Chapter 367 - Welcome To Rebirth Gentleman

Chapter 367

Ytakan Scrublands, Archduchy of Rebirth

City of Rebirth

"Major Malcom! Welcome to Rebirth." Said Allya as she bowed. Not very deeply, but enough to indicate respect, despite the vast chasm in their social ranks...and power. The very fact that she was bowing to an 'ally' that, let's face it, was effectively her vassal, would be noted and discussed at length by the coterie of hangers on she seemed to need on official occasions.

The archduchess almost froze as it occurred to her that said 'coterie' wasn't just guards and security personnel, and hadn't been for a long time. It was a ducal court, whether she wished it or not.

And about to become much, so much more.

Malcom returned the bow, though much more deeply.

"You honor me with your presence, archduchess." He said with a smile.

"Why, thank you. I assume you remember Crystal?" She gestured at the ambassador golem next to her, and Malcom bowed again.

"Of course! It's good to see you again."

"Likewise. It is, at least, under much happier circumstances."

There was a short, awkward silence at the reminder that last time they'd talked in person, Alexandra had just killed and subsequently resurrected him after Amelia had agreed to fall back.

"Indeed." He said, and smiled. "I must say, Rebirth has changed a lot since my last visit." He gazed at the city below the docking tower, and the plains beyond. "The Church has not been idle."

"No, it hasn't." Said Allya. You could still see the lifeless ground of the wasteland into the distance if you climbed high enough, but it was dozens of kilometers away, little more than a haze. "We still get sandstorms, but at least we don't have to look at the same monotone view, though there was a kind of...brutal beauty to it, in a way."

Besides the view, the fields were very clearly intensely cultivated, and it meant that while Rebirth wasn't quite self sufficient yet -they were getting close, but with the recent population increase as people moved from Darthar and Erakis it had been delayed-, it was far less vulnerable than it once had been.

"I know what you mean. The wastelands have that effect." He looked at the assembled group of people. "Am I the first delegate to arrive?"

"Yes, though there are several observers." She gestured at a handful of ambassadors, who had suddenly found themselves press-ganged into the role when their home power finally realized what was going on. "But all the formal introductions can wait until we are in more hospitable surroundings. A full reception has been prepared in your honor, if you would care to accompany me? If you wish to take some time to refresh yourself, I can have my people show you to your accomodations as well."

"Thank you, but I am perfectly ready to begin." He would have been very stupid not to be, but he appreciated the provided way out. Thankfully, he was a supply specialist, and in the Republic that meant playing the political and economic game. Not to mention he'd had to get a crash course on diplomacy after Amelia had oh so considerately dumped the entirety of her legacy on his shoulders when she was expecting to be disappeared by the Senate. "Lead the way, your grace."

"Of course. Before we go however." She nodded towards the mesa. It looked quite different from Malcom's memories.

Last he had seen it, its top was removed, and blackened by the fire of the avalanche of rockets that had killed him and almost wiped out Amelia's army.

Now it was a fortress the likes of which he'd rarely seen. Bigger, yes. Taller, certainly.

But nothing came close to the amount of firepower embedded into this one. Most fortresses had a single firing step, with maybe a second level for lighter artillery, meant to engage airborne foes, and a few openings lower down to deal with an infantry attack.

Here the entire mesa, bar the lowest levels where the entrances to the dungeons were, was one solid block of guns, missile launchers, machinegun nests and Gods knew what else.

The entire army of the New Republic could have charged that thing and he was almost certain not one man would have lived to touch its stone with their hand. There was probably more firepower in that one, single structure, than in the whole Republic, New and Old.

"Yes?" He stopped as he saw massive metal doors split open, revealing a massive cavernous space. And he heard a sound he'd grown quite familiar with lately.

That of airship propellers.

He watched in awe as a massive ship emerged from the fortress. It looked off, to his eyes. No gunports, deck guns or anything of the sort. Not even a balloon.

What it did have was six tubes, built into its hull.

"Oh shit." He whispered. That was a siege ship, like the So Much For Subtlety, the ship that had killed Duke Falmagar and broken the siege of Darthar. A ship that had been a lynchpin of every battle that had followed.

A ship that was already legend.

He watched as the vessel slowly, majestically rose into the skies.

But it didn't come alone.

Three vessels, light cruisers by his guess, followed, forming a protective screen around the capital ship.

And then more ships rose. Two more light cruisers, though they were lacking in weapons, then two frigates, and four corvettes.

The last two types he was extremely familiar with. He'd seen enough reports of their deadliness when they'd chewed through the Republic's skyfleets and then proceeded to rescue general Amelia.

He swallowed as the doors began to close, and turned back towards the archduchess, who was trying very hard not to smile.

"A potent fleet." He said. And it was. Not in absolute numbers perhaps, but...

The dungeon core had brought an entire UDC battlefleet to its knees with less.

"Indeed."

"I am sure the people of Sunrise will appreciate such powerful vessels coming to watch over them as order is re-established." He said, diplomatically.

"Sunrise?" The baroness tilted her head, and grinned. "My dear Major, you seem to be mistaken. Those ships are not for Sunrise. They're for you. By the time the summit begins, they will be on their way to Pavrow."

He stared at her, seeing the dungeon core smiling out of the corner of his eyes as he was reduced to silence.

