Lucius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus, Romanorum Victum: A Romani AAR
Prologue.
It was a warm summer evening in 481 a.u in the fields of Apulia, Lucius was camping outside Arpi with his bodyguards, enjoying a nice meal, having a humorous conversation, when he remarked that the Epeiros shield looked like an unfed dog.
Suddenly a scout comes by the camp looking for Lucius. The scout, a charismatic young man riding a somewhat old horse, looked very eager, he was one of Lucius' bodyguards, the youngest. By the time he got to the camp and asked for Lucius, the other bodyguards said he left and didn't know where he did, they said that he went towards the forest, so, he went there.
After 10 minutes of wandering around, he found him collecting more wood for the fire, he tried to descend from his horse but Lucius stopped him saying: If it is good news my boy, you won't have enough time to spare for you to get on again.
When the young boy replied, with a very good mood: Sir... I got a report from our agent at Taras, It's not heavily guarded, just a hoplite and a cavalry cohort, but we need to attack quickly, I'm afraid Pyrrhos will send reinforcements to secure the position, There's a big concentration of forces on Ambrakia. But if anything tries to go through sea, the warships will take care of it.
Lucius, happy at hearing the good news said to the boy: Go now, tell Rome's governor that I request the army that's stationed there, that Taras is left unprotected and it's time to capture, that this is urgent, quickly go! Go! Go! Go!
As fast as he could, Lucius took all the money in his bag and gave it to him for the trip. And the boy as soon as he got the money, he was gone, thirty days took the long journey, ten to get there and twenty to return.
Upon arrival to Rome he received excellent news for Lucius, so when he arrived at Apulia, he noticed the camp was gone, the Triarii cohort, tired from the march with the heavy equipment requested to go quench his thirst, they went to the city of Arpi and entered, when they saw Lucius also trying to quench his thirst, they joined him at the tavern, they asked for water only, when Lucius looked at the soldiers he knew that they were his reinforcements, he payed excessively since he didn't care and took his horse and rode out looking for his messenger at the gates of the city where he was asking for him, they both met up and Lucius happy that his request was answered he almost fell out of his horse. He had an army of 1 cohort of Hastati, Principes and Triiari, plus three Hastati Samnitici and two cohorts of Aichmetai Leukanoi, mercenaries the boy bought on his way with the money Lucius gave him.
But the boy had greater news, far beyond any. With a face of great humility, he kneeled unto him, but Lucius said: No need to kneel to me for anything as we all are brothers, just rise and tell me the news.
The boy with a smile on his face told him: Sir... you have been nominated for the office of Quaestor...
Stay tuned for Lucius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus, Romanorum Victum: A Romani AAR; Part 1: The March to glory.
Re: Lucius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus, Romanorum Victum: A Romani AAR
AAR - After Action Report. And I'm looking forward to yours, good luck!
Re: Lucius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus, Romanorum Victum: A Romani AAR
Part 1: The March to glory.
After reuniting the army, and paying the mercenaries, they headed towards Kalabria, the distance to Taras was a 12 days march, so they marched, resting and camping along the way. On the 9th day, they were very anxious, since they could see the city walls. The night came late so they marched extra, at nightfall, Lucius sent the young boy, disguised as a local mercenary, the armor was acquired when they killed him while he tried to steal money while they were asleep, to deliver a message to the spy in the city, that he should lock open the gates 2 days later so that they may go in without siege equipment. When the boy left they camped near a small forest for cover.
Lucius sat around his soldiers, and told them: Any title that has been given to me, it doesn't change the fact that I have known most of you for a long time, I still haven't fought a battle, still haven't put my men to jeopardy, but let me tell you that I know of tactics, i will try to make the best of our soldiers, trying not to lose anyone, believe me, that every man killed will be avenged with 20 enemies!
The soldiers cheered, but upon realizing that the food supplies were shortening very fast, they calculated that they will only last for two more meals, they were preoccupied. But there was nothing they could do at the moment so they went to sleep.
Meanwhile before dawn, the young man arrived at the city, although he could have arrived earlier but his horse had the weight of the years over him, he went to the main gate, and the Epirote guards told him: Hold on there stranger, what business brings you to the city of the mighty Epeiros Empire and his emperor Pyrrhos the great.
The boy replied: I am a soldier on leave, i would like to visit my wife and kids. to see them, maybe for the last time.
You don't look like a man who has kids, you don't even look like a man! The guards replied
The boy simulating anger shouted: I was born in this city, I have proclaimed my allegiance to my emperor since I had reason, honoring the wishes of my dying father I married the woman he chose for me, and had kids, and two soldiers think that I didn't honor that promise! I would rather die than not have honored that promise. So step out of my way.
The guards convinced, but still suspicious, let him in, since he already spoken to him before, he knew where to find him and gave him the message, but that encounter lasted short, as some guards stormed the spy's house asking for him, he went trough a secret passage, lit a torch and covered the passage so that the guards couldn't find it, when they were in the main corridor, the spy stopped again and opened a hatch and sand poured from the hole and filled the passage, the boy asked: Why did you do that?
The Spy replied: For them not to follow us, move now!
Meanwhile the guards managed to enter the house and found nothing, but took the horse as booty, and gave it to the soldiers on garrison.
The spy and the boy crossed the hallway and reappeared on an empty house, but the spy made sure nobody was in before he entered, to his happiness, nobody was in.
