[POV - MONITOR]
As Aedhira made headway towards the outpost, the rest of the Aes, or at least those he had left behind were making progress in repairs and restoration. With 4 additional auxiliary generators finally online, Monitor and his 2 brothers were doing repairs in the control room at the very top of the Tower located in the middle of the fortress.
Though it wasn't really a 'tower', rather a pillar, where about 80% of it was plowed into the ground below, with the rest poking high enough about the fortress walls that it looked like a tower. So the trio had named the structure accordingly.
'The Control Pillar'
Automatons and Golems weren't known for their creativity, and the Aes army, no matter their origins, were no different from normal machines.
At least for the time being.
With the mass-elevators working again, movement between floors became much more streamlined, and much more convenient.
Gone were the days/hours of using barbaric stairs, elevators are the only way.
[Amanii and Exousis, requesting report] - Monitor
------------SOURCING HAIL---------------
------------HAIL ACCEPTED---------------
[Well?] - Monitor
[Rubble at the base levels have mostly cleared, mostly thanks to 'big chungus' here] - Exousis
[I'm telling you for the 56th time, I'm not FAT!] - Amanii
[Keep telling yourself that] - Exousis
[YOU-] - Amanii
[ENOUGH, WE'VE BEEN GIVEN OUR VERY FIRST ORDERS BY THE SIRE, AND YOU TWO WILL NOT FAIL TO DELIVER] - Monitor
[Sure, but who're you to tell me what to do? A non-combat unit is fodder at most, why on this goddess forsaken moon should I listen to fodder?] - Exousis
Exousis was modeled by the image of a mage, powerful, knowledgeable, and most importantly, prideful. And that was what he emanated through the hail-line.
Pride.
For such a young existence, such pride was unthinkable, yet he had it. Yet strangely, it wasn't based on his abilities, no. It was his position, a mage directly serving under his lord. On paper, all the Maxims had equal authority, yet they were not equally powerful. Definitely not.
In terms of sheer combat power, Exousis was the peak of them, maybe followed by Udiya. Yet combat power wasn't all that was to being a Maxim, at least by Aedhira's standards. They were meant to be commanders of the Aes, 5 commanders, for 5 facets of the army. So, authority was situational, hence only having equal authority on paper.
This was something Monitor understood. And something Exousis didn't.
At least not yet.
To Exousis, for beings of equal authority, he had no business listening to someone without the ability to cause him harm. But fortunately, Monitor did have a way to cause him harm.
[The reason is quite simple Exousis] - Monitor
[Being?] - Exousis
[I'll snitch] - Monitor
Mere moments before Monitor replied, Exousis and Amanii were outside the fortress gates clearing rubble. Exousis in particular was blasting bits of jagged rock that hung of the edges at the top of the walls, yet after hearing the Monitor, his focus faltered. Blasted bits of rock fell on Amanii just below, who was moving much larger rocks.
[HEY] - Amanii
[YOU WOULDN'T] - Exousis
[Try me tin can] - Monitor
[WE'RE BOTH MADE OF METAL] - Exousis
[But you're only processed enough to be a tin can. Enough with the chatter. Amanii, give me your report] - Monitor
[Exousis is annoying, has no personal space and talks way too much, but other than that good progress] - Amanii
[What do you MEA-]
------------ENDING HAIL----------
[What a pain] - Monitor
The rubble clearing was progressing well. Now he'd check up on Udiya and Nitzol, who were in charge of scouting the immediate area. The database already had a map of the area, but it was outdated.
By about 400 cycles.
And evidently, by the state of the fortress, the landscape had likely changed too, not by much, but significant nonetheless. For Monitor, it was just assurance, no one liked unwanted surprises.
------------SOURCING HAIL------------
------------HAIL ACCEPTED------------
[Monitoring the area around the fortress, Udiya and Nitzol here. What do you need, Monitor?] - Udiya
[Just checking in on your progress. Any significant findings?] - Monitor
[Not much so far. The terrain seems relatively stable, albeit with some minor shifts. We've encountered a few stray Fyrraths, but nothing we couldn't handle.] - Nitzol
[Good to hear. Keep me updated if you come across anything noteworthy.] - Monitor
[Udiya, have you managed to get a read on any potential threats in the vicinity?] - Monitor
[Udiya's sensors have been scanning the area for any unusual energy signatures, but so far, everything seems relatively quiet. However, it's difficult to say for certain without more data.] - Udiya
[Understood. Keep monitoring the situation closely. We can't afford to let our guard down, especially with the looming threat of another wave.] - Monitor
[Agreed. We'll continue our surveillance and report back if we detect any changes.] - Udiya
[Good. Stay vigilant, both of you. We're counting on your expertise to keep us informed and prepared for whatever may come our way.] - Monitor
With the assurance that Udiya and Nitzol were diligently keeping watch over the surrounding area, Monitor felt a sense of relief. Despite the challenges they faced, having reliable allies like them gave him confidence that they could weather the storm.
