Revolution in Parthia Magna!

[Parthia Magna]

"Surrender! Those cowards! Those traitors! They could have waited to let us try to help them! What will the Great King say and do to me and my family? If he decides that it is my fault, I will be executed, along with my wives, concubines, children, and even my slaves! I am doomed! That does it! I have to save my family, even from the Great King himself!" the Surenas fumed angrily.

"Summon the divisional commanders and ship captains," the Surenas commanded his chief of staff.

"Yes, my lord," answered the chief, whose loyalty to the Surenas was absolute, as he was the man's nephew. He had wives and children to protect as well.

When the captains and commanders had returned, the Surenas laid out his case, concluding, "Men of Parthia, do we wish to place the whims of that despot who happily sacrificed us to this futile war above the lives of our wives, our concubines, our catamites, our children, and our slaves? Or rather shall we rise up and say that we have had enough! Enough of being treated as cannon fodder by a feckless dynasty of kings who have never so much fired a shot themselves in anger?

"I say that we seek the Light, not the Darkness! I say that the Light of Ahura-Mazda teaches that the lives of innocents of our own blood and our own household matter more than the petty whims of a pampered despot! We must save our families, even at the cost of the Great King and his pompous court! It is time for the Arsacid dynasty to come to an end as violent as the lives that it has shortened throughout its history! It is time for revolution, soldiers and sailors of Parthia! Are you with me?"

The response was a roar of applause. The officers and men of the Parthian expedition were him. It was time for civil war, and the Surenas had every confidence of victory.

"Send a telegram to the anti-Tezdrian coalition.

Due to the surrender of Greater Tezdrian, our part in this war is over, largely before it had even begun. That being so, we seek only to return to our homeland, and end the wicked rule of the King who ordered us to attack you. Do we have your assurance that we will not be harassed or assailed en route to our homes, where we seek to secure our families?"

[Parthia Magna]

A furious Great King Phraates XVIII has placed a bounty on the head of the Surenas, for the "crimes of mutiny, treason, and cowardice in battle". He has vowed to crucify any rebels who fall into his hands.

Meanwhile, with the connivance of certain police officials, the wives and children of the rebels have escaped the Great King's wrath and have been relocated somewhere to the nearest coast.

Three satraps have already proclaimed their allegiance to the Surenas, instead of the Great King, thus setting the stage for a civil war.

The Surenas has outlined the following reforms as part of his plan:

1. Abolition of slavery.
2. Reduction of the expenses of the Royal Court.
3. A ban on all eunuchs being recruited for civil service and an outright ban on castration itself.
4. An end to draconian laws that require punishment of whole families for the deeds of one man.
5. Full restoration of the Zoroastrian faith and a political voice for the Magi, the priests of Ahura-Mazda.
6. Abolition of the old dynasty and the reduction of the royal titles to simply King of Parthia Magna.
7. Election of the monarch by an assembly of satraps, Magi, and military commanders, instead of the old hereditary system.
8. This assembly, called the Majlis, is to have consultative and limited legislative powers, thus serving as a national parliament of sorts.
9. Full freedom of worship is to be instituted.
10. All workers are to be guaranteed a living wage.
11. Proper civil service examinations will choose bureaucrats.
12. Properly appointed royal courts of justice will exist, with their members appointed by the King himself.
13. Each satrapy is to have its own police force, but the Royal Customs Police is to have national police powers, subordinate only to the King.
14. Taxes will be assessed on duties, postage, excises, and gross business receipts, as well as a national health tax to pay for health service.
15. A standing, professional army will exist with enlistments for 4 year terms, renewable until the age of 64.
16. All other citizens are members of the Royal Home Guard for a period of two years, which means 2 weeks of military training and mobilization for active service if called upon.
17. Capital punishment shall consist solely of death by firing squad.

[Egalitarian Akros]

Grand Admiral Mazir, Head of State of Egalitarian Akros and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Armed Forces, has decided to recognize the Surenas as the new ruler of Parthia Magna and send an expeditionary force of 10 combat-ready Federal Marine divisions, 25 warships, and 700 aircraft to begin "putting that stupid so-called Great King in his place".

The Grand Admiral has indicated that he will not be satisfied with anything less than total victory, which he defines as "the complete eradication of Arsacid rule throughout Parthia Magna and the total abolition of slavery therein."

