Chapter 2:
First Blood
It took eight days to supply the regiment for the winter months ahead. Yuri and the others had found ways to pass the time, including dodging commissariat officers for numerous minor infringements of the Imperial Code, but nothing that would get them more than lashed and hurried to the frontlines. Yuri had waved goodbye to Dina, she had cried as he expected she would. He had been close himself, but had to keep up appearances, besides which he would have never lived it down. It hadn't stopped some of the others. Big Hal had said a tearful farewell to his wife and four children, at least the families would have each other back at the base while their men were away being slaughtered by the enemy.
The convoy stretched for miles along the main highway route 666, a ten lane plascrete construction specifically built to get the military to and from the front lines. The repair company had worked flat out to get the regiment's trucks up and running for the big push, otherwise it would have taken another week simply to get to the front lines. Although the deployment of the Army Corps had been staggered to allow the various regiments time to properly deploy their transport vehicles, delays and breakdowns would ensure that nothing was going to go smoothly.
The first hundred miles had been a slow but certain ruination of the landscape. From the farms and woodlands that surrounded their base to a crater filled horizon, pock marked with numerous, seemingly endless destruction of the terrain. Including massive holes gouged in the road as construction crews worked frantically to repair the damage. The closer they got to the front lines the more worried the Imperial troopers seemed, agitated and sombre.
Yuri stared out the back of the truck as they passed burnt out vehicles and torn remains, casualties of the war before they had even the chance to fire their weapons or reach their destination. He knew warfare cared little for those that perished, but it seemed such a waste of life that they weren't even able to do the job they had trained for many months to do. For the nine thousand combat troops of the 35th Volunteer Regiment, the realisation of what they were heading into hit them in the last fifty miles, as the land took on an almost alien landscape, more like a heavily bombarded moon than the fields that had once been there.
For the ten thousand men, women and children who would remain behind at the Field HQ it would be a long waiting game as the months ticked by and the only ones of their fellows that came back would be the dead and injured. For the three thousand recruits and reserves, the time waiting would be a slow hell as they thanked the Emperor for each day they were not called to the front to replace casualties.
Within twenty miles and the first sign of the vast defensive network of trenches and gun emplacements was plain to see for the troops of the 35th. They would soon be leaving the trucks and walking to their destinations, the chance of numerous trucks being hit by stray shells during an enemy bombardment was a real concern for the commanders of the regiments now approaching the front lines. The road too was damaged beyond repair, as though it had been deliberately shelled for months on end to prevent or slow the delivery of troops, supplies and munitions to the front.
Yuri couldn't help but smile as the 56th Army Corps, of which his regiment was a part, deployed into the trenches and emplacements throughout the area they had dubbed Hell 666. It was certainly a powerful and impressive sight to behold, and with a lull in the enemy shelling, most reached their destinations untouched. For Yuri and his regiment, they found themselves right at the front, the tip of the defensive line, he had to wonder at what terrible crime they had committed to be given the worst area to defend, and undoubtedly the one with the most casualties.
The 35th found themselves deployed alongside the 12th Cadian Infantry regiment in several miles of trenches built into the most forward position of the entire area, a large series of hills and rocky outcroppings that provided excellent cover and the advantage of higher ground, they also provided a good view of the enemy trenches some two miles in the distance.
Dane Novachek was their commander, Lord Colonel of the 35th and a man who only felt comfortable leading from the front. By rights he should have been back at Field HQ in contact with the front lines from his Leviathan command centre, but he had left that to his second in command, Lieutenant Colonel Arturo Malbandian, a good but regimented soldier of the old noble class.
His command bunker took pride of place on Hill 666, the most prominent and highest position on the front. It was a squat structure of reinforced plascrete and numerous gun emplacements that could house several infantry companies. It was marked all along its outside with bullet and shell impacts, numerous works of hasty repair had ensured the vast structure was mainly intact.
Yuri's battalion had the dubious honour of defending the line in front of Hill 666 alongside 3rd battalion of the 12th Cadian Infantry Regiment. A whole mile of interwoven trenches and emplacements built into the hillside from which they were to stop any advance on their position. For the men and women of 3rd Battalion, the reinforcement of their position couldn't have come soon enough, although they still doubted their regiment would have the chance to leave the front, the best they could hope for was some downtime in the plascrete dugouts, but at least that was better than months of living in the trenches.
Looking out over no-man's land gave the real picture of months and years of endless combat. Corpses and the broken shells of destroyed vehicles littered the entire area between the allied and enemy trenches. Looking through his las rifle sight he could just about make out the movement of enemy troops in their own trenches, no doubt preparing for the next assault on the notoriously deadly area, famous for its mounting body count.
The filthy and desperate troops of 3rd Battalion seemed pleased enough they were no longer alone, many showed the signs of combat, bandaged and scarred. They welcomed wholeheartedly the bundles of cigarettes, alcohol, food and medical supplies the fresh troops were bringing with them. Many could barely contain their excitement at the thought of a cold beer and a smoke, let alone pain killers and fresh food. Also new uniforms to replace those they had worn since their deployment six months earlier. Their casualties were running at a quarter dead and another quarter seriously wounded and back at their Field HQ, They were effectively running at half strength, around eight troops to protect an entire mile of trenches, it seemed almost impossible they had held out against such overwhelming force.
