Chapter 6 - Strategic Reserves Doctrine
15-8-1581
Yamatai - Bay & Fortified Fishing Hamlet
By the end of the day, only 300 out of the 1500 invading cultist-army successfully fled to safety. The rest were either killed in action, missing in action, mortally wounded or crippled. With the Armor of God and the grace of Saint Mary of Victory, the expedition only suffered a minimum casualty of 30. These brave souls included 5 Portuguese musketeers, 5 naginata samurai and 5 no-dachi samurai, 5 ban-zutsu tanegashima ashigaru, 5 nagae yari ashigaru and 5 Portuguese pikemen. The blessed expedition had a miraculous kill/death ratio of 40:1. Everyone rejoiced for the victory but also solemnly mourned and prayed for their deceased brethren. The expedition was also very lucky that no one suffered from permanent injuries. They were all temporary like broken/fractured bones; grazed, cut and pierced flesh. They could all be recovered in 2 weeks with proper medication and rest.
Once the adrenaline rush was over, Lara immediately rushed to meet Alex at the hamlet entrance. He only had light bruises, burns and concussion from the earlier gate explosion which would quickly heal within a week. The lovebirds hugged tightly, passionately locked lips, fought for tongue dominance and sucked each other's saliva dry. The entire scenery was so uncanny as they were fiercely making out… in front of the huge crowd crush corpse-hill. The passer-by soldiers cringed at their annoying lovey-dovey display of affection, mumbling salty comments about social moral collapse.
Despite winning a glorious triumph, the expedition did not rest at one. They were busy cleaning up the battlefield and burying the dead to avoid any corpse inflicted plague. The cultists' damned bodies were thrown to the outermost and deepest trench, roughly burned with incendiaries and then concealed with thick soil. The entire mass grave only had a simple wooden banner for indication. Meanwhile, the expedition's martyrs were properly land buried in a newly dug provisional cemetery with full military honours, Biblical epitaphs and Catholic ceremonies.
The troops also salvaged the battlefield for reusable equipment. Iron-heads of axes and arrows were melted to reforge as bullets and cannonballs; wooden bows, bamboo armour, shafts of axe and arrows were processed as charcoal for mixing gunpowder; wooden-plank shields were directly reused by the matchlock musketeers and pikemen as shoulder sling-shields against enemy projectiles; short spears were repurposed as javelins for the melee samurai. The hooded pagan shaman and his bodyguards were the last into battle and the first. They thus had no corpses or equipment left. There were also no grenades left as they were all sympathetic detonated during the siege. The cultists' hand cannons, matchlock muskets and ammunition were also salvaged. However, they were kept in the arsenal as reserve armament due to their substandard conditions. The equipment of the expedition's martyrs were also reused in their honour. 10 munitions-grade karuta tatami dō (from deceased ashigaru), 10 Nanban dō gusoku (from deceased samurai) and 5 munitions-grade almain rivets (from deceased pikemen) were all re-issued to the remaining 65 Portuguese musketeers. The 10 matchlock rifles (from deceased musketeers) were kept in arsenal as reserve armament since the remaining troops were occupied by various 2-handed weapons, rendering them too inefficient to operate matchlock muskets.
The expedition captured 100 mortally wounded or crippled cultists while cleaning-up the battlefield. They looked absolutely horrendous with collapsed skulls and rib cages; missing ears, eyes, jaws and limbs; completely maimed bones and joints; overflowing internal organs. Combining dirt, blood, sweat, mucus; these injured cultists did not even look human but damned souls of agony straight from Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy. Lara at one point discovered a maimed Korean cultist at a trench who could barely stand but held his midsection tightly with a thick black leather bag. Suspecting it as some kind of valuables, Lara demanded the man to hand over the bag. The man was disoriented and gave the young Countess no response. She thus forcefully yanked away the bag, only to find it was holding the man's exposing intestines. Without the bag and arms as support, the remaining guts instantly overflew and spilt all over the muddy ground. The momentary greed changed into regret and sympathy as Lara tried to put the man's pile of intestines back to his body. For a brief moment; there was no distinction between gender, race, ethnicity and religion. Basic human dignity and empathy for life were all that mattered. As Lara finished stuffing his intestines back, the mutilated cultist did not scream but shed a single tear and weakly smiled before passing away.
