Chapter 97 - Negotiations

Notes :

Well this has been a freaking START to this year uh. Fucking hell.

Knocked me right out of my writing mood, unfortunately. But we have some patreon backlog to give it time to return.

Chapter 97

Starborn Mountains, Starfire Valley

Slope to Starfire Pass

The Hand watched as the vehicle came to a halt in the outpost. Clearly, disgorging personnel.

Then they frowned as golems fanned out from the outpost, and advanced in a skirmish line.

They were about to gesture for their bodyguards to prepare for a fight, when they recognized the way the automata were advancing.

Like recon units sweeping for traps. Not a unit advancing to contact.

It was a fair few golems but...well, fair was fair, the Hand did bring over their bodyguards.

Though the Empire, before or after the Awakening, had never tolerated foul play, and upheld its word, they could understand some caution.

Finally, the golems came to a halt, about halfway between the outpost and the Hand, kneeling in the snow. There was a short flurry of activity behind the trees, and finally two silhouettes emerged.

Sarcher almost did a double take. That was...a Risen, and the abomination. Those were their leaders?

Damn it. This was going to complicate things. There was no telling how they would approach negotiations and-

"Greetings!" Said the abomination, her voice booming up the slope as she came to a halt a few steps behind the golems. "Hand Sarcher. Before we approach further, I would like you to reiterate your guarantees of safety, and expound upon the purpose of this meeting."

*****

Clearly, whatever the Hand had expected, this wasn't it.

Which was good. They were trying to gain the initiative by initiating the talks. Getting them off balance would help regain some of it.

"...I reiterate my promises of safety, so long as my own is guaranteed as well, and the protection of the throne over these discussions." Finally said the Hand. "As for the purpose of this meeting, I do not wish to insult your intelligence." They nodded towards the outpost. "We are all aware of the tactical situation. I believe some discussions are warranted."

"Pardon me for being skeptical, but I was under the impression that discussions with the Bane were few and far between, to say the least."

Sapphiria started climbing up the slope again, Gregor in tow.

The Hand was...it was hard to tell, under their hood, but they seemed to be scowling at her.

"The Empire-" They had a lot of emphasis on the word. "-stated its purpose and will to absorb its wayward territories again."

"Absorb them? Or wipe them out?"

"Is that not one and the same, for those who supported the Crusades?"

Sapphiria came to a dead halt.

She flicked a glance at the skeleton by her side.

He looked distinctly uncomfortable.

Oh.

That's why everyone had been...less than forthcoming when the topic had come up during the meeting.

Damn it, what the fuck did the Magistracy do?

"...I see." She finally said. "Then, what is it that you propose? I'm assuming an orderly surrender and disarmament of your force is off the table."

"As if you would even be interested. I believed you planned to use me and my forces as an ablative shield against the Nineteenth."

"Are you complaining?"

The Hand smiled.

"I am not incentivized to play that role when certain annihilation lies at the end of it. By you or the Nineteenth. At any moment."

"Then what do you propose?"

The Hand visibly hesitated.

"An...arrangement of circumstance. A ceasefire, to both focus our attention onto the Nineteenth."

"To last how long?"

"Three months."

Sapphiria's mind raced. They were expecting it to be over by then. Which meant their reinforcements would be in that time frame. Or, actually, more likely that their reinforcements would force the Nineteenth to pull back in that time.

"Uh huh. And what are we getting out of it?"

The Hand gestured up at the slope.

"Me and my troops keep fighting to protect you."

"What would you do otherwise? Surrender?"

"No. I would evacuate into the tunnels and collapse them behind me."

The AI frowned. Was that a bluff? It felt like a bluff. Where would they even go?

Perhaps there were other exits, on the other side of the mountains. The network certainly seemed extensive.

Or perhaps they would just wait, and dig themselves out once their backup was here. Why hold onto this area so tenaciously then? To inflict maximum damage onto the enemy? Buy time, for every day the Nineteenth had to waste taking the pass, was one less spent fortifying it?

"So we can just take your place. Great, then I'd actually be able to position my machineguns properly. That sounds like a positive, not a negative."

The Hand clearly hadn't expected that response.

She was bluffing, of course. She didn't have the troops to protect the pass. They'd be overrun in any kind of massed assaults.

"Truly? Then why haven't you bombarded us into splinters then?"

"Why bother spending the shells? They don't grow on trees."

The Hand was definitely squinting at her from under their hood.

"...I do not believe you."

"Nor I you."

There was an awkward silence as they stared at each other, still a fair bit apart. Finally however, the Hand turned to look at Gregor.

"Where did you serve?"

"I beg your pardon?" Asked the old skeleton.

"Your posture. The way you look at me like you would rip my heart out and eat it, were you still capable of consumption. What legion did you serve in?"

"Thirty-third."

"Aaaah. An Expansion legion. Screaming Eagles, correct?"

"Yes."

"Do you agree with your...fellow leader?"

The skeleton somehow looked like he was smiling.

"I'm fairly sure you were about to call her something else. I presume it would be even less polite than the implied 'traitorous scum' for me."

The Hand gazed at her, then back at him.

"That wouldn't be very conducive to negotiations."

"So you're cloaking yourself in lies."

"Isn't that the definition of diplomacy?" The Hand held up their, well, hand, and gestured between them. "I came bearing an olive branch. Are you willing to pick it up?"

There.

"An olive branch implies peace." Said Sapphiria, pouncing on it. "Are you saying you would be willing to negotiate peace, between your...faction within the Empire, and us?"

That seemed to give the Hand pause. She could see the wheels turning in their heads.

"...Define 'us'."

"The people in this valley, my golems, my forces."

That seemed to startle the Hand. For some reason?

"Your-. Yes. That could be negotiated."

Well that was hasty. But also interesting.

