Oblivion's Peril

by M. H. Johnson

  “I’m sorry, Lord Blackenthorp. We are two days out,” Bethany whispered.

  Dead silence.

  Val shaking with horror, mind racing for a solution.

  His Julia was under fire, and he wasn’t even there!

  Any solution.

  “Then everyone trapped behind those force fields is in dire peril. My mecha were built for mobility, and so lack the added reinforcements of our foes, or your own Class A Sabers. With their greater speed and longer-range cannons, they were designed for hit & run tactics or reinforcing squads such as your own. Pinned and surrounded, it will be a slaughter!”

  Val winced as the man roared. Harsh ragged breaths could be heard over the transceiver as he collected himself. “I will coordinate with Angelica and Christine in the time we have left. We will have to break through where they are weakest, the instant the force field is lowered. If we are lucky, we can take them by surprise and flee with as many survivors as possible. My daughter’s squad will do their best to harry their heavier mechs should they give chase, to prevent the complete butchery of our people. But I fear Highblood Province will be lost, and most of her citizens as well. We can only pray that those who are dear to us will make it back to Blackenthorp Province alive.”

  Val’s heart hammered at those awful words. He squeezed the throttle, roaring ahead, knowing there was no way he could get there in time, knowing he was being a fool.

  Then he stopped when it hit him.

  He already knew the answer.

  As obvious as it was ruthless. But for the sake of those he loved, he would do it.

  Even if the screams to come would haunt his nights for years to come, if it saved his Julia, if it saved the people he loved, he would do whatever he had to. No matter how horrific. No matter how much blood he had to spill.

  After all, it wasn’t like he hadn’t played the monster before.

  “Val, Val! What’s going on? Talk to me!” Bethany’s tinny voice through the speaker.

  Val loathed himself already for what he was about to do, but knew he had no choice. No choice at all. “Lucius?”

  A breathless pause. “Speak.”

  Valor turned to the giant mech before him. “Bethany, can you give Lucius our location?”

  “Of course, Val,” came her relieved reply, immediately relating a string of symbols that meant absolutely nothing to Val.

  “Alright. I have your location. By Hades, you raided Newford itself?”

  “It’s not like we were going to get battle-mechs anywhere else,” Lisa quipped, her voice echoing from the transceiver five feet to Val's left as Sasha paced him once more. "And from what I gather, these are technically yours anyway.”

  Bitter laughter. “What a small, cruel world we live in. I don’t suppose you know the name of the captain whose cargo you seized?”

  “Kada Luotsi,” Val said. “Not that you had a chance in hell of receiving it. Dimitry made sure of that, butchering captain and crew alike.”

  Dark cursing could be heard over the transceiver. “I had secured those battle-mechs at auction weeks ago. And the Consortium swore upon their reputation they would bring me those mechs. All of my other points of contact, every single one, has been blocked. Some assassinated, everyone else treating me like the dead. Now my spies reveal that Caligula has chosen his champion. Highlord Kentric will be crowned, and the High Council will do what it can to skew the odds in his favor. He will soon be Overlord in all but name, and the game has just begun!”

  Valor shook away the words, knowing what his next move had to be. "It doesn't matter. We'll take down Kentric, the High Council, and everyone else who stands in our way. We’ll kill them all.”

  “How, Valor? You aren’t here!” roared Lucius, his fury overwhelming him once more.

  “I was busy getting us twenty battle-mechs, so back the fuck off!” Valor snapped, as angry at himself as Lucius. He gave a bitter shake of his head. Now was not the time to throw a tantrum like a child.

  He was a man. He had played the fool. And now the price to redeem himself was going to be bitter. But he had no choice but to pay.

  “Lucius. Please tell me the location of the nearest neutral.”

  Dead silence. Tension so thick Val was choking on it.

  “And what good will that even do, Valor?”

  Valor forced a bitter grin. “You and I both know. Any blue that can be blitzkrieged in under a day, the clan completely wiped out, was never considered worthy in the first place. Blues are safe from all reds, save from the most vicious assaults against the absolute weakest opponents. You know where I learned that from, Lucius. And now that bitter lesson must bear its fruit.”

