Men of the 89th: Chapter 3

The morning dawned on delta company and many of the sergeants were moving to wake up their lazy troops. Some of them greeted with hangovers, companions, or both. The imperial guard was known for their rowdy behavior after a battle, or whenever they were on leave, but Cadians seemed to have perfected it. The many millenia of conflict at their home world and the focus of their culture taught them that every moment that you can spend not fighting, should be spent in enjoyment. This didn't sit well with the Commissar, or some of the more stern sergeants. While he tried to not repeat the previous days' incident he did reprimand several troopers for drunken misconduct and a few for not wanting to wake. Many of the night watch were trying to find a place to rest momentarily before the inevitable orders to mobilize. The makeshift medicade was still active with the groaning and cries of unsedated guardsmen. The final casualty report made their way to Cassin the night prior. Sixty men when into the town, fifty-three came back and only twenty-eight came out unscathed. Along with the Second and Sixth platoon this brought Delta company's strength up to one hundred forty-three live souls, but only a handful of them able to fight. Cassin's only concern was to get Delta company back to the rest of the 89th. The new mission was to link up with Fourth Platoon, and Sergeant Vek Redorn's heavy weapons troop. Along with one vital bit a machinery, one of the last Leman Russ' left in the regiment. Little Thunder.

Lieutenant Gauv woke from his bed and began to gather his things. He noticed Kaila passed out with an empty bottle of Amesec tightly clenched in her metal fingers.

Henris nudged her shoulder and she began to stir; he slowly pried the bottle from her hand. She was a stubborn sleeper, she'd been known to sleep though artillery barrages, but wake to a pin dropping. After a few unsuccessful attempts he called her name. Her eyes fluttered open, then closed tightly as she grunted, tossing her hand over her eyes.

"Just five more minutes..." "The war won't wait." She tossed a bit more before tossing the covers off. She looked at the grizzled vet and sighed, looking for her uniform tossed haphazardly about the room. By the time she found her blouse Henris was already donning his armor. His battered grenadier armor had seen much fighting, far more than Henris would have liked.

Though wounds were to be expected with how he preferred to fight. Up close and dirty. This made him work well in tandem with Kaila's more aggressive and boisterous style. She would pin the enemy and keep their heads down until Henris and his men could flank their position and close in, killing the enemy before they knew they got ambushed. They had perfected this method of fighting and it had become so effective against fixed position or hard targets that they were almost always assigned together. In fact the two were only seen separated in battle. He grabbed his shotgun. And waited for the half metal woman to finish dressing herself.

Cassin was patrolling the town with the commissar conversing idly. They passed by the medicade, the captain was looking over the many wounded and dead, secretly hoping to find Sweker. He looked over the ones with sheets covering their bodies with a silent discontent. He sometimes felt that it was his fault and that if he were a better commander that they would still be alive.

He knew many of them personally since before the previous Commander of Delta company had died, some before the Apriean War. With each good man that died, a worse man took his place. Almost as if his thoughts summoned him the squirrely noble appeared.

He knew why he didn't like Sweker, but he couldn't figure why he hated him. Why the mere thought that some noble of a house he knew nothing about was willing to place his son into a regiment he cared nothing about and lead men when he knew nothing about war.

Cassin just couldn't fathom such incompetence, but then again, he faced it every day. He more or less wished that he was shoe-horned into another company so he wouldn't have to worry about it.

"There you are sir, I've been looking for you!" "Do you have anything important to report?" The young man shook his head. "Then you are wasting my time, go find something important to do.” He tried to reply to the captain, but he would hear nothing of it. The noble finally left the Captain and the Commissar.

"Sometimes I feel you are too hard on the boy, he is an aristocrat after all, give him some authority." "Does that make him a better leader? Commissar I've seen far too many of his types lead my men to their deaths. He's just another glory hog trying to impress daddy. If I give him a platoon, he'll lock up like he did at the fort and my men will die." "I understand your concern, but again he is a Noble, and should be treated as such." "I'll tell you what sir, if I see his family crest stop a bullet, I will." Cassin smiled. The Commissar noticed the melta bomb still on Cassin's belt. Despite the many times he could have used it in the battle. He couldn't help but ask him about it. Cassin told him that such an explosive needs to be used perfectly, and couldn't be wasted on a few green skins. Not to mention it was the last one that Delta company had. "How many of his majesty's Leman Russ were in the regiment to begin with?" "I'd say about a hundred. now we are down to just three." "That's unfortunate that so many of our valuable machines were lost to these brutes." "Yeah, but that's what the armored 88th is here for." “We will be joining them in the fight soon enough?” “Not a clue, we lost contact with the 88th almost seven planetside months ago. Though I'm sure we'll run into them if we can get out of this Emperor forsaken desert.”

