Aessina Heresy
591.M38
Segmentum Obscurus, Aessina Sector
Insurrection at Essinar Metropolis
3rd sublevel
Beneath tons of rock and concrete, the thunderous bombardment overhead was reduced to a muted rumble on sublevel three. As the team approached the munitorum, Sergeant Kovic recognized his squad waiting in the distance. His Communications Specialist, Riza Mannus, was standing in full gear and had already seen he and his companions approaching. The Heavy Equipment Specialist, Janus Herod stood out like a sore thumb as he was always animated and never stopped moving or talking. Kovic was also able to easily make out Misha Voss, the Heavy Weapons Specialist. She was a big girl and her combination of size and brute strength allowed her to handle with ease weapons that many would struggle to control. Then, there were the three greenhorns: Privates Mitre Canocic, Valen Sluka, and the youngest of them all, Linus Novus. Kovic had given Mannus and Voss the task of whipping them into shape. He couldn't imagine what the outcome would be if he had shouldered part of that responsibility on Herod.
The squad quickly lined up, which Kovic knew, meant that Mannus had recognized the Commissar from the distance. He looked over his squad while closing the final metres and realized that they had been fully outfitted for the first time since the Mazeroth traitor forces had landed on Essinar weeks ago. Their armour was unblemished and the Sergeant was shocked to see the weapon in the hands of Specialist Voss. She carried a double barreled boltgun, a Storm Bolter. Kovic had never known one to be issued to a guardsman and had thought them to exclusively be the province of the Adeptus Astartes. Apparently, the mission truly was of considerable importance to command such powers of requisition. Herod stood calmly but somehow managed to appear to Kovic as if he were about to burst out in laughter. Fortunately, the privates were in proper position of their own accord.
As the Sergeant and his companions stepped up, the squad quickly came to attention and saluted the Commissar. After quickly returning their salutes, Treves spoke up. "At ease, Troops. Sergeant Kovic, you have the floor." Then, he quickly stepped aside.
"Thank you, Commissar," the Sergeant responded and promptly stepped forward. After looking around to see if he was being observed, Kovic relayed to his squad what Colonel Minoc had earlier informed him of the mission. Then, he looked toward Gelika and spoke of her accompanying them. "Although we thought we saw Gelika killed this afternoon with our own eyes, it should now be obvious that was not the case. She was buried in the rubble but alive and well, Praise the Emperor," Then after a pause, he continued, "Her purpose in this mission is to aid the Warrant Officers as a guide." Kovic waited a moment for his briefing to settle amongst his men and then continued, "Any questions shall be directed to me and only to me. Understood?"
Kovic could not help but cringe as one of the Privates, Novus, raised his hand with the apparent intent of asking a question. "Sergeant, I don't understand. Why are we being asked to perform an extraction? Shouldn't that be a job for the Black Eagles, or at least a squad of storm troopers?" Voss shot the youth a look that promised death.
Kovic quickly and sternly responded. "I am not fielding questions about why we are being assigned to this mission or why someone else was not chosen to complete this mission. I don't give a damn whether or not we know why, and no one in the whole Imperium gives a damn whether or not we know why. I am fielding questions regarding whether or not you understand the nature of our mission and what is expected of you to achieve it. Because accomplishing our mission is the goal set before us, any questions asked should be regarding meeting that expectation," he finished and took a deep breath, waiting for anyone else to speak up.
Commissar Treves observed the ashamed look in the face of the Private, and removed his hand from the grip of his bolt pistol, noting that the Sergeant apparently had good command of his squad. Still, the knowledge that the issue of the Black Eagles Space Marines chapter and Battlefleet Aessina's failure to appear in theatre would need to be addressed sooner or later made him pause. Secretly and individually, each Commissar and each of the combined command staff save Colonel Minoc, the Commander of the Vorlossian Siege Infantry regiment this squad was a part of, had been informed of what had transpired and the words still resonated in his mind. The Aessina Sector Battlefleet has been destroyed by the Brazen Devourers traitor chapter coupled with a renegade fleet of ships and traitors they gathered from the Calyx Expanse. The traitors were then engaged by the Black Eagles chapter over Vorloss itself. Each side annihilated the other and their chapter barques descended onto the planet, vaporizing its atmosphere, leaving it a dead and airless husk. Termination of parties to ensure loyalty will be a necessity when word of this spreads. After recollecting those words, Commissar Treves gave a silent prayer to the Emperor that reinforcements from the Scarus Sector Battlefleet would be quickly marshaled and arrive in theater so as to give assurances to the men. Maintaining discipline until their arrival would be critical.
"We will immediately move to the tram station past the medicae company," interjected the psyker. "While transporting via tram to our departure point, I will discuss our path with Mistress Gelika and then inform you of what will be required," he continued, clearly speaking to the Sergeant. Without another word, he turned and began walking toward the depot. The squad followed.
As the squad came upon the mobile field hospital stationed on the subterranean tracks they were greeted by the overwhelming smell of blood. The squad grew completely silent as one of the Samaritans, medical vehicles built upon the chassis of a Chimera APC, arrived and unloaded its cargo of wounded guardsmen. There was much blood on the ground, and to the horror of the squad there were wheelbarrows awaiting. Those with potential to survive were wheeled on cots into the hospital. Those who could not be helped were given the Emperor's Mercy and, along with those who had previously expired, were thrown into a wheelbarrow to be carted away and dumped in a trash compactor after having their equipment removed and catalogued. Even in a bloody siege, proper record keeping was a requirement of the Departmento Munitorum.
Surely, the Blood God is smiling right now, thought the psyker as he passed the pile of corpses. Perhaps we will be able to strike a blow in return.