Lost Legion- Perdition's Flames, page 1
part #1 of The Infinite Black Series
J. Ellington Ashton Press
www.jellingtonashton.com
J. Ellington Ashton Press
and
SPELLBOOK STUDIOS PRESENTS:
Tales from
THE INFINITE BLACK
The Lost Legion:
Perdition's Flames
By
D.A.
ROBERTS
The End is only
The Beginning
http://jellingtonashton.com/
Copyright
D.A. Roberts
©2019, D.A. Roberts
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book, including the cover and photos, may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher. All rights reserved.
The Infinite Black® is a registered trademark of Spellbook Studio, LLC. ©2015 Spellbook Studio, LLC. Concepts, names, and places taken from The Infinite Black® universe are used with permission of Spellbook Studio, LLC. All rights reserved. All other trademarked and copyrighted references herein are the properties of their respective owners.
Any resemblance to persons, places living, or dead is purely coincidental. This is a work of fiction.
Edited by: Andrew Bell
Cover Art by: Michael “Fish” Fisher
Layout and Formatting: D.A. Roberts
Acknowledgements
As always, I want to first thank my wife Annette and my sons; Nathan, Nic and Noah. We've come so far in this journey and I've loved every step of the way. I love you all, more than anything. Thank you for all the love and understanding as I travelled this path of author. Everything I do; every word, sentence, story and book is for all of you.
To my beta readers: Nathan Roberts, Annette Roberts, Bill Osborne and Christina Ludlum. Thanks for your hard work and for helping make this a better book. Although you may not realize it, this journey couldn't be made without you. You make me a better writer and keep me on my toes. Thanks for everything.
Finally, to the staff and crew over at Spellbook Studios. Thanks for taking a chance on me. I hope that this book is everything you were hoping for, and more. I love the creative atmosphere you all inspire and I'm proud to be a part of it, even if it is only in spirit. To you, I dedicate this book.
D.A. Roberts
The End is only the Beginning
Author's Note
As an author, opportunities like this one don't come along every day. When I was approached by the creative staff at Spellbook Studios about doing back-story and fiction based on their game, The Infinite Black, I was more than excited. The Infinite Black, or TIB as it's known around the studio, is a game that you can download and play on your phone or tablet. It's addictive and fun with some very cool space battles. Naturally, I jumped at the opportunity.
The Sci-Fi geek in me couldn't turn down the chance to broaden my writing portfolio and try my hand in that genre. I have always been a fan of Sci-Fi, from Star Trek and Star Wars to novels by the greats of the genre. Robert Heinlein, Phillip K. Dick, Isaac Asimov, Piers Anthony and Douglas Adams are just a few of the writers I grew up reading. They shaped my creativity in many ways.
To that end, I bring you my first foray into the Sci-Fi genre. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. Writing is, and probably always will be, a labor of love for me. Writing is all about sharing our stories with the world. There's a storyteller inside us all, and only we can tell our stories. Let's enjoy them together. I've said it before and I will say it again, Writing is a journey. We take that journey together, writer and reader. Thank you for taking it with me.
D.A. Roberts
February 2019
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
Chapter I - Crossing the Rubicon
Chapter II - Elysium
Chapter III - Second Chances
Chapitre Quatre - Table-scraps
Chapter VI - Descent into Madness
Chapitre Sept - Across Time
Chapitre Neuf - Unlikely Allies
Chapter XI - Through the Looking Glass
Chapter XIII - Legion of the Damned
Chapter XV - Road to Redemption
Chapitre Seize - Pirates Gratitude
Chapitre Dix-huit - Pirates Folly
Chapter XIX - The Glory of the Legion
Historical Archive Data: Corporate Perspective
Stellar Archives: Alpha Control Sector Data Storage
In the final days of Earth, the Corporations had begun harvesting new worlds. As they moved from harvesting uninhabited planets to inhabited worlds, they needed a stronger force to help control or completely pacify the local populations. This was the dawn of Corporate Militaries. Without the governments of the world to stop them, Corporations began forming standing armies larger than some countries could muster. With their massive financial resources already nearly putting them outside government control, the addition of their own private armies allowed the corporations to answer to only their stockholders.
Initially, the military units were little more than organized mercenaries who fought for pay and nothing more. They fought without honor or purpose, loyal only if the pay kept coming and sometimes not even then. Seeing the problems that were certain to arise with this situation; the Corporations decided to try something new. Drawing on the military history of Ancient Earth, they began to give their armies an identity all their own.
Reorganizing their units along historical lines, the Corporations used historical references and traditions to give their soldiers an identity. They gave them a reason to fight beyond the paycheck. By recreating the greatest military units the Earth had ever known, they gave their soldiers a sense of history and of honor. Each Corporation would organize its military units based on their own countries of origin.
