International Space Elevator, 100,000 kilometers above Selatapura — January 30, 2020

  Director Kaios stared down at the final document before him, the product of over a month of acrimonious and bitter negotiations between the individual factions behind the war that destroyed his country—he had fought hard to negotiate and compromise, to mitigate the brutal consequences of Parpaldia’s actions in Philades and beyond, but there was no doubt that the shattered empire would suffer in some way in the years that would soon follow.

  The very issue that prompted the disastrous war had been successfully resolved to an end that both the Director and Ludius considered preferable: all surviving Parpaldian leaders and troops in captivity throughout the Third Civilization Area would be released and returned home, with assurances from the different nations that their respective prisoners had been treated within the standards laid out by the Oseans’ laws. The irony was hardly lost on Kaios—to think that so much bloodshed was potentially prevented by the very same constraints that Remille and her peers had scoffed at and railed against, only for them to ultimately submit to the very same terms that their once-rival continued to uphold and impose before Elysia, prompted countless mixed feelings from within. At least the Auditor’s long-held desire to become a full-fledged member of the formidable IUN would soon be achieved once the nation had demonstrated its ability to coexist with the rest of the continent—although her ambitions of the former Empire becoming a dominant power within the institution would likely take much longer than originally planned, the reassurances and affirmations of Harling and Mugei notwithstanding.

  It was the other terms that would undoubtedly cause much pain and humiliation for the former Empire, however—almost all Parpaldian territories beyond the core homeland would be granted independence and integrated into a Philadean-dominated federation independent of foreign interference (probably except the Oseans, Kaios mused, who hardly seemed to share the imperialistic ambitions of their Parpaldian counterparts anyway), and the rebellious Eastern Territories would be left to their own devices until Ludius and his former governors had reconciled their differences. To allow several rogue provinces to deal with the Oseans and their allies without Eshirant’s oversight would cause no small of consternation; to allow almost the entirety of their hard-fought empire to fragment and realign into a barbarian-dominated alliance was nothing short of disastrous—the Director quietly wondered how his nation would react to such terms in the near future.

  Perhaps that would be the task of his successors or of any government that would soon replace the Emperor and his advisors—but that was hardly his concern or his responsibility at this very moment. With a few strokes, an era in Parpaldia’s history that he and his peers had dominated would come to an end, replaced by one where perhaps cooler and wiser heads would prevail in these uncertain times. In that, the Director found some solace, a cold yet firm consolation that he would cling on to in the dark times to come.

  With a heavy sigh, Kaios reached for the pen and signed his name on the Accords.

  Kaios Endymion

  From another table on the other side of the room, Harling glanced at Kaios’s signature and nodded.

  It was done.

  Bright Hill, Oured, Osean Federation — January 5, 2020

  Silence dominated the room the Gra Valkan diplomats and technical experts had occupied for their meeting, a mixture of shock, horror, and anger permeating through the atmosphere as each person present dared the other to be the first to speak. From the center of the meeting table, Prince Cabal glanced towards Director Gesta, a silent query for the diplomat’s thoughts.

  “Director…would you perhaps be so kind as to outline what needs to be brought up for today’s session?”

  Shaken from his stupor by the Prince’s words, Gesta quickly gathered his thoughts and turned to address the room. “Ah, yes…thank you, Your Highness. Based on the information we have received over the past few days, I believe that there are at least three main points of order: firstly, the current situation regarding the Annorial attacks on our expeditionary fleet; secondly, the succession of the current head of state of the Osean Federation; and thirdly, what action the Gra Valkas Empire will likely need to pursue in light of these new developments, in order to achieve its aims of dominance over the New World.”

  The room grew cold at the mention of the Annorials; the Gra Valkans’ thoughts turned to the countless lives claimed by the sea creatures and vessels of their not-too-distant neighbours—with the infamous Ravernals’ descendants within their seas and the Oseans in the skies and heavens, Gra Valkas was somehow finding itself forced into a corner with each passing day. How exactly was Ragna going to respond to such unprecedented threats to not only its ambitions, but its own survival?

  Gesta quickly went through the basic details surrounding the destruction of the Gra Valkan fleet along the coast of the Branchel Continent, the diplomats and military experts running through the recordings and other data provided by the Oseans for further information to be passed on to Ragna. Fleet Admiral Caesar and Researcher Naguano were quick to assess the capabilities of the Annorial ships caught on the satellite imagery at hand, gauging their technological level to be roughly equal or even superior to their Milishial counterparts—a rough plan was outlined for potentially establishing a naval strategy for the Gra Valkan fleets to respond to similar sea monster and naval attacks in the future, pending future developments in counter missile technology. The discussion then shifted into how to directly respond to the Annorials for their actions—

  “At the risk of coming across as obtuse,” Dallas unexpectedly interrupted, “what exactly is preventing us from directly engaging both the Oseans and Annorials in combat? We have five Invasion Fleets awaiting deployment, and our spies have demonstrated that the military capabilities of the vast majority of the major Elysian superpowers do not stand a chance against even our weakest vessels! We could just send both the First and Judgement Fleets to the Annorial mainland and shell the entire region to oblivion—”

  “And have our prized vessels obliterated by planes and ships that outpace ours?! Have sea monsters that nearly destroyed the Grade Alastar breach our mainland in retaliation?! Have you not been paying attention to any of the intel that both the Oseans and we ourselves have obtained?!” Ciella buried her face in her hands, frustration emanating from her at the incompetence of her subordinate. “The entire point of our visit to the Ostf?deration is to further investigate the presence of a superpower that far outpaces our abilities and to seek a mutual accord that avoids the obliteration of our homeland akin to Parpaldia or Leifor—or are you willing to allow the same delusions that started that whole fiasco in Paganda to dominate your decisions once again?”

  Angered by the perceived insult to his arrogance and nationalistic pride, Dallas rose in outrage. “Director, how dare you—”

  “Dallas,” Gesta spoke up, his tone a clear warning, “stand down—”

  “The Pagandans were barbarians, unworthy of our presence and our respectful conduct that they ignored—the Oseans might be stronger and seemingly friendlier, but they deserve no more than what we have offered every other nation in this New World! We are destined to conquer them in the future, anyway—why bother with any pretense of civility when our courage and valour and our weapons and greatest minds will ultimately overcome what we should be rightly recognising under normal circumstances as an act of war?!”

  “There is a significant difference between valourous retribution and willful stupidity, Vice Director Raymond,” Prince Cabal cooly replied, his face frowning in clear disapproval at Dallas’s outburst. “Faith in our people will not provide sufficient protection from the consequences of direct conflict with a foe whose technological capabilities significantly exceed ours. These are nations that make even the Divine Kingdom itself appear quaint in comparison—would you willingly commit our nation to annihilation all for a perceived slight against our image?”

  “Perhaps at a later point,” Gesta added, “we might be able to stand toe to toe with the Oseans and Annorials, but not today. Is that clear, Dallas?”

  Seeing no way to further contest the point and recognizing that Gesta and Prince Cabal’s voices brooked no argument, Dallas silently sat back down, still quietly simmering with anger as his thoughts of retribution and retaliation continued to echo in his mind. Sighing in irritation, Ciella decided to circle back to their original topic.

  “If direct military retaliation is not an ideal option, what other choices do we have?”

  Gesta frowned. “As we have no diplomatic or economic ties with the Annorial Empire, sanctions and standard protests are inadvisable at this time—based on the information we gathered from both the Elysians and the Oseans, the reclusive nature of the Annorials means that any public statement will likely be ignored or attributed to either conventional sea monsters or a proportionate response to a violation of their sovereignty and isolationist policies. And with their recent actions in mind alongside their historic links to the Ravernals, we can probably assume that their long-term intentions towards Gra Valkas as a whole are likely similar to their ancestors—“

  “Conquest and subjugation?”

  The Director nodded apprehensively to Prince Cabal. “As would be the case behind their interactions with the Oseans, yes.”

  “Our efforts would therefore need to focus around establishing a defense capable of withstanding an attack on our homeland,” Ciella realised. “The defensive measures being developed to counter the Oseans would also have to work against a magic-based opponent similar to the Annorials or their ancestors!”

  “Our approach would perhaps have to be similar to the Oseans in their actions within the Philades and Grameus continents,” Cabal surmised, “with economic and political ties with the different nations as a defensive shield against potential threats such as the Parpaldians. Director Gesta, could we perhaps develop our territories in the Mu continent with similar measures?”

  “That would be up to your father to decide upon, Your Highness,” Caesar pointed out, “based on what our findings and conclusions are from this trip. That said, I suppose he would be able to see the logic in using our national defense as a screen for expanding our territories in the Mu continent—as well as a fitting argument against possible calls from the Elysians to withdraw from the Second Civilisation Area.”

  “There is another option we could pursue, Your Highness, one that we haven’t fully explored yet. What if we were to pursue a military alliance with the Ostf?deration against the Annorials?”

