Some war music as a background

The Hafsid force, transported by Barbarossa and his pirate fleet, arrives at the Tripolitanian harbor as saviors. Ostensibly there to secure the city against an incoming Mamluk invasion, they immediately establish control, identifying weak points in the city and beginning on extra fortifications outside the walls. Barbarossa too takes note of these weaknesses, but passes this off to a crew-member who secrets these off to his brother Hayreddin, who is in command of the rest of the fleet and currently with the Mamluk attack force. Preparations move quickly, as is needed, because the Mamluks have been making excellent time and are due to arrive soon.

While this is taking place, Hafsid cavalry scouts are roaming the approach zone, destroying sources of fresh water and keeping a lookout for the approaching army. Mamluk scouts too are riding ahead of the force, looking for danger. The Mamluk scouts notice the Hafsid scouts first (84 vs 80) and prepare to engage them in battle. The Hafsid scouts (1) are blinded by rage, and without even thinking to send back a single scout as warning charge at the Mamluk cavalry. The Mamluks slaughter them (79).

While one would assume this would speed up the Mamluk approach, it in fact slows them (7) by making them more cautious. This would seem to be beneficial for the Hafsids who could speed up preparations, but they fail to notice that the scouts are gone (15).

The Mamluks reach the city at nightfall, and are able to prepare much of their siege during the night without the Hafsid troops noticing (68 vs 37). However, the information transmitted by the pirates was mostly misinterpreted, and only one of the weak points was properly targetted by the Mamluk bombards (22). Luckily for them, Barbarossa is more successful in setting up his own gunpowder traps (57).

The sun rises, and the Hafsid lookouts see the siege building against the city. Confident in his defenses, self-styled "Caliph" Muhammad IV climbs up to the top of the walls, and shouts to Sultan Qansuh al-Ghawri, who also styles himself Caliph.

"Qansuh, turn back now. This city is under the protection of the Hafsid Caliphate now. Your attack is futile. I'm even prepared to toss down this second-place trophy, made of f5000 of gold. Take it or die."

Al-Ghawri is unphased by these promises. "How about instead I take the city, and recover the statue from your unconscious body?"

Muhammad laughs. "Feel free to die trying."

And with that terse exchange the siege begins. The Mamluk forces begin the attack with an attempt to take out the bombard-hosting artificial hill built just outside the main gate. The Hafsids are very prepared for this (80), and immediately begin firing at the incoming mass of troops, buoyed by raids from cavalry forces. The Mamluks, meanwhile, are under the dillusion that their superior numbers would prove insurmountable. They were wrong (1). Thousands of Mamluk regulars were slaughered en masse as they charged the bombard hill, cut down by cavalry and the bombards themselves. After a few hours of this senseless slaughter, Al-Ghawri finally pulls back, leaving only a pile of bodies taller than the hill they were charging.

The Mamluks regroup and wait until nightfall, when plan B is set to spring into action. Barbarossa has been preparing for this moment all day (68), integrating his men into Hafsid patrols, placing gunpowder barrels along the wall at weak points, and sailing a few explosive boats into the harbor. As if on command, explosions rock the harbor, sinking much of the Tripolitanian fleet as the pirate fleet, led by Hayreddin, enters the harbor. At the same time, pirates along the wall slice into their unsuspecting allies, causing a massive battle. The Hafsids fight back admirably (53), delaying their plan to blast open the gate.

Meanwhile, the explosions have also signalled the beginning of an intense Mamluk siege. Bombards launch at the walls, blowing multiple holes in the walls thanks to well-placed gunpowder (80). Mamluk troops flood the city, eager for payback from the early slaughter (92). The Hafsid troops are completely overwhelmed (36), and the expected slaughter commences.

"Caliph" Muhammad turns to flee the city through his prepared naval excape route, but finds that the pirates properly targetted his excape vessel (64). He instead attempts to flee the city on foot, through the less travelled path near the Hafsid bombard hills. Unfortunately, he is quickly discovered (15).

Sultan Al-Ghawri is standing outside the main gate, surveying the progress of the siege, when he sees his nemesis attempting to sneak through. "Its over Muhammad," he yells out, "my forces have the high ground."

"You underestimate the power of my faith!" Muhammad shouts back, and with that they approach eachother for the battle of the Caliphs. The guards stare on, both expecting that Allah would save their rightful Caliph. Now Al-Ghawri is not an experienced fighter (25), and charges right in fists first. Fortunately for him, Muhammad is even worse (5) and starts by just standing there doing nothing. The "fight" eventually devolves into a slapfest, and only ends when Al-Ghawi falls over while throwing a punch, and accidentally connects with Muhammad's jaw, knocking him unconscious. Both sets of guards stare on confused, before the Hafsid guards simply surrender. Word travels quickly, and soon the entire city had laid down their arms. Tripoli belongs to the Mamluks.

HAFSIDS:

Lose 2160 Bedouin Infantry

Lose 1994 Berber Infantry

Lose 600 Bedouin cavalry

Lose 100 Berber cavalry

Lose 200 Camel cavalry

Lose 572 levy archers

Lose 127 engineers/sappers

Lose 67 Berber infantry

The rest of the units are captured

Muhammad IV is captured

Pride may be irrecoverable

MAMLUKS:

Lose 8576 infantry units, the vast majority of which are the lower slave units

Lose around 100 cavalry

Lose two siege engines

Gain complete control of the city of Tripoli