《HAVEN: THE SKY SCRAPER》Book 1 Chapter 20: The Calm Before The Storm
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Sebastian wakes up on a bed and quickly realizes that he must be on one of the rescue ships, after rubbing his eyes and gathering his bearing's he slowly leans up.
There is no sound of gunshots, no long range weapons firing, no bombardment from battleships, in fact, no sound of any fighting whatsoever.
"Hey, let me take a look at you" a medic says to him.
"Anywhere hurting?" He asks.
"I'm a little achy and saw, but ok other than that" Sebastian replies clearly fatigued.
"Ok follow my finger and touch it with yours" the medic instructs him.
Sebastian follows the instructions and watches the medics finger before tapping it with his own finger.
"I'm pretty sure you only have mild injury's, my main concern is that you passed out in the water, you need to keep warm so you don't catch pneumonia" the medic instructs him and wraps a blanket over him.
"Sure thing" Sebastian replies tugging on the blanket.
"Hey, are we away from the main land?" He asks.
"Nope, we are still at the Eastern Docks" The medic replies.
"Did we win?" Sebastian asks.
"I don't know if win is the right word, but Terra Auri have scarpered" he replies with a concerned look upon his face.
"They ran away?" Sebastian continues to ask now pushing himself up off the bed.
"Pretty much" the medic replies giving him a helping hand.
"Why?" Sebastian asks but immediately looses track of what he is saying looking through the doorway.
He slowly walks over to the door continuing outside onto the deck, in the sky and almost directly in the middle of everything is Heaven's Gate, blissfully floating about in the air shinning brightly with its vast array of lights far above the ground.
"Impressive, isn't it" the medic states leaning against the edge of the ship with him.
Up in the sky, Heaven's Gate is now fully staffed with military personnel, engineers, soldiers and other necessary individuals going about various tasks within the Sky Scraper, Oliver clearly in charge of operations is slowly brining the war machine to become fully operational again.
An escape craft is making its way over from the aircraft carrier just beyond the docks towards Heaven's Gate with Nathan inside.
"What's that red blob over at the mountains on the map?" Daniel asks, feeling rather out of place at this point.
He is referring to a red blob appearing in a beeping motion on one of the large monitors.
"That, is a distress signal that this damn thing has been suppressing for the past eight years" Oliver explains.
He is watching the escape craft that Nathan is approaching on intently.
"The crew that escaped?" Michael suggests.
"Not just a pretty face are you" Oliver tells him with a smirk.
Riley seems to have taken back up his old position on the Sky Scraper, and is helping the engineers with the necessary repairs and overhaul around the place.
"Brace yourselves boys, the king, has arrived" Oliver states sarcastically watching as Nathan's aircraft lands inside Heaven's Gate.
Riley just so happens to be walking over to the three of them wiping all the grease of his hands with a dirty cloth.
"Riley, why don't you take these two to go and get something to eat" Oliver instructs him in a friendly manner.
"Sure, come with me guys" Riley tells them enthusiastically putting his arms around the pair of them dragging them over to himself.
"If the king wants to see me I'll be in my quarters" Oliver informs one of the officers that are now piloting the aircraft and jogs off down the corridor.
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"King on deck" a soldier announces and Nathan storms into the control room.
"Where is the COTAF?" He asks looking around the room.
"He's in his quarters your majesty" the officer replies pointing in the direction Oliver has run off in.
Nathan continues to storm off in that direction until reaching the captains quarters.
"Wait here" he instructs the guards that are accompanying him just before he bursts through the double doors.
"YOU!" Nathan snaps in Oliver's direction.
"Hey sexy, did ya miss me?" Oliver replies spinning around in his chair to face him before giving a wink.
"You take far to many liberties just because we are childhood friends" Nathan continues to yell at him this time picking up a paper weight off a worksurface and throwing it at him.
"I thought you'd be pleased to see me " Oliver states now rushing around the desk ducking and diving to avoid objects being thrown at him.
"Oh what's that? Nope! I cant hear you through all of your bull shit Oliver" Nathan replies sarcastically.
Finally Nathan grabs hold of him by the scruff of his uniform and pins him up against the wall.
"Soo ... Is this where we kiss and have passionate sex on the desk?" Oliver teases him.
"Aren't we fucking hilarious" Nathan replies with a glare.
He realizes that Nathan doesn't have any anger in his face, just a concerned expression.
"Were you really that worried about me?" Oliver asks cautiously.
Nathan loosens his grip and walks back over to the desk.
"You earned your rank regardless of being a friend of mine, and everyone recognises you for that, you are exceptionally skilled" he replies.
"But you are such a fucking idiot" he continues.
"There's the Nathan I know and love" Oliver remarks with a smirk.
"Olly, you're my best friend, and the closest thing I've got to family, so yes, I was worried about you" Nathan states whilst folding his arms and leaning back on the desk sulking.
Oliver lets out a huff before walking over and leaning against the desk right beside him.
"Sorry if I made you worry, but this is a bit petty considering there is a war going on, pull yourself together" Oliver tells him sympathetically with a gentle nudge to the shoulder.
