OMG!!! I am so sorry for taking so long to write this chapter. Special thanks to Another Me for her suggestions on how to help me improve!

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Chapter Subjects: Andromache, Hector, Helen, Paris and Briseis.

Language Note/Summary: This is probably the most complicated chapter yet, (why it's taken me so long). Hector's opinion is first (very short), then Andromache (short), then Paris, then Helen (very short), then Briseis (also very short), then Hector again (short). I have a couple of flashbacks with lines directly from the movie, and yes, I do realise I have Paris and Helen repeating a few things.

Announcements: REVIEW, and read the NOTE!!!

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A Plea to Fallen Stars

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"The reputation of a thousand years may be determinded by the conduct of one hour." -Japanese Proverb

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I feel it now. It is the end. My time is over. I know that I have taken Troy as far into victory as I can. I only hope that they will go farther.

Andromache, I love you.

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"Do you remember the way to get here?" he asked. The light from the torch cast all the room around us into shadow. His face was serious and grave.

"Yes. Why-why are you taking me here?" I answered worriedly. Why is he taking me here? There must be something that I don't know…

"I killed a boy today. He was young; too young."

Something dawned on me. A young boy…

"He was Achilles' cousin, Patroclus," spoke Hector hesitantly. Now, I understood. No.

"No." It was the only thing that I could think of to say. No!

"Andromache, when the Greeks come, you follow this tunnel, see? When the Greeks come, you run, do you hear me? You run. You bring as many people as you can, but you get out of Troy with our son. Follow the tunnel until you come to a river, and then go to the mountain."

"NO!" It came out a sob.

His arms came around me and Astyanax. "Shhh," he murmured. He rocked back and forth. I felt like a baby again. "Shhh."

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"The weather is good. Poseidon has blessed our voyage." A cool ocean breeze met us.

"Sometimes the Gods will bless you in the morning and curse you in the afternoon." Does he know? No, he doesn't. Of course he doesn't. But I must tell him.

"Do you love me brother? Would you defend me against any enemy?"

His face changed immediately. Concern. "The last time you spoke to me like this, you were ten years old and had just stolen father's horse... what have you done now?"

He knows me all to well. I mustered up my courage. "I-I must show you something." I must.

So I led him to the other end of the ship, and opened up the hatch, and led him under-deck.

Now, sitting on my bed safe inside these thick walls of Troy, I remember every expression, ever word, everything. Has all of this happened because of me? Is this all my fault?

"Do you know what you have done? Do you now how many years our father has worked for peace?" he had asked me furiously. His entire body shook with anger. He's never spoken like this to me before. Not even when I stole father's horse.

"I love her." I do.

"Ugh." He had scoffed at me. "It's all a game to you isn't it? You roam from town to town, bedding merchants' wives and temple maids and you think you know something about love? What about your father's love? You spat on him when you brought her onto this ship! What about the love for your country? You'd let Troy burn for this woman? I won't let you start a war for her."

I found truth in his words. But I couldn't let Helen go. "May I speak? If what you say is true. I've ruined you. I've ruined our father. If you want to take Helen back to Sparta, so be it! But I go with her."

"To Sparta? They'll kill you." He doesn't believe me.

"Then I'll die fighting."

"Well, that's sounds heroic to you, doesn't it? To die fighting. Tell me, little brother, have you ever killed a man?" I can't win a contest of words with Hector.

"No."

"Ever seen a man die in combat?"

"No."

"Well, I've killed men and I've heard them dying and I've watched them dying and there's nothing glorious about it, nothing poetic! You say you're willing to die for love, but you know nothing about dying and you know nothing about love!" He sounded furious. Why shouldn't he be?

"All the same, I go with her. I won't ask you to fight my war."

He looked away and stared at the water. "You already have."

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Hector came back, fear written over his face. Hector, afraid? One of the servant women told me why.

"He killed Patroclus." What have I done? Has all of this happened because of me? Is this all my fault?

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He hasn't spoken to me. He hasn't looked at me. He hasn't touched me. But I don't know who "he" is. I do not know this blood-thirsty warrior. I knew Achilles. I do not know this monster. And I don't think that he knows me anymore. All he knows is Hector. He is not my lover anymore.

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"You come here un-invited. Go back to your ships and go home." This is the beginning of a war.

"Look around you, Hector. I have brought all the warriors of Greece to your shores." I wanted to cut him down, right there, the gloating pig.

Nestor spoke. "You can still save Troy, young prince."

"I have two wishes. If you grant them, no more of your people need die. First, you must give Helen back to my brother. Second, Troy must submit to my command and fight for me whenever I call." I will never fight for you. I will never submit.

"You want me to look on your army and tremble. Well, I see them. I see fifty thousand men brought here to fight for one man's greed."

"Careful, boy, my mercy has limits." Mercy?

"I've seen the limits of your mercy, and I tell you now, no son of Troy will ever bow down to a foreign ruler!" I will never submit.

"Then every son of Troy shall die."

No. Astyanax will live. Andromache will escape with others. Troy will live on. No Greek, no son of a goddess, will ever destroy Troy. They may burn it, but they will never destroy Troy's spirit.

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NOTES:

1) Read At the Edge of an Ocean!!! Third chapter is up!!!!!

2) The other two sequels will be up after this story ends.