The Force's Shepherds
Chapter 76
Impending Disaster
Ricken sighed as he slowly made his way down a winding dirt trail south of Ylisstol. His arms clutched a large, black tome close to his chest as he strolled along. Eyes downcast, heart a little heavy. Even though he also felt excited about what lay at the end of the dirt path.
He hated having to make this walk everyday. Not because he didn't enjoy the path. The little trail towards a small cabin in the forest was beautiful. Birds were constantly chirping in the trees around him. He even occasionally spotted a stag or two.
This was a gorgeous walk he made everyday. But it also reminded him of a painful fact that made his heart sink.
The Shepherds had broken.
He never thought it would be possible. But it happened. Chrom and Ben came to blows over something regarding Ben's past. He did not witness the altercation. All he knew was what Robin had told the entire barracks that night.
Chrom and Ben got into a fight. To the point where both men drew blades. Ben actually attacked Chrom. Beat him within seconds. Something that, if anyone else had told the story, Ricken and the other Shepherds would not have believed. But Robin was no liar. They all knew that.
Frederick had been the first to press for details as to what caused such an altercation. Robin said that if he wanted to know to ask Chrom or Ben. It was not his place to delve into the very personal reasons the pair came to blows. Although, Ricken could see that Robin held a tremendous amount of guilt over the matter. Robin blamed himself. And asked the others to blame him for the mess, not Chrom and Ben. He was the one who inadvertently caused the two men to come to blows.
Ricken did not blame anyone for the whole mess. Clearly there was blame for all parties involved. He believed Chrom acted rashly when he kicked Ben out of the Shepherds. A few of the other Shepherds agreed with him. Most notably, Gaius, Panne, Laurent, and (when they learned about the situation via a letter) Virion, Donnel, and Dooku. All of those people left the Shepherds on their own. Reasoning that Ben had been the one to earn their loyalty. If he was not a member, then they would not be either. Gaius had been the most vocal with his opinion. Actually cursing out both Robin and Chrom in the barracks before storming off, furious.
Frederick led those who supported Chrom over Ben. Ricken shook his head. That group did not view Ben in a very friendly light. Especially after they learned that Ben had been the one to strike first after Chrom initially drew Falchion. The group were mostly the military faction of the Shepherds. Those directly sworn to defend the royal family and the Halidom as a whole. Ricken knew Sully was visibly furious with Ben after hearing about what happened. Stahl was mostly silent on the matter. It helped that he was all the way in Themis. He was removed from the situation entirely and more focused on rebuilding the Themis cavalry. Gregor and Kellam sided with this group as well. Mostly because they too fought for the Ylissean military. Gregor served as a training adviser on a lucrative mercenary contract. And Kellam had finally found his voice as a captain in the Ylissean infantry.
Then there were the neutrals. Those who followed Robin's advice and blamed no one for the disaster. Those who wished to just move on and try to mend the break in any way they could. Ricken considered himself part of that camp as well. He did not agree with Prince Chrom. But he also did not think Ben acted in the best way either. He mainly sided with Ben because of his dark magic instructor, Tharja. A person he had grown rather fond since she decided to start giving him more in depth instruction beyond the Academy.
Miriel and Vaike remained neutral in the fight as well. Though Miriel tended to agree with Chrom, while Vaike sided more with Ben. But the pair decided it was best to remove themselves from the situation entirely. They had a newborn to take care of. A baby boy they named after Miriel's grandfather, whom she referred to as one of the most gifted scientists of his age. Coincidentally, the baby's name was also Laurent.
Lon'qu opted to return to Regna Ferox as the formal Ylissean ambassador to Khan Flavia and Khan Basilio. The man did not enjoy the breaking of the Shepherds. He viewed the conflict as extremely childish and unnecessary. Thus, he removed himself from it. Preferring an environment with less drama in Regna Ferox.
Nowi did not take a side because she hated the fighting. Anytime anyone brought it up, she almost broke down in tears. She viewed the Shepherds in a similar way as Panne. They were her new family. And now they were fighting. The young Manakete abhorred such a state within her family. Ricken often found himself distracting her from the situation whenever he was not engrossed in his studies. And he found himself enjoying his time with her more and more. Nowi could actually be extremely thoughtful, mature, and intelligent when she wanted to be. Ricken also found interacting with her, learning about Manaketes and their abilities to be utterly fascinating.
Marth remained silent on the matter. Ricken had seen her in the training yard with Robin often. And it appeared she just wanted to move on from the matter entirely. Her focus stayed on training. Not only herself, but apparently Robin too. Ricken once asked her why she had started training Robin. She explained that the mess had caused a small rift to form between Ben and Robin. Ben was initially going to instruct Robin. But Robin felt that it was not a good idea to ask Ben to train him at this time. So Marth took on Robin's training. With middling success. She was the first person to admit that she was not the ideal teacher for Robin when it came to the mysterious power known as the Force.
The most surprising neutral party in Ricken's eyes was Cordelia. The Wing-Commander remained eerily silent about the whole situation. But Ricken could see she did not agree with Frederick's own sudden coldness towards Ben and his friends. Nor did she agree with Gaius and his own fury with Chrom. She found herself stuck in the center. Unable to decide between two people who she considered good friends.
