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it?”
    Emperor Marak grinned and shook his head. “It is an outrageous thought,” he shrugged. “Imagine how much easier these evacuations would be if we had just one of Vand’s ships. “We could transport a thousand people to Khadoratung at a time.”
    “What will Vand’s ships be doing after the armies disembark?” asked HawkShadow. “Will they stay and wait for the armies? Will they return to the Island of Darkness for more soldiers?”
    “I truly don’t know,” conceded the Torak. “With the number of ships that Vand built, I can’t see the ships going for more armies. My guess is that the ships would be used to bring in supplies to aid the armies already here. I can envision a fleet of them making constant trips to Duran. Perhaps some of them would be detailed to make runs between Duran and the Island of Darkness. As Vand draws supplies out of Duran, those items must be replaced.”
    “I am beginning to see why you do not want to completely yield the sea to the Motangans,” sighed the Star of Sakova. “It is vital to Vand’s plans.”
    “Very much so,” nodded Marak. “He knows that we will make the land here inhospitable for his troops. They cannot rely on getting any food while they are here unless it is shipped in.”
    “Then we must cut off his ability to do that,” Lyra said adamantly.
    “Yes,” agreed Emperor Marak. “You must draw his armies deep into the Sakova. If we can get forces behind him, it will not necessarily be to attack him from the rear, but to cut off his supply lines.”
    “His army could turn around and retake Alamar,” warned General Manitow. “You would need a force in Alamar large enough to withstand a second attack. I don’t see how we can do that.”
    “That is the puzzle that we have to solve,” nodded Emperor Marak. “Our force in Alamar would have no path of retreat. Their backs would be against the sea. That is not an enviable position for any army. This problem needs a lot of input. Gather your generals and discuss it. I am returning to Khadoratung to do the same. Do you wish to return to StarCity, Lyra? Or are you staying in Alamar?”
    “I am staying here,” answered the Star of Sakova.
    “Only until the attack begins,” frowned Temiker. “We cannot lose the Star of Sakova in the opening battle of this war.”
    “Lyra will be protected at all times,” countered HawkShadow. “Every Sakovan would give their life to protect her, and she is not without her own abilities to defend herself.”
    “I understand that,” sighed Temiker. “Her power is immense, and she could kill many Motangans here, but there is great danger as well. Vand will seek to kill the Three. If he can do that, the war is lost, for it is those Three who must defeat Vand in the end.”
    “There is wisdom in Temiker’s words,” frowned Emperor Marak. “Vand would gladly allow us to keep Alamar for now, if he could kill the Star of Sakova. How many dead Motangans is Lyra worth? A thousand? Ten thousand? A hundred thousand? Vand would gladly pay any of those numbers to destroy the Star of Sakova.”
    “Are you saying that I should run and hide my precious body while evil armies overrun my cities?” scowled Lyra. “The Torak certainly would not. I can easily picture you leading your troops into battle.”
    “There is nothing I would like more,” admitted Emperor Marak, “but I know that I cannot be allowed to do that recklessly. I am not saying that you should hide, Lyra. I am saying that you must measure the risk carefully. Your life is not yours to throw away. Neither is mine. We did not ask for this, but we have to live with it. I only ask you to be very cautious.”
    Lyra’s lips pressed tightly together as she nodded in understanding. She hugged Marak and wished him a safe journey home.

Chapter 3
Skimmers
    Premer Doralin stood on the bow of the ship, his smile broad as his eyes gazed over the breadth of his fleet of ships. The lookout, high above the deck of the