Disclaimer: I don't own HP.
AN: Here it is at last. Please accept my humble offering of literature =).
Chapter Four: Invasion
Imperium Royal Flagship Dragon'sTriumph (IRF Dragon's Triumph)...
The Dragon's Triumph was the largest of the last few battleships still functioning in Ionos. It was an outdated ship armed with weaponry that's only place in the world was in a museum to be looked at. Nonetheless, it had been hauled out of storage for this occasion after the shipwrights made some repairs and recast some maintenance charms to keep the ship intact. It wouldn't do if the ship sporadically fell apart in the midst of a battle, would it?
The Royal Flagship would not be under any threat of being blown to bits any time soon, however. Its main purpose was symbolism…well that is until the shipwrights could finish overhauling it. Once that was done, it could be a rather terrifying ship. The Dragon's Triumph was a behemoth in size, easily dwarfing modern wizard battleships. And if it happened to strike fear into the hearts of their enemies, whether by its staggering mass or by its fearsome reputation in naval combat years past, the better for the fleet. After all, a weary army was less likely to be daring.
For now, however, it would serve as the command ship to the small assault fleet of Ionos, coordinating the three battleships from Norway, and their accompanying barges, in battle. This was the reason why Harry found himself on said ship, to oversee the battle. As the king and, therefore, the head of the state, of which the military was part of, he was technically the leader of this expedition. Of course, that didn't mean he couldn't listen to the advice of his staff now did it?
"Sire, the battleships are within firing distance of the shore." A Guardian informed him. "Commander Raphalle asks if we are to open fire on any insurgents sighted."
"Tell the Commander to prepare the cannons, but that he is not to open fire until ordered. Also, inform Director Sinther that he is to proceed with landing. Send a message to Faren that he is to move out with the rest of the Riders." Harry said, gazing coolly at the shore some distance away. "And accelerate to full speed. I want all of the men on the shore within half an hour."
"At once, my liege."
So the Battle begins.
The Eastern Forest, Prodimus…
A man leaned against a tree some distance away from the beach, scanning the approaching ships. Thought he looked outwardly calm, inside, he was thinking frantically of what to do. "The men are becoming restless." A voice told him. "They await your command."
The man ignored the message. "So, they came, just like you said they would."
"Then the time to act is now." The voice said with a tone of decisiveness.
"The men will be glad to hear this. It has been too long. The Last of the Legion rises once more."
"Such loyalty is commendable, Felix. The King will be glad to hear of it."
"Just remind him not to blast us off the face of the planet with those cannons of his when he sees my men."
"I expect that he will find out to whom you owe allegiance to before acting. You'll be glad to know this new King is more…level-headed then the last one. I doubt he'll be sending you off to any suicide missions soon."
"I should hope so. I barely convinced my men to defect to the King. We lost too many of our brothers in that war. The Last have suffered together for many moons. By doing this, we are turning our back on our comrades; the very men whom we bled and fought for."
"Have faith, my friend. That is all we can do now. I think its time we go meet this commander."
The Shore…
"Strange, very strange." Sinther muttered, as the barge he was on approached the shore. Three or four rafts ahead had already made landfall, and still no sign of hostiles in the area.
"What's strange sir?" Someone asked him.
Sinther glanced at the source of the question, recognizing it to be one of the newer members of the Elites. "I would have expected some sort of resistance by now. This commander isn't an idiot, you know. He was one of the best strategists of the Imperium before he rebelled. I should know. He taught me himself."
"He taught you sir?" The recruit asked disbelievingly.
"Well, I have to have been taught at some point by someone." Sinther said in a tone that strongly suggested he did not want to continue their conversation. The man wisely stayed silent.
The barge stopped some meters away form the shore, a wooden ramp that was being used as a makeshift wall was dropped, becoming a bridge to the shore. The men hastily went ashore, and in seconds, the raft was all but abandoned. The Commandant strode towards a group of men stationed at the middle of the formation.
"Commandant, its good to see you arrived safely." One of the men greeted, noticing his arrival.
"I appreciate the notion. How goes the landing?" He asked.
"Well, including the barges you came on and the ones landing now, we have nine platoons on the land, and a further eleven incoming. Four are assembled and ready to move out, the rest are being dealt with by their respective Platoon Leaders, sir. The IRF Dragon's Triumph has also accelerated in speed. We assumed that they would be landing soon." The same man replied.
"And you are?" Sinther asked, wondering who this man who had apparently taken charge of the group of officers before him.
"Lieutenant Jonathan Blackwood, sir, of the Third Platoon." The man answered.
"Excellent work, Lieutenant, I'll take it from here. Return to your respective platoons and begin clearing an area for the IRF Dragon's Triumph." Sinther ordered, making a mental note of the competent officer's name. "Prepare for the King's arrival."
"Yes sir." The officers saluted before dispersing.
"Two riders approaching quickly from the West!" Someone called out.
