Old News Part III - Alien Invasion

Looking over the wreckage of a downed alien craft.

I was tending to my own business of building back at my Pavillion when I heard the call go out over the aether...aliens invading Kittiwickshire. At first I thought it might be just a silly game, and smiled in amusement and continued my tasks. But when the calls grew more frantic, I thought it best to investigate. Arriving at Kitti's hub, I saw alot of commotion, some flames and smoke, but no sign of any invaders. I thought perhaps a mob of drunken sailors from the Salty Mermaid might have gotten out of hand. But then I heard this bizarre sound, something like an "oooooolllllaahhhhh". Perplexed, I turned to see the source of eerie babbling, and found myself looking at this green daguerrotype lens-like protrosuion from a round steel-plated body with three spindly legs dangling from it, as it floated in the sky. My Sidhe senses warned me, and I dove to the side just as a blast from a heat ray shot out from it at me. God and Goddess be praised, I happened to have my Ordinal Malaprop repeating engine rifle with me, and returned fire. I soon found myself in a firefight with two of these creatures. The Kitti boardwalk was soon in flames. I fired away at the beasts, till I finally was able to knock one down at the Tanglewood border, but then my rifle over-heated and ceased.

My beloved 98 joined me, just when it seemed the attack ended. Not sure if the threat was ended, I decided I needed something more appropriate with which to battle the invaders. So I did the only sensible thing any good Victorian lady would do...I went shopping for a decent outfit to wear while fighting Martians! 98 wisely grins and winks agreed with me. Knowing Miss Virginia had some good selections for the adventurous woman, we made haste to her shoppe in Eyre, where I purchased her aviatrix outfit. It had a smart fit, and I thought looked quite dashing on me.

Mounting my blimp, 98 and I decided to do some aerial recoinnasance. Flying into Tanglewood, we had discovered Blue camp was in shambles. Some of the tents were aflame, and there was an object that looked like nothing else than an extremely large, hollow bullet that was split open, embedded nose-first into the ground. Captain Viderian Vollmar of the Dragoons suggested that this was the vehicle used by the metallic spidery outworlders to reach our faire land.

While we were discussing whether the menace would return, suddenly, they most certainly did. It was a horrific battle. At first 98 and I tried to use our blimps, but it was hard to maneuver them in the trees at night. Besides which, 98's blimp was downed. He very narrowly escaped the fireball of hydrogen gas by diving out of his aircraft before it exploded. It's my opinion that this leap for safetly was what caused the intial damage to his leg, that would result ultimately in it being broken.

Concluding that flying about in potential bombs being shot at with heat rays was probably inadvisable at the least, I took to my faithful mount, Iontaofa. The beautiful Bay is a fiesty creature, and she had no fear of any enemies. I soon discovered that the best tactic was to ride underneath the belly of the creatures, and fire up at them, as they had no line of fire back from their bottoms. They couldn't fly too high above the trees, as then they couldn't see what they were marauding, and down below in the trees, as Captain Vollmar soon noted, they were vulnerable insofar as they were unable to much maneuver. I believe this is the main reason they started to set the trees on fire, to clear them out for better visibility.

All the calls on the aether about the alien attack and the fires in Tanglewood soon drew the attention of Lady Gabrielle, who thought we were being beset by griefers. When we appraised the Duchess of the situation, and the great danger to her body, she realized that she would have to leave the combat up to us, because Caledon could ill-afford to lose one of their leaders. Her Grace was taken to a safer locale as the battle raged on.

In the end, we repelled the invaders from the camp and assessed the damage. There were a number of wounded, Miss Diamanda, 98, and myself included. One of the heat rays burned a gash in my right leg, and 98's leg was broken. The medical team, consisting of Dr. Mitsu Figaro, Lady Lavendar, and Touma-san, worked valiantly to heal our hurts. The camp was in ruins and had to be moved. I myself passed out from the pain for several hours, while Colonel Scaggs ordered the camp to me moved to a safer locale.

When I had awakened, I sat with the Dragoons for a bit. A comraderie having been established with the Blue Militia as a result of fighting side-by-side with them against the Martians, I asked Colonel Scaggs to allow us to join them. Colonel Scaggs graciously accepted our applications, and we became Dragoons. When one has battled foes together, supported each other, helped each other out of precarious situations, one cannot but help to feel a bond develope.

