The Force's Shepherds
Chapter 90
Exalted Blood
Anna leaned against the bar counter on the ground floor of the small barracks the Shepherds appropriated. A stiff drink rested in one hand. A drink she gently swirled around as she observed the others around her.
She had not been around the Shepherds for very long. Well, technically she had been around the group for nearly two years. But only part of the group. And even then, she tried to keep the relationship strictly professional. She was the merchant. She helped them because they gave her a connection to valuable customers. Royal customers paid good. She did not want to lose that line of income. A line that had been incredibly lucrative lately. She did not want to get emotionally attached to anyone. Even if some of these Shepherds saved her life in Plegia when those Risen attacked in the desert.
She gave those Shepherds: Ben, Robin, Tharja, Laurent, Gaius, Panne, and Donnel a small discount at her shop. That was the extent to which she was willing to be personally friendly. Professionally friendly, absolutely. A good merchant did not win over customers with a sour attitude.
And yet, despite her general aloofness towards the others, Ricken's death still hit hard. During the two years Anna had been dealing with the Shepherds, she grew to believe them to be hopelessly optimistic. Especially their leadership (with the exception of Ben who had the rare distinction of being difficult to read for her). All of them were always smiling, joking, enjoying each other's company. Even during more frosty times like the past few months with the internal feud between the group. Did you support Ben and his privacy? Or Chrom and his desire to provide safety?
Personally, she did not have a dog in that fight. Both bought wares from her. They used good gold when they made their purchases. Why should she take a side in that stupid squabble? Fights like that were bad for profits. And nothing came before the 'p' word.
That is how she grew to know Ricken. He shared her opinion on the feud. It was stupid in the boy's mind as well. Although, he had much more altruistic reasons for despising the fight than she did. And in many ways, she agreed with him. Why did Ben's past even matter? Why did Ben refuse to at least give Chrom the bare minimum in order to placate the Prince? The whole feud screamed pride and dumb stubbornness to both of them. And whenever Ricken came by her shop, looking for a certain herb or a new spell book, they would chat. Gossip was probably the more accurate term. In a way, they bonded over the feud. He became a favorite customer of hers. Not just because he was a regular either.
And now, that naive boy was gone. And she could not muster any tears for him. He joined many others she had witnessed pass away far too soon. Her own sister among that number. So, she did what anyone else who could not openly weep for the dead did. She drank. And thankfully, Khan Basilio's firewine collection was magnificent.
Now, she was not completely heartless. There was an ache in her chest. Especially when she looked at poor Nowi, Ricken's closest friend. The normally bubbly, chatterbox of a Manakete had been rendered silent by his passing. No amount of consoling seemed to soothe her. Miriel tried, Sumia tried, Cordelia tried, even the newest member of their little band, Henry, tried to comfort Nowi. In his own strange, slightly demented way. Nothing worked.
Anna did not try. Why would she? She knew first hand how fruitless simple words were when it came to giving comfort to the grieving. They felt nice for a split second. Then the pain returned. What Nowi needed was not condolences, she needed an outlet. A way to filter through it all. And thankfully, one had just pulled into the harbor.
We'll take out some Valmese together. Anna thought as she tipped her glass back and downed the last few drops of her firewine.
Her stomach flipped at that thought. She poured herself another drink. War, normally not a good thing for business. Unless she was specifically trying to sell weapons (which was an extremely risky business around armies). She tried to avoid major conflicts when she could. A few years ago, when she caught wind of a possible Ylissean counterattack against Plegia; she loaded up her cart and hit the trails. Dashed towards northern Ylisse where the fighting was not very thick. And business, while slow, was still better than in war torn Themis and Ylisstol. And her sister wanted out of Valm for that exact same reason. She sensed war on the horizon as well. And she knew business would plummet.
Except now, her sister was dead. Killed by one of the Valmese Generals they would be facing. General Yen'fay and his army of murderers. Anna grit her teeth, placed her glass to her lips, and took a long sip. She would run towards war this time. This time, it was not about business. This time it was personal.
Her attention shifted back to the Shepherds as Cordelia sat down in a bar stool beside her. Untouched drink in hand. Anna glanced over at the other red head in their company.
"Drink up. It'll help." Anna muttered as she sipped again.
Cordelia uttered a heavy sigh, "Maybe." She shifted in her seat. Still not raising her glass despite having her fingers curled around it. She glanced over her shoulder at the other Shepherds.
Miriel, Vaike, and Laurent sat off to the side on a large sofa. Laurent did not appear as grief-stricken as Miriel and Vaike. He appeared more distressed actually. Although over what, neither Cordelia or Anna could figure that out. The scholar could be extremely secretive when he wanted to be. And very silent. Likely the young man was just caught up in his own head. That seemed to happen quite a bit.
Gaius and Panne were sitting far down the bar. The thief was already long gone. The alcohol burned away the grief and replaced it with a fitful sleep. Panne stood guard near him. The Taguel did not join the drinking. And while sad, she did not show much sorrow. This was not the first death of a close friend she had dealt with. Her entire Warren had been killed before her very eyes. Mass death of loved ones tended to numb one to the solitary death of another. She grieved in her own way. A silent way.
