A/N: Okay everyone. Here comes a different sort of chapter. This is a story within a story and it's long so bear with me. I did not intend to rewrite War and Peace but I hope I convey what I'm trying to do. I'm not sure how familiar with the book or movie you should be but I think I wrote this in a way that readers can understand it without having read the novel. I certainly haven't read it all the way through. Ok…I cheated and saw the movie. Anyway, before I give away too much, on to Chapter 27. E-mail me or write a review if you have any questions.
Thanks soooo much to all of my reviewers and your suggestions. This should help with my writers block and get me motivated again. I promise to post more often.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in Stargate Atlantis OR War and Peace. I'm just borrowing them for a short time to satisfy some sick inner world.
Chapter 27: War and Peace of Mind
Prince Nikolai Rostov and his good friend Vasska Denisov were returning to their unit in the Russian army after a long period of leave that they had spent with Nikolai's family the Rostov's. The two Lieutenants had not been back to their camp long when they had heard rumors of the French army and their most recent undertakings. They heard from the other soldiers that Napoleon was making plans to descend on Moscow. 'What gall,' Nikolai thought to himself. The French army had been within fifty miles of Moscow according to the scouts. He must have advanced his army in the time that he and Denisov had been on leave. He thought surely the severe Russian winter would have delayed the French army's progress.
He was on his way to see General Kutuzov to get down to the bottom of this. He shuddered at the thought of what would happen to the Czar and the Royal families. He did not want to let his mind wander to what fate would befall his younger siblings. He could only imagine what awful atrocities would be doled out to his sweet, dear, little sister, Natalia if she fell into the hands of a French despot. He feared for his beloved Sonya, as well, even though his affection for her had recently waned.
The snow crunched beneath his boots as he approached the General's tent. He called out to the commander and was approached by a guard. "I wish to see the General."
"What business do you have with him?" the guard inquired.
"I wish to have an audience with him regarding the escorting of the Royal families out of Moscow."
"One moment," the guard snapped curtly as he disappeared into the tent reappearing a few seconds later to show Prince Nikolai in.
"Commander Kutuzov, sir, it is I, Lt. Rostov. I wish to have a word."
There was no response for a few seconds as the General was looking over the young man. "Is that young Nikolai Rostov?" Kutuzov inquired.
"Yes sir."
"Of course, the son of Count Ilya Rostov. What can I do for you?"
Prince Nicolas launched into his explanation. "Sir, I am hearing rumors that Napoleon has plans to take Moscow."
"They are not rumors," the commander growled in confirmation.
"Sir, my family, the Rostovs…" the young Lieutenant hesitated.
"Yes, what about them?" the General grunted impatiently.
"Well sir, they and the other Royal families. They will surely be taken."
"The Rostovs?" the General mused, rubbing his chin trying to remember the significance of that name. "Yes, of course, the Rostovs," he finally acknowledged recalling them clearly, now. He had forgotten how many young royals were under his command. "What do you propose, Lieutenant?" he asked knowing full well what the young man was about to suggest.
"Sir, I would like to take a unit to escort the families to safety."
There was a pause before the General spoke again. "No doubt, you are motivated to save your own family. However, you are very brave non-the-less. Napoleon intends to take the city that much is for certain. Take your unit and one other with you, not the best for I will need them against the French. Listen carefully. You will head out East towards the old monastery. The families will be safe there. Once halfway there, send the other unit back for a surprise assault. Do you understand?" the general asked boring his gaze into the young man's eyes.
"Yes, sir, completely," the Lieutenant answered confidently.
"And, Lieutenant, no heroics, I will need your unit back in one piece. I'm aware of your record and you allow your heart to rule your head. I will have none of that."
"Understood, sir."
"God speed, Lieutenant."
"Yes, Sir," he answered one final time with a sharp nod and a salute to his superior as he exited the tent.
Nikolai's head was swirling with thoughts and plans. He was well aware of the atrocities that Napoleon was capable of. He had inflicted butcherous acts on the likes of Marie Antoinette and her husband King Louis. He was also familiar with how he treated his own men. It made Commander Kuduzov seem like a kindly old grandfather.
Lt. Denisov had been patiently waiting for his friend a few paces from the General's tent. "What did he say?" he asked in a rush falling in step with Nikolai, anxious to know what the old Commander had decided.
Nikolai explained the situation and his orders to his friend.
"When do we leave," Denisov asked.
"As soon as we have assembled our units."
Denisov stopped in his tracks understanding Nikolait's drift, and saluted, "I'll get to it straight away, sir."
Nikolai smiled after his eager friend's zeal. "We will meet on the North edge of the camp. Make sure to travel with light ordinances for we will have need to travel quickly."
