Command :: Lord Bacon

The second batch of Instruments coming from the realm of Manna were lowered from above, though they exited on foot and on a horizontal plane. They descended carefully from the air out of seemingly nowhere, like the light falling of soft snow. Their destination was Crysteria, the Central City of the Dawn, twin Crystal City to that of the Dusk. Each of them found themselves lightly placed upon the crystalline road, all gathered together before the mysterious Hog Kaiser, Lord Bacon, draped from head to toe in his robe of giant bacon strips, porcine gas-mask donned upon his face... If not his actual face, itself. There they remained, his very spirit in sync with theirs thanks to the bolt of lightning from the Lightning God which bolted him there before their coming. It was clear that whatever the Lightning God intended for them all, it was to be performed under the jurisdiction of Lord Bacon, who would see each of the Instruments as they came into congregation.

With the Instruments of the Dawn sent by the Lightning God all gathered up before the Commander, the General would come forth as a bolt of blue lightning from the Heavens.

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She would strike down at the point of the final position marked out by Kairo, where she would continue what he started from there and finish what he set up using all of the Commands, Instruments, and Markers.

Mugeniere, who was the one that would be the ruling power over the Commander of this operation, Lord Bacon, and also an envoy of the 'Commander Of The Veritas', Lightning God Kairo, would make herself known, hovering before the congregation as a celestial mass of nebula, which twinkled with blue cosmic entities, such as stars and the like. Her entire body was like a collection of nebulae, but her sharp, glowing eyes could be made out distinctly from the stardust comprising her form, crackling with blue electricity.

The electromagnetism flowing through her was so strong, her entire interior was its own universe, and that universe was made up of countless nebulae, which were dead stars. Her entire body was the essence of a dead universe, but electromagnetic energy still flowed through it, binding it all together and also allowing her consciousness to pass into all parts of her nebulous body.

Marvelous as she was, she was here because the time for her to take over as the Raigami had come, and even beyond knowledge, the stage was set for her to come into this position properly so that the Veritas could function. "Good Evening," she spoke to the Instruments of the Dawn, "It Is Time To Begin." They would know what this meant, as it was imbued in them from the moment they began this pursuit with the Lightning God.

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The Lightning God smirked once he felt the new Raigami strike down in his arrangement, ready to receive a 'Command'. He chuckled to himself and called upon the power of one of the remaining Spell Cards, attaching a Command to it to be carried out so that Mugeniere and the Instruments would have some direction as to where to go to complete the final part of the plan.

='Command'=

"Jack Of Spades :: Potential Emanation : Zeppelin Bomb."
-Commandeer-

That would be his final contribution to the situation at hand. Mugeniere proved herself with the 'Luck Of The Draw', among plenty of other things that only he witnessed in that instant that she proved herself... And that the Universe proved her, as well. With his final Command given for Mugeniere to carry out and assume her place as the new Raigami, Kairo, the elder Raigami, could dip off into the darkness of the Dragon Temple, where he could pursue a deeper project in... The Pharaoh's Labyrinth.

Voice: "When The 'Zeppelin Bombs' Rain From 'The Dream', The 'Instruments' Are To 'Commandeer' Them During The 'Transition'."

Lord Bacon received the Command from the Voice, of which also placed him here from wherever he was previously. With the power to control Souls, he would be able to Possess all of the Instruments that were present with the religiously patriotic souls of his own militant brethren, who would do anything for their nation and their leader. With these souls Possessing the Instruments, they would immediately pledge their undying service to their leader, Lord Bacon, who was part of the Veritas Brigade -- otherwise known as 'The $yndicate'.

Though Lord Bacon had exclusive command over souls, the souls of his brethren were actually porcine in nature, and were also considered a faction of the 'Beast Unit' in the 'D.S.F.' Seeing as the Veritas Brigade was under direct command of the forces of the Veritas, they were subordinate to both of the Raigami, one of which was Commander over their commander, Lord Bacon.

Each of them was prepped for the Mission, as the Militant and Governmental forces of the Veritas should have been. Whenever the alleged 'Zeppelin Bombs' would rain down from the 'Dream World' up above, the Possessed Instruments would man them, regardless of what they needed to do.

