POV Guto
When the explosion went off, most of the city felt the trembling. And almost as soon as it faded, the sound of troops marching towards our position replaced it. I look to the other Griffons, and we all nod. This was a risk, but it was worth it as the enemy wouldn't be expecting an ambush so soon after they began their march. They are coming towards the Thestral, expecting a scared and hiding enemy, not a full-blown ambush.
"For centuries, the crown has stood as a beacon of hope for Solaris and her people. But the enemy has been growing impatient, and with this attack, intends to bring the peace to an end. Time is running out as there are few of us left to face the enemy. But for those who remain loyal. There is but one choice. To fight! To victory or Death! For The Crown!" I scream the last words, and I get a response.
"URRRRAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" They scream as they attack the enemy from all sides.
(AN: Play Star Wars - Republic Clone Army March Complete Music Theme | Remastered | on YouTube at the 3 minute and 45 second mark for the music. Trying to find this song by itself was strangely difficult. )
The enemy was completely caught off guard. Combined with our strange-sounding weapons that shot beams of superheated plasma that melted right through their armor, it was complete chaos. That chaos lasted a decent amount of time, but eventually, they started to reform. The reason they didn't flee was partially because of fear, but also thanks to the leader of the rebel army. A powerful Unicorn mage that kept casting magic shields to block the blaster bolts. They also responded in kind with lightning bolts and other magic projectiles.
"Flank 'em!" I scream at the 3 squads to my left while gesturing in the direction I want them to go.
After the leader managed to reorganise the army a little bit, they started tossing metal balls at us. I realized they were grenades and had some of the troops fall back a bit more. Thankfuylly our enemy didn't seem very well-versed on how to use grenades, so many missed their target, and those that hit didn't cause any deaths thanks to the combat armor everyone was wearing.
"Rolling Thunder!" I order into the comms, and a few moments later, a cascade of missiles comes down from above, right into the enemy's ranks.
BOOOM
The enemy mages tried to react, but none of their shields did anything other than detonate the missiles early. However, it was just about time to fall back. We were slowly losing the advantage, and it was better to retreat before enemy reinforcements arrived. Which worked flawlessly, as with the Rolling Thunder, the enemy had started to rout. We shot at their rears but didn't pursue that far before retreating ourselves. Not before we laid many traps and mines in the passage. If they wanted to attack the Thestrals, they would have to suffer for it.
We retreated to the Thestrals Tribal area, which had turned into a fortress thanks to the Workshop. The Griffon tribal area was even more protected as the entire passage leading to it was a massive concrete wall. Which meant the rebels were stuck. They had only two possible targets. The palace, protected by Rio and the Thestrals' tribal grounds, guarded by the Thestrals and Griffons. They hold the city and most other areas, but that didn't mean much if they were stuck.
'Now we have to wait.'
We couldn't counterattack without suffering massive casualties, and given that we were far fewer in numbers, the best course of action was to weaken the enemy's numbers through a long, drawn-out siege. They would be under the impression we would run out of food when, in reality, we can live with the supplies we have for a decade and get more from the surface.
The ambush was a massive success. While the exact number of enemies killed wasn't super precise, it was estimated to be around 7-10k kills. With no losses on our side, only a few hundred injured, it could be considered a complete victory. But that battle would be small compared to what is likely to come. They will likely realise the palace has very few defenders left, meaning either they breach the palace, which is unlikely, or they send the majority of their forces to wipe us out. That is, if they are on a time crunch, which I think might be the case.
According to Rio, they have a very powerful mage on their side who is keeping the Princess occupied and preventing us from getting reinforcements. But I doubt that kind of magic is easy to maintain. Which means they might be desperate to capture either the palace or wipe us out. Of the two choices, the first is seemingly impossible, while the other is important for the rebels to do, regardless, as we would always be a threat to their new regime.
One Day Later...
I get the report that the Rebels have decided to commit to sieging our position, and I make sure everyone is ready, as this will be messy. Many of the troops I have are inexperienced with bloodshed, and they are about to see a lot of it. We didn't have as much in the way of defenses as I would have hoped, but the need for ammo, food, medical supplies, and living supplies outweighed it. We are currently housing far more than was originally intended in this area. Which also means hygiene is a major issue to maintain.
"I should have asked for a shield generator," I say to myself.
If I had known the enemy had firearms, even if only basic ones, then I would have asked for one and less armor. But it was an oversight on my part. Thanklfully it shouldn't be that big of an issue as the combat armor we have is more than enough to keep most people safe.
