This is one of the smallest chapters I have written in a while, and while it is short, I normally stop when I feel I have reached a good, well, stopping point in the story. I also apologize for the late release, I rewrote this chapter three times before I found one I liked. Enjoy. I apologize for the spelling errors I always miss in advance.
Within a month we were ready for our first flight across the stars, ready to defend humanity at last from the horrors that plagued it, but as I had learned over the past several years, for all the time one could spend fighting, you would spend an insurmountable amount more waiting and preparing. It wasn't that different then what all of us had been doing for years now, training and learning all we could of war, but the hype that surrounded us dwindled in the first week. We did our best to keep busy, in Samuel's own words, an idle mind is a dangerous one.
I was currently sparring with Erik, one of the marines who had trained a year after us. Our swords were a blur of motion to normal eyes, changing in attacks in attempts to usurp the other. Well, he was. I was using this time to finetune my own attacks with a combatant that I couldn't steamroll.
Out bout continued for a number of minutes before he overreached, falling slightly off balance. My leg lashed out, making his slight stumble turn into in crashing into the floor, my sword above his throat.
"Better, but you need to watch for overswinging." He grasped the hand that I presented to help him to his feet, nodding his thanks.
"I'll be sure to correct the mistake." He moved away to find a different partner, only Thorak or Thudin would go more than a few bouts with me. My eyes trailed over to where our childhood foe was. Looking back we had all acted childish, out constant spats where a waste, but the two of them still hadn't made up. Even now they clashed, chainswords casting sparks, snarls of aggression on their faces.
I could understand the hostility, it was easy to keep up a rivalry even through the years, but I knew my time away from Thudin had made me realize how frivolous it all was, the same couldn't be said for my friend.
Their strikes increased in speed again, each pushing as hard as they could, glancing blows became ones that could do harm. I didn't step in to stop them, knowing unlike my father that there was only one way this to be settled, and it wouldn't be with words. Granted they had probably had dozens fights like this over the time I had been gone, this one wouldn't decide anything.
It ended with Thudin standing over my friend, a victorious grin on his face.
"That's thirty wins for me, twenty nine for you." Thorak spit a bit of blood out of his mouth and helped himself to his feet.
"I suppose I'll just have to wait for next time to even the score." Thudin chuckled and strode out of the training room, the eyes of several of us following him. Anellius, who served as our Chaplain and trained under Samuel, spoke into the silence, eyes hard.
"Pride is going to be his undoing one day." I cut in before anything else could be said, knowing that slandering one of our own behind his back would always be asking for trouble.
"Training is done for now, each of you are free until dinner." The present Marines nodded and quickly moved to put their weapons away, only Bran stayed.
"You feel like hitting up the forges? Just like old times" I smiled, mind going back to the time I had spent with him and Mortis several years ago, our journey through realspace toward the pirate base of Zespara.
"Why not, we have nothing but time till we get to the jump point." Once inside I marveled at some of the changes made, each of the Techs there had the same symbol on their robes as Octavian, showing their allegiance to the Iron Drakes. They bowed as we entered, each working on different projects. I motioned to Bran to follow to the other side of the workshop, an area reserved for Marines.
Each of our eyes scanned the racks of tools and materials, my friend breaking the silence.
"You have no idea what to make do you." He wore a smirk on his face, thinking that it had been years since I had worked a hammer, he was wrong.
"I got ample opportunity to work on my craft while I was away, but I do wonder how dull your own skills have gotten." He raised a single eyebrow.
"Is that a challenge from the mighty Aragorn?" I tossed him a hammer and moved towards the bellows.
"It's not a challenge when you're hopelessly outmatched."
It was months later when we found a world needing our assistance, more stumbled upon it than anything. Do to our ships having no navigators we couldn't make large jumps, our frequency of stops increased dramatically.
We dropped out of the Warp to all vox frequencies picking up a distress signal, a repeating message from the planets Governor to assist him in ridding his world of the Orks that had made planetfall. Alexander called for shields to be raised immediately, crackling to life around our ship. Drake walked towards the communications section of the bridge, a few quiet words having the officer there hailing the planet. It was fuzzy, but soon the image of a man in fine clothing and jewels filled the screen.
"We have prayed to the Emperor for a savior, he has answered. My name is Bertram, Planetary Governor. Can you help us? " Drake stood silent for a moment, judging the man before him.
