You make your suggestion. “Since you have no loyalty to Skane, as you say, why not work for me? I could use a man who can think quick on his feet.”
Erestes thinks about it for a while, and then shakes his head and says, “No.”
“Why not?”
"You failed your persuasion roll."
"Persuasion... roll?" You wonder what nonsense he is spouting.
“It sounds like a hassle. Working with Miss Straight-laced over there might be great for my eyes but it’s not enough to get me off my arse, if you know what I mean.”
“I am afraid you are under my power, Ensign. Do you think you have a choice?”
“You could execute me, I suppose,” he winces. “That would be bad...”
You understand that coercing him into fighting for you, like the Skanians did, will not engender any loyalty. He would only abandon your cause at the first opportunity, and that is not the type of subordinate you want to create, nor is it the image you would like. Perhaps it would be better to free him after all, and recruit him later. “Very well then. I suppose I’ll just have to let-“
“Alright, how about this? I’ll think over your offer very carefully, and while I’m doing that, you’ll let me stay in here.”
“-you… what?”
“You heard me. I demand a secure cell, sufficient meals three times a day, and a daily bottle of wine. Oh, and no torture.”
“You want to stay here?” Marie splutters indignantly. “And with such demands! This is not an inn, Ensign!”
“It is the most secure place in the city. Better to languish here than having a bullet through the heart,” he taps the front of his chest, chuckling. “Besides, you Shinari pride yourself on treating prisoners honourably, don’t you? I may be no noble, but I don’t think it’s too much to ask.”
“Very well,” you smile. “You may stay until I change my mind.”
“Captain!” protests Marie. She chases after you as you leave the dungeon, leaving the grinning, scruffy conscript behind.
***
As it happens, the governor perishes in battle at Democritus Fields: his armor ran out of steam while he was fleeing the enemy. He, and a few thousand of his men, would not return.
In the days that come, you take over de facto command of the city, and throw your resources into rebuilding Olympia and its defenses. The enemy forces at Democritus Fields would have marched upon Olympia if they could, but they were forced to swing further west to deal with a Shinari contingent poised to thrust into the heart of Skane, one led by Emperor Mardukios LXIII himself. Your half-brother.
Now there was a man who embodied perfection. A dashing warrior, he excelled both in battle and in lore, and was said by many to be a living reincarnation of the First Emperor. If not for his leadership the Shinar Empire would have collapsed a year into the war. You have only met the man but once, many years ago, and you had been too awe-struck, too fearful to even speak in his presence.
You crumple the report angrily. The anger is directed more towards your weakness, than towards his strength. He is your Emperor, not an obstacle to overcome, and you breath in deeply. You must always keep that in mind. Should people accuse you of coveting his position, your journey will end quickly enough. “I do not want the throne,” you say, almost a hushed whisper, even if you are alone in the study.
“Captain! Hey, Cap!” A flustered Sergeant Modok barges into the room without a single knock.
“Sergeant, what are you doing?” You glare at him, annoyedly.
“Look,” he huffs and puffs, catching his breath. “Sorry, Cap, it should be the Lieutenant who brought this news, but she’s went to organize the evacuation now.”
“Retreat? What do you mean?” you say in alarm.
“The… The Rus, they’re throwing in on the side of the Skanians.”
“Impossible! The Rus Kingdom has had a long history of conflict with Skane.”
“I can only tell you what our scouts report, Cap. The Rus are coming here with ten thousand men, and judging from all those pillaged Shinari villages along the way, they do not mean to come sit down and have a cuppa tea with us!”
Ten thousand men. Marie must have realized those were impossible odds. Not with a handful of men, even with militia support. Not with a lack of heavy weaponry. Holding the city would be impossible… You bite your thumb in frustration. Think. There must be something you can do. Some form of strategy or tactic…
“That’s it.”
“What, Cap? You want me to pack your bags for you? I’ll go get a private to do it, yeah?”
“No. Go find Marie. Tell her to cancel the retreat, delegate the organizing of the defenses, and then meet me in the dungeons.”
“Cancel the… you sure about this?”
“It’s an order, Sergeant. Don’t worry.” You smile confidently. “I have a plan.”
***
Will the Captain manage to fend off the Rus horde? What plan does he have in mind? Will he finally decide to run away and make babies with Marie? Find out all this, and more, in “Chronicle: The Summertime of Chaos”, Coming June 2015.