Chapter 364 - War Council

Chapter 364

Red Sands Desert, Archduchy of Rebirth

City of Rebirth

"-the keep was taken with very little further fatalities, as most of the remaining troops surrendered once its defensive perimeter was breached. That concludes my report, archduchess." Said the general as he set down his papers.

Everyone turned towards Allya, who nodded.

She was currently chairing the Kingdom's war council. Not just what she had pulled together to keep their majesties' appraised of what was happening and coordinate with Sarth, but the council that decided the entire kingdom's military policy. Before her were holograms of dozens of high ranking officers, what remained of the Kingdom's high command and upper noble echelons. The only one missing was Grant the Giant, but he was busy overseeing things on the ground in person, and he had sent his second in command, captain Ariale Hanson.

Much like with the Assembly, no one was challenging her chairing it. Nor was anyone commenting on the absence of their majesties.

"Excellent. It seems the offer was accepted. A brilliant idea, general."

"Thank you, archduchess."

They exchanged nods. For what it was worth, Allya's praise was utterly genuine. Finding traitors within the enemy's ranks was what their majesties had been trying to do with the duchess' main army, and it had almost worked. Now...

Well, with what the duchess did to the previous batch, then what happened to her and her army, not to mention the current situation, there was a rather intense pressure that the time to get some mercy from the crown was now, and that failure wasn't a palatable option.

"I will, of course, uphold the deal that you reached with them. All of those who helped in this operation by turning their vests will be healed or resurrected, and given amnesty. But, as we had previously discussed, all will be given a sentence of lifelong exile from the Kingdom. It is for their own safety." Among many, many other things. Unrest was one, but out and out mutiny was a viable option as well. Unfortunately, with amnesty already promised, she couldn't go back on that. "Of course, any titles will have to be renounced, but they will be given appropriate funds to establish themselves somewhere else. Moving on, I would like a report on the status of the war tribunal. Colonel?"

An older woman leaned forward, clearing her throat. Her insigna made her a colonel of the royal army, but she wore the elaborate robe of a mage, and the iconography strewn about her vestments left very little doubt about her former employer.

"I have gathered some of my fellow judges. In order to ensure impartiality, some were drawn from old friends of the World Mage Court, but as per your request the head of the tribunal will be a royal magistrate of common birth. Their files, previous cases and every scrap of intelligence gathered about them should be on your desk by sunset."

"Good. And the juries?"

"Finding impartial juries will be...complicated, milady." The older woman coughed, initially for effect, before continuing on for a few seconds. Allya winced, and and moved to speak, but the colonel recovered. "My apologies milady. The war has not been kind on anybody, and I'm afraid that these frail old bones have had quite enough of gallivanting around the hills." The colonel smiled. "Nevertheless, I have done my best to set some criterias, and I believe we should be able to meet your wish of having half the juries comprised of former slaves, and half of people who were not too directly affected by Sunrise's depredations, to ensure victims are heard, but that the process is fair. There were some...questions, regarding why the death penalty could only be applied by the unanimity of the jury, but it was accepted nonetheless. Gathering people for the duty will take time of course, but the tribunal should be able to start processing evidence and gathering testimony within the week, and trials should begin within the month."

"Good." Starting a trial in a mere month was scandalously fast by any metric, but she needed to get them out of the way quickly. They didn't have the luxury to digest the aftermath of this war, not when the gears were already grinding towards another, even more devastating one. Nevertheless, she couldn't afford to look like she was cheating victims out of justice, nor that she was going on a bloody vengeance spree. "It is imperative that the process is as smooth and forthcoming as possible." Allya blinked as she saw a heavily decorated colonel lean in and clear his throat. "Yes?"

"Milady, I wished to ask, in relations to the agreement made with the renegades who threw open the gates...what have you planned for the Brigadier and his own people?"

Allya leaned back into her seat as she drummed her fingers on the tabletop.

"A few propositions were thrown about. The problem is that we need to show generosity while being firm, and nipping in the bud any return of the nobility's sense of invincibility."

"That is a...rather tall order milady."

"Indeed. But what we came up with should be satisfactory. First, the Brigadier and his officers will give up their titles. They will then be given to their closest living relative that didn't have a hand in this mess. Not perhaps the easiest things but all families have black sheep and Sunrise has a fair few reformists and abolitionists even among its nobility, though most are in exile. It's extremely important that we avoid those fighting on our side as much as feasible. We want to appear magnanimous, not just taking everything to give it to those who served us." There would already be plenty of that to go around with those whose surrender had been less...forthcoming. "If such a relative cannot be found, the crown will manage their estates until one is born. Everyone, officers and regulars, nobles and commoners, will go through the war tribunal, and be subject to its rulings."

The colonel's eyes went wide.

