Libertatis Imperium (Gate)

Kill nobles,take their money,and pay for army.Good plan - for one year.
What next,when there is no more nobles to kill?
 
Chapter 108
The ship rocked gently at anchor. Intact, despite the battering the storm had delivered, which was more than could be said about some of the other vessels. The tall ships in the fleet had lost sails, some even losing masts. Two, further up the beach, and been run aground, their hulls cracked open like an eggshell by the impact, despite the soft sand of the beach.

Part of Richard's fleet was strewn across the beach, deposited here by the days-long storm that had abruptly shifted its pattern in defiance of nature and fought against their every attempt to escape it. The pirates had been swept along with them, those that hadn't seen their ships reduced to splinters under them by artillery.

They, along with the Long Patrol, were camped on the beach among the ships, the latter guarding the former as prisoners.

Richard himself stood atop a dune, watching as his people moved about. Some ferried supplies from ships still sailing about, pulling survivors and salvaged supplies off of ships that were wrecked or immobilised on reefs and other islands. Others went out into the jungle for extra food or to cut wood for repairs.

Richard, for his part, tried not to conflate the image of his father's wrecked car with the image of his own wrecked ships.

"One hundred eighty-six," He said aloud. "One hundred eighty-six of my people are dead, with many more missing. Three ships are confirmed lost, six more that are not likely to sail again, and all the ammunition we had on them… but that can be replaced. The one hundred-eighty-six lives on the other hand…"

He trailed off, his voice hoarse from rage and grief.

The emotions had torn open old wounds, he found. It was not a pleasant experience. But he did his best to keep from lashing out, verbally or otherwise, at the figure by his side.

"Tara's fine," Giselle replied to his diatribe with a languid voice. "Her ship is just a day away, further along the coast. Hardy says water just got in the radio."

She flinched at the heat of Richard's glare.

"Be that as it may..." He shook, hands clenched into fists before the young lord let out an explosive breath. "My apologies, Giselle, it's not you I'm angry at. But…"

"The Sea Goddess Hardy had me tell you about breaking the rules and killing some of your people," The demigod surmised. "Plus, you have personal traumas that got punched."

"…Yeah," Richard's shoulders slumped and he rubbed his face. The salt, he found, still hadn't been completely washed away by a river that had been found.

"What do you want in compensation?"

Richard blinked, turning to look at her.

"What?" He gaped; confusion written on his face.

Giselle shrugged.

"Hardy can't bring your people back from the dead," She explained. "At least, not in the way you'd want. But she can get stuff to you or pressure another god to help. That Sea God owes her now, so she can do a bunch of stuff."

Richard stared at her, before setting his jaw.

"A wergild?" He mused. "I… I'll need to think about it."

Giselle gave a nod. Then her stomach grumbled.

"So… how much of the food survived?" She asked.




The radio squealed and stuttered, hissing with static as the technician adjusted the dial.

"No luck sir," The elf sighed as she gave up, her pallor clammy, used to a much colder climate than the tropical one they had found themselves in. "I know how to use it, but… fixing it like this is just beyond me."

Richard winced. All the radios in the fleet were in a similar shape. Short-range still worked, somehow, but for some reason, they couldn't boost the power high enough to contact Alnus. In theory, they should be able to bounce the signal off of the atmosphere. NATO had made sure it worked, but something had thrown it off.

"Keep trying," Richard ordered her. "We need to regroup the fleet."

"Sir!" A deckhand put his head into the radio room of the Thunder Child. "Ship was sighted on the horizon. Coming from the North-East, hugging the shore. Looks to be the Boudica!"

Richard was out the door as soon as the last word left his mouth.

Reaching the railing, he strained his eyes as he searched the horizon. After several moments, he saw it, a cloud of smoke billowing out of the Boudica's stacks as she churned towards the fleet. As she came nearer into view, Richard could make out several of the missing ships trailing behind her.

He remained where he was, waiting patiently despite the feeling in his chest, as the ship slowly chewed through the distance.

Eventually, he could make out the figures on the deck. A crew of them worked on getting a launch off the deck and into the water, with a familiar, rabbit-eared figure taking a spot aboard it.

The small motor on the back of the launch roared, and swiftly the small boat was at the side of Thunder Child.

Richard couldn't keep the grin from his face as Tara was pulled aboard.

Neither of them said a word, instead embracing.

They would have spent more than a moment there together, only to be interrupted by sea winds buffeting them.

Richard was the first to look up.

"Wondered where you two had gotten to," He commented to the twin dragons hovering overhead, before turning his head to Tara, bemused. "They led you here, I'm guessing?"

"They did," Tara replied, smiling at him.

"I told you she was fine!" Giselle called from the other side of the ship, her head sticking out a bulkhead.

"You could have told me the twins were with her!" Richard shot back before shaking his head.

Tara snorted.

"I'm glad you're safe," He told her.

"And I you," She said in reply, before giving him a peck on his cheek. "But we have work to do."

"Right," Richard released her. The weight of command, which had vanished for a few moments, settled back on his shoulders. "How bad are your casualties?"

"A dozen missing," Tara said. "Twenty dead. One of our ships was smashed against a reef and sank quickly. But we were able to save the crew. Most of the other ships only have light damage."

He winced at the casualties.

"I have parties gathering supplies and wood in the jungle, but how good it is for ship repairs I don't know," He told her, weary from the reminder of death. "The radios are a mix of ruined from salt water and limited in range. We aren't sure why they are suddenly limited, but it means we can't reach Alnus, and we have no idea where we are."

Tara nodded.

"Well, we saw a few fishing boats while sailing," She said. "Boudica was able to overtake one in less than an hour. According to the crew, who were rather surprised Saderans and local elves, we are in the southern Colonies, the Islands my sister wants off Pina."

Richard looked pensive, with a tinge of worry.

"At least we know where we are. But without NATO to get fuel from," He explained. "I'm not sure how long we can keep our screw ships fuelled. A couple of months, maybe, if nothing goes wrong and we don't need to run the engines at more than cruising speed. Even then, I'm not too sure. We found a few minor leaks in the tanks that we sealed, but those were temporary, and if there are more, especially on the Boudica…"

Tara winced.

"Right, we only expected short voyages," She recalled. "Still, we have other ships. If they could sail north…"

"We're not going anywhere; too much that needs to be repaired," Richard sighed. "Morale has already taken a blow from the storm and getting lost, and being stuck sitting here while we repair the ships and deal with the fact that we are now short on transports… Still, news that we know where we are will help."