[Late Republican Rome]

To the eminent Archon of Unilisia,

The proconsul Titus Favonius and his army are being transferred to Parthia Magna, where he will receive his new command: the complete victory of the Surenas over the "Great King". While Late Republican Rome is generally pro-slavery in its attitude, it cannot resist a chance to take avenge the long-simmering insult and injury done to us by the Arsacid dynasty at Carrhae, when we lost 8 standards held by the legions of Marcus Licinius Crassus. We hope to recover our national honor and also the standards themselves, which we hear are in some kind of national archive or museum. It is a stain on Rome's honor which we must purge.

To that end, we ask that you return the assault rifles to Favonius and his legions. We also intend to assign him 4 more legions of Roman citizens and 1 legion of ex-gladiators, all heavily armed, plus a fleet of 35 warships, and 5 Air Cohorts.

Furthermore, we wish to inform him that the Senate has awarded his legions full Roman citizenship in their own right for their role in saving Tezdriani lives and that he has been awarded the Grass Crown for saving the lives of three legions of Roman soldiers. This, by our laws, makes him an automatic senator, so this new command is a regular proconsulship, not a special commission as created by Sulla. We hope with our new army of 8 legions to achieve victory this time and crush the Arsacid dynasty with its absolute cruelty and oppression of its own people.

We thank you for your assistance and co-operation, both past, present, and future.

Under the auspices of Jupiter Optimus Maximus,
Tiberius Claudius Nero, Princeps Senatus
Marcus Terentius Varro Maximus, Consulus Senior
Publius Sestius, Consulus Junior

[Late Republican Rome]

As he led the Roman legions out of Greater Tezdrian, aware of the war ahead of him and the unexpected exaltation by means of the Grass Crown, Titus Favonius was relieved at least that his men had their old Felix assault weapons back. They would be badly needed in the upcoming fight.

Five more legions, he thought. 40,000 men in total, at his command. Despite a personal wish to go home, the adventurous, ambitious part of Favonius reawakened and he thought that if he had to do this duty, he could become a serious a New Man and raise the standing of the family from its descent for centuries in the wake of Pharsalus. Yes, he could redeem the family name and make one to revere at last in Rome.

In the meantime, it was nice to get out of this abortive conflict that did Rome no favors in the end.

[Late Republican Rome]

Pursuant to the new law enacted by the Dictator Tiberius Claudius Nero, all slaves in territory captured by the legions of Rome shall be immediately liberated from their masters. Any attempt to re-enslave them will be treated as banditry and punished by crucifixion. Any slaves who flee to Roman-held territory shall be safe from their masters' retribution.

Under the auspices of Divus Mars Invictus and Diva Bellona,
Titus Favonius, Proconsul of the Senate and People of Rome

[Late Republican Rome]

....and meet with Parthian troops loyal to the Surenas. There is no need for coastal bombardment or beach combat this time. There is only the issue of marching toward the front, which is immediately to the north and east of them.

[Allanea]

OOC: I will limit my participation in this thread for the purposes of fairness and fun. Unless Parthians deems it necessary otherwise, I will only participate with a force the size of Akros'.


IC:

Official Message of the United States of Allanea

The cause of the anti-slavery crusader is once more triumphant. Now the people of the Parthians are rebelling against their oppressive, slaver vermin leadership. The United States cannot of course remain uncomitted. It is our duty as a member of the world community to stab the filthy slaver.

As such, battlegroup De Vere is now deployed against the slaver. It is comprised of the USS de Vere, a full-sized fleet carrier, and 10 Sandakan-class heavy cruisers. 15 Mogami-class air defense cruisers will escort the ships.

Furthermore, a total of 39,000 men, comprised of the 666th Demonchasers and the 507th Iron Tigers Armored Division, as well as the 1000th Freedom's Light Mechanized Infantry Division will be sent to support our friends the Parthians in their struggle for liberty.

[Parthia Magna]

In response to the Roman and Akrosian invasions, for which the Parthian government was not prepared, especially in light of the civil war with the Surenas, not to mention the slave uprisings already provoked by Favonius and his call for emancipation, the Great King has responded with brutal force.

Martial-law has been proclaimed, the militia is now fully mobilized along with all garrisons and mercenaries, all government buildings are under heavy guard, a dusk-to-dawn curfew has been decreed, police are out in full riot gear, including tear gas, and the secret police have begun rounding suspected dissidents. The borders have been closed to all foreigners, and the remaining coastal defenses have been fortified....albeit too late to stop the Romans, Akrosians, or, for that matter, the Surenas himself. Thousands of slaves and dissidents have taken to the streets to demand more freedom and the abdication of the Great King.

In Roman and Akrosian zones of occupation, as well as areas ruled by the satraps loyal to the Surenas, the rebel coalition troops have been welcomed as liberators. Many loyalist citizens and militia, however, are staging partisan raids against the invaders.

