The Force's Shepherds
Chapter 37
To Capture a Plegian
The last thing Marth remembered was sitting in her room. The fur blanket given to her by the Feroxi had been wrapped tight around her as she tried to stay warm. There was a blizzard beginning to brew outside. The snowflakes had already begun to fall from the sky in great puffs of white fluff. The frozen wind howled outside. An ominous moan that was both chilling and a little relaxing. A long, mournful sound that caused her eyes to fall closed for the briefest of moments.
And when she reopened her eyes, Marth was not in her room. She was sitting in a room. But not her room. This room did not have stone walls. The walls instead appeared to be some strange material. A mixture of metal and some other glossy element that she had never seen before. The bed was not a straw stuffed mattress that was common in Feroxi barracks. It resembled a soft pallet. Sat a few inches off of a carpet covered floor that was dull by design. Soft grays, tans, and blues colored the furniture and walls.
She arched an eyebrow. Confusion did not even begin to describe what she was feeling. Was she moved to a different room? Did she fall asleep and enter some strange dream?
She froze for a second. The low moan of the wind had been replaced by a frantic buzz and hum. She twisted around on the pallet and saw a single, small window to the outside world.
She took a peak. A gasp rushed from her lungs. Outside of this room was a place unlike any Marth had ever seen before.
It was a city. Endless in size and scope. Buildings taller than any she had ever seen towered all around her. Strange horseless carriages zoomed through the air. Zipping in and out of lanes in the air. An endless mass that flowed like a river.
She pulled herself away from the window. Her right hand rubbed her forehead as she reeled back in confusion. Where was she? What strange reality had she suddenly entered? Marth could feel panic beginning to creep into her.
Her master's voice hit her mind. Calm down. Breath. In and out. Close your eyes. Stretch out with your feelings. Sense where you are. Do not let your own senses overwhelm you. You control them. Never let them control you.
She opened her eyes again. The panic was gone. In its place was a sense of danger. She had delved into the Force for a brief moment. An attempt to gather her bearings. What she felt was panic from hundreds of beings all around her. Terror. Shock. And most terrifying of all, brief shock waves of pain. Then nothing at all.
People were dying around her. Hundreds of them. Their lives violently cut off. Souls sent in pain filled waves to the Force. Marth scrambled out of her pallet and leaped across the small room. She forced her way through the strange, metallic door.
Smoke filled the air. Her eyes watered. Lungs burned. Hard, heavy coughs interrupted every breath she took. She dropped low to the ground.
Just in time to avoid a torrent of blue lights that screamed over her head and down the hall way. Marth's eyes widened as she heard the blue lights smack into something. Then another life left the living world.
She fell backwards and started to scramble back. More people were dying around her. But she could not see any of them. There was so much smoke. Her vision was in a perpetual haze. Blue lights continued to scream over her head. A hideous sound that rang in her ears over and over again.
There was a hum. One that made her freeze in place. She knew that sound. Had heard it before. It came from a weapon she was somewhat familiar with. Maul possessed such a weapon. And it was one she had grown to fear.
She raised her eyes. Standing over her was a man in black and brown robes. A scar ran over his right eye. His head was covered by a hooded cloak. In his right hand was a blue lightsaber.
He glared down at her. Hate filled his gaze. Marth suddenly felt the power the man commanded. It was otherworldly. Overwhelming and suffocating. She found herself shaking on the floor at his feet.
The lightsaber hummed near her neck. As it sat there, she heard a new noise. The lightsaber's hum began to die away. In its place there was a strange rhythmic sound. Hoarse and strained. As if someone was struggling to breath through a tube. But louder and much more menacing. She raised her gaze once again.
The man was gone. In its place was a black, armor clad monster. The blue lightsaber was red. The building around her was not foreign. It was familiar now. It was the palace in Ylisstol. Smoke rose up from dozens of fires around her.
"Marth?"
A knocking sound rang out around her.
"You in there?"
Marth snapped her head up. Nearly giving herself whiplash doing so. The back of her head smacked against the wall behind her with a dull crack. She hissed and winced. Her right hand reached up and rubbed the bump that was starting to grow back there. As she did that, her gaze swiveled around her.
She was back in her room at the Longfort. The stone walls, once cold and foreboding, now gave her a sense of comfort she had never expected. The small fire was beginning to die into cinders in the fireplace across the room. The blizzard was now roaring outside. The wind screeched past the massive fortress. It whistled and shrieked as it rattled against the stables and armory outside.
