Chapter 26: Conspiracy Unfolded

The Titans are defeated. But not everything is sunshine just yet for all the would-be victors. Anyways it might be a little longer than expected to reach the end.

All PJO characters belong to Rick Riordan. I own only my OCs.

Cary flew Haidan back to his home in Oakland. He was done with the battle and he was done with the Romans. After so many deaths and so many heartaches, Cary decided he had enough. No one from the camp grieved for the volunteers from the city. He wondered if the Romans would care enough if he didn't come back.

Cary counted the people who liked him, were neutral, or didn't like him.

The Romans who like him: Maylene, Aldo, Norman, Darren, Fern, and Jason

Romans who were neutral: Reyna, Dakota, Ida, Hank, Leila, Oz, Alvin, Katy, Bert, and a bunch of senators.

Romans who didn't like him: Octavian, Primo, Benito, Ugo, Dialo, and anyone currently in the First Cohort

Cary suspected that he might have forgotten some faces, but that wasn't too important. Right now, he was taking Haidan home.

"Hey, we're landing right here!" Haidan yelled out.

"Oh, great. Down, Fletch," Cary commanded. The eagle complied with a screech and landed down next to the apartment. The two mortals disembarked quietly and walked up to the doorsteps. Haidan dropped to his knees.

"Whoa, you okay?" Cary asked.

"Yeah, I just… need to," Haidan couldn't stop the water works from coming out. "It's not…fair!" he cried. How am I supposed to live, while everyone I know is dead!"

Cary rubbed his shoulders and let him grieve. 'Guess he was holding back his tears back on the mountain.'

"Come on, Haidan. Let's get inside," Cary brought Haidan up and used the apartment intercom to call his mom to unlock the door.

The trip to the Wu apartment room was quiet all the way until they knocked on the door and opened to see Amy greet them.

"Bro! You're back. Come in!" Amy dragged her big brother in while Cary followed suit.

"Oh Haidan, it's so good to see you home!" Mrs. Wu gushed. The two took off their shoes and entered the dining room. "Come in, Mister Chang! I'm sorry we don't have dinner ready, but just give me something to cooked up something."

Half an hour later, Mrs. Wu brought in a bowl of chicken fried rice. The teens jumped in, "This is delicious!" Cary complimented.

"So Cary, what happened up there? Did the Romans finish their job?"

Cary's smile dropped, "Actually, we need to talk after dinner about that…"

The meal was noisy, yet without conversation. After scarfing down huge portions, Cary washed up before having the whole family sit down to talk. He mentioned how he, Haidan, and Maria were the only survivors and how right now the Romans were storming the mountain. Wendy was holding back tears over what happened to Mister Hong and Brian. Amy was grasping her brother's hand as his body trembled. The most composed figure was Steven.

"So, what's next? Are you going back to fight with the Romans?" Steven asked.

"No, they said I was done over there. And frankly, I don't want to go back," Cary answered.

"Well, let's pray they can do their job and come home. We were watching the news about the volcanic cloud approaching New York. It almost overshadowed the news about the storm up on Mt. Tam," Steven reported, "The guest room is still open if you're staying for the night."

Cary nodded and gestured his approval. He walked into the room to unpacked. He took out the Memory Orb. 'Tonight will decide tomorrow's fortune.' He closed his eyes and hoped to sleep well. However, it was a rather restless dream.

Back on the Mountain.

After Reyna finally got the Legion to return to attention, she had to remind them that they needed to destroy the throne room. Awkwardly, they let Jason down smoothly and backed away so that Jason could walk up to Saturn's throne and deliver the final blow. He swung at the chair, which crumbled at the tremendous blow. With the chair destroyed, the throne room rumbled. "Romans, we withdraw from the mountain. The entire Legion and its allied riders marched out of the throne room and disembarked for the palace yards outside the gate. Order broke down as some of them scrambled for other exits. Even Hannibal, who made mincemeat of the snakes, made his own exits by crashing through the weakened walls. With no seat of power, the palace crumbled like papier-mache. The entire legion was finally out of harm's way when they reached the Garden's edge and turned around to see the Palace crumble under its own weight. Jason looked at the Romans' handiwork to etch into his memory. He was about to order the Legion to return to the ridge camp only to be interrupted by a loud war cry.

"AHHHHHH!"

Jason turned around to see an angry legionnaire running at him with the intention of skewing him with his sword.