Gregor stayed close to Nowi. Acting as a paternal person for her. The older mercenary kept up a strong facade for the shattered Manakete. If she needed something, he brought it to her. Whether that was a blanket, a cup of tea, or a hug.
Virion, Olivia, Cherche, Lissa, and Libra sat quietly on a pair of sofas. Libra offered small comforts thanks to his background in the Faith. Lissa seemed as visibly shaken as Nowi. The young Princess still struggled with deaths of people close to her. Cherche did not know Ricken very well, but offered comfort as best as she could. Virion put off any bombastic, overt behavior that he usually had and instead remained respectfully somber along with Olivia.
Frederick, Lon'qu, Stahl, and Kellam opted to channel their grief into productive matters. They threw themselves into work. All four had been diligently seeing to the Ylissean army's arrival in Port Ferox before finally joining the others in the barracks about an hour ago. All four raised a silent toast to Ricken, then remained quiet. Only muttering the occasional whisper to each other as they attempted to puzzle through soldier assignments.
Donnel, Maribelle, and Dooku remained in their own close knit circle near the door. Maribelle appeared to be the most distressed of the trio. Ricken saved her life during the onset of the war with Plegia over two years ago. If not for him, she would likely be dead. That realization was not lost on her. And she mourned the brave mage. Regretted the fact that she did not reward him for his actions sooner. Before his passing. Donnel did his best to console Maribelle. And Dooku remained like a statue. Offering an occasional word of wisdom before returning to his normal, disciplined state.
Finally, Sumia and Sully lingered near a window that looked out to the walls of Khan Basilio's palace. Giving everyone inside a view of the rocky courtyard and the dreary sky above it. Sully sipped at a drink and spoke in a hushed tone with Sumia while the Ylissean queen struggled with the death of one of the Shepherds. One she had known since he had barely been able to cast a spell.
Anna flicked her eyes around the space again. The only Shepherds missing were Prince Chrom, Robin, Marth, Ben, and Tharja. Venator and Odin did not count. She briefly met the two teenagers when she arrived in the city with the rest of the Ylissean army. They seemed likable enough. Venator seemed especially eager to spend coin (a trait Anna greatly appreciated). But both were still acquaintances, not friends. Their status among the Shepherds was still up in the air in her opinion. Kind of like hers. Sort of a member, but not deep enough in to be considered an invaluable comrade. And she preferred it that way for herself.
Where are those two troublesome teenagers anyways? Anna thought to herself.
Cordelia finally took a sip of her drink. Her face screwed into a displeased look as the liquid sat in her mouth far longer than it should have. A loud gasp left her lips when she finally swallowed.
"Didn't help." Cordelia breathed.
"You're doing it wrong, that's why." Anna remarked, "Don't breath in sharply after drinking. And make sure it goes down quick."
"I know that." Cordelia said as she stared at the amber liquid in her glass, "I just… don't feel like drinking."
"Then don't." Anna shrugged, "Everyone grieves in their own way."
"Are you?"
Anna blinked, "Am I what?"
"Grieving?"
Anna frowned then raised her glass a little bit.
"Ah." Cordelia nodded, "I see."
"Like I said, everyone does so in their own way."
Glass shattered nearby. Startling nearly everyone in the room. All conversations came to a standstill. Every single eye zipped over to the source of the sound.
Firewine and drops of blood dripped from Sumia's right hand. Shards of glass poked out of her fingers. Several more shards littered the ground near her feet. Mingling with spilled firewine and blood. Sully even seemed startled by the sudden action.
At first, Anna and Cordelia assumed Sumia had another one of her accidents. The Queen had never been the graceful sort. She still occasionally tripped over her own feet. Especially around her husband, Prince Chrom. Such accidents were usually accompanied by a look of pure embarrassment on her face as well as a flurry of apologies.
Instead, Anna and Cordelia saw a new emotion wash over Sumia's face.
Jealousy.
"Uh… Sumia?" Sully gulped.
Sumia's right fist clenched tighter. The Pegasus Rider seemingly unaware of the shards jabbed into her skin.
"That- that-" Her eyes bore holes through the glass. Her fists shook at her sides as she struggled to form words.
Sumia tore her gaze away from the window and marched over to the sofa where Lissa sat. She sat down, reached for the vase of white flowers on the table between the two sofas, and grabbed the closest flower.
Anna drew back in shock as she started plucking the petals while muttering under her breath. Lissa gave Sumia a puzzled look before she heard what Sumia was saying.
"He loves me…" A petal fell, "He loves me not…" The other Shepherds stared as they watched a third petal drop to the floor, "He loves me…"
"Oh crap!" Sully cried as she found what Sumia had been staring at through the window.
Cordelia dashed over to investigate. The Pegasus Knight stared out the window. Her jaw dropped.
Chrom stood on the walls with Marth. They were as far away as they could possibly get from the Shepherds little makeshift barracks. Both of them had their arms wrapped around each other. Marth was sobbing into Chrom's shoulder.
"This is not good." Sully gulped.