It was when the Instruments were Possessed that they understood Lord Bacon and his method of command, for it was as if he spoke to the souls inside of them and not they themselves. With spirits riled up, the Instruments became more than gung-ho about the mission, and fell into line before Lord Bacon, awaiting the Zeppelin Bombs to come from the Dream so that they could continue.

Mugeniere smiled and nodded her head. "Good. Now That I Have Your Attention, Here Come The Zeppelin Bombs From On High." Mugeniere raised her hands up to the sky of the Dawn, which was filled with sparkling stars. From the midst of the array came a distortion that rippled across the sky, the large airships known as 'Zeppelins' pouring out slowly from the wavy undulations of what could only be perceived as 'Imaginary Space'. "Your Crafts Will Not Stop, But They Are Moving At A Speed Where You May Board Them." Clearly, this seemed like a suicide mission for the Instruments -- they would be piloting these ships and using the entire construct as a bomb, with themselves within. But, why would the reverent decide on such a fate for any of their people?

"... Just To Make Myself Clear, It Is Not You Instruments That I Am Speaking To, But To The Souls Within You, Which Are Commanded By Lord Bacon. In A Ploy For Clarity, I Am Explaining To You Now That You All Are The Ones That Will Be Manning The Aircrafts, And The Instruments Will Be Controlling You Through Resonance. Thus, Instead Of Actually Piloting The Crafts With Flesh, You Will Be Piloting With Spirits, And Controlled By The Instruments. This Ensures Both Accuracy And Safety." She turned to Lord Bacon, then turned things over to him. "Seeing As The Vessels Are Here, Lord Bacon, I Will Let You Guide Them, And I Will Tend To The Instruments."

"Yes, very good, madam," responded Lord Bacon, whose voice was muffled by his mask, though not to incomprehensibility. The porcine figure turned then to the masses, who harbored the souls of his men. "You heard her, my men! Go on and take possession of your weapon! It may look unconventional compared to normal weapons, but I assure you, with the use of your spiritual nature, we are heightening the potentiality of our coverage at a lesser expense!" It was clear that the Hog Kaiser understood the method of it all, and supported it. He did not, however, understand what the purpose of this exercise was, as he was not debriefed on that data. This did not bother nor sway him, but it did leave him a bit ignorant of what was scheduled to come, or what the projected outcome of performing these tasks was supposed to be. He did not wonder if that was a good or bad thing, either, for he was even more nationally unwavering than even his men.

The Instruments, who at first could not tell the difference between their own souls and those of the Swine, suddenly felt the distinction by the difference in personality, which was rooted in the soul. They were nothing alike in most instances, and that made it much easier to tell them apart. It was strange, but they felt like they were starting to understand the exercise. It had something to do with helping them to learn to maintain harmonization between themselves and other souls, as well as to control their own. Their own purpose in the event made sense, but they were also unaware of the ultimate goal of the entire process.

They also did not question the long-term project, as the time to act was now, and all they felt was the inspiration to complete the task they were assigned for, no matter what it was.

The pig souls inside of them were released into the Zeppelins drifting slowly from above, allowing them direct access and control over their maneuverability through the pig souls, who would also have a level of control. Each Zeppelin Bomb was commandeered as per command, and they were now ready for the next.

The units were all lining up, and it was clear to Mugeniere in the way that the Lightning God set it all up for her. Even though he was giving her his honor as the Raigami, he would always hold it, both as the original and as her master. The wavelengths themselves were forming a path that he already set into motion. It was her time to guide them the way he intended them, and ensure there was no room for wastefulness. "Instruments!" Mugeniere suddenly cried, "Be Sure To Maintain A Proper Link With Your Souls And The Souls Of Lord Bacon! If You Remain Steady In Your Connections, You Will Share Command And Be Able To Gain A Range From The Both Of You Combined That You Each Could Not Get From Your Positions Alone." The effect of that should have been evident to them, if they were following along with the instructions. "The Places That One Of You Could Not Cover Alone, The Other Will Be Able To Make Up For, Which Enhances You Both Mutually, Which Doubles The Efficacy Of Commanding Your Dirigibles. As It Should Be Apparent, Disharmony Between You Two Souls Will Cause Lesser Stability, And Possibly Even Feedback That Can Cause Detonation. Extreme Caution Is Necessary, As Well As Flexibility And Adaptability With Your Partner." She placed her hands behind her back, giving the next instructions.

