Chapter 32: Ultimate Power

It had been nearly a week since the Battle of Arezzo.

In that span of time, both forces seemed content to stare at each other from their positions opposite the no-man’s-land that had developed outside the neck of the city.

For right now, Jack was happy not to fight. The numbers weren’t on their side, ensuring they couldn’t yet strike back at the Swabians camped on the plain. Even with the grievous Swabian losses from the battle, Jack and his Galicians were still heavily outnumbered, and that was even counting the Apulians who stood with them.

If they were ever going to get out of Arezzo, they would need more men. But just where were those men going to come from? A trickle of Apulians appeared here or there, as did some Galicians who were making their way to him while using the bond as their own personal tracker, but it would take them a long time at that rate to reach the numbers needed to strike out from the city.

Jack let out a deep sigh as he looked back out on the neck. Worrying about numbers never did him any good. He suspected if it wasn’t one thing it would be another but it was with a deeply pensive expression that he was found by Lindy a short while later.

“I bet I know what you’re thinking,” said the Galician colonel as he stopped near him.

Jack turned his expression toward the man and nodded.

Lindy looked out beyond the neck. “I bet you’re thinking of ways you can coerce the Swabians to just come close enough that we can pound them with the guns of the fleet again, right? You’re wondering the best way to get them to come closer.”

Jack couldn’t help but smile. “That’s one way to put it. I was more thinking about our lack of numbers and how it meant we might be in Arezzo for a while but that works too. I’d consider anything at this point that might tilt the balance in our direction.”

“I’ve given it some thought,” said Lindy while rubbing his chin. “I considered pulling back the front ranks on the neck so the Swabians think we’ve abandoned the place. Then when they come close enough to investigate, we surprise them hard with every gun we have.” Lindy smacked his fist into his open palm. “But that does come with some risks of its own. There’s also the risk that they might not be stupid enough to take the bait.”

Jack turned toward him and smiled. “The offer is tempting but I think we should concentrate on getting more men on our side. Tricks and feints will only get us so far. A lack of manpower will keep us at a significant disadvantage, and we might be stuck on Apulia for longer than we’d like.”

Although he didn’t say it out loud, Jack thought about how similar the situation was to Picardy. Both lands now saw some kind of stalemate since neither side was strong enough to knock off the other. It also meant that unfortunately the forces that fought under his alliance would always have to have their forces split between the two lands—preventing them from combining into one army.

If there was one way to ensure they lost strategically, it would be to always keep their forces divided, allowing the enemy to defeat them one by one.

Yet if they were to truly put that strategy into place, it would mean the abandonment of either Apulia or Picardy in the short term, something that Jack suspected neither Santino or Aedan would agree to.

It was a difficult position to be in, and one that didn’t have an easy solution.

“We won’t be stuck here for too long,” said Lindy with a subtle shake of the head.

“How do you figure?”

Lindy let out a low sigh. “The way I see it the Swabians won’t permit their forces to be bogged down for too long. Sooner or later, they’ll get enough reinforcements to finish the job. And if we’re still sitting here in this city without any additional men, they will push us off. It’s only a matter of time.”

“You don’t think we’d be able to hold the city with the forces we have trickling in?”

Lindy shook his head firmly. “Not a chance. We get maybe five new men every day or so if we’re lucky? Then we have to outfit them, supply them, and train them? It won’t be enough. Not with what the Swabians can throw at us. You saw how willing they were to throw men into the battle even as they were getting slaughtered. That’s the only tactic that they know.”

Jack pursed his lips. “So they’ll keep coming at us no matter what the cost in lives?”

Lindy nodded. “The Swabian mind is a deeply primitive one. There aren’t many strategies that they’ll consider that don’t rely on numbers to pave the way for them. Discussing tactics with them will go over their heads every time. At the end of the day, they’ll keep attacking Arezzo with whatever forces they have, and if we don’t do something about our manpower situation, they’ll eventually overwhelm us.”

“It’s not something we can let happen,” said Jack. “As long as Apulia stands, it’s a drain on Swabian resources but it also keeps them from following through with the other parts of their plan. If we can keep them bogged down in Apulia, we can prevent them from moving further north. We can’t abandon this country anytime soon.”

