Fiction:Attero Dominatus/Mirus Campaign

The Mirus Campaign of The Great Tyranny War was by far the most brutal of the campaigns of the entire conflict, greatly surpassing the previous campaigns combined in the suffering of all sides involved. It took place all along the Tartarus Arm of the Mirus Galaxy, and involved nearly the entirety of the Gigaquadrant in a campaign with the sole objective of defeating the. While the campaign ended with the defeat of the Tyranny, it was incredibly closely fought and the tables turned multiple times before the Tyranny was finally defeated. The magnitude of the fighting during the campaign was such that when combined with that of the other campaigns of the Great Tyranny War, the cost on the Gigaquadrant as well as the ferocity of the fighting was such that the war and especially the Mirus Campaign would later be regarded as one of the most fiercely fought, costly and important in the history of wars in the history of the.

The Demogorgon Memorandum
''Our campaigns across the Gigaquadrant have for the most part culminated in failure - we are undoubtedly going to lose our extragalactic holdings and thus will be left only with our territories in Mirus. While we have abandoned our extra universal territory and our colonies in Kraw, Cyrannus and the Quadrant out of our own accord, we are been evicted out of the other galaxies which we once had significant holdings in. This is being partially offset by our massive expansion, both internal and external in Mirus, which will undoubtedly assist us in the next stages of war, which with in all likelihood will be combating the enemy invasion of Dominatus Mirus. In formulating our defense plan, we must first find out and analyze why we lost in Andromeda, the Milky Way, Borealis, and Bunsen.''

''The first and most obvious reason for this was and still is our inability to launch and maintain prolonged campaigns. This is due to the logistic difficulties in supplying our military and launching a simultaneous offensive effort across essentially the entire Gigaquadrant. Another reason for our loss is our industrial inferiority as compared to the combined might of our enemies which was exacerbated to a horrifying extent in the period following the slave revolt. This meant and still means that in a war of attrition, our forces are bound to lose if the industrial status quo is maintained. Another reason is that our armed forces were not originally designed for defeating same-scope powers but instead for utterly dominating lower-scope ones as was our modus operandi during our periods of hyper expansion prior to Attero Dominatus. Further reasons include the lack of reliability in our most advanced weapons, which are needed for a decisive advantage against our most powerful foes - the Junction, the Delpha Coalition of Planets, and the Andromedan Galactic Commonwealth. We also suffered due to deficiencies in our strategy which for the most part did not allow for elastic defense and offense and enabled foes to engage us on their terms as evidenced in the Andromedan Campaign in which the skillful maneuvering of the AGC was the main reason for our defeat. Yet another reason is that many of our ships were kept in Mirus as opposed to being deployed elsewhere in the Gigaquadrant. However, these ships have accomplished much in expanding our industrial capacity and now serving as the bulk of our military. The final factor which cannot be ignored is the sheer difficulty of fighting the entire Gigaquadrant in their home territories.''

''We must then acknowledge how exactly each of the campaigns in each galaxy turned in the favor of our enemies. In Borealis, the turning point was the battle of the Aspohdel system, and this turning point was brought about by the Junction's industrial and numerical superiority over our forces in that system. While we conducted our forces as best we could in Borealis, the Junction overwhelmed and overran us. In the Milky Way, the turning point was the Battle of the Deathstorm, which happened the way it did for similar reasons to the Battle of the Asphodel system. However, a key point of the Milky Way campaign was the help the DCP received in getting back onto their feet and gaining the capability to launch a counterattack which was provided by the resilience of the humans, Orion League, as well as other elements of the Civilization. In Bunsen, the turning point was during our attacks on their core worlds, as they were able to eventually attrit and overrun us. In Andromeda, there was no clear turning point as from current analysis, it seems that the enemy plan was to draw us in, overextend us, and pounce on us and destroy us. While we technically achieved our Phase IV objectives, with Phase V being the conquest of Alcanti, we were caught completely off guard by their master plan and thus defeated. While some analysts say that minor changes would have changed the outcomes of turning points and that we were just unlucky, they miss the fact that we had our fair share of lucky breaks and opportunities that allowed us to get as far as we did - namely, waging a campaign that almost defeated essentially every Gigaquadrantic power that opposed us.''

''Now, the war will be decided in Mirus, and according to empirical evidence and our estimations that have followed from them, the conflict will decidedly be one of most brutal if not of the most brutal in the history of the Gigaquadrant no matter which faction wins. In Mirus we have held the powers which have tried to defeat us off with relatively minimal effort, but the nature of the Mirus campaign will increase in magnitude by an extreme amount when the battle is finally joined. We believe that the enemy will attack by using our hypergate network, which by their rather archaic designs cannot be closed, and thus our first battle will be the one for Manticore. However, it will be impossible to gain a lasting victory in this war simply by holding them off at Manticore as they will adopt the alternative strategy of going from Borealis, which is in the same cluster to our borders. While it is possible that they may adopt this strategy from the onset, we do not have enough resources to deal with two separate battle plans and thus we will make our plan in the case that they attack at the Manticore hyper gate.''

''With this in mind, we will now propose a strategy that gravitates around Manticore. The initial battle there will be extremely costly to both sides, and we will set up large amounts of static defenses at Manticore to help stymie the allied advance. However, the battle will culminate with the allies gaining Manticore and expanding outwards from there. From that point onwards, they will attack outwards from Manticore and will run into static lines of defense which though costly to them, they will overrun. The point of this is that it will reinforce in their heads that we have not adopted alternative strategies. Once they have spread out enough, we will stop with the business of static defense and engage them in a pitched battle with a relatively small fraction of our force. However, they will all be present so that it seems that the rest our forces will reinforce them and thus that that battle will decide the war. However, once the enemy has committed his forces to that battle, we will launch a massive pincer movement with our supposed reinforcements and make a rapid drive for Manticore. The objective will be to get to Manticore as fast as possible. Once this is done, we will defeat them at Manticore no matter what the cost and present an armistice from a position of strength now that the enemy has been severely beaten and encircled. Once that is done, the war will end in our favor. After that, we can focus on development and expansion and after a sufficient period of time, resume the war and conquer our foes and the rest of the Gigaquadrant.''

