Praetor Gaius Aurelius
| Name | Gaius Aurelius Marcellus |
|---|---|
| Title | Praetor |
| Date of Birth | 17.08.31128 |
| Planet of Origin | Umbria |
| Affiliation | Umbrian Republic Army |
Gaius Aurelius, known better to his friends and confidants by his nickname, Marcellus, is the youngest person ever to attain the rank of Praetor, or army group commander, in the history of the Umbrian Republic. Having fought on numerous battlefields across the Frontier, Marcellus would make a name for himself, impressing his superiors with a keen sense of when to be aggressive and when to dig in, and his actions would lead to a number of high profile tactical victories over the alien aggressors.
Born into the famed Aurelius clan, Marcellus was the only child of a broken home. His mother would disappear after his third birthday, and his father quickly found the challenges of single parenthood to be more than he could manage.
Marcellus and his father would move to the family's crowded estate out in the rural hinterland of Umbria's fertile plains. He would primarily be raised by his aunts, all eight of them, while his father worked in the capital, and he spent his youth surrounded by his extended family.
The fortunes of the Aurelii were hardly the stuff of gossip vlogs, but he lived a comfortable life working the family's farmland with his cousins and uncles. It was during the long days out in the fields that he would be taught the history of his family, and their dedication to serving the Republic.
Inspired by these tails of ancestors past, a young Marcellus was committed to joining the Republic military. He did his best to prepare, using the physical nature of his upbringing to prepare for the difficulties ahead.
Another important figure in his life, his uncle Silus, encouraged him down this path, having served himself. Silus had served with Praetor Lucia Artorius, and he did his best to equip his nephew with as much knowledge as he could before Marcellus departed for the Republic Military Academy on Umbria.
The arrival of the vicious alien invaders, the dreaded Ascomanni, would greatly influence the young cadet. Determined to be the best in his class, Marcellus would push himself to the limits of his abilities, not just during physical training but in the classroom too. He was a sharp and inquisitive student, and while his curious nature would grate on some of his instructors, he always made sure that his demeanor was never mistaken for arrogance.
It was at the Academy that Marcellus would earn his nickname, after once again besting his classmates in a series of mock engagements. He would also develop some of the most important relationships of his career here as well, becoming fast friends with the likes of Valerian Barbatius and Aria Fulvia Nobilior. The three would grow nearly inseparable, and together they finished with distinction.
Having earned their commissions, each of the three went on to specialized schools to further their military education. Marcellus focused on mobile warfare, which suited his aggressive nature perfectly.
Upon completing his training, Marcellus was assigned to the Ninety-Third Legion, and was happy to learn that by some strange happenstance of fate, he was reunited with his compatriots. Aria commanded a century of air assault legionnaires, while Valerian had joined the legion's headquarters.
It wouldn't take long for the unit to see action, as the legion was deployed to the Frontier world of Lepitrum. Surveyed but not inhabited, Ascomanni activity was detected on the planet, and the Ninety Third was sent to wipe out the enemy presence.
Marcellus's first engagement would be difficult and bloody, and by the end he was commanding his own cohort. Despite enemy numerical superiority, the Ninety-Third would achieve its objectives and retreat, though at great cost.
More battles would follow, and Marcellus quickly proved himself capable of managing larger and larger formations in the field. He quickly came to the attention of his army group commander, Lucia Artorius, and she came to rely on him for the toughest of assignments.
By 31152, Marcellus had been promoted to Legate, taking charge of the Ninety-Third with the help of his friend and subordinate, Valerian Barbatius. Marcellus would be present at the pivotal battle of Gela, where his aggressive thrust through an overextended portion of the enemy perimeter would unravel the Ascomanni position and lead to victory.
His next assignment would take him to the resource rich world of Varese, where he would lead one of five legions sent to defend the mining operations which were scattered over the barren planet.
The Ascomanni would not be far behind. Quickly defeating the URN presence above the planet, the Ascomanni would wage a vicious campaign against the Umbrian defenders, quickly overwhelming all organized resistance.
Assumed by Umbrian command to be dead with his troopers, Marcellus rallied a few thousand survivors and began a guerrilla campaign in the mining tunnels and steep ravines of the planet. For three months, they did what they could to disrupt the enemy's operations before storming the command center and sending a final communication back to the Republic.
The War Council responded quickly, dispatching additional forces under the command of Archus Fabian Catus to secure the planet and evacuate the survivors.
Feted as a hero upon his return to Umbria, Marcellus became an overnight sensation. He was quickly promoted to Praetor and given a new army group to command, while the story of his soldiers' resistance to the Ascomanni dramatically lifted public moral.
With the support of the URN's Fifth Fleet, Marcellus was deployed to the planet Aetnaeus, which the War Council believed would soon be attacked by the Ascomanni. Marcellus's mission was to defend the world at all costs, and prove that the victories on Gela and Varese were not just coincidence.