Xena plots to rid Greece of Caesar and Pompey. Through careful planning and manipulation, she is able start an all out war between the two Romans armies. Gabrielle gets some practice commanding her own army (if somewhat reluctantly). Many people lose their lives (seeing as how war is Hell), but the Greater Good prevails.
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Xena: "Xena ... hello." |
Xena: "I understand Caesar and Pompey have moved their armies here. They've brought their filthy civil war into Greece, into our land."
Phlanagus: "That's right, and with respect to your legendary abilities, Xena, there's nothing you can do to stop this war from happening."
Xena: "On the contrary, I'm here to guarantee that it happens."
Phlanagus: "Why is it that men always think war is a simple solution?"
Xena: "Those are interesting words coming from a soldier of Rome."
Phlanagus: "Oh, I know you don't like me, maybe it's the uniform, hm? A Greek going off to serve in Caesar's legions. I am not a traitor. I would never kill a Greek in Caesar's war ... A long time ago, I promised my wife that when I returned I would never speak of war. I didn't want my son to know about it. I wanted his life to be peaceful ..."
Xena: "You're right, it was the uniform."
Caesar: "This time, I have him (Pompey) ... if I have to destroy his army, and this country, piece by piece."
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Xena: "I need to ask you to do something. You must destroy your village ... burn it, raze it to the ground, kill all the cattle and poison the meat. We must leave nothing for the Romans to use. This land must be worthless to them. I know this is not an easy thing to do. This is where you grew up. It's you home, where you raised your families, where you married. But, it's the only way. You can rebuild when you come back. It is the only way." |
Xena: "We give Caesar and Pompey exactly what they want, that one spark, that one great, glorious battle ... they just won't be there to see it."
Phlanagus' Wife: "You've done this before."
Gabrielle: "A couple of times."
Phlanagus' Wife: "I've never been in a war. I've only wondered what it's like. When I think of Phlanagus out there fighting ... sometimes the thoughts are too much to bear."
Gabrielle: "I know what you mean."
Phlanagus' Wife: "I could tell that he hated it. He wrote to me telling there was no glory, no honor, just a monster that needed to be fed. And now, I finally have him back ... and the monster's followed him home."
Tomecula: "Is Phlanagus going to be okay?"
Gabrielle: "Yeah, he's with Xena."
Tomecula: "I wonder what it's like to kill someone."
Gabrielle: "It changes everything ... everything."
Phlanagus: "Did you find out what you needed to know?"
Xena: "Only half of it, that's what worries me."
Xena: "There's something else, another part of Caesar's plan."
Gabrielle: "What is it?"
Xena: "I don't know. I won't be here when everything breaks loose. Whatever Caesar appears to do is always part of a design. I'm afraid Phlanagus won't see that. But, you know Caesar, and you know how I think."
Gabrielle: "I can't give the command. I can not send these men to their deaths."
Xena: "I'll tell Phlanagus."
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Pompey: "Just a precaution, there were only two guards." |
Xena: "I don't care what anyone else says about you, Caesar, you're not so stupid yourself."
Ceasar: "That's what I admire about you, Xena, even when you've lost you just can't allow someone else the satisfaction of knowing it."
Gabrielle: "Caesar will not retreat, he's too arrogant. If we do not finish what Xena started Caesar will win. I'm positive."
Phlanagus: "Listen up! Before she left, Xena told me to listen to Gabrielle. Xena wanted us to trust her. (To Gabrielle) You're in command."
Pompey: "Why not just kill us both?"
Xena: "All in good time."
Gabrielle: "Take the war!"
Ceasar: "This battle's over, Xena. Even if it's fought, I've outsmarted you."
Xena: "You mean your reserve troops? I know about them and I'm going after them."
Ceasar: "What about your troops, Xena? Right about now, the center of my line is pulling back like a retreat and when your troops follow, like you told them..."
Xena: "You'll trap them."
Ceasar: "I'll crush them."
*** AUTHOR'S NOTE: Anyone up on their Roman military history? This is the same tactic that Hannibal Barca (the guy with the elephants) used in the great battle at Cannae against the Romans during the Punic Wars. He was able to completely destroy the Roman army which was nearly twice the size of his own.
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Ceasar: "What we do here doesn't matter anymore. Rome has won." |
Ceasar: "This is just a minor setback, Xena. You can't change my destiny."
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Gabrielle: "I have the women looking for the wounded. I'm not really sure how many there are." |
Phlanagus' Wife: "Thank you."
Xena: "Your husband gave his life for peace so that your son could live without fear."
Phlanagus' Wife: "When he asks what his daddy used to do, I'm going to tell him he was a simple fisherman ... that's what he was to me."
Gabrielle: "I could have saved him. How do I get over that?"
Xena: "I can't answer that question. Maybe because there's nothing I can say to take away that feeling you have. You want to know that what you did was for all the right reasons. But, with that pain in your gut and the weight on your shoulders the best you can come up with was that it was a good day fighting. I have seen so many changes in you, things that I could never have expected. But, as hard as the changes have been you've got to know that it's all been for a reason. All this is for a reason, otherwise, what's the point? I was asking that same question before I met you."
DISCLAIMER: No permanent battle scars were inflicted during the production of this motion picture.
