The Force's Shepherds

Chapter 105

Hope in the Darkness

Lucina carefully sat down on a boulder. She tucked her knees to her chest. Her hair was matted over her forehead. Grimy, caked with sweat and dirt. She ran a shivering hand across her face, brushing blue strands from her eyes. Smoke choked the air as small fires burned across the plains of Rosanne. Another farm burnt to the ground. This one at the edge of Rosanne's borders. The people who once lived in this area probably thought such violence and destruction would never reach them. They likely believed that until the moment the battle broke out.

Now, the people that called this land home burned in a pyre with the rest of the dead. Their once prosperous fields scorched with blood and fire. Their cattle slaughtered by the retreating Valmese. All of it too much to take in at once.

A shuddering breath escaped Lucina's lips. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment as the smoke made them sting. Footsteps came closer to her. Forcing her eyes to snap open.

Sakura glanced down at her feet as she approached the future Princess. Her boots sank into the blood soaked mud around the boulder. A scowl crossed her face as she brought one foot up and scraped the scarlet dirt along the side of her pants.

"Sakura?" Lucina finally spoke, curious as to why one her friends came up to her like this.

Her hazel eyes flicked up to Lucina. Then they glanced around. Lucina followed her gaze.

Feroxi and Ylissean foot soldiers worked tirelessly to clean up the carnage. Wounded men were taken screaming and moaning towards the healers in the medical tents. Those that would not survive being lifted onto a stretcher were comforted in their dying moments, either with kind, soothing words, or a bottle. The dead were heaved onto burning pyres. There was no time to bury them. Not with the rapid pace set by General Ben Kenobi, Prince Chrom, and the Feroxi Khans.

"I thought I'd be used to death." Sakura breathed. She glanced over at the closest pile of bodies. Her nose wrinkled at the stench as the flesh burned, "There's something different about this. It's one thing to fight side by side with all of humanity against an apocalypse." She swallowed hard as she watched a Feroxi soldier finish off a wounded Valmese horseman. She flicked her eyes down at her soaked boots once again.

"It's another to see us fighting with each other." Lucina finished for her.

Sakura sniffed and nodded, "A different world right?" He jaw tightened, "That's what we're fighting for." She rested her hand on the sword strapped to her hip, "That's what everyone sacrificed their lives for and yet… this is the new world we are creating?"

Lucina closed her eyes, "Sakura…" She rose from the boulder and placed her hand on Sakura's shoulder, "It's hard, trust me I know. But-"

"But how do we know what we are doing is the right thing?" Sakura asked.

Lucina blinked, "The right thing?"

"Yes," Sakura sniffled, "The right thing. How do we know that all of this-" She swept a hand around, "will lead to a better future? If… If I remember how this war went correctly, it did not go this badly. None of the Shepherds were killed. N-none of our parents were killed, and they barely got hurt. But now, Laurent's mother is dead. Nah's father is dead, before her mother could even get…" Sakura trailed off as she choked a little bit. Her voice dropped to a whisper, "Lady Cordelia may never be able to have Sev now. Who's going to fall next? Which one of us will be at risk next?"

Lucina shook her head as her hand fell from Sakura's shoulder. It was a question that plagued her own mind as well, both during her waking moments and in her dreams. The war was already beyond her knowledge. The carnage in Valm far exceeded what was written about in the archives in the future. And the war had barely even begun. But as the army moved further inland, their pace slowed. The Valmese resistance grew stiffer. And the bodies piled up higher.

"We can't live like that, Sakura." Lucina breathed. A part of her trying to reassure herself as well, "All we can do is keep fighting. If we stop, then everything we have already gained will be lost."

Sakura gulped and nodded.

"Can you do that for me?" Lucina asked her.

Her friend squeezed her eyes shut. Trying her best to keep any tears from falling.

"I never really fought much in the future, you know that." Sakura sucked in a breath as she still fought to contain her emotions, "Father never let me near the front lines. I was… all he had left after mother and Exalt Lissa passed. I didn't get to see what battle was really like." She snorted, "Always on guard duty. Protect the palace, protect the women and children, protect Cynthia when she had that terrible stomach flu." Both Lucina and Sakura chuckled quietly, "Protect, protect, protect. Always in the rear. Always insulated." Sakura's laughter died as she saw another body thrown on a nearby pyre, "I always had it in my mind that battle, while terrifying, was a much more… honorable thing. But after today, after seeing what the Valmese did to those farmers and to us, I am not anxious for another fight."

Lucina let out a small sigh. She should have seen this coming. As soon as she was old enough to join the front lines in the future, she did (much to Aunt Lissa, Sir Frederick, and her Master's displeasure and slight disapproval). But she proved herself on the battlefield. She experienced and withstood the horrors Grima and his fell spawn unleashed on humanity. A few of the other children were the same. Brady fought on the front lines, along with Sev, Laurent, Kjelle, Gerome, Inigo, and Luke.

The older children took the places of the Shepherds that fell in battle against Grima's hordes. The younger ones waited. Listened to the strategy meetings. Trained every day, every hour, for the moment they would be called to fight on the front. The only young child that fought anywhere near the front was Morgan, but that was because she was a brilliant tactician and mage. Two things that were in short supply during the waning days of the future war.

But the others; Sakura, Noire, Cynthia, Owain, Yarne, Nah, they did not experience as much of the horrors as Lucina did. They did not have the callouses, the hardened state of mind that carnage gave to a soldier over time. The Valm war they now fought in was their first true experience of war. The first time they had ever seen the dirt soaked with so much blood that it seeped out of the earth in scarlet puddles. The first time they ever had to face down a cavalry charge in the open plains. With screaming men, screaming horses, and a thousand hooves thundering towards them. Not stopping, not breaking off, all they could do was brace and pray a spear didn't find their heart. Open warfare was so different from the skirmishes some of them fought in upon arriving in the past. Now it was starting to take a toll.

"Gather the others." Lucina breathed.

Sakura gulped, "What are you going to do?"

A wounded man screamed nearby as he was lifted onto a stretcher. One of his legs was missing. Lucina glanced over as he screamed. Sakura jumped and paled at both the sound and sight.

