Alien Romans in Mass Effect

by Danen5

Short story. All in 1, 3 Episodes. Mostly on the Stellaris side of things and all told in first POV. Sort of more crack than anything. It's just idea that I wanted to post but it sort of helps me set a new stage for Expansion Edition when I get around to finishing the final draft and posting it next week. New updates are featured in here, you'll know it coz it's obvious.

Episode 1: They came, they saw, they kicked our butts, then left! WTF!

Praefectus…uh…Praefectus…damn it! It's this guy's POV

"All systems nominal, all ships reporting in, sensors indicate we're 19k out from the gateway, Praefectus." I nod toward the Immunes manning the sensor terminal as I looked at the information streaming into my PAC, personal arm computer, statistics mostly but there were a few things on the list that caught my attention.

"Immunes Hawke, what does your terminal tell you?" I ask the one stationed across from the one manning the sensors. He was a tall and wiry young man of about 30 or so, looked so nervous I swear he might have shit himself, he was charged with our ship's logistics.

"Praefectus, I'm detecting unknown hostiles approaching. The gate is opening, unknowns are coming through!" My brows shot up at that. That's bad news. The last time this kind of thing happened…let's just say it didn't end well, for the other guy that was.

"How many?!" I yell at him as he looked back at his terminal, the rest of the bridge crew scrambling to their stations or frantically calling out stats from their own terminals.

"Over sixty unknowns, I've hailed the—"

He didn't get to finish as just over sixty unknown ship configurations came out of the gateway. I count thirty odd corvettes while the rest were destroyers with a single cruiser. I immediately barked out orders to the crew, "Raise shields! Set Alert Stat 3, get the cyberwarfare suites online, and somebody get me a line to Legatus Optio Gaius Terminius."

The men fluid in their motions as they set about carrying out my orders, I'm proud of their response time, the fact that I drilled it into them may have helped. But for now I'm stuck with reading data coming in to my PAC streamed in from the terminals in the bridge, graviton readings and exotic tachyon particle readings from the unknowns were off the charts. Zro counts so high I could practically smell profit, but then the stats beginning to read unknown radiation emissions coming from under the hull of the alien ships, some type of reactor or something maybe? I brought up a 3D image of the alien ships, they were predatory I'll give them that. Aesthetically utilitarian but had that flair of dramatic militarism added to their design, wing like protrusions on either side, elongated prow. Not to mention bristling with turrets and if what the computers are me telling is correct, I believe a spinal gun.

A pinging chime from my PAC showed me it was Gaius responding to my hail. I chose the personal communication option and a private network for the two of us opened, not visual or audio but a mental one, gotta love those psychics and their insistence that their communication technology be implemented in our comm relays.

"You called, Praefectus?" Gaius asked, bloody insubordinate bastard but he's the best of my commanders. Can't simply fire him for that, atleast not yet.

"Yes, I did. No doubt you see what I'm seeing. I want you to coordinate with the corvettes and deploy picket lines. Tell Legatus Tribunus Marcus Severus, to take his own corvettes and swarm the enemy. Usual tactics, I'm putting the fleet at Alert Stat 3."

"Of course, Praefectus. I doubt Marcus would easily comply with the swarm order though, he's going to be outnumbered." He didn't need to point that little mistake out but its my order, I frowned as I bit back a snap when I felt it coming.

"Just do it!" I say, putting more emphasis in these words than necessary but sometimes you got to be forceful to get your point across to some idiots. No matter who they are and who their parents happen to be. I cut off our mental communication link before he sends a smart ass reply. Sometimes I wished that our military was more…tougher, oh sure its really tough, the training is hell but the attitude leaves a lot to be desired. I can understand discipline comes at a price at times but for the outer colonies to suffer so much from insubordination bordering on the extreme—

"Unknowns' energy sigs are rising. Identified weapon platforms detected. Countermeasures activated." I ignored the interruption to my train of thought, as I cleared my throat and refocused on watching the unknowns. So far they've done nothing aside from trying to scan my ships, reports came in that security breaches were made in the fleet's cyber defense network but barely made it past the first firewall. At least that's reassuring. No need to worry about the unknowns taking over our ship's life support systems…that's a disturbing thought.

"Praefectus, we're getting hails on all known communication frequencies…" I raise a left eyebrow as I threw in my next question.

"And what about the unknown ones? Find anything there?" The communications officer paused for a moment, I can see that he was clearly lost on what he should say, I mean it was a rhetorical question, good thing he saw it for what it was and didn't make a fool of himself by answering it or me for that matter.

"Anything on the computers?" I ask the tech Immunes who only frowned as he scanned his terminal. Looking up and back at me he only shakes his head. I turn my attention to the Immunes in charge of communications, who seemed to have something on his mind.

"Make it quick."

"Praefectus, I've managed to partially decode some of the data coming from the alien vessels. On screen now…"

The large display monitor just above the main holographic viewing table, flickered on as streams of bits of code in numerals and letters I can't read flowed through the screen. Sighing I turn to the Immunes fully intending to berate him for wasting valuable time when he motioned that it was done. I looked back and froze.

