The Triumph of Venus - Chapter 33

Carthage

“Say that again,” Imilcar demanded, staring down at General Hadar.

“I... great one... I regret to inform you that we lost the latest shipment from the TianYou. All of it is gone.”

“How did this happen? I thought we moved the path of these shipments to the Sea of Reeds specifically to avoid this situation.”

“We don’t know how the Romans learned of it, or got a fleet all the way around Africa, but their new ships and cannon appeared in the sea, sank the ships we built on the sea recently to protect the shipments, along with the larger TianYou ships carrying the goods. What’s worse, the Romans have kept their fleet there, patrolling up and down the coasts, sinking any of our boats that sets out or even forces that get within range of their cannon. I have not heard from the TianYou yet, but I believe that we will see no more shipments, your excellency.”

“What about overland routes? They were slower, but...”

Imilcar knew he was grasping at straws, but they were all he had left.

“I’m sorry, great one, but that was difficult even before the Romans landed an army on Africa. The last report we were able to receive from nomads in the northern desert suggested part of their force broke off and headed toward Egypt. Which means there is no way to get across from the Sinai without being intercepted. Perhaps if our Persian army is successful...”

Hadar held out his hands, palms up in a ‘maybe’ gesture but they both knew that was a forlorn hope. They had already been drawing off the army in Persia for almost a year, and the rebels there had stepped up attacks after the Britannians took control of the middle sea, seeing an opportunity to take advantage of the situation. It was unlikely what remained of their forces would be able to fight through the Romans. At best, they could do enough damage to weaken the Roman forces.

For more than a minute, Imilcar just stared off into space, thinking. It went on long enough that the nobles around the room began to shift from foot to foot, unsure of what was going to happen.

Just as General Hadar began to say something, the Emperor said, “Withdraw all remaining cannon and gunpowder from the field and any ships. Reserve them for the defense of Carthage.”

“But your excellency,” a shocked Hadar said, almost uncontrollably. “If we pull those weapons back, we will have no way to protect our shores.”

“And how have they done, protecting our shores now? That fleet you were so hopeful of, that would strike at the Roman capital and force them to capitulate? How did it fare? The observers my agents heard from say they did not even get a single shot off. All we managed was to send a dozen of our precariously acquired cannon and a large supply of gunpowder to the bottom of the ocean. Now that our supply is cut off, you think we can still afford those kinds of losses?”

“They were successful at the shore, your excellency. We managed to drive off the Romans’ landing.”

“Which proved they can be effective if used correctly, and why I want them for the final defense of Carthage itself. Besides, the Romans already landed their armies. I find it unlikely, with their forces splitting and going in two directions, that they would try and board ships and re-land closer to us. Assuming they even know we’ve removed our cannon. Or do you think I’m wrong?”

Imilcar glared down at the general, daring him to argue again.

“Of course not, excellency. Your clear thinking is, as always, correct. I will begin the transfer of weapons at once,” Hadar said, bowing low.

“While that is being done, I want you to prepare for a rapid training program. The Romans are moving closer every day, and I want a massive army prepared to greet them. Over the next week, you will begin receiving thousands of new recruits for our armies. I know there isn’t time to train proper phalanxes, but teach them which end the sword goes and make sure they understand the full scope of their duties.”

“Your majesty, I was not aware of a large number of new recruits?”

“Which is why I’m telling you about it. You will need to begin building intake centers for these recruits now. Not all will be willing, so have some of your more trusted men guard the camps, to keep these recruits from escaping before they can join the army.”

“Yes, great one,” Hadar said, bowing again before backing away from the throne and scurrying out of the room.

Imilcar ignored him, turning his attention to one of the acolytes of Hexitas standing along a far wall. The black-robed men with their skull masks spoke or interacted as part of the daily routine of governance but were always around. Lurking.

“You,” Imilcar said, pointing at one of them, deep red lines across the cheeks of his mask marking him as a senior brother of the order. “Come forward.”

The acolyte stepped out from the shadows, bowing slightly as he approached the throne.

“How may I serve, Great One?” the man said, his voice muffled by the mask.

“I want your acolytes to begin rounding up every able-bodied man not engaged in efforts critical to the operation of the city or the army, and begin putting them in the intake centers General Hadar will be setting up. By essential, I mean those in fields such as farming, foundry work, and smithing should remain in the professions. Everyone else old enough to pick up a sword and not too old to fall down holding it is to be drafted into the army. There will be no exception for station or wealth. In fact, you can start with the leeches gathered here.”

