The great forge in which Britain's armada was built, Portsmouth has stood as Britain's southern fortress on the sea since the Roman invasion. Beginning as fortifications constructed by the Romans at Portchester, the settlement expanded under Henry II and his successors to become the greatest naval base in England, and a critical staging point for any invasion of the continent. Home to the world's first drydock and the world's first mass production line, the industrial revolution would see it transformed into the greatest fortress city in all the world, fielding a fleet no power on earth could match.

Hubris is a grievous sin though, and one Britain, and Portsmouth would pay dearly for. Crushed underfoot by the Germans and shackled to their new order, the Royal Navy found itself shrunk to a fraction of its size. German troops now bark harsh commands in Portsmouth's streets, ever vigilant for even the slightest hint of defiance. Sailors setting foot in port are greeted not by their families, but by German inspectors demanding to check for resistance gun smuggling.

Formerly the conqueror and now the vanquished, Portsmouth has learned the meaning of a harsh proverb its ships inflicted on so much of the world: Vae Victis.