Gallian News: 15 November 1757/2007

Narrator: We have been too long without reporting back to you about the war in Germania. Therefore, if you have a moment we begin at the Ministry of the Marine in Versailles, Gallia where the verdict in the Court Martial of the senior officers of Rhapsodie 36 is being read.

THE COURT MARTIAL:

Narrator: The courtroom is silent. Everyone notices three swords placed upon the table of justice with points fatefully aimed at those on trail. The chief judge begins…

“In the matter of the loss of His Most Christian Majesty’s frigate Rhapsodie of 36 guns in the main harbor of Tradgardland, the Court finds l’Capitaine Briege, premier officer Drucour and officer en second Martine guilty of dereliction of duty. In that an enemy agent or agents worked their way aboard the vessel in your care, set fire to it, easily escaped and that the crew was insufficiently trained and/or roused to save her we have no recourse but to strip you of your rank and dismiss you from the Gallian naval service. Messieurs, I regret you will never command aboard a King’s ship again.”

Narrator: Dear reader, you will and must understand no other verdict was possible. The ship was riding peacefully at anchor in a friendly harbor and is now rotting at the bottom. The Chief judge continues.

“However, in view of the fact that the war in Germania has taken many unforeseen turns and that losses of many kinds are unpredictably inevitable, the Court as directed by the mercy of the King, does not demand you be housed in the Bastille for more than twelve months commencing now.”

GALLIAN MAGAZINE AT FRANKFURT AM MAIN:

Intendant Bastille is speaking to himself, again. “What am I to make of these Frankzonians? Confusion, quietude’s, friendly gestures, misdirection’s, little battles here and there with minor princelings, rebels routed from forests and bastilled in my new jail. A pun joke for me! Oh what fun. Well, we are still here, two years now and I have excellent news from de Poyanne. Still, I think I’ll call in some extra battalions into the city tonight and lock the gates to keep miscreants guessing. And I must confess again my confidence to the Sovereign here. He really is a good fellow and must be at his wits end as am I with his subjects.”

ARMY OF l’DUC DE POYANNE:

Narrator: Charged with assisting l’Intendant Bastille maintain the Gallian magazine at Frankfurt Am Main, l’Duc commands an army of 25,000 men camped on the plain north of the city. We enter his tent observing him write a dispatch to Bastille.

Monsieur et Excellency Bastille,
I have the honor to follow up on my brief dispatch of a week ago. I have obtained more information for the glory of the King’s interests.

Following the retreat of the Hesse Seewaldt Army from Preisserstadt, the battle fought there on the 13th of last month, I became aware of a prodigious store of food, munitions and other supplies in the village of Dithersdorf some distance to the north of you. As you know I detached 10,000 of my 25,000 men to seize these goods for our use. On the 3rd instant a battle was fought at Dithersdorf resulting in the regrettable loss of 2,000 Gallian soldiers but more happily with the capture of said supplies. I have the honor to tell you these are now arriving for storage in Frankfurt. No doubt the winter will be more pleasant. Of particular note, I am sending on ahead to you a wagonload of wine I beg to hope you will enjoy with my compliments.

Finally I am glad to say the Army guarding you though reduced to 23,000 men is now mostly reencamped on the plain outside the city. Thank you too for the care exercised by the physicians in the Army hospital for the casualties of both armies as I remain, etc, etc. etc.

Votre Obeissant Serviteur,
Duc de Poyanne
Camp at Frankfurt Am Main

NEAR MINDEN

Narrator: The Duc de Broglie continues to observe the defensive camp of the Marquis of Granby’s Britannians at Minden. He remains thankful the relief expedition of Der Erbprinz of Hesse-Seewaldt was turned round. However, winter is on his mind. He may need to retire to the magazine at Koblenz or Wesel any day soon. For now he is content to remain watching the Marquis.

AT THE FORTRESS OF GEMUNDEN

Narrator: Lt. General Chevert is some distance to the eastward of Frankfurt Am Main thinking similarly to de Broglie. Winter is close and he is considering options. Will it be one final sortie to the north to discomfort Der Erbprinz in early December? Will he retire to Frankfurt Am Main and take winter quarters there? Will he stay and winter at Gemünden? I personally think with his restored army, he may want to march north one more time before the year ends.

LADY DIANA PETTYGREE:

Narrator: Some think she is at the Channel Isle Pettygree caring for her sick Jacobite father, taken there by l’Vengeance. Others believe she was seen with her escort Lt. Col Enigma at the Battle of Preisserstadt where she is said to have observed a black and red coach and four she admired very much.

OTHERS:

Alerte: The dispatch vessel Alerte is riding at anchor at Le Havre having just returned from delivering orders to Gallian diplomat l’Chevalier du Nord in support of the Tradgardland invasion of the Shetlands.

Frigate l’Vengeance 40: Whereabouts unknown.

THE BASTILLE IN VERSAILLES:

Narrator: Dear reader do not confuse this jail with another of the same name built by l’Comte et Intendant Bastille at Frankfurt Am Main to house Frankzonian troublemakers.

We enter into the apartment of former l’Capitaine Briege, recently court martialled and ingloriously discharged from the Gallian navy for the loss of the ship under his command, Rhapsodie 36. The Gallian diplomat l’Comte de Rapprochement enters, exchanges pleasantries and offers a note from someone in authority. It reads…

Monsieur Briege,
You are hereby given the opportunity by this letter to redeem your honour and lay claim to a captaincy within the metropolitan army should you think it right to depart with the bearer of this letter within the hour of reading it. By the authority vested in me, service is available to you of a discreet nature within the Lanciers de Saxe for operations of a special nature to commence in the year 2008. The mission is the capture of an apparent enemy agent believed to be responsible for the destruction of Rhapsodie, 36. Your answer may be conveniently given to the gentleman before you. Your answer Monsieur is?

Votre Serviteur,
A Friend of the King
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