Book 4 Beginning of the End

BOOK 4 Beginning Of The End

                                                 Chapter 1
                                             March 15, 2004

         Freedom Leaders Rose Calumberry and Dart Smalls were giving the final orders for their first major offensive against the Empire. Rose was a rather short girl, with purple hair and blue eyes, Dart by contrast was tall with red hair and green eyes. This was the fourth year of the war they and their Republic had been fighting against the Empire and the War Lords, Victor Voktor, and the Supreme Leader who ruled it with an iron first. This was also the first time they would attack in the summer rather than the Empire which they had finally exhausted after suffering a string of serious losses.

         Another first was the Empire’s massive retreat. By May, St Petersburg was finally freed from the iron ring it had been trapped in by the Empire. The Empire gave up all of Russia’s outer territories and a large amount of the Balkans in southeastern Europe as well as Finland in the north and had begun to retreat towards its main bases in Central and Western Europe. The battle weary troops of the Republic finally began to believe victory was possible.
                                                         Chapter 2

         At the same time Rose and Dart had begun to recruit worthy candidates to begin replacing the Freedom Leaders lost the year before to Victor Voktor’s murderous attacks. The two best candidates were a pair of sisters, Jesse and Terra Baither. Jesse was red haired and had brown eyes and was more headstrong than her more quiet and blue eyed, blonde haired sister Terra. They would still have to stick close to Dart and Rose. For they were now beginning to near Germany, Austria, Italy, and Serbia, countries whose people were friendly not to the Republic but to the Empire.

         Capt. Sally Smithers had been a soldier in the Republic’s army since the Freedom Leaders had first formed it. She had been surrounded in St. Petersburg since the first day it was cut off and had received a promotion after surviving the siege. Now as her tanks entered a town in eastern Germany they had recently cleared out; a landmine went off destroying a tank. No doubt set by an Imperial diehard but they couldn’t prove it and were not allowed to take any action without proof. The people in the East and South had cheered them when they came into villages, towns, and cities there. These people just stared at them like they were a disease. Ignoring the looks they rolled on closer to Berlin. The Supreme HQ of the Empire in Europe.

                                                 Chapter 3   

         Supreme General Victor Voktor was shorter than he appeared as he hunched over slightly, with brown hair, cold grey eyes, and steel rimmed glasses. He was second only to the Supreme Leader in the Empire that stretched over four continents and contested the other three. But news wasn’t so good. Their Asian armies had been halted or thrown back, the armies in Africa were falling back towards the West and the armies in Europe were on the edge of collapse. His aide Capt. Christopher Cartwright came up to him and handed him a report in the tower that was Imperial Supreme HQ in Europe. He read it in satisfaction, the Republic thought it could surround Berlin with two large attacks north and south of the city. He had waited for them to overextend themselves and then counterattacked cutting off both columns and destroying a good amount of enemy forces. If they wanted Berlin now they would have to take it the hard way: head on. He smiled evilly anticipating the coming fight.

         Dart ran through the streets of Berlin trying to get closer to the massive tower in the center of the city which was the Empire’s HQ in Europe. But advancing was tough, Imperial soldiers and civilians fought side by side against the Republic while Imperial planes and armor continued to support their infantry. Although outnumbered the Empire had the advantage of defending a narrow front where numbers didn’t matter. Dart continued to lead his forces inch by bloody inch through the city.

         Rose stood in the Republic’s HQ outside Berlin. Dart was leading the ground forces there so she was to command this operation. “Pilots, your mission is to destroy the War Lord’s tower in the center of the city. Your planes will be equipped with special rockets for the mission: one direct hit on the support beam will bring it down. Any questions?” she asked. “Yes,” a younger pilot began, “How are we to penetrate the Empire’s air defenses? They are protecting the city quite well.” she finished. “Another unit of planes will divert their attention so all you will have to worry about is their anti aircraft guns which are not a major threat. Good luck pilots.” They filed out and got into their planes.

         Victor Voktor looked out on Berlin as the city was slowly destroyed by the advancing forces of the Republic. He was making them pay heavily for each street they took. Now they were trying a different strategy, they had sent troops to make a large attack and supported them with planes. Victor had been forced the send the Imperial squadrons to deal with them and now more planes were attacking his tower and they were barely holding them off. “Don’t worry.” his aide Capt. Christopher said. “Nothing can penetrate our defenses.” Victor looked out again, not so sure.

