[@NecroKnight]

[color=ed1c24][b]Legio I Arizona Camp[/b][/color]

A watchful vigil had been established outside Lucius's tent, as the Legion waited with baited breath to hear news of their Caesar's condition. Crimson cloaked Praetorians guarded the tent's entrance carefully, allowing no-one but Caesar's wife and the Legate in. Whispers among the top officers and Centurions of in the camp had begun to circulate about succession and the possibility that their leader could be departing this world at any time. Plans would need to be made and orders carried out swiftly and decisively to prevent any trouble. The Legion could ill-afford a dispute over leadership at this time. 

With no heir to Caesar immediately present, most had begun to look to Legate Aurelius as the second most senior member of Caesar's inner circle. He was the natural choice. Others, however, advocated for Vulpes Inculta, but as he was still far away and deep in NCR territory, he was not in a position to defend a claim or speak for himself. Little thought was given to Caesar's potential widow. It was, however, agreed that she would not be remarried, out of respect to Caesar. Normally a Legion woman of her high standing would be made a Priestess of Mars and live out the rest of her days as an honored member of that virtuous sisterhood. Her status as a New Canaanite, however, was problematic to that end. She would need to return to her people in Zion, it was finally decided, and remain there instead. 

Hannah, for her part, chose to remain silent about one important detail that no-one but she, her husband, and the examining doctor had known. She was pregnant. While this fact might make a substantial portion of the Legion rally around Caesar's true-born heir, others would see it as a problem to be removed entirely. Her husband had not yet formally named his unborn son as his heir, and so some would undoubtedly dispute the claim, especially if she, a New Canaanite and his mother, were to be so influential on him. In fact, even if the Legion were to submit whole-heatedly to her unborn child now, by the time he'd grown to adulthood, it was quite likely he would be taken away from her so as to be groomed for command by individuals with their own agenda. She couldn't allow that to happen, nor would she or her child be some kind of puppet in the game of succession that was to follow. She would return to Zion and birth the child in secret, and raise him there. Her own people would her keep the secret. 

"I hear Caesar breathes his last..."

"The cowardly President shot him many times. It is only by the mercy of Father Mars that he did not die sooner."

"Then is the Legate now Caesar?"

"Not yet. But it seems only a matter of time."

Sitting outside the tent, Hannah heard the nervous whispers of the Legionaries. She hated them for speaking of her husband so callously, but she also understood their fears. These men were veterans who'd seen the Legion nearly fall before. The question of who would lead them next, and to what sort of leader that person would be, was understandably an important one. Legionaries lived and died by the will of their Caesar. 

"I'll hear no more talk of it!" The voice of Aurelius cut the air as the imposing Legate strode out of his own tent and towards Caesar's. A small retinue of Legion officers followed him. It wasn't hard to determine what exactly they'd been discussing. 

Hannah lifted her head as the Legate strode past and towards the Praetorians guarding the entrance to the grand tent. He whispered something to one of them and then turned his attention to Hannah,

"I've followed Caesar from Flagstaff to Denver. I've bled with him. He is my brother by virtue of honor if not blood. Whatever the outcome, you will be safe."

She merely nodded in reply. The Legate's words, while meant to be comforting, undercut a hard truth. The Legion was still The Legion. And there were undoubtedly some that would seek her as some sort of trophy. The widow of Caesar, however sacrilegious it might be, was a tempting prize to be won. Indeed, she caught more than one in the cadre of officers following The Legate eyeing her with something that could only be described as hunger. 

Hannah closed her eyes and sent up another silent prayer and hoped against hope that it might be answered. There was still much Lucius had to do, both as a father and husband, and as a leader. She didn't approve of bargaining with The Lord, but here and now she promised a great many things if her husband might yet be delivered. One thing in particular she promised above all else, and swore the most sacred oath that it would be done if her prayer might only be answered. 

A sudden commotion from the tent caught her attention. Several of the Praetorians had begun backing away, and she saw both the Legate and his retinue staring now too. She soon saw what had drawn their attention so raptly. The weakened, pale, but alive form of Lucius standing outside the tent. Both the Praetorians the surrounding Legionaries immediately kneeled in reverence. 

"Caesar," Aurelius whispered, and he too fell to his knees, "Thanks be to Mars, you are alive!"

Hannah tore through the humbled throng of legionaries and ran at her husband, throwing her arms around him. She said nothing, but simply wept joyfully,

"Yes...thanks be to Mars," Lucius said. His hand crept over the wooden cross that Hannah had placed around his neck, and he gave his wife a knowing, and perhaps confused, look. Hannah responded by quickly tucking it underneath his shirt and ensuring that his soldiers would not see.   

"Send couriers to all my commanders," Lucius began as he turned to the Legate. His voice was soft and tired, but it has lost none of its authority, "Tell them Caesar lives. Let there be no doubt."

