Prologue

The Chimera splashed through another puddle, sending a spray of water against the buildings to either side of it. Another APC followed close behind, headlights cutting through the pouring rain. Visibility was poor, made even more so by the absence of a moon. Leaving the city, the four Chimeras turned onto a small mud-covered highway. Soon the buildings were lost to sight and the transports were surrounded by flooded fields. Inside the vehicles, every soldiers' head was bowed in prayer, asking the Emperor to keep watch over their families until their return. They knew better than to ask for their own safety. This was war, and every war has its casualties.

The radio crackled and a calm voice cut through the rain's interference. 'Men and women of the Imperial Guard…'

The voice cut off for a moment before returning once more. 'Resisting the Gods of Chaos is never an easy thing.' The voice was quiet and feminine, but loaded with authority. 'At times, it is thought to be impossible. But we must always try. We must always stand and fight. Fight in the defense of our friends, our homes, our families, and our Imperium. To not do so would be to betray our oaths. We are not the immortal Astartes, nor are we the fanatical battle-sisters. We do not wield the limitless power of the Holy Inquisition. No, we are mere soldiers, Guardsmen of the Imperium.' Lightning flashed, illuminating the flooded fields around the troop carriers.

Burned-out farm houses maintained a lonely vigil over the broken and scarred land. Dead animals were scattered across the landscape, bloated with gasses and rainwater. Smoke curled lazily into the sky and thunder rolled across the plains. Occasionally the convoy would pass the smoldering remains of a tank or a crashed gunship. Frozen corpses surrounded these relics, locked in the final, eternal embrace that awaited all soldiers of the Emperor.

'We are the Korinthean Twentieth, and by the Emperor we will do our duty. Holding ground is never easy. Not against traitors, not against xenos. It is hard to watch your friends around you fall and not wonder why. However, that is exactly what we will do. We are soldiers, defenders. We will not let the civilians of this world die, not without first handing over our lives in their defense. They do not know the horrors of war as we do. They do not know how protected they really are, and do not know how precious their lives truly are. They do not know what it means to have lost everything and to have kept going. We do. We can suffer a little more.'

As the commander said this, the four Chimera APCs splashed into a small field base, spraying mud and water in all directions as they came to a sudden stop. The embarkation ramps dropped open and the Korintheans charged outside. Dressed in full combat gear the troopers sorted themselves into their individual squads and stood at attention. The rain drummed deafeningly against their helmets. Their commanding officer stepped out of the lead Chimera and stood before her soldiers, men and women whose lives rested securely in her hands.

'First squad will move to point Delta on the defense line. Second squad will be their support. Third and fourth will move to point Foxtrot.' She looked each soldier in the eye, as though she were attempting to see into the depths of their souls. In a sense, she was. Every human had a breaking point. It was a commander's job to know those of her troops. 'Remember, each defense point is one mile apart. However, that is one mile of very mountainous terrain. If you need reinforcements, radio Battlefield Headquarters immediately, because they'll be slow to arrive. After I am briefed by the field commander, I will regroup with first and second squads. First Lieutenant Oron will be in command at Foxtrot. Troopers under his command, I'll see you when this is all over. Good luck, and may the Emperor guide you all.'

The commander saluted her troops and turned away. With her executive officer in tow, she jogged quickly towards the nearby command-and-control tower. Neither of them could bear watching their troops say goodbye for what very well could be the last time.

Two of the soldiers stood apart from their squads, kneeling in one of the Chimeras and praying together. They each had one hand on a small picture of their baby girl, turning three that day. They hadn't seen her since her first birthday. They took solace in the fact that at least they'd been there for that. When they finished, they spent a moment simply staring at their little miracle. Then they embraced and trudged to their separate transports.

The two commanders moved into the command tower, weaving their way through small crowds of support officers. Orderlies pushed past them, clutching written orders tightly with both hands. A radio hidden somewhere in the press of officers allowed them to listen to the troopers on the front line. A monitor hung on one wall, displaying aerial images of select combat zones. The two field officers shook their heads. They would never understand support personnel.

They entered a small conference room. The only sounds were the soft beeping of panels, the quiet whine of the holographic table in the center of the room, and the steady ticking of a clock. The table was currently showing the entire defense line in perfect detail. Standing at one end was the Commander of Theatre Operations. His face was a patchwork of scars. One sleeve of his uniform was folded neatly and pinned to his side. The man looked up from the display and fixed the newcomers with a cold, haunted glare.

