NationStates Jolt Archive

The deep wasteland of Blackgrue. Desolate, inhospitable, dangerous. The place where sparks have always dumped off their creations to wander aimlessly for eternity. A place where only the very brave eck out a meager existance in small little settlements. The dregs of sociaty, the ones with nothing to loose nothing to gain.

It is here, the last remnant of capitalism in blackgrue decided to refuse to die. It is here, where our story begins in the town of Olympus. A town of only a few million (A tiny settlement by the megacity-dwelling Blackgrue standards) where life has been hard since the technocrats came to power. Wealth sharing goes to the places where there's people to share it with, and Olympus only has the occasional big-rig express bringing goodies, meanwhile they have to fight the wasteland alone.

It is here where we begin our tale.

Sam walked into the building as the sun set behind some low, but dense cloud cover on the horizon. Sam was in his mid-twenties and had a bitter, world-weary air about him as the breeze tousled his short brown hair. The building looked no different on the outside from any of the others nearby, but he knew that on the inside, it was quite different. As soon as he opened the front door, he was greeted by a scene of anxious peace. He slipped off his shoes and put it on the shoe-rack by the door before delving deeper into the house.

In the kitchen was what he had sworn was a beautiful nymph the first time his eyes landed on her. Her blue-black hair hung down, almost to her hips in limp curls. He knew from the curls that she had bathed recently. She wore a simple business-like suit that he thought both hid and revealed her figure at the same time. She turned to face him, her steel-blue eyes piercing him to his soul. She was standing by the sink, a massive thick cup in her hands. He figured it was tea, her favorite beverage as he noted that the liquid was a brownish-green color and was steaming.

“What's our status, Lieutenant-General?” she asked in her authoritarian way.

“We have amassed fifteen hundred and sixty-four recruits so far in our recruiting,” Sam replied, stepping into the kitchen before crossing his arms, leaning against an outcropping.

“Sounds like we're ready to go to phase two,” she replied with a nod before taking a sip of the tea.

“I don't think it should be you,” he stated suddenly with a harsh tone.

“Excuse me?” she asked, looking up at him as she set her cup on the counter, looking to get ready for a fight.

'Here we go again. We can't stay in the same room for fifteen minutes without getting into a fight,' he thought almost bitterly as she marched up to him until their toes were almost touching. She tipped her face up to face him. He knew if they were closer to each other in height, they'd be literally eye-to-eye. He took a deep breath before opening his mouth.

“I don't think it should be you to tell those...technocratic idiots our intentions and make yourself the target,” he stated, knowing his voice had turned gentle.

“And what makes you think you're more able?” she asked, her voice turning diamond-hard.

“I don't. I just think we need someone else to play figurehead,” he stated, “if anything happened to you, I-...I mean we, will be lost without any sort of leadership.”

“You know why you made Lieutenant-General,” she stated, turning away from his gaze and walking back to her tea.

“I thought it was because of my devilishly good looks,” he replied with a smirk.

She laughed, her laugh not so melodious, but not harsh. He compared her laughs to something sort of a hiccup in nature.

“Well, I do admit you are a bit of a pretty boy,” she stated, sitting down at the table, grabbing an orange, her favorite fruit, and starting to peel it.

“Only a bit?” he asked, feigning hurt.

“Yeah, only a bit,” she replied with a smile, “but it's because I don't trust anyone more than I do you. If anything were to happen to me in thi--”

“It won't,” he stated harshly, interrupting her, “I won't let it.”

“Well, let's say it would, yo--”

“It won't!”

“I'm just sayin--”

“How many times do I need to tell you! Nothing will ever happen to you!” With that, he stood up quickly and briskly marched to her and pulled her up from her chair and landed a rough kiss on her lips.

The kiss was chaste and was quickly ended as he held her shoulders in his hands, looking down at her.

“I don't want you to be making yourself into a target. I care too much about you,” he stated, his voice gentle, “and I won't ever, ever allow anything to happen to you.”

“But if it did I--”

“Do we need to keep continuing this fight?”

“I'm just saying that you're the only one I trust enough to keep the Shadowstalkers together and operating proficiently.”

