Rulindil watched in utter shock as the corpse of Elenwen was dropped to the ground. Everyone was in shock, and a deafening silence had taken over, save for the sound of the raindrops hitting the wet stone. Everyone was looking around, in complete shock, not knowing what to do.

That was until Tullius drew his sword, "release the Legate at once!"

The people all backed away, past the Thalmor who no longer cared to control them.

The Warrior said nothing, and neither did the Thalmor. The city guard all looked about, until a few moments later when one joined Tullius' side and drew his sword. Then another came over and stood. Slowly, the Solitude guards and Legionnairres were joining their General in standing against the Thalmor.

Rulindil looked about; there was no one else. What do I do? What in all hells do I do? The Empire was standing. He could not let them. Now is his chance. Now. He walked around from behind the Warrior.

"And why should the Dominion allow that?"

The Warrior neither hindered nor helped Rulindil; he still stood, motionless. But with Rulindil's taking charge, the other Thalmor were beginning to move to his side.

Tullius looked him straight in the eye, "Rulindil, you're not in charge here. Stand down now, and we can begin to fix all this."

"On the contrary, General, I am now the First Emissary, and so I am in charge. And the crimes that your Legate here has done are still punishable by death," Rulindil drew his sword.

Tullius looked as though about to move, when suddenly, Rulindil kicked Rikke off the side, to the surprise of everyone.

"Death that will come soon enough, I imagine," he turned around, "Warrior. You are quite right. We do not control you. We are in partnership, and of course, we agreed to deliver the Dragonborn to you for you to slay."

Rulindil began pacing, "but you seem quite certain that the Dragonborn lives. How you've come to this conclusion is beyond me, but if you're certain, then we have a common interest."

Then he turned to Tullius, "and you, General, seem quite content to stand against us now. You want this all to end? A boat arrives tomorrow carrying a host of Thalmor as well as Canonreeve Thrandonir, my superior. And when he arrives, he will see the rebels you've all become, and the next Great War will finally begin."

He stared the General in the eye, "so go and fetch your beloved Dragonborn, and the Warrior may get his chance to finish the job."

Rikke stood and joined Tullius' side, just as Jarl Elisif came forward, "Rulindil, if this is what you expect, then allow these people to go free. This city will not be groud zero for a slaughter, let the civilians go!"

Rulindil laughed, "I think, Jarl, that these people are best to see their heroes die, and watch as the Dominion declares War upon this pathetic wasteland! But by all means, you have my permission to leave and run to safety with the General here."

Elisif looked angrily at Rulindil, and Tullius grabed her hand, "Elisif-"

She yanked it away, "no General! I am Jarl Elisif, and these people are my charge! If they do not leave, neither will I. They will be given sanctuary in my palace."

Rulindil scowled, "fine. The rest of you, go. And I wouldn't take too long, else the Warrior here may get too impatient, and start killing for fun. Or maybe I will."

~ Whiterun ~

"So I left with what few soldiers I had left; only the Blue Palace guard remain, guarding Elisif and the rest of the townsfolk," explained Tullius.

Nero said nothing, listening with his back turned. A moment passed, before he spoke up.

"This boat arrives tomorrow?"

Rikke nodded, "yes."

A wind passed through the city as Nero stayed silent. Then he walked away.

"Nero?" said Tullius.

"Are you coming?!" asked Rikke.

Nero walked up the hill away from them, a rage bulding in his chest like no other, a rage that actually hurt. Anger like nothing else. He stayed silent, thinking a poisonous thought.

I'll kill them all. Every last one. I will destroy the Dominion here. I'll kill all of them, and then I'll slaughter them all in the lands beyond. Riding with the Empire at his side; the battle field was red with blood, from man fighting elf. Hadvar was dead. Ralof was dead. The Compaions. His friends were dead or dying. Elves were stacked in piles upon each other. Maybe he couldn't avoid it. Maybe he had to start it. Was this his destiny? To be the one to lead the Empire into victory? Am I the only one? Is that why I survived?

Yes. It is. I will save the Empire. I will save Skyrim. I'll save... my wife, and my... my daughter.

Suddenly, his thoughts went blank, as he went up the stairs to Jorrvaskr. The Companions around asked him what it was and he said nothing. He stopped at the door, before going in and closing it behind him.

Serana still laid on the makeshift bed, cradling their baby in her arms, but she turned as Nero came in.

