The Force's Shepherds
Chapter 116
The General's Resolve
He had failed. All of the fears Yen'fay had held for years, ever since the Conqueror slew his parents and conquered Chon'sin, had come true. The oath he swore to his father before he died, has been broken.
Say'ri lay dead on a table in his tent. The paleness of her skin looked unnatural. It made Yen'fay sick to his stomach. The sake did not help much either. But it helped numb him at least a little bit to the terrible reality he now lived in. However, it could not numb him enough.
He let out a whimper, tearing his gaze away from her corpse as he sat on the ground bottle in one hand, blade in the other. A fresh tear dripped from his left eye, which surprised him. He thought he had cried all of his tears during the night. But as the morning came, and the sun rose outside of his darkened tent, he was proven wrong.
My actions led to her death. He thought, bringing the nearly empty bottle of sake to his lips and guzzling down the few remaining drops. My cowardice killed her.
What would have happened if he had done what Luke and Lucina told him to do? Would Say'ri still be alive if he had an ounce of courage and decided to finally stand against the Conqueror? Would his family still be intact if he wasn't such a coward and chose the hard trail with its many trials instead of the easy road with its supposed safety. What good was that safety now? Excellus killed Say'ri.
Excellus killed Say'ri. The worm… the bastard… if Yen'fay had him in his grasp, he would slaughter that filth. He would have made the worm's death a slow and painful one for his betrayal. But of course, the worm slipped away before Yen'fay could exact his vengeance. Leaving the broken General to linger alone in his tent and drink all of his sake in grief.
He raised his drunken gaze to look at Say'ri's body again.
"I'm sorry." He slurred. He clumsily tossed the empty bottle of sake across the tent, "You were right in the end." He nodded, his grip on his short shoto tightening, "You were right." He sucked in a sharp breath and pressed the point of the blade against his stomach.
It was the only thing he could do right now. His failure had been too great. He had disgraced his family, disgraced his name, disgraced everything he once stood for. He failed to keep his promise to his father. With his death, someone far greater than him would take over Chon'sin. Luke would make sure his little brother, Kage, would grow into a great ruler. After siding with Say'ri, Yen'fay knew Luke was now a far greater man than he could ever hope to become.
And yet, despite knowing he had to end his life, Yen'fay hesitated. He could not bring himself to thrust the blade into his stomach. His teeth clenched tight as harsh breaths rushed in and out of his lungs. Finally, he uttered an enraged roar, and threw his blade across the room, before collapsing in a drunken heap on the ground.
"I am a damn coward." He whimpered.
The entrance to his tent opened, letting soft rays of morning sunlight filter in and wash over Say'ri's cold body. Captain Eiji poked his head into the tent. The older man's eyes roved through the darkness until they fell upon the broken General. A heavy sigh slipped from his lips.
"General." Eiji muttered stepping inside and closing the tent up behind him.
"I… ordered you… to leave me be." Yen'fay slurred, struggling to prop himself up onto his elbows, only to fall flat on his back once again, "Let me grieve."
Eiji bowed his head, "Yes, well… I figured such an order could be disobeyed when the ruler of Ylisse himself has requested an audience with you."
Yen'fay lifted his head from the dirt, a perplexed look on his face.
"Why would he want to speak with me?"
"You are our General, sir." Captain Eiji replied as he plucked a book of matches from a nearby table and lit a lantern hanging from the center tentpole. Warm light filled the tent, causing Yen'fay to squeeze his eyes shut.
"Some general I am." Yen'fay breathed, wiping his eyes with right hand, "I am a coward and a failure, Eiji." A rancid, drunken belch slipped from his lips. Yen'fay grimaced and gave Eiji a pathetic look, "I betrayed my people by surrendering to the Conqueror. I betrayed my family more times than I can count. Say'ri is dead because I am a coward who could not take a stand when she needed me."
Eiji grimaced as he opened up Yen'fay's personal chest, rummaged through some of his things, and found a powerful elixir inside. One the General always kept in case he injured himself while in camp. In this case, it would do wonders to help sober him up a little bit.
"Maybe." Eiji sighed as he closed the chest and spun around towards Yen'fay, "But the General I know is not a coward. He is one of the bravest men I know. It takes courage to forsake your honor and respect in order to protect one's family." Eiji held the elixir out to the General, "You made a tremendous sacrifice, General."
Yen'fay snorted, "Sacrifice?" He shook his head then nodded over at Say'ri's body, "She sacrificed. I did nothing."
"Her death is not your fault." Eiji replied, voice sharp, snapping Yen'fay from his melancholic musings, "I witnessed Excellus stab her in the back like the coward he is. I saw you try everything your power to make certain she survived the battle. Going so far as to not even strike at her with your blade while she had every intention to kill you." Eiji took a deep breath, "The fault lies with Excellus, and by extension, the Conqueror for putting you in this position." He gestured the elixir at Yen'fay once again, "Take the potion already, sir. The Ylissean delegation will be here soon."
Yen'fay swallowed hard as he stared at the bottle filled with purple liquid. It would not sober him up much, but it would allow him to function. With a trembling hand he reached for the bottle, missed it once, then grabbed it on the second swipe. He stared at the bubbling purple liquid then glanced over at Eiji.
"You should be the general of this army, Eiji." He muttered, fumbling with the cork, "You are a far greater man than I."
