Well, guys, thanks for reviewing! I've been working on this while I've been at school, so it may not be as good as the last chapter. Anyway, enjoy! And if you do enjoy, review!

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RECORDING # 1938-397-7

DATE: (4)998-989.M41

SECURITY LEVEL: Journal, Personal. (OFFICER – Passkey phrase: "See? I was!")

DICTATION SOURCE: Commissar E. Enoch, 526th Kreig Siege Regiment.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: 'What the hells is a passkey? Aw, not ag-'

SCRIBE: GEN #004017-0006

-ain.

[pause]

Damn.

[pause]

Well, looking rather shiny today for a servitor.

[pause]

I guess I do, too. Shiny, I mean. For a person in the Kreigers, that is. I just had my first parade with them. All two thousand of them, like dark brown wraiths, marching around while the Hive's 'mayor' came out and watch.

[pause]

He was a rather... er... round man by the name of Beetsley, came along and took up three seats of the viewing podium when he came out. I think we needed a Chimera just to get him up the stairs. The poor chairs were creaking rather worryingly while we were out there, too.

[pause]

After the parading around, we gave him one of our spare laspistols as a present, after one of the cogboys made it all nice and pretty, and the man was as happy as a little juvie on Emperor's Day. I think the Tech-Adepts out in the armory were a little sad for that poor thing. I hope that governor's going to at least try to clean it. We put on the safety and gave him an empty pack, just in case he gets it in his head to go play guardsman.

[pause]

But that isn't quite as important as what I saw. The Kreigers were important. By the Emperor... Four thousand (minus one, if you don't count the augmented leg of Trooper #5029-18n) boots shook the very ground as they made their way up the parade ground. The Death Korps moved in perfect cadence, a harmony that would have made any drill sergeant worth his stripes cry. I bet none of their PDF rabble could have done anything nearly as impressive as the Kreigers did.

[pause]

Not even our Schola could do that well, I don't think. Makes you wonder what these Kreigers were made of.

[pause]

I was quite impressed myself.

[pause]

Don't believe a Commissar could feel humility? It was one of the things that Master Cain taught us first and foremost: We may lead men by the millions, but we are here to serve Humanity. From the lowliest hive-worker to t he greatest of the Astartes, we serve Humanity. Even the Emperor served Humanity, guiding us into prosperity and to the stars, and we serve him in return. You must take that same role with your men, he said, and serve them as they will also serve you.

[pause]

Although Catachans are a different story, he said.

[pause]

Good Lord. I remembered that? Hah, I wish I did five years ago: That's when he tested me on that speech.

[pause]

Anyway, back to the Kreigers.

[pause]

They looked like a legion of death incarnate. This is the important bit: They were all in muted browns and greys, their uniforms and helmets... not a shiny piece on them. Like ghosts of Guardsmen past, of the forgotten heroes of the Imperium. I get the shivers just imagining what it would be like to face these men. They're completely silent, you know? Silent, except for their bootsteps and the cries of their Sergeants, not even while standing at ease. Not a sound from them. Even their voices were muffled, too, with their ever present gas-masks.

[pause]

I don't know what was going through that Governor's head when he saw them, but by the Golden Throne, these Guardsmen send chills down my spine.

[pause]

I'm glad I'm not a heretic. The Juamel 14th Light Infantry Regiment came through today, landed in the fields just outside the hives. They're headed towards the mountain regions. Big geothermal activity out there, always ash in the air. No wonder those Chaos crazies chose that place for a base; the ashes in the atmosphere disrupts anything flying, and the big lance batteries on our battleships in orbit tend to miss by half a kee. Can't risk hitting our own men, you see? Not when there's no gain to be had. What was that place called? Let me get that dataslate.

[pause]

Mordor. Renamed when the Mordians cleared that place out and made themselves a base up there... they abandoned it when they got called up to fight in the next sector over and now it's become a Chaotic house of horrors. There used to be some thermal plants up there, to keep the volcanoes down and channel their resources elsewhere, but...

[pause]

You'd have to be crazy to try and walk into that place...

[pause]

On an unrelated note, I still have to send a few Centuars out to dig up the PDF's Leman Russ. Might need more than a couple. Emperor alone knows if they can actually drive that thing in a straight line. The idiots dropped the Russ into an anti-tank ditch just on this side of the main highway while out on patrol. Well, at least we know it can stop a tank now, don't we?