The bulk of the royalist defenses, however, are taking shape as the Loyalist Army of the Kingdom, its nucleus being garrison troops, mercenaries, militia raised by the satraps, and Janissary units composed of former Angry Amazonian eunuchs. It numbers roughly 200,000 men. The bulk of the garrisons and militia have yet to take sides. The Grand Vizier has taken personal command of this polyglot force on the King's behalf, though the quality of these soldiers is open to question.

The navy and air force are generally either practically neutral or sympathetic to the rebels. Only the LAK and the police are reliable forces for the monarchy.

[Parthia Magna]

Rebellious slaves in several cities throughout Parthia Magna and their sympathizers have slaughtered due to being poorly armed and untrained. Those who have survived have been burnt alive on the orders of the Great King. This has constituted a mass execution of 8,000 slaves and dissidents. Another 12,000 were killed in action or have fled. 35,000 additional people were executed by fire, these being mostly relatives of the rebels.

The Grand Vizier vows to "throw these Allanean scum back into the sea, followed by the Romans, Akrosians, and then the traitor Surenas himself". He has also warned that if captured, the Surenas, his troops, and their whole families face "terrible retribution". The same warning has been issued to the satraps to ensure that no more satraps join the rebellion.

The Loyalist Army of the Kingdom is gathering its full strength for a counter-offensive, while the coastal militia are being mustered to repel any landing by Allanean troops. The artillery corps having been transferred to the LAK itself, the militia have nothing but cannon fodder, personal RPGs, and a mishmash collection of bolt-action and assault rifles with which to fight off the invasion.

[Christantle]

THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE OF CHRISTANTLE

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To: Nations of Parthia Magna
From: The Holy Roman Empire of Christantle

A message from Empress Christina

Encryption: Closed Communique
Subject: Aid

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After the eventful evening I spent yesterday listening to my generals about the revolution in your country as well as the invasion threats, we are obliged to aid in the defense of your nation. If so accepts, a carrier strike force consisting of Three Imperial class Aircraft carriers, Knox Class Destroyers and many other ships, as well as a force of 250,000 men and 350 M1A1 Abrams will aid in the hopefull defense to keep the sovereignty of your nation.I look forward to seeing the response from the leader of this country in chaos.



OOC: You have a srprise on your way. Hehe

[Allanea]

OOC: I am making the assumption that my troops are landing on the same beachead as the Akrosians and Romans. I hope that is okay.

IC:

Engines roared, sergeants swore, tank tracks ground into the pristine beach sand. The Allaneans wer coming ashore. The small force had been outfitted with the new DKD armored vehicle, and it was their commanders' pride and joy – heavily armed, primed for defensive warfare and open-field slugging-matches, the vehicle's mean, aggressive shape expressed everything that the Allanean Army was all about – taking the fight to the enemy.

The aircraft carrier that formed the key of the Allanean offensive remained beyond the horizon, its task so far non-combative. Several long-range reconnaissance drones have been deployed, riding high above the clouds to search for the location of the main police garrisons. So far – so far- the Allanans have yet abstained from direct combat.

An encoded message has been sent to the Surenas. It ran:

Please provide us with a detailed reconnaissance map of your country, marked with the following information:

1. Areas currently engaged in large-scale uprisings.
2. Key installations that currently are held by the slavers. With your permission, we will grind these installations down into their component sand and stone particles.
3. The 'Great' King's palace. We will level it.

Sincerely yours,
Admiral Luchenko,
1st Parthian Liberation Army

[Parthia Magna]

THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE OF CHRISTANTLE

(Image)

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To: Nations of Parthia Magna
From: The Holy Roman Empire of Christantle

A message from Empress Christina

Encryption: Closed Communique
Subject: Aid

---

After the eventful evening I spent yesterday listening to my generals about the revolution in your country as well as the invasion threats, we are obliged to aid in the defense of your nation. If so accepts, a carrier strike force consisting of Three [i]Imperial class Aircraft carriers, Knox Class Destroyers and many other ships, as well as a force of 250,000 men and 350 M1A1 Abrams will aid in the hopefull defense to keep the sovereignty of your nation. I look forward to seeing the response from the leader of this country in chaos.[/i]

To the illustrious ruler of Christantle, your aid comes as Divine Providence in our time of great and dire necessity. The treacherous rebel Surenas and his insurgent army have gained powerful foreign allies, such as Egalitarian Akros, Late Republican Rome, and Allanea. I will need air cover for His Majesty's loyal troops, as well as the aforementioned naval support, especially in light of the imminent threat of amphibious invasion by Allanea. Also, I had to cannibalize the heavy coastal artillery to protect the main field army loyal to the Great King from annihilation by the nearby rebel forces. Much will be fondly remembered and appreciated if you should assist us in this terrible civil war.