Sinther turned to look at the approaching riders. Even without being told, several soldiers near the direction of the newcomers had fanned out, ready to intercept the approaching party. "What's your business here?" One of the men asked.
"I am Guardian Donovan Orthex here with Captain Felix Storm to discuss matters with Commander Atheros." Came the quick reply. The shock the men felt was apparent in their faces.
"Let them pass!" Sinther shouted. The men responded to the order almost robotically, separating to leave an aisle clear for the riders to pass. The two men trotted forward, only slowing to a halt in front of Sinther. "It's good to see you again, Agent Orthex."
"Likewise, Director Sinther." Donovan greeted. And then the cheering started. Very loudly.
"Come with me, both of you. The King's ship is making landfall." The Battalion Commandant said, heading towards the source of the shouting. Felix visibly winced at the volume of shouting, which grew louder as they approached the ship. It seemed that those in the army were still very supportive of the King. Despite their obvious enthusiasm, the men were disciplined enough not to break rank, leaving plenty of space to move around. Another direct result of this was the lack of obstruction in their line of sight.
The King descended from the ship regally, surrounded by a squad of Guardians. Cheers of "Long Live the King!" filled the air once more. The party continued onwards, ignoring the almost hysterical shouting about them. "Welcome ashore, Sire." Sinther greeted, bowing slightly.
Harry nodded back in acknowledgment. "Who are those two men behind you, Commandant?" He asked.
"To my right is Agent Donovan Orthex of the Guardian's Espionage Division and to my left is Captain Felix Storm."
"He is a loyalist under General Anthony Hampshire." Donovan added.
"I had thought there were no loyalists under that man. It is good to have you with us, Captain." Harry said.
"Not all of us have forsworn you, as your reports might have indicated." Felix replied. "There are those of us still loyal, and many, I believe would turn to you should you choose to be lenient. They fear your retribution, my liege, and our history with royalty has not been very pleasant, so to speak."
"I will think of what you've said, Captain." Harry said, turning to his Guards. "Leave us." The Guards nodded, forming a perimeter some distance away, out of earshot.
"What can you tell me about the Legion's positions?" Sinther asked, unfurling a map of the island and placing it on the ground for them to see.
Felix studied the map briefly before speaking. "Right now, we are here." He said, pointing at the easternmost part of the island. "The Legion's main camp is here." He moved his index finger some distance to the southwest passing over an illustration of a forest. "The encampment will be defended by roughly fifteen hundred men. A further nine hundred are stationed in the port town of Theros to the southeast of the camp; closer but still a good distance from our position. It is also where the General is."
"What point would separating those men serve?" Orthex asked, curious.
"The original idea was that if one group was attacked, the other would reinforce it by flanking the attacking force." The Captain explained.
"That's rather daring." Sinther commented. "Exactly the sort of plan Anthony would have made."
"Well, Commander Hampshire always was a bit of a risk taker." Felix agreed. "But only when he thought the men wouldn't be put in too much unneeded danger."
"How many men do you have with you, Captain?" Harry asked, returning to the main topic of their conversation.
"Approximately three hundred cavalry and a hundred mounted archers, Commander. They are waiting in the forest."
Harry made some quick mental calculation. "That leaves two hundred men unaccounted for." He stated matter-of-factly.
"They are most likely patrolling the island, although I made sure that only my men would be assigned to this area. You should be safe from discovery until we make our move." Felix assured.
"That's odd." Sinther muttered, studying the map. "The towns of Vonos and Dirth to the west and northwest are completely undefended."
"The locals are rather…open of their support to the King. Out of the three towns, Theros seemed to be the least opinionated on the matter, and therefore, the least likely to cause problems when besieged. The locals will only rise up in arms with the backing of the army. Otherwise, they would be discontent, but relatively undisruptive." The captain expounded. "So how should we proceed?"
Harry looked around, assessing their situation. "We have, maybe, sixteen hundred foot, and four hundred horsemen. In addition to that, there will be eight hundred more foot landing soon. That may not be enough for a decisive victory."
"You're forgetting that we have the cannons and the Dragons to support our troops on the field. We control the sea and the sky. You yourself called in a squadron of riders which will arrive in thirty or forty minutes." Sinther countered. "That should be enough to carry us through."
"Perhaps, but wouldn't it be more prudent to wait for reinforcements before acting? We would have a supreme numerical advantage then. It would help with the morale issue bothering some of the men. The Legion is composed of trained war veterans. Our men are practically new recruits. They haven't been hardened by the field of battle." Harry argued.
"We must strike hard and strike fast if we are to be sure of victory, sire. Drawing out this conflict is not a good idea."
"Then what do you suggest we do, Commandant?"
"Take your men and march to the encampment, with Felix's cavalry clearing a path for you. Use the cannons on the ship and the Dragons to your maximum advantage. Those two things should wreak enough havoc to snatch you a quick victory. Meanwhile, I'll march my battalion alongside yours, then swing south and hit Theros."
