’s torso, located roughly in the position where a Human heart would be.
“Wake up.” Cyrus whispered. “It’s time to go back to work.”
The android opened “her” eyes. They were florescent green and emitted a faint glow.
“Update successfully installed.” The android said, sitting up and looking around. “My re-activation seems to have occurred earlier than discussed. Is there danger?”
She spoke in a soft, disarming voice that caused the Scyldari to loosen up a little.
“There is.” Cyrus told the android. “These soldiers from Scyldaria are going to take me away. You will follow the instructions I included with your latest software update, understood?”
The android paused for a moment, seeming to stare off into space. Then she nodded.
“Yes, sir.” The android replied. “Goodbye.”
Year of Hell, Day 120
Cali D’Kara
People’s Liberation Army
East Lagos, Arcadia
Stardate 2256.06.29, 15:37hours
“No… more… stairs!” Alya panted.
Cali laughed.
“One more flight, Night Witches!” Cali called back to her comrades. “Just be glad we’re not setting up on the top floor!”
“Learned your lesson, huh?” Estefania Rodriguez called up the stairwell. “No higher than the fifth floor, D’Kara. Stop at five!”
The team of Night Witches emerged on the fifth floor, and Ayumi Robinson wiped the dust off a sign on the wall.
“This is it.” Ayumi reported. “This was the data center for Typhon Mining. We can set up our Electronic Warfare suite in here.”
“Good.” Cali said. “Alya, go back downstairs and get the engineers to hook us up with a power supply.
The young Russian screamed in frustration before turning around and heading back the way she came. As she descended the stairs, Alya swore that once the power was back on, she would ride the elevator back to this spot.
Cali ordered Hinata to take point and they breached the data center. In moments, the room was clear, and the Night Witches started to clear the adjoining offices.
“This place is great.” Hinata said, pointing to the many computer terminals. “If only we could get all of these rigs up and running, this would be one of the biggest Electronic Warfare centers we’ve ever run.”
“Don’t bother, we won’t be able to hold this place for long.” Mulan reminded her. “Stick to D’Kara’s orders and re-activate just one of those computers.”
“If we can shut down enemy comms for a week from this place, I’d say that’s a job well done.” Cali replied. “Stealing a few drones and droids on top of that is just making a good day into a better one. Come on, let’s clear this room over here, it looks like it might be a workshop.”
The Night Witches stacked up against the double doors at the far end of the room. Estefania pressed her ear to the door, then backed away.
“Someone’s in there!” She said.
Cali, Hinata, Mulan, and Ayumi all pointed their weapons at the door.
“People’s Liberation Army, Night Witches!” Hinata screamed at the top of her voice. “Come out with your hands up! Don’t try anything or we’ll shoot you!”
A soft, disarming voice called out from the other side of the doors:
“Please do not shoot me. I surrender. I am unarmed. I will come out.”
The doors opened from the inside.
“Hold fire, it’s an android!” Hinata said. Then she addressed the Human-shaped machine: “Stay where you are! D’Kara! Scan that thing!”
Cali obliged, using as many of her implants as possible to interface with the android. To her surprise, she ran into a number of defensive firewalls, but each time she hit one, the android made a conscious decision to disable the firewall and let Cali pass. After a few tense moments, Cali penetrated the android’s core operating system; she could read its core programming code.
“She’s an AI.” Cali told the others. “She’s got some serious hard-coding in her head. I can see the if/then statement forcing her to surrender. Aside from a few lines of code her creator chiseled in stone, she’s fully self-aware. She’s got a personality matrix, emotion emulators, exploration protocols, experience cache, self-preservation directives, a cosmetic file labelled ‘the Three Laws of Robotics,’ pretty much the whole smash. Everything she needs to make her a full-on-lifeform.”
“My name is Primary Interactive eX-ternal Assistant Lifeform Mark-17.” Said the android. “Please call me Pixal.”
The Night Witches lowered their weapons. Estefania muttered something about Pixal’s full name making no sense to her. Mulan stepped to one side, and then moved the opposite way, alarmed by the fact that Pixal seemed to be staring at her face.
