{Joshua Graham}
It has been 8 months. 8 glorious months since Edward woke up a new man something about his brain tumour has seemingly swept the corruption that had settled on him away and with a new burning passion for our work. It is glorious, now all we need is to cure him and we shall have perfection.
The man Edward became would never have given me this bible. God chose to fix him and now I must protect gods work from those who would disrupt his great work. After all we can't let god do all the work.
"Ave, True to Kaiser!" "Ave."
Aurelius salutes then hands me a tablet.
"Reports from Lentros indicate that the shield program is on target." "Tell him I need a columbarium ready for small scale deployment in 3 months." "My Legate what could be so urgent." "A former legion scout made it to Lanius's borders and has informed us that a group calling themselves the Hand Warband have sworn loyalty to Kaiser and are preparing to overthrow Lonestar." "And you want to prove the shield legionaries effectiveness by sending them as support." "Exactly. If they prove themselves Kaiser will permit the expansion of the project." "I shall see to it myself Legate." "Good."
As I walk along the scaffold I stop and look out. I never imagined I would make my home here. It was some sort of storage yard pre war. When we found it the original inhabitants they had been stacking the containers to increase the liveable area. Although our siege collapsed many of the stacks we rebuilt it to our liking. From the top spire a lookout with binoculars can see for miles allowing this to be a key communication point. Each stack is connected and covered in scaffolding for movement and stability. Kaiser refuses to visit but it's stable for us. Smoke there shouldn't be smoke in the distance.
"Smoke!"
I look towards the lookout post and the man on duty is waving the warning flags and setting them on the north east point.
"MAN THE CHARIOTS."
Men are leaping between scaffolds and scurrying down supports. I'm not as reckless and climb down a ladder and run to the garage. Motorbikes and chariots are bursting into life. An arm is offered to me and I grab it being pull onto a chariot which bursts into life. We race across the plains avoiding the rails and soon are bearing down on the source of the fire. Fort Mare is burning, legionaries blackened by soot and burned stumble towards us.
"What has happened here." "A new slave from the west gained access to the fuel stores my Legate. We aren't sure how or with what she lit them but I saw here walk in seconds before they went up." "When up you say west?" "Across the river my Legate." "Did she have any specific markings?"
He pauses then and shouts for the slave master who jogs over.
"The girl who started the fire she was maybe late 20s, brown hair, pale with a large red mark over her chin." "Ah."
He pauses and looks to heaven.
"Slave Bradley, 29, brown hair, blue eyes, pale white, large birthmark on her chin and neck. Erm, ah bear tattoo one upper right of chest." "What sort of bear tattoo?" "Erm ah yes it has two heads."
I walk away from them. A NCR soldier. Probably saw her chance and took it we need to be careful. I approach the signal man who is communicating with flags to the lookout.
"I need a priority message sent to fort Heath and then to Fagstaff." "What is the message my Legate?" "It's time for them to know."
He grabs the priority message flags and holds them out until the lookout does the same then he holds one out to his left indicating east then crosses them over above his head indicating flagstaff. He then begins to communicate my message via a form of morse code. Holding the flag still is a dot and slowly waving it indicates a dash. I would have preferred actual flag signals but we couldn't find any books on those so morse code it is. Soon reinforcements from the north and east forts arrive to help.
I run over to the Prime Decanus from Fort Heath.
"A messenger has been sent my Legate." "Good."
It takes hours to clean up the ruins of the camp legionary teams spend hours just tearing the logs of the wall from the ground. Luckily the fort was evacuated quickly so there were only 6 deaths. The slave who started the fire and 5 legionaries that died containing the fire.
"My legate!"
I turn to see a praetorian in a biker helmet rushing over. He pulls me close.
"Kaiser has arrived at the Stacks, he thought it would be less disruptive this way he awaits you in his chariot." "It's Fort John."
His deadpan face tells me that I will never win this argument. He leads me to his bike and we climb on and are soon screaming back to Fort John. As we approach he takes the path round the side of the outer wall and pull up at a circle of chariots and Legionaries who look both scared and elated not every day you are chosen to guard Kaiser after all. He drives straight up to them and they part upon seeing me clinging onto him. As I climb of the bike Lucius grabs my arm and pulls me to Edward's Chariot. The doors open and he deposits me inside. The chariot isn't very large but he makes use of the space. Long the back is a large bench wide enough to lay on it's down up with cushions and blankets. On the opposite wall to the door is a table with tablets, papers and maps. The floor is covered in blankets. Edward is sat on the floor at his table sealing a letter with wax.
