The cargo bay shook as the ship entered the atmosphere. Metellus moved from man to man of his contubernium doing a final check of them and their equipment.
He stopped before Optio Scaevola, "Keep your section spread out Scaevola, and keep a close eye on Varus. If he screws up bad just get rid of him, you get me?" Scaevola met his eyes and just nodded. Metellus gave his Optio a grin, "I told the Centurio that you should be made a Principale and he is gonna put in the paperwork after this landing."
Scaevola smiled briefly. "I won't let you down Principale."
Metellus put his hand on Suetonius's shoulder. "I know you won't Scaevola, you just keep your head screwed on straight and stay alert."
Metellus moved to Legionarii Sertorius Dentatus.
The Principale looked him straight in the eyes. "Hows the leg Dentatus, and don't lie to me. That was a bad break and I gotta know if you are 100%."
Dentatus just gave him a huge grin. "It's fine Principale, it aches a bit but the Medicus gave me some 'candy' to knock the pain back if it gets too bad."
Metellus poked him with his finger. "Don't take too many of those painkillers, they dull your senses and I need everyone frosty on this op."
Dentatus just shook his head. "Don't worry Principale, I can take the ache. I'll suck it up and work around it." Metellus nodded to him and moved on.
Legionarii Aelius Regulus was adjusting the straps on his pack and body armor when Metellus stepped in front of him.
Metellus watched for a moment before speaking. "New armor still giving you trouble Regulus?"
The young Legionarii looked up at him. "Principale, I got the straps adjusted in the same notches as my old set but it just feels wrong and it's rubbing my shoulder raw."
Metellus turned him around and started adjusting a few clips and straps, he lifted the pack and slammed his fist down on the right shoulder plate of the Legionarii's armor. After dropping the pack back in place he watched Regulus checking his movement.
"It's perfect Principale, feels just like the old set now. How did you do that?"
Metellus gave a rough chuckle. "It's a Principale thing Regulus, if I told you, everyone could do it." Metellus was still laughing as he moved on down the line.
Metellus stopped briefly in front of Legionarii Licinus Volusus. From the top of his helmet to the soles of his boots, every piece of Volusus' equipment was in perfect place. Every item attached to his web gear was painted and there was not a glint of bare metal anywhere on his person. Metellus had been unsure of the young Manipularii when he first came to the contubernium but Volusus couldn't help that his people had been cut off from the rest of Humanity for all those decades.
Still thought Metellus, "Religious fanatics are bad enough, but military religious fanatics are just creepy. But if they can produce Legionarii like Volusus, it can't be that bad."
He nodded quickly to Volusus. "You ready for this Volusus? This is gonna be your first time under fire with us?"
The Manipularii clicked his heels. "This Manipularii is ready for duty in all respects Principale. I will do the contubernium proud, Praise Marius, and the War God willing we will prevail." Metellus just nodded as he moved off.
The squat soldier next in line was checking the power cable attached to his weapon as Metellus stepped before him. Manipularii Ursa's squat build and massive muscles marked him as a Heavy G worlder.
"You keep playing with that weapon Ursus and your gonna go blind." Manipularii Fabius Ursa, 'Ursus' to the whole contubernium, just grinned up at his Principale.
"I don't like these new Gatling Lasers Principale, any chance we can get ahold of an old Heavy Plasma Enveloper?"
Metellus just shook his head at his Heavy Weapons man. "No chance Ursus. They've all been sent to the scrap heap. What's the matter, don't like the 'weapon of the future'?"
Ursa frowned. "I like the rate of fire, its just the round is too weak to do much to anything other than lightly armored troops, at least with the old Mk 5 H.P.E. I could knock out buildings and light armor."
Metellus smiled and slapped Ursa's helmet. "If we see any armor, you just throw a rock at them. With your arm that should penetrate a foot of Tritanium." Metellus walked away from a now laughing Legionarii.
Manipularii Macer had been watching the Principale move down the line and was memorizing all the things Metellus did to put each man at ease.
He put them in his mental 'When I am a Principale File'.
Metellus placed his hand on Macer's shoulder. "You ready for this Macer?"
Macer nodded, "I'm ready Principale, I even managed to sweet talk the Ordinance Principale out of a couple of extra rockets for my launcher."
Metellus turned him around and checked his pack and launcher. "You gonna be able to handle this kind of load Macer? I need you able to keep up with me."
Macer nodded his head. "Can do Principale, I may not be as strong as Ursus but I will keep up no matter what."
Metellus smiled at him. "I know you will, you just stay near me and you'll be ok. By the way, how did you get extra ammo out of that asshole of an Ordinance Principale?"
Macer gave a sly grin. "It's a Hispanian thing Principale, if I told you, everyone could do it."
Metellus looked at Macer a moment then burst out in a hearty laugh. "You'll do Macer, you'll do."
Metellus laughing came to a halt when he came to the last member of his squad. He didn't say a word, he simply stared at Manipularii Varus. Almost a full minute ticked by as Metellus remained silent just staring at him. Varus began figeting and opened his mouth to speak but stopped as the Principale held up his finger.
Metellus's voice was cold and clear, "Clean slate Varus, all your fuck ups to this date don't matter. But you fuck up one time during this op. I am gonna stuff a grenade down your throat and have Ursus throw you at the enemy. You get me Manipularii? Varus nodded and was about to say something when Metellus held his finger up again. "Don't speak, just listen and understand. You got a fresh start and that's the last one you're gonna get."
Metellus turned and looked back along the lined up contubernium. "Listen up First Contubernium, we are the best contubernium of the best damn Century in the Legio. As usual we are gonna get picked for every garum flavored mission Command can come up with. We will probably be in the thickest part of every firefight and told to 'volunteer' for every suicide mission that the Legati Legionius can think up. So you better stay awake cause we still don't know who the enemy is. The Century's job is gonna be to hit a small farming villiage and gather Intel on what we are facing and who. Stay alert, stay alive. You got me Manipularii?" A chorus of voices came back. "Yes Principale!" Metellus tapped his ear. "Is this Third Contubernium I'm looking at? I said YOU GOT ME MANIPULARII?" A louder chorus shouted. "YES PRINCIPALE!!"
The shout was drowned out by the sound of the landing rockets firing and a loud thump as the troopship landed on the surface of Nova Tarentum I.
_________________ Benno the Mad Wrote:
man, you gotta realise that thor and bos fell out of the patriot tree (like the ugly tree, but instills patriotism instead of ugly) and hit every branch on the way down.
"Gone now, dispersed by the brutal destruction of this one day, was the belief that the Darkman and his army of the dead were so superior as to be invincible. By attempting to destroy the morale of the Marines, the Darkman had restored it to full vigor. Dia De La Muerto had failed in its objectives."
The Gunny: Stand of the 300
Si vis pacem, para bellum
If you want peace, prepare for war
Gunny's color #FF2400
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