“I’ve seen androids like you before.” Hinata said. “Where’s your owner? He or she has to be close by.”
“I am employed by Cyrus Borg, a software developer employed by Typhon Mining. I do not know where he is.” Pixal replied, keeping her hands raised in a gesture of surrender. “I went into low-power mode to install a software update. When I reactivated, Mister Borg was gone and you were here.”
“D’Kara, what do you…?” Alya started to say, but she was distracted. Mulan had suddenly cursed aloud and taken a step away from Pixal.
“Uh… I’ve heard the name before.” Mulan quickly explained. “Borg… I didn’t remember his first name… anyway, he’s a super-rich and influential computer programmer. He created all of the Artificial Intelligence employed by Typhon. I’m guessing he made you, Pixal?”
“Yes.” Pixal replied, nodding. “Most AI’s in my position would refer to Mister Borg as my father, but he and I have established a professional relationship as executive and assistant.”
“Borg is physically disabled.” Mulan added. “Wheelchair-bound. Without his android, he can’t get very far, he must have had help leaving this place.”
Cali turned to face Pixal.
“Did you help Mister Borg leave this office?” Cali asked.
“I do not know.” Pixal answered, tilting her head. “There are gaps in my memory. Some of my cognitive functions have been disabled. I am not achieving optimal performance.”
All of the Night Witches looked at Cali. For her part, Cali scanned Pixal with her implants again.
“She thinks she’s telling the truth.” Cali said. “I’d really like to get some of my nanobots into your positronic brain, Pixal, just to be sure…”
But at that moment, the high-pitched whistle and subsequent BANG of a mortar shell reminded the Night Witches of the battle taking place just half a kilometer away.
“Hinata, take that android back to base and interrogate her more thoroughly!" Cali snapped. “Everyone else, I want this data center turned into an Electronic Warfare suite twenty minute ago! Now move!”
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Yeah, Cali, getting distracted there might've been unwise.
I wonder what this new information says about the Scyldari since Cyrus is clearly in favor of the PLA. Speaking of which, having a high-ranking member of a megacorporation not be evil was interesting.
Also, Cyrus Borg? Can't help but wonder if that's a meaningful name.
The philosophical rambling seems to imply psionics of some kind, too, which supports my theory.
I wonder what this new information says about the Scyldari since Cyrus is clearly in favor of the PLA. Speaking of which, having a high-ranking member of a megacorporation not be evil was interesting.
Also, Cyrus Borg? Can't help but wonder if that's a meaningful name.
The philosophical rambling seems to imply psionics of some kind, too, which supports my theory.
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If you take into account the exposition from Chapter 5, it's a pretty safe bet that Cyrus Borg is either a member of the Secret Council or somehow associated with it. (The still-unknown group of rich people bankrolling the PLA)
I got kind of stuck writing Pixal's introductory scene, (lifting a character out of one story and into another can sometimes be restrictive) so I decided to give a brief cameo to Cyrus Borg, the person who created her. Cyrus only appears in two LEGO sets, and is easy to miss. He looks exactly like Steve Jobs aside from the wheelchair.
Cyrus Borg's name is supposed to be a play on the term cyborg, due to his love of cybernetic technology and androids.
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What is CyBorg's long-term plan for Pixal? Four months of hell survived eight months before it gets slightly better or much worse. Thanks
Without spoiling the Dark Ending, Cyrus wants Pixal to act as a "failsafe" against a highly specific nightmare scenario he is worried about. Pixal does have knowledge of the disaster she's supposed to prevent, we'll learn a little more about her in a future chapter.
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Presumably Cyrus foresees someone activating the Vultaum's relic.
It would make a lot more sense if activating it caused a CTD, really.
It would make a lot more sense if activating it caused a CTD, really.
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Chapter 23: A Plot to Kill Sharpbeak
Xenonion News called it back in 2018.
Chapter 23: A Plot to Kill Sharpbeak
Year of Hell, Day 123
Cali D’Kara
People’s Liberation Army
East Lagos, Arcadia
Stardate 2256.07.02, 15:47hours
East Lagos was going to fall.