  “And you, one who truly walks the King’s Path. With all its terrible legends.” A solemn pause. “Here are the locations of the closest pair of blues. Equally distant. Ten minutes out from your coordinates. You understand what you must do?”

  Val squeezed back the heat in his eyes. “I do.”

  Terrified eyes gazed into his own. “Val, what are you going to do?”

  Val let Sasha and Lisa see the dark truth in his eyes. Both paled and looked away.

  “There are no other options,” he softly said.

  Sasha trembled. “I know.”

  “Then let’s go. We’re wasting time.”

  “Valor?” Bethany’s frightened voice.

  “We’re playing for keeps, Beth.” He sighed. “I know you’re being courteous. We’re linked. I know you can read my mind if you choose. Do it. See and judge for yourself.”

  And she said not a word as they raced past farms and tiny towns, heading to the very heart of Terrance territory, an impressive palace of hardwood and stone surrounded by lush gardens in full bloom, so many stained glass windows shining prettily in the sun. It was an exquisite work of art as much as it was a beautiful mansion.

  Several armored house guards gazed curiously at Bethany’s lead mech, looking more than a bit relieved when she slowed down, the other battle-mechs fanning out behind her.

  The guard captain cleared his throat. "This is the home of Highlord Terrance. If you are here for… hospitality, the house would be honored to arrange it for you. Unfortunately, the Highlord himself is undergoing rejuvenation as we speak, so his wife must stand in as hostess.” He swallowed as Val pulled up on his hover-blade, forcing a strained smile, hands carefully held behind his back. “Of course it goes without saying that we are of the blue… and will happily give guest rights to any red that comes through.”

  “Of course,” Val nodded. “Actually I had come to speak with the Highlord’s son and daughter. I believe they will be extremely interested in what I have to say.”

  The guard coughed awkwardly. “My lord has no heir, as of yet. He and his wife have elected to undergo a rather early and, well, personal treatment. My lord is willing to forgo years of his life, a full rejuvenation cycle if it will aid him in fulfilling his wife's dream. He is a good man, my lord. I am sure you understand?" The guard's smile was almost pleading. "Shall I get my lady to serve you? I know she would delight in guests to while away a few hours as she worries about her husband."

  Val flashed an apologetic smile, glancing Sasha’s way. She pointed to the upper left corner of the mansion. “They are there. I’ve locked onto them.”

  Val turned to nod at the guard. “Yes. Please inform Lady Terrance we wish to see her.”

  The guard gave a relieved grin before frowning in puzzlement as Val cleaved his head off with a crackling hiss, not able to comprehend why he was falling to the ground in a spray of blood.

  “Glacie Pilum!” Val slashed the air with his off-hand, a massive bolt of pyrocrete tearing completely through the second retainer before he could blink, the man collapsing to the ground in a shower of blood.

  “Fire at will!” Val roared, and the dimming afternoon light lit up with a fierce hot blaze of crackling energies as the entire manor crumpled under the horrific onslaught, the formerly beautiful palace now a blazing inferno of wood,
cracked stone, and shattered dreams.

  Sasha paled. “I felt them. I felt them both when they...” She lowered her head and swallowed. “Died.” She took a deep shuddering breath, refusing to meet Val’s gaze. “The Terrance clan is no more.”

  Congratulations! You have captured Terrance Province by right of conquest! Total clan fatality! The waning fortunes of the Terrance family had pushed them to desperate measures in the hopes of fertility treatments bringing new life to their dying clan. And it would have worked, had you not butchered every last one of them, including the young serving woman just biding her time to announce her true heritage to her lost family! Her years of growth and hardship, the natural strengthening of her mind, all of it presaging a beautiful tale of love and wonder, brutally cut short by Oblivion’s Chosen!

  Who knows what beauty and hope this once artistically brilliant family could have brought to the galaxy? I guess we’ll never know. Double experience earned!

  You currently have 11 territory points. Would you like to purchase Terrance Province for 1 territory point?