A knock came from her door.
"Marth?" Robin's voice rang out, "Are you ok?"
Marth blinked. What just happened? She had just gone from sitting in her room, contemplating what had occurred in Plegia, then she had been in a strange vision, only to return to her room in what felt like seconds. She had trouble wrapping her mind around any of it.
"Is it alright if I come in?" Robin asked from the hallways outside.
Marth cleared her throat, "Come in."
The door creaked open. Robin shuffled in. Marth felt a small smile cross her lips.
He was covered in snow. The hood to his coat had a powdery layer over it. Snow sat on his shoulders. He noticed her amused expression.
"It still hasn't melted?" He asked.
Marth shook her head.
Robin sighed, "Damn snow. If it's not sand its snow." He huffed and dusted off his coat, "When all of this is done, I'm going somewhere tropical."
Marth chuckled, "That does not sound too bad." She sat up in her bed, wincing as more pain raced through her body. Kage's lightning had done a tremendous amount of damage to her body. More than she even thought possible. Then there was the charred wound in her stomach from where Maul stabbed her.
"You look-"
"In pain?" Marth finished for Robin.
The tactician nodded, "Should I come back later?"
"If you leave now, you'll probably get buried in snow." Marth glanced out the window, "Hard to believe that out of all of my injuries, my arm is the one that hurts the least."
Robin grimaced, "I can fetch Libra."
Marth suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. Libra was a great healer. But he was a touch overbearing at times. He did not want her to do anything except lie in bed. And well, she did not have the patience for that.
Robin chuckled, "I take that as a no."
"A hard no." Marth answered.
Robin laughed some more, "Perhaps Lissa would be better company?"
Marth shrugged, "It's not for me to decide. Prince Chrom wants the best healers attending to me, for some reason."
"For some reason?" Robin replied, "Marth, you saved Ben's life, helped kill Maul, and nearly died trying to save Exalt Emmeryn. Of course Chrom would want the best healers with you. We may not have succeeded, but you sacrificed more than almost any other Shepherd. I know for a fact that he does not take that lightly."
Marth sighed, "I should be the least of his concerns. I'll live. That's the important part. Those healers should be working on the other soldiers instead of me."
Robin shook his head, "Good luck convincing him to do that. I swear, Chrom is probably the single most stubborn person I have ever met." He blinked, "Come to think of it, he might be the only extremely stubborn person I've met. Considering I can't remember any others."
Marth gave him a slight smile, "How are you faring when it comes to regaining your memories?"
Robin gave her a surprised look. He was shocked she would ask that.
"Well um," Robin grabbed a chair and pulled it close to Marth's bed, "If you consider progress to mean getting absolutely nowhere then… terribly. I'm beginning to think Lissa might have the best idea for triggering my memories."
"That being?"
"Hitting my head against something really hard."
Marth arched her brow, "I think that would cause you to lose more memories."
"That's exactly what Ben said too." Robin pointed out, "But nothing else has worked. Maybe I'll give it a try as a last resort."
He took a breath and sat quiet for a moment. Marth remained silent as well. Doing her best to fight off the sudden awkwardness that hung in the air. She shifted in her bed and sat up some more.
"Is there something you need?" Marth asked.
"Hm? Well um…" Robin scratched the back of his head, "Yes actually. Um… I need to talk to you about Ben."
Marth narrowed her eyes, "What about him?"
"Well, not really Ben. Although if you have actually learned anything about him, that'd be great to know. More specifically, to clarify, I wanted to-"
Marth sighed, "What do you want to talk about?"
Robin sucked in a breath, "I've been dancing around it haven't I?"
"Like a ballerina."
Robin sighed, "Wonderful. Um, what I want to ask is… what is a Jedi?"
Marth blinked, "A jedi?"
"Yeah."
"You came all the way over here, through a blizzard, to ask me about the Jedi?"
"Well," Robin pursed his lips, "You put it that way and it does sound odd."
"Very." Marth replied. She thought for a moment, "Why are you asking this?"
"Well-"
"Don't dodge the question." Marth said sharply, "I will know if you are."
She slipped into the Force. Just a little bit. Enough to be able to sense Robin's intentions. Nobody just asked about the Jedi. Let alone someone who had just learned about them.
