First real attempt at romance and also weaving history with a form of fiction. As such all thoughts are appreciated and comments. I don't own starwars and I would not dare to claim to own Rome it's almost the opposite way around. Enjoy.
Chapter one Marius Primus
He stood the city streets were filled with bodies, buildings were set a flame. Soldiers in grey armor shattered windows as they proceeded to loot shops. Smoke billowed in the sky and blood hurtling screams filled the day. And yet he stood their dawning silver armor with a proud silver helmet that had a red crest running over it. A red cape draped behind him. On the chest plate of his armor a golden eagle. And in his hand a short sword that had red energy shimmering around it.
More blasters fire and cannons exploded in the distance as the last remnant of the city's military force was pounded away. Soon all of its inhabitants would be rounded up and he would hold their lives in his hand be the one to choose their fate. Now the soft people who knew not of the problems that plagued the galaxy so they could live in comfort would feel the iron of Roman war.
Marius Primus felt no mercy for them after all he'd given the order to sack the city. Clones didn't do such things on their own. Star fighters roared over head triumphant in bombing away the forces of senatorial clones that had become vulnerable once the planetary shield had gone down.
He strolled out of the capital building of the city his boots clanking against the ground. There was silence as fires crackled burning away numerous buildings of the city. His elite soldiers clones they called them stood firm armor painted grey with the roman eagle on their arms. His commander marshal stood firm with red on his pauldron and red on his cama. Primus had given the Marshal commander his name.
"Aurelius," He said and the man looked at him sharply ready for orders, "Is this every one."
"Yes sir, what are your orders." Commander Aurelius replied.
"Have you sent the message to the planets capital?"
"I have."
"Then we wait, should they prove intelligent and accept my offer to join, then every one here shall be spared. If they force me to sieze their capital city by force then possibly another fate awaits these people." Primus said.
"How could you do this," Spoke one of the men looking down, "You were a general of the republic, a savior of men."
"I was savior of your men, I don't believe the CIS quite agreed on that statement. After all it was there people I bombed wasn't it," Primus snapped, "I am Roman, we are people who destroy their enemies and yield to no one."
"I still can't understand what brought you here to this moment, what hatred drove you to do this to my people." The man continued to plead.
Primus grinned a bloody grin as he chuckled at that remark. He decided he would enlighten the man it what quite possibly it would be the man's final moments. He had just enough time to go ahead and do so. It would take time for the senatorial clones to rally another force.
"You say hatred drove me here, and that's not correct. For I was driven here by love," Primus admitted, "A little desperation as well but linked to the love I felt. I suppose that's why the jedi don't like connection. It seems the passion with in me is what brought this plight upon your people."
It all started years ago on Terra. When I was a Centurion in the Roman army. That day in the month of the god Emperor Augustus, the Germans had decided to attempt to over run the border. My men were stationed not far. So we formed them up after receiving orders from the Legatus.
A marching Roman army is unlike anything you have ever seen. We may have been wearing sandals but the ground shook as we marched. No one dared speak, the only sound was the endless and deliberate marching. It vibrated in my head I could remeber it as clear as day. The Germans took position on a hill. A few clad in mail, all carrying their round shields and long thin one handed swords. They gave war cries and howls like the filthy degenerate maddened,blood thirsty, barbarians they were.
Our response was simple we simply shifted into defensive order. Our shields raised up covering all but are eyes so we could see. Swords were drawn and the sang as they were brought from the sheath. And we stood waiting in anticipation. The German horde charged and we stood ready.
"Fire!" The Legatus ordered the ballistas.
The bolts pounded into the charging Germans killing several of them instantly. They were disintegrated upon impact turned to piles of bones,guts, and flesh. Archers from the auxiliary then let lose on the chargers, the arrows raining down causing many to stumble and die. Their blood leaked accross the ground. Some were merely wounded but crushed by their own charging horde.
