The large room in the Imperial Palace in Okata was awash in uniforms. General Didyk spread a large map out on a long table, and all of the generals crowded around it. Lyra and StarWind moved through the crowd to stand at the Didyk’s side.
“We had thought that Duran and Zaramilden would be fairly safe from attack because of their remote locations,” Didyk began. “We could not have been more wrong as the devastating attack on Duran shows. On the face of it, the attack on Duran makes no sense from a strategic standpoint, but I suspect that Emperor Marak is quite correct in his assessment. I think Duran was attacked to gauge our response to it.”
“More likely,” interjected General Papper, “it was to test the Khadoran response. Khadora has what might pass as a navy, while Sakovan vessels are mostly fishing boats.”
“Emperor Marak has made quite a show of moving large armies to our border,” declared the Star of Sakova. “It would be impossible for Vand’s spies to have missed it.”
“Yes,” nodded General Papper, “but did he move his fleet? I suspect that Vand’s generals are more concerned with naval battles because their forces will be most vulnerable at that time. If each of those ships carries a thousand men, lost ships will have a large impact on the army that lands on our shores.”
“Not only is it a worry about losses at sea,” interrupted General Smythe, “but reconnaissance as well. The boy from Duran who survived the attack mentioned six large ships that participated in the attack. Those ships were able to successfully cross the ocean, conduct a full-scale attack on a city and depart without us knowing about it. Had the boy not survived, we might still not know about it.”
“So Vand knows that we are not effectively patrolling the sea,” nodded StarWind.
“At least we weren’t at the time of the attack on Duran,” nodded General Didyk. “I think General Papper is onto something, though. If Emperor Marak did not also move his fleet as well as his armies, Vand will know that we do not intend to interdict his ships when he crosses the ocean. I would prefer that he be a little nervous about sailing to our shores.”
“What are you suggesting?” asked General Smythe. “Are you saying that we should attempt to make him believe he will have trouble sailing here, although we do not really plan any attacks at sea?”
“I want Vand to have as little knowledge about our plans as possible,” shrugged General Didyk. “We do not have a navy, and it is clear from Marak’s response that he does not plan to use what he has. Therefore, we should make Vand think that he will face a sea battle getting here.”
“And how do you propose that we do that?” asked General Smythe. “You just got finished telling us that we have no navy. Should we send our fishing boats out to sea until Vand’s ships give chase? How do we make Vand think he will suffer a sea battle?”
Lyra held up her hand for quiet as she turned and gazed at General Didyk. “Are you of the opinion that the Khadorans will offer no resistance at sea when the invasion comes?” she asked.
“Judging by Emperor Marak’s response, yes,” nodded General Didyk. “I suspect that when Marak decided to execute a fake response to fool the Khadoran spies, he never even thought about a naval response. If I was one of Vand’s spies, that is what I would have learned from the Khadoran response.”
“And what would you have believed if you knew for a fact that Emperor Marak did consider a naval response?” asked Lyra.
General Didyk frowned and stared at the map for a moment. “If I knew that as fact,” mused the general, “I would detail spies to keep a very close watch on his ships. It could be possible that Marak was intentionally trying to deceive me, or that his ships were not in a position to respond. If the second option is closer to the truth, I would want to know where his ships had been, and what they had been doing at the time.”
“Interesting,” mused Lyra as she wondered how close Didyk’s thinking was to the Motangan generals’ thoughts. She knew that Marak did indeed plan a naval response, but she was not going to share that information with anyone. It was one of Marak’s most closely guarded secrets.
“I have the feeling that there is something that you are not sharing with us,” frowned General Papper. “Will there be a naval response to the invasion?”
“As it has already been said,” shrugged the Star of Sakova, “we have no navy. If there is to be any naval response, Emperor Marak will have to initiate it. I am just curious how a trained military mind deciphers the clues of the enemy. You have made me rather curious where Marak’s ships were at the time that he marched his armies across Khadora.”
“They were on the western coast,” answered StarWind. “They were used to ferry the armies back to Khadoratung after their long march southward.”
