Hail Caesar

[zeeter]

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Cleopatra eyed the Roman diplomat carefully. This was her first meeting with the Romans, and she did not want to seem weak, even though she had been queen for only a few days.

"That is Caesar's demand, Queen Cleopatra," the diplomat said. "He wants diplomatic channels opened between our civilizations, and as a personal gift, he would like the city of Giza handed over to him."

"I do not trust the Romans. I will have to bring this matter up with my council."

"I suggest you do that, ma'am. I await your reply - no later than tomorrow evening."

"Very well," Cleopatra replied, and the diplomat left her chambers.

So, Cleopatra thought,the Romans want to get their hands on our cities. It won't stop with Giza, either. First Giza, then Alexandria, then all of her cities until the Romans were in charge of Thebes itself.

But what could she do? There was pratically no Egyptian army. The isolationist nature of the country's past left little hope for any alliances. But what of an alliance with the Romans themselves? If giving Giza to the Romans could buy them some time, perhaps they could build an army.

The Egyptians had spent their entire existance building their culture at the expense of their defenses. Now that would change. However, she thought, the people of Giza would certainly not accept Roman rule. They would surely rebel against them and re-join the Egyptian ranks. But how could she do this without losing face with the rest of the Egyptian empire?

There was no way that the egyptian people would stand for this - unless she led the rebellion herself. A plan was in the works.

--------------------------------

Sleepless nights and workfilled days were taking their toll on Trajan, Markus thought. He was not the same. It looked like the work was killing him.

One night, Marcus saw the light out in Trajan's quarters. He decided to approach. After knocking on the door, he found it to be open. Walking in, Marcus found trajan sitting in a chair, looking out the window.

Without looking at Marcus, Trajan spoke, "Its done, Marc. Its done."

Marcus was startled. "What is, Trajan?"

"The palace. We completed it - ahead of schedule."

Marcus looked out the window. What he saw was remarkable. Huge columns, usually hidden by scaffolding, were visible. A dome in the center. Towers on all sides. This was a remarkable structure. One befitting a king.

"What is it for, Trajan?" he asked.

"For Caesar," was the reply.

"Is he coming?"

"Yes, he is coming. This is his palace away from Rome. From now on, there will be government representation here in the Northern Province. Until now, these lands were too far from Rome to be worth much. That will change."

"You look like you could use some rest, Trajan."

"Yes, I could. Help me to the bed, Marc."

Marcus held his arm out to his mentor and assisted him to the bed. He had lost a lot of weight, Marcus thought. Carefully, he laid him down.

"Marc, you must continue on this path."

"I will, Trajan, with your help."

"I cannot help you any more, Mark."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, I am an old man. Too old."

"Stop talking like that, Trajan," Marcus said. He could feel his eyes getting watery.

"No, Marc. I've led a good life. All for Rome. First the Senators, then Caesar. But I will live on. In you, I hope, Marcus. I consider you my son. If not by blood, then by affection."

"You've always been like a father to me, Trajan."

"Let me rest now. If I should awaken tomorrow, I'll see you then. If not tomorrow, then we'll meet in heaven. Until then, Goodnight, Marcus."

"Goodnight, Trajan. Farewell." A tear rolled down Marcus's cheek. He knew that Trajan would not wake up tomorrow.

------------------------------------------

"This is new," Brutus said to Cassius. The Zulus were lining the hills in mid-day. More than at any time before. "Do they all plan to attack at once?" The two men both turned to the scout, Povian.

"It appears that way, General," Povian said as he sat down in submission. This was too much for him.

Brutus had had enough. "What more do you want!" he shouted to the Zulus, although they couldn't hear him over their chanting song. "What more can we give you!?" The Zulus continued their song. Louder now, and different than previous songs. Brutus, remembering himself, looked at his men. "Don't give up hope, boys. Theres still fight in us," he said.

Now a new sound was heard. Laughter. Brutus could barely hear it over the sound of the Zulu's song. It was Povian, sitting on a stump laughing histerically. Brutus looked to Cassius, who was just as dumbfounded.

Cassius walked over to Povian. "What is it?!" he shouted to the scout. Brutus saw exasperation on Cassius' face. Povian only laughed harder. Suddenly, Cassius exasperation turned to his own laughter.

Brutus could tell that Cassius had lost it, too. There was nothing left to do but laugh at the strange Povian. "What are you laughing at, you fool?" he asked again.

Finally, Povian was able to contain himself enough to speak. "They're saluting you."

Cassius continued laughing. "They're saluting us?" he asked. Povian could only grunt through his own laughter to confirm.

Brutus looked again at the Zulu line. One by one, the Zulus held their shields over their heads and turned. As they turned, they walked down the hill, until only their leader, Mushwala, remained. Finally, he raised his shield to the Roman soldiers, turned his head away, and walked back down the hill.

The battle was over.

------------------------------------------

Caesar sat upon his horse, overlooking the men he would go to battle with. To a man, they were ready. This was Caesar's personal army. Tested in battle against the Iroquois, and now ready to finally take the city of Kente from the Aztecs.

Kente was not a strategic city. There were no economic gains to be had from its recapture. But it was on Italian soil. This was to be Caesar's great achievement during the first Iroquois war. Instead, the Aztecs saw an opportunity to gain a foothold in Italy and took it. There was nothing that Caesar could do at the time. He certainly couldn't go to war with the Aztecs, not while he was at war with the Iroquois and had a tenuous hold on the cities on the Unfinished Isle. Now was his chance.

Word now came from his scouts.

"What does the embassy say?" he asked them.

"No deal, Emperor. They will not give us the city."

"Then we will take it from them. Bugler! Sound the charge!"

The army of Caesar began to move on Kente. Three regiments of riflemen marched, led by Caesar and four Regiments of knights and two regiments of the new Cavalry.

Kente didn't stand a chance.

------------------------------------

In Keparta, Octavian awaited Brutus' arrival from Zululand. He wasn't quite sure what was taking him so long. As acting commander of the city, he was informed of actions in Italy and expected a counterattack here. Hopefully Brutus would arrive in time.

As he walked the streets of Keparta, the citizens, both Iroquois and Roman greeted him. They shook his hand and offered him treats of fruit. He was truly loved in this city.

A leutenant quickly approached him. "Captain. They're here!" he said quickly.

"The Aztecs?" Octavian aleady knew the answer.

"Yes, Captain."

"We've trained for this, Leutenant. Ready the men. The Aztecs don't know what they're in for."

