He stood in the command room again, the screens above the circular table pouring relentlessly their data over him. He had lost his personal sense of time for a while now. Cloud could always remind him exactly how many hours or days or weeks have passed since any given moment, yet that wasn't the point. The point was that time had passed, and now at last he had accumulated enough mission data to review how this war of his was performing long-term.
Airo rubbed his temple, gazing dourly at the AR screens. He felt strange itches in his mind more and more often, unable to understand why or how they manifested. Medical examinations showed nothing out of the ordinary, and neither did an Æther scan. The phenomenon was a mystery, just like his poorly-controlled timeshift ability. At least contemporary science had helped him understand the latter, if not master it. While the former...
The Revenant soon stopped playing by the same rules they did before, once faced with organized opposition. Like the apparition which had wounded Airo during the first attack on Dragon Retreat, other Revenant began to employ long-range attacks, these no less lethal than their deadly melee assaults.
This forced Airo to change tactics overnight, as now the Radiant Knights lost the advantage of getting in the first strike before the enemy could retaliate. Rules of engagement were shifted to more conventional warfare doctrines, and the resonance fields still gave an important edge, nullifying all intangible powers once they entered their range, making armor technology still viable, even if ranged options were narrowed down to veronite weaponry.
Yet once Airo adapted his strategy, the Revenant changed their approach again. They abandoned horde tactics and began to raid settlements in a more methodical manner, first probing defenses with a small force, then rushing in to slaughter the populace if no resistance was encountered. Airo's nascent network of subverted officers managed to inform him in time about several such occasions, prompting the Knights to evacuate endangered regions with priority, but there was no telling how many lightning raids went unnoticed in territories under the Union's influence.
The Revenant-hunt missions also took a turn for the worse; in two instances the skyship was led into an ambush, after pursuing what was considered an isolated force, only to be attacked by a throng of Revenant hiding nearby. The second incident was particularly harrowing, as three Revenant dragons were present during the battle, and they alone wounded nearly fatally seven of the ten dragons that were part of the skyship's crew. It was as if the Revenant had started stalking the Radiant Knights, and hunter-quarry dynamics were rapidly shifting.
At the same time, there was absolutely no sign of Ferrtau. Airo forced Cloud to review and analyze all intelligence reports in every way possible, yet the result was always the same: the Lightbringer didn't seem to be at the head of his own army. Ferrtau wasn't at the Shard, too; Airo was sure of that. However, nobody had any idea where his archnemesis had gone. According to all signs Ferrtau had simply vanished, and in the meantime the Revenant had proven a deadly foe even without their master.
So far no Radiant Knights had died as the war escalated, yet he knew this was more a fluke rather than a result of sound strategy. He carefully reviewed a technology called cortex crystals, which supposedly made it possible to return people from the dead, querying Yeoman Cloud on all the details. It didn't turn out the master spell he thought it was; cortex crystals couldn't revive someone killed by the Revenant, and the Radiant Knights weren't implanted with them, out of philosophical principle. The latter baffled Airo, and he dug deeper for the true reason with grim suspicion, confirming it was because of the dragons – they weren't able to carry cortex crystals, or bear any other implant or augmentation for that matter.
In contrast, both the Revenant and the two stellar civilizations, the Consortium and the Union, had means to replenish their troops, even if the latter two were able to do so at a dynamically reduced gradient.
Which meant Airo's forces were completely static in terms of manpower.
Or rather, sapients-power.
He realized this couldn't go on forever. The long-term forecasts Cloud had made confirmed it: the Radiant Knights couldn't support the projected attrition rates, and even modest casualties would spiral hard the probability curve of the set victory conditions towards zero.
In this scenario, only two choices were viable: either guerrilla tactics had to be employed – which was impossible under the circumstances – or operational capacity had to be increased.
That meant dissemination of technological advantages.
Airo stood in the command room gazing at the AR screens above the circular table, yet this time he wasn't alone. Magus Dei, Mentoria, Lylana Darkovitz, and Glawlrhain were also present, summoned to discuss once more the general course of action Airo wanted the Radiant Order to take.
"You see the graphs," he said. "This war is lost within fifty-one days after the first five KIAs. We cannot go on like this. It is time to change things in our favor."
"Do you have something in mind, Commander?" Lylana asked, her towering figure locked in a military at-ease posture.
"I do," Airo said. "We must give the technological specifications for creation of sentient resonance fields to the Consortium and the Union."
"Impossible," Mentoria scoffed. She shifted, her provocative robe exposing even more skin than usual, and her expression became haughty. "The knowledge and means how to create these beings is far too advanced for anyone on this backwater world to understand properly."
"If that is the case, then we need to vastly increase our production rates," Airo replied coldly. "A thousandfold would be preferable, yet even a hundredfold would significantly improve the supply deficit."
"The creation process takes time," Mentoria said with a contemptuous snort. "It cannot be rushed, just as you cannot hurry forward the development of a child."
"It would be faster, if you let me help you," Magus Dei said softly.
"No, it will not," Mentoria snapped at him. "In fact, my ability to provide what is demanded from me will be notably reduced if I were to take time to instruct you in a process that took years to perfect."
"You forget I am as old and as capable as you."
"I have forgotten nothing, my dear. In actuality, your capability makes you underestimate the situation."
