NationStates Jolt Archive

RNN Newswire, 24 June 2004

The armored battallions of LEG. XI VIXTRIX rolling into position around the rebel stronghold of Vendilium, Imperial officials state that the Servile Insurrection of Taius Alvinius is nearing the end of its suppression with imperial legionaires digging in around the city in preparation for the long and final fight of the campaign ahead of them.

Vendilium , the birth place of the insurrection is the final rebel stronghold since the crushing defeat of servile forces and the near complete devestation of the cities of Abocurum and Nova Hellia two weeks ago.

Per instructions from the Praetor concerning the resolution of the conflict, Legate Correus has initiated operations and plans to ensure that Remelia is never again threatened by servile insurrection. Insiders speculate that while captured servile forces in most cases were returned to their owners, keeping the already monumental body count as low as possible, the legionaires of LEG. XI VIXTRIX are preparing to make an example out of all those who bear arms against the empire in accordance with the new accords passed by the senate sentencing any servile in possesion of weaponry to immediate execution.

Sources indicate that the first prepatory bombardments are set to begin within the next few hours. Refugee non combatants from Vendilium are already being turned back into the city by Imperial forces. A lesson to all imperial citizens to resist against enemies of the empire in the future.

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Centurion Julianus squinted his eyes against the glare of the sun as he regarded the long line of captured serviles being led to the hills that stood before the city. He motioned to the decurion in charge and whispered a set of swift orders. The decurion didnt look to happy about it , but the silver rank insignia emblazoned upon the collar of Julianus' black uniform stifled any objections.

The line of serviles stopped short and black clad legionaires swiftly moved up and down the line, yanking the few odd females from the chained line and taking them to the side. This done, the decurion cracked his quirt against the back of the lead servileand restarted the long march up to the heights.

Julianus strode through the dusty road to the assembled serviles raking his eyes over each one. He smiled in satisfaction at the look of abject dejection, defeat and loss of hope within their eyes. He waved off one of the legionaires who was busily trying to subdue one of the serviles, who with a seemingly last bit of resistance within her struck out at the soldiers.

The Centurion moved forward and deftly cracked the woman across the jaw with the back of his hand dropping her to the ground. Her eyes flickered in anger and hatred as she glared up at him. Her cheeks flushed but quickly paled when the first screams for mercy and the shrieks of agony echoed from the hilltop.

Julianus reached forward and wrapped his fingers through her flaming hair and jerked her to her feet. Her skin was slightly tanned from the sun, but Julianus could tell from her bearing that she wasnt one of the feild serviles. No this one had left a life of semi ease as a household servile. From the looks of her she was the favored of some rich equestrian. Pity he thought.

He shook his head and spun her around and jerked her head back so that her eyes could fall upon the top of the hill. She whimpered. Half in pain half in horror as her eyes fell upon the array of crosses staked into the ground on the top of the heights. Each possessing a still living form. The crucifix were placed for a reason. All in the city could see them and realize what they're fate would be. True they would fight all the harder with all the courage and fortitude imbued to those who had nothing left to lose. But the statement was less for them than it was the rest of the empire.

He moved in close to her and whispered into her ear. "There are some fates worse than servitude slave. You would do well to remember that girl. These men are dying for following a doomed cause. You and the rest of these women are going back to where you belong. I'm sure you'll learn to ....re-adjust back into your life after the lash is done with you for your part in this."

Julianus shook his head in distaste as he threw the girl bodily to a waiting legionaire. "Take them back and ship them off back to their owners as soon as possible. We dont need them underfoot."

The ground shook with a loud rumble and the centurion turned his gaze to the city. Flames erupted from one of the buildings, peices of concrete and steel exploding into a shower of debris. Loud whistles and shrieks from overhead confirmed it. He watched as explosion after explosion erupted from within the confines of the city. The bombardment had begun. Soon him and his legionaire would be slogging through the devestated city streets, covered in mud and blood. He wondered how many of his men would fall to the bullets of the servile insurrectionists. To many he thought.

According to the time table the Legate had given him, the artillery was just the first step. Within an hour the Strike Bombers would begin their prescision bombardments of priority targets within the city. Hopefully they would take out as many of the rebels as possible. Less for Julianus and his men to contend against.

He sighed deeply as he looked at what the city was becoming. Thankfully most of the non combatants and citizens had left weeks ago before the LEG XI had arrived. They had knew what was coming. Those that remained......well there was no hope for them anymore. They would fall with the serviles.