Imilcar swept his arm across the nobles who lined one wall of the audience chamber, hoping to curry favor or grift wealth from the empire. The men looked at each other, their shock evident.

“Yes, Great One,” the acolyte said, bowing once more, deeper this time. “We shall begin at once.”

With a gesture, several of the other black-robed emerged from the shadows, moving swiftly towards the nobles. Some attempted to flee, their expensive robes and ornamentation slowing their escape. Not that it would have mattered. The acolytes were upon them in an instant, grabbing them and dragging them out of the chamber.

“You can’t do this!” one noble shouted as he was pulled out of the large, gilded doors. “I am a member of the High Council!”

Imilcar ignored it and the cries from the others. This was going to be the end of his empire, the empire his ancestors built. The gods had played him for a fool. He could see that now. See their efforts against him.

He wouldn’t go down easily. If this was going to be the end of Carthage, then it would be the end of all things. Better the world destroyed in fire than left to be ruled by the Romans.

***

Britannian Camp, Outside Alexandria

“Legate. Legate,” a voice called from outside Aelius’s tent.

It had been almost a week since they arrived in Alexandria, and Aelius had been waiting for this moment. Things had been running smoothly, almost too smoothly, and in his experience, that meant he was due for the other hand to show itself. He knew it wouldn’t be the Carthaginian army. He’d sent scouts out in all directions, and that would be too large of a thing to hide.

Perhaps a small raiding party of some kind, like the one that hit them when the legions first arrived in Africa, or something having gone wrong in the port.

“What is it?” Aelius said, stepping out of his command tent, sword belt in hand.

“A large group of men just approached the front gate. Maybe forty.”

“Hostile?”

“Unarmed. They stopped short of the gate, and Tribune Priscus, who had the watch, has a full century surrounding them. They say they want to speak to the commander.”

“Then let’s not keep them waiting,” Aelius said, walking past the messenger toward the front gate of the temporary fort. The man’s description had been accurate. At the gate, Aelius saw a crowd of between forty and fifty men, unarmored in well-made civilian clothes. Not laborers or farmers by any means. These were merchants or men of means.

Aelius signaled to the guards to stand down, then stepped forward to address the assembly.

“I was told you wished to speak to me,” he said, getting to the point.

Next to him, their interpreter began passing the message along in their dialect of egyptian.

Before he finished translating, one of the men stepped forward and said, “I am Ahmose, descendant of the Ptolemaic dynasty and rightful ruler of Egypt. I speak your language. We lead the resistance against the Carthaginians in this region. The leaders of Alexandria told us you wished to speak with us.”

Aelius was stunned for a moment. When he’d asked about some kind of resistance, he’d been expecting merchants or the like, not a member of the ruling family that, from what he’d always heard, had died out when the Carthaginians captured and subjugated the kingdom.

This was well above his experience as a legate. He was a soldier, not a diplomat. And yet, the Consul’s directives had been clear.

“Then I bid you greetings in the name of Flavia Lucillia Germanicas, Empress of Britannia and Rome.”

That must have been the right thing to say because Ahmose bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement.

“We were told your offer was to help remove the Carthaginians, then leave. Is this true?”

Aelius nodded. “It is. My orders are clear. We’re here to defeat the Carthaginians and then return to the main body of our force. I was given no mandate to stay and rule Egypt.”

“And after? What does Britannia want?” one of the other men asked.

“My government seeks to establish diplomatic relations with whatever leadership arises here after the Carthaginians are gone,” Aelius said. “But we have no intention of controlling that government or maintaining a permanent military presence.”

“You would truly leave the governing of Egypt to the Egyptians?” another man asked.

“That is the plan.”

“We would be the leadership in Egypt after the Carthaginians are gone,” Ahmose said flatly. “Aside from the fact that the Ptolemaic dynasty was the last rightful heir to Egypt, it will be our people and preparation that will see this through. We appreciate what support you can lend us, but we have been in this fight for generations while you are newcomers.”

Aelius didn’t point out that Romans had been fighting the Carthaginians much longer than the Egyptians, nor that the reason they were the ‘last rightful’ heir was that their ancestors conquered the dynasty that was already there and set themselves up as rulers after Alexander died. Not that much different than what happened when the Carthaginians arrived.

