Eodem: A Rifle and Sword Adventure (Complete)

Chapter 55: Summo Imperio

Samantha gritted her teeth as she waddled through the gutter-like caverns of the Kobold's Hollow with the rest of Stryder Group. The Army Grunts had finally after a grueling clearing operation a path for her squad to gain entry into the College's Tunnels inside the hollow. There were still several isolated hold outs of resistance and the still erratically behaving populace of whom the occupation forces are now tasked into screen over for whilst the assault troops breach the last strongpoints of the defenders. The Military Operation over Haringpoint has been an almost overwhelming success with negligible casualties on the Federation's side but maximum damages on the Alliance's. The Coalition Troops had eliminated several more of the Mana Obelisks with the help of King Martainne and Ho'Don. Slowly but surely, the fires of war began to crumble into embers.

Yet still, the Defense of Haringpoint stood against such overwhelming forces albeit hanging by a thread. The loss of the Walls and most of its garrison has immediately shifted the remnants of the defenders into fight-or-flight mode. Screaming sheets of radio chatter reported of multitudes of masses of people fleeing the Imperial Capital to the north via two gates that the UFEAF-Laniyea are hurrying to plug any crevices of escape, less their human targets escape beneath the blanket of refugee caravans. Yet still, many of the Imperial Leadership has been fighting on to continue to either buy time for the civilians to escape North or to enact a final stand against the Otherworlders. Most of these last-ditched efforts were empowered by Mages who use their spells to stubbornly push off the Coalition's Assaults. These hold outs are by Major Holyfield's intuitiveness that is stopping the Federation and Laniyea from fully conquering the city. The Source of all Magic Powers that the City's remaining defenders still maintain a weakening yet present grip on, the Mirror of Aunsellus by the College of Magi. If they can capture that Source of Power, all whatever is left of an adequate resistance within Haringpoint would be crushed.

The Plan to capture this esteemed institution had many prongs that seek to tear the College apart by the weight of the Federation's technology. A Diversionary assault from the ground would commence affixing the College's defenders into focusing their fire onto them whilst Samantha's squad leads her elite team into the underground Tunnel Network to sap the enemies from the inside. Stryder's objects would be tasked to neutralize any Mages they can come across, specifically those specializing in offensive-based Destruction Spells and the very last still active Mana Obelisks that situate themselves within the middle of the college that needs to be neutralized. Both tasks are in conjunction with the second phase of the operation that is the support of an oncoming Airborne Commando attack from the Tenacity's in-ship Marine Corps. With the support of the Marines, the defenses will be crumbled upon the weight of their assault clearing a path to the main chamber where the Mirror of Aunsellus is supposed to be.

"Shush." Karliah urged the group into silence as she gestured for them to stop.

She was leading Stryder into the tunnels, the same tunnels that she and her fellow students of the College use to discreetly walk in and out of the campus of the scholarly building for academic work or to contact any underground Covens within the Kobold's Hollow. As they made their way deeper into the caverns. The squad could quietly feel trotting above them, footsteps, heavy, very weighted of footwork that trembles like heavy rain. They were likely right above Knights and Mages who are scrambling in defense of the college as they speak.

"Great danger is ahead." Aliathra's ears perked up. Hers is much more audibly sensitive than the rest.

"Let's go to work then. Ready'up." Clay muttered.

"Captain what's the R.O.E.?" Kayin inquired.

"Your free to engage anyone that tries to kill you..." Samantha ordered them as she readied her Bullpup Rifle. "Karliah I know that you know that we won't hesitate to kill anyone in our way. I want to be sure that... at the added benefit that our journey through the school would be as smooth as possible that you would pacify your fellow students... non-lethally I am right?" she turned to the ex-Collegiate.