         The young girl pilot who had questioned Rose flew toward the War Lord’s tower in the center of Berlin. Her name was Beth Johnson, her first missile had missed the tower and she was coming around for her second shot. She would have missed but as fate would have it her plane was hit by Imperial anti-aircraft fire and it was knocked to the left so that just as the rocket was fired it collided right with the tower. Beth then bailed out of her plane and watched the scene unfold.

         A violent tremor shook the tower. Victor said, “What the Hell was that?” Capt. Christopher’s voice shook with fear as he shouted, “There’s a problem with the main support beam!” Just then the tower began to collapse. The Imperial officers shouted in terror and surprise as it collapsed with them in it. Only a miracle kept them alive as the tower collapsed. Their segment stayed in tact, so the only thing they had to worry about was the impact which wasn’t pleasant but wasn’t deadly either. The debris from the tower killed many Imperal soldiers, destroyed many buildings, and tore a massive hole in the defensive line. Victor was furious as he and his bodyguards pulled out survivors and retreated again.

                                                 Chapter 4

         After celebrating their victory in Berlin, the Republic swept on and the Empire’s position worsened even further. The Empire lost all the Balkans, Scandinavia, and Central and Southern Europe and as they were being pushed out of the low countries into France. Republic soldiers then landed in Northern France behind them. The end for the Empire in Europe was in sight.

         Rose led a column of Republic forces into Paris, the capital of France. The Empire had been putting up quite a fight but the Republic’s air force had smashed their defenses and pushed them out of the city with minimal damage to the monuments. The people cheered as the soldiers entered and all over the city. Imperial flags and posters were burned in celebration. By the end of July most of the Imperial forces had withdrawn. After small battles in Spain, the capital Madrid was the next target.

         Jesse Baither was in command of a Republic column north of Madrid one of the Empire’s final holdings in Europe. Dart and Rose were attacking the city directly and her sister Terra was leading a column around the south to surround the city. Then all of the sudden Imperial troops attacked unexpectedly from inside the city and demolished her surprised forces. The War Lord Victor Voktor attacked her and they battled for some time but she was no match. He easily disarmed her and put his sword against her neck. She looked up at him with hate. “Finish it.” she said arrogantly. He simply smiled and said, “I have a different purpose for you if you choose.” He outlined the plan to her and after thinking a moment shook his hand. She took her shattered forces back to their start as he went back to the city. She had no idea what she was getting herself into.

         With the northern claw smashed Madrid stubbornly continued to hold out. At Republic HQ outside the city, Rose was walking through the halls late one night and came across the communications room. Something wasn’t right. Lights were on in there and no one was awake at this hour. She cautiously peered in and saw Jesse looking at a screen with Victor Voktor’s face on it. “Have you ordered the sentries at the HQ to stand down so my men can enter?” he asked. “It has been done my Lord.” she replied. Rose had to cover her mouth so her gasp would not be overheard She’s betraying us! She thought. “Excellent, one of my Death Squads that eliminated the others will enter and take care of those Freedom fools and you will become the first female War Lord in centuries and will have saved the Empire in Europe.” Victor said and the transmission ended. Rose ran through the halls at top speed and awakened Dart. At first he did not believe her then a hole was blown in the front of the HQ and Imperial soldiers began killing everyone they could get to. Only Rose’s panic awakening a few guards saved them from total disaster. The Imperial agents were forced back as more and more guards became alert and streamed in to save the HQ. When the area was searched, Jesse had disappeared with them.

         Jesse walked into Imperial HQ in Madrid with the returning commandoes who survived the battle. She began to stammer in horror to explain what happened to Victor but he cut her off. “You have killed us all you idiot!” he shouted in a rage and pulled out his pistol. Three shots were fired. That signaled the end of another Freedom Leader at the hands of the Empire.

         Soon afterward, despite their terrible loss the Freedom Leaders captured Madrid and finally Lisbon, the capital of Portugal and the Empire’s last stronghold in Europe which fell with 50,000 prisoners. Europe had finally been liberated.

                                                 Chapter 5

         Dart was in Lisbon preparing for what they hoped would be the final blow against the Empire. All over Europe citizens were declaring July, 30 Freedom Day and were celebrating being liberated from the Empire (aside from those in the nations that had remained loyal to it). The true extent of the Empire’s crimes was being realized as well. A Secret Police force had been executing resistance fighters and arresting anyone it was thought opposed the Empire and this was just the beginning of what the Empire was capable of. Now Dart was preparing to put an end to it by invading the Americas, capturing Washington D.C., killing the War Lord’s, and destroying the Empire. It would be easier said than done.

