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- (bis144) Crimson Tide Chapter 1: The Whip of All Arms
(i¡®)
***Can¡¯t remember the time and place***
I had a long, long dream.
When I woke up, the corners of my eyes were wet.
But I can¡¯t remember what the main plot of the dream was.
I still vaguely remember some emotions.
It¡¯s fascinating, yet a little depressing.
I tried very hard to remember, but still couldn¡¯t remember anything.
Today I woke up as usual and found myself lying on a bed decorated with gorgeous white silk.
"Good morning. What do you want for breakfast?"
¡°Sandwich, please ask for yogurt sauce.¡±
After uttering two words reflexively, the memory of baked bagels came to mind, which seemed sweet and delicious.
It¡¯s just a sandwich, there¡¯s no need to recall it.
"It's not that dream."
The housekeeper responded and left, but he still couldn¡¯t remember the content of the dream.
He laughed to himself and sat up from the bed.
The top of the bed is made of a whole piece of glass, as are the bed supports at the four corners. The back is coated with mercury and can be used as a mirror.
In the mirror, I saw my long golden hair hanging unkemptly on my chest and reaching my waist. It seemed that I had not taken care of it for a long time.
The design of the bed is very rare and has no artistic beauty.
How to put it, it¡¯s like cutting a large glass box like a fish tank in the middle and putting a mattress on top.
"Why would I order such a stupid bed?"
He smiled wryly and patted the back of his head.
Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m a little older and my memory seems to be getting worse.
But wait a minute -
"How old am I?"
It seems that what I can¡¯t remember is not just the content of the dream, the emotions in the dream, the structure of the sandwich, or the reason for ordering this stupid bed.
"¡¡who I am?"
¡°¡Where is this place?¡±
"Why am I here?"
When I realized these seemingly important philosophical issues, I realized that they were just like dreams and I couldn¡¯t remember them at all.
No impression at all.
I can¡¯t remember, I can¡¯t remember, I can¡¯t remember, I can¡¯t remember, I can¡¯t remember, I can¡¯t remember, I can¡¯t remember, I can¡¯t remember, I can¡¯t remember, I can¡¯t remember.
No matter how much I stare at my own shadow on the glass, I still can¡¯t remember it.
(i)
*********
September 13, 1666
The seat of the Provisional Military and Political Conference of the Free Nations at the mouth of the Metebish River, the important sea and land dual importance of Seferti Fort
*********
It rained heavily in Fort Foti today. The rain soon stopped, leaving only the coolness of early autumn.
The war and summer are over, but life goes on.
The refugee tents stretch all the way east, north, and east along the north bank of the Matebesi River, with no end as far as the eye can see. They extend from outside the fortress, the fortified river embankment, the inland dock, and the coastal fort to the harbor area.
The forts on the south side have been completely submerged by this refugee flow. Those fortresses and shanties are connected together to form a temporary big city. The refugees gathered the remaining supplies from the siege camps abandoned by the Empire and lived in them as if the Empire's siege was not over yet.
Standing on the pier of Fort Forti and looking around, the canvas tents and the sails of the huge fleet anchored in the harbor are connected together, like a river made of canvases of various colors, entangled with the water of the Metebish River, until Pour into the sea.
The young Major of the Free Army, Naimen Soleton, covered up his officer's epaulettes, put on a cloak soaked in waterproof oil, and walked between these tents.
"Dear soldier! Are you going to the beach to see the Liberty Ship, or to pick up someone?"
"Mr. Officer, do you want to buy some smuggled goods? The Seventh Fleet has just arrived in the port. Fresh oriental goods, real Huachao tea, not Taiping tea!"
"Your Excellency General, we have a small boat. Despite its poor appearance, it can carry five tons of cargo! If you have cargo or local products you want to sell, I can also contact the navy's logistics officer for you! How big or small the order is? It doesn¡¯t matter!¡±
The rain affected business today, and there were not many customers who came to the dock area despite the rain. The residents in the tents were shouting enthusiastically, without stopping for a moment, using names that were more rude than the last.
Since many people come with shady intentions, almost all of them?Soldiers in refugee camps will cover their military ranks as a rule, and refugees can only rely on common sense to judge the class of newcomers. Of course, it never hurts to compliment someone a little higher. The young man in front of him didn't look like a general. Even the guards of the general were too young, but this did not prevent them from using the highest honorific title. If a business cannot be completed in a day, the family will definitely have nothing to eat at night.
"I borrowed it. Sorry. I'm not interested."
Nai Men tightened his poncho, lowered his military cap, and assumed an indifferent attitude. He walked through the crowd with hot longing eyes and pushed them away mercilessly.
