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Chapter 12 Part 1

=Sith=

The Wars for Slaver's Bay began on the bay's waves. A 'convoy' of Principality trade ships heavy with food purchased from Elyria set sail for Astapor on the second day of the last month of 291. A squadron of the Principality Navy escorted those cogs, using the voyage as a training exercise. That was the first long-range deployment of the reforged Astaporian navy since Prince Viserys Targaryen established a Naval Academy and began training sailors and naval officers soon after taking over the city.

Twenty warships belonging to Tolos sailed from the city's docks when the trade convoy and its escorts approached the Tolosian peninsula on their way back to Astapor. Facing such numbers, it immediately became clear to Captain Shezlek zo Uquq (a cousin of Kraghes mo Grazdan) that he would be unable to protect the merchant vessels he was in charge of escorting. Nevertheless, the squadron commander ordered five of his six warships to intercept the incoming Tolosian vessels and signaled the trade vessels to scatter. That was the only course of action that offered a slim chance for at least one of the cogs to slip away. At the same time, Captain Shezlek signaled to the Swift – a captured Ironborn galley, to make haste to Astapor and bring news of the attack. The Swift was the fastest ship in the squadron, giving her the best odds of escaping intact to inform Prince Viserys of the outbreak of hostilities.

Wars of the Dragon, Volume I, by Maester Marwyn

=Sith=

291 AC
Astapor

Less than a month after the Ironborn attack, Dany was hale enough to return to training without holding back due to her injuries. Without the Force and the contribution of Ironborn prisoners, Viserys' sister would have taken at least a few months to heal from such a wound. She might not have recovered properly from having so many ribs shattered at such a young age.

Due to the perceived loss, not to mention all the time spent cooped in a bed healing, Dany was drowning in anger by the time she could go all out in training again. Viserys spent more and more time tutoring his sister and carefully managing her outbursts. At this stage, letting Dany spar with anyone else who wasn't a condemned criminal was a recipe for disaster. On the bright side, Viserys could also take things up a notch in a way he couldn't afford against his other sparring partners. Breaking them would be counter-productive, after all.

The Force hummed and sang, shifting everywhich way as a Sith and his Apprentice faced off at their pyramid's sparring ring. Telekinetic blasts slammed into each other, canceling out and creating wild gusts of wind. Heavy practice blades tore through the air like Valyrian Steel, clashing with dull clangs moving in a blur. Dany threw herself into an all-out attack, grinning eagerly. Her eyes shone with the power of the Dark Side. The pure joy of letting it all go and submerging into battle rang through the Force Bond between a Master and Apprentice. Viserys responded in kind, leaving his warrior's heart soar-free for a bit.

Dany danced around her brother, using speed and agility to try and counter his larger statute, reach, and strength. Her tactic would have worked against most other opponents. She was dazzlingly quick, and the Force-given combat precognition allowed her to utilize her speed and agility to its utmost.

Viserys lashed out with his practice blade, stepping into Dany's attempt to spin away from him after attacking with a flurry of blows. She parried his sword, stumbled, then vaulted away in a way no ordinary human ever could. Her brother caught her in mid-air with a corpulent wave of Dark Side energy that clawed at Dany, hobbling her speed. She landed heavily and took ponderous steps back while drawing on the Force. Viserys charged at her, grinning in approval when he saw sparks of lightning dance along his sister's fingers. Dark blue energy crackled across her digits then jumped at him in an unfocused net of uncontrolled power. He raised a hand and caught the raging energy vaguely moving in his direction, siphoning it away. Doing so to proper Sith Lightning would require tremendous concentration, a hard thing to muster in a fight. However, Dany's display was not the proper thing.

"It feels wrong!" she exclaimed. Pure vexation bounced through their bond. An anger-fuelled telekinetic blast soared at Viserys. He shoved it away with his own push, cracking racks with training weapons and scattering them all across the room. "There's a fire in my blood! I can feel it waiting to be unleashed!" Dany snapped. She shook off the tendrils of the Dark Side, slowing her down, and jumped at Viserys.

