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(Question Xel... When you say that, are you meaning the Wastelander Command, or just a base, because the bombers didn't lift off from the command base of hte wastelanders, which is located in Nevada, but from Utah...)

Inside the Pit, as the room was called, teh operators and officers in charge were just about running willy nilly, attempting to process all the data coming in.

"SIR! Canada districts are reporting a massive rise in revolts against hte Empire! Same as Washington D.C, Florida, and Michigen regions!" Called out one of hte operators.

"We've got mass uprisings across the African contenaint. Wasteland Command is stretched thin attempting to properly arm and train them!" Another called.

"s**t! Japan District is reporting a mass swelling of VCF recruitment! They're holding tight to the Empire!" One yelled, countering the mostly good news.

"SIR! Europe Region is evenly divided! All hte former NATO nations are rising up against the Empire, while hte former Communist regions are holding firm!" Another yelled out. And those were the clear ones. More and more reports were coming in, some good, some bad, and some neither. The officers in charge of each 'district' were attempting to get all the information down, and upload it into the centeral database, but they were doing poorly in keeping up.

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Bartz Waltz
Wasteland Grand Commander
Status: 100%
Mental Charge: 100%
Emotional State: Harried
Location: Infirmary, Purity Base, Nevada
Current Mission: Management of hte Wastelander Cause and Forces

Bartz sighed, sitting at his desk, watching the 2D version of the Pit's map adjust accordingly. Other then Africa, the northen part of North America (with some execptions), half of Europe, and parts of Asia, a third of the world was swelling deeper into the Empire's pockets. The regions staying neutral, ahd been known to remain so, until they could fully decide who the stronger fighter was. So, the world had once again been nearly cut into 3 entire parts... A third for the Empire, a third for the Wastelanders, and a third staying neutral. And now, now his SIC, the Lady of hte Fallen, and Faer had been indentified, and would have a much harder time traveling the world. Oh god how Murphy's Law always came to bit one on hte a**, hard.

(no, oh good heavens no... We ain't hitting end-game yet. Just think of this as the end of Act I... Things are getting crazy, all because of this one incident...)

(Yea.. On the first two, you ain't the only one wondering that.... Trying to clear that up with him ASAP... As for the going to Germany bit, figured so.. Faer recovering is up to Sil... And yes, Dion is set in his ways, but for reasons Kel hasn't found out yet... As for future plans... well... let's not set anything in stone just yet.)

Nemesis had listened to his adjutants update him on the revolts,riots and insurrections breaking out across the Empire as a result of this attack.But he had also noted that a good many of the territory's were still in firm Imperial control,including Russia one of their main(and cheapest)Sources of infantry recruits as well as a massive industrial heartland along with their fuel fields in China and martial prowess from Japan.It pleased him to see that this act for freedom had more or less damned the conspirators and instigated the very seeds that would produce the destruction of the Wastlander's and their idiotic thoughts of liberty and freedom.

The law of the land was simple,the strong were strong and the weak were dead.The Wastelander's just didn't know it yet.
"Lord General,we are approaching the base now"One of his vampiric aides spoke up"Our scouts report minimal activity beyond the barriers,but the VAF reassures that their operatives will see to it the barrier defenses are breached."

Nemesis turned his attention to the tactical display,which revealed the dust bowl of a desert this base was nestled in.It had an excellent defensive position,with the rock outcroppings giving it a solid postion to the rear and preventing the movement of troops to encircle their position.Which left a single passage that seemed to open into a large valley,nothing but mounds of boulder's and earth covering it for miles,making the movement of infantry over it highly difficult."Once we have confirmation that the barrier is down deploy the 41st's mobile artillery in this position here,near the lip of the valley,with their AA tanks covering the flanks along the ridgeline here in case of ORCA assaults.Deploy spotter's along the ridge to the rear of the base,they'll direct the fire.Tell them their primary targets are weapon emplacements,barracks and hanger bays.That will give us time to move the 89th up through the valley without coming under heavy fire."

((I think I got a little carried away with this >.> The last few paragraphs are the only ones with real importance to everyone else though. Sorry about that ^^' ))

Aida stared at the two-story building, looking for any signs that it might be currently occupied. Most of the windows were covered by curtains, so it was hard to tell, but light shown through a couple of spots, meaning somebody was probably home. Hopefully this was the right place.

After escaping from the mansion, the mercenary had realized that her employer hadn't left her with any way to contact him. All she had been left with was his name, but she wasn't about to let that stop her from collecting her pay. It had taken a little while, but she had finally found a vampire that seemed to know where the man lived. Of course, she had to threaten the woman and the man with her first, but eventually the woman spit out a location. When Aida had began walking away, she left quite a commotion behind her. Though she hadn't shot anybody, the male vampire was quite angry, demanding to know why the female knew where Verleid lived.

Verleid's residence wasn't exactly a mansion, but it was certainly more fancy than any normal house. He had money, but he wasn't as high up as some others. With a sigh, Aida walked up to the door and knocked. She was greeted by a human woman, a maid.