"I am the Chapter Master of the Iron Drakes, we will assist you in whatever way we can." Bertram smiled.
"I cannot thank you enough for coming to my planets aid, we are beset on all sides by Orks, several cities have already fallen and more die each day." An image of the world came into being above the holo table. Three continents covered its surface, above it, a single Ork Kroozer sat, surrounded by smaller Escorts and dozens of transport ships.
"Do your lines hold? It will still be a week before we can reach you, if the Ork ships don't reach us first." The Governors face paled a bit, but he nodded.
"I am sure that we can hold for that long my lord, but I pray for swift sailing for you and your men."
"What information can you give us about our enemy? Their numbers perhaps?" The man could only shake his head.
"Almost everything we send out, by air or land is killed, only fragmented communications from the already taken cities give us an estimate, three hundred thousand, spread over the continent. They have yet to form a single massive hoard, instead several different Warbosses have their own armies that pillage from city to city." I frowned, it was, different for Orks to splinter like they have, but Greenskins didn't function under the same logic as men.
They continued for a time, all the information that the man could spare he did, even calling forward a sniveling looking officer to help him.
The Governor I found myself liking, he seemed an honest man that wanted to protect his planet, but the officer gave me distaste immediately, the way his eyes flickered around my fathers form, almost never meeting his eyes. I took my leave soon after, going and informing the others what I had learned. Each of us where gearing for a fight.
"I'm glad they outnumber us, gives us more targets, my kill count is only thirty!" That was Turgon, another of the Neophytes that had trained during my time away. Victus was quick to respond.
"Is that before or after you count practice targets?" A few laughed as Turgon glared, but he chuckled along with the rest of us soon enough. Zane brought the mood back down.
"These are Orks, we have fought them when they invaded our home system. Most of us know what they can do, dumb they might be, it makes them all the more dangerous do to how strong they are." That got a round of nods, myself being the only one here who had yet to fight them.
"It doesn't matter how many there are how strong, we are the Emperors finest, we do not know fear." Each of my sons banged their chests in agreement, I continued.
"It will be awhile before we reach the planet through realspace, but a battle with their ships is guaranteed, we may be called for boarding actions. We will fully armored up from this point on."
Four days later we were set to engage the Orks ships. Void shield at full power, cannons across the fleet loading and ready. The Emperor's Light was in the middle of our line, five Sword Frigates and a single Light Cruiser to our left and right. The escorts where faster, pulling ahead and moving to the sides of the enemy fleet. We outnumbered the Orks ships, but that meant little if they could break apart our escorts with a single ram of the Kroozer.
The Orks ships, as was their fashion, had guns mounted from every possible location. Few large guns thankfully, we would still need to keep our distance. The enemy fleet pushed forward, headless to the Sword Frigates circling around, heading only for our ship.
The Emperor's Light shook as the bombardment cannon fired, the round racing towards the Kroozer. They made no attempt to dodge, the magma bomb hitting their shields, plasma rolling over its surface is they charged full speed ahead. From our side the Light Cruiser made use of its own weapons, Lances firing at the weakened shields of our enemy. Ahead of us, the Sword Frigates engaged in cat and mouse with the Ork Escorts, always attempting to stay out of range of their guns or maneuver away from a ramming attempt. Our own ship shook from a forward facing macrocannon on the enemy Kroozer.
Alexanders voice carried over the flurry of activity on the bridge.
"Helmsman, fifty degrees to the right!" He obeyed, the ship correcting its course, also putting them within the firing arc for our side cannons. With the Light Cruiser breaking off the left, the Ork captain had to choose which target to go after, he choose the largest. His own ship swung towards ours, our void shields flashing from each stopped shell. Drake turned towards me.
"I want you and your sons ready to repel boarding actions." I nodded, quickly walked from the bridge, voxing the others and having them prepare to deploy to any part of the ship. The Emperor's Light shook again as we took hits, a rumbling return as we fired back.
There were forty Marines on this ship, cut into four different Clans. I lead one Clan, Drake another, Thorak and Thudin the last two. Each one being made up of nine combat Marines and one Clan leader.
Thorak was the closest to the door when I opened it, a single nod before he fell into step alongside me. Thudin stood in a circle with the others, asking a question as I approached.
"How goes the battle?" I shrugged, eyes trailing the scar that went across his face.
"We will win, that's assured, but if that Kroozer gets a few good hits on one of the Escorts they might be done for. Were pulling security." He nodded, patting his chainsword.
