General Brown
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Just brillant!!!!
Hail Caesar
- Thread starter zeeterus
- Start date
It was easy to pick his horse when that horse was Caesar. Now, though, Antony was at an impasse. Octavian was young. He had good intentions, but they only get you so far. Cicero was ruthless. He could put his money on Cicero, but then he would be answering to the man for the rest of his life.
All that he had now was his army. It was an impressive army, but just an army none-the-less. One cannot rule with only an army. It takes heart. Caesar had heart. Octavian has heart. Antony's heart was always there, but he had never shown it. He had never backed down the senate, or fought for the citizens of a foreign city. Oh, those in the Northern Provinces knew him well. They respected him. Antony had built the Northern Provinces from nothing. He had risked his life for them.
But the Northern Provinces were not Italy. Rome, the most powerful city on the planet, was not in the Northern Provinces. Cicero held the power of Rome now, and Octavian was its heart.
The wildcard in this new world order was Egypt. The power of Egypt was not quite that of Italy and the Unfinished Isle, but when combined with the power of the Northern Provinces, it could be quite considerable. He knew that Cleopatra was aware of this. While the Egyptian Queen was very close to Caesar, that closeness was not inherited by Octavian. Antony knew Cleopatra's situation well.
Egypt prospered under her rule, as helped by her relationship with Caesar. Antony knew that there was certainly some affection between the two, but their relationship was started on Cleopatra's desire for protection for Egypt. Without Caesar, there was no relationship with Rome. Antony hoped to change that today.
"Antony, the Roman people are not particularly fond of me. I fail to see how an alliance with Egypt will help your cause," said Cleapatra.
Antony answered. "The people of the Northern Province have always respected you. The north is far more tolerant than Italy."
"But what does this gain for you? You have the Northern Provinces with or without me."
"With you, Cleopatra, I have security. I can negotiate with Octavian from a better position with the backing of Egypt. Octavian has his army, and the army of Lepidus at his disposal. Not to mention the vast resources of Rome and its countryside. All that I have is my army."
"Certainly the Northern Provinces have their resources. You have a factory right here in Caesaria..." answered Cleopatra.
"Yes, I have factories. I have Iron and Saltpeter and even Rubber. But the home bases of these factories are in Rome. They are controlled by Rome. While it would seem that the Northern Provinces are self-sufficient, they are, in fact, totally dependant on Rome. The cities in the Northern Provinces were not built for wealth. They were built to exploit the resources that we found here. That is why, other than here in Caesaria, we do not have the metropolis's that are found elsewhere in the world."
"You can build them, though," said Cleopatra. "You have the workers - captured Iroquois - who can plant the fields here and build mines in the hills over there."
"Yes, it's funny. Caesar guaranteed the Northern Province's reliance on Rome. His orders were for roads, roads, and more roads. He did not allow me the opportunities to build any other infrastructure. At the time, I was too busy to even notice. But now, I wonder. Had he foreseen a day when the Northern Province would consider autonomy?
"I have no quarrel with Octavian, mind you. My only question is his relationship now with the senate. First the Senate used me, then they used Octavian and Lepidus. I think that Octavian is loyal to Rome. I cannot be certain, though, because of that relationship with Cicero."
"I've known Octavian for quite some time, Antony," replied Cleopatra. "His loyalty to Caesar was without question."
"Yes, but the young man owed him his life. Octavian went from an anonymous captain to Caesar's chief of staff, but Caesar himself considered executing him at one time."
Cleopatra interupted. "Then who knows where his loyalties are? Without Caesar, Octavian has no power outside of his army. I'm sure that he is brilliant at leading that army, but the Roman people know the difference between leading men in battle, and leading a country.
"You need to assert yourself, Antony. Take what is rightfully yours. You followed Caesar long before Octavian did. You were made a general before Octavian was. You have addressed the senate and lobbied for Caesar. You know the politics of Rome better than Octavian. Use these assets now or they will go to waste. Remember what happened when you addressed the people at Caesar's wake. You whipped the populous into a frenzy. You can do this, Antony. And I will back you in whatever way is necessary."
"So I have Egypt's backing, then?" asked Antony.
"You have my backing, Antony." Cleopatra said.
Antony wondered if there was a difference as he watched a wry smile form upon Cleopatra's lips.
All that he had now was his army. It was an impressive army, but just an army none-the-less. One cannot rule with only an army. It takes heart. Caesar had heart. Octavian has heart. Antony's heart was always there, but he had never shown it. He had never backed down the senate, or fought for the citizens of a foreign city. Oh, those in the Northern Provinces knew him well. They respected him. Antony had built the Northern Provinces from nothing. He had risked his life for them.
But the Northern Provinces were not Italy. Rome, the most powerful city on the planet, was not in the Northern Provinces. Cicero held the power of Rome now, and Octavian was its heart.
The wildcard in this new world order was Egypt. The power of Egypt was not quite that of Italy and the Unfinished Isle, but when combined with the power of the Northern Provinces, it could be quite considerable. He knew that Cleopatra was aware of this. While the Egyptian Queen was very close to Caesar, that closeness was not inherited by Octavian. Antony knew Cleopatra's situation well.
Egypt prospered under her rule, as helped by her relationship with Caesar. Antony knew that there was certainly some affection between the two, but their relationship was started on Cleopatra's desire for protection for Egypt. Without Caesar, there was no relationship with Rome. Antony hoped to change that today.
"Antony, the Roman people are not particularly fond of me. I fail to see how an alliance with Egypt will help your cause," said Cleapatra.
Antony answered. "The people of the Northern Province have always respected you. The north is far more tolerant than Italy."
"But what does this gain for you? You have the Northern Provinces with or without me."
"With you, Cleopatra, I have security. I can negotiate with Octavian from a better position with the backing of Egypt. Octavian has his army, and the army of Lepidus at his disposal. Not to mention the vast resources of Rome and its countryside. All that I have is my army."
"Certainly the Northern Provinces have their resources. You have a factory right here in Caesaria..." answered Cleopatra.
"Yes, I have factories. I have Iron and Saltpeter and even Rubber. But the home bases of these factories are in Rome. They are controlled by Rome. While it would seem that the Northern Provinces are self-sufficient, they are, in fact, totally dependant on Rome. The cities in the Northern Provinces were not built for wealth. They were built to exploit the resources that we found here. That is why, other than here in Caesaria, we do not have the metropolis's that are found elsewhere in the world."
