Legion Britannia, "Steam and Steel"

Chapter 3: The horror of war

After the epic triumph at Cambrai, Tiberius gazed upon his worn-out men, their faces etched with exhaustion. They had braved treacherous bogs, navigated through shell craters, and crawled amidst the mud and decaying remnants of fallen comrades and foes alike. The stench of death lingered around them, as if the Grim Reaper himself lurked nearby.

As they approached the outskirts town, Lieu-Saint-Amand, a new challenge emerged before them. Their mission was to purge any opposition within the town, clearing the path for the advancing Legion. It fell upon their shoulders to eliminate all resistance from the narrow streets and residences, allowing the Imperium's Engineers to swiftly fortify the settlement. This town would soon become a formidable stronghold, the first to rise since the Legions broke free from the suffocating trenches.

Tiberius surveyed the area, searching for any hint of the enemy, but there were nothing-no signs of life, neither man nor beast. A spine-chilling stillness hung in the air, enveloping them in an eerie silence. Turning, Tiberius beckoned Mark Augustus, also known as Tesserarius, a man of unwavering resolve who had pledged his loyalty to the Legion after the catastrophic insurrection of 2023. It was during that uprising when the ruthless Gothic Army Special Forces, disguising themselves as refugees, unleashed a savage attack on the Imperium port of Lyme Regis. The tragedy claimed the lives of 69 dock workers, including Mark's parents and sister, in a horrifying massacre.

In the timeless tradition, the young Mark, bereft of kin by the ravages of war, found solace beneath the protective wings of the Legions. They nurtured his spirit, shaping him into an indomitable warrior, forged by adversity and devoted to the Imperium's cause. Within the hallowed walls of the Imperium War College, he discovered sanctuary, where the resplendent halls kindled his unquenchable thirst for knowledge and stoked the fires of vengeance for his fallen family.

At a mere thirteen, Mark joined the illustrious 5th Legion, and by his fourteenth year, he had already vanquished seven Gothic adversaries. His mastery of the Gladius, his prowess in the art of close combat, became the stuff of legends, propelling him swiftly through the Legion's ranks. His exceptional talents caught the discerning eye of Tiberius, who handpicked him for the esteemed 1st Reconnaissance Centuriae, recognizing Mark's profound grasp of the art of warfare.

Tiberius commanded Augustus and his comrades to advance, their destiny hanging upon his resolute words. Undeterred, they pressed forward, their duty calling them without hesitation or query. Cloaked in the eerie shroud of night, Augustus led the valiant warriors of the 5th and 8th Contubernium, their forms obscured by foreboding shadows. These battle-hardened legionnaires constituted the vanguard of the centuria, their purpose clear-to anoint their weapons with the enemy's blood and display unrivalled valour in their sacred mission. As Mark Augustus surveyed the old town, a chilling sense of foreboding settled over him, like a cold hand clutching his heart. The narrow, winding streets, cloaked in ancient stone, whispered haunting tales of forgotten battles, their echoes seeping into the souls of those who dared tread upon them. Every window, like malevolent eyes, stared back at the Roman troops with an unsettling intensity, filled with a nameless dread that foretold the impending doom that awaited them.

Tiberius knew the maze of tight streets and tall buildings provided the perfect setting for the enemy's ambush. Moving his armoured vehicles down these narrow roads would expose them to strikes from the Gothic Infantry's infamous anti-tank units. Panzerschrecks could be launched from any concealed corner, while the mechanical drones deployed by the Goths would decimate his armoured units, leaving his legionnaires defenceless. There was only one option - to unleash his shock troops, led by the lethal warrior, Mark Augustus. Mark was renowned for his close-quarter combat skills and merciless execution of duty. Now, he commanded the shock troops tasked with clearing the ghost town.