8 The price of salvation

Fuels, machine parts, schematics and raw materials pours in and out of the compound from vanguard bases all over the world and from orbits, either from gateways or delivered by submergible vehicles, not in preparation for the war to come, but for what would come after. The giant robotic warrior oversees the transport procedures, his great halberd, along with his towering yet lithe form and great wing-like spiky protrusions on his back cast a great shadow over all below. Next to him, Lucious stands, both amused and pleased by current events and in anticipation of what to come, his plan has finally been set into motions.

- I will never know how you managed to convince your fathers and the Senate to allow you to do this. - The robotic warrior slightly turns his smooth, featureless face to the inquisitor, voice echoing with a robotic buzzing. - Soul stones, customized spirit construct schematics, even the hard to come by psykinetic converter tech, all of this for mere human, and you've even managed to convince me to help you. How did you even keep the Council from screaming "Heresy" at you?

- Well master Maldrek, it's not like we're investing in a lost cause or anything. - Lucious smiles proudly, handing his files to one of his Engineer Apothecaries. - This planet has peculiar properties, yielding bio forms with unimaginable powers relatively speaking compared to others we've seen. Wouldn't you say giving them the proper guides to explore their potentials before we integrate them into our empire would benefit us greatly?

- Hah…I've missed your silvery tongue, my apprentice. - Maldrek chuckles, sounds seemingly coming from the entirety of his vaguely humanoid head, smooth of featureless in the front, with multiple cables connecting from the back of his head to his body. - And I assume that's also your reason for recruiting me? Couldn't let this old soul enjoy his retirement in the Archivus Animarum huh?

- You've always said you wanted to see me complete my researches to develop better troops for the Inquisitions. - The Lord Inquisitor smiles. - And you're one of, if not the greatest psyker in our entire empire, just below Father and Dad.

- Perhaps once. - Maldrek chuckles. - When I was still alive, now I'm just a soul in a mechanical shell, I'm of little use.

- Oh please. - Lucious mischievously rolls his eyes. - I've seen you in battle just a few days after you're given a new body, mindless things have been mind blasted by you into oblivion and you've blackened the souls of the soulless.

- True true… - Maldrek nods, pleased by his former student's progress. - But I don't get it, why bother with these…mongrels? And the customizations…a Ghost Warrior that's uses fire magic, and a Ghost Seer that uses raw psychic energy to enhance its physical strength. Just what are you planning to do?

- I did say that they have extraordinary power for their counterparts from other worlds right? - Lucious says, golden eyes fixed on the machine parts being transported, beaming with joy, excitement and pride. - They shall be my finest construct warriors, these mortal souls who give themselves to me. Like clay I shall mold them, and in the furnace of war forge them. They shall be of iron wills and steeling muscles, in great armors and immortal bodies of living psychic metal I shall clad them and with the mightiest weapons will they be armed. They will be untouched by plagues or disease, no sickness of flesh and blood shall blight them. They shall have tactics, strategies, machine and magic, such that no mortal foe shall best them in battle. They will be my fists that strike against my enemies, they will be the defenders of my domains. They will be my Inquisitor Deathless. And they shall know no fear.

- Did you really just quote the entirety of the intro of one of the battle tomes for your silly games "Assault Maul 3000"? - Maldrek giggles as he hears his student using the quotes from a childish war game to describe his project.

- N-no! - Lucious stutters, crossing his arms behind his back while looking away to hide his reddened face.

- You're such a nerd. - Maldrek bursts into full laughter when he sees Lucious' expression, before following him into the inner sanctum of the base.

Before long, both of them have disappeared into the dark hallway leading into the citadel that has been built into the giant mangrove's trunk. José watches on his nervous delight, admiring the ingenuity, the speed and the proficient of these invaders, now that he's officially in cahoots with them, they have nothing to hide. Though the tree itself, along with it roots, still stand, much of the terrains and sceneries have been…altered, no more are the sporadically scattered towns and gathering of pirates and slave hunters, replaced by compounds of masterfully built fortresses, barracks, storage units, outposts and defensive positions. The myriad of outlaws gangs have also been pacified, from the Coffee Monkeys to the Flying Fish, all have been corralled here early in the morning, either forced to pledge their allegiance to Lucious and his Empire, or be put to the sword. Most choose to follow their new lord and master. Even the Yarukiman mangroves have been changed, seemingly hollowed out from the inside, with great towers, spires and landing platforms sprouting from their trunks and roots, connected to each others by great bridges or gateways.

The garrisons have also been reinforced, robotic warriors now stride along side their ranks, wielding mighty weapons, their metallic shells shine balefully in the sunlight, thrumming with the magic that's animated them. Yet these people do not treat them as…machines, being on equal terms and status with the elves, with some of the larger ones are even treated with respect by others. Unlike how the newly acquired human are treated, especially the outlaws that refused to go down, mauled and ripped to shreds, some cases by the petite elven warriors. They're certainly not cruel like the Celestial Dragon world nobles, they're just extremely fickle and harsh.

