The Eternal Empire

by Geoff Fabron

  "What is it, Petronius?" he said sharply. "It had better be good or Cabasila here will have you arrested."

  Cornelius put the maps and notes that he had taken from the navigator down on the table beside the general.

  "A reconnaissance plane managed to get back from the area around Colonia Agrippina," he spoke slowly, struggling to keep calm and to give a factual report. "There are about twenty Saxon regiments, heading south at this very moment. Within twenty-four hours they'll be across the Mosella and this city and all the imperial forces to the east of the river will be cut off."

  Comnenus picked up the papers noting their burnt edges and the traces of blood. He and the chief of staff quickly matched some of the places mentioned with the map mounted on the wall.

  "Those roads are blocked by three cohorts of auxiliary infantry with artillery in support," countered Cabasila irritably. "We would have heard from them if a Saxon army was coming their way!"

  The army commander looked at Cornelius and then at Cabasila. He called over to a line of orderlies sitting behind a row of desks.

  "What was the last situation report from...," he glanced up at the map again. "The 23rd Auxiliary Cohort?"

  One of the orderlies rummaged around in the pile of papers in front of him and pulled out the information required.

  "Some skirmishing with Saxon pickets," said the orderly summarising the report as he read it. "Sporadic artillery fire and a lot of air activity, but otherwise quiet."

  Alexius Cabasila looked smug. "Wild estimates by air reconnaissance crews, especially those under attack, are not unusual," he said condescendingly.

  Cornelius did not believe that the navigator had exaggerated. He ignored the chief of staff and addressed the orderly himself.

  "When was that report filed?" he demanded.

  The orderly looked at the paper again, a puzzled expression crossing his face.

  "Well?" pressed Cornelius, aware that everybody in the room was now paying attention to the exchange.

  "Nearly four hours ago sir," he said. "They've missed two reports."

  General Comnenus barked an order at the row of orderlies. "Check the reports from the other units in the area and then try to raise them by phone," he turned to Cornelius. "I think that you may be right. Do you think that we can keep the main road between Augusta Treverorum and Virodunum open?"

  Cornelius shook his head. "No. Not with the forces that we have left here, they're too weak," he pointed to the symbols on the map. "If we pull the troops back from the counter-attack, assuming that they could re-deploy in time, we'll leave the Rhine vulnerable. Then the Saxon forces to our south could break through at Divodurum to cut the road to Virodunum and we would still be trapped."

  Comnenus studied the map and came to the same conclusion.

  "What do you suggest?" he asked abruptly.

  "A complete withdrawal west of the Mosella," replied Cornelius without hesitation. He had thought this through on the trip from the airfield and could see no alternative.

  "Are you mad!" exclaimed Cabasila, "abandon most of Germania to the Saxons and scurry back to Gaul!"

  "Would you rather see the bulk of the army destroyed between the Rhine and the Mosella, leaving Gaul, Hispania and Italia virtually defenceless?" snapped back Cornelius.

  "That's enough!" said Comnenus. An orderly approached the four officers and saluted the commander.

  "There has been no contact with the 23rd Auxiliary Cohort or any other unit in that area since eight o'clock this morning sir," he said in a dry, hoarse voice. "All the telephone lines have been cut, but I do have reports of fighting and heavy artillery fire to the north.

  Comnenus looked at his chief of staff and the two intelligence officers, his eyes alive with the rapid thoughts behind them.

  "We withdraw," he decided. Cabasila was about to say something but decided against it once he saw the commanders face. Comnenus began issuing orders.

  "Break off the attack towards Moguntiacum immediately. All forces are to retire on Augusta Treverorum. The fifteenth Primogenia must try to link up with them or to withdraw to the south and fend for themselves. The first Trajana must expedite its retirement to Divodurum, we will need their troops here, not on the upper Rhine. The legio IV Macedonia is to leave its entrenchments outside the city, move across the Mosella and keep the Saxons away from the main road for as long as possible."

  "Cabasila," he addressed his dejected looking chief of staff. "Move the headquarters across the river and get the logistics people to ship out what they can and to burn what they can't."

