Chapter 58: What Should He Do? What Can He Do?

Yuri led a task force consisting of five hundred Varangians and newly trained marines on this assault. They successfully made a hard landing on the shores half a mile away from the naval installations, sneaked all the way to the back where it is poorly defended, covered their exposed skins in soak wet rugs and rushed into the harbour like a spear, instantaneously creating even more chaos among Ottoman sailors leading to a massacre.

The most feared military tactic or weapon from ancient to modern mostly only consists of two elements: fire and water. In this case, the power of fire in a war is fully shown. Although there is a quarantine belt between the burning ships and the harbour consisting of sea water which caused the fire to be not able to spread on land. However, the mere sight of fire burning in all directions before them, and the unbearable heat wave brought blowing to their face by the southern wind diminished their order and will to fight.

The strength of humankind is not worth mentioning when compared to the appalling power of the nature.

There is no one capable of ordering the Ottoman army to maneuverer, form into formation and face the Roman assault, actually, the shocked Kapudan Pasha is dragged down the embankment by his elite personnel guards the moment the Roman fleet started bombarding the harbour with shells and other projectiles, while his flagman, out of shock at the sheer sight of hell, threw the flag representing the insignia of the Kapudan Pasha and fled for his life.

This further spread panic among the Ottoman soldiers below the embankment, as they know very well that in the action what it means when the flag of the commander is lowered or even worse, vanished out of sight.

It means their commander has been killed in action.

When the Kapudan Pasha Baltaoğlu Süleyman Bey turned back to look at his harbour and his fleet, which is embezzled by flames on all directions and filled with a thick grey smoke, he remembered his role as their admiral and hastily gave a few orders to put down the fire and face the enemies on direct front, an action which is too late.

There are no one to convey his orders, everyone is either running for his lives, engulfed by fire, being massacred by the Varangians or on the process being massacred. The Kapudan Pasha, seeing all his efforts going in vain and people running everywhere, sighed, looked at the sky, drew his sword and tried to slit his throat with a trembling hand. But he was stopped by one of his elite bodyguard who grabbed his blade and urged him to run.

With the last bit courage of committing suicide gone, the Kapudan Pasha Baltaoğlu Süleyman Bey hastily made his escape by the eastern side of the naval installation, bringing away most of his elite bodyguards, which set all hell lose as the last bit of force capable of putting up a defence under a command ran away.

Baltaoğlu Süleyman Bey, with around three hundred leftovers of his army, ran with god speed to a town called Ormanlik which is around three Roman miles away. They escaped so hastily that they did not even have the time to prepare their horses. After the run, Baltaoğlu Süleyman Bey is panting and sweating up and down although it is still considered a winter season, face reddish from the heat just now, moustache half burnt and stuck together. He has just realised one crucial thing – his liege Mehmed the Sultan, is known to have very little tolerance and leniency towards Beys who failed his expectations in battles.

If he is to return in this state, even he is under cover by his political ally the Grand Vizier Candarli Halil Pasha, he might still be executed by his enraged Sultan. Even if the Sultan decided to have mercy on him and spare his life, he shall be left exile stripped of his wealth, prestige, titles and honour, which is a thing he cannot accept – Grew up in the mountains of Bulgaria, he rose all the way from an ordinary sailor in the Sultan's navy to the Kapudan Pasha, it is impossible for him to go back to poverty after having a taste of luxury.

However, as he turned around and looked at the direction of Gölcük, another fear soon took over his mind. If he escapes, he might still have a few days to live before being executed by Mehmed, but if he rush back to the battlefield, he might be embezzled by flames, slain by Roman blades. He don't get it, how is it possible that the Romans who are known for their cowardice, only knowing how to sit behind that tall Theodosian walls, dare to suddenly appear right before his eyes like they have came directly from the sky.

Perhaps times have changed.

Thus, under the dim winter sun, right before the eyes of his fellow bodyguards, the Kapudan Pasha, grand admiral of the Ottoman navy, staring at the smoke produced by his burning port blankly, totally not knowing what to do.

…

Just as Antonius has guessed, Ottoman reinforcement is already on the way the moment they spot massive amount of smoke from Gölcük.

The reinforcement is led by the Bey of Kocaeli, Ibrahim Pasha, from the city of Izmit. He is known for his decisiveness, carefulness, a leader who thinks before actions. Thus he is appointed here to ensure the safety of communication and transport networks in Thrace. Upon seeing the smoke, although shocked he soon came to conclusion that it is a surprise attack by the Romans, and probably not many of them.

Ibrahim Pasha immediately set off with half of the Ottoman forces available in Izmit, took all the horses in the city alongside with him for mobilisation, worn his armour and set off hastily towards the direction of the smokes.

On his way, he came across the Kapudan Pasha, whose beard and robes made of silk has been burnt, staring blankly at the port, trembling against the freezing winter season wind.