The Phantasma of Hades - Page 3

ChrisiusMaximus · February 13, 2003, 19:10

Yo Zalza ! like where are you, we would like to see some more.

Lord Zalzabad · February 13, 2003, 23:22

Here is some more! Id say about seven more chapters to go. I will try to write one a day from now on. (I have been very busy, that I have!)
------------------------------------------------------------------------“Is this right?” asked Chrisius as he looked over the reconnaissance photos on the desk before him. Caesar's troops were withdrawing out of their range of fire. “What are they doing,” he asked, fully knowing what the answer would be.
“They are preparing to face Cracus’ forces,” replied the chief of intelligence, “They see our defenses, and see how impenetrable they are. They also have intelligence, and know that Cracus has moved his troops. What I think is that Marius is afraid of facing Cracus’ Armored units with his back to the defenses around Hispalis, so he is doing what I would of done in his position, and withdrawn.”
“Very well, General,” Chrisius replied, “but where does this put us?”
“We are relatively safe. However, I would warn Cracus of the impending danger.”
“Very well, I will do that. What tactical plan should I recommend?”
It was the commander of the Republican Guard Division who answered, “Breakthrough.”

Cracus put down the phone, and swore. The plan was not going right. However, he would meet his opponent, the very capable General Marius outside the Londinium Forest, according to his calculation, and will hit them before they have dug in. He would then try to break through the enemy’s positions with an armored fist, in a mad race to Hispalis. There his forces would be united with the rest of the Republican Guard, and able to blast a hole in the Imperial Forces, and retake all the ground they had lost to these stinking Imperialists.

Caesar, however, was oblivious to the movements of his troops, instead playing chess with Graccis. He knew not of the impending battle, only that he expected victory. Marius could see it happening now. It happened to Caesar with Brutus, it happened to Caesar with Pompey. Ambitious men were getting his ear, and were controlling him. Graccis, it appeared was one of them. Marius shook this thought off, and continued to supervise his troops. They were planning to fortify in the Londinium Forest, yet there was a problem. Would they get there in time? Marius thought, properly yes, as he could see the forest approach. But he also heard something that made his blood chill, the sound of Mechanized forces approaching from both the north AND the south. He picked up a radio and gave the order to dig in, and prepare for attack.

Chrisius looked over at the commander of the Republican Guard with a searing look that could melt ice. The young Brigadier General stood his ground, and simply replied that his armored troops had nothing better to do, so they could help with the breakthrough. The Marshal was not angry at his decision, it was a good one at that, just angry that he had not put it passed him first. He dismissed the General, and then picked up the phone to Air Marshal Satunis, asking for some bomber support.

“The enemy is dead ahead, General, sir!” yelled the young Captain at the top of his voice.
“Very well, men,” replied Cracus, “Prepare for battle!

The Tanki’s sped out of the forest at full speed, firing their cannons at the enemy’s Tanki. Machine guns were blasting from the Imperial forces, only to be deflected by the heavy armor of the division. Tracers started to fire from the armored unit’s machine guns, destroying much of the infantry positions. Those who were not killed by the machine guns were crushed by the heavy Tanki tracks. Simultaneously from the south, the Advanced Armored units blazed through the enemy’s lines. They were unexpected, causing much destruction.

Marius was looking over the stats in his command track, suppressed at what he saw. 3rd and 4th Battalions were destroyed, both conscript troops, while the rear guards were decimated. The 2nd Imperial Tanki unit, with the support of the 1st and 2nd Battalions were preparing a counter attack on the enemies flank. Cracus’ forces were already two kilometers within enemy lines, and already had exposed a venerable flank that he could exploit. He smiled at this poor show of Generalship that Cracus showed.

However, one should not underestimate their enemy. Cracus had moved all of his troops together, with the mechanized infantry acting as rearguard to prevent this from happening. Unlike the modern military campaigns, he was not leaving infantry behind do defend the ground that he captured. His goal was Hispalis, and all of his troops would arrive, except those, 50 or so that were blasted away by RPG’s.

“Sir, our flanking of the enemy has succeeded, however, we found no troops to kill. They are like a tornado, nothing left but wreckage. I believe that they are trying to break through our lines to reach Hispalis, and the other, smaller group is assisting this. Our troops are trying to catch up with them, but they are too far ahead.”
“Very well, commander, I want a full scale attack on…” However the commander cut Marius off.
“That would be suicide, General!”
“Radar indicates a bomber squadron coming in from the southwest,” another voice called.
“Prepare anti air defenses. Order all forces in the Republicans way to hold their ground with RPG’s and Anti-Tanki weapons.”
“Very well, sir.”

It was around midday when the two groups met in the middle of the battlefield. Cracus’ troops marveled at the wonderfully new Tanki of the Republican Guard, and the Republican guard commander marveled at the lack of fatalities in the republican force. The two combined together, and forced their way south, through the troops who had reformed their defences.

Marius looked at the trail of devastation left by the Tanki, as they rolled off into the evening. Fifteen thousand men had lost their lives, another twenty thousand wounded. This was hardly a dent in his forces, that is intill he compared it with total losses of the Republicans. Seventy-nine troops dead, injured or captured. How would he explain such a defeat to Caesar?

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In the next chapter, Marius will have to explain his defeat to Caesar, while Cicero gives an address to the nation, prasing his troops and thier victory. Will Antonius be executed, will the tide of battle change, find out tommorrow in the next exciting chapter, The Tide Turns

ChrisiusMaximus · February 14, 2003, 03:55

Hooray three cheers for Lord Z, very good installment and looking forward to the next

If you get a chance I would like to know your thoughts on Fight For Freedom.

Lord Zalzabad · February 14, 2003, 06:01

well, I really do not read anyone elses story, as I usually do not have time, and I do not want to know how good my story is compared to the "opposition"

BUT I'll read it anyway.

Lord Zalzabad · February 15, 2003, 00:09

Your story is really good, Chirsius. Here's the next chapter
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“How could you lose!?” bellowed Caesar angary.
“It was not that hard, Marius, You outnumbered them twenty to one, and yet you still lost,” smiled Graccis, knowing that he would soon be in command.
“They used an unexpected tactic,” replied Marius.
“You must expect anything, my friend,” said Graccis sourly.
“Very well, then Graccis, if you are such a good General, why don’t you attack Hispalis!” replied Marius angrily.
“That is a very good Idea, Marius, Graccis will command the next battle of Hispalis. I will send you with a small party of troops to capture Athens and Spata,” said Caesar.
“Very well, sir,” replied Marius feeling very betrayed. He turned and left the room, leaving Graccis and Caesar quite alone.
“That is that out of the way. You know Caesar, you should watch that Marius fellow” said Graccis, manipulatively.
“Yes, I must. Now Marshal Graccis, what is your plan.” Graccis pulled out a map of Hispalis and showed him.

