Darius and his friends had been spending a lot of time at Dane's, over the last two weeks, a fact which had become fairly common knowledge, among Triscans in general. In fact, the diner had gained a reputation as a hangout for anyone with anti-Cabalist sentiments. It was a reputation that had troubled Dane himself, at first, not wanting his establishment to become a potential military target; however, the increased business soon allayed his fears. On the afternoon of Tuesday, 3 Aut'gin, Adam entered the diner, walked over to the group's table, and said, "Excuse me, everyone. Mind if I join you?"

Darius looked up and said, "Dad... I don't think I've ever seen you in here. I mean, except that one time a few months ago, but... you didn't quite look like you. It feels kind of weird. Ever since I was a kid, I guess this place has always felt like a no parents zone, or something."

"Be that as it may," said Alec, "please do sit."

"Thank you," said Adam, taking a seat.

"Yeah, sorry," said Darius. "I should have said that, myself. So, what brings you here?"

"Well, I know you all lost your special t-mail bubbles, but I still have mine. It rather startled me when I received a call on it, a little while ago, from your friend Ms. Oddberry. She wondered if I might relay a message to you."

"It's funny she didn't just send one of her own people over here," said Tom. "Surely someone as well-informed as her must know where to find us."

"I asked about that," said Adam. "She said that of course she knew you all frequented this place, but didn't want to further damage the diner's reputation. Dane must have enough to worry about, lately, without the attention that might be drawn by... her kind of people. So, she asked me to ask you to pay her a visit."

Before anyone could respond, a server walked up and asked Adam if he wanted anything. "I won't be staying, but maybe you could fill this with coffee?" He reached inside his coat and produced a flask.

"Be right back with a fresh pot."

After she'd left, Darius said to his father, "You could call Oddberry and tell her we'll stop by within the hour."

"Will do."

The server soon returned and poured Adam his coffee. He started fishing for a coin, but Darius said to put it on the bill for the meal. Adam grinned. "You mean the meal you're paying for with the money I gave you earlier?"

"The rent money you gave me? Yeah."

Adam laughed. "Touché."

After Adam left, the others quickly finished their meals, paid the bill, and departed. As they walked, Ginger said, "Hey, Darius, we've just left one dining establishment and we're already going to another. You should think of this as practice: some night I'm going to get you to come out with us for a similar experience. Just replace the diner and tea house with-"

"Pubs? Sorry, I'm not big into crawling."

Ginger and Tino both laughed. Tino said, "Resistance is futile."

Before long, Darius, Tom, Alec, Ginger, Tino, Cameron, and Emma arrived at the Jasmine Dragon, where they were immediately ushered into Cherilyn Amalgamator's luxurious office. They were surprised to find not only the don waiting for them, but also Capp Primus.

"We meet again, Mr. Lonewander," said the capo with a broad smile. "It seems events have transformed you into a more interesting figure than you were the first time."

"Thanks. I think."

"And thank you for providing my gang with bittrickle."

"Yeahhhhh." Darius's response was more an exhalation than a word, and his tone conveyed mixed feelings about the matter.

"You're welcome," said Cameron.

"Of course," said Capp, "most of the thanks belongs to you, Mr. Piper. But let's get to the point of my visit. I've been sent to escort you to my brother, so you all can have a little chat."

Darius asked, "Does this mean you've changed your mind about LandOrder helping us in the war?"

Capp shook his head. "Just doing a favor for Poss. Sorry."

"So, where is he, then?"

The capo stuck his hand into his pocket and withdrew a note, which he gave to Cameron, rather than Darius. "His coordinates. I heard you had some excess chakra, but expended it all breaking into Demos's throne room. Wish I could have seen that. Anyway, I'm sure now that you've had ample time to rest and recover, you can translocate yourself and one or two others. If more of you wish to come, one of you could join Merv and me," he nodded his head toward the Sorreter standing behind him, "and don Amalgamator could spare a Sorreter or two of her own, I'm sure."

"I'll be staying here," said Tino. "Pacifist, you know; no need for me to join in any war meetings."

Darius waited a few moments for anyone else to speak up, then said, "I guess the rest of us will be going. Aside from Cameron, that's five. So-"

"We won't be needing any extra Sorreters," said Cameron. "I've long been accustomed to taking a mana battery with me, wherever I go. In the past, that would have meant I could make multiple trips, but since my system has gotten used to using a lot of mana all at once, I'm now able to translocate my whole group in one trip."

