Editing Tranch warfare for a noble (section)

==Chapter 3: Trench on Trench==

Couple of days later, filled with lectures, complaints and suffering, the newfound heavy weapons team got its first orders: They had to dig into positions around a decommissioned chimera as the tech-priest tried to reawaken its machine spirit. Twelve long hours of digging later, there was a square-shaped trench, housing four heavy weapon teams and two squads of conscripts. Tech priest checked the vehicle and found it in need of extensive repairs, not to speak of the necessary rites to ease the machine spirit's pain. It would take four days as his tools and parts would force him to improvise wherever he could. Georgio sat in the trench, almost unable to stay awake.

"It's for your own good, rookie. The sooner you learn to live with little sleep, the better."
Jericus had begun to show some sympathy for Georgio. Which Georgio took as an outrage: Noble getting sympathy from this Emperor-damned crazy mud-hugger?

"Get lost. And take your damn "cranky" with you. I'm tired of your bullshit."

"Fine! I'm just trying to help you survive, idiot."

Georgio was too tired to argue.

"INCOMING! FIFTY TARGETS, THREE HUNDRED METERS SOUTHEAST!"

What a glorious wakeup for Georgio. He jumped to his position as Jerichus prepared the crank cannon. The mutants closed in fast, and Jerichus opened fire. The closest mutants fell in moments, and about twenty followed before they retreated.

"Hell, that was easy."

Georgio felt great: The crapcannon worked beautifully for once. He reloaded it and went back to sitting.

"Don't be so sure... The mutants are resourceful."

"Don't jinx it."

That night, three conscripts died and two went missing. Jericus seemed mostly annoyed by this.
There was another assault on the next day. The mutants got into range of their weapons and took out four more conscripts before retreating.
Jericus started to get worried:

"We are dying here way too fast. They will redouble their efforts if these recruits don't get their shit together."

"At least they get to sleep."

Jericus rolled his eyes and mumbled something about "thankless noble fools".