Chapter 8 – The Call of the Battlefield

A/N: Two more chapters to go after this. Thank you so much for still reading after all this time.

Wave One – The South

Eli took a deep breath after Leader ended her transmission, glancing at Eudora as he did so. He was sure the look on her face mirrored his own; in those eyes he knew so well, he could see fear, but also a resoluteness and hope that they might finally be able to have their freedom. "I do believe it is time to muster the Southern Army, General," Eudora stated, and Eli nodded, a small smile forming on his lips.

"I do believe you are right as always, Governor," he replied with a respectful incline of his head, and he opened up the COM link to his colonels and other officers.

At his command, the troops started to scramble, starting with his daughters. Tiana went to find Lottie and Lilly Belle, and after a short conversation consisting mostly of "you had better come back to us", Tiana kissed her wife and baby daughter and went to muster her troops. As she sat at the command center, the call from the Ice Queen had come in, and Tiana reluctantly told her best friend that Anna was out of communication range. Elsa has understandably panicked in her quiet, understated way, but Tiana promised to find out and relay any information she could get on Ginger. That seemed to placate Elsa, so Tiana cut off the call, sent in an order for a transport to the State facility, and then got herself to the transport center herself. Her ship was waiting for her, with her soldiers assembled, and she saluted them all as she came on board. They all saluted back, and one of her newest soldiers used the wind she controlled to shut the door.

All over the hangar, officers and soldiers scurried into the room and onto their transports, and as they came in, there were many somber and heartfelt goodbyes. Ralph said a tearful goodbye to Vanellope, and Felix kissed his brave, statuesque wife with a melancholy pride. After he tenderly adjusted her eyepatch, Calhoun smiled at him, and he sadly smiled back as she and Ralph made their way to their transports. Felix took Vanellope's hand, and they moved out of the way, but they did not leave the hanger until the transport doors had closed and their loved ones were out of sight.

The builder and the little girl turned to leave, but they were encouraged to stay when two older ladies joined them to watch the soldiers assemble and depart. One was blind, with a snake wrapped around her neck, and the other was one of the recent transplants from Corona, a woman who was somehow only known as Bibbidi. As they watched the soldiers, all four of them wished they could help more, but all of them knew this is where they were needed and where they could do the most good. After a few minutes, Eli came in with his people, his aide de camp Travis, his lieutenant Louis, and his pilot Naveen. Governor Eudora and Eugene were also with that group, but while Eugene joined Eli in walking towards the command shuttle, Eudora stayed behind, knowing her place was in Old New Orleans with her people. She blew Eli a kiss, and he smiled at her as the door shut.

With the General for the South in his craft and ready to go, the order to depart was given, and the hangar doors opened. The command craft taxied out first, taking off as soon as it had left the building. All of the other transports followed, and the small group in the hangar watched every last one until the hangar was completely empty. When the hangar was devoid of any craft, the people remaining smiled at each other with a mix of pride and sadness before they left, all of them hoping beyond hope that victory would be with them and their soldiers and they would see their loved ones again.

Wave Two – Dunbroch

"First and Second Battalions! Follow the Governor!" Fergus bellowed. "The rest of you lot, board your transports immediately and prepare to take off on my signal!" A hearty "Aye, Sir!" answered him, the loudest from his daughter that stood but a few feet away from him. He smiled at Merida with a fierce pride, and she nodded back before mustering her soldiers and heading towards her transport. Along the side, Geppetto gave Pinocchio a quick hug before the teenager joined his redheaded commander. Geppetto looked after his only son wistfully before leaving for the uncertainty of his empty cottage.

When the door opened to the hangar opened, Fergus gave the signal, and most of the craft within took off. Two transports remained behind for the Governor and the troops she commanded. They would be joining the others in time, but first they had a mission that Elinor felt duty-bound to carry out. After the transports left, Elinor closed the main hanger door and led her troops out through the personnel entrance. Land-based craft waited for them, and they all piled in the vehicles in a well-trained, organized fashion. Elinor took the lead, and she drove her craft out into the woods of Dunbroch, making a path for the other vehicles to follow. When they had driven as far as they could, Elinor stopped her vehicle and ordered her troops to disembark. The other transports followed suit, and now they were once again on foot, she led them deeper and deeper into the woods. When a dilapidated building came into view, Elinor ordered her soldiers to halt and hide themselves in the trees surrounding the building.