Graccis was fuming as he selected the best of his elite troops for his advance party. He chose only the most loyal. Loyal to him, not Caesar. Why was he snubbed like that? He wondered. And now he was being demoted to errand boy. He looked at his fifty men and picked up a group of trucks. Swearing, he took off into the east, thinking of a fitting revenge on Graccis.

Constantine was looking over a document. What it was he did not know. He was not even reading it, just staring at the words, thinking over what he must do. The television at his desk was turned on, and something the announcer said caught his ear
“… and in other news, Dictator Cicero will be making an address to the nation at eight o’clock. This is thought to be the pivotal speech of his career, and…”
Constantine looked at the clock, which showed the time as half past seven. If he could conduct the assassination on national television, all Rome would be able to see their liberation, and he would become the new ruler. He picked up his pistol that was sitting on his desk, and hurried out towards the taxi rank.

The men of Cracus’ armoured unit were enjoying their first hot meal and bath for five weeks. They, along with much of the conscript army had the night off to celebrate this victory. Many of these troops visited the local pubs and bars, all of which had televisions. At eight o’clock, the seal of Rome came up on every television in the entire republic.

Chrisius and Cracus were celebrating along with most the other commanders in the high class Hotel, the Republica when the speech began. The room went quiet.

“Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears!” started Cicero, standing on the pulpit outside the Capitol, “I have come not to praise Caesar, but to burry him.” The irony of this passage was lost on the crowds, who were watching, as free artistry had yet to be discovered. “Our mighty forces have smashed through Caesars Imperial Army at Hispalis, and are preparing for the final blow to crush the Imperialist fools. Once they have been crushed, the criminal Scipio will be brought to justice. This is the turning of the tides…”

Scipio swore at this. Caesar had failed him yet again. But something caught his eye in the background…

“… from now on, the republic is saved, thanks to the heroics of Marshal Chrisius and General Graccis…”

Antonius could hear the television address in the gaoler’s room, just feet away. It looked like his life would end tomorrow. Constantine had failed his mission…

“… and our heroic troops. I salute you all…”

Now was his chance. He was within range. There were no bodyguards around. He raised his pistol…

“… you have saved Rome!”

The gun fired. Cicero started to turn around, but failed to make it. The bullet struck him in the chest. He turned and faced his assassin, “Et tu Constantine?” and fell down. Constantine lowered his pistol to the fallen ruler’s head and fired one more shot. The body spasimed, and then fell dead.

“No Constantine not now!” yelled Chrisius. The television got the whole shot perfectly.

Scipio simply smiled. Yes, this was the turning of the tide. Now was his chance to attack. He called in Colonel Graccis.

In all the homes, in all the bars, in all the officers clubs they saw him fall. The panic started then, their leader was gone.

Antonius heard the shot and smiled. He was finally free of tyranny.

Constantine walked to the microphone, and simply said, “I am taking over.”

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In the next exciting chapter of the Phantasma of Hades, the panic spreads as Scipio makes his move on the Via pass. Will Graccis take this oppitunity to exploit Cicero's assassination? Will Constantine be able to restore order within the republic? what moves will Marius take to get revenge on Graccis? Find out in the next chapter, which is yet to be named!

ChrisiusMaximus · February 15, 2003, 06:55

Thanks for your kind words Zalza but this place is for me to give homage to this epic work of yours.

And what an epic story it is, all these different factions all vying for supreme power. I once thought that this story would make an excellent film but I now feel it would take a series to do it real justice.

Keep up the good work.

Lord Zalzabad · February 17, 2003, 05:14

I was thinking more on the lines of a trilogy movie. Thanks for your comment. BTW, do you know whe vovansim has been? I miss his comments (sniff, if only more people would comment)

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“We attack at once” said Scipio to Graccis, “and claim the element of surprise whilst Fort Via is in disarray.”
“The men no not of Cicero’s demise, comrade general, should we not inform them?” replied Colonel Graccis formally.
“No. We must achieve surprise. This could be what Caesar said would occur. Their country is in chaos now that their leader has bit the bullet. If I ever meet that Constantine fellow, I will have to buy him a glass of beer!” replied Scipio happily.

“Call Rome. We need additional information on the situation,” Commander Titinius explained to his communications officer. The assassination had happened no less than ten minutes ago, and his base was still in panic. On his desk lay a report saying Scipio’s forces had left Pisae for his fort. For all he knew, they could be right over the bridge. He turned to his second in command, and ordered him to get together a group of reliable men to begin a reconnaissance sweep of the area, to which the Second in Command replied none were available. The commander swore and picked up an assault rifle, gesturing for the other officers to do the same. If no loyal troops would do reconnaissance, it would just have to be him, leaving two sergeants and a lieutenant in command of the fort.

“Forward recon field reports that an enemy recon party has been sent out,” said Publius into his radio.
“Very well, any more details?” replied Scipio.
Publius thought about that for a moment, then picked up his spyglass to check out the enemy numbers. Seeing something strange, he picked up his radio and replied, “There is something strange about this party, Comrade General, they seem to be made up of senior officers. Their leader looks to be… It’s the enemy commander, sir! Should we commence attack?”

“Why couldn’t we get private uniforms so no-one would recognise us?” one major grumbley asked the Commander
Because it would of taken too long!” said the commander, spinning around to face his officer. But a glint of light caught his eye, coming from behind that rock. Suddenly his brain clicked Sniper! Then with a silent thud, the commanders brains were all over the ground.

“Bullseye, Comrade Colonel!” said a Corporal, “Where did you learn to shoot like that?”
“A long time ago at my fathers farm,” replied the Colonel, “Attack!”

The officers had rarely been under fire before panicked Some fled, while others stood their ground, fumbling with their rifles. The officers lasted less than a minute. The Lieutenant in command of the base heard the noise from outside and moved a surveillance camera towards the bridge. There he saw his commander, bloodied on the floor, with enemy Infantry swarming across the bridge to the opened gate of the fortress. He hit the red alert button, which told everyone in the base they were under attack.

It also told every base that a republican base of was being over run. One such base was fifty kilometres from the base, where the advanced Tanki were kept. These machines were readied. But what might have usually taken 5 minutes took almost an hour due to the shortage of reliable men. Thus, they were too late to come to the fortress aid.