"Bottling up the General and his men in the town. You'd be keeping General Hampshire from being able to take effective command of his main force." Felix said, nodding in understanding at the plan's concept.
"Very well, since you all seem to be agreed to this then we shall follow through with this plan. Commandant, have the men moving out in ten minutes." Sinther saluted, and promptly left them.
"This General is a smart man, I've been told. Wouldn't he have some contingency plan to prevent this scenario from happening?" Harry asked
Felix remained silent for a moment, a haunted look passing over his face briefly. "I very much doubt he expected someone to reveal his plans to his enemies."
One Hour Late, Anthony Hampshire, Legion Headquarters…
"Are you sure of this report?" Hampshire asked his aide, his voice strained.
"Yes sir. The scouts have recognized the King's Banner on the approaching force's battle standard. We estimate a thousand footmen less than a half hour's march from here."
"Who's leading them?" He asked, rubbing his forehead.
"We haven't determined it yet, though we suspect him to be a Dragon Elite." The response came.
So it will be my student then. No one else would dare to face me in the field of battle except him. How they overpowered Felix's men and prevented any word of this from getting out is beyond me. Though I shouldn't doubt my apprentice's ability. I taught him to be the best, just as I taught Felix, albeit Felix isn't as experienced.
"Assemble the men."
"Yes sir. Legionnaires Forever!" The aide hailed, chanting their motto.
"Legionnaires Forever." Hampshire answered in a less enthusiastic tone. The old general slowly strapped on his chainmail and sheathed his sword. He grabbed his helmet and his shield, as he stood up. The sound of a bugle could be heard, even inside the building. It was made sure that such an instrument would be heard throughout the town.
He waited for a few minutes, taking a last look at himself in the mirror. Anthony Hampshire, Last General of the Legion, stepped out of his Headquarters to face his men before him. "Men, today, we face our greatest challenge in years. It has been a long time since we've faced others on the field of battle, especially in numbers this great. These men outnumber us; that we all know. I will not lie to you. If we beat back these men, there will be more who will follow." An ominous silence fell on those gathered there.
"But they will not break us." A growl of approval met his statement. "Together, we have fought against hordes of men and together, we survived! For years, we have faced hardships and together we overcame them. Any obstacle set before us, we conquered! And what we could not pacify, we obliterated!
"For years, we have been the best force of men known to this side of the Channel. And we still are!" The cheering started at this point. "Those ragtag militias the Imperium heralds as their army may defeat us with their numbers, many as they are. But we will show them what we are made of, that I assure you! We will force them to pay such a heavy price for their victory that they shall remember us 'til their dying day.
"We have passed through the trials of fire and steel, bloodied but unbowed! And we shall face our enemies once again as we have done in years past. When the sun dawns on the bloodied fields tomorrow, the Imperium will cower when they say our names." Hampshire unsheathed his sword, raising his sword in the air. "They shall know why We. Are. The Legion!"
The General mounted a nearby horse. "To your posts! We go to war!"
"...The Dragon's Triumph remains as one of the largest battleships in the world with a length of 103 meters and a beam of 14 meters. It has a capacity of over a hundred and thirty standard cannons, not including the twin Colossus Class Cannons mounted on its forecastle…Despite its massive size, it is still able to travel at a remarkable maximum speed of thirty-two knots...It was reported to be able to house thousands of men, using magic to expand the ship's interior exponentially…"
-excerpt from: The Imperium Fleet, Chapter V: Flagship of the Dragon Fleet, by Jonathan Moor
"…#897: While wizarding ships look much like those the muggles used during medieval times, there are many key differences between the two so that one may recognize one from the other. A key example is that wizarding ships usually have mounted artillery pieces on their decks and forecastles. This serves as either as an aerial defense or for long range bombardment capabilities.
"Another important difference to be noted is the ammunition that is used. Wizards use a container filled with a stabilized, concentrated form of the powder known as Levis Praemium. This container is then fitted into a cannon, which slowly gathers magic from its surroundings in a separate valve located on one end of the cannon. To speed up this process, wizards usually channel their own magic into the valve. Once filled, the valve will suddenly release all its pent up magic into the cannon, propelling the projectile…What's interesting to note about the Levis Praemium is its diluted form is an ingredient used to create the cards of the popular game 'Exploding Snap'…"
"...#951: Due to the age lengthening effects of magic, the retirement age from active military duty is at the age of a hundred, though most can request to be honorably discharged upon reaching the age of fifty…"
"#982: Military ranking, grouping and etc. at the lower levels has, surprisingly, remained very similar to the muggle world for centuries with few exception despite the opposition of purebloods to all things muggle. However, the system deviates from its non-magical counterpart as it reaches the level of regiments…"
-excerpt from: A thousand and one things I bet you didn't know about the Magical World, Chapter Eight: Secrets in the Military, by William Weasley