Chapter Seventy-One: Stratocracy

We had some time to kill while Louise did her duty, and we spent most of it reviewing our logistics. It seems that Julie had wasted no time or money holding out for the Assembly to act. She had ordered up even more guns and ammo on our own dime for use in the Army, as well as uniforms, boots and other essentials.

It was a gamble, simply because it would have bankrupted us in three months along with the upkeep on existing forces. The rest of our money was already spent, owed back to us by the state. We would need to kill some rich men and take their money very soon, or the well would run dry.

Either way, we had more guns than Peacekeepers, so it became a question of who we gave the guns to.

A lot of our troops had received training on either firelances or cannon, in preparation for the day everyone would have one. Which units would receive what troops, that sort of thing. Either way, we now had enough guns for twenty thousand, including all our mounted troops. The Republican Guard even got them, albeit with engraving and finery.

This took some time. The generals each wanted units they had formerly commanded within the Free Army to be armed, or even that the weapons be sold to Jader and the Grey Wardens at a premium to fund more and bigger ones.

But, as the minutes turned to hours, and each matter was resolved one by one, it was increasingly obvious that Louise had failed. No one said anything about it. No one dared. There wasn't a mirror around, but I'm absolutely sure you could read my stormy thoughts all over my face.

Just keep patient, I thought to myself against every instinct, the Chancellor will give in. Velarana will see the madness about to swallow us all. She'll see we need to strike first. She'll give me the freedom of action to do what we need to. She'll step aside.

I was fully aware that I was being a moron, but the alternative was just so terrible to me.

Eventually, the tension grew too thick in the room, and I called a break. The generals dispersed to speak with other members of the general staff, officers we had appointed to run the 'Nine Military Functions' in consultation with the High Command. Most of them, appropriately enough, were former marhsals or seneschals of other noble lords. They weren't likely to oppose Valkyrie, I realised, nor to restrain themselves from putting pressure on.

But it was only when Aurelia approached me that I truly felt the dread pressing down on me. Her question did not help matters.

"What happened to you?" she asked.

I gulped down the lump in my throat, suppressing my panic.

"What do you mean?" I asked, pretending to look at the map in front of me distractedly.

"You look angry enough to tear a man limb-from-limb," Aurelia said, "The blood doesn't help, of course, but it would be obvious even without it. Of course, that's why you haven't cleaned up properly, isn't it? You want everyone to know."

I stood up straighter, wondering if that's really how I looked. I guess with all that had happened, the rage really hadn't subsided. I had bottled it up for future use against someone worthy of it, but it was leaking out.

I knew this was dangerous. Bad shit happened to people I had fought alongside in the past, and they had lost themselves in fear or rage as well. The trauma of their combat experiences changing their brain chemistry, and ultimately, their lives. Of course, what I had gone through wasn't exactly the same, but my brain had been exposed to great heights of both pain and pleasure, anger and ecstasy.

Every exhaled breath felt as hot as a furnace, every inhaled one was a struggle, and I only understood at that moment. The urge to grab Mariette, find somewhere and imbibe that fucking drug rose out of my bones, filling me. I kicked it back down as viciously as I could.

I needed to tell someone.

"Okay, I'll tell you," I said, "I wanted to wait until I had Julie, Tam, Mariette, you... maybe Louise too, in a quiet place. But I can't wait. I need to tell someone."

So I explained what happened. Beaten, blackmailed, drugged, used as a breeding piece, watched the fear in my subordinates' eyes as the threats turned from me to them.

Aurelia was aghast, and she took my hand, squeezing it. The level of intimacy we had was barely above small pecks on the lips, but this felt like more than that.

"I failed you," she said, "Our friend in the Fade warned there would be a fourth bloodline. She told me to prevent it at all costs. I tried to, but... I did not imagine anyone would force you to... I should have thought..."

"Our friend in the Fade could also have told you it could happen," I pointed out, "She either doesn't see things as clearly as she pretends or she's lying."

"It's the largest factor in the future civil war," Aurelia said, "Now that it has happened, that war is almost certain to take place."

I bit my lip. "I have war enough to think about in the present, never mind the far-future," I said, "Besides, it isn't a done deal just yet. Mariette said she'll... deal with it. The 'fourth bloodline' isn't going to come into existence."

Aurelia seemed to physically relax at that news, though I knew she would be seeking verification from the source on the matter.

"No wonder you are boiling over with rage," she continued, "You have all this, and the burden of our security to carry on your shoulders. Perhaps Valkyrie is a mistake after all. It may break you."

This from the silent backer of Soprano on the matter was quite something.

