As always this is not beta'd and I am prone to random brain farts so help catching typos or errors is welcome. Read and review.
~I~
Colonel Petrio Christos - Embassy of the Imperium of Man in Sadera
"Well, this operation has deviated a tad from expected" Colonel Petrio Christos quipped dryly in Gothic as he wiped flecks of dirt from his brass monocle with a handkerchief. "Though it certainly is, for a moment, looking better than Brother Cordus's face."
"When do we prepare to go to full combat stations?" Colonel La'akea queried, casting nervous glances to the swarm of aircraft approaching from the south-west and the fires from riots erupting across the city as his 2nd, Major Vyla bellowed at the other Imperial Soldiers to get into fighting positions, her rabbit-like ears twitching angrily.
The abhuman woman had turned out to be a fine officer, if somewhat oblivious to the political intrigues that all skilled Guard officers navigated as deftly as the battlefield, much to his own benefit.
Petrio had been one of the few Guard officers to openly voice support for the Ultramarines when they demanded an officer commission for her as reward for saving the life of one of their battle-brothers nearly nine years ago. The follow on propaganda benefits of her promotion had not been lost on the natives of Arcadia, the continent they had crashed upon, and thousands more abhumans had swelled their ranks for the chance to serve under the God-Emperor's Angels of Death.
The fact that the Indomitable's more… recalcitrant priests now regarded him and his regiment with extreme disdain was unfortunate. Still, Petrio considered the gratitude of Guilliman's own chapter as significantly more valuable political and spiritual capital than anything the waning Ecclesiarchy could offer under the reborn Primarch's far militaristic and materialistic regime. With the commendations of the Primarch's own and the notoriety that was sure to come from delivering the Gate to the wider Imperium, an immediate promotion to General-Militant or Warmaster of a Crusade would be well within his reach, at the youthful age of 87 no less!
Christos reattached his monocle and turned to regard the Colonel of the Falmart 3rd light infantry regiment, a former fisherman from the misty jungles of Arcadia covered in swirling tribal tattoos who Christos had also patronized during his ascent to the high ranks of the Guard. "Even without notice from the JSDF relayed through the good Magos Tytos, you have been with the Guard long enough to know that a Tau aerial assault would have been here by now."
A minor flush of embarrassment reddened the Falmart native's swarthy complexion for a moment. "My apologies. One can never be too careful especially when the Tau may be involved."
"Colonel La'akea, you speak wisely about the need to take precautions against the Xenos, but this is a delicate situation. The JSDF are comprised of humans, that Emperor willing, may become Imperial subjects in the future. All precautions must be taken lest we end up explaining to high command in Arcadia why we shot at friendly humans."
"Of course senior Colonel. Though what shall we do if it turns out that these JSDF were responsible for the bomb that wounded Brother Cordus?"
"Then we kill them all and let the Emperor sort them out. A cowardly terror attack on the Emperor's finest is not an assault we can take." Christos frowned. "Now as you know the Brother-Lieutenant has left me in charge as the medicae and tech-priests see to him; and I do not intend to disappoint the Emperor's finest as are you I am sure. That is why I have a… special mission for you and your most loyal grenadiers, one that I regrettably cannot attend to myself."
"Service is its own reward sir." La'akea recited smartly from the Tacticus Imperialis, the Imperium's grand treatise on military strategy.
"Come, walk with me." Petrio smiled conspiratorially. "As you have no doubt learned. The soon to be 'Emperor' Zorzal is an idiot. Uncontrollably so. Were he to ascend the throne, no doubt he would exhaust the valuable manpower and treasure of this empire in suicidal attacks on the Japanese."
"You want him removed?" La'akea grinned viciously, no doubt having grown to hate the moron prince after listening to one too many ridiculously over-exaggerated tale of his conquests in the bedroom and battlefield. "I thought we were to avoid provoking the JSDF?"
