Feathered Heart - C&C Part 34 in prereads · 3:09pm Mar 27th, 2023
And with apologies, I had to break it up again, meaning the ending M-rated scene will be shunted to the next chapter. For those who were ready and eager for that scene after all the hints I was dropping, my apologies, but the combined chapter had once again exceeded 20k words even with the ending scene not even half-done.
But maybe it’s just as well. That way, this chapter gets given over completely to the confrontation between Gilda and Cipio with only a little suggestive content. Expect an epic battle—not of blades or bullets, but of wits as the pair finally have it out. Expect the fur and feathers to (figuratively) fly, and also expect a bit more Changeling lore to be thrown in for good measure as a slightly exasperated Queen Lepidoptes finally takes it upon herself to intervene.
Since I’m making you wait again, I’ll at least offer up a teaser:
“Shut up and listen!” Gilda said vehemently as Cipio’s beak began to open, causing him to flinch like he’d been slapped; she guessed he’d never been talked back to like this since making Tribune. “If the Cloven wanted the humans that badly, you could have induced them to attack the well-guarded walls of the city itself defended by human weapons, which could have had the same result at far less risk or loss of life! And with the Changelings of Queen Lepidoptes out there providing us intelligence on Cloven activity, we could have easily planned our own offensive operations to take out the Cloven factory and Overlord!”
Either due to her insubordinate attitude or what he thought was her mistaken reasoning, the Tribune’s anger only grew. “You are a recently promoted Centurion who is neither a strategist nor aware of the greater situation the Kingdom faces. So kindly spare me the lecture on military affairs, Centurion.”
She exchanged an angry look with Fortrakt, whose own wings she saw were partially flared a half a body length behind her, looking like he was only barely restraining himself from jumping into the conversation headfirst. “I got us this far, moving my scratch force twenty leagues through hostile territory, commanding up to two centuries of mixed forces through at least six separate battles. I fought and led from the forefront, so spare me any lecture on my inexperience or lack of military sense, Tribune!”
“She speaks true,” Giraldi confirmed calmly; she noted that he alone seemed serene, sitting with his wings relaxed. “It is as I told you outside, sir. She led us, not me. And did so superbly.”
“She did,” Imlay finally spoke. “For getting us to safety and risking her life repeatedly, she has the respect and loyalty of my Marines, Tribune. We’d gladly have her as our commander from here on out.”
“As would I,” Obsidian Ire added from where she was leaning against a wall in back with her arms crossed over her chest, her wounds healing beneath patches of chitin while still wearing her battered armor. “The Centurion commanded my clan sisters well and even rescued us when we initially disobeyed her. For saving our lives and proving as able with her wits as her blades, she more than earned our respect, Tribune Cipio. But for such a major error in judgment regarding the humans, I am having severe reservations about ever obeying your orders again.”
That earned a stare from the Tribune. “You swore an oath to aid the Kingdom, drakina, in exchange for the future liberation of your lands. As I am the military commander of this district, that means you obey me.”
“I swore no oath to you, nor would I,” the tall dragon female retaliated. “My loyalty lies with those who will help bring that liberation about. And currently, that does not include you.”
Tribune Cipio stood up. “Then we will duel for that loyalty, and the terms of my victory will be your obedience to my orders!”
Obsidian Ire lowered her head and inhaled hard to make the gaps between her chest scales glow bright, earning an alarmed look from the Paladins and magus behind him, the latter of which raised her staff to cast a spell. “And when I win, you will surrender your command to her!” she pointed at Gilda, who wasn’t sure if she was more honored or alarmed by the prospect, holding up her wings to symbolically form a barrier between them.
“By order of Queen Lepidoptes, there will be no fighting here,” one of the guard drones reminded them, speaking in a sharp female voice. “This includes declared duels. If you insist on having them, you must leave this ship.”
“Stand down, all of you,” Gilda instructed in strained tones. “You honor me with your trust and confidence, Obsidian Ire. But for as much as I might like to see his face ground into the dirt, I’m not ready for such a level of leadership,” she admitted, to which the dragon female stepped back with a parting glower, allowing the air in her lungs to cool. “I know the Tribune’s quality as a commander. We need him, but only if he can acknowledge his mistakes, both as a military leader and as a diplomat!”
“I made none, on either front. But you have decided to deliberately undermine my authority, and for what, Behertz?” Tribune Cipio leaned over the table again. “Perhaps because you are physically involved with a human? And were only stopped from having sex with him again because the war broke out?” he suggested in contempt, earning a shocked look at the news from his eagless aide and a far more disgusted one from the two Paladins behind him.
He grinned evilly when her cheeks went red and her wings flared in full fury, their leading edges arched forward to point their tips directly at him. She felt the pink in her vision growing along with her rage, only able to restrain it by reminding herself repeatedly that to give into the Tribune’s provocations was to play right into his wings.
But it wasn’t easy as the Tribune recognized that he’d found a sensitive spot and twisted his talons in deeper. “Yes, I was told about your indiscretions with the human named Marco Lakan by our superiors in Arnau. But even if I find the idea of laying with an alien ape appalling, it does not affect my judgment regarding you. But as you were reeking of stale sex and human spoor even in the receiving line, it is clearly affecting yours!”
So yeah. With Gilda’s fuse already lit, I’m sure you folks can imagine the explosion that this could cause. 
The chapter will launch when all prereads are in, probably around midweek—Wednesday or Thursday night, most likely. And after this, I’m currently waffling whether to work on Eros as promised or go ahead and finish off the final chapter of what’s become a three-chapter C&C mini-arc, so at least I have a good stopping point rather than leave this on a cliffhanger.
Even as I write that, I’m thinking that the most fair thing for readers is to go ahead and finish it so the scene climax is reached and with it, the resolution of the battle. So I guess that’s what I’ll do. I’ll aim to have it ready within two weeks after this latest chapter is out.
Awesome news, yet I start to doubt Cipio’s leadership qualities if he's pride is a problem.
While it is true that a victory over the cloven need to be complete over their race and preferably as soon as possible since time don't favor them, there is always a after and i somehow wonder if Cipio understand that rebuilding will be a lot more complicated if his and his allies population is decimated due to having spend to mutch population on a victory.
Maybe a bad example, but one that still works:
Of course one is a game played and studied and if necessary reloaded for another attempt.
Point is, one can pull victory of with less lost if given enough preparation, information about oneself and the enemy, tactics and so on...
Remind me also of this:
One is a good tactically sound commander, but pride and overconfidence makes them not flexible enough and subsequently a liability at one point.
The other can admit that he did badly within and is adapting. Retreat is a viable option under certain circumstances and there is a big difference between fullfilled a goal by reaching all mission objectives, to doing it without unnecessary pulling everyone through the meatgrinder...
that's not going to go over well if he just pokes her for optics instead of actually having a good reason to do so. i can see where the intervention from the queen comes from.
maybe gilda is quick witted enough to give him the whole "oh we were just doing our duty to the kingdom and supplying our allies with desprated needed ressources, that the likes of you can't provide :-P"
After what Cipio said about her and Marco, I KNOW Gilda is about to go World War III on his arse.