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After all the victories, Generał Gilbert de Saint-Pierre decided to, once more, adress all the soldiers who remained loyal to the Emperor
"Soldiers and Sailors of the Hispanian Imperial Armed Forces.
Today, as of year 1755, the war has come to an end.
I will not hide the facts. It was a hard, long and blood filled campaign, a campaign which will go down in history as an example of the Might of our Empire, and the strength of its people.
Many of our brothers-in-arms died in combat, however it is up to us to prevent their names from being forgotten.
Each and every one of you showed an undying loyalty to our Emeperor, Alfons. And for that each and every one of you desrve to some kind of reward. An order, so when your grandchildren come to you, you can proudly say 'I fought for Hispania, and for its Emperor.'
This campaign was filled with blood, toil, sweat and tears. It wasn't fought with gold, but with these four things.
However, today, we showed the world that no matter if the threat to our freedom comes from the outside, or the inside, the Hispanian man is strong enough to face it.
I thank you all for your hard service, I thank you all for your sacrifice. And today, I thank you for it not as a general, but as one of you, the brave soldiers of Hispania."
After the speech, general Gilbert petitioned the Emperor about creation of a Medal of Bravery and Valor in the Field, and awarding it to every soldiers who showed these merits on the Field of battle. He also proposed 3 levels of said medal. Bronze, Silver and Gold for those who showed the most bravery (or the highest stupidity. Or both) on the field, risking their lives in order to save their compatriots.
The general also proposed a change of the flag, simply saying "It is clear that a time has come for a change. We must change everything that might remind of the old order, as new times for Hispania have come."
(( This is just my way of proposing we should vote for a new flag ))
"Villanova, no matter how this will turn out, you will be remembered as a great general, unwavering in the line of duty, even facing nearly certain defeat. I salute your bravery. As of every single man. Always think about this: Our ideals will persist. We have won." Montségur told his assistant Field Marshal before he left for Africa, well aware that his risky plan was the only chance for Phoenix's victory in the civil war. As he said, they had already won no matter the result. As he reached the shore, not noticed by any Imperial ship, he knew that phase one was successful. Now for phase two.
As the men held the Nile delta, he knew this would mean the end. The lesson was taught, and for his final success, the capture of Valencia had to be more smoothly. This and the many cowards who all shared his opinions but preferred staying on the Imperial side. As they did at least, the necessary reforms had to be forced now - certainly not in the extent he would have, but it would be a beginning. An overwhelming number of Imperials closing in from both sides, he moved towards one branch of the mighty river, put his uniform on some sacks and into a small boat, as if a person sat in it, after having given his men the order to surrender. Then, in the uniform of a simple soldier, he made his way to the Exercit Colonial, where nobody would recognize him, and slipped away undetected as the eyes of most Imperial troops were on the boat drifting down. What they would do with it was not his problem. He had negotiations in Germany to take care of.
((As for who I'll continue as in Hispania, that will come later.))
((all shall bow to the new order. Also, I choose to use my role as former Prime Minister to start the trials.))
Sophia grimaced as the Council assembled. The Phoenixes had surrendered and it was time to decide their fate.
"It is time to decide the punishment of the rebels. This is what I plan.
For Lieutenant General Blanco, we strip him of his title and discharge him from the Army.
For Field Marshal Villanova, we discharge him, execute him, and strip his son of the county of Provence. We may grant the title to another of his family, but neither he nor his sons will be Lords. Also, his place in the Order of Light is to be removed.
For Montsegur, since we do not have the man, I choose this. We strip his family of all titles, force his line to renounce any claims to the Kingdom of Tunis, fine them four parts in five of their wealth, discharge all Montsegur in the Army or Navy, forbid any Montsegur man currently alive from serving in the military, and brand the foreheads of all such so they cannot use a false name. We will continue the hunt for Montsegur so he can face his execution in time. But this is the judgement I give to a family that made a great effort to overthrow us.
To the remaining soldiers, I choose to discharge the officers and reduce the others to Private. We will rebuild the rebel Exercits.
To Austria we demand all of our Italian land back, and Istria to Byzantium. We also demand all of their land by the Mediterranean. Our alliances with them is to be ended, permanently."