"Yes sir!" the leutenant said as he rushed off to prepare for war.

Octavian would have to fight this battle himself - without Brutus. This would not be new, he thought. He had defended this city three times before. He could do it again. His troops were ready. Four Riflemen regiments. Two Knights. Four Cavalry. They could take on anyone. Octavian had the benefit of Brutus' army, reassigned to the city to await their general's arrival from Zululand. These men were under the temporary command of Captain Tessius, but while within the city limits they and Tessius fell under Octavian.

Tessius now approached Octavian.

"Don't worry, Octavian. If the Aztecs get into the city, we'll stop them."

"You don't have to wait that long. Your riflemen will be along the walls. I want your cavalry ready to charge the field upon my signal," Octavian replied.

"We'll not involve ourselves with this battle unless they get through the walls," Tessius said indignantly.

Octavian looked at Tessius. He was just like his General, or so he'd heard. There was nothing to gain from fighting alongside Octavian's men. But if they got through, he could say that his army stopped the Aztecs instead of Octavian's. "Tessius, all of these men are assigned to Brutus now, including me. I am in charge of the defense of this city until the arrival of Brutus. All of the soldiers withing the city now will fight in defense."

"We will do no such thing. This is your battle. Fight it with your own men!"

This was too much for Octavian. He grabbed Tessius by the collar and threw him to the ground. He pulled his sword and held it to Tessius' neck. "You can either die now, or die defending this city. What will it be?"

 

[spiky82]

OMG! I love your story man!

Post, post, post!!!

 

[zeeter]

-----------------------------------

The fleet of Galleons approached Gaza harbor at mid-day. From the bow of his flagship, Pompeii watched as a small sailboat came slowly toward him. He guessed that this was the Egyptian delegation prepared to meet him. The Roman diplomat had given the demands to Cleopatra only a few days ago. If they ceaded Gaza to him, he was to occupy the city. If not, he was to attack.

Pompeii watched as the Egyptian diplomat was assisted up onto the deck of his ship. The diplomat wasted no time and approached the General.

"Greetings General. It is good to see you. I am Cyprotemy, head of the Egyptian council and personal advisor to Cleopatra. With me is my assistan Brianna." Cyprotemy's assistant bowed before the General.

Pompeii was somewhat insulted that a woman was sent out with the greeting party, but what would one expect from a country ruled by a woman? "Good day, Cyprotemy. I am General Pompeii, Governer of Romes Eastern conquests."

"Well, General. I hope you had a pleasant voyage. Without further adue, I now present you the city of Gaza."

So this was their answer. Pompeii had to admit to himself that he was a bit disapointed. His armies hadn't seen much action defending the Unfinished Isle and were ready for battle.

"That's good to hear, Cyprotemy," he answered. "Will you be so kind as to guide my fleet in to safe harbor?"

"Of course, General." Cyprotemy's assistants began to tell the Quartermaster of the Watch of the safest landing sites as Cyprotemy and Brianna continued to speak with the General.

"Queen Cleopatra is most interested to meet you, General. I'd like to arrange for a meeting. Perhaps next week?"

"Why not sooner, Cyprotemy? I'd like to get all of the formalities out of the way as quickly as possible."

"The queen is occupied in Thebes, General. There is a matter which must be taken care of."

Pompeii guessed that this matter was one of dealing with the people's reaction to the giving away of Gaza.

As the ships moored to the harbor of Gaza, Cyprotemy continued to discuss matters of interest to the General. Eventually they were led from the gangplank and Brianna began a tour of the city of Gaza.

Pompeii was impressed with the vast number of Temples, Cathedrals, Colloseums and other buildings which lent themselves to the great culture of the Egyptian peoples. The people, on the other hand, looked at him warily. They would have to be re-educated, Pompeii thought.

Pompeii requested that Brianna lead them to the city courthouse where he could begin his work as governer. He tired of this woman's loathesome tour. He and his personal guard were led to the courthouse where Brianna was asked to leave them. Cyprotemy nodded to her and she bid them adeu.

-----------------------------------------

The battle for Keparta was quickly finished - a testament to the fine training of the Roman armies. One thing that bothered Octavian was that an Aztec Rifleman regiment was the last to attack the city. Why had they attacked with musket-men and knights when they had riflemen? His advanced scouts had the answer for him.

It turned out that the Aztecs had just begun upgrading their armies to the new Riflemen, but the cities on the Unfinished Isle did not yet have the facilities to make these upgrades.

He went to Tessius with this information.

"What are you proposing to do, Octavian? You can't possibly think that you may take Brutus' army."

"No, but you can. You've led these men in Brutus' absense for weeks."

"Yes, but not in battle. They fight for Brutus, not for me."

"You're still their captain, Tessius. They must answer to you."

"I think that we should wait for Brutus," Tessius said.

This was the first time that Octavian saw this in Tessius. He had been wrong about Brutus' captain. He was not politically ambitious nor did he seek to expand on his reputation. Tessius was a coward. He had most likely risen through the ranks as a "yes man" to Brutus.

"You must do this, Tessius." Octavian tried one last time. "I believe it is what Brutus would have done with his army." Although he tried to hide it, Octavian could see that Tessius was beginning to tremble.

"I would not risk that gamble, Octavian."

Octavian waited a moment in thought. "Wait here, Tessius," he finally said.

Octavian walked out of the command post and returned a few moments later with several guards. "Tessius, you have a choice. You may either lead your men against the Aztecs, or stay here with the defenders of Keparta."

Tessius said nothing. He only looked at Octavian. Soon, he could no longer look at the captain, and only hung his head in shame. Octavian walked over and stood beside him.

"Tessius, I understand your feelings, but you know what I must do," he said to him. Tessius only nodded his head in agreement.

"Leutenant Tiberius, I place you in command of the defense of Keparta. I will lead Brutus' army against the Aztecs."

"Yes Sir," came Tiberius' reply. Octavian dashed off to discuss his battle plans with his Leutenants. Within the hour the army of Brutus was mobilizing out of the city under the command of Octavian.

------------------------------------

Brianna left the Romans and Cyprotemy at the courthouse and quickly walked back to the harbor. This would not work, she thought. Pompeii was a baffoon. He could not be reasoned with and would only follow his own doctorine. A man like that cannot be dealt with on her terms. There would be no manipulation of the Roman occupation of Gaza.

