You consider for a moment, then nudge the tea pot closer to the middle of the rough table.
"Pardon me," you speak up. "Would you care for some tea? I know that it's been something of a morning for all of us."
The pacing officer stops short, then blinks at you as if surprised by the offer. He considers for a moment, then takes a few steps to sit across from you where he pours himself some tea.
"Er, thank you." His voice sounds strained and weary and his face is smudged with powder smoke, much like yours is, you suspect. One of the epaulettes of his uniform is missing, taken off by some near miss with a sword or bayonet. You take a long sip of your tea.
"Lieutenant Marran Marinos, His Majesty's cutter Lydia," you break the silence by introducing yourself first. Maybe it'll make him less reticent.
Marran Marinos rolls Diplomacy
3 + 2 + 6 + Diplomacy 10 = 21, success
"...Captain Zeno Attaliates, His Grace the Duke of Tyrabea's 2nd Regiment of Foot. I believe you were the one who received my sword, Myx Marinos," he says quietly, one hand reaching down to touch the weapon at his side. He's been paroled, of course, so you have no worry of him using it. To do so would violate the rules of honorable warfare, after all. You nod your head. "I didn't realize you were a lieutenant."
"You and your men fought very well," you reply. "And yes, ah... I had a late promotion, you could say."
"Well, it is no dishonor to turn my sword in to you, you fight well yourself," he replies taking another sip of the tea. Outside the rain continues and a moment later Calixta comes trampling in with all the subtlety of an elephant and drops a plate on the table in front of you with a whole loaf of breat, a pile of smoked sausage, and hard cheese. It's not exactly the breakfast back at the governor's house but you're ravenous and immediately dig in with a will. Food. Delicious food. You look up to continue speaking in between bites.
"Ah, Captain Attaliates, this is Lieutenant Calixta Acropolite, of the 17th Regiment of Foot. Miss Acropolite, Captain Zeno Attaliates of the Tyrabean 2nd." You smile slightly and a look of recognition passes between the two of them. Calixta smiles thinly.
"Yes, we've met," she says and Zeno nods.
"We have been acquainted at a few events, yes..." He says and you gesture at the seat next to you, Calixta sits heavily and sighs.
"Thank God for something to eat, eh?" She says and reaches out to grab a piece of sausage which she begins to consume without much regard for table manners. Even nobility gets hungry, you suppose. Zeno is rather more sedate, carefully slicing cheese to place on a hunk of bread.
"I suppose that the battle is over?" Zeno's question breaks the silence that follows as all of you fill your stomachs.
"At least here it is," you say.
"Mmm. The governor hasn't sent us any word yet, so..." Calixta shrugs. "Who knows, our positions may be reversed soon enough." She pauses for a moment.
"Perhaps," says the captain though his tone suggests that he thinks otherwise.
"Er, I haven't seen Major Tzimiskes..." She starts, probably referring to the commander of the fort. Zeno looks pained for a moment, then answers.
"Regrettably he was hit by a musket ball earlier in the fighting. He survived initially but the wound proved fatal..." He shakes his head sadly. "A damned shame. He did his duty to the end. He could have given up the fort without a fight but he was not the sort to do such a thing." Calixta grimaces at that, but nods. The reality of war. It's so strange that the three of you were all trying to kill each other barely an hour before and now here you sit, calmly talking about casualties like it's the result of a local horse race.
"I regret that I did not have a chance to meet the man," you say. "Did you plan to seize all of the forts at once?"
"That is what I was told, yes," the captain replies. "I've no idea who was in command of the other efforts or even if they've succeeded, though. "
"I was against it, you know," he adds. "The Duchy is better off as part of the kingdom. If we declare independence how soon before the Myrvovans or some other bastards think we can be snapped up easily? No..." He shakes his head. "But orders are orders."
"Orders are orders," you echo and Calixta nods in grim agreement.
