The smell of cheap whiskey stuck to him. His boots looked like they had been worn forever. The uniform on his strong frame needed a wash. In fact it was a wonder that he hadn't been bought on charges yet¼¼.but there was only war and no time for charges. Lucky that was, for he was that planet's only hope.
It was a single planet in a forgotten solar system. Unwed but for its small moon that could be seen on a cloudless night. It was a temperate world with a fairly civilized population of pious imperial citizens. Or so sthe tourist data slate said. There were those on the planet, right now, who knew the truth though. Out in the coastal lands along the southern continent lay the emperor's soldiers- ever vigilant and ready to do battle with his foes.
At least that is what they had been told when they had made planet fall on Gemini I ( whose use of the Inquisition's symbol in its name had almost resulted in exterminatus ). Now that they had landed, many were wondering if this was a punishment assignment. Of course that was if one considered garrison duty to be a punishment.
Commissar Virgent was one of those men. He knew his place was out in the battlefields across the stars of the galaxy. Or at least those in this segmentum. Years after his first tour as a commissar-lord on Armageddon , he still woke up screaming and bathed in sweat( usually his own). Then after the faces of the men he'd sentenced to death started haunting him- he began to drink.
It was a quick downward spiral after that, he soon found himself friendless and was stripped of his rank. Only his reputation saved him from the firing squad and only the commissariat's traditions of taking care of their own saved him from the trenches. They had not saved him from ridicule or a miserable position- with an even more miserable unit.
He walked out of his hut and looked at the silent ocean. This was really getting on his nerves, the constant crash of the surf and the utter boredom. Normally most guard units were improved by getting downtime- they could train an rest for a short while. Saria's fifth regiment was the exception to the rule. Left alone in one place , for too long, they tended to rot. Mind you , most units had a fair amount of soldiers who deserted if they were put on a "safe" planet. Most preferred a life of crime or serving as Arbites then fighting aliens.
The Sarians were different, they had a strong dislike for outsiders and they were getting paid to do nothing¼¼ not to mention getting free boarding and food. The Imperial guard in its wisdom kept looking for "new worlds". Some of these worlds had no military tradition or if they did; it usually involved the PDF. Who had no idea what they were doing.
Commissar Virgent believed he knew his job. Now that he'd be assigned as a major to advice Colonel Dion - he was not so sure. The man stank and had a list of nasty habits that went on and on. He was also into underage girls and drugs. Which wouldn't have been a problem back in his home planet.
Here though, the Marshal general had decided to assign the regiment as far from civilization as possible. However since Sarians weren't known for their survival skills- the late unlamented 4th Regiment (the Death-drop-orbital one) had been wiped out after having been exposed to a death world.
Commissar Virgent would have liked a harsh environment. It made soldiers into soldiers, as he felt the sand beneath his feet and he smelled the heavy brine of the sea; he knew he was truly in hell. If only he could back to Armageddon and its friendly shores and shining sky and dazzling clouds of pollution. To be woken up to the cry of "WAAARGH!" every morning that was as close to the Emperor's grace as he'd ever been.
A sigh escaped his lips, it was going to be another long boring day. He would try and make the colonel make his soldiers practice firing skills and hand to hand tactics. Since the Imperial guard was supposed to be able to go hand-to-hand against any of the Emperor's foul enemies and hopefully not get ripped apart within less then five seconds. Ah but if only¼¼
Out in the warp a shadow moved. It flickered for a second then flew toward the huge shape that was gliding through. At first it could have been mistaken for an imperial ship with all the skulls attached to the brow. On closer( demonic) inspection, the dark sign of chaos could be seen painted( with blood of course) on the side of the ship. Heck was about to come to Gemini I.