Back to visit the Black Eagles again.
Chapter 26 – Motivation (Pegasus Moon)
Ladislava gazed out at the snow-covered terrain of House Varley's territory, waiting for her scouts to return from their reconnaissance mission. The rest of the 500-man strong Black Eagle Strike Force took the time to either warm themselves up for the inevitable battle that was to come or, in Setiawati's case, go hunting for game.
As the Crimson Warrior stared out at the hills and forests dotting the area, she heard a young man's voice say, "Commander Ladislava? Ma'am?"
Ladislava turned to see one of the new faces in the Strike Force, standing at attention and saluting her. He was young, no more than 22, though he had a few scratches on his armor to show he wasn't a complete rookie. The lad, named Yosen, had been transferred to the Black Eagles on a recommendation from House Hevring. Ladislava could immediately see the enthusiasm in his expression; becoming part of the famed Black Eagles must have been a dream come true to him.
It was something she hated seeing. It meant he had a desire to prove himself. She knew from experience that people like him rarely lived long in the war.
"I just wanted to say that it's an honor to be here, Commander Ladislava," said Yosen. "And that I hope to make my family back home proud!"
"Is that so?" Ladislava said with veiled disdain.
"Of course! My mother and sister were overjoyed when I received this transfer."
Ladislava tuned out Yosen's rambling for a moment, having heard so many others with the same enthusiasm as him. Most of those men and women, however, had died in service to the Empire, allowing their bravado and desire for prestige to get them killed.
She stopped ignoring him when Yosen said, "Even if I must lay down my life for the Empire."
Ladislava glared at the boy, silencing him in an instant. He wondered what he had said to make her angry with him.
"Because you're new to this unit, I'm going to overlook that remark of yours," said Ladislava. "But let me make one thing clear to you, soldier: I despise having martyrs in my squadron."
"Umm, ma'am?" Yosen said in confusion.
"Don't let me hear you talking again about sacrificing yourself for the Empire, understood? This war has enough dead heroes, and I don't need you adding to the tally."
"Y-Yes, ma'am!"
Yosen marched off in a hurry, leaving Ladislava to sigh at her own callousness. Sure, she had been harsh with the boy, but he needed to realize he wasn't going to help anyone by getting himself killed. Too many others who had once been part of the Black Eagles had learned that lesson too little too late.
Deciding to check in on Salia and the others, Ladislava made her way through the Black Eagles' camp. Most of the others were sharpening their weapons, stuffing their faces with food, or otherwise bantering with one another. It wasn't unusual; she allowed her squadron to unwind when they weren't in battle, but she expected professionalism out of them when in combat. Fortunately, many of the faces she saw were men and women who had seen a lot of action. She knew she could count on them not to do something stupid.
Well, most of them at least.
Ladislava turned as Zola let out a loud laugh at having just sent one of the other veterans to the ground in a sparring match.
"Come on! You're making this too easy for me!" Zola said boastfully.
The veteran groaned as he got to his feet and decided not to continue receiving a beating from Kill'Em-All Zola. He limped off as the blonde scoffed at him.
"Still such a damn pussy…"
Ladislava had to think back to how Zola had been brought into the Black Eagles. She'd been paired up with her before the Strike Force was even created, right before the war started. The blonde criminal wasn't too keen on following Ladislava's orders then, but luckily the issue had been resolved after the two ended up in a one-on-one fight.
Ladislava beat her that day, and in doing so she had earned the former bandit's respect.
Not wanting to discuss the current match with the blonde, Ladislava asked, "Has Setia come back yet?"
"Not yet," said Zola, "but she said she'd be a while. You know how she is."
The two looked off in the direction where they had last seen the Brigid huntress just in time to see her emerge from the trees. She was carrying three dead rabbits tied to a long stick.
"And just as I mention her, she appears. Looks like lunch is served."
…
The rabbits were mixed with vegetables and broth to create an enticing stew, with Setiawati adding spices here and there. Zola was now messily chomping down on a leg of rabbit while Trauare helped herself to an apple.
Swallowing, Zola said, "Damn fine job, Seti. Never could catch one of those little fuckers myself. They're damn fast."
"Kelinci are prey animals, Zola," said Setiawati. "They are always watching for danger. To catch them, one must be diam seperti bayangan… silent as shadow."
"Silent, huh? Not my style." Zola chugged down some beer after this and, after letting out a crude belch, said, "Hey, Seti, you ever tell us why the hell you're fighting here? I get that whole thing about Brigid being forced to kiss the Empire's ass, but that doesn't explain to me why you're a part of it."
Setiawati glared at Zola for a moment, though it didn't faze the blonde murderess.
The huntress then said, "I seek our princess. She angered the Dewata… the Spirits, when she defied the Empire and put my people at risk."
"Princess, huh?" said Trauare. "What was her name again? Paeta? Perra?"
"Petra. Petra Macneary," corrected Salia.