It¡¯s not that he doesn¡¯t sympathize with these refugees. Unfortunately, with his ability, he couldn't save many people.
In this war that just ceased fire, Lenni alone produced more than 300,000 refugees. Adding the refugees from the West Julok Republic, the total number exceeds two million.
"These free citizens, quasi-free citizens, and their wives and children who were living ordinary lives were forced to flee their homes - or to put it another way, "to the land of the free."
But, the journey of freedom is not as beautiful and moving as it sounds in the speech.
Although the farming area of ??Upper Italy and Asia is vast, slavery has been practiced for many years. The local farmers are not willing to hire too many free citizens to work with their slaves. This will make them feel morally disgusted. They would rather use horses or ox. The land in Dongjurok is barren, while the land in Fates is severely annexed, and neither of them has the ability to absorb such a large number of refugees. Refugees who cannot find jobs cannot sit still and have no choice but to continue wandering.
Some people choose to continue southward to open up new fields in the subtropical rainforests of Lower America and Asia. Some people gathered in the ports around Emerald Bay and the Intra Sea, waiting for ships to the New World, Mulleman or the Eastern Powers. But the largest group of refugees always gathered next to the main force of the Free Army that kept moving.
¡°Where there is a government and an army, there are jobs¡± is always an unmistakable rule.
The current Free Army is both a government and an army. Since the Military Council established the provisional central government in Fort Photi, one army after another has come from far away, repeatedly challenging the upper limit of the fortress' strength. Every day, the logistics department and engineering team are forced to work from early morning until late at night. The Free Army has 50,000 soldiers, and the Free Navy has also mobilized 50,000 sailors.
"The expenses leaked from the hands of these 100,000 soldiers are enough to feed 200,000 refugees who have little needs and nothing. Some of the sailors at the dock took bribes, some did not, but they were unwilling to drive away these refugees who were seeking a living on the dock.
The young officer stopped in front of the sailors' outpost. It was difficult for the sentry to tell his rank from his army red cloak, so he gave a military salute and asked: "May I ask this colleague"
Naimen shook the rain off his cloak, lifted up a corner of his front, revealing his military rank, and at the same time showed the wax-sealed parchment roll in his hand.
"By order of the Military Council, please inform the Hong Kong Governor that this order is for Admiral Peace Wayne, Commander-in-Chief of the Seventh Fleet, who entered the port this morning."
"Understood, we will notify the Governor of Hong Kong immediately. Do you want to go to see him together?"
"No need, I'll just go to the dock and wait for him to come over."
Naimen stopped at the end of the trestle and looked at the boat parking area in the distance. He still remembered the deserted scene on the dock when he served here before - that was in sharp contrast to the scene now. Fort Forti is one of the top ten deep-water ports in the world, but even it is a little too small for the fleet in the docking area.
¡°Is that the real ¡®Big Red Fleet¡¯?¡±
He didn¡¯t realize it a few days ago, but it wasn¡¯t until the Seventh Fleet, which arrived with almost the entire fleet, docked in port this week that he realized the true power of the Free Navy
In the face of such power, everyone will stop in awe.
Most of the hill-like giant ships have three to four artillery decks and hundreds of light, medium and heavy artillery pieces and magic cannons. There are four to five hundred sailors on each ship. The number of people on a ship is equivalent to an army battalion, and the firepower is almost equivalent to half an army division. After all, artillery cannot be deployed in layers, but ship-based artillery can.
If you want to make a comparison, the elf ship "Emperor Cleon" that Naimen once saw only has thirty-six medium and light guns, and its volume is less than one-sixth of these giant ships.
The "Border Guard" he rode on before was the flagship of the River Fleet. It only had 64 medium and heavy guns and two decks. It was more than half smaller than the flagships of other fleets.
What¡¯s even more terrifying is the quantity. Just the 7th Far East Fleet that docked in the port yesterday had such special and first-classBattleship Article Nineteen. The other five naval marshals who came to attend the military and political meeting did not come with the entire fleet, but they also brought their own flagship units
The giant sails on those giant battleships emitted the red light of fireproof magic. It was these fireproof technologies that annihilated the iron-clad arson ships that the Eastern Empire was proud of. When these giant ships were parked together, their sails and masts were like red walls on the sea, blocking the horizon.
Currently, there are a total of forty-two battleships and more than 300 light and heavy frigates parked off the coast of Fort Forti. The total number of sailors exceeds 50,000. Every day, more than 30,000 sailors rotate ashore for rest, which makes the logistics department miserable. Word.
"The 'Big Red Fleet' you are looking for is a synonym for 'Free Navy (Modern)'. Now jump to you. Some of the information has been contradictory, I will ignore the contradictory parts."
