Eye Of the Storm+Victorious Opposition

Author's Note: I have combined books 5+6 which is what these two are (that would not all fit in the title) because I didn't want to create 2 items with these and I personally view 5 as a filler story and not worthy of standing alone without six but too big to combine into 1 story.



BOOK 5 Eye Of The Storm

                                                 Chapter 1
                                                 Spring 2005

         Supreme General Victor Voktor was on the short side, he had brown hair, cold grey eyes, and steel rimmed glasses for an eye injury he had suffered hundreds of years ago. For under the humanlike surface was a monster over four millenniums old. He wore a black uniform with four stars and a few medals to distinguish him, as well as an officers' cap with an eagle on it and black boots. He was second in command of an Empire that ruled four continents and had holdings in two more. The only person above him was a creature even more powerful than him, Supreme Leader Merkuto. The Empire ruled its lands with an iron fist but was beginning to initiate some important reforms it hoped would give it an advantage over its mortal enemy the Republic which lead the areas the Empire did not control.

         Perhaps it would be a good idea at this time to examine a few of the ordinary happenings in the Empire. The people were content under it despite losing most of their rights, you were relatively safe as long as you didn’t speak out against the Empire. You worked, went home, and kept quiet. The armed forces were not usually present unless an area was particularly troublesome. The Empire worked to cover up failures and keep the people in the dark much of the time and what made this possible was the Zaki Secret Police that arrested suspicious individuals and made them disappear. The Empire was extremely collective: everything was done to arm the Empire and for its benefit and hardly anything for the individual. This was the way of life in the Empire.

                                               Chapter 2

         Dart Smalls and Rose Calumberry stood in Moscow, the capital of the Republic. He had red hair, green eyes, and was tall anf fit. She had purple hair and blue eyes and was short when she stood next to Dart.  They were in control of a badly damaged Republic that stretched over 3 continents. The Republic tried to rule fairly and justly in the lands it controlled, giving as many freedoms as possible. This was made difficult by resistance efforts made by people across Europe and North Africa still loyal to the Empire. These people slowed reconstruction as well, but they were supported by the Empire. Still the Republic was doing its best not to fall behind the Empire in weapons and development.                              

         As the Empire was examined so shall the Republic. The people had many more freedoms and there was no Secret Police but everyone still had a job to do to keep the Republic running. They were even allowed to have personal luxuries. The Republic kept its armed forces on the frontiers as well, so they were rarely seen in large cities across the Republic. Its main problem was that its reconstruction policies and care for individuals hurt its development and was causing it problems keeping up with its mortal enemy the Empire.

                                                 Chapter 3

         Relations between these two superpowers were not very good. They were still deeply bitter over the long and hard war they had fought just last year. Even though they stated not to interfere in each others affairs each side tried to stir up trouble to gain an edge over the other. They had entered into a 2nd Cold War and whoever emerged stronger would rule the world. But even with an edge, the war that may ensue if the balance was not kept could be catastrophic.

         Some things had changed since the war however. Instead of being made up of entirely of males the Empire and to accept both genders into its governments and armies. The Republic continued its policies of openness and equality and even tried to expand them. Mainly because of the massive casualties both sides needed to replace from the war. Now that the two sides are understood, the events of this 2nd Cold War can be discussed.

                                                 Chapter 4          

         Although the people in the Empire were usually content some were willing to fight for freedom. Such an incident occurred in the American Southwest where a number of areas rebelled against the Empire. They held a large part of the desert-like area but they knew they would have to defend their land as the Empire recalled troops to deal with them.

         Victor Voktor had been sent to the Southwest to deal with the revolt there. He called upon his experience from Australia and North Africa where conditions were similar to deal with them. Within a few weeks he had retaken half the land that had been lost and the government of the newly formed Free Land of the Southwest was forced to beg the Republic for support as many of the resistors were slaughtered by vengeful Imperial Soldiers of both genders as well as members of the Zaki Secret Police.

                                                 Chapter 5

         Dart gloomily read the report from the Southwest and knew all the more the Republic could do was smuggle some weapons to them through the few ports they controlled on the Gulf of Mexico. Every person in the Republic felt deeply for these people as they battled impossible odds for freedom. Dart gloomily awaited for another report to come in.

