“USAM forces have successfully secured all of Virc’Veria, with much celebration by the local residents. Artie and Pamlinitie pulled their forces back to the nearby hillsides east and north of the City-State outskirts, providing some relief.

  According to the Allied war effort, General Sherman stated after the victory at Salva that Virc’Veria was the next step. Where the town's strategic value lay with its location, where three highways interconnect.

  2nd Brigade, 4th ID, along with the 2nd from Astralis, will take control of the city's defenses until the newly established Velunara Protectorate can install a new House. In the meantime, military leadership is expecting a swift counterattack from the enemy.

  With the intersection captured, this opens the southern route to Tarvass, which the Aristocracy-aligned City-State has been in a constant artillery duel with over the Indolass-Salva corridor. The objective of allied commanders is to swing south and take the city, finally securing the rear supply lines.

  The 3rd Brigade, 4th ID made this attempt last month but was countered by the sudden arrival of Pamlinitie Brighton. With no ability to advance, the Brigade waged an armored guerrilla war against superior forces to prevent them from breaking the American siege. Now that the city is in Allied control, reinforcements could finally arrive. The British 7th Mechanized Brigade, which recently arrived in Alagore, is being directed to relieve the armored unit and push south.” - The Hudson Show

  June 3rd, 2069 (Military Calendar)

  Salva, Velunara Protectorate

  Nevali Region, Aldrida, Alagore

  *****

  Mathew Ryder thanked the Salva Palace maid for the drink before the girl went around the table. She was a young female Wood Elf. The woman was a former employee of the Ceka, unlike the Head Maid, who was considered his property due to her station and served the Royal Family directly, rather than being hired to serve the Palace.

  She quickly refilled or replaced everyone’s drinks and set a new bowl of fresh fruit for Ryder, West, and the Herffs representatives.

  One was a Wood Elf, Gaeleath, from the House of Torhice, and the other was a Kitsune, Ofumi, from the House of Yuki, sitting in front of them. Both came from powerful Houses within their respective City-States. From what Ryder understood during his quick historical briefing, Herff was ruled by three Great Houses in a strange triple dictatorship model – the Elves, Kitsune, and Lats. According to his political Advisor, Yeldan, Kallem allowed Toriffa to dismantle the Lat humans after the region was annexed.

  “We do not agree to your terms,” Gaeleath said.

  “You are not matching the deal Lord Kallem provided,” Ofumi stated.

  “Was that before or after he marched his army into the city and murdered one of your Houses?”

  West asked, which visibly struck a nerve with the delegation.

  Ryder looked down at the handcrafted map of Harff and the surrounding outskirts. It was a massive city, three times the size of Salva. A population that was triple the size before the American intervention. Being built next to a river like the Mississippi, it provided a perfect port for cargo ships and freight trains throughout the region. However, that was not what the Americans were focusing on. It was the Aetherium gas fields and refinery, as well as the city’s geographical location.

  If USAM were able to take the city, they could place their artillery within range of Torffa and Affrooliea, including the Aristocracy’s logistical network. The gas remained largely unknown to the American government, as do many other resources Alagore offers. Such as Nacadorite, whose orbs are made from, and Karvernite, which enhances steel or iron tools – vital for the creation of magitech. Aetherium is used in the alchemy process, but it has also been described as like natural gas infused with mana. It is hoped that this thaumaturgy resource could serve as a desperately needed source of energy for the Army’s first military campaign in an alien world.

  “This is not the same deal,” West said. “We are not the Aristocracy. What you are asking for isn’t acceptable.”

  “Last time I saw Kallem, none of his children were married off,” Ryder stated. “Why should I marry off my daughter to a House when he didn’t? Since we are comparing notes.”

  “You must understand,” Ofumi said. “We have been down this path before, and it did not go well for our city. We need assurances.”