But what could they do now? She thought. Maybe the army that was building in the north could come and take Gaza back. Or maybe they could simply let the citizens of Gaza rebel. For the queen, the army taking the city would certainly be more beneficial. But if this happened, there would be huge reprocussions from Rome.

If the city rebelled, there would be reprocussions in Rome, but not necessarily directed at the Queen and her advisors. This would allow them further time to build their army. In the meantime, she must gather in Alexandria at once. The palace there was almost complete.
Brianna remembered how the people of Thebes and everywhere in Egypt had reacted to the decision to give away Gaza. Corruption within the government had exploded. It was settled by the Queen and her decision to built a new palace in Alexandria - home of the Great Library. This would more centralize the government and allow them to administer to the more lucrative cities to the south.

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"What are you talking about, Stepped in Bear Dung?!" Hiawatha was once again taking out his anger on the poor advisor. "The Roman armies are still in Italy, preparing to move to the Unfinished Isle."

"Yes sir, but they have captured all of the Northern Provinces," replied Stepped in Bear Dung.

"They don't have the resources in Northern Province to hold any offensive."

"It seems that they do, sir. No Roman ships have approached the Northern Province in a year, other than trade ships."

"But how could they build an army up there? We saw last year that they only had enough troops to hold their positions at best. There must be some mistake."

"Sir, great changes have come over the Northern Province in the last year. It has been restructured from a central governing position. They no longer face the corruption which hindered them for so long."

Hiawatha thought a while. He had once again underestimated the Romans. If they had an army in the north, that meant that the southern armies were free to attack wherever they wanted. On the Unfinished Isle, or worse, in Iroquoisland itself.

"This was a mistake..." he mumbled. Hiawatha turned to Stepped in Bear Dung. "Has our envoy reached Caesar yet with our declaration?"

"Not yet, sir, but I don't believe he can be reached in time."

"Damn," Hiawatha thought. He was about to go to battle again in a war he could not win.

-------------------------------

"He took my army!"

"Y..Yes General," the poor leutenant replied.

"How dare he do this. Where is Tessius?" Brutus asked.

"He is in quarters, sir."

"Bring him to me now."

The leutenant dashed off to get the captain. Brutus was enraged. His army was taken out to battle without him and without his captain. Who did this guy think he was? Some maverick trying to advance himself with someone else's army. I'll have his head for this, Brutus thought.

He didn't need to return from the greatest battle in Roman history to see this.

Tessius was brought before him.

"Tessius, how could you allow this?" Brutus asked of the captain.

"General Brutus, it was the right thing to do," came the reply.

"Why didn't you do it then? Not that it would have been right, but you were in charge of my men."

"I...I couldn't, sir."

"You couldn't?"

"No, sir. I couldn't lead the army against the Aztecs."

"Captain Tessius, I was just in a battle with about a hundred men defending against thousands of Zulus. Not one of those men ever said that they couldn't fight anymore." Brutus had no pity for the man.

Once again, Tessius hung his head. Brutus watched as he reached to his waist and removed his sword. The captain walked to Brutus and handed him his sword.

"You disapoint me, Tessius," Brutus said to the man. Tessius only stood with his head hung low in shame. Brutus became even more enraged with the man.

He held the captain's sword high. "There is no room in the Roman Army for cowards," was all he said as he swept the sword down and into Tessius' chest. Brutus watched as his former captain fell to the floor.

Tessius looked up at the general with suprise. Brutus returned his look with one of disgust as the Captain died.

Now he would deal with Captain Octavius. The captain had no idea what was in store for him if Brutus ever saw him.

"General. Ships in the har...bor," one of the leutenants said as he saw the dead captain while in mid sentance.

"Who is it, leutenant?" Brutus asked.

"I don't know, Sir."

Brutus rushed out the door to see the Roman ships approaching. "It's Caesar," he said, more to himself than anyone else.

 

[zeeter]

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Marcus Antony stood in a cafe overlooking Albany's great harbor. He was joined there by Lafayette, the American general.

"You've done a remarkable job here, Marcus."

"Thank you, General," replied Marcus. "That means a lot coming from a great leader like you."

Marcus had read much of the Americans. Lafayette had intrigued him the most. He had been a general for a great civilization - the French - many years ago. During the Franco-American war the General held the city of Paris for three years before it was finally overrun by American swordsmen and catapults. This was the final battle of the war and France ceased to exist since then. The Americans had wiped them out.

Due to his bravery against the Americans, and the thoughtfulness of their then leader, Washington, he was allowed a commission in the American Army where he fought mostly against the Iroquois until he retired to a post on Lincoln's cabinet.

"You have done well here. I cannot recall any land being settled and defended as well and as quickly as the Northern Province. Your battle tactics against the Aztecs were inspiring."

Marcus felt a need here to check his admiration for Lafayette while he waited for the invevitable question.

"I'm glad I was able to impress you, General. We are thrilled with our conquests here. Since the tragic death of Trajan, we have thrived here. His dying acts were to build the palace that allows us the ability to wage war here. Without that we would most likely have had a difficult time."

"I'm sorry for the loss of your mentor, Marcus. I, too, lost a mentor many years ago. Joan of Arc was the greatest ruler I've ever known. So great she was that the Americans were forced to wage war just to keep up. I tried to protect her in the end, but I could not prevent her death when the Americans breached the walls of Paris. She was burned at a cross then, a day I will never forget."

Marcus listened to Lafayette's story and felt a sadness for the culture which had disapeared so long ago. He knew enough here to keep his mouth shut. Words would not work.

Lafayette changed the subject. "So what is Rome to do now that the Northern Province and Unfinished Isles are under its flag?" he asked.

Here it comes, Marcus thought. "I've no idea, Lafayette. I am a general and do what I'm told."

"Ah, I know the feeling. You do what Caesar tells you as I did what Joan told me."

"Something like that."

"And Albany? It is to be returned to Lincoln?"

"No." Marcus looked at Lafayette.

"Marcus, there are American citizens here," the great French General was quite a diplomat. Marcus' response did not faze him in the least. "They live with American culture. Think how unhappy they will be under Roman rule."

"How happy indeed, Lafayette. They've been through years of corrupt governers and tax collectors pocketing their hard earned tax money. They've seen the resources that they spent so long to work for used to build the governers vacation home. Is that happy?" Marcus continued to look at Lafayette. "America cannot possibly govern this city effectively. Its too far away. We have the ability to turn this crime riddled city into a great metropolis, like Rome itself."

"That disappoints me, Marcus. I had looked forward to the liberation of Albany, but now see it as occupation from a different source. Do you know what this will do for our relations?"

