The Battle of Wyndraea (Checkmate Event)
Part 1: Bad Omen
July 25, 2091
One month before the Battle of Wyndraea
Scourge Staging Area, somewhere in the North Atlantic
Isurus was making his way through a hallway to a war room in the underwater base he constructed to act as a staging area for Scourge operations in the Atlantic. He was with two of his royal guards, soon arriving in the war room where at least a dozen high-ranking Scourge officers await his presence so they may begin discussing plans to defeat the Draconians.
"At last, Hierarch." One of the officers responds. "We may now begin the meeting in earnest." The other officers gather around the table where a hologram of a map comes into view. To the Scourge, the areas they view on the holomaps look more like mountains than actual ocean. This is because they use sonar mapping stations unlike the Draconians or Forsaken with modern GPS, or the Reavers with a lack of proper navigation measures. Several locations appear on the map along the surface area "above" the mountains, and each being color-coded with green belonging to the Scourge, blue for the Draconians, red for the Legion, and yellow for the Reavers. The Forsaken don't appear on the map since they don't have a significant presence around the staging area. The officer began to speak again.
"As we can see, the Draconian capitol is situated here in the heart of the territory they call 'Former Germany,' part of another surface province known as Europe. It is by far their most defended area, given its importance, with the only way to reach it protected by the Draconian citadel known as the 'Siegfried Citadel' to the south of the capitol."
"Despite our best efforts to map the area, the Draconians have it protected from any such intrusions with experimental 'Blackout Nodes' in bases around the capitol. We have no way of determining what forces are currently on station there." Another officer chimed in. He looked rather young for his position, but has already earned a solid reputation within the Scourge for a number of victories.
"Don't bother." Isurus responded. "The Draconians won't be willing to leave their capitol defenseless regardless. However, as I recall, Greta has control of much of the Navy, and there is currently a civil war within their ranks thanks to the revival of a certain cyborg named Vassago. It would benefit us to take advantage of this while they are currently squabbling over leadership. Besides, the route we have planned will start from here," A marker is placed where Normandy should be, in Northern France. "and proceed through the Rhine Atoll before we arrive at Siegfried Citadel. Once we hit the capitol, it is as good as rubble."
"Elaborate for us, Hierarch." A third officer spoke. The amount of decorations on his armor suggests he was chosen directly by the Elders to oversee Isurus' plan. "How would we take advantage of the civil war that is unfolding in the Draconian leadership?"
"I was getting to that, Master Rokul." Isurus responded to the Elder officer. "Since the majority of her 'Grand Armada' has been destroyed by repeated battles, she drew up more forces from other locations within the Empire to bolster her power. The capitol's defenses should be much weaker due to the lack of ships that protect it."
"Ah, yes. Their 'Home Guard.'" Another officer responded. "With the amount of forces we are committing to this operation, even they should be no match."
"Perhaps." A female officer responded. "However, we must not get overconfident with a numerical superiority. The Elders have heard rumors that there is someone leading that fleet who is without peer on the battlefield." Her words sent the other officers aside from Isurus shivers of concern, and they murmur amongst themselves.
"I believe she refers to the cyborg known as the 'Grand Admiral.'" Isurus adds. "I doubt he would even be near the capitol, given he's too busy cleaning up Spader's messes.
"Do not discredit the threat he poses, Hierarch." Rokul responded. "The rumors even suggest that he took on an entire force alone, with only his ship, and emerged victorious. He is simply that powerful." The other officers concerns grew a bit louder after that bit of hearsay.
"Hmph. All the more reason to prove those rumors wrong." Isurus responded.
Meanwhile, outside the staging area, a lone Nighthawk submarine was tucked away in a cavern, listening to the conversation thanks to its enhanced listening equipment on board. Since it's engines aren't on, the Scourge have no idea it's even here. Three of the crew, the captain included, were gathered around the radio as it was picking up everything that was being said during the meeting.
"If he is there with the Home Guard at the Draconian capitol, we will simply crush his fleet and then raze the capitol to the bottom of the ocean. Then, he will have no choice but to acknowledge the Elder's will." Isurus' voice passes through the radio to the receiving crewmates as they listen in to the conversation.
"That doesn't sound good..." The radio operator spoke to his fellow operator and captain. "If this were to succeed, it could be the end of the Empire..."
"Yes, that would be problematic..." The captain agreed. "We need to get this news to Grand Admiral Evangel right away."
"Full speed out of here, then?" The helmsman peeks out from his post while looking at the group.
"No, not yet. Get us out of here carefully, then out of range of the Scourge sonar net." The captain ordered before getting to his seat.
"Slow and steady, aye sir." The helmsman climbed down the ladder to operate the helm and pilot the submarine out of the cavern.
