A/N: Salvete, amici! (Good health to you, friends!)

Chapter 5 of The Shining Legion is all ready to go! I hope you guys like it! It's a lot of fun! :3

No further delays, let's get to it!

Chapter V: The Boys from Palatine Hill

"Well?"

"Oh, stow it. The plan will work. I'm sure of it." Sun said, grinning at his fellow scout. Neptune shrugged, fingers tightening around his namesake's weapon. They stood upon a hill overlooking a walled encampment, shrouded from view by flush greenery. Scarlet's hand wrapped around the immaculately engraved hilt of his gladius, eager to begin their duty. Sage was near as well, his face serene despite the coming danger.

"There's more of them, now."

"Just a few dozen shield-bangers. Nothing to get your toga in a twist over." Their subordinates stood crouched behind them, poised to strike at a moment's notice. There were thirty of them, the mounted scouts of the Legio Pharus. Tonight however, their horses were grazing, free from battle-duty. They would be of no use in the assault against the wooden palisade that housed their enemy.

"Gods curse the day I joined the scouts, you stupid, thieving monkey." Neptune said, grinning despite his harsh words.

"I wouldn't ask the gods for protection, you walking blasphemy." Sun pulled his helmet over his head and buckled the last of his armor on. Drawing his gladius, he gave the gallic camp another look-over. A hundred men milled within, drunk or getting drunk. They'd been at it for some time now, and showed no signs of stopping.

"And what if you're wrong?" Neptune asked.

"Doubtful. And what's with the questions, man? You're always up for my usual schemes." Neptune rolled his eyes as he buckled his chinstrap, hiding away his shock of bright blue hair.

"Yeah… guess I just have a bad feeling."

"Me too." Sun admitted. He didn't want to believe the signs. Gallic tribes taking up arms against Rome… why? We didn't manage to conquer all of them, sure… but to openly defy Roman authority? He scoffed. "Trust me, we'll be fine." Turning around, his comrades tensed. This is what they've been waiting for. Thirty pairs of eyes glared back under muddied, concealed foreheads, bloodlust and weeks of frustrating hunting about to boil over. Bows hung around their chests, strung and ready to fire. Each man was an archer as well as a legionary, a necessity of their duty as scouts and woodsmen. He nodded, and they stalked forward, the noise of their armor muffled by straps of dirty linen.

"Ready…" They hoisted their bows, each arrow tipped with a streak of pitch. "Light…" They dipped their arrows into the smokeless ember pit they'd built, and each arrow took flame. "Aim…" Thirty bows pointed towards the night sky, the burning tips of their arrows thirsting to catch and spread. "Loose!" A hiss of wind, and the arrows sailed into the camp, a barrage of flame that fell into the gauls. Screams and alarmed yelling took hold as men fell, their skin broiling from the arrows embedded in their chests. Tents caught fire, dry canvas sheets swallowing arrows and spitting out roiling infernos.

"Heave!" Sun cried. The men dropped their bows, running to the timber-boulder they'd constructed yesterday. "Heave, damn you!" He cried. They strained against the weight of their impromptu battering ram. It gave way, momentum ready to send it soaring down the hill. "Scarlet!"

"You got it, boss." Diving forward, Scarlet hurled an ember onto the pitch and thistle that covered the boulder. It gained speed, licks of flame spilling off it as it hurtled towards the camp.

"Forward! Let's do it, boys!" Sun cried, bursting forward. With a resounding war-cry, his comrades followed, storming after the boulder. With an ear-piercing shatter of splintered wood, the boulder crashed into the palisade. The sharpened stakes bent and broke before its weight, allowing the scouts a point of entry.

Sun and Neptune were the first ones in the camp, bellowing. Neptune was the first to strike, jamming his trident into the neck of a drunken gaul. Blood burst forward, and the man fell, gasping and choking.

A huge, screaming man ran at Sun, raising an enormous long sword. Sun grinned. Big, stupid people are my specialty. The sword flew downwards, hacking at Sun's shield. He pushed the blow aside, slipping his gladius between the man's ribs and slicing his lungs open. He fell instantly, grasping at the wound as he sank low.

Howling, an ax-man sprinted towards him, eager to join the fight. He washed over Sun like waves upon a rock, as the faunus scout ducked under the blow and shunted him in the back, sending him sprawling to the ground. Neptune jammed his trident down upon him, spearing him like a gasping fish.

The rest of the legionaries joined battle, storming past the boulder that still burned bright. The gauls surged forward, recognizing the danger that now plagued them.

