------------------------
Athens
Kalends of Martius
-------------------------
The men slipped a few at a time into the city of Athens during the course of the day. They were Latin speakers, with limited fluency in Greek. But the large influx of Westerners was not particularly noticeable to the locals. After all, Athens had prospered for decades as the cosmopolitan center of the Aegean League and as a major mercantile city. The group had been originally instructed to enter at night. But their field leadership had determined against such a move on the grounds that it would rouse too much suspicion. They maintained relatively low profiles—which was an awkward task—and at least one squad was questioned by Athenian vigiles for “loitering”. But eventually dusk came and passed, and the men collected for action.

====The Attack====
They gathered in small groups around the city, and then rendezvoused at prearranged locations and formed larger groups. The process was difficult. One company of roughly forty men was challenged by a group of two polis vigiles. Their answers—in halting Greek—immediately aroused the suspicions of the watchmen. But unfortunately for the Greek guards, the Latin-speaking men realized the inadequacy of their own responses, and struck quickly. The corpses of the vigiles were left in a nearby gutter.

The men slowly but surely converged on the Publian Palace, official residence of the Roman Proconsul or Propraetor in Athens. After moving into the adjacent streets, they began to draw out gladii from the folds of their robes. A guard at the Proconsular residence soon noticed the growing and threatening crowd. He whispered to a companion, and then challenged the strangers—“Halt! Who goes there?”

“Just friends,” responded a voice in Greek. But by now it was obvious that the ‘friends’ had hostile intentions. Urgent shouts echoed through the Publian Palace as the mysterious men began to attack.

As the guards at the front gate were taken out, the invaders moved through and opened the main gates. Hundreds of men rushed into the palace compound, swords drawn. The initial wave was met by fierce resistance as Proconsul Adrius Varro’s guards rushed into the fray.

Cries and curses shattered what the Athenian silence as blades struck steel and flesh. The initial assault was halted if only for a couple of minutes until the next wave of intruders made their way into the compound. Men poured from the barracks into the Grecian night, some ran into the battle, others were seen rushing into the palace itself. Whoever these men were, they were intent on the death of the Proconsul.

**Meanwhile**
“The Publian Palace is under attack, sir! At least six hundred men without uniform or visible armor but with swords are assaulting the complex, and they shout in Latin.” The frantic vigile gasped as he explained the situation to the Tagmatarkhis on duty at the headquarters of the Athenian polis defense force.

The mid-ranking officer stood from his desk, “What?” The dispatches about the suspicious Latin activity in the city began to make more sense.

The vigile attempted to reply and was cut off by the Tagmatarkhis, “Quickly, dispatch Alexandros’s men from the barracks. And send messengers to send the rally call. I want as many men here within the hour as possible.”

The vigile turned and ran in the direction of the barracks. Within minutes three hundred well armed and armored Greek para-military soldiers were rushing out of the compound toward the Publian Palace. Whoever these Romans were, they would soon meet Grecian steel.

**Back at the Palace**
Adrius Varro could hear the commotion coming from the courtyard. He removed his coverings and stood. As he made his way to the door to his bedchambers, a squad of his guards rushed into the room.

“Sir, the palace is under attack!” The guards skidded to a halt as they say the Proconsul moving their direction.

One of the guards tossed a leather vest at the Proconsul. The movement startled him and he nearly dropped the armor as it hit his chest. Shaking the sleep from his head he donned the protective garment. “How far has the enemy come?” Despite his age, his military training came back quickly.

“They have entered the compound and have been met by our first defenses. I am not sure if they have reached the palace itself yet.” The guards stood at attention, but there was a slight twitch of urgency in their feet as though they wanted to be moving.

“Very well, get me a gladius, we shall meet them at the doors. Send a man out to notify the local law enforcement, I want this rabble quelled.” It was obvious that the Proconsul knew nothing about the sheer numbers and apparent fighting skill of his attackers. Adrius began to march down the corridor toward the main enterance.

The guard replied, trying to keep up, “I don’t know if it can be done sir! It might be safest to stay here. Initial estimates show that the forces number well over one hundred and we do not know how many more are outside!”

Seeing the man’s point the Proconsul stopped. He was nearly run over by the guards that were directly on his heels. “Very well, we shall withdraw to a more defensible location.”

**Ten minutes later**
They stood shoulder to shoulder, the Proconsul shielded in the back of the room. Adrius felt trapped, there was only one way in, and nearly fifty guards now stood between him and that door. But, he mused to himself, there was no other way for the attackers to get into the room. It was here he would make his stand.

Suddenly four men ran through the door. They hesitated slightly, caught off guard by the sheer number of men in the room. After a split-second pause they struck the nearest of the Proconsuls guards. Three of the men were cut down with multiple blows. The other took a slash across the chest, his light armor saving his life. At seeing his comrades perish he turned and ran from the room seeking reinforcements.

**Outside**
The armored Greek polis forces poured through the gates of the Publian palace. Fierce fighting was still taking place despite the littered bodies of dead and dying men on the ground. The tactical advantage was theirs, the enemies backs were to them.

A shout came from the commander to charge the grounds. The mysterious attackers were caught completely off guard as the heavily armored Greeks slashed into their flanks. They began to break their ranks as they were pinched. A flurry of swords and a battery of screams shook the night air as the attackers were subdued. After fierce battle the Greek forces finally faced the guards of the Proconsul. The Greeks shouted in victory and were joined by the Roman guards.