"I want to know because both you and Ben are Jedi." Robin replied. He saw Marth visibly tense, "I know you are a Jedi because both of you fight the same and use the same strange magic. That can't be a coincidence."
"And you are hoping to gain information in order to formulate better strategies and organize the Shepherds in a better manner." Marth assumed.
Robin's lack of reply was the only answer she needed. She nailed his motivation for the question. Now it was matter of how much was she willing to reveal?
Ben's personal life was… sensitive to say the least. He was her master. Just a younger version of him. The master she knew was reclusive. Hardly said a word about his past or what he was capable of to anyone. She did not even have the privilege of knowing about his past. He refused to talk about any of it whenever she asked. The first tidbit of his history she learned about was back at the inn in Plegia. The fate of a close friend that betrayed him. Scarred him for life.
"If you are looking for personal information on Ben, I have none." Marth answered.
Robin looked crestfallen.
"The Jedi though," Marth tapped her fingers in her lap, "Well, to start with, I am not a Jedi."
Robin raised his eyebrow, puzzled.
"But I thought-"
"I am a Jedi learner." Marth continued, "A Padawan learner. A learner does not become a Jedi until they are knighted by a Master. And I was never knighted, because I never completed my training. My master died before I could."
Robin remained silent. Allowing Marth to gather her thoughts.
"Now, as for what is a Jedi?" Marth pursed her lips, "It is difficult to define. Before they were purged-"
"Whoa whoa!" Robin raised a hand, "Purged?"
Marth sucked in a breath. She should have used a different term. Died off? Went extinct? That left their demise vague. Allowing Robin to draw his own conclusions. But purged? That required a purger.
She mentally berated herself. Something that important cannot slip out again.
"Yes." She sighed, "Purged. The original order was wiped out by the Sith years ago."
It was one of the few things her Master did tell her about the Jedi Order he was a part of. A fact that was intended to make her wary of Maul when he arrived in her and Kage's lives. It worked too.
"How?" Robin asked, "Did Maul help in that?"
Marth shook her head, "I don't know. What I do know is that my master and-" She thought carefully. No one knew Ben was her master. And while she let that secret slip to Ben during what she thought was her last moments of life, even he was not certain of the truth. He was the lone survivor of the Jedi order. But he could not be if she was to protect his identity, "Ben were the only survivors of the Purge."
Robin's eyes widened in shock.
"Ben is that powerful?" He breathed.
"Perhaps," Marth replied, "My belief is that the Force was not done with him yet. So he lived."
Robin looked at her confused, "The Force? Your magic was not done with him yet?"
Marth nodded, "The Force isn't just magic Robin. It is-" How did Master explain it to me again? "It is an energy field created by all living beings. It surrounds us, penetrates us, it binds everything together."
"Sounds like another way of describing fate." Robin remarked, "Or an omnipotent god."
Marth nodded, "But the Force isn't fate. And it definitely is not a god. It is… life. The universe itself."
He still looked puzzled. Marth let out a small sigh.
"Ben could probably do a better job of explaining it than me."
"No, no." Robin waved a hand, "You're doing just fine explaining it. I'm sure of that. It's just such a difficult concept to wrap my head around. What you're saying is that you don't just tap into magic, you tap into the energy of life itself?"
"I guess." Marth shrugged.
Robin nodded, "That sounds extremely similar to normal magic. Magic is powered by mana. Mana is in essence life energy from both within and outside of a person. Although someone can only use a certain amount before succumbing to exhaustion or worse." Robin hummed to himself, "I'd love to hear Miriel's thoughts on this."
"Ask Tharja." Marth replied.
Robin gave her a surprised look.
"She's doing research into the subject already." Marth continued, "She saved my life in Plegia. In exchange, she wants to learn everything about the Force from me and Ben."
"And you agreed to that?"
"I didn't have much of a choice." Marth replied, "Her hex was the only thing that kept me from succumbing to my injuries."
Robin nodded in understanding.
"It probably wasn't the wisest of decisions." Marth thought out loud.
"I disagree." Robin replied, "If you had not agreed to do that, you, Ben, maybe even more of us would not be here." He leaned back in his seat, "Hard to believe that a Grimleal mage is the reason two of the Shepherds are alive now."
Marth chuckled, "Indeed."
"So is she learning all of this knowledge in order to use the Force or-"
"I don't know." Marth answered, "I think her interest is mostly academic in nature."
Robin nodded, "Do you think I could learn how to use the Force?"
