Chapter 615: Second Civil War of The Year
There are no representatives from the military in this house.
Usually that is a good thing, with no one from the military to constantly arguing for more budget and occasionally revealing the corrupted deeds of some politicians, but not today, when Innocentius is anticipating for the representatives from the military to show up.
Fabrizio is long seen as the senate’s eye and hand in the military, helping the overlords in the palace of Blacknaraea to control the army as intended, under the instruction of the senate he started a great purge on the senior officers, replaced many junior officers, in the aim to gain a tighter grip on the army. But he failed, bringing the army to almost on the verge of civil strife, forcing him with no other choice, but to establish a separate army system from the old troops led by Giovanni forming a fragile power balance in the city.
These new recruits, distinguishing themselves with white bands around their collars, have earned the title of ’Social Security’ troopers. But their presence incites more fear than security among the masses, as many are former thugs, street ruffians, bandits, pirates, and rogues, each harboring dreams of becoming the next Antonius De’Ricci.
Innocentius called Germanicus to his ears, and whispered something. Germanicus nodded and headed out of the hall.
Some time later, the Social Security troopers are rallied up, with Fabrizio standing there on the stage before Germanicus, silent as always. The message from Germanicus is clear, they cannot allow a disloyal army to continue its sole existence within the Theodosian walls in dire situations like this, they need to remove this source of instability, as soon as possible, without any further delays, before the troops of Antonius arrive at the doorsteps.
"Fabrizio," Germanicus began, mopping his brow from the summer’s heat, "The Senate awaits your display of valour and allegiance today. Given the immense fortune and status you’ve accrued through our grace, it is our hope that you’ll not falter. It’s time to rid our great city of the lingering remnants of pirates and mercenaries."
"Remember, Lord Innocentius does not like to be disappointed."
Fabrizio took a deep look at the senator and nodded his head.
He now has no where to go, no other path to take, for his destiny has already been decided, infamy was now his shadow from the moment he decided to back stab Giovanni Giustinianni.
The troops of the senate marched off from the rally point, storming across the forums and the streets towards the three barracks of the army. The citizens went to their hidings in a blink of an eye, for they have already gotten used to all sorts of civil strife and coup de’tat within the city over the past decades.
Fabrizio, always strategic, secured the armoury first, followed by the gates, ports, and vital intersections, sealing any potential leaks. Such manoeuvres were familiar to him, reminiscent of his actions mere months ago that culminated in the capture and execution of George Sphrantzes.
But there is one thing, none of the troopers dared to approach the army camp, for they all felt something obvious, in fact, too obvious, giving them constant warnings in their heads with teach step they come closer and closer to the garrison; The garrison is way too quiet, totally unlike a garrison that hols more than five hundred combatants, who is supposed to follow their daily schedules and start their daily trainings, with the entire camp rowdy with activities, but not today it seems, as the entire barrack is deadly silent, with only occasional patrols on the guard towers.
Fabrizio knows that this is abnormal, although their commander Giovanni Giustinianni has already been dead for half a year, but the discipline and regulation he has enforced in this army is still persistently going on, it would be too naïve of him to think that the army is now already corrupted like what it used to be.
If it is under any normal circumstance, Fabrizio would use that tactic that was taught to him by Giovanni; seal off the water supplies to the barracks and force them to either submit or come out for a direct confrontation, but not today, for he knows that the troops of Antonius might arrive just in a day or two, he must make this quick.
"Archers first, infantries next, then lastly followed by horsemen, tear down those gates and walls, then kill any who dares to resist!"
The archers, strategically positioned atop towers, rooftops, and walls, let loose a barrage of arrows upon the watchtowers of the barracks in response to their orders. Soon after, infantry troops surged forward, fully prepared for a confrontation. However, the eeriness of the silence that met them was unsettling. The compound was entirely deserted, with not a single person nor weaponry to be spotted inside the walls of the camp.
Senator Germanicus’s heart raced as he received report after report at the command post.
"What is going on, Fabrizio!" Germanicus almost have his eyes popping out of his sockets. "We are not talking about a few hares or mice; we are talking about a whole bloody thousand plus men army! What happened to them? Vanished into the thin air, like a fart into the air? Explain, Fabrizio, it is your responsibility to watch over them over the past week!"
Fabrizio made a bitter laugh looking at the site, of course he knows what has happened that led to a state like this: the plan got leaked way beforehand, by who? Fabrizio has no idea, for he could trust almost no one from his fellow troopers, for he knows that these men have almost no morale dimensions, able to sell away almost everything in exchange for smaller benefits.
"We should not waste any more time here," Fabrizio began. "Retreat! Pull ba—"
Suddenly, a blast at the opposite of the city interrupted the words of Fabrizio, he turned back and saw a smoke raising up from almost the entire opposite side of the city, where the third barrack is, guarding over the Golden Gate and the Gate of Xylokerkos.
Fabrizio gulped.
Germanicus, equally horrified, recognized the significance of that smoke’s origin. The Golden Gate wasn’t just any entrance; it was the city’s linchpin. The fact that these officers were already blending their forces amongst the crowd, gradually inching towards the Golden Gate, revealed they had been steps ahead of the Senate all along.
Fabrizio could not bother hustling around with his political master any longer, as he stroked his mount beneath him, and roared out to his men. "Move! Move! Move! March to the Golden Gate! The enemy is at the Golden Gate!"
...
Antonius and his legion had set out a day earlier, leading a force nearing eight thousand strong. This number didn’t even account for the logistical supporters—those ensuring that supplies flowed, and needs were met. The vast column stretched for miles, and their synchronized march echoed like a rhythmic drumbeat across the land, causing minor tremors with each collective step. Few creatures, man or beast, dared approach this colossal army, whose strength was evident in its sheer magnitude. The military banners, a vivid tapestry of red and white, billowed overhead, transforming the green landscape. The usual ambient sounds of the forest—birdsong and rustling leaves—were replaced by rising dust clouds, the clinking of armour, and the sporadic neighing of horses.
Observing this monumental force, Antonius couldn’t contain himself and burst into laughter.
"What are you laughing out, your Majesty?’
"I only realised now, that it only takes one to really command over an army of a size like this, to realise how spectacular the power of sheer size can be." Antonius, with a majestic ego pounding his heart, raised his horse whip and pointed at the massive army marching before him. "Remember what the old dog Candarli Halil used to claim before when he attempted to lay siege on Thessaloniki?"
"Yes, your Majesty, he claimed that he had more than a hundred thousand men."
"Coming to think of it, that is a complete bullshit." Antonius made another laugh. "Looking back from today, the maximum number of men he could have at that point of time, is no more than ten thousand men, if he really had an army of that size, the formation would go all the way from Thessaloniki to Jupiter."
Helios bursted into laughter, with Cerberus and Fjodor by the side not understanding what the joke is.
"Tell all units, keep a coordinated distance between each formation, maintain morale and discipline in marching speed, I do not want to see another accident like the one we always had during every single military exercise."
"Aye! Your majesty!"
The accident Antonius referring about, is there are always some units who march faster, and some units marching slower, and in the end colliding into one another during coordinated battle exercises, which can be an extremely dangerous thing.
"Your Majesty!" Suddenly, a mount can be seen fast approaching from a distance away. "Message from Constantinople!"