I shrugged. "I feel bettter having told someone," I replied, "Besides, maybe there'll be a miracle. Maybe the Chancellor will let me speak to the Assembly, or just declare war herself."

Of course, we should have foreseen Velarana's true agenda.

As we finished up, the baby began to kick. Aurelia's kid seemed to kick a whole lot more than the others, and did so especially when I was in earshot. She guided my hand to the spot. It calmed me down a whole lot. It also focused my attention on the requirements of the moment. Fuck the recent past. There was work to be done.

I had made a decision of sorts by the time Louise walked in, her mask off and her face crestfallen.

The High Command reassembled, and the head of the Republican Guard began to speak.

"They would not even let me inside," Louise stated in disbelief, "They took a message to the Chancellor herself in the chamber. Velarana sent that dog of a Minister of Police out to talk to me. Gave me a speech about interference of the military in the political realm. It was the Chancellors words out of his mouth."

She placed her skull-mask down on the table and leaned her weight forward on her palms.

"I drew my sword, Marquis," she said, "Swung at him. Would have cut the bastard in half, but he had a barrier up and managed to get away. I'm sorry."

Soprano snorted with amusement, approving of the violent action. Such an incident would've been seen by a whole contingent of the Marines, and would've made it back to Velarana. She now knew that the military was ready to mutiny.

So there was no choice.

"Eyes up, General," I said to Louise, "It was not your fault. The Chancellor is testing us. You failed only a minor part of her evaluation, and I'm not going to let you be punished for playing your part in her game." After all, it was a toss up between Louise was the most aggressive commander in our ranks after Soprano.

I looked at the expectant faces of the staff around me. Not just the generals, but the headquarters personnel too. They all waited for the fateful command. And by now, I know I wanted to give it.

"Do I have your support?" I asked, simply but loudly, "To end this madness?"

No one said a word. No one expected to be given the choice. I could not imagine not giving it to them. That they would follow blindly was an uncomfortable reality for me, and I did not need blind obedience regardless.

Soprano was the one who answered. Eventually.

"Sir, I think I speak for many of us when I say this," she stated, "And I have said it before, most of it."

"Rule by the people and for the people is the greatest force for good. But the people need a protector. For myself, you are that person. We can trust no one else. They were born into the tyranny of this world, corrupted by it. You were born free. You know the value of that freedom."

She paused, as if to gather her thoughts.

"I'm an elf," she continued, "We elvhen had no nation of our own. Humans have many, and they guard them jealously. I hope that Troy could become our nation, and that we would share it as zealously as human realms withhold theirs. The Marquise is the only human I'd ever vote for Chancellor, but I can live with humans. I have lived with them all my life, for better or worse."

"But there's a problem, one the Chancellor is right about," she continued, "The other realms don't respect us. They are just like the gangsters and pimps I have fought before all this, but with more delusions of grandeur."

"They won't respect you unless you play their game. They heed only people like them, and violence like theirs. We need someone with the power of command that they have. And it has to be a human, not an elf."

"You are our Imperator," Soprano said gravely, "Take command of us, and save our dream."

"Save the Republic."

And so with the outpouring of feeling about our journey finally expressed, Soprano went quiet, closed her eyes and lowered her head.

I was touched by this to the bottom of my heart. It was so easy to forget the hopes and dreams of everyone who had followed us were tied up in what I had done. Or rather, what I had sparked off through simply existing.

I cannot give myself much credit, to be honest. Julie is the reason my words and ideas, those of Earth's Western civilisation, propagated. Tam is the reason it had coalesced into an ideal of nationhood, when things looked darkest, our exile to Ferelden looming over us.

"I have your vote at least," I joked warmly back to Soprano, getting a smirk in return, "What about the rest of you?"

The rest of the headquarters all looked to Mike for the answer. She was the most opposed to the whole affair. We needed unanimous consent of the command staff. And she wasn't shy about making her reservations known.

"It depends on what saving the Republic means," Mike said flatly, "Soprano called you Imperator. That is a little too close to Empereur for me. We come from Orlais, most of us. That title means absolute control in the hands of one person. I didn't fight all that only to live under it again."

I nodded my head. I didn't want that either. Especially not when it was me doing the ruling.

"Nor did I fight to take it for myself either," I agreed, "The Chancellor refused to let us give the Assembly the required information. She hasn't called elections to break the deadlock. She has broken her own oath of office. There aren't any rules for what happens now."

"So we make it up as we go along?" Mike asked, "That is incredibly dangerous."

"It is, or would be if that was the plan," I replied, "We're going to take the immediate business of the war out of her hands. We're going to take control of government while the Assembly finishes the main thing it was elected to do; create the Constitution. And when that's done, we're going to have elections."

