-PRELUDE-
-Smug Faced Cowards-
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I remember the day so clearly, the sun was shining, not a damn cloud in sight. It was warm enough, but we had a nice breeze. Even still we were all a tad bit sweaty in our new uniforms. We had finally gotten them two days before we graduated the month long training the military camp gave us. But there we were, 600 of us sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, friends. We started to march through our home town and off to war, walking by our families and friends and houses, everyone in the town was there to see us off, throwing flowers at us and waving flags of the Imperium. They all looked so damn proud of us, they looked at us like we were heros.
But now as I think back to that day, I have to question some, if not all the eyes looking at us. Thinking back at now I realise, only after a year of fighting this war, those were the eyes of cowards. Those eyes of our fathers and friends, starring so deeply into our souls. They were so happy they wernt selected to fight, so relieved they wouldnt have to face the terrors of the night. That parade was nothing more than a celebration for those that didnt join.
Knowing my friends died for cowards hurts me more than anything ive come across in the War. Is any Imperial citizen grateful for the millions apon millions of guardsmen lost everyday just so they can continue about their lives? Have those whove fought in Hives experienced any sort of gratitude from the populous they died for? We fight the infinite numbers of chaos and xenos along with the Space Marines and our brothers and sisters in the Navy. Do we receive any thanks what so ever?
But then I realised, we dont fight for parades, awards, or even glory and thanks. We fight for eachother and the God Emperor of Mankind. We fight to preserve his Imperium he carved out for us, we fight so that his sacrifice isnt wasted by those to weak or lazy to do so. We fight for eachother, so that we can make it back to our bed and share another thing of caffeine, and so that the fething bastards we are fighting dont have a chance to gain ground. We fight for Mankind.
So let those cowards sleep, let those both grateful and ungrateful go about their daily toils for the Imperium. We will never expect any sort of thanks from them.
The Emperor Protects.
-Personal Diaries of Captain Emil Havens, 4th Company Commander of the 1st Paveish Heavy Infantry Battilion.-
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So guys, heres another drunk story, any bigboi 40K fans best stay away cause all my knowledge comes from the Gaunts Ghost series, The Beast, and TTS. As always if anything needs to be changed lore wise hmu please!