For a moment the conversation turned from logistics, to food, and the Commissar realized how he hadn't eaten that morning. He asked where the officer rations were located. Cassin was used to eating with his men and had simply forgotten about the special rations, almost even grown to love the taste of the corpse starch rations. This also helped his relation with the enlisted troopers. He knew early on that if he had the trust and respect to the men under him, they would be more obedient, and even fight harder for him. This was proven many times when Delta company was surrounded and outnumbered, facing certain defeat. He hopped he could teach the Commissar, as well as other officers in the regiment, that officers have loyalty to their men, as well as their men have loyalty to them. The Captain opened a ration and sat down with the members of his platoon, patting the ground inviting the Commissar to sit with them. The decorated aristocrat was somewhat taken aback at the boorish behavior of Cassin. “Golber, hows the squad?” He took a bite of the stale tasteless bar that the others were eating. “Annoying the frak out of me sir. Same old groxshit.” They shared a quick laugh. “Sir if I can ask you an honest question? Is Regimental command going to get off their cushy asses and send some reinforcements down into this Emperor forgotten desert?” The commissar's eyes locked onto Trooper Galviston who seemed oblivious. “I mean, not that we aren't doing great by ourselves, but I'd like to be back in time to see how this season of 'The Trooper and the Maiden' ends.” He was sarcastically referring to a juvie's show that was broadcasts locally in the Agron Agricultural communities, and in some places in Hive Endelus. The others had grown jaded to Galviston's sometimes insubordinate humor and had learned to laugh with him many times. He wasn't a terrible trooper, he just had a very noisy way of voicing his concerns. The Commissar was still new to the course trooper and was shocked to hear him speak so openly against his chain of command. “Trooper, I would mind your tongue if you know whats good for you.”

Cassin caught his officers approaching in the corner of his eye, and greeted them louder than he needed to diffusing the building situation between the Commissar and the trooper. They waved back and gingerly strolled over to the group eating their morning rations. Kaila plopped herself next to Cassin, and Henris slowly sat next to her.

Henris was very reserved man in the company of guests, he wasn't going to distance himself from others, he just liked to let others talk to him so he could get to know them better.. He was commented on having a healthy hatred of xenos, but if there was one race that you couldn't talk about around him, it was the Tau. A hardly known fact about Henris and Kaila, they were both originally part of another regiment, before it was nearly destroyed. Their company had woken up a Necron tomb, silently attributed to Kaila, and they were 'recovered' by the Tau empire before they all died. Several weeks later they were 'rescued' by the 89th. Both of them were promised a retirement and given commissions as officers. They were escorted back to Cadia with their rescuers when it was time for the 89th to make its bi-decadial mass resupply. Instead of the retirement they were promised they ended up folded into the officer lacking 89th. Some found it too convenient that they were both made officers at the time, and that instead of the mistake the munitorium made to return them to active duty, they were press-ganged into the 89th. Secretly hopping they would die, and the knowledge of they xenos they had would vanish.

"Hello gentlemen. Lovely war torn morning isn't it?" Kaila almost boasted. "So captain, my captain, what hell are you sending our way today?" Cassin swallowed down a bit of his bar and cleared his throat. "We'll you'll all get briefed on this later, but basically what we're doing is going to rescue fourth platoon and Little Thunder, no doubt Sergeant Redorn is going to need fifth platoons engineers to fix up Little Thunder before we can get it a proper repair." "Kaila rolled her eyes and moaned in her head at the though of the crass Vek Redorn. His foul mouth was legendary in the regiment, and had a temperament to match. He was good friends with Corben, but she couldn't figure out why, they were polar opposites. All she cared about is that she detested the man and refused to talk about why. It annoyed Cassin as well as worried him. "Can't we just roll in, grab the tank, and roll out? Not like we need a few more heavy bolters..." She mumbled into her robotic hand witch twitched irregularly. Henris pulled out a multitool from a pocket and began to tweak some of the gears and screws on her arm nonchalantly. "As much as you'd like it, we still need the mortars he has, and he sits on a vital crossroads that leads to the Goben capitol. We hold that town and we can link up with Beta. Leaving this wasteland behind." The conversation continued; Kaila stayed noticeably silent, even as Henris would make a few comments on his handiwork. The commissar started to notice the two getting too comfortably close. The morning sun started to grow more unbearably as it crept closer to the top of the sky. The protective shadow the building was casting on the group grew smaller. It was time to move. Cassin stood up crumpling his wrapper, and tossing it on the ground announcing that he was going to the makeshift command center. "Attention Delta Company, leaders meet in the CC in five for the mission, and the briefing of the day. Get ready to move out in the hour."