  Y/N Yes! Congratulations! You have claimed Terrance Province. 6 territory points earned! Two Dominion points earned towards Overlord Level 5! This Level 3 Lesser Territory has Tier 2 farming facilities, a Tier 2 artistic colony, and Tier 2 mercantile income. Wonders of significance? None!

  You have purchased a Tier 3 battle-mech compatible gate, fully accessible by all who have sworn allegiance to you. Total cost: 3 points! 13 territory points remain. All your territories are now connected. Well done, Val. Now go save your people. And try to pretend you’re a hero while you’re at it, covered as you are with innocent blood!

  Val wrenched himself free of his Dominion Matrix, dizzying to use while still connected to Bethany, and the storm of horror, pity, and desperation resonating between the two of them made it clear she had heard that dry, mocking voice in his head just as well as he. “What’s done is done,” Val whispered, knowing Bethany could feel his thoughts. “Let’s save who we can.”

  Then he turned to the massive crackling gate in front of him that had Sasha and Lisa gazing in slack-jawed wonder. Knowing what he must do.

  He walked forward, boldly putting his hand on the edge of the gate, feeling himself oddly resonating between the scene of devastation that was his newest acquisition, and a brilliantly detailed map in his mind’s eye, showcasing all his territories.

  Your gates are being suppressed! Do you wish to engage in contest of wills to realign your gates?

  Val didn’t even answer. All the horror and fury at what he had been forced to do, the innocent blood now in his hands, finally had a target besides himself. He roared as he felt the ugly pressure within his gates build. The screams of those innocent souls he had just quantized became his own as he strove with every bit of his will to burst past his enemy’s trap, imagining throttling the neck of whatever monster was attempting to butcher his people.

  The terrible pressure grew and Val smiled, welcoming the pain. Knowing his enemy was feeling the same, and willing to endure every bit of it, and more. For the pain was nothing compared to the horror he felt at what he had done just moments ago.

  And then the pressure suddenly broke, as fast as it had come.

  Test of wills: success! Greater Ritual Gateward broken! Having experienced firsthand and bested an Overlord ritual that can seal all gates, you now have the ability to purchase the Invulnerable perk for any gate you create at the cost of 1 additional territory point! Invulnerable gates are not only impervious to physical harm, no magic spell or Overlord ritual can affect those gates, even when you are beyond your territories! You have chosen to make your Blackenthorp gate Invulnerable! You have chosen to make your Highblood gate Invulnerable! Travel between these gates cannot be disrupted! 11 territory points remain.

  Val’s eyes widened with a fierce sense of exultation when what he had been desperately hoping to see was, in fact, right where he needed it to be. Just after territory improvements, a message flashing just for him.

  Congratulations on your first kill leading a coterie of mind-linked followers. Even if Bethany did do most of the work! Tactical submatrix opened! This will allow you to purchase beneficial perks to assist you in all your conquest needs!

  Assault: Gain a 5% bonus per Overlord level to all offensive maneuvers! Cost to purchase: 1 point to share bonus with one soldier under your command. Number affected doubles with each point put in! Note. This bonus will only affect soldiers in your party or those in your proximity and directly under your command. Do you wish to purchase Assault? Y/N

  You have chosen yes! 6 points spent for a 20% bonus to all offensive maneuvers for up to 32 party members or soldiers directly under your command! 5 territory points remain.

  Ward: All units and enhancements within your linked territories will receive a 3% defensive bonus per point invested in Ward! Up to a maximum percentage of 5x your Overlord level! Do you wish to purchase Ward? Y/N

  You have chosen yes! 1 point spent for 3% defensive bonus to all units and enhancements within your territories. 4 territory points remain.

  Val lurched away from the gate, eyes skittering past the scene of devastation he had caused, pinching his nose shut to block the awful, sickly sweet stench of the still smoldering ruins. “Lucius, are you there?”

  “Yes, Val. I am.”

  “Good. Right outside the mech hangar, you’ll see a massive crackling swirl of blackness and lightning.”

  “You repaired the gate. Excellent.” Stoic as the words were, Val could all but taste the heartfelt relief the man felt.