         Col. Alvin Smithers had been a soldier in the Imperial army since the first shot had been fired. Now he led a column of tanks into Albuquerque, New Mexico the smaller of the two pockets the Empire had split the Free Land of the Southwest into. They had fought hard but had lost, however many still tried to fight on: a rebel threw a Molotov cocktail at an Imperial tank setting it on fire before he was killed. It was a bad trade, a tank for a rebel that had already lost. Soon he was in the town square where an order came across from Victor Voktor. It read, “Gather up all rebel leaders and execute them in the square. Any minor officials or resistors will be placed on transports and relocated into camps across the Empire. Performing similar actions all over the questionable areas.” Alvin obeyed the order and within half an hour machine guns chattered as the Zaki carried out their orders. Trains rattled out of the stations by the end of they day.

         Victor Voktor’s tanks rolled into Sante Fe, New Mexico capital of what was the Free Land of the Southwest. Victor issued a triumphant statement announcing he was in Sante Fe and that the rebellion had been ruthlessly crushed. However as soon as he got off the radio he receivedt a message from Supreme HQ in DC ordering him to take his army to South America to crush yet another rebellion in the Amazon. This was getting annoying now.

                                                 Chapter 6

         Victor Voktor had three armies to deal with this rebellion. Things were getting serious, he didn’t have many troops and the Empire was losing credibility with all these rebellions. His first two armies were surrounding the Amazon except for a corridor that had been held that stretched to the Brazilian Coast where the rebels held many important towns that Victor knew the Republic was smuggling weapons to them from. His third army he had brought with him he planned to use to cut the corridor and retake the cities. He began issuing orders to put down the Amazonian Republic as it was called.

         Dart was reading another plea for help from yet another small area fighting for independence in the Empire. He had seen what had happened to those who had failed in the last rebellion and it wasn’t pretty. He had to think up a way of getting better help to these people. Then Rose came up to him. He told her the dilemma and she thought for a minute then Dart saw a spark in her eyes. “Why don’t we send them some of our soldiers but call them mercenaries. We can say they were hired by the AR and the Empire can’t do anything about it.” she said. Dart’s eyes lit up as well. “Let’s do it.” he said.

                                                 Chapter 7

         Victor Voktor  appeared on the monitor in the Republic’s Supreme HQ. “This is an outrage!” he shouted. “No, it isn’t.
Rose said. "The AR hired those soldiers on their own. We had nothing to do with it.” Rose lied. “Fine, but know that we will treat them like any other rebels we capture so you aren’t surprised when you see what happens.” Victor broke the connection. Rose and Dart smiled hoping that this rebellion might actually work and give them the edge they needed to defeat the Empire.

         Victor was furious. “Alright, no more Mr. Nice Guy.” he said to his aide Capt. Christopher Cartwright. “We are going to bomb the Hell out of these cities on the coast and all of our armor is going to group on either side of this corridor and cut it. Not only that but give both of our armies in the forest orders to set it on fire to flush out rebels and to level trees so the tanks can get through.” he finished. “Yes, sir!” Christopher said and went off to carry out this order without even thinking, as he had with so many others.

         Col. Alvin Smithers had been called south to help crush the rebellion in the Amazon. He was looking out as the Amazon was leveled and burned over hundreds of miles. The technique was working though, the Empire had retaken nearly all of what was left of the forest and thousands of rebels had surrendered. Further south Victor Voktor had cut the corridor to the forest and had pinned the rebels against the coast in their bombed out fortresses. He had orders to broadcast this to the entire world. After seeing this no one will ever rebel against the Empire again he thought triumphantly.

         When the television was turned on at Supreme Republic HQ everyone was horrified at what they saw. The Amazon rainforest was set aflame and Imperial Flags flew all over the forest. Soon that scene was interrupted by a smiling Victor Voktor. “Greetings from Rio de Janeiro. If you will look over my shoulder you will witness the end of the so called Amazonian Republic.” A squad of Zaki Secret Policemen opened fire and the leaders of the AR slumped over dead in the town square. The camera panned back onto the War Lord's face. “Let what you have witnessed here be a warning of what will happen to any who oppose the Empire.” The report then went back to the forest where an Imperial Colonel was explaining why the Empire had decided to set the forest ablaze to defeat these “terrorists” as he called them.

