Chapter 698 – Crisis Mode
Albert Modeel, although not the first astronomer, is regarded in the field due to his extensive work studying magical phenomena impacted by ex-Ardan events. Although his MEP finally put to rest that notion, it did uncover several over mysteries in our universe. The shadow in the Arianne Nebula, was tracked over the range of a century, the oscillating path moved not only between the Arianne and the Kawathetra stars, but made small perpendicular to their line. Polis, the disappearing north star, actually has a host of smaller stars around it. Modeel and the astronomers who followed him found hundreds of these small, unexplainable mysteries.
Yet it was within our solar system that the greatest discoveries were made. The planet Arkan, once rumoured to have been shining, then known to be reflective, once again revealed itself to be shining of its own power. The moons of Turinia began to exhibit the same glows as Arkan throughout Modeel’s study. The astronomer dated the first glow of the moon he named Moda, after himself, to midsummer of 567, Reconstruction Era. Now, as this is being written in the year 900, Reconstruction Era, Moda outglows stars. Its orbit around Turinia can be spotted in the night sky even without a telescope.
There are some rules to the known universe of course, a moon beginning to glow falls into none of them. Not unless the planet is cracking open but three centuries later, we would surely have noticed some change in the glow, save for the amplification of white light coming from it. The Turinian spots, which have existed for as long as anyone could remember, have also started to multiply.
In terms of natural theories, there are none that can truly explain the system. There is nothing on Arda that can truly model lights appearing on a planet for such an extended period of time, a volcanic explosion, even a cataclysmic one, should not last anywhere close to a decade, much less centuries.
Nothing save for a city.
And that conclusion, even with the discovery of Tartarus and Paraideisius in this era, has always been too terrible to be accepted.
But what if it is true?
- Excerpt from “The Case For Arda”, written by the elven scholar Tarion Ringlay, a famous follower of Arascus and the founder of the Imperial House of Ringlay.
One buzz of the phone was just the usual. Arascus stood on the deck of the INS Tremali, the Hotel Tremali, as the sailors had taken to calling the aircraft carrier. It was utterly unusable since aircraft could not fly in an ash-stricken atmosphere. With Arascus on it for the second time, someone had taken to calling it the Tremali Taxi. That made Arascus chuckle, the grand marshal would probably have an aneurysm if he heard that. Two buzzes, of different notes, was unusual. Either two coincidences happening at the same time, one person in panic and quickly sending messages, or a crisis was beginning. Arascus began to reach for the phone in his black coat. When the third buzz came, he moved faster. That removed the chance of coincidence.
Arascus quickly pulled the phone out of his pocket as the INS Tremali split the ocean between him. His eyes scanned over the icons of who was sending him messages. Malam, white haired, Helenna, blushing and red, Fer, smiling with that peace sign next to some lion. From three daughters then, it was bad. Arascus looked around himself. The deck of the aircraft carrier was empty, a few sailors were smoking next to the control tower, but there was no sign of life on the steel juggernaut that split the waves of the Alanktyda. Behind it came parts of the Alanktydan fleet and the new ships that weren’t enchanted with FSS shielding to cross the Ashfront yet. Great battlecruisers, one battleship, the Tull, with three turrets, three guns each.
Malam picked up almost immediately. “Report Malam.” Arascus said.
“Khmet has fallen, Kassandora has taken command of the situation, she’ll most likely be for glassing the entire country.” Malam said quickly as Arascus thought. Oh, that wasn’t good whatsoever. Kassandora running mad was something that they were letting get more and more common. The UNN would be Imperial right now were it not for Continent Cracking, Levhen had been too close a call as well. “Are we letting her do it or do you need her stopped? I have numbers to the First Strategic Missile Corps.”
“Stop her.” Arascus said. He visualized the map of that region. “Udeah has a rift though.”
“I’ve not talked with her but I know that’s her logic.” Malam said. “Ground war in Ainai then.” Arascus sighed. Another front opening. And with what exactly? He stood there in silence. Kassandora was making the correct call, that much was true. More Imperial soldiers would die if they did not forward with the nuking of Khmet. “Khmet had a hundred and twenty million people before, do you know how many it has now?”