"But let me guess, it will involve a bunch of caveats?"

"A ceasefire seems like a good first step. And peace would be...complicated."

"Complicated how?"

"My mandate dictates reuniting the Empire through any means necessary."

"So? You-" Sapphiria stopped. "No. You can't be serious."

Sarcher extended their arm.

"If you would negotiate peace, I do have a simple solution. Swear fealty to the Eternal Throne. I will allow you and your people, exceptionally, to once again live under the Imperial banner."

...Shit.

*****

"...What did you tell them?" Finally said Kalia, in the deadly silent council room.

"That I needed to confer with others before answering his offer." Said Sapphiria.

"We can't accept that." Said Malry, and Kalia nodded.

"I agree. Even if we wouldn't immediately get a massive uprising." She looked at Sapphiria. "Do you have any idea why they made that offer?"

"Because they thought it was one hell of a concession." Answered Gregor, before anyone could answer. "And solves their problem."

"Agreed." Said Sapphiria. "On the problem solving part. The Hand doesn't care about Astralis. They never did. They care about the mines."

"Which you control and won't give up."

Sapphiria shook her head.

"Which puts us at an impasse. We need them to stay up there and soak up the Nineteenth's attacks. But we can't give up the mines. Or, you know, get on their side."

"Could we just...lie?" Said Ramina, and everyone stared at her. She shrugged. "What? Who gives a shit about honor? It's not like they ever cared."

Sapphiria opened her mouth, then closed it.

She could think of a lot of reasons why it would be a terrible idea, but she wasn't sure if most, or hell, any of them applied here.

If nothing else...wars rarely ended by the annihilation of the other side. Negotiated peace was usually the only way to end a conflict. Even during the horrific war with the Theocracy, there'd been armistices and peace treaties.

Oh. An armistice. That might be a good idea. An in-between?

She refocused on the conversation.

"There is honor and there is trustworthiness. I agree that the Bane have no honor, but they have upheld their promises of safety." Gregor said. "So far, at least."

"Plus, this is the only time they've cared about negotiating since this war started." Butted in Malry. "As Kalia said, we could learn something. And as long as we're talking, we're not killing each other, and they keep fighting the Nineteenth."

Everyone's gaze shifted to Malry.

"Do you suggest dragging the talks along?" Said Sapphiria, and Malry shrugged.

"Do we have any reason not to?"

They exchanged glances.

"...I guess not." Finally said Kalia. "And it doesn't stop you from trying to find an actually acceptable deal. Though...be careful about your next meeting. I think they'll take it as an insult if you reject that offer too abruptly."

Sapphiria nodded.

"Can do."

"Do you have another rendez-vous scheduled?" Aksed Malry, and Sapphiria shook her head.

"No real need of one. They're right there. We can just show up and they'll come down to talk. I think."

"At least that simplifies things." Kalia sighed. "Alright. Sapphi, what if they execute their threat, and retreat into the tunnels?"

"I can rush my golems forward, but the Nineteenth will probably attack as well. I don't have enough mobile forces to stop them. Even if the Hand's fortifications remain intact, and I don't think they will."

"You should probably start making plans for that, in case things go sour."

Sapphiria grimaced.

As if her damned production scheduled wasn't already screwed up enough.

"Sure. I'll do some work on it."

"Good. Now. I had a surprise for you." She smiled, and Sapphiria's heart fluttered at it. A surprise. "I'd call it a gift, but it's what we owe you." The mage-magistrate pulled out a small wooden box, carved with sigils that Sapphiria recognized as belonging to the magistracy's heraldry, and opened it.

Inside were shimmering crystals, each a different colors.

"Mana crystals?" Said the AI.

"Refined, and ready to use."

Great. Magnificent.

Now to explain to the squishie that she had absolutely no idea on how to use them.

*****

Click click click click, reverse.

The Hand gazed at the pass.

Well, one thing to be said for the Nineteenth, they didn't let themselves stay idle.

Already, there was activity on the far side of the pass. Sappers and soulless starting on a trench network. Behind them, another batch of ballistae.

Ah! They'd been building shorter ranged siege weapons for the final assault, only for them to turn out to be hopelessly outmatched.

So now, they were relegated to backline defense.

At least, all this answered the question of whether or not the army had veterans of the campaigns against the rebels, or only freshly resurrected units. The fresh ones wouldn't have thought to start digging in immediately.

Once they had a solid basis and fallback point, they would start digging trenches forward. Straight into the rock, moving forward. That was going to be...painful.

Not as much as trying to make a tunnel through the mountains. Though they almost certainly had sappers trying to do so somewhere. It would be stupid not to.

It would slow them down. A lot. They were terrified of what 'Sarcher' had in store for them. Because if the Hand had howitzers, what else could be hidden behind the pass?

The Hand could taste the bitter irony in that line of thought.

They wish they had that kind of firepower. But the rebels wouldn't accept the offer. It was made precisely because they wouldn't.

Oh, the Hand would pounce on it if they did. But there was too much hatred there.

What it had enabled was for both sides to retreat and brood on it. In time the rebels would try to renegotiate. Even if only to keep the Imperial side busy.

But it gave the Hand time. To reevaluate things.

They'd thought the thing beneath the mountains was part of this rebel group. But they were separate. Referred to the golems as theirs. 'Their' forces.

A second enemy. Maybe a wedge could be driven between her and the rebels? Risky. Too risky, given the total lack of knowledge of their internal dynamics. But still worth consideration.

If nothing else, she was clearly taking charge. The other leader, the traitor...he was a sideshow, but seemed content with it.

He was also seething with rage. Which was unsurprising for those who hadn't answered the call.

None of them had seen what had happened to Merian. None of them knew how vital the Empire's mandate was.

None of them realized that their so-called 'allies' would come for them too, soon enough.