  As the negotiations continued, Ryder felt increasingly frustrated. Being a powerful city, they want special privileges within Assiaya’s Protectorate. Some of it was standard, including representation in government, as the town’s nobles sought to secure their power. To the Americans’ surprise, Herff agreed to outlaw slavery far quicker than expected, the institution being forced upon them by Torffa so that they could expand their trade network.

  However, there were two points of contention. While the Houses of Herff were displeased with Kallem’s rule, they embraced the Katra and wished to maintain this enlightened faith. The other was to prevent what had happened before, with either House being toppled and a new leadership installed; they wanted Ryder to marry one of their nobles.

  The offer took the Captain and Ambassador off guard, and she quickly noticed that they didn’t ask for his daughter’s hand. He had no idea why they would exclude her, since in feudal societies a daughter’s position in a family was meant to be married off for precisely this reason. But maybe he felt that it would bring Kallem’s wrath, or not; they had a distance from her biological father’s bloodline. He believed they had done their homework and decided not to challenge one of his red lines.

  “That is never going to happen,” Ryder said.

  “We were under the impression that your people value religious freedom,” Gaeleath said. “Why will you not apply the same principle to us?”

  “Because it is a death cult,” Ryder said. “Your enlightenment demands the execution of everyone else who disagrees with the Katra.”

  “Are you implying your spiritual philosophy never had a bloody history?” Gaeleath asked.

  “Of course ours did,” Ryder said. “The difference is, we are not actively chopping people’s heads off because our feelings are hurt. Your Katra is.”

  “Your propaganda leaflets, your seekers are littering all over the region, say you believe in religious freedom,” Ofumi said. “It seems that was a lie.”

  The Wood Elf took a frustrating breath before taking a drink from his wine. “I do understand your concern. The Unity has made it difficult for different cultures to coexist.”

  “I think we should move to the other point,” Ofumi said. “Something that we might be able to agree on.”

  Ryder leaned into his chair, expecting the Ambassador to reject their proposal, but noticed that she remained surprisingly silent. This made him uncomfortable, as he was unsure of what she was thinking, and now, seeing, “You do not understand. Arranged marriage is not part of our customs. I have agreed to provide a slot in our council, but that is it,” he said.

  “Until you choose not to,” Gaeleath said.

  “As we said before,” West countered. “Lord Kallem didn’t marry one of your daughters. Why should we do so?”

  “It is simple,” Ryder said. “God himself cannot make me marry off Assiaya.”

  “As I stated before,” Gaeleath said. “They conquered us. We were not in a position to elevate ourselves.”

  “It is obvious to everyone that you want to resolve this peacefully,” Ofumi said. “A battle would be bloody for both sides, lasting for months or years. Plus, you want our gas fields and a base against your enemies without a fight.”

  “By that logic,” West said. “We will match our troops through your front door and install whoever we want. Either you agree to our terms, or you will be dethroned. You should be happy that we are giving you this chance versus other cities within the region.”

  “Then you risk the Aetherium fields,” Gaeleath said. “The refinement process can be… problematic if not done correctly. You need our experience, and you know that. Otherwise, why are you here?”

  “Do not misunderstand negotiations with weakness,” West quickly countered. “Because we want a treaty just means the Army wishes to blow up a different rebel noble house that does not want to come to terms.”

  Ryder could see the fear instilled in the two nobles. To his confusion, the Ambassador was being hyper-aggressive, making him wonder what her tactic was. Either making up for his lack of experience or making him the preferred one to strike a deal with.

  Regardless, he decided not to challenge her publicly. The last thing he wanted to show was a disarray against a hostile House, and his only hope was that her strong-arming them would make them drop their two conditions.

  “Here is the thing,” West continued. "We both know you will never intentionally destroy your primary economic source. If you force us to attack, any benefits you currently receive will be lost forever. We are the new power, not the Aristocracy or Unity.”

  “Even so,” Gaeleath said. “You must understand, Harff isn’t Salva, or Iriskia. Look how long it took to capture Virc’Veria. Any assault will take months, dragging everyone into a brutal siege. Thousands of lives on all sides will be lost.” Ofumi leaned forward. “Let us not forget how the Princess’s father has exploited us-.”

