Southern Crescent Moon Convention, 1,028 (2)

  Marcoplix's capital was located on the north. Its overall natural cleanliness was exemplary throughout the nation, but its agriculture almost nonexistent. This is because it has good mountains, small, but also a lot. It has brief spots of jungle with extremely tall trees and bountiful vegetation that could grow as tall as where the branches extended straight.

  This left Marcoplix helpless, limiting them from producing another major city after the 3 it has had since yore from the region. It had many cities, no doubt about that, and ample resources, but because of the terrain, with extra hills and smallish but continuous ravines within a zone, it was too difficult to harvest said resources.

  One of its major cities, right by their national mini golf, well-hidden by the rest of the north, is considered a ‘half a military city’. Because of the lack of space, most cities were left unprotected with little to no military forces’ bases.

  On the other hand, that major city has about 4 airbases, more than double in military bases, and a huge naval base that hosted most of the navy in the country and the elite.

  The other 2 major cities were at the north, merely about a hundred kilometers from each other, with the one at the center being the capital city. That was Fox’s convoy’s target.

  After 2 days, having passed through the golf of Marcoplix and seen the city from afar, barely any civilian with the sudden curfew, Fox neared the Marcos’s capital. It would only take 2-3 days at most. The terrain made it possible for the convoy to take the longest, curviest rural routes.

  At least he got a good idea of the territory with his very own eyes and not by image alone. It was so filled with nature that Fox didn’t find it tedious to be approached by the companies’ spokespersons every 1-3 hours.

  Those people had to get used to the convoy’s schedule, always moving very early in the morning and resting slightly late at night. Half became sick, vomiting and having brief fevers, scaring them a good amount. Still, with the money so near their palms, and promotions threatening to come, they continued as Fox and the convoy closed in on the capital city. So near…

  While the convoy made its way into Marcoplix, the convention in SHC had begun. Presidents arrived throughout the day. The first to arrive were KAA and Zyckevele’s people, of which Zyckevele traveled by sea to the EPA Commonwealth before taking a flight to Argopolas.

  When they arrived to SHC by sea again, they commented on Lymoca’s progress in the ‘region of Argopolas’. Some cameras thirsted for such information, and from such people. Unfortunately, nothing was known of Zyckevele’s stance with the ongoing and further expansion of the eastern Radical Wars.

  During these 2 days, the forces of Marcoplix took over half of the lump of Zyckevele’s land. They formed a crescent moon shaped frontline arching towards them and began building defenses like the others. Zyckevele was truly defeated, abandoning millions of civilians in just that region.

  From Orxa and Pexa, just as Zyckevele seemed to push Orxa to have only ? of their territory and Pexa about half, with the coming of the Marcos soldiers, the Zycks were pushed back again. Now, Orxa recuperated ? of their territory, while Pexa similarly knocked the Zycks and pushed their northern frontlines to fully recuperate theirs.

  The sacrifices made to push into Orxa were turned into useless numbers and a lot of letters to the families in the rest of Zyckevele from all over the nation. This further grew the worry in the other families whose young men and women recently entered the army when the wars began.

  At least temporarily. Because those sacrifices might still make sense somehow. On the other hand, Knight Assembly Association held strong, no longer easily letting the enemy gain more, making them sweat in preoccupation and realization.

  KAA had to tour into Kunkeet by land before going into the sea to Gupi, thereon arriving at Safe Haven City by land again. The situation was humiliating to them, especially since they are only losing soldiers since the war begun. Although the enemy had a stable similar number to theirs.

  KAA and Zyckevele could only send their representatives for notorious reasons. But the rest of the east, including the EPA Commonwealth, sent their presidents or at least vice presidents, with most sending their presidents, leaving the vice presidents to deal with paperwork.

  Gupi, Gracia, and even the K Tribe nations and northern Dawn all sent their corresponding representatives. This kept going until midday, whereas Lymoca finally sent their well-renown President Luis Heartez in a ship with the rest of his cabinet.

  He arrived somewhere around 4 PM. The rest of the southern presidents, in or outside of Lymoca, progressively arrived at Gupi and SHC shortly after later on. This actually managed to take away a lot of the attention from the eastern Radical Wars.

  Marcoplix made such a feat almost impossible with their intervention and outright aggressive invasion in Zyckevele. Nevertheless, hope was in the people’s hearts. This Southern Crescent Moon Convention could show just that— the ability to stop and engage in talks.

  Something so simple that seemed yet so lost. The first day thus went, with SHC showing the faces and smiles of the people arriving. There were over 100 public workers from the invited nations. After all, most brought around 5 people.

