Finally, Priest Mshindi’s time had come. Months and months of flight training had been mind numbing. By now, he could locate any and every control toggle and indicator in the cockpit with his eyes closed. He was never a powerful awakened but, the Prophetess had offered him another route to redemption as one of her chosen pilots.

He could feel his seat vibrating softly from the immense power of the yellow ether cube that beat at his Wasp MK3’s heart. In many ways, he’d preferred piloting to being a priest. Before his re-education in the monastery of Togsov, he’d been a promising young cadet in the Federation’s air corps.

At the age of eighteen, one of the watchers assigned to his unit discovered his awakened potential. Although he was deemed to be an awakened of the lowest tier, the Federation had been obligated to stick with its agreement. At the time, he didn’t understand. He’d attempted to escape and was quickly captured.

Once the re-education began, Mshindi was made to see the error of his ways. The Prophetess was perfect and her loving embrace was all he needed. Soon, silly notions such as loyalty to the Federation, honor, duty, and integrity were all wiped away. All that remained was the Prophetess and her perfect will. Now, here he was, about to bomb the very people he once called countrymen. Any part of him that may have objected to it had long since been removed though. To serve her was bliss.

Mshindi’s Wasp MK3 shook slightly as he passed through a pocket of turbulence. The enormous fighter dwarfed nearby the Firebugs and Dragonflies flying in formation within the massive swarm. His aircraft was built for one purpose; raining destruction upon enemy trenches. In its bomb bay, a thousand kilos of explosives waited to be released on the heathens of the Federation.

He checked his gauges one more time. Airspeed - 160KPH. Ether cube draw 25%. Altitude - 2 Kilometers. Bay loaded, turnguns loaded. He was ready. Soon, the Prophetess’ embrace would cover the world and he was blessed by her to lead the first wave. What an honor it would be.

Behind him, Squadron no.66 flew in tight formation. Unlike the Prophetess, he and other awakened like him did not have the ability to speak over great distances so, they had to rely on training and instinct. When the fighting had begun in earnest, his escort would stay in close formation to protect against enemy fighters. Although, as far as he could tell, the Federation’s meager air force hadn’t even attempted an intercept. It was going to be a slaughter of historic proportions.

Ahead, the enemy’s trenches came into view. Even from two kilometers up, he could tell, they were losing the ground war. In the front and secondary trenches, distinctive tans and reds of Alliance military mixed with grey and blue clad Federation soldiers. No Man’s Land was awash in the glow of exploding artillery. Across its surface, the ground was a familiar hue of red. He couldn’t hear it yet but, he could guess at the chaos happening below.

The Alliance had done its part, throwing the entirety of their army at the Federation. Tens of thousands of them were being slaughtered below but, he knew, the day would be theirs. The Prophetess promised as much. For reasons he didn’t need to understand, his holy queen had allied herself with the filthy non awakened mongrels. Better they die first instead of her holy awakened, he supposed.

He was pulled from his thoughts as he spotted his target; A giant turngun installation near the Federation’s far left flank. The enormous tan emplacement stuck out against the green grass of the riverbank. A shiver ran up his spine as he considered its power. During his time as a observer in the Federation Air Corps, following his conversion, he’d watched one of their deadly “Automated Turngun Emplacements” in action.

He’d watched as a single emplacement fended off dozens of Alliance fighters with its immense rate of fire. Of the full squadron of twentyfour fighters sent to bomb the installation, only three escaped and, none of them without damage. It was one of the reasons the Alliance and Federation had fallen into a century long stalemate. The Federation had superior technology and the Alliance had superior numbers.

But now, “superior numbers” didn’t begin to describe what followed Mshindi. Behind him, over five thousand fighters cut through the air on a holy mission of purification. Two more groups of five thousand had been dispatched simultaneously to the center and right flank of the Federation. If anyone survived the initial bombing, the primes and powerful acolytes of air and fire waiting on the Holy Land’s hundreds of airships would make quick work of them.

