((Joint IC with @Michaelangelo, showing the Greek's response to the Veto))
((Private - Constantinople))
Pausanias grimaced as me walked up the steps to the Imperial Palace. He was carrying a rolled up sheet of paper and several wooden figures. As he entered the room where the meeting would be held he set the objects down and waited for the Basileus to arrive. This was the deciding moment for everything he had worked for.
Basileus Ioannes X showed up several minutes later, noticeably late. The man was not one to rush to the call of anyone. A servant accompanied him with some parchment, a quill, and an inkpot, with the simple task of scribing any events or thoughts the basileus chose to express. The servant walked with a limp, an ailment brought on by earlier failures to record what the basileus had wanted. As Ioannes swept into the room, bedecked in purple, he turned to Pausanias with a displeased expression and said, “I hope there is a pressing reason you required my presence.”
Pausanias greeted his Emperor as he arrived. It wouldn’t do to not show the Basileus the respect he deserved. His rule was a great improvement over the Regency Council. He knew the Basileus did not approve of the liberties he took during it, but it was needed to stabilize Byzantium caused by the chaos of too many people having control. Better that one man replaced them. He answered the Basileus, “I assure you there is, it is about the safety and security of the Nation, the greatest threat to it, and my solution to the problem.” He hesitated, but eventually rolled out the sheet of paper he had. It was a large map, with Byzantium at the center. All of the Rivers and Mountains were on it, with all known bridges and other easy areas to traverse the hostile terrain marked in another ink, likely Pausanias’s. Close inspection of the map would reveal that it was accurate. He took some of the wooden figures and started placing them on the map. “This represents the current state of Byzantium, its borders, soldiers, and fortifications. We have around 75 thousand Imperial soldiers, half that in provincial defenses and around 30 thousand as reserves for either. A great number, you may say, but given the circumstances not enough. For example, if this army were to suddenly be discovered here, what do you think they could be capable of before they are stopped?” Pausanias set up a great host in Serbia, more than they could field on their own. Close inspection revealed the army represented thirty thousand Polish soldiers in the nation’s capital.
Basileus Ioannes looked down at the map with cold disinterest. “You suspect a Polish invasion?”
“I suspect many things. And prepare for even more! But, I will show you how such an event would be handled.” Pausanias then showed the Polish army advancing occupying most of the Northwestern Balkans in a frightening pace. Given the Polish aptitude for their Hussars, this was a likely scenario. Then the Byzantine Army arrived, with reinforcements from Thrace, and the forces of Anatolia moving to close the gap the Thracian Army left. Fourty-Five Thousand Byzantines engaged Thirty Thousand Polish, and sent the invaders back to their side of the Danube. The troops then reclaimed the lost lands. “But that is not all. Now watch.” Suddenly, another thirty thousand Polish appeared at the Coastline of the Black Sea, entered Byzantium, drove the Thracian Army, Twenty thousand strong, away, and started to besiege Constantinople itself. In the West, another Army Thirty Thousand strong appeared, marching to the Danube “And if I were a Polish General. This is how I would break Byzantium’s back. What do you think of this?”
“I doubt even the Poles could march through stone walls,” Ioannes said, examining the map. “We do have forts all throughout Greece and the Balkans for the sole purpose of fending off such invasions of our territory. Any such invasion is doomed to break against our walls once reinforcements arrive.”
Pausanias answered. “The Polish will be hampered by our forts yes, but not enough to stop them. And they may not be alone in this invasion.Poland has allies, and As for reinforcements, are you counting on allies for these reinforcement? I would be reluctant to shape our defensive policy on the goodwill of others. I would greatly prefer to have a self-sufficient defense. As for that, I propose an alternative scenario.” Pausanias moves the borders of Byzantium until the Balkans are all in purple. The Balkans were framed by two mighty rivers, the Danube and Soca. He placed fortifications on the rivers, and shipyards for river galleys. An impressive defense. “Now let me show you what I think will happen.” A army thirty thousand strong approaches the Soca, and attempts to cross at a low point in the river. A river galley arrives, delaying them. After a while a small force crosses the river under the cover of night and begins to siege the fort guarding the bridge. The Byzantine Army in Serbia arrives and decimates the Polish force, leaving the main force on the other side of the river without a way to cross. Elsewhere, the Thracian Army engages the invading Polish Army. It ends in a Byzantine victory, without the Anatolia Army moving to reinforce either of the other two armies.
