FADE IN:
DOZENS OF MEN stand near each other, made up of two distinct
groups. One of the groups is that of
THE GAULS, which is obvious from their near naked forms that brave the
cold. The other are the armored forms
of SOLDIERS LOYAL TO THE ROMAN REPUBLIC.
While the two groups are talking, each man is armed with some kind of
weapon, and it is an uneasy talk. We
ZOOM OUT and PAN WIDELY TO SHOW A RAGING BATTLE between A ROMAN LEGION and A
COALITION OF GALLIC TRIBES. From the
piles of armored dead, the Romans appear to be losing the battle.
A narrative voice begins speaking as we see the Roman and Gallic
dead. It is the commander-and-chief of
the Roman forces in Gaul and the man who even two thousand years later is still
remembered. Julius Caesar.
CAESAR
(V.O)
Upon returning to Gaul after conquering Britain in
the autumn of 54 BC, I, Julius Caesar, was faced with a small crisis. Due to a lack of grain I was forced to
position the winter quarters of my legions more widely through Gaul than I
would otherwise have chosen. The
political situation in Roman-ruled Gaul was tense and rebellion had flared up
led by Ambiorix, chief of the Eburones.
CUT TO the only Gauls and Romans not locked in battles to the
death. FOCUS IN on the lead Roman;
Legate QUINTUS
TITURIUS SABINUS.
SABINUS
Ambiorix! I have come to parley with you, as you have requested. I will listen, but do not waste my time as my countrymen die around me!
AMBIORIX,
chieftain of the EBURONES TRIBE and the Gaul in charge of the tribes that have
joined forces to fight the Romans, nods at Sabinus’ words.
AMBIORIX
Of course, Legate Sabinus. I will not waste your time. I admit that I am greatly indebted to Caesar
for his acts of kindness to me. It is
because of his actions that I was relieved of the tribute I used to pay to my
neighbors, the Aduatuci, and it was Caesar who returned to me my son and my
nephew, who had been sent to them as hostages, then enslaved and kept in
chains. When I attacked your camp, I
was not acting in accordance with my own will and judgment but because of
pressure from my fellow tribesmen; my position as ruler is that my people have
as much control over my actions as I have over theirs. My tribe’s reason for making war was that it
could not stand out against the sudden joint action to which all the Gauls…
Ambiorix
makes a grand sweeping gesture.
AMBIORIX (CONT’D)
…had pledged themselves. The whole of Gaul agreed on a common plan; we
had to attack all the Roman winter camps today – that is, the attacks had to be
simultaneous to make it impossible for any one legion to help another. It would not have been easy for us to refuse
our fellow Gauls, especially as it was clear that the plan was designed to
regain our national liberty from Rome.
But I have done my duty as far as claims of patriotism are concerned and
now I am ready to repay the debt I owe to Caesar in return for his kindness to
me. I urge and implore you, Sabinus, as
one with whom I have ties of kindness, to think of your own safety and that of
your soldiers. A large force of German
mercenaries has crossed the Rhine and will be here in two days to fight at our
side. It is up to you Romans to decide
whether to withdraw. But before we can
discuss this further, I must ask that you lay down your arms.
A
large Roman in his early 40s, LUCIUS ARUNCULEIUS COTTA, steps forward. Cotta is also legate and second to
Sabinus.
COTTA
(upset)
What?
You, a mere savage, dare makes a demand of a legate of Rome? The moment we lay down our arms, you’ll slit
our throats!
SABINUS
Cotta,
silence! Remember your place!
COTTA
But
Sabinus, we cannot trust this Gaul!
A beat.
AMBIORIX
I promise on my solemn oath that I will give
your legion safe passage through my territory and no harm will come to
you. In doing so, of course, I am
acting in the interests of my tribe by relieving them of the burden of having a
Roman winter camp in their territory, and at the same time repaying Caesar for
his kindness to me. How you wish this
night to…
CUT TO:
Ambiorix’s
POINT OF VIEW: A DOZEN GALLIC WARRIORS have been slowly encircling the
area. The chieftain stops talking, no
longer needing to keep the Romans occupied.