         Meanwhile the Empire continued to recede, large pieces of central China came back under Republic control as the Empire fell back to its fortresses on the coast. In Africa, the Empire had been pressed into the West and was barely hanging on. And now they were losing naval control of the Atlantic Ocean, the invasion would not wait much longer. However the Empire was preparing for it by fortifying the whole of the American coasts. It had also taken a revolutionary move, in their desperation, the War Lords began utilizing females in large numbers as the Republic had done since the start of the war in order to strengthen its weakened forces. A sure sign that the final battle was at hand.

                                                 Chapter 6

         Rose and Dart looked over the side of the battleship they were on. They were part of a fleet heading to invade the Americas and hopefully end the war. It was nearly as large as the one the Empire had used to invade Europe. “Well, we’ve worked out the plan.” Rose said. “Yeah, hopefully it will actually work this time.” Dart said. “Uh huh, and the resistance is going to be heavy since these people joined the Empire at the beginning.” Rose continued. The sun was beginning to set however. Rose said, “Well its getting late, I’m going back to my cabin.” Dart headed back to his cabin a few minutes later.

         But events were being set into motion no one could have predicted. A shadowy figure glided through the halls of the ship. The agent had been told to block two doors so there was no way to get out of them. After that, the agent was to go to the top deck and sabotage the lifeboats. The agent quietly did so and got off the ship without being seen or heard. A small lifeboat came up to the agent who entered. An Imperial soldier named Capt. Christopher waited. “Has it been done?” he asked. “Yes.” The agent replied. “Excellent.” Christopher replied as they silently rowed back to a submarine waiting a half mile from the ship.

         Victor Voktor sat in the cramped submarine monitoring the flagship of the Republic fleet. Five other submarines were waiting in the area as well. They briefly surfaced to receive Christopher and the Agent, then submerged again. “Did he carry out his mission?” Victor asked Christopher. “Yes General, everything is as you asked.” Victor shook his head satisfied. He had plotted out the time the large fleet would begin splitting up to head toward its targets, at that time the flagship would be defenseless for a short while and he could sink it and kill the Freedom Leaders. “On my mark.” he said to his men and the other submarines. “Fire your first three torpedoes now!” he ordered. They sailed off and Victor’s men anxiously waited for what he had to say. Then he said three words, “Five direct hits.” His men broke out in cheers.

         Rose was asleep when explosions rocked the ship she was on. She jumped out of bed and tried to get her door open but it was stuck! Thinking quickly she pulled out her sidearm and fired at the doorknob, the device holding it shut was destroyed and she got out as the ship began to lurch backwards. Dart had done the same in his room and was coming toward her. “The ship is sinking we have to get out of here!” he shouted. They grabbed their life jackets and headed up to the deck as water poured into the ship. When they got to the deck it was in chaos and everyone was shocked to find the lifeboats destroyed. They simply clung to each other as the ship went down hoping an SOS had gotten out and help would come soon.

         The Imperial submarines surfaced and Victor got out onto the deck with his aide and a few sailors. “What about the survivors, sir?” Christopher asked “There are no survivors, they’ll figure out what happened, if there are any survivors left and if the freedom fools somehow survived when they find out what we did here they will be even more brutal in the Americas.” Victor answered. “Yes, sir.” Christopher said obediently. He nodded to the sailors manning the cannon and machine guns on the submarines and the guns began to fire into the wreckage.

         
         Dart and Rose screamed as bullets and cannon shell landed all around them. They were helpless as the Empire slaughtered their sailors and did their best to finish them off before the icy waters of the Atlantic could. Soon though ships from the Republic came to rescue them by pure mischance and the submarines left seeing them. They had plenty of time to think about what had happened as they headed into the heartland of the Empire.

                                                 Chapter 7

         Sally Smithers stood on the deck of a destroyer as the Republic’s fleet bombarded Boston. The invasion area for this point. At the same time another army would land at New York, and one more at Annapolis to drive on Washington D.C. Still more would land in Charleston and Central and South America. She soon got on a landing craft that headed toward the fortified beach. Her eyes were filled with tears of joy as she prepared to set foot on her homeland for the first time in over three years.

         Alvin Smithers had had a rough time. He had barely escaped Europe alive on one of the last Imperial ships to leave. Now he was in a bunker at Annapolis, Maryland trying to hold off the Republic’s invasion force. Machine guns and cannons fired at the enemy soldiers charging up the beach past the minefields and barbed wire they had set up there. Their casualties were mounting and their advance slow but sure. Soon they would reach the Imperial lines and the fight would get very nasty.