After a few minuets everyone was in the building and taking their seats as Cassin pointed to a board with crude drawings on it. The briefing went just as he had explained to the others earlier, only in more detail. They would move in, help Redorn hold the town until Little Thunder was up and running. He concluded the briefing and opened it up for questions. Cassin was a good leader, but there were times where he relied on the input of others. Most just took this as his willingness to listen. "Sir, will we be bringing the Chimera Column into the town with us?" Corben spoke in his usual monotone. "That's a Negative. After we lost a a few, we can't risk more till we can link up with the 89th. This time Second Platoon will stay behind and Fifth will be joining us." Kaila fought to repress the look of satisfaction on her face. "Sir, How long will we hold the town until Brother Company shows up?" Sergeant Randolf spoke up "No idea, but regardless we WILL hold the town." He looked around and no more hands went up. "If that's all, get to your groups and be ready for battle. The Emperor protects." The last bit he added more so for the Commissar. He watched the room empty, and pt his hands on the desk in front of him and let out a pained sigh. He was reluctant to go to battle so soon after, he somewhat hopped to give the men a break from the fighting after they took fight after fight at the fort and lost most of their forces there. But supplies were running out, the promethium was running dry and they had no choice. The orderly chaos of the troops readying for mobilization was underway. Troopers tied their rucksacks to the side of the chimera's on bars the engineers had welded on. Some gave their usual prayers and offerings to the Emperor. Others just stripped and cleaned their weapons. As planned, with in the hour everyone was mounted up and the camp almost vanished when the Chimeras rumbled away from the town.

Delta Company, like all Cadians, exemplified the precision expected that all Imperial Guard regiments were to preform, as well as they qualities that most shunned, in equal splendor. "Five here, Three you brought your maps with you this time?" The Chimera vox operators started with their usual reports. "This is Three, Five, frak an ox." "This is Five, Give me three thrones, a liter of ale and a picture of your mother and I'm in." "To all Numbers, this is Dela Command. Cut the idle chatter." Cassin voxed to the column. The heat in the Chimera made even the wholesome commissar ignore the disorderly conduct on the vox, and even sometimes join the troopers in some swearing over the the heat. He removed his pointed cap, to wipe the sweat off his balding head. Many cursing him for not having to wear flak armor, he cursed them for not having to wear wool. "I frakking hate this desert." a trooper broke the cacophony of groans and moaning. "I really miss the rain." "I miss that ice planet we got stationed on. You know the one Sarge, where the Valhallans challenged us to a snowball fight and the officers broke it up cause we put rocks in the snow?" Trooper Galviston's voice like nails on a chalk board to the Commissar. "Why in the Emperor's name would you put rock in the snow and assault fellow guardsmen?" "Gotta play to win...sir." The commissar rolled his eyes in disgust. Galviston continued to prattle on about inane topics which most people ignored, at least listening to him was half as painful as the heat.

"Three to all numbers, I believe we are coming up to the town. Long range auspex shows it's about one and a half klicks out." "Roger that, All Numbers get ready for dismount." The column zippered down into a line formation, and as soon as they were all in position the doors would fly open and the troopers rushed out with weapons drawn in the way they had been drilled since the first weeks of their long training in their youth. They did so almost without thought. They all began to form up in a secure area, and assembled by Platoon. As organized, First Third, and Fifth would go in, with Sixth in reserve. The Chimeras organized reading for combat evacuation when they would be needed. The platoons going in organized back into the stuffy chimeras and begin the combat operations. During the shuffle the Commissar sought out Lieutenant Kaila. "Lieutenant, I'd like to ask you a few questions, about the other leaders in the company." Kaila seemingly ignoring him as she grabbed her Hellgun from the back seat of the Chimera. "What do you want to know?" "I have some concerns for the way you conduct yourself around Lieutenant Guav, and some comments about Sergeant Redorn." "Is this really the time Commissar?"

Cassin looked about the combat group he assembled finding the Commissar absent from them, and he kept a look out for Sweker. The Officer didn't show, but the noble did. This time he bit his tongue, he figured that he would have to get more combat experience sooner or later. He chose to go without the Commissar, hoping to show up before the orkz started to assault the town. The closer they got the more they saw how fortified it was, and with Veks heavy weapons and mortar teams they could have held indefinitely, if it wasn't for a crippling shortage of ammo. "Fourth Platoon elements, this is Delta Command. Be advised we are approaching your position from the south west. Can you respond?" "Roger that Delta Command, the Big Man will be happy to know you've arrived. Make your way up through the north side, we have an entry point there." The Chimera's changed their course one by one as they navigated along the plains littered with tank traps and dragons teeth. The town was just as fortified, barbed wire and sandbags created natural choke points. These lead into defensive lines manned with a few heavy bolters every few meters. Lascannons also dotted the lines. The defenses all culminated towards the center crossroads where the mortar teams and the tank Little thunder sat. As they platoons exited the chimera's the stench of death and ozone could be smelt, they noticed all the blood splotches, and a few errant ork corpse laying about. "Well Look who crawled outta mommies womb Fort 'Acceptable Losses'".

"Good to see you too, Sergeant." The Captain replied to the vulgar Redorn First Sergeant Vek Redorn was a heavy built man, looked more like a tall Catachan with a large beard than a Cadian. Everything about the man screamed heavy hitter, from the Bolter slung on his back, and the lasgun slung on his front, while hit lit a cigar, to his sleeveless appearance almost showing his arms off. He was a completely self absorbed bastard as well. Not too many appreciated his harsh personality, but those that could knew he was a reliable man and would never let you down. "I was wondering when you tossers would waddle back for help." He took a puff from his cigar "You looked like you needed ammo." Cassin playing to his vanity. "How often do the orkz hit your position?" "Oh I'd say at least every other day, This day bein tha other day. Come let me show ya around." The town seemed relatively secure with the fortifications in the street, and an outlying trenchline. The reinforcing Third Platoon ran to the trenches setting up their own defenses and heavy bolters. With the addition of Cassin's platoon, and Veks concentration of heavy weapons, nothing short of heavy ork armor would break through. But they were tenacious beasts and wouldn't stop until the town was rubble. The Engineers from Fifth platoon wasted no time getting to the damaged Leman Russ at the center of the town. It seemed that it only had minor track damage and a few parts needed replacing. The Tank couldn't have been placed in a better defensive position. It was on a slight hill at the exact center of the crossroads, with an almost unobstructed view from all approaches. Vek led Cassin to Little Thunder, to survey the town better.

