Balada: When death did not exist, nor yet Eternity Part I 052

*Excerpt, from the works of Grand Scholar, and The Great War expert Dja.n.u.s Todomari from the Imperium  Archives*

At 23:38 Imperial Fleet Standard time, Caliupus 29th Imperial year 1894, Federal year 3937 and Republican year 949, the volunian fleet was heavily damaged by the ambush from Metternich’s Heavy Fleet, a minute later the Imperial reinforcements that had arrived in the system hours before, had been detected by both fleets and twelve hours latter what was left of Yemen’s force surrendered to the Empire.

The battle of Ear/ Siege of Balisha was over and although many other battles would follow after the fight would eclipse it, in size and strategic importance, this battle was without a doubt the most important one in terms of its historical significance.

The Volunian-Imperial War was, as most scholars now agree. tipped decisively in the favor of the Empire, for the Volunians had not only lost more than half of their strongest fleets, but also, they were deprived of their top military leader Admiral Yemen, combined with the capture of his key subordinate, namely Kucklock, Codolatecas, Baflas.h.i.+n and Dashuman, who were in their own right capable and experienced s.p.a.ce fleet leaders, it was a blow from which the psyche of the Volunians would never recover.

The loss of the ‘Immortal Admiral Yemen’ from their military would prove decisive, as the war. although ongoing, was to many Volunians already lost.

The long term effect of the battle was that it significantly boosted the career of many officers that would play key roles further on.

On Volun 4, Captain Hannibal’s and Lieutenant Hendrickson’s capture of several Imperial chariots would lead the victory starved propaganda machine of  both the Volunia and the Federation to portray them as fearless heroes, giving them great public coverage and a solid foundation for their future careers.

Warchief Octavia von Bismarck, as a result of her alliance with Metternich and her future political maneuvering, her influence in Parliament would rise significantly.

Finally the most significant career boost was that of Metternich himself.

The great warp storm that hit them during the battle would quickly be told by the sentients that fought there, and with each telling it would go from recollection, to story, to tale, to history, to myth and finally legend in less than a few weeks.

For many people the storm was in fact the mythical G.o.dwind.

The G.o.dwind was the name given to a warp storm during the Battle of Dodecaziat, where a great warp storm completely smashed the Commonwealth fleet, right before the imperial fleet arrived and destroyed what was left of their opponents.

With so few losses and their stores still full, the leader of the fleets Grand Admiral Chi Han and Chief of Staff High Admiral von Motel launched a raiding campaign that managed to vanquish another five fleets, capture 30.000.000 S.A.P.I’s (Standard Annual Planetary Income, which one unit is about 90 trillion galactions) worth of materials and gave the clear message to the entire Galaxy that the old world was over.

And with the tales of the G.o.dwind blowing once more, the Fox of Marengo’s star would only continue to rise.

Metternich during what is now called the Ear campaign had demonstrated for the first time the traits that would make him a legend.

Peerless courage, surprise, boldness and an eerie ability to read his opponents mind  and always land himself right in the middle of the enemy’s most critical operations, where the fighting was the thickest.

He had also utilized for the first time the traits of his main subordinates, that would forever be a.s.sociated with his fleet.

The unparallel skills of his chief of staff and second in command Adrian in terms of strategy, tactics and organization, the  unmovable defensive skills of his s.h.i.+elds: Valyria, Tarkan and Georgaian and the lighting fast offensive capabilities of his swords: Oscar, Antonius, Dalius and especially Horatia, combined with Werner’s Black Berets, it would be the first taste the galaxy would get, of one of the most renown fighting forces in modern and to one could argue, all of known history.

But that particular chapter of the second millennium, although being of great importance, would only give way to new and unexpected things as the sands of time flowed on and the pages of history turned to open a new chapter.

Grand Scholar and Great War Expert Dja.n.u.s Todomari

Imperium Archives

Imperial territory, Scar System, Planet Ace, Cornelia’s Fleet main base of operations, undisclosed underworld location.

