Inquisitor's Promise (Act Three, Chapter Twenty-Six)

The Holy League had been united, but the Grey Globe continued to move towards Earth. Aeneas and the members of his inner circle knew they had much to do and little time to prepare.

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Chapter Twenty-Six: Inquisitor’s Offensive

Aeneas was able to gather the troops he needed to make the push towards the center of the Grey Globe. His forces were divided into five as follows:

The first division was of the Proletarian Swarms. This was Nineveh’s division which consisted of the swarm army that both Nineveh and Lavinia had brought from the Swarm Country. There were two parts of this division: Nineveh’s swarm creatures and Lavinia’s swarmlings. The former had more large monsters while the latter had smaller creatures. Lavinia also brought with her the rhino-like swarm creature Anchises.

The second division was of the Imperial Expeditionary Force. This was Emperor and Tsar Nikolai’s division. There were two parts of this division: the Slavian and the Imperial. The Slavian part was led by Nikolai, piloting his mechanicon. This consisted of his Tsarguards who supported their Tsar. The Imperial part was led by Empress and Tsarina Omaha who rode inside of her Stonewall-class Tank. The second-in-command was Captain Paxton who was in charge of the Imperial infantry, armor, and air force.

The first two divisions made up the bulk of Aeneas’ forces. Each of them had their own roles to play. The Swarm to keep the enemy in place, the Imperials to punch through enemy ranks.

The third division was of the space aliens from Lektros. This was Pep’s division which consisted of his band of Lektros warriors. This was something that came up rather last minute — just days before the arrival of the Grey Globe, a red lektros named Nukok Kula arrived at Roma and introduced himself as the son of Koke Kula.

Naturally, everyone was wary of him given what they knew about the ‘prophet’. Everyone, except those who had went with Pep to the Lektros Dimension because they knew that Nukok was one of the Lektros who had been baptized by Monsignor Bartholomew. Bringing a group of red, white, and blue Lektros warriors with him, he had joined the crew of the Lepanto.

Supporting Pep’s lektros warriors was Giulia and a squad of the Lepanto’s security force. As usual, the Venetian Lieutenant wished to rescue those who were wounded in the fighting. In support, Pep’s lyonesse pack continued to protect her.

The fourth division was of the Corporatists. This was Shaka’s division. It was the smallest force, consisting mostly of the pathfinders who had joined Louis van Zulu back in Draka. In addition to this were mercenaries hired with the help of the Zaibatsu: greenskin camel riders from the desert of Australis. These orcs were not the crack shots that the pathfinders were, but they were more mobile. Completing this division was the felinid ninja girl Kunoichi.

The latter two divisions were smaller and played a supporting role. Pep’s division was focused on providing fire support to bulk of the army. Meanwhile, Shaka’s division was focused on scouting.

The last division was of the Knights. This was Aeneas’ division. It consisted of Aeneas’ phalanx troops, Jaya Satria’s former bandit posse, the wyvern knights Galatea and Antonio, and the machine spirit probes from Meridian. Fighting with the phalanx troops, Jaya’s posse, and the machine spirit probes, Aeneas was to remain at the center of the frontline as he supported the main army’s push. The wyvern knights were to fly around to support whatever part of the army needed help. However, Galatea with her larger wyvern had been directed to focus on the frontlines while Antonio had more leeway.

This suited Galatea just fine as she wished to protect her lord.

The last part of Aeneas’ army was not a division per se. It was Halpful the recordkeeper. He had brought with him a strange contraption — a square-shaped machine larger than the recordkeeper himself, it reminded Aeneas of his nav-comm. Under the machine was a round-ball which allowed the machine to move with Halpful.

Aeneas couldn’t help but be curious when he saw the contraption as Halpful walked out of the Lepanto. And so, the Inquisitor asked the recordkeeper about it.

“This?” Halpful said. “It’s a Quantum Communicator. This machine allowed me to discern the communications in the Grey Globe. They can also help us navigate through the whole structure.”

“Go on.”

“Just like those in Meridian, the armies of the Grey Globe are commanded by machine spirits. With the use of quantum computing, we are able to enter into their systems and discover their communications,” Halpful explained.

“And the ball thing under it?” Aeneas asked.

“Do you remember Flatland, Lord Inquisitor? We are able to take parts of Flatland and put it in this ball. The two-dimensional denizens there work hard to produce the power necessary to power the communicator,” Halpful said.

“Wow,” Aeneas said. “How many of them are there?”

“There are one thousand and ninety-nine souls in there,” Halpful answered.

Aeneas nodded. Everyone really was doing their part! Though he knew that he had to be careful with the Flatland ball. He remembered well what Bashan had done to a machine spirit server who had opposed him.

Having settled all of his troops, Aeneas made his move towards the Central Command, where Fyuria was located.

The battle went smoothly. Kunoichi was able to scout out the positions of the Grey Globe’s soldiers. Then Shaka and his sharpshooters engaged them in skirmish.

Nineveh and Lavinia’s swarms kept the bulk of the grey soldiers from overwhelming Aeneas’ army.