Imperial forces were storming through the city at an alarming rate. Thousands of terrified civilians were fleeing across the River Orne each hour, either by bridge or boat. Cali was able to track the enemy’s progress by the sound of explosions. Moka and the rest of Hatchet Squad had booby-trapped most of East Lagos, forcing the enemy to advance very slowly.
One particular trap caused a whole skyscraper to collapse, wiping out a battalion of enemy troops along with their vehicles and equipment. When Cali asked Moka “What did you do?” her niece shrugged, saying:
“Fertilizer bomb.”
By the end of the month, the Resistance controlled only a sliver of East Lagos, running along the River Orne. All six bridges across the waterway were secure, with the enemy unable to draw close, but this would not last forever.
Cali was invited to join a meeting of Resistance leaders. The meeting would happen deep within the Feu D'enfer tunnel network. Cali travelled to a vast cavern that had clearly existed pre-war. Archeological equipment was strewn around the cave, and she only had to look around for a few second before spotting the ruins of Vultaum architecture.
Of course. Cali told herself. The insurgents must have come across the ruins of the Vultaum’s underground city when building their tunnel network.
Cali followed Apollon Thanos into the cavern and joined the meeting. The other Resistance leaders were already at the Vultaum “town square” when Cali arrived.
Cali blinked, trying to sweep away the sense of déjà vu.
Cali followed Apollon Thanos into the cavern and joined the meeting. The other Resistance leaders, plus a few extra people, were already at the Vultaum “town square” when Cali arrived.
The other Resistance leaders, plus a few extra people, were already at the Vultaum “town square” when Cali arrived. Sarim den Iridar and Vir B’Scul represented the Special Forces. Persefoni and Hua Mulan showed up for the Night Witches. Moriarty and Apollon Thanos spoke on behalf of the Minutemen, but Alex Robinson was also here. Florent Ardouin was here for the Hellfighters, and a familiar face joined him:
Standing beside Florent was the android Cali encountered at Typhon Tower. Pixal looked unchanged from the last time Cali had seen her. The dim light of the cavern, plus the glowing green eyes and pure white skin, made Pixal look like a demonic apparition, spawned from the darkest of nightmares.
As Cali approached, she saw Alex Robinson having a heated conversation with Persefoni.
“…I don’t care, she’s my daughter!” Alex was saying. “I don’t want Ayumi anywhere near the front line.”
“Again… you clearly don’t understand how the Night Witches operate.” Persefoni replied. “Your daughter is currently in one of our EW centers. She is hijacking enemy droids and drones. The only way she would ever be in danger is if the enemy decides to abandon their selective bombardment policy, and that looks unlikely.”
Iridar called for quiet.
“Everyone, we have a serious situation developing, alongside a new opportunity that has arisen.” He said.
The Resistance leaders stopped their idle chatter and started the meeting. Iridar yielded the floor to Florent.
“Comrades, my men have completed the newest expansion to the tunnel network.” Florent began. “We now have the ability to leave the city via tunnel. The exit is located in Sunjiwan, and my men have made contact with sympathizers in the town.”
There was a smattering of applause. Florent raised a hand for quiet.
“Our Scyldari friends were the first to go through the completed tunnel. As you can see, they have since returned.” Florent said. “They have brought back weapons we are able to use.”
“Weapons?” Persefoni asked.
Iridar stepped forward.
“Before the war started, there were two Scyldari Special Forces teams operating on this planet.” Iridar explained. “We pre-positioned several weapons caches across the peninsula to be used in the event of an emergency. One of those caches was located in Sunjiwan; my men have collected the contents and brought them back here.”
“My hope was that we could wait for a better opportunity to use these weapons, but the Imperium has forced our hand.” Florent said. “Thanks to the efforts of the Minutemen and our Alari allies, we were able to delay the enemy’s takeover of the Pactical industrial center. However, that takeover will be complete soon. Once the Imperium secures their hold over the Industrial District, they will move to contest all six bridges over the River Orne.”