In the Name of the Light,
Magadates, Grand Vizier of the Kingdom of Parthia Magna

[Parthia Magna]

OOC: I am making the assumption that my troops are landing on the same beachead as the Akrosians and Romans. I hope that is okay.

IC:

Engines roared, sergeants swore, tank tracks ground into the pristine beach sand. The Allaneans wer coming ashore. The small force had been outfitted with the new DKD armored vehicle, and it was their commanders' pride and joy – heavily armed, primed for defensive warfare and open-field slugging-matches, the vehicle's mean, aggressive shape expressed everything that the Allanean Army was all about – taking the fight to the enemy.

The aircraft carrier that formed the key of the Allanean offensive remained beyond the horizon, its task so far non-combative. Several long-range reconnaissance drones have been deployed, riding high above the clouds to search for the location of the main police garrisons. So far – so far- the Allanans have yet abstained from direct combat.

An encoded message has been sent to the Surenas. It ran:

Please provide us with a detailed reconnaissance map of your country, marked with the following information:

1. Areas currently engaged in large-scale uprisings.
2. Key installations that currently are held by the slavers. With your permission, we will grind these installations down into their component sand and stone particles.
3. The 'Great' King's palace. We will level it.

Sincerely yours,
Admiral Luchenko,
1st Parthian Liberation Army

To Admiral Luchenko,

Your assistance in this glorious undertaking is much appreciated. We need to bring down this King and his pet Grand Vizier as quickly as possible. Attached above is a map of our country. Cities in white are currently at peace. Those in blue are ruled by satraps loyal to the Great King. Those in red have already fallen to our forces. Those in green are hotly contested between local insurgents of some kind and the government forces. The coastal areas are lightly defended at worst accordingly to my intelligence. Only nuisance opposition can be expected there, from local militia pressed into the Great King's service. The enemy mobile forces are estimated at some 200,000, with maybe twice as many militia, most of them unreliable or MIA, if not sympathetic to us.

The Great King has seven palaces, two of which have already been taken. The other five remain in his hands, so his location is uncertain. Fazka, Zekap, Myrpuzuk, Alizm, and Unjus are the cities in question.

He has a considerable harem, though reports say that it is not as organized with so many court eunuchs and slaves having fled. I take it that you have taken the same route as the Romans and Akrosians, and thus wisely "hit them where they are not", outflanking what meager shore defenses exist. Still, you may run into occasional resistance from fanatics and will eventually encounter the LAK (Loyalist Army of the Kingdom). When you do, bear in mind that half of them are mercenaries or eunuchs manumitted only on condition of military service. I don't care what you do to them, but I ask that you let the militia and garrison troops off easy. They are my brethren and fellow countrymen, and I hope that they will survive this war to continue to produce wealth for the nation.

The police, on the other hand, you have carte blanche with. The future police force, hopefully trained with outside aid, will have different rules and be loyal to the nation, not just the Crown.

Many thanks for your assistance,
The Surenas Artabanus

[Allanea]

The tactic chosen by Allaneans so far was perhaps somewhat subtle. Loaded into the combat computers of several Sandakan class cruisers were strategic and tactical maps of Parthians. Adjustments were made – and about half an hour later, without any particular hurry, fifty-five stealth cruise missiles took to the air.

Of these, fifty were targeted solely at police stations held in loyalist parts of the country. They flew low over the ground, avoiding surviving Loyalist RADAR. The police stations could not, of course, move out of the way, so once their location has been known, targeting had become easy.

Five more missiles had been distributed among the palaces of the Great King. He would likely not be slain by this – and perhaps the palaces would not even be brought down, but the point was not in fact to merely kill a man. The point was to send a message.

In the meanwhile, the Allanean Army began moving towards the nearest city – that being Zerfon. Amusingly, however, they had no interest in entering it. Instead, they took to the highest hills adjacent to the city. There they began to dig.

[Egalitarian Akros]

The house-to-house fighting in Hozaknaw had kept much of the Federal Expeditionary Force busy, with the combat having turned into a stalemate thus far. The Federals were confident, however, that the enemy would yield soon, as the bulk of their troops were concentrating on this town and faced mostly garrison and police units.

OOC: I apologize for my absence from the thread for a while, but a lot of other things came up in RL.