         In England Lt. Colonel Sally Smithers jaw dropped. There was her brother Alvin. It was the first time she had seen him in over four years. And there he was justifying the destruction of one of the world’s natural wonders and the executions of innocent people. She turned off the TV confident the person who was her brother was long gone.

                                                 Chapter 8

         Victor Voktor had been summoned back to Washington DC by the Supreme Leader. After going down on one knee as was ceremonial, Merkuto told him to rise and congratulated him for crushing the rebellions in the south. After that he said, “We have let the Republic hammer us long enough, now it is our turn to cause them some trouble.” “What do you have in mind?” Victor asked as he leaned forward in excitement. “The government of the Republic is not as full of righteous people as everyone thought and we are going to expose it to the entire world.” he said. “How?” Victor asked very interested now. “A number of our agents will set up a deal with them and then we will betray them to the Republic and show the entire world. This will embolden our supporters in the Republic and at the same time make their people lose faith in them.” “What do I have to do?” Victor asked eagerly. The Supreme Leader explained to him.

         Dart accepted the transmission coming in from the Empire. Victor Voktor appeared on the monitor. “What do you want?” Dart snapped at him. “I’m here to make a deal with you.” Victor said. “Forget about it.” Dart said reaching for the button that would cut off the signal. Then Victor said, “Well if you don’t want to know about the traitors in your own government go ahead.” Dart’s hand stopped. “You lie.” he said to Victor. “I do not. If you order your police to search the houses of the individuals I’m sending you on this list you will find Imperial bills and documents at each location.” “Why are you telling me this if you are responsible?” Dart asked suspiciously. “All in good time, all in good time.” Victor replied and ended the transmission. Dart ordered the search and found what Victor said he would but by doing so he fell into the trap. When the story went public riots broke out across the Republic demanding an end to corruption. And when the Republic tried to put them down the Empire said they were being hypocrites and persecuting their people causing even more trouble. “We are under siege.” Rose said to him. “And we can’t do anything about it either. Even if we hadn’t searched them then the plot would have succeeded, Victor knew he would win either way.” Rose sorrowfully shook her head. They had been outwitted yet again by the Empire.

                                               Chapter 9

         Then another blow came. The Republic was so weak in Central Africa and the rioters so strong it soon became an open revolt. The center of the continent declared itself the Independent State of Central Africa. And now the shoe was on the other foot for the ISCA fought it’s way to the Empire in West Africa and asked it for help. Soon weapons and “mercenaries” from the Empire began to swarm into the new country.

         Dart had gone to Africa to deal with the revolt and he had only three armies as Victor had in the Amazon revolt. But one was on frontier duty guarding against attack by the Empire in the North and the other trying to hold the rebels from breaking out into the South. The last army was in Eastern Africa. It had just barely beaten back an attack that would have split the Republic in Africa in the two and now it was forced to go on the offensive exhausted. The attack was a miserable failure and stalemate set in. The Empire sent as many mercenaries as soldiers from the Republic so a solution was impossible to find. The Republic was forced to recognize the ISCA as an independent country. But soon it was announced that the ISCA had asked the Empire for statehood and had been integrated into it.

                                                 Chapter 10

         Victor Voktor was once again in the Supreme Leader’s throne room. “It is now absolutely clear we are winning this Cold War.” the Supreme Leader said. “We have gained territory and supporters and have solved our own problems while the Republic is very weak.” he continued. “Yes, and we know we have the lead technologically now as well.” Victor added. “The Republic is definitely not what it once was, perhaps it is time to deliver the final blow.” The Supreme Leader said. “I will give the necessary orders.” Victor said. He saluted and left the room.

         Col. Alvin Smithers was working in his office when the telephone rang. He answered it, “Hello?” a very familiar voice came across and spoke two words, “Death Knell.” and hung up. Alvin’s eyes opened wide in surprise. He slammed down the phone and rushed out to issue orders to his troops. All over the Empire a similar thing was happening. It was time for the Cold War to get very hot.          