"May I help you?" The woman asked, staying behind the door and poking her head out just enough to talk.

"Verleid live here?"

"May I ask your name?"

"Aida."

The woman glanced over Aida nervously for a moment before speaking, "Wait just a moment, please."

The door was closed securely, leaving Aida to wait rather impatiently for her return. What, did she think Aida was going to walk in and shoot them? A few moments later, the door opened, all the way this time, and the maid stood aside.

"Please, come in M'lady. M'lord is currently showering, but he will be with you when he is done. Sit down. Would you like something to drink? Tea perhaps?"

Aida took a seat on a fancy couch in the living room. "I'm all set."

The maid bowed. "As you wish."

You work for him?" Aida asked, slightly curious as to why he would have a human as opposed to a vampire serving him, or why the woman didn't try to flee.

"Yes'm, I do." At the questioning look on Aida's face, the maid continued, "M'lord is a kind man. He provides me with food and housing as well as extra money."

Aida raised an eyebrow. "And you're not worried you won't wake up in the morning?"

The maid shook her head. "No, ma'am. I have been working for M'lord for three years. He has never taken more from me than I can handle." She lowered her voice, as if there was anybody else around to hear, "Most vampires wouldn't stop drinking, you know. But M'lord, he knows how much he can take from me without killing me."

So not only was this woman his housekeeper, but she was his personal blood supply as well? Either she was incredibly naive, or very desperate. Probably some combination of the two. Aida sure as hell would never let a vampire feed off her, even if she was getting paid. There were plenty of other ways to make good money, and she wasn't about to be so subservient to anybody. Still, three years was quite a while to be doing such a thing. Either Verleid found the girl too pretty to kill, he had some sense of honor, or she was just really good in bed. The second option didn't seem quite as likely, but he did seem to be a rather easygoing guy. He probably found no reason to kill her, so long as she was serving him. Whatever the reason, Aida still found it odd, but there was no point to dwelling on it. She had far more important things to worry about.

A few moments later, Verleid stepped into the room. His hair was wet and he was wearing a black bathrobe.

"Ah, Aida. Please forgive my appearance, I was not expecting you at this time. Of course, I knew you'd find me eventually." The vampire took a seat on the chair opposite Aida, a coffee table between them. He turned to the maid, "Jane, could you leave us?"

The maid bowed, "Yes, M'lord." She turned around and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

When the woman was gone, Aida spoke, "So? Where's my pay?"

"Naturally you go right to the point. First, I'd like to talk to you. As you are well aware, the ball was a complete disaster. I hired you with high hopes that you would be able to prevent such an event from occurring, but apparently I expected too much."

Aida glared. "Of course. Count on a single person to take on a couple of well-trained Wastelanders and the Shadow of the Fallen. It had nothing to do with the incompetency of the rest of the guards. Did you hire them too?"

Verleid sighed. He couldn't deny the fact the Wastelanders had staged quite an attack. If Nemesis hadn't come in when he did...he wondered what would have happened. He'd been speaking with the Shadow of the Fallen before he showed up and let her slip away, and it was after that they initiated their attack. If she hadn't slipped away when she did, would he have held the attack off slightly and given Aida a chance to act? Well, that meant nothing now. What was done was done. "I suppose I can't hold you completely responsible. You did assist in escorting the Princesses to safety. However, you still did not identify the intruders in time. I've already prepared your Credits." He pulled a Credit Card out from a pocket in his robe. "But before I give it to you..." He grinned as Aida's gaze hardened, "I'd like to make another proposal."

"You are a well-known vampire hunter, you probably even have supporters. The Wastelanders would probably love to have you on their side, don't you think?"

The mercenary's gaze didn't soften. "What are you getting at?"

"It's simple really. I want you to work as a spy. Infiltrate a Wastelander base, make them believe you are working for them, then provide me with information. When I find you are giving honest information, you'll get paid. Deal?"

Aida thought about the offer. She was to act as a spy for the vampires? While she didn't exactly want to continue working for the Empire, this did provide her with several opportunities. If she was successful, she could monitor both sides, possibly make a double income, then make her decisions on who to fight with and who to fight against. If everything went well, it could work out wonderfully for her...

"I'll do it."

The vampire smiled. "Splendid." He held the card out to Aida. "There are 100,000 Credits on it currently. I'll provide you with a means of communication."

Aida took the card. "100,000 Credits? The pay for this job was far more than that."

"It would have been, if the crisis had been prevented."

The mercenary pulled out her pistol, pointing it at the vampire's face. "b*****d!"

Verleid didn't seem fazed. "Come now, Aida. Would it really be a good idea to shoot your employer?"

"Tch. I know you've got plenty more money laying around. I'd be better off killing you here and just taking whatever you have lying around. It's not like there is anybody else here that can stop me. In fact-"

As Aida was about to pull the trigger, her arms were suddenly forced behind her back, her wrists tied together by wisps of darkness. As her gun slipped from her grasp, her ankles were quickly bound the same way as her wrists, forcing her to lose her balance and fall forward, hitting the coffee table then landing on the floor. Dammit...he knew black magic! When it came to physical fighting, Aida could hold her own, but magic was not her strong point.