Little Thunder was an old beast, managing to get through many wars with many different crews. No one knew how old it was, all they knew was its name was "Little Thunder" because it was written on both of the side guns in an ancient dialect. The marks of the old crews could bee seen through the hull, with random markings of different kills they managed. The current crew tried to keep a tally of their own kills by marking on the main gun. No one knows how many infantry the Leman Russ had killed, but as far as they knew it claimed over twenty-seven different tanks. The Crew was minding their own business playing a game of tarot at the side of the tank as Cassin approached. They quickly jumped to their feet and gave a quick salute. The Tank Command held out his hand for Cassin to shake. "Captain Bannon, at your service." "Captain Cassin, Pleased to meet you. So what's the status of the Russ?" "The tread got blown off by one of those crude missiles, and we are low on ammo, just like everyone else here. Other than that, she's working beautifully." "Better than Beautifully, if she was a las I'd 'ave frakked her ten ways to tha emprah. Ole girl' saved our necks plenty of times. Oi, look at this bastard!" The Sergeant saw his old friend Corben and quickly darted off to greet him. Cassin was somewhat relived. He continued to discuss the situation with the Tank commander.

"Captain I think you'd be interested to know that we have a temporary vox transmitter in the tall building on the edge of town, only thing is we haven't got the parts to repair it. I was hopping your mechanics could take a look at it." "They're no techpriests but I think they can manage it." Cassin tapped the side of his helmet to vox the platoon to send a few people to the building. He was hopping that if he could get it working he might be able to vox the 35th for their artillery. The troopers readied themselves along the trench-line feeling well at home in the dug in shelter. They wasted no time in breaking out packs of lhos and passing them out. The sheer scale of open land was impressive by any standards. There was quite literally nothing in any direction, if the orkz were going to assault they'd have clear firing solutions on them long before they could jump the barbed wire fencing that enclosed the town. No doubt was left in anyone's mind why Vek held the town with almost no casualties, but this would change with the thinly stretched ammunition. "Wow... kinda makes you understand how big this planet is." Trooper Harel took a drag from his lho. "Yeah wish it didn't make me feel so frakking hot just looking at it." A trooper next to him agreed while cleaning her lasrifle.

"It could be worse, We could be on an ice planet." "I like the cold." The trooper continued to clean her weapon, blowing into the aperture. "Yeah.. I guess." The young trooper continued to try and converse when trooper Galviston ran towards the trench with handfuls of some kind of foodstuff. He jumped into the trench landing in a sitting position between Harel and his friend. He was chewing on the food which appeared to be dried meats. Everyone in the trench immediately turned their attention to the loud mouthed Galvistion. "Is that what I think it is?" Harel was almost drooling. "Grox Jerks, Compliments of his holy snatch and grab-from-the-mess-area." He turned to the trooper who was beside Harel "Hey, hows it going, wouldn't you like my tasty meat?" Everyone surrounded him with outstretched hands tried to get a piece. It'd been a while since they had gotten to eat any kind of seasoned food, and actual meat was a blessing from the Emperor. Before he knew kit, Galviston's hands were empty, and he was a celebrity in the trench. They snapped and bit into the meat like a ravenous pack of vulpines. In their short feast they almost forgot about the heat and the threat of orkz. They were quickly snapped back into reality when Sergeant Golber came by and noticed they Grox jerks. "I hope you got those legitimately Trooper Galviston." "Oh yes sir mister Commissar man, sir. I just happened across the bastards in fourth Platoon too full to eat any more and liberated it off of them." He bit off another chunk. "And yet you didn't leave your dear ole pal Golber any. That's a shame, wasn't so hungry I might not want to write up a report about a trooper who's stealing Imperial foods." He gave Galviston a sinister smile.