"Just go get them." Lucina said again, "Meet at my tent, I'm sure someone already has it set up."

Perks of being royalty.

Sakura gave her a small nod then quickly rushed away. As soon as Lucina was sure she was gone, she sank back down to her seat on the boulder. Her blue eyes looked down at her boots. The once brown leather was now stained red. Even though she had not even been on the front lines for this battle, the evidence of its savagery was all over her. Even on the sword that rested in her scabbard.

Flashes of the battle shot through her mind. The march west, Master Kenobi believed they would reach the Mila Tree in two more days. Then the horns, the rumble in the earth as horses galloped. The panicked pike wall set up by the Feroxi Lancers.

Then chaos.

The Valmese slammed against the pike wall. They ripped it asunder. The Shepherds were able to reorganize and drive back the Valmese, but not before the army's ranks were shredded once again. It felt all too similar to what Lucina heard about Charlet. Except this time, she was in the thick of it, not landing at the end of the battle. This time, she fought, one armed, as horses charged all around her.

Her hand clenched her thigh. A knot formed in her throat. The images of this battle were replaced by another. Her first battle. A bloody massacre on Ylisse's southern plains, near the ruins of Southtown. Grima's hordes were executing a pincer movement on the entire country. Half of his armies were flooding the frozen Feroxi North then crashing down upon Ylisse's mountainous countryside, the other half swept in from Plegia's deserts and cut swaths of bloody destruction through the south.

Screams of dying men, terrified soldiers, filled her mind. Shrieking Risen mixed with those screams. Metal hissed, spells exploded, her ears rang. Two lightsabers whirred. One blue, one red. Maul and her Master, fighting to give what was left of their army time to retreat. She witnessed death for the first time that day. And it was not some random soldier she had never seen before.

It had been Aunt Maribelle and Uncle Donnel. She could still see their faces. Eyes filled with death's vacant stare. Faces colorless. The dead grass beneath them soaked scarlet with their blood as Risen shrieks filled the air.

A choking sound left her throat. Lucina squeezed her eyes shut.

Just a memory. She reminded herself, Just a memory.

"Luci?"

Her head snapped up. Cynthia approached her.

"Sakura said something about a meeting at your tent?" Lucina remained silent as her sister leaned up against her lanced, "Shouldn't you be going there?"

The images of war faded away as Lucina took a deep breath, using the force to refocus herself on the task at hand. But she still did not move. She could still see the first two deaths.

A concerned look crossed Cynthia's face, "Sis, are you okay?"

Lucina's mind snapped free from the memory as Cynthia's voice his her ears again, "Y-yeah." She nodded, took a breath, then got to her feet, "Mind walking with me to my tent?"

Cynthia snorted, "Sure. I mean, I have to go there anyways, You just called a big meeting with the rest of us."

Lucina let out a quiet laugh as they started walking into the center of the army. Tents were erected all around them. Any soldiers that were not wounded or on patrol worked to set up camp for the evening. Most worked in silence, still too fired up or too melancholic from the Valmese surprise attack. But Cynthia seemed immune to those troubles. Her steps had a bounce to them that surprised Lucina.

"How are you feeling, Cynthia?" Lucina asked as they walked. She noticed her red cap drifting from her shoulder right shoulder. Lucina quickly tugged it back over to its spot, covering her lost arm.

"Me?" Cynthia replied as she spun around and started walking backwards. She thought for a moment, then shrugged, "I'm alright I guess."

"Alright?" Lucina replied, "You seem awfully… cheerful. Especially given-"

"Well we won, didn't we?" Cynthia cut her off, "That's cause for a smile."

But at a terrible cost. Lucina thought. Sometimes her sister's naivete could be a blessing and a curse at the same time. She did not seem to grasp the severity of the situation. Although, she would once the meeting began.

Cynthia arched an eyebrow, "Are you sure you're okay, Luci? You're not sick are ya?"

"Sick?"

"Yeah, you look a little… I don't know, maybe a bit pale. And you've been really quiet lately." Cynthia put a finger to her chin, "Maybe I should go ask Aunty Tharja for a remedy."

Lucina gulped, "Probably not a good idea."

"Why not?"

"Any remedy Lady Tharja gives me will knock me out for a week." Lucina answered.

Cynthia opened her mouth to reply, thought for a moment, then closed it, "Yeah, you're not wrong there."

They finally reached the area of the camp the Shepherds would be occupying. Most of their tents were not set up yet. Prince Chrom and the Khans wanted the soldiers to get their own tents set up before worrying about any others. And if the soldiers were too weary, the army leaders could set up their own tents (something Frederick happily pointed out to everyone else). But Lucina's tent was set up. As well as the main command tent, Lady Maribelle's tent, and Princess Lissa's tent.

Everyone was already gathered inside of her tent. While not as big as the other royal tents, the place was still a comfortable size, even with all of her friends crammed into it. Brady and Luke stood off in a far corner. Brady leaned against his healing staff, his flask was already pressed to his lips. He offered to share with Luke, but this time Luke declined.

Sakura and Owain sat on the ground near Luke. Owain had a broad grin on his face as he tried sparking some small chatter with Luke. Sakura picked at some blades of grass beneath her.

Inigo leaned against the far post, near Lucina's bedroll. He flashed Lucina a wink, and Lucina resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Sakura gave Inigo a glare, one that he returned in kind. Both growled then averted their gazes.

Laurent and Severa sat near Inigo. Laurent was busy reading his tome while Severa had her sword across her lap. The redhead decided now would be a good time to clean the gore from her blade. As she ran an oiled rag over the steel, she glanced up and nodded at Lucina.

Brady pulled his flask away from his lips.

"About time you showed up." He grunted as he shoved the flask into a pouch, "Can we make this quick, I'm sure Ma wants me to help her at one of the medical tents."

"How's everything going with her, by the way?" Cynthia asked as she bounced over to Luke's side.

Brady paled, reached for his flask, and took a long gulp from it.

"About that well." Luke answered for him.

Brady gasped as he pulled the flask back down, "Thank Naga, Pa is at least sane and understanding. All I've heard for the past week is how I need to get rid of my drinking habits and start speaking like a proper noble." He sniffed and spat at his feet.