Marth gave him a surprised look, "Why?"
"Well," Robin shifted in his seat, "You told me that Niman is best for someone wielding two weapons. I still haven't figured out how to use my magic without using my spellbook. But the Force, it appears, does not require a spellbook. So learning how to use the Force makes sense to me. Given the nature of the combat style."
Marth stared hard at the tactician, "Robin, learning the force is not like learning magic. It is a long, arduous path that will take years to learn to tap into, let alone master."
"Then there is no better time to start than now." Robin replied.
Marth frowned, "I cannot teach you."
"Sure you can. You're teaching me how to fight with a sword aren't you?"
"But I'm not a master. I'm not even a full fledged Jedi." Marth replied, "My own training is not complete."
"Well, I could go ask Ben." Robin said, "But I get the feeling he would give me a firm no."
Probably. Marth thought to herself. Ben was in a fragile state right now. He was in no condition to take on a student. He was out of balance. That much was apparent after Marth witness his temper flare at Chrom.
If her Master was in a better state of mind, he would likely train Robin. The Shepherd's tactician was incredible with magic. And he could only remember bits and pieces of his skills and spells. If his memory was intact, his power would be enormous.
Not only was he powerful, but Marth could sense a small, undisturbed power inside of Robin. Something that was lurking beneath the surface. A well of power that had yet to be tapped into. It felt like the Force to her. But she could not be certain. Her probing could only go so far before she reached her limits and alerted him to her presence in his mind. She did not have her Master's skill when it came to reading minds. She was like a toddler learning to walk when it came to reading minds and sensing intentions. Her Master was like a surgeon. She was clumsy. He was precise.
"Marth," Robin snapped her out her thoughts, "Please. Just a lesson or two. I need to know anything I can in order to help us win this war."
Marth pressed her lips into a thin line. He would not be able to use the Force at all for the coming battle. Any latent ability he may have would manifest much later in time.
But there was no harm in teaching him a few exercises right?
She let out a long breath, "Alright."
Excitement rushed over Robin's face.
"What do we do first?" Robin asked.
His excitement was infectious. Marth could not help but smile a little. He was like a little kid whenever a chance to learn something new came up. Robin acted this way when she started teaching him Niman. That eagerness would serve him well.
"Clear your mind." Marth said, "Close your eyes and breathe."
Robin did as she said. He found himself slowly falling into a calm, meditative state.
"First lesson," Marth said, "There is the Force, and the only the Force."
….
"Who does he think he is?" Chrom raged as he paced back and forth in his room.
Sumia sighed as she sat on his bed. She ran her hands over the silk nightgown that covered her body. Trying to figure out a way to get Chrom to just sit down and take a breath.
Chrom had been like this the entire day after the war council yesterday and most of today. Her presence had soothed his anger a little bit. But there was no denying how furious he was at Ben.
At least he is talking again. She thought to herself as Chrom let out a huff and flopped down in the bed beside her.
"I mean," Chrom ran his hands over his face, "Don't you agree that Ben being a Jedi and Maul being a Sith is important information to know?"
Sumia bit her lip. It was very important information to know. It explained why Maul was so hellbent on killing Ben. And by extension, killing Exalt Emmeryn and anyone else Ben grew close to. If Ben had opened up about Maul's motivations, then Robin could have formed a strategy that may have saved Exalt Emmeryn while eliminating Maul as a threat.
She knew that was possible. Robin was a brilliant tactician. His strategies were almost always sound. The enemy just always seemed to be a step ahead of all of them. No doubt thanks to Maul and the traitor, Kage. Sumia's blood still boiled at the thought of that kid. They had all trusted him. Called him a Shepherd. And in the end, he was an enemy agent. A successful one that had given Maul and Gangrel all they needed to know in order to win.
And for that reason, Sumia found herself unable to pin all of the blame on Ben. He had no control over Kage's actions. He could not have known about Kage's true allegiances. None of them could have known.
"I agree," Sumia began.
Chrom sighed, "But?"
"But it's not all Ben's fault. If anything, it's not his fault at all. Just as much as it is not your fault or mine."
Chrom huffed, "Maul was aiming to destroy Ben. And-"
"And even if Maul was not there, Gangrel would have executed Emmeryn anyways." Sumia reminded him as she sat up and wrapped her arms over his shoulders, "The only people at fault for all of this are Maul, Gangrel, and Kage."
