Words did not exist that were strong enough to encapsulate Jaina's feelings. Across the harbor, on the other side of her watery wall, Jaina's mother readied for war. On this side, Sylvanas and Nathanos positioned their forces; archers and mages on the ridges and hills while the nearest available airship sped to their location, likely to arrive too late to help.

There were Alliance gunships in range, Jaina knew, but she didn't dare hope. Worse, there was a real possibility they'd turn their guns on the Horde.

It was like a powderkeg on thin ice with a lit fuse. One misfire, one too-eager mage or cannoneer, and there'd be war. War with Kul Tiras, and if Anduin didn't advertise his intentions soon, war with the Alliance.

To say nothing of what else might be going on unbeknownst to all of them; there were at least a dozen Horde merchantmen docked at or within range of Kaldrassil, Stormwind, or New Shattrath and an equal number of Alliance vessels near Horde ports. All it would take would be one nervous sailor or lookout and...

Maybe that had been the whole point of this. There had always been elements that hated the peace, that still wished to see one side or the other destroyed. Elements besides Nathanos and Genn, and old soldiers who'd never let the past go. Maybe something she should have paid more attention to.

"I can't believe she thinks you brainwashed me." Jaina turned her head towards Sylvanas, who was in the process of directing the positioning of repurposed plague launchers, refitted to unleash a new kind of fire that burned hotter on sea water. Perfect against ships. Jaina felt her stomach reel at the thought of Kul Tiran sails burning.

"I can." Sylvanas stepped towards her. "As far as your mother is concerned, I have bent you to my will. And you cannot tell me that such things were not discussed among the leaders of the Alliance and others of your friends. I'd be surprised if even Baine hadn't questioned it at least once."

"I see Baine nearly every week," Jaina pointed out.

"Yes, well, the man is obsessed with my cat. Forgive me if I occasionally doubt his judgement."

A smile ghosted across Jaina's face for a brief moment, before her eyes flitted out to sea. "Even if we can pull back from the brink, there are going to be a lot of questions and I don't know how I'm going to be able to assure everyone I'm of sound mind and not under duress."

Sylvanas merely shrugged. If she had more to say, Jaina didn't get a chance to hear it. Someone was shouting, and she spotted Tyra waving a spy glass and pointing towards the South. Jaina whipped her own out and peered through it. Distantly, she could see a pair of gunships approaching.

They were a newer design, faster and with less armor, but no less heavily armed. The things were destroyed with such frequency that Jaina reasoned they must have decided on speed and maneuverability over durability.

Slowly, she extended her glass to Sylvanas. The Warchief took it and zeroed in on the gunships. "What has the boy king decided, then?"

She snapped the glass shut and returned it to Jaina. "Nathanos, I want at least three guns trained on those ships, and a few mages as well. I will not be taken unprepared."

"They're moving north-northeast," Jaina said. "If they continue on that course they'll be positioned between the fleet and the shore."

"Well within range of Orgrimmar."

Jaina nodded, feeling ice spread through her veins. She almost didn't recognize her own voice. "Gunships are typically weakest at the junction where the engines are attached to the hull. Target that area and they'll go down faster."

Sylvanas studied her, then gestured for Nathanos to join them. Once he'd jogged over, she spoke. "Let us game this out. Option one; the Alliance backs Kul Tiras."

Closing her eyes, Jaina saw the consequences spreading out like a spiderweb. "The gunships will provide heavy air support, and they likely have marines on board. The ships at sea will bombard the shore, hoping to push us back far enough for troops to land."

"Many of those ships have large enough guns to batter Orgrimmar," Nathanos continued. His eyes locked onto Jaina. "They will attempt to weaken the shield, likely in a bid to draw our most powerful mages to reinforce it, and thus remove them from the battle proper."

"Our own reinforcements are not arriving as quickly as I'd like." Sylvanas folded her arms. "We are at a disadvantage. "

"I suggest we eliminate the gunships first." Nathanos said. "They are a major threat, and their wreckage will make it a lot more difficult for the Kul Tirans to land their troops."