Lindy smiled. “Sounds like the strategy is pretty simple in this case. Although where we’re going to get the fighting men to help us, I don’t have the slightest idea. Perhaps we’ll get lucky and get a few more Galician regiments in the process.”

“That would certainly help us,” noted Jack. “But at this point, I think those that intended to join us have already made it here. I’m not expecting much more to come from Galicia at this point.”

“Aye, Jack, I’d have to agree with that assessment,” said Lindy.

There was a moment of silence between them as both men looked out on the narrow neck. The conversation had gotten much too heavy and their position still had them at a significant disadvantage. While the common soldiers still celebrated besting the Swabians last week, their commanders knew the strategic situation to be far more tenuous than many expected.

“For what it’s worth, I’d rather be here than in Galicia right now,” said Lindy, breaking the silence. “Especially fighting for Eric Rosdahl.”

Jack let out a small grin. “Yeah? Even with our poor odds?”

The colonel nodded emphatically. “Especially with them. I’m a soldier, Jack. I’ve been with this regiment my entire career. I’ve led them through training, through new enlistments, and through our share of regents as well. But our time under Eric Rosdahl has been poor. He’s not a man loved by the army, I can assure you that.”

“Not a man loved by anyone from what I can tell,” said Jack. “I’d heard a lot about him before I ever met him and all of it was completely true. The man is ... evil.”

Lindy chuckled. “It’s still amazing to me that we can admit that out loud right now and not suffer the consequences for it. That’s the kind of atmosphere he’d fostered in Galicia under his rule. He didn’t allow for any dissent, and those that gave it frequently found their lives upturned in the process. We got used to only sharing our discontent to those that were close enough to us or in whispers to each other late at night.”

“Well, I can assure you that you can bash the man all you want right now and he can’t do a thing about it,” said Jack, joining in the laugh.

“It’s not even so much that but how different you are from him,” said Lindy, looking Jack in the eyes. “I know I haven’t known you for very long but the impression I get from you is the total opposite of Eric Rosdahl. I see how you treat the men under your command. I see how you treat all of us. It’s a good part of the reason why I’m willing to fight for you, despite the odds against us right now. It’s simply the right thing to do.”

Jack put his hand on Lindy’s shoulder. “I know I’ve told the others this before but I can’t always promise you I’m going to be a good leader. I don’t know much about kingship. A year and a half ago, I was just a simple naval officer, expecting to have a healthy career before retiring with a government pension on the other side of the ocean. I do know this though—Eric Rosdahl is enough of an example of what not to be. As long as we keep him as our measuring stick, it won’t be hard to do the right thing.”

Lindy let out a loud laugh in response. “I’d say that’s a fair assessment right there.”

The two of them continued to talk for another twenty minutes until Lindy had to be called away to meet with the army’s quartermaster. Jack gave him another pat on the back before he left, deciding it was time to move away from the front lines. He moved past the fortifications in the rear before coming upon the building that housed all the senior leadership of his army.

It was there that he stumbled into General Chapman who also happened to be arriving at the building at much the same time.

So far, General Arthur Chapman was a bit of an enigma to Jack. The rugged and handsome man was the last major arrival to Apulia, the Galician general having brought with him two regiments as well as a battleship to add to their forces. He was highly respected by the men, and even well-spoken of by his peers like Admiral Taylor. But since the battle, Jack hadn’t had much interaction with the man. Of all of his commanders, he figured that he knew Chapman the least.

That was most illustrated by how Chapman greeted him.

“Good evening, Your Majesty,” said the general as they moved closer to the building.

“I’ve told you already, General,” said Jack with an easy grin. “It’s Jack right now. Cut out the majesty bullshit and treat me like the others do.”

Chapman gave him a magnanimous smile. “It’s a little difficult for me to do, especially with how long I served under your predecessor and how much of a stickler he was for titles.”