"NO!" Ugo ran forward to intercept the legionnaire who made quick work of him and sliced him down. Jason looked to see his potential assassin.

"Officer Primo! What's the meaning of this?!" cried Jason.

"You took away what should have been mine!" He swung at Jason, who deflected the sword, "I should have been here first!" Another swing, "I was supposed to take the Titan!" Another swing. "I was supposed to earn their respect!" The next swing knocked Ivlivs out of Jason's hand. Primo raised his sword to deal the killing blow, but it was parried by Maria.

"You," Primo noticed Crocea Mors and its new owner, "That sword belongs to me!" He swung at Maria, who immediately blocked and started fighting.

"Stop it, now!" cried Jason. Reyna ran in to interfere but backed off as the fighting grew too intense to intervene. If she went in, she could be the next victim of Primo's rage. Even the daughter of Bellona would avoid the wrath of a Mars legacy. The praetor saw the futility in stepping in and turned to check on Primo's friend Ugo.

"D-don't let him be praetor," said Ugo.

"What are you talking about?" Reyna was confused by Ugo's words. Ugo's animosity towards Jason was out of nowhere. However, Ugo shook his head and corrected her.

"Primo…he wants to be praetor. No Jason, then he be praetor. Primo's a…nutcase. Don't let Primo be…" Eventually, the light in Ugo's eyes died out.

"AHHHHH!" Primo screamed out. Despite being in a senseless state, Primo seemed to be affected by Ugo's death. He slammed Maria to the ground and began choking her. As far as he was aware, Maria had stolen the privilege of wielding a legendary sword. He would not let anything else be denied of him. "Get off of her!" Reyna and Jason wrestled Primo off Maria, but the Mars legacy knocked them back and prepared to turn his sword on his fellow Romans. The lapse in Primo's grip strength gave Maria the window to fight back. She aimed Crocea Mors at his chest and twisted its blade deep into Primo's sternum. Snapping out of his rage, Primo looked down to see that he had been slain.

"Youuuu," Primo collapsed to the side as Jason stepped in to check on Maria.

"What just happened?" Maria asked. She looked down and froze at the blood on her hands. It was several long seconds before Jason snapped her back to reality.

"I don't know, but it's over," Jason explained, "Maria, please, drop the sword and follow us." Maria looked around to see a handful of Romans with their swords drawn out. Reyna looked at her with an apprehensive expression.

"Reyna, I didn't mean to…" Maria tried to explain.

The praetor shook her head, "Sorry, Miss Melote. But as of now, I'm placing you under arrest for the death…no murder of Primo Soldato."

Maria's heart dropped into her stomach when she realized that what was her chance to show her potential was now her own undoing.

Wu Residence, Aug. 18

"Morning, Cary," Steven sipped his coffee as he watched the news. The headline read certain unrest occurring in Manhattan and sudden tidal waves. Cary rubbed the sand out of his eyes as he stumbled out of the room. His sleep was rather fitful and didn't leave him with much to relax on. He looked outside the window to see the sunlight hit the Bay. 'I hope the Legion won,' Cary wondered.

Cary felt agitated over Maria's abrupt decision to stay rather than just go back. The last few days of driving to Mt. Tamalpais left him facing things he wished he could forget. 'All those deaths and what did it achieve? Will their sacrifice be remembered?'

"Cary, why don't you join us for breakfast?" Auntie Wendy snapped him back to the here and now. Cary nodded and sat in the dining room. Eventually, Amy and Haidan joined as well. Breakfast was uneventful, but Steven had arranged some post-meal plans.

"Alright, Cary. I'm going to start making calls to the families of those who didn't return. You don't have to worry about that. Just wait until you hear from that praetor okay?" Cary nodded. He returned to the guest room and waited for the orb to ring.

After a half hour, Cary started to worry. 'Maybe I should call them instead? They could be in trouble?' Cary shook off that thought. He shouldn't interrupt her. 'She might be busy.'

Before his anxiety could rise, the Orb finally rang. Cary picked up and saw a tired-looking praetor projected in the room.

Reyna had bags under her eyes and her hair was frazzled and needed grooming. She had cuts and bruises, but nothing serious. Half of her armor was off like she was haphazardly taking them off with disregard to procedure.

"Mister Chang," Reyna stifled a yawn, "I'm reporting to announce that the battle last night was a success. The Titans have been defeated."

"So then, we're done then?" Cary asked, hoping that the debt of those who were conscripted had been finally paid off. But most importantly, the city could finally realize true peace.