And the only person Ricken truly believed was impartial in this entire mess was Anna. The merchant viewed the fight as idiotic. In her own words it all boiled down to, "Two boys deciding to fight over meaningless crap". As long as profits remained high, and Frederick continued to buy weapons and armor from her, she would not care too much. She was far too busy establishing her new shop in Ylisstol to worry about a conflict among people she had only met recently.
Ricken furrowed his brow as he stepped over a large tree root that snaked across the trail. Robin was the most confusing of the bunch. He blamed himself for the entire mess. He said that he was the one that caused Chrom to confront Ben. And he viewed his decision to prod Chrom along as stupid and short sighted. He remained close to Chrom. Even took the military commission Chrom initially offered him over a year ago. Before he left with Ben and the others to find Marth and Luke. But there was a lack of passion in Robin. A lack of cheer that the tactician often had before. The royal family did try to cheer him up. Lissa tried to involve him in several of her own little pranks on Frederick. But he remained rather somber.
A loud shout caught Ricken's attention. The young mage flicked his gaze up the trail. The dirt path ended at a small clearing in the forest. A log cabin sat in the center of the clearing. A small, two room building that took a few weeks to build. A cozy little spot. There was a large tent sitting outside of the cabin. It had been there for as long as construction went on. It remained in place even after construction on the cabin was finished. A place to stay for two former shepherds who refused to return to the barracks.
"Whiskers!" Gaius poked his head out from the tent as Panne busied herself in a small garden on the other side of the clearing, "Where's my stash!?"
"You ate it all already." Panne sighed as she tended to a small patch of carrots.
"Impossible! I keep my stash fully stocked!"
"You keep you stomach fully stocked." Panne replied with a roll of her eyes. She noticed Ricken approaching and gave the young mage a small smile, "You are early. Tharja is not here yet."
"Oh?" Ricken replied, "I did not realize. She must have gotten held up by Headmaster Byron again."
"Is he still trying to get her to convince Ben to teach at the Academy?"
Ricken sighed and nodded. Headmaster Byron had not given up that pursuit.
Panne shook her head as she yanked a weed away from a radish.
"I maintain that I can pay him a visit." She said.
Ricken gulped, "That won't be necessary. I think Tharja would rather handle this herself."
Panne shrugged, "Very well."
"I FOUND IT!" Gaius hollered from his tent before poking his head back out of the tent. A fresh lollipop dangled from the corner of his mouth. He noticed Ricken and waved, "How's it going, kid?"
"I'm almost fifteen." Ricken sighed.
"Still a kid." Gaius shrugged, "You here to practice with Sunshine again?"
"I'm here every day, Gaius." Ricken replied.
"Well, yeah. But you know… you could be paying us a visit instead." Gaius replied as he rubbed the back of his head.
"That's exactly what I am doing." Ricken said, "I just so happen to also be receiving instruction from Tharja during my visits."
"Stop giving him such a hard time, Gaius." Panne said, "And would you come out of that tent and help me with these radishes?"
Gaius visibly shivered, "Vegetables. She's still trying to get me to eat them." He whispered to Ricken.
"Gaius!"
The mage snickered as Panne snapped at Gaius. The Taguel's sharp hearing easily caught what the thief said. Gaius rolled his eyes and sighed.
"On my way, Whiskers." He strolled out of the tent, "When did I become a farmer instead of a damn good thief?"
"Since we agreed to help Ben tend this land in exchange for a place to stay."
"He said we could stay for free!" Gaius cried.
"And you would not feel guilty for that?" Panne remarked.
"No."
Panne narrowed her eyes at Gaius. The thief gulped, cringed.
"Maybe a little bit."
"That's what I thought." Panne nodded as Gaius knelt down next to her and gave the radish a puzzled look.
"I'm going to head inside." Ricken told the pair.
"Go for it. Benny is in there doing his thing." Gaius waved as Ricken stepped away.
The young mage chuckled as he heard Gaius ask Panne what exactly a radish tasted like. Panne promised to cook him one for dinner. He did not hear Gaius's reply as he stepped inside of Ben's cabin.
The inside was lightly furnished. Ben was not someone who wanted to have a lot of possessions. He claimed it was because he lived as a monk for years. He could do without many of the normal comforts in life.
There was a small fireplace off to the side. That was where the majority of the cooking was done in the cabin. A basin filled with clean water sat near the fireplace. A few cabinets lined the opposite wall. Windows broke up the row of cabinets. Allowing warm sunlight to filter into the cozy space. A soft, fur rug sat on the floor. A couple of wooden chairs were on top of the rug. And two more chairs sat near the fireplace. Ricken had never seen the other room. He assumed it was Ben's bedroom. The one place he decided to keep as his own. Anyone could enter the cabin's main room at any time.
"Hello?" Ricken called as he realized Ben was not in the main room.
The door to the bedroom clicked closed as Ben stepped out.
"Oh, Ricken!" Ben smiled, "You got here before Tharja."
Ricken snickered, "You sound a little disappointed."
