Lightning Bolt of Rome

by CrackedInkWell

Chapter XXII: The Plan.

“So this legion,” Lightning Bolt spoke, “what exactly is it made up of?”

“Sire?” Senator Cato blinked. “I thought you already knew a legion was.”

“I was hit on the head, remember?” the pegasus deadpanned.

“And I would like to hear it, too.” Spear Head leaned away from the table that held the map of the Empire’s roads. “Besides, since the Senate says that we’re going into some dangerous territory, I think it might be wise to hear what each unit in the legion does so that they can be modified, if necessary, to adapt to this hostile environment.”

“Ah.” The scarecrow of a man leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table. “While I myself haven’t seen the battlefield since the days of my youth, I can tell you that the order in which a legion works has not changed very much. To begin with, one legion is a large company of six-thousand men, mostly made up of legionaries that are Roman citizens or auxiliaries that are not.

“To begin with, a legion is a large company composed of over five-thousand men, mostly made up of legionaries that are Roman citizens or auxiliaries that are not. One legion is divided into ten groups called ‘cohorts’. The first and largest cohort is made up of eight hundred men, while the other nine are each made up of four-hundred-and-eighty. Each of the smaller cohorts is divided into six ‘centuries’ of eighty men each, and the centuries divided into ten ‘contubernia’ of eight men each.”

“You mentioned the legionaries and the auxiliaries,” the unicorn inquired. “Tell me about them.”

“Usually, about half of a legion in the Roman army is made up of auxiliaries who come from all corners of the Empire. In exchange for twenty-five years of service, they and their families are made independent citizens. The legionaries make up the backbone of the legion and serve as foot soldiers, while the auxiliaries serve as specialists, such as archers, slingers, and horsemen. Oh, that reminds me… in addition to the legion, there is an ‘equites legionis’ unit made up of as many as one-hundred-and-twenty riders. Of course, none of this is including the officers who are keeping these men in line or the scores of medical doctors.”

“How efficient are these soldiers?” the Solar Captain asked.

The Senator chuckled. “Oh, very. For instance, newcomers in the army are given tasks such as breaking stones, stoking the furnaces, and cleaning the latrines until they earn a higher ranking position such as a surveyor, trumpeter, Mason, clerk, or Huntsman. The army marches for twenty miles a day with each man carrying their own chainmail, armor, and shield. Each soldier also has their own forked staff which helps them carry the rest of their equipment, such as pilums, short swords, cooking ware, sleeping rolls, clothes, tools to dig trenches and cut wood, and whatever personal belongings they manage to fit in their satchels.

“We pay these men, of course, since they supply their own equipment, food, and possibly their funeral. Part of their pay goes towards taxes while the rest goes to one’s own interests. Also, the higher the position, the higher their pay.

“When it comes to food, we teach them to eat off the land if possible and to hunt other creatures to feed the group. However, we tend to carry good enough food to that no one starves or revolts. They also carry something we call ‘posca’ where we mix water with vinegar or spoiled wine to create a safe drink for our soldiers in foreign lands.

“I’ll also have you know that we are the only army in the world whose soldiers are also experienced in engineering when the opportunity calls for it.”

The Drill Sergeant put his forelegs on the table, his forehooves holding his chin in thought. “You know”, he thought aloud, “I can already see two changes that we need to make to our legion.”

“Oh? What is that, Lord Mars?”

“I think it would be wise for this search party to be made up of those that are either experienced in battle or are volunteered veterans. Since we’re going to go into a place where three legions were slaughtered, I think it would be wise to have everypony able to read off of the land. Everypony should be able to tell where is safe and where isn’t, and we’ll need as many creative minds as possible for our search.

Senator Felix put a hand underneath his chin and nodded. “I believe that can be arranged. What is the other change?”

“If all goes well -- and for our sakes, it has to go well -- we need to give this legion, especially the auxiliaries, a very good reason to not only go on this expedition but to return as well. I think it’s safe to assume that these men serve Rome for a certain amount of time because of family ties, correct?” The old man nodded. “How about we give these experienced auxiliaries a deal? If everything goes according to plan, these men, no matter how long they’ve served for, will be granted immediate citizenship upon returning to Rome as long as their family resides in the Empire.”

“That’s not such a bad idea,” Lightning Bolt nodded. “It would reduce the chances of being betrayed while we’re in the middle of nowhere. After all, it could be risky if some of the auxiliaries were originally from one of these tribes. But if we can get specialists who already have families in the Empire, it would give them a good reason to accomplish this mission.”

“I see the wisdom Your Highnesses are presenting,” Cato said, “especially considering what happened with that disastrous battle of Teutoburg Forest. We had a Germanic commander who, after years of serving in the army and climbing military ranks, betrayed those three legions by using our own cavalry against us. Since the cavalry and auxiliary cohorts are used as scouts while we march, he had taken them away from the rest of the legion, joined up with the barbarians, and returned to slaughter everyone.”

“On that note,” the Captain of the Guard said, “we need to add a rule that no one in the legion is allowed to leave anyone else’s sight unless they have special permission from the highest ranking officers.

“I agree,” Spear leaned back. “In a place such as Germania, we’ll all need to stick together and move as one. Once we get to the Empire’s border, I will help guide the legion. In this form, I can sense the cloud’s magic and point us in the right direction. Once we reach the cloud and we manage to return home, we’ll leave everything up to you guys to make your way back to the Empire.”

“So how long will it take for you to organize all of this?” the pegasus asked.

The Senator-turned-General thought for a moment. “I assume within a day or two. I’ll be sure to get some help in choosing the finest men in the Empire to serve you both in this quest. We will also take your suggestions as law when we pick out your legion, and we will have both of you inspect them personally before we depart for Germania.

Both stallions smiled. “Good,” the unicorn said. “Personally, I’m rather looking forward to it.”