- The Grand Admiralty and General Staff, 2794

The Cenescarae Conference
The ancient Aeropagus megastructure Cenescarae, a hulking and cyclopean construct which once served as a laboratory for the manipulation and terraforming of worlds now served as a laboratory for the destruction of the Dominatus. In the primeval confines of the artificial megastructure, defined by lush and rolling forests as opposed to the artificial and intimidating shapes and forms of its exterior, some of the most powerful leaders in the Gigaquadrant met to discuss their plan to invade the Tyranny in its home.

Amongst those present at the meeting were Lord Admiral Larnus Vontarion and Paragon Uriel Ultanos and Lord Renus Kantus of the Draconid Imperium, Kyaan Desaa, W'tze, Ughandalore the Untouchable and Kossi Valicar of the Unfied Alliance of Enlightenment, President and Commodore  of the New Cyrannian Republic, Acting-President  and Admiral Preston Yates of the Allied Terran Republic, General Envoy Jean Delonier and Generalissimo Jean-Baptiste Teindas of the Orion League, Emperor Wormulus II and Warlord Kilnok of the Delpha Coalition of Planets, drones of the Junction, and representatives of the TIAF and other members of the AGC. Surprisingly, even the Cyrannian Empire had sent an agent in the form of Captain. They had come to discuss how exactly the Tyranny would be crushed. Entering a secluded area within the megastructure, they met each other, people with whom they only shared one thing in common - a wish for the Tyranny's death. Despite this, there was a tension that pervaded the room as the representatives stared icily at their allies of convenience.

Wormulus II and Warlord Kilnok arrived, both still tired, bloodied and filthy from the war front. Wormulus had a large plasma burn from when his capital ship engaged the Abaddon Class Flagship. He was as much an active warrior as a leader. Despite the strong alliance between the Coalition and the New Republic, President Apaltar appeared to be somewhat disturbed by the unstatesman-like appearance of the Emperor and his enforcer, taking his place standing beside the delegation from the DCP and the Terran Republic. Imperial Captain Decimius stood in the corner, listening intently to the conversations around the room.

Uriel and Larnus arrived wearing dress uniforms, with Uriel being surrounded by members of the Blood Dragons, with the Drakodominatus Renus Kantus by his side. The Drakodominatus looked with unease at the others. The tense atmosphere remained until Paragon Uriel and President Elethien nodded to one another, bringing up the reason they had been brought there.

Elethien - ''The Paragon and I agree, something must be done. We must end the threat of these vile creatures once and for all. We must stand united in the face of this battle.'' Uriel - ''Mirus is the last stronghold of the Drakodominatus Tyranny. We were able to fend them off in previous engagements because their forces were spread thin. Here, expect to face the full might of the Tyranny's war machine.'' W'tze - ''I'm afraid I must agree. We have gotten dozens of Tyranny troops and Overseers rolling over our borders each day, and it's getting worse each passing day.'' Renus - As a Drakodominatus, albeit one who has seen the wrong in the ways of the Tyranny and the Dominatus ideology, I must say that the challenge of defeating the Tyranny in their own home will be much greater than defeating them in your own. Kyaan - ''But it is something we must do. We have no choice in the matter. It is either them or us. It has always been this way. Always will be this way.'' Wormulus II - ''Make no mistake Uriel, even when we have hit them hard, they find it within themselves to fight for every square nanometre of territory. It has cost the DCP as much casaulties as the total of all Grox conflicts or the War of Ages. We must not stop now, my campaign has been none stop.'' Uriel - Which is why we cannot afford to fight divided. Larnus - A combined invasion is indeed one of the best strategies at this present time. Renus - ''I must remind you all that if anything, the casualties we will suffer and sacrifices we will make in Mirus will be larger than anything past no matter what. However, we can minimize this amount with strategy. Here is a map of Dominatus Mirus as of this month.''



Renus - ''The Tyranny relies solely on their hypergates, each one located at the galactic capitals which we have captured for instantaenous intergalactic travel. These hypergates lead to one place when used to go to Mirus - Manticore, which I estimate to be extremeley well defended.'' Renus - Conventional intergalactic travel however, would take a much longer time, and allow the Dominatus to rebuild. Teindas - ''So the first strategic question seems to be - if we do intend to invade Mirus - how do we get there? On one hand, the hypergates give us speed and precision, but will deliver us right into their waiting arms. On the other, we can go there conventionally and deploy however we choose, but give them time to recover in the process.'' W'tze - ''How we get in Mirus? We are there already. Oh, but you are not. And going though our borders would be unsafe.'' Wormulus II - ''I suggest we destroy the hypergates. Like the way our scientists had devised; the creation of a firewall in their network.'' Larnus - ''If we destroy the hypergates then we might cut off our own supply lines for this invasion. Tunnels work both ways, your majesty.'' Wormulus II - Do we not have our own ability to build wormholes, and ghost phase them? Renus - The issue with that is that it takes more time to build than to use what is already there, and furthermore that to build a wormhole there, we would probably need to get there first. Kossi - ''A foolish man destroys and builds something identical in its place. A wise man uses what he already has. Victory comes trough wisdom, and is lost trough slandering recources best put to better use.'' Larnus - ''Indeed. For efficiency's sake we would be in a better position to claim these hypergates rather than waste time destroying them so we can build our ow nconnections.'' Wormulus II - ''And what we already have, are tachyon drive based wormhole threaders. Faster than anything the Dominatus has, and they can be ghost phased. We can travel without the wormholes, you however, may use ours.'' Renus - ''Perhaps we use the hypergates and once we are there, create new infrastructure using your technology. Remember, speed is of the essence, and every moment we waste is another planet the Dominatus have under their control. Once we have a foothold, we can make our connection to the other galaxies more stable.'' Uriel -  ''The Imperium has the capacity to deploy prefabricated wormhole generators. Why not make use of those?'' Kossi - ''The sum is greater than the parts. If you younglings all persist, then why not use both?'' Renus - So are we all in favor of a plan to use the hypergates then create new infrastructure to link the different parts together? Kilnok - ''I would suggest we build infrastructure only if it can become feasible. We do not know what lurks on the other side.'' Kyaan - There is a Drakodominatus here who is ought to know, remember? Renus - ''Once Manticore is captured, we ought to use it as a stable foothold and make a drive for Demogorgon Prime. While I am not up to date on their infrastructure, there has always been a main thoroughfare through the sector capitals that eventually leads to the subsector containing Demogorgon Prime. I suggest that we make a drive for it once Manticore is captured. In addition, there is one thing I must say. This is an all-in effort. Anything else does not stand a chance at success.'' W'tze - ''Hey, thanks! Now I know our own borders will certainly be overrrun!'' Apaltar - We would be quite happy to send a flotilla to secure your borders, W'tze. W'tze - ''The fall of Demogorgon Prime doesn't signify the fall of the Tyranny. There is far more to them than it or Manticore. There is not just Dominatem or Apocalypse. There is Oblivion and Desolation. How do we deal with them in our war plans? If we take Manticore and then dive for Demogorgon Prime, these sectors will remain untouched.'' Renus - After Demogorgon Prime is finished, it will just be mopping up - once their head is cut off, the other heads will wilt and be easy to behead and torch. Uriel - ''You have my word, lord Renus, that the Imperium will bring no less than its full might on the Tyranny. I however will not be satisfied with the subjugation of the Dominatus.'' Kyaan - ''Kill them. Kill them. Rend them open. Burn them. Put their heads on stakes. I don't care. They are abominations of nature. Perfectly adapted at survival in every sinew. The twisted counterparts of the Volver race. I cannot stand such dishonor on our race. KILL. THEM!'' Uriel - ''They are a blight on the universe. For the suffering they have caused, they must be completely removed...'' Wormulus II - ''I Concur. The Dominatus must be extincted, or at least imprisoned on worlds without technology. But the directed anger of the Coalition will likely leave not a cell left of their species and creations.'' Renus - ''I agree. Though I share some of their genes, I do so with regret, the universe will benefit with the death of the Dominatus.'' Kyaan - ''And you think the Volver like being related to your kind in any way, Drakodominatus? Be glad you are on our side. If you were not, my honor would demand your very death right now.'' Barda - ''Kyaan. Calm down. Now.'' Kilnok - You can have your body replaced, should you wish to live.