The Praetorian Colonel clucked his tongue like a disappointed tutor. "Of course not Colonel. We have word that one Shino Kuribayashi, the so called 'demon woman' who enjoyed a passionate bout with the Prince in the Saderan Throne Room is with Magos Tytos. And no one needs know who brought a reunion between the two to fruition."
Understanding flashed across the younger colonel's face. "An arranged date I see."
Christos handed him a scroll sealed with a skull faced wax seal the color of fresh blood. "I pride myself on my matchmaking skills good sir, though some, including Brother Cordus may not agree. Here are some instructions for the lovebirds to be. Your eyes only. And do see that their lovemaking does not cause harm to the Magos, we need a plausible recording after all."
~I~
Colonel Shunya Kengun – Farmland outside of the Saderan Capital City
Colonel Kengun Shunya was, for lack of a better word, annoyed at the situation he was in. The 4th combat team's AH-1Z and UH-1J helicopters were currently parked a hundred klicks outside the Imperial Capital on the grain fields of some hapless Saderan noble's plantation as plumes of fire stretched out to the sky from the distant city.
His men were currently doing their best to unload barrels of aviation fuel from the quartet of V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft that General Hazama had managed to scrounge up on short notice. The fundamental problem with this operation, Kengun noted bitterly, was range.
His AH-1Z and UH-1J helicopters could only fly a little over 550 and 450 kilometers respectively on one tank of av-gas given the age of their engines. Unfortunately, the Saderan capital was just a little further than 550 kilometers from Alnus hill. That meant that in order to have enough fuel to perform combat maneuvers and make it back to JSDF controlled territory, let alone Alnus base, they needed to perform in field re-fueling operations.
Were it not for the fact that the politicians had insisted on using near-mothballed last generation equipment to minimize the financial impact of combat operations, Kengun could've had an entire wing of faster V-22 Ospreys in the capital hours ago. Those new birds could fly over 1,600 kilometers on a single tank. Instead he was sitting here praying that he wouldn't hear the screams of the diplomats and JGSDF forward teams getting swarmed and killed.
Apparently, the Emperor of Sadera was dead and the entire city was in Chaos as rioters fought with Saderan security forces or fellow citizens. Arrows and rocks flew in similar quantities as accusations who had killed Molt, with far too many fingers pointed at Japan for his liking.
'It's as if the Special Region has decided we've had it too easy these past months. Fuck!' Kengun thought. 'At least this situation can't get any more complicated.'
If Kengun had noticed the slight stealth field distortions of the stealthed Tau Remora drone fighters watching his men, he would've known a little better on how wrong he was. The Fire Caste commander on the other side of their beady, cyclopean black sun optics was smiling as he ordered his troops to begin deployment of jamming fields.
~I~
Sergeant First Class Shino Kuribayashi – JSDF Safe House in the Akusho Red Light District
"Come out! I challenge you to a duel Shino Kuribayashi!" Prince Zorzal's bombastic voice roared through the courtyard of the JSDF's safe house in the Akusho district.
Kengun's 4th combat unit was still on its way but some sort of jamming was disrupting their radios. As far as Shino Kuribayashi was concerned, the 4th was on the other side of the fucking planet.
Though the waves of legionaries had stopped before the safe house's garrison had run out of ammo, they were still in some seriously deep shit if Zorzal chose to renew the attack.
Having seen his legionaries cut down like wheat by the JSDF's assault rifles, Zorzal had brought some sort of giant fucking troll that was 10 feet tall and covered in steel armor that their assault rifles couldn't penetrate along with a bunch of very angry looking rhino like animals. The constant pounding of ballistae bolts on the stone walls of their compound wasn't helping either. Two JSDF soldiers from 2nd recon team had been killed and several more wounded, including Sergeant Nishina from their own team, by falling debris alone.
Kuribayashi ran back inside the compound and ripped a medium length sword, a Gladius if she remembered correctly, left behind by the previous occupants of the building off of a wall rack. "Fuck that bastard. I'll gut him and his slaving rapist ass this time."
