"They may be shapeshifters but you are GOC personnel. You are humanity's first and last line of defense." Commander Mathew Clark's addressing GOC personnel after the attack on the GOI HQ.

Falmart. Clarks apartment. 9 pm. December 24th. 1 AEE.

"Took you long enough to return." Said Uriel sarcastically and playfully as I returned from another bullshit meeting with the other GOI leaders. Me and Ulysses got along fine along with the director of ORIA surprisingly but as always I smell bullshit coming from the Engineer and Robert.

When it came to the director of GRU P he was silent most meetings and rarely talked so I don't have any good idea of him.

For the Past 2 days I've taken a very excited Uriel on a tour of the capital when I have the time. "Yes, yes sorry for being late." I say sarcastically back to her. "Ah don't get so worked up by my teasing." She said as she climbed out of the couch while holding a mug of coffee with her one arm.

"Drinking coffee at this time seriously." I said amused. "Hey it's a great drink and I'll be taking some of it back with me to the forge after our week-long get together." She said, "Hey, can I see your eye without the eye patch?" She asked curiously while looking up at me. This and corn out of nowhere and I was quite honestly quite shocked that someone would ask this but she's a dwarf and I'm sure she doesn't get scared easily.

I carefully took off my eyepatch and crouched slightly so I could get to her height(she's 4'6 and our MC is 5'10). My empty socket was revealed to her in all its gruesome glory. "Man that looks awesome you should take your eyepatch more it's a nice battle scar." She said rather happily and with a proud look.

Either she's nuts or all dwarven women are crazy. Ah fuck my life I thought. "Glad you like it I guess." I said awkwardly. "What does someone not like about his little battle scar?" She teased. "Have more pride in your injuries. I lost my arm and I'm perfectly happy." She said in an encouraging tone.

"Point taken?" I said largely not buying into it fully. "I will admit that it's impressive how unfazed you are about losing your arm and how you're rather proud of it." I said. "Hell ya. I'm a ranger proud of losing my arm. It's a nice reminder of me stealing those 5 scales off a dragon my friend." She said,

Uriel had told me this story around a hundred times or so and what I believe to pretty much be the essence of her pride other than her clear genius when it comes to making weapons. On the topic of weapons she had bombarded me on how the tanks worked, fired their shells, and if could resist getting burned by a dragon which was a good question since we haven't seen any of these legendary dragons we've been hearing so much about.

Honestly I say it's good that we haven't seen a dragon yet. I don't want a 100 foot tall lizard flying around burning shit up. "I'm going to head to bed." I got tired and changed the topics of the conversation. "Aww going to sleep so soon." She said annoyed. "Yes I had to deal with another bullshit meeting." I responded as I crashed onto the bed.

While I had earlier offered Uriel a sleeping bag so she could sleep on the inflatable mattress I had set up on the floor for her before I went to pick her up, she however was more than comfortable crashing on the couch and that's where she had been sleeping for the past 2 days.

Uriel shot me several annoyed looks before allowing me to get some sleep. I had gotten use to how fucking energetic she was especially when she was on coffee. She stayed up late and sometimes wouldn't go to sleep until one because she was busy trying to do research on my computer which I had taught her to use.

She was, as I suspect, researching tanks and other military vehicles. Not that I minded. Another thing about her is when she finally decided to sleep she snored a lot. Like she's fucking lound.

I'm sure all this shit she pulls isn't good for my sleep but I pleasantly enjoy it for some reason. Honestly I'd rather deal with her than my PTSD. Plus I'm sure Christmas Day would be very enjoyable with her.

I had something in mind to surprise her.

Falmart. Paradise city. 1 am. December 25th. 665 imperial calendar.

Bouro had gathered the 700 members of the Hayro tribe near the GOI HQ. He had managed to convince Molt that his tribe would be able to easily launch a decapitation strike on the 5 leaders of the organizations defending this pathetic city.