Cordelia felt her heart hammering in her chest, "I-it's probably nothing."
Marth is just sobbing for Ricken. And- and Chrom is comforting her. Yes! That has to be it. A hug does wonders when someone is sad after all.
Chrom kissed the top of Marth's head.
"OH THAT BLUE HAIRED BITCH!" Cordelia bellowed.
"Agreed!" Sumia cried before returning her attention to the flower petals. Upon realizing she had plucked one flower clean, she reached for another and began her ritual all over again, "He loves me… he loves me not… he loves me…"
"What is going on?" Anna asked as she stayed near the bar counter.
"Chrom is with Marth!" Cordelia seethed as she folded her arms.
Lissa arched an eyebrow in confusion. She glanced over at Maribelle. The Duchess of Themis cleared her throat.
"Okay, and?" Maribelle asked.
"Intimately with her!" Cordelia declared.
"WHAT!?" Both blondes cried as they surged towards the window and pressed their faces to the glass.
Dooku pinched the bridge of his nose as he uttered a heavy sigh.
"I am surrounded by children." He grumbled.
"Hey uh, Maribelle, maybe we should let this be a private matter." Donnel gulped.
Laurent eyed Sumia with a look that bounced between intrigued and puzzled, "I fail to see how plucking flower petals can determine someone's affection?"
"I am reading my fortune!" Sumia cried defensively as some tears built up in her eyes.
Laurent furrowed his brow, "I fail to see how plucking flower petals can-"
"Shut up while you can kid." Vaike warned, "Does no good trying to understand the female mind." He glanced over at Miriel as she carefully studied Sumia's actions, "Leave that to the other females."
"Naga, Chrom why!?" Lissa cried as she stared dumbfounded out the window.
"Honestly, you would think he would at least try to be discreet about it like other noblemen." Maribelle narrowed her eyes, "Then again, that might be giving him too much credit."
"Frederick! Go get Chrom now!" Lissa ordered.
Frederick glanced out the window. A frown creased his lips.
"He's already on his way over with Marth." The Knight Commander reported.
"Then make sure you beat him up when he gets here!" Lissa said with a stomp of her foot.
Cordelia cracked her knuckles, "I'll make sure Marth doesn't intervene."
"He loves me… he loves me not… he loves me… oh… I need another flower."
Anna looked at the scene in front of her with dumbfounded awe. In a split second, all of the melancholy was replaced by chaos. Miriel and Laurent were trying to study Sumia. Vaike inched his way over to Panne along with Kellam, Stahl, Sully, and Lon'qu. The group just hoping to avoid getting caught up in the situation.
Virion remained mostly unaffected. Although Anna did detect a small amused smirk cross his lips. That smirk ran away when he whispered something to Olivia that caused the Ambassador to smack his shoulder.
Princess Lissa was calling for Chrom to be punished. Maribelle wondered why Chrom did not act like other noblemen and cheat on Sumia when she could not notice. Donnel and Dooku stood awkwardly to the side. Neither sure of how to handle this situation. And Cordelia plotted Marth's murder. Henry even offered her a few ideas. One of which involved turning her inside out. Cordelia seemed particularly excited about that one.
Anna sipped her drink.
"All we're missing is a big bar fight and it is like a normal day on the road again." She mumbled to herself.
The door to the barracks opened. Anna glanced over and saw Robin, Ben, and Tharja enter the chaos. All three surprised that their friends were in a frenzy instead of mired in sorrow.
The trio made their way towards Anna. The only person in the barracks common room that did not seem to be caught in the sudden fray.
Ben glanced over at Sumia. He arched an eyebrow as she grabbed the last flower from the vase and proceeded to tear it to shreds.
"Care to explain?" Ben asked her while Robin seemed overwhelmed by the sudden chaos among his friends.
"Sumia saw Chrom spending some… quality time with Marth." Robin's eyes bugged out of his head while Ben listened patiently to Anna, "And now, Sumia is being Sumia. Lissa is demanding Frederick spank Chrom. And both Cordelia and Henry are gleefully plotting the most gruesome way to kill Marth that they can." Tharja uttered a slight laugh, "If they pay me enough, I might even help them hide the body."
She sipped her drink again. Ben uttered a heavy sigh and shook his head.
"This is going to be fun." He muttered.
"Chrom is with Marth?" Robin uttered as if in a stupefied daze, "Oh Naga above! I wake up from a coma and I've already got a fire to put out."
"It is not what you think, Robin." Ben breathed as he rubbed his eyes, already tired from the days events.
"You knew!?"
"There is nothing to know." Ben countered. Tharja arched an eyebrow at him, "Well, there is. But it is not what you think. Certainly not what Cordelia, Lissa, and Sumia are thinking."
"Everyone is thinking it." Robin hissed back.
"Robin!" Cordelia sauntered over to him. An unsettling smile rested on her face, "You're good at lightning magic right?"
"No I will not electrocute Marth." Robin deadpanned, "I just woke up. I'm hungry. And I'm thirsty-"
"Firewine?" Anna asked.
"Please." Robin groaned. Anna reached for a glass and poured him a large drink. One he gratefully accepted.