A voice that sounded very much like Anne's sounded in his ears, and then text and line drawings unfolded in the field of vision of Naimen's right eye, blending into the scene in front of him.
"Actually, what I asked just now is not a question" Naimen sighed, "Forget it, Annie, please continue."
"I'm not Anne, I just have her knowledge base." The female voice corrected in a voice without any fluctuation, "3. The Free Navy at the end of the Freedom War. The navy reached its largest scale in the age of sails, and at its peak had various types of sails There are more than 3,000 ships, including more than 2,500 armed merchant ships, more than 600 battleships, more than 100 battleships (shipoftheline), and the total number of artillery and magic cannons, including coastal defense guns, exceeds 20,000."
"If we want to get rid of the West Intrey Fleet and half of the Emerald Bay Fleet now, there probably won't be such a large number." Naimen stretched out his finger and dragged the information in front of him, "Those large ships in front of us, Is it the ship in the picture?"
"The picture shows the famous special-class battleship 'Freedom' (fnvfreedom), which is also one of the favorite sailing ships among ship model enthusiasts. It is as famous as the Empire's 'loyalty class'. The first batch of real battleships of the Free Navy were at the end of the 16th century The '**-class' built initially had 64 guns. Later, the Maritime and Trade Commission designed and built the 'Equality-class' second-class battleship with 74 guns, the 'Democracy-class' first-class battleship with 88 guns, and The largest special-class 'Freedom Class' with 100 guns, with magic cannons installed on it. These ships were assigned to seven fleets and controlled the three most important sea areas in the Age of Sail for the free nations: the Endless Ocean, The Intre-Mureman Sea and the Far Eastern Sea are responsible for fighting against the navies of the Holy Empire, the Elves, the Mureman Yellow Turbans, and the Eastern Empire respectively.¡±
"Please continue." This narrative aroused Naimen's interest.
Almost every officer knows that the Free Navy has seven fleets, but few people have paid attention to why these seven fleets are dispersed in distant sea areas where it is difficult to support each other. Naturally, the Navy guys will not leak these secrets to the Army - even the shipbuilding funds are obtained by the Maritime Trade Commission itself from taxes on ocean trade.
"The three fleets responsible for the Endless Ocean are the first 'Emerald Bay', the third 'South China Sea', and the fourth 'New World' fleet. Their home ports are respectively at the Witland Fortress in West Julok on the north wing of Emerald Bay. Odepool, and Port Freeman in the Free Islands of New Zealand. Responsible for the Intray-Murrayman side are the 2nd 'East Intray' and the 5th 'West Intray' fleets, with their home ports in East Intray. Nanfu and Xiyingtrey's Phase Port. Responsible for the Far East are the Sixth 'Golden Port' and the Seventh 'Far East' Fleet. Their home ports are located at the Golden Port Peninsula on the west coast of New Zealand, and Lingyang Gate in the Far East."
"And among them, the Seventh Fleet, which is responsible for fighting against the Chinese navy and suppressing the Spice Islands and Yingzhou Islands, is the largest one." Naimen blinked and took the largest free ships into his field of vision, "Help me check Which ship is the flagship of the Seventh Fleet, Anne."
"According to the semaphore table, the target is the first line from the right in the first row."
"What's the semaphore above?"
"The flag of the marshal is not raised, and the fleet commander is not on board." No matter what the content is, the voice of the magic network sounds like this cold tone.
"I remember that the military and political meeting had given a notice to the Seventh Fleet before" Naimen shrugged, "Is it still a waste of time, but it is understandable. If it were me, it would have taken more than two months to go from extreme to extreme. I rushed back from the east, and then I heard that there was a ceasefire and the capital had been lost to the army, so I would abandon all responsibilities and go to the shore to drink."
"It's good if you understand. It will save me a lot of trouble." A voice with a slight Shengsen accent sounded behind him.
Naimen turned his head and exchanged high-fives in the air with the owner of this familiar voice according to elf-like etiquette.
After losing control of the inland river, Leonard Kekawe, the original commander of the inland river fleet, was sent here.??The capital port that manages free independent governments.
"That's the Seventh Fleet that will be assigned to West Interre with you, and their attitude towards this assignment. It seems that it will take some time for you to officially take office."
The officer classes of the Free Army and the Free Navy are not interchangeable with each other, so as a Major of the Free Army, Nemen Soleton does not have to salute Leonard Kekavi, who has a rank as high as Vice Admiral.
