This was an experiment to see what happened if I wrote a GuP fanfic, set in Warhammer, with the tone of Fury. It's meant to be dark and bloody and unhappy like Warhammer. It is what it is. The Emperor protects.
It is the dark future of the 41st millennium. Countless worlds are engaged in desperate, sprawling wars for a myriad of reasons, foremost of those to uphold the Imperium of Man. The immeasurably lucky worlds that do not yet know war grow fewer each day.
One such unlucky world is Neipon VI, an agriculture-turned-industrial world. By galactic standards, it is barely beyond infancy. First settled for its agricultural qualities, and then modernized some thousands of years ago for light industry, Neipon VI has managed to procure a stretch of peace to break up its many civil wars. The nations are content, the tithes are met, and the growing military-industrial capacity and history of the planet have crossed ways to create the unique sport known as panzerfahren.
Alas, the Ruinous Powers are ever seeking the destruction of mankind, and Neipon VI's cults, cancers of the soul hidden for decades, have finally brought their plans to fruition, and now attempt to wrest control of the planet from their rightful Imperial masters.
The threat of Chaos is Neipon VI's greatest challenge yet, and the under-armed government is frantically mobilizing all possible forces to combat this traitorous foe, down to the last man, the last woman, the last adolescent even, for this is Neipon IV's fight for its very life, and not one soul can stand idle if the planet is to survive.
Splinters of fuchsia glimmered bright among the neutral grey clouds, even through the smoke columns that drifted up from the urban build-up ahead. There was kilometres upon kilometres of city ahead and around Miho Nishizumi and her tanks, the outer skirts of Hive Nakamura. The Hive proper was a towering mountain of metal in the far distance, a shadow among the clouds. Miho used it as her reference point, the only thing she could focus on in her exhaustion. The ragged forces from Ooarai had advanced through the night, as had the St. Gloriana force. The battle in and around Hive Nakamura was close, too close. Their commanders had requested any and all help available.
The distant thump of artillery and crackle of small-arms fire came closer and closer. Anxiety and anger began to replace Miho's indifference. Adrenaline started to seep into her bloodstream. Memories of the awful struggle across the mainland flashed before her eyes for the millionth time.
"Rise and shine, Ooarai!" Miho called over the radio. "Time is oh-six-fifty hours, we are three klicks outside Hive Nakamura's suburbs! Roll call, weapons check! Up and at 'em!"
With a mumbled greeting, orange-haired Saori Takebe struggled to sit up deeper in the Mod IV Leman Russ. "You sound like Darjeeling there," she said, yawning hugely. "Can't believe I managed to sleep…Miho, did you get any rest?"
"I'm fine," Miho said. She glanced around at the Ooarai forces. Around the tank column consisting of the miraculously whole Ooarai High School tanks marched the battered men of the Ooarai Defence Force. They had started out as an entire regiment; now they were an under-strength battalion, with a company's worth of friendly forces gathered from settlements they had passed through. The real Ooarai armour (how Miho thought of them) had fought and died at the coastal breakout and along the march. Only two squadrons remained, of three Leman Russes each.
Ooarai High School's tanks were now the armoured spearhead of the ODF. Miho was excited and terrified. Excited, because they could return the favors visited upon them earlier, terrified because even though the Ooarai girls had seen combat and fought behind the regular armour, they had fought behind it. The girls, brave as they were, were not professional soldiers. They were not ready to be a spearhead, simple as that.
Or, Miho thought, looking at the other side of things, maybe this is where Panzerfahren will prove its worth.
She looked back at the eccentric collection of tanks trundling along behind her–the low, flat, predatory Stug III tank destroyer, the lumpy double-gunned M3 Grant, the boxy little Type 89, and several others–and hoped desperately that it would be the latter answer.
The column began to report in. First up was Lion team in the massive Tiger P heavy tank, just ahead of Miho's Russ. "Lion team, reporting for duty," a sleepy Nakajima, Ooarai High's mechanic, said.
Next was Hippo team, commanded by Riko Matsumoto "Erwin" of the Stug III. "Hippo team standing by," she said, far more awake and alert than Miho felt.
Next in line, behind the Stug, was Turtle team in the Hetzer casemate tank destroyers, commanded by the Ooarai student president Anzu Kadotani, and commander of the Ooarai armoured company. "Turtle team, standing by!"
Next was Rabbit team, the terribly young underclassladies in the M3 Grant, commanded by Azusa Sawa. "Rabbit team, standing by…uh, yes. Ma'am. Yes ma'am."