"Darn." Cordelia turned to Ben, "Ben?"
"You all need to calm down." Ben huffed as he folded his arms over his chest.
Cordelia blinked, "Tharja?"
"As much as I would like to have fun with you and Henry, I'm siding with Ben on this one." Tharja answered.
Ben gave her a concerned look. Tharja shrugged.
"It's been a while since I killed something." She explained without a second thought.
The door opened again. This time, everyone fell silent. Not a single Shepherd moved. All eyes were glued to the two people entering the barracks. Both Chrom and Marth had smiles on their faces. Those smiles fell away as they felt the penetrating stare of every single Shepherd.
Chrom gave them all a puzzled look.
"Uh? What's going on?"
Marth gulped and shifted uncomfortably as Sumia glared at her. Off to the side, Henry cracked open his spell book then gave her an unsettling, friendly wave of his hand.
Frederick cleared his throat.
"Milord, it has come to our attention that you are possibly-"
"Are you and Marth having an affair!?" Lissa exclaimed.
Marth recoiled. Her face turned ashen along with Chrom's. There was no blush of embarrassment or affection between the two. If anything, Lissa's question made them look physically ill.
"They um," Robin coughed, "Saw you and Marth hugging and… Chrom this is how ill rumors are born." He buried his face into his drink.
Chrom stared wide eyed at everyone.
"You saw?"
Marth smacked her forehead, "Naga above."
"Yes, I saw." Sumia rose to her feet, shredded flowers in her left hand. Her right hand balled up into a tight fist, "So Chrom, are you with her?" She hissed the last word out with such venom that it stunned both Chrom and Marth.
"Wh-what!?" Chrom shook his head as he suddenly comprehended the conversation that was taking place. A small laugh left his lips, "Sumia, this all one big misunderstanding."
"On my signal Henry!" Cordelia declared.
Henry cackled as dark magic filled his palm.
Chrom blanched. Marth stepped between him and the dark mage.
"I am not sleeping with my father!" She cried.
Henry blinked. The magic radiating in his hand died away. Cordelia's stared at Marth in disbelief. Ben pinched the bridge of his nose and uttered one long, loud groan. Robin sputtered on his drink. Laurent's face turned paler than a ghost. Virion struggled to contain a burst of laughter. He was only able to contain himself because, if he did not, Cherche and Olivia would both reprimand him. Dooku cocked an eyebrow, both confused and surprised by the sudden revelation. Off to the side, a drunk Gaius groaned then nuzzled his face against Panne's arm.
And Anna sipped her drink.
"Just like a tavern on the road." She muttered.
"Your father?" Sumia said, voice hushed. Barely audible to anyone in the room.
Marth gulped. Sumia glared daggers at her.
"You had a child out of wedlock Chrom!?"
"No-no!" Chrom panicked, "Marth is well… she is our daughter."
"But we only have one daughter. And, unless something really strange is going on, Lucina is back in Ylisstol with the servants. And she is only a few years old!"
Chrom cringed and rubbed the back of his neck, "Something really strange is going on."
"Then you best explain very fast." Sumia growled.
"It is the truth." Marth breathed. She gulped then let out a shaky breath again. Trying her best to keep calm. She took a few steps towards Sumia, "I am… I am your daughter. I am Lucina." She looked Sumia in the eye, "If you need proof, all you need to do is look."
Sumia glared at Marth. She refused to break eye contact. The Queen practically shook with fury as she stared into the eyes of Marth. Those strangely familiar eyes with the Exalt's brand in her left eye.
Sumia sucked in a sharp, stunned breath. She staggered back a step.
"The- the brand is-" Sumia looked Marth up and down, "How!? What have you done to my daughter!?"
"Calm down, Sumia." Chrom pleaded, "She is telling the truth." Chrom placed a hand on Marth's shoulder, "This is Lucina."
"But-but that is impossible!" Sumia exclaimed.
"Under normal circumstances yes." Marth agreed, "But, these are not normal circumstances. I am Lucina. I am your daughter. But I come from a future. A different time. A time where-" Lucina swallowed hard, "Where the world has ended."
A sober silence descended upon the Shepherds. Lucina took a few more steps forwards so that she stood in the center of the room.
"In the future, the Fell Dragon Grima is resurrected." Lucina began, "I don't know how it happens. But what I do know is what happened in the aftermath of his return." She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, then reopened them, "Mother, Father, you both died during the first battle. Along with a few other Shepherds."
Chrom's jaw tightened. Sumia remained in a state of disbelief as Lucina spoke.
"The war, now that I look back on it, was more of a massacre than a war. We lost battle after battle. We never gained any ground. Never managed to liberate anything or anyone from Grima's hordes. Eventually, only Ylisstol stood against the tide of darkness and death." She glanced over at Ben, "Thanks to the General that stepped up and faced down that evil, we had time to discover a way to possibly defeat Grima and prevent the apocalypse from taking place. We discovered a ritual given to Exalt's line by Naga herself. A ritual meant to be used as an absolute last resort if the Fell Dragon were to ever awaken from his slumber. The ritual sent myself and my friends back in time. From there, our mission was, and still is, to prevent Grima's resurrection. By any means necessary." Lucina took a breath, "At first, we did everything in our power to prevent all of you from discovering who we were, lest a catastrophe take place such as-" Lucina choked a little bit, "Such as one of us not being born." Her eyes landed on Nowi for a brief second. Lucina took a deep breath and regained her composure, "But upon recent events, it has become clear to me that course is no longer possible. If Grima is to be defeated, then we must work together. You must know everything. And I am ready to tell everything."