  Everyone saluted a few council members of the city, except Luis Heartez, who was received with a dozen council members, junior and senior, in front of the cameras. Even then, Luis took a shorter amount of time than most.

  By the time night had reached the east, with Lymoca so excited to see this finally happening, images and short clips of a banquet with all the presidents and vice presidents showed in some media.

  It was harmonious, and it brought a different polarization that wasn’t out of the bag yet. They seemed lighthearted and capable of sudden harmony, even though this was the side that has been called tyrants, pirates, and peace-breakers.

  On the other hand, those who accuse and have done so first and foremost so far have never engaged in something remotely similar, ever. But there was this other side, and they were on the lifelike side; Zyckevele, KAA, Argopolas, Melenon, and none other than Lymoca’s faces.

  … The next early morning, Fox felt the little bounces of his armored vehicle as he rested his arm on the door hanging out the window. He was a little bored this time, his face relaxed but bothered, when his eyes darted upwards.

  ‘Fucking fuck.’ Fox didn’t open the door but swung his legs right through the window, motioning with his mind to his left arm to send WID messages. He quickly went to the back of the car, opening the gates and grabbing one of the supply crates before opening it.

  Behind him, walking on the path to the side of the vehicles following, people from the companies noticed Fox and called out with smiley eyes and lips, “Hey, Mr. Adamcik. Woken up for a stroll this time? Can’t wait to reach the cap-”

  “You’re very right. You can go now. Head to whatever settlement is nearby, tell the Marcos people they are now in warzones, and hole in there until new notice.” Fox turned back and began putting his medium NUA on. The companies’ folk were taken aback, and more so as they stared at that unknown armor.

  Fwwhh fwh fwhhh… From the distance, strange noises colliding against the air sounded, drawing the ordinary folk’s attention. Before anything else could happen, some were directly heard from behind, but not without loud and fear-inducing sounds of, PPFFHWWAAA!

  Missiles flew in a sudden arch into the air to meet with the incoming missiles. At the same time, drones flew into the sky from behind, departing from the trailers which were supposed to carry submarines for 1 to 2 people.

  They took off effortlessly, flying up with more missiles launched to meet the incoming ones over and over again.

  Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!!

  It was a plethora of missiles meeting one another, creating an irregular line where all of them detonated and further blasted sound waves to the ground, bouncing and harming ordinary ears.

  The convoy’s people, which were supposed to be ordinary just like them, moved with fast and hostile intentions, some carrying rocket and even missile launchers, all aiming at the sky.

  TR RRRRRRRR RRRRRRRRR RRRRRRR- pffh pffh pffhh pffhh! The drones fired against the incoming warplanes, making them duck and immediately change course. However, half were still reached, their armor losing durability as they were further barraged continuously.

  It was like their armor had magnets for the drones’ bullets. But this was only by the equipped drones, because the rest immediately launched one small missile after another, flooding into the incoming warplanes.

  They were too fast and agile, but too small. Yet, they exploded and blasted the warplanes in the opposite direction from wherever they were hit, setting their rears ablaze. The warplanes commenced dropping at best, ricocheting unto the ground after an arch or in a dive at worst.

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  The ordinary folk realized what was happening, gave the convoy one more look, and tuck their tail between their legs to run into the wilderness. They had been leading invaders into the capital!

  The situation in the air continued. The special forces immediately deployed fast missiles and launched anti-radar and sensors rockets into the air. Some chased the enemy warplanes, others neutralized their tracking and missiles’ guidance systems after detonating in the air.

  “Fox, we are being followed. Marcos has sent… approximately 15,000 special forces with air and land vehicles rushing towards us from the coastal city. Some cruisers are being positioned to strike us if they have an angle.” Miros looked at a large table in his hands and reported.

  Fox looked at him and slightly nodded, expecting just as much as soon as they turned their systems on and sent drones everywhere. They had been discovered at last, so it made sense that they wouldn’t move onwards with their hands tied and their eyes closed anymore.

  “We’ve received 3 warnings to cease and desist— they will take us all prisoners if we surrender now. We are surrounded.” A special forces captain talked to Fox from the nearest vehicle as he finished putting his NUA at ease. Only his helmet was missing.

  Fox straightened his back, slightly swinging his head and neck before taking his WID out of his collarbone after putting his gloved hand into his NUA. “Come over here.”

  “Sir? Sir! I can’t move yet, many of those fuckers are diving unto us like we’ve discovered the Sanctum Order-” A voice sounded from Fox’s WID before he cut it off and stored his WID again. He put is helmet and, looking at the column, where the agents under his command waited, he smiled at a realization.

