***

--- Earth, Philadelphia ---

May 21st, 2025

Ambassador Harland Willington is sitting in the HUMVEE as he is bringing transported through Philadelphia. All around he can still see the reconstruction from the invasion. The death toll has reached ten thousand with thousands of more wounded. Buildings that were flatten during the battle having to be torn apart and rebuilt. The larger ones having to be studied to either be fixed or torn down and replace.

He sees the Army Engineers helping in the process, expanding the area around the Gate. The Gate appeared on a major road, surrounded by buildings. Now the Military is expanding the area to maintain the defense of the Gate.

Two weeks ago, President Emily Potts had summed him to her office. He spent nearly fifteen years working for the State Department, working with nations all around the globe. My most recent post was in Tanzania, helping the Eastern African Community turn itself into the long sought Eastern African Federation in 2023.

That was not an easy assignment, taking years in work. When the State Department thinks about Africa, it usually become single focus, either fighting Terrorists, economic trade, or countering China colonization efforts on the continent. Outside of those three things, the State Department falls far short for Africa.

It is not their fault; they cannot put all your resources everywhere and sadly somewhere must give. Those eastern African nations haven been trying to form a federation for decades now but have failed. In recent years, those nations haven been getting close to unification. Not wanting the Chinese to swoop in and bring them into their sphere of influence, he was task in helping them.

His last assignment was not easy He had almost no support from Washington D.C and little influence in the larger strategy. However, that turned out to be a benefit for me since that allowed him to act more freely and be more flexible in the rules. He was able to convince Tanzania, Kenya, South Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda, and Burundi to rely on U.S. support and use us as a base model for their new nation. It helps that we are the largest Federation on the planet, almost two hundred and fifty years.

As part of President Emily Potts 2024 presidential promise to bring unity and patriotism to the United States she promises to include US territories into States. Puerto Rico became the US fifty-first State in 2021 after a hundred years of attempting. The territory of Guam became the fifty-second State in 2023 because of its strategic location in the Pacific.

After the successful unification in 2024, most of my duties became smoothing everything over. That assignment has been the hardest and most rewarding in my life. His goal was to retire after this assignment, but then the attack in Philadelphia happened.

When he got back to the State Department after the attack, the public view of the department looked very professional, clam, all knowing, the usual. In private, it was in pure chaos. Everyone at the White House was trying to maintain its diplomatic and military relations with all the nations of Earth, make sure that our enemies or allies did not take advance of the situation. Most importantly and only a few people know this, prevent the Russians from nuking the Gate and end what they see as Pandoras Box.

Everyone who was not trying to prevent World War Three from happening was doing research on what just happened and who just attacked us. Usually, they are able to strike very quickly, bring gods hell with us. This time thought, months after the attack and almost nothing has been learned about the Gate.

When the President recalled him from Africa, she and the other Joint Chief of Staff and Cabinet officials where there. Because of his accomplishments with East Africa, they want him to lead the diplomatic effort on the other side of the Gate, currently known as the Special Region. He believes his experience in Africa will be a massive benefit in the Special Region in trying to form friendly relations with the locals.

The mission the President gave him is simple but at the same time the most complex task in Human history, coordination relations with a Roman like Classical antiquity era people, manage our NATO and non-NATO allies, the United Nation cultural program and maintain a prosperous town on Alnus Hill. He thinks there was a class about this back at Harvard, simple.

When he got to Philadelphia, it is be cloudy and raining. The Gate is guarded by a five thousand strong garrison. Bunkers, tanks, many other types of defenses mostly aimed at the Gate. The Gate itself is inside an artificial dome, acting as a layer of defense. Everything in a five-block radius is being converted into military facilities.

Some of the defenses though, like our anti-ballistic weapons are station around the city. Most of the citizens believe it is another layer of defenses against a second attack, which is true. But not an attack from the Gate but from us of the other countries who might decide enough is enough.

He sees a battalion size Marine force here on permanent standby. At any chance if Alnus Hill is about to fall to an enemy or for any other reason, the Marines are called up as an emergency response force.

The Humvee he is in stops at the last check point, the one that leads through the Gate. As the driver talks to the guard, getting the final clearance, he is sitting in the passenger seat looking at the amazing marvel that has defied all our science.

“Ambassador Harland Willington, you are clear to go. God speed,” The soldier said as he waves to his comrades to let them through.

“Thank you Soldier,” he said.

Once the final checkpoint lets them through, they drive in.

“It should take about forty minutes to go through the Gate Ambassador,” The driver said to him.

“That is a long time. I wonder why so long?” He said back to him, noticing how dark it is. If it wasn’t for the lights we established inside, you wouldn’t be able to see a thing.

After some time has pass, the driver speaks back to him. “Sir, just a curious question, but what is your first act?”

He thinks on that question for a bit. That is when he decided on his first act once getting settled. “First thing I am doing is figuring out a new name for this world. There is no way I am sticking with the lazy name like Special Region.”

***

--- Elies Forest, Vilgla Village ---

May 23rd, 2025

The village of Vilgla, traditionally very peaceful place to raise a family, to farm and most importantly, to isolate themselves from the world. Captain Bailey Robinson and his Vanguard-5 was sent to this village to negotiate with the locals so they could establish a refueling outpost nearby.

The Rangers has been here for three days, trying to negotiate with the elf leader with little luck. However, it does seem the villagers too enjoy interacting with the Americans. While the visit so far has been unproductive, it has been enjoyable.

He is enjoying the High Elves and all their natural ways.