"I'm sure if Lady Maribelle gives you plenty of treats and pats your head enough, you'll do the right tricks for her." Inigo snickered.

Brady eyed Inigo, "Ya calling me a dog or something?"

"Don't start guys." Luke sighed, surprising Lucina, "Lucina did not call this meeting to hear us all bickering." He glanced down at Sakura as she glared daggers at Inigo, "That includes you."

Sakura frowned and folded her arms, "Fiiiiine, Uncle Luke."

Cynthia covered her mouth and snickered as Luke bristled a little bit.

"Indeed!" Owain declared, "We are allies in this grand conflict. And as allies, conflict amongst each other cannot be allowed-"

"Say another word and I throttle you, Owain." Severa sighed as she kept cleaning her steel.

Owain balked, "Su-such hostility is exactly what I'm talking about, Venator!"

Severa froze mid wipe. Sakura sucked in a sharp breath.

"Sev…" Sakura said, tone calm and even.

Severa shot across the tent, her sword clattering to the ground as she moved. Owain yelped. Before she could reach him, an invisible hand grabbed her and tossed her back to her spot. She landed hard, howled a moment, then glared angrily at Luke.

Luke shrugged, "I'm used to being the bad guy. I don't mind doing that again."

"Everyone, enough!" Lucina barked.

The entire tent fell silent. Lucina took a deep breath.

"Like Luke said, I did not call this meeting to hear everyone fight with each other. We are not just allies, we are friends. As much as this entire ordeal has worn us down, we cannot lose sight of that fact. And-" Lucina paused. Someone was missing, "Where's Noire?"

"Probably with Kenobi." Luke shrugged, "Or with her mother. She's still trying to crack that one." He nudged Brady with his elbow, "See, it could be worse."

"I'd gladly take quiet yet spooky Miss Tharja over my overbearing, crazy Ma."

"You shiver every time you hear Noire even snicker like her mother." Luke deadpanned.

Sakura guffawed beside him, "Are you serious?"

"Th-that's off topic." Brady quickly gestured to Lucina, "Please keep going."

Lucina took a breath, "Alright. First things first… we probably should allow some people to vent-"

Inigo arched an eyebrow, "I thought you didn't want us at each other's throats?"

"About the battle." Lucina finished, "Because, some of you are not used to what just happened." A few of the younger Shepherds glanced away from Lucina. Sakura looked down at her lap. Owain's usual mirth wavered a little bit. And Lucina noticed Cynthia gently reach for Luke's hand.

So it did affect her more than I thought.

"What's bringing all this on?" Brady wondered out loud.

"We're afraid." Owain admitted, his voice strangely quiet.

Sakura nodded, "He's right. And… we have every reason to be afraid. Now more than ever too. I mean, we know nothing about what is happening. The war with Valm was supposed to be a hard war, true. But not this hard."

Luke nodded, "The war with Plegia was also different." All eyes turned to him, "Myself and… and Maul, made it difficult. But not as difficult as it was in the future we knew. I remember studying about that war and the many battles that took place along the borders. But the war we fought in was a few skirmishes punctuated by a massive battle in Plegia."

"You forget the Plegians laid siege to Ylisstol still." Lucina pointed out.

"And they conquered Ylisstol in the war we knew from the future." Luke argued back. He folded his arms, "Our biggest advantage, knowledge of what is to come, is now our greatest weakness. Because it is now useless. If we continue to operate as if we have any sort of foreknowledge, we will continue to be caught off balance. The Valmese clearly have more competent commanders than we believed. Now we need to adjust, or we will lose more than we already have."
Laurent flicked his gaze back down to the tome in his lap. Severa swallowed hard and slowly nodded in agreement.

"Well, that brings up another problem then." Sakura breathed, "What if… what if our actions change how we are made?"

"I don't think sex changes based on the timeline, Sak." Inigo muttered.

"Like you'd know." Sakura said with an eye roll. Brady snickered beside her, "What I mean is, what if the parents change. We've already seen it with Noire's parents. I mean, they're the same, but they also treat each other way differently than they did in the future."

"You're worried that maybe who our parents are will change?" Lucina replied.

Sakura nodded. Brady chuckled again.

"It's entirely possible." Brady snickered, covered his mouth, "I mean, a lot of people would love to have fun with Inigo's hot mom."

Inigo nodded for a split second, "Yes they- HEY!"

Sakura threw her head back and laughed. Lucina chuckled quietly.

"What happens between our parents is beyond our control at this point. All we can control is how we conduct ourselves and how much we assist in this war and the war to come." Lucina took a breath.

"Damn, our birth orders could change." Brady hummed.

"Does that mean there is a chance I could end up being born before you?" Cynthia gasped.

Brady shrugged, "Entirely possible."

"Oh gawds, I don't want to be younger than her." Severa cringed.

Lucina pinched the bridge of her nose, "What did I just say?" She muttered before clearing her throat again, "Alright, everyone. The most important thing right now is we stick together. Support each other. The battles are only going to grow more vicious and-"

Cynthia raised her hand. Lucina sighed.

"Yes, Cynthia?"

"I have a question. Or well, a concern is probably more accurate." She folded her hands in front of her, "Where are the others?"

Lucina frowned.

"Yeah, that is a good question. We're still missing a few of us." Brady stated.

"We are?" Inigo remarked.

"Morgan and Kjelle are two of them." Luke nodded.

Inigo smirked, "Oh, right. Well, I'm sure someone as tough as Kjelle is okay. As for Morgan, well," He flexed an arm, "she'll likely need a strong person by her side in case anyone got too close in a fight."

Sakura raised an eyebrow, "Are we sure he's not Vaike's child?"

Brady choked, "Vaike screwing Olivia, that'd be hilarious."

"SHUT UP!" Inigo cried.

"My father is much more respectable." Laurent hummed.

"Hey!"

"Enough making fun of Inigo." Lucina chuckled. She took a breath, "We also can't forget about Nah, Yarne, and Gerome. Gerome can probably handle himself just fine. But Yarne and Nah, not so much."

"Especially given the amount of attention Grima gave to the Manaketes in our time." Severa noted, "He made it priority towards the end to get Nah, just because of the blood in her veins."

