Lorian rolled his head back and took a deep breath. His temples were throbbing again. He tried to recall the history lessons from his past life, only one example came to his mind- the famous Siege of Malta. There, the five hundred Knights Hospitaller, alongside roughly five thousand local militia and Spanish soldiers on the small island, were besieged by the Ottoman Empire and a massive coalition armada of Barbary Corsairs led by the legendary, ruthlessly brilliant admiral Turgut Reis.
Malta's six thousand defenders had successfully resisted and defeated an army forty to fifty thousand strong. Just like Veridia, the defenders had been entirely cut off by sea, outmanned nearly eight-to-one, and forced to watch their outer fortresses fall one by one in a brutal war of attrition.
However, even in that war, the tide of the siege had turned only when the pirate mastermind, Turgut Reis, was struck and killed by shrapnel during an assault. Without his strategic genius holding the unruly coalition together, the invaders lost their coordination, suffered massive casualties, and were eventually forced to retreat when a small relief force arrived.
But who would be the 'Turgut Reis' of the Red Sail Syndicate? And how would they be able to single out that mastermind and kill them? Lorian was wondering in his mind.
Furthermore, Lorian did not have a sacrificial pawn like Fort St. Elmo to lure the enemy and wear them down mentally and numerically. And anyway, much of Jean de Valette's strategy had hinged on the Gran Soccorso- the relief force promised by the Spanish Empire. The Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller had formed his entire defense simply to buy time until it arrived, while exhausting the enemy in the process.
But Veridia did not have a Gran Soccorso. They were entirely alone.
Lorian looked at his councilors, "Do any of you have a plan to counter them? Rena, you too can speak freely."
"Our navy will fight to its last breath," Admiral Vorlag declared, standing up abruptly, "I request… no, I beg your permission to return to sea. I will fight alongside my men. And I guarantee you, by the time the last of my sailors dies, the pirates will have lost the morale and numbers required to launch a land invasion. Even if they manage to set foot in our city, they will be in such a broken state that Commander Lucien and his men will clear them out with ease!"
A disheartened smile appeared on Lorian's face, "I commend your bravery and dedication, Admiral. Veridia is lucky to have such men serving her. However, what you are speaking of is bravado. I respect and admire it to the highest regard, but I cannot bet my city and the fate of my people on bravado alone. Forgive me, Admiral, but I cannot approve that strategy."
Lucien stepped forward toward the Obsidian Table, "Before discussing my plan, let me ask something of Kaelen Strong and Jax Nightclaw."
Both of them stood up simultaneously, "Anything, Grand Commander!"
"You two have just clashed with a vanguard of these pirates," Lucien remarked, "Can you enlighten us on how they fight- both as individuals and as a group?"
Jax and Kaelen exchanged a glance before Kaelen answered, "The pirates are no better at fighting than well-armed commoners, Lord Commander."
Jax chimed in, "However, they have one thing commoners lack- bloodlust. From the little I've seen of ordinary humans, they don't fight unless they have no other way out. But these pirates? They love to bully. They are innately cruel and greedy."
Anya countered, "And you came to know all of this just by fighting a few of them for a few hours?"
Jax looked at her and smirked, "There's an old saying among my people, My Lady;- 'The tongue can weave a thousand lies, but the fang only knows the truth.' A few hours in a bloodbath tells you more about a soul than ten years sharing a tavern bench. In the struggle, the masks fall off. And those men didn't fight like wolves protecting a pack; they snapped like starved jackals looking for an easy meal."
"I know," Lucien noted, "There is a similar saying in Veridia- 'You only learn what kind of wood a tree is made of when the fire starts to burn.' No one here is questioning your judgment, my boy. We just want to know the details of the enemy we are soon going to clash with. You have fought them, so your experience can help us be better prepared."
Jax nodded, "Forgive me, Warchief, if I sounded defensive. I am still trying to get used to human interaction and…."
Lorian cut in, "Jax, come to the point. We are running out of time."
"Yes, Master," Jax said, quickly checking himself, "When Nid'r's boys first hit their left flank, a real unit, like our Veridian Guard, would have locked shields, stood shoulder-to-shoulder, and held the line to buy their brothers time. But the pirates? The moment the first three guys were torn off their mounts, the men right next to them didn't swing their blades to help. They literally shoved their own comrades backward into the wolves' jaws just to stumble away and gain a few extra seconds to run. They don't have a pack. They are just a collection of runts who happen to be walking in the same direction until things go wrong."
Lucien nodded, making a mental note.