                                 BOOK 6 The Victorious Opposition
         The Opposition is usually a force referred to in battles between good and evil and usually represents evil. Once in a battle between good and evil, evil won. So everyone else joined the Victorious Opposition...

                                                 Chapter 1
                                                 March 15, 2006

         Supreme General Victor Voktor had just given an order that would change the entire course of human history. He often hunched over and appeared shorter than he was, had brown hair, cold grey eyes, and steel rimmed glasses he wore because of damage to his eyes that he had recevied hundreds of years ago. For under his human form was a monster over four millennia old. He was second in command of an Empire that ruled half the world and was now making a bid for the other half. His only superior in that Empire was Supreme Leader Merkuto, a creature even more ancient and powerful than he was. They were fighting the Freedom Leaders, their mortal enemies for hundreds of years and their Republic. They had already fought one massive war a little over a year before and had then competed in a Cold War out of which the Empire came out of top and was now trying to completely crush the Republic. And now the opening shots were to be fired.

         In Asia Imperial armies swarmed across the border in China and India to conquer the two territories. As well as pouring out of West and Central Africa to cut the Republic in two there. At the same time the Imperial Navy and Air Force were attacking and destroying key forces on land and at sea. Imperial Submarines armed with missiles fired them into coastal cities all over the Republic. Worst of all Imperial satellites and missile platforms destroyed their Republic counterparts and launched their weapons at major cities all over the Republic. The blow was more powerful than anything anyone could have imagined especially with the Republic as weak as it was. Then it came time to announce the attack.

         The Republic and Empire had jointly controlled a small space station that broadcast news across the world. But the Empire had taken control by smuggling in a platoon of Space Marines with a ship that was supposed to be carrying supplies for the station. The marines then uploaded an incoming transmission into the broadcasting station that went off to the entire world.

         Dart and Rose had been out enjoying Moscow the capital of the Republic together when several explosions rocked the city. They ran back to the Republic’s Supreme HQ at the Kremlin. Dart had red hair, green eyes, and was tall for his age. Rose had purple hair, blue eyes, and was by contrast rather short. As they ran in they were just in time to see Victor Voktor on the screen. He was saying, “People of the Empire we did not want war but it has been forced upon us by these corrupt fools in the Republic. So be it. To War!” he shouted. As the cheering died down he then said, “And to you people of the Republic rise up! We are coming to liberate you. You have seen what your leaders are like and what kind of place you are living in. But I assure you, no missiles rain down on the heads of the people of the Empire, no armies march through their cities and destroy their homes. So end this terrible struggle by joining the Empire!” the transmission cut off.

                                                 Chapter 2

         Dart was more afraid than he had ever been in his life. Even more afraid than when the Empire was in the center of Moscow at the beginning of the first war. This was even worse than that first year of the last war when the Empire threatened to swallow up so much. Now it threatened to take everything. The Republic's armies were in full retreat and their defenses were shattered. They were definately losing in all every minor theater of combat but the truth was that the deciding factor would be what happened in Europe. They would have to wait and see what the outcome of that contest was before they could worry about anything else.

         Before that attack could begin disaster befell the Republic in Africa. Imperial forces drove to the coast and split the continent in two. The southern armies rapidly fell back toward South Africa while the northern forces fell back into Egypt. Once more the Empire threatened the Republic’s oil supply in the Middle East and now controlled all of North Africa giving it another way to invade Europe. The Republic was getting closer and closer to total oblivion.