"Guide The Dirigibles To The Lower Continents, But Also Have Some Enter The Four Corners Of The Dawn," she'd say with assurance. "Do Not Spread Yourself Too Thin At Any Point."

As the Commander dealt with the Instruments, Lord Bacon, second-in-command for this operation, would continue to command his Souls. The fallen men that swore their life to the cause would continue to pilot the Zeppelin Bombs as was instructed... Though as they Commandeered the airships and maintained a steady resonance between their own souls and those of the Instruments, the feedback from another source seemed to suddenly surge through them all, concentrating back at Lord Bacon like some sort of receptor-amplifier.

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Without any warning at all, the Instruments in the Delta could feel a powerful pressure upon them that seemed to be coming from the Dawn, as well as many other sources, including themselves. It seemed as though the strength of the Spell that was Commanded by the Voice of the Lightning God was growing too much for even all of them to handle, and so that power was pouring into all the other beings connected.

However, they could sense that there was something greater than just that, and it both gave them support and also faith in the Lightning God that he was with them as things intensified, which gave them greater spiritual strength and fortitude.

They could feel what was going on with the Dawn and even way into the Dream, and that type of surge and connection inspired them to assist the ones in the Dawn with the Command of the Zeppelin Bombs, which were being transported through the three Supercontinents from the Overworld. They'd never seen something like this happen before, but it only made them all the more inspired to take control of their share of the burden, as this was clearly a Godly plan that they could not comprehend the depth of from where they were. They simply had to do their best with what they had and also what was naturally becoming capable for them as things progressed with this plan, revealing more and more of their purpose as necessary, and not all at once. Even what was supposed to be a great and crushing responsibility for them such as this seemed natural with the Spirit of the Lightning God on their side.

Much like his men, Lord Bacon could feel the united spirits of the Instruments, and, because their spirits were so similar to the nature of his own men, who were nationalistic patriots with militant hearts, he was overcome with emotion. During his catharsis, the large, usually void-like sockets of his mask glowed with incredible ghastly light. The light poured out far into the sky, illuminating much of the Crystal City Of The Dawn and projecting the wavelengths through the buildings and ground, which were made of crystal that altered its light.

"HRRRM!!!" grumbled Lord Bacon loudly, snorting in between like a hog, "... The power...!!!" He was channeling all of the power of the souls, which allowed him to have remote viewing through them. However, instead of just seeing the souls of his own people, he could see also through the souls of the Instruments, as well as through other beings. "... The SOULS!!!" he cried out, bacon flap robe fluttering under the intensity of the buildup of power around him. "SQWREEEEEEEEEEEIIII!!!" he oinked, the amplification of his own power reverberating through the souls at his command.

At that point, what the Commander was saying to him about 'not spreading himself too thin' made more sense, since he now received more energy than he was used to dealing with. This meant he could very easily distribute the surplus disproportionately and then cause the entire stability to fall apart due to the excess throwing off the harmony and creating more work.

Still, militant as he was, he wouldn't allow it to overwhelm him, and he would use his superior command over souls to manage the situation to the greatest of his potential, since this was his element. It was clear why he was chosen now.

The accord that the Instruments played with the other Souls all at once created a great melody that one in this realm referred to as the 'Symphony Of Souls'. The 'Resonance' was so great that it created a melodious wavelength of unity and synchronicity between all parties involved, which could stabilize or overwrite other wavelengths.

The sheer magnitude of this one was enough to empower anyone, but then the weight of the power was definitely to become crushing for a single feeble entity unaccustomed to such measures of beholding. The binding power that each of them held and contributed to the overall design helped them illustrate the further masterfulness of the entire concept. A certain enlightenment came over them as they unified with each other, and all of them would become synchronized in every way. The Zeppelin Bombs were coming out in great numbers now, and they needed to guide them in their surplus throughout all of the Veritas. With security from up above, where they were, and also below, they could control the Zeppelin Bombs with the precision only the mental acuity of all of them combined could accomplish.

Although it was probably believed that this was all in accordance to Mugeniere's will, it was certainly just as much of a surprise to her as it was to everyone else who was participating. She expected nothing like this from the Lightning God's setup, but she did quickly come to understand the magnitude of the position he was leaving her with now, and how this was his way of testing her to see if she was really ready to take hold of the title of Raigami.