They swept through the rubble of the small suburb just south of Vendilium. Quintus dropped low and ducked into an alleyway. He could still hear the low rumbling of the bombers sweeping through the region, continuing their work of crushing the fighting spirit of the serviles.

From what he could see, the bombs had done their work on the structural integrity of the city. Very few buildings remained upright and in their former pristine condition. Such a waste he thought to himself as he steeled himself and ran across the plaza.

The staccato of gunfire and the kicking of dust at his feet alerted him to the fact that he wasnt alone in this courtyard. He ran for all he was worth and dove into the shattered remains of a small cafe.

He charged his rifle and peered out a jagged window frame. His eyes searched through the rubble for a target. The streets remained empty. He raised his rifle to his shoulder nonetheless. His eyes arting quickly. The wood and concrete around his position exploded in a flurry of splinters and heated metal as the enemy gunner opened up again.

He resisted ducking and quickly searched for the muzzle flash. A solid burst of fire let Quintus home in on his target. He aimed meticulously down the barrel and raised the sight post directly into the muzzle flash. His finger squeezed into the trigger and his rifle bucked against his shoulder. A shriek of pain and a gurgle of blood was his reward.

The rapid fire of the machine gun ceased yet he fired another quick shot into the same target. Quintus dropped the rifle from his shoulder and bolted from the door towards his target. Ducking and weaving through the rubble.

He came upon the nest and peered over cautiously. The servile lay spasming in a pool of his own blood, clutching at his torn apart throat. Grimly the legionaire raised his rifle again to his shoulder and with a sharp report and a buck against his shoulder the servile's head snapped back as another bullet slammed home.

He dropped to his haunches and looked over the corpse and then at the weapon that near stitched him from groin to grin. It was a two man operation, which meant there was a servile AG out there somewhere that he had to find.

He rose slowly to his feet and stiffened as pain lanced through his body.In shock his eyes widdened as his gaze dropped down to his midsection to find a blood spattered blade jutting from his stomach. He turned his head slowly, seeking to gaze behind him but he lacked the strength. His rifle slipped from his fingers and he sank to his knees, his life draining from his eyes as he collapsed.

The servile stood over him, her eyes looking with pure satisfaction as the legionaire scout bled onto the street. She bent down and yanked her knife from his back and cleaned the balde on his mottled black and grey uniform.

That they were sending scouts in already was somewhat of a good sign. It meant the bombardment was going to stop soon, but it also meant that large numbers of imperial legionaires and armor were coming soon as well.

She wanted to cry at the thought of all that they had dreamed of and fought for over the last months coming to an end but she quickly stifled it. She hadnt cried when Cannaerum was smashed to oblivion and all those who survived , including her mother and father were bound and sent back into slavery. She hadnt even cried when she saw from the watch post her brother beign nailed to the cross and raised on high upon the hills overlooking the city. She had nothing of those emotions left, only anger and hatred for the legions that were coming to end her hopes and dreams and invariably her life.

Almost numbly she bent down and lifted what was left of the ammunition and slung it over her shoulder before retriving the machine gun. It was heavy but she would manage. She had to get to a new position for the coming onslaught. She had to be sure she was in the right place to kill as many of them as she could before they killed her.

RNN Special Report - Marius Antoninus reporting

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I'm standing outside of until recently what was the citizens forum of the town of Dorumum, just south west of Vendilium. Where for the past four hours legionaires of LEG XI VIXTRIX have been fighting it out tooth and nail with the Servile Insurrectionists. Its been bloody, its been brutal and its been severely costly in the terms of human life.

As you can see behind me, Imperial Legionaires have wasted no time in affecting the Praetor's commands. The dead, dying and wounded of the servile rebels are being systematically crucified on makeshift crosses each step of the way as elements of the legion's infantry and armor hammer huge chunks into the servile lines and peirce deeply and swiftly into the city interior.

Per their orders the legionaires are sparing no one. Anyone who crosses their path, men, women, children, serviles and non combatants alike are being cut down where they stand and then nailed to crucifixes like those behind me.

In other venues of the combat theater, the information we're getting is sketchy at best, but after a full three hour air and conventional artillery bombardment, the legion scouts moved in to infiltrate the servile lines and to open up gaps for the armor and infantry support to punch through.

Initial losses for the legion had been light all around the besieged city, but now the progess has virtually slowed to a crawl as vicious house to house fighting has begun.

We are witnessing the end of the city of Vendilium and the end of the Servile Insurrection.