"Ol' Grima really doesn't like anything even remotely related to Naga, does he?" Brady hummed.

"Shouldn't you know the answer to that one, priest?" Inigo asked.

"Probably. But the booze gets in the way." Brady remarked.

"Should we make it a priority to find the others as quickly as possible?" Luke asked.

Lucina furrowed her brow, "That would require some of us to branch off and begin searching for needles in a giant haystack. As much as I want them to be reunited with us, that could be more dangerous. We have safety in numbers at the moment. Especially with Deadlords prowling the lands."

The group fell into a sober silence.

"How many of those are we aware of?" Sakura gulped.

Lucina took a breath, "Three."

"That means he's here." Inigo shook, "Grima followed us back."

"Or," Cynthia piped up, "Maybe this is just the past Grima starting to rise up."

"The Deadlords did not appear in our timeline until after Grima woke up." Brady noted, "Which means a less powerful Grima can't bring to life his captains. I think it might be more likely that he followed us back."

Cynthia paled, "Th-that's bad."

"And we have no idea where he could be." Sakura gulped.

"We should not fear such a thing!" Owain declared, "For we can see him coming. He is a massive dragon after all."

"Gawds you can be so dumb sometimes. That massive dragon can kill all of us." Severa deadpanned, "And if Grima really was back in time with us, then wouldn't we have noticed by now?"

"Hard to miss a dragon the size of a small country." Brady muttered, "Unless he can change form."

The silence that followed was deafening. All eyes turned to Laurent. The mage looked up from his tome.

Laurent cleared his throat, "Pardon?"

"You haven't been paying a bit of attention, have you?" Severa sighed.

"Do you or do you not know if Grima can change form? You're supposed to be the smart one." Brady asked.

Laurent pushed his glasses up his nose and slammed his tome closed in his lap, "For the record, I have been paying attention. Just in my own way. And as for the possibility of Grima fluctuating between different forms, I have neither heard nor read of such a thing. So it is plausible, but not recorded."

"Shit." Brady spat.

"As for the location of the rest of our friends, might I propose a theory?"

Lucina nodded. Laurent took a deep breath.

"Firstly, I would like to point out how we are now aware of the extraterrestrial origins regarding General Ben Kenobi." Laurent rose to his feet and dusted some dirt from his pants. He tucked his tome beneath his right arm then continued, "We can then infer that, due to Maul's intimate relationship with General Kenobi, that Maul is also of an extraterrestrial origin. It is therefore entirely plausible to assume that there are multiple other planets beyond our own that can sustain complex life forms."
"Get to the point." Inigo sighed.

Laurent frowned, "The point is that there is a possibility that our companions have been placed on different worlds than our own."

Lucina paled. She never considered such a scenario. And if that was the case, then the odds of all of them reuniting and fighting Grima together were astronomically low. She did not know anything regarding space or the stars. Even though her Master revealed his origins to her, he never really elaborated. But now that Laurent brought up his theory, a pit of worry slammed into Lucina's gut.

"So Naga might've screwed us worse than we thought?" Brady massaged his eyes, "Just great."

"No, that can't be possible." Severa shook her head, "We all ended up on the right planet."

"But the timing of our arrival was different due to something going awry with the ritual. And we were still all separated from each other." Laurent pointed out, "It is safe to assume that due to such an error, it is possible that the ones we have yet to find are on entirely different worlds than us."

"Which means it is impossible for us to find them." Lucina breathed.

Laurent gave her a grim nod. As he nodded, Lucina sank down to a seat. The others remained quiet as she sat. Her hand shook by her side.

They were all separated. Some of them likely separated forever on another planet. Never to be reunited with their friends or family. Lucina sucked in a deep breath as she tried to steady her racing heart.

First Ricken is killed and Nah is wiped from existence. Then Laurent's mother is killed. Severa's mother is paralyzed. And now… now the others could be gone for good.

She shook her head, "I'm so sorry." She whispered, then raised her gaze, "If I had known this would have happened-"
"We would have all perished at the feet of Grima." Owain pointed out, "Retreating back in time was the only course of action we could take. It is not your fault that the consequences of such a decision were beyond your control, cousin."

Lucina sniffed then nodded, "Still, I should have executed the ritual better."

"We didn't have the time." Severa muttered, "Grima's Deadlords were breaking down the doors when we went through. There is nothing you could have done to change the outcome."

"Like you said," Luke began, "All we can do now, all we can control, is how hard we fight in this war and the one to come. First we need to win this one against Valm. And with our help, our parents can win. It's going to be a bloody one. More violent than the Valm war we learned about growing up. All of us will need to be prepared for the worst." Lucina raised her gaze as Luke spoke, "And we will fight like hell to prevent it. If not for our future, then for those we've already lost. For Ricken, Stahl, Gregor, Miriel, and Nah."

The others nodded. Owain let out a whoop. Severa smiled a little bit, picked up her half cleaned sword, and shoved it back into its sheath. Sakura smirked over at Luke and nudged him. She nodded when he gave her a surprised look. Cynthia beamed. Brady raised his flask, took a swig, then handed it over to Inigo. And Laurent gave Luke a stiff nod.

"Well said." Laurent breathed.

Well said. Lucina thought to herself, some pride building up in her as she watched Luke inspire those who at one point hated him.

At that moment, Noire burst into the tent. Her chest heaved up and down. Her blue eyes were wide as she sucked in as much air as she could.

"Everyone! Everyone!" She exclaimed.

Lucina surged to her feet. One hand rushed to her sword as she waited for Noire to declare that the Valmese were attacking once again. But that was not the news Noire had. And when Lucina heard the real news, her sword hand fell and her jaw hung open in shock.

"Nowi's pregnant!"

Of all things to let slip, this one Ben regretted the most. He did not regret letting his origins slip to Lucina all those months ago. In the end, that had been good for him. It finally allowed him to start trusting others, besides Tharja, with the secrets of his past. It allowed him to break out of the protective shell he built around himself and start living without much fear once again. But that secret mainly affected him. The one he just let slip affected Nowi and her future child.

