That Time I Wrote Myself Into an Isekai to Escape a Plague
**AN**
-Another 6.6 million jobless claims. That's 17 million in 3 weeks. Woof.
-But…a flicker hope for American politics still burns. The young woman from NYC who is the heir apparent to the progressive movement voted against that awful, heinous stimulus bill. She's probably the only democrat and only one of two lawmakers out 535 of them who did vote against it. I'm damn proud of her for that and I take (almost) everything I said critical of her back. Hope lives!
Chapter 16:
It has been a month. In that time my new padawan, Eiden, has started to grasp some of the basics of the force but he's a long way from being a Jedi. Given how the exponential growth of my last apprentice nearly got me killed, I am good with this. He'll be the first of many Jedi and just as the Jedi are the are sworn to the Republic, they'll be sworn to the queen. That's why it's all the more critical that I set the dominoes to fall accordingly. If I can't Daenerys to institute some major democratic reforms then they'll be little more than a magical Praetorian guard. Eh, I got multiple decades to get that transition going. You can change, you just can't change everything at once and you got to have a plan to actually see the change through.
I need to focus on the here and now, namely training this farm boy right. He must be a Jedi. While it is absolutely critical to have a Sith to balance him out, the Jedi are the starting point for a reason; I see that now. They are the champions of order, and while they will inevitably trend towards stagnation and indifference, that dedication to structure is what is needed to create any kind of stable organization. My Sith will be the counter balance that challenge and, when needed, fight my Jedi when they've become too entrenched in their power structures. Eiden, this blonde mop topped, gangly ass farm boy is the first stone in that foundation.
We practice and meditate in the woods of High Heart. I have yet to encounter a place in this world with a stronger attachment to the living Force.
Me: "What are your words, padawan?"
Eiden: "Um, there is…"
Me: "There is no emotion, there is peace."
Eiden: "There is no emotion, there is peace."
Me: "Say it with me, say it all. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge."
Eiden: "There is no ignorance, there is knowledge."
Me: "There is no passion, there is serenity."
Eiden: "There is no passion, there is serenity. Uh, Master?"
Me: "Shush! Finish it first, questions later. There is no chaos, there is harmony."
Eiden: "There is no chaos, there is harmony."
Me: "There is no death, there is the Force."
Eiden: "There is no death, there is the force."
Me: "Good. Now, your question…"
Eiden: "You don't follow the code, do you?"
Attentive little shit, I love it!
Me: "No, I do not."
Eiden: "So then why do you expect me to?"
Me: "Because I learned it just the same as you. It is the foundation upon which we build on. For most at least, it is better to start on the path of light and then be tempered by darkness as you acquire the wisdom to properly comprehend it. If one walks the path of darkness without wisdom, it will only lead to suffering."
Eiden: "Yes master. Master?"
Me: "Yes Eiden?"
Eiden: "So what is the force to the Seven?"
Me: "Ah! Excellent question. You see my boy; the Force speaks to us in language and appears to us in form that we can understand. It is the great cosmic weave that is created by and binds all life together. It is without form, face, name, or even thought. This is difficult for people to understand, so it processed through their culture and traditions."
Eiden: "So when I prayed to the Father or the Mother I was actually praying to the Force?"
Me: "It is more accurate to say that you were communing with it. The Force is without thought, though not without will. It does not heed prayers but it is always there to guide you to cosmic balance."
Eiden: "I'm trying to understand but it is difficult."
Me: "Meditate on it. It will guide you to your answers if you can make still your mind and listen intently."
The lad is trying. He doesn't get it, yet, but he will.
Eiden: "When do I get a star fire blade?"
I chuckle at his youthful prerogatives as I ignite Aniki. The blade hums as I swing it through the air.
Me: "This is the final part of your training. You will only get to make your own after you pass the trials."
Time was limited and death imminent when I did what I did in the North, but I won't be making the same mistakes twice. I see, with my one eye, why the Jedi did not just hand out these weapons like candy. There is a reason behind their structures. Traditions shouldn't be honored for their own sake but they are created and sustained for practical and logical reasons. It is foolish to wholly disregard them. I was a fool.
Me: "First philosophy, then praxis, then practice, and only when you've done all that can you play with your toy."
