Note: I pray for those in Ukraine, who are currently experiencing needless suffering. I pray for those in Russia, who disagree with their leader's actions, but are forced to comply under threat of arrest, or worse. This chapter is dedicated to the courageous heroes who continue to valiantly fight the forces of oppression.
——
February 28, 1640
Leiforia, Leifor
The sound of rumbling engines shook nearby buildings as a lengthy column of tanks made its way down the Leiforian Promenade from the harbor. The wide road the Gra Valkans traveled on was strong enough to withstand the weight of the tanks. As such, they didn't deign to pave over it, or remove the debris and obstacles that had accumulated during their invasion and occupation. Unbeknownst to the column, these heaps of trash and debris were perfect for hiding the latest weapons among the Leiforian Resistance's arsenal — improvised explosive devices.
Wires unseen by the naked eye stretched from all along the street into a single shop. Thankfully, the streets were free of civilian activity, as all the locals had been scared into hiding by the strict curfews imposed by the Gra Valkans. Patrolling soldiers were also known to treat civilians with ruthlessness, subjecting them to rape and banditry.
Vengeful thoughts consumed the mind of a bearded young man, who stared at the column of tanks from a small slit, finger ready on the trigger. His fingers shook, trembling in anticipation. Then, he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"No need to be nervous, Vanerial," someone behind him said in a distinct accent unlike those of the posh Muans or the haughty Mirishials.
"I'm not nervous," the Leiforian said, feeling a bit insulted. Keeping his eyes on the tanks, he continued, "I'm just… excited. This will be the first major victory we see over the Gra Valkans."
"Don't worry, there will be many more to come. Just be patient, and wait until you see the last tank."
The Leiforian gave a slight nod, waiting in silence for several minutes until the column of tanks finally reached its tail.
"Light 'em up," the man behind him said.
"Glory to Leifor!" He said as he triggered the explosives.
A brilliant flash of light engulfed the first tank, followed by the next, and the next, and so on in quick succession. A current of doom flashed like lightning as a line of eruptions detonating, catching up to the convoy's head a mile away. Thunderous blasts shattered the windows of nearby buildings, kicking up a storm of dust and debris in the process. The entire Gra Valkan convoy was obscured by dark smoke, rendering the results of hard Leiforian work inaccessible until a mighty gust of wind blew much of the smoke away.
All that was left of the convoy was a trail of burnt husks as far as the eye could see. The Leiforian froze in shock for a moment, unable to fathom how quickly, efficiently, and easily the Leiforian Resistance had just decimated a force long thought to be invincible. As the shock wore off, his open mouth turned into a maniacal grin, euphoria rushing in from the taste of victory.
"Hah… Hahahaha!" He laughed, glimpsing a newfound hope. He turned back to face the man behind him. His gaze met the American man's sunglasses, which did little to hide his surprise. "By the gods, Wileman! The Leiforian Resistance was right to trust you! I can't believe I thought you were a Gra Valkan infiltrator," he said, slightly embarrassed.
"This is only the beginning," Wileman got straight to the point. "I'm glad that this was enough to prove myself, but we should leave now. The Gra Valkans won't be too far behind; let's prepare for the reinforcements."
Now confident in Wileman's judgment, Vanerial followed without question. "Understood."
Somewhat deafened by the explosions and traumatized by the Gra Valkan invasion several months prior, most continued to hide in their homes and businesses. However, a few courageous souls ventured out to seek answers. These curious civilians began to celebrate, whooping and hollering as they recognized the scene before them. Soon enough, more people began emerging from buildings and joining the celebration, chanting "Glory to Leifor!"
——
Alerted by the plumes of smoke in the distance, the Gra Valkan occupation and landing forces quickly left their positions in the harbor to investigate. Shouts emanated from the Gra Valkan base as alarms blared and vehicles started. They ran toward the scene of chaos with unwavering purpose, their eyes failing to spot the shadows in their peripherals.
Slinking through dark alleyways, Vanerial and Wileman continued to push toward the harbor. Along the way, they linked up with a group of nearly a hundred resistance fighters, all armed with captured Gra Valkan weapons. In a massive warehouse near the docks, Wileman met and shared a debriefing with their leader, a former Leiforian general named Malero.
Malero walked toward Wileman with his head held high and extended his hand as a show of gratitude. "Thank you for your knowledge and efforts, Wileman. You've done a great deal in assisting the Leiforian Resistance." His stature was much taller than those of the men around him, and even that of Wileman's.
Wileman shook the general's hand. "No problem at all, General."
"The people of Leifor owe you a great debt for your services. How can we repay you?"
Wileman humbly brushed it off, giving himself an impression of selflessness amongst the Leiforian fighters present. "You can repay me and my government by taking back your country from the Gra Valkans, starting with the harbor. The only other thing I may need is access to any Gra Valkan documents you find."
Without showing surprise, Malero gave an appreciative smile. "A small price to pay. It is settled then; once we secure the harbor, you shall have your documents." He then turned to face his men. "Liberators of Leifor! We are the spirit of resistance, of defiance against the tyranny of the Gra Valkans! For months we have endured not only humiliation, but outright oppression and the domination of our people. For months, we have suffered defeat after defeat at the hands of nigh-invincible Gra Valkan forces. Today, this chain of defeats has ended! Today, we annihilated hundreds of Gra Valkan vehicles with great ease, and now we shall begin to take back our territory!" He raised a fist in the air and yelled, "Glory to Leifor!"