“And this shows the power of terrain. He who controls the rivers and mountains is he who is safe, protected, unassailable. Now you know why I have been insistent on expanding until we have these advantages.” He points to the land in the Balkans and Eastern Anatolia. They were either near a river or had great mountains in them. “This is why I did not approve of Hispania giving us Syria.” Syria clearly did not have these defenses. “Any force that makes it through the Levant will conquer Syria, it is a guarantee. And as long as Serbia and Hungary have land in the Balkans, little can stop an invasion from occupying the Balkans as well. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and that weak link is in Serbia. This must be corrected. As you may know I have already attempted to fix it, but was disappointed. Hispania seems to intend to force us to accept this weakness in our defenses. But I have a solution to this situation, would you like to hear it? “
“I fear you overestimate the threat of Poland and Serbia,” Ioannes said, not very convinced by the argument. “We have fended off invasions from the north before, and it should be noted that no one has outright attacked us in centuries. I do not suspect the Poles, and certainly not the Serbs, would risk an outright war over the Balkans.” Ioannes glanced over at his scribe, who was busy writing out his words.
“I have to be prepared for all eventualities. That is my duty as Megas Domestikos. I must be ready for such an unprecedented invasion, as I must be ready for the fact that we would be caught unaware of such a thing and without aid. Saying that such a thing is unlikely would not be of any use when an enemy army marches into your palace to give you the choice of surrender or death. What I showed you was the worst case situation, make no mistake I already have a solution to deal with it, but having control of all the Soca and Danube would make our position easier to defend, and thus safer. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, after all.”
Basileus Ioannes nodded his head. “Indeed, such borders would be preferable. Once the mood of Hispanian court has swung back in our favour, we’ll undoubtedly secure the remainder of the Balkans.”
“The Hispanian Emperor is already supportive of this campaign. As is their Chancellor. The problem is that their Cortz isn’t. And this Cortz has hamstrung their Empire. I believe that the Nobility of Hispania is, for some reason, under the persuasion that we are their subjects, and exist to do their bidding. I hope you disagree with this. I certainly do, for the Greeks are slaves to no one. Hispania is already split on the issue. I suggest that we provide an incentive to aid our ally to support us in this war. It is simple, we call for the aid of the other three members of the Quadruple Entente!”
Ioannes let out a small chuckle. “Ambitious, and likely to fail. Hispania’s allies are not our allies. I see no reason why they would accept to aid us in a conflict not of their interests. In some cases we may be competing with their interests, such as with Austria, while others, such as Sweden, are so distant they rarely even get involved in Hispania’s own conflicts. France would be most willing due to our dynastic ties, but they would be unlikely to get involved with us unless Hispania is as well.”
“You are correct about our position with the other nations, but there is more to it than that. Sweden may be far away, but they are bordering Poland, and there is little love lost between them. I believe that Sweden will be much more willing than you think, especially if they were to gain land near the Baltic. As for France, they claim to be an Empire as well as Hispania, but are clearly second to them. Have you noticed that the less capable brother tends to be the one who seeks to prove himself more? I believe that France would take an opportunity to show that they are worthy of their claim to Empire. As for Austria, their willingness to protect Hungary is an obstacle, but not a large one. Hungary has been humbled by Poland, with their land near the Carpathian Mountains lost, their primary defenses, and now stands as threatened as we are, if not more so. They are desperate to reclaim the land between the borders and the mountains to regain their safety. I propose we make a deal, we aid them in regaining their rightful lands that they can defend, and they give us the land in Serbia, that they cannot defend. A diplomat of your skill should be able to negotiate such a deal. And with relations with Hungary stabilized, the Austrians will march against their hated enemy to support their ally. We may have little in common now, but I believe mutual hatred of the Pole will carry the day.”
“Perhaps such a plan would work, but it would undoubtedly anger the Hispanians, something we cannot afford,” Ioannes said. “I see no reason why we must push for conquest of the Balkans at this time anyway. We must secure our possessions in Anatolia and Syria first. The Balkans can wait. We must be patient, for in time they will surely be ours. Forcing the issue will just cause untold problems.”
