Burt looked over the letter in his hands towards the messenger waiting before him. "Give me a moment with my generals please. This needs to be discussed before I can make a decision."

The messenger bowed to the man standing in front of him in the army tent and exited through the canvas flaps. Burt turned around and ran a hand through his thinning hair. He was getting too old for this, but he couldn't refuse the job either. Not with such desperation expressed in this letter, and the letter that came before it for that matter, and before that one. No, he had to do this. He couldn't refuse them and keep a good conscience, and even if he wanted to, his boys wouldn't let him.

He put his palms down on the table that had the continental map on it. Pins and little figurines spread over it to represent different territories, armies, and the locations of any scouts and messengers he had out. To his left side stood Finn, out of uniform as the messenger had caught them during a rare moment of calm. Instead he wore a simple brown tunic over grey slacks. Regardless of the lack of uniform, Finn was always armed and this was no exception, a belt hitched over his hips holding up his sword right now.

To his right was Noah Puckerman. Noah was in uniform, having been in command when the messenger arrived. The dark metal armor braced against his skin. His sword was sheathed on his back and he kept a dagger on him as well - his preferred weapon. When he was younger, Burt would have never thought Noah would have risen the ranks to general, much less stuck around at all, but the discipline and bonds he made with Finn and the others formed him into an amazing fighter and leader.

Across the table was his own son, Kurt, wearing a sombre red tunic and dark tights, a black cloak over his shoulders. Kurt rarely wore armor, and didn't need to. Where Finn and Noah were respected for their fighting prowess and tactical skills, Kurt was a diplomat. He could often diffuse volatile situations before Finn and Noah were even needed. Burt had fought for years against involving Kurt in his "missions", but Kurt wanted to be with his dad and, over time, had proven his worth. He was truly his mother's son and Burt couldn't be prouder if he tried. Kurt was staring intently at Burt, waiting for him to speak out of respect, though it was evident by the way Kurt was pursing his lips that the boy had plenty to say.

"You boys know I want to retire. I thought the last campaign would put an end to the inhumanity that we've been called upon to face. I thought I had ensured that the continent was free of tyrants who prey on the weak." He exhaled, pausing a moment to look down at the map, "I was so ready for that break that I ignored the kingship of Dalton. I was wrong to do that, and now we get letters every day and see the refugees and, damn it, I just want to be able to retire with a clear conscience. I want to know that I did everything I could to make this world better for the grandchildren I might one day have."

Finn pressed his lips together at that, Burt's stepson through Carole. He knew he'd likely be the one providing said grandchildren since Kurt, for all his diplomatic skills, never seemed interested in talking to any of the eligible men. They had known and accepted his preference for men for years now, hoping that he would find someone to make him happy and then take in a child who needed a home, but Kurt hadn't even looked twice at anyone in the time he'd known him. He had been far too focused on his father's dream of a peaceful continent.

Kurt's eyes followed his father, "Dad. You could retire. You don't have to do anything more. We can handle it. It has to be done, but that doesn't mean you have to lead the charge."

Burt caught Kurt's eyes with his own. "No son. This is King Anderson. If we take him down it's going to be a hell of a fight, and I'm the only one old enough to know his history and strategies. Plus it's personal. You all know the stories..."

Burt had been the son of the king of Lima, heir to it's throne. He had studied to be a compassionate, and benevolent ruler. Lima was no Eden, but all of its citizens were fed and people usually looked out for one another.

Then the neighbouring empire of Dalton lost its king and the then young prince Anderson was crowned king. He immediately had the men of Dalton conscripted and set about conquering other nearby empires over the next year to establish a legacy of power early on. Burt thought Lima would be safe when his father went to negotiate with Anderson, known to all as the most masterful of diplomats. His father returned... in a coffin, and Lima was overrun within the week. Burt escaped. Those who escaped with him either left to join other empires, or stayed on and became a part of his nomadic empire.

For the first while after Lima's fall, Burt and his people just travelled the countryside, trying to stay alive and stay safe. They eventually reached an area far to the north and while settled there, were approached by the citizens of a small community who pleaded with Burt to help them. The ruler of the area had his men make weekly raids on the citizens in order to keep his own pantry and treasury padded. The people were starving but if they attempted to leave, they were killed. Those who did escape would hear that their families had been murdered in retaliation. Burt, with nothing more to lose, agreed to help and took a contingent of volunteer troops with him to overthrow the ruler. It had been a bloody battle, but successful. The ruler was put to death by his own people and his successor asked that Burt and his people stick around to help him learn to be a responsible and respectable leader. When the task was complete, many of Burt's people choose to stay permanently in those lands. Burt himself was invited to stay as well, but then received a plea from another community which was being abused by another tyrant, and so he and his men went to free the people of that land.