Magus narrowed his eyes, yet remained silent.
"Look," Airo said, glaring at Mentoria, "our veronite production is already put to its limit without incapacitating the dragons, and it barely enables the Consortium to fight back.
"Meanwhile, the skyship is quickly becoming a moving target, and if we keep the volume of combat-heavy operations, it is only a matter of time before we lead the enemy to this place." He thumped the command table with a gauntleted finger. "Further, despite our best efforts, intelligence reports indicate Revenant numbers are still increasing. We only have so long before the ratios reach a critical point and everything comes crashing down.
"So, unless you have a better idea, you will do everything in your power to help distribute the only technology which makes this war viable. Do you understand?"
"I agree with Commander Airo," Lylana said. "We can't keep up. The Order is too reduced to act as a military backbone."
"Yes, veronite itself won't be enough," Glawlrhain hrrr–ed. "The other dragons constantly complain to me, and I myself am not at my peak strength. Also," the dragon added, focusing his amber eyes on Mentoria, "I think the time has come to reveal to us why you've barred access to some industrial sections on the lower levels."
Mentoria stood under the gazes of Airo, the two elder Knights, and the silent Magus Dei. Her exotic features remained disdainful, slowly turning into a scowl, as she met each pair of keen eyes. Abruptly, she grinned and outflung her arms, her robe retaining only a shadow of pretense to cover her up.
"All right, the choice is yours. I am the outsider after all, yes? I will show and explain to you anything you want to know, on one condition: do not blame me if any problems to your precious 'plans' arise from this intrusion. That is the price of asking me to do two mutually exclusive actions."
"I highly doubt your statement will hold true in the long term," Magus Dei said, still frowning. "Especially once this technology reaches the Consortium and the Union."
"You have forgotten how difficult the creation of new life is, my dear. No matter, you will understand soon enough."
"Now, if the issue is settled," Airo said sharply, "here are the changes we will enact in our warfare doctrines once the stellar civilizations begin production of their own resonance fields."
***
It was night again.
Airo walked the vast hallways of Ilsorin, lost in thought. The skyship had been damaged in a warpstorm again, and was currently docked for repairs. Yeoman Cloud and the maintenance team had provided only loose timeframes until full restoration, which meant Airo was forced to spend the night at the hidden base.
He walked, armor-clad, katana strapped on one side, veronite blaster and virtualizer on the other, his grid-caster covering his right hand under the power armor gauntlet, his whole being radiating single-minded battle readiness. The endless days of planning and action had tired his body, weariness oozing even through the tidal wave of stimulants which kept him going. Nevertheless, his mind remained razor-sharp, focused on one purpose alone – Ferrtau.
How long it had taken him to get where he was now?
He walked through the stronghold toward the living quarters. People gathered at the vaulted souks and interior plazas, and mingled in common rooms and recreational lounges. The walls and ceilings everywhere were covered in a riot of colorful decorations and AR graphics, an attempt from the masses of refugees to make their temporary shelter more homey in appearance and atmosphere. Strangely, there were much more people out and about than usual, despite the late hour. As Airo made his way to his room, everywhere the refugees smiled at him in recognition.
"Commander Airo!" a short Windlander greeted him with a vigorous wave.
"Hey, Commander!"
"Commander Airo!"
He nodded calmly, continuing onward. As the number of refugees increased, these occurrences became more and more common, alongside the respect and cheer bestowed upon him, whether warranted or not. Or whether he cared for it or not.
"Greetings, Commander!" shouted a group of uplimals from various stock.
"Hey Airo, ah, I mean, Commander!"
"Commander Airo!"
He noticed it just now: there was music over the din of the late crowds, and a distant hubbub of even greater revelries. It seemed there were some kind of festivities going on. He wondered what exactly they were, when Kiana, dressed in her ultra post-fashion smart clothing, accidentally met him at the landing pad of a grav-shaft.
"Commander," Kiana nodded, her neon tattoos pulsing luridly against her russet skin.
"Lieutenant," Airo replied levelly. "Is there some reason for the increased civilian activity tonight?"
"Some kind of local holiday, I heard" she said. "Probably with lots of fun customs and ceremonies, so I'm going to learn more while having a wild night out." Kiana gestured over her shoulder with a slight tip of the head, and her tone became subtly contemptuous. "By the way, Commander, Veralla is in her room if you want to see her. I'm sure she won't mind waking her up."
Kiana left without further comment. Airo watched her as she sunk into the crowds of celebrating transhumans, and shook his head faintly. He took the grav-shaft, arriving at the upper levels of the living quarters, where the human-dragon mixed abodes were located. There were fewer people here, though the place was still livelier than usual.
"Commander Airo," rumbled a voice with familiar alien overtones.
He turned, and saw three dragons clustered at the other side of the intersection hall, their human soulkin with them. Airo inclined his head in return of the Radiant Knights' greetings, and took down one of the corridors.
He arrived at his room, and paused. He commanded the hallway lights to dim, and then opened the large irised door, its blade-like frames dilating with a soft hiss.
Veralla lay upon the human-sized bed coiled around herself, asleep. Airo watched the deep shadow that was her void-black form. He stood there at the threshold for a minute. Then, somewhat reluctantly, he closed the door, and left.