Fantasy Starfallen

[StarryKnights]

The embarrassed smile on Conway’s face brought a grin to Anice’s.
“Oh, I know, I’m just giving you shit sergeant”, she chuckled and shook her head.

“Sometimes you are just a bit too serious, let’s see if we can’t change that shall we?”, she smirked before heading for the exit. She paused briefly as Conway called out to Wilver, telling him to bill the UEG.

She’d been told that was what all the marines were telling the owners of the bars and inns the marines were frequenting. She wondered how the UEG intended to cover the growing costs its people were racking up.
That was an issue for another day. Besides, one of Conway’s men announced he’d be covering the booze for the evening. In hindsight, she probably should’ve paid for the man’s drink, it would’ve been polite.

She shrugged, no sense in dwelling on it now.

Once outside Anice took a deep breath, appreciating the lacking smell. No stale beer or the mingling odors of several bodies stuck in an enclosed space. She hadn’t thought on where to take the man, she pondered his question for a moment.

“Where indeed hm”, she looked to Conway and then snapped her fingers.

“Well, there are a plethora of shops that are open late which sell a variety of intriguing magical artifacts and spell books, though those might not interest you much. There are the numerous parks which Windcrest is famous for, there’s almost always some sort of performance going on at those…hmm, what else”.
The more she thought the more she wanted to show him.

“There’s a variety of temples to the various gods dotting the city, oh and oh!”, she snapped her fingers again.

“I know, I’ll show you my two favorite views the city has to offer”, she grinned, but after a moment she frowned.

“Although reaching them both quickly would require a bit of magic, though if you don’t prefer that we can take the long way”.

 

[Corrosion]

The sergeant stood outside next to the princess and took a deep breath. The night smelled different here. It was woodier, mustier, and smelled faintly of burning firewood. A welcome change to both the sterile recycled air of the Filial Piety and the rather dusty and stale ale scent of Windcrest FOB.

Yet even here in the middle of the city the air was a thousand times better than the cities he'd been to. Even the cleanest cities in the Colonies still had a distinct musky smell of industry in the air. Without the air constantly being passed through the filters of his helmet, it was rather nice to have the cool night's air flowing directly into his lungs.

"I'm not that serious, am I?" Conway asked, turning to the princess. He for one always saw himself as generally being more down-to-earth and casual than the other noncoms. Well, he did normally put his job and duties above all else, but he liked to mingle with his guys.

Besides, he, like all other Marines, loved a good drink.

The princess meanwhile seemed to consider where exactly to take him, undecided. Then she suddenly snapped her fingers, listing down a variety of locations, from shops to parks.

"Well, I've already been to a couple of shops and caught a couple of glimpses of the, uh, performances." He said, running a gloved hand through his short dark hair. The shops were pretty interesting, selling a variety of odd-looking objects and actual, physical books made out of paper. Which also glowed for some reason.

As for the temples, Conway hadn't actually seen any temples during his walk around town earlier, but places of religious worship wasn't really his thing. Actually, come to think about he, he hadn't even seen any form of place dedicated to gods before in the Colonies. He'd heard that the most ancient ones were on Earth, ancient monuments to dead religions. The others were newer and installed on colony planets in the Core Worlds, planets in systems located closest to Sol.

Most were similarly no longer used as places as worship, considering how humanity had long since ceased believing in gods and deities. The oldest and most important ones during their time had been turned into heritage sites popular with tourists and the sparse few who still actually believed in ancient tradition.

Conway had spent his entire life in the Outer Colonies and never once ventured inwards. Sure, Pavonia was relatively close to the nearest Inner Colony world of Avion, but the closest he ever got was Reverie for his college education, located right in between.

Anice snapped her fingers again, suddenly seeming to decide at last where she wanted to bring him.

"Views?" Conway asked. "That'd been nice, I suppose."

The look she gave him seemed to tell him that she really wanted him to see the sights Windcrest had to offer. But she frowned a moment later, explaining that the fastest way there would be via magic.

Conway didn't like the sound of that and still didn't quite trust magic. On the other hand, the princess still outranked him. "I'm used to dozen-kilometre long marches, and magic still doesn't really go well with my suit's electronics and myself. But I'll leave the choice to you. You are the princess, after all."

 

[StarryKnights]

Anice smiled.
“No, not really. But watching you fumble for words is quite endearing”, she shrugged and thought for a moment.
They could reach the fields easily enough on foot, but reaching the top of the palace would be more difficult. Though the outsiders were allowed to traverse the city, she doubted her father would be pleased if she brought one into the palace, especially given she would be alone with them.

It was unsightly for a princess to be sending time alone with a man she didn’t intend to marry, but Anice was never the type to dwell on such things. Until her father announced her marriage she’d be spending her time with whomever she saw fit.

“Right, we can walk to the fields and then take the shortcut to the other spot”, she grinned. “That way you can see the city some more, our destination is actually just outside the city walls, at our personal stables”.
She motioned for the man to follow her before walked off down the street.
She received some stares, polite nods and the occasional shy wave from passing citizens, which Anice returned with warm smile and a nod.

Anice liked to be very present to her people, she disliked the idea of royalty sequestering themselves in their palace and never interacting with their people. She was meant to protect these lives, how could she do that properly without knowing them.

As she walked, she pointed out noteworthy locations. The first of which was a humble two story brick building with a small, elegant statue of a robed woman outside. The woman was entwined with a large snake like beast.

“That is one of our temples. One of the older ones too, though it was touched up some time ago. The statue out front was of the goddess in question, the Goddess of the Stars and Creation”. She looked to Conway, smiling.
“her name is Starling, and she’s one of the divine drakes”.
All the gods and goddesses were fabled to be dragons who could assume the form of man, or any other race for that matter”.

“As far as her believers are concerned, the universe your people travel was created by her hand”.
Anice wasn’t particularly spiritual, but she wasn’t so arrogant to assume that there couldn’t be a higher power watching over them.

 

[Corrosion]

Conway nodded as he let the princess lead the way, with him following closely behind. Apparently, the place Anice wanted to show him was her personal stables. The sergeant recalled that was the place where horses were stored when not in use, and the convoy had passed it a while back on the way here. Kind of like a garage or motor pool, but for, well, live animals instead. That were also ridden as a form of transport. Like vehicles.

God, he really needed to learn the basics and common terms for things around here if he was going to be here for a while.

He'd need to catch up later, he supposed. He'd heard that Miller had already uploaded a couple terabytes of information on the topic of Edreign to the ship's intranet. Not a lot, but it was sufficient enough. Maybe tomorrow when he had time.

It was back to business tomorrow, anyway. For now, he'd continue to follow the princess on this little tour.

It was kind of surreal, walking with Anice down the city streets of Windcrest. There were no vehicles, only horses and those strange cart drawn by said animal. No holoads or holoprojections or any other electronic adverts playing obnoxious jingles or sales pitches for their mass produced products. No synthetic constructs anywhere, no technology, basically. The only forms of real tech around were those of the survivors roaming around.

It was much quieter, too, without the familiar growl of engines or hum of machinery or distant music from nightclubs. Compared to Searles and just about any other UEG city, it was rather off-putting, to be honest.

Conway sped up slightly and walked side by side with the princess. The more he walked with the princess by his side, however, the more uncomfortable he felt. People were staring, that he could tell. Most seemed to be directed at the princess, who returned them with a smile and nod. Those were the friendly ones.