"Excellent!" exclaimed Capp. "Shall we go now, or do you have things to do, first?"

Darius glanced at each of his friends to gauge their feelings, then turned back to Capp and said, "No time like the present."

Capp waved his hand; Merv stepped to his side, touched his shoulder, and then they were gone. Tino said goodbye to everyone, and exited the room. Darius nodded a farewell to Amalgamator, who nodded back. Then he and his friends all joined hands, and the six of them vanished.

They found themselves in a large, comfortable living room, not unlike the one in Evan Wayfarer's manor. Capp Primus and Merv Newline were already seated beside Poss Primus on one couch. Darius and the others quickly found seats of their own, facing the trio.

"Well," said Poss, "before we get down to business, I want to offer you all my sincere condolences on the loss of your friend, Tiejo."

Once again, Darius looked to his friends before deciding on a response. He got the sense that they all thought everyone present could be trusted with the truth. "Um, thanks. But actually... Tiejo's better at dodging than the Cabal's assassin was at hitting his mark."

The two gangsters and one soldier leaned forward in unison, each with a shocked expression. Then Poss grinned. "You mean...?"

"Yeah, he's fine. But we thought it would be best to keep that fact quiet, for now. I imagine we'll have to make an announcement soon, though. Maybe Tiejo can make a live appearance on a bubblecast. You know, that Orthodox guy may not like bubble-screens, but I'm already having trouble remembering what life was like without them."

Tom scoffed, "You mean what life was like a month ago?"

"I've never had a very reliable long-term memory."

Before Tom could reply to that, Poss cut in. "Well, I'm glad to hear he's alive. I'll leave the details of that announcement up to you all. But what we're here to discuss today is how to get the war started."

"Yes," said Alec, "I've been getting rather impatient for that."

"I think the whole world has. And now it's pretty clear that there are two regiments on our side, against at least four on the side of Demos and the Cabal. Plist has Colonel Orthodox to command its regiment, of course, but the Kimrin regiment needs a commander of its own."

Taking that cue, a previously unseen figure entered the room. "And since I have some experience, I'd say I'm the man for the job."

Alec immediately jumped up and exclaimed, "Stavros!"

"Hey, buddy. How's things?"

Alec smiled, and reseated himself. "Oh, you know. Not bad. Yourself?"

Stavros also took a seat. "The ship my platoon's been on reached port, yesterday. Won't say which port. But I immediately contacted the marshal-"

"Ex-marshal," said Poss.

"Well, let's hope that's soon put right. Anyway, he sent a Sorreter to fetch me, and we've been making plans ever since. Now it's time to let you in on those plans, General."

Alec looked at him quizzically. "General?"

"Obviously," said Poss, "even though we still consider ourselves to be on the side of the Second Order, technically that name currently belongs to our enemies. And they have a general: Tovan Middlebury. Which means we need one of our own. It's no surprise Colonel Supprus is comfortable accepting you as his C.O., and I've also talked to Orthodox about my intention to assign you that rank. Since I made it clear that it's a temporary commission, he graciously agreed."

Alec sat in stunned silence, for a centhour. Finally, he smiled and said, "Well, I imagine it will be nice to be back in my comfort zone. Being a member of a small team of civilian adventurers is great and all, but there's nothing quite like having an army at your command."

"Comfort zone?" asked Darius. "Really? The first war lasted, what, like five months? Out of all the years you've been alive... that's your comfort zone?"

"Yeah," said Ginger, "and what about the six years you spent in the Band?"

"I'll admit, in the last year or two I've really started warming up to you guys-"

Emma grabbed a throw pillow and smacked him with it.

"Ow. What I meant was, 'Oh, damn, I can't believe I'm stuck with the horrible burden of command again.'"

"Well, boon or burden," said Darius, "congratulations, General Inco. Now... what about the rest of us? Do we get temporary commissions, too? Seems to me I've read a number of stories where a ragtag bunch of reb- uh, adventurers- end up getting high-ranking positions in an army that shares their cause. Obviously we can't all be generals or colonels... and I wouldn't really expect to become a major, just like that. But maybe we can be captains?"