Which begs the question to why Rayleigh is on their side. José glances at the old man promoted to overseer of the human enforcers, charged with maintaining order in the other half of the archipelago still held by human. Though the skirmishes have stopped completely, the willingness to show their true might and the rapid industrialization of the taken groves have caused great unrest with the human residents, partly due to the conflict, but mostly because the fact that a horde of mongrels managed to achieve in mere weeks, if not days something that took them centuries to cultivate.

- Why are you doing this Rayleigh? - José asks with suspicious. - I thought you're a "man of the people"?

- Under this new management, the people will prosper. - The old former pirate nods, though a closer inspection would suggest that those words that he's just said were spoken with a heavy heart. He turns to the commander, the mischievous smile that usually spreads from ear to ear is nowhere to be seen, making his expression looks unusually grim and serious, which doesn't suit him well at all. - It's not perfect, but that's the best we can get, at least it's better than serving under "Them".

The commander sees the overseer's eyes glaring past the towering canopies that have been somewhat cleared to make rooms for flying vehicles, revealing a part of Red Line, the massive mountain range that cuts across their world. José knows full well what Rayleigh means, having seen the cruelty committed by the World Nobles', families torn to pieces, entire cities, even nations, destroyed just because they've committed some minor offenses against the "Celestial Dragons". Yet he's never thought Rayleigh would join someone in such a grand coup like this, not this easily, even when his captain, the Pirate King was executed, even when the father of his student started a revolution to topple the world, Rayleigh didn't budge. So why now?

- You're afraid of them, aren't you? - The question comes, though he have no desire to know the answer, he dares not.

- Kid, everyone's afraid when beings who came from the stars threaten to obliterate their world. - The old overseers finally smiles a bit, a sad, reluctant smile, humbled and broken, one that sets a deep fear inside the marine commanders. - Truth is I've noticed their arrival days before they made landfall, during my battle with Borsalino, I felt their spying drones hovering near by, watching the whole thing. I felt its pulsating powers, dark and horrible, like nothing I've ever felt before.

- What's it like? - José presses further, curious to what could have spooked this legendary man into pledging his allegiance to these invaders.

- Have you ever visited the Land of Ice? - Rayleigh turns to the marine, inspecting his expression. - No? I figured. Not much people have ever gone there for obvious reason, not even monsters like Oars could survive such harsh weather, they said the winds blow so hard it can cut your skin and it gets so cold that a man walking in full heating suit would lose bits of his body every time he takes a step. But it's nothing, nothing compared to the bone chilling presence emanating from those drones. - The old pirate shivers. - Then they came for me after their arrival, that Lucious…staring at him is like having a sun blazing inches away from your face with your eyes closed shut, like watching a sun exploding inside a black hole. Horrible.

- He mentioned that there are people…above him. - José gulped, watching as sweats dripping down Rayleigh's face.

- Yes. - The older man smiles bitterly. - Imagine that, what we're facing is just the vanguard, and Lucious' just a lieutenant. I can't take him down if I try, even if I could, well. - He sits down to slowly clean his round glasses, to contemplate on the situation. - Have you ever had a pet that you love very much? What would you do if you send your pet to do something, and some bastards kill it?

- They'd send more, and more… - José realizes the things at state with horror. - Until retribution is completed…

- Sometime it's more important to save lives than to cling onto some…old, heroic or self righteous idealisms, history or heritages. Sometime you must sacrifice something in order to save something else. - The overseer waves his hand dismissively. - If I can save millions, possibly billions of lives and give them better chances under the new rule as he's promised, then sacrifices must be made.

Rayleigh stands up, then walks away toward the assembling patrol party of human auxiliaries, all equipped with weapons that are more advanced than anything the human on this planet could hope to make, though undoubtedly nothing compared to the main army. Left alone, José disgruntledly returns to his post in the marine base, passing multiple outposts and barracks, where he gets to see first hand the battle prowess of the invaders and the might of their military. The main infantry corps' favored weapon seems to be a simplistically designed single edged sword, short and compacted handle, with a small, almost non-existing hand guard allow for maximum maneuver and flexibility. Even the blade seems to be of otherworldly nature, never before has José seen anything so…perfect, straight and true, with a crude upward pointing cut to make a stabbing point, the metal seems unblemished, giving out a ghostly shine as light strikes it. That couple with their inhuman speed and agility makes their weapons look like they're fading in and out of existence, at least for him and his subordinates, the marine commander wonders if the vice admirals and those above them would be able to perceive them if they're to clash.

Yet even if they can, one has to ask whether it's enough to stop them when they're so many. Glancing back at the citadels for but a split second, José sighs and continues his trek back to his base, once the most powerful force on the archipelago, now just a pale shadow compared to the invaders' bases. Outside of the hastily constructed barricades, he can see dozens of angered citizens bickering with the marine soldiers, urging them to take actions against these…mongrels. José scoffs at their foolishness, their blindness, yet he does not blame them, hundreds of years of being taught that they're superiors to other races have taken their tolls on their ego.