"Wartime elections..." Mike said, "We have eluvians, but..."

"If we pull it off, it'll be proof that democracy is strong enough to survive this world," I added in support of my previous argument, "There was a similar situation on Earth..."

"American Civil War," Mike agreed, recalling her own studies of my library, "Lincoln versus McClellan."

"Either way, you know my intentions now," I said, "I like to think you would take me at my word. And if I go back on it for reasons you don't like, you can always shoot me."

Mike considered for a moment, eyes scanning the room. Clearly she saw the irresistible force gathered there, as I did. She sighed, then smiled.

"I will," she said with absolute honesty, "You can count on that. But for now, you can also count on my support. Our support, even."

A roar of approval went up from the entire room.

"Soprano, initiate Plan Valkyrie," I commanded, "Get the troops out of the barracks and to the armouries. Issue ammunition and field rations. Begin mustering the Logistics Corps and reform the demobilised regiments as we discussed earlier."

I turned to Louise and Mike.

"Take the cavalry and dragoon brigades to the docks," I commanded, "Seize the seaside forts from the Navy and bring me Fisher. Somehow, I doubt he's amused with the Assembly's bullshit either, but we can't assume he's on our side just yet. Try not to kill anyone."

The two saluted.

"Marcus, take the Foreign Legion through the eluvians to Fort Gibraltar and scope out the Alba," I said, "I want to cross that river. If the enemy have a pontoon already up, I want that. If not, I want to know if you can freeze the water or boil it away enough for us to march across. Hercinia's mercs aren't going to have anywhere near enough Templars to stop you."

"The rest of my own brigade will surround the Capitoline and Martian hills to isolate them from the rest of the city."

Marcus made no sign of his feelings on the matter.

"McNulty, I'm taking the entire Grenadier Brigade with me to the Capitoline, along with a Ranger regiment. We're going straight at the Marines in a show of force. Unless they're completely stupid, they won't shoot."

McNulty winced, but gave a single nod as acknowledgement.

"One last thing," I concluded, "All weapons bar one are to be unloaded throughout the operation to the Assembly. I don't even want the possibility of stupidity here. If the Marines start shooting, we retreat, take cover, and only then worry about shooting back. My weapon will be loaded anyway, so they'll regret it immediately if they do."

Soon enough, I was atop Bellona opposite the bridge between the hills, in the midst of the 5th Regiment of Infantry, the original Rangers. The Grenadiers, all two thousand four hundred of them, were behind, in column.

I was in full view of most of the city, in fact, perched where I was. Not for the first time. I had ridden around the Mont de Mars twice by now, to assure the public saw that I was alive... and to see the blood. The Marines across the bridge also got a good look at me, gore-streaked as I was. Once that was done, I washed and changed. There were two people of all I wanted to hide the blood from, and they were in the Assembly.

Yet I still felt the ghost of the ichor on my skin.

In the two hours past, my troops had seized control. In fact, what was originally supposed to be twenty thousand turned into the full might of the former Free Army, as the facts were spread by the moving platoons. Once more, the pikes, swords and spears came out of retirement.

Those with orders continued to their objectives. Camp Jerusalem, where many of the newcomers were living before their houses were built, was secured without trouble. The forts and docks were too, though there were scuffles here and there over it. Nothing worse than rifle-butts though. As the forts where were we stored most of our cannon, the remaining fleet was now at our mercy too.

Those without orders continued in throngs to surround the Capitoline and Mont de Mars with their melee weapons, to watch the show or help if required. The Marines saw this coming, and the gathering of the Grenadiers across the bridge, and had pulled back from their original perimeter, instead gathering at four points, in front of the doors of the Assembly.

By now, the sun was beginning its long summer descent.

I had wanted Louise to bring back Fisher, but time was running out.

"Rangers, forward!" I commanded, "Double time!"

The Rangers, rushed across the bridge in a great wave, moving to secure the other side and take the government outbuildings. The Marines perhaps could have taken them to resist us, though they likely didn't knowing that we had artillery to bring to bear otherwise. Soprano's original regiment were specialists at irregular, 'modern' fighting, and so were perfect for the role.

The Marines began drawing up a battle line opposite the bridge on their side, but by the time that was complete, the bulk of the Rangers were already in the buildings or generally in cover, aiming out at them. To the credit of the Jaderites, they did not so much as flinch, simply moving wooden barricades across for some added protection but otherwise keeping steady.

No sign of surrender yet, I noted.

With a sigh, I nodded to McNulty and took my place at the head of the column of Grenadiers.

