Rip up every tile in Londinium and root out the devil scum hiding under them! *cough* *cough*...
Ragged Citizen
I hear there's gonna be a big shipment of Oripathy meds coming in.
Ragged Citizen
I got a friend at the procurement office. Maybe he can get me some meds first, and I'll see if I can get some for you, hah... cheers— *hic* —
Ragged Citizen
You were strutting all day when you got into the duke's army... and then you went to the Exemplars, and now here you are after the end of the war, just like me.
Ragged Citizen
Two Infected with nothing left—
Drunken Soldier
Who are you calling Infected?!
Drunken Soldier
I can fight! I'm not like you! I'm not afraid to die... *vomit*—
The other patrons look up at the staggering soldier.
A coin flies across his face and lands on the bar counter. A haggard figure grabs him by the shoulder.
Shearer
He's drunk. Take him home. I've got the bill.
Shearer
Don't mind what they said, madam.
Catherine
He's just telling the truth, Lieutenant.
Shearer
I'm retired too. But suit yourself.
Catherine
Sure. As for your question... it doesn't matter if I was talking to the one whose name's on the warrant, or Reunion, or anybody else.
Catherine
The workers want to do something for our home. I can't just stand by and watch everything get worse.
Catherine
Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. That's how things have always been for us.
Shearer
...
Shearer
Just friendly advice. I've seen what medicine from dubious sources can do. I watched a soldier collapse into his drink a couple of days ago.
Shearer
I'd performed emergency surgery on him during the war.
Shearer
That time, he survived. But this time... it was the last checkup he ever got.
Catherine
You're a kind soul.
Catherine
The apothecary in my neighborhood says he can't remember how many came to him for poison during the war.
Shearer
I don't remember everyone I've ever treated, of course.
Shearer
I've seen much worse in my time as field medic, but at least I get to see those who walk out the field hospital again.
Shearer
Spend enough time drinking here, and you begin to recognize the faces in the crowd that you've seen before, even if it was only once.
Catherine
I know some doctors, the Rhodes Islanders. Maybe you need their help.
Shearer
You forget that I'm a physician myself... what do you think of the Exemplars?
Catherine
It's asking a lot, getting an old burdenbeast to remember something that long ago.
Catherine
It's ancient history, even to me. All I remember is that decades ago, when kids would brag about this and that, they wouldn't be tossing around the names of dukes, it was the Exemplars.
Catherine
There were lots of heroes. Lots of them lost.
Shearer
No, what I mean is—
Catherine
I know what you wanted to hear, but I don't have anything else for you. Sorry.
Shearer
Most people in the new 'Exemplars' aren't soldiers. You can't compare them to the old ones.
Catherine
We didn't start celebrating here in the city when the dukes defeated the Sarkaz, that's the end of it.
Catherine
The walls were on fire, and unarmed Londiniers trapped inside with the Sarkaz.
Catherine
Nobody knew if the dukes would spend the next two months talking before they entered the city. Nobody knew what would become of us.
Catherine
It was the Exemplars who came. No one can take away what you did, not in Londinium, at least.
Catherine pauses. She notices the officer's hand trembling in the dim light of the tavern.
He reaches into his pouch, trying to find something, but finally sighs and takes a big swig from his mug.
Shearer
These days, the only contribution most of us make is to the business of the city's drinking establishments.
Shearer
Thankfully, the kindly owner here doesn't throw out loitering drunkards.
Shearer
After all, most of those who fought tooth and nail to get back home no longer have homes at all.
Shearer
To hard-won victory.
Shearer raises his mug, but Catherine does not do the same.
Catherine
I'm afraid you found the wrong drinking partner. I have an appointment to keep, and I intend to be sober for it.
Catherine
You're drunk, medic. Leave the alcohol to your later days.
Catherine
I've heard the rumors about the Exemplars. Why don't you talk to the Speaker directly?
Catherine gets up, goes around the other patrons, nods at the owner behind the counter, and disappears behind a door in the corner obscured by boxes.
I followed behind Vina and let her open the door, because I was still used to kicking them in.
The Glasgow Gang never, ever, caused trouble in Auchterigg Borough.
Vina said we were just getting a drink with some old Exemplar friends, but I knew there was a lot on her mind.
She had made arrangements to stop some factories and ration the refined Originium reserves for the winter.
But the word 'Exemplars' was always there at the bottom of her memo—our old friends.