         Victor Voktor stood at the top of the battlements in front on Annapolis as the freedom forces broke through his defensive lines and came up the hill. And then he saw them as they came up to him along with the rest of their forces. Victor stared in disbelief as the battle erupted around him and Rose and Dart stood side by side swords drawn in front of him. “You...You,” he stammered and tried again. “You have to be dead!” Victor shouted as his shock turned to anger. “No, we don’t Victor.” Dart said. Then Rose lost her temper and shouted, “You monster! You tried to have us drowned and then blown to pieces in the Atlantic!” Victor had nothing to say as they charged toward him. This battle was different from the others in some way. Victor fought with all his skill and power but to no avail, Rose and Dart set upon him and he began to fall back. Soon panic set in and he was giving ground to save his life. He was able to hold out for a short amount of time then Rose slashed his left arm, he grabbed it as the color drained from his face. Then Dart punched his glasses shattering a lense and temporarily blinding that eye. As he fell Dart kicked him in the stomach and he lost his sword and fell to the ground sputtering uncontrollably. “This is impossible!” he said gasping for air. “How could I be beaten like this?” he asked no one in particular. Rose said, “It’s a power a thing like you could never understand Victor.” Rose answered. He looked at her with a newfound fury and hatred and reached for his pistol but found Dart’s sword at his throat. But at that moment Alvin Smithers lifted his submachine gun and fired at the Freedom Leaders, he missed but they backed off. “This way, Sir!” he shouted to Victor. The War Lord grabbed his sword and hopped in the jeep. He shouted, “You will pay for this. Especially if you come to Washington, if you go there all of you will die.” he finished and the jeep sped away. Rose and Dart simply continued forward to the city ignoring his warning.

                                                 Chapter 8

         Sally Smithers was witnessing something she had never seen before as the Republic advanced toward Washington D.C. The people here looked at them not with the discontent the people loyal to the Empire in Europe had shown them but in hatred. She finally stopped to ask an old man why. He replied, “The Empire has provided us peace and security like we never knew for three and a half years and you people came and smashed all that to pieces in less than a month!” “But you are free now!” she protested. “We have seen the Empire’s full might as you have not. Freedom will not matter at all when the Empire comes back here after destroying you.” She simply shook her head in confusion and continued on.

         Victor Voktor had recovered from the disastrous battle in Annapolis and now was standing in Washington D.C. The defenses the Empire had built here were stronger than anywhere else in the world. Still the Republic charged them time and again. They must have suffered half a million soldiers wounded or killed before finally breaking into the city. Then spilling even more blood as they advanced toward the tower the Empire ruled from and the White House that now acted as its base. Victor retreated into the building, all they had to do was hold the Republic here and they would crush the invasion. All the other attacks had stalled and the Republic was gambling on taking D.C. The Freedom Leaders were about to summon up powers they could not possibly comprehend. 

                                                 Chapter 9

         “Ready?” Rose asked Dart. “Ready.” Dart replied. She gave the order and a hole was blown into the fortified gate in front of the White House. They charged in with their soldiers and were met by Victor Voktor and more Imperial soldiers as well as something that shocked everyone. The Supreme Leader himself. He pulled out a large menacing sword that glowed with power. “You have brought this on yourselves you ignorant fools! Now prepare to feel the full wrath of the War Lords!” the Supreme Leader shouted. The Imperial soldiers opened fire and he and Victor attacked. Soon tanks rolled up and fired into the building opening a large gap up in the floor that went down into tunnels deep in the Earth the Empire had built. The Supreme Leader was ferocious slashing through armor and metal and firing bolts of energy from his hands. He came up to Dart “Since you are all about to die I can tell you the truth. My name is Merkuto I have been a War Lord since the days of Sargon. Over 4000 years ago! And you think you can defeat me?” he screamed as he revealed his true form resembling a slithering dragon without wings but incredibly powerful. Everyone stared in horror but Victor. “I told you that you would meet your doom here, but did you listen to me? No! Now you will pay for your incompetence!” he laughed evilly. The battle continued. Rose and Victor began to fight once more. Then an explosion rocked the building and they fell into the pit in the floor. Rose grabbed the edge and was pulling herself up when she felt a terrible weight on her ankle and when she looked down saw Victor Voktor clinging to it and digging his nails in. His eyes became large and black and took on a sinister look. “If I’m going down you’re coming with me!” he said smiling evilly. She screamed in pain. Dart looked over and saw her. “Rose!” he shouted as he darted toward her dodging bullets and blasts from the Supreme Leader. He grabbed her hand just as she began to lose her grip and pulled both her and Victor up but more gunfire soon separated them all. With the Supreme Leader now bearing down hard the fight was over and the Freedom Leaders retreated from the White House.