He started a fire on the kitchen to cook the food. The young boy ate and left to look for his horse, but the spy told him that he shouldn't be near the other house, so he gave him a map and marked where he is and where the old house was. The boy left and by chance, he had to pass trough the stables on his way to the old house, he saw his horse but couldn't do anything about it, since in there, the cavalry cohort was unloading everything, and he still was in the mercenary armor, he sneaked his way back into the house, finding the spy already asleep, since it was very late, he went to sleep too.
Lucius on his part was heavily rationing the food and there was no supplies by nightfall and his men were starving, desperate for food, they marched almost all night towards the city, and they came across a farm. For their luck it was owned by a retired Brutii heavy infantrymen who fought for Rome, Lucius had met him with his father once and knew he lived there, so he went to the door to knock.
The farmer got out with a sword on his hand, but once he saw Lucius' shield he invited his army into his house to eat, asking if he could benefit his estate once the city was captured, Lucius agreed, since he desperately needed more food and had done a great favor to his expedition.
They were now only 5 miles away from the city, and his men were very anxious because of the battle. They were thinking if the spy got it wrong or he was discovered and agreed to work as a double agent. But Lucius' concerns were different, he was worried about the boy that didn't came back, he hoped he got the message to the spy on time.
After a sizable meal, the soldiers had no other choice but to sleep the 2 hours that they had left before marching again to meet the gates on dawn. Everyone fell asleep in matter of minutes, and the fate of the city was to be decided in a short time...
Stay tuned for Lucius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus, Romanorum Victum: A Romani AAR; Part 2: Waking Up.
Re: Lucius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus, Romanorum Victum: A Romani AAR
Part 2: Waking Up.
Move it people, we need to get there by dawn! Move! Move! Hurry! Grab your equipment and move! We'll eat on our way, there's no time left! Go!
Almost everyone was awake, just a few men were still on their beds, they woke up very quickly and got ready at the same speed. Everyone was eager for the battle to come, Lucius, said thanks to his bruttian friend and quickly departed, it was 2 hours before sunrise, and they had only 5 miles to go and were anxious because the agent that is supposed to get the doors opened by their arrival had not send any notice to it, and it would leave the element of surprise without relevance since they could send reinforcements and the capture would be far more bloody.
Back at Taras, the spy and the boy were already awake, they were eating and thinking of the best plan for the gates to be locked opened in time, and the boy to rejoin his army with his horse. By the time they finished their meal they already had it figured out. The spy was going to kill the stable's guard from a rooftop which made him extremely difficult to be noticed in the dark, Then the boy would proceed to grab his old horse, and run towards the entrance, where he would trick the guards into believing he was a scout on patrol duty he would then wait for the doors to be opened and kill the guards, while the spy locked the doors opened and the boy met up with the army.
So they carried it out, the spy took position in the roof of the house and shot the guard on the head, the boy ran quickly up to the horse and the spy jumped from roof to roof until he found the perfect spot for a shot to the guards in case something came wrong. The boy went to the gate and told the guards: Let me out, I am on scouting duty.
The guards still suspicious about his appearance, asked him: And who gave you that order, might I ask oh noble father of your father's grandsons.
The other guard asked him in remark of his entry statement: Wait, weren't you on leave? That's what you said to us when you got in.
The boy replied making up the answer in short time, but wanting to sound convincing: The person that gives you! Orders. The mighty Pyrrhos! And you should better let me out, or else you would be defying his orders.
The guards not convinced, didn't let him pass and were more suspicious, they tried to detain him, so the boy quickly ran away with his horse, and the spy opened fire, the guard got the arrow in the leg, but kept going, he shot him another time, got him in the heart, he fell on the ground, now the second guard was shouting for help and pursuing the boy but the spy quickly shut him up by an arrow to his head, but his job was done, one of the garrison's soldiers heard his screams and went out to look, the boy was running to the door and the spy getting down the ceiling.
The soldier shouted to wake up the garrison, the woken up soldier ran to get his equipment, his armor, shield and spear, the cavalrymen were waking up, not knowing what was happening went outside and saw the hoplite getting ready and shouting, and the boy was at the door trying to open it, while the spy running towards the door with a big mace on his hand, when they saw this, they ran towards the equipment, the boy couldn't get the doors opened, and without it, the spy couldn't lock them open, all the garrison's soldiers were woken up and getting ready, the roman infiltrates managed to get one door opened, and now the spy was clubbing it's hinges out of place so that it wouldn't be able to be closed again.
The boy managed to get open the second door about ten seconds later while a cavalrymen was charging towards him, but the spy clubbed his horse's head since he didn't notice the spy running towards him since it was still too dark, the spy ran again to the door, the boy got onto the horse to get out, the sunlight was starting to shine upon Taras, it was almost time, the spy, in a hurry to get out too, did the best he could to smash it locked, he got it halfway, but there was no more time, two cavalrymen were about to charge into them, he got atop of the horse but the spy managed to get another hit and locked it, and they exited the city, the cavalry that was following them, unaware of the imminent danger, stopped following them, as they thought it might lead into a trap.
The romans were in search for their army, it was still too dark to notice anything, the cavalrymen got down and tried to close the doors, when they realized they couldn't, they ordered a couple of hoplites that were close to the doors, to mount guard, the sun was rising atop the horizon, some of the civilians looked out their doors to see what was happening, when the hoplites realized the imminent danger, the roman army was already in formation and marching towards them...
Stay tuned for Lucius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus, Romanorum Victum: A Romani AAR; Part 3: Cruentos (Blooded).
