The Uprising 3 - Part 1

"So, this is the location," the man said.

He brought a group of people with him, and one of them looked at the map to double check. "Yes, sir," one of the members said.

"This is the Imperial Tower. From the battle five years ago." The man went up the crumbled stairs, past the overgrown grass and the still-existing palm trees.

The tower itself seemed abandoned, with the other buildings, too. He was standing in front of the door, and touched it. He took a deep breath and opened it, showing the destroyed lobby. The chandelier had fell and was lying shattered on the ground.

"Search the area for the box. It's gotta be here somewhere," the man commanded. The rest of his group began to scatter and take a look around, with some going up to the top floors.

After twenty minutes of searching, one of the members claimed they found something. "Hey, there's an iron door labeled storage over here!" she said.

The rest of the group stopped searching and followed the man to the door.

"Looks like we're gonna have to use the plasma cutter," the man sighed.

He pulled out the plasma cutter from the backpack strapped on him. There were also other things inside, ranging from grapples to a broken sword.

"Step aside," the man commanded.

He flicked the switch and jabbed the cutter through the iron door, before bringing it all the way up to the lower half of the door. He made a rectangular shape and kicked the iron door. Inside, were multiple chests, with stickers labelling them. The one chest that stands out is a black box.

"Don't know the combination, so...," the man said again. He turned the plasma cutter on again and cuts the chest open.

"Jackpot, baby," he said. The chest was full of deactivated Nanobots.

"This is the thing we need," he continued.

---

ACT 1

The alarm rang loudly, alarming the entire house.

Elora jumped from her bed and covered her head in the pillow.

"God damn it...," she muttered, before turning the alarm off.

"I don't know how Polark is comfortable with this thing waking them up," she added.

"And I don't know how YOU are comfortable with this thing."

Her husband, Garreth, woke up and looked at her confused.

"Don't blame me, you insisted on installing the alarm," he replied.

"You're right, actually," Elora said. She exited the bedroom and did her usual schedule; took a shower, ate breakfast with her family, and went to work.

Garreth worked as a weaponsmith while Elora worked as a chef. She would always let her eldest child, Niko, who was 6 years old and adopted, to watch over her youngest child, Snowdrop.

She and Garreth barely had any time to spend with the family, and the only real fun they had was when they ate breakfast together.

"Bye Mom! Bye Dad! Hopefully nothing goes wrong!" Niko shouted. He would always shout those words every time his parents leave.

---

"I love those kids," Elora said while riding her bike.

"It's a shame they need to be home alone every time. Maybe we should make a surprise for them," Garreth suggested. Elora looked at Garreth, and asked, "What will it be?"

"What the kids really want the most," Garreth simply replied. He stopped in front of the yellow building that is his restaurant. "Good luck in the armory world, Garreth!" Elora said. Garreth chuckled, and turned around to see her.

"Good luck in the cooking world, darling," Garreth winked as he said it. Elora smiled, before leaving.

"Lucky for him, the restaurant is just around the corner; meanwhile I have to bike for twenty minutes," Elora muttered. But it was still a fun ride. She wasn't really the most social after her and her friends departed. All her life she was fighting The Imperial, and now that it's defeated, she couldn't really find a new meaning for life.

Still, the neighbors greeted her anyways, for she was a hero after all.

After a rough ride, Elora reached the and wore her white uniform. The manager of the restaurant was looking very unhappy. He was a very impatient man, and hated his employees that are just a second late for work.

"You're late... by a minute," he said angrily at Elora.

"Geez, calm down. Scold someone if they're ten minutes late," Elora said mockingly.

She went to the kitchen with the other chefs. She was the best chef in the capital. Her order was cooked salmon, and she went straight to the frying pan to heat it up. After ten minutes, she put it on the cutting board and cut it to a couple of smaller pieces, before adding the spice and seasoning. She really was good at cooking.

However, at the end of the day, Elora was called by the manager to his office.

She reluctantly agreed to go there.

Inside the office was a large desk and multiple awards stuck to the walls. Multiple books about cooking were on the shelves, and there he was. She sat down on the chair and looked at her manager anxiously.

He looked up and snickered. "Finally, I have this moment: You're fired," he said. "WHAT?!! For what reason?" Elora asked in disbelief.

"Too much perfume and always late to work," he replied.