[Late Republican Rome]

Titus Favonius was glad to have the fresh legions with him and his force plumped out to eight legions in total now. This would enable him to put a lot more pressure on the enemy defenders in Hajul and compel their surrender.

So far, he had simply laid siege to the city, as his army was fairly small in its first wave and his intelligence had warned him of possible fierce resistance. So his artillery, heavy and light alike, were busy, particularly the Vulcan rockets. His air support had been re-based, so it was just now catching up with him. It would certainly help out when it arrived in force.

The main assault could wait for the reinforcements. Favonius was no professional or expert, but he was smart enough to listen to the centurions as well as the upper-class officers, and they all told him, from primus pilus to the most junior of centurions, that a frontal assault with less than half of his army and little air support was impractical at best. So he played it carefully and softened up the foe until the time arrived to attack en masse.

That moment was here....or would be very soon.

[The Philippiniada]

The Empire of the Philippiniada
Office of the President
Maniylad, Philippiniada

To: Nations Involved
From: President Darren Anselmo, The Empire of the Philippiniada

Greetings.

We implore BOTH SIDES to resolve the situation through diplomatic means and avoid unnecessary bloodshed. This is a domestic issue of the Nation of Parthia Magna and their people alone, This is a clear and blatant disregard of the sovereignty of Parthia Magna and must therefore cease. As of right now, We only recognize Great King Phraates XVIII as the legitimate leader of his nation and his government, all must go in due process of the constitution. And every other means, revolution, coup d'etat, or a power grab will be considered as unconstitutional and will be dealt accordingly by the Empire. Also, as of right now. We are placing the Tenth Imperial Fleet and an Imperial Carrier Strike Group near the waters of Parthia Magna, We warn each side that if a single Filipinian would die in their hands. It would be a considered as an act of war by the Empire. Though we hope it won't happen and this crisis will be resolved as soon as possible.

Have a pleasant day.

[[SIGNED]]
Darren Anselmo
President
The Empire of the Philippiniada

[NOTED]]
Her Majesty Bernadette III
Empress
The Empire of the Philippiniada

[Parthia Magna]

The tactic chosen by Allaneans so far was perhaps somewhat subtle. Loaded into the combat computers of several Sandakan class cruisers were strategic and tactical maps of Parthians. Adjustments were made – and about half an hour later, without any particular hurry, fifty-five stealth cruise missiles took to the air.

Of these, fifty were targeted solely at police stations held in loyalist parts of the country. They flew low over the ground, avoiding surviving Loyalist RADAR. The police stations could not, of course, move out of the way, so once their location has been known, targeting had become easy.

Five more missiles had been distributed among the palaces of the Great King. He would likely not be slain by this – and perhaps the palaces would not even be brought down, but the point was not in fact to merely kill a man. The point was to send a message.

In the meanwhile, the Allanean Army began moving towards the nearest city – that being Zerfon. Amusingly, however, they had no interest in entering it. Instead, they took to the highest hills adjacent to the city. There they began to dig.

"My lord, this is unfortunate, yes, but the enemy rockets were simply nothing that we could stop. They somehow have the ability to avoid our radar. As for our police, well, they have their hands very full with ....survival issues, Sire. It would do no one any good to arrest those responsible for the destruction of your palace here, and the other ones, since those people are the enemy themselves, and we would have to capture them alive first....a very difficult task to put it mildly.

"As for counter-attacks, we are hard pressed to defend ourselves at the moment. The scale of the insurgency is unimaginable, Great One. We were not aware or prepared for this level of disloyalty and treason, and it has caught us a bit off-guard. After all, no one has challenged your throne until now. We are offering decent resistance at Hozaknaw, but our foes have brought in some reserves and started to use their full power there. We can not hold out for much longer, without a serious relief column, which we cannot spare at the moment. Any minute could bring news of a complete annihilation of our garrison there, as we are simply outnumbered as well as outgunned....," the Grand Vizier Magadates reasoned with his royal master.

"Magadates, I gave you this office to produce results, not excuses. I expect precisely that. I want you to drive our foes out. I don't care how you do this, just the fact that you must. The alternative is a sacrilege even to mention. Do you understand what I wish of you, Grand Vizier?" the Great King was not in a mood to listen, as he made clear to his chief minister.

[Parthia Magna]

The tactic chosen by Allaneans so far was perhaps somewhat subtle. Loaded into the combat computers of several Sandakan class cruisers were strategic and tactical maps of Parthians. Adjustments were made – and about half an hour later, without any particular hurry, fifty-five stealth cruise missiles took to the air.

