by Geoff Fabron
General Probus interceded on Gregory's behalf. "The Rhine army needs those reinforcements, they are in danger of being overwhelmed by the Saxons and destroyed. We can hold the rebels long enough for the Pannonian legions to get here."
"I don't want to hold them!" Alexander screamed at the general, "I want to utterly smash them! I want the head of Monomachus on a pole outside the palace gates! Do I make myself clear!"
Gregory, still standing, took a deep breath, "I strongly disagree, your Majesty," he said firmly but respectfully.
Alexander sat looking at Gregory. His face was taut and he was struggling to control himself. "You disagree do you? And who else is of the same opinion as Gregory Nicerites?"
Only General Probus stepped forward to stand beside Gregory. With the exception of Exanzenus the other members of the council avoided looking at the Emperor or Gregory. The chief minister wore a small contented smile.
"In that case," said Alexander, "you can take your disagreement elsewhere. You are dismissed from this council and banished from the capital. You have twenty-four hours to leave the city before I send the Praetorians after you."
Stunned, both Gregory and Probus bowed to the Emperor and left the chamber.
"The Emperor is no longer acting rationally," said Gregory, as they walked along the corridor. "He is being manipulated by Exanzenus on one side, and by his mistress on the other. We must do something or the Empire will tear itself apart."
"What are you suggesting?" asked Probus in a whisper, wearily eyeing the Praetorians on guard duty.
"We must free the Emperor from the clutches of those two."
"And how do you propose to do that?"
"By doing exactly what His Majesty ordered me to," replied Gregory with an ironic smile. "By leaving the city."
General Probus gave Gregory a puzzled look and he promised that he would explain once they were away from the palace. They walked the rest of the way in silence, Gregory still clutching the proposals from Sextus in his hand.
Another reason, he thought to himself, to act against Exanzenus.
29th August 1920
Mosa River, Gaul
The sound of rifle fire was growing steadily louder, marking the approach of the Saxons. Cornelius stood next to General Comnenus on the east bank of the Mosa watching as the last few motor carriages of the rearguard carried the wounded across the river. Every now and then artillery on the west bank would fire a few shells in support of the imperial troops covering the retreat.
As the last vehicle drove onto the bridge, Comnenus nodded to Cornelius and they both walked leisurely across to the other side. Cornelius would have preferred to run across but the general wanted to put on a show of confidence for the troops and insisted that they act casually.
Once on the other side Cornelius turned to look back across the river. He could make out some imperial troops in the town on the other side. He watched as they continued their retreat. One squad would head towards the bridge while another would cover their movement. The last few hundred yards to the river was over open ground - all buildings, trees and other obstacles had been demolished to give a clear field of fire. Each group of soldiers sprinted across this space and over the bridge. Comnenus waited on the other side of the bridge and greeted each man with a few words of praise and encouragement as they arrived.
Finally about a dozen horsemen emerged from out of the town, galloping for the bridge. A few moments later some Saxon cavalry appeared chasing after them, but a couple of bursts of machine rifle fire from the teams covering the bridge caused them to halt and turn back.
The Roman horsemen, auxiliary cavalry of the 11th regiment crossed the bridge and their leader reined in his horse before Comnenus, his short cavalry rifle still in his hand.
"Decurion Vibius Celsus reporting, Sir. We're the last of the rearguard."
The young soldier looked tired and dirty, his face black with smoke and his uniform torn and grubby, but he spoke with pride. Covering a retreat was a difficult and dangerous undertaking, casualties had been high, but they had carried it out with courage and skill.
"Well done!" said Comnenus loudly so that all could hear. "You are a credit to the Empire and to the army. Take your men to the rear, Decurion, and get some rest, you all deserve it. Cornelius, make a note of this man's name and unit. They will get recognition for their bravery."
The cavalryman saluted smartly, his grimy face beaming at the praise as he led his men off, forming them into a column of threes as though on parade. Despite the long retreat and the constant fighting both their morale and their confidence in Comnenus was high.
"They're good soldiers," said the general as they watched them ride off. "With enough men like that I could storm the gates of hell itself!"
"But without enough of them we'll be lucky to hold this river," noted Cornelius quietly.
"I know," agreed Comnenus, "Hispania and Italia have sent us what troops they could, but those areas have suffered from the economies of previous years even more than the Rhine army has. The legio I Italia doesn't have a single landship and are missing more than a quarter of their infantry strength. Both provinces can barely put three half strength legions and a dozen auxiliary cohorts into the line."
"I estimate that we will have at least three days before the Saxons are able to launch an offensive across the river," said Cornelius spotting more movement across the Mosa. "They outnumber us three to one but they will be able to concentrate many times that number wherever they decide to attack. It will be touch and go whether we can hold them until General Strategicus and the army of Asia Minor get here."
Comnenus turned away from Cornelius and looked down river. The strongly flowing grey water looked strangely peaceful despite the activities on either side of it. "We may have to manage without our colleagues from the East," he said quietly.
