Dungeon Robotics 9 -16.2

Good morning everyone!

Izora

I looked out of the port, watching the clouds that were far below the airship. We were traveling well above the previous safety limit of the ships, but with the knowledge that we’d gained from following Lord Regan we’d managed to reach this level on our own. I wasn’t sure there were even monsters that could reach this altitude.

Turning back to the gathering of captains, I took in the group. They were the best of the best among the captains that hadn’t turned to the necromancers. Thankfully, most of them had been the best of the best even when taking in the full group of gnome captains. “Captain Shido. How much longer?”

He glanced down at his tablet. “Two hours from the helm.”

“Remember when it took us three weeks to get to the valley all those months ago?” I asked with a chuckle.

“Feels like a lifetime ago.”

“I think we can easily say that it was.” We stared out of the window before the situation came back to me. “Alright! Ladies, gentleman. I want to hear what your thoughts on the upcoming battle are.”

“We should show them that the gnomes are never to be messed with! Just because our city is gone, they reduced the rest of our people to slaves.” One of the captains said slamming her fist on the table.

“While I agree, we should be careful. I would hate to fuel a circle of hate. It shows that we were already regard poorly among the other races if this is the first thing they do when we fell from power.” An elder captain said shaking his head.

The captains continued to discuss while I sat at the end of the table and listened. I wanted to take in the opinion of everyone here. I would not make the same mistake of my father. If he had listened to others, the gnome race might not have suffered as it did. Not only did we lose a number to the necromancers, but the demon he released might as well have ruined our chances of recovering.

Finally, the discussion that had shifted to almost bickering died down as one by one the captains looked to me. I waited a few more moments as I considered everything. In the end, I stood up. “I have heard everyone. Our objective is to save our people. This will in no way be an easy task without bloodshed, but I would like to remind you that we are guests in another person’s home. The queen has requested as little bloodshed as possible. Once we reach Jade Port, we will rendezvous with our scouts to get a final report, from there we will decide what to do.”

“As you command,” the captains said as one.

The captains left their seats as I turned back to the window. Hatsu moved up to me once everyone had left. “Are you okay?”

I reached out and grabbed her hand causing her to yelp. I laced my fingers with her. “I’m fine. The next few moments in our history will either turn us ugly or show that we can learn from our past and grow as a race.”

“With you as our leader, we have nothing to worry about.”

“I will draw strength from your confidence in me.”

Hatsu blushed but my mind wasn’t completely there. Worry about the upcoming conflict pulled at my thoughts. I suddenly felt something on my shoulder and noticed that Hatsu was leaning against me. “I love you, Izora.” She whispered.

“Thank you. I feel that I love you too.” I hadn’t been sure when she first told me, but over the weeks and months, I had thought about it often. While I certainly couldn’t say I was completely sure. I was growing more positive as the time passed.

“My queen. We’ve arrived,” Captain Shido called from the entrance to the room. I nodded and we left to join him on the bridge. The town of Jade Port hadn’t visually changed much, except for a large walled off section to the south. Shido used the counsul and soon an image of a gnome dressed in muddy cloths appeared.

“Report. What is the situation?”

“Not much has changed.” His expression grew several shades darker. “I have found out what prompted this sudden change in our once neighbors.”

“Oh? Explain.”

“The King of Thonoca sent a force here. I believe he intends to transport those with any knowledge of airships back to the capital.”

“When is this supposed to take place?!” I demanded.

“Tomorrow. That’s why I’m glad you arrived when you did. Unfortunately, the force that was to guard them is already here. Some ten thousand strong.” The image paned to the side and showcased a large gathering of tents with soldiers moving around on patrol or sitting near fires eating.

I looked to Shido and he used the ships sensors to locate the camp on our side. It was only a minute from the walled section of the city. This just made our objective a little harder.

‘Kill them~’

Narrowing my eyes, I ignored the call of my lance. The bloody thing had fused with the cursed sword that I’d personally made when I’d executed all the prisoners. I kept it around to remind me not to act rashly again in the future.

“Options?” I asked Captain Shido then glanced at the communication screen where the other captains were on display.

“We could launch a preemptive strike on the outskirts of their camp. With our dropships, we should be able to pull everyone out quickly enough before they get organized.”

“We should bring the hammer down on them! Have you seen the things the soldiers have been doing to our kind!?” Images of torture and abuse appeared on the screen from the scout. It was horrible to say the least. Part of me wondered how we could have earned so much scorn from our neighbors in Thonaca. It would appear that relations hadn’t been as smooth as my old teachers used to say.