Feeling the surging in Lord Bacon's power, she recognized that part of her being here was to help ensure that he remained stabilized, for he was not a Goddess, as she was. When she touched him, the spirits of all of the other souls came upon her, and she stabilized all of the wavelengths together, letting all of the energy flow in correspondence and harmony, which allowed all of the energy to move mellifluously into its designated locations evenly. With stability under her direct influence, she manned the proverbial 'helm' and took her commanding power a step further, entering all of their souls at once and beginning to subdue the power so that it would not overwhelm anyone.

However, the spillover from the excess energy that was created would reach far out into the Veritas Universe from the Veritas Planet, where a different part of Mugeniere was being channeled. The connection between herself was strengthened, but along with it came the powerful Symphony Of Souls which was coming from the Lightning God and the Instruments, as well as the other parties involved. This residual energy was its own catalyst as a byproduct of the initial activity... Or, perhaps, was cleverly disguised as something that didn't seem like it would be a catalyst for the activity way out in the depths of the Veritas Universe.

"Launch The Assault!" Mugeniere, the Commander, finally cried, relieving executive control to the version of herself that manned 'The Assault' far out in the Veritas Universe'.

All the while, Lord Bacon, the Hog Kaiser, felt the great energy that surged through him even itself out somehow among the Veritas Universe. He noticed the Commander's assistance rather swiftly after that, yet still continued to feed what seemed to be countless souls into the Zeppelin Bombs that were now being shipped into the beyond as opposed to down below, which should have been satisfied in the fleet.

"Thank you very much, Commander," he gratified humbly, "That power was far greater than I could have ever known. Without you here, who knows what could have gone awry with all such spiritual energies..." Lord Bacon did not doubt his own great power when it came to souls, but he surely knew of his limitations. As powerful as he was, he was no God, like the beings he served so humbly under, and unlike them, there came more defined limitations to his abilities. "It seems as though the task at hand has been appreciated to the next tier," he went on, looking up to the stars in the sky. "It has been an honor and a pleasure serving under you on this day, and should the task still remain incomplete, I hope to continue service until we have succeeded unto the goal."

Poetic as he was, Lord Bacon's spirit remained eager, and he felt the same in the souls of his men, who inhabited the various vessels. There were far more of them than he normally had the capacity to command alone, however more and more souls seemed to have poured in from places he was unsure of in order to accomplish the mission. It was quite possible that these extra souls were awarded to him for his great service, but it also could have been that the swine of different places he'd yet to commandeer insisted themselves upon his noble cause, feeling the patriotism among the other porcine souls, including his own. If it was voluntary, it would mean no less than if gifted, but the meaning would bear a different weight to him, considering the source would be completely different, despite the outcome being the same.

"Godspeed, men..." the Hog Kaiser uttered to himself, a sense of accomplishment filling him whilst he waited for whatever was to come next.

To the Instruments in the Dawn, it had become quite clear that they were never intended to guide all of the Zeppelin Bombs the entire time, but to hand them off to the other Instruments who were stationed in other places in the Veritas once they felt the connection was secure between them. That definitely made the job much lighter on them, and it made far more sense logistically, since there were so many more Zeppelin Bombs than just the Instruments stationed in the Dawn could handle alone.

With the power transference to the Data, the Zeppelin Bombs no longer came from the Dream, and therefore no longer needed to be ushered into the Delta from the Dawn. The mission, as it were, was complete, for the time being. At least, their portion of it. The connection between all of the souls involved, however, did not recede along with the completion of this part of the mission. In fact, it not only remained, but grew stronger, even without any direct interaction. The sense of accomplishment filled the Instruments of the Dawn, and they surely knew that they shared it with those of the Delta. In such emotion, they cheered as a form of valediction to punctuate the close of their part of the mission so far.

