Reorganization

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With the fall of The Pass, the Legion secured a large number of supplies, including equipment to outfit the growing ranks of Lanius' cohorts, as our numbers had swelled to nearly eight thousand legionaries.

The natives surrendered all their weapons and ammunition, which were distributed among the more veteran legionaries for the upcoming battles. However, ammunition remained scarce, and much of it was produced in a rudimentary manner, reusing cartridges with regular gunpowder that created a lot of smoke when fired.

Smokeless powder was quite expensive, as it was practically only obtained by looting ammunition factories. At this point, finding one of those would be a miracle. The most reliable way to get ammunition without that smoky defect is to buy it from merchants who deal with groups venturing into the unknown in search of precisely those items.

Another thing the Legion sorely lacks is advanced medicine. Chemical-based drugs are prohibited, and my comrade who got hit in the leg had a rough time. If I hadn't treated him, the slave who was healing him would have left the bullet inside before stitching him up. I had to improvise forceps to extract the bullet and then suture the wound, also using some medicinal plants to prevent infection. If he holds on, he'll probably be able to fight again in the future.

Where I got lucky was with the fate of the conquered tribals. Alcohol consumption is forbidden in the Legion, and for the natives, making alcoholic beverages from yuca plants was an ancient tradition. But now, under Legion rule, the large factory they had built to produce all kinds of distilled beer was rendered useless, as the Legion dismantled it. Well, I managed to buy the stills they had, as well as other machines used in the industry.

Having these tools at hand will always be helpful when I come up with something. However, what cost me much more to obtain, where I almost didn't get what I wanted, were parts of a chemical laboratory that the tribals used to make drugs.

The reason they didn't want to give or sell them to me was because they thought they could be used for the production and consumption of substances forbidden by Caesar's orders. But there were many elements I needed to synthesize what was necessary so we wouldn't depend on merchants for ammunition that wouldn't cover me in smoke when fired.

It was difficult, but I managed to convince those in charge of destroying the equipment that if they sold it to me, in the future, I could produce ammunition for the Legion. After many questions to their superiors, I got the approval I wanted. Now, all that was left was to obtain glycerin and nitric acid, and we could start producing smokeless powder. We could reuse spent cartridges for new ammunition, though we'll still need to create some kind of mold for cartridges and bullet tips.

Now that Lanius' cohorts have many more weapons, the use of scarce ammunition will increase, and it's a market I could fill, although the Legion usually pays more in goods than in its own currency. So, I might end up with hundreds of slaves instead of coins.

"Legionary, stop daydreaming," said a centurion.

"Ave, true to Caesar. Centurion, how may I serve you?" I said to my superior.

"I wanted to see you, Gaius. Your performance on the battlefield hasn't gone unnoticed, especially when the frumentarii questioned your comrades and they told us about your cowardice in combat. Refusing to obey your superior's orders is punishable by crucifixion," said the centurion, staring at me intently.

"For not following a stupid order? It would have gotten everyone killed. Instead, I took down dozens of profligates while they were distracted," I responded to the centurion.

"Who do you think you are to talk back to me, legionary? Those were your orders, and you should have followed them... Come with me now," said the centurion.

I followed the centurion to his tent, which was empty, and he pointed to a chair.

"Well done destroying the tribals' defenses," said the centurion, changing his tone.

"And this change in attitude?" I was puzzled.

"You did well. You made the right decision and achieved a great victory. You saved a wave of legionaries from having to weaken the defenses. You left much of the tribals' defenses disabled because you could shoot them from behind. But I still had to reprimand you publicly. I can't let legionaries do whatever they want to show off their martial prowess without knowing what they need to do. I understand you come from a more advanced tribe than what we usually deal with, so I get that you have that knowledge. But remember that most only think about charging, so it's vital to listen to your superiors," said the centurion.

"The decision the decanus made was too hasty. He just wanted to get under the palisade as soon as possible without considering that we had all the tribals' attention, centurion," I responded to the officer.

"Yes, Decanus Crassus was always known for seeing a problem and seeking to destroy it as quickly as possible, which has served him well in the campaign but not so much against the tribals' fortifications. Well, I need a new decanus, and you stand out the most among them all. You already have more kills to your name than what we normally require for promotion. You have the tactical knowledge and initiative. So go get your new helmet, and you'll take charge of your comrades... Any questions?" said the centurion.

"I need reinforcements for my group. I have one wounded and one dead. Also, will I have to handle logistics?" I asked immediately.