Centurion Julianus shook his head in distaste as another line of captured serviles was led towards the remains of the plaza of Vendilium. What was left of his century stood by impassively at first, but with the increasing number that passed their view, and with an increasing number of those who had until a few hours ago been ferverently trying to end the lives of the legionaires, their attitude became more and more hostile.

Julianus sighed deeply and issued a few short, curt orders to the passing decurion in charge. The line stopped and a handful of the serviles were removed from the line and the men of his century dragged them to the edge of the plaza and shoved them against the artillery battered walls. The legionaires looked to their centurion for confirmation, and even with the news cameras of the combat correspondants from the national and international networks focusing in on his men, he thought a moment and nodded.

The legionaires stepped back and raised their rifles to their shoulders and with a clattering staccato and bursts of flames spouting from the muzzles, the fired. The serviles were thrown against the wall from the impact of the bullets slicing through their flesh their lifesblood splattering onto the wall behind them.

Julianus shrugged and motioned for his men to retrieve those who had survived the onslaught to be taken to the line of makeshift crosses and crucified. With their wounds they wouldnt last long upon the crosses, but their limp hanging bodies would serve the purpose they were intended for.

He scowled at the newsmen and waved them off angrily. They kept focusing in on him. He swore and snarled off an order and in short order a shot rang out and the cameraman dropped to his knees, the camera falling to the ground as he clutched the wound that had sprouted upon his shoulder. The legionaires swarmed forward and drug the kicking and fighting reporter away.

Julianus returned his gaze to the line of serviles, barely even registering the second shot that echoed through the air around the plaza. The reporter should have stayed in his own nation and left the Remelians to handle their own affairs.

Legate Correus stepped from his command carrier and onto the muddied war torn streets of Vendilium. He looked across the landscape with great sadness. This had been his home once, many years ago. But now, it was nothing more than a battle field. The serviles had ensured itself of that. Why couldnt those in bondage know their rightful place within society and resist the temptation to rise up against their masters.

His legion had taken heavy combat losses, and though to be truthful a good many would live, most would never return to service under the banner of the eagles ever again. It was a loss to him that could not readily be replaced. The legions strength was serious depleted these last few days of street to street, building to building and room to room fighting.

He had to give credit to the tenacity of the servile insurrectionists. Taius Alvinius had taken work and feild slaves , gladiators even and molded them into a semi effective guerrilla fighting force. Well , effective enough to prove difficult to shell them out of position with artillery and dive bombers, but not as effective of the battle hardened and mercilessly trained Remelian legionaires. His men had been steadily pushing into the city, slaughtering all they came across as was the Praetor's order.

So far, the modern tactics and training and arms of the legions was effective, but with the heavy losses Correus felt that a major reorganization and restrengthening of the Imperial Legions was in order. They would need better weaponry. The insurrectionists had taught Correus that though the legions would win this fight, their weaponry was horribly outdated. They would need an increased rate of fire on their rifles. If they had such during this campaign, the insurrection would have been over in a matter of days, not the months that it had taken thus far.

He sighed and motioned to his adjutant. The tribune was strategically worthless, but he served well enough as a paper pusher and messenger. The tribune brought over the battle map and Correus gazed over the lines and grids. The deployment of hisarmor was to be critical, he would have to do some shifting of the lines but it would be nescessary to wipe clean the remaining resistance.

"Move Actius' two armored cohorts to sector six, tell Actius to spear as hard as he can into this region here. That should split the servile's lines in two. It will give us two fronts but I think we can handle it. "

He pondered over the unit identifiers solemnly. " Move Davicus and his Batterys to.......sector three. Have him split his attentions between the two lines here and here. Walk his artillery fire in front of Actius here....and then.....Agrippa and Pelonius.....move their cohorts to the left line and sweep through the trenches here "

The tribune flipped through a few pages of intelligence and reports and scrolled down with his finger. " Sir, Pelonius was hit two hours ago by a mortar shell. Wiped out almost two contubrium. He'll live but he wont be returning to action any time soon."

Correus swore and ran through his own list of officers in his head. "Give the cohort to Julianus. Make sure he knows that Taius Alvinius is probably going to be making a stand along his front and make sure he shows no mercy.....how long until Galla arrives?"

The tribune looked through his pages intently. "Galla reprted in two hours ago. Her legion will be settling into position and prepping for advance in approximately four hours sir."

Correus nodded. The addition of Galla and the XXV Augustorum would be welcome. It would help to fill the gaps in his lines and replentish the combat effectiveness of his legion. " Let me know the moment she is in position. We'll have her aviation units strafe her route of advance. I want to box Taius Alvinius into secotr 12 before dawn."