The horde arrived at our position. And we clashed they pounded against the shields and tried to break through our lines. The men worked like clock work blocked their blows with their shields, then sending our swords forward stabbing the Germans who fell to the ground dead and moved forward forcing them back progressively. They fought hard and I'd placed myself in the thick of it as a sword slammed against my shield and I drove my blade through the bastards gut and thrust him back. I stepped over his body and my century stayed in line with me. I then moved back switching places with a fresh man allowing him the action and glory while I recuperated. This is how Romans fight efficiently not for personal glory but victory of the army. As centurion it was imperative to keep my men in line during combat and so I observed and remained ready to go back in or give orders if the situation changed.
The fighting lasted all afternoon before the Germans began to falter. They grew weiry while we were still strong. And so we pressed harder and more aggressively and they broke tried to flee and ended in a rout, that's when we really pressed the damn barbarians.
We ran them down with swords, and calvary charged in to finish the job. Hundreds of thousands of bodies laid beneath our feet, and hundreds of thousands of men were chained up to be sent back to the capital as slaves.
Then as I sat in my personal tent at a war camp an hour later a messenger arrived. He handed me a letter.
"Aurelian is dead," I uttered those grief filled words, "Slain by the praetorian gaurd."
There had been much choas in the empire. Aurelian was our hope and beacon that the invasions,civil war, corruption and poverty would end. His death concerned my deeply.
"How shall be Imperator next?" Questioned one of my men who had been enjoying an entirely casual conversation before, "Should the men want to proclaim our legatus the new emperor."
"It's risky, and what exactly does the Legatus think, after all we declare him Imperator he better be in agreement it could cause intrigue of a deadly kind."
"If we do not, then we may never be released from service. He wishes to speak to the senate first, but they shall play their game."
"Follow his orders, there has been too much insubordination in the empire as of recent. I can not speak for the other centuries but ours shall stay in line." Also I admired Aurelian fought under the man in Syria. It would be shameful to cause civil war after all he'd done.
It should be known the Legatus was not popular with the senate at that time and first contact with the fish people you call Nemodians happened well over a month before. Why does that matter well I shall explain that fairly soon.
We marched back to Rome. It was a grim time. Aurelian was dead only a fool would have sought prestige in that moment. I entered the senate chamber next to the Legatus upon his request unsure if it were safe, and it was there he told them of our hard service along The Danube.
"And what are your plans?" One of the currupt bastards asked.
"To retire," the Legatus replied briefly, "And to grant some of my men their promised land and wealth."
"How unfortunate."
It was then I heard metal clanking, now realize up to this point I had never seen a battle droid in my life. So imagine my confusion when two of the thin metal bodied bastards marched over with their blasters of which I had never seen before either. My obvious reaction was to draw my gladius and then I charged them, you can imagine how well that turned out.
I went black from the impact of the stun bolt right after. In truth I should have known the senate would seek to consolidate power and try and sieze influence back the second the word of Aurelian's death reached their ears. I bet those sons of whores had something to do with it. Eliminate all loyal to him for ease of power shift.
When I woke next I was in a laboratory a man in a hood looked from above. I was strapped to a metal table as syringes were poked into my veins I screamed in terror as any sane being would, I hate the damned things you call needles because of that experience. They injected me with stuff and I tried to resist. After it was over I saw I was slightly changed in sieze built bigger.
"Experiment seems successful." I heard a raspy mechanical voice said
Then saw the bulky slob shape of a techno union man enter the lab. He examined my physical state.
"Reduced aging, enhanced physical attributes."
I reached out and snapped from my bounds ready to break his neck. Then I noticed a collar around my neck and recieved a rather powerful electric shock taking me to the ground.
"Strength enhanced as well, are you pleased Count?"
"We shall see, teach it basic. Then see if you can groom it to follow orders." A mysterious voice said then disappeared.
That degenerate saw me another human being as an animal. How repugnant not even your degenerate german slave is an it. Of course I couldn't understand a damn thing in that moment, didn't speak basic and this anger is something that spurned in my watching the recording from that day much later.