There on the monitor was an alien bird species I've never had the pleasure of meeting…until now that is. Atleast I think it's a bird…okay maybe not. I can't tell. But anyways its mouth is moving and so are those odd mandibles attached to his lower jaws, if it's even a he. Let's see though, metallic exoskeleton probably due to evolution, tall, easily over two feet though not as tall as an average Roman. I wonder…

"Praefectus the aliens have opened fire!" I'm pulled out of my trance as the ship shudders under sustained fire, 3D imagery shows my fleet suffering minor to moderate damages to shield output. One question was currently burning in my mind right now though. How the bloody hell are they firing spinal guns on full auto?!

"Status!" I call out, wincing everytime the enemy cruiser and destroyers fire their spinals at my ship and the rest of my fleet. I watch as fourteen of my corvettes went on their swarm attack patterns, the other fourteen formed a picket line occasionally moving around avoiding spinal shots and torpedoes. In the next instant I'm shamefully horrified to learn that the new hostiles proved far more maneuverable than I anticipated…even for a corvette the stress alone from the amount of G-force generated would have torn apart their ships but apparently not!

"Enemy ships have some kind of shielding, Praefectus!" Worst possible news I've had toda—

"We got multiple contacts coming through the gateway!" Damn it! How many of these bastards are there? And can't they stay still for one goddamn moment!

"Rurius station is under attack!"

"Corvettes taking heavy damage, ISS Anguis and ISS Gilicia have disengaged. Four corvettes lost with all hands!"

"Destroyers report heavy damages on their armor, enemy torpedoes are using neutron warheads!"

"Fleet overall shields are dropping!"

"ISS Leviticus reports hull breaches! Damn it, we lost the Leviticus!"

"Corvette lines disengaging, retreating to nearby systems, fleet power down to 2k."

"Unknown enemy reinforcement have passed the threshold! Multiple contacts plus 30, total unknowns at over 90 vessels!"

"Praefectus, ISS Scutum is lost!" Well there goes that old destroyer. These new kids on the block are really beginning to piss me off. Two destroyers and several of my corvettes are gone…the rest are either struggling with dodging enemy fire or are dead in the water…my ship is faring slightly better but…

Contemplating my options, which I'm quickly running out of by the second, I made up my mind to up the stakes and call in Alert Stat 6. In this state the fleet, that is to say what's left of my ships, out of fifty of them, mostly in the destroyer and corvette end of things, weapon restrictions were off. Plasma dampeners, coil reductors, lens shades and missile caps were shoved aside as all weapons systems came to a full 100%.

"Target the heavy hitters first!" I bark out my command, the corvettes are annoying to deal with because of their speed so I'm ignoring them in favor of the destroyers and that single cruiser they got. As annoying and utterly useless as they were, their spinal guns were having significant effect against our shields and I can't have that! So far though energy weapons haven't been seen used by the hostiles so I'm assuming they're either not equipped with them or lack the means.

"Aye, Praefectus!"

"Cyber, what do you got?" I turn to a man wearing a thin upper lip moustache, he was stocky but taller than most people his body type, including myself.

"Our systems have hacked through their firewalls, effective as they might be at stalling, we're through."

"Okay, what are our options?" I sounded hopeful, here's to not letting that go up too high.

"We got multiple but we're running out of time, they've actually got some decent counter-measures in the form of restrictive AI. Our own computers are holding them off but for now we can cut off half of the enemy fleet's life support, we can disable their engine reactors or we can simply initiate scuttling measures, keep in mind though we're only able to affect some of their ships." Very nice, but limited, options but I need information, scratch that, the Imperium needs info if we're going to fight back against these birdbrained idiots.

"Go with the first option, cut off their engines make sure they're sitting quacks for our boarding cohorts." I gave the go ahead as he nodded and got back to his terminal. I held onto my seat as the ship rocked to the left. There was an explosion and several of the crew near the front of the bridge all screamed and wailed, some just fell to the ground dead.

"Report!" I screamed out, just what the hell is my ship made from? Granted these are old designs slated to be replaced by the newer models next year but this is utterly ridiculous. Although we're still behind in weapons upgrade, it should be enough for these backwater punks…then again full auto spine guns weren't on my 'expect list' when I woke up this morning.

"Hull breach detected, blast doors have closed but that was dangerously close, Praefectus!" Immunes Hawke told me as he got back on his feet, a bruise and bloody nose was what he got. I only sprained my wrists. Though why do I feel so light headed? I felt something liquid-like and warm coming from my chest and I look down only for my eyes to widen like saucer plates. There was a huge gaping hole in my chest!

I look around me as the crew closest to me stared in my direction, mainly at the fracking hole that was where my hearts and lungs would be. I look at them and smiled before diving face first into the shiny chrome floor of my flagship…darkness and a burning sensation was all that I—

=/A\=

LegatusOptio Gaius Terminius POV

"What!" I say for perhaps the fifteenth time. I still can't believe the old man had gone out like that. He was pushing 170 and would likely reach 190, not to mention gone through his twenty-seventh wife, number 26 ended in a rather public debacle which he never lived down, being a prick also didn't help matters. Still though, to die from shrapnel, not a good way for a Roman such as him to go, I know I wouldn't want to go out like that. A bolt or bullet to the head while fighting to the death now that is the way to go!