"That is the name you Fódlaners gave to her," said Setiawati. "To my people, she is Kemuning."
"I'm not gonna even try pronouncing that one right," quipped Zola.
"It means 'wildflower' in your tongue."
"Is that so? Well, what're ya gonna do when you catch your 'wildflower', eh?"
"She will be forced to return home to our Raja… or I will bury her here."
"Ooh… can't imagine your 'Raja' would be too happy if you killed her," said Trauare.
"As I said, she has angered the Dewata. They demand she be punished."
"And they matter more than what your people would think?"
"It is to ensure my people's future." Setiawati then turned to Zola and said, "And what of you, Axberg? Why does a pidana like you fight for the Empire?"
"Me? That's an easy one," said Zola. "It was either this or the chopping block. That's the deal every penal trooper gets. 'Course, I'm just so damn good at killing people that I got promoted. Can't say I don't enjoy the job. Hehehe…"
"That's hardly something to be proud of, Zola," said Salia. "Especially given how many times we've had to bail you out of trouble."
"Oh, don't give me that crap, Sally. I remember you being pretty fuckin' reckless when this whole war started."
Salia growled softly at this, and then said, "Maybe I was, but I decided if I was going to be second-in-command of this unit, I had to start setting a better example. I had to live up to my recommendation from Count Bergliez."
"So that's why you're always a stick in the mud?" asked Trauare.
Glaring at the blue-haired water mage, Salia said, "What about you then, Trauare?"
"Oh, I just couldn't get out of my old village soon enough. Fishing on Mondays, fishing on Tuesdays, nothing but fishing day in, day out. It was sooo booorrriiing! Had to keep pulling pranks to keep myself from going crazy. So, when I heard the army was recruiting, I didn't think twice about it. I wanted… no, I NEEDED some adventure and excitement in my life."
"And you thought being sent into mortal peril would be 'exciting'?" asked Setiawati.
"Hey, it sounded like fun at the time. And it turns out I have a real knack for fighting. So, after I got recommended by Duke Gerth, I got sent over to you guys, and the rest is history."
"Where did you even learn to use water magic?" asked Salia. "They don't teach that to officers."
"I learned it from Old Man Rushi back home. The old fart was more than happy to show me his tricks so long as I… entertained him."
Trauare winked at this, causing Salia to blanch at the implication. The water mage giggled at seeing Salia's reaction.
"Of course, you all know why Ersha joined," said Trauare. "Needed to get some prestige for her house. A shame she had to get herself knocked up twice now."
"I'll appreciate it if you don't speak so derisively of Ersha, Lieutenant," Ladislava said with a stern glare.
"R-Right…" Trauare said as she broke into a cold sweat.
As the rabbit stew bubbled before them and the Black Eagles helped themselves to a bowl, Ladislava looked around at the others in the squadron. Each of them, young and old, had their own stories to tell, of why they joined the Imperial Army. Many were in it out of national pride, while others bought into Edelgard's vision of Fódlan free from Crests. Some, like Zola, had far less scrupulous reasons, but each one had their own that, while akin to others, still gave them purpose.
Finishing her bowl of rabbit stew, Trauare then said, "Say, what about you, Ladi? What's your reason for enlisting?"
"Devotion to Her Majesty, I'll bet," said Zola.
Setting aside her own meal, Ladislava said, "That's part of it, but I'd be lying if I said that was my only reason. Mine is… a bit more complicated."
After a short pause, Trauare then said, "Well, what are you waiting for? Spill it!"
Sighing, Ladislava said, "Fine. You've all long earned the right to know." Ladislava then cleared her throat and said, "As a young girl, I lived here in Varley territory. My parents ran a Wyvern ranch in the valley below. It was… unpleasant, to say the least. The Count's obsession with wealth had him taxing the commoners of his territory cruelly, all to line his own pockets. When I was fourteen, members of the community gathered to peacefully protest his taxes. The Count's response was to have his soldiers kill them all, without hearing a word of what they wanted, or giving them any chance to stand down. They never wanted violence and he had them massacred."
"Daaamn…" said Zola.
"Are you talking about the revolt in 1167?" asked Salia. "That was an armed uprising, wasn't it?"
"That's the story Count Varley and Duke Aegir spun to the masses," said Ladislava. "He claimed they were threatening to start a rebellion and that he crushed it before it could start. No one ever stepped forward to say otherwise; the evidence he provided was more than enough to fool Emperor Ionius and the Church. After the massacre, he started demanding even more unbelievable taxes from everyone, even those who had nothing to do with the protestors. Eventually, my parents had no money left with which to pay him. He had his soldiers drag them away for a public execution, and he had every one of our Wyverns seized so he could hunt them down on his private grounds for sport. That is, all but one of them. Our aerie's matriarch: Shayera. He had his men butcher her."
"How very cruel," said Setiawati. "Such disrespect of the land's hewan."