Cali joined in the wave of nervous muttering that went around the room. Then she spoke up:
“Don’t we still control the far bank of the river? What do we have over there?”
Florent raised a hand for silence and smiled.
“As of this moment,” he said, “We control exactly one district in East Lagos: the Typhon Mining District. It is directly adjacent to the Pactical district we just lost. This situation has actually created an opportunity for us. To explain more, please listen to our new friend here.”
Pixal the android stepped forward. Resistance fighters were muttering to each other, whispering about Pixal’s previous allegiance to the Typhon Megacorp. Simultaneously, a few of the Night Witches speculated about an eye-catching detail: Pixal’s robe did not cover the left side of her chest, revealing her power source: a semi-circular device located roughly where a Human heart would be. It glowed with a faint blue light.
Talking in a voice everyone found friendly and disarming; the android began to speak:
“Greetings, new allies. I am a personal assistant android employed by the Typhon Mining Megacorp. You may call me P.I.X.A.L.”
Pixal continued:
“The Chairman of Typhon Mining is sympathetic to your cause, but must remain publicly loyal to the Military Junta government of General Sun. The same can be said of my creator, who is employed by Typhon as a software developer. Several AI programs belonging to Typhon, including myself, have been given a special ‘protocol’ that will trigger in proximity to anti-Junta forces.”
Iridar interrupted.
“To put it simply, Miss Pixal here will automatically surrender to our forces on sight and she’ll cooperate with our requests. The same goes for nearly all AI using the Typhon operating system. We simply need to get close to them and they’ll come over to our side. The code is hidden deep in the program, so our enemies will either fail to notice or erroneously blame the Night Witches.”
“We’ll take the credit anyway.” Persefoni joked.
Cali noticed that Persefoni was eyeing Pixal with an expression that looked like greed.
“Pixal, along with several Synthetics and sapient AI’s working for the Lagos branch of Typhon, have already agreed to help us.” Florent said. “We are going to stonewall the enemy at the Mining District, and at the same time, we’re going to kill an enemy VIP.”
“Wait, what?” Said Cali and several others.
Pixal stood aside and allowed Iridar to continue the briefing:
“Thanks to Hua Mulan and Ayumi Robinson, we have learned the location of an enemy Forward Operating Base in East Lagos.” Iridar said, pacing the length of the chamber. “It was constructed in the ruins of the Pactical industrial center. According to the latest intelligence, the enemy commander Skrand Sharpbeak is operating out of this base.”
Excited murmurs ran around the room. Thanks to her own optical implants, Cali spotted something out of the corner of her eye: Pixal briefly looked away from Iridar and locked eyes with Hua Mulan. Pixal made very subtle movements in her silver eyebrows, an attempt to make nonverbal conversation with Mulan. However, the teenage Night Witch looked down at the ground, refusing to acknowledge or respond the android’s wordless message.
Meanwhile, Iridar continued:
“After discussing the situation with Iridar and Ardouin, I proposed the deployment of a tunnel bomb against the enemy FOB. The enemy commander will be killed in the blast, and if we are fortunate, enemy casualties will enter the quintuple digits. The Scyldari SF agreed to provide the explosives. The Typhon AI agreed to provide autonomous mining equipment to do the digging.”
“The noise caused by mining equipment may lead to my team being counter-detected.” Pixal explained. “I plan to route my team underneath the River Orne. This will allow my team to approach within fifty meters of the enemy base before we begin to risk detection.”
Cali raised her hand.
“Setting off a bomb fifty meters under the base isn’t guaranteed to kill Sharpbeak.” Cali said. “We need a very large bomb… like… huge! Does your team have something like that, Iridar?”
Iridar nodded at Vir. The young man stepped away from the group and came back a moment later, carrying a very large cylindrical object wrapped in canvas. He set it gently on the ground and began to explain:
“This is an MP-N-ORD-29.” Vir explained. “Short for ‘Man-Portable Nuclear ORDinance. It’s a compact implosion device using plutonium-239 for fissile material, packs an explosive yield of roughly 2000 gigajoules."