He didn't need to be told out right. Trooper Galviston jumped from his seat and bolted to go get more food. Sergeant Golber hopped into the trench and pulled trooper Harel from his poor attempts at flirting and stuck him on the heavy bolter. Harel whined that it wasn't his turn on the gun, Golber told him it didn't matter, someone needed to be on it. The trooper he was flirting with laughed at him beneath her hand. Cassin and his command team leaders were discussing the battle plan in the temporary mes hall, where Trooper Galviston was attempting to sneak in. He managed to make it all the way to the food locker before the cook caught him. The cook screamed at him trying to alert the Captain in the nearby room. Galviston made a mad dash for the food and crammed as much as he could into his pouches before the cook hit him with her pan. He leaped from the room with two more handfuls catching the attention of Cassin, who instead of stopping the antics of Trooper Galviston, he just placed his hand over his face and shook his head. "Trooper that Commissar is going to shoot you if you keep this shit up." "Thank the Emperor he isn't here!" His voice faded as he left. Cassin regained his composure and continued to discuss the battle plan with Corben Redorn, and Randolf with random items and condiments being used as props on a table. "Ok so we'll hold this phase-line until we are nearly overwhelmed, at which point Vek, your weapons need to give them covering fire to retreat." He pantomimed the front lines retreating with an empty amasec bottle. "I'll be with First Platoon in Phase line Alpha. When I blow my whistle once for a long time, its a general retreat, twice means organized withdrawal, starting with Fifth, then third, then First. Got it?" "What about Artillery support?" Corben looking over the map carefully.

"We haven't managed to raise the 35th yet, but do know the transmitter is working. If we do get help, I'll have them fire around the clock, so feed me your fire missions to call in when you can." He looked at his sergeants faces, and saw that they seemed satisfied with the plan, he clasped his hands together and ended the briefing. Almost as soon as he left the building his parasite Ulian Sweker was at his feet. He did his best to ignore him. The Guardsmen under his command were ready for the fight, when ever it would come. He was half tempted to call in the remaining platoons on a condition red order, but he needed to leave some form of an escape open. Better to fall back and exact revenge another day, in his mind. Back at the rally point, the errant officer continued to evade the Commissars inquisition. He was just doing his job making sure that everyone could 'play well' together, but it was starting to get under her skin, what was left of it. Her relation with Vek was a turbulent one, at best. He had never done anything personally to offend Kaila, but it was how he treated her subordinates, and there were rumors floating around that during the retreat, Vek ordered his men to fire on her position to give his platoon time to retreat, killing several of her Kasrkins. This was never proved, and if she brought that up with the Commissar there would most likely be an investigation, and she'd spend more time with the pig than she'd ever want to. "Fine, if you will not talk about Sergeant Redron, then I must talk to you about your conduct with Lieutenant Gauv.".

She pounded her metal fist into the side of a chimera leaving a small dent in its hull. She turned to the Commissar and took a deep breath. "You want to know if I'm frakking him?" The Officer turned a bit pale at her straightforward and crude response. "Not as you put it, but yes... I wanted to know if there was an unprofessional relationship going on. The common Rag-tag enlisted forces may fridder as they like, but as an Officer you are held to higher standards and Fraternization is not accepted." "I take it you haven't toured too many battlefields, or gone through many wars. Or taken any hits." She tapped her metal legs with her bionic hand. "All you have out there is the trooper next to you, and he keeps you alive, just as you keep him alive. If you manage to not die right away, you learn to rely on your buddies, learn their strengths, weaknesses, hopes, dreams, ambitions. You learn them better than any lover could. You KNOW not think, but KNOW they would die to save you, and you'd do the same. No where else can a relationship like this exists but from war. And when you lose them..." She paused briefly. "You just learn to hold on to what you have now." She shot the Commissar a gaze that would have burnt through him if they were weapons. She wasn't going to give him the answer he was looking for, nor would she give him a straight answer. He began to feel that following Cassin's 'Light-hand' approach wasn't working, and wondered how it worked for the Young Commander. He left Kaila alone to her devices and sought out Henris hopping to get a better answer out of him. The front was quiet, the kind of quiet that seemed out of place, even when there was nothing around. There weren't any bugs chirping, no birds flying. The Cadians almost could feel this kind of silence. The fight was coming.

Even Trooper Galviston closed his mouth and fixed his eyes down range. Everyone knew it was coming, and hurried to defensive positions long before the orders came. It was faint, but they could hear the rumbling of wheels and feet stomping. It grew louder and louder. Cassin flew to his Trench dragging Sweker along with him. He fixed his eyes at the blurry ripples in the distance growing more clear by the second. He tapped the side of his helmet "This is it men! You all know what needs to be done. Watch your ammo, count your kills, and hold the line. I'll see each and everyone of you after this. Failure to stay alive is punishable by an extended tour." Cassin continued to call the 35th for their big guns, but the line was static, he sent a few men to make sure the transmitter wasn't broken again. Redorn loaded a mag into his bolter and walked towards his phase line with his still lit cigar in his mouth, puffing out smoke rings. He was situated back in the town a ways, close to Little Thunder. The tank crew was already on board and watching the incoming hoard on their long range auspex. "Little Thunder here. They'll be in the main-guns effective range in approximately one minute. Loading HE rounds." Troopers preformed their various rights and superstitious traditions, hoping that they, or the Emperor's grace would see them to another day. The tension was mounting. They watched the horde grow closer and closer, but there was something new in the distance, The rumbling was getting too loud for their usual stampede. The sparkles and reflections of light that shown through the paint on their metal chassis gave them away. "Aw shit! They got tanks!" Galviston announced obviously. "We Frakked." "Delta Command to all Platoons, Enemy armor, I say again, Enemy armor!"