"Not yet," Jaina said. "We're not going to attack the Alliance until we know for sure they're against us."

"Us." Nathanos lifted his head, looking down his nose at Jaina. "And how can we possibly trust you to not turn your magic on Horde soldiers the moment your mother and your people are in danger?"

Gods, but she wanted to punch Nathanos's nose in. Jaina gritted her teeth, resisting the urge to do so. Had he forgotten about her father? That she'd left him to die rather than harm innocents, when she'd had no ties to the Horde other than a tentative peace? She swept her arms out. "The Horde is my people, or have you lost the memo? They're the ones in danger of an unprovoked attack spurred by what is clearly misinformation."

This was madness. They'd barely recovered from Azshara, to say nothing of the Naga Queen still being out there, waiting. Was this her influence, at least in part? Either way, she must be laughing herself sick at us..

"I cannot believe you'd take up arms against your own kin. Warchief, I suggest we confine your consort to Orgrimmar until this battle is done."

"No." Sylvanas had not moved her eyes from the approaching gunships the entire argument. "We need her here. One does not stow away their most powerful weapon when they have need of it."

Magical energy made the hairs on Jaina's arm stand up, and she turned to face a forming portal.

A body emerged, nearly bouncing off of a magical barrier Jaina erected. Jaina immediately brought it down when she recognized Yukale. That… was probably a good sign, wasn't it, that it was her?

Out of the corner of her eye she could see Tyra edging closer, which meant the Kaldorei had Kalira's arrow aimed between her eyes.

Sylvanas gave Yukale a bored look. "Well? What says the cub?"

Very slowly, Yukale withdrew a rolled up, sealed message from her armor. She held it out but when Nathanos made to take it she pulled it away. "Nuh uh. Sylvanas only. King's orders."

Exchanging a wry look with her wife, Sylvanas took the message and broke the seal. Jaina could hear the gunship rotors now, but she only had eyes for Sylvanas's face as she read the missive.

Sylvanas rolled it back up. "It seems the Alliance repudiates the actions of Kul Tiras and offers the Horde any and all aid against the Lord Admiral."

"Are we sure it's not a trick?" Jaina found herself asking, earning a double take from both Nathanos and Yukale.

"Read for yourself."

Jaina took the message, opening it and scanning the writing. Anduin had written it himself, but he hadn't been the only one to sign it. There were ten signatures or seals. She recognized Alleria's large script, and - "Even Genn signed this."

"It appears Wrynn has a better handle on his people than I ever thought possible." It was a stark admission by Sylvanas, tinged by something that was almost, but not quite, respect.

The gunships began to angle for position above the docks, guns bristling as they were pointed out to sea. That ice returned to Jaina's veins, and she had to close her eyes as she asked her next question. "What other forces is the Alliance committing to the defense of Orgrimmar?"

"The 10th Legion is waiting to be teleported, along with one hundred sentinels."

Sentinels? Tyrande was ready to… If the Alliance fights their own… Their own, Jaina realized. Not our. She opened her eyes. "Warchief?"

Sylvanas said nothing, merely inclining her head to Jaina.

Great.

Jaina took a breath. "Report back to Anduin with the coordinates I'll give you for the Alliance to portal to. I won't put them into the immediate battle, but when Kul Tiras breaks through towards the city we'll need all the help we can get. The gunships aside, at least we can keep Alliance killing Alliance from happening until it's absolutely necessary."

"More for us," Tyra chimed in.

"If we're lucky, the Lord Admiral won't pitch the King's representative overboard and none of this will be necessary," Yukale said, taking a message Jaina hastily scribbled out for her to give to Anduin.

Looking exceedingly unhappy, Nathanos asked, "Who did he send?"

"King Greymane."

"Oh good," Jaina remarked, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Now we're definitely going to war."

"Jaina," Sylvanas said, waiting for the champion to return through the portal. "There's something I need to tell you."

With the rising of the sun, the first cannon-fire erupted from Kul Tiran battleships. The shield around Orgrimmar stood strong against the first few volleys, before the fleet began to fire on everything in range. Explosions rocked the beach and destroyed the dock, rocks and boulders rained down from the canyon cliffs above.

