A/N: Wow... was not expecting to break the 900 review mark with my last upload. I wonder if my story will break the 1000 review by the time Tiger Strike ends?

Anyway, I am really glad that everyone enjoyed the last chapter and to the one guy that asked... no, the SR-71 will not make an apparence cause honestly, it's kinda dumb just to add it for that once scene. Also, kudos to everyone who got the Dune easter egg I had in the last chapter. Kinda surprised people even knew it was from Dune. Also, Strike Wyvern was the only one to get Ace Combat reference so he gets a special cookie.

But enough of my rambling, on to the story!

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{ Chapter 51: Heavy is the Head... }

"Uneasy is the head that wears a crown..."

~William Shakespear, Henry IV Part II.

Sōri Daijin Kantei (The Official Residence of the Prime Minister of Japan)

Tokyo, Japan

Motori Shinzo sat at his desk and waited as a the team of technicians made the final adjustments to their equipment. The last few weeks had been a rather stressful time for the middle aged Prime Minister, as recent events from across the Gate had made his time in office rather difficult yet still manageable.

Almost a year since the Battle of Ginza, public support for Tiger Strike was generally high in Japan and in every other nation taking part in the Operation. From the reports he had received from the Bōei-shō (Japanese Ministry of Defence) and the mission commanders, the Coalition had made great progress in both neutralizing the Saderan's ability to fight, as well as locating and rescuing those who had been taken by the Empie almost a year before. These successes more or less ensure that the public would continue to support what ever actions the Coalition Forces undertook in the Special Region. But it also fueled a lot of anger as well.

The story of Noriko Mochizuki had gone over as well as you would expect the population to yake it. Her story, as well as the stories of those who had also been rescued, had painted an image of a evil and sadistic empire that gave little reguard to human life. Of an Empire that did what it pleased and who did not care about who ever they had subjugated. Obviously Shinzo knew that there were elements within the Empire who were desperately trying to seek peace with the Coalition. But as far as the population was concerned, both in Japan and abroad, Sadera and its people deserved to brun along with their archaic beliefs.

But now wih a possible end to the war in sight, there were a couple of questions that needed to be answered.

Just what would be the fate of the Saderan Empire once they surrendered?

What would be their role in a Post War Falmart?

The last thing anyone wanted was a prolonged occupation where the Coalition would be forced to "Police" an entire continent and its population. Sadera had done a might fine job of making enemies among those who had been forced to live under its rule and It did not take a seasoned diplomat and statesman like himself to realize that a destroyed/weakened Empire could ultimately cause a Civil War.

"Sir, we're ready." One of the techs announced, as the team stood behind the LED screens and camera that had been set up.

The Prime Minister just nodded, as he fixed himself one last time before the screens switched on to reveal several world leaders.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am glad we could meet on such short notice." Shinzo addressed the group. "We have much to discuss."

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Imperial Senate Building, Sadera...

For the first time since the Great Earthshake, the Imperial Senate would finally meet within the walls of the Senate Building. The Shake had caused the Senate to take a break from ots duties, so as to allow the senators/noble house leaders to tend to their own and take stock of their losses. If this were another time, the subject of today's meeting would be focused on what ever efforts could be made to assist in relief efforts within the Empire. But these were not normal times.

Just hours before the senate was to meet, The Other Worlders made their first real move against Sadera and had the Imperial Court on edge. In less than two hours, a number of Imperial Garrions loated in and around Sadera itself had been destroyed by smoke and flame, yet no Other Worlder Army could been seen anywhere in or around the city itself. For the first time in centuries, Sadera burned and the smoke could still been seen rising above the city hours after the attack. Hundreds of Imperial soldiers were dead and Thousands more were wounded. While the armies of the Western Nobility were now making preprations to withdraw from Sadera and March Back to their homes. All ofor whom were now being lead by Duke Leo Ah Traities.

The Writing was on the Wall...