“And as that was a covert operation,” nodded General Didyk, “I suspect that Vand’s spies did not know that. So Marak did think of the naval option, but was unable to use his ships in two places at the same time. That information should not leave this room. Let us keep Vand guessing.”
“Marak can not hide his ships from the spies,” interjected StarWind. “They may not know the comings and goings of the ships, but which coast of the country they are on is fairly obvious to anyone watching.”
“He could take them over the horizon,” suggested General Smythe. “Unless a spy took a boat out of port, he would not be certain of their location.”
“True,” nodded StarWind, “but what I meant is that those ships had to enter the port of Khadoratung to unload the armies. Even if it was done under the cover of darkness, they were seen. I could well imagine that Khadoratung is crawling with spies. Anyone who knows the extent of Marak’s fleet could easily ascertain that all of his ships were on the western coast at the time.”
“Ah,” nodded General Smythe. “I see what you are saying. It is a long way around the landmass, especially from the Khadoran capital.”
“Where is Vand likely to strike next?” asked Lyra as she wished to move the conversation away from the naval response.
“The two cities at the greatest danger are Zaramilden and Alamar,” declared General Didyk. “Alamar, if he decides to concentrate his forces on us, and Zaramilden, if he is aiming at Khadora.”
“Why bother with Zaramilden if he is going to land in Khadora?” asked General Papper. “His men would have to cross the Kalatung Mountains. That makes no sense.”
“I don’t think he would unload his forces at Zaramilden,” explained General Didyk, “but he would destroy the city so that there was no force on his flank when he attacked Raven’s Point. He might even make another prewar run to take Zaramilden off the map before the real invasion. It is not a city that he needs to conquer as it leads to nowhere, but he cannot afford to spare it either. As Papper pointed out earlier, his forces are vulnerable at sea. He cannot bypass Zaramilden without destroying it, at least not if he is attacking Khadora. If he attacks us, Zaramilden could be spared. It is much too far from Alamar to matter to him.”
“And if we evacuated Zaramilden before the invasion?” asked Lyra. “What would that tell Vand?”
“Evacuate the whole city?” balked General Didyk. “What would you do with the people?”
“What would it tell Vand?” repeated Lyra.
“I am not sure,” shrugged General Didyk. “It might tell him that we expect him to strike at Khadora, or it might tell him that we are not interested in defending it. I can’t be sure.”
“Anyone?” asked Lyra as her head turned to gaze upon the generals in the room.
“If Vand knows anything about you,” offered General Manitow, “it would tell him that you are concerned for the people’s lives. Nothing more.”
“Good,” Lyra nodded and smiled at the general from Alamar. “That is what I was hoping to hear. Zaramilden will be evacuated immediately. Half of the people will be relocated to Gatong, and the other half will go to Fortung. Any problems with that?”
“We will make room for them in Gatong,” answered General Papper.
“Fortung will be ready for them also,” agreed General Smythe. “Will it be done by ship or overland through the Sakova?”
“Those that can travel the distance will be moved overland,” declared Lyra. “The old and infirm will be taken by ship. General Manitow, I would like you to organize those going by ship. Alamar is the closest port.”
General Manitow nodded.
“People from StarCity will organize the overland portion of the trip,” Lyra continued.
“I can send people out to meet them halfway,” offered General Papper. “I know that your people are busy with the harvest. The less time they spend away from StarCity, the better.”
“Thank you, Papper,” smiled Lyra. “That is quite acceptable.”
“What about Alamar?” asked General Didyk. “If Vand’s armies plan on coming to the Sakova, Alamar must be attacked. He has no option on that. How do we plan a defense?”
“That is the crucial question, isn’t it?” frowned Lyra. “I agree that Alamar will be attacked first. In fact, I fully expect Vand’s armies to start at Alamar and work their way around the coast all the way to Gatong.”
“Why around the coast?” asked General Kapla. “He does not know the superstitions of the Sakova. Isn’t he likely to blaze a path across the center of the country?”