"Legatus, your orders!" The Immunes who brought me the message yelled at me. I scowled at him but he disregarded it, insubordinate little shit, huh that's what old prick would call me…gah I'm turning out to be like him…ew…gross. Then I saw the look in his face, his eyes, he was showing me up! Why I oughta—any response to his defiant stare was lost as my ship rocked hard enough to be threateningly close to being torn in twain. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat as I gave out orders for the fleet to return fire.

"Focus fire on those destroyers, target the cruiser and ignore any corvette that's too far." I say, watching the tactical 3D display table shifting pixels and reforming them to accommodate the field of battle. There are a few asteroids nearby but they were too few to provide cover and would have worked too if the enemy weren't so darned fast. Easily more maneuverable than even our own fighters, how the hell did they manage to do that to their ships? But what I want to know is, no doubt my late mentor and commanding officer already thought of, is their fully insane spine weapons.

Who ever heard of a fully automatic spinal mounted mass accelerator? No one, that's who, but apparently these aliens didn't get the memo. Oh no, they had to have what basically amounts to space based, ship-spinal-mounted machine guns! I hate it when the enemy gets the better toys.

"Gamma lasers, and Plasma canon bolts proving effective against enemy shields and armor, Legatus." I blinked incredulously at the Immunes, who happened to be the same little shit who informed me of my becoming sole fleet commander after our Praefectus' grizzly demise. Sure the lasers and plasma weapons were effective but that would only work so long as we can get a fucking lock on the agile bastards! Even the damned cruiser is more maneuverable than our most agile corvettes! That's cheating!

"Blast it all!" One of the crew, the Immunes in charge of weapons screamed at his terminal. I can sympathize with him, these aliens were proving far too elusive for my taste as well. So far we've gotten reports of friendly fire and multiple missed shots, though our missiles are having a slightly better chance of mowing down their targets, only for many of them to get shot out of the sky by enemy point defense lasers, atleast now we know they have lasers but not in any large scale, that's a relief. We managed to whittle down their numeral superiority, with some success, down to 74 ships. Mostly destroyers and a few corvettes, the latter in question remain annoyingly elusive more so than the destroyers and that cruiser of theirs. All of them spitting out insane amounts of mass rounds at…uh…roughly 2 second intervals, I think. The computers did most of the calculations so no credit for me there.

"The enemy is falling back…they're getting into formations!" I was surprised to hear that, honest, because up until now they've only just made it impossible to keep track and shoot at what with their erratic flying maneuvers. Not to mention their ships outclassing ours in speed. Did they think of space warfare as a race?

"Basic wedge line formation…interesting, they're not firing weapons anymore." The same Immunes again, I really need to learn this guy's name, if not for a promotion, then just so I can send him to a backwater planet just for staring back at me. But that is concerning news, what are they planning? Do they have a surprise for us? Why did they fire in the first place, anyway? We didn't provoke them to attack and they were the ones who came through the gateway so what did they expect?

Well certainly not an Imperium patrol group monitoring the damned gateway that's for sure. Sighing I rub the bridge of my nose as I took in the damage caused to my ship and the rest of the fleet. Out of the original 35 corvettes and 15 destroyers, totaling 50 ships in all, only about 29 are still operational but in a varying state of damage from light to heavy, 11 are somewhere in the nearby systems after they initiated emergency hyperjumps, and the rest either gone or crippled. My own ship battered but not out. If these aliens think they can best us, then they're sorely mistaken as had others before them. The Imperium does not know defeat!

At least not in the last 200 years and certainly not a major one…minor ones, like this is going to turn out if we don't get reinforcements soon, were more common place.

"Enemy fleet is retreating back to the gateway!" I shake my head a few times and looked at the monitors to confirm that, yes indeed, the enemy had begun moving back to the gateway. Though it wasn't a full retreat, more like a fall back maneuver with the rear guard constantly on the lookout for any attacks. These alien were smart so they had to know they had the advantage in both tactical speed, as loathed as I am to say it yes fire rate, and maneuverability. So why are they movi—

"Legatus, the ISS Imperator's Fist has arrived in-system." I mentally pictured myself dancing around in joy, the 1st Fleet's flagship has come to our rescue! Though I have a few minor doubts, mainly because the ship was a Titan and therefore woefully slow. However, the ship's point-defense turrets and Flak artillery will be more than enough to render any ship getting closer moot. Though the long range spinal machine guns the aliens are packing maybe a problem…but I doubt they'd put a dent in that beast's heavy armor and shields.

"Enemy fleet has gone through the gateway!" Someone yelled out, I visibly slumped in my chair and let out a long sigh of relief. Mentally I was happy as can be at having surviving what could only be surmised as a near total defeat…it still stung that we got our asses kicked but being alive at the end of it is a blessing but those we lost make it not so bearable. I'll leave the politics of this out though, the Senate can handle that mess but I'm going home, I need to clear my head of this before I lose my mind…seriously ship-mounted-spinal machine guns…what's next? Giant space machines out for organic blood? It's insane! I tell ya!