Arrows and spears fly and pierce the flesh of off guard Romans, half of
their numbers falling dead in mere seconds.
Sabinus draws his sword and turns to face the ONCOMING GALLIC
SWORDSMEN. Ambiorix rushes forward with
a drawn dagger, fatally plunging it into Sabinus’ armpit. The Roman legate drops to the hard
ground.
CUT TO:
Cotta’s
POINT OF VIEW: With a swift slash A GALLIC SWORDSMAN meets a speedy end. A missile soars through the air, the bolt of
an arrow finding a resting place in the legate’s arm. The pain is too much and Cotta is forced to drop his blade and
grit his teeth in pain.
AMBIORIX
(O.S.)
Cotta!
Cotta
turns at the sound of his name, just in time to see a mixed blur of flesh and
iron as Ambiorix’s dagger comes at him and severs his jugular vein. We continue to see Cotta’s POV even as he
pointlessly clutches his throat, unable to stop the bleeding. Cotta’s POV, and in turn ours, begins to get
fuzzy and the legate collapses to his knees with GURGLING NOISES, and seconds
later drops dead on his side, next to his departed comrade Sabinus. As Cotta’s vision turns to black, we CUT TO
A CLOSE UP OF Ambiorix. The Eburones
chieftain stares at the dead forms of the Romans before him before bending to
clean his small knife off on Cotta’s clothes.
A
SMALL GALLIC MAN approaches Ambiorix at a fast paced run.
SMALL
GALLIC MAN
Ambiorix!
The Romans have been crushed!
Many are dead and we have managed to take quite a few prisoners before
they could commit suicide.
AMBIORIX
Good, good.
No doubt some managed to escape?
SMALL
GALLIC MAN
This is true.
Some of the Romans fled like cowards near the end of the fighting.
AMBIORIX
Send some of our cavalry to finish them
off. Some will manage to elude us, but
it won’t matter. This is a great day
for Gaul, my friend! Two Roman legates
are dead and a large part of the Roman army has been completely wiped out. With the help of more tribes, we will have
no difficulty in finishing off the rest of the winter camps. Send our fastest men to the Nervii at
once. Inform of their situation and
tell them to meet me twenty miles outside of the Roman winter camp of Cicero if
they wish to help free Gaul from the chains of Rome.
The
small Gallic man gives a nod and slight bow before scrambling off to fulfill
his master’s wishes. Ambiorix surveys
the battlefield with a broad grin. We
PULL OUT TO REVEAL the entire battlefield, a great MANY DEAD ROMANS immobile as
NUMEROUS VICTORIOUS GAULS search their lifeless corpses for anything of value
and bind the arms of any Roman soldier unfortunate enough to have survived this
night.
The Alexander Corporation Presents...
A Metal Meltdown Production
Writen by Teufel
A James Cameron Film
Josh Hartnett
Ryan Phillippe
Robert DeNiro
DAYS OF ROME
Willem Dafoe
Anthony LaPaglia
Michael Vartan
Marc Blucas
Jean Reno
As
the opening credits for the film show to the film’s theme, the narrator speaks once
again:
CAESAR (V.O.)
The next day Ambiorix’s message reached the chieftains of
the Nervii tribe, urging them to not let slip the chance of freeing themselves
for all time and punishing the Romans for the “wrongs” we had inflicted. Enticed with the chance of an easy victory
and therefore easily convinced, the Nervii sent word to its allies and
dependants to make ready for war. So
while I was busy attending to political matters in Rome and with the whole of
the Roman Republic unaware of the fate of Sabinus and Cotta, the forces of the
Eburones, Nervii, and Aduatuci together with their smaller allies and
dependants launched an attack on the legion in the camp of Cicero, commanded by
one of my confidants, the legate Marcus Silanus.
EXT.
