Final Interlude - Vibrant Meadows

Imperator Michael Meadows and a group of adviors were waiting in Helmsman's office when he returned.

"Savant, I apologize for the imposition, but my Stronghold is much the worse for wear and your facility was the closest facility with acceptable fortification." said the Imperator from Helmsman's desk. Time had not been kind to Imperator Meadows; he looked every one of his seventy-five years. Meadows had a scar running across his forehead from a botched assassination attempt twenty years previous and his cheeks were covered in pockmarks, the remains of a childhood bout of Lupus that had been driven out by biomancy when he was a teenager. His eyes were pale blue, but bright as ever. Though his hair had gone completely white, it was still thick, another indication of Meadows' stubborn refusal to die.

"So I've seen, sir." said Helmsman. "It's an honor to serve Sardipa."

"Glad to hear it." said the Imperator. "Now, I'm afraid I'm going to have to throw you out of your own office, Savant, as we need to use it as a War Room at present."

"I understand, but I have bad news. Consul Cross is dead."

"Unfortunate, but not unexpected. It's just as well; his ambition was beginning to interfere with his duties."

Helmsman hesitated.

"Is there more, Savant?" asked the Imperator.

Before Meadows had passed off most of his meetings to Cross, Helmsman had met with Meadows a number of times. The two men generally got along well, though both were conscious that Meadows' rank was not the only thing that made him superior to Helmsman. Cross had told Helmsman that Meadows' health was in decline, but the man before him looked unchanged since the last time they had met.


"Sir, I was told that your health was in decline." said Helmsman.

"Cross told you that, because it was a lie I wanted him to believe. He was useful, but would have gotten uppity without the feeling he could take over soon. So I led him to believe that I was getting senile to keep him productive. As Diocletian himself once said, 'Weakness is greatest veil for strength.'"

"I see." With that, Helmsman left. There would be time to explain the circumstances of Cross' demise later.

"All right, men." said Michaels, calling his advisors back around the desk. A map of the city was lain across it with an army of red and blue figures. A black circle had been drawn across the area surrounding the docks. "There are two remaining Totem Ships on the water." He gestured to a pair of blue ships placed on the river. "What have we got to get rid of them?"

"A pair of heavy cannon companies from Garrison Twelve are moving in here." said the newly-appointed Grand Marshall Cuthbert. "And a squad of anti-magic projectors are meeting them at the intersection of Scullery Lane and Red Brick Avenue. The plan is to fire the antimagic at the first Totem Ship and then follow with a bombardment from the cannons. All they have to do is knock down one mast and her rune configuration will collapse; she'll be defenseless. Then the crews do the same thing to the other Totem Ship."

"Good." said Meadows. "Now, we've got reports of six squads of Hoplites with Spellslinger backup* moving through the Middle Barrens and Keystone's Comfort. What are the Militia and the Army doing about it?"

"I've got four regiments blocking their advance through Keystone's Comfort and are equipped with Mage-Breakers to take down their magic," said Brigadier General Birmingham, "but the Army Depot in the Stronghold basement was annihilated. Troops from Ralston's Ferry, Lower Barrens, and the Gray Knell are on their way--the meteors didn't reach that far and the Depots are untouched."

"And the Militia?" said the Imperator.

"In shambles." said Militia Commander Gruff. "The base of operations in the Stronghold was utterly destroyed along with fully half of the installations around the city. To make matters worse, our Mage-Breakers were based in Installation twenty, of which there are no reported survivors. What forces my officers have been able to marshall have congregated at the edge of the blast radius on what was the intersection between West 17th Street and Commodore Boulevard, but we have too little antimagic to be effective against the Palosians."

The Imperator looked up from the map. "Understood. General Birmingham, I'm giving you full jurisdiction over the Imperator's Militia. Use them to supplement your own forces as you deem necessary.

"Gentleman, this is the greatest city in the world, and we are under siege. I will do what I need to in order to see that it survives."


*The Hoplite and Spellslinger were Palosia's signature military units. The Hoplite was a heavy infantryman equipped with a long spear, a broadsword, full plate mail, and a tower shield. Hoplites also used numerous Auras and encahntments to elevate their fighting skills and endurance to superhuman levels. Spellslingers were the ranged equivalent of Hoplites, using enchanting crossbows with exploding bolts. Both were hated by Sardipan Regulars, as they were extremely difficult to deal with without the use of an antimagic field to neutralize their various enhancements.