Elora was thinking that this was a joke. "But... I'm the national hero, you've got to give me a second chance!" Elora said.

The manager laughed and said, "Those were the old days, Elora. Nivaracheans don't need anymore heroes. Either Polark already accepted defeat or they're just some lazy bastards not attacking us for FIVE WHOLE YEARS! Plus, I would be a biased man if I gave you a second chance just because you're the 'national hero'. NOW GET OUT!" Elora went on her bike and went home, frustrated and insulted.

She went back to her house, where Garreth was reading a book.

"Hey, darling! How's wo-" Garreth's words were cut when Elora said, "Got fired."

Garreth looked at her confused, and asked, "For what cause? You're the best chef in the capital!" Elora opened the chest of food and ate some loafs of bread.

"He fired me because of plain reasons," Elora said. Garreth held her hand. "Tough times come to tough people. Darling, you've fought those Imperial soldiers before. You even destroyed it! This is nothing compared to your adventures. Call this as a minor setback. Plus, you get to spend more time with the family, right? I heard that people from the outside world have their wife in the house, taking care of children and stuff," Garreth said.

Elora suddenly looked happy. "You're right. Maybe it was for a better cause. And that's the thing the kids want: The care of their parents," she said cheerfully.

The next day, Elora announced to the kids that she would be staying.

Niko and Snowdrop ran towards her and hugged her tightly.

"Calm down, kids. 'Cuz today is gonna be a great day," Elora said.

Garreth looked back at his family, and went to work. But, things were not that simple.

The kids were so happy that they made a mess across the house.

At that morning, Niko played his small guitar loudly, awakening the entire neighborhood. Elora quickly brought him to the house and locked the door. Snowdrop then opened the cabinets and ate all the food ravenously, leaving the floor dirty. Niko turned on the sink for too long that it started to flood the kitchen. Snowdrop ripped up books. It was total chaos.

Later, Garreth entered the house and was hit with a diaper.

He gasped in surprise as the house was a total mess.

"HOLY COW! This place looks like a wrecked ship!" He shouted.

"Need a little help maintaining order here!" Elora shouted.

Then, after everything is sorted out, Elora and Garreth went to bed.

"They're too energetic. I'm NOT doing this," Elora sighed.

---

ACT 2

"There it is," the man said.

He and his group are spying on a camp with something special inside.

"So, we're just gonna raid it, like every other village?" One of the members said.

The man nodded, and the group armed their weapons. The camp was not far away from a village.

In the camp, soldiers were living there to maintain security and defense on the nearby village. Some soldiers were sitting around the campfire, telling their experiences. The four leaders were having their fancy meal in the big tent in the center.

"This chicken is delicious! Best food of my life," one of them said.

"Don't overexaggerate things. But still, it is pretty good," another replied.

"Alright. Kill all of those bastards by surprise," the man in the group said.

---

"And I said, 'That's not my sister. She's de-" a soldier's words were cut when a spear stabbed him through the head.

"DIE!!" A member of the man's group shouted.

They entered the tents and slaughtered the people inside. They killed anyone in their way.

A soldier tried warning the others, but he was shot by an arrow. A soldier in the campfire got stabbed from the back, and the soldiers were too slow to react. They scattered everywhere, brutally killing the poor soldiers. Other members of the attacking group came from the east exit, and the attacking group quickly outnumbered the soldiers.

Blood stained the ground and screams filled the camp.

"What the heck is going on out there!? Is there a zombie apocalypse or something?" a leader in the main tent shouted.

One of them and a soldier exited the tent to see that their entry guards have dropped their swords and left. There, they see the massacre happening throughout the camp.

Soldiers were dying everywhere, and the attacking group had taken over all but the main tent.

"Holy crap, we need to go!" a leader said, but it was too late.

The main tent was bombarded by the attacking group, and the leaders were slaughtered. Soon, the camp was set ablaze.

"Search the tents. We HAVE to find it," the man commanded.

---

Elora woke up from a rough night. Garreth was already downstairs making sandwiches.

The kids were already eating the sandwiches. Elora took a quick shower, and the soap was still on her body. She ignored it anyway, and drssed up before going downstairs.

"Hey guys. Today, we're not doing free day again," Elora said.

"Oh, man. I liked free day," Niko muttered.