"We will be ready for them, we have pushed them off out ship in the past." I nodded, the others checking their weapons and prepared for the wait. It was almost maddening, knowing that no matter how strong our force of arms we couldn't do anything about the cannons pounding our shields. We waited for hours, the urge to pace was infectious, but for the voidsmen that went through the airlock we remained in our loose circle, speaking among ourselves. Akros and Zyron had their helmets off, speaking in the tongue of the natives tribe my father had meet with all those years ago.
I had asked about how the assimilation of their people into the fold had gone while I had been away, and surprisingly it it had went better that Drake had expected. Some of them still refused to bend the knee, but the number grew smaller every year, the technology and improvements to life where tempting prospects when you lived in a wooden hut.
One surprising move my father had made was the attempts to preserve the warrior culture that filled the lives of the native peoples, they were a hardy and a valuable resource for both potential recruits, and ranks to fill the guard. A balance was being attempted, making life hard enough to ensure that our people kept strong. But never so that they fill into anarchy.
I shook myself out of my thoughts and steadied myself another rumble went through the ship, the macro cannons pounding foes we could not see. An hour of tense waiting later and all fell silent, my vox activating, the voice of Drake coming through.
"The battle is done, get to the hangers, I will go over the battle plan with all of you there."
"Understood, well get moving." I turned my attention to the group, hitting my chest to get their attention.
"The battle is won, were moving to the hangers for further assignment." We were already set to go, and began our walk to the front of the ship. It took some time, but soon we were exiting one of the many doors into the bay, starfighters and Thunderhawks filled the space. Drake wait waiting for us near two of the loaded transports, speaking to David and a second pilot, a muscular man with fair features and short cut black hair.
As we grew closer I took a second to look over David, it had been a while since I had seen him and the years had been kind to him. He aged well, his once youthful face was a bit more more weathered now, a few wrinkles that hadn't been there before. But he was still as spry as ever, a grin on his face as he spoke to Drake. The grin turned into a full fledged smile as he saw me approaching.
"Aragorn, it's been a long time." I nodded and shook his hand, careful not to crush it in my armored hand.
"It has indeed, still flying around my father?" He smiled and nodded, gesturing to his fellow pilot.
"This is Jon, with more Marines we needed a second pilot to fly all of you around. I trained him myself, and before that he was one of the best pilots in the navy." He nodded to me and I shook his hand, his eyes wide as it was engulfed in my own.
"It's an honor to serve my lords." I let the others introduce themselves before Drake got our attention.
"Were headed down to reinforce the capital city of the world, from there we make a push to break the siege on the city and secure a safe route for its citizens to evacuate to the coast where they will be loaded onto boats and taken to one of the safe continents."
"We will do this with each city we can while we hold off the Greenskins. If all proves successful, we should be able to shell them from orbit before moving in and destroying whatever is left in the ashes. Questions?" There were none, and all but Drake and I loaded into the transports. Father turned to me, prompting the question he know I was going to ask.
"What about Ignis and Despair? When will they be coming with us?" Drake smiled and nodded.
"Can you imagine keeping those two away from our first true war as Iron Drakes?" He pointed towards two massive transports on the far side of the hanger. Just as he did, the two apex predators made their way into the hanger from the main hallway, the only one large enough from them to move around the ship. Together they strode towards the transports with the cautious coaxing of Serfs.
"They will be joining us on the surface soon enough, but we have delayed enough." I nodded, heading into my own transport.
While we had talked, the ten Regiments of Guardsmen we brought with us where readying up as well, from both the Emperor's Light and number of dedicated troop starships, they prepared to deploy into the field below alongside us.
The General of these forces as named Sosa, a Colonel at the times of the Plague Wars for Rivia. He had been one of few to live through the war, and after exemplary service in the years after, was placed into the position by Drake.
The guards own battleplans were unknown to me, but I trusted my father to coordinate their efforts with our own operations smoothly. I looked out at the hanger one last time as the door closed and sealed with a hiss, the voice of our pilot coming over the vox.
"We will be making planetfall just outside of the capital city." Zane gave me a single eyebrow raise as I responded to our pilot, the craft lifting off and exiting into the awaiting arms of space.
It didn't take long for us to set a course towards the ground, the planet below us a mixture of mountain ranges and barren flatlands. As we neared the surface I could just make out the black smoke from sacked cities, smaller towns and mining operations in the mountains uncounting. A few kilometers above the capital I observed the battlelines below, a vast horde of Orks far outside the city, explosions doting the streets and buildings below us, tiny from here, but each one likely ended lives.