Fabretti Interplanetary was the first to do so. They restructured their fighting units on the model of the old Roman Legions and encouraged their soldiers to adopt not only their fighting spirit, but their pride in the unit. After all, the Roman Legion conquered the known world before the invention of gunpowder. There would be no limit to what the new Legion could accomplish with modern technology, weapons and armor.
Upon witnessing the success of Fabretti, other Corporations followed suit. Soon there were military units based on the Japanese Samurai, British Knights of the Round Table, Scandinavian Vikings, Scottish Highlanders and so forth. The units were as diverse as the Corporations that spawned them. The age of the Harvester Fleets would thrive on the backs of these career soldiers.
The first few generations of soldiers took pride in their new unit identities, but it was the following generations who grew up knowing nothing but the Legion who would truly exceed all expectations. The Legion became their family, their honor and their pride. The soldiers lived and died for the Legion, some families spending entire generations under a single banner. Money was no longer a factor. The Corporations took care of them, and they lived to fight. It was an elegant system.
The Golden Age of the Legion was during the centuries of the Harvester Fleets. The fleets were broken down into three categories. First was the Vanguard. They scouted out planets and systems, making target assessments based on the value of the system’s resources. The second wave was called the Hammer-Strike Teams. They were tasked with taking the planet through whatever force was necessary. It was their job to pacify the indigenous populations and plant a Thumper when the planet was ready for harvesting. The final wave was the Harvester Fleet, itself. They arrived with full-military assets and ships that were mining, processing and manufacturing facilities, all in one. They would strip the planet of all usable resources before they were finished.
After the invasions by the Wyrd, all of that changed. Although the Legion still exists, it has been decades since the last Harvester Fleet dropped them into battle from orbit. The days of entire Legions on one massive Dropship Carrier have faded into antiquity. The Legions now are stationed on Garrisons and Colony Worlds, protecting the Corporations from Pirates and from invasion by the Wyrd. It is still an honor to serve but the Legion was born for conquest, not defense.
Some of the units still yearn for a return to the old ways, to return to the stars as conquerors. The smell of battle still lingers in their nostrils and the ring of the steel still echoes in their ears. It is something they will always remember. They have never forgotten their honor or their true purpose.
And they never will.
- Centurion Maximus Quintus Decius
-Cohort CXII, Felix Legion
Organization of the Fabretti Interplanetary
Roman Legion
The legions of Fabretti Interplanetary were massively up-scaled from their historical counterparts. The historical legion was comprised of ten cohorts that totaled 6,000 men. While the nomenclature of the unit composition remained the same, the size of the actual legion grew to compensate for the scope of their targets. This was to facilitate one legion per Harvester Fleet.
Harvester Fleets were comprised of three waves. The first wave was the Vanguard or Scout Group. Four Cohorts were assigned to Vanguard duty. Wave two was the Hammer-Strike Teams which were tasked with conquering scouted planets. They consisted of twenty cohorts. The
Once the planet was secured, all Cohorts reassembled under one banner and returned to Fabretti Control for their next assignment.
Organization
A full-strength legion was officially made up of fifty cohorts, totaling 50,000 fighting men including officers.
The basic structure of the army is as follows:
Contubernium: (squad) consisted of 10 men commanded by an Optio.
Centuria: (century or platoon) was made up of 10 contubernium with a total of 100 men commanded by a Centurion.
Cohorts: (cohort or company) included 10 centuriae or a total of 1000 fighting men, not including officers. In addition, the First Cohort was double strength. Cohorts are commanded by Senior Centurions with the First Cohort being commanded by the Primus Pilus, who was the most senior Centurion on the Legion.
Legio: (Legion) consisted of 50 cohorts. 4 cohorts assigned to Vanguard duty, 20 to Hammer-Strike Teams and the remainder assigned to the Harvester Fleet. Overall Command of the Legion was the Legatus Legionis, but operational control on the ground was a Praefect. The Legatus Legionis rarely dropped with the legion, preferring to remain in overall command from the bridge of the lead carrier of the fleet.
Chapter I
Crossing the Rubicon
"The die is cast."
- Julius Caesar
Fabretti Interplanetary Mining and Colonial Consortium
Orbital Headquarters
Free-trade Sector 1176, Belarus Orbit
Gregorian Date: 23 August 2294
Evening shift was just beginning at 1800 hours, as Praefect Marcus Gaius Aurelius was relieved for the night. It had been a long day of inspecting the Centurions and their Cohorts, making certain all was ready for their next deployment. Their orders had arrived, and they would have the honor of being the Prime Cohort, leading the next landing operation of Harvester Fleet Septimus Decius. Their target had already been selected. They were going to the Haakon sector, with their principal target Haakon Prime.