After this they had my beat by a Transdoshan mercenary who took great pleasure in the act. At which point I then recieved an electric shock from the collar, my hands were placed in shackles and they threw me in to a cell. Stories finally entertaining. Shut up.
Moving on after that, I recieved my first lesson in basic failed and so I was shocked. Then I was beat, at which point I socked the Transdoshan in the face, and I was shocked again and beat this time with batons. Ha!ha!ha! Shut up pleb!
Eventually I did figure out how to speak basic, it had similarities to latin surprisingly. That's when things got infinitely worse, a trandoshan approached my cell and I gazed up at him. I swear if there's one race I have learned to hate with a burning passion it's Transdoshans.
"Stand." It told me.
I naturally shot back a hateful gaze towards the filthy lizard barbarian. He clicked a button triggering an electric shock, he held it and laughed as I screamed and sneared in pain. Then begrudgingly I stood up. He opened the cell, I lunged towards him and was immediately tackled by other Transdoshans. I rose finding enhanced strength and through them off. I was about to punch who I believed was the warden in the face then he clicked the button. I fell on my face and shook from the electric shocks.
They then seized my arms and dragged me on the ground eventually throwing me in a seperate room. There was one of my men, his name was Helvius.
"Centurion," He spoke.
"Helvius," I said, "Follow my lead we can over power these barbarians together."
"That won't be possible," Said an electric voice.
I gazed up and saw the pasty green plastic head of one of those techno organic freaks. Filthy space patrician, I don't even believe slaughtering every last barbaric Goth and their family is ethical. Sometimes I even think Juilus Caesar may have been too hard on the celts. But filthy techno organics should be handled with out any mercy the Carthage treatment times 10!
"I am Wat Tambor, and you are my experiment I wish to see you in action. Please, fight each other."
"Ha,no."
"Then I will have both of you killed."
"Ok," I said and gave Helvius a serious look, "Helvius I order you to break my neck."
"Sir?"
"Helvius, fuck this piece of castrated pork, we are not giving him a show. Break my neck and allow your Centurion to join the gods. I'll send Caesar your regards."
"But why can't I meet Caesar?"
"Helvius we are not seriously about to have this argument are we?"
"I should add we have your sister Marius, and Helvius we have got your children and wife. The loser of the fight shall watch as I have them tortured."
At that point we both stopped and looked at one another. "He's bluffing." Helvius remarked.
It was revealed on a monitor that infact he wasn't. I flinched my eyes widened to see my sister was indeed there. It was a bad move strategically to focus on that, as Helvius had his priorities and socked me hard accross the face and I flew back accross the tarmac. It should be noted I hadn't a clue Helvius even had a wife and children. But clearly he loved them dearly the blow knocked me clean out.
I awoke an hour later to see my sister thrown to the ground infront of men. A magna gaurd loomed over her with a shock stick, I shall spare further detail as it doesn't seem necessary to convey what happened.
After that both of us had ample motivation to fight each other and win. They accessed our physical abilities. Every time one of us won, it was a hollow victory as we both knew what happened next and weren't proud in the slightest. Returned to the cell stricken with grief, I often remember attempting to end it all only to be prevented, beat,shocked and forced to do it all again. Eventually Helvius and I became numb stopped hating each other for winning and simply did. We fought one of us won and the other was punished.
Then they began teaching us new tricks, they handed us blaster carbines. Then put us infront of a range. A Transdoshan walked over with his own, the miserable lizard with his miserable face raised the weapon placed to his shoulders then fired five shots rapidly. Two shots a second to be exact. Then looked at Helvius and I.
"Fire," He grunted, "Miss and we will torture both of your families."
It seemed they were trying to create a divide between us. Yet over confident as I was, quickly I moved and raised the weapon as he did. Immediately the weight of the blaster became apparent and it swayed in my hands the sights circling about the still target several meters away. I fired and the blaster kicked nearly flying out of my hands having not expected the kick back. I then staired to see the bolt had actually hit the still target.
"It fights," I warned Helvius, "Aim low."
