506Starcraft: Reigns of War
Disclaimer: I do not own Starcraft, Warcraft, or any characters associated with them as they are the property of Blizzard entertainment.
"talking"
Thoughts
Aeon of Storms
Historians will look back at this time and say many things. As most would agree, the world of Azeroth was forever changed when the travelers from afar graced their world with their presence.
It set a standard for them to follow at a peak they never thought possible in the realm of magic.
To strive for an ideal of understanding as they share the same world under the same blue sky.
To live by a code of honor and principle which will be passed down to generations to come.
However change was never an easy thing as some would not accept it so readily.
But as most would agree, this war was what decided the path of Azeroth as two ideals clashed against each other.
On one hand was the New Alliance. A side who stuck to their old beliefs and traditions of a human ruled empire while all others stand inferior to them. Though they had allies with other races, they were treated more as pawns then anything else.
On the other hand was Aiur. Those in Azeroth who were graced by the travelers from afar. Inspired by their ideals and facing a common enemy they chose a different path setting aside there past history. With the founding of their country they aspired to meet the travelers again someday.
For all attempts were made to settle this peacefully yet war was inevitable as these two ideals could not co-exist. As war would engulf the entire continent of Lordaeron this immense battle will come to be known as the Aeon of Storm.
After the annihilation of most of the bandit hideouts they needed to liberate the outskirt territories of the New Alliance. Of what they knew from those that escaped the border areas they were pushed to the brink as Garithos took everything from them to fortify his position near his capital city which left little for them to survive on. Furthermore some garrisons were stationed in some of the areas under the notion of protection which they already knew was a lie.
Frankly the dark knight was a warrior. He was not a leader, nor a scholar, and barely considered to be a lord. His country was falling apart from mismanagement and poor development. Yet he was too blinded by his arrogance and prejudice to see that. He truly believed if he could defeat Aiur then everything would be righted in his world.
Yet that delusion will not so easily come to pass.
With the operation underway copters were sent in first to survey the area along with a few night elf volunteers who could cloak at night.
With a forward command center, Jaina and Thrall were discussing the matter at hand. Kael'thas had to return back to Quel'thalas to attend to escalating civil matters. The Kalimdorians would not interfere within this dispute.
"We should be able to capture the border areas within a few days" said Thrall. "They have yet to fully set up a proper defense"
"Agreed" Jaina nodded. "We have some other volunteers from the elves who will be placed under our command. It'll supplement our numbers for the battles to come. Also a few more trains has just finished construction as it will take care of our transportation of our troops and supplies".
"Wisps will also be coming along" as Thrall reviewed the report. "It will be of great help to our logistics".
"Especially when we start taking territories" Jaina continued. "There's going to be a lot of people needing help with food and supplies. It's a good thing the night elves were kind enough to loan them to us". But rubbing the back of her head, "it's just a pity the Protoss could not help us in this matter".
The warchief could only give a soft sigh to this. With Quel'thalas trees and the use of their magic it would have provided a massive tactical advantage in moving their forces and supplies around. Even more so if they could have gotten the Protoss and the Terrans to participate, with what he has seen, this war would have been over in under a week.
But as explained to them, neither side would actively participate in accordance to their laws. They weren't able to completely understand their reasoning. But of what they could understand this was an internal matter they needed to settle on their own.
Frankly they had to agree.
They couldn't depend on them for the rest of their lives like children. This was an important moment which will echo for an eternity and decide what kind of world they chose to build.
~ Lordaeron (border area) ~ (several days later)
The mission was a go as the Knights of Aiur had boarded their respective trains as it would take them to their designated targets.
Once the targets were captured they would not only provide relief to the suffering citizens but also setup a foothold within New Alliance territory.
Taking those days to get their logistics, equipment, and organization in check they were off.
Powered by an ether engine which was the culmination of research by elves and dwarfs, these trains would never run out power. Assuming that there was always a constant source of mana then theoretically they could run forever if they were properly maintained. Moving at maximum speed each group would be at their designated targets within hours which would have normally taken days by horse.
With the development and research into ether engines, many groups in Aiur were were working to apply these to copters, tanks, and formerly stream powered armors.
Concerning the upcoming conflict, Starlight company and others had also but more emphasis on weapons development and defensive equipment.
One of those developments were magitech swords along with other weapons like axes, spears, hammers, and etc. This was hardly the final end goal for Celine as she was still aiming to develop a Protoss sword. But for mass production purposes these weapons were specially engraved with enchantments which when powered would generate an effect. Most of which were increasing the overall power making said weapons sharper or more durable.
Other workshops had developed engraved shields that projected a uni-directional magical barrier. Quite useful in regards to common soldiers who had no aptitude for magic. Though the idea was to be applied to armors, it was still requiring more research.
With the first teams arrival in one of the border territories, Alexander's group was the first to lead the charge.
Taking deep breaths the young knight was rather nervous as an important member was missing from their group as it was noticed by everyone there. For Miwa the black rose of the battlefield and her companion Tyri were not present as she had received mysterious orders to not join the assault. Of what was spoken, she along with others were to stay behind in Aiur just in case the New Alliance sent an invasion force.
