"Foreign Intervention"

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Weeks Earlier
The Via Nomentana, Rome
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Brazen cheering from the crowds gathered around the street surrounded the Imperator and his guard. Adorned in his wreath and a newly commissioned leather cuirass, lighter and suited to keep him cool in the east, the Emperor left the city on horseback. At the head of several Praetorian Cohorts, Tiberius would travel north to his smaller "touring" army in Histria.

As they made their way out of the city, through the Portus and well onto the Via Nomentata, Tiberius turned to his nephew.

"Hadrius, you've met Fortunus, correct?"

The young boy looked up from his horse, a fine white Hispanian creature. It had been a gift from his father before he had left; he could afford to buy it with their debt being absolved. Though Tiberius offered him any horse from the Scipiian Vitellii estate in Hispania, and the various ones he kept in Rome, he decided to keep his father's gift. And frankly, he had been mulling over the beast for the majority of his time with his uncle. Though he was quiet around the Imperator, he seemed to get along with the Equites and held a commanding aurora over the household staff.

"Uhh... Fortunus, oh yes. Cousin Fortunus. Yes uncle, I've met him," Hadrius responded, his attention clearly focused somewhere else.

Tiberius smiled, frankly his nephew reminded him of himself as an adolescent. He was always out riding at the Vitellii Palace. Although his family had fallen into some debt and were forced to share ownership of the Palace with the Tullian Vitellii, his father still fueled Tiberius's interest in cavalry with formidable sums of money.

"Good, I suspect you shall be working with him a lot in the upcoming months. You two should get along, he is only older than you by a couple of years," Tiberius paused, "I shall be assigning both of you to the personal staff of Sergius Cocceius for awhile. He's the Prefect of the Equites Singulares, a fine cavalryman and loyal to boot."

Hadrius fixed his gaze on his uncle in disbelief, "The Equites Singulares?... Thank you, Uncle."

Tiberius smiled, "You're quite welcome... Now go along and see the Prefect, he and Fortunus are waiting for you at the vanguard of the column."

The boy nodded, and kicked his horse into motion. He disappeared in a cloud of dust to see the Prefect.

"You'll get him killed, you know."

Tiberius looked up, "Salve, Rufus."

Rufus Vispanius, Tribune of the 2nd Praetorian Cohort, smiled, "Ave, Imperator."

"He's a good boy, smarter than his mother and father... And a damn good horsemen, even at such a young age," Tiberius kept his gaze on the road ahead, "Far better than I at his age."

"Come now, Tiberius. That doesn't change the fact that he is young... Far too young and inexperienced to be thrown at the Persians, even as an officer. And your son, would you really risk the life of your only son just to turn him into a soldier?"

Tiberius shrugged, "Sergius is a good man, a good leader. Hopefully he'll have them both trained up by the time we face battle... You shouldn't worry yourself about it, we both have far bigger things to worry about right now."

Rufus chuckled, "Oh, I don't have much to worry about. I have good, seasoned men. They'll be ready for whatever the Persians throw at them."

"I'm sure they will be... Nonetheless, plenty of other things you have to concern yourself with," Tiberius paused.

"I suppose," Rufus paused, "An interesting time we live in, aye?"

"Aye," Tiberius smiled, "We shall be making history in the upcoming months... Or dying."

Tribune Vispanius grinned, "The legions shall be glad to have you back, again."

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The Tent of Annius Sabaco, Magister Militum per Oriens
Weeks Later
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“Ave Imperator, it is good to see you have finally arrived.” Annius said, as he reined his steed next to the Emperor’s own.

“Greetings Magister Militium, yes, it took me some time to tie up some loose ends, but all is well now. Hopefully now we can start this damn war now!” The Imperator said, looking very serious about it.

“Indeed, well if it eases your mind any better, Raeus and I have been training the men very hard in different formations and fighting tactics that should prove very useful fighting these Persians.” The Roman general’s words sounded very confident.

“Very good, so I assume things with you and I Vitellia are amended?” The Imperator asked.

“Yes, no worries there. The men and I have come to an understanding and were pleased we can go into battle together once again.”

“Good, I will need a replacement legate for the legion, do you have anyone in mind.”

“Actually, I do. Tribunus Laticlavius Cassius Vitellius, he has showed his leadership skills numerous times in the time I have commanded the legion. He has the respect of all the men, and is suitable for the position.” Annius said, nodding.

