[center][img]https://i.redd.it/jsm1l1anwht01.png[/img]
[h3]Legio Mexicanus[/h3][/center]

Aurelius was a man who had seen thousands die and by his own hands had slain somewhere around a hundred. But these new warriors of Vulpes weren’t of his sort. He wasn’t about to pretend that he was a particularly honourable warrior, nor a moral one, but the methodical terror campaigns of the Frumentarii were something else. In their reports they described how they created and then sharpened splinters in latrines that the Mexican forces dug. However they left open boxes of ammunition such that dirt would get into bullets which the Corporals in charge of would be far too fearful to report to their superiors when discovering their “error”. They carefully opened and then reduced the hourglasses used by the cooks to measure time such that meats were just enough undercooked to insure dysentery. Spectacles of officers were removed and replaced with that of others, while rotten grains were dropped into the water supply. They went so far as to tamper with the tinderboxes and matches of the army to insure fires couldn’t be started in a timely manner and to cut holes in socks and other garments they carried. When transcribed, there were dozens of pages listing every single action they had taken to weaken the foe, and looking at their encampment it seemed that over time the efforts of the Agents had truly paid dividends. 

Officer and Conscript alike looked awful. They were sweaty and pale with bags under their eyes, their otherwise perfectly drilled manuals of arms were failing them with only every other rifle having its bayonet, sling or optics properly mounted. Sidearm holsters were dangling open, shoes were loose, helmets and body armour not strapped in. They would certainly be easy pickings from this moment on even with a traditional frontal charge in hopes of hand to hand combat that the Legion of yore espoused. But no, today a different strategy would be used. A false camp was set up for the foe’s scouts to find that had just enough men left behind to give the impression it was populated, a camp largely consisting of unarmed men impressed from the previous battles with the Mexicans. 

The rest of the men had a great feast to celebrate their victory along with entertainments and a good sleep, and having been well rested went on a long march to strike the foe from their far flank in the night together with the Frumentarii. 

Night dawned, and the first screams came long before the sounds of gunfire. As soon as it began the Mexican camp was illuminated with hundreds of flares that made the foe very bright, while blinding them to the surrounding dark. Of course, the Legionnaires the encircle the camp were illuminated by the muzzle flashes of their rifles but this was nothing compared to the persistent shine of the flares. It was a massacre even after the first few volleys of the Legionnaire breechloaders, but it became a far bloodier one when bayonets were mounted and they charged from all sides. 

The victory was short, and something about it didn’t feel normal. But it was a victory nevertheless. Aurelius estimated that they’d be able to reach and siege the two cities before the next force came to strike him down. He knew the next one would be a much tougher one of course, given the first thought they were mere tribals and this one was only a partial escalation. 

But that would be later. For now the Phoenician enjoyed the plunder and celebrated with his men. Rather fine artillery pieces were towed over by horses that Aurelius would keep for himself, while the rifles would be sent North for the Emperor to see and redistribute accordingly. 

Oh, he could just smell the prized cities!

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[center][h3]The Emperor's Tent[/h3][/center]

Vulpes drummed his fingers. The reach of the Legion was growing in all directions except the West, where the Bear was fortifying its positions. There was a slight silver lining in this for it meant that the NCR 
still saw the Legion as a credible threat to pour in millions of dollars of taxpayer money in defending against, rather than believing they could simply march to Phoenix and Two Sun unimpeded. But then again, was this a silver lining? Regardless of what it was, the Frumentarii would exploit it. 

“I propose several points of action my Lord. Trying to hinder or destroy the project of NCR fortifications is futile, we Agents cannot compete with their factories, they produce more than we destroy and we’ll thus only create jobs and better counter-espionage measures among them if anything. Instead I suggest that first we attack the long-term capabilities of this new defence. Tamper with stores of ammunition that might not see action for years but that will be ever so devastating when we finally strike. Dilute their cement mixes and make cracks in the foundations of their pillboxes such that they might crumble from a strike to their core. Map out the minefields, dull the rolls of barbed wire, so on and so forth. Next I propose to create discourse against this project only when it is far too late to cancel it. We must create a narrative amongst their citizenry that it is a waste of money because the Legion is no longer a threat, a withered foe. Alternatively that it is a weakened foe that it is best to crush now, and that thus the money should have been invested into upgrading the troops and sending an expeditionary force to the East. These opposing views must be made amplified and be at the core of press reporting, but must importantly both must state that the project was a waste of funds. At least for now we must use our influence to make their papers center around stomping out the Eighties that yet stand left they amass in number with vengeance in mind. With that said my beloved Emperor, I am not a commander of the Legion but rather of the Frumentarii. However I must recall the example of a Maginot line in Fra-”

“Yes, excellent Lord Dolos. You’ve spoken to me of that before but it is not yet time. I would like to hear from the Lord of Colorado now.”