  “… Sir?” A tired, half-shocked voice dispiritedly sounded behind Fox a minute later after some heavy steps. Fox turned and looked at Iztos’s special forces' commander, their leader above any other superior. He nodded at the man, who was black and short with sweat all over his face.

  “You and the other 3 are to bring this convoy around— your goal is still the capital. You and everyone else capable enough in the special forces with me have been trained and know what Lymoca’s technology does, mm? Use them.” Fox grabbed the commander’s shoulder and lowered his head to talk to him.

  The commander nodded, hope and despair mingling intermittently in his eyes. Fox continued, not stopping for a moment, “I’ll leave you with 4 drones. Your countries will pay them if anything occurs to them, but it’s either that or your lives.”

  “We’ll go ahead and complete the task, heard?” Fox let go of the commander and said, closing his visor before leisurely walking into the wilderness. The commander and other special forces watched as the other agents hurried into the wild, becoming blurred messes with those armors.

  “We are… to hold positions…” The commander saw the other countries’ special forces’ commanders, including Zyckevele, arrive and question him with their eyes.

  “… Does that mean we can use all their armored vehicles?” Xeoxia’s special forces’ commander thought with her moving eyes before widening them. The Iztos commander nodded. Then, with sparkling realization, Zyckevele’s commander went, “Did they give you any drones?”

  “Four of them.” Iztos’s commander answered honestly. Xeoxia’s commander’s eyes went wide. “Does that mean one for each of us!?”

  “No… they should all be used at once by one of us. Efficiency wise.” The Iztos commander stared at one of them right after. The Xeoxian commander did the same, staring at Zyckevele. Merula’s commander only repeated after them.

  “Merula.” The Zyck commander knew what their gazes meant, but he thought for a bit with his eyes low and moving left and right before nodding upwards at the Merulean commander. Then, 3 pairs of eyes stared at the latter.

  “Let’s go!” The Merulean commander didn’t hesitate, putting his helmet back on and grabbing his Solstice of the South, SS, before rushing to where his special forces are. The other commanders did the same, with Iztos’s commander throwing the control devices to the Merulean commander.

  BOOOM! Suddenly, a missile exploded between them just as they were leaving. The commanders were shocked and hurt, but they sprung back to their feet and resumed their rush while an enemy warplane horribly crashed into the forest downhill in a nosedive.

  … Marcoplix, recently adhering themselves into the northeastern Radical Wars, and which has been enjoying of one brutal small victory after another, had been invaded!

  It didn’t happen from Merula, Xeoxia, Vevuesta, or even Zyckevele! Instead, the invasion was discovered in the middle of Marcoplix! It happened just as the early birds were preparing to cry, when the sun was just leaving the boundless ocean to give the east another dose of life.

  Reports from locals assured that an enormous convoy, previously thought to be a caravan with wealthy merchandise, protected by some companies listed by Marcoplix with national funds. But from one moment to another, they were discovered to be hidden Zyck soldiers!

  Moreover, not just any foot soldier, paratrooper, or marine. They were special forces! With this dedication and such terrifying concealing skill they showed, the world was once again forgetting all about the convention and only caring to know what the hell was happening in Marcoplix.

  The Radical Wars were jealous, in the end. Just when it looked like there could be a rest from all the craziness, there the was something else. Anything. It didn’t even have to be as shocking as another country joining the Radical Wars. As long as something as barbarically impactful as one of them discovering a massive, efficient invasion already inside their homes were the headlines.

  Throughout the rest of the day, half the populace in the east, north and south, and a good amount of westerners were attentive at every happening of Marcoplix’s invasion.

  It was known they reacted quickly, intending to imprison the enemy and the traitors to their valiant nation. However, 3 hours later, through unknown means, many witnesses clarified these anti-incursion special forces were… felled.

  Those who lived to retreat, able to run for their lives, were below 3,500 people, with anyone whose legs got hurt or worse and those who tried to help each other executed one by one after the fact. It was said that drones flew above the skies of Marcoplix around the zone, high enough that the missile launchers were actually useless, their missiles detonating after barely being fired, a hundred meters above the ground.

  Just one drone could mortally scar the hearts of a thousand special forces in a few minutes. Every 100 meters stepped forth by the fleeing soldiers on foot, as their vehicles were destroyed, the drone moved 10 more to continue firing even those half a kilometer away with utmost precision.