As the cries quieted a scream and other shouting could be heard from inside the palace. The Roman guards turned and swiftly rushed into the palace.

**Inside**
The man who had retreated had returned, and he had brought friends. The attackers were able to force their way into the room and secure a large enough section to be able to reinforce their lines. The Proconsul’s guards fought valiantly, but it was clear they were slowly losing the battle.

Adrius gripped the hilt of his gladius. The ranks of men around him were beginning to waiver; he could sense their fear. But still they fought, hardened by the sheer thought of annihilation. There was no retreat and the men did not wish to make this their last stand.

Though he couldn’t see what was happening, suddenly there was a shift in the battle. The attackers seemed to halt their advance, their line thrown into chaos. A contingent of guards had pinned them against Adrius’s men. Many continued to fight and were struck down having no where to retreat. Soon those that remained dropped their weapons and begged their surrender.

One of Adrius’s guards, seeing an attacker drop his sword, brought his own gladius up under the man’s chin. The blow cleaved the jaw loose and the attacker screamed in pain. The guard raised his gladius again to level the final blow but was cut short by an order from Adrius, “Enough! They are surrendered!”

The guard stopped his sword and smiled cruelly at the man writing in agony. He would obey the orders of the Proconsul. Instead he spit on the man; rather than dying a quick death from another blow, the man would die slowly in agony.

**Outside**
Alexandros, captain of the Greek polis forces, stood over a wounded attacker. The man’s leg had been broken and the bone protruded through the skin; his face was white with pain and shock. “Who are you? And what do you want in Greece?”

The intruder looked at the captain and said nothing. He refused to answer the man’s Greek questions.

Alexandros repeated, this time in Latin, “Who are you? And what do you want in Greece?”

The man continued his refusal to answer.

The Greek soldier grew frustrated. He squatted down next to the man. “You leave me no choice.” He nodded to another Greek who stepped down across the man’s broken leg.

He shrieked in pain, “I am a Praetorian. My men were assigned here to protect the Proconsul. When the attack began we were trapped and then your men finished what the attackers could not accomplish. My entire squad fell to your Grecian blades. You will pay for the innocent Roman blood spilled here today.”

“Get him to a physician. Take all of the wounded. All of the prisoners will be taken back to the barracks. Begin their interrogations. The Tagmatarkhis will want to know who is responsible for this.” The Greek captain surveyed the grounds; too much blood had been spilled here. He stepped over a couple of bodies, making his way into the palace.

**Inside**
Adrius Varro moved parted his way through his guards that remained in the room. The prisoners had been removed and would be taken by the Greek authorities. The adrenaline that coursed through his veins was leaving quickly. He hated that he was getting old. The stress of the ordeal took a much greater toll on his body than he expected.

Adrius walked over to a corpse that lay sprawled on the palace floor. The Proconsul nudged the body with his bare foot making sure that the man was dead. He kneeled over the body and ripped open the cloak. The man’s chest was covered by a thick leather vest that could not have saved him from the vicious blow to the neck and head. He looked at the man’s arm and something caught his eye.

Adrius began to use the man’s cloak to wipe the blood away from the corpse’s arm. He could make out the top of a tattoo. He read, “S.P.Q.R.”

“Proconsul, you must come with me; my men are still clearing the compound. We are not sure if there are any enemy still around,” Alexandros spoke with urgency and authority.

The Proconsul startled slightly, distracted from his previous task. He turned to the Greek. “Indeed.” Adrius turned to one of his own men, “Rally the men. All that can ride should prepare to leave. Those that cannot will be left in the care of the Athenian polis forces. Give me some time to prepare and we will be on our way,” he said rising from his position.

“I will inform the authorities. My men have taken most of the prisoners into custody and will begin our investigation immediately. We shall inform you as soon as we have more information.”

The Proconsul nodded and made his leave. He had work to do and not a lot of time in which to do it.

Alexandros watched him leave. As the Proconsul left the room he looked down at the corpse Adrius had been inspecting. The tattoo could be clearly seen in the smeared blood. Alexandros knelt and finished wiping the blood revealing the remainder of the tattoo.

“Sir, reinforcements have arrived and the complex is secured. The wounded are being attended to by physicians.” A polis soldier stood at attention behind the commander.

“And the identification of the corpses?” asked Alexandros.

“It is as you suspected, at least to a large degree, though some of the markings do not seem to match,” replied the soldier.

Alexandros rose from the floor. There was no denying that there were dead Praetorians and legionaries throughout the compound. The only question remained was how many, and if they were truly Roman soldiers or perhaps other agents dressing the part.

Scenario Results:
Adrius Varro guards—157 dead; 204 wounded.
Attackers—319 dead; 223 wounded; 158 captured.
Greek polis forces—29 killed; 57 wounded.
Adrius Varro leaves Athens to join the Consular legion.
News: Within weeks dispatches reached Athens and Rome—The Prefect of Illyrica had been murdered in an attack by an estimated 200 mysterious men.

---------------------------
Written by: UNKNOWN, Jupiter Optimus Maximus and Voces Mercurii
ICQ input by: A. Adrius Varro