Chrom's hands balled up into tight fists at the mention of Kage. He was still furious about what happened with the kid. Chrom allowed him into the Shepherds. Robin personally vouched for the boy. And Chrom trusted Robin's judgement. The consequences of Kage's actions were on him as the leader of the Shepherds. If he had just given the boy a normal reward for assisting the exalt instead of a position among the Shepherds then Maul would never have found, captured, or killed Emm.
Sumia was right. Damn it all, she was right. As much as he did not want to admit it, Ben was just as much a victim of Maul as he and his family were. Maybe even more so given the history Ben outlined in his initial report.
"Besides," Sumia rested her head on his shoulder as she wrapped her arms tight around Chrom's chest, "Maul wanted to destroy Ben. Destroy doesn't just mean to kill. It means to leave no trace of anything. He wanted Ben to be completely broken. That started with Emmeryn. And it can continue if you and him keep fighting."
Chrom frowned as she continued.
"The last thing we all need right now is division among friends." Sumia said softly, "We need to stand together now more than ever before. Ben is a Shepherd. And he is our friend. He will stand by us. We must stand by him."
"You're…" Chrom took a deep breath. One of his hands wrapped over Sumia's, "You're right."
"What was that?" Sumia teased, "Did you say something? I think I need to hear that again."
Chrom chuckled, "I said, you were right."
Sumia laughed, "Really? Now who would have thought?"
Chrom shook his head then brought his lips to Sumia's. It was moments like this that helped him keep going. Emmeryn's death still hurt. His heart ached every minute he knew she was gone. But Sumia had a way of making all of that pain and sorrow go away. Whether it was through a kiss, or a punch.
He winced a little as her hand brushed against the welt on his chin.
"Oh gosh!" Sumia said, "I forgot."
"To open your hand, yes you did." Chrom chuckled.
She smacked his chest, "You won't let that go, will you?"
Chrom shook his head, "Not a chance."
Their lips met again, both flopped back into the heavy fur blankets that covered Chrom's mattress. Chrom wrapped his arm beneath the crook of Sumia's neck. The two just rested there for a few minutes. Enjoying each other's company and the peace they brought to each other.
"Sumia?"
"Hm?"
"What do you think about what the others said?"
Sumia pressed her lips together. The others said a lot. There was a lot to unpack in that one question.
Cordelia's debrief was the first that came to mind for her. The Pegasus Knight had mentioned a possible schism in the Grimleal over a decade ago. Her evidence being an aged old woman who claimed to be a former Grimleal mage. The old woman had saved Cordelia's life when the first attempt to rescue Emmeryn failed.
"Do I think the Grimleal are actually that unstable?" Sumia wondered out loud. She shook her head, "No. This war has proven that they are very strong and sturdy. Maybe back then they were in shambles. But whatever Validar and Aversa did caused their order to rise to prominence. Fast too."
Chrom nodded in agreement.
"It makes me glad Validar is dead." Chrom mentioned, "Someone as politically cunning as him would be a dangerous enemy. Aversa is still an unknown, but by all accounts, she is similar to her teacher. But even more ruthless and unhinged. Which will surprisingly make it easier to handle her. She's won't be as calculating as Validar was."
"Maybe." Sumia said, "But we shouldn't underestimate her. Look what she did in the Capitol." She shuddered in his arms, "All of those Risen."
"Were because of an artifact, not her own power." Chrom reminded Sumia, "And when this war is over, I think one of the tasks the Shepherds will undertake is finding and destroying as many of those damn boxes as possible."
"Sounds like a job Vaike and Sully would enjoy." Sumia smirked.
"Getting paid to break stuff." Chrom nodded, "You're right. They would enjoy that immensely."
Sumia giggled, "The path of destruction would be enormous."
"And the stench would be most memorable." Chrom laughed with her.
When their laughter died away, Sumia could see Chorm was still lingering on the council meeting.
"What else?" She asked softly.
Chrom took a deep breath, "Khan Basilio mentioned my father."
Sumia raised an eyebrow, "What about him?"
Chrom rotated to face her, "He said I sounded just like him."
Sumia saw the concern on Chrom's face. Normally that kind of comment caused him to puff his chest out with pride. Chrom loved his father. He was his hero growing up. But the late Exalt was a controversial figure in Ylisse's history. His war with Plegia was not popular among the common folk. And it had become a point of national discord during the later stages of the conflict. To the point that when Emmeryn came to power, she did everything she could to distance herself from her father's legacy in the war.