"Yes sir." He was shocked and gave the Transdoshan a look.
"He is not your boss."
Helvius turned the blaster on the lizard and both of us were shocked. We collapsed to the ground as the lizard laughed squeezing the trigger. He stopped and then tortured our kin. We returned to our cells.
"Are you mad?" Helvius Questioned sitting in the cell next to me.
I was. Why did he think they wouldn't have expected him to do that. Why did he inflict unnecessary harm to my sister and his two children and wife? However I knew a good leader never discouraged his men even when they made mistakes, especially when they make mistakes.
"No Helvius I'm not angered," I lied and wasn't sure if he bought it, "Exert more control, and also if they have us shoot. Make sure your hold on the barrel is tight. The weapons weight makes it slightly hard to keep on target, it will move around so take that into account before you shoot. The bolt will go in the exact direction its pointed, do this and you will spare our kin more pain."
"Yes sir," He said sure no one was around to hear us.
Eventually we got better at shooting and exchanged notes even on breathing control. They made us fire faster while maintaining accuracy. And we were motivated to perform well. At the same it became abundantly clear to me how war worked, pitched battles which characterized my world could not happen. These weapons could trim down entire legions of men marching in a line. So what tactics were effective I needed to know.
Soon we were given our first test. They sent us into a labyrinth with commando droids chasing use. I could hear there metal clinking as we ran with out blaster wall after wall after wall. Then I stopped and grabbed Helvius by his shirt collar and simply listened. I wiped around the corner and fired with out really aiming. The droid snapped behind a corner. I kept firing suppressing it, Helvius was smart flanked around and shot it.
Four more were still on us, and it became abundantly clear they were separated. So we stayed together and listened for their marching keeping ourselves silent. We both popped around a corner and gunned another down in the back before moving on. I then signaled him to stop knowing to let the enemy come to us. We watched each others backs as we heard the marching and fired as the two commando droids attempted to flank us.
"Good job Helvius." I told him.
"Thank you," He said freezing knowing they were listening, "Primus."
They introduced us to grenades the explosion took me by surprise when it went off. I remembered flinching. And surprised to see the pop and the fact it melted walls. We utilized them efficetively in the next scenario.
Then they wanted us to expiernce an artillery strike, so they took us out of the facility. They then shoved us in trenches. And made us wait, the thunderous boom that cracked from the cannon made me drop immediately. The impact that caused the ground to shake, and a defining blast to go off sent what can only be described as fear coursing through my mind. They continued a barrage and every blast I kept wondering if I would be hit when the explosion came crashing down upon me.
"Mars help me!" I cried out as the bombardment continued to obliterate the land around me.
Then there was silent and I put my head over the trench saw the ground scattered with holes turned to blackened char. Then I saw tanks rolling a long, of course I'd never seen a tank before so I was confused. They began to fire as more explosive force pounded the ground around me.
That eventually stopped followed by a serious howl as I saw star fighters diving towards us. I screamed as more bombs smashed in to ground and mounds of dirt shot up into the air. As they cleared I thought it was over. Then an orbital bombardment smashed the ground. We were then returned to our cells.
"What are they doing to us?" Helvius Questioned his voice filled with fear.
"Conditioning us," I said, "For war."
The next day was the exact same thing, as was the day after that, and the day after that. And then the third time they placed a flag infront of us and out us several clicks back.
"Get to the flag or else." The Transdoshan said.
And this time we jumped out of the trenches. The artillery guns quakes as we ran and the ground was pounded, dirt flying all around. Our minds thrashed by the sound. Helvius tripped and fell I looked back.
"Leave him." The Transdoshan yelled.
I didn't instead I grabbed him forcing him to continue through the bombarded. We made it to the flag the Transdoshan staired right me.
"You defied an order." It hissed then had my sister thrown out, "Choose."
"Choose what?"
"A finger."
Once again I feel it better to skip the details here as you can guess what happened. We were returned to our cells again.
"You must hate me sir," Helvius said.