Chrisius looked down at the red flashing button, knowing only too well that Constantines act of freedom sealed the fate of the republic. He could not order the arrest of Constantine, as he too was a conspirator. But couldn’t he of picked a better moment? Still half of his men had just deserted, with the other half retreating to the relative safety of the forts surrounding Hispalis. He hoped that Caesar did not take this time to exploit this moment of weakness.

Caesar on the other hand was oblivious to the demise of Cicero, as he did not have a television in his bunker. He prohibited the use of them anyway so Republican propaganda would not get through to his people. So his first report of the assassination was from a phone call.
“Hello?” asked Caesar into the phone.
“Brilliant plan Caesar!” said the voice on the other end that had to be Scipio.
“But our plan becomes under way in four days. We have not done a thing!”
“Then what about the assassination?”
“What assassination?”
“Of Cicero!”
“Cicero? Who did it?”
“A general named Constantine. Naturally, I thought he was an agent of yours, but he isn’t?”
“No, Scipio my old friend, I have never heard this name.”
“Well the intricate workings of republican politics matter no more”
“Why?”
“The dam has been breached, the republic is history!”
“You mean?”
“Fort Veii has been breached. We will be in Rome by the weekend!”
“How?”
“We exploited the weakness of the enemy at the time of the Assassination We eliminated the officers who were conveniently conducting an inspection or something similar, then overwhelmed the Fort with Infantry. They did not even fight. If you want to exploit the weakness in the enemy, now is the time!”
“Thankyou for that, Scipio, farewell,” said Caesar as he put down the phone, wondering why HE, the ruler of Rome was taking orders from a mere peasants son. “Graccis, get in here!” he bellowed.

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In the next exciting chapter, Graccis takes on Chrisius' depleted army. Will Chrisius be able to blunt Graccis' attack, while Cracus is sent to Rome to hold off Scipio. Is the republic really in its death throws? Can Consul Constantine rally his troops? If not, what will become of the Republic? Find out in the next exciting episode, which is yet to be named

Lord Zalzabad · February 17, 2003, 23:16

Never mind this message, it is just to send the story to the top of the page, which did not happen when I posted the last chapter

Flash · February 17, 2003, 23:28

Lord Zalzabad,
Your stories are awesome. I just wish the parts came closer together. But I do understand time constraints. Keep up the good work. Don't rush.

ChrisiusMaximus · February 18, 2003, 18:30

Nice stuff as ever Lord Z, looking forward to the next part.

vovan · February 19, 2003, 01:45

Just got around to reading the latest installment, Z, and I must say - one can never tire of your stories. Gripping stuff, as always. Keep 'em coming.

Lord Zalzabad · February 19, 2003, 02:18

unfortunately, I will have no more installments for a week, maybe more. I wanted to finish the story by thursday because I will not have access to a computer or the Internet for that time, and may become preocupied with other things.

But I will be back within a week, or maybe a bit longer.

vovan · February 19, 2003, 20:14

Oh, well, I hope when you are back you will bring some goodies together with you.

Lord Zalzabad · February 26, 2003, 03:07

Here is the goodies that I brought back for you, the next chapter...
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“I want that city!” finished Caesar triumphantly, “and this is where you will prove yourself. Do you have a plan?”
“Yes, oh Immortal Caesar,” replied Graccis.
“Get to it! At this rate Scipio will be in Rome before us! We must not let that happen.”
“Yes oh Immortal Caesar. Will Marius be informed of this plan?”
“We will leave him out of this. That is all”
With that, Graccis turned and left the room.

The city surrendered even before his troops entered it. Athens was taken. Disenchanted, they grudgingly gave their youth to the draft. They thought nothing was wrong, that they were surrendering to the Mighty Marius, Ruler of all Rome. After all, the republic DID abandon them…

The advanced Tanki’ were fighting a running battle. The enemy was too numerous for a full-fledged fight, but they were slowing down the enemy, and doing a good job of it. That is why their next order baffled them. The Captain ordered his men to withdraw one hundred kilometres.

The commanders had all withdrawn to Veii and were sitting in a smoke filled room, discussing their plans. Every General was there, with the exception of two. All they knew was that Hispalis still stood, as did Actum, and there were both sizeable armies there. Marshal Chrisius stood up to address the assembled Generals, Admirals, and Marshals.
“Gentlemen, quiet please. We have permission from Rome to implement Operation X, the complete evacuation of the Republican Army. We have deployed 100,000 veteran troops, based around Actum and Hispalis, 30,000 men and 70,000 men respectively. Their job is to hold off the enemy long enough to evacuate as many troops as possible to the New Rome Colonies. We have 50,000 troops in Veii itself, and about half a million civilians that require evacuation. We have the vessels, but we need three weeks to fully implement the operation.
“Our blocking forces will conduct an orderly retreat to pre-prepared positions behind them, where they can easily inflict major casualties to the enemy force. Our force may be depleted due to the untimely death of our former dictator, yet we are still strong. The approaches to Veii are through the harsh Roma Desert, so their advantage of open plains will be greatly diminished. They will be fighting for the waterholes, or in the case of the Western Front, the River. Therefore, our troops must deny these resources to them. They will be the last to leave, these blocking troops, and I have given orders for General Constantine to take over the eastern front, while Cracus is preparing a counter attack on Scipio’s forces,” he finished, looking at the faces of his fellow Generals to gauge their reaction. They all nodded their heads to agree with the plan, and then withdrew to their commands.

It was quiet in the east… maybe too quiet, the commander of Fort Veii outside Hispalis thought. He looked at his watch and picked up the phone and started to dial the number for the Gaoler. Poor Antonius, he thought. Maybe he would do better in the next life…

“Artillery is in range, General”
“Fire at the fortress in the centre, I do not want it standing when I return”
“Yes, Sir!”

The first shell hit within the main fort, completely destroying Barracks A, as well as the Commanders office. However, the Veteran troops were not shaken by such a loss. They prepared counter battery missiles to take out the enemy artillery

“What was that!” yelled Constantine in alarm
“They must be attacking!” yelled the Captain franticly trying to raise Fort Veii. The streak of the counter missile battery lit up the sky, as did the explosions in the distance. From afar, Constantine could hear the rumbling of Tanki warming up in the city centre. There was more artillery fire, and the eastern section of the fort crumbled. Light Mechanised troops quickly drove out of the ruined fortress to intercept the advancing Imperial Tanki. Artillery was now being fired from the other two fortresses at the advancing troops, but to little effect. The first battalion of Republican Tanki left the City Centre for the front, as the Mechanised troops reached Gracus’ Armoured thrust. Constantine’s jeep drove up to a small hill near the centre of town to watch the battle. It had a commanding view of the battlefield, and that’s where Constantine saw trouble.

