Trojan War Chapter 28

 

28.

Hector returned triumphantly to Troy and was ushered into the Hall of King Priam. He was met by the King and other notable leaders.

“The shield worked. The Archaeon is on the defenses now.” Hector reported to the King. Hector was one of the leaders of Troy. He was elderly but kept his frame muscular with the regular workout with his men. He had traveled to the Frontier to conspire and plot the attacks on the other worlds. He had denied the peace impose on them by the Olympians and continued his war through the Frontier.

His the best ally was the Amazonians.

“We thank you for the information on the attack. We do not know how the Archaeon knew of that?” The Amazon warrior looked at Hector then when they escaped the moon.

“You lost a heavy investment there.” The Amazon said. It was true that Hector invested in the station as his contribution to the Frontier, giving them aid and supplies. When he heard of the war with the others, he acted on his instinct. He had told King Priam.

“We need the allies from the Frontier. They will share a common enemy with us but they need to be convinced to join us.” Hector told the King.

“Then do what is needed.” King Priam told Hector. “I will want to win.”

“I will give up my station at the far moon,” Hector announced to the King. “For the good of Troy.”

“It was a huge sacrifice, Hector. It will be repaid…” King Priam had told Hector.

“I want nothing but give me war. I will gladly fight for Troy.” Hector cut in. “I will …..No, I need to fight. I am restless.”

“You will be my trusted warrior. I give you the command of Troy’s army.” King Priam promised Hector. “All of them.”

“And their ally.” The voice belonged to the newly arrived Amazonian. The lady warrior walked up to the King. “I am …”

“Penthesilea. The Amazon Queen. The daughter of Ares and …. Otrera. How are you?” King Priam greeted the other Queen.

“I came with my warriors. And fleet. We have been fortunate to have Hector as our benefactor.” The Queen looked to Hector and smiled. “Your war is our war.”

“You are alone?” Paris who was there cut in. “I …”

“The beleaguered allies at the Frontier will come when I summoned them. We share no love for the other worlds. Or the Olympians. We are, after all, outcasts in your view.” Penthesilea looked at Paris. “I believe you are the renowned Paris who took the lady away.”

“Her name is Helen.” Paris reminded the Queen.

“Another woman to the whims of the men.” Penthesilea mocked the other women. “If she was one of …”

“Show me, Queen Penthesilea. I am Helen now of Troy. Formerly that of Sparta.” Helen had joined them at the Hall.

“Feisty, you are.” Queen Penthesilea smiled. “I thought that Sparta only has males…”

“We are trained the same but held back by selection unless Sparta is besieged which now Troy will be. As I …”

“Please, Helen of Troy. I am an impatient warrior, and hardly a woman. I will fight for my planet if there were any of the worlds but we are all a nation of warriors. We lived to battle.” Queen Penthesilea made known the vow of the Amazons.

“If the position of Troy is at stake, then I need to be …. Trained once more.” Helen voiced out.

“Train? I think that would have been the works of Paris your lover.” Queen Penthesilea looked at Paris. “Is that not the ways typical of a Man to steal and plunder away us …women?”

“Queen Penthesilea…. “, Paris had taken offense to that. “I am not that man you describe. I hold my respect for Helen. I will wage..”

“Spare me that, Paris of Troy. War was called on by King Menelaus. Now you either fight or return that whom you say respect. I cared not for I am here to fight. I am with Troy to fight the others.”

“The first to thank you will be.” Hector bowed to the woman warrior. It was an unprecedented move then. King Priam had to place on a smile for the women Queen. He later called on Hector to visit him.

“Your act of consenting towards the Queen…” King Priam was cut off.

“Was it an insult to you, King Priam? When have we Men bowed to the women? They are lowly creatures compared to us. We are the ones that fought wars while they remained at home. Yet in Sparta, they are trained to defend their homes.”

“Enough said, Hector. Do not forget your rank to mine? I am still your King.”

“You are, King Priam but the coming war will be the toughest we have faced. Any ally we can gather is an extra fleet to ours. Do you know that although we hold the shields and cannons we are limited in number? The one at the station was dismantled in time, but we left some essential parts that could not be moved. The core for one was too unstable to be moved then and we had to leave it behind.”

“Most unfortunate but it may be a necessity to showcase our strength to them?” King Priam looked at Hector. “Was it worth saving the women too?”

“King Priam, the need outweigh the cost. I have now the support of the Amazons and soon the others. The Amazons can be persuasive.”

“You can justify that to the loss of one core? I cannot fathom that in my mind.” King Priam remained adamant about the exchange for the core. “We have not enough cores to go around for all the five planets of Troy? We are limited to cover only half of each planet. If the battles take full scale, we cannot fool them all.”

“I know. I will suggest that we move the cores to the three planets we can hold and let the others be taken.” Hector replied.

“You are mad, Hector. I will …” King Priam hit back.

“I will get the Frontier armies to protect the other two planets,” Hector explained his strategy for the war. ”It’s needed for us to get them to be our allies.”

“And to be sacrificed if need be. I am beginning to see your strategy.” King Priam smiled. “But do not be consenting towards the women.”

“Listen well Hector, I am still your King,”