The Commandant had directed Voltke to General Alisa's HQ. The Commandant had no information on the 202nd Regiment and no time to help Voltke otherwise. So Voltke made his way to Alisa's HQ. He made his way slowly. He had been wounded before, but there was no way to grow used to it. It was uncomfortable and painful to have your mobility so restricted by broken ribs and have your skin torn and sore by shrapnel. General Alisa had replaced General Hikes, Voltke's previous commander who had died in the city. It seemed nearly everybody of importance had, except for Voltke.
"I'm Colonel Voltke to see General Alisa." Voltke said to the busy clerk at the front desk. The clerk wasn't even looking up, his nose was buried in some documents, with more under his arm.
"Oh, sir!" The clerk said, jumping to attention. "Please take a seat, I'll let the general know."
The clerk dropped his papers and rushed out of the front office. A pair of adjutants entered the HQ, neither of which recognised Voltke, but noticed his gold epaulettes and saluted.
"Sir." They said with curt nods before disappearing into the HQ.
The clerk reentered and brought Voltke through. The main room of the HQ was enormous and packed with desks and a lot of manpower. Dozens of officers were at work, with their clerks and secretaries rushing around the big hall. It was noisy and bustling. It required a great deal of planning and organisation to run an army made up of multiple regiments. Though with most of the regiments presumably lost in the city, Voltke wasn't sure why so many men and so much business was present. He suspected reinforcements and new orders were incoming.
"This way sir." The clerk led the way for Voltke down a side hall. They passed several offices, with a glance into some open ones Voltke caught sight of some colonels.
The clerk opened a door at the end of the hall and brought Voltke into a big corner office with large open windows and a heavy oak desk. Behind the desk was a small man, spectacles perched on his nose, hair greying, round stomach and face crinkled with age.
"Colonel!" Greeted the general, coming to his feet.
"Sir." Voltke replied, coming to attention at the desk, then grasping the general's outstretched hand.
"Wonderful to meet you, Voltke. Glad that you're on the road to recovery." The general said with seemingly genuine fondness.
"Thank you, sir."
"How are the wounds?" He asked.
"As you said, sir. On the road to recovery. But I'm fit for duty. Nothing a medic couldn't attend to." Voltke said the words, hoping against hope that this meeting wouldn't end with anything less than Voltke getting his 202nd Regiment back. The dishonour of a lack of command for a Krieger officer was unbearable.
"Good, good. Quite a scrap in the city, I'd understand if you took a little longer in the hospital. But then again, you're not my first Krieger colonel!" The general said with a light hearted laugh.
"Yes, sir." Said Voltke.
The general sat down and gestured for Voltke to do the same. He smiled over the desk.
"I suppose you're wondering what we've got in store for the Orks?" The general asked.
"Certainly, sir." Voltke replied.
"Well we've encircled them again. My army is somewhat ragtag for the moment. A few depleted Longreach regiments. And several hodge podge regiments from here and there… But I'm getting reinforcements." The general paused. "Half a Death Korps army, fresh off the transports! Six regiments. And three more coming from the sulfur deserts, all siege regiments."
"Very good, sir. They'll perform well, I can assure you." Voltke said.
"Can you now?" The general shot back.
"Yes sir, Krieger regiments always do." Voltke said.
"Well how about a more personal guarantee?" The general said with a smile.
"Sir?" Voltke replied, not sure what was being asked.
"I hate to inform you of this, but the 202nd is being broken up and the men are being used as reinforcements across the entire theatre."
"Oh." Voltke said. That was it then. His regiment was destroyed and his command lost.
"But don't fret, Voltke. One of the regiments coming from the sulfur desert has no commander. I was going to promote the second in command, but then a young Longreach captain arrived with a Krieger colonel on his back after a flight out of the city." The general said, a smile creeping onto his old face.
"You're getting the 440th Death Korps Siege Regiment. Congratulations." The general said.
"Thank you, sir." Voltke said, relief washing over him. He was still dishonoured in his brother Krieger's eyes. But these other-worlders didn't see it that way. To survive a battle was something to be proud of. Even now the general was smiling, knowingly talking to a disgraced man.
"It's a big regiment. All the Death Korps regiments are big. 25,000 troops. And artillery! My word, the artillery you'll have at your disposal. We'll dislodge the Orks in an hour!"
It was true. The artillery capability of a Siege Regiment was immense. Medusa's, Earthshakers and Bombards would disintegrate the Ork defences.
"Of the newly arrived regiments, two are Death Korps Armoured Regiments. So I'll be able to exploit breakthroughs and push through any gaps at speed. We have armour, artillery and more infantry that I've ever had at my command before. I'm expecting a fast campaign."
"Very good, sir." Voltke said.
If the general was a Krieger it was likely that Voltke would never command again. But fortunately for Voltke, that was not the case. Voltke relaxed a little, leaning back in his chair, prepared to listen to the rest of the general's brief.