The Horde airship returned fire immediately, the delay from the Alliance gunships stretching on for far too many heartbeats before their guns opened up as well.

Jaina sent a wave of frost speeding along the water, freezing soldier-laden longboats with a thin layer of ice. A few soldiers attempting to continue on foot fell through almost immediately. Tidesages countered her spell, speeding the boats towards the shore as the fleet continued to soften it with their bombardment.

Magefire scorched across the ice, igniting one longboat, and then another. One of the battleships near the north side of the line exploded in a dazzling display of fire and smoke as a gunship found its mark.

The sound of splintering wood and screaming sailors reached Jaina's ears, and she thought of her father, of the Kul Tiran sailors who'd died under Horde steel, and Horde magic. It was Horde magic that sprung from her fingers, Horde fire that engulfed her mother's ship. Sharp, jagged Horde ice that crushed flesh and metal alike.

Her mother stood defiant even as the flames raged around her, and on another ship she could see Tandred at the helm and felt the sorrow he must feel.

"I'm sorry," Jaina whispered, her fire spreading from ship to ship until there was nothing left but ash and cinder.

Bolting upright, Jaina looked around as she realized she was in bed. Once her breathing returned to normal, she climbed out, a sudden focus and determination consuming her.

There had to be another way, there had to be a chance. Because Jaina was certain that one way or another, her people would be burning tomorrow.

Maybe it was the presence of the gunships or the Alliance troops positioned along the road to Orgrimmar, or maybe Genn did manage to break through to Jaina's mother, but no attack came from the Kul Tiran fleet that night, despite Jaina's nightmare.

They didn't move, but they didn't fire either, seemingly content to settle in for the night. Jaina suspected that her mother was attempting to sway Genn and some others to her side, or at least weighing her options. She was absolutely certain that Katherine had not believed her during the parlay and she was equally certain that war would come with the rising of the sun if she couldn't talk sense into her mother.

Getting any more sleep was a fool's errand. Jaina managed to burn two hours in the dead of night writing up contingency plans, and fifteen minutes chasing Varian down to shoo him through a portal to Thunder Bluff. A silly thing to worry about in a time like this, maybe, but fretting over her cat was easier than worrying about anything else. She was able to spend most of the rest of the hour organizing reagents and mana potions that were already in perfect order before she couldn't stand it anymore.

"Do you know," Jaina started, stepping out of the shadows inside her mother's cabin. "How badly I wanted some sign of your concern or caring, for so long? But not like this."

Katherine nearly dropped her mug, setting it down on a table and staring at Jaina. But Jaina didn't let her speak before she continued.

"You could have come to Dalaran. You could have sent a letter. I worked so hard to turn Theramore into something to be proud of, and then when that was taken from me, when I lost everything, you weren't there. If it hadn't been for Vereesa, I would have grieved alone. Theramore was home. More than Dalaran, more than Boralus. It was the home I built with sweat and tears and people I cared for."

"Jaina, I-"

"I'm speaking, mother, and you'll let me finish." Now that she'd started, Jaina didn't think she could stop. "I finally come back, and you reject me. You didn't even give me the courtesy of a proper audience, let alone a hug, or a hello, or I don't know, a trial. No, you let Ashvane take me away, knowing I'd probably be executed for it. You believed her over your own daughter. I deserved the courtesy of at least being heard out!"

Jaina flexed her fingers, calming herself and struggling to bring her voice back under control. "If Yukale and the other champions hadn't… made you see... I'd still be suffering in a hell of my own delusions and memories."

She'd been holding onto this for so long she felt drained now that she'd said it. Through the war and the years after, she'd buried those feelings, that anger and sadness and the broken heart of a daughter betrayed by her own mother.

"I never knew you felt that way." Katherine took a step forward, then stopped herself, her hand half stretched towards Jaina.

"Our family has always been experts at burying their emotions," Jaina admitted. "And I was just happy to have you back. And then the war and everything else, there was never really enough time to talk about it."

"I'm sorry."

