u/PTerrio

 In the town that the 1066th were reinforcing, it was late evening and rain was heavy. 

 Rachel felt an itch, one that needs scratching.

 So she went on a walk, finding her target nearby.

 A soldier on was on his own, for whatever reason, it was a relatively safe area here after all, and few suspected any danger.

 She walked up slowly, careful not to draw her attention. The rain masking her footprints. This particular soldier was in some turmoil with others, so the rumours said. Nothing to do with her, she’d be last on the list of suspects.

 Only a metre away, her datasheet suddenly screeched at full volume.

 Swearing under breath, by the time Livi turned around she had it out, staring at the screen.

 It screeched a few more times.

 ‘Whoops.’ She sighed, then tapped the button.

 ‘You okay?’

 ‘Just… Passing through.’ She noted. Sliding the knife back into her rear pocket without him seeing.

 ‘What’s that?’

 She looked at the screen. ‘It’s in Tuatha, it’s a dehydration alert. Kestrel Authority blast this on every slate.’ Her eyes wavered. ‘means some must be planetside…’

 ‘Huh.’ She noted. ‘You need a walk back? It’s dangerous out here.’

 She glanced up. ‘From you? Ew.’

 Leaving her confused she turned and marched off. Back into Crossbers walls and past the sentries. It did not take time for her to find a newer, far less hostile target. ‘Hey. Leo.’ She said nervously, walking up to him. ‘I thought you might-‘

 Her dataslate screeched again. ‘ugh.’ She snatched it out. Very loud pitched. This time the message repeated in gothic.

 Around them people stopped and stared.

 ‘It’s nothing.’ She said aloud. It was clear she wasn’t used to speaking with groups. When they went she turned back to Leo. ‘I uh… wanted to let you know that you two officer you were asking about are arriving today.’

 

 /////////////////////////

 

 (General 1066th posts can go here).

The second trench had been taken, but at a higher casualty rate than the others. 

 The Erelvastians had secured an early warning up north through diplomacy, something they were more skilled at than others, as tepid as the agreement was. if chaos planned to go noth, they would be spotted early, and such a chokepoint rendered such an invasion pointless.

 As imperials progressed forwards a sense of dread was passing over the eastern armies, the awareness that the enemy was performing defence in depth hard to ignore. Only the scions seemed in good spirits, cockily so. 

 The priority now was to secure another rally point. The most vulnerable section of the chaos lines had become a pit stop, the Generlissimo and his staff reckoned the third trench would be final. With that, the desert theirs.

 The Augustinains had one days rest before moving on. They were the armies recon force, so they were first in. 

 At this point their own casualties had been mounting up. their own mortality had to ignore.

 Thus, a party had been arranged.

 Dancing and merriment, a soft sadness passed through it all.

 Bauer herself roamed through, several drinks in. she saw people around her, much younger drinking half as much and already inebriated.

 The reality of the youthleness of those killed hit her, barely kids and she was leading them to slaughter, but she drank it off. All you could do. 

 One such example was the sargent orland, who was chatting away with some boy. Bauer caught the half-end of it before he stumbled away awkwardly.

 Orland turned to salute her. ‘Mmmarshal!’ 

 ‘you drunk sargent?’ 

‘No!. …I don’t- I’m not drunk. I don’t come across as drunk.’ 

‘Get some water. That’s an order.’

 She swayed slightly. ‘Do you… Do you not like me marshal?’ 

 That made her pause. ‘What do you mean?’

 ‘I just think you don’t like me. And everyone else too.’

 ‘I think you have had too much.’

 ‘But you don’t though. Do you.’ 

Bauer hesitated. ‘You are… fine. Sargent. A little much but it’s fine. you do the job.’ 

 ‘Everyone said you were cool.’ She stumbled, and Bauer caught her, forcing her to sit at a nearby table. ‘And you were a big hero and I wanted to- to-‘ 

 ‘Okay. I get it.’ 

 ‘And you are gay! I never met a gay person before, you’re like… unique.’ 

 Bauer paused again. ‘Statistically you absolutely have but, I know your planet is only recently civilised, so sure.’ 

 ‘Hey, if you definitely are then, I wanna ask, am I ugly? I think I am.’ 

 ‘No. That boy certainly didn’t think so.’

 ‘Oscar?’

 ‘Oscar. Oscar and Orland…’ she shook her head. ‘No. You’re not anyway. But don’t read into that from  me by th eway, you’re about about twelve years old. Well I exaggerate, but it’s as good as.’

 ‘I’m twenty!’

 ‘Nevertheless.’ She placed herself down across from her. ‘A child. Besides, the truth is that there is no such thing as heroes, Orland, and certaintly not me.’

 ‘Why?’

 ‘I failed to protect someone. It was my duty. Such duty is not easily forgotten. Not where I'm from, and I've learned why.’

 ‘Cus that woman killed the one you liked?’ she asked.

 ‘…Yes. Maya Young. She was… I tried to…’

 ‘Maybe it wasn’t your fault?’

 Bauer didn’t answer. 

 ‘It’s not your fault… Marshal.’ Orland started to fall asleep, cheek down on the table. ‘it was that woman. We’ll get her.’

 The marshals hand clenched slightly, her face like stone. ‘I’ll handle her. Alone.’

 The sergeant was already asleep.

 Bauer sighed, and after a moment got up to help her to the tents.

  It was her failure to deal with. Hers alone. 

7 hours sleep, that was all he had gotten in a week.

 Sebastian and Maria had not stopped, nor had the Canthians en-mass. The war-winners were… were…

 He wanted to say incredible but that was not right. only when he took them. Only when they were fresh.

 The enemy had been driven to the trenches and pushed off, so relentless were the canthians that the second trench belonged to them more or less.

 But, that had cost a lot of lives. Now they had been ordered to stop, and they were restless.

 The time in this stolen bunker was making people twitch. Throw up. adverse affects to the pills.

 Sebastian felt exhaustion slowly return the longe the stayed put, the distant sound of explosions dulled out the safer they were. He saw three guardsmen in front freak out, shiver, shaking their heads.

 Maria was pacing. Shaking her arms. A far cry from how she had been in their original battle.

 ‘You need to rest.’ he groaned, the words hurting as they left.

 ‘I can’t stop.’ She shook her head. ‘Neither can he. Look’

 She getsured to another trooper who immediately collapsed, shivering. ‘I can still go.’

 ‘It’s been days. Sebastian said. You need rest too.’

 ‘No. no. no you can’t… you can’t make me…’ they trailed off weakly.

 He looked ack to maria. ‘Come on.’

 ‘I need ot fight. I need to feel. I need to sprint and – and-‘ as she walked back and forth, her body was far more tired than her mind. Spittle now caked the front of her fatigues and the once tidy braids were now a mess.

 ‘You need to calm down!’ he said, grabbing his head. ‘What is in those things!?!’

She plonked herself down besides him, shifting constantly. twitching. Fidgeting. ‘Wanna f*ck’

 ‘Ew. No.’

 She shook again. ‘You sure?’

 ‘Are you serious?’ he asked.

 ‘I dunno. Maybe.’

 ‘No. Eww. No. You need to calm down!’

 Her eyes darted, barely registering.

 ‘Maria, please, listen to me, I don’t… I don’t think these pills are good for us. You would never have said that normally.’

 She stared. ‘What are you talking about? they helped us win! They brought us victory!’

 He covered his face. ‘I need to sleep.’

 She shook. ‘I need- I need- I need-‘

 The bunker doorway opened and the officer entered. ‘New orders! push onwards.’

 The troops all looked up, a mix of faces.

 ‘Here.’ he tossed them a fresh bag of war-winners. 'Generalissimos orders. take these, you’ll feel like you just woke up.'

 Maria didn’t even wait. She more or less barrelled Sebastian aside to get at them first, wrestling with four others to tear open the bag. He just made eye contact with the lieutenant, who shrugged and left.

 

////////////////////////

 

 The chaos forces had pulled back out the trenches and were retreating, again. Valorus, the traitor astartes, the executioner held the ground on his own, a hill that he was over the side of, axe swinging constantly. buying time for his forces to pull back. Two marines were him, and beserkers elsewhere, but otherwise he was on his own for the moment, not that it mattered.

 

 More and more blue uniformed and silver wearing sodliers came up over the hill.

 He swung, bisecting two more,

 Struck. Killing three with three strikes.

 Lasbeams rippled his armor. but there was enough residual rock formations and pockmarked hills to avoid concentrated fire.

 He charged, suddenly and violently, smearing more.

  **‘I’m so tired…’** he muttered in a moment of brief reprieve.

 A fresh set of screaming, more came over the top, screaming war cries unable to be made out, slamming down heavy weapons and firing.

 He groaned, and kept fighting.

 

(D20 for canthian attempt to push on = 10. Stalled progress).

Gary knew a lot, he reckoned, but his time amongst the 1066th had made him realise how lucky he was to have a publicly funded education, if an education at all. probably should have paid attention in class. None of this was so clear as now, looking over the map and directions with no clue on what he was doing.

 The job was simple. they had to make a train yard. Or get one up and going.

 The building had been selected on criteria he didn’t fully get, other it was big. Areas had been marked out, plans had been drawn out, a few limited numbers of trucks had brought down the pieces. The details had been explained to him, but he’d given up, they seemed to think he had a better understanding of what was going on. His blank looks dissuaded them of such notions. 

 With a few swaps he found himself with a hammer, doing the heavy job of lifting part of the track to be nailed into the floor. That wasn’t the right term, or specifics, but around what he was doing.

 Large mallet in hand, he had to swing it and then the long metal bit would stay in place.

 More or less.

 A lot of the men and women had rolled up their sleeves, it was hot though and he undid his shirt. That caused a series of whooping from the women around him.

 ‘Yeah, yeah…’ he ignored them and removed it, swinging the mallet to a loud dink sound. 

‘Huh.’ 

 He looked up, one of the women from the passing supervisors was looking with a quizzical tone. An older black woman, hair falling across her left eye. She seemed to muse on something. 

 He smiled in a bemused manner. 

‘I take it you’re Fairweather then.’ she noted. ‘I expected something different.’

 He turned his head slightly. ‘Did you?’ 

 ‘I’m just saying. I’ve heard a lot. Aren’t you supposed to be strong. You should look like that actor, what’s his name, from the posters by the rundown cinema.’ 

 ‘I am strong.’ He swung the mallet, knocking the peg all the way in in a single go. 

 ‘Impressive.’

 ‘This is- this is what real strength looks like.’ He knocked the next one as soon as he put it in the ground. He smirked. ‘What did you expect?’

 ‘Gutters.’

 *‘Gutters?’*

 ‘Yeah, like a… You know…’ she made a V shape gesture with her hands.

 He knocked the next peg in. ‘How rude. It’s there, just underneath. It’s not… this is what a normal healthy person looks like. Not on steds or dehydrated.’

 ‘But aren’t you the guy who is enhanced? Like surgically? You seem very caught off guard. Very wishy-washy.’

 He stopped. ‘I didn’t think I’d have to defend myself to this extent.’

 She laughed. ‘I’m not saying it’s bad.’

‘Anyway, I don’t think I caught your name, would you like my opinion on you? Is it my turn?’

 She stretched, gesturing to herself. ‘Go on.’

 He shook his head. ‘I ain’t falling for that, but you’re rude so you’re defiantly an officer. Hmm. What’s your rank?’

 Her arm band had been incidentally turned away over the conversation, she covered it. ‘Guess.’ Her uniform was non-existent, mostly wearing black pants, a vest and a once very clean but now marked loose white shirt.