Tara leaned against the Thunder Child's railing and crossed her arms in thought.

"Making it clear that we have a plan will help, too," She told him. "Going after the Saderans here could get us the ships… but what if they are loyal to Pina?"

She snorted.

"I'm actually a little worried about how she is faring." She admitted, with a touch of humour as her gaze drifted upwards. "… and how my sister is doing."

"We have spare radios," Richard recalled in a flash of insight, interrupting her musing. "They were backups for our field camps… but they were around the same power as the ones we installed on the ships."

"Where are they?" Her attention snapped back to him.

"Aboard one of our ships. But I admittedly didn't pay much attention to where things were packed," He said. Richard then started towards his quarters, beckoning her to follow. "I did have a copy of the fleet manifest in my quarters though."




The manifest was a small book's worth of paper, printed with a few notes made in the margins, bound in a thick binder. This meant the couple had several hours' worth of searching to be done, pouring over the pages on the desk in Richard's quarters.

"We should have organised this far better," Richard lamented as he rubbed his eyes. "Why did we organise this by ship?"

"At least we know what ships the radios are not on," Tara offered, without taking her eyes off the pages. "… what is our plan for the Saderans?"

"On the island?" Richard asked.

"Yes, you never answered me when I asked."

"Ah," He winced apologetically. "Sorry. I suppose I was distracted. As for the Saderans… we need the ships. If they are loyal to Zorzal, we'd need to take the port quickly, before they realised we were on them. If they are loyal to Pina…"

Richard leaned back in his chair, the cheap metal and plastic creaking.

"Honestly, I'm not sure what to do," He admitted with a sigh. "Any action has risk. We need time to repair the ships, yes, but the sooner we get more ships to send people back to Alnus, the better. If we attack, and they are loyal to Pina… that's a problem. If we approach openly and they are loyal to Zorzal…"

"We could take that risk," Tara remarked. "They don't have cannons. When the pirates tried to board the Boudica, their boarding hooks couldn't pierce our hull. When they tried to climb aboard anyway, they got cut down en masse."

Richard blinked.

"The pirate ship…"

"Pardon?" Tara quirked an eyebrow, a rabbit ear drooping to mimic it.

"Sorry, I just got an idea," Richard replied. "One of our sailing ships got punctured by a pirate harpoon. The crew, of the pirate ship, were slaughtered, but the ship was dragged with us. It's battered, but intact."

Tara caught his meaning.

"It could pose as a merchant crew battered by the storm," She realised. "We could send them to scout… determine which side the garrison is on."

"Exactly," Richard smiled. "That solves our problem there… now, that radio."

He leaned over the papers again. Only two pages later, he found what they had been looking for.

"Damn," He cursed. "That's a quarter of them on the bottom of the ocean."

"And the rest?" Tara looked at other pages.

"One ship is still missing," Richard tapped the page. "This one was sunk; her crew were rescued clinging to the mast. The other two… our two missing screw ships, I think."

Tara winced.

"Well," She sighed. "I'll see who we can spare to captain the ship and put together a crew."

"Take some supplies. Give them a story about trading with stuff bought from Alnus before the war," Richard recommended. "That should strengthen their story."

"Sure," Tara nodded. "And if they don't report back because the Saderans caught on to them?"

"Well, then we have our answer," Richard sighed. "Until then, I'm going to see if we can get some of our ships in a good enough state to check nearby islands and reefs for our missing ships."

He paused.

"And… after you've done your bit… can we talk?" He asked her. "There's something else I need your opinion on."

Tara gave him a confused look, but she nodded in agreement before departing.
 
Good idea,even if cold-heart - becouse they would lost crew of that fake pirate ship if people there are loyal to Zorzal.
Problems with radio - some god,i bet.

And asking for opinion...considering where are there,there is only one possibility - What would we do with the dranken sailor"?
 
Chapter 109 New
A.N. So. This chapter took a few attempts. Still am not 100% happy, but I had to eventually get it done and move on, which I did. Backlog is slowly going down though, current chapter I am, slowly, working on is 118, which is fighting me... in part because I distracted myself with a low quality LN/Manga/anime series, called 'I'm the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire'. Its predictable, with an MC that never really loses... but some of the side characters are entertaining. (Wait, that description sounds familiar...)

I even wrote the start of a story set in that world, partly inspired by a fic by a friend that is WiP and not yet ready to post, and partly because I was bored and wanted a break. Not sure I will write more of it, but a link to that 'first chapter (at 13k words!) is here: Link

Anyway, on with the show. We are making progress towards the end of this story.

No longer burdened by worry for Tara, Richard found he had the opportunity to finally look around and see what the island they had landed on was like.

By the time the spy ship had set out, it had turned to evening. The sun began to dip below the horizon, casting the wide sandy beaches into a warm orange glow, the heat cooled by the sea breeze.

Soft, warm sand shifted beneath his feet as he walked, noting the dense greenery of the jungle, mixed with colourful plants that flowered between broad leaves.

There was a peaceful air of tranquillity that should have put him at ease. Instead, Richard found himself wary and tense.

As much as he wanted to relax, to enjoy the however brief stay in this paradise, he knew there was a war on. And not just the Imperial Civil War.

"Sorry about that," Tara said with a smile as she jogged across the beach to him. "Some of my people wanted to hunt. I told them to wait until tomorrow, given the meat that had already been brought in. So, what did you want to talk about? Important, I presume, given we're away from the others."

Richard turned to look at her. Her soft, white hair turned almost a shade of pink by the embers of the sun, and her tall ears outright turned pink by the light passing through them.

He struggled to put his feelings into words, to fit emotions into a form he could communicate why he felt so unsettled, so ill at ease.

With a sigh, he sat on a nearby log, gesturing for her to sit next to him as he did so.

"How… do your people… what do they think of the gods?" He asked, tentative.

Confused, Tara sat next to him as she formulated a response.

"Well… it varies between which gods you are talking about," Tara began slowly as she explained, taking the time to think out her words. "Hardy, for example, is venerated the most. Sacrifices were done in her name, especially by the more… aggressive tribes. But Emroy was also worshipped, as was Miritta and Deldort. Is there something you are specifically interested in?"

She blinked and glanced around, noting their distance from the others.

"… is this related to the dream you had? The vision with Hardy's consort?" She asked, tentative. Her tone carried across undertones of something Richard couldn't identify.