“About one-nineteen.” Malam said. “I don’t actually, no one knows how many got out. A lot got out but it’s not…” She restarted. “It’s a drop in the bucket, we’re talking about a country that has more people more than Doschia and Lubska combined.”
“I know.” Arascus said. “Alright, you have permission, halt the SMC. I’ll de-attach it from official hierarchy in five minutes and palace guard them. You send the SIS and make sure no missile heads out.” His phone began to buzz, Arascus pulled it away from his ear. “Helenna’s calling me.”
Malam burst out in laughter. “WHAT A SWEETHEART!” She shouted into the phone. “She’s got the hots for you, you know?”
“Mmh.” Arascus said. “I’ve got missed calls from Fer too.”
“Well that one is expected.” Tone dry this time. “Fer’s always a sweetheart.”
“Alright, well you have your plan. I’ll do Helenna first.” Malam made her terrible chuckle that Arascus knew very well. He just sighed. “Go on, out with it, say your piece.”
“Oh I’m sure there’ll be plenty of doing.”
“Great.” Arascus said. “Stole the laughter from me, that.” He dropped the call. One down. Well, at least the situation was known now. From the other side of the world, he would be working to stop a genocide. Modern technology was truly amazing.
One down, two to go. Onto the second one, Helenna. This time, Arascus put her on loudspeaker and started typing to Iliyal and Kassandora even as she picked up. “Arascus!” Helenna said. “Kassandora is going to nuke Khmet! I know she is! That’s how she operates, we have to stop her!”
Arascus finished writing the text to Iliyal: The First Strategic Missile Corp is temporarily made into Imperial Palace Guard. There, that would be enough to stop them immediately, the Imperial Palace Guard existed only in theory but most of the Imperial Laws were an almost one-to-one copy of the Great War’s Empire. Back then, Arascus had a palace guard solely under his command. In theory, he wasn’t even overstepping regulation right now. “I’ve just placed the First Strategic Missile Corp into the Palace Guard.” Arascus said.
Helenna fell silent for a few moments. “Excuse me?”
“It’s Palace Guard, not under Imperial Army command.”
“Since when do we have a Palace Guard?” Helenna asked.
“Since roughly eleven-hundred years ago.” Arascus replied.
“And we don’t have a palace?”
“That’s a minor detail.” Arascus said. “You’re on mobilization duty.” The words were still forming in his head, but the plan was set. It wasn’t a choice, Udeah could not be allowed to be claimed by Tartarus, thus the only choices where nuking Khmet or ground war in Ainai. If the former option was out, then they would have to try the ground war.
“Excuse me?”
“We need a fresh of wave of troops that will be heading to Udeah. Conscripts, volunteers, it’s your choice. Kassandora will no doubt set you the details later, but you may as well get a headstart.” Helenna took a deep breath.
“I’m going to say something terrible.” She said. Arascus stared at the waves. In this situation, there was only one thing that she could say.
“You’re going to try to sell me on it.”
“I panicked at first.” Helenna said. “We… A crisis is provocable. Not a total glassing of the region. But an eruption in one city. Get them to start a pogrom. Cause a panic in the region. Civilian evacuation through Ainai, our troops are there. Then the bombs drop.”
“How many dead?” That was
“In total, I’d say two-thirds. Eighty million.”
“How many would die when we drop the bombs?”
“Twenty? Thirty? I could work the number down to fifteen. Maybe ten.” Helenna said.
“Too many.” Arascus said. “I’m currently on a ship to the UNN. Continent Cracking gave us enough trouble with them. What will it look like when we start bombing Khmet? That’s another year’s delay here as I smooth it over.” He stared out at the ocean.
“Ainai would be warzone. I’m not Kassandora but the casualties.” Helenna caught herself. “I can’t even begin to count it. More than a million of our soldiers will need to go there. Easily.”
Arascus sighed as the INS Tremali cut through another large wave. “Helenna, you’re looking at it the wrong way. We’re not trading Khmet civilians for Imperial soldiers here. We’re trading Imperial soldiers for the UNN. A million soldiers die.” He said. “And we get the UNN. That’s the tactic.”
“Oh.” Helenna said over the radio. “I see.” She sighed through the phone. “I… I didn’t see that line.”
“No.”
