{S} Sarra

[Magni Prime]

Rael, oblivious to the actions of Degial beyond the acceptance of orders, doesn't even take note of the light that bathes him from behind. That wave of hope doesn't take hold universally, but on what he was considering as the effect hits. Considering his plans and hopes for the surge of war, hope fills him that he is doing the right thing. This must be done, and he is certain of it now. Still, he has other issues.

On his way out, he hears the offer, and pausing to look over his shoulder, Rael smiles. "Dear Valenth . . . I always welcome anything that eases suffering of our people. By all means, help in any way you can." Walking out, the king has no doubt that he must do this- or that the war coming is justified. Already he is considering new strategies to counter the sky-blasts his human foes have created.  

[Magni Prime]

Coming back into the castle, Rael moves into the throne room, and subsequently into the conference room off to the side of the main chamber. Here, a long table sits in wait with a dozen chairs about, waiting for use. In the center of the table is a large device that hums to life with Rael's entrance. "Earth." Hovering above the table, a translucent image of the wasted globe of Earth appears, a single dot in white in the northeast corner of North America. Rael stares at the display, glaring at this orb as if it was the cause of all hatred. Before him, built into the table, is a set of controls he quickly begins to key in. Several gray dots appear, and with a wince, the white dot becomes gray. Staring hard at the globe, Rael makes plans for a plan of attack. "The sky will be your undoing, vermin."

Rael walks out of the conference room some time later, and moves to his throne. Long ago, he had a system put into place to broadcast throughout the Sarra, for quick and easy announcements. This will be the first time that he has used it, but tests have shown it working well. Taking a seat in the ornate chair, he steels himself one more time, and then activates the system. Out of the floor a pillar rises about one foot in diameter. A moment later, two more arise from either side of the throne. These three create an image in three dimensions, and at various points in the Sarra holographic projectors hum to life. Identical images of the king are now seen everywhere in the Sarra, all acting as one.

"You who are more than my countrymen, more than friends, more than family . . . For too long, we have trusted in the Light to prevail. Acting as a reactionary force, we have seen those who should have been our greatest victory fall from grace. Now, their home is clinging to life by the barest of threads. Our time has come. Just as sunlight pierces through the veil of storms, so shall we begin to pierce the darkness. Our cause has no recourse, our Light must show the darkness which is stronger. Many of you have known what was coming. Many of you question if this course is right. I assure you, to do nothing is a worse fate."

Raising his hand, he balls it into a fist, and his kind face becomes more of a glare. "As the leader of the Sarra, as your king, I announce that our war with the Horde is expanded to humans. Humanity as a whole has been given thousands of years to see the error of their ways, and have only found a weapon to pervert every aspect of hope. Their time is come and gone! It's our time now. The Light must be given a chance to shine. With our help, we will save Earth from her infestation- we will begin an assault on that world and save it from demon and human alike, before it is too late. Our sacrifices are not in vain, our forces must be made ready. For those that doubt, I am sorry. For those that suffered, we will avenge. Earth will be made into a New Eden, a second Sarra . . . All I ask is what I have ever wanted from you all: Belief in the Light."

With that, he presses a small hidden switch, and the broadcast ends. With a heavy sigh, Rael leans back. It is done. I only hope my plans counter that sky-blast . . . Or this might be a very short war.  

[Magni Prime]

(( okay, been days, and I hate RPing to myself, but I will move things along. ))

From his throne, Rael begins issuing commands to those in waiting. First and foremost, he divides up his forces into manageable groups- legions. Each legion led by a lieutenant and comprising of a hundred celestial warriors. As their numbers have been growing for some time, that still creates far more legions than is required for simple defense. In order to make sense of it all, Rael sets up a rotation: no less than ten legions guard the main gate at any one time. Once he sets the purge into action, a counterattack is inevitable, and he'd rather not let them into the Sarra.

Secondly, he takes multiple legions and sets them on scout duty. Each legion divides into ten groups, each one carefully balanced. Four heavy fighters, four swift movers, and two scouts. These teams are to go to Earth, and be the eyes and ears of the Celestials. Soon, he should know where bases are located, and how heavily fortified they are. The scouts are the key to him, deigned to keep an eye skyward, they are to be the warning against heavy weapons- and more importantly, that damned sky cannon. Hopefully the humans won't fire on such a small expeditionary force, but if they do, the celestials should have enough time to find cover or escape through a much smaller portal.