Was that a tear of regret for his sinful life? Was that smile a gesture of appreciation?
Lara could not answer as she did not know the man, not even his name. However, she felt the pain of suffering and reacted to his distress by pure instinct. Her humanity was still well intact after 3 years of combat. Lara signed in relief as she burned and buried the corpse at the mass grave.
16-8-1581
Yamatai - Bay & Fortified Fishing Hamlet
Only 10 captured cultists survived their wounds and lived to see the second day. They were imprisoned in the village hall and were instantly interrogated by Padre Sebastião, Capitão Cristóvão and Alferes Alex. They also brought along Lara as the command team believed her feminine charm could calm the cultists and make a better conversation atmosphere. At first, the approach was very friendly and peaceful. Padre Sebastião tried to convince the cultists to confess their crimes; geographical information of Yamatai; strategic locations, plans, tactics, equipment and manpower. He also attempted to persuade them to repent and embrace Christianity through Scholasticism by using philosophy, facts, science and logic. Unfortunately, Padre Sebastião was essentially talking to a brick wall. The vile vermin of satanism had rotten the cultists' souls, making them unable to see the truth of Christ. Capitão Cristóvão and Alferes Alex quickly lost patience. They escorted Padre Sebastião and Lara out of the hall and extracted information through the secular way - torture.
After some gouged eyes, ripped ears, split noses, smashed hands and crushed toes; the cultists gave up all information about Yamatai. Padre Sebastião and Lara also returned with huge notebooks in hand to record the conversation with careful elaboration and analysis. Apparently, this forsaken island was ruled by Himiko - the Sun Queen. She was born in 170 AD and was a demon-worshipper who sold her soul to Satan to communicate with hell and control various natural elements. She brainwashed an ever-loyal Samurai retainer-army known as the Stormguards. They ruthlessly carried the Sun Queen's orders and secured her rulership over Yamatai by all means necessary.
As Himiko grew old, she became obsessed with immortality for eternal power. In 248 AD, the 72 years old Sun Queen chose a priestess as successor and performed a satanic ritual. It transferred Himiko's rotten soul into the young woman, eradicating the latter's consciousness and permanently taking over the body as the new Sun Queen. Himiko thus continued her life and rule in different priestess bodies through practising the satanic ritual again and again whenever the host was dying, effectively becoming immortal. It was until the Kamakura period (1185-1333 AD), a priestess discovered the truth and foiled her plan by committed suicide on the verge of the transference. The corrupt ritual left Himiko's soul trapped in her decaying body, unable to die and live.
Desperate for Satan's assistance, Himiko ritually sacrificed Yamatai's entire population through the Stormguards. Her deceitful master answered… by turning the entire Samurai retainer-army as undead and cannibalistic Oni to accompany her eternally. As a slave to darkness, Himiko had no choice but to accept. With nothing else to do but rot and decay, Himiko channelled her rage and frustration to Hell, spreading its demonic influence on the entire island and the surrounding sea. It created unnatural and hazardous weather driven by Himiko's malice and consciousness. She thus deliberately sank ships and forbade the survivors to leave for the past 248-396 years. Himiko and her Stormguards lived in the Chasm Stronghold-Shrine-Ziggurat complex.
The insane Yamatai islanders all belonged to the demonic cult - Solarii Brotherhood which worshipped Himiko as a goddess. They were originally a mix of Japanese, Korean and Chinese shipwreck survivors and their descendants throughout the centuries. They developed a primitive caste society consisting of warrior-elites, commoners and slaves. They practised farming, herding, hunting and fishing as sources of food and economy. Women were either kept as breeding stock or sacrificed (tested) if they were worthy as Himiko's successor. The latter was obviously a way to appease the Sun Queen as they believed successful rituals would allow them to leave. However, it seemed like a wishful thinking because the sacrificial rituals all failed. Solarii cultist-population also kept decreasing as the cannibalistic Stormguards regularly hunted them down for food by systematically massacring settlements.