"The Wrath is nearly finished" Nathan states, setting a new much darker tone in the room.
"That thing" Oliver remarks.
A knock comes from the door startling the pair of them.
"Come in" Nathan tells them.
"Your majesty, your presence is requested in the control room, the queen, prince and princess have arrived" a guard informs him.
"Very well" Nathan replies.
"I didn't realise you were bringing Anna and the whole posy with you" Oliver points out as the pair of them head out of the room.
"The queen thought it would do the pair of them good to see what's actually been happening in the war, and quite frankly I agree" Nathan explains.
They head back up the corridor with two guards in front of them, two besides them and two behind them, the royal guards, each member of the royals has six each.
The queen is waiting patiently for them along with the prince and princes, Phoenix can also be seen in the background on one of the large screens.
"Wel well well, if it isn't little Finley" Oliver mutters with a big smile on his face speaking directly to the prince before ruffling his hair.
"You're still alive?" Finley replies in shock.
"And little Claire" he says whilst turning his attention to the princess before ruffling her hair as well.
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She shares the same expression of shock that Finley has, neither of them have seen him in two years.
"There have been some new developments" Anna states speaking directly to Nathan.
"How so?" He asks.
"It seems that the occupied nations now believe we are here to help" Anna replies and points to a news report playing on one of the screens.
"I didn't think it would take long, but that is quick, we've been here less than a day" he remarks.
"Word of us being here has travelled as far as Ferrum" she continues to explain.
The main footage in the news report is of the Sky Scraper entering the airspace in the docks with the Leviathan fleeing along with the rest of the enemy forces.
"Everyone back home wants to know what is going on" Finley mutters texting friends on his mobile.
"Around seven of the occupied nations have gotten in touch with us and about two or three that are on the brink of collapse" Phoenix pipes up from his screen.
"They have all requested a video conference with Haven, it's been arranged to happen in the next thirty minutes" he continues.
"Do you three not bother talking to me at all anymore, about things we might have planned?" Nathan asks the other royals dramatically.
"Admiral on deck" a soldier announces as Blackcroft makes her way into the control room.
"We shouldn't stay any longer than we have to, the ships are at full capacity and we have days of travel at sea in open water before we get back to Haven" she tells them.
"I've ordered some of the new warships to meet us half way" she continues.
Daniel and Michael have wondered back towards the control room, as they approach Oliver and without realising they are also approaching the queen, the guards stop them from going any further, much to their shock.
"Stand down, let them pass" Oliver instructs the royal guards.
They step aside allowing Daniel and Michael to walk over to Oliver, feeling a little bit confused and unsure of this situation.
"Lads I'd like you to meet Queen Anna, King Nathan, Prince Finley and Princess Clair" Oliver tells them and points to each person as he is explaining.
"Errrrr" Daniel states with a little wave a bit shocked.
"Relax, we don't bite" Anna tells them with a smile.
"it's a pleasure to meet you" Daniel replies with a smile before looking over at the prince and princess.
"Sup" Finley greets them with a little hand gesture.
"Hello" Claire also greets them.
"These are my good friends Daniel and Michael" Oliver tells everyone chirpily as he puts his arms around the two of them tightly.
"Anny friend of Oliver's, is a friend of ours" Nathan tells them shaking their hands each in turn.
"Meeting in fifteen minutes" Phoenix informs everyone appearing on the screen again.
"Only four of you can join the conference" he explains to everyone.
"Right you two stay here, we'll head to the conference room" Anna tells everyone, herself, Nathan and Blackcroft head off.
"Finley go and talk gay shit with them pair" Oliver teases them all before heading off to join the others.
"You're not funny" Finley states rolling his eyes at him.
"He is quite funny" Claire states with a smirk.
The video link in the conference room is set up by Phoenix for everyone in each nation, the name of the country outlined by a box followed with a series of small video feeds underneath, depending on how many representatives are speaking allowing up to four from each nation, this is laid out five across and three upwards.
There are leaders from many occupied and non occupied nations joining this secret web cam meeting including; Flumina Terra, the rebels from Flumina up in the mountains, De Monte Floris, Ferrum De Terra, Rookland, Whiterock, Denport, Stonecrop to name a few.
The representative of each nation is as follows;
De Monte Floris - Prime Minister Cornelius Silverton
Flumina Terra - Prime Minister Grace Shacklton
Flumina Rebels - Captain Simon Barrows
Ferrum De Terra - Queen Rosemary
Rookland - Prime Minister Fatima Beadston
Whiterock - General Jordan Scott
Denport - King Julian Chocturn
Stonecrop - Queen Patricia Greenbind
The one nation that everyone is aware is taking the biggest risk joining this meeting is Ferrum, who have suffered the most throughout this war being used to produce weapons, ammunitions and food for Terra Auri.
"Greetings from Haven everyone, my name is phoenix, I will be in the background of this meeting attempting to block any external interferences, please begin" Phoenix announces to everyone and then disappears from the screen allowing everyone to see each other.
