Hello, and welcome to my first attempt at a Writathon submission. This chapter is intended to set some background up for the Writathon story.
Foreword:
This story is something that has been floating around my head for a while now.
It started as a bit of a meme when a friend asked me, "What would the Roman Empire look like if it had become a space-age empire?"
From there, it evolved from that discussion into a thought of "What would happen to a space-age commander known for being a monster on the battlefield if he became a dungeon core?"
As is natural, this went through many, many different iterations and adjustments.
It is also worth noting that this is my first foray into the Dungeon Core genera. So I hope you all enjoy it!
Surprising no one.
During this time, humanity decides that if it can not have allies, it needs to become so strong as to not need them.
Thanks to the collective efforts of every asset the world can bring to bear, as well as technologies taken from stranded or invading ships, as well as DNA from plant flora and fauna on other worlds. Humans can rather freely manipulate their bodies via genetic engineering.
Humanity, being humanity, simply nuked the missiles before they could land.
The legion they sent decimated the supposed 'ultimate force' of the GA and executed the diplomats who had voted to launch the planet busters.
It was found that the three strongest species in the GA were some of the most vile creatures humanity had ever faced, using mind-washing and other horrible methods to ensure that none who could threaten them would ever step foot in the galaxy as a member of the GA.
The swarm was monstrous, having the appearance of giant cockroaches with a shark's teeth and temperament. Even still, The Solarium tried to broker peace with The Swarm.
This was not pleasant, but it was also not unexpected.
It was at this point that the Solarium realized how massive the territory the Swarm occupied was. No matter how many they killed, two more would stand in their place.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
A strange DMZ-type peace was reached, with both sides occasionally trading volleys with the other.
In an effort to break the will of the Solarium Swarm, warriors snuck through the Solarium's territory to get nearly a thousand troops onto the Lunar surface where the Senate was meeting.
The blows he struck were thanks to his willingness to potentially end up dead from his plans.
Marcus killed thousands by himself in sheer rage when he got the news. It took ten of his men to pull him off the lines and get him sedated for transport back to the Solarium.
In later years, this unknown species would petition the Solarium for mercy, begging to be accepted by the Solarium. Marcus demanded the ones who had killed his wife and daughter. He spent a week killing them in front of the others from their species.
Marcus left them with a message, "Do not confuse our mercy with weakness." They joined the Solarium.
Marcus was determined. He had already known what he wanted to do, so he had spent the three years of forced R&R scouting out potential recruits.
Primae Legio Solaris had eight requirements.
- You must be the only surviving member of your family.
- You must have had someone you love killed by the Swarm.
- You must have done at least ten years of combat service.
- You must be at least 6'3" tall.
- You must be willing to undergo genetic modification.
- You must be willing to Die for the Solarium.
- You must be willing to follow the orders of Marcus Terno.
- You must be willing to wipe the Swarm and all its Allies from the face of the galaxy. Killing Men, women, and children when needed.
What Marcus ended up with was a legion of giant sociopaths, genetically modified into super soldiers who had the skills, experience, and will to kill the enemy with extreme prejudice.
After the effects of the Primae Legio Solaris are seen in their first battle, the Solarium Senate had put good thought into terminating all the marines in the Primae Legio Solaris. Marcus had convinced them that the only way to win a war against a brutal enemy was to be even more brutal.
Hundreds of years, and his anger still pushed him ever onward. The Primae Legio Solaris has grown from roughly 4,500 to nearly 90,000 in number and has gained funding from numerous sources, resulting in them being equipped to the point they could push farther and farther into the territory of the Swarm. Nearly 30% of the rest of the Solarium's military had converted into a support group for the Primae Legio Solaris, allowing them to push ever deeper and fight for weeks, sometimes months on end.
SEE FIRST CHAPTER.