Elora went outside and grabbed the newspaper. She sat down and read the newspaper while drinking coffee. However, she spat the coffee out and covered Garreth in it.

The news read about the camp that was burned down last night.

"What the Hec- I mean, Earth, darling?" Garreth asked in frustration.

Elora handed the newspaper to Garreth. "What is it, dad?" Snowdrop asked.

"It's... It's nothing, sweetheart. It's a 'mom-and-dad exclusive thing," Garreth said.

Niko quickly grabbed it from Garreth's hands and read it himself.

"Let him be," Elora said.

"Who would do something as evil as this?" Niko said with a clear frown.

"It's the bad guys, sweetheart," Garreth said.

Garreth grabbed the newspaper and pulled out a yellow slip from the newspaper.

Elora read it, and it had the following words: "Important. Go to the Averdale Mountain. It's about the news."

"Looks like you're back in action again, darling," Garreth said.

"Garreth, take care of the kids!" Elora shouted before riding down her bike. He ran outside and shouted, "Hey! I'm gonna eat your sandwich!"

---

After an hour ride, Elora reached the place. It was a large military base with Nivarachea's flag on top of it.

A man stepped out from the doorway. "Hello. I'm Commander Ryker, military commander. And you must be Elora," he said.

"Nice to meet you, sir," Elora replied while shaking his hand.

"Come. We've got a major problem we need to discuss. We picked you because we know you're a battle veteran," Ryker said.

The inside of the base was busy, with soldiers working on their computers.

"You might have seen the news about the burning camp. That camp is a very special one," Ryker said while brisk walking.

Elora tried to keep her pace similar to Ryker's.

"You guys know who did it?" Elora asked. "Not yet. We thought it was bandits, but that camp has a highly important item. A relic from the past," Ryker said.

The two reached the office with multiple people still working.

"Come sit. I'll tell you everything," Ryker said. "I'm sorry to bring this up to you, but you might have remembered Clint Burnham, right?"

Elora remembered the past. "He's dead. Bob sacrificed himself and put Clint down with him. Why are you bringing this up?" Elora asked nervously.

"We own a fragment of the mecha suit he wore; we kept it in hopes to eventually study more about Polark's technology.

Problem is: It was in that camp," Ryker replied. "Polark, perhaps?" Elora asked.

Ryker chuckled, "I don't think so. If they came here, we would've known."

"So the task is: I want you to try and investigate what is going on. Report back to me on your findings. You'll be joined with my team," Ryker said with a serious face.

Elora exited the building, feeling happy and nervous. I don't know how strong they are, so hopefully they're just some bandits, Elora thought.

"Well, I need to tell my family first," she said to herself.

She hurried down and entered her house. "Hey, what happened in there?" Garreth asked.

"I may be going for an adventure. So, please take care of the kids," Elora said.

Garreth held her hand, and said, "Just go. I already entrusted my assistant to take care of the business while I watch the children. Just be careful, and not die," Garreth said.

The two hugged tightly, and Garreth gave Elora the dusty Valkyrie. "You'll need this, I think. Kicking some bad guys' butts again," Garreth smiled. Elora rode her bike and strapped the Valkyrie to her back. She met her temporary group and was ready to take the journey.

---

Elora and her group passed the soggy swamps to the hot desert, until she reached the area. Multiple villagers were around the tent, and Elora went inside the campsite.

"Alright. Try and find something that could lead to something," Elora said.

The group scattered, ignoring the present smell of corpses. Elora took a look at the main tent, and saw that it was destroyed. The foundation was broken, collapsing it.

Nothing lead to a clue, and Elora searched where the fragment was supposed to be.

The entire roof of the tent was burned down, and Elora found something: a small black circular object which looked all to familiar.

"Wait. What the heck?" She wondered. "Guys! I found something!" Elora said.

One of the group members claimed to have found something as well.

"One of the townsfolk saw who did all this. But it was too dark to make out. All he told was a group wearing hoods," they said.

"Hmm. Then guess what this is," Elora asked. "A Nanobot," she continued.

Elora noticed that more Nanobots were dropped on the floor, almost making a line.

"They're not connected; so, someone must have been carrying it, and dropped some in the process, which rules out Polark," Elora said.

"We need to follow this trail. See where it leads," she added.

---

After a couple hours, the trail lead to an abandoned castle.

