Chapter 34 - Truths and Reconciliation

Note : I wonder if anyone will get the easter egg in the chapter title.

Chapter 34

Starborn Mountains, Starfire Valley

Old Imperial Road

"I'm sorry."

Malry almost jumped as Kalia spoke, whirling around to find the mage-magistrate behind her.

"W-What?"

"I'm sorry." The younger woman stepped by the diviner's side, looking at the small knot of figures gesticulating and arguing over the battleplan in the distance. "What happened, I...I understand what you are trying to do. I understand why you are afraid. And I am sorry."

"...But you will keep doing it."

Kalia nodded.

"But I'll keep doing it, yes." She sighed. "And it's not just because we need Sapphiria to survive."

"You don't trust the Kingdom."

"I never did. I trusted that you would take us in, mind you. Everyone can use more manpower, and any refugees you rebuffed would just end up on the other side. But the Magistracy? I didn't believe for a second you'd let us go our way once the war was over."

"Of course not, you swore fealty!"

"Not what I mean. You've already started, by giving me a noble title. The Magistracy isn't just an administration, it's a culture."

"Both of our nations are children of the Empire."

"Were children of the Empire." The mage-magistrate gestured at the narrowing valley, far off into the distance. "And look at what happened! Look at the mighty Eternal Empire, its devouring legions risen from the dead to come butcher the living. Some legacy."

The diviner winced, but didn't argue.

"So...you think the Kingdom is trying to absorb you?"

"The groundwork's already being laid. When the Kingdom retakes the Magistracy's territory...if it retakes it, then I can guarantee you there won't be a single magistrate, mundane, mage or otherwise put back there. Those obedient enough will go back as counts, barons, dukes, but the Magistracy itself? It'll be dead. Your Kingdom will make us a royal province, not a vassal state." She shook her head as Malry opened her mouth. "I don't blame the instinct. The Magistracy would probably try to break away at some point. We're on the other side of the continent, and our territory is...was, much larger than yours after all, even if it was far less densely populated. But I am going to fight for my homeland to survive. I took an oath, Malry. It has to mean something."

The diviner sighed.

"You took an oath to the Kingdom, too."

"I know. And I will uphold it. So long as their majesties uphold theirs to me and my people."

Malry shivered, as she met the mage-magistrate's gaze.

It was cold. Colder than she'd ever seen it.

"I...understand."

"Good."

They simply stood there, for several seconds, until Malry cleared her throat.

"Do you...do you really think their majesties are trying to unify the continent?"

Kalia smiled.

"Look who's strategically aware after all." The mage-magistrate shrugged. "I don't know. It's a tall order, but...well, the Prefecture of Umbra has already sworn fealty. The Principality is gone, Mardecan fell before we left. And I don't imagine the Confederation is going to oppose much resistance. The only obstacles left would be the Free Cities. The only thing they've ever been able to agree on was that they were going to remain free from everyone else."

"And that the contents of our trade ships belong to them."

"They're not all pirates, but..." She shrugged. "Yeah."

"You seem to know them."

"I...have some familiarity." She coughed as Malry gave her a curious look. "It's a long story. But anyway...I apologize for my outburst. But I hope you understand my position."

"I do. And I apologize for mine."

"This is the part where Ramina would make us shake hands if she could hear us."

The diviner giggled.

"Yes. Yes she would." She blinked, as the mage-magistrate faced her, and extended her hand. "Milady?"

"Just because she isn't there doesn't mean we shouldn't. Besides, it is customary in the Kingdom to shake the hand of a friend, is it not?"

"That it is." She took the mage-magistrate's hand, and shook it. "Don't expect me to kiss you though." She flicked a glance to the small knot of people, where Sapphiria had most likely said something insane again, given Ramina and Gregor's postures. "I don't prowl on others' hunting grounds."

Kalia blinked.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"If you say so..." The mage-magistrate looked as the trio started moving towards them. "Looks like their discussion's over. Ready to hear what our brilliant military minds have cooked up?"

"No. But I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

Kalia laughed.

"Believe me, I know the feeling!" She raised her voice, to call out the rapidly approaching trio. "So, what have you three come up with?"

"If by 'you three' you mean 'Sapphiria' and 'come up' you mean 'terrified the souls out of our mortal coils', then plenty." Said Ramina.

"I'll be happy to fill you in on the way back." Sapphiria smiled as she walked up to her, and the mage-magistrate felt a flicker of warmth enter her body as she did. Somehow, she knew that as long as the Hero was here, it would be alright. Somehow... "Plus, I have to return home. There is much to do."

"Of course." She gestured at her men, who were dispersed around the area, keeping watch. "Let us go home."

*****

"Cia, status report." Said Sapphiria as she sprinted through the surface access tunnel. Tramistres' people were restless at the entrance. They knew that what they were doing was important, but they were also chomping at the bit to get into the fight. Several of them were preparing their gear for that, actually, in anticipation of being bundled up and sent for the battle, probably as part of the squishie squirmishers Gregor wanted.

"Salvage operations are ongoing with hub equipment. Given operational parameters, I have focused on bringing a machinegun turret back online, and saving the shotgun sentries for later."

"Good call." She didn't need shotguns in an open field engagements. They wouldn't hurt, but they weren't an effective use of resources right now. "Bots?"

"Eleven nickelbots are active, as well as three riotbots. More nickelbots are on the way. I..." She hesitated. "I have taken the liberty of beginning the production of machineguns in their non turret version as well as their standard ammunition boxes for use by infantry."

