By Shadow of The Machine
[Scene 1] Failed Diplomacy
His face turned red, veins bulging and his blood getting hotter. “I will not pay” screamed Cells at the demand for a tax. Shadow had demanded a 13.5% tax on his holdings for assured peace between the two empires and Cells was simply not having it.
“Vice Admiral Cells, this is a generous offer from us. We could have been like all the other empires and asked for 20% or more, but we do not wish to sink your nation entirely. Take the offer!” Shadow pleaded.
“It is tyranny and theft to ask such a price for peace!” Screamed Cells. “The idea that a popular leader such as me groveling to anyone else is beneath me and my pride would never let me pay! I would have my entire nation destroyed rather than bend the knee to you!”
“So be it.” Replied Shadow, “It shall be done.”
[Scene 2] Machines of War
Fighters screamed, transports swarmed as bombers careened through the air. The battle had finally begun in full and it would not be long before the fighting led to the ground and many more men would die for this war that could have been avoided. Innocent families and civilians would be caught in the crossfire. So many to die for the pride of one Vice Admiral Cells.
Transport H1337 struck the ground hard and Ravager Squadron poured from it, firing as they ran for cover. The city was bombed to hell and back and now them and the rest of the squadrons making it safely to the ground would begin the process of clearing the city of enemy soldiers. “Form up!” Shouted Captain Pyke. “We have a lot of ground to cover and I expect all of you to maintain discipline from this point forward. Kill anything that moves, watch your corners, cover fire and move fast. I want this city by nightfall.”
Hours later…
Ravager Squadron formed up on the parade deck. Captain Pyke, blood running down his arm, inspected the remaining men. Of the eighty men in his command sixty-five had survived and the fight had gone much better than one would have normally hoped for. “Atten Hut!” He shouted and his men quickly snapped to attention.
“One for victory!” He yelled.
“Rah” they shouted in return.
“One for the lost!”
“Rah”
“One for The Machine!”
“Rah…Rah…Rah” they chanted in unison.
The first planet had fallen, but many more would fall this day and for the duration of the war.
[Scene 3] Trials of War
The war had been going for months now. What many in The Machine thought would be over in days had now begun to see that Shadow had been right, it would take months to break and destroy this small upstart nation.
Planet after planet had been conquered, reconquered and conquered again. There seemed no end in sight but Shadow was confident in his slow approach. Their nation would grow while fighting this war and the outcome would be inevitable. This so-called great leader Cells was proving to be nothing more than an act put on to build his image, he was not living up to the legend he tried to portray across the stars.
Slowly, steadily the planets that had been so carefully fostered and built up with the machines of economy were being taken and all infrastructure reduced to ashes. This small nation was losing any ability to mount a defense one planet at a time and their only response seemed to be trying to take back the planets in a desperate attempt to hold on to what they seen slipping through their fingers.
“We should have just given in to their demands” stated Emperor Cashmere. “We would have lost a lot less and possibly recovered that from another nation.”
“You may be Emperor, but remember who has the power around here. I will never bend the knee even if it is the right decision to make. I would rather maintain my pride and lose everything!” Cells shouted at his Emperor.
Sol Invictus grinned. He was the puppet of Cells and there was nothing that the Emperor could do to stop them from sinking his nation. “You two make me sick. I am done being your puppet leader, take the title from me, I am leaving this nation for good. It is a sinking ship and I will not be a part of it any longer while it is run by two madmen.” Said Cashmere as he shook his head and walked towards his personal transport.
[Scene 4] War is Hell
“Sir, if we continue our bombardment of planets, at this point we will erase all evidence of life sir.” Stated General Glokta “Our weapons have become too powerful for the small empires in this nation.”
Emperor Shadow smiled “Yes, that is the idea my good man. We are going to destroy this nation and reduce them to as close to nothing as we possibly can. I know it will take a toll on the morale of the men to kill so many innocents in the process but we must weed out those loyal to these evil overlords and give future civilians a safe place to live under the freedom we can provide.”
Standing at the back of the room Colonel Taniel shifted from one foot to the other, his shoulders slumped. The men would not be pleased to hear this but they would follow orders. He had carried so many offers to the tiny nation of Pride and her they had consistently rebuffed any offers of peace. They truly did not care about the lives they had pledged to care for. Such a waste he thought.
Conversation and debate went on for hours. Who should they target next, how far were they willing to take it, was there a stopping point in the future or would this continue until the enemy nation had been wiped out. In the end, the only thing anyone walked away with certainty of…war is hell.
[Scene 5] Cost of War
It was just the 2 of them left in the war room. Cells, the newly appointed Emperor, and his spineless General Sol. Cells stood there, a determined look on his face, at the head of the table and slammed his fists repeatedly in anger. Sol shuddered in fear and cowed his head.
“We must stay on the attack! We can break their will if we simply refuse to quit!” Screamed Cells angrily.
“Sir, they are already located in the Metis and Rewm systems!” Cried Sol “they could arrive here in the Baunus system. They could attack our home worlds!”
“Galactic Law mandates that home worlds are not to be attacked. Nobody, not even The Machine, are so daring as to violate that law and you know it.” Said Cells “we can always cower here on our home worlds safely away from those animals.”
Sol was becoming more bold and passionate. “Maybe so sir, bit we can not afford to pay our troops any longer and they are deserting by the hour. It will not belong and we will barely even exist. Surely now is the time to surrender!”
“NEVER!!!” Shouted Cells, his face turning bright red as he slammed his fists on the table again. “We will never bend the knee noatter how powerful and unstoppable they are. Yes, the cost of this war has been high, but I would pay so much more to show them just how I killable my spirit is.”
Sol shook his head in deference to his leader. He had clearly gone mad and all he could do was hold on to his pride with all his strength as even that slipped through his grasp. He left a raging Cells in the room alone, muttering to himself.
your reputation speaks for itself, this forum is littered with your childish antics and pathetic whining.
