The Phantasma of Hades

[Lord Zalzabad]

Commander Vittro was sitting down at the Drunkard Tavern, in Pisae. He looked at the amber liquid in front of him, and sighed. The radio operator returned, and shook his head, reminding him that the Recon unit would be back any time now, but they could not get through to Rome. Vittro took another sip from his drink, and stared at the mirror opposite him. The Recon unit returned and gave Vittro the bad news. They were surrounded. Vittro sighed, drained his glass, and asked the barmaid to get him another. If he were going to go down, he would go down happy!

“General Scipio, we have met up with Publius’ forces, and surrounded the city,” said Colonel Graccis, enthusiastically.
Very good,” replied Scipio, turning to Flavius, adding, “Send out an offer to surrender. If they do not reply in an hour, we will attack them. Graccis set the artillery in place. We will commence with a heavy bombardment, and then attack with mechanized forces from the north, east, and west, with the cannons situated in the south.”
“Yes, sir,” replied the two officers, as they started to go around doing their duties.

Vittro was sitting at the bar, as drunk as a skunk, sipping his tenth glass of ale for that morning. The radio operator ran in, and gave Vittro a message. Vittro stood up, holding his glass in salute, yelling, “We will fight to the last man! Order the troops to charge the command post in the south”
“But sir, that hill is heavily fortified!”
“Bah! Because of this, they will not be expecting an attack, so CHARGE!” said Vittro, before falling down on the dusty floor of the old tavern. The radio operator said to the barmaid, “Is he dead?”
“Nah, he’s just sleeping. He will most properly be over it in an hour or two,” replied the Barmaid. The Radio Operator, Major Titinius, slowly walked over to the radio to broadcast the Commanders message.

“Welcome, General Constantine,” said Cicero as Constantine walked into the Dictators office. Constantine looked around, and saw that the room was decorated with pictures. Pictures of his wife, pictures of himself, and surprisingly, pictures of his deceased daughter, Portia. Constantine was gazing at the walls, but asked, “Why was Air Marshal Satunis in such a hurry when I passed him?”
“Ah, a mission to save our research from the Rebels. But to the point, I called you here to go over the plans for the defense of Rome in case our lines don’t hold,” replied the Dictator.
“Do you fear that the lines will break, Dictator?”
“If they do, we have nothing to stop them,” said Cicero as he walked over to his desk. Constantine followed him, and saw a map of Rome, and surrounding terrain was set out on the desk. “This,” said Cicero, “was the plans for the defense of Rome under Marshal Antonius. That is now redundant now that Antonius has betrayed my trust. Tell, me, General, what is the approximate number of troops in the city?”
Constantine kept his face expressionless. His hatred for this man was great, but now was not the right time, “We have a division and a half of Infantry, a Armor Brigade, and a company of Republican Guard. We have nothing.”
“Darn that Antonius, we need to devise a plan!”
“Well sir, we are in a un-winnable position for defending this city. I propose moving the Government to Veii. There is a massive division there, including Marines. We should then withdraw all of our troops to the city. The nearby hills make the city extremely defendable, and will be protected by the Navy and the Airforce.”
“Well, General, your position has merit, we cannot win this war, but we might as well withdraw to a more defendable position. From there, we can easily defend, and bide our time intill hostility breaks between the two rebel groups. They are ideological opposites, Marius and Scipio. They will not survive in an alliance for long. However, remember, this is only if the lines break. Keep this plan a secret, ok?”
“Yes, sir. But may I ask a question, what is Project Z?”
“How do you know about that?”
“Just talk in the barracks”
“Well, I may as well tell you, Project Z is developing a weapon of unimaginable strength. We were going to use it to extort the world, but it seems that Lugium will fall any day now to Scipio. We are withdrawing anyone of importance to the New Rome colonies, where they will continue their research. However, some of the heavy equipment cannot be moved, so they will have to be destroyed. I have given that mission to Satunis.”
“Oh, I see,” said Constantine, a struggling to fight back a smile, “I will take my leave, sir.” Constantine was in, Cicero trusted him. Finally, his vengeance could be felt by all.

Major Titinius looked around at his troops, calming them at the oncoming charge. He looked at the hill, and picked up his whistle.

General Scipio looked down at his watch, an hour was up. He picked up his radio to the artillery commander, and prepared to give the orders to fire. Something caught his eye. Picking up a pair of binoculars, he looked down the slope towards the city, and was shocked at what he saw.

Titinius blew his whistle, and the troops began their charge

Vittro stood up, looking around the bar. No one was around. A little groggy, he stumbled towards the door, and looked down the street. There was no one there. He did not give any orders, did he? This was strange. Stumbling down the street he just happened to look up at the hill to the south of the city. The sight shocked him. Bodies were lining the slopes, the bodies of his troops! What had he done? He pulled out his pistol, and put it in his mouth. Pulling the trigger, Vittro felt the pain of humiliation no more.

[ChrisiusMaximus]

Great stuff Zalza, as always. Looking forward to Constantine attempting his coup de tat.

[vovan]

Very nice, Z.

No more school? I can't wait till we are done for the semester, since as of now I don't even have the time to finish my own story

Any way, please keep writing

[Lord Zalzabad]

Thanks. Now that I have given up posting on Apolyton Empire, I will have more time to concentrate on finishing this story

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Caesar slowly walked the deserted streets of Caesura, flanked by General Marius, and the newly promoted, General Graccis. Caesar turned to Graccis, and said, “order your troops to gather the civilians in the City Square.”
“Yes sir,” replied Graccis, saluting and moving towards a nearby radio unit
“Marius, lead the way to the governors house,” said Caesar, “we have to get him to surrender his city to us!”
“It is near the City Square, Oh Immortal Caesar,” replied Marius, as they entered the deserted square. The only people about were a few soldiers milling around, who ignored the entrance of Marius and Caesar. The Generals slowly walked to the Governors House, where Governor Piaus was awaiting them. “Long time no see, Emperor Caesar, I believe you want me to hand over the city to you?” said Piaus
“Yes Governor. For your obedience, I will let you live, and retain your position” replied Caesar, as he pulled out the formal declaration of surrender. As the Governor signed it, people started gathering into the square. Ten minutes later, the square was full of locals wondering why armed men had seized their city. Caesar stepped up to the dais that had been prepared for him, ready to make a speech.