 He placed the next peg down and swung for it. ‘Going by your age, Butter-Bar.’

 She snorted. ‘Aren’t you a flatterer.’

 ‘It just comes natural.’

 ‘Well no, I’m not a lieutenant, how do you even know I’m an officer. Maybe I’m just a rude private?’

 ‘if you’re no then what are you doing up there with that clipboard, come down here and help us.’

 ‘I’d rather watch.’

 ‘You sure you’re not an officer?’

 ‘Well I-‘

 There was a not too far away sound of whirring that caused her head to turn sharply. A distant tree fell down. ‘Crap!’

 He turned to see a knight, an armiger, cutting through a tree in the distance.

 ‘The hell are they?’ he mused.

 ‘House Vora, they’ve come to help. But that’s the wrong way! I gotta go.’ She began to run.

 ‘Didn’t get your name?’ he called after her.

 She span back to shout without stopping. ‘Find out. That’s an order.’ Then, span to carry on.

 He gave a single chuckled, almost shocked, before shrugging and turning back to the task at hand. His next swing was kind of meager, only getting the peg half-in. The thought passed his mind. It had been… what… two years since he last… A sudden nervousness came over him.

 He shook it off and glanced at the armigers.

 Rarely had he seen them up close. Kestrel manuals described how to fight one, but even so, seeing them for real, they moved more agile than he had expected, almost cartoonishly. He was glad he wouldn’t have to fight one.

 

 

////////////////////////////////////////

 

 Elsewhere Lance-Corporal Rachel Zhang was putting las-beams downrange of whatever this practice range was called. It was an outdated kestrel Sub-volley gun, a hotshot variant of a sub-machine auto-gun. Retired from service and mothballed when they switched away from stormtroopers to grenadiers and got bigger ones, this she had kept for herself from the armoury collection.

 Her data-slate was set aside and receivers put down the end of the range. 

 The mounds of dirt that had dug further down vaporised small blasts of sparks every time the white hellgun bolts struck it. 

 It was more powerful than the lasguns she had trained on, more accurate too. Other kestral lasguns of the more normal variety had been strewn about Acwyns new company, weaker per shot than the previous ones but more lightweight and still enough to kill.

 She paid attention as the shots connected. The testing of the HUD system working.

 A slight melancholy feeling crossed her mind.

 But no.

 No.

 She had to get good at this.

 Just in case.

Up north upon the eastern front was a way that looped around a large lake and presented a route to get behind the imperials. In theory. In reality the chaos forces had not committed here and it was guesswork why.

Rhyonians before their redeployment to the west had ventured long range scouts who testified of mountain tribes that didn’t get on with them. The mountains led down to arid land described as too dangerous to traverse. It was overall considered too risky for enemy forces to traverse in suitable number to perform an assault across the river necessary to get around.

 Regardless, it had to be seen to.

 The erelvastians had been tasked with this job. Crossing the water from whatever direction they wished, shallow enough to be less hazardous, would allow them to reach the heightened mountain villages with ease.

 Here, awaiting them, were nomadic people, one central village a sophisticated town though to the erelvastian standards utterly barbaric. Its people donned head to toe, wearing face masks and carrying large rifles for mountain warfare’s extreme ranges.

 

//////////////////////////////////////////

 

The Augustinians had taken a large brunt of the casualties up front, and Bauer found herself cursing solemnly the fragility of such a force as her own unit made back around to join in the battle.

 It was a mess. She had disembarked by now with the others and they made their way forward, low and quick, towards the trenches.

 The hole that had been punched through was marked by burning tanks. Though many imperial shad continued on, in this particular point it was scattered, with few guardsmen placed to defend their opening.

  ‘We need to advance, get an eye on what we’re looking at.’

The breach was a mess. Tanks had burnt from green to brown. She saw one dorn that had been hit by some much anti-tank weaponry she could only imagine the crews remains inside were naught but atoms.

 Guardsmen were milling about looking for survivors, tech-priests for stuff they could salvage or save, but most guardsmen were defending the sides of the breach against a possible counter attack, or passing through.

 As they waked she saw movement. ‘Orland, you see that?’

 ‘Survivors marshal?’

 The figure emerged and sprant at Bauer. An enemy combatant, but, not a soldier class. Something less fortunate and more desperate. dressed in rags and a t shirt.

‘No!’ she fired, putting them down.

 As they fell, there was a beep and then an explosion.

 It was far enough to not hurt but close enough she could feel the blast. The sound of gunfire echoed as random shots flew after.

 ‘Sargent!’ she fired. Taking someone down.

 Orland looked momentary struck, then quickly forced something out. ‘Uh-Uh-AMBUSH! Return fire!’

 The squad dropped to prone or behind whatever they could. Firing back immediately. The enemy had not been prepared for their suicide bomber to go off so early.

 Bauer shot someone else three times as grenades were thrown at the chaos forces. Flashes of smoke and bangs prevented her from shooting another but now there was a grey wall between them and the enemy.

 ‘Assault! Now! Everyone!’

Immediately the squad split in two. The heavy weapons staying back to fire, those with small arms racing in to close the distance.

 (12) what could have been an ambush turned against the enemy. Thrown off their initial advantage by the Guardsmens quick and decisive movement.

 Bauer finished off a final one by the time the other guardsmen nearby came to help, weaving through the tank wrecks. The person before her was fighting to the last, swinging their knifeshe had little choice but to put them down.

 Sword slashing. A quick movement. They had no chance.

 Seconds later Canthians flooded the scene. She glanced at Orland, who was breathing heavily.

 ‘Excellent work sargent.

 The young woman looked up, wiping something off her face. ‘Yes marshal!’

 ‘I believe we’ll make an officer of you yet.’

 She nodded. ‘Maybe you can teach me to sword fight?’ she suggested.

/////////////

 Years ago…

 Bauers wooden sword clashed with Mayas, the girl having gotten better at it with the years that passed.

 It was Erelvastian style, the Serpican had been getting better. Though in truth Bauer always pulled back.

 This time though maya parried her by throwing her body into Bauer, crashing them to the floor. Her sword fell from her hand while maya still had hers. She held it pointed at Bauers neck.

 ‘Maya! That's not how it goes!’

‘Yield?’

‘That’s not the technique.’

‘I won so I have a better technique. I' m just that good, you should be amazed’

 ‘In a real fight, if you fought with honor and technique, I’d beat you.’

 ‘then I guess I’ll play dirty.’

 Before Bauer could reply back maya planted her mouth on hers, hand reach through Bauers shirt. The two of them spoke between breathes.

‘Why do we- have to- practice?’

 ‘I need you to be safe. Other one.’

 Mayas hand moved the other side. ‘I am safe.’

‘If you need – to fight- I need to know…’

 

////////////////////////////

 

 Present.

 Bauer looked at Orland a moment, pausing. ‘It is not as helpful as you think. I put myself in danger each time.’

 ‘Maybe I can teach you to shoot the plasma pistol then Marshal? You never use it. and I’ve seen your aim.’

 A slight curl formed on the side of Bauers lips but she supressed it. ‘Don’t be cheeky sergeant. It is unbecoming’

 ‘Yes marshal.’ Then Orland turned and whistled loudly.

 The horses ran up, the troopers having now crossed the breach, and danger passed, for the moment. They mounted back up and carried on.

 

The desert was frail, yet livelier than ever. A small little creature, native to the world, turned up upon some rocks and overlooked a sight its brain could barely comprehend. On Holy terra this would be compared to a lizard, although it was different enough biologically. For one its eyesight was incredible and it could pick out every details up and to the horizon.

It saw the Augustinian horses and Russes reach the trenches. A smattering of fire was given, tut they failed to make a dent.

 In fact a lot of them were cut up. the trenches defenses sophisticated as they were heavy. They pulled back quickly but had taking a battering. Artillery fire tried to cover their advance but the enemy were too dug in.

 (Augustinians d20 = 3. Casualties = 4. No success, high casualties.)

 To the not-lizard, once named ’Slick’ by some children who once a year ago saw it pass by, this was all visually clear yet made little sense.

 Next it saw the second wave. Heavy tanks and up gunned APCs known as chimeras moving in. they went for a weaker spot pointed out by their initial wave and the green vehicles pushed through, surpassing the trench line in an impossible to see wall of smoke. Such a thing was costly however, no way about it. The enemy made them pay dearly. They broke through, yet few tanks made it further. Explosions rippling where they stood.

 (Kestrels: d20 = 12. Casualties = 1. Successful breakthrough but no further. Complete loss of assaulting party.)

 Elsewhere it saw more spread out a wave of assaults form humans dressed in blue and silver. Their tenacity ferocious, pushed on by war-winning pills, they had been relentlessly chasing down the enemy over 3 days without sleep. The enemy was tired, the blue soldiers were not. now backed up by artillery and closely following sentinels, their own victory was easy. They pushed the enemy back, but failed to have enough left over to follow onwards.

 (Canthians: d20 = 15. Casualties = 3)

 Finally, it saw elsewhere small fast vehicles race in where the tanks had been. Eager not to let the opening fall. Supported by fast attack VTOLs, the Taurox Primes surged through the opening created by the tanks and made deep into the enemies line. Continuing the breakthrough.

 (Raptors roll 1d20 as a glass cannon unit. Higher than 11 determines a 2d20 take best roll. Lower than 10 determines a 2d20 take worst. This is to represent their flaky nature going forward. In this case they scored a 19, then with 2d20, another 19).

 None of this meant anything to the lizard, who turned away to scurry off, before being promptly eaten by something bigger than itself.

 Such was the way of the desert.

 

/////////////////////

 

Summary:

Augustinian fail.

Canthian success but no progress due to casualties.

Kestrel success but no progress due to casualties.

Raptors: Success and progress made.

 Valorus had taken his time, finally arriving back at the “great and bountiful” second trench as the last of his cultists and traitor guard turned up.

 Traitor Guard.

  He hated that term, even as much as they held it themselves with regard. A noble attempt to turn the irony upon the imperium and one he supported outwardly, but inwardly he hated it. He hated using traitor at all in regards to his armies. 

 The second trench was bigger. He was already receiving reports that the Zalau of all of the regiments had made advances for the more forward positions. It was after all not a straight line exactly.

 A traitor Colonel watched the enemy, his cool and breezy robes billowing something fierce as he lowered his magnoculars.

 ‘My Lord.’ He bowed, not daring look the Executioner in the yes. ‘The majority of my forces have made it out of the tunnels.’

 He glanced back. Great underground passages big enough to fit cars through leading all the way back to the 1st trench. They went deep and maze-like in order to make it harder for the loyalists to locate them and bomb them from above. Still, leaving them open was a risk.

 ‘Excellent work. Blow them.’

 ‘Yes my lord. 

 He went up a rampart, these trenches far sturdier than the last. The first wave was costly but had inflicted casualties upon the enemy and helped assess the foes strength. Now they knew exactly what they were up against.

 Everything here was better protected. Electrified barbed wire. Mines. Automated sentries. 

 Tanks would be a problem, but he kept his own forces armor as a reserve, to fill in the gaps. This time any enemy tank force would be met in kind. 

 In the distance towards the west, the fire wall had mostly dissipated. Artillery was being brought forward by the enemy, though no spotters as of yet. For now they would be limited in their capacity to counter-fire and would have to rely on the trenches bunkers.

He looked up at the sound of engines roaring.

 Areonautica bombers.

 They flew up high as AA fire shot after them. Trails dotting upwards like underwater streams. They passed over, a mile or two south of his position, and started unloading their payload.