"Not quite, I need you to join us back in Camp Jupiter," Reyna answered, "Is your eagle around?"

"Ummm," Cary forgot to send Fletch away. "I kind of forgot to send him off. We were all so tired that I didn't say goodbye to Fletch and send him away," he sheepishly answered.

"If you didn't send him off, he's probably still around. Why don't you check outside?" Reyna suggested.

Cary walked out the apartment and climbed down the stairs to head outside. He looked around to look for a giant eagle. He looked around for a few seconds before he heard a gust of wind blowing from behind. He turned around to see Fletch with a 'Did you forget me?' look written on his beak.

"Sorry," Cary scratched his own head. Fortunately, it seemed Fletch was rather forgiving as he nuzzled the teen. "Hey Reyna, Fletch is here," he raised the Orb so that she could get a better view of the eagle.

"Good, I'll see you there with the rest of the Legion when we return. I need your help to get camp ready for festivities celebrating our victory. The local fauns and townsfolk will assist you," Reyna answered.

"Wait, I need to ask about something. Did Maria make it?" Cary asked. Reyna stiffened on the screen before answering.

"Miss Melote is in Roman custody and under arrest for the death of a Legionnaire," she reported.

"WHAT?!" Cary yelled, "What happened?! Let me talk to her?!"

"I'll explain more when we meet in person. And I can't have you talk to her until we come back. Right now, I need you to return to camp. Understand?" Reyna insisted.

Cary sighed, "Fine, I'll see you in camp. Do I need to bring Haidan over?" Reyna shook her head, "Very well, Over and out." He turned off the orb and went up to the apartment to talk to the Wu Family to inform them that he was heading out alone. He packed up the handful of things he had on his back in a backpack borrowed from the family. Mrs. Wu was generous enough to offer some snacks.

"Good luck, Cary. Come back when you get the chance," Auntie Wendy wished him.

Cary waved before heading back to ride Fletch to Camp Jupiter. He patted Fletchinder on the neck and handed him the last bits of Auntie Wendy's beef jerky from the kitchen. The matriarch was mindful that the eagle probably didn't eat anything last night and suggested that Cary feed the eagle.

Fletch scarfed the jerky down and cooed at him showing his gratitude. The eagle and its rider finally took off.

En Route to Camp, the Legion

Maria curled up in her seat. Having been stripped of her weapon, she was now under surveillance for her involvement. The trip back to camp was gossiping over whether Primo or she was in the wrong.

Those who saw the fight believed Primo's attempt was unprovoked, and Maria was just protecting Reyna. Some who didn't see them or were too blinded by Roman loyalty find her to be a killer who couldn't be trusted. To prevent infighting, Reyna had ordered the Legion to separate her from the others in the car. The only ones who could see her now was Aldo Squad. They were one of the more level-handed groups of Romans watching her now.

"Y-you don't believe I'm a killer, do you?" Maria asked Aldo. Currently, Darren and Norman were in the front seat, with Aldo and Fern in the back.

"No," he answered curtly, "But it's not up to me to decide what's right or wrong." He sighed out, "We're going to take care of you until we return to camp."

Fern consoled Maria by holding her hands, "Call it a girl's intuition. But I don't believe you to be our enemy, and I will stand by my beliefs."

"Thank you, Fern. I've barely been with you guys for a day, but it's so good to have people on my side," Maria answered with tears creeping out.

"Guys, we're back in camp. We're going to clean up the grounds before we hit base camp in the valley," Norman called out.

Darren and Norman pulled over to help with cleanup while Fern and Aldo stayed in the car. Meanwhile, Jason and Reyna were taking down the praetor's camp.

"Reyna, what's going to happen to Maria?" Jason asked.

"We're going to hold a trial to decide the sentencing. You saw what happened to Primo? She killed him," Reyna pointed out the obvious.

"Yeah, but she saved our lives. You saw Primo going nuts," Jason refuted.

"That doesn't change the fact that she has his blood on her hands. The only thing I can do is argue a lighter sentence rather than try to exonerate her. Besides, his uncle will want someone to pay in blood," Reyna knew the Soldato looked after their own, even if their intentions were rather suspicious.

"You're just going to bend over to them. That family is full of a bunch of war hawks and guys with ties to organized crime," Jason thought Reyna was braver than this.

Reyna sighed, "We don't have the luxury of power. Sullivan's still gone and I was going to have Amber testify for Primo's wrongdoings and prove his involvement in spiking poison in her snacks. But she's gone and Primo is dead." What should have been a boon for them now seems to be their hindrance.