The term ‘underworld’ is one that’s meant to be used metaphorically, since it signifies a hidden world, or rather hidden society that thrives on corruption, theft and murder to feed its greedy inhabitance.

But in this particular situation the term underworld is a literal one, since the mafia hit men that were currently surrounding the building that housed their target was residing, belonged to a city that was built long ago as part of an underground mining operation.

The underground city Periushka was a grand construction, with great towers that spiraled from their ever expanding bases to their sharp peaks, with roads that not only went horizontal, but also vertical and oblique.

When the street lights where all lit up, to signify the beginning of the day cycle it was an even grander sight, since the buildings where made out of rocks that where rich in minerals which gleamed like diamonds in the light, and now when nighttime was falling, the effect was even more beautiful as thousand of firefly like flashes of light flickered in the dark.

“Almost a shame to ruin such a lovely evening with death, wouldn’t you agree Zaheer?”  Don Ciafese said to his underling.

“Couldn’t agree more Don, but we all must do things that we don’t like, from time to time.” Zaheer replied.

“You are right as always my old friend!” Ciafese said with a laugh and Zaheer joined in as well, and so the two high ranking criminals gave out a good chuckle, which made their neck pouches inflate with each giggle, for they were of the Tramanoghesefesness race, an amphibious frog like people, though they were both in their second form and it was only the green pigmentation and their neck pouches that gave any clue to their species.

“Send the troops in!” Don Ciafese said and a hundred or so members of his criminal empire, that were with him, entered the building, all with the exception of a few mafia personal, who where the Don’s captains and doubled as his bodyguards. They numbered about 20 in all, and they stayed behind with Ciafese and Zaheer.

As the large group of troops entered the building, a great smile became present on Ciafese’s face, one of grim amus.e.m.e.nt from  the thought of the no doubt painful death that his made men would inflict on the interloper, who was send to investigate his family.

That smile quickly vanished as a hand descended from the top of the door frame, which closed the great entrance to the building.

“Did you see that Don?” Zaheer asked, but even if he hadn’t seen it, they definitely heard what followed, for a great cry of wave explosions, horrid pain, terror and shouting erupted from inside the building, and these sounds didn’t not make Ciafese laugh, for they where the sounds of his own men dying.

The horrifying screams continued for about five minutes or so, until nothing but quiet remained.

“What the kriff is going on in there? Can someone tell me what just happened?” Ciafese shouted into a windwaker’s comm crystal to his subordinates inside.

“I killed your entire criminal organization in less than a standard minute and I’m coming for you of course!” a woman’s voice was heard from the other end of the comm crystal, one that made Ciafese and Zaheer’s blood run cold.

“Have a nice day!” the voice added, before she turned off or smashed her end of the comm crystals and only the eerie sound of static remained.

Ciafese turned to his men to issue orders, but just as he opened his mouth all of the nearby lights where suddenly turned off, with the exception of the great one that was placed on the city’s highest cavern roof, in order to simulate moonlight.

“What’s happening? It’s too early for this!” Zaheer said as he, Don Ciafese and about twenty bodyguards all huddled together in a protective circle, where the light broadcasted by the ‘moonlight’ was brightest, instinctively drawn to the only remaining source of illumination, so as to not go blind and unfortunately for them, that was exactly where their foe wanted them to be.

“Don’t panic, it’s just one enemy!” Zaheer said in a desperate attempt to rally their forces, but it was useless, since the moment he finished that sentence a rock pebble was heard hitting the ground that was to their left.

Immediately after that, the panicked men stricken men started firing at where they heard the noise, launching a barrage of arrows of all kinds towards it.

After a few seconds of constant firing, the barrage stopped and the criminals waited with bated breath.

*THUD*

The sound of a body was heard hitting the ground, and they all released the breath of air they’ve been holding.

“Well go and check it out!” Zaheer ordered and the twenty or so bodyguards did just that.