Cornelius looked at Comnenus, but the general did not meet his gaze. "What do you mean? We had notification from General Strategicus himself telling us that the first ships had already sailed. He said he would be flying to Massilia with his staff to organise the disembarkation in a few days."
"It appears that the Emperor needs General Strategicus and his army more than we do," said Comnenus coldly. "The fight against the usurper Monomachus gets priority."
Cornelius was incredulous. "First the Pannonian legions, now this! What do they expect us to fight with! Civilians! Women! Children!"
The general turned to Cornelius, his face taut with determination. "I don't like it either, but we are going to hold this line. It's not common knowledge that we are on our own and we must keep it from the rest of the army. If the men think that relief is on its way they'll fight with greater tenacity."
Cornelius looked into his commanders’ face and saw the resolution in his eyes. "We don't really have any other choice do we?"
"No Cornelius, we don't."
A centurion from the engineers of the Fourteenth legion came up to the general and saluted.
"Everything is ready sir. Permission to blow the bridge."
Comnenus nodded. "Permission granted. Carry on centurion."
"Come on Cornelius," he added with a smile as the centurion left them, "lets get away from here. I don't want you hit by a piece of flying Mosa River Bridge. I need every man I've got!"
29th August 1920
Sidon, Syria
The quayside at the Sidon docks was relatively quiet now that the majority of the troop transports had left. Only a few cargo ships were being loaded under the watchful eye of imperial military police. The local Arab workers were sullen and slow but did not appear inclined to engage in acts of sabotage in revenge for their humiliating defeat at the hands of General Strategicus.
As expected the Caliph had sued for peace before Damascus had been occupied. The peace terms imposed by Strategicus had been comparatively light - imperial occupation of the Lebanese coast for six months, dismantling of fortifications along the borders with Egypt and Asia Minor and the return of t
he Eagle of the legio II Trajana. It was in the interests of both sides to settle quickly. The Roman troops were needed elsewhere and a revolt was already brewing in Arabia amongst the more fanatical Bedouin tribes. As soon as the Caliph had signed the treaty the imperial army began embarking on the transports for Gaul.
General Strategicus was still in Sidon, occupying an office in the Port Customs building commandeered as a temporary headquarters. Gregory Nicerites and General Probus were in there with him. They had flown directly from Constantinople to Sidon and had arrived a few hours before the orders from Exanzenus diverting the army of Asia Minor to the defence of the capital and the Emperor's person.
General Probus was an old friend of Strategicus, and Gregory had also served under him when he was in the army. They described the last council meeting to him.
General Strategicus looked at the piece of paper in his hands ordering him to send his men to the capital. "This is wrong," he said with conviction. "The Emperor's first responsibility is to the security of the Empire - the whole Empire. Philip would never have allowed this to happen." Strategicus had fought with the previous Emperor and had received his first army command from him.
"He doesn't seem to have a mind of his own anymore," said Probus. "Exanzenus and his mistress have a tremendous influence over him.
"Alexander is not the man his father was," said Strategicus, "he has always been easily influenced, especially by the more base sorts. He needs good, strong advisors to help him guide the Empire, not self servers."
"That's where we need your help General," said Gregory. "We believe that unless the Emperor can be removed from the influence of Exanzenus and Stephanie Dikouros the Empire will collapse into chaos. Hispania and Gaul will be overrun by the Saxons, Africa will secede, Britannia will become a client state of Caledonia, and the army will exhaust itself in constant rounds of civil war.
Strategicus gave Gregory a long cold look. "What do you expect me to do about it? Disobey orders and contribute to the breakdown of the army? Set myself up as another Emperor like that fool Monomachus?"
"No General," said Gregory. "You are the most honest and honourable man that I know. That's why we have come to you now."
Strategicus eyed the two men suspiciously.
"The Army of Asia Minor must go to Gaul," pleaded Probus, "General Comnenus needs those troops to defeat the Saxons. Without them his army is doomed."
"I agree with you," said Strategicus sadly and waved the orders in the air, "but these tell me to do otherwise."
"There are precedents that exist where a general has ignored orders in the light of circumstances - or a higher priority," said Gregory.
"It's still rebellion," insisted Strategicus, but with no anger in his voice.
"General Strategicus," said Gregory gravely. "We are both of the opinion that you are the only one who can save the Empire from its current crisis," it sounded very dramatic, but Gregory said it with sincerity. On the flight from Constantinople, they had discussed their options and had come to the conclusion that Manual Strategicus was their only real chance.
The General looked at the two men opposite and then swivelled his chair to look out of the window at the port. A cargo ship of stores for his army was being guided out of the harbour by a pair of tugs. Would it be going to Massilia or Constantinople?
He closed his eyes for about a minute, breathing deeply but steadily. Gregory and Probus sat quietly, leaving the general to wrestle with his conscience and to ask his God for guidance.
He opened his eyes and turned to face them once again. "We'll do everything we have to do in the name of the Emperor," he stated. "I will not turn against Philip's son."
"We have no desire to depose Alexander," confirmed Gregory. "Just to get him away from the evil influences that he is under, and to return the assembly and the senate to its rightful place in the governing of the Empire."