SMALL FOREST OUTSIDE OF CAMP CICERO - NOON
The
landscape is covered with a generously sized forest of thin green trees,
looking beautiful in the radiance of the Sun’s warm rays. The forest is spotted with men, whom we
instantly recognize as ROMAN SOLDIERS thanks to their sparkling armor. They are cutting the trees down with axes
and dragging them into Cicero, the fortifications of the winter camp visible
not too far away.
CAESAR
(V.O.)
And just as the siege of Sabinus’ camp began, so shall the
siege of Cicero . . .
EXT.
SMALL FOREST OUTSIDE OF CAMP CICERO – DUSK
The
camera CUTS TO a section of the forest, PULLING IN CLOSELY on a single
tree.
A
beat.
A
bladed edge suddenly cuts into the bark of the tree, shaking the entire
plant. As the camera SLOWLY ZOOMS OUT,
we see the axe dig deeper into the trees with five more swings. We can now see the Roman soldier who is
making quick work of the small tree.
The man is Roman centurion of the senior grade TITUS PULLO, a man in his
late 20s. With a grin, he makes a final
strike and the tree can no longer stand, falling with a MILD CRACK.
The
camera PULLS OUT to show that Titus Pullo is not alone. Standing nearby is a SMALL GROUP OF ROMAN
SOLDIERS. Out of the three of them two
are smiling, one is not. The one who is
not smiling steps forward, an axe in his hands. He is LUCIUS VORENUS, another centurion of the senior grade and
is about the same age as Pullo.
PULLO
(smug)
Well, good Lucius Vorenus. It appears as if I have bested you yet again. What took you ten strikes took me a mere
seven. Though I am not surprised,
Vorenus. At the final battle in Britain
it took you ten minutes to kill twenty of those British savages, while I did it
in much less time.
Vorenus
steps closer to his fellow centurion, as the two other centurions watch the
events unfold with grins. Vorenus looks
to the freshly fallen tree and then back to Pullo.
VORENUS
Perhaps it took you less time to do
those tasks. But when thinking of those
tasks, one should keep in mind that it is in your nature to seek out the
smallest of targets, whether it be to chop down a tree, or chop down a savage.
Titus’
smile quickly fades
PULLO
(hint
of anger)
It would be in your best interest, Vorenus, to refrain
from such remarks. I will not let a
jealous fool like you downplay my deeds, whether you’re serious or joking.
(re: two
other centurions)
And you two, what do you have to say on this matter? Or are you too busy cackling like little
girls to speak?
The
two other centurions who have not spoken thus far only smile even more at
Pullo’s insult. The centurions are
GAIUS ANTISTIUS REGINUS and TITUS SEXTIUS.
Both are in the same age range as their two comrades, late 20s.
SEXTIUS
Oh, no, Pullo. You won’t drag me into this argument. I’ve managed to avoid it for the two years
I’ve known the both of you, and I’m certainly not going to get involved now.
VORENUS
So you’re just going to stand
there with a stupid grin on your face?
The same stupid grin you’ve had for the past two years?
SEXTIUS
Without a doubt.
He smiles.
PULLO
Why am I not surprised? And you, Reginus. Will you snivel your way out of giving your own opinion?
REGINUS
I never do, Pullo. If you and Vorenus weren’t so busy bickering
every chance you got like a man and his henpecked wife, you’d know that I’ve
answered this question before. The way
I see it, you –
A SHARP SCREAM erupts from somewhere nearby in the
forest, interrupting Reginus’ opinion.
The argument is quickly forgotten as the centurions snap to attention
and exchange concerned looks. The
camera begins to PULL OUT TO SHOW SEVERAL MORE ROMAN SOLDIERS who have stopped
cutting wood as ANOTHER SCREAM reaches their ears.
CUT TO:
EXT. FOREST OUTSIDE OF CAMP CICERO – DUSK
Not far from Vorenus and Pullo A GROUP OF SEVERAL
ROMANS are busy cutting into the trees.