"No I don't," I said honestly, "The degenerate barbarian lizard I wish to be thrown into the colosseum and ripped to shred by lions as the crowd cheers."
"Ha! That's the worst punishment you can think of."
"Why how would you have him punished? "
"Remeber what the fucking persians did to Valerian."
"Helvius I was under Aurelian when they found his remains."
"Yeah I would do that, accept after I finished turn his pelt into a nice bag for my wife."
"You are far more creative then I, by the way I wasn't actually aware you had children."
"Remeber when we were in Italia."
"Where in Italia? We were all over the fucking peninsula pushing the Germans out."
"Piancza, I met a woman, she was the finest I had ever seen and promised her the world."
"Helvius, I never took you for one to fall that easily"
"I'm not but this woman, Lucia was her name I saw her when we passed a farm. On patrol, and I talked to her made her laugh. Then after we won the battle and I got a period of leave, I met her again told her that I would get out own land and make her mistress of the house hold. She believed me and I couldn't believe then we-"
"Alright Helvius you do not need to explain what happened from there. I do not need that scene in my head because it involves your ugly hide."
"I'm the bloody son of Venus and you know it."
"Sure I suppose Venus decided to have an affair with Vulcan one day and that's how you came to be."
Helvius laughed and for the first time in a while I was able to smile. I found it interesting but hard to understand that Helvius fell so easily, my most disciplined soldier I recalled. Couldn't understand it.
The next day they came over and only took Helvius. That was the last time I saw him. Then I was alone for Minerva knows how long.
Isolation does things to you. No one to talk with,laugh with, or share pain with. I endured more brutal training on my own. Then one day they through three random people infront of me, they were human I saw their eyes stricken with fear and they handed me a knife.
"Kill," The Transdoshan said, "Or I kill your sister."
To say I'd never killed an unarmed person is wrong, Aurelian ordered the sack of Palmyra after they rebelled a second time. However they rebelled a second time, they were offered mercy and rejected it. These people had done nothing, hadn't killed any one under my command, weren't trying to kill me and most likely wouldn't otherwise. And the excitement of war wasn't swirling through my veins. It felt cold and I hesitated at first, but ultimately I slit all three of their throats. My sister was all I had left even if I couldn't speak to her.
But in the act of doing so I had relinquished the last of my freedom. This became obvious as the word "Good" left Wat Tambors lips witnessing the act, "It seems I have created a soldier more effective and skilled then a clone. Count Dooku will be most pleased."
They returned me to my cell and I smashed my face into my hands wondering what had happened to me. I refused to eat and concluded it would be better to die then live in this life of subjugation to another. They shocked me when I refused to eat and I simply ignored the pain.
"Choose a hand." The Transdoshan spoke.
"Alright I'll eat," I relented knowing what that meant.
"You defied my orders, now you need to choose left or right. And I want you to cut it yourself. I will return in a cycle and expect your answer."
He left and I punched the wall of the cell and then screamed in anger. After that I broke and began to weap bitterly. I regretted the day I joined the legions, wished I'd been satisfied with home life. Yet I hated my father, and wanted to get out of his control. On the field of war I determined life and death. I was Roman no one could rule me if I didn't respect them. Now I wasn't Roman, the Gods turned away from the pathetic little welp that was Marius Primus in that moment.
Then there was an explosion followed by blaster fire. And shouting voices I heard a loud electronic hum flying through the air and melting steel. And it grew closer. I looked up to see men in white armor rush by. And then she stopped.
Stood their and had a face of a shape I could only think to describe as sheer despline. Hair tied in similar fashion. Sharp blue eyes focused on me her skin as elegant as fine porcelain. Yet she had a tint to her complexion that made her a the more intriguing and complex. The armor she wore was light but colored like that of her soldiers, it also was darkened implying much use. A shimmering blue blade in her right hand. And I began to understand what Helvius was getting at earlier.
"Would you like to be released?" She asked.
"Of course," I snapped, "Do I look pleased with the current predicament. How is that even a question?"