Eodem: A Rifle and Sword Adventure (Complete)

Chapter 43: Blood Ingots

A gathering of some of the Federation's best personnel in Gliesia was formed by the briefing room of the New Albany Spaceport meant for Pirates pre-deployment. Ironically the only Pilot inside the room being briefed was Captain Kaprelian, known as Pegasus 3-5 whose aeronautical proficiency with her Super Osprey will be needed. There is also Stryder Group, a SEAL Team called 'Scalpel Team', a smaller squad of Aparo-payroll PMC's from the Silverback Securities, half-a-dozen of Scientists, Doctor Mahelona, Lutheor Mirrien and lastly the director of this operation, Bureau of Intelligence Agent Gary De Sardet.

This upcoming operation, launching the day after would, for some of the people the room, be the most politically sensitive mission of their lives. Lutheor Mirrien knew that the Moguls have gone too far with the enactment of conscripting the feeble families of Miners and any able-bodied Dwarf to work in the hot and dark conditions of the Dwarves infamous Deep Mines. For the Mines lay host to a variety of hazards such as Geomantic Accidents, underground Fiends and the accidental flooding of unearthing some long forgotten buried curses hidden beneath the Ostalrocs. He and several of his kind tried to put a stop to such destructive practices with limited success but now, it's either the collapse of Dwarfen society, culture and livelihood as they know it or the beginning of a new era for the Ostalrocii. For Agent Gary De Sardet, his reasons are of a noble but intrinsically selfish reason, he is loyal to the UFE State by default and he will see to it that the Federation fully encircle all of Gliesia with its many appendages attached to every facet of this 'Fantasy' world's being if it further pushes what the potential of Gliesia can bestow upon all of the rest of Earthling-kind. This venture was risky as it could mean the loss of not only him but several of the UFE's best assets and some political capital for the Party if this clandestine operation of subverting this brewing unrest in the Dwarven Mountains into the Federation's... and ultimately the Party's ends too, failed. Yet the payoff if operation succeeds would give the Federation in Gliesia a significant strategic advantage. For Stryder Group, the mission was just following orders albeit with reservations from the more greened individuals like Samantha, Aliathra, Kayin and Clay who were given their first Black Operations quite early in their careers. It was the most abnormal of circumstances for the younger ones as they focused, they're at Agent De Sardet and Lutheor Mirrien as they speak.

"In order to flip the Ostalrocs blue, we need to target not only give this revolution of theirs more momentum and support but also elminate key infrastructure and personnel." De Sardet demonstrated. "First business is to gain momentum for the revolt and a revolt is nothing without people getting angry."

"Mogul Dolmond, ruler of Kur Faldhur has been forcefully recruiting and enslaving many Terrace Dwarves to toil tirelessly at the Mines. If we can intercept the Slave Caravans we can turn those people against him by rallying their support and denying them their labor." Lutheor said.

"What kind of people works for Dolmond?" asked Kayin.

"The Hold Dwarves lords over my Terrace living kin with the power of their Geomancers, Enchanted Weapon vaults, and well-trained Army of twenty thousand warriors in each Hold plus the aforementioned wealth they earn from the mines." Mirrien gave his insight. "Within the Hold Army, there are the elite Ever-Beards and the Sting Eyes. Ever Beards are elite front-line soldiers who personally protect the Hold Mogul's with their lives. They have reputations of fighting untill the last man without retreat. The Sting Eyes in the other hand are venerable skirmishers whose crossbows are famous for piercing the toughest armor and shooting the furthest away in all of Ysanigrad. For our revolution to have a chance we need to thin them out before we can assault Mogul Dolmond directly."

"Speaking about our opposition, another problème is the warbeasts that the Hold Dwarves also happen to domesticate and breed such as Pegasi, Griffins and War Rams. They are native to the local mountainous regions and the former two are often bred and sold enmasse to the Empire. As for these War Rams... they are the 'Cavalry' of the Dwavers, small but very stubborn and... well... rammy." De Sardet added.