In fact, the Free Army Staff has not even officially recognized the ranks of the navy. In their eyes, the navy still has only three levels: "admiral", "captain" and "deputy lieutenant" as it was a hundred years ago. From the marshal in charge of a fleet to the young ensign who wipes the deck every day, in the eyes of the army, they are just some variations of these three classes, and naturally they do not need to strictly follow the military rank rules. The navy, which has grown rapidly in the past half century, is very dissatisfied with this, but there is nothing that can be done about it. There are too many civilians recruited into the navy, and there are many "big men" who have brought fleets to join the navy and become vice admirals or even admirals overnight. Even the Trade Commission itself has nothing to do with these guys.
"His Excellency Admiral Leonard Kekawi, long time no see."
"He is no longer an admiral, he is just a port governor now. The river fleet no longer exists because we no longer have a river."
Hearing the half-elf¡¯s sarcastic words, Naimen smiled and eased the atmosphere: ¡°Your Excellency, you have become more adapted to the southern climate than the last time we met.¡±
"Lennie's hero, Major Nemen Thorleyton, if you had also passed by the military court and the gallows, and then been kicked to this military port as the port governor, you would have changed too." Half-elf He smiled bitterly, "Since you secretly learned the naval flag, do you still need me to send a liaison officer to the ship?"
Naimen thought for a while, shook his head and said: "There is no need to go to the ship, but I want to know where Admiral Wayne has gone."
"Probably some tavern." Leonard casually pointed to the west, "Marshal Wayne of the Seventh Fleet is a very interesting person. I'm afraid it will be in vain if you go there. The navy and the army are different. And each naval fleet has different characteristics.¡±
"Maybe the navy and the army are different, but the mission is the mission." Naimen hesitated, "Besides, the order I brought is not a bad thing for the Seventh Fleet, and several other naval marshals also agreed."
The half-elf shook his head slightly: "Not enough. Everyone knows that the West Intre Sea Defense and the Ring Naval Port will be handed over to the Seventh Fleet. If you know how much resources a fleet consumes, you can understand why they want to We need to fight for more resources. As for the otherstheir fleets are not as big as the Seventh Fleet, and they even have the opportunity to transfer part of their fleet to the far east to share the dividends of maritime trade, so naturally they will not object."
"You are right, the order I brought is indeed like this." Naimen tried to defend the decision of the military and political meeting, "However, most people think this is an acceptable arrangement, and the West Intre Sea has freedom The most elite ports among the nations, and the free nations need fleets. Right now, the empire and the elven offshore fleets still occupy three or four of our ports."
"But only the most profitable trade routes can support the Seventh Fleet. However, you are the next Commander-in-Chief of Intre, maybe you can bargain with him Now that he is here, you can find a way to take office, right? ."
"I don't know what to do with this position yet." Naimen smiled bitterly and told his true purpose, "Can you go with me? I think the knowledge of the army alone is not enough to convince this naval marshal. of."
Leonard Kekavi readily agreed: "I still owe you a favor from last time. Let's go."
The two walked out of the port together, and the half-elf port governor also covered his military rank to prevent him from being entangled by overly hungry refugees. He ordered a few of his off-duty men to find the naval marshal who was spending time somewhere unknown through the sailors' communication network. He and Naimen quickly passed through various defense areas along the river occupied by refugees.
Rich refugees rented bungalows in the port area or paid to build temporary shacks on the embankment. The fortifications originally used to defend against the invasion of the Imperial Japanese were filled with bedding, and men and women slept on these large bunks. This is already considered a good place to spend the night, and it costs one silver coin per night. The poorer people huddled in tents along the streets, or simply made beds in the shadows of the coastal forts and shooting trestles.
In these huts and tents, there are almost all the services that officers and soldiers need. From various churches, newspapers, monasteries and mages¡¯ guilds, to gangs, bars, casinos, prostitutes
In short, all the services that should and should not exist, as long as they are services that humans can think of, can be found in this huge refugee camp. The most popular among them is undoubtedly the publishing industry.?
"The latest magic paper! For the future of the free country, buy the "New Metebish Times" now and donate one copper coin to the Republic for each copy!"
"Uprisings broke out in many places in the occupied areas! "Free Southern Herald" is your patriotic choice!"
¡°Eliminating the false and retaining the true, the latest thirty-seven new types of magic reviews! Buy the "Advanced Magic Newsletter" now and it will also come with parchment for practice!"
"Inteley will impose a tea tax! The phase port trading market has been in decline for a week, and the Interay Sea Freight Composite Index has plummeted by 17 points It's all in the "Trade Speculation Express"!"
The ¡°editors¡± and ¡°freelance reporters¡± who have just taken up their posts on the roadside are selling their own newspapers and are ready to go out to run news at any time. Naimen doesn't know how many publishers are printing various newspapers and weekly magazines in Fortiburg now. He only knows that the price of paper and ink on the market has doubled - even so, the supply is still in short supply.