The forces of the Prophetess had trained for centuries. They were ready. They were determined. They were on a holy crusade.

Mshindi’s bomber was only a few minutes from the target. Pushing his seat back, he locked the control stick and bent over to peer through his bomb sight. These pathetic ants were in their last days. Hundreds of years of planning would finally pay off. Soon, mankind would be smashed against the anvil of her perfect will.

And Mshindi would be the first hammer to strike that anvil.

***

Jim was in a serious dilemma. The Alliance aircraft were nearing and he couldn’t use his awakened powers. Around him, Alliance soldiers broke through the slackening Federation fire more and more frequently. The first trench was lost. Already, the second trench was being pressed hard. Every time he attempted to focus his thoughts, a new soldier would breach the parapet and, Jim would be forced to put his scimitar to work.

Before his awakening, Jim, usually humble to the point of self depreciation, had always considered himself a skilled swordsman. He’d survived dozens of fights with cannibals, bandits, and overconfident traders looking for an easy score. So far, as far as skill was concerned, Alliance soldiers were lacking.

Another push from trench one told him, he’d be waiting a little longer to use his powers. He grabbed a rifle from a nearby fallen soldier...of which there were many. Resting his back against the far wall, he waited for the next wave to appear, ready to end their lives before they could descend upon the others. Next to him, Taruh was doing the same. The boy turned out to be quite skilled with the blade himself.

A new surge of men breached the edge. Jim and Taruh fired again and again. Soldier after soldier fell but, they just kept coming. It was as if they cared nothing for their lives. On the waterlogged ground, blood mixed with sludge as the fighting intensified. More and more fell into the charnel pit of trench number two but, not all died. Soon, they were again locked in hand to hand combat.

Jim unsheathed his bloody scimitar and nodded at Taruh. “You ready?” he asked, trying to catch his breath.

The boy’s face was stone. He’d aged ten years in ten minutes. What innocence he still had was lost in the carnage of battle. “I’m ready,” he replied with a cool rage.

“You two take a break. I’ve got some serious pent up aggression to deal with if you don’t mind.”

He turned to face the familiar voice. It was Henry. Jim’s clockwork friend moved with a speed and grace that defied possibility. In each hand were metal poles with what looked like enormous chunks of concrete on the ends. Henry paused for a moment. Seeing Jim’s confused expression, he commented, “Lampposts. Long story. On the way out of town, I...you know what, I’ll tell you later.”

Suddenly, the trench was coated in a fresh layer of blood and gore as Henry performed his deadly ballet. Men, unable to comprehend the fate that fast approached were pounded into tenderized meat too unrecognizable to be called human. In seconds, the trench was clear of Alliance men. Their problems weren’t over as more continued to scale the first trench.

Without missing a beat, Henry picked up two breech loading rifles from the ground. In one fluid motion, he set the rifled on the edge of the parapet on either side of him. “Go ahead and do your fancy rock tricks Jim”, he called. “I’ll hold them off long enough for you to get it done.”

Before Jim could respond, Henry was pouring tremendous fire downrange. After each shot, he would yank the stocks of the gun down, careful to leave the barrels resting on the edge of the trench. With both hands, he would load the guns in sync. After loading them, he would aim both and fire. He never missed. All this would occur in less than a second.

The droning of enemy aircraft was very near now. Jim closed his eyes and concentrated. Ahead and above, the fighters were starting their attack run.

Not if he had anything to say about it.

***

Private Huntley was in bad shape. Somehow, she’d survived two trenches of being overrun. Now, it looked like they were pushing into trench three. Next to her, even Sergeant Grell’s eternal optimism seemed to have reached an end. His face was stuck in a perpetual grimace as he nursed a steadily bleeding arm wound.

Using one hand to reload and fire a heavy breech loaded rifle was no easy task but, he was managing. Another Alliance soldier fell to Grell’s rifle as he rested the barrel on a nearby pile of bodies for support and fired. Rolling behind his gruesome makeshift sandbag, he reached into his ammo pouch. When he couldn’t find another shot, he started poking around the packs of the fallen soldiers he had taken refuge behind.