“Funny you should mention that, I was just talking with Lindy about Rosdahl before I walked over here,” said Jack. “But please, I’m serious about this whole thing. Use my name or I might just have to find another general.” Jack made sure the look on his face was mellow enough that Chapman would know that he was joking.

“All right ... Jack.” Chapman made a face that showed his obvious displeasure at using Jack’s actual name.

“See?” said Jack with a grin. “Didn’t kill you, did it?”

“I still didn’t like it too much.”

“You’ll get used to it.”

Chapman gestured to the building. “Were you heading inside? I didn’t mean to stop you if you were in the middle of something?”

“Truthfully, I was going to find Bill,” admitted Jack. “But I didn’t have any special purpose for right now. I’m getting hungry though, so I might try to rummage up some food first.”

Chapman raised an eyebrow. “If you’re not up to anything, I was about to grab something to eat. Would you like to join me?”

It was a question that Jack didn’t have to think about for very long. With no other obvious plans for the evening, getting the chance to sit down with the general just became his top priority. It might even give him better insight into what made the man tick.

“It’s the best offer I’ve had all day,” said Jack with a grin. “Lead the way, I’m famished.”

A mere ten minutes later, both men found seats at a small card table to eat their meager rations. Supplies were always a tenuous subject in any army and with much of the farmland now in the possession of the Swabians, the entire city was rationing to prolong their food supply. That meant that Jack’s meal consisted of a few strips of cured meat as well as two potatoes and a small handful of green beans. It wasn’t a stately meal by any stretch of the imagination, but keeping their portions light would ensure they didn’t starve in the long run.

“I’m glad I didn’t decide to come out here for the food,” said Chapman with a lighthearted look. “I think we all would have been disappointed if that was the case.”

Jack took a bite of one of his potatoes and swallowed it down. “I can’t say we have much in food but hopefully we make up for that shortcoming with the strength of our purpose.”

Chapman nodded. “I’d rather be hungry and do good in Apulia than eat well and feel poorly in Kalmar. Besides, a little bit of hunger never hurt anyone. Sharpens the mind toward your purpose.”

“We’ll need all the sharpening we can get for our forces,” noted Jack. “I just had a conversation with Lindy about the state of the army as well as that of our foes. It didn’t exactly end on the best note.”

“I’m going to guess you talked about our long-term prospects?”

Jack nodded. “We can’t exactly hope to hold Arezzo with just the Galician forces we have available. Good men as they are, they can be worn away with time and repeated attacks. I wouldn’t see them live to see just such a fate if I had the choice.”

“No,” agreed Chapman. “But I don’t think that will be their fate. The Galician men you have with you are the cream of the entire crop. You have with you some of the best regiments in the entire army, all of them decorated in their own right.”

“Tell me about them,” said Jack. “I know something of the history of Bill’s regiment, the 7th. I know how long they’ve served his house but these other units like the 2nd or the 10th, I don’t know as much about.”

“We’ll have to change that then,” said Chapman with a grin. “If I had my choice of any three regiments in the Galician army, I would have picked the 2nd, 7th, and the 10th myself. They are all different regiments with their own histories but their men all have reputations for being the most well-trained, disciplined, and aggressive fighters in the whole army. Particularly the 7th, so we’ll start there.”

Chapman finished off a piece of meat and then leaned back in his chair. “The 7th have served the Lord of Hemswell for the past seven hundred years. Before that time, they were just an ordinary regiment attached to the army, but it was their actions in the Third Swabian War that attached them to his house.”

“What happened?” asked Jack. “How did they become linked with Bill’s family?”

“There was a battle,” replied Chapman. “A great battle by all accounts. One of Bill’s ancestors, Bogdan Calland, commanded the left flank for the king against an entire Swabian horde. Things in the battle weren’t looking great. The Swabians kept coming and coming, like they usually do. Other regiments under Bogdan Calland were starting to break, threatening a route of the entire flank. All of them except for the 7th, who stood strong and proud against the Swabians. Back in those days, there were no firearms. The men of the 7th fought with pikes, swords, and bows. Yet it was those pikes of the 7th that prevented the Swabians from overrunning the flank that day.”

“Was the battle a draw then?” asked Jack. “Or did the Swabians eventually pull back?”