“If I knew what kind of day today would be like, I would have snorted some Elysium before coming here.” Don Ciafese said and Zaheer nodded, Elysium was a drug, and not just any drug, but ’THE’ drug on the market.

 That white powder gave you such an incredible euphoria the first time you took it, that you would spend your entire life consuming it and trying to recreate that first time, you would ‘look for heaven’ al you’re life, but you’d never find it.

“Hey this is one of- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” one of the bodyguard tried to say, but was quickly cut down by the enemy, who like it was made from the union of black lighting and death itself, hurled itself at the group, cutting in two the now dead bodyguard down with a single swing of her sword.

 Before those still alive even realized what was happening, a second and third bodyguard had been cut down.

When they tried to bring their own swords to bear, their efforts proved to be in vain, for the fourth and fifth where already, dead as their swords left their scabbards.

A sixth bodyguard tried to rush her, but the imperial agent deflected his blown to the right, crouched down and cut her opponent in half with an upward stomach slash, she then charged forward, side stepping a blow form a seventh opponent and cut of his right arm with a wide side slash of her blade, and the gangster fell to the ground, where he lost consciousness from blood loss.

The imperial then pivoted her whole body to the left and deflected a blow from an eight opponent.

A ninth one tried to cut her down while she was engaged with the eight, but she simply stepped out of the way and let the eighth and ninth bodyguard cut each other down.

The remaining mafia men seeing just how formidable their foe was, dropped their swords and ran, after all, no paycheck was worth dying for, killing for definitely! But not dying for.

However it was too late for them, for the Imperial agent who was as fast as thunder, as deadly as lightning and as quiet as a shadow pounced on them from behind, producing no sound but the agonizing screams of her dying prey to be heard piercing the darkness.

Don Ciafese and Zaheer upon seeing this horror, immediately turned tail and ran back to Ciafese’s personal chariot, once inside they shut the bolted the doors shut.

“Let’s get out of here!” Zaheer said, but much to his surprise Ciafese did not start the chariot.

“You go, I’m staying.” Ciafese said as he started pulling out weapons from the backseat and a box from the glove compartment.

“WHAT! But Don, that thing out there will kill you!”

“Yes it will old friend, but at this point I’m already dead, the people we lost inside where my best earners and soldiers, my captains are dead, and I doubt we can outrun that maniac out there.”

“I’m afraid this is the end for me.” Ciafese said a trance of sadness in his voice.

“Tony!” Zaheer said stunned as his lifelong friend and boss words.

“Tony? I hadn’t heard that name in years; HA! I almost forgot my own name!” Ciafese said with a laugh as he finished selecting a weapon and started opening the box from the glove compartment.

“Well I guess it’s my time, I’ve krifed the entire planet for years, guess it’s time for me to get ganged in return.” he finished opening the box, and inside it was about two kilos of the purest, whitest Elysium Zaheer ever saw.

“Do you hear that buddy?” Tony asked Zaheer

“Hear what? Everything’s quiet!”

“Exactly, she’s done with the boys, so now she’s hunting me; guess its curtains then! Oh, well might as well go out the way I lived, namely in the style!” Ciafese said as he slowly exhaled all the air from his lungs, regretting how this was his end and perhaps even at how he had lead his life.

He then thrusted his head with all his strength into the mountain of Elysium and inhaling with all his might, he snorted an avalanche of the white powder trough his nose.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!” Tony Ciafese shouted as he grabbed a great crossbow with his hand, shot an arrow through the winds.h.i.+eld and jumped out of it. He then climbed      on top of the chariot and with the heavy crossbow, which was designed to be used on a pedestal and   be operated by a two man team; he started firing at the shadows that surounded him.

“SAY h.e.l.lO TO MY FRIEND,DO YOU LIKE HIM!??!?!” he shouted as his merciless barrage of arrows left the crossbow and exploded in a great wall of fire all around him, the light from the blast  and subsequent flames chased the shadows away, revealing the silhouette of the Imperial she-devil.