The camera stays in the same position for a few seconds to show the calm
routine of the Romans. Something is
moving in the bushes near the Romans, but they fail to notice it. After a moment flesh can be made out in the
bushes. One of the Romans finally
notices it, but an arrow silences him.
A DOZEN NEAR-NAKED GAULS charge out of the foliage. They’re upon the surprised Romans, each man
letting out a cry of pain before dying.
CUT TO:
EXT. FOREST OUTSIDE OF CAMP CICERO – DUSK
More screaming is heard. Pullo, Vorenus, Reginus, and Sextius begin calling out to nearby
soldiers and other centurions to find out what is going on. A series of loud yells ring out through the
air, seeming to be growing louder.
VORENUS
That
didn’t sound like the others.
PULLO
For once I’d have to agree with
you. Those yells sounded uncomfortably
familiar.
SEXTIUS
They should be familiar. We were fighting those savages not long ago.
PULLO
It figures barbarians like them
would be dumb enough to attack us.
CUT TO:
Pullo’s POINT OF VIEW: The form of A GAUL sticks
out of the brush, holding a spear aloft.
For a long moment the eyes of the Gaul and Roman lock. Pullo ducks quickly just before the Gaul
throws the spear. It whizzes harmlessly
overhead. Pullo stands and throws his
axe, the weapon catching the Gallic man between the eyes.
PULLO
(CONT’D)
Gauls!
SEVERAL DOZEN GAULS pour from the depths of the
forest, armed with a variety of weapons.
They throw spears and shoot arrows at the Romans, many of whom throw
their axes at the oncoming attackers and draw their swords. The battle is fast paced, and despite the
surprise the Romans manage to hold their own, though half of them are
dead.
VORENUS
We’ve
got to get back to Cicero!
PULLO
What. Afraid, Vorenus?
REGINUS
No, he’s right. These savage beasts are probably here to
attack the camp. We have to get there
and help as quickly as possible.
VORENUS
Follow my lead!
The centurion moves closer to other Roman
soldiers. A GALLIC SWORDSMAN swings his
blade, but Vorenus blocks and kicks him, leaving him open for a fatal
stabbing.
VORENUS
(CONT’D)
(yelling
at the top of his lungs)
Centurions! Gather your legionnaires! We must fight out way to the camp! There is no time to lose! Form a wedge and head to Cicero! Head to Cicero!
As Vorenus yells out orders most of the Romans
react as if merely on instinct and move in closer together. But one Roman soldier is distracted by the
words and returns his attention back to the enemy just in time to see the spear
that plunges into his torso.
OVERHEAD VIEW as we see the Romans quickly arrange
themselves into a wedge formation.
PULLO (O.S.)
Charge!
From the heavens we see the Romans in their wedge
formation. They run in an eastward
direction, towards the camp Cicero, which cannot be seen from this angle. As the Roman wedge moves quickly, an
assortment of Gauls attack it from all sides.
The Romans are forced to slow, but they are still going and fighting
back at the same time.
CUT TO:
Vorenus’ POINT OF VIEW: He is at the very front of
the charge, Pullo barely visible out of the corner of his eye. A GAUL WITH A SPEAR decides to stand his
ground against the wedge. As Vorenus
comes barreling towards him, the Gaul stabs his spear forward. Vorenus slashes down, hitting the spear
before it gets too close to him. The
spear is knocked aside, and A ROMAN behind Vorenus knocks the Gaul to the
ground. The wedge ignores the man’s
screams as they trample him. The Romans
near their camp, the gates slipping open and HUNDREDS OF LEGIONNAIRES line up
near the gateway.
CUT TO:
EXT. CAMP CICERO, GATES – DUSK
The wedge makes it into the camp; the hundreds of
Romans taking positions at the gates as THE GAULS charge in after their
enemy. The camera CUTS TO NUMEROUS
ANGLES as the Roman legionaries thin the Gaul ranks out enough to close the gate
and trap the remaining outnumbered Gauls within the Roman stronghold. The left over Gauls are quickly dispatched.