The regimental band, stationed in a long line at the edge of the formation, struck up the British Grenadiers at the quickmarch, and forward we went across the bridge. The wood underneath groaned and ached, but stood. The troops sang a single verse in Common, one McNulty picked for the occasion.

When we are commanded to storm the palisades,
Our leaders march with fusils, and we with hand grenades,
We throw them from the glacis, about the enemies' ears,
With a tow, row, row, row, row, row, from the Trojan Grenadiers!

Almost all of the Grenadiers are human, given the height requirement of six foot or more. The song was easily loud enough to silence anyone else trying to speak, and more humans speak Common than elves do in Orlais. Sailors almost all do. The Jaderites understood.

To say the Marines were demoralised by the display is difficult. They didn't move. Most of them were very far from six foot high, and they were outnumbered three to one. But at the same time, they were Marines.

The music if not the lyrics continued to repeat as the long column made its way past the outbuildings to the square in front of the Assembly's main doors, floating on the summer air. The entire city could likely hear it.

The Grenadiers moved in perfect choreography, the fruit of many weeks training in the line-of-battle and column-of-march. The long formation converted itself into a wide one, three men deep, spreading effortlessly to bring the maximum number of firelances and bayonets to bear on the Marines.

But eventually, when everyone was in position, when the ranks were in place and ready, the drums stopped and nothing but the breeze coming off the bay disturbed the air. It was a staring contest for a good few minutes, though thankfully not over the barrels of firelances.

My turn.

I rode through a gap until I was about half way between our line and that of the Marines, trying my best to look calm. Those men of Jader in front of me could have killed me easily.

I cleared my throat.

"I have information for the Assembly," I called out, "Stand down!"

No answer came, and the Marines neither cocked their own weapons to fire or moved an inch. The sense of vertigo which comes with inevitability began to creep onto me. I raised my hand and dropped it again, the signal for the next display of intimidation.

"Cold steel," I said into the mouthpiece of my radio headset, for clarity if anything else.

The order trickled down the line, and the entirety of the Grenadiers levelled the weapons, not from their shoulders to fire, but from their hips to use their blades. The weapons weren't loaded in the first place. I was greatly satisfied with the coordination of the move, as the great phalanx of bayonets prepared to roll forward.

"HOURRA! HOURRA! HOURRA!" they shouted at the top of their voice.

The sergeants now gave the order to advance.

"PAS RALENTI!"

"MARCHEZ!"

The drums beat the slow march, the fifes staying silent, as the troops made their way steadily across the remaining space. A wall of bayonets advanced, tantalising the slaughter to come if it should meet the men standing between it and the gates.

Finally, the Marines got visibly nervous, which is almost as much the point of a bayonet as the tip or the blade. The younger ones began loading, which of course gave away the game that their fellows' weapons were unloaded too.

Worse, the Marines weren't issued with bayonets of their own; they were too long for the close-confines of a ship, cutlasses and daggers were preferred. That was something I had objected to, as I fully expected the Marines to be on the line in battle with my soldiers at some point, but Fisher Senior had overruled me.

Thirty yards. The rest of the Marines begin loading. I begin to itch, trying to calculate just how many of them will succeed.

Twenty. Some of the opposition drop their ramrods and weapons, and draw the aforementioned cutlasses. But too many are still loading. I complete my rough calculation. About a third will be ready to fire before they're stopped.

Ten. The other line is either brandishing their curved swords and shouting at ours, or fiddling with their powder flasks to prime their firelances, the last step. I nudge Bellona to turn slightly, and bring my own firelance to my shoulder over the heads of my own troops, who have already passed me.

"Hold!" came a voice from behind, followed by the woman herself, "Let them through!"

I almost squeezed my trigger by accident in surprise, before the change in attitude of my targets was clear to me.

It was Marable of all people, former leader of the Isolationist mages and now Minister of Magic. Wise choice on the part of the Chancellor. A neutral party, of sorts. Also one of the few older people we had, being in her sixties, which lent some measure of restraint and respect towards her from everyone else.

The Marines did as they were told, and our people moved forward to grab their weapons. The entire lot were captured. I put the safety on my weapon, slung it, and rode forward towards where Marable was coming through the commotion.

"Just in time, Madame Minister," I said to her as I approached, "At least you'll be remembered well in the history books, assuming we win the coming war. You just saved the lives of at least eight hundred people."

"I don't care what history thinks of me, and I don't think you will be remembered well either," Marable replied, "Taking up arms against your own countrymen. Have you no shame?"

"I'm going to need to abandon that if I'm going to save all your asses from the large spikes our enemies are getting ready for them," I shrugged, "Better that you're alive but hate me, than dead but respecting me. I have kids on the way, they're going to need a safe home."