Cali blinked, trying to sweep away the sense of Déjà vu.
“This is an MP-N-ORD-29.” Vir explained. “Short for ‘Man-Portable Nuclear ORDinance. It’s a compact implosion device using plutonium-239 for fissile material, packs an explosive yield of roughly 2000 terajoules. Just one of these will wipe that enemy base off the face of the planet; it will also irradiate the blast zone, making search and rescue infeasible. The instant death radius around ground zero will be roughly two hundred meters.”
Cali put both hands to her head, overwhelmed by a very sudden headache. It was as though her brain was in a vice grip. Trying to hide her pain, she looked up and saw several people doing similar movements. Several guerillas had been abruptly overwhelmed by head pain just like her. Mulan actually needed to sit down, an expression of shock on her face. Pixal gave Mulan a look of concern, and this time the teenager met the android's gaze. Vir paused in his speech, looking at Iridar. The Scyldari leader gave a hand signal to Raldrim den Subir, who pulled a handheld scanner out of his pocket and left the group, disappearing into one of the tunnels.
Persefoni was the first to recover from the mass illness and tried to restart the conversation...
“I get it.” she said. “We dig a tunnel under the enemy FOB, plant this bomb, and then send Sharpbeak sky-high with it.”
Nods and murmurs of assent went around the room. Cali signaled for everyone’s attention.
“I see one problem with the plan.” She said. “Weather. We’re talking about setting off a nuclear weapon at ground level, which means we’ll have to deal with the Nuclear Footprint… I’m talking about fallout, people. Fallout! If the wind is blowing the wrong way, we might just irradiate the civilians or ourselves. Also, the Pactical facility is really close to the river. Fallout will land in the river; I guarantee it. We need a backup plan for getting water after the bomb goes off.”
Persefoni and Moriarty both agreed with Cali. Within hours, a plan of action came together…
Year of Hell, Day 124
“Evacuate your homes as safely as possible!” Commissar B’Than’s voice blared over the loudspeaker. “All citizens living between Rue des Alpes and the River Orne must evacuate their homes and move to relocation centers in downtown Lagos immediately!”
Meanwhile, Cali and several other Resistance soldiers were running from house to house, knocking on doors and passing along the same message:
“We are evacuating this part of the city! Get away from the river! Go to our base near the center of town!”
Up above, Imperial drones buzzed about, trying to figure out what was going on. The Night Witches handled that problem. Anti-Drone Guns were positioned on rooftops, picking off the flying scouts as quickly as they came. When the drones were downed the enemy sent in flying troops. Members of the Avian Faleen species soared high above Lagos, trying to look down and spot resistance forces while also being shot at by fighters on the ground.
The Scyldari Special Forces, led by Iridar, launched a counteroffensive in East Lagos, keeping the enemy totally distracted.
“C-2, this is Paradox 1-1 Actual.” Iridar said over the radio. “We confirm the enemy FOB is now on lockdown. If our target is in there, he’s not going to leave anytime soon!”
Down below, Pixal led a team of Synthetics and droids in a hasty dig. The autonomous miners burrowed east, angling their mineshaft downward to avoid the River Orne. Excess dirt was ejected into a public park, causing a medium-sized hill to appear almost overnight. Once Pixal was sure her team had cleared the river, the robotic miners began tunneling toward the surface again. Using an internal guidance system, Pixal calculated that after two and a half days of mining, her team was about fifty meters away from the enemy FOB…
Year of Hell, Day 126
It was almost midnight on the last day of June. Cali and Moka had just reunited after being apart for several tense hours.
“Where have you been?” Moka asked.
“Evacuating civilians.” Cali replied. “I convinced Moriarty we should use the escape tunnel to Sunjiwan to get people out of town. Did Hatchet Squad get out of the blast zone?”
“Yup.” Moka replied. “When does the show start?”
“In a few minutes.” Cali said, tapping her radio. “The Night Witches just sent up weather drones. As soon as we confirm the weather forecasts are accurate, it’s go time.”
