The Line

The Line is the next installment in the V Osade Alternate Universe, following the Lykos and their Ultra Director Polemistis in the unleashing of the Divine Hand and issuing of the Timeless Siege. The story also follows Vulf and the Unity efforts to stop the Divine Hand and halt the northward progres of the Lykos warships.

Summary
At Exusia, news was delivered to Polemistis of the destruction of the Void. The Ukarika reports of his failure to guard the facility, as the infiltrators were clearly aware of the production of the Forged. Executing the Warden Director for failing to protect the prison and the sensitive information within, Polemistis sought to gather the Director's Council. Understanding the excursion took place close to Exusia, the Ultra Director demanded that it should be time to face and eliminate the opposition of the Unity—fearful that more excursions should take place further into Republic territory.

Gathering the Director's Council, Polemistis prepares the news that it shall then become the Director's responsibility to lead an assault on Unity—using the information collected by Agianis to prepare an outline for the invasion. Preparing the Fleet of Seas and Skies, Polemistis authorises the construction of the super weapon: the Divine Hand—which would be used to destroy the barrier of the Line and allow passage through what would have been a solid wall.

Growing slightly agitated with the lack of progress the Republic was making, a group of anti-Republic revolutionaries gathered in Yermo to press the Republic into having Polemistis step down. Having ties with the Red Flags of Soyedmevos, the revolutionaries were promised by Machitis that they would be aided by the Red Flags in their efforts. As the protests started, the Republic Guard inquired of the Ultra Director what their action should be.

The Ultra Director ordered a purging of all known revolutionaries, as a spontaneous street war was fought between the revolutionaries and the Republic Guard in an event which became known as the Rain Revolution. As the revolutionaries called for the assistance of Machitis, they received no reply and were crushed by the Republic Guard.

Machitis used the information collected from the revolutionaries failures to plot the course for his own attack on the capitol, as months of political silence followed the attempt made to break the Void. Vulf and her team prepared for any other engagement, which would seem to be mounting soon as the many attacks were reported along the Line. And then after two months of complete silence, the Unity Seige occurred.

Spotting a line of Republic battleships occupying the oceans around the Line, it easily would seem as if they would be incapable of mounting a strike to any serious degree. Despite the belief that the Line had been impenetrable, the deployment of the Divine Hand shown that it was false to believe this. As a plasma torrent obliterated the defence of the Line, warning across all the nations representing the Unity flared. The majority of the Makuta defending the Line were destroyed in the subsequent collapse of the structure.

Republic battleship flooded into Unity territory, as Republic airships provided an ample attack on cities that they would easily bombard. The Unity defence fleet hastily organised itself against the phalanx of Republic ships, most of them being obliterated in the earlier strikes as Unity ships fled to preserve themselves. Toa of Water were called to create whirlpools and floods to challenge the Republic battleships, managing to sink a few planning to take Metru Nui.

However their efforts were not enough to protect the other islands, as the Divine Hand superweapon managed to be deployed against several islands as it pressed towards Metru Nui. The weapon managed to obliterate Odina, and Versuva—leaving Burn where prosperity and entire civilisations used to inhabit.

Toa of Air called upon ferocious winds to challenge Republic airships, managing to force a few of the ships to leave due to the conditions. But too little was done too late, as islands across the Unity were bombarded with plasma—cities and villages left to the Burn. Vulf's team was hastily organised to deal with a Lykos corvette off the shores of Metru Nui, the Harbinger's Light as it threatened to use its cannons to burn the island.

Boarding the ship, the team manages their way through it with the assistance of the Toa of Plasma: Rannok. Clearing out the majority of the ships crew with relative ease because of the assistance from Rannok, the team make their way to the bridge of the ship where they are engaged by the Lykos shipmaster: Ralika. Detonating the shipmaster's sword, Ralika still manages to engage in combat against the team—severely injuring Rannok as he is eventually slain by Kvar. Rannok asks to stay behind, stating he will detonate the plasma core of the ship and destroy it.

Departing from the Harbinger's Light, the team returns to the burnt section of Ta-Metru, as the factories were reduced to complete ash. Receiving news that the Republic's fleet had been reduced significantly over the course of the battle, it is revealed that the Divine Hand is may potentially be moved into the position against Metru Nui which would allow it to destroy the island completely. Ordered by Machitis to use one of the few Red Flag airships that still remained: Ravenous Heart, Vulf and her team were sent to target and destroy the Divine Hand

Meanwhile, the Unity Council met in secret while they tasked Machitis with the defence of the Unity. Managing to plunder resources during the chaos, the Warmaster established an emergency command centre at Metru Nui in the Ko-Metru region. Residing with his most trusted lieutenants, a Republic sympathiser manages to breach the position and commits suicide with a bomb. With most of his lieutenants killed, and being heavily injured during the bombing—Machitis falls silent during the war.

Making their way to the Divine Hand, Vulf's team receive the news of how deadly the blast will be if the weapon is fired at Metru Nui. Dropped off on the weapon platform, the team must fight through the operators and defenders of the weapon. Tearing through the rest of the weapon to apprehend the crew—the Intelleka officer Agianis is taken prisoner as it is revealed he was responsible for mapping out the course of the invasion.

Revealing that he had several operatives running course throughout the Unity long before the invasion, Agianis managed to pull together every piece of information he would possibly need to successfully help the Director's Council plan an attack. Agianis also reveals he had ordered a strike on the Warmaster, stating the likelihood that Machitis would be dead was very high. Executed by Yarvok for conspiracy against the Red Flags, a loose Republic soldier activates the weapon to self-destruct due to being compromised by the team.

Fleeing only barely, Vulf and her team manage to get taken safely back to Metru Nui where they witness the ruin of the situation. The capitol had nearly been completely destroyed during the course of the invasion, and several Unity islands had been left for the Burn by the Republic. However, the Republic was not done with its invasion of the Unity, as several Forged regiments were deployed over the islands with the objective to burn and destroy as much equipment as possible.

Managing to dismantle the majority of the industrial force of Metru Nui and Xia, it was revealed that the Forged have found their way to the location which the Unity Councillors had been hidden during the invasion. Managing to kills the Vortixx Councillor, Vulf's Team managed to intervene before the rest of the Councillors were killed. After several hours of silence, and little to no reports of any official movement it was declared that the Unity Siege was over.

Back in Ko-Metru, the resting body of Machitis was approached by Mayraka—the Flotskya Director announcing that she had every right to kill the Warmaster but decided not to because of their relation prior to the Timeless Siege. Telling Machitis that the Republic will now be weak to invasion, she has the Warmaster promise he will push for an invasion of the Lykos homeland to help her in the overthrow of Polemistis and the Republic. As she leaves, Machitis is recovered by the Red Flags and given proper treatment so he can heal and lead again.

Trivia

 * This summary was originally released by the author here. It has been reprinted here for your convenience.