- This is outrageous! - A former shop owner hisses at the marines. - Our revenues are being driven out and you're doing nothing about it!

- We can't fight back… - The soldier tries to explain.

- And why not?! - A noble woman barks out a question, earning herself several cries of agreement. - Aren't you marines suppose to be the fist of the World Government! I am a noble! I am part of that government! I command you to do your job and destroy these…beasts!

- I will not risk my men for a battle they cannot win! - José's roar causes the crowd to fall into silence. Shrugging off the glares of hatred aimed toward him, the commander walks pass the crowded civilians toward his soldiers. - We will not fight them, I will not. Better to serve than to be put to the sword.

Chaos is the only word José can use to describe the civilians' reaction to his declaration, they surge forward, pointing and yelling at him, calling him a traitor and a coward while some pick up whatever it is that they have to throw at him. It takes every ounce of strength from his marines to keep the civilians at bay, keeping them from entering the base and loot the weapons. Hold the line, José commands his soldiers as they're slowly pushed back into the base, with only the choke point acting as their leverage against the overwhelming numbers of the disgruntled people of the archipelago. He gives the order to shoot warning shots, but that only seems to fuel the rage of the people, crying and screaming from their rage and grief, some of them have lost loved ones and friends in the small war that has just stopped, while many have lost everything, their only remaining possession being whatever on their body now.

- Please! Calm down! - José cries out, desperately trying to put some common sense into the crowd to no avail.

- Traitor! - The man screams.

- Drag them out and take their weapons! - Another urges. - We'll take the fight to those mongrels ourselves!

- Make and Buster Call! - A women shrieks. - Let the admiral deal with them!

At the mention of Buster Call, the horde seems to be spurred further into a crazed frenzy, pulling down marine soldiers that have lost their footing and tears them apart in savage bloodlust. It's too much for José, too much for his man, cold sweats pour down his face as he sees his soldiers being picked off one by one, disappearing under the raging masses and torn to pieces, coming closer and closer to his position as his men slowly but steadily give ground to the rioters. Gritting his teeth, the marine commander unsheathes his sword and raises it high to get the attention of all of his faltering soldiers, readying himself mentally to give an order that he's never thought he'd have to give.

Yet before he could, a barrage of gunfire rips through the back of the crowd, sending bloodied body parts flying, with some being reduced to nothing but ashes. José, the marines and the rioters turn their attention toward the newcomers, no less than five dozens of Anacondrai armed with guns and tower shields, along with eleven towering half human half wolf hybrids with smoking shotguns, snarling and barking threateningly. All fall into horrified silence, not because of the arrival of the monstrous army, nor is it because of the brutal massacre, but because of Rayleigh who's supposedly gave the order for them to fire.

The old overseer makes his way toward the marine soldiers, passing through the parting crowd, followed by one of the armored were-wolf with brilliant golden fur in heavily ornate black armor, José reckons that that one must be one of Lucious' troop leaders, possibly one of his generals. Seeing the old man, the former right hand man of the Pirate King Gold Roger, one that can stand toe to toe with the admirals walking side by side with the invaders must have shocked them greatly. They part as soon as Rayleigh comes near them, eyes burning with fearful hatred, fueled by the feeling of being betrayed. Yet no one dares to voice their hatred, their rage being kept in check by the looming fear and doubt from seeing the same man who fights for the people with a smile on his face, now bearing such a grim expression, seemingly humbled by greater powers.

- People of Sabaody. - The overseer says, his voice sounds tired and grief stricken, yet still firm with that strong sense of authority they're all too familiar with. - Hear me now, you must return to your designated area, there's nothing you can do.

- We can make a Buster Call! - One of the rioters yells out, making others murmur in agreement.

- No! - Rayleigh raises his hand. - If we do that, the entire archipelago would be leveled! - The old man's eyes glides from one side of the crowd to other, making sure that everyone's heard his warning, before letting out a sigh and lowering his arm. - Please, - He continues, slightly sloughing forward in defeat and trying desperately to convince the people. - I understand many of you are not pleased by recent events. But please listen to me. It will bring you nothing but death and destruction if you force these people's hands, they're a force even greater than the World Government or even the marines themselves. I understand that you're upset by recent events, but please, I beg of you, - Tears drip down the old man's face as he speaks. - please…don't do anything stupid, or I won't be able to protect you…

Something dawns inside José's mind, his eyes widen, his mouth gaping as he looks at Rayleigh. The old man's crying from grief, something that he thought he'd never see, a living legend, completely broken, what manner of torture has they inflicted upon…

The commander feels his heart sinks, chill creeps down his spine when he recalls Rayleigh's words about sacrifice, about how Lucious' come for him. The Lord Inquisitor has broken the old man by taking away the thing he cherishes most in his twilight years, he's been given the same warning as José has, and refused, and now he's paying for his decision. Lucious' shown Rayleigh the price of retaliation.

They've murdered Rayleigh's wife.

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