Antonius was shocked by the shaking of the fortress, and by the sudden appearance of the warden. The Warden unlocked his cell and started to get him out, when the reinforced roof over his head collapsed. With the cell door open, now was his chance to escape…

“Move the third Tanki division over to the north to block off the enemies flank!” yelled Constantine.
“No good, Sir, they will not get there in time. They have flanked us!” replied the captain in a worried tone.
“Well, then move all troops to the bridge. I want Fort Rome to launch covering fire on the enemies position.”
“I estimate we will only be able to withdraw three divisions, that is 30,000 men.”
“It is better to lose 40,000 troops than 70,000. He who runs away, lives to fight another day!"
“It will be done.”

Chrisius was listening to the battle in the complex communications room of the Destroyer Titanius. At the order to retreat he shook his head. He was promoted too fast, that Constantine child. If his troops moved south, he could cut the enemy off at the tail, and destroy them from the rear. Amateurs he thought.

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In the next chapter, the battle for Hispalis will be decided. Will Constantine achive victory, or will his ill advised withdrawal be the final nail for the fate of the republic? And what is General Marius up to? Find out in the next exciting episode, entitled, The Battle of Hispalis Part 2

SKILORD · February 26, 2003, 14:49

sweet....

Lord Zalzabad · February 26, 2003, 20:46

They were being abandoned, yet they knew they had to fight on. Fort Veii and Fort Pompeii had fallen, and Fort Rome was besieged. Artillery was crashing down on the fortification, as enemy Infantry prepared to storm the ruins of the final fortress. The Commander and fifty of his loyal troops had barricaded themselves in the basement of the fort, preparing for the inevitable. They could hear over the radio that their sacrifice meant that others could live on and fight. The artillery fire stopped and there was silence. The commander raised his pistol, as he thought that this is worth dieing for, the fate of the Republic…

“General, we have captured the final fort, but at the loss of 1,000 men. There seemed to be a small band of resistors lead by the commander of the fort that took out most of these troops, but they have been subsided. Our Mechanised Forces have reached the city centre, only to meet heavy resistance from forces located on the other side of the bridge. It would be suicide to try and capture that bridge. We must think strategically. They do not have a good commander, as could be seen by his abandonment of the Fortress Garrisons, so we will be able to find a weakness in his defence” finished Graccis.
“Very Well, general, you have to midnight to capture the other side of that bridge. What are our losses?”
“Very well, sir,” said Graccis picking up a sheet paper, “At the battle of Londinium Forest, we lost 15,000, with another 20,000 wounded, For the attack on the Fortresses, we lost 10,000 men, another 5,000 wounded, and to capture the city, we have lost 500, with another 500 wounded. This leaves us with about 149,000 troops fully active, but Marius took 15,000 troops with him to capture the Greek cities, which leaves us with 134,000 troops.”
“Then we have troops to spare! How many troops does Scipio possess?”
“Intelligence indicates 50,000 or so, but all well trained, and all very loyal.”
“You will storm the bridge, overwhelm their forces with your numbers, and smash through their forces.”
“This will cost men, Oh Immortal Caesar.”
“That it will. Now get cracking!”
“Yes, Oh Immortal Caesar.”

Colonel Publius was in command of the reconnaissance screen as it passed through a deserted Actum. He was very worried, as he expected at least some token resistance, but they had encountered very little, only a few Advanced Tanki that kept ambushing them, but even they had gone. Oh well, he thought, this would make their advance to Rome all the faster.

The General looked at the small reconnaissance screen advancing. He shook his head, and turned to the Tanki Commander. “Destroy that army, but try to capture some of the officers.”
“Yes, sir!” he saluted, and returned to his Tanki. Cracus turned back and looked once more at the cloud of dust. Yes, he thought, this would be another victory for the Republic, and maybe the end of the rebellion. But he did not know what was happening 1,000 kilometres away.

“General, sir! They are using foot infantry to storm the bridge!”
“Well then gun them down!” replied Constantine angrily.
“Well, sir, we do not have enough bullets”
“What? Ok, then, force them back with Tanki while engineers plant explosives on the bridge. Our Forces will then withdraw to preplanned positions and let the enemy advance. Once a sufficient number is across, we blow up the bridge and then slaughter all those who have crossed. Any questions? No? Good, then do it.”

Graccis was sitting down in the Governors Villa drinking Egyptian Champagne when the news broke. “Sir, they are launching a counter attack over the bridge! What should we do?”
“Hmm, I know this ruse. Let them do it. IF they withdraw afterwards, send a brigade over to hold a beachhead while our engineers scour the bridge.”
“Very well sir, but what are the Sappers supposed to find?”
“Our opposing General has a masterful plan, but unfortunately I know it. They will place explosives on the bridge, withdraw, and let us establish a large beachhead on the other side. They will then blow up the bridge, cutting off our troops and attacking us. But we will be ready for it.”

The attack on Publius’ reconnaissance unit was a complete surprise, so much of a surprise that a radio message did not even get through. His troops were searching through the ruins, when they found the body of a senior officer. He was amazingly still alive, but barely. They took him to Graccis who immediately recognised him, and sent him off to Veii, while he prepared his ambush.

“Sir, the explosives are set, shall we withdraw?”
“Yes. Those Caesar-ites will not know what hit them!”

The captain smiled as he saw the Tanki withdraw off the bridge, ordering his infantry to follow them, and establish a beachhead, or more appropriately, a Bridgehead on the other side. Then he ordered his sappers to follow them, scoring the bridge for explosives.

“We still have not got word from Publius,” said Colonel Graccis
“We will still advance, but cautiously. They may have been attacked by that unit of Advanced Tanki that have been hassling us,” replied Scipio, “But we still must advance. Reports indicate that Hispalis has nearly fallen and with that, the Imperialists will get to Veii before us. We must not let that important city fall to them!”
“It’s no use, General, it will take us eight days to get to Veii, compared to four for the Imperialists.”
“Very well, Graccis, It looks like we will just have to settle with Pompeii as our naval base for our impending attack on the Imperialists.”
“But sir, they outnumber us in both men and resources.”
“Yet we outnumber them in industrial output. Give us twenty-five years, and we will have a mighty army.”

“They have a division across, General Constantine, shall we blow the bridge?”
“Yes, captain, you may”
The captain pulled out a remote and pressed the red button. There was no great noise, but they were too far from the bridge to hear anything. Constantine then gave the order to attack, to attack a dug in division of Mechanised Infantry prepared to fight it through to the end, but he did not know that

“We are prepared to send the second armoured division across, sir”
“Very well, we will need it for our thrust on the enemy forces,” replied Graccis
“Do you think they have taken the bait?” There were a few shots in the distance, which answered the Captains question
“Yes Captain, I think they did.”

