As Pavo City fell, the Kylian war council chamber in the Kylian capital building was a place of madness. Maps covered the long oak table, marked with lines and strategic placements. A large, complex relief map of the continent dominated one wall, the territory of Hyrule, a brooding, dark shape across the vast distance to the east.
Queen Kylia sat at the head of the table. Around her sat her most trusted advisors and generals: General Odin, the seasoned commander of the Blue Army; Admiral Viysʹkovo, the brilliant mind behind the Kylian Navy; and President Zoloti, the pragmatic head of the Kylian Council.
"Gentlemen, Admiral," Kylia began, her voice clear and devoid of unnecessary emotion, "we are here to discuss the ongoing campaign against Hyrule. Let us not mince words. Despite their medieval technology, they are proving a stubborn and geographically challenging foe. Odin, update us on the enemy's borders."
General Odin, with a face etched with the lines of countless campaigns, stepped forward. "Your Majesty, the primary obstacle remains the West Trench River to our east. As intelligence reports confirmed, it is indeed hundreds of meters deep and kilometers wide. An insurmountable barrier to any conventional ground assault from our main territory." He gestured to the map. "Furthermore, this same chasm forms their northern border, except for a narrow, impassable stretch of mountains and volcanic terrain, and their southwestern border, making flanking maneuvers via the canyon equally impossible."
Admiral Viysʹkovo added, "To the east, Your Majesty, their border is also defined by formidable mountain ranges. Any land forces attempting passage there would face extreme terrain and easily defensible passes."
"And to the south?" Kylia prompted.
"Desert, Your Majesty," Odin replied grimly. "Vast, arid wasteland. Traversing it would be a logistical nightmare and expose forces to the elements and potential Hylian ambushes."
Kylia leaned back. "So, while Hyrule technically borders us to the east, yet entirely surrounded by natural barriers – a colossal canyon, high mountains, impassable volcanic regions, and a desert. A fortress continent."
President Zoloti spoke next, his expression serious. "Beyond the geography, Your Majesty, our allies surrounding Hyrule are struggling. While they nominally contain the enemy, they are primarily focused on defending their own borders from Hylian incursions. They lack the infrastructure, the production capabilities, and frankly, the food, to support our army or navy in any meaningful way should we deploy within their territories. We cannot rely on them for supplies or staging grounds."
"Which brings us to logistics," Kylia said, looking at Zoloti and Viysʹkovo. "The sheer distances are staggering. Thousands of kilometers to even reach a potential ingress point. Admiral Viysʹkovo, your navy is preeminent, but the voyage?"
Admiral Viysʹkovo nodded. "Our ships are superior in every way – speed, armor, firepower. But we must circumnavigate the entire continent. There are no adequate deep-water ports anywhere near Hyrule, save for our own. Any forward operating bases would have to be constructed from scratch under hostile conditions. It is a voyage measured in weeks, if not months, just to position our fleet."
"And winter is coming," Odin added, stating the obvious but ominous fact. "Any campaign launched now will have to contend with extreme cold, snow, and ice across vast distances."
Kylia let the silence hang for a moment, the weight of the problems pressing down. "So, the enemy is isolated by geography, our allies are useless as logistical partners, the distances are immense, we lack forward bases, and winter is upon us. A formidable list of disadvantages."
She then straightened, a flicker of determination in her eyes. "But we have advantages, significant ones. Hyrule cannot cross the canyon to attack us. Our eastern border is secure. Admiral Viysʹkovo, your navy is uncontested. They have no meaningful naval force."
Viysʹkovo nodded proudly. "None that could challenge even a single one of our Sixth Rate Ships, Your Majesty."
"General Odin," Kylia continued, "their military technology is, generously, primitive. Bows, spears, swords, basic fortifications. Ours is superior. We possess firearms, machine guns, and light artillery. A battalion of our Blue Army has the firepower to neutralize a Hylian battalion in open combat."
"Our personnel numbers are roughly equal," Odin confirmed, "but our individual soldiers are exponentially more effective due to our equipment and training."
"Precisely," Kylia said. "We cannot fight this war conventionally, trying to brute-force our way through mountains or across deserts. We must leverage our strengths against their weaknesses. President Zoloti, outline the plan you Odin and Viys'kovo came up with."
Zoloti unrolled another map, this one marked with potential routes and deployment zones. "Uh… our strategy hinges on technological dominance and forcibly bypassing their natural defenses.
Kylia: Face palm
"Firstly, Technological Dominance. The West Trench River to the east, their seemingly impassable barrier, is irrelevant to our airship. We can deploy our single airship allowing us to cross the chasm in hours. This provides a direct path into the Hyrulean heartland for reconnaissance and potentially airborne troop deployment or targeted strikes."
"'That is a huge single point of failure, what if weather conditions caused the Korona to crash, then we'll be screwed.'" Kylia thought as Zoloti explained.
He pointed to various points on the map. "Our ground forces, once deployed, will rely on our Artillery and Firearms. We will not engage their numerical strength head-on where possible, but shatter their formations with overwhelming firepower. Rifles, machine guns, and light artillery will decimate their ranks before they can close to engage with medieval weapons."