“Surprisingly enough, it became a crushing victory,” said Chapman. “While the left flank was under such pressure, the right and the center managed to rout the Swabians and then envelop the attackers on the left. There weren’t many that survived the carnage that day but Bogdan Calland was so enamored with the men of the 7th that he requested the king that they become his personal regiment. Of course, the king agreed and ever since that day, they’ve been Hemswell’s Faithful, protecting his house against all threats.”

“That’s a fascinating history,” said Jack. “No wonder they were so eager to help us back in Kalmar. I’m sure that history of being attached to the Callands helped to spur Lindy’s actions.”

“I have no doubt of that,” agreed Chapman. “Good men, the men of the 7th. But there are other regiments with just as fierce of a reputation. Men like the 2nd Regiment as well, which is one of the oldest in the entire army. Do you know how the men of the 2nd earned their nickname—the Avengers?”

Jack shook his head.

“It goes all the way back to one of your ancestors,” said Chapman. “The first King of Galicia. You know his name, I take it?”

“Renard Kincardine,” replied Jack, remembering his conversations with Bill.

“Correct, Jack. Renard Kincardine was known as the first great conqueror of Galicia. It was he who established the capital at Kalmar, and it was he who united the different tribes that made up Galicia into one country. However, Renard wasn’t always successful in his quest. Early on in his career, he only had a handful of regiments, of which were numbered the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. After signing an alliance with a neighboring tribe, he stationed the 1st in their territory before the start of a new campaign. That turned out to be a bad move.”

“Did they betray him?” asked Jack.

Chapman nodded. “That they did. Under the auspices of peace and brotherhood, they surrounded the men of the 1st while they were sleeping and slaughtered them to the man. They hoped that by destroying a good chunk of Renard’s army, they would be able to stop him from consolidating all the Galician tribes.” Chapman let out a small laugh. “How very wrong they were about to be.”

“So how did the 2nd avenge their brothers?” asked Jack. “I take it that’s how they came upon the nickname?”

“King Renard led them on a campaign of vengeance,” said Chapman. “While the 3rd Regiment guarded Kalmar against any other threats, Renard led the 2nd through the territory of the betraying tribe, destroying everything in sight until they came to those that committed the treachery. They aligned against them in battle, and Renard was outnumbered more than three to one. However, so fired up were the men of the 2nd that they stood their ground and defeated the tribe so decisively that they were never mentioned again in the annals of history. Their vengeance complete, the men of the 2nd were known as the Avengers ever since.”

“What happened to the 1st Regiment?” asked Jack. “Were they reconstituted?”

“They were but they were never a fighting unit after that,” said the general. “Instead, they were given guard duty of Kalmar. Since that war, the men of the 1st make up the guard at the castle and the ports at Kalmar, including the Regent’s Guard. You can say that there was a degree of superstition that went into them never taking the field again. It could be argued that their destruction caused them to be an unlucky unit so they were relegated back to guard duty.”

“Very interesting,” said Jack. “It’s funny to note the role of superstition when it comes to fighting. How some units seem to be cursed to bad luck over others.”

“The everyday soldier is just as superstitious as his commanding officers,” noted Chapman. “No one wants to be the one to tempt fate so it was just easier to leave the 1st as the castle guards.”

“We had similar notions when it came to ships as well,” said Jack. “Some ships would be unlucky because they’d taken too much damage over the years or just seemed to have misfortune following them.”

“Yes, we have the same illusions in the army,” said Chapman before taking a long sip of wine. Thankfully, the wine was the only thing they had in abundance in Arezzo, and because of that reason, it still flowed just as freely as before the Swabian invasion.

“So what about the 10th?” asked Jack. “What’s their story? Are they just as famous as the 2nd or the 7th?”

Chapman nodded eagerly. “The 10th has a firm place in my heart, mostly because it was the unit that I came from. Many years ago, I used to be the colonel in charge of the 10th, back when my hair wasn’t nearly as gray and I didn’t have so many wrinkles. Their pride is carried over from a battle five hundred years ago.”