"You can build them, though," said Cleopatra. "You have the workers - captured Iroquois - who can plant the fields here and build mines in the hills over there."
"Yes, it's funny. Caesar guaranteed the Northern Province's reliance on Rome. His orders were for roads, roads, and more roads. He did not allow me the opportunities to build any other infrastructure. At the time, I was too busy to even notice. But now, I wonder. Had he foreseen a day when the Northern Province would consider autonomy?
"I have no quarrel with Octavian, mind you. My only question is his relationship now with the senate. First the Senate used me, then they used Octavian and Lepidus. I think that Octavian is loyal to Rome. I cannot be certain, though, because of that relationship with Cicero."
"I've known Octavian for quite some time, Antony," replied Cleopatra. "His loyalty to Caesar was without question."
"Yes, but the young man owed him his life. Octavian went from an anonymous captain to Caesar's chief of staff, but Caesar himself considered executing him at one time."
Cleopatra interupted. "Then who knows where his loyalties are? Without Caesar, Octavian has no power outside of his army. I'm sure that he is brilliant at leading that army, but the Roman people know the difference between leading men in battle, and leading a country.
"You need to assert yourself, Antony. Take what is rightfully yours. You followed Caesar long before Octavian did. You were made a general before Octavian was. You have addressed the senate and lobbied for Caesar. You know the politics of Rome better than Octavian. Use these assets now or they will go to waste. Remember what happened when you addressed the people at Caesar's wake. You whipped the populous into a frenzy. You can do this, Antony. And I will back you in whatever way is necessary."
"So I have Egypt's backing, then?" asked Antony.
"You have my backing, Antony." Cleopatra said.
Antony wondered if there was a difference as he watched a wry smile form upon Cleopatra's lips.
"I don't know how I can help you, Cicero," said Anthony. The mobster was amused by this situation, but he tried to show sympathy for the senator.
Cicero, cringed as he heard his name said aloud. He quickly looked around to see if anyone heard. Anthony had to lift his red wine to his lips in order to hide his delight at watching Cicero squirm.
"It will only be for a few days. You owe me this, Tony!" Cicero demanded.
The mobster leaned forward, motioning for the Senator to do the same. "First of all, my name is Anthony, and you will address me as such. Second, I owe you nothing. You got yourself into this mess. You made a lot of money from me over the years Senator, and you know it. You are a corrupt piece of s***. You look at me and my family with disgust, but everyone knows who I am. I'm here for everyone to see. You hide behind your robes. You're kissing babies and handing the mom formula that came from one of my trucks. I've done more for the people of Rome than you ever did. I hope you rot in the gutter. I fricken told you I wasn't going to mess with politics. I'll run liquor and drugs for you, but fricken assasinations? No way. You decieved me into getting Maximus for you. Now you can live in this mess you made. I'm turning my back on you."
Anthony pinched Cicero's cheek. "And if you say one thing about me...if you talk to anyone, I'm going to show everyone what you really are. You've got nothing, now. Don't ever come to me again."
Anthony watched as Cicero stuttered for a moment. "You've picked the wrong enemy, Anthony," Cicero said the name sarcastically, in response to the mobster's scolding. "I've got friends with more power than you've ever seen. You're finished in this town. Your family is done."
"Who's your fricken friends? Mussolini? Brutus? Cassius? Lepidus? They've left you, Senator. Mussolini is afraid to show his face anywhere - just like you are. Lepidus saw the light - he's hunting for you. You'll turn up like Brutus and Cassius soon. I should kill you myself, but I'm in the middle of a delicious dinner and don't want to ruin my apetite by hearing you cry like a baby. Leave now, and don't ever let me see your face again."
Anthony watched as Cicero stared at him for a moment. Then the senator lowered his head, got up, and left. The mobster could see the light. The old guard was gone, but he liked what he saw. With the senators, Anthony had to watch his back. They were just as ruthless as he was. Whoever led Rome now would be different. Perhaps they wouldn't be corrupt and would try to put his family in jail, but they've tried before and none ever succeeded. Anthony wasn't worried about that. He could deal with police probes and sting efforts. But he wouldn't miss the attempted murders that seemed to occur monthly to members of his family that crossed the senate.
Cicero, cringed as he heard his name said aloud. He quickly looked around to see if anyone heard. Anthony had to lift his red wine to his lips in order to hide his delight at watching Cicero squirm.
"It will only be for a few days. You owe me this, Tony!" Cicero demanded.
The mobster leaned forward, motioning for the Senator to do the same. "First of all, my name is Anthony, and you will address me as such. Second, I owe you nothing. You got yourself into this mess. You made a lot of money from me over the years Senator, and you know it. You are a corrupt piece of s***. You look at me and my family with disgust, but everyone knows who I am. I'm here for everyone to see. You hide behind your robes. You're kissing babies and handing the mom formula that came from one of my trucks. I've done more for the people of Rome than you ever did. I hope you rot in the gutter. I fricken told you I wasn't going to mess with politics. I'll run liquor and drugs for you, but fricken assasinations? No way. You decieved me into getting Maximus for you. Now you can live in this mess you made. I'm turning my back on you."
Anthony pinched Cicero's cheek. "And if you say one thing about me...if you talk to anyone, I'm going to show everyone what you really are. You've got nothing, now. Don't ever come to me again."
Anthony watched as Cicero stuttered for a moment. "You've picked the wrong enemy, Anthony," Cicero said the name sarcastically, in response to the mobster's scolding. "I've got friends with more power than you've ever seen. You're finished in this town. Your family is done."
"Who's your fricken friends? Mussolini? Brutus? Cassius? Lepidus? They've left you, Senator. Mussolini is afraid to show his face anywhere - just like you are. Lepidus saw the light - he's hunting for you. You'll turn up like Brutus and Cassius soon. I should kill you myself, but I'm in the middle of a delicious dinner and don't want to ruin my apetite by hearing you cry like a baby. Leave now, and don't ever let me see your face again."
Anthony watched as Cicero stared at him for a moment. Then the senator lowered his head, got up, and left. The mobster could see the light. The old guard was gone, but he liked what he saw. With the senators, Anthony had to watch his back. They were just as ruthless as he was. Whoever led Rome now would be different. Perhaps they wouldn't be corrupt and would try to put his family in jail, but they've tried before and none ever succeeded. Anthony wasn't worried about that. He could deal with police probes and sting efforts. But he wouldn't miss the attempted murders that seemed to occur monthly to members of his family that crossed the senate.