Ben shook his head and sent a small force push at the boy's hat. Ricken's hand shot up to keep his hat from flying from his head. Ben chuckled as he walked past Ricken.
"Have you eaten yet?" Ben asked as he strode over to a cabinet and pulled out a cast iron pot, "I planned on making some vegetable soup. I think I have a loaf of bread to go with it somewhere in here."
Ben rummaged through the cabinet. He uttered a delighted sound as he found two loaves of bread and some butter. He reached into another cabinet and quickly withdrew a small wooden cutting board, a butter knife, and a regular knife.
"Thank you, Ben." Ricken said as Ben handed him a slice of bread.
Ben took one for himself as well. The two sat down near the fire. Ben leaned back into his seat and let out a content sigh.
"How goes the writing?" Ricken asked Ben.
"The book is nearly finished." Ben said with a small nod. He took a bite of bread, "I'm sure Headmaster Byron continues to hound both you and Tharja about it."
"He is." Ricken chuckled, "I've never seen the old guy so excited about something before." Ricken nibbled on his bread, "To be fair, if I had as much knowledge as him and found out there was entire lost magic I was not aware of, I'd be pretty excited too."
Ben chuckled, "Unfortunately, he may never be able to learn it."
Ricken sighed, "Yeah." He glanced at Ben, "Is the Force really that difficult to learn?"
Ben swallowed his last bite of bread. He quickly chewed and swallowed.
"It is not that it is just difficult to learn, Ricken." Ben began, "The Force is a power one must be in tune with. It is not like magic. It cannot be conveyed through tomes or taught as a power. It needs to be something a person is born with."
"And that is what makes it extremely rare?" Ricken asked.
Ben nodded, "At the height of their powers, the Jedi only numbered about ten thousand."
Ricken furrowed his brow, "That does not sound too rare."
"A large majority of those Jedi were much older than me." Ben pointed out, "The power of the order waned as the years went on. And you must consider how many people there are in the world. Ten thousand out of everyone living? That is a very small percentage."
An even smaller percentage if you consider the rest of the galaxy. Ben thought to himself.
Ben wiped his mouth with his hand, "Enough about me though. Tell me, what are you and Tharja going to practice today?"
Ricken's eyes lit up with excitement, "She is finally going to teach me the Nosferatu spell!"
"Is she?" Ben drew back with some surprise, "That is quite a leap."
"She thinks I'm ready." Ricken beamed as he clutched his tome, "I made sure to conduct as much research on the topic as I possibly could before coming here today. I want to make sure I get it right."
"That is what is most important." Ben nodded, "You don't want to learn it too fast. Not if that means sacrificing the quality of your spell craft."
"Very true." Ricken nodded. He pursed his lips, "Speaking of training, Marth is still trying to instruct Robin."
Ben let out a heavy sigh, "I already know where this conversation is going."
"Ben," Ricken shook his head, "Don't… don't you think that this whole thing has gone on long enough? Robin blames himself for what happened. If you can't make amends with Chrom, then maybe you could try making amends with him."
Ben pressed his lips together. Ricken could see the man thinking hard. Ben folded his hands and rested his chin against his knuckles.
"Marth is trying." Ricken continued, "She really is. But… she can't communicate the force to Robin as well as you. She's even admitted as much. She says she is way too inexperienced to be taking on a student as potentially powerful as Robin."
Ben closed his eyes, "That sounds awfully familiar." He breathed.
Ricken looked confused, "It does?"
Ben nodded as he leaned back and let his hands rest in his lap, "That is how I felt when I started training Anakin." Ben let out a long breath, "I was not ready for a student like him. Robin and Anakin share many similarities. But Robin also has a better head on his shoulder than Anakin did."
"He does?"
Ben nodded, "Anakin was extremely impulsive as my student. Robin rarely acts on impulse. He will act on instinct. But instinct does not necessarily mean impulse. He will ponder his instincts before acting. That is something Anakin had great difficulty learning."
"Basically, Robin possesses patience?" Ricken smirked.
Ben let his head fall back as a loud laugh left his lips, "Well put, Ricken." He took a breath and stared at the empty fireplace, "I was just as willful with my master."
"You were?" Ricken asked, somewhat surprised.
"Qui Gon and I were very much opposites." Ben explained, "I was rigid in my ways. Entrenched in the Jedi Code."
"And he was not?"
Ben shook his head, "Qui Gon believed that a Jedi must follow the will of the force, no matter what. A philosophy that, now that I look back on it, clashes violently with the Order's interpretation of the code. Especially with how the high council viewed the code." Ben hummed as he thought, "I remember one time I went behind my master's back and tattled on him to the council. Needless to say, the council reprimanded him. And he was rather cross with me."
"Kind of like what happened with you and Robin?" Ricken pointed out.
Ben glanced at the young mage.
"I assume that's why you were bringing this up." Ricken pointed out, "You have been thinking a lot about that, haven't you?"
Ben nodded, "I have." He drew in a deep breath, "Every time I find myself growing frustrated with what Robin did, I am reminded of my own stupid decisions when I was a student." He snorted, "I am reminded of Anakin's idiotic decisions. If getting reprimanded by the council was the only bad thing that happened in a day, then it was a good day." Ben nodded to himself, "Perhaps you are right, Ricken. I might just be able to bridge this rift with Robin."