Alec and Poss both shook their heads; it seemed Poss was about to speak, but Alec beat him to it. "I'm afraid not. Things might have worked that way in the first war, since the Army had barely existed for a couple of years, at that point. And until the war started, hardly anyone outside the Northern Alliance even knew there was an Army. So even the newest recruits could quickly advance through the ranks, or even start with high ranks, if they proved they deserved it. But regardless of what we call our Army, and in spite of recent reorganization, we are organized, this time. And it would be an insult to those who have spent years earning their rank to just promote you all above them."

Darius nodded. "Fair enough."

"However," said Poss, "I do suppose Ms. Protestant might be given a higher rank, if she wants to do any actual fighting, since she will be bringing us a significant number of new recruits. And perhaps Vallus, since he is so well-known, and has experience from the last war- even if he was our enemy, back then. I could see him as a captain, which might well mean making Tiejo his lieutenant. Especially if he delivers a great many 'rats to join our cause."

"Uh-" Darius began.

But Poss continued, "And if Mr. Piper brings us a fair number of ex-Sorreters, it would be fitting for him to lead them."

"Yeah, but-"

"So that leaves Darius, Tom, and Ms. Pseud. The three of you, I think, shall simply be designated as 'soldiers.'"

Darius sighed. "You know, it's always bugged me that the lowest rank in the Army is just called 'soldier' and the lowest rank in the Navy is just 'sailor.' Those terms are kind of ambiguous, you know? If we're going to be emulating Terran rank systems, there are other terms we could use."

"Well," said Alec, "when you command your own army, you can give your soldiers whatever designations you like. For now, you will simply take whatever rank you are given without question or comment."

Darius quickly saluted, said "Yes, sir!" and just as quickly lowered his hand.

Alec, Poss, and Stavros exchanged glances with each other, and rolled their eyes. Alec said, "You have a lot to learn just about the proper way to salute. How could you possibly expect a promotion when you don't even know the basics?"

"Sorry, General. I hope my inexperience with hand gestures doesn't get someone killed on the battlefield."

"You've also got a bit to learn about the proper use of sarcasm when addressing a superior. Luckily, it's a simple lesson: don't."

Darius glanced at Tom and said, "Oh, shite, you and I are both screwed."

"Enough of that," said Ginger, somewhat irritably. "I don't care what rank I get. Right now I just want to know what the plan is. Cameron and I both have people we'll need to relay this information to. As does Tiejo. And Adam."

"Quite right," said Poss. "So, here it is:"

Before he could begin, Capp said, "Well, I've done my part. No need for me to stick around, since Mr. Piper can clearly get you all back home, just as he got you here. Poss, be seeing you."

"Good day, brother. And thanks."

Capp nodded to Poss, then put his hand on Merv's shoulder, and the two gangsters disappeared.

The plan was this: Poss and Stavros would lead the Kimrin regiment, and march on Near Port. (Darius asked if it wouldn't be better to travel by wagon, and Stavros informed him that 'march' was meant figuratively; of course they'd be using wagons.) Meanwhile, Alec would be translocated to Plist. Darius and the others could each choose which regiment they wished to join. Poss inquired as to the number of new recruits that could be expected from Ginger, Cameron, and Tiejo. Ginger said at last count there were about two thousand volunteers spread across a few villages, including Plist, Triscot, Tanq, Jump Village, and First Village. She would go to Plist with Alec, to oversee the integration of her recruits with Colonel Orthodox's regiment. Cameron said he'd have to talk to Bishop Drag, but he guessed he could provide anywhere from one hundred to three hundred ex-Sorreters. Darius said he'd discussed the 'rat situation with both Tiejo and a 'partner who wished to remain anonymous.' They'd told him they had people armed and ready to fight in nine different villages: Kimrin, Near Port, First Village, Tonad, Ship, Shipsister, Jump Village, Tanq, Plist, and Triscot. All told, about forty-three hundred.

Darius also told Poss that he should get in touch with Taryn Hillrat, who had organized the 'rats of Kimrin and Near Port. Between the two villages, Hillrat commanded about three hundred 'rats, which would bring the total of Stavros's regiment up to thirty-three hundred, the same number it had included before the defection of Major Monogwrangle's companies to Near Port. The same defection had raised the number of troops in Near Port to fifty-one hundred, a situation which understandably worried Poss. Especially considering that they could probably count on another eight hundred troops being sent from Port to reinforce Colonel Woodman's regiment.