With just a few coppers a day, you can hire a literate or even educated citizen. This is really a paradise for the publishing industry. In fact, there is not much else that can be done in the military fortress of Fort Forti.
Of course, the life of these employees is definitely not decent. Most families can barely get enough food and clothing, and those who are temporarily without work will go hungry. Those who were not even able to work could only rely on the oatmeal and rye porridge given out by the Free Army from time to time. The porridge was so thin that it could cast a shadow.
¡°Where do you think Wayne will be?¡±
In such a noisy environment, Naimen did not dare to add his military rank. He believed that the navy marshal would also not reveal his identity.
The half-elf replied: "If it is inferred from the rumors I have heard, this marshal likes the scenery of the East very much. According to the rumors, that man's magnanimity can even impress the 'scholar-officials' of the Eastern Empire. That is why we Only then can Lingyang Gate be used as the headquarters of the Seventh Fleet. But Fort Foti is a military fortress, and logically there is no such place"
Naimen thought for a while: "Is it an oriental-style luxury restaurant? There is really a newly opened one. It's at the west end of Robert Ayrton Road."
The battle preparation channel named after Lieutenant Colonel Robert Eyre, who performed outstandingly in the Battle of Fort Forti, traverses the entire defense system of Fort Forti, extends beyond the main fort, and finally ends at the fourth auxiliary base in the outer northwest - the auxiliary base. Without any suspense, he was renamed Robert Eyre's deputy base. All the original warehouses on this road had been moved away during the previous war and were rented out by newspapers and hotels.
"Are you very familiar with these places?" The half-elf thought for a moment and suddenly realized, "Of course you should be familiar with it too. Your new position is"
Naimen quickly raised his hand to stop the half-elf: "Don't let them smell the smell of money or power. They claim to change the name of this place to News Avenue."
Naimen looked around with lingering fear, hoping that no one would notice them. In the past days, he was tired of being followed by news reporters, so he went out like this wearing an anti-detection cloak and pretending to be an ordinary soldier.
But to his surprise, no one noticed him and the half-elf.
Once entering Ayrton Road, the crowd around them seemed extremely sparse, not as many as the refugees in the defense areas on the east side. Reporters who look no different than beggars are running around telling each other the latest news.
"Big news, in the seventh defense area on the west side of the main sea! The sailors mutinied!"
"Can sailors' mutiny be considered big news? There have been two or three times a week recently. Which fleet is it from?"
"The fifth 'Western Intetra Sea Fleet'. This time is different. They have dispersed the nearby guard troops. They seem to be commanded by former senior officers! Hurry over!"
"Isn't it dangerous?"
"Don't worry, the Free Military Police of Fort Forti is the strongest in the entire Free Army. Even if there are thousands of sailors, they are no match for them! The military police here are all elites who have fought hard in Kengel, Jena and Lunni. force!"
Just as they said, on the west side of the fortress, black smoke rose into the sky.
Naimen and Leonard looked at each other. The half-elf looked westward, raised his left thumb, closed his eyes alternately, and measured the actual distance of the smoke column. This is a simple distance measurement method that every artillery officer and naval officer can master, and Naimen can also do it, but not as skillfully as Leonard.
"Looking at the black smoke caused by the riots, the location is in the middle of the west side of the fortressit shouldn't be such a coincidence."
Naimen smiled bitterly and said: "Maybe it's not just 'such a coincidence'. The Seventh Fleet is scheduled to take over the original defense area of ??the Fifth Fleet. Speaking of which, do you know how many losses the Fifth Fleet suffered?"
Leonard frowned and recalled: "??I can't say, it's a military secret. But the Admiral of the Fifth Fleet had sunk with his flagship. Did the order you received mention the next arrangements for the Fifth Fleet? "
Naimen shook his head: "No. In short, it will not be to Lingyang Gate. It is impossible to face the complicated situation in the far east with a incomplete fleet. It seems that I will definitely have to go to the scene. I hope not It will cause too much trouble. Mr. Kekawi, if you want to leave, you can."
"Let's go together. Nothing will happen to the port staff." The half-elf said with a rare smile, "I will regret it if I miss the opportunity to get closer to the most dazzling new star in the Free Army. Maybe I will too soon. Own a fleet."
Naimen didn¡¯t answer the joke.
*********
Sailor mutinies were common. Sailors in the Free Navy rebelled particularly frequently.
Huge ships with red fireproof mainsails sail around the world. When they hoist the battle flag, they are warships, and when they hoist the navigation flag, they are armed merchant ships. Thousands of captains and lieutenant colonels in the navy, who, while performing their duties as captains, also occupy the unwelcome position of capitalists, have very different relations with their subordinates than those in the army.