"And Prince Chrom?" Ricken asked.
Ben's face darkened a little bit, "That bridge is gone."
Ricken's eyes fell to the floor, "Oh." He sagged in his seat, "That is a shame."
Ben glanced over at the crestfallen boy. He clapped a hand on the boy's shoulder and gave him a reassuring shake.
"I don't think the Shepherds will remain broken forever, Ricken." Ben said, "But… I don't think Chrom and I will be able to reconcile anytime soon."
"I understand." Ricken nodded.
The door to the cabin opened and closed. Tharja uttered a long, weary sigh as she relaxed in the doorway.
"No more urchins today." She breathed with relief.
"Hi Tharja!" Ricken waved from his seat.
Tharja's dark eyes landed on him. Ben started to chuckle as Tharja's glare sent Ricken sinking into his seat.
"Are we canceling the lesson today?" He squeaked out.
Tharja rolled her eyes, "You can't be so easily scared if you wish to delve further into the dark arts, Ricken."
Ricken gaped at the dark mage as she sauntered over to the room and placed a kiss on Ben's lips.
"That was an act!?" Ricken cried.
"A good one too." Ben smirked as Tharja hung her pack on a peg in the wall, "I did not even realize it was an act until Ricken did."
"You did. You just want Ricken to feel better about it." Tharja replied.
"I did not." Ben argued back.
"You sensed my intentions with the Force. You knew I was not mad at Ricken." Tharja pointed out.
Ben opened his mouth to argue. He promptly closed it.
"You win this round." Ben admitted.
Tharja snickered as opened her pack to grab her spell book
"Man, the force makes things so unfair." Ricken sighed, "Are you sure I can't learn it?"
Ben chuckled, "Unfortunately yes. And it is unfortunate because it would be a dream come true to have a student as dedicated as you, Ricken."
"He is a good student." Tharja muttered, "You even managed to arrive before me today. Did you not stop to be with Nowi beforehand?"
Ricken felt his cheeks heat up a little bit at Tharja's suggestive question. Ben glanced at Ricken and started to chuckle.
"It's not like that!" Ricken cried.
"I was born at night, Ricken." Tharja hummed, "But not last night. You like her and she clearly likes you. Otherwise she would have found someone else to entertain her."
"Tharja has a point." Ben nodded, "Although," He furrowed his brow, "What are the legalities regarding such a thing?"
"Nowi is a thousand year old dragon." Tharja reminded Ben, "And nobles marry far younger than Ricken is. The Ylissean royal family is a rare exception to that reality. But that is mostly due to their father dying before he could pawn them off to another noble family."
"I am not going to marry Nowi!" Ricken pulled down on the brim of his hat as he tried to hide the embarrassment on his face.
Ben laughed some more, "Tharja, I think we should get Gaius in on this."
"Do you wish to drive off my student?" Tharja smirked playfully.
Ben rose from his seat and moved towards the door with her. Ricken followed behind them. Red face hidden behind his spell book.
"I think it would be rather fun to hear his take on this." Ben said as he opened the door for the other two.
Tharja snickered as Ricken sank his head further behind his spell book. The young mage really did have a sweet innocence about him. Once she started instructing him in proper hexes and curses, that innocence would undoubtedly shatter. But she hoped he would keep his optimism. That was an extreme rarity among dark mages.
But before any of that, he had to master Nosferatu. Once Ricken could properly defend himself with dark magic, he could begin delving into its darker intricacies. That was how the art had been taught to her. She needed to learn to defend herself at the Grimleal Temple. Otherwise, she would have died within a few days of arriving at that cursed place. Hexes and curses came to her after she was able to stay alive.
That is how she taught her students. So far, the approach had been wildly successful. Every single one of them made tremendous strides in their studies after each lesson. Ricken just so happened to be a magical prodigy. Tharja felt like she had to advance his lessons in order for him to fully grow into the mage he could become.
Ben moved across the clearing towards Gaius and Panne. But he stopped midway there. Tharja and Ricken paused with him. All three noticed a rider charging full speed down the dirt trail towards them.
A Feroxi rider. Red in the face and covered with sweat. His steed snorted and huffed as he galloped into the clearing.
Panne rose to her feet from the garden. Perplexed by the sudden appearance of a winded Feroxi rider. Gaius glanced over then shrugged. He was more focused on the radish in his hand. He opened his jaw to take a bite. Panne slapped his hand before he could.
"Wait until it's cooked." The Taguel warned the Thief.
"Fine."
The rider rushed past them. He slowed his horse down to a trot as he approached Ben, Tharja, and Ricken.
"Captain Kenobi!" The rider called as he tried to catch his breath.
Ben furrowed his brow, "I'm no longer a Captain, but yes?"
The rider sucked in a deep breath as he looked down at Ben from his mount.
"Khan Flavia and Khan Basilio have sent me to you sir." The rider breathed, "They request your military expertise immediately."
Tharja arched an eyebrow at Ben. Meanwhile, both Panne and Gaius wandered over so that they could hear the conversation.