"So, where were you when all that happened?" asked Trauare.
"I was in a nearby forest gathering some wood," said Ladislava. "But I heard the Wyverns crying out and when I returned… I saw them take Shayera's head. I couldn't stop them from taking the rest of the Wyverns, or my parents. Not as I was then."
The other Black Eagles were silent as Zola said, "Varleys. Pricks and douchebags, all of 'em."
"Years later, when I became Lady Edelgard's protector, she shared with me her vision of Fódlan reborn, where those in power were those who earned their title. I fight for Her Majesty and the Empire to make that goal a reality. A Fódlan where men like Wystan von Varley would be cast down, where Crests and bloodlines would be irrelevant, and where those who are in power are the most qualified for the job."
"Heh, would that include someone like me?" Zola said jokingly.
"Goddess, I hope not," Trauare replied with a short laugh.
Ladislava couldn't help but crack a smile at Zola's sarcasm.
Seconds later, one of the other Black Eagles walked up to the five aces and said, "Commander, our scouts have returned. We've located the Count."
…
Fifteen minutes later, Ladislava had finished listening to the report from her scouts and now looked at a map of the region. Several small figurines had been placed on the map to represent the enemy positions, with a black one representing Count Varley's last-known position. Ladislava's officers and squadron leaders were all standing before her.
Ladislava furrowed her brow for a moment. The Count had drawn more soldiers to his cause than she had anticipated. At least 1,500 men were in the valley below, outnumbering her Black Eagles three-to-one. But the Count's soldiers were disorganized, and from what her scouts had told her, those who were loyal to him seemed motivated only by promises of wealth and power. She knew those promises were empty; Count Varley was as greedy as they came. It wouldn't take much to make them abandon his cause if they did this right.
After giving their commander a moment to ponder the situation, one of the squad leaders said, "So, hit-and-run job?"
"More-or-less," said Ladislava. "Her Majesty wants us to keep casualties on both sides to a minimum."
"Wait, she wants us to kill as FEW of them as possible?" Trauare asked in disbelief.
"That does not seem logical," said Setiawati. "Pengkhianat deserve to be punished."
"The Empire still needs those soldiers for our spring offensive into the Leicester Alliance," said Ladislava. "Lord Vestra plans to give them a chance to redeem themselves by being the first wave to enter Alliance territory when the invasion begins."
"Oh, I getcha," said Zola. "They get the suicide job and get off the hook if they survive. Hubert can be pretty damn cruel."
"Those men are being motivated by greed and empty promises of power. They just need to realize that. Our first objective will be to eliminate Count Varley's officers. They're the ones keeping the rest of his troops in line. Without them, they'll lose their will to fight and, if we're lucky, they may even turn on the Count."
"How are we to identify the officers?" asked one of the other Eagles.
"It shouldn't be hard. Just look for the ones in posh armor."
The officers in attendance had to chuckle at this.
"Trauare and the other mages will provide a fog layer to cloak our movements. Use the mist for cover, locate and eliminate the Varley officers. Avoid getting into heavy fighting or they'll swarm all over you. Salia, you'll take Squads Two and Six to cover the roads leading out of the area to the south and southeast. I don't want the Count escaping on us."
"Understood, Commander," said Salia.
"What about that, ma'am?" asked one of the officers as she pointed to a village on the northwest part of the map.
"We don't know," Ladislava answered. "There was low fog over the town, so our scouts couldn't get a good look at it."
"That town could be a threat to our left flank, Commander," said Salia.
"Agreed. Zola, your group will take the town. Clear out any hostiles you find there and secure our flank."
"Got it," said Zola.
"Once we've eliminated enough of their officers and their forces are in disarray, Setia and her archers will move in and harass Count Varley's position here." Ladislava pointed to the map and said, "Draw his personal guard out of position so I can have a clear shot at him.
"Dipahami," said Setiawati.
"Wait, you're going after the Count yourself?" asked Trauare.
"Once we've thinned them out. He and I have a score to settle," said Ladislava.
"If that's how you want it…" Trauare shrugged at this.
"We move out in ten minutes. Rally your squadrons and let's get this done, Eagles."
"Yes, ma'am!" shouted the officers.
We'll be getting some action in the next chapter, but I wanted this one for some more character development, especially for Ladislava.
When I originally brought her into the story, I actually hadn't planned to have Ladislava differ from her in-game version, but since I liked her design and disliked how she was so underutilized, I decided to expand her character immensely. The part between her and the new recruit is part of that character expansion, showing that while Ladislava is loyal to Edelgard and the Empire, she knows that they're not worth making a martyr of oneself. After all, what use are you if you're dead?
Also, sorry if I butchered the use of Indonesian again. Google Translate may not always be accurate, and I don't know how Indonesian grammar and syntax work.
Next chapter (or the one after if I run out of space) will be really cathartic to some of you. Stay tuned!