The massacre started then. 200 Tanki stormed the position protected by the crack Infantry division, and were slaughtered by the well prepared enemy infantry. They then started to advance, assisted by elements of the Second Armoured Division, through the advancing republican infantry, catching them by surprise. Word quickly spread to Constantine, and therefore, central command. Chrisius saw what would happen, his force in the East would be routed, and Cracus’ would be surrounded. He picked up the phone to order Constantine to retreat, and then dialled the number for General Cracus.

The Ambush had worked perfectly, and his advanced Tanki were ripping up the enemy infantry. Scipio’s forces were in chaos, and were preparing to retreat, when the message came. Cracus read it, swore, and ordered his victorious men to retreat.

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In the next exciting chapter, the Rout begins! Will Constantine hold off the enemy long enough for Cracus to withdraw his troops, or will he fail once more. Will the Imperialists win or are the forces within conspiring to remove Caesar. Find out in the next chapter, entitled Trechery

Lord Zalzabad · February 27, 2003, 02:24

It seems I am in a writing mood! So here is the next part
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“Why are they retreating? Should they not be consolidating their advantage?” asked Colonel Graccis.
“I’m not sure, but they sure gave us a mangling!” replied Scipio light heartedly, “That must have been General Cracus, Cicero’s most skilful and favourite general. It would take a catastrophe to force Cracus to retreat after such a resounding victory… unless, I thing Hispalis must of fallen, yes that must be it! Get the troops ready to pressure and harass them!”
“But Comrade General, our troops are not ready. To order them to advance now, into perhaps another ambush? I don’t think so! We need to lick our wounds.”
“Very well, but tell the men they can lick their wounds in Rome!” replied Scipio triumphantly.

Marius was going over his plan one last time in his head, when his senior aide interrupted him, handing him a message. He looked over the message, and then looked at a report on his desk. He now had 100,000 troops under his command… or at least in theory. The majority of these troops were poorly trained conscripts. But he thought the time was right. He took a breath, and picked up the phone.

There were drinks being served at the Governors Villa at Hispalis, celebrating the victory of Caesar’s armies. “…And a toast to the man who made this brilliant plan happen, Marshal Graccis!” replied Caesar.
“Hear, hear!” replied the assembled officers, as a young captain whispered something in Caesar’s ear.
Caesar then picked up a wineglass, and tapped it several times, and the room became quiet, “Gentlemen,” Caesar started as the captain brought the phone over to the table, “General Marius has some words of congratulations for our esteemed Marshal!”
“Thankyou Caesar. Graccis, I wish to congratulate you on your victory at Hispalis, but to you Caesar…” his tone changed to become more aggressive, “… to you Caesar, now I see the flaws that I failed to see for most of my life. You are a puppet, controlled by whoever wants to control you. When I was with you in Rome, there were none of these people about, but now they are everywhere, manipulating you Caesar. It is for this reason I am declaring you an enemy of Rome. I have built up an army of 100,000 in Grechio province, and I say attack me if you dare. If you try to take out me, Scipio will Attack you, and vice versa. It is up. Give up Caesar or I will order my army to attack you!”
To this Caesar just smiled, “Ahh, Marius, Marius, Marius. What am I to do with you? If it was not for me you would of still been a captain in the infantry.”
“And if in was not for me, you would have been dead!”
Flustered at this rebuke, Caesar went on, “But your army would mostly be untrained conscripts. They would be no mach for us. You will not, or cannot attack us and sucseed, Marius, at least not yet.”
“Nor you attack us, Caesar, unless you want the Western Republic on your back!”
“You! I will see your body in hell, Traitor!”
“Yes but you will be the first to get there!”
With that, the phone hung up.

“What are we to do, Oh Immortal Caesar?” asked one Colonel.
“Why, we will continue as planned. We march on Veii!” replied Caesar.

The Imperial Tanki rolled over Constantine’s pre prepared defensive positions like they were paper, and flanked the enemy at all positions. It was a full Rout within hours, with Constantine down to 5,000 men by noon the next day. Looking over his troops, he put his foot down, and faced his troops, “Here, we will make our counter attack, not to save the Republic, no. But to hold off the enemy long enough for Cracus to withdraw. Long enough so our troops can withdraw to New Rome and fight from there. Long enough so your families can board boats for a new, safe life, a new beginning, a new hope! We will sacrifice ourselves so our fair republic would live on, live on in the hearts of those people whom you save! Now I will not order this to you, as I have caused so much pain to you already. You will volunteer. Who will stay with me, and sacrifice themselves for the safety of those we love?” Men raised their hands, and started clapping. Pulling out shovels, they began to dig trenches. None left, All stayed to fight with, and most likely, die with their General.

Passing through Rome, Cracus hoped that they would make it to Veii in time. News of the rout spread fast, and the ecstasy of victory was diluted by the news of defeat. His troops were demoralised and tired. Many of them had been with him since Caesura, those many weeks ago, when the republic was strong. What they were fighting for was the fate of the Republic, which was now sealed. It was there he decided. If Veii was captured, he would surrender to Scipio, not Caesar, and thus spare his troops being sacrificed for something that no longer existed.

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In the next chapter, Constantine must face his demons. Will his plan work? Will Cracus make it to Veii in time, and Will Marius launch an attack on Imperial Rome? Find out in the next exciting Chapter, Constantines Last Stand

ChrisiusMaximus · February 28, 2003, 14:59

Marvelous stuff simply brilliant, keep it coming.

vovan · February 28, 2003, 17:01

Great stuff, Z.

SKILORD · February 28, 2003, 18:01

good job.

Lord Zalzabad · March 5, 2003, 00:10

This has been a long time in the making, due to my bussy study schedule. Sorry about the lateness, but here is the next chapter

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The first sign of trouble came at nine on the following day, when the forward reconnaissance screen vanished without a trace. Equipment failure was the excuse used by the Major, sure that no Republican troops were left. Graccis sent out a team with replacements. By noon, they had not returned, and now Graccis was worried. But he shrugged this thought off, continuing to advance towards the political leadership in Veii.

“Captain, I see smoke in the distance!” the private said to his commander
“Very well, I will send out third brigade to investigate the smoke. But as a precaution, I will advise Graccis to avoid the area,” replied his Captain. However, Graccis did not think it wise to leave the road in the middle of the desert, especially when there is a water hole so close. The Captain just shrugged, and continued on his pre planned cause, annoyed at not being taken seriously by his commanders.