"That would be a wonderful plan, wouldn't it? Unfortunately, I can't let that happen." Verleid said, stepping forward and bending down in front of Aida. "I think tonight's events have taken a toll. You aren't quite thinking clearly it seems. Perhaps you should restrain from any further rash acts." He lifted the mercenary's chin until her grey eyes were boring into his scarlet ones. If looks could kill, he imagine he'd be dead right now. Verleid simply smiled. "Now, let's try that again, shall we? Would you like to keep working for me, or do you have other plans? Well?"

If Aida's hands hadn't been tied behind her back, they'd be around Verleid's throat. "I'll take the job." She growled through clenched teeth.

"Good." The vampire grabbed Aida's gun before stepping back and releasing the bonds around her wrists and ankles. He pulled something else out of his robe pocket - he had clearly planned for this ahead of time - and held it up. "This device will allow us to communicate, since I'm sure you wouldn't want to establish a mental connection." Establishing a mental connection required biting, and he knew that was one thing the mercenary would not do, even for money.

"What is it?"

"It will allow us to communicate via a mental tap. This way you can easily relay information. Of course, I will only hear what you want me to. The moment you end the transmission, I am cut off from you. Once installed, you cannot remove it, but it is the most efficient means of communication in this case."

Aida knew what that was. A Magitech Mental Communication Device, MMCD for short. It wasn't something she had ever planned on using, especially since she preferred to work solo, but she did know that Verleid's access to her was limited by as much as she wanted. Besides, it was quite a pricey device, one that would make her preferred for any future jobs. "Fine."

She tensed as the vampire stepped forward and opened the device's case. She hated him being so close, but it was required if he was going to install it. There was a sharp p***k to the left side of her head, then Verleid stepped back.

"Done."

Aida turned around to leave, but stopped in front of the door and turned back around. "My gun?"

"I just paid you. Why don't you treat yourself to a new one?"

The mercenary glared before turning around and walking out the door. At least she still had her sword. Now, to try to find a Wastelander base. Things just got a whole lot more interesting.

((EDIT: *GASP!* This is my 10,000th post! WOOT! GO ME! ))

The massive transports unleashed their precious cargo,scores of tanks,trucks and men rolling out into the merciless desert,the valley not far up ahead.Nemesis shuttle settled down in the deployment zone,striding out to observe the operation personally.APC's rumbled by,fueling and rearming depots assembling at break neck speed..It seemed chaotic,but these men had been drilled time and time again,and performed on countless battlefields over the years or decades...and for some even centuries.

A perimeter was soon established around the make shift base,with barb wire and dogs patrolling the edges while armor massed and the different platoons and division's formed.Today would be a trying day,one that would demand honor as well as sacrifice.He along with every man before him,would see it done.Their target..an old military base that had apparently come under Imperial attack before,successfully driving off the invaders and serving as a morale boost to the fledgling wastelanders.If Nemesis destroyed it,it would go along way to improving the fighting spirit of the Royal Guard army,and showing the wastelander's that nothing..NOTHING would be safe.

"I will take their heart,and crush it before their eyes.."He vowed,raising his gauntlet in salute to the sky"This is my vow to you,my Emperor.My Lord.."
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The groans and squeals of steel upon steel echoed through the valley,a cloud of dust growing in the distance,a wave of moving armor sweeping over the desert landscape like an evil wave.Massive self propelled artillery guns roared into position along a ridge line,with smaller but more nimble AA mounted support vehicles taking flanking positions.Behind them,a score of APC's waited,holding infantry support should the enemy attempt to storm the tank's position with their own infantry or light vehicles.
Once the final tank had come to a halt,a commander popped out through the hatch of his vehicle,bearing the jet black uniform of Nemesis elite armor guard.He surveyed the land before him,eyes narrowing.."The air shimmers,the barrier is still up!Inform the Lord General that the barrier has NOT been breached.Do we begin our attack?"he looked down,which saved his life.
A round sparked off the top of the tank hatch,missing the commander's head by millimeters"SNIPERS!ALL CREWS BUTTON UP!"He dropped back down,sealing the hatch"Tell those gunner's to stay in cover!Did anyone see where it came from?!"
"Up in the valley sir!2 o'clock,along that rock ridge!"His driver reported.The commander grabbed his throat mike"This is Foe Hammer,we've made contact with the enemy in the valley,requesting permission to engage!"
"...Affirmative Foe Hammer,you are clear to engage"
"Understood!GUNNER!Spotter round first!Hammer 2 and 4,I want spotter rounds on that ridge line!"
"SR up!"
"FIRE!"
The tank shuddered,as a blossom of fire erupted,a cloud of dirt erupting less then five feet below the rock ridge.the cloud faded,but red smoke began to blossom,signaling the location for the rest of the armor to engage first"FIRE!ALL UNITS,FIRE AT WILL!"