Of these, fifty were targeted solely at police stations held in loyalist parts of the country. They flew low over the ground, avoiding surviving Loyalist RADAR. The police stations could not, of course, move out of the way, so once their location has been known, targeting had become easy.

Five more missiles had been distributed among the palaces of the Great King. He would likely not be slain by this – and perhaps the palaces would not even be brought down, but the point was not in fact to merely kill a man. The point was to send a message.

In the meanwhile, the Allanean Army began moving towards the nearest city – that being Zerfon. Amusingly, however, they had no interest in entering it. Instead, they took to the highest hills adjacent to the city. There they began to dig.

"Indeed, my lord, it is so. The enemy has not yet attacked us. He is simply digging......I know not why. He is a mystery to us. I would have launched an assault by now, but not the foe. This is very problematic, as this means that the enemy is unpredictable by our standards, which renders much of our intelligence and operational analysis worthless. I do not even know his goal in this operation, so I am as mystified as you, sir," the intelligence officer, who held a rank equivalent to major, told his commander, in this case, the satrap himself.

"So I see....so, by your own admission, you are useless. Then we don't need your help anymore, do we? Guards, seize him! Have him burnt alive as an example to others who offer us nothing but failure," the satrap ordered, feeling a bit heated himself. After all, the Great King would hold him personally responsible if he didn't hold the city, so there was no point in surviving a defeat. It was either victory or death, and in the latter case, he would do the honors rather than wait for the royal executioners. It was likely to be less painful that way, and he might have time to send his family to safety if he took charge of it....

...The satrap shook off that thought....it was blasphemous to even consider the ramifications of defeat. The Royal Cause was a sacred one and the life and the reign of the Great King were sacrosanct. Nothing was allowed to meddle in such things. It was unthinkable to any true Parthian...which said a lot about the rebels to the satrap.

[Parthia Magna]

The house-to-house fighting in Hozaknaw had kept much of the Federal Expeditionary Force busy, with the combat having turned into a stalemate thus far. The Federals were confident, however, that the enemy would yield soon, as the bulk of their troops were concentrating on this town and faced mostly garrison and police units.

OOC: I apologize for my absence from the thread for a while, but a lot of other things came up in RL.

"Sir, we can not fight it out much longer at all. We have less than a days' worth of ammunition left. After that, the enemy will be able to move at all through our city. We should yield now. It would save many lives," the executive officer of the garrison voiced the universal view.

"Do it then. I am tired of fighting for a 'Great King' who cares nothing for the lives of his men or their families. Wave the white flag and hope for the best. Thankfully, my family is here. If they were somewhere else, I would be too afraid to stay here long enough to capitulate," the commander said.

"That is unacceptable," the satrap interjected with a dark look on his face...he gestured to the guards to arrest the commander, but they simply ignored.

"Do I need to make it plain that I ordered you to arrest this traitor?" the satrap spoke aloud angrily and impatiently.

"Men, arrest the satrap," the commander instructed them.

They immediately grabbed the furious governor, despite his squirming to break free.

"No, on second thought.....kill him now. Satrap Khosrau, for crimes against the people of this city, I hereby sentence you to death by gunshot," the commander reversed himself.

A few shots later....

"Okay, take his body out and display it to the citizens. That should appease them. Then signal the enemy that we wish to surrender. Hopefully, we can avoid more useless carnage."

"Yes, sir!" the XO saluted him and began to carry out his orders.

Translated Morse Code Message from the Parthians to the Akrosians: what are the terms of our surrender?

[Allanea]

On a hill overlooking Zerfon

The firing position had taken the infantrymen two hours to construct. Digging the trench itself – deeper than a man could stand – took only minutes with a regimental trench digger. The rest of it was building in firing steps, and fashioning firing niches in the trench wall with infantry shovels. It was dug just under the hill's crest, on the side facing the city – making observing the trenchline difficult from the other side. On the crest, two tanks had been dug in, using their own entrenchment gear, sunk into the ground to the very edge of the turret. Five yards to the left, a sniper has been laying in a shallow niche in the ground, practically invisible unless you knew where he was. The trenchline was growing long and complex by the minute, but already the line could accommodate a platoon of troops. Other positions on similar hills were alike.

The commander stood on the firing step – a simple earthen step on the trench wall, allowing him to poke his head over the edge, scanning the city with binoculars.

“Why are they not counterattacking yet?” - he asked his adjutant, perplexed. - “Are they going to try and hold us off, tire us out? A siege?”

“I do not know, Sir. What I know is, we should be starting any minute now. Waiting for the red rocket.”

The commander stepped back from the trench, checking his watch.

“It would not be long now.”