Every ship is a company, and every fleet is a monopoly company. Most of them must squeeze sailors to ensure that their ships can continue to sail. A warship would need oak and ironwood cut from the North Komen tundra to make its hull, and the pine and fir forests of the northern Saint-Central to make its masts and decks. It would also need to earn back all its costs within twenty years of maintaining the voyage. And funding for the next ship or even three or five warships. In Intrey, in order to maintain the normal operation of the largest fleet in the world, businessmen developed stocks, bonds, insurance companies and shipping indexes. Almost every captain, even if his home port is as far away as Lingyang Gate or Freeman Island, he is also burdened with tremendous pressure, countless contracts and incredible debts.
In terms of management methods, there is no way to restrict these captains. There is no teleportation magic that can guarantee safe arrival on an uncertain ship, and teleportation orders are usually only possible after docking. There are only two reasons that prevent them from becoming pirates: the free navy regulations that kill pirates without mercy, and the large shipyards only found in civilized countries.
You can¡¯t expect such people to treat their subordinates well. Mutiny is an expected result.
If you look at the history of the Free Navy, you can see all kinds of incredible causes of mutiny. Not to mention common reasons such as withholding military pay or poor food, large-scale mutinies that started with a quarrel, a fight, or a drinking party are common. It is not uncommon for hundreds of people to be killed or injured because of jokes or fishing disputes. Pass. In some cases, people are not surprised that the Free Navy mutinied, but that the sailors of the Free Navy were treated in such a way that they did not mutiny. Some ships have not paid a penny of military pay for thirteen years, some ship captains use his sailors to practice undead magic, and some ship captains require sailors to practice gang fighting in storms.
Even in such a big red fleet, there are some people who are famous for being kind to sailors and good at fighting - and such a reputation is particularly easy to spread. The names of these commanders are louder than their ranks or positions, and are known not only to the entire squadron, but also to the regional fleet and even other fleets. These people are generally very good at business and have the energy to treat sailors well.
Rear Admiral Darlosalamis of the Fifth Fleet¡¯s rearguard fleet has always been proud of this reputation. Over the past twenty years, his flagship and fleet have been renowned for their exceptional management skills and generous treatment.
¡°He is more like a maritime merchant than a rear admiral. The rear admiral has a slightly fat belly and a large beard. He wears silk and satin from the Far East and smokes the best cigars in New Zealand. He became a rear admiral in the Fifth Fleet with his superb ability of "timely retreat".
Even in a disastrous defeat like the Battle of West Intre, he escaped, and the fleet's marshal, two admirals and two lieutenants all sank with the fleet, and he was the only one among the three flankers and rear rear admirals. Survived.
But now, he is regretting his reputation.
Because the mutinous sailors elected him as the commander of the mutinous sailors.
The cause was just that a few sailors from the former Fifth Fleet drank too much and had a quarrel with the sailors from the Seventh Fleet who had just landed. The other party obviously came to occupy their territory, and the two sides quickly fought and killed one person.
?Things quickly spiraled out of anyone¡¯s control. There are not many sailors in the Fifth Fleet, only three to four thousand, but these local snakes have been in the city for several weeks and know every combat preparation channel well. They quickly dispersed the sailors of other fleets, and sent their own people to?Any sailors who were willing to join the riot were gathered together, and all the big shots selling gold in taverns and brothels were under control.
Then, they found Major General Darrow who was drinking and supported him as the commander of the mutinous forces to "restore the glory of the West Intrey Fleet."
At that time, the entire Western District was already on fire, and the army's security forces had begun to suppress the surrounding sailors.
Darrow knew that he could no longer clean himself up, so he had to start issuing orders to save his life first.
"All insurrectionary forces are concentrated in the new area west of Ayrton Road! According to the original organizational structure of each fleet, a three-layer defense line is organized according to vanguard, flanker, and rearguard fleets! All sailors who do not obey the command are regarded as rioters taking advantage of the fire, and they are Leave it to the army! Don¡¯t kill innocent people indiscriminately, and retreat slowly if you feel you are losing!¡±
Orders flowed out from the luxury hotel he had commandeered as a temporary command post. After completing all this and confirming that his men could temporarily withstand the regular army's attack, he breathed a sigh of relief and began to count the cards in his hand.
Then he found that the cards he grabbed were big, many and hot.
Not to mention the twenty or thirty mid-level officers. Not to mention those priests and adventurers who look strange and dangerous.
These mutinous sailors not only left corpses on the ground, but also left behind some dangerous people they could not deal with. They all gathered in the temporary headquarters of Major General Darrow Salami.
The two most dangerous among them are former Speaker Webster, advisor to the military government, and Peace Wayne, commander-in-chief of the Seventh Fleet. Darrow's jaw almost dropped when he heard this.