Eiden: "Yes master."
Me: "Besides, you're not even that good a swordsmen."
Eiden: "I'm getting better!"
Me: "But you are still a long road from good. You'll chop your head off."
Eiden: "No I won't!"
This whiny little brat is exactly the kind of farm boy that Force just loves to lay destiny on.
Me: "Yes you will."
I point to my missing right eye. We make our way back to Riverrun.
As compared to someone without force enhanced reflexes, he's actually quite formidable but if tell him that it will go to his head. He's got the potential but it has to be cultivated. Practice takes time and the one thing I've learned from conducting a military campaign in medieval times is that will have plenty of time. At least he's a more receptive student than other people.
Daenerys, I love her to pieces, but she will not entertain me a master over her of any sort. It's hard for me to say exactly why that is. Is it because of the negative connotation she has with concept based upon her past? Is that the shift in our power dynamic unnerves her? Well, that blade cuts both ways. While she may be ceding some authority to me, I'm ceding actual, literal power to her and she doesn't want to take it. On it's surface it should seem odd that somebody who has wielded power magnificently their entire lives is so reluctant to seize a more direct application of it.
Whether or she likes it or not, she has that power and if she doesn't learn to…Fuck, I'm an idiot! Of course that's what it is! I can't find her fast enough. After a little searching I manage to stumble upon her praying to the helm I made for her, to Revan's mask. I knock on the open door to her chambers. Startled, she rises to her feet.
Daenerys: "Ah, Kamina. What brings you here?"
Her eyes are red and swollen. He energy has been off for weeks. Dany, I'm sorry it took me this long to figure it out. No words, only hug. As I embrace her I feel her body go loose and I sit us down.
Me: "Hey, boss? Look at me. It's ok."
Daenerys: "No! No it's not!"
I wipe the tears from her face and stroke her hair.
Me: "Dany, talk to me."
Daenerys: "I've been seeing, visions and having dreams…"
Me: "Those are premonitions. It's the Force trying to tell you something about the future."
Daenerys: "Is it the future?"
No.
Me: "Dany, listen to me. It is only a possible future."
She starts to lose any kind of composure. I slam the door shut using the force. I can feel my heart beating in my teeth. I am terrified to ask this question, but I know I must.
Me: "Dany, what did you see?"
Daenerys: "It was never the Raven. It is me."
Fuck. She's talking about how she massacres Kinglanding.
Me: "Dany, no it's not."
Daenerys: "Yes, it is!"
Me: "No, it's not!"
The castle reverberates as I scream.
Me: "The Force is showing you this so you can avoid it."
Daenerys: "What if it's my fate?"
Me: "It's not."
My hands twitch.
Daenerys: "But-"
Me: "Then fuck fate!"
Daenerys: "What if it's the will of the Force?"
Me: "Then fuck the Force!"
As soon as I say it I know the truth. If this does come to pass then I will lose myself to the darkness in my entirety. If she destroys that city, I will burn this world to ashes, and I won't stop there. I will become the monster Master Jaina saw me as! I will become the beast of Ragnarök! I will become…doom.
Me: "This won't come to pass."
Daenerys: "But what if it does?"
Me: "It won't!"
Seated on that floor, we hold one another as tight as we can.
Daenerys: "Promise me that it won't."
No!
Me: "Don't ask that of me, Daenerys."
Daenerys: "Swear it to your queen! Don't let me do it, Kamina!"
Her nose is bright red and her voice is trembling. I say what I must.
Me: "I will, your grace but it won't allow it to come to that, Dany. I won't."
If it does come to that, then I'll need to run myself through before my hatred consumes me whole. That door to darkness cannot be closed. Where ever you are in this cosmos Jon Snow, I'd like you to know that I understand you much better now. This is between me and her. No one else will ever know because I won't ever say a goddamn thing.
That's the whole rest of our day and night. We sit silence with our mutual woe until we can finally joke with one another. Then we laugh until we fall asleep. As awful as the events that preceded it were, just lying next to her was one of the best moments of life.
