Free Antioch Burns by Daniel Ottalini Page B

responsibility as he greeted the senior commander.
    “Sir, Underofficer Illios. The war council requests your presence immediately. Messages have come in and the Mongols are mobilizing.” He lowered his voice. “They say it is reinforcements. The Air fleet is bringing reinforcements!” The man, boy really, for his title, dropped his guard somewhat at the idea of rescue.
    “Very well. Take me to them.”
    A few short minutes later, they arrived in the same audience chamber that had seen Regillus facing down the provincial governor. Now the chamber had been fully over taken by the legions as a centralized command point. A Mobile Command Table dominated the center of the room, showing a perfect overhead view of the Antioch defensive citadel and surrounding territory. Officers positioned small figurines on the table, adjusted them as new information came in from scouts and observers.
    Regillus approached the table.
    “Give me an update,” he ordered. One of the new group of cohort commanders stepped forward and saluted. Tribune Wessox had been but a senior file leader less than two weeks ago, but now commanded fully one eighth of the remaining strength of the Syrian IV. From ten men to four hundred under his command, that is quite a leap in responsibility.
    “Sir,” Wessox started, “We began receiving transmissions just over two hours ago from a relief fleet led by General Constantine Tiberius Appius. They are approaching Antioch from the north, with an estimated time of arrival to be tomorrow afternoon or evening.” He handed over a folded sheaf of papers. “These are the exact messages. Several of them are tagged for your eyes only, so I sealed them for you, sir.”
    Regillus thanked the officer and sat down on one of the many stools that surrounded the command table. He flicked his fingers through the sheaf of paper, reading each message slowly and carefully. A fast reader by nature, Regillus had long since learned the benefit of slowing down when trying to read important dispatches. Costly experience in a previous posting had taught him to read twice, act once, rather than make bone-headed mistakes.
    A half-hour elapsed. Regillus began to notice that the hall was filling up with more legionnaires and civilians than normal. No one interrupted him, save a single servant offering him a mug of hot, strong tea. Regillus gratefully accepted, the hot liquid fueling his body. It was then he noticed the larger population present.
    Of course, no soldier could resist spreading the word of the rescue fleet once they learnt about it. The room continued to fill, as the Antiochians, his people, waited for the official announcement.
    Regillus finished reading the last of the wireless message. An upwelling of emotion threatened to force tears from his eyes. He closed them tightly for a moment, drinking deeply from his tea rather than show his emotions. The general stood, walked to the dais at the head of the room. The soft leather of his boots whispered on the cool marble as he ascended up the steps, until he could turn and face the crowd that quietly gathered in his wake. Nervous now, he took a moment to calm his pounding heart.
    “I have news. A great and mighty air fleet led by the Emperor himself has been sent to Antioch. It shall arrive tomorrow night, if the gods of wind and air are kind.” Before he had finished, a great cheer erupted, men and women leaping and embracing in an outpouring of all the emotions hidden deep since the beginning of the siege. Regillus motioned them down with his hands, waiting for the tumult to subside. His voice cracked as he spoke the next words.
    “Although they will be coming here to Antioch, they are not here to take the fight back to the Mongols. They… they are here to evacuate the city. All civilians and legionnaires will be evacuated. The city will not be saved. Antioch is to be abandoned to the Mongols.”
    The emotions of the crowd turned from jubilation to anger.
    “I never