• AMS Deathwing III, Maroubra Bay
    Ramdyne

    The Crystals of Power were scattered once again, as the abomination known as Diabora was removed from the very fabric of our dimension. From what Arceus had told me, the dimension that Diabora had been taken to had collapsed upon itself and two other dimensions, completely wiping Diabora out of existence. That was certainly a fate worse than death. With the Diabora Wars time-locked, and his existence destroyed in all parallel universes, Diabora could never be resurrected by being taken out of time.

    However, the Second Great War now continues. After several years of an alliance between Aqua, Kazmar, and the Homeworld, the alliance that we had forged was shattered with the end of the Diabora Wars, the very schism reigniting the Second Great War itself. With the Homeworld attempting to rebuild after Diabora's destruction, both Ramdyne and Kazmar have begun to restock our arsenals. Our space fleets remain at the ready, waiting for any attack from the opposing force.

    Furthermore, both the populations of Kazmar and Ramdyne are tired of war. War is how Ramdyne was born, and how Kazmar's lands had been raised. But, after years and years of fighting, people now want to enjoy the spoils of war with a peace. For people who have fought all their lives, this was a reality I was going to have to face... It saddened me to have to put down the guns and attempt to create a treaty, in order to keep a mutiny from happening... Oh, how I hated mutinies.

    Even between the Great War and the first act of the Second Great War, I was still fighting. There were those damned domestic terrorists on Ramdyne that I had to deal with. Bastards thought that they could destroy my government by stealing the MS Azure. Ever since the night that I had killed my step-father and rust Makuta had been born from Raize Haseo's shell of a body, I had been fighting all my life. In all honesty, I don't know how to stop.

    I'd rather be dead than at peace.

    And it was then that I got an idea. A terrible idea. A devilish idea. An idea that just might work. I called a news conference, and made sure they were broadcasting to Kazmar. Then, I began to speak, "People of Ramdyne and Kazmar... We have returned to a war. However, both of our planets tire of this endless fighting. As such, I would like to make a proposal to ease your concerns."

    The reporters gasped for a second, since making a peace treaty was certainly out of character for me, "I would like to propose a duel between myself and Neo Winterfield, two days from now on the deck of the Deathwing at sunrise. If I die in this duel, Kazmar shall be declared the victor, and Ramdyne will cease to be a thorn in Kazmar's side. Vice-versa if Neo dies."

    "Kazmar, you have one day to decide. If you fail to do so, I will launch a full military campaign against your planet," I finished.

    ~~~


    Qinglong (Neo Winterfield)
    League of Urban Dragons
    Jefferson Military Base, Cartaras City, Kazmar

    We had managed to keep the peace for some time between Ramdyne and Kazmar, though it seemed like the umbrella against the inevitable storm of future wars was breaking apart with tensions and fears tearing apart at its fragile, tissue-thin covering. It was true that we could never truly be at peace, not as long as Ramdyne and Team Aqua still existed. All it took was one disagreement, one act of greed, or one mistake, and everything would be plunged into combat. This was the threat and the reality we always faced every waking day of our lives. Despite our desires, we had become very close, very wary of our enemies. Any truces were simply temporary breaks from what felt like a truly endless war.

    It had felt like this horror had been imbued upon our souls…

    We had never taken off the city defenses for these reasons. The turrets and the Kazmarian International Guard were always active, always vigilant, and always alert. The citizens saw these and they knew they would always need to be prepared, no matter how long it seemed the last war had happened, or how peaceful Ramdyne had been. We needed to remind ourselves time after time to be defensive, but not harden our hearts.

    As we were aware, Ramdyne abhorred peace and its unproductive resolutions. To Ramdyne, war was progress. War was a keystone in creating new technology out of desperation, developing areas to fortify and increase supply lines, and strengthen defensive and offensive capabilities. To us, war was only death, despair, and destruction. We could never relish in that bloodshed and destruction like Team Aqua could. That was the benchmark I had used to make sure Kazmar would never slip into hopeless darkness and vile evil.

    “Commander, incoming message on behalf of Imperé.” General Thomas Clancy told me, “They’re playing it out on a general channel.”

    “Let’s hear it.” I told him, looking upon the screens.

    A press conference… and rust Makuta. Always a bad mixture…

    “People of Ramdyne and Kazmar...” rust began, “We have returned to a war. However, both of our planets tire of this endless fighting. As such, I would like to make a proposal to ease your concerns.”

    A war without a motive. Or… more obviously, a war with a motive we already knew that rust didn’t want to admit to in front of so many people. I had lived upon the later always coming to mind whenever I saw his face. I knew rust’s proposal would never be permanent, but even a temporary age of peace would bring endless relief to Kazmar’s citizens, and it was a choice I was willing to take.

    “I would like to propose a duel between myself and Neo Winterfield,” rust continued, “two days from now on the deck of the Deathwing at sunrise. If I die in this duel, Kazmar shall be declared the victor, and Ramdyne will cease to be a thorn in Kazmar's side. Vice-versa if Neo dies.”

    The Kazmarian International Guard regarded rust’s proposal with a dubious stare, but I knew what was really going on.

    “Kazmar, you have one day to decide. If you fail to do so, I will launch a full military campaign against your planet.” rust concluded.

    “Damn it, who does the b*****d think he is!?” General Thomas Clancy shouted, slamming his fist into the metallic table, “I swear that pig feeds off of bloodshed and the smell of death!”

    “Relax, he won’t launch any campaign.” I told him, knowing rust too well, “As I have figured, to him, this whole conflict has always been between the two of us ever since the first day we engaged each other in combat. As I know, rust doesn’t want another campaign unless he knows he has an obvious head start, and to him, that would be with me dead.”

    All eyes were on me now, wondering if and why I was take and accept rust’s offer. I knew what they were thinking. They were probably thinking it was some kind of trap or anything like that, but no. I knew rust, and he wanted nothing more than to see me die by his hands and his hands alone. That was the only thing that would truly bring his satisfaction.

    “You’re not really thinking of doing this, are you?” Clancy asked.

    “Not thinking, already decided.” I told him, “Let me handle rust, you keep the Kazmarian International Guard on DEFCON 2. Even if I die, I have my faith in Kazmar. Besides, this time around, its Kazmar that wants to distance itself from Ramdyne. They have nothing we want, and if it gets our two planets to lay off of each other, all the better.”

    “It could be a trap, Winterfield.” One of the operators warned me, “We’ve never trusted Team Aqua with anything, and this should be no exception. Besides, rust is the kind of dishonorable maggot that would make a trap like this to discriminatorily gain an edge.”

    “So much the better.” I told her, “Because if it is, then we’ll know this is a campaign, and this is how he chooses to start it. You need not worry about me. I’ve dealt with both situations before, and I know Team Aqua.”

    As I approached the door, I looked back at Clancy, and gave him a smile.

    “Tell rust Makuta that I accept his offer.” I told him, “But leave it at that.”

    I then closed the door behind me, and soon took the exit into open air, where the Kamzarian International Guard was stationed on watch. Once I was far enough away from civilization, I had transformed into Qinglong, and surged through the Kazmar atmosphere and into space.

    It was time to prove resolve…