Captain Cato had never been more nervous in his life. He had only just received his position in the Imperial Guard a week ago, and now he was going to deliver this news to the Dictator. Cato was also afraid. He, contrary to his orders, had read the message, and did not like what he saw. He was afraid he would get in trouble for delivering this dreadful news. He knocked on the door to the Dictators office, and heard an irritable “Come!” from within. Timidly, Cato opened the door, entered and saluted. Cicero saluted back, and then asked, “What do you have for me, Captain?”
Cato handed over the document and said, “This message came for you, sir.”
“Well don’t just stand their, read it!”
Cato opened the envelope, and read out to Cicero the contents

Dictator’s Eyes Only
Report from spy’s stop
Caesura Fallen stop
Pisae Fallen stop
Regards, General Chrisius
End Message

Cato looked up from the document at Cicero, who was trying to contain the rage within him, “Leave… now…” said the Dictator in quiet anger. Cato did not wait to leave, he walked out of there as fast as he could.

Caesar stood on the dais, looking over the stunned and bewildered people of Caesura, and spoke into the microphone, “People of Caesura, your ruler has returned!” The stunned crowds were shocked. A man, who was said to be dead, was standing before them. Suddenly, a man in the rear of the crowd started to clap, followed cautiously by some other people. Soon the entire crowd was clapping, and young men began to stand in line to join Caesar's Imperial Guard. Caesar smiled at this, adding, “I will lead you to victory over the evil Republic that has neglected you for so long!”

Scipio was sitting at the mess hall in the barracks of the Pisae Garrison. No prisoners were found by his troops, just the masses of troops that charged his lines, and the body of a lone officer by the name of Vittro. It appeared that he was the commander of the force that attacked his troops. He looked over the list of casualties caused by the suicidal charge into the guns. He did not expect this to happen, a full frontal assault on his dug in infantry, and the attack had cost him dearly. Five hundred men dead, one thousand wounded. It seemed their advance would be delayed. He had just sent Colonel Graccis to check the Via Pass, their road to Rome, and Colonel Publius to capture Lugium. Captain Flavius walked in and gave him the news of Caesar's victory. He smiled, and sat back on his chair, opening a bottle of brandy. This, thought he, was a time to celebrate!

[ChrisiusMaximus]

[vovan]

Yet another great installment. keep 'em coming, Z

[Lord Zalzabad]

Sorry about the lack of updates, but here is the next section
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Caesar looked at his new recruits with pride. These men would be the backbone of his conquest of the Republic. However, they still had a lot of training to accomplish. The regular forces, however, had mobilized with their newly acquired weapons and were ready to advance south to Caesar Augustus. A few would remain here and train his troops. Intelligence indicated that the garrison in Caesar Augustus was small, and would be a walkover. General Graccis walked over to Caesar to inform him of the movement of the Republican Forces. It seemed that a large section of Republican Guard Troops had left Rome, leaving the city practically undefended. He also informed him of the withdrawal of equipment and personnel to Veii, and of Scipio’s progress. General Marius whispered something in Caesar's ear, who smiled in reply. “We move out immediately, Generals!” said Caesar

The canyon was deep, impassable. There was one bridge over the canyon, one bridge to service the entire area. On one side of this uninhabitable wastelands, known as the Via Mountains, just over the canyon was Fort Via. Long ago, at the dawn of the first republic, the Consuls decreed that only one road be built through the mountains as a defensive precaution. If barbarians overran the Western Empire, Fort Via would hold them at bay from reaching the centre of the republic. The Fortress was centuries old, built on the ruins of the first, destroyed during the Times of Troubles, yet it was almost impenetrable from the West. Attackers would have to cross the bridge, heavily guarded, and then pass through the ancient fortress. All attacks against it had failed. However, Graccis knew, looking through his spyglass, that once that fortress was breached, they would be in open ground all the way to Rome. He picked up the radio to the General, who ordered him to stay. Once more, he picked up his spyglass, and looked at the fortress. In the distance, he could see a cloud of smoke, caused by a large body of mechanized forces. He focused in on this group, and picked up his radio again. Strange, he had never seen that type of Tanki before.

Commander Titinius looked at the Tanki that was now under his control. These were not like the previous Tanki, but New, Modern and Advanced. Their speed was double that of the previous model and packed twice the firepower, with Armor as thick as a battleship. And to think, Cicero had placed the entire battalion under his command. He saluted the commander of the Tanki Force, and ordered out a recon unit of light infantry to make sure that there were no spies in the hills over the canyon.