         One chance still remained however. Rose, Dart, and Terra gathered south of the city. They had one last chance to surround and take it with a large push by their armored forces. However on the Potomac River, Victor met them with all of his armor and a massive battle ensued. After fighting for some time he shouted, “Enough!” and then he began to transform. His eyes turned red, his nails became claws, his teeth sharpened and two large wings sprouted from his back. “You didn’t think the Supreme Leader was the only one with a true form did you?” he asked, amused as they stared in horror. “I have been a War Lord almost as long as he has and we simply took these forms to fool you into thinking we were regular enemies. The only truth you know is that my name is Voktor.” he finished. “Why didn’t you reveal this before?” Dart asked as he began to recover. “We thought we could destroy you in our normal forms but you have proved too pesky for that so we must destroy you this way.” He answered and then attacked. His energy bolts ripped through tanks and left them smoldering. He landed and began to advance on foot to complete the destruction of the Republic’s army when Terra charged him and tackled him. Voktor hit her with a special bolt and as she charged and she turned to stone but his plan backfired and she fell on him knocking him into the Potomac, giving the remaining forces time to retreat.

                                                 Chapter 10

         With the Freedom Leaders unable to take D.C. the entire invasion fell apart. Imperial forces drove back the Republic with relish until finally every single pocket of resistance was crushed or forced to withdraw. The invasion was a complete failure. The Freedom Leaders were back down to only two of them to two immensely powerful War Lords. They had lost half of their planes and tanks sent over and suffered two million soldiers captured or killed. The Imperial Navy harassed them all the way back to Europe but after that winter set in and neither side would have the strength to do anything the next year. They would have to enter into negotiations.

         After some time both sides agreed that a ship in the Atlantic would be the best place for negotiations since it was not held by either side. Before the leaders came on to the ship a squad of soldiers from each side cautiously greeted each other and scanned the ship for any problems. When they gave the all-clear Rose and Dart sailed to the ship and boarded, and the Supreme Leader and Victor Voktor in human form came on as well. They all sat down at a large conference on the deck of the ship. Both sides argued bitterly for hours until finally an agreement was reached. The Empire would keep its holdings in West Africa, East China, and Southeast Asia as well as the entire continents of Australia, Antarctica, and the Americas. Everything else would go to the Republic. The Empire would also keep the frozen body of Albert Masons and the petrified body of Terra Baither as well as Hank Borlo as prisoners. The Atlantic and Pacific Oceans would be regularly patrolled by both sides to make sure no large attacks by either side were being planned from the sea. Next they promised to keep a balance in the new space programs that they had been recovering from the old governments before the war. Finally, they promised not to interfere in each others internal affairs. All four leaders signed the treaty which finally ended the four year long war at 11:00 AM Eastern Standard Time on November 11, 2004, Eighty-six years after the First World War ended this third one ended as well. But now a second Cold War would take its place as both superpowers tried to get an edge over the other one and ultimately win.

         Victor Voktor entered the Imperial HQ in Washington D.C. and read an announcement declaring the end of the war to the entire Empire. After shutting off the cameras, Capt. Christopher came up to him and asked, “What now sir?” Victor smiled at him and said,”Now we get ready for the next war.” And laughed evilly as everyone in the room looked at him in horror.

         With the end of the war Alvin Smithers had been promoted twice more to Colonel. He could have resigned and gone home but felt there was nothing for him there, so he stayed in Washington D.C. where Victor Voktor had given him an important position in return for saving his life. As Alvin got to work he had no regrets about either decision.

         Sally Smithers had been promoted twice as well and was a Lt. Colonel in the Republic’s army now. The end of the war was bittersweet for her, there would be no more fighting but she and many other teens who had fought for the Republic would not be going home. She had been given command of the monitoring stations in England and she was to report any large Imperial activity in the Atlantic. She decided she would just do her best to make a new home there and got to work.

         Dart and Rose were back in Supreme Republic HQ in Moscow. They would have to stay in uniform no matter what. “Well it’s finally over.” Dart said. “But we still have a major task ahead of us, we have to rebuild North Africa, Europe, and most of China, the Empire wrecked everything taking the places then retreating out of them.” Rose said “Yes, but I’m confident we can handle it and still beat them together.”Dart said. They smiled at each other as they went back to the control room of the HQ.