“It will take time to make all these deals anyways, diplomacy takes a frustratingly long time. I will begin preparing our Armies for this war, in secret of course. And as the other nations join, so will they. When we are ready, two or three years from now, our Coalition will approach the Hispanians with a offer. Join, or watch as we do it ourselves. Together, we would be powerful enough to do so. I do not see why Hispania will not demand we wait again if we approach them alone. That is why we will not do so. But I must ask, do you agree to this? Such a plan will need your support, after all”
Ioannes gave the appearance of carefully studying the map as he thought over the proposition. Was it worth antagonizing Hispania for such gains? Then again, was there any harm in reaching out to Hispania’s allies? Surely Hispania could not fault him and his people for seeking aid for something of such concern to them. The act of reaching out to France, Austria, and Sweden should be harmless enough, but a declaration of war made without Hispania would be the point of no return. Perhaps with the backing of its allies, Hispania would have no choice but to join, but surely that would change the very nature of its relationship with Byzantium. And what if Hispania refused? The aftermath would be anything but pleasant. Perhaps it was better to consider that prospect once it was a reality.
Turning back to Pausanias, Ioannes said, “Very well. Send out diplomats to Hispania’s allies seeing if they are amiable to such a proposal. Make it clear though that for now this is a mere suggestion and not something we are bound to follow through with as of yet. I want to ensure such a plan is possible before we bring it before Hispania.”
Pausanias smiled, “Thank you for your consideration of this. You have proved to be more decisive than the Regency Council, and I applaud you for that. In fact, that is why I chose to come to you with this. With a strong Basileus, I no longer see a need for independent action. I only did what I thought was best, and I never disobeyed the Council’s orders, no matter how destructive they were. But now we have purpose and unity, and with it we will surely prevail.” He gestures to the map and figurines. “I leave this will you, perhaps a nephew or cousin will be fascinated by them. I have an Army to prepare, so I must bid you good day Basileus. You are making the right decision, and I promise you will not regret it.”
As the Megas Domestikos left, Basileus Ioannes turned to his scribe with a cold glare. “Did you write this all down?”
The scribe nodded enthusiastically.
“Good,” Ioannes said, spinning back towards the door. “If you mention this conversation to anyone, I’ll have you blinded and castrated.”
The scribe gulped nervously, resigned to nodding his head in agreement. With that settled, the two left the room, the Basileus’s mind whirring over the possibilities that were to come.
((Private - Constantinople))
Pausanias grimaced as me walked up the steps to the Imperial Palace. He was carrying a rolled up sheet of paper and several wooden figures. As he entered the room where the meeting would be held he set the objects down and waited for the Basileus to arrive. This was the deciding moment for everything he had worked for.
Basileus Ioannes X showed up several minutes later, noticeably late. The man was not one to rush to the call of anyone. A servant accompanied him with some parchment, a quill, and an inkpot, with the simple task of scribing any events or thoughts the basileus chose to express. The servant walked with a limp, an ailment brought on by earlier failures to record what the basileus had wanted. As Ioannes swept into the room, bedecked in purple, he turned to Pausanias with a displeased expression and said, “I hope there is a pressing reason you required my presence.”
Pausanias greeted his Emperor as he arrived. It wouldn’t do to not show the Basileus the respect he deserved. His rule was a great improvement over the Regency Council. He knew the Basileus did not approve of the liberties he took during it, but it was needed to stabilize Byzantium caused by the chaos of too many people having control. Better that one man replaced them. He answered the Basileus, “I assure you there is, it is about the safety and security of the Nation, the greatest threat to it, and my solution to the problem.” He hesitated, but eventually rolled out the sheet of paper he had. It was a large map, with Byzantium at the center. All of the Rivers and Mountains were on it, with all known bridges and other easy areas to traverse the hostile terrain marked in another ink, likely Pausanias’s. Close inspection of the map would reveal that it was accurate. He took some of the wooden figures and started placing them on the map. “This represents the current state of Byzantium, its borders, soldiers, and fortifications. We have around 75 thousand Imperial soldiers, half that in provincial defenses and around 30 thousand as reserves for either. A great number, you may say, but given the circumstances not enough. For example, if this army were to suddenly be discovered here, what do you think they could be capable of before they are stopped?” Pausanias set up a great host in Serbia, more than they could field on their own. Close inspection revealed the army represented thirty thousand Polish soldiers in the nation’s capital.
Basileus Ioannes looked down at the map with cold disinterest. “You suspect a Polish invasion?”
