AneganaBoard

"This is LNS Hermes, reporting to the closest Coridgean Command Centre. We are about to enter Coridgean Airspace. Acknowledge?"

High above the clouds of Coridge, near the Eastern Coast of Anegana's central continent, the massive city-sized trading and merchant vessel fleet of Lycantine prepares to enter Coridgean Airspace. Made up of numerous smaller floating vessels and a floating city that rivals the Atlas itself in splendor and magnitude, the Lycantinean Pan-Terrestrial Trading Fleet was the most impressive non-military technological marvel since the construction of the LNS Atlas or the colonization of Marcusburg. It represents what Lycantine has, and always will be: The economic powerhouse of Anegana, and its willingness to partner with others in the pursuit of technological progress and prosperity; an ideal that the fleet's one hundred and thirteen thousand personnel all hold dear within their hearts.

"This is LNS Hermes, once again hailing the nearest Coridgean Command Centre. Lycantinean Vessels, ourselves included, are entering your Airspace."

Despite the censorship and crackdown on all information outside of what the government of Coridge wants its people to know, the Pan-Terrestrial Fleet is incredibly popular to the citizenry of Coridge. Every time it soars above the clouds of its fortress cities, both the cadets and the elite look up with astonished fascination. They point and look at the marvel above them, cursing and praising Lycantine's wealth and power. Every time the Fleet flies above the Coridgean capital of Arkojun, hundreds of individuals look up at the sky and point with bewilderment. Those lucky enough to be assigned in offloading and loading cargo onto the multitude of vessels speak of wonders that they cannot fathom. Ships the size of entire Coridgean hamlets and as broad as their fortress walls solely dedicated to transporting cargo and products from every nation on Anegana. Those who are even more fortunate to board the Hermes, the city-wide flagship of the trading Fleet, could not even describe the wonders their eyes were glued to. Highways within a ship and a cargo bay that could easily hold more than several of Coridge's largest capital ships. The sight is not only bizarre but beautiful. The Pan-Terrestrial Trading Fleet of Lycantine is truly one of the planet's biggest accomplishments. It was not just a ship, but a spirit built and maintained by the willing cooperation of its individual nation states.

"This is the LNS Hermes, reporting, once more, to the closest Coridgean Command Centre. The Pan-Terrestrial Trading Fleet is crossing into your Airspace. Acknowledge?"

There was still no response.

Unfortunately for the Hermes' captain, the Coridgean Missile Array that was used to protect the skies of Coridgean Airspace had just changed its radar systems with upgraded models. To add even more to the situation, the models were unable to differentiate between the frequencies released by a Lycantinean civilian and military vessel. On top of that, the battery Commander in charge of the sector had not been paying attention, instead falling asleep at his post.

"Captain, the Coridgean's still haven't responded. What are your orders?"

Captain Cain Beaver, tapping his chin, ponders his next move. This has happened before, as, usually, a local lord or a high ranking military officer would respond to Lycantinean hails. No regular soldiers, due to the aforementioned censorship, were allowed to communicate with Lycantinean Vessels of any kind. Despite the radio silence, there was an unspoken agreement of open borders with the Pan-Terrestrial Trading Fleet. Many times the Fleet has crossed into Coridgean Airspace despite no response to their hails, and everytime the local lord in charge of the sector they'd enter in would apologize before allowing them entry post-haste. However, today that would not be the case, and Captain Beaver would make a fatal mistake pressing forward.

"This has happened before. Maintain course to Palaven. I'm sure they'll hail us shortly after we cross the Airspace."

"Yes Captain!"

The Fleet continues its course, not realizing that they were about to kickstart a chain of events that would lead to a catastrophic outcome, and Arcapie itself won't be able to avoid the devastation this time around.