  “I am her father,” Ryder snapped.

  “My apologies,” Gaeleath said. “I mean the House of Balan, then under Verliance House. The fact that you refuse to consider any form of royal marriage is… confusing.”

  “As I said,” Ryder said. “I know Noble Houses trade their daughters for leverage, but I do not care. I am not trading her like she is cattle.”

  There were more heated disagreements over the subject, with the point of contention being the duke’s refusal to offer the Princess his hand in marriage. The Palace servant made another round of drinks, passing out water bottles and wine to help calm nerves.

  Ofumi took a sip from the honey wine before leaning back in his chair. “I have a counterproposal. What about you, Duke?”

  “Me?”

  “Yes,” Ofumi said. “I would have proposed it earlier, but we did not foresee how resistant your House would be to marrying off your daughter. Are you open to an arranged marriage with yourself and one of ours? We do have a pure Lat noble within our mists.”

  Ryder stared at the two representatives with a blank expression, unsure of how to respond. He understood the basics of feudal nobility politics, knew that a duchess's role was to trade for alliances, and prepared accordingly. However, it never dawned on him that he would become the central subject of such a proposal.

  His lack of response became a clue for the two Nobles, who finally saw a break in the American negotiating position, to Susen West’s annoyance.

  “Duchess Evrilla,” Gaeleath said. “Is the only pure human noble within our city left?”

  “I find that hard to believe,” West stated. “This region was ruled over by humans before the Aristocracy’s annexation. So, she is the only one you can offer?”“There are many human nobles in Nevali,” Gaeleath explained. “Only a few Lat Houses remain.”

  “Let us be fair,” Ofumi said. “This, Velunara Protectorate, your family has created has a limited number of nobles to offer. We both only have a few options to offer; otherwise, you would have to offer a counter marriage proposal.”

  The American quickly understood the mistake the Ambassador made, but wasn’t sure whether the critical error was intentional. The term ‘human’ has a different meaning on Earth than here, since there were other human types on this moon.

  The two nobles went on to explain that after the Aristocracy annexed the region. How the Vampire Lord allied with the City-State of Toriffa. The J’avais state that they did much of the dirty work, under Kallem’s orders, or acted alone and hunted down many of the Lat nobles, either murdering or selling them into slavery in far-away markets.

  “Will you meet her?” Gaeleath asked.

  He wanted to reject the offer, seeing no point in stringing the delegate along. But the Ambassador beat him to it by agreeing to their terms.

  *****

  The Comanche Captain stared at the ceiling fan, mentally debating what had happened during the negotiations. He felt like he had just received whiplash from riding in a car, not fully understanding what had just occurred. One moment, they were negotiating the surrender of Herff; the next, he met a Duchess with the prospect of marriage.

  When Colonel Hackett found out, he and Susan West had been engaged in a fifteen-minute yelling match with no agreement.

  “Why would you agree to that?” Hackett said.

  “They were about to walk,” West said. “There is nothing wrong with Matt meeting this woman. It keeps them around longer, unless you want to march ten thousand soldiers to the gates.”

  “Your job was to find a diplomatic solution to avoid that,” Hackett stated. “Not to start a dating service.”

  “Please,” West said, crossing her arms. “They wanted representation security before switching sides. That is not an unreasonable request. If we can do it here, it will send a powerful signal to the other cities, and then we can get out of this rathole.”

  Ryder could see the anger building in his Colonel's eyes. He was about to reargue the same points, which only made it go in circles. “I will meet her. But there is no world I am marrying the woman,” he said.

  West stared at the Captain with a self-affirming look. “So, you will buy Neko women to fold laundry, but draw the line at marrying another noble for alliance building?” She spoke as if she had rehearsed this point.

