Marius the Younger and Carbo remained awake all night making a list of the allies they needed to contact in order to confront Sulla. The guards took the messenger away and stabbed him in the back, giving him a quick death.
"We need the support of all the nobles and elites of Rome and the nearby cities," Carbo said with a serious expression.
"Should we inform Sertorius and Lucius Scipio of the news?" Marius the Younger asked.
"I will send a slave to call them urgently," Carbo replied, signaling two slaves to deliver the message.
The two men could only make a list of the nobles they needed to contact while they waited for Sertorius and Lucius Scipio.
Quintus Sertorius was a Military Tribune who stood out for his great experience as a military commander alongside Gaius Marius. Previously he had been a loyal supporter of Gaius Marius, whom he had served for years while remaining completely loyal to his ideals.
On the other hand, Lucius Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus was a senator who supported the faction of Cinna and was a member of the prestigious Scipio family. He was a noble with years of political experience and an influential figure within the Scipio family, surpassed only by Scipio Nasica, the current patriarch of the entire family.
While Carbo and Marius the Younger discussed the war preparations, a slave interrupted their conversation.
"Domine, the tribune Sertorius and the senator Lucius have already arrived," the slave said with a humble expression.
"Very well, you may withdraw," Carbo replied with a serious expression.
Sertorius and Lucius entered the residence, guided by the slaves to meet with Carbo.
They were confused by Carbo's sudden request, but due to the urgency of the message it had to be an important matter that needed to be discussed.
Sertorius and Lucius entered the meeting room and politely greeted Carbo and Marius the Younger.
"Impossible!!"
"It must be a lie."
When Sertorius and Lucius learned the news, their expressions changed and became somber. Sertorius had different ideas from Cinna, but even a naïve man knew that Cinna was the pillar supporting their faction.
On the other hand, Lucius and Cinna had a close friendship, and the news of his sudden death shocked him even more.
Carbo and Marius the Younger knew the news would cause turmoil between the two men and gave them time to digest it.
"What are your plans?" Sertorius said with a somber expression. As a soldier with years of experience on the battlefield, he was able to assimilate the news more quickly and begin seeking solutions.
Carbo explained his ideas to Sertorius and Lucius.
"We will not be able to keep the news secret for long," Sertorius said with a somber expression.
Many of Cinna's soldiers who had mutinied would return to their homes, and as a consequence the death of Cinna would become known throughout Rome.
"In two or three days all of Rome will know about Cinna's death, and it will only be a matter of time before Sulla directs his legions in Greece and lands in Rome," Lucius said with a serious expression.
Sulla's military achievements in Greece were known by all Romans. From 87 to 85 BC, during the First Mithridatic War against Mithridates VI, much of Greece had rebelled against Rome and supported King Mithridates.
Sulla arrived with a relatively small army and very few resources, but even so he managed to restore Roman control through a series of decisive campaigns.
He managed to besiege and conquer Athens in 86 BC. The city was controlled by the tyrant Aristion and had the military support of the Pontic general Archelaus. Sulla besieged the city for months despite the lack of supplies, even cutting down nearby forests to build siege machines.
Finally he managed to take Athens by assault, destroying the political center of the rebellion against Rome in Greece.
Shortly afterward, Sulla achieved one of his most famous victories at the Battle of Chaeronea. There he confronted the army of Archelaus, which according to ancient sources was far superior in number to the Roman forces. Despite this disadvantage, Sulla carefully organized the battlefield terrain and managed to decisively defeat the Pontic forces. This victory destroyed a large part of the enemy army operating in Greece.
The following year, in 85 BC, Sulla defeated Archelaus again at the Battle of Orchomenus. The Pontic general had gathered another large army, but Sulla used fortifications, trenches, and a defensive strategy that neutralized the enemy cavalry. The battle ended with a complete Roman victory and practically eliminated the military presence of Mithridates in Greece.
After repeated victories, the Pontic armies were expelled from the region and Greece once again fell under Roman control. This allowed Sulla to negotiate directly with Mithridates and sign the Treaty of Dardanus, by which the King of Pontus agreed to abandon his conquests, pay a large indemnity, and deliver a fleet to Rome.
Thanks to these campaigns, Sulla not only restored Roman dominance in Greece but also gained military prestige, resources, and a veteran army.
Many in Rome feared the return of Sulla and the massacres he might initiate.
"Sulla only has five legions and a few hundred Greek mercenaries under his command. We can mobilize more than twenty legions," Lucius said confidently.
Even if Sulla was a brilliant general, he could not overcome the numerical disadvantage against Rome as it currently stood.
"We must prepare ourselves and prevent the death of Cinna from causing political instability," Sertorius said with a serious expression.
"Lucius will take the position of consul. With the influence of the Scipio family we will be able to maintain control," Carbo said.
The four most powerful figures determined the direction of Rome until late into the night.
In Capua
Septimus did not know that Cinna had already died. Historical records do not specify the exact date of Cinna's death; they only mention the year. But that did not prevent the preparations.
The four legions would become five. After great effort another legion was successfully equipped with military equipment superior to its time.
The legions within the Decapitator City were now five, with enough power to devastate the entire region of Campania and unleash a great massacre that would purify the territory.
Septimus observed the black tide of soldiers with satisfaction. Although the clones shared a connection of mind and soul, the enormous number of heads and soldiers in black armor standing neatly in formation without moving produced a satisfaction that was difficult to explain.
An army of clone legionaries that would soon create its own legend of invincibility.
The clone legionaries did not fear death and shared an individual combat skill superior to that of the average legionary.
Unlike many great Roman generals or emperors who were betrayed by their own soldiers, the clone legionaries were completely obedient. Betrayal did not exist among the clones because they were all one single being.
While Septimus contemplated the view, his clones in Brundisium were learning of a piece of news.
Brundisium was a municipal city within Rome with a population of 25,000 people. It had a port that traded mainly in grain coming from regions of the eastern Mediterranean, especially areas near Macedonia and Greece. This grain was essential for supplying the Italian cities.
There was also heavy trade in wine and olive oil, along with marble and construction stone, and it also served as a key point for the slave trade.
Italy exported large quantities of wine to Greece and other eastern provinces, while some varieties of oil and agricultural products circulated in both directions of Mediterranean trade.
Inside a tavern.
Two disheveled men were telling how the soldiers had mutinied against the unreasonable orders of Cinna and executed him.
The crowd in the tavern was shocked by the news. Some insulted them, others praised them, and the tavern filled with shouting.
In a discreet corner, two hooded men listened in silence.
They were clones of Septimus whom he had left in the city of Brundisium to gather information and to contact Sulla.
The city of Brundisium was located near the Adriatic Sea where Cinna had died and would be the first city where Sulla would land.