"I don't suppose they'll hang me for this, will they?" Zeno says wistfully. "At the least I hope they give me a firing squad. That's a soldier's death." He seems resigned to his fate and you can feel your heart swell a little at the cool display of fatalistic courage in front of you.
"I can speak for you at your court martial," Calixta says. "You behaved absolutely properly. There may be leniency, especially if you are able to provide more information..." Zeno laughs at that and shakes his head.
"Oh, good gods. No, no. I couldn't do that. It would violate all sense of honor and the oaths I've sworn. No, no... Though if you speak up in favor of a firing squad I shall be grateful." You swallow. It's strange, seeing him so resigned to his fate and so cooly eating with those who have sealed it.
"It's a shame we didn't meet in better circumstances. I could have used another dance partner last week," he continues, his gaze slides over to Calixta and he smiles. She just looks grim.
"I wish it had not come to this," she says. "But that is all that can be said for it. You were a good friend, you know."
"I did my best. I shall settle that note I owe from cards last weekend, though, don't worry," is his reply. Calixta tries to laugh but it comes out as a strained sigh.
"Don't worry about it. You have more important things on your mind, I expect..." The conversation trails off there as a melancholy settles over the group after the exhilaration of victory. Once again, Zeno is the first to speak.
"I heard the great guns firing. I suppose His Grace tried to enter the harbor?" You blink, then nod.
"Several ships did. That was the Duke?"
"Yes. He was supposed to bring in his ships once the forts were taken, but I suppose you've seen him off. Pity." He philosophically begins spreading butter on another piece of bread. "Well done, Lieutenant. I expect you'll be rewarded for your actions here."
"I don't know about that," you say quietly. "I'm a commoner raised to the ranks of the officers. I doubt I shall see my star rise much higher."
"Oh? Well, that's a shame. Someone like you should go far..." The conversation doesn't have a chance to die away because there comes a knock at the door and a private with a musket on his shoulder opens the door.
"Miss, myx," he nods at you and Calixta. "Sergeant Kerularios sends his compliments and there look like some reinforcements arriving."
"We'll be there momentarily," Calixta replies and gets to her feet. She hesitates, then reaches across the table to shake Zeno's hand. "Good luck, old man."
"And you," he replies before you match the gesture.
"A pleasure meeting you, captain," you say. The words taste like ashes in your mouth. He'll likely be dead inside the week.
"And you, lieutenant," he replies. "I do hope to have the pleasure of your company again some time." You nod, unable to form a proper reply, then grab your hat from the hook by the door and follow Calixta back outside. As you come to the gatehouse, the gates have been opened to let the approaching column enter--a whole second company of the white-and-yellow accoutered infantry with an officer on horseback at their head. A captain, you think. As he comes up to the gate, you and Calixta both salute and he returns it.
"Good morning to you both. Job well done, Acropolite. And... Marinos, was it?"
"Yessir," you say.
"Well done. Had a devil of a time getting up here earlier. Some of the bastards had barricaded the street--you must have got past before they were in position but they've been cleared out now. The governor instructs me that you are both relieved. Lieutenant, I'll be taking command." That at Calixta. "Myx Marinos, the governor's compliments. You may take your marines and return to your ship. I'd be careful though, there's still shooting going on down in the town, but things seem to be mostly under control." You nod, salutes are exchanged again and he goads his horse onwards to follow his soldiers into the fort. You turn to Calixta and offer a hand to shake.
"Well, I suppose this goodbye for now," You say and she shakes your hand with gusto.
"I suppose it is, but I suspect we'll see more of each other. If only because of that unpleasant business."
"Ah, yes. You're quite right."
