Welcome to Gaia! ::

((It should be noted that the watchtowers are within the 60-mile range of the guns. If you're attacking the watchtowers, then you're within range. Unless you can cast a spell on a target from over 20 miles away.))

At that range, the watchtowers would only look like tiny little specs that dotted the plains between the city and their current position. In fact, they'd need one hell of a pair of eyes to even make out the buildings as they blended well into the barren ground surrounding them. There were a small few spells that could effect a target so far away. Long range spells typically drained in power the farther away they had to travel, so, unless these mages were going to get a little closer, they would likely find that whatever they were going to do wasn't going to be terribly effective.

Meanwhile, the ground troops were continuing to advance, just having left the main city complex. A mass of APCs, tanks, armed Humvees, and mobile artillery units was making its way across the plains. It would take quite alot of time to get to the main front several miles out, but once they got there, all hell would break loose...

Above them, two groups of 10 armored Blackhawk helicopters mounted with Heavy Machine Guns and the aptly named Volcano Mine Laying system sped towards the battlefield each carrying 4 soldiers wearing heavy battle armor and helmets. These were Lament's main air forces, and their heavy combat units. Each one was equipped with a Sturmwind machine gun, several grenades, and a backup pistol as well. Of course, two were manning the guns, and the other two were backup. 120 soldiers total were aboard these choppers as they made their way to the front lines. Their heavy armor would protect against most any projectiles that were sent in their direction, and the MDS Tech would stop any magic-based attacks from injuring them as well. Upon reaching an area of approximately 61 miles out, these choppers would unload their payload of MDM and Anti-Tank/Personnel mines across the battlefield. Each chopper would lay a swath of over 950 individual mines in an area of about a mile long. Each mine would be able to utterly destroy any vehicle or unit that moved over it with ease.

The end result was a massive minefield that covered an area of about 10 miles on either side of a mile wide area. Any forces moving to either side of the mile wide path between the fields would be utterly destroyed in an instant by the powerful weapons. The helicopters would then turn around and head back to the city to re-arm and repeat the process again as needed. Of course, the guns on either side of the helicopters were armed with a mixture of MD-Rounds, tracer rounds, and explosive/armor-piercing rounds which would serve to destroy any air units bent on destroying them. With their heavy armor, shielding, and powerful weaponry, they were a force to be reckoned with.

In addition to the air units making their way to the target area, the watchtowers were fighting back as well. These emplacements were heavily armored and designed more like bunkers than flimsy scouting posts. After all, they were in the direct line of fire of Lament's main guns, and were built to withstand most anything other than a near-direct hit by the guns of the Dark Tower. Needless to say, the Wraiths would find it incredibly difficult to take them down.

Speaking of Lament's Main Guns, the anti-magical shells that were teleported would continue their forward motion after being moved back to where they were, until their internal timers ran out, and the shells detonated mid-flight. Several would detonate and be completely harmless to anyone, but two of them would detonate just prior to the location of the time-displacement shields, and the AMP from them would wash across the entire forward section of the Airship, causing some major problems for any magical components, magical energies, or magical entities located within those areas of the vessel. The areas would be infected with the AMP's blocking properties, and as such, no magical energies would be able to pass through the effected sections of the ship for 8-10 hours. Unfortunately, a single round detonated too close to the Outer City, and a portion of the area's SPR rounds were rendered ineffective for the next 8-10 hours. Ammunition was quickly distributed throughout the region to quickly correct the issue before it got worse.

Of course, that didn't stop the Main Guns from firing another volley of powerful shots. However, there was a difference this time. Having learned from their tactical encounter, the shells were rigged to detonate BEFORE hitting the ship to prevent contact with whatever was teleporting their rounds away. Thus, half of the rounds fired were MD-Rounds, and they would detonate across the whole of the massive airship and send their AMP's to halt magical abilities, the other half were Fire Rounds. The first three-quarters of those rounds were aimed at the airship to incinerate the vessel after the initial MD Blasts, and then detonate with massive force to rip the ship into pieces. The other remaining quarter would fire into the sky around the watchtowers, their explosive forces attempting to cut down the amount of air resistance (aka Wraiths) for the quickly arriving choppers. The Watchtowers would be completely safe from these explosive blasts as the shockwaves and heat dissipated into their thick outer walls.

Unless those were some slow-moving rounds, being displaced three seconds back would put them right back in the barrels of the guns that fired those rounds, and those guns would either be destroyed by the still-moving, active round detonating inside the gun, or get jammed in the barrel as it tried to squeeze past the round currently chambered. Thus, rate of fire wouldn't be as rapid as it sounded, if rate of fire was even sustained at all.

One dozen of the four dozen Wraiths currently in the air broke off from their hunt to engage the helicopters and shoot them out of the skies as the approached the army on the ground, while another dozen broke off to intercept rounds fired at the airship, likely sacrificing themselves; the remainder continued to target anti-air guns and attempt to destroy them.