He ran his hands over his face and let out a long groan as he sat in his spot in the empty command tent. Tharja had just stopped by to check on him. They got to talking about Nowi, and of course that is when Noire had to come in and overhear the secret. Before either of them could stop her, she bolted out of the tent. Likely on her way to inform Lucina.

His hands fell from his face. Poor Nowi would be bombarded with questions now. Especially from the other Shepherds. A secret is only a secret if it shared with one other person. More than one person makes a secret no longer a secret. And the future children would learn about it first. How could they not? For the past few weeks, ever since Ricken's death, they believed that one of their own had been ripped from existence.

Ben and Tharja did plan on informing everyone at some point, but only when they believed it was a good time. A time when they were all not focused on war and survival. And only with Nowi's permission of course. But that ship just sailed.

He shook his head and rose to his feet. Right now, he could not dwell on his mistake. He had other mistakes to worry about.

A large table sat at the center of the command tent. An enormous map of Valm was spread out over the table. The corners were pinned in place by four small stones, in order to keep the parchment from curling up. Various wooden pieces littered the map. Almost like a gameboard.

He wished this was just a game. Ben sighed and leaned up against the table, brow raised, mind laser focused as he studied the details of the map.

The army was now just a day or two from the Mila Tree. What was supposed to be a one week journey had turned into three thanks to Valmese soldiers harassing their march. That harassment turned into a full scale battle this morning. A battle the army was still working to clean up.

How did none of the scouting parties notice the Valmese moving in from the west? Was there an army he did not account for? Ben smacked his forehead.

I've been so worried about Grievous and Yen'fay that I forgot about Cervantes.

He recalled the stocky general from the Mila Tree when he and Robin went searching for Lucina and Luke over a year ago. The General commanded an army that guarded something at the Mila Tree. He still did not know what exactly. That army had been smaller in comparison to General Yen'fay's army and Grievous's army at Charlet, but it was still a sizable force. And they just wreaked havoc on his lines. The medical tents were currently overflowing with wounded Feroxi and Ylissean soldiers. Even more bodies lay in burning pyres on the edges of their hastily set up camp.

Worry lines creased on his forehead as he eyed the blue pieces that represented his forces. He then glanced at the initial battle reports given to him by the Feroxi Captains, Frederick, Libra, and Sumia. With a disgusted sound he swiped two blue pieces off of the map.

"Stupid." He muttered before tossing the pieces off to the side. He slammed his hands against the table, "Utterly stupid."

"Ben?"

He let his head hang as Chrom stepped into the command tent. Dirt and grime still covered the Prince's silver armor and skin. Weariness was thick in his eyes, but he still carried himself with strength and authority as he entered the tent. The Prince slapped a reassuring hand on Ben's back before moving by him and standing on one end of the table. His blue eyes glanced down at the pieces on the map.

"Another five hundred out of commission?" Chrom muttered.

"Three hundred killed." Ben sighed. He massaged his eyes. Naga, he had a wicked headache, "Another two hundred wounded. Considering our army barely numbered over ten thousand when we left Port Ferox ..." He exhaled and shook his head, "We may be in trouble, Chrom. That was a small-"

"Do I hear my General talking about being in trouble?" Flavia barged into the tent. Blood splattered across her red breastplate. Dirt and dried blood smeared over her dark face. A wicked smile rested on her lips as she sauntered in, "It better be because he got caught with another woman, not because he thinks we can't win this war."

Basilio quietly shook his head as he followed the ruling Khan in. He also looked filthy. Mud caked his muscled torso. Some bandages were wrapped over a nasty gash on his right forearm. His ax had not been cleaned yet. Blood still dripped from the steel blade as he moved to his spot at the table. Say'ri also entered the tent. Her armor had blood spatters and mud across it. The robes beneath her armor were covered in dirt and sweat. The headband over her forehead prevented any of the grime from dripping down her face. But it was soaked with sweat. She gave Ben and Chrom a silent nod before moving to her spot at the table.

"We may need to start considering the possibility." Ben muttered.

"Bah!" Flavia dismissed, "One of my lancers is worth at least ten of those soldiers the Valmese keep throwing at us. And you know that is true. The numbers don't lie."

"Exactly," Basilio hummed, "The numbers don't lie. And I think that is the point General Kenobi was getting to."

Flavia arched an eyebrow. Ben rubbed his chin and nodded at the pieces on the board.

"Another five hundred lost today." He breathed, "Maybe half of the wounded will be ready to see action again in one or two weeks time. The rest will be incapable of fighting for some time. These are losses we cannot consistently sustain."

"Meanwhile, the Valmese can." Baislio stated. Both Chrom and Flavia frowned.

"They absolutely can." Say'ri breathed, "I suspect the army we fought today was General Cervantes's army. A smaller force, but a very effective one. Although I am surprised we did not see him on the field of battle today. The Conqueror must have deemed his duty of guarding the Mila Tree as more important."

"Guarding what exactly?" Chrom asked, "I would think a General would want to be on the field with his men."

"Not all generals are as honorable as you." Say'ri replied, "But you are not wrong, Cervantes may not be at the front lines in battle, but he would still fight. However, the Conqueror is playing this war carefully by keeping him at the Mila Tree." She pointed at the massive tree that dominated the center of the map, "It is a sacred place for all of the people of Valm."

"Why?" Ben asked.

Say'ri arched an eyebrow, "Did you not do any research before conducting this invasion?"

Chrom and Ben glanced at each other.

"To be fair, you invaded us first." Ben smirked.

Say'ri rolled her eyes, "It is a good thing you can fight well," She sighed, "The Mila Tree is the home of the Voice of Naga. Someone who is able to directly commune with Naga herself."

"What!?" Chrom cried.

Flavia's jaw fell open, "Someone who speaks to god is on that tree?" She glanced at Basilio, "Have you ever heard of such a thing?"

"Only rumors." Basilio admitted, "Nothing concrete. Most of it was dismissed because… well it is rather hard to believe."

"Well the Conqueror clearly believes those rumors." Say'ri replied, "He stationed an entire army to guard the Voice and to prevent anyone from speaking to her. Call it a rather nice prison for such an influential person. If the Voice ever came out against Walhart, the entire continent would rise up against him."

"This Voice holds that much sway?" Ben asked, surprised.