Eiji shook his head, "I could not have done what you had to when your father passed."
"Then let's call us even." Yen'fay breathed, finally wrenching the cork free and gulping down the elixir. When the last drop hit his tongue, he yanked the bottle away from his lips and handed it back to Eiji. One of his hands reached up and wiped some of his long, gray hair from his face, pulling it back over his head, "I look like shit, don't I?"
"Shit usually looks better." Eiji admitted with a nod.
Yen'fay snorted, "I might need some help getting ready."
Eiji nodded, "I thought as much. I'll send a servant or two to assist you. Clean you up so that you look semi presentable for the Ylisseans." He moved towards the tent's door and paused as he pulled the flap back, "If you are not out of here in the next ten minutes, I'm coming back to make sure you didn't do something stupid or rash."
Yen'fay gulped, knowing exactly what Eiji was referring to.
"You're a good man, Eiji." Yen'fay breathed, grimacing as he tasted his horrendous breath, "And a good friend."
The older captain smiled a little bit, "A captain's job is to support their general. I'm just doing my job sir." He glanced out of the tent and cursed, "They're early. I'll stall while you clean yourself up."
Yen'fay nodded, "Thank you."
Eiji stepped out of his tent, leaving Yen'fay alone once more. Yen'fay winced as a headache formed. He hissed as he got to his feet, muscles groaning in protest. A long breath left his lips as he rolled his shoulders, feeling the muscles in his neck and back pop then relax.
One of his eyes glanced at the shoto across the room once more. The General strode over to it and picked it up, turning the blade over between his hands as he stared at his ragged reflection in the steel.
If the Ylisseans were not about to arrive, then I would finally end it all. He thought to himself, If Eiji had not- He swallowed hard and raised the blade to his long gray hair. In one smooth motion, he sliced through it, grit his teeth, then glared at his reflection in the blade once more. The top knot that he once had in his hair fell to the ground behind him.
At that moment, a pair of servants entered. One carried a fresh set of clothes for him. The other had wet towels for him to quickly wipe himself down. He nodded his thanks to them then watched as they quickly exited his tent. With another heavy sigh, he cleaned his hair up with the blade. Trimming it to be as even as he could manage. Then he set the weapon down on his bed and turned to the fresh robes placed on a small table near the tent entry.
Time to face them.
It was official, there was nothing more awkward, in Chrom's opinion, than standing in the middle of an enemy camp with enemy soldiers glaring silently at him. Nothing more unsettling either. Every movement from the Valmese soldiers gawking at him, Ben, Luke, Tiki, and Frederick, put him on edge and made him want to reach for Falchion. It took several stern glances from Ben in order to convince him to maintain an appearance of peace. Something he still struggled with.
How did Emmeryn do this so easily? Chrom thought as he flexed the fingers on his sword hand.
Frederick shifted nervously to his left. The Knight's wary eyes glanced back and forth around the Valmese camp. Always watching, always waiting, always ready for an enemy to dare attempt an attack. His hand kneaded the grip to his sword as he remained at the ready.
"They're staring at us." He grumbled.
"Correction, they're staring at Tiki." Ben mumbled to Chrom's right.
Chrom arched an eyebrow then glanced at the Manakete on the other side of Frederick.
"In what way?" He wondered out loud.
Frederick facepalmed, "Milord, your marriage…"
Chrom's face reddened, "I-I didn't-" Luke and Ben started to chuckle to his right, causing Chrom to fume a little bit, "I didn't mean it like that and you all know it."
"I'm quite flattered, your grace." Tiki smiled back at him.
Luke covered his mouth as he attempted to stifle his laughter while Chrom gawked at Tiki, stunned by her comment. Ben shook his head, chuckling a little bit.
"You just enjoy toying with everyone, don't you?" He muttered just loud enough for Tiki to hear him.
"Toying? I would never."
"You would." Luke mumbled, "I remember you from the future. The Justice Cabal had their supporters in the palace, and you were one of them."
Tiki furrowed her brow in confusion, "Justice Cabal?"
"Quiet." Frederick hissed to all of them. He nodded to the ranks of soldiers separating in front of them, "Someone is coming."
The circle of Valmese foot soldiers surrounding them split as two men strode towards the five Shepherds. One was the Valmese Captain they had already spoken to. Chrom furrowed his brow as he tried to remember the older man's name. But he could not recall it. His mind was more focused on the Valmese soldiers around him than on the captain who pleasantly greeted them upon their arrival a few moments ago.
Chrom however, recognized the tall man walking stride for stride with the Valmese captain. However, he did not carry the same aura of authority and dominance he had earlier on the slopes of Demon's Ingle. He did a good job hiding it, did a good job covering it up, but Chrom recognized the glaze in the man's eyes. He had that same look when Emmeryn died. Felt the same way General Yen'fay felt when he lost his sister during the war with Plegia. The Prince had to give Yen'fay credit, unlike him, the Chon'sin General emerged to lead his men rather than hiding in his tent like he had.
Chrom took a deep breath as a slight twinge of shame hit his heart. That had not been his best moment, but it was one he grew out of. Emmeryn's death hurt him, still hurt him, but he had become a stronger leader, and a better man, in the wake of that tragedy. If Yen'fay was as great a man as Luke made him out to be, Chrom was certain the General would do the same.
Hopefully he is more reasonable now than before battle. Chrom thought to himself.
