--- /dev/null
+with hindsight an opportunity for peace was thrown away cal gac us may have been a traitor but he
+was born a roman and had forged the local tribes into an organised and disciplined force it may have
+been possible to treat with him bringing caledonia within the empire in exchange for the
+governorship of caledonia but salus ti us was a greedy and ambitious man for whom victory was
+everything he had no wish to share caledonia or glory with cal gac us and thus conceived a plan to
+repay the treachery of the caledon ii in full he made a great fanfare of pushing his forces into
+northern caledonia to the remote for to finch tuth ilsa lust i us in secret had conceived a sly and
+audacious plan ca to was instructed to proceed with an expeditionary force from e bora cum to the
+frontier fort at inch tuth il where he would relieve the ii legion a diu trix pia fidelis who were
+required in dacia he quickly established the legion in a state of battle readiness and was joined
+thereby salus ti us who took command of the ix legion humiliating the faithful ca to in front of his
+own mensa lust i us was no strategist but in tactics and cunning he knew no parallel from the
+legions extensive scouting network he had learned that cal gac us had established his headquarters
+in the mountains west of s trac athro the marching camp leaving ca to in charge of a smallholding
+force of two cohorts at inch tuth ilsa lust i us ostentatiously led the rest of the ix legion to s
+trac athro he setup camp and laid waste to the villages around him in an act of gross provocation
+and cruelty he emulated his hero crassus knowing that the many caledon ii who suffered a gruesome
+end on his caledonian way were not involved with cal gac us and his revolt they were just fodder in
+his attempt to provoke a confrontation a she knew they must the caledonian armies mustered for a
+final showdown with the legion and marched on stra cath rosa lust i us set his forces with picket
+fences and traps but against the scale of the caledonian force there was little hope of success
+nonetheless with their pride at stake and accepting their fate the legionnaires of the ixth watched
+and waited to join battle undercover of darkness and before any skirmish could be conducted salus ti
+us secretly set out with a small force of handpicked soldiers who had travelled with him from rome
+with a devious plan to steal the codex from right under cal gac us noses a lust i us was a very
+unpleasant man but he was widely read and knew of the hebrew tale of gideon he set his guard at key
+points around the perimeter of the caledonian camp and in the depths of night when all men are at
+their lowest ebb they rose as one breaking cover and making noise like a much larger army in the
+confusions a lust i uss lieutenant stole into the camp and made away with the codex returning it to
+salus ti us who remained throughout at a safe distance perhaps salus tiu scared nothing for the fate
+of the ixth legion perhaps its destruction was part of domitian s planned revenge or perhaps it was
+just a diversionary tactic to have them camped at s trac athro but the outcome was the same roused
+by the surprise invasion of their camp the caledonian warriors launched a massive assault ons trac
+athro whatever his motivation in an act of the greatest treachery salus ti us abandoned the ixth
+legion to oblivion and set out south for the fortified port at car riden where he intended to escape
+by sea from britannia with the codex he sent a despatch to ca to ordering him to retreat with all
+able men to car riden raze inch tuth il to the ground and leave none of the weak or wounded alive in
+order to provide nothing of value to the enemy salus ti us and his guard must have thought they
+would be safe but once more a proud son of rome had grossly underestimated cal gac us realising
+quickly that the codex was los the set out to recover it marching his men double time in pursuit of
+the fleeing salus ti us and so at car ride nsa lust i us regrouped with his trusty guard and the
+remaining cohorts from inch tuthill ed by the steadfast marcus fidel i usca to it was not long
+before the pursuing caledonian force arrived before the gates of car riden and laid siege with their
+backs to water the roman force was trapped their safety lay in a refuge far over these a and it is
+fitting that the ending of my story will lie buried safely in their refuge at novio magus bat av
+orum
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projects / cipher-tools.git / blobdiff