Since then, the historians have been kinder to the late Exalt. His war was a dark point in their nation's history. But it was also portrayed as a campaign to bring Ylissean prosperity to Plegia. A campaign that ultimately failed and backfired in the most horrible of fashions.
"Is that so wrong?" She asked Chrom, "From what I remember of him, your father was a good man."
"Around us, yes." Chrom replied, "But Khan Basilio said I sounded just like him. Thinking that Plegia would drop to their knees and thank us when we liberate them from the Grimleal. He called it an invader's mindset. Said I was playing right into Gangrel and Aversa's hands by thinking that way." Chrom took a deep breath, "Then he basically called my father a bad ruler. He said, if I wanted to be a good ruler of Ylisse, I should follow Emm's example. Learn from my father's failures."
Sumia pursed her lips, "There is a lot about the war and the inner workings we don't know about. Khan Basilio obviously knows something different than us. Maybe his perspective will shed some light not just on your father, but on how we should handle Plegia going forward."
Chrom gave Sumia an intrigued look.
"Chrom," Sumia placed a hand on his cheek, "He may have offended you, but Khan Basilio has been a ruling Khan in Regna Ferox for a very long time. Longer than most Khans. His advice is invaluable. You know that."
"I know." Chrom sighed, "I just-"
"Hate it when you and your family are disrespected."
"Yes." Chrom nodded.
Sumia sighed, "Well, I hate to tell you this, but you are now the ruler of Ylisse. You, Lissa, everyone close to you are going to be scrutinized and in many cases, disrespected." Sumia sank further into his arms, "You remember what Emmeryn's first few months as Exalt were like right?"
Chrom swallowed hard, "I remember a lot of rocks and rotten fruit being thrown at us."
"There you go." Sumia breathed sleepily, "It can't get any worse than that."
Chrom snorted, "I'd say not having a nation to rule over is worse than that."
"We'll get it back." Sumia muttered as her eyes began to flutter closed.
Chrom smiled at her. She really was the right person to talk to about all of this. He knew he had a temper. That more often than not, he would get heated at the wrong moment. And whenever he did, Sumia was there to calm him down. To reason with his own anger and show him the smart way forward. She was the still water to his raging fire.
But after how hard she punched him, he was still not going to test her temper.
Chrom laughed to himself before placing a small kiss on her forehead. She smiled as she drifted off.
He should have fallen asleep too. Now that Chrom had a chance to finally rest at the Longfort, he realized how tired he actually was. The war had taken its toll on his body. His muscles were always sore and stiff. His mind was weary. Eyes heavy. Temper and patience much shorter than normal. He needed rest.
But I can't sleep.
He gently slid out of Sumia's arms. The Pegasus rider had fallen fast asleep. Good, she needed it just as much as he did.
Khan Basilio's words rang through his mind. HIs father was not a liberator. He was an invader. Was that the entire reason the war they were all fighting now came about? Did Emmeryn pay for the sins of his long dead father?
He had to know the truth. Chrom went to teh door and yanked it open right as Robin was about to knock on it.
"Oh! I-" Robin looked past Chrom and saw Sumia sleeping. He gave Chrom a knowing smirk, "Am I interrupting something?"
"Save the smug grin." Chrom replied with a slight laugh, "And no, you weren't."
Robin whistled, "You two were fast then."
Chrom punched the tactician's shoulder as he quietly shut the door behind him. Robin let out a small yelp before laughing some more.
"Very funny." Chrom said.
"It was."
"You have been hanging around Vaike, Virion, and Sully too much." Chrom scolded.
Robin shrugged as he walked with Chrom down the hallway, "Hey, I need to get to know everyone better anyways. A war has made any 'family' bonding time rather difficult." Robin took a breath, "Speaking of war, I was about to knock on your door in order to start a new war council."
Chrom stopped walking, "Are Khans Flavia and Basilio up for one?"
"They're waiting in the chambers already. I sent them both letters. I sent a messenger to Ben. He should be there to. I wanted to tell you in person. Especially given the events of the last one I-" Robin gulped, "I wanted to apologize. I should not have spoken about your father the way I did. I did not know the man and-"
"And you have nothing to apologize for." Chorm countered, "You spoke your mind. You were honest. And I appreciate that. Besides," Chorm sighed, "You and Basilio may not be entirely wrong. I need to learn more about what happened in the last war. Maybe that will tell us how to deal with Plegia now."