"Before we… get into that," Richard delayed answering her. "Could… you go more into how your people interacted with the gods?"

"Well," Tara's arm came up and began to rub his back in a comforting motion. "There were the priests and elders… but most of us had little direct contact with them. The demigods were rare and… honestly, generally harbingers of something bad, unless they were just passing through."

She paused in thought.

"Though, sometimes they were also helpers. Usually, Rory, going after bandits or the like, though I remember an old story about Miritta's demigod from generations ago, helping a tribe avoid being wiped out by a plague that was causing malformed children to be born."

"I see…" Richard gave her a weak smile. "Thank you."

"… you… don't have many gods on Earth, do you?" Tara asked. "And from what I've heard, the major one… doesn't act. He… what was it that I heard?"

She chewed her lip for a moment.

"Respected mortal free will, I think was how it was put?" Tara said after a moment's recollection. "Though, I heard that second hand."

"Something like that, yeah," Richard nodded, wearily. "But to be honest, even after my father died, I was never strongly religious, for all that my parents were. None of it connected with me. It was all… history and another story. Like ancient myth to me."

"And now… it's not just that they are present, it's that they are in your life," Tara observed. "You aren't sure how to handle it."

"…yeah," Richard admitted.

Tara let out a laugh as she leaned against her, her arms embracing him in a hug.

"I grew up with them being present… and while I'll admit being so close to them is… new, you also grew up with all the strange things on Earth, too," She pointed out. "We'll manage, together?"

"Together," Richard did his best to affirm, though he thought his voice sounded less sure than he wanted it to. But he returned the embrace.

"Can I borrow Richard for a moment?" A voice called from behind them.

Giselle gave a small wave as they turned.

"Of course," Tara gave a respectful nod, before walking away, giving Richard a wink as she did so.

The blue dragonoid took Tara's spot. Her wings fanned out behind her as she stared at him with purple orbs.

"You… don't handle change well," She bluntly stated. "You can handle minor changes, or if the change can fit with your existing worldview. When your father died, you carried on as if everything was normal, just putting in more time to play pretend knight."

Richard's immediate reaction was indignation. Anger at the accusation. But… that faded when his thoughts turned inwards. He… couldn't find any situations that provided contrary evidence. He wouldn't say he acted as normal… but he certainly started spending a lot more time learning medieval skills.

Still, calling HEMA 'playing pretend knight' rankled.

"You weren't unaffected, but it's why Rory isn't too fond of you," Giselle continued. "You treat her as an adult… with a child's body. Extensions of how you interact with other people. It's… one of her pet peeves."

"That… explains more than I would like to know about her, and her relationship with the Marines," Richard grumbled, the fading burst of fury left him feeling tired. "Bloody lunatics."

"On top of that, you don't really react in an interesting way. So, she is minorly annoyed and bored of you," Giselle shrugged. "I've only known her for around a century, but she tends to go after what interests her and ignore the rest. Aside from her duties."

"Point is," Giselle fixed him with a gaze. "You don't get pushed outside your boundaries often, so you aren't handling something outside of your experience, like gods, well."

"I rather think that real gods are a bit far from what most people would consider their normal experience in life," Richard's reply was indignant, before he formed himself to let go, exhaling through his nose. "But that is from a Terran point of view. From a Falmartian… I see what you mean."

Giselle shrugged.

"I don't mean any offence. Just doing what Hardy told me to do," She told him. "She said you needed your… personal issue laid out in front of you."

Richard blinked at her. His reply was a grunt as he tried to process it all, falling silent for several moments.

It was broken not by any revelation, but by Tara jogging back towards them.

"Richard!" Her voice echoed over the sandy, evening beach. "Radio started working again!"




"Good to hear from you," Major Edgar Johnston's voice crackled through the static, making the words audible, but hard to distinguish through the interference. "We were a bit worried when you disappeared."

"The storm gave us a scare, and we lost a couple of ships," Richard answered as he spoke into the headset. "But we survived. Current guess places us down south, at the Empire's colonies."

"That tracks with what the technicians are saying," Edgar replied. "They also say there was an abnormal amount of magnetic interference in the region after the storm. That would explain some of the issues your radios have had. What's your fleet's status? We can fly a few planes towards you to drop off supplies if you need it."

"I'll have someone give you a list of what we need later," Richard replied. "The fleet… we're down a few ships. Some we know were sunk, while others are missing."

"How bad are the losses?" Edgar's voice dropped lower; a tone of sympathy reached Richard through the static.

"Higher than I would like," He replied to his friend. "One hundred eighty-six confirmed dead."

"I doubt either of us have the time now… but will let the general know what happened," Edgar replied. "We'll make sure you can talk to someone about it. It's never easy losing people under your command."

"I'm functioning," Richard replied. He tensed as he felt Tara lay a hand on his shoulder. "But I appreciate it. I don't think it's fully hit me yet, to be honest. And there will be more casualties once we re-engage. How are things at Alnus?"

"Well…" The Canadian Major's voice faded out. "Hang on, Tyuule just arrived. I'll let her fill you in. Tara is there, you said?"

"Right behind me."

"Alright. I'm putting Tyuule on."

"Hello?" Tara's sister's voice cut through the static a moment later.

"Tyuule, hello," Richard smiled; despite knowing she couldn't see him. "Tara is here with me. How is Alnus?"

"Better, or will be, once fears regarding your fates are put to rest," Tyuule gave a laugh, distorted by the static. "But there is an… issue that has cropped up. Can Tara hear me?"

"One moment," Richard pulled the headphones off his head, handing the bulky things to his lover. "Your sister wants to talk to you."

Tara held the headphones in one hand as Richard stepped out of her way, keeping them close to her ears, as wearing them properly was rather awkward. Doable, but awkward.

"I'm here, Tyuule," She spoke into the microphone. "How are things?"

Richard couldn't hear the conversation. The words were swallowed by static, to his ears, at this range. Sadly, the speakers had been damaged by salt water, despite the radio itself being untouched.

"I… see. I understand why, yes… no. No, we are not," He listened to the half of the conversation that he could. He trusted Tara to tell him if it was important. "… they want me to what?"

"Everything alright?" Richard frowned at Tara's voice. A mix of shock and anger had tinged her words.

She held a hand towards him. Asking him to wait as she listened.

"No… no. No. No. What about Pina?... Yes, okay, I can understand the concerns then… we'll have to get in contact with her then."

Richard felt a pit of worry forming in his gut.

