Chapter 384 - Aurorean Empire

Note :

Well things went from 'bad' to 'worse'. I'll do a proper announcement soon, but this is going to be painful.

Chapter 384

Low Alcheryos Orbit

Citadel of the Flames

The sensation, when the Citadel moved, was...bizarre.

It wasn't quite teleportation. But nor was it a gate either. One of the few relics they had been allowed to keep from the studying of what slumbered beneath Alcheryos, she didn't think even the Seraphims who maintained it understood what it was, did, let alone how it did it.

She wasn't...sure using it at all was a good idea.

After all, manipulating that technology was how they had ended up in this situation to begin with.

Before at least, the Citadel moved, at most, once per decade.

Now it moved every other week. Jumping from crisis to crisis. Flashpoint to flashpoint.

The adjudicator cleared her throat, and continued her report, trying to regain her balance as the universe pulled itself back together.

"We are still bringing our backups online, but the loss of the coordination center will set us back considerably."

"How much data was lost?" Asked the Fourth Custodian.

"Very little. The backups were synchronized hourly, alternating between sites to avoid someone corrupting the data-vaults somehow. The personnel losses are the problem. The inquisitors there...they were extremely loyal. Our best, and our brightest. Many of them would have made fine Seraphims in a few centuries." She had been one such inquisitor, a long, long time ago. In fact, she had worked in that very coordination center, once. "This strike is brazen, but it was very effective."

"And a failure on my part." Said Jeremiah, commander of the starwatch. "I failed to consider the possibility of the Order possessing advanced cloaked bombers."

The Third Custodian, who had rescued the Adjudicator in the wasteland, spoke up.

"The technology to make them was considered lost before the Dawn." Stealth vehicles, like those shuttles that had boarded the supply ship near Rebirth, were one thing. Purpose built cloaked bombers meant to penetrate Seraphim air defense networks were another matter entirely. The last evidence they had of their existence was the attack on the Planetary Defence Center whose survivors had eventually founded Gorromar. Even during the First Purge they had not deployed anything this sophisticated. "Evidently something survived."

The Fifth nodded.

"We need to seriously consider that our efforts to prune technological archives may have failed completely and utterly. From now on, we must assume that all technologies developed and deployed by the Sagitarius Empire, or any other traitor from before our Lord's return, are available in some form or another to the Order."

The other Custodians didn't agree out loud. They rarely did. They all knew.

"I will attempt to reconstitute the coordination groups." Said the Adjudicator. "But the Purge will be delayed. And it is likely that more attacks on our critical infrastructure will be forthcoming as we come closer to launch, and the Order grows more desperate." Or at least she really hope this was desperation.

If this was calm, calculated strategic moves, this Purge would be a bloodbath the likes of which hadn't been witnessed on Alcheryos since the First Purge.

"Good. Do so with all haste." Said the Fourth Custodian.

Of course, that meant she would have to drop other projects. But no one needed to say that out loud.

After all, the original purpose of this meeting had been supposed to be about Rebirth's forming Empire and establishing failsafes to break it down for the Purge.

They could topple it by just sending a command code and letting Crystal rampage through it of course, but it paid to be prepared.

Nevertheless, with them relying so hard on the dungeon core, and her own bizarre behavior, not to mention extremely deep attachment to her advisor, it was a solution that didn't need backups. Not when there were so many other demands upon their resources.

So why was her subconscious whispering to her that this was a bad idea?

She silenced the voice of doubt that plagued her mind, and focused back on the meeting.

"As for you, commander." Said the Third Custodian to Jeremiah. "We must reinforce our defenses against this new threat. Focus back our orbital scanning. Scouring the whole planet for signs of the Order had yielded precious little so far. Our best bet for unearthing them will be the Purge itself. Position satellites and weapon platforms above our critical Purge infrastructure and keep them operating. You have carte blanche for orbital bombardment with low to medium yield weapons."

"Yes, my lord. It shall be done. And I believe our gunners will enjoy the opportunity to let loose."

"Be careful." Cautioned the Second Custodian. "There is only so much that can be deflected."

Especially as they could not publicly admit the existence of the Order. Though thankfully, with the recent demonstration of the Hammer of Eternity, few would doubt Old World automata could do it.

"Yes, my lady."

"Now, the true question is how to respond in force." Said the First Custodian. He seldom spoke, but everyone listened as he did, his voice a barely audible rasp.

"I...disagree my lord. The real question is should we?"

Everyone turned towards the Adjudicator, who shifted uncomfortably at their combined gazes.

"Explain." Said the Fifth Custodian.

"We are stretched thin. Lacking in personnel. Our most effective use of resources would be to focus on getting the Purge back on track as fast as possible and raising more forces."

Not to mention their last fight with the Order hadn't gone so well. They'd inflicted heavy losses on the Order to be sure, but...

They'd been dancing to their tune and running into endless ambushes. Estimating the Order's capabilities was impossible, but she highly doubted the exchange of forces had been favorable.

"While I agree in principle, we do need to retain the initiative, and not fall on the defensive." Said the Fourth Custodian. "We must pin down one of their bases and destroy it. If nothing else, redirecting some of their resources towards defending their own operations is eminently worthwhile. The intelligence gained from such a find would be greater of course, but given how thorough their failsafes were during the skirmish near the Shattered Canals, I refuse to believe any of their bases would not have at least a couple of warheads as self destruct mechanisms."

Unfortunately, the Order possessing nukes and a potentially ample supply of them wasn't in question.

Too many had been manufactured, throughout the entirety of the Great Night, and many stockpiled but never used.

Deploying them this brazenly was a problem however.

"We will intensify our efforts." Said the Adjudicator. "But given previous experiences...it is unlikely we will discover one of the Order's bases lest they make a sizeable mistake."

