Capítulo 14: Crushing the false goddess
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Lanius spent two days performing slave sacrifices before finally emerging from his tent to give orders on how we should proceed against this tribe, which had elements of pre-war technology and excessive tribal traits.
During this time, I became Lanius's advisor on dealing with the large number of robots this tribe possessed.
"Whatever Diana is, she has… machines that fly above the atmosphere and send orders to the robots. So there's nothing we can do to prevent her commands from being transmitted. We should probably target the relay towers, but we must avoid wave attacks. We outnumber them—we should split into several groups and hit multiple important points simultaneously. Each attack group should have anti-tank rifles, taking advantage of the pressure on their command," I said to all of Lanius's officers as we studied the map the Frumentarii had drawn.
"That will make it difficult to coordinate our forces in case they encounter the tribal army," Lanius added.
"I have a few spare radios that I can distribute. They're short-range. With the permission of Centurion Nicodemus, I've coordinated with other Decanii to do exactly as you suggest, Legate Lanius. The tactic here is to exploit their inferior numbers, so tactical flexibility must be given to all Centurions and Decanii. That way, we can distribute the radios I have and coordinate multiple forces to overwhelm the tribals' responses," I added, pulling out the radio from my backpack.
"That goes against the tactics Caesar has established for dealing with tribals," one Centurion commented.
"We're doing what the Romans did best… adapting. With every enemy we face, Caesar's tactics can serve, but you as commanders must assess the battlefield. You shouldn't blindly follow a book of tactics—you must read the battlefield and find the way to cause the most damage with the fewest losses. If we use manipular formations, we'll face all the robotic forces head-on, and thousands will die. This way, we preserve what's most valuable—veteran soldiers—so we can continue our conquest to the north," I replied to the Centurion. I was surprised by the somewhat astonished faces of the Centurions when I touched on the topic of Rome.
"Decanus… many here don't have as much knowledge of the great Rome that Lord Caesar seeks to rebuild as you do, as you've demonstrated an extensive understanding of them," Lanius said, crossing his arms as he looked at all his Centurions.
"Well, what I mean is that what Lord Caesar has established are just tactics that every commander should know. But, obviously, as the heir of Rome, he will allow you to modify the tactics to adapt and overcome your enemies in battle. Instead of losing thousands of legionaries, we can keep them alive and preserve that experience for future battles against more dangerous enemies," I concluded, hoping they understood the general idea.
Despite the resistance among the Centurions, I had gained something inside Diana's temple that made things much easier—the trust of Lanius. His influence made everything simple since no one wanted to anger the Champion of the Son of Mars.
One order was all it took for us to start using independent group tactics. The only downside was that my radios were requisitioned for this operation, ensuring each Centurion leading a group could stay in contact. If my radio broke, I'd be in trouble.
The next day, we divided into several groups and began moving quickly, using the large number of motorized carriages we had brought as we forcefully entered the tribal territory, destroying all resistance along the way.
When we encountered the first group of enemy forces, it became immediately evident that there were communication problems between the robots and the women accompanying them, causing much chaos in their response.
While the Protectrons fired their lasers at us immediately, the women retreated, taking time to reorganize after the shock of seeing someone die.
This made it easy to concentrate fire on the robots. With two anti-tank rifles and one anti-material rifle in my contubernium, it was easy to take down the robots by shooting their key circuits located in the upper section.
Fighting these Amazons turned out to be a simple task for my contubernium. Arrows weren't the best weapon choice against power armor, and the few rifles they had were eliminated as priority targets by my men, who were increasingly operating like a well-oiled machine.
As we advanced on the tribal forces' positions, there was no resistance left in the small village. The Amazon warrior group had tried to employ a very common Legion tactic—an assault with all their numbers at once against us.
But it didn't work, as having a good light machine gun in the hands of a competent soldier in power armor turned the battlefield into a crimson field when Drusus pulled the trigger and began spraying from left to right, killing many and leaving many more wounded.
"Good job, guys. Search the buildings and gather the survivors. We'll leave them locked up for the rear groups to handle the rest," I said as I approached the field of dead, wounded, and scattered robot parts.
These robots will be a great addition. We just need to repair them and wipe their memory, and they'll be as good as new. If I replace the Protectrons' laser weapons with drills, they could become an autonomous mining group.
We began gathering the loot and prisoners, which forced me to step out of my power armor to stabilize them so they wouldn't die from blood loss, as they still had value to the Legion.
"Centurion Elagabalus here. We've encountered a large force of profligates... we're vastly outnumbered... requesting immediate reinforcements," my radio crackled with the voice of the Centurion.
