The sun beat down on the British cavalrymen. They were marching with Prince Zorzal's army, and it seemed that the further they marched the less kind the weather became. Jack wiped a bead of sweat off his brow; even Africa hadn't been this bad. It was so bad that he almost missed the cold and dreary English weather he'd grown up with.

It had been just over three weeks since they'd departed from Sadera on their campaign to conquer the Warrior Bunnies, and in that time, Jack had come to appreciate the discipline of his troopers. They moved in perfect file, taking their place near the center of the Saderan marching formation. Sure, they complained, but none of them fell out of line or disobeyed orders; Jack was glad to have them with him.

The same could not be said for their Saderan "allies."

As they marched through Falmart, it became increasingly evident that the Saderans accompanying them were not of the same quality as the ones they had fought at the Battle of Dragonscale. Quite the opposite in fact.

At Dragonscale, the Saderan infantry had marched through a hail of artillery shells, rifle volleys, and gatling gun fire before finally breaking. Here, the Saderan infantry could hardly march through an open plain. The Saderan knights that had held a well disciplined formation in spite of British rifle fire at Dragonscale were nowhere to be seen, and in their place were a couple hundred boys in armor who couldn't even seem to keep their horses under control. Jack had spoken to a few of them; most were younger than sixteen, and all of them were freshly recruited. The Saderan Army was in a sorry state of affairs.

It wasn't their fault, though. The British Army was probably mostly to blame for their lack of experienced soldiers. Now that was coming to bite them in the arse, and Jack's men were the only experienced soldiers in the entire army. Just wonderful.

That wasn't the worst of their problems either. Poor troop quality could be overcome through good leadership and proper planning. Unfortunately, they seemed to have neither of those two things; instead, they got Zorzal. Prince Zorzal styled himself to be some kind of Napoleon type figure, but the prince had none of the attributes of a good general. He was brash, arrogant, naive, and worst of all he was incapable of taking criticism. Most of those traits could normally be solved through the harsh reality of battle, but his inability to accept he was at fault for anything meant that Zorzal would never improve himself. He was everything Jack despised in a leader.

The man was either so incompetent or so arrogant that he hadn't even bothered to send scouts out ahead of the main column. Jack himself had volunteered, but the prince refused to send him. Jack didn't even try to understand Zorzal's thinking on that matter; it was sure to be devoid of logic anyway.

His horse grumbled under him as if he'd read Jack's mind. He stared at the animal, a large mare with chestnut brown hair. This horse had been with him since the Battle of Ulundi, when his previous horse had taken a wound while they were pursuing the fleeing Zulus and had to be retired.

Maybe I should give her a name?

Jack had never given any of his horses names; he found they never stuck around long enough for it. In India, he'd had three different horses who'd all had to be retired for various reasons, so he never got attached to any single horse like other cavalrymen did.

"What's a good name for a horse?" he asked out loud.

Bryant, who'd been riding next to him, snorted a laugh. "You're that bored, are you?"

Jack ignored his lieutenant. "Maybe I'll call her Jack."

His lieutenant snorted again. "You're going to name your horse after yourself?"

"Maybe not a great idea…" Jack conceded.

There was a moment of silence before Bryant spoke up. "Buttercup?"

Jack shook his head. "Too common." He took off his helmet to scratch his head. "Romeo?"

"You've got a mare, not a stallion. She needs a girl's name." Bryant replied.

"Juliet then?"

"Maybe less Shakespearian."

Bozes suddenly came riding up to them. Jack admired the way she was able to ride in full plate armor without even a drop of sweat on her face, especially in this heat. In broken English she asked, "Horse you name, yes?"

"Yes…" Jack responded, confused. "Where'd you learn English?"

Her face contorted as she struggled to find the correct words. "Man, Galway, teach when travel."

"Stick with your native tongue for the time being," Jack told her in Latin.

Bozes followed his advice. "How about you name your horse Maria?"

"What'd she say?" Bryant asked.

"She recommended I name my horse Maria," Jack relayed.

"Good name," Bryant grunted. "Better than anything we'll come up with."

Jack smiled at Bozes. "Maria it is."

Her face flushed.


At the head of the army, Lieutenant Duncan Burton rode his horse next to Prince Zorzal. His uncle, Colonel Burton, had put his trust into Duncan's ability to do well, and Duncan didn't intend to disappoint him. After all, Duncan owed his uncle a debt for saving his career after he'd nearly flunked out of the Royal Military College.

It hadn't been his fault; the senior officers didn't respect his status or his family's influence, so naturally he tried to teach them. That had apparently ruffled someone's feathers and he was kicked out for "disobedient behavior," as if he were some common soldier. His uncle fortunately managed to ensure he made it through, and now Duncan was determined to repay the favor.

