Empire of India: Rise of the Ruthless Prince

The port city of Malacca was bustling with activity. It was the break of dawn and the harbour was already wide awake. The streets were filled with shouting traders and creaking wooden hulls of the stationed merchant ships from different kingdoms. The air was filled with a slight tang of salt and a blend of natural herbal spices like nutmeg and clove.

Local labourers thronged the streets towards the approaching merchant ships to unload the goods. Malacca was a port city located in the Strait of Malacca, an important maritime choke. It was very lucrative to hold this maritime choke as multiple trade ships passed through this very choke towards China and the Pacific Ocean.

Malacca was a port city where wealthy merchants from China, India, and other European nations go to sell their goods like fine silk, gemstones, textiles, and timber. It was an unmatched market for commodities that ensured it's steady influx of wealth from all over the world.

To match that, the port city had a deep natural harbour that made docking ships pretty safe. The goods exchange could be done safely and properly due to this. The surrounding lands were also fertile, resulting in the city's steady supply of grains.
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Portuguese held one of the most lucrative choke points in the world. It was a heavily militarized port city. The city was overlooked by a Famosa, a stone fortress with thick and strong walls. The cannons pointed at the strait. Portuguese soldiers stood in attention near the gate of the Famosa with their usual partial chainmail armor. It was combined with some padded gloves and tunics. Their uniforms bore an insignia of the Order of Christ.

They always had excess ships stationed in Malacca to show their dominance over the other European nations and the rivaling ports.

After the Portuguese colonized the port city, they put levies on the goods sold in the city. This led to the economic decay of the once vibrant city of Malacca. They also monopolized the spices, forcing the traders to sell to the Portuguese merchants first at a much lower rate as well. The traders would have to leave the much more lucrative offers from the other kingdoms to sell them to the Portguesue.

The locals fared poorly under the colonization regime of the Portuguese. Workers were forced to build fortifications for the Portuguese. The once-vibrant Malay culture eroded under the forceful impostions of Catholicism. The mosques built under the rule of the Malacca Sultanate were torn down by their colonizers.

In it's place stood huge churches and statues of saints. Yet the silent voices of suffering gave birth to small flames of rebellion in the region. The local merchants and nobles were plotting for a rebellion. Since there was the suppression of Islam, it resulted in heavy support from the neighbors like Aceh, Johor, and Brunei.

The city of Malacca was under the control of Portuguese Commander Dom Rodrigo Vasconcelos. He was a clever tactician. He was the one responsible for the defense of the city. His pragmatic approach resulted in the city still under Portuguese rule even with the interference of regional powers.

It was not just the local powers that were interested in Malacca. The tensions with the Dutch were at a high. They were also eyeing the port city of Malacca. The Dutch controlled Batavia or present-day Jakarta, in the region.

Rodrigo was resting in the Famosa in his personal room with his mistress. He indulged in alcohol and prostitutes a lot. A soldier entered his room with a letter. The room was stinking of day-old alcohol and sweat. The clothes were scattered here and there. The luxurious room was a mess. The tables were riddled with alcohol bottles and expensive wines.

There was a permeating scent of perfume in the air mixed with the stench. The soldier held his breath and stood at the door. He knocked.

"General, we have a message." He said it in a loud voice.

This awoke Rodrigo, who cursed under his breath and got up. He ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

"Huh? Who is this from?"

The soldier glanced at the naked lady in the bed. Rodrigo shifted his gaze and cursed.

"You Bitch! Your job is done. Get out."

"Th-The Payment..." Stuttered the lady.

Rodrigo sighed and threw a small pouch of coins at her. "Get lost now."

The lady ran out, covering herself.

The soldier composed himself and greeting him with a smile.

"This letter is from general Barnabas."

"Barnabas? At this time?"

He grabbed the letter and broke the seal to read. Rodrigo knew Barnabas's personality. He never sent letters to others unless there was an immediate emergency they needed to urgently address.

If Barnabas was asking for help, it would mean that the enemy was strong.

He read the letter and grimaced. It was much more serious than he thought. They lost the base in Daman. They poured a lot of effort and money into that base. The loss didn't end at that. They had to sign another unfavourable deal with the Vijayanagara Empire to use their lands for refugee of the Nobles that were on vacation in Daman.

"He is requesting a backup and also units to retake Daman after they secure the nobles."

He sighed and ordered the soldiers, "Call a meeting; we have some issues to address."

"Understood, General. Who all do I call for the meeting?" The soldiers saluted.

"Captains and above. Inform everyone." He ordered.

Rodrigo got ready for the meeting. He was back in his usual attire at the meeting. His mind was already on work about the plan. He attended the meeting with the captain ranks in the port city. They were all ready to go to Daman after he revealed the contents of the letter from Barnabas.

Barnabas was a pretty influential name in the army due to his accomplishments so many people looked up to the man. They were also ready to help him at all costs. Despite this, Rodrigo was still skeptical of starting a whole takeover. The piece of land would cost a lot to invade, as they had fortified it.

'Is he even in the right mind? First, I will prioritize the nobles safety for now.'

He thought.

In his mind, there was no benefit of taking back Daman. The forces and Portuguese had witnessed the brutality of the local populace in that place. It was a futile endeavor for them to control it again. The merchants and others would be reluctant of the place from now on.

There were also the rising tensions with the Dutch. He couldn't allow them to get a whiff of this plan. They would pounce on this loss.

"For now, send enough to ensure the safety of the nobles to Malacca." Rodrigo ordered. "Two captains and their units will be responsible for their safety."

"Ensure there are no leaks of this new to the Dutch."

"Understood, General."

"What about the request from General Barnabas?" One of them asked with a curious glint in his eyes.

"I shall talk with Barnabas and decide. Prioritize the safety of the nobles for now."

'I am curious now. How was that Barnabas defeated in Daman?'

He thought,

'Who was the one that defeated him.'

He had a wide grin thinking about it.

Rodrigo also had his fair share of problems in Malacca since the Dutch were slowly meddling in their affairs. The Sultanate of Johor was making some unusual movements in the region. The neighbours were clearly hostile due to the levies and imposition of Catholic faith on the people of Malacca. The local nobles and merchants were conspiring against them and inciting a rebellion. Rodrigo was gathering intel about their movements in the region to plan his defense or to prevent the rebellion altogether.

The main suspicion was from the Johor sultanate but he couldn't rule out the other supporters like Aceh and Brunei. It would spell some trouble for them if everyone was colluding against them.

They couldn't afford to lose Malacca since they already lost Daman to the Marathas. It would greatly impact their finances.

He needed to convince Barnabas that doing a complete takeover would stretch their resources thin in the region.

'Convincing him will take a toll on me.'

He sighed and walked back to his chambers.

The Dutch problem started after the news of Portugal and Spain talking about an iberian union was leaked through their spies. Spanish were the enemies of the Dutch, with the potential of a union. Portugal would also be on the radar along with the Spanish.

The meddling was getting pretty bad as there were many attempts to incite rebellion in the Malacca city by the Dutch. Although most of them were thwarted by Rodrigo's intel network before they could even begin. The ones that didn't fall under the Intel network were violently suppressed by force.

'I hope no one leaks information about this.

' He thought.

'I will have to prepare for the worst.'