                                                 Chapter 3

         Rose looked out at the Atlantic Ocean from her defensive position in Lisbon, Portugal. The Republic had fortified all of the country as well as much of Spain and all of western England to withstand the attack. Then it came. Imperial planes, troops, and ships swarmed along the entire front and reinforcements were rushed to the coast to hold off the attack. First, wave after wave of Imperial bombers pounded the coast. Then Imperial ships opened fire with their massive guns and further damaged her defenses. Then, landing craft approached the beach. A shore gun roared next to Rose as it began firing on the Imperial vessels. Other guns followed suit and several Imperial craft were hit and sunk beneath the waves. However, too many of them made it to shore and the beach was dotted with soldiers in black or gray uniforms inching their way forward. That was when Rose's machine gunners and snipers opened fire on them. The enemy soldiers began to fall in droves and dove for whatever cover they could find. After that her artillery opened up and caused even more devastation. The Empire then tried to get a handful of tanks onto the beach to help the infantry but within minutes these were no more than burning scrap metal. The Imperial attack was coming to a total standstill. As similar reports poured in from all over Spain and Porugal she was confident this invasion would fail. Night would fall in a few hours now and the Empire would be forced to withdraw its soldiers.

         Alvin Smither's landing craft approached the shore very slowly. He was nervous but at this section of beach there were not many defenses and no soldiers of the Repbulic dug in to stop them. The craft touched down on the beach. "Move! Move! Move!" he yelled as his troops poured out into the area. Within half an hour the beach was theirs and hundreds of tanks were brought in successfully. By nightfall they had pressed miles inland and were deep in northern France. The plan had worked perfectly.

                  The Republic had never expected the Empire to be so bold as to sail directly into the narrow English Channel and land troops in France and England. Soon London and Paris fell and the Empire was trapping the Republic’s armies against the coasts. At the same time an army landed in southern France and linked up with the northern army completing the encirclement of millions of Republic troops in Spain, England, and Portugal.

                                                 Chapter 4

         Within two months of the war starting, the Empire had crushed most of the Republic’s resistance and was still rolling on and on while Summer was just beginning. And once more Europe fell to the Empire. But this time, the people were completely loyal to it and welcomed it in. England would no longer be a worry in the Empire’s rear either. The Empire destroyed any trace of the Republic and abolished Freedom Day, a holiday established at the end of the last war to celebrate freedom from the Empire. Soon Imperial soldiers were approaching familiar territory. The Republic’s old defenses in Russia.

         Sally Smithers had barely survived getting out of England. The chaos was like nothing she had ever seen. People had struggled to get off the island and escape the Empire. They had gone to extremes to do so. She would never forget the tragic scenes at the ports as men, women, and children, even infants tore at one another to secure a place on the final transports leaving. She would also never forget how her fellow soldiers had fired into the crowd repeatedly to buy time for the ships to depart. It made her wonder how different they truly were from the Empire. But she couldn't worry about that right now. She had been promoted to Colonel and was now in command of Republic forces in Central Russia. This was very familiar to her. They had defended this land at the beginning of the first war. It looked like they would lose then but they had held on and all she could do was hope they would do so again as the Imperial armies moved closer and closer to them.

                                                 Chapter 5

         Alvin Smithers gloomily came up to Victor Voktor and saluted him. After the Supreme General returned the salute Alvin said, “Sir, The Republic is finally getting its act together and is throwing everything into this defense. It’s just impossible to break through.” he then braced himself for whatever punishment Voktor would deal out to him but he was surprised he said, “That was anticipated Colonel. Don’t worry about it. We have finally put together the pieces of some technology from the old powers and we are going to us it against the Republic here.” Alvin walked away very confused.

         Col. Sally Smithers had been called to Republic HQ about fifty miles back from the front lines for an important meeting. She was on a train back to her forces when off the in the distance she saw something that shocked everyone. A massive mushroom cloud burst forth into the sky. The Empire had nuclear weapons! And now they had used them against the last army the Republic had standing between them and the capital, Moscow. Things were going to get very bad now she thought as the train reversed itself and began heading backwards at the sight.

         Alvin Smithers and his soldiers rolled on as Victor had promised them. Soon they had reached Moscow, in the north St. Petersburg fell without a fight and in the south Imperial forces were already approaching Volgograd again far faster than they could have dreamed. And this time the Republic did not have the soldiers or weather to save it. It’s time to end this war once and for all he thought.

