A few hours before their deployment into the Zhao Engine's chambers, the reformed ranks of the 500-strong Imperial Royal Guard were being readied to accompany their new sovereign and one of his most important allies– the best warriors from the Knights of Polonia, as well as the old members of the Royal Guard who have served their duties of guarding the imperial palace, were currently gathered within the Star-Sea Fortress, awaiting orders as the metal drillworm drew closer to finding the Zhao Capital buried beneath Virak's sands.
"I never thought that I'd have to work with an imperial, honestly. Hmph, well, as long as it's for the sake of the one who saved our nation from you dogs."
"Likewise, Polonian, I share the same sentiments. To think the 2 of us would serve as the new Imperial Majesty's personal retinue... What a surprising turn of events."
Within the room they were gathered, Sir Malfor, the representative leader of the Polonian Knights, and High Commander Gaeus, the commander of the Royal Guardsmen, were facing each other in a tense standoff, with their men growing slightly nervous due to the serious gazes both of them gave to each other– in a real battle between the 2 however, Malfor would obviously win due to the superior technological armour he had always wielded, though it didn't mean Gaeus wouldn't be able to put up a fight against him through sheer tenacity.
"Well, in any case, I suppose it would be best to cooperate with you lot." Malfor spoke up again as he offered his hand. "Starting a fight would be contrary to His Majesty's wishes, after all."
"... Indeed, that would be the best course of action." Gaeus agreed as he reached his hand out for a shake in return. "It would severely trouble His Grace if any of us were to be injured before the battle begins, anyway."
Even after Whitlea's previous years of reign, there was still no ridding of the fact that Polonia had once been a commonly exploited vassal of the Empire in the past. In the end though, because the one who had liberated them from the Empire's iron grasp had become the imperial sovereign, it immediately became their best interest to swear their allegiance to the new emperor, an unusual fealty they had not chosen to do even during Whitlea's reign as empress.
On the other hand, for Gaeus and the rest of the warriors hailing from the original ranks of the Royal Guard, they truly couldn't help but feel a bit doubtful when the previous empress had chosen to step down and name one of their own as the new sovereign, though inevitably, none of them chose to oppose the empress' wishes, as they were already aware of Whitlea's plans beforehand, and the fact that they already acknowledged Novus' strength a long time ago only made things sail even smoother.
What was most important within their minds, however, was the first mission they would be taking part in with their Liege himself, a task that involved jumping into the battlefield itself and getting up close and personal with their enemies...
The plan was simple: as soon as the metal drillworm, Jormungandr, managed to discover the specific location of the Zhao Capital and the Veil Engine they used to keep their city enshrouded beneath the deserts, the one known as Thurien would immediately establish a gateway at the designated coordinates, allowing the imperial forces to launch an attack right at the very heart of Zhao territory and immediately seize a great advantage for themselves.
"The Royal Guard greets the arrival of Lady Thurien and Lady Speranza!"
"Splendidly done, you've all managed to gather here on-time~ Before your assigned deployment to join His Majesty, there will be a briefing about the enemy forces you'll encounter, so please listen well."
A pink-haired woman, accompanied by the maid known as Speranza, would utter this as both of them entered the room: alas, the time for battle was steadily approaching, and most of the warriors within the room felt a mixture of anxiousness and excitement as seconds continued to pass by.
"First and foremost, you've all been selected as the members of His Majesty's Royal Guard for a reason~ You are the best among the orders you came from: Sir Malfor and his men are the finest among Polonia's Knight Order, and General Gaeus and the remaining old guard are the best, most obvious imperial candidates for the position." Thurien told with a slightly praising tone. "Be proud that you get to serve as the Imperial Sovereign's personal guards, it's a prestigious position that has some noteworthy benefits, after all~"
"Now then, to proceed with the briefing... As soon as you're transported into the Engine Chambers by Lady Thurien's gateway devices, you'll be encountering an elite enemy force dutifully guarding it. Their numbers will approximately be about 100, or perhaps more." Speranza bluntly followed up as she began explaining. "With the new equipment we'll be giving you, you'll become impervious to most of their attacks, though they will most likely aim for the weaker parts of your armour, such as the eye slits, the joints, and any of the less armored parts..."