Apaltar sighed and folded his arms.

Apaltar - ''I am not doubting the horrors the Drakodominatus inflicted on the Gigaquadrant, but I do not feel I can condone genocide. There is always an alternative.'' Decimius - ''Yes. Like servitude, perhaps.'' W'tze - ''We have a nice deepsea prison world in the UAE simply known as the Pit. Mutates inhabitants into harmless fish. Perhaps we should give that a try with the Dominatus?'' Uriel - ''The tyrant sought to make my daughter a pleasure slave of some frontier whorehouse, caging her like an animal. For this, and the perversion of some of the finest races in the gigaquadrant, I do not see how the Dominatus can be redeemed.'' Teindas - ''We can leave the ethics debate for another time. Right now, we have more practical concerns. Let me remind you that we are planning a military invasion, and that there are several points that need to be addressed before that can be accomplished. First and foremost, we need a clear chain of command.'' Kilnok - ''The chain of command should be shared between the DCP and the DI. We have the fastest ships and quickest ability to build infrastructure, if needed.'' Barda - ''Don't act so posh. Before we know it, you stand knocking on Mirus' door to claim the Dominatus' Territories because you lead the rest of us there.'' Delonier - ''The Orion League is of the opinion that commands should belong to individuals based on merit, not nations based on prestige and influence. Represented among us are the foremost powers of the Gigaquadrant, and we have the opportunity to create a military staff unparrallelled in quality.'' Kilnok - ''This is a practical consideration. We are all at different levels of technological capability.'' Monoud - ''I assure you, Kilnok. The New Republic's level of technological capability has increased dramatically since the days of the Great Cyrannus War.'' Larnus - ''Technology is only half of a fighting force. And the Orion League representetive presents a valid point; we would be better cooperating than decide who gives orders to whom as each of us has our own marshals and veterans with something to contribute...so long as we value each quality, respect the tactical merits of others and do not continue to bicker.'' Kilnok - ''But how do we decide on merit? We are all pretty experienced strategists, tactiticians.'' Larnus - ''Then we should all have the capacity to recognise the quality of our counterparts' decisions. Both of the good and the bad variety'' Kossi - ''Use the good of one another and forfeit the bad. Then one shall be unbeatable.'' Wormulus II - ''One way we can break down this problem and decide on a combined military structure would be to recognise areas where some commanders, and their forces, are better at than others. The DCP can supply fast transport and infrastructure, The DI and Orion League commanders might be better suited in another command structure, and so on. We all have our own merits but technological limitations still present a problem.'' W'tze - ''I vote in support of this. That is, if we vote. The Waptoria can scout ahead and perform recon missions.'' Decimius - ''This is pointless. Though the Empire is not involved in this campaign, I recommend that the Imperium, the Orion League and the TIAF form a battlegroup. Followed by a battlegroup consisting of the NCR, ATR, DCP and UAE. The Junction could form their own and the rest can divide themselves between Battlegroup one and two. The civilisations in each battlegroup are either allies, or have close relations. Therefore, there should not be any tension in forming a chain of command.  Teindas - Though I hate to admit it, the representative of the Empire has a point. His structure makes sense.'' Kilnok - ''I think we should take it into consideration. The more closely related allies are more familiar with each other's command structure and forces. Only, the three battlegroups must stay in full communication, or our maneuvers could become more predictable for the Dominatus.'' Preston Yates - ''The Terran Republic has strong relations with both the Orion League and the Draconid Imperium. We will find no difficulty in staying in constant contact.'' Renus - ''Excellent. Perhaps then we should set a date for our invasion?'' W'tze - ''I pass for that. I'm not good with maths.'' There was silence for a few moments as they pondered the sheer logistical considerations that would have to go into deciding a specific date for the invasion. Teindas, uncharacteristically, stood and decided to take matters into his own hands. Teindas - ''The Orion League can be ready to redeploy within three months. Do we have mobilizations that will take longer than that?'' Wormulus II - ''Our forces are standing by and ready to go as we speak. But three months is easily long enough for us to build more fleets in preparation.'' Larnus - ''The Imperium can have several battlefleets diverted and ready within the month. We can then divert further forces as the campaign progresses '' Barda - ''The forces of the UAE are engaging at the moment. Give us three months, and we will be fully ready to deliver the nail in the coffin.'' Teindas - Will the forces of the UAE be able to hold out alone that long against the Dominatus? W'tze - ''Stricktly speaking, no. With loss of territory taken in account, yes. But barely. That is why the conquest of the Desolation Sector is utmost priority for us.'' Monoud - My fleets are already massing in our Mirusian territory, though I can spare a fleet or two to help the UAE, if they so wish. 'Teindas - ''It looks like we have a consensus, then. Whichever nations can, the NCR has already volunteered, and the DI and DCP have the capability, must reinforce the Unified Alliance of Enlightenment. Our priorities should be as follows: By June of this year, we need to be fully mobilized and have rallied for the invasion, and within that three month time frame, the UAE must not fall. As long as we are picking an arbitrary date in June, I would like to submit June 6, which is the anniversary of a groundbreaking military maneuver that took place eight hundred and fifty years ago. W'tze - D-Day. Teindas looked surprised. Teindas - ''Yes, D-Day. Also known as the Liberation of France, a military invasion that involved forces from every corner of the planet to bring down an Empire that threatened the very stability of the world. Sound familiar?'' W'tze - ''Certainly. Being a part-time historian with interests in human history, I know quite a bit about it.'' Barda - ...That's not it. Decimius rolled his eyes. Decimius - ''Just pick a date and decide already. I did not travel across the Gigaquadrant for a terran history lesson.'' W'tze - ''Ignorance of the past. Bah.'' Decimius - ''Oh, but the Gigaquadrant does not revolve around humanity. I do believe that date also marked the fall of the Untepadian Sector at the hands of the Neraida. The symbolism and history of the date is irrelevant for most of us here.'' Emperor Wormulus II - ''This is indeed symbolic for humanity. But remember, this is a multi-national effort. And we all have our D-Days. May this June 6, 2794 be the D-Day for us all.'' W'tze - ''Well said. And that's that.'' Teindas - Regardless. June 6, 2794. Do we have any objections? Renus - ''One last point. For this initial jump, we should congregate in one galaxy so we can arrive at the same  time, and in formation.'' Preston Yates - ''Why a different galaxy? We could congregate in the galactic east of Mirus, far beyond even the Lanat Empire. That space is sparsely populated.'' Larnus - ''Gathering on the eastern fringes of Mirus may attract the Tyranny's attention. Our operation would be more secure if we gathered in a galaxy where they have lost their eyes.Andromeda or the Plazith Rim, for instance.'' Renus - ''More time for us means more fleets for the Tyranny. Furthermore, the hypergates only lead to Manticore.' The Galaxy does not matter, as the battlegroups will join battle at the same time. After the initial invasion, we can send forces from any hypergate. Perhaps Andromeda will serve as our first staging ground? Intergalactic travel between territories we control does not matter and we can freely use those parts of the hypergate network.'' Elethien - Andromeda it is.