This cycle continued. For every land that discovered peace, Burt was called upon to help somewhere that was suffering. Over time his army grew as men and women joined who felt a calling to serve the greater good. And so the prince became the leader of a stateless army.

He did, for a time, experience peace himself. When Elizabeth came into his life, a smile that lit up his heart, and eyes that pierced him with love. He was thankful he had lost his kingdom when he met her, for if he was a king, he would have been expected to marry royalty, and she was a peasant from a kingdom in the northwest. He had saved her people from a mad queen who, in losing her mind, was making disastrous decisions. Elizabeth had been in the queen's dungeon when he had stormed the castle.

The queen had apparently been planning to kill and consume her in a wild plot to stop aging.

Elizabeth had been quick to show her appreciation for being saved, leaving Burt's face covered in kisses. And while Burt had been the recipient of many kisses from thankful women and men, this was the first one that made his heart speed up and his pupils dilate. Within a year they had married and were expecting.

Kurt made his way into the world the same way he went through it now - stubbornly. It was a long birth and Elizabeth loudly informed Burt many times over that 'he would pay for getting her pregnant'. However, when Kurt did arrive, Elizabeth was nothing but thankful for her son and Burt declared that he would take a break from saving everyone else so he could focus on his family.

And he did, for six wonderful years. He had a modest but self sustaining farm, far from any empire to worry about - good or bad. He had a beautiful wife, and a healthy, happy son. His army continued without him, having left a competent group of generals in charge. Life was blissful.

Elizabeth had left one week to visit the closest market to purchase the things they couldn't make for themselves - fabrics, certain spices, and new books for Kurt. Because of the distance, she was usually gone for a week once every few months. Burt lamented that he couldn't go, but the work on the farm had to be done to make sure they could feed themselves. Kurt usually stayed with Burt so they could enjoy some father-son time, as the instant Elizabeth was around, Kurt attached himself to her hip.

It had been ten days however since Elizabeth had left and Burt was worried. There was no reason to be so late. The weather had been good and passerby's had not noted any trouble with bandits. Leaving the farm behind, Burt took Kurt with him and they spent the next three days travelling to the market east of their home. When they got there, it wasn't. Everything had been burned down. A Dalton flag erected in the centre of what had been the town. He never did find Elizabeth's body.

After that he rejoined his army who gladly took him back. He wanted to go after Dalton and King Anderson, but they had already committed themselves to another empire... and then another... and another. Kurt grew up and Burt found love again in Carole, one of his best field medics, years later.

Dalton was always in the back of his mind, but he avoided it. With it came the hate, the memories, and the inability to keep himself composed.

"You don't think this fight would be personal for me too Dad? Believe me... all my diplomatic skills will probably go right out the window if I'm face to face with him after what happened to mom." Kurt huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

Finn chimed in, "Doesn't matter. Personal or not, we need to deal with this. He's letting his people starve, killing anyone who tries to get out, having his elite guard raping women who marry men he thinks are unworthy to spread their traits, using his subjects as guinea pigs for weird experiments... it's everything we've ever fought against all rolled into one."

"And he's only getting more powerful. With all those daughters he has, he's making marriage alliances everywhere. He just had another daughter and she's apparently already betrothed!" Puck added.

Burt sighed and looked up at them. His boys. One truly his, one from his wife, and one so close he may as well be another son. "I can't ask you to fight this. He will fight dirty, and unlike so many of our other adversaries, he does have the manpower to hurt us. We all know we can't even try sending Kurt in first, because he wouldn't come back to us alive. If we do this, it has to be by force."

"I agree. I'm the only who usually argues for the peaceful solution, but I just don't see it here." Kurt looked at each of them in turn, "I may not be able to fight as well as you, but this is a cause worth fighting for, and one that we need to deal with before it becomes too much. We need to do this... not only for... mom..." He swallowed and looked down, his breath hitching. "But for those people. Hell... we even have the noblemen writing us letters. You know it's bad when the rich are complaining."

Burt nodded, "Alright. I'll call in the messenger. Go prepare yourself and your men. This is it."