"Well, that didn't work out so well," stated Kissinger in an understatement.
"It seems that even in communism the Romans are one step ahead of us," answered Roosevelt.
"My latest intel points to Cicero hiding out in Rome. He is friendless and poor," said Hoover. "I wouldn't be surprised if he asked us for asylum."
"We won't give it to him on pricipal," said Roosevelt. "We won't reward any capital murderers."
"Mr. President, may I make a suggestion?" asked Eisenhower. Roosevelt nodded his approval. "Perhaps we should give the Roman something that they're not used to. We have warred with them in the past, but those wars were instigated by Hiawatha. Let's show them our muscle. We have safety in our ships. There's no way that the Romans can launch an invasion here before our battleships can sink their transports.
"Their navy took the brunt of the fighting during the last war," interjected Chester Nimitz. "They were fighting against Iroquois battleships and carriers while we were mostly sinking Aztec destroyers. An attack on Italy hasn't been attempted in decades. The fighting has been on their sattelite lands."
Roosevelt did not like where this was going. The General and Admiral were suggesting a war with the Roman. It was spite. The plan to back Brutus failed, and these men were trying to prove that the time for diplomacy and isolationism was over.
"Stop with these suggestions, men," stated the President. "We do not know what the world situation is right now. For all we know, these nations may band together against us."
"That is my point, Mr. President," said Ike. "The Romans are nearly in civil war. The Aztecs are cowering in Mexico. The Egyptians are trying desperately to maintain an alliance with Rome, but the Romans have shown no inclination to join with them. And Hannibal? Forget him. Now is the time. You have a chance now to lead the world to the next millenium."
"Which is exactly why we cannot go on the offensive now!" shouted FDR. "How will the rest of the world feel being prisoner to our armies? We cannot fight our way to world dominance. If we do, we will continue to fight for the rest of our lives."
"Gentlemen, I cannot overstate the sensitivity of the information I'm about to give you," came a soft voice from the corner of the room.
"Go ahead, Dr. Ryan," said the President. Roosevelt always valued Jack Ryan's opinions. He was quiet, but when he spoke it was usually important.
"General Antony of the Romans has been entertained by Queen Cleopatra for two weeks now in Thebes," said Ryan.
Roosevelt watched as each man in the room sat in utter shock. This was big news. "What kind of...entertainment are you speaking of, Jack?"
"They are having an affair, Mr President."
Roosevelt immediately turned to Hoover as if to say "why am I not hearing this from you?" Hoover was frantically rifling through his papers, no doubt trying to find some sort of inteligience on this affair and deliberately avoiding the president's gaze.
"When did this start?" asked Kissinger, still astonished.
"They've been together now for three weeks. It started as a meeting to see about an alliance. Antony fears Octavian's power in Rome. The young general is following in Caesar's footsteps with bold, but thoughtful leadership. But while Caesar only threatened to take Rome by force, Octavian did it, and the people love him for it. The senators are being hunted night and day, but you know all of this.
"With Octavian's growing popularity, Antony needs an ally. That is where Cleopatra comes in. With his army in the Northern Provinces backed by the Egyptians, Antony hopes to remain an equal with Octavian."
"And what of Cleopatra, Jack?" asked the President. "What does she hope to gain?"
"That is the difficult part," answered Ryan. "Cleopatra sees an opportunity with Antony to control Rome."
"So she has no affection for him?" asked Ike.
"Oh, she may feel something for him, but her sights are set on Rome. Antony is a means to that end."
"Cleopatra and Caesar were together for years. Why all of the sudden is she so ambitious?" asked FDR.
"I believe that she indeed had feelings for Caesar. Plus, she was just a girl then. Her father had just died, and Caesar helped her to regain control of Egypt from her sister."
"Once again, we are choosing sides," stated Kissinger. "The Egyptians could be an important ally, if used correctly."
"That depends," stated the President. "An Antony ruled Rome would have Egypt as an ally. An Octavian ruled Rome may not have that alliance, especially if Octavian holds a grudge toward the Egyptians."
"Sir, with all due respect," said Nimitz. "We can have a submarine off the shores of Rome within two weeks. One missile and the city will be ripe for the taking. The same goes for ten other cities. We can take out the Egyptians at the same time if you'd like."
Roosevelt held up his hand. He'd heard enough from the military end of the table.
"Even with the possibility of an Egyptian alliance, I think that the Romans would be more powerful under Octavian," said Hoover. "The people will fight for him rather than a leader swayed by Egypt."
Roosevelt looked at Hoover and thought for a moment. He was right on this point. Octavian could turn the country around in no time. Antony was picking an ally that the Romans did not trust. They tolerated Cleopatra during Caesar's reign, but only because they trusted everything that he did. Octavian was smart in not continuing that alliance right away. Even the apearance of friendliness with Egypt could lower the young man's approval rating.
"Men, for once I do not know what to do here," said FDR. "For that reason, we will do everything. Nimitz, move your submarines into position off of the coast of Rome. Henry - I want you to meet with Antony and Cleopatra, together if possible, and discuss matters. Don't make any commitments or show them what side we are leaning toward."
"What side are we leaning toward?" asked Kissinger.
"I haven't decided yet. I will meet with Octavian myself. Our official stance is that we will encourage this Second Triumvirate."
"Question," said Ike. "What was the First Triumvirate ?"
"I don't know, but this is the second," answered Roosevelt.
"It seems that even in communism the Romans are one step ahead of us," answered Roosevelt.
"My latest intel points to Cicero hiding out in Rome. He is friendless and poor," said Hoover. "I wouldn't be surprised if he asked us for asylum."
"We won't give it to him on pricipal," said Roosevelt. "We won't reward any capital murderers."
"Mr. President, may I make a suggestion?" asked Eisenhower. Roosevelt nodded his approval. "Perhaps we should give the Roman something that they're not used to. We have warred with them in the past, but those wars were instigated by Hiawatha. Let's show them our muscle. We have safety in our ships. There's no way that the Romans can launch an invasion here before our battleships can sink their transports.
"Their navy took the brunt of the fighting during the last war," interjected Chester Nimitz. "They were fighting against Iroquois battleships and carriers while we were mostly sinking Aztec destroyers. An attack on Italy hasn't been attempted in decades. The fighting has been on their sattelite lands."