“General sir, I see three Tanki, and Nine Mechanised Infantry Movers approaching from the east!”
Constantine looked at them, and ordered his men to hold fire until they were closer. More Tanki and Infantry Movers approached, giving many targets for the rocket propelled Grenades and the Mortars to hit. Constantine nodded his head, and all hell broke loose. The barrage of RPG fire hit the first three Tanki, while twelve Infantry Carriers were disabled. The crews bailed from their stricken machines, only to be mowed down by machine guns. One brigade attempted to flank the Republican position, but this ultimately lead to its destruction by a pre-placed minefield.

“What is going on, Major!” asked Graccis angrily.
“We don’t know, sir, we have seemed to have struck some sort of organised resistance, of unknown numbers. They have mauled our forward divisions, with few troops surviving. They seem to be using a new sort of rocket to disable our Tanki, but of what, we are not sure. They have not used any mechanised units yet, so we believe that we are just facing Infantry.”
“So, major, what am I to tell Caesar?”
“We have encountered a minor obstacle, which we are currently negotiating.”
“And he would believe that?”
“I believe he would. He would believe anything that came out of your mouth, Sir.”
“Very well, thankyou Major. I trust you can fix this up.”
“That I can.”

The Major returned to the front, and gave Graccis’ orders to the Colonel, who in turn shook his head. The Liaison Officer asked, “Why are you worried? We will crush these troops and they will surrender once they see our superior numbers!”
“You don’t get it, Major! Before we have faced demoralised and frightened enemies. Here we are facing a determined and entrenched opponent who will not easily be moved. Their RPG’s are state of the art, and they hold the Oasis. To continue, we must get to the Oasis by tonight, or our troops will go thirsty, and we will have to withdraw. This, my friend, is on your head, since you made a promise you cannot keep.”
“Very well, Colonel, but I have my orders. You must attack the Oasis with everything you have. That was an order from General Graccis himself.”
“Very well, Major, I will conduct the Generals orders immediately.”

The two privates were talking quietly, wondering why their division had halted so suddenly. Then the commander approached, and yelled a few orders at them. They saluted in the Imperial way, and boarded their Tanki. They were going to a little Oasis called Vicunium, where there had been some reported enemy contact.

The Colonel looked at the map sourly. This would set his plan back several days, he noted. He swore at this, and looked at the positions of his troops. His men were surrounding the Oasis, preparing for a full-scale attack on the republican position. Intelligence indicated that there were few troops to contend with, but they were armed with the latest and best weaponry. In one hour, his troops would be in place, in one hour, the small force of republican troops would meet their doom.

“It is very quiet, General,” said the young private, “maybe they have given up?”
“No, young friend, they have not,” replied Constantine calmly, as he refilled his canteen at the oasis, “They are just preparing for the final attack.” Constantine walked over to a small mound, which gave a commanding view of the desert. Beneath him was the smouldering wrecks of some one hundred Tanki, all Imperial. But this victory did not come cheap, he had lost around one hundred and fifty of his three hundred troops. They could not hold off the Imperial attack that he knew was coming. In the cool desert heat, one could hear many things, and the starting up of Tanki was one of them. Hearing this, Constantine ran down the hill to warn his troops.

“The Oasis is in range, commander, but we cannot see anything,” said the driver of the Tanki.
“Very well, continue to advance, but be cautious, we do not know what is out there,” replied the commander, as the Tanki hit something, “And avoid those wrecks that litter our paths!”
“Yes, sir!”

“They are within range, shall we fire?”
“Yes, we cannot let them get much closer than this, or they will overrun our position,” replied Constantine.
“Very well, sir,” replied the Captain, “FIRE!”

The entire area erupted in chaos, as the entrenched Infantry wiped out the first wave of Tanki. However, on seeing this, the commander ordered an artillery barrage on the position, wiping out many of the Republican Defenders. This time, as the Tanki advanced, they were firing madly at anything that moved, while being protected by a rolling barrage. Only a few of these Tanki were wiped out by the Republican Attack, and they managed to get to the crest of the mound on which Constantine stood on not too long ago. There, they halted, their turrets swinging madly, waiting for the Infantry Carriers to arrive.

The reports were sketchy. The artillery barrage took out most of the communications, and what was left, told of their positions being overrun. His troops started to flee, but not Constantine. He had done enough fleeing. He picked up an assault rifle, and made for the surface.

Graccis stood on the mound, as his troops hunted down the fleeing Republican troops. Turning to the Colonel, he asked, “Has the commander been found?”
“No, sir, we have not found him. However, our troops have found some underground tunnels, which may or may not have held the command post. I have sent troops in to check them out.

As Constantine ran up the stairs, he thought and realised something. He was a failure. He had failed his fathers dieing wish, he had failed his friend, Zhang’s request, but worst of all, he had failed the Republic he strode to save. In what he though was a victory for the republic, actually ended up in defeat. Darn it, he thought, I am not going to fail at anything else. As he turned around a corner, he saw an Imperial soldier. Not thinking about the noise it would make, he fired off his rifle.

“What was that?!” asked Graccis in surprise.
“Only our troops killing off the republicans,” replied the Colonel
“Oh, good then.”

The surface was just a few metres to go. Yes, Constantine thought, this would be his greatest moment, as he reached the surface, he aimed for the Mound, and opened fire.

The lead struck through Graccis’ left leg. He fell to the ground, withering in pain. All of his troops were caught by surprise, and many were cut down by Constantine. The Colonel hit the ground, and plucked an assault rifle off a dieing soldier. Carefully taking aim, he fired at the Republican soldier, taking his head off with the single bullet. Putting down the rifle, he went t the aid of his fallen General.

“What is wrong, Major?” asked Chrisius impatiently.
“Well, it seems that the enemy have stopped at the Vicunium Oasis. For what I cannot tell. A reconnaissance plane will be over the area shortly.”
“Very good, tell me when the results come in.”

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In the next and penultimate chapter, Cracus and Caesars forces race towards Rome. Has Constantines noble sacrifice brought Cracus more time to get to Rome? Will Graccis die of his wound? Will I have the chapter posted by Sunday? Find out in the next exciting episode, Prelude to Battle, The Race to Veii

ChrisiusMaximus · March 6, 2003, 19:57

Superb stuff

Lord Zalzabad · March 11, 2003, 01:25

To my loyal readers, I am afraid I will not be able to type the next few chapters for the while, as I find myself burried under tons of work. For this I wish to apologize, and promise that the last two chapters (and an epologe) will be posted in the near (ie before april) future.

