The men were weary, they were tired, and they were hungry. By the throne they wanted to go home already. Their ammo was spent and their commander was flayed and presented upon the banners of the heretics they battled. A small group of guardsmen took shelter behind a wasted Lemun Russ, hoping, praying the God Emperor would save them.
Dirk, little more than just another gun placed a comforting hand on the shoulder of his cowering companion. "Come on now. If the commissar saw us like this do you think he'd be merciful?" He tried to urge his allies out of their fear but the booming of nearby artillery fire saw even himself flinching low.
"I'm pretty sure Commissar Kinard is dead too," a man argued. "I'm staying here until the fire stops and we can return to camp. If that makes me a traitor than execute me here." Dirk's gaze lowered darkly at the man for a moment as he considered the option.
"If you want to die then die taking them with you!" he shouted and peeked his head out beyond the relative safety of the tank's shell. One, two, he ducked back into cover narrowly avoiding las fire. "I counted three more men in the trenches. I am going to make a run to support them, so cover me!"
The argumentative man reluctantly grabbed his laspistol and pulled another guardsman, a young woman who had been nursing a wound on her side, to her feet. "Alright, I'll cover you, but you'd better cover us after."
Dirk looked at the laspistol and then the wounded woman. Was this really all they were reduced to? What was the point of continuing the assault then? He shook the thoughts away from his mind. "Right! Our last orders were to drive out the filth and take the cathedral for further fortifications! If comms weren't jammed, maybe, just maybe we could rally everyone together! So keep an eye out for the jamming device!" He was ordering a mere four men, two of which her so near death's door he simply ignored them altogether.
As dirk found the briefest of breaks in the firefight he rushed out of cover in a dead sprint. The scared man was firing into the horde of opponents on the other side of the battlefield blindly. He cared less for hitting his enemies, and more for presence. He was nearing the trench just as a frag grenade landed mere feet from him. He leaped terrified away from it as it exploded peppering his back with shrapnel. By sheer miracle the shards punctured his flak armor but never his flesh and he safely slid into the trench falling into the hole with a harsh thud.
"Are you crazy!?" one of the trench fighters demanded of him. "Never mind that now! Take this gun and start shooting!" A lasercarbine with bloodied stains was thrust into his arms. Dirk dared not think on the previous owner's fate. May it bring him better fortune.
Looking back at those he promised to aid he prepared to begin firing when an artillery shell crashed down upon their placement. The blast incinerated all but the woman who was knocked forward into the open field. She had barely a moment to stand before her body was torn to shreds under intense fire. Dirk staggered back in horror before shouting drew him back to reality.
Overhead aircraft could be seen flying and firing down into the numbers of heretics. Aid had arrived at last, this was their chance. "C'mon!" Dirk pulled himself from the trench and began to charge the cathedral. As he ran half a dozen Aquila Lander's zoomed overhead and other guardsmen charged forward alongside him. The enemy was being forced to fall back as guardsmen of an unknown regiment to Dirk began to leap out parachuting into the chaos below. Elated with joy his voice rang out with a strong "For the Emperor!" and he was met with a fervent echo by many.
"The objective is clear of all hostile units and ready to be fortified Sir." A young woman addressed her commissar before he motioned her off to other tasks with a wave of his hand.
Looking over his bolt pistol he silently began to load and unload it repeatedly. Beside him was a captive restrained by two men. The heretic looked nervous as his eyes darted around the building. "Now, I will ask you a simple question and I want a simple answer. If I decide I don't like your answer or you avoid answering I will make you suffer a very long time before your execution." He turned his head slightly to take a good look. His green eyes fell upon a pitiful excuse for a man: he was emaciated and hardly clothed. "Your people rebelled and further still turned to false idols because you were suffering a lack of your needs being fulfilled?"
The traitor stared at the ground as he spoke in defiance. "Our people have been starving, the earth has been drained of mineral resources, and few are the places able to grow food anymore. In the arms of Chaos we were given hope." He cried out in sudden pain as his leg was ripped apart by bolt fire. "I-I told you the truth!" he pleaded.
"I believe you worm." The commissar began, "But I did say if I don't like your answer, you will suffer, did I not?" His eyes were a merciless pit of uncaring green. "You still lived and yet you have the audacity to claim the Emperor did not provide!? You are a greedy sort!" He raised his pistol to the other leg now ignoring the pained whimpering of the heretic. "Next question. Who is the leader of your pathetic force?"
"No! I will not betray her with such a thing!" His other leg was splintered open his own blood pooling around him. He surely would die in a moment even without any direct involvement.
"You already have," the man laughed. "So it is a she then? I think I am done with you, but you have offered me a great line of questioning for your fellows." With a nod to the guards they delivered a killing blow to his head. Now, where would he set up his office and have for lunch? "I want this body burned and the building fortified by nightfall," the commissar ordered and began to search the building. A place with a view would be nice.
"Yes Sir!" they replied dragging the body away. Passing a new recruit one of the two ordered them to clean up the blood, Tilman's orders.