It's always creates a stir when you walk out of the queen's chambers early in the morning. If the legend of how I took Riverrun spread like wildfire, then this rumor is going to spread like the plague. Fortunately, that bit of gossip gets diverted by the full strength of our forces marshalling themselves before the walls. Well, almost all our forces. I am glad to see that the recruits are not among our numbers. That means neither Jamie nor Bronn are here. Good, that means Edmure won't demand justice against their lives or some shit.
Char is back and I can't believe it's been so long since I last saw him. He eagerly fly ahead to greet me. The men of Riverrun cheer for his return as well. Maybe we should make Char the Master of Laws. I don't even know if I'm joking about. He and Daenerys talk with one another at length. What I can gather, it's mostly about how they missed each and a little bit about what's going on in the North. I'm still not entirely sure why Dany sent Missandei there. I have my suspicions but I couldn't honestly say that I know. Then I get to tell him my new scheme.
Me: "Char, when we take over the Citadel you and are going to sing "It's Tough to be a God"."
His lights up with the goofiest smile I've ever seen in my life. He excitedly ask me a question through his mumble growl.
Me: "Yes, you'll be Miguel."
Char asks me another question.
Me: "Who do think is going to be Tulio, Jamie?"
Char responds.
Me: "Yeah, he actually probably would be a decent Tulio."
Char feigns ignorance and I it annoys me.
Me: "Me, I'll be Tulio!"
The whole rest of the procession we hum the song the entire time. It gets us awkward looks, we don't give a damn.
Greyworm is certainly not pleased with the decision but he worships Dany like a god, he doesn't question it. The Unsullied are her most fanatically loyal troops. They'll do anything she asks, anything. If worse comes to worst, I might not have to kill myself. I'll just let Greyworm do it.
Tyrion at long last returns. He's been missed, greatly by me and dearly by Dany. They may or may not be half siblings, but they certainly love each other like brother and sister. They are what each other needs, a queen worth following and a capable advisor.
I am considerably less than thrilled with who comes with Tyrion. Varys has returned with nearly all the Vale heavy cavalry and the coin. A smashing success all the way around. Now our coffers are solvent, for now at least. Joy of joys, I get to go back to playing 4-D chess with this bastard.
The Dothraki have also returned. They've swept through the country side, telling us about their engagements with the Lannister forces as they overran the supply lines. Kingslanding is finally no longer being supplied from the land. Yes, the Iron Fleet will continue to resupply the city but with that many people they won't be able to maintain the supplies. Soon we'll move against the fleet and that'll only expedite the consumption by the city. What the Dothraki don't tell us but is plainly obvious to any with eyes, is how they've also been raiding the commoners, or "smallfolk" as these blue bloods patronizingly call them. Most of the Blood Riders have the good sense to only have gone so far with it. The queen is most displeased but she's not willing to execute large portions of her light cavalry to punish them.
Alas, I say "most" for a reason. The Blood Rider Allo has seemingly forgotten whom he is sworn to as he has returned with women and children as slaves. Daenerys' judgment is immediate. Allo is and his men are bound and drug out to the field in front of Riverrun. He pleads for mercy but she has only one word for them.
Daenerys: "Dracarys!"
Drogon incinerates them and no Dothraki will ever make that mistake again. She orders them surrender their loot to the women and children. They do so without hesitation. It is good that she did that. Not only do the Dothraki need to know that there will consequences but the people of Westeros need to know that Daenerys is a just queen. If we lose that, we lose everything. That said, this problem will persist in one form or another. Like the Ironborn and their "iron price", this type of raiding culture is not compatible with the world we're trying to make. This will be neither easily nor cleanly resolved.
Between the 10,000 Unsullied, 15,000 Northmen, 20,000 Vale knights, 70,000 Dothraki light cavalry, and the some 2,000 Rivermen now joining us food is going to again be a very pressing issue. The war counsel is called. If we wish to stay ahead of starvation or debt we must act decisively.