“THERE YOU ARE! SO YOU WANT TO PLAY DO YOU? YOU LITTLE BUG! LET’S PLAY!” Ciafese said as he unleashed another barrage of arrows at the now visible Imperial agent, who quickly ran and dodged out of their way, while firing her own arrows at the Don, hitting him the right arm, and it being an earth arrow it quickly expanded, making the arm implode in a shower of blood.

But despite the ma.s.sive pain that comes with such a wound, Ciafese simply continued firing the crossbow with his left arm at the shadow of death, who continued to run between various buildings and corners for cover and dodge his fire, while retaliating in kind.

He was now ‘close enough to heaven’, to not be troubled by the petty concerns of the mortal world.

A second, fourth and fifth arrow was released from the Imperials crossbow, all impacted his chest and exploded in a flurry of fire, water and wind producing  a shower of blood and body parts.

“IS THAT IT? YOU TOWNGIRL! YOU DANERA! YOU PIECE OF GADOR! I’M TONY CIAFESE! YOU DON’T KRIFF WITH ME, I KRIFF YOU!” he shouted as he finally ran out of ammunition and discarded the crossbow, and with the fire from his initial barrage extinguis.h.i.+ng, he had no way of facing his opponent, who continued to keep its distance and pelt him with arrows.

“YOU HEAR ME! I’M TONY CIAFESE! I KRIFF EVERYONE!” he said as he walked down from the top of the chariot to its hood, and finally on the ground.

A sixth and seventh arrow hit him in the chest.

“I’M TONY CIAFESE! I KRIFF THE GALAXY!”

An eighth and ninth arrows impaled him this time in the left arm and his crotch.

“I KRIFF THE UNIVERSE! I DEATH ITSELF, YOU CAN’T KILL ME, SO COME ON!”  Tony shouted as he slammed his remaining arm against his chest, in the gesture of a challenge to his unseen opponent.

A tenth and eleventh arrow hit him.

“IS THAT ALL YOU GOT! IS THAT ALL YOU GOT!?! COME ON YOU PIECE OF TAFF! I’M TONY CIAFESE! YOU CAN’T KILL ME, YOU TONUR!”

The twelve and thirteen ones. .h.i.t him, and they two seemed to barely slow him down.

“I’M TONY CIAFESE! I CAN’T-*SLASH* his shouts where stopped by the imperial’s blade, as it pierced the back of his skull and exited through the mouth. With that, Tony finally succ.u.mbed to death.

The body fell to the ground with a resounding thud, Zaheer who was still in the chariot was too scared to move, as the Imperial agent slowly turned around, revealing her long dark hair that was tied into a bun on top of her head, her ruby red lips and white creamy skin and dark piercing eyes, all of her face was lit by the now dying fire from the death of Tony Ciafese, as if the flames where bowing down to this Angel of Death.

For a minute  or so she placed her hand on her chest to listen to her heart beat, hope and antic.i.p.ation where plainly drawn on her face, but her features quickly turned back to that of a neutral expression, as what she felt in her heart was not what she desired.

“To easy…….far too easy.” The imperial lamented as she slowly made her way towards her remaining prey.

As the warrior got closer and closer, her features and clothes became clearer, she was wearing black combat boots, dark jeans, and a long black overcoat, that covered a dark crimson s.h.i.+rt. However, the coat at this point was now in taters from the battle, a fact that was not unnoticed by the Imperial, so  she started to remove it.

While she was seemingly busy with this task, Zaheer’s mind finally recognized who she was, and with the revelation his mind was gripped by even more terror.

For the woman in front of him was no mere agent. No! She was in fact the head of CORSEC, the imperial spy organization, she was High Princess Monas’ Zulanasai  de Harkonian, nicknamed ‘Cainblessing’ by her ‘allies’, and the ‘Fire Princess’ by her ‘enemies’, the most feared being in the Empire, if not the Galaxy itself now stood before him.

Zulanasai, after discarding her tattered coat, gazed with a predatory smile at Zaheer and with her bone chilling voice said:

“That is one fine coat you’re wearing!”