It was a pity they couldn't bring someone as powerful as her to the front line as it made the younger and inexperienced recruits feel at ease. However they have worked together long enough as a team to cover each others backs as they all knew their assigned tasks.
Now on the outskirts as the trains were in view the New Alliance soldiers reacted screaming out orders as they got into their battle line in a hurry. As the intel suggested their fortifications were far from complete. Though their current defense was formidable with their sense of standard warfare, the train didn't plan on stopping.
With a heavily armored front they easily rammed right through a few of the fortifications even running over a few of the enemy soldiers. Cutting right into their defenses, bulkhead doors on both sides of the cart opened one after the other as the Knights of Aiur charged out. First ones to lead were the vanguards which was then followed by ranged units.
But as with most assaults, the defending side would have the advantage with some defensive structures such as watch towers with several archers on them.
Yet anticipating such things dwarf engineers had just the response. On one of the carts the top hatch had opened as a gear system raised an artillery cannon up along with it's gun crew. Preparing the gunpowder and loading the shell they took aim at the nearest defensive structure. Firing their first round, the wood and stone towers support was pulverized in an instant as it soon buckled under it's own weight. As such the archers who were on it either attempted to jump to safety or went down crashing with it.
For the rest of the battlefield, the new magitech equipment was performing within expected perimeters as their offensive and defensive abilities completely outstripped that of the New Alliance soldiers. With the quick skirmish the battle was decided swiftly.
Concerning the captured enemy soldiers there was no need to spare any of them as they were all homunculus. Courtesy of the elves who joined them on this joint mission they were easily able to make out the stink of the evil magic they were spawned from.
After ensuring there were no more enemies within the perimeter they had successfully set up a beach head within the area. As news passed around the other teams were successful in their first battles with varying degrees of difficulty.
Setting up camp civilians were taken care of with food, shelter, and medical care. On first impression if anyone believed Garithos propaganda about Aiur they needed to understand that this wasn't an invasion but rather a liberation from the madness of the demented knight.
Thus hopefully as they begin to move towards the capital no unexpected problems will occur along the way.
~ Lordaeron (forest) ~ (early morning)
Midnight had passed as the morning light had just begun to peak on the horizon.
New Alliance soldiers were still combing the forest looking for their prisoner with torches in one hand and swords in the other.
Contrary to their numbers Sylvanas had the home field advantage as a forest setting was the most suited for elves to do battle in.
After the Nerazim left, the high elf general had managed to sneak in a few hours of rest before the enemy soldiers started to show up. Watching their movements carefully she needed to pick them off gradually if she planned to escape from this area. Taking out her dagger, she spotted her first target amongst them having a bow and arrow to his back.
But among them she could sense malevolent magic from some of the soldiers. Clearly something of an unnatural existence with the feeling of an undead. "Better to not engage them directly".
Stalking her target from the tree tops she moved swiftly and quietly like the wind waiting for the right opportunity to attack. Though the enemy group had split off, they still went in pairs to have some safety in numbers. However that would not save them from her. Once they were far enough she dropped down from the tree line stabbing one of the soldiers right through the head. Before the other could scream for help Sylvanas was quick to silence him slapping her hand over his mouth before stabbing him in the gut.
As the enemy soldier struggled against her, his body began to grow weaker as the light in his eyes became distant. As the last of his life drifted away the high elf general was careful to lay him quietly on the ground. Making sure he was dead she took his main armament placing his quiver and arrows to her waist while placing the bow over her shoulder. Climbing back up the tree as she once more surveyed the area, their positions had now become reversed. With the advantage of surprise and terrain on her side she was now the hunter as they were her prey.
Elves were naturals when it came to archery. Sylvanas was no exception as she was one of the best Quel'Thalas had ever produced. Even within the sea of trees, she would not miss. Once she had settled into her vantage point and marking all her targets everything else fell into place.
Firing one arrow after another, it was rapid fire as not a single shot was wasted. For her unlucky opponents they were all clean fatal hits. Striking through either their head or heart, they were the lucky ones compared to those who were struck through the throat as they suffered choking on their own blood and vomit as they slowly died.
Once confirming the area was clear Sylvanas had climbed down to retrieve the arrows as she had a feeling she was going to need them.
Making sure the cost was clear she ventured out once more towards Quel'Thalas.
To be continued . . . .
Author's notes: A short chapter as I'm still gearing up for war. Next one will go up with the Protoss and Terrans reaffirming why they can't/won't participate in this war.
As for the tech of the Knights of Aiur, I'm still working on it as I'm still trying to imagine how it will all look in the end and how fast they are developing.
But I've also decided that the concept of magic will be strictly that of Azeroth that if any of them leave their homeworld they won't be able to use magic. Not to mention that their magitech would also stop working. Though the batteries should work. The engines and power stations won't have any mana to draw in. I've already thought about how they could get around this. But that won't be til much later down the road.
If there are any questions or concerns feel free to ask as I'll try to answer them.
So thank you for reading and I further extend my gratitude if you can review as well.