Lying in the medic's tents after being sorely wounded to the right leg with a horrible gash

Dr. Mitsu Figaro and 98 tending to my wounds.

Suddenly, another call came over the aether. Caledon's Fire Chief, Qlippotic Projects, was overcome fighting off one of the remaining fires in Kittiwickshire. Against the protests of Dr. Mitsu and Lady Lavendar, I hobbled on my crutch over to my airship, 98 at my side. I was going to attempt a rescue airlift of my friend. Even if I hadn't felt a debt to Qli's father, Dr. Mason-Bloodwing, for his curing me and my babies from Vampyrism, I still would have made the attempt to save my dear and valiant friend. When we arrived in Kittiwickshire, the situation was worse then we expected. Qli lie unconscious by a roaring inferno. A crowd of onlookers stood by, greatly desirous to help, but unsure how. I lowered the craft dangerously close to the flames. 98 alighted from the craft, and with the aid of Sheriff Ortega, they managed to get Qli onto the airship, and secured her as best as they could. As her clay golem form was particularly heavy, it was decided that it would be unsafe to fly the craft with 98 also on board. He headed back to Tanglewood on horseback, while I flew back to Camp Cuddles II. We were close to camp, when Qli floated back into consciousness. She mumbled somtheing about overheating. I started to take the craft to a higher altitude at a faster speed, to cool her off, but as I was banking back down toward camp, the cables fastening her to the craft came loose. "I've failed", she bemoaned, just before she tumbled out of the craft. Too far above the trees to see where she fell, I landed the craft at camp, and we assembled a search party. Shortly after, we found her, encased in some device that apparently was restoring her "dermal layer", whatever that meant. Captain Vollmar explained it meant skin.

While Qli was reparing herself, another call came out over the aether. The Red Camp was under attack. Already weary from the battles earlier, and our wounds, we hurried over to Loch Avie. 98 and Captain Vollmar joined me on my airship, and we flew there, doing an aerial scout on the way over. When we arrived, we found the camp under similar conditions of damage as the Blue camp, but no aliens. Lord Edward took his bride and the Duchess Carntaigh on his large zeppelin to look for aliens, while we explored the camp, looking for more clues as to the nature of the attackers. There was another downed alien craft, and many flames. It was then that the aliens attacked again. We offered a fierce resistance, and chased the invaders into Victoria City. There a fierce firefight ensued, where the defenders...Reds and Blues together, fought entrenched to protect the Guvnah's Mansion. The invaders focused most of their attention on the Mansion and the square. Faithful Iontafa was shot out from under me, and I took a minor wound to my hand. Thankfully, her wounds were not as serious as I first feared, and she is recovering well at the stables. After what seemed to be forever, we finally ran them out of Victoria City.

But we had no respite. The call was out again. Eyre was under attack. The aliens were becoming more clever, and tougher than earlier. But Caledonians were becoming more organized as well, and in greater numbers. Nevertheless, we were being beaten down with wounds and battle-weariness. 98 took a life-threatening wound to the chest, which Dr. Mitsu was able to stop the bleeding. My left arm was broken when my other steed, Meán-Oíche, was knocked over by a blast. Blessedly, his wounds were not as serious as mine. It was finally determined that Medic Touma-san, 98, Shylah Garmes, and myself, needed to return to the medics tents in Tanglewood. There Dr. Mason arrived, and under somewhat safer conditions, he was able to finish the work Dr. Mitsu started. Weary, broken, and despondant, I stood watch, and lured away any wandering aliens that came too close to our camp.

You can't see the alien in this pic unless you click on it to see the enlarged version

Finally, unable to stand any longer, 98 and I returned to my estate in the Moors. The war continued long after I withdrew from the field of combat, and there were many valiant deeds performed by my fellow Caledonians, of which I was not a witness. Caledon's darkest hour was also its finest hour. Her citizens rose to the task of repelling the Martian invasion, united together against a common foe, despite their own differences. For one night, I saw what determined resolve can be found within the hearts of its citizens, when it came to the defense of the land we love so deeply. It was a night that brought us together as a country unlike any other time before. Long live Caledon! Long live Guv'nah Shang!

Someone thought to use a war elephant to fight the aliens.