=/A\=
Episode 2: Senate Deliberations

Consul Decimus Nero POV

"These barbarians attacked unprovoked!" I cry out, confident that my argument would held sway the majority yet these old fools would rather wait around with our guns pointed at the gateway in the Rurius system sitting idle and doing nothing! Bah! Fools! "Even now they could be preparing to return with a larger fleet! We must re-open the gateway and send in available fleets to secure the other side!"

There, I have opened the matter for debate. I doubt the old buffoons would agree with me but that's their problem, the old farts.

"Senator Titus Mede has the floor." The referee for today's Senate Deliberations is Senator Flavius Vesuvius, an old friend of my father and a representative for the Unimari neutral sector. He's likely to agree with me more than the others his generation but alas as referee he cannot vote on the matter.

"Thank you, Senator Flavius." Titus Mede, leader of the Conservationist Group, him and his fellow wrinkly old bastards are what's keeping me and the rest of the military back from committing to a full invasion of the other side of the gateway. Damn him, look at him walk, as he if owned the Senate Hall…what am I saying? He does own the building but only in name, the real owner is the Imperator and sadly…he's not here since he hasn't got off his ass in recent times what with being old and whatnot.

Sheesh, I better not let the Inquisitorium find out what I've just thought about. I'd hate to have to explain to my kids why their daddy's head is stuck on the pointy end of a spike put on display in front of the Justicorum. I shudder just thinking about that image. Nope, certainly don't want those bloody psychics to hear what I'm thinking.

"Fellow senators, citizens of Roma Imperium," the old coot began, as usual with the flair and drama that only the old geezers are capable of understanding. Politics was all a game to these bloody purples, where is the direct action when its needed? Hmm? I seem to remember not that long ago when the Imperium kicked butt and took names and when we won we either enslaved our enemies or outright killed them off…thanks to a certain Colossi. "We stand on the precipice of a new war, one that we ourselves did not create or…"

I purposefully drown out the rest of his speech which I know would take hours if not days. Sometimes I wish the Imperators of old had not reformed the Imperium into what it is nowadays. Back then, and I speak of this from having done extensive research into our history, we used to have an Imperator who did things to his way of thinking. If an Imperator was brash, cruel and warlike, then all of us emulated his way of thinking and were very fervent in such devotion to his will. If the Imperator was peaceful then so were we but we had teeth so don't even think of us as weak but we rarely have an Imperator who was peaceful and none were as lazy as the current Imperator…damn it, I need to keep my thoughts in check.

"You're not listening to this, aren't you?" I stifled a startled yelp as I look back to see my brother, Decius, he's always been the scary little tyke. One moment he's there and the next he's not, his line of work on the other hand had my hairs on end.

"Relax brother, I won't tell on you." He smirks, oh I wish I could string your neck right here and now…no don't answer that! He stares at me but that smart ass smirk never leaves his face.

"What are you doing here?" I ask him, better yet maybe I should just think it at him.

"I got bored. Besides, it'll be a one way conversation then." He tells me but I don't believe him. He's an Inquistor so he's got to be up to something. I pause as I sater intently at him, what exactly are you doing here then aside from alleviating your boredom? I hate mental conversations but with a psychic it doesn't actually matter.

"To be honest bother, I can't tell you. Because then I'd have to kill you and I can't have that…I wouldn't have somebody to torment." I hear his voice in my head and I stop myself from rubbing the side of my temple. I forgot about this part but thankfully its not as strong a headache after I put a mental amplifier in my brain when I was 15, after having splitting headaches because your little brother was a pain in the ass whiny little kid, you get to know when and how to prepare for eventualities.

"Hey I wasn't that bad!" I wince from the mental strain as my brother exclaimed in mock hurt when I thought about WHY HE WAS ANNOYING!

"OW!" I smile. Sometimes having the amplifier was a good thing. "Not fair, you promised."

Oh don't be such a kid, it wasn't that bad, its not like I screamed that loudly. He throws me one of his many glares, but alas they've lost their effect, you're not ten years old anymore, idiot. He smiles at me but I ignore it in favor of asking, why are you here?

"I can't tell you and leave it at that, okay." I sigh and nod. After all, its not a good idea to piss of an Inquisitor even if one was your brother. They are piously loyal to the Imperator, disturbingly so. I eye my brother carefully as he watches the Senator, who is still going at it, I look at the miniature civilian version of the infamous PAC on my right wrist and see that its been three hours. Seriously! How long does it take for this buzzer to speak, doesn't his lungs ever give out at his age!

"You'd be surprised how spritely the good senator is, brother. Perhaps you'd like to see what he's been up to this past week?" I am seriously tempted to accept his generous offer of what I can only assume is blackmail information but I'm not stupid enough to owe him any favors, not after the last time.

"Oh come on, you're still not upset about that are you?" I glare at him and he backed down. "Sorry."