I leaned forward on the table and shook my head. I wanted to give back everything tenfold, but that would only serve to make this situation worse. That said, I wouldn’t allow more of my people to die or be captured. I was sure Louella would understand. “Prepare long range weapons. We’ll attempt to extract our people with minimal casualties. However, your lives are more important to me than the enemy. If they manage to recover, then I am authorizing everyone to retaliate to their fullest ability.”

The fleet moved to surround the area of the garrison and camp. My forces prepared the smaller dropships to move in while the airships began their assault. Our weapons were on an all new level thanks to the knowledge given to us by Lord Regan. If the gnomes were a threat to the peoples of Thonaca before, they would learn that it was only the start.

“On your orders, my queen.”

“Turn the area between the garrison and the camp into a no man’s land. Fire!”

Turrets on either side of the ships pointed at the target and unloaded. Streaks of light sailed through the air before explosions sounded out. Even in the middle of the night, the dust and debris sent up from the explosive rounds virtually made a wall that only the brave and stupid would try to pass through before it cleared.

The sound of whistling reached inside the bridge as the dropships disengaged from the airships and fell towards the prison camp. An officer brought up several screens that showed us the situation from multiple angles. The ships landed with a burst of energy to slow their descent before soldiers offloaded to form a perimeter.

The guards of the camp rushed forward, but a cracking sound dropped them all to the ground. A hole through their chests or head. There was simply no way around it. While the army was still innocent, the guards of the camp had committed atrocities that my fellow gnomes likely would never forgive. Plus, we didn’t have time to try and deal with them civilly.

“We got movement in the garrison!”

A screen came up something the soldiers rushing out. Something was managing to drive them through the no man’s land. The airships continued to fire reducing anyone hit to ash or less. We still needed another two or three minutes to load all the prisoners up. I couldn’t order the ships to stop firing. It would place my people in danger.

“You’re in command. I need a moment.” I felt the bridge and went to the conference room locking the door. I placed a cube on the table and set it to call Louella. It glowed for a second before it connected.

The image of Louella appeared above the cube though, she looked a little worn out. She should have just taken Ebonyfalls a few hours ago according to the last report we got from them. “Izora. What is the matter?”

“We are about to finish rescue operations for my people, but there is a large force here that will prevent us from capturing the city without significant bloodshed. Something is driving them and I’m not sure they will surrender easily.”

“I had my doubts that the first city would be so easily taken. We can already call that a win.” She paused thinking it over. I knew she wanted as little blood drawn during this war, but I personally didn’t see how it would work out in the long run. The ones that would suffer trying to prevent death would be us. “Broadcast a message. If they still persist. Well, they were warned.”

“Very well. I just wanted to convene with you first.”

“Thank you. I know it is strange for you to be taking orders from me as a queen yourself.”

I laughed and nodded. “True. That’s why once this is over, I think I’ll start calling you Empress.”

“Oh? I’ll hold you to it. Good luck and may Lord Regan be with you.”

The connection closed and I reconfigured the cube to the broadcast units on the airship. A second later, my image displayed over the battlefield like a giant. “Thonacan forces. This is your last warning. Surrender and we will not harm you. Continue and we will bring the hammer of Lord Regan down on you.”

Grabbing the cube, the display cut off. I went back out to the bridge. “I’m sure some of the other captians are hoping they refuse to surrender,” Captain Shido said.

“And what about you?”

“I follow my queen.”

It wasn’t long before an enemy mage fired a spell that was the war’s equivalent to fuck you. I pulled a key from around my neck. “Lord Regan told me to use this to strike fear in our enemies. Locate the largest concentration of enemy forces.”

The screen moved to display a force of two or three thousand moving around the no man land to try and avoid the airship weapons. I placed my finger on the top of the key and it expanded to look like a gun. Moving out on the deck, I pointed the weapon with the group as my target then pulled the trigger.

Nothing happened. “My queen?” Captain Shido asked with concern before a bright light filled the night sky. I jerked my head up as a beam of pure light slammed down in the targeted area burning everything. When the beam vanished, all that was left was a charred crater. The combat on the various screens also came to a pause.

I held up the cube. “Do you still wish to proceed?” A few seconds later, the signal for surrender was shot into the sky. Putting the cube away, I turned to the command bridge. “Sort the enemy. This is now Vaihdetta territory.”

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