  Ryder wanted to respond, but couldn’t find the words. The point she made was an apparent hypocrisy in his leadership—something she had noticed long ago and waited for the opportunity to make it.

  “Silent, are we?” West said. “How do you think feudal politics work? You want to be Mister Duke and create your own country. Part of that is marrying either yourself or your daughter to the highest bidder. If that means politically marrying some bimbo to achieve our objectives, you do it. This is the role of a Duke and Princess after all.”

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “Not going to happen,” Hackett said.

  “So, we are going to win over the natives with the power of friendship? You correctly understood that these people needed a figurehead to rally behind, but that comes with the baggage of noble politics, which was why my department didn’t support such a venture. But the War Department didn’t ask for our opinions.”

  “With the power of the US Army,” Hackett explained. “Feudal societies, just like all other values, have strength. They can reiterate their pledge allegiance to Matt or face the barrel of a gun. That is the point.”

  “That works until a House has something to offer,” West stated. “And now we are in a situation where rolling in the tanks will hurt our objectives. The White House and General want those fields. And Colonel, you know, taking this city will place our artillery in range of multiple hostile cities. We can move our aircraft freely without having to go around all the time.”

  “How do we know this is legit?” Hackett said. “This could be a trap.”

  "He has a point,” Ryder commented. “I have constantly been told how little our people know about this world politics.”

  “And Santa Claus might not give me coal this Christmas,” West stated. “You guys were the ones who wanted to play this game. You cannot pick and choose when those rules apply because they do not.”

  Ryder rubbed his eyes in frustration as he saw the Ambassador point. The problem was, they had no idea. On Earth, thousands of years of history and culture meant that situations like this wouldn’t happen. However, they are not on Earth and often operate in the dark. They must trust that they are being told the truth about how politics work here.

  He turned to his motuia political advisor, Varitan Yeldan. “You’ve been quiet. Thoughts?”

  “Being quiet is an important virtue,” Yeldan said.

  “Is the Colonel correct?” West asked. “Is this delegation legitimate or are we being conned?”

  “Everything I heard sounds correct,” Yeldan said. “Herff had a powerful Lat House that the J’avais whipped out during Daru’uie’s fall.”

  “And this Duchess?” Ryder asked.

  “I have spoken to the former Noble of this city before about this subject,” Yeldan said. “It was a passing thought. I am struggling to remember the details. If I recall, there was a young Duchess who fit her description and background. We have seen Kallem provide mercy to Assiaya. It is possible that he did with Evrilla, being the last female of her House.”

  “And this arranged marriage?” Hackett asked.

  “It is not the answer you want,” Yeldan said. “The tradition is common among nobles. Typically, for securing alliances, economic needs, and more.”

  “What if I reject it?” Ryder asked.

  “There is no obligation for you to accept this arrangement,” Yeldan said. “My former master had rejected many himself until a better offer emerged. However, he was an elf. Not a short-lived race. And it was more custom for an elf to have multiple lovers or a marriage to have an expiration.”

  “What does that mean?” Hackett asked,

  “It means we don’t have forever,” West said. “We can reject Herff’s offer, leaving Matt’s or Assiaya’s hand for someone better, but that day might be fifty years too late.”

  “The question that must be asked,” Yeldan said. “What offer are you hoping for later? Do you expect more profitable deals with other Houses? If so, what benefit would they offer? Especially rejection one from Herff, a sizeable and powerful House in this region. If this deal is not good enough for the Altaerrie, the lesser Houses would conclude they have nothing to offer. Or it could be the opposite. It is too early in this war to tell.”

  With clarification from the political advisor, the two continued, with the Ambassador making further points about the importance of negotiating a peaceful surrender so it could serve as an example for other cities interested in switching sides and seeking an opportunity to do so. The Colonel continued to protect his Captain, preferring a military solution over the current terms.

