1453: Revival of Byzantium

Chapter 12: Battle of Samos

1452 AD, October 25th , Aegean Sea

A massive fleet of Galleys and light ships powered by their sailors' oars pushing against the water and the breezy wind gently billowing the sails of the ships sailed into the Aegean Sea. The afternoon sunshine baked the wet deck making it filled with warmth. The fleet traveled across the white painted waves like a pack of ducklings swimming across a pond filled with snowdrop Calla lily flowers.

Sailing across the channel of Izmir in open broad light into Ottoman naval activity area is an act of madness, one of course expect a large Ottoman naval garrisoned here protecting the trade route. The Roman soldiers, having heard about myths about Ottoman soldiers will catch any potential disturbing their land, devour them into their monstrous stomach and toss the remains into the sea wraiths in the mist. They have also heard about the dangerous sea route in the chains of isles in Agean. Any random boulders might suddenly smash their ship, even a sturdy boat cannot withstand the impact and become a splinter of wood.

The atmosphere of fright and anxiety began spreading across the Roman sailors.

Antonius, folding his arms on the commanding deck, jeered to Abdullah and Abraham. "Look at these sailors under the Emperor of the Greeks, they are not even familiar with their own seas now."

The three of them laughed. However soon after laughing, Abdullah warned Antonius with a serious face. "My brother, there is an old Islam saying, 'Better a thousand enemies outside the tent than one within'. Trust me these bunch of coward sheep is even deadlier than one enemy in tent."

"You are right Abdullah, we need to boost their morale up, they cannot face their foes like this, I bet they will turn their backs toward the enemy rather than facing it." Antonius agreed with Abdullah and began thinking of a way.

"How about a song my captain." Suggested Abraham who is maneuvering the flag ship Formidata. "Sailors love this kind of sea shanties on a long voyage."

"That is a nice idea Abraham!" Antonius replied laughing.

"Alright lads! Lets start singing following your captain's lead! Just like in the old days! Hee-Hoo !"

"Ayyee!" Replied his fellow sailors yelling.

"Come! All you young sailors, start singing!"

"I, shall sing thou a song of the Romans in the sea!"

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"Hee-Hoo!"

"I am the sailor, sailor of the Romans!"

"The battleships and Aegean is my friend!"

"Serving for the hon-, the honourable Roman Empire!"

"With all my valor and guts!"

After hearing the singing on the flagship, the captain of another Galley, or the boy Julian, encouraged the Roman sailors on his battleship. "Comon boys! Prove that we can sing our song better than those Genoese! Follow my lead! Sing!"

"And we' waiting for the battle!"

"waiting for the loot,"

"waiting for the foes,"

"Nothing in our Galley nothing except men!"

"Men with the valor of Caesar!"

"Men with the spirit of Hannibal!"

"And with the souls of Constantine!"

"We send fright to our enemies,"

"So thee dare not raise his blade!"

"I swore to Virgin Mary, and our blessed Basileus Constantine XI,"

"And burn our foes' ships into ashes!"

By this time almost every sailor on every ship in the fleet, bellowing out the lyrics of the sea shanty, they feel that their courage has been filled to the brim, they have nothing but valor left, and they are not afraid of anything. The atmosphere of anxiety of fear has vanished, what replaced it is the spirit to sail, fight and loot.

Suddenly just as the song finished, the sea watchman rang the battle alarm and shouted. "Ships flying Ottoman flags on the horizon! Captain! SixSevenEight of them! Ten 'O'clock to the South!"

Antonius quickly rose his Monocular and observed closely. He then laughed filled with joy. "Alright lads! We caught them by surprise! Are you ready to fight and plunder lads!"

"Aye!"

"I can't hear you~~~"

"Aye! Captain!"

"Battle stations! Lower the Roman flag, raise the pirate flag! Send the signal, four Galleys in centre to break through enemy formation, four ships flank from the left and four ships flank from the right, the rest stay behind and prevent any ships from breaking through!"

"Aye sir!"

"Prepare the gripping hooks! Load your crossbows! Sharpen your blades for close quarters lads! No, don't use Greek Fire yet, we want those ships alive."

Immediately after the signal flags are sent off, the ships got ready into action and formed a Pincer formation and is ready to face the treasure fleet heads on. It did not take long before the fleet admiral of the treasure fleet notice something is wrong and hastily manoeuvre his fleet in a snake formation ready to break through enemy fleet and run away.