Silence hung heavy in the air. Everyone reeled from Lucina's words. Everyone except for Ben and Dooku. Ben already knew. Anna could see that by how undisturbed he appeared. As for Dooku, she could not get a read on the old man. He appeared absolutely unaffected by such startling news. News that, if said by anyone else, would have been regarded as the ravings of a madman.
But the proof was all there. Marth- Lucina- had a knack for knowing about a crisis long before it was supposed to happen. Anna knew about the attack on the Exalt's palace at the start of the war with Plegia. That was big news among the merchants who knew how to get good information. It meant that the safest place to trade was no longer safe. Best to steer clear at the time. She knew that Marth had a hand in saving both Exalt Emmeryn and Prince Chrom's lives that fateful night. She alerted them to the assassination attempt. She made sure the Shepherds were able to rally and drive back the attackers before they could succeed.
"Do you have anymore proof?" Sumia asked.
Lucina nodded, "The night of the attack on Exalt Emmeryn's palace, when I snuck in and assisted in the defense, do you remember that?"
Sumia nodded.
"The assassins were supposed to succeed." Lucina said, "That night, Exalt Emmeryn was supposed to die." She looked back at Chrom, "And you were supposed to be gravely injured. You would survive, but you would be hampered by the injury for the rest of yours days."
"And you stopped the assassin that was supposed to injure me." Chrom correctly realized.
Lucina nodded, "I thought that would have been enough to change fate. Exalt Emmeryn's death was the catalyst. The spark that marked the beginning of the end. By saving her life, I hoped to alter the future with one action. Perhaps cause a rippling effect that would prevent Grima's resurrection." Lucina shook her head, "Instead, time snapped back. Fate would not be denied. And she died in a way I could not have anticipated. Now, events are moving faster towards Grima's resurrection. I can feel that much. I don't know how, or who is speeding these events along, but it is coming. We need to be ready."
"We can't be ready with Valm breathing down our necks." Robin noted as he tapped his fingers along his arms.
"You are right. Which is why they need to be defeated as quickly as possible." Lucina agreed, "The more time we have to prepare for Grima, the better."
Chrom nodded in agreement. Over by the bar, Anna's hand shot into the air.
"Anna?" Chrom wondered.
"You said there were more of you?" The merchant asked Lucina.
"There is. We were… scattered. Both by distance and time." She glanced over at Robin, Ben, and Tharja, "Some of you have already met a few of us." She hesitated, "As far as I know, Severa, Owain, Laurent, and Cynthia have made it safely to this point in time."
"Laurent!?" Both Vaike and Miriel cried. Their eyes flicked over to the young scholar sitting beside them, "Son!?"
"Severa and Owain?" Chrom asked.
The door burst open. Both Venator and Odin shoved their way into the barracks.
"I told you she was here!" Venator snapped at Odin.
"You may have been correct, sweet Venator." The red head glared angrily at Odin, "But the great Odin enjoyed his adventure with you tremendously."
"Sev, Owain." Lucina began. Both teens blanched, "No need to act anymore."
Severa blinked, "You-you told-" A few more indecipherable sounds left her mouth as she stomped over to the bar and poured herself a drink. She downed it in one gulp, "If I'm not born, I'm blaming you." She snarled at Lucina.
"Ah, so we can end the charade at last." Owain smiled, "I am grateful you decided to exercise your candor, Cousin."
Lissa sucked in a sharp breath, "C-cousin?"
A loud yawn interrupted everything. Gaius smacked his lips together and scratched an itch on top of his head.
"So, I caught a little bit of what is going on?" He mumbled sleepily. His mind still inebriated by the firewine.
Panne gave the thief a surprised look. He had been paying attention in his sleep? Well, that made some sense. Thieves had to sleep with one eye open. There was no honor among thieves after all. If they wanted to safeguard their prizes, they had to be constantly vigilant. Though she did not expect humans to be capable of such vigilance. It caused her to admire Gaius a little bit.
Any mild admiration she had for Gaius was dashed away with the next words out of his mouth.
"Who's daughter is sleeping with who's father?"
Dooku stood by his previous statement. He was surrounded by children. Impulsive, brain dead, utterly naive children.
He huffed then braced himself as the ship rocked from side to side. Another large wave hammered against the hull. Making the lanterns lighting the lower decks sway on their hooks. Water sloshed down from the shuttered doors to the top deck. A film of flotsam and salt water covered the second deck that Dooku marched through. An occasional Plegian sailor rushed down to the lower decks in order to fetch certain objects for the crew battling the storm above. But beyond that, very few remained on the lower decks. Most of the Feroxi and Ylissean leadership were topside, doing battle with the storm.