The rest of the council agreed and nodded.

It was only when they reached a consensus on the matter that the commanders present at the megaconstruct felt a somewhat chilling presence approach behind them. To some, namely Kilnok it was familiar; it was dark, and perhaps uncharacteristically dark at that. Their eyes were drawn to a humongous figure approaching the centre of the conference, trailing behind him unnatural qualities which complimented his unnatural appearance.

Acolyte Nai-Ar'natl - ''Such petty squabbles, bickering amongst you as you wish for command. And in the end you find yourselves equal to the face of war.'' Kossi - ''The servants of the Primodial Chaos are here? I must express my respect, yet also my fear. We of the Multus have only escaped our scourging because our creations did it for us, I am led to believe. Yet as Ancients of a long gone past, our time shall surely still come. As surely as will yours.''

Elethien and Apaltar appeared to be greatly disturbed by the new arrival and even Decimius was quite surprised, raising his brow and folding his arms. Uriel let out a low, long, rumbling growl and reached for the handle of the longsword sheathed and strapped to his side. He gave a stern glare towards the Acolyte, recalling reports of the Acolyte's capabilities.

Acolyte Nai-Ar'natl - ''Such confidence I find in you...though if I were sent here to have fought you, perhaps such moments within your thoughts would be real...no. I find it beneficial that this convergence...here...is coinciding with my desires.'' Kilnok - ''And what brings you here? Surely not to smirk as we search for a course of action.'' Acolyte Nai-Ar'natl - ''Hmph. I have already done that.'' Uriel - ''Then why are you here. Speak!''

The Acolyte walked further into the room as it stood among the crowd, cold in its aura as it stood above most of them in a particularly irritating arrogance.

Acolyte Nai-Ar'natl - You desire the devastation of the Tyranny, do you not? Decimius - ''Ah good. The Dominion can surely add a great deal of firepower to your task. You should all be thankful their bloodlust falls in line with your own.'' Acolyte Nai-Ar'natl - ''Bloodlust...goals...call it what you wish. My task is...mostly not of my own accord.'' 'Wormulus II - There is something more to this. The Dominatus do not present a threat, given your scale. We used to devastate each other, why approach us now?'' Acolyte Nai-Ar'natl - ''As if I were to assist you. Even those above me would find it difficult to fathom what benefits lie in aiding you. Though I am not here to hinder you either. Simply...deliver a message.'' Kilnok prepared himself as the Acolyte spoke these words. For he knew, it would have planet shattering implications. Acolyte Nai-Ar'natl - ''It would have passed out of your knowledge that the Tyranny...in the blind stupidity of their actions thought it wise to attack us. I am here to deliver the message that it is...indeed unwise to do that.'' Uriel - ''The current tyrant's entire reign is one long sequential chain of blind arrogence and unwise choices. I see this as unsurprising'' 'Wormulus II - That is why they have guaranteed their place in the graveyard.'' 'W'tze - ''Abbadon, even as a Drakodominatus, stuck fear into my heart. Medusa only manages to do so because she is a Dominatus.'' Acolyte Nai-Ar'natl - ''I would not have expected such furor...though I am here to deliver another message as well. You will find us in the battlefield. If one, infinitesimal bolt of whatever your combined force possesses lays upon us...you will not find yourself in the brightest of places.'' Decimius - Charming fellow. Renus - ''Is there ... anything else on the agenda?'' Wormulus II - ''I think there must be. Why must the Dominion engage concurrently with us?'' Acolyte Nai-Ar'natl - ''It is simple. You, in some context, are doing what we want for us. And in return, we thank you by not engaging you.'' Kilnok - ''It has been long since our forces fired a single shot between each other. You can be assured, the DCP does not want further chaos.'' Decimius - ''And you are all quite welcome for the battle plan. Hopefully it does not kill you all. That would be quite unfortunate.''