“Done, I know a little about him, and I believe he will be the best for the job as well.”

“I also have received the rest of my command; you honor me with some of Rome’s finest legions. I was happy to hear Septimus will be serving under me, he will be a fine asset.” Annius paused, “I’ve spoken to the Aegean League as you commanded as well. They will assist us with their fleet as you wished. On the ground forces issue, that is undetermined at the moment. They said they will provide forces, but they wish to speak to you about some specifics.”

The Emperor nodded slightly, as the thought to himself. After a few seconds, he responded, “Alright, I figured as much. I will go to them as soon as I can. Alright Annius, you are free to go meet with your legions I have brought with me. Tonight, we will meet and discuss the campaign at hand. Bring some wine with you; I know you carry the finest.”

Annius Chuckled and nodded, “I will do so Tiberius, Vale.”

“Vale."

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Auxilla Encampments outside Athens – Quintillis 117 AD
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"Tribune Call the officers of the I Cohors together for a feast in the main tent at sundown," barked Prefect Cassius Romulus Julianus.

Romulus then moved toward his personal tent. The wolf barely moved as his master pulled the tent closed behind him. Romulus opened a small wooden chest next to his field desk. As he pried the lock from the bronze clasp that adorned the ebony wood there was a small creaking sound. Inside of the chest was a couple of rings, a small marble statue that Romulus used to pray for his wife at various altars of Mars, a papyrus scroll and a purple cloth that was bound tightly to a long object. Romulus grabbed the bound purple cloth and stuffed it under his chest armor in a secret pouch he kept behind his shirt.

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Outside the Auxilia Officer's Tent
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Pontus carried the meat rations briskly toward the tent cluster where he and his comrades would eat dinner. Suddenly, his simple errand was interrupted by an excited growl from the side. The soldier turned and, to his surprise, spotted a wolf bounding toward him. Without hesitation, Pontus drew his gladius and prepared to defend himself from the approaching animal. As the wolf came closer and closer, obviously attracted to the food, the soldier wielded his weapon. A slight smile crept across his face… the gods were providing an intruding beast for easy sword practice!

Yelps and a grunt drew the attention of several nearby auxiliaries. They turned to watch Pontus slice into the flesh of the wolf. Within seconds, the animal had been dispatched by the soldier’s aggressive swordsmanship.

One of the witnesses gasped, and then suppressed a laugh. “You’re a deadman, Pontus. You’ve killed Mori, the Prefect’s pet!”

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Piraeus, Port-City Several Miles from Athens
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"Sir, the Praefectus Praetorio has reported that the Praetorians have boarded the transport vessels and are fully prepared to sail. He additionally states that his legions are finishing up now."

Tiberius nodded and motioned for the centurion to return to his post with the Praefectus. Before him, the port bustled with activity. It was not, however, the regular bustle of commerce and trade. Instead, the city's harbor was host to over 50,000 legionaries. It was a sight to behold, so much so that the locals looked upon the massive fleet with interesting eyes.

Already a good portion of the Aegean League transports were out in the harbor, instead of docked. Due to the lack of room for such a force, they were required to anchor farther out and wait for the remainder of the force to board the ships. Transports from the Kingdom of Pergamum were also arriving to assist in the movement.

Only several days prior to the boarding, Imperator Vitellius had met with the Aegean League. They had discussed the transport route and the possibilities of an assault on the transport fleet when passing through Ptolemaic waters. And though he was putting the entire army, as well as his self, in great risk, Tiberius had decided he would take the most direct route to Antioch and pass through Ptolemaic waters.

At the same meeting, both the Kingdom of Pergamum and the Aegean League were tapped for contribution forces. All in all, the Aegean League had promised around 5,000 men - 2,500 Hoplites and around the same number of peltasts. Though small in size, it was appreciated by the Imperator. As for the Kingdom of Pergamum, their contribution was still unknown. The Romans had been informed that Attalus III Eumenes's contribution would be included in the fleet, which was a promise that would suffice for the time being.

Along with their land contributions, the League and the Kingdom of Pergamum had promised their navies. The Aegean League had long served as a naval resource for Rome, and this time they were desperately needed. They had assembled a formidable fleet, by far the largest any Roman had seen. And beyond the sea of transport galleons, the Aegean League and Pergamum had a contingent of armed escort ships to watch over the transports incase of Ptolemaic hostilities.

