What is the point?

Teslaimia and Emily laid in bed as the sun started to rise. Emily softly asked, "Are you awake, Mia?"

Teslaimia softly responded, "Mhm, hard to sleep thinking about them going off to war."

Emily nodded and replied, "Yeah, I feel like I should have done more last time. I thought by killing their army, they would have gotten the hint, and now I feel like we should have done more."

Teslaimia rolled over and looked at Emily, "Are you worried about the men?"

Emily rolled over to face Teslaimia and nodded, "I can't just let the Kreussians just keep reloading for war over and over again. Does this mean we have to completely destroy their government as we did in Injia? I don't like that we are still tied up there and immediately going to war with someone else. I don't want Connaissance to become a state in perpetual war. My dream for Connaissance was a place of learning, science, art, and philosophy. A place where people shouldn't be afraid of war nor thirst for it."

Teslaimia nodded and softly spoke, "What could you have done differently? They attacked us twice now and are unwilling to back down. Didn't the old priest say that they had attack years ago as well?"

Emily nodded, "That's what I mean. I don't want to raise yet another generation of Kreussians willing to fight and die for vengeance. Are we supposed to fight this same war decade after decade just because they aren't satisfied? Will we come to a point where our weapons get so advanced we annihilate each other from the face of our Hanston?"

"Mm, I understand. You built these weapons to keep your people safe. Not their people. You don't have to feel guilty for defending your people against their aggression. Do what needs to be done and try your best to minimize our losses while mercilessly crushing them." Teslaimia started to use her finger to trace the lines of Emily's body. "Are you still bothered by what Andrew said to you back then? About killing a generation with each war?"

Emily nodded and replied softly, "Mm, that's right. I was just thinking that I wouldn't want that to happen here in Connaissance."

"You've never attacked a nation without cause. Injia built an incredibly effective spy ring here, was it worthy of the overkill you used? Maybe, maybe not, but their emperor clearly provoked you by coming after me as well." She giggled and then continued, "The people of Injia haven't completely lost out since you have managed to pump life into their economy." She sighed, "The Kreussians have aggressively come after us twice now. We have to end this, one way or another."

Emily nodded and sighed, "I am just worried about the people. What if we can't stop them before they put Polo's people in danger? What about the people down in the lower villages?"

"Mm, well, that's why we let the boys do what they do. You have given them the best tools in the world and they have exceeded your expectations while using them time after time, right? Trust in them and they will bring you a swift victory." She gave Emily a big hug.

*****

"I'm sorry, I just think that these tanks can't be possible!" James Duhan argued, "They would be too heavy. Just like our Rhinocerous."

Thomas nodded and then asked, "These portable rails they ride on, could that be the key to making them work on roads?"

The Professor took drag off his pipe and then as he exhaled, "Could they be using a metal like Harbenite to reduce the weight of these vehicles?"

Winston Murray wrote on the chalkboard, "So we know they need water for steam so that weight should be calculable. They also need coal for the boiler so we can calculate that number. They'll need men to operate it, so that means weight added. These barrels on it must be for their musket technology so the ammunition has weight. The shell itself has weight...."

They all looked at each other and said, "It's impossible."

Amelia who was walking by headed to Mr. Hudsucker's design team meeting casually asked, "What if it runs on petrol?"

Every head in the room turned to look at Amelia. Winston Murray ran off and took hold of her shoulders, "What did you just say?"

She looked around at all the stares and replied softly, "Uh, I just asked what if it runs on petrol?"

"Could you explain please, I am not familiar with this petrol." Winston was completely focused on Amelia.

She tried not to look him in the eye as she half mumbled, "Petrol, you use it in an internal combustion engine. That way you don't need the extra weight of the water and coal. You just have a smaller tank of petrol."

Winston called out to one of Mr. Hudsucker's men, "We're borrowing her." He then marched her quickly over to the chalkboard. "I need to know everything you know about petrol, treat us like we are idiots."

Every man in the room took a seat and stared at the chalkboard. Amelia swallowed hard and then She erased what was there and said, "You all know what rock oil is right? Petroleum? Well if you refine that you can make lubricating oils which we use a lot of here and kerosene, but you can also make a fuel known as petrol. Which we use in Langland for internal combustion engines for automobiles for example. I built the first working model, um... By using my teacher's internal combustion engine. Steam cars are too heavy and large for most long-distance purposes since they need such a large water tank and boiler. An internal combustion engine..." She drew out a rough sketch of her teacher's engine, "...Can give you a much greater range and power in a much smaller size and with greater efficiency."

Winston turned to James and said, "Go tell Norville I am stealing his rookie." He turned back to Amelia and asked, "What's your name?"

Amelia blinked and then softly replied, "Amelia Earnhardt."

