Chapter 13: The Dragon's Fury in the Stepstones (131-133 AC)
By 131 AC, King Viserys I had forged Westeros into an economic powerhouse and a military machine operating with unprecedented efficiency. The Royal Dragon Bank had woven a financial web across the realm, his royal distilleries and hotels generated immense revenue and intelligence, and the Royal Army stood ready, a disciplined force loyal to the Crown. Viserys, now in his mid-fifties, possessed an unparalleled grasp of both the macro and micro aspects of his kingdom. Yet, one strategic choke point remained outside his absolute control: the Stepstones.
For generations, these rocky islands had been a den of pirates, a battleground for the ambitions of the Triarchy (Myr, Lys, Tyrosh), and a constant thorn in the side of Westerosi shipping. While Viserys's flourishing trade routes navigated these waters, they did so at risk, and the tolls demanded by the Triarchy were an affront to the Crown's sovereignty over the Narrow Sea. More than just a nuisance, the Stepstones represented a strategic vulnerability, a potential staging ground for foreign powers, and an unacceptable drain on the Crown's commercial ventures. Viserys would tolerate it no longer. He would bring the Stepstones completely under his heel.
His motivation was multi-faceted. Firstly, economic control. Unimpeded, safe passage through the Stepstones was vital for his burgeoning Essosi trade network. Piracy and exorbitant tolls directly impacted the Crown's profits. Secondly, strategic dominance. Control of the Stepstones meant controlling the gateway between the Narrow Sea and the Summer Sea, a vital choke point for naval power projection. Lastly, it was a display of absolute, undeniable power. A successful, rapid conquest of the Stepstones would send a message to the Free Cities and any potential rivals that the Targaryen Crown's reach was now truly boundless.
Viserys convened his war council, a lean group composed of his Master of Ships, Ser Desmond Duskendale (now a seasoned naval commander), the Commander of the Royal Army, Ser Roland Crakehall (a gruff but utterly loyal veteran), and of course, Queen Rhaenys and Prince Aemon, both formidable dragonriders in their own right. His discussions were not about if, but how.
> "The Stepstones are a cancer on our trade, a haven for outlaws, and a symbol of fractured authority," Viserys declared, gesturing to a detailed map of the islands spread across the council table. This map, far more accurate than any previously held by Westerosi maesters, incorporated intelligence gathered from his extensive spy network, detailing currents, hidden coves, and even estimated garrison sizes on each island. "We will excise it. Permanently."
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He unveiled a campaign plan that blended ancient Valyrian power with modern military strategy, a concept far beyond the understanding of any Westerosi general. It was a plan built on logistics, intelligence, and combined arms coordination.
His first priority was logistics and supply chain management. Drawing on his knowledge of modern military campaigns, Viserys emphasized the need for a continuous flow of food, fresh water, munitions, and medical supplies. He ordered the conversion of several of his largest royal merchant ships into dedicated supply vessels. Contingency plans for re-supply were meticulous, with depots established on nearby islands in Westerosi territory. He even commissioned rudimentary, but effective, field hospitals to minimize casualties, a concept foreign to most medieval warfare.
> "A soldier fights not on courage alone," Viserys lectured Ser Roland, "but on a full belly and the knowledge that his wounds will be tended. A starved or sick army is a defeated one, no matter its numbers."
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Naval superiority was paramount. Viserys leveraged the formidable Royal Merchant Fleet, now numbering dozens of large, fast ships. He integrated them seamlessly with the seasoned ships of House Velaryon, whose loyalty was now inextricably tied to the Crown through lucrative trade contracts and Lord Corlys's pragmatic understanding of Viserys's power. He tasked Ser Desmond with planning a comprehensive naval blockade of the Stepstones, cutting off all enemy resupply and escape routes. The Velaryon fleet, under Viserys's strict command, would be the iron fist of the blockade, ensuring no ship entered or left without Crown approval.
The intelligence gathering was relentless. Viserys's network of agents within his royal hotels and taverns across the Narrow Sea and the Free Cities provided real-time data on Triarchy movements, internal squabbles, and pirate alliances. He knew their strengths, their commanders' weaknesses, and the precise layout of their fortifications. He even dispatched small, fast scouting ships manned by highly trained operatives to conduct clandestine reconnaissance missions around the islands, mapping defenses and identifying landing zones.
The most terrifying aspect of his strategy was the combined arms coordination involving the dragons. Balerion and Argentia would not be mere shock weapons; they would be instruments of precision.
> "Balerion will clear the skies of any enemy sails attempting to break the blockade," Viserys stated, his gaze fixed on the map. "Argentia, with Aemon, will conduct aerial reconnaissance, mapping enemy positions and identifying strongholds for the ground forces. When the landing commences, they will provide overhead suppression, burning enemy fortifications and scattering concentrations of troops, precisely where our ground forces are vulnerable."
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Rhaenys and Meleys would often fly alongside, providing additional aerial support and, crucially, command and control from the air, relaying real-time intelligence to the ground commanders. The dragonriders would be the ultimate force multipliers, turning the tide of any engagement.
Before the first ship sailed, Viserys undertook a series of subtle diplomatic maneuvers to isolate the Triarchy. Through his trade envoys and discreet letters, he played on the rivalries between Myr, Lys, and Tyrosh, sowing discord and preventing them from forming a united front. He offered lucrative trade deals to powers that agreed to remain neutral, and hinted at the severe consequences for any who dared to aid his enemies. He did not ask for their help; he demanded their non-intervention, backed by the implicit threat of Balerion.
The mobilization of the Royal Army was a testament to Viserys's reforms. There was no chaotic calling of banners, no lengthy mustering of feudal levies. The standing Royal Army, already trained and equipped, mobilized with unprecedented speed and efficiency. Thousands of well-drilled soldiers, their armor bearing the three-headed dragon, marched to the designated ports, ready for embarkation. The contrast with traditional musters was stark, a clear demonstration of the Crown's new, centralized power.
The campaign's opening was swift and brutal. In the early morning mist of the first day of the third moon of 132 AC, the Royal Fleet, led by Velaryon ships but under Viserys's direct command, descended upon the Stepstones. Balerion and Argentia soared high above, silhouetted against the rising sun, their roars echoing across the water, striking terror into the hearts of the pirate crews and Triarchy garrisons.
The naval blockade was instantaneous and absolute, cutting off all escape. Then, with coordinated precision, Balerion and Argentia began their aerial assault, not indiscriminately, but with targeted strikes on key fortifications and concentrations of enemy ships, clearing the way for the landing forces. The Royal Army, utilizing specialized landing craft (improved designs that could quickly disembark men and horses), landed on the designated beaches, meeting little organized resistance. The pirates and Triarchy forces, demoralized by the sight of the dragons and overwhelmed by the disciplined onslaught, quickly broke.
Within a few short months, the Stepstones campaign was a resounding success. Viserys had brought the islands completely under his control, transforming a lawless haven into a strategic outpost for the Crown. It was a clear, undeniable demonstration of the new age of Targaryen power, a testament to Viserys's foresight, his ruthlessness, and his unparalleled ability to blend ancient magic with modern strategic brilliance. The Dragon's Fury had secured the golden gateway to the east.
I hope this chapter effectively depicts Viserys's methodical approach to warfare and the integration of his modern knowledge.