The two men departed to attend to their tasks. A short time later, the two units were assembled and Nikolai briefed the two units on their mission. Upon hearing their orders, the men became excited and enthused with the thought of having the honor of escorting the Royal families. That was the highest honor that could be bestowed upon them.
When all was in order, they began the march towards Moscow with the two Lieutenants, Nikolai and Denisov, on horseback in the lead. They made it to the edge of the city by nightfall and set up camp.
The men gathered around the campfire and went over final plans while eating a hearty dinner. Nikolai would ride ahead of the rest and alert the Czar's guards first instructing them to spread the word to the other families. Then he would proceed to alert his own family. The units would have arrived by that time to assist them.
The night passed without incident and Nikolai was awake an hour before the rest of the men. He was ready to ride by the time the others had arisen. The ride into Moscow was uneventful and he was warmly greeted by the royal guards when he arrived at the Czar's palace. He explained the situation and the guards hastened to prepare the royal families for evacuation.
Nickolai quickly made his way to his childhood home where he was greeted by the servants who were already preparing the family breakfast.
His sister Natalia was the first to be aware of his presence flinging her arms around his neck. "Dearest brother, you just left here. What brings you back so soon? Something is wrong, isn't it? You would not be here if it were not a grave situation."
The Lieutenant didn't waste any time. "Run and get our brother and cousin. I will fetch Mama and Papa. Pack only those things you need for a few days."
She bolted into action sensing that this was not the time for questions.
Nikolai ran up the stairs to his parent's room taking two stairs at a time. He rapped hard on the door. "Mama…Papa…you must answer."
The door was opened a few moments by the face of his terrified father. Nikolai was relieved to see that they were already dressed.
"Quickly, we must depart. It is Napoleon, he is not far from the city."
His father shook his head knowingly, a look of shock on his face. He knew that this day would eventually come but he never imagined that his son would be the one to tell him.
Once the entire household was assembled and packed, they proceeded to pile into the sleds. Count Rostov paused to get his son's attention by pulling on his sleeve. "Nikolai, my brave son, you must alert the Bolkonsky's," his eyes bore into his son's pleadingly.
"Of course, Father."
Prince Bolkonsky was a good friend of the Counts that lived a few doors down. Prince Nikolai diligently made his way to their household. He was met at the door by their eldest daughter, Maria. Not expecting her to answer, the young prince was slightly taken aback by her as she was by him. He really was expecting a servant. There were a few fleeting seconds of awkward silence between them before Nikolai found his voice.
"Ah, Princess Maria…Madame, I am here to alert your family. Napoleon descends on Moscow." As he spoke these horrific words, he noticed how lovely she looked this morning. He noticed her clear, blue eyes. How come he had never noticed them before? Had he been gone that long that she had sprouted into a lovely young woman in his absence? He had a sudden urge to protect her.Maria'slovely eyes narrowed in sudden comprehension as the words the Prince had just spoken hit her.
"She yanked at the sleeve of his waistcoat. "Come in," she commanded.
He had removed his hat and was now standing in the middle of the Bolkonsky foyer, a foyer he had stood in many times before and was finding himself feeling rather sheepish around the Princess.
Her voice echoed throughout the house as she delegated commands and orders to the staff and her younger siblings. At the bottom of the home's grand staircase, she yelled, "Mama, Papa. You must come down this instant."
Nikolai had never seen this side of Maria and was quite impressed with her authoritative stance. Her voice was not frightened in the least bit and did not quaver with fear. It was firm and he watched in amazement as the household ran like a well-oiled machine under her command. If it weren't for her being a woman, she might have made a good officer in the army.
Princess Maria's parents arrived at the foot of the stairs expecting the worst since it was not often that their daughter called for them in such haste. Nikolai greeted them with a salute and a sharp "Sir."
"What is it, Nikolai? What fate has befallen us?"
"It is Napoleon. He is at the edge of the city. We must evacuate."
If his wife was upset, she did not show it and calmly nodded at her husband as she ascended the stairs to gather a few possessions.
Prince Bolkonsky turned to the Princess. "Is all in order, Daughter?"
"Yes father. All the children and servants are at the ready."
"Very good," he affirmed as he turned to thank Nikolai before following up the stairs after his wife.
The young Prince found himself alone in Maria's presence once more, the awkwardness returning in full force. It took a while for him to find his voice again. "We are rendezvousing at the edge of the city by the bridge. We will be making our way to the old monastery."
"I know the bridge you speak of. We will meet you there," Maria replied. She leaned in close and gave the Prince a quick kiss to his cheek in thanks. "Be careful, Nikolai."
