Return of the Scarlet Empress III - The Lookshy War

[Aevylmar]

He rests his head on his right hand, ticks off points with his left. "Several reasons. Here's the first. We probably wouldn't arrive in Lookshy before she did, and might not arrive in Lookshy at all." says Skandi, trying to be calm and rational. "When we tried to leave Lookshy, we were quickly attacked by two deathknights, with enough power to crash our airship. The Mask of Winters has excellent intelligence; I've been told that several times, and he clearly demonstrates it. He can use ghosts as scouts so that he will when we leave the encampment, and be able to track us." He raises a finger.

"Given the enemy's superior mobility and superior local numbers, they have perfect information and total control over the environment, except where Kharal Fire Orchid's army is. You're proposing that we walk into the midst of the enemy's scouts, making a journey that took days by airship on foot. We'll get exhausted if we try to press on without sleeping or taking off our armor, especially if they're willing to devote a few snipers to chasing us. They can deploy their two deathknights to attack us again, fresh, with full essence reserves, while we're exhausted and harried and possibly unarmored. If we can get the Frostwing working, they can shoot it down again. Our only choices are to remain with the army and accept that we utterly distrust our commanding officer, for perfectly good reasons - and to have quite a lot of fun fighting our way through an army of ghosts while we miss the battle for Lookshy."

He ticks off another finger and looks up at Zhou.

"Next point. Lookshy has a lot of Exalts. It has a lot of very smart, very powerful Exalts. It doesn't need a few more, except as more warm bodies. We can stand on the walls and be line soldiers, or we can do what no-one else can here." He sighs. "I understand that you hate her. I understand that you have good reason to hate her. I understand that she wronged the person you most care about in the world, and you'd do anything to protect her."

Skandi shakes his head. "Luna knows, I understand that much, at least. But don't think about what you want, think about what Lookshy needs. Good left and right flank commanders, plus intelligence, plus a real sorcerous expert, plus a siege weapon named Versi, could make the difference between the legion arriving intact at the walls of Lookshy to lend its strength to the siege, and a few stragglers barely making it after Kharal Fire Orchid is ambushed and assassinated."