“I don’t think so,” answered Lyra. “The Omungans certainly did not when they attacked a thousand years ago, and they were coming from the same island.”
“How could you possibly know that?” frowned General Didyk. “This is not the time for making assumptions.”
“I agree, General Didyk,” smiled Lyra. “I saw the Omungans attack the Sakovans.”
Murmurs spread through the room as the assembled generals looked at the Star of Sakova in disbelief. She laughed softly and shook her head before responding.
“My relationship with Kaltara is rather unique,” Lyra stated. “When I became the Star of Sakova, I was a young Omungan student. I knew nothing of the Sakovan people. I asked Kaltara for guidance, and he gave it. I had a series of visions that showed me the complete history of the Sakovan people. The images flashed by quicker than I could comprehend them, but they became memories to me. I actually witnessed the attacks and the subsequent slaughters. The Omungan invaders started near Alamar and worked their way around the coast in a circle. When the coast was secured, they turned inland. Fortunately, they never completed their task.”
The room was completely silent for several moments before General Didyk spoke. “No wonder you hate the Omungans so much,” he said. “To have to witness such death and destruction, it makes me ashamed of my ancestors.”
“They were my ancestors, too,” Lyra replied, “and I do not hate Omungans. I was one. What I hated about Omunga was the manipulation of the people for the satisfaction of a few. Besides, none of us are guilty for what our ancestors did. We are responsible for what we have done, and even then Kaltara offers forgiveness to those who seek it.”
Again the room fell silent for several moments.
“Can we count on Vand attacking in the same manner?” asked General Manitow. “That is taking quite a gamble with many lives.”
“That is true,” frowned Lyra, “but we must have a plan, even if we decide to change it later. For now let’s assume that he will attack in the same manner that the Omungans did.”
“Then the heart of the Sakova becomes our sanctuary,” General Smythe pointed out. “That is why you are stockpiling food in StarCity?”
“That is one reason,” nodded Lyra. “The other reason is that StarCity is central to all locations. It is an ideal distribution point.”
“If we mass our armies at Alamar,” posed General Didyk, “and Vand learns of it, he might be tempted to encircle us there.”
“There is a risk of that,” nodded StarWind, “but it can be minimized. The armies can be kept out of sight. If the bulk of the armies are located in the Sakova, we will have no fear of spies. We will allow no one in and no one out. Food and supplies will be delivered from StarCity.”
“And how will we get our troops into Alamar in time to do us any good?” asked General Kapla.
“By delaying the landing of their ships,” answered Lyra. “I don’t want to go into that just now, but we are developing a plan to stall their invasion as their ships near the coast. The real question is what do we do if they overpower us at Alamar?”
“If you are correct about their plan of attack,” offered General Smythe, “we could slowly retreat around the coast. It is usually a losing battle when you try to retreat safely, but what other option is there?”
“Fleeing and regrouping,” suggested General Didyk. “We know the geography much better than they do, and the Sakovans taught me a vital lesson that I will not soon forget. We can make sure that there is no food available along the coast. Just supplying their own armies will slow them down. We can regroup at a time and place of our choosing and attack them when they least expect it.”
“Actually,” General Papper interjected thoughtfully, “a combination of those two plans would be best. If we divide our forces into two segments, the smaller group can slowly retreat along the coast, burning fields along the way. The larger segment can slip into the heart of the Sakova and then be used for surprise attacks.”
“You men are beginning to think like Sakovans,” grinned Lyra. “Let’s work up a tentative plan and see if we can find any holes in it. Approach it as if it is just a shell of an idea. What I mean by that is to think freely as we design this. I am sure that we can make improvements as we go along.”
* * *
Emperor Marak was staring at the wall map in his office in the Imperial Palace in Khadoratung when a knock sounded on the door. He gave permission to enter without taking his eyes from the map. He heard the door open and close, but little else. Still, that small amount of knowledge told him a great deal. The footsteps were soft and had only traveled half way across the room.
“You are getting lax,” chided the visitor. “Never depend on the guards to properly screen your visitors. I don’t want to find you dead one day.”