"Thank you, for handling this, sister," Tara sighed. "We need to talk about this, but then we… well. We aren't going to accept. But Pina needs to be informed."

As she set the headset down, Richard gave her a supportive look.

"How bad?" He asked.

She barked out a laugh. It was a sad, mournful laugh that collapsed into a groan.

"Pina wouldn't give the nobles what they wanted," She explained. "No extra powers, or senate seats, or pardons… so they came to Tyuule, looking for me… and my sister hosted them, as is expected. They took that as a potential way to get around Pina, and that we are not fully behind her… and are offering me the throne if I remove Pina and accept what they want."

Richard blinked in confusion.

"The throne? They couldn't mean…"

"The Saderan Imperial throne," Tara burst out laughing again, more amused than tired this time. "Not that I expect them to honour that offer. No, they want to use me to pressure Pina. Put a wedge between us, so she is more pliable to their demands. That she won a major battle against Zorzal only makes them more desperate."

"Well, I certainly agree we need to talk to Pina about this," Richard blinked. "What next?"

"We'll see what the spy ship can gather, I think," Tara replied. "Pina is still on the march and hasn't said much about the battle, but she's headed back to Italica. It will be a few days."

"Hurry up and wait?" Richard winced.

"'Patience is the only way prey comes to you'," Tara said. "An old saying from a long time ago. But… its never pleasant, is it? Waiting while others fight and possibly die?"

"No. But there isn't anything else that can be done."
 
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Chapter 110 New
Pina had boarded a train in Italica the first chance she got as her Army made camp. She had no time for the many sycophants that awaited her, and she trusted her commanders to see to the other matters.

She had another issue to resolve. Thus, she went to Alnus to seek a solution.

"Princess," General Jameson greeted her as she was shown into his office. He wasted no time with pleasantries, something Pina appreciated given the urgency of her concerns. "How can I help?"

"General," Pina returned his laconic greeting. "In addition to medical care for the wounded I brought with me, what would it take to convince NATO to more directly support me? I understand and agree that if you were too direct in your support, I would be seen as a puppet, but I would like to know what it would take."

The general's face stretched into a frown.

"Our internal politics aside… it isn't profitable for us to wage war. Not as you understand it, anyway," He explained. "There is also the morality of war to consider. None of our elected leaders would support conquest and, to be honest, we would gain little by putting in more effort. On top of that, we'd be breaking the recent treaty if we did. In short, unless Zorzal attacks us and breaks the treaty himself, no NATO nation is likely to directly intervene. But I can have your people seen to. That isn't a problem."

His hands came up from his desk, steepling before him as he continued.

"That being said… what sort of problems are you facing?" He asked. "I am authorised to offer limited support."

"Ammunition," Pina admitted. "I did not understand the difference between the many different types, so most of the firearms I have are useless now that we've exhausted the stores for them."

"What do you have left?"

"Uh…" Pina blinked. "I believe… the same ammunition that Lord Richard's forces use. A NATO ammunition?"

"Seven-six-two?" The general asked. "Or was it five-five-six?"

"I… will have my people confirm which of the two," Pina coughed. "But we either need more weapons that can use that type, or more ammunition for the other types. A lot more."

"I'll see if we can request more guns," General Jameson told her, his tone turning firm. "But the advisors we sent you should have warned you of this problem ahead of time."

"I received no word from them. At all, come to think of it," Pina blinked with a frown. "I was informed that they were to oversee the training of new recruits… I will look into this. I would not be surprised if arrogance amongst my officers has caused problems, something my father warned me of."

"No one likes some foreigner being parachuted ahead of them in the rank structure, and I suppose even an advisor would be seen as having authority in your political structure," Jameson snorted. "Alright, I'll send word up while you figure out what you need and solve that problem. Anything else?"

"Has there been any word from Lord Richard yet?" Pina asked.

Edgar blinked and gave her a confused look.

"We sent word yesterday to Italica that he had reported in," He told her.

"I did not stop at Italica."

"Ah," The general nodded. "You passed the message by. Well, there is another issue that came up. Richard and Tara want to talk to you, by radio. Tyuule is hosting several Imperial nobles who are… looking for more pliable alternatives. They are being led on, but those three want your input before we take any action."

Pina groaned, the sharp pain of a headache springing forward just behind her temples.

"As if I don't have enough problems," She lamented.




"I am pleased to hear your voices," Hours later she spoke into the machine. From the speakers, Richard and Tara's own voices emerged, accompanied by background noises and static.

"Sorry that we're a bit tardy. Had to get the speakers replaced on our radio. Originals had been eaten at by salt," Richard sounded at ease. "We're down by the colonies, so the return journey will be a bit slow, plus we need to make more repairs, but from what we can tell, the local garrison doesn't know there is an ongoing civil war, so we might be able to work around them."

"How large is the garrison?" Pina asked.

Tara was the one to reply.

"A full legion, plus an extra cohort, and a dozen local auxiliary cohorts," She said. "The soldiers were very loose-lipped when our scouts asked."

"… thank you," Pina replied. "Now, about the nobles…"

"Yeah," Richard sighed, the radio turning it into a hiss of static. "Tara, do you have any thoughts?"

"Aside from revulsion at the idea of ruling over a bunch of Saderans?" The Warrior Bunny joked, before turning serious. "No, not really. Is Tyuule there?"

"A merchant's cart was attacked in Alnus, so she's looking into the matter," Pina relayed what she had been told. "I was told she would be joining me soon."

"Alright," Richard said. "Well… should we wait for her, or should we press on without her?"

"We can wait," Tara said, then her voice started again with a light crackle. "Actually, Princess, we haven't been told much of the battle we heard about. Anything you are willing to tell us?"

"… lessons were learned. My brother has… found some manner to replicate, crudely, firearms," Pina said. "I believe you were given the reports on those. The range estimates were off. More concerning was my brother's use of air power. His wyverns dropped pots filled with flaming liquids. Casualties would be worse if not for NATO medical aid."

"Napalm?" Richard's voice hissed. "Lovely."

"Napalm?" Tara's voice carried a questioning tone through the radio.

"I'll explain later, and we'll need to consider countermeasures," Richard replied. "Anyway, princess, how widespread were those weapons?"

"He didn't use them in a few earlier skirmishes, so his stocks of them might be limited, but we don't know for certain," Pina replied. Part of her wanted to press for more, but the rest of her was too preoccupied with the memories of burned soldiers, both hers and some of Zorzal's, being carried alongside the troops as they marched. "But we also destroyed a large number of them before the battle, and every legion he had seemed to be armed with at least a few."