((Trial))
"I believe we must show our immense gratitude towards the French people for upholding their alliance in our time of need by giving the province of Wallis and Sundgau. If Austria declines these terms, I believe they should face war from the mighty Hispanian Empire."
((Could we have a map of Austria with province names, to best partition the traitorous scum?))
Indeed, the French have earned such a prize. Call the French Ambassador so he can negotiate on their behalf. Also, bring me my son. His absence is troubling.
Sophia shifted from her place in the Prime Minister's spot to look at the empty seat to her left where her son should be.
"While I agree with most of these judgments, I would prefer that no more blood is spilled. I feel that the only one deserving the highest penalty is de Montsegur. The rest was simply misguided by his poisonous words. And while their crime against our great nation is not a light one, I do not think they deserve to lose their life for it. We simply musn't lower ourselves to the level of the traitor and execute all those that did us harm.
Instead of killing Villanova, I say we banish him to one of the colonies in Africa where he might still prove useful to our Empire by helping in develop.
I would also like to propose the immediate closing of the TATC, since that name has been dishonored and replacing it with the FML. I will be speaking on their behalf for now, since my dear brother was murdered in cold blood by the Phoenixes. The league is also willing to give itself into greater crown surveillance, to prevent such treacherous gambits from happening again."
I feel that since we offeree amnesty to the surrendering rebels, we need to respect it. How better to show our honesty by sparing them death. Of course, to prove that, someone needs to be executed.
Also, Villanova didn't surrender, and he is the highest ranking officer on hand. He was a Field Marshal. He was the second in the Army.
No, we need to set an example. Let the people learn what happens when one of our finest sons stabs us in the back.
(( First day of the trial already ended for this Ic))
The prison guard opened the door of the prison cell. In his hand he had old bread and some cheese and water. He had knocked at the door four times but when no one answered he stepped in.The reason for the silence was that Juan slept. The guard shook his shoulder but Juan lied just there. Then the guard saw that his eyes were open. And the guard heard no breath. it needed some time but then he recognized that Juan was dead. He clearly killed himself, a string of his cloth was bound around his throat. And at a small table there was a letter
Court of Hispania
If you read the letter i'm dead. I heard you want to remove me from the army and the army is my live. What am i without title and land? One of this courtiers, eating the rests of the emporer as long as he gives them his "grace".
One day, Phoenix soldiers awoke to find hundreds of leaflets lying around on the ground. Each one read:
"We are the Reconquista. You are surrounded. Lower your weapons and surrender yourselves. We will add your distinctiveness to our own. Resistance is futile."
The leaflets were signed with the insignia of the Reconquista, a stylized "R."
---
Captain-General Duke Alejandro de Leon y Asturias, Marshal of the Realm, knew that the Reconquista had succeeded in its mission when some of his patrols found dozens of Phoenix men running away from the battlefield, clearly terrified.
"Now!" he said.
With a loud shout, the Imperial soldiers emerged from their hiding places, raised their rifles, and opened fire. Cannons hidden in the hills nearby lobbed lead projectiles towards the disorganized Phoenix troops, cutting down hundreds of them.
---
Ten minutes later
Phoenix Field Marshal Villanova looked out across the battlefield as his men scattered and ran like ants.
"Sir," said his aide, "Should we escape? Lord Dictator Montsegur has already left."
"The Lord Dictator is the leader of the Phoenix cause," said Villanova, "I am not. I am merely a single general. My loss will not harm the war effort. I shall stay here and surrender like an honorable man. As for you, I shall allow you to leave the battlefield and join Montsegur."
The aide nodded and rushed away.
Villanova sat down on the soft grass of the hill and waited. He didn't have to wait long, for a few minutes later soldiers wearing Imperial uniforms approached him, rifles raised. Among them was Alejandro de Leon y Asturias.
"Hello, Villanova," said Alejandro. "Before I send you away to be tried as a traitor to the Empire, I have one question for you."
He got on his knees, his eyes now level with Villanova's while Reconquista agents approached him.
"Where is Montsegur?"
