Out of Space

The New World, United Nations, Sawtooth Mountain Airbase

Massive wheels lined with treated slime squeaked loudly as they hit the tarmac. Friction between the two surfaces, burnt off the rubbery slime and smoke trailed behind the turning wheels as the wing ship taxied to a stop on the runway. The gigantic flying wing halted right before a tiny goblin waving a pair of light wands excitedly and a boarding bridge was slowly extended out to the side forward hatch while its rear cargo hatch slowly swung open.

Carrying Coa in one hand, Blake strolled out of the hatch with Sherene and the waiting honour guard contingent lined along the boarding bridge snapped to attention and saluted at their arrival. At the end of the bridge, both military and civilian officials awaited patiently and upon spotting the Princess, they all broke into applause and cheers.

Sherene was further overwhelmed with gratitude when they made their way out of the airbase, where thousands and thousands of well wishers had gathered outside the main gates of the base. Flowers were offered and confetti and flags fluttered in the air. Balloons and both magical spells and fireworks were released by the huge crowd that welcomed Sherene home.

It was like a festival as the lands outside the perimeter fence of the airbase had booths set up that sold food and drinks to even a stage where popular musical artists performed. Further out there were even hundreds of tents as many had come much earlier to wait for the return of the Princess. Hundreds of soldiers had to be deployed to patrol the grounds and kept the crowd controlled and orderly when the Princess exited in a motorcade.

With tears in her eyes, she stepped out of the vehicle waved to the crowd under the torment of cheers. Coa overwhelmed by the loud noises, cried and Sherene lifted him higher to show him off to the crowd which cheers intensified even more at seeing the Grand Prince. Seated inside the vehicle, Blake let out a sigh as he watched the people's worship of the Princess and his child.

"Captain, it is good to see you all back safe and sound," Seated across Blake, Commander Ford congratulated him. "It... must have been very hard for them..."

"Yes, it is something we can't imagine," Blake replied sharply as he glared at Commander Ford who looked away in embarrassment. "But that is in the past... Now they are back and I will keep them safe."

"Yes, sir," Commander Ford replied guiltily. After a while, Sherene returned to the vehicle, her face flush with gratefulness to the people. She carefully handed Coa over to Blake and was about to address Commander Ford when he spoke first.

"Princess, I want to apologize..." Commander Ford said stiffly. "Due to my incompetence, your safety had been compromised. Now that you have returned... I will formally submit my resignation."

Blake frowned at Commander Ford's words while Sherene shook her head. "It was not your fault in the first place... Who could have expected such a turn of events?"

"Still, it is the lack of my duty that you have suffered..." Commander Ford kept his head lowered. "I will take full responsibility for this."

Sherene gave Blake a helpless look before she said, "I accept your apology but not your resignation."

"The UN government needs you," She added. "If you want to make up for your mistakes... You should continue working for the government to improve the lives of its people!"

"She is right," Blake sighed before he continued. "We need you at the helm of the government, because... the one resigning would be me."

Commander Ford's eyes went wide as he stared at Blake in shock. "What?"

"I am stepping down from command," Blake repeated tiredly. "I plan to retire with Sherene and look after them."

"But..." Commander Ford was speechless. He had come with a steeled heart to resign and take all responsibility for the screw up but instead, he was told to stay and the Captain would resign instead. "The UN is you! You are the UN!"

"No, I am not," Blake shook his head. "I had not shown my best when Sherene was taken from me..."

"Instead it was people like you, Dr, Sharon, Lieutenant Tavor and many others that displayed your true strengths when shit went down," Blake quietly admitted his flaws. "While I drowned myself in defeat and disgraced the uniform."

"If we were still under UNM Space Command... The things I had done and not done..." Blake let out a self reproaching smile. "I would have long been court martialed and stripped of my uniform and command!"

"Hence, now that I found back my family," Blake gently patted the excited child in his arms. "I decided to step down from command and instead focus on them."

"But, Sir, the UN still needs you," Commander Ford tried to persuade Blake from stepping down. "It was by your leadership that we got this far!"

"No, it wasn't just by my leadership," Blake shook his head once more. "It was the combined effort of everyone here! You, already are doing a damn fine job of keeping the UN running while I was down and out..."

"I have decided," Blake forestalled any more objections by Ford. "I will make this announcement tomorrow at the general assembly."

"And I want you to take over my position."

-----

The Old World, Tri Border between the Protectorate, Iron Kingdom and the Domain of the Dragons

"PUNISH THE SINNERS!" A gigantic figure with glowing white eyes roared. Behind the giant, circling in the skies was a massive snake as dark as the void screaming at the sun. "THE SUN! THE SUN!"

Leung jolt up from his dream and looked around his surroundings in confusion and found himself in his bedroom. The warm naked body of Nerssia was curled up against him on his left and he could sense her beating heart. As he rubbed his face, he realised he was sweating heavily.