The stares he received were different. Some curious, a few welcoming, and a couple that were quite hostile. He couldn't tell if it was because he was classified as an outsider to these people, or because he, a Marine in full powered armour more advanced than anything the natives could ever hope to achieve, was walking side by side with the Princess of Arcadia herself.

The sergeant kept his expression neutral and mostly blank, hiding his feelings. While he'd gotten the same stares from federal citizens, those were his own people, and they were well aware of just what he was. The natives... they were foreign to him as he was to them.

The princess pointed to a small, two-storey brick building as they walked. Conway noted that there was a statue of a robed woman outside, with what appeared to be a snake coiled around her. Place was a temple, according to the princess. A place of worship to the Goddess of the Stars and Creation and one of the 'Divine Drakes', Starling. A shapeshifter able to assume the form of any race.

Also, the creator of the entire goddamn universe.

Now that was interesting. Every religion he'd heard of had its own creation myth that began with the formation of the universe, so this was no different.

Conway wasn't buying it, of course, but the last thing he wanted to do was to be rude and insensitive in front of the princess. "Sounds very familiar to a lot of dead religions where I'm from." Said the sergeant. "A lot of them usually start with some divine being creating the universe. 'Let there be light!', I remember one saying." He chuckled slightly, incredulous. "I don't buy any of them. I put my faith in scientific achievement and discovery."

He paused. "Uh, I meant no offence if you're a believer, of course."

 

[StarryKnights]

Conway’s words were somewhat surprising.

“So, there is no trace of faith in your society?”, she cocked an eyebrow. “How…dull”, she chuckled.

She knew that the worship and myths surrounding the divine drakes existed to explain what would otherwise be unexplained. The presence of magic in Edreign, sentient life’s existence at all and the vast universe surrounding them, all these things were attributed to their gods in order to offer peace and comfort to those who otherwise might struggled to find the will to press forward.

Anice wasn’t a devote worshiper, she believed that things on Edreign were too ideal to not belong to some grand creature’s design, but whether she believed in the numerous gods was…iffy.

Of course, as far as her people were concerned, she was a devote worshiper of the Divine Drakes, and pledged herself to their service.

The only drake she was particularly interested in was known as the Fates, it was said that Fate was a three headed winged serpent.

Each head saw through a different portion of time. One saw the past, another the present and the last the future.
It sounded far fetched, but Bellamy was supposedly blessed by this drake, and that was where her supposed visions came from.

“Discovery and innovation are important, but I think the world is more interesting when we fill in the blanks ourselves”, she continued.

“While I am not particularly devoted, you may want to keep those opinions close to the chest. Arcadia has an intricate faith, and many would be…displeased to hear such dissonance”.

She shrugged. Those people were likely angry the outsiders were here in the city at all, so she doubted anything Conway or his men could say would make them change their minds.

The pair continued through the city, earning curious and sometimes hostile stares. Though Anice did her best it was impossible to please everyone, and her detractors would have a field day with the fact she was traveling with one of the off worlders unguarded.

She paid these people no mind though as they approached the south gates.

She could already smell the stables, hay and manure tended to be noticeable. She wondered if Conway had ever encountered such smells before.
“My personal mount is named Ada, she’s a wonderful mount. Forever calm in the face of any danger. She’ll be curious to meet you no doubt”, she smiled at Conway as they passed through the gate, Anice nodded to the guard’s station outside, who bowed in return.

The stables were a large open wooden building, with stalls where several neighing horses were located. The floors were dirt and covered in hay, and more than likely shit, Ancie walked through it without a care in the world as she led Conway to one of the back stalls.

Ada was a large, white mare with blue eyes and a blonde mane that almost matched Anice’s own hair. The horse whinnied softly as her owner approached, and regarded the stranger at her side curiously.
“Sergeant, this is Ada”, Anice beamed at the man as she pat the horse’s neck.

 

[Corrosion]

Conway merely shrugged in response. "There are a few who still practice ancient religion, though they're small in number. Probably just a couple billion, at the very least." He said. "There are a couple of more modern religions as well, such as the Children of the Cosmos, who worship space itself. No one takes them seriously, of course."

He nodded as the princess informed him of the rest of the natives, that they were much more devoted to religion than her. Much of the population of Arcadia were devout practitioners, it seemed. He recalled many of them crying out the name of their gods when surprised, just like how federal citizens often swore, although they were used quite a bit more unironically. The similar phrases his people used had lost their meaning over time.

The sergeant decided to drop the subject. Religion seemed to be a rather touchy topic here. Taking one last look at the temple, he made his way back to the princess' side.

The pair continued to make their way through the city. Conway noted that they were getting closer and closer to the city limits, mostly because his minimap said so, but it was also because there were fewer people here than further in. Sure enough, the city walls came into view not long after.

Briefly, he wondered if he should really be here with the princess. It'd be quite problematic if someone drew the wrong conclusions. The princess probably had some enemies, and they'd probably have quite a lot of fun spreading rumours of stories of the her going out for a night's stroll with one of the outsiders, who also happened to be a man.

Not only that, but the Marines would also have no shortage of rumours, and he'd probably be subject to much mockery. Most of the rumours would probably be more dirty and quite sick, like whether of not they were a thing, if he was sticking his di—

He shook his head, dispelling the thought. How the hell did that come out?

Conway tried his best to forget what he had just thought, and focused on the path ahead. By this time they'd arrived at the gates. A horrible stench greeted him, and he wrinkled his nose in disgust.

Smelled like shit. Must be the stables.

He knew what manure smelled like. He'd fought on a few farms over the course of the war. At least it didn't smell as bad as the sewers on Rosset. Now that was a memory he'd like to forget.

Anice spoke of her mount, a horse named Ada as they passed through the gates. "Me too," Said Conway. "I've never seen a horse up close before. Well, not close enough to touch, that is."

The stables were up ahead, a rather large and open building made of wood. Inside were several horses. They looked onward curiously as the pair approached.

The princess stopped by a mare towards the back, which Conway assumed was Ada. Its coat was practically completely white, with light blue eyes and a blonde mane.

Humorously, it bore a striking resemblance to its owner. It was quite an amazing coincidence.

"It's a nice horse," Conway said, and, not really knowing what else to say, added: "I have to say it looks just like you."

He backpedaled immediately once he realised what he had just said. "Oh, shit. Sorry, princess, I didn't mean to compare you to your horse." He cleared his throat and straightened up. Ada seemed to be giving him a rather judgmental look.

Coughing once, he slowly and cautiously reached out to touch the horse after a moment of hesitation. His palm made contact with the mare's snout. He held it there for a few more seconds as he stared into its eyes. "Just like Arenso sandstriders." He muttered.

 

[StarryKnights]

Both Ada and Anice blinked at Conway’s comment. Them the princess smiled and let out a laugh.

“My my, open mouth insert foot much sergeant?”, she shook her head. Ada seemed to roll her eyes and looked to her rider.

“Yes Ada, I know he’s not technically wrong”, she chuckled.

Ada tensed for a moment as Conway extended his hand toward her, but a nod from Anice told the horse that this man could be trusted.

His palm was rough and calloused against her snout, not unlike the hands of her rider.
She let out a puff of air, her tail swished behind her.
“I think she likes you”, the princess smiled at Conway. She cocked her head to the side as he muttered something softly.
“Arenso sandstriders, what are those?”, she asked with a bemused smile. Some other life form on a different planet. That opened a whole new avenue of questions. There had to be other life out there, outside of the Vaskrans that thee humans were fighting against.

“Come on, as wonderful as Ada is she isn’t the only thing I wanted to show you”.