With that, Decimius beamed back to his ship, eager to see what the battle's conclusion would bring. Apaltar smiled slightly upon the Imperials departure and prepared to leave when the closing statements ended. Larnus stood up and took a deep inhalation, gathering his words to end the discussion.

Larnus - ''It is settled then. On the sixth day of the sixth month of the Terran calendar, our combined forces gathered at a designated staging site in Andromeda will engage in wormhole travel to attack the Tyranny holding of Manticore in Mirus. Once Manticore is secured, we will proceed to Demogorgon Prime.'' Kyaan - Then let us do what we have cometh for and bring death to the Dominatus. Wormulus II - ''It is time for all of us to pay our debts to those who defended our territories. But that will only be when Demogorgon Prime has fallen. It will all go fast, by the end we will realise that we hadn't seen everything until the Dominatus became desperate, rather than ambitious. Thus we will have no choice to stop, once we have started. We must the grueling time aside, and focus our mental efforts purely and surely on the effort of war.''

The Calm Before the Storm
In the months preceding the invasion, the Tyranny's forces were on a constant state of practicing defense exercises so as to perfectly implement their battle plan. While new equipment and new fleets made their way to the front, the Tyranny's Installations worked tirelessly on perfecting new ship designs, to be thrown into battle against the Anti Dominatus Coaliation as soon as possible. Resources were drawn from the millions of industrialized planets that fed Dominatus Mirus to restore and create an armada that would face an alliance of the Gigaquadrant's foremost hyper powers. Medusa, her attention focused on the Tiamat, ignored the relative minutiae of the campaign, thinking that the war would be won by what she considered to be the Tyranny's ultimate weapon. The conspiracy to kill Medusa continued, as those who led it waited until an opportune moment, when she would inspect the engine installment of the Mark 3 Omnipotent Class Flagship, another one of her pet projects, projected to be finished and ready for battle by December 2795. Occult Operations, with its Director dead, was ordered by the Tyrant herself, who had been successfully persuaded by Stahl, to cease with its business of artifact hunting and formally join the war effort. The Tyranny's veteran AIs were transferred to different bodies and chassis. The most veteran of their synthetic infantry were transferred to Excubitors, and the most elite of these, made into the Daemons and Avatars of the newly created Mecha. Veteran pilot AIs were transferred to heavier and more powerful chassis, while veteran overseers were given special equipment and units, creating units such as the Mortem Militium amongst others. More powerful equipment and ordnance was cycled in and out, given to Synthetics, Overseers, and the Dominatus themselves. Static defense lines were created and manned while the Manticore defense fleet stood vigilant waiting for the other hyper gates to signal passage, or in other words, an allied attack. The Tyranny stood ready to defend itself against the coming storm, a storm they knew would only leave nothing behind of that which could not endure it.

The Great Tyranny War marked the first massive-scale existential war in the Gigaquadrant since the War of the Ages. To lose meant not a peace treaty but the complete and utter destruction of the defeated's race and culture. It meant the banishment of the ideals and characteristics of the vanquished's civilization into the dustbin of history. However, to win meant much more to each faction than simple conquest of the other and the subjugation of it's people. For the Andromedan Galactic Commonwealth, it was the first war of it's scale waged by the combined commonwealth as an entity. Their victory would mean vindication of their ideals that a unified Andromeda, powered on by the diverse strength's of it's constituents could surmount any challenge. For the Delpha Coalition of Planets, it meant a reassertion of their status as one of the Gigaquadrant's foremost powers, a statement that their power would last on instead of decay. For Humanity, it was viewed by idealists as an acknowledgement of mankind's combined power if only it worked together towards a common dream and by cynics an acknowledgement of the unity that only fear could bestow on a species so divided. For the Junction, it was the assimilation of a species they judged rivaled their own in power. For the slaves, still led by Ikeben, it was vengeance and retribution for the countless lives the Tyranny had taken. For the TIAF, it was the desire to see a war in which they had paid so much, to it's bitter end. For the countless other empires such as the Katarians, rallied under the goal of defeating the Tyranny, the war was a measure to safeguard their future. The combined fleet that stood poised at the Dominatus Hypergates read to invade Mirus was the most formidable the Gigaquadrant had seen in recent memory. In the Milky Way, every deployable element of the DCP fleet that was not assigned as a garrison or to other theaters was assembled to invade Mirus. Aiding them was the combined fleets of humanity, united together in fighting a foe that each of them disunited, could not hope to defeat. Poised at the Andromedan Hypergate was the entire offensive might of the Andromedan Galactic Commonwealth, composed of the largest combined fleets seen before. In addition to this formidable force was the largest ISF fleet assembled to date, a force hellbent on eradicating the technological cancer of the Tyranny from the universe. In Borealis, the Junction had assembled it's largest military force since it fought the Xhodocto in it's home galaxy, and stood ready to charge into Mirus. In Bunsen, the TIAF, which had just recently expunged the Tyranny from Bunsen after a brutal campaign stood ready with all the force they could bring to bare. Supplementing this already massive force were the myriad civilizations that had been next on the Tyranny's conquest list, each by themselves having no hope against the Tyranny but united, having at least an iota of a shot of stopping them. The war had already gone on for two and a half years. Two and a half years of brutal fighting on a scale hitherto not seen. Two and a half years where each victory over the Tyranny was acquired by a monstrously expensive amount of dead soldiers and destroyed ships. Two and a half years that would mean naught if the invasion of Mirus failed. The combined invasion force, composed of innumerable amounts of ships from the Gigaquadrant's foremost powers, stood ready to make sure that the two and a half years of obscene sacrifice would purchase them a future where the Tyranny was not just beaten, but utterly eradicated. Poised at the hypergates, they made way for Andromeda, the final stop before Manticore.

