The Security Chief writes a story Part 3

Posted on Thu Jan 5th, 2023 @ 3:28am by Lieutenant Commander Aurelia Taylor

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: The Tea House
Timeline: A month after Part 2
805 words - 1.6 OF Standard Post Measure

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Having reached their main camp, Marcus Quintus Flavia detached his twenty men. "Stand fast Legionaries, you have work to do before eating and weapon cleaning." The men stopped and looked at their Centurion, one Casius Artimus now spoke. "Pray tell me just what work you think we must perform? Have we not just given our all?" A crash of metal was heard as Marcus lashed out with the hilt of his Gladius, Artimus's helmet flew off his head. "What did you just say to me? Dare you refuse to obey my command?" Casius picked up his helmet, "No command was given Centurion, only a statement made." He replaced the helmet on his head, "Sixty of our comrades lie in a field, just what those Barbarians will do to them does not bare thinking about. And yet you worry about work and weapon cleaning, not the souls of the departed." Marcus walked over to Casius, "Those sixty Legionaries did their duty for Rome, they will not be forgotten nor their eternal rest disturbed by Barbarians." Casius stood his ground, "Duty for Rome will not feed the families of the sixty, nor will it satisfy my desire to extract revenge on those who slayed them." The venom within Casius's words carried through to Marcus, "You will have your revenge, as will we all. But first there is the small matter of disobedience, had my orders been followed more than we twenty would stand here." Casius now looked hard at Marcus, "What say you? Any order you gave to me, I obeyed without question. Do you accuse me of cowardice?" Flavia now smiled, "No not you Casius, nor a goodly number of you twenty. But two who stand here, stand only because they ran before the enemy."

Casius now turned and looked at his companions, "Is this true? Do two cowards stand with us? Speak up, or I shall make your death even more painful once I find you out." Marcus pointed to two young Legionaries standing slightly apart from the main group, "Tintillus and Marcellus, tell me why you live when those around you fell to the Barbarians?" Marcellus hung his head, and Casius now ran towards him hitting him full in the face. "Speak coward!! Speak or die here and now by my hand!!" Marcus came between the two, "Stay your hand, at least for now. A decimation will take place, these two failed to stand with their comrades. The result was the death of five of our friends, how many more they allowed to die I can not say. But I saw them run while five others died, and for that Casius. And for that, we have work to do." Casius nodded and returned to the main body of his comrades, the other two looked with fear as their once friends lined up in two rows facing each other. "Strip off the armour you dishonoured, drop the weapons you failed to respect." Ordered Marcus, he walked over and picked up the two Gladius from the mud. Looking at the two now frightened men, he pointed at the gap between the rows. "Run you cowards, run and meet the justice of your comrades. And think upon those you allowed to die, there will be no honour for either of you!!"

With weapons drawn and hatred in their hearts, Casius and the rest of the Legionaries stood waiting. The two men only got as far as the first four, by then the lines had broken and the rest fell on them hacking them to pieces. Once the decimation had been carried out, the now smaller group reformed their lines. Marcus walked over the bodies and spoke to them, "Legionaries, you are dismissed. You have all carried out your duty for Rome and the Legion with honour and bravery, I am proud to call you comrades." Casius spate at the bodies on the ground, two slaves appeared and picked them up, "What do you wish us to do with the bodies?" Marcus pointed to the wall around the camp, "Throw them over that, and let nature take her course." Nodding, the slaves headed for the wall. Casius shouted to the guard who pointed his spear at the slaves, "Let them pass, they carry out an order from one Marcus Quintus Flavia. Centurion and survivor of the Barbarian ambush." Lowering his spear, the guard watched as the two bodies were thrown over the wall. He then resumed his duty keeping his eyes on the forest some distance away.

Lia read this latest part of her story, had she kept to her overall theme? Would anyone ever read or even care about what she had written? Only time would tell, that and Lia allowing other people to read this tale.

Commander Lia Taylor
Chief Security Officer
USS Elysium

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