  The room exploded into activity. Silvanus and Cornelius were still standing next to the general. He now turned to them.

  "Right," he said, "you two can come with me. I need a new defence plan. The one that I just had has been shot to hell and you can help me to draw up a new one!"

  9th August 1920

  Minden, Saxony

  Katherine was having lunch on the terrace of her brother's estate outside Minden when she heard his motor carriage return. She left the remnants of her meal and hurried back into the house, meeting up with him as he entered.

  "What happened?" she asked her brother as he went into his study.

  Count Maleric said nothing. He walked over to a cabinet and poured himself a large glass of fortified spirits. He downed the drink in one swallow.

  Katherine stood beside him expectantly, waiting for him to speak.

  "The King can do nothing," he said evenly. He was breathing heavily, trying to control his anger.

  "According to the reports from the generals, the war is going well, and his Majesty can see no justification for pushing the council into calling for a cease fire."

  He poured himself another drink.

  "Is the King inflamed by this war fever too," asked Katherine angrily. "Doesn't he want to stop it?"

  Frederick put a hand on Katherine's shoulder and gave her a sympathetic smile.

  "The King is not the omnipotent ruler of two centuries ago," he told her gently. "He rules through the council. He will need a majority agreement amongst the senior Counts to stop this war. Whilst we appear to be winning that will not happen."

  Katherine sat down and starred out of the study window gazing at the peaceful scene outside.

  "Then Cornelius didn't manage to warn them," she mused quietly.

  "If he did, then it didn't do them much good," said Frederick. "In fact the King told me that Godisger used the theft of the plans to force him to sign the declaration of war."

  Katherine looked up at her brother. Her face had gone white.

  "What do you mean?" she asked sharply.

  "The King was told that once the Romans had those plans in their possession they could use it as an excuse to attack us anytime they wanted. His Majesty had to allow Godisger to attack before the Romans could. What's the matter Katherine?"

  Katherine had put her head in her hands and began to cry. "We tried to stop it," she said through the tears. "But we only succeeded in starting it!"

  "What are you talking about Katherine?" said Frederick, alarmed at his sisters’ emotional outcry. "Start what?"

  "The theft of the plans was supposed to prevent the war," Katherine explained tearfully. "I overheard Franz saying that without the element of surprise the attack would have to be called off."

  Frederick stood staring down at his sister, horrified at what he had heard.

  "You and Cornelius planned the theft together," stated Frederick, his quiet tone masking the shock that he felt. He finished his second drink and began to pace around the room.

  "Nobody else must know!" he snapped at her, causing Katherine to flinch. He then came over and knelt in front of her, taking her hands from her face and holding them. "It was a foolish thing to do," he spoke more gently now, "I know why you did it, but no one will see it that way."

  He removed a handkerchief from his pocket and dried her tears.

  Katherine composed herself and nodded to her brother.
<
br />   "I'm sorry for involving you Frederick," she said "We both wanted to keep you out of it."

  "Well I know now, and by law I am just as guilty of treason as you are if I don't report you," he said. "But I'll be damned if I'll put my sisters neck on the executioners block just because she tried to stop a stupid war."

  "Katherine," he looked into her face. "You must leave Saxony as soon as possible. Scandia - or even to the Rus."

  "No!" she said emphatically and stood up, "I won't go. This is my home and my country. I've done nothing to be ashamed of and I will not run away!"

  Frederick argued with her for some time but the only concession that he managed to extract was a promise to keep quiet and to remain at the house. In the meantime, he told her, he would continue to work on his fellow Counts so that as soon as an opportunity presented itself, he could pressurise the King into calling a halt to the war.

  11th August 1920

  Constantinople

  Chief Minister Exanzenus followed the major-domo through the corridors of the palace to the Emperors audience chamber. He was irritated and inwardly seethed with anger at the Emperors summons. He had plenty of work to do without wasting his time explaining things to Alexander! Stephanie was supposed to keep him occupied and out of his hair - he paid the little whore enough!