On the other hand, the addition of Ginger's two thousand recruits and Tiejo's four thousand to Colonel Orthodox's eighteen hundred would give them a more than two-to-one advantage when they marched on First Village, where Colonel Muttonchop commanded thirty-two hundred troops. Darius suggested sending some of the new recruits from the southern villages to the Northern Alliance instead, but Poss said it would be impractical. In fact, it would be difficult enough moving all the Protestant and 'rat recruits from their various villages to Plist, let alone the extra thousands of miles between those villages and Near Port. And another consideration was how exactly the troops would be transported once the marches from Kimrin to Near Port and from Plist to First Village began. As the crow flies, Supprus's regiment would have about eighteen hundred miles to travel, and Orthodox's would have about twelve hundred. If both regiments transported all of their troops by air, both could reach their destinations in less than a day. However, neither regiment had enough flying vehicles to transport their full complements that way. Many of the troops would have to travel on land, with transports drawn by striders rather than powered by magic. Which meant traveling at less than half the speed they could by air; it also meant they couldn't make the whole journey without stopping several times along the way. Besides that, the Plist regiment wouldn't be able to travel 'as the crow flies,' because on land, there was a forest and a river in the way, which necessitated a considerable detour- making it a journey of two thousand miles. And all these considerations came after the new recruits had joined their respective regiments, which they'd have to deal with before the marches even began.

Darius said, "Up til now, my preference for solitude has made me glad our world's villages are so far apart. Now I'm starting to think the people who settled them were frickin' idiots."

"Anyway," said Tom, "Stavros, didn't you say you all had been making plans since yesterday? It seems like you should have worked out more than what you've told us so far. Which is practically nothing."

"We worked out what we've told you about troop movements in the first five centhours, if that. The rest of the planning was about actual battles, which you don't need to know about. When the time comes, you'll all just follow the orders that are given you. Of course, our battle plans will have to be tweaked once we see exactly what we're up against, instead of just anticipating it. But you'll just have to trust that we know what we're doing."

Tom nodded. "If you- uh, I mean, yeah. I can do that."

Ginger said, "Marshal- I mean, Mr. Primus- fully half the Protestant recruits I mentioned are from Plist, so it should be easy for them to join the regiment there. There are also a few hundred in First Village, so they could simply wait for our main force's arrival there. In both cases, the same can be said for Tiejo's allies. He and I also both have allies in Triscot, Tanq, and Jump Village. I should think it would make more sense for them to go directly to First Village, rather than going out of their way to join the Plist regiment, first."

"That's actually a point I was coming to," Poss replied. "What we were thinking was, Tiejo's and your recruits from Triscot could gather at Shanty, and from there, Darius's pirate allies could transport them to Shipsister, stopping along the way to pick up more recruits from Tanq and Jump Village. From that point, there are two possibilities. Either the troops assembled at Shipsister could continue by land to Tonad, where they would join Tiejo's recruits from that village and be joined by the regiment from Plist, and then all continue from there to First Village; or, the troops could travel from Shipsister directly to First Village, crossing Drop River, while the Tonad and Plist troops march on their own, so that First Village may be hit from two sides. As for Tiejo's allies in Ship, I think it would be best for them to stay there, and do what they can to cause trouble for our enemy's naval base in that village."

"A two-pronged attack isn't a bad idea," said Tom. "But I think we could actually make it three or four prongs. The regiment from Plist needn't go all the way to Tonad before turning toward First Village. They could shave about five hundred miles off their journey by simply marching along the west bank of First River, instead of going all the way around First River Forest. I've traveled that way, myself, during my adventuring days, and I can tell you there's more space than most people think, between the west bank and the forest. In fact, I've often thought it's a great mistake that the mapmakers call the forest on both sides of the river 'First River Forest'; they really should be given separate names, because they are in fact separate forests. I also can't help wondering if, after dropping off troops in Shipsister, it might not be a good idea for our little makeshift navy to continue to the mouth of First River, and sail down to First Village from there."