"Naga holds that much sway." Chrom clarified, "And by extension, whoever this Voice is does as well."

"Sound observation." Say'ri nodded. Her eyes widened in sudden realization, "Cervantes' army was not only beaten but is on the retreat…" Her mouth fell open, "The Conqueror has slipped."

Basilio furrowed his brow, "What are you getting at?"

Say'ri flicked her eyes up from the map to the Khans, "The Voice is likely lightly guarded at the moment."

Ben's eyes lit up, "If we can break the Voice free and convince her to join our side we effectively destroy any support Walhart has. Such a move could severely cut into the enemy's numbers if the Voice causes devout followers to desert." He flicked his gaze down to the Mila Tree, "We need to get to that tree."

"I'll assemble the Shepherds." Chrom nodded, "We can move faster and quieter as a smaller unit than the rest of the army."

"You'll go with them, General." Basilio ordered, "Myself, Flavia, and our newest general, Mustafa, can handle things here." He glanced at Chrom, "And I'm sure Commander Cordelia can still assist us with her mind."

"Absolutely." Chrom nodded, "I think she would be thrilled to assist in any way she can."

"I'll go with you." Say'ri said, "I know the area around the Mila Tree well. And depending on how stupid the sentries are, I may be able to sneak us by thanks to my status as General Yen'fay's sister. That is if the Valmese don't already know I've defected."

"They likely already do, but it is worth a shot." Ben muttered. He glanced up at Flavia and Basilio, "I leave the next few days in your capable hands."

Flavia snorted, "You're just looking forward to a break."

Ben chuckled, "Oh you have no idea."

The tent burst open, Lucina rushed inside, breathless.

"Nowi's pregnant!?" She exclaimed.

Ben's stomach dropped. Say'ri gave Lucina a confused look. Basilio drew back in surprise. Flavia's eyes widened. And Chrom's jaw fell open. All eyes shifted over to Ben. The Jedi Master pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Just go ahead and tell everyone, why don't you." He sighed. Lucina gulped and uttered a sheepish laugh. Ben let his hand fall to his side, "You really are your mother's daughter."

Chrom frowned at Ben. Meanwhile, Flavia hung her head and laughed.

"I like you all too much. I'm gonna miss you while your off saving some mystical oracle or whatever." Flavia took a breath, "Get going you three. I'll make sure Miss Nowi is well taken care of."

Ben gave Flavia a grateful look, "Thank you."

He nodded at Chrom and Say'ri. All three moved out of the tent, Lucina quickly followed them. She caught up to Ben and tugged on his sleeve, spinning him around.

"You weren't going to say anything, were you?" She asked.

Ben sighed, "For the sake of Nowi's privacy, no. Even though I'm not very troubled by it… the social norms of Ylisse would have made what happened between Nowi and Ricken rather scandalous."

"He's right, unfortunately." Chrom nodded, "Let's do our best to keep this as quiet as possible." He turned back to Ben, "You better have a good excuse for not telling me."

"You were busy." Ben replied.

Chrom shook his head, "Not good enough." He folded his arms as they paused outside of the command tent, "I'm half tempted to leave you here."

"Oh please, you'll need me to handle whatever mess you make. Robin isn't around to clean up after you at the moment." Ben chuckled back.

"Leave here?" Lucina wondered out loud as Chrom chuckled and kept walking with Ben and Say'ri, "What's going on?"

"A group of Shepherds led by myself, Ben, and Say'ri are moving ahead to the Mila Tree. We're hoping to rescue the Voice of Naga from her imprisonment atop the tree." Chrom explained, "And no, you are not coming along."

Lucina frowned.

"You're still not a full fighting strength." Chrom sighed as he noticed Lucina's upset glare.

"Unless I manage to grow a new limb like a lizard I never will be." Lucina argued back, "Besides, I've interacted with the Voice before. Both in this timeline, and in the future. If anyone should go with you, it's me."

"She has a point." Ben conceded.

"And I'm sure Luke will want to tag along as well." Say'ri sighed, "But it will be better that way. He won't cause any trouble as long as I have my eye on him."

Ben nodded in agreement as they made their way towards the Shepherd's small cluster of tents.

"Anyone else we want to take?" Ben asked.

"Who's the sneakiest?" Chrom replied with a wry smirk.

Ben paused and let his head hang, "Naga… I'm going to have to deal with Gaius's antics again."

"You like him and you know it." Chrom laughed.

Ben shook his head as they approached the Shepherds. Most of whom were grouped together around a large, communal fire. Sully was sitting on a crate, bottle of firewine in hand. A bottle she happily passed between herself, Vaike, Kellam, and Brady.

Tharja sat close to her and Ben's tent, tome open in her lap. Too busy studying to notice Noire carefully reading over her shoulder. Nowi sat on a crate beside Tharja. A bright smile rested on her face as she occasionally glanced over, read Tharja's tome, frowned, then tried to entertain herself once again.

Cynthia and Luke sat beside Gaius and Panne. Both the thief and the Taguel remained wary around Luke, but Cynthia put most of their nerves at ease.

Maribelle frowned at Brady's drinking, but she said nothing as Donnel gave her a small rub on her shoulder and urged her to just enjoy the time together.

Sumia chatted with Cherche, Virion, and Oliva. Ben overheard something regarding Rosanne literature. He made a mental note to ask about that later. It had been a long time since he read a good book.

As for the ones not at the fire, Ben had a feeling he knew where they would find them. Lissa, Laurent, and Libra were likely at the medical tent taking care of the wounded. Maribelle was bound to leave the fire and join them at some point. Frederick was likely assigning patrols to the Ylissean soldiers for the evening. Anna would probably be found somewhere in the middle of all the destruction, trying to sell mildly used arms and armor from the enemy. Either as souvenirs or actual usable equipment. Henry and Severa would both be with Cordelia at her spot in one of the medical tents. Both Shepherds did their best to keep her in good spirits, in their own strange ways of course. Severa had a rather strange way of showing her mother affection. And Henry… well, not everyone in the medical tent appreciated his dark sense of humor. The other future children were probably elsewhere in the camp, catching up on lost time.

