The Warriors of All Gods

[Aquatoria]

BOOM!!!! The explosion rocked the earth. Hannik hugged the dirt and grass like it was the most precious thing in his life. As he looked up, he could see Nihonite soldiers advancing on the Haradrim positions in the Tardrart Valley. But he could also see the advancing soldiers being cut down by machine gin fire. Bodies of men, and horses were scattered across the green grass of the valley. Hannik's dun-colored uniform also didn't offer much camoflauge in this green country. Hannik looked around him. His men were all lying down, preparing for a charge on the Haradrim lines. But for two weeks, this strategy seemed to only end in massacre. The advent of machine guns have made it difficult to launched massed charges. Hannik was a Captain in the White Banner of the Army of Thoughtful Grace. The entire Banner was ordered to take the Tardrart Valley and its small but key town of Drart. Drart was the center of the railroads in the southern parts of Moacia. With the railroads siezed, then the Nihonites would be able to move troops quickly and sieze the Ozian Strait. However, a Haradrim army had been ordered to halt their advance, and now two more Banners were sent into the valley to reinforce the White Banner. But they had only advanced ten miles into the valley. Hannik's keffiyeh was wrapped around his neck. His red hair was kept short. He pulled up his rifle.

"Alright men, we are going to move up to those rocks and trees. That should give us some cover. We need to breach those positions as quickly as possible." He fitted the khopesh bayonet on his rifle and leaped over the hill and ran as fast as he could to the rocks. His men followed behind him. Most had rifles, but he also had two machine gun teams with him. He signaled to the machine guns to take the flanks. Machine gun fire and rifle fire were soon directed on Hannik. He heard as some of his men went down, either dead or wounded. He dived for the rocks. Others followed suit. The machine guns were set up, and the riflemen took aim. Hannik pulled the bolt-action on his rifle. "Fire! Show them how the Sons of Tifon fight." Two hundred men opened up on the Haradrim positions. Fire was exchanged by both sides. Soon the Haradrim emerged from their positions and charged Hannik and his men. Hannik was ready as he drew his khopesh and held his rifle like a spear. The two machine guns opened up into the Haradrim, and many collapsed, but there were more of them. May Tifon watch over me.

The first Haradrim jannesary that approached Hannik swung his rifle. Hannik blocked the swing with his own rifle and slashed the man with his khopesh. Hannik dropped his rifle and pulled his revolver. Around him, other Haradrim were locked in deadly hand to hand combat with the Nihonite soldiers. Everything from rifles to revolvers, bayonets to shovels were being used. Another two Haradrim ran towards Hannik. Hannik shot the first man with the revolver and decapitated the other. But one thing he remebered about the men he killed. They had violet eyes. Purple eyes....those aren't Haradrim. Or at least some are not. Hannik pulled out his whistle and blew on it with all his might. "Full retreat!" The Nihonite soldiers broke off the combat and fled. The slow ones were killed by the Haradrim. Hannik was not the first to fall back to the Nihonite lines. He was one of the last. As his men sat down on the grass, exhausted, some were even crying. "This war is going to take awhile longer then we thought."

[St Oz]

Admivi Suviart sat in his entrenched office, staring at the same portrait of his life partner Aleza as he did in the days that he would not hesitate to shoot the very man coming through the door. The situation was complicated, since they were defending more than just their homeland but their captor’s power as well. Yet, as even the Sancta agreed, the Ozians should help repel the invaders, and something underlying that message was using the remaining Gaeanist mobilized forces to continue the fight for independence. At least… That’s what he’d do. The Nihon invaders captured another Libian nation just a few year prior, this nation was warmongering as far as he knew.

For now though, he had to put up with the Harad’zhi coming through that door.

The Harad officer walked into the room, immediately establishing himself as a direct foil to the Admivi. The man was young, his face was bare of facial hair, his uniform was pristine (except for the mud on his boots), and he stood up straighter than the Admivi’s desk. He saluted the Admivi with his two fingers crisply, and then said something about the emperor and his god-thing. His Ozian was atrocious.

“Hello, sir. A divine day is it not?”

“It’s raining.”

“That it is, sir.”

Suviart motioned him to the chair in front of his desk, and the Harad’zhi officer put his absurd hat on the table. Suviart began again, “What are your duties? Why did I get a Harad’zhi?”

“I’m to assist you sir.”

“You’re a bastard that is what you are.”

“Sir?”

Suviart leaned in, in his old croaky voice, “You’re lying to me, you’re a supervisor, and that nice little notepad in your pack with the gold trim is your notes.”

The man shifted uneasily in his chair, “Well,-“

“Shut up, what are the Emperor’s orders?”

The officer lay down a map of the Moacian area, already plotted with lines, “We need your soldiers to advance on these hilltop positions to secure a proper artillery position. Coordinate are-.”

“Spare me, not going to happen.”

“Sir? This is an imperial order!”

Suviart leaned back into his chair, “Why did they draft me if they’re going to tell me how to fight?”

The officer swallowed his nerves, “Well, they said you fought well in the Ozian Demise.”

Suviart laughed, “You’re speaking Ozian to me son, and we call it the troubles.”