"Interesting thoughts," said Poss, "and I shall consider the former. As for the latter, I'm afraid it won't be possible. I've already decided that 'our little makeshift navy' shall sail to Port, to take on the Second Order's naval headquarters. Of course, we won't stand a chance unless the best part of their fleet is sent to Near Port or to First Land, but as Darius said earlier, we'll need all the strength we can possibly muster in the Northern Alliance, where we're at a disadvantage. My main hope is that they can at least stall our enemies from transporting additional soldiers from Port to Near Port." To Darius, he added, "I'll need you to put me in touch with the leader of your pirate allies. I trust they'll accept my command?"

"Undoubtedly."

"Good. I'll also need to make it clear to them that I have no real expectation of any of them surviving the war."

"I'm quite certain they're used to long odds, and they've clearly chosen a dangerous occupation, to begin with. Nor are they stupid; if they've chosen to join us in this war, they know the risks, and are willing to take them because they believe in the cause."

"Perhaps, but I can't help worrying that the cause they originally signed on for, when you asked them to join your rebellion, bears little resemblance to the cause at hand."

"A fair point," Darius admitted. "But I'd already essentially given up the idea of rebellion, when I first talked to Captain Teach- Alphonse Teach, by the way- he'll be our navy's admiral. And I have spoken with him much more recently, so he and his people are fully aware of the change in plans. Obviously, you'll be talking to him yourself, before any of us put plans into action, but I can tell you he's already promised me that the majority of people he's organized will find the current situation far less risky than the one I originally proposed."

Poss grinned. "A fair point." He paused to consider whether it was necessary for him to mention one of the things he had in mind concerning the pirates, but decided it was not. He'd be discussing it later with Captain- or rather Admiral- Teach. Stavros already knew about it, but there was no reason for anyone else present to concern themselves with that plan.

Alec had been intending to say something for awhile, and now used the lull in conversation to do so. "You know, Colonel Orthodox should be able to lead his regiment without my help. Perhaps I would be better utilized leading the secondary attack you mentioned. I'm sure Tiejo and Ginger's followers would be more inclined to follow my command than would members of the army I deserted, nine years ago. And anyway, someone needs to lead them."

Poss said, "Ah, General, wise, as always. I was going to select a major for the task, but you're quite right, of course. Well then, I think that also answers the question of whether or not the recruits we transport to Shipsister should join those already in Tonad; of course they should. And I'll inform Colonel Orthodox of Tom's idea. You and yours shall march via the Tonadian Way; the colonel shall march along the river." He turned next to Cameron. "As for your people, I assume they can all translocate directly to First Village?"

"But of course."

"Then you should either join them, wherever they are, and wait to hear from Alec, when he's ready for you; or you should go with Alec, and call your people yourself, when the time comes."

"I shall meet with Drag, and decide on which course seems best, but I should think the latter."

"Very good. Now, unless anyone has further questions or comments, I've said all I need to say. You're dismissed. But do try to make yourselves more available, will you? I'd rather not have to rely on gangsters to track you down, next time I wish to talk."

Darius grinned again. "Of course. With all due respect to your brother and his organization, I think he and I are both relieved that our association is essentially at an end."

"And yet," said Poss, "you still don't mind working with pirates?"

"Well, you know... they may be criminals, but seeing as we don't have any ninjas on the Land, I reckon pirates are about as cool as it gets on this here planet. At least until someone invents cowboys...."

Poss rolled his eyes. "Son... with all due respect... I'm starting to think my brother has more reason to be relieved by the end of your association than you do."

"You're not wrong," said Darius and Tom in unison.

Emma laughed, but Cameron just sighed and said, "Okay, everyone join hands. Let's leave the good gentleman alone before he rethinks his association with us." And so they did.