Or deliberately led them to it.

Not the most comforting of thoughts. But one that must be considered, after being ambushed twice, with devastating effect.

"Very well." The Third Custodian gestured at the table's holographic projector. "Now, update us on your efforts to prepare for war."

*****

Allya was doing her best to stay stoic as the delegates sat down around the table.

"Thank you all for joining me." She started. "First and foremost, before anything else is done, I wish to address the opening statements of the representatives of the New Republic and the Asarian Kingdom." She stood up, and everyone held their breaths. They all knew what was coming, but the next few words would be quoted in the history books for millennia to come. "I formally accept your offers of fealty and vassalage."

She paused, partially for effect, but also because of the tension within her.

This is it.

"The Archduchy of Rebirth is no more. I hereby proclaim the formation of the Aurorean Empire!"

The delegations of the Kingdom and the New Republic stood up and slammed their fists against their chests.

Then they left their seats.

Guards entered through the main doors, bringing new ones over. Two chairs were deposited on each side of her, and quickly occupied.

She was now flanked by Malcom and the Royal Magistrate. Symbolically, their delegations no longer existed.

They were all one now.

She could see the other delegates eyeing the vacant chairs. The unease. She now controlled three quarters of the entire continent. Or would, once the senate fell.

It had already been an article of faith that it was a question of 'when', not 'if' the New Republic won.

Now the senate's survival wasn't even a mathematical possibility.

"Today is a new dawn. A new dawn for our people. Our nations. Our continent." She saw the shiver go through the other representatives at that last part. "There shall be ceremonies, of course. Such a momentous event deserves more than a mere proclamation. And yes, I will be crowned Empress. But for all intents and purposes, from this very moment onwards, we speak with one voice, under one rule."

She took a small pause, to survey the room. She saw resignation, mainly.

They'd expected this, to some level. That the entire purpose of the summit was to unify Arkhan.

But most had probably expected to be able to negotiate alongside the major players. Not have the two greatest nations on the continent throw themselves at her feet.

"Let me be clear, so there is no misunderstanding: Yes, I will offer you membership in my Empire. No, it will not be via force of arms lest you force me to. Yes, I will destroy whomever takes a single centimeter of Imperial territory."

The Far Reach's delegates didn't react, but Nira looked like she'd been shot.

Better to set some ground rules early on. She would entertain some haggling over territory, but if the Hegemony claimed some of the Republic's land as its own, Amelia's or the senate's, she would break them.

She needed their industry. Sweet Gods she needed their factories and their shipyards so, so badly for what was coming.

But she had promised Amelia and her New Republic protection and they would get protection. Period.

"Now. Let us begin in earnest. First and foremost, I am sure you will all be curious as to the lands that will be the Empire's, and the Kingdom's, given the recent upheaval. Let me reassure you..."

*****

"Confidence?" Asked Alexandra, as she surveyed the data on the bridge of the Flickerlight.

"High." Answered Ghost. "Three detonations, not one. One kilotons range, two megatons range. Given the pattern, I'm guessing shaped nuclear charges."

Alexandra grunted. Shaped nuclear charges had been the mainstay of naval warfare before bomb pumped lasers were perfected. And even when she'd...left, they were still in active use on Earth. Laser warheads, where you detonated a nuke and fed it into laser rods to turn it into deadly beams, were excellent weapons to punch holes where you needed them and gain precious kilometers where you could detonate away from the target, which allowed you to be under point defense fire for less time. But shaped nuclear warheads, using a variety of meta materials and gravity generators, could bathe the entirety of a ship's superstructure in radioactive plasma. Hardened or not, any sensor, emitter or turret was going to feel the pain.

They were also the best way to dig out and destroy a PDC or any fortifications that relied on raw mass, like the asteroid citadels that protected Mars.

"So, one to pop the shield, two back to back to dig out the core?"

"That's my and Glitch's analysis."

Alexandra raised her mug, and took a sip of it. It was simulated, the mug was no more real than the hologram she was projecting, but her systems dutifully replicated the sensation. She'd rather have had her avatar doing it in parallel with the real thing, but she'd started losing a lot of her multitasking ability as Ghost borrowed more processing power.

Which was only fair, she was the one drowning the poor apparition in high intensity, critical projects after all.

"And the official story?"

"Old World machines awoke, and attacked the temple."

Alexandra nodded.

"A story most would believe." A story they'd have believed, before. After all, she'd seen it happen firsthand, with the initial golems when she'd woken up, and Seraph afterwards.

Now, however, they knew those 'Old World automata' would never have attacked the God of Fire's servants, let alone a temple.

"So, an Order attack." Finished the dungeon core.

"It may be someone trying to pass themselves as the Order, but...yeah. Most likely."

Alexandra watched the sensor readouts.

"...It's accelerating. They've started the escalation spiral."

"I agree."

"How long before they..."

"Before they indiscrimately start nuking each other? I don't know. I'm guessing until the Order attacks the Citadel. Once that's threatened, I think the Custodians will pound half the planet into rubble."

"And if the Order succeeds?"

Ghost looked at her.

"Do you seriously believe the Custodians haven't left a few launch sites around to serve as a convenient excuse?"

"...No. I don't." Alexandra sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "We need to accelerate our timetables. And broaden our horizons. Did you review the first batch of data from the observatory?"

"Too busy. I thought Glitch submitted it to you for review?"

"I kind of...brushed it off. We should probably get to it."

"Yeah. We should."

They opened the file at the same time.

There was a profound silence.

"We may need to revise our defensive options." Said Alexandra. "Because unless I'm seriously mistaken, that's a pulse cannon the size of a dawnstar. And there's twenty of them."