"Use this to your advantage. Surely, warriors such as yourselves will be able to anticipate such attacks, yes? Do not fear about perishing in battle, Lady Thurien will tend to whatever injuries you sustain after the battle's conclusion." the white-haired woman continued. "Now then, as for your armor-"
"Yes, yes~ You'll all be given new, impressive equipment to wield. I had them produced myself, so expect them to be of the finest quality~"
"... Indeed, what Miss Thurien says is true. You'll all be equipped with new forms of battle armor and weapons." Speranza chimed in as she walked towards them. "One that's similar to what His Majesty wields, though yours will of course be of a more... Mass-producable quality."
"... Will they be similar to what the Polonians are already equipped with? How effective and powerful will they be?" Gaeus inquired curiously, though not without a still-present tone of respect in his voice.
Hearing this, a bright smile formed on Thurien's face as she eagerly began explaining.
"Far superior to what they're currently wearing, actually! You'll be the personal guard of His Majesty, after all." the pink-haired woman explained. "As for the specifics of the armour and the weapons... Hmm, well..."
"I'll explain them to you all later after having my simple-minded assistants give them to you, but... I suppose an in-battle experience would teach you best, yes?"
[...]
The Imperial Royal Guard, now equipped with knight-like, yet sleek, technological armour and electrified power blades that could easily cut through steel and bone, had successfully entered the Engine Chamber, along with their Liege through the portal network established by Thurien's machines, and it wouldn't take long before the long-awaited battle would begin in earnest.
"Go forth and wipe them all out." Novus commanded, to which they would all obey without hesitation. "Spare them if possible, but don't hesitate to kill them if they pose too great of a risk."
Chaos engulfed the room as the battle got underway; both Novus' and Marmluk's warriors quickly engaged in a decisive melee for the fate of the Veil Engine, and there was no way that either of them would accept defeat.
"SEIZE THIS PLACE FROM THEIR HANDS!!!"
"PROTECT THE ENGINE AT ALL COSTS!!!"
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The Imperial Royal Guard met the Nameless in battle, steel clashing against steel as the 2 sides fought against each other without relenting; it was clear that the imperial forces held a significant edge over the Zhao elite due to their powerful blades and durable armour, though the superior speed and mobility of the Nameless allowed them to hold the line against them for a while.
SLAASSHHHH!!!
Marmluk didn't even process it within her mind as her arms moved by themselves– in frightening speeds, her body leapt towards one of the intruders within her vision, the fragile, pink-haired one, who was the nearest one she could detect within her sights.
"!!!"
"That bastard's too quick!"
"Look out, Lady Thu-!"
With her impressive, faster-than-sound agility, she almost immediately closed the distance between herself and her chosen target, and her blade was already about to cut through the woman's neck...
However, before her blade could even cut through the medicae's artificial skin...
CLANNGG!!!
"You should be more careful, Thurien. You're supposed to be handling medical duties and the equipment, not the frontlines."
A striking, orange-haired figure easily parried her blade with his own, and simultaneously, a violent, repulsive force sent Marmluk flying away in the opposite direction at rapidly hurtling speeds, sending her crashing onto the ground in a terrible, bone-fracturing landing.
CRAAASHHHH!!!
"A-Ahahaha... Well, at least the tools I made for you proved useful, am I right? My head would've been cut away if they were any lesser." Thurien told, still a bit shaken by the attack that nearly befell her. "Do you really have to knock her down so brutally like that, though? She might have already died with that alone, I thought you were planning to spare some of them?"
"They are of an incredible quality, yes, but, it'd be best if you stay at the back, we can't have you getting killed or wounded in this place. And besides..." Novus responded. "These people are rather tough, I heard from Altair all about the brutal training they underwent. They won't die that easily."
Although Novus managed to block the fatal blow that would've landed upon her, the imperial guards accompanying them still took notice of the great risk to one of their most important allies– they couldn't allow her to suffer any fatal attack due to her vital role in their assault, and as such, several of the men immediately formed a line in front of Thurien to protect her from the still-staggered attacker.
"Your Majesty, let us deal with this one, she seems rather strong compared to the others." Malfor, who was one of the few who joined to defend Thurien, would suggest, though to his surprise, Novus immediately shut him down in favour of another decision he had already made.
"No, Malfor. Let you and your men save your strength for the other enemies here." Novus declared as his grip on his sword notably tightened. "As for the one who nearly struck Thurien with her blade..."