Nikolai blushed, something he had not done in quite a long time and turned to leave Maria's grand home. His made sure to exit quickly before she could see the heat building in his face.
When Czar Alexander and the rest of the families were at the rendezvous point and had been briefed on the evacuation plan, the party headed out to the old monastery. Nikolai and Denisov were in the lead with the rest of the units flanking the families with some soldiers taking up the rear.
It would take the most part of the day to reach their destination. Suddenly, Prince Nikolai was struck with an idea.
"Denisov, I am going to take some men and go back to Moscow. I believe we are far enough away from the city for one unit to escort the families the rest of the way."
"But, Sir, did the General not say that I would return with a unit once we were half-way there."
"Well, yes, there is that, however, I think you are capable of handling this on your own. I will return to Moscow with my unit," he said not without some smugness in his tone.
"Very well, Sir, but let it be known that I did not agree with your decision" Denisov protested with a wry smile knowing how impulsive his friend could be.
"Don't worry, Lieutenant, I don't intend to get you in any trouble." Denisov nodded his head in agreement but the look on his face was of trepidation.
The two friends chose a wooded area to stop the caravan, regrouped their units, and made to go their separate ways. Nikolai didn't notice that there was a pair of hawkish eyes watching his every move. As he got closer to the owner or those eyes, he heard his name being called out. He moved towards its source only to meet up with the beautiful crystal blue eyes of Maria Bolkonsky once more. He moved his steed in close to her sled. She reached out to touch his sleeve.
"You are going back to Moscow, aren't you?" The hawkish eyes were now softened by concern and deep worry.
"Yes, Maria. It is my duty. I must protect the city."
"I understand," she stated somewhat defeated.
"I will return to escort you back as soon as we drive the French army out," the young man brightened trying to cheer Maria up.
Maria's face brightened with an idea. "I will come with you," she demanded.
The Lieutenant was shocked. "Absolutely not!" he exclaimed that feeling of protection coming over him. "The front is no place for a woman."
"Why not?" she pouted. "Are there not nurses in the infirmary? They are women are they not?"
"Yes, they are, however, let me remind you that they are posted away from any danger and have been trained for their detail."
"I will not get in the way, I promise," She tried again.
"My dear," he continued as tenderly as possible so as not to hurt her feelings, "you traveling with us is enough for you to be in the way. We would have to keep a constant eye on you and I cannot have my men distracted in that way."
"I can shoot a gun. Papa taught me," she tried once more.
At this the young Lieutenant had to laugh at her zeal.
"You make fun of me, sir," Maria pouted which brought on more chuckling from Nikolai.
"You are a delight my dear Maria. If you were a man, I would be honored to have you by my side however, being a lady, I would be more honored to be by your side when I return to fetch you and the families."
With this, Maria had to join in the laughter along with her younger siblings who had been hanging on every word of Maria's and Nikolai's conversation.
"Please be careful my dear Nikolai. I will be waiting for you. You had better keep your promise and save our beautiful Moscow."
"I will be back before you know it so you had better be ready." With that he spurred his horse and waved one last goodbye to Maria and her nosy siblings, a glow on his cheeks. Suddenly, the thought struck him that he would kill any filthy Frenchman who tried to lay a hand on her. He was not prone to these ideas and had never entertained the idea of killing outside of his duty during war. There was only one explanation for this and that was he was falling for this delightful, beautiful woman.
Nikolai paused to say a brief goodbye to his own family after his encounter with Maria before going back to Moscow. The way back was much quicker for Nikolai and his men not being slowed down by a caravan of sleds. Once at the bridge where they had first rendezvoused, they stopped for final instructions and listened for the sounds of the battle ahead. Surely, the men would be tiring on either side and his fresh unit would be a welcome relief. They decided to come in to the battle from the Eastern side so as to surprise the French.
As they approached the battlefield, they were relieved to find that the French had not advanced as far as they had feared and that they were actually starting to be pushed back. One finalassault from his unit should do the trick. His men rushed cheering headlong into the melee. Prince Nikolai made his way to the general pressing and hacking his way through French soldiers making the way clear for his men and doling out orders to them all at the same time.
When General Kuduzov spotted the young Lieutenant making his way towards him, he made a face even more sour than the one he already had on. Nikolai didn't think it possible for him to deepen his scowl. He was in for it for sure he thought.
"Lieutenant," a gravely voice called out to him. "I believe I told you to send back the better unit and escort the families the rest of the way yourself?" he scolded.
"Well, sir, you did say to bring back the best unit. That would be my unit, sir. It was only fitting that their commanding officer return with them."