"What was it?" she asked.

Nero came over, climbed into the bed and put his arms around Serana, looking down at their child; she was beautiful. Nero looked into her eyes; she had sky-blue eyes. Nero's blue eyes. His mother's eyes. Suddenly, all his rage had left him, completely. He only saw her. She giggled looking up at him, and smiled. She took hold of Nero's finger; her hands were so small. She giggled and looked at it curiously. Serana laughed, as did Nero, whilst a tear ran down his cheek, until he was completely calm again, and his mind was clear.

He turned to Serana, "I know what I have to do."

Then he explained what had happened in Solitude, and about the boat coming, and Rulindil taking control. Serana took in all of it, and she was almost completely speechless.

"I know you don't want me to go, I don't want me to go, bu-"

Serana put a finger on his mouth, "go."

Nero was shocked at her reaction, expecting her to be angry. But the child in her arms had made her calm as well.

"Go, and end this. You've kept your promise this far, I know you'll come back."

Nero smiled, "I can't do it alone though. I'm going to need some help."

"This is the one time I'll be alright with this, I hope you know that," added Serana.

Nero nodded, "while I'm gone, try and think of a good name. Your choice."

Serana smiled, as Nero left the mead hall.

Outside, he found the General had wandered up but had been stopped by the Companions from entering.

"I command you, as an Imperial General, to stand asi-"

"We don't work for you, now no one's going in there-" said Aela until Nero came out.

"Legate," said Tullius, "now, listen, I understand that you've just... your wife has given birth-"

"I'm coming General."

Everyone looked around in shock.

"What?" asked Aela.

"What?" asked Lydia.

"What?!" asked Valerica, who stood up from the wall she was leaning on and came forward with a furious temper, "I do hope for your sake that your wife has given her blessing for this!?"

Nero simply nodded, to which Valerica went into the mead hall herself, leaving everyone else outside.

"So what's the plan?" asked Rikke to the whole group, secretly more to Nero than Tullius.

"Dragonborn," intejected Jarl Balgruuf, "a situation of this status, I think, is better discussed elsewhere."

So then, the whole group were in Dragonsreach, around a table upstairs, that Nero was at the head of opposite Tullius. Guards had joined, along with the Circle (the other companions still guarded Jorrvaskr).

"How I understand it, Rulindil has complete control of Solitude," began Nero, "and has the people couped up in the Blue Palace with only the royal guard to protect them and Jarl Elisif."

Tullius chimed in, "while he has the city in his hand, he awaits a boat that will dock at the city tomorrow carrying Thrandonir, a Canonreeve of the Dominion and the First Emissary's superior. He hopes that when Thrandonir arrives and sees Skyrim in this current state, he can be convinced to use his power to make the Dominion declare war."

A legionairre spoke up, "wait so, why do anything?"

"Bcecause we're not gonna let that happen," said Nero firmly, which earned a momentary silence across the room, before he continued.

"The Warrior is there too, waiting for me. He knows I'm alive, and wants me to come back to finish our battle. Rulindil wants this, so that I can be killed before Thrandonir arrives. He needs the Warrior to kill me. Otherwise, put simply, he's screwed."

"So what is the plan?" asked Lydia.

"When we return to Solitude, whether we want it to or not, the Warrior is going to attack Nero, and the remaining Thalmor may try to help this. Fighting will inevitably start. This will put the townsfolk and Jarl Elisif in danger, so it will be a separate team's job to infiltrate the city to escort the Jarl and the people out to safety. After which, everyone's focus will be in taking back control of Solitude, whether the Thalmor stand against us or not."

"Rulindil will be in the keep, in Castle Dour, staying safe until Thrandonir arrives. Once I defeat the Warrior, I'll apprehend him, and we can deal with Thrandonir once the city is ours again," explained Nero.

"How are you gonna defeat the Warrior?"

The question came from Aela, which Nero didn't expect.

"You fought him once one-on-one already, and that very nearly killed you. How now, when you're still recovering, will you defeat him?"

"I won't do it alone. Last time, I was forced to take him on by myself, it's obvious I can't do that. I'll need help, the best warriors I know."

Vilkas smiled, "why didn't you just ask?"

"What about Serana?" asked Aela.

"We will protect your wife, Dragonborn," said Balgruuf, "even if anyone comes for her, the remaining Companions and my forces should be enough."