As her troops got themselves into position, Elinor reflected how bad of an idea this defense of the cottage most likely was. It wasn't like Leader and the others were actually in there; they had evacuated almost an hour ago. True, there was some equipment that might be worth protecting, but everything Leader and the Rebellion did was stored virtually, so no information or data of import would be destroyed if the cottage were to be razed.

But, Elinor knew the history of the Woodcarver's Hut, and that knowledge somehow overruled logic. So much hope and care that had gone into the construction of that building. It had been built to headquarter a rebellion, and it had fulfilled that purpose. But, in addition to that, it had given sanctuary to two of the biggest human catalysts that the Rebellion had ever known, and witnessed the miraculous circumstances that caused the third catalyst to exist. It was an important piece of the State's new history that needed to be preserved.

Even still, Elinor thought, this defense was, as the Ice Queen might say, ill-advised, and the only reason that Fergus had allowed it was because it was a legitimate way to misdirect the invading army. If they saw the cottage being defended, then the hope was the Enforcers would think that Leader was still within and there wasn't a massive, coordinated invasion of Campus going on. Even a few minutes of distraction would help out the invasion, and this, rather than history or sentiment, convinced Fergus to put his wife and her troops in danger. It was a danger that they were trying to mitigate by hiding themselves in the cover of the trees, and by planning to retreat the instant it was apparent their defenses were failing. Elinor might have been sentimental about the cottage, but she wasn't stupid, and she wasn't going to have her battalions slaughtered for a building.

The roar of flying aircraft invaded the skies above them, and though they couldn't see anything through the trees, Elinor's forces knew the State had arrived. The Rebellion's vehicles had a different hum, and Fergus would have been far past the forest by now anyway. Everyone's grip on their weapons tightened as the anticipation set in, and they all waited uneasily until the sound of marching feet could be heard. Elinor's more battle-ready form was her ursine one, but she needed to have speech capabilities to lead her troops. So she remained human, and when the first lines of the State Enforcers became visible through the trees, she gave her orders. "Fire!" she yelled. "Attack them with everything that you have!"

At her cry, weapons started discharging all around her, and the enemy lines began to fall. Just as quickly, though, the Enforcers started to return fire, and her soldiers were forced to duck behind their trees. The volley lasted for several minutes, and her troops were successfully thinning out the Enforcer ranks, until a tank lumbered through the woods, aiming its massive cannon towards the thicket of trees that contained her soldiers. Such a blast would be devastating, and Elinor didn't even pause to think. She turned into her bear form, her clothes ripping seam to seam from her body as the stitching yielded to her feral girth. With a roar, she tore her way through the Enforcers to reach the tank, her massive claws gouging the metal deeply as she scaled the front of the armored vehicle. With another roar, she tore open the hatch as though it were the pop-top lid to a vegetable can, and with a swipe and grasp of her massive paw, the two occupants of the tank found themselves lifted out of the cockpit and thrown against a tree.

Thinking fast, Elinor quickly returned to being human and slipped through the open hatch, ignoring her nudity in favor of turning the Enforcers' cannon against them. After a few blasts, the Enforcers nearest her position retreated and regrouped, waiting for one of their other artillery units to challenge her. Elinor's soldiers pressed their advantage and kept firing, as did Elinor, and the net effect was that the Enforcer troops were driven further and further back from the Woodcarver's Hut. Slowly but surely, the Rebels marched them back, until another Enforcer tank made its way to the front and started opening fire on Elinor's tank.

When the onslaught started making her massive tank shudder, Elinor knew it was time to abandon ship. She put all of the tank's weapons to their automatic repeat firing setting, and she climbed out of the tank. In a flash, she was a bear once more, and she jumped from the tank, slashing and pummeling any Enforcer that dared come near her. Her tank's weapons kept most of the Enforcers at bay, though, and she quickly rejoined her forces, using her paws to indicate that they should fall back to the safety of the deeper trees. They did as she ordered, and she followed them, setting herself up in a defensive position just in front of her ranks.