“Five hundred years?” repeated Jack. “Does it have something to do with the Fourth Swabian War then?”

“I see someone has been teaching you our history,” said the general with a wry smile. “But yes, you are correct. Are you familiar with the Siege of Dagobern?”

Jack nodded. “I’ve heard of that battle. I also understand that the Swabians call it the Rape of Dagobern.”

Chapman made a disgusted face. “It was no such thing. It was the final battle of the Fourth Swabian War, the moment when the Galician alliance brought the war back to the Swabian capital. The siege went on for several months while the Swabian Army inside made frequent incursions into the Galician lines in an effort to get them to break. On those front lines was the 10th Regiment, who was up until that point in history, quite indistinguishable from any other regiment. That all ended the day the siege was broken.”

“What happened? How did they leave their mark?”

“On the final day, the wall around the city of Dagobern was breached by our artillery, opening up a large enough gap to send the army through. Inside the city, the Swabians stationed their best men at the gap to prevent our entry. The 10th was delegated to the vanguard of the attack and was where the fighting was the heaviest. It was still a damn near run thing, Jack. Before they were able to get into the city, the regiment suffered sixty percent casualties that day.”

Jack’s eyes widened. “That’s a high price to pay for one day of battle.”

“And they still pressed forward too, which just goes to show you how strong they are. They were the first ones inside the city and the first ones to press onward to the hill that contained the Swabian palace.”

“I’ve seen that hill firsthand,” said Jack. “It’s windy and steep—ground that heavily favors a defender.”

“Indeed,” replied Chapman. “Although I’d much like to hear about your time in Dagobern. Not many Galicians can say they’ve been to the enemy’s capital and survived to tell about it. But back to the story, the 10th managed to climb the hill and battle with the last surviving remnants of the Swabian Army, defeating them in detail. They then personally entered the palace and dragged out the emperor to present at the feet of King Stephen the Great.”

“And that was it, wasn’t it?” asked Jack. “The war was over at that moment.”

“It sure was, and that was the moment that the 10th earned their nickname—Vanguard. They would always be in the front or where the fighting was thickest. They’d earned that right forever.”

“How is it that we’ve managed to combine the three most famous regiments in Galician history with us today?” asked Jack, still a little dumbfounded at having such quality at his disposal.

Chapman grinned. “I’ve wondered the same thing myself before. Of all the units to have at your disposal, you have three of the best that anyone could ask for. I’m sure that point just kills Eric Rosdahl, especially since he was known to favor the 10th above the rest of their peers.”

“It would be fitting indeed to let the 10th take their usual position in the front of all our forces on the day we return to Kalmar,” said Jack with a determined look. “I’m sure Rosdahl would hate it to see his favorite regiment coming back to depose him.”

Chapman chuckled. “He would probably shit himself at the very sight.” The general continued to laugh while he slapped his knee. “In fact, I’d give a whole lot just to see his face when he realized it.”

“Something to look forward to though, no doubt,” said Jack. “Although I hope we can give them reason to add to each regiment’s history by our actions in this war.”

“I’m sure they will. You know, I’ve already heard others calling this war the Fifth Swabian War,” said Chapman. “Let’s hope that it goes like the last one.”

“What happened in the first three?” asked Jack. “Did Galicia win all of them?”

Chapman shook his head. “No, no, she didn’t. Usually these wars go back and forth. It just so happened that we won the last one, which was fortunate for all of us but I don’t think this war will be as easily won. That old alliance that won that war isn’t the same as it is today. Apulia is weak. Picardy and Carinthia have already been fighting alone. And apart from our forces, most of Galicia would otherwise be content to sit it out. No, it’s a different war this time around.”

“That may be true, but we still have all the seeds of victory here,” said Jack. “As long as we keep everyone fighting, we can keep the pressure on the Swabians. We won’t be beaten so easily.”

Chapman didn’t look so sure. “We need help. We need more forces, not just for Arezzo but for the rest of the war. We either need a new ally or for the rest of Galicia to join us in this war. While we do have good regiments with us, they won’t be able to hold back the tide of this war themselves without allies.”