"She'll also have her mother to personally protect her. And you," said Nero, looking at Aela.

"You and Lydia will stay here to defend her," added Nero, to which Aela and Lydia nodded.

"Who else do you mean to help then, Dragonborn?" asked Hadvar.

"That's the part you might not like," said Nero.

When Nero answered, words of serious disagreeance went around the room, until Tullius simply said, "I hope you know what you're doing Legate."

Then, when at last the plan had been agreed, the group left Dragonsreach and made their way down the hill to the stables, getting ready to leave.

Nero though stopped at Jorrvaskr, where Aela and Lydia stopped too, just as Valerica came outside; she wore a scowling look at Nero, but said nothing, allowing him and the women to enter. Serana still had their baby girl in her arms.

"Leaving?" she asked.

Nero nodded, "but Aela and Lydia are both staying to protect you."

Serana looked from Nero to the girls, then back at Nero, "no I'm afraid they're not."

Then Serana looked to the Huntress and the Housecarl, "Aela, Lydia, both of you go with Nero, and make sure he doesn't get himself killed. Alright?"

Lydia nodded, and Aela laughed, "sounds hard but I'll do my best."

Nero looked to Serana, "are you sure?"

"My mother's here, Nero, and she's not happy at all with this, so if anyone comes, I'm sure I can count on her to deal with it."

Nero smiled and nodded, before coming over and kissing Serana. She held his lips in her own, before finally releasing. Then he looked down at his daughter, and she looked up at him. Nero smiled, and kissed her forehead, before standing up, looking back one last time at his family, and leaving the mead hall.

At Breezehome, chests had been stacked inside ready to be moved to their Lakeview house which was still under construction. Meeko came and jumped up at him, excilerant that he was back.

Nero petted him, "hey boy."

Nero pulled out a chest and opened it up. Inside was a set of Dragonbone armor. He pulled it on, strapping it tightly. He fetched potions, drinking another to finish off the healing of his scar. He too out his dragonbone sword; the bloodstain was still there, but parts were crawling off. Nero took a wet cloth, and cleaned the last of the blood off, until the blade was clean again. He fetched a second dragonbone sword, and sheathed both on his back. He strapped a spare crossbow and bolts to the back of his waist, and finally put his helmet on. When he left, he looked like he was ready for war.

He came down to the bottom of the hill at the stables, where the group was waiting.

"Now on to Solitude?" asked Aela.

"Not yet, we have one stop to make first."

~ Helgen ~

Delphine sat in her cell with the chains on her wrists, thinking. The war would be here soon; she just hoped she would be alive to fight in it, before the Empire stupidly killed her. Suddenly, rabble began among the men outside. This had to be it. Her executioner.

She stood up and faced the cell door as the doors to the keep were opened. In walked a man she never thought she'd see again.

"Nero?"

"Hello Delphine."

"What are you doing here? Come to finish the job yourself?"

"No. I have an offer for you. Only you. If you pass it up, your executioner will probably be here tomorrow. But if you don't, then as an Imperial Legate, I'll authorise for you to be released."

Delphine squinted, what the hell could he be meaning?

"What kind of offer?" she asked.

"A chance for redemption. Help me, and I'll have you released, and only you."

Delphine paced, "you must be truly desperate to come to me for help. Why?"

"Because you're one of the best fighters in the land, and I need your help."

"This wouldn't by any chance be an effort to stop the Great War from happening, would it?"

Nero said nothing, to which Delphine sniggered, "I thought so."

"Elenwen's dead, Delphine. Her second in command, Rulindil, he's taken control of Solitude and is waiting for me to come and fight the very man who almost killed me. I can't do it alone."

Delphine said nothing, to which Nero angrily grabbed the bars of the cell.

"If you're not gonna help for me, do it for your own life then. You know Esbern would be telling you that this is the right thing to do!"

Delphine turned, "are you going to kill Rulindil?"

Nero didn't answer. He honestly didn't know for sure himself.

"If you agree to kill him, I'll help."

Nero looked at Delphine a moment, before deciding, "deal."

Then, a few moments later, Hadvar was unlocking her chains.

"Better be sure about this," said Hadvar as he pulled the cuffs off Delphine's wrists.

Then, they went to their horses and all mounted up.

"We ride for Solitude. And we ride fast. HYAGH!"

Nero kicked his heels into his horse and they all galloped away, out of Helgen, on the way towards Solitude.