Our ride down went unmolested, no Ork aircraft belching smoke and attempting to ram us, but we hurried from the Thunderhawk all the same, walking into an area behind the trenches, men and a few wheeled transports rushing past every few seconds.
Many of those who saw us were slack jawed as we made our way towards the command tent nearby, Drake entering, the rest of us watching the flurry of men who ran from supply points and back towards the fortifications several hundred meters away.
From the number of Ork corpses that lined the land beyond the fortifications, they had just been attacked, most likely nothing more than a testing force given that they weren't currently overrun.
A few hundred meters away the transports from our Regiments touched down, thousands of troops and dozens of tanks rolling down the opened doors of the ships. They where meet with relieved faces from those nearest, perhaps the thought of fresh bodies to hold the greenskin tide back was more comforting to these PDF than the thought of Space Marines.
I took a few minutes to look at each man as they walked passed, their state of dress and weapons they carried, eyes casting over the camp in a whole. Well, most of the soldiers likely slept in the trenches, and if not at least inside the city, there where a number of tents that served different purposes around us, enough to justify calling it a camp.
Their weapons and armor, if they had any, where, subpar at best. Granted, this area of the Eastern Fringe was poor, less worlds to trade with and more attacks drained the resources of many worlds. I would be surprised if the PDF on the planet numbered more than a million.
Thankfully each of them had a standard lasgun, although the pattern was unknown to me. I noticed a distinct lack of any heavy weapons or vehicles besides wheeled transports. PDF where not meant to wage war on a scale like the Guard did, but it would be nice if they had the forethought to have some heavier equipment around.
I continued my observation on their status, ignoring when several of them would look from my brothers next to me and then back to me, eyes squinting as they tried to wrap their heads around it. Thankfully most of them where to overwhelmed by us being there to draw any reasonable conclusion. Still, it was a cause of concern for Drake and I, the more the legend of our Chapter grew the greater the chances of somebody putting together the pieces of the puzzle, for that, we needed to move quickly in obtaining more allies.
Over the time I had been gone Drake had maneuvered both the Agri-world and Feudal-world from all those years ago under a vassal status, bringing them into the fold and boystering our power in the sub sector.
The Forge-world was on frosty terms with us ever since they had found us training our own acolytes in their arts, they would have brought war down upon our heads if we hadn't claimed that each Techpriest that Octavian trained was actually a Serf of ours, well, they where, we could call most of the population our Serfs if we needed to, but any further deals with them had always ended in failure, one of the reasons our own Forge-moon was so important. Unrestricted by the dogma of the Cult Mechanicus, it was able to produce a fair percentage of their own total output.
Zespara had become a successful mining world for Promethium, its rich deposits would feed our fleet for untold years to come, especially since we refused to sell. There where other ventures that brought in money, and good Promethium was a resource we didn't feel like giving up to easily.
I was broken from my thoughts when Drake left the command tent, gaining our attention immediately, he had a less than pleased look on his face, but he was far to old give to muttering about anything.
"Our men are going to set up alongside the PDF, bolstering their position while our Artillery units start shooting back at the Orks. Hopefully we will be able to goad the Orks into charging into what they think is a weak line of defence, when we smash then on the open field, the path will be open to move west and get the people out of the city."
"Each Clan will be posted along the defensive line until further notice. Bolster the moral of the PDF, they are close to running, the Ork Warboss is a bit sadistic, the constant bombardments and prodding attacks are all in attempts to break them. He has taken prisoners and mutilated them for the men to see." A few looks of disbelief passed around, Orks using fear tactics? We snapped back to attention as Drake continued.
"If they refuse to come to us, we will go to them, night raids will commence if they refuse to attack, picking off their leadership, if the Warboss is seen doing nothing, others will challenge him, infighting between them will only help us." We nodded, eyes already scoping out the meager defences of our line, my mind already thinking of ways to improve them.
As Drake moved towards the just landed Sosa to brief him on the mission, the rest of us started to make our way towards the trenches. A number of Serfs would set up our own small camp near to our Guardsmans.
The signs of carnage increased the closer you got to the defence, ripped ground and blood stained dirt covered the earth. Thorak and Thudin's Clans made their way to the farther edges of the defences while Drake and my own where in the center. The starstruck gazes of many of the PDF surprised the others, Marines had been such a common sight on Tarth that we they had grown used to seeing us walk among them, it wasn't so for the wider Imperium.