Luke uttered a surprised gasp, drawing quick glance from Chrom. He saw the young man lean over to Ben and whisper something about Yen'fay's hair. Chrom quirked an eyebrow and cast one more cursory look at the General as he approached.
He cut his hair?
Both Yen'fay and Captain Eiji paused a few feet away from Chrom, Ben, and Tiki. Luke and Frederick backed up a step, making it clear that the three Shepherds at the lead would be speaking for them. Yen'fay flicked his weary, raw eyes over at Luke. He grimaced. Guilt riddled his face. That grimace left quickly as he regained a commanding presence and offered Chrom a slight bow.
"Exalt Chrom-"
"Prince Chrom," Chrom corrected quickly, "I have not taken the title of Exalt yet."
Yen'fay furrowed his brow, mildly perplexed, "My apologies then, your grace."
He's got manners down. Chrom thought to himself, somewhat amused, I get the feeling Frederick and Maribelle would get along well with him
"My name is General Yen'fay." Yen'fay continued, "Although, I assume you already knew that."
Chrom nodded, "I did. And I will say, it is an honor to speak to you under better circumstances."
Frederick nudged Chrom from behind while Tiki arched an eyebrow. Ben pinched the bridge of his nose, making Chrom realize what he said.
"Or er- better circumstances than when we were facing off on a fiery mountain." Chrom stammered out quickly.
Yen'fay eyed Chrom carefully, unamused. He glanced over at Luke again before speaking, "I suggest we take these negotiations somewhere private. Captain Eiji, the command tent?"
"Centrally located, as always, General." The older captain to Yen'fay's right replied.
Yen'fay nodded, "Good." He took a deep breath and motioned for the Shepherds to follow him. His body assuming a relaxed stance in order to ease the nerves of his soldiers watching them. Without another word, Yen'fay turned and marched deeper into the camp.
Frederick shifted uneasily behind Chrom, "I don't like this."
"You don't like anything." Luke said as he marched after Yen'fay, unafraid of the glares the soldiers gave him.
Tiki followed in silence as well, the angry glares given to Luke turning into looks of shock and reverence upon realizing who she was. Many of the Chon'sin soldiers bowed their heads to her as she passed.
"Relax, Frederick." Chrom breathed, "We'll be alright." He followed after Tiki with Ben and Frederick, "Besides, we have a plan if anything goes wrong, right Ben?"
Ben blinked. A sheepish look crossed his face.
"Your emergency exit is to go out swords drawn isn't it?" Frederick sighed.
"To be fair, it has worked for me before." Ben chuckled.
"I like that plan." Chrom nodded.
"Of course you do, milord." Frederick groaned.
When they reached the command tent, a large tent pitched at the very center of the Valmese camp, two of Yen'fay soldiers opened the entry for them, ushering the group quickly inside.
The inside of the command tent was very minimalist. A simple square table sat at the center. Bare, no maps even placed over it. Cleary set up in a hurry in the wake of the battle on the volcano. A few lanterns hung from the tent ceiling, and one sat unlit on the tabletop. Beyond that, nothing was inside.
Yen'fay ran a hand over his head as he stepped around the table, turned, and leaned against it, weary gaze focused on Chrom as he entered. Tiki and Luke stepped to the side while Chrom and Ben stood on the other side of the table from Yen'fay. Captain Eiji and Frederick remained near the door, both men warily eyeing each other every few moments.
Yen'fay took a deep breath, carefully eyeing the Ylisseans in the tent.
"I assume you called this meeting to negotiate a surrender?"
Chrom quirked an eyebrow. He glanced over at Ben as the Jedi cleared his throat.
"Negotiate yes. But not a surrender." Ben replied.
Yen'fay frowned, "My army outnumbers yours still, after that catastrophe of a battle, nearly ten to one. If I wanted to, I could order my men to execute an all out assault on your camp, and wipe out your forces in a matter of minutes."
"Assuming we don't have our other forces in reserve elsewhere?" Ben replied, causing Yen'fay's frown to deepen.
Ben smirked a little bit, "You didn't think that was our entire army did you?"
"It did seem quite small." Yen'fay admitted.
"The Khans of Regna Ferox and their Feroxi are elsewhere. So are the majority of our Pegasus Knights." Ben explained, "Oh, and that rogue group of bandits that have been harassing your men on the road, ours too. Daily, more and more Valmese defect because of her." He pointed at Tiki, who gave both Ben and Yen'fay a bright smile, "And now your men have witnessed the Voice of Naga personally, among our ranks. How do you think that will affect your men's desire to fight for the Conqueror?"
Yen'fay's lips curled back into a snarl, "Who said they fight for the Conqueror?"
Luke's eyes widened in surprise at the sudden flash of anger on Yen'fay's face. His eyes darted towards Ben and Chrom, who also noticed.
"Well, they fly his standard, don't they?" Ben remarked, grabbing hold of the topic, "I figured it would be reasonable to assume-"
"Your assumption is wrong. My men do not fight for the Conqueror." Off to the side, Eiji watched quietly, brow raised as his General spoke with rare hints of anger lacing his voice, "My men do not even fight for me. They fight for Chon'sin." He inhaled deeply, jaw clenched tight behind his lips. His fists curled on the tabletop, "At least they do now. There is no negotiation here, General Kenobi. The Conqueror had my sister killed by the cowardly worm, Excellus. My worst fears have already been realized." He pushed back from the table, "I have nothing left to lose at this point."