Captain Beaver checks his watch.
"Ah, 1400 Lyzantium Time. I guess it's time I take my break. First Mate, you're in charge while I'm gone."
The First Mate, sitting next to him, nods respectfully. "Of course Captain, take your time, you deserve it."
The Captain smiles and walks towards the door, the crew members of the bridge saluting him and waving as he exits. The doors to the bridge elevator open wide and he takes a step inside. When it finished its descent, it opens to a fortified glass hallway elevated above the main Superstructure of the ship. Below, he can see hundreds of vehicles like ants scurrying about. They haul an entire nation's economy across entire storage facilities the size of small towns. Captain Beaver smiles. He believes he is making a difference on this ship; eagerly facilitating the prosperous trade of the disperate nations of Anegana. He can feel a sense of pride and accomplishment in his job, yet simultaneously a sense of humility as he thinks about the significance of his position. As he ponders this deep thought, his wristband vibrates and flickers. He stops walking and taps it, and a hologram of his family back in the Lycantinean City of Auster appears.

"Hi dad!"
Captain Beaver smiles and playfully salutes.
"Hello Cindy."
The hologram flickers as her daughter comes through the screen; her eyes filled with admiration and longing for her father. Sitting behind her was her mother, and the captain's wife. She's folding her clothing and stacking them into neat piles.
"When will you be back darling?"
Captain Beaver takes a seat on one of the seats on the side of the glass hallway, positioning himself perfectly to see the view below.
"I'm not sure dear. The trip is quite long, and we did just leave Sakara. We're entering Coridgean Airspace right now, but Arkojun is only our first stop. We still have to go to the Forge Bunker Network, Kansha City, Oak Ridge, and circle around to hit Generislavica before heading to The Den and Moon Spire. It's gonna be a long trip!"
His wife sighs, dissapointed at how long the trip will be. It's not often that they see their father and husband, but the Beaver Family thrives because of the Captain's eagerness to work, and they can't complain.

Captain Beaver takes a sip of the coffee be brought with him as he refocuses the camera to the ground below.
"Do you see this Cindy?"
His daughter cheers. "I do, I do! There's so many boxes... what are those moving dots below? Ants?"
The captain chuckles. "No those are forklifts, dear. Some of them are the size of our entire house! They're massive. They just look so small because we're so high up."
"Oh cool!" His daughter says. "Can you show me one up close?"
"Sure, just give me a few minutes and I'll call you back."
With those words, Captain Beaver hangs up and walks to the other end of the glass hallway. He enters another elevator, and it shoots him nearly two kilometers down towards the main storage complex of the Hermes. As the elevators open, he takes in the sight of hundreds of men who were sat down, each of them in command of one of the hundreds of storage facilities. They swipe and move their hands on their screens as they maneuver the tens of thousands of forklifts controlled by artificial intelligence into organizing the storage facilities for their pickup at Palaven. Captain Beaver approaches one of the men, clad in a blue suit and staring directly at his screen. He looks up momentarily and salutes the Captain.
"Ah, Captain. Pleasure to see you, you rarely come down to the main level. What brings you here today?"
Captain Beaver shakes the man's hand. "I'm actually here to ask for a favour. If you're not too busy, could you direct one of your forklifts here so I could show it to my daughter? She really wants to see one."
The man chuckles. "Funny enough, I have one that's idle. I'll bring it to the bay doors so you can have a look."
"Thank you kind sir." The Captain says. With that, he takes his wristband and calls his wife again. He starts walking towards the bay doors as his wrist vibrates, waiting for them to answer. Suddenly, a hologram once again pops up, and his family is there once more.

Cindy leaps up with excitement. "Where is it dad?!" Her loud voice echoes throughout the bay doors, causing those close to the captain to chuckle at her adorable enthusiasm. Captain Beaver points his wrist towards the bay doors as they open, directing his family's attention to them.
A gust of wind hits him as the titanic doors reveal a massive forklift, nearly six times the height of the captain. His daughter squeals with excitement at the technological marvel.

For the next few minutes, the captain walks around and shows his daughter the rooms and halls of the Hermes. He shows her the massive forklifts and trucks, as well as the bay doors that house the machines when they need to undergo maintenance. From the views of the clouds to even the machine that instantly materializes whatever food any crew member requests, Captain Beaver gives his daughter a tour of the LNS Hermes. His mind lost in the tour he gave his family, he soon finds himself at the end of his lunch break, and has to head back to the bridge.