CUT TO:
INT. CAMP CICERO – DUSK
Lucius
Vorenus, Titus Pullo, Gaius Antistius Reginus, and Titus Sextius march through
the crowd of legionnaires who are rushing towards the stronghold walls to take
up defensive positions. There is GREAT
NOISE from all over the camp as the Romans try to get coordinated as fast as
possible.
PULLO
(speaking
loud enough to overcome commotion)
Reginus, Sextius…get to your
cohort! They’ll need all the help they
can get. Vorenus and I will do the
same…that is if Vorenus can keep up.
VORENUS
(also speaking
loudly)
Don’t worry about me,
Pullo! Just hope you do a better job of
slaying the Gauls now then you did a few minutes ago! Reginus and Sextius…good luck!
Pullo decides to refrain from replying, but Reginus
and Sextius nod their heads in acknowledgement and rush off. Pullo does not waste time and breaks into a
run for the cohort he and Vorenus command.
Vorenus is quick to pursue.
The camera PANS ACROSS THE CAMP to give a glimpse
of Cicero. It is quite large, more than
enough to hold the legion of approximately 5,000 men and their equipment. There are many huts made of thatch that
house the legionnaires, and there are many legionnaires scrambling out of the
huts with their weapons and shields, heading for the nearest rampart to
mount. There are several dozen small
cabins near the center of the camp that we can see, the housing for the centurions. In the very center of the camp is a great
structure made of stone with iron plates as a roof, the home of the Roman
grain, ammunition, other foods, and a small yet still sizeable portion of it
being the living quarters of the legate Marcus Silanus and his servants.
CUT TO Titus Pullo and Lucius Vorenus, still
running towards their cohort that has taken its position along a section of the
wall. The two centurions dash as fast
as their bodies are willing, Vorenus briefly overtaking Pullo until seconds
later Pullo reclaims his position. They
reach the wall; Pullo charging up a ramp leading to the catwalk along the
45-foot high fortification while Vorenus leaps onto a ladder and climbs with
all his speed. Vorenus finishes his
climb and manages to beat Pullo by mere seconds. Pullo glares, but Vorenus doesn’t pay much attention as he nears
their cohort. Countless legionnaires
are along the catwalk.
CUT TO:
Pullo’s POINT OF VIEW: The centurion continues his
run; finally reaching the area where his cohort is. He now looks across what will soon become a battlefield. It is littered with SEVERAL DOZEN DEAD
GAULS. There are many ditches that have
been previously dug by the Romans, the point of which is to make bringing siege
engines near the camp difficult for the enemy.
VORENUS
(O.S.)
By
Jupiter, look at that, Pullo!
Pullo’s POV turns to Vorenus briefly, before
turning back to the battlefield. From
the nearby forest a seemingly ENDLESS STREAM OF GAULS pour forth. The army gathers by the thousands, safely
out of range from Roman arrows and other missiles. A GREAT DEAL OF MURMURING from the entire camp fills the air as a
number of siege engines are brought out of the forest by even more Gallic
troops.
VORENUS
(O.S.)
There are
thousands of them!
CUT TO Vorenus, Pullo, and their cohort all on a
section of the catwalk.
PULLO
If I had to make an
approximation, I would say roughly fifteen thousand Gauls. Not scared, are you Vorenus?
VORENUS
Of course not! This just means that we will have something
to actually occupy our attention this winter…
The Gauls remain where they are, getting as
organized as a relatively primative army can get. The camera CUTS TO CLOSE UPS of Vorenus and Pullo’s faces, both
men look anxious as they watch the enemy that outnumbers them three to one
which can attack at any moment. The
Roman camp’s NOISE BEGINS TO DIE DOWN as everyone waits apprehensively.
GREAT BATTLE CRIES come from the HORDE OF GAULS and
many of them begin banging their weapons against their shields. After a few minutes of working themselves
into a feral frenzy, the thousands upon thousands of Gallic warriors charge
with battle cries towards Cicero.