"I just hope things look up when we return to camp. How do we tell Benito about his nephew's death?" Jason asked.

"I'll handle the news, you just take care of the legion," Reyna placed her hand on Jason's shoulder, "Please, I like to have you by my side." Jason nodded as he went along with Reyna and prayed that this drama ended.

With the ridge camp cleaned up, the Legion drove or flew back down to base camp, where Alvin was waiting for them.

"Alright guys, headcount before we head back home. No stops, no bathroom breaks. We head home to Camp Jupiter," Jason announced. The crowd answered back with cheers and celebrations.

Meanwhile, Reyna was leading the others to load the wounded or their dead back home. 'So many to bury,' she noted the fact that the demographics that had suffered the most were the mortal reinforcements. It wasn't fair to send them out into the harshest parts of the fighting, but it was necessary to ensure the Roman identity survived. If too many of their Legion perished, Camp Jupiter and the dream of Julius Caesar may not survive to the next generation.

'It won't be easy to inform their families,' Reyna counted how many Romans and mortals died. Right now, she had just told Benito that his nephew perished in battle along with his friends.

"Get me out of this bed!" he roared, "I want to see his body!" The nurses tried to restrain him to the bed.

"Please wait, Veteran Soldato. You're not fully healed yet," Reyna insisted.

"I don't care. I want to see my boy," he crawled out of bed and limped to where they were keeping the fallen.

"Veteran, come back," Reyna ordered. Benito looked down at his nephew's lifeless body and saw the gaping wound in his chest. "Who did this?" he growled, "It was that damn probatio wasn't it?"

"No," Reyna corrected him, "It was…" The praetor paused for a moment. 'Why would he immediately suspect one of ours did this.' She shook her head, "…a girl from the auxiliary who joined us from downtown."

"I knew they couldn't be trusted. I brought them here to serve their purpose. But when their duty was finished, they turned against us!" Benito ranted. "Where is she?!"

"It wasn't like that!" Reyna yelled, "There will be a trial back in camp. You are not to cast judgment until then!"

The veteran leered over to get Reyna to falter and submit, but the praetor would not budge from her decision.

"Fine," he growled. He was dragged back to the parking lot to prepare for his plans. Benito joined a van filled with faces only he recognized: The handful of veterans and senators loyal to his family that survived this battle.

He pulled out his orb and sent a text message to someone in New Rome: Proceed with the next phase of the plan.

Camp Jupiter

Cary flew into New Rome airspace. Fletch flew over Oakland Hills and was about to cross the Little Tiber. 'As soon as I land, I better not do anything rash. Maybe I should get the camp ready to welcome the Legion back,' he pondered.

The eagle glided in front of the Praetorian Gate and landed gently. Cary disembarked and patted Fletch with a 'thank you' for the trip. He turned to face the sentries that had taken over watch when the Legion handed out. Cary didn't recognize them. 'Must be from New Rome.'

"Hey guys, I'm back. I'm supposed to meet up with Reyna and the Legion. She wants me to get camp ready to celebrate their return," he reported. The two guards looked at each other and let him pass, "You may enter, Orient." Cary recognized the term they were using. He realized they weren't friendly, but never returned the sentiment.

"Thank you," Cary saluted with some restraint and walked into the camp. 'It's been over a week since I've returned. Seems they're building something new. New barracks?' Cary noticed construction going on next to the latrines. He made his way to Jason's barracks and went in to see the beds were right where he last saw them and checked where his bed used to be. Except, it wasn't there. 'Seems they took it away and replaced it with another desk.' Cary left the barracks and was about to ask the local Romans and fauns to help get food ready. However, before he could enter the mess hall to help he was dragged off into an alley between the Principia and the Mess hall.

Before he could yell out for help, he was shushed by a voice, "Ssshh, quiet. I'm here to help." Cary looked at his kidnapper only to see it was Don the faun. "Why are you hiding? Why are we hiding?" he whispered instinctively.

"Mortal, ever since the Legion headed out. New Rome sent some rather scary-looking men," Don reported. "I noticed that when I returned," Cary answered. Don nodded, "Listen, I overheard those men saying something about leading the Legion in the right direction. And then something about the Praetor's last letter."

"Who? Reyna?" Cary asked. Don shook his head, "Sully."