"Aw... you have to go dad?" Cindy says, her voice filled with sadness.
Captain Beaver nods his head. "Yes dear, my break is over and I need to go back to work."
"Alright," his daughter says. "Make sure you bring me something cool from Coridge!"
"Sure," the captain says. "I won't forget."
His wife, who was silently listening the whole time, speaks up. "Stay safe there dear, you know Coridge is a different, foreign place."
The captain chuckles. "I know dear, I'll be sa-"

Suddenly, a loud explosion echoes throughout the ship as it shakes and creaks. Captain Beaver looks outside and sees a massive cloud of smoke. He turns to his wristband.
His daughter's voice was filled with panic. "Dad! What was that?!"
Captain Beaver shifts his focus onto his wristband, staring at it for a brief moment.
"I... I don't know. Don't worry, I'll call you back."
His wife, visibly distressed, can hardly muster a response.
"Wait! Don't just-"
But he already did. Captain Beaver hangs up his wristband and runs to the elevator. He shoots up to the bridge and barges in as the crew members on the bridge are panicking and scurrying about.

"Status report!"
The First Mate turns to him as Captain Beaver enters the bridge. "A missile fired at the fleet sir! Approximately 25 Megatons of TNT struck the LNS Capricorn, one of the larger trading vessels!"
The captain is taken aback. "Well? What's their status?"
The first mate sighs. "Lost with all hands sir."
A mix of horror and terror fill the faces of the Hermes' bridge crew as they realize what happened. Captain Beaver doesn't want to ask, but he does anyways.
"Where... where did the missile come from...?"
The first mate, calm, though on the inside is filled with panic, responds.

"It came from below, sire, as soon as we arrived on the Eastern coastline of Coridge."

Suddenly, once more, a series of explosions ring out as multiple flashes of light blast through the windows of the Hermes' bridge. Everyone realized it. The Coridgeans were firing on them.

Captain Cain Beaver grabs the communications and sends out a distress signal. With any luck, it'll reach the Lycantinean City of Sakara in time to send a rescue party. There was no saving the Hermes now, not since a missile directly struck the underside of the ship, causing it to rip open. The Pan-Terrestrial Trading Fleet is non military, and has no defenses of its own. Not a single shield generator is on any of the ships in the fleet, and though they have metres worth of armour on their hulls, they are but pieces of paper compared to Coridgean weapons.

"Evasive Maneuvers! Retreat to the closest friendly port immediately!"
The fleet responds quickly. The smaller trading Corvettes turn quickly and speed away. The larger trading cruisers, however, can do little as they slowly turn and get hit by missile after missile. One by one, the panicked screams over the communications channels grow fewer and fewer as the cruisers implode and crash to the surface below. The LNS Hermes creaks as it gets hit with another missile, causing a few of the crew members to go flying.

"Kingdom of Coridge! This is the Pan-Terrestrial Trading Fleet! Disengage! I repeat! Disengage! We have non-hostiles and civilians on board!"
However, there is no response. With dwindling time and altitude, Captain Beaver turns to the First Mate. "Organize the evacuation! Quickly!"
The first mate salutes. "Yes sir!"
But both of them know that there is no more time for an evacuation. The LNS Hermes creaks as the bridge looks in horror. Another missile has struck their portside, and soon they can see their ship bending in half. They all collectively scream as they see hundreds of both ai and biological individuals fly out of the holes on the ship. The ship groans one more time, before finally tilting down and begin its plummet from a terrifying height of seventeen thousand meters.

Captain Beaver grabs the wheel and starts to pull back, attempting to even out the ship to facilitate a controlled landing. However, the missiles have wreaked havoc on their systems, and all the ship responds with is the groan of bending steel. He watches as a hole is blasted into the bridge, causing the first mate to be sucked out, screaming, by the sudden change in air pressure. A stray piece of glass flies by his face, blinding one of his eyes. His eardrums are shattered from the numerous sounds filling his ears: the wind, the creaking of steel, the alarms on the ship's dashboard, and more. However, there is one noise that he couldn't drown out: the screams. The screams of his fellow crew members, both those still clinging to something on bridge or those still plummeting and screaming over the communications. He can't block it out, and soon he also joins the symphony of terrified people as their floating metal caskets begin to fall out of the sky.

As the green grass below finally becomes visible, Captain Beaver realizes there's nothing left he can do. He stares into the eyes of his fellow crew members, he looks outside and sees the pieces of flaming debris, and he watches as the grass gets closer and closer to his destroyed ship. As they approached the ground, he thinks of his wife. He think of his daughter. What were they going to do now that he was gone? What life will his daughter live without him? So many birthday's he'll miss... he'll miss his daughter's first drink... her first boyfriend... her graduation...

