THE SKIROSS GATE INCIDENT.

Great War Enter.

Dominique and Trotsky looked on as waves of trucks, tanks, and Armored vehicles rushed along the road. What were once relatively quiet roads were now the sight of many of these military vehicles running to and from staging areas as hordes of Kovenant soldiers rally. Above them, swarms of Drones flew overhead, followed by groups of Kovenant Dropships flying at higher altitudes, leaving behind trails of white as they passes by...
Kovenant soldiers riding on vehicles flew the colors of the Empire, the blue, white, and black striped banner flapping in the air with pride, the wolf symbol in the center giving off a sense of anticipation and fierceness. Though they could not feel it, Dominique and Trotsky could tell from their faces alone.

These Kovenant soldiers were determined. Eager and ready to finally take the fight to the Archedians.

As troops marched and the banners flew in the air, and as Tanks and other vehicles drove by them, the soldiers began to sing, creating a grand chorus of hundreds of thousands as the Imperial troops let loose all their pride, zeal, and determination.
The singing echoed throughout the forest as snow fell down by their feat. The stomping of hundreds of thousands of boots stomping down, like drums from the factory floors from which they came.

"What's happening?" Trotsky asked, grasping one of the passing Kovenant soldiers.

The trooper looked at him and replied.
"We're going on the offensive, soldiers of the 87th Volksgrenadier Regiment are to make their way to rally points and then prepare for an immediate assault of Archedian lines."

Dominique intervened and asked.
"Why? Is it because of that... Pod, you were defending?"

"Ja, Fraulein!" The Kovenant soldier replied.
"We have managed to pinpoint where our beloved Overlord is, we've locked on to their psychic signature, we are about to launch an offensive to rescue them, we aren't stopping for anything we are driving all the way to the Overlord, casualties be damned!"

"So, your plan is just to punch through the Archedian lines?"
Dominique asked.

"That's correct, Fraulein, and we are going to do it with your help!"

"What?" Trotsky asked in confusion.

The Kovenant soldier, unamused, then pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to the pair.
It was a poster, the kind you would see plastered all over the walls. As the two read its contents, their eyes went wide... it was an order written from Torni himself.
Trotsky was compelled to speak.
"Is... Is this what I think it is?"

"Yes." The Kovenant soldier replied.
"All Keralian witches and wizards are to participate in the offensive... Mister Torni has agreed to the assault on the condition that we would make arrangements to assault the last known location of the Archedian Emperor, a palace in Eastern Keralia... Which just so happened to be close to the Overlord's psychic signature... If we are lucky, we can bring this war to an end."

It was here that the soldier looked Dominique straight in the eye and said.
"Are you coming? You'd be doing Keralia a great service."

Dominique took a moment to think. However, before she could answer, Trotsky stepped forward and said.
"I'm definitely going... I'd give anything for Keralia to be independent. Plus, it wasn't like we were doing anything here aside from routine practice anyway."

"Trotsky!"

"Oh, c'mon now, teacher!" Trotsky said outloud.
"Don't you want to help the Keralian people? We've been under the foot of the Archedian Empire for years, and now, we have a chance to bring our nation back... Besides, this is a direct order from Mr. Torni, so disobeying it is like refusing arms."

Still, she took the time to think it through. Trotsky's words were correct, it is part of her duty, and she's been fighting with him eversince the Kovenant arrived here, yet at the same time she couldn't help but have a sense of foreboding come over her. The thought consumed her mind for a moment. She knew this was the final push. She knew that this was the day they'd storm the enemy positions and potentially accelerate the peace...
But she couldn't help but shake off the feeling that she was being led into the jaws of a beast she couldn't escape from, like snake's prey, she dreaded that. But what made it all so unnerving was the purpose and uncertainty of it all.