"Sir, do you want to go up and see our hostages in person?"
"No need. Just let them stay there!" Darrow silently recalled the experiences of these two men in his mind, confused. "Let them be locked up with other hostages. Just send some obedient and honest sailors to guard them." If they really want to rush out, we can't stop them."
But why didn¡¯t they run away?
The rear admiral looked at the name in his hand carefully again. He knew some people, but most of them he didn't, and there were many whose names were fake at first glance.
But his intuition was saying that with the qualifications and strength of Congressman Webster and Marshal Peace Wayne, it was impossible for them to just surrender unless they had some purpose they wanted to achieve.
"Fortunately, we still have time"
Major General Darrow pulled up a chair casually, sat down on it, stretched out, looked at the fierce-looking sailors around him, and smiled bitterly. He was still better at business than mutiny.
"Send a few people up and carefully ask everyone's identity again. Especially those suspicious Imperial people. Are there any magicians among you? Even if they are new ones you have learned in the past few days."
He picked out a few of them with the most ferocious looks and some with a little bit of magic skills. The vicious sailors looked at him suspiciously, but climbed the stairs anyway.
"Next, let's discuss what to do. If the other side maintains the current pressure, maybe we can break out. Several of you here are the vanguards of the uprising. Now everyone is equivalent to my fleet staff. Please express your opinions. ¡¡±
Before he could finish speaking, the sailor who had been sent out to give the order stumbled into the hotel door with blood on his body and an expression of disbelief on his face.
"what happened?!"
"Sir, sirthe independent ** Military Police Regiment! It's the ** Military Police Regiment! They broke through!"
Hearing these words, Major General Darrow suddenly jumped up from his seat.
"How could it be so fast! Let all the troops withdraw! People nearby gather all the muskets you can find. Don't go to the streets, just rely on the houses to resist! Buy time! You must buy time!"
The rear admiral was too lazy to talk about the staff and other nonsense. He walked to the window on the second floor alone and looked at the black smoke and crowds not far away.
The mutinous sailors seemed helpless in front of the military police.
?? **The Gendarmerie Regiment is the product of a compromise between the Free Army and the Navy, and is the ultimate weapon to maintain order in the temporary capital of Fort Forti. It is composed of the best of the Free Army, the most experienced in combat, and the elites of those units that have experienced the fiercest battlefields. They are incredibly strong in terms of discipline, will, and magical power.
Major General Darrow saw that the mutinous sailors who had barely formed a line were scattered and fled after bursts of volley fire. This is completely different from the gang-hopping training in the past: there is no such resolute advancing front at sea, nor such a neat and sharp charge. A chaotic team of reluctant sailors?, vulnerable to being crushed by a real war machine. The military mages of the ** Military Police Regiment concentrated their magic power and used those non-lethal spirits and disruptive magic to defeat one queue after another. The mutinous troops were not even able to effectively slow down their advance.
"Sure enough, it still can't be compared with the Army It is indeed the Iron Army that fought to the death with Lenny in Jena and refused to retreat."
Darrow turned around and faced his "Mutiny Staff." This is not a mutiny force like the Directory's army that was serious about rebelling and seizing power. They are just a group of drunkards who started to act recklessly after getting drunk. Everyone was nervously waiting for Major General Darrow's order. These sailors were very good at robbing and killing people, but when faced with the powerful army's formation, they all revealed their true colors.
Deep in his heart, he lamented his fate and regretted that his reputation in the past was too good. Trapped by the mutinous troops, there are hostages inside who can put great pressure on people, and outside they are the National Gendarmerie Regiment, which is called Fort Forti's strongest soldier.
"Perhaps not only my military career will end here, but my life may also end here."
Unlessnegotiation.
Thinking of this, Major General Darrow seemed to see a glimmer of life again.
He considers himself to be one of the best businessmen on the Liangtai Sea. He is good at buying low and selling high, as well as buying and selling short. As long as the other party can be dragged into negotiations, there is still a glimmer of hope.
"You guys, did you rob No, did you collect magic flares and amplification magic for retreat?"
The sailors were confused for a while, and some people ran out to search for loot.
Darrow lamented again in his heart, but these people still brought him what he wanted.
The rear admiral walked to the window, opened the blinds, and sent the magic signal representing retreat into the sky.
"Please do not continue to advance, comrades in the army. I am the elected commander of the insurrectionary forces, the commander of the Fifth Fleet's rearguard squadron, Rear Admiral Darrow Salami."
The sailors almost retreated from the battle line. Perhaps the ** Military Police Regiment had already received the order, or perhaps they had not yet received the order to pursue. In short, these powerful enemies did not continue to pursue.