 He growled under his breath. He had to save his fighters for when they reached the peninsular. For now, they’d be reliant on static AA. But the imperials had the capacity to bomb his supplies.

 

 

/////////////////////////////////////////

 

 

 In the far south of the peninsular Astarte’s designed aircraft touched down in the capital city of this nation. StormRavens landed and no sooner had the ramps dropped and Elizabeth Quatre found herself and the other prisoners shoved roughly down the ramp. One prisoner had died on the trip, and another was thrown down the ramp so hard they fell and rolled before being mercilessly yanked back up.

The Dreadblade kept her grip on her however, grabbing her shoulder and frog-marching her along.

 She wished she had gone for the Grenadier enhancements now. At least if she was stronger, while she wouldn’t be able to beat them, she could have made a break for it. A wild chance of escape.

 A large procession was waiting for them on this pad. Cheering and hollering. Fighter pilots and aircrew of all kinds, as well as photographers.

 That surprised her. 

 Flashing lights and cameras desperate to capture this catch, but they were shooed away quite aggressively. Nevertheless she was paraded, families of these crewmen awaiting within the air control lobby, spitting down and swearing at them from catwalks. They were pushed for what felt like hours, eventually being transported to some giant central tower, built more like a five layered castle from what she could see. 

 Taken within and past yet another precession, marched down steps and through doors and checkpoints, they eventually reached a corridor with metal bared cells. Like everywhere in this city there seemed to be bronze built into almost everything. Khornite.

 ‘This will keep any would be psyker filth or witches from trying to contact you.’ A guard said as it threw the prisoners in.

  The dreadblade yanked Quatre back at the end though.

 ’Not you. You get a special cell.’

 She turned her sharply and threw her into an isolated one. It was pretty much the same as the other, she could even see them through the bars on the side. The walls were grimy and the floor damp. They had taken away her smock and amor so it didn’t help. It was also colder in here, somehow, than the desert.

 She fell as she was shoved in, yelping as her arm hit the ground.

 ‘Shush little one.’ The mercenary traitor-knight taunted. ’A lady like you should be seen and not heard.’

 Quatre held her arm and looked back, now a set of bars between them and clear preferential treatment, she found a smidge of courage. ‘I thought knights were supposed to have honor! No wonder you Baramites turned on the emperor!’

 That seemed to cause the knights head to incline.

 Quatre smirked slightly. Aware she had gotten one over on her.

 That was until the knight slammed the cell door back open.

 ‘No- no- I didn’t mean it!’ A flurry of panic set over her as the mercenary approached. ‘I’m sorry! I’m sorr-!’   

 She was silenced as they gripped her by the throat, raising her up to meet her face. The cracked red lense of the helmet glared down. Still unrepaired, her mouth was visible with grit teeth through the broken off right half.

 ‘You are a utter dissapointment.’ She said. Calmly, but with venom. Posh accent slipping.

  Quatre started chocking but the hand was clasped hard.

 ‘I bet you’ve never had anyone tell you no, have you. How annoying you are. There are girls like you out there who live as nothing but breeding stock for nobility, but you, with your freedoms, with your money, with your potential… And this is the best you could do?’

 Quatres face went whiter than it already was. her vision went blurry.

 ‘If you saw what they did to us on this world, you would never be able to sleep. Your planet chose them over us. don’t you ever-‘

 ‘Peace. My child.’

 The voice came from behind, causing the Dreadblade to drop Quatre.

 She fell, landing on the damp floor, gasping. Barely had a second passed before that turned to sobbing.

In the corridor was a frail, almost hunchback figure, cloaked and standing with a cane. They looked decrepit and spoke with an old croaking tone. ‘Let her be.’

 The Dreadblade stepped back out, bending to meet the old one face to face. ‘She has no respect.’

 ‘Where you once so different? She needs time. I will see to her.’

 The knight spoke something else but Quatre didn’t hear it, she was grabbing at her neck, sobbing but trying to stifle it. She could see the other prisoners looking at her, none of them saying anything. She couldn’t tell if it was fear but a loud part of her mind knew they didn’t care what happened to her. 

 The Dreadblade eventually left, leaving the old man. ‘Here.’ he spoke. ‘For you.’

 The hooded figure held out something, and it took her a moment to recognise it as food.

 ‘You haven’t eaten.’

 She didn’t respond, but kept her eyes on him, wide.

 ‘You are terrified, I imagine…’ he croaked. ‘It must be horrible. I know.…But… I’m sure hungry too. This is not-‘

He stopped turning away to cough loudly. It was a painful sounding cough, and from his clear condition, one that showed he was not far from death.

 ‘I will not force you. But… I will leave it here. In case you change your mind.’

 He put it down, and closed the door.

 There were two strange looking guards, protecting the old man, watching from the corridor in case she tried anything. She wasn’t going to.

 ‘What do you want?’ she asked eventually. ‘You’re a kestrelite. Your voice.’

 The old man hesitated, then replied. ‘…Many things. I will not lie. But, for now, I only want to see that a scared young lady in my care is looked after.'

 She didn’t ask again.

 He nodded. ‘You remind me of myself. If you can believe it. I think you deserve a chance. My associate, she does not see it the same way, if you knew her story you would perhaps understand. But... Even if you don’t believe me, and I don’t blame you for that… I have no benefit to seeing you hurt.'

 She waited as he left, then waited some more.

 Then finally, she scrambled over and wolfed down the food.

With the fire wall dying down and safe bridges being constructed across clear spots by engineers, all Eastern Forces as part of Pheonix group have begin to push onwards, primarily along the trail of bones, in force and en-mass. Long range radar and support systems for the Areonautica can now reliably surpass the fire wall.

- Augustinian Artillery and Medium armor has now passed the fire wall. And will be able to provide long range deep strike coverage.

- Kestrel Heavy armor and Heavy mechanised forces have passed the 1st trench, ready to move to the second.

- Individual Omicron Raptor units are each conducting 3 ops a night on the enemy. Further information is need to know.

- Canthian Light infantry have started to deploy their own artillery and sentinels. The use of "War-Winners" has been authorised. Troops have been chasing Chaos forces to the second trench without sleep for 3 days.

Enemy forces conducted a successful raid on Station 14. They are retreating with their Quarry to the peninsular and chaos capital in the East...

 The ride back to the base had been mostly silent.

 

 Bauer had arrived on horseback to see smoke and a sea of blue uniforms. They let the Augustinians through that followed in her and Orlands path, which gave way to a sight of death bodies being piled and categorised.

 She quickly moved on, disembarking from the horse to try and find someone in charge.

  Orland jumped off too. ‘Marshal, we’ll await your return. I’ll see the horses are looked after’ she turned to focus on the animals.

 Bauer hesitated. Despite the scenery a thought ran through her mind.

 Give her a pat on the back, she’s been wanting it since day one.

 Her hand raised, momentarily, Orland couldn’t see it, but then she lowered it and shook the moment off, searching for Thorne.

 He was by a crashed truck, surrounded by at least 15 command staff and 3 Ogryn bodyguards, and within it they had found the enemy’s jammer. A small device plugged in through tech heresy into a larger vox. He looked at the nearby Erelvasitans who had joined him. they had Melta-guns after all. ‘If you would like the honors.’ He said. Atomisation would prevent any secondary explosion trap from existing.

 On queue his head twisted on Baurs approach. ‘Marshal, what rings you back?’

 ‘Pentaghast is… is KIA.’ She said. Her eyes glanced at the Erelvastians. Her helmet was under her arm now, but she was keen not to speak with them if have to.

‘Ah.’ He paused. ‘What a shame.’

 There was a lip-smacking sound that irked her.

 ‘So, you’re in charge then Senorita? Do I still call you Marshal?’

 She fixed her posture. ‘Lady-Marshal is the full title, but marshal is my preference for short-form, yes. I have kept behind our reserves and artillery to support your troops.’

 ‘Good. Well our vox systems should be back up soon. This base is a bust, but the war continues.’

 He looked ready to move on, but she stopped him. ‘Generalissimo, the Kestrels commander, Quatre, was taken. Their convoy was hit, we weren’t able to stop it in time.’

 He paused. ‘Ah… That will be an issue.’

 One of his subordinate officers nearby put a word in. ‘Hate to be the bad guy Senor Generalissimo but this is good news, isn’t it?’

 Bauer glared at him.

 His hands raised defensively. ‘I am stating the facts. This is a potential benefit for us. she was not fit for the position, it was as if we had an unruly teenager in the way with no responsibility or means to get rid of her.’

 ‘My god. She’s been captured, a young woman, emperor knows what’s going to happen to her- Have you no shame!?!’ she had to stop herself form snarling, her words a whisper through grit teeth.

 Thorne interrupted them both before it escalated. ‘Our intel on the enemy does not suggest such behaviour. They’ll maybe just beat her up a bit. Cut some fingers off at most. Nevertheless, she kept the Falcons docile. She agreed to everything I said. When her replacement returns we will be dealing the same thing their allies have dealt with in the past.’ He exhaled.  

 Bauer held on a few moments. ‘I must protest. She is a Governors daughter, she needs rescuing regardless. The oen who took her, we need to go after them.’

 Thorne looked at her straight. ‘But she’s not MY governors daughter.’

 Bauer froze.

 He smiled. But he wasn’t really smiling. ‘She was kept out of any major plans on my end. No intel of value they won’t already know. She is no concern. Take time to rest and recount your forces. Leave the Kestrels to me when they get here. I’ll report to the Lord-General our progress.’

 With a nod he left, leaving her standing in quiet surprise.

 

////////////////////////////////////////

 

 

The leviathan received a message informing them of the attack on the base. Though it had more detail given by the comms, a simple summary was left at the bottom from the Generalissimo’s own words. Just three words.

 

 ‘Losses already replaced.’

The enemy didn’t cover the entire desert with a trench line, that was impossible, but certain areas didn’t need covering.

 Valleys were perfect chokepoints for cannons and artillery, meaning there was gaps that were impossible to get through, artillery batteries that were positioned far back to cover these spots, and land-mines were amassed to make passign slow and painful. The result was that infantry could be concentrated and fill trenches elsewhere.

 This was where they would be attacking.

   The Omicron Raptors Valkyrie shook slightly as they were on approach. Night had fallen and this was how they liked it.

 Luuk felt her stomach turn. She was so eager to get off aircraft at this point. He legs hurt form the amount of standing.

 Soo-Jin grinned, then covered her mouth with her balaclava. ‘On approach, final checks.

 The Valkyrie doors opened and the red light inside gave way to surprisingly cold desert. Wind whipping Luuks face.

 Aquilons had already inserted, somehow, and had reported back what they had seen.

 This particular valley oversaw a route through and behind the enemy, one the kestrels heavy armor and mechanised grenadiers could take to circumnavigate and get behind the enemy. Essentially it was a way for the imperials to skip the trench given the infantry further south the Augustinians and Canthians wer already struggling.

 They had located an artillery park and took out the nearest radar quietly.

 

(17 for scion scouts)

 

 Now was the main part of the operation. To destroy the artillery and let the Kestrels slink through quietly.

 ‘Wait, no, move to point gamma.’ The tempestor corrected. ‘We’ll disembark there instead.’

Luuk usually left the details to them, but she was a commissar, and so had to at least check in the moment. ‘Gamma is right on top of them.’

 ‘Yes Commissar.’ Soo-Jin nodded. Her coat billowing. The scions around readied their guns.

 ‘Justification?’