"…with that I conclude my piece. Thank you, senators." Titus Mede in all his vainglorious splendor of a white toga with the Senatorial purple trims waddled back to his seat on the Conservationist side of the senate. The Senatorium is huge and over a thousand senators are here to represent their sectors. When our empire first started off, we had only our planet of origin but then as we expanded, we colonized quickly efficiently, and rapidly. But due to our own greed we were confronted with a terrifying truth. That we were not alone and that what found us was not so friendly, we were ill prepared and the Senate then was disbanded in favor of the Imperators. Under their leadership we excelled than we had ever before, our military quickly progressed with every world we lost and when finally we were ready we threw everything we had at the enemy and lost almost 80% of our forces in the war that spanned the first century of our spacefaring days. Now I see a pattern as I look back, every time peace reigns the Imperators are forced by the majority to reinstate the Senate and though this is quite true because the Imperator was mainly a military leader, the fact remains that when faced with attack, the Senate would rather wait things out rather than taking a proactive approach to the problem, much like they did when they let rampant colonization to get out of control, useless old goats.

"Are you done with the monologue?" I looked at him, confused. What? He sighed as he gestured towards the referee. Oh!

"I apologize Senator, I was in deep thought." I say as I got up from my seat and headed to the stand, I was seriously considering suicide right about now…nope don't even go there!

"No doubt readying a response to what the good Senator Titus Mede had just proposed to us." Senator Vesuvius smiles at me in that grandfatherly manner of his but I know that behind that smile he was annoyed at me…well there goes his support. Old men are all useless, I doubt I'd be able to sway them to my way of thinking now that my Consulship will be over.

=/A\=

It's been over ten hours after that little counter-speech I gave with various suggestions on the benefits of what I proposed to the Senate as, new technologies and certainly new worlds for us to call ours. I watched the reactions from the Senators and I'm sad to admit that most would not be coming around to my side anytime soon. Being Consul had its perks but being the youngest senator to have reached Consulship is more a curse now that I think about it, they resent me for it and think me too inexperienced and too young to have made Consul at the tender age of 49! Well I can say I'm riddle with wrinkles…yet. I'm walking in the gardens minding my own business and thinking back on the events that have happened in that chamber. The many senators that I could see clearly on my side were outnumbered by their older counterparts.

"Brother."

I stiffened as my dear little brother emerges, literally, from the shadows. So I reacted appropriately by screaming at him, "By the gods don't do that!"

He winces, covering both ears. I grin at him and he sends me another of his glares. Won't work you squirt. He shrugs and walks beside me, both of us strolling in the Senate gardens awaiting the results of the deliberations. The gardens are filled with all sorts of alien and native flora, I can't seem to take the time to appreciate the beauty of it all but I doubt the caretakers do what with all the maintenance needed on such a large garden. Damn I can be a cynic sometimes.

"Yes you can be but that's not what's bothering you is it?" I hate psychics, sighing I turn to him. He was waiting expectantly for me to tell him, surely you don't need to do that. "Not really but I want to hear you say it."

"Fine, I'm pissed at the Senate. With the endless debates and long waiting periods, we don't need that now with war hanging over our heads." I tell him truthfully and without even thinking about it…except now.

"I'm of the same mind, but without a strong Imperator we're going to have to make do with the Senate." He nodded solemnly in agreement, I actually surprised he said what he said, Inquisitors are known for their undying loyalty to the Imperator. "As long as he can keep our loyalty, we'll be as such."

"Twisted bit of sense that, don't you think?" I say to him only he shrugged it off. "So you agree with me but what about the rest of the Inquisitorium?"

"The Exiguus Inquisitor is not ready to pick sides yet, we're still working out who will be ideal to lead the Imperium as the new Imperator. The Praetorian Guard are also in a similar bind as well as military high command, the Legio Tribune." He's revealing quite a lot of information, what are you playing at? "Nothing, just a heads up since you're one of the candidates they're looking at."

I stopped dead in my tracks as I stare at his slowly receding back, I yell at him after I composed myself. "What the hell does that mean?!"

=/A\=

"After much deliberation the War Council under Theodosus Arminius, has reached a verdict regarding the proposed motions put forth by Consul Decimus Nero and Senator Titus Mede." Referee Senator Flavius Vesuvius, from atop his floating podium, began as the rest of the senate eagerly awaited the results of the debates that had been held in the Senatorium for the past four days. I'm sure this will make the history books as to the time we messed up or not. Crossing my fingers I closed my eyes in anticipation.

"The motion of pre-emptive counter-attack and the subsequent occupation of the system beyond the gateway, proposed by Consul Decimus, and the counter-motion by Senator Titus proposing the fortification of the Rurius system and disabling of the gateway in that system have both been deemed worthy and after such—" An explosion blew up his podium before he could finish what he was saying and most likely knocked the senators on their asses, I for one am sitting on my haunches looking at the smoking debris falling and then crashing down on the stage below it. A pile of smoking wreck and one shredded body of the late referee, what the hell is going on!

"ATTENTION SENATORS AND ASSORTED GENTLEMEN!" I and everyone else looked to where the audacious interloper was standing, he had in one arm a plasma launcher, from the smoking end of it I'd say we found the culprit. However, the guards had not moved an inch to take the man into custody…instead I can see that they've subtly moved to face the senators including myself, hands on their weapons. Oh, I see what's going on well it's about time, wish my idiot brother would have given me a heads up. "I see I have your attention, now, let me introduce myself."