ChrisiusMaximus · March 12, 2003, 20:23

I will be waiting and looking forward to its continuation,

Lord Zalzabad · March 14, 2003, 00:03

Chrisius looked over the photos, and smiled. They showed the smoking wrecks of over two hundred Imperial Tanki, the Imperial Army camped in for the night, and the body of a sole Republican General, who on closer inspection looked like Constantine. “Ah, Constantine, you were good for something after all!” he said to himself, picking up a radio to Cracus.

“And WHY have we stopped?” said Caesar angrily.
“Well, Oh Immortal Caesar, we encountered a little opposition and…” started Graccis timidly.
“Opposition? I thought you said they were routed!”
“They were, sir, but they decided to make a last stand. It was lead by a General Constantine, I believe.”
“Then why have we stopped the advance!”
“Constantine’s attack guttered most of our crack units. We have to take time to reorganise our troops, or else Chrisius’ troops will crush us when we get to Veii.”
“But Scipio will get the vital port before us!”
“Not according to intelligence. They have stopped at Rome. They don’t want to waste their resources on the city. We have time! There is no rush.”
“Very well, Graccis, reorganise our troops, then get them moving to Veii”
“Very well, Oh Immortal Caesar.”
“How is your leg?”
“Only a graze. I’m alright.”

“Thankyou, Constantine, you gave us the time we need!” said Cracus happily. He looked back down at the intelligence report, seeing that Scipio had stopped advancing, giving him no pursuit, and about three more days to get to Veii. The Imperial troops were only a day away from the city, and by the look of the losses, Cracus predicted it would take at least three days to reorganise, giving them one day to spare.

“And how long in till we are ready?” asked Caesar impatiently.
“Three Days,” came the reply, “But we can send advance units to scope out the city.”
“Then send them out! And I want our forces ready in two days!”
“But that is impossible!”
“Then work the mechanics and troops all night if you have to.”
“But that will lower the Morale of the troops, and they will not fight as well!”
“We still outnumber them!”
“But they are in better defensive positions!”
“Was not Hispalis as well defended as this city?”
“Yes, but an unexpected opportunity that is unlikely to repeat itself arose.”
“I don’t care! I want that city in three days! I do not care how many troops we loose, I want that city!”
“But what about Scipio and Marius? Will not they present a problem?”
“Maybe you are right. Keep about twenty thousand of our best troops, and move them towards Rome.”
“And what about Marius? He has at least fifteen thousand trained and elite troops under his command.”
“I do not think he will do much, he will try and consolidate his power in the territories that they currently control.”
“Very well, Oh Immortal Caesar”

Marius looked over the map of his territories. He turned to his operations commander and pointed to a position marked Brundustrum. A small unit of Imperial Troops controlled the city. From there, Caesar could cut off the supply route to Thermopile, and then capture the city. They must take that city, while the majority of Caesars troops were in the West, to secure the supply route to the important naval base in the area. Colonel Farvus had already been dispatched to Spata to begin the attack. But they had a time limit. Once Veii fell, Caesar would move troops to reinforce the border. So the attack would have to start soon. Marius turned to his operations officer, and gave the order to attack. It would take at least a week before the district was his.

The last passenger ship steamed under the legs of the Colossus, and the city was evacuated. Chrisius looked at the fixed defences that surrounded the city, so it could be defended with the minimum amount of troops, and looked at the operational report in front of him. The 1st Armoured Division would be here by midday, yet intelligence indicated that Caesars forces were sending out their advanced crack units towards Rome, and the main army was about to begin their advance. When the Imperial Army would arrive was anyone’s guess, but Chrisius hoped that Cracus would get there first.

‘We are ready to go, Oh Immortal Caesar!” proclaimed Graccis triumphantly.
“Very well, then, encircle the city. Let no one out. We will get our artillery in place, and then attack the city. Those Republicans will not know what’s hitting them” replied Caesar.
“Yes sir!” Graccis replied, and adding, “I also have reports of a small force approaching from Rome. It seems to be a small Republican brigade that Scipio chased from Fort Via. They have given us an assurance that it is not very big, and we can easily handle them.”
“Ok, then, we will let the divisional commanders worry about that. When will the encirclement be complete?”
“Around midday, I suspect.”

Scipio stood at the Capitol, looking down his troops parading on the Via Actum. The few townsfolk that had elected to stay instead of flee looked on, partly with curiosity, partly because they were forced to, amazed at how such a small army could defeat the Mighty Republic. But they also knew of Caesar, and quietly thanked the gods that they were not living under his yoke. They shrugged this thought away, and continued to watch the continuing spectacle. Scipio continued to look on, and Graccis joined him, handing him a sheet of paper. Scipio read it, and then headed off to speak to Caesar.

“Why are you sending troops up to attack us?”
“We want to make sure you will not attack us!”
“Well then, order them to stop at the border of Straplium Province. If they cross that boundary, they will feel the full force of the Western Republic!”
“Calm down, Scipio, you have my word that they will not cross the border. Now tell me a bit about this brigade you were chasing?”
“It seemed to be an armoured brigade, which ambushed and destroyed our forward reconnaissance. They were preparing an attack on us, but your victory at Hispalis must of frightened them”
“Hmm, perhaps your right,” Caesar said, putting down the phone, and continuing to himself, “But it will be you, my “friend” who will receive the full force of my attack! Claiming to be an independent nation, when all Rome falls under my command, ha! They will not be so lucky.”

“Veii is in sight, but there is a problem.”
“What might that be?”
“It is surrounded, but only by minimal force. If we want to get through we will have to break our way through.”
“Very well, prepare for the attack, and Radio command of our plans.”
“Yes, sir.”

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after (about) 150 days, and nearly 80 typed pages, the final chapter is finaly near! Will Cracus break through the siege, and evacuate, or will his forces be smashed against a solid Imperial Defence. Will Chrisius manage to evacuate all of his troops before the Imperialists complete thier mission? Will Caesar then turn his attention to Scipio, and attack them, or will some other force come into play. And what cunning plan has the Cycenne Alliance come up with for destroying Rome? All of these questions will be answered in the final chapter of this exausting tale, A New Beginning?

Lord Zalzabad · March 14, 2003, 00:06

Please note, I will try to have the final chapter written by monday, so it is completed in time for the Story Comp. Please nominate it once this story is completed!

ChrisiusMaximus · March 15, 2003, 05:56

Well youve got me salivating all over my keyboard in anticipation, that was a great chapter which clearly marks out all the posistions of the different factions for us. Good work Zalza.

Lord Zalzabad · March 16, 2003, 02:40

The sun was high, and the position was quiet. Too quiet, perhaps, but this was the endgame of this war. The captain looked out over the harbour, seeing the many ships still anchored there were surprisingly few transports left in the harbour, but this was expected. All the quality troops would have fled by now. The Captain smiled, and turned to look out over the plains, soon to be under their command, but froze in shock at what he saw. He started to run, but the machine gun of the Advanced Tanki had ripped him apart. Within 15 minutes, the Captains battalion was destroyed, shocking high command at its ferocity.