Roosevelt did not like where this was going. The General and Admiral were suggesting a war with the Roman. It was spite. The plan to back Brutus failed, and these men were trying to prove that the time for diplomacy and isolationism was over.
"Stop with these suggestions, men," stated the President. "We do not know what the world situation is right now. For all we know, these nations may band together against us."
"That is my point, Mr. President," said Ike. "The Romans are nearly in civil war. The Aztecs are cowering in Mexico. The Egyptians are trying desperately to maintain an alliance with Rome, but the Romans have shown no inclination to join with them. And Hannibal? Forget him. Now is the time. You have a chance now to lead the world to the next millenium."
"Which is exactly why we cannot go on the offensive now!" shouted FDR. "How will the rest of the world feel being prisoner to our armies? We cannot fight our way to world dominance. If we do, we will continue to fight for the rest of our lives."
"Gentlemen, I cannot overstate the sensitivity of the information I'm about to give you," came a soft voice from the corner of the room.
"Go ahead, Dr. Ryan," said the President. Roosevelt always valued Jack Ryan's opinions. He was quiet, but when he spoke it was usually important.
"General Antony of the Romans has been entertained by Queen Cleopatra for two weeks now in Thebes," said Ryan.
Roosevelt watched as each man in the room sat in utter shock. This was big news. "What kind of...entertainment are you speaking of, Jack?"
"They are having an affair, Mr President."
Roosevelt immediately turned to Hoover as if to say "why am I not hearing this from you?" Hoover was frantically rifling through his papers, no doubt trying to find some sort of inteligience on this affair and deliberately avoiding the president's gaze.
"When did this start?" asked Kissinger, still astonished.
"They've been together now for three weeks. It started as a meeting to see about an alliance. Antony fears Octavian's power in Rome. The young general is following in Caesar's footsteps with bold, but thoughtful leadership. But while Caesar only threatened to take Rome by force, Octavian did it, and the people love him for it. The senators are being hunted night and day, but you know all of this.
"With Octavian's growing popularity, Antony needs an ally. That is where Cleopatra comes in. With his army in the Northern Provinces backed by the Egyptians, Antony hopes to remain an equal with Octavian."
"And what of Cleopatra, Jack?" asked the President. "What does she hope to gain?"
"That is the difficult part," answered Ryan. "Cleopatra sees an opportunity with Antony to control Rome."
"So she has no affection for him?" asked Ike.
"Oh, she may feel something for him, but her sights are set on Rome. Antony is a means to that end."
"Cleopatra and Caesar were together for years. Why all of the sudden is she so ambitious?" asked FDR.
"I believe that she indeed had feelings for Caesar. Plus, she was just a girl then. Her father had just died, and Caesar helped her to regain control of Egypt from her sister."
"Once again, we are choosing sides," stated Kissinger. "The Egyptians could be an important ally, if used correctly."
"That depends," stated the President. "An Antony ruled Rome would have Egypt as an ally. An Octavian ruled Rome may not have that alliance, especially if Octavian holds a grudge toward the Egyptians."
"Sir, with all due respect," said Nimitz. "We can have a submarine off the shores of Rome within two weeks. One missile and the city will be ripe for the taking. The same goes for ten other cities. We can take out the Egyptians at the same time if you'd like."
Roosevelt held up his hand. He'd heard enough from the military end of the table.
"Even with the possibility of an Egyptian alliance, I think that the Romans would be more powerful under Octavian," said Hoover. "The people will fight for him rather than a leader swayed by Egypt."
Roosevelt looked at Hoover and thought for a moment. He was right on this point. Octavian could turn the country around in no time. Antony was picking an ally that the Romans did not trust. They tolerated Cleopatra during Caesar's reign, but only because they trusted everything that he did. Octavian was smart in not continuing that alliance right away. Even the apearance of friendliness with Egypt could lower the young man's approval rating.
"Men, for once I do not know what to do here," said FDR. "For that reason, we will do everything. Nimitz, move your submarines into position off of the coast of Rome. Henry - I want you to meet with Antony and Cleopatra, together if possible, and discuss matters. Don't make any commitments or show them what side we are leaning toward."
"What side are we leaning toward?" asked Kissinger.
"I haven't decided yet. I will meet with Octavian myself. Our official stance is that we will encourage this Second Triumvirate."
"Question," said Ike. "What was the First Triumvirate ?"
"I don't know, but this is the second," answered Roosevelt.
I LOVE the introduction of Jack Ryan 
lol: ) and the Cleopatra/Anthony thing. I just read through all nine pages, and now I want more! Great job. Petty Officer Vossler called the bridge excitedly. "Bridge - Comms! We're receiving an emergency action message!" Immediately, Lt's Zimmer and Westerguard retrieved the message and authenticated it. Lt Commander Hunter confirmed the message's authenticity.
Captain Ramsey calmly reached for the message and began to read it as the others looked on anxiously. These youngsters get excited too easily, he thought. Always wanting something to happen to relieve the monotany. Ramsey knew that nothing ever happened. Day after day they drilled, but for nothing. He was used to it by now. The young officers in his crew saw all of the movies. They thought that every day was an adventure. The reality was that in his thirty years of submarine service, Ramsey had been involved in a real general quarters only a handfull of times. When an EAM came in he knew not to get overly excited. It was probably an order to surface for supplies from a nearby cargoship.
After reading the header, Ramsey looked up to see the others watching him with anticipation. "Calm down, men. We're not at war." He said with a wry smile. The officers laughed nervously at their childeshness, then turned back to their duties. Ramsey could see that they didn't go too far, though. Just in case. Young officers are so amusing.
Ramsey began to read the message body. "....procede to coordinates..." yes, yes, he thought. What are we going to do? "...conduct missile drills using the following coordinates as targets..." The captain called to Hunter to plot the coordinates. He then read on "...use ultra-silence in proceding..." Interesting that they would mention this. It was a standing order that all nuclear missile submarines operate in ultra-silence at all times.
"Captain, may I show you something here?" LCMDR Hunter called from the plotting table. Ramsey walked over before finishing the message. Hunter continued when the captain arrived.
"Here are the first coordinates that you gave me," he said, pointing to an X that he had made on the chart.
Ramsey was slightly alarmed. "Thats....that's just 35 miles from Italy," he said.