The first European shipwreck survivors arrived at Yamatai in 1550 which was 31 years ago. They belonged to an Anglo-Dutch galleon which somehow found the secret passage to East Asia even long before the pirate scum Francis Drake El Draque. Among the survivors was a ruthless, cunning and charismatic man simply known as Mathias. He led his crew joining the Solarii Brotherhood and somehow rose through the ranks rapidly with treachery and tricks. He eventually usurped as the cult's de facto leader and high priest, becoming the self-proclaimed "Father" Mathias. He ruled his ragtag faction with an iron fist, brutally suppressing mutiny and killing anyone who had slightly different opinions.
Due to the cannibalistic Stormguards' constant attack and raid for human flesh, Mathias ordered the abandonment of all Solarii settlements (explained why the fishing hamlet was deserted despite having excellent strategic values) except an ancient city. He relocated all the population and resources to fortify it as the Solarii Fortress. It not only repelled continuous Stormguard attacks for decades but also elevated Mathias as an infallible prophet within the cult. His authority and power were at absolute pinnacle, only second to Himiko on Yamatai… before the arrival of the exorcist-expedition.
Mathias originally had 1600 Solarii cultists while the Stormguards had about 400 elite undead warriors. However, the Brotherhood was significantly reduced to 400 after yesterday's siege and lost all numerical advantage over the Stormguards. As for the expedition, it currently had only 204 soldiers and was still the underdog among the 3 warring factions. However, if the Catholic Crusaders played the game right, they may outsmart both foes and kill two birds with one stone!
20-8-1581
Yamatai - Bay & Fortified Fishing Hamlet
The interrogation finally ended after numerous re-clarifications of details, codifying of conversation and drafting prototypical maps of Yamatai. The 10 captured cultists were given the last chance to repent and convert to Roman Catholicism. However, they all stubbornly refused and superstitiously believed that death would bring them to Himiko's ecstatic heaven. Their stupidity confused the entire expedition. The Solarii cultists could not endure pain and easily spilled all their secrets in the past few days. Yet, they could face the greater horror of death and still refused to accept the light of salvation. The 10 cultists were thus sentenced to death by decapitation. They were tied, rounded up and knelt in front of the mass grave. 10 samurai stood behind them with their trustful no-dachi. As the execution signal was given, 10 massive blades simultaneously hacked down, 10 heads rolled off shoulders and their bodies fell into the pit. Lara watched the entire execution sequence from afar at the defensive mud wall, subconsciously putting her right hand on the neck. If she was going to get killed one day, she preferred it to be a point-blank shot right in the chest. Fast and simple, a noblewoman ought to die standing.
With the newly drafted prototypical maps, the expedition finally had basic geographical knowledge of Yamatai. These locations included Mountain Temple-Village complex, Mountain Pass, Shanty Town, Cliffside Village, Cavern, Solarii Fortress, Summit Forest, Shipwreck Beach and Chasm Stronghold-Shrine-Ziggurat complex. Since both the enemy factions still had numeral superiority, the expedition would not spread its troops to mass explore inland but prioritised on searching and destroying Solarii Fortress and Chasm Stronghold-Shrine-Ziggurat complex. The expedition would also leave the fishing hamlet and sail to Shipwreck Beach, setting up a new fortified camp on the other side of the island. It was the closest to the two key target locations and thus convenient for operations.
Before evacuating the fishing hamlet, the troops barricaded the fixed gate with cheval de frise to prevent unwanted occupation. Although its effectiveness was very limited (enemy could simply use ladders to enter), it was still better than nothing. The soldiers were given 2 more days to collect and transport the entire arsenal; light fortifications of caltrops, mantlets and pavises; reusable planks, food and various natural resources back to São Nicolau de Mira before leaving for the Shipwreck Beach.