The helicopter landed on the Titinius, and Cracus jumped out. He quickly rushed towards the bridge, but met Chrisius on the way, who lead him towards the brig. “Well Cracus, you have done well, and I am retiring you of your command, for now. Your troops will be evacuated immediately.”
“Yes, Marshal. Now why are you taking me to the Brig?”
Chrisius’ face broke out in a smile, “Do you remember that skirmish with Scipio you had a few days ago?”
Cracus remembered, at how his troops gained victory, only to be forced to retreat with the fall of Hispalis, “Yes I do, Marshal, but what about it?”
“Well, you did the republic much good! Do you remember a certain officer you captured?”
“Yes, what about him?”
“He was Scipio’s second in command, and most capable Commander, Colonel Publius!”
“He was?”
“Yes. Scipio will find the going tough from now on.”
“Hmm, how do you plan to defend this Ghost town?”
“A fighting withdrawal. We shall start to retreat our infantry, destroying all unnecessary equipment. They will be backed up by the Battleships Thermopile and Athens, who will constantly shell the enemy positions. I have placed command of this force by a Colonel Srato.”
“Srato… I know that name… but where?”
“He was Constantine’s friend. He volunteered for the command, as repentance for Constantine’s mistake, I believe. Anyway, he is a trustworthy and competent commander.”
“Very well, I hope so.”

Srato looked over his troops. They had volunteered for this grizzly task, to sacrifice themselves so the Republic could live on. Few of his troops believed they would come out of this engagement alive. Nether did Srato. The first Imperial Tanki started to roll down the street. Srato picked up his radio, and gave the go code. All hell then broke loose. The Battleships started firing just in front of Srato’s position, as his own troops began to fire. The Advance column did not last long against this onslaught. He then gave the order to retreat to the next block. Three minutes later, The entire sector was hit by artillery.

“Fire counter battery! We don’t want our troops to be destroyed,” yelled Cracus. The battleships recalibrated their guns, and fired towards the enemy artillery.

“General Graccis, we are taking heavy casualties from counter battery fire!”
“Move the guns, now! From now on, I want our guns to fire, then reposition!”
“Yes sir!”
“Graccis, get in here!” yelled a voice from within the farmhouse being used as a command post.
“Yes, Caesar?”
“Have you worked out who attacked the Western Flank yet?”
“No sir.”
“And what’s this I hear about heavy casualties, you said this would be a rollover!”
“There are bound to be casualties!”
“And if we loose too many, we will be unable to take out Scipio!”
“There will be no more heavy casualties.”
“I hope so, your career rides on this battle!”

Srato had lost half of his men, and only a half of the 1st Armoured Division had been loaded on the transports. The Imperialists were advancing slowly and cautiously, with Srato’s forces periodically ambushing them. The Imperial Artillery had taken a slogging, as it was firing only periodically before being attacked by the battleships. But as the Battleships were on counter battery duty, Srato’s forces had no artillery support. To compensate for this, The 1st Armoured Division had lent them some of their older models of Tanki (but the Infantry did not have very mush experience at driving tanks) and because of this, losses were high. They were only a kilometre from the harbour, and had to hold off the enemy for at least another hour.

“Casualties are a bit lighter, do you want us to move more troops into the city?”
“Yes, Colonel, do so. About another 20,000 troops. How many troops would we have in the city then?”
“About 40,000”
“Very well, let it be so”

The Grecian troops crossed into Brundustrum Province, defeating the lousy defence put up by the Imperial Conscripts. However, their commander got a message off, Marius was attacking. Unfortunately, this message was lost in the confusion at Veii, only to be found later that day, when it was too late.

The final push had forced Srato and his troops back to the Harbour facilities. Fortunately, the 1st Armoured Division had been evacuated. Unfortunately, he had less that 100 troops left. Srato read his orders again, and then gathered his troops together, informing them they were to leave the land of their birth forever.

We have the Republicans surrounded at the harbour. What do you want us to do?”
“Launch an Infantry Attack”
“Very well, sir.”

Srato watched as fifty of his troops rowed towards the Titinius. He turned, and ordered his men to withdraw to the boat. Suddenly, a bullet whizzed passed his ear, as a group of infantry started running up the dock. Srato manned the machine gun, and started to blast at the advancing infantry, while his troops piled into the boat, which unlike the previous one, had a motor. “Colonel!” yelled a Sargent.
Srato turned around, seeing that all of his troops had boarded the boat. Srato turned, looking at the enemy, then at his machine gun, and then ran, jumping into the boat, as the communications officer screamed something into his radio.

“Srato’s off, destroy the city!” yelled Chrisius to the admiral

Lord Zalzabad · March 16, 2003, 02:57

Cracus looked at the burning city of Veii. Nothing was standing after the ferocious barrage by the Battleships. He looked at sorrow at the Colossus, amazingly still standing, thinking that this would be the last time he would see this great symbol of the republic. Some Artillery started firing at the fleeing vessels.

“How could this happen!” yelled Caesar, looking over the reports in front of him, “First we loose Brundustrum, and now this! How many troops perished in that bombardment?”
“About 40,000” whispered Graccis
“40,000 thousand! And now we must divide our forces! How could this happen! I want you to stop the Republican Fleet!”
“But how, sir?”
“You work it out! That’s what I pay you for!”

The first artillery shell hit the mighty Colossus as the Titinius passed under it. Several more hit, blasting the stone supports. Slowly the mighty giant that had protected the harbour of Veii for millennia fell into the ocean, blocking the entrance to the harbour, however the Titinius managed to get passed the falling Colossus. Chrisius looked at this fallen symbol, as Cracus joined him. Tears in his eyes, Chrisius turned to Cracus, and said, “So this is the end. The end of the Republic”
Cracus smiled at this, turning to Chrisius, saying, “Yes, my friend, this is the end. The end of the Old Republic. But from the ashes of defeat, a new, stronger republic will form. This may be the end, but it is also a new beginning.”
Chrisius nodded at this statement, and turned to walk towards the bridge, “Your right, Cracus, we have a lot of work to do, don’t we?”
“Yes sir,” said Cracus, happily, following Chrisius towards the bridge, “a new beginning.”

ChrisiusMaximus · March 17, 2003, 12:21

Awesome stuff Lord Zalzabad, just awsome. Im off to nominate this, or second it which ever may be the case.

I am certainly looking forward to part three of the story