“Do you think Sharpbeak is still in the FOB?” Moka said.
“I hope so.” Cali said. “You know I served in the Imperial military five years ago, right? Before the Revolution.”
“I remember.” Moka answered.
“Well, back then, the Imperial military had a very ridged command structure.” Cali explained. “If we do kill their field commander, the enemy will be completely paralyzed for a few days. I said as much to Iridar and the other leaders. Lots of lower officers will forget about fighting and spend their time trying to contact the Throneworld for orders. We could counterattack; maybe even push the enemy back. We just need to kill Sharpbeak first.”
The Heads-Up-Display in Cali’s optical implant suddenly flashed a warning.
“Attention all friendly units.” Said the voice of Pixal. “Weather conditions have aligned with previous predictions and are deemed favorable for detonation. Please clear the blast zone, and then proceed to protect your eyes and ears. The mine will be detonated in ten minutes.”
Both women ran up the street and found a concrete building. Cali and Moka darted around the far side, placing the reinforced structure between themselves and the blast zone. At the same time, Resistance soldiers stopped evacuating civilians. Instead, they shouted for everyone to “shelter in place.”
“Here it comes!” Cali raised her voice. “Cover your eyes!”
Cali and Moka hunkered down, then covered their eyes with their hands.
After a few moments, the city around them was suddenly lit up as though it were daytime! Even though her eyes were jammed shut, Cali’s vision as flooded with blinding light. The glare was so intense that it damaged Cali’s optical implant and she was forced to deactivate it.
As the light faded, a loud CRACK rent the air, as though someone had fired a cannon right next to Cali’s ears. Both women were knocked to the ground as the shockwave rolled up the city streets. Broken glass rained down from the high-rises and dust blew into alleyways. Cali and Moka ran back into the street, where they found hundreds of guerillas and civilians. Everybody was facing east and cheering at an incredible sight.
A mighty explosion had thrown an area the size of a small town into the air. The column of dirt and debris flew almost half a kilometer into the sky before it fell to the ground in an apocalyptic storm of wreckage. The sound of rubble falling from the sky was like a hellish hailstorm. The dark cloud hit the ground and mushroomed out across the occupied portions of the city, causing a dust storm to suddenly take shape. The evening wind caught the cloud and pushed it east.
The plume of nuclear fallout blew across East Lagos and enveloped several military bases and camps before reaching the Imperial Army staging ground, engulfing the majority of the enemy force in a radioactive sandstorm. At the same moment, millions of gallons of water from the River Orne, launched skyward by the blast, fell out of the air, thundering across East Lagos as black rain.
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Lagos is not a battle that is expected to be won, but rather a delaying action killing as many Imperium as possible? Eight months to go. Thanks
Correct. The PLA was also hoping to score some kind of a propaganda victory here that would either demoralize Imperial forces or trigger an INTO counter-invasion.
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Of course Reddit survived and expanded in this future, even as humanity was forced to leave Earth. I wonder how the Paradox Forums are doing ?
Oh, so it's okay to be really creepy with Moka, Alex, but it isn't okay for Ayumi to fight when she wants to? I get familial bias, but sheesh!
They ended up killing Sharpbeak with a pocket nuke? That's actually great.
?Oh, so it's okay to be really creepy with Moka, Alex, but it isn't okay for Ayumi to fight when she wants to? I get familial bias, but sheesh!
They ended up killing Sharpbeak with a pocket nuke? That's actually great.
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I was quite jazzed to spot the Reddit reference in the Xenonion news video. That team has some real talent for making fun of real-world websites like Twitter and TikTok.Of course Reddit survived and expanded in this future, even as humanity was forced to leave Earth. I wonder how the Paradox Forums are doing
Hopefully Alex's selfish impulses don't rub off on Ayumi. (Assuming she survives the Battle of the Twin Cities)
I'm sure the use of nuclear weapons will have no long-term consequences. (Nam-style flashbacks to the final chapter of After Everything intensify)
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To be fair on Stellaris technology and the fact nukes are starting weapons, they probably have better ways of sorting out fallout.
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