The man was almost shaking with excitement, and he almost squealed as the Emperor called upon him.

“Emperor Vulpes, the bounties I have found, they have exceeded all expectations.”

“Many supplies untouched by prospectors?”

“No, Lord. Well, yes, but they're but a footnote. The dogs of the city? They were products of machinery functioning from before the war. It churns out cyberdogs who inevitably mate and have puppies of their own. Their visciousness? A product of the fact the cyberdogs being made are programmed to be aggressive guard dogs, and that this trait is only amplified amongst their feral puppies. However my Lord, if we scoop up these cyberdogs when they are young their aggression may be tamed, and they may be socialized to be our own cybernetic warriors. Think of it my Lord, before our dogs were at most used in small shock actions against unprepared foes or as cannon fodder, occasionally also being able to crush some tribes that ordinary Legionnaires might struggle against. But these? Bullets will often bounce off of their steel hides and even when they pierce they will often get stuck before hitting anything vital; even if they do, they are still far mightier in flesh than the mongrels we often have to make do with. But that is not all my Lord.”

Vulpes was skeptical, but he beckoned the man to continue. 

“The terminals to control this process are still online. Though none of the men at the site are sufficiently advanced in technical works to truly work with the devices, it was clear that the manufacturing of the dogs is still controllable. We may control for size, behaviour, we can even control for appearance and coats of fur; blond dogs for the deserts, black for the forests. Indeed, we can even have commands that they answer to pre-programmed. A few of the current specimens were even delivered for you to review!”

Though still apprehensive, the expression of the Caesar changed rather quickly to reflect that he was indeed impressed. Nodding to the man, a few cages were brought that contained two howling beasts. They frother at the mouth, and a secondary set of steel bars had to be built in for they had gnawed at the previous ones with such violence they had bent that they could almost escape. To the shock of the Praetorians who dove at the man the Lord of Colorado drew a silenced pistol and fired a shot at the animal. He did it just in time before they tackled him to the ground for the bullet to ricochet off of its breast and then off of a Praetorian’s shoulder. 

Vulpes stood and walked over to pick up the flattened piece of copper and examined it. “.45. Subsonic and thus low velocity of course, but nevertheless impressive. I shall give you half of all technicians we have that aren’t needed for other urgent matters, the paper-pushers shall organize this of course.”

Vulpes waved for the Praetorians to let him go, before sitting up his throne again. The Governor stood up and brushed himself off, before inhaling to gain some confidence. 

“I’d like all of them, my Lord. I understand something else may come up but please. From the looks of it this may not be the only such manufactorum.”

The Emperor took off his sunglasses, wiping them before putting them on an armrest. He motioned for Dolos and a few other advisers to walk over with a table, and after a whisper they rolled out some maps across it. 

Eventually, Caesar threw his arms up in the air. “A simple answer, if you please.” he stated, no longer in a whisper. “What is actually possible.”

Dolos stepped back, shaking his head. “My Lord, I was stationed up in Salt Lake city when the bombs dropped. Its possible from what I remember. They definitely had a lot of projects going on there if memory serves right. But you’re not going to get some sort of hail mary for a free industrial revolution.”

“That’s not the point!” Screamed the Lord of Colorado, whimpering at the gazes he received for this loss of composure. Nevertheless he rallied magnificently. “Yes, this industry will not equip armies, it will not create cities, perhaps only one out of a thousand of our citizens will feel its effects. But it will create elite warriors, it will create luxuries, it will generate value that none of our artisans and sporadic attempts at factories will be able to for perhaps a century.”

After a great deal of whispering, Vulpes once more donned his sunglasses and smiled. “You can have half of what is left after the first half of technicians is taken. We will also send other civilian specialists to make proper living quarters in the locales and better investigate this phenomena of yet operational prewar machines.”

Raising his hand to stifle a celebratory dance from the Governor, the Emperor turned to the trio of Picus, Canyon Runner, and Karl. “Tell me about progress regarding our potential allies. I have high hopes.”