'Which regiment are you and what's your force count?' He growled.

The woman stepped forward. 'I am-'

'I was talking to the commanding officer.'

The commander shook her head. 'With respect General, I am the commanding officer. I am Major Rayes of the Korinthean Twentieth Light Infantry Regiment.'

The man blinked and glanced briefly at the two officers' rank insignia. 'I apologize, Major. It is rare for a woman to rise so high in the ranks. What is your force count?'

'Our main force is still deploying at the space port, sir. The regiment currently numbers at five thousand. With me are four squads. I have deployed them, as per Colonel Roth's orders, to points Delta and Foxtrot, two squads each.'

The general winced. 'Those troopers are going to take a beating come morning. At points Alpha through Charlie, cultists attack once every three or four hours. Points Delta, and Golf get attacked once a day, in the early morning. Delta and Echo have had confirmed sightings of Chaos Marines. Come morning your men very well could be dead. I doubt many of the soldiers there survive more than a few days. Sorry, Major.' He now addressed the room as a whole. 'Okay people, we've held out for three weeks. The plan is to hold out for just two more. That's only fourteen days people. Any longer and we'd be compromising everyone we've already gotten off-planet. Preaoreans?'

A colonel dressed in desert combat gear stepped forward. 'Yes sir?'

'You're an Armored Cavalry Regiment, heavy, correct?' Receiving a nod in the affirmative, the general motioned towards the two Korintheans. 'Send a few tanks to support the Korinthean Light Infantry. Voron Artillery, I need you to station your guns just outside this encampment for maximum coverage. Do not, I repeat, do not move them forward to the high ground. It is highly unstable. Draconian Airborne, spread your troops along points Delta through India, focused on Delta. Keep your valkyries in reserve, we may need them later. If any regiment needs support, radio immediately. If you wait, you'll probably die before reinforcements arrive. I don't care that you die, but do not allow the enemy to break the line. I can't have soldiers die because someone else didn't pay attention. Is that clear?'

The assembled commanders responded, 'Yes sir!'

The general grimaced. 'Good. You'll be joining regiments already on the field. You people were three weeks late and so now have to prove your worth to all of us already here. Welcome to hell.'

Dismissed, the commanders filed out of the room, leaving the general alone. He gazed at the battlefield laid out before him. His shoulders slumped and his face seemed to grow old with age. The weight of command was heavy.

In the hall, the Preaorean Colonel held out his hand. 'Colonel Tine, Preaorean Ninth Heavy Cav. What kind of tanks would you like?'

'Major Rayes, Korinthean Twenty L-I Executive Officer. This is Lieutenant Oron, the XO for Charlie Company. As for tanks, a few Baneblade super-heavies would be great. Of course, a Leman Russ will do just fine, but why say no to the extra firepower?'

'Believe me, Major, if I still had any Baneblades they'd be all over the Chaos filth. I'll send you four Leman Russ MBTs and two Hellhound fire-throwers. How's that?

'Better than I expected, sir. Thank you.'

Colonel Tine smiled. 'Anything for my Infantry brothers and sisters. Soon you ruck-marchers will learn to love the sound of a tank's cannon.'

'Believe me sir, we already do. It means something bigger than us and with a lot more armour is soaking up all the enemy fire.' With that the officers parted. Rayes and Oron stepped into the rain and gazed at each other for a moment. Rayes knew this was the hard part, but couldn't bear to do it. She never could. Oron took her hand.

'I'll see you in a couple of weeks, ma'am. Don't worry.'

She shook her head, not in disagreement, but in sorrow. 'Promise me, Daniel. Don't die. Please, don't you die.'

Oron offered a small smile. 'That an order?' Rayes nodded, and he continued. 'Yes ma'am. Believe me, I'm in no hurry to. Everything will be fine. I'll see you in a couple of weeks.'

He turned and ran through the pouring rain, quickly lost to sight. Major Katherine Rayes stood, frozen to the spot, burning his face into her memory for the thousandth time, just in case she never saw it again. A commander had to love her troops. A commander had to be willing to order them to their deaths. Slowly, she turned and marched in the opposite direction. Boarding a waiting transport, she closed her eyes and slowly listed the names of every soldier in her command, living and dead. She could not forget, lest she dishonour the fallen.