Meanwhile, the Imperial forces under Nikolai and Omaha led the way as their superior firepower was able to cut a path.

From the back, Pep and his lektros warriors launched their electrical attacks at the grey soldiers. Pep and Nukok provided the bulk of the devastating attacks, but the others made a good account for themselves.

Throughout it all, Aeneas was able to keep the whole army together and made sure that they worked as one. The Inquisitor had placed his own troops in between the swarm and the Imperial ground forces. With the use of his nav-comm, he made sure that Nineveh and Nikolai were on the same page.

Soon, it became clear that Fyuria saw Aeneas as the threat to be eliminated. And so, she sent much of her grey soldiers towards Aeneas’ position. The phalanx soldiers held firm as the machine spirit probes fired from above. The same could be said for Jaya whose spearmen held the front while his riflemen shot from the back. Aeneas himself was able to fire his turret at the incoming enemy.

But then Aeneas saw a grey mechanicon heading straight at him. Most likely, it had been assimilated from somewhere in the Electrosphere. It was smaller than Nikolai’s, but it was still a threat nonetheless, especially with the other grey soldiers rushing towards him.

The mechanicon launched a series of missiles at Aeneas’ position. The resulting explosions scattered his phalanx soldiers, though energy shields kept them alive. Aeneas realized that he was isolated.

But so was the mechanicon as the phalanx soldiers had recovered quick enough to engage the smaller grey soldiers.

Even so, Aeneas did not like his chances. The mechanicon launched one of its fists at Aeneas. The Inquisitor was able to guard the attack with his testudo shield.

The mechanicon launched a punch with its other fist and Aeneas was thrown back. The Inquisitor was able to land on his feet. He kept his shield up as the mechanicon prepared for another melee attack.

Aeneas grimaced as he prepared for the worst. His energy shield had run out. He was going to feel this after the battle, assuming he’d survive. But he held his shield up, nonetheless.

But the attack never came as Sancho Panza swooped in from the sky to attack the mechanicon, Galatea had come to her lord’s rescue. There was a melee between the wyvern and the mechanicon. Sancho Panza breathed fire on the grey machine which sent it reeling. In return, the mechanicon launched a missile at Sancho Panza. The wyvern guarded himself with his wings.

While the mechanicon was in battle with Sancho Panza, another wyvern had made his way behind it. Then, Antonio and Don Quixote charged at it. As he flew, The wyvern knight lunged his lance at the mechanicon’s chest. The force of the attack was enough to split the machine in two.

Aeneas looked on in admiration at Galatea and Antonio. He was grateful that the wyvern cousins had become such an effective one-two punch.

Thus, Fyuria’s counterattack was thwarted. And Aeneas’s army continued to make their way down to Fyuria’s Central Command.

By this point, Giulia had been able to rescue as many of the wounded as she could. In response, Aeneas sent them back to the Lepanto to be treated. They were then replaced by soldiers from the upper parts of the Grey Globe. This require further communications with Sir Juan Carlos who was in the overall command of the Holy League forces there.

As Aeneas’ army kept moving closer to the center, it kept getting smaller. Not just because of casualties but also because he had to leave behind troops to hold position. This also included the swarm who left behind cerebrate units as they moved to keep a strong connection between the frontline and the Swarm Country.

Aeneas knew that logistics was the most important part of military success — even more important than tactics and strategy. Because of that, he made sure that his forces had continual access to the main army in the periphery and the United Holy League Fleet in space.

Finally, Aeneas’ army reached the outer parts of the Grey Globe’s core. He spotted a series of windows around his path. Outside, he saw trees and shrubs as far as his eyes could see. Aeneas knew that this was one of the ‘ecological preserves’ that Halpful had talked about.

Having alternated between marching and battling since parting ways with the main army, Aeneas knew that his soldiers needed to rest. And so, he stopped right before a large metallic gate. A much-needed rest, as Aeneas knew from the schematics that beyond it was the one of the Grey Globe’s sub-commanders.

Aeneas had gained a brief reprieve as his army rested for the moment. But as he rested, the Inquisitor learned something very unsettling about the Grey Globe from Halpful:

“The people who were assimilated, they are crying out for help,” the recordkeeper said to Aeneas. At the moment, the Inquisitor was with the members of his inner circle.

“What do you mean?” Kunoichi asked.

“They’re in pain. They don’t want to fight us. But the Grey Globe, Fyuria, forced them to,” Halpful explained. “I’ve heard one of them said that it’s like being in purgatory but with no way out.”

“Sounds more like hell,” Shaka commented.

“This is unforgivable!” Pep exclaimed angrily.

“All the more reason for us to put her down,’ Nikolai said.

“I wholeheartedly agree,” Nineveh added.

“Yeah,” Lavinia responded uneasily.

Galatea was visibly uncomfortable, but she knew that there was nothing she could say in this situation.

“Anything else you’ve learned, Halpful?” Aeneas asked.

“I’ve learned the identity of the sub-commander in the fortress ahead of us, for what it’s worth,” Halpful said.

“What is the identity of that suffering soul?” Omaha asked.