The warrior known as Marmluk was still trying to get up from where she had landed upon after getting violently propelled, when Novus began walking slowly towards her as he pointed the tip of his blade to her direction.
"I'll be dealing with this one myself, so it'd best for you to help the others instead."
...
...
The Zhao were nearly helpless against their imperial adversaries, for most of their attacks were harmlessly deflected by the armour they all bore. Not only that, but the powerful, magickless blades their enemies wielded left painful, cauterised wounds whenever they managed to even lightly graze their targets, and although the superior speed that the Nameless possessed allowed them to avoid most of their attacks at first, they were already beginning to wear down from the continuous dodging and attacking they endlessly had to do.
"Aim for the gaps in their armour! Use your speed to your advan-"
SLAASSHHHH!!!
This was the 3rd takedown that Malfor had scored; primarily, he was aiming to spare as many of the enemies as possible by merely lopping off the arms they used to wield their swords. Although, Malfor assuredly wasn't doing this out of a sense of pity or compassion, as the information they could extract from captured enemies could prove incredibly valuable to their conquest of the Zhao Clan.
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
"Come at me! I will cleave in half anyone who dares to attack me!"
On the other hand, however, Gaeus was cutting down the Zhao warriors with his electrified blade, with not a single ounce of pity or reluctance in each of his swings– true to his warrior mentality as an imperial soldier, the weak in front of him were nothing more than disposable fodder to be rid of, and only the strong deserved any hope or chance of living to see another day.
"Sir Gaeus, I do believe that sparing some of them would be more beneficial to His Grace's cause." Malfor spoke as he disarmed another Nameless with a single movement from his blade. "It's quite unnecessary to needlessly slaughter them all like this..."
"Nonsense, Polonian! This is war! Any ounce of pity or hesitation in smiting them will eventually lead to your death." General Gaeus replied, his sword splitting another of the Zhao warriors in half like a hot knife through butter. "We also can't afford to spare all of them in the first place. Having too many prisoners on our hands will only prove to be a risk later, His Majesty's plans mustn't be inconvenienced by such a thing."
The Imperial general did have a point with what he said, as they couldn't afford to keep all of the enemy forces as prisoners-of-war; inevitably, keeping too many captured enemies in one's hands might lead to a sudden uprising in their ranks, which could lead to further complications in their goal of seizing the engine, and because of this, Malfor was beginning to wonder if his naivety had taken hold of his thinking for a moment.
"Well... I suppose you're correct. We still do have to keep at least some of them alive however." Malfor conceded reluctantly. "Try not to cut all of them up if you can, since we'll still need some of them alive for questioning."
"I can't promise that, I'm afraid. If you want to show mercy to some of them, then do it yourself." the imperial general answered back, much to Malfor's slight annoyance. "And besides, look at the one His Majesty is fighting. From the way he's dealing with her, it looks like he's planning to spare her. I believe interrogating her for later should be enough, given how strong and important she seems to be?"
Malfor then looked to the duel ongoing between Novus and the one who had nearly landed a blow upon Thurien, and to his complete marvel, His Majesty was handling the Zhao warrior as if she were nothing more than a simple child...
How impressive, the Polonian Knight captain thought to himself. The speed that the Zhao warrior His Majesty was fighting was already incredible, especially when he witnessed the lightning-quick attack she nearly managed to connect upon their pink-haired ally, and the fact that Novus was easily managing to fend off the flurry of blows she was delivering against him only made Malfor even more amazed about the Imperial Majesty's impressive combat abilities.
Even Malfor himself wasn't certain if he could match that sort of speed she was displaying, and because of this, the Knight Captain was slightly thankful for the fact that His Majesty had chosen to fight such a monstrously strong opponent by himself.
"I have to admit though... It's impressive how His Majesty is simply toying around with that woman." Gaeus mentioned, his eyes momentarily fixated upon the duel before him. "Her speed is practically a blur to my eyes, to the point that I can't even see most of the strikes she's making."
"Well, that's Our Liege for you, I suppose." an unusual praise came out of Malfor's mouth. "He wouldn't deserve to be the empire's ruler if he wasn't that capable, after all."
...
...