24-8-1581
Yamatai - Shipwreck Beach & Ship Breaking Hamlet
The expedition arrived at Shipwreck Beach and discovered a small ship breaking hamlet. Although the beach was rather wide and not as defensible as the fishing-hamlet's bay, its strategic resources and logistic significance were beyond measurable. The hamlet had a large storage house which still had some salvaged materials and equipment. There was a crude ship disposal factory to extract wooden planks and metal scraps; an old foundry which could be improved to effectively process metal and create quality new equipment and ammunition; a worn-out fishery for aquaculture. The troops also discovered a shabby but semi-functional kobaya. It could be easily repaired and sail through the narrow-shallow inland rivers. The expedition thus immediately fortified the area to secure these crucial resources and strategic infrastructures.
The defence construction was directly based on the previous fishing hamlet. The troops dug layers of trenches to surround the ship breaking hamlet. The soil from trenches was extracted to build basic defensive mud walls. Wooden planks were extracted from shipwrecks, the hamlet's storage house and São Nicolau de Mira's stockpile reserves to create abatis, cheval de frise and trou de loup to fortify the trenches; abatis and stockade to reinforce the walls. 3 beacons were constructed on the nearby hills to transmit alerts. Caltrops, mantlets and pavises from the previous base were now redeployed in the newly discovered ship breaking hamlet.
3-9-1581
Yamatai - Shipwreck Beach & Fortified Ship Breaking Hamlet
The fortification and the renewal of the ship breaking hamlet were finally completed. The engineers also fully repaired the kobaya and Padre Sebastião immdeiately blessed it with Holy Water, naming it São Brandão de Ardfert e Clonfert. While the ship was light and fast, its upper deck had no cover and was exposed to missile attacks. Alex thus modified it by attaching extra wooden planks, pavises and scrap metal plates to the bow, stern, port and starboard as armour protection. It increased weight and slowed the speed in exchange for complete immunity to arrows, a fair trade that everyone wanted.
According to the maps, both Solarii Fortress and Chasm Stronghold-Shrine-Ziggurat complex were on the shallow upstream of Yamatai. They could be easily reached by São Brandão de Ardfert e Clonfert. Squad Segundo and Quarto were ordered to operate the kobaya as a mobile reconnaissance base in searching for the target locations. Quarto was a squad of 14 men and focused on range firepower. It had only 6 melee frontliners, including 2 Portuguese pikemen, 2 nagae yari ashigaru, a no-dachi samurai and a naginata Samurai. There were 8 missile backliners of 4 Portuguese musketeers, 3 ban-zutsu tanegashima ashigaru and a o-zutsu tanegashima samurai. The joint-squad (platoon) consisted of 30 soldiers in total and was issued with extra rations. 16 would row the ship while the other 14 provide overwatch. Occupations/duties would shift periodically to maintain efficiency.
The riverine-reconnaissance operation would commence tomorrow morning. Squad Segundo and Quarto were given the rest of the day to relax. While Padre Sebastião and Samantha were busy playing shōgi, Lara and Alex were having fun around Shipwreck Beach. The lovebird built sand castles, rough-and-tumble play on sand, swimming and diving from the top of the shipwrecks. It was now evening and the dripping wet (from sea water) couple sat on the beach, watching the beautiful sunset shoulder to shoulder with hands tightly held together. The moment was so peaceful and wholesome.
Alex was shirtless and only had a pair of short grey breeches. He had a magnificent muscular body of Italian Renaissance statues but filled with horrific slashing and stabbing scars. Lara had her long brown hair down. While still looking stunningly beautiful, something just felt off and she looked like an entirely different person. The young Countess wore a loose red linen shirt and blue breeches. The soaking wet garment was tight to skin; making the sexy shape of her boobs, waist, ass and thighs ever-visible under the gazing sunset. Alex tried his best to not look at his girlfriend's flawless hourglass body for fear of committing carnal sins. The… intimate deeds could only be done after marriage.