                                                 Chapter 6

         Victor Voktor’s army marched triumphantly into Moscow. Before this Voktor had kept control of his men when they had taken areas, of course they destroyed what they needed to and killed any enemies but he hadn’t allowed merciless destruction. This was different, in one massive burst he unleashed his soldiers and allowed them to rampage around the city killing, looting, and burning as much as they wanted. This city had done more to defeat War Lords in the past and in the present than almost any other city in the world. It was time for it to pay. Victor himself made his way to the Kremlin in the center of the city where a few soldiers and high officials of the Republic were holding out. Soon tanks came up and began bombarding the building until an opening was made. Victor, his aide, bodyguards, and a squad of his most ruthless Zaki Secret Policemen stormed into the building killing anyone they came across until they finally reached the control room...Meantime in Washington DC the Supreme Leader was stepping up to a podium to make a proclamation that went out to the entire world. “People of Earth, people of the Empire. You are now one and the same! For as we speak our brave and victorious soldiers are inside the capital of the former Republic”...Back in Moscow Victor kicked in the door and his men began cutting down the top generals and government officials in the Republic. When he ran out of ammunition, Victor pulled out his sword and began to wade into the helpless leaders of the Republic...In Washington the Supreme Leader continued, “And as we speak justice is being delivered swiftly and ruthlessly”...the sword came down again...“to those fools who sought to stand against our might and drag us through two wars and a cold war”...The Zaki continued to unload their weapons into the officers...“And now to ensure that this never happens again and that the entire world shall have the safety and security we currently have, the Empire and the Republic shall be combined and reorganized into the First Global Empire!” he finished as thunderous applause engulfed the room from the leaders of the new Global Empire...In Moscow Victor walked up to the final Republic general left in the room. “Please! The war is over! We surrender! Have mercy!” she begged and pleaded. “Where are the Freedom Leaders?” Victor asked, they had not been in the room. The general stammered before speaking again, “They retreated to a special HQ they had constructed on a hilltop outside the city.” she answered. Victor turned around and she breathed a sigh of relief but then he whirled around and beheaded her before she even knew what was happening. “Let’s go. We still have work to do.” he said to his men and they departed.

         Rose was standing alone in the emergency HQ they had prepared outside Moscow. Dart had gone out to see what could be done in the city while she stayed in the communications center to keep track of new information. But then the door to the HQ was blown open and Victor Voktor stormed in. She jumped out of her seat in surprise and immediately drew her sword. Victor laughed his sickening laugh as he said, “Game over little girl, you lose!” He then charged her and they began dueling in the Comm. Center. Victor’s slashes destroyed radios, tv’s, and computers vital to the Republic as he attacked her. She did all she could to defend herself but was soon overwhelmed. Not to mention she already thought the situation was hopeless. Victor slashed her right arm and then her left and she dropped her sword and fell to the ground. He kicked her and she flew across the room and simply waited for him to finish her but then Dart ran into the room sword drawn. He looked at what he saw and despair came over his face. But it was soon replaced by a grim determination to make Victor pay for what he had done. “Rose get out of here I’ll hold him off!” he said. This time as tears streamed down her face she left the room and got into the jeep he had left outside and she and the driver left the area.

         “Well how does it feel to be the last one standing?” Victor asked. “I can still kill you and route your men Voktor.” he said calmly. “If you think so.” Victor said chuckling. Then he transformed into his War Lord form and attacked Dart. They battled for some time until one of Victor’s blasts blew a large hole into the wall. Dart jumped out of it onto the small area perched high above the burning city of Moscow. Victor soon followed and they simply stared at each other as lightning and thunder cracked. Then Victor smiled and came at Dart again they battled back and forth until one of Victor’s blasts knocked Dart off the cliff. He hung on only by a vine on the side of the edge. “You lose Freedom Fool!” Victor shouted triumphantly. Then he said, “The Second Dark Age has begun!” as he cut the vine and Dart fell. Confident he was dead Victor went back to human form and returned to his army in the city.