Graccis was having a cup of coffee as his unit continued to observe the Fort. His orders were to observe and not make contact. A private was watching the pass, and franticly signaled to the Colonel and he approached. The Private pointed towards the bridge, at a company of Infantry marching over the bridge. Colonel Graccis quickly sneaked over to the radio and broadcast the report of the company. After a brief silence, the radio crackled back, “Most properly recon unit, Ambush at will.” Graccis smiled at this chance for action, his first in the war. He signaled his men to gather around them, and all the men gathered around him. Pulling out a map of the area, he signaled the positions where his troops will be to ambush the recon unit. This plan, he thought, was flawless. However, there was a flaw. There was no one keeping observation on the bridge. If there was, they would of seen the ten jeeps crossing the bridge, loaded with heavy infantry, equipped with Machine Guns, Flame-throwers and Rocket Launchers.
“Very well, this is the plan. We will ambush them on the main road. We will place the Machine Gun at the top of this ridge,” he gestured to a point on the map, “and have infantry concealed behind these trees,” and gestured to a point beside the road, “When the enemy approach, we will all open fire apon the advancing troops, but wait for my signal, understand?”
“Yes, sir,” replied the troops, enthusiastically.
“Then move out”

“Why did you send that other unit out, Commander Titinius?”
“I have a sneaky suspicion that there is something out there, waiting for us,” replied the Commander, gazing out over the hills, “Prepare the artillery for action, Sergeant.”
“Yes, sir.”

The trees were little more than stumps, but the men still managed to conceal themselves wall. A cloud of dust arose from down the road, and the sound of voices approached. The troops clicked the safety off their Assault Rifles, and waited silently and patiently. Colonel Graccis, from a safe distance on the ridge picked up his Radio, ready to give the order to attack. He waited a few minutes, and moved the radio to his mouth, pressing in the transmit button.

“Did you hear that?” said one soldier to another.
“No, what did it sound like?”
“A crackle, like a radio in transmit mode would make”
“Very strange…” but he did not finish that sentence. Graccis’ troops had opened fire. The unit sought cover, but in this wasteland, there was very little. There were perhaps ten of the original twenty soldiers left alive in the recon unit. The Radio Corporal, sheltering behind a large bolder, shouted into his radio, “Under fire, under fire, request artillery support at co-ordinates 124 543”
“Roger that, Corporal, will respond” he replied. A rifleman ran across the road to the same bolder the Corporal was sheltering behind, and asked him, “Where is our backup?”
“I have requested Artillery fire on the enemy positions. The Mech. unit behind us should know about the enemy positions, and will offer support”
“Very well.”

Colonel Graccis was watching with glee at the destruction of the enemy platoon. However, his happiness did not last, crushed by the sounds of shells being launched from Artillery at the Fort. He picked up his radio to inform the troops of this new emergency. After broadcasting his message, he ran down the other side of the gully to his jeep to radio base. At that moment, the shells hit the road.

Screams of the wounded echoed throughout the Valley as the gun battle raged on. There were only five troops left now, but the enemy troops had been decimated by the Artillery Shells. The troops were running low on ammunition, and had no hope of escape. A second round of artillery fired off, shortly hitting the ridge where the Machine Gunner was located. At that moment, machine gun bullets rained down on the enemy troops, slaughtering many of them, the mech. unit had arrived.

Graccis looked at horror as his troops were slaughtered. The ridge he had been standing on mere minutes ago had been destroyed. He could hear Cicero’s forces attacking his pinned down troops, and the bloody screams for mercy. Thinking quickly, he jumped into his jeep and hurried off.

Commander Titinius looked at the few prisoners that had been captured. Their uniforms were ragged and torn, with many of them carrying wounds of war. They would of course be interrogated, but Titinius was sure that they were an advance unit for Scipio’s army. The search of the hills afterwards found no other soldiers, however a pair of tire marks was found. He picked up the telephone to Strategic Command in Rome to report the incident.

[ChrisiusMaximus]

good to see some more my friend. Keep up the good work.

[Lord Zalzabad]

Scipio took the news of the defeat calmly. Pacing back and forward, he shook his head and said, “in a war, you must expect losses.” Graccis was relieved at not being reprimanded, and turned to leave, however Scipio stopped him, “but, I can not let this go unpunished, Graccis, this is your first and last warning, do not stuff up.”
“Yes, sir,” he replied. As Graccis was leaving, the Radio crackled into life. The signals officer answered it, and then handed it to Scipio, saying, “It’s Colonel Publius, he is calling from Lugium”
“What is it, Publius,” yelled Scipio into the radio.
“We have captured Lugium with minimal casualties. The majority of the garrison surrendered however there were a few stranglers who decided to fight on. They have naturally been eliminated”
“Very well, then, Scipio out.”
“Sir, wait,” replied Publius, “we have discovered something strange”
“Strange? How strange?”
“Well, I think you better see for your self, sir”
“Very well, then, I will take a transport plane up there”
“I will see you soon.”

“Dictator, we have lost Lugium, as you expected. Also, an advance party of Scipio’s forces has been eliminated at the Via pass.”
“Excellent, Major. What’s up with Marius’ force?”
“Moving south from Caesura. Intel suggests Two armored brigades, Three Mechanized Infantry Divisions. Reports also indicates that they have about 1000 artillery up their sleeves.”
“Hmm, ok, then, where is their next probable target?”
“He could go for Caesar Augustus or Thermopile. Both are naval bases, but the fleet is currently en route to Veii, so they will not be able to capture any ships.”
“Very well, order the garrisons to destroy the port facility’s and airports in these cities to prevent them from constructing naval vessels”
“Very well, Dictator, it will be sent immediately.”

Governor Virntra was looking out his window over the city of Caesar Augustus, contemplating the orders he had just received. He knew this city would be Caesar's next target, and he knew that Caesar's forces outnumbered his by 10 to 1. The Commander of the Garrison walked into the office to inform him that all that had been asked for had been done, the explosives had been set. The commander handed the Governor the remote. The governors finger circled the red button, as he continued to stare out thee window. He turned to the commander, and told him, “The fate of your men is in your hands. You may retreat, you may fight, and you may surrender. The choice is yours.” The governor stood up and walked to his desk, opening the top draw. The commander asked, “What about you, sir?”
“Me?” replied the Governor, pulling out a pistol from the draw, “I will stay here.” The governor returned to his seat and looked down at the button, then saying, “this will set off the timer, wont it?”
“Yes, then there will be 10 seconds before it blows up”
“Very well, commander, you may leave.” The commander saluted, turned and left. The governor, meanwhile pushed the button, raised his gun to his head, and pulled the trigger.