Part of that was by becoming allies with Prince Zorzal. Fortunately, he'd not forgotten his Latin from school.

"Why do we need a senate?!" Zorzal vented while shaking his fist into the air. "It's just a way for the commoners to try and exercise some measure of authority over their emperor!"

Duncan nodded. "I completely agree! In my country, we have a terrible institution known as the House of Commons which does nothing but impede the power of Her Majesty."

Zorzal grinned. "Everyone has a place in life, and commoners need to understand that they have their place at the bottom. Men like you and I have families that have been in power for hundreds, even thousands, of years; it just doesn't make sense for a commoner to try and rule."

"Your logic is hard to deny," Duncan replied. "In my world, there's this fellow named Darwin who observed something called 'natural selection' among animals where only the best manage to survive. I believe this principle can be applied to humans as well. After all, the nobility clearly are superior to the commoners."

"You're very intelligent." Zorzal said as he clapped Duncan's shoulder. "It's a good thing I have you with me in this conquest."

"It'll be my first time conquering savages," Duncan admitted, "But the men I'm with have just finished defeating the barbaric Zulu kingdom. I imagine this'll be a cakewalk for us."

Zorzal smiled again. "That it will, my friend."


As the army marched on, Bryant stretched in his saddle and let out a yawn. He gazed at the hilly plains that surrounded them. "How much further do you think it'll be until we reach the 'Warrior Bunnies' we're supposed to be conquering?"

Jack shrugged. "We've been marching for a long time now. I can't imagine that-"

The Saderans in front of Jack's troop suddenly stopped. His newly named horse, Maria, reared back to prevent them from trampling the men.

Jack patted Maria to calm her before urging her to move up to the Saderan soldiers. As he came to the front, Jack spotted the problem; one the the soldiers had collapsed onto the ground, probably from exhaustion. The other soldiers looked to be at loss of what to do.

"Give him some water then put him onto one of the supply wagons. Do it quickly," Jack commanded, taking the initiative.

The Saderans began to do as he ordered, but a deep voice suddenly stopped them. "What do you think you're doing with my men, otherworlder?"

Jack turned to face the voice. "Prince Zorzal," he greeted with a small bow. It was polite to do such things with royalty, even if he despised the man.

The prince had ridden from the front of the column. Duncan was at his side. "I asked you a question, otherworlder."

"I was just fixing a problem, your highness," Jack replied through gritted teeth.

Zorzal scoffed at that. "I don't recall giving you authority to command my soldiers." He looked at the men who were helping their fallen comrade. "Stop what you are doing immediately or I will have you executed for treason!"

The Saderans hesitated for a moment before leaving the man on the ground.

Jack tried his best to hide his disapproval. "Your highness, I was simply suggesting to them that they should help their fellow soldier so that we might resume our march as soon as possible."

"I don't need you to order my men around, otherworlder. They will do as I command!"

"Then what is your command?!" Jack snapped. "Your highness," he hastily added on.

Silence filled the air. Zorzal's face went through multiple stages of anger. Every soldier near them was staring at the two and their dispute. Jack held his gaze on the prince.

Zorzal looked to Duncan, but the man didn't say a word. He looked to the Saderan soldiers; they also refused to speak up. Zorzal's glare finally rested upon the soldier who'd fallen, and he muttered something inaudible.

The Saderan soldiers looked uncertain. "Your highness, could you repeat-"

"Leave him behind!" Zorzal snarled.

"Y-your highness, I d-don't think that's a good i-idea…" one of the soldiers stammered out.

Zorzal growled like a cornered dog. "Did I ask for your opinion?!"

"N-No-"

"Then be quiet!" The prince took a deep breath. "I am Crown Prince Zorzal El Caesar, son of Emperor Molt Sol Augustus, and the next ruler of the Empire," he spat out. "You will not question me or my commands!"

Jack could feel resentment growing around him; the Saderan soldiers weren't as loyal as Zorzal probably expected them to be. It wouldn't take much to push them over the edge. This is why you don't let fools lead men.

One of the Saderans walked up to Zorzal with his sword drawn. The prince didn't seem to realize what was coming; Jack prepared himself for the worst. Zorzal stared down the soldier he opened his mouth to-

"Enemies ahead!" The shout came from further up the column.

Zorzal's anger melted away. "What? That can't-"

Three dozen arrows landed amongst the Saderan soldiers, silencing Zorzal's protests. The prince stared blankly at the bodies doing nothing to address the enemy attack. Fortunately, one of the Saderan officers had the sense to take command.

"Form ranks!" he shouted over the screams of wounded men. "Form ranks, damn you!"

It was too little and too late.

Their adversaries moved too quickly and with too much brutality. Saderan soldiers tried to get into battle formations, but the enemy refused to allow them to do so.