“But it will never happen,” he stated.

“Sam.”

“Yeah?”

“Let go of me please and go take care of all the stuff that needs to be done now.”

“You mean delivering the package.”

“Yes.”

“And if I fail?”

“I trust you that the package will arrive to where it should.”

“On our friendship?”

“Yes.”
Sam let out an annoyed sigh. He had the feeling that either way, he'd be losing the one woman he cared about since he had met her, all those years ago. He picked up the parcel that rested on a table in the living room area and glanced back at her. He gave her a hopeful smile as he put his shoes on.

“Let's hope that things go as planned,” he stated.

“Me too,” she replied.

“I'll report in once the parcel is delivered,” he stated as he opened the door.

Within a few seconds, he left the building and she let out a sigh as she set her orange on the table and folded her arms in front of her and rested her forehead against her arms.

That night, the tape was played on every screen in Blackgrue.



“I feel it is time to inform you, the people of Blackgrue that we, the Shadowstalkers wish to have our own nation to run as we please. We believe that capitalism is the means to the pinnacle of human civilization, and socialism a means to becoming a footnote in the history books. We do not wish to have more bloodshed, but if you start a fight, we will end it.”

This transmission was not unnoticed by the high command. In their citidel cruising higher then any other craft could at the edge of space in the several mile long Castle Wolfenbach, the sound of boots clicking on the marble flooring echoed through the hallways as the motley crew of various militia colonels approached the nerve center of the region. This round room was dominated by a circular table with the center cut away in that center dozens of clanks recorded information recieved from across the nation, the walls are painted in exquisite murals.

Three generals, one Human, one Jäger, and one half-clank, sat at the far end of the table. The human general Professor-General Thompson held his head in his hand "How did you let this happen?" He asked the group.

One of the men stood forward and shouted "YOU let this happen! Our settlements are dieing for the 'good of the people', you technocrat son-of-a-b-!" a shot rang out, and the man fell backwards with a hole through his chest.

"Hyu don't gets to make demunds uf diz council." General Hanz, the Jägerkin general stood holding his smoking pistol he took from his enourmous hat. He sits down as clanks take the body away for re-animation.

"Gentlemen, we need to keep focus." The half-clank Doctor-General Wiesenthal said sitting Hanz down "What will we do about this rebellion."

"Ve need a show uf force." Hanz muttered "Invade."

"What troops do we have in the area." Thompson asks the clanks in the center. One clank prints out a sheet with a single name, "USS Serpintine, Jaeger/Air-force joint command. 10,000 personell, 8,000 military." Send it, dismissed.

==Near Olympus==

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The serpentine, the flagship of the light Serpent class Zeppelin flew in the general direction of Olympus flying low, silent, and lying in wait.

The basement of the base was a command room. This room was simple, with only a large table with a map and a communication device on it. At the head of the table was Tammy, who revealed herself as Celentra, sat, her fingers steepled in front of her, a cup of tea off to her left. The phone-like device had a speaker and microphone on it.

"How long do you think the zepplin would take to get to Olympus?" Tammy asked.

"Thirty minutes. It just landed, we assume it's dropping off an army of Jagers,” the Infrared specialist said over the device.

Tammy let out an annoyed sigh. This was going to be a pain. A small portion of her army was still training. She knew that out of the 1564 recruits, only 1400 was ready for battle.

“Summon my Generals as well as Shadows 1st Class Rinehurst, Morrigan, and Jurn,” Tammy ordered.

“Did someone call our names?” came a very confident male voice.

“I'm pretty sure I heard her call for us,” a somewhat confident male voice added.

“Yes. I heard it as well,” added the calmest of the three.

The three men wore black long sleeved shirts and trousers, blackened shoulder guards and black boots that were all spotless.

The holder of the first voice leaned against an archway, his arms crossed in front of him and was the shortest of the three. His black hair was unnaturally long seeing that he was a male, but it was tied back into a tight braid and he had a piercing on his left ear. No one needed to ask if he was bored, he usually showed that he was bored. He had a gunblade in a holster on his left and had a tachi-like sword hung on his other side. His hazel eyes showed extreme boredom as he followed the path of a small fly.

