Chapter 218 Let bygones be bygones
"It seems that Your Excellency has made adequate plans." Hermanus's frown relaxed slowly. He remained silent and continued to listen to Luca's next plan.
"First, we use Syracuse as a strategic location to control Sicily, and then move to the north of Sicily." Luca said, pointing his finger at Palermo in northern Sicily, and said: "If Gaiseric fails in his attack on Syracuse, he will definitely gather the remaining forces to open up new battlefields in other parts of Sicily. Then Palermo, the capital of the Sicily province, will be the first point they must take."
"So, what is your analysis, sir?" Hermanus completely put aside all his worries and began to listen to Luca's words wholeheartedly, because he gradually felt that the young Roman in front of him had completely different ideas from ordinary people.
"Gaiseric suffered a loss this time because he has no navy, so when they attack Palermo, they will definitely use their proud navy to attack from both land and sea!"
"So your Excellency means that we will set out tomorrow for Palermo and fight a decisive battle with the Vandals there?" Hermanus looked at the map and frowned even more. "Do you think we can really win this decisive battle?"
"Then what are your chances of winning against the Vandal fleet?" Luca asked Hermanus.
"The worst case scenario is that both sides will suffer losses, but we cannot afford such huge losses." Hermanus said urgently, "Augustus cannot do without our huge navy. Otherwise, merchant ships in the Mediterranean will be unprotected, and the empire will have no confidence in all future battles to suppress the Vandals." As he spoke, he glanced at Beliario who was sitting next to him. Obviously, the safety of his son was much more important than this huge army. Although he said that he was concerned about the fleet, he was actually afraid that something might happen to his only son who had never been on the battlefield.
"We can ask for help from the Senate and Valentinian III to establish supply lines for soldiers and logistics in Rome and Naples. Even if we can't fight at sea, we can always win in land battles!" Andrew expressed his thoughts on the side.
"If the Senate is willing to help, then I don't have to follow the fleet on the sea all day to transport supplies!" Without Luca's rebuttal, Belialiu expressed his opposition himself and refuted Andrew speechless.
"You mean we should keep fighting them?" Luca waved his hand at Hermanus and Andrew, and said, "I don't intend to fight a decisive battle with the Vandals in Palermo. I won't even go to Palermo!"
"What about you?" Hermanus's face looked very surprised.
"Gaiseric goes north, and we go south to attack Trapani, which is occupied by the Vandals. However, I will leave an auxiliary legion to guard the Strait of Messina and maintain our connection with the Western Empire. What if Aetius goes south ahead of time?"
"I can't believe you still count on Aetius and his men." Hermanus smiled and shook his head. "If we could get the assistance of the Western Empire, we wouldn't have set out from Athens."
"Yes, the Western Empire can no longer protect itself in Gaul. If they withdraw their military forces to help us, I'm afraid that before we can recapture Carthage, the provinces of Gaul will no longer exist!" Luca still opposed the Western Empire's assistance. "If my troops and I are accidentally annihilated, at least there is still a legion guarding the Strait of Messina between the Apennine Peninsula and Sicily. As long as the Strait is no longer in the hands of the Vandals, we have a chance to retake Sicily." Luca himself knew that in history, Gaiseric would definitely be defeated, but who defeated him was unknown. Knowing that he might not have the ability, he would pave the way for the real hero and be a paving stone.
"No!" Hermanus was the first to stand up and refuse. "You are the adopted son of His Majesty Augustus. If you say so, there will be many crises. If it affects your safety, it naturally cannot be a priority!" It seems that the battle during the day has caused a certain impact on Hermanus's mind, so that he has no courage to mention any plan that would have the slightest risk, let alone allow others or even Luca himself.
"So, instead of attacking Gaiseric's weak rear, we have to confront their army head-on. Isn't that dangerous enough?" Luca's question left Hermanus speechless.
"That's settled then!" Hermanus seemed to have a sudden enlightenment about all the arrangements that would follow. Luca's plan sounded very useful to him. He must have understood that such a problem had nothing to do with him, and success or failure depended entirely on Luca himself.
"Oh, you cunning old fox, I knew you would do this!" Luga sneered and thought to himself, after all, he was the commander of the naval fleet, Luga couldn't say anything.
Hermanus and Belia left with satisfaction, leaving only Andrew, Luca and the map on the table in the room.
"Luga," Andrew restrained the smile on his face and replaced it with the same solemnity as Luga.
Luca sighed deeply, took out the crumpled parchment from his pocket, spread it out again, and looking at the words on the paper, he couldn't help but close it again, as if he couldn't bear to read it anymore.
"How many casualties?"
Andrew was the first to start talking. He knew that Luca must be very sad at this moment, and all he wanted to do was to share his sadness with Luca.
"More than 1,500 people died and more than 600 were injured. They all lost their combat effectiveness. In total, we lost 2,100 people this time." Luga's voice was calm. He was trying hard to restrain himself.
What a failure! He had been dissatisfied with Aetius's fighting style from the beginning and thought that the large number of soldiers lost was a shame. But after experiencing such losses himself, he had just become the commander and had never thought that more than a thousand lives would die because of him in less than half a day.
"If such casualties happen again, the legion will probably collapse!" Luca muttered to himself absentmindedly. He was very disappointed and felt that he was very much like Aetius, and I'm afraid that was the case in the soldiers' minds.
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"So, when will we settle accounts with them?" Andrew's implication was very clear, that was Hermanus who neglected the fighter plane.
"No!" Luca flatly refused, "I still need him, at least before the Vandals are defeated. He is indispensable!"
"Anai!"
Luga murmured something with his eyes blank. He picked up the parchment, placed it over the flame of the oil lamp, and watched it burn to ashes.
(End of this chapter)