Two more enemy soldiers broke free from their fights and charged the pair. Private Huntley withdrew her Scimitar and prepared for her last stand. It wouldn’t come though. Arcs of lightning leapt out from her right and turned the two men into piles of dust. All that remained were their swords. The weapons rattled on the ground and slid to a stop at her feet.

Panting, General Vachir stopped beside Sergeant Grell and helped him to his feet. Lieutenant Colonel Mason pulled up alongside, also winded. “You two doing alright?” Vachir asked between breaths.

“Fine sir,” Sergeant Grell replied. The whiteness of his skin and the weakness of his voice betrayed a more dire situation. “Sir, if I may ask, aren’t you supposed to be somewhere near the center? What are you doing this far left?”

After taking another moment to catch his breath, Vachir leaned in close and indicated for Private Huntley and Sergeant Grell to do the same. He seemed to be on the verge of despair as he spoke, “This battle is about to take a very bad turn. I need you two to get a message to the capital. Tell them to evacuate as many as they can to Torchlight. They can’t stop what’s coming but, at least some of our culture can be preserved there. ”

The Sergeant and Private glanced at each other. Finally, Sergeant Grell replied, “Uhh sir. I...that is to say...Hurria is over two hundred Kilometers away and our men continue to hold the enemy here. Not to mention, Torchlight is little more than an outpost in the middle of nowhere. Hurria is home to millions. Don’t you think it’s a bit premature to-”

“Damnit Sargeant!” Vachir’s voice carried a little too far. Some of the soldiers nearby glanced their direction. Lowering his voice, he continued, “I don’t have time to explain it, Sergeant. I have to get to the left flank before it’s too late. I know it makes no sense but I need you to trust me on this. I’ve seen what’s coming and someone...some piece of the Federation has to survive. Now, please, do this for me.”

Huntley spoke before the Sergeant could respond, “We’ll get the message through, sir. You can count on us,” she replied, quickly saluting the General.

Vachir returned her salute and glanced at Lieutenant Colonel Mason. Private Huntley only caught a glimpse but, she could see in their brief expressions, they shared a secret burden. She didn’t quite understand but, Huntley knew what hopelessness looked like. Whatever his reasons, she knew that Vachir was no coward. His warning was sincere.

Private Huntley put the Sergeant’s good arm around her soldiers as she turned toward the rear. They hobbled toward the nearest connecting communication trench. When they had nearly rounded the corner, Vachir called back, “Live well, you two. Long as it may seem, life is fleeting.”

Vachir and Mason took off in a run as they continued their dash toward the left flank. Private Huntley and Sergeant Grell had a long trip home ahead of them. She didn’t understand his reasoning but, that didn’t matter. The look in his face spoke volumes. She could only hope, when they reached the capital, someone would heed the General’s warning.

***

“Focus fire! Wasp bombers twenty degrees north by northeast. Fire fire fire!”

Lieutenant Tyler was nearly knocked off his feet as the emplacement opened up. Its eight barrel cylinder spun up to its full 200SPM rotation in less than a second. Suddenly, the ground beneath his feet shook and bucked from the weapon’s immense power. Lines of glowing tracers reached skyward and disappeared into the mass of enemy fighters. Soon, other emplacements were sending their deadly munitions skyward.

At once, fighters started to fall out of formation. Some trailed long lines of greasy black smoke while others were blasted into shrapnel. The anti air emplacements were working. With so many targets, none found it difficult to score kills but, they could not stem the tide.

Lieutenant Tyler looked up to witness his final moments. The enormous bombing group was soon directly overhead. It would only be seconds before the entire Federation center was washed away in fire. Thousands of small black objects began to emerge from hundreds of bombers. He knew what they were.

He’d done his duty. He’d fought as best he could for home and country. Lieutenant Quintin Tyler sighed and straightened his uniform. He was going to die on his feet. No man could call him a coward. Fastening his kepi tightly to his head, he saluted death and smiled as the first wave of bombs landed.