Sergeant Major Kuwahara's surprisingly strong grip latched onto her shoulder. "Kuribayashi, I know what you're thinking. Don't." He pleaded in his fatherly tone.
"We're all dead if I don't old man. This isn't a movie where the 4th team's helos come swooping in at the last minute to save the day. And at least I'll get to end that piece of shit even if it goes poorly." Shino said bitterly as she tore the aged JSDF careerist's hand off her shoulder.
"Kuribayashi-"
+Sergeant Kuribayashi+ Magos Tytos interrupted, his metal spider legs clacking as revealed himself. How the fuck had neither her nor Suwahara noticed him in the room?
"What do you want tin man? I thought you said you and your skitarii friends weren't going to help us fight." Shino all but snarled at the cyborg witch-doctor.
+Indeed we will not as we are diplomatic guests of this nation+ the tin man droned, seemingly oblivious to her anger and implied insults. +But I cannot help but admire your fighting spirit. You would've had a fine career in the Imperial Guard or even the Ecclesiarchy's militant orders+
A tentacle limb extended, the anemone like fronds on its tip gripping a gold plated necklace shaped like a winged skull. +A rosarius of my own design. Take it and may its machine-spirit watch over you+
"Yeah sure, whatever. Thanks for the jewelry" Kuribayashi rolled her eyes as she snatched the amulet and ran back outside before Suwahara could stop her.
'Fuck me. Why couldn't Zorzal be useless at sword fighting too?' Shino Kuribayashi thought to herself. While Shino was the holder of the JSDF's close quarters combat badge, most modern soldiers trained in unarmed, bayonet, and knife techniques, not straight up sword fighting from the Feudal eras.
Only Shino's kendo training and raw aggression were keeping her in the fight against the much taller and heavier Zorzal who had fought with actual swords instead of wooden ones in ritualized sport competitions like Kendo.
The Sergeant brought up her sword in a horizontal guard against Zorzal's downward slash. The impact rattled her arms, which felt heavier and heavier with each deflected impact. The two locked blades, staring daggers into each other's eyes.
"It'll be quite fun to break such a strong willed woman in. Though I'll have to take off a limb or two first to pay you back for that business earlier." The Crown Prince jeered at her with a sadistically lustful expression, the whites of his teeth glinting like a hyena's maw.
"I'll fucking tear off your prick first." Shino roared back, spittle flying.
The prince's leer only widened as he disengaged the blade lock, seemingly no worse for wear while Shino panted for breath. Her comrades were watching with silent worry, fingers on triggers and safeties off while Zorzal's boorish legionaries were jeering expletives and sexual innuendo at her.
"You look a little out of breath woman. Though it's much more difficult to keep up with a man on the battlefield than in the bed chambers." He snorted.
Shino didn't grace him with a response. 'I've got one shot at bringing him down before I run out of steam.' She steeled herself for one last decisive strike.
Breathing in deeply, Sergeant First Class Kuribayashi Shino leaned forward and wordlessly charged Zorzal el Caesar, blade raised.
The Crown Prince anticipated a torso level or high strike from the onrushing woman, but at the last moment, Shino ducked into a dive and stabbed upwards. Unfortunately for her, Zorzal reacted quite quickly and kicked her in the stomach, hard.
She felt bile and blood rise in her throat as she saw the Prince's blade flash downwards, the panicked shouts of her comrades, the deafening, savage roars of Zorzal's men. Though amazingly, her grip on her blade remained steady.
'Sorry Nanami, Looks like your nee-san won't be making it back home for New Year's.' she sighed internally.
Then a shimmering golden haze wrapped around her and slapped Zorzal backwards with a miniature thunderclap of force. Even through the ceramic armor insert of her combat vest, she could feel intense heat coming from the rosarius that Tytos had gifted her. She wasn't sure whether to be grateful to the thing for saving her life or pissed that he hadn't just told her it was a fucking energy shield generator.
With a bestial roar, she lunged upwards, blood and bile dribbling down her chin, and stabbed straight through Zorzal's throat.