Marcus gaze at Lafayette turned into a lear. "Just what is that suposed to mean, General."

"Lincoln wants this city back, Marcus. He will most certainly not stop short of taking it back by force."

Marcus stood eye to eye with Lafayette. "So be it, then."

-------------------------------------
Caesar was confused, "Did he say why?"

"I only heard that there were some riflemen in the battle here. He decided it was best to chase the Aztecs back to their cities."

"Riflemen." Caesar thought for a moment. When did they start using Riflemen?

"Julius, you know the penalties that he needs to face. I want it to be my sword." Brutus was one of the few who could get away with calling Caesar by his first name.

"Don't be too hasty, Decimus," he replied. "Lets wait to hear what he has to say. Octavian approaches the city now."

The two men watched as a group of twelve horses approached the city. Now they would get to the bottom of this, Caesar thought. Octavian certainly knew better than to take another man's army. This was very odd, and differed from the opinion he had formed of Octavian.

"General Caesar," Octavian said as he dropped from his horse to salute him.

"Captain, you'll have hell to pay for this!" Brutus shouted.

Octavian looked at Brutus as if he expected this. Caesar decided to interupt before anything happened. "Captain Octavian. I hear that you took General Brutus' army out of Keparta to attack the Aztec cities. Is this true?"

"Yes, sir. I did."

"See! He admits it!" Brutus exclaimed.

Caesar only held up his hand to signal Brutus to calm himself. "And for what reason did you do this?"

"I thought it the best strategic decision. The Aztecs have Riflemen now, but must import them from Aztecland. I felt it best to attack now rather than wait for them to reinforce themselves."

"And what did you accomplish by doing this, Captain Octavian." Caesar asked.

"General Caesar, we captured three Aztec cities. Two were defended by a single musket-man regiment, while one was held only by some old pikemen," Octavian seemed both proud of himself, and concerned that the Generals might not be so impressed.

"Brutus, I'd like to speak with Octavian alone for a moment."

Brutus continued to stare at the Captain. "Yes, General. But remember, he's mine."

"Yes Brutus, and you remember your place. General," Caesar said sharply.

Brutus turned his glare to Caesar for a moment, then was off.

Whe he was gone, Caesar spoke more softly to Octavian.

"You're nothing, if not conroversial, captain."

Octavian said nothing. Caesar waited a moment then chuckled. "Well, you certainly can't serve under Brutus now. I'll have to take you back to Rome with me."

Octavian was suprised. "Sir, I enjoy serving in the field."

"Yes, I know, Octavian. But you need to learn more of politics if you are to succeed. The fact is that you did the right thing here. Taking advantage of the Aztec situation was a tremendous decision. But if you had taken my army to do it you would already be dead. You're lucky that I was here. As governer, Brutus would have had free reign to do with you as he pleased."

"Yes, General. I thank you for that." Octavian looked a bit relieved.

Octavian had once again put the best decision forward, Caesar thought. He could have waited for the General to arrive, which would have been the right thing to do, but instead, he chose to attack the Aztecs while they were weak, which was, in the end, the better thing to do.

"And what of General Brutus, sir?" Octavian asked.

"I'll let him stew over this for a while. He's going to be honored shortly for his defense of Luza in Zululand anyway. He'll get over it. You need to avoid him in the mean time, though. I'm his emperor, but Brutus gets a bit difficult to deal with when things don't go his way. He's probably more disapointed that you captured these cities without him than anything else.

"Now, that said I want you on my flagship at once."

"Yes Sir," Octavian saluted the general again and hurried off to the harbor.

"Brutus!" Caesar called. "Come here."

Brutus sulked back over to Caesar.

"You are named governor of the Unfinished Isle. It seems to me that there is another Aztec city here," he looked at Brutus.

"And what of Captain Octavian?"

"I'll deal with him myself," Caesar said, feigning indignancy.

Brutus hesitated a moment.

"Well, Brutus? Are you going to capture that Aztec city or stand there with that stupid look on your face?"

Remembering himself, Brutus smiled briefly and began to walk away.

"Oh, and Brutus," Caesar continued. "I have put you and Cassius in for the Roman Star for your defense of Luza."

Caesar watched Brutus' face light up. That should apease him for a while, he thought.
------------------------------------------------

 

[zeeter]

Do you guys want more, or what? I've got more planned, but if the interest isn't there, I won't bother. We're at the point now in the game I was playing where my computer didn't have the resources to continue. Its all pretty much made up from here on out. Damn those AMD processors!

 

[spiky82]

Write slave, write!! (j/k)

I'm addicted to this story....you GOTTA finish it...!

 

[Erik Mesoy]

Keep writing!

 

[djtestudo]

Keep on writin'. This is one of the best stories I have read on this site in a while. Besides, it sounds like there is a lot more left.

 

[zeeter]

Heres a quick one. I couldn't write today. My boss actually made me work. The nerve. I'll have to demand a raise.

 

[zeeter]

Pompeii was dumbstruck. His soldiers could not be controlled. They could not be kept out of the great cathedrals of Gaza. Indeed, the colloseums were often filled with Roman soldiers. They inhabited the libraries and took classes at the University.

"Captain Milus, how was role call today?" the general asked.

"The news is not good sir. Of our troops, only two hundred came to roll-call."

Anger strarted to build in General Pompeii. "What are the sergeants doing to handle this, Captain?"

"Well, sir, the ones that go to roll call can do nothing. The penalty for unauthorized absence is pennance in the Temple. Since the soldiers were probably missing because they were in the temple anyway, the punishment doesn't serve as a hinderance."

"We'll have to do more, Milus. Pass an order. Any man found to be guilty of unauthorized absence will be restricted to the barracks for three days."

Pompeii was losing his soldiers. So far away from the ways of Rome, the soldiers were overcome with the ways of the Egyptians. It was strong enough to break the historic legionary code - a code passed down since the days of the great Roman Legions.

"I don't think that will work, sir," Milus disagreed. "The men are gone. I've seen them in the streets. They care not for the Roman ways. The two hundred who came to roll call today will be one hundred-fifty tomorrow. One hundred the next day. Soon there will be no Roman army here. Our best bet is to gather what soldiers are left and leave."

"Is there any other choice?"

"I don't believe so, sir."

Pompeii was stuck. Without an army, he certainly couldn't hold this city. In fact, right now the city was only Roman by the flag that flew over the courthouse. But what would Caesar think? This would be most embarassing for Pompeii - a general so renouned that he had a city back in Italy named after him.

