War! Igros is torn in two between the union and the newly formed confederacy. Heroes emerge on both sides daily. The Celestial War has been raging on for months now.
Paladins are warriors of peace and truth and during this civil war they are generals to the union army. Paladins use weapons known as cielo sabers forged from a cielo crystal to fight for the weight of a cielo saber is almost nothing but their greatest weapon is celestial energy.
The island nation, Uplian, has been invaded by confederate soldiers and is now under their control. Uplian is an important nations filled with resources so now paladin-sage Delta Striker and his students have been sent with a union strike force to librate Uplian from the confederacy. The fleet must first break through a confederate blockade.
Location: North Igrian Ocean
Time: Dawn
Mission: Liberate Uplian and capture confederate leaders
On the flagship of the union fleet known as the Merrick everyone waits for their arrival at the battle at Uplian which was said to arrive at noon.
Samson was busy mumbling a few prayers to himself in preparation for the up coming battle. After his prayers, he decided to check up on the his troops. Perhaps instill in them the moral they may need to win the battle. However he was cut short remembering he needed to attend a tactics meeting. "No", he said to himself, "I can have one of the other paladins brief me, but right now I need to be with my men." He continues walking to were his slot of troops where. He was releaved to see most of them were relaxed, if not sleeping. He sighed to himself saying, "at least they'll be well rested when the battle arrives."
Delta Striker who was leading the strike force was without question the most well respected paladin in the order of the paladins. His skill with a cielo saber equalled those of the great paladin-sages Galatians the Wise and Philemon the Strong. Delta trained many paladins over his twenty years of achieving the rank of paladin. Elijah Diadem is one of Delta's students born with a mark over his left eye that resembles a cross. Elijah's skill with a cielo saber and his celestial level would take him a long way but he rushes into combat without thinking and is quick to anger sometimes.
Lance: *he paced back and forth, thinkin' about what he was told before he started this, there's no such thing as luck in war, he though if there's no luck in war than what keeps people alive? he kept his mind on this one question* "........"
Samson glimpsed at the soldiers in the room, he was surprised to note much of them were very young. He could of swore the majority of them were younger than him. Suddenly, one of the younger officers noticed Samson's arrival and immediately, and clumsily, jumped to attention. "Gre-greeting, sir"
"At ease, soldier. We aren't on the field," Samson replied smiling at the zeal in his comrade, "consider me a friend." The soldier reluctantly relaxed and smiled a nervous smile. He followed Samson around the room, both of them meeting the soldiers in their division. The soon was now above the horizon when the breakfast bell rang and the soldiers made their way to the dinning hall.
"Tell me soldier," Samson said to the soldier as he gorged his poorly cooked breakfast. He hadn't had much to eat due to some of the obligatory holy days he had to adhere to, so this was a feast to him.
"It’s Thomas, sir." The soldier replied sullenly. "I was enrolled just yesterday, so much of the people, if not everyone, are new to me."
"You'll do just fine", Samson finished his glass of water, and pondered a bit, checking to see if any of the Paladins had entered the room yet. "Tell me Thomas, why are you here?"
"To serve my country, sir".
“Bah, don’t give me that hog wash. Seriously, what are you here for? The spoils of war? The renown and fame?”
“Well my father was called to serve in this war several years ago. And after his untimely death in the battle of Uplian, my mother has had to work hard to feed my siblings. So aside from bringing back a soldiers wages, and a break from her work, I also want revenge.”
“Aye, lad. Just remember to keep your chin up, and to never lose sight of the glories of battle.”
Samson turned to greet his guest, slidding down the bench to make room. "Ah, Lance, good to see you. Did you attend the tactics meeting? Or has it even started?"
Lance: "I don't know." "Heh, I'm just confused at this point, I just keep thinking of this one thing." "I was told there's no luck in war, but if there's no luck in war then what keeps us alive?" "I know if I start thinkin' about this in the field I surely won't last."
Emma stood alone, waiting for something to do. She was nervous as hell, since this was her first true mission. Why had they chosen her of all people? Soon she knew she would have to go back into the water, seeing how she hadn't been in there for over 48 hours, and if she didn't soon, then their was a chance she could die. Emma couldn't survive out side of water for more than 72 hours at a time, and when she went back in, she had to stay in the water for about seven days, restoring her energy.
"Thanks." she smiled weakly. "That means a lot. So tell me, have you ever been on a mission before?"
Emma was curious about that greatly. She wasn't one who spoke to people often, and liked to learn about people. Soon she had to leave them for seven days, unless she found away to delay the process.
Lance: "It wasn't that serious though if I died there was no one to back me up." "But that didn't happen." "Some crazy things happened on that island, I mean, crazy things." "I got captured twice that I remembered, they injected me with somethin' also but I don't know what it was but it hasn't done any thing yet so I think it won't be a problem."
"Blockade dead ahead!" a union soldier shouted. In the distance waited the confederate blockade fully prepared for the upcoming battle. Long ranged cannons begun to fire on the union fleet and the fleet responded just the same approaching at full speed. One of the union cruisers were hit hard and sank into the ocean.
Bombers came down from the sky as the pilots mounted their fighters and took to the sky. The union fleet begun to make its way pass the blockade firing on the confederate ships.
Emma walked up to the edge slowly, not able to hear what the guy said, because she was slowly losing focus. Had it already begun? She felt like collapsing, afraid to lose it all here. She had to get back in the water, yet she wanted to help the other Paladins. Emma felt extremley nervous about the mission, seeing how it was her first one.
"It has begun hasn't it?" she asked weakly, afraid of the answer that was to come. "It's going to be hard to accomplish such a terrible thing like that."