She motioned for Conway to follow her as she headed out of the stables, toward the fields surrounding them.

“Now I’m sure you want to see more of the city, but trust me”, she paused outside the building and looked out over the rolling hills covered in tall, green grass that swayed gently in the breeze.
“This is one of the best views in Windcrest…or around it rather”.

As it had grown dark, Anice knew it wouldn’t be long before they emerged. At first, there was one, a fluttering pair of large transulent wings lifted the softly glowing insect into the air.

Slowly, one by one more lumen flies flickered to life and fluttered lazily into the air, soon the entire field was full of them.

The docile creatures, ranged in size from a large butterfly to that of a bat, as Anice held up a hand one of the larger ones landed on her finger.

The looked like large moths which glowed a florescent green color.
Anice giggled as the creature investigated her with it’s lone antennae.

She held it up so Conway could get a closer look.

“These are lumenflies”. She smiled. ‘Do you have anything like them in your world?”.

 

[Corrosion]

At first it was a pat. Then Conway began rubbing the mare's fur. He couldn't feel it through his gloved hand, but the horse was warm to the touch and quite soft. He smiled as he continued to scratch the animal's snout. "Big lizards 'bout the size of a horse, native to Arenso," Conway said, turning to the princess. "It's a colony world. Mostly desert and with only a couple million people living on it, but tons of natural resources. Sandstriders are native to the planet. Colonists managed to domesticate it a few decades ago. I have no idea how, because those things are vicious as hell."

He turned back to Ada and patted her a few more times. The horse was clearly enjoying his contact, as it was puffing happily and its tail was swishing from side to side. "They ride those things around, but they're still more than likely to bite your head off when given the chance."

Conway allowed himself to continue petting the horse for a few more minutes before Anice decided that it was time to move on. He gave Ada one final pat before he turned around and walked out the stables, brushing loose strands of fur off his gloves.

The princess was already out in the fields that surrounded the city when Conway left. He could see the wreck of the Filial Piety in the distance, but with its gargantuan size, who couldn't? The ship could probably be mistaken for a mountain at this distance, if one wasn't looking close enough. Although with its lights on, it was also just as easy to tell it was a ship at night.

Was this the view Anice wanted to show him?

Conway was about to open his mouth and ask, when he spotted a sudden glow in the grass. It was a soft, yellow-green orb of light that was slowly rising into the air. He realised that it was a rather large insect when he spotted the rest of it.

Then came more of them, hundreds upon thousands flickering to life and rising, filling the entire field with their bioluminescent glow.

Conway watched, amazed as they fluttered around him, each one a different size. They ranged from the size of a butterfly to that of a bat. The sergeant had never seen the latter in person before, but he'd seen images and holograms of said native Earth creature.

The princess held up a hand, and one of the insects landed on her finger. She giggled, and Conway thought that it sounded rather pleasant.

"Just like the glimworms back home." He said, observing the lumenfly currently studying the princess. "It's a type of bioluminescent nocturnal insect native to Pavonia, the planet I grew up on. They came out in large groups like this at night to mate. I loved watching them as a kid. Little me found it mystical. Still do today."

One of the larger ones landed and perched on his shoulder pad. "This really takes me back. When I could still run around in my home's backyard without a care in the world." He paused and had a distant look on his face all of a sudden. "Huh, come to think, I haven't been home in years."

His thoughts suddenly went back to his childhood home, to his parents. Over time, he had drifted away from them and hadn't contacted them in years, but they were still his parents, the people who raised him. "I wonder if Pavonia's been struck yet. It was directly in the path of the projected vaskran campaign plan." He mused, somewhat bitterly. "I sure as hell hope not."

 

[StarryKnights]

Glimworm, what an odd name, it made Anice chuckle again.
She smiled, thining on the simpler times that Conway had mentioned. "When I was younger, I would come here often with my parents. As I got older and my siblings came along, I'd bring them here too".

She sighed, she wished she could do that now without any sort of repercussions from her father.
She eyed the man curiously, there was a lot she wanted to ask, and figured now was as good a time as any.
"Do you...wish that you could return home?", she turned back to the lumenfly, still perched on her finger.

"I can't fathom not being able to return to my family or friends, given the uncertainty your people face it must be difficult to know you might not be able to see them again".
She frowned, this wasn't coming out quite right. Truly, the best way to get to know someone, remind them of the fact that that they were stranded on an alien world with a completely different culture.
Nice Anice, truly nice.

She hook her head, and the lumenfly fluttered off. "I don't mean to bring up such...unpleasant topics", she looked back to Conway.
"...Your home, this Pavonia...what's it like? It must be a complete one eighty from our world".
What sort of world had shaped this curious man whom Anice found herself drawn too, the princess was beyond curious.

 

[Corrosion]

The sergeant considered the question for a while. "Sure I do," He said after a while of quiet pondering. "All soldiers want to return home after the fighting's done. Believe me, I do to. I just don't know when the fighting's gonna end, no one does." He glanced at the lumenfly on his right shoulder pad, which fluttered away after inspecting the sergeant chevrons painted on the metal.

Conway watched as the insect flew off the join the rest, and then turned back to the princess. His expression didn't change as she expressed her sympathies. "I wasn't exactly that close to my parents, nor did I really have a lot of friends before this," He said rather dismissively. "Would you believe me if I told you I didn't have a lot of motivation for anything before joining the Marines?" He asked, smiling slightly. "In fact, I probably have the vaskrans to thank, strange as that sounds. They gave me something to fight for: humanity. The aliens probably united humanity more than ever, banding together to face a common threat."

The princess was apologetic, however, though the sergeant hardly reacted to her words.

"No need to apologise," He dismissed once again and then turned away and stared towards the Filial Piety "But the Marines... they're my home now, ever since I signed up. I've never felt like I've belonged in any place other than the Corps." A pair of Warhawks streaked past overhead in the distance as to accentuate Conway's words, their twin repulsor engines leaving trails of glowing blue ions in their wake. He smiled proudly as the craft travelled from left to right, and then turned back to Anice.

Conway paused for a moment as he wondered which parts of Pavonia he'd tell her. Maybe the famous bioluminescent underground forest on Tuin, or the waterfalls of Andries, or maybe even the Hatchfield Mountains. The planet just had some many wondrous locations. Course, he'd only been to a handful of them, but still.

In the end, he just decided to go with the one he was most familiar with: his home town. "Pavonia isn't exactly much different from here, really. Lush forests, huge lakes, gentle climate, practically everything a garden world has to offer." He said. "It's still a fairly new colony. My parents were kids when it was colonised only around half a century or so ago. Not a lot of people live there, only around twenty million or so." Conway explained "I grew up in Searles, the capital city and initial colony site of the planet. It's probably around seven or eight times the size of Windcrest, and has a population of just about eight million. Not very big, but not very small either."

"Other than its natural beauty, what makes it stand out is its rich natural resources and incredibly fertile soil. Pavonia used to have incredibly active volcanoes billions of years ago, but the last one went extinct around a thousand years ago. The ash they produced fertilised and enriched the soil, making it incredibly suitable for agriculture. The colony's main industry is agriculture, and it imports tons of its produce every day to other colonies, although most of it goes to the Inner Colonies and Core Worlds. You know, the ones that can afford it." His face darkened slightly all of a sudden. "And that's another reason I joined the Marines. There was no way I was gonna work in the agricultural sector for the rest of my life, no matter what my parents say."

He scoffed somewhat bitterly, before he suddenly seemed to remember that the princess was there with him. He cleared his throat. "Anyway, that's Pavonia for you. Maybe you'll be able to visit one day. It's a beautiful place. Great with tourists, too."