Cary started to suspect something insidious conspiring that could endanger the praetor. "Okay, but what do you want me to do about it? I got dinner to get ready for."

"About that, I think those guys are going to act tonight. You need to find Sully," Don pleaded. "Why, what is it about the Praetor that makes him so important to you?"

"Sully was one of the few praetors in history to see us as something more than just bums. He believed we had the courage, the valor, and the skills to fight along the Legion. If he was here, he would have marched along with us fauns. He's stepping down this year, but he deserves something better than a knife to the back," Don argued.

"Okay, where do I find him?" Cary asked.

"His residence. If you head to the city and ask around, maybe they'll help you. Wait, no. You're not a Roman so you can't go in without a pass. But there are other entrances beside the main roads," Don suggested.

Cary nodded. Don was a lot of things, but he was definitely not distrustful. "I'll just head out then and-ohhh," Cary peeked over the corner to see more Romans showing up. This time though, they had spears and swords and were gearing up for something other than festivities. "We've got a problem, they're blocking the gate."

"Follow me," Don gestured to Cary to follow him to the latrines. "Ummm, Don. Why are we here?" The faun reached for a stall with the notice 'Out of Order' on it. He wrenched the locked door open and shoved the broken toilet aside to reveal a tunnel leading underground.

"This takes us to the little Tiber," informed Don. "Do we have to…" Cary asked. He didn't like the idea of crawling through what was essentially the sewers. "Don't worry, Rome at its height was a leader in sanitation measures," Don assured him. "That doesn't make it any easier," he fumed.

"Look, do you want to stay up here and get taken prisoner or worse or are you going to shut up and crawl?" Don snapped. Cary sighed, "Fine…" Cary slowly slid down the hole, trying not to think too hard. Don followed and closed the door just seconds before the search party could catch anything out of the ordinary.

Down the Tiber

"Oh thank god we're out of there," Cary prayed that the odor wouldn't linger too long. He imagined Don with his heightened sense of smell had it worse. The two were currently following the river on a boat made from the local reeds and trees on the riverbanks. The dryads and naiads were more than generous out of courtesy for Don. They had rather neutral expressions towards the visitor. "How far do we have to go?" Cary asked.

"To the lake on the southern edge of the city," Don answered, "We can make for the shores that are less visited by the townsfolk. The tricky part is getting in, Terminus won't let non-Romans and fauns like me into the city." Cary sighed. This plan was falling apart. How are they supposed to get to Sully before the conspirators do? "We'll figure it out," Cary groaned.

The raft flowed into the lake. Don and Cary paddled the rest of the way to get to the shore. "Finally, now what?" Cary asked.

"Perhaps, you should explain yourself, Mister Chang!" the bust of Terminus materialized in front of the faun and the Asian. "Whoa, Terminus. I-THAT'S LORD TERMINUS, ORIENT," the god cut off Cary. "You're not allowed in this city without a Roman by your side."

"Oh you see…Lord Terminus, I…," Cary rapidly tried to make an excuse, "I'm waiting for the Roman to come and invite me into New Rome!"

"So you were invited? Who?" Terminus inquired. "Praetor Sullivan Richards. Can you please take me to him?" Cary asked.

"Sorry, but I'm a border god, not a city god. I can only wait alongside you at the Pomeranian until the praetor comes out to greet you. Assuming, you're not lying," the god peered in, "I cannot enter the city and inte-Wait I just sensed him crossing the border!"

"Where?!" Cary asked. "He's at the border on the other side of the lake and it appears he's not alone," Terminus closed his eyes, "They don't seem to be friendly and he's in his swim trunks and restrained?" Cary's eyes widened at these details. "Crap. Lord Terminus, can you please take us there?" he begged.

"Well, since you were polite and proper to address me appropriately. I will grant you this freebie. Both of you, grab on!" Cary was confused before realizing that Terminus wanted him to hold on to the marble bust. He wrapped his right arm around the neck, while Don wrapped around the waist. "Are you strapped in? Good!" Terminus did not stop to hear the answer as the bust shot into the air and teleported to where Sullivan was.

Pomeranian Line

"So this is my last day of praetor is going to go?" Sully lamented. After being under house arrest for a month, he was offered the chance to return to camp under one condition. Benito wanted him to draft a letter of recommendation for Primo's praetorship. "You got what you wanted. Why are we out here on the lake?"

"Because no one will hear you scream," a goon answered. Five others were there on the beach reaching for weapons stored in the crate. "And to tie up loose ends."