"Ranks! Form ranks!" Their scuta locked together, forming an impenetrable barrier of wood and metal. The enemy crashed against it, their strain and struggle rewarded by a stiff rebuffing. Flashes of steel shone bright under the light of the crescent moon, stabbing forward to fell the numerable gauls. Screams of pain wafted into the air, ripped from the throats of wounded soldiers.

Sun shouldered forward, bashing away one enemy with his shield while stabbing another at his side. Neptune, Scarlet, and Sage flanked him, his three friends and stalwart shields. His men followed their example, pushing and shunting against the line of warriors that pressed against them.

The battle broke apart, the gauls racing back to the other side of the encampment, breathing sharp and tired breaths.

"Hold!" Sun cried. His men could use the brief breather. They needed it, however much they wanted to once again lock shields with the enemy. The biggest gaul, a man with a long moustache and a rounded shield stepped forwards, panting hard. A tartan cape flapped behind him, a sign of his rank. He addressed them in horrendous latin.

"Whassa matter with ya, Roman? Why ya breakin' inna my camp and killin' my men?" Anguished, burbling cries from the dying punctuated his point, haunting and desperate.

"Why are you taking up arms against the state? You've the right to gather neither men nor arms!" The man spat, wiping blood away from a split lip. Most of the tents were on fire now, the flames from their barrage of arrows spreading and taking new life.

"Spare us ya fancy words! I say you've done enuff!" He turned to his men, bellowing in gallic. They responded in half-hearted cries, voices stained with wine and exhaustion. Sun smiled. They'd caught them at the perfect opportunity. His plan was working.

"Sage, how many wounded we got?"

"Just Fallia and Ashwood." Sun nodded, appraising his injured comrades. They clutched at bleeding gashes, nodding at him. Sun breathed a sigh of relief. They still draw breath.

"I can fight, sir!" Fallia cried, anger burning bright in her eyes.

"You're wounded, and I won't hear of it. You too, Ashwood." The man grumbled in frustration.

The gauls were readying themselves for another attack, shaking their spears and axes, bashing them against their rounded shields.

"Neptune. I kill their chief. You and Sage keep the others at bay. Scarlet?" The red-haired scout glowered, readying his shield. "Take your conturibunum and wheel towards the exit." He nodded. Sun turned to his men. "The Twins have given us the blessing of discipline. Let the stupid bastards throw themselves upon it. Second Exploratores Detachment! Ready pila!"

They drew their javelins, readying to hurl them at the gauls. Sensing what was to come, they stampeded forwards, desperate to halt the deadly wave of missiles. "Loose!" They weren't fast enough. Silent and heavy, the pila hurtled towards their targets, spearing shields and men alike. They stumbled and fell, the sudden weight crashing into them and stalling their advance. "CHARGE!" Sun cried.

Once again, the combatants met in a clash of swords and shouts. Sun's scutum met the rounded shield of the gallic chieftain, and they struggled against each other. Separating, swords rattled off shields, and the harsh cry of steel on steel singing with a rapid intensity. Sage brought his gladius into the face of a gaul, keeping the painted warrior from aiding his chieftain. He kicked outwards at the next one, blocking a swinging spear with his hob-nailed sandals. Hacking away the spearhead, he advanced on the warrior, raining blows against his thinning shield.

Sun cursed as a particularly hard blow knocked his shield aside. With a grunt, he managed to bring his gladius around in time to knock away the sword that was screaming for his neck. Roaring, he brought his scutum around, deflecting the next blow. The chieftain was a mighty warrior, but he lacked one advantage that Sun possessed. He pushed forward, pressing his shield tight against the larger man. They could not come to blows, as they both shoved and shunted, desperate to gain an advantage.

Giving the man a wide smile, Sun plucked his pugio from his belt with his tail. The chieftain's eyes widened, sure of what was to come, but too slow to stop it. A hiss of steel, and Sun thrust the dagger into his eye. Screaming and clutching at the cold steel, he fell backwards.

"Well struck!" Neptune bellowed, harrying an opponent with the long reach of his trident. The chieftain wailed and screamed before Sun crushed his throat, stamping the life from him. Watching the humiliation of their leader, unease spread like a plague among the gauls. The pila had rendered many of them shield-less, and thus helpless against the Romans.

Marching forward, the scouting detachment hammered the enemy, thinning them and separating them between walls of shields, where the press of metal and wood ground them into meat.

