Author's note: who needs sleep? Reviews are better, so here's the next chapter right away. Thanks to you guys who have left reviews so far, even if I can't be bothered to look up all your names right now. You know you're special.

Disclaimer: c'mon, you know I didn't invent this stuff

…

The Commander — there was no other way to think of him, even after so many years — nodded. "Yeah, we're back. And I'm really glad to see everybody again, but I've got some bad news."

Sothe glanced down at Micaiah. Her hands clenched his tightly, and her gold eyes stayed wide and fixed on Ike and Soren. Then she shivered a little, her eyelashes fluttering. Sothe held on to her, knowing that her vision had to be disturbing to shake her like this.

"What bad news, Ike?" Elincia asked. "Where have you been?"

Soren stepped forward, reaching inside his simple black robes. "We've been all over," he reported, taking out a sheaf of papers. He laid them out on the table, revealing hand-drawn but no doubt excruciatingly accurate maps. "But the important place right now is this: Ketar, past the Desert of Death and the kingdom of Hatari."

"I thought Hatari was all there is?" Titania frowned.

"And we used to think Hatari didn't exist." Soren shook his head. "There's a lot out there — more than we ever thought. The Great Flood may have drowned much of the world, but if it did, the world has grown back. Anyway," he went on briskly. "The reason we came back is—"

"War."

Most of the room's occupants looked around to locate the voice. Sothe stared down at Micaiah. Her eyes were still closed, her face unnervingly calm, but pale. Soren turned slowly to look at her.

"Yes," he confirmed without emotion. "Ketar now, unfortunately, has proof that Tellius exists. And they are coming to conquer it."

For a moment there was a stunned silence. Micaiah leaned her head back with a soft thump against Sothe's chest.

"So," she said quietly. "We can assume that Hatari and Daein will be attacked first." She opened her eyes to look at Sothe. "I bet I know what Queen Nailah wanted to discuss…"

Sanaki rose to her feet. She was never going to be tall, but she had only gained commanding presence over the years. "Begnion will stand with Daein, sister," she announced.

Micaiah looked down, and smiled at the Empress. "I hope that fighting can be avoided," she said, "but I greatly appreciate knowing that you're there, Sanaki."

"We may have to stand together," Ike warned. "Ketar is a big kingdom, bigger than Begnion even. And from what we saw, they take their military very seriously."

Sothe squeezed Micaiah's hand gently. It was a silent promise that they both knew the words of. She laced her small, warm fingers with his.

"I don't know how effective talking will be," Soren warned. "Obviously we will try, but they seemed quite eager to conquer."

"Well, they can't," Tibarn said flatly. "Too much of our blood is in this land for someone else to take it." He looked at Micaiah. "You've got the army of the bird tribes behind you, too. It's unfortunate for your country, but Daein is the best place to meet them. If they gain a foothold in Tellius, it'll be that much harder to drive them out."

"Agreed," Soren said calmly, as if he were discussing the weather instead of impending doom. "You mentioned that the Queen of Hatari is on her way here. It's unlikely that we could get an army to Hatari to defend it — and the Desert of Death makes for a good natural defense line. I suggest that she move her people and bring her army to Daein to join the defending armies."

"What of the seas?" Kurth asked. "We cannot leave Goldoa, Gallia, and Crimea undefended if an attack should come from the ocean."

Soren thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Danger from the seas is negligible. Ketar is landlocked, has few ships and no naval war force. By all means leave a skeleton guard at your capitals — that should be more than enough to handle the amount and condition of any troops they could possibly bring around Tellius by sea."

Kurth nodded, satisfied with Soren's judgment. "Very well. Then, Micaiah, the dragons of Goldoa will also defend Daein, if you will have us."

"Certainly, Kurth," Micaiah smiled wanly. "Thank you."

Sothe looked down at her in concern. Before he spoke up, though, Lehran did. "Soren, Ike," he said quietly. "Perhaps the tactical discussions would best take place once Queen Nailah gets here, and after we have had some time to assess the extent of our countries' capabilities and limitations at the moment. We may be of more use to you then."

Soren hesitated, but Elincia and Sanaki both nodded. "I would like a little time to discuss these things with my vassals," Elincia said gravely. "Crimea has striven to be a peaceful nation."

"So have we all, Elincia," Tibarn pointed out. "Not much we can do about that when war comes knocking on our doors."

"We could reconvene in Daein," Sothe suggested before an argument broke out. He sighed silently to himself. This is going to be a disaster. He looked at Ike, though, with a small — possibly desperate — hope. If any man could handle so many different countries all trying to work together… well, he'd commanded the armies of the laguz and Begnion once. "I hope you'll hang around," Sothe told him, "but Daein is willing to hire the Greil Mercenaries for the duration of the war."

Ike smiled. "Of course we'll help, but the paying thing might make Soren happier."

"Indeed," the tactician muttered. "Very well. We'll meet again in Nevassa in a week's time."

The atmosphere relaxed, if only slightly. Titania let out a long breath, and went over to Ike. "It's good to have you back, Commander," she said with a smile.

Ike shifted, his regular scowl back. "Listen, I don't want to take—"

"Nonsense," Titania said briskly. "You're our commander as long as you're here."

Ike almost smiled. "Thank you, Titania." He glanced around at his group. "Does anybody — besides Shinon — object?"

There was a chorus of no's and one offended snort. "Hope you're up for a duel at dawn, boss!" Mia said cheerfully. "Don't think 'cause you were gone, you get a freebie. I'm gonna beat you this time around."

Sothe tugged on Micaiah's hand, and signaled discreetly to the other Daeins, while the mercenaries' reunion distracted most of the room. "Let's go," Sothe said. "The quicker we get home, the better."

…

PS: if anybody has some brilliant Soren-like battle plans they wish to share, I'll most likely end up being grateful. I don't have his magic hat, unfortunately.