Introduction:

He was a sergeant for the Death Korps of Krieg. Known for their fanatical means to finish missions. Their whole mind and body dedicated to purging the Emperor's foes. Josep Glato was a dedicated Krieger, who would rather die than retreat. He commanded a squad of 20 men. And on the war torn planet of Armageddon, a planet not too different than his own. A war torn dead planet. This is his story of what he did to ensure victory for the Emperor.

Story:

He was walking along the muddy trench, the trench was about chin high to him, he stood at a good 6'3. He had a fit build, but was not too muscular or burly under his uniform. His breathing silenced to the outside by his gas mask. His boots were muddy from the dirt and mud all in the trenches. His head barely able to peak over the sandbags at the top and sides of the expansive trench system. His men looked up to him as he walked by, he was going to the command post to ask his Company Commander a question that has been in his mind for days now.

He walked into the small bunker made of thin steel and sandbags. "Sir, when do we attack." He stated flatly. His commander looked at him. "Soon sergeant. Why do you ask?"

"My men are curious, they are also anxious to charge into battle and die for the Emperor." Josep said. "Patience sergeant. We have to wait for the green skins to attack first, so they are weekend, then we counter charge." The commander said. "Affirmative sir." Josep replied. His commander was a tactical genius, always knowing the time to attack or defend. Josep couldn't personally do that as he has only been at the front lines ordering his small squad around, never planning large operations.

"Well sergeant you may leave now. I have men to command and so do you." His commander said, "And get that damn vox working private!" He yelled at the vox operator. Josep nodded and left the bunker. The command bunker had been hit by a stray shell by the green skins, it had been a dud but it landed on the previous vox operator and killed him.

He walked back down the trench, he stopped for a second, in the distance he could hear the basilisks letting a volley of fire out. The thundering roar of the guns' seasoned crews loading them very quickly. Josep looked up at the sky and saw the star shining and reflecting off of his gas mask's eyes. He then looked down and continued walking back to his squad in the process passing some other men chatting. He didn't want to intrude as he was not a rude slime ball.

He made it back to his squad and an eager corporal jumped up. "Sergeant! Did he say?" The eager corporal asked him almost jumping with joy. "Sit down corporal." Josep said as he pushed on the corporal's shoulder and he fell into the dirt. "Listen up Kriegers!" He yelled and all his troops looked at him. "We will attack after the green skins do. Which will be soon, around the time they always attack. So be ready to counter charge!" Josep yelled. He heard some cheers come from his men and also some laughs. He loved it when he pumped his men for battle more than they ever were.

Him personally was never afraid to be shot and killed. He would die before retreat. The Commissars didn't even have to really control the guardsmen, the only thing the commissars did were prevent conflict between the regiments. Kriegers often caused conflict when they saw the cowardice of most other regiments. Josep hated it too but always kept his men in line.

"Kriegers! Here they come!" Josep heard the Lieutenant yell. "Squad get to the front!" Josep yelled as he unholstered his chainsword and Iconic Krieg laspistol. His men had the iconic lasgun, which packed more of a punch than the normal lasguns in the Imperium. The only difference being that the Kriegers had less ammo in a pack. But that was never a problem.

"Get the heavy bolter mounted and ready!" Josep said. His bolter crew nodded and ran over to a small outcropping. They quickly mounted up and loaded the gun. The loader holding up the ammo so it would not jam as much. Josep took position in the center of his squad. His medic and vox operator at his side. He looked at them both and they nodded to him, he nodded back. "For the Emperor!" Josep yelled and his men chanted back, "For the Emperor!"

He saw the Green skins cresting the hill. He hadn't called for the fire order, he didn't need to his men knew exactly what to do. His Heavy bolter unleashed hell into the ork ranks, seeing shootah boyz and even a couple knobs. They had a lot of their slugga boyz charging up the heavy bolter they had was ripping into the orks armor and flesh. Almost all of them piercing and coming out the other side of the green skin.

They were not in range of their lasguns yet. But the heavy bolter was showing results and the Ork mob was dwindling, slowly, but it was depleting.

Josep raised his laspistol and prepared to fire as they were getting in range. The rest of his men did the same. Hundreds of green skins were coming towards the trenches, but his squad wasn't the only one. There were at least 500 other guardsmen facing this charge. And they were all Death Korps.

As the green skins got in range hundreds of lasguns opened up on them, tearing their flesh and armor. The large holes being burned into them by the lasguns, most proving fatal as many hit one ork at a time. Soon their numbers were about even with the orks. That is when Josep heard the scream from the commissar. "Charge guardsmen, for the emperor! For Krieg!" He screamed at all the guardsmen. Josep took action. "Charge!" He screamed at them.

This was something even the Orks didn't expect. Being orks and all. So they were not ready to be on the defensive. Josep pulled himself over the trench and charged forward. He saw hundreds of others doing the same. His medic and vox operator right next to him as he charged forward. He looked to his right and saw one of his troops get hit by an ork shootah. He body instantly went limp and fell into the mud.