They broke through the poorly assembled shield walls, not bothering to make formations of their own, and soon the battle had devolved into an unorganized melee. The Saderans were losing.

Jack didn't intend to die because of Zorzal's failure to command. "Follow me!" he shouted to his troopers. "With me!"

He rode as hard as Maria would ride, and the cavalrymen followed him, trying to match his pace.

Jack trampled one of the enemy warriors with his horse as he fought to break free of the melee that was around them. There was no order or discipline to what went on around him; it was a chaotic mess. It was the opposite of what a battle should look like.

A man had his belly cut open. Two Saderans pinned an enemy down and cut their throat. Someone's head was severed from their neck. The lancers kept riding.

Then they broke free.

Jack's cavalrymen escaped from the chaos and reached the open plain. Behind them, the Saderans were still fighting and dying. Jack had half a mind to order a withdrawal. Fuck them! Save your own men; they're not worth it.

A small part of his mind realized Bozes wasn't with them. He cursed himself as he turned Maria to face the battle. Idiot.

The chaotic melee was disappearing. Battle lines had started to form as the Saderans finally managed to rally together. They'd formed into a block of men with the enemy surrounding them on three sides.

The Saderans had 12,000 men, but they were in a marching column, and only a small portion of them were able to respond to the attack. The Saderans were still losing. Decisive action was needed.

Jack briefly considered his options.

Carbines wouldn't work; they couldn't provide the shock needed to turn the battle in Jack's favor. Pistols had the same problem. They'd have to rely on a charge then.

Jack spurred Maria onwards, leading the rest of his men behind him. Their horses provided the mobility that allowed them to quickly redeploy and form up behind the enemy battleline.

Jack grabbed his lance from his stirrup. "Ready lances!" His voice boomed over the sound of battle.

God save us. God save the Queen.

"Forward!"

The troop's bugler relayed the order, and all at once they began to move forward. It was slow at first, but then they picked up speed. The enemy came ever closer, and Jack steadied his breathing.

God save us. God save the Queen.

He considered turning back. It was fifty horsemen against god who knows how many enemy warriors. They kept riding.

God save us. God save the Queen.

Maria was at full gallop now. Jack tilted the tip of his lance forward.

"God save the Queen!" he shouted.

His men echoed him, "God save the Queen!"

The lancers smashed into their opponents' backs. They ripped through the horde and killed dozens. For a few precious moments, they were invincible.

Steel met flesh, and horses impacted warriors. Lances got stuck in bodies, so men began drawing sabres. The cavalry stopped for nothing.

An enemy was at Jack's side; his sabre fell onto their collarbone. Someone tried to spear his horse. Jack opened their throat with cold steel.

And so on and so forth. They kept charging through like a scythe through a field of wheat. Nothing impeded them.

It felt like it took hours, it was probably only seconds, but eventually their charge began to slow. Like a wagon moving through mud, they lost momentum. The glorious feeling of invincibility waned, and their opponents began to retaliate.

"Fall back!" Jack's order came before any of his men died. The bugler managed to sound it, and every lancer retreated through the bloody path they'd managed to clear.

Every lancer except Jack.

Too concerned with his men's wellbeing, Jack didn't start to retreat until he was sure no one would be left behind. But by then it was too late. The path they'd rode through was closing; Jack tried to make it through, but someone dragged him off his horse. Jack watched Maria bolt after the other lancers while he fell.

The ground hit him. He groaned.

His sabre suddenly lashed out, striking the warrior who'd pulled him off Maria. Adrenaline pumped through his body. Jack forced himself to his feet.

An enemy charged him. They were fast, agile, and entirely inhuman; Jack only barely managed to parry the swing sent at him.

Don't fight an opponent where they're strong.

Using his sabre would be risky; his opponent was too quick for him. Fortunately, Jack didn't need to rely on that. He drew his pistol in his free hand.

The warrior swung at him twice more. He managed to stop the first swing with his sword, but the second left a light wound on his torso.

Another swing came at him. He parried the blow and drew his sabre back for a thrust to her chest. His adversary spotted this, jumped back, and prepared to deflect the blow.

Jack's pistol jolted three times. The warrior died.

There was no time to celebrate; Jack was surrounded by hostile warriors. Fortunately, most of them weren't paying attention to the single lancer in the midst of their ranks.

He used the remaining three bullets in his pistol to gun down two other warriors. With no opportunity to reload, he holstered his empty pistol. It was just him and his sword now.

A hand touched his shoulder.

Jack turned and swung his sabre, intending to lop the hand off of its owner. The swing was stopped by the owner's sword, and he was roughly pulled into an embrace. He found himself gazing into the beautiful face of Bozes Co Palesti.