"So, we might see some when we make landfall," Tara noted.

"Or he amassed what he had expecting to fight you, and hoped to end things quickly," Richard proposed.

"Those are the leading theories, yes," Pina replied.

A knock sounded at the door, before Tyuule was shown in by Hamilton. Pina gave her page a grateful nod, before greeting the former queen.

"Tyuule just arrived," She informed the other side of the radio.

"Hello," Tyuule seemed almost confused and bewildered by the radio. Pina didn't blame her, having gone through a similar experience herself, as had many of her knights. Though she was surprised that Tyuule seemed surprised, given her proximity to Alnus. "The radio is much clearer today… and how are you able to share the headset?"

"We aren't," Tara laughter hissed through the radio. "We found replacement speakers."

Tyuule's confusion evaporated.

"Ah, good. I was worried the damage was worse than you implied."

Or perhaps she was used to it and was baffled by a different aspect.

"Now that we are all here," Pina said, bringing them back to the main issue. "How do we handle the nobles?"

"I could have members of the Long Patrol arrest them," Tyuule suggested. "They are housed close to the main barracks, with few guards."

"No," Pina's retort was firm. She blinked when she realised her words had been echoed, if not as firmly, by Richard and Pina.

"I do not want to be cast in the same light as my brother," She explained. "I will have specific and clear charges against them, if I must, backed by a proper Senate."

"Not to mention we don't want to give him ammunition, if it looks like we are simply acting as puppets for Pina, or as mercenaries," Tara added, the background static popping.

"I had not considered that… Zorzal rarely considered what others thought, but then again," Tyuule considered her sister's words. "I would not have considered him capable of seizing power like this. I had been hoping his ambition and ego would see him fail… with the Empire coming down with him."

There was an inscrutable look that the sister of the Warrior Bunny Empress gave the Princess, one Pina struggled to fully scrutinise before it vanished.

"Do we really even need to do anything?" Richard interjected. "They are desperate and have no real options. King Duran might like to see the Empire diminished, but he would be ill-placed to try and make a try for the Throne. The other nearby kingdoms are worse off than that. The other kingdoms… well. They are a tad far."

Pina bit her lip.

"Do you think the war will last more than a year? If its much longer than that, then other, distant kingdoms may start to interfere with their support."

All three of them were silent in thought. Then, Richard's sigh sent a burst of static through the radio.

"It's possible but not guaranteed. Most likely, after a year, Zorzal will be on the run. The question would just be for how much longer, and how bad will the bloodshed be finishing things," Richard said. "Assuming that we correct the problems we have discovered, Your Highness. As I understand, you have a solution to your lower numbers?"

"Yes, I took some inspiration from you, actually," Pina said. "I am offering citizenship, in full, to anyone, regardless of race, who fights under my banner. I am already seeing my ranks swell."

"A powerful incentive," Richard noted. "Are you offering land?"

"To some special cases," Pina replied. "Why?"

"Historically, on Earth, it was a powerful incentive for mercenaries to become lords and landowners in exchange for fighting," He explained. "It could also be used as a threat against the nobles if they don't support you. Outsiders offering more support would need to be suitably rewarded, and if the measuring stick is their non-contribution…"

"Pressure them into supporting me, to avoid being ousted or their power reduced?" Pina frowned. It didn't fit with her father's lessons. Molt had encouraged her to keep a strong hand over the Senators and nobles… and they likely wanted her dead already, anyway. "I will consider it, but such a thing… would be delicate. The Emperor can award some titles of nobility, but distributing seized land is supposed to be a power of the Senate, at least above a certain limit… and as of yet, I do not have a full Senate, since we cannot form one without the Senate building, or an emergency session to relocate the Senate."

Pina sighed. There were more than a few options to handle the problem, but each would create new problems.

"I will consider the problem further. Please continue to keep an eye on them for me."
 
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Chapter 111 New
A.N. Oops. Sorry about the late post.

Honestly, part of me dreads posting these. Mostly because I don't think they are good enough, but also because I don't see how to improve them.

The sand under Richard's legs was soft and warm after a day under the sun. It mixed nicely with the cool breeze that swept in from the water over his now sunburnt skin, carrying the smells of the ocean.

Several days after Pina's message, they were still trying to piece together repairs on the ships. One had sprung a leak below the waterline, something that they couldn't repair with what they had on hand. Another had been found with a crack spreading up its mast.

NATO had airdropped some supplies, but some things were just plain hard to get a hold of on short notice. The food and medicine had helped morale, but word of the ongoing war had spread, Pina's pyrrhic victory not doing any good.

Richard himself found that it even affected him. The stress, the questions that he never asked aloud, all mounted upon his shoulders. The feeling of being useless was certainly not a pleasant sensation.

The temptation to rush headlong into things, with only what forces he could still move, was long crushed, though it continued to squirm under the heel of his will. Rushing into things undersupplied and under-manned would only get people killed. Even though he didn't remember most of it, he had no intentions to repeat his first battle at Alnus.

On top of that, there was the stress of what Giselle had told him about the gods, the… wergild owed to him. How was he supposed to handle that? He was well aware of just how important religion was in the Middle Ages, so was it the case here? It seemed to be. How was he supposed to handle the debt without making things worse?

Cutting through his musings, he recognised the sight of a messenger jogging to him.

"Sir! The scouts have returned."




The messenger waited aboard the ship that had brought him here. He was a guest, after all, and he would rather avoid insulting his hosts by demanding their attention, especially given the number of Warrior Bunnies present. If in fact the Empire and NATO were at war again, he would need to be alive to report it to his superior.

Not that he believed the rumours about the Warrior Bunnies sacrificing captives. Besides, NATO treated its captives rather well from what he heard. But it was best to be safest in this situation.

"Right, Lord Richard will see you now, follow me," One of the strangely uniformed Warrior Bunnies said. She was not adorned in her people's traditional garb, nor was she dressed in armour, but rather strangely patterned greens and browns. Nevertheless, the messenger stood and followed her, stepping off the captured pirate boat he had arrived on.

She led him to a gathering of people on the beach, a campfire already prepared to provide light. More comfortable than a ship, he supposed, for those not used to sailing.

"… figured out we weren't traders pretty quickly, realised we were with NATO because of the trade goods," He heard the ship's captain say. "Didn't hold us for questioning, but did send the messenger with us. I'm also thinking locals saw the fleet and reported it, or they found some of our flotsam."