Ben gave the rider a curious look, "Why would they need my expertise? If they are trying to decide which them of them would win in a one on one duel, I'm staying out of it."
The rider did not laugh with him. Instead, he gulped another large breath before continuing.
"Khan Basilio believes the Valm Empire is about to invade the continent."
Ben's face hardened significantly.
"You have been to that continent. You have fought against their military before." The rider breathed, "So I was sent to fetch you for the Khans."
Ben rubbed his chin as he contemplated the message. Khan Basilio believed Valm was about to declare war on all of Archanea? That seemed difficult for Ben to believe. An entire ocean sat between Archanea and Valm. With the limited technology on this planet, conducting an amphibious invasion would be nearly impossible. The logistics alone would be a nightmare. Trying to feed an army an ocean away from friendly territory should be enough to deter any sort of invasion.
But, Khan Basilio's instincts were rarely wrong. The man had a head for war. He knew how these sorts of things started. And his spy network was massive. He even possessed spies hidden among the people of Plegia. It would not surprise Ben if he had a spy in Valm. A way to keep an eye on the massive empire that swallowed that continent whole.
"Do you have a reply, Sir?" The rider asked.
Ben took a deep breath.
"Ben?" Tharja brushed her hand along his shoulder.
"The Khans helped us in our time of need." Ben nodded, "It is time we returned the favor." He glanced back at the rider, "Return to the Khans with all haste. Tell them I am on my way."
"We are on our way." Tharja said.
"Yes sir!" The Feroxi rider nodded to Tharja, "Ma'am."
The rider turned his horse around and dug in his spurts. The horse uttered a loud whine then charged back down the dirt trail towards Ylisstol.
As he charged away, Gaius hopped towards Ben, Tharja, and Ricken.
"A new adventure?" Gaius grinned, "It's about time! I'm tired of being cooped up in that tent. The only fun part is hanging out with Whiskers."
"If you weren't cooped up in that tent, you would be out thieving." Panne said with a small smirk, "And I enjoy spending time with you as well."
Ben grimaced a little bit, "This won't be an adventure, Gaius. If Basilio is right, then this will be a prelude to a new war." Ben saw Gaius's grin waver a little bit, "And you know how the last one went."
Gaius gulped, "Yeah… that was no fun."
Ricken nodded nervously. He glanced at Ben, "Do you really think this will be the start of another war?"
Ben sighed, "I'm not sure. But I am sure we will find out once we arrive in Arena Ferox."
"I'm glad you said 'we', Benny." Gaius wrapped an arm around his shoulders, "You already know you aren't going anywhere without us."
"Not a chance." Panne chuckled.
Ben rolled his eyes, "I already have you freeloading off of me at home, Gaius. You may as well freeload on the road too. We will pack and rest for tonight. Tomorrow morning, we start marching to Regna Ferox."
"Alright!" Gaius smiled, "New adventures! I'm ready!"
The thief rushed over to the large tent in the clearing. Panne sighed and shook her head before following the rambunctious thief to their tent. Ricken gulped as he stood near Tharja and Ben.
"You don't have to come along if you don't want to Ricken." Ben said as he noticed Ricken's anxiety.
"No!" Ricken cried, "I want to come along. Otherwise how will I finish my lessons?" Tharja smirked a little bit, "Besides, you almost left me out of the last war. I feel like I barely helped out at all back then. I will not be left out of this one!"
Ricken took off running towards the trail. He glanced back for a split second once he reached the treeline.
"I'll meet you in the morning outside of Ylisstol's main gate!" Ricken called back.
He sprinted back to the city. Ben chuckled a little as he watched the young mage disappear into the forest.
"He's eager." Ben breathed.
Tharja nodded as the pair walked back towards the cabin. Ben opened the door for Tharja then stepped inside after her. The dark mage uttered a relieved sigh as she removed the clasp from her cape and threw it over one of the chairs near the fire.
Ben smiled as he watched her place a few wood logs into the fireplace. With a quiet whisper, a flame jumped from her hand and sparked the dry tinder. The fire's warm glow lit the entire room as Tharja took a step back. Right into Ben's waiting arms.
She laughed a little as she felt his arms wrap around her waist.
"I think you're the eager one." She chuckled before craning her head back to kiss him.
"Sorry," Ben smirked, "Can't help myself."
Tharja smiled and spun around. Ben's hands remained near her waist as the two swayed in the firelight.
Tharja's heart always thumped whenever her and Ben were like this. She rarely slept at the Academy anymore. Preferring to stay at Ben's cabin. The walk to the Academy in the morning was a long one. And it meant she had to rise early whenever she did stay at Ben's home. But moments like this, resting in his arms by a warm fire, made the early mornings worth it.
A slight nervousness hit her. Valm wanted to invade Archanea. Ill news if she ever heard any. The continent had only just finished recovering from the war with Plegia. Now a new enemy threatened the hard won peace.
Ben gave Tharja a concerned look.
"You're afraid?"
Tharja sighed and let her head fall against his chest.
"I'm not sure how I feel about another war, Ben."
She felt Ben's chest rise and fall steadily. One of his hands stroked the back of her head. His fingers ran through her black hair. Easing her nerves and steadying her racing hear.
