Chapter 106 - Snapping

Notes : Chapter 405 of The Fallen World has been written and added to the queue !

Thank you guys for all the support yesterday ! It was really heartening.

I was planning on doing a poll for TFW, on which characters you guys would like to see more of, but only once chapter 403 was out. Given the pace I'm writing at however, it may be worth doing it sooner.

Chapter 106

Starborn Mountains, Starfire Valley

Starfire Pass

Sapphiria watched as the last zombies were cut down.

Without their mages, they were easy meat. Torn apart by the artillery, then just plugged full of arrows and sling bullets.

A few had made it to the wall, and scratched the gate with axes, while others had peppered the archers on top with ineffectual crossbow fire, but that was it.

"Looks like it's over." Said the AI, and the Hand nodded.

"Yes. Their observers certainly seem in no hurry to send in the next wave."

"Observers?"

The Hand gestured, and Sapphiria looked at the end of the pass.

Oh yeah. Behind a bunch of zombified cavalry, mounted on top of equally putrefied horses, was a small knot of distant figures, visibly arguing with one another. It was hard to see what exactly they were, but if Sapphiria had to guess, most would be skeletons, though a few appeared too substantial for that. Maybe...liches? Or whatever the hell the Hand was.

"They seem angry."

"We just destroyed a sizeable quantity of their forces with very little to show for. Would you not be as well?"

Sapphiria almost said 'familiar with that feeling aren't you?', before biting it back. No need to needlessly antagonize the Hand. Especially not when she needed them, as much as she hated to admit it.

"Fair enough." She raised her arm, and waved at the observers.

She was just doing it out of pure mischief, but to her astonishment, the figures stopped arguing, and one of them waved back.

They then resumed their argument as they walked out of the pass, the figure that had waved back seemingly turning back to look at the wall several times. Not that the others weren't sneaking glances as well, but that one seemed particularly interested.

"Are you attempting to make friends?" Asked the Hand.

"Just because I want these rotten scumbags destroyed and buried deep doesn't mean one can't be polite about it." She said, neutrally.

The Hand didn't visibly react, but the studious neutrality was an answer all of its own.

"Of course. So, you have rejected my offer?"

"As I said. It does not seem like an opportune moment to join the Empire. I would like to propose an alternative."

"I cannot accept peace." Cautioned the Hand.

"Then how about an armistice? An end to active hostilities?"

The Hand wavered. Then, to Sapphiria's astonishment, they plucked a coin from a pocket, and began rolling it across their bony knuckles.

Click click click click, reverse.

Wait.

Four clicks?

Sapphiria looked closer at their digits. When you knuckle rolled, it was between the thumb and the pinky. There were only three knuckles to roll it over. And they were reversing it, not passing it down back to the thumb to start again.

And sure enough...there were six digits on that hand. And the more she looked at it, the more eerie it seemed.

That's not human bones, she realized. At least not any squishies' she'd ever seen. Though she had little interest in seeing them without their flesh, only without their clothes, she had a medical database and had grown very used to the sight of squishie skeletons lately.

Also, were those toothmarks on that coin?

"An armistice." Repeated the Hand. "Peace in all but name."

"You have a very warped idea of peace then."

The Hand stopped, then smiled. It seemed...genuine. Which was bizarre, on the nigh emotionless mass murderer.

"That is perhaps, quite true. Very well then, what would be the terms of this...armistice?"

"It would be limited to the valley and the pass. Both sides promise to not take any hostile action against each other. Reconnaissance-" She gazed at them, and the Hand met her stare calmly. "-is fine, but sabotage or any other detrimental actions, no matter how indirect, is not."

"And outside the valley?"

"Business as usual. The agreement will also stipulate that you are to vacate this side of the pass as soon as feasible."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because in exchange, I'll help you destroy the army besieging it."

There was a short silence.

"What of the duration?" Asked the Hand.

"Indefinite, unless the other side blatantly breaks the agreement, in which case it may be declared void in good faith."

"You seem confident I will abide by its letter and spirit. Yet you did not even trust in my guarantees of safety before. Why?"

"You didn't even try to attack me during the battle. Oh I'm sure you had some contingencies in place, but you made no move despite it being the perfect occasion to take me out, surrounded by your forces and with no way out."

"I doubt you were that defenseless."

"Perhaps not, but that doesn't diminish my point."

The Hand began rolling the coin again.

Click click click click, reverse. Back and forth, again and again.

"Say that the armistice is accepted. What then?"

Well, she'd have the pass secure with her troops on one side and the ability to seriously dig in. Since the Hand would most likely try and retain control of the other side, there would probably not be any other attacks that way.

It would leave her free to secure and safeguard Astralis, and build it up to a level where the squishies were thriving, and no longer merely subsisting.

Then, and only then, she would start looking beyond the valley. She could tunnel through the mountains with her tech, and start working on seeing if there were squishies left anywhere else on the continent, and how best to rescue them.

Hence limiting the armistice to the valley.

"I can start helping Astralis without the worry of the Nineteenth or you murdering them."

"Are you not afraid I will let forces through to attack you?"

"Are there any not belonging to your faction you would trust to not turn against you and take your fortifications?"

The Hand's silence was the only response necessary.

"Thought not." Said the AI. "Any other questions?"

"What are you?"

Sapphiria froze.

"I beg your pardon?"

"What. Are. You? You're not human. Not undead. You are an automata. A machine unlike anything I have ever seen. So what are you?"

Sapphiria had to bite back her shock as she gazed at the Hand.