Several men started to pray, making the situation even weirder for us. Zane commented.
"I forget how zelous the rest of the Imperium is when it comes to the worship of the Emperor." Across the vox, Anillius spoke.
"We worship the Emperor in our own way, not as a god, but as the our leader and lord, give these men their own faith, without it they would have broken a long time ago." The matter was set to rest after that, Anillius was our most spiritual member, being our Chaplain, and he would always step up to defend the beliefs of the common man. He did have a point, even if all of us agreed that if the faith was more like it was on Tarth, it would be better for it.
By this time we had settled around the areas we were set to defend, nervous soldiers around us as we looked out towards the Ork army. We wouldn't be getting into the actual trenches until something started, seeking instead to keep an eye on our enemy. The mood improved as several squads of our own men set up around us, almost completely at ease next to us. Those that arrived where asked whispered questions by the PDF, glances thrown our way every few seconds.
I overheard some of what was saying, some brought about a chuckle while others were simply outlandish. An incredibly young looking soldier asked why we didn't charge the Orks and route them right now.
After talking down several more inquiries our men set about digging better defences and setting up heavy weapons, several tanks rolling up behind. We were set for an all out siege.
Several hours passed before the operation started the guns from the artillery Regiment roared from behind us, the shells came crashing down on previously spotted Ork heavy weapons, my hearing could just pick up the sounds of belligerent yelling and chaos that came from their camp. The sounds continued until it started to echo into a single warcry, one that had shaken entire worlds in its coming.
The men next to us where wide eyes once again, but this time it was fear that quickened their hearts. Almost a hundred meters away I saw Drake making his way to the lines, his helmet turning towards me and nodding once, we needed to be ready for anything.
A few officers up and down the line made a number of different speeches to their men, attempting to rally them and bring up their confidence, all of them mentioned the fact that they had Space Marines standing next to them, that fact alone would keep most of them from running.
But the time for speeches was over, the ground in front of us started to shake as uncounted thousands of Orks made their way to battle, their warcry growing louder and louder. Up and down the line last checks were made on weapons, several stragglers running to find their positions in the defences.
I could see the hoard just coming out of the foothills to the mountains north of us, a mob of green for as far as I could see. The artillery could see them as well, a barrage of fire coming down right behind the front of their hoard. Where the rounds struck Orks ceased to be, blown into unrecognizable chucks. This continued, a constant stream of fire raining down on that location, more dead stacking up with every salvo.
Still they charged, through their dead and dying, those wounded forgotten in a battlelust that would not be sated until it had tasted blood. They were within a kilometer now, their path leading them to a dip in the land, coming back up in front of us with only a few hundred meters to spare, it was at the crest the tanks found their own purpose.
Our Russ tanks opened fire into the hoard, shells carving a path through greenskin ranks, where heads or limbs had been, only bloodied flesh remained, blasted clearly off. Some rounds shot low, taking legs and impacting torsos, leaving much the same effect, dozens died in the first second, but still they came, driven by their WAAAGH.
I lifted my bolter to a better firing location, the rounds of the crude Ork weapons sometimes landing around us, they were shooting without focus, at more than a hundred meters, they stood no real chance of hitting anything.
But we had one last bit of firepower awaiting us, the thousands of men up and down the line, lasguns and heavy weapons poised to fire. I looked down at Drake, waiting his command, the Orks growing ever closer. Finally it was given, a roar that was echoed down the line by each officer.
"FIRE!" A sun was born in front of us from the initial shots, almost obscuring the rushing hoard, but they faced a much worse fate that just spots in their eyes, the front line was dead, a mound of bodies that piled up, momentarily stopping the others as they tripped on their fallen brethren.
Free fire was given, and the line erupted into different squads shooting, Ork bodies mounting, but still they came. My own bolter and the guns of every Marine down the line added their symphony of death, rounds crashing into those we saw where larger or better armored, explosive rounds making short work of them. The closest body of any Xenos was forty meters from our trench, the heavy bolters teams chewing through ammunition, their constant fire helping in holding back the endless tides.
We had the defences, we had the men, the few transports that came screaming towards our lines were destroyed by our tanks. We would hold the ground, they didn't have the armor to punch through our line, and we had more than enough tanks to throw back anything they tried.
