???

War of the Fallen year ?

With a titanic howl, the gigantic bulldozer punches its way through the Valkyrie line, trampling several unfortunate women beneath its tracks. The machine's engine growls in triumph as its entire body shudders, the swirling, inky substance holding firm against missile fire raining from above as well as the swords of the Valkyries who survived the giant's charge. Standing beside me is Nock, whose sword flashes in the moonlight.

"Everyone, concentrate your fire!" Nock shouts through the coms, "We can take down that class A Fallen if we work together!"

The living bulldozer howls in fury and lashes out with its blade, driving back several Valkyries, but it has no response to the pilots who have already taken flight. Gunfire and missiles pummel the fallen relentlessly as it turns about in circles, vainly trying to avoid our attacks. Its time. My moment as a battle lord has arrived.

"Auxila! Form up on me and charge!" I shout, rallying my own troop while worriedly scanning the area. Focus is of utmost importance in the middle of battle. I know that. But I can't help but feel worried about Amanda.

My men fall in behind me in wedge formation and we fire our thrusters, rushing the ailing Class A Fallen while it is still reeling. With an enormous crash, my unit slams into the bulldozer's side, our weapons slashing away at its ebony hide to little effect. Not to my surprise. Class A Fallen are really too much for Auxila to deal with. Men simply can't output enough divine energy to breach such formidable defenses.

But that doesn't mean we can't make a difference.

"Push!" I yell to my unit and we pour more power into our thrusters. The bulldozer's tracks squeal in protest as it tries to dig into the earth, but our momentum slowly but surely tips the monster over to its side. The dozer blade swings about impotently in protest, but can't stop the inevitable.

"Get clear!" Nock orders over the com line as her bulwark plunges down from the sky, sword held high. And with a single stroke, she bisects the bulldozer right in the middle. There's a keening wail from the monster then it falls still, a blotchy stream of ichor oozing from its wounds.

"Great job." I congratulate Nock who surveys the battlefield. I don't need my bulwark's sensors to tell me that we are still in a world of trouble. The tears of Iros continue to shower down from the sky as more and more Fallen make landfall right on top of our camp. Already several Valkyries and Auxila have lie scattered on the ground not moving. Casualties in this life and death battle that we've found ourselves in.

"Its no good." Nock sighs, resignation lacing her voice, "More Fallen reinforcements are incoming. We don't have the breathing space to regroup and effectively fight back."

"That's why we are evacuating." a welcome voice cuts into our conversation, and both Nock and I turn to meet the newcomer.

Amanda stands majestically before us, at the head of her own unit of Valkyries. Behind them are a line of trucks and cars, packed to the brim with all the people and supplies that could be gathered on such short notice.

"We're abandoning this base?" Nock asks, relief evident in her tone.

"Yes." Amanda confirms, "The Fallen have managed to flank us. They're not particularly capable tacticians, but the ability to airdrop anywhere they want is a huge advantage. We can't hold this location."

"What about the civilians?" I ask worriedly, eyeing the trucks and cars.

Our war camp had a huge civilian population to tend to the needs of the soldiers. Several Valkyries had also brought their families with them on the march out of necessity. With the war raging in the background, staying in a war camp surrounded by soldiers was one of the safest places to be. The last thing any Valkyrie wanted was to return to home and find that everything and everyone had been annihilated in a Fallen raid. The Fallen did not discriminate between civilians and combatants. They attacked both with equal viciousness.

"I've gathered everyone that I was able." Amanda responds sadly, "The rest will have to scatter and hope for the best. There should be an opening for them when we push through the Fallen."

"But Donna ..." I murmur, a pang of guilt rising in my heart.

"I'm sorry." Amanda confirms my worst fears. So Donna is not in one of the trucks. My daughter is going to have to fend for herself.

"What about Sara?" Nock asks impatiently as she eyes a Class B Fallen in the form of a giant crab tearing through the camp. There's a loud snap as an Auxila is torn apart by the beast's pincers.

"In the trucks." Amanda says and Nock draws a relieved breath.

"What about -" I ask, but Amanda immediately cuts me off.

"Yes. We can't leave without her anyway." my lover explains, "Iros will clear a path of us, but it all depends on us keeping her safe."

I nod, my heart settling a little. At least my other daughter has an actual god looking out for her. But is she really my daughter? The baby has very obviously been changed. She's not even human. And when Amanda explained to me what Iros's plan was, I realized that the girl was not someone I could ever call my own. My second daughter was literally marked as someone's property from birth.

I hate this. It reminds me of Yah, how he claimed the same kind of ownership over us back on earth. Gods are the same everywhere you go. But if this ownership guarantees the survival of one of my children, I will not complain. Better for my daughter to have an assured future than to take her chances in this horrid place like everyone else. I just wish there was another way.