They are for the most part in a large group,
allowing the slower siege weaponry to keep up.
But hundreds of overexcited Gauls move faster than the horde and face
down a hail of arrows and javelins from the Romans. Of the group of hundreds many of them are killed instantly, a few
dozen managing to fire arrows up at the Romans. Very few of the arrows hit their mark, and the group retreats to
regroup with the horde, almost completely wiped out.
The Gallic catapults reach their destination, close
enough fire boulders upon the Roman camp but too far away for Roman soldiers to
fire arrows at the operators. Dozens of
boulders sail through the air, crashing against the stone walls of the
stronghold. Ballistas are positioned
near the catapults, sending large arrow bolts high above the heads of the Gauls
into Cicero, even managing to pick off a few Romans. A few thousand in reserves stay near the catapults and ballistas
as the rest continue the charge, bringing with them siege towers and protective
sheds and screens lined with animal hides.
Putting the protective screens up as they get closer to the camp, the
charge halts once more as the Gauls begin setting up stakes and stone
blocks.
PULLO
(surprised)
What? They’re building a rampart…but…
VORENUS
(confused)
I’ve never seen the Gauls do
that before. I’ve never even heard of
it being done by these savages before!
And they have siege towers, Roman siege towers!
PULLO
It never has been seen or heard
of before, so do not worry; your usual ignorance is not the reason why you’re
unfamiliar with this.
Pullo lifts a quiver and slings it over his shoulder. He picks up a bow and gets an arrow. He draws back the string and waits. Vorenus grabs as many javelins as he can
hold and leans them against the rampart wall, many Romans along the catwalk
doing the same as Pullo and Vorenus.
Several thousand Gauls remain near the protective
screens to begin construction of a defensive bulwark. The rest once again let out WILD WAR CRIES and continue the
charge, bringing a battering ram, protective sheds and screens, and siege
towers along with them.
CUT TO:
Pullo’s POINT OF VIEW: The centurion lines his
arrow up with the first unfortunate Gaul to catch his eye. He draws the arrow back and lets it fly.
CUT TO:
EXT. OUTSIDE OF CAMP CICERO – DUSK
The UNFORTUNATE GAUL runs with all his speed and
his sword raised high, never even seeing the arrow as it flies with amazing
accuracy, digging deep into the man’s chest and sending him to the ground dead,
the charging horde of Gauls not paying any heed and trampling the body.
CUT TO:
INT. CAMP CICERO, CATWALK – DUSK
Pullo reaches back and draws another arrow from his
quiver, letting loose another arrow, this time with less luck as it
misses. Vorenus on the other hand hurls
his spear high into the air, when it descends rapidly and plunges into a Gaul’s
leg, causing him to go down and get trampled by his comrades.
A sea of arrows and javelins take to the air from
the catwalks of Cicero, all descending and in most cases striking a target and
taking them out of the battle. Despite
the great success, there is still a plentiful supply of Gauls. The Gauls soon find it hard to wheel their
siege engines as ditches become more and more frequent. Another portion of the Gauls breakaway from
the horde and get behind the safety of the protective screens to begin filling
in some of the ditches.
The several thousand other Gauls continue on,
taking casualties but still going strong.
A volley of projectiles from the Gauls stolen catapults and ballistas
bombard portions of the camp walls, sending debris into Romans. Vorenus ducks down as a boulder hits the
wall in front of him. He watches as a
spray of stone from the smashed wall hits several nearby legionnaires and sends
them tumbling over the catwalk to crash forty-five feet below.
PULLO
Try to hang on, Vorenus! It would be rather embarrassing if you died
only a half an hour into the battle!
VORENUS
We
shall see, Pullo! We shall see.
The Gauls reach the camp walls, lining the
battering ram up with the gates and getting protective sheds lined up against
the walls. Several dozen Gauls begin to
attempt to scale the wall, which is very hard by itself, and near impossible
with Romans throwing rocks and javelins down at the Gauls as well as shooting
arrows downward.