         Dart desperately grabbed for a hold on the side of the cliff. At last he found one and climbed down. He was badly beaten but he knew he had to get out of the area and began to move further East to Central Asia where the Empire still did not yet rule.
                                       
                                                 Chapter 7

         Two other jeeps had joined the one Rose was on as they fled toward the Ural Mountains far East of Moscow. If they got across them the Empire would be delayed crossing them and they would have some time to recover. But they soon viewed a frightening scene behind them. Three Imperial jeeps one with Victor Voktor in it, were gaining on them. The machine gunners on the jeeps began firing at each other and soon only two jeeps remained on each side. Then Victor’s jeep caught up with hers. It pulled up next to her and they began to slash at each other as the two jeeps rammed one another. After a few minutes Rose’s jeep pulled ahead of Victor’s but then the other Republic jeep was destroyed by its Imperial opponent. Victor Voktor then tossed a grenade into Rose’s jeep as it pulled ahead. The events that then took place are astounding but occurred in less than ten seconds. A bullet killed the driver of Rose’s jeep and she slammed on the brakes. Rose dove from the car as the grenade exploded. With no time to stop Victor’s jeep slammed into her destroyed vehicle and the remaining Imperial jeep crashed into the wreck. Victor was furious as he pulled himself from the wreckage. The Freedom Leader’s had slipped out of his grip again.

         Rose and Dart were in Epatox, a city deep in Siberia out of the Empire’s reach. For now. They had set it up as the new capital of a rapidly deteriorating Republic. Dart decided to go south to try and remedy the disaster that was occurring there while Rose decided to stay in the Capital to guard it from Imperial forces they knew would eventually arrive there. They were hoping to try and find some way of stopping the Empire before it was far too late.

                                                 Chapter 8

         But the Empire rolled on. It had broken through in North Africa and overrun the Middle East along with the army in southern Russia. The Republic’s army in South Africa surrendered and the Empire began the Ural Mts. as well. Meantime they were closing in from the East as they retook Eastern Siberia and advanced on the new capital from both sides. Finally, they completed the onslaught by closing in on India from both directions. Soon they would link up and cut the Republic into two pockets that they could easily destroy. The end was near.
                                                 
           Dart was stationed in New Delhi, the capital of India and things were going very badly. The Empire was closing in from the West and the East. When its armies linked up in the capital, that would be the end. He ordered the destruction of all important documents. Then it happened. Imperial forces slammed into the capital from both sides. Within hours it fell and Imperial troops from the East and West rejoiced in the city streets. Dart then withdrew to the North. Rose wasn’t doing any better. She was surrounded in the capital which was now the last piece of resistance and the massive jaws of the Empire were about to close on it. Dart hoped she got out okay.

                                                 Chapter 9

         Rose looked out from the citadel, or main fortress, of the last free city in the world. It had three rings of walls around it and the citadel itself to protect it. The Republic intended to make its final stand here. She looked out at the city again. Refugees from all over the world had swarmed here as well as a million Republic soldiers. The Empire had gathered two million troops for the assault and their newest technology. If they got in, it would be a bloodbath.
         
         Sally Smithers had fled to the Himalayan Mts. Some other forces of the Republic had fled there as well. They hoped to hide deep in the mountains from the Empire and continue to resist. It was bitterly cold and tough going in the mountains but that would make it harder for the Empire to get to them. They set up a camp and soon got word that Dart had escaped and was now setting up a similar movement in the Ural Mts. At the same time they received a message saying that the Imperial assault on the final city of the Republic was beginning. They could only wait and hope some of their friends escaped.

         Col. Alvin Smithers was waiting with his tanks outside the last stronghold of the Republic for Victor to give the order to attack. The city was totally cut off but the approaches were wide open which meant they had to charge across an open field, then break through the walls just to get into the city. He was sure it would be a bloodbath for the Empire until he saw the preliminary bombardment of the city. Hundreds of tanks and cannons fired into the city and at the walls. Missiles rained down deep inside the fortress where the artillery could not reach, and new Imperial jet planes were wreaking havoc on anything that survived. Then Victor Voktor came out in his War Lord form and personally ordered the charge. The army lurched forward and its leader went right on with it. Imperial soldiers fell here and there and sometimes a tank brewed up but the casualties were not serious and soon they were at the wall. There they had to stop as a heavily armored tank blasted and rammed the gate holding them out. Soon however the gate collapsed and Imperial troops swarmed into the city. Alvin and his men cheered as they charged in.

