章 55: Facing a giant

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"So there's the contract... Lord Legate. You can call one of your slaves to verify that everything is in order," said the Sheriff of Pecos Colony, visibly uncomfortable having to make deals with me.

I looked at her from behind the helmet of my power armor.

"What makes you think I can't read?" I asked, my voice metallic and distorted by the helmet, as I grabbed the contract with my armored gauntlets and began reviewing it myself.

The Sheriff, somewhat embarrassed, responded with a slight nod. "Most of the Legion can't read... only a small group, usually those we've sold our brahmin to."

As I read through it, I reflected on what she said. It was true that not everyone in the Legion knew how to read. Administration and logistics, fundamental yet often overlooked tasks, were usually entrusted to just one man: the decanus. He was responsible for keeping accounts, managing supplies, and ensuring resources reached where they were needed. Now I understood better why decanus were so valuable and held such power, to the point they could even silence a lesser centurion if they reported directly to the primus pilus.

"Everything seems to be in order," I finally said, my voice echoing through the power armor's helmet. "Twenty thousand heads of brahmin," I repeated, sliding the contract back toward her. "Now, how much do you charge to take care of them? I'll make use of them if I encounter logistical issues with the supplies coming from the north."

The Sheriff looked at me, still uneasy but realizing she had no choice but to comply with the agreement. "The cost will depend on how long they need to stay here. We can maintain them for a time," she replied, trying to maintain her composure.

"For the duration of the campaign in Mexico," I responded, my tone implacable. "The Legion cannot afford supply interruptions, especially not now as we expand beyond this territory."

She nodded, but as I was about to leave, she spoke again. "Can we really trust the Legion's word?"

I stopped and stared at her for a few seconds, letting the tension settle in the air.

"You're speaking to someone who is also tributary of the Legion, Sheriff," I began, my voice cold and calculated through the power armor's helmet. "Not long ago, Legate Lanius gave me the opportunity to be a tributary, and I forced my way into the Legion. The Legion doesn't care what you do as long as you're essential to its campaigns. With the sale of brahmin, the Legion will have many reasons to keep its word. You'll remain valuable as long as those brahmin remain useful."

I paused, and with a slow gesture, I pointed to the bull insignia on my armor, the imposing symbol of Caesar's power.

"However, you'll face challenges selling in the future," I continued, my tone without sympathy. "Purebred cattle are now being sold in the north... those carrying the Legion's standard. Goods that are desired by the wealthiest within our structure. That means you'll soon have to find new clients, as competing with the quality that tribe offers won't be easy."

Her gaze faltered slightly, knowing what I said was true. Pecos Colony had long depended on its brahmin for trade, but the emergence of superior products with the Legion's seal threatened to shift the balance of commercial power.

"Fulfill your part of the deal, and the Legion will honor its word," I concluded, with the certainty of someone well-versed in Caesar's rules of power. "But don't forget, the world changes, and the Legion always has the final say."

Finally, I left the small town building, noting how modest it was, considering the wealth of these ranchers from selling brahmin. Meat, a scarce and valuable commodity, had become the foundation of their fortune. In the Wasteland, acquiring quality food was nearly impossible, except through the dangerous hunt of wild animals, a task only the bravest and most skilled legionaries dared to take on. However, it never hurt to have more food available if something went wrong.

My supply lines in Pecos Colony were stable, and the geographic advantage was clear. Directly to the north was my settlement, and with the river running along the territory, we could use large barges to transport vehicles, power armor, and weapons without setbacks. It was an efficient route that gave us crucial strategic control over the region.

The real challenge lay to the south, where the Republic of Rio Grande watched every one of our moves with growing interest. They had tried to take advantage of our conquests, seeking to annex everything the Legion could seize. Fortunately, I acted swiftly with precise attacks. With Sheila, I was fortunate. If I hadn't captured her and forced her to negotiate, the Republic would likely have already intervened, giving its president the justification needed to mobilize his army against us.

The Republic, though relatively calm until now, had begun to prepare. Reports from the frumentarii indicated that more people were enlisting in their army. The number of patrols on the borders and crossings of the multiple rivers had increased, showing that tension was rising. They knew the Legion's expansion was inevitable, and their response was to strengthen themselves.

This placed me in an extremely complex situation. With only three thousand five hundred legionaries at my disposal, I was at a numerical disadvantage. The Republic of Rio Grande could mobilize up to ten times more soldiers than I could, and facing them on their territory, with them in a defensive position, went against everything the manuals of war recommended. Typically, you needed two to three times more soldiers than the enemy to successfully attack under such conditions, but I was far from that.