  Cabal, Caesar, and Gesta paused, surprise visible in their faces at Ciella’s bold suggestion. Sensing an opportunity, she decided to further pursue her point.

  “Both Osea and Gra Valkas see the Annorial Empire as an active threat to their respective homelands—a unified approach would not only guarantee the Oseans using their technology against the Annorials instead of us, but also encourage the transfer of their technology and expertise to our Empire to bolster our own defenses. We might even be able to garner additional information about their scientific and technological knowhow for our own prototypes—Osea already is friendly enough with us as it is, and we could in turn offer additional terms to benefit both sides: trade in the form goods and natural resources, or even skilled workers and researchers to bolster our own industries. We’d also be able to overhaul our international image in Elysia, to say nothing of potentially sidelining the Muans and Milishials in case a conflict flares up again between us and their partners.”

  “Wouldn’t that simply make Gra Valkas equal in political stature as the rest of the superpowers of Elysia? That hardly seems to be an acceptable outcome from a possible future relationship with Osea,” Gesta argued, remembering the Emperor’s words with him prior to their departure from Ragna.

  “On paper, yes. However, there are two points we have to consider: first, both Gra Valkas and Osea easily outpace the Muans and Milishials—the two most advanced superpowers in Elysia prior to our simultaneous arrivals—and our combined political influence is already on the brink of eclipsing theirs. Secondly, the IUN already has the other superpowers as members, all with the capability to persuade the other nations within the organisation to join them in a hypothetical conflict against Gra Valkas—if we had even a token position within the IUN, we could be able to stall for time against any measures against the Empire or even frame a hypothetical proposal for a peacekeeping mission in the Mu continent or the Conshal Islands as political maneuvering rather than retaliation to future plans for military expansion—”

  “And if the Annorials do attack us, we could be able to ask the Oseans for assistance in the pursuit of stopping a mutual enemy,” Caesar noted, realisation dawning on his face. “With their technological capabilities, our chances of surviving against an invasion might actually be much higher—”

  “A temporary blow to our ambitions in the interests of pursuing more long-term goals,” Gesta realised, “not to mention an opportunity to revamp our image from what the Milishials and Muans would have the rest of Elysia believe. Ciella, I believe you might just be on to something!”

  “The Emperor and the Senate will have to be persuaded of the benefits of sacrificing our immediate gains in return for a more solid foundation for our continued survival in comparison to continuing our current path of direct military confrontation and domination over Elysia,” Caesar pointed out. “There will be significant resistance to such a major shift in foreign policy without sufficient cause, Directors.”

  “An Osean fighter breaching our defenses without so much as a scratch? Annorial forcessinking our fleets without due cause and directly interfering with internal affairs throughout Elysia? The economic and political benefits of cooperating with the most powerful nation in Elysia in the interests of national defense—the development of Gra Valkan technology that could easily bring us forward by a hundred years, all in return for a brief setback to our national pride? Why wouldn’t they turn down such an offer?”

  Analysing Ciella’s counterarguments, Gesta quickly ran through the possible obstacles to his subordinate’s proposal. “What about the Oseans? What are their thoughts on the matter?”

  The conversation then moved towards the second point of the meeting—a quick rundown on the current leadership and the current list of candidates for the next Osean government. Most seemed to be from smaller parties with either a negligible political presence or focused more towards advocacy for specific interests rather than a wider nationwide policy agenda; discussions went towards three of the four individual candidates present in the security briefing that appeared to be most likely to become the leaders of the succeeding administration.

  Pulling up a file with an attached photograph of a bearded male in a black suit, Gesta squinted his eyes as he read the document’s contents to the people present. “The next person is Governor Mikhael Bronte, currently in charge of the North Osean Autonomous Region—as part of the Belkan People’s Party, he’s currently running on a platform of ensuring greater civil protections for non-Oseans within the country. He seems to be rather popular within the former Belkan territories and some regions of Selatapura, but local pundits seem to think he’s gunning for more of a coalition with one of the other parties rather than a majority government—something about suspicions about the Belkans in a position of power, in light of their actions prior to Osea’s arrival in Selatapura.”

  “Hmm, a possible person to contend with in regards to possible dealings with Gründer,” Prince Cabal noted. “What does he have to say about foreign affairs or Gra Valkas in particular?”

  “He’s a vocal opponent of the vast majority of Osea’s foreign policies on the grounds of ‘foreign imperialism’ akin to that he claims resulted in the destruction of his homeland in the Belkan War—he’s called for the withdrawal of the Ostf?deration from all major international commitments and developing an isolationist policy, with minimal relations with the rest of Elysia beyond trade and national defense. On Gra Valkas, however, he expresses curiosity in our cultural similarities and might be open to furthering ties with us.”

  “A potential ally if we choose to continue our current plans of conquest,” Dallas abruptly remarked. “What are his chances of winning the elections?”

  “Slim, at best,” Ciella flatly replied, her eyes narrowing in suspicion at her subordinate’s intentions. “He’s had prior ties to the Grey Men that instigated the last major conflict Osea’s had to deal with in the past decade, which seems to have significantly tarnished his reputation despite his attempts to repudiate such prior relationships—his positions aren’t exactly shared by the vast majority of the Ostf?deration, either, who all seem to favour a less extreme approach to their current situation in Elysia. Personally, I don’t see the usefulness of tailoring our nation’s foreign policy to assume he becomes the next President…”

  Saying nothing in response, Dallas leaned back on his seat and continued to brood. Pulling out another file from the folder of documents in his possession, Gesta continued with the briefing.

  “Next, we have Senator John Armstrong of the current ruling party, who’s proposed a significantly more aggressive approach to the outgoing government’s foreign policy: expansion of the IUN to the First and Second Civilisation Area, increasing investment in Osean business ventures throughout Elysia to spread their goods and technologies, and an increased military presence of Osean forces throughout Elysia. Interestingly enough, the Senator appears to be part of an opposing faction within the the current party compared to the likes of President Bartlett and Ambassador Harling—while the two individuals and their supporters are more moderate in their approach to demonstrating the capabilities of the Ostf?deration to Elysia, it appears that the Senator’s backers appear more intent on directly pursuing the interests of Osea before its partners.”

  Ciella and Dallas shot each other an uneasy glance. An Osean government less recipient to their offers of friendship and more hostile to their political ambitions could prove to be a problem in the long run, rendering their efforts to improve relations with the wider Elysia moot and maybe even directly intervening in their campaigns within the Mu continent and beyond. Could there be a way to establish a rapport with the candidate before Gra Valkas found itself potentially isolated in a conflict against the Annorials—or the rest of Elysia as a whole?

  “How popular is he with the electorate?”

  Glancing at Cabal, Gesta sighed. “As part of the ruling party, he seems to share a considerable amount of support—although a sizable portion seems to be more there out of loyalty to the President and Ambassador Harling than out of agreement for the current candidate’s positions. That said, it also appears that as many people seem to support his positions, based on our intel.”

  The Prince frowned. “Even the ruling party has its own subfactions? How would they be able to rule effectively if they can’t even agree amongst themselves about the future of their nation?”

  “With all due respect, Your Highness, our own government has its individual factions with differing ideas for the future of Gra Valkas, and yet we have survived over countless centuries—would it be impossible to assume that the Ostf?deration has something similar?”

  “The Doves exist mainly to provide an official recognition of opposing ideologies and opinions to the official government’s policies—with all due respect to those Senators, Director—and to provide a valid alternative to any major decision made by the Emperor, but hardly as a direct and openly blatant form of resistance against the will of the Imperial government. To have a coalition in the Senate that could potentially reverse our nation’s policies against our guidance and consent…”

  “Osea runs under a different form of government compared to ours, and it would therefore stand that while we share similar values, their priorities amongst these values are significantly different,” Ciella carefully noted. “The Oseans would probably assume the same about our own nation, Your Highness.”

  Glumly nodding, Prince Cabal conceded the point. “Perhaps that would be the case, Director.”

  “Last but not least, this is Senator Aadarshini Kumari, a member of the main opposition party but a vocal critic of the current government’s foreign and internal policies—her views on the Osean Federation’s role in Elysian affairs are mainly those of skepticism, with the acknowledgment of the supposed importance of the International United Nations but calling for a greater role on the part of Mu, the Milishials, and their other counterparts in maintaining the newly established status quo. On the subject of diplomatic relations with our nation, she is rather ambivalent: she’s previously condemned our campaign in Leifor like the other candidates, but the Senator appears to be somewhat more reluctant in directly resorting to a military confrontation with a superpower like Gra Valkas if Osea itself is not at risk.”

  Gesta paused, briefly turning to glance at his colleagues—Dallas had carefully schooled his expression to reveal nothing about his thoughts (the young and arrogant subordinate had probably recognised the wisdom of keeping his thoughts on a female President to himself for once, considering the presence of his immediate superior), while Prince Cabal appeared visibly thoughtful about the possibility of an individual of the opposite gender becoming on par in political might as his father.