"Yes, sir. Still in international waters, though. Here is where the second set of coordinates is." Again, Hunter pointed to the chart.
So this wasn't just a routine message, thought Ramsey. "That's Rome, that's are target for the drills," he said calmly."
"Why would they order us to missile drills on Italy?" asked Hunter.
"Shh!" Ramsey didn't want the rest of the bridge to know what was going on. "Call for a meeting of the officers in ten minutes in the wardroom."
Ramsey read the message again to see if he had missed anything. He hadn't.
--------------------------------------------
Octavian was wary of the events taking shape with Egypt. Antony was getting a bit too close to the Queen. Cleopatra was known for her shrewdness, and Octavian could see what she was doing, if Antony could not. She wanted Rome. He could see it in her eyes. Cleopatra felt that she was the rightful heir to the leadership of Rome due to her relationship with Caesar. Not to mention their son, who was an heir by blood.
The Romans would never stand for this, though. Cleopatra as the ruler of Rome would never hold up, and the Romans were smart enough to see through a proxy leadership with Antony at the head and the Egyptian calling the shots.
"He's drinking again," said Lepidus matter of factly.
"Yes, he is. I don't know what I can do about it," answered Octavian. "Antony thinks that he is building an alliance with Cleopatra, but she is using him."
"I agree. It is her son that worries me, though. Some may claim that Caesar's son should be our ruler."
"That is how they will work it. He is too young now, so Cleopatra must stand for him, and she'll marry Antony to cement the ascention."
"Her army is not as strong as ours, but with the help of Antony's armies he may have a shot," said Lepidus. "They need to be stopped."
But how to stop them, Octavian thought. "Cleopatra keeps him drunk and happy while making his decisions for him. Already she has addressed the local parliament from the palace in Caesaria. They accept her in the Northern Province. Antony is well protected, too. She makes sure nothing happens to him."
"There may be a way," came a new voice. Silvio walked into the room.
"And so our local crime syndicate underboss enters unannounced," said Octavian. "And unwelcomed," he added.
"Shouldn't you be selling cigarettes to kids about now?" asked Lepidus looking at his watch.
"Ah, your accolades are touching. Let me get right to business," said Silvio.
"Antony is your nemesis, yet you do not wish to destroy him. Is this correct?
Octavian looked to Lepidus for a moment,then back at Silvio. "What is your point?" He didn't really want to tell Silvio anything, but did want to hear what he had to say.
"Trouble is brewing in America which will cause a stir in Egypt. Cleopatra will soon be on her way back to Alexandria to take care of matters."
"What trouble is this?" asked Lepidus.
"I cannot get into that, lest my contacts in Washington be found," answered Silvio. "Suffice it to say that the balance of power in the world will quickly shift."
Silvio was being awfully dramatic, thought Octavian. What could he know that the Roman intelligence agency didn't already know? "What has this to do with Antony?"
"Antony will either stay in the Northern province, which will make him an easy target, or..." Silvio was cut off.
"We are not going to assassinate Antony!" shouted Octavian.
"No, of course not," answered Silvio. "But he can then be talked to without the queen at his side. On the other hand, he may go with Cleopatra to Egypt."
"He would never do that," said Lepidus. "Rome and America are allies. Tenuous ones, yes. But allies none the less. If Antony were to go with Cleopatra to it could be seen as a sign of Rome siding with Egypt."
"I sense that you are suggesting a war between Egypt and America," said Silvio. "I never said that, although it may happen."
"Still, you are suggesting a conflict between the two countries," said Octavian. "Antony's trip to Egypt with Cleopatra will not be looked upon favorably by Roosevelt."
"No," answered Silvio. "The Americans would not appreciate a member of your leadership siding with Egypt in this matter."
Octavian thought for a moment. If Antony were to travel with Cleopatra back to Alexandria, and war broke out, it could make Italy a target. Was Silvio suggesting that Rome side with the Americans? And what was the information that the underboss was keeping from him?
---------------------------------------------------
Captain Ramsey calmly reached for the message and began to read it as the others looked on anxiously. These youngsters get excited too easily, he thought. Always wanting something to happen to relieve the monotany. Ramsey knew that nothing ever happened. Day after day they drilled, but for nothing. He was used to it by now. The young officers in his crew saw all of the movies. They thought that every day was an adventure. The reality was that in his thirty years of submarine service, Ramsey had been involved in a real general quarters only a handfull of times. When an EAM came in he knew not to get overly excited. It was probably an order to surface for supplies from a nearby cargoship.
After reading the header, Ramsey looked up to see the others watching him with anticipation. "Calm down, men. We're not at war." He said with a wry smile. The officers laughed nervously at their childeshness, then turned back to their duties. Ramsey could see that they didn't go too far, though. Just in case. Young officers are so amusing.
Ramsey began to read the message body. "....procede to coordinates..." yes, yes, he thought. What are we going to do? "...conduct missile drills using the following coordinates as targets..." The captain called to Hunter to plot the coordinates. He then read on "...use ultra-silence in proceding..." Interesting that they would mention this. It was a standing order that all nuclear missile submarines operate in ultra-silence at all times.
"Captain, may I show you something here?" LCMDR Hunter called from the plotting table. Ramsey walked over before finishing the message. Hunter continued when the captain arrived.
"Here are the first coordinates that you gave me," he said, pointing to an X that he had made on the chart.
Ramsey was slightly alarmed. "Thats....that's just 35 miles from Italy," he said.
"Yes, sir. Still in international waters, though. Here is where the second set of coordinates is." Again, Hunter pointed to the chart.
So this wasn't just a routine message, thought Ramsey. "That's Rome, that's are target for the drills," he said calmly."
"Why would they order us to missile drills on Italy?" asked Hunter.
"Shh!" Ramsey didn't want the rest of the bridge to know what was going on. "Call for a meeting of the officers in ten minutes in the wardroom."
Ramsey read the message again to see if he had missed anything. He hadn't.
--------------------------------------------
Octavian was wary of the events taking shape with Egypt. Antony was getting a bit too close to the Queen. Cleopatra was known for her shrewdness, and Octavian could see what she was doing, if Antony could not. She wanted Rome. He could see it in her eyes. Cleopatra felt that she was the rightful heir to the leadership of Rome due to her relationship with Caesar. Not to mention their son, who was an heir by blood.
