“When able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.” – Ancient Warmaster Sun Tzu from the “The Art of War”Duke Flavius Li Halan’s journey to Midian was an uneventful one and during the transit from Kish he read a reproduction of Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War” which his father gifted to him on his 13th birthday. It was a family heirloom printed on Aragon over 150 years ago, the pages now yellow and brittle, nevertheless the knowledge possessed inside it was timeless. Flavius thought how he was never meant to rule the Li Halan, the third and youngest son, he was meant to serve out his years on the battlefield or in the service of the Church. Unfortunately, the Pancreator had different plans for him.
Now he stood on the Command Deck of the Li Halan Royal Cruiser “Righteous Path” in orbit above Midian. His son Augustus Zhu Li Halan, the Duke of Midian, standing by his side reviewing upcoming battle plans.
After, years of war with the Holy Church and the Merchant League the Duke’s stratagem for victory was finally coming together, a swift and decisive strike that would bring the League and Church’s aggression against the nobles to an end. An objective which his commanders had code named “Beheading the Serpents”.
General Hiromoto who had been briefing Duke Flavius about the final details of the multiple missions said,
“My Lord, all of our assets are now in position shall I send the orders to commence the attacks.”Lord Flavius standing with his hands linked together behind his back, slightly bent over looking down at a flat top table display showing a digital layout of the Li Halan forces and their intended targets, simply turned towards the General and nodded in a gesture of affirmation.
“Secret operations are essential in war; upon them the army relies to make its every move.” – Ancient Warmaster Sun Tzu from the “The Art of War”Captain Su Lee’s squad remained concealed in the swamps adjacent to the Port Authority’s compound on Byzantium Secundus. The genetically engineered soldiers had already spent twelve hours under camouflage in the freezing waters. Their bodies genetically modified to adapt to all types of harsh conditions. Her communicator buzzed and she reviewed the incoming orders, she raised her right hand and suddenly dropped it. Within moments muffled pops filled the air and projectiles from high powered rifles whizzed by overhead. Through her range finding binoculars she saw multiple Muster Sentries crumple and fall to the ground at the same time. She made another gesture with her hand and the squad rose from the swamp’s murky waters and moved forward toward the compound to complete their mission.
“Opportunities multiply as they are seized.” – Ancient Warmaster Sun Tzu from the “The Art of War”Duke Flavius had no interest in the planet of Madoc other than establishing a base of operations for the Imperial Eye while he served as its Minister, and on occasion the use of its jump lanes to transport personnel and equipment between Byzantium Secundus and Midian.
With the passage of the “Byzantium Covert Restrainment Act” the bulk of the Li Halan Elite Forces were now en route to Midian. The Duke saw an opportunity appear from these circumstances that he could not let pass him by so he ordered General Hiromoto to add one last target to the mission roster for Operation “Beheading the Serpents”. If successful he thought, it would be a well received gift for the new Lady Regent Santiago Hazat.
”Speed is the essence of war. Take advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness; travel by unexpected routes and strike him where he has taken no precautions.” – Ancient Warmaster Sun Tzu from the “The Art of War”“Damn her, Damn her, Damn her!!!” thought Scraver Captain Lars Masterson as he sat drinking alone in his quarters. His curses were for the Baroness Cassandra Li Halan. The Baroness while in control of the Imperial Eye had developed an extensive dossier on the Scraver Smuggler. She had determined that he had quite and large merchant fleet of smugglers and operated a rather impressive network of ships that ran illicit contraband throughout Known Worlds from Leaguehiem to Holy Terra under the guise of pilgrim convoys. As pious as many would like to believe the Home Guard of Holy Terra may be, the captain always knew which customs inspectors would look the other way for the right amount of firebirds to fill their purse.
The Baroness had used the resources of the Imperial Eye to either physically or electronically seize his financial assets throughout the Known Worlds, and in return for his cooperation that money would be returned and he and his crews would be offered sanctuary under the protection of the Li Halan on Kish with estates and riches of their own. However, if he follows the Li Halan’s demands he and his men will be marked for death as traitors by the Scravers Guild. He poured himself another glass of Madocian Rum then drank it down in one swift gulp.
Suddenly, an intercom buzzed and his first mate’s voice filled the air,
“Captain, the Li Halan have sent orders to launch.” The Captain sighed then replied,
“Aye! Tell our transports at Leaguehiem, Madoc, and Holy Terra to proceed!”
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Topic: EOTFS: Emperor Wars - Game Over. (Read 65559 times)