Ben raised his brow, concerned, "You have your life to lose."
Yen'fay shook his head, "That is already forfeit in my mind." Luke paled to the side, "My army will stand against the Conqueror." Eiji fell into a hard coughing fit, "Chon'sin will not live under the Conqueror's tyranny any longer. Captain Eiji!"
Eiji coughed again, "G-General."
"Inform the men and other Captains. Allow the Ylisseans to share our supply stores, I'm sure they need it. Especially for their wounded."
Chrom stared wide eyed and slackjawed as Yen'fay barked the orders at Eiji. The Chon'sin captain swallowed hard,
"Are you positive that you-"
Yen'fay pounded a fist on the table and pointed a finger at Eiji, "I will not be ordered around by a ruler who refuses to even bloody his own hands!" The General shook with rage, "The Conqueror's time has come to an end. Chon'sin will be free again. So go, now!"
Eiji quickly rushed out of the tent. Once he was gone, Yen'fay exhaled and stared hard at Chrom.
"I suggest you go tell your army the situation. That way we don't have any accidents during the supplies exchange."
Chrom nodded, "Agreed um-"
"Thank you very much, General." Ben bowed his head, "We greatly appreciate your generosity and welcome you in our efforts against the Conqueror."
Yen'fay worked his jaw back and forth, "We kill him." Yen'fay growled, "Or we die trying." He beckoned toward the door, "I would like some time alone with my brother."
Chrom swallowed hard and nodded once more. He, Ben, Tiki, and Frederick retreated. At the door, Ben glanced around and nodded to Luke. Letting him know that he would wait outside while the others went back to the camp. Luke simply rolled his eyes once the Jedi exited.
"He's sticking around." Luke told his brother, "The Jedi doesn't… trust…"
The aura of authority Yen'fay had been exuding disappeared entirely. He slumped against the table then fell to a seat beside it, exhaustion and grief consuming him once again. Luke rushed to his side.
"Yen'fay, are you-"
"I'll be fine." He whispered, "Just… tired."
Luke furrowed his brow. Through the force he could feel his brother's pain. The agony he was in made Luke's heart ache.
"Don't lie to me." Luke said, voice low, "I can sense when you do."
Yen'fay gave Luke a weary look, "Do you have an idea how annoying it is to know that now?"
Luke let out a wry laugh.
"I'm going to have to really guard myself around you now."
Luke shook his head, still chuckling, "It's not like I'll use your thoughts against you. I'm not like that anymore."
Yen'fay arched an eyebrow, "Anymore?"
"Yeah well…" Luke grimaced, "Old habits die hard." He took a seat beside Yen'fay, letting his head rest against one of the table's legs. A heavy sigh left his lips, "I'd ask how you're holding up, but I can already tell."
Yen'fay snorted, "What gave it away? The exhaustion, the alcohol scented breath, or the hair?"
"The hair." Luke answered, "You cut it. Last I checked, that was not a good sign."
Yen'fay shook his head. His weary gaze lingered on the wall, "I failed, Luke." His next breath came out in a shaky gasp, "I let her die. If I had only-" Yen'fay swallowed hard, "If I had only listened to you and Lucina she would be alive right now."
Luke grimaced, eyes staring down at his lap, "Maybe." He admitted, "But… we don't have time to think about what ifs. We have a war to win and a Conqueror to dethrone."
Yen'fay's gaze hardened, "Not just dethrone."
Luke pursed his lips, but did not say anything in reply. His brother flicked his eyes back over to him, a small smile on his lips.
"I saw how you fought. You took on that terrifying monster, Grievous, despite the animosity you hold towards Ben Kenobi. You still saved his life. Then, despite everything that happened, despite…" Yen'fay took a deep breath, struggling to contain his sadness, "despite Say'ri's death, you have risen to face the next challenge." He placed a hand on Luke's shoulder, "You are far more worthy to lead this army than I am."
Luke's eyes slowly widened, "I-I am not interes-"
"I don't care." Yen'fay replied, "I failed. I am not worthy of leading these men into battle. Not with how badly I betrayed Chon'sin, and our family. You are my brother, whether you are from the future or not, whether you are my father's blood or not, that fact remains unchanged. These men know that. They will follow you into battle." A proud smile crossed Yen'fay's lips, "And so will I."
Luke struggled to form words as Yen'fay's declaration hit him like a gut punch. His mouth hung open as his mind attempted to wrap around what Yen'fay just told him. His head shook.
"No, nope." Luke got to his feet. He looked down at Yen'fay, "If you are not worthy of leading, then I am certainly not. You know my past. You know I was Maul's apprentice. I betrayed those I considered my family ten times over."
"And yet here you stand." Yen'fay slowly got to his feet, "A better man despite those hardships." He uttered a heavy sigh, "Luke, please. Say'ri… weighs heavily on me right now. I cannot effectively lead these men like this. I believe you can. I saw how you fought on the battlefield. I have heard how the Ylisseans looked to you when the battle turned against them, even though you did not seek that out. You are a leader, Luke."
He moved towards the exit, leaving Luke in stunned silence at the table. Yen'fay glanced back at him as he pulled the exit open.
"I shall inform Captain Eiji. You can trust him. He's a good man."
The General exited the tent. Once he left, Luke exhaled and steadied himself against the table.