Excited Soldier
Deal. You're gonna answer my questions frankly and truthfully, right?
Morgan
As long as you beat me at arm wrestling.
Excited Soldier
Brr—
Morgan
Piece of cake.
Excited Soldier
Hmph, I figured my injury wouldn't be a problem...
Morgan
I know what you want to ask.
Morgan
'Will she disband the Exemplars?'
Morgan
Honestly, I don't know. The stuff she's thinking about has been getting more and more complicated, and I've given up trying to figure it out.
Excited Soldier
My guess is no. She even came to see us in the clothes that she wore when we fought together. If that's not sending a message, I don't know what it is.
Morgan
Didn't she say she just didn't want to draw too much attention?
Excited Soldier
That's what's in all the books! You wouldn't get it.
Many Exemplars are suffering from their lingering war wounds.
Shearer
With medicine in short supply, alcohol represents one of the few sources of comfort available to them.
Shearer
While some are here for information, most are here all day and night because they simply have nowhere else to go.
Vina
Is this why you wrote to me? To stand up for them?
Shearer
No... I see you have not read my letter.
Vina
...
Vina
I'm sorry, there's been so much going on—
Shearer
You used to be more straight and forthcoming, Madam Speaker.
Shearer
If you think the Exemplars are calling for you to pay more attention to veterans' welfare, I can tell you that you're wrong.
Shearer
They're waiting for your next order.
Vina
...?
Shearer
Everyone I've talked to for the past two months believes that Siege has grown since becoming Speaker, that she's getting even better as a leader.
Shearer
And the question they ask the most is—where do we go next?
Vina
Are you telling me to continue to send them to bleed and die, instead of trying to make life better for them?
Shearer
You never truly saw yourself as their leader. You saw them as equals, as comrades in arms. I respect you for that, but it's also where you have failed in your responsibilities.
Shearer
Forgive my frankness, but for many of them, what's left of their lives will never know a greater happiness than the taste of victory they enjoyed as the Exemplars.
He grabs his mug and tries to take a swig.
But it slips from his hands and falls to the ground.
Shearer
...
The others look towards Shearer, whose eyes are red as he takes deep breaths, trying to keep himself under control.
He takes out a coin, puts it on the table, and raises his hand at the proprietor without looking at him. On his part, the proprietor simply goes about cleaning up the mess without batting an eyelid.
Shearer
One more of the same, please.
Shearer
Where were we, Madam Speaker?
Vina
...
I never got along well with Lieutenant Shearer. For a long time, Vina's fist knocking him dizzy had cemented my impression of him.
A field medic. Stubborn, but largely calm and dependable.
His surgeon's hands brought many back from the brink of death.
Morgan
You... why—
Shearer
Lingering effect of an injury.
Shearer
It was one hell of a battle, wasn't it?
It wasn't his hand that was injured. I remember it well.
He sat straight and tall. I thought he had recovered with Delphine's help.
As he said, though, it was one hell of a battle we fought to return to Londinium.
As of yesterday, the Military Commission still had a heavy presence in important areas.
Delphine
With the Royal Court elites deployed around the walls in a standoff with the dukes, however, the resistance within the city stands a better chance.
Indra
The siege's gone on ten days already! When are the dukes gonna charge?
Delphine
If the priority is to minimize casualties amongst the allied forces, then besieging the city is the best way, particularly with the Duke of Wellington's position still uncertain...
Morgan
But they're playing with the lives of innocent citizens! If this drags on much longer...
Dagda
Are they really okay with taking over an empty city?
Dagda
If the truth about the situation here gets out—
Delphine
Nothing gets out. They will not allow anything to happen out of their control.
Delphine
People often underestimate the dukes, but the truth is, they have never changed.
Vina
Just like how they treated the Steam Knights.
Delphine
It's only one example... I can't say I know all of them well, but I knew my own mother.
Delphine
Ethics is the first thing to go out the window when dealing with matters of shared interest.
Delphine
The focus had already shifted to how to retrieve The Shard tech at the joint staff meeting last night.
Dagda
So they've already accepted this outcome.
Delphine
Dagda...
Dagda
I need a squad, Siege. I'm going to try that Confessarius passage that Shining shared with us again—
Dagda
I'll be back, Vina. I promise.
Vina
Go.
Indra
You're just gonna let her go like that?
