The days before the battle, spent in the Arbanian military base, had been an enlightening experience for the young huntress. Living alongside these men and women taught her a bit more about this new, expanded galaxy she found herself into. While there were certainly a lot of facets and elements that were unfamiliar, if not completely alien, to her, she found it comforting that, despite the differences, the people surrounding her were, at the end of the day, still human: they felt joy, love, sorrow and anger, just like she did.
That affinity she felt with them also came from another reason: during her stay, she learnt, from rumours and bits of tale, about what happened to their world, Arbanon. They had lost their friends, their families, their home, same as she still had a chance, no matter how small, that she would see them again. They didn't. The only thing they had left were each other. And despite that, they still fought, with courage and tenacity, determined to save and protect whoever they could. That was something truly admirable, forever worthy of her respect.
Speaking of the Arbanians, their reaction to her presence could be roughly divided into three categories.
The vast majority behaved like she wasn't there, at best acknowledging her existence, but otherwise continuing their tasks as if nothing changed.
Then there were those, fortunately not too numerous, who gave looks and glances of hostility and suspicious when they saw her, often accompanied by whispers behind her back. They were never open in regard to their distrust, likely because of orders from their superiors, so accidents fortunately didn't occur.
Ruby was sure she hadn't done anything to offend them, so she had no idea where this wariness came from. At first, she thought they simply didn't like her because she was an outsider: no matter the time and place, it seems humans often resent, if not hate, those who don't belong to their group.
But, at the same time, she couldn't help but notice that a good portion of these people gave a similar treatment to Zahra. So perhaps there was more to it. Some primal, intrinsic repulsion, likely ingrained in their culture, towards certain kinds of individuals.
And considering the one thing that she and Zahra had in common, she could take a guess which was one of these types of beings…
Last but not least, opposed to the aforementioned, she found the friendly ones: they were the men and women who personally knew Ismail, some of them for many years. Any friend and companion they lost would be one of the last few elements of their home gone forever, and so they were thankful to her for saving him. Even busy as they were on those days, preparing the defences, they found the time to meet her, even if only just for a moment, to say hi or thank you. Normally she wouldn't be too keen on meeting so many new people and being the centre of the attention, but, in her current situation, she preferred this to the alternative.
All things considered, Ismail's acquaintances had all been cordial to her.
Well, almost all of them...
⁓
"B-beautiful..." Ruby said, her eyebrows risen, her mouth dropped open slightly.
"Yeah, I know." Qemal answered, nodding with a proud smile.
"It's so big..."
"Mmm hmm."
"Can... can I grab it?"
"Of course."
"Guys," Delmina interrupted, "it's just a bolter. No need to make a fuss over it."
The little girl and the big man turned towards the one who uttered those words, their outrage plenty evident.
"How dare you say that?! This is not 'just a bolter'. This is a precious sweetheart/Solar pattern Heavy Bolter!" the two said simultaneously.
Against their passion, Delmina could do nothing but raise her hands in defeat, conceding. All while Lastar snickered, lho-stick in his mouth. He was another member of Ismail's squad, that Ruby had just met. He wasn't a man of many words, giving the girl only a nod when they were presented, but he seemed an earnest guy.
The three had a five-minute break from their numerous duties, and they had taken the chance to keep the otherwise lonely Ruby company. Qemal used this occasion to show her his weapon, much to the girl's delight.
"Here you go" Qemal said, giving the bolter to Ruby. The girl was ecstatic and immediately began examining the gun in her arms with a passionate and critical eye, mumbling her observations as they went.
"Let's see… here's the ejection port, multi-directional… and a blast compensator, which is fair considering the size… mmh… I notice far more electronic circuits than I would have expected, I wonder wh-… oh, I get it: it uses an electronic pulse on the firing chamber, instead of a firing pin, to activate the shot... and an electric motor to move the bullets in the chamber. This is going to have a high rate of fire..."
She kept making these, and many other, remarks, until she paused, when her eyes laid on the bolter's barrel.
"...what calibre did you say were the bullets it fired, Qemal?"
".998" Qemal answered with a grin, as he handed her a standard bolt round.
Her glee, as she looked at the ammunition's components, realizing not only how it functions, but how well it would perform against an enemy, was plainly manifest.
"You need to let me try it one day." Ruby said.
"Oh, I don't know…" Qemal replied, his tone teasing. "Will you let me try your rifle, in exchange?"
Hearing that, a mix of opposite emotions morphed her face into an unusual frown, two conflicting desires battling in her head.
"… Killjoy." She said in the end, as she reluctantly handed back the weapon to its owner. That made the three guardsmen roll in the aisles.
The arrival of a fellow member of their squad interrupted the scene.
"Here's the crate of ammunition you asked, Qemal." He said, laying a sizeable box near the huge man.
"Oh hi, Enid." Delmina said between the fading laughter. "I don't think you've met Ruby before. She is the one who saved Ismail."
Enid turned and faced the young girl who, on her part, was greeting him with a shy, yet genuine, smile.
For an instant, his eyes widened, imperceptible to all but the most observant viewer, before his face shifted into a dour frown.
"You shouldn't be here. This isn't a place for one like you."
The man picked up a few tools nearby and left, without adding anything else to his rough comment, nor casting any look at her.
An awkward silence stretched for several seconds, before Delmina, shaking off the disbelief of what just happened, started yelling at the already distant soldier.
"Hey, what was that for?! Come back here, you jerk!"
She began chasing after him while shouting, followed suit by Qemal who tried to calm their tempers.
Ruby remained behind with Lastar, as a feeling of uneasiness began to take hold on her. She didn't understand what had caused that harsh demeanour towards her.