Robin pursed his lips. Chrom eyed his tactician.
"What do you know?" Chrom asked.
The tactician sighed, "Your father began to his war with Plegia in order to prevent the resurrection of Grima by the Grimleal."
Chrom's eyes widened, "Says who?"
"Khan Basilio." Robin replied, "He was there when your father went to his predecessor in an attempt to form an alliance. An alliance the previous West Khan turned down."
Chrom shook his head and his hands rested on his hips. He was in utter disbelief.
"Prevent the resurrection of Grima? That is madness."
"It-" Robin sighed, "It's worse than that."
Chrom closed his eyes. He dreaded whatever else Robin was going to say. The temptation to tell Robin to stop speaking was enormous. But after everything Khan Basilio said, and after his talk with Sumia, Chrom felt compelled to learn more.
"Tell me."
"Chrom-"
"Robin," Chrom interrupted, "As ruler of Ylisse, I order you to tell me what my father did to the people of Plegia."
Robin sighed, "During the tail end of the war, he began ordering the massacre of all women and children in remote villages." Chrom's face paled, "One massacre was successful. All women and children were put to the sword. He still claimed it was to stop the Grimleal. But…" Robin shook his head, "At that point, I believe it to be genocide."
Chrom let out a shaky breath. His father ordered the execution of women and children? That did not seem possible. His father was a hard man. But he was not cruel. He was not a monster.
He was not a monster at home at least. But out on the battlefield, a man can change drastically. Chrom knew that firsthand.
"I'm sorry, Chrom." Robin muttered as he saw a pained look cross his friend's face.
"You did the right thing telling me." Chrom breathed, "I'm still going to order a full investigation once this war is over in order to discover the truth. But if what you say really is true then-" He took a sharp breath, "I guess I don't know who my father really was."
Robin nodded sadly.
"I can see why Emm was so determined to avoid any wars at all costs." Chrom said as they continued walking towards the council room, "She was old enough to understand what was going on. She probably listened in on some of those very meetings where my father gave those orders." He shook his head. His mind was still reeling. How could his father have done such things? Those were the actions of a mad tyrant, not a benevolent Exalt, "It would explain Gangrel's motivations."
"And it would explain why, despite the public's mistrust of the Grimleal, they went to war on their orders." Robin pointed out, "Aversa and Validar must have spun it as a way to avenge the atrocities committed by Ylisse."
"Gangrel seems to believe that too." Chrom frowned, "We are fighting a very motivated enemy."
"And they are now facing off against an even more motivated opponent."
Robin pushed the door to the council room.
"About damn time, Prince!" Khan Flavia barked as she leaned back in her chair. Her blonde hair was tousled in all directions, "I was in the middle of a much needed nap."
"Me too." Basilio grumbled.
"I don't care about you, oaf." Flavia grunted.
Basilio rolled his eyes. Beside him, Ben sat in silence. Chrom glanced over at the swordsman and gave him a small nod. Ben looked a little surprised but returned the gesture.
"Make up afterwards." Robin whispered to Chrom before clapping his hands, "Thank you all so much for attending."
"This better be good, Robin." Flavia grumbled.
"Oh it is." Robin smiled, "Earlier today, I was with Marth training-"
"We don't need to know about your love life kid." Basilio said.
"I- you-" Robin stomped his foot, "It is a professional relationship!"
Ben and Chrom both chuckled off to the side.
"Damn Virion and his big mouth." Robin muttered before continuing, "Anyways, I was training. And during that training, Marth basically had me learning how to meditate in order to tap into the strange magic she and Ben both use."
Ben sat upright in his seat. His gaze burned holes into Robin. His eyes were intense. Robin could see that he had caught the man's attention. He would be asking Robin all about his training sessions with Marth later. Robin was certain of that.
"During those meditations, let's just say, I had a breakthrough." Robin pulled out a map of Plegia, "A plan to draw out Gangrel and Aversa."
Flavia, Basilio, and Chrom leaned a little closer. Ben kept his gaze focused on Robin.
"It is simple." Robin said, "We go ahead with the original plans that I dropped for Mustafa."
"That is suicide!" Flavia exclaimed.