"This is Decanus Gaius. Centurion Elagabalus, give me your position," I replied, taking the radio.
"Halfway to the second cohort's rendezvous point," the Centurion responded.
"On my way."
"On my way."
"On my way."
Several other Centurions echoed their responses.
"On the way. ETA, fifteen minutes," I said into the radio.
I re-equipped my power armor and we returned to our vehicles, leaving the group of surviving tribals bound for the forces following behind us.
We boarded and sped off to assist the Centurion's forces, traversing the plains without issues. After several minutes, we could see Centurion Elagabalus and the others already locked in battle against the tribal forces. They had wisely taken advantage of the terrain, targeting key enemy units.
We pressed forward, driving slightly further to flank the enemy forces. Reaching a position ideal for striking their exposed side, we jump and swiftly moved into position, weapons ready.
When we reached firing range, we unleashed a deadly volley against the robots and their Amazon companions. But almost immediately, every single robot turned and began firing back with their lasers. The power armor held up, but the sheer volume of fire was overwhelming, forcing us to take cover. I wasn't sure how much longer the Vault-Tec armor would withstand that much laser fire.
As we took cover, the legionaries stepped up their assault on the tribals, forcing them into retreat. The unfavorable terrain and our flanking maneuver put them at a severe disadvantage, and more reinforcements were on the way.
The firefight dragged on for nearly an hour, until the Amazons finally broke and fled, leaving the slow-moving robots to fend for themselves. We disabled the machines one by one using our anti-armor weapons.
The robots kept advancing, but it was methodical now. With more Centurions joining our group, we steadily dismantled the remaining robotic forces.
"Vespasian, get the rocket launcher. There's a heavy concentration of robots behind that house," I ordered, pointing to a structure shielding several units from our fire.
"On it," Vespasian replied. He hoisted the launcher off his back, took aim, and fired where I directed.
A massive explosion erupted, sending debris and metal fragments in every direction. Thick smoke billowed from the impact zone, halting our firing until it cleared.
"Great shot, Vespasian. This is Decanus Gaius—keep up the pressure and advance. Let's finish this!" I praised my legionary, then grabbed the radio to communicate with the other Centurions.
No response came, but the legionaries began advancing in a crescent formation toward the robots... and they sent dozens of men charging in with machetes.
"No... not that... damn it! Advance! We need to minimize casualties!" I yelled at my contubernium, who emerged from the wreckage we'd been using for cover.
We moved to draw the robots' attention away from the charging legionaries, but the machines had already deemed them the primary threat. With just machetes in hand, the legionaries' only armor was their valor.
The robots shredded their ranks, but that sacrifice allowed us to finish off the remaining machines. At a steep cost.
I couldn't expect miracles from these Centurions. At least they'd had the sense to call for help, rather than trying to annihilate the enemy alone. I wanted to save as many lives as possible, but there was only so much I could do when the commanders resisted. All I could do was urge them to never repeat their mistake.
Still, the battle was over. We had dealt a crushing blow to the tribal forces, leaving dozens of dead and wounded Amazons in our wake. Hundreds of robots lay destroyed, ready for us to salvage and repair.
The legionaries spread out, collecting loot and capturing any wounded women still breathing. Those with machetes were quick to claim the few rifles the Amazons had carried. I made my way over to the group of officers gathering in the area.
"Who ordered that suicidal charge against the robots?" I asked, scanning the group of Centurions and Decanii discussing the next steps.
"That would be me," said a scarred Centurion.
"Don't ever use that tactic again—not against an enemy with high-rate-of-fire weapons. We wasted valuable men who are critical for Lord Caesar's campaign," I told him.
"But it worked. We distracted the robots, and we defeated them quickly. The strong survive," the Centurion replied.
"Time works in our favor. Those robots need to recharge. The longer the fight, the more likely their energy will run out. We need to keep as many legionaries alive as possible for the campaign. Don't waste them in mass charges unless it's the only viable option. Or you'll face Lanius' wrath," I said, watching their typical reaction to the Butcher of Caesar's name.
Satisfied by their silence, we began gathering the robot remnants to send back to camp. Then, we continued our march toward one of the larger settlements of this tribe.
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Capítulo 15: The battle for the temple
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As our advance into tribal territory continued to be a success, we were still dealing with many injured soldiers. I couldn't understand why our men were suffering so many wounds when facing an enemy that, in general terms, was inferior to us in both the quality and quantity of their weaponry.
The robots they controlled were slow and easy to flank, and their only strength, the amazons, didn't seem to know what they were doing. The tribe was a peaceful people, protected by their robots, and saw no need to understand warfare, focusing instead on agriculture and maintaining the temple of their goddess.