The grass gets closer as he feels a pang of regret stab his very soul. He wasn't going to be there. He's leaving a family behind. If he could, he'd choose to survive, but he knows he can't.

He begins to scream once more, not out of fear, but of sadness and regret. He curses the world for his unfortunate circumstances, and curses that the only souvenir that his family will get is that of a letter that explains his death.

He composes himself as the explosions begin around him. There's nothing left he could do. He has failed. He failed himself. He failed his family. He failed the one hundred and thirteen thousand souls of the Pan-Terrestrial Trading Fleet. He failed. As the blast of air from the explosion hits the ship as it finally impacts onto the grassy feels of Eastern Coridge, he takes one last deep breath, and he let's go of the wheel. He feels his flesh burn away and his eardrums shatter. He feels his eyes burn and his hands melt. He feels his body impact a thousand different things...

And then there was darkness.

~~~

"Come on! Let's go! It was over this way!"
"I wonder what it shot down this time?"
"Eh. Probably some random lame Feline Ship. Either way, we have to go... by the Grace of Azlenius."

Two Coridgean Soldiers, who were taking their short breaks, saw smoke in the distance. Usually, this meant that another random Feline Ship had been shot down as it attempted to enter Coridgean Airspace. As they crossed over the hill, they were excited to witness the small wreck of a Feline Corvette or plane. However, what they instead witnessed was a massive ship, the size of entire cities, as well as numerous other ships surrounding it, all burning and destroyed.

"What the hell is this!?"
"You... you don't think...?"
"No. No. Impossible. There's no way. They use the same radar frequencies as us! The missile batteries would never target them!"

But it did. And it fired its missiles. And it hit.

As the two soldiers walk into the wreck, they are shocked at the carnage. The average Cordigean is very strong stomached, but even this catastrophe made them sick. The burned corpses, the bodies cut in half by engines, and the once grassy field now covered by black ash and the blood of thousands. They walk over to one of the less mutilated corpses and poke it. It remains motionless.

"Flip him over," says one of the soldiers.

The other bends down and flips the body around. The body was in horrible condition. Its face was flattened and its ribs were poking out from its shattered chest. However, they can still make out the flag on the burned and ripped apart white uniform that the corpse was wearing. The two leaned in and took a look, and their hearts and faces dropped as they realize what it was. The Tricolour of the Technocratic Federation of Lycantine starss back at them. They inspect the body even more and find the emblem of the Pan-Terrestrial Trading Fleet.

"By the bones of Azlenius... what have we done?!"

It was a bright crisp morning on the shores of Coridge's Eastern Coastline. It was the usual morning, children playing in the fields by dueling with their swords, the adults sorting through their daily food ration from the government, and the elderly complaining why the mighty Kingdom had not destroyed Lycantine yet as a part of its rightful conquest of Anegana. It was your average, standard, morning day at Coridge.

Alys Au Valli, the High King of the Kingdom of Coridge, had come to the Eastern Coastline to inspect and approve the new missile batteries and their new fancy upgrades. While he himself was in favoud of old, traditional weaponry, he also understands that to maintain their Superiority over not only their own vassal states but also the lords and minor vassals of the Kingdom, Coridge needed to maintain an advanced and powerful military force. Especially because he never knows where something might happen, and suddenly the Gulf of Sakara or the Straits of Ciffaista will be hosting massive Naval battles he knows his Kingdom cannot win.

As he stand on the balcony of his castle, he takes a deep breath and savors the fresh air. He can practically taste the salt from the sea. It had been a while since he smelled air so fresh as, finally, after being wed to his wife and all the ceremonies and paperwork, he could leave the capital. Arkojun, though triumphant and beautiful as the Kingdom's capital, it is often polluted with the smog of titanic industries, all of which produce weapons of war. The sound of gunfire and artillery shells keep the capital obedient and prosperous, signaling the training of hundreds of thousands of new recruits. While he enjoys the sounds of his bustling capital, he can find an appreciation for the simple, especially the bright morning sun and crisp fresh air that is seldom seen by him and his family. You can thank the courtly life for that.

