Veranius gave a stiff salute and the broke into a friendly smile, "How do you like the cabin, Julius?" he questioned, taking the seat that Caesar waved him to.

"More than adequate for the few days to Rome, Marcus, my friend," he smiled in reply. "Have you settled my slave into her 'accommodations'?" he asked.

"Your Centurion, Flaccus?, saw that she was safely secured down there," the Admiral acknowledged, "Good man that," he mentioned recognising a thorough going professional when he saw one, "Would you care for some wine?" he asked as he rose from his chair and moved to the hanging wine cellar where he selected a stone bottle from the racks, "I can vouch for it's quality," he said with a wink, "It came from my own vineyards and is a very good vintage."

Caesar accepted the goblet that Veranius handed him and drank appreciatively of the golden wine, "It's as good as I remember," congratulated the noble as he watched his friend take his seat.

"Julius," the Admiral began hesitantly, "Are you sure that you want a woman slave down there. It's not a very healthy place and the slaves are treated more than harshly."

"Believe me, Marcus, that particular slave can endure anything that your men can throw at her for the few days it'll take to make the trip. Her strength is phenomenal, so much so that she is quite capable of manning one of your oars on her own. She is also incredibly deadly," he fingered the scar across his cheek.

"That's new," commented Veranius, taking a long look at the scar, "I intended to ask you about that,"

"A gift from Xena," acknowledged Caesar grimly.

"The slave? She's Xena?" asked the Admiral in concern, "Julius, do you really think it's wise leaving her down there? She could cause trouble. Surely it would be better to keep her in close confinement somewhere?"

Looking at his friend, Caesar shrugged, "That woman would cause trouble anywhere. Flaccus has warned your oarsmaster. It might not hurt for you to reinforce just how dangerous she is. Just make sure she's watched at all times, and work her hard. If she rows a double shift and then has one off we should be able to tire her out enough to keep her in hand."

"I'll see to it," agreed Veranius, uncomfortably.

Caesar took a long sip of his wine, "This really is excellent, Marcus," he complimented, turning his thoughts away from Xena and onto other matters, "Which route will we be taking?" he asked.

"I thought we could take the middle passage between Corsica and Sardinia. It's the shortest route, and I really need to be back on patrol as quickly as possible," explained the Admiral.

"So tell me, was your recent cruise successful?" asked Caesar idly.

An angry look fluttered across the Veranius' face, "No, by Neptune's trident, it wasn't," he growled. "The swine refused to stand and fight! I've been chasing them across the Mediterranean for weeks and as soon as I've dropped you and your men off in Rome, I'll be out after the bastards again," he grumbled, as he began to explain the current situation to Caesar.

They had been at sea for a day and a half and it had been a painful and exhausting period for the Warrior Princess. Urminus had hardly ventured away from the oar she was chained to. Given the slightest excuse, the man was fully eager to use his whip. If she opened her mouth to speak to the men around her, both she and they felt the sting of the lash. Everyone was well aware that she was a 'special' case and did their best to keep a distance between her and themselves.

All through the long first day, she had pulled at the oar. The fact that she pulled double shifts, gave the other men on the oar extra rest, for which they were grateful, but four candlemarks of hauling on an oar, with only two off, left Xena acutely aware that she was severely out of condition. Her long period of captivity and relative inactivity had allowed her muscles to slip from the supreme condition she normally maintained.

Nighttime had brought some respite as the fleet only travelled in darkness in urgent situations, otherwise they were content to ride out the night and continue from first light in the morning.

Xena had slept hunched over her oar. She was too tired to eat and only took the time to fill herself with water because she knew that she needed it. Her whole body ached and her back was a mass of welts beneath her shirt. It was fairly obvious that orders were to keep her too tired and in pain to even think about starting any trouble.

The following morning, the galley slaves were woken by the crack of whips in the air, and across the backs of those who didn't move quick enough for the liking of the overseers. Xena was expecting the stinging blow that fell across her shoulders, it wouldn't have mattered how quickly she responded, the lash would have fallen on her anyway. As the drummer began to beat out the rhythm for the speed, the great oars rose and dipped in unison, getting the ship underway. She began her four candlemark shift with silent fortitude, adding Urminus' name and face to a mental list of people that she owed debts to.