From a macro perspective of the war, it didn't make sense that such an inferior enemy could cause so much damage to a far superior unit, as every passing hour saw dozens of robots destroyed by our spearhead units that rapidly pierced deeper into the territory of the Twin Mothers.
However, while accompanying a centurion on a raid to a moderately fortified point, we swiftly disabled the robots by targeting their vulnerable spots and destroying their motor circuits. The forward patrols had plenty of anti-armor weapons, and once the robots were neutralized, the centurion sent his legionaries in their motorized chariots to cut off the amazons' retreat.
At first, everything seemed to be going well. We successfully cut off the disorganized and poorly coordinated retreat of the warrior women, using our motorized units to block their escape. What should have been a simple matter of shooting until they surrendered took an unexpected turn.
What I witnessed was entirely different from what I would have ordered. Instead of keeping their distance and taking them down, the legionaries began engaging the amazons in close combat, trying to capture as many as possible alive. It was clear they intended to make trophies of them, to use them as playthings later. Yet the amazons, though surrounded and trapped, were not willing to surrender easily. They fought back fiercely, repelling the attacks of the legionaries who charged at them with a mixture of arrogance and reckless abandon.
I turned to their commanding officer, who didn't seem to have the slightest intention of intervening. I was getting fed up with centurions only following my advice when Lanius was nearby.
I grabbed the centurion by his armor, using all the strength my servos allowed, lifting him off the ground.
"Centurion, I believe I recommended that close combat was to be used as a last resort. Explain immediately what's happening here before I have you crucified for disobeying the legate Lanius's direct orders," I said, letting my anger resonate through the loudspeakers.
The centurion looked at me with surprise and fear, his eyes desperately searching for a way to calm my fury. His body, rigid and trembling, made it clear he hadn't expected such a severe reaction. I could feel the pressure of my servos as I held him aloft, and the threat of crucifixion wasn't just rhetorical. I was seriously considering it—perhaps a centurion or two would have to be nailed until they started obeying orders.
"Decanus Gaius, I... I... my men have quotas to meet... you know this... Lord Caesar has decreed that all veteran legionaries must father at least three children with the camp slaves," the centurion stammered, clearly terrified of what might happen.
The centurion's confession echoed in my ears—it was the first time I had heard of this.
"That is no excuse to justify your insubordination, centurion. Do you think our mission here is to build a harem instead of conquering this damned territory? Caesar's orders are to subdue the profligates, and our commander's orders are to reduce our casualties. Next time, I won't be as merciful," I said, throwing the centurion to the ground.
Every centurion is a seasoned veteran who, without the power armor, could easily smash my skull with one blow. Then again, I could probably crush his skull too, so that would make us even. The power armor just gave me a huge advantage over him.
The centurion hit the ground with a dull thud, visibly embarrassed and terrified. His breathing was heavy, but he said nothing more. He knew he had crossed a line, and his life now hung by a thread as thin as my patience. As he recovered, my thoughts drifted back to the battle, which raged on between the legionaries and the amazons.
Physically, the legionaries were far superior to the amazons, but there was a difference: the women were trying to kill them, while the legionaries wanted them alive, to use them as breeding stock once this was all over. Though I wanted to give new orders, the battle was too far along, and any further commands would achieve nothing more than to let me observe the situation as it played out.
The amazons, though desperate, took advantage of the legionaries' desire to capture them alive, managing to wound several of the men with knives and makeshift weapons. The fighting became more fierce and chaotic. The screams of the wounded and the clash of metal filled the air as dust rose with every sharp movement. The legionaries, confident in their superiority, hadn't expected such fierce resistance from a group that had been fleeing not long ago.
Still, no matter how fiercely the amazons fought, they were surrounded and overwhelmed. Though they managed to injure several of the centurion's men, one by one, they were subdued, captured, or killed. The aftermath of the battle was a field of bodies, legionaries panting from their wounds, and a number of defeated amazons bound and led back to our vehicles, destined to become trophies when they arrived at the camp.
I returned to the camp after a long day of battles against both robots and amazons, which were becoming increasingly easier as we destroyed their robotic defenses.
All the captives of the day were handed over to the slave master, and the commanders began distributing trained slaves among the best legionaries of the day. I reported to the legate's forces about what had happened today, and he ordered us to continue in our current direction. By tomorrow, we should reach the Temple of Diana, where we had our meeting with the goddess, and if the people living in those villages haven't evacuated, there will be a large number of captives.