Suddenly, he hears a yawn. He turns around and sees a woman rise from the bed they had slept in. He smiles softly as she stretches, her hair covering her face. She takes her hand swipes it away, allowing her to see clearly. With drowsy eyes she turns to the High King, his splendor and magnificence amplified by the sunlight shining down onto the balcony. Her eyes grow wide and she blushes with embarrassment, sitting upright.

Alys chuckles. "Good morning, Lola. Did you sleep well?"
Lola Au Valli, Queen Consort of Coridge and the wife of Alys nods. Still embarrassed by her disheveled appearance, she chuckles nervously.
"I did... though I may have slept too well. Not very becoming of a Queen now, am I?"
Alys laughs, showing a surprising display of emotion.
"It's alright. I did as well. And don't worry, it's not like anyone will see us while we're here."
Lola stands up and walks up to the balcony, taking a deep breath as the warm sun shines down on her and the fresh air fills her lungs. She stands next to Alys and grips his arm, leaning into his shoulder. He leans back, enjoying her warmth. The two sit in silence as they enjoy the beautiful morning comfortably in each other's company.

Suddenly, the doors to their room shoot open, hitting the castle walls and causing Lola to yelp. The local lord of the castle, as well as the entire administrative district stumbles in. He hobbles over to the High King with a bottle of pure vodka, taking a swig at it as he stands in front of him. He nearly trips over himself as he kneels down in front of Alys, who in turn looks down in disgust. Lola, still standing next to her husband, grips his arm at the disturbing sight of this dishonored noble.

"Good morning, your majesty."
His speech is slurred and it sounds like he's on the brink of throwing up.
"Don't you think it's a bit too... uh... early... to be drinking, Lord Edward?"
Edward vi Jorgancer looks up at him, his eyes shot red from the effects of the alcohol.
"Agh, come now your majesty, there is no such as a time for alcohol. It can be anytime."
Alys sighs dejectedly and shakes his head. If this guy had not betrayed the Coridgean Rebels, he'd have had him executed for incompetence by now. Nevertheless, they were his guest. Even though they were there on official business, they were still staying at his castle, so Alys decides to let this transgression go.

"Nevermind then, Edward," Alys says. Are they ready for inspection?
Edward stands up, nearly tripping as he does. "Yes your majesty. I can take you there right now."
"Good, then allow us to get ready and we shall meet you at the castle entrance."

With those words, Edward bows and stumbles out of their bedroom, closing the door behind them. Lola, who was silently the whole time, sighs and loosens her grip on Alys' arm.
"He... he's a strange one, isn't he Alys?"
Alys chuckles at his wife's comment.
"Indeed, but if it weren't for his efforts, none of us would probably be here by now. Come, dear, let's get ready."

The two of them let go of each other. Lola enters the showers and gets herself ready while Alys opts to continue enjoying the sunlight. The bright warm sun unblocked by any kind of pollution is such a rare sight that even the High King of Coridge cannot help but bask in its rays. The last time he felt such beautiful warmth was during the warmer months in Lycantine, where he studied at the University of Lyzantium: Operatives Wing. He remembers sitting in the library, the warm sun unblocked by the clouds of Northern Lyzantium shining through the windows. He remembers the computers and his difficulty in trying to use them... and he remembers the boy, or I suppose the man now, who helped him use those computers. The man who is now the Prime Minister of Lycantine, the only foreigner who was invited to his wedding, and the only one who'd he'd trust his life with.

"Your turn, Alys."
Alys turns around and nods as his wife exists the showers, freshly cleaned and wearing the military uniform that was custom designed for the Queen Consort of Coridge. Black, yet with golden rims on its sleeves and collars. The Coridgean Flag is pinned onto the hat, and the Royal Emblem of the Valli Family is on its front pockets.
Alys gives her a warm smile.
"It suits you."
His wife smiles back.
"Thanks, but it still feels so... strange to wear."
Alys walks up to her and turns to the shower.
"You'll get used to it," he says as he enters the shower and closes the door behind him.