         Victor Voktor fired off energy blasts at Republic positions and cut down infantry as he pushed toward the center of the city. He came up to the second wall and called in two engineers. They planted two large charges on the gate and it blew open allowing the Empire to continue its advance. One more wall and then the citadel and the city was theirs. Eventually Victor and a few troops reached the third wall, but resistance was fierce and he didn’t have many troops with him. They were still coming up from other parts of the city. Instead of waiting he flew to the top of the wall and began slaughtering the defenders. A few of his men had grappling hooks and came up to help him. After they took a small section of the wall, Victor jumped down and opened the gate. All that remained was the citadel and he had all the time in the world to bring it down.

         Rose had been watching the battle in horror as the Empire broke through all three defensive lines and destroyed the entire city. They were now gathering for their final attack on the citadel. An aide came up to her, “Ma’am, you must get out of here! The Empire will kill you if you are found here.” she said. “I can’t leave, and besides there isn’t any way out of here.” Another aide cleared her throat. Rose looked at her questioningly. She then spoke up, “There is a secret underground tunnel we constructed in case of emergencies. I think this counts as one.” she said. The officers in the citadel encouraged her to leave. Her eyes welled up with tears as she knew she had to abandon them to their fate. She crawled into the tunnel to escape and fight another day.

         Victor Voktor watched gleefully as cannons pounded the front of the citadel. The last piece of resistance against the Empire in the world that he was aware of. After a few hours the entire front of the building collapsed. He ordered his regular troops to stay back, they wouldn’t want to see what he and his Zaki were going to do in there. They entered the building and systematically cleared out each floor and were at the last room before the control room. Victor blew open the reinforced door with a single energy blast. They charged in and stared at the terrified Republic officers for a moment before Victor ordered his Zaki to open fire. The last resistor fell under the murderous fire and they stopped shooting. “Search the bodies, Rose has to be here somewhere.” he said. After a short time though a Zaki came up to him and said, “Sir, you should have a look at this.” Victor followed him and looked at a hole in the back of the control room that had been under a cabinet knocked over during the fighting. A fire ignited in Victor’s eyes as he let out one of his inhuman screeches. The Freedom Leaders had escaped him again.
         
         Alvin Smithers was overjoyed. The war was finally over and his side had won. And he had been promoted to Brigadier General. They had killed nearly a million soldiers of the Republic and a million more surrendered to them. Not to mention the millions of people who had fled to the city and were now in the Empire’s grip. Then he received a disturbing order not from Victor Voktor but from Supreme Leader Merkuto. He ruled that the city was to be leveled and all traces of it be destroyed. The populace and resistors were to be made example of so that no one would dare resist the Empire ever again. Alvin gloomily ordered his men to carry out the order. This was going to be a bloodbath.

         Rose and the few soldiers that had escaped with her made their way to the Himalayas. Rose had lost hope and was ready to give up. She just wanted to be alone somewhere and cry. Little did she know hundreds of miles away Dart was having the exact same feeling. The effect it would have would be unimaginable.

                                                 Chapter 10

         Victor Voktor rushed into the Supreme Leader’s throne room in Washington D.C. Which was now the capital of the world. “Do you feel it my Lord?” he said eagerly to the Supreme Leader. “Yes! Yes I do!” he said excitedly. Power like they had never felt flowed through their veins. The War Lords had not felt this strong even in the Dark Ages. They now ruled the world. It had taken them four thousand years but at last it was theirs! They had never accomplished so much before and the Freedom Leaders had been so demoralized that they sacrificed much of their strength to the triumphant War Lords. But they were still not satisfied. They knew the Freedom Leaders had escaped them and had received reports of a rebellion brewing in the large mountains in Asia. Victor and his Zaki intended to hunt them down and ruthlessly slaughter all of them ensuring that this Second Dark Age would keep the Earth in its iron grip for millenia to come.

         Meanwhile the Freedom Leaders had regained some of their self control. They had set up a communication channel between their two main bases and they were now reorganizing their forces. They would have to lay low and stay in hiding until the right moment came to strike back and topple the War Lords and their Empire. It wasn’t over yet.