From their positions Elinor and her troops could hear the Enforcers yelling, trying to get the traitorous tank under control as they tried to follow the Rebels back into the woods. After a few minutes, the sound of the tank's weapons finally stopped, and Elinor and her soldiers tensed, knowing that the Enforcers would once again be marching towards their position. Much to their surprise, however, the shouts that filtered through the woods were orders of retreat rather than advance, and it didn't take them long to realize that the State must now know of the Rebellion's plans to invade Campus. Their suspicions were confirmed when after a few minutes more they heard the hum of Enforcer transports taking to the skies.

Elinor's soldiers let out a small cheer at their successful defense of the Woodcarver's Hut, but it was subdued, all of them knowing that those Enforcers were going back to Campus to engage their comrades. Bear Elinor looked around, wanting to turn back into her human form to celebrate with them and give orders, but she hesitated, knowing she would be naked if she did so. Two of the soldiers nearest her realized what the problem was, so one of them, the man, took off his uniform top and offered it to his commander, while the second, a woman, took off her pants and offered those as well. Elinor took them gratefully, and she quickly turned human and got dressed.

"Well done, First and Second Battalions!" she said in a loud voice, and a cheer rose up. "But now we have to get back to the hangar and get to Campus. If those Enforcers are going back, the rest of our comrades will need our help."

"Aye, Governor!" they shouted as one, and they scrambled for their ground transports. They reached the hangar as soon as they could get there, and Elinor formally handed over control of Dunbroch to her and Fergus most trusted advisor, Lord Macintosh. She and her troops boarded the remaining ships, proud of what they had accomplished and hoping they could help even more when they got to Campus.

Wave Three – Arendelle

After Belle's call, Kuzco and Kristoff took a long look at each other and nodded. Kristoff marched out to meet his temporary troops, and Kuzco went to inform and reassure the people of Arendelle. Neither man was the person that the people of Arendelle wanted leading them at such a crucial moment, and both of them knew it and shared that opinion. Both Kuzco and Kristoff wished that Elsa and Anna were here so that the powerful Ice Queen could command her devoted troops, and the beloved Apprentice could lead her devoted constituents. But, the reality was that both women were absent, and in their absence, Kristoff and Kuzco were going to do the best they could. That started with putting the leadership of Arendelle into the hands of the best and most trusted people they knew.

"But neither Al nor I are fit to be in charge of anything!" Synni protested. "He's a Fisherman and I am a Seamstress!"

"And your daughter was an Architect," Kuzco countered. "She is still one of the best generals of the Rebellion."

"She is also scarily brilliant, and an Extraordinary to boot," Synni retorted. "Al is neither of those things, nor am I."

"Well, she had to get it from somewhere," Kuzco replied tartly. "And I was just an Office Assistant. According to the Test, I was barely smart enough to be a Plebe. But, I still became a Governor." Kuzco took a deep breath and looked Synni in the eyes. "I know this isn't ideal," he admitted, "but the people of Arendelle trust you both, probably more than they trust either Kristoff or I. That trust is essential to the People right now. And I wasn't joking; Elsa's brilliance and charisma didn't appear out of nowhere, so I know that you and Al have it in you. Besides, Arendelle is isolated, frigidly-cold and protected by hundreds, if not thousands of massive, belligerent snow-creatures. They will protect you and the people of Arendelle until Elsa and Anna come back. I only ask this of you because I can't leave if Arendelle doesn't have a leader, and I need to leave if I am going to help the people who have become my family," he concluded.

Synni frowned at him, and Kuzco could see Elsa's glare in that face. It made him shiver slightly. Finally, though, her face relaxed, and Synni sighed. "All right," she said quietly. "I'll tell Al he suddenly became a general." Kuzco gave her a quick hug of thanks, and she held him affectionately before she swatted him away. "You had better bring both of my daughters and my granddaughter home. Do you understand me?" she asked Kuzco sternly.

"Perfectly, Governor," Kuzco said, bowing his head respectfully. Synni rolled her eyes at him and left the room. Kuzco followed, and they ran into Al, who had just come from the barracks under Kristoff's orders. Al looked at his wife's unhappy face. "What's going on, Synni?" he asked uneasily.

"Congratulations, Al. You are now General for the militia of Arendelle," Synni replied sarcastically.

