This chapter is a bit late, but I am still having fun writing it. Read on.

Clean Up

Right after the battle we were put to work dragging the greenskins into heaps, then pouring promethium onto the bodies and setting them alight. The pong was rancid, it smelt like when my mum cooked mushrooms. The veterans told us, the ones that were the height of us were called 'boys' and the bigger ones were called 'nobs'. We could not stop laughing at the name. We kept making up sentences for it.

"But guess what's even funnier." Sarge said, the whole squad was dragging a 'nob' into one of the piles. We all looked in his direction.

"The one that was decked out in all the armour. They are called mega nobs." At that moment we lost it. Bloody hell who came up with these names?

"Hey, at least the nob used protection." Jackson's joke made us all laugh a bit more. I also learnt the very small creatures were called 'gretchin' or 'grots'. We also kept on finding little red creatures known as 'squigs'. Apparently they make good makeshift footballs, after you stitched up the holes.

We ate field rations, which were mostly meat but we all called it bully beaf and hard biscuits that were painful to eat without water. Most of the time the bully beaf cans would break when opening and we had to use a bayonet to cut the rest open. Sometimes we could get processed cheese and fish to spread on the biscuits. Grain-bix was also given out, but usually that was eaten for breakie with watered down condensed milk. It was finished off with a rolled mint.

We found out that Adriano was being taken back to the capital with the rest of the wounded. To fill in for current casualties the heavy weapons squads were placed into normal squads. So the twins were now in our squad. After a few days ciggies arrived. I received a letter. It was written by my Mum.

'Dear Bruce

You better not have died by the time you get this letter. It feels strange to be back in flak armour with lasgun in hand. Your dad would have joined as well but good legs are out of the budget right now. Darryl has been doing stuff for the war effort in scouts, such as scrap metal collecting and filling jobs that were vacant. Rationing has begun as the planetary tithe has risen. Meat is pretty much off the stove now. How are you going?

Love, your mum'

I immediately grabbed a pen and paper and started writing down a letter of my own. I was using my helmet to lean the paper on, as the tables were all used. My mates and I were sitting around the portable stove, with billy tea brewing. Jackson was the best when it came to billy tea, we knew that from our time in scouts. He did say that he descended from a long line of swagmen, and that his family was always wandering. Maybe that was the reason it was so dysfunctional. I then continued writing.

'Dear mum

I am still alive and well, and most of my mates are. Adriano was badly wounded in the last battle. We are fighting orks right now, and gave them a good pounding. We took out lots of them with lasguns and grenades. Food is ok, it may not have changed since your days in the AIF. Tell Darryl and Dad that I am ok and I will be fine.

Love Bruce'

I then placed the letter into the sack as the posty man moved onto the other squads. Jackson then picked up the tea tin and walked into open area.

"Mates I hope you haven't forgotten the swinging of the billy." He then started to swing the billy back and forth, getting higher and higher with each swing.

"I bet you can kill an ork with that." Zhixen said, since the water was boiling it may actually be possible.

"Imagine that, being able to say to someone that you killed an ork with a billy can." Bolin replied, swinging it around, he then started pouring it into our mess tins. In some ways it tasted like burnt grass, but much better when drowned in condensed milk. It tasted like home in a lot of ways.

"Nothing like the tea we had in scouts mates." Ross said. The tea had a bitter sweet taste to it, along with the usual tea flavour. one thing I noticed was the rattling group had a massive pot. I skulled the rest of my tea, and then walked over to them. Ruru looked up to see me.

"Hey bro, you want some?" He took the pipe out of his mouth. In the pot was a mixture of meat and vegetables. None of which I have seen before.

"Will it give me the shits if I do?" The group of ratlings laughed. There were five of them. There was Ruru, one was a chick, one had a long coat, one had a camouflage cloak and the last one was bald and was standing over the pot.

"Hope not, here try some." The bald ratling scooped out some of the stew and slopped it into my mess tin. I gave it a taste. It tasted like mushrooms, bully beef, and various spices that I didn't recognize.

"If you wonder what I put in it you should ask yourself if you really want to know." I noticed that there was a slight green tinge to the entire stew. By the time he said that I already had swallowed the greenish thing.

"What is it?" I asked, they all laughed and then the bald one reached for a burlap sack, he opened it up. Inside was a selection of meats, fruits vegetables and grasses.

"Just some stuff we got from the capital…And some of the commissars special rations. The departo munitorium rations are dog shit and we ratlings like to eat." He then closed the sack, I took another mouthful of the stew and walked back to my mates.

"Who was that Bruce?" Lance said as I sat back down and began to clean my mess tin by rubbing sand into it. Something that was very easy to come across.

"A mate and his group of ratlings. Gave me some tucker." After, cleaning the mess tin I went for a smoke, I felt my pocket and there was nothing. I knew for certain that I had some in my right pocket, Sarge started chuckling.

"You just had a run in with some ratlings mate. First rule is watch your pockets." I looked back to see the kiwis with a packet of ciggies. I also saw Victrus on the prowl. He didn't have his coat on for past mistakes. He would do this on occasion, walk around and look at all the groups. He passed us, staring into the billy, then walked away. He kept on going until he stopped at the ratling squad. I got up and waved my mates over, I wanted to see how this went.

"Abhuman, explain what is in this stew please." I couldn't hear what the ratling were saying, but I did see the ralting with a coat reaching into the pocket of the commissar. But the commisar was onto him, grabbing the kiwi by the wrist.

"DARE YOU STEAL FROM A OFFICIO PREFECTUS COMMISSAR! YOU SHALL BE PUNISHED!" Victurs started dragging him away, I wondered if we should help, but he did have it coming. Victrus might be more observant than we think.

We were told to wait for orders from higher up, We finally got the name of the man leading this entire battle. A man called Lord General Militant Python. A very long and strange name but apparently a good commander. Women were now being placed in our regiment, spread out amongst the companies. Up until now they were only used as auxiliaries, but now were serving on the front lines. This happened to be on the same day our regiment were stripped of our uniforms and had them placed in dye vats. The women probably weren't complaining about the men walking around in only their underwear.

"Does it sometimes seem sexier to have a woman in uniform?" Lance was just looking at a squad of women drilling, while the rest of us were helping the sappers repair a wall.

"How about you stop fantasizing and help us you ass." We all yelled. He then went back to helping us lift rocks into the breach, which would then get roughly propped up. Eventually we got our uniforms back. The uniforms were now a light tan colour, but our slouch hats, flak armour and webbing remained khaki.

We got a letter from Adriano.

'Hey mates

They say that it would be fine, and that I will live. I will be back to combat in several weeks. The nurses are nice and I will tell you what you're missing out. They are stunning. But some are a bit dumb. My leg is still quite sore, The bullet nicked a major blood vessel. I hope that you are all well and that you smashed those greenskins.

See you soon, Adriano'

We weren't to wait for him, Soon orders were brought from high command. We would again march through the night. This time we would attack the spaceport of Alfada and take it from the orks. That was to come. But now it was time to kick a footie and see if it landed on Victrus's head.

AN

I hope you are all having fun reading this story. I am enjoying how it is going so far. Please leave a review and see you next time.