  That was when the door opened, and the Herff delegation entered the room. The Wood Elf Gaeleath and Kitsune Ofumi looked exhausted, as it seemed they also had their arguments. However, they weren’t what got the Captain’s attention. Besides them was a beautiful woman. She stood nervously, shoulder-length brown hair framing crystal-blue eyes and freshly washed skin. Her knee-length brown dress, trimmed in soft white lace, hugged her figure with a delicately embroidered bodice, while the flared skirt swayed lightly with each movement, subtly drawing the eye to her graceful poise.

  “My name is Evrilla. I am the daughter of Martive. I know you are hesitant because of my low station. If you give me the opportunity, I promise you will find that I will elevate your House.”

  Ryder stood there, finding the woman beautiful, feeling a chill as he struggled to know what to do.

  *****

  Flowing through the clear night sky, Natilite heard Salva’s early-warning sirens blare. Bright lights flaring through the air, heading toward USAM positions, including this very city.

  She halted midair, wings spreading as she hovered. After months in the city, she knew the sound well—hostile artillery inbound. The American hill fort was built north of the city. Two dozen multiple guided rockets came from the Shoki missile battery heading toward the Great Kasin Lake, heading toward Tarvass.

  The citizenry below took refuge in the side of buildings or inside structures for cover, but few took the attack seriously. After half a year of bombardment and siege, the people of Salva no longer live in fear of death. While not foolproof, the American artillery shield had proven its worth by saving lives. The once-feared thundering attacks are now an afterthought.

  Minutes later, the sirens fell silent. No impacts. No follow-up fire.

  “They never know when to stop,” she muttered.

  She resumed her flight and descended toward Ryder’s insula. Her boots touched the balcony stone, wings folding as she stepped forward—and stopped.

  Little white glowing bugs floated around a potted baby soul tree with diced fruits beneath, most likely left by Assiaya. Seven pale blossoms glowed softly, white petals washed with gold. Spirit-bugs drifted around it, their light steady and calm.

  “I will never understand their obsession with you,” Natilite murmured. “After everything they’ve endured…”

  She exhaled. “Still. I could use the luck tonight.”

  The door slid open before she knocked. Ryder stood there, beer in hand.

  “I see my front door isn’t good enough for you.”

  “I—” She inclined her head. “My apologies. I shouldn’t have assumed—”

  “I’m joking,” he said quickly. “You’re always welcome. Come in.”

  She felt a warmth while being greeted. Firelight danced across brick walls. The television flickered overhead—some animated duel in a surreal red study, Latin subtitles scrolling beneath it. And the orc civilian circiletum mounted above the fireplace.

  Assiaya sat on the couch, watching the television. She then spotted Natilite and launched herself over the sofa, colliding in a fierce hug.

  “Good evening, little one,” Natilite said, steadying her.

  “I’ll get drinks!” Assiaya announced, already sprinting away.

  Ryder watched her go, rubbing his temple. “Always full of energy.”

  “Yes,” Natilite said softly.

  Silence followed, heavier than the firelight.

  “So,” Ryder said, “what brings you to my balcony at this hour?”

  “Word travels fast when a Duke is cornered.” She folded her wings behind her back. “I’ve stood beside nobles when peace was bought with blood—or with vows. As a Templar, I have multiple experiences with these situations. I thought you might want a clear voice.”

  “I see.” He crossed to the table and took a long drink.

  The Princess returned, handing Natilite a beer and popping the cap with practiced ease.

  “Assiaya,” Ryder said, gentler now. “We will finish our movie tomorrow. Go to bed.”

  Her smile faltered. “Is this because of what happened? I said it was okay to offer my hand.”

  “When Hell freezes over,” Ryder replied. “We’ve been through this before. Now go.”

  She protested briefly, then relented and disappeared down the hall.

  When the door closed, Natilite said, “You know she isn’t sleeping.”

  “I know,” Ryder said. “But she shouldn’t be here for this.”

  “I suppose that answers it.”

  He looked at her. “What?”

  “You didn’t decline the offer.”

  Frustration flashed across his face. “That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?”