The second had blonde hair that was buzzed down to short and unruly spikes. His grass-green eyes sent a glare at his bored friend before thumping said friend with the back of his hand. He had a scar that stretched from the very top of his forehead all the way to his jaw, separating his left eyebrow in half. He had a sword with a broad blade which hung at his back and had a pair of pistols.

The third was completely withdrawn and stoic. He usually was when on-duty but she had known as much as his two brothers in arms that he was rather normal as far as guys were when he wasn't. He had a long sword that hung at his left side. He watched as his first friend rubbed his head with an amused smirk, the amusement sparkling in his azure brown eyes. His brown hair was cut normally, giving him a deceptively normal appearance.

“Yes, I called for you. I want the three of you to escort the Lieutenant-General so that he could work out some sort of treaty agreement. You will be given four monowheels to travel on and you are to avoid battle unless necessary for your mission,” Tammy stated.

“I don't want to leave your side,” Sam stated.

“It's an order!” Tammy snapped as her three Generals walked in.

“General Willis, what's the status of the Infantry?” Tammy asked as the four men left the room.

“We have thirty Guard Spiders and ten Guard Scorpions built and ready to launch. We have also thirty scavenged Technocrat weapons platforms. Our numbers are at 900 strong plus 334 strong from the militia and 229 mercenaries,” Willis stated.

“We have, minus the three agents, 157 trained and heavily specialized agents ready to be placed in strategic points,” General Hirano stated with a smile.

“We have 67 agents ready for deployment,” General Siron stated as Tammy looked at him.

“Okay, we have ten minutes to plan so we can get into a defensive position around Olympus before they can storm the city. We're going to need to set up anti-air defenses for that zepplin. The placement of your operatives and agents are up to you, gentlemen,” Tammy stated.

Ten minutes before the arrival of the zepplin, half of the availiable force was placed in highly strategic places- Stalkers in buildings with proper sight of the battle, Shadows behind the Infantry, which was in the front lines with all the availiable mechanic weapons platform. Four Monowheels left Olympus from the eastern exit, heading east before turning toward Mechanicsburg. The plan was that when needed, the other half of the fighting force would take over the battle when the combatants on her side were tired for the night.

“And now, let's hope that this doesn't become a slaughter,” Tammy said wearily before taking a sip of her tea and waited to hear the transmissions from the battle.

“This is NightFox. We can see the army from our point as we're leaving Olympus. You sure about this, Tam?” Sam asked over the transmission.

“Yes. You're the best when it comes down to negotiation.”

“Let's see if I'm good enough.”

On the ground about 10 miles away, the Serpent detached the majority of it's gondela, it's primary cargo module was now on the ground, a portible multi-story beveled-box shaped bunker for the 8000 soldiers that dropped with it, 2000 crew remained on the zepplin's command module allowing it to keep in the air. the much lighter zepplin now dumped a large amount of excess lifting gassess to struggle to remain near the ground, finally it achieved equalibrium.

standing outside, an older Jägerkin bit down on his pipe, the city ahead barely a speck on the horizen, he peered off and listened to his junior officers shout to unload the equipment from their portable bunker while others got to work reinforcing the sides of the bunker with sandbags and dirt. He scanned over his clank-eye laser-scanning the ramparts of the city in the distance.

They have the advantage of cover, they had a city and it's citezens to hide behind.

He looked up at the serpent, at its massive long-range rocket launchers, he looked at the mobile artillery and morter launchers being set up from the bunker, at the tanks covering their flanks.

"We hef de advantage uf firepower." he mused to himself before getting on his radio "Captain Charles. You may fire at will."

The serpent suddenly dropped a pair of cylenders the rear of these cylenders suddenly erupted in flame and began to take a ballistic trajectory towards the city. Before impact they shattered and dozens of mini-warheads were scattered before the sudden impact spreading explosive distruction in their wake.

The battle had begun.

Explosions wracked the area that was bombed. Tammy let out a growl. She knew that she was lucky that her base was near the center of the city.

"Continue with the plan! Show them no mercy! Cut them down! Cut them all down!" Tammy ordered.