Marmluk Asma Khadija, the greatest of the 100-strong Nameless who dutifully guarded the Nadirian Veil Engine's chamber– it was a task reserved only for the best and most dedicated of the Zhao, and against all odds, Marmluk had managed to climb up the ranks and become the greatest among the Nameless through sheer, persistent effort and hardwork.
For the entire 20 years she fulfilled her duty, Marmluk had never failed even once in her entire years of service: the closest incident that nearly drove that to the edge, was when the one known as Altair instigated a rebellion to seize the Engine's functions for themselves, though Marmluk's incredible leadership and impressive combat skill ultimately allowed the Nameless to quell the uprising and defeat everyone who had been involved in its inception.
She was proud of the noble prestige and power that gave weight to her very identity, as she had worked a significant portion of her life to achieve all this, for Marmluk possessed an unquestionable authority that was only truly surpassed by the Zhao High Mistress herself.
Today, however, a strange man had suddenly appeared before her very eyes, a terrifying individual who was about to turn the entirety of her world upside down in only a few moments...
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
"How strange... That blade you're wielding, it's not enhanced with magick or anything of the sort, yet it has a rather good quality to it. I thought it would've shattered after a few good trades, honestly."
Marmluk immediately pressed on the offensive against the warrior before her, though all of her attacks would ultimately be parried so easily by the strange man. For him to be able to match her in speed despite the metal armour he wore, it was truly such a bothersome display of strength.
In reality though, it was actually easy for Novus to track the movements of her blade: the only parts that his armour didn't fully protect were his face and neck, and it was obvious that the attacking Zhao warrior would choose to aim for these vital spots, which thus made it easier for him to predict the movements of her incredibly swift attacks.
"You're making a grave mistake, intruder! Even if you defeat all of us here, there will be more of us coming on the way!" Marmluk shouted in fury as her attacks continued to be blocked without end. "We will fight to the last warrior, we will not accept our defeat here!"
"Mistake? Neither I nor my men are making any, I'm afraid." Novus responded, with the clanging of steel against steel throughout the room only becoming even louder as the battle raged on. "The only mistake I'm seeing here, are your feeble attempts at landing a blow upon me."
"You bastaardd!!!"
Marmluk kept striking again and again with her sword, attacking him from nearly every possible angle to cut him down for good, yet not a single one of her attacks managed to connect. What was even more troublesome, was the fact that the strange man didn't even bother making an attack of his own amidst his parrying, which only further highlighted the immense skill gap between the 2 combatants.
"How are you able to keep up with my speed?! Stop blocking my attacks, you loathso-"
"I believe I've seen enough. I've witnessed most of what you can do already."
[The Slash That Transcends Causality.]
No words were uttered, and not even a single hint of its use came as soon as Novus used one of his most powerful techniques– a single slash struck the arm of Marmluk's sword-hand, swiftly cutting off the main limb she used for combat as both her severed arm and blade departed from her body in a brutal display.
"!!!"
"... Hm? How strange... Even though this blade was made by Thurien, I suppose Whitlea's still the ultimately better option..."
To Novus' surprise, a thin layer of superheated glow wrapped around his blade, with the edges of its metallic body shimmering in a heat-ridden haze as he finished using one of his ultimate techniques... In the end, despite Thurien being involved in the design of his weapons and armour, the abilities he had honed in the void were skills he could only use in quick succession with Whitlea's assistance.
Unfortunately for him, the momentary pause he made amidst his thoughts would be instantly exploited by his enemy, for as he took a moment to notice the visible strain on his sword, Marmluk would make an action of pure tenacity in a desperate attempt to strike him down.
"I-I'll cut you down, no matter what...!"
Despite the impossible, fatal blow that fell upon her, Marmluk still chose to continue on, as with her other hand, she reached for her sword that nearly fell onto the ground and pulled away the grasping severed limb that remained holding onto its hilt; even in certain defeat, the brave Zhao warrior wouldn't relent or wallow in despair, and it was a quality that made even Novus feel a bit proud of despite being his enemy.
"You've already lost, don't make this any worse for you."
Gravitational Force, it was the same power he used to violently push Marmluk away from Thurien just a few moments ago– similar to one of the lesser, yet impressive abilities he possessed when he wielded Whitlea as his blade, Novus' armour had the ability to manipulate and enhance the power of gravitation within a close proximity of 5 or so meters, allowing him to push, pull, or even pin any target to the ground through gravity's near-undefiable might.