"Let's get going then." Nock urges, clearly eager to set off, "What's our destination?"

"We need to keep watching the north star." Amanda says, "As long as we follow it, Iros can keep us safe from the Fallen and the others left behind have a clear path to safety as well."

"Sounds good. It gives Donna a fighting chance at least." I grunt affirmatively. I know its pointless without a transmission station, but I pray for Donna's safety anyway. Every little bit helps I suppose.

The three of us blast off into the sky, our troops following closely behind us. With the bulwarks forming the spearhead, the procession of trucks and cars gets underway, fleeing into the darkness.

...

"We're making good time." Nock cheers, "Nothing but lesser Fallen in our path."

"Praise the divines." Amanda notes absentmindedly as we watch one of the Valkyries slice apart a Fallen attempting to molest one of the trucks. In the distance, fires dance throughout the war camp as the Fallen fall on whomever had been left behind. But there's a trickle of stragglers streaming out of the camp, doggedly following us.

"Donna's a survivor." Amanda reassures me, "You will meet her again."

"I hope so." I murmur, "The Fallen took Diana from me. I don't want the same thing happening twice."

"Loss is part of a soldier's life, Battle Lord." Nock answers in a philosophical tone, "All of us would rather avoid it, but we have to be prepared for the worst when it happens."

"I know, I know." I agree unhappily, "I just feel that I've let Donna down somehow by not being there. If you understand what I mean?"

To my surprise, there's a peal of laughter from both Nock and Amanda.

"You were right." Nock addresses Amanda directly, "This one is a keeper."

"He is, isn't he?" Amanda affirms affably to my bewilderment.

"I don't get it though?" I mumble somewhat confused at what is going on.

"There's nothing to get." Nock says in a friendly manner toward me, "Most men would look to the women to protect them. You, well, I know you're weaker than us, but the thought of being protected for a change is -"

"Very touching." Amanda murmurs fondly, completing Nock's statement.

"I never thought of it that way." I protest, face reddening beneath my bulwark's armor.

"That's what makes it so touching." Amanda teases.

"Shy too, huh?" Nock follows up in a good mood, all sense of danger forgotten.

Before I can get the conversation back on track, a loud noise emerges from deeper in the woods.

"@%#%^@%"

"Who in the world is making that racket?" Amanda complains, "Shouting gibberish through her bulwark's external speakers."

"%#%@^!%"

"Its a man's voice." Nock grumbles, "Some idiot Auxila overtaken by panic most likely. Let's just keep moving, that moron can serve as bait for the Fallen if he's so eager to die."

But both Nock and Amanda are wrong. That voice is not shouting gibberish. Because I can understand what is being said, or rather sung.

We are the People's Defense Force, loyal to the Directorate, loyal to the revolution.

No. That's impossible. I was the only one who made the journey from earth, wasn't I?

We cross the mountains, storm the valleys, strike down the believers.

"We need to go!" I shout to my companions over the coms, "That's no panicked Auxila!"

We will never bow, we will never pray, we will never be slaves!

Before either Nock or Amanda can respond to my warning, several lengths of chain shoot out from the darkness, slashing through the ranks of Valkyries like razors. The remaining bulwarks scramble about like headless chickens, taken by surprise by this ambush. As the burning wrecks of their comrades fall out of the air, the chains quest for one of the trucks and whip around it, turning it into scrap metal in an eye blink.

"There!" Amanda shouts, marking a spot in the woods, "That's where the enemy is hiding. Open fire!"

At her command, all the remaining pilots unleash a massive volley, sending bullets and missiles screaming toward the marked location. There's a thunderous explosion, leveling a section of the woods. But our opponent strides out of the conflagration completely unhurt.

"No way." Nock exclaims as a civilian grade bulwark leisurely strolls toward us, spinning about a pair of mine clearing flails. The flails deflect or detonate all the ordnance being tossed at the mystery attacker, an impossible feat. Fear begins to spread through our ranks. The Fallen was something we all had experience dealing with. But this was something new and terrible.

The civilian bulwark casually flicks a hand out, sending the chains lashing out like enraged snakes. The Valkyries fire up their jets and dodge, but the chains move at lightning speed, spearing through their targets with time to spare. A hush falls over everyone present and our side stops firing their weapons, realizing that it is pointless against such an opponent.

"I have your attention?" the unknown bulwark announces from its external speakers, this time in the world's language, "Good."

"Identify yourself!" Amanda challenges.

"Well, as to who I am, you can call me Wu." the unknown bulwark answers, "And as to what I want, that should be obvious, isn't it?"

"I am here for the Saint."