  Ciella, on the other hand, was staring at the projected image of Senator Kumari with what could only be described as barely concealed awe. It was hardly a secret that an individual like her in such a high position of government was very much considered an anomaly within the overwhelmingly male-dominated Gra Valkan society (a fact that Gesta himself had constantly reminded Ciella of throughout her career, the diplomat mused)—if the Empire were to learn that a woman was to become the ruler of a nation arguably more than equal in power with themselves, the implications for their nation and their own values would no doubt be profound and far-reaching…

  “She refuses to see the wisdom in deploying Osea’s military?” Prince Cabal frowned, leaning on the table as he spoke. “Even for such a pacifistic-leaning nation such as the Ostf?deration, surely she would recognise the threat that the Annorials would pose for her nation…”

  “It would also mean that Osea would be significantly less likely to intervene in our upcoming campaigns in Mu and the Conshal Islands,” Gesta countered. “If we were to isolate them from the rest of Elysia, we would be able to consolidate our position in the Second Civilization Area in the event of a conflict with the IUN or as a starting point for other campaigns—“

  “Unless the Milishials or Muans would be able to convince the Oseans to join the conflict by other means,” Ciella abruptly cut in. “And considering the threat that the Annorials pose, surely antagonizing the one nation that’s already willing to work with us to defend ourselves against them isn’t exactly the most optimal course of action?”

  “Such matters would have to be deliberated upon by my father and advisors,” Prince Cabal replied. “Therefore, the onus lies upon us to provide the benefits and consequences of either confronting the Oseans for their current actions against our Empire or retaliating against the Annorials for their willful slaughter of our sailors in the Branchel Continent. Director Gesta, what would our Empire serve to gain from either option?”

  Pausing to think, Gesta quickly ran through all possible future scenarios in his head before responding. “That would depend on who succeeds the current administration—if the next government shares similar goals in regards to international affairs in Elysia, then our current attempts at establishing a diplomatic accord with Osea would likely bear fruit and merit temporarily postponing our plans of conquest for the immediate future. Otherwise, if the next government is either more hostile to Gra Valkas or ambivalent about our actions in Mu and the Conshal Islands, our approach will have to change to consolidating our position in Elysia, isolating the Ostf?deration from the rest of the world through diplomacy and conquest, or simply pushing to modernise our armed forces for what will undoubtedly be an inevitable conflict with Oured. Regardless of whoever becomes the new president of Osea, I can conclude our analysis with this: fighting either the Oseans or Annorials at this stage would be disastrous; fighting both would, much as it galls me to admit, Your Highness, likely result in the complete annihilation of our Empire.”

  “Then we must either pursue peace with Osea or gather as much information about their technological capabilities to improve ourselves before this window of opportunity disappears,” Prince Cabal concluded. “My father will not be happy with this decision, but he will no doubt see the wisdom of your recommendations, Director.”

  “Don’t we have any other means of persuading the Oseans? Diplomatic or economic leverage, or some kind of additional goodwill from rescuing Ambassador Harling in Eshirant?”

  Gesta frowned at Ciella’s query. “As it is, we’ve already expended our political capital from the Eshirant Incident with persuading the Oseans to send the Belkans to Ragna—any more, and we would need to begin offering more concessions to avoid seeming overly demanding. If we could convince the current and succeeding governments of the merits of supporting us, there is a possibility that we might be able to further consolidate our position in Elysia.”

  “The Oseans themselves are already aware that the Annorials are actively seeking to inflict the same losses on their own forces as they have already done to ours—if we could use that context as an angle to suggest further military cooperation, perhaps we might be able to pursue a closer relationship?” Prince Cabal leaned back, looking at the diplomats for guidance.

  “Not without a clear cause and a critical event that clearly demonstrates to both the Osean government and the people that vote for them that having us as allies would be mutually beneficial—that, or a concentrated effort from our nation to change their impressions of us.”

  “What, by aborting our plans of conquest?” Dallas scoffed, his voice incredulous at the thought. “You’d have better luck asking the Imperial Senate to prostrate themselves before the Divine King of Kain!”

  Cabal suddenly sat up in realisation. “Perhaps I might be able to help with that particular quandary, Director.”

  Confused, Gesta blinked. “With Kain?”

  “No, with our public image in Osea! As the Crown Prince and the highest ranking individual in the Empire bar my father himself, my activities are not as constrained as that of the position of Emperor—I could, with my father’s blessing and the assistance of our Propaganda Department, advocate for the friendship of Gra Valkas within the Ostf?deration by showcasing our strengths and potential as fellow superpower. We’d come across as less of the power-hungry conquerors that the Milishials and Muans would paint ourselves and more of an impressionable colleague deserving of the respect and dignity of a fellow nation—which would go a long way in improving your department’s efforts in getting more concessions from the Osean government…”

  Gesta paused, stroking his chin in thought. “It’s a possible option—but one that we will need to confer with your father and the rest of the Imperial government first before agreeing to anything, Your Highness.”

  “Returning to the original subject,” Ciella added, “what are the chances of the Senator becoming successful in her campaign?”

  For a brief moment, Gesta felt the urge to scoff at the thought—Dallas himself held no such compunctions, earning him a glare from Cabal and Ciella. The Director glanced down at the documents, mentally reminding himself of the cultural and social differences between Gra Valkas and Osea—part of him wondered how much of the Ostf?deration would spread to Ragna beyond the mere planes and weapons of the next generation. Would Gra Valkan ideals and values change Osea, or would Osea also change Gra Valkas in return?

  For the briefest of moments, Gesta imagined with some vague amusement the sight of Senator Marix verbally sparring with Senator Kumari herself—another hundred thousand women like Ciella, he mused, and the Empire might actually be able to stand a chance against the entirety of Elysia. Perhaps in a decade’s time…

  From the corner of the room, Dallas continued to fume.

  Selatapura, Osean Federation — January 15, 2020

  Seated outside a cafe within Selatapura’s business district, Harling looked up from his paper as a familiar figure approached.

  “You asked to have a chat with me?”

  “Ah, Senator Aadarshini. Have a seat, will you?”

  Taking the opposite chair, Kumari took a close look at arguably the most powerful figure in Osea over the past two decades—the silver-haired and neatly-dressed ambassador had a warm and inviting expression perfected over years of careful diplomacy and politics, yet somehow the Senator felt that the conversation soon to follow wouldn’t exactly be a mere case of small talk.

  “It was a rather compelling argument you made in that article in GAZE last week; I was actually curious if you would be interested in further expanding upon the points you made.”

  Kumari frowned. “Is this a political debate or some kind of censure? Somehow, I feel that there might be a better use of my time right now than merely a verbal exchange of views, Vincent.”

  Shrugging, Harling conceded the point. “Very well, if you want a more economical use of this meeting, how about this: you ask me any questions about what’s happening in Bright Hill, regardless of topic, and I ask you any questions about your views. Everyone comes out of this conversation with something, and no bad blood exists between anyone.”

  Taking a moment to process Harling’s offer, the Senator decided to play the Ambassador’s game. “Alright, I’ll bite. I’ll start: what exactly are we doing letting the Gra Valkans roam around in Osea? I know we need some sense of diplomatic relationship with Ragna before we accidentally start a war, and maybe letting them know about the Annorials sacking their fleet was important, but letting them visit Gründer Industries?”

  “Standard trips to analyse our culture and technological capabilities is important for Gra Valkas to develop a basic understanding of what they’re going up against,” Harling candidly replied. “I can’t specifically outline the reasoning behind letting Gründer meeting up with their Elysian counterparts without disclosing classified information, but we agreed to such an event in return for certain concessions and in acknowledgment of…an incident that took place during the war with Parpaldia involving their people.”

  Aadarshini paused—Gra Valkan involvement in the Philadean conflict was something she had definitely never heard before, and undoubtedly something that warranted further investigation later on. “Is that something that I’ll need to worry about in Bright Hill?”

  “Not particularly; we’ve already dealt with the immediate impact of that encounter, and the consequences of the conversation we had with the Gra Valkas about the incident are already playing out as we speak, as you’ve no doubt noticed.”

  “Aren’t you worried about Ragna potentially using our own technologies against us? We know all too well about what Gründer’s capable of, and it’s hardly going to look good for Osea if we suddenly find ourselves fighting sixth-generation aircraft in less than a decade’s time,” the Senator mused.

  “Oh, believe me—the OIA’s been hard at work to make sure that any knowledge they obtain about our planes and weapons doesn’t get translated into immediate advancements in the near future. From what I’m aware, their estimates of Gra Valkas’s current R&D capabilities suggest that they won’t be able to advance any further than Fifties aircraft and prototype ICBMs before the decade ends; the gap between Oured and Ragna will remain significant even with Belkan support, and that’s not taking into consideration our own advancements.”

