Chapter Text
The campaigns to control the Cent-Omnia Region had been long, varied...and many.
There were times where Keves controlled the majority; Agnus, others. Yet, most of the time, it had been a brutal stalemate.
Alas, the Survey Branch of Agnus had its job: to map out every nook and cranny of Aionios; to meticulously document the extent of Agnian territory; to pinpoint locations of interest, concentrations of creatures, resources, and enemy locales.
The first task, alas, was made ever more difficult by the Annihilation Events.
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/Time: Five Years Prior to the Main Plot of Future Redeemed/
/Colony Delta, Western Shores of the Cadensia Region/
Taion, a mere third-termer, listened quietly as Lieutenant Seeker delivered their report to the Commander. "-from what our scouts are reporting, these 'Liberators' have an outpost in Colony 9."
"...but Nico thought Colony 9 was on the Ardainian Peaks," remarked the eclectic Commander, referring to the strangely humanoid mountain range far to the southeast of the Urayan Mountains.
"The name is apparently a coincidence, since these Liberators have also been sighted in open conflict with Kevesi soldiers as well."
The ninth-term woman, her long pigtails festooned with spare ether charges, nodded. "I see...as in Nico sees, that is. Do you think we can afford to leave them be?"
"Compared to the Cityfolk to our north? Yes. The Liberators' normal patrol routes aren't impacting our usual survey missions at this juncture. Can't say the same for the City, despite the ceasefire."
(In another time, Taion would have been far more curious about the existence of a third party. However, he was still young...and too focused on doing his job well.)
Once Seeker completed his report, Commander Nico gave them new orders. "Nico, yours truly, wants you to continue as scheduled. Colony Gamma is preparing to establish a long-term presence in the Cent-Omnia Region, and they're going to need the data the Survey Branch can provide. You're dismissed...by Nico."
As the duo departed, Taion finally asked the burning question that had been plaguing him ever since he had been assigned to Delta. "Does our Commander suffer from an impediment of sorts?"
"An obsessive speech pattern, perhaps," lightly remarked Seeker, who was only older than Taion by two terms. "I've found that it gives her a keen eye for detail. Little wonder our Colony has more Survey Branch members than any of the others."
There was a hint of pride in Seeker's voice; Taion, being a mere subordinate, did not comment further. "What's our ETA?"
"We have a week to have our maps updated after the Annihilation Event in the Vermillion Woods, but I'd rather get it done in no more than three days. Gamma's liaison to our Colony is rather...short-tempered."
"You mean Lieutenant Glimmer?"
Seeker nodded, looking suddenly ill. "I've heard she's put in to get a battlefield support role, going forward; if that means she's out of our hair, all the better."
Taion frowned, wondering why the deployment of another Colony's soldier even mattered to the Survey Branch.
Seeker seemed to understand his expression, because he explained further. "You see, Taion...our role is manifold. We do, indeed, provide surveys...but we also survey much more beyond geography and topography. You'd do well to keep that in mind."
"Yes sir," replied Taion with a nod.
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Sometimes, however, their work ran afoul of outliers: unique monsters, surprise run-ins with Kevesi scouts...things of that nature.
Some outliers were more notable than others.
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/Time: During Chapter 4 of Future Redeemed/
Taion, now in his eighth term, wondered if Commander Seeker was going to have an ill-timed aneurysm. "I know it sounds ludicrous, but it's likely a weapon of some sort."
Seeker, gazing grimly at the gigantic Ferronis — roughly spherical, forged from dark metal in interlocking and rotating parts — hovering over the Cent-Omnia Region, remarked, "That's not exactly groundbreaking analysis."
"Then why is the Castle stonewalling all of my requests for additional information?" Taion all but yelled. "If it's a Kevesi weapon, we need to learn as much of its capabilities as possible! This is exactly what the Survey Branch is for-"
"Captain." Seeker's words silenced his protests. "If you're not being told anything, it's likely because the Castle doesn't know anything."
(Briefly, the thought crossed Taion's mind that the Castle simply refused to share what they knew...but such thoughts constituted proverbial treason, so he discarded them immediately.) "...understood, Commander."
"At any rate, the Colonies currently stationed in the Cent-Omnia Region have been dropping like flies. We have no information as to the cause, because there have been no survivors to report anything back." Seeker's grim tone brooked no dissent; after all, the total loss of Gamma had been a shock to all of them. "Head to the Vermillion Woods and get our surveys updated. If you find anything that hints as to the nature of that 'Metal Moon' in the sky...then all the better."
Taion held a hand over his heart: the Agnian salute. "Yes sir. I'll provide regular updates."
No matter what, the Survey Branch had a job to do; he would see to it.
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In the end, no matter what happened, the Survey Branch did its job to the best of their ability.
Even if it was all futile.
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/Time: During Chapter 5 of Future Redeemed/
Captain Taion and his unit had studiously ignored the odd lights and harrowing sounds coming from the Black Mountains; likewise from the Metal Moon, high in the sky. Ever since they had arrived in the Vermillion Woods a few days ago, the majority of their time had been spent cataloguing the wreckages of Colony 5 and Colony Gamma. (This had included the remnants of Peacebringer Divalo and Stronghammer Dorga; he would have assumed that the two unique Levnises had destroyed each other, had he not seen evidence of Blade damage on their hulls. Who the spark would have been insane enough to fight such mechanical monstrosities on foot?!)
As he finalized their survey of the valley and all the wreckage, one of his subordinates went still. "Uh...is...is that Ferronis...falling...?"
Taion's eyes bolted upward, narrowing in with a laser-like focus upon the Metal Moon. Sure enough, its descent was palpable: slow, yet accelerating. What had happened? Had its inherent propulsion mechanisms failed? "It is."
The massive construct began to glow from sheer friction; terror took hold of the younger Survey Branch members, as they took off for their Levnis at the southern edge of the crater-laden valley.
Taion did not join them; he already knew from its inherent velocity that there would be no escaping the aftermath of the inevitable collision. As such, he simply tapped at his Iris, delivering what would be his final message to his superior.
Even so...a bit of odd petulance leaked out, once his message had been delivered. "I just wanted to update our sparking maps. Is that too much to snuffing ask for?"
Taion's answer came in the form of light, wind, and fire: the fall of the immense Ferronis upon the Cent-Omnia Region drowned out everything else.
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One could not fault Taion's determination, at the very least.
For a group of cartographers that moonlighted as makeshift spies and intelligence gatherers, the Survey Branch were rather hardy as a whole.
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Commander Seeker watched — somber and disbelieving to the point of detachment — as the Metal Moon sank beneath the waves...along with the Cent-Omnia Region.
Distracting himself from such devastation, he idly recalled Captain Taion's final message.
'Attached are all materials catalogued from the wreckages of Colony 5 and Colony Gamma.'
'Also, the maps for Cent-Omnia will likely need to be redrawn.'
"More like discarded entirely," he darkly muttered, knowing that Agnus's entire operational handbook was going to change, now that the landmass connecting Aetia, Fornis, Pentelas, and Cadensia was a blasted, sunken ruin. What a pain...and what a waste...
(It was an unusually melancholy thought.)
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