The Romans would never stand for this, though. Cleopatra as the ruler of Rome would never hold up, and the Romans were smart enough to see through a proxy leadership with Antony at the head and the Egyptian calling the shots.
"He's drinking again," said Lepidus matter of factly.
"Yes, he is. I don't know what I can do about it," answered Octavian. "Antony thinks that he is building an alliance with Cleopatra, but she is using him."
"I agree. It is her son that worries me, though. Some may claim that Caesar's son should be our ruler."
"That is how they will work it. He is too young now, so Cleopatra must stand for him, and she'll marry Antony to cement the ascention."
"Her army is not as strong as ours, but with the help of Antony's armies he may have a shot," said Lepidus. "They need to be stopped."
But how to stop them, Octavian thought. "Cleopatra keeps him drunk and happy while making his decisions for him. Already she has addressed the local parliament from the palace in Caesaria. They accept her in the Northern Province. Antony is well protected, too. She makes sure nothing happens to him."
"There may be a way," came a new voice. Silvio walked into the room.
"And so our local crime syndicate underboss enters unannounced," said Octavian. "And unwelcomed," he added.
"Shouldn't you be selling cigarettes to kids about now?" asked Lepidus looking at his watch.
"Ah, your accolades are touching. Let me get right to business," said Silvio.
"Antony is your nemesis, yet you do not wish to destroy him. Is this correct?
Octavian looked to Lepidus for a moment,then back at Silvio. "What is your point?" He didn't really want to tell Silvio anything, but did want to hear what he had to say.
"Trouble is brewing in America which will cause a stir in Egypt. Cleopatra will soon be on her way back to Alexandria to take care of matters."
"What trouble is this?" asked Lepidus.
"I cannot get into that, lest my contacts in Washington be found," answered Silvio. "Suffice it to say that the balance of power in the world will quickly shift."
Silvio was being awfully dramatic, thought Octavian. What could he know that the Roman intelligence agency didn't already know? "What has this to do with Antony?"
"Antony will either stay in the Northern province, which will make him an easy target, or..." Silvio was cut off.
"We are not going to assassinate Antony!" shouted Octavian.
"No, of course not," answered Silvio. "But he can then be talked to without the queen at his side. On the other hand, he may go with Cleopatra to Egypt."
"He would never do that," said Lepidus. "Rome and America are allies. Tenuous ones, yes. But allies none the less. If Antony were to go with Cleopatra to it could be seen as a sign of Rome siding with Egypt."
"I sense that you are suggesting a war between Egypt and America," said Silvio. "I never said that, although it may happen."
"Still, you are suggesting a conflict between the two countries," said Octavian. "Antony's trip to Egypt with Cleopatra will not be looked upon favorably by Roosevelt."
"No," answered Silvio. "The Americans would not appreciate a member of your leadership siding with Egypt in this matter."
Octavian thought for a moment. If Antony were to travel with Cleopatra back to Alexandria, and war broke out, it could make Italy a target. Was Silvio suggesting that Rome side with the Americans? And what was the information that the underboss was keeping from him?
---------------------------------------------------
Indeed, mas.
Great work!
Great work!
General Brown
Go Boston Sports!
Great job!!!! I need more!
more!
TheSilentPuma
United States Marine
Simply stunning! It must continue! If humanly possible of course....
Hygro
soundcloud.com/hygro/
To put it in perspective rickyson1, he started over a year ago. He updates very rarely.
blix
Madman or Hero?
I see you got some things from the history book.I know that the Roman stand against the Zulu actually took place but it was the British who took the stand against a Zulu attack,an entire British battalion was trapped in a cattle farm or something and they were being surrounded by an entire army of Zulu warriors.Good job!Keep it up!
Octavian was angry. He'd set up Hannibal. Gave him a nice cozy home for his people. Protected him. Now Hannibal was holding out on him. The agreement was that the Carthaginians were to provide spices and dyes to the Romans in exchange for the protection of the Roman armies.
"I don't have time to deal with this, Lepidus. Hannibal is in your territory. If he won't give us what he owes, then take it from him."
"We cannot do that, Octavian. We have a treaty with Carthage. If we break that treaty it will all of our future treaties meaningless. We must be diplomatic about this."
"Hannibal doesn't deserve diplomacy. He's lucky we signed that Mutual Protection Pact. Why should we care about the protection of a backwards little country like Carthage?"
"Understood, but that still does not solve the matter of our treaty."
Yes, the treaty, thought Octavian. It was his first since taking the crown. One that he now regretted.
"Then we'll arrange a little sit-down with Hannibal and let him know in no uncertain terms what is expected of him."
Lepidus got on the intercom to his assistant and ordered him to set up a meeting with Hannibal.
Octavian had too much to worry about, now. Something big was to happen in America. The Egyptians were going to cause it. The Aztecs were up to something. Dozens of ships had recently left southern Mexico for destinations unknown. And to top things off, Antony had been out of contact for a week.
"Has Silvio been in touch with you about Antony yet?" he asked Lepidus.
"Not yet. He was supposed to be in Caesaria, but he hasn't been seen there in weeks."
Octavian hated to deal with Silvio and the rest of Anthony's "family". Yet, they were the intelligence for Rome. Ruthless? Yes. Corrupt? Yes. But they were effective. Nearly as effective as the Egyptian intelligence juggernaut.
"I want to hear about it the minute anyone from Egypt or the Northern Provinces contacts us."
"Understood," answered Lepidus. "We'll find him, Octavian. Antony is not dumb. He understands the situation."
Octavian was not reassured.
---------------------------------------------------
"Hoover!"
Roosevelt's shout could be heard throughout the West Wing of the White House. His entire staff wished that they could disappear behind their desks.
Immediately Henri Kissinger and Dwight Eisenhower ran toward the Oval Office. They were followed shortly by Jack Ryan, the director of the CIA, and finally by a slow walking and dejected looking J. Edgar Hoover.
Roosevelt watched as Hoover closed the door behind him. Before allowing his FBI director to sit he shouted once again.
"Have you seen this?!" The President held up the Washington Post. The headline read "Egyptians Learn Bomb Secrets."
"Yes, Mr. President," said Hoover. "I've seen it."
"And what do you have to say for yourself?"
"We don't know how it happened, but we'll get to the bottom of it," answered Hoover.
"Well, it's a little bit late for that, isn't it?" said Kissinger.