He had made big mistakes here. Allowing his men to roam the steets of Gaza after their initial arrival had hurt. He thought that they needed some rest and relaxation after their long voyage from Maize. This certainly had backfired.

Milus continued. "I've seen some soldiers dressed in the local garb. They practically live in the restaurants and pubs. Time is running out, General."

Pompeii stood for more than a moment, gazing at the harbor of Gaza. "Prepare my boat, Captain. Take whatever men we still have. We will go to Alexandria to meet with the queen."

---------------------------------

The battle for Elk River had been difficult. The Romans held two cities on the island west of the Northern Provinces. In the center of the island, and on the southern coast lay Elk River. Between the Iroquois city and the two roman cities were vast hills and forests. The Roman Cavalry had difficulty transiting this terrain making for a very long battle.

Hiawatha hoped only that the city could hold out long enough so that his galleons could arrive in time. He had made this trip personally, accompanying the galleons which carried eight cavalry regiments - enough to take the entire island. This was what he wanted. He could now face his people with dignity. Escorting his troopships were four frigates - the strongest ships in the world.

"Stepped in Bear Dung, how long until we arrive in Elk River?"

"Two more days, sir. We have a good wind behind us."

"Very good. Are you excited, Stepped in Bear Dung?"

"Oh, yes sir. This will be a historic battle. I'm glad that you made the decision to do this."

"Ah, I'm glad also. We've been through a lot, our people. We will now be able to give them some pride. Nothing can stop us now. Once we take this island, we will be only a short hop away from the mainland of the Northern Province." Hiawatha turned to his aid.

"Stepped in Bear Dung, you are witnessing the great revival of the Iroquois people. The Romans are at an impasse. They dare not risk troops over here when their relations with the Americans are so fragile. Our homeland is well protected, although I don't expect an attack there. If they move troops on us they risk leaving their homeland unprotected against an American, or even and Aztec attack."

"You are wise, King. I am proud to serve with you."

"As you should be, Stepped in Bear Dung."

--------------------------------------

"How many ships?" Marcus Antony asked.

"Seven, sir. Four frigates and three galleons."

"Can we stop them?"

"With what, sir? We have one frigate in the area, and its in Caesaria for repairs.

"Damn." Marcus hadn't planned for this. Three Galleons could hold enough troops to take the entire island. He could do little to reinforce his cities on the island. Byzantium, the closest city to Elk River was unable to produce enough men to fight. He had two galleons in the region, but it would take six days to get them to the island.

Plus, if he did send troops there he would leave his eastern flank unprotected if the Americans chose to attack. He would have to wait it out.

Marcus was proud of the work he'd done in the Northern Province. And on the new island to the west he had scouted well. The city sites were prime locations. In fact, he had already planned to settle the region where Elk River stood, only the Iroquois beat him there. He saw a chance to remedy this when the war started, but logistics prevented him from pulling an all out assault on the city. He could only send a few troops at a time at the city due to the terrain.
This was a mistake that he could not afford to make again. Marcus had become cocky. The Aztec cities on the Northern Province mainland had been relatively easy to capture. He thought the same would happen with the assault of Elk River. The city was well defended, though, and one by one his cavalry had fallen. If he had been patient and waited for his troops to mobilize outside the city they would have stood a chance. As it was, though, he now was at risk to lose the entire island.

------------------------------------

"Captain, make your course for Alexandria," Caesar said decisively, taking Octavian by suprise.

"Is something wrong, General?"

"Yes. I've just received word that we no longer hold Gaza. I don't know what happened." Caesar looked alarmed, Octavian thought. He knew that the emperor held Pompeii in high regard. Whatever had happened in Gaza deeply concerned him.

"Why don't we go to Gaza," he asked.

"Alexandria is the capital. Theres not much point in going to Gaza. If the city was taken by force, then it is probably well defended. I'm not going to battle this far from home unless I know I can win. Besides, Octavian, I don't plan to fight anyway. We have enough troops to take a city or two, but not enough to sustain a campaign."

"What will we do there?" Octavian asked.

"I won't know until we reach Alexandria. The country is in disarray now. After the death of Ptolomy theres been too much termoil. The queen is Cleopatra, although her reign is tenuous. Her sister Arsinoe, is technically the rightful heir, although her whereabouts is unknown."

"And Pompeii?"

"I worry about Pompeii, Octavian. He is a good and just General, although I question his leadership. Its good to care for your men, as you have demonstrated, but you must also maintain discipline. Pompeii has had difficulty handling this responsibility in the past. His whereabouts now is unknown."

 

[zeeter]

I'll try to get a new one today.

 

[spiky82]

hey zeeter! where art thou?

 

[zeeter]

Sorry, Been busy.

 

[zeeter]

-----------------------------------------

Pompeii' entered the harbor of Alexandria to far less ceremony than his landing in Gaza. His ship of one hundred seventy five men slowly entered the channel and sailed amongst the fishing boats as they eyed him warily.

The ship moored to the pier where Pompeii and Milus disembarked. They were met by the eldest Prince Ptolemy who greeted them warmly.

"Good afternoon, General. How was your trip?"

Pompeii was not in the mood for small talk. "Where is Cleopatra, Ptolemy?" he asked.

"Cleopatra is no longer a concern for the Egyptian people. I am greeting you on behalf of Arsinoe, the rightful Queen of Egypt."

"I will speak with Arsinoe immediately, then," replied Pompeii. He was not amused by the attitude of the young Ptolemy. "What has happened to the government here?"

The three of them began walking the streets of Alexandria. "General, Cleopatra was not the rightful queen. Berenice was next in line for the throne, but she was killed at the behest of Cleopatra. Arsinoe received prior indication of my sister's plans and exiled herself to Alexandria. She stayed here while the new palace was being constructed and waited for her chance. Cleopatra has fled the city, and is presumed dead."

"And what of the city of Gaza?" Milus asked.

"The city of Gaza has been forced to return to Egyptian rule since your departure, General Pompeii. With no army there to protect them they could only turn back to their homeland. I hope you understand that they were forced to turn back."

"Look, Prince. I don't know what your people tried to pull over in Gaza, but I'll not stand for it. I want my army returned to me. I want the Roman flag to fly over the city courthouse. And, I want those responsible punished. My men were brainwashed by your people. I demand satisfaction."

"And you shall have that satisfaction, General," Ptolemy replied as Arsinoe came out to greet them.