Opposite them were five thousand troops of Abaddon's 31st Legion, 3000 Traitor Guardsmen, 1500 Cultists and another 500 Chaos Marines of the Black Legion. Only infighting and lack of a decent leader had ensured that Hill 666 had not been overrun months earlier. The chaos forces had 160,000 troops in the area facing 56th Army Corps and the 70,000 men and women of Cadia and Thoria who were already on the front lines. At least with the new arrivals things were brought up to a more manageable level and the pressures on the defending troops would hopefully be eased.
For 1st squad, 1st platoon, 5th company, 6th battalion, this was finally it; Yuri and his friends would soon find themselves facing the cultists, traitor guardsmen and traitor marines of Abaddon's Legions. They settled into their new positions, the trenches and dugouts that would be their home for at least the next six months, should they survive that long.
Yuri set about cleaning his las, he removed the power cell first, too many accidents had occurred with new recruits cleaning or maintaining a loaded weapon, only to have themselves or someone else wounded or killed in the process.
Yuri looked up as Nix steadied his long las, looking at the enemy positions, Nix spotted what he assumed was an officer issuing orders through his sniper sight. He breathed deeply and took aim, while he was one of the best shots in the regiment he doubted he could hit a target two miles away. Before he had chance to find out, platoon leader Lieutenant Jall Jacobs was beside him.
"Lower your weapon trooper, you only get to fire when you're told to fire."
Nix looked at him with surprise and lowered his weapon, "Yes, sir, just thought I'd get the range, sir."
"You'll get your chance soon enough, make sure your weapons are clean and in good working order, if we're attacked I don't want anyone unable to fight." A series of 'Yes, sirs and will do's' went up from those of 1st platoon in reply.
Squad sergeant Malk Sloane, settled in beside Yuri, cleaning his own heavy las, his gunner, Lloyd Tremerin sat next to him, the heavy weapon and ammunition power cells would be checked and cleaned thoroughly in a ritual they had practised hundreds of times before.
The standard for a typical volunteer squad was 5 guardsmen with Las guns – Private Yuri Velekov, Private Raul Reilly, Private Sharn Franks, Private Niles Mather, Private Hal Dunegal. 1 vox operator with las gun – Corporal Jen Greer. 1 Medic with las gun – Private Jay Kremin. 2 heavy weapon gunners – of which Sergeant Sloane and Private Lloyd Tremerin was part of the two man crew needed to fire the heavy las in 1st squad. And 1 sniper with a long las – Private Nix Vertis. The squad worked well together and apart from Niles, most of them were at least friendly with everyone else. It wasn't that Niles was a dislikeable person, but his dour moods generally drove everyone to despair, with the general opinion that he could suck the life out of any party.
Without warning the opposing artillery opened up its next barrage. All along the hillside, men and women dived for cover, many hurrying into the dugouts to escape the vicious assault. Yuri stood and looked around, the uncertainty of his friends told them they were unsure of themselves, what did they do, run for cover or prepare for an attack.
Lieutenant Jall Jacobs was beside them in seconds ordering them to hold their position and prepare for an attack. It seemed someone had spotted them leaving their trenches. 'Was this it then' Yuri thought to himself, finally they would face the enemy, he could be dead within the hour, or even sooner, the thought did not sit well with him, he promised himself that whatever happened he would at least take a few of the traitorous filth with him if he were to die.
The allied artillery opened up moments later, the two artillery regiments bringing their formidable firepower to bare on the enemy troops, one had to wonder if anything could make it through such a barrage, especially over two miles of relatively open terrain. Yuri couldn't help but think it was complete suicide, but he had heard of such tactics from the arch enemy. They were renowned for throwing away their troops in seemingly pointless exercises, in this case they were sending prisoners into no man's land to test the new units' firepower, and no one would know until it was too late what they were planning.
Thousands of prisoners were sent forward, carrying their empty weapons, sent rushing into the firestorm of allied artillery and as they got closer a relentless barrage of las fire from which there would be little escape, it would certainly be a miraculous act of the God Emperor if a single prisoner were to survive.
Nix was the first to spot the uniforms they wore, he shouted to his lieutenant that they were murdering their own troops, within minutes the barrage of artillery was cutting a devastating bloody swathe through the helpless prisoners, whichever way they ran, they were certain to die.
Lieutenant Jall Jacobs took a vox caster and issued the word that the artillery should stop immediately, by the time he had finished over two thousand men and women lay dead or dying in no-man's land. The mood was one of utter shock and dread, but also one of defiance; no one would allow themselves to be captured now. For the new troops, the realisation that the first blood they had spilled was fellow Cadians did not sit well at all, and all vowed revenge for this dreadful deed.
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