"Ok did any of you fools have success in getting some of their weapons." He asked hissing at his men who had shape-shifted into just regular GOC and insurgency personnel. "No....sir." Said one of the tribe members.

He sighed. "Very well we'll have to do this the old fashion way. Some of you go inside and begin to work out how to use black rods as soon as you can while the rest of us go after their leadership." He hissed.

The headquarters of the organizations was a large concrete building that was around 8 stories tall (It looks like the Chechen presidential palace during the time Chechnya was independent. for reference.).

For a military headquarters it certainly looked plain in his eye compared to the Saderan imperial palace but while the Saderan imperial palace radiated pride and power this building radiated war, fear, and death. As glorious as the imperial palace was as it shined as a beacon in Sadera this building seemed to act as a warning sign to all those who tried to attack.

It looked like an actual fortress. He doubted even the flame dragon could burn this place down.

(since this is mainly inspired off the Chechen presidential palace thief is nothing the empire or Falmart could bring it down. The Chechen presidential palace resisted being burned down, it didn't crumble when it had 10 missiles fired into it, and survived artillery blasts. Hope you enjoyed the brief history dump I gave you.)

His tribe men soon began to process off ambushing the few guards who were on duty on Christmas Day and killing them off.

Things were going according to plan just fine.

Falmart. GOI HQ. 1:10 am. December 25th. 1 AEE.

The engineer woke up to a guard rushing over to him and shaking him awake. "What the-." He was cut off. "The HQ is under attack by fucking shapeshifter you aren't safe." The guard said as the Engineer quickly sprung up. He grabbed his AK and put on his gas mask.

"Ugh fuck this. We're Robert." He asked the guard. "We don't know sir." Said the insurgency guard. The Engineer grabbed his Heat vision goggles and put them on. The shapeshifters didn't produce heat so he'd be able to easily tell friend from foe using the goggles. "I suggest you get some heat vision goggles." He told the guard. "Yes sir." He said.

The engineer and the guard moved along the narrow hallways of the HQ. He heard gunfire coming from the floor below him, which was the 5th floor. How the fuck did these fuckers get on the 5th floor already he thought.

He saw another guard run towards him. " We've lost contact with the 4th floor-." Said the guard before the engineer put a bullet on him. The guard showed no heat signatures on his goggles so he must have been a shapeshifter.

"We need to get to the security cam room to tell me we're it is." He asked the guard that was with him. "3rd floor sir." He said. "Shit looks like we are going to have to fight our way there then." The engineer said. "Sure but we'll give the fuckers hell." Said the guard readying his AK. "Heh. Like your attitude, let's move." The Engineer said.

They moved down the halls and towards the 3rd floor they had to kill off another 2 shapeshifters but it was easy as the shape shifters probably had no fucking clue they could tell who was friend from foe.

They made it to the Cam room. The security cam guard has his neck slit and his gun stolen. Shit was the only thing the Engineer could internally think. They might be going after the armories. He looked at the cams and saw the remaining guards gunning down infiltrators on the stairways to the 6th floor while in the armory on the 1st floor he saw a ragtag group of staff and a few guards barricading themselves in and shooting anyone on sight.

He knew what he had to do. He signaled the guard with him to guard the door and he got on the computer in the cams room and after some typing he activated protocol dead-nest. This protocol was designed by the engineer of the HQ that was about to fall. Gas would be released through the ventilation just 3 minutes after the protocol went into effect except in the panic shelters making them a safe space if the doors to them were locked in time before any gas got in. "Sir we got company whatever you're doing, do it fast," said the guard as he began to fire at something coming through the hallways.

The engineer quickly spoke on the loudspeakers. "Protocol dead-nest has gone into effect all remaining personnel retreat to the panic shelters or get a gas mask. I repeat protocols dead near had gone into effect." The guard turned to him quickly. "Sir, I've eliminated the threats trying to get to us. Do you think we'll have time to get to the panic shelters?" The guard asked worriedly. "Possibly let's not waste time." The Engineer said.