He got onto one of the other floating podiums and we all watched as it rose high for all to see. The monitors focusing on his face, he was a young man, by far a decade younger than me, but he held himself like a veteran of many wars, confident and bloody cocky. I like him already. He reached the highest point of the chamber and in an even cockier and louder voice he declared his name to us all.

"I am, Gaius Lucius Antonius. And I am Imperator!"

=/A\=

Episode 3: On the march and a speech

3 years since the Rurius Gateway was closed. The Roma Imperium's naval might was preparing for a counter-attack, with the 1st Fleet leading the Charge and at the head of which was the ISS Imperator's Fist, the 2nd Fleet led by the ISS Imperium's Chosen, and the 3rd Fleet led by the ISS Imperator's Will. All 3 were of the Titan Class ships all fresh off the assembly lines after going through the prerequisite retrofits. Now the spearhead of the Imperium has finally gathered at the system floating before the Gateway, the only Gateway in existence that was different in both shape and function from the others found, for it was made up of two separate parts joined at one end by a circular shaped gyroscope containing what Imperium scientists refer to as Zro. It is unknown how such a resource, as scarce as it was, could power such a device, then again the damned thing had enough Zro in it to last several lifetimes but with had little use in the practical sense of things. Until the Rurius Incident occurred, the Imperium had no use for Zro other than it gives a slight boost to already existing technologies and the military saw it as not feasible enough to even be considered to be of tactical use.

When the aliens arrived in the system with ships and weapons based solely on the use of Zro, the Imperium's reaction was anything but impressed until it was revealed that the aliens had managed to create what essentially amounts to a space machine gun cannon mounted on a spinal platform on cruisers! The military quickly sought to harvest what little Zro resources the Imperium had under its rule. With the galaxy firmly under the control of the Imperium, several wars notwithstanding including the incident with the Unbidden and the near disaster with the AI Rebellions, not to mention the near extinction all life due to the Prethoryn Swarm, the Roma Imperium were the sole rulers of their galaxy, or so they thought recent insight into the gateway found at the Rurius system further provided questions than answers as a new and startling discovery was made, but the Senate instead sought to maintain the Imperium as it was only the risk of stagnation was too great.

So a plan was devised by the Shadow Council, the most secretive Order of the Imperium to date, no one knows of it except those chosen by its members to be worthy. A leader among the many candidates was selected based on a variety of factors and then was unleashed on the Senate to prove a point and to direct the Imperium where its attention was needed most. The man chosen was Gaius Lucius Antonius. A young but brilliant military strategist and warrior, his tactical might and genius was unseen by current generations and would have been wasted if not for the support of the Shadow Council. He now leads the Imperium with the Council's blessing and support, advisors and other military and civilian experts are sent his way to guide his will as he set out to collect the aliens' debts.

Blood is owed to the Imperium…and resources too, for reparations for the damages caused to life and property. Zro would be nice to have but if prove unwilling the Imperium has other ways to get what they want. However, the public opinion, as the Shadow Council sought fit to steer it, leaned towards war as inflammatory materials regarding the first contact situation was released to the public.

=/A\=

Tribunus-Centurion Remus Helvius POV

"Oh gods above, grant us thy blessing for I go to war on thy behalf, on our Imperator's bequest, for the Imperium our home and therefore thine. Grant us a boon to see us swift on our feet, grant us thy sight that I may see death's blade and shield our souls, grant us strength so we may strike our enemy dead. Protect us and our souls on the field of death, for we are but humble servants of thee, to thee we pray. Assentior."

I stood up from my kneeling position as my fellow Legionaries all gave me grateful looks and a few nods. Our cohort were with the 234th Legion having the honor of marching feet first into hell should the need arise. In our cohort there are 300 of us exactly, this is the first of the sub-cohort consisting of a 100 men, I am part of the 3rd Sub-Cohort, in fact I am the Tribunus-Centurion in charge of it. However, I do not hold myself higher than these men, for they are my brothers in arms, raised from birth to be one thing and that is to be the best soldiers in the Legions. Harsh training conditions and mental torture to bring us up to the appropriate standards needed to even be considered Legionaries. We are the first in and the last ones out.

"Tribunus, thank you for that. We needed it to calm some of our nerves." Decanus Agrippa Laefernius, an old friend and trusted right-hand man of mine, took my hand and shook it. I returned the handshake and likewise thanked him for allowing me to say the prayer. "There's no need for that Tribunus, we're just happy you got back when you did or else we'd ended with Tribunus-Centurion Aulus Fulvius."

I gasped in mock disappointment, and slight shock, "That is why you're all so grateful?"

The men around me laughed at this but we stopped as the Centurion came over to us. I called for attention and we saluted with the customary greeting to a superior followed by rank of course, "Ave, Centurion!"

"At ease men," Centurion Nonus Menenius, a hard ass and an even hardened veteran of many skirmish wars and battles against pirate scum and the occasional xeno revolts, was not a man I want to cross anytime soon. "Tribunus, gather your men. Our marching orders are in, load them in the transports."

"Ave, Centurion!" I salute as he nodded and made his way to the other sub-cohort commanders. I look back to my men and smiled at them. "You heard him! Move out!"