The messenger kept his heartbeat steady and his face impassive, even as he shuddered internally at the size of the fleet dashed upon the shores, until his hosts were ready to meet with him. He had heard of the strength of NATO, of course, but to see one of their vassals, this 'Lord Richard', able to amass such a large force… and be permitted to do so?

He discarded the idea that Richard was a rebellious vassal, based upon the fact that NATO had easily crushed several legions and forced the Empire to yield. Thus, it was clear that this Long Patrol was simply too weak to pose a threat to NATO, despite its apparent size and strength.

His quick count estimated less than a fifth of a Saderan Legion if the ships present in sight were fully loaded. Easily crushable for NATO, based on rumours, but they were scattered along the coast of the island, after a disaster at sea… implying quite strongly that they had more than what was just present here. And this was just an expeditionary force.

"Well, at least it simplifies things," Lord Richard said to his officer before dismissing him. "Get some rest, I'll take it from here."

Taking that as a summons, the messenger stepped into the circle of light cast by the fire.

"Greetings, Lord of Alnus," He began. Then choked in terror as a pair of dragons descended from the darkening sky to land on either side of the man, landing with a thunder of leathery wings and the shuddering of the ground under their weight. It was almost an afterthought that he noticed Hardy's demigod land with them, far more delicately.

"Stop scaring the poor man you two," The young lord chastised the dragons as if they were favoured hounds, while petting their snouts. He then returned his attention back to the messenger, who felt a cold shiver run down his spine at the twin gazes of the dragons. "They've been fed already, and don't eat people. Now, who do you represent?"

The messenger tried to collect their wits and ignore the two fire-breathing monsters on either side of Lord Richard, burying his fear even as his heart tried to escape out his mouth. He cleared his throat before he resumed speaking.

"I am here on behalf of my commander: the military governor of the island," The messenger straightened his back. "He is simply concerned both by your presence and by the storm that deposited you here. If you are here for war, we would appreciate a formal declaration, as we have heard nothing from the capital. If you are here by accident, then we are prepared in the interests of friendship and peace between NATO and the Empire to offer the port facilities to help repair your ships."

The Long Patrol commander stared at him for several seconds, emotion clouding his eyes.

"Are you aware that the Empire is in a state of civil war?"

The messenger's throat went dry. Then a sinking feeling settled into his gut. A lack of ships during the winter months was normal, as most avoided the winter storms, but there had been an odd lack of ships from the mainland beforehand. Given the lack of warning, he could imagine both sides trying to isolate the fringes of the Empire, keep them from learning of the war, until they were in a position to force them to join one side.

"We… are not. What is Emperor Molt's position on the matter, last you heard?" He asked, even as a sinking feeling settled into his gut.

"The Emperor is dead," Richard's voice was like a death bell to the messenger's ears. "Zorzal has claimed the throne, and much of the senate has fled the capital to avoid arrests."

"Then Diabo is leading the opposition?" It was the most reasonable assumption in his mind. The two princes held the most power and influence, Diabo due to his politicking and Zorzal due to his hedonism and victories in the military.

"Diabo is also dead," Richard said. "The Long Patrol is acting in support of Princess Pina against her brother, though the treaty does still hold."

The messenger released the tension that had built up. The situation was not good, and he struggled to remember anything of note about the Princess beyond the fact that she was the patron and leader of a Knight Order. As his mind could only recall that she had been part of the negotiations with NATO, he wondered how much influence she had gained over such a short time.

"Thank the gods. I would not fancy our chances against NATO," He said, pushing aside his doubts. "Unfortunately, I cannot tell you about our position on this civil war, as that would be up to the governor… and on that topic, perhaps it would be best if I returned to him to inform him of the news."

As a frown formed on Richard's face, he quickly backpedalled.

"Ah, of course, I'm sure he would not desire hostility with you, of course," The messenger coughed. "My commander's offer of assistance is sincere."

Lord Richard studied him for a moment before speaking, as he rubbed the hide of one of the dragons absentmindedly.

"I'll have my people sail you back in the morning," He said. "Until then, I can have quarters prepared for you."

"Thank you, my lord," The messenger sighed in relief. "By your leave."




"Welcome, Lord Richard, to my port," The military governor was not some foppish, overweight noble or senator's son. He was visibly fit to a fighting trim. His scarred face from decades of service gave him an intimidating air. "I will order my shipwrights to begin repairs immediately, once the damaged ships are put to drydock."

"Thank you, governor," Richard did his best to smile as he stepped off the ship onto the dock, Tara and Giselle close behind him, two days after the messenger left. "We appreciate the assistance."

"My pleasure to help a traveller in distress, but please, my rank is Proconsul, and you may call me Harpax," The now-named Proconsul Harpax gave a slight bow of his head, before sweeping his arm behind him. His crimson cape and black armour with gold trim stood out in contrast to the faded browns of the wooden docks and ships around them. "This way please, I have prepared a meal for us at my estate. I am eager for news from the mainland."

Richard and Tara, with their small party left, behind the ship, following the Proconsul as he walked between two rows of armoured soldiers, their weapons sheathed with well-polished armour. An officer richly decorated with a bright cloak and gold filigreed armour oversaw the enlisted men of the honour guard.

Richard's eyes noted the bored looks of the soldiers, before passing off behind them, towards the local population. Humans and elves intermixed. From what he had heard, the elves were locals, having emigrated to the island centuries before humans arrived, while the humans were Imperial colonists.

The cultural distinction was clear, with the humans all bearing imperial symbols and dress styles, mainly simple tunics or togas for the upper class, while the elves went around dressed in a fashion that made him do a double take.

The female elves wore simple, plain wrapped cloth around their chests, while the men went around bare-chested, but what caught his attention was the fact that they all wore tartan skirts, kilts, or pants. There were a wide variety of patterns and styles, often incorporating fish and other sea creatures stitched into them, in a fairly wide number of colours, but he distinctly recognised it as tartan, after spending months at a time in Scotland over several years while working on his degree.

"They are a curious people compared to their mainland cousins, aren't they?" Harpax offered, as he caught Richard's gaze. "Quite a distinct culture, with different beliefs. Fortunately, it took little effort to civilise them. Only a few bands tried to war with us. The rest fell under the Empire's banner as we crushed piracy in the region from other groups."

"They are not slaves, then?" Richard responded.