“Sir, Caesar Augustus is in sight, orders, Caesar?” asked a Major
“Yes we aim for the Governors Palace”
“Very well, Caesar.”
Caesar reached the ridge that overlooked the city and smiled. Another city in his possession. However, at that moment, several explosions shook the area. Looking out over the city, he could see that the airport and the port were on fire. Caesar shook his head in disbelief, and gave the order to advance.

Scipio’s plane arrived ahead of schedule, but Colonel Publius was still there, saluting his General as he left the plane. Turning to his Colonel, Scipio asked, “what did you find?”
Publius smiled, and pointed towards a nearby warehouse, “its over there. We discovered it when we had taken the airport. You see, that was one of the areas of resistance in the city. Three transport planes managed to get away, but these two,” he gestured to two cargo planes parked near the warehouse, “didn’t make it off. We interrogated the pilots, who said they were supposed to take this stuff to Veii. They did not know what it was, though.” Scipio turned into the warehouse, and saw three large machines, two super computers, and a large filing cabinet. There was also a sealed chest with a strange symbol on it, and the words, Danger, Radioactive plastered all over it. Scipio turned to Publius, and said, “get the scientists to look over it. I want the rest of your troops back to Pisae”
“It will be done. What should we do with the prisoners?”
“Give them a chance to join us. If they don’t, shoot them”
“Yes sir.”

The Commander looked over his men, who were tired, exhausted, and outnumbered. His scouts noted that Caesar's forces were at the edge of the city, advancing down apon them. He faced his men, and said, “We are outnumbered and outgunned. The choice is up to you, men, if we fight on, or return to our families. I myself will fight on, even if it means fighting on alone. However, not from this city. I will fight a guerilla war against the rebels, and I will defeat them. If you wish to return to your families, you may do so now.”
No one moved. The commander smiled at this, and said, “Very well, then gather your stuff, we will leave for the Augustus Forest in five minutes. Dismissed.”

Cracus was reading over the report. General Chrisius had been ordered to keep open an escape route, and Marshal Antonius was moving most of his troops north to Byzantium. Caesar had seized Caesar Augustus, and the Garrison had fled to the hills. In the West, it was not much better, with Giza Ravenna, Pisae, and Lugium under the rebels’ control. The only good news was that Pompeii had been seized from rebel control. It seemed Cicero was loosing it, moving troops everywhere. Cracus was sure that the Veii pass would hold, but Chrisius’ and Antonius’ forces were made mostly of infantry. Cracus looked down at a map of the eastern part of Rome, and smiled. He drew a line up to Caesar Augustus, and then back down to Byzantine. His forces, it seemed, were the only loyal mechanized force in the entire Eastern Republic. Suddenly a plan formed in his head. He picked up the telephone, and dialed the number for Marshal Antonius.

Antonius was cranky. Nothing had gone right all day. The movement of his troops was behind schedule, and the Armor that he had expected had not turned up. Now Cracus was on the telephone wanting to talk to him. Antonius picked p the phone, and spoke into it, “Hello, Cracus, what do you want?”
“I have a plan to help rout the rebel forces marching on Byzantine”
“Explain”
And he did. After the plan had been discussed, Cracus said, “but there is something else. I believe that Cicero is too unstable, and must be removed”
“I agree, Cracus, but we will talk about this later”
“Very well, I will see you in Byzantium”
“I will see you there”

Caesar was sitting in the blood soaked chair of the former Governor, as General Graccis arrived, and handed Caesar a report. Caesar read it, and turning to Graccis, asked, “So there was no resistance whatsoever?”
“No, sir,” replied Graccis, “it seems that they fled for the hills after planting the explosives.”
“Very well, then, draft some locals into our army, and leave them here to protect the city from attacks by the garrison.”
“Yes, sir.”

[ChrisiusMaximus]

Looking good!

[ChrisiusMaximus]

Hey Zalza just seen your post in the contest thread, as we have plenty of time on our hands how about some more of this story

[Lord Zalzabad]

tommorrow, I promise, Tomorrow. Very busy at the moment, even with no school.

[Lord Zalzabad]

His scientists were looking over the package found at Lugium, and so far, they had not determined the material within, or the use of the two great machines. Scipio shook his head, and returned to his office. Sitting down, he ordered his commanders to come to his office to plan the Capture of the Via Pass.

“Caesar, the troops are ready to leave. Are you coming, sir?”
“Just one moment, Graccis, I have to make a telephone call,” replied Caesar, picking up his phone, and dialing the Pisae Barracks.

His commanders had just sat down as the phone rang. Scipio, wondering what it was, pushed the speakerphone button, and heard a voice that made all his commanders shake in fear.
“Hello, Scipio, friend” said the voice Scipio vaguely remembered, all those twenty years ago
“H…hello Caesar, wh…what might I owe this pleasure?” replied Scipio
“I have called to discuss tactics,” he replied.
“Well,” said Colonel Publius, confidently, “we are going no where intill we get past the Via Pass, and as you know, that place is impenetrable.”
“Who might you be, young Commander?”
“Colonel Publius, sir”
“Hmm, well, Publius, it seems that it is impossible to get past the Via Pass. However, you must think beyond the square, my young friend”
“How do you mean?” asked Graccis
“The Via Pass is not the only way through the Via mountains. You could send your troops along the coastal routes at Pompeii and…”
“And Titinium!” said Scipio excitedly, “That village is poorly defended, due to the poor condition of the coastal road. No one would even dream of using that path,”
“And,” replied Caesar, “That is why you will use it. I must go, Byzantium awaits.” And the phone hung up. Scipio turned to Publius, and ordered him to send a recon team out to scout out a route.