He walks to his JLTV to where his second in command is at. “Hey John. Any news from Alnus?”

Second Lieutenant John Elliott gets out of the vehicle and leans against the JLTV hood, looking at him. “Nothing important boss. Things still seem quiet. Looks like the Imperials lost the fight in them. By the way, Command wants to know what the hold is up.”

He knew that last part was coming up. The mission was only supposed to take one day, now its day three. “Tell them what I said last time.”

“That the locals like us but not enough to kill us?” John said in a sarcastic tone.

“Don’t be a smart ass,” he said as he looks to the village. “Even thought that was kind of funny.”

The village has about a hundred elf’s, living a simple life. They live a natural life with nature. Their huts are built around the trees, going up five stories. There are wooden bridges connecting many of the buildings.

He finds the design of this village fascinating. These High Elves know how to live off the land.

He then looks over to the washing area and see a bunch of halve to fully naked female elves cleaning. It has been hard keeping his soldiers professional, respecting the elves way of life.

His troops and the locals have become friendly, sharing stories of each other world, culture, music. The downside of this is that some of the soldiers and villagers are getting too friendly resulting in situations like this.

“even thought the peace talks have been stalled, at least we have a good view,” he said with a chuckle.

“You are telling me,” John replied. “Take a look.”

He looks at what John is looking at. He sees two naked male elves practicing hand to hand combat. He is impressed on how skilled those two men are. However, he knows what John means, being a black gay man.

“You need to come out of the closet man,” he said jokingly

“I will be happy to sir once you propose,” John sarcastically replied. “If it wasn’t for the war, I might settle here seeing how much they take care of themselves.”

“No marrying the enemy Lieutenant,” he replied.

“Of course, not sir,” John said, speaking freely. “You think they would be cool with our help; all we want is a land route through here. Nothing else.”

This reminds him of the 2009 movie Avatar. The Humans in that story needed this special ore and offered everything to the native aliens. The natives rejected all offers believing the offers a threat to their home and way of life. It ended up in a war.

“You would think but I get it,” he replied. “Being friendly is one thing, picking a side in a war is another. They allowed safe passage for the Empire for generations, in return they can maintain control of their lands. Why throw that away for a bunch of strangers. Best of intentions don’t always means best results.”

John then snickers a little. “Damn, politics suck wherever you go. At least we have a good view. I am gay and I even find the elven ladies here attractive. It will be hard keeping our troops from getting to close to them.”

“I said stop being a smart ass,” he comments. He has a point though, bored soldiers, on an exotic land with people we believed were just fantasy, it has been hard keeping the men professional.

“I wonder if an elf and a human can have children?” John asked.

He never thought about that. He sees human like creatures all over the place so he assumes they can. It is just one of thousands of questions scientists are working on back on Earth.

That has been another problem here. He sees Larson with one of the younger women elf’s headings somewhere into the village. He knows it was only a matter of time this would have happened.

“The meeting with the elder begins in an hour,” he said. “Tell Command that we will try again.”

“Will relay that but they won’t be happy,” John said back to him.

Bailey just grumbles hearing that. He knows there are five thousand soldiers from that US, UK, Dutch all gathering around Valtris, waiting to push through the Elies Forest.

NATO is trying to prevent another Troph Hills Campaign. That engagement lasted almost two weeks and seven soldiers were killed. Sense the Elies Forest is a far larger region, the last thing NATO wants is to spend a two-month long campaign to clear it out.

Besides, the point of the Ranger Vanguard program is to make friendly contact with natives. To turn them against the Empire and spearhead the war effort. Easier said than done.

“I am going to go around talking with some of the villagers,” he said. Before he walks away from his JLTV, the vehicle gunner, Staff Sergeant Tomas Espina speaks up with some concern in his voice.

“Sir, something doesn’t seem right,” Tomas said, looking around carefully.

That catches both him and John with surprise. Over the years, they both have learn to trust Tomas gut.

“Talk to me Staff Sergeant,” John orders.

Tomas takes a quick look around before looking down at his two officers. “The mood has changed, first time here I feel threaten… AHH!” As he finished up his sentence, an arrow hits him in the back.

That is when he realizes that they are under attack. Before he could even react, arrows begin coming out of the trees and into the village. Screams from Imperial soldiers on horseback appears out of the forest burst and into the village.

“We are engaged Ranger’s!” he shouts as he takes cover. He raises his rifle and begin firing at the incoming cavalry troops.

He hears some weapons fire from within the village, most likely from his squad. There is three other Rangers that were close to the vehicle, but everyone panics and rushes around to respond. None of the Rangers were ready to be ambushed, being told that this was a safe place and at war with the Empire.

As ten or twelve horsemen be charging towards them, the .50 caliber that Tomas is manning a light up, killing most of that cavalry charge. With that .50 caliber back up, it was able to suppress some of the enemy soldiers from getting too close.

Looking over to his right, he sees two of his Rangers firing at some Imperialists. “Get over here… Watch out!!” As he said that, he sees a horseman coming around one of the huts. Before the Rangers could react, that horseman swung buy, cutting off one of his men arms off.

“Captain!” One of his Ranger said, coming from behind. That Ranger has an arrow in his chest, leaning against one of the JLTV, now only using his pistol.

That is when he hears someone yell behind them. Bailey turns around and see a second wave of cavalry coming out, about thirty of them. “Tomas! Five-clock!”

The gunner points the .50 caliber to that direction and open fire. As he lays a rain of bullets into that incoming wave, another arrow hits Tomas right in the right arm.