"Once again, an excellent call."

"Should I being production of extra weapons for the humans?" Sapphiria almost crashed, before coming to a stop. "Ma'am?!? Everything alright?"

"I...No. Don't make weapons for them."

"Ma'am, I-"

"They wouldn't have the time to train with them." She knew she was rationalizing, but it was a valid point. "And just...no. I'd rather not teach the squishies they can easily use my hardware. If we do..."

If we do, they'll serve alongside my bots like in the Federation. They'll fight by my side...die by my side.

I can't do this. Not again.

But she couldn't say that. Cia wouldn't understand.

"If we do, there'll be problem eventually." She completed lamely.

"...Understood admiral."

Oh the formal address didn't bode well.

"Thank you." She sighed, as she began moving again, this time at a more sedate pace. "We're going to need demolition charges, wires, and some sensors."

"To demolish the tunnel?"

"Yeeep. I wanted to keep it so the undead wouldn't swarm the squishies. But if they're gonna do it anyway..."

"Why the sensors? They seem...superfluous."

Sapphiria smiled.

"Divide and conquer. If I close the tunnel immediately, they'll focus everything on the squishies. But there's chance they'll do a two pronged attack, by telegraphing their assault on Astralis and then sending a strike force down while we're distracted. Or at least keep some troops to guard the tunnel. So that means keeping it open. We just need to close it if they do come down. And if we take out some of the attackers? Well that's just a nice bonus."

"I understand. I will add them to the schedule." The simulacrum cleared her throat, or at least made the sound through the communications link. "I will also require schematics for the minefields you wished for."

"I'll work on it on the way. You'll have them, don't worry."

*****

One day she was going to learn, and avoid being so optimistic. One day.

Turns out, designing a claymore mine? Easy. explosives go on one end, metal balls the other. Make a bent metal sandwich with a radio activated detonator and it sort of worked.

Pressure mines however...

Well, first, she had learned the very important lesson of: PUT A SAFETY ON THEM.

Luckily, she had learned the lesson about wearing her helmet earlier, so the only victim was the ceiling and her sound receptors.

Next, she had done a whole battery of tests on pressure sensors. The problem was finding one that would reliably detect a skeleton stepping on or near it, while hidden. Given that skeletons were, oh, about a tenth of the actual weight of the human that once owned them, usually from five to ten kilos, it was something of an issue.

Especially because she wasn't even sure how these things worked. The undead clearly had something magical to make their joints work, otherwise they wouldn't stand up, much less get anywhere, but did they actually put their weight down while walking? Her sensor records seemed to indicate that yes, they did, but it wasn't like she'd had one run on a bunch of measuring equipment to properly check.

She'd almost given up on the idea, before rallying, and giving them a remote detonator on top of the pressure sensor. Push came to shove, she knew where they were and she'd detonate them manually if all else failed.

Now it was a matter how quite how to shape them.

"I think we'll settle on the dome. It's simple, and I've already spent too much time on it." She would have loved to use bouncing mines, but she didn't have the time to develop them.

"Affirmative." Said Cia. "I must warn you on production however. With the claymores, and the ammo for the guns..."

"Right. We only have so much fabricator time."

"Not fabricator. The chemical processors."

"I suppose I should consider myself lucky I ordered you to build two instead of one. It's too late to add a third, but add it to the list for the future."

"Understood. The next item on the list was turrets."

"Right." Sapphiria frowned. "We could give the guns to junkbots, but we already have the turrets built and operational...I'd love to have the guns in the hands of bots for the ambush, but I wouldn't say no to some covering fire during the retreat to Gregor's people either." Especially if that saved her a ton of resources. The two turrets -minus their weapons- were vastly cheaper than even a single junkbot, and they were already built, thus free. Plus the guns had been tinkered with to be better used by the turrets, and that meant more problems for junkbot use. "I don't believe we should dedicate any time to the shotgun turrets however."

"Perhaps we should consider building more machinegun turrets?"

Sapphiria frowned.

"It's...tempting, I'll say that much. But the fight after the ambush will be fought with squishies on the line."

"Affirmative."

"I'd also like to start the production of fragmentation grenades." Why the databanks had them was an...interesting question, but they were labeled as 'rapid wildlife dispersion devices'. She had a feeling that one had been named by squishies.

"Data indicates they will not be very effective."

Sapphiria grimaced.

"Probably not, no, but they can bypass the shields." She sighed. "And filling them with steel balls won't do much either. They'll be too small to make much damage or so big we might as well just keep the normal shrapnel. I considered designing some artillery, mortars especially, but...there's no way we can test them here. That means doing it on the surface, and I don't think that'll go without being noticed. Plus we'd need to range them, and the accuracy...Not worth it. Not now, not yet."

"Understood. I will start preparations for their production."

"Thank you. Any words from our friends on the surface?"

"Negative."

"Alright. I'm going to wrap up the design of the mines and run some more tests. Interrupt the second they send anything."

"It will be done. Good luck ma'am."

"I'd say I don't need luck, but, uh..." The image of the chewed up ceiling in the testing chamber popped into her mind. "Thanks. At this point, I'll take it."

"No problem ma'am, I live to serve."

The AI rolled her eyes, but smiled nonetheless.

Damn, was she starting to get fond of the simulacrum's sarcasm? She wasn't sure if she should be horrified or not.

She really needed to hang out with the squishies more if Cia was becoming her new standard of personable.

Then she remembered those entrancing sunset eyes...

Okay, maybe she shouldn't hang out with them too much. Maybe.