The roaring cheer of the Instruments would be followed by a precarious green bolt of lightning falling from the heavens, immediately striking Mugeniere, who was deemed the Commander of the project in the stead of the Lightning God, Kairo, who sent them all and orchestrated the entire mission. Immediately, she would feel the power of the Raigami coursing through her very being, unifying her with her predecessor, who bestowed the prized title of 'Raigami' unto her. To accompany that was this message, which everyone would be able to hear:

"People Of The Veritas. This Is The Lightning God, Kairo, Who Was Once Your Solitary Raigami. I Speak To You Today To Both Praise And Congratulate You On A Job Well-Done As Well As To Formally Coronate The New Raigami, Mugeniere. She Is Now Considered A 'Lightning Goddess' With The Same Responsibilities As I, The Original 'Lightning God'. In Tandem With The Verbal Coronation, She Is Also Being Bequeathed With The Great Honor Of Commanding The Dawn Branch Of The $yndicate, As Well As Subsequent Factions, As The 'Imperial General'. This Gives Her Entitlement To The 'Veritas Command System' And Makes Her A 'Commander' That Is Similar To Myself. Her Commands Are Law, Just As Mine Are, As Her Executions Now Have Seniority, Much As Mine Do. This Momentous Occasion Shall Be Further Celebrated Within The 'Dawn Security Forces' Headquarters In The Dawn, Where 'The Imperials', Which Are The Dawn Branch Of The $yndicate, Will Continue The Ceremony. Each Of You Is To Report There Along With The Other 'Dawn Villagers' Living Within The Central City Of The Dawn. With Great Honor, Joy, And Love, I Hereby Formally Bestow Executive Command Of The Dawn Over To The New Imperial General, Raigami Mugeniere."

After the speech, the green bolt of lightning's light faded from around Mugeniere, leaving with her the power of the Raigami and the eternally forged bond between them.

Just as spontaneous as the unfolding of the mission itself was the bolt of green lightning that came nearly immediately after its completion. The recognition and coronation from the preceding Raigami to the new Raigami, Mugeniere, filled the plasmatic entity with great emotion. "... Finally, It Seems Like I Have Earned This Title..." she muttered to herself with deep sentiment, "... And So Too With It, Another Honorific -- Imperial General." Though her expectation was to only become the Raigami, the added title of Imperial General was just as much a surprise as much of the other aspects of this mission, which she presumed that she handled to the liking of the previous Raigami, considering how highly he honored her before the Veritas. "I Humbly And Willfully Accept Your Blessings, Raigami, And Pledge To You That I Will Continue The Legacy Of The Raigami With Righteous Diligence." The vow she made in her heart matched her conviction, and with her new titles, she would proceed to lead the Instruments to the D.S.F. Headquarters.

"Lord Bacon," spoke the new Imperial General of the $yndicate, "Round Up The Dawn Branch Of The $yndicate As Well As The Dawn Villagers For The Celebration. I Will Take The Instruments." She was going to bolt off in a streak of blue lightning, but before moving too hastily, she would commend Lord Bacon. Turning to him, blue lightning body flickering, she saluted the Hog Kaiser, saying to him, "Again, You Have Served Your Nation Well. Impeccable As Always Since Your Cleansing, Lord Bacon. It Feels Like Only Yesterday That You Were Our Sworn Enemy, Invading With The Tainted Spirits Of Your Porcine Souls. Now, You Have Risen To Be Quite The Formidable Leader In The Veritas Task Force, And Your Militant Skills Have Been Put To Great Use. Thank You, You And Your Men, For Your Service. The Veritas Brigade Is More Than Happy To Have You On Our Side."

Finalizing the salute and leaving Lord Bacon, the Hog Kaiser, to his commands, the Imperial General bolted toward the D.S.F. Headquarters, leaving a blue bolt trail behind for the Instruments to follow.

Taking his praise just as seriously and generously as anything else, Lord Bacon stood at attention before the new Imperial General and Raigami. "Thank you, Mistress," he spoke humbly, knowing not to go into a long-winded patriotic speech, "The honor is surely all mine." Reminiscing on his first days in the Veritas as a militant invader, he was now so much greater than the swine he once was so long ago. Looking back on how far he'd come could have brought a tear to his void-like eyes, yet he looked up to the stars, where he knew the souls of his men were, uttering to them, "... We did it, men... We surely did." Lord Bacon took a moment to recognize the souls of the pigs, which were like the number of stars in the sky. Be they fodder, sacrifice, livestock, or any other of their very many purposes, they were all with him in spirit... And he was their leader.

"... Well, that's quite enough of all that, then," said Lord Bacon after a period of remembrance, "It is high time that I collect the Dawn Villagers and the Dawn Branch of the $yndicate, as per instruction." The Hog Kaiser walked off into the Crystal City Of Dawn, fulfilling his commands as per instruction.