Chapter 1: Preleude to War.
Chapter 1: Preleude to War.
The city of Scipio, the capital of Carthage was unusually active for this time of day. The streets were filled with citizen in their cars, motorbikes, and other transportation on their way to the capital building. Today was a special day for them. Their leader was scheduled to give a public speech today and according to the fliers that were given out to the citizens, the subject was something big and very important. The art deco buildings and factories were plastered with posters glorifying their leader and various other anti-pony propaganda. The most common of these propaganda posters was a large poster of Princess Celestia, the leader of Equestria standing like a gargantuan over a small innocent anthro couple with blood and devil’s eyes on her as she was shooting lighting from her unicorn horn at the poor citizens. Two soldiers, one human, the other a fox were standing their ground protecting the women and children with rifles and bayonets. Written in Breton (the main writing system of Carthage) were the words: Unite Together and Help Us Destroy this Mad Mare!
The state building of Scipio was very very crowded as its large stadium was filled with thousands of people, both human and anthro. The stadium had its weather ceiling removed to let in the beautiful daylight in and to show the citizens a little entertainment while they waited for the public speech to begin. Their leader had arranged for the Carthaginian Air Force to perform a little air show for the people’s entertainment. The children and pups squealed and jumped with glee as the bright blue sky was filled with Me Bf 109s and Focke Wulf FW 190s performed incredible aerial stunts in the skies while soldiers wearing black armor, gas masks, and steel helmets kept order. Almost all of the citizens were cheering at the parading soldiers on the stage near the podium waving mini flags of the National Socialist Federation of Carthage. After about an hour or so, the air show had stopped and the Carthaginian Honor guard began to play the national anthem of Carthage as their leader approached from backstage to the applause and cheer of the audience. Their leader was a fifty-two year old grey wolf named Aljexandro Degrelle (pronounced Ah-les-sandro). Despite being in his middle ages, he stood proud and strong and full of charisma. He didn’t let his graying fur get in the way. He just smiled and waved to his citizens with a bright smile. Degrelle had quite in interesting history.
Born in the small village of Gaul, his parents died when he was still a newborn pup. He was raised by human parents who while they loved him dearly, were stricken with poverty. As a boy, Degrelle wanted to be a writer and novelist but while he had the skills, he lacked the money to do so. Degrelle first entered politics when he was a teenager after getting his first job as a busboy for a local bar and had witnessed a political party giving a speech there. At the time, Carthage was led by an incompetent and corrupt parliamentary monarchy run by a king who used his royal army for personal gain and a parliament who abused Carthage’s old democratic system to get into political power.
Degrelle joined a very radical political party called the National Radical Socialist Restoration Party. It was a very unusual group which advocated for a government composed of a combination of socialism, nationalism, and corporatist ideology. They were nicknamed “Sashas” due to the red and black sashes they wore during their political rallies. Degrelle soon discovered he was an excellent public speaker and soon began delivering public speeches for the party. He also served as a writer and editor for their newspaper, The Nationalist Reviewer. However, the party was small and spent most of its time arguing with its rivals, the radical communist party and the libertarian Objectivist party.
When Degrelle was a young anthro, he was conscripted in the Royal army and served on the frontline as a machine gunner during the Great Carthage Civil war, a struggle between the Kingdom of Carthage and a group of governors who were trying to secede from the Kingdom. He was eventually promoted to Staff Sergeant and as the war drew to a close, he joined a group of Carthaginian commanders, themselves fellow Sashas, and they conspired to overthrow the king. A year after the war in the Carthage year of 1923, he participated in the failed coup d’état against the government by the Carthaginian army. While they successfully stormed the king’s palace and held him under house arrest, they were soon suppressed by parliamentary forces. Many of the leaders were executed for treason while Degrelle was sentenced to life in prison.
While in prison, he continued to pursue his dream of being a writer and politician and he spent his spare time in prison writing his book The Carthaginian Struggle out of scrap paper he got from the prison workhouse’s paper mill. In this book, he described and laid out his political and philosophical believes. He advocated for unity between humanity and anthros, the replacement of the king with a head of state, replacing the parliament with a senate composed of socialists, and most importantly, his views on Equestria. In his book, he blamed the misery and suffering Carthage had been going through on the ponies and vowed that if he ever got into power, he would not only unify and restore Carthage to glory, he would also liberate the nation and the world from pony oppression. His book was a complete hit and in only a year, it had sold over one million copies.