---
Rosetta, several weeks later
"Enemy in sight!" shouted one colonel, pointing towards the lines of men trudging across the dunes of the Sahara.
"Finally, he's here," muttered Alejandro, "Prepare for battle!"
His men loaded their cannons and swiveled them into position.
"Wait until they draw closer," he said.
The Phoenix soldiers advanced over the dunes, heading straight for them. He could now see that some of them were quite tired and demoralized. Some had already collapsed from exhaustion.
"Ready..." he said. "FIRE!"
And the cannons let loose with a roar that shook the desert. The guns fell silent for several minutes as the dunes exploded in plumes of sand, throwing dozens of men into the air and scattering the rest in all directions. One man, on horseback, frantically brandished his sword and shouted orders that were lost in the confusion. Alejandro assumed it was Montsegur.
"Charge!" Alejandro shouted, brandishing his sword. "For Hispania!"
"FOR HISPANIA!" The Imperials charged the disintegrating Phoenix lines, utterly unopposed.
Alejandro led the charge, tens of thousands of Hispanians behind him. Ahead, the Phoenix troops continued to scatter in all directions, but they were quickly forced back together by heavy cannon fire. None of them would be able to escape.
The Imperials reached what remained of the Phoenix lines, and the battle quickly went in Alejandro's favor. Sadly, most of the enemy soldiers threw their guns down and went down on their knees begging for mercy before his men had a chance to kill them. Only a few hundred soldiers actually resisted, and they were predictably destroyed.
The battle lasted into the late afternoon. By then over half of the Phoenix army had surrendered and been taken into custody, while the rest had been killed. However, Montsegur was nowhere to be found. He was not among the dead. He was not among the captured. He was not among those that Alejandro had personally fought. So when news that the last Phoenix soldier had surrendered arrived in his tent, he eagerly went out to meet this man, hoping that it was Montsegur.
It was not him. It was Villanova's former aide (as he claimed to be), who had been hired as Montsegur's aide.
Alejandro sighed, realizing that Montsegur had gotten away again. But with his armies destroyed and his movement in ruins, he could not achieve anything now.
But he still wanted closure.
"Where did Montsegur go?" demanded Alejandro.
The aide pointed in the direction of the Nile.
Subsequent searches of the river turned up a small boat with Montsegur's uniform in it, but the man himself was not in it; the uniform was promptly confiscated as a spoil of war, to be presented to the Emperor when he got to Corsica, while everything else was burned. Alejandro had expected this diversion, so he ordered the Reconquista to investigate all ships leaving Egypt, as well as any "newcomers" to his armies, where an fleeing general would likely try to hide in first. However, he ordered them not to harm Montsegur or even make their presence known to him. Instead...
---
((Private))
Montsegur woke up one day to find a letter placed next to him, next to a dagger driven into the ground.
Montsegur,
You have escaped me for the last time. I let you escape, for if I did not you would already be dead at the hands of the Reconquista, who delivered this letter to you. Leave Hispania, and never return. If you ever return to Hispania, I shall be forced to kill you. Consider this my last act of mercy.
Funny how it all comes to this. Once our families were allies, exploring the New World together. I assume your father or grandfather told you a story of how one of your ancestors saved the life of my ancestor deep in the Amazon forest. What got into you, that you had to rebel against the Empire and disgrace your entire family? You know that all of you relatives still in Hispania will be disgraced and dishonored for the rest of their lives. They will never again serve in the military or the government, thanks to you. They will never again be nobles. Instead, they will have to work in the fields, serving those they once ruled over. They will forever be outcasts in their own homeland. All because of you. When you arrive in whatever country granted you asylum, remember your family and what happened to them because of you. You could of course turn yourself in and plead for them to be spared disgrace, but I don't think you'll do that.
Anyways, I have written more than you deserve to read. Let your remaining years be spent in exile from home, spent thinking over your sins and your mistakes, and when you die and go to Heaven or Hell, may you spend eternity contemplating yourself.
Farewell for the last time, Alexandre.
Alejandro de Leon y Asturias, Marshal of the Realm
---
The next few days were a blur of celebrations. Alejandro first marched to Alexandria, where he was greeted by cheering crowds as the savior of the empire. There he gave his men two days of rest before ordering them to embark on a fleet bound for Corsica.