"No, aside from a few criminals. I suppose that, given I've heard NATO despises slavery, you think us crude barbarians for the practice," The Proconsul laughed. "This isn't the case. It is a civilised institution with its laws and protections… but I will admit that the Empire has not always acted with integrity."

His voice died down, ending with a cough and a glance at Tara.

At least Richard knew he had some idea of who she was. Then again, how many white-haired Warrior Bunnies were there?

"Now, to move on to more relevant topics," Harpax said as they continued down the cobblestone streets with their parties. "My messenger said that the treaty and peace still held. But you are aiding Princess Pina. May I ask why?"

"… are you asking about what she has offered us, or our moral reasons?" Tara was the one to respond to his question, her tone lightly acidic.

"Both, I will be honest," The governor replied evenly. "I have little patience for silly noble games. Part of why I am out here at the edge of the Empire."

"She offered us a port city, which we have already taken, though our territory acts as a buffer between her and the former vassal states," Richard replied, his throat suddenly dry, but he saw no way to avoid telling the truth. "She promised to restore the Warrior Bunny Homelands… and she has offered the island colonies."

The Proconsul was silent for a moment.

"I see," Was his simple reply. "And your moral reasons?"

"Zorzal broke the agreement he made with my sister when she surrendered herself to him to spare our people," Tara replied to his question this time. "Diabo and the Emperor both died under mysterious circumstances, while the Emperor saw fit to send off much of his wealth and personal forces under Pina's command. On top of that… if we did not support her, most of the Warrior Bunnies and other former slaves would likely flock to her banner for a chance at revenge anyway."

Harpax hummed, without looking back at them.

Finally, they came to the end of the main road, to a Saderan-style villa, the largest and easily the most richly decorated building of the settlement.

"Here we are," He said. "Please, be welcome and enjoy."
 
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Honestly, part of me dreads posting these. Mostly because I don't think they are good enough, but also because I don't see how to improve them.
Don't fret too much! I suffer the same foibles in my writing. You're at least putting it out there for people to see and enjoy.

I'm enjoying where you're taking us.
 
Chapter 112 New
Quickly, they were seated at a long table. Richard was to the right of the Proconsul, across from an officer, with Tara at his side. The rest of the seats were taken by other members of the governor's staff and Richard's party, including Giselle.

Within moments, servants, both human and elven, brought out light refreshments.

"Tell me," Harpax asked, a glass of wine soon in his hands. "How did you come to find yourselves on our shores?"

Richard refused the servant who offered him a glass.

"A storm. Apparently, the civil war is being used as a proxy war between gods. The god of those pirates decided to bend the rules too far, and tried to sink us," He explained. "Fortunately, she failed."

"I… see," The Proconsul coughed, pale. His staff and officers stared openly, glancing at Giselle, who simply smiled and gave a confirming nod, between gulps of wine. After several moments of waiting for Richard to continue, he gave the man a confused look. "I take it you are not one for long retellings, then?"

"To be honest, there isn't much to tell," Richard replied. "We ran into a group of her pirates, smashed the poorly coordinated and woefully unprepared pirates, and the survivors we took captive."

"That missed out on a few details," Tara interjected. "From what you told me, Thunder Child turned into the pirate fleet alone, before Boudica was able to join in."

Harpax frowned.

"We would be willing to take the pirates off your hands, I'd imagine you could use the freed manpower for other matters," He offered, still shaken by the idea of the war between the gods, but he pressed on. "But it seems you had a much more interesting journey than Lord Richard implied."

Richard settled back to let Tara talk, as platters of food were brought out.

"Not too terribly interesting," Tara answered, pausing to pick at a few fruits. "The fight against the pirates was more of a one-sided slaughter, and the storm, while called by a god, was not too difficult a struggle."

"In part because she got caught and punished by both sides for breaking the rules," Giselle interjected, her hands full of food and her third glass of wine, between bites.

The Proconsul seemed slightly relieved yet also confused, by the statement. Instead of pursuing that line of dialogue, he instead changed the topic.

"Is the wine not to your tastes, Lord Richard?" He returned his focus to him. "There are other vintages I have available, though poorer than what is in the Imperial heartland, and what you may be used to in your homeland."

"I am honestly not a fan of wine, or alcohol in general, as a method to relax," Richard admitted. "I mean no offence."

"No offence taken, though you are missing out," Harpax smiled, raising his glass in emphasis. "Now, what can you tell me about the civil war? How did it start?"

"A poisoning attempt on Zorzal and the Emperor, just after… I think it was when Pina was pursuing corruption in the capital?" Richard glanced at Tara for confirmation. "The Emperor and his son were both reported to be in poor shape afterwards. Diabo was the main suspect, but given he had been present at the meal, and Pina had been sent to Alnus to talk to NATO, it's not clear."

"And then, after that, Zorzal miraculously recovered, the Emperor sent Pina away after she returned, sending much of the Praetorian guard with her, as well as much of the treasury, dying shortly afterwards," Tara added. "Diabo was imprisoned by Zorzal and died shortly afterwards. He started arresting a large number of senators, supposedly in pursuit of whoever killed his brother and tried to kill him. Predictably, this led to senators fleeing in every direction, mostly to Pina."

"When one of his men tried to arrest them, there was a fight, and shortly afterwards Pina was declared a traitor to the Empire by Zorzal, who has declared himself Emperor," Richard summarised. "Since then, Pina has decried his abuse of power and unlawful arrests, and the fighting broke out not long before the end of winter."

"I notice you put the Princess in a rather flattering light, but you don't deny the fact she could have been the one to order the poisoning of her father. How convenient that she got the Praetorians to follow her," One of the Proconsul's officers scoffed. "And let me guess, NATO is supporting her out of the kindness of its leaders' hearts?"

Harpax shot the man a glare to silence him.

"No, there are political reasons," Richard said. "As the Proconsul has noted, NATO despises slavery. An unstable Empire is a poor trade partner and would have a hard time ending the practice. Not to mention, chaos in the Empire would bleed over the border."

"Zorzal also wouldn't care much for the treaty, according to reports," Tara growled. "Bastard doesn't keep promises."

The way the governor's officers shifted, their faces darkening in response to Tara's tone, set Richard ill at ease.

"As one would expect any level-headed leader to act," Harpax nodded. "I am not at all surprised to hear of NATO supporting the side that would be the most in line with their interests. But NATO is not directly involved in the civil war?"