Instead, he said, “We can accept that. Before we sent the first of our legionnaires off of our islands and onto the continent, our empress declared that Britannia was only interested in direct control of Britannia itself. We had to come here to fully defeat the Carthaginians, but beyond that, our only goal was to establish a network of allies, not to conquer and rule distant lands. As such, we have made alliances with tribal groups in Gaul, Germania, and Hispania. After the war, they will maintain control of their regions, with trading and diplomatic relations and an alliance with the Britannians. Which is their choice to maintain or not, although we would welcome a working relationship and have both new weapons and tools for civilian use that I’m sure your people would greatly benefit trading for.”

“And what would this alliance entail, exactly? We’ve seen the weapons your legions carry. Would you be willing to share such technology with us?” Ahmose asked.

“Within reason, yes. We’re prepared to supply muskets, which are a form of these weapons here,” Aelius said, pointing to one of the weapons. “Along with gunpowder, the substance that makes it work, to our allies, along with training in their use and maintenance. But it goes beyond just weapons. We have other advanced materials and techniques that could greatly benefit Egypt - improved agricultural tools, materials that help plants grow stronger and faster, irrigation technology to expand what you already do and offset some of the uncertainty caused by the flooding seasons along the Nile, along with better materials such as higher quality steel.”

Several of the Egyptians began talking to one another in their language. They had an interpreter, hired from the city, and one of their men who was good with languages had been studying with him hard, to at least cross-check some of what the man said, but Aelius didn’t need them now. He’d seen this response in Germania and some of the villages of Italia, and knew what they were discussing.

Ahmose held up a hand for silence. “And in exchange for all of this, what would Britannia expect of us?”

“In the short term, assistance in our efforts against the Carthaginians here in Africa. But looking ahead, we seek treaties to ensure ongoing peace and cooperation between Britannia and our allies. We also hope to open new markets for the goods produced by our allies, to everyone’s benefit.”

Ahmose was quiet for a moment, considering. Aelius waited him out. In negotiations like this, the first person to speak almost always came out weaker.

“These are fair terms. Egypt has languished too long under the Carthaginian yoke. If removing that threat, alone, was what we got in exchange, we would gladly help. Much of our negotiations will have to remain for after, but if you hold to what you said, I see no reason our peoples can’t have a long and profitable future.”

“I am glad we can come to an agreement. However, before we can fully realize this future, the Carthaginians must first be defeated. Their presence in Egypt remains a threat to both our peoples.”

“You are correct, Legate. But know that we are not without resources of our own. The Ptolemaic dynasty still commands the loyalty of a significant number of Egyptians. We can provide thousands of men to aid in the fight against the Carthaginians. But understand, our priority is Egypt. We will defend our land, but we cannot promise to venture beyond our borders.”

“I would not ask you to. In fact, I believe Egypt is where we must make our stand. My scouts have reported a Carthaginian army marching here from Persia. They will likely arrive within the week.”

“How large is this force?”

“Fifty-thousand men, maybe more.”

“We have allies among the nomads and friends further east. We will send word to get more detailed information about their army and where they will attack.”

“Good. If you and your commanders will come with me, we can discuss what we have available and what your people know already. If I might suggest, sending some of these men back to begin rounding up the recruits who can help. We are prepared to arm some of them with similar weaponry as we carry, but they will have to spend the time while we prepare for the attack learning to use them.”

With a wave of his hand, Ahmose sent all but five of the men back in the direction of Alexandria. Clearly a man who commanded their obedience, Aelius thought.

“Then let us begin our partnership,” Ahmose said, smiling for the first time since they arrived at the Britannian gates.

***

Devnum

“…unacceptable. The empire cannot function without a steady flow of raw materials from Caledonia, and you and Hortensius promised this would solve all of our problems in that area. Instead, not a single weight of ore has made it to the foundries in Factorium.”

The engineer shifted uncomfortably, “Regent, I understand your concerns, but the terrain in the mountains is treacherous. We’ve never built through such challenging geography before. The construction weakened the mountainside, which allowed for rockslides when the weather turned, that damaged the tracks extensively. We have made note of the error and are working on ways to correct this problem in future iterations.”

“Which helps us not at all now. I don’t care about reasons and excuses, I care about results. The empress left me with the responsibility of keeping our weapons shipments and goods flowing to both the legions and our allies, and I will not allow you to keep me from fulfilling my obligations.”

Ramirus, standing beside the throne, cleared his throat softly and said, “Perhaps we could…”

Medb silenced him with a sharp look before turning back to Aemilius. “You have one week. One week to restore the supply line and ensure the trains are running smoothly. If you cannot manage that, I will find someone who can.”