  “Yes,” she admitted. “I heard what was being proposed. I thought you’d want guidance.”

  “I want a way out,” he said. “How does anyone expect me to marry someone I met for five minutes?”

  “This isn’t about right or wrong,” Natilite said automatically—then hesitated.

  “It’s about whether the House offering this… deserves you.”

  Ryder stared at her, surprised. “I’m not trained for this. If I don’t take it seriously, people die. But that can take six months of campaign, and gaining an important ally all could be resolved by accepting a ring.”

  “It isn’t the first time you’ve compromised your principles.” The words escaped before she could stop them. Instantly regretting what she had just said.

  Ryder stood there with a shocked look on his face.

  He drained his beer and reached for another. “Since everyone expects it—and I don’t see a better path—I think I will. I’m the Duke of Salva, father of the Velunara Princess. I’m honor-bound to protect my people.”

  “It’s… normal,” Natilite found the word tasted wrong. She turned away, coughing lightly.

  With her response, the Captain took on a somewhat defeated, lost look. “I guess you are right.”

  Seeing that the conversation hit a natural end, and that her mission was accomplished, she stepped toward the door—then stopped. Her body betrayed her, turning back. “And how does marrying a stranger protect Assiaya?”

  She faced him fully. “How does it protect you?”

  Ryder looked at her again, puzzled by her outburst. “You spent twenty minutes telling me this was my duty to accept this treaty,” he stated.

  “Because it is,” she snapped. “I’m a Templar. Guiding you through this is my responsibility.”

  Her voice faltered. “But you should reconsider.”

  “What about ending the war without blood?” he shot back. “Uniting the City-States could save tens of thousands. It could rally all the others in the region without continuing the war.”

  “I’d wager most Americans would rather fight,” she said. “Same for Salva.”

  “Easy for you to say. I’m the one writing death letters—because one man didn’t want to swallow his pride and marry a broad.”

  Her temper flared. “You’re talking like this is already decided. Like you want it.”

  “You’re the one who told me I should.”

  “I know!” She paced, wings twitching. “But why are you listening? I thought you’d shut it down instantly—like you did with Assiaya.”

  He set his beer down hard. “You want to know why?” His voice cracked. “The Unity tried to assassinate my daughter on Earth.”

  Natilite froze. She knew the report. She knew the facts. But this—this was the weight of it, finally spoken.

  “I wasn’t there,” he continued. “If preventing another war keeps her safe…. I am her father and I missed that. Maybe that’s how I make it right.”

  “Ryder,” she said quietly. “You’ve been carrying that alone.”

  He looked at her. “Do you think I should do this?”

  “No… yes… I don’t know.” Her voice barely held. “I came to help you decide. I think I made it worse.”

  He exhaled. “That makes two of us.”

  “You believe this will protect her?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t want to do this—but it feels wrong not to take it seriously.”

  “Then don’t,” she said. “You have power.”

  “We both know that isn’t enough,” he replied. “And you know it.”

  She frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “You pushed me toward this life,” he said. “This House. This role. I trusted you.”

  “…I’m sorry,” Natilite said. “I’ve seen too many corrupt nobles. I thought this world needed better men.”

  He nodded. “I’m not running anymore. West was right.”

  “That scheming woman?”

  “She reminded me why I took this on. Winning hearts means playing the game.”

  He sighed. “I’d be a terrible Duke if I didn’t consider it.”

  “How did all of this go so wrong…” Natilite murmured.

  “Nat,” he said softly. “Why did you flip your argument?”

  She hugged her arms around herself. “Because the right answer is that you should.”

  Then, quieter: “And because I don’t want this world twisting you into something else.”

  She hesitated. “Not you.”

  He studied her for a long moment.

  “That’s something to think about,” he said. “I haven’t decided.”

  She nodded, drained. “It’s a noble’s duty to do what’s best for his people.”

  “Never a boring day,” he muttered. “I should sleep.”