The gauls broke as one. Fleeing the battle and casting aside their weapons and armor, they found Scarlet waiting for them, seven men at his side. They butchered the gauls to a man, the final twenty men falling to Scarlet's rhythmic, cold precision.

Neptune gave a sigh of relief, leaning upon his trident.

"Are there any more wounded?" A flurry of negatives. Sun laughed. "The day is ours then! Roma Victrix!"

"ROMA VICTRIX!" They bellowed, thrusting their bloodied swords into the sky.

"That was well done, Sun." Sage said, wiping away the filth that covered his sword. "Thirty men struck down nigh on one hundred, and no losses to report."

"We'll see about that! Medics! See to Fallia and Ashwood." Those trained in the healing arts dashed off to see to their comrades, bandages already in hand. The wounds looked serious, despite their protests to the contrary.

Sun kicked over the chieftain, retrieving his pugio with his tail. He prodded at his plate armor, turning over the mail and assorted steel leaves. Even stained with blood and hastily attached, he could tell it was newly forged.

"This is nice stuff." Sage said, noticing Sun's appraisal.

"You sure?" He nodded, removing his helmet and revealing his sweat-stained face. Wiping at his brow, he crouched besides the corpse.

"Undoubtedly. Vulcan's fires taught me well." The four scouts were all orphans of the temple district, and close since a very young age. Sage learned Vulcan's arts in the god's forge-shrine, Scarlet learned war from the Basilica of Mars, Neptune lived in his namesake's temple, and Sun himself was the glue that kept them together, a devotee and frequent illicit fund-gatherer for Mercury. Though hailing from Palantine Hill, they were all talented scouts and woodsmen, hand-picked by their instructors for their resilience and fleetness of foot.

That they'd been friends for years did not come as a surprise to the drill-leaders.

"This is troubling." Sun said. "How'd this pissant gaul afford this kind of armor?"

"Told you I had a bad feeling." Neptune said, giving him a leering grin.

"Oh, go sit on your trident. And it's nothing to grin about." Sun sighed. "Scarlet. Deal with the wounded. Everyone else, search the camp, and grab what you can!" Beckoning his friends along, walking up to the largest tent, which currently remained free of flames. Inside sat many trophies of war, banners and offerings all piled in front of a large oaken chest.

The setup reeked of treachery, and Sun realized why.

"He was gathering men." Sage said. Sun nodded in agreement.

"Those are different tribal banners. There's only a few now. Must've been two or three tribes with him. But why? How? Most tribes are firmly under Roman rule…" Neptune kicked open the chest, eyes spreading wide at what it contained.

"Uh… Sun…"

"What is… it…" His words died away, crushed into nothingness under the sheer weight of gold that sat in the chest. It was so full of thick, shining coins, some of the gold slipped away from its brethren and fell to the mat below. Mouth hanging open, Sun stooped to examine one.

It was thick and newly minted, emblazoned with a woman's face. Stamped on its back was a roaring flame, pressed tight into the soft metal. These aren't roman… certainly not gallic…

"Sun, I urge you, for once in your life," Neptune started, "please resist your thieving impulses. Ozpin needs to see this money. Something's amiss here, and it's possible he knows what it is." The faunus sighed in agreement.

"It is for the Legio Pharus. But everything else, we steal!" Sage, as usual, did not laugh at his friends antics, but still allowed him the briefest of smiles. Neptune chuckled.

"Would certainly be a waste for the dead men to have the good gear." Sun pushed aside the tent flap, bellowing for his men.

"Anticus! Marcus! Get your asses over here!" The men approached, saluting. Jerking his thumb into the tent behind him, Sun gave them a wolfish grin. "Strip it bare. Leave nothing of use."

"Aye, sir."

"What of any more tribes lured in by the gold?" Sage asked. "Two dozen arrived just hours ago. We cannot sit here and lead raid after raid against every carrion gaul that comes running at the scent of riches." Sun thought about it. Sage was right. They didn't have the manpower or the supplies for that kind of duty. He turned to Neptune.

"I'm afraid I'll have to take a few coins." He said, wearing his usual smile. Neptune rested his face in a bloodstained palm.

"Dare I ask for what?"

"You'll see." Drawing his gladius, Sun left the tent. The night air was full of smoke, the smell of burning flesh, and gurgling, pained screams cut short by Roman swords. He found the chieftain, the slit in his eye softly weeping blood. Wrapping his tail in the man's braided orange hair, he sawed at his neck, grinding through sinew and bone. The deed was done in a minute. It was disgusting and crude, but he would not risk the lives of his men on a fool's errand. This way, they could live to report their findings.