"Hrrrmmph." the General growled. "We shall continue this later. For now, I need for you to assist me. I have Napoleon in my sights and I intend to wound him if I can. That should demoralize his murderers."
The General spurred his mount and Nikolai was right on his heels. Their steeds were gallant horses not easily frightened by the sounds of the cannon fire. Napoleon was known topersonally participate in thebattles instead of giving orders from the sidelines. If they could cut the head of the snake off, the rest of the body would fail.
The snow was drifting lightly as they made their way to the front line. They could make the outline of Napoleon's chapeau in the distance, it was so distinguishable. The Russian army was doing an excellent job of forcing back the French.
"There he is, the murderer and thief," General Kudunov spat out in disgust.
"I see him," the young Lieutenant confirmed.
"I'm going to take a shot," the General declared. "If I miss, I will need you to back me up before he slithers away. My eyesight is not what it used to be."
Nikolai covered the General with the help of a few men who caught on to what they were about to do. The General aimed with his musket and when he was sure he had the little weasel in his sights, let off a shot. As soon as the General had fired, Nikolai, set his own sights and aimed for the French General.
They watched intently as Napoleon, swung his head in the direction of the gunshot and realized in an instant that it was a well directed aim intended for him and started to turn his mount to move behind the safety of his men. He didn't realize a second assassination attempt would be coming his way thinking he had time before the enemy reloaded.
Nikolai fired his rifle as soon as he saw that the French leader was left unscathed. He saw the short man start to turn his horse around and let off his round. The snow had started to pick up but he was sure that his aim was true for he saw the French leader flinch and looked as if he was losing control of his steed.
"I'm sure that I hit him, sir." He turned and insisted to the General.
"Yes, my boy, I believe you might have at least wounded him in the shoulder." We shall find out from the scouts for sure later tonight. It seemed to do the trick. Thanks to your men and threatening Napoleon's person, the French are starting to retreat. No doubt, the weather is in our favor, as well. This snow storm should make it difficult for them and not knowing this territory as well as we do."
He clapped the young man on the back. "Well done young man. Moscow is saved. We will have much to celebrate tonight but I must also think on your punishment for disobeying orders."
Just as the General was finishing his sentence, a shot rang out. The General watched in horror as his young officer stiffened wide-eyed in his horse. The General caught the Lieutenant as he started to slide off of his horse, the animal was intuitively holding steady. He saw that blood was gushing from the young Lieutenant's arm. Fortunately, it didn't look too bad but probably hurt worse than the wound was fatal.
"Medic, I need a medic over here, quickly," he shouted. No doubt that was a retaliatory shot from a French soldier not too happy that his leader had been targeted. This was confirmation to the General the Napoleon had indeed been wounded.
Two medics arrived within a few seconds and they helped the General lower the young man onto a stretcher. Nikolai groaned in pain as they settled him in and made for the infirmary.
"Keep me posted on his condition." The General shouted after them. It was time for him to regroup his men and end this battle once and for all.
A kindly young Doctor with blood up to his elbows met the men with the stretcher and its contents.
"What do we have here, lads?" he asked as they deposited the Lieutenant.
"Treat this one well, Doctor. From what we understand, he wounded Napoleon," one of the medics explained.
"Is that so? Well let's get the hero inside and treat that wound. He'll be wanting to drink some vodka later this evening," the Doctor said in his distinctive accent.
The Doctor made quick work of repairing the young man's arm and hoped he would be the last of the wounded for that evening. He left him in the hands of the nurses and to get some well-deserved sleep. He could hear the shouts of the soldiers outside declaring that 'Moscow was saved.' The General did indeed come in later with a bottle of vodka and let the doctors, nurses, and medics drink a toast to the wounded especially thanking Nikolai for making the fatal shot.
The General sat on a small stool next to Nikolai's cot. "Now for your punishment," he declared.
"Yes, sir." Nikolai would take his punishment with dignity and honor.
"You are to go and retrieve the families in two day time once we are sure the French have turned tail and escort them back to the city."
"Yes, sir," Nikolai started to reply with enthusiasm and remembered that this was a punishment subduing his tone. "I mean, yes sir, as soon as you give the word," he stated more somberly. The thought of seeing Maria and keeping his promise to her was a punishment he would gladly fulfill.
"Very good," the General said with a small smile, "Keep this up and you might make a good soldier some day."
The General stood but before leaving offered Nikolai one more comment, "You saved the city."
"Yes sir, I saved the city." The young man replied enthusiastically, "I saved the city…" he repeated to himself drifting off into a peaceful and satisfying slumber.
A/N: Well there you have it. If you didn't quite get it, things will be explained in the upcoming chapter at least, that's the plan.