Al's eyebrows went up. "I am?" he questioned. At Synni's sharp nod, his face grew thoughtful before it widened out into a grin. "Okay, then," he said good-naturedly.

Kuzco chuckled, and Synni looked at her husband like he had gone slightly nuts. "I just told you that you were in charge of the entire militia and your response is 'Okay, then?'" she asked in disbelief.

Al shrugged. "It's not like I'm going to be in charge of the actual militia, Syn," he pointed out. "The best fighters are going to Campus. I'm going to be in charge of the old people like myself who are better off being here, and those massive snow-whatevers who won't even listen to what I say because I'm not Elsa. I'm just keeping her seat warm until Shneyele comes back, and I suspect I'm only doing that because the people here trust me as a local and respect me for being Shneyele's papa. I expect you're our new Governor, then?" he asked, still completely relaxed.

"Um, yes," Synni confirmed, still slightly mystified that Al was so sanguine about leading their entire territory.

"Then we should go tell the people so that our troops can leave," he decided, Kuzco nodded his assent and started walking towards the doors that led to the outdoor area where the people had congregated. Synni and Alfred followed, but Synni walked slowly so that they fell behind a bit.

"How are you so calm about all this?" she asked her husband.

"I know Elsa is coming home," Al said simply, his absolute faith in his daughter easily apparent. "And she will come home with Anna and Peanut. We are just caretakers, Syn; we just need to be here and do this for our girls now, and then we will have done what we needed to for them and the Rebellion."

Synni considered his words for a moment before she reached over and kissed him. "I love you so much," she said with a loving smile.

Al smiled back. "Of course you do; otherwise you couldn't have put up with me all these years," he joked.

"So true," Synni responded wryly as they followed Kuzco out the door.

At Kuzco's announcement, the crowd roared, both at the news that the Rebellion was invading Campus and at the news that Synni and Al were to be their new Governor and General, respectively. A flurry of activity followed, and after everyone was set, Synni and Alfred said a quick goodbye to Kristoff, Kuzco, Pacha and Kronk. Left behind in Arendelle was a very unhappy Kevin, who had wanted to be taken to wherever Anna was so that she could protect her and Peanut. Even after Kuzco explained she would probably melt if she left the cold temperatures of Arendelle, Kevin remained stubborn in her desire to be with and protect Anna, and it was only when Kristoff promised to bring Anna back, and Synni asked Kevin to be her personal bodyguard that the snow giant relented very reluctantly.

With the snow giant pacified, everyone went to their ships, and when the ships took to the skies, the Arendelle militia became another wave of Rebels on their way to fight for their collective freedom. Synni, Alfred and the people of Arendelle watched them go, wishing them Pillars-speed as they went.

Wave Four – Middleton

Goshen-Possibles were, as a general rule, fairly easygoing individuals. True, they were all incredibly intelligent and sarcastic, but, they were also very friendly and willing to see every side to an issue. Of course, there was always one or two hotheads among their numbers; of the current living members, this designation belonged to Franny, she of the very short temper and eviscerating tongue. But her mother Kim and her sisters Mim and Lilly were not quick to anger, unless of course, someone was trying to hurt them or their own.

So, when Kim and Ronni had heard about how Laura had been a plant, the first thing that occurred to them both was that the Rebellion had been set up, and that meant that everything that had happened on that rescue mission was now suspect. They continued the discussion with their daughters as they mustered the troops, and following the logical outcome, it stood to reason that the Enforcers that had joined them were also suspect. Wendy was too sweet, too naïve, and too much in love with Peter to really be a suspect, but Nancy and Jane were older and much more worldly-wise. Of the two, only Jane had been the one to give them information, and that information had led to a mission that had separated the Ice Queen and her Apprentice while at the same time putting the Ice Queen, and by extension, Franny, out of communications range at a very critical time. When Kim, Lilly and Mim realized that Jane had probably set them up and put Franny, not to mention Elsa and Rapunzel, two other people they had grown to love, in mortal danger, the part of them all that belonged to the supervillain side of the family took over. Three sets of fists lit up in green plasma, and before Ronni could stop them, her wife and daughters growled in unison and set off at a dead run.