 ‘More kills’ She replied. ‘The original insertion point would give thema chance to escape. We want to slaughter them all. Less chance of escape and calling for help.’

 She turned her head. They were treating it like a game. Unnecessary, but, they were like animals. Something deeply wrong. Even now eyes were turning to her, masks covering up to their nose, not awaiting her permission but judging her.

 ‘As you were.’

 A sudden cheer filled the cabin ‘Right on commissar.’ Soo patted her shoulder then the tempestor turned back to the open desert. ‘Alright, safeties off, on approach!’

 There was no warning, they didn’t need one. Outside the sound of the first strikes from the VTOLs followed, then the Scions jumped out one by one, floating down.

 She could see them spread out, getting as far away from the Valkyrie as they could. They were already firing, a complex of canons down the slope that was hard to make out.

 She waited onboard as the aircraft circled around, letting them get on with it, along in the cabin besides the Valkyries crewmen, who didn’t technically exist on paper. It was safe, the technology in here was not just borderline heretical, it was, their stealth systems the best on the planet. the thing zig-zagged as it moved to a secondary position until eventually it was called back, and she was semi-glad to land when it did.

 

 (2d20 best of for scions skill level compared to enemy. 13 and 18 so total 18)

 

 The position was captured. That was evident. The cannons were disabled, not destroyed but partially melted instead to avoid a fire. The Aquilons passed by first, running up the hill to highlight the areas that they’d already picked out. They were obvious, dressed like the rest but their grav-gear more advanced and guns shorter.

 Eight Valkyries arrived, landing and carrying not troops but weapons. heavy lascannons and bombards were wheeled out of them, while other less stealthy ones were winching them underneath. Her vox told her that air attack squadrons were in the area far away but not here now.

 All of it was relatively weak, but it was better than nothing. They needed only hold the enemy off anyway.

 Down the slope she found Soo-Jin where the bodies were being piled up. scions were taking photographs of the eyes before tossing the corpses into bags.

 ‘We saved some prisoners.’ Soo-Jin noted.

 ‘Any useful information?’

‘Immediately obvious not. Very talkative one here.’ She gestured to a line of tied of soldiers on their knees. One a leader. ‘Everything is disseminated, need to know, so there’s no striking the head of any snake, proverbially. I’ll go into it later. We need to dig in for now, the enemy will try to send forces to reinforce this place.’

 Luuk exhaled. ‘You kept them alive.’

 ‘Thought you would want the honors, Commissar.’   

 Other scions were looking over. A bloodlust in their synthetic eyes. All of them glowing a light thermal white.

 ‘Ofcourse.’ She replied simply and removed her bolt pistol.

 If these prisoners knew nothing, they didn’t need them. And she had bolt rounds to spare.

 ‘We don’t do this normally, we like you Commissar.’

 ‘Who doesn’t?’ she smiled back, a forced a smile, then covered it with a similar mask as so not to get blood in her mouth.

 They approached the officer, the one who talked, who was now panicking and trying to beg bellow the masked tape.

BANG.

 ‘Was worried we’d get a busy body.’ Soo-Jin explained. As they stepped to the next. ‘Someone who would tell us no all the time’

BANG.

 ‘Every commissar thinks they’re a hero.’ Luuk replied. ‘They pretend not to know what they really are.’

BANG.

 ‘And what are you?’

BANG.

 ‘The same as you.’

BANG.

The next one was crying. Years ago Luuk would have felt bad, when she first graduated. Unable to sleep or handle it. But that was then. This was now. And she had seen such a sight so many times that it actually aggravated her how, despite all she had done to grow cold to it, it still felt something in the back of her mind. Something deep and sad down there.

 BANG.

 ‘I wish they would just shut up and take it.’ she muttered.

BANG.

 Soo’s head turned, a quizzical look. ‘Hmm?’

BANG.

 ‘Nothing.’ She reloaded for the rest as the scions dug in. ‘As long as you complete your missions, I’ll back you up on anything.’

As the battle in the desert base waged on, Snachez led his escort down several flights of stairs, eventually arriving at a series of ancillary transports readying to go. they were mostly fuel transports and had been hesitant to leave when the gunfire started. Fortnunate for him at least.

He practically threw Elizabeth on when the soldiers came running up to him, hands on their heads.

 ‘We move out!’ he ordered. ‘Now! Go! Go!’

 Taking his word for it, they quickly loaded up in the driving compartments and opened the rear gates.

 Goliaths were open topped so he clambered on the back, Ellizabeth Quatre slinking down in the corner, while checking his own weapon. ‘We’re out of here.’ He said.

 ‘I’m sorry.’ Quatre replied.

 The vehicles raced out. He felt the wind whip his hair. Looking up he saw in the distance aircraft skim along the horizon, flying in a straight shot for the base as sand and dust kicked up in their wake.

 He turned back, staying low. ‘Can we got a vox-link?’ he asked.

 ‘None yet.’ Was the gunners reply.

 He tapped the side of his helmet. The Kestrel warrior network not working properly.  He saw the aircraft reach the base and fire exchange. The anti-air defences weren’t working, but they were making some distance away from it.

‘Elizabeth, you hit?’ he asked.

 ‘No.’

 ‘You said you were sorry.’

 She nodded. ‘I know… I’m useless. I’m sorry you have to look after me. Just, we need to get to the Raptors.’

 The arrogance and cockiness had given away to fear and anxiety.

‘Well don’t worry. We’re fine.’

 She didn’t respond.

 ‘Hey.’ He said. ‘Remember, when we first met. Me and my unit, we were reinforcements. We didn’t let you get hurt then, we won’t know.’

 She nodded. It had been during the civil war. ‘Okay.’

 ‘Good, now see those trails south west, those are tank trails, we are going to continue on until-

 A hunter killer hit the fuel truck.

 It detonated.

 The blast was huge.

 Took three other Goliaths with it.

 Their transport was only barely behind.

 ‘Feth!’ he grabbed the railing as he was thrown sideways.

 The goliath tipped, steering wide as a lascannon shot nearly missed.

 The convoy crashed into each other, flipping.

The vehicle turned.

 Quatre slid.

 The goliath was front high, the gunner crushed by the ground sickeningly.

 Now upside down he fell down and out.

 The goliath slid ahead in a screech of sand.

 Other vehicles moved to turn, weapons firing.

 Sanchez felt pain down his arm.

 But he was a Grenadier

 He rolled, then, jumped up.

 He assessed the direction of the threat.

 A sentinel.

 Stolen.

 It had given chase, emptied its weapons then got close.

 He turned to sprint for Quatre, but she was crawling out of the wreckage, only half, something was stuck. ‘I’m fine!’ she yelled out.

 He turned back to the attacker, who had now jumped out of the Sentinel.

 His limited HUD blared and he recognised the attackers armor form a most wanted list from during the civil war.

 The Dreadblade, a disgraced knight, he realised who it was now. An assassin, one who had operated during the kestrel civil war, killed numerous high ranking officials on both sides, seemingly no allegiance besides Bariums interests, then vanished.

 Three Aloessian Guardsmen tried to put up a fight, but she crossed the distance pretty quickly, a refractor field absorbing everything despite her lack of actual body armor. She stabbed them all.

 He checked his own hellgun, noticing the aircraft that had just visited the base. Dark red the craft had been moving south, no doubt after picking up their attackers. Now though, they were veering back around.

 She must have called them over.

 Most of the active vehicles were quickly repositioning to ready for this greater threat, leaving him to face her.

 She looked up at him, a not so large distance between them, but plenty of destroyed truck leftover in the gap. She let a Guardswoman drop form her hands, and tilted her head. She casually started walking over.

 He fired.

 The beams hit her shield.

 She stepped on top of a piece of wreckage in her way.

 ‘This is your only warning!’ He called out.

 She came to a stop. ‘Hmm?’ she replied. A posh accent. High born. ‘You think you can kill me?’

 ’Drop your shield!’ he said. ‘I’ll show you. I’d win a fight against you any day in a fair fight.’

 She gave a single loud chortle. ‘Oh, well, in that case I’ll guess I’ll keep it then.’

 Now she ran at him.

 Quatres leg hurt, really badly. It wasn’t broken but it was stuck. She cried slightly, struggling to get it off her. She knew she shouldn’t have refused the enhancement program.

 Looking up she could see Sanchez close by, getting swung at by the knight.

 The sword she carried glowed red with inscriptions, and each slice he could only dodge.

 He was fast though, giving her the run around.

 At some point he had gotten up a pipe, using it to try and block her sword swing.

 Her sword cleaved it in half.

 There was an audiable grin from beneath her helm.

 But he didn’t let up.

 He closed in immediately, shoulder barging her.

 It caught her off guard, sword skills or not.

 Then, he grabbed her sword and started to force it back on her.

 As he did this, quatre found the energy to push off the last bit of goliath pinning her under its carriage, heaving and huffing as she managed to lift it and pull her leg out.

Looking back up, she saw sparks fly. Sanchez had pushed the sword back onto the Dreadblade, causing her refractor field to absorb the energy given off by its power blade function.

 This continued until the shield changed color. The dreadblade being forced down as he put all his weight over her.

 In a second a loud bang. The shield and blade short circuiting.

 Then SancheZ pushed.

 

 (13)

 

 He pulled the blade up, then forced it down, right though her chest.

 Quatres eyes went wide.

 The dreadblade assassin fumbled, flailing for her gun. She brought it up against him, blood spraying from her wound.

 He was quick.

 Disarmed her.

 Stood.

 Turned it upon her.

 And fired.

 A hoe blew in her stomach, organs spraying out. Then, another in the head, taking the lower right off completely.

 The body slumped.

  He looked down at it and exhaled loudly. ‘You didn’t need to do that…’

 Pulling off his rebreather, he turned and trotted over the Elizabeth, kneeling down as she was still trying to get out.

 The aircraft above was circling around.

 

 

///////////////////////////////////

 

 

 In the distance, Bauer and her Dragoons couldn’t miss the scene. Chaos Astartes aircraft of dark red were circling around a half-destroyed convoy, exchanging fire but holding back. Stormravens.

 ‘Double time!’ she yelled.

 The dragoons nodded. Further behind the tanks were picking up, though naturally slower, they might not get there in time. In truth there was little they could do against aircraft but they could get people out.

 

 

///////////////

 

‘We need to- Go- we need to go!’ Elizabeth was panicking.

 ‘Hey, it’s okay.’ He assured her. ‘She’s dead.’

 ‘She’s not dead!’ Quatre shouted back.

 He stared at her a moment, then heard it.

 Turning, the Dreadblade was standing.

 Wounds knitting together, black ooze where there should have been blood.

 Intestines pulling back in.

 The mask was missing half of itself, the jaw visible.

 ‘That hurt.’ She seethed. ‘I’ll show you.’

 He tried to grab something to defend himself.

 A large crystlaine Drukhari blade snapped out of her gauntlet.

 He grabbed a nearby gun and raised it to fire.

 She sprant at him.

 He hit her several times.

She ignored it and stabbed him through lower rib-cage.

 Quatre screamed.

 Sanchez gasped.

 She held the blade there, snapped it off, and a new blade grew within seconds.

 Then she stabbed him again.

 Snapped that off.

 And did it a third time.

 Elizabeth threw herself backwards as the dreadblade gently let Sanchez down, blood gurgling form his mouth.

 He was on his knees, coughing up red liquid. He looked up.

 ‘Please…’ he said. ‘…You… You don’t have to..’

 ‘Correct.’ She agreed, growling. ‘I don’t.’

 He turned now, head looking towards Elizabeth.