Miho smiled. "At east, Rabbit team," she said.
There was nervous giggling on the other end. Then the next tank in line, the boxy Type-3 Chi-Nu housing Anteater team, commanded by nerdy Nekota, reported in. "Uh, Anteater team standing by, ma'am."
Next up was Mallard team, in the odd and oblong Char B-1bis, commanded by Hall Monitor Midoriko Sono. "MallaYAAWWWN…sorry, sorry, so sorry, ma'am. Mallard team is standing by."
Last of all was Duck team, commanded by volleyball enthusiast Noriko Isobe, in the Type 89. "Duck team reporting in, ready to serve the Emperor's good news hot, fast, and without warning!"
Miho radioed to Anzu, "Anglerfish team reporting in. Oorai company is ready for action, ma'am."
"Super!" Anzu said. "I officially cede commanding authority to you for the remainder of the battle, Field Commander Nishizumi."
"Copy, ma'am," Miho said, and then frowned when somebody snickered from lower in the tank.
"What?" she demanded, and looked down to see long-haired gunner Hana Isuzu smiling demurely up at her.
"You blush every time someone addresses you as 'field commander'," she said.
Miho felt herself blush even more, and the fluffy-haired head of loader Yukari Akiyama appeared. "You do!" she exclaimed. "Really, Miho, you're the commander, you don't need to worry."
"I'm not worried!" Miho said, red-faced, and her whole crew started laughing. Well, except for their driver.
"Blushing probably makes you more of a target," deadpan driver Mako Reizei said, staring into her viewport. "She's right, though. There's no need to be self-conscious about it."
Miho sighed, and leaned back. "You're all crazy," she said, pulled an amasec flask out of her jacket, and raised it high. "To Ooarai and its Panzerfahren masters," she said, took a sip from it, and passed it down to Saori.
"To Ooarai," the rest of Anglerfish team said.
The advance continued for a few more minutes. The Ooarai girls were quiet. Other than passing on their ready status to the ODF commander, Brigadier-General Haro, Miho was quiet as well, but not silent. She said the Litany of Command and the Prayer for the Emperor's Benediction over and over, just loud enough for her crew to hear. The rest of Anglerfish team was reverently silent.
Then the radio crackled with the Bridgadier-General's voice. "Command to Gamma company, Ooarai company, today's targets are Hill 731 and the Nakamura Superhighway. Hill 731 is fortified with hostile troops and cannon, and overlooks the Superhighway. These are both primaris-level targets.
"We will first concentrate on taking Hill 731, then the Superhighway. Gamma will assault 731 from the northeast, Ooarai will assault it from the southeast. Back up the troops, take the hits for them, make sure they get up there. We cannot let this hill stay in hostile hands."
"Gamma copies," Captain Denaho, the experienced and weary commander of Gamma company's six Russes, said.
"Ooarai copies," Miho said.
"Good," Brig-Gen Haro replied. "The Emperor protects."
Miho swallowed. The men around the tanks were looking more alert, the Chimera transport vehicles maneuvering into battle formations.
Miho switched the radio over to the private Ooarai channel. "All tanks, sound off," she ordered. The company did so. Miho reached into her coat again, and withdrew a tattered, well-used Imperial hymnal.
"Ladies of Ooarai," Miho said, "we go into battle once more, and once more I would have no one else at my back." She paused to clench her jaw and bury all her emotions deep, deep within her, deep where no one could dig them out.
Reading from the hymnal, she began, "Our Father, who waits upon the Golden Throne, hear our plea…"
And the girls of Ooarai joined in.
"Grant us the strength to defy your foes,
Grant us the will to ignore their blandishment,
Grant us the courage to stand before them,
With your grace, we shall know no fear."
Miho swiped at the unshed tears trembling at the corners of her eyes. "Forever bless your unworthy servants, O Divine Emperor," she said, "guard them from all evil, grant them a worthy death, and take them into your hallowed and eternal presence at the end of all things." She paused once more, and finished the prayer. "Ave Imperator."
"Ave Imperator," said the Ooarai girls said, as well as several nearby Guardsmen.
Miho tucked the hymnal away and gripped her aquila necklace with one hand, closed her eyes, and whispered one final prayer for fury, vengeance, and salvation.
With that, she opened her eyes, breathed deeply, and let her soul make the subtle switch from high school graduate to iron-hearted tank commander.