The men eagerly packed or picked up their gear and began filing in formation, five rows of twenty men each in a standard square march formation. I picked up my gear and took my place next to the standard bearer, Vexillarius Lucius Mallius, another old friend of mine. "Cohort!" I bellowed, assuming control of the formation. "Forward march!"

The men and I move as one, we marched forth and in the name of the Imperator, and the Imperium, we will repay the enemy in kind. Blood for blood! Our sub-cohort standard stood tall and proud, a hand grasping a lightning bolt in an iron fist. We are Legionaries and today we march into hell!

=/A\=

Venator Antarius Lusii POV

Waking up to the sound of trumpets and barking men was not the morning I had in mind on my vacation. Wait a minute…this isn't my cabin! I look around and groan, that was a nice dream and its ruined now. Damn it.

"Venator get your ass out of that bunk or I'll come over there and make you!" I wince at the sound of my superior's voice, Tribunus Marcus Lucinii, a man I had the displeasure of pissing off, though I don't know why. Maybe the fact that I was drunk and shagged his wife had to do with it? Nah. "Venator I'm not joking!"

"Ave, Tribunus. I'm up!" I yell at him and he grunted. The rest of the men who were getting ready snickered but I mostly ignore them.

"Antarius, you're not going to live past 50 if you keep antagonizing the Tribunus like that." Munifex Larsinus Hexium, dear friend and fellow comrade in arms warns me but I laugh it off while he shakes his head.

"Sorry if I seem rude, Larsinus, but I just don't like the guy." I told him but he simply grunts and walks away. "Oh come on, not you too!"

"Just gear up and move your ass before he comes back!" He says while walking away, bloody bugger. The others I can see are trying hard not to laugh, they failed miserably. I smirked at them while sticking my tongue out at them.

A few minutes and geared up later, my trusty long range plasma rifle strapped to my back, I stand in formation as we marched toward the transports. Looks like our marching orders have come in. Well this puts a cork on my vacation plans, man I wish I was on Lusti right now…

"Venator get your head out of the clouds!" I snap out of my daydream as I squinted and glared at the back of the Tribunus' s head. I began concentrating hard enough that if looks could kill then his head would have exploded right about now! His head exploded into pieces, the cohort along with the others near us and behind us all stop to stare at the gruesome sight.

I stared wide eyed as well, looking around I hoped nobody saw me or suspected me of the deed. I certainly didn't expect that to happen!

=/A\=

Incident Report:
3rd Day of the Rex Imperator Month, Year 2999.

At approximately 0450 hours standard military time, the Tribunus-Centurion of the 349th Cohort, commanding the 1209th Sub-Cohort, died a tragic death when a suspected psionic attack rendered him headless. Witnesses say he was fine up until the point when his head suddenly and inexplicably exploded outwards. Military Authorities and the Inquisitorium have begun a full investigation into the matter. So far no culprit has been found and those closest or known enemies of the late Tribunus have been taken in for questioning. Inquisitor Jax had this to say, "No comment."

In other news…

=/A\=

Imperator Gaius Lucius Antonius POV

I haven't felt this great since that time I killed me a darethin beast on Uminar Prime. Here I am, Chosen Imperator of the Imperium, leader of my people. If it hadn't been for the Inquisitorium I wouldn't be here so I guess I owe them, and a few others as well. Too bad I can't get rid of the old senators though, would have loved to blow them up too. Ah, if only my old man could see me now.

"I'm sure he'd be proud of you, Imperator." I turn to the voice and found my trusted friend and ally, the Exiguus Inquisitor Lucien, no last name or family name which kind of threw me off the first time we met. I grinned at him as we embraced before I let him go and offered him a drink. "Don't mind if I do."

I hand him one of the tall glasses after pouring him a drink strong enough to knock him on ass, to my usual disappointment he does not. I gulp down my own before asking, "Why the visit, not here to kill me off are you?"

"You wound me," He laughs as I pour him another glass. "No, that time has not yet come but I know it won't."

"Heres to hoping it doesn't." I reply as I downed another glass. Whoa that is some strong stuff. I still find it odd it hasn't knock me in my ass yet. Guess I'm just more alcohol tolerant than others, well me and some people. Lucien here has just downed his fifth glass with no outward effects. "But in all seriousness, what brings you here?"

"The inauguration begins tomorrow." He began but I already know what he's talking about. "Yes, the speech."

"Don't worry I got that under control and I've just finished it." I smirk when he raised an eyebrow. "Only took me three minutes to write it and perfect it…do you want to hear it?"

"Uh…no, that won't be necessary." He waves me off as he sets his glass down and moves to the door.

"You're not leaving are you?" I call out to him as he looks back at me, he only shakes his head before closing the door behind him. "Well I guess I'll be drinking this alone then…"

"Well, there's always me…" I hear a soft voice purr from where my bed was, it was pretty big but how in the hells did I forget about the little minx that was occupying it.

"Just one moment." I throw back my head and swallowed the last glass before rushing in and jumping on the bed…I have a speech to give tomorrow but tonight…well, tonight I'm having me some naughty time!