  “But wouldn’t it be better for our national security to simply let the Gra Valkans figure all that out on their own? Their supposed claims of peaceful coexistence aside, the Empire still has a rather imperialistic reputation when it comes to its affairs with the rest of Elysia—aren’t we just hobbling ourselves in the long run, either way?”

  “It’s damned if we do, damned if we don’t, Senator—if they’re going to figure out the intricacies of modern warfare at some point either way, why not earn a few favours from them in the process? Peaceful coexistence is still our primary aim, regardless of the motivations of our partners—and there’s always the IUN in case things do go south.”

  “If you say so.”

  “But enough about me—how do you propose reconciling our values of coexistence with those of the Milishials and Muans? Parpaldia and Milishial don’t exactly interact with Elysia with the same rules, but we’d be foolish to believe that they don’t necessarily operate with the same values when the Ravernal Empire isn’t the main concern.”

  Kumari took a deep breath, processing her thoughts to form a cohesive response. “The Milishials believe themselves to be the premier civilization of Elysia with their extensive mastery of magic—while you and Bartlett aren’t exactly as blatant as the Elves when it comes to showcasing Osea’s capabilities, our actions throughout the Lighthouse Conference definitely comes across as seeking to supplant their position, regardless of your original intents and purposes. All the mess that making ourselves the de facto world authority in Elysia is going to bring aside, how exactly are you expecting the Milishials to not take offense to that?”

  Leaning back on his seat, Vincent nodded thoughtfully. “The Milishials base their political power through their mastery of magic and Ravernal technology, which is still very much prevalent throughout Elysia—apart from the Muans, there is no other power within the New World that could arguably match the Milishials through non-magical means. Elysia is bound to learn and perhaps adopt some of our own values and beliefs to fully integrate our nation to the wider community, and the Milishials will have to learn to share the stage with us if they want to maintain their position, regardless of what they think about us.”

  “Or else be faced with a Cold War akin to that with Yuktobania, no doubt.”

  “But you haven’t really answered my question, Senator—what exactly do you propose that Osea does to integrate the values of the Elysians to our own goals? At some point, we are going to have to decide whether or not one particular approach to dealing with the known world is the truly effective solution—and pre-industrial mercantilism and the imposition of Milishial or Muan cultural hegemony doesn’t exactly come across as something Osea and the wider Elysian world would wholeheartedly support.”

  The Senator pondered the question, considering Harling’s words and her own experiences in the Old World and in Elysia. “It would undoubtedly be twofold—our continued existence in Elysia will no doubt cause us to adopt some of the values and beliefs of the Elysians and integrate parts of their societies and cultures into our own, while Osean cultures and values will in turn spread across Elysia as time goes on. Rather than directly forcing such changes and needlessly antagonising our counterparts by attempting to solve all the problems of the world, why not just let the process happen naturally? Let the Milishials and Gra Valkans of the future recognise us for who we are through our own interactions rather than through our own stunts—for lack of a better term—and let them decide for themselves whether or not to join Osea in its own goals and ambitions.”

  “And what if we find another nation like Parpaldia who refuses to recognise the truth in front of them? What if we could preemptively stop them from fighting us by having them perceive us on our own terms and encourage cooler heads to prevail?”

  “Can we guarantee that such a solution’s even going to work? The only people of power in Parpaldia that truly ‘perceived us on our own terms’ were Director Kaios and the Governors of the Eastern Territories—and it took your kidnapping and an outright war to enable them to do anything about their country’s situation! And what’s stopping our own people from taking advantage of that approach to abuse the goodwill we’ve built with the rest of Eysia in the process?”

  Harling paused, visibly struck by the final question. “And you believe that my administration isn’t above such antics?”

  “I’m sorry, Vincent, but I’m going to have to be blunt here—your achievements in world peace aside, the government you and Bartlett have been running since the noughties—to say nothing about your predecessors before Belka and Ulysses—hasn’t exactly been the smoothest! I could count on my hand the number of scandals and controversies your policies caused for both Osea and Usea, and that’s not even taking into account the sheer damage the Grey Men did after they infiltrated Oured. Maybe you are genuine about your beliefs as everyone says, but you and your people’s way of achieving those dreams hasn’t exactly been the most ideal for everyone else over the past few years.”

  “And yet despite everything, we’re still very much here and successful in our aims. Isn’t that a testament to what both Bartlett and I have accomplished and managed to overcome?”

  Kumari raised an eyebrow. “You do realise the papers call Bartlett’s administration ‘Harling’s Third Term’, right?”

  “The papers call me and Bartlett a lot of things, Senator—hardly the worst thing we’ve both been called in our respective careers.”

  “The luxury of not having to run for the highest office ever again yet continuing to have a key role in its affairs, I presume.”

  “As compared to the luxury of having the youthful energy and enthusiasm to make a lasting mark that has yet to take place. I think we can both agree to disagree on that regard, Senator.”

  Aadarshini sighed, seeing no further point in pursuing that particular argument. “So what exactly do you want from me now that we’ve had this conversation, Harling? Some kind of apology for standing against you? A boost to your ego by arguing with someone younger than you? An offer to rule the world, side by side as master and apprentice?”

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  The ambassador snorted despite himself, finding amusement in the Senator’s remarks even as a vague corner of his mind came to a conclusion about the woman seated in front of him. “What, like Galaxia IV? I might be hanging around longer than I should, but I certainly hope I don’t come across as like that all the time…no, I was actually curious to see as to whether your views were truly the same as those you’ve expressed in the past—and, perhaps, a tad bit different than what Armstrong has to offer.”

  Suspicion growing, Harling’s guest glanced at him as her eyes narrowed, not quite sure what to expect. “So…basic pointers for John when the debates begin?”

  “Not really. How about my unconditional backing and endorsement—and that of Bartlett—in the upcoming elections?”

  Aardarshini froze. “What.”

  “Indeed.”

  “Harling…I…”

  Vincent grinned. “Go on.”

  “You’d…I’d…Harling, what the hell are you thinking?! You’d be sacrificing your and Bartlett’s political careers by throwing your support to me! Your party…they’ve supported your and Jack’s presidencies all these years, and you’re just going to ignore all of that for someone whose political views differ significantly from yours?!”

  Harling simply smiled, leaning back in self-assurance. “You’d be surprised, Kumari. Remember Appelrouth?”

  “I…your former Vice President? The warmonger who got imprisoned for treason?”

  “Him being picked for the role was a power-sharing agreement between myself and his supporters in return for the nomination—we didn’t agree on a lot of things, and after I went AWOL during the Circum-Pacific War, Appelrouth took the opportunity to take over the job and run things how he and his wing of the party wanted it. Needless to say, things more or less went to hell for them once I came back.”

  “I…damn…”

  Kumari sat back, thinking back to the confusion that surrounded the unexpected end of the Circum-Pacific War over a decade back—to see Yuktobanian and Osean troops as a young adult suddenly change from killing each other to standing down and working to cease hostilities throughout the world, with entire swathes of politicians and military officers across the Pacific either dismissed or outright purged from power, was disturbing in its sheer unexpectedness to say the least. The exact details of what had gone down in Bright Hill once Harling and Nikanor returned were still very much unclear or heavily redacted, but the fallout of what had turned out to be Belkan extremists taking advantage of long-dormant vices within the true Osean and Yuktobanian governments had no doubt been acrimonious and bloody in every sense.

  “Before the Belkan War, it was my party that was an active advocate and participant in many of the more politically questionable maneuvers that gave the Osean Federation its unsavoury reputation in our own world—the entire mess in Usea before Ulysses hit: coup d’etats, rebellions, Scarface Squadron destroying Fortress Intolerance and forcing us to rely on Stonehenge? That was the work of Appelrouth’s old man back when he was still the Secretary of State. The whole Great Lakes incident that caused the War? That was also my party. The aftermath of the whole nuclear disaster along our borders might have temporarily changed the ways of the Nationals, but it’s surprisingly took only a few decades for us to begin to forget the hard lessons we learned—and quite a few minds seem to think that the message of world peace could serve as a veneer for pursuing our old exploits. Much as I hate to admit it, you may be right in some of your remarks: the power that we wield must be used to ensure a lasting peace throughout the New World and shared by all Elysians for generations to come, not another era of reckless militarism like what led up to the Belkan War.”

  Processing Harling’s words, Kumari came to a sudden realization. “The Arsenal Birds…were they…?”

  The ambassador simply smiled. “What do you think?”

  “My God…the Eruseans were right…”

  “The Arsenal Birds were designed as a defensive measure against potential threats to the Lighthouse, but it wasn’t exactly a secret prior to the Transference that many individuals within our government and military were keen on utilizing them to consolidate Osea’s position within the Usean continent. Some of them are still in office, now that I think about it—if you’re successful in winning the presidency, you might actually have the pleasure of meeting a few of them once you take office. Or displeasure, depending on which way you see it.”