And she was doing so well until now, he thought. Viserys let go of his practice blade. His right hand snapped up and caught Dany with a firm telekinetic grip. He twisted the Force around her, using their bond to easily slip through his sister's defenses and shatter her fraying control. Viserys felt a moment of pure shock rebound through their connection when Dany briefly believed he cut her off from the Force. Raw power boiled around her as her control collapsed, and the energy she used to enhance herself erupted into the air, leaving her body.

"That's quite enough, sister. You don't have the training and experience to survive if you lose control. Even when you achieve them, losing control will remain the best way to get yourself killed or maimed," Viserys lectured, recalling how he lost an arm to Shaak Ti at Kamino. Phantom pain burned through muscles and bone, which were now intact.

Dany slumped and muttered a curse.

"It is clear you have no aptitude for Lightning. Despite my blood boiling with fire as well, the same is not true for me. I know it is possible to master manipulating and even creating fire with the Force. However, that is not a technique I recall properly. I have no aptitude for it. We'll have to see if we can rediscover it for you."

Dany perked up at that, and her boiling anger cooled down to a slow simmer.

Moody teenagers, Viserys mentally sighed.
"You are brooding again," Dany accused. "I don't like feeling it!"

"There is a reason why people as young as you were not trained in utilizing the Force, even if they were strong with it, at least not like we are doing," Viserys reminded his sister.

"It's not my fault we don't have the time to do it the slow and safe way," Dany grumbled. "Besides, I would be dead if we went that way!" She pointed out.

"I am painfully aware of that, Dany. You are keenly aware how I felt at seeing you wounded," Viserys' anger spiked at that, and he shoved it into the Dark Side, fuelling it. He briefly relaxed his control over the source of his power, and the shadows in the room danced angrily. "Despite the problems we are facing, I am proud to be your teacher and proud of how far you've come; remember that!" Viserys made sure to shove the way he felt through their bond so there would be no doubt about it.

Dany preened at that and relaxed further.

"This will be all for tonight. Take a bath and calm down," he advised.

A bit later, a messenger arrived from the docks before they could sit for dinner. Ser Richard brought in the missive. His tense emotions immediately made Viserys wary.

"What's the trouble this time?" the Prince asked.

"The war has just begun, my Prince," Lonmouth proclaimed. "Tolos' navy attacked our cargo ships with food coming back from Elyria. Only the Swift managed to get away. The convoy and all other escorts are presumed lost."

"Call my principal commanders for a meeting later tonight. We'll meet the Council at noon tomorrow after I inspect our logistics preparations," Viserys decided.

=Sith=

Part 2

=Sith=

291 AC
Astapor

Viserys retreated to his solar as soon as his Unsullied commanders arrived, shortly followed by Kraghles mo Grazdan, who was now in charge of the City Guard. By extension, that made the local nobleman the man to oversee the guards' further training to ensure they would become decent garrison troops for occupying cities.

Captain Vamarr Nohreos joined them, with Captain Kaleb in tow, bearing a first-hand account of the Tolosi act of war. The younger man was of Valyrian descent, betrayed by his purple eyes and short white hair, which contrasted strongly with his dark skin. Vamarr was yet another debt slave, happy to be liberated when Viserys took Astapor and even happier to be offered an opportunity to join the navy. Young Nohreos had some experience with his family's small trade fleet before his father's disastrous decisions ruined their family in Elyria, ending up with most of them sold off to pay off the debts. That made him a very valuable candidate for the Naval Academy. Vamarr's experience and aptitude saw him earn himself a command soon after graduating.

Everyone took places around a table in a corner of the solar with a map of Slavers' Bay spread over it.

"Captains, report," Viserys ordered.

After receiving a nod from Kaleb, Vamarr pointed at the map just below the peninsula Tolos was situated on.

"We took the usual trade route from Elyria to Astapor, my Prince," Captain Nohreos reported. "It goes from Elyria to just below Tolos, then cuts straight through Slaver's Bay if there are no storms to be avoided, going to the edge of the Ghiscari Peninsula and then follows the coast to Astapor. Most of our trade ships are meant to sail in this region alone and are not good on the open sea for long voyages, and their captains prefer to follow the coasts when prudent. We were just out of sight of land, going for the crossing when just over three squadrons of Tolosi warships came at us. They were coming hard at us with their oarsmen putting their all in to close in fast. That was when Captain Shezlek zo Uquq signaled us to run for it and the cogs to scatter," Vamarr sounded less than pleased about obeying that particular order. "The rest of the squadron formed up and sailed to meet the enemy."