Josep looked forward and kept charging. They were so close, he was breathing heavily as he moved up. Soon he was face to face with a slugga, a very dangerous breed of ork, very good in melee. Josep began shooting it point blank with his laspistol, the streams of red light smacking into the ork's armor. One round his it's arm and made a large burn in it. Josep charged forward and blocked an aggressive attack from the ork. Swinging back with his chainsword which got the green skin in the neck. Josep drilled into it causing the ork to spew blood all over the place and then it fell into the think mud at Josep's feet.

Josep charged forward, no fear in his eyes, digging his chainsword into an unfortunate enough shoota. The sword digging deep into it's flesh on it's stomach. It died quickly and then he moved to the next one, and then the next. It was an endless horde of orks, but he was not afraid. He looked over and saw a few of his men ganging up on a knob. Pelting it with lasgun ammo. Soon he saw the knob slow it's charge and fall to the mud. One of the guardsmen charged forward an jumped ontop of the knob, it was too weak to try and grab him. The guardsmen then stabbed his bayonet into the green skin's neck, making it halt forever.

"Good job guardsmen, push forward!" Josep yelled to his men. His men let out a battle cry as they moved forwards and began killing more shootas. Josep being at the front of the formation, he let his chainsword swing into another shootah, it tearing it's head straight off. Josep let out a battle cry of pure fury as he slayed another ork.

One of his guardsmen charging full speed into and ork, bayonet forward, the ork looking another way didn't see the brave man charge up and stab a bayonet straight into it's side. They both went tumbling to the ground but the guardsmen was first to make a move again. He quickly pulled the bayonet out and then stabbed the ork's eye. It stopped moving and Josep cheered for the glorious kill. Josep saw his medic spraying into a shoota, josep moved up next to him and began doing the same with his pistol. Soon the ork's burning fleshy body fell to the ground. The powerful lasguns burning through his armor and getting into his whole body.

Josep looked to the left and saw his fellow guardsmen cheering in victory. After looking around he saw nothing but green bodies laying in the mud. All of them having either stab wounds or many burn holes throughout their bodies. Josep let out a battle cry. His men joined him until all of the others up and down the line were cheering. "Return to the line! He heard a lieutenant say. Josep nodded and told his men to move back to the trench, they had won the day.

After they got back Josep did a role call with his men, out of the 24 in his squad 6 died. Not bad at all. He got a report from down the line from a commissar that the total casualty count was 103. Not bad at all considering the odds. The men that died in his squad were only basic guardsmen with no significant roles.

"Be in high spirits men, we had losses but that is a part of victory. That is the cost of victory." He told his men who all looked somber. They had known each other since training. Most of the guardsmen, it was not wrong to mourn over loss, but he did not allow it to effect their attitude in combat. But if they lost spirits from it Josep would have that man executed.

He looked out over the battlefield again and only saw green skin bodies. The casualties of the Krigers were picked up and transported off planet to be honored for their fighting in combat.

"Great job all of you. Start keeping count of your kills so I can get you commended for combat prowess." Josep said to them all. "I expect you all got kills yes?" Josep said as he stood in front of them while their backs were to the trench. He got a nod and yes sir from all of them except for the vox operator. "Now why didn't you get a kill?" Josep went up to him.

"Sir, I was next to you the whole time, just in case you had to relay a message." He said. Josep nodded, "But there were plenty of green skins near me. You didn't stab any of them?" Josep said angrily. "Sir, I..." "No need for explaining, were you a coward. A krieger a coward?" Josep got closer to him. "N- no sir, as I said I needed to make sure my vox was operational and ready for any message you have to relay." He said, very confident. "Fair enough." Josep said and patted his shoulder. "But I expect to see you purge a xenos next time!" Josep joked. Getting a laugh from everyone.

The mood had been improved and moral is high. When rations came around they all took off their gas masks and ate their food. "Why is this food so shit." He heard a private comment. He then heard another respond. "Because they have to feed ten thousand guardsmen you fool, they can only mass produce so much good food."

"Ah, piss off mate. I was just askin." "I was just asnwerin'."

Josep listened to the argument and let a smile creep onto his face. He was glad his men got along this well. Rather than actually getting physical they would just joke around. He was glad his men bonded over combat, considering many did not in other Regiments.

Josep finished his meal and then went to the MG nest outcropping where his gunners were. They were calmly prone next to the gun looking out over the field. "Any greenskin activity boys?" Josep asked them. They both looked at him and then looked back out. "Negative sir." The loader responded. Josep nodded and walked away. Going back over to his post in the center of his squad's position. He casually took out a rangefinder and looked around. Making sure nothing was around.

He let out a yawn and put his range finder up. He could hear the sounds of battle in the distance, the loud basilisks firing and the firing of bolters or Valkyrie cannons letting loose.

He sat down and crossed his arms to making it more comfortable to sleep. As night fell he closed his eyes and wandered off into a nap. He had taken many naps before, usually after an attack so he could get as much rest as possible until the next attack, so he would have energy and be ready to fight. One of his worst fears was being tired heading into battle.