Chapter Three

Sol three (Terra)

City of Rome

Praetorian Guard HQ

As the Emperor met with his advisers, the men of the First Cohort of the First Century Legionis Praetoriae were cleaning their dress uniforms. The atmosphere was tense as they waited for their orders. The arrival of the Republic delegation was imminent, and preparations were being made across the planet. The Praetorians knew that they had an important role to play in ensuring the safety of the Empire's leaders during this delicate time.

"Ha, Marcus" Lucius called, "pass the shaving cream."

Marcus tossed the can of shaving cream to his friend, his mind wandering to the upcoming events. He knew that the arrival of the Republic delegation was a significant moment in the history of the Empire. The meeting could bring about positive change or result in disastrous consequences.

"Marcus" Lucius said as he put shaving cream on, "leave the thinking to the greeks and come back to the ground"

Marcus chuckled at his friend's words, knowing that Lucius was right. As a Praetorian, his duty was to focus on the task at hand and not get carried away with thoughts of what could go wrong.

Meanwhile, in the Imperial Palace, Emperor Kael and his advisors were discussing the best approach to take when meeting with the Republic delegation. They knew that the meeting could be a potential risk to the Empire, but they also saw it as an opportunity for diplomacy and peaceful relations.

As they debated their options, a loud knock on the door interrupted their discussion. The Emperor nodded to one of his guards, who opened the door to reveal a messenger from the Praetorian Guard.

"Your Majesty," the messenger began, bowing low. "The First Cohort of the First Century Legionis Praetoriae is ready to receive your orders."

The Emperor nodded in acknowledgement and turned to his advisors. "It seems the Praetorians are ready for action. Let us make our decision quickly."

The advisors looked at each other and then back at the Emperor. "Your Majesty," one of them began, "we believe that it would be best if we meet the delegation outside of the city, in a neutral location."

The Emperor considered their suggestion for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Yes, that may be wise. It will minimize any potential risk to our city and citizens."

He turned to the messenger. "Inform the Praetorians that we will be meeting the Republic delegation outside of the city. Have them prepare for transport and provide additional security measures as necessary."

The messenger bowed and hurried out of the room to deliver the Emperor's orders to the Praetorian Guard.

Back in the Praetorian Guard HQ, the First Cohort of the First Century Legionis Praetoriae was receiving their orders from their commanding officer. "Men, we have received orders from the Emperor himself. We are to provide additional security measures for the Republic delegation's arrival."

"So, Lucius" Marcus asked, "ready to show this republic delegation, why we are the best fighting force Jupiter has ever blessed."

Above Sol Three

RSS Nova Spiral

As the Praetorians prepared for their mission, high above Sol Three, the RSS Nova Spiral, a Republic hammer head cruiser orbited the planet. Onboard the ship, the people from the Republic was also preparing for the meeting with the Emperor.

Admiral Carth and Jedi Revan stood in the hangar of the Nava Spiral as the delegation shuttle landed. Onec the shuttle touched down the ramp opened and out walked Senator Kyra Seldon.

"Greetings, senator" Carth spooked "me and Raven have prepared a briefing for you on the people of sol three."

Senator Seldon greeted Admiral Carth and Jedi Revan with a nod. "Thank you for your preparation, Admiral," she said. "I am eager to learn more about Sol Three and the people we will be meeting with."

Admiral Carth and Jedi Revan lead the Senator into the conference room. Inside the conference room, Admiral Carth began his briefing on the planet Sol Three.

"According to what we know, the inhabitants of sol three call their world terra" Carth begins, "they call themselves the Roman Empire and are lead by a Augustus, which is what they call there emperors"

Senator Seldon listened intently as Admiral Carth provided more information on the history and politics of the Roman Empire they managed to learn. As she took notes, Jedi Revan added her own insights into the situation.

"According to the information we've gathered and our brief interaction," Revan remarked, "it seems that their society is organized around their military."

Senator Seldon furrowed her brows as she processed the new information. After a few moments of contemplation, she spoke thoughtfully, "This is quite interesting. If we play our cards right, mentioning our military could potentially give us an advantage."

Admiral Carth nodded in agreement. "Yes, Senator. Their military is highly respected in their society, and they see strength and power as important traits. If we can show them that we are a strong and reliable ally, they may be more inclined to work with us."

Jedi Revan added, "However, we must also be careful not to come across as a threat. We don't want to instigate any unnecessary conflict."

Senator Seldon nodded, taking in their advice. "Thank you, Admiral Carth and Jedi Revan. Your insights are valuable, and we will take them into consideration during our meeting with the Emperor."

As the briefing came to an end, Senator Seldon stood up, ready to head to the meeting with the Emperor. "It's time for us to meet with the Roman Emperor and start building a relationship with the people of Sol Three. Let's hope our diplomatic efforts will be successful."

With that, the Republic delegation left the RSS Nova Spiral and headed towards their meeting with the Emperor, accompanied by the Praetorian Guard and their additional security measures. The fate of the Empire and the Republic hung in the balance, as the two factions met to determine their future relationship.

AN: what Carth is saying is what I went over in the prologue. The reason I did not add it in, was I did not what to bore you with a long info dump, but if you what to now it is there.

AN: I want to express my gratitude to all of you who have been following and favoriting this story. Your support means a great deal to me. As this is my first story, I would be thrilled to hear your thoughts on it thus far.