  The praetorians at the doors saluted the chief minister. The major-domo knocked, and then entered the chamber, announcing Exanzenus as he did.

  Emperor Alexander IX, was seated on the throne, but wore a simple toga rather than full imperial regalia. Exanzenus halted at the prescribed distance and bowed.

  "What's this I hear about losing another Eagle?" Alexander demanded before Exanzenus could say anything. "It was bad enough that the Arabs took one, but now it has come to my attention that the Saxons have taken the Eagle of the fifteenth as well! I want an explanation Exanzenus!"

  The chief minister was momentarily taken aback. Alexander rarely showed any interest in the war. He was normally irritated by the decrees that he had to sign and bored by the discussions at the war councils that he bothered to attend. Alexander had not said anything about the loss of the Eagle of the legio II Trajana in the Sinai (but then that invasion had been undertaken against his advice).

  "I was not aware that another Eagle has been lost your Majesty," said Exanzenus deferentially.

  "Everybody else is!" exclaimed Alexander, "Stephanie heard it from one of her servants, who heard it from one of the praetorians. If the guards know, then why don't you!"

  ‘That little slut’, thought Exanzenus. ‘She is stirring up trouble for me, probably wants more money’.

  "The legio XV Primogenia has been cut off by the Saxon advance your Majesty," explained Exanzenus calmly. "Our latest reports indicate that it is still intact. I suspect that some people have assumed the worst and are spreading rumours. Nothing travels faster than bad news, even if it is not true."

  Alexander hesitated in his verbal attack on Exanzenus.

  "Are you sure we haven't lost another Eagle?" he asked.

  "As I said your Majesty, the fifteenth has been separated from the rest of the Rhine army, but it has not been destroyed and the Saxons do not have one of our Eagles." – ‘Not yet anyway’ he added to himself. The news from the Rhine was not good.

  "That's all right then," said Alexander looking a little embarrassed. "You know how the army feels about those silly pieces of gold on the top of their standards, it's all a bit pagan really," he added sheepishly.

  The doors swung open to admit the major-domo and Gregory Nicerites.

  "What is the meaning of this intrusion?" snapped Exanzenus, angered by the appearance of Gregory. He liked to keep access to the Emperor limited to himself.

  "I'm sorry your Majesty," said the major-domo. "But Gregory Nicerites has some important news."

  Alexander glared at Exanzenus, "I knew it!" he said with a cry partly of triumph and partly of anger. "The Saxons have taken the fifteenth's Eagle!"

  "No your Majesty," interjected Gregory, "it has nothing to do with the Rhine. The news is from the Danube. The army of Moesia has refused to send troops to Germania."

  "What!" exclaimed Exanzenus going red with rage, "Monomachus is behind this. He'll be stripped of the office of governor immediately!".

  Gregory was still facing the Emperor; he had ignored Exanzenus since he had entered.

  "There is more your Majesty," he said.

  Alexander signalled him to continue.

  "The Moesian legions have not just mutinied and refused to leave the province, they have also declared Constantine Monomachus Emperor. We now have a civil war on our hands as well."

  11th August 1920

  Gaul

  The abandonment of and retreat from Augusta Treverorum was carried out efficiently despite the short notice, a testimony to the professionalism of the imperial troops. The legio IV Macedonia, some auxiliary cohorts and a number of units hastily thrown together from rear echelon formations had managed to slow down the Saxon advance long enough for the legio IV Gemina and the rest of the army to cross the Mosella before the bridges came under artillery fire.

  As a new army headquarters was being assembled about twenty miles from Augusta Treverorum, Silvanus, Cornelius and General Comnenus hammered out a new plan of defence.

  "It's not going to be popular with Constantinople," said Comnenus as Cornelius outlined his plan - a total withdrawal to the River Mosa.

  "I think that they'll prefer it to the destruction of six legions and twice as many auxiliary troops," countered Cornelius.

  "I doubt that they will see it like that," replied Comnenus. "They may well just view it as running away."