"ARGGHH!!!"
THUUDD!!!
"You've done well against me despite the immense gap between the 2 of us." Novus praised as his eyes looked down upon his pinned, defeated foe. "Submit, and you may live keep your life intact... Well, most of it, at least."
[...]
An entire 10 minutes passed before the battle finally concluded, and not a single Zhao warrior remained to oppose the imperial invaders; among the 100-strong ranks of the Nameless, 64 of them had perished in battle, with the remaining 36 heavily injured and restrained with metal wrist-collars forged by Thurien's nanomachines, forcing them to remain completely helpless before the imperials who suddenly launched an assault against them.
On the other hand, not a single one of the Imperial Royal Guard had perished in battle, and the worst they suffered were a few injuries they sustained due to the Zhao aiming for the weakest spots of their armour, and even then, such minor wounds were easily tended to thanks to Thurien's presence.
"How's the last one you're dealing with? I heard he lost one of his eyes to a dagger stabbed into his sockets." Novus inquired, his question being posed to Thurien, who was currently busy patching up one of their own allies.
"Well, it's not going to be a problem for this one anymore~." Thurien mentioned, her hand remaining gently placed upon the injured man's head as swarms of microscopic, black nanites coming from her arm rushed to fix the terrible injury he sustained. "Rest assured, this'll only take me about 3 to 5 minutes, we'll no longer have any wounded to tend to afterwards."
"I see… And about that other Zhao you mentioned, the one that your giant worm somehow managed to capture?"
"Yes, he's alive and well, though he's currently unconscious. I'll be probing his mind about any information you'll need later, so you don't have to worry."
"Alright then. While Thurien's finishing with patching up our wounded... Malfor, Gaeus, bring the one I fought over here, I'd like to have a little talk with her."
"At once, Your Grace."
The 2 Imperial Guards quickly heeded their Liege's order, as they immediately dragged the still-wounded Marmluk by her shoulders, eventually forcing her to meet face to face towards Novus once again.
"From what I could observe in this battle, you are apparently the strongest among your forces stationed here." Novus surmised, his gaze staring into her own as the 2 soldiers behind Marmluk kept her pinned down by her shoulders. "You must be the leader, am I correct? I heard that the Zhao use strength and power to determine their ranks."
"... Cough... What do you want...? Why do you ask this? Do you wish to humiliate me further?" Marmluk groaned, her body still visibly pained from the injuries Novus dealt to her.
"On the contrary, I actually intend the opposite... Marmluk of the great Khadija Lineage." Novus responded, confusing the Zhao warrior with his words. "You fulfilled your duty to defend this place rather well, if I might add. Had you been aware of our arrival beforehand, your forces definitely would've put up more of a fight."
"Unfortunately, the nature of the situation we are in is war. Expecting any fairness or honour is pointless, but I have to commend how you and your forces stood against us until the very end."
What was this man truly intending to do exactly? Was he really praising the futile efforts she and her comrades made, or was it a honey-laced mockery one would give before brutally executing their utterly powerless enemy? And how the hell did this man know of her name in the first place?
Regardless of his questions, and whether he was merely attempting to make a sarcastic remark, or if he truly was commending their actions with genuine respect, was something Marmluk couldn't truly determine, as she could only remain on the ground, unable to argue back or even stand as she waited for whatever fate he had in store for her.
"However, as the leader of the Zhao forces who guard this area, I'm afraid you'll have to bear the responsibility for your defeat." Novus spoke with a hint of disappointment. "Every failure under your watch will become your fault, that is the greatest responsibility that leaders like us will always have to bear."
"..."
"Not to fear though, I'm not planning to inflict any further harm upon you or your warriors, I simply want you to do one simple thing for me instead." Novus told as he then faced towards his 2 subordinates who were holding Marmluk. "Release your hold on her, you 2, while you, Malfor, tell our men to release this woman's subordinates as well."
It seemed to be a terrible order to give, one that many of the Royal Guard immediately wanted to oppose and question; before they could even consider releasing them, they were supposed to have interrogated and questioned their neutralised foes for any important information they possessed, and letting them go would prove entirely counterproductive to that very intention.
In the end, however, none of them would find it in their hearts to disobey their Liege's command, as they knew that Novus must've had something different planned for their defeated enemies instead.