The war counsel is immediately called. Looking over our location, supplies, and coffers we are left with three strategic options. March on Kingslanding now while we don't have the supplies to effectively mount a siege but have plenty of soldiers to attempt to take city by full on assault. This will be the most costly to our forces, kill the most civilians, do the most damage to Daenerys' name, but it will succeed so long as Dany doesn't die in the battle. This is the least regarded of the options. The next is to address our food, or lack of it, concerns by marching on the Reach. High Garden and the Lord Paramount title attached to it stands empty, there wouldn't even be a battle of a siege, but it would take time to make that distance, resupply, and then conduct a proper siege that would have the denizens oust Cersei for us. The downside to this plan is that we know for a fact there is no coin in High Garden because the Lannisters took it. Which leads us to option the third, march on Casterly Rock and the Westerlands. The up shot is that they definitely have the gold and we could officially install Tyrion as the Lord Paramount; the down side is that Casterly Rock is possibly the single best defensive structure on the continent and it will be heavily garrisoned. We have the numbers and firepower that victory isn't the concern, the concern in how costly that victory will be.
Tyrion advocates for taking Casterly Rock.
Tyrion: "It will supply us with all the gold we'll need and then some. The Lannisport fleet can be taken out play, which frees up Yara to bring her Ironborn fleet against her uncle."
Daenerys: "Didn't we attempt this once before?"
Me: "Yes, but to be fair to Tyrion, a bird wizard demon was messing around inside his head at the time."
Edmure: "What?"
Me: "Look, Ed, it's a long story."
Tyrion: "Thank you, Master Kamina. I am rather fond of being fair to myself."
Greyworm steps forward.
Greyworm: "My queen, the Unsullied took the castle rock once before. We will do it again."
Tyrion: "Yes you did, and you didn't even have a Jedi to help you."
Everyone looks to me.
Me: "Me and Char can't solo Casterly Rock. It is to well defended and there's too many soldiers."
Daenerys: "If you allowed yourself to kill, could you?"
Me: "Maybe."
That's a lie. If Char hit the castle with a fissure strike, half of it would fall into the sea and I don't any of the soldiers still left alive would have their morale shattered and they would surrender immediately. I don't want to do that. We're not doing that.
Varys: "Are Jedi forbidden from killing?"
Me: "Not at all."
Varys: "I would assume Sith are not."
Me: "Your assumption is correct, sir."
Varys: "So then why don't you?"
All eyes are on me. I look to Daenerys hoping to find an answer in her eyes. I think she's doing the same with me. I know the answer. Why am I fronting?
Me: "I am willing to kill an individual who am certain of their wrongdoings. I do not accept the horrors of war. I will not dirty my hands with the blood of good men."
Greyworm: "But they are our enemies."
Daenerys: "No. They are people. Not unlike you Greyworm, they were boys trained to be killers from the day they were born."
I smile at Dany.
Daenerys: "This is war and causalities can't be avoided, but I will respect your moral choice Kamina."
Me: "Thank you boss."
Daenerys: "But if I asked you to kill Cersei, would you?"
Me: "Without hesitation."
Daenerys: "Good."
Tyrion is adamant about this choice.
Tyrion: "What if you had then-thousand Unsullied to help you, could you then take it?"
Me: "Of course. It's not even a question."
Tyrion: "Very well then, I-"
Me: "Hold. That is not my agreeing with your plan of action."
Tyrion: "Oh? What is your plan, Master Kamina?"
Me: "We march on High Garden. We have just enough food to get us there. Once there, food will never be a concern for us again. That will allow us to conduct the siege without assaulting Kingslanding."
Tyrion: "Couldn't we march on High Garden from Casterly Rock?"
Me: "Couldn't we march on Casterly Rock from High Garden?"
Varys: "Why not march on both?"
Varys has all the room's attention.
Daenerys: "What are you proposing Lord Varys?"
Varys: "You grace, the luxury of having such a large army is that it can be in multiple places at once. Send Master Kamina with the Unsullied to take Casterly Rock while you ride on High Garden with the Dothraki and the Valeman cavalry. They'll be able to reach the Reach, pardon the pun, far quicker than if they had to march in step with the infantry."
Daenerys: "What of the Northmen?"
Varys: "Have them remain here at Riverrun. The last thing we'd need is for Cersei to send an army to retake it and separate our forces in the process."
Damn it! That's a solid line of logic. This is what makes planning to kill you so damn difficult Varys, you're so useful.
Daenerys: "Very well. That is our course of action. Well done, Lord Varys."
Varys: "Thank you, your grace."
Me and Greyworm get to work on plotting our course to Casterly Rock and the room starts to clear. Then Varys decides to say something else, something I don't like at all.
