text: [Themes: grimdark fantasy, war, grimdark]
  
  As good as you believe you are in combat, you have to admit to yourself that you don't really have too much experience in leading a large group. Perhaps it would be wiser to defer to someone who does have such experience.
  
  "Very well, you may be right. I suppose we really shouldn't worry about anyone escaping since if they do, they'll eventually be found anyway. Did the svelk report say they saw any actual shadows at any of these places?"
  "Not at most of the locations as they seem to be just safe houses for normal rebels, but there was one in particular which seems to be more of an actual armed camp that they saw more than a few of shadows hanging around."
  "We're going to hit that place first then. I just hope the svelk were as silent about their scouting as you said they claimed to be. Anyway, let's get going we've got traitors to purge and I'm anxious to see it through."
  
  You and Gruz get the troops ready. The general idea is to first have the svelk to sneak up on the target locations and then after they initiate the attack the orcs come charging in from all sides. It seems simple, but perhaps simple plans work the best due to less chance of things going wrong. At least you hope they do.
  
  After a march through the swamp you reach your first target and it does indeed resemble a small military compound. It's really just a walled village though. You'd guess that this particular place is so far from normal civilization that this just went unnoticed and the shadows eventually just subverted the entire place or at least started placing sympathizers there.
  
  You order the attack and all goes well. The svelk and yourself easily scale the walls while Gruz and the orcs bash down the pitiful gates. Given how pathetic the opposition is though, you almost wonder if you couldn't have taken this place all by yourself. You still haven't seen any of the rumored shadows in this place though and that slightly concerns you. Did they already flee, or did they just cloak?
  
  "Keep alert! There may be shadows still lurking about!" you shout as you cut down one of the rebels.
  
  No sooner have you said that, when you sense something amidst the chaos. A feeling like you're being targeted...
  
  "GET DOWN!" Gruz shouts as a female shadow decloaks and fires a bolt at you. You're just quick enough to duck down and avoid being hit.
  
  An orc attempts to strike her down, but she easily fends off the attack and eliminates him instead. She's moving faster than anything you've ever seen.
  
  "Crossbows now!" you order and the svelk mercenaries closest to you unleash their own bolts at the shadow. She may be quick, but she can't avoid all of the bolts from the repeating crossbows. She catches more than few bolts and collapses in a heap.
  
  As she attempts to crawl away you go over to her to finish her off and that's when you get that feeling again only this time you know where its coming from and instinctively pull up your sword to deflect the hit. When the shadow decloaks you're close enough to see the hatred in his eyes, you're also close enough to hear him muttering about revenge for Bianca. You're guessing that was the female shadow that's now a pincushion.
  
  He attempts to pull the same speed trick, but you prevent him from doing so by interrupting his spell with a dagger to his side.
  
  "Not such a good day to be a shadow is it traitor?" you ask as you twist the blade around.
  
  Shocked by the metal piercing his insides, he reels backwards when you pull out the blade and his death follows when Gruz smashes his axe in the side of the shadow's head.
  
  You go over to finish off the female shadow who is still desperately trying to crawl away.
  
  "There will be no escape. The Emperor's eye sees all and justice will be delivered to all who oppose him!" you exclaim before running your sword through her back.
  
  You keep alert for the possibility of more shadows lurking, but either those two were the only ones, or the rest have fled. If they have, no matter, they will be found.
  
  The rest of the battle is more of a simple matter. The non-shadow rebels are no match for your superior force and a few try to surrender, pleading for you to at least spare their families. You spare no one as traitors cannot be tolerated. Your ruthless orders to cut down every man, woman and child are not questioned, though the svelk take a bit more pleasure in it.
  
  The village is put to the torch and you're eager to move on to the next target. You want to stomp out ALL of these traitors before they even get the possibility of regrouping.
  
  Day after day you wipe out several small encampments and hideouts of the rebels. It's sickening to you that there is as many as there are. How could any citizen defy the Empire or the Emperor? Don't they know it is a losing proposition? Don't they realize and appreciate how much he has done for all of their miserable lives?
  
  As for the shadows, their treachery is even more sickening. The Emperor gave them all a grand honor of serving him in a most important way and they've been nurturing rebellion in their black hearts for centuries and enticing the weak willed into helping them. Fitting that they call themselves shadows, as they are cowards who obviously rely on tricks and subversion to gain any sort of advantage. Well that stops very soon.
  
  "This one was an easy one. They gave up almost immediately." Captain Gruz says cleaning off his axe after a short skirmish.
  "Yes, a pity they should only realize until it's too late the folly of their treason." You reply.
  "Yes, I imagine many have felt that way." Gruz answers.
  "And all of them are fools for doing so. And fools deserve no mercy. The loyal and dedicated on the other hand are to be rewarded. Captain, we are nearing the end of our mission and I imagine I will soon return to the Emperor to give my report. I want to tell you that I will be speaking highly of you to him and suggesting that you receive some sort of higher position."
  
