Calm Before the Storm

September 15, 2022 (1640 Elysian Year)

Ragna, Gra Valkas Empire

A lone UQ-2 reconnaissance aircraft hid in the skies above, imperceptible to both the naked eye and the most powerful sensors the Gra Valkas Empire had to offer. Deemed the successor to the U-2, this powerful new aircraft saw everything on the ground with perfect clarity, gathering data in numerous spectrums and relaying it back to its master. Unaware of the plane, the Gra Valkans continued their war preparations without concern.

——

Emperor Gra Lux watched his grand fleet come together at sea, a blanket of shining steel stretching to infinity. At his command, a thousand ships consolidated into a mighty force, hailing from all corners of his glorious empire. Even then, the sight before him did not even represent the full extent of his power; a thousand more ships were additionally scattered throughout the oceans around Mu, ready to strike at auxiliary targets. After months of careful planning and aggressive campaigning, Gra Lux was finally able to deploy the neglected fleets that had been sitting about since the transference. Instead of being a financial drain, these painstakingly-maintained warships – along with other equipment meant to dominate the entire planet of Yggdra – would finally be of use.

Still, Gra Lux was careful enough not to let the power of his massive war machine blind him. He knew that conquering Elysia wasn't the same as conquering Yggdra, especially with the existence of hyper-advanced foes and magical enigmas. Taking caution not to agitate these powerful forces, he decided to end the war as quickly as possible. By blitzing through Mu and forcing the EDI to surrender early, he hoped to secure as much territory as possible and impose as beneficial conditions as possible before the Americans could intervene. This means he had to conquer Mu and defeat the Holy Mirishial Empire within two months.

Gra Lux smirked. He recalled something he read from an American history book. On Earth, a familiar power called Nazi Germany managed to subjugate a neighboring power — France — in just six weeks. If a nation on Earth could easily conquer a powerful nation in such a short amount of time, then surely his Empire would be able to crush technologically inferior enemies with even greater ease. Bearing these thoughts in mind, he emboldened himself for the big announcement.

Behind the throne room's extended balcony, his entourage of subordinates awaited him. Gra Lux turned to them, satisfied with the assembled fleet at the harbor. With an ecstatic grin on his face, he beckoned them to come forward. They complied, walking toward the balcony with their emperor, where they were greeted by bright sunlight and a massive, cheering horde of citizens below.

The cadre of elites, led by Emperor Gra Lux, waved to the people below. Their cheers grew at the sight of the Emperor's figure, which was enhanced by his ceremonial crimson uniform adorned with golden epaulets. Cameras on the ground and on rooftops were trained directly on the emperor, all waiting for his speech.

Emperor Gra Lux raised his hand, palm facing out toward the audience, silencing them. The applause ceased as the citizens held their breath, hearts swelling with pride at the commencement of a long-awaited invasion. Finally, he addressed his people.

"Citizens of the Gra Valkas Empire, today we stand at the precipice of obtaining the glory that our great nation deserves! It has been a grueling, centuries-long journey since my forefather, the late Emperor Gra Terminus first dreamed of global conquest. After vanquishing foe after foe, city after city, empire after empire, we finally arrived at the point when we were ready to take all of Yggdra for ourselves! Alas, we were unable to take Yggdra because our great empire was transported to this planet. At first, I lamented this; global conquest was at my fingertips, and it was swiped away from me. Now, I realize that this transference was not a curse, but rather a blessing. With this transference, we were given access to a larger planet, one with wonders, riches, and magic known only in legends! And so, I, Emperor Gra Lux, shall now seize these legendary wonders for the benefit of our people. With the authority vested in me as emperor, I hereby declare the start of our conquest!"

——

Otaheit, Mu

Having received word from the Americans that the Gra Valkas Empire was commencing its attack, Mu's top leaders gathered together to rally their defenses. Prime Minister Sinclair, along with General Seneville, Minister Deville, and other top-ranking officials from the military and intelligence branches were present, listening in to the Americans' update.

Intelligence gathered previously had proved to be correct, more or less. A group of 600 ships from the thousand-strong fleet in Ragna split off to the south of the Mu continent while 400 went north, targeting Otaheit. Meanwhile, the dormant camps surrounding the Muan border flared to life as men and machines bustled with activity. Dozens of bases along the Leiforian, Hinomawarian, Sonalian, and Magikareich borders began deploying troops, evident in the hundreds of satellite images depicting mechanized convoys moving out.

Airfields stationed further away from the front lines also showed signs of revitalized activity, with more frequent patrols and a larger number of planes being pulled out from storage. New weapons also began to make an appearance, from massive Horten-like bombers to Messerschmit-styled early jet aircraft. The Gra Valkans intended to strike hundreds of targets simultaneously in a plan that mirrored Operation Desert Storm in terms of sophistication and coordination.

The one thing the Gra Valkans neglected, however, was the power of the American intelligence and surveillance network. Based on inferences from satellite imagery and information gathered from captured Gra Valkans, Mu was able to set up defenses proportional to the expected Gra Valkan invasion forces. The decoys deployed throughout the continent to give the impression of overwhelming force were all identified, allowing the Muans to fortify their positions further.

Reviewing their strategies, General Seneville went over their deployed forces and the various fronts. He first summarized the naval component, which was earlier covered by the Navy Chief. "Our navy will be fighting near our coasts, coordinating with coastal defense units supported by the Army, as Chief Murray has explained. I have full confidence in their abilities, as well as the special equipment being sent over by the Mirishials. In the unlikely event that any beachheads are established, a force of 100,000 men, supplemented by American artillery platforms, will make short work of the Gra Valkans."