“Sor-“

“Shut up, we’re fighting with my tactics. If I understand correctly, I was dragged out of retirement from the warmth of my love to create the same or greater number of Nihon’zhi widows as I did with you Harad’zhi. If this tactic is just some way to kill off large numbers of Ozians, I will shoot you before you try to reach your pretty toy sword.”

The officer sat there speechless, and after the awkward pause, he conceited “What do you suggest sir?”

The Admivi pointed at the map, “I don’t have to suggest, since I’ve already done it. When my scouts saw the invasion, we evacuated Port Lil Sav and set fire to the city. We transported civilians back to Drart by rail car, then transported the 79th, the 40th, and the 31st around the port. Your brilliant Colonel of the Harad division in this area followed the orders blindly, putting himself in the fray by himself.”

“That’s-!”

“Treason? No, we informed him of his strategy, and he went to glory. Your colonel is dead now. “

“How do you know?”

“We’ve already fought this war. You come in here dressed in fancy clothes and an absurd hat! War changed and you haven't yet. These Nihon'zhi haven't got the picture either! They fight for glory, their bayonets are a useless religious symbol, and they charge senselessly. I will not follow that order because it is in violation of the First Listener's military law! Fight with mind. Anyway, back to my strategy. We’ve been entrenching ourselves for the past week, and we ordered a few rats to begin digging into our rear as a falling back position.”

The officer momentarily interrupted him, “Rats?”

“Militia.  Now, we let them into the port, the Colonel’s demise could be seen as a blessing, its feinting those Nihon’zhi into believing that they’re actually gaining ground. We are letting them maintain a steady supply of men. We will never advance, and we will retreat when necessary. When they are charging, they will be mowed down by machine gun fire, when they’re scouting my snipers will shoot them down, and when they are sitting on their asses in the trenches they will suffer diseases.”

The officer shifted in his seat again, “But the Imperial Order. I can’t just -refuse-.”

Suviart stood up, then the officer immediately stood. The Admivi upholstered his revolver, pinned it to his throat, and fired. He then placed his pistol on his desk and returned to looking at Aleza. He was too old for this shit.

A subordinate barged into the room with his revolver drawn, he noticed the body on the ground.

“Insubordination?” He asked.

Suviart did not make a sound or a reaction.

“I’ll write up artillery-death,” and the man began dragging him out of the room.

[Aquatoria]

"I curse the infidel Haradrim, by Tifon and Heru, do I curse them all!" Khemu threw the reports from his field commanders across the tent. His staff stood their ground, but did not dare question the Lion of the Rifi. Khemu looked over the maps. The Haradrim-Moacian forces had halted the Nihonite advance. Khemu's White Banner was holding the center with his flanks watched by the Black Banner and the First Rifi Protectorate Corps. He just sat in his chair and sighed. He looked over the maps of the battlefield. The Battle of the Tardrart Valley was going nowhere. The Haradrim would retreat, but would inflict enormous casualties on the Nihonites. He finally decided to make a decision.

"We will attack Port Lil Sav." The other field commanders just looked at each other. Khemu went to explain himself. "The city itself is useless to the war effort, but the Port still can be. It is a natural harbor and with that island in the center of the harbor, it can be an asset to the Navy and the Army."

A commander by the name of Banner Captain Tal O'Sais piped up. "Banner Leader, the Haradrim have heavily defended Port Lil Sav. Is it wise to assault the city and perhaps lose more men."

Khemu nodded. He liked O'Sais for the reason that the young commander brought new ideas to the fight. "True, but here is the thing. I have coordinated with the Fleet of Familiar Oppotunities. We will assault the city from the south and east, while the Navy lands their own marines on the coast. With the fleet assaulting the coast and the Army from the south and the east, we will encircle the city and force the Haradrim to surrender or retreat. Unfortunatly, the Haradrium are a strong foe and I have a personal admiration for the Moacians who fight for the Haradrim Empire. So we will send two divisions of the White Banner to hit the south, and another one from the White Banner will attack from the east. Send two more divisions of the Rifi Protectorate Corps to assist them. There is a hill to the east overlooking Port Lil Sav. I want the eastern White Banner division to take that hill. It will allow us to position artillery and bring the fight straight to the city. So first at dawn, at 900 hours, the units from the White Banner and the Rifi Protectorate Corps will assault the hill and take it. With that, the Haradrim force should move in to intercept that force, while we attack from the south and overwhelm the defenders there. The naval infantry supported by another division of the Rifi Protectorate Corps will launch an attack on the harbor itself and the north. That should cut off the reinforcements of the Haradrim and hopefully we can defeat them. Any questions?"

O'Sais spoke up again. "By putting so many men into the fray at Port Lil Sav, won't we be leaving our flank exposed? The Haradrim might attack there and push the Black Banner back."

"Good question. And no they will not attack. We have the Green Banner who will reinforce our troops on our left so we should be covered. But anything can happen. However, it won't matter. Even if the Haradrim attack our trench lines, and we still occupy Port Lil Sav, then we have a major port to land troops and supplies. We can retake more ground from that port. It will take time to rebuild the harbor, but thats all we need. Alright, if that is all....dismissed." The field commanders saluted and left. Khemu sat in front of his maps. "Great Tifon, please give us the strength to be victorious."