"The nobles-"

"I don't give a shit what the nobles think." She saw about half the council physically recoil. They knew she wasn't just talking about the Brigadiers' here. "Everyone. No exceptions. Anybody wishing to dispute this can go to me." Allya glared at everyone arrayed around the virtual table, and no one dared meet her gaze. "Anyone? No? Good. They will be subject to its rulings. However their majesties will show mercy. To recognize their treatment of the slaves and their attempt to right their wrongs, any condemned to prison will be allowed to serve their sentence under house arrest on their family estates. Any condemned to death will instead be sent to a jail cell for the rest of their lives. Depending on specific situations, some may even be allowed house arrest under these circumstances."

As much as she hated to say it there were some scumbags that would deserve to be shot but had made a credible effort. She'd rather have them all executed, but it would signal that once a certain threshold was crossed you might as well fight her to the death. Given what Alexandra had predicted was coming, that was not a good idea. The house arrest also solved a lot of problems, since they wouldn't be prisonners of the crown, but under the guard of their own relatives, who would probably hate their damned guts. It solved a lot of issues at once at very little cost.

"What of the regulars?" Asked one of the knights, which surprised Allya, until she realized that his symbols of nobility, including his medallion, were quite new. Probably one of the commoners that had served with distinction in the royal army that their majesties were busy elevating to plug the holes in the now decimated nobility. "They have no estates to be emprisonned at."

"Indeed." Allya inclined her head, as if the knight was doing her a favor and not interrupting her speech. "They are more complicated. If nothing else, they were in a military that could, and often did, enslave or execute them if they stepped out of line or rebelled against their orders." Those that were thrown in chains were actually pretty popular among the former slaves, having lead the charge upon their former comrades and all around serving as passable commanders for the bands of slaves now trying to get their homes secure again from monsters until order was established once more. "That makes assessing responsability more problematical. Let us face it, there's isn't any good solutions here. Many are guilty of terrible crimes, but a witch hunt with truth stones would only create an uprising. Everyone has something to hide." Truth stones were a surprising touchy subject for any justice system, let alone in a more backward society like here. They could be misused in a thousand different ways, and more than one civil war in the Empire had been started by some genius deciding to 'purify' the nobility by putting everyone before the question. Plus, you needed to know what to ask and to whom, which was always an issue. "If something can be proven against them, they will serve their sentence as part of work gangs that will help rebuild all that they destroyed. Any condemned to death among the Brigadier's troops will be spared the axe, but they will be emprisoned after the work gangs are dissolved." She wasn't about to sentence anyone to a lifetime of forced labor, that was...well, that was slavery, wasn't it? She wasn't going to become her enemy trying to stamp them out.

"What of those guilty of nothing, or who finish their sentences?"

Allya smiled. He wasn't about to say it out loud, but everyone was worried about just letting a huge amount of troops just...go like that.

"All those who have fought for Sunrise will be forbidden from taking up arms. For the nobility, that is permanent and unconditional. Violating that will mean death, period." She saw a few of the nobles swallow as emphasized that last word. That's right assholes, your titles don't protect you from consequences anymore. "The regulars are more...complicated. Much of the kingdom is overrun by monsters, and even at the best of times adventurers weren't always able to hold back the tide. Regulars are a valuable resource in that aspect, and one we shall make use of, to serve the people. They will be permitted to take up arms on one condition: that it is fighting monsters or other such creatures. No fighting other people, except in self defense. That includes any roles as peacekeepers or town guards."

In short, they could serve as village militias...or adventurers.

That last part was both practical and purely cynical. Most of these regulars had made a career of fighting, they would immediately reach for adventuring, especially as no one east or west would trust them to be part of a militia.

They would replenish the depleted stock of adventurers, allow the monsters to be pushed back...and she had been extremely careful not to rule out dungeon delving.

She and Alexandra were, after all, pragmatic people. Though, the chance of any former soldier of Sunrise willingly coming to delve in Rebirth was slim, they would free up other adventurers who would, and help feed the other dungeons of the Kingdom, who so far were either neutral or throwing in their lots with the interventionists.

"That is...remarkably generous, milady. Too generous, some would argue. Few will like it."

Allya's gaze sharpened.

"And what? Would they prefer we held vast, kangaroo courts, hang and shoot them by the thousand? Do as the King's grandfater once did? Perpetrate a 'pacification' so horrendous even the crimes of our enemies pale in comparison? The only thing we would do is plant the seeds of another rebellion! No, what we need is justice, not vengeance. Perhaps not the best, most impartial justice, but justice nonetheless. And to be clear, this will not be some shadowy, behind closed doors policy. Everything discussed in this meeting will be printed out and distributed. The trials that will be held by the war tribunal will be public, and the reasoning of their judges and juries laid out. But they will not be spectacles. We shall judge them, we shall execute their sentences, and we. Will. Move. On. Revanchism will only guarantee another conflict for our children and grandchildren."

To her surprise, there wasn't just uneasy agreement, there was...relief on the other side. Almost everyone here had family involved in the previous civil war, and they'd probably put two and two together already.

"So. Any further questions?" She was met by a sea of shaking heads. "Then this meeting is adjourned. Get some lunch everybody, we will reconvene in two hours."