 Her eyes were wet. She sat there, unable to move.

 ‘You’ll be okay.’ He said. His head meeting her with a final look. ‘Tell… Ellie. That I- I lov-‘

 The dreadblade swung and took it off.

 Quatre screamed again, and full panic set in.

 She rolled.

 Crawling back under the goliath.

 She glanced back to see Sanchez’s body fall, and the Dreadblades red lense turn her way.

 She scrambled harder, flinging sand as she tried to get under.

 She almost made it.

 A hand grabbed her leg and pulled her back out.

 ‘NO! NO! NO-‘

 The Dreadblade turned her over forceful and put her hand on her mouth, smothering it in the grenadiers blood.

 She tried to kick but her legs were in pain. And the woman held her down. She was useless.

She held the blade up to Quatres throat as she hyperventilated, and grinned.

 

 

 

/////////////////////

 

 The Dragoons arrived as the convoy forces had mostly been destroyed or set on fire. The  aircraft landed, and were picking someone up.

 Finding a small clearing, they rendezvoused, as a squad of disembarked Guardsman ran over.

 ‘What happened?’ she demanded.

 ‘Enemy assault on the base, they changed course and came after us’ was the reply.

  Bauer felt her chest tighten. ‘Damn! Orland, do we have any anti-air?’

 ‘no.’

  She held her rifle close. ‘Prioritise picking up survivors, then we get out. I’m not losing anyone else. The hydras will be here soon. Get everyone to safety!’

 ‘Yes marshal.’

 One of the aircraft had landed in their view-path, if over half a mile away. She aimed pointlessly at it, more in frustration, there was little she could do. ‘See who we can get on to help with evac, find the wounded and…’

 Her voice trailed.

 Bauer froze.

 Through her scope she saw the Dreadblade carry Quatre onto the Stormaven.

 The Dreadblade.

 Here.

 Orland looked at her. Holding the horse in place as debris burned nearby.

 ‘Marshal? …Marshal?’

 Bauers mouth was open. Eyes wide. Pupils growing.

 ‘Marshal!?!’ Orland repeated.

 ‘Sargent. Take command.’

 ‘Wh- Marshal I don’t-‘

 Bauer kicked off.

 The horse whinnied and raced at full speed, leaving Orland in the dust.

 

 

 On the aircraft, the Dreadblade joined the remaining sisters and captured prisoners, throwing Quatre down with a thud. ‘Time to take off.’

 As the stomraven slowly began to power up its thrusters, a sister gave a heavy bolter spray to a number of imperials attempting to fire at it.

 The Dreablades gaze turned to the desert, taking the mess in they had created.

 Then she saw Bauer charging.

 Her head cocked.

 ‘Hello again…’

 The sister turned her heavy bolter to fire, but the Stillborn assassin put a hand atop it. ‘Not this one.’

 She stepped to the end of the ramp and knelt, as if baiting her.

 Bauer was going as fast as she could, the horse whining at the fire around it, but she didn’t relent.

 She got closer to the aircraft, closer and closer, feeling her sword in her hand. Not sure what she was going to do.

 The dreadbalde waited, and waited.

 Then, at the last second, stood and slammed her hand on the button. The ramp closed as Bauer was meteres away, the assassin waved and the vehicle lifted up.

 ‘NO!’ Bauer yelled.

 The horse reared up and threw her off. She hit the ground and rolled up, not caring. ‘NOOO!!!’

 It took off, pulling away as the squadron made a break for it. The kestrel tanks had arrived now and were staring to fire up, though not very accurate.

 Her hands grabbed her head and she paced around helplessly. ‘GET BACK HERE!!!’

 She fell to her knees, punching the ground. Pulling off her helmet and throwing it in front of her.

 ‘Orland pulled her horse up, having gone back for her. ‘Marshal! Marshal!’ her gaze followed the aircraft. ‘The assassin, you’ve thought her before.’

 Bauer looked up, and the Sargent saw humanity in her eyes for the first time.

‘We can rescue the prisoners.’

 ‘No. it’s not that.’ She replied with anger, at herself mostly.

 Orland looked down. ‘You horse escaped.’ Her hand extended.

 Bauer took it, and pulled up.

 ‘You know her.’

 ‘Yeah…’ she hesitated, thinking what to say. Finally settling on an answer. 'She killed someone close to me.'

20 years earlier.

 

 Bauer sat stone-faced as the woman ranted on and on. The exact nature of the complaint glazing over her, but it was the same usual rubbish she had heard before. The manager and foreman sitting alongside. This was it. this was her life now.

 It didn’t take long for the grovelling from her teammates, then, when the complainer left, the growling under their breaths.    ‘Don’t take it too harshly Bauer, they’re just after refunds. All of them are.’

 ‘I know.’ she had her arms crossed. ‘we’re still refunding her apparently.’

 ‘You’re not in trouble, she’s in the wrong.’

 ‘I know.’

 The womans complain was she had seen a homeless person sleeping by a blind spot near the front door, no interaction, but it made her feel bad and the staff should therefore have known the person was hiding there and kicked them off the public road they had no control over. ‘But upper management lets us take the brunt of it.’

‘Life on kestrel. Don’t like it, join the guard.’ It was a joking comment, mean to be friendly, but she merely shrugged and got up. 

‘take an early night off.’ He called back. ‘we need to save the hours anyway. There’s a recession on, after all.’

 Walkin home through the rain was a tense experience these days. The streets had heavier police presences now. Two terrorist attacks and further rioting wasn’t helping manners. She passed a checkpoint where a dozen people were face down on the floor, public security walking around with batons ready and eager to use.

 Kestrel’s version of police didn’t use guns on regular patrols, but that seemed to just mean they absolutely battered and beat down physically anyone under the excuse it was usually non-lethal. Sometimes it was deserved, mind, but it was best not to cross them. Some just got up on the wrong side of the morning.

 Her life was this now. No longer the lady she had been, just… Some supervisor, though not in name, but tasks, taking the brunt of a night shift complaints.

 It did remind her of the lancers back home, some of what they had to put up with.

 Nevertheless she arrived at the destination a nightclub, the one she had been given the address of.

Outside was a long queue leading onto the road. Civil enforcer vans were waiting nearby, but there was a spirit to things. The news said it would be clear skies tonight, if only for half an hour.

 Inside the noise reverberated. She could hear the beat passing through the walls and shaking items moments after. Crowds pushed past and she felt very out of place. This music was bordering on chaos sonic weaponry, though she only had picto-movie portrayals to go off for such a comparison.

 Maya met her in the corner already conversing with a number of strange people. Unlike her Maya was dressed for the place, some sort of sequin shirt that matched everyone else. You almost wouldn’t tell she wasn’t kestrel, if not for the accent.

 She didn’t know who these people were though. Maya had finished her ambassadorial work, still unpaid, and come here. These must have been from there. They looked it.

 ‘Maya, do you think-‘

 Before she could finish one member held up a camera. ‘Smile!’ 

 Bauer was caught slightly off guard, standing by a railing overlooking the dance floor, she gave a small awkward smile while Maya didn’t seem bothered. The camera flashed and the picture taken.

 Now she continued what she was saying while Maya took a glass she had left unguarded. ‘Maya, do you think maybe-‘

 ‘That guy was looking for you.’ the serpican pointed off sideways to a man in the corner, dressed up in military gear, he fit in even less than she did.

 Bauer swallowed. ‘Maya, this place is-‘

‘-You go speak to him, I gotta finish… something with my friends.’ Her words were starting to slur, and the smell of vodka was fresh.

 But at this point, 3 years in, arguing was a waste of time. So, Bauer left her assuming the group was familiar, and wen to approach the man in the booth.

 ‘Ah, you are uh- Lady Emilia Bauer, correct?’

 ‘Just Night guard Bauer.’ She corrected dryly. At least in this small alcove like area she didn’t need to shout as much. ‘You wanted to see me? I’m afraid I’m not into-‘

 ‘Marshal Pentaghast.’ He greeted. ‘Please, this is nothing inappropriate, I don’t want to make you feel bad. I wanted to speak with you about that exactly. Your title.’

 Cautiously, she sat down. ‘You are Augustinian?’

‘Yes. We are entering organising our first tithe, very exciting, so I have the task of scouting. Talent acquisition.’

‘What do you mean sir?’

 ‘For the Imperial Guard.’ 

 She almost twitched. ‘I’m not Imperial Guard. They don’t want someone with my background. I did apply but-‘ 

 ‘Yes, but exactly, you were still flagged as a veteran, if of a different world. I was forwarded your record. Now, you were a LifeGuard on Erelvast, that’s exactly what we’re looking for. You said you’d heard of Augustinia just now?’

 ‘…Yes.’ 

 ‘Well, I’ll digress. We are recently raised, and we are looking for support in our first tithe. Veterans with experience in our style of warfare, and you seem to fit the bill. We need talent. Doesn’t need to be exactly what we’re looking for but more someone who will fit in, make a good example. We need people in the know to help build us up. And ofcourse, when I heard an ex-Lifeguard was open, I had to find you. I heard your friend was here so I came to look.’

 She shifted. How easily he had found her made her uncomfortable, even if they weren’t exactly in hiding. ‘I- I don’t-‘

 His hands raised. ‘Now, I know we are certainly no Erelvast, I’m not unfamiliar with your standards, of course. But I was hoping to discuss some options with you. We still have a lot to offer, and while this planet is good, let’s be honest…‘

 She swallowed. ‘Sir, I thank you for this. but I have to stop you from wasting anymore of your time. I was a… I am disgraced. I have no value to you.’

 He paused. ‘That’s no issue to me.’

 ‘It is to me though. I- I cannot leave my duty. I am sworn to it and an Erelvastian always does their duty’

 ‘Lady bauer, if I may, can I be bold.’

 ‘…I’ll entertain it.’                          

‘I see something in you. We need talent, we don’t care about your past. I look at you and I see the Lady Bauer. I see a... a Captain. A leader. One day even a Marshal. What do you do now? A Night security guard was it?’  

  She hesitated. ‘I am not going to be dishonest. I-I can’t stand this place. I can’t stand it. There is nothing wrong with it for those who enjoy this world but its not for me. I know it’s stuck up, I know it’s shallow and I lived a life of richness before but…’

 She swallowed.

 ‘…I am grateful but I cannot accept. I have a duty.’

  He was both disappointed but eager. ‘At least, at least can I give you this.’ it was a leaflet, a physical one, with information about the first Augustinian Dragoons. ‘ Just… think it over, I implore.’

  Reluctantly she took it. ‘I will… consider it. Good sir.’

 He nodded. ‘That’s all I ask.’ 

 ‘What did…’ she hesitated. ‘What did my partner say? I think she does like it here.’

 He hesitated now. ‘…Oh, that was your… Partner?’

 ‘Is that banned on your world?’ she caught onto him quickly.

 ‘Why, no. No. It’s just… uh…’ he was trying not to look behind Bauer. 

 Turning, she spotted what he was glancing at awkwardly, Maya now away from her friends, with some other random group of ne’er-do-wells and her tongue was down one of their throats.

 ‘What the-‘ she shot out of the chair, leaving the Marshal behind, and stormed over.

 Not missing a beat she shoved the woman off.

 ‘Hey!’ she spat back.

 ‘Emilia what the hell!’

 But Bauer shoved her finger at the woman’s face. ‘Back off now!’

 ‘Or what?’

 But Bauer didn’t relent her stare.

  The woman looked enraged and verbalised it as much, but was all talk so started to move away, swearing back at her.