"It looks like things are about to get very interesting."
To be continued...
July 25, 2091
One month before the Battle of Wyndraea
Scourge Staging Area, somewhere in the North Atlantic
Isurus was making his way through a hallway to a war room in the underwater base he constructed to act as a staging area for Scourge operations in the Atlantic. He was with two of his royal guards, soon arriving in the war room where at least a dozen high-ranking Scourge officers await his presence so they may begin discussing plans to defeat the Draconians.
"At last, Hierarch." One of the officers responds. "We may now begin the meeting in earnest." The other officers gather around the table where a hologram of a map comes into view. To the Scourge, the areas they view on the holomaps look more like mountains than actual ocean. This is because they use sonar mapping stations unlike the Draconians or Forsaken with modern GPS, or the Reavers with a lack of proper navigation measures. Several locations appear on the map along the surface area "above" the mountains, and each being color-coded with green belonging to the Scourge, blue for the Draconians, red for the Legion, and yellow for the Reavers. The Forsaken don't appear on the map since they don't have a significant presence around the staging area. The officer began to speak again.
"As we can see, the Draconian capitol is situated here in the heart of the territory they call 'Former Germany,' part of another surface province known as Europe. It is by far their most defended area, given its importance, with the only way to reach it protected by the Draconian citadel known as the 'Siegfried Citadel' to the south of the capitol."
"Despite our best efforts to map the area, the Draconians have it protected from any such intrusions with experimental 'Blackout Nodes' in bases around the capitol. We have no way of determining what forces are currently on station there." Another officer chimed in. He looked rather young for his position, but has already earned a solid reputation within the Scourge for a number of victories.
"Don't bother." Isurus responded. "The Draconians won't be willing to leave their capitol defenseless regardless. However, as I recall, Greta has control of much of the Navy, and there is currently a civil war within their ranks thanks to the revival of a certain cyborg named Vassago. It would benefit us to take advantage of this while they are currently squabbling over leadership. Besides, the route we have planned will start from here," A marker is placed where Normandy should be, in Northern France. "and proceed through the Rhine Atoll before we arrive at Siegfried Citadel. Once we hit the capitol, it is as good as rubble."
"Elaborate for us, Hierarch." A third officer spoke. The amount of decorations on his armor suggests he was chosen directly by the Elders to oversee Isurus' plan. "How would we take advantage of the civil war that is unfolding in the Draconian leadership?"
"I was getting to that, Master Rokul." Isurus responded to the Elder officer. "Since the majority of her 'Grand Armada' has been destroyed by repeated battles, she drew up more forces from other locations within the Empire to bolster her power. The capitol's defenses should be much weaker due to the lack of ships that protect it."
"Ah, yes. Their 'Home Guard.'" Another officer responded. "With the amount of forces we are committing to this operation, even they should be no match."
"Perhaps." A female officer responded. "However, we must not get overconfident with a numerical superiority. The Elders have heard rumors that there is someone leading that fleet who is without peer on the battlefield." Her words sent the other officers aside from Isurus shivers of concern, and they murmur amongst themselves.
"I believe she refers to the cyborg known as the 'Grand Admiral.'" Isurus adds. "I doubt he would even be near the capitol, given he's too busy cleaning up Spader's messes.
"Do not discredit the threat he poses, Hierarch." Rokul responded. "The rumors even suggest that he took on an entire force alone, with only his ship, and emerged victorious. He is simply that powerful." The other officers concerns grew a bit louder after that bit of hearsay.
"Hmph. All the more reason to prove those rumors wrong." Isurus responded.
Meanwhile, outside the staging area, a lone Nighthawk submarine was tucked away in a cavern, listening to the conversation thanks to its enhanced listening equipment on board. Since it's engines aren't on, the Scourge have no idea it's even here. Three of the crew, the captain included, were gathered around the radio as it was picking up everything that was being said during the meeting.
"If he is there with the Home Guard at the Draconian capitol, we will simply crush his fleet and then raze the capitol to the bottom of the ocean. Then, he will have no choice but to acknowledge the Elder's will." Isurus' voice passes through the radio to the receiving crewmates as they listen in to the conversation.
"That doesn't sound good..." The radio operator spoke to his fellow operator and captain. "If this were to succeed, it could be the end of the Empire..."
"Yes, that would be problematic..." The captain agreed. "We need to get this news to Grand Admiral Evangel right away."
"Full speed out of here, then?" The helmsman peeks out from his post while looking at the group.
"No, not yet. Get us out of here carefully, then out of range of the Scourge sonar net." The captain ordered before getting to his seat.
"Slow and steady, aye sir." The helmsman climbed down the ladder to operate the helm and pilot the submarine out of the cavern.
"It looks like things are about to get very interesting."
To be continued...
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