The Battle for Rome

[econ21]

Day 2, Mid morning (turn 2)

Feedback to all generals:

Luca is sheltering with his last cohort of Senate principes when he sees a flurry of activity among the Consular Praetorian cavalry opposite. A white flag is raised and Quintus Naevius rides with it to approach Luca. In the distance, Luca can make out two groups of cavalry heading off - one seemingly in pursuit of the other - to the forest in the far northwest. Luca scans his eyes for Publius Laevinus’s Praetorian cavalry who had been ordered to block Servius’s escape. But, true to form, Publius has refused to obey orders yet again and remains half a mile away to the east where his men have rested since the previous day. The peltasts that Marcellus had assigned to block the Consul’s escape are also helpless to catch the swift riding Consular cavalry.

Luca, lacking any cavalry of his own, can only await the enemy general riding towards him under a flag of truce. Quintus states that he has personally slain the Consul and is surrendering his army unconditionally. Luca expresses scepticism the former claim, but is quick to act on the latter. He works with Quintus to end the fratricide on the western side of the battle, while sending word to Marcellus and Decius who also help to end the killing. The casualties in the battle for Rome have been horrific. The surviving Consular formations are disbanded - the prisoners given the choice of parole or incorporation into Senate formations, to make good some of the losses. Marcellus is able to rebuild his Second Senate Legion but the rest of his Army of Afrika is gone. Luca and Decius’s inexperienced armies have fared better and, aside from the loss of much cavalry, are able to make good most of their losses.

Decius and Marcellus ride over to Luca and Quintus to seek news of the Consul. At the place where Quintus claims to have slain Servius, they find the Consul’s helmet lying on the ground. A corpse nearby is not that of the Consul, but Quintus insists that this is the man he has slain, a man who presented himself to them as “Servius”. Just as Servius spoke to the Senate through “UPS”, Quintus claims that even on the battlefield, he worked through a proxy for this own safety. Appius corroborates Quintus’s account - saying he witnesses Quintus’s killing of “Servius” then pursued the Consul’s remaining bodyguard to the forest. The Senate generals order a hunt for the Consul with what cavalry they have remaining, but they have precious little and Italy is a big place.

The Civil War is over. The only significant Consular armies are Quintus’s Libo’s beleaguered expedition in Alesia, an island in a sea of Iberians, and Flavvius Pacuvius’s army in Carthage, facing a resurgent Carthage. With six Senate armies mustering outside of Italy and Servius disappeared, continuation of hostilities is unlikely.

The Senate speaker is found, lost and bewildered, outside Rome. He has been released from captivity by Servius’s agents. After a few stiff drinks, the Speaker sends word to all Senators to summon them to Rome to elect a new First Consul and to rebuild the shattered Republic.