Dooku preferred to stay dry. He glanced down at his water clogged boots.
Mostly dry. He rolled his shoulders and tugged his cape tighter over his body as some spray shot in from the deck above.
The trap doors opened. Dooku heard men screaming from the upper deck. An enormous wave hammered the ship again. One sailor came sliding down the steps. Carried down by a rush of water. He slid to a stop by Dooku's feet, took a moment to regather his bearings, then rushed back to the main deck. Screaming something about ropes needing to be tied down.
As that sailor charged back up the slick steps, Kenobi marched down. His clothes were soaked. His hair was matted against his forehead and his beard matched the fur on a drenched cat. Heavy bags sat under his eyes as he tried to blink drops of water from his vision. There was a shuffle to his gait as she slogged through the water towards Dooku.
"Aren't you going to come up and help!?" Kenobi called as Dooku continued walking towards the hammocks where the Shepherds bunked.
Dooku frowned, "I will not assist idiocy, Kenobi."
Ben frowned, "Idiocy?" He shut the hatch above him.
"Yes, idiocy." Dooku turned to face Ben. Boots sloshing in the water as he moved, "You and I both know this is a foolish endeavor."
Ben shook his head, "That is not our decision to make."
Dooku sighed, "I can't decide who is the bigger fool. The fool," He glared at Ben, "Or the fool who follows him."
Ben worked his jaw, "What is foolish about this?"
Dooku paused, "I have figured it out. The follower is the more foolish one."
"Dooku…"
"Kenobi." Dooku scowled and folded his arms. The ship swayed again. Ben stumbled while Dooku remained perfectly still, "I do not believe our best course of action to fighting the Valmese is to invade their shores. We are making the exact same mistake they would make with us. What is the objective?"
Ben pursed his lips and leaned against a post that held the upper deck above them.
"Have you even discussed a strategy for this counter-invasion, for lack of a better term?" Dooku asked.
"Robin wanted to," Ben sighed, "So did Basilio."
"And Chrom and Flavia?"
Ben shook his head, "You know Flavia." He reached up a steadied a lantern that was dangerously close to swinging off of its hook, "Acts before thinking." Ben sighed, "As for Chrom, he reasoned this was a Feroxi war. We are just here to help."
"Oh brilliant thought process. Truly." Dooku drawled, "Chrom shows exemplary leadership when he acts passively like that."
"Your sarcasm is noted." Ben huffed.
The hatch opened once again. Robin stumbled down. The thin tactician slipped as he stomped down the steps. He landed hard on the deck beneath him. Robin coughed, sputtering on some water that managed to get into his mouth. Ben reached down and helped the tactician to his feet. Pulling the brown haired man up by the hood of his oversized coat.
"What-" He spat some water from his lips, "What are you two doing down here?"
"Trying to convince this old miser to assist us." Ben gestured at Dooku.
"This old miser will not assist until the leadership of this mission pulls their collective heads out of their rears." Dooku glared at Robin, "You of all people should understand how incredibly stupid this is."
Robin hung his head, "Yeah well, what else are we supposed to do? Let the Valmese invade?"
Dooku wanted to retort. But Robin brought up a fair point. The Feroxi and Ylisseans could not just let the Valmese invade their shores. There was no way to properly defend the entire western coast of Archanea. Plegia and Regna Ferox's coasts were too vast for any army to properly patrol. Let alone one with the limited technology and resources they currently had. Even an entire droid army would struggle with such a task.
And, according to the limited intelligence they had on the Valmese military, Archanea would be crushed by a land invasion. A token vanguard force managed to gain a foothold in Port Ferox before being wiped out by their counter attack. What would happen when the entire Valmese military slammed into their shores? It would be like a tidal wave. Even Kenobi expressed awe at the discipline and efficiency of the Valmese military. And he commanded an entire legion of Clones at one point in time.
"We can't sue for peace either." Robin pointed out as Dooku remained deep in thought, "They made it clear in Port Ferox, that they would fight to the bitter end. Any commander even curious about peace would not allow every single one of their soldiers to die on the battlefield like that." Robin wiped some hair from his forehead, "If we are to keep the Valmese from invading, we have to strike back. And we have to strike back hard."
"Show them you are not to be trifled with." Dooku muttered as he rubbed his chin, "A sound theory. But you are about to fight the Valmese on their soil. Most Generals would take months, years even, to plan such a large scale assault before actually executing it. Meanwhile, we just hop on the boats and go for it. Foolish I say. Pure folly."
"I have a strategy in mind for landfall." Robin reassured Dooku.
"Do you?" Dooku took a seat on a bolted down chest, "Please share."
Robin opened his mouth. The ship rocked again, though not as sharp this time. After the brief roll, the hatch opened. The Shepherds all marched down to the second deck. Tired, soaked, and ready for rest. Flavia, Chrom, and Basilio trailed in at the end of the group. Basilio reached up and shuttered the doors behind him.
"Storm's starting to break." The Western Khan informed Ben, Dooku, and Robin.