"You guys stay here. I'm going to check if the coast is clear," Elora said.

She nervously entered the castle. Upon entering, the place was unsurprisingly dark.

Multiple statues were present on the halls, which gave a creepy atmosphere.

Suddenly, the door snapped shut, and lights illuminated the halls.

"You've gotta be kidding me. A haunted castle?" Elora said.

However, someone ran towards her and hit her on the head.

"What in the world? Div, did you bring her over?" Someone said.

Elora slowly opened her eyes and was tied up on a chair.

"Oh wait! I don't think that's an invitation, Div," the person said again.

Around Elora were multiple people with sharp blades. "Silence, you fools!" A man shouted from above. He went down while dragging two daggers connected to Nanobots that have turned into chains. He was also wearing the fragment of Clint's armor, and also has the Nanobot glove Billy wore five years ago.

"So you're the guy behind all this. But why?" Elora asked.

The man stepped closer until he was right in front of her.

"I should be the one asking the questions. First, my name is Timothy Klauss, but my friends call me Timothy. Second, what the Hell are you doing here?" He said.

"I am investigating the burnt down camp, and I see you have all the accessories Billy and Clint wore," Elora said.

Timothy grabbed the connected daggers and held it up to Elora.

"These are Captain Mel's daggers. I think you know what they're connected with.

The armor, is a combination of Captain Cal and Clint's mecha suit. This glove, I think you already know who it belongs to," he chuckled.

"You gathered them all, but why though?" Elora asked again. Timothy looked at his group, and looked back to Elora again. "Not all. There is a piece that I want so badly. Why I am looking through these relics of the past is simply because I want to feel the power and nature of Polark and The Imperial's technology," Timothy said.

"Look, lady. You're not the person I was hoping to catch. So I'll give you a second chance. You leave and don't tell anybody about us. If you do, well, things will be going in a bad direction."

Right after, Elora was knocked out from the castle, still tied up to the chair.

The doors shut loudly behind her, and she could make out faint laughter coming from the castle.

"They really think I'm gonna go back here alone? Stupid," Elora muttered.

It was nighttime, and her group were waiting patiently near the trees.

"You did great: And by that, you didn't even try to save me. Well, off we go, I guess," Elora said. It was a success for her: She would simply call in the military to bombard the castle themselves. After a long journey back, she went back to the military base.

"Good. Like you said, we'll bring in more backup to raid the castle. You did good. I think you need a bit of a rest with your family," Ryker said. "Thanks, sir," Elora replied. She hopped on her bike and rode to her house.

The house was cleaner than usual, and not much has changed.

"Hey! You're back!" Garreth said.

Elora ran to him and hugged him, then asked where the kids are.

"Oh. They're already in their bedroom," Garreth said. Elora put her Valkyrie down.

She didn't even realize that it was still strapped on her back.

"Oh yeah, Edward gave you some brownies. Here you go," Garreth said.

Elora's eyes widened, and asked, "Did you say... Edward?" Elora asked.

"He and his sister's pantry is in partnership with my business, so we're basically getting dou-" Garreth's words were cut when Elora said, "Edward and Kat... They're my friends!" Elora screamed in joy.

Elora never told Garreth about her old friends' specific detail. She quickly ran upstairs, and Garreth followed behind. "We need to sleep now! I really want to see them!" she shouted. "Darling, you're too ene-" Garreth's words were cut when he was pushed to the bedroom. "Tomorrow's gonna be a big day," Elora said while lying on bed.

---

ACT 3

"DIE!" The man shouted.

He sliced through the training dummies with his katana. He had red glowing eyes and his skin seemed to be of organic and metallic. His body is supported by a suit.

"Good. I think that's enough training for today, Onix," someone said from behind.

The two men sat down on nearby spectator chairs.

"So. Is the project finally ready, Ashton?" Onix said with curiosity.

"Oh, of course! We're just sending them off to Nivarachea right now. Like, hopefully those stupid Nivaracheans are too happy about their 'five year unofficial independence' that they'll be so weak to annihilate," Ashton said.

His secretary, Lynn, shouted from afar. "Mr. President, sir! We'll need to bring Onix to his battallion," she shouted. "Well, good luck out there, Onix," Ashton smiled.

"Operation Wildfire is a go," Onix said. After that, Ashton turned on his microphone and connected his audio to the large TV screens.

