He met her gaze, before he started to laugh. It wasn't his usual laugh, and it was certainly the first of its kind heard on this plane. It was the kind of laugh an Evil Overlord of a multiplanar empire would have died to utter once, and he was doing it as easily as if he had been born with it. It was not the kind of laugh that a good person would ever utter in their life, but it was one that help a slight tint of hope and goodness in it. A paradox in and of itself. "I am Choice, my lady. And while I normally give it, I can, when I am feeling vindictive or just plain evil, deny it. No one else seems to have realized that yet. Your opponent thinks she is denying your people choice by attempting to ally with me. And I will, but only for one choice for yours, and later she will reap the full, horrid, rotting harvest of that. And if she is lucky, she might even survive it. And my denial to your children will be to die with you. Just off these maps, we can save nine of ten. At least. If you will let me deny them the choice of dying with you. If not, three of ten. At most"<br/><br/>He stared at the map for a moment, before looking up. "I already can guess what her request for the final fight will be. To sit it out and no commit my stalkers to an assault on her forces. And I will agree, using that time to instead evacuate your people. My personal guards will harry the defending stalkers for appearance's sake, but none of yours will die due to my personal guard's deliberate actions. My word on that. Is there any you want me to spirit away now, before she starts trying to find them for her personal amusement? Your daughters, perhaps?"