"Sun?" Scarlet asked, wiping his sword clean.

"A message. We can't stay and harry any more traitorous tribes. The least we can do is send a message. Roman law is absolute. Foreign gold will not save them from our wrath." Scarlet nodded. "Find a stake. A tall one. Put this," he hurled the head at his friend, who caught it with a ready hand, "upon it." Sun drew forth the coin. "And put this between his teeth. Ring the camp with the bastards. I want it done in an hour!" Saluting, Scarlet and his conturibinum hurried to their task. It's impossible to tell when the next group will arrive… we'd be better off long gone before the next one arrives.

Sun allowed himself a warm feeling, breathing in the funeral pyre of a shattered nascent enemy. His scouts had done Rome and the Legio Pharus a great service tonight. They'd fought valiantly, against a enemy that outnumbered them. A little ingenuity in tackling problems never hurt. He thought, a smile on his lips.

And neither does a healthy bonus for a job well done. He added, twirling a bag of stolen gold around with his tail. Alas, old habits die long deaths.

A/N: I originally had this as just a quick cut-away, but SSSN grew on me to the point where they demanded their own chapter. Can canon SSSN be this badass? Please? I guess we'll see next season...

ANYWAY... what did you guys think? Please please please let me know! I appreciate every follow and fave, but reviews are like cocaine and MOMMA NEEDS HER HIT!

Erm... sorry. Time for my footnotes!

Glossary of Terms:

Exploratores: Designated scouts of the Roman legion. They are payed twice the standard wage. Historically, that is literally all that is known about them, and I'm not sure what their role/equipment/makeup was like. So I made some stuff up! The Exploratores, for the purposes of this fic, are mounted legionaries/bowmen/woodsmen, sent ahead to scout for enemies and other various threats.

Mars: Roman god of war, and alleged father of Romulus, founder of Rome.

Mercury: Roman god of trade, roads, thieves, travel, and heralds.

Palatine Hill: This hill, located in the center of ancient Rome, was considered holy, and many temples were situated on or around it.

Neptune: Roman god of the sea, and Neptune's namesake.

Vulcan: Roman god of the Forge. (Culturally appropriated Hephaestus)

Anachronisms, issues to address, and other misc. addendum.

Why are the members Team SSSN devotees of various Roman gods?: I debated about doing this, but it seemed too much fun not to. Plus, it gives them a little more of a theme than just 'the people who fill up Sun's team". Hopefully it doesn't grate too badly.

"Forge-Shrine of Vulcan": I admit it, this is made up. Sounds pretty fuckin' cool though, don't it? Chalk it up to general AU-ness.

What rank is Sun? Why is he leading the scouts when he's a faunus?: Sun is a Decurion, a cavalry term, which means (in practice) the leader of thirty men. And faunus are treated like all other 'minorities' in the Roman Empire: you have Roman Citizenship, and you're good to go.

Gauls building a palisade camp at the bottom of a hill: They're... not terribly bright.

Gauls having plate armor: Actually historically accurate! Thanks, Leivve! :D

Gauls causing mischief: Not all gallic tribes submitted to Roman rule! Many remained independent, ignoring or harassing Romans as they saw fit. Definitely in the minority though.

WHY THE HELL DID SUN CUT HIS HEAD OFF?: It made sense to Sun in order to avoid the deaths of his men, so he did it. Kinda how war worked back then.

Neptune is still named Neptune: Eh. Maybe his parents weren't super creative.

Neptune uses a trident: He uses a trident that can be wielded with one hand, and still carries a scutum around.

REVIEW REPLIES:

ocomfv: Thank you so much! Your reviews always make me smile. :3 Oh, and I won't give any outright hints, but those are some interesting predictions! ;)

SovietSniper92: Yay, you're back! No CFVY today, but I hope you liked SSSN!

OBSERVER01: Um... yeesh dude. Decimations only occurred if the unit ran away in battle. NEVER over something (comparatively) trivial like insubordination.

Leivve: Wow, thanks so much for all the info! You're the best! I knew about the Blood Eagle, but everything else... wow! Thanks man! :D

blacklight666: Hooray, fellow history geek!

metimesthree: Okay, you can nail them to their crosses. I'll pass. XP

Via: Daww, thanks so much for your review! It means a lot! Glad you're liking the story! :D

Next Chapter: Trouble in the Fourth Centuria...