They ran past the dead bodies of the infiltrators. "We got a minute left faster." The engineer said at the guard as he was beginning to slow down a bit. He ran down to the 4th floor to where one of the panic shelters was and they both ran in and closed the door just as the gas began to come out of the ventilation.

"Jesus that was fucking close." The engineer said.

Falmart. GOI HQ. 1:37 am. December 25th. 665 imperial calendar.

Bouro saw gas begin to appear out of nowhere. "Quickly create a shield mage." He barked at one of the shapeshifters that was a mage. The mage quickly did so and he and the 5 men with him were protected from the gas.

While he had been in luck he knew most of his men wouldn't have a mage around to save them and were most likely dying. His perfect plan had begun to collapse the minute that has appeared. He was glad he had at least had told 100 of his shapeshifters to secure the outside of the building so they would be a good reserve once the gas let up.

He and the few men with him waited and waited under the shield. After an hour the gas began to trickle away. 20 minutes later it was gone he and his men carefully walked along the deserted halls of their enemies HQ he found the dead bodies of his tribe men that had gotten unlucky enough to have no magic presence to protect them.

One hallway on the 6th floor was just choked with the bodies of dead tribesmen and the staff and guards of the HQ who got unlucky and got caught in the gas. The bodies and the quiet made it for a genuinely terrifying atmosphere for Bouro who managed to gather the few remaining surviving members of his attack force.

He in the end gathered around 198 survivors and recalled those outside to get inside the building to find these panic shelters mentioned by the mysterious magical voice that had engulfed the building several minutes before the gas floated in (he is referring to the loudspeakers.)

Little did Bouro know that just a few blocks away GOC tanks were rumbling towards the HQ.

Falmart. Clarks apartment. 1:28 am. December 25th. 1 AEE.

I woke up again to another nightmare. I was still remembering the boy who died right in front of me in Portland. Jesus. I still clearly remembered his mutilated arrow ridden corpse and also remembered my panic in Ganzir when the child breaker nearly got the children evacuating through the gate.

I heard Uriel's snores from the living room which calmed me somehow. At least I wasn't alone. I got up and heard my phone ringing. I answered it. "Sorry to wake you up this early sir but the HQ is under attack!" Said a panic gripped voice on the line "Wait what. Ok get all units on high alert and prepare a possible evacuation of the city. Get me in contact with the leaders of each GOI and I want a relief force assembled by the police station. I'll be there in a couple of minutes." I said as I rushed to put on my clothes. "Yessir." Said the man on the line before he hung up.

"Shit, shit, shit." I said to myself. Uriel was awakened by his panicked rushing around. "Huh. What's going on, are you ok." She asked worriedly. "Our HQ is under attack. I'll be heading out to lead the relief force we're did I put my rifle by the way?"I asked, panicked. "You rifle you left in the bathroom for some reason and you wouldn't mind if I tag along would you?"She asked grinning.

"No you stay here I have no intention of you dying one me while doing something stupid." I said sharply and sternly. To my utter surprise she didn't object. "Very well I won't go but... don't fucking die on me you are by best friend after all." She teased. "Will do." I said running out of the apartment with my rifle and beret.

I drove my car as fast as I could to the police station where he saw several GOC units already pouring into the spot they would gather at before their push. I got out of the car and ran to them. The soldiers there quickly saluted and fell into formation.

I counted around maybe 1,000 GOC soldiers and agents assembled along with various elements of the public pacification force (PPF for short and they were created as a police force but are better armed and are directly controlled by the GOC and UIU.)

I stepped up for a speech to give to the men before they headed out to engage the enemy now identified as the Hayros trying to take over the HQ.