---
((Public/Trial))
"Agreed," said Alejandro, "We must make an example of the traitors, but we must not make them into martyrs. However, I feel that branding the foreheads of all Montsegur men would be going a bit too far, but that is just my humble opinion.
"I agree that banishment is the most suitable punishment for the rebel generals, after they have been stripped of their ranks, commands, and titles, of course. In rebelling against the Crown they have forfeited any right to continue living in Iberia. Let us banish them to the farthest colonies of the Empire, where they can try to redeem themselves and their families. We should disband the traitorous TATC and establish a more loyal trading company in its place, though the TATC leaders who sided with us should be reimbursed first."
Alejandro noticed the Empress Dowager's comment that Villanova didn't surrender.
"Your Majesty, with all due respect, when I apprehended Villanova at Granada it seemed like he willingly surrendered to my men, and thus I ask you to show him some mercy by banishing him to a far-flung colony, so that he can spend the rest of his life in exile and contemplating his mistakes."
((Enlightened Despotism: Yes
Also, sorry for borrowing characters in this IC. I hope everybody's okay with my depiction of Villanova.))
Gilbert read the smell more coming from the Marshal few times, a new idea appearing in his mind.
He decided to share it with the Empress to gain her insight on it
(( Trial; private with the Empress ))
"I believe we could use Villanova's request to our advantage.
If we do let him live, for now, stage a specific scene and allow the public to believe that some remiaining Phoenix forces captured him and executed his.... We could fuel the hatred towards the rebels even further. And we would gain everything. The traitor's death, fulfilment of his, almost worthless, wish, and more support of our people.
Please understand that I'd love to wish to see him dead, but from a different point of view I am forced to say he should live."
After the speech, general Gilbert petitioned the Emperor about creation of a Medal of Bravery and Valor in the Field, and awarding it to every soldiers who showed these merits on the Field of battle. He also proposed 3 levels of said medal. Bronze, Silver and Gold for those who showed the most bravery (or the highest stupidity. Or both) on the field, risking their lives in order to save their compatriots.
The general also proposed a change of the flag, simply saying "It is clear that a time has come for a change. We must change everything that might remind of the old order, as new times for Hispania have come."
(( This is just my way of proposing we should vote for a new flag ))
((all shall bow to the new order. Also, I choose to use my role as former Prime Minister to start the trials.))
Sophia grimaced as the Council assembled. The Phoenixes had surrendered and it was time to decide their fate.
"It is time to decide the punishment of the rebels. This is what I plan.
For Lieutenant General Blanco, we strip him of his title and discharge him from the Army.
For Field Marshal Villanova, we discharge him, execute him, and strip his son of the county of Provence. We may grant the title to another of his family, but neither he nor his sons will be Lords. Also, his place in the Order of Light is to be removed.
For Montsegur, since we do not have the man, I choose this. We strip his family of all titles, force his line to renounce any claims to the Kingdom of Tunis, fine them four parts in five of their wealth, discharge all Montsegur in the Army or Navy, forbid any Montsegur man currently alive from serving in the military, and brand the foreheads of all such so they cannot use a false name. We will continue the hunt for Montsegur so he can face his execution in time. But this is the judgement I give to a family that made a great effort to overthrow us.
To the remaining soldiers, I choose to discharge the officers and reduce the others to Private. We will rebuild the rebel Exercits.
To Austria we demand all of our Italian land back, and Istria to Byzantium. We also demand all of their land by the Mediterranean. Our alliances with them is to be ended, permanently."
I do not believe it necessary to strip Field Marshal Villanova's son of his title. From what I heard, the man tried to keep his lands and people out of the conflict, but his hand was forced by the presence of the Exercit Provence. If necessary, it could be passed on to the next in line. Despite his recent actions, I do not believe Villanova should be removed from the Order of the Light. He earned his spot there, and one fatal mistake should not taint the legacy of a once great man.
Punishing the family for the actions of one man is by far to harsh. Stripping them of their titles may be necessary, and even fining them, but I will not see them branded. That is barbaric and should not even be considered.