How did he-

Gregor's hand landed on Sarcher's shoulder. The bodyguards all around them seized the grips of their blades.

"I think that's enough, Hand of Dominion." Said the old skeleton.

"Are you not curious?" Asked Sarcher, casually. "She does not live, I can assure you. In case you were not aware. I was simply curious of what she was. Do you not care?"

Gregor spun the Hand around, and the bodyguards surged forward, only to be forestalled by Sarcher themselves, with but a simple gesture.

The skeletons surrounding them froze in place, blade half drawn.

"I don't care if she's nuts and bolts. Hand. Sarcher. I care what she's done, and what she's still doing."

"Truly?"

Gregor leaned forward, skull to face with the Hand.

"Truly. Because I've watched her labor on wounded like a woman possessed. I've seen her rush on expeditions to save people she barely knew, rushing into a Convergence on the chance of helping others. You? You I've seen butcher innocents. I've watched your glorious 'Empire' carve their way here with blood and sword."

"We did what was nec-"

Sapphiria wasn't even able to react, as Gregor grabbed the Hand by their collar and hoisted them up, screaming full force into their face.

"I SAW YOUR FORCES EXTERMINATE CHILDREN! BY WHAT RIGHT DO YOU JUDGE HER?!?"

There was a short silence, as the Hand's bodyguards fully unsheathed their swords, but did not advance, held back by an invisible force.

"By what right do you, of all people, judge her?" Repeated Gregor, softly, his voice deadly calm. "Because we're bones and souls? Because we're the remains of someone who breathed and drank and laughed? Bullshit. She's more human than you or I ever will be."

He let go of the Hand, letting them land back onto the ground, and walked to Sapphiria.

"You can chew on that, as well as her offer."

Gregor left, and Sapphiria followed him, still processing what had just happened.

They left behind a speechless Hand, surrounded by immobile skeletons.

*****

"So. You successfully repelled the attack. Recklessly, but you did succeed." Said Kalia, her voice cold as ice.

Sapphiria wasn't sure whether to nod or not, so she chose the easiest option, staying immobile as the mage-magistrate towered over her.

The journey back had been...awkward. Gregor had only asked her one thing. If Kalia knew.

She'd said yes, and the old skeleton had simply nodded.

Malry had been waiting for them in the snowpiercer, and predictably bursting with questions, which she'd done her best to answer.

And now they were back in Astralis, sitting around the council table.

"What puzzles me, is what exactly possessed you to run up that slope with the Hand." Said Kalia, before nailing Gregor with her stare. "And why you didn't...argue against that course of action."

Sapphiria leaned forward, before Gregor could say anything. Rule 1 of command: You are your people's shield from the armchair analysts and high command. If something starts falling down, you take the heat. If they messed up, you'll deal with it yourself, not some jackass from Earth who has never been on a starship, let alone gotten shot at with nukes and battle lasers.

"There wasn't time." She said. Kalia turned towards her, the mage-magistrate's expression thunderous, but the AI carried on. "It was a split second decision, and I took it. Were there risks? Yes. Plenty. Yet, as Gregor had told us, it is unlikely that the Hand would break their guarantees of safety and attack us. Furthermore, it was it was an opportunity to take a closer look at their defenses and the Nineteenth's attacks. It also allowed me to liaise with them directly, massive augmenting our combined combat effectiveness while diminishing the amount of damage the Nineteenth was able to inflict. It wasn't prudent, no. But not everything about combat and warfare can be prudence."

The mage-magistrate wavered, as Sapphiria's arguments and attitude pierced through her anger.

"...Alright. And did you fulfill your original purpose for being there? Did you negotiate with the Hand?"

Uh oh.

This time, Gregor spoke up.

"We spoke with the Hand. An armistice was offered, and they are currently meditating upon it."

"With the promise of withdrawal?"

There was a shockwave going around the room, Ramina and Malry looking at Kalia in shock.

"Yes, everyone. I have prepared ahead with Sapphiria." Said the mage-magistrate. "To see what would be acceptable."

Without consulting them.

Malry looked rebellious. Ramina...

Ramina was frowning. Gears were clearly turning behind her gaze.

Oh hell. She was starting to put two and two together.

"You prepared to negotiate with the Hand with only Sapphiria and yourself?" Said Malry.

"Last I checked, we are the two people with ultimate authority here." Said Kalia, acidly. "I believe the prerogatives granted to me by the Kingdom via my title include broad powers when at war and commanding my own forces. Including for ceasing hostilities. So long as I am not part of the royal host or given direct instructions to the contrary, it is my decision to make. Or am I mistaken, advisor?"

Malry's mouth closed with a snap, and Sapphiria began speaking quickly.

"I apologize for not consulting all of you. But there is a point where one has to decide, and not do things by committee. Advice is useful, so are contravening opinions, but at some point, a decision has to be made." Ultimately, that was the reason the Federation gave such broad powers to its naval officers.

Earth could be years, months away. Out in the dark void of space, among alien worlds and the billions of stars they orbit, the Federation's reach extended only as far as what its ships could reach.

The ones commanding those ships would have to make decisions that could alter the course of the whole Federation. They could listen to their subordinates, if they had any. But ultimately, the decision was theirs, and theirs alone.

It could be called into question. Challenged by the admiralty later, and even the Federation's civilian powers. But it was their decision. Their privilege...and their curse.

"It is done." Said Gregor. "As Kallaran said, the die is cast. We need only watch which way they roll now."

Were it so simple...