Degrelle wrote many more books too including a few children’s stories and he soon gained national attention. At the time, the Carthaginian kingdom was on the verge of collapse. King Ivan, still traumatized by the coup d’état shot himself and his son, Prince Arthur was put into power. Unfortunately, he was a horrible politician and the nation was in debt due to war damages caused by the civil war. The parliament had inflated the nation’s currency to the point that the money wasn’t even worth the paper it was printed on. Loosing public support, King Arthur gave a royal pardon to Degrelle in a desperate attempt to regain public support. When Degrelle was freed, he soon became head of the National Radical Social party, formed the Cerberus Sturm Kommando Brigade (or SKs) as his personal bodyguards and soon ran for public office. While at first he did poorly at the ballots, he was still very popular among the people. Eventually, the Chancellor of Carthage, one of the three main leaders of Carthage's government, nominated Degrelle as his Prime Minister. Degrelle soon won by a landslide victory despite the protests from the King.
As Prime Minister Degrelle began issuing executive orders increasing the Prime Minister’s powers particularly the control of the military which was normally the king’s power. He also began replacing many parliament members with Sasha ones and soon advocated for disassembling the parliament all together. When the Chancellor and king planned to remove him from his position, Degrelle had his SK, which had grown to over a million troops, launch a secret purge of anyone who dared oppose him. The SK targeted politicians, communists, libertarians and capitalists, loyalists and pony sympathizers, and he even killed a few fellow Sasha’s most famously Andrea Benito who had once been Degrelle’s right hand man but had threatened to overthrow Degrelle. After a month long campaign against his enemies, he soon disposed of all his political opponents. The leader of the communist party was found dead, the Chancellor was executed for “treason”, the leader of the libertarian pro capitalist Objectivist party “disappeared”, and the king fearing for his own safety, abdicated his throne to his private island where he later died. With no one left to oppose him, the Carthage parliament gave in to his commands and Degrelle soon declared himself Caudillo, or leader, of the Federation of Carthage.
“Good day my people!” Degrelle announced with charisma. His voice was loud and very booming. “Furs and humans of Carthage alike, today is a perfect day for celebration! Finally, after years of political corruption, starvation and misery, I have rebuilt this nation and our pride! Over twelve years ago, I asked for time and patience from you and you have given me that! And in my time I have complete phase one of my promises! We are now unified under one nation! Carthage has been united!” He roared as his raised his paws in the air. Everyone in the audience cheered with hysteria and waved their flags in support. Once the audience had calmed down and went silent, Degrelle continued:
“And now that phase one of my plans are complete, I have now summoned you to address that we are now prepared to launch phase two! As you are well aware, one thousand years ago, we were banished from our old homeland and forced to embark on an exodus for freedom. Carthage became our freedom! However, it was not an easy start. For over a thousand years, our nation has struggled and suffered. Celestia and her ponies left us to die and be forgotten. We’ve tried multiple times throughout our history to reason with them but they continue to deny us peace! They have refused to accept us, they have denied our beliefs, and they have refused to grant us peace and we as a nation are fed up with it!”
“YEEEEAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!” the crowd and soldiers cheered back with thunderous applause and praise.
Degrelle smiled and gave the rest of his speech “Well, I have rebuilt our nation, I have rebuilt our strength, and I have rebuilt our pride! As a unified nation, we are now recovered. Our army is strong and we have decided to no longer tolerate the injustice of the pony ideology! As we speak, our military council is discussing our plans for war. There is no other option; the ponies have brought it on themselves for driving us to desperation. And it is time we show them the consequences of their actions!” he roared as he balled his paws into a fist “We will punish them for their oppression with planes that can out fly their pegasi! Tanks and war machines which will run over their magic! And millions of well trained and very loyal troops willing to fight to the death for Carthage independence!”
Degrelle suddenly closed his eyes and raised his paws.
“My fellow Carthaginians. I only ask of one thing from you.” He then opened his eyes and raised his fist into the air. “RISE UP AND FIGHT!!!!” he roared.