"So…just because you got a letter of recommendation doesn't mean anything if Primo doesn't get a majority vote from the Legion," Sully pointed out. The praetor noted that his captors wore plain clothes and had emblems stitched in wearing the Soldato family crest. 'I knew the Soldatos were power-hungry, but to go so far as to kill me,' the praetor figured that they wouldn't be so blatantly obvious unless they really wanted to make sure he didn't survive this.

"It's not about changing their minds. All that matters is clearing all obstacles and opponents off the board. No one will stand against us," another goon commented, "When the Legion returns, they'll have no choice but to accept the letter and give your praetorship to Primo. And to make sure you don't change your mind, we'll be silencing you for good." The goon ordered two others to drag him to the lake.

Out of sight behind some bushes and umbrellas, Don and Cary were eavesdropping on the conversation and the plot. "We need to do something now or else," Don pleaded.

"I know," Cary seethed. He didn't have his sword since it got damaged against Coeus and Terminus refused to intervene. The god only dealt with those who violated his borders, but the goons were outside the Pomeranian. 'If only I could drag that racist bust here,' Cary thought.

"Any idea how to fight?" Cary asked. Don shook his head, "I'm not a fighter. As a fan I do have some abilities. I can talk to plants…talk to animals… I play really good music…" "Hang on! Talk to animals. Can you call an eagle here to help?" Cary started to formulate a plan.

"Any last words, Richards," the soldier raised his sword and prepared to execute the resigned praetor." Before Sully could say anything, a random teen wearing a Roman helmet that hid his face. "Excuse me sir, what do we have here?" the teen said in his rather out-of-place Southern accent. "I hope you have a permit for this party, because this beach is off-limits." Cary hoped these jerks didn't recognize him. He would need to apologize to the guard whose helmet he stole.

"None of your business, guardsman. Return to your post," the goon ordered. "Nah, that's not how it works. I ask the questions, you answer. Unless, I can be persuaded to just look the other way." He gestured as if he was rubbing coins between his fingers. The goon sighed before reaching into his pocket, "Here's some denarii, Can you leave?"

Cary weighed the coins, "Come on, you call that a bribe?" A random cawing sound alerted the goons, so Cary tried to keep their attention away, "Hey eyes on me. Any more?"

"I've got a better idea. Why don't you pay us and we won't take your head?!" The goon reached for his knife, but Cary was faster on his feet and wrestled against him to prevent him from drawing the blade. The teen raised his head and butted his opponent with the helmet. Dazed from the concussion, the goon fell on his back while Cary stole his weapon. "AMBUSH!" The other five goons drew their weapons. Sully body checked one of the goons away and began sprinting with his hand tied around his back. Before a goon could raise a javelin, he was snatched out of the air by Fletchinder and dropped to the ground from a precarious height. The praetor continued to run until he was behind Cary, who quickly cut his restraints. "What's next, Mister Chang?" Sully was impressed yet astounded by such an audacious and crazy plan."

"Fletch over here!" Cary waved at the eagle, who dove at his position. At the right time, Cary and Sully tossed themselves onto the beast's back and flew back into New Rome. "AFTER THEM!" a goon answered.

Fletch flew back to the Pomeranian Line where Don and Terminus were waiting for them. "Lord Terminus, we have pursuers-say no more, Praetor. The Faun has informed me of this treachery." The god was informed by Don that the praetor and the visitor were being pursued by armed men. New Rome laws dictate that no individual can bring weapons from outside. As for Coliseum events and gladiator battles, exceptions apply.

The four conspirators ran to the border where their target was in sight. However, in their anger, they ignorantly crossed the city border, only to face a rather disapproving Terminus. "Shame! Have you no sense of obedience and loyalty." He lifted the would-be assassins in the air telepathically and began strangling them. "NO WEAPONS SMUGGLED IN NEW ROME!" The four were tossed straight into the ground. The god showed no mercy.

Terminus floated back to his subjects, "Praetor, it's good to see you back here since your illness."

"Indeed. But I'm afraid that we don't have the luxury of casual conversation. The Soldato family is making its move. Cary, tell me. How many of the auxiliary have returned?"

"Sorry, Praetor. But only me and two others made it. The rest perished," Cary reported. Sullivan however was shaken, but not totally unfazed.

"Not to worry, I have a back-up plan. Now then, tell me. Do you still have your Orb?"

Time is of the essence to prevent a plot that plans to upset the praetorship selection. Next time, foiling a coup.