Constantine was sitting quietly in his command centre, waiting for something to happen. Nothing much had happened that day, other than a small skirmish with the Caesarites. However, what Constantine was really waiting for was a call from Marshal Antonius, to tell him to begin the coup. A telephone rang, which Constantine picked up, and spoke in for a few seconds. He smiled. At least that hole was plugged. He picked up a paperback book, and began to read it. It was another boring day.

However, this new day was not boring for the recon team. They had followed the road all the way along the coast, and the village of Titinium was now visible. The Road twisted its way along the coast, 100 feet from the raging sea beneath them. All they had to do was round this point and they would be there. The Commanders jeep turned the corner, and stopped. The road had been recently blown up There was a sheer drop for 50 feet, falling on jagged rocks. The commander heard something sounding strangely like a jet fighter scream over head. He raised his head to see what it was, but he did not see. The blast threw his command jeep off the cliff. As the fighter turned for another round, the Sargent ordered his men to retreat, and so they did.

Antonius looked over the fields of the Greek Plains where his forces were entrenched. He knew he lacked the mechanized forces that Caesar possessed, but his men were armed with anti-Tanki weapons. He was to hold off the enemy intill Cracus’ armored troops could cut around and rout them. This, he thought, would be a masterful plan that would crush the rebellion where it stood.

Graccis looked at the document with disbelief. He did not think Cracus was this aggressive. He quickly drove to Caesar's command Jeep, and told him of this terrible news. Caesar thought for a moment, and then it hit him, the perfect plan. He looked out over the Greek Plains, and saw where Antonius had entrenched his troops. Fine, he thought, it was time for them to see a ghost.

“Sir, a single Jeep is driving down off the plains. Should we fire apon it?”
“And reveal the positions of our artillery? No let’s see what Caesar has to say”
“Caesar? But isn’t he dead?”
“No, he is as good as alive. Why do you ask?”
“Because if the men see someone they think is dead approaching them…”
And suddenly it clicked. He picked up the radio, and yelled into it, “All guns, fire co- ordinates four zero zero nine”

“Men of Rome,” yelled Caesar into his megaphone, “Why do you fight me? I am your rightful ruler, Caesar!”
The troops were frightened, afraid that this man, who was said to be dead, was alive. One private, remembering a photo of the deceased leader yelled, “It is him!”
“If your government has lied to you about me, why wouldn’t it lie about other things?”
The soldiers thought about this for a moment. The argument was convincing.
“So leave that force of evil that suppresses you with lies and deceit, and join the glorious army, fighting to rid the world of scum like Cicero!”
One man stood up, and said, “I will join you!” he was followed by more. Other troops threw down their arms, and started to flee at the sight of this ghost.

Antonius looked at this with shock. His force had crumbled into nothing. He picked up the radio and ordered a full-scale retreat to Hispalis. Caesar had defeated the Republican Guard without loosing a single man.

Caesar smiled to himself. He had been victorious in all of his battles, without loosing a single man, and now, the Secondary capital was his, Byzantium.

[Flash]

I just found this story and your prequel. Thanks to you, I've been up allnight. .

Keep up the tremendous work. My only regret is that your incredable piece of ameteur fiction is not complete.
Truely a piece of inspiration.

Looking forward to more..................

FLASH

[ChrisiusMaximus]

Superb as always Zalza, kepp up the good work.

[Lord Zalzabad]

The Rumors had spread fast. For the fall of such an important city, the Eastern Capital of the Republic, could not be kept secret for long. Rumors also told of the Ghost of Caesar haunting the Republican troops, who fled. Yes, the city had fallen without a fight. Dictator Cicero had not been seen in public since his Television Address four weeks ago, and few people failed to see that the Republic was in its death throws. The talk between the high society told of an exodus of scientists, generals and government officials flee to the New Rome Colonies. With the news that their government was abandoning them, the cities still under Republican Control fell into disorder. Actum, Lutera, Veii, Rome, Pompeii and Hispalis were the only cities left under republican control. The garrisons from the other cities had been withdrawn to defend the Central Republic. People were panicking, fleeing the cities to the ports at Veii and Pompeii, with the hope of finding a boat, any boat to take them to the New Rome Colonies.

However, some people were ignorant of the panic, for they were too young. Lucida and Portia were brother and sister. They knew something was up, it had to be. Even before their imprisonment, the city streets were not this busy, full of Automobiles, loaded with luggage, people throwing what they could into trolleys and wheeling them away. But Lucida and Portia had no possessions. They had just escaped their fowl imprisonment. They had been there for five weeks, ever since their ruthless Grandfather threw them into this workhouse. From that moment, they planned their escape. They would catch a boat to a place where their parents use to take them for their family holidays, that is, before they died. It was called New Rome, and there they would start a new life, away from their oppressive Grandfather. They walked down the Via Actum, towards the Central Railroad Station. There, they would use the 40 drachmas they had begged to get a railroad ticket to Veii, to their new life. Standing on the edge of the great railroad station, Lucida remembered his parents, Caius and Portia Cassius, who, he remembered were murdered by his Grandfather, Cicero. He would get his revenge someday, and it would be sweet.