By this point the audience applauded and cheered! The airplanes returned and roared above the stadium in perfect formation. The honor guard continued to play the national anthem and every man and pup raised and began waving their paws with excitement. Degrelle stood there waving at his people. He had a rather sinister smile full of pride. In his mind, Equestria’s time was over. Now, was the rise of Carthage.
Chapter 2: War on the Horizon.
Chapter 2: War on the Horizon.
Degrelle was walking through the hallways of the Carthage capital building with his SK soldiers guarding him like black armored hawks. The walls were beautifully decorated with paintings and sculptures of many famous anthros and humans of Carthage’s past years. There used to be pictures of King Ivan and his son Arthur but Degrelle had them removed shortly after he seized power for obvious reason. Along the walls were paintings and busts of Julius Scipio, the human general who founded Carthage over a thousand years ago and whom the capital was named after.
Degrelle was a great admirer of him and he talked very extensively about him in chapter 4 of his book, The Carthaginian Struggle; particularly his strategic victory over the ponies during the Battle of Dead Mare’s Gulley during the Lunar-Celestial war a thousand years ago. Degrelle and all of his military officers personally carried a copy of Scipio’s famous strategy guide, The Majesty and Way of Warfare. Even though it was written when the humans and furries marched into battle with halberds, spears, and swords, many of his strategies and logistical tactics still held up for modern warfare. It was a must read for any skilled commander of an army. According the military intelligence, even a few pony commanders in Equestria had a copy which they studied.
Walking next to Degrelle was a middle aged human named Dieter Malickovich. Malickovich was an old friend of Degrelle and they both served together during the Great Carthage Civil War. While at first they both distrusted each other, they soon bonded and formed a personal friendship after they saved each other’s lives. After the war, Degrelle helped Malickovich to join the Sasha party and because of his expertise as a commander of special forces, Degrelle personally had Malickovich appointed as head of the SK brigade. Dieter was dressed in a black Carthage military officer’s uniform with war decorations and medals on his chest. He wore a black cap with the Carthaginian cross centered at a piece on the front of it. And more famously, he wore his red and black striped sash, the symbol of the Sasha party.
“My Caudillo, that was an excellent speech!” he congratulated his old friend. Degrelle smiled back and nodded in a rather friendly gesture.
“Ah yes that was. I can’t’ tell you the many hours of sleep I lost practicing and prepping it.” He laughed back. Malickovich smiled and giggled in response.
“I am afraid you will lose much more sleep soon my friend.” he answered. “The military council has been bickering and arguing these past few days.”
Degrelle frowned and nodded his head. “I presume over the plans of war?” he asked with concern.
Malickovich nodded back sadly. “I’m afraid they disagree on too much.”
But Degrelle’s smile returned and he patted his friend’s shoulder. “No matter, I understand that they will have differences. However, I recently had a discussion with field marshal Solomon a few days ago.”
Malickovich tilted his head with question. “The high commander of the 10th Army?” he asked.
Degrelle nodded back with a smile. “He told me he has a plan of attack which will surely impress the military council.”
Malickovich smiled back and nodded in reply.
“I am looking forward to hearing it.” He answered back.
Degrelle then suddenly stopped, his bodyguards stopped with him and stood guard. He once again placed his paws on his friend’s shoulder.
“Dieter my friend I must ask you something,” he said with a serious but excited tone in his voice.
“Yes sir anything.” Dieter replied.
“I won’t be able to make it to the meeting today.” Degrelle said with seriousness.
Dieter was shocked and awed by this. Degrelle had never missed a meeting on important issues.
“But Aljesandro why?!” Dieter asked with worry. But Degrelle smiled back and nodded.
“It is my daughter Desdemona.” He answered. Desdemona was Degrelle’s daughter whose beauty was famous throughout Carthage. She was a faired haired wolfess in her early twenties with silky black blue hair and soft fur. Degrelle raised her by himself as his wife had been tragically killed by a communist terrorist attack.
“Oh how is she?” Dieter asked very politely. “Is everything alright?”
Degrelle laughed and smiled back. “Of course she is.”
He then turned away as his bodyguards watched his back. “As you are aware, her womb is pregnant with child. She has a doctor’s appointment today and I wish to be there with her.” He answered back with pride.
Malickovich congratulated his friend and asked, “But how will you keep an eye on the council?”