Viserys raised an eyebrow at that while examining the young Captain through the Force. The man's emotions matched his tale, which was a solid point for him telling the truth as he knew it.

"Are you sure that the Tolisi weren't posturing?" Kraghless asked. "What made my cousin certain enough to sail towards certain death?!" he demanded.

"My Prince, Lord Commander, I believe one of the reasons why Captain Shezlek ordered us to flee, beyond the Swift being the fastest ship in the convoy, was what we learned in Elyria. He had a message from our Envoy over there confirming what he told us. Yunkai and Mereen no longer pretend they need mercenaries for peace of mind in case we attack them. They're openly paying a fortune to any mercenary band willing to fight us under their banner. Mantarys is with them, and Tolos, obviously. Elyria's ruling families have decided to remain neutral for the time being. They are willing to continue trading with us and offer a safe port, though that might be a moot point now," Vamarr looked at Kraghless. "That is why Captain Shezlek was sure that was no posturing but an attack."

Viserys watched the exchange, contemplating how the loss of the convoy, and more importantly, the food it carried, might at least bind the House of Uquq for good to his cause due to the loss of one of their members.

"Captain Nohreos, you've done well," Viserys praised the officer. "Sometimes, living to fight another day is the only honorable option. When you and your crew have rested, I have a task for you. I need you to sail back to Elyria and figure out if they remain neutral and gain any information you can about the movements of mercenaries and soldiers of the coalition forming against us. You have one of the fastest ships in our navy, which gives you good odds of avoiding enemy warships. Let me clarify: your job is not to engage the enemy but to avoid it and gain vital information. Go rest."

Vamarr saluted and left, leaving Kaleb behind. Viserys looked at his Pentoshi acquaintance.

"Months ago, I asked you to contemplate becoming the Admiral in charge of my fleet in the future. Will you fight for me in the wars to come, Kaleb?"

The Pentoshi looked at the map, then back at Viserys.

"By all means, we should lose this war. We have one city and a few thousand proper soldiers, even if they're among the best in the world. At least four of the Free Cities are matching their wealth and power against us," Kaleb chuckled darkly. "I've seen the aftermath of your anger in Pentos, my Prince," he straightened up and put a clenched fist above his heart in a salute. "Then I saw what you did when the monsters attacked us. I do care about Pentos and my family over there. And I am an ambitious man. Even if we lose, I don't believe that any of your enemies will live to enjoy their victory, my Liege. I will be honored to serve as your Admiral."

Respect, wariness, and hunger flowed through and mixed within Kaleb's presence in the Force, making for an interesting cocktail to taste.

"Congratulations, Admiral Kaleb. I have a few tasks for our navy," Viserys decided. "Like you said, we are overmatched, especially on the seas. We won't be facing the combined navies of at least three cities in an open battle. Your primary task is to hold the harbor and make an invasion from that side as hard as possible. Offensively, we will only be using the captured Ironborn ships. They are the fastest vessels we have."

"There are very few of them," Kaleb warned.

Viserys looked pointedly at him, waiting to see if his new Admiral would see what he was up to.

Kaleb looked back at the map, staring intently between Tolos, Yunkai, and Meereen. Due to its location, Mantarys was not a naval power. Instead, that Free City paid a fortune to keep open and reasonably safe the part of the Dragon Roads between it and Tolos, giving it an alternative trade and supply route beyond the one leading to Volantis and beyond. While Mantarys had a small fishing and trade navy, it was contained to the Sea of Sights, with cogs moving up the rivers flowing into it, bringing ores, wood, and food from the mountains separating the city from the Dothraki Sea.

Trouble from that corner would come in the form of mercenaries and troops transported by the Tolosi. Neutralizing Tolos would kill two birds with one blaster bolt. However, Viserys lacked the navy, time, and soldiers needed. If everything went well, he might be able to sack Tolos, but not take and hold it. Causing enough damage to knock it out of the war might not be possible through such a raid, much less deny it as a staging ground for mercenaries and soldiers from Mantarys. When his body fully matured and got completely accustomed to channeling the Force, there might be a chance for such widespread destruction, but even then, Viserys doubted it. He knew what he was capable of before merging with the Targaryen Prince, and he was a pale shadow of himself in that regard. Trying to go all out like before would see him burn like a candle in a furnace.

