In Times Of War
"Verily Emperor, but we cannot hold them."
"But we must, An Emperor has never left the seat of Rome."
"It is for your own good."
Caesar stood and stared out his window for a long time, ruefully studying the Imperial Temple of Saturn, a massive structure, built but ten years ago. Now it stood half destroyed, shelled by hated Iroquois Artillery.
"This war has been nothing but evil for our nation." Caesar spat, then turned rapidly away from the window and stalked to his audience chamber.
His advisor, Pliny, followed.
Halfway to the chamber, Caesar stopped and announced-
"I have decided to..." He choked on the words, "Abandon Rome- For- For, For Veii"
"A good choice, Emperor." Pliny bowed. "In times of war we do what we must."
"But must there be times of war?" Caesar disgustedly pondered.
"We are not all Gandhi, your Highness."
"Pity that the Iroquois exterminated the Indians and executed him... all he wanted was a little peace."
"Yes, your highness..." Pliny became anxious as Caesar remained standing in the middle of a courtyard, open to aerial attacks.
"It was all so simple back in those days," Caesar sighed, reminicing
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32 BC
"Ride you mangy elephants RIDE!" Alexander the Macedonian shouted to his somewhat balking elephants.
"I am the Monarch in this Monarchy, can't you Fri$$ing understand!
We must join Caesar and his Romans if we are ever to conquer these pigs of English dogs that likely make do with cows for night bedpartners! Ah move! $$$$!"
"War is not the only answer." A short, robed, dark old man kindly stated from underneath the elephants.
"A lot of good you do OUR alliance!" Alexander shouted angrily to the man.
"Cease!" Shouted the third man, Julius Caesar. "Gandhi is bringing healing to our party, automatically healing our units over turn-lenghts, remember that- the Indians are not men of war."
"Bah!" Alexander humphed and wacked his elephant with a large stick.
Gandhi hobbled over and whispered in the elephant's ear. The elephant began to move.
"Thank you Mahatmat." Caesar nodded to Gandhi, who gave a quick nod back in acknowledgement.
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The Present
"Six decades later the English were all gone, and the Greeks, led by Alexander, after they betrayed our Romans, were gone."
Caesar gave a rueful sigh.
"It is sad what ambition can do to men."
"You were always a man of peace." Pliny told Caesar
"As much as I could be expected to be, but not as peaceful as Gandhi..."
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107 AD
"Sir, Gandhi has been stabbed!" The messenger entered Caesar's antechamber out of breath.
"What!" Caesar rose, shocked as if he himself had been stabbed."
"It was one of his subjects that did it- Brutos Hajarraj! Attempting to seize power and declare war on the Chinese who have been slighting India."
"Is Gandhi all right?"
"For the time yes, but Brutos is leading an insurrection."
"He must be stopped and beheaded!"
"No sir!" The messenger was horrified. "Gandhi wished it not- he merely exiled the man."
"What?" Caesar was puzzled
"Gandhi forgave him."
"How can that be?" Caesar retreated into his Imperial chair, thinking. "I must go to see him at once!"
"Very well, he is in New Delhi."
Caesar pondered new thoughts of peace as he readied his armor.
---This is Possibly worth a continuation, I don't know... we shall see
--The point of it is to show how peacefulness is an ideal, but one hard to reach in a cruel world with those such as the Iroquois and others