That's why we needed to play on the Republic's greatest weakness: its internal stability. One of the most important states in the Republic of Rio Grande, a small part of Texas, was caught in a secession process due to growing tensions between its state leader and the Republic's president. These tensions didn't just arise from political differences but also from a significant linguistic barrier: in that part of Texas, English predominated, while most of the Republic spoke Spanish, though the influence of English remained due to the U.S. invasion of Mexico decades earlier.

The stability of the Republic of the Rio Grande was faltering, and that instability represented an opportunity the Legion couldn't afford to pass up. A small part of Texas, which had long been a key weapons supplier, found itself in a political conflict with the central government. The main reason was that the money from arms sales was being used to support senators who blocked any attempts at legislation to regulate the sale of weapons in the Republic. But the situation worsened when the president made a drastic and controversial decision: he made all political donations illegal unless they came from the donor's electoral district. This blow wiped out the power of the mighty Texan Arms Association, weakening its influence over national politics.

For this small part of Texas, the most significant blow was the explicit ban on selling weapons to Caesar's Legion. They knew that the Legion, with its expansionist campaigns, posed an imminent threat to the Republic, but they were also aware that cutting off the weapons supply would cost them valuable income. Ironically, it was thanks to this very state that I had obtained the rifle I was gifted at the start of my campaigns. A Texan rifle, known for its precision and value, had been part of my gear ever since.

This is where we came in. I knew there was a clear numerical disparity between the Republic and the Texan Arms Association. The Republic had a much larger and more organized army, but if I could get Todd, the leader of the association, to organize a defense that would draw the Republic's army into battle on favorable ground, my legionaries—much better equipped and trained—could inflict devastating damage. A well-planned defensive battle would be perfect: not only would it put the Texans in an advantageous position, but it would allow the Legion to take advantage of the chaos to destabilize the Republic from within.

The frumentarii were already in motion, working in the shadows to secure a meeting with Todd. I knew he must be under tremendous pressure, caught between the desire for independence in his small Texan state and the threat of the Republic's army. It was the perfect time to intervene and offer a solution that, in his desperation, he would be hard-pressed to refuse.

If I could convince Todd that the Legion could tip the scales in his favor, we would have a golden opportunity. Ideally, he would organize a defense that would divert the attention of the Republic's army, while my forces intervened strategically.

As the days passed, I received constant reports on the state of the conquered territories and the progress of our operations. Everything seemed to be going according to plan: slaves were being efficiently sent north, captured rebels were executed without mercy, and the wild beasts that roamed our lands were being meticulously hunted down by the legionaries. Peace and order were being restored, but more importantly, the Legion's absolute control was being strengthened with every action.

Progress on the construction of new fortifications was also going well. These defenses would be crucial, not only for consolidating our control but also as a base for future expansions. Once completed, I could request Caesar to move the garrisons we still had in the rear to the front lines, freeing my men from the tedious work of guarding all the territory. That would allow us to concentrate our forces on the upcoming confrontations without leaving the already conquered territories exposed.

Additionally, managing the acquisition of supplies remained a key priority. Ensuring a constant flow of weapons, ammunition, and food was essential to keep morale high and the Legion's operations running smoothly.

The campaign was taking shape, but there was still much to be done. As tensions continued to escalate with the Republic of the Rio Grande and Texas, and the frumentarii continued working to secure the meeting with Todd, we needed to assess whether it was feasible to exploit the current situation to weaken the Republic economically and militarily. The frumentarii were already providing information about the internal tensions plaguing the Republic, particularly its relationship with the state of Texas—a focal point of instability that could become our greatest ally if handled properly. However, even with this data, there were unknowns that could decisively influence our strategy.

The main dilemma was whether the Republic could be quickly brought down by exploiting its internal cracks and fomenting chaos from within, or whether I would need to focus on a series of prolonged attacks along the border, waging a slow war of attrition that could last months, perhaps even years. To achieve the latter, I would have to continue gathering the legionaries that Caesar sent me weekly. However, that flow of reinforcements wasn't guaranteed, and the situation to the east, at Hoover Dam, could change everything.

If Legate Malpais achieved a decisive victory at the dam, Caesar could divert all reinforcements to the east, concentrating the Legion's resources on the more urgent campaign. Both Lanius and I could be summoned to pursue new conquests, leaving the campaign against the Republic of the Rio Grande behind. In such a case, Caesar would send us to capture slaves and defeat weaker, more disorganized enemies—those who would be easier to subdue without the need to deploy a large army.

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