Rockets were aimed at the zepplin as the army held their position to defend the city.

"What the hell are you thinking! You're going to guarantee the fall of Olympus!" Siron shouted.

"Are you really thinking about nothing but your own hide?" Tammy asked, glaring at Siron.

"If Olympus is destroyed, so is the entirety of the Shadowstalkers," Siron stated.

"Then let's guarantee that we will win. Gentlemen, we will join our army and fight together," Tammy stated, standing up and pulling a sword from a holder on the other side of the room and wrapped the belt around her middle and took out two other holsters with gunblades and put them on.

She turned around, looking to be ready for bear.

"Get ready and in five minutes, we will join our army and we shall put up one helluva fight."

as the rockets streamed towards the zepplen, a single radar pulse activated the Chaffe defence, in 2 quick bursts of quad-cannon fire the rockets detonated in mid-air. The Jägerkin commander bit his pipe harder. "Seems ve gots us a liff vun." he mused as he gave a hand gesture to continue shelling.

Unlike the last time, 12 rocket cluster bombs were launched spreading their little bomblets peppering the entire city, they were joined one by one by the artillery pieces, first 12 inch, then 20 inch then 30 inch artillery of all shapes and sizes were being set up and the defencive line of tanks, in perfect conditions for tanks, pulled up a defencive perimiter, but these Jägerkin were taking their orders very seriously. They used RADAR and binoculars to spot what they knew was coming, an enemy retaliation.

"I just hope they're almost there," Tammy stated as explosions went off around her.

She marched to the front of her army and looked at them.

"I won't lie; we may lose this battle. But we're not here to win, but to hold them at our gates while our diplomats reach the enemy and try to make a cease-fire. If we all die, I will meet you at the pearly gates. If we live, we will live free. Let's show them the power of our resolve!" Tammy shouted over the din before taking position with her fellow warriors before the ground fight started.

__

Sam and the three Shadows saw the massive entity called Mechanicsburg and slowed down as they entered the massive city's gates.

the enormous structures of mechanicsburg loomed above the visiters, the gates themselves a good 12 stories tall, vehicles at the ground level crowd as various flying ones buzz about, in the center the capital tower stood. as these 4 visitors approach a group of armored half-clanks stop them. "Hold it, state your business."

"We are here to speak to the council. We come as diplomats," Sam stated in a peaceful tone.

The three bodyguards looked at each other.

"And we're here to protect him," stated the usually impatient and overly confident one.

The halfclanks look at each-other for a moment and say "Turn over your weapons." they whirr for a moment "And your hats."

"We don't have any hats and the weapons are to defend ourselves," said the overly confident one.

"Remember our mission," the calmest one stated, "we must obey."

The three Shadows gave up their weapons. Sam, being the diplomat, didn't have any weapons on him to begin with.

The guards nodded and let them pass, rows and rows of desks of clanks filing away automatically at the information being recieved greeted them, behind them massive gear-driven number machines churned punching out punch-cards for the clanks to interpret, on one desk in particular directly in front of the group sat a series of jars with brains suspended in fluid attached to each other and to a pair of cameras via electrode wiring. the cameras turned towards the group with a whirr. A part of the desk flipped around revealing a phonograph speaker which began to speak in a tinny voice.

"Four citizens, judgeing from skin tone, hair tone, chemical composition of your exhalation and chemical composition of your sweat, you are from the newly disputed city of Olympus. State your purpose here."

"We are here on a diplomatic mission," Sam stated, stepping forward, "we wish to negotiate a cease-fire."

The cameras were joined by a number of small clanks who whirred and tweeted as they walked around the group. This seemed to be a security measure as the clanks scanned for anything that remotely looked like a weapon.

The expressionless visage of those brains on the desk thought a moment before asking "Do you have an appointment?"

The four exchanged looks at each other.

"No, but is it possible to book one for five minutes from now?" Sam asked

"That requires an immediate action form signed in triplicate and the uninvited entry form 32-B." The clanks usher away and return with a stack of papers and a pen "And it assumes our very busy deligates will see you."

The four exchanged looks.

"Can we just march right in there?" the impatient one asked.