“Simple.” Degrelle began, “where is my son Romulus?”
“I’m right here father!” a young human man suddenly addressed in the distant hallway as he approached Degrelle with a bright smile.
“Romulus!” Degrelle cheered back surprised and full of happiness as he extended his arms and paws to hug his son. Romulus was actually Degrelle’s first child. However, he was not Degrelle’s natural child; he was adapted.
Romulus was born in a very poor neighborhood to extremely abusive parents. He was kicked out at a very young age and lived on the street stealing food and money in order to survive. Degrelle found him trying to pick his pocket and rather than have his SK beat the child, he instead chose to raise him as his own. Romulus loved his step father very dearly and was very loyal to him. At a young teenage age, Degrelle had Romulus trained by his SK and he was a very gifted student. He graduated top of his class and at the very young age of twenty five, he was commander of the SK’s special Jaeger division, the military special forces branch of the SK.
“Ah Romulus you’ve have grown into such a fine young man!” Degrelle praised. Romulus was a very handsome twenty nine year old human with jet black silky hair which was shortened due to the military hair style code. He wore a much decorated SK uniform and had a Browning HP 9mm, the standard issue pistol of the military and the SK, strapped to his right hip safely guarded in a holster.
“My son, I have a job for you.” Degrelle said as he led his son to with him.
Romulus nodded. “Yes father, anything!”
Degrelle smiled and giggled at his son’s excitement. “As you are aware, your sister has a doctor’s appointment to check on the child in her womb and make sure nothing is wrong. I wish to be with her but this will cause me to miss today’s council meeting.” He then pointed to Malickovich. “Well you join Commander Malickovich and record the council meeting for me?”
Romulus gasped with disbelief. “You… you … really want me to?” he asked with a stutter. Degrelle laughed and patted his son on the back.
“Of course!” he said back with delight. “You’ve proven yourself more than worthy of being a great military leader. It’s time you studied with the greatest minds in our military!”
Romulus smiled back and almost squealed with glee, but then he composed himself professionally.
“I will be honored to do so father!” he responded with a serious tone but an excited smile on his face.
Degrelle nodded back and touched his son’s face. “Your sister and I are very proud. And if your step mother were still alive to see you, she would be proud to.”
Degrelle then ordered his guards to escort him and he went his separate ways from Malickovich and Romulus and headed to his private car to pick up his daughter from the university where she was going to school. Malickovich then turned his attention to Romulus.
“Come.” He ordered. “the council is expecting us.”
Romulus saluted back and followed his commander to the war room where the council was preparing for their war strategy.
Princess Celestia was pacing back and forth in the Royal hall of her throne room her hooves making a clopping sound. While normally Celestia was optimistic and calm alicorn, the past few days she had been having horrible nightmares. She was having visions of fire and smoke and her subjects screaming and suffering. It had made her uneasy and she looked out the window very very nervously. She tried to calm her nerves with her royal duties but the nightmares continued to get worse and worse. Her thoughts were interrupted however and her large door entry opened with a loud noise as a white Earth pony wearing shining gold painted armor stepped in.
“Your majesty!” he addressed with surprise. Celestia jumped a little.
“Oh…ah…yes captain?” she asked back in a rather exhausted tone. The captain noticed this and bowed down with respect.
“A thousand pardons your majesty, but your sister Princess Luna is here to see you.” He explained.
Celestia recovered from her shock and reaffirmed her figure.
“Oh okay.” She answered back. “Tell her I’ll be on my way. I need to take care of something first.”
The royal guard bowed in respect. “Yes your majesty.” He addressed back as he headed back to the door.
Before Celestia left to greet her sister, she used her horn to summon a piece of paper and a quill and ink. Holding the paper and inking the quill with her magic, she wrote:
To my faithful friend Twilight Sparkle,
These past few days I have been having troubling thoughts and suspicions. I wish to speak with you as soon as possible.
Your dear friend, Princess Celestia.
Once she was finished writing, with a puff of magic, the note disappeared in a puff of purple smoke. She then gathered herself to meet her sister.
“I just hope my dreams are not correct this time.” She said nervously this time. The last time she had these thoughts was over a thousand years ago, before her sister betrayed her. They were usually a sign that war was on the horizon.