Just as Alex was struggling to break Catechetic natural law, Lara excused herself for 10 minutes. She then returned with Alex's white plumed burgonet - attached with a huge and gorgeous grass crown. It took the form of a chaplet-wreath and was made of various green grasses, leaves and colourful flowers.
Alex jaw dropped and asked weakly, "Is… is that for me?"
"Of course, love. This is a simple gift for you. Do you like it?"
"Yes, I love it! It looks absolutely amazing! Thank you, honey.", Alex sincerely appreciated and gratefully accepted the grass crown attachment on his white plumed burgonet. He detailedly inspected it with love and care. Alex continued to comment, "It was simple in design yet… charming and solemn. Reminds me of those Ancient Roman wreaths and crowns."
"Exactly! I based the grass crown on the Corona Graminea. It was the highest and rarest military decoration in the Roman Republic and early Empire, only awarded to officers who heroically saved their legion from destruction."
"I am just a low-ranking officer, honey. In fact, I actually failed all my brothers in arms during the Battle of Alcácer Quibir 3 years ago. There is no honour to begin with, only shame and regret…"
"But to me, you are already like Primus Pilus Gnaeus Petreius Atinas in the Cimbrian War - virtuous, honourable and courageous. I witnessed your valour back in the siege. You are my hero until the end of time."
Alex blushed so hard by the sweet compliment and replied in embarrassment, "Thank you so much, honey. It means a lot to me… I will take good care of this grass crown on my burgonet. I promise."
Lara smiled and proceeded to devotedly kiss Alex until both ran out of oxygen. As the lovebird continued to enjoy the sunset, Alex asked her girlfriend, "So… where do you gather all these plants for the grass crown?"
"They are from the surrounding areas of the previous bay and our current beach."
"Wo… That must take a lot of effort and time. How come I never see you making it?"
"Simple! I gathered the materials while patrolling and constructed it during guard duties."
"Oh, I see- Wait- What?! You keep slacking off just to make the grass crown?"
Lara just realised that she accidentally spilled the beans and was now caught in 4K. She tried to defend herself but failed miserably, "Well… ya see… em… Fine. I slacked off just to make a gift for YOU."
"You are blaming me for your wrongdoings?"
"Yes."
Alex suddenly shoved Lara down on the sand, straddled her waist and pinned her arms on the ground. He smirked, loomed down and playfully hissed into his girlfriend's sensitive right ear, "Let me remind you, I am the Alferes while you are just a lowly conscripted soldier. As the second-highest ranking commissioned officer in this expedition, it is my duty to discipline troublemakers. Trooper Lara Croft, you are court-martialed for dereliction of duty. How should I PUNISH you?"
Lara grinned and whispered seductively, "You can do WHATEVER you desire when I become Mrs. Wyss~"
The answer satisfied Alex and he proceeded to nibble Lara's right neck softly. Lara could not help but lightly moan, only to be abruptly interrupted by a familiar feminine voice outta nowhere, "Well, well, well! Am I interrupting something?"
The lovebirds immediately groaned in frustration and looked up to see Samantha smugly laughing at them, "Go take a bath, Magnus Maximus and Elen! Dinner's nearly ready!"
Author's Note
- Historically, Portuguese first arrived in Japan in 1543 while the English and Dutch were in 1600.
- During the devastating Cimbrian War, Primus Pilus Gnaeus Petreius Atinas executed a cowardly tribune and took over his legion command, successfully broke through the Germanic barbarian encirclement and escaped to safety. He was thus awarded the highest military honour of Corona Graminea.
- Magnus Maximus was a Western Roman usurper that became a legitimate Emperor. He was from Hispania Gallaecia which is modern Spanish-Galicia and northern Portugal. Magnus Maximus based his power in Britannia (aka the worst Roman province ever) and married Welsh princess Elen. He was also one of the many inspirations for King Arthur.