Indra
I'm keeping an eye on you, Dagda. Now's not the time to play the hero!
Dagda
Well, you'd better not fall behind then, Hannah.
Vina
Delphine, any updates from Feist and Rockrock?
Delphine
They've reached the backup access port from when the wall was first built, but they can't find an opportunity to get close with all the Sarkaz patrols.
Delphine
The Doctor's team is trying to give us an opening. One feint attack is all that it takes to create an opening, but...
Vina
The alliance doesn't plan to attack at all.
Delphine
Correct.
Vina
...
Vina
Delphine, can you guarantee that you'll find a way inside, if there's a gap in the Sarkaz lines?
Delphine
Yes, but I need help. We can try to persuade the dukes again—
Vina shakes her head.
Vina
Give me two hours.
Vina
I'll pull a squad with decent Arts skills and some battle drones. We'll feign an attack on the access port at N12 to draw their attention—
Vina
You take the rest of them.
Delphine
No! You'll be going to your death!
Morgan
Chetleigh, Brentwood, the Gloriana, Silverrock Bluffs... we were going to our deaths, each and every time.
Morgan
But somebody has to do it. I'm with you, Vina.
There is no answer from Vina. Morgan notices a strange look on her face.
Morgan
...Vina?
Vina
Urgent message from the Doctor—
Vina
Loughshinny just went into the Wellington encampment.
Morgan
...
Delphine
...
Morgan
...Who's Loughshinny?
There were many things on the battlefield that I didn't understand. Calm and storm, victory and defeat, everything happened so fast.
After the alliance had besieged the city for ten days, the Gastrell, which had long departed the ducal alliance camp, suddenly moved into the heart of the allied position.
For the first time in a very long while, those who were listening to the alliance comms channel heard the voice of the old duke—
Tell the people behind us, no delay through the trenches!
Shearer
The bulk of the Sarkaz forces are being tied up at the front, but that doesn't mean we have all day.
Exemplar Nurse
Sir, there's a lot of equipment in the camp that we need time to—
Shearer
There is no time!
Shearer
We can deal with the equipment issue once we get into the city.
Exemplar Nurse
Some of the wounded can't walk on their own. We'll need to carry them by stretcher.
Shearer
You follow the path that Siege has cleared for us. I'll organize the transfer of the wounded. Now go!
Exemplar Nurse
I'll help, sir. I'm more familiar with the situation of individual patients.
Exemplar Nurse
Plus, I promised them I wouldn't leave them behind.
Shearer
Grab your own share of suppressant and protective gear from the patients' supplies. Better than nothing, at least.
Shearer
The closer we get to the walls, the higher the atmospheric Originium particle density. The wounded will be in more danger than us.
Exemplar Nurse
Yes, sir.
Exemplar Nurse
They say you're not a Londinier, sir. Why would you risk your neck like this?
Shearer
...
Exemplar Nurse
Look! Another battleship is giving covering fire for the Gastrell!
Shearer
The Duke of Caster...
Exemplar Nurse
Weren't they saying that the Duke of Wellington betrayed us and fell out with the Duke of Caster?
Shearer
Shit!
???
Contact his liege, we have sighted a small force of Victorians. Request permission to engage.
Nachzehrer Royal Court Elites
Get them. Leave survivors. Find out what their unit's objective is.
Nachzehrer Royal Court Elites
—?
Nachzehrer Royal Court Elites
What happened to the clouds?
Shearer
...Fire.
The sky lights up with the fire on the city walls.
The first wave of purple flame came from the bow of the Gastrell, gushing towards the walls of Londinium. And again. And again.
Like the cold waves of death that splashed against the sheer cliffs of Iberia.
It fell upon the Nachzehrers before Shearer, burning away the rot.
Londinium's walls are alight, ignited by Draco fire.
The Sarkaz defenders became kindling for the purple inferno.
Exemplar Nurse
Th—They're dead?
Shearer
Careful. The fire has cleared a path, but it's a threat to us too.
Shearer
Hah.
In the distance, he sees the figure on the withered throne fade in and out of the purple flames, gunfire from the ships roaring beside it.
On the walls, death ignites death.
Beneath the walls, the living walk amongst the ashes of the dead.
Shearer
This is a war that will shock all the Core nations.
Shearer
It is not the number of casualties that will interest them the most... but how many people on both sides are actually fighting for the city of Londinium itself.