Winston looked at James, "Got it? Go on then." James jumped up and ran off to Norville's design team. "Amelia? You will be in charge of our new engine design team. I want you to marry the internal combustion engine to our new turbine. We are going to change the world!" He laughed excitedly while Amelia looked frightened.

*****

A single Kreussian tank and a squad of soldiers crawled along the road and stopped exactly five miles past the last group and the men rushed over and started to dig out a roadside bunker. One of the soldiers stopped and removed his helmet wiping his forehead, "This is awful, we haven't even seen a single enemy and we dig these stupid bunkers every five miles. What's the point of this?"

The commander who was sitting on the roof of the tank chuckled, "We are building this in case it rains."

The soldiers shook their heads and another man asked, "Lieutenant, why are we afraid of these people?"

He smiled and said, "They killed an entire division with one attack during the first invasion. You tell me if we should be worried." He looked up into the sky and said, "If you see their ship up in the air, that's when you run and hide in these holes we dig."

The soldier shook his head, "Aside from the ship, do they even have a way to kill us?"

Right at that moment, the Lieutenant's head exploded into a red mist. What seemed like a minute later a loud boom was heard. The soldiers were all standing there looking confused when a second soldier's chest exploded in a red mist, followed by another boom. "Get down!" One of the men screamed.

*****

"Hit!" A soldier whistled, "Redman, that Tarantula hawk is disgusting. We are so far away they can't even see you firing at them."

He grinned at the man and asked, "Give me the ship killing round, I want to see if this thing can poke a hole in that tank."

Redman looked through the spyglass and said, "It has a little vision port on the front for the driver, I think the angle is going to be too steep to get it right in there, but I'll see if I can hit it." He took a breath and then as he exhaled he pulled the trigger, 'BARANG!'

"Hit!" the soldier cried out, "A burning man just jumped out of the roof, it's on fire! It wasn't a perfect strike, I can see the vision slot is deformed a bit, but you touched off something inside the tank that's burning strongly."

Redman smiled and said, "Ok, let's keep watch on them. Another group of them will be coming along the road behind them. If we get lucky, maybe they will send one of the scout ships to find us up here."

The other soldier nodded, "The rest of the squad are in a good position to take shots at these guys if they try to come up here." He smiled and said, "Here comes the William Smith, they must have dropped finished up unloading to base camp. I heard they already took down two enemy airships."

Redman nodded and said, "If these Kreussians had just come in one large force, we might have already finished this war."

*****

Victoria frowned and looked at Reemus like he was throwing out all of her favorite clothing. "It's not fair, can't they send anyone else? You had to go to war last time!"

Reemus shrugged and pulled her into a reluctant hug, "It's what I do, Victoria. I'm sorry. As a knight and a captain in the army, I need to be ready to go on a moment's notice. They didn't send us as the vanguard this time, so we at least have that going for us. My unit will be heading into an area that is already prepared this time. I might not even see any action at all."

She held him tightly and said, "I Just go crazy with worry when you are gone."

He held her tightly and gave her a soft kiss on the forehead, "I promise you, I will do my best to come home and bring all of my boys with me."

Victoria laughed even as she still had tears in her eyes, "Won't our bed be a little crowded?"

He gave her a deep kiss and then slapped her on the butt, "Just keep talking like that."

He took that moment to grab his bag and head out to the waiting Fast Attack Carriage. "Don't go looking for some other guy, I'll be back before you know it."

Victoria leaned against the door frame as she watched him drive away. She sighed and then turned and walked back inside the house. She looked around the empty house, "I should stay in the city. If I stay in this empty house I'll drive myself bonkers." She put together a suitcase. She wrote a note and left it on the table, 'I'm going to be staying in the city if I am not back before you get home, you can find me at Mia's. Love, Victoria.'

*****

Several figures each wearing a different kind of golden mask stood in a circle. One of the men who wore a golden devil's mask spoke out first, "I don't agree. The Church is the Church it has nothing to do with the sock and the buskin."

Another one of the figures spoke in a very feminine voice, "The devil is correct, however, she gave the proper codeword and the Church has acknowledged her as a figure of religious importance. I say we grant her et princeps erat."

Several others in the circle spoke their agreement when one of the figures raised a hand and spoke in a deep gruff voice, "We have already been granting her information, devil, why do you oppose her having et princeps erat?"

He replied shortly, 'I just do."

The one of the deep gruff voice looked around the circle, "Empress Emily the first of Connaissance should be given princeps erat, all those in favor say Aye."

One by one they said aye until only the devil masked man was left, he sighed and said, "Aye."

The figure with the feminine voice spoke again, "I will go to her and announce the decision of the council. From this moment forward. she will wear the platinum pin. All those who see it must obey her commands. Make sure the word is spread to all members one time attendees or regular comers, all must follow her lead. This is the founding rule of the sock and buskin."