Marak pivoted swiftly, his arm moving in a blur as the Sakovan star sailed through the air. It slammed into the floor less than a pace in front of the visitor’s feet. Marak grinned.
“Your words are well taken, friend,” smiled the Emperor as he stared at the priest of Kaltara. “Why the new disguise?”
“I do not want to limit my access to you by portraying only an Imperial Guard,” shrugged Fisher as he bent down and pried the star out of the wooden floor. “There may come a time when that disguise will not be enough to gain me entry. By the way, you would have missed me by over a pace with that star.”
“No, I wouldn’t have,” grinned Marak. “Had I not noticed your unique walk, I would have aimed higher.”
Fisher grinned and shook his head as he walked to the Emperor and handed back the star. “A unique walk?” he frowned. “How do you mean?”
“Other people try to walk softly when they are creeping up on someone,” explained Marak. “It makes their steps very deliberate. You walk naturally, but silently. I am not sure if that is a good explanation, but I understand the difference. That is all that matters.”
“I will have to pay more attention to my walking now,” chuckled the spy.
“Don’t,” Marak shook his head. “Your walking is perfect. If you think about it, you will lessen your stealth.” The Emperor returned the star to his pouch and sighed softly, “I am glad that you have come. We have a problem.”
“You always have a problem,” replied Fisher. “What is the nature of this one?”
“There is a stirring among the clan lords,” explained Emperor Marak. “Some of them are planning a revolt of sorts. I need you to identify the players.”
“That is exactly what I have been doing,” grinned Fisher. “You are talking about what started with the Seth clan I presume?”
“How did you know so soon?” asked the Emperor.
“I am a spy,” laughed Fisher. “Actually, I spoke with Yenga shortly after he found out about it. I have been working on it ever since. I stopped by to let you know what I have found out so far.”
“Come and sit,” urged the Emperor as he retreated to his desk. “I want to hear what you have found out.”
Fisher sat in front of the Emperor’s desk while the Torak sat behind it.
“Marshal Orteka was wise enough to have one of his men shadow Lord Sydar when he left the Litari estate,” Fisher began. “The Seth lord has been doing a lot of visiting in the south, and he is not the only one. Lord Woroman of the Disina clan has also been making short, discreet visits to the frontier clans.”
“Those two clans have unresolved boundary disputes with the Chula,” noted the Torak. “That may be what ties them together.”
“They are also neighbors,” nodded Fisher. “Have you been told what the conversation with Lord Burdine was about?”
“Yes,” nodded Marak. “They plan to cause a vote in the Assembly of Lords revoking my reforms, but Lord Burdine was not able to tell me much about it.”
“That is because he learned very little,” replied Fisher. “The plotters are very reluctant to speak about the plan. At this point they are merely seeking out clans that are unhappy with the reforms. When they find one, they make rather simplistic promises of having a chance to vote against the reforms, but they steadfastly refuse to name the other clans involved.”
“That will make it practically impossible to find out what I am up against,” frowned the Emperor.
“That is not entirely true,” grinned Fisher. “There are many ways to pierce the veil of secrecy on any plan of the clans.”
“Such as?” asked Marak.
“You have two cortes of troops from each and every clan in Khadoratung at all times,” answered Fisher. “I took the liberty of mingling with some of them recently. The visits that the Seth and Disina clans have been making started fairly recently. The first visit made by either clan, was made by both of them at the same time. Both the Seth and the Disina visited with the Rican clan just before the traveling started.”
“Another clan with a boundary dispute,” nodded the Emperor. “Is Lord Padro also making the rounds among his neighbors?”
“Not exactly,” answered Fisher. “Lord Padro is certainly visiting other clans, but not in the south. I learned from Katzu that the Rican lord has been busy visiting some old enemies of yours. He saw Lord Padro at the Pikata estate. He also heard that the Rican lord had already been to see the Vessi, Glamaraldi, and Lejune clans.”