Just as He finished his transmission, the building over them erupted debris and fire, causing their heads to duck under the trench line. The flashes in the distance followed by their thunderclaps opened up along many sides, but they didn't seem to be advancing any closer. The lines opened up in explosions and dirt clouds where the poorly aimed shells hit. It was almost like the orkz were trying to thin their lines first before sending in their armor. Cassin was growing cross with the growing intelligence of his enemy. Soon a lucky shot scored a hit, and a trench took casualties. A couple of guardsmen were obliterated and many more were wounded. Among them as Sergeant Randolf. The sergeant was squirming on the ground without half his body. Some troopers ran to the aid of their fallen leader, but it was too late. Fifth Platoon quickly started to disorganize. The voxtrooper tried to get the message across the channels but a bullet passed through her eye as she was announcing it. The three remaining men in the squad of ten fumbled around the corpses and guts of their comrades trying to reach the vox, barely maintaining their sanity. "Fifth Platoon... First squad is down.. by the Emperor, the blood... There's no one left!" "Calm down trooper I'm sending in some aid, just stand fast!" Cassin quickly shot through a list of men to send to pick up the leadership vacuum Sergeant Randolf left open, and he had only one person that held the proper rank. But he'd rather blaspheme the Emperor before he'd send HIM. "Corporal Hershin, you still alive?" "And kicking, what do you need sir?" She was barely heard over the explosions "Get to Fifth Platoon and take command, I'm counting on you, don't die!"

The Corporal Rushed from her trench with a trooper beside her. They sprinted across incoming fire to the other side of the town. She faltered for a second seeing the bloodied and mangled corpses, she forced her self into the trench resting on body parts she didn't care to know what they were. She grabbed the voxcaster off the shell shocked trooper and gave it to her squad mate. Bullets started pocking and whizzing by their heads. "They are far too close for my liking, get that tank to put a few rounds into them" Hershin barked at the newly appointed voxtrooper. The transmission went out and the tank lurched to life. The turret took a second to point towards the incoming ork horde. The turret wobbled as it came to a halt and started aiming down the corridor of buildings. With a thunderous roar and a large plume of smoke a shell screamed towards the ravenous aliens. Little Thunder launched a few more rounds into the orkz down Fifths platoons corridor before new targets came in. They had their hands full and the first phase line wasn't even hit yet. The mortar teams were firing wildly, quickly burning through their precious ammo, but scoring good hits. Soon the orkz were in small arms range and the blanket of lasfire covered the desert floor. The fighting was quieter around Vek closer to the middle of the town. He was growing board and started walking towards the first Phase line telling his men that he was 'Going for a stroll'. He tossed out the nearly finished cigar and replaced it with a new one. He hopped into the trench were Cassin's squad was firing all they had. "Need a hand?"

"I told you to hold your position in the town First Sergeant!" Cassin was too busy putting an ork down to scold Vek. "I was bored, and wanted to kill sumthin." He leveled his bolter and started firing. His rounds were accurate, even when he fired from the hip, though it was easy to hit something in a crowd. His rounds hit the kneecaps of orkz exploding in the ones behind them, and the falling orks tripped the charging ones. Cassin noticed this and ordered his men to aim for their knees instead of the heads. The orkz that feel would cause the others to fall over them and the aim would put rounds into the heads of the ones on the ground. Before Cassin could compliment Vek he'd moved on to another trench firing his bolter without a care in the world. After a while a mistake in the strategy could be seen as the orkz started to take cover behind their fallen brethren and started firing onto the trenches. The thought of using dead comrades like that sickened a few of the guardsmen, but Cassin remembered a time when they were in the orkz position. "Empty, Go get more!" Harel yelled over the deafening sound of explosions and lasfire. "Aw Hell it's your turn!" Galviston complained. "Stop being a Baby Ray." Sergeant Golber chimed in. Galviston took several quick breaths before he flung his body forward to the trench wall and climbed over top. Bullets impacted all around him and he forced himself along, first on all fours, then he scrambled to his feet sprinting like a mad man towards the town center. Not noticing that his lasrifle was left in the trench. Cassin was holding Sweker up by the collar and yelling at him to shoot. He occasionally would, but his shots were so poor they made the enemy look accurate. Cassin's constant swearing and yelling weren't helping his composure either.

The volley of explosion from both sides consumed the battlefield. The buildings were falling down around the Guardsmen, trapping a few of the defenders inside. The Orkz died by the hundreds and Delta company only took a few more hits, none fatal. But the orkz kept coming. Soon the Mortars ran out of ammo and the bolter barrels began to overheat. Corben's platoon was the first to get over run. The trench line was swarmed with orkz and they began fending them off with hand to hand fighting. The veteran bobbed and ducked under a large orkz axe and thrust his bayonet into its mouth, squeezing the trigger. The men in his platoon were fairing little better. One trooper was grabbed by two orkz and hacked to pieces as he fought back vainly. Another was knocked on the ground and crushed by an ork'z boot. But for each trooper that died, at least two orkz died. The line couldn't hold anymore, and Corben ordered the retreat to the second phase line. "This is third Platoon, position overrun, falling back." "Acknowledged Corben, fall back. Fifth Platoon, cover Third platoon as they withdraw to the second line." Hershin responded and Cassin went to grab his whistle, to signal the organized retreat. Just as he was about to blow a stikbomb exploded in front of the trench knocking him and a few others down. Sweker rushed to the aid of the Captain, helping him to his feet. No one heard the signal to retreat and Cassin tried to vox it to the other squad leaders. The call came in too late, and several guardsmen were shot as they left the trenches. As Cassin's squad was exiting Sergeant Golber took a hit to the leg, he didn't notices at first and forced himself forward to the second line.