Then, he covered the Northgard Front, a vast tundra-like region that offered many natural barriers to invasion. "Our border guard near the northern part of Leifor has just received reinforcements from the Agarthan and Central Kingdoms, which specialize in individual spellcasting. They number around 80,000 Muan personnel, 2,000 American mercenaries and 4,000 combined EDI personnel. Together, they are expected to face a force of 200,000 Gra Valkans. We have not quite yet reached the solstice of winter, but the temperature has already begun to drop. We will use the environment to our advantage here, employing mages from the First Civilized Region to slow the movement of Gra Valkans using weather magic. Those who are trapped by heavy snow will either succumb to starvation, our artillery, or our aircraft which in turn are supported by American F-16s. Given our advantages, I believe there is no need to worry about the Northgard Front, despite our numerical disadvantage."

A murmur of consensus rippled throughout the room. No one had any qualms with the current Northgard Front strategy, since the Gra Valkans' overwhelming numbers didn't matter against the unforgiving cold, which had proven time and time again as an effective barrier during the campaigns of Earth history. Seeing rather satisfied expressions with the explanation, General Seneville reviewed the Malmund Front.

Pointing to a map as reference, he singled out the large mountain range near the city of Alue. "The Malmund Front covers the Malmund Mountains and its immediate surroundings. Because of geography, all civilian population centers have been evacuated to safer territory inland. According to American surveillance, the Gra Valkans have a 100,000-strong army at the border, while we have 30,000 men waiting for them. We have also stationed forces – numbering 10,000 — in the Alue region to conduct urban warfare operations without risk to civilian life, so that we can drain the Gra Valkan war machine of as many resources as possible. If they are overwhelmed, they will retreat to the Malmund mountains, which is rigged with more traps and defenses than grains of sand on the beach. We will make use of the natural chokepoints provided by the mountains and devastate any approaching force with long-range American howitzers. Meanwhile, the skies above will be guarded by American mercenaries and an anti-air missile defense network. It will be difficult for the Gra Valkans to penetrate these defenses."

Seneville, seeing no discontent among his peers, continued, "Next, the Oster Plains," he said, pointing to the southern part of Mu, bordering Hinomawari, Sonal, and Magikareich. "Our forces in the region number 150,000, while the Gra Valkans maintain an army of 200,000 excluding decoys. We expect to be able to hold the line against their forces, but we must keep wary of additional reinforcements they may send once they find out that we have not been fooled by the decoys. Mercenary support will not be readily available due to the distance from their bases of operation, and we expect them to be busy defending against Gra Valkan bombing raids. Because the plains offer little protection, our men have been instructed to erect their fortifications along the nearby forests. They have also been taught how to make traps and fight with guerilla tactics, which should be useful in the southeastern jungles. Joining them are 2,000 EDI mages with affinities for earth and nature. Because of the developing circumstances, we will be keeping an eye on this region and reinforce our men there as necessary."

From the looks of the pieces on the map, Sinclair felt like they were conceding too much territory without much of a fight. "Is it truly impossible to establish defenses here? I worry that we are sacrificing way too much land in the opening stages of the war."

Aside from the strips of land adjacent to the Malmund Mountains, Seneville's strategy called for immediately abandoning thousands of square miles worth of territory. "Unfortunately, it is a necessary sacrifice. There is little cover in the Oster Plains, and preparation efforts are more effectively spent on fortifying existing environments, rather than establishing easily-bombardable trenches near the front lines. We may lose the land for now, but we will retake it eventually after we have successfully beaten down the Gra Valkans. By posting up along defendable cliffs, hills, forests, and other natural formations, we can assail their forces from cover while they traverse the mine-laden plains. Since we are at a technological disadvantage, we must even the score as best we can by dragging the Gra Valkans into close-range engagements, where their destructive machines are less effective."

Sinclair realized what Seneville was going for, "Oh! I see, I see! So you plan to fight dirty, dragging them into the mud and negating what advantages their technology gives them?"

"Precisely," Seneville grinned, "We will lure them into traps, clog their machines with mud, and burn the forests while they are trapped if we have to. If they breach past these lines of defense, then the southern cities, agricultural fields, and manufacturing districts will be exposed to danger."

Everyone understood what was at stake and didn't challenge the strategy, so he moved on, "Finally, we have the Malmund Grasslands, located between the Northgard Tundra and the Malmund Mountains." He pointed at the map, placing pieces along the Leiforian border. "These former grasslands are much more populated than the Oster Plains, dotted with villages and cities along the way. Most of the fighting on this front will be done in towns or cities, with some fighting in the regions' natural forests, grasslands, and valleys. This area is home to five million Muans and their industries, and will be defended by a majority of our forces, amounting to almost 400,000 men. Unfortunately, the Gra Valkans also see the value of this region which – aside from the Malmund Mountains – is the fastest route to the capital and our heavy industries. Most of the settlements near the front lines have been evacuated, so our men can worry more about stopping the 500,000 men that the Gra Valkans have stationed along the Leiforian border."

Seneville's mood took a dark turn amidst his explanation, creating an ominous atmosphere. "To conclude, all defensive strategies have been enacted and our men are now standing by, waiting for the Gra Valkans to officially cross our border. This is the calm before the storm."

——

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