"If we can find out how the information escaped, then we can cut it off to keep more secrets from escaping.
Roosevelt rubbed his temples. This was giving him a headache. This great weapon that they had was to be their protection. Nobody else had it, so nobody could attack them without being annihilated.
"Gentlemen, I have good news and bad news," said Ryan.
Roosevelt looked to his CIA director. "What is the bad news."
"Our agents have detained three people. Ethel and Julius Rosenberg work at the Los Alamos Nuclear Facility. We have surveillance that points suspicion at them."
"This is the problem, Mr. President," stated Hoover. "I cannot conduct proper investigations with all of these scientists. They cannot be trusted. Some of them are Iroquois from our last war. How can we trust them? Others are Egyptians, here for their education. With all of these foreigners here it is impossible to keep up with everything."
Roosevelt watched as Ryan shot a glance over to Hoover.
"The third person we've taken into custody," said Ryan, "is Robert Hanssen."
"I know that name. We have something on him," said Hoover.
Roosevelt watched as Hoover began to rifle through his papers. "Hanssen...Hanssen...where have I seen that name," said the FBI director. All the while Ryan kept his gaze at Hoover. Finally, the CIA director stopped the drama.
"You don't have anything on him, Edgar. Hanssen works for you. He's worked for the FBI for twenty-seven years."
Roosevelt, Hoover, and Kissinger's jaws all dropped. This was big. The President thought for a moment about the ramifications of this. What else was compromised? The entire technological dossier of the Americans could now be in the hands of an Egyptian spy.
Hoover finally broke the silence. "How dare you investigate my people. I've been running my agency since you were in diapers."
"It wasn't an investigation, Edgar. The Rosenbergs led us to Hanssen. Hanssen then led us to the Egyptians."
"And you didn't stop them?" asked Roosevelt.
"We didn't know that they did anything," answered Ryan.
"Why didn't you just stop them on suspicion, alone?" said Hoover. "If there was any sign that they were up to something you should have stopped them." Roosevelt sensed that Hoover was trying to regain the upper hand over his intelligence counterpart.
Ryan looked at Hoover with disdain. "We don't live in that country, Edgar. We don't live in a country where people need to check their actions with the police. They don't need to show papers when traveling. They aren't required to pray five times a day to show their loyalty to their corrupt government. Our people can live their lives whatever way that they choose. We don't arrest people because they happen to know our secrets. We don't make them live in fear. That is my country, Edgar."
The men in charge of America's two preeminent law enforcement and intelligence agencies stared at each other. Both men had points, thought Roosevelt. Ryan cannot just go around arresting everyone who said Atomic and Bomb in the same sentence. However there has to be a point at which these scientists and the FBI agent crossed an imaginary line.
The president interrupted the two men's showdown. "Hoover. I want an immediate investigation into the FBI. Go over the business of every single person who works for, or has ever worked for your group. Talk to their neighbors. Their parent's neighbors. Use agents from across fields so that they don't know each other."
"I'll get started on it." Hoover and Kissinger got up to leave. Just as the Secretary of State reached for the doorknob Ryan spoke again.
"I said I had good news, too."
The two men turned around. Ryan continued. "They don't have Uranium."
"...What?" asked Hoover.
"They don't have Uranium. Without Uranium, they can't make a bomb."
Hoover and Kissinger began to speak very quickly. Ryan answered their questions as best he could.
The President thought for a moment. They still had the upper hand. If they could keep Uranium from the Egyptians, that is. Roosevelt held up his hand to indicate silence.
"Am I to understand that we control the world's Uranium?" he asked.
"Not at all, Mr. President. There is Uranium in America, Mexico, and in Italy."
"Italy? Do the Roman's know where it is?" asked Kissinger.
"No. They don't know what Uranium is, nor do they know what it can be used for. We're lucky there."
"For now," said FDR. "Until the Egyptians trade our secrets to the Romans."
"I don't think that will happen," said Kissinger. "The Romans and Egyptians are on the outs."
"Where are their Uranium deposits?" asked Hoover.
"They have one in the Northern Province, near Caesaria, and one on the Unfinished Isle, just outside of Keparta," answered Ryan.
This could be good, thought Roosevelt. The Italian homeland was very well protected, yet the two satellites were less so.
"Our only problem is with the Northern Province," continued Ryan. "It is controlled by Antony, who is close to Cleopatra."
"Sir, may I make a suggestion?" asked Eisenhower. He'd been chastised several times in the past for making war suggestions, so his input was often unwanted. Roosevelt nodded to the Defense Secretary.
"Caesaria is the center of Roman government in the north. The entire court system runs through that city's palace. Without that city, the entire Northern Province will be unable to function effectively."
"You're suggesting that we take Caesaria?" asked Kissinger. "You know, Mr. President, that may not be a bad idea. Without Caesaria, the Northern Province will be less able to put up a fight. We can rid ourselves of the Roman presence int he north, while at the same time keeping the Egyptians from obtaining their Uranium."
"But what of the Uranium near Kepharta?" said Hoover.
"That is more of a delicate situation," said Eisenhower. He left it at that.
---------------------------------------------------
"I don't have time to deal with this, Lepidus. Hannibal is in your territory. If he won't give us what he owes, then take it from him."
"We cannot do that, Octavian. We have a treaty with Carthage. If we break that treaty it will all of our future treaties meaningless. We must be diplomatic about this."
"Hannibal doesn't deserve diplomacy. He's lucky we signed that Mutual Protection Pact. Why should we care about the protection of a backwards little country like Carthage?"
"Understood, but that still does not solve the matter of our treaty."
Yes, the treaty, thought Octavian. It was his first since taking the crown. One that he now regretted.
"Then we'll arrange a little sit-down with Hannibal and let him know in no uncertain terms what is expected of him."
Lepidus got on the intercom to his assistant and ordered him to set up a meeting with Hannibal.
Octavian had too much to worry about, now. Something big was to happen in America. The Egyptians were going to cause it. The Aztecs were up to something. Dozens of ships had recently left southern Mexico for destinations unknown. And to top things off, Antony had been out of contact for a week.
"Has Silvio been in touch with you about Antony yet?" he asked Lepidus.
"Not yet. He was supposed to be in Caesaria, but he hasn't been seen there in weeks."