I do not think it is wise to force a conflict with Austria after undergoing such a conflict with ourselves. Have the Hispanian people not suffered enough? I shall not see Hispanians march to war so soon after they have shed their own blood. We shall demand our rightful land back and that will be the end of it. If we are fortunate, we can attempt to salvage the Quadruple Entente and restore peace and prosperity.
- His Imperial Highness, Alfons IX de Trastámara, Emperor of Hispania, Caesar of Rome, & Protector of the Greeks
((Trial))
"I believe we must show our immense gratitude towards the French people for upholding their alliance in our time of need by giving the province of Wallis and Sundgau. If Austria declines these terms, I believe they should face war from the mighty Hispanian Empire."
((Could we have a map of Austria with province names, to best partition the traitorous scum?))
This is not the time for more bloodshed after so many have died in this unneeded conflict. Have you all not had enough? If any of you feel the need to fight the Austrians, I expect to see you leading the armies from the frontline.
- His Imperial Highness, Alfons IX de Trastámara, Emperor of Hispania, Caesar of Rome, & Protector of the Greeks
"While I agree with most of these judgments, I would prefer that no more blood is spilled. I feel that the only one deserving the highest penalty is de Montsegur. The rest was simply misguided by his poisonous words. And while their crime against our great nation is not a light one, I do not think they deserve to lose their life for it. We simply musn't lower ourselves to the level of the traitor and execute all those that did us harm.
Instead of killing Villanova, I say we banish him to one of the colonies in Africa where he might still prove useful to our Empire by helping in develop.
I would also like to propose the immediate closing of the TATC, since that name has been dishonored and replacing it with the FML. I will be speaking on their behalf for now, since my dear brother was murdered in cold blood by the Phoenixes. The league is also willing to give itself into greater crown surveillance, to prevent such treacherous gambits from happening again."
"Agreed," said Alejandro, "We must make an example of the traitors, but we must not make them into martyrs. However, I feel that branding the foreheads of all Montsegur men would be going a bit too far, but that is just my humble opinion.
"I agree that banishment is the most suitable punishment for the rebel generals, after they have been stripped of their ranks, commands, and titles, of course. In rebelling against the Crown they have forfeited any right to continue living in Iberia. Let us banish them to the farthest colonies of the Empire, where they can try to redeem themselves and their families. We should disband the traitorous TATC and establish a more loyal trading company in its place, though the TATC leaders who sided with us should be reimbursed first."
Alejandro noticed the Empress Dowager's comment that Villanova didn't surrender.
"Your Majesty, with all due respect, when I apprehended Villanova at Granada it seemed like he willingly surrendered to my men, and thus I ask you to show him some mercy by banishing him to a far-flung colony, so that he can spend the rest of his life in exile and contemplating his mistakes."
Name: John FitzRoy
DoB: 27th April of 1731
Religion: Protestant
Class: Noble
Bio: John is the son of collateral line of the FitzRoys. With 20 he decided to move to Hispania. Some of his relatives had land there, near Pisa. When he turned 24 his old aunt, Lady Felicia di Vallo, born as a FitzRoy, died. In the civil war he supported a local milita with food and money. The militia fought against the Phoenix movement. Luckly the lands of the FotzRoys in Italy weren't destroyed or burned down and so he had a place to live. When he appeared he at court he gave some big festivitys and then he announced that he wanted the county of Pisa.
()Juan is dead, there is the next family ))
(( And here's my proposition for our new flag, in an in-game format. It was already presented in the Imperialist Military HQ. I don't know if someone showed it to the non-military group. ))
(( On another note: Since we're talking about changing our flag and COA, it might be about time to update the crown on it Because of my memory serves me right the crown that's currently above it is of a "kingdom rank", and we've been an empire for quite a while now. ))
(( And here's my proposition for our new flag, in an in-game format. It was already presented in the Imperialist Military HQ. I don't know if someone showed it to the non-military group. ))
(( On another note: Since we're talking about changing our flag and COA, it might be about time to update the crown on it Because of my memory serves me right the crown that's currently above it is of a "kingdom rank", and we've been an empire for quite a while now. ))
))
