In 52 AD, the Roman Empire faced two issues more acutely than ever: political changes in the capital and maintaining control of Britain, a new barbarian colony. A turning point was approaching when some patrician, possessing the proper degree of ambition and determination, could rapidly ascend to the very heights of power. Legate Quintatus, who arrived in Britain and headed the XIV Legion, in which Prefect Cato and his faithful friend Centurion Macron served, reasoned approximately this way. The legate needs a speedy victory over the barbarians - victory at any cost; then he will gain incredible popularity in Rome and a rise in his political career. But to achieve such a victory, proven commanders are required. And Quintatus’s choice falls on Cato and Macron - they are the ones who must strike a reckless blow against the superior forces of the enemy. And so what if the price of the legate’s victory is their lives...