  Valor smiled. “And it won’t be coming down any time soon. Same location as before. It will take you just outside the Highblood hangar. My team will head there first. We’re going to hit our enemies, and hit them hard. You and Angelica will play defense with your mecha and soldiers. I trust you know how to arrange your troops well enough without me trying to hold your hand.”

  “Your orders are our command, Overlord,” Lucius solemnly assured. “Our troops will proceed with all haste, and the men who already made it through should have our emergency fortifications built by now and easily be able to coordinate additional troops. But arranging seven thousand additional men takes time.”

  “Of course. I trust you’ll position your men to provide maximum cover fire, once the shield collapses. What’s your ETA?”

  “Ten minutes. My men are professionals. The infantry will come in organized waves as they can.”

  Val smiled grimly at that, recalling all too well the advantages small, highly mobile squadrons had against far larger groups of men. “I know you’ll do your best. Will you bring what we designed together?”

  And it said something that even now, heartbeats away from battle against far superior forces, that Lucius hesitated. “Are you sure, Val? You know there’s no going back, once you move this piece forward.”

  Val forced himself to gaze at the scene of devastation he had wrought. If he was to be worthy in his own eyes, he had to take responsibility for every step he took daring to walk the Path of Kings. And whatever the price to pay, he would pay it. “I’ve never been surer, Lucius.”

  A long pause and Val thought he could hear the crackle of a second hyperion channel in Lucius’s command center, Christine’s frantic, distorted voice coming through.

  “Very well, Val. I will bring what I have. We had little time after proofing the design, but they work. Gods help us all, they work.”

  Val flashed a smile of cold satisfaction. “That’s good to hear. Fortune favor you, Lucius. Valor out.”

  “Fortune favor us all, Valor Hunter.” And with those words, the comms went dead.

  Val gazed up at the pristine mecha towering over him, flashing a smile, feeling a rush of terror and exhilaration for what was to come. “Are you ready, Bethany?”

  A tense pause. “Yes, Val. We’re still all linked. I… it doesn’t matter. All that matters is we live to see the dawn.”

  Val nodded. “You’re
right. If this is your first engagement...”

  “It isn’t. I’m putting you on general comms. Address your men.”

  Val winced at that, realizing how stupid his statement had been.

  “We doing this, boss?” crackled Axel’s excited voice.

  Val grinned at that. “Damn right we are, Axel. I’m not going to lie. What we just did was ugly. We claimed a dozen innocent lives, and that burden is mine to bear. But we did it for a reason. Thousands of our allies, including a dozen hit-and-run mechs, are about to be overrun by madmen who will butcher everyone they can. Our enemies thought they could strike before we could counter. They thought wrong. And those bastards have another thing coming if they think we’re just going to let our people fall!”

  “Damn right,” murmured more than one man on the comm.

  “Then all I’ll say is this. I have faith in you. All of you. We have the plan, we have the battle-mechs, and we got the best damned pilots to be seen anywhere on Jordia! Keep your focus, men, and we’ll give those bastards a firestorm they’ll never forget!”

  Val grinned at the ragged cheers this generated before pointing to the gate crackling dark energies and eldritch hues.

  “Time to jump through!”

  Bracing himself for anything, Val squeezed the throttle of his hover-blade and roared through the gate.

  42

  Shouts and chaos assaulted Val’s ears, as he emerged from the crackling gate behind him, catching the sweet scent of spring blossoms, an odd counterpoint to whiffs of burning wood, scorched electronics, and charred flesh.

  “Enemies at the gate!” screamed a panicked voice as a young soldier spun around to face him, and it was all Val could do to activate bike shields and Synergized Ward alike as a burst of panicked fire washed over him.

  “It’s Valor! Cease your fire!” cried a voice that pierced Val’s heart.

  Julia. Decked in the tight-fitting reflective armor of a Highlord, a personal force field cloaking her in its protection as well. At her hip was an enchanted dwarven blade and buckler. And the look in his eyes as she flashed an exhausted smile his way had him sprinting off his bike and into her arms faster than she could blink, her squeals and laughter as he spun her around sent his bleak heart soaring. Free of all makeup, gaunt with exhaustion, never had she looked so beautiful to his eyes as she did at that moment.