 

[StarryKnights]

Such was the nature of war, one could never know when the fighting would end. Arcaia hadn't been embroiled in a full on war i centuries, but the scars left behind ran deep in the society left behind by it's aftermath. The fall of the elven kingdom and the deep seated prejudices left in it's wake...

War was awful, and Anice was thankful that her people had been avoided so far. But now that the outsiders were here, there was no telling if things would remain peaceful. Not only did the outsiders pose a potential threat, but there was also the worry that their enemy, these vaskrans, could come after them.
Anice shuddered to think on the subject.

She didn't wish to dwell on such matters, and luckily with Conway around she didn't need to. She blinked and shook her head.

"Really, you didn't have many friends growing up? How odd. Your quite charming you know so I find that difficult to believe".
Realizing what she'd said, Anice blinked and then chuckled. "Well, I hope that didn't sound as asinine as I think it did", she ran a hand through her hair, readjusting the braid laying over her shoulder.

This world he described, Pavonia, sounded simply astounding. To think there was a world that was covered in active volcanoes at one point.

"We have no such structures her in Arcadia, but there is an active volcano in one of the dwarven holds I believe", she thought for a moment, smiling.
"I can only imagine how my father would feel if I attempted to leave this world for another, the poor man might have a heart attack. But it is a nice thought. Perhaps one day".

 

[Corrosion]

Conway chuckled at the princess calling him 'charming'. "Me, charming? Come on now, you're just being nice." He said, smiling at her. "And yes, let's just say I was one of the quiet ones when I was a kid, but that was years ago." He recalled all those years ago, when he'd just sit at the back of class, staring out the window at the endless green fields and past the pastures and crop fields and agricultural units, and towards the horizon. And just wish for an adventure. Preferable someplace offworld.

Well, he had dreams of becoming a deep space explorer or Pathfinder. The usual dream jobs kids his age always had. All kids had the same idealism, wanting to explore the vast expanse of space, the final frontier, as an old saying dating back from the earliest days of spaceflight went. To them, the galaxy was vast and full of wonders.

Of course, that was also the far more romanticised and child-friendly version that ignored the brutal reality of a vast, interstellar empire with rebels and mercenaries and pirates at every corner. The simple truth every citizen lived by is that the further out you went, the more dangerous it gets. That was why most of the fighting during the Colonial Rebellion took place on the colonies furthest from Earth, where the UEG didn't quite have as much control.

Short version: if you live on Earth, the Core Worlds, or most of the Inner Colonies and several Outer Colonies, you're good and safe enough. If you don't, tough luck. You're fucked. It's either rebels, pirates, raiders, or corrupt governors.

There was a very good reason why Pathfinders didn't exactly have a very high survival rate if they weren't prepared enough. Most were independent and had to purchase their own ships with money they made from their job. Some have said that Wild Space (the area of space not controlled by the UEG) is basically like the Wild West of old Earth. But in space. And everyone is in a spaceship. With guns and missiles.

"Your father shouldn't worry," Conway told her. "Interstellar travel is completely safe. As long as you go to the right places, that is."

Under the moonlight and bioluminescence of the lumenflies, Conway finally noticed the first time just how how good Anice looked. He wasn't sure if it was the lighting or anything else, but her golden hair almost seemed to glow in the dark. Her eyes, too, he noticed, were indeed maybe a shade or two brighter than his own steel blue. Much more vibrant, too, and lacking the weariness his had.

For a while, he found himself lost in those eyes of hers. Then he blinked and looked away, coughing once. "Uh, sorry if I was staring, princess." He coughed again in awkwardness and then checked his holotool. "I should probably be getting back. You know, for the curfew. For shore leave. The time we have to report back. For the curfew."

 

[StarryKnights]

The notion of space travel was little more than a flight of fancy prior to the arrival of these off-world humans. Like most children, Anice had dreamed of adventure, roaming the continent, working as a common woman and not having the worries of castle life.
Those dreams seemed so small in scale to the vastness available to Conway and his people.

Honestly, the idea of exploring the stars was an exciting prospect, but she knew that she could never go. Though she wasn’t fated to rule Arcadia, she would be married off in to some high-profile member of society, at some point she’d be appointed to the Captain of the Guard, and that was a duty which she would gladly partake in for the rest of her days. There wouldn’t be time to travel off world.
It was a nice thought though.

“I don’t doubt how safe it is, but I’ll have my responsibilities to attend to, responsibilities which will prevent me from venturing so far”, she sighed softly. “At some point I’ll be married off, and will succeed Morlock as Captain of the Guard. Such responsibilities will surely keep me planet side for the reminder of my days”.
Anice had accepted long ago that as a royal, she lived her life for her people, and that she’d have to let go of some dreams in order to do this.

She didn’t mind it so much now, though in her youth she’d struggled with the notion that her life wasn’t truly her’s to live.

“But it is a nice thought, I have to admit”, she chuckled lightly.

This night hadn’t gone quit how she’d thought it would, but she was enjoying this time she had with Conway. He was a respectable and honorable man, she was thankful he’d been among the survivors of the crash.
She noticed he was staring at her somewhat, and somehow the attention brought some color to her cheeks.

She coughed nervously as he broke the silence, he had his curfew to stick too, and Anice probably should be heading back as well.

“Right, of course. I would hate to get you in trouble”, she chuckled just a tad bit nervously.

“I’m sure I’ll see you again, have a good night sergeant”, she smiled at the man before departing, opting to walk back to the stables rather than teleport home. Her head was swimming, why she’d gotten so antsy around Conway was a bit of a mystery to her.
It wouldn’t be because deep down, there was a fluttering attraction that she couldn’t seem to shake. The princess shook her head.

It couldn’t be that.

 

[Corrosion]

Conway nodded and took a step back. "Me too. You probably have to get back to the palace as well, you being the princess and all." He said. The two remained there for a bit longer without speaking, before the princess decided that it was time to leave, wishing him a good night. He smiled at her, noticing the slight hint of pink on her cheeks. "See you tomorrow, princess."

The sergeant turned to leave as well, but before that, he suddenly turned back around. "Oh, and, uh, one more thing," He called out. After appearing to consider something for a second, he suddenly bent down and performed a bow, placing one hand on his chest and spreading the other one out. Of course, it was horribly executed and extremely clumsy, and it was clear he had no idea what he was doing.

To be fair, no one in the UEG actually performed that gesture unironically in hundreds of years. He'd learned the gesture from Pierce.

Once that was done, he stood back to his full height and cleared his throat. "Good night, princess."

With that, he spun on his heels and began his trek back to Windcrest FOB with the realisation that he had probably made a complete fool of himself. Still, there was this other feeling that he couldn't ignore, a feeling that somehow made him feel uncharacteristically happy and self-satisfied when he was the princess.

Maybe, he wondered, that this was what people felt when they fell in love.

He scoffed at the thought. A princess of what amounted to a magical kingdom, and him, a Marine sergeant stranded on what was essentially a fantasy world? Please. No way that was happening.

And yet, he was still thinking of her, even as he reached the FOB.

Most of the Windcrest contingent was already there, his squad included. They were huddled together, having their usual conversations. Adler was the first to notice him.

"Hey, sarge!" He shouted. "The fuck's up with that shit-eating grin on your face?"

Conway blinked. "What?"

"Why do you look so pleased with yourself?" Grader asked, hopping off a stack of crates he'd been sitting on. "You met some girl you like?"