"Your concern for our safety is unconvincing," Marable said, acidic, "I think you want a crown. I think the way this world is offends you, and that you reckon you know better. Perhaps you do, but that doesn't give you the right. But unfortunately for me, it seems others disagree. The Chancellor formally invites you to join her in the chamber."

"I don't need her invitation, as you can see," I said, indicating to my troops around me, "But I graciously accept nonetheless."

A party of soldiers led by McNulty escorted me through the sidehalls of the Assembly; the main doors leading directly outside had been barred from within. With me came the national colours, my UN banner and the regimental banner of the Grenadiers.

It was an uncomfortable moment. My nerves flared back up, and the need for the Silk scratched behind my eyes in reply, but still, I marched on. I was about to do something I promised I wouldn't.

With each passing second of the journey, the sound of argument from our destination grew. Of course, the legislative offices were between the corridor and the Assembly chamber itself, so we couldn't make out any distinct words. If I had to guess, it was probably questions directed at the Chancellor about just what the hell was going on.

Finally, we made it to the north-east interior entrance. Two Marines stood guard here, still armed, but stood aside and saluted as we approached. How much of that was a command and how much of it was respect, I could not help but wonder.

The doors were flung open, violently.

The Grenadiers proceeded inside, McNulty moving to the very centre of the hemicycle with two of them.

Next, the national colours were trooped through the aisles, moving to the centre, then breaking off and moving down each of them.

And finally, I made my way through, four Grenadiers at my back, my firelance in my hand.

The Chamber was now quiet enough to hear a pin drop, although half the members were on their feet. All were staring. Julie, Tam, Ciara from the middle. Velarana from the speaker's rostra, where the judge's table had been for the trial of Anders.

For the moment, I didn't care about the politics. I rushed straight down to the middle of the hemicycle, kissed Tam and Julie. Seeing them was a great salve for all the woes weighing down on me. We huddled together in a hug that probably lasted too long.

"Missed you," I said quietly, although the entire chamber was probably silent enough to hear.

"Knew you were coming back," Julie smiled back, her eyes watering up.

"What took you so long," Tam frowned, albeit not seriously, "You could've missed... well..."

She was referring to the birth of my children, that is. My heart clenched.

"Somehow, I think I'll be missing that anyway," I replied sadly.

"Sam," Armen said, standing up from his place with Ciara. The Libertarian throng behind them all stood up too.

"Still alive," I replied, "Battered and bruised, inside and out, but alive."

Tam brought me in again, inspecting me as best she could, which was thankfully less intrusive than her usual.

It was silent again, for another minute. Until the Chancellor spoke at last.

"Marquis, my apologies for the trouble you had in entering. I thought your return was a ruse by the generals to destroy this government."

The Chancellor awaited my answer the same way she always did, like a teacher awaiting a student's answer. Except there was something else in her eyes. They were more awake than usual.

Bullshit! Complete bullshit! I wanted to say as much too, but I suspect that would've put more pressure on the historians than is likely necessary. So I was polite.

"I doubt that," I declared, "Your Minister for Police even refused the entrance of the General de Villars, even though she is an elected member of this assembly. She is now leading her regiment to Fort Terrible and Fort Mort to secure the docks."

Murmurs went up.

"Sam... what do you mean?" Julie said beside me, articulating the question on everyone's mind. I couldn't meet her eyes.

"It has become clear that this Assembly has failed in its primary missions," I declared, "You were elected to do two things. Run the affairs of the country, and write a Constitution. I think it's clear now that the two duties are getting in the way of each other."

I broke out of the hemicycle and climbed up onto the rostra. The Chancellor withdrew, joining Julie and Tam where I had been. Leha and Fisher Junior, the entire civilian cabinet did too in fact. Good.

Rather than going to the speaker's lectern, I moved to the seat of the Chancellor and sat down. As casually as can be. The manner of my sitting there did not help as I had hoped.

The entire Assembly burst into complaint, and I recoiled slightly. What a racket. The Libertarians, Lucrosians and Jaderites competed to be loudest, whereas the Aequitarians were much more subdued. That was strange, I thought. I couldn't bear to look to see if Julie's voice was among them.

In response to the outburst, my soldiers began slamming the butts of their firelances onto the floor. More of them had filed in unnoticed.

The rhythm was imperceptible at first, impossible to hear over the ruckus. But slowly but surely, starting at the edge of the hemicycle and working its way forwards, notice of the thump-thump-thump spread. Until nothing else could be heard.