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She had fought for what seemed like days. The mud, grime and blood of her comrades spilled over her pale skin ahd her fingers had blistered from the constant vibration of her SAW.

She'd killed as many of the legionaires as she could. She fired until the legionaires pushed right up to her and the servile lines had been forced to fall back again and again. And still they came. She had fired until her ammunition was depleted and her barrel melted but still the legions pressed on.

So she had fallen back with the others, under a hail of artillery and air bombardments that shredded the servile lines. The shrapnel slicing through flesh and bone as well as stone and concrete. It wouldnt last much longer she thought. There were to few serviles remaining, and two many legionaires pouring into what was left of the city she grew up in.

Lena spat at that thought. She would have had more pleasant memories if she hadnt grown up as a slave, used and abused to the whims of her master and mistress, given as reward to the other slaves. The same ones she now fought side by side with. She was borne to it and knew little else until Taius Alvinius swept through the province. She wasnt fighting so much for her freedom, she really didnt know what that was. She ws merely fighting for a chance to experience a new existance.

All hope of that was gone now. It left long ago the first time she was put upon the front lines against the imperials and seen the death and destruction they could afflict upon humanity. Her innocence and utopian dreams had died along with hundreds of her fellow slaves.

She shook her head of the thoughts and peered over the edge of the rubble that served as her firing position, her fifth in less than an hour. The sight of a trio of imperials darting across the open flickered into her vision and she quickly sighted in front of the leader and squeezed off a quick burst of fire stitching two of them across the midsection. She watched in morbid fascination as the bullets threw their bodies backwards like ragdolls. She grinned in satisfaction as she backed up and began moving back to a new position. It didnt pay to stay in one place to long. The sickening crunch and horrendous boom followed by a wave of heat on her back and showers of slivered cement and dirt proved her point.

The legionaires were to accurate with their indirect fire.

Though the sun had hours passed fallen behind the horizon and the stars had already taken up their nightly residence amongst the darkened sky, Vendilium seemed to be lit with the shining light of a million multicolored fireflies that raced in inexorable determination almost faster than the eye could see across the landscape.

Loud echoing rumbles in the distance , and the crackling of flame that had burned savagely with uncontrollable hunger swathed the streets with an all invasive heat and choking smog that filled the air. The rapid unceasing staccatto of weaponsfire echoed through the night without end.

Centurion Julianus surveyed his objective through the magnification of the field glasses. He could see the dug in positions along the far avenue, built up and fortified with hand hauled rubble from the devestated buildings built upon the fallen concrete and masonry into a small but deadly hillock. He shook his head grimly as he turned to his century commanders.

He was new to this command, he no longer commanded a single century but an entire cohort. Nearly six hundrend legionaires had the cohort been at full strength. As it was he doubted there were more than four and a half maybe four seventy-five. And all of them dirty, exhausted and wearied of the fighting. They needed rest and the casualty rate would be higher if they didnt hold off for at least a few hours to allow the men to sleep and get the cold field rations within their bellys.

But orders were orders, there was no time to waste. the assault had to begin now to break the backs of the defenders. He gave his commanders their assignments and lifted the radio to his ear as he again spied through the glasses. The artillery would walk up in front of their advance, the rounds impacting ever forward up the makeshift hill as the legionaires moved behind it. Or such was the theory. Already overzealous century commanders had urged their men forward only to be decimated by incoming artillery fire from the imperial batterys. He gave off the coordinates and waited. A single high explosive round impacted towards the hill. Julianus regarded the map critically and called on the radio again to adjust the fire. Another round impacted a hundred or so yards to the left of the first. He grinned to himself and sent an affirmative.

The whistle of rounds flying over heard caused him to swivel his gaze to the night sky , trying in vain to track the rounds down towards the hill. Most of the rounds burst over the adjusted target sending billows of concealing smoke over the line of advancement. He smiled and shouted an order even as he keyed the radio again . He moved down rapidly to the lines of imperials, hunkered down behind a shattered wall. He shouted his encouragement and almost as one the legionaires lept over the wall and advanced at a light jog towards the hill.

Soon the sound of their crunching footseps was drowned out by the thunderous report of the high explosive rounds impacting ahead of them, sweeping a deadly path in front of the legionaires as they moved up the hill. For a few minutes as they advanced, it was all they heard. Julianus hoped inwardly as he carried his rifle at his side that when they reached the top of the hill there would be nothign left.