The Empire had enraged an enemy like no other they had faced in the past, an enemy that possessed great powers and great skill. An enemy that always seemed to be two steps ahead of them in every way imaginable, yet did not fight in the traditional way. They had managed to isolate the Empire from its would be allies and it was even rumored they had even managed to killed a Flame Dragon with ease. A rumor many now believed to be true, seeing they had personally delivered a dead Water Dragon to Sadera before the attack.

If these other worlders were able to kill both a Flame Dragon and a Aquadraco and attack the Capitol itself, then what hope did the Empire have in defeating them?

"This war cannot continue!" a senator proclaimed, as she addressed the assembly. "We are dealing with an enemy that has no equal on the continent and surpasses the empire in every way we can imagine! We must end this war now, or risk our own destruction!"

"Tis' ture!" Another senator spoke up, remembering what he had seen when the Other Worlders showed off their weaponry to both him and his colleagues. "We have no hopes of defeating this enemy! The possess weapons that make our sharpest swords useless and our best archers useless! If we contiue this war, they it will spell the end of our Empire and it's people!"

"They are so poweful, yet they have not made any attempts to attack us head on!" A senator, dressed in ornate armor shot back. "They dont attack us cause they fear our true might! They Attacked us like the cowards they are in the night, rather than face us in a real fight! The Empire has never lost a war and we will not bow down to these barnarians because of their tricks!"

"You call a dead Aquadraco at our doorstep a mear trick?" The first senator from before replied, shocked by his colleauge's brash statement. "Have you forgotten the losses we took when our men crossed the Gate? The Losses we took when the Other Worlders followed us back through the Gate and captured Alnus Hill? Or has your own delusions of invinciblity have blinded you the smoke above our city? Are you forgetting that as of right now, we do not control the Alnus Provence, nor have we been able to mount any kind of offensive to take it back!"

"Nor are we able to attack!" a new voice chimed in. "It will take us years to rebuild our ranks to what they were before the Other Worlders came! To attack them now would be a fool's run! Do I need to remind you why they are even here? They savagely beat Crown Prince Zorzal and destroyed his home because he held people from their world as slaves!"

"Tis' true!" another pro-peace senator added on. "Dozens of slave camps have been destroyed as a result of the Other Worlders searching for their people! Need I remind you of what happened to Count Cal Mon Mesto in Altum Urbs? The Other Worlders are more than capable of attack us when ever they want and no one is safe. Not even our Crown Prince!"

The chaimber soon erupted as senators began to argue either for or against continuing the war. But the Anti-war faction seemingly drowned out those who still believed that victory was still possible. A complete 180 from almost a year before, as the senate had wholeheartedly agreed to fight the Barbarians from beyond the Gate. It was a fact that was not lost on Emperor Molt, as he himself had managed to gain the Senate's support in continuing the war just a year before. It might as well have been a life time ago.

Alot had changed since the Other Worlder's came through the Gate. The Vassal Kingdoms had broken away from the Empire, Italica had decleared it's Independence and was now occupied by Other Worlder Forces, dozens of high ranking members of the Imperial Court had either been killed or had gone missing... and just that morning he had received world that several major forts in between Saera and the Alnus Provence had been destroyed the the night before. Thousands of Imperial troops, gone within a few hours.

Despite the neutral expression on his face, internally Molt was in crisis. The Empire would not win this war, nor could they. It was a harsh reality the Emperor had accepted even before the first bombs dropped over the Capitol. His desire to expand the Empire and cement his name in history had lead him to order an army through the Gate all those months ago. Never once did it ever occur to Molt, that the Gate could have lead his people to a world that possessed un imaginable power. A world that would not take kindly to the Empire's army trying to take its terriory and its its people for itself. A world that saw them as the barbarians and not the bringers of civilization he had so longed believed. Molt knew that if they wanted to, the Coalition Forces could easily flatten Sadera and take its people as compensation for what the Empire had done to them and their people.

Yet, they waited as long as they could before finally attacking the Empire. It was not that the Other Worlders were afraid, they were being kind. They were showing mercy to an enemy that could crush them like a bug when ever they wanted to. It was a sobering realization to say the very least, knowing that the enemy you thought of Barbarians, was willing to show you and your people more empathy than you were willing to show them. Now it seemed that the Other Worlders were growing impatient with the Empire dragging its feet and unwilling to open talks to end the war.