He crawled out of the bed and entered the side chamber where a bathing pool that was constantly filled with warm water sat in the middle of the chamber. He stepped into the bath and sat down, soaking in the warmth. He had been somewhat enlightened to the current state of affairs of the Protectorate and the Old World in the past few days of meetings and listening to discussions.

War with the entire world, he thought to himself. Did he really want such a thing? He tried to recall his own memories, but somehow they were difficult and fuzzy in his mind. He could only vaguely remember the claws and teeth of the Swarm and how planet after planet fell to the dark ooze of the Swarm.

Would a total war be a good thing for the Protectorate? He was seriously considering it as somehow other memories flowed into his mind. Scenes of thousands of winged figures wearing golden armour kneeling down in obeisance and shouting his name, no, Ramuh's name flooded his mind. Leung jolt awake once more and found himself still in the bath.

Lately, his dreams had been a mess. He either saw scenes of Ramuh or the Apep, and it was getting harder to differentiate reality from dreams. He cursed inwardly and climbed out of the bath, grabbing a robe from the shelves and donning it before he returned to his chambers where Nerssia remained spent from the night activities.

He crossed over to the balcony and looked out, seeing the night skies and the ground spread out before him. Hundreds of lights covered his view as the guiding lights of airships surrounding the temple ship kept in formation. It was a massive invasion fleet of the Protectorate consisting of hundreds of cruisers and transports.

The sheer amount of tonnage and personnel had Leung flabbergasted, as he wondered how was it possible for the religious nation to field such a force without crippling its own national resources. All he knew was the priests and Nerssia telling him that it was faith and their devotion to him that made it possible. Seeing such blind devotion, while it made him excited for he was the focus of such devotion, it also made him frightened at the consequences.

What if the invasion fails? The Protectorate would become the number one enemy in the entire world, not to mention what if the UN decided to cross over to the Old World and interfere, it would mean the doom of not only the Protectorate but himself too. And how many will die for him, a human, pretending to be a God? Such thoughts were constantly in his mind and it made him very uncomfortable.

Yet, each time, when he wanted to voice out to stop the priests from the war or step down as their God, but somehow, he was unable to do so. He would just stare dumbly at the looks of worship from the people and instead, give his blessings. After that, he would remain seated on his throne, feeling surges of power coming from the fine threads of faith, invisible to the mortal eyes, as the people prayed and praised his name, the feeling give him both a guilty pleasure and dread.

-----

The Old World, The Cartel, The Silver Mountains

The atmosphere inside the mountain auditorium was bleak as representatives of each clan and faction listed out the current losses in the sudden war. The whole situation was unfavourable to the Cartel as large swaths of land had been overrun by both the Protectorate and Tri State forces. Despite heightened defenses were already in place, the sheer numbers of the Protectorate and the sudden breaking of the peace treaty with the Tri State had overwhelmed the Cartel border defences.

Capital strongholds such as Green Mountain were surrounded, isolated and cut off by the enemy and contact had been lost to many highland towns and cities. Even the delegate from the Loose Confederation seemed torn between sending military help and wanting to pull out from the Cartel at the current state of affairs.

"All mountains cities are to shut their doors and hunker down," The current Grand Lord of the Cartel finally declared. "All air and land travel will cease from now onwards. The Great Tunnels will be opened and used only for matters of importance only!"

The gathered Lords and representatives started mumbling unhappily at the decision. The Great Tunnels were a network of ancient tunnels that connect each Mountain City to another. Before airships were invented, the Great Tunnels were the Cartel's greatest engineering feat and weapon, as it enabled the Cartel to move goods and people safely underground, without the fear of being ambushed.

But ever since the invention of airships, the Great Tunnels had been abandoned as it was deemed too costly to maintain and slower compared to airships. And ever since the Great Tunnels had been neglected, they fell into ruins and became a haven for monsters and beasts.

"Each Mountain will do its part in opening the Great Tunnels once more!" The Grand Lord declared. "All highland towns and cities are to retreat into the Mountains and the Mountains will be closed!"

"We will sit out this war for however long it is needed!" The Grand Lord added grimly. "Like how our ancestors had outlived our enemies! We shall prevail in the end! Our enemies will leave once they find out that they cannot breach our walls!"

At this moment, the doors to the auditorium slammed open and two scruffy looking dwarvens entered. Their unexpected appearance caused the gathered Lords to exclaim in surprise as they recognized the two, "Gr- Grand Lord Hammerfall? And Lord Copperstone!"

"But... How? Aren't you two dead in the New World?" Cries of surprise came from the Lords. "How did you both return?"

"Yes! Nearly died a few times!" Grand Lord Hammerfall growled as he stepped forward and unceremoniously shoved the current Grand Lord of the Cartel off the speaking platform. "But now we are back and here to save the Cartel!"