Never before in the worlds history had so many chiefs of state were gathered together in one room, but there, Zhang saw, were the heads of state of five different nation states. If an assassin wanted to throw the world into chaos, he would only have to bomb this place. That, thought Zhang, is why Emperor Mao sent him, while feigning illness. He could name the heads of state so easily, Catharine, Bismarck, Cleopatra, Tokoawa St Joan of Arc, and her Chancellor, the aging Joffre. They were all talking amongst themselves, yet stopped when Zhang entered the room. “Who are you, and what are you doing here?” asked Joffre
“I,” said Zhang, “am Ambassador Zhang Lu, representative of the almighty Chinese Empire, in place of Emperor Mao, who is currently fighting off a bad case of the flu.”
“Very well, ambassador, you may take your seat” Joffre replied. It was obvious to Zhang that he would be the Chairman of this meeting. He sat down between Catharine and Bismarck, and looked at the document before him. Joffre stood up, and surveyed the room. However, before he could speak, Catharine stood up and asked, “Why did you call this meeting Chancellor Joffre?”
“Why, my dear, isn’t it obvious from what is going on over the border? This is about the situation in Rome,” replied Joffre.
“What situation?” this time it was Tokoawa, the Japanese Shogun.
Bismarck turned to him and asked, “Where have you been, my friend? They are in the midst of a civil war, and have been for five weeks.”
“Explain.”
“Forces loyal to the recently deceased Consul, Cassius, led by General Scipio, hero of the battle of Tours, are attacking the Republic from the West, while forces lead by the former Emperor Caesar are attacking from the East. The Republican Forces are sandwiched between these two forces, and are not likely to survive much longer. Why I have called this meeting, is to form an alliance to help protect all of our nations from the victorious side in the civil war.”
“Come on, Joffre,” said Bismarck, “Tell us why you really want this alliance.”
“Very well, then, to attack the warring parties and seize the empire for ourselves”
This statement shocked many of the heads of state in the room. Zhang was the first to speak, “But Rome has done no harm to us. Why should we attack?”
“Because Rome is weak, divided, and rich. We will naturally divide the spoils. I place in front of you, my dear friends, the treaty documents. You have the power to sign for Mao, do you not, Zhang?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well then, from now on, the Cycenne Alliance is a reality!”

[ChrisiusMaximus]

Nice new twist Zalza this looks like a most interesting turn of events.

[Lord Zalzabad]

The alliance does not really come into very much play in this story, just setting up a plot line for the next part of the trilogy

[Lord Zalzabad]

General Constantine was sitting in his office, looking over the plans for the defense of the Republic. Sipping his coffee, he looked out the window to the rapidly emptying city. He shook his head, but knew that these people would be safe in New Rome. This was because the Rebels had no Navy or Airforce to speak of. Sighing, he turned the page of the document, to show a map on the defense of Veii. He was due to go down there to inspect the progress later that day, when the phone rang. Grumbling that his work had been interrupted, he picked up the phone.

“General Constantine?” the voice on the other line asked.
“Yes, and who might this be?” asked Constantine in a puzzled tone.
“Its Antonius.”
“Marshal Antonius? What a pleasure…”
“No, Constantine, I was demoted and arrested for treason. This is my one phone call. Do it soon.”
“I will be in Veii for three days, but I will do so when I get back. Good Luck, Antonius. May you have better luck in your next life.” With that, Constantine hung up the phone, and went back to work.

Antonius was shocked that his friend had been so rude to him. Nevertheless, at the same time, as they were leading him back to his cell, relieved. Relieved that the Tyrant of Cicero would soon be no more. If Caesar and Scipio did not kill him, Constantine would. As he approached his cell, Antonius noticed the warden an evil grin on his face. As he was thrown into his cell, the warden turned to him, and said, “Do not worry, my friend, you will not have to stay here for long. The order just came,” he held up a piece of paper, “to have you shot by firing squad in four days, at noon.” With that the warden left, chuckling to the guard. Antonius smiled at the thought that he would be able to live at least half a day without the yoke of tyranny that Rome had suffered under for so long.

Constantine on the other hand was shocked that the order had come. He had grown to enjoy the fruits of his new position, and did not want to give them up so easily. The phone rang once more, and Constantine angrily picked it up.

“What!?”
“I am sorry to disturb you, General,” said the familiar voice.
“Zhang?”
“Yes it is I, old friend. You still have not forgotten your fathers wishes?”
Constantine suddenly remembered his fathers wish, to remove Cicero from power and felt ashamed that he had even forgotten it.
“No, Zhang, I have not,” lied Constantine, “now what do I have the pleasure of talking to you, Ambassador?”
“Things were just a bit quiet, and I decided to check up on them”
“Well if that’s the case, I will do it soon, good bye…”
“No, Constantine, there is something else.”
“What would that be?”
“They have formed an alliance”
“Who has?”
“Everyone.”
“Like who?”
“France, Egypt, Germany, Russia, Japan, and, I am ashamed to even say this, China.”
“And what does this alliance wish to accomplish?”
“To destroy Rome, and divide it between themselves. I must go, I am expected somewhere else. Please keep this a secret from everyone. Farewell, my friend.”

Constantine was shocked at this news. Why did the world hate Rome so much? He could not see it. Had not Rome give them aid? Had not Rome give them Technology? Then it hit him. Rome had taken too much of the pie, and had stuck their finger in nearly everyone else’s. The campaigns were endless. The Greeko-Roman Wars, the Odessa conflict, the failed French campaign, little over twenty years ago. He shook his head. There was nothing he could do. He sat back in his chair, looking at the clock, only to find that his train left in half an hour. Swearing a curse, Constantine grabbed his briefcase, and ran out the door.

The ticket officer’s heart melted when the children explained their story to her. The train was fully booked, but there was room in the carriage reserved for military personnel. Handing over the tickets, she refused payment, thinking to herself why a grandfather would do such a thing to his own grandchildren.

[ChrisiusMaximus]

Great stuff Zalza, gripping stuff in fact.