In Hindsight, that was a terrible idea...

Now here he was, overseeing a Senate that was quite possibly just moments away from throwing blows and all because he wanted to be remembered by history. In a way Molt had gotten his wish, just not in the way he had hoped. The Empire was on the verge of disaster and despite what he wanted to believe, Molt knew that there was only one way toprevent its total collapse. He just hoped that it was not too late...

Getting up from his throne, the Emperor walked into the center of the assembly. An action that did not go unnoticed by both sides.

"My fellow members of the Imperial Court..." Molt Began to address the senate. "I have heard all of your concerns in reguards to our situation. But though I agree that Sadera is the Greatest Civilization to ever grace the continent, I am afraid that may no longer be the case. After pondering the general trends of our world, I am afraid that we have no choice but to accept the unthinkable and yeild to the Other Worlders demands, or risk out immediate destruction as a people.

"But in defeat, our primary focus should now be on the wellfare of those who had been impacted by this war focus now should be on the wounded and the war sufferers and those that lost everything because of this... hopeless conflict. I will admit that the hardships our nation will be subjected to in the future will certainly be great, but it is a reality we must bare as a people. My decision does not come without a heavy heart, but I have accepted that I am the reason for this war and why many families are left without their Fathers, Sons and Brothers. I balme myself for sending our men across the Gate and brining the other worlders to our relm. I and only I am to blame for all that had happened and nothing will ever change that. Though, I must ask that what ever happens in the future, that you focus on protecting those who matter the most... the People."

A thunderous silence fell upon the Imperial Senate as Molt's words slowly began to sink in.

"He's admiting Defeat? He wants us to Surrender?"

"This can't Be Happening? This can't be true!"

"No... No..."

"Bow down to those... Babarians?"

A kaleidscope of emotions soon overcame the Imperial Senate, as many could not believe that Emperor Molt Sol Augustus was not only admitting defeat, but telling them that they must accept it. But that silence was soon broken when several members of the pro-war faction began to voice their disapproval of their Emperor's intention to surrender to the Other Worlders. But Molt raised his hand and silenced these men, before he replied...

"I understand your justified anger at my decision , but I am afraid that continuing this conflict would only result in more death and destruction. If we continue this course, then we will only prolong the inevitable. I was... a fool to believe that the Gods were on our side when the other worlders came to our world. Not it seems that the Gods were never on out side to begin with."

"Yout can't be seriously concidering surrender to these... Barbarians?!" another senator dressed in ornate armor asked his emperor. "We have more than enough men to crush them! If we justake call in our reserves on the frontier..."

"THEN THEY WILL END UP LIKE THE BARRON HARKONAN AND HIS ARMY!" Mout roared back, silencing the old general, "Are you so blinded for your need of war, that you cannot see that we cannot win? As we sit here and continue to argue, Sadera burns for the first time in centuries! Thousands are either dead or wounded, people are running scared and we can't do anything to stop it! The fact that you are still willing to send our young men to die just to feed your need for glory disturbs me and let's me know that you are not worthy to hold the rank you have!"

The old general just bit his lips and silently retook his seat, as the chaimber once again fell silent.

"Last night, we all witnessed the fury of the Other Worlders and it is only going to get worst the longer we refuse to talk to them. Who is to say that the next time the Other Worlders attack, they would not be coming after us directly?"

As much as no one wanted to admit it, the Coalition's attack on Sadera had shown just how helpless the Empire was against this new enemy. What took barbarian hoards and Beastmen months to do during the Age of uprisings, the Other Worlders had done in one night. Yes there were still those who believed that the Empire should continue to fight, but when put to a vote at the end of the day, 75% of the Imperial Senate supported the Emperor's decision to seek peace with the other worlders. It was a very hard pill to swallow to say the very least, but it was the the only way to prevent the utter destruction of the Empire. But while the discussion to devolved ino speculation as to what would come next, there was one individual who nowere boiling in anger at his father's decision.

