During the siege, Felix sent a cruiser to scout the coast of North Africa.
The reconnaissance revealed that the Hafsid Dynasty had not assembled a fleet and seemed intent on staying out of the war.
On March 30, seeing the trenches creeping closer, the baron of Barbacane Castle requested negotiations.
Had a noble family lived here for generations, they would probably have held out for a long time, as the defenders of the Red Fort in southeastern Euboea once had.
The baron, however, had only arrived to take possession of his fief the previous August and felt little attachment to his newly acquired castle.
He walked out through the gate carrying a white flag, and the Marines escorted him to a nearby manor, another of his properties. During the siege, it had become Felix's headquarters. The wine stored in its cellar had a distinctive flavor, giving Felix quite a treat.
Even now, the baron still clung to a little hope. "Your Excellency, what does the emperor intend to do with Pantelleria?"
Felix put down his wine bottle and delivered the explanation he had prepared:
"From now on, this will be a naval base, serving as a temporary port of call for cruisers. Since you surrendered voluntarily, you will receive treatment befitting a noble during the war and regain your freedom afterward. The Admiralty will purchase the island's manors and forests at a low price.
"These are quite generous terms. The locals told me that when you drove out the nobles of Aragon six months ago, you didn't even compensate them."
After the negotiations, the baron trudged back to the castle, his head hanging.
The soldiers stationed inside gathered around him. The garrison numbered eighty-two men, half local militia and half mercenaries the baron had brought from Naples.
Some looked expectant,