That was when it started to go wrong, PDF squads started to run out of ammunition, their sad state of supplies and low quality lasguns could't compare with our own versions. As men rushed towards supply points to return carrying more ammo, the lack of bodies was felt on the line, the Orks closed the gap with their suicide charge by another few meters, and another. Soon it was almost point blank that our helmet voxs crackled, the call to switch to melee was made. I grabbed my sword, only having time to throw my bolter down before they were upon us, yelling in victory as their choppers found purchase in the bodies of lesser men.
The screams started then, dying and dead men filling the trenches as our lines collapsed around us, guardsmen were not made for hand to hand combat, and as the butchering around us began, it was shown in earnest.
I thrust my sword into the roaring Greenskin in front of me, pulling my sword up and cutting him in half. My own yell of fury calling out as I swung into the next Xenos, finding myself stepping up and out of the trench as I ripped through Ork after Ork, a pile of bodies soon starting around me. My sons next to me where each attempting to follow me into the fray, but they lacked the strength and the weapons to kill as I did.
Time became meaningless, only the spray of blood and the next enemy I cut down meant anything, my brothers alongside me added to my growing pile, their own warcries sounding as they killed behind me. Across the line, as men and women alike fleed or died with snarls on their lips, the Marines held,never wavering, never falling back, but it would come at a price.
"Aragorn, to you left!" I swung, trusting the voice and instincts that had screamed at me moments before, an Ork Nob, who handed Choppa poised to come down on my head, his teeth gritted and one last curse leaving him as he was cut from under one arm to shoulder, his swing failing and weapon dropping from limp hands.
"Cheat'n 'umie." If I had time I would have made a remark back, but I could only give Zane a brief nod before cutting though the next Orks weapon. It was then that I witnessed a set of heavy thuds, looking up to see the massive form of the Warboss coming towards me. He was slightly shorter than me, but if he stood up I was sure he could be taller.
"Yer a big 'umie, look like yer kan fight too! lets WAAAGH!" His retinue of Nobz rushed towards me, but I was not the only one with backup, behind me my sons fought desperately to get to me, but the hoard was not broken, and a new challenger was always there to face them. No, my backup was something greater, and his roar quieted even the Warboss.
Ignis and Despair made their way onto the battlefield, transports being landed far away from the Ork controlled land. They had run the three kilometers from there, scent of blood driving forward their own battlelust. With my companion close, my own appetite for blood was increased through our bond. Just as Ignis began his slaughter to my left, so did I leap into the fight with the Orks.
The first two fell in a moment, distracted by the appearance of the drakes, the others were quick to respond, large weapons and a howl from their throats, but it didn't matter, each weapon I cut through killed another, my armor covered in blood. The Warboss, not to be outdone, lept at me with his massive Powa Claw, I dodged, sword coming down on the attachment to his elbow, relieving him of his weapon.
He stumbled back, the lack of weight throwing off his balance as hit the ground and rolled away.
"Defend me boyz! Dis wun iz a fighter!" Every nearby Ork heard the call and rushed towards me, the Warboss throwing one last hateful glare before running off with his few remaining Nobz. I attempted to follow but my path was blocked by a still frenzy whipped horde of savages. I gutted dozens more by the time they realized their leader was gone, and by that time it was too late to go after it. Without their boss, there ranks broke, fleeing from the battle as soldiers rallied and shot into their retreating backs. Tanks fired and the artillery Regiment pounded those that ran.
I stabbed my sword into the ground in front of me and took a deep breath, heavy footfalls making me look towards Ignis as he approached, most of his claws and face where covered in blood and soot, he bared his teeth at me, a piece of metal stuck in his gums.
"You shouldn't eat such filth, you might get sick." A rumble from his chest was his agreement, black smoke rolling from his nostrils as I pulled out the offending piece. Any further interaction was cut short as Zane came up to me, his face full of worry.
"We need you behind the trenches Aragorn." I frowned and nodded, swiftly moving over the dead and wounded, their cries of filling the air. Many of them were being carried back, but even then more where going without care, and taking what care I could to not step on them, it was difficult.
I looked passed the defences to where my brothers had formed a circle, a solid wall of armor and grim faces. Each of them had some kind of injuries, damaged armor and blood caked weapons. I put my hands on Sol and Varus, lightly moving them aside as I walked, their expressions telling me all I needed to know.