A Minute Before Midnight
At Invictus, the system that housed the Hypergate and the the former Dominatus Andromedan Capital, the entire allied fleet had assembled. Each constituent fleet, composed of the entirety of the respective nation's offensive capability was of a scale and power hitherto unmatched. Gathered from each corner of the Gigaquadrant, the fleet stood ready to attack the Dominatus, with only an hour left till June 6 of 2794. The combined allied force, all three battle groups of the Anti-Dominatus Coalition stood poised for what they knew to be the fight of their lives. The leaders, each on their respective flagships, gave speeches to their men to inspire them for the battle ahead. They knew the stakes, and they knew the costs that they would have to pay. Death notices had already been sent out for those who constituted the first wave, people who from experience where a forlorn hope. The 100% casualty rates for the first wave on the attacks against the Dominatus capitals in other galaxies served as ominous auguries for the massacre that would occur when the battle was joined. The mood was somber, and despite the inspiration from the leaders, the fighting men who crewed the ships and those who would invade the planets knew full well what the war would entail. The scarred and brutalized faces of old and grizzled veterans from the earliest phases of the campaign mixed with the fresh faces of new recruits who had yet to see combat experience. Common amongst all those involved was a knowledge of what the Dominatus were capable of. The memories of destroyed sectors of space, burnt planets, and mountains of dead served as a reminder as to what the price of failure would be amongst them. It was this bloody visage that ironed them for the coming struggle, one which grew closer and closer as time passed. An hour became half an hour, and the tedious eternity of waiting for the certain abattoir of the battle could only slow the progression of time so much as the remaining minutes till launch evaporated into nothing. It was a feeling of dread that defined every soldier on those ships. A feeling of dread for what was to come, and more than that a feeling of dread for a future in which they failed. It was a feeling that intensified, reaching a crescendo as the now few seconds before June 6 turned to nothing. The few moments, those before the die was inevitably cast and they were thrown into the belly of the beast were universally treasured by the fighting troops of the Anti-Dominatus Coalition. Time slowed down, but did not pause for anyone, and slowly, but inexorably, the last ephemeral moments separating them and the day of judgement vanished. It was June 6. It was time to bring the fight to the Dominatus.

Into the Jaws of Death
The Dominatus took immediate notice of the usage of the hypergate as they detected an innumerable amount of ship signatures heading straight for Mirus and Manticore. This was a battle they expected, a battle that they had prepared for, and the first small step in a campaign which they had architected out. As computational algorithms predicted where the first ships would exit and static defenses pointed their weapons at those locations, all across the Tyranny, naval exercises and expansion fleets stopped dead in their tracks and went into defensive posture. The ships which had already been stationed at Manticore stood ready to utterly decimate whatever would come out of the massive hypergate. The Dominatus Commanders in charge of the defensive efforts prepared for a battle in which they had to hold off the enemy until the Tyranny's ships had successfully deployed into combat positions. They would receive only a few reinforcements as their goal was not to stop the invasion dead in its tracks there, but to cause as many casualties as possible and to delay for as much as possible. They were fully aware that in all likelihood, they would only be allowed to withdraw once the Tyranny's other fleets were in position.

Time passed in smaller and smaller increments to the defenders as the Anti-Dominatus Coalition got closer and closer. The Dominatus pondered on why the allies had selected this date - June 6, 2794 to launch their attacak, but reminded themselves that as the defenders, they had to wait till the attackers made the decision to engage them. As they got closer, the hyperspatial scanners grew more and more accurate, being able to discern the types of ships coming to engage them. It was an armada of armadas, composed of the Draconid Imperium's Titans, the Delpha Coalition of Planet's Gargantua and Obsidians, the Junction's Planet Fortresses, the New Cyrannian Republic's Star Dreadnaughts as well as other numerous capital ships beyond count. It was a colossal deluge of ships headed straight for Manticore, an unceasing tide of the might of the Anti-Dominatus Coalition heading to Manticore, one of the Tyranny's foremost bastions, a reputedly impenetrable fortress.

The march of time brought the two titans closer and closer to each other as they prepared to wrestle with each other for control of the system. Hours turned to minutes and minutes turned to seconds as the two forces, one an immovable object and the other, an unstoppable force propelled through the depths of space by the hypergate waited with bated breath before the battle. A tense silence infected both the Dominatus and ADC fleets as the ADC's first waves neared the aperture of the hypergate, while the Dominatus pointed their guns at the estimated exit locations and prepared to welcome them to Mirus. The distance between the forward waves of the ADC fleet and the aperture grew smaller and smaller until they were closed. The battle was joined.

The first allied waves were completely ripped apart by pretargeted fire as they exited into meticulously planned killzones. A massive barrage of hyperlasers, relativistic kill weapons, strangelet weapons, entropic weapons, among countless others ripped into the exiting force, exterminating and destroying whole fleets with extreme prejudice and callousness. The aperture of the hypergate was quickly turning into an cemetery as it was consumed by Dominatus firepower, but still, the allies kept coming. Each wave took damage and shielded the next, and as time passed, allied ships entered the system without being completely consumed by fire as soon as they exited. They could get a few shots off before the Dominatus defenses and ships tore them apart. However, their sacrifice paved the way for yet more and more ships, who followed and had more time to unload on the Dominatus. Slowly but surely, even in the face of the Tyranny's might, an Allied Beachhead slowly formed which allowed entering ships some respite before they were thrown into the horrible meatgrinder of the conflict.

Allied retaliation grew savager and more effective as more of their ships entered the system unmolested and their retribution against the Dominatus was mighty. Concentrated fire eviscerated and gutted Dominatus fortresses and battlestations, actions which served the dual purpose of destroying Dominatus and alleviating the pressure on other units. While the ADC's vanguard was massacred by the prepared and hardened defensive fleets, more of the ADC's ships poured through. However, any attempt by the ADC to break out of the area immediately near the aperture was quickly and brutally suppressed, forcing a temporary stalemate.

Long days, eaten by the technological power and military might of the powers that dueled over the system passed by as the Dominatus were slowly eroded, still manning their positions in a bid to hold out for a bit more until all their forces were in position while the allies sent yet more of their own to break it. The wreckage of ships and stations filled the system, tossed about by solar winds and serving as weapons in their own right, savaging Dominatus and ADC alike with their fury. The ADC foothold grew stronger as they attempted to break the stalemate. Though each attempt was beaten back, it was done at the permanent cost of Dominatus positions and fleets.