When he finishes, the two make their way through the winding halls of Edward's Castle. Every wall and every pillar is filled with materialistic trinkets and strange items that would only be kept by someone as eccentric as him. The walls are covered with art work from every country on Anegana, something which, despite his displeasure for him, Alys actually respects. The guards stand upright straight as the dual monarchs walk past them, both of them nodding respectfully as they walk by. They finally see Edward as they enter the Castle's main hall, gripping what seems to be a new glass of alcohol, this time whiskey. Alys sighs at the sight, and Lola chuckles to herself seeing her husband's annoyance. Edward attempts to stand upright as he sees the two of them, but his body continues to tremble and wobble despite his best efforts.

"Are you ready your majesty?"
Edward speaks to his king with speech still incoherent and slurred. Alys nods, and Edward opens the castle gates. The sun shines down on the three as fresh air fills their lungs. Lola smiles to herself, her hair flowing with the draft. They walk towards the castle's main road where a vehicle awaits for them. The driver opens it, and the three enter. In front and behind the vehicle are members of the Pheonix Guard, protecting the King and Queen Consort of Coridge as they make their way to the local Garrison. Even above them, a Coridgean Falcon protects their Airspace. While no one expects someone stupid enough to try and attack the convoy, Alys always likes to be safe. Nevertheless, after a short drive, the convoy arrives at the local military garrison. The driver steps out and opens the door for Alys, Edward, and Lola, and they walk out towards a row of neatly positioned soldiers. Alys walks down, nodding at the Regiment under Edward's command salute their High King.

"I'm impressed Edward," Alys says. "To have your regiments and legions be so organized, you've exceeded my expectations."
Alys turns around as he is speaking, only to find Edward not paying attention to anything his High King is saying. Alys coughs, catching his drunken attention.
"Hmm...? Oh.. oh yes. Thank you your majesty. Only the best for you."
He waves his hand dismissively, which is incredibly disrespectful. Some of the soldiers in the line can't even keep a straight face and are shocked at their lord's level of drunkeness and disrespect towards the High King of Coridge. Alys just sighs, turns around, and begins walking towards the main weapon he was to be inspecting: the ballistic missile array protecting the skies of Coridge. Covered by a massive titanium dome which will open up should a hostile enemy be inbound, the missiles are several orders of magnitude stronger than anything the other nations of Anegana could muster. Aside from Lycantine, Coridge has the most powerful weapons and military in the world, and this missile array wholeheartedly shows this fact.

Alys and Lola enter the titanium dome, with Edward stumbling behind them. The crew of the missile array stand upright and salute their High King. Alys waves his hand, and the silently get back to work. The local garrison's captain walks up and extends his hand to Alys.

"Welcome, your majesty. It is an honour and a privilege to have you here today."
Alys extends his hand in return, taking the captain's as he kneels and bows in front of him.
"The honour is all mine, Captain. You are doing exceptional work."
The captain stands upright.
"Of course your majesty. Allow me to give you a tour."

The captain begins to walk around the dome, giving Alys and his entourage a tour. Alys listens respectfully as the captain gives him the breakdown. He details the missile's firing mechanism, the new technologies implemented in this new design, the explosive yield of every explosion, and more. Lola looks up and around, appreciating the shiny new walls of the dome and all the wonderful light and technology that this state-of-the-art facility was using. While the King and Queen Consort were fascinated, the High Lord that was in charge of the facility was barely even awake, stumbling into walls and beams and not paying attention at all. The dual monarchs just shake their heads and continue listening to the captain.

As the tour draws to a close, the minds of the dual monarchs and Lord Edward had practically turned to mush. Several hours of engineering technobabble about everything from auto loaders to the launch systems had exhausted the mental capacity of the three, and they were ready to leave. Lola, who had been walking all day at that point, had dropped all notions of royalty and could no longer keep herself looking interested. Her eyes were glazing over and her arms drooped to the side.

"Is it over yet?"
Alys turns to his wife.
"Yes, it's over."
Edward sighs a breath of relief.
"Thank Azlenius... I never thought it'd end."
Alys snaps at him. "Well if you weren't such an idiot and actually MANAGED your legions, we wouldn't have had to stop and fix a bunch of very simple problems. I suppose that initial show was just that eh? A show?"
Edward shakes his head dismissively and takes a swig of his bottle of beer.