“He’s a Lieutenant for the Venetian Space Force. Giovanni Rossi,” Halpful answered.

“What!?” Giulia said in shock. “Gianni’s here?”

“Lieutenant, do you know the sub-commander?” Nineveh asked.

“I do,” Giulia answered. “Giovanni Rossi is Admiral Riva’s nephew.”

“What? Really?” Pep asked in shock.

Aeneas nodded in silence as he took in the information. It would make sense that the ship captain would have lost some family members to the Grey Globe.

“Why did you call him Gianni?” Lavinia asked.

“Gianni and I are the same age. We were playmates when we were kids. But I haven’t seen him since he joined the Space Force. It’s been three years or so,” Giulia explained.

“Is that so?” Pep asked suspiciously.

“Y-yes!” Giulia answered defensively. “In any case, we have to do what we can to save him.”

“Slow down, Giulia,” Nikolai interjected. “We don’t even know if that’s possible.”

“If we can cut off a soul’s connection with the Grey Globe,” Halpful began. “It should be possible. But we have to cut off the body from the Grey Globe system.”

Aeneas nodded. “That makes sense. The soul is the form of the body.”

“How are we going to do that?” Lavinia asked.

Having paid close attention the conversation, Galatea felt that she had to speak up. And she did.

“I have an idea, Lord Aeneas.”

“Go for it, Galatea.”

“The machine that Sir Halpful had. We know that we can listen in to the Grey Globe’s communications. But can we talk to them also?”

“Oh no,” Omaha groaned as she shook her head. “I know where Dame Galatea is going with this.”

“You want to talk to Fyuria, right?” Aeneas asked.

“I do,” Galatea answered. “If we can convince her to stop. We can also release the souls trapped in the Grey Globe, including Sir Giovanni.”

“Of all the crazy schemes!” Pep said in frustration.

“I’m sorry, Galatea,” Lavinia said apologetically. “But I’ve changed my mind on Fyuria. She had crossed the line! Murder is bad enough, but forcing our people to fight against us?”

“I’m changing my mind, too,” Kunoichi added.

Aeneas then turned towards Giulia, who was deep in thought. “What about you, Giulia?”

The Venetian Lieutenant took a deep breath. “I want to save Gianni and all those who’d been assimilated by the Grey Globe. But I’m more than happy to release them from their chains and into the afterlife.”

“That sounds like an abstention to me,” Pep commented.

“Call it what you want,” Giulia responded angrily.

“Eight votes against Fyuria, one abstention, and one for,” Pep said smugly. “You’re outvoted, Galatea.”

But Aeneas was deep in thought. While Fyuria had outraged him, so did the Dark Age Civilization. There was enough blame to go around.

He could tell that everyone wanted Fyuria’s proverbial head on a platter. And he couldn’t blame them.

Everyone, except for Galatea. And she looked lost and alone — as if she was crazy. But she wasn’t crazy, Aeneas knew that in his heart.

Even so, Aeneas desperately wanted to simply move on from this issue — to go with the flow. But then he remembered Lavinia’s betrayal. His cousin betrayed him because she believed she had no choice; Aeneas had taken her for granted. Divine Providence had ensured that it all worked out for the best, but the Inquisitor did not wish to make the same mistake with his beloved Galatea. Not because he wanted to prevent a betrayal, he knew she was loyal to a fault. Rather, he did not wish to take the woman he loved for granted.

And so, the Inquisitor made his decision.

“Halpful,” Aeneas said as he turned to the recordkeeper. “Can you do it? Can you communicate with Fyuria?”

“You have got to be kidding me!” Pep complained. He threw his hands up in frustration.

“I just need a little tweak,” the recordkeeper said. “But I’ll get it up in a minute.”

“Good,” Aeneas responded.

Galatea could hardly believe what she had heard. “Lord Aeneas…”

And Aeneas smiled at his beloved. “I hear your cry, my dear Galatea. You are not alone. I saw what you saw. Regardless of what she had done, she was but a child. If we can resolve this peacefully, then I will at least give it a chance.”

“Thank you, Lord Aeneas,” Galatea said gratefully. Tears were flowing down from her eyes.

“You’re both outvoted,” Pep protested.

“This isn’t a democracy, Pep,” Aeneas answered coolly.

Pep shook his head in frustration. “If it were up to me…”

“It’s not up to you, Pep,” Aeneas countered. “You’re not the Captain General of the Church. I am. And I make the decisions.”

Pep looked at Aeneas in disbelief and shook his head once more. “Fine, whatever. But I’ll be here to protect you when your foolish decision bites your ass!”

Aeneas smirked. “I’m counting on it.”

With the issue settled, Halpful began to work on his Quantum Communicator. He calmly pressed the buttons with his tiny noodle arms. Then, he turned to Aeneas.

“It’s done. Ready when you are.”

Aeneas nodded. “Let’s go.”

With the Quantum Communicator set on speaker, Halpful began to contact Fyuria. Ringing sounds could be heard. Then, a high-pitched girlish voice came out from the other side.

“Hello?”

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