However all attempts to flee came to no avail, as the Ottoman admiral desperately found the size of the enemy fleet is too much for him to handle, he soon adopted a formation of a spear head, moving his ships for the last time before they meets head on.

Antonius, as an experienced pirate, of course won't give him opponent such a chance. "Full sails! Full speed!" He cried. "Aim for their broadside!"

As the two fleets met head on, the wind direction suddenly turned and is now blowing south vigorously, a huge advantage for Antonius and his fleet. The harsh wind also increased Roman ships' crossbow range and bolts began poring like ice bergs on the heads of the Ottomans, suppressing the Ottoman crossbow men, thus they can neither raise up their head nor fire back.

"Catch the wind! Catch the waves! Aim for their broadside!"

As the waves and wind pushes Antonius ships into his enemies, he suddenly commanded his ships to manoeuvre left a bit a strategy used when one side have the ease of movement advantage, to catch and ram and broadside of foes.

The sailors on deck, using the advantage of having crossbow suppression, flung the grip hooks with full force, an action that immediately halted the movement of the first two Ottoman treasure ships, then as despair as the Ottoman captain watches, crashed his long, exquisite Galley bone into the ram-head of the Roman fleet, immediately breaking a hole in its hulk.

"Charge! Kill'em! Raise your blades!"

Antonius yelled as he drew his blades and jumped onto the deck of the enemy ship an action that is considered very unwise for a fleet's admiral, but he cared nothing about that. He roared like a starving lion catching his prey and swung his cutlass into the arm of an archer, which instantaneously sent his bow and his arm away, the man collapsed shouting in agony. He then drawn out his loaded mini crossbow and fired two shots at two Ottoman sailors charging at him, the force sent them rolling on the deck.

Antonius rushed forward with his double cutlass ready to run them through the throat of another foe, but just then the archer he just brought down drew a dagger and threw it onto the back of Antonius.

However, the dagger brought a spark on his back, as Antonius has worn the chain mail that was gifted to him by Giovanni before engaging into combat, an act that saved his life this time. Antonius, realised that he has just been sneak attacked by a casualty, soon filled with rage and thirst for blood. He immediately ran his blade into the torso of the sailor in front of him, turned back and finished the life of the disgraceful sneak-attacker.

By then, Antonius' crew has already boarded the ship and fully engaged in close quarter combat, while the other three ships in the middle has also crashed their ram into the enemy ships. The flanking fleet successfully broke through the enemy battle line and separated them, there is no doubt to the result of this battle now.

The Ottoman admiral, still desperately trying to maintain order of his men and even had some counter attacks against the less-experienced Roman soldiers, soon dropped his last hope of surviving as he watches his men dropping dead and falling into water trying to flee for their lives. He decided to die with honour like a true Ottoman noble, and rushed into battle with his blade, but is soon chopped into pieces.

As the scent of dusk approaches and the sky colour began dimming, the battle ended.

The Roman fleet has gained a full victory on their first engagement after having a new admiral, they have found back the spirit, the lust for blood, prize and medal, given to the Roman navy by Julius Caesar himself some fifteen centuries ago, they have now truly became wolves like what Antonius has just said.

"Take control of these ships and quickly get out of here! We took too damn long, the Ottomans might already sent another fleet after us!"

Antonius soon returned to his ship, soaked in blood. He is greeted by Abdullah, laughing in joy that his eyes became like a curve as he summarises the 'profit' of this battle. "Congratulations my brother! Just as the old Idiom says, 'An army of sheep led by a lion would defeat an army of lions led by a sheep.' you have successfully eliminated them! Ha-ha how will you name this glorious battle?"

Antonius, still haven't recovered from the fury of the battle just now, stared at Abdullah with his eyes stained in blood. "First my friend Abdullah, the captain of that ship is no coward, he is a brave man and threw himself into action before he fails his Sultan, I have to give him that, because he brought down one of my men even after he is decapitated."

Antonius paused a while, looked at the map and the sky, then continued. "I shall name it Battle of Samos, the battle will accompany my name forever!"

With the battle of Samos ended, the fleet, with their new ships, readied themselves and prepares to sail back home.

The dusk descended pretty quickly, casting a luminous blanket of night sky upon the seas, but with the last glimpse of sunlight, the watchman caught something

"Captain! A fleet to the northcountless of them! Approaching our direction with full sails!"

Antonius licked his dried lips and said. "Well well, seems like the battle of Samos isn't over yet."