His hopes were dashes seconds later as the rapidfire clatter of servile machine guns opened up. He saw men to his right and left scream in agony clutching penetrations in their body armor, falling to the ground as their lifeblood poured from their wounds.

They reached the first wall and those who had not been cut down by the weapons of the revolting slaves ducked low and began exhanging rifle fire up the hill at the defenders. Julianus could barely make out enough of a shape to center his front sight post. He fired a quick burst and the shadow dissapeared into the darkness. He couldnt tell if he had hit or not. They couldnt stay here however, eventually the serviles would bring what remained of their indirect fire on top of them as well as their rifles and machine guns.

He swore as he rallied his men and lept over the top of the ruined wall and moved quickly towards the next point. He briefly glanced back and sadness shook him to the core. A good number of his men had not made it over the wall. Dead or dying in the attempt or before they tried. There were still enough however to make it to the deep depression , shot out by artillery and aerial bombardment. He dove into the shell hole and braced himself as more artillery rounds came in. This was the last stop before the final charge up the hillock. He aimed up the hill and squeezed off a few rounds at the now well established shapes and targets dropping as many as he could. His men were doing the same , showing admirable courage under the hail of incoming fire that was rending the life from their comrades.

Julianus gritted his teeth and let out a loud cry to his men "Vae Victus!!" As one, the remaining members of the cohort rose and fired a volley and charged up the remaining distance towards the defenders.

RNN Newswire
Dateline Vendilium

Less than twenty minutes ago, the last holdout secotr in the city of Vendilium fell to the legionaires of the LEG XI VIXTRIX. With the city finally completely within the hands of the Imperial government after five long months of occupation from the Servile Insurrectionists, the Remelian slave revolt is rapidly coming to a close.

After the fall of the last stronghold of the serviles and the capture of Taius Alvinius the inciter of the revolt, the Praetor and the Remelian senate have issued statements stating that the last pockets of slave resistance are quickly and mercilessly being eradicated.

Those rebel serviles captured outside of the city of Vendilium are quickly being recollared and sent back into servitudeafter a stay at the Imperial internment and re-education camps, while those serviles and servile supporters captured within the city limits of Vendilium are quickly becoming part of the Remelian landscape as the few hundred survivors are rapidly nailed to makeshift crosses and crucified in the center of what remains of the city.

The Praetor stated that forever more Vendilium would remain a symbol of Remelian dominance and a warning to all those who would stand against Imperial rule and the societal order.

We take you now live to the execution of Taius Alvinius and his inner cadre.

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Centurion Julianus turned away from the small portable television set and regarded the young woman chained to a post within his tent. Her flaming hair and green eyes almost enraptured him for a short moment before he was able to remember the devastation she and her kind had inflicted upon his men.

Of the six hundred legionaires his cohort started with, barely 1 in 4 remained alive or unwounded. He inwardly wondered how many of his men this slave had personally shot down before her capture. He sighed deeply and shook his head.

He should have given her to his men after having claimed her as a prize as was his right due to his new rank. But for some reason, the impudent and defiant look in her eyes gave him pause to reflect on the courage and tenacity , the fighting spirit of this slip of a girl. In another life she might have been standing side by side with him as he charged up the hill , wearing the black and red of the legions. She certainly had the fortitude and spirit for it.

No, he thought. For a slave girl who most likely had been a house slave, this girl....this..Lena he thought she said her name was before she spat at him, deserved at least a modicum of his respect. One warrior to another. He might have even given her manumission papers at some point down the road had imperial decree precluded such. She had taken part in servile insurrection towards the empire. Her fate was sealed and her life perhaps over had he not claimed her as his own. She would be forever his unless by some off chance he sold her or sent her to the imperial work farms.

No, she deserved better than that. She may not be pleased with her lot in life, and she may even hate it , the empire and him. But it was a life and at least that was something.

He strode over to her and he gazed into her eyes and lifted her chin to him. The defiance and utter hatred filled her eyes and he knew it would be a long road ahead.

"Listen to me girl, " He started , " until we get back to Vindalusia the only words you will speak to anyone but me are this ......'I belong to Centurion Julianus'. " The look she gave him at those words had they power would have struck him dead where he stood. He was thankful for the fact that such power did not exist.

Whatever it was, it was life. And it was far better than the alternative. Even from this far away he could hear Alvinius' screams as he was slowly flayed alive....live for the viewing pleasure of the whole of the Remelian empire.

It would be a long road from here he thought. A very long road.

Too sillytechy and too busy to interact, but taggishness for a shiny read. Now, If I could get myself to use one of my timeline- compatible puppets... >.<