The soldiers were using the only voice they had, denied of an election; that of their weapons. Thankfully, they did so peacefully. For now.

"I have learned of a vast conspiracy between the Marcher states, the Qun, the Armada, Antiva and Nevarra, among others," I stated, "A conspiracy to destroy us."

I reached underneath my kevlar and pulled out the stack of Ianto's letters.

"Here is the proof. Letters between Ianto of the Armada and the realms. He acted as a go-between, revenge for our seizure of his ships and the deaths of his people. He organised the conferences that created this... Coalition."

That had a lot of people very interested. I finally glanced at Julie and Tam. The former was most interested of all. The latter was outwardly passive, but listening intently.

"When I returned, I sent word of all this to the Chancellor with General de Villars," I continued, "Yet the General was still refused. What's more, I received word that the government had lost formal votes in this Assembly, yet elections have not been called."

"We can't have an election in the middle of a crisis!" came a cry from the Jaderite section. The exact owner of the voice I didn't catch.

"You can't deny the military from giving crucial information to the Assembly either!" I snapped back, at the top of my voice, "This Assembly has failed both of its duties. We are still without a completed constitution, which would settle the rules for elections and who gets to come into the Assembly. And, we are still paralysed by doubt over war."

I placed both my hands on the arms of the Chancellor's chair... perhaps throne is a better description.

"As Commanding-General of the Army, I can't accept any of this. My legal oath to defend the people's rights doesn't let me. So the following measures are now in effect," I said, "The Army High Command hereby dissolves this Assembly as a body for running the affairs of the state. The current Cabinet will continue in its role, but the military shall run the country."

The Libertarians murmured to themselves, naturally. This wasn't what they were elected for, but they weren't going to defy me, because the Army was with me. Yet the Aequitarians were just looking at each other in amazement, when they should have been screaming murder at me.

"The Assembly will continue to do its other duty, this time with full attention; completing the Constitution. Once that is done, there'll be an election for the Second Assembly, and the military will return legislative control."

Noise this time of approval from the Libertarians and Lucrosians, while the Jaderites made the opposite sounds. Jader was not in favour of rushing the rest of the constitution, not least because they hadn't decided if they wanted to be part of the Trojan Republic or a future Orlesian one.

"In the mean time, we can't ignore the enemies around us. As of this moment, the Trojan Republic is at war with Qunandar and the Viscountcy of Hercinia. If the other realms or the pirates of the Armada want to side with the Qun and Hercinian raiders, we'll teach them just how big a mistake that is."

There was no applause.

"What happened to you?" Tam asked, her eyes full of worry.

The lump in my throat grew again.

"Terrible things that make me feel compromised," I replied, "Things I refuse to explain here and now."

"You can't do this," Julie said, "We have this under control, Sam, if you just..."

"No, we don't," I replied, to the general audience, "I swore to protect you all. I can't do that if you don't let me. My officers can't either. Why you haven't sent Soprano off to break the Hercinians? Or to Ostwick to secure the port there?"

I stood up to my full height.

"At what point is this Assembly going to realise that our existence is enough threat to our neighbours to motivate them to kill us all? When the Qunari dreadnoughts show up in the bay? When our city is surrounded? When the enemy is rampaging through our streets, burning, raping and killing?"

Julie hung her head, more in frustration than anything else. We both knew she had spent the last week arguing exactly what I was saying. And she knew when I was impossible to deflect. I promised myself I'd make it up to her, somehow.

The reaction of the Chancellor of the Republic was decidedly different. Velarana was in very close consultation with her Aequitarian colleagues. Which gave Leha a chance.

"So that's it? You're in charge?" she called, half-laughing, "Who decided that? I don't remember agreeing."

I grabbed the firelance hanging off the front of my Kevlar by the pistol-grip, and lifted it in front of me sideways, not pointing it but showing it.

"This did," I replied, "And it made the decision because you were sitting on ass instead of doing your damn job. And I think you liked it that way, Leha. I'd put good money on you arguing against war because it's too expensive and there are other options."

Leha fumed in reply, but fumed silently. I didn't know it at the time, but she had indeed said exactly that, preferring assassinations and sabotage as the method to defeating what seemed like growing unrest all over the Marches. It wouldn't have been a bad idea, if Ianto hadn't been around to coalesce the unrest into a directed force against us.

Velarana exited the conference with her colleagues, making her way past the others in the centre of the room. She moved to a position directly in the middle of the open space in front of me. As she fixed her robes and stared up at me, her fellow Aequitarians fell in behind her, in a broad arc across the remaining area.

Here it was, I thought, here comes the rebuke. Anticipating a scathing, life-damaging moment, I sat down again. It was alright, I said. I could retire, concentrate on getting rich and raising my children when this was all over.