[Lord Zalzabad]

To all my loyal fans, sorry about the lack of updates for my story. I have been preoccupied with other very important things, such as a new computer that will play civ 3 faster than one frame per minute. But that is being shipped down to Canberra on monday, and I will once more have nothing to do, exept finish this story. So Tuesday will come the next part of the Phantasma of Hades, A Fateful Encounter!

[ChrisiusMaximus]

I will be looking forward to it

[vovan]

Yup, hanging on the edge of the seat to learn what happens next.

Actually, I should probably reread the last couple of chapters to refresh the memory.

[Lord Zalzabad]

Here it is, right on time, as promised

-----------------------------------------------------------------------Constantine was already in a bad mood, and ended up being late for the train. However, as he was a high ranking official, they waited for him. Cursing once more at the inefficient railroad system, he walked into his VIP carriage, an officer saluting him. There, he saw two children sitting on HIS chair, eating HIS lunch at HIS table! Furious, Constantine looked to the officer. If looks could kill, the officer would have been dead, but he replied, “These children had tickets, sir.”
“Well then get them out!”
“I cannot do that, sir.”
“Why not!”
“Do you know who those children are?”
“Who?”
“The son and daughter of Portia and Caius Cassius.”
This shook Constantine. He looked over at the children, and slowly approached them, smiling happily, as the officer, sulked away to the bar.
“Hello children, what are you doing in my carriage,” said Cassius in his sweetest, most fatherly voice.
“We are going to Veii, Mr General,” said the little girl.
“Yeah, we are getting away from our evil grandfather,” said the older boy
“And what do you plan to do when you get to Veii?” asked Constantine politely
“We will get on a boat to New Rome,” replied the little girl.
“And what might your name be,” asked Constantine
“I am Lucida,” said the little boy, “and this is my little sister, Portia.”
“Hi,” said Portia, “and who might you be, Mr General?”
“I am General Constantine. Now why don’t you go down to the dining car and get something to eat,” he said, handing him some coins.
“Thank you Mr Constantine” they both said, running off to the dining car.

Cracus was looking over the tactical map. His forces were entrenched North of Byzantine, while Chrisius’ forces were entrenched at Hispalis. In between them was the Imperial Army. The word of Antonius’ defeat had come as a shock to all of his troops. Now was no longer the time for hesitation. He had to act decisively. Hispalis, he thought, would be the decisive battle. If the Republicans won, Caesar's forces would be crushed. If the Imperialists won, Rome would be open, and the Republic would be no more. And here his army was, stuck in the middle of enemy territory, far from the action, far from the combat. He and Chrisius had developed a plan for the coming battle, similar to the one that Antonius had worked out. His troops were completely mechanized, and could be in Hispalis in three days. On the other hand, Caesar's forces could get there in two, which was his problem. He turned to his commanders, who had just briefed their troops about the coming plan, and gave the order to move out. If Caesar moved, they would reach him at Hispalis, if he stayed put, they would fight it out in Byzantium.

Caesar, on the other hand, had ordered his men to move. His commanders had noticed how arrogant he had become. They had tried to warn him of the dangers of fighting with such fatigued troops, but he did not listen. Because of this, his troops would move much more slowly, and would reach Hispalis in two and a half days, at the dead of night. He had ordered an all night march with no breaks in between. Trouble was around the corner, but Caesar looked so happy, and it would not be right to spoil that happiness, would it?

Scipio was still angry about his failure to seize Titinium, and was fairly unwilling to take Caesar's last phonecall. However, he promised something big would happen, and the enemy troops would melt from him like Ice on the Via Actum, and within the week, he would be at Rome. His troops were all rested eagerly awaiting the first sign of battle. That morning he set out, with his entire army, for the Via pass.

The reports Chrisius got were disturbing. He had gained the title of Grand Marshal of the Republic of Rome by default, and loathed his new job. Sitting in the Governors office in Hispalis, he looked over a map of the Republic, or what was left of it. Spies indicated that Caesar was preparing to move, and forces at Pompeii noted a reduction of troops at the fortress protecting the pass. It looked like Scipio was preparing for an attack on the Via Pass. This put him into a weak position. The Via pass was the most secure pass in the country, protected by the latest Tanki, and the best-trained troops. The coastal road at Pompeii had been cut off by engineers, denying Scipio a chance to strike through there, but at the same time, leaving the Republican forces with invasion options. The Via pass was penatratable, but would come with great loss of man and machine on Scipio’s side. Unfortunately, after the Via pass there was nothing to stop Scipio from taking Rome. However, his most pressing problem was Caesar. The ground at Hispalis did not suit defense. The city itself was situated where the Brundistrum Plains met the Roma desert. The nearest hill was 100 km away, leaving nothing but open plain. His engineers had produced three hastily constructed Fortresses in a V shape pointing north, and backing on to the river. In between these three fortresses named Rome Veii and Actum, the light infantry were entrenched in the classic style, a front line trench, and three reserve trenches, with wide, but zigzagged communications trenches connecting them together. The communications trenches were wide to allow easy withdrawal if things got too rough. The secondary plan involved his two Tanki Brigades, and a new squad of Advanced Tanki, fresh off the production line. While Caesars forces are attaching from the north against the well entrenched Infantry, the Armored units would sneak up behind the main attacking force and cause havoc in the rear of the Imperial Forces. Then, if everything went right, Cracus would come in from the north and complete the rout. If it all went wrong, the army would retreat across the river, destroying the bridges, and go into a full-scale retreat to Veii, destroying everything as they went.

“Here, children, take this money. You will need it for the boat ride to New Rome,” said Constantine, handing over some money as the train approached the station.
“Thank you, Mr General,” said Portia, “We will never forget your generosity.”
The two of them got off the train and disappeared into the crowd. Constantine said a silent prayer for their safety, and hurried off to the waiting car.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Next chapter, the battle begins, as Constantine prepares his plot. Meanwhile, will Scipio stand Idle at the gates to Rome as the Republics fate is decided on the field of battle? Find out (or maybe not) in the next exiting chapter, due tommorrow!