"Imperator, the legions are almost finished boarding. Your galleon is waiting, sir, and I shall see that everything goes accordingly, if it pleases you," Maxentius Volusius had appeared out of nowhere, though his presence was always welcome.

"Thank you, Maxentius. As always, your assistance is more than appreciated... See to it that the last of Confringatrix and the legion's logistical supplies are loaded onto the transports," Tiberius squirmed in his newly fitted cuirass, "I shall be on my galleon should I be required for anything."

Maxentius chuckled, "I trust I shall be able to handle it, sir."

Tiberius smiled, "Indeed... Thank you again, Legate Volusius."

After an exchange of salutes, the Imperator and a small contingent of his officers turned and made their way down from the small port office that overlooked the deck, and over to the Greek galleon that the Imperator would be on for the entirety of the journey.

They made their way from the humble dock, onto the ship. It was a decent vessel, manned by Greek sailors and the object of Hellenistic naval engineering.

"Greetings, Autokrator Tiberios! I am the ranking officer of this vessel," A fairly tall man greeted the Imperator, and spoke in a curious Greco-Latin hybrid.

"A pleasure to meet you... A fine vessel you have here," Tiberius replied in Greek.

He smiled, "I will let you get accommodated to the ship, sir. My men will show you to your quarters when you wish."

Tiberius nodded in thanks, then approached the opposite side of the ship. It was a wonderful site that was set before him. The entire fleet, prepared to set sail and land in Syria. The Emperor clenched his jaw, and thought to himself about how history would be made in the upcoming months.

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The Mediterranean Sea, Between Cyprus and Pamphylia
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Sailors from the Greek escort galleys watched the horizon intently, searching for any movement from a possible Ptolemaic fleet. Thus far, the waters had been clear. It was as if the Ptolemies were ignoring the Roman presence, and letting them pass for now. Pergamum and the Aegean League had collectively assembled a formidable escort force, but there was no doubt that the Ptolemies could cause considerable damage with an attack in their ‘home waters.’ Many sailors within the fleet wondered if the Ptolemaic neutrality would remain and they would, indeed, be able to safely arrive in Antioch.

"It's quiet."

In a quiet tone, a fellow sailor replied, "It is..."

"Let's just hope it remains that way."

"Aye."

The sailors continued to watch for movement on the horizon throughout the night. They relied upon the stars and the moon to try and see as far as possible, and could only hope the Ptolemaic navy did not engage them.

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Antiokhieia ad Orontem, the Capitol of the Seleukid Domain
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Two lines of legionaries cleared a path along the Seleukid dock, making way for the Imperator and his officers to step into the city for the first time. Each side snapped to attention as he emerged from the ship, flanked by the Praefectus Praetoria and the Magister Militum per Oriens.

Raeus whispered something to Tiberius quietly, getting a short lived grin from all three of the officers. They crossed onto the docks of Antioch for the first time, Tiberius adorn in his cuirass, draped in an Imperial Purple cloak, and with his the red plume of his helm fluttering in the wind. He tightened his jaw, looking to the two battle-hardened commanders on his flanks.

They stepped forward, between the legionary lines and towards the greeting party that had shown up, looking somewhat surprised. Before the Romans stood Alexandros Kallinicus and the new focus of his love and affection, Faestia Maximiana Vitellius, the daughter of Quinus Lucius Vitellius. Behind them stood dismounted Seleucid Companions, standing as straight and sturdy as their Roman legionary counterparts.

The three prominent Romans halted, and silence filled the empty docks for some time, until Alexandros finally broke it, "More Romans..."

The Seleukid royal had a clear accent, and spoke with some scorn in his voice. It was quite clear that the problems in his city were putting enough strain on him.

In response Tiberius looked to the daughter of Lucius Vitellius and smiled, then spoke in Latin, "Maximiana, what a pleasant surprise... We must talk."

Alexandros eyed the Roman, still with discontent, and replied in Greek, "The other Romans have been slaughtered by the Persians, East of Iustianopolis."

The Imperator's jaw clenched tightly and he tried to hide his shock, "... How? When?"

Alexandros looked at the Romans once more, "Please, come to my palace. We must discuss the matters at hand."


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Written By: Decius Lucius Verus, Cassius Romulus Julianus, Marcus Annius Sabaco, Calidus Raeus Vitellius, and Helvius Tiberius Vitellius.

Input by: JOM (GM)

AD 117