Ben wrapped an arm around Tharja's shoulders as she stopped beside him. Looking for a way to warm up after spending the past few hours on deck fighting the storm. Most of the Shepherds made their way to their hammocks. Frederick, Cordelia, and Lucina lingered behind with Dooku, Robin, Flavia, Basilio, and Chrom.
"Well, what are you waiting for." Flavia marched past Ben and Robin towards the captain's quarters. The cabin was given to her to stay in, "We got an invasion to plan."
"Oh now we are planning it." Dooku huffed.
"Not you." Ben said as he pointed at Dooku.
Dooku remained seat, "Fine." He folded his arms as the others walked past him, "Leave the most experienced one behind then. Wise decision, fools."
Ben rolled his eyes and ignored him. He gave Tharja a quick kiss before she left him and made her way towards her hammock. Ben then followed the others to Flavia's quarters.
Since he was the last to enter. He shut the door and latched it behind him. The ship rocked to and fro. But the pounding waves lost their fury with each swell. The thunder grew distant above them. And the frantic shouts by sailors calmed to hurried barks.
Flavia reached into her gear and withdrew a slightly soggy map of the world along with some simple, wooden pieces. Each piece colored to represent either the Archanean or the Valmese forces. She spread the map out on the captain's table then planted a knife into two of the corners to keep it spread out.
Robin cringed, "Do you have any idea how expensive maps are?"
"Forget the map, that's quality mahogany there." Frederick frowned.
"Who cares when we've got the Valm Empire to worry about." Flavia leaned against the table and looked at the others in the room. At that moment, she realized both Ben and Chrom were standing shoulder to shoulder. Both studied the map. Particularly the northeastern coast of Valm.
"Oh my gods," Flavia smirked at the two men, "Did you two finally make up?"
Chrom blinked, "Well um-"
"Yes. We can discuss how and why later." Ben said sharply, "Stay focused, Flavia. Robin, you said you had a strategy in mind?"
Robin nodded, "Yeah." He reached for a blue piece and placed it in the middle of the sea between Valm and Archanea, "We are currently here. About two days out of Port Ferox. With roughly five to seven more days to go on our voyage to here," Robin moved his finger and tapped Charlet, "the closest port. Where we will make landfall and attempt to gain an immediate foothold on the Valmese continent."
Lucina leaned over the map. She eyed the name written in bold, curvy letters on the western side of the map.
"Why is it called Valentia?"
"Old map." Basilio grunted, "Same continent, different name. We know where we are going to land, Robin. A better question would be, what kind of resistance do you suspect we will face."
Robin cringed and rubbed the back of his neck, "That is an excellent question. Intelligence on the Valmese military is scarce at best. We do not have exact numbers on anything. I'm working purely on guesswork and first hand observation. What I can confirm is that General Yen'fay's army is vast and not the only Valmese force on the continent. What I wonder is if the Valmese were committing only one army to the invasion of Archanea, or all of them?"
Ben frowned, "Regardless of how many armies, we can both agree that fighting any single army will be a monumental task. No matter what happens, once we have a foothold, we cannot engage in conventional warfare. They will destroy us that way."
"Agreed." Chrom nodded, "You mentioned that there was a surprising lack of both mages and aerial forces in the Valmese military?"
"Among General Yen'fay's army, yes." Robin nodded, "I can't say the same for any others. Simply because I don't know. So we do hold that advantage. We may not outnumber them, but it is possible we outgun them. As we saw in Port Ferox, a pair of skilled mages can hold off an entire tide of Valmese foot soldiers."
"That's all well and good, but we need to get a foothold first." Frederick pointed out, "How do you propose we do that?"
Robin furrowed his brow, "We will have to take the Charlet harbor first."
"And if their fleet has not set sail against us yet?" Basilio asked.
"That would mean they are still at port in Charlet. We do know from what little plans we could salvage from the Valmese vanguard force that the invasion fleet will be coming from there. It is the shortest crossing between the continents." Robin admitted, "If that is the case, we have two options: Find another landing zone, or fight the Valmese in port."
"The latter is doable, but it would have to be a swift, devastating strike." Cordelia pointed out, "The Valmese have demonstrated their discipline to us already. They won't stay flat footed after a surprise like that for long. We would have to gain control and hold control against a superior force. Difficult, but not impossible."
"As for another landing zone," Chrom furrowed his brow, "We would be taken off course by several days doing something like that. We would have to hope that our ships could even reach the landing zone and not be blocked by any hidden reefs or rocky shoals."
"That also defeats one of the goals of this entire voyage." Flavia said, "Catch the Valmese fleet in the middle."
Robin frowned, "I'm not sure how well that will work out. The Valmese could catch us off guard just as much as we could catch them off guard. If they surprise us, our fleet could be doomed." He shook his head and rubbed his chin, "I don't like that risk."
"Risks come with war Robin. Sometimes you have no choice but to take them." Ben sighed.
"And how risky can it be?" Flavia smiled as she glanced at Ben, "We got you and Dooku on our side. Both of you guys are superhumans with fiery, light swords."