"What has happened Joshua."
I sit on the bench and drop my head into my hands. He looks at me then climbs into the bench next to me.
"A NCR trooper who was enslaved in a recent raid got into the fuel store and burned Fort Mare to the ground. It's time." "Yes, it is. Call them."
I climb up to the signal mess and tell him to summon everyone. Within 3 hours everyone from the surrounding forts has amassed, forming rows infront of a section of the wall. I climb out onto the podium set up on top of the wall. As I walk out the men begin saluting as one slamming their fists into their chests.
"Ave, Ave, Ave, Ave, Ave."
I stand infront of a horn and begin.
"On this day we have been struck by a tragedy we have been attacked by an enemy we didn't know existed. Across the river to the east is an enemy that has struck the first blow. One of their agents killed 5 of us in a coordinated effort to burn Fort Mare to the ground it was due to quick thinking and the strength of our legionnaires that."
I trail off not sure how to continue. Gasps rise from the amassed legionnaires and Edward clasps my shoulder.
"Need help?" "Yes."
He gently pushes me back then kicks the horn from the wall and stands.
"AVE, TRUE TO KAISER." "AVE AVE AVE AVE AVE AVE AVE AVE AVE AVE."
He holds out a hand and they fall silent.
"30 YEARS AGO I WAS A PROFLIGATE OF THE NCR BUT THEN I HEARED MARS CALL ME EAST AND I CAME I MET THE MALPASE LEGATE HERE AND TOGETHER WE KNEW OUR DESTINY. WE BUILT THIS LEGION TOGETHER AS BROTHERS AND NOW EVERY MAN HERE FIGHTS FOR THE LEGION AS BROTHERS. THE NCR IS NOT LIKE MY GLORIOUS LEGION IT IS CORRUPT. MEN CLAIM POWER THROUGH COIN AND FAMILY RELATIONS. THE BEST ARE SIDELINED BY THE RICH AND THEIR ARMY RELIES ON 'TECHNOLOGY' THEY WOULD RATHER GIVE THEM GUNS THAN TEACH THEM TO FIGHT. UNLIKE YOU WHO FOLLOW THE BEST OF THE BEST MEN WHO HAVE LEARNED TO FIGHT IN THE FOUNDRY OF WAR THEY ARE PED BY WHOEVER CAN PRETEND TO BE THE MOST COMPETENT WHILE THE TRUE LEADERS FALL BEHIND. AS MY DEAR MALPASE LEAGATE HAS SAID ONE OF THEM DESTROYED FORT MARE BUT IT WAS NOT SOME COORDINATED ATTACK. IT WAS AN ACT OF WEAKNESS. THE NCR WOMEN WAS NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO STAND THE LEGION LIFE AND INSTEAD OF FIGHTING, INSTEAD OF DIEING A WORTHY DEATH IN THE CRUCIBLE OF COMBAT SHE CHOSE TO BURN HERSELF IN OUR FUEL TO STRIKE A PITIFUL BLOW AGAINST US. AND I SAY GOOD! SHE WAS NOT WORTHY OF US, NOT WORTHY OR STRONG ENOUGH TO BEAR LEGION CHILDREN NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO BE ANYTHING IN OUR LEGION FOR SHE DIED ANY LEGIONARY OR LEGION WOMEN WOULD HAVE WALKED FROM THAT FIRE AND DIED STANDING. BUT NO SHE DIED ALONE AND PITIFUL IN HER WEAKNESS. YOU MIGHT ASK WHY DID 5 OF US DIE THEN. THEY DIED BECAUSE THEY WALKED INTO THE FIRE TO HOLD IT BACK WHILE THE OTHERS RETREATED. THEY SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES SO MORE OF US COULD LIVE. BY THE TIME THEY FELL THEY WERE DEAD BUT THEY DIED ON THEIR FEET LIKE WARRIORS OF MARS. I DONOT ASK YOU TO HATE THE NCR NO THAT WOULD BE A WASTE. THEY WILL HATE US BECAUSE WE WILL PROVE THAT WE ARE STRONGER. NEVER WASTE HATE ON SOMEONE WEAKER THAN YOU IT IS POINTLESS. PITY THE WEAK ENEMY, HATE THE STRONG ENEMY, FOR WE ARE THE LEGION AND EVERYONE SHALL HATE US AND WE SHALL PITY ALL!"
As the men burst into cheers of Ave, true to kaiser he staggers back panting.
"Now that is how to do propoganda Joshua."