Then again, he didn't have to deal with what he considered modern combined arms armies, potentially with orbital support and specialized kill teams who knew how to deal with Force Adepts.

"You want us to raid their merchant ships," Admiral Kaleb concluded. "Do to them what Tolos just did to us."

"At the very least, that will force them to escort their merchants, leaving fewer warships to cause us other headaches, move troops, and help supply them on our side of the bay," Viserys confirmed.

"Those Ironborn maps will come in useful. There are hidden coves between Tolos and Meereen where our raiders can hide, repair, and resupply with fresh water at the very least," Kaleb contemplated his options. "I can have two squadrons out hunting shipping across the bay within a day or two unless you want to release the rest of the Ironborn ships?"

"I will need a few of them for fast transport between the cities on our side of the bay after this war is over. It will be some time before our shipwrights can build vessels that are as fast as you keep telling me," Viserys noted. "Beyond that, I want you to continue to train crews and officers. We will expand the navy significantly during and after this war, and making it happen will be your job, Admiral."

"That's a tall task. I am going to enjoy seeing it done," Kaleb saluted, happy with his job and the opportunities it would bring his family. At the same time, Viserys turned to his Unsullied commanders.

"Our primary objective, beyond holding Astapor, is going to be taking and securing Yunkai as a stepping stone for an eventual conquest of Meereen," Viserys explained.

"Why not take them in quick succession?" Black Bird asked. "We did contemplate doing so while planning for a potential war."

"That will stretch us too thin. If we had another year, perhaps even six more months, I would have likely gone for a lighting strike against both cities. As things stand, we don't have enough garrison troops to ensure the cities are held against internal turmoil and external attacks. Further, taking them both will stretch us too thin, greatly increasing the odds of the enemy defeating us in detail," Viserys pointed out. While he had no concerns for the force, he would command or, respectively, the city he would be in when attacked or besieged, the same couldn't be said for the others. "Besides, if we take all three cities while the war's end is not in sight, we will have to feed their populations. With military control of Yunkai, we should be able to guarantee we can feed our people here in Astapor at its expense if we have to. Taking Meereen can also easily force us to make some unpleasant choices with regrettable long-term consequences."

"Yunkai it is then, sire!" Rusty Nail saluted.

"We will hold one last training exercise in taking city gates tomorrow night. Black Bird and Drowned Gull, your legions will march with me to Yunkai. The rest of you will hold Astapor and provide escort for logistic trains between the cities," Viserys continued. "On our march, we will mark the locations where we stop for the night. There we will build fortified camps to serve as stopping points of logistic trains and trade caravans between the cities."

"Is raiding and sacking Meereen an option if we can't hold it?" Black Bird asked, displaying a surprising yet welcome amount of initiative. "I've been working in the new military academy focusing on logistics. Leaving Meereen alone will mean our enemies can stage and supply armies from there."

"That is a feature. I would prefer to fight enemy armies at Yunkai's walls or between Yunkai and Meereen instead of here. Taking and holding Yunkai means we can more easily concentrate our forces on any enemy foolish enough to land between that city and Astapor. Further, leaving Meereen alone for now, yet threatened, gives our enemies further incentive to focus their military effort on that direction, making them predictable," Viserys explained.

The Sith intended to take Meereen at the end of this war when he was in a position to force an end to the conflict for the time being. While doing so would give his enemies time to recover, he would need time to consolidate control and put his newly expanded realm in order before contemplating anything but raids. Besides, with the east side of Slaver's Bay secured, Viserys would need a powerful navy before dealing with Tolos, much less Mantarys. If New Ghis entered the war, or the next one, he would need a navy powerful enough to bring enough force to cripple the city and leave the Ghiscari worrying about pirates and Qarth more than meddling in his affairs. Due to distance alone, taking and holding that place was out of the question for a long while. Not to mention that such ambitions would put him in direct conflict with Qarth, and that was borrowing trouble Viserys didn't need.