Jax continued, "Even in the middle of a chaotic ambush, their eyes were in the wrong place. Kaelen swung his sword and dropped one of their captains early on. He was wearing a silk cloak with gold coin buttons. Lady Anya, I swear to you, while the wolf riders were getting ready to charge the next line, two pirates from the back row broke formation and knelt in the dirt to rip those gold buttons off their dead captain's coat. Can you even imagine?"
Anya smirked, nodding in disgust.
"They were so blinded by a few pieces of shiny metal that they didn't even notice the axes coming for their necks until it was too late," Jax said, his voice was rising with excitement, "And the funny thing was, before the blades crossed, they were howling like hungry dogs, boasting about how they were going to skin us alive and decorate their hulls with our entrails. That is probably how they act when dealing with helpless merchants. But the second the tide turned? The second they realized Kaelen is no fancy noble and the wolf riders are no helpless merchants, their fake courage evaporated. The same men who were laughing and torching the treeline five minutes prior were suddenly on their knees, weeping, groveling in the mud, and throwing their weapons away. They aren't ferocious, my Lords and Ladies. They are just bullies who rely on terror because they don't have the stomach for a real, quiet, disciplined fight."
Jax looked at Lucien, who signaled him to take his seat.
"Aren't you giving me too much credit?" Kaelen whispered to Jax as they sat.
Jax smiled back, whispering in his ear, "You know I'm not."
Lucien cleared his throat loudly to halt the side-talk, then addressed the council, "What Jax Nightclaw described- vividly and clearly, at that- gives us a distinct advantage. We can face them with ease using our well-trained, disciplined soldiers. Their quantity can be countered by our quality."
Everyone in the council nodded in agreement; for the first time, a ray of hope pierced the room.
But Lorian chimed in, playing the realist, "You know what they say- 'Where there is a whip, there is a way.' Do not forget that the Pirate Empress rules her army with an iron grip. Her whip can be far more fearsome than our discipline. And cowards respond to a greater fear, always."
Theron Valerius looked mildly surprised, "My Lord, forgive me for doubting your judgment, but aren't you being a bit…"
"Dampening the morale?" Lucien smiled, and with Lorian's permission, spoke on his behalf, "Morale is for the troops on the ground, Lord Theron, not for leaders and commanders. A commander cannot afford to be blinded by high morale, or he will drive his troops to a certain death. A commander must be aware of every danger and disadvantage, and adjust his strategy accordingly."
Anya joined in, "But if the commander himself appears hesitant or scared, won't that fear spread to the troops, plummeting their morale as well?"
The Admiral now spoke up on Lucien's behalf, "That is what differentiates a commander from a great commander. A great commander hides his fear completely, keeping a brave face against all odds to instill the promise of victory in his people. He boosts their morale so high that his men will gladly fight against the impossible."
Lorian nodded, his expression turned resolute, "I have decided on our next course of action."
"We are all ears," Gravil said.
"The navy will try to hold off the pirates a bit longer to buy us time. In that time, we will entirely evacuate the western, northern, and southern districts of the city. We will move the citizens to safety behind the walls of the Auric Spire," Lorian commanded.
"But my Lord!" Gravil was astonished, "The Auric Spire cannot handle so many people- that is three-quarters of Veridia! It will be entirely too cramped."
Lorian's voice was unyielding, "If needed, even my personal chambers will be opened to accommodate my people. Veridia's citizens are its true wealth. I am not going to let them be butchered or enslaved by pirates. I have made my decision. Issue the evacuation order. Command the people to bring their coin, food, weapons, and only their most precious valuables. If anyone brings extra luggage or unnecessary items, they will be stripped of them at the gate. Furthermore, employ as many clerks as possible to keep strict records of the refugees entering and their possessions. I believe these records will come in handy later. The more people we employ, the faster the evacuation will proceed. Once the citizens are secure, we will recall the navy. I am against any unnecessary loss- be it wealth or manpower."
Admiral Vorlag spoke with concerned voice, "My Lord, in naval warfare, a retreat means something very different. We are not just the human fighters; our ships are part of our strength. The fleet cannot retreat up into the Spire. They will be destroyed or captured by the Syndicate."
"And that is a risk we will take," Lorian spoke coldly, "I believe each sailor fighting right now is more valuable than even our flagship, the Goldstar. I can always construct another ship. But I can never recreate a well-trained, deeply experienced naval officer who is currently fighting against all odds. Issue the order. While the evacuation is underway, we will forge a proper battle plan."
Rena finally spoke up, breaking her long silence, "My Lord, I understand the emotion and logic behind your decision. But I hope you realize that by consolidating everything there, you are making the Auric Spire a massive target. The pirates will focus all the might on Auric Spire only!"
Lorian smirked, a dangerous glint in his eye. "Yes, indeed. That is the plan. The Auric Spire is going to be our Fort St. Elmo."