Chapter 13.2: Here We Stand!
For a while after the declarations of war from the great powers of the East, it would seemed like it might had been a phony war. The war had gone smoothly and Gallaeci seized control of the Egyptian Iberian Territories rather easily. Aside from a few scout ships, little action occurred for a few months and Gallaeci slowly built up their army in anticipation of any amphibious assault. The cries of battle slowly became a distant dream for the Gallaecians and people went about their business. Some people wondered if there had really been a war. They are, after all, a distant remote corner of the earth. Do the world powers really care for them at all?
April of 588 AUC would signal a violent change that would dispel all doubts. Earlier in the month, an uprising had occured in Cynetes in the south, rebels who had been under Egyptian rule and perhaps grew content to their dominion. Luxinius was initially ordered to take the army south and suppress this uprising, but enroute passing Lusitani, war horns and beacons sounded from their southern border.
Several large fleets had been sighted and were sailing directly for Lusitani and hearlands of Gallaeci. The fleets carried the banner of the faraway Bosporan Kingdom and Pontus. The Bosporans arrived at the shore of Lusitani and were preparing to disembark. Seeing this, Luxinius assembled and mobilized the army to meet them at the beach.
'My men, this will be the greatest battle that you or any of your forefathers have ever witnessed. Never before had enemies of this magnitude dare to soil the land of our people. If Iberia is what they wish for, then Iberia is what they will taste when their heads hit the ground. Here we stand, my men. Right here, on this beach, we shall make a statement and uphold the freedom of our people!'
Luxinius skillfully placed his men in defensive formation where the Bosporans were planning to land. His scouts tell him that they are numbered 26000, but that does not matter to Luxinius. They have the advantage of terrain and they want to strike them fast and hard before they had a chance to orient themselves after long months at sea.
The great battle for Lusitani pitched 18000 Gallaecians against 26000 Bosporans who had sailed across the world thirst for battle. But on this day, Luxinius would emerge victorious through his military cunning and familiarity with terrain. 10000 Bosporans were slaughtered that day with the rest fleeing south. Pontus, who were following close behind, elected not to confront Luxinius' directly after witnessing the massacre on the beach and elected instead to sail north to capture Astures, where Gallaeci raise their horses for their calvary. Luxinius was conflicted, but knew they must exterminate his enemies before they grow stronger and pursued the Bosporans instead.
On the state front, Gallaeci is starting to running low on their war chest after raising the enormous army and the senate had no choice but to raise the tax to help fund the war. The citizens, however, are still far removed from the conflict around them and a pursuit of decadence ensued in the cities.
Meanwhile, after a few months of Cat and Mouse chase, Bosporan finally got news of their Pontus ally's whereabouts and fled north in hopes of joining them. Pontus, however, hearing the news of the fearsome Gallaeci army bearing down upon them, fled and lifted the siege at Astures before the arrival of the Bosporan and the pursuing Gallaecians and turned towards the capital instead. The Bosporans were easily caught and cut down after months of evading Luxinius, but news from the south came that a sizeable Egyptian reinforcement had arrived and is entangled with the rebel forces.
The Egyptians defeated the rebel forces with ease and continued the siege that the rebels had started. This posed a major headache of Luxinius, as he is now forced to lift the siege in Cynetes or lose the province he had captured. In the end, he moved his army south and elected to deal with the Pontus later.
As the army moved south, however, Luxinius saw a familiar sight as he passed Lusitani: the sight of enemy landing forces. The Seleucids have joined the fray and is planning a second invasion of Lusitani after Bosporans had failed to capture it.
Once again, he organized the defence for the city. He is destined to be the protector of his people and Gods had willed him to be here at just the right time to intercept the invading force. The Seleucid general, Asklepiodorus Apollonid, was just as celebrated and famed in his own country as Luxinius in Gallaeci. They are both renowned military generals and both displayed a brilliant command of their armies. Luxinius was able to come out victorious on the virtue of favourable grounds and repel the Seleucid assault, but it was a costly victory. He had achieved his first goal, however, by dealing a powerful enough blow to their army as to attain numerical advantage, which would prove critical in later engagements.
The Seleucids fled south in hopes of joining the Egyptians, with Luxinius in hot pursuit, sending his cavalry ahead with his signature move and taking the favourable ground as the bulk of his army advanced after them. The news came from Egypt that the civil war had ended with the fall of the rebels. Luxinius knew this means trouble since Egypt can now put the full weight of their army upon them.
Desperate for help, Luxinius sent word back to the capital hoping the senate would negotiate a truce with the Egyptians to avoid a prolonged conflict that they can't win. He knew the extant of these Eastern Empire's power and the terrible wrath they are capable of unleashing. His pleas fell on deaf year as the senate, dominated by the military faction, adopted a hawkish stance and would not negotiate a peace short of decent compensation. In these old fools' mind, they are winning the war and would not settle for anything less than a grand offer of tributes.
Luxinius marched on and scored another important victory against the Seleucids. 'What does these victories all mean in the end?' he wondered to himself. He could not see the future but he can feel that a dark shadow of dread is coming. Would all his laurels on the battlefield mount to anything in the end?