While on the subject of the portal, Rael adds a footnote to ensure that all his people are brought home. Once done, the portal is to be closed for now. Cutting off access to Earth will serve a security purpose until they are ready to move in. No use in maintaining a base when it has already been blasted to hell. The thought pains him, each loss striking keenly upon his soul. Never the less, it must be done. Their names should be added to the wall, and Rael will pay respects soon. For now, the purge needs him.

Finally, he calls for his own specialized armor to be prepared. It has been a very long time since he himself went into battle- but Rael won't send others into a place he himself will not go. Thus, when the push begins . . . Rael will make the first punch.  

[Magni Prime]

From his throne room, Rael seethes with anger. A probe, here? The very thought is loathsome and makes his stomach churn. Calling for the nearest messenger, Rael's voice is very tense as he calmly speaks. "Order all forces on alert, reinforce any dimensional barriers, and ready our forces for invasion. If they can send a probe, then there is no telling what else can come through. Make sure that all forces are ready for a fight-- now!"

Once the message is sent through the halls and Sarra, Rael begins to pace. The dimensional barrier was his last line of defense. This only reinforces his edict to take the fight to them. If they can come here, he must take the fight to them or his beloved Sarra will be a wasteland to compare to Earth.

That is unacceptable.

Flying out of a balcony, he reaches the main forces, and quickly takes notes of the forces available. Several dozen legions stand in wait, with a score more waiting in position near the portal. It would seem that his announcement galvanized much of the forces the Sarra has put together. Steely eyes scan the forces ready for war, and he nods solemnly to them. Raising his voice, he flies up a few feet to be seen by as many as possible.

"My friends- the time has come. A messenger from the humans has arrived unbidden in our home. Now, the humans are not content to corrupt and defile their own home: now ours is within their reach. Stand ready . . . the purge is at hand." Though it pains him to know that many of his people are not likely to return, their deaths will only spur on the Sarra. Martyrs in the cause of what must be done, the Light will become a holy war.

Flying over the heads of his people, Rael finds his destination with ease. His armor is just now ready, having been fine-tuned for a long time. Imbued with all the magics the Sarra has produced, it is the most heavily fortified armor this world has ever seen. Limned with protection runes, only the strongest of weapons hopes to even penetrate it's magics. In addition, there are syphoning runes to help transfer energy into use for Rael. The magics of the Sarra are those of transformation and protection, and this armor is the epitome of such. Designed to be an ultimate defense, Rael quickly slips into the armor of his design. Arms and legs each contain a set of runes to absorb energy and transfuse with light, the breastplate a battery of energy that cannot be changed. As a last defense/offense, demonic energy that cannot be altered is stored here. When commanded, this gem will detonate outward, literally being a bomb of negative energy inches from Rael's skin.

Here in the Sarra, celestials need not fear harm due to the light's energies. In armor lined with these runes, he should also bear the same protection- as long as the runes and armor holds. Much of the protection is energy-based, making the armor only as good as other reinforced shielding to a physical attack. Still, few can do enough damage to this plate to be a real concern. Thus far, none have so much as scratched it . . . but he has never faced anything stronger than a mid-level horde officer in it. In his mind, Rael can only hope it's benefits can be used to stop the sky cannon. Or is that the point? Pausing for a moment, he wonders if that is the game. He has been devising tactics to avoid facing that blast. With his strength tenfold in this armor, he wonders if he should go to Earth and hope his armor and runes are enough to turn his greatest fear on that blasted world into his own weapon. The irony does make him smile, and wonders what the humans would do if their weapon was turned.

On each bracer is one of his preferred weapons- a rod of Celestial metal. Used as a focal point, his weapons allow him to channel his energies into weapons, and he has only rarely used what he has termed the 'grand slayber.' If he is off to war, then he will go first, and show them what the weight of the Light can do to those unable to stand in it's light. Once armored and armed, Rael walks through his troops, patting a shoulder here and there, showing that he is not their Lord to watch them fight and die from some safe vantage point. No, he is one of them . . . he is their comrade, their peer in this fight. Just as their spirits lift from seeing him walk among them, his own is bolstered by their camaraderie. They are the Light, and they are one.