"General Pompeii. It is a pleasure to meet you," the queen said to him. She could have been only twenty-five or so, the general thought. Certainly not a worthy adversary.

"Enough with the pleasantries, Queen. I demand answers. Now!"

"Here is your answer, General," came the reply from the queen.

Pompeii and Milus watched as the queen's personal guards approached them while drawing their muskets. Muskets? Where did they get the saltpeter for that, the general wondered.

"What is going on here, Arsinoe?"

"Why, the answer you requested, Pompeii. I will not have my people become slaves to the Roman Empire."

"You'll pay dearly for this," was the last thing that Pompeii said before he fell to the musket fire. Milus too was killed on this day.

As he lay dying, Ptolemy spoke. "My brother will no doubt tell Cleopatra of this."

"I'm not concerned with that, Ptolemy. Let her come here. I welcome the opportunity to rid the world of my challengers."

With that, Pompeii took his last breath.

--------------------------------

"Ah, the Western Holdings," Hiawatha took in the view of the coastline of the land he had named himself. Look at that, Stepped in Bear Dung." He pointed to the cliffs overlooking the ocean. "Saltpeter, Iron, and some of that blacks stuff that we keep hearing about."

"Yes sir, I see it," Stepped in Bear Dung replied. "It looks marvelous."

"And shortly they will all be ours. Imagine. The world at our beckon and call. The resources here will once again make us the richest nation in the world. We can sell this to the Americans, the Aztecs, and maybe even the Zulus."

"Yes, Sire. This was a bold stroke."

"It was, indeed."

Hiawatha's frigates, knowing that the only offensive ships that the Romans had in the area were in drydock, had left to bombard Byzantium. His scout ships had noted days ago that no ships had departed Italy for the defense of these cities. The Roman frigates could not intercept them in time if they had left in the meantime.

"Sir, we approach Elk River."

"Very well." Hiawatha saw this city for the first time. Little more than a settlement, it was now the key to the Western Holdings, and possibly even the entire Northern Province.

He was still smiling when the cannonball ripped into the port side of the ship. Chaos ensued.

"What was that!" he shouted to the ship's captain.

"Over there, sir!" the captain pointed to the left. Hiawatha looked out at objects off of the port bow.

"What is it?" They looked like four disks sticking out of the water. As he looked closer, he saw cannons sticking out of the side.

"I don't know, sir," the captain said as he prepared his men to return the fire. These galleons didn't have much in the way of defenses, though.

Hiawatha watched as the Iroquois sailors fired a cannon at the disks. It was a direct hit. As the smoke cleared, there appeared to be no damage to this floating monstrosity. They were in trouble.

"Give the signal. Evade and Retreat!"

The radioman repeated Hiawatha's command. They were too late, though. As Hiawatha's flagship disapeared behind a storm squall, saw each of his troopships on fire.

------------------------------

"I'm telling you. I've been a general for over ten years and I've never seen anything like it," Brutus exclaimed.

"He didn't do anything about it?" Cassius had arrived in Keparta a few days after Caesar left.

"No. He just took him off to Rome with him. I tell you, Cassius, somebody had better do something."

"Aye, after what you and I went through in Luza, to come back here to find that somebody had taken your army and fought with them."

"Yes, and you, Cassius. We fight together almost to death, and what does he do with you? Pulls you out of there. We gave back every holding that we had in Zululand. How many Romans died there? Thousands, by my count. All for nothing. So that our emperor withdraws our troops. What do we fight for?"

"Politics, Brutus. It all comes down to politics."

"If he wasn't going to keep those lands, why go there to begin with?" Brutus asked.

"Well, for one thing. The Zulus respect us now. Although they have far more troops, they cannot match our skills. They threatened Caesar numerous times. Knowing that nothing was there worth taking, Caesar simply ignored them. The last time, though, Shaka threatened to declare war. Caesar had to do something."

"Thats no excuse for the battles that we had to endure."

"I agree, Brutus. All he really needed to do was send a few frigates down there to show them who's boss."

"He went too far. And this won't be the last time. What is he doing meddling in Egypt, anyway?"

"I have no idea, Brutus."

------------------------------

"Arsinoe, come quickly. Roman ships in the harbor!" The elder Ptolemy excitedly told his sister.

Arsinoe was annoyed. "Just go greet them and make them go away, Ptolemy."

It had been a few days since the murder of General Pompeii and his captain. Arsinoe was now recovering from a banquet held in her honor as the new Queen. She was not in the mood to meet some overbearing Roman general.

"I can't do that, Arsinoe. You know that."

"Yes you can. Just take my guard and take care of business. Just like last time."

"Its different this time, Arsinoe."

This caught her attention. The queen rose from her chair to look out the window. It was a troubling image. Six ironclad were in the harbor guarding eight galleons which, presumably held numerous Roman troops.

Quickly, Arsinoe began to give out the orders. "Prepare a barge, Ptolemy. And get your to join us."

"Ptolemy is nowhere to be found," Ptolemy was referring to his younger brother, Ptolemy XIV.

"He disapeared? When did this happen?"

"Last night, Arsinoe."

Where could the younger Ptolemy have taken off to? This was not good news for Arsinoe. Ptolemy XIV was much closer to Cleopatra than Ptolemy XIII. Arsinoe would have to take care of this problem. Both brothers could be considered challenges to her rule eventually. Perhaps they would both need to face the same destiny.

"Just get my barge ready, Ptolemy."

"We cannot deal with these men, Arsinoe. That was not part of our agreement."

"I understand, but we cannot be expected to sit back and let them invade us."

"They've given no indication of invasion as of yet. I think that they just want to talk."

"Then that's what we'll do."

 

[zeeter]

----------------------------

"I want Albany back. If for nothing else than to keep an eye on the Romans." Lincoln was adamant.

"Mr. President. What of our troubles with the Iroquois. Shouldn't we concern ourselves with their northern buildup?" asked Jackson.

"I'm not concerned with the Iroquois anymore. Every move they've made for years has failed. Hiawatha is an incompetant leader. The world moves through Caesar now. This has to end. We need to become the dominant nation of the world again.

"Ah, here is Mr. Lewis," Lincoln continued. "What is your report, Lewis?"

"Sir, Mr. Clark and I have just finished our summary. It is as follows:

From a military standpoint, the Iroquois do not have a supply of Iron, althouth the Aztecs provide that to them. They have plenty of horses, which they, in turn trade back to the Aztecs. The Iroqois do not have any Coal, nor do the Aztecs."