"Based on the latest reports just 20 or so minutes ago our HQ came under attack by a hostile force now identified as the Hayro tribe. They may be shapeshifters but you are GOC personnel. Your humanities first and last line of defense. All of you are veterans of Ganzir who have fought the foundation. You may not have been apart of the GOC when you were at Ganzir but you are now. For 8 months every single one of you fought the foundation to a standstill. You are better trained, armed, and have something truly worth fighting for than those shapeshifters trying to take our HQ. I will say we don't know how many of them there are at the moment but I expect you all to whip these fools who thought attacking us was a good idea. You also are given my full permission to torture and show no mercy to these fuckers for ruining our Christmas and attacking us. Now let's go kill these fuckers." He said grinning.

"Sir yes sir." They responded.

GOC tanks rumbled down the streets heading towards the HQ while APCs and bearcats followed in suit. By 1:43 am they had reached the HQ. It had begun to snow and snow had already piled up due to the previous snow storm. As they advanced forward several arrows and based on what he saw in his binoculars some Hayro tribes members who had gotten ahold of hand guns fired down on them from the windows of several of the floors from the HQ.

In a typical response for the soldiers of my organizations our tanks began to fire on the windows and floors under Hayro control. The HQ as it was designed to withstood the tank shell but the Hayros firing down on them were instantly killed by shrapnel or by the force of the shells.

GOC agents soon began to close in on the building. I joined in of course. Several civilians I saw were recording the event about to unfold on their phones from a safe distance thankfully. Our tanks fired off several more shells into the building before me and my men stormed it

Two of my men were hit by stray arrows instantly as men with crossbows took cover behind the reception desk but the men hit didn't suffer any serious injuries since their vests protected them. We made quick work of the Hayro behind the desk easily. "Split into squads and clear the building floor by floor, room by room. I want all these fuckers dead." I said sharply to my men.

We found several dead bodies of the guards and Hayro infiltrators on multiple floors. I heard the occasional gunfire from several rooms away or maybe a floor above me as we cleared the HQ out.

Most of the Hayro according to our arial scans of the building had retreated to the 7th floor. They most likely would have retreated to the final floor but several of our guys were landed on the roof by helicopter and began to make their way down. I could already hear gunfire above me.

We also began to rescue the staff stuck in the panic shelters. This operation had been overall quick. Largely in part to protocol dead nest being activated and the remaining Hayro not expecting a rapid response.

By 1:55 we had trapped the Hayro in the eastern portion of the 7th floor. They had hastily barricaded the hallways and had completely and stupidly abandoned control of the stairways. Based on what our scanners told us there were around 68 of them barricaded in their.

"Ok get ready for a sharp firefight," I said. Boy knowing Uriel she would have loved this.

I signaled for one of my men to toss a flash bang towards the barricades. One of my men complied as a flash bang went flying towards the barricades. The Hayro behind them screeched in pain as it landed in front of them.

"Ok clear them out." I barked as my men moved in and fired on the incapacitated Hayro. After killing them some of us pushed deeper in while the rest took apart the barricades. I heard further gunfire from the guys that had gone up ahead then it went quiet.

"The fuckers are surrendering orders sir." Yelled one of my men from the other side of the hall. "Identify their leader and bring him to me also for the rest, spare 5 of them and kill the rest." I yelled back. I then heard repeated gunfire and what I assumed to be cries for mercy before it became quiet.

10 of my men walked back to me and the main group of my men with the 5 guys they had chosen to spare and their leader. "So the fucker with the eyepatch is their leader." I said pointing at Bouro. "Yup." Said one of my men.

"So let's get to the point why did you attack us, why did you think it was a good idea, and are you working for someone." I said sharply addressing the leader of the Hayro who I recognized as Bouro based on the files we had on him. Bouro I could tell by just looking at him was a coward and I was quickly proven right.

"Sadera sent us to take out you and your other leaders that why we attack please spare me." Be begged. "Anyone else working with you." I asked inquisitively. "Yes t-the warrior bunny guerrillas as well" he said sweating. Just then I got an alert about an attack on the former warrior bunny capital. Hmm seems he was telling the truth. "Sp this was a coordinated attack by the empire, your tribe, and those wanna be Vietcong fuckers." I said sighing. "Y-yes. Well we tricked the bunnies into the attack since they'd never work with Sadera." He quickly responded still nervous.