Haakon Prime was a major target, being rich in heavy metals and a good source of the rich iridium ore that they needed for the newest generation of hull armor. All in all, it was a good choice for harvesting. One thing bothered Aurelius as he headed for his sparse quarters aboard the Carrier Agamemnon. That was the fact that Haakon Prime was in one of the most hotly contested sectors in known space. Fleet Intelligence even suspected that there were a few Wyrd Incursion vessels operating out of the Oort Cloud at the edge of the system.
Aurelius walked with the usual confident stride of a command rank officer, but this day he was lost in his own thoughts. With practiced ease, he returned the closed-fisted salute across his chest as he passed junior officers without truly acknowledging them. It was more of a reflex action than a conscious decision. No one questioned him because of the fierce look of concentration on his face.
He was shocked when he found himself standing in front of the wrong door. He frowned at the realization that while he was lost in thought he had gone instead to the office of the legion commander. His subconscious had brought him here, despite his original intentions. True, there was a nagging question on his mind.
Just as he was about to turn and walk away, a familiar voice boomed from inside the door. The Legatus Legionis, Scipio Avilius Cyprianus, had seen him through the window.
"Come in, Praefect!" called Legatus Cyprianus.
Not wishing to disobey his commander, Aurelius did as he was instructed and entered the large office. While not opulently furnished, it was sufficiently more comfortable than his own office as to make him uneasy. Legatus Cyprianus had earned both the position and the luxuries of his station. He'd earned them with his blood on the field of battle. He had the awards on his walls and the scars on his body to prove it, too.
Locking into a rigid position of attention, Aurelius presented a crisp salute and awaited acknowledgement by his superior officer. He couldn't help but notice the picture of Legatus Cyprianus and his own father at the door to an old dropship. Although they were young and smiling, you could see the hardness of the eyes. It was clear that they were warriors who had seen their share of battle. The Legatus glanced up from his computer screen with an annoyed expression on his face and dismissed the salute with a curt wave of his hand.
"Sit, Marcus," replied the Legatus. "There is no need for such formalities in this office."
Aurelius sat in the nearest chair, his back held rigid despite the informal greeting by the legion commander. Aurelius had been born into the legion and his family had served under the Eagle of the Legio MMXIV Ferrata for six generations. The Iron Legion was his home and all that he knew. He could no more relax in front of a superior officer than he could give up his honor.
Both men were cut from similar cloth. They were fit and trim, wearing their uniforms with crisp military precision. Although more ornate, the uniform of the Legatus was less functional. Aurelius still wore a field officer's uniform, which was a point of pride to him. That meant that he was no desk officer. Each of them had the same close-cropped haircut, but the Legatus had gone nearly white with age. That was another point of pride for the young Aurelius.
"How long have our families known each other, Marcus?" asked the Legatus, leaning back in his high-backed chair.
"It has been the honor of my line to serve alongside yours since the early days of the legion."
"The honor has been mine, as well. It was your father's blade that saved my life at the Battle of Meridian. More than once, if I recall."
"I have heard the story many times, from my father," said Aurelius. "Although he insists that your blade saved his life just as many times."
"True enough," said the Legatus, smiling broadly. "We came up through the Cohorts together, winning many battles. So, how does he like working in the Praetorian Guard?"
"It suits him," replied Aurelius. "It is a great honor."
"Agreed. He has certainly earned it. But enough of this idle chatter. What brings you to my door with such a dark cloud above your head, Marcus?"
"Permission to speak openly, Legatus?" asked Aurelius.
Reaching beneath his desk, the Legatus removed a box-like device and pressed a button. It emanated a soft chirping sound and began to hum softly. Indicator lights blinked from red to yellow to green and then flashed in sequence before staying lit.
"Now you may do so," answered the Legatus, his voice low. "Corporate Intelligence cannot listen in, but we cannot hold this for long without drawing too much attention to ourselves."
"Understood."
"What troubles you, Marcus?"
"I have been inspecting the Cohorts and am quite pleased with the new Hastati Armor," stated Aurelius. "It is a considerable improvement over our old drop armor. It offers significant increases in protection during freefall re-entry and improved jump jets for ground operation. It also carries an impressive array of weapon systems that our older suits could not employ."
"This much I could have read in your report," added the Legatus. "What is it that you are not saying?"
"Our deployment orders are sending us to the Haakon Sector," said Aurelius with a touch of anger in his voice.
"I am quite familiar with our deployment orders," replied the Legatus.
"That is one of the most hotly contested sectors in known space," said Aurelius, darkly. "The bulk of our Cohorts are untested replacements from the academy. Only our Centurions and Sub-Centurions have any actual combat experience."
"And this worries you," stated the Legatus. "I can understand your concern. However, it is our duty to go where our orders send us. That is the heart of the Legionnaire's creed. Ours is not to reason why--"
"Ours is but to do or die," finished Aurelius. "I understand that our honor demands we go where ordered. I just think that we need more experienced officers on the ground teams."