Vorenus pounds a fist on Pullo’s armored shoulder
and points to the battering ram.
VORENUS
(angry)
More of our
siege weapons!
PULLO
Do not worry, providing you
don’t die, we will defeat these savages and find answers to our questions!
Another volley of large arrow bolts and
catapult-projected rocks crash into the side of the camp walls causing some
structural damage and injuring and killing more Roman soldiers. Misfortune befalls the Gauls as a boulder
ricochets off the wall and falls, tearing through the hides of a protective
shed and crushing several Gauls. The
Gauls around the gateway who are not in sheds or behind screens make easy
targets for the Romans, a few dozen Gauls meeting their maker every few
seconds.
The biggest concern of the Romans on the catwalk
closest to the gateway is the battering ram, which has already began to slam
its iron ram’s head into the great wooden doors of the gate. But thick hides protect those operating the
battering ram, impregnable from arrows, javelins, and rocks. After a mere three hits, GREAT CRIES FROM
THE GAULS come forth and they end their siege and begin to retreat to where
they are building a rampart.
The sun has pretty much set and it is no longer
dusk, but night. While catapults and
ballistas fire even more rapidly to try and provide cover fire for the Gauls
who are pulling back, many of them catch an arrow or javelin in the back. A CHEER FROM THE ROMANS arises, as they know
they have survived at least until the next day.
VORENUS
Those overly superstitious
fools should’ve attacked sooner if they are so concerned with the lack of
light.
PULLO
(to a group of legionnaires in his
cohort)
Meet with other legionnaires
from other cohorts, I want fires to light up the camp. No doubt we will need to be able to see during
this night.
The legionnaires nod and split up, some heading
down the ramps and some down the ladders to begin working on their orders.
PULLO
(CONT’D)
I will go see Legate Silanus,
you stay here and check on the wounded and dead, Vorenus.
VORENUS
Yeah, right. Who knows what venomous lies you’ll spread
about me. The other centurions can deal
with the dead and the fires; centurions of senior grade should go to see Silanus.
PULLO
If it will stop you from
whining.
CUT TO:
INT. CAMP
CICERO, SILANUS’ ROOM – NIGHT
The room is large, able to fit quite a few
men. It is rather Spartan and lacks
very much decoration. Many centurions
are gathered together to discuss the situation with the Legate the
situation. LEGATE MARCUS SILANUS stands
tall, despite a sickness that has been with him the past week.
SILANUS
We are by no means in short
supply of food or water. Indeed, we
have enough to last quite some time. We
have a great many weapons, enough javelins and arrows to last a week. If the siege lasts that long, more can be
crafted from the grand supply of timber that is stored in this very
building. In the meantime, from what
I’ve heard of the gate doors they took some minimal damage from the battering
ram. I want them repaired before sunrise
and fortified; they must be stronger than they were in the first battle. We have a great advantage in the Gauls’
superstition of the night. We must be
prepared, for if we are unlucky and there is a full moon during their siege
they may not let up for two days and a night.
Vorenus raises an arm, waiting to be called on as a
sign of respect instead of just interrupting.
SILANUS
Yes, Centurion Vorenus. You have something to say?
VORENUS
Yes, sir. You may have already been made aware of
this, but most of the siege weaponry the Gauls used against us were not of
Gallic design, but of Roman. They were
using our own weapons against us.
PULLO
They were also not cheap
imitations, sir. They are Roman
siege weapons.
The legate arches an eyebrow in surprise of this
and looks as if he is in deep thought.
SILANUS
Those savages possessing Roman
weapons is odd. It is hard to believe
they could steal such a great supply.
How they could get siege weaponry …our siege weaponry, I do not
understand. But dwelling on that is not
our biggest concern. We must send a
letter to Caesar and ask for aid against these aggressive barbarians. I will require a volunteer who will try to
sneak a letter past Gallic forces and get to Rome and present the letter to
Caesar.