“I suspect many things. And prepare for even more! But, I will show you how such an event would be handled.” Pausanias then showed the Polish army advancing occupying most of the Northwestern Balkans in a frightening pace. Given the Polish aptitude for their Hussars, this was a likely scenario. Then the Byzantine Army arrived, with reinforcements from Thrace, and the forces of Anatolia moving to close the gap the Thracian Army left. Fourty-Five Thousand Byzantines engaged Thirty Thousand Polish, and sent the invaders back to their side of the Danube. The troops then reclaimed the lost lands. “But that is not all. Now watch.” Suddenly, another thirty thousand Polish appeared at the Coastline of the Black Sea, entered Byzantium, drove the Thracian Army, Twenty thousand strong, away, and started to besiege Constantinople itself. In the West, another Army Thirty Thousand strong appeared, marching to the Danube “And if I were a Polish General. This is how I would break Byzantium’s back. What do you think of this?”
“I doubt even the Poles could march through stone walls,” Ioannes said, examining the map. “We do have forts all throughout Greece and the Balkans for the sole purpose of fending off such invasions of our territory. Any such invasion is doomed to break against our walls once reinforcements arrive.”
Pausanias answered. “The Polish will be hampered by our forts yes, but not enough to stop them. And they may not be alone in this invasion.Poland has allies, and As for reinforcements, are you counting on allies for these reinforcement? I would be reluctant to shape our defensive policy on the goodwill of others. I would greatly prefer to have a self-sufficient defense. As for that, I propose an alternative scenario.” Pausanias moves the borders of Byzantium until the Balkans are all in purple. The Balkans were framed by two mighty rivers, the Danube and Soca. He placed fortifications on the rivers, and shipyards for river galleys. An impressive defense. “Now let me show you what I think will happen.” A army thirty thousand strong approaches the Soca, and attempts to cross at a low point in the river. A river galley arrives, delaying them. After a while a small force crosses the river under the cover of night and begins to siege the fort guarding the bridge. The Byzantine Army in Serbia arrives and decimates the Polish force, leaving the main force on the other side of the river without a way to cross. Elsewhere, the Thracian Army engages the invading Polish Army. It ends in a Byzantine victory, without the Anatolia Army moving to reinforce either of the other two armies.
“And this shows the power of terrain. He who controls the rivers and mountains is he who is safe, protected, unassailable. Now you know why I have been insistent on expanding until we have these advantages.” He points to the land in the Balkans and Eastern Anatolia. They were either near a river or had great mountains in them. “This is why I did not approve of Hispania giving us Syria.” Syria clearly did not have these defenses. “Any force that makes it through the Levant will conquer Syria, it is a guarantee. And as long as Serbia and Hungary have land in the Balkans, little can stop an invasion from occupying the Balkans as well. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and that weak link is in Serbia. This must be corrected. As you may know I have already attempted to fix it, but was disappointed. Hispania seems to intend to force us to accept this weakness in our defenses. But I have a solution to this situation, would you like to hear it? “
“I fear you overestimate the threat of Poland and Serbia,” Ioannes said, not very convinced by the argument. “We have fended off invasions from the north before, and it should be noted that no one has outright attacked us in centuries. I do not suspect the Poles, and certainly not the Serbs, would risk an outright war over the Balkans.” Ioannes glanced over at his scribe, who was busy writing out his words.
“I have to be prepared for all eventualities. That is my duty as Megas Domestikos. I must be ready for such an unprecedented invasion, as I must be ready for the fact that we would be caught unaware of such a thing and without aid. Saying that such a thing is unlikely would not be of any use when an enemy army marches into your palace to give you the choice of surrender or death. What I showed you was the worst case situation, make no mistake I already have a solution to deal with it, but having control of all the Soca and Danube would make our position easier to defend, and thus safer. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, after all.”
Basileus Ioannes nodded his head. “Indeed, such borders would be preferable. Once the mood of Hispanian court has swung back in our favour, we’ll undoubtedly secure the remainder of the Balkans.”
“The Hispanian Emperor is already supportive of this campaign. As is their Chancellor. The problem is that their Cortz isn’t. And this Cortz has hamstrung their Empire. I believe that the Nobility of Hispania is, for some reason, under the persuasion that we are their subjects, and exist to do their bidding. I hope you disagree with this. I certainly do, for the Greeks are slaves to no one. Hispania is already split on the issue. I suggest that we provide an incentive to aid our ally to support us in this war. It is simple, we call for the aid of the other three members of the Quadruple Entente!”