“I’ll start rallying for Ainai then.” Helenna then. “Do you need anything?”
“No.” Arascus replied. “Fer’s ringing me too, I’ll let you go.”
“See you.”
“See you soon.” Arascus switched off the phone. Another piece in play. He went to the final number that had been ringing him. Fer. Of Beasthood picked up immediately, Arascus didn’t even give her a chance to speak. “Fer, I’ve talked with Malam and Helenna already. Mal’s on handling the army. Helenna the public reaction. You’re on Kassie.”
Fer took a moment to reply. “That’s my dad.” She obviously wasn’t speaking to the phone then. “Mai and Forti are listening in by the way.” Arascus rolled his eyes, well, at least he got the warning, no matter how late it was.
“You know how she’s going to react.” Arascus said. “Kavaa will be with her so take her out of action for a day.”
“Oh?” Fer asked. “Kavaa can’t handle her territory?”
“We can assume not. She’s never handled her before.” Arascus said. “Try to be discreet about it.”
“Can I take Mai and Forti?”
“You can.” Arascus said. He thought of a mad decision for a moment, to assign Fortia to the Ainai front, that wouldn’t work though. Kassie would be crushed. Of War had to receive the desert, that at least would keep her occupied and not spiralling into doomsday ideas when the Empire was trundling along with its own plans.
“Alright.” Fer said. “You girls are coming along!” That shout obviously wasn’t directed through the phone.
“Introduce them.” Arascus said. “Are they good?”
“Mmh.” Fer said. “Both are good.”
“Then we have two more Kass handlers.” Arascus said. Ultimately, Kassandora was too smart to be beaten in the field of debate. She knew how to rally, how to reframe and how to talk her way out of almost anything. The traditional method had always been to come in, to be utterly unrelenting and to solve things in the traditional Ardan method: pure unnegotiable strength. “Show them how.”
“I will.” Fer said. “You girls are going to want to watch this!” She shouted again. Arascus sighed.
“And don’t make a mess! Don’t kill anyone!”
“Of course not dad!” Fer said. Arascus’ phone began to buzz again.
“Wait.” Arascus said. “Kavaa’s calling me, I’ll ring back.”
Kavaa picked up the call. “I…” She began, then trailed off, then restarted again. “It’s…” Arascus gave her some time, he watched the sailors who pretended not to see the Emperor on a phone. That always brought about looks, Arascus sometimes wondered if the impression was good because it made him seem human, or bad for the same reason. Kavaa finally dragged the words out of herself.
“I can’t.” She said. “I can’t Arascus. I can’t whatsoever. I know what she’s doing. I…” There was a crash and a drop. Arascus just remained in silence as he waited for Kavaa to pick her phone up. “Sorry.” Her tone was dire. “I just dropped my phone.”
Arascus saw the issue, there was no point to make her torture herself with it. “Kassie is running off again, isn’t she?” Arascus asked.
“She wants to launch ICBMs at Khmet.” Kavaa said. “I…” She began, then sighed, then something rustled.
“What’s happening?”
“I’ve slid down a wall.” Kavaa replied. “It’s… I don’t know. I can’t argue with her, I mean, she’s correct. It’s not… I know she’s running off, but I don’t know what to do.” Arascus closed his eyes and released his breath. It was good that she knew how to see the pattern. That was more than enough in fact. “She’s right. I’m wrong if I argue with her.” Kavaa sounded as if she was about to cry.
“You’ve done enough Kavaa.” Arascus said. “I’ll handle it from now on.” From the other side of the phone, there was a sniffle.
“Why can’t I do it?”
“Just because you didn’t do it now doesn’t mean you won’t do it the next time.” Arascus said. He pulled the phone away from his ear, then looked at it. No. He couldn’t leave Kavaa with just that. “Kavaa.” Arascus said.
“Mmh?”
“Don’t worry. It’s not just you out there.” He said. “Stay with Kass and let everyone else handle it.” With that, Arascus shut the phone off. He would ring Kassandora in a moment, but Fer first. Once again, Fer picked up immediately.
“So? How’s it going on the doctor’s front?”
“She can’t handle it. You’re going in.”
Fer laughed through the phone. “I knew she wouldn’t handle Kassie. I knew it.”