Varys: "Oh your Grace, I had a thought. I hope you'll entertain me for a moment."
Daenerys: "Yes, Lord Varys."
Varys: "While I was at the Eyrie I was struck by the urge to do a little reading. Did you know that Visenya Targaryen, the first sister-wife of Aegon the Conqueror, she who wielded that Valyrian steel blade of yours; she too conquered a kingdom without spilling any blood."
Daenerys: "Truly?"
Varys: "Yes, apparently she just flew up to the Eyrie and demanded their surrender. You see the Vale was ruled by a young king and his regent mother. Queen Visenya simply flew up and told the boy king he could fly on her dragon if he gave her his crown. Now his mother understood the implicit threat being made, so she failed to dissuade him."
Daenerys: "I'm sure I was told the story in my youth but I had forgotten it. Is there a point to this story?"
Varys: "Your grace?"
She glares at him.
Varys: "Very well. This was an option for Aegon and his sister-wives because they had multiple dragon riders."
Daenerys: "That is why it is an option available to us. Kamina will take Char to Casterly Rock while I'll take Drogon and Rhaegal to High Garden."
Varys: "Ah yes, but they had three dragon riders for three dragons."
I start listening very intently. Greyworm takes notice of my notice.
Daenerys: "What are you proposing?"
Varys: "Now I now such radical proposals are more Master Kamina's purview, but what about Lord Tyrion?"
Daenerys: "What about him?"
Varys: "Was he not the one who set the dragons free in Mereen? There is some chance Rhaegal may be responsive to him. It may be worth the effort."
I have to interject.
Me: "You can't! It's too risky. I'd rather not see Tyrion burned or eaten alive."
Varys: "I must say, this seems uncharacteristic of you Master Jedi. Is it not you who would more often than not to make such a bold proposal?"
Daenerys: "Enough! The answer is no, Varys."
As she walks past me on her way out, Dany squeezes my arm.
Varys: "My, my, hasn't she grown quite affectionate towards you."
Me: "I'm not in the mood for these games, spider. Out with it."
Varys: "I heard a whisper-"
Me: "Well that is your job title."
Varys: "Heard a rumor that you were seen leaving the queen's chambers this morning."
Me: "I told you to spit it out already."
Varys: "Not that it is my place to judge…"
Me: "Really? Seems like that's exactly what you're doing right now."
Varys: "Very well. You are vulgar and if you insist on being terse, then so be it. The queen is unmarried and will have to form alliances to hold the realm together after this war."
Me: "Hmmm, that always seemed more than a little fucked up to me."
Varys: "Yes, yes. Our ways of life and traditions so miserable and awful compared to your advanced society. I know, I've heard this song sung before. You are miserably arrogant and insufferably self-righteous. You have no respect for us, but please would you have some respect for the queen and what she's trying to accomplish. Being defiled by a commoner greatly diminishes her quality in the eyes of the lords."
Me: "Fuck you!"
Varys: "Eloquent as ever, I see."
Me: "You know what Varys. I always respected you because I thought you were the greatest power player in the great game. But now I see you're just a bitch to power."
Varys: "Good night Master Kamina. I do so enjoy our little chats."
Me: "Same here Spider, same here."
Varys leaves. I'm so lost in my thoughts I don't notice that I am not alone. The likelihood that he knows about the rumors about Tyrion just rose dramatically. In kind, the likelihood of him killing Daenerys once she is on the throne has similarly increased. I'm going to have to crush that awful bug. Then Greyworm speaks to me.
Greyworm: "You don't trust him either?"
Me: "No, I do not."
Greyworm: "What are we going to do about it?"
Me: "Nothing yet. He is very, very valuable to our efforts. Infuriatingly so as a matter of fact."
Greyworm: "When that time comes, come find me."
He walks out of the room. It's a precarious position, I can't eliminate him without alienating Tyrion. Without the Raven yanking his intelligence he won't get sloppy. No part of this will be easy and will not forget your first attempt on my life, Varys. I suspect the second attempt shall find me soon enough. Yet, if you openly move against Dany, I'll end you on the spot. At least I've got one ally in this particular mess. It's a long road to Casterly Rock and we got something that needs to be talked about, don't we Greyworm.