Those of you familiar with the history of the last three decades know better.

"Samuel Hunt, it is about time," Velarana stated, simply and without elaboration for the moment. She just left the sentence hanging in the air. Which was bizarre to me.

I looked to Julie, the person I thought would understand what was going on. She seemed to be drawing a blank too, glancing around for someone to explain it to her. However, beside her, Tam looked like she was comprehending things. And she was aghast, her lips drawn back in a canine-filled wince.

When Velarana finally continued, I was truly anticipating the worst.

"Power is always gained by force. In a democracy, it is the threat of the majority that weighs heavily. But that majority is not always available. Sometimes, we need someone to make the tough decisions. Someone the world recognises as the one with the Last Argument."

Velarana paused again, turning around to the Assembly.

"There are titles for such people," she declared, "But being who we are, there is only one acceptable for this scenario."

Tam was right to be horrified.

Velarana and the entirety of the Aequitarian contingent of ministers took a knee. Even that prick of a Minister for Police. All but the Chancellor lowered their heads.

"Emperor," she said, lowering her head.

My first thought was not again. If Soprano's speech was embarrassing, this was entirely worse. The next was the huge responsibility that title entailed, and how I didn't remotely desire it.

"I don't want that title," I declared immediately, "And why you want to give it to me, given that you are against war..."

"War is inevitable, sire," Velarana said, "If the Leader of the Opposition, your wife, runs the war, it will be a war against the entire world. You are more realistic. You will defeat the enemy and bring them to peace terms, because you know we cannot occupy the entire Marches with the forces we have to hand."

If you can't beat them, ameliorate the situation, being her attitude.

Velarana could not have appreciated the depth of my anger at our enemies at that moment, but conditions before Ianto's capture of the Gallows would have certainly suggested she had a point. Julie directing the war as Chancellor would have meant revolutionary war, waged to the end. I was in favour of the same thing, but I was far more likely to know when to stop to take a breath, to rearm and recruit. Julie's war meant blitzkrieg.

And the Blitzkrieg was soon pushing her way past the kneeling Aequitarians, using the fullness of her strength to do so, before levelling her finger at the still-prostrated Chancellor.

"There are people all over the Marches that are willing to fight and die for their freedom," Julie declared at the top of her lungs, "And you would abandon them to be murdered by their would-be masters, who would then surround our Republic. We fight a total war now or we die pecked to death later. That is what is at stake. And we Libertarians will not sit by and let you exploit this situation!"

There was a cheer from the fraternity that erupted loudly enough to hurt my ears.

The Aequitarians threw insults back in return, and the two fraternities were soon clustered at the central aisle, screaming in each other's faces. The Lucrosians scrambled to get out of dodge, while the Jaderites split down the middle, joining the 'Julienne' and 'Velaranienne" factions according to their own consciences. It was a complete clusterfuck.

"Stop this!" I shouted, to no effect, "Stop it right now!"

No sooner than I had said it, some idiot picked up a chair and threw it. It's a matter of historical dispute about which side was responsible, and it's a matter I usually stay out of. That said, I'm fairly certain it was a Libertarian, though Julie herself disputes it. Which is the reason why I shut up about it.

Fistfights broke out all over the place, as the two groups waded into each other. Chairs were picked up as weapons and shields by both sides. Order completely broke down. Wounds began to sprout up, and it was only a matter of time before magic or a firelance was used.

I watched one of Soprano's former colleagues from Hearth's redlight district clothesline a mage in the middle of the aisle, while a plainly Jaderite sailor squared off in a boxing contest with another of his fellows, all with great exasperation.

I was suddenly very glad for the quarantine placed on the building. If word of this got back to the Qunari, it would've been all the encouragement they needed to go on the attack. But if it continued for much longer, there was zero chance of the factions working together again.

I strode off the rostra, barking orders for the Grenadiers to get in and separate the people fighting, as Tam and I dragged Julie away from joining in the fun. Both tasks were unsurprisingly difficult, as most of the politicians were ex-soldiers themselves and handling a heavily pregnant Julie away without hurting her took a lot of strength.

"Why!" Julie said as we finally got her away, "Why don't you trust me?!"

There were several ways I could've answered that particular question, but I went with the least hurtful...

"Julie, they're coming to kill us," I said, grabbing the discarded documents and handing them to her, "Here, see for yourself. We can't afford this bullshit right now. We need everyone united behind the war. If you take power, we won't have that. Me doing it for a little while will at least bring everyone together to oppose me, which can translate to opposing the enemy when I'm dealt with."