  “I…exactly how much power did you actually have as President?”

  “Not enough to stop some more extreme views from prevailing in certain arguments, but not too little that every terrible policy idea became law regardless of my lack of consent. It’s politics in a nutshell, Senator—you won’t be able to please everyone, and you won’t be able to get what you want. You work with what you’re given, and take things from there until you reach the outcome that you desire—wrapped up in a present that everyone can say that they contributed to and benefited from. It’s a tight rope to balance, but the reward is very much worth the effort.”

  Sighing, Kumari reached for her coffee and emptied its contents with no small amount of discomfort, Harling’s words still swirling through her mind. “Ambassador…I…”

  “You don’t need to say yes right now, Senator; go and think about it if you’d like some time to consider our offer. Bartlett’s just as aware of this conversation as I am, so feel free to pay him a visit as well if you want his opinion on the matter.”

  Even as the implications of Harling’s offer continued to sink in, there was one small matter that quickly came to mind. The Senator slowly turned to face the Ambassador, a mixture of curiosity and wariness in her voice: “All right. I get that you don’t exactly agree with what your party’s nominee is going for, and that maybe our points of view aren’t exactly as different as we would seem to believe. But what do you, yourself, get out of all this?”

  Harling frowned. “Me?”

  “Yes, you? Say that I do agree to accept your support and win the election with both my Reformists and your faction’s backing—what do you personally end up winning as a result? Some kind of government position in the next administration? An honor, maybe some kind of medal for services rendered to the Osean Federation? Political say in nominating appointees for the next administration, maybe some kind of ruling coalition for your faction or party?”

  The Ambassador nodded thoughtfully, glancing towards the Lighthouse in the distance. “My personal ambitions for the future of Osea and my own ego getting sated, what else?”

  “Your ego?”

  “Something in less brusque terms, but it’s something along the lines of that particular sentiment. Have you ever read the Starship books?”

  Kumari frowned. “Herbert? The one where a surviving province of the Union becomes the successor state of a new Order?”

  “The Union survives because of the actions of not just the first individual that sees the cracks on the surface of what seems to be an impervious nation, but the countless people that all serve to lead the Homeland through the many crises that follow. The future of Osea lies not just through the actions of the likes of Bartlett and me, but through the accomplishments and challenges that our successors will likely face—not just in our own world, but in Elysia and beyond.”

  “So that’s what you see yourself? The forebearer of a new age of prosperity for Osea? And you want me to continue your legacy?”

  “It’s not nearly as egotistical as we would both make it seem, Senator. Look at the Lighthouse—ignore the conflicts, the controversy, the Arsenal Birds, every piece of political drama that went towards the construction of that monument, just for a moment, and take a look at it on its own terms. What is it?”

  Turning around to face the Space Elevator, Kumari paused and looked at the structure—her thoughts went towards the rocket launches, the rush of optimism that the concept of interplanetary exploration had brought before their world for the first time since Ulysses and the Arkbird itself, the premonition that the mythological utopia promised by centuries of leaders and minds might just be witnessed in a few years’ time—

  The Senator’s eyes widened. “It’s…it’s our future, isn’t it?”

  For the very first time, Harling gave a smile that seemed genuine and pure—not the kind that one gives merely to acknowledge a person’s presence or to greet an individual long expected, but one that finally has another perceive an idea in its purest form—vulnerable yet open, emotional yet joyful, aged yet innocent in its appearance.

  “That is our future, Kumari. Not one where we’re merely stuck with politics and figuring out how to survive until the next election, or one where we have to quarrel and feud with every neighbour for power and influence and self-interest, but a future where our concerns are merely towards exploring the infinite possibilities of our universe together—not just as a group of nations, but as one world united towards a single goal. The stars are now finally within our reach; a goal that our ancestors could have only dreamed of—Elysia now stands in their shoes, and for the very first time in our history it sees that there is another way forward.”

  Kumari nodded understandingly, not quite sharing the aged man’s sentiments—she of all people knew that there was still so much left to do—but seeing his ambitions on his own terms for the first time. “We’re almost there, aren’t we?”

  “We’re nearly there. Maybe I won’t live long enough to see it myself, but maybe your generation—or even the generation that follows—could live long enough to see it. It all comes down to what choices we choose to make—and as you’ve said yourself, we still have a long way to go, don’t we?”

  Bright Hill, Oured, Osean Federation — January 25, 2020

  It required a considerable amount of internal effort for President Bartlett to not sigh in frustration as Edwards and his staff walked into the meeting room once again, yet another briefing of significance to be held regarding the countless issues Osea and its partners now found itself dealing with in the aftermath of their chaotic introduction to Elysia. With the Lighthouse Conference having firmly and unquestionably established Osea’s new position to the entire New World as the premier superpower, Bright Hill quickly found itself flooded with envoys and diplomats from countless nations seeking diplomatic ties and membership in the rapidly expanding International United Nations—Jack had lost count of how many hands he and Harling had shook in the past month, and even General-Secretary Kanata had mused that even the old Hall that the Assembly of Nations had since moved back into might not even fit all of the incoming new delegates in the following years.

  For a brief moment, Bartlett’s thoughts turned away from Edwards’s presentation and towards simpler times—on his old Wild Weasel, teaching young nuggets the basics of air combat over the skies of Sand Island, with Pops watching from below and ready to lend a hand…

  “Mr. President…Mr. President, are you listening? Jack?”

  Shaking himself out of his stupor, the President glanced back at the Vice Chairman; Edwards was staring at him with an expression that could only be described as vague concern. “I…sorry, my mind went somewhere else. Communication lines, I believe we were discussing?”

  “Yes, Mr. President; as you know, the Milishial and Muan governments both expressed an interest for the establishment of a direct line of communication between our nations, to allow the rapid facilitation of information with our existing networks. The idea’s also been floated by General Resource as a means of accelerating modernization efforts in Grameus and Philades as part of the postwar effort, but we still have to assess the risks at hand.”

  Bartlett frowned. “The Annorials?”

  “And the Ravernals, too, Mr. President—a significant portion of our communications networks from our IFF identification system to the Internet itself currently relies on both the Lighthouse and the satellites that we’ve deployed in orbit above Elysia, but both the Ravernal orbital weapons currently dormant alongside the possibility of Annorial rocket launches pose the risk of disabling these in the event of an armed conflict. We’d be looking at another potential DarkStar Incident, or worse: a Kessler Syndrome event.”

  “Hang on, I think I’ve heard of this before from the aftermath of the Ulysses Disaster—wasn’t this where all the orbital debris from that asteroid blocked all spacecraft from leaving our atmosphere?”

  “Err, something along those lines; the current worst-case scenario envisioned by our analysts is a situation where a Ravernal device in orbit creates enough debris to trigger a chain reaction where all satellites at the same altitude are destroyed—apart from the Lighthouse itself, which could also potentially be at risk, our ability to use outer space for long-range communications and orbital weaponry would be significantly impeded if not outright negated for the foreseeable future.”

  “Shit…what about undersea cables? Surely Annorial and Ravernal weaponry won’t pose a risk of damaging or disabling those, too?”

  Edwards shook his head. “We already have plans to arrange for cable lines between Osea and the Grameus and Rodenius continents, but we still know next to nothing about what’s inside the Pacific Ocean itself; sea monsters aside, we’re also still in the process of surveying the seafloor to find possible fault lines and signs of life. Even if we don’t find some kind of underwater civilization like the Navy boys seem to be expecting, the actual process of finding an optimal route and laying down the cables could take years—and that’s not taking into consideration the risk of Annorial and Ravernal interference undoing our work in a matter of hours.”

  “What if we deploy some of our fleets to Topa and Calamique to intercept future Annorial missions to Grameus? Don’t we also have the Lighthouse Division to intercept Ravernal spacecraft as well, as the DarkStar sortie demonstrated?”

  “Well, those do exist as preliminary defensive measures, but we’re also looking to invest in a potential fallback option in case those fail or we end up facing more simultaneous Ravernal and Annorial operations than anticipated. We have our Singularities, but they’ll likely only be in the IUN for a finite amount of time as per the terms of their military contracts—and they are only individual people, after all.”

  The President sighed, frustration building up from within once again. “Fair point. So if radar and satellite communications can be disabled or jammed and ground-based communication lines cut off, what else is there? Some kind of magic-based technology from the Milishials? Or something else entirely?”

  “Actually…”

  Edwards glanced pointedly at Clements, who shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Would you care to explain to the President the…interesting proposal that we received today?”

  “I’m not too familiar with the concept myself, sir—”

  “Which would explain why an idea of this magnitude did not reach my attention, no doubt. Now, would you care to further elaborate before the President?”