Despite his savage injuries, Prince Zorzal was present for the debate and her was absolutely disgusted byou what he had seen.

Traitors, the were all TRATIORS! How dare they conceed defeat to those basted barbarians! They were selling out the Empire just to save their own hides, rather than fight on to preserve the honor of the Empire! They were cowards, all of them! But what made it all the more worse, as this his father, The Emperor of the Saderan Empire, was the one to instigate this blasted call for peace! Whyou couldn't his father have died before the Gate had opened? If he was Emperor, those Other Worlders would be begging for mercy as his armies burnned their cities to the ground!

This could not be allowed to happen, not as long as his father was still alive. In Zorzal's eyes, both his sister and now his father, had sold out their people to these uncivilized barbarians. How dare they challenge the greatest Civilization the world has even known and how dare they Strike down the greatest Emperor that will ever be! It was not long before a plan began to form within the Imperial Prince's twisted mind.

Despite what many believed about the royal, Zorzal was quite devious and calculating when he wanted to be. Right now, he needed to his own inner circle of followers who thought the same way he did. He would need light minded people like himself for his plan to save the Empire to happen and from what he had seen in the Senate, he knew just who to approach. All he needed to do right now was wait for the right time to strike.

Soon, history would remember him as Emperor Zorzal the First, Saviour of the Saderan Empire...

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Sōri Daijin Kantei, Tokyo...

"We have them running scared." President Mathews commented with a smile, as he and the leaders of the Coalition members held a video conference with one another.

"It seems that Rolling Thunder was indeed a success." Prime Minister Roland Turnbull (Australia) added on, referring to the air strikes that had been carried out. "Sounds like the Imperials are begging us to come to the peace table."

"Ambassador Todo made it sound that way, yes." Shinzo replied, as he sat behind his desk and looked at the monitors before him. "Hopefully, we could have this war come to an end and our trooms home by the end of the year."

"We said the same thing when World War One began." PM Annie Voughn ( United Kingdom) cautioned her Japanese counterpart. "Just because we win, does not mean out job will be done. We will most certainly be leaving Sadera much weaker than when we found it. I am certain we have all read the reports given to us, the Empire did its very best to surround itself with enemies."

"We are more than likely going to be there for mucher longer that we would like to be." Turnbull added. "But we won't have to worry about occupying the continent. The United Nations has already begun to organize a task force to take over duties in Sadera, once we start to pull out."

"Still though, there is the question as to just who will succeed the Emperor once he has been taken into custody." PM Indira Khan (India) pointed out. "I think that we all agree that there is no way in hell we are going to allow Zorzal to sit on the thrown. Especially after he was found to be in possession of persons taken from Ginza."

"I read the report, he is never going to see the light of day after the courts are done with him." Mathews replied. "I have also heard that Prince Diablo has also shown no interest in succeeding his father."

"Actually, my government believes that Princess Pina Co Lada may be a suitable candidate to take over the thrown once the war is over." Shinzo commented.

"Princess Cocktail Drink?" Turnbull asked his Japanese counter part.

"I understand your concerns and I do agree that she is rather green, if not a tad bit nieve." The Japanese man began to explain. "But she does have the welfare of her people in mind and has been co-operating with us for almost a year. She has also proven to be a valuable asset when it came time to locate our people that had been taken last year. She may not have as high a standing within the Imperial Court, but she has recently developed a strong following within the Noble Houses."

"Well it's not like we have much options anyway." Prime Minister Voughn commented, as she read through the file she had before her. "Does she even know that we want her to become an Empress?"

"Not yet, but she may have no choice but to accept it." Shinzo replied. "She just needs to havensure a little more confidence in herself. But for now, I think it might be a good idea to end this meeting and speak again after the treaty is signed."

The Other leaders agreed and within moments, the led screens were swatched off. Leaving Shinzo alone to ponder just what would would happen within the Special Region in the coming days.

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A/N: Another Chapter Down! But there is more to come so stay tuned!

As always, leave a review and tell me what you think. Or Starlight Glimmer will steal all your kites.

Until next time, Nightstalker out!