Malachi knelt next to Dran, a Marine that had finished his last Gene Seed implant a year before I returned, one of the few of that year that had been chosen to come. He wasn't dead yet, but his arm was missing and his chestplate was torn open. Our Apothecary pried away the armor, his body a bloodied mess. A concoction of drugs was injected into his blood, an attempt to put together his mushed insides. Malachi turned to me.
"Aragorn, I need you to carry him inside, your strongest here, be careful, his organs are in a bad spot right now, any jostles could tear open something."
I nodded and lifted my son as carefully as I could, walking slowly towards our tent. Drake gave orders to Thorak and Thudin's clan to assist in the finding of those still wounded and walked with me. Dran was one of his.
We made it to the tent, Serfs inside preparing different machines that would aid in the healing process. I set him down, stepping back as our Apothecary went to work. Drake stood there for a second longer, eyes filled with something before he turned and walked out.
"It's never easy, seeing a boy you brought into manhood lay on an operating table." I was silent as we walked back towards the lines, the moaning of those still clinging to life becoming louder.
"Does it get easier?" He shook his head.
"No, it never does, it is something that you must learn to accept, we are warriors, made to fight and die for our Emperor, it is our calling, our duty." I knew this, but that didn't mean that I liked it.
"We live in a galaxy of never ending war, so is our fate. But there is honor in giving your life for a cause greater than yourself." Drake nodded, our conversation ending as a the leader of the PDF walked up to us.
"My lords, the battle is won. Our forces will be organizing to chase the Orks." Drake and I shared a look.
"Your men are not ready to chase anything Colonel, the only reason we stand victorious is because we held our ground, chasing the Orks is a good way to get caught into melee, your men would be slaughtered." The officer would have bristled if I hadn't glared down at him.
"As you say my lord." He turned and walked away, shoulders stiff.
"That's going to be a problem isn't it." Drake nodded, his own eyes trailing after the soldier.
"Hopefully not, the two of us are going be meeting the Planetary Governor not long after this. I expect a messenger within a few hours to summon me to the palace in celebration for throwing back the Ork threat." I couldn't help the chuckle that broke out.
"He wouldn't possibly think thats its over could he?" Drake shook his head.
"I like the man, but most in such power are short sighted, they look inwards for betrayal and ignore the problems outside their own walls, unless something threatens them personally, some would let the rest of the worlds burn." I was silent, thinking to some of the men that matched that description during my travels.
"I don't think he's the type, but I can image there are more than a few that would seek to prosper from this invasion." My eyes traveled back towards the battlefield.
"How many?"
"Did we lose? Thousands. How many did we kill? A great many more." My hands curled into fists at my sides.
"We could have held the lines, but the PDF didn't have the equipment, we should have spared some of ours." Drake nodded.
"Death cares little about who pays the price, as long as the quota is filled." His eyes looked far off, and he took a moment to refocus himself.
"It's never easy to lead them into battle, but such sacrifice is what keeps the Imperium churning forward day after day."
"I'm aware, but I pity the day I stop caring for those that die, no matter how many deaths, if its a few dozen to thousands, each of them payed a price, and should be remembered for it." Drake nodded.
"It's that feeling that so many have forgotten, why suicide charges and foolish assaults are so commonplace, few care for those under them Aragorn, if there is one thing I'm glad to see I taught you, its compassion." I blinked in surprise, I hadn't heard my father say something like that since my childhood.
"I learned more than just compassion, but the stories you told me when we lived in that house inside the capitol stuck with me." A moment of awkwardness came, but thankfully we were saved when Sosa walked up to us. He saluted before starting his report.
"The first and second infantry Regiments have taken heavy losses, the first is down to almost half strength my lords, the others were held largely in reserve, a few tanks were lost, but otherwise we are still combat effective." Five thousand men lay died from less that an hour of fighting, it was a steep price.
"Do we have any idea in the number of dead Xenos." Sosa perked up visibly.
"We can't be to sure my lords, but it looks to be several thousand, the higher end of fifteen thousand if were right." It was a victory, and while it may have left several thousands of our own dead and one of my sons gravely wounded, we had won our first battle in the war.
Small chapter, but it sets the groundwork for the next one. I still don't feel very comfortable doing battles, they are, weird for me to write, trying to balance description and action without making it boring. But hopefully I will improve with time, as well as doing something other than blind charges, I'll bring you guys some actual operations in the next chapter. Tell me what you think, i enjoy reading the reviews. Have a good one.