Octavian hated to deal with Silvio and the rest of Anthony's "family". Yet, they were the intelligence for Rome. Ruthless? Yes. Corrupt? Yes. But they were effective. Nearly as effective as the Egyptian intelligence juggernaut.
"I want to hear about it the minute anyone from Egypt or the Northern Provinces contacts us."
"Understood," answered Lepidus. "We'll find him, Octavian. Antony is not dumb. He understands the situation."
Octavian was not reassured.
---------------------------------------------------
"Hoover!"
Roosevelt's shout could be heard throughout the West Wing of the White House. His entire staff wished that they could disappear behind their desks.
Immediately Henri Kissinger and Dwight Eisenhower ran toward the Oval Office. They were followed shortly by Jack Ryan, the director of the CIA, and finally by a slow walking and dejected looking J. Edgar Hoover.
Roosevelt watched as Hoover closed the door behind him. Before allowing his FBI director to sit he shouted once again.
"Have you seen this?!" The President held up the Washington Post. The headline read "Egyptians Learn Bomb Secrets."
"Yes, Mr. President," said Hoover. "I've seen it."
"And what do you have to say for yourself?"
"We don't know how it happened, but we'll get to the bottom of it," answered Hoover.
"Well, it's a little bit late for that, isn't it?" said Kissinger.
"If we can find out how the information escaped, then we can cut it off to keep more secrets from escaping.
Roosevelt rubbed his temples. This was giving him a headache. This great weapon that they had was to be their protection. Nobody else had it, so nobody could attack them without being annihilated.
"Gentlemen, I have good news and bad news," said Ryan.
Roosevelt looked to his CIA director. "What is the bad news."
"Our agents have detained three people. Ethel and Julius Rosenberg work at the Los Alamos Nuclear Facility. We have surveillance that points suspicion at them."
"This is the problem, Mr. President," stated Hoover. "I cannot conduct proper investigations with all of these scientists. They cannot be trusted. Some of them are Iroquois from our last war. How can we trust them? Others are Egyptians, here for their education. With all of these foreigners here it is impossible to keep up with everything."
Roosevelt watched as Ryan shot a glance over to Hoover.
"The third person we've taken into custody," said Ryan, "is Robert Hanssen."
"I know that name. We have something on him," said Hoover.
Roosevelt watched as Hoover began to rifle through his papers. "Hanssen...Hanssen...where have I seen that name," said the FBI director. All the while Ryan kept his gaze at Hoover. Finally, the CIA director stopped the drama.
"You don't have anything on him, Edgar. Hanssen works for you. He's worked for the FBI for twenty-seven years."
Roosevelt, Hoover, and Kissinger's jaws all dropped. This was big. The President thought for a moment about the ramifications of this. What else was compromised? The entire technological dossier of the Americans could now be in the hands of an Egyptian spy.
Hoover finally broke the silence. "How dare you investigate my people. I've been running my agency since you were in diapers."
"It wasn't an investigation, Edgar. The Rosenbergs led us to Hanssen. Hanssen then led us to the Egyptians."
"And you didn't stop them?" asked Roosevelt.
"We didn't know that they did anything," answered Ryan.
"Why didn't you just stop them on suspicion, alone?" said Hoover. "If there was any sign that they were up to something you should have stopped them." Roosevelt sensed that Hoover was trying to regain the upper hand over his intelligence counterpart.
Ryan looked at Hoover with disdain. "We don't live in that country, Edgar. We don't live in a country where people need to check their actions with the police. They don't need to show papers when traveling. They aren't required to pray five times a day to show their loyalty to their corrupt government. Our people can live their lives whatever way that they choose. We don't arrest people because they happen to know our secrets. We don't make them live in fear. That is my country, Edgar."
The men in charge of America's two preeminent law enforcement and intelligence agencies stared at each other. Both men had points, thought Roosevelt. Ryan cannot just go around arresting everyone who said Atomic and Bomb in the same sentence. However there has to be a point at which these scientists and the FBI agent crossed an imaginary line.
The president interrupted the two men's showdown. "Hoover. I want an immediate investigation into the FBI. Go over the business of every single person who works for, or has ever worked for your group. Talk to their neighbors. Their parent's neighbors. Use agents from across fields so that they don't know each other."
"I'll get started on it." Hoover and Kissinger got up to leave. Just as the Secretary of State reached for the doorknob Ryan spoke again.
"I said I had good news, too."
The two men turned around. Ryan continued. "They don't have Uranium."
"...What?" asked Hoover.
"They don't have Uranium. Without Uranium, they can't make a bomb."
Hoover and Kissinger began to speak very quickly. Ryan answered their questions as best he could.
The President thought for a moment. They still had the upper hand. If they could keep Uranium from the Egyptians, that is. Roosevelt held up his hand to indicate silence.
"Am I to understand that we control the world's Uranium?" he asked.
"Not at all, Mr. President. There is Uranium in America, Mexico, and in Italy."
"Italy? Do the Roman's know where it is?" asked Kissinger.
"No. They don't know what Uranium is, nor do they know what it can be used for. We're lucky there."
"For now," said FDR. "Until the Egyptians trade our secrets to the Romans."
"I don't think that will happen," said Kissinger. "The Romans and Egyptians are on the outs."
"Where are their Uranium deposits?" asked Hoover.
"They have one in the Northern Province, near Caesaria, and one on the Unfinished Isle, just outside of Keparta," answered Ryan.
This could be good, thought Roosevelt. The Italian homeland was very well protected, yet the two satellites were less so.
"Our only problem is with the Northern Province," continued Ryan. "It is controlled by Antony, who is close to Cleopatra."
"Sir, may I make a suggestion?" asked Eisenhower. He'd been chastised several times in the past for making war suggestions, so his input was often unwanted. Roosevelt nodded to the Defense Secretary.
"Caesaria is the center of Roman government in the north. The entire court system runs through that city's palace. Without that city, the entire Northern Province will be unable to function effectively."
"You're suggesting that we take Caesaria?" asked Kissinger. "You know, Mr. President, that may not be a bad idea. Without Caesaria, the Northern Province will be less able to put up a fight. We can rid ourselves of the Roman presence int he north, while at the same time keeping the Egyptians from obtaining their Uranium."
"But what of the Uranium near Kepharta?" said Hoover.
"That is more of a delicate situation," said Eisenhower. He left it at that.
---------------------------------------------------
Constantine
at least it isnt the sens
YaY!!!! Can we expect more updates after Bass season?
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