Robin raised his hand, "Let me finish. We go ahead with the original plans, partially." He took a quill, dipped it in ink, and drew three rectangles into the Northern Wastes, "We are going to split the army into three. One group is going to follow the original plan, a straightforward invasion. They are going to make it look like we are trying to cut right to the heart of Plegia in force." Robin looked over at Chrom, "You are going to be at the head of that battle group."
Chrom grinned. Basilio eyed both Chrom and Robin in confusion.
"You are going to use Chrom as bait."
"Nice, big, juicy bait that Gangrel won't be able to resist." Robin smiled, "Gangrel is insane, but he is also prideful. He will want to personally witness the downfall of the Exalted line. And Aversa will be with him. Those two are joined at the hip." Robin continued drawing on the map, "Mustafa's army is the only one in Plegia right now. The other armies are still returning from Ylisse. So his army will be the one engaging battlegroup one. Now Chrom, and this is very important, once you are about to engage the enemy, you need to conduct a full scale retreat."
Chrom blinked, "Huh?"
"Feroxi soldiers don't retreat!" Flavia declared.
"Let him finish." Basilio said, curious.
Ben looked down at Robin's handiwork. His eyes widened.
"A feint." Ben gasped.
"Yes!" Robin replied, "Gangrel will take the opportunity to wipe out what he thinks his our entire army. In reality," Robin drew two arrows from the other two Feroxi armies. The arrows encircled the Plegian army, "We will be drawing them into a trap. A two pronged attack from both sides. The goal being to meet directly behind the enemy army and encircle them completely. Leaving Gangrel and Aversa nowhere to run. Once we have successfully surrounded them, Chrom, your group is going to stop retreating and hold firm, closing the trap." Robin looked up at Ben, "If your impression about Mustafa is true, he won't let his men die needlessly. He will order a surrender. At that point, it will be Gangrel, Aversa, and whatever Grimleal mages decided to tag along. We accept Mustafa's surrender and allow him to take over once we capture Gangrel and Aversa."
"Capture?" Chrom questioned.
Robin sighed, "Yes, capture. We want justice, not revenge. Capturing them will show the Plegian common folk that we are not like the last Exalt who went to war against them. We are not making war for war's sake. We are seeking justice for the wrongful death of a peaceful ruler. Once Gangrel is capture, all power in Plegia will be turned over to Mustafa. At that point, all Feroxi and Ylissean forces will leave. Then we can begin rebuilding Ylisse and put both Gangrel and Aversa on trial." Robin folded his arms, "And by capturing Aversa, we may be able to learn more about the Grimleal and whatever that box she used was."
"A reeking box." Chrom recalled, "She may know where more them are."
"Those foul artifacts need to be destroyed." Basilio snarled.
"I couldn't agree more." Flavia nodded.
Ben remained quiet. He rubbed his chin with his fingers.
"A good plan." Ben muttered, "But what is the plan if Aversa has another reeking box?"
Robin frowned, "If she does, then we were never meant to win this war. Those things can summon an undead army at will. There is no way of countering that. Not that I can think of right now."
Ben nodded, "Then we must pray she wasted her one reeking box. Beyond that, this is a good plan." He nodded again, "A very good plan."
"I'll lead the second battle group with Flavia." Basilio said, "You all have been getting all the action lately. I want to have a taste of battle already!"
"There's the old oaf I know." Flavia smirked, "Ready to bash some skulls in?"
"More than."
"Ben," Robin looked at the swordsman, "You and I will lead the third battle group."
Ben smiled at the tactician, "I thought you said you weren't a leader of men."
Robin shrugged, "Yeah well… circumstances forces one to rise to the occasion, I guess. I suggest we march within the next day or so. That way we keep to the original plan's timeline. And Chrom."
"Yes?"
"You need to make as much noise as possible when marching south."
"Get the Plegian's attention." Chrom smirked, "Sounds like fun."
Basilio began to chuckle, "Time to play a game of Capture the Plegian."
"Ah, I love that game!" Flavia laughed heartily.
Robin's lips parted into a wide grin. The plan was set. The war was now in motion. And for the first time since the war began, an all out battle would take place. A battle that would not be on Maul, Aversa, or Gangrel's terms.
This battle would be on his terms.
And chapter! The last filler chapter before we get to the big showdown! Chrom is starting to learn the truth about the last war with Plegia. And he and Ben seem to be getting over whatever anger spell they both were under. Robin is starting to learn under Marth. Yeah… this is getting good! Anyways, let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed! Have a nice day!