  "We're trading space for time," explained Cornelius, aware that the general was playing the devil's advocate. If he could not convince the capital of the effectiveness of his actions then he could easily be replaced. "The Saxons have too much of an advantage this close to the border. They are close to their supplies and reinforcements. Their war plans have been designed around engaging and destroying our army close to the Rhine. The further we draw them away from Saxony the weaker they become and more they have to improvise with new plans at short notice. Their supply lines will grow longer, more troops will have to be detached to guard their communications. They will outdistance their air support and those rail mounted naval guns will be useless."

  Comnenus nodded in understanding, accepting the logic of Cornelius's argument but trying to gauge how it will be received by the war council in Constantinople.

  "Are there any positions east of the River Mosa, where we can form a defensive line?" queried Comnenus.

  "I don't believe so, general," said Cornelius shaking his head. "Silvanus has the latest strength returns and the army is not in good shape."

  Silvanus took that as his cue and began his report. "We saved the army from being encircled at Augusta Treverorum, but we still got badly mauled. The legio IV Macedonia did an excellent job of holding the Saxons back, but now they can only field about a thousand infantry, a dozen armoured vehicles and some twenty guns. The legio IV Gemina is in better shape, and the X Cataphract Landship Regiment still has eighty percent of its vehicles. The auxilia palatina is at about seventy five percent strength and we still have twenty auxiliary units with at least sixty percent of their establishment."

  "What about the formations on our flanks?" asked Comnenus.

  "The legio I Germanica is under pressure and is retiring away from Colonia Agrippina. The legio I Trajana has speeded up its withdrawal to Divodurum in order to prevent it being flanked by the Saxons. The lower Rhine is still quiet and the legio XIII Gemina has sent two cohorts and its landships to support the first Germanica."

  "Any more news from the fifteenth?" asked Comnenus.

  "Nothing since yesterday, sir. About a thousand men, mainly support personnel, managed to link up with the first Trajana., but the rest of the legion is trapped around here," Silvanus indicated a heavily wooded region south of Mogunti
acum on the map before them. "The last message that we received from them was that they would continue to fight on and try and slow the Saxons down."

  "Yes, I know," confirmed the general sadly. The legate of the legio XV Primogenia was a cousin of his, but the army commander had not singled out the legion for any special consideration. The need to save the army was paramount.

  There was a knock on the door and an orderly entered, saluted the general and handed him a message.

  "Urgent communiqué from Constantinople sir," the soldier said crisply, remaining at attention while Comnenus read through the lengthy message.

  "No reply for now," he said to the orderly, dismissing him. He turned to Cornelius.

  "I accept your plan," he said curtly, "begin working on the defence line along the Mosa immediately using the troops arriving from Hispania and Italia. The rest of the army will withdraw towards the river with all haste. We'll hold the Saxons on the Mosa and hope that they will bleed themselves white attacking us there."

  "And when the legions from the Danube arrive," added Silvanus, "we can kick them all the way back to Saxony."

  "We may have a long wait for our colleagues from the Danube," said Comnenus ominously. Cornelius and Silvanus glanced at each other, the reinforcements from Pannonia and Moesia had been factored into their plan.

  "It appears," said Comnenus, waving the message in the air, "that the governor of Moesia has decided to try for the throne. The four legions of the province have proclaimed him Emperor."

  Silvanus and Cornelius were too shocked to say anything. They had thought that the Ottoman Turks might cause trouble, but neither of them had expected this.

  "There's more," continued Comnenus grimly, "the Emperor and the chief minister consider this a greater threat to the Empire than the Saxons. The legions in Pannonia will be used to put down the usurper. We're on our own."

  13th August 1920

  Augusta Treverorum

  Count Godisger was alone on the hill overlooking the main bridge from the city over the Mosella. The land showed the scars of the battle that had been fought across it and a farm, which had been used by the Romans as a strong point, still smouldered emitting a hazy smoke from its ruined buildings. Columns of troops passed by in pursuit of the imperial forces that were now retreating to the west, and a regiment of Mark IV landships were being refuelled and rearmed in a field by the road.