"Come." Finally said Allya. "Let us get to the reception. I'm sure you could use a drink."

"Yes." He shook himself. "Yes I could."

*****

The council room had been expanded considerably since it was first built. Initially, mostly to accomodate more members, but now to integrate security systems second only to Allya's office and Alexandra's...well, Alexandra's everything.

Allya sighed as she sat down, exchanging a smile with her wife, before turning to the rest of the people assembled here.

The usual fixtures were there. Anders, Willard, the twins, Trira, Dominique, Melia, Alexandra. There were new additions but most of them weren't 'full' members, just aides or auxiliaries of the others.

And, of course, Malcom.

"Alright. Is everyone ready to begin?" Asked the archduchess, and everyone nodded. "Good." She gestured, and the table's holographic projector hummed to life. "General Amelia! Welcome to the war council."

"War council huh?" Said the newly appeared image. The General had a communication mirror, but not the more complex three dimensional systems Allya or her dungeon used. "Sounds promising. Malcom, glad to see you arrived safe and sound."

"Glad to be in one piece as well ma'am." They exchanged smiles, before Amelia turned to 'face' the archduchess.

"My lady, as I am sure you are aware, the news of your...demonstration are already doing the rounds. I have also received a summary briefing as to their destination." Courtesy of Malcom, most likely, or his aides. "I wanted to express how thankful I am for these reinforcements."

"We are allies, General." Said the archduchess. "And I meant it."

"Indeed. Still, I assume there is some kind of price associated with them."

"There isn't." Allya smiled as the general looked at her, surprise clear on the older woman's face. "I think it is high time our strategic relationship moved beyond the merely transactional."

Amelia slowly nodded.

"I was...thinking the same, to be entirely honest. Will these forces be placed under my command?"

Allya glanced at Alexandra, who sat up.

"I'm afraid not. These forces will remain under my command. They have been furnished with their own officer corps, and will behave as, well, allied forces coming in to assist. We will, of course, heed your advice and requests as the major force in this deployment, but neither the fleet nor accompanying ground forces will be under New Republic command."

"Ah, I see." Amelia blinked. "Wait, ground forces?"

Alexandra smiled.

"You didn't think we'd only send a few ships? They will also be carrying a full infantry battalion, with a full artillery train, and ample armored support with a complement of spider tanks and three Mackies."

Silence descended upon the room. She'd sold far, FAR more golems to the Republic, but they'd been obsolete crap she wanted to get rid of. Musket golems, and the somewhat primitive artillery she'd built to fight them off.

Here they were going to get the best she had to officially offer. Rifle Combat Units, Heavy Combat Units, and even a handful of Advanced Combat Units. They were going to jump a whole lot of grades and bypass her workhorses the Standard Combat Units, whose production she'd halted, but who still formed the backbone of her forces, well...basically everywhere. Branch offices, field army, and even served as the marines and crew of her primary airfleet, for what was left of it.

And, of course, they were getting the Mackies, which needed absolutely no introduction at this point.

"...Those will be very welcome." Finally said the General. "I assume you will cover their logistical needs?"

You mean I don't already handle yours? But that would be an impolite thought to voice, to say the least. And not strictly accurate, to be fair. She may feed the Republic most of its ammo and new weapons, but they handled the transport from Erakis and onward.

"I will. As I have said, they are an allied force, thus I will cover all of their needs."

"Will...additional forces be available for purchase, for the New Republic proper?"

It was very hard not to exchange a glance with Allya. They'd prepared for this, but still.

"Not currently." She said, carefully. "We are open to the possibility, but currently our priority has to be on rebuilding our own forces after our victory with Sunrise." It was a delicate tightrope, they had to admit some weakness, but not tell anyone, not even their closest allies, how close they still were to collapse. In truth, sending her new forces South was a great exercise in smoke and mirrors. Because truth be told, her army wasn't heading to Sunrise because she didn't care about assaulting Tivaro and the Sapphire Kingdom, it was because she couldn't.

Devoting her entire army to Sunrise's shattered domains was both a move to build support and a way to camouflage her weakness. In effect, right now, she no longer had a combat effective force in the field. She'd made a lot of noise about the troops she'd sent from Rebirth, and her army might look impressive still to some, but truth was neither were worth much at this point.

She needed time to regroup, to regenerate. To build and deploy a new, full force. This 'gift' to the New Republic and the summit would buy her that time. Let everyone hold their breaths and enable the politicians to bicker amongst themselves while she marshalled her resources together.

Of course the other side would do the same, but right now the only 'other side' she was worried about and could viably deal with was the UDC, and they had bigger problems. Namely, that their entire menagerie of horrors suddenly wasn't so easy to direct and keep in the fight.

They'd find solutions -despite everything, they weren't idiots. The UDC might be a shadow of its former self but it had caused several quasi world wars that it then won-, but those solutions would take time. Time she desperately needed.

Because once she marched north, she wouldn't be fighting some second echelon, easy to hide reserve. She would be fighting the UDC's main military force. The second most powerful army on the planet. Not all of it, thank the Gods, but....

If her enemies weren't diverting as much of it towards her as possible, she would be seriously surprised.

"I see. Well, I am sure the situation will evolve as this summit unfolds."

"That is the purpose of this gathering." She said, entirely truthfully. "Now, allow me to brief you on the exact capabilities of your reinforcements..."