Lincoln interupted: "You see, Gentlemen, why my concerns are not with the Iroquois. Without Coal, they cannot build railroads nor steamships. We hold an advantage here because our troops can mobilize at a moments notice once our infrastructure is complete. We can also easily sink their galleons before they land troops on our shores." Lincoln motioned for Lewis to continue.

"Yes sir, moving on, the Aztecs, as mentioned, have a supply of horses from the Iroquois. Both nations are pretty much in the same position militarily.

"The Zulus have coal, although they don't have the technology yet to use it."

"And I suggest that we not give it to them," interupted John Adams." A few grumbles followed as the members of Lincoln's cabinet noted their agreement.

Lewis continued, "Furthermore, the Zulus have no iron nor horses. The Egyptians have Horses, Iron, and Coal, and although as of now they don't know what to do with the coal, my spies tell me that they should have this technology shortly."

"Lastly, the Romans. Caesar has Iron, Horses, and Coal. In fact, they have enough coal that we have been trading with them for it."

"Now, I'll surrender the floor to Mr. Hamilton, who will provide the Financial summary. Mr. Hamilton?"

All eyes turned to the bespectacled man: "Good Morning, Gentlemen. The following report has been created using the latest in communications with all of the world's nations, and from information our spies provided.

"The Iroquois are, financially, the weakest nation in the world."

"How can that be?" Roosevelt interupted. "The Iroquois were just a few years ago the richest of us all?"

Nixon answered for Hamilton: "That was before Caesar and the Egyptians. Caesar stopped trading with the Iroqois when he came to power. Prior to that, the Roman Senate practically gave away their Wines and Spices. As for the Egyptians? The final years of Ptolemy's rule saw his country become much more powerful. They could now demand the prices from the Iroquois which Hiawatha either couldn't afford, or refused to pay."

Hamilton continued. "Thank you, Mr Nixon, I'll move to the Aztecs. While in a little bit better position than the Iroquois, Montezuma's country has little natural trade resources. They do have a few dyes, but that's it.

"The Zulus have almost nothing. And what economy they have goes to support their large army. Since their technology is so low they have to build thousands of obsolete units to even hope to compete with a modern power. We saw this with the Roman war. The Romans left because it was too costly with little reward.

"Speaking of the Romans, their economy is strong. They trade with us and had been trading with the Egyptians before their latest spat."

With this last part, Lincoln turned to his director of intelligience, Hoover. They exchanged a knowing look as the finanacial analyst continued.

"Finally, the Egyptian economy is the strongest in the world. They have a vast stockpile of natural trade resources and have used them well. We have traded with them as have many of the worlds modern nations."

Hamilton began passing out some documents, "I will leave you with these charts which cover this entire presentation."

The cabinet members nodded their thanks to Hamilton as he sat down.

"I hate to be callous, but it seems to me that the nations that we should most be concerned with now are the Romans and the Egyptians," suggested Jackson.

"I agree," said Roosevelt from his wheelchair. "But what are we to do about the Aztecs, Iroquois, and Zulus?"

Adams answered, "The Aztecs and Iroquois have a Mutual Protection Pact. Whatever we do with one must be done with the other."

"That's true, gentlemen. So I guess the question is, do we take on one of the modern powers, or the Zulus," said Laffayette.

"Gentlemen," said Hoover. "I have some information which may not leave this room." He looked to Mr Lewis and Mr Clark, who took the hint that they weren't cleared for this information and left.

"My sources in Egypt tell me that the Roman General Pompeii was murdered by Queen Arsinoe. Furthermore, Emporer Caesar's ships are in Alexandria harbor as we speak."

"Who told you all of this?" asked Hamilton.

"Suprisingly, it was an Egyptian spy, Brianna." Both Hoover and Lincoln looked at each other again. Lincoln remembered how, upon first hearing this a few days ago he had called a meeting with the Egyptian Consulate.

"Why would they do that?" asked Roosevelt. "The Romans will make them pay."

"Yes, they will. However, at the time the Romans were at war with the Aztecs and Iroquois. Arsinoe thought that she could get away with this. Unfortunately for her, Caesar's generals made quick work of the Aztecs and he sailed for Alexandria himself," answered Lincoln.

"And what of this Arsinoe. Is she to be trusted?" Roosevelt asked.

"We hold Arsinoe in our pocket," Hoover continued. "We've already made arrangements to trade our Steam Engine technology to them for a steady supply of Coal. This way we needn't rely on the Romans."

Lincoln waited for the inevitable from Roosevelt. It came quickly. "You! Lincoln. You arranged this!"

Lincoln couldn't answer. Roosevelt continued. "You are backing Arsinoe, aren't you?"

"I could not allow the Romans to gain a foothold in Egypt, Franklin. Our reports at the time stated that the Romans would be at war for years." Lincoln now looked harshly at Hoover, who's reports he had relied on. Lincoln continued. "This was our one chance. With an alliance with Egypt, we could negotiate more stongly with the Romans."

"Well, Abe. It looks like you backed the wrong horse," Roosevelt responded.

------------------------------------

Caesar's meeting with Arsinoe went as expected, Octavian thought. She had no news of Pompeii. Could not explain the happenings in Giza. And welcomed the Roman Emporer to a tour of Alexandria. She had come bearing gifts of spices, fine rugs and several barrels of wine.

Octavian and Caesar watched as the sailors loaded these gifts onto the flagship. "Where do we go from here, General?" he asked Caesar.

"Somethings not right here, Octavian. I want to know what happened to Cleopatra. Where is she?"

"I heard that she went into exile when Arsinoe claimed the throne."

"Yes, but where is she?

"Surely she fears for her life now. She may be in the hills somewhere," Octavian answered.

"Yes, she should fear for her life. And stop calling me Shirley. I understand Giza. Looking upon this city, I can see what happened. If Giza is anything like Alexandria, the men were overcome with the culture of the Egyptians. Thats why when we land, we'll land in the grasslands to the north. Our men will not be allowed in the city."

"A wise move, General. No need to expose the men to temptation."

"Has the message been sent to Antony?" Caesar changed subjects.

"Yes. He should be enroute with his army in a matter of days."

"Good. I need his army to back us. No need coming in here with our flank exposed."

"Yes sir. I believe that he is bringing Lepidus as well. He...."

The two men were interupted by a ruckus where the men were loading the gifts. A rug had been dropped, and was rolling out onto the deck. Octavian watched as the rug exposed its delicate and unexpected cargo.