=/A\=

I stand nervously at the door, out there on that stage is where I'll be putting my entire self on the spotlight for the whole of the Imperium to see. All those Romans will see who their new Imperator and will judge me. All eyes will watch me closely, all ears will be listening to the words that will pour out of my mouth and I am afraid. This is the most nerve wracking moment of my entire life and when I look back on this moment, if I make it that far, I'll still say this is most heart wrenching part of my rise to power.

I step across the threshold and with it all feelings of despair, nervousness, anxiety and fear seem to float away the moment I hear the cheers and the rising crescendo of the people's voices chanting my name. My title and most of all praising me. I take the last few steps tentatively, each step becoming lighter as I reach the largest balcony in all of the capital and outstretched before me in neatly stacked rows upon rows of Roman military splendor and might, along with the sides and rear of the honour guard, the citizens of the Imperium both xeno and native alike looked up at me, or rather the large monitors on either side of the balcony, in awe and if I dare hope to say, admiration and pride.

I took a deep breath and smiled at the people below me, the Honour Guard, the elite of elites, the 1st Legion led by Primus Titus Tetrius, the oldest living Legionary general since the dawn of our interstellar empire. The man is over 700 years old and yet he looks barely 30, legends say that the gods granted him immortality but that's just stories made up to entice our inner pride…right? I see him there in his military regalia, battle suit of old adorned will all possible military honors our military and civilian government could bestow on him.

Looking back at the gathered crowd and their cheering somewhat abated, they now wait for me, to hear me speak, to hear my words. To be inspired and to be encouraged, to be reminded once more why we, Romans, are the dominant force of the galaxy. Ours is an idea that will stretch out and influence generations to come, our civilization will never become stagnant, it will never fade into the abyss of history, we are masters of the universe…it just doesn't know yet but it will, we will make sure of it.

I raise my arms and began. Today I make history, today I lead my people to their destiny. This galaxy will bend or it will burn!

=/A\=

All throughout the galaxy the different members of the Roma Imperium clustered together to watch as the Imperator, the newest in a long line of Imperators, took to the stage, so to speak, he was dashingly handsome, tall, and like the rest of the dominant race that held the power and means to have conquered the galaxy, he was pretty much the spitting image of arrogance and prideful ignorance. Conquered peoples under their rule enjoyed full citizenship but they were were barred from ever truly being involved in the running of the government, but recent times and changes had made headway into changing that, equal rights were given and in all corners of the galaxy were once fear and hatred between species were fostered, the newest reformations of the Imperium sought to stamp out that. It was aggressive in this mission but most were grateful for it.

So it was with mixed feelings, mostly positive though, that the descendants of the conquered and natives alike watched on as their new leader, on live air delivering his inauguration speech from the balcony of his palace on the capital world of Roma in the Invicta system.

His arms raised in the air, eyes forward roaming out to the crowd below him then settled on the camera and his stare unnerved many as his reptilian golden eyes seemed to glare into every soul who was watching him trepidation. Expectant and waiting for the moment and when it came, the people were astonished and confused to say the least.

"I have nothing to say!" He blurted out, managing to actually look sheepish in front of an entire populations worth of galaxy. He laughed nervously, blinking several times and muttering to himself. "Look, I'm not actually good at this sort of thing, okay, so bear with me. In all honesty I was born on a backwater world focusing mostly on agriculture and all of this is kind of overwhelming. I've never been put into this kind of situation before in my life and frankly I am a nervous wreck...see."

He raised his right hand and on the monitors, very large holo screens, his hand was indeed shaking almost uncontrollably. He smiled at the people's obvious reactions to his sudden and controversial oration. Clearing his throat he continued.

Suffice it to say the glorious speech of war and conquest so many were expecting did not occur, but that didn't mean they left without feeling good. For they found out that day that their new Imperator was more than just a mighty man with all the power in the galaxy at his beck and call, no, he was just like them. A man who had come up in life through small effort on his own part, he worked for what he earned and in his impromptu speech, it was impromptu that much people could tell, he told and encouraged them that no matter what happens they as a people must strive to work together to assure the survival of the Imperium which in turn would be used as a shield against aggressor such as the ones at the Rurius Gateway. Most people and indeed the Legions were confused, heck this author is also confused but even he can't control what his characters decide to spill out of their mouths.

Sometimes being narrator/author sucks. Anyways hoped you enjoy this episode and if I don't update soon then I'm either six feet under, busy or otherwise engaged in figuring out how to continue this and every other project I got going.

Until then…

/A\=

Imperator Gaius Lucius Antonius

I walked back into my personal chambers and slumped down onto the bed. I lay there looking up at the ceiling knowing that I somehow messed things up. I got this feeling that some—

Something fell and I sat back up and stiffened when I saw several Inquisitors and their master along with a few others I recognized. I guess I had this coming. I chuckle nervously as I grabbed a bottle off the table near the bed and uncorking it. Taking a quick drink I turn and address the small mob.

"So things kind of escalated…didn't they?" They did not look amused, I guess the fact that now I was face to face with a dozen or so plasma hand bolters staring at me down the barrel. Sighing I finish the entire bottle with a hearty bottoms up before that searing painfully agonizing feeling of being riddled with so many bolts and my vision darkens as I feel myself falling do—

=[Fin]=