Him, the new General of the Chon'sin army? He blinked and shook his head, trying to see if he was still living in reality or not. His left hand ran along the grain of the table, but he barely registered the sensation in his fingertips.
Yen'fay surrendered control. Luke now had to lead this army against the Conqueror?
"Well?" Luke's gaze snapped up to Ben as the Jedi came in to see if he was alright. His arms were folded as he slowly stepped towards the table, face contemplative.
"You heard?" Luke asked him.
Ben nodded.
Luke snorted, "Rather nosy of you, don't you think?"
Ben smirked, "I was just trying to make sure something crazy didn't happen. Thankfully, nothing did." His grin widened, "So… General, what shall you do now?"
Luke drew back, "I don't have the faintest idea."
A dry laugh left Ben's lips, "At least you admit it, unlike Anakin."
Luke laughed a little as well, "I think the first thing I should do is find Captain Eiji. Then… then meet the men. Win them over. They probably aren't my biggest fan right now given how I was just on the other side of the battlefield a day ago."
Ben nodded, "That'd be smart."
They both moved towards the tent exit. As they left, Luke jumped.
"What?" Ben asked.
Luke swallowed hard, "I'm technically King of Chon'sin right now."
Ben furrowed his brow, "And?"
Luke gave him a nervous look, "That makes Cynthia a queen."
Ben blinked, "You're right, we should be nervous."
"Absolutely."
Flavia could honestly say that this had to be the most exhausted she had ever felt in her entire life. And that was saying a lot. As she sat on a large boulder resting in a field of rolling grass, the waxing crescent moon overhead, she let out a heavy sigh and massaged her aching legs.
In the grass, her soldiers, or what remained of them, set up a hasty camp. No tents, no fires, just bedrolls and cold food. Another miserable night on the march. It made her respect her soldiers even more.
She worked her jaw back and forth, watching the edges of the camp for her men. Every night, she took part in the first watch with three other lancers. And she always watched the northern corner of their camp, which was the corner closest to the enemy army pursuing them. If there was one advantage to being reduced to such a small force, it was that they could move quickly. It took a day or two to build up a comfortable gap between them and the Conqueror. But now that they had, Flavia no longer sat on edge whenever she was on watch.
Her dark eyes roved over the northern edge of the camp once more. Soft snores filled the night as her devoted lancers slumbered. Naga, if they survived this war, if she survived this war, she would reward each and every one of them handsomely. Their loyalty, their strength, was her rock right now. The oaf had been her support before.
But Basilio died. The oaf had to go and play the hero, sacrifice himself for her. Flavia grit her teeth, one hand freezing over her thigh and clenching the muscles tight. The other hand reached into her armor and gripped the strange gemstone wrapped in heavy cloth, given to her by Basilio before his death. She still did not know what exactly it was. But Basilio deemed it important enough to give to her, so it had to be something special. She gasped as the muscles in her thigh lashed out with a sudden pain, causing her to relax her grip. She uttered a heavy sigh and bowed her head.
Why'd you have to do that you damn oaf? She thought folding her arms as a cold wind brushed over the plains around her. You were twice the Khan I am. These soldiers needed you to lead them, not me.
That was a fact that she was always afraid to admit. Flavia knew she was not an experienced ruler, or leader even. She had not been Khan of Eastern Ferox for long before winning the throne to the entire country. Certainly not as long as Basilio had been ruling the west. Hell, she recalled seeing Basilio ruling Western Ferox when she first became a Lancer herself so many years ago. Back then, the oaf had a few less wrinkles.
She chuckled softly, feet kicking at some loose dirt at the base of her boulder.
I always thought that you, old oaf, could not possibly be a better warrior than me. I believed that more and more with each passing year. Flavia sighed, You damn sure proved me wrong here… in Valm.
A hard question had been lingering in her mind since she led a full retreat away from the battlefield and the Conqueror's legions. Would she have done the same? Did she have the guts, the courage, to sacrifice her own life so that her rival Khan could escape and lead the men? Would she have done what Basilio did, or would she have ran as well? If Basilio had not taken a stand, precious time would not have been gained. His sacrifice bought Flavia and her Lancers enough time to run, gain some distance, and catch their breath.
Truly, you were a greater Khan than I.
A whistle skipped through the wind, snapping Flavia's head upright. Her gaze shot to the east, where she saw one of her sentries frantically pointing skyward. Her eyes widened, one hand slowly drew her blade from its scabbard. She did not know if the Valmese had fliers, but she could not be too careful now. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her southern and western sentries brushing past her men, quickly waking them all up and warning them of something approaching.
Was it a Valmese patrol? Flavia knew that Queen Sumia led a diversion mission to the east of her position. A fake retreat back to Charlet. Desperate by design, and meant to make the Valmese pursue with a great host in order to finish of the suddenly weak Archaneans. A mission as suicidal as the one she and Basilio took on. Had she been defeated as well?
She looked up to the sky, waiting to see shape flying over the stars and the moon. Around her, her weary Lancers prepared themselves. Captain Raimi moved over towards her.
"See anything yet, my Khan?" Raimi asked, blue eyes scanning the darkness.
Flavia kneaded the grip on her sword, "Not yet. You?"
Raimi shook her head.
One of Flavia's sentries hissed towards her. One of his fingers pointed skyward. Flavia followed his finger. She gulped when she saw fliers soaring towards them, barely visible against the dark sky. The lead flier swooped quickly down towards them, causing both her and Raimi to tighten around the grips on their weapons.