The sergeant was ready to retort, but for the first time, he didn't deny it.

"Maybe."

 

[StarryKnights]

Anice turned back when Conway called out to her, a curious frown on her face. She was treated to the most awkward and clumsy bow she’d ever seen, yet it made her heart skip a beat.
Clearly such displays were not common in the UEG.

She blinked, and then let out a short laugh before responding with her own curtsy. She crossed one leg in front of the other and bowed low and made the motion of lifting a skirt with her left hand. This was the proper bow that a princess would show a high-ranking member of society or visiting nobles from another country.

“Goodnight sergeant”, she smiled at the man before departing. Though she tried to ignore the fluttering in her chest, she found that the sensation wouldn’t go away.
Anice had never felt such a…spark before and it both excited and worried her. She was excited at the prospect of feeling such a primal and strong attraction… but worried because it could only lead to heart ache.

Even if Conway felt similarly, her hand was all but promised to another. This thought brought a small, sad smile to the princess’s face, one that persisted once she returned home and headed to bed for the evening.
Not even a visit from Fawkes could brighten her mood.

----------------------
CHAPTER SEVEN
AN UNEXPECTED COMPLICATION
----------------------
​

In the early morning hours, the following day, a small army was mobilizing. Dressed in black, gleaming armor the regiment of say, thirty soldiers advanced through the fields toward the capital city.
The field hand and farmers, who woke early to get a head start on their chores, cowered inside as the men tramped through their crops.

About two miles from the city wall, this regiment broke apart, with half the troops marching on toward the city while the other half trudged in the direction of the crashed ship belonging to the UEG.

Armed with swords, lances and their own spells it was clear that these soldiers meant business.
But who they represented and why they were attacking were mysteries, mysterious that Anice was presented with as she woke that morning.

Seated at her dresser brushing out her hair, she was interrupted by a frantic knock at the door.

“Enter”.

She was surprised when Morlock opened the door.
“Princess, I’m sorry to disturb you so early this morning, but I’m afraid that we have a situation”.

Frowing, Anice rose, tying her hair back into a bun she strode toward the door. She was still dressed in her night clothes, but that didn’t phase her. She could change into her armor at the guard’s barracks.

“What’s the situation?”, she asked as she walked. Morlock followed alongside her.

“Early this morning we received word of an unknown regiment of soldiers advancing for Windcrest. The city has been put on lockdown, and an evacuation of the farmers has been started.

Anice nodded. The safety of the people was paramount.
“And the city gates?”.

“Sealed of course, we’re waiting on you to organize a counter strike to intercept this unknown threat”.

Though Morlock was the captain of the guard in name, he often deferred to Anice in situations like this. If she was going to succeed him, then she needed practice in taking charge in these scenarios.

“Do we have visual omformation of the threat?”.

“Not yet Ma’am, we working on it”.
Anice frowned, the pair arrived at the barracks, Anice slipped into her private office to prepare.
For what exactly she didn’t know, but it seemed that she’d have a fight on her hands that morning.

 

[Corrosion]

FILIAL PIETY BRIDGE
JUNE 17, 2848 (MILITARY CALENDAR)
0835 HOURS

The door to the bridge slid open with a hiss, and Captain Decker stepped in with a steaming mug of coffee in his hand, looking slightly crankier than usual. "Miller, you better have a damn good reason for calling me up here in the middle of breakfast." He grumbled, leaning down on the holotable.

He was in the middle of a nice meal of eggs, bacon, sausage, and some freshly-baked bread, all delivered from Windcrest and the other surrounding settlements when Miller called. Since the negotiations the other day the crew had managed to form a rough trading system: they'd sell their refined metals and other resources from the mines and some other bits of assorted stuff fabricated in the ship's fabrication modules (the basic stuff like simple flashlights, of course). In return, they'd get produce and other wares from the natives.

It wasn't perfect, of course, like how the logistics personnel were still adjusting to their new task of handling the local currency of gold coins.

Still, the fresh produce had drastically increased crew morale, also thanks to the shore leave the previous day. The men were much happier now that they were at least somewhat familiar with their new home for the time being. A happy crew meant that they were less likely to resort to drastic measures. There were countless cases of stranded crew members turning on each other after getting shipwrecked on an uncharted world.

Decker took a second to glance out the viewscreens. From his elevated vantage point, he could see the Marine base down below, around five or so klicks out. A small city had already been constructed out of prefabricated modular structures, serving as garages, barracks, and airpads for the troops on the ground. The Marines and crew had moved much of everything out of the ship and relocated them to the base.

Now, Alpha Base, as the men had taken to calling it, was a hive of activity, with much of the ship's Marine complement having moved there along with their vehicles and equipment. It was fortified, too, with a network of turrets guarding its perimeter.

Miller materialised in front of him. "I very much do, sir." A series of images along with a live feed popped up around him, showing a bird's eye view of the outskirts of Windcrest. A small unit of thirty-odd men in black armour. Armed, too. They were currently on the march towards the city. "Satellites picked this up 'bout half a dozen or so klicks east in the farmlands. At first, I thought these guys were just another detachment of troops or something else friendly to Arcadia, but now, I'm starting to have doubts."

The feed zoomed in, showing the unknowns casually trampling their way through the crop fields without much regard. The local farmers seemed to fear them, locking themselves in their homes.

Decker sipped his coffee. Freshly ground, of course. And with fresh cream and sugar. "Bandits?"

Scanners had picked up numerous bandit raids on more isolated villages, away from the main cities over the past few days. Most were on horseback, and largely pillaged and burned the places to the ground. With limited forms of communication and a general lack of fast transport, even with the magical Circles, there was no way responders could be mobilised in time.

Too much it reminded Decker of pirate raids on frontier worlds. It was tempting to intervene, but he had his priorities, and the crew had largely remained in their own little zone of independence. Besides, that wasn't really much of his problem.

"Possible, but unlikely," The A.I. said. "They look too well-armed to be simple bandits. They also seem to part of some organisation, given the uniform armour and equipment issued to each one. Don't know if they've got beef with Arcadia or anything. Whatever the case, the city's been put on lockdown."

"Any known nations that bear similar markings and uniforms?"

"Negative." Miller suddenly turned to the feed, appearing to raise a brow in curiosity. "Huh, they're splitting up. Half of them are changing course."

"They moving to gain access to the city?" Decker asked.

"No, sir," Miller said, sounding rather puzzled. "They're coming this way."

Decker frowned and placed his mug on the table. "That's... unexpected."

Sure, he fully expected news of their arrival to have spread far and wide by now, and there were already many reports of civilians who had come to see the wreck up close. But a unit of well-armed and armoured unknowns heading towards the ship with what seemed to be hostile intent?

Now that was unexpected. They were either brazenly suicidal or just really curious.

Either way, Decker wasn't taking any chances.

"Put Alpha Base on alert, along with the Windcrest contingent." He said. "And get me a priority line to the king."

"Aye, sir."

Inside Windcrest's royal palace, the commlink given to the royals began to beep. Three beeps in rapid succession, along with its holoprojector also blinking red. Enough to show a sense of urgency, unlike the usual double beeps.

 

[StarryKnights]

Anice didn’t know why a small contingent of soldiers were advancing on Windcrest. All she knew what they were going to regret it. It was bold, and stupid, to openly attack the city walls in the early morning hours, Anice couldn’t tell if these men were very brave or simply suicidal.

She knew that the remainder of her family were on lock down in the palace as she suited up and headed out to confront their impromptu enemy.