There was a 300-foot gap between the actual airship and the edge the time-displacement field. Any rounds that detonated before contacting the field would only suppress that section of the field (since it was not specified exactly how far out from the field they would detonate, likely because they would not know far out the field's effect was, so timing would obviously be off), since they would not have come in contact with the actual runes powering it, and would return in 5 rounds. The ship would, after all, be outside of the affected area.

The time-displacement field was not Draconis III's primary defense however. Its thick hull plating would be able to take whatever punishment was dealt to it; it was not such a fickle vessel that several shots would make it go up in smoke (assuming the main guns were even still functioning at this frame of time). The fire rounds did nothing more than scorch the ship where it hit, but the MD-rounds (assuming they didn't go through parts of the field still active) did create some issues with defensive runes suddenly getting shut down. Internal systems would not be affected as much, though magical scrying would be disabled.

"That's our cue to leave," Captain Starrow grumbled. He knew they wouldn't be staying for long, but he was hoping to at least see some progress first. As it stood, the campaign here was going as expected - nowhere.

"Bring us about! All hands, prepare to jump," the captain ordered. "Time to begin the second phase."

The massive airship in the skies over Lament suddenly disappeared, leaving its Wraiths to fend for themselves, as well as the army on the ground.



In the Fringe, Draconis III sailed past the twisted shadow of Lament, heading swiftly to the south.

"Runes should be active again once we reach our destination, captain."

((Wraith weaponry is unknown, so their damage is also.))

The Wraiths that attacked the anti-aircraft sights would be attacked with devastatingly powerful heavy guns and flak cannons. Why the hell would someone attack ANTI-AIR sites with flying weapons anyway? It just wasn't logical. The sites that weren't destroyed fired on the Wraiths attacking the helicopters, and the helicopters fired back as well.

The ground troops continued to move ahead while the main guns of Lament's Black Tower destroyed the Wraiths in the air over the Watchtowers. The momentum from the shells wouldn't have been dissipated even if they'd been teleported back to where they were 3 seconds ago, so a jam or explosion wasn't likely as the shells were only in the gun for a split second before leaving the barrel. This means that a majority of its time would be in the air, and not in the weapon, lowering the chance to near impossible levels. Thus, the guns were just fine.



Meanwhile, in Lament's Command and Control Center, the Generals received word that the massive airship had left and left the skies clear save for the smaller attack craft. A gruff looking man in an eye patch with a visible scar behind it turned and spoke to the generals behind him.

Well Gentlemen, it seems we've been given a chance at air superiority. I suggest we make as much use of it as possible. As long as this threat remains out of cannon range our attack options are limited.

An older man with a gray beard spoke up first.

We all know what you're thinking Baeyn, but its too soon. Project Black Rock isn't even fully completed. You've seen the same reports we have. What if that ship comes back? What if it brings friends? Two full years of planning and building would be wasted! Do you really want to risk that?

Baeyn glanced around the table and finally rest his gaze on the old man.

Then you know as well as I do, Cray, that we'll be defeated either way. We aren't equipped to handle a major aerial assault. The Black Tower can defend us from one, but a vessel of that size, that heavily defended is a major threat to our security and you all know it. Besides, as it stands our weapons seemed ineffective against whatever that vessel's shields were.

If that ship returns, with friends, wouldn't you rather have a fighting chance? It took us two years to plan and build it. Two years of 24 hour work details and maximum efficiency sunk into this project to make it a reality. If it goes down, we'll be able to rebuild it in record time.

Cray looked and retorted.

To bring it into service now would be a suicide mission! Theres no telling what's been fully completed! For god's sake the painting hasn't even been completed! And you're asking us to take her into battle!?

Baeyn moved to speak, when another officer stood up. At his side he carried a sheathed katana, a gift given to him by a CEO long ago.

Sirs, if I may... Year after year we've suffered these attacks against our city walls. The Ice Demon army, the undead raids on the underground, and now this newest threat rises to attack our home. Each time they attack, we fight back to protect our city and our way of life. This invasion is far more dangerous than any other attack we've faced. If we do not put our full force into our counterattacks, there is a good chance that we won't live long enough to regret it. And I, for one, will not simply stand by and try hopelessly to fight against an enemy force with only half of our strength. That is why I volunteer to command Black Rock and take her into battle against this threat.

The room was silent as Baeyn, Cray, and the other men contemplated what had just been said. This battle very well could be their last if they didn't give it their all, and they all knew it. A black haired man at the end of the table spoke.

...Very well. Colonel Nathaniel Briggs, you are hereby given permission to bring Black Rock into emergency active duty. Treat her well, Colonel.

Sir! Thank you, Sir.

Briggs saluted and then made his way from the room. Time was short.