Ben shook his head, "Basilio, what supplies do we have aboard our fleet? Other than normal food and water rations for ourselves and mounts?"
"Other than rations and feed?" Basilio thought for a moment, "Medical supplies, magical equipment such as different herbs for potion crafting, armory supplies including a few anvils, hammers, oil…" He trailed off, "Well crap."
"One accidental spark and that oil bursts into flames." Ben said, "I'm not sure fighting with lightsabers in such a confined space with such a volatile substance nearby is a good idea."
Flavia grit her teeth, "Well there goes that advantage then."
"It is much more likely we either miss the Valmese fleet or even fight them in port." Robin pointed out, "The sea is vast. Even in such a narrow corridor, it is possible that we miss each other."
"Which would be bad because they have the bigger army and would lay waste to Archanea quickly." Chrom sighed and shook his head, "There are no good options here, are there?"
"There never are." Ben said. He glanced at Robin, "If we were to encounter the Valmese fleet and engage in a naval battle, what plan do you have in mind?"
Robin furrowed his brow, "I'm working on that still. I have a rough idea in mind, but it is not a very good one and it could very well backfire. But-"
Someone pounded furiously on the door.
"Benny! Bubbles!" Gaius called frantically from the other side.
"What does he want?" Flavia groaned.
Basilio raised a hand. Silencing everyone in the room. The thunder stopped. Raindrops pattered on the deck above them. The Plegian sailors were silent as well.
A war horn blared. A long pause followed. It blared again. Long, loud, and aggressive. Boots scrambled across the deck of their ship. Ben looked at Robin with wide eyes.
"Well, let's hope it doesn't backfire."
Flavia stormed around the table to the door. She threw the door open, startling Gaius.
"What!?" She barked.
"Valmese." Gaius gulped.
Chrom and Basilio glanced at each other. Without another word, they sprinted out of the room and to the top deck. Flavia, Lucina, Frederick, and Cordelia raced out as well. Cordelia and Frederick rushed to the Shepherds at the other end of the deck. Each Shepherd hastily donned their armor and grabbed their weapons before rushing up to the main deck.
Robin stared down at the map on the table.
"Robin?" Ben nudged his friend's shoulder.
Robin spun on his heel and marched towards the stairs. Ben followed. The pair emerged up onto the main deck.
Dark grey clouds hovered over their heads. In the distance, thundered rolled, but grew fainter with each passing moment. The thunder was replaced by blaring war horns. Robin made his way across the drenched deck over to the starboard railing. He leaned over and stared ahead of them.
Emerging from a mist of rain and sea spray, was one Valmese ship. Its red sails were easily visible through the grey mist. The immense ship lumbered towards the Archanean fleet. Massive in size, but still a single solitary ship. Robin felt some relief hit him. It was probably just a scout ship. They could handle a scout ship.
Another massive ship emerged from the haze. Followed by a third. Then a fourth. Robin's optimism died as an entire fleet cut through fog. Cold wind whipped over the deck. A chill ran down Robin's spine as he tried to count the number of ships dotting the horizon.
"Naga above." He breathed as he lost count.
"Robin!" Chrom marched down from the bow and over to him, "Plan?"
Robin tore his eyes away from the enemy fleet in the distance. His mind raced. The Valmese easily outnumber the Archanean fleet. Perhaps two- no, three to one. He caught a glimpse of Ben donning leather armor over his arms and shoulders. Cordelia helped him buckled the armor in place. The same armor he wore during the final battle in the Plegian war. The Jedi Master glanced to the horizon. Robin saw his fingers twitch towards his lightsaber.
He's already tempted. Robin gulped.
"Robin?" Chrom said again, voice level despite the terror he must have felt.
Robin shook his head and refocused himself. A fleet as large as the Valmese one would be tightly packed on the water. They would be in formation. Their discipline demanded that much. And judging by the size of the enemy ships, they would be loaded with enemy soldiers. Perhaps close to bursting. Which would make any movement near impossible on their ships.
Wait… they'll be in a tight knit formation.
Robin surged to the bow and peered at the enemy ships on the horizon again. He glanced at the amount of space between each ship. A small smile crossed his lips.
"Basilio!" He glanced back at the Khan, "You said we had oil?"
Basilio gave Robin a puzzled look, "What exactly have you concocted in that insane brain of yours?"
Chrom saw a gleam in Robin's eye.
"You aren't thinking what I think you are?" Chrom gulped.
Robin gave his friend a mad grin, "Empty several ships and get used to tight spaces everyone."
Robin turned his attention back to the Valmese ships as they lumbered across the horizon. Their discipline and numbers would be their downfall. All he needed to do was draw them in. Draw them into the trap. Then light the fuse.
"I need to burn some ships."
And chapter! Cliffhanger! The naval battle between the Valmese and Archanean fleets is about to begin. And it is going to be a big one. The rest of the Shepherds also learned about Lucina's identity in this chapter as well. So another milestone hit on our journey folks! A bit humorous too. We've had a few dark chapters in this section of the story lately. I felt like it needed to be lightened up a bit before getting back into some heavier stuff. Anyways, let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed! Have a nice day!