Time passed and the stalemate was eventually broken at around the same time the Dominatus had finally repositioned all their fleets according to strategy. The Dominatus went into retreat from the allied onslaught as their remaining ships and decimated squadrons exited the system into hyperspace. This was the predicted outcome of the battle by Stahl - it was impossible to just hold the allies off. Without Dominatus retaliation, Allied ships surged into the system, making way for the planet and preparing for an invasion. Unbeknownst to them, the Dominatus had already evacuated the planet, merely populating it with holographic dummies, and as the last Dominatus exited the system, they detonated a bomb inside the planet which sent a starbuster into the system's star, creating a massive supernova that consumed many of the ADC's ships.

The battle was concluded, the ADC had a victory at a monstrous cost, but had captured one of the most defended planets in the Gigaquadrant. Now they had a stable foothold in Mirus, but if the Dominatus' fighting was a predictor of what was to come, especially with the last trick they pulled, this was going to be a long, and bloody campaign.

A Brutal Reception
The different battlegroups each had gargantuan tasks facing them - intelligence told them that the planets of this closest concentric defense line were universally extremely well defended, at levels similar to the sector capitals they had conquered in their home galaxies. They were under specific orders to hold and capture these planets so they could serve as logistical bases, regardless of the costs of a ground invasion. The three citadels which constituted this line were named Cerberus, Hydra, and Scylla. The DI-TIAF-OL battlegroup had been assigned to Cerberus, the DCP battlegroup to Hydra, and the Junction battlegroup to Scylla.

The combat in space was brutal around these areas as even the most naive amongst the ADC troopers learned that being in the first waves of an assault was synonymous with certain death. The Dominatus static defenses, obstacles that they could not avoid inflicted monstrous casualties on the approaching fleets, and when combined with the Dominatus fleets in the area, served to make each world a cemetery for allied ships. Despite this, they pressed on, and with precision and deft talent, battered these defenses from other systems with superweapons to supplement their assaults, making sure that the price they paid with their dead would award them a prize.

During battles, new ADC fleets entered the systems with a moment to see what had happened to those before them. The incinerated ashes and husks of previous ADC fleets served as the scenery for the crew before they were thrust into battle against the staunch defenders. The unstoppable march of time saw the Dominatus cliff get eroded and forced back as Dominatus fleets were forced to pull back to save themselves from certain annihilation after the battles. The systems served as perverse and desolated memorials to both fleets, mass graves of remains that would never be identified. In this time of war, with both sides reduced to animalistic savagery, the only honor given to the dead was the passing thought as soldiers from both sides rushed to the front lines, something that implicitly amounted to joining the dead. They did not pause to honor the dead in life as soldiers from both sides knew that death was a single assault away.

With the Dominatus expunged from the space defending those worlds, the ADC set to massive invasions of them. Regardless of the battlegroup in charge, a massive planet-shattering bombardment was inevitably followed with a deluge of landers, droppods or teleportation devices which saturated the Dominatus world with troops. While the worlds screamed back with defiance, their antiair batteries decimating those who dared to intrude upon their worlds and their antiground batteries exterminating anyone foolish enough to land, the allied offensive pressed on as allied troops pressed on. Unfortunately, for many of them, they would encounter the unlucky surprise of finding that the Tyranny had drastically improved its gear and equipment since the last time they had fought.

A Mirror of Blood
Warlord Klinok had been personally chosen to lead the land attack on Hydra, and though in a valiant assault he had destroyed an anti-air battery that did much to contest the assault, he found himself and his troops pinned down by the Dominatus' other defenses. While the static defenses could be overcome, the Dominatus troops manning them were ... different from in the Milky Way. Armored Offensives were halted and ripped apart by the new Dominatus Warlord Tanks and their new Shadowblade Tank Destroyers. Even their new Stabilizer Class Heavy Combat Platform fell easily to the new Violator Class Heavy Tank Destroyer, which could defeat it with a single blow. It was to his grief that he saw brave tank crews in outgunned tanks try to surge on and break the Dominatus, only to be massacred by the new Dominatus tank force. It was a frustrating predicament as the Dominatus tanks evaded orbital bombardment and continued to rip them apart. It became painfully obvious that there was no brute force approach to taking out these new metal Dominatus monstrosities, as even direct infantry counterattacks met painful oblivion as new Dominatus Mecha, known as Daemons, coupled with Overseers, Chiliarchs, and new Excubitors, identified as significantly upgraded Chiliarchs, together with their armored support and static defenses, ripped up those efforts. It was a sight he could not bear to see - the bodies of dead and dying DCP soldiers strewn across the landscape amongst the husks of their dead vehicles, victim to the well dug in the Tyranny forces. It was then that Klinok came up with an idea - he would launch a frontal charge with Knights, Battle Commanders and Ultra Soldiers under the cover of utility fog.

Calling upon massive swarms of utility fog, he shrouded the battlefield with impossible and confusing forms that allowed his soldiers to advance. The Dominatus defenders, utterly baffled by this technique could do nothing but shoot blindly as their sensors picked up nothing. Their long range power had been nullified and could do naught but wait for the fog to clear. Nervously, the forces of the Tyranny shot in the darkness, their iron discipline being tested by the fact that they did not know where the enemy was. Dominatus, Heralds of Mosivam, and synthetics alike swore at the skies at their inability do anything in face of the utility fog, whose constantly distorting forms confused them beyond measure.

Klinok had finally closed the distance with the Dominatus as he exited the utility fog right in the Dominatus lines, relishing in the looks of shock in his enemies, which while obscured by helmets, was easily palpable. Blade in hand, Klinok, the Knights, Battle Commanders, and Ultra Soldiers ripped through the Dominatus ranks, composed solely of troops who at the moment just had long-range equipment. A tidal wave possessed of anger, Klinok cleaved through Overseers, Daemons and Vehicles alike with both blade and explosive as his other troopers followed suit. The Dominatus troops were unable to respond effectively given the effects of friendly fire and the proximity of the enemy and were forced to pull back, trying to outrun Klinok and his guard as the Heralds of Mosivam attempted to hold the line so their allies could escape.