"'And how the hell should we deal with the Hylian elite?! While our weapons are good for defeating conventional armies, against Hyrule's elite they are ineffective. Do they expect just me against dozens of Hyrule's most powerful warriors?!'" Kylia joked in her head.
Admiral Viysʹkovo took over. "Naval Blockade and Coastal Assault. While the voyage is long, our navy can reach Hyrule's distant coasts. We will establish a total Blockade of any Key Ports they might possess, severing any maritime supply lines – however limited they may be. More critically, we identified that small, non-canyon portion of their northern border near the northeast coast. It is rough, difficult terrain, but not impassable like the rest of the north. We will utilize this as our primary Northern Coastal Landing point. Our ships provide invaluable offshore artillery support for the landing force, softening any Hylian defenses they might concentrate there."
"'That is a year's journey, on the other side of the continent! Even if we do land, we won't be able to maintain a foot hold. Does he really think our navy is strong enough to support continent spanning operations?! Kylia internally screamed.
General Odin picked up the explanation. "Specialized Units are being trained and equipped. We are forming Desert and Mountain Corps with lightweight gear, new climbing tools, and utilizing regional knowledge – even employing camels – to traverse the otherwise impassable southern and western regions for strategic harassment and intelligence gathering, though not large-scale invasion.
"'This is getting me Afghanistan vibes.'" Kylia mentally rolled her eyes.
President Zoloti returned to logistics. "Logistical Solutions are paramount, given the distances and lack of allied help. We understand the port issue. We are readying engineering corps to construct Forward Supply Bases, temporary ports and fortified depots along the naval route and at the northern landing zone. These will be crude initially but vital for shortening supply lines and refueling. For Winter Preparedness, we have commissioned vast stockpiles of insulated uniforms, high-calorie canned rations, and portable coal heaters. Our forces will be better equipped to endure the cold than the Hylians, for whom winter is a natural part of the year but still brings hardship."
"'Okay, it's a bit idealistic, but what about our allies?'" Kylia puzzled over.
"Finally," Zoloti concluded, "we will employ Asymmetric Warfare. Our intelligence network, small but effective, will intensify Espionage and Sabotage efforts within Hyrule – disrupting food supplies, sowing discord, and damaging infrastructure. We will also utilize our allies, not for their military aid, but for Alliance Coordination – their limited presence can provide vital intelligence reports and harassing Guerrilla Support in their border regions, tying down Hylian forces that might otherwise reinforce our primary objectives."
Kylia's eyes widened in shock as her mind processed the spoken words. "'A Rohati would surely stand out in any places that Hylians regard as important! Their sheika are formidable counterintelligence. Sending intelligence officers into such an environment would be suicidal!'"
Kylia looked at each of them, her gaze sharp as steel. "You have all outlined a plan of boldness and ingenuity, but I see some major idealization going on. You place our hopes on a single airship, a handful of hastily built bases, and the assumption that our technology will always outpace Hyrule's magic and resolve. You ask our soldiers to march into the teeth of winter, across enemy territory, with supply lines stretched thin. This is not strategy—it is bravado."
A tense silence fell. Odin bristled, but Kylia pressed on, her tone measured but unyielding. "You speak of our allies as liabilities, yet you would rather risk our entire expeditionary force on foreign shores with no support, march through a freaking desert, climb mountains than accept the slower, steadier path through their lands. Yes, their infrastructure is weak to the point of nonexistent. Yes, they are hungry and harried. But they are not without value. We forget: every kilometer our supply lines run through allied territory is a kilometer not exposed to Hylian raiders or the unknowns of the wild."
She tapped the map, tracing a route along the borders of the Valor States. "We will not launch ourselves blindly at Hyrule's walls. Instead, we will reinforce and supply our allies. We will share our technology—rifles, farming equipment, even factories—so they can hold their borders and, in time, strike with us as equals. Our engineers will help them build roads, depots, and rail lines. Our doctors will tend their wounded. In return, they will grant us right of passage, local guides, and a secure rear for our armies."
Admiral Viysʹkovo frowned. "But, Your Majesty, the distances—"
"—are long, yes," Kylia interrupted, "but they are at least in friendly hands. We can stockpile supplies in their cities, train their militias, and create a true coalition. With thousands more and a secure rear we can then launch a proper invasion of Hyrule, preferable through the occupied State of Sovi."
She looked to President Zoloti. "I will negotiate with the Alliance. Offer them the tools and knowledge to defend themselves—and to fight beside us. Admiral, prepare the navy to escort convoys, not just warships. General Odin, draw up plans for a joint force. I want a Brigade in both Rosa and Viskov City to defend and counterattack the ongoing Hylian offensive."
Kylia's voice softened, but her eyes blazed with conviction. " The Kingdom has come a long way since its humble beginnings, yet we cannot afford to be complacent. Recent victories have elevated our arrogance, believing that we are alone invincible, but this is the worst time for such thinking. We are amidst a World War. An opportunity presents us to replace the previous hegemony, Hyrule, and become an empire. Our selflessness will later inspire those from our allies to join us. Or risk losing it all in a selfish ignorance. Becoming just as despised as our previous oppressors, the Hylians. It is amicable that we both make less risky choices and make more friends, agreed?"
The council sat in stunned silence, the audacity of her vision settling over them. Then, slowly, one by one, they nodded.
"Yes, Your Majesty."