"Hopefully there will be more pleasant business to deal with, though, so perhaps I'll see you with happier purpose. Take care!" With that, you part. You assemble your depleted marines and duck in to see Vipesan. She seems to be in a stable condition at least, though she is weak and the surgeon says she cannot be moved yet. She might pull through or she might not--he says that if she lasts the rest of the day, her chances of recovery are much the better. You bend over her to murmur your thanks and your reassurances, promising to see her again back aboard ship and then lead your depleted marines back down to the harbor. You pass by the Governor's House on your way back and see a row of bodies lined up at the side of the row covered in sheets, soldiers boots sticking out in a macabre display. A few soldiers are collecting dropped muskets and other gear and they stand aside to let your small group go by.
Your way down to the harbor is unmolested, though you hear occasional bursts of musketry elsewhere in the town that slowly die away until there are only a few interspersed pops. You all clamber back into your boat and are rowed back to the ship. You rare remarkably happy to be back aboard your cutter. As you stand at the railing, you see the massive shapes of the admiral's squadron beginning to move slowly through the mater towards the harbor entrance--she must be meaning to go and hunt the Ducal squadron, though you suspect that they will have too much of a lead to be caught today, especially with the weather as it is. As you come aboard, weary and tired, Piteras greets you.
"I was worried you wouldn't be back in time to make sail, myx. We're ordered to sea to support the Admiral's squadron. I've been delaying as long as I dare with the flagship signaling." You rub the bridge of your nose, then nod.
"Very well. Prepare to get us under way, Mister Piteras. I'll be in my cabin." You find that you have no eagerness for this chase and tromp down into your cabin, leaving the sailing master to take the ship out of the harbor. You are bone tired, but the requirements of the service and all of that...
------
The search for the Duke takes two days and turns up nothing on the open sea, which you thought would be the case, but you find that they have slipped into the fortified anchorage of Selymbria, where the guns of their own forts keep the fleet from engaging them effectively. Leaving a pair of frigates and other light ships to keep an eye on them, the squadron is ordered back to Delphinos. You return, eager to get a chance to rest after the wearying week you have had. Your ship is back at anchor and you can begin refitting and letting your men get some rest. You've been back a day or so when you receive a letter. Well, three letters.
The first is from Calixta, noting that you forgot to give her back her pistols (you rascally naval pirate) and asking if you'd be so kind as to return them and perhaps join her for a ride or breakfast or something like that.
The second is a rather more official communication from the general commanding the garrison here, asking that you make yourself available at such a date and time to testify in the court martial of one Captain Zeno Attaliates in the coming week.
The third is good news. The surgeon writes that the sergeant has survived and looks to be making a full recovery, though she will need at least a month of bed rest before he can even think about returning her for duty. It's a relief to find that out and you send a note back thanking the surgeon for his diligence.
There's a lot to be done here.
[ ] Accept the invitation: You'd love to see her again and you DO still have her pistols. You've never really gone riding but there's a first time for everything, right? It sounds like a lovely plan. Plus it might get your mind off this other unpleasantness.
[ ] Send the pistols back...: You don't know that you have the time or energy to go ashore right now. Send back the pistols with a nice note thanking her for the use of them.
-[ ] ...and politely decline. You don't really feel up to socializing. You have too much else on your mind, even if Calixta turned out to be an alright sort for an army officer. Maybe another time.
-[ ] ...and invite her aboard. You don't feel up to socializing ashore but if she can find time to come aboard your ship, you can give a nice dinner courtesy of Mister Thabo and she can meet your officers.
And then there's Captain Attaliates.
[ ] Testify in his favor: There isn't much else you can do here. It's your duty to testify about the events of the day in question. But you can testify that he was only obeying the orders of his superior officers and that he expressed his regret to you after the fighting was over. He was following his sense of duty and honor and how can a man be condemned for that?
[ ] Testify neutrally: Better to just give the facts of the day, what you saw, and what you heard. Nothing more. Trying to alter the outcome of this trial is not part of your responsibility, no matter how charming and friendly the captain is.
[ ] Testify negatively: Point out that you lost good marines storming the fort and that the 17th lost good men, including the late lamented Major Tzimiskes, all of whom who were doing their duty for king and country. He is a rebel and a traitor and you are going to make that clear to the court.