  He walked her out.

  Alone on the balcony, Natilite looked up at the gas giant, lightning crawling through its clouds.

  “Why did it matter so much?” she whispered.

  For the first time in centuries, duty did not silence her heart—and being a Templar was no longer enough.

  *****

  The Elf Girl followed the Colonel to one of the many side passageways that were once hidden, but are now being used for Bridge operations—terminals and servers everywhere, with wiring connecting all the Altaerrie devices hanging against the walls. The main tunnel had a constructed metal road that connected to the portal to the external logistics facility. Within these side passages were massive cables, installed lights, and other terminals to power a military facility.

  “Thank you for coming, Miss Holiadon. I am Colonel Collins, the CO of Indolass.”“It is my pleasure,” Fraeya said.

  “I see you have been busy,” Fraeya said. “My Father would be impressed how different everything looks.”

  “If I read your notes correctly,” Collins said. “We discovered these passages thanks to your notes. With every new passage we discover, we bring in more hardware to fill it.”

  “My Father and I spent months waiting here. He always wondered why this place was barren. The other Orilla dig sights were always full of treasure and terror.”

  Fraeya placed her hand on the smooth but dusty walls, seeing that whatever gloss it once had had not faded away with time. “I wonder whoever built this… Akkad magitech, as you call it, ever finish constructing this place? Maybe that is why there are no Akumes or other items outside of powering the Bridge.”

  When they arrived at the main Bridge chamber, the ramp was lifted to allow technicians to work. She saw both NASA/JAXA and Vagahm engineers, as well as Guardian engineers, conducting studies and maintenance on the Bridge platform. They were scrambling around the facility like wild animals scattering from a predator.

  The mood suddenly changed as the Elf Girl heard someone yelling in the Bridge room. It was Doctor Stone, the head scientist regarding Akkad technology – the Bridge Builders and Akumas - on Alagore, pointing to open panels on the platform. The man was chastising many of the other researchers with little remorse for his verbiage.

  “Why the hell did you connect that wire to that? And that capacitor shouldn’t be there, but it is. God damn ruined everything! You might want to get stuck on this god-forbid rock, but I like to go home.”

  As she watched the senior doctor attempt to diagnose the problem, it reminded her of the first time they had met. It was the first day the Americans arrived. The Aristocracy was laying siege to this temple, and the Bridge was sabotaged. They combined their knowledge to resolve the problem, allowing reinforcements to arrive and save the day.

  At the time, no one knew how the Bridge had been disabled, but that mystery was soon resolved.

  With the terrorist attack on Earth, the most likely conclusion was Unity Shapeshifting agents. Of course, no one here knows about that detail as she swore to General Sherman to keep that privileged knowledge to herself.

  “He is angry.”

  “Yes, he is. I assumed you read my memo?”

  “The email? Yes. You are having problems with the Bridge again?”

  “Yes. The energy output the Bridge draws from is making little sense to us, but regardless, it was breaking down.”

  “And you wanted to connect your nuclear energy to it?”

  “That is correct. Whoever designed this thing should be shot. The natural energy around this facility? Please. They should be shot for not installing a proper power station.”

  “I warned you to be careful mixing your technology and ours.” Fraeya then saw the Colonel look stressed. That was when she realized they had done something. “What happened?”

  Stone glared at the Elf Girl but refused to respond, forcing one of his staff members to speak for him. When they connected the Small Modular Reactors to the portal, the system overloaded. Now the system wouldn’t activate.”

  “Did you destroy it?”

  “Lucky no. We burnt out a couple of components in the process. Our PI simulations said it should have worked. However, that isn’t the problem. We followed the exact procedure that we did on Earth without any problems. Something else happened.”

  Fraeya took a deep, frustrated breath, finding the Altaerrie’s lack of understanding of thaumaturgy frustrating. This wasn’t the first time she had to give this warning to these people, but they want to master this craft so quickly and are making a first-year student mistake.