PROUD SOLDIERS OF POLARK! YOU ARE HERE FOR A REASON! YOU ARE HERE TO BRING GLORY TO YOUR FAMILY! YOU ARE HERE TO CLAIM BACK NIVARACHEA FROM THE DIRTY HANDS OF THE LOCALS! THEY'VE KILLED YOUR FRIENDS! ISN'T IT TIME FOR REVENGE? GO OUT THERE, AND BE A HERO FOR ONCE! GO OUT THERE AND AVENGE YOUR FRIENDS! 'CUZ YOU WILL BE THE FACE OF POLARK'S HERO!

Polark soldiers cheered, as tanks, Droids, and Drones enter the battleships.

Onix was leading the Polark army. A total of 610,000 Polark soldiers are sent, and over 5,000 Droids and Drones are joining the battle.

Ashton is ruthless, however. He'll continue to deploy more soldiers to Nivarachea. Ashton laughed maniacally in his office.

"Run, run, Elora! You and your stupid people won't survive for long!" he laughed.

---

"So, this is the place mommy was talking about, dad?" Niko asked.

"Yup. We're about to see her friends!" Garreth replied.

She opened the door to the pantry, and many people were there.

"Good morning! May I take your order?" a familiar voice said from behind.

"Elora?! Is that really you?" they added.

Elora turned around and saw Kat standing near the exit of the counter. The two hugged, and Edward came after. "Kat! What did I tell you on hugging custo-" his words were cut when he saw Elora.

"So, you're married to Garreth? Wish he'd tell me sooner," Edward said jokingly.

"Your children are so, so CUTE!" Kat said.

Snowdrop simply giggled, and Elora and Garreth looked at each other, before looking at Kat. "You really shouted that? Now all the parents here are gonna feel anxious, am I right?" Garreth laughed.

"Sorry. Edward here always reminded me that I was too soft to people," Kat replied. Edward brought some meals to celebrate the reunion.

"Enjoy everyone!" Edward shouted, and they all enjoyed.

---

Meanwhile, in the shores of Nivarachea, lies a coastal village called Octrax.

A fisherman was fishing on the dock, catching mostly salmon.

However, a large shadow loomed over him. "Is it sto-" his words were cut when he saw the large ships near the dock.

He quickly ran to tell everyone on the village, as well as warn the military base in it.

Soon, panic started to spread. From within the main ship, Polark soldiers are busy setting up the weapons. Onix stepped towards the large window.

"Look at them. So, so afraid. We didn't even attack yet, and they're already panicking," he said.

"Alright. Arm Missile #1AA, we are striking."

The soldiers armed the missile shooter attached to the sides and front of the ship.

"FIRE IN 3! 3!... I said fire in 3, so fire now!" Onix commanded.

The missiles launched and destroyed multiple houses. The villagers tried to hide, but to no use. Trees were destroyed, and the military division of Octrax decided to step in.

There was a wall dividing the coast to the open ocean. Polark soldiers were deployed one by one using boats, and they eventually reached the wall. The Octrax military had built an outpost in the trees, allowing them to blend in.

"It's a wall? They think it could stop a missile? Fire!" Onix commanded.

Missiles shot out and the soldiers deployed stepped back from the rubble.

Octrax military came, and they soon exchanged gunfire.

"They know how to use guns now!" A Polark soldier shouted. The well-blended outpost also acted. The soldiers of Octrax continued shooting and killed most of the Polark soldiers.

"Shoot them! Get them out of Nivarachea!" an Octrax soldier shouted.

They came from the trees, and built small trenches to dodge the bullets. Too many soldiers had died, so Onix pulled the remaining Polark soldiers back.

"We did it, boys! Polark has been defeated!" an Octrax soldier shouted.

In the ships, Onix planned another move. "Send Droids and Drones to attack. The thickness of the canopy makes it hard for them to see stuff above, right? So let's just send in bomber planes while the Droids do the ground attack," he commanded.

"Or simply shoot with our missiles," he added. Soon, the Droids and Drones were deployed, and managed to kill some Octrax soldiers. The bomber planes flew overhead, and dropped the bombs on the remaining houses in the village. Missiles also shot at the soldiers' hiding spots, killing them and blowing their cover.