Most of the troopers reached the second phase line where most of the heavy weapons were waiting to take orkz lives. The wounded shambled to the safety of the wire and sandbags erected over the town. Though the orkz were still close on their heels. Finally Vek ordered his troopers to open fire on the incoming orkz. Between the heavy bolters, lascannons, and even their own tanks, the orkz were slowed, but not stopped. They were determined to win. They shot wildly at the guardsmen, and they obliged with return fire. Corben was tossing every frag grenade he had at the green monsters making them vanish with each explosion. The tide seemed to have been halted, and no more orkz were rushing through, all that was left were a few that were smart enough to take cover and shoot back from the rubble. The rowdy Guardsmen started cheering and yelling at the few remaining orkz. though the Celebration was cut short when a trooper took a hit, and they began firing again in earnest. "Hershin's been hit!" someone cried out. She wasn't hit fatally, but she was out of the fight; unless she got help soon, it would be permanently. Cassin frantically tried ordering the Combat evacuation convoy, and ordered every able bodied soldier to return to the lines and gather the wounded. For now there was a lull in the fight and Cassin had to take the opportunity to recover lost ground. The town was covered in ork corpses and several moaning guardsmen. many weren't too critically wounded, and with enough time could return to the fight, but the Chimera's weren't approaching fast enough. As a few troopers got back in their trench-line they looked upon what they though was the heart of the eye of terror. "Cassin to all units... second wave approaching."

The two troopers on the roof continued to fiddle with the transceiver. They started arguing over how it should be fixed, one shoved another and soon they were fighting and knocked the device off the building, causing it to lean over slightly. "35th to 89th, you guys dead?" "CAPTAIN, you'd better get your ass over here!" Cassin rushed towards the vox near the tank. Jumping over many Corpses, feeling his old wound kick in. He overheard the vox and grabbed it like a drowning man grabbing a bit of wood. "Holy Emperor's Balls, you're timing couldn't have been better! I need an immediate full barrage around coordinates..." He looked for a map of the area. There was only a few minutes before the orkz struck again, and soon their tanks started firing on the town. The rescue Chimeras were still a ways out from the town, and if anyone was going to leave alive, they artillery was needed, but they coordinates had to be precise, the 35th had a habit of shooting wildly. As much as he felt he needed to be on the front, he was needed to direct the artillery. Hopping to get them as honed as they were on the fort. The guardsmen took up their old positions reluctantly. It was the same routine, only with less men, and this time the tanks were moving in. They counted four in total. Their morale was low, but they knew they couldn't run from this one. Just as the orks were getting too close for their liking the ground around them rose up in fireballs. The deafening thunder sounding like an angelic chorus. "Good effect, now let;s keep it coming, and scatter from coordinates....."

The shells pounded their targets and slaughtered the advancing orkz, and took out a couple tanks. True to their tenacious nature they didn't stop advancing. Drawing closer and closer despite the odds. Trooper Galviston rushed back to the trench with two ammo belts for the heavy bolter. His second snatch and grab for the day. He loaded it lightning fast and manned the metal beast. They all watched as the orkz got closer and closer, refusing to give in as the artillery pounded them to oblivion. Soon they were getting withing engagement range. "Open fire!" Golber shouted The ion curtain fell on the orkz again. The battle continued as they fought desperately to hold the line. Cassin kept tweaking the coordinates until an errant shot hit between his position and an outlying trench with troopers in it. "TOO CLOSE! I say again, that one almost cooked us." The sporadic fire opened up along the lines again and Little thunder rumbled into action, only Cassin and the Vox was too close to the Tank as it began to fire. Disorienting and deafening him, as well as a few others, temporarily. "Oh shit Cassin, did we get you that time? ... Delta come in." Cassin stumbled back to the vox and started yelling into the mouthpiece, incoherently but letting them know he was alive. Sooner than expected the orkz were closing dangerously close to the trench lines, now covered in rubble from the once standing buildings. Fifth platoon was getting battered, and fell back prematurely. With no leader they simply pooled resources and hit the second phase line. "All units Phase line two, don't even bother out there. Delta Command to reserve units, Condition red, I say again Condition red, get your asses over here Now!"