Flavia instantly relaxed when she saw the Pegasus land with Queen Sumia on its back. The Ylissean Queen shifted her grip on her lance, locked eyes with Flavia, and smiled.
"One army down."
Raimi's jaw fell open, "Did she-"
Flavia threw her head back and laughed. An action that calmed down her soldiers immediately.
"I'll be damned, girl." Flavia sauntered towards Sumia as the Queen dismounted her Pegasus, "I expected you to delay the enemy, not kick their ass."
"There's more." Sumia smiled.
Flavia furrowed her brow. Her eastern sentry uttered a surprised cry. All of her Lancers pointed their spears behind Sumia's Pegasus, where an enormous group of both Ylissean and Valmese soldiers were moving through the tall grass. At the lead were Mustafa, Dooku, and a Valmese woman in red armor and robes that Flavia did not recognize.
"We have a new ally." Sumia nodded.
Flavia eyes narrowed at the Valmese woman. Clearly a commander, given her much more expensive armor compared to her regular soldiers. She carried a healing staff instead of a sword. But Flavia had a feeling this woman knew more about magic than just the healing arts. She shifted where she stood.
"Are you certain?" She whispered to Sumia.
Sumia nodded, "We struck an agreement."
Flavia pursed her lips and eyed the woman as she passed by. Her soldiers eyed her as well, but the woman did not flinch at the cold display of hostility form the Feroxi.
"That does not look like a defeated enemy to me." Flavia whispered again, making Sumia frown, "She's carrying way too much confidence for that."
"Perhaps she is confident because she knows she has chosen the winning side."
Flavia snorted, "Winning side? Don't be naive. I'm impressed by your victory, but be careful with who you trust, and who you strike bargains with." She glanced past Sumia, watching as Dooku approached both of them, "If you want my opinion, you should have killed that general."
"Her name is Pheros, and she is our ally." Sumia hissed firmly, "I am not going to unnecessarily kill anyone."
"Her death was necessary. I can feel that in my bones."
"Are you certain you are not just saying that due to your own defeat?" Dooku chimed in, making Flavia bristle.
"No." Flavia snarled.
"Defeat?" Sumia's eyes widened as she looked at the exhausted Feroxi around her, "Where is Khan Basilio?"
Flavia grimaced. She inhaled deeply, trying to keep a mask of strength on her face.
"He bought us time." She nodded to herself, "Gave up his life in the process."
Sumia paled, "Oh Flavia I'm so-"
"Don't be." Flavia shrugged, "He went out as any good Feroxi Khan should: Weapon in hand, battle cry on his lips, and blood on his hands." She flicked her gaze back to Dooku, "As for my opinion on this General Pheros, I don't trust her already. A defeated opponent would not be so comfortable around her former enemy, doesn't matter what agreement has been struck. I'd keep a close eye on her."
Dooku glanced at Sumia. The Queen frowned back at him.
"Just because she agrees with you does not mean I'm wrong. Allies are people we should trust."
"Not recent ones." Dooku remarked, "And certainly not allies that still have a reason to betray us. Walhart still commands a million man army, and they are fresh off of defeating the Feroxi, who are the finest warriors on the Archanean continent. It is likely Pheros has already observed all of this." Dooku glanced away from the two rulers and over his shoulder at Pheros as the Valmese general sat down with two of her surviving captains, "The question becomes, how does she play her situation now? This entire agreement hinges on whether or not Prince Chrom and Kenobi were able to pull out a victory south of here."
Flavia nodded, "If they didn't, then we're doomed." She shook her head, working her jaw back and forth. The entire invasion was sat on the edge of a knife now. And she was convinced that the enemy was now among them instead of in front of them. A prospect she did not like, "I still say keep a close eye on her. Hopefully we won't end up with knives in our backs."
Sumia let out a reluctant sigh. One look at Dooku, and the old man nodded.
"I am already keeping tabs, your majesty." Dooku said.
"Very well." Sumia sighed, "How far are we from Demon's Ingle?"
"Another day or two if we go with the pace I've set." Flavia answered, "The men will be exhausted once we get there, so if the Prince lost, we will be really screwed."
"Chrom did not lose, I know it." Sumia reiterated. She took a deep breath, running a hand over the top of her head, "The Pegasi need a moment to rest anyways. A few more hours, then we fly again."
Flavia nodded in agreement, "And we'll march with you."
Coruscant never changed. The planet always held a constant buzz, a constant whirr, and a constant sensation of light and motion that gave the impression of a world that never slept. Indeed, it was a restless world. No matter where one was, whether they were at the peaks of the many towers jutting high into the clouds; or in the lower, rat infested levels, something was happening. A political deal, a financial agreement, a bounty collection, or a simple crime; Coruscant resembled a mind that was always occupied and never focused. Much like how Ragana felt as she ascended inside of the Emperor's Palace, turbolift engines softly whirring around her.
She had been unable to focus ever since her vision. Every time she attempted to meditate and recenter herself, she found her mind plagued with the sight of her father being pushed into the swamp window by a dark shadow. A shadow that dripped with the dark side's very essence. It robbed her of a chance to speak with him. Kept her from gaining answers she had craved for so long now. Her hands flexed into small, tight fists, then relaxed as the turbolift came to a soft stop at the top of the highest spire in the Emperor's Palace.
