The woman who become Empress, Ailina Dociarta

The woman who would become Empress was born in the province of Limitanea, near the border with the Parthian Empire. Born into a family with a strong military tradition, the young woman received a strict but rigorous education, absorbing in addition to the education itself also the desire for revenge of her parents towards the Republic. For some time there was in fact a rift between the republican parliament, which had created a long peace with other empires and the military class, which wished to return to the glories of the past. At the time this split, although present, had not reached worrying levels and the young Ailina enlisted as a cadet, starting a rapid military career due in equal part to her abilities and to the power of her own family. However, during her service, the situation quickly deteriorated, and a series of military defeats against the Mayan Empire made the government extremely unpopular, as well as the rumors that the heavy conditions of peace imposed had been accepted upon payment of large bribes to the Roman diplomats. Ailina, who in the meantime arrived at the rank of colonel, was one of the most vocal supporters of the fact that there should be an investigation managed by the armed forces over these rumors; and for this she was quickly arrested and placed in a military prison. However, this action triggered a fuss, as Ailina had accumulated both a notable reputation as a military strategist and had made many important friendships inside and outside the army, and these pressures drove the government to release her almost immediately. However those who wanted a change at the top of power saw the situation as an excellent pretext and, using Ailina as an icon for their cause, decided to blow on the fire of dissent. Ailina herself was swift in taking control of the situation, and, proclaiming herself commander of the true Roman army, urged all members of the armed forces to join her banner, and to get back the power from the hands of the corrupt bureaucrats. Most of the armed forces sided with her, as did the bulk of public opinion. However, the forces that remained in the Republican government were still substantial, and could count on the support of much of the economic-industrial apparatus. The civil war that ensued was tremendous, also worsened by the fact that the Persian empire and the kingdom of Axum tried some war actions to take territories under the control of the Romans, forcing both the rebels and the government to divide their forces, creating a battle on 4 fronts. Eventually, after more than a year of clashes, the troops commanded by Ailina managed to enter Rome, forcing the government to capitulate and thus ending both the civil war and the republic, sanctioning the birth of the Empire.