"I hope it's not an enemy," the major general changed his mind. Their behavior made Major General Darrow's hope even greater.
"Maybe the young commander who killed the military police is a reasonable person"
He waited until the mutinous sailors retreated beyond the firing line of the military police before he continued to speak.
"We demand negotiations with your commander."
The rear admiral paused, letting a feeling of pessimism and despair fill his statement. These feelings are all real.
"We do not want to cause killing, nor do we want to harm the hostages or ordinary citizens in our hands. We only want our fleet, supplies, freedom, and lost reputation. We have no intention of killing or hostility, and we are willing to fight for freedom Let¡¯s continue fighting for the cause of the military. Please listen to our voices.¡±
His voice reached behind the strict formation of the military police.
There, among the crowd, Nemen Soleton and Leonard Kekavi heard the request.
"This is what the other party wants in the negotiation, right?"
"It sounds like they are not in a good situation either. It's really troublesome. They even named me."
Naimen took off his cloak, revealing a crimson military uniform with only the right sleeve, and approached the formation of the Military Police Regiment.
Under his bare left arm, hung an inconspicuous black pistol and a one-handed sword with an unusually ornate scabbard. He didn't bring his pair of medals, but he didn't need them, everyone in this army knew who he was.
"I'm back. Raise my command flag and notify the other party."
When his figure appeared under the command flag of the Military Police Regiment, the entire battlefield fell silent. Members of the gendarmerie without weapons in their hands turned to salute him.
"The person in charge of this front is Qiang Operations, right? Well done."
The most determined part of the Western General Army is the "Qiangyun" battalion.
The most tenacious part of the New Lunni Army is the "Iron Guard" battalion.
The two together formed the ** Military Police Regiment. Regardless of combat effectiveness, organization or supplies, this is the most powerful regiment in the entire Free Army. It is said to be a battalion, but whether it is the number of veterans and officers, or the configuration of magical combat power and technical equipment, it is probably as good as a regiment of other troops.
"I am the commander of the ** Military Police Regiment of the Free Army, Major Nemen Soleton. I accept your request for negotiation. I will be there soon."
That¡¯s what Naimen is doing these days.Another position available. A position that would allow him to take over the hot potato position of Warlord of Intre.
*********
Appendix: About the Free Navy
Starting from a few small sampans, the Free Navy eventually annexed almost all the maritime forces within the republics and established a huge combined fleet. Between 1650 and 1675, its power once accounted for half of the world's total maritime power.
According to the traditional view of the Free Army, there are only three valid military ranks in the Navy: admiral, captain, and lieutenant. Most of the others are just "positions" established by the Joint Parliamentary Maritime and Trade Committee, which governs the navy, and are not recognized by the Free Army headquarters.
Admiralofthenavy: Theoretically the highest position alongside Marshal of the Force. It did not exist in the middle of the seventeenth century.
Admiral of the Fleet (Admiral of the Fleet = admiralofthefleet): the supreme commander of the navy who commands a fleet. There is no equivalent position in the Army. A position that appeared since the establishment of the Fifth Fleet, responsible for all affairs in a remote sea area, and its authority is approximately equivalent to that of a colonial governor. For example, another position held by the marshal of the Seventh Fleet is the governor of Lingyang Gate.
Admiral (Fleet Commander=admiral): It is the same permanent highest position as Army General (general). In the mid-seventeenth century, he was the commander of the main squadron, equivalent to the marshal's squadron commander.
Vice Admiral (Vice Admiral): Commands a smaller squadron, or takes over command of a squadron when an admiral dies in action.
Rear Admiral (Rear Admiral = rearadmiral): Commander who commands the rearguard and flanker fleets.
??Naval Captain (Captain=captain): Captain of a battleship (battleship). The so-called battleship is the ship "responsible for arranging the main battle line".
Naval Lieutenant Colonel (Second Captain=commander): Captain of secondary battleships and destroyers. The service life of sailing battleships is generally 20-30 years. The previous generation of battleships will be downgraded to secondary battleships after 15-20 years.
Lieutenant Commander (frigate captain=lieutenantcommander): Captain of frigate warships and armed merchant ships.
Navy captain (lieutenant = lieutenant): the deputy captain and backbone officers on the ship, first mate, second mate, third mate, etc. refer to the command order of captains (and lieutenants, second lieutenants).
Navy Lieutenant (Second Lieutenant = sublieutenant): A captain with relatively junior qualifications who is not yet qualified enough to enter the command order.
Ensign (deck officer = midshipman): junior and trainee naval officer. - Didn't finish reading? Add this book to your favoritesI'm a member and bookmarked this chapterCopy the address of this book and recommend it to your friends for pointsChapter error? Click here to report
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