  Gruz isn't sure how to respond though he thanks you.
  
  "I was just doing my duty sir, but I thank you. However if you're serious about your wanting to do something for me and it isn't too bold of me to ask, I do have specific request."
  "Speak freely then."
  
  Gruz looks around as if he's being watched and then moves closer toward you and speaks almost whispering.
  
  "I know I'm sort of the Empire's token intelligent orc and that's fine. However it's my people sir. I really do try to keep them in line and for the most part it works, but I'm still just one man and despite common perception, orcs do have minds of their own and think about deeper things than just looting and pillaging sometimes."
  "What are you getting at?"
  "What I'm saying sir, is all I would request is you ask the Emperor if he could give his loyal and dedicated orc soldiers a pay raise. It doesn't even have to be that large. I mean the extra fighting and danger they are always assigned to do is fun and all, but just a little something extra so they know they're being appreciated for their hard work would be welcome."
  
  Well that was bold of Gruz, but you did tell him to speak freely. However, you're suspicious of his request, since it almost sounds a bit like blackmail.
  
  > reprimand him for his words
  Gruz may have saved your life, but you are not about to let him make thinly veiled threats of rebellion if his requests aren't met.
  
  "Captain, you are a soldier of the Empire! ALL of your men are! YOU and they should be grateful that they are even serving in such a capacity! If you or any of the others feel that your duty is not being adequately appreciated then maybe you'd all like to be trash collectors instead? Perhaps working on a chain gang like so many of those ungrateful elves do? Or how about you never have to worry about anyone not appreciating you ever again by having the lot of you executed for treason?"
  
  Gruz's face is one of shame; he almost looks sorry he spoke, as well he should be.
  
  "I...I did not mean to imply any sort of disloyalty to the Empire sir, I just spoke my thoughts as you said I could."
  "Do not try to blame me for your thoughts of sedition! I expect this sort of talk from a svelk, but not from an officer of the Empire! Know this captain, I WILL be making a report to the Emperor himself about this and you better hope for your sake that he shows mercy by only stripping you of the rank that he saw fit to allow you to achieve in the first place! Now I'd advise that you tell everyone they need to get some rest because we still have a job of wiping out the rest of this rebellious scum. Dismissed!"
  
  You leave the captain to pondering his poor choice of words to return to your own tent. You're still pissed about the whole scenario. Did he really think he could get away with such a thing? The nerve. You guess you were right in treating him like a lowly subordinate right from the beginning. You see now that allowing him to speak as an "equal" only gave him the idea that he could start demanding things.
  
  If he hadn't proved to be such a competent warrior and leader you may have very well had Gruz executed, as it stands though he can finish out what will probably be his last days as an officer, possibly as a soldier. In any event its time for you to get some rest.
  
  In the middle of the night you suddenly hear gruff voices calling for you to wake up and exclaiming the camp is under attack. You immediately wake up, grab your sword and rush out of your tent ready to face the counter rebel attack. Unfortunately it isn't a counter attack its an ambush. It isn't the rebels either, or at least not the ones you've been fighting.
  
  You feel a blow to the back of your head, which forces you to the ground. You're dazed, but you feel several strong hands grab all your limbs and start trying them together like an animal. You see orcs and svelk working side by side in this act of treachery.
  
  "It is regrettable that it has come to this, but you left me with no choice. I fucking worked hard for my rank and I'll not let some young runt that has the ear of the Emperor mess that up." Gruz says as his men tie you up.
  "You really think you'll get away with this?" you exclaim trying to struggle free.
  "Actually yes. Yes I will. You might've made an impression with your little display to my men before, but they were ALWAYS more loyal to me. And as for the svelk...well I think you know how they really feel about you. You see, you were partially right in that I was considering that we orcs should go our own way, possibly even with the help of the shadows since I'm wise enough to know that we'd never be able to break free on our own. However seeing as the shadows have been all but wiped out now, I saw the only opportunity I could to advance myself and my people and that was possibly gain your assistance in the matter since you seemed to be a reasonable sort even if you were initially an asshole. I didn't think you had more asshole in you than reason though. A mistake on my part and one I'm going to fix."
  "You're going to die like ALL traitors, you..." you are interrupted when one of the svelk kicks you in the face.
  "You might be right, but not today. You on the other hand will be dying and the hands of traitors though of course we'll be blaming it on the other ones."
  
  While you're in your semi-conscious state, Gruz crouches down with a large dagger in hand.
  
  "Sorry kid, but you brought this on yourself." Is the last thing you hear before Gruz slits your throat. Afterwards they chop up your body and throw the pieces in various parts of the swamp where they are ultimately feasted upon by scavenging Sul Monkeys.
  
  True to his word, Gruz tells his superiors that your death came by the hands of the rebels and that you died in a glorious battle against three shadows. The Emperor laments your death for a few days, but soon comes to the conclusion that if you were dispatched so easily then you must not have been worthy anyway.