Battle plan

With the walls in sight, Callisto turned back towards her men who stared onward at the fate ahead. She spoke, "We won a great battle at Arcadia, but it isn't over yet. We need to end this war, here in Corinth. Xena has… taken care of Hercules, and now she is moving to infiltrate Corinth for us, and end this war. We only need to attack and take the city itself. Be ready for her to succeed, but also to break the city if she fails."

The Spartan King crossed his arms impatiently, "How do we know Hercules is taken care of? Can we trust Xena?"

Callisto's eyes shot in his direction feeling a very limited patience for Spartans at the moment. She approached him, face to face commenting coldly, "Look at my face. You see these bruises? See the marks on my body? Hercules is taken care of, and we can trust Xena because she is Xena and if she says she can stop this war, than by all means she can stop this war. Are you done questioning my word?"

Aliston stepped back, feeling uncomfortable under the glare of the Warrior Queen. "Excuse me commander… I was just concerned. That's all. You just didn't specify about his death."

Callisto felt herself cornered by the king of Sparta, but before she could react, Kaleipus grunted. He had heard enough from Aliston. "Leave her be, she is trying to win a war and you're putting her under undue stress. She's led us this far. I think she has earned the right to not be questioned. We have a task before us." Turning to Callisto he finished, "Proceed Commander."

Callisto nodded, "When Selenta retreated, the army was in a panic and left a few things out they will learn they didn't want to forget. During the battle of Argos, they used catapults on us. Commander Phantes has located the Catapults and we will be using them on the city."

Callisto smiled as she stared to her far left where the Centaurs were wheeling a catapult into position, "We are going to besiege Corinth with its own weaponry. We have learned that large bodies of troops are on their way here from Thebes. So time is of the essence. If we can take Corinth before they get here we can end this war. Without Selenta there won't be much fervor left to run in Thebes. Delphi will also very likely no longer be a factor in this war, considering that their general Herici wasn't even the real general Herici. I imagine will have an official capitulation from them within the week."

Aliston was quick to ask, "What if Selenta escapes somehow?"

Callisto bowed her head, "That is the one thing we must not ever allow to happen. If she does, she might return to Thebes and continue the war."

Cleomones felt it was his turn to ask a question, "When we break into Corinth, what do we do?"

Callisto raised a single eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"These people killed every living soul in Athens. There needs to be vengeance."

"No! We will not lower ourselves to them. I will not murder another innocent civilian, nor shall I allow any person under my command to either."

Cleomones interjected angrily, "They murdered our innocent civilians!"

Callisto heatedly shot back, "Did the Corinthian farmers burn your city? Did the Corinthian mothers stab your people? Did Corinthian children destroy your homes?"

Cleomones's mouth opened as if to argue, but he couldn't, "No."

Callisto nodded once, "Okay then. That's settled."

Conon interrupted "No it's not! Athens must be aveneged! So we should kill all soldiers! Take no prisoners!"

Callisto shouted, "No! We won't kill surrendering prisoners!"

Conon, Cleomones, Aliston and several of the other stood up.

Conon declared, "We need vengeance! Athens needs vengeance! Allow us pay them back!"

Callisto could feel her control over the army evaporating. She knew she was the only person who could stop the slaughter that was now being proposed, she needed to stand her ground, but she didn't know if she could as Conon, Aliston, and Cleomones seemed to be solidly behind the idea of slaughtering the enemy soldiers. She knew she needed someone to back her, and hoped that maybe someone would speak up.

Phantes stepped forward. "Men… Always so eager to slaughter everything in your path and you call us uncivilized? The Centaur people will not be part of any slaughter conducted by an army of men, and I can assure you that even at this juncture of this war, you can't win without us. Make your choice, and if you choose murder, then my tribe of Centaurs will go home and you can fight the war by yourselves."

Conon turned to Kaleipus, "Does he speak for all Centaurs?"

Kaleipus stood side by side with Phantes, and Callisto. He was joined by Jason, Iolaus, Gabrielle, and Borias as Kaleipus declared. "You want peace in this land, you will not get it by slaughtering your enemies. You hated the Corinthians for what they did to Greece, you called them monsters for their actions. But, you are nothing but hypocrites for wanting the same thing. If you want to be like them, then so be it. I hope you all destroy each other and rid this land of your kind. What we won't do is help you do it. You want the slaughter, say the word and we all shall leave you to it. But Conon, if you want peace and a chance to rebuild, we will stand by you and help you bring it about. Make your choice, and make it quickly."