"No, if we did, we wouldn't know which room." the second one stated.

"And if we did, we'd be considered hostile," the third stated.

"Are you guys being serious?"

The three shadows gave Sam a glance as he started to go through the paperwork, hoping Olympus would still be in one piece when it was all over.

==Back at olympus==

The Jägermonster colonel watched the artillery rounds strike the devestating explosions all over the city the widespread fires, he gave the hand signal to cease, let things quiet down for a moment and then got on his radio. "Thiz iz colonel Prosht servink Blackgrue joint commund! Hyu are outnumbered, out-gonned, und out uf time. Hyu vill surrender de city to us, und submit to martial law. Or Hy hef de aothority to reduce you city to soch tiny ashes dot even Gott's leedle fish in trousers von't recognise it." he let that sink in a moment before getting on again "Zo vot now shmot guys?"

The army watched as their belved city burned behind them, casting the area into a semi-light. Tammy looked at her army and saw the fear in their eyes.

"It's either we surrender and things go back the way it was or we don't and we purchase our freedom!" Tammy shouted, "If you want to be in the Technocrats' stranglehold, you can leave and I don't need you anyways. If you want freedom, we will fight and we will win!"

No one even shifted their weight. It was obvious what everyone wanted. Freedom.

Prosht gave them five minutes, when no reply came, he ordered half his tanks and arachs forward. "Show dem hyu earned you hats boys!" he shouts as the armies clashed directly for the first time in the battle.

==Mechanicsburg==

"And sign here, here, here, initial here." a number of 'helpful' clanks instructed the group. "Oooh, your signature is slightly off, you'll have to sign here as well for that." it was somewhat of a specticle, over 50 years of technocracy has seen beurocracy run rampant in blackgrue, most people who encounter it are half-clank and don't mind... but for humans it is a supreme annoyance.

The four men did what they could to rush through the paperwork. They had to hurry before Olympus could fall and everyone they cared about were dead and being buried.

"Anything else?" Sam asked.

"No, now you can head up to the 131st floor and speak to the receptionist there. Have a nice day." the phonograph declared as the doors to a large glass and chrome elevator opened behind the desk.

The four walked quickly into the elevator, pressing the button for the 131st floor. Once the elevator opened to that floor, they walked out and looked around, not knowing where to go next.

as soon as they reach that floor, they are greeted to another large chamber, more clanks are working dillegently on punchcards, the only indication of where to go is a sign marked "Receptionist, .7 miles." pointing down the seemingly endless hallway.

The four gave each other reproachful looks before running down the halls. It was a matter of urgency, after all.

The receptionist was a half-clank, rotating gears turn a strange device on the side of her head, she tilts her head at times as if listening to a distant voice. As the group approaches she turns to them "Blackgrue central comitee, how may I direct your inquiry?"

"We're here to discuss diplomatic relations," Sam stated, his patience tested.

"I'm sorry, but the diplomatic corp is headquartered on castle wolfenbach. Is there anyone in the capital I can direct you to?" she asked ever so sweetly writing out punchcards with clank-like efficiency.

"I don't know. Maybe a way to get into the castle to see the diplomatic corp?" Sam asked.

"I'm sorry but the citidel is on lockdown as an armed conflict is occurring." she stiffens a moment. "Processing... Madame prime-minister Saito requests your presence. Please follow the clanks." the door behind her opens to a MASSIVE open atrium, a glass dome allows light into the green garden, around it's edge there are a number of archways into smaller chambers. Deligates of humans and various constructs with various accents wander around. The rocks on the path suddenly activate in clockwork, and they turn red pointing to a particularly ornate archway at the far end

The four followed the red stones to the ornate archway.

In the chamber beyond the ornate archway, flanked by no less then eight armed-to-the-teeth Jägermonsters in grey-red cloaks, the Palace Guard. was a column leading up to an upper chamber. The group can make out laboratory equipment and a number of strange clanks moving around. The column begins to lower, becoming a dias with a tall, well-built woman wearing a lab-coat and lab goggles. The group had seen the newsreals, they're looking at Doctor Arielle Saito. Prime minister of Blackgrue, inventer of the brain-jar, discoverer of zepplin lifting gas. One of the most well regarded scientific minds of their generation.