Julie scowled. Seeing the Grenadiers finally getting a handle on the situation beyond, she saw that what I was proposing was going to happen. Ciara in particular was being gripped across her midriff and carried towards safety like a sack of flour, kicking and cursing. Julie began glancing over the documents and handing over a few to Tam, who read quickly.

"You will not be Emperor," Julie insisted, "We don't need one." Translation: I don't want one.

"I don't want to be one," I countered, "That was Velarana's little drama, not something I organised."

"Then what do we call you," the Chancellor asked politely, joining the conversation as the riots was dampened down.

"Shah, Great Khan, First Consul, Sultan, Caesar, Asshole-in-Chief," I rattled off sarcastically in Common, "You call me whatever the hell you like. I am not accepting any title."

"Emperor it is," Velarana quipped, before becoming serious, "This is not negotiable. If you want my cooperation with this little coup of yours. We need a monarch. This world will not accept us without one. You just volunteered, sire."

"I could have you shot the minute you presented public opposition," I snapped back at once, "And given the scale of the threat facing us, no one would blame me in the end. Our troops are going to be doing battle with every swinging dick in the Marches. They'll have perfect proof that I was entirely right to call time on this little shit party you've been holding for the past few days."

"Is shooting the opposition the way to create the sort of society you want to see?" Velarana asked, "That'll accelerate us down the path to the absolutism all three of you want to avoid. And you know it."

Julie and I must have been shaking with anger at this point, that we had been manoeuvred into this position, because Tam came over and took our hands, squaring off against the considerably smaller Chancellor.

"You've made your point," Tam said imperiously, channelling her inner royal, "Leave us."

"By your will, my Empress," Velarana said with a smile, curtsying before running off to see to her own fraternity, now corralled behind a platoon of Grenadiers.

Tam seemed unphased by the use of the title in the response, and turned to us.

"Julie, my love," she began, "Tell me that you have a plan to stop that bitch."

"Yeah, please tell me you have something that'll stop her putting a damn crown on my head," I chimed in.

"It would've been fucking easier if you had decided to stay behind the fucking Rubicon!" Julie complained bitterly, "I can't believe after being a hostage, finally getting you back and all the feelings that brings up, you decide to do this without even talking to me! Anything I do to recover this will mean punishing you, you do understand that?"

"I do," I confirmed, "I'll destroy the immediate threat in the time we have, and report back for whatever the new government decides. Demotion, prison... whatever. But I hope you believe me when I say we're fucked if we don't do something right now."

Julie nodded, waving the documents around. "These make it pretty damn clear," she said, "And I'm beginning to suspect that Velarana had some knowledge of this, which is why she closed off the Assembly to everyone. I regret agreeing to that now. I gave her an inch and she took a mile."

"So what's the plan?" I asked, "Can you force through some sort of settlement on the form of government any time soon?"

Julie glanced quickly at Tam and brightened. "I think I have an idea," she said, sitting down on the edge of the rostra, "Anyway, this day has been le foutoir. I just want to lay down, with you, and talk through what happened in Kirkwall. I've never seen you look so …"

"It's about to get more messy," Tam interrupted, her gaze looking at the same doors I had made my entrance in.

Soprano, Louise and Fisher Senior were coming through, escorted by chevaliers, swords out.

"General," I said, addressing Louise specifically, "I see you succeeded in your mission."

"Indeed," Louise replied from under her mask, "Better yet, the admiral agrees with our course of action."

"Though the reason for that couldn't be worse," Soprano added with a scowl, looking around at the disorder of the chamber, "Best tell them, Admiral."

Fisher was chastened, more so than I expected. It was the worst possible sign.

"Our ship the Liberté is on naval patrol off of Hercinia, on my orders," the admiral said, loud enough for the entire Assembly to hear, "Captain Humbert reports the presence of a large Qunari fleet at anchor. There are troop ships on the beaches to the north, and large troop movements around Hercinia."

"The Qunari have landed an army to march on Valhalla."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Apologies for the huge wait for not a huge chapter. It shouldn't be a problem from now on, we're getting into serious war territory now and I have little problem writing battles.

Work on my other stories is also going to resume going forwards.

Thanks to everyone who by some miracle has made it this far.

Rolling edits as usual.

Thanks for reading and please leave a review!

Guest: It's supposed to be. When I originally came up with the idea of a person who was immune to magic, I more or less thought how valuable that would be in a world that fears magic, and the depths of shit that would get them in. But I promise you, the whole knocking people up thing doesn't go further than this. All of the possible bases are covered now, and the start of the next chapter will be a reveal on just how much of a problem it all is.