Less than two days later, on the morning of Penul'day, 5 Aut'gin, a large group of Protestant and 'rat volunteers from Triscot assembled at the dockyards in Shanty. The 'rats were led by the Vole, who would be in charge of integrating them with the 'rats that would later be joining them when they arrived in Shipsister. While the original plan had called for the pirates that were transporting the recruits from Shanty to stop in Tanq and Jump Village, it turned out Admiral Alphonse Teach had already sent a portion of his fleet ahead to Tanq, to collect that village's recruits. The ships departing Shanty today would sail directly to Shipsister, while those leaving Tanq four days hence would stop in Jump Village to collect more recruits, and the two groups expected to meet in Shipsister on the fourteenth. From there, they would march to Tonad, to be joined by still more recruits. The Vole had been granted the temporary rank of sergeant, though ultimately he would be commanding two thousand 'rats from five villages. Alec noted with some amusement that that was more than some colonels commanded, and would in fact constitute more than half of the regiment he himself would be leading. Of course, the Vole wouldn't technically be in charge of all the 'rats in Alec's regiment, but in fact any one of them would sooner obey him than any non-rat of higher rank than the Vole. But Lieutenant Tiejo impressed upon the Vole just how much respect was due General Inco, and the sergeant ordered all the 'rats to show that respect to the general, and any other officers in the regiment.

Alec, the Vole, Darius, Tom, and Emma would all be traveling on Woodsorrow, with Admiral Teach, until they reached Shipsister. While Alec expected his regiment to begin the march to Tonad the day after they arrived, Teach's reunited fleet would leave as soon as the troops had disembarked and the ships' crews had completed any resupplies that might be necessary. From there, it would take the fleet about twenty-three days to reach Port, and begin the assault on the Second Order's Naval headquarters... if all went to plan. Cameron would be translocating Ginger, Vallus, and Tiejo to Plist soon after Teach's fleet set sail. But first, Tino and they would say their goodbyes to their friends.

"Well," said Tino, "I guess this is it. Seeing as I'm not going with either group, I don't want to keep you, which means, I think, that I should speak first, and leave all you heroes to your heroing. Star-I mean, General-best of luck to you. Not that you'll need it; I trust you've got mad soldiering skills."

"Uh, thanks," said Alec.

"Emma, Cameron, take care, both of you."

"We will," said Emma. "And we'll miss you."

"But we're used to that," added Cameron.

"See? I knew my truant tendencies would turn out to be for the best!"

"If you say so," said Tom.

Tino turned to him and shook his hand. "Oh, Tom! I, uh... don't know what to say. But good luck." Turning to Darius, he said, "You too, Dare."

"Thanks," said Darius. "But, like you, I trust in Alec's skills. Plus our vastly superior numbers. It's Marshal Primus's regiment I'm worried about."

"Yeah, well, I trust his skills at least as much as I do Star's. Not to mention Stavros's."

"And Taryn's!" exclaimed Tiejo. "I meanings, Sergeant Hillrat. Far fewer 'rats will she be leading than the Vole or I, but mad skills I believe she is having, also."

Tino grinned. "No doubt. Though I haven't met her yet, and as far as I know you only met her... twice, was it? I have the utmost confidence in your ability to judge character. Among your many other talents."

"Naturally," said Tiejo.

Next Tino turned to Vallus. "And just as naturally, I have faith in your skills. Nevertheless, I wish you luck, as well, Captain."

Vallus inclined his head and said, "Thank you. I look forward to seeing you again when this is all over. Hope you don't get too bored, til then."

"Don't worry, I'm an expert at finding ways to entertain myself. Although I suppose I'll be too worried about all of you, to be bored."

"Well, don't spend all your time worrying," said Ginger. "I've got a pretty strong feeling that we'll come through this alright. Meanwhile, you wouldn't be the man I love if you couldn't find time for fun, with or without us."

Tino turned to her and took both her hands in his. He just smiled and gazed into her eyes for a few moments before speaking. "Back at ya, my dearest. Even before the battles begin, I know you'll have lots to worry about, yourself. Lots of work, and duty, and all that. But you wouldn't be the woman I love if you couldn't find time for fun."

"Oh, don't worry about that," said Ginger with a grin. "I'll be on my old stomping grounds, remember. There's not a corner of Plist I don't know exactly how to wring some fun out of."

They held each other's gaze for a few more moments before pulling each other close and kissing. When they finally pulled away, Tino sighed and said, "Do take care. And good luck, Lueftenant."

Ginger looked at him quizzically. "Did you just call me leftenant?"

He tried not to grin, but couldn't help himself. "Yeah... an old Terran pronunciation, which I always liked. No one's said it that way on Earth for several hundred years, though. It had completely died out probably a bit less than a century after the Land was created, I mean aside from being used in historical movies. I've missed it, and I wanted to hear it said that way just once on this planet, even if I had to be the one to do it. Although, since you repeated it, I guess I got to hear it twice. Thanks, hon."