“The four clans that hosted the Jiadin,” nodded the Emperor. “Now what Lord Burdine said makes sense. He said that Lord Sydar told him that clans that were already on my poor side would be the ones to ask for the vote. So Lord Padro is definitely one of the plotters.”
“So it seems,” nodded Fisher. “What I haven’t been able to find out is who else is involved. I can find out who was visited, but not what they talked about or agreed to.”
“You have found out a great deal already,” smiled Marak.
“And what are you going to do with the information now that you have it?” asked the spy.
“I am not sure,” Marak admitted. “It helps knowing the major players, but Khadora cannot afford this type of nonsense right now. The Time of Cleansing is coming very soon. I can feel it.”
“I could eliminate a few of the players for you,” suggested Fisher.
“No,” the Torak shook his head. “That is not the way to build unity. I want to make these rebellious lords understand that there are greater things at stake than their estates. We need every fighter we can find, and I do not plan to turn any of them away.”
“I understand,” shrugged Fisher, “but if you change your mind, let me know.”
“You have such confidence in yourself,” chuckled Marak. “Assassinating a clan lord is not an easy task, yet you offer it so easily.”
“I understand what is at stake,” Fisher replied seriously. “The odds of any of us surviving this coming war are slim. What difference does it make if my contribution comes before the war or during it? The offer is a serious one.”
“And I will take it as such,” Marak nodded soberly. “Let me try to find a better approach first. If I cannot dissuade these lords within the bounds of the law, then we shall talk again about this matter.”
“You have already called for an Assembly of Lords,” Fisher pointed out. “This is likely to be the last one before the fighting starts. Whatever you have planned, you must do it soon.”
“Agreed,” nodded Emperor Marak. “It must be resolved at that meeting.”
“Do you want me to continue pursuing this matter?” asked Fisher.
“No,” Marak shook his head. “I think you have identified the major players. If I can find a way to handle them, the rest will fall into line. Have we heard from Aakuta?”
“Not a word,” frowned Fisher. “I fear the worst. I do have another man on the Island of Darkness now. He will not provide a great deal of intelligence, but he should be able to notify us when the ships leave port.”
“Who is it?” asked the Torak.
“I do not think you have ever met him,” answered Fisher. “His name is Calitora. He is a Chula shaman.”
“An excellent choice,” approved Marak. “Can we communicate with him?”
“We can,” replied Fisher. “He confines himself to the mountain peaks so there is no chance of our conversations being overheard. Why do you ask?”
“I am not sure,” the Torak admitted. “It is just good to know that we can ask for specific intelligence if we need to. We know a great deal about the coastline of the Island of Darkness, but we have little knowledge of the interior. Perhaps this shaman can provide that knowledge?”
“Calitora has the ability to travel in feline form,” nodded Fisher. “That would make mapping the interior possible without alerting the Motangans. I will pass your request on to him.”
Marak nodded with appreciation and changed the subject, “What Chula tribes border the estates of our three rebellious lords?”
“One tribe borders all three estates,” replied Fisher. “It is the Sookie tribe. The leader’s name is Grundar. Why do you ask?”
“I want to meet him,” replied the Torak. “I have been very thorough in meeting all of the Khadoran lords, but the same is not true of the Chula chieftains. Someone should have berated me for that lapse. Do you know Grundar?”
“I have met him,” nodded Fisher. “He is a bear of a man, but very friendly.”
“How long would it take for all of the Chula chieftains to get to Changragar?” asked Marak.
“If it was important,” mused Fisher, “two days at the most. Perhaps even one day might suffice. The Chula will race night and day if it is required of them. What are you planning?”
“I want to meet all of them as soon as possible,” declared the Torak. “You have reminded me that this will be the last Assembly of Lords before the war. Shouldn’t I make the effort to meet my Chula brothers?”
“You certainly should,” Fisher grinned broadly. “May I have the honor of setting it up?”
“Please do,” nodded Marak. “With the secret door to Changragar, I can be there quickly. Just let me know when to arrive.”
“I will come and get you personally,” promised Fisher.