  The artillery in those drones was strictly scary. Few was known about the Marcos warplanes, but many satellite images showed dozens and dozens of individual crashes throughout forests and some rural routes.

  To top it off, the known casualties of the invading enemy numbered to a few. Only at the beginning. The number of injured wasn’t known, but another piece of news brought more attention than any of the previous reports.

  From the convoy, a lot of the people that were seen in the days it peacefully advanced towards the capital, a portion disappeared. It was approximately ? or 2/6 of the entire convoy, but it seemed important. Of course, nobody knew what it was about, as this was only known at night.

  Throughout the day, the attentive netizens waited as news after news leaked out of Marcoplix’s IWS insanely tense security. The convoy then fled for 3 hours, moving around 3 villages vastly separated from each other before stopping and holing themselves in a wide open area.

  With this, instead of rushing at the invading enemy, Marcoplix slowed their steps after knowing of the invaders’ situation. With those drones, those military vehicles, and the small missiles which were impossibly agile and quick yet destructive enough, they feared a direct approach.

  Furthermore, these were special forces’ units. But it wouldn’t be so scary if it wasn’t because they seemed to know every movement around them. Their sniper rifles and mortars weren’t Lymocan, thankfully, but they still seemed to see so far away and tried to reach Marcos soldiers walking around to surround them one way or another.

  Afterwards, the invading special forces seemed to camp separately. The Marcos’ mortars bombardments were highly ineffective in the night. Whenever Marcoplix sent scout drones, the gunship drones would send them away, kindly.

  The next morning, as soon as the daylight seeped little by little unto the earth, netizens woke up just like the Marcos soldiers. They were surprised, then reacted with stronger emotions after realizing the invading forces were gone.

  The netizens felt surprised, then excited and thrilled. The Marcos, who watched all night long until light returned, felt surprised before cold sweat poured down their backs and their heads trembled in shock.

  The convoy reappeared near a town close to the borders with Vevuesta. Vevuesta and Queorian were eerily silent after the invasion was discovered. Notably, they were startled and fearful, starting a deep reading of their nation to figure if there were Zyckevele forces hidden in their territories. Merula, Xeoxia, and Iztos were awfully silent, too.

  Thankfully, however, it didn’t seem like fingers were being pointed at those 3 yet. On the other hand, as the second day of the invasion of Marcoplix transpired, ANS rebuked Zyckevele for their tricks. This was without a declaration of war or a reasonable explanation; that of sending special forces into a neutral country, considering the timing.

  Meanwhile, the risky decision to take a tour around Vevuesta’s borders seemed to pay off. The convoy formed an intense defensive line with several rows near Vevuesta, behind a bordering town. When enemy warplanes from Marcos neared, having had enough, they fled soon after, some getting hit by the convoy’s missiles and whatnot. The reason? Vevuesta wouldn’t allow them to get too close with haven damned warplanes.

  Of course, they also demanded the Zyck forces, with Zyckevele’s symbol flag of the Blackeyed Bear standing tall and proud on their vehicles, to retire from the proximity of their borders, or else. Needless to say, as evening approached and Marcoplix searched for the hidden enemies even now, the convoy camped closer to Marcoplix’s central north. Near 2 of their major cities.

  Another night went on, but this time, the enemy kept bombarding the invading forces throughout the night. The special forces were hit. Not too many times, but when it happened, and it wasn’t just in proximity, they suffered casualties by the dozens. The drones were protected, or all of them would be in grave, immediate danger.

  However, being at night, having limited aid, obstructed by 4 mere drones, their aiming…

  The next day, while there was the expected surprise of the convoy not being there, hence slightly decreasing in impact. There was also horror in both Marcos soldiers and netizens of the world. Hundreds of civilians were struck at night.

  This was more than enough to bring a stop to the units who caused this… but Marcoplix still fought with most of their army in the Orxa frontline, still capable of facing off the Zyck. Thus, as the third day commenced with the same sinning Marcos soldiers leading the hunt, Marcoplix settlements began to fear their own soldiers and government…

  However, just as it seemed that the third day would transpire like many more, and days will just come and go. That the convoy would reappear somewhere, and the night would attract more terrors and the fear of new ghosts…

  As night approached, with the room in SHC’s honorary parliament selected for the Southern Crescent Moon Convention. In Zyckevele’s southern front, about 20 hypersonic missiles flew. From the skies, like comets, they decimated any structure and living people in them in Orxa.

  Minutes later, another 20 dropped on Pexa, bringing both fronts to Zyck brutal, slaughtering advantage. Yet, those wouldn’t be the most shocking news that very same night.

  …