Alys is visibly annoyed at this point, barely holding back in shooting the idiotic Highlord. They step out of the Titanium Dome and enjoy the equal balance between the warm setting sun and the cool breeze of Coridge's Eastern Coastline. Suddenly, the Queen Consort gets an idea.

"Alys, I know you decided to do our honeymoon here, but the military inspection took a lot longer than both of us expected."
Alys turns to his wife. "Yes... and I sincerely apologize for that. I'll make it up to you."
"No no, this isn't entirely unsalvageable. Why don't we head down to the beach and unwind for a bit?"
Alys smiles. "That... sounds like an excellent idea."
He turns to Edward, who is fully blackout drunk at this point. He looks at one of the Pheonix Guard.
"Leave us," he says, and the Guard nods. "And... take this idiot back to his castle."

With those words, the dual monarchs walk towards the gate. Alys smiles at the guard as the two of them step out, walking towards the sandy beach. Lola leans into Alys' arm once more as they feel their steps sink into the sand. They both take a deep breath, their eyes glued to the sun disappearing below the waves. They take a seat on the sand, caring little that their posh and fancy military outfits were being covered in sand and seawater. Lola turns to Alys, her eyes filled with hope and longing.

"I wish we could do this more often..."
Alys nods. "Yes, it's nice to ignore the courtly life... not caring about politics or rulership..."
Lola sighs. "Agreed"
The two lean into each other in silence for a few moments.
"You know I love you."
Lola smiles at her husband.
"I know. I love you too."
The two once again sit in silence, enjoying each other's company.

Suddenly, the hololink in Alys' pocket flashes, interrupting their precious moment. He sighs, frustrated and pulls it out.
"What is it now? Seriously? What could they possibly wa-"
Suddenly, the missile battery behind them activates. The dual monarchs turn around shocked and stand up. Several of the megaton yield rockets launch upwards, their exhaust and heat being felt across the beach. Alys grabs his Warhammer and activates its shield, covering themselves from the impeding flash of heat. Lola screams into Alys' chest as the gas plume hits them, the shield visibly buckling from stress. As the cloud finally dissipates, Alys looks upwards and sees the dozens of missiles trajectory as they fly towards their destination. He doesn't know what, but the flash of light that followed indicated that they definitely hit... something. The dual monarchs stare in shock, and Alys immediately starts walking back to the military installation, Lola following right behind him.

As he arrives, he sees multiple people shell shocked from the sudden launch of the missiles. Furious that they fired without warning, he walks up the stairs as the local garrison makes way, afraid of what would happen to them if they dare blocked the High King with the current look on his face. He pushes the doors to the titanium door open, so violently that they snap off their hinges. He looks up to see Edward, laughing like a maniac as he points at the screen showing where the missiles had went.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
Everyone in the room went silent, Edward included, at the commanding voice of Alys au Valli, High King of Coridge. His thundering voiced immediately caught everyone's attention.
"Who ordered that launch?!"
Everyone in the room points to Edward, who chuckled nervously as he walks up towards the High King.
"Relax your majesty! I just... wanted to show off the missile array! Something crossed into our Airspace pretending to be Lycantinean, so we shot them down!"
Alys sighs. "So you fired every single missile at it?!"
"Yes, a bit overkill, now that I think about it, but it was cool! Right?"
Alys can't help but stare in disbelief. He rubs his forehead as a migraine begins to kick in.

"What channel were they broadcasting in?"
"Well," Edward begins. "They were broadcasting on channel eighteen, but they weren't using any recognized broadcasting patterns, so we opened fire."
Alys steps back in shock.
"You absolute moron. Channel eighteen is the International Anegana Trade Line. All the merchant vessels coming out of Lycantine use that channel to talk to Coridge before they switch channels."
"Oh..." Edward says meekly. "I thought they broadcasted on channel seven?"
"NO!" Alys screams, visibly pissed at this point. "CHANNEL SEVEN IS WHAT CORIDGEAN MERCHANT VESSELS USE BEFORE ENTERING LYCANTINE! YOU ABSOLUTE IDIOT!"

The entire missile array at that point is dead quiet. Even Lola herself is stepping back, terrified by her husband's loud voice.
"Did no one, not even a single one of you, try to stop this idiot?!"