*

The infantryman looked out to the far-off city. He was invisible this distance – merely another bush or bump on the ground, concealed by his uniform. He raised his weapon – more powerful than any gun or bomb at this point. It was a two-barreled flare launcher.

He pulled the trigger.

The gun recoiled in his hand, nearly wrenching his wrist out of the joint, and two flare rockets began to climb – bright red, visible even in broad daylight.

*

The commander grinned as he looked up into the skies. It was starting now.

From this hill – and others like it – Allanean soldiers could see far better into the city streets than the Parthian soldiers could see them. Snipers and mortar gunners sighted in on their targets – solitary police vehicles or uniformed men. Tank gunners engages enemy armored vehicles with high-accuracy guided missiles launched from their main guns – and when a few shots were fired, the tank would roll backwards out of its trench, not exposing more than the top of its turret to the enemy, and relocate using the back slope of thje hill. Snipers and mortarmen used the trenches to relocate.

Surviving police stations and garrisons suffered even more. Artillery rumbled, hidden on the far sides of hills, using computer targeting to drop shells on these well-known locations, and then rolled out of their positions after two or three shots, firing then from a new spot.

In the well-washed military language this was called “surgical artillery preparations.”

[Parthia Magna]

Titus Favonius was glad to have the fresh legions with him and his force plumped out to eight legions in total now. This would enable him to put a lot more pressure on the enemy defenders in Hajul and compel their surrender.

So far, he had simply laid siege to the city, as his army was fairly small in its first wave and his intelligence had warned him of possible fierce resistance. So his artillery, heavy and light alike, were busy, particularly the Vulcan rockets. His air support had been re-based, so it was just now catching up with him. It would certainly help out when it arrived in force.

The main assault could wait for the reinforcements. Favonius was no professional or expert, but he was smart enough to listen to the centurions as well as the upper-class officers, and they all told him, from primus pilus to the most junior of centurions, that a frontal assault with less than half of his army and little air support was impractical at best. So he played it carefully and softened up the foe until the time arrived to attack en masse.

That moment was here....or would be very soon.

"My lord, we are really under siege now, and by Romans- known masters of the art of investment. We should surrender. The alternative...well, I think that you know what it is. The last few rockets seriously damaged some of our power stations, and what happens when they get air support? What if they get impatient and launch an assault from all sides? What else can we do?" the military commander, Colonel Hydarnes, insisted.

"How dare you speak such treason in the presence of a satrap and the Magi? I should have you strung up by your gonads! We will NOT yield to the enemies of the Great King!" the satrap Ardashir thundered.

Colonel Hydarnes went abruptly quiet, but his eyes strongly hinted that the subject was NOT closed.

"In fact, I want you to launch an attack to break out of their trap, and do it as soon as possible, Colonel," the satrap continued.

"Sir, the enemy has us surrounded by more than 30 to 1, not to mention that they have heavy artillery and armor! Did I mention that they are likely to get air support soon? This is not courage, it is complete insanity!" the commander insisted.

"I have heard enough of your sedition! Do as you're instructed, Colonel, or I will replace you with someone who will!" the satrap insisted.

Colonel Hydarnes crossed himself, being a Nestorian Christian, and began to carry out his orders, though none too thrilled with them. He just hoped that the enemy wouldn't annihilate his men before this was done.

The garrison and local militia, despite being trained only for defensive war, gathered for a desperate assault upon what Hydarnes thought was the weakest part of the Roman perimeter. Even so, it was a reckless gamble, and for what....to save the Great King's hide? As far Hydarnes was concerned, the Great King could quite literally go to Hell. He only obeyed to avoid negative consequences for his own family.

But with nothing more than rifles and light artillery, this was suicide.

[Parthia Magna]

On a hill overlooking Zerfon

The firing position had taken the infantrymen two hours to construct. Digging the trench itself – deeper than a man could stand – took only minutes with a regimental trench digger. The rest of it was building in firing steps, and fashioning firing niches in the trench wall with infantry shovels. It was dug just under the hill's crest, on the side facing the city – making observing the trenchline difficult from the other side. On the crest, two tanks had been dug in, using their own entrenchment gear, sunk into the ground to the very edge of the turret. Five yards to the left, a sniper has been laying in a shallow niche in the ground, practically invisible unless you knew where he was. The trenchline was growing long and complex by the minute, but already the line could accommodate a platoon of troops. Other positions on similar hills were alike.

The commander stood on the firing step – a simple earthen step on the trench wall, allowing him to poke his head over the edge, scanning the city with binoculars.

“Why are they not counterattacking yet?” - he asked his adjutant, perplexed. - “Are they going to try and hold us off, tire us out? A siege?”