The crowd chanted back, their morale high. "Glory to Leifor! Glory to Leifor!"
Another set of explosions sounded off nearby, signaling the destruction of the Gra Valkan reinforcements. A staccato of gunfire erupted soon after, representing the start of the operation to take the harbor. Leiforian men donned in camouflage-patterned clothing charged forward from the warehouse, blitzing through the meager defenses of the enemy base's flank. While the Gra Valkans were distracted by fighting near their front gate, the elite group of Leiforians was able to infiltrate the base, shooting at the Gra Valkans from behind.
Malero and Wileman stayed behind, along with a group of Leiforian tacticians. With the men now gone, Malero felt it appropriate to finally say, "Wileman, while I certainly appreciate all that you've done for us so far, I can't help but feel that you have ulterior motives. The United States is across the civilizations, and has little influence on this side of the world. What do you really want?"
Wileman shrugged, "It's as you say. We have little influence here in the Second Civilized Region, and my superiors hope to change that. While we may not be able to establish or maintain our influence here just yet, we believe it to be in our best interest to, at the very least, mitigate the spread of Gra Valkan influence. My government doesn't want to do this directly, instead opting for more subtle methods."
"Such as sending an 'advisor'?" Malero asked.
"Precisely," Wileman smiled. "I'm here to show your people how to fight back effectively. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be materials such as ammonium nitrate or polystyrene here, but magic gem powder has proven itself to be quite a stunning replacement."
Malero couldn't help but agree, "Why, yes. Your strategy of combining the powder with Gra Valkan ammunition did more than I expected. I never considered the possibility that we'd be able to destroy an entire convoy, although now that we've done so, I fear Gra Valkan retribution. I fear not the retribution they will enact on me and my fighters; I fear the retribution that they may enact on the citizens of Leifor."
"My government was able to get the Gra Valkans to agree to a set of war regulations not too long ago. These include the categorization of certain actions as war crimes, such as targeting civilians. We have yet to develop an oversight committee to enforce these regulations, but we will have it ready soon. The Gra Valkans won't dare lay a finger on the good people of Leifor, if they wish to continue trading with us and the rest of Elysia."
Malero remained somewhat unconvinced, but found Wileman's reassurance to be good enough. "That is… acceptable."
Switching up the conversation, Wileman introduced something new. "My government also has reason to believe that the Gra Valkans are beginning to mobilize for the conquest of the Hinomawari Kingdom and the Kingdom of Sonal. The convoy we just destroyed was heading south, toward the Sonal border."
Malero's eyes widened in shock. "Goodness… Do they seek to conquer the entire continent?"
Wileman nodded silently. "I would hope not, but all the facts point toward it."
"So, are you helping us to delay their war plans? Or do you truly wish to see Leifor freed?"
"Can't it be both? We're trying to kill two birds with one stone. If Leifor is freed, then we won't have to worry about the Gra Valkans and we will get a thankful populace on top of that. That would be the ideal scenario."
Malero crossed his arms, standing his ground and choosing to probe further for Americans' true intentions. "Why don't you just stop the Gra Valkans yourself, then? We've heard of your exploits against the Parpaldian Empire. You could certainly guarantee a pro-American government here if you send a liberation force."
"We know." Wileman thought about the restrictions that currently prevented such an operation from taking place, such as the lack of bases in the region for logistical purposes and the looming threat of a potential Gra Valkan atomic strike. Not wishing to disclose such information, he dodged the suggestion. "Unfortunately, the politics of this is a bit… complicated. We've only found out about the Gra Valkans recently, and the folks back home are a bit cautious." After a brief pause to catch his breath, Wileman recognized a manipulative opportunity. "We don't want to start a war with a nation we know little about."
The American's closing statement struck home, and Malero immediately understood his perspective. "I completely understand," he said, seeing parallels between Wileman's caution and his own government's failure to adequately secure information about the technologically advanced Gra Valkans. "Discrete it is, then. In any case, you've been more than helpful to our cause. It's a blessing we received help in the first place, considering the other nations are now scared of, or bending to the Gra Valkans."
Wileman was reminded of the Magikareich Community, which was currently forsaking relations with Mu. "The Magikareich Community…" he muttered.
"Hm?"
"If the Magikareich Community is in league with the Gra Valkans, then…" The realization hit Wileman, stunning him. "It won't be long before the Gra Valkans begin to incorporate magic into their technologies. If it's as simple as combining magic dust with explosives, then this could be disastrous for their next victims."
The implications of magically enhanced Gra Valkan weaponry were grave, especially if they decide to combine the Magikareich Community's powerful hybrid technologies with their own. "We can't prevent Gra Valkan acquisition of Magikareich technology," Malero offered, "But I can issue an order to evacuate Leiforian mages to prevent their capture and interrogation. However, this will severely impact our ability to fight back. This is something I cannot do, unless you have some means of leveling the playing field with the Gra Valkans?"
Faced with a difficult decision, Wileman stepped back. The government didn't want to spread too many advanced technologies, especially those related to insurgencies and guerilla tactics. Homemade IEDs and mines could be even more dangerous when embedded with magic, and the United States certainly didn't want such information running loose in Elysia. "I'll… have to ask my superiors about this."
Magic signal flares shot up from the direction of the harbor as the sounds of muffled gunfire ceased. "I appreciate it," Malero smiled. "Glory to Leifor," he saluted.
Wileman responded in kind, returning with an American salute, "Glory to Leifor."
——
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