[hider=foreword]

"The task is simple." Aurelius declared to his Centurions. "Luventius," the man said, 

nodding to his close friend and Second. "You shall lead the Dura Phoenicea while I maintain 

control of the Celeris Acuta."

"Aye, sir." Luventius replied in his quiet voice, which some had to strain to hear.

"I'll be short. I'll be simple. We're going to patrol the newly consolidated states and 

quell any uprisings that they feel like trying. It may seem trivial to some of you, but 

we're keeping our brethren's backs safe. An uprising is the last thing Rome needs right now. 

Dismissed."

The Centurions all rose and left-- all save Mucius and Luventius. Aurelius looked between 

the two, and sighed. The weight of what he was doing was great, and he didn't envy Ennius at 

all. This was a tasking position, and he would relinquish it with happiness 

once..if...Ennius improved.

"You seem troubled." Luventius said in his whispery voice.

"Rome is troubled." Aurelius replied evenly. Mucius squirmed a bit, the young lad embarassed 

it would seem. Luventius smiled as he turned his head to stare at Luventius predatorially...

"You're dancing like a young man holding in his piss, Centurion."

"A-Ah, sorry sir!" Mucius said, straightening up. "I just wished to thank you for trusting 

me with this position after Hirtius..." He trailed off, saluting Aurelius.

"Hirtius spoke highly of you, boy. Said you had a cool head for battle, and were liked by 

the men. It was a clear choice."

"But Hirtius..." Mucius trailed off again, losing his nerve as he thought of the man he 

respected so much.

"Hirtius did what all men like him were thinking of doing. Ennius failed his men, he failed 

his country." Aurelius said coldly, the anger building back up in him.

"Aye sir, I understand." Mucius said, before making his leave... Luventius chuckled as 

Mucius left, before speaking up;

"Ennius is alive still, old friend. Don't worry, we both know he won't die without redeeming 

himself."

"Tell that to the doctor." came the bittersweet sigh.

[/hider]

[hider=A day of patrols]
The group of 8 walked down the streets in a bit of mirth.

"This isn't that bad of a post." one said with a laugh.

"Not too bad, but c'mon...take it seriously, we're doing an important job here." Said 

another.

"Yeah...This could go bad at any moment."

"Nonsense, we'll be fine. Just enjoy the peace while it lasts."

...This was the attitude of many patrols going through the city, mixed between the 

seriousness of the situation and a lighter, optimistic, outlook. Overall, it was an average 

day. Patrol the city, keep the peace. Make sure you report anything you see or hear that 

sounds of rebellion. But the city was smart, the city was crafty-- whispers sneak through 

the cracks all the time.

It was today. The Legions weren't trusted within the city, they were considered Rome's 

opression reaching out to quiet their nationality. To suffocate their identity. To subjucate 

their peoples.

It was today that the city struck back.

"The fu-" a man's cry was cut short as a passing civilian suddenly brought forth a knife, 

plunging it into the armored man's chest and wrestling him to the ground. The other seven 

drew weapons and moved to rescue their comrade from the man, when suddenly every man and 

woman in the area began to do similar acts-- and soon the entirety of the area was a mass of 

writhing violence as the groups of 8 that were patrolling were slowly overun by the rioting 

masses.
[/hider]

[hider= Emergecny actions in Tarentum]

The raging masses pressed against the wall of shields. Their screams and cries as they 

attacked and attacked recklessly against the wall of soldiers holding them back..

"Aurelius! If we don't fight back we'll be overwhelmed!"

Aurelius mind raced-- he was a soldier, not a murderer. Killing civilians like this was 

against his morals. He looked from the front line, which was being pressed back by sheer 

force of bodies, then to either side-- the rest of his legion was scattered and broken up, 

and he only had a few cohorts in his immediate vicinity.

"We need to consolidate..." The Dura Phoenecea was elsewhere, and Aurelius prayed that they 

had not befallen a fate such as this.

Aurelius' eyes hardened. His orders were to quell rebellion, and...well...here was a 

rebellion. He pushed the vile feelings in his gut away and lifted his hand...

"Centuries forward; push!" he declared, striking down with his hand. His voice was heard 

over the din of screaming only by those nearby, who passed the order down to the men. The 

Centuries gave space, backing up step by step, as they consolidated and condensed, 

tightening their formations and making them stronger. Then, as one, the wall shoved forward 

and pushed back against the mob, the wave of energy suddenly coming into a conflict upon the 

Legionnaire's shields. All momentum halted.

"Sagitarii, warning volley." He called to the single century of archers he'd managed to 

gather into his defenses. One hundred arrows soared out over the mob, and only a sparse few 

took the warning for what it was and turned back. There were still hundreds of raging 

peasants and commoners before him...

"Sagitarii, fire!"

And now those one hundred arrows found themselves biting into the flesh and bone of these 

rioters. Volley. Push with the shields. Screams of pain and terror now mingled with the 

shouts of fury and anger. Vollley. Push. The legion was gaining ground. Voley. Push. The 

armed mob broke, fleeing from the arrows and advancing Hastati. Aurelius called a halt, not 

wanting his men to pursue the broken citizenry.

"Quell the mobs, find our brothers. Don't break from your centuries." He commanded, a sharp 

cry going out from the men beneath him. They began to clash weapon on shield as the 

centuries spread through the city, scattering any stragglers away and stretching out to help 

the dissected Legion come back together...
[/hider]

[hider=The Aftermath]
The Celeris Acuta retreated from the city-- not from losses or being pushed back, but from 

Aurelius command to do so. The city was on the coast, and an important port at that. He 

wanted to minimalize casualties, but also recapture the city. So pulling out for now to 

avoid any unecessary deaths was his plan.

The legion itself had suffered minimal losses, and a majority of them were those out 

patrolling when the revolt started itself.

"We're going to have to take that city back." He said grimly as his troops organized and 

consolidated, back up to nearly full strength.
[/hider]

[hider=retaliation]
The Celeris Acuta spent the next few days scouring the countryside for farm animals and 

sieging the city. Cattle and pigs. Roughly a week after the legion's retreat, Aurelius ordered an assault of the city to take it back. He had to be quick, before any other threat of rebellion spread from Tarentum. The legion pushed into the city and engaged the armed mobs once again, then right as the battle begun-- Aurelius ordered the release of the animals, and scared them into a frenzy.

Rather than putting sword to the populace, he let the animals run rampant and shatter their morale, pigs and cattle crashing through their lines and his legions moving in the aftermath to restrain and capture the survivors. It wasn't something he was proud of, and the damages would be bad-- but the rebellion was quelled.
[/hider]

[hider=Letter to the Consul]

Greetings, brother of Rome!

There is little threat of rebellion! Tarentum rose up, but she has been pulled back under the name of Rome with little casualties on either side, although the city itself has suffered damages in the process. I will set the legions to rebuilding and further policing, until further notice.

-Titus Aurelius Aegidius
[/hider]