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 recently built on that sea 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 set out, and shooting at 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 the nomads in the northern desert suggested part of the Britannian 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 that what remained of their forces there 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 so far? 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 keep the Romans from 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 have already landed their armies. I find it unlikely, with their forces splitting and going in two directions, that they would board their 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 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 to drive into the enemy 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 didn’t speak or interact 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 asked, 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 those 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 men emerged from the shadows, moving swiftly toward 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 him 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 movement would be too large 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 going 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 arrived at the front gate. Maybe forty in number.”

“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 beyond 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 Lucilla Germanicus, Empress of Britannia and Rome.”

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

“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 rejoin 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 legionaries from 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 is 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 from trading for.”