“Yes, regent. I will do everything in my power to resolve the issue within the given timeframe,” Aemilius said, bowing and backing away from the room before scurrying out.

As the man walked out, Ramirus leaned over and began to say, “Regent, if I may suggest...”

His suggestion, and Medb had a strong guess as to what it would have been, died on his lips as another figure burst into the audience chamber, walking quickly toward the raised dais.

“Speak,” Ramirus commanded the man as he dropped to one knee, his head bowed.

“I am from the fleet that sailed around Africa to the Mare Rubrum, to intercept a shipment of weapons on the way to the Carthaginians. We were dispatched home to let the empire know what was happening. The fleet met the enemy and defeated them, including four unknown vessels of unusual design bearing cannons, which damaged several of our vessels, sinking several galleys and one of the schooners. All of the strange enemy vessels were sunk along with most of the galleys, although several were captured. He has also begun setting up a second port on the coast of Africa, this one well south of the Mare Rubrum on its eastern shore.”

“What are his plans now?” Ramirus asked.

“He is concerned about these strange, well-armed vessels, which would have defeated our own galleys, if not for our superior caravels,” the messenger said. “He intends to hold the Red Sea, until the fleet can be reinforced and prepared with sufficient supplies to maintain a permanent presence along the entire coast.”

“The damaged ships will require significant repairs and supplies,” Ramirus said. “Especially if they are to be repaired afloat, as opposed to returning here to be put into a dock. If this other power is out there and capable of sailing ships able to sink our own, it seems wise to maintain a strong presence in the region.”

Medb didn’t look to Ramirus as he spoke but nodded as he finished. “It would. Check with Lucan. I want the next several ships coming off the docks not allocated to private factors to be loaded with supplies and sent to this port the Admiral has established. Include both supplies to repair the ships, material to help build and fortify the new port, and additional cannon and gunpowder for the fort’s defense and for resupply of the ships. You, return to your ship and rest your crew until you hear from us. You will need to travel back with them and show them the way.”

“Yes, regent,” the man said.

“A good decision,” Ramirus said as the man left.

This time Medb did look at him.

“I live for your approval,” she said flatly. “In addition to the supplies, I want three centuries of our newly trained legionaries sent with the ships. They will reinforce both the new port and the one previously established by Valdar on the coast of Africa. I leave it to him to determine where they are best assigned, but include a high enough leader, a tribune or whatever you people call them, to see to the command of both ports.”

“I will see orders sent out.”

“Wait,” Medb said as Ramirus turned to leave.

“Regent?”

For a moment, Medb said nothing, tapping her fingers on the arm of the throne, thinking.

“Send a message to the Scandi merchants we have good relationships with,” she finally said. “Invite them here for a meeting to discuss a potential business opportunity.”

“What should I tell them this ‘opportunity’ entails, when they ask?”

“The ports Valdar is establishing along the coast of Africa will need regular shipments of supplies and trade goods. I believe the Scandi captains would be interested in providing those shipments.”

“And what would be in it for them, beyond the usual profits from transport?”

“Access to the natural resources of Africa. Ivory, gold, exotic woods. The ability to trade with the locals for spices, textiles, and other valuable commodities. And,” she paused for effect, “the possibility of opening up sea-borne trade to the civilizations at the other end of the eastern trade routes. That has been controlled by the Carthaginians for so long, and still has to go through Parthia and Persia, that their access remains limited. This could solve that.”

“Assuming those civilizations are friendly. We know someone far to the east has been aiding the Carthaginians.”

“Selling weapons, which is a very different thing than allies. Which is another reason to convince the Scandi to make those contacts. As a third party not directly involved in the war, they wouldn’t have to worry about who is friendly to us or not. It would also be a way for information about those civilizations to make its way back to us.”

“Clever. Very clever. That is an excellent idea, actually.”

“You aren’t the only one who’s good at this, you know,” Medb said. “Maybe you should stop thinking of me as a novice when it comes to this.”

“I apologize. While I know you are very smart and you have long experience ruling a kingdom, that is very different than strategic diplomacy and statecraft. I think, perhaps when this is all over and the Empress has returned to her throne, you should consider how much further these skills can get you in the empire than mere ruling. Speaking from personal experience, I suspect you might find it more stimulating than simply hearing audiences and making decisions on governance.”

“I just might,” Medb said, for once not sounding annoyed by the Roman’s suggestions.