"As long as that is understood. I want nothing from this. I do what has to be done because it is necessary and it is the right thing to do. If they wish to court martial me after then so be it. I will hand myself over for trial."
Having made up his mind General Strategicus immediately took charge. He stood up and headed for the door. "Come with me, both of you. We all have a great deal of work to do."
30th August 1920
Mosa River, Gaul
Cornelius was wrong in his estimate. The Saxons launched their first attempt to cross the river the day after they arrived.
They selected a stretch of river away from the main towns with plenty of natural cover. In the middle of the night without even a preliminary bombardment, thousands of Saxon infantry crossed in small boats and rafts that they had hastily built. Losses amongst the first wave were high but the speed, surprise and suddenness of the attack overwhelmed the two centuries of auxiliaries from Hispania defending the area. By dawn the Saxons had a bridgehead a mile wide and half a mile deep on the West bank of the Mosa.
General Comnenus flung every reserve unit he had at the bridgehead immediately. The Saxons had only managed to ferry infantry and some light artillery across, but they had dug in amongst the trees and low hills that protected the crossing area. The first counter attack by two cohorts of the legio IV Macedonia came to standstill under heavy fire from Saxon mortars and machine rifles. It was only after half a dozen artillery batteries were brought to bear that the legionaries were able to make any headway.
Saxon engineers had begun to assemble a pontoon bridge from the moment that their first troops had landed on the west bank, and by daylight they were over half way across the river. Comnenus sent every aircraft that he could muster to disrupt the bridge building. The Saxons in turn put up all their fighters and deployed every anti-aircraft gun they had. Without the bridge the Saxons would not be able to get any of their armoured vehicles or heavy artillery across.
The battle raged all day. Imperial guns and aircraft would shell and bomb the Saxons, whilst their Saxon counterparts would try to break-up the imperial attacks. By the evening the legions had prevailed. A regiment of landships spearheaded an attack by three fresh cohorts from the legio I Italica and broke through to the river splitting the Saxon perimeter in two. The pontoon bridge never reached the opposite bank. Under the cover of darkness the surviving Saxons made their way back across the Mosa.
The next morning, General Comnenus, Cornelius and a dozen other staff officers picked their way through the debris of the battlefield. A century of legionaries fanned out in front of the general, on the lookout for enemy snipers. The air was still thick with smoke from burning trees and the sickly, sweet smell of roasted human flesh. The huge concentration of fire directed by both sides into the area had turned the lush forest into a blackened, barren landscape. Trees had been so badly burnt that none of their foliage remained. Every piece of undergrowth, every bush or sapling had been reduced to ashes or a charcoal remnant, a grim testament to the ferocity of the fighting. Imperial landships, destroyed by Saxon guns or mines lay scattered around with teams of technicians fussing over them to see if they could be fixed.
It had been a victory but the cost had been high.
"What were our losses?" asked Comnenus.
A tribune carrying a clipboard moved up to the general. "These are only provisional figures Sir, but initial returns indicate over four thousand casualties amongst the infantry, nearly a hundred aircraft shot down or damaged beyond repair, forty-five landships and over thirty pieces of artillery destroyed."
"Their losses were even higher," added another staff officer.
"In the short term they can afford them!" commented Comnenus grimly. "Well, Cornelius Petronius, what do you think they will do next?"
Cornelius had been surveying the desolation around him and had been deep in his own thoughts when the general asked his question. He turned towards Comnenus.
"They'll wait until the rest of their army has arrived and then launch a broad fronted attack. That will force us to spread our resources over a number o
f potential crossing sites and increase their chances of obtaining a secure foothold."
"And how long before they will be ready to do that?"
Cornelius hesitated before replying. "About four days. But I was wrong about this attack. They launched it a day earlier than I expected – we weren’t expecting it and it cost us.."
Comnenus could tell that Cornelius felt badly about not predicting yesterday's attempt to cross by the Saxons.
"They took a gamble Cornelius," he said kindly. "They attacked before they were ready in the hope of catching us off guard. It shows they are getting desperate, and desperate men make mistakes."
"We barely pushed them back this time," said Cornelius. "It's not going to get any easier."
"But by then the Army of Asia Minor will be here," added a staff officer. "Then we can kick their hairy Saxon arses all the way back across the Rhine."
"Yes," agreed Comnenus with a straight face. "There is that."
31st August 1920
Constantinople
The sun was beginning to set as the troop ship 'Empress Antonia' arrived in the golden horn, the great harbour of Constantinople. The harbour master was not happy about having to stay late and pay overtime to get the ship docked, but he had his orders directly from Chief Minister Exanzenus. The troops from Asia Minor were to get priority treatment. However he was glad that they had insisted on unloading their own equipment so that he and his workers could go home before midnight. The legionaries of the 1st and 2nd cohorts of the legio XVI Flavia worked all night to unload their trucks and armoured vehicles. An hour before dawn they were ready to move off.
They formed a convoy and drove out of the dock area, but instead of taking the main road that led out of the city to Adrianople, they turned towards the Imperial Palace.