  “It’s a highly experimental communications method being developed by both General Resource and Gründer Industries—the details are a bit beyond my field of expertise, Mr. President, but both companies are advertising the technology as a kind of successor to the Internet itself.”

  Bartlett frowned. “A successor to the Internet? That’s a very bold claim, even for those firms—how exactly do they plan to pull that off, considering how ubiquitous our current system currently is?”

  Sighing, the Vice Chairman reached for a nearby document, skimming through the contents with a skeptical eye. “The idea is currently in the theoretical and preliminary testing stage, but there’s a few scientific papers and proposals already circulating in the public domain; I think Gründer might have actually sent us a request for additional funding to continue their research a few months back, but it’s still been circulating within the Department of Defense—specifically the Brigadier-General’s office—ever since.”

  Shaking his head as he chose to ignore the ineptitude of his subordinate for the time being, Jack glanced back at Edwards. “Continue.”

  “Here’s how I understand it: the Internet, as you no doubt know, is a system connecting all the individual computer networks throughout the known world. All the individual components of that system—data centres, internet forums, websites, digital communications, online businesses, you name it—rely on physical infrastructure such as cables or satellites to transmit information between these networks. Which brings us to the current problem: if the Ravernals cause a Kessler syndrome event or launch a direct attack on our surface-based infrastructure, we could see entire regions of Osea cut off from each other with no direct means of communication or coordinating a defense against a potential invasion.”

  “And the proposed solution is…”

  “The scientific community refers to the core principle of the proposed system as quantum entanglement: imagine two particles that share a unique property regardless of where they are or how far apart they are from each other. Now, when we directly observe a single particle in the quantum scale, it will either be observed in one particular state or another—when we observe a pair of entangled particles, one particle will manifest in one state while the other will always manifest in the direct opposite state. Get a series of pairs of entangled particles and label each opposing states as ones and zeroes—“

  Bartlett’s eyes widened. “My god, that’s basic binary!”

  “Exactly, Mr. President. Regardless of whether each half is in another continent or another planet, a message transmitted in binary will always manifest as an inverted version, allowing the transfer of information without satellites or physical cables in a matter of seconds. As long as a stable supply of entangled particles is available on both ends of the network, we could potentially have a backup version of the Internet that is completely immune to all attempts at disruption, Annorial or otherwise—and the implications of this technology go beyond military communications, too. We’re talking about faster-than-light communications—any photographs, videos, or any other form of digital media of any size or scale could be transmitted with the right amount of particles without any deterioration from end to end, at any distance from Oured to Selatapura to Ragna or even the very next star system in less than a minute.”

  “Holy shit…this could easily revolutionize our very society if the technology works as advertised…”

  The President collapsed onto his seat, the implications of the next generation of technology sinking in. To think that such an unambitious system that he had once known from his time in the Belkan War as the ARPANET would have transformed into such a widespread component of everyday life in Osea and the wider world was astonishing—and now to realise that that very same system was now on the very brink of taking a leap of faith into the realm of science fiction itself…

  “We’ll need to see if we can dedicate more funding to Gründer and General Resource for this proposed program, Clements. Make the necessary arrangements to have the relevant departments make their case before the Joint Chiefs of Staff—if this is as important as it seems to be, we’re going to need it when the Annorials make their next move or the Ravernals actually return as the Milishials suspect. Do we have a name for this system?”

  Clements frowned, peering down at the document once again. “The official term used by both Gründer and General Resource is Data Swallow 3.0, in line with the ongoing line of Internet operating systems, but there’s another term circulating within the scientific community that appears to be increasingly more commonly used—“

  “Which is?”

  “—they call it the ‘Electrosphere’, apparently.”

  Gründer Industries, Sudentor, Osean Federation — January 15, 2020

  The lobby of Gründer Industries was dominated by a singular FALKEN aircraft in the center of the vast room, the most technologically advanced fighter in the history of Elysia used as an open display of the Belkans’ craftsmanship in the field of air combat. Prince Cabal and Researcher Naguano were met with a gush of air-conditioned wind upon their faces as the glass doors before them gracefully slid open, revealing the austere grandeur of the premier military company behind the military successes of the Osean Federation itself.

  Escorted by a neatly dressed female secretary, Cabal and Naguano gawked in open awe at the futuristic facilities surrounding them—rumors had always existed throughout the Empire of the mysterious Divine Wrath Complex, but both men had a sneaking suspicion that the technophilic Belkans were likely miles ahead of whatever even the craziest geniuses under Gra Lux’s employ were currently concocting. Already they could see different groups of scientists in each room they passed developing or discussing projects and concepts of a clearly advanced nature, just barely outside of their understanding: one department appeared to be testing a robotic humanoid’s motor movements, while another group were in a heated discussion about what appeared to be a complex diagram of magical particles. Most interestingly, an entire room appeared to be filled with engineers piecing together individual components of what Naguano quickly recognised as a jet engine—with luck, perhaps Gra Valkas might just be able to acquire the schematics for such technology in due time…

  Entering an office situated on the corner of a prominent building at the center of Gründer’s headquarters, a silver-haired man in a white labcoat stood behind a desk, his hand extended in greeting. “Willkommen, Eure Hoheit.”

  Cabal’s eyes widened. “You speak Gra Valkan?!”

  “Regretfully, no—just Belkan,” the researcher replied, “although our scientists have been rather curious over the countless etymological similarities between our two languages. It’s something we’d be curious to discuss further with your nation—Director Hermann Schroeder, at your service.”

  Shaking Schroeder’s hand, Cabal and Naguano’s eyes panned towards the window behind the researcher, encompassing the entire corner of the office: beyond the complex to a field in the distance, a tall crane-like structure stood beside a gigantic towering device not like the Angriefer rockets depicted within Gra Valkan propaganda reels—yet this one visibly dwarfed even the mighty buildings of Gründer Industries or even the Divine Wrath Complex. Was this another project that the Belkans and their Osean patrons were working on?

  Seeing the direction of his guests’ glances, the Director nodded understandingly. “That’s an ongoing project being carried out by the Ostf?deration and all of its various military companies under its patronage—a satellite network to reestablish its nationwide communications systems after the Transference that sent us here. Most, if not all, of our spacecraft were left behind, and it’s been no small task to replace each and every component in the past few months.”

  “Actually, I believe that is one of the topics that we would be interested in discussing with you,” Cabal replied, quickly recalling the instructions Gesta and Ciella had given him earlier. “The Gra Valkas Empire is aware of the technological capabilities of the Ostf?deration from the skies to outer space, and we were curious as to the possibility of our nation developing similar technologies in the future with your people’s expertise.”

  “Indeed,” Schroeder noted. “I was informed by the Osean President of the arranged information exchange, and that Gründer might be able to provide our services in aid of your own nation’s defense. May I ask what specific technologies you might have in mind?”

  The conversation went on for several hours, Naguano taking the lead with his own understanding of Belkan technology as Cabal listened carefully to his subordinate’s queries and Schroeder’s explanations, the latter providing several materials prepared beforehand as references for the Empire’s scientists and engineers to look over back home. In the span of nearly a full day, the core ideas of technologies already in the works back home were completely fleshed out to the point that Naguano was fairly certain that the knowledge gained would already accelerate the development of Gra Valkas’s already advanced military by years—already, the researcher was internally burning with anticipation for sharing his findings with his colleagues in Ragna and beyond. The Prince, on the other hand, quickly found himself frequently lost by the increasingly esoteric topics Naguano and Schroeder discussed, yet persevered nonetheless—the future Emperor had a vague notion that a lot of the terminologies and concepts being brought up would become a lot more familiar to the Empire as a whole as time went on; no harm in developing a basic understanding of the futuristic wonders employed by the Oseans with near-ease, he figured.

  Naguano beamed. “This is—this is amazing! We might just actually have a chance of standing on equal terms with the Oseans in a matter of years with your support—”

  Schroeder unexpectedly shook his head, clearly disagreeing with his counterpart’s claims. “Much as I would be inclined to agree with you under conventional logic, technology is, regretfully, only one of two specific aspects to take into consideration when assessing the capabilities of the Ostf?deration, Your Highness. Have I mentioned to you the Singularity Phenomenon?”

  Prince Cabal and Naguano shared a confused glance. “The ‘Singularity Phenomenon’?”

  “It’s a recent theory being developed by our researchers based on the outcomes of the past conflicts of the twenty-five years—in almost every single major invasion of a sovereign state or action against a military alliance, conventional wisdom would dictate that the side with the most powerful and sizable military assets would likely emerge as the victor. Even without our arsenal of superweapons into consideration, would you agree that this would appear to be the case for the campaigns of the Gra Valkas Empire?”

  Cabal nodded, remembering the Empire’s glorious conquests of Yggdra before the fateful Transference itself. “Our Invasion Fleets and the Grade Alastar are symbols of our nation’s might—and the sheer size and presence of even a single fleet in our world and here in Elysia would usually be more than enough to force most if not all of our foes to capitulate, Doctor.”

