Italie - Prologue (21/12/2014)

[Asdrubaal]

Introduction

Finally, after one failed AAR, much reading, and many thoughts and ideas I decided to start this AAR, Italie, based on the 1796 - 1797 Italian campaign from Napoleon Total War, hoping that it will go better this time.
This AAR has been greatly inspired by (many other AARs, but those are the ones I liked the most) Robin of Bodemloze's archi-famous Takeda, Hitai de Bodemloze's on hiatus Road to Kyoto and Merchant of Venice's ongoing Way of the Bow AARs, now, you may be asking "but Asdrubaal, those are all S2TW AARs, why don't you do one?" well, the fact is that while I really like their AARs Japan is not really my thing (and my computer barely runs NTW, it probably would crash with S2TW) so I'll rather write about something I enjoy researching about.

As my first AAR was mercyfully killed and put in stasis after 2 or 3 updates this will pretty much be my first AAR (let's call it "quite like first but not really first AAR") so any criticism, feedback and help you can provide will be welcome.

Characters (may contain spoilers)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

- Jean Lannes. Born in Lectoure, a city in south-western France he rose through the ranks of the cavalry thanks to sheer determination. He is now expecting a new charge after defeating a the Corsican rebels led by the former artillery officer Naboleone di Buona Parte

- Naboleone Di Buona Parte (deceased). Born in Corsica from a low nobility family. After losing his position as artillery officer during the Terror he joined a band of Corsican rebels and became their leader, a somewhat gifted leader he found his death during an ambush at the hands of the Carabieniers of the Republic.

Index

-Prologue

[Asdrubaal]

The prologue has arrived.

Prologue

Corsica, 27 février 1796

It was a rainy day, water fell like ice knives inflicting a mortal cold into the men’s bones, a light fog was becoming denser by moments but then finally the scouts returned.







There was little to be said, they approached the Cuirassiers with the usual ghostly moves of the skirmishers, and there was not a moment in which they stopped anxiously looking everywhere and over their backs, always weary of some hidden danger, one of them spoke in a calm, soft, quiet voice that contrasted shockingly with their seemingly paranoid behaviour. “Sir… we have seen them… two companies of light troops… and a group of riders… they are all wearing regular Army uniforms… but one of them, wearing a grey jacket, was giving orders to his men…”


A nod was all of the officer’s answer, as ghostly as they had arrive the scouts disappeared in the fog, returning to their encampments, now this was the Carabiniers job.

One of the Cavalrymen advanced until he reached the Captain’s side, the lust for blood a surprisingly bright fire that rain had not weakened in any moment “Are they finally here?”
“That is what it looks like, the fruit is ready for picking, send message to the rest of the ambush, we advance.”

The column of horsemen started moving into position, forming in a wedge behind a cliff, having in sight the bait that had attracted the enemy.
Finally they came into sight, a bunch of those rebels, dressed in stolen Chasseur uniforms tried to get inside the Tax station but as soon as one of them opened the door he found a full company of the Garde Nationale pointing at him.
I let the garde take care of the bandits as I rode my horse up the hill, with a quick glance I could see a group of riders, their figures blurred by the fog, swiftly I pulled my sword from its sheath and ordered my men to charge, if we could kill the serpent most of our work would be done and we would be able to leave this infernal island.
As we rode we found another unit of rebels on our way, thanks to the momentum we managed to pass across them but the cornets of the two régiments of Dragoons, the other members of the ambush, told me that their relief for not being on the end of our charge would be short-lived.

Even with that little slip our charge clashed with the riders with deadly force, they were expecting out charge so swords clashed as I found myself fighting a man whose clothes would point to a member of any general’s retinue rather than to the bandit he was, clearly our enemies had been stealing and sacking enough to pass as members of the armies of the Republic. I tried to quickly finish him but I quickly found myself fighting on the defensive, his hits too quick for me to do anything but parry them, but then one of my men appeared on hi back,swinging his sword he severed the rebel’s head and continued his way in persecution of the rest of the retinue, their moral broken for some reason. “Anyone has found their leader? We need his head if we are to put down this rebellion forever”
“I-I think I got him sire”
One of the Soldiers guided me to a corpse wearing a well made but stylistically hideous grey jacket over the same stolen uniforms the rest of the riders were wearing, he had horrible wound in the chest but his face was undamaged and matched clearly with the dossiers, this man was Naboleone di Buona Parte, an artillery officer expelled with dishonour during Robespierre's Terror and now leader of a band of Corsican rebels, trying to regain the island’s independence, he didn’t count with the support of his people but had managed to assemble a good collection of bandits and the incompetence of the authorities had allowed him to kill, sack and steal with impunity, but now his realm had ended, dead in the middle of a forest, left there to be eaten by the worms, but what was more important, I was going to get promoted for this one and all that came from it changed everything in my life.

[Alwyn]

A very enjoyable start for your new AAR! I like the use of this Corsican former artillery officer (whose name sounds quite familiar) as the leader of a band of rebels. I look forward to finding out how your protagonist's story progresses.

[Hitai de Bodemloze]

Interesting start! Best of luck in your new endeavour

[Scottish King]

So Napoleon is dead...this has the potential to be a great AAR! + rep

[Merchant of Venice]

Intriguing start, I'd like to see more of this +rep

[Asdrubaal]

Short update, been trying to solve this knot in the story for quite a while (well, and playing Tomb Raider and Persona 3 FES), finally have decided for a letter and some narrative ellipsis, next update Lannes will be in Italy so that we can finally shot some god-damn guns!

Prologue 2

Dear Captain Jean Lannes


The Directory wants to congratulate you for the suppression of the Corsican rebels and inform you of your promotion to Général de Brigade, along with your immediate destination to l’Armee D’Italie under the command of Général Jean-Mathieu-Philibert Sérurier in order to cover Général de Brigade Geraud Duroc’s sudden illness that has left him unfit for battle.

As for your actual régiment the Directorate has decided to reform the cavalry regiments so your old régiment of carabiniers will be re-equipped as Dragoons and sent along with you to l’Armee d’Italie.

Finally I have to inform you that recruiting a new staff won’t be necessary as Général de Brigade Duroc’s staff has been assigned to you.


Yours sincerely Jean Joseph Victor Génissieu, Ministre de la Guerre.

12 Mars 1796

[Hitai de Bodemloze]

Good to see you back in action! All is forgiven, Persona is all kinds of awesome

[Merchant of Venice]

Let's see what happens in Italy, good to see this back again