That was a small comfort, there was no way this foolish brigade of men would break through the place defenses.

As Anice set out, with her personal guards at her side, the king was secured in the throne room. His wife was at his side, and their two sons were present as well. Fawkes seemed especially nervous, he couldn’t sit still or meet the disapproving gaze of his father. He could feel it burrowing into his back though as he tried to busy himself.

They were surrounded by elite members of the royal guard, with Morlock leading them. He trusted Anice to handle the impending threat, while he would look after the rest of the royal family. The odds of the enemy getting to the palace were slim, but Morlock wasn’t known for taking chances.

“Anice, her elite guard and a small chapter of men are setting out to contact the enemy. At this time, it does not appear that they are affiliated with any known kingdoms or factions. More than likely, they are not affiliated with the outsiders either”.

Morlock looked to Ramus, who appeared surprisingly calm given the tense situation.

“So, as far as we can tell, this is either a group of heavily armed bandits…or contracted mercenaries”.

Morlock nodded. “That appears to be the case, I’d lean more toward the mercenaries. This is a well-organized group”.

Ramus frowned. “The question remains, who would hire such a group, and why? Why send their men to their deaths, surely these people know that this feeble attempt of an assault is doomed to fail”.

Morlock could take a guess at the motive behind such an attack, perhaps the enemy was attempting to gauge their response. Maybe they were testing the strength of their forces. Or maybe this was a targeted attack against the princess, as anyone with intel on the palace would know that she’d be the first to respond to such a threat.

None of these options sat well with Morlock, there was something he was missing. As he tried to think of a strategic reason to send troops to a slaughter, the strange device left behind by Decker started to beep, urgently.

Ramus grabbed the device and fumbled with it for a moment before remembering how to answer a call.

“Captain Decker, I assume you’re aware of our current situation?”.

 

[Corrosion]

"King Ramus," Decker greeted with a simple tip of his head, skipping the formalities. "I am. We've got drones up in the air tracking the movement of the unknowns." A live feed of the black-armoured soldiers popped up next to him, showing the king just exactly where they were. "Half of the group has split up and is now heading towards Alpha Base, the primary base of operations for the Marines here in Arcadia. The Marines will defend themselves if need be, but for now, they have orders to retaliate only if fired upon. The Marines stationed in Windcrest are also ready to assist."

Decker continued. "However, this is a question as to whether you recognise this unknown force, whether they are bandits, mercenaries, or the soldiers of any other nation."

----------------------
​

WINDCREST FOB

Conway was in the midst of performing some maintenance on his rifle when the call came. Apparently, a contingent of unknown soldiers in armour had been spotted heading towards the city, and right now, the whole of Windcrest was on lockdown. He really hope they were just some very well-armed bandits or mercenaries, and not soldiers of a neighbouring kingdom.

The crew had enough problems already. Getting dragged into another war was something he hoped wouldn't happen. Although any war between the crew and the natives probably wouldn't last very long, given the vast technological discrepancy between them.

The ancient idiom 'never bring a knife to a gun fight' still held through.

But as before, with much of the native magic still a huge unknown, underestimating them could still be a huge mistake. Although he doubted Decker would make such an error.

The Marines had all suited and geared up for combat, and were prepared to defend the city alongside their Arcadian allies. They were now clustered inside the largest room in the building. Lieutenant Sharron was in the centre. "Alright, people, listen up. Here's the situation: at approximately 0755 this morning, sensors picked up an unknown force of around thirty individuals all in armour, and all were armed, heading towards the city."

The holoprojector lit up to show the drone footage of the troops, accompanied with arrows to show their movement. "At 0825, the city was put into lockdown and the city guard mobilised. At 0835, the contingent split up, with half of them heading towards Alpha Base."

"Heading towards the base?" Scoffed Torres, who had hardly said anything since Conway returned the night before. "There's nearly an entire division of Marines there, not to mention the tanks and mechs and gunships. They're pretty fucking stupid if they're thinking of attacking it."

For once, Conway was inclined to agree. "You know, I gotta agree, ma'am," He spoke. "An attack on Alpha Base would just be pure suicide."

"We don't know if they're even planning on doing that, sergeant," Sharron said, turning to him. "We don't know why they're here, or what they want. For all we know, they could simply be travellers, or the like."

"That doesn't explain why the city's on lockdown." One of the Marines of Castle Squad, Private Chang, spoke up. "Or why they're armed and armoured the same."

"Like I said, we still don't know anything about them, or what's going on. For now, we'll remain alert until this blows over. Or if we're forced to take action."

The hologram disappeared. "Standby for further orders and be ready to move out at any time. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am!" The Marines spoke as one.

The lieutenant nodded in approval. "Dismissed."

 

[StarryKnights]

The king frowned.

“We do not recognize these colors, as far as we know they are not affiliated with any of the neighboring kingdoms. We’ve sent word via scribe to our contacts and are waiting for a response. But I believe we are safe in assuming that this group isn’t a party sent by any organized power in Edreign”.

That meant they were either well-funded bandits or a hired band of mercenaries. He prayed they had not been hired by one of the other kingdoms.

“We believe this group is a band of mercenaries, who might’ve hired them us unknown at this moment. Our forces are rallied and will be encountering the unit before they breach the walls”.

The fact that some of these men were heading for the outsiders was bizarre.
“I know not why any force would be advancing on your location, but should these fools make the mistake of attacking you, the kingdom of Arcadia will condone your actions. Such a brazen…and foolish advance must be met with a swift end”.

Ramus knew that not everyone was pleased with the outsider’s presence in Arcadia, that much Ramus knew for certain. But this attack was far too desperate to be any kind of real statement against them.
Ramus was no fool, he knew that if these men attacked the UEG’s ship they would be initiated. So long as none of his men were apart of that slaughter, Ramus was content with that fact.

_+_+_+_+_+_+

“Ma’am, should we send world to our…other worldly outsiders?”, Nakier spoke as the group approached the outer wall.

Luthien scoffed. “Why, are you afraid to combat such a pitiful force Nakier? You think we require their help?”.
Anice cast the elf a sour glance. “Luthien, you speak too harshly to Nakier. He is right to think of our allies”.

If they failed to keep them informed, then there could be a potential clash on the battlefield. Plus, Anice would like to know if the UEG were planning on any kind of counter attack.

“Luthien, I want you to go to the Windcrest base, and inform our allies of our movements, and see what their plans are”.

“Surely Nakier or Tuvera are more qualified for such a menial task”.
Anice frowned. “This is no menial task, and you are the most humanoid of my guard. You, in turn, are less likely to make the people uneasy. Now get going”.

The princess exuded disappointment, now of all times Luthien chose to quibble over her orders.

The elf folded under the princess’s scowl and departed from the group.

“Now then, let’s go greet our…unruly guests”, Anice spoke with a sigh as they approached the wall. There were guards stationed on top of the wall, they were keeping a careful watch as the unit approached.

It didn’t take long for Luthien to arrive at the base set up by the UEG, though she wasn’t pleased about being sent. Approaching the base she approached the first outsider she saw, though it was clear she was less than pleased to be doing so.

“I have news from the princess, may I speak to Lieutenant Sharron?”.

 

[Corrosion]

Decker frowned just as the king did upon hearing his words. The king not knowing who or what the soldiers were proved to be quite problematic. Without any actual intelligence right now, the unknowns were still a constant enigma. While the latter explanation of them being mercenaries was rather likely, it still raised more questions than answers. Apparently, the kingdoms of Edreign (or at least the continent) were on peaceful terms with each other.