  “Such would have appeared to be the case in our own world as well, Your Highness—however, in almost every single conflict since the end of the Belkan War, or possibly even before that pivotal conflict, the outcome has been something completely different: in spite of the significant resources that any major military power wields, a singular pilot emerges that single-handedly eliminates these resources and brings the aggressors not only to heel but to the brink of total defeat.”

  Schroeder gestured to a file on his desk, where several photographs had been attached with paperclips—five Osean fighters of varying classifications and vivid emblems and colors were displayed, all in the skies and with the smoking wreckage of their fallen foes in the background. Naguano quickly committed the individual planes to memory, recognising the importance of these individual pilots even as the Belkan director continued his explanation.

  “Scarface One, the Ribbon Fighter, the Razgriz, Garuda One, the Demon Lord of the Round Table himself—we’ve come to refer to these individuals as Singularities: pilots who defy all conventional wisdom of war yet are responsible for snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Nothing has even been capable of stopping them—aces, air superiority squadrons, AA defenses, prototype superplanes, or even the confines of tunnels and underground facilities alike have failed to even put a single scratch on them or their aircrafts.”

  The Prince paused. “Osea has one of these Singularities?”

  “Osea has three Singularities, Your Highness—possibly even four, if the Demon Lord himself ever resurfaces—and all of them are under the active employment of the IUN. The fleets and ships of both Osea and Gra Valkas are mighty and powerful beyond compare, but from our estimates, not even their combined destructive power holds a candle to the sheer magnitude of what even one of them is capable of achieving. More powerful superweapons than even the Arsenal Birds themselves have fallen victim to the Singularities—what chance would a battleship such as the Grade Alastar have against one of them?”

  Naguano paled, horror dawning upon him. “A single DarkStar flew over Ragna. If that was a Singularity piloting that aircraft—“

  “Then it was a warning from the Oseans themselves, sirs. The fact that the fighter wasn’t tasked with single-handedly destroying Ragna’s defenses is a sign that the Ostf?deration still values its relationship with Gra Valkas—but they will no doubt retaliate to any perceived threat from the Empire, with no hesitation on seeking total annihilation if the situation calls for it.”

  Cabal collapsed on his seat, the sheer disparity between Gra Valkas and Osea once again weighing down on him. “Ymir, how exactly are we going to be able to defend ourselves against these people? We can’t even protect our own ships from the Annorials, and now this?! Diplomacy seems to be the only way forward, yet our people will no doubt call for war in the near future—Director, surely even an advanced company such as Gründer would have thought of some kind of countermeasure against these pilots?”

  The Belkan scientist shook his head, passing a file to the Prince. “It’s a quandary that even our brightest minds have yet to fully understand, Your Highness. However, we have been working on a solution since roughly around the same time that the Singularities first appeared—it’s almost as old as the Falkens themselves, but we’ve continued developing them over the past twenty-five years…”

  Glancing at the document in Cabal’s hands, Naguano frowned. “The ‘Zone of Endless’? What exactly is that supposed to mean?”

  “It’s an program that seeks to create an artificial intelligence capable of using data collected from the best pilots in service to improve and modify its own abilities to control and manipulate—apologies, let me simplify it as much as possible: we are seeking to replicate the full capabilities of a Singularity into a singular binary program, capable of being equipped onto anything from a singular fighter to an entire nation’s air force as the ultimate national defense.”

  The Gra Valkan technician gasped. “A mathematical program that can operate a plane with the skill of Osea’s best pilots? With the right plane, this could…”

  “It would be unbeatable by all known masters of the skies—no one, not the Milishais or Annorials or even the Oseans themselves would be able to stand a chance. The program at this stage is twofold: with development of the Zone of Endless as close as ever to completion, even with the setbacks caused by the Transference, we are now in the process of seeking or developing an aircraft that could potentially be the ideal vessel for the ultimate intelligence—a Singularity more lethal and devastating than even the greatest pilots of our time.”

  “How…” Cabal searched for words, curiosity piquing his interest even as he recognised a hidden intent within Schroeder’s words. “Where exactly does Gra Valkas fall into this? Somehow, I feel that even information as sensitive as this wouldn’t exactly be freely divulged to foreigners such as ourselves, Doctor.”

  “It isn’t,” Schroeder flatly admitted. “In fact, it’s a direct violation of existing Osean laws regarding Gründer Industries—if word comes out of my actions, I would very likely face severe legal repercussions and be charged with high treason, to say nothing of the diplomatic storm that would result from implicating the highest members of Gra Valkas’s Imperial government in our actions.”

  Naguano paled. “Blackmail?!”

  “If you presume to implicate us in one of your business’s schemes, you find yourself greatly mistaken and a poor judge of our abilities,” Cabal replied, anger tangible in his voice as he glared down at the Belkan researcher. “Osea has made us very much aware of your company’s shenanigans, Director—“

  “On the contrary, I would hope that the severity of our actions would underscore the nature of our request to your Emperor. Should you refuse, Gründer will make no further mention of this offer and comply with the limitations imposed upon us—unless you would be willing to consider what we have to say before anything else?”

  Naguano looked with uncertainty at Cabal, seeking guidance. This conversation had unexpectedly entered rather dangerous territory—one wrong move could easily jeopardise Gra Valkas’s efforts in building rapport with Osea, to say nothing of the Prince’s long-term prospects as the future Emperor. But there was clearly something within this vague zone of uncertainty that Schroeder was implying that Gra Vakas could stand to gain from, and the Empire’s ultimate endgame, after all, was its complete dominance over the known world, Elysian or otherwise…

  Narrowing his eyes in suspicion, Cabal pointedly stared at Schroeder. “Choose your words more carefully, Director.”

  The Belkan nodded. “As you are no doubt aware, Gründer’s reputation has significantly soured within the Ostf?deration as a result of my predecessors’ actions—our funding has been significantly slashed in spite of our critical contributions to Osea’s technology over the past decade, and many of our superiors have long since either moved to other firms, retired, or have been subject to legal scrutiny for suspected links to the Grey Men. Under normal circumstances, you would have been meeting with Gründer Industries’s president or chief executive officer—however, the position has remained vacant ever since the Circum-Pacific War and all attempts at filling that title ceased with the Transference over a year ago. As it is, I am currently operating as Gründer’s de facto leader alongside my duties as a researcher, and my responsibility is ensuring the continued operation of this company—what little remains of it.”

  Naguano frowned. “With all due respect, our tour of the premises prior to this conversation doesn’t exactly appear to suggest your company would be in any major risk of being shut down. And besides, what exactly does Gra Valkas have to gain from your plight?”

  “You’d be surprised, Researcher Naguano. These are examples of all the different projects we have in development that are at risk—technologies that could potentially bring Elysia forward in the next few decades the same way that our original inventions brought nations like Osea from your technological level to where it stands in the present day. These could easily revolutionise the way of life for a nation like Gra Valkas and allow it to stand toe-to-toe with its Osean counterpart—or they could be easily left to the wayside and abandoned with our dissolution, never to see the light of day or to change the lives of countless millions with their very presence. That is, unless you would be willing to support our cause.”

  “The reinstatement of South Belka as a sovereign nation? You would ask us to support your people in an insurrection against the Oseans, as your predecessors might have done?”

  Schroeder shook his head. “The true Holy Land is a universe away, and what remains lies permanently scarred from the nuclear fires of the Belkan War—there is nothing left for us here but memories and shadows, where we are but fading remnants of a foe shunned by the very same people who seek our knowledge.” Turning to look at an old map of the Osean continent, the scientist’s expression became visibly nostalgic.

  “Gründer Industries is not just a manufacturing company, Your Highness: it is the final legacy of the Belkan Federation, a technological superpower that was once poised, just as Gra Valkas is now, to become the dominant power of our world. It is all that remains of our original identity as a proud nation of respect and honour, but that identity may soon disappear in a matter of time if we remain in Osea—our homeland is gone, and our people desire to found a new one in the New World with the blessing of the Gra Valkas Empire.”

  Cabal frowned. “You mean…?”

  “If your nation would be willing to host us and our operations, as well as our people, you would have our profound gratitude…and our unquestionable support in any future conflict.”

  The two Gra Valkans’ eyes widened in shock at the implications of Schroeder’s offer. All of Gründer’s technologies, all of its weapons, all of its expertise—all at the hands of the Gra Valkas Empire with the completion of its ongoing technological advancements…

  Cabal glanced at Naguano, who nodded in unconditional support. If the Oseans were to find out about this offer, the consequences would undoubtedly be severe and deleterious for relations between themselves and Gra Valkas—yet this was a chance to secure a potential lead against the Oseans and Ravernals themselves in a matter of decades, if Ragna would be willing to support the Belkans in such an effort…

  “We will have to bring this offer to my father and his advisors, Director. However, I believe that he will see that this opportunity may prove in time to be the key behind the survival of Gra Valkas…”

  The prince shot Schroeder a final glare, a clear warning of consequences should Gra Valkas befall the same fate as the former co-conspirators of the Ostf?deration’s most infamous company.