Briggs settled himself into the Command Chair as several of Lament's finest manned the consoles on all sides, glancing at monitors and screens.

Alright men, let's get this started. Run activation protocols and lets get this bucket moving.

"Aye Sir! Bringing primary generators online, disconnecting from docking power."

"Generators answering full power, bringing engines online."

"Generator Four is experiencing a power fluctuation, shut down initiated. Bringing Backup Number One online to compensate."

Get a repair crew down there and get that Primary generator fixed up ASAP. I want this thing to be ship shape five seconds ago.

"Aye Sir! Repair crews notified. Shielding systems answering full power and green lights across the board. Weapon systems all green and on standby."

"All hands reporting ready at general quarters, Sir. Signaling docking bay now."

"Docking clamps released, bay doors opening."

Outside, hidden from view behind the great smoking volcano that sat as the backdrop for Lament, nestled quietly away in a valley obscured from view, hidden deep below ground in hollowed and dead lava tubes, massive docking doors sprang to life, power flowing through them for the first time as they parted, revealing a massive metallic form to the dim sunlight. Rays glinted off shining gun turrets and stabilizing fins, and the dim red and blue glows of the engines lit up the dark hole from where Project Black Rock had been hidden away in secret under the Omega Directive.

"Engines answering lifting force, Sir. ...If you want to turn back, there's still time."

Not a chance. Get the Command and Control center on the radio.

"Aye Sir! Channel is open."

Gentlemen, take a look out your windows...



The Generals would turn and look out over their city and to the volcano behind and to the west of their great city, a great black billowing plume of volcanic smoke obscuring the sky. But then, something came into view. Shimmering silver hull plating reflected the rays of the sun, the black paint job left incomplete. A graceful and yet deadly kilometer long form sailed out from the black cloud and headed towards the distant enemy forces as the voice of Colonel Briggs sounded over the channel.

Something was falling from the sky. It was too small to see, and it was moving too fast to track. The cross section wasn't enough to be picked up on common radar and it lacked any visual cues like smoke or contrails.

From high orbit nothing more than an unusual and distinct electromagnetic field, this little something would gradually slow and stop before it ended up slamming into the ground like an object in freefall.

Moving invisibly in random patterns without changing an altitude of two hundred feet the mechanical center of this EM field simply watched.

Wasn't hurting nobody. Wasn't invading any kind of private airspace. Spiraling off to the side of the battle, content to watch.

North towards Lament? That was...odd. Either way, the canons fired several more shots or fire rounds aimed for the aircraft. The negative energy would do little to the structures of the guns, or the armor of the choppers. Negative energy basically sapped the life or energy out of something. The armor and forms of the choppers and the anti-aircraft guns had little "life" to be sapped from them. However, the negative energy did serve to corrode and weaken the armor a bit. The damage was significant enough on some areas to make it otherwise susceptible to traditional weapons, but nothing battle-ending. At the moment the guns were on clean up duty, and targeting the Wraiths. But they were still on alert for any other unknown threats, and were closely watching the army standing still nearly 80 miles out.



Of course, they wouldn't have very much in the way of time to prepare much longer. The helicopters had headed back towards the main city with little to no outstanding damage. They were heading off to reload their mine laying systems for another run. In the meantime, the ground forces from the city continued their exodus. A dust cloud blew to the east from the breeze as their treads and tires kicked up a storm.

But the main concern now would be the massive Lamentian Airship that had appeared on the field. The vessel was mostly unarmed. The full compliment of weapons and support craft were due to arrive next Tuesday. However, its compliment of machine gun turrets and main weapons were armed and had ammunition. The turrets would be mostly useless at long range, and even then, only be of use against air based targets and some ground based targets. But the central gun on the front of the Obsidianus could fire a total of three projectiles beyond the effective range of Lament's guns, and in one charge from the generators. The main battery would remain offline until the situation called for such extreme measures.

The army continued to charge up its spell, more and more of the ground appeared to be disappearing, the blackness underneath swallowing more land. It would not be long at all before the army was standing completely on the darkness, and then it would be ready, surely only more seconds would be required for the army to complete its spell.

Its mages were now bellowing vocally, while the army itself was preparing its soldiers. Each armed troop taking out their arms, the bowsmen preparing their runed arrows, the siege machines being prepared for firing. Why the army would go through such measures so far away from the city was puzzling, perhaps they were preparing to meet the ground assault.

The army was beginning indeed beginning to teleport, but who said that it was going to teleport immediatly. Fifty catapults fired their empty loads into random directions in the field, testing that they were firing correctly, or so it would seem.

The ground beneath the army had now completely disappeared. Soon they would make the leap into the void, and await for co-ordinates of their landing. The Dead-man army had one last trick up its sleeve it seemed. It would simply wait out the MD-rounds, waiting for an area that was safe to teleport into.