Alys' question is answered by an embarrassed and ashamed silence, Edward himself included. Alys walks up to Edward and smacks him, his hand gripping his collar.
"You better hope, and I mean pray to every false God on Anegana that you didn't shoot down anything important, or mark my words Edward. I don't care if you helped us kill the rebels, you're going to meet them."
Edward nods furiously, and Alys let's go. He points to the communications officer and yells at him.

"You. Broadcast what was last said on channel seventeen."
The communications officer nods and begins to play it. What Alys hears next makes his blood run cold.
"This is the LNS Hermes, reporting to the nearest Coridgean Command Centre. Acknowledge?"
Alys turns slowly to Edward as the rest of the soldier's eyes grow wide with fear. Alys has to grip the console to prevent himself from falling over.
"By the Bones of Azlenius... surely not. Surely you didn't just order the missile array to shoot at... at..."
The entire room grows cold, everyone quiet as it seems like the air from their lungs is suddenly shot out at the same time. Suddenly, a member of the Pheonix Guard barges in.

"Your majesty," he begins. "A few local soldiers found a massive crash site!"
Alys looks up to them, mouth agape. He grabs Edward and shoves him into the arms of the Pheonix Guard.
"Take me to the crash site, and bring this idiot with us."
"Yes sir!"
Alys turns to the rest of the soldiers manning the missile array.
"As for the rest of you, stary reloading the array. I have a feeling after your mistake, we're going to need it. Now!"
The soldiers salute and start scurrying about as per their High King's orders. Lola follows Alys as the two of them, with Edward in tow, board the vehicle they came in. Soon they find themselves at the foot of a hill surrounded by a grassy field. He steps out and see two soldiers, their eyes wide with shock. One of them was crying in agony. Alys steps out and walks towards them.

"Speak," he says, his voice commanding and powerful.
The two soldiers look up to him, but neither of them can say a word. Lola and the Pheonix Guard that was dragging Edward walk up to him.
"Alys?"
The High King turns to his wife with a face of indignation. He begins to walk up the hill, trying his best to convince himself that it will all be alright, but he knows it won't. As they reach the top of the hill, they see it.

The sight makes the four individuals feel sick. The Pheonix Guard member can barely keep his face from contorting into horror. Lola collapses to the ground, her hand covering her face as tears stream down her face. Edward gasps out of pure terror. Even Alys himself cannot keep his face straight. He begins to walk down the hill towards the carnage. He turns and sees bodies everywhere, some still fully clothes with white outfits, others bent and broken in ways even he has not seen before. He sees ship parts burning, and be walks up to a body. He doesn't even need to move it, just the sight of it makes his stomach churn. He recognizes that white, as he had seen so many times before. It was a Lycantinean, and on it was the emblem of the Pan-Terrestrial Trading Fleet.

Alys scream with rage as he runs back up the hill, lunging towards Edward. Even the Pheonix Guard member steps back as Alys begins to maul the Lord with his fists. Lola can do nothing but watch as Edward screams in pain, his bones cracking and his ribs breaking. Blood begins to pour out of his eyes as Alys mercilessly beats him to near-death. With his fists covered with blood, Alys steps back, Edward still screaming in pain. He nods at the Pheonix Guard member, who them steps forward and forces Edward to his knees. He makes Edward face the High King, who has the barrel of his Pistol pointed to his skull.

"N-no! P-please! I can't die! You owe me! I saved Coridge!"
Edward begs for his life, his bloodshot eyes looking at Alys. Unfortunately for him, Alys's eyes are only filled with rage and vengeance, his teeth grinding against each other.
"You've made your last mistake Edward."
Alys pushes the trigger on his Pistol, killing Edward instantly. His body slumps as the Pheonix Guard member drops him to the ground. His blood soaks the grass fields, the first of many to do so.

Alys looks at more of the carnage from his hilltop vantage point. He winces as he sees hundreds of bodies and shipping containers burning and bent or both. Lola stands next to him, her face still horrified.

Suddenly, Alys' hololink begins to vibrate. He grabs it out of his pocket, ready to throw it out of pure frustration. However, he sees the number on it. The only number which has unrestricted communication to him, and the only foreign number he has saved. A number from Lycantine, and from an old friend. Alys' heart sinks as he realizes who it is. He turns to Lola, his eyes filled with regret.

"We are so screwed."