30 January, Space Era Year 92.
The bells of triumph tolled across the halls of the Military Academy, heralding the pride of a new generation of officers. Among them strode Aelyzabeth von Thors and Aelaera, clad in their newly bestowed uniforms. On that day, the radiance of Aelyzabeth shone like a beacon amidst the nation's darkness—this young woman, hailed already as the "Daughter of Thors,"had set her feet upon the martial path.
Soon thereafter she was entrusted with her own command. Though the soldiers assigned to her were not the most formidable, they bore within their hearts the smoldering flame of patriotism. Mounting a modest platform before them, Aelyzabeth raised her voice with unwavering conviction:
"Honored soldiers—henceforth, I shall bear responsibility for your lives and your safety. I will not stand behind you, but beside you, in every field of battle. None among us shall be abandoned. We shall fight—for family, for honor, and for our nation!"
A thunderous reply shook the air:"Heil Aelyzabeth Thors!"Arms rose in unison in salute. That vision became the emblem of a new power awakening within the neglected army.
An Army Forged in Blood and Iron.
While the Republic of New Hope continued to disregard its armed forces, preoccupied with commerce and gain, Aelyzabeth would not yield. From her own coffers she purchased arms, provisions, and bonuses for her troops, binding their loyalty to her rather than to the state. To them, she was not merely a commander, but their guardian captain.
In her first campaign along the border, she did not direct from the rear. Instead, she boarded the assault craft, advancing shoulder to shoulder with her soldiers amidst the searing fire of laser bolts and the thunder of detonations. Her courage bound the unit into a single will, and victory was theirs. It was but the beginning.
Throughout that year, her forces carried out over twenty operations—suppressing space-pirates, crushing separatist insurgents, defending the frontiers. Always at the vanguard stood Aelyzabeth, and always her soldiers followed unto triumph. Her renown soared among both the military and the nationalist citizenry, until many began to call her "The Lioness of the Frontier."
At her right hand stood Aelaera, master of strategy and wielder of mysterious powers. At her left, Vito Vilozyver, peerless in close combat. Together, the three became the triumvirate at the heart of a rising army.
The Coming of the Blood of Yigzorch.
Amidst her swelling fame, a man and a woman sought her audience—fourteen-year-old twins, heirs of the ancient House of Yigzorch, once a dynasty of mighty scientists.
The elder brother, Walter von Yigzorch, possessed a keen gaze and the bearing of a natural orator. The younger sister, Lia von Yigzorch, calm and composed, shone with a rare gift for finance and analytic design.
Their mother was Aelyzabeth's own maternal aunt, making them her blood kin. With solemn resolve they declared:
"We pledge ourselves to you, cousin Aelyzabeth. Our blood may not be of warriors, yet our minds and our knowledge shall serve to build you an empire."
Perceiving their acumen and loyalty, Aelyzabeth welcomed them into her cause. Lia assumed the role of personal secretary, managing finance, correspondence, and the architecture of stable funding. Walter became chief spokesman of the National Party, his voice electrifying the masses.
When Walter mounted the rostrum in the capital of Berlyn, his words thundered across the square:
"New Hope is being devoured by politicians and by aliens! The hour has come to restore the honor of mankind! Heil Aelyzabeth Thors!"
The answering cry of thousands shook the very walls of the city. And in that moment, Aelyzabeth knew—she was forging not only an army, but a movement, a force destined to alter the fate of the nation forever.
Thus ends Chapter B-XI.