In an instant, Lieutenant Tyler and thousands more brave lives were suddenly and brutally extinguished. The Federation center was broken.

***

Vachir’s arms were black as he continued to unleash his power on the Alliance soldiers. For what seemed like hours, he and the Lieutenant Colonel had continued their dash to the left flank. Every so often, he would stop to plug a gap in the lines by cooking any soldier in range.

Arcs of energy shot from his already blackened hands forming an intricate web across the battlefield as they coursed through hundreds of Alliance soldiers. The air grew thick with the smell of burnt flesh and voided bowels.

Taking a moment to recover, he and the Lieutenant Colonel continued their run toward the flank at Green River. The Federation center and right flank had broken and, it was only a matter of minutes before the left was completely overwhelmed. He still had a kilometer to go.

Everything was happening as Emat told him it would. Then, many things happened at once and, for a moment...he dared to hope.

***

Finally. Time to make myself useful.

Jim’s arms spread wide as he closed his eyes and focused his thoughts. As had happened before, the world dropped away. Only points of light remained. And, there were so many in the sky. Jim stared upwards. Thousands of yellow and red lights sailed through the sky toward his position.

Unlike most other awakened he’d seen, their lights were very dim. It took him a moment to realize why. She probably places her less powerful awakened in disposable positions. No need to pollute the genepool with less than perfect soldiers, he thought to himself with disgust. There was no time for pity though.

Their souls were already hers which made his task very simple.

Jim concentrated and marshalled his powers. Shouting, he allowed the surge to build and build. The ground around them began to shake. Alliance soldiers, still charging en masse across no man’s land begin to stumble and fall as the tremor grew into a full earthquake. His arms blackened from the incredible power channeling through him.

Finally, he opened his hands and released. Pillars of rock and dirt shot skyward at impossible speeds. It was as if the world had turned upside down and the ground was being shaken loose onto an unsuspecting sky. The topsoil of no man’s land detached and was rocketed skyward at the approaching air raid, sending the bodies of enemy soldiers upward as well.

Destroying one out of three bombing groups would be better than none. He couldn’t save the center and right flanks but, at least here, he could take them down with him before the end. He watched as the earth itself reached upwards and began to crush the Prophetess’ air force.

***

Mshindi chuckled quietly as he watched the ground soar by through his bomb sight. The edge of the first Federation trench crawled into view. Still, waves of Alliance soldiers were pushing their way across no man’s land and into the Federation front lines. Their progress was much slower than the Prophetess had hoped.

Yet again, the unawakened mongrels had proved the Prophetess’ point. They had no place in the new world. Despite their overwhelming numbers and assistance from the Prophetess, the Alliance soldiers continued to struggled in their attack.

No matter, he thought. Alliance and Federation alike will burn beneath my bombs. The time of the awakened is here.

Through his bomb sight, Mshindi located his target. In moments, all would perish.

Suddenly, the ground seemed to swim in his scope. It was is if the soil was suddenly liquid. It rippled and moved in waves like the water on the lake shore. From his angle, it almost appeared as if the ground was erupting toward him. But, that couldn’t be. Mshindi didn’t understand what he was seeing.

But, he didn’t need to understand. He simply needed to die.

***

Immediately, the lights of those above begin to flicker out behind a skyward explosion of rock and destruction. Their delicate wings were shredded in seconds by the storm of earthen death. Hundreds plummeted to the ground in smoke and flame. Across no man’s land, a meteor shower of smouldering aircraft rained down on any Alliance soldier unfortunate enough to have survived.

Jim was instantly exhausted. Such an enormous output of awakened power could only be maintained for seconds. Rocks and soil continued to escape their bonds and fly heavenward, often slamming into fighters that were already mid-dive.