"I'm not sure about this either." Ben admitted, "But we will face it together. As we always do."
Tharja smiled and nodded against him.
"So?" Ben lifted her chin up, "I'm making soup."
"Vegetable soup?"
"My specialty." Ben grinned.
"Because Gaius can't be bothered to go hunting." Tharja chuckled, "And you are busy writing your first text to hunt." She broke away from him and went over to grab a small iron pot from one of the cabinets, "Lucky for you." She went over to pack and pulled out a small portion of beef she bought from the markets, "I thought ahead."
Ben smiled back as Tharja placed the ingredients in the pot and set it over the fire. Ben in the meantime, poured them both glasses of water. The couple sat down in front of the fire. Watched as the flames flickered and shadows danced along the wood walls around them.
"Tharja."
"Hm?" The dark mage replied as she sipped her glass.
"If war does come, do you want me to get involved?" Ben asked her.
Tharja furrowed her brow, "What do you mean?"
Ben looked over at her, "You saw how large one of Valm's armies was. General Yen'fay's army alone could take on Regna Ferox. If Valm really is going to invade, then the continent will need all of the strength it can muster." Ben exhaled, "But, I do not want to rush into another war. I-" He gulped, "I have too much I care about to go off into another war again."
Tharja smiled at him and took his hand, "Ben," She sighed, "You are a warrior. A Jedi Master. You may be one of the few people that can stand against the might of Valm." She snickered a little bit, "I think it is kind of adorable you are asking me if I'm okay with you going to fight."
"Adorable?"
"Yes." Tharja smiled, "And I appreciate it Ben." She took a deep breath, "It… It really shows how much you care."
Ben nodded. Tharja leaned in for another kiss.
"Now," She breathed into him, "Don't doubt what you have to do. If you believe Valm is about to invade, then you must do what you feel is right. And if that means fighting back against Valm, then I shall be on that battlefield, by your side."
Ben let his forehead rest against hers. He chuckled a little bit as he stared into her dark eyes.
"What?" Tharja asked.
She let out a startled yelp as Ben scooped her up from the chair and carried her towards the bedroom. Ben laughed some more as Tharja threw her head back and let out a loud chuckle. She leaned up in his arms and kissed him deeply. Ben's smile broadened.
"We're skipping dinner!"
Bail Organa stared into the mirror. A long frown ran over his lips. Gray hair sprouted along his sideburns. Flecks of gray peppered is closely trimmed goatee. The Empire had only been in power for about five years. And already, the stress of dealing with Imperial codes and regulations had taken its toll on him. Despite the short amount of time that had passed since the end of the Clone Wars, he looked ten years older than he really was.
Part of that was the stress. He was still Prince of Alderaan and the senator for his homeworld in the Imperial Senate.
He still could not believe he held both positions. Hell, he could not believe he was still alive.
Nearly five years ago, he had been aboard his own personal transport, Tantive IV, with the last two living members of the Jedi High Council on board. He also had two pieces of absolutely precious cargo with him. Luke and Leia; Anakin Skywalker's children. The galaxy's last hope against Palpatine. A hope that had nearly been lost as soon as it had appeared.
That day flashed in Bail's mind. He remembered speaking to Master Kenobi as the Jedi Master cradled Luke Skywalker. Could remember the panic he felt as Clone Soldiers boarded his vessel and attacked his personal bodyguards. Could hear the dying screams of his men as Clone Troopers blasted their way through his ship. He had Leia cradled in his arms throughout the entire ordeal.
He remembered seeing Master Kenobi take off for an escape pod. He tried to follow him, but Master Yoda warned him not to go. The ancient Jedi Master advised something that Bail never considered. And he never wanted to do.
Surrender.
Yoda wanted him to surrender. To act as if Yoda had him and his entire crew under a Jedi mind trick. Bail argued vehemently against such an action at first. But Master Yoda had been firm in his stance. The last hope for the galaxy rested with Leia and Luke. It was more important that they remained alive, undetected, and out of Sidious's hands.
And so, when the Clones finally corned Bail and Yoda. Yoda acted as if he let Bail free of his mind control. Bail acted completely delirious. He screamed. Cried that his newborn child was in danger. That the Jedi had taken over the ship. Begged for the Clones to help him and his men.
To his shock, the Clones and their commanding officer fell for the charade. Master Yoda was taken into custody after willingly surrendering himself.
And Bail had not forgiven himself since.
He purged his entire personal crew after that. A traitor had managed to get into his inner circle. That was the only way the Empire would have figured out that two Jedi Masters were aboard his personal ship. Any new guards or ship crew were personally checked over by himself and his new head of security. A former clone captain who asked to be discharged following the end of the war.
A clone captain that had earned Bail's trust after introducing him to an old Jedi friend that managed to survive the war.
Bail uttered a long sigh as he shrugged an overcoat onto his shoulders. He glanced behind him at his empty room.
His wife had died not long after he returned home with Leia. Her own frail body finally gave due to the stress of dealing with the Empire. His bedroom remained empty. And his heart ached every time he looked back and saw some of her things still in the same spot three years after her death.