Jane paced uneasily around her bunk, taking in the quiet in the barracks as she hesitantly gathered her things. The call to muster had been loud and widespread, and the well-trained Middleton soldiers had jumped up and run at the call. Jane, however, held back, not knowing if she would be welcome. Everyone had been cordial, there was still an undercurrent of distrust she sensed from those around her that prevented her from knowing whether she was truly a part of the Rebellion or not. The military woman in her completely understood her hosts' hesitation, but she wanted so much to be a part of their fight against the State. It offered freedom, and a life with John away from the State, and Jane would give anything to help.

Just as Jane wondered whether or not she should leave, the door crashed open, banging against the wall with violence. Jane looked that way in alarm, and her fear grew when she saw General Kim striding towards her with two other women in tow. The hands of all three were glowing a bright green, and they all wore expressions of a determined anger that Jane realized, with a sinking heart, were directed towards her. Before she had time to react or even think about what she might have done, the three were upon her, and within seconds, they had backed her up against the nearest wall with no way for her to escape.

"Why did you betray us?" Kim asked in a growl.

"What?" Jane choked out, the heat from the plasma coming very near to her face. "I, I helped your daughter and her friends escape. Then, I gave you all of the information that I had."

"Yes, you let the little girl who led the State straight to where our headquarters was escape," Kim agreed, "and then you gave us information that most likely led my daughter straight into a trap and separated the Ice Queen and her Apprentice when they needed each other most. What did the State offer? I thought you loved an Extraordinary. What was in it for you?"

"I do love John," Jane protested, her voice and eyes pleading. "I was trying to help because I want to be with him. I swear I had no idea that Laura was involved or that some of the information I gave you was false. Please, you must believe me."

Mim picked up on the phrasing immediately. "Some?" she questioned, her hands lowering a bit. "How do you know that all of what you gave us wasn't a lie?"

"I have been collecting that information for years," Jane answered. "I've been collecting long before the State even had any idea of the Rebellion or an Ice Queen. That information couldn't have deliberately false because the State wasn't trying to trap anyone at the time."

"Which information?" Lilly asked, her hands lowering like her sister's had.

"Well, most of it," Jane admitted. "Probably most importantly, the information about the Great Destruction and its true cause."

"What did you gather recently?" a new voice asked calmly, and all four women turned to see Governor Ronni had caught up with her family and was now behind them. She glared critically at said family for a few seconds. "All of you, turn off your plasma this instant," she chastised. "I would expect this sort of behavior from Franny, but not you three. You all know this is not how we do things around here, and I am very ashamed of all three of you." Her wife and daughters looked at the ground in shame, and their plasma extinguished.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," Kim mumbled. "I'm only worried about Franny and everything else. I overreacted."

"Yes, you did," Ronni agreed. "We need to let Jane explain herself first." She looked pointedly at Jane, and Jane took her cue to start talking.

"The most recent information I added was about the rest of the Extraordinary facilities," she said, answering Ronni's question. "Even though I was second-in-command, I wasn't first-in-command, so even with my security clearance there were things I wasn't privy to. The actual number and location of all of the facilities, along with the number and identity of the people they held, was something that I had never been able to ascertain. I was so ecstatic when that information became available recently, and I was too happy and excited to consider the fact that it had been revealed for nefarious purposes. My only thought was that if I could get the information out, we could finally free all those people who were like my John, imprisoned for just being themselves."

Everything about her body language said she was sincere, and all of the Goshen-Possibles, even the three that had been threatening her, were now inclined to believe her. Still, they had to be cautious, so Kim made a decision. "It seems like you are telling the truth," she allowed, and Jane breathed a sigh of relief. "But, I still don't know if I trust you enough to have you in my army. Ronni and I have already decided that she should stay here to defend Middleton in case things go wrong, so you will stay here in Middleton with the Governor. You will become her Assistant, and if you prove yourself to her, we will consider this matter closed. If you do anything that causes her or anyone else to be betrayed to the State, I will have no mercy. Is that clear?" she asked.

"Crystal," Jane declared. "But what of John?"

"He has volunteered to fight," Kim replied. "He will be leaving with us in a few minutes."