The doors opened, leading into the short corridor that led into the circular rotunda that served as her Master's throne room. A way for him to always look out over the planet that never slept. She could sense him in there. His black presence hung in the air like an icy fog, chilling her bones and reminding her who was the master and who was the apprentice.
She paused in front of the doors that led into her master's throne room. He said nothing to her when she informed him that she would be returning the Coruscant without the Jedi Master. Something that concerned her greatly. A scolding she could understand, expected even. Praise, well… hell would have to freeze over before her master accepted her return with the Jedi. But nothing? Why would he say nothing?
She took a deep breath, drinking deep in the dark side, in the cold aura surrounding the throne room, before pushing the doors open.
The shades inside of the rotunda were closed, shadowing the room in a deeper darkness than the night beyond the windows would normally allow. Her eyes could not pierce the shadows as she stepped into the room. But she knew her master sat in his throne, already facing her. She could sense it.
She stepped to the center of the rotunda, then quickly fell to one knee, bowing her head before the Dark Lord of the Sith. At that moment, two points of yellow light opened as Darth Sidious gazed upon her.
"Master." She breathed, "I apologize for my sudden return."
He said nothing still. Ragana swallowed hard as she felt the temperature in the room start to drop. The force grew cold, and began to retreat from her, gathering within the body of Sidious. A shuddering breath left her lips as she felt a dark presence brush against her thoughts, meeting no resistance.
"A wise decision." Sidious croaked, "You do not shield your thoughts, or your intentions. And yet, I fail to understand why you disobeyed me."
Ragana grimaced, "I… I received a vision, Master, and it unsettled me."
Sidious's eyes narrowed dangerously, "You disobey me on the whims of a vision?"
Her gaze snapped up at her master, "It was not an ordinary vis-"
She cried out as a dark hand gripped her mind, causing her to fall face first to the floor. Pain erupted inside of her body as a vice grip clenched over her.
"I ordered you to return once Jedi Master Windu was either captured or killed. Yet you failed to-"
"My… father…" Ragana gasped.
The black hand retreated away from her mind. Curiosity filled Sidious's eyes. In the shadows, Ragana could see him steeple his fingers in front of him as he regarded her with renewed interest.
She slowly pushed herself back up to her knees, "I saw my father. He was in some strange… place. A dark place filled with shadows, with catwalks of pale light." Sidious's gaze narrowed once more, "He did not see me, even though I called out to him. Then… he was pushed into a window by a sentient shadow. One that glared at me and laughed." Ragana swallowed hard, "I-I don't understand it, Master. So I came back to seek your council, in person."
Her Master remained quiet for a moment.
"What do you remember of your father, Morgan?" Sidious asked.
Ragana bristled for a split second at the use of her dead name. She quickly quashed her own fury with the name as Sidious waited for her response.
"Not much. I recall what he looks like, obviously." Ragana took a breath, "I know he taught me tactics, and some magic, through his writings. I was not old enough to learn personally from him when he died. I do remember others, comrades of his, telling me how brilliant and powerful he was. But also how distant he could be."
Sidious raised his chin, "Have you ever considered that your abilities come from him?"
Ragana furrowed her brow, "It has crossed my mind." She pursed her lips, "Master, I fail to see how this relates to my vision? The place I saw was not natural and-"
"You are correct, it is not natural." Sidious waved a hand. The cold receded, releasing its grip from Ragana. Dim, soft lights glowed from the rotunda ceiling, allowing Ragana to easily see her hooded master, "What you witnessed is a place I have only seen once before, through great trial and error. A place known to a precious few. And those precious few, usually only see it when their souls are claimed by the Force."
Ragana's eyes widened as Sidious spoke.
"You witnessed what is known to the ancients as the World Between Worlds." Sidious rested his hands on the armrests of his throne, "Before you ask, I saw it once before when peering into it through ancient Sith Alchemy. Through it, I saw the World Between Worlds. I witnessed a lone, human woman within it. One who was filled with death, but wrenched herself free from its grasp." Sidious explained, "Since then, I have been studying such phenomena in the force with great interest. But that does not concern you." He leaned forward in his seat, "Out of curiosity, did you see where the window your father fell through led?"
Ragana shrugged, "A swamp, from the looks of things. I only caught a glimpse before the shadow saw me and the vision ended."
Sidious sank back once more, "Interesting." His bony fingers tapped against the armress, "I shall meditate on what you told me. So shall you. In the meantime, you will return to your mission."
"But Master, I want the answers I-"
The cold returned, silencing Ragana.
"You will find and execute Jedi Master Mace Windu before he can incite any more petty rebellions. Am I clear?" The Dark Lord growled, his rising power making Ragana shiver in her boots.
"Yes, Master." Ragana nodded. She turned on her heel to leave.
"Before you go. I am re-assigning the Inquisitors away from you." Sidious informed her.
A smile graced her lips.
"And giving you a new companion. An inquisitor who is… raw, but around your level. I believe you will both work well together. Besides, I have found him to be quite the skilled duelist. You would be wise to train with him." A frown fell on her face. Sidious smiled behind her, sensing her displeasure, "He goes by the Eleventh Brother. The last of their ranks."
"How will I know who he is?" Ragana asked, jaw clenched tight.
"You will know." Sidioius replied, "Back to your mission, Morgan. If I have any more instructions for you, you will hear from me."