"I'll get you legionaries when we return to Castra Sol Rubrum. No, that's my first decanus's job, so you won't have to take your hands off that rifle Legate Lanius gave you. If you keep this up, I'll have you by my side one day at the legate's table, discussing the expansion of Lord Caesar's Legion," said the centurion.

"Thank you, Centuri-uh..." I tried to recall the centurion's name, but I realized I had never heard it.

"Centurion Nicodemus. Don't forget it, Decanus Gaius, or you'll be facing the lash next time. Understood? Dismissed," said Centurion Nicodemus.

I went to collect the distinctive helmet of a decanus and returned to my tent. The bastards I called comrades were already scheming how to divide my belongings, thinking I was going to be crucified.

I took advantage of the situation by having them train in squad techniques. During the week that Lanius' cohorts stayed in the area, many legionaries were mobilized to extract wood from the nearby forests, which were much denser than the characteristic barren trees of the wastelands.

As the new leader of my comrades, I had considerable control over their regimen, and I drilled them rigorously to ensure that what happened in the village we assaulted, where they charged in recklessly, would never happen again.

Later that week, we returned to the eastern cohorts' base of operations. In just over a month, we had conquered two tribes and taken several thousand captives who were now roaming the city, which was beginning to grow along with Legate Lanius' victories.

During our time at the base, I took my time setting up the best possible chemical lab using one of the shelter's rooms. Although I would have preferred something with much more technology and safety measures, I couldn't complain as long as the powder production began.

As I had predicted, when the Legion found out I had the ability to produce smokeless powder, the cohort's supply officers traded much of what they had looted to alleviate the severe ammunition shortage that plagued the eastern campaign.

In exchange for raw materials, animals, and slaves, I continued supplying the Legion with powder, which started building a small center where hundreds of slaves were put to work assembling all the parts—the bullet casings, powder, and projectile—into a massive chain of slave labor that operated with relative stability.

The Legion also had requests for explosives, but these were not as large as those for powder, so they were made only upon the officers' orders and never mass-produced. Unlike the powder, which the Legion bought up entirely as soon as production was completed.

I now had nearly a thousand Legion slaves working for me, filling the shelter. According to the report given to me by the supervising robot, they had behaved relatively well, apart from some personal issues, likely because they now enjoyed some freedom without the collar around their necks.

Even when several hundred of these slaves worked outside the shelter tending to the livestock, none had escaped, and now I could understand why.

Where else could they find guaranteed food and water, plenty of security due to the presence of legionaries, and even considerable leisure time using the holotapes available in the shelter? They were in paradise compared to wherever they had been captured.

But all future slaves I acquire won't be as lucky. The Legion will start questioning why I'm freeing so many slaves, so those who can't live in the shelter will keep their collars until I find a way to expand the underground facilities.

At the beginning of November, the Legion began to mobilize again. We received more legionaries from the west, and many of the assimilated tribesmen were trained within our ranks. The small Lanius cohort of four thousand men had grown to ten thousand in just a few months.

This time, the direction of our attack would be north, specifically the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. Now that we had some firsthand information, this wouldn't be a problem; the priests wouldn't pose a challenge to Lanius' forces.

I received my reinforcements. The wounded legionary was recovering but wouldn't be available soon, so I was given two novice legionaries who had yet to shed blood.

I had to pay out of my own pocket to ensure all my men had rifles. I'd rather lose a few coins than have to constantly retrain legionaries who can only fight with their machetes.

Bullets were still scarce, but now everyone with a weapon at least had four bullets to use, and the veterans were given more ammunition.

This time, I understood why our previous decanus liked being the first to arrive at battle. It allowed me to train my men in real combat under controlled conditions, ensuring minimal casualties on our side and maximum casualties on the enemy's.

Fighting an army of pilgrims and fanatics dressed in black robes couldn't have been easier. They were practically wearing targets on their bodies, making them easy to spot, even for the most inexperienced among us as they moved through the desert.

During the five days it took for the main force to arrive, we hunted these religious zealots until we had a group with considerable experience in shooting and who were slowly adapting to urban combat tactics, which we would apply when attacking small settlements.

What I still needed was a light machine gun, and we'd have a good capability to face whatever the enemy might throw at us.

The town of Mora wasn't difficult to capture. The town fell on the same day the army arrived. Lanius had all the priests crucified and the entire population taken captive.

The conquest of this tribe was easy, with hardly any legionary deaths.

However, I noticed we were being watched from the north.

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Leave a comment; support is always appreciated.

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I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see.

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