Captain Tiberius walked through the Second Aleran's camp, when he was approached by one of his Valets. The young man saluted in standard Aleran fashion, his fist thumping against his chest. "Sir, there's a messenger from the Crown to see you."

Tiberius nodded, and said, "Lead the way." The Valet led him back to his own tent, where two legionaries stood guard. The Captain opened the flap, and entered to see a familiar face. The messenger was beautiful, in her own way. She was lean and athletic, with the golden-brown skin of a Parcian, and hair of precisely the same shade. The Countess Amara turned to face Tiberius, a small smile on her lips.

"Countess, it's been too long." Tiberius gave her a respectful bow, a gesture which she returned. "What news do you bring from the First Lord?"

"I wish it was better news," Amara said, with a heavy sigh, "But the Second Aleran is being deployed. A slave revolt has broken out in Rhodes."

His eyes widened in surprise. "I thought the Rhodesian Senators threw their support behind the abolition proposal nearly a year ago. What made the slaves in Rhodes rebel now, of all times?"

"The Senators did, yes. But High Lord Rhodus himself still supports slavery. The support of the Senators was seen as too little, too late. Emboldened by the so-called "Free Aleran Legion" fighting in the Amaranth Vale, these slaves, nearly ten thousand of them, took up arms as well."

"And the Rhodesian Legions are too busy fighting Kalare's men to defend their own city," Tiberius said, putting the pieces together, "Which is where we come in."

The Countess nodded, "Exactly. But you're also to keep an eye open, to see if anything is more than it appears. The First Lord suspects that Rhodus is hiding something."

"Understood. Thank you, Amara. Give my regards to Count Bernard." He smiled and sent her off. He watched as she flew out of sight, and then sent word to his officers to meet in his tent. He told them most of what the Countess had said, leaving out the First Lord's suspicions of treachery in High Lord Rhodus. The fewer people who knew that, the better. If Rhodus really was plotting something, Tiberius had no way of knowing who his spies could be.

Once he had told them of the slave revolt, he said, "Luckily, Rhodes is only a few days' march from here. We should be able to arrive before the slaves reach the city. I want our corps of engineers making fortifications along the causeway, where our discipline and skill will diminish their advantage of numbers." He pointed to the map which was spread out on the table in the center of the tent. The area he was referring to was already a narrow pass; leading South from Aquitaine towards Rhodes, and it should be relatively easy for the Legion's Earthcrafters to narrow it further. "That is where we'll hold them. The only other ways they could approach the city are by sea, or through dense forest. Being untrained slaves, I'm sure they'll take the easiest route."

The Tribune Tactica, a middle aged Phrygian named Marius, cleared his throat and spoke. "Sir, are you absolutely certain of that? These men won't think like a Legion does. They might split their forces and attack from multiple angles, or move stealthily through the forest, and avoid the causeway altogether."

Tiberius nodded his head towards the Tribune. Marius was a man whom he greatly respected, and his opinions and suggestions were always welcome. "Which is why I'll have our Knights Aeris watching the sea, and Knights Flora stationed in the forest. If they report anything strange, I'll dispatch Legionaries to intercept the threat. But the main body of our forces should remain at the pass. If we meet them in the open field, we're likely to be slaughtered under the weight of numbers."

A Subtribune Logistica, whose name Tiberius did not recall, scoffed at the notion. "I think you're putting too much stock into a rabble of slaves, Captain. They'll likely be starving half to death by the time we face them. They're not a true Legion; I doubt that most of them even have proper arms and armor."

"We can't be sure of that until we see them firsthand, Subtribune. Until then, I am not going to underestimate our foe. I suggest you do the same. These men are fighting for their freedom, and that makes them dangerous, whether they're armed with a gladius, or simple farm tools."

The Subtribune sneered, as though the words he was about to say left a bad taste in his mouth. "Point taken, Sir. Though when put that way, I can't help but think that we're the villains."

Tiberius shook his head. "No, Subtribune, we aren't. These men are outlaws and criminals. They're willing to slaughter a city full of innocents for their freedom. We're simply doing our duty, and protecting those people."

The young officer nodded and fell silent. The Captain went on with the details of his plans for the coming battle, and then told his officers to spread word to their Centurions. The Second Aleran was marching at dawn.