CLANK... CLANK... CLANK...
The sounds of their wrist-collars being removed and dropped onto the floor echoed throughout the Engine Chambers, and many of the Zhao couldn't even believe their senses about what had just happened...
"... W-why would you even..."
"While I haven't informed the rest of my men yet... According to my medical friend here, we already have someone else to get all the information we'll need, someone important who bears a far higher rank than you. Now, as for what I want you to do for me..."
"Return to the safety of your capital, Marmluk, I will allow you and your remaining comrades to flee from this battle." Novus told; from the tone of his voice though, it apparently wasn't a request or a proposal, but rather, an order that Marmluk had to fulfill no matter what.
"In return, I want you to deliver a message to the Zhao Queen in my stead." Novus continued, with both Malfor and Gaeus moving away as they allowed the Zhao woman to finally stand up. "In a few hours, we will tamper with the Veil Engine, forcing Al-Zhahar back to the surface..."
"An invading force will descend upon your capital and all its residents, and the defeat of your clan will be inevitable, no matter how much resistance you and your clan put up." Novus spoke, his voice full of certainty and confidence. "Tell your queen that my men and I shall stay here in the Engine Chambers and await whatever message she decides to send back to us. Although, I strongly consider that her message should be about surrendering to us."
Marmluk couldn't even comprehend what was running through the thoughts of the man before him right now... Was he a madman whose insanity was as great as his strength, or was he simply that confident in every word that came out of his mouth?
"... E-Even if you let us flee, the High Mistress will have us all killed for failing to protect the Engine... Especially from the likes of you...!"
"By the time they've discovered our presence here, our forces will have completely taken control of the engine already. Eliminating the possibility of your forces making a comeback would be a greater shame than retreating from this battle."
"T-that's..."
"And besides, you have a responsibility to fulfill due to your failure, accepting a pointless demise here would render that null and void." Novus shot back again. "Choose wisely, Marmluk, which form of action will you choose? In my opinion, I suggest you accept what I'm practically giving to you on a silver-platter."
Was it truly even worth considering? If Marmluk didn't choose to make the retreat with her surviving comrades, the other Zhao forces wouldn't even be able to find out about the Engine's capture by enemy forces until it was too late, and the invading forces this man had mentioned would've already been assaulting the capital by then. On the other hand, there was a high chance that the High Mistress would have her and the remaining Nameless executed as deserters, a dishonour Marmluk couldn't even begin to afford...
Eventually, the Zhao warrior would finally manage to steel herself enough to make a decision; whether or not she would lose her life in the end no longer mattered to her, as the very life and freedom of her clan were already on the line.
"... V-Very well then, we shall make our retreat. You will definitely regret this decision in the future..." Marmluk relented in defeat, though not without giving one final spiteful remark.
"I believe I won't. The only reason I'm doing this is to give your clan a brief chance to surrender before the oncoming storm." he responded back. "If you don't, well... I suppose you have only yourselves to blame for what comes next."
A tense silence then materialised within the room for a moment– it was true that allowing Marmluk and the surviving Nameless to retreat was a strategically unwise decision, though it would appear that Novus was all too confident of their victory in this fight already.
"... I-Is there anything else you'd like me to tell our Queen...?"
"Tell her that Novus Sturne, the crowned sovereign of the Neugomian Empire, is the one who sent her this message." Novus answered. "Deliver this message well, Marmluk, I urge you to not let the deaths of your fallen warriors be in vain."
[...]
Hundreds of years did the Zhao Clan stand, not as the strongest or mightiest nation, but as the one most tenacious and able to survive despite all the odds pressed against it...
It had stood against the conquests of 2 Empires from both the lands of the East and of the West, and never had it ever been conquered by any empire or nation that dared to encroach upon its desert lands...
Today, however, the Clan of Zhao would finally suffer a defeat they couldn't have anticipated, and it was all because they had chosen to forsake one of their strongest warriors...
The Nadirian Veil Engine would be seized, with the warriors who guarded it decisively defeated, and it would only be a matter of time before Al-Zhahar would finally meet the embrace of the sun's scorching rays once again...
Al-Zhaar, a city that once remained hidden for a thousand years, would now lie fully exposed upon the Virak Desert's surface like a fossil dragged into daylight, and it would become completely vulnerable to any form of assault made against it.