As they joined the other Shepherds, and Chrom informed them all of the plan. Ben let out a long breath. Tharja closed her tome and moved to his side.

"Do you think Robin will be near the Mila Tree?" She whispered to him.

Ben glanced at her. That was something he had not considered. But, he had a feeling that would be something Dooku would try to do. The Sith Lord was a well learned man who had a voracious appetite for knowledge. Ben could not deny that. He would know about the Voice of Naga and the power that person held. Maybe he believed such a person could assist him with Robin.

But that also seemed unlikely. In Ben's experience, Dooku was too prideful to allow another person to influence one of his students. It was more likely Dooku took Robin there because he knew Ben would push the army to that point.

"Maybe." Ben said, trying to reassure Tharja, "If he is there, we will find him."

Tharja nodded as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Good." She breathed, "I plan on hexing both him and Dooku for leaving without saying goodbye."

Ben gave her a worried glance, but he said nothing. In his mind, it was best to not get in her way.

His talons clacked against the smooth stones beneath his feet. Warm torches lit the narrow corridor he stalked down. His yellow eyes flicked back and forth between the two, meager bags of flesh in armor that served as his "guards". Simple, human bags of meat that he could so easily slaughter with a swipe of his hand. Grievous glared up ahead at the worm of a man that sauntered ahead of him.

Excellus had a cockiness to his gait this evening. A bravado in his step. As if he managed some great accomplishment. Grievous scoffed at the mere notion. This worm thought he was a tactical genius. If he really possessed even a slight hint of intelligence, he would have known that invading Archeanea was a foolish plan. A plan crafted by a fool that thought himself intelligent. Also known as the most dangerous kind of commander. He had seen plenty of that in his days as a General.

Besides, Excellus had accomplished nothing in this war against the Archaneans. The devastation against the enemy at Charlet was thanks to Grievous using what little mages the Valmese had to maximum effect. He utilized them almost like auto turrets. Blasted those pesky invaders to pieces on the beach. If he had even more mages, he probably could have prevented the invasion entirely. But these Valmese were a foolish bunch. They did not view magic as an asset. Or at least, whoever this Conqueror that ruled them felt that way.

He had yet to meet the mighty Conqueror of this continent. And frankly, Grievous was not very interested in meeting him. A man who could conquer a continent was nothing compared to the men that conquered galaxies. Grievous had vague memories of himself leading massive armies across the stars. Invading and defeating entire planets in devastating strikes that would have made the Valmese quake in their red armor.

Grievious growled low as they neared the corridor's end. He did not know where the Worm was taking him, but he did not appreciate being led away from the front lines of the war. Their master may want them to lose the war in the long run, but Grievous wanted blood. He wanted to soak the land with the lives of his enemies. He wanted to sink his lightsabers into the hearts of both Kenobi and Dooku. Watch the life leave their eyes and have their final moments filled with his face staring down at them. A final revenge that he craved almost as much as pleasing the master that restored him to life.

His hunched form followed Excellus into a cavernous space. A throne room of some sort. Massive fires roared in long fire pits along the sides of the room. Great marble pillars held the tall ceilings up. A massive red throne made of steel and iron rested atop a stone pedestal at the far end of the room. Grievous's eyes narrowed as he took in the throne.

There was not a hint of comfort on the chair. No cushions, no arm rests. Just a hunk of solid, cold metal, painted red in the Valmese colors. Or for the blood they spilled on the battlefield. An intimidating chair. One meant to compensate for some sort of deficiency in the man that occupied it.

The conqueror is probably another worm. Grievous thought to himself as he paused and watched Excellus take a few more steps towards the empty throne, A weak sack of flesh and bone that only got this far because he was able to trick others into following him.

He could not help but view this 'great' Conqueror in such a way. The man had yet to step onto the battlefield in order to combat the invading Archaneans. Any man that dared called himself by such a powerful title needed to earn it in Grievous's eyes. So far, the Conqueror hid behind incompetant Generals, a cowardly tactician, and Grievous. The actions of a worm afraid of war.

Excellus glanced back at Grievous.

"Remember, you do not speak. You follow what I say." The fat man hissed, any confidence he had before long gone, "Otherwise, we are both dead."

Grievous narrowed his reptilian eyes. Excellus paled and quickly averted his gaze. A low chuckle sounded from Grievous. If Excellus was not so entertaining to torment, and so necessary to his Master's plans, he would have already killed him. He was certainly more annoying than he was entertaining.

Grievous eyed the two guards still by his side. Then he noticed something peculiar. There were no more guards in the throne room. An odd thing in the General's mind. One would think the ruler of an entire continent would seek to have the best soldiers protect him so he could rule his land in comfort and safety.

He noticed beads of sweat forming on Excellus's brow. The guards behind him gulped at the sound of doors opening and closing from behind the throne. Grievous could practically smell the fear exuded by the three humans in the room. He heard the leather gloves of his guards clenching tight around their lances. One of them swallowed hard. They were not just afraid. They were terrified. And not of him, but of this Conqueror.

Who is he?

A set of double doors opened behind the throne. Heavy footsteps echoed off the stone walls around them. Grievous narrowed his eyes. No guards exited the doors. No herald announced the arrival of anyone important. Instead, a lone figure emerged from the doors. Grievous's eyes widened a little bit.

This human was a behemoth. A mountain of flesh and muscle that moved with pure power. A giant clad head to toe in blood red armor. His face was large. His jaw square and strong. Eyes small, intense, and… milky in color. Grievous narrowed his gaze. Was this man blind?

He got around his throne easily enough. The giant then turned and sat down on his throne. His entire body rigid as he sat straight up. Those milky eyes darted down to look at Excellus.

Not blind after all. Grievous thought to himself.

He eyed the Conqueror further. He could practically feel the authority and strength this man generated. It was as if he gave off an aura of pure power. In that moment, his allegiance to Grima wavered ever so slightly. He could see why the others were afraid of this Conqueror. This man was more than a mere human.

"Excellus." The Conqueror's voice boomed through the throne room.

Excellus quickly bowed at the waist, "Your excellency, the great and magnificent Emperor Walhart, I-"

"Why have you come before me?" Walhart leaned forward in his seat, eyes narrowing on Excellus's shivering form, "Do you not have a war to lead? A war that, I seem to recall, you assured me would be easily won without any need of my assistance?"