Ioannes let out a small chuckle. “Ambitious, and likely to fail. Hispania’s allies are not our allies. I see no reason why they would accept to aid us in a conflict not of their interests. In some cases we may be competing with their interests, such as with Austria, while others, such as Sweden, are so distant they rarely even get involved in Hispania’s own conflicts. France would be most willing due to our dynastic ties, but they would be unlikely to get involved with us unless Hispania is as well.”
“You are correct about our position with the other nations, but there is more to it than that. Sweden may be far away, but they are bordering Poland, and there is little love lost between them. I believe that Sweden will be much more willing than you think, especially if they were to gain land near the Baltic. As for France, they claim to be an Empire as well as Hispania, but are clearly second to them. Have you noticed that the less capable brother tends to be the one who seeks to prove himself more? I believe that France would take an opportunity to show that they are worthy of their claim to Empire. As for Austria, their willingness to protect Hungary is an obstacle, but not a large one. Hungary has been humbled by Poland, with their land near the Carpathian Mountains lost, their primary defenses, and now stands as threatened as we are, if not more so. They are desperate to reclaim the land between the borders and the mountains to regain their safety. I propose we make a deal, we aid them in regaining their rightful lands that they can defend, and they give us the land in Serbia, that they cannot defend. A diplomat of your skill should be able to negotiate such a deal. And with relations with Hungary stabilized, the Austrians will march against their hated enemy to support their ally. We may have little in common now, but I believe mutual hatred of the Pole will carry the day.”
“Perhaps such a plan would work, but it would undoubtedly anger the Hispanians, something we cannot afford,” Ioannes said. “I see no reason why we must push for conquest of the Balkans at this time anyway. We must secure our possessions in Anatolia and Syria first. The Balkans can wait. We must be patient, for in time they will surely be ours. Forcing the issue will just cause untold problems.”
“It will take time to make all these deals anyways, diplomacy takes a frustratingly long time. I will begin preparing our Armies for this war, in secret of course. And as the other nations join, so will they. When we are ready, two or three years from now, our Coalition will approach the Hispanians with a offer. Join, or watch as we do it ourselves. Together, we would be powerful enough to do so. I do not see why Hispania will not demand we wait again if we approach them alone. That is why we will not do so. But I must ask, do you agree to this? Such a plan will need your support, after all”
Ioannes gave the appearance of carefully studying the map as he thought over the proposition. Was it worth antagonizing Hispania for such gains? Then again, was there any harm in reaching out to Hispania’s allies? Surely Hispania could not fault him and his people for seeking aid for something of such concern to them. The act of reaching out to France, Austria, and Sweden should be harmless enough, but a declaration of war made without Hispania would be the point of no return. Perhaps with the backing of its allies, Hispania would have no choice but to join, but surely that would change the very nature of its relationship with Byzantium. And what if Hispania refused? The aftermath would be anything but pleasant. Perhaps it was better to consider that prospect once it was a reality.
Turning back to Pausanias, Ioannes said, “Very well. Send out diplomats to Hispania’s allies seeing if they are amiable to such a proposal. Make it clear though that for now this is a mere suggestion and not something we are bound to follow through with as of yet. I want to ensure such a plan is possible before we bring it before Hispania.”
Pausanias smiled, “Thank you for your consideration of this. You have proved to be more decisive than the Regency Council, and I applaud you for that. In fact, that is why I chose to come to you with this. With a strong Basileus, I no longer see a need for independent action. I only did what I thought was best, and I never disobeyed the Council’s orders, no matter how destructive they were. But now we have purpose and unity, and with it we will surely prevail.” He gestures to the map and figurines. “I leave this will you, perhaps a nephew or cousin will be fascinated by them. I have an Army to prepare, so I must bid you good day Basileus. You are making the right decision, and I promise you will not regret it.”
As the Megas Domestikos left, Basileus Ioannes turned to his scribe with a cold glare. “Did you write this all down?”
The scribe nodded enthusiastically.
“Good,” Ioannes said, spinning back towards the door. “If you mention this conversation to anyone, I’ll have you blinded and castrated.”
The scribe gulped nervously, resigned to nodding his head in agreement. With that settled, the two left the room, the Basileus’s mind whirring over the possibilities that were to come.
