Trojan War Chapter 5

 

5.

“My father holds great feasts but does the end justify the means?” Ares was staring at the gathering when he was joined by his uncle, Poseidon.

“Does everything we do get justified?” Poseidon stood there with his stare looking at the same gathered guests. “Has any of the twelve worlds ever rested on their laurels and peace reigned?”

Ares did not reply for he was the God of War. He dwelled on conflicts so that he could thrive in their needs of weapons, and most times, mercenaries. Ares held a planet-size of weapons production from the concealed hand blaster to the shoulder supported missiles launcher, and the armored vehicles with the cannons or missiles launchers to the heavy warheads.

Ares’ favorite was the Spartans who profess war as their life long desire. Any man or woman who had not had a scar from the battle was considered a failure. He had visited them many times to recruit them as mercenaries for the other worlds. They like him knew no loyalty except to their own and those who paid them for it.

“I believe they have. There have been no major conflicts for over a decade now. Any conflict was resolved by the Olympians as judge, jury, and defender of that ruling.” Poseidon replied to Ares.

“And it has been and now the armies of the twelve worlds are sent to do conquest in the outer boundaries,” Ares added to the words of his relative.

“The Frontier ever-expanding and the new planets are annexed by the worlds, adding to their numbers and our expansion with it.” Poseidon smiled. “Zeus had managed well with the realm. He has done more than even with Uranus and Cronus.”

“True words to his influence, but the conquest of the Frontier remained ever ongoing.” Ares sighed. He was not one to lose a war and that war was ongoing for years. Just when he thought they have defeated the Frontier might, another leader will appear and a new conflict began. It was not the conflict he felt the pain but the fact that his weapons were ineffective to quell the Frontier. It may be seen as an opposing thought to his idea of ongoing conquests but he felt that he was losing.

“The Phoenicians lost two Motherships and several frigates to the Frontier recently.” Ares voiced out.

“It will be a good investment than to you. They will require replacement.” Poseidon smiled.

“It may be true, but those ships lost to a smaller armada of stealth frigates. A lost I cannot accept. It renders my creations as worthless.” Ares replied in disgust. “Ares weapons are to be the best.”

“It may not be your weapons, Ares. It could be the incompetence of the Phoenicians who did not know how to use it.” Poseidon replied. “I have seen them in battles. They are not the best strategist, although they hold great numbers. Their wealth brought them that. Not their bravery or strength.”

“And five divisions of the Spartans assisted them. They took over the three outposts at the Mede Belt against a force twice their numbers.” Ares had supplied the mercenaries to the Phoenicians.

“A land battle in the catacombs of the Mede Belt requires dexterity which the Spartans hold,” Poseidon spoke highly of the mercenaries.

“True, the Phoenicians are armored for artillery and heavy bombardment moves, but when it comes to the physical battles they lacked the skills for it,” Ares remarked back.

“It’s a feat which your placement of droids will add to their strength and a hefty return to your treasury.” Poseidon reminded the younger God. “That why’s you are called the God of War. It’s you who will coach them in the best of strategy.”

“If only their worshipping to me was equal in return.” Ares smiled. It was a known fact that Ares also supplied weapons to the Frontier’s army to continue the conflict. After all who else will give him the needed return of wealth?

“I heard you all.” It was Artemis who had appeared before her brother and uncle. “I am not in favor of the conflict. I believed the pursuance of conflict on the Frontier has its cost to the worlds.”

“Ah, behold Artemis, the Goddess of the Hunt and preserver of the Creatures.” Ares made the snide reference to his sister who had joined them.

“I am who I am. Your support of the conflicts had endangered many creations there. It’s not only people who suffered or be listed as casualties, but the other creatures are sacrificed as well.” Artemis was the Goddess of Hunt and to her, any creature can be culled but not removed with mass destruction.

“Artemis, you are the supporter of the Frontier too.” Poseidon scowled at the young woman. “Your rank of the Goddess had eluded you of the real ranks of the women in our realm but don’t forget that you are still one of them.’

“I am not forgetful of that discretion, Poseidon.” Artemis addressed the other by his name. “We lived in a realm where masculine comes with testicles and penis, and not by their valor.”

“Yet, you support the Amazons in their war.” Poseidon snapped back. He was the God of the Ocean in the realm, and every world at every planet, his influence was as wide and deep as the oceans in those planets. He held followers as he named them but spies to others who will report of any activity however frivolous but decided to him in the end. His network of followers cut across the worlds including the Frontier. For Poseidon, his followers are like the school of sea creatures ever vigilant and in every crack of the planet.

“And if I do…” Artemis replied in defiance.

“And she will, with my support.” It was Hera who came to her aid. “After all, when they all die; the people of the twelve worlds, or even the Frontier, they still needed my service to atone their sins before they are allowed to move on. I am the Goddess of the Underworld.”

“Hera, you favored conflicts to keep your influence afloat?” Poseidon looked at the other. “You are unique yet are we not the same here?”

“Hypocrites, all of you are.” It was another young God named Apollo. “I have spoken to Zeus of late that the world needed conflicts but it does not justify wars. I was thinking of the battle of wits or skills, competitive yet without casualties. I called for them as sporting events.”

“Sporting events? You mean like competing on some designed arena. I am appalled that you will think of such events when they”, Ares was the one retorted then, had motioned to the assembled. “They strive to win. And to the winner, all that left was to the loser’s which is not much.”

“Those were my exact thoughts there, brother. The loser forfeited all of theirs to the winner. It’s still like war but the bloodshed will be minimized.” Apollo smiled. “Well, it applies only to the ones in the realm.”

That was the call for the new level of conflict to be engaged as the means to resolve the issue.

And it was called the games. The games were so exciting that soon the Gods got involved directly.