Conon paused, Aliston was to his left, and Cleomones was to his right. Both were looking at him awaiting an answer. The famous admiral from Athens, and the highest ranking survivor the great city carefully weighed his thoughts. Aliston grunted, "The Spartans and the Athenians have the power to win this war. Might take us longer to do it though."

Cleomones shook his head, "No. We shouldn't be like this. I want vengeance, and I want their blood, but more than that, I want peace in this land. The Corinthian Soldiers disgust me; I don't want to be anything like them. We shouldn't slaughter them. Let them live with what they have done, and let us live with ourselves with the knowledge that we didn't become like them when we had the chance."

Conon reflected on the choice in front of him. The flames of Athens blazed in his mind. "I can't forgive them for what they have done, but I won't be like them. We shall treat the prisoners justly, unlike how they treated our people."

Aliston argued, "But what they did to…"

Conon shouted, "You want blood Spartan! Go get it yourself! My men will wait with the Centaurs and Callisto until you have finished."

Aliston knew he was beaten. The Spartan Army would never be able to take the city by itself, though he'd dare not admit that to anyone. "The Spartan Army can take Corinth without anyone's help, but our kingdom will need a post war army to defend her, so I'll follow the orders of Callisto, whatever they may be. But she can't order me to like it."

Callisto waited for a moment to make sure everything had settled down. "If there are no more interruptions, then we need to get a move on. There are two main entrances to Corinth, east and west. Borias will take have of the Army on the west. Conon will lead the Spartans and Athenians on the east. Kaleipus and Phantes will lead their Centaurs on patrols on the northern and southern side of Corinth. I want to be sure there is no way from them to escape.

"Iolaus will be bringing the catapults on the western embankment. I will have overall command and I will be roving form east to west wherever needed. Borias pick one of your units that lost its captain and assign it to Gabrielle. I want her at the front lines since she wishes to be there, but I don't want her at the gates with the rams. I do not want hot oil landing on her as that is what they are most likely going to do. Conon you and your soldiers are with Borias, Cleomones you are with Aliston." Borias nodded.

Gabrielle shot Callisto a look, but the Warrior Queen shot one back, "Nope, don't argue. I make the decisions and I'm giving you want you want. You wanted a more active role in the army, and now you got it."

Gabrielle bowed her head, "Very well."

Callisto continued, "Alright every one, move out. Phantes, Kaleipus wait one minute."

Everyone left except Phantes and Kaleipus, the Warrior Queen approached them. "First off, thank you."

Phantes replied, "It is I who should thank you. I helped get you removed from command before with the last Spartan king. This was the best I could do to make up for it. I'm sorry I helped put one of them in command back there."

"Again thank you both. I have to ask you a very important question. Do you trust Xena?"

Phantes and Kaleipus were bewildered. "Yes, of course."

"Implicitly? With your families if the need arise?"

The pair of Centaurs nodded.

Callisto reluctantly blurted out, "What if I were to told you Hercules is alive and with Xena?"

Phantes lowly grunted, "Why would she be with him?"

Callisto replied "We did fight Hercules. But we didn't win. But he didn't kill us, because a creature was controlling him, and he managed to chase it out of him. He had been possessed by a minion of Chaos. Now he is with Xena and they are going to sneak into Corinth. The only other person who needs know this is Iolaus, but keep it quiet.

"I'm telling you this because you guys could run into them. I'm telling I seen his eyes. Hercules has changed. I need you to trust me on this, if you see him don't report it, even to me. Pretend it never happened. You all know why I hope?"

Kaleipus sighed, "Our army is hanging together only by a thread. If they learn that Hercules is alive, and that you kept that fact from them, you would be ousted, and there would be nothing I could do to prevent it."

Callisto nodded, "We need to end this war now. This army will not hold together much longer. Everyone hates everyone, it's not a good way to maintain a coalition. The only things that have held this army together is a common enemy and the respect for your people, the Centaurs. But Hercules alive and working with Xena would shatter that. So this must be kept secret, even after we defeat Corinth."

Phantes was quick to ask, "But if Hercules is good again, what will he do?"

"I don't know. They won't accept him. That much is certain."

Phantes then said, "Whatever happens, you will always have our support. You will always be a friend of the Centaurs."

Callisto nodded, "Thank you, and now let's go win this war."