The valor of the Heralds held Klinok off for a while, as a Praetor, the second in command of the Heralds dueled with him, though the Praetor was clearly outmatched. While many Ultra Soldiers fell to the Heralds, the Battle Commanders and Knights outclassed them and were able to deftly deal with any Dominatus, who had only carried a long-range set of equipment. Eventually, the Herald's line was broken, and he pursued his enemy further. The sight of the broken Dominatus fortifications and wrecked heavy vehicles was an inspiring sight, causing other DCP troops to fight with renewed vigor.

Slowly but surely, even with mountains of dead and countless destroyed vehicles, the DCP pressed on, willing to pay any price but the price of the failure. After a few weeks, the world was the DCP's.

Not Even for the Dead
Cerberus, Hydra, and Scylla were all taken by the middle of July, at the cost of many lives and many ships. There was a joint feeling of shock at the capabilities of the Tyranny's ground forces. The new Heavy Tanks and Tank Destroyers, as well as the Medium Tank Destroyers, Daemon mecha, Excubitors and the upgunned and uparmored Overseers and Dominatus all sent feelings of dread through the spines of many of the ADC forces. While all the worlds had been taken, Cerberus by a massive combination of French Air Support, Draconis Infantry, and TIAF Orbital Bombardment, Hydra by the DCP's supersoldiers and ingenious use of utility fog, and Scylla, by the Junction's ability to teleport and open up portals, the cost to the ADC and by extension its constituent factions, had been staggering. Despite this loss, they could simply not stop and had to make way for the defense line after this one. While intelligence said the next defense line was less well defended that the one they had just breached, it also said there were significantly more planets which had to be besieged. There was no time to rest and no time to be mourn, there was only time to advance.

The ships made way for the secondary defensive lines after having bombarded the fortifications from afar with superweapons, and as was morbidly customary, suffered extreme casualties upon entering, entered a stalemate, and ground the Dominatus forces to dust. The monotony of this made its way into the heads of many troopers, filling some with a sense of ennui that was immediately expunged by a sense of duty. The ADC's commanders noticed that not as many waves suffered complete casualties, but the fact that they had to assault more worlds meant that overall casualties would be around the same as when they had assaulted Cerberus, Hydra, and Scylla. These worlds would be taken - time was on the side of the allies, and one by one, the Dominatus worlds fell. By the end of August, this secondary line had all but fallen while they tried to break through the tertiary defensive line, which intelligence analysts said was the second to last defensive line the Dominatus possessed in the immediate vicinity of Manticore.

On the Dominatus side, the campaign was proceeding roughly according to plan, though because that plan accounted for giant amounts of Dominatus casualties and losses in Mirus, did not in anyway mean the Dominatus were unscathed by the conflict. To the contrary, they had put massive investments in the 4 defensive lines surrounding Manticore, and were relying on these 4 defensive lines holding until it was time for a counterattack. They knew that their new weapons would send a shock to the allies, but were themselves shocked at the allies ingenuity and use of unconventional but innovative technologies and stratagems to break their fortresses. Reports arrived of the casualty counts and allied progress. The end of September saw the tertiary defensive line breached, leaving only the quarternary defensive line. In the midst of this, it was finally time for the engine inspection of the Omnipotent Class Flagship "Medusa", named by the Tyrant in her own honor.

The Sins of the Daughter
Stahl arrived on the "Medusa", a frighteningly large Dominatus flagship dwarfing even the previous Abaddon Class under construction in Installation 2. The ship was still very much a skeleton, though its revolutionary dimensional reactor, which operated on a principle similar to the Tiamat's power generation facilities was slated to be finished today. In its inspection, Drachon Stahl and Grand Admiral Aloftractis had accompanied Medusa on her inspection of it, serving as her bodyguards. While Medusa had not interfered with their military plans yet, she was still funneling resources to the Tiamat, and would obviously interfere with military plans in the future. Together, they walked towards the reactor, a place they were separated from by a massive observation shaft from which they could witness its power. While later it would be covered by a protective and transparent material, as of now, only some railing and scaffolding protected them as they inspected it.

Medusa - Truly a mighty vessel, one fittingly named after myself, and truly one that will defeat the enemy Stahl - Aye my Tyrant, a vessel that will strike yet more fear and terror into the hearts of our enemies. Medusa - ''How goes the war effort. I trust that our enemies are being contained. After all, we can't risk them taking resources from us that we can use for our war winning weapons.'' Aloftractis - ''It goes well my Tyrant, they throw themselves at us like vermin only to be defeated by our iron will. Any planet they have taken will be quickly taken back my Tyrant.'' Medusa - ''Excellent. However, I believe that we can do better - if we launch a counterattack now, we can crush them and expunge them from Mirus. After all, if it is true they are taking this many casualties, we can throw them back with ease.''

Stahl froze and knew that a counterattack at this point would end in failure as the ADC was not yet overextended, and knew it was time to end Medusa. For a moment, he paused and considered that killing Medusa would kill a scientific wunderkind who had developed the theoretical framework behind the Tiamat and the "Medusa"'s dimensional reactor. He also considered that killing Medusa would maximize the chances he had at winning the conflict the way he knew how - conventionally. He nodded to Aloftractis who remotely turned off all surveillance. Stahl did not want to bother with revealing his plan to Medusa. He just wanted to get this over with.

Medusa - ''I assume your lack of response is consent. If thats the case, let us continue. Let us view this monument to the Tyranny, long shall it live. If only my father could see me now.'' Stahl - ''Its been a pleasure serving you my lady. Don't worry about your father, you'll be seeing him soon.''

It took Medusa a few moments to process the implications of this as the reactor was finally brought online, filling the shaft with nigh-infinite energy. As she turned to accuse Stahl of treason, she was met with Stahl's boot, pushing her into the abyss. As she fell through the shaft, before she was incinerated by the energy, she had one last thought. Before she was disintegrated, after wishing Stahl malice, she wished that the Tyranny continue and prosper even after her demise.

Aloftractis - ''The Tyrant has perished in an accident involving her inspection of the dimensional reactor. Castigon is now Tyrant, and if our relations to him still hold, we are de facto rulers of the Tyranny.'' Stahl - ''Let us hope that that is enough power to win this war. We must rectify the Sins of the Daughter.''

Trivia

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