Every single centurion in the Legate’s room raises
a hand, no one wanting to lose face in front of the highest-ranking man in the
entire camp. The Legate looks at
several different centurions specifically, and finally points at one.
SILANUS
You,
step forward.
The centurion steps forward, and it is Gaius Antistius Reginus. The camera shows us the faces of Pullo and
Vorenus, Sextius not present at this meeting, and they are both as surprised as
Reginus.
SILANUS
(CONT’D)
I will write this letter using the Greek alphabet so even
if you are captured the savages will not be able to read it. All of you are dismissed. Work fast and hard; indolence will lead to
our defeat if we are not diligent.
The
centurions and legate bang their arms against their chests and hold their arms
out in the Roman salute before filing out of the Legate’s quarters.
CUT TO:
EXT. NORTHEASTERN GAUL, FOREST – DAY
The next day.
Sneaking through the forest is Gaius Antistius Reginus. He stops at the MILD SOUNDS OF DISTANT
VOICES, speaking some Gallic tongue that Reginus doesn’t understand. He waits for a minute before
continuing. A LOUD SNAP OF A TWIG
catches his attention and he turns. A
LARGE GAUL SWORDSMAN charges the Roman.
The Gaul thrusts his blade forward, but Reginus blocks it and makes a
swing with his own sword, the Gaul blocking it with his shield. They both slash with their swords, the
weapons hitting together. Both men push
against each other, trying to knock the other over without much effect. Reginus brings his shield slamming into the
side of the Gaul’s head and then plunges his sword into the man’s abdomen. Before collapsing, the Gaul lets out a
SHRILL SCREAM.
The once quiet voices have now grown into loud
yells. Several different Gallic voices
stand out. Reginus breaks out into a
run, but after a brief WHISTLING SOUND, an arrow plunges deep into the back of
his leg. He stumbles and falls to his
chest. He rolls onto his back, A GAUL
WITH A BOW, standing above him.
CUT TO:
Reginus’ POINT OF VIEW: The Gaul pulls the string
back and fires the arrow at the bridge between his eyes.
CUT TO:
INT. CAMP CICERO, GATEWAY – DAY
The following day and third day of the siege.
Near the gates several familiar faces and an all
too familiar scene. On one side closest
to the gates is A GROUP OF GAULS; in the lead of them are the small Gallic man
and Ambiorix. The other group is that
of Legate Marcus Silanus and several other Romans, including Titus Pullo and
Lucius Vorenus.
CAESAR
(V.O.)
Ambiorix told Marcus Silanus
the same story he had used with Sabinus.
That is, the lies that the whole of Gaul was in arms, the Germans had
crossed the Rhine, and all of our winter camps were being assaulted. He then told Silanus of Sabinus’ death as
well and the fate of the legion stationed at Sabinus’ winter camp.
AMBIORIX
. . . you are making a mistake
if you are hoping for any help from your own troops in battle, who have no
confidence about their own safety. But
we have nothing against you or the Roman people, except that we object to
having Roman winter camps in our country and do not want them to become a
regular habit. As far as we are
concerned, you may leave your camp in safety and go wherever you please without
fear.
Silanus’
lips part in a small smirk.
SILANUS
Ambiorix. It is not practice of the Roman people to
accept any terms from an enemy who is still armed. If you agree to lay down your weapons, you can count on my
support when you send your envoys to Caesar.
As he is a just man, I expect Caesar will grant your requests.
Ambiorix’s lips curl up in anger as his chance of
success in that direction has been crushed.
AMBIORIX
(enraged)
You had your chance,
Romans! Know that your Marcus Silanus
has thrown away your only chance of survival!
You think that if you survive long enough Caesar will arrive to save
you? You’re wrong, for Caesar will
learn of your plight, but only after you’re all vanquished!
Ambiorix motions for the small Gallic man from earlier in the film to come forward with a sack in hand. The Gaul holds the sack upside down and lets the contents pour out. A human head hits the ground and rolls, stopping at the feet of Marcus Silnaus.