"The only reason I can think of as to why they would want to attack us would be to scout us out, judge our abilities," Said the captain. "Our arrival was a sudden and unexpected outside context problem for the world, and with the ship's technology, there's no doubt some would want to use it for their own goals. Though why they would straight up attack us is beyond me."

He swiped on the holographic projection as a 3D representation of the planet popped into view. He zoomed in onto the other landmasses that were separated by ocean. "Are you aware of any other nations on the other continents?" He asked. "It is possible they could have come from across the seas."

Decker turned to Miller next. "Miller, pull up satellite recordings from earlier timeframes of the oceans, see if you can find any evidence of aquatic vessels."

The A.I. nodded at that. "Aye, sir. Gimme a sec."

As the A.I. disappeared to do his thing, Decker turned back to address the king once more. "As said previously, the Marines and crew will only retaliate if attacked first. As a representative of the UEG, I want to remain strictly neutral." He said. "We won't be dragged into another war, especially one that isn't ours to begin with. We've already got enough problems as it is."

He straightened up as his voice lowered. "Know this: if we are engaged, we will retaliate, and we will not stop until we have completely annihilated the enemy, no matter what it takes."

----------------------​

By the time Luthien arrived, the Marines had dispersed, though most were on standby and alert. Most were performing checks on their vehicles and equipment in the event of live combat. Torres was the first to see the elf heading towards them, and he scowled, wondering what the hell she wanted.

"Ma'am." He greeted out of protocol, although his voice was obviously icy. Then he cocked his head towards the entrance of the building. The original wooden door had been replaced with a mechanical sliding door made from ballistics-resistant alloys, and was secured with a magnetic locking system. "Inside."

Inside the base, more of the Marines were milling about and several intelligence and technical personnel that had arrived the day before were working on various screens, taking note of the situation. Sharron was bent over a central command holotable in the middle of the command room, her helmet resting on a small wooden stool next to her. She merely turned to the elf as she walked in.

"Ma'am, I assume you're aware of the situation," She said, turning back to the live feed of the group outside the city walls. "We're ready to assist if things get ugly."

​

 

[StarryKnights]

Decker’s explanation seemed plausible, but it also seemed incredibly stupid. Those men were as good as dead if they attempted to attack the outsider’s ship. Ramus didn’t need to understand or see the full extent of the outsider’s arsenal to know that their weapons were far superior to anything that they possessed. To attack them in broad daylight, armed with swords and spears was foolish.

“An attack such as this is foolish no matter who you are attacking, it’s nothing short of suicide”. The king mused with a frown.

“As far as I am aware, there are no other settlements across the sea, and even if there were, I find it hard to believe they would be able to sneak any men on our shores without our noticing.

Unless of course they employed a great deal of magic, but Ramus felt this wasn’t the case.

“You and your men do what you must to defend yourselves, I ask that you be mindful of the fields and farms in the area though. That land is the people’s lively hood, if it were to be heavily damaged in combat it could be disastrous”.

_+_+_+

Oh wonderful, it had to be Torres who greeted her outside the base. Of all the humans that had arrived from the far reaches of space, Luthien had found this one to be the most distasteful. He seemed to be filled with as much malice toward her world that she felt toward his, she supposed it was only natural that she found him so aggravating.

But none of that mattered, he led her inside and to the woman in charge.

“Lieutenant”, she inclined her head toward Sharron.

“We are aware of the situation, Princess Anice wants me to inform you of our plans. Currently, she is leading a small force against the men that are advancing on the city. If all goes to plan, then those men won’t be advancing into the city. She asked that you and your men keep your wits about you, in case anything should go wrong”.

Luthien doubted they would need these people’s help.

“Give our men will likely be engaged in combat, she wanted to ensure that, if your people get involved, that the blood of our own won’t be spilled by mistake”.

 

[Corrosion]

Decker closed his eyes and considered his options. After a brief moment, he turned to the holographic projection of the unknown force heading towards them. By now, they were within a kilometre of the area covered by Alpha Base. Once they were close enough, they'd be issued a warning, and if they refused to follow, they'd be fired upon. If it came to that, that would essentially mean that the crew would be dragged into another war if the soldiers did belong to some nation.

If they didn't, then neutralising them would largely be the end of it. Just another wild encounter on this planet. Or so he hoped, at least.

Either way they'd take one or more alive for interrogation, hopefully the leader of the group.

"Then the only way we'll be able to get the information we need is from members of the unknown group themselves." Decker said. "If they won't give us their reasons outright, we'll just have to force it out of them if need be. For now, we'll see how it plays out, but if worst comes to worst, I doubt the use of heavy weapons would be necessary." He stood up straight. "Decker out."

Decker's projection vanished as the transmission ended.

----------------------​

ALPHA BASE COMMAND CENTRE

"Sir, unknown force has crossed the buffer zone." Reported an intelligence officer, standing in front of a series of holoscreens and projections.

Colonel Fredrick Eckstein nodded in understanding. "Give me a mic and activate the amps." The Marine Base Commander, and the man in charge of the 36th Division as a whole, Dressed in his Commander's Armour, a variant of the standard MPCA designed for wear by high-ranking officers specialised for commanding troops, his golden shoulder pads with the single star above the Compass and Continents immediately marking him as a colonel.

Much like Windcrest FOB, Alpha Base was on high alert. As the primary base of operations for the Marines on the planet, it therefore held most of the Filial Piety's Marine complement. Not only that, but much of the equipment, vehicles, and other sensitive materials were stored here. As such, it was well-guarded at all times, with surveillance systems, autoturrets, and security drones in place.

Even with Alpha Base still incomplete, it was more defended and impenetrable that even the sturdiest of fortresses on the planet.

The Command Centre was located in the middle of the base, functioning as the beating heart of any military base where commands were issued and intelligence was processed. Defended on all sides and protected by a shell of starship-grade duratanium battleplating.

Eckstein leaned into the microphone. "Attention unauthorised personnel!" His voice boomed through the amplifiers surrounding the base. "You are currently approaching restricted area under jurisdiction of the United Earth Government. Leave immediately or you will be fired upon."

Several squads of Marines were gathered at the outside walls with their rifles raised, waiting for the command. The same went for the base's autoturrets currently facing the direction of the unknowns.

 

[StarryKnights]

"I wish you the best of luck, Captain", Ramus chimed in before the transmission ended.Once the screen vanished he let out a sigh.
"Send word to Anice, tell her to capture some of these men alive".

Decker was right, their best bet for uncovering who was behind this attack would be from the attackers themselves. He hoped they weren't under any sort of curse that might prevent them from sharing such important information.
Ramus felt in his gut this was much more than a suicidal march into oblivion.

Someone was pulling the strings, and even now, he knew that person was watching them, gauging their reaction and adjusting accodingly. It was entirely possible that the plan all along was for these men to march themselves straight to death's door, just to catch a glimpse at the outsiders counter attack measures.
It was a thought that left a sour taste in the king's mouth.

_+_+

Standing at the edge of one of the guard towers, Anice looked out over the oncoming enemies.
There weren't many, she counted fifteen in total. Not exactly what one would call a fighting force.

Is this some kind of joke, she mused silently. If these people truly meant to break through Windcrest's defensive wall, than they were confidant in their skills.
Tuvera at her side, scouting out the enemy and awaiting their orders.

"They certainty don't look like much", the catfolk commented with a frown. "I had hoped that this might be more...interesting. But these men hardly have no chance".