"Not beyond a few advisors to teach her troops how to use the weapons sold to her," Richard frowned, noting the man's words. "It is an alliance of nations, not a state unto itself. It has no interest in trying to puppet the Empire if that is your concern."

"It is a relief to hear that," The Proconsul gave a polite smile. "But I must ask what your part in this is. You mentioned that the Princess promised your people their homeland back, Princess…?"

"Ah, my apologies," Richard blinked. "We never did formal introductions."

"No, no, my apologies, I assumed you were the only august member of your party," Harpax waved him down. "Why don't you introduce your people to us?"

Giselle twitched in irritation, before leaping upwards, her chain sent sprawling backwards by her wings as she abruptly stood.

"May I introduce Lord Richard, lord of Alnus settlement, commander of the Long Patrol, favoured of Hardy, slayer of the Huntress-Queen, and Chosen of the Goddess Faerel," She didn't quote shout, but her voice echoed about the room as all eyes turned to her. "And his beloved, Empress Tara of the Warrior Bunnies, lady of Alnus, favoured of Faerel, and Chosen of Hardy."

Silence reigned in the dining hall as even the servants, until now politely avoiding looking at the guests as they fulfilled their duties, stared openly at the blue, draconic, demigod.

"Hardy told me to," She shrugged. "So, when is the next course being brought out?"

"I… am only familiar with a few of those titles," Richard swallowed. "I don't suppose you can explain them?"

"Nope," Giselle grunted as she resumed stuffing her face.

"Well," Harpax coughed. "Erm… my… apologies, Empress Tara. I… where were we? Or should we discuss… that?"

"I… don't even know where to begin," Richard sighed, slumping slightly.

"You weren't joking, or lying, about the gods using the civil war as a proxy war between themselves, were you?" Harpax suddenly laughed. "Alright, we'll leave that to the side. The affairs of gods are not for mortal minds. But now… yes. The Warrior Bunny homelands, a city you captured, and these colonies."

"She offered them all the colonies!?" The same officer shouted.

Harpax ignored the man.

"Yes. However, the exact details would be discussed after the war was over," Richard replied.

"I see," The governor hummed.

Richard found it strange quickly Giselle's… outburst was set aside. The tension in the room had certainly not decreased at all.

"Well then, perhaps… until the morrow, we shall digest what has already been said, and leave it there," Proconsul Harpax said, then commanded the next course brought out. "Tell me, how do these dishes compare to those of your homelands?"




Later that same day, Richard and Tara retired to their lent quarters. With a pair of Long Patrol soldiers guarding the door, and Giselle having stolen the bed, they were confident that it was a safe spot to talk privately, partly due to Giselle's snoring. They would kick her out later.

Richard leaned against Tara as she sat on a large, cushioned Roman sofa, large enough for the both of them.

"I don't trust them," Tara was the first to speak.

"I tire of politics already," He responded, with an exhausted sigh. "And the… surprise dropped on us by Giselle… but I see what you mean. His officers were… affronted by your comments, and things I said."

"Hmm," Tara muttered. "Know my pain. You just have NATO and the Long Patrol to deal with on a regular basis. I have a score of tribes and clans on top of that."

"And they aren't exactly peaceful or cooperative," Richard snorted. "So, what do we do about the governor?"

"Well, I don't think he intends to betray hospitality," Tara murmured. "So… watch for sabotage with the ships, I think. Then watch our backs as we sail away. We'll probably have to sail back here once we've dealt with the port."

"Splitting our forces even more," Richard sighed. "Pina doesn't have the forces to lend us. We need more time to recruit and prepare people… this is going to be a long war, isn't it?"

Tara winced and hugged him.

"I pray it isn't," She said. "But… it probably will be. We'll have to take another look at the plan to arm whatever remains in the homeland."

Richard hummed in tired agreement.

A knock sounded at the door.

"Pardon the interruption, but Captain Hannah just reported seeing additional Imperial troops near the shipyards as the ships were being brought in for repairs," One of the guards said, sticking his head in. The Long Patrol orc glanced between them. "She's asking for orders."

Richard grumbled and stood, sharing a look with Tara.

"Tell her to be on her guard, but not to start anything," Tara ordered, before turning her gaze back to Richard. "We could probably take the port if it became a fight."

"With how many casualties?" Richard shot back. "We'd be stuck, more keeping control of things here until we can persuade NATO to take over than limited mobility… and they don't have ships on this side, so it would be an airstrip. We'd need to clear a chunk of the jungle or ruin a farmer's field. We'd be out of the war for months when Pina needs our help the most."

Richard glanced towards the bed as Giselle snorted, between snores.

"… unless we could convince him to back down, or support her, by making supporting Zorzal the worst option," He said. "I have an… idea, but I'll need to run it by you and Giselle first… and then make a spectacle in the morning."




The next morning, the Proconsul was more than happy to meet with them.

"I hope your evening was restful," He said, greeting the two of them, Giselle following behind with a bored mask on her face. "Was there any issue?"

"Just the… concern of the war," Richard replied. Internally, he fought to keep his tone even, the trepidation stuffed into the recesses of his mind. "Earlier, you offered to take the pirates off our hands?"

"Yes, what of it?"

"As part of the… recompense for her actions, their goddess owes me and mine a debt," Richard explained to the Saderan Governor. "I have decided on that matter. However, there is a complication. Would you be willing to lend a ship to monitor the pirates as they sail for their home territory? I do not have the vessels to spare."

"It could be arranged," Harpax agreed readily. "Not to intrude, but might I enquire what you asked of a goddess?"

Richard fought against the urge to lick his lips as his throat suddenly felt dry. His gut churned as he prepared to politely deliver the threat. Part of him hoped that the governor wouldn't immediately attack; an irrational fear, but fear dismissed rationality as obstructionist.

"Ransoms and payments aside, I am leveraging this to our advantage in the civil war," He answered, breathing through his nose, reminding himself that Tara and Giselle were next to him, the Long Patrol not much further away. "Any ship loyal to Zorzal will face her wrath, to do with as she wills, so long as it cannot assist the war effort. The exact terms are more complex, but that is it in brief."

The Proconsul blinked slowly, then raised an eyebrow.

There was a silence that hung in the air, as Richard's heart thundered in his chest.

"I see," He said blandly. "Well…" He studied the trio for a moment. "If you would permit it, once your ships are repaired, I will accompany you with what elements of my legion I can spare," He said. "Then, I will meet with Princess Pina, and… determine what is the best path forwards."
 
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