Jane nodded, letting that sink in. After a moment, she spoke. "Thank you for your magnanimity, General and Governor," she said, addressing both Kim and Ronni. "If our positions were reversed, I am not sure I could have treated you so fairly. I will do everything in my power to make sure that you know my loyalty is genuine, and that I truly belong among your numbers," she promised.

"I'm sure you will, Assistant," Ronni said warmly, and Jane gave her a small smile of thanks.

With the conflict settled for now, the important business of joining the invasion took over. Kim and Ronni shared a tender goodbye before Kim went off to be a General, and Ronni held two of her three girls close before she sent them away to be soldiers. All of the Extraordinaries who had been rescued from the mountain facility, including Tarzan, Peter and Giselle, joined them, but the Enforcers, Wendy and Nancy, stayed behind with Ronni, all of them feeling they better served the Rebellion in Middleton. After the lovers bid each other goodbye, the Extraordinaries boarded their transports that immediately took to the air to make their way towards Campus.

Wave Five – California

Fa Li looked over her people, her heart proud at the way Fa Zhu's troops were gathering, eager and ready for battle. She heard a noise behind her, and she looked over her shoulder to see her husband. "Your soldiers look almost ready to go," she observed.

"They are," Fa Zhu confirmed.

"We will be the last wave to arrive on Campus," she noted.

"Yes, we will be, but my hope is that we can deliver the decisive blow," Fa Zhu replied. "The rest of our mighty army should have enough power to cripple the venomous snake, and we will be there to lop its head from its shoulders."

"Always so positive," Fa Li said affectionately. "What if our other armies are not powerful enough?"

"Then we will die with honor by their sides while rescuing those we can," Fa Zhu declared.

Fa Li nodded in approval. "Take care of our girl, Zhu," she asked, her voice cracking slightly.

"Mulan can more than take of herself, Li," Fa Zhu pointed out. "But, yes, I will do everything I can to protect her."

"I want you to come back to me, too," Fa Li said, turning to embrace him.

"Death itself cannot keep me away," he promised.

Fa Li kissed him. "Go, take your troops and bring us back the victory," she ordered. "I will take mine and free the people of Multnomah. We will join you if we are needed."

Fa Zhu's inclined his head in respect and went to join his soldiers. Li Shang and all of his lieutenants were there, but only Yao and Ling would be joining them. Chien Po was accompanying Fa Li to Multnomah. Mulan joined them soon after, and after giving her mother a quick hug, she went to her own ship. Fa Li watched her husband and daughter leave before turning over command of her territory to Chi Fu, her chief counselor. When the transfer of power was complete, Fa Li, her battalions and Chien Po boarded their own transports and made course to Multnomah.

The Rebellion Command

As their craft sped towards Campus, each person in it was lost in their own thoughts. Belle was trying to strategize how to get Laura, Anna and Peanut to safety while still getting to Campus to meet the armies in a timely manner. Cornelius was looking at his monitors, trying to make sure that they were keeping away from the State patrols and sensors while still coordinating with all of the other generals. Laura was doing her best to stay out of the way, her part in all of this still making her feel guilty, and Marshmallow did what he did best, sleeping while simultaneously guarding Anna.

As for Anna, her mind was on Elsa, and she was wishing that her Intended was here with her. Anna would never forgive herself if the ill-advised rescue caused something happened to Elsa. Anna was also worried about the upcoming battle and all of implications that came with it. She loved all of these people so much, and so many of them could die. Anna wanted nothing more to be free, but a part of her wondered if it was all worth it.

Just then, something rocked their transport, and alarms started blaring all throughout the cabin. Belle looked at the instruments and cursed. "Shit," she commented. "We've been hit. What in the Pillars fired at us, Hacker?"

"There is a formation of ships behind us, Leader," Cornelius replied. "They are coming in fast, and from their trajectory, I think they are the invasion force from Dunbroch."

"Damn, I thought we would have more time," Belle lamented. "I know we have damage but try to outrun them," she ordered Hacker. Cornelius nodded.

Belle turned to the others. "I don't know if we are going to have time to take you to safety," she said regretfully. "We'll see how well we outrun these guys."

"Don't worry about us," Anna told her. "We will figure it all out." She smiled at Belle, and Belle look relieved, turning back to her instruments. Anna settled back into her chair, glad she had reassured Belle and hoping that her confidence was justified.