General Brutus read the latest reports in the HQ of the Venetian Army. The Marines and Fleet of the Austrian Triste Floatilla is moving south while the forces of Germany and Austria skirmished at the borders of Tyrol. Each opposing army was supported by artillery fire from more distant corps, and the eastern border of Tyrol is mostly over run with trenches and stalemate.
It seems both are too busy with each other to notice little old him.
This is his opening Borgia told him to look out for. He did not know what wizardly led both Germany and Austria to try to crush his Venetian army, but they got mired into each other's arms instead. And with Venice open...
He will take his chances where he gets him.
For King Victor!
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King Victor bit his lip. He'd been so scared that he will find an Austrian Floatilla in Rome that he forgot something really important. A hunded miles wide important.
He forgot that fleets can't cross the Appenines.
Being willfully disconnected from Borgia and Machiavelli worried him, but he knows that they can handle the diplomacy better than he, especially while he is NOT goosing over their shoulders. He will hande the recuitment and the propaganda. It is good to know that Venice is retaken, although sadly now surrounded by Austrians once more.
What to do about the Austrians? Or heck, the Russians? Their offers are tempting... but are they worth it? So many demands, so much diplomacy.
So good that he doesn't have to handle it himself.
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Borgia and Machiavellian compared notes.
"How Machiavellian, Borgia my friend, you are certainly the epitome of The Prince. I would know, I wrote it myself."
"Not doing too bad, although we need to secure the Pope's condemnation of... well, whoever we're going to condemn. Good thing that he's my brother, eh?"
"Oh you!"
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General Julius and Admiral Scipio embraced each other. "We did it!" they exclaimed. Both Greece and Tunisia are Italian, and Venice has just been retaken. It might not bee looking good for Italy, but not that bad either. The Preatorian Guard now patrols the streets of the Harbor while the Neapolitian Floatilla roams the Ionian sea.