Ginger grinned. "You're welcome, goofball."

Tino saluted her, still grinning, though his smile faded as he lowered his hand. With another sigh, he reluctantly turned and walked away.

Once he was out of sight, Darius said, "I'm a bit surprised he didn't stay to watch the ship depart. Isn't that what people normally do, in situations like this?"

"No one's ever accused Tino of being normal, to my knowledge," said Ginger. "And in his place, I wouldn't want to stick around, either. The sooner goodbyes are dispensed with, the easier they are. No reason to prolong something that's inherently unpleasant."

"I agree, I just haven't met many people other than me who feel that way about it." He paused before continuing, "Anyway, I liked the way he said your rank. Maybe I could-"

"No. That... I think that should be for me and him. Our thing. So you will call me 'lieutenant.' That's an order, soldier."

She grinned as she gave the order, and Darius returned the grin, though he took the command seriously. "Yes, sir!" he said, saluting her.

Alec said, "Glad to see you've learned to do that properly. And I'm glad you're not grumbling about your rank anymore."

"Hey, it's fine," said Darius. "I never wanted to be a leader, anyway. You all know that, I said it when we first met. I just had leadership forced on me because the rebellion was my idea. I'm actually relieved not to be in command of anyone."

Ginger sighed. "Can't say I blame you."

Darius turned back to her and asked, "So, uh... what about you? You've seemed very determined and focused, these last two weeks, since you decided to accept Arch-bishop Regent's request. I have complete faith in you, but... are you really sure you're ready for this? It's one thing to organize your people, but actually fighting in a war... I mean, after what happened with-"

"What happened with Seth Manager was exactly what I needed to steel my resolve for what lies ahead. It's true that I'm not thrilled by the idea of fighting a war, let alone leading untrained recruits into battle, but it needs doing. And I know I can do it... though I trust Colonel Orthodox will provide us with as much training as he and his people can, before we actually see battle."

"Glad to hear it."

Ginger suddenly thought of something Darius had once said, and it made her grin again. "You know, maybe all this is like one of Jaspar's stories... where the uncertain young heroine finally finds her confidence and overcomes her self-doubt."

Darius's own grin returned. "Could be."

Alec said, "And how about you, Darius? Are you sure you can overcome your self-doubt, and fight effectively in the field?"

Turning to the general, Darius replied, "Oh, I'm actually kind of looking forward to it. I spend almost every moment over-thinking everything in my life. And I've thought long and hard about the nature of the war we're about to fight, and come to the conclusion that we are in the right. Those who choose to fight on the side of the Cabal have no excuse for not recognizing the truth, and they've had every opportunity to choose the right side. So I'm not going to feel a moment's guilt about doing what has to be done. Having made that decision in advance, I can stop thinking when I get on the battlefield, and simply act. That makes me feel far more relaxed than I usually do. Although I do worry that might mean there's something even more deeply wrong with me than I previously suspected...."

"You may be mad," said Alec, "but it seems to me I once heard an old Terran quote... actually, something Stavros told me about, though I've no idea where he heard it. I'm sure he could repeat it properly, something about a king wanting a madman to bite his generals. I don't remember, exactly."

"Ah, so what you're saying is I get to be a general, after all?"

"What? No, that's not- oh, hell, just get on the bloody ship, already! Ginger, Cameron, Vallus, Tiejo, good luck to you all." With that, Alec turned and headed for the Woodsorrow.

Darius said, "Well, I guess that was an order. We'd better get going." He started to follow Alec.

"Right behind you," said Tom. He and Emma followed Darius.

But suddenly, Darius turned back to Ginger and said, "I do rather wish I could see the team of Orthodox and Protestant in action. Should be interesting."

"Oh, I'm sure you'll see us. Our regiments should both be getting to First Village on the same day, if all goes as planned."

"Right, how could I forget? The plan just happens to call for all of us to arrive on my birthday. Emma's, if we're a day late. Maybe we can have a party."

"I just hope it ends better than your birthday party did," Emma said to Ginger.

"How could it not?" asked Darius. "After all, Woodman will be like six thousand miles away, this time."

"Thank God for small favors," said Cameron.

With that, the companies parted ways.

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