The day the skies rained fire.
As Rajaat got overtaken by the Vaeregoth, his chapions vanishing into the maelstrom of raw psionic energy.....
They came.
Space erupted in a blueish light as jumpgates over the whole wide of space surrounding Athas jumped to life.
Hundreds of jumpgates sprang to life and from them a massive fleet emerged.
Dozens of capital ships marked with the *SSL* emblem surrounded by hundreds of escorting destroyers, frigates and cruisers emerged from the blue jumpgates.
At the bridge of the flagship overseeing the fleet a commodore approaches a tall Orc dressed in confederate uniform decorated with many ribbons and medals and a large SSJ marking on his shoulder who is looking out of the bridge view port.
As the Admiral sees his fleet complete the predesignated formation the commodore stops at his side and salutes.
"Sir we have arrived at the designated target, the fleet awaits your command sir."
<Very well commodore, status report>
"Sir, the whole fleet made the jump from realmspace succesfully, the fleet is functioning at one hundred percent and ready to be deployed sir."
<Exelent work commodore, your logistic capabilities are to be commended and will be rewarded soon. Keep up the good work.>
"Sir thank you sir."
A liftdoor opens on the bridge and a young officer appoaches the commodore, salutes and hands him over a document.
"Thank you, you are dismissed."
The young officer salutes the Admiral and the commodore and leaves for the liftshaft again.
"Sir."
As the officer leaves the bridge the commodore looks into the document, smiles and turns to the Admiral again.
"Sir,we have just received the status report from the surface."
<Very well, let me hear it>
While the commodore looks out of the view port and sees the purple light shimmer and flikker over the surface of Athas.
"Phase A seems complete sir, Rajaat and his legions are being taken care of as promised by our ally. We just received word that the status is green and we are ready to commence Phase B of the operation."
<Hmm, I hope this ally of ours really is as powerfull as she claims to be. Else that Red Legion down there is really going to give us hell. How is our cargo doing commodore?"
"We can take any resistance sir, that red legion is no match for our fleet, we can take them anyway. Although I have to admit that if our ally is capable I'd like to see it go the easier way, I never like to see fellow Orcs get killed."
<I couldn't agree with you more dear commodore. It always hurts to send these young men and women to battle. But the few have to suffer for the many and we are here to secure the future how costly it might prove.>
"Sir the cargo is in perfect condition and ready to be deployed. They are standing by and awaiting for the go signal."
<Commence Phase B of operation Emanation, may the gods be with us.>
A second later the Admiral took a seat in his command chair while orders sounded over the bridge and Echoed throughout the fleet.
"SIR YES SIR."
"This is commodore Vandyk to SSL fleet. Commence Phase B, I repeat commence Phase B. Power up weapons and take up attack formation. The admiral has given the GO."
"Prepare to release cargo, repeat, prepare to release cargo. Take up attack formation, power up weapons. This is it folks."
The admiral smiles content, he watches the purple light swirl over the target surface.
<Commence attack commodore, deploy fighters to shield the release of the cargo and to defend the flanks. Approach pattern Omega.>
"Commodore to fleet, approach pattern Omega, deploy fighters at release point and take up defensive positions to cover the cargo release."
"Capital ships you have your targets, commence fire when in range. Fighters cover the realease. Escort ships keep the formation closed."
<This is the admiral, commence approach on my mark. MARK."
With those words the fleet took up assault formation and powered up their massive weaponary.
As they approached near space baydoors opened and fighters pads went active as thousands of fighters were released from their holding bays and took up defensive positions around the fleet.
Capital ships realeased their powerfull blasts and rays from space as the rays seared down through the surface to lay wast to the Cities and forts of the Dragon Kings of Athas.
"Sir planar bombardment has commenced and is proceeding as planned sir. And sir, the fleet has taken up precoordinated positions and we are ready to deploy our cargo."
<Make it so commodore.>
"This is Commodore VanDyk to fleet. Release cargo, repeat, realease cargo!"
And with that command the massive bay doors of the capital ships opend and in there they stood, the endless legions of hivewarriors.
Acting in perfect unison they formed formation. The hivemind link went active and poewrfull psionics flowed through the swarms.
Psionic blades were activated everywhere and 11th level psionic shieldings were erected round each individual shock trooper.
The hivewarriors stood ready, plasma and psionic shields active, psiblades and powerrifles charged.
As the capital ships entered the upper atmosphere and the baydoors opened they marched. Millions of Hivewarriors protected by individual 11th level shielding leaped out of the cargo bays of the Scro Armada and they seared to the surface in balls of fire.
As the swarms came down in a rain of fire on Athas and the Scro Armade kept bombarding the dragons kings and the red legions on Athas relentlessly it appeared.
A purple nova could be seen across the northern hemossphere, it's light growing ever more intens and its purple started to change to teal and then... nothing.
The red legions dissolved, pools of red goo vanished, undead disintegrated and magic enchantments faded.
Mages cast their spells to protect themselves in vain.
Dragonkings and lords feel their power being drained.
Magic on Athas was no more.
But as the rain of fire descended on the dragon kings and their allies. The planar bombardment continued relentlessly.
Those on the surface held their breaths in fear, the skies turned ablaze, cities destroyed.
But many had waited for this moment, the dwarves and halflings of Athas took up the arms for this long awaited moment, the moment that Athas would be freed of the defilers, freed of its dragonkings.
And those who didn't know what was comming despaired.
A single thought echoed though the minds of Athas.
<<LIVE FOR THE SWARM!!!>>
Let all evil tremble before the burning onslaught of the Swarms.
