Primus Aulus Vetus

Name	Aulus Vetus
Title	Primus
Date of Birth	07.07.31133
Planet of Origin	Umbria
Affiliation	Umbrian Republic Army

Primus Aulus Vetus was one of four commanders responsible for leading Praetor Gaius Aurelius Marcellus's elite praetorian guard. He made a strong impression on the Praetor during the time they shared on Varese, where they waged a guerrilla war against a superior Ascomanni force. Despite his youth and lack of experience, he was able to keep his soldiers in line in a near-hopeless situation and succeeded in opening the path for the Umbrian's final assault on the Ascommani command post.

Aulus was born into a military family, with both his mother and father serving. His father was an officer in the Umbrian Republic Army, while his mother was a pilot aboard one of the Navy's carriers, the URN Terra. He would move from base to base with his father as his unit was redeployed, while his mother would spend long stints away from the family, only reunited during months long maintenance overhauls between cruises.

His relationship with his parents would be difficult, especially with his mother. The long time isolated from his family would lead Aulus to become shy and insecure. He attempted to compensate by focusing on his schoolwork. His bookishness, combined with a healthy respect for authority, would endear him to his teachers, but not so much his fellow students.

While his parents had always encouraged him to pursue his own dreams, the arrival of the Ascomanni would solidify the young Vetus's desire to follow in his parent's footsteps.  Both his father and mother encouraged him to become an officer, and Aulus began to plan out the steps needed to attend the military academy on Umbria.

The war would add further strain to the Vetus' family lives. Aulus had not seen his father for the better part of two years before receiving word that he had been killed in the Battle of Tivoli. Almost exactly a month later, he would receive another notice informing him his mother had died in battle, protecting the Terra from a surprise assault.

Their deaths, especially so close together, would have a profound effect on Aulus. He immediately pushed forward his graduation from secondary school and enrolled in a small university on Umbria. He completed four years' worth of coursework in two, bypassing the Academy and applying directly to the Army's officer candidate program.

He was accepted, and shipped out to Ozenuzo for basic training. Aulus would again struggle to make connections, his natural introversion reinforced by a fatalistic world view that had developed following his parents' deaths.

Despite his challenges in building relationships with his peers, Aulus would graduate in time to be assigned to the Ninety-Third Legion following the successful campaign on Gela, under the command of Gaius Aurelius Marcellus. Their next destination would be Varese.

Vetus managed to keep his century largely intact through the initial battle, earning him the recognition of his commanding officer. Perhaps seeing some of himself in the younger man, Marcellus would go out of his way to provide Aulus with feedback and support. Aulus came to admire his superior's calm demeanor, even in the midst of the chaos and uncertainty of their guerrilla war against the Ascomanni occupiers.

As the situation grew more dire, the Umbrians committed to one last assault on the Ascomanni's main staging area. Vetus would be hand selected to lead a small strike against an Ascomanni observation post which was situated on the Umbrian line of advance. Dealing with vicious native fauna as well as near-mutinous troops, Vetus managed to destroy the outpost, and rejoined the rest of the Umbrian defenders in time to participate in the final assault on the Ascomanni command post.

Following the battle, he would be promoted, though the Ninety-Third itself was too depleted to continue as a fighting unit. Instead, he would accept an offer from Marcellus to lead one of his praetorian cohorts, eager to continue to serve under the man that he idolized.