"Thank you for this information. Sadly you have one more use for me though I won't need you alive for it." I said calmly. "W-wait...w-what." Before he could further object I pulled out my Sig pro Swiss pistol and shot him straight in the head.

"Decapitate him and paradrop his head at the door of the imperial palace I want to send Molt a message. Also dispatch our agents to take out any close to Molt. His daughter find her and kill her spare his son though I want him to dig the empire deeper into its grave. Also kill any of Molts concubines I want to emotional isolate him." I said. "Yes...sir." My men were surprised by my coldness.

My plan to get back at the empire for ruining our Christmas was simple: I would emotionally torment their emperor by killing anyone close to him or that would serve as stress relief. His son would be spared to simply cause more harm to the empire. Plus I wanted to humiliate his son in battle. The paradropping of Bouros head would simply be a warning for things to come.

Was I usually this cruel no but I wanted retrobution for all the needless and avoidable death that was occurring before my very eyes on fucking Christmas. I was also internally stressed out as the leave I had so desired to cool down had been ripped from me by a man I already knew who had planned this whole bullshit attack of his. Molt Sol Augustus would fucking pay.

I spent the next hours on the radio constantly trying to get a good idea we're the attacks we're. Sadera it seems had decide to attack us all along our border and had already sacked some minor settlements near the border and were looting a raping their way through our land.

Driving them out by New Year's Day was now his plan. I also had begun to draw up plans for Operation Rolling Thunder which would be a mass bombing campaign of all of Saderas major cities. Their vassal states wouldn't be spared as well. Sadera, its vassals, and its allies I intended to feel the GOCs wrath. The bombing campaign would also be indiscriminate. I wanted to break the spirit of the common Saderan citizen. Without the support of its people Sadera would collapse on itself.

All this internal ranting, planning, and organizing forces for the counter attack is what I spent the rest of Christmas Day doing. I finally drove back home at 8 pm exhausted.

I sluggishly walked my way to my apartment. Uriel when I opened the door was waiting for me patiently. "You're late." She teased before stopping after realizing how exhausted I look. "You look like shit. You ok." She asked worriedly.

"No, I feel exhausted." I said

Falmart. Clarks apartment. 8 pm. December 25th. 1 AEE.

Uriel saw how exhausted Clark was. It was written on his body and his face. He had also forgotten to shave and had a weekend beard. She guided him to his bed so he could crash on it. He fell on it. He looked broken and shitty. "Thank you." He said weakly. "No problems man. I can't let my best friend be all exhausted and lonely can I." She joked trying to lighten the mood.

He got up a bit so he could sit properly on the bed and face her. "I suppose Christmas didn't go as you planned." She said feeling sad and sorry for him. "Nope I had to deal with a bullshit attack and my breaks cancelled since Sadera decided to try to fuck us over by sending the Hayro after us."he rambled.

"I guess my plans to take you sightseeing and answer more of your questions have been ruined. Sorry that I wasn't able to take you to all the sights around the city and take you to the shooting range as planned." He said. He looked genuinely disappointed himself and it was pretty clear how much he wanted to spend time with me and enjoy his people's holiday called Christmas

As he sighed and looked out at the void probaly internally ranting to himself which is something he told me he tended to do, I looked for a way we could enjoy ourselves before he went off to spend the rest of his served break leading his organization in another war.

It soon popped in her head. Should she do it they weren't that close right. But it would be enjoyable for both of them.

Fuck it she internally thought.

(Clark's POV)

I hated how my leave had been ripped out of my hands. God must have been pulling some kind of stunt on me. Huh, I felt something on my mouth. Uriel had just pulled me close and kissed me. What was happening.

I was internally screaming and my face had gone completely red as she pulled out. "Looks like you enjoyed it." She teased. "Y-yes I did." I said flustered out of my mind. She then pulled me in again and I melted into her kiss.

Soon enough we were making love.