Kaila was avoiding the Commissar sitting in the back of her sweltering Chimera when she heard the vox transmission. Jumping to her feet she started to bark orders at everyone and rushed them into the Chimeras, unfortunately they had to set up a temporary aid station, and many of the trooper were still recovering, leaving them wasn't an option, and taking them would kill them. she had to make a rash decision. "First squad on me, Second and third stay here. We'll be back to pick you up within the hour." She followed Henris to his Chimera, the Commissar following suit. Both Platoon were mounted and before the ramps could close the chimera's were rolling full speed towards the besieged town. "This it was wise leaving most of your forces behind?" Henris said with a bit of concern. "If we bite it in there, those wounded won't stand a chance, and the medics are frakked." They didn't want to think about the grinder they were rolling into. Cassin had only called Condition Red once before, and it ended up with the company scattering all across the desert. Kaila reached her real hand across to Henris and held on to his; the Commissar noticing the display and saying nothing as the Chimera rocked about from the uneven terrain. Feeling smug in the fact he had evidence of their fraternization.

The town had descended into the depths of the warp, bullets and lasfire exchanged from all directions. Some troopers resorted to setting off explosives on buildings to make them fall on the orkz. Cassin and his squad were holed up in a building that was still standing. The orkz didn't seem to care too much for them, but their prize was the Leman Russ, and they seemed to want it intact as well. Soon the Artillery halted, and the orkz pushed forward unhindered. The only thing slowing them was Little Thunder, and the throng of heavy bolters around the town turning orkz into mist. One of the ork tanks rolled up under the building Cassin was in. He looked at his belt to see the melta bomb still there. His face was frozen in a grin. He may die that day, but he'd have used the weapon perfectly. He pulled the bomb from his belt, and right before he was about to prime it the metal monstrosity exploded. Yet another kill for the indomitable Leman Russ. Cassin erupted into a slew of profanity. The barrels of the bolters were white and starting to melt, Lasguns were running dry, hope was fading. Soon the first few Chimeras charted poring in and their reinforcements charging out. Several others were flanking the town and blasting away at the mobs. "Someone call for the Cavalry?" Kaila blaring away on the vox. The joy and celebration of the rescue turned back to reality as the last ork tank began firing on the Chimeras hitting on and disabling it outright. The crew shambled out disoriented. barely fending off the orkz that broke off to attack them.

The Chimera Blitz had the inadvertent effect of splitting the Orkz into smaller and easier to gun down mobs. Soon the only fighting that was left was in the town and the last remaining tank. A Lasscannon team moved its lumbering weapon to an opening to fire on the tank, but its turret was turning faster than they could set up. They managed to get one crippling shot off before they and the gun were hit by a direct shot. Throughout all the fighting the last few members of Fifth platoon finally finished the repairs on the tread. Little Thunder broke free of the fortifications, and was unleashed upon the orkz. Its gun destroying places where they were hiding and mowing down all it could with its side guns. Everyone joined in one final charge with the tank as they rushed the ruins. The bloodied Guardsmen let out a fierce warcry as they blindly rushed at the Orkz with bayonets, Stabbing and trusting wildly, taking losses as they charged. Sixth Platoon was at the forefront of the charge, their heavy armor faring better than the other guardsmen. Henris was blasting targets of opportunity with his shotgun, when it ran dry, he drew his chainsword and continued to advance. "For The Emperor! For the Gate! Kill them ALL!" Henris Shouted They stuck close to the Leman Russ making their way through the rubble and routing out any of the few remaining ork strong points. Hernis lead his Kasrkins with a shotgun in one hand and a chain sword in the other, not even attempting to reload. Kaila and her Kasrkins followed close behind.

Their resolve was fierce, and undaunted. The Kasrkins had missed out on this fight and were going to make up for it. They didn't slow down their advance, their hellguns firing keeping ork heads down, vaporizing the ones that didn't duck. Little Thunder turned the corner to face the last enemy tank, the turret was immobilized, it was an easy kill. "See you in the warp!" Captain Bannon yelled. The cannon thundered loudly kicking up dirt and debris as the shell flee violently into the tank, and inside erupted a mighty explosion. tossing flaming metal shrapnel in all directions. The battle was won, barely, but it was won. They could stop and lick their wounds, but they pressed on searching corner to corner for any stragglers. Every trooper was wounded, many were dead. They didn't realize how bloodstained they had become. They had managed to get many wounded soldiers to a safe place before the final push.

The once immaculate town Vek held for months was gone. Absolutely destroyed. Nothing remained that resembled the old town. Cassin walked off to an empty corner of the town resting on his lasrifle. He dropped it and slumped down into the fetal position resting his bloodstained face on his hands. He could hear the shuffle and movement around him, but he felt only the death of his men, and the failed battle-plan in his mind. He lost too many good leaders that day. Fifth Platoon was battered and leaderless. he had only once choice left for a command position. While others celebrated, he couldn't help but think of the next day, or the day after. "Sir, Beta Company is nearby, and they are requesting a rendezvous site so they can reinforce." Cassin ignored the trooper. "Sir... what do you want me to tell them?" Cassin lifted his head and looked at the destruction around him, and that despite the losses, they had accomplished their mission, the whole objective was done, Delta Company was resembled, but in the process nearly destroyed again. "Tell them..." Cassin got to his feet. "We held the line."