 Emilia watched her go as music blared. Maya rounded on her. ‘Emelia what the hell- you can’t fight people on this world, it’s illegal to try to hit people!’

 ‘Maya what are you doing!?’ she turned to face her.

 ‘What am I doing? What? I didn’t break any of our rules!’

 That turned something in her stomach, something in her curling up, but she changed topic. ‘You need to be careful”’

 ‘Careful? Why? It’s safe here!’

 ‘Maya an off-world soldier trakced you here!’

 ‘He was nice wasn’t he?‘

 ‘That’s not the point- And who even was she? Have you met her before?’

 ‘You need to relaaaaax!’ she slurred. ‘Anyway, she was only giving me something.’

 ‘Give you what?’

 ‘This.’ she opened her mouth and popped out her tongue. There was a green pill resting atop it.

Bauer froze, then, reached up to grab it, maya pulled her tongue back in, clamped her mouth shut and moved backwards. In the past Bauer had been stronger to force it out, but now Maya had been working out, and on top of that she had a couple inches on Bauer.

 ‘Maya!’

  ‘Mm-Hmm-Mm?’

 ‘Stop being a child for once!’ she snapped. ‘Spit it out!’

 ‘Spmm whammm oumm?’

 Bauers teeth grit. ‘Do you think you’d make your father proud?’

 She realised that was the wrong thing to say the second it left her lips. But Maya didn’t answer. Instead, she just looked Bauer in the eye and swallowed.

 A second passed before Maya’s tongue smugly stuck back out to show it was gone.

 Bauers fists tightened.

 ‘You need to relax!’ maya replied. ‘Why are you always so uptight, it’s annoying. God! It’s like you never wanna have fun. Everything is fi-‘

 

 

 

 

 Not too long later and Maya was still throwing up in the alleyway. Heaving again violently while Bauer was leaning back against the wall, hand covering her forehead as Maya heaved again.

 She breathed in, then out, in, then out.

Maya gave one last splatter, yellow liquid landing on her shoes, before she slowly sat down in the filth. Nearby rats ran away, only to be scooped up by a nearby falcon. A sight bauer was used to these days.

‘Emelia…’ she groaned. ‘I don’t feel good.’

 ‘Yeah…’ she replied quietly.

 ‘I feel sick.’

  Bauer slowly slunk down next to her. ‘Maya… how much did you have?’

  ‘I don’t know.’

 She closed her eyes. ‘Maya. Please, you can’t-‘

 ‘Father didn’t want me.’

 Her head turned. ‘Don’t say th-‘

‘He changed his mind at the end but he didn’t want me before and it was… it was just because he felt guilty that he helped me escape.’ She swayed slightly. ‘And he worked for them. For those people.’

 ‘He saved you.’

 ‘And everyone else? I was born his child and he only did the bare minimum once in his whole life, what about the billions else the guild made suffer.’ He head raised. ‘Kestrel is going to ally with Serpica, against Barium.’ 

 Bauers jaw stopped. ‘May-‘

  ‘I got a reprimand by the – The enforcers at the embassy. Not to speak against serpica. To shut up. Balancing the peace. They say they’ll arrest me next time.’

 Bauers hand twitched. ‘Maya, you know Barium is not in the Imperium anymore.’

 ‘I know.’ she nodded. ‘It’s just… what’s the point of caring. About anything.’

 Bauer looked down.

The rain was beginning to slow down. The clouds parting for the first time in three months. A ray of sunlight started to peak throw, bathing half the alley in an orange glow.

‘Emilia?’

 ‘Yes?’

  ‘Why are you so nice to me?’

  ‘…I… Maya I just- I-’

  ‘I love you.’ Her head fell against Bauers shoulder. ‘I always will. You are the best… thing… that ever…’

 Bauer froze. Her eyes fixed against the wall opposite.

 A pit sank in her stomach.

'I love you too.'

 Maya snored.

 Bauers head turned towards the orange glow. Reaching down into her pocket, she removed the leaflet. The brochure on the Augustinian dragoons.

 She thought about Mayas words.

 I love you.

She heard those words a lot from maya. Everytime she needed something. And yet, everything Bauer had lost. Everything she had given up. Those words made it all worth it.

 She let it go, falling into the puddles.

 

/////////////////////////////

 

Modern day.

 The Dragoons rode up until Bauer pulled her horse to a stop, the gear and equipment heavy on her and beads of sweat starting to roll. They had come back in drips and drabs and were now a few miles out from the base. 

 Bauers thoughts were on Pentaghast. The vox had confirmed details of how he had died, she tried not to think about it but it was hard.

 A distraction came. It was at this point that she saw the Erelvastian flares.

 The dragoons watched in surprise but mostly commented non-chalantly. Bauer recognised them though, even if it had been years. The sporadic nature and colors. 

 ‘Marshal?’ Orland asked. ‘No vox interference, looks like a jammer.’

 ‘Double time!’ she yelled and kicked the horses spurs. ‘The base is under assault!’

 They kicked off after her, and she rode past a small Kestral convoy, flagging them. ‘Turn back! Turn back!’

 Shouts of confusion were shared back, but it stopped and started to rotate.

 It would be a while though. She and her dragoons would reach first.

 The base was abuzz. Most of the Kestrel and Raptors had gone on their way, the war was underfoot and the enemy had been prepared. Rosy was outside with the local garrison, when the checkpoint security seemed alaerted ot something. The main gates, there was something going on with a centaur, the driver canthian arguing with the gate controller.

 

 

//////////////////////

 

 Sanchez had been called up by Quatre to the command centre, leaving Rosy to see to the outside squads, what few were left. The centre was still very busy filled with soldiers in blue fatigues but also commanding officers of the Zalau, Aeolissians and other smaller regiments that had been assigned to the east.

 Elizabeth was waitin for him, her legs swinging as she kicke doff a table. ‘Hey.’

 ‘ Sir.’ He saluted.

 ‘So the raptors have censors on everything we send out to the other regiments, like, but, I spoke to one of the local regiments, and they had no censors. So they managed to get a message to the taronians.’

 His face paused. ‘Sir I think you should be doing some work instead?’

 A shrug was the response. ‘no one here likes me or wants me anyway.’ She muttered.

 She waved over a comms officer, who looked a bit put out, he wasn’t in a uniform Sanchez recognised.

 ‘Yes. Uh, it was easy to find, actually, they seem to know you by name.’

 He hesitated. ‘That… Doesn’t surprise me.’

 ‘Yes, well, the uh, young officer I spoke to on the vox, he had a message for you. Apparently Sargent baker is planetside, and she is aware of you.’

He stared. ‘wait-what?

 Elizabeth Quatre started bouncing. ‘Isn’t it great?’

 The officer was hesitant though. ‘Yes. Um… You are Sanchez, right?’

 ‘Yes.’

 ‘The officer informed me that uh… well they repeating what they remembered someone saying but…’ they took up the clipboard. ‘She said it’s been 23 years for you. You didn’t try to contact her last time you were here. She said she was only going to say this to him once, she doesn’t want to see you. End of story…’

Elizabeth stopped bouncing.

https://www.reddit.com/r/WarforTrackoldMinoris/s/JVpT4Ze7nG

 The officer clicked his teeth. ‘They were specific that the last bit she said, the rest of it might have been paraphrasing. Catachan Whispers. I did say that you had tried to but the censors had blocked it all, so they’ll pass that on. But it sounds um… For what it’s worth… Sorry.’ He nodded and turned back to his work, eager to be out of that moment.

 

 Sanchez didn’t say anything, he just turned slightly and leant back against a column reaching ceiling to floor. Elizabeth looked at him. ‘Hey.’

 ‘Yeah.’

‘You okay?’

 ‘Sure.’

 ‘You uh…’ she rubbed her arm. ‘I feel bad-‘

 ‘No- No you uh…’ he hesitated. ‘It’s my fault. I was being stupid. You know, it’s uh… it was just  uh… 23 years, I must be remembering it different. I guess.’ He rubbed his mouth. ‘ I was prepared to end it, to be honest, when I reach ed 30 something I knew it was unfair to expect it to continue. I just thought we could… talk. I guess. I just. I wrote to her, the raptors stop everything, I didn’t know she was- she said she was on Taros-’

 He rubbed his forehead. Quatre stepped closer. ‘Hey. It’s okay. besides she’s just one person. You must have had someone else in that time?’

 ‘No. We never really broke up so it wouldn’t have been right.’

 She hesitated now. ‘Wow. Um... well, hey. At least I’m still best Elizabeth.’

 He chuckled, but it was a sad chuckle, trying to hide it poorly. ‘Yes, I guess-‘

 

 The wall exploded.

 

 They were flung backwards.

 

 Dust and noise blinded them.

 

 The room suddenly became a world of dust and debris.

 Ears ringing, Sanchez pushed up to his arms as soon as he could, the world coming to.

 

 Everyone was yelling. Or dying.

 Half the equipment had been hit by the blast and lamps fell from the ceiling, swinging low.

 The hole was in the side of the building, leading outside to blinding light.

 Three figures entered, bolt-guns raised.

 ‘FETH!’ he cursed and grabbed Elizabeth.

 She was mostly alright, but absolutely caked in white powder form the wall.

 ‘Come on!’ he muttered, grabbing her.

 

 The sound of ten bolt-rounds fired and ten guardsmen burst.

 

 Three Ogryns moved to shield wall the Canthian generals and backed out protecting them.

 

 Sanchez pulled Quatre up as the room was breached.

 

 

///////////

 

Outside Rosy heard the explosion along with everyone else. The courtyard was wide but full of barricades and waist high crates.

 

 The main building had a blast go off on the upper tier, she saw figures run into the hole they had blown.

 

 Before she could even respond the centaur suddenly accelerated and smashed through the checkpoint.

 People fired upon it.

 By the time it finally took too much gunfire to keep going it skidded and power armored figures lept out the back.

The Guard command centre in the east was quickly coming abuzz. The control room was alight with alarms, vox-transmission and staff running around.

 Despite this Elizabeth Quatre stood by a table with her face buried in a slate.

 Sanchez and Rosy were there, having entered to see if the kestrel command needed any assistance, the green armoured soldiers having taken a spot in the far right back. Major Devi glanced up at them form her seat and almost winced upon seeing Rosy. Any moment between them was quickly passed over as she used it as an excuse to address Quatre.

 ‘Sir, we have a good reading of the situation now. Past the fire wall is a trench line with stretches 45 miles south to north. Beyond that are open gaps, but these are covered in mines or there are amassed artillery pieces to cover these gaps.’

 Quatre nodded. ‘Uh-huh.’ Her eyes didn’t look up.

 Devi bit her tongue. Sanchez glanced at Rosy and gestured for her to stay back.

‘Sir.’ Devi began. ‘Orders?’

 She shrugged. ‘Whatever, send everybody.’

 Devis mouth grit in frustration. ‘A battalion or brigade?’

 ‘Huh?’

 ‘How many. Sir?’

 She rolled her eyes. ‘Just-whatever, aren’t you supposed to do this?’

 Devi breathed in. ‘Okay. I have spoken with Luuk, the raptors are moving to try and open up a spot, to keep our tanks safe. I will liase on the move’ and with that she saluted and turned to leave.

 As she passed Sanchez she nodded. As she passed Rosy she pretended like she wasn’t even there.

 He shook his head at Rosy, warning her not to say anything, then approached Quatre. ‘Sir, we need to assess the situation here. If most of the Brigades are deploying, we will have a smaller presence here now.’

 She nodded.