"Are those cannons?" asked Gilda, my second in command.
I peered through the binoculars, and sure enough, they were hauling old-fashioned gunpowder artillery cannons.
"Yes, it seems like 12-pounders and 6 24-pound cannons. Well, it won't mean much as they can shoot until the end of time and not damage the walls," I reply and check to make sure all troops are in position before ordering the attack.
Hundreds of blaster bolts, bullets, and arrows fly from the walls and into the enemy's ranks. They have shields, but they only protect them from the arrows and some of the bullets. Most blaster bolts bore right through them. They respond with cannon fire, but all the shots only hit the walls, causing no damage. Some of the cannons get somewhat near the top of the walls, but their range seems just short.
After some time of being massacred, they retreat out of our range and regroup. A few hours later, they attack again, this time with hundreds of ladders, siege towers, and magic shields. It was at this time that I revealed our Heavy Repeat Blaster. The siege towers were annhilated and the magic shields were shattered nearly instantly. The damage was truly brutal. The entire field was filled with the blood and guts of the enemy as they were torn to pieces by the overpowered blaster fire. After only 2 minutes of the attack, they started to rout in utter terror. But in those short 2 minutes, several thousand lay dead or dying in the field.
"It's almost like the Siege of Sanctuary," Gilda comments.
"Indeed. Though that one was a bit more desperate than this situation," I reply.
"H-How can you guys look at this so calmly?" asks Night Wing, the leader of the Thestrals' defense, with a pale face.
"We've seen worse," Gilda blandly comments.
"What she's trying to say is we have experience dealing with grim situations. We've fought in several wars throughout our lives. From the Black Crusade to the Great War. With both truly making me realise the phrase 'War is hell' is very accurate. It makes this look like a minor scuffle. Millions died in the Great War. Hundreds of millions died in the Black Crusade. A lot of my comrades lie dead in some field filled with tanks and other beasts of war," I reply with a distant look.
"So have you fought in a civil war before?" Night Wing asks.
"There is nothing civil about war. It's just death and destruction. Just look down there and ask if that seems civil to you," I reply firmly.
"Then why do you fight?" Night Wing asks.
"I fight for the thousands of silent lips forever stilled in the jungles and the beaches and the deep waters which have marked the way. I fight because I have known the bitterness of defeat and the exhalation of triumph. I fight to preserve in peace what I have won in war. That one day I can lay down my weapons as peace is truly achieved. A lasting peace. That is why I serve Rio. I believe he will show me that future," I reply with a tone that tells of the many battles I have seen.
With my words, everyone goes silent, and Night Wing looks back to the blood-soaked field.
POV ???
"My lady, our attempts to breach their defenses have failed yet again," my follower Foggy Desire reports.
"It matters not. Let those fools grind themselves in that pointless endeavor. Send the mage's core to cause some issues for those night dwellers. And figure out who came into the palace before our attack. And get Sour Mantle to intensify the storm. I want that Princess exhausted before we make our real play," I reply.
"Yes, your Grace," Foggy Desire replies.
Once they leave, I start to focus on the spell I had been preparing. I was so close to my goal, but somehow it all came crashing down at the last minute. I was confident that the Griffons would stay neutral, as would the Explorers. But now they have teamed up with the Thestrals and have access to technology that I have never even heard of before.
"Why is it going off script? I thought you said this was foolproof," I ask the mirror on the wall.
The mirror was covered with a purple velvet cloth, as I still couldn't dare to look at what was on the other side.
"Outsiders have interfered," the echoey and whispery voice replies.
"What could possibly survive on the surface besides you?" I ask.
"An Alicorn has come from another world. I will lend you my power to keep the storm going. You must kill the Princess before it is too late," The voice replies, and I am shocked for a moment.
"Is it her? Has she returned? I thought you said you killed her?" I reply with some fear leaking into my voice.
"Nightmare is dead. But this is a new Alicorn. Do as I say, or else you will never get your revenge," the voice says with that same eerie voice that makes you feel cold inside.
I shudder and nod before walking away from the mirror. I had plans to make.
---------------
Author's Note:
In case you are curious as to why there wasn't much focus on the battle, the reason is that the rebels are so hopelessly out matched its almost sad. Parts of Guto's conversation were based on a few different sources. The start was the Hope SWTOR Cinematic, and the talk with Night Wing was based on the Guns Are Silent Speech from World War II. Until next time, Ciao.