"Let's not under estimate our opponent, they could have some sort of wild card", Anice chimed in.
Though looking out at the approaching men, the princess couldn't help but frown.
Certainly they were an organized force, but they had to be half mad...

"We just received a message from your father Princess", Nakier joined the pair. "We've been directed to try and capture one of these men alive for questioning".

Right then, she supposed that meant she ought to issue a warning.
Clearing her threat, Anice uttered a quick spell before speaking, her voice booming out for all to hear.

"You are encroaching upon the city of Windcrest, this is your final warning. Either change course, or present yourselves properly to the gate. Any further signs of hostility will be dealt with by force".

Not the most eloquent speech, but it got the point across.

"And now princess?".
"Now, we'll see what they do".
They didn't have to wait long, the group continued on it's march, growing closer and closer to the city.
Anice sighed. "Well, so much for that", she paused for a moment to stretch her arms above her head before casually hopping down the security wall, landing neatly in the dirt outside.

Tuvera and Nakier followed suit.

"Try and avoid killing them if you can, the more we take alive, the more people we have to question".

_+_+

The unit approaching the outsider's ship continued to press forward, heedless of the warning issued at them. The men marched in unison, and as they drew closer, weapons were drawn. Spears and swords were little more than play things when compared to the advances held by their opponents, but the enemy force betrayed no sign of stopping. Truly this was a march to the death.

 

[Corrosion]

Lieutenant Sharron leaned down on the holotable and placed a hand on her chin, a look of contemplation on her face. "Something just doesn't feel right," She muttered, watching the feed of the current situation. The princess was currently issuing a warning to the unknowns, with the rest of her personal guard (minus Luthien) standing with her on one of the guard towers. Sharron had no doubt that the troops back at Alpha were doing much of the same with their half.

The unknown force didn't heed her warning or even reacted, and continued forwards. Sharron frowned as the princess and her guards hopped off the wall to face the unknowns firsthand. Why she didn't decide to simply neutralise them by way of a ranged attack such as archers letting loose a volley of arrows was beyond her. Or why the princess herself would lead the attack. Either way, the cultures of this place were completely different.

She hadn't really brushed up on her ancient history, but apparently, according to Miller, much of the planet's inhabitants still existed in a feudal society, and things like this were supposed to be common. Still, she found this way of society primitive and backward, which with all things considered, was.

"What are you thinking, ma'am?" Conway asked, joining his CO's side.

Sharron didn't turn. "These guys... whatever they want, it seems like they've chosen the quickest path to suicide."

----------------------
​

Somewhat predictably, the unknowns didn't do shit when the warning was issued and just kept marching forwards. Eckstein frowned and turned to the weapons controller. "Disengage safeties of autoturrets and tell the men to do the same."

The automated sentry turrets surrounding the base beeped once as their magnetic coil firing systems were activated. All of them had already zeroed in on their targets the moment the unknowns came into visual range, and even before that, they'd already aimed in the direction of the unknowns through distance triangulation from drones and satellites.

The Marines standing guard did the same, flicking off the safety switches on their rifles.

The colonel spoke through the PA again. "Attention, you are to leave immediately or you will be fired upon. This is your final warning."

Still no response or action taken.

Eckstein issued an order to the squad lead of the Marines on guard. "Fire a couple of warning shots."

Three metallic cracks rang out, followed by AP rounds slamming into the ground in front of the unknowns and kicking a cloud of dirt and grass into the air.

But that still didn't phase them in the slightest.

Watching the feed, the colonel sighed. "Marines, you are clear to engage. Anti-infantry only, no collateral damage."

A torrent of rounds was unleashed at the unknowns, a mixture of hypersonic 8.41x63mm and heavier 15.7x138mm rounds, both armour-piercing. They all travelled at mach speed, each one going so fast that they tore through the air and created a trail of white-blue plasma in their wake.

 

[StarryKnights]

Luthien snuck a peek at the strange hologram produced by the outsiders technology, it showed that the princess and the rest of her guard were confronting the invaders. It seemed the men weren't listening to Anice's warning.

"Bloody fools, them and the princess", the elf sighed and rubbed her eyes. It was entirely unnecessary for Anice herself to confront these people head on, given they didn't appear to be much of a threat it was a task beneath the eldest daughter of the king of Arcadia. But Anice took her duties seriously, and liked to be on the front lines when it came to securing the safety of her people.
But these fools...

"Won't even have to go all out on these idiots", Luthien sighed and looked to Sharron.
"Well, I imagine this ugly little misstep will be over soon enough, these people are out of their minds...and depth", she looked back to the image, a smirk coming to her face a Anice drew her sword.

This battle was already over.

_+_+

Blade in one hand, Anice watched the meandering force as it crept closer, the enemy drew their blades and lowered their spears, but did little else to prep for the fight. She noted how their movements were sluggish and jerky, and lacked the finesse of trained warriors.

Frowning, she was tempting to sheathe her sword, but doing so when a group of armored, heavily armed enemies were approaching was too risky, even for her.
"On your guard you two", she barked, knowing that Nakier and Tuvera were awaiting their orders.

"Fan out, and let them come".

Nakier took the lead, confidently he strode forward, ahead of the princess and his feline counter part. Unlike Tuvera and Anice, Nakier didn't carry any weapons, the situation didn't seem to call for them.

"Last warning, turn around", the nagaji growled lowly, but if the enemy heard him they didn't react.
Sighing, the closest man to the serpent earned themselves a nasty punch, straight across their face. There was a resounding clang and crack as Nakier knocked the helmet off the human who stumbled toward him.
Though Nakier didn't notice anything odd, Anice's eyes widened as the solider, revealed to be a human male, fell to the ground.
Knocking the opponent onto their ass, Nakier bore down on them, arm retracted and intent on knocking the man's teeth out of his mouth.

"Wait!", Anice cried out, stopping the serpent mid strike. Heedless of the other approaching enemies, Anice grabbed the human by the hair and jerked their head upward to get a better look at their face.
Nakier stepped forward in an instant, shielding the princess from the oncoming attackers. Still, even as spears and swords were aimed at them, the attacs were so weak that it was easy for Nakier to repel them, bare handed and all.

Getting a closer look at the enemies eyes, Anice paled.

"Nakier, don't kill any of them!", her attention snapped to the nagaji.

"These men are cursed, someone is manipulating them".
Snapping her fingers, she pushed the immobile man to Tuvera as the tabaxi moved to her side.

"I have to get back to the palace, and warn the outsiders. If there are more out there and they wander too close to their encampment...".
Anice didn't want to think about it.

"You two, neutralize these people, and call a Sage to break the spell they're under!".

Anice barely caught sight of Tuvera nodding her head in affirmation before she disappeared, teleported back to the palace, and to the transmitter she knew Decker had left with her father.

_+_+

Back at the UEG's main force, the oncoming army continued on their path, in spite of the heavy barrage of fire power.
Luthien's eyes widened, she'd never seen any projectile move that fast without the aid of a spell. They ripped right through the oncoming soldiers, the outsider's strange viewing device got a perfect view of the carnage.
The soliders were halted in their tracks, and only a couple managed to avoid being mortally wounded.

Luthien assumed these were the ones that would be taken alive.

"Fools", the elf sighed.
What possessed these people to march to their dooms she had no idea.

_+_+

Appearing in her father's throne room, Anice wasted no time in snatching the communicator from her father, Ramus wasn't surprised by her sudden apeparance, but the urgency in her movements set him on edge.

She fumbled with the device for a second before managing to turn it on.

"Captain Decker? This is Princess Anice, can you hear me?".