Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Star Haven; On the Brink of Winter

"Are all the tanks filled?  I want to be ready for departure as soon as possible.  Time is of the essence here."
"Yes Commander, everything is in order."
Commander Natalya Oerin hadn't gotten where she was by leaving things to chance.  She'd been born into battle, much as the other Nielda of her day had.  But unlike them, she knew the values of the old ways.  Not simply the massive strikes, the overwhelming naval superiority, or even the unfaltering dedication but the careful planning and constant vigilance.  The Seclorans still had it, and the Gravagans were basically made of it.  It felt wrong to think that the young powers grasped the old wisdoms better.  But then there it was.
"Sir, all weapons online.  Ammunition at full stock.  Our supplies are prepared for maximum possible duration."
"Good.  Are all the crew aboard?  I want to get back to the fight as soon as possible?"
"Its a patrol commander, not front lines.  They aren't going anywhere until we get there to relieve them."
"It's essential that the patrols be maintained.  The frost is already encroaching on the outer parts of the system, its only a matter of time before they arrive here as well.  Their agents are probably here already."
"The evacuation is already underway.  Our presence here is practically a formality Commander."
"I don't believe in formalities.  Its just that everyone has forgotten why things are done."  Even if the orders of the task force were just to provide military support in the evacuation and to delay the enemy if they arrived ahead of schedule, Natalya considered it the prerogative of all sane, living beings to interfere with all of the Frostbourne's operations.  And moreover, as an officer of the Daniellandish Navy, it was her sworn duty to kill any undead she encountered.  Among all the Frostbourne hordes, only the officers, corrupted immortals calling themselves Lych, could even possibly be considered alive.  And even then the jury was out.  All that could be certain was that no one had ever beaten one in battle and lived to tell.
Of course, considering the history of 'invincible' enemies, it was probably just that word hadn't made it down the ranks to her.  There was almost certainly an immortal somewhere who had managed it.  And surely the legendary pantheon was a match for several of them each.  But the rumors she'd heard said that one of them had lead an expedition in the early days, and none of them had returned.  They said that Arcania, the Immortal who ruled over the Frostbourne, had killed all of them with a glance, and used their frozen corpses to build a palace of ice.  No one had ever seen it though, so Natalya wasn't about to believe any of it.  Even the existence of a council of Immortals, this pantheon as they called it, was only legend.  And no one could verify that Arcania had an ice palace, and only vague reports and educated guesses gave them any indication that she existed.
"Sir.  Orders from command have arrived as scheduled.  They want you to receive them in person."
"Prep the ship for launch, have everyone on board by the time I return."

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