More and more fighters fell to their doom but, still, more came. He couldn’t hope to destroy them all. Jim’s arms had blackened as the unnatural charcoal color crawled toward his neck. Finally, he could hold it no more. Suddenly, his second sight fell like a curtain and, the world appeared normal again.

He stumbled backward into the trench wall, on the verge of oblivion, barely maintaining consciousness but, he knew, he’d at least made a difference. If this was the end, Jim could say he did something good in his lifetime.

However, despite the many fighters felled, enough had survived. The droning grew louder as the remnant dove to began their attack run. In moments, the battlefield would be awash in exploding bombs and Jim’s story would be over. It may have been a crap life but, at least I made up for it a little in the end, he thought to himself.

Around him, Federation soldiers began to cheer. They lifted their kepi’s skyward and jumped up and down, celebrating. Jim stared at the scene, unsure if he was dreaming or not. Sure, the enemy soldiers had been halted but, they were about to be destroyed from above.

Jim watched as the beleaguered defenders, including Henry, stared upwards, shouting with joy. But, they weren’t celebrating their coming doom. It was something else. Mustering the strength, he pushed himself off from the muddy wall and turned around.

He saw it and understood and shared their elation. Alia and the Federation air force had finally arrived.

Federation fighters descended from the clouds upon the unsuspecting bombing group. Contrails of white streamed behind a thousand shining firebug interceptors. Their turnguns spit fire and hell downward onto the helpless bombers. In an instant, the sky was filled with the bullets of Federation vengeance.

Jim’s attention was focused on a tiny black spec among the swarm of brass colored fighters however. He knew it was her. It had to be. The Phoenix, he thought, smiling. Jim grabbed a pair of binoculars from a fallen Federation officer and raised them to his eyes.

Indeed, it was Alia’s fighter. Its distinctive black wings were spread fully as it soared above the bedlam. Suddenly, the raven black fighter was transformed into its namesake. Awakened fire engulfed the craft as Alia Rychist purposed her specialized aircraft to cauterize the wound that the Prophetess had inflicted on the skies of Ruin.

The Phoenix had awoken.

Streams of awakened fire reached out in every direction. All found targets. In moments, hundreds of flaming craft plummeted toward the already littered battlefield of no man’s land. Emboldened, the other Federation fighters poured continuous turngun fire into the quickly shrinking enemy air force.

The center and right flanks of the Federation had been crushed but, for a moment, the left had held. With their will finally broken, the few remaining Alliance soldiers left alive turned and ran.

Jim watched as the aerial battle trickled down. Soon, the skies belonged to the Federation. Alia’s Phoenix soared among them as a beacon of hope for all who could see. Around him, everyone continued to cheer and shout despite their fatigue. After a week of endless bombardment, the joy of victory was palpable.

“Jim! We have to go!” Vachir’s voice cut through the celebration. Jim turned to face the General. Vachir looked to be in as nearly bad shape as he was. Both arms were blackened and his uniform was soiled in blood and mud. His sagging eyelids spoke of complete exhaustion.

Panting, Vachir grabbed Jim’s arm as he repeated, “Jim, we have to go, now!”

Jim’s attention was drifting. Drained of his awakened energy, he was nearly asleep on his feet but, he’d heard Vachir’s words clearly. Slowly, Jim responded, “But..we’ve turned...them back. Their air force is...umm...their…” He was having trouble concentrating. He had to rest. Just for a moment.

Vachir tried again. Desperation was in his voice as he shouted, “You don’t understand, they’re almost-” The sky went white. Suddenly, countless lines of lightning and fire washed over the Federation fighters above. Suddenly, the Federation air force was being completely and systematically wiped out by awakened power. The Federation fighters broke and turned south, attempting to escape the madness but, their attempts were met with awakened destruction. In seconds, most of the allied fighters were burning, trailing lines of black smoke as the plummeted to the ground.

That wasn’t what crushed his spirit though. Among the falling fighters, Jim saw Alia’s Phoenix go black before disappearing behind a torrent of awakened destruction.

Jim lost his will to live. Closing his eyes, he let the darkness take him.