------------ENDING HAIL----------
As he closed the communication link, Monitor turned his attention to the next task at hand. There was still much work to be done in fortifying the fortress. Fyrraths were scarce for the time being, however, the fact remaining constant it yet to be seen.
Now there was-
----------INCOMING HAIL----------
-----------HAIL ACCEPTED---------
[Monitor here] - Monitor
[Udiya here, there's been a change here, and it's not looking good] - Udiya
Udiya was a free spirit, normally unbothered by most. That was what she was modeled to be, a Maxim of the sky. In the metaphorical pursuit of freedom, her personality was built to be mimic that 'freedom'. Yet in her voice there was something alien.
Anxiety....and maybe fear.
[What's going on?] - Monitor
[Relaying feed] - Udiya
From the other side of the connection came in an image. Not in image of a monster, not a weapon. Not even some moon-ending asteroid hurtling towards them no. It wasn't any of those.
What it was, however, was foreboding.
Fyrarth sacs. Not one, not two. Not ten. Not a hundred. Thousands, maybe tens of thousands. Located within some kind of gorge, seemingly located rather far from the fortress. Perhaps 300 or 400 kilometers away. It shouldn't have been something they would care about. Yet what was anxiety inducing was that they were all empty, at least most of them seemed to be.
It would be a serious problem if they were heading for the fortress. Yet both Udiya and Nitzol had not mentioned any sign of a horde that big.
Monitor's processors whirred with concern as he processed the gravity of the situation unfolding before them. The sight of thousands of empty Fyrarth sacs, nestled within a distant gorge, sent a shiver down his metallic spine. It was an ominous omen, a harbinger of potential disaster looming on the horizon.
[this is troubling indeed] Monitor replied, his voice tinged with urgency.
[The presence of so many empty sacs could indicate a mass hatching event, which means an influx of Fyrraths heading our way]
[That's what we're afraid of, Monitor] Udiya responded, her tone laced with apprehension.
[If they start moving towards the fortress, we could be facing a swarm unlike anything we've encountered before.]
Monitor's circuits buzzed with activity as he ran through possible courses of action. They couldn't afford to underestimate the threat posed by a large-scale Fyrarth invasion. Not right now. Not when they weren't even close to prepared.
[We need to mobilize our defenses immediately] Monitor declared, his voice firm and decisive.
[I shall notify the Sire and the others to prepare for the possibility of an imminent attack. We'll need to bolster our barricades, reinforce our perimeter, and prepare for a coordinated defense]
[Udiya,] he continued
[keep monitoring the situation closely. We need to know the moment those Fyrraths start moving towards us. Nitzol, continue scanning the surrounding area for any signs of approaching threats.]
[Understood, Monitor,] Udiya acknowledged, her voice resolute despite the uncertainty of the situation.
[We'll keep you updated on any developments.]
[And Monitor,] Nitzol interjected, [should we begin evacuation? We aren't prepared for something of this scale, not like this]
[You have to know that] - Nitzol
Monitor weighed the options carefully, knowing that evacuating would be a drastic measure. But in the face of such a formidable threat, it might be their only chance at survival.
[Hold off on evacuation for now, Nitzol,] Monitor instructed.
[We don't know where the horde is, nor where it might be heading. We might not even be on tis path...But have the shelters prepared and the misc workers ready to go at a moment's notice. Loss of manpower right now, when we don't have access to the sire's [Armaspace], it'd be detrimental to the restoration operations]
[Understood, Monitor,] Nitzol replied, his tone tinged with a hint of concern.
With the plan in motion, Monitor felt a sense of grim determination settle over him. They were facing an unprecedented challenge, but they would meet it head-on with strength, unity, and resolve. And luck.
Lots of Luck.
----------------ENDING HAIL------------------
As he severed the communication link, Monitor turned his focus to the task at hand. There was much to be done to prepare for the impending threat, and every second counted. With the safety of the fortress and its inhabitants hanging in the balance, there was no room for hesitation.
The hatching site was foreboding, but not for them. Monitor didn't let anyone know that. It was good to get some urgency into them, rather now than later.
It was foreboding because there was only one place he knew of, that was under siege at the moment.
And their beloved Sire was heading their right now.
He looked past the transparent panels of the Control room, looking at the horizon from the top of the Control Pillar. He held his hand to his chest.
[Goddess help our souls]
[Because we're going to need it]