[Lord Zalzabad]

Just incidently, this forum has kinda got busy lately. and also, if you read my story, please respond. I am grateful for any feedback even negitive.

[ChrisiusMaximus]

Im still here and loving every bit of this great story just wish you would do it faster but all good things come to he who waits.

[vovan]

What Chris said. Good stuff, indeed.

[Lord Zalzabad]

Your waiting will be over. I have set Febuary the 18th as the deadline for completing this story. I only have three major battles to go, one (maybe two, if your lucky) assassinations, and more twists than the River Thames. Well, maybe not that many, but you get the point.
------------------------------------------------------------------------Looking at the fortifications around the city of Veii only took two days instead of the three originally planned for. Thanking his luck for this day off, Constantine sat by the pier, looking at the vast amount of ships in the Harbour. He picked up a stone, threw it into the ocean, and looked back towards the city itself. His fate, Zhang had called it, to kill Cicero. He slowly stood up and walked to the train station, failing to pay for his dinner. Better sooner than later, he thought. Anyway, the defenses here were fine without him for now.

General Marius looked at the report, and looked down at the map of Hispalis. Hastily drawn on this were the positions of the fortresses. This did not look good, as it looked like Chrisius would want a fight. He took the news to Caesar, who hardly reacted to the news, “We will bury them! What resistance could THEY put up?” Graccis agreed with Caesar's diagnostic of the situation, but Marius was not sure. Capturing those fortresses would be tough with only Infantry with no artillery support, and minimal Mechanized support. He looked at the map once more. Recon units had reported that all bridges over the Hispalis River were destroyed, but in the city itself, there were two bridges left standing. Marius heard the roar of a reconnaissance plane overhead, and swore. They had lost the element of surprise. He could see troops firing at this plane with their rifles, but nothing worked. They were too slow to deploy their German Botha anti aircraft weapons. A captain from Recon handed him a report, showing him the enemy trench positions, and he compared it with the report that Cracus’ Heavy Armored Corps had smashed through the rear guard left at Byzantium last night. He would once more be in a sandwich, with two opposing forces coming at him from two sides. He would have to finish one off before the other, but which one. A loud explosion ripped the relative silence of the night, as Artillery shells rained death apon his men. He then turned to a sergeant, ordering him to gather all unit commanders in his office immediately, and to give orders to his men to entrench.

Antonius was surprised at the noise he was hearing from his prison cell under the Citadel at Hispalis. Had the battle come this far so soon? He smiled at Caesar's stupidity. His men would be tired, and would need a rest. They would not fight at optimum form. Then again, however, if Caesar won, his life just might be saved. However, the chance of Caesar winning this battle was low and the chances of Caesar letting him live was even lower. So Antonius sat back in his chair, and sighed, listening to the sounds of the battle above.

“They have 100,000 troops fortified around the city of Hispalis. Our estimates indicate that 40% of them are conscripts, 40% are regular troops, 15% Veterans, and 5% are of the elite Border Guards division. Intelligence sources indicates that Chrisius received a new shipment of Tanki, but their make, model and whereabouts are currently unknown. The enemy has constructed forts here here and here,” Marius said, pointing to the positions of the forts for the assembled commanders, “with enemy troops dug in, in an arc between the three forts. All bridges across the river have been destroyed apart from these two in the centre of the city itself. To get those bridges before they are destroyed is our number one goal. Now commanders, what is the state of your forces?”
“We have two hundred thousand troops under our command,” said the operations chief, “however…”
“However what?” replied Marius. It was the commander of the 3rd Corps, the Caesura brigade, “Our troops are at 70% readiness, sir. Many of our troops are conscripts, as you know, and what skills our regular troops have had has been eroded due to the lack of battle. I would say that our two hundred thousand troops would only be worth one hundred thousand.”
“So, commander, you are giving even odds of victory?”
“No, General,” said the commander of the Imperial Guards, “The odds are stacked against us. We are facing a well-prepared enemy, entrenched troops with lots of artillery and air support. Not to mention that we are operating in a time frame of less than half a day to achieve victory. If we win, I will eat my hat. Sorry commander, but none of our previous tricks will work. Cracus wants our blood for humiliating him like we did at Caesura, and many of the troops defending the city are bitter for the defeat at Byzantine. We are facing a determined enemy. We should have stayed at Byzantium, and took on Cracus there. Then after regrouping our forces, and training up our men, come down here and smash the enemy. I am sorry commander.”
“That is alright. I too was against this move, but Caesar insisted. It seems that he, and us all underestimated the republican resolve. We will withdraw 50 km, out of the enemy artillery range and wait for Cracus. We will then defeat his forces before setting our sights on capturing the city. Does everyone agree with this plan?” finished Marius. There was nodding and a few grunts around the room, indicating that they would go along with the plan.

The train arrived early. He hailed a taxi and ordered him to go to the defense ministry. He would conduct the plan tomorrow, when Cicero would be making his address to the nation. This would save the Republic, so he told himself, paying the taxi fare.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the next chapter, Cracus' forces will mix it head to head with Marius in a grudg match to the death. Who will win? Who will die? And will Constantine ever get around to killing Cicero? Fing out (or maybe not) in the next exciting chapter of the Phantasma of Hades!

[ChrisiusMaximus]

More twists than a Curly Wurly then ?

[vovan]

Originally posted by ChrisiusMaximus
More twists than a Curly Wurly then?

That makes this story really twisted. In a good kind of way. Great stuff, as ever, ZZB. (errr, I am always trying to abbreviate your name somehow, but it just doesn't sound right, sorry Lord. )