 ‘I was hoping to apply Rosy here for a Warrant Officer position, it would need support to-‘

 ‘Yeah, sure. Let me sign it. Sorry, I’m in the middle of something.’ It didn’t take much to see it wasn’t particularly work related what she was looking at.

 ‘Perhaps, Elizabeth, the others will want your attention?’ he tried to be subtle.

 ‘Eh.’

 ‘Thy might get annoyed, sir.’ That was less subtle.

 ‘Pfft! My mother rules kestrel, what are they gonna do? Complain? To who?’ she snorted. ‘Besides, nah, everything’s fine. I just got to sign dotted lines. Devi or whatever has it all under control.’

 She leaned back, clicking her tongue as another situation unfolded loudly across the room. Generalissimo Thorne was there along with his senior staff, only, they didnt seem too upset over anything, rather they were in good spirits.

 Sanchez nodded. ‘Sir.’ And turned to Rosy. ‘Let’s go see the perimeter then.’

 As they exited the command centre they passed a hall with a large window. Out of it they could see Valkyries taking off in the air, Omicron Valkyries, carrying below them on wires and chains Tauroxes and Hippogriffs. Below, on the ground kestrel armor began to move out, green Chimeras and Rogal Dorns.

 ‘…Well, sometimes she’s alright.’ He muttered. ‘Audi Kestrel…’

 

 

//////////////////////////////////////

 

 

 Bauer’s horse pulled up to the gap in the great fire wall as Canthians were pouring through. Hundreds of soldiers were rushing though it quickly, eager not to hang around, as they piled up on APC’s and trucks. There was no uniform motor pool, it was whatever they were able to get. Some where driving back through to grab more.

 It was almost like a kilometre wide gap, the shape of the ground managing to create a corridor by chance. Had they not hit the garage they’d be stuck permanently on the other side.

Canthian Russes were coming through, having taken some time to catch up. Normally they’d have a better grace period to arrive but they couldn’t afford it.

 She tossed a vox to Orland. ‘Sargent, see if you co-ordinate with artillery HQ, what they can do about shooting over this stuff. Any pressure is good pressure.’

 The Sargant caught it and Bauers attention turned back to the gap. Biting her lip.

 It was, after a barely a moment, that Orland trotted back up. ‘Marshal. Update from 1st Platoon.

Lord-Marshal Pentaghast is down.’

 Her head snapped back.

 The Sargent looked at her. as did the other dragoons.

 Her heart stopped.

 ‘Marshal? Shoudl we-‘

 Bauers vox-beeped, the command channel. ‘This is Omicron raptor V-44-5, requesting sit-rep upon-‘

 She turned it off a moment.

 ‘Orland, get on the comms to all officers you can. Order 1st and 2nd battalion to pull back to rally-point Gamma. Artillery batteries moves to rally-point Beta to intercept and assist Kestrel Armor.

Reconnaissance is completed, let the line-infantry deal with it, we’d just be throwing soldiers away.’

 ‘Yes Marshal- I mean- Lady-Marshal.’

 Bauer hesitated. That was not how she expected to ever earn that title.

 ‘Let’s go.’

 She kicked the spurs and the Augustinans fell back to the Imperial lines.

 

 

////////

 

 

Closer to the chaos trenches, Sebastian and what little remained of his once 300 man platoon were also falling back. He was out of breath and exhausted, and covered in dirt and filth. The blood on his uniform from his allies had dried to a dark brown stain.

 The two surviving command squads ordered to form up in small safe area, two Ogryn Bodyguards forming a wall with their slab shields.

 Gomez exhaled. ‘Everyone safe?’

 There was barely twenty of them. Not all lost had died though, some had been left. Maria and Sebastian had made it.

 ‘We’re safe Senor.’ A guardsman replied.

 One of the medics immediately got to work on someone, bandaging up their head. Gomez rubbed his mouth as the platoon commissar spoke up. ‘Alright, listen. The supreme Guidebook says that you cannot report on any losses or what we saw outside of the inevitable victory. Losses are a reality of war, however the next wave will succeed. Therefore silence is mandatory! Failure to abide by this rule will likely result then in your execution.’

 Sebastian looked up blankly. Maria was stifling sobs.

 ‘To inform your allies that the enemy is as strong as they will destroy morale. Morale cannot be altered. This is imperative. You will not speak of the dead. Doing so will result in five lashes, then execution. You will not discuss any doubts. Doing so will result in ten lashes, then execution. Anyone whose injuries do not heal up adequately enough to be hidden under a standard uniform, 15 lashes. Then execution.’

 Maria was shaking, Sebastians hand wen to grab her arm to stop her, meanwhile the commissar continued.

 ‘Anyone who speaks of any thoughts of suicide or self-harm, as is often the case our studies show in post-traumatic situations such as these, can be detrimental to the war effort. You will report these suspects to your nearest commissar or myself. These traitors who disrespect your efforts and sacrifices will be subject to 20 lashes, hung by the neck until almost dead, hung by the feet upside down for two days, publicly beaten, set fire too, starved, stoned, and dragged through the street by vehicle tow and finally executed by quartering. There can be no doubts allowed to seep into the army. Understood?’

 ‘Yes commissar.’

 A distant artillery fire sounded. Maria jumped, but didn’t draw attention.

‘Good.’

 Gomez coughed into his hand. ‘I-I- think we can go back now. You will be re-organised into new platoons where decided by commands diligence. Emperors protects.’

 ‘Emperor protects.’ They repeated, and like many other Canthian units, began to retreat, to be replaced by the next wave of bite-and-hold troopers.

 

 

///////////////////

 

 

 Valorus kept on marching as the war raged on ahead of him. Here, in the dead centre, the Imperials made little progress.

 To the far right he saw a Beserker charge a squad of Guardsmen, who were spread out and separated. The large gaps between squads did make them work for it, but these were Astartes. They did not tire so easily, even if lost of their mind.

 

There was a particular fox-hole ahead of him that the Berserkers had missed. He was passing by it, their standard bearer hard to miss.

 The commissar stepped out and roared a challenge, running at him with their power fist.

 He shoulder checked them out of existence.

 The next few dispersed, smart enough to run and hide.

The last member was the Ogryn. It had a Ripper gun, protecting its officer, who had been killed by some sort of shrapnel regardless. loyalty even after death. It looked scared.

 A moment passed.

 He examined it, it’s size and stature, but most of all, its bravery.

 ‘Loyalty. I admire that.’

 So he moved past it eyes set on a large group of imperials higher up the ridge.

 But as he stepped past, the Ogryn turned around to watch him go.

 ‘Oy! Bad man don’t get to go!’

 It fired.

 The ripper gun hit Valorus’s back armor.

 The sparks flew.

 A beat passed.

 The marine went still.

 Then, another.

 He spun back, a low growl.

 ‘COWARD!!!’

 In an act of pure anger, he swung his axe, destroying the Ogryns face.

 Then he swung again, furiously, smashing the body into paste.

 With an angry noise he kicked the remains of the head.

 Another moment passed. Distant bombs went off up overhead a series of missiles streaked and Thunderhawks circled, smoke and weapons-fire turning the sky grey and orange.

 Lasfire pattered off his arms armour and he let out a wet snarl.

 Breathing in hard, he straightened up, fixed his stance, then turned to continue onwards as if nothing had happened.

Sebastians platoon had re-embarked upon their motor-pools goliath trucks and driven through the gap. The garage they had been out was suddenly being flooded from both sides by guardsmen, a natural chokepoint.

 The wall of fire was ginormous, and the further they progressed through on to the other side, the larger it got.

 He whistled.

 Turning eastward he saw as they approached the eastern battle, a trench line that covered the entire circumference of the world it seemed like. He could see distant las-fire and explosions. The sky had started to turn dark, smoke billowing upwards with incredible speed.

 Maria swallowed. ‘Sebastian.’

 ‘Yeah?’

 ‘I’m scared.’

 He glanced at her. Her eyes were wide, had been since the garage blew up.

 ‘We’ll be okay. remember the primer.’ He told her. ‘remember it and-’

 They drove past a man who was screaming on the ground, having been hit by shrapnel. Her eyes went even wider.

 ‘Hey, hey- you’ll be okay!’ he told her.

 There was a distant whir as multiple giant aircraft started to descend from the clouds.

 He swallowed as they kept going, then, about 2 kilometres out, were ordered to disembark.

 He hopped out, and the team got running, along with thousands of others.

 The tactic was brutally simple. the platoon would split into numerous 20-man squads, going in different directions forward.

 Whoever found the safe route, they would follow and reinforce with their better guns.

 Screaming was picking up now, yet despite it, he was somewhat excited to finally fire his gun for real.

 

//////////////////

 

Down by the trenches the battle continued on. The Canthians hadn’t reached the Augustinians and momentum had a shelf life, so Pentaghast was left to make a choice.

He saw figures moving down the trenches.

‘Get smoke on that trench! We close in now or never!’

 A popping sound went off as one soldier fired three grenades at the enemy. The smoke went off in front of them, and their las-fire went sporadic.

 ‘Now! go! Go! Go!

 They broke for it, some covering fire but most running from the trench.

 He felt exhilarated, like he was young again.

 The aircraft swopped low and their ramps opened.

 The giant figure dropped.

 The sound of them landing was like a nuclear bomb going off.

 Pentaghast skidded, as did the dragoons.

 Dark red ceramite and one trophies looked up at him.

 ‘Angels!’ one dragoon shouted.

 But it wasn’t.

 In this one moment of calm before the storm, Lord Valorus, the Executioner, looked at Pentaghast across the open space.

 He stood.

 Axe in hand.

 Assessing his target.

 When the Beserkers started to land was when everyone caught on.

 Pentaghast realized suddenly he had frozen.

 Swallowing, he brought up his pistol and sword.

 Las-beams from others rippled off the executioners armor as it started to walk towards him.

 It was a fifty-metre gap.

 The moment Pentaghast fired it lunged.

 In a split second Valorus crossed the fifty-foot gap and bisected Pentaghast.

The blood barely had time to hit the ground as the Beserkers charged past at 80 kilometers an hour.

'Disappointing.’

///////////////

(8 for Augustinians)

(18 for canthians)

The Eastern desert was a dangerous place to be right now.

A patrolling platoon sized element down near the southern-most shore learnt this well as they believed themselves to be safe, under the proection of the Imperial artillery coverage. Tired and feeling sweaty their vehicles pulled into a makeshift lay by with small buildings and outshacks around, and they disembarked near where the desert met the water.

It was... beautiful. Captivating in its simplicity, and yet very much unnerving in the central way the perfect endless sand gave way to endless water.

The leader of this patrol of Guardsmen gazed on in an almost hypnotised trance when they noticed it.

Some sort of abandoned submarine, small but not insignificant.

Several of them, almost like hades breaching drills, scattered along the distance short. Black specks from this far.

'Possible contact!' He called behind, and anyone who wasnt paying attention grabbed their guns and ran back to the half tracks.

Footsteps were visible, leading up from the shore ever so far away and around the nearby natural sand gulleys and pedestrian rises. This had once been a place to come and eat, now it was was abandoned. Half lost to time. They moved, quickly forming up, when they passed around the first centaur to see the woman down what little was pathway was still present.

Dressed like a battle damaged knight pilot, the Dreadblade was leaning against a railing that was dug into the ground. Both arms holding a hereticaly graffitied sword behind her head.

Their guns raised. The leader yelled. 'Freeze! In the name of the Emperor!'

She didn't move.

The Guardsmen positioned thmeselves appropriately, giving soace and spreading out so as not to be caught in any trap easier. Others moved to flank this individual.