"As you know we are all risking a lot being here, we want to know if Haven is here to help?" Queen Rosemary asks, desperation in her face and tone of voice.
"Yes, we are here to help" Anna states.
A sigh of relief appears to drift across everyone gathered for the meeting.
"We called for this meeting in hopes of reaching an agreement with some old and some new allies" Prime minister Grace informs everyone.
"Since we lost Silverpeak, we haven't been able to hold back Terra Auri, we are coordinating our forces to protect our civilians, but we can not hold out indefinitely" Cornelius remarks.
"That being said, we are extremely grateful to Haven for the support it has already given us, and for protecting the eastern docks, thank you" he states gratefully.
"Stout really made a mess of your forces, they are scattered all over the place" Oliver informs him.
"We are slowly bringing the army back to full strength, but it is going to take some time to re-coordinate all our units" general Scarlet replies who is also representing Flumina.
"We have an abundance of food supplies that we can bring to which ever nation is most in need of it" queen Patricia informs everyone.
"Our medical expertise could be very beneficial in the fight, but Crystallini is moving in" General Jordan tells everyone.
"We in the mountains are stockpiled and ready to take action as and when is needed, and I think it will interest you to know that your crew from the Sky Scraper are with us here in the mountains your majesties" Captain Simon of the rebels informs the King and Queen.
"Do any of your nations have any information about what has happened to our prince and princess? Since we forced them to flee we haven't had any contact with them" queen Rosemary asks in desperation clearly worried.
"We are keeping them safe here, with us rebels in the mountains" Captain Simon replies reassuringly.
"Oh thank goodness" she mutters in relief.
"We are very interested in hearing your proposal regarding the war" King Julian says directing the point at Flumina.
"We are proposing a new alliance, sharing resources, medical and military expertise to beat our common enemy" Prime minister Grace explains to everyone.
"All in favour?" Cornelius asks.
Everyone in turn agrees to the new alliance.
"Then it's decided, will be creating the United Nations Alliance, or U.N.A for short" Anna states.
"Ferrum, you have suffered most, please know that we are with you" Nathan tells the Queen.
Each in turn the other leaders and representatives state 'we are with you', and the Queen clearly emotional remains strong not allowing herself to burst into tears.
But this glimmer of hope is short lived, guards burst into the room that she is speaking to everyone from and begin to smash the room apart, screaming can be heard as she is dragged away and the feed goes dead, the same thing happens at Flumina with Prime Minister Grace, 'we're under attack' can be heard over at the rebels and the prime minister, 'your majesty the naval warships are under attack' can be heard frantically over at Stonecrop.
"Make preparations immediately!" Anna instructs everyone shouting to them all.
"Going dark" Phoenix announces and all the feeds cut out.
"Oliver make your way over to the rebels in the mountains with our soldiers and rescue them" Nathan instructs him.
"Yes your majesty" Oliver replies and walks out of the conference room over to his main position within the control room.
"All hands on deck! Set a course for the mountains" he demands loudly startling Finley and the others.
"Yes sir!" The crew and soldiers reply.
'Sealing bay doors' the system announces and all exterior hanger doors begin to seal shut.
'All crew prepare for relocation' the system continues to announce, alarms can be heard going off all around the aircraft, the engines begin to roar as Heaven's Gate starts to move in its new direction.
"All crew to battle stations" he continues to instruct loudly, the soldiers follow his instructions to the letter loading the various guns on the aircraft and getting to their relevant areas.
'All crew prepare battle stations' the system informs everyone.
"Angels online" Oliver instructs the crew.
"Angels online sir" a crew member responds.
"Release the angels" he commands.
"Releasing angles in, three, two, one" a crew member replies.
The hanger that Daniel had walked past the other evening, where he had seen all the drones hanging from the ceiling begins to release them one by one through open hatches on the floor, sirens are going off with big flashing lights as the hatches open outwards.
"If we can free Demonte and Flumina then we can stand a chance at winning this war" Nathan points out as himself, Blackcroft and the other royals make their way towards a hanger where an escape craft is waiting to transport them.
"Will we be having a public vote to go to war?" Claire asks whilst scrolling through social media on her mobile looking at what people are saying about the recent events.
"That's exactly what we are going to do" the queen explains.
"Do you think everyone will vote to go to war?" Finley asks.
"I think all the TV reports and refugees flooding in has opened everyone's eyes" Claire replies holding up her mobile to show him.
"All ships depart immediately" Blackcroft instructs the navy through a radio.
The ships down bellow at the docks make their way out into the open water in the dark of night, the sea is rough with waves rocking the ships, Sebastian watches the water through the window he is sat next to as he eats some vegetable soup.
The wind howls and lightening flashes across the sky as the rain begins to pelt down.
Somewhere in the depths of the mountains in Haven, boots clang against a metal walkway as an engineer walks along the gangway to her colleague.
"It's nearly complete" he states glancing over at her.
They look down into the darkness, the outline of an ginormous structure can be seen with sparks a the very bottom as workers go about their duties.
"I hear they are planning on using it" he remarks.
"May God have mercy on our souls" she mutters before clanging away again.
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