It took everything in Grievous to not start laughing. So that was why the Conqueror had not taken the field himself. Little Excellus wished to prove his worth.

What a stupid piece of scum.

"Y-yes, your excellency. Your magnificence, your stupendousness, your-"

"Enough with the groveling, worm." Emperor Walhart growled, causing Excellus to shrink away. He rose from his throne and slowly stepped down the stairs. He stepped up towards Excellus. The Emperor towered over the worm. As he stooped over the tactician, Excellus shrank even more, "My generals have informed me that the war goes… poorly." The conqueror's teeth were clenched. He did not show any blatant emotion. But from the pallor of Excellus's face, Grievous assumed the man was furious, "Care to explain?"

Excellus gulped, "W-well," He cleared his throat, "You see, your excellency, we are beginning to regain ground and-"

"You have regained nothing." Emperor Walhart boomed, "Charlet is still lost to us, and the Archaneans are moving fast west. They are cutting right to the heart of our land."

Walhart moved away from Excellus. The tactician swallowed hard as he stared at the Conqueror's back.

"We will soon have those Ylissean and Feroxi dogs running with their tails between their legs, I assure you, your excellency." Excellus replied.

"How do you plan on doing that?" Walhart asked. He glanced over his shoulder as a servant quickly shuffled in with a pitcher of water and a glass. He took a glass of water and gently swirled it in his hand, "The closest army to the Archaneans was General Cervantes's. And from what my own sources have told me, you relieved Cervantes of his command over the main bulk of his forces and ordered those forces to charge right into the Archanean column."

"I hoped to break their march and spark a route!" Excellus declared.

"And instead, you wiped out one of our armies while not slowing the Archaneans down in the slightest." Walhart scowled, "One of our Generals is without an army." Cracks formed in the glass as Walhart held it tight, "And worse of all, the Mila Tree now stands unguarded. Do I need to remind you of the significance of such a place?"

"N-no, your excellency." Excellus stammered, "I swear I shall marshal whatever forces I can and-"

The Emperor set the cracked glass down on a tray the servant carried, silencing Excellus.

"The Archaneans are one day from the tree. That area is already lost to us, for now." Walhart frowned, "Your incompetence has cost us valuable resources, land, and men. I will not stand for it any longer."

Excellus turned ghost white.

"Y-your excellency, please, allow me to make amends!"

"Oh, you will." Walhart continued, "You are to report to General Yen'fay's army in the south. Circumvent the Archaneans. Inform Yen'fay that I will personally lead my forces in an attack from the north. He is to push up from the south. We will squeeze the life out of the Archaneans that way. Am I clear?"

Excellus shot Grievous a nervous glance. Their master would not be pleased by this news. The Conqueror taking the field now could spell disaster for the Archaneans in a war Grima wanted them to win.

"Excellus?"

The tactician jumped, "C-Crystal clear, your excellency."

Walhart's brow furrowed. His milky eyes moved past Excellus and landed on Grievous.

"What is this… creature, behind you?"

Excellus gulped, "He is… er… he is…" He straightened quickly, "A creation of mine!" He declared. Grievous resisted the urge to growl, "A conjuration of black magic. A most effective tool on the battlefield, I assure you. With his help, we devastated the Archaneans in their initial invasion at Charlet."

"Devastated?" Walhart repeated, "Is that so? That must have been quite the pitiful amount of devastation considering the progress our enemy has made."

Sweat beaded down Excellus's head, "W-we have not been able to keep up with the Archanean's speed and agility on the battlefield. I will admit, their application of both mages and aerial fliers is quite potent."

"Then eliminate that advantage. You are a tactician, are you not?" Walhart sank back down onto his throne. As rigid as a stone statue, "What do I call this creature of yours?"

"Grievous." Grievous growled back.

He noticed a faint flicker of surprise cross Walhart's face. Barely noticeable. But Grievous had seen enough shock and horror from his victims to notice it. He had to give the Conqueror credit, his strength did not waver despite his surprise.

"He will go with you to General Yen'fay. You both will be under his command from here on out." Walhart informed both of them, "Now leave."

Excellus swallowed hard and bowed low, "Y-yes, your excellency."

He turned on his heel and started to walk away.

"Excellus." Walhart's booming voice sounded again, freezing the worm in place, "Fail me again, and I will mount your head on a pike."

A terrified whimper slipped from Excellus's throat. He did not say anything in reply. Instead, he quickly shuffled out with Grievous following him.

As soon as the doors to the throne room closed, Grievous reached with one of his claws and took Excellus by the throat. The tactician gasped and clawed as he slammed the worm against the wall so hard the stone cracked.

"I am no creation of yours." Grievous growled, "And I am not subservient to you. The only reason you are not dead by my hand, is because our master wills that you live. If that changes, I will happily tear out your entrails and parade your carcass in front of the Conqueror myself. And I will make sure you live long enough for him to remove your head."

Grievous's reptilian eyes narrowed into dangerous slits as his mask drew closer to Excellus's whimpering face. The worm nodded as quickly as his fat head would allow. No more words needed to be said. Grievous's claw released him. Excellus gasped for breath as Grievous turned and marched towards the palace exit.

Hopefully he would not have to deal with the worm much longer. And hopefully this General Yen'fay was much better to work with. If not, he may just have to take over the Southern Army himself.

There were no rules saying he could not kill a General.

And chapter! The future kids are reeling from the ferocity of battle, but they are also given hope thanks to Luke and the revelation that Nah will indeed be born. Ben, Chrom, Say'ri and some of the Shepherds are on their way to the Mila Tree in order to rescue the Voice of Naga. Unfortunately, they don't know about the carnage that already happened there. It'll be interesting to see how they take that. And we are finally introduced to Walhart. And we get to see the Conqueror through the eyes of Grievous. And it looks like he has earned some of Grievous's respect just by presence and authority alone. We will see how long that lasts. Anyways, let me know what you all think of this chapter. As always, I hope you all enjoyed! Have a nice day!

PS: Come join the Treehouse! Discord is: 9XG3U7a