The only thing that kept him from devolving into grief and despair was Leia. His little princess. A mischievous little toddler that managed to fill him with joy and frustration at every possible waking moment. She always managed to get herself into some form of trouble. And she relished in the thrill of mischief. The palace servants often came to him completely exasperated after yet another crazy stunt of hers. Just yesterday, she managed to scale the palace walls in order to explore the roof. The roof! It took hours to finally get the giggling girl back down to safety.
Bail chuckled to himself. He had a feeling his hair would be fully gray once her teenage years came.
A knock sounded from the door.
"Come in." Bail called.
The door hissed open. Former Captain Rex of the 501st Legion strode into the room. His sharp eyes studied every corner before he snapped his gaze over to Bail.
"Sir." Rex began, his mandalorian accent rang out sharp through the quiet air, "We have a situation."
Bail's eyes hardened, "What sort of situation?" Bail reached over to a table and grabbed a comm-link. A secret comm that only himself and Rex knew about, "Imperial? Or Leia?"
"Neither sir." Rex replied without any sense of amusement at Bail's joke, "It's… impossible to explain sir. You will have to see for yourself."
Bail furrowed his brow. Few things surprised the former Clone Captain. The man had survived the entire brutal Clone Wars. Had been to more planets than Bail would ever hope to see. Fought against impossible odds and witnessed sights that would have made his jaw drop. For him to say something was beyond explaining stunned the Prince of Alderaan.
He followed Rex out into the hall beyond his door. Did his best to keep up with the Clone's swift, sharp movements. He had seen Rex get like this a few times. Hyper-alert and dangerously fast. Eyes focused. Searching for any hint of a threat. Something spooked the former captain. That made Bail nervous.
They reached the palace's main hall. Bail furrowed his brow in confusion.
A group of his personal guards surrounded a strange looking humanoid. Dark brown fur lined most of his body. A strange type of armor covered his torso and waist. Long ears ran down to his shoulders from the top of his head.
The creature looked terrified. It's frightened eyes flicked at the guards as their blasters remained trained on him.
What caught Bail's attention next was something even stranger. Piles of ash littered the polished stone floor. Several of them rested near the strange, hairy creature. A few more were scattered around the entire main hall. Some scorch marks dotted a few pillars that held the roof up.
"Rex?" Bail asked.
"Sir, it happened while you were still asleep." Rex explained as they descended a flight of stairs, "A strange… I don't know… portal opened up. That thing," He pointed at the strange creature, "came out of it. It was followed by monsters of some sort that took several shots to put down."
"And this battle did not wake me!?" Bail cried.
"Sir, it lasted only a few seconds." Rex explained, "I have these men trained to put down any threats to you. The creature fought off one of the monsters. That is the only reason his is not filled with blaster bolts."
Bail frowned as he reached the bottom of the stairs. His eyes darted from Rex back over to the strange creature.
He had never seen anything like this before. The creature was clearly intelligent. The fear in its eyes showed that. But its appearance baffled Bail.
"A portal?" Bail asked Rex.
"Yes sir." Rex replied, "I know sir. I thought I was crazy as well."
Bail furrowed how brow.
"I think we should take it into custody and-" Rex stopped talking as Bail marched towards the unknown alien, "And you're just going to ignore me." He sighed, "I should be used to this by now."
Bail stopped a few feet away from the alien creature. It's dark eyes remained wide with terror. The Alderaan prince saw the creature's throat bob up an down as it swallowed hard.
"Does it speak?"
"Hasn't said a word." Rex answered.
Bail pursed his lips. He returned his attention to the creature.
"Greetings, my name is Bail Organa, Prince of Alderaan. Who might you be?"
The alien remained terrified. Frozen in place with fear. Bail saw one of its ears twitch a little bit.
"Wh-who?" The thing squeaked out.
Rex drew back in surprise, "It does speak."
Bail nodded and raised a hand. The guards all lowered their blasters. He could see a great deal of fear leave the alien's eyes at this action. But it still appeared to be on its guard. Ready to flee at a moments notice.
"Bail Organa." Bail pointed at himself, "That is my name. What is yours?"
The creature gulped loudly, "Y-Yarne."
"Yarn?" Rex said.
"Yarne." Bail repeated back. The creature nodded, "Do you know where you are, Yarne?"
The creature slowly shook its hairy head.
"I'm definitely not in Ylisse." It swallowed hard, "S-so could you… could you fill me in on what is going on exactly."
Bail furrowed his brow, "I was hoping you could fill me in on the situation." Bail sighed and rubbed his eyes, "Alright, let's try something else. Yarne, what are you?"
"P-pardon?"
"What species are you, kid?" Rex restated.
Yarne nervously shifted his weight from one foot to the other.
"I-I am a Taguel, sirs. The last of my kind actually."
Bail gave Rex a puzzled look. A Taguel? He had never heard of such a species before.
"What planet are you from, Yarne?" Bail asked.
The Taguel gave him a bewildered look.
"Planet?"
Bail frowned, "Yes, planet. Right now, you are on Alderaan. The captain of my guards, Rex, told me you arrived through a portal of some sort?"
"Alderaan?" Yarne gulped and raked his hands through his mane, "Oh Naga. This is bad."