By midday, a thick fog had blown up out of nowhere shrouding the fleet in a solid blanket of white. No orders came for the rowers to be stopped, so the slaves continued to bend their backs into their task, moving with the slow cadence that the drum dictated. An eerie silence seemed to descend over everything, causing unease amongst the rowers who could feel an impending doom. Without warning the slave pit was thrown into turmoil and panic, as something hit the side of the ship, snapping the great oars like twigs and sending long thick splinters shearing through the enclosed space like death dealing scythes.

Amidst the groans of the injured and dying, the Warrior Princess could hear the trumpets calling both soldiers and sailors to battle. Deciding that she would never likely have a better chance to break free, and not liking the thought of being chained in the slave pit of a galley during a battle, Xena was just preparing to snap out of her shackles, when six men from the elite maniple clattered down the ladder from the deck and moved to her side.

"Thank the gods she wasn't killed," she heard the officer declare as he ordered her release from the oar. A look around the pit showed that other slaves had not been so lucky, "The emperor wants her somewhere a bit safer than this until we've taught the damned Carthaginians a lesson they won't soon forget."

Unlocked from the fetters that had held her to the oar, the chain was locked back to her collar and she was pulled roughly from the rowing bench as the drummer picked up the beat indicating that they were about to tackle an enemy ship.

Xena expected her guards to snap the manacles from the belt at her waist, around her wrists but, either in the poor light they failed to see them, or in the excitement of knowing the battle was about to be joined, their eagerness led them to neglect the elementary precaution and they failed to do so. Instead she was hurried towards the ladder and encouraged to climb by the man holding her 'leash' pulling hard for her to follow him. Having use of her hands made the climb fairly easy, and she emerged on deck to witness chaotic preparations for a sea fight.

Caesar had been standing on the stern deck along with Admiral Veranius and several of each man's junior officers, "Is it wise to keep going in this fog?" questioned Caesar, peering into the blanket of white, just able to make out the torch lights on the ships keeping closest station to them.

"So long as we keep station with the fleet and maintain our current speed and direction, there's no real danger," Veranius told him, competently.

"How often do you have to travel like this?" questioned Caesar, uncomfortable at being so cut off from his surroundings.

"It's not something that occurs too often," admitted the Admiral turning to snap an order at the helmsman. As he turned back he added, "We're in deep water here, we're still some distance from the channel between the islands. We can afford to continue as we are at the moment. If the fog doesn't lift in four candlemarks are so, I'll send out an order to heave too for the night."

Sound had seemed peculiarly muffled and the men spoke in muted whispers as they went about their assigned tasks. The odd silence had Caesar straining to hear every little sound, every shift in the atmosphere around him. He felt vulnerable and out of control, neither of which he felt comfortable with. He also felt some vague sense of foreboding, as if something unwelcome was coming in his direction.

His overstrained ears picked up a sound somewhere off the port bow, "What was that?" he questioned Veranius.

Veranius strained to hear, and soon all could make out the sound of cracking timbers, clashing swords and the cry of injured and dying men, "Hard a starboard," yelled the Admiral as they saw the prow of a ship looming out of the gloom to their right.

The order no doubt saved the ship as the Carthaginian trireme, instead of ramming and holing the Roman galley, merely sheared across some of the oars, snapping them and setting up a fearful wailing as slaves were injured and killed below. As Veranius barked instructions and men prepared for battle, with trumpets blaring out orders, Caesar grabbed one of his junior officers and snapped, "Get down below and get Xena out of there. Take five men with you. Escort her to my Cabin and chain her to the ringbolt that holds the desk in place, then you and your men stay with her and make sure she stays put."

"Yes sir," acknowledged the optio, rushing swiftly to gather his men and headed down into the slave pit.

Once up on deck Xena was quick to take in the details of what was happening. Her acute hearing picked up the sounds of more fighting between ships hidden in the fog. The ship she was on was chasing an enemy trireme as it retreated into the thick covering whiteness. A glance over the side of the ship showed substantial debris floating around, obviously the remains of other ship to ship conflicts, and up on the sterndeck, along with some other officers, stood Caesar.

The optio tugged hard on her leash and started moving towards the stern and the door that lead to the officers cabins. Plans flashing through her mind, Xena allowed herself to be moved in that direction until she reached the place where she could execute her hastily conceived idea.

Grabbing the leash in both hands, she pulled back hard on the chain, unbalancing the optio and sending him sprawling to the deck releasing the chain as he fell. Not giving the other guards time to react, Xena emitted her ululating cry and flipped with unbelievable ease up onto the stern deck close to Caesar. The Roman turned just in time to find himself face to face with the Warrior Princess, who grabbed him round the waist and leaped over the stern railing, taking them both into the sea.