"Caesar!" Aurelius responded, as he drew his gladius. This was quickly followed by others doing the same. A cry of "Caesar! Caesar!" Quickly rang throughout the camp.  

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[color=ed1c24]Caesar's Tent - Sometime Later[/color]

"There can be no doubt Caesar. The NCR has dissolved the former government of President Kimball and forged a new order in its place," Legate Aurelius reported swiftly, as Lucius sat brooding in his fur-lined 'throne' that was topped with spears and draped with crimson banners behind an oaken desk, "Now should be the time we strike. While their government is in disarray. If we attack now, we might scatter the cowards to the winds."

"Who leads the NCR now?" Lucius asked. 

"General Lee Shu of the NCR is who announced the new administration. Its likely he has taken Kimball's place as the de-facto leader at least for the time being." 

"General Shu? I've heard of him," Lucius nodded, "Odd that a General is leading this transition in a system that they claim is a democracy"

"We believe the NCR is under some form of martial law for the moment. Whether they've officially announced it or not."

Lucius remained silent for several moments, considering his next moves carefully. After a time, he raised his head and turned to Hannah, who was seated off to the side,

"My Legate urges me to war," He began, "What counsel would you give?"

Surprised at the question, Hannah lifted her head and stood up, walking over to where Lucius was seated. The Legate seemed confused by Caesar's request, but otherwise said nothing. He could tell very well that Caesar had not intended the question as a joke.

"Offer peace," She replied, "Do what they would never expect you to do. Kimball is dead, and he claimed his assault on The Legion was an act of self-defense. Those who believed Kimball will expect you to march on the NCR and torch and burn everything in your path."

"I did consider it," Lucius remarked slyly. 

"..prove them wrong and Kimball the fool. You've crushed his army and sent the rest of his soldiers scurrying across the Texan border. If you attack, you will become the enemy: the hated adversary in the President's place. You prove that Kimball was right about you. Allies of the NCR will use that as justification to continue the war. But if you make peace...you show the opposite. Kimball was the aggressor, not you. Kimball wished war: not you. Perhaps you can leverage that to your advantage."

The Legate was aghast, but Lucius merely nodded.

"I would have to agree with my wife Aurelius. I think she makes a fair point."

"Make peace with the NCR? After they attacked? We should kill them, take their women and children as slaves and burn every city in sight. The eyes of Mars would look shamefully down on us otherwise..."

"Perhaps that it what Edward would have done, but I have something else in mind. The Legion cannot survive as it is. There must be changes, and they will start here and now. We need to illustrate that intent quite clearly, and I can think of no better way to do so. I will draft the letter myself, and I want our best Frumentarii to ensure that it gets into the hands of General Shu himself. He's a soldier, not a politician playing at being one like Kimball was. Perhaps we might find common ground there..."

-------

Letter Contents:

[i]To General Lee Shu of the NCR,

General, no doubt you are reading this message with suspicion. You have no reason to trust me anymore than I have reason to trust you. Instead, I appeal to you as a fellow soldier and commander. Cease this senseless war. It was Kimball who brought us down this insane path. He claimed that I was the great enemy to be destroyed in the west, and his ill-advised crusade cost his life along with those of many of his soldiers. 

My Legion is not the Legion of Edward Sallow. I will prove that to you here and now with an offer that Edward would have never considered. 
Peace. I propose the following terms for a general armistice:

-All hostilities between The NCR and Legion, and all affiliated mercenaries and allied nations, will halt immediately. 

-Legion forces under the command of Vulpes Inculta, will withdraw from their raids on NCR home territories without further incident and return to Arizona. 

-NCR prisoners captured by Legion forces at the Battle of Phoenix will be allowed to return home in separate waves. With the first wave being released four days hence from the time of agreement to these terms. The last wave will be release no later than a month from now. Until such time as they are permitted to leave, they will be kept in as comfortable conditions as can be managed with ample food and water stocks. A single NCR officer of sufficient rank will be allowed to inspect the conditions of the soldiers during this time. The officer will also be allowed to return with correspondence the prisoners may wish to send back home. 

-Any captured soldier or officer of the NCR that accepts a formal offer of enrollment in Caesar's Legion will not be hindered in doing so and will be released immediately from captivity. Those that refuse will be allowed to continue their captivity until such time as they are released as outlined above.

-As an act of good faith, and representative of its new government, The NCR will issue a formal condemnation of former President Kimball's actions to both its people, and the assembled delegates of the Vegas convention. 

-A more permanent and lasting treaty will be signed at a later date. Negotiations for the stipulations of this treaty will take place at a second formal gathering of nations.

I await your reply. 

Signed,

Lucius, Caesar of The Legion
  


 



  

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