  “But understand this: if your words are false or your intentions misleading, then the consequences will undoubtedly be severe!”

  Eshirant, Parpaldia — February 15, 2020

  “The soldiers! They’re returning!”

  News had quickly spread throughout Eshirant of the impending arrival of the Parpaldian soldiers captured in Altaras—in a year filled with defeat and humiliation, to hear of the safe return of the very same men whose incarceration had marked the beginning of such a destructive war with Osea was met with disbelief and joy. Crowds surged to the harbour as a flotilla of Osean, Muan, and Altaran ships sailed to port, thousands of people waving at the bedraggled but no less relieved soldiers aboard.

  From the main deck of the Puffin, Bafram and Sius watched the cheering Parpaldians onshore as the former helped the latter up from his wheelchair. The General had declined Osean prosthetics to replace his legs, choosing instead their less maintenance-heavy Muan equivalents at the cost of reduced mobility—it was still no small effort to relearn the most basic of movements as the two made their way to the side of the ship, seeing the devastation across Eshirant with their own eyes.

  “So much lost…so much to fix…”

  Bafram shrugged (as much as he could without accidentally shaking Sius), seeing the first few boats dock and their passengers being promptly swarmed with Parpaldians reuniting with their loved ones. “We could have lost much more, General. We might not have been here in the first place, if things had gone differently.”

  “Do you think we made the right choice that day? Surrendering to save our men, only for all this to happen?”

  “I think this war was bound to happen at some point, Sius—we were just unlucky enough to be the ones to start it. Maybe deciding to fight them wasn’t the best choice to make, but it’s not like we were wise enough to realise that, were we?”

  Sius shook his head. “No use worrying about now, I guess—let’s leave that to the future to figure that out…”

  Jurong Pier, Selatapura, Osean Federation — January 30, 2020

  Emperor Ludius and Remille stared upwards at the Lighthouse with no small amount of shock as their barge sailed into harbour, the two having come to Selatapura on the final day of the Conference to observe the proceedings (and for the now-former Auditor to turn herself to Osean custody as per the terms of the final Agreement). To see the Lighthouse itself in person after hearing so much about the fabled tower to the distant skies was an astonishing experience—and no small reminder of the humbling defeat that Parpaldia had experienced in the brief but disastrous war of the past few months…

  With a final kiss on her forehead, Ludius gave his final farewell to Remille. “Will you be alright?”

  The diplomat glanced towards the pier, where Ambassadors Harling and Clarkson (and a sizeable contingent of IUN officials and peacekeepers) were waiting for them; beside the two Oseans was Director Kaios, whose expression was understandably grim considering the circumstances. “The Oseans have given their word—no harm will come to us, even though I will likely never set foot on Eshirant again. Ludius, I…”

  “Don’t worry, Remille! We’ve already done all that we could to ensure Parpaldia survives the struggles that lie ahead—we just need to make sure that you survive long enough until Kaios and I can arrange for your release.”

  The former Auditor smiled weakly, her face betraying the slightest hint of fear and resignation to her fate. “You didn’t have to…you and Kaios are going to have to fix the mistakes that I made…all the people we lost as a result of the choices we took instead of working to—”

  “We didn’t know—we refused to believe that we could be bested in our own world,” Ludius replied, embracing Remille as he did so. “We will learn, and we will change as the world already has—and maybe we’ll get to where we always wanted to be one way or another. Just know that I’ll be waiting in Eshirant, preparing Parpaldia for what’s to come.”

  As the barge came to a halt and their retinue prepared to disembark, Remille parted from the embrace, taking one last look at the Emperor of Parpaldia as he smiled back. It would undoubtedly be a long time before the two ever reunited, she realised.

  “Go, my beloved. Return to me someday with our future in hand.”

  Seeing both the Parpaldian Emperor and his supposed mistress for the first time since the incident at Eshirant, Harling frowned. “Strange, that’s the first time I’ve seen Remille dressed like that. Clarkson, remind me again what that outfit is supposed to represent in Parpaldian customs?”

  “That regalia is normally reserved for members of the Imperial Family, from what I remember,” Clarkson replied with no small amount of suspicion. “Director Kaios, did Ludius do something while we were finalising the Conference?”

  “Not from what I’ve been informed, Ambassadors—wait a minute—” Kaios paused, his expression turning into that of shock and horror. “No, that can’t be…did he actually—”

  A page stepped forward from the boat, interrupting their hushed conversation. “Ambassadors of the Osean Federation! I present to you, Emperor of the Parpaldia Empire and Protector of the Third Civilization Area, Ludius XVI, and his consort, Empress of the Parpaldia Empire and Head of the First Department of Foreign Affairs, Remille Allard!”

  Aboard the barge, Remille smiled at the three men as her hands moved to her stomach, almost as if instinctively feeling something shift inside.

  Eyes widening in realisation, Clarkson froze. “Vincent, she’s—“

  Harling’s face paled.

  Osean Broadcasting Corporation, Oured, Osean Federation — January 31, 2020

  In a special announcement from Bright Hill, President Bartlett confirmed that he has officially authorized the Osean Intelligence Agency to formally declassify all military documents related to the Circum-Pacific War, fulfilling a pledge made by his predecessor in the aftermath of the conflict that he and Yuktobanian Prime Minister Seryozha Viktrovich Nikanor played a pivotal role in ending.

  Initial reports on the declassified documents have confirmed the long-rumoured link between the disavowed Wardog Squadron, originally believed to have been shot down in a failed escape attempt after being apprehended for suspected espionage, and the legendary Razgriz Squadron famously responsible for rescuing both President Harling and Prime Minister Nikanor and subsequently bringing the Circum-Pacific War to an end. Rumours of a organisation referred to by intelligence organisation throughout our Old World as the “Grey Men” have also been formally confirmed for the first time by these documents, which will likely draw further attention to the suspected ties between the Grey Men and presidential candidate Governor Mikhael Bronte, who has previously dismissed such claims as “anti-Belkan discriminatory propaganda”.

  Sources from within Bright Hill have suggested that a potential exoneration and rehabilitation of Wardog Squadron may be in the works pending a formal investigation; we are still in the process of investigating the whereabouts of all members of the squadron, but an anonymous source has confirmed that several members are believed to be still within the OADF under different positions. Ambassador Harling refused to comment when approached by OBC reporters, replying that an official joint statement would be made by himself and President Bartlett in the next few days.

  With a firm timeline officially established for the eventual withdrawal of Osean forces from the former territories of the Parpaldia Empire and the signing of the Lighthouse Peace Accords, Ambassador Vincent Harling announced the end of hostilities between Osea and Parpaldia in an official announcement in Selatapura, calling for all sides to work together to begin rebuilding the continent of Philades. While tensions remain high between Parpaldia and its former vassals and colonies and joint efforts by Osea, Parpaldia, and the Holy Milishial Empire to relocate the disabled Ravernal aircraft in Eshirant continue, delegates from both the now-concluded Lighthouse Peace Conference and the Assembly of Nations remain confident that the Accords will provide a framework for the reestablishment of more equal and prosperous ties between the different nations involved in the peacekeeping operation.

  In other news, protests in Parpaldia continue as its citizens call for the immediate release of Empress Remile and her unborn child on humanitarian grounds. The newlywed consort to Emperor Ludius of the former Empire revealed her pregnancy at the conclusion of the Lighthouse Peace Conference shortly before her incarceration for numerous violations of international law during the tenure of the prewar Imperial government—the formal wedding between the Emperor and his Consort took place shortly before her departure to Selatapura, and was publicly announced a day before her arrival.

  Several Senators have voiced concerns over the safety of the former Auditor and the de jure heir to the Imperial Crown, but delegates within the Assembly of Nations have insisted that the Empress remain imprisoned for her crimes for the full duration of her sentence regardless of the current medical circumstances. President Bartlett assured reporters and observers in an official statement that the Empress’s treatment and that of her unborn child would be well within the standards laid out by international law—

  “All fighters, deploy at once! This is not a drill! You’ll be briefed on what’s happening in the air—we are receiving reports that Selatapura and the Lighthouse itself is under attack! I repeat, Selatapura and the Lighthouse are under attack!”

  “What the hell?! What kind of—what the fuck’s happening?! How the fuck did they get past the Arsenal Birds?!”

  “We’ve got unconfirmed reports of a nuclear explosion over the Western districts and hostile fighters engaging our UAVs around the Space Elevator—shit, we’ve also got bogeys inbound towards Tampines Air Base itself!”

  “All right, all fighters are to get in the air at once! Launch, damnit, launch!”