The next day, while it was still very early, I gathered my contubernium to head toward our objective: the Temple of Diana. I knew perfectly well that, due to the false goddess having satellites, a surprise attack was highly unlikely to succeed, as she could see us coming from kilometers away. But we could at least gauge how many forces the amazons were willing to dedicate to defending their sacred sites.
As we approached the settlement, we dismounted from our chariots and walked a few kilometers until we spotted the buildings in the distance.
"Decanus, you've got to see this… look at everything over there. There must be hundreds of robots and even more amazons ready to defend that temple," said Cato, who was the first to use his visor's enhancements.
"Well, it seems they plan to defend this area with everything they have. According to our intelligence, their capital is hundreds of kilometers to the north. We'll need to bring more explosives if we want to flush them out of there," I said as I observed the large force gathering.
Much of Lanius's legion began concentrating south of the Temple of Diana, preparing to launch an attack aimed at causing as much damage as possible to the amazons, since the robots were easy targets without their auxiliaries.
"What do you think, Legate? Would it be wise to surround them completely and take advantage of the high ground to attack? Alternatively, we could use all the explosives we've brought—grenade launchers and rocket cohorts—to cause as much panic as possible among the amazons, who have already shown to have very low morale," I said, handing Lanius a pair of binoculars as he observed the field from a small hill.
"What do you recommend, Decanus? You know best how to deal with the robots," Lanius asked, his tone seemingly kind.
"Do we have time?" I asked the legate.
"How much time do you need?" Lanius replied.
"One or two weeks. We can send a messenger back to my castra, and I'll request the creation of some specialized siege weapons for situations like this. They have no trenches, and they're sheltering in the locals' homes. With a dozen mortars, we could destroy their cover and have a clear shooting zone. Within a few hours of successful bombardment, we'd take the area with minimal casualties," I told the legate.
"Decanus Gaius, if you can make those weapons... why haven't you already? It's too much time. I'll send the messenger; I want those weapons for future battles, but we need to demonstrate that we're not reliant on our weapons and that our personal strength is what got us here. We'll use all the men who survived thanks to your recommendations because we can't delay the campaign against the Sundogs any longer," Lanius responded, his tone returning to normal.
"Very well, then. A multi-directional assault would be the most prudent approach. They won't be able to concentrate their fire, and their lack of fortifications will allow us to overwhelm them quickly," I said to the legate.
"Get to your position; the attack will begin soon," Lanius commanded.
A large number of legionaries began dispersing across the wide plains, taking positions on the hills of the area as they slowly advanced and surrounded the fortified positions of the tribals. There was no opposition to our tactics, nor any attempt to retreat, which spoke poorly of the tribal defense commander or simply showed his lack of military skill to grasp what was happening.
We got into position, but unlike usual, Lanius placed veteran legionaries on the front lines, equipped with a significant amount of explosives—either captured or manufactured by me.
When the attack began, dozens of rockets were fired to tear apart the tribal defenses, followed by immediate use of grenade launchers to clear the debris and any survivors.
The robots started to emerge to defend the amazons, but due to being clustered together amidst the rubble and the limited mobility of the Protectrons, they became easy targets for the legionaries' anti-tank rifles.
It took only a few minutes, but the legionaries had used their entire arsenal to destroy the amazon defenses, switching back to traditional equipment while simultaneously employing anti-tank weapons.
Lanius then ordered the second wave of legionaries, the more novice ones, to charge at the weakened defenses. We all obeyed. Most of the robots' fire concentrated on us, but the power armor seemed to be dissipating the laser fire from the robots effectively. On several occasions, they managed to hit me, but it only left black scorch marks on our power armor.
Waves of legionaries, armed with bolt-action rifles and machetes, threw themselves at the amazon defenses. The women struggled to fend off the sheer number of enemies coming from all directions with fanatical determination to tear them apart.
The veteran legionaries took advantage of their younger counterparts' distraction to continue attacking through the breaches created by the human tide of metal and pure determination—the legionaries without ranged weapons.
Minutes passed, and finally, the legionaries had managed to enter the few buildings still standing in the area after using large amounts of explosives. They fought hand-to-hand with the robots and amazons, who continued to retreat, but there was nowhere left to go. They were surrounded on all sides, having allowed us to corner them.
The dust was thick from all the chaos, but that didn't stop my contubernium and me from wreaking havoc among the defenders as we exploited the growing weaknesses in their defenses.
Slowly, the defenders gathered in pockets that were easily obliterated by machine-gun fire. But seeing that victory was near, many legionaries began rushing forward, eager to claim their trophies, as the remaining temple defenders offered no further resistance.
After an hour of intense combat, the sound of the conflict finally ceased. When the dust cleared, we could see a battlefield littered with the bodies of amazons, robots, and legionaries.
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