'In the name of the Emperor- Sslurrender immediately! DROP YOUR WEAPON!!!'

The vox-operator moved over to him, whispering. 'Comms aren't working sir! I just tried to call it in.'

Her head raised and her body swayed as she propped up off the wall making it clear she had heard that with a high pitched tone.. 'Oh- That's the limited range scrap-code. You aren't calling anyone.'

'SHUT THE FETH UP!!!'

A warning shot was fired not far from her, causing her to flinch.

'WE WILL SHOOT YOU IF YOU DO NOT FETHING DROP YOUR WEAPON!!!'

'I'm not here to fight. I need your cars.' She gestured with a finger, still behind the sword, towards the Centaurs. 'I'll trade you. Your lives for the vehicles.'

'IN THE NAME OF THE EMPEROR WE ARE HIS MAJESTIES IMPERIAL GUARD! DROP YOUR WEAPON! DROP THE FETHING WEAPON OR BE FIRED UPON!'

The officer really did not want to have to do this, he took this role to avoid the paperwork.

She sighed. 'Feth the Emperor, feth the Guard and feth the Lord-General. Who else do you like? The High Lords... Lord Guillimen... Saint-Celestine? Feth them too while we're at it.'

That changed his tone, now turning to a nasty lip-curling snarl. 'Put this heretic down!'

A Guardsman fired two shots at her. 'Gladly.'

There was a flash as they set off midair, right in front of her, blocked by a refractor field.

His smirk dissapeared.

'Oh fe- WEAPONS FREE WEAPONS FREE!'

She sprant forward lasguns opening up on her as she shield absorbed them all.

It didnt abate her.

She hit the leader.

A stab.

Weapon not stopping.

Blood spurrted from his mouth.

More came out of his chest.

She used him as a secondary shield.

Getting as close as she could to the next target before his legs collapsed.

The refractor started to fail but she was too clOSe.

They were hesitant to fire upon each other.

Their mistake.

She drove the sword into the next one.

The third she sliced

And the fourth and fifth.

She was now close enough to the centaur to get alongside it. To cut off visibility from half the flankers and lessen the amount of shooting coming at her.

Two sargents came for her. Chainswords revving.

She didnt try to dodge.

Instead she slammed into the first as he swung.

Throwing her body into him.

Fast enough to crash before he had completed the swing.

It knocked him back and she carried.

Her sword sparked as chain blades connected to its metal solid shape. Anpoor attempt to block.

The weapon hit his neck.

In an almost ballet-like move she span around, roatiatinf around his body, sending his severed head curveballing ahead of her.

The second sword wielding sargent she simply shot.

It was at this point that the Daughters of Myrrah emerged from their positions over the sand hills, the Guardsmen now caught off guard.

Another few minutes passed and the power armored individuals came down. Not a casualty amongst them. But then, it wasnt a fight.

Not really.

The Dreadblade was near the Centaur having already wasted no time in covering the back in the tarpaulin.

'Who needs mech suits?' She asked, red lense meeting the traitor sisters eyes.

She activated the power function on the sword and the blood sizzle off it.

'Dispose of these bodies, keep the helmets. We have a couple of days ride ahead of us.'

21 years earlier.

Bauer walked along the ramparts of the further out Factorum areas, pay-check in hand. The sum of it was measly and she knew half would be taken by rent and other bills. She had been docked sick pay, even though she had worked that shift. Great. She could claim it back but the total would be added to the next month and she’d have to pay extra tax as it crossed the threshold.

 She groaned.

 The Kestrel rain speckled her coat. The sky-shields mostly covered the more urbanised tower block areas so the working district were to its own devices. She took shelter under the walkways and parapets leading over the abandoned undercity, infested with rodents and other such vermin that the million or so falcons of this city’s high rises lived upon. Bird faeces covered any open area here and she had long given up trying to avoid it.

 The living areas were nicer, when not undergoing riots. Public enforcers were positioned on every street these days and that tauroxes pulled from Guard service repurposed in civil colors.

 She passed a defaced poster, describing the changing of the planets name from kestral with an ‘A’ to kestrel with an ‘E’, better to galactic gothic standards. It increased adminstratum efficiency, but the graffiti made it clear not everyone was onboard.

 The sound of a distant scuffled with police and bystanders echoed. This place was a powder keg.

When she returned to the tower block she made her way up the stairs, her QR scanner for the lift not working, and back to the studio flat. Opening it she found Maya already exercising, doing pull ups on the bar she had installed in the doorframe to the kitchen segment of the studio.

 At this point a year and a half in, the place was a bit more liveable, if only filled with crap and useless tid-bits she had pulled home from her ambassador job.

 Her mostly unpaid ambassador job.

Bauer dumped her coat on the rack and wiped her wet hair with a towel, dumping it in the corner. If it led to Mold, she had stopped caring anymore. Taking a seat on the bed, she saw the pile of more rubbish Maya had brought home. ‘I don’t think we can afford the water.’

 ‘Oh.’

 ‘Can you ask your job for money’

 ‘ Uh, yeah. I guess.’

 ‘Good.’ somehow she wasn’t convinced but kept her tongue. ‘How’s your work, anyway.’

 ‘Just the usual..’ she pulled up, almost breathing heavy.

 She had been at this for a year now, surprisingly committed. The biggest increase in muscle mass had come in the first month ofcourse which had made her excited, after all she wasn’t joking about having done none before. Since then the progress tapered off but she was committed, and so was really making a change. There was a genuine form coming through in her arms, especially now she had stopped wearing the dresses a few months ago and started dressing more like a local, if extra modestly. How she managed to keep her suede jacket from spoiling annoyed Bauer a bit but again, something she kept to herself.

‘What are you discussing today?’ she asked, rubbing her exhausted face.

 Maya completed a pull. ‘Donations for the Jessica fund. Serpicas war with Barium is getting worse, there are a lot of children that need help.’

 ‘Right.’ she vaguely recalled that. it was hard to follow news here, trying to discuss any events on the protectorate with those in the factorum made Bauer positively irate.

 Maya did another pull. ‘Emilia.’

 ‘Yes?’

 ‘What’s Augustinia?’

 Bauer looked up. ‘…Why do you ask?’

 ‘I saw it on the side.’ She nodded to the pamphlets near Bauers small desk. ‘I’ve seen them mentioned lot in other places.’

 Bauer quickly grabbed it, almost defensively. Maya was too busy to see, or she hoped. ‘Just some newly raised world. They’ve been looking for veterans to help train their new regimental tithes.’

 ‘Oh. Huh.’

 ‘It’s good money.’

 Maya stopped. Her eyes darted down, a slight look of concern forming. ‘Yes but we’re here… You want to do it?’

 The thought had been there… but… ‘No. it’s a severe drop in standing from Erelvast-‘

 ‘Okay good.’ Maya began pulling up again.

 Bauer continued, voice slightly louder to make her point after that interruption ‘-and I have a duty to protect you.’

 ‘Yeah- I know.’ she pulled up again. It was long, drawn out and clearly a struggle.

 Bauer exhaled. ‘I was tasked to protect you, no matter what, I do not shirk form my duty.’

 Maya didn’t answer. Just a noise of acknowledgment.

 She looked at her.

 Maya completed another pull up. ’18.’

 Bauers face changed. ‘Liar.’

 ‘No I did.’ She still hung form the bar. ‘You just saw me.’

 ‘You did 18?’

 ‘Yes.’

 ’18 is my best.’

 ‘Wanna watch me beat it?’ She made a strained noise as she began to pull, but Bauer was already up and coming at her.

 Mayas eyes went wide. ‘Wait- No! No!’

 Bauer grabbed her by the legs.

 ‘No!’ Mayas vice became a high pitched sound as bauer tried to yank her from her grip.

 ‘You’re not beating me!’

 ‘I’ve already beat you!’

 Bauer was pulling her at an angle, about halfway across the room. ‘You’ll break the door frame, you have to let go!’

 ‘I’ll fall!’

‘Then let go and I’ll make sure you don’t.’

Maya pushed herself up and off the bar, straightening in Bauers arms so she was now held up nearly to touch the ceiling, giggling slightly.

 Bauer dropped her and Maya landed on her feet. ‘You dropped me!’

‘I put you down, I said I’ll make sure you don’t fall. I always honour my commitments.’

 ‘Hmm..’ Maya mused on it. ‘I forgive you.’

 A few seconds passed. Bauer was smiling but she toned it down.

 ‘I’m serious though Maya. You need to start asking for some money.’

 ‘It’s a volunteer-‘

 ‘You burnt through your fathers money, we need it.’

 She rolled her eyes. ‘It was a bad time for me, those nights out where-‘

‘Maya.’

‘Okay. okay- Can we talk about this later. I need a bath or something.’

 ‘Maya the water bill- I just said earlier-‘

‘Okayyyyy- The shower then.’

 She moved towards the bathroom.

 A few moments passed, Bauer hesitated, then. ‘You are different.’

 ‘Good or bad.’

 ‘…Good. Good different. Happier.’

‘And you’re the same.’

 She closed the door, though left it unlocked. Bauer turned back to the bed, picking up the leaflets on the side desk.

 Augustinia.

 It would be better for her, she knew that, better than wasting away in some useless factorum night shift that produced worthless tat. This planet may be good if you grew up here but it wasn’t her. She was a lady, of Erelvast, and even a planet like Augustinia offered something for her.

 But while she was looking after Maya, while she was fulfilling her promise to the crown-prince so she couldn’t abandon her, no matter what. She had failed in her duty before, she would not again.

‘We need to save water.’ The serpicans voice called out as th shower ran.

 Maya had left the door unlocked.

 She sighed. This girl was supposed to have been arranged to marry Archibald, or one of those in consideration.

 In a way she had actually already betrayed the crown-prince on a more than a few nights now. The same way she was about to right now. After all it was a small enclosed space for two people to be living together, and they had stopped using the couch as a second bed.

 Tossing the leaflet back she crossed to the bathroom and undid her shirt buttons.

 

 

 

/////////////////////////////////////

 

 ‘Here you are.’

 

 In the present day on Trackold Minoris, the kestrel officer spoke to sir Rikkard in a commoner's tongue despite the man bore a high rank upon his chest-plate. ‘A digital copy of a death certificate, and a Public Orbituary for one Maya Young. died in WT-06, that’s 6 years into the warp time bubble, you know like.’ He explained. ‘Killed right before the start of the kestrel civil war. She was a private citizen, so not much else we can bring up I’m afraid, no real military records besides what you already have.’

 He glanced over it.

‘We could put in a request with the civil enforcement agency back home but that would be several months of waiting and that’s even if they feel like sharing. Which they don’t like to with us MP’s. Says here though her body was aboard the flotilla that was destroyed, so unlikely to have been an autopsy.’

 The picture on the front was definitely Maya though different. Short hair, in the middle of some sort of party, the woman next to her and half out of frame was definitely Bauer though, the two half-inebriated. There was a very specific flag face painted on her cheek that referenced her preferences, clearly the theme of the party the picture had been taken at, and one that suggested any marriage to Archibald would probably have been disappointing for the two of them.

 The content of the obituary was somewhat judgemental. Even at a quick once over. She had been outspoken on issued regarding Serpica and Barium, and served 3 months in a Kestrel jail for breaking public peace laws. The flotilla that was attacked appeared to have been bound to negotiate Seprican refugee treaties with kestrel after barium had nearly beaten it.

 ‘Is this acceptable to close your missing persons case?’ the officer asked.