What the newsreals didn't show, was the most well-kept secret in the union. She grinned showing off rows and rows of razor sharp teeth, she removed her goggles showing green slitted eyes. The prime-minister was a Jägerkin.

"Vell vell, vot hef ve here?" she said in her thick accent. "Seems de capitalishts hef sent some tahlky guys eh?"

"We come in peace. We don't want any bloodshed on either side so I hope we could work out a bargain before this pointless slaughter has run its course," Sam stated, "My name is Sampson Krich, Lieutenant-General of the ShadowStalkers. Pleased to meet you, Madam Prime Minister."

"Yas yas Hy know vho hyu are. Und Hy know vot hyu're plannink, takink olympus out uf de union, bringink de barbaric imperialisht capitalism to de vashtes." she said leaning on a large column "Vy should Hy let hyu huh? Vot can hyu brink dere dot Hy cannot eh?" She gestures up "Hy made all uf diz. Before Beetle und me, dere vas noting. There vas a buncha royal assholes vho vould go to var rather den decide on de color uf a tablecloth!" she eyed the 4 in front of her "Vot makes hyu zo sure gon BECK iz besht for dot lund eh? Convince me!"

"What makes you think that you can rule over the people like those royalty you speak of" the impatient Shadow stated.

"Easy."

"No, she wanted to be convinced and that's what I'm gonna do! Governments are around to protect the people while serving the people, not just some idiot's opinion of safety!"

"Stop it!" Sam shouted at the rash man.

"What's going on is that, true the royalty bickered about pathetic things while ignoring the bigger picture. And now, you think just because you're all in charge that you can ignore the cries of the people. We're here to tell you that we can stand up and gather the courage to ask for what we want instead of being thrown scraps from your dining room table!" the young Shadow shouted.

A number of clicks are heard as the Palace guards cocked their weapons and aimed at the Shadow. Saito gives a hand signal to hold fire. "We treat hyu like an experiment ja? Hyu gets olympus, und some lund along our border leadink to de ocean. In return hyu give us firsht dibs on you science. Ven ve're certain hyu can provide a contribotion on you own, hyu go on you own."

"And you end this massacre before the sand runs red for years to come," Sam stated respectfully.

She grins "Massacre hyu call it..." She pounded the side of a viewing screen showing the warning shot being fired, and the immediate return fire of Olympus's rockets, it zoomed ahead to the tank skirmishes "Don't look like a massecre to me. In fact hyu iz doink pritty vell. But if you insist."

She produced a single silver whistle and blew it, it was automatically transmitted on every standard radio frequency in olympus. the loud shrill whistle noise got everyone's attention. This was followed by Colonel Prosht's voice with one loud command. "Pack it op."

Slowly the tanks moved back to the portable bunker, the artillery was dissasembled, in hours the zepplin would re-attach it and take off.

"Thank you and it's a deal," Sam stated with a respectful nod.

Saito patted Sam on the back. "Iz hyu a shmot guy? A scientisht Hy mean?" she asked

"I'm more into tactics and operations," Sam replied, "same with these three."

"Vell, even hyu should appreciate de project ve're plannink on usink hyu leedle corperation for." she pounded the viewing screen again and this time it started showing technical schematics, it started piecing them together becoming more and more distinct until it became an image of a submarine, that suddenly surfaces and launches aircraft, then it goes through again and shows a jet fighter that skids under the water, lies in wait, and then bursts out ready to fly. "In exchange for you independence, und de lund ve're givink hyu, hyu vill help us in dese projects Ja? We even let hyu keep de blueprints."

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"Sounds like a vry profitable venture for the two of us," Sam stated with a nod.

"Splendeed. Ve talk terms over de radio. Right now Hy hef a conshtruct in de oven und don't vanna let her overcook ya?" as if on cue, the sound of broken glass is heard, Saito lept onto the chains dangling from the upper level and climbed up shouting "Get beck here hyu leedle shtopid!"

The Palace guards look gruff "Consider youselves dismissed." one says pointing towards the door

The four nodded and left, walking out the way they entered.