“I do not know, Sir. What I know is, we should be starting any minute now. Waiting for the red rocket.”

The commander stepped back from the trench, checking his watch.

“It would not be long now.”

*

The infantryman looked out to the far-off city. He was invisible this distance – merely another bush or bump on the ground, concealed by his uniform. He raised his weapon – more powerful than any gun or bomb at this point. It was a two-barreled flare launcher.

He pulled the trigger.

The gun recoiled in his hand, nearly wrenching his wrist out of the joint, and two flare rockets began to climb – bright red, visible even in broad daylight.

*

The commander grinned as he looked up into the skies. It was starting now.

From this hill – and others like it – Allanean soldiers could see far better into the city streets than the Parthian soldiers could see them. Snipers and mortar gunners sighted in on their targets – solitary police vehicles or uniformed men. Tank gunners engages enemy armored vehicles with high-accuracy guided missiles launched from their main guns – and when a few shots were fired, the tank would roll backwards out of its trench, not exposing more than the top of its turret to the enemy, and relocate using the back slope of thje hill. Snipers and mortarmen used the trenches to relocate.

Surviving police stations and garrisons suffered even more. Artillery rumbled, hidden on the far sides of hills, using computer targeting to drop shells on these well-known locations, and then rolled out of their positions after two or three shots, firing then from a new spot.

In the well-washed military language this was called “surgical artillery preparations.”

The effect of the enemy bombardment was total mayhem. The Parthians began to seriously panic and what forces that they had were too frightened to collect their thoughts. The militia simply melted away, and the police were already neutralized from the damage to their local stations so far.

That left the garrison, and the commander had just been literally fired. It was leaderless at the worst possible moment, and the satrap couldn't seem to organize it. Most garrison troops just ducked for cover and waited for the assault to end.

However, Ormisda, one of the satrap's bodyguards, reacted differently. He pulled out his sword, ceremonial though it was, and from behind put it into the satrap's back, severing his spinal cord and cutting into his stomach and small intestine. Realizing that the satrap deserved such a painful death, but fearing to let him live, Ormisda lifted his saber again and beheaded the governor. The other guards stood there in shock.

What was anyone going to do now?

After waiting for a few moments, Ormisda sheathed his bloody sword and declared, "I hereby assume command of this city as the new military governor. Are you with me?"

"Yes, sir," answered the other guards, instinctively respecting this show of natural leadership.

"What are your orders, sir?" one of the guards asked Ormisda.

"Yes, announce that we are loyal to the Surenas and send a courier to deliver a message to the Allaneans....that we are now on the same side, but we need help mopping up any potential hold-outs. Also, display the head to everyone in this sector and proclaim the abolition of slavery in this city. That should get us plenty of local support. The garrison will soon join us en masse, though the police may put up some resistance. That's who I meant by 'hold-outs', of course," Ormisda answered.

"As you wish, my lord," said the guard, and he passed the orders on to a courier, who hurried to the Allanean trenches to deliver it to the commander there.

[Parthia Magna]

"Father, it is over. Guards, kill my father. I am the Great King now," said Prince Gautama, the firstborn son of the sovereign.

In scant seconds, Phraates XVIII entered the next world, ceasing to be flesh and becoming pure spirit.

"The King is dead. Long Live the Great King Gautama!" Magadates the Grand Vizier spoke up.

"Excellent! Now, how do you propose to expel these invaders, Grand Vizier?" the new monarch questioned the chief minister, who had aided him in the palace coup.

"Urgently beseech the sympathetic foreign powers to act quickly. Nothing else can save your reign from being much shorter than your father's," the Grand Vizier replied with brutal candor.

"That will do. Yes, arrange it, Grand Vizier. We badly need all of the help we can get, as much as I hate to admit....it is manifestly true, or else I would still be a prince, and not the Great King."

To our foreign allies, from the Court of Great King Gautama IV of Parthia Magna

We implore you to come to our assistance with all haste. If, as you say, you recognize only the legitimate monarch as the true ruler of this nation, that is now the Great King Gautama, and the matter is urgent. Please, come to our relief.

In the name of Ahura-Mazda, Lord of Light,

Magadates, Grand Vizier of Parthia Magna

"What now?" the Great King asked his chief adviser.

"We launch a serious counter-attack in an area where we have a realistic chance of success, such as this city here, Vafovye. It is currently under attack by rebel forces, and if we throw our full might into it, we may yet hold it for Your Majesty," the Grand Vizier suggested.

"Make it so," the new Great King, an avid Trekkie, answered.