A woman had been smuggled aboard, rolled up in the rug. She rose and approached Caesar and Octavian.

She smiled at the two men, "Good Evening, Generals. I am Cleopatra, the rightful Queen of Egypt."

-----------------------------

"What does Lincoln suggest that we do now?" Ptolemy asked his sister.

Arsinoe was becoming annoyed with her brother's questioning. Couldn't he just leave her alone? "I have no word from the Americans. I tell you though, Brother, they got us into this, and they had better get us out of it."

"But what of the technology exchange. Certainly that will even the odds a bit."

"How, Ptolemy," Arsinoe answered in disgust. What are the steamships going to do? The Romans are in our harbor now. They'll be ashore by tomorrow. How will the steamships stop them?"

"Well, it was just a suggestion. But the Americans can give us something else?"

"They've given us all that they will give us. They fear the Romans. Anything more now will jeapardize their standing with Caesar. They must make a deal with the Romans before an all out war starts here."

----------------------------------

"What happened?" Hiawatha asked.

"Sunset View, Emporer. The people there have rejected your rule," Stepped in Bear Dung replied.

What now, Hiawatha thought. If he's not barely escaping Roman Steamships, he's dealing with his dropping approval rating. "Why did this happen?" he sighed.

It seems that the people of Sunset View had more appreciation for the Roman Cathedrals and Universities. If you remember, Emporer, I had suggested that we build th...."

"Enough!" Hiawatha shouted. "Send troops there now, before the Romans can defend the city properly."

"But Emporer. Won't that start another war with the Romans?"

"I don't care anymore, Stepped in Bear Dung. I just don't care. We'll fight them now. Here. On our own land. We'll push them back to the channel, then follow them to Rome itself. I don't care how many men we lose. I've had it with Caesar and his demands. Send in the American embassador as well. We can attack them in Italy and the Americans can in the Northern Provinces. Montezuma will attack them from the West on the Unfinished Isle. Lets end this once and for all."

"Yes sir. I'll get the Americans now.

---------------------------------------

"What do they want?" Roosevelt was startled.

"War. With the Romans," answered Lincoln.

"Why? They can't possibly beat Caesar," said Nixon.

Lincoln wasn't quite sure what to do here. The Iroquois came to him with a proposal. A three front war against the Romans. Although only the Romans would fight on three fronts.

"Its almost too good to be true," said Jackson. "Edgar. Is anything behind this?" all eyes turned to the Intelligience Secretary.

[Note: I know, I know. He was FBI, not CIA. Just go with it.]

"I don't see anything, men. My sources tell me that we should take this as the surface indicates. Hiawatha's people are rejecting him, and he wants vindication."

"Can he hope to succeed?" Roosevelt asked.

"Not in the least. But they will keep the Americans busy in Italy and the Unfinished Isle," responded Defense Secretary Eisenhower.

The room erupted in chaos, as many of Lincoln's meetings did. It didn't stop until once again, Ben Franklin spoke.

"Ignore them," was all that he said. Lincoln listened as the room came to an immediate hush.

"Why, Ben?" asked Lincoln.

"We've been through this before. Every time we think that the Romans have a front exposed, they cover it and become stronger because of it. Do you have any reason to believe it won't happen again?"

The room once again became a flurry of chatter as the cabinet members remarked on Franklin's opinion. To a man, they all agreed. With one exception.

Hoover stood: "Gentlemen. Once again I have news of the utmost secrecy."

Everyone came to a hush again, as often happens when someone is about to tell a secret.

Lincoln was intrigued. He hadn't gotten his intelligience update today due to this unexpected meeting. "What is it, Edgar?"

"Our spies in the Northern Province told me today that six ships left Caesaria last night. General Marcus Antony was aboard, along with the bulk of the Northern Army. There is a skeleton defense in the Northern Province now."

Lincoln was suprised by the response to this. He had expected that the room would erupt in chaos again, but instead they all looked to him with quiet anticipation.

He, in turn, looked to Franklin. "What do you think, Ben?"

Franklin's eyes looked at Lincoln's for a few moments. He then looked down at the oak table. "Mr President. I believe that the time is right. We should invade the Northern Province."

Lincoln eyed his most trusted advisor. After a moment, he stood. "Gentlemen, we will go to war against the Romans," was all he said. He sat as the cabinet members stood to leave. All but Franklin, who reached into his briefcase.

"What is that, Ben?" Lincoln asked.

"We're sending men to their deaths. I need a drink," he said, pulling out a bottle of scotch.

"I think I'll join you," said Lincoln. After a pause, he questioned Franklin.

"Ben, you don't seem to sure of our course of action."

"I'm not, Abe. That's why I need the drink."

----------------------------------------------------

 

[Padma]

[Note: I know, I know. He was FBI, not CIA. Just go with it.]

Actually, Herbert was President. The Director of the FBI was J. Edgar.

 

[zeeter]

Thanks! I think that there were only two references to Herbert, and they were in the last segment. I fixed them. If you see anymore let me know.

Hey, Hoovers suck anyway.

 

[spiky82]

hey zeeter...boss giving you too much work?...are you sick? c'mon...write like hell

i sincerely hope that you are gonna continue this awesome story...ciao.

 

[spiky82]

btw, what era are you in in terms of tech? i know that the game gets really slowed down after i get into industrial era...in my huge map continent game, i got like arount 200 cities which i hafta monitor constantly each turn cuz i don't trust any auto functions...if you want it done right, you gotta do it yourself ;D

 

[zeeter]

After the seizure of the Unfinished Isle and the entire Northern Provinces I was unable to play the game anymore. My poor PC couldn't handle the pressure. Therefore, most of the remainder is just made up - but along civ lines. This is a weird story for me. I enjoy writing it when I get started, but lately its been difficult to get started. I've got a big disaster recovery drill coming up that is taking up a lot of my time and thoughts. I've got some good ideas, though. Its just a matter of getting the time to type them out.
I'd say that we're at the point now where infantry are about to come into play. Destroyers are right around the corner, and flight should be available soon.
BTW - anone who thought that Brianna was Cleopatra in disguise was right, that was my intention although I just couldn't get that into the story. I just dropped that aspect - assume she's a different person.
There will be more on Caesar's dealings with the Egyptians, plus a world war is about to start.
Marc Antony may encounter his weaknesses again. Octavian will learn more of becoming a political leader. And what are Brutus and Cassius up to? Stay tuned.