Jack gave him a shrewd look. “What would you do, General? If you were in my position, where would you look for reinforcements? Would you focus on getting more Galicians for our cause or would you look elsewhere?”

The general started to laugh. “I’m not sure I can answer that question properly. I’m just a general, nothing more. I’m not you, Jack.”

“But if you were, where would you look?” pressed Jack. “I’m not trying to catch you on anything and I’m truly asking for your opinion. I agree that we can’t stay here forever so what’s our next move?”

Chapman spoke more quickly than Jack would have guessed. “One place I would go to first—Samara.”

“Why Samara?”

“Why not Samara? They are close enough to us, just being on the other side of the Slot. They have as much to lose from Swabian ascendancy as the rest of us do. And most importantly, the Samara Army may be on the small side but it’s well-trained. They’d be able to help us turn the tide and do so quickly. It would be an easier task for us than going back to Galician to fight an outnumbered battle.”

“I’m afraid I don’t know much about the Samarans,” admitted Jack. “They typically don’t get involved in these wars though, do they?”

The general shook his head. “Everyone has heard of Samaran neutrality. They are more content to stick their heads in the sand than to answer any of the changes in the world. They are good fighters—I’ll give them that—but their army is entirely for defensive purposes.”

“I have to wonder if we can convince them that their army could be used defensively in Apulia,” said Jack. “It’s no secret that the Swabians will go after the Samarans after the Apulians fall. An understanding of simple geography is all that’s needed to see that.”

Chapman snorted. “Good luck with that. Many have tried to sway the Samarans to their position over the years. None of them have worked. The typical Samaran mind is undecided. They are not a decisive people. It’s why instead of having one ruler they have three. They just can’t commit to any one cause long enough to see it through. If not for their army, I’d almost say to avoid them totally. They are a strange people.”

“They might be but we don’t exactly have a long list of potential allies,” said Jack. “I wonder if I can persuade Santino to help me make a play for the Samarans. Surely both of our pleas might help.”

Chapman shrugged. “It’s a possibility but I would not put much hope in it. Like I said, the Samarans don’t get involved in things that go on outside their borders. It’s beyond them.”

“If only they’d be allowed to stick their heads in the sand this time,” said Jack with a shake of the head. “But the Swabians won’t let them do that. They won’t let them get away with their neutrality. And if it’s the best course to get us the men we need, then it’s worth exploring.”

The general agreed to that, and they spent the next ten minutes discussing what Samaran help would look like if they could manage to bring their army over to Apulia. From there, the discussion changed to tactics for a while until it became obvious that the sun was starting to go down on the horizon.

It had been a long evening, and Jack could feel the first vestiges of sleepiness start to hit him. Thankfully, his conversation with Chapman had winded down to a more personal discussion.

“I’ve heard from the men that you have a woman that’s still in Picardy,” said Chapman as he started his last glass of wine.

“Actually, I have two of them,” admitted Jack, still finding his cheeks turning red with potential embarrassment. Despite being with Kat and Abigail for over a year, he felt the tinge of nerves at admitting his attachment to two women instead of one.

Chapman raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Two women? I’m sure that gets ... exhausting.”

“You have no idea,” said Jack with a subtle laugh. “I miss them though. It’s been too long since I’ve looked at their faces. It gets harder still because one of them is pregnant, and her term is growing very late at this time. Sometimes I wonder if I’ll see her before she has our child.”

“I hope for your sake that you do,” said the general. “Children are a blessing, and a good woman, or women in your case, will make a life worth living. Not everyone understands what a treasure it can be to have such a family, and more than a few take it for granted.”

Chapman stopped speaking at that moment and his eyes assumed a faraway expression. Jack looked back at the man to gauge his feelings, knowing there was an untold story there somewhere if he could pry it out of him.

“Did something happen to her?” he asked suddenly, forcing Chapman’s eyes to lock on him.

“Her?” he asked.

“Your woman,” repeated Jack. “It wasn’t hard to see how your tone changed when you spoke about family. You sound like a man who had everything and lost it.”

Chapman nodded slowly. “Am I that easy to read?”