Outgunned, the Octrax soldiers quickly tried to run and evacuate the remaining villagers. But it was no use. The bomber planes tracked them down and bombarded them.

It was clear that Octrax had lost the fight.

"Stupid. Anyways, move on!" Onix commanded.

He deployed tanks and more soldiers, and he joined the marching group as well.

They climbed the rubble of Octrax and set it ablaze, causing the fire to also spread to the forests. Onix grabbed Polark's flag and placed it in the centre. Onix laughed maniacally, as the ashes rose.

"Bye! Hopefully we'll meet again!" Edward said. After the reunion ended, Elora and her family went back to the house.

"Hey, uh, darling. I want to tell you something," Garreth said.

Niko and Snowdrop hurrily ran upstairs to their bedroom. They sleep early after all.

"What is it?" Elora asked.

They sat on the couch and looked at each other. "Seeing Edward always snaps my past back," Garreth said. Elora looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean by that?" she asked.

"I was an... Imperial soldier," Garreth replied. Elora's expression remained normal, but Garreth continued to explain.

"I was responsible for... I was responsible for destroying Edward's village. I had no other choice! They threatened to burn away my money and kill my parents if I didn't do the deed. Which is why it... haunts me. When The Imperial was deformed, I eventually became a regular citizen of Nivarachea. But I never knew you and Edward were close. So I thought it would all go downhill from here," Garreth said.

Elora patted him on the back. "I've experienced a traumatic past, too. But not as an Imperial soldier," Elora said. "I saw all of my friends get killed. I was lonely for a while, Garreth. But my old friend had motivated me, that bad things in our past can be used as fuel to drive us in the future. Or, simply forget them," Elora said comfortingly, "I mean, look at you now! You're a great man now," she added.

The two hugged tightly, unaware of a Drone spying them just outside the window. The Drone was connected to Onix and Ashton's computers.

"She has a family now? Sweet. Not that it matters," Ashton chuckled.

Onix sat on his spinning seat and looked at his progressing troops. They were inside a large truck in the centre of the marching troops.

"Now this confirms that a capital of Nivarachea does exist and we're heading the right way," Onix said.

"And if the capital crumbles, it should be easy for us to continue Operation Wildfire," he added.

"You're right. But Elora is not a person to be taken lightly. If the capital does crumble, we should manhunt her. And hopefully she doesn't outsmart the hunters and do some crazy stunts that she wants to show off for no reason," Ashton said.

Then, Onix's eyes started flickering, and Ashton pulled out a remote. He pressed the red button, and Onix's eyes turned normal again. "How come that I don't remember much from the past, friend?" Onix asked.

"Your body is in a crumbling state. It's okay if you don't remember things. The past must be forgotten. You must work in the present to reach your goals, and in our case, taking Nivarachea back in our hands," Ashton replied.

"Now rest. Tomorrow we shall see the capital crumble," he added. His laughter echoed throughout the truck. Onix looked back at his computer. A part of his heart felt pity on the Nivaracheans, but something deep down is preventing him from helping them. Onix brushed it off, and continued his work despite Ashton telling him to rest.

In the capital, Ryker is being told of the news.

"You've gotta be God damn kidding me!" Ryker shouted.

His men stood silent. "We shouldn't have focused our attention to that syndicate in the castle! We should've... ARGGHHH!!" he shouted while throwing all the paperwork on the floor.

"Sir. What's more shocking is that they're taking no prisoners. It's as if they're trying to exterminate us," a soldier said.

"What's worse is that they're moving in a certain pattern. They're burning down villages whilst heading towards the South, which is where the capital is," he added.

Suddenly, they heard the buzzing sounds of Drones. Before they could react, Drones entered the base and started to rapidly shoot at everyone.

"CRAP! They're Drones!" Ryker shouted. He quickly grabbed the gun from the table he was hiding and rapidly shot the Drones. The Drones shifted their attention to Ryker, and managed to hit his right arm. He hid in the table again, but the other soldiers shot at the Drones whilst they are focusing on Ryker. The skirmish went on, until Ryker came from behind and simply threw a chair at the Drones, destabilizing their balance before crashing to the wall. Everyone sighed in relief.

"Evacuate as many people from the capital now. There's going to be a battle happening tomorrow," Ryker said.

---

------- TO BE CONTINUED-------