[pause]

Good thing that shipment of the 'Goliath' pattern mines came in late. First time I'm thankful of the Administratum's processing speed. It would have been... messy... otherwise. I'll have to give them one of our APCs, and we'll pick it up when I drop off the Russ back at their motor pool. Or should we just requisition it? Just so that those Emperor-forgotten PDF troopers can't go ahead and drive it someplace they shouldn't be.

[pause]

Like our HQ bunker... Sounds like a better and better idea the longer I think about it. But that's going to be some paperwork I'll have to do.

[pause]

Yes? Come in. Ah, hello, #83.

[secondary dictation source detected: Shm hrmphm hmmhpm ho hmoo]

Oh, I see. Speak of the Warp. Bring them in, I suppose. There's the new 'in' tray that the Administratum gave me. Helps organize things.

[secondary dictation source detected: Hyus, hmmhihmr]

Thank you, #83. I'll just get back to my journal n-... hello? Since when did the autoscriber write down secondary sources?

[secondary dictation source detected: h-dmhmk hougbhy khm hmr, hmmhihmr]

Oh? Cogboy come in to do some maintenance yesterday, did they? Who was this? Tech-adept Vincenzo? Ah, I know the guy. Can't keep his hands off the Leman Russ tanks, has those optical pieces, right? Yes? I see... well, good for him. Dismissed, #83.

[pause]

Ugh... paperwork. Lots of it. No wonder Cain loved to give them as punishment duties. Let's have a look, shall we?

[pause]

Incident reports... requisition forms... a sketchup of the trenchworks, looks like... and… what's this? #83's data slate?

[pause]

Well now… I think I may as well have a look... override the password and… lets see… uh… wait… really? Wow… #6345-68e's a girl?

[pause]

This is… interesting…

[pause]

[Entering Standby Mode...]

Wha-? Don't open that door! Who's there?

[secondary dictation source detected: Hmmhihmr?]

Trooper #68! ? Wait just a moment! Er... uh… oh, ah… he-hem… good morning, trooper.

[secondary dictation source detected: Mhfm mhmmhoom, hmmhihmr.]

Afternoon already? Ah, so it is…

[pause]

Why are you here, #68? Oh, and you too, #45.

[secondary dictation source detected: hmhrrs, hmmhihmr.]

Papers? More of them? Good Emperor, we should just throw this stuff at the enemy. Kill them with the weight of our paperwork. Thank you very much, #45, #68. Dismissed.

[secondary dictation source detected: -Unintelligible: Voice source too distant-]

Make the Administratum unhappy? Well, I suppose you're right. Let's just put them on the table, then... I need a quick shower, haven't had one in... far too long. Alright, goodbye, #68.

[secondary dictation source detected: Hys, hmmhihr?]

Wait! Come back here!

[pause]

I have something for you to do when you leave. You're playing messenger. Get down to the Motor Pool and organize a few Centuars and a Chimera to come out to that Russ that they've managed to drop into the ditch, #45. Also, get to the motor pool and requisition drivers for a Leman Russ tank, and have them drive it back here. Yes, that will be all. Dismissed, #45.

[pause]

Stay there, #68, I have an errand for you, too.

[pause]

Run this message down to C-company's barracks: Two Platoon is to deploy, full combat gear, and escort the Chimera and Centuars as they go about their duties. Three and Four platoons are to make repairs to the ditch, make sure that they can really get a Leman Russ stuck next time. I don't think they've been out and about in a while, so I'd bet they would enjoy the exercise.

[secondary source detected: -Unintelligible, voice source too distant-]

No, #68, you may not join them, do you understand? Very good. Dismissed.

[pause]

Glad that's over... Must be an Emperor-awful tight fit underneath that greatc- No! What in the warp are you doing! Stop writing this down! Erase! Delete! Oh for the love of the Golden Throne, why do you insist on writing down everything I s-

[pause]

Right, you're an autoscriber. It's kind of in the description, isn't it?

[pause]

Alright, time to get this wrapped up, then. Shower first. Then I'm going to go ride out with those Chimera, stretch my legs a little. Maybe help smooth things over with the Leman Russ tanks when those PDF squaddies see a Commissar.

[Transcript Ends]