And for the first time, Jaina believed it. She gave her mother a tired smile. "Turn the fleet around. I don't know what you've heard, or where you've heard it, but I'm fine."

"You have to understand-"

She resisted the urge to throw up her hands. "I can't believe how stupid this was! You're damn lucky you were wrong about Sylvanas' willingness to hurt me. Oh, yes, how shall we rescue Jaina from the treaty where any hostile action means a knife in her throat. I know! Let's invade Orgrimmar!"

Katherine studied Jaina's face. "Look me in the eyes and tell me that you're happy. That you're not being coerced, that she hasn't damaged your mind."

She lifted her chin, meeting her mother's eyes. "You have my word that I'm whole and happy. I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I've become part of the Horde. Sylvanas...trusts me. And loves me in her own way. Enough that she told me today that if anything ever happened to her, I would be Warchief."

Backing up until she could sink in a chair, Katherine looked like she'd just suffered a heart attack. Jaina supposed she couldn't blame her; she'd nearly had one herself.

"The other Horde leaders would never… Is that why you're here? As heir apparent?"

"They already have, and I'm here as your daughter and as someone who doesn't want another unnecessary war." Jaina was aware of the irony. "Please go. The Horde will let Anduin handle this as an internal matter on the condition we're allowed an observer. We don't need to let people bleed over this."

Katherine leaned forward, pressing her fingers to her temples. She looked, suddenly, like she was as old as her years, and twice as weary. "They sent Genn, you know. One stubborn, pig-headed old coot to deal with another stubborn, pig-headed old coot."

"I had some concerns about their choice in ambassador."

Lifting her head to look at her daughter, Katherine said. "The fleet will sail before the sun, and I'll face whatever judgement the High King decides. But I want you to know, Jaina. I would burn the world down for you and it would still never be enough to make up for everything."

Jaina stepped closer, kneeling on the deck and wrapping her arms around her mother. She didn't say it, but she thought that statement made Katherine and Sylvanas more alike than they realized. She knew in her heart that Sylvanas would burn the world down for her, too.

Katherine clung to her, and Jaina drew the hug out as long as she could before she knew she had to leave.

"I love you." She told her mother, before she teleported away to her bedroom. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness in the residence. She brushed her robes down and called out, "Sylvanas?"

Flicking her hand, Jaina attempted to light the candles, but nothing happened. She started feeling a buzzing sensation in the back of her head, and tried a more powerful spell.

Still nothing, as though a lid had been clamped down over her magic. Silently, Jaina drew the knife she kept hidden up her sleeve.

A voice echoed around the room and hallways. "Keep trying, but nothing will happen."

"Nathanos!" Jaina put her back to a wall, slowly, very slowly edging towards the door. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I spent months trying to discover a way into Suramar's vaults, only for the Naga to provide my Rangers with ample opportunity." It was impossible to tell where his voice was coming from, as it seemed to be amplified, echoing off walls and through doorways.

"...We never did find all the stolen relics."

It explained why she couldn't tap into her magic. They'd assumed Azshara simply couldn't risk leaving a magic dampener in the hands of her enemies; it would certainly have been useful in Nazjatar. But that theft had been years ago.

"Clever girl."

Jaina's grip tightened on the hilt of the blade as answers to many questions slid into place. How her mother had known about her private matters and yet been so ignorant of the broader picture. About Koltira. Why she'd believed the Wraith's Shadow project was still in existence. Rumors about her health and her treatment that had persisted long after she and Sylvanas had stopped being enemies. And how had the discrepancies in Kul Tiran shipyards never made their way to Orgrimmar, anyway, with Nathanos' infamously efficient little birds scattered all over the globe?

All the considerable might of the Alliance armies, brought to bear on Silithus while Ashenvale started to burn...

She sensed movement, but still could not tell where it was coming from. "What happened to your undying loyalty to the Dark Lady?"

"I do this for her. For the Forsaken. For the Horde. Your poisonous influence ends tonight, and the Alliance falls tomorrow."

Something whistled through the darkness and the impact of arrow on flesh reverberated through her bones.