After their successful recovery of the defector in Newport, the heroes return to General Sullivan. Sullivan has orders from General Washington to capture Newport from the British, but the courier information brought by the heroes indicates that storms at sea have delayed the French forces intended to support this assault. Worse, many of Sullivan’s militia forces have completed their enlistments and headed for home, leaving him with 10,000 troops to face an entrenched British force of 6000 with naval support.
The absence of the French leads to some friction between Godot and the Continental Officers, and one, Lieutenant Edmund Bourne, attempts to provoke Godot into a duel. Godot uses his mind control to erase Bourne’s memory of the most recent provocation and implant a memory of a convincing argument that the French are great allies, and the matter drops.
Sullivan decides to withdraw from Aquidneck Island, but deserters from his force betray his intentions to the British, who stage a surprise attack supported by three Greycoats. Two they have encountered before – Sergeant Daniel Dean, who wields a lightning sword with unbelievable speed; and Private Edward Roper, a survivor of the Battle of Salem. Intelligence reports help the Legion identify the third, Private David Longtooth, called the invulnerable man. Sullivan orders the Legion to engage the Greycoats while he manages a fighting retreat from the British.
The Greycoats, acting with surprise, quickly choose their targets. Dean attacks Francis, badly injuring him with two quick strikes of his lightning sword, while Longtooth engages Jacoby and Roper attempts to use mind control on Suzanna. While Roper’s first attempt fails, the second succeeds, and Suzanna shifts into bear form and attacks the nearby continental troops. Meanwhile, Jacoby disengages from Longtooth and attacks Dean, deploying his newly-enlarged claws to vicious effect, and Godot uses confusion to break Roper’s concentration and free Suzanna. Suzanna, still in bear form, viciously mauls Roper, while Jacoby and Godot finish off Dean.
In the larger battle, the colonists are somewhat demoralized by Francis’s fall and Suzanna’s attack, but manage to hold the British off long enough to organize a retreat. The Legion follows, hoping that the damage sustained by the British will be enough to keep them penned up in Newport.
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