She stepped out of the rotunda, doors creaking shut behind her. A heavy sigh left her lungs as Ragana stepped onto the turbolift and descended. Once the turbolift reached the ground floor, she was greeted by Deathy One. Her Deathtrooper gave her a small nod then fell into lockstep alongside her.
As they reached the transport to return her back to her ship, Ragana detected a strange feeling surrounding it. Someone else sat within the transport. She only brought Deathy One with her, no one else.
Her right hand twiched towards her spellbook hidden with her robes. Her left hand brushed against the silver and gold lightsaber on her hip. One she had yet to use in battle.
"Who else is here?" She growled.
She heard Deathy One's blaster whine as it was primed. Ragana smirked and nodded for her loyal soldier and friend to open the transport door. Deathy One yanked it open and Ragana drew her spellbook, charging a thunder spell in her free hand.
A lone figure sat within the transport, head bowed and eyes closed. A young teenager, somehow younger than her. His dark hair was trimmed short. Unlike the other inquisitors, he did not wear dark robes or black armor. Instead, he wore a brown shirt and pants, Gray armor covered his shoulders and chest. Two black belts criss crossed his waist. Strapped to those belts were various pouches filled with items that Ragana assumed he considered necessary for missions. On his hip was a lone lightsaber hilt. Once again, he distinguished himself from the other Inquisitors; opting for a simple, single bladed hilt instead of those ridiculous, spinning, double sabers that annoyed her so much.
The dark side of the force wrapped around this Inquisitor in a different way than the others. Every other inquisitor she met felt feeble in the force. The Dark Side controlled them. They did not wield it as a true dark side adept should. But this one wrapped himself in it, much like she did. He fought to bring it to heel, battled with the dark beast so that it would obey him.
A slight smirk formed on Ragana's lips. Then a wry chuckle left her lungs. Deathy One lowered their blaster as Ragana closed her spellbook with a loud pop. The Inquisitor's eyes opened at the sound.
"So," Ragana sauntered over and took a seat beside him, "What do I call you? Because I will not call you Eleventh Brother. I mean, you aren't my brother, you aren't even my friend, so why should I do that?"
The young teenager eyed her carefully, but said nothing.
"Silent type eh?" Ragana sighed, "Great this is going to be-"
"Marek." The boy answered, cutting her off.
Ragana grit her teeth, "Did you just-"
"Galen Marek."
Anger burned hot in her as the brat interrupted her again. The fingers on her left hand brushed along the pages of her spellbook as she was tempted to wrench it open and zap him.
"And you are Morgan."
"Ragana." Ragana hissed.
The teen sniffed, "Really? Last I checked, the Emperor called you Morgan. So I will as well."
Deathy One shifted nervously in her seat as the transport lifted off and made its way back to the Spaceport, where Ragana's Star Destroyer waited for them. Ragana worked her jaw back and forth as she struggled to understand how this brat would have the gall to talk to her this way.
"You know who I am, don't you?"
"And I don't care." Galen Marek locked eyes with her for the first time since they spoke, "You are nothing to me. I am nothing to you. We will see if that changes, ever."
Ragana clenched her jaw tight. So tight, her teeth threatened to creak as they ground together. The Dark Side of the Force thrashed inside of her. Galen must've sensed it because a smile crossed his lips.
"Losing control?"
Her eyes blazed as he closed his eyes and sank back into whatever meditative state she found him in. Her gaze snapped over to Deathy One.
"I'm going to kill him." She mouthed to her deathtrooper.
Deathy One froze, thought for a moment, then gave her a slight shake of her head.
Oh?
Deathy One warbled in her coded language at her. Galen Marek did not react, which meant he either did not care or did not understand. But Ragana understood.
My master would be displeased, wouldn't he? Ragana uttered a sigh and slumped in her seat, her eyes glanced over at Galen Marek once more.
"Well…" She muttered, causing one of his eyes to open and look at her, "At least we hate each other equally."
And chapter! This is a bit more of a transition chapter than anything else. A lot of moving parts being put back together pretty quickly before we reach the next flashpoint of the Valm war. I've got two ideas in mind for the final moments of the Valm war, debating on which one to go with, but I am leaning one way and it is going to be wildly different than in canon, which I am excited about.
And we get a new character! I really wanted to give Morgan an actual rival in this story. It couldn't be Vader, especially not right now, both for story reasons and due to the massive power gap between the two at the moment. It couldn't be one of the normal inquisitors because, other than the Grand Inquisitor, they aren't that impressive (I haven't played Fallen Order, but I think I recall seeing an inquisitor as the main antagonist. Since I don't know her or her character well, I excluded her from the story for now. That may change if I get the chance to play the game). So I came to the conclusion that Galen Marek would make a wonderful rival for Morgan. I did have to do some tweaking to him in order to make this work, particularly his age. But I already did that with Han, and it still won't change who he is exactly. I will explain more of this Galen Marek's backstory as the story progresses. So yeah, he's gonna be fun in Morgan's arc.
Shameless Plug Time! I have started a Fire Emblem Awakening SI titled Rigged from the Start. It takes place in the ruined future and is only about seven chapters in now. Wanted to get it going before letting you all know that way you have a good chunk to read. Check it out if you want to. I'd love to see you all there!
Anyways, let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always I hope you all enjoyed! Have a nice day!
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