Jack tried to think of something clever to say.

"You..."

Bozes shoved him off of her. "Keep fighting!"

Any thoughts besides the battle quickly left his mind. He wasn't surrounded anymore; that was good. Jack lost track of where Bozes went.

A blade flashed at his face. Jack's response was too late to stop it, but he did manage to deflect the blade. What would have been a killing blow turned into a deep cut on his cheek.

Jack hastily adopted a stance and faced the warrior who'd cut him.

"You're not from the Empire," the warrior stated, allowing them both a moment of respite.

"No…" Jack responded in between heavy breaths.

For the first time, he was allowed a moment to actually examine his foe. The warrior was a woman, that was his first surprise, and she had giant furry ears coming out of her head, that was the second. In fact, he started to notice that every enemy warrior had giant furry ears.

"You're the Warrior Bunnies," he pieced together.

"I thought that was rather obvious," she said with a laugh. "My name is Delilah; I want you to know that before I kill you."

Jack raised an eyebrow at that but responded, "Captain Jack Campbell, a pleasure to meet you."

"I'll make your death quick," she hissed while baring her teeth.

Jack was given less than a split second to prepare before she dashed toward him, sword swinging.

Their swords crossed briefly, and Jack shuffled back to gain some breathing room. He raised his guard, ready for the next swing.

Delilah's short blade lashed out again, but Jack batted it to the side. He quickly retorted with a swing at her hand; the blade impacted and Delilah received a nasty gash.

That should have ended the fight. Instead, she snarled like a wild animal and swapped her sword grip to her left hand.

Jack didn't want to see if her left hand was as good as her right, so he decided to take the initiative.

He sent a cut at Delilah's head. She parried it with ease. His second swing aimed low at her legs; that was also blocked. Unphased, he sent a third strike at her, and Delilah was just a heartbeat too slow.

Jack's sabre caught her at the stomach.

Delilah wore no armor on her stomach, not even a scrap of cloth, and as a result the wound that Jack's strike left behind was much worse than it should have been. Jack knew from experience that she needed to get medical help soon, or she'd bleed out.

Still, she showed no signs of backing down. In fact, she just looked more angry.

Delilah raised her blade and prepared to jump at Jack. He knew a storm of attacks was about to be sent his way, so he moved into a defensive stance.

She came at him like a bullet.

A thrust to his head, a cut to his shoulder, a swing at his torso, a slash to his arm, and a kick to his knee were all sent his way in the span of three seconds. Jack managed to defend the first two, but then she got through his guard and landed everything else.

He stumbled back, awed and in pain at the speed she possessed. Jack raised his guard again, trying to prepare himself for the second onslaught. Delilah hefted up her-

"God save the Queen!"

The 17th Lancers charged into the enemy battleline a second time.

Like a hot knife through butter, they cut a path into the opposing warriors. Cavalry was truly a terrifying weapon. Screams sounded out, and warriors died under the hooves of horses.

Amongst the ranks of the Warrior Bunnies, the seeds of doubt had been planted.

They had sustained too many casualties, and the Saderans were gaining more numbers as men from the mid and back columns joined the battlefield. Soon enough, they'd be so outnumbered that even their superior skill couldn't make up for it.

The second charge from the lancers was the nail in the coffin. Panic spread throughout their line, and the Warrior Bunnies began to retreat. Delilah and Jack still faced each other, but the Warrior Bunny had backed off from him.

"You should fall back; that wound on your stomach will kill you if you're not careful," Jack warned.

She hissed at him. "I'll remember you, Captain Jack Campbell."

Jack frowned; he wasn't keen on making mortal enemies. "For my sake, I hope we never meet again."

"We shall see…" Delilah replied. With their short exchange over, she ran after her fellow warriors.

Jack watched her go before finally falling to his knees. His entire body ached with pain. They had won, but not without cost. Bodies were littered around him, and blood soaked the ground red.

Human corpses far outnumbered the nonhuman ones.

This slaughter could have been avoided…

If Zorzal had done something…

If I had done something...

At some point, Bozes found him kneeling there on the battlefield. As she helped him up, Jack decided that life was far too short to beat around the bush. It wasn't worth waiting when he could die in an instant.

He planted his lips firmly on hers.


This was a long one, but I didn't feel like I had enough to split this into two chapters, so I just decided to keep it together.

Assistant Elite General Matteo: You're welcome.

Perseus12: We'll just have to see about all that.

Dandaman5: I'm not sure about that. It's been a possibility in the back of my mind ever since a started writing this, but I'm not sure how I'd figure them into what I have planned.

WarGlory: British steel and shot just faced off; I hope it met your expectations.

xjamesx70: Expect more tension between them.

hellisonfire345: We'll see about that possibility...

Papon777: Thank you.