  While there were only a few in numbers, there were a few dwarves from the City-State Dwarven Borrian. Being expert craftsmen who assisted the USAM technicians with magitech. But Salva also made some contributions, an elvish male assistant, to the rebuilding of Operations. Aolis Wysacyne, who assisted in the activation and regulation of the Bridge while Fraeya was away. He wore the temple’s religious garments, as one of the few men with authority there.

  “You keep trying to apply science to mana without the understanding thaumaturgy,” Fraeya said.

  “Magitech is a delicate mix of the two.”

  “I get it, but the status quo isn’t working,” Stone said. I get yelled at when the Army cannot bring in their death machines. We need to understand this technology and incorporate our systems into the device.”

  “Have you been following my notes?”

  “To the best of our abilities, but that isn’t the problem.”

  “What is?”

  “Miss Holiadon,” Collins said. “We discovered a problem. We noticed the Bridge activation window was getting shorter, and the de-cycle was taking longer.”

  “That is because you are using it nonstop. The Bridge has been sitting here for…ever. You people are stressing it.”

  “That is what I told General Sherman, and that isn’t what they wanted to hear. We need soldiers, supplies, and armor here to fight. Delays will break down our logistics.”

  Fraeya could see the stress in the Colonel’s reaction and tone. While not a military woman herself, her time with the Comanche has given her the insight she needed, and now she can relate to the Guardian officer.

  The Colonel went on to explain that the Akkad chamber was losing power, so they attacked two SMRs using methods developed by the Mars research team at the Ashurbanipal Facility on Olympus Mons. It worked there, so the natural conclusion was that it would work the same way.

  However, during testing, something went wrong and nearly overwhelmed the Bridge and its power source.

  She couldn’t help but be shocked by how reckless they were, as if these Americans were kids at a pastry shop. Up until now, the Elf Girl had enjoyed the natural curiosity of the Altaerrie. Not weighed down by millennia of opposition against researching orilla, but started to understand maybe some caution might be needed.

  “You are fortunate that you didn’t destroy it. Can it still connect to Earth?”

  “Yes, to both,” Stone stated. His tone, though, didn’t sell the Elf Girl. “However, we can only sustain twenty-five percent of the activity we used to.”

  “That is only a few hours, maybe more.”

  “I know. The Brass wants this resolved now.”

  “I will see what I can do.”The Elf Girl walked out of Operations, followed by Aolis.

  “Fraeya, I tried to warn them.”

  “I do not blame you. We will figure it out together.”

  “Thank you. I was worried that I might have made you believe you placed trust in the wrong elf.”

  With Fraeya going on missions with Comanche, Space Force needed someone to assist with activating and connecting the Alagore Bridge to Earth, and he was chosen. For one, his rank as a mage gave him a deep understanding of thaumaturgy, and he was also a teacher. She believed a teacher would be more suited to help the Altaerrie. More importantly, he was loyal. After the Bridge sabotage, its protection was the most essential duty in the war effort, surpassing that of those fighting on the front.

  She had given him a basic education on how to align the two Bridges and warned him not to stress the system for precisely this reason.

  “It is just,” Aolis said. “Your Altaerrie friends are impatient.”

  “I wouldn't call it impatient,” Fraeya replied, staring at the many engineers and scientists conducting repairs on the Bridge. “They are eager, like I was when I first went to Altaerrie. Sometimes, you cannot help but feel the urge to touch something alien and new. Besides, if they were successful, it could solve our energy problems.”

  “That was the goal. They were hoping to keep the Bridge open a full day because half of one.”

  The two elves approached the device, which caught Doctor Stone’s attention.

  “You again?” Stone said.

  “Hi, not a doctor,” Fraeya said.

  “I have three PHDs,” Stone responded. “And the lead in Akkad technology.”

  “A doctor saves lives, not gives headaches.”

  The NASA engineer glared at the Elf Girl, yet she noticed a hint of respect in his eyes.