"Who is Naga?" Rex muttered.
"This is really bad." Yarne's face paled considerably, "I am not where I'm supposed to be. I'm lost. The others! I won't be able to find the others and- and- I'm alone now. And I don't know where I am and-"
Bail raised a hand. Yarne froze.
"Easy, Yarne." Bail said with a good natured chuckle, "No one is going to harm you here. You did not attack my guards. My guards will not attack you. It is that simple."
Yarne gulped, "R-right."
Bail took another deep breath. This was a perplexing situation. He was dealing with a terrified person from an unknown species who did not know where he was. He seemed extremely distressed about something in fact. Bail wanted to press for more details, but the politician in him stopped him from questioning the terrified Taguel even further. He would get nowhere if the creature remained petrified. He would gain more information if Yarne became comfortable.
"Have you eaten recently Yarne?"
"Eat-Eaten?" Yarne stammered.
"Yes. Does your species eat?" Bail asked, "Or do you… I don't know, conduct photosynthesis or something?"
"What is that?" Yarne gulped, "This photosynthesis… it sounds dangerous."
Rex rubbed his forehead, "Oh, I've got a headache coming on now."
Bail sighed, "Don't worry about it Yarne. I was about to have breakfast actually. Care to join me?"
Yarne gave Bail an extremely hesitant look. He took one shaky step forward. The guards backed away as he took another step towards Bail. Bail heard a loud grumble. Yarne froze. A sheepish look crossed the Taguel's face.
"I guess I am hungry." He said, voice meek and quiet.
Bail chuckled, "Good. I'm sure the chef will not mind making another plate. Guards, escort Yarne to the dining room. He is my guest now." Bail noticed Yarne's fear filled expression, "Do not worry, Yarne. They will not harm you. I will be with you shortly. I must go wake my daughter first."
Yarne visibly relaxed at the mention Bail's daughter. Something Bail intended to have happen. Fear filled creatures usually relaxed around young children. The mention of Bail bringing his child to breakfast gave the creature a sense that this place was indeed safe. After all, if it was not safe, why would Bail bring out his precious daughter.
"Th-thank you, Mr. Bail." Yarne bowed his head and shuffled quickly alongside the guards.
As he disappeared up the stairs, Bail turned to Rex.
"I've got nothing sir." Rex breathed.
"Yeah? Me too." Bail ran a hand over his mouth, "Taguel?"
"I'll look it up. But it doesn't ring a bell." Rex nodded at the piles of ash on the floor, "I'll also have some samples of that stuff taken. Figure out what the hell those monsters were exactly. Maybe we'll get some answers that way."
"You think so?"
"Pfft!" Rex said, "I don't have any better ideas at the moment. Jitters," He jabbed his thumb in the direction Yarne walked off in, "sounds like he won't be talking much about anything anytime soon."
"I'll handle that." Bail breathed, "Just figure out who or what he is, and where he possibly comes from." Bail started to walk towards the stairs. He stopped on the first step, "Rex!"
"I'll keep this investigation quiet sir." Rex answered, knowing immediately what the Prince was about to ask, "Do I have permission to use the other line and contact you-know-who? They might have some insight on this."
Bail thought about it for a moment. Contacting them at any time was a risky move. Even Fulcrum admitted as much. The shadowy agent preferred to remain hidden in the galactic shadows. Less likely the Empire would find them that way. But if anyone knew of anything strange occurring in the galaxy, it would be Fulcrum. Fulcrum always had an ear to the ground regarding galactic events both known and unknown.
Bail gave Rex a small nod.
"Quietly." Bail whispered before marching up the stairs towards Leia's room.
"I always do sir." Rex replied.
The former clone captain glanced down at the floor and nudged his foot at one of the piles of black ash.
It still boggled his mind. It had been a normal morning. Then all hell broke loose. Guards opened fire in the main hall. Rex heard some barks as his men witnessed the blue portal open up above their heads. Rex still had no idea what exactly it was. He had never seen anything like it before.
Then Yarne fell out of it along with more of those strange, shambling, almost primitive looking monsters. His men made quick work of them. And the Taguel actually took one down before Rex's men took aim at him. That was when he ordered the guards to ceasefire. That was when he rushed to wake Senator Organa. If anyone knew how to deal with an unknown species, it was him.
Rex sighed, crouched down near one of the piles of ash. He furrowed his brow as he ran a hand through it. It felt cold to the touch. Ash was not supposed to feel cold. And it was supposed to feel soft. Fine and thin. Not coarse. Almost sharp. In fact, as he peered closer, Rex swore he saw some shells of some sort mixed in with the ash. A strange, insect like exoskeleton that had been obliterated by a blaster bolt.
He shook his hand. His fingers flicked some ash from his palm.
"Damn mystery just got stranger."
And chapter! New of a possible war comes to Ylisse. And Ben is on his way to Regna Ferox in order to help out Flavia and Basilio. We also learn that Chrom's decision really shattered the Shepherds. It'll be interesting to see how what the Valm war does to that delicate situation.
And we introduce another character folks. Another time traveler from the future, Yarne! His story will be interesting to write, that is for sure!
Anyways, let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed! Have a nice day!