"It's not your fault." Lastar answered the unspoken question, having figured out what was troubling the huntress.
"Tell me: have they already mentioned to you what happened to our world?"
Ruby slowly nodded. She was still struggling to process the concept of swarms of aliens travelling across the stars and devouring entire worlds, and she dreaded to imagine what must have felt like facing such nightmares, even though she had her own share of experiences confronting overwhelming and relentless foes.
"All of us lost someone that day, be it family or friends, and each one of us has to come to terms with that loss and confront it.
For Enid it was her younger sister."
He paused for a moment, letting that revelation sink in.
"I was with him when we saw her die." He then continued, and Ruby didn't miss the slight falter in his voice, as his mind started reliving those moments.
"We saw her as she was being devoured by a swarm of Rippers… We couldn't do anything as her flesh was torn apart, and her bones were ground.
We had been overwhelmed and had to retreat. I had to drag him by force to stop him from rushing to her. It was already too late to save her.
Her scream… Throne, she shouldn't have been able to utter any sound in her current state, yet her cry drowned all other noises… I have seen disturbing shit in my service, from deranged cultists to aliens so repugnant it hurts just looking at them, but that scream will haunt me for the rest of my life.
It is a miracle that Enid is still able to keep going after witnessing something like that."
He paused his tale for a short time, finishing his lho-stick and then dropping what remained of it on the ground, then proceeded to stomp it.
Ruby remained silent, unable to comment on that: she had endured her own share of losses, but she wasn't so full of herself to presume that they could compare to what Enid had experienced. She still wasn't entirely sure what this had to do with her, though a sneaking suspicion was beginning to form.
"You know, she would have been roughly your age, had she still been alive." Lastar then said, looking at her with a regretful smile.
"She didn't have those distinctive silver eyes, and her hair were a simple brown, instead of black and red like yours. But aside from that, you two look a lot alike, and I'm sure he noticed that. Seeing you reopened a wound he is still struggling to close, and I doubt he ever will."
He stood up and put a hand on Ruby's shoulder.
"So, don't take it personally if he acts a bit rude. He is a good man, believe me. I just wished you could have met under different circumstances."
He then walked away, waving at the huntress as he went.
Leaving the young girl alone, musing about her loved ones.
⁓
As it was mentioned before, those days were full of activity, with countless people moving frantically all over, in and out the walls, in order to prepare as best as they could for the encroaching foe. Ruby saw excavators and other construction vehicles, alongside transports carrying tools and workers, moving outside the walls at every hour of day and night. She bore witness of the construction of the three main trench lines, many kilometres long, surrounding the walls in three concentric arches, alongside barricades, bunkers and all the other elements that constituted Kastriot's main defence plan.
All achieved in a few days.
The soldiers of the Arbanian Janissaries regiment weren't exempt from duties, even without taking part directly in the constructions outside: between the myriad of preparations required to make their weapons and vehicles ready, and the numerous military drills and combat training, they had their hands full already. In addition, they had to coordinate their training, so they could also support the PDF, which in the meantime was swelling its numbers with countless new conscripts from the city, many of whom had never held, let alone fire, a gun in their life and had to be prepared in such a short amount of time.
Amidst all these busy people, Ruby found herself in a somewhat peculiar position.
She wasn't part of the regiment, nor any other Imperial institution of Kanrilia, so she couldn't take part in any of their jobs. In the eyes of almost everyone, she was some sort of mercenary who was employed by the Arbanians, acting as an auxiliary force. So, at least in theory, she had to answer only to general Kastriot, who acted as her "patron" while she fought alongside the guardsmen of this regiment. Despite the technical authority he had over her, however, the general hadn't given her any task – a bit because he was too busy with everything else, a bit because her situation was so unique even he didn't know how to act with the huntress -, leaving Ruby ironically free, despite the situation.
She tried to help around whoever needed it, for the little she could do, but that alone wouldn't have been enough to fill those days.
So, she had to find other ways to do that…
⁓
Dawn was accompanied by a pleasant breeze. The orb of the sun still hadn't overcome the horizon, though indirect sunlight was already beginning to scatter in Kanrilia's atmosphere, painting the sky into a pretty, yet fleeting, fuchsia shade. The sound of working, coming from outside the walls, and the hiss of laser weapons from the guardsmen who were practising, filled the air, though compared to the buzz of activity in the middle of the day, it was pretty quiet.
Ruby had woken up early, after the first night outside a cell, just to take advantage of this time frame of relative peacefulness.
During the previous day, she found a training field at the edges of the base, near the sea, smaller and more isolated than the main ones used by the regiment. She had decided it would be a nice spot to practice with Crescent Rose and let off some steam.
When she reached it, she was glad to find it empty, just like she had hoped: it wasn't like she minded being and training with others, but at the moment, she wanted a bit of time for herself. The murmuring of the waves, as they crawled gently to the shore, was enthralling.
It reminded her of home.
She headed to the centre of the empty field. There, she unfolded Crescent Rose to its full extension, from its storage mode to its iconic scythe form. Ruby closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The sea air of an alien world filled her lungs, a fresh reminder of her current state.
But at the same time, in her mind, she was back at Patch, in one of the training fields of Signal Academy. She could picture her younger self holding a training scythe, with uncle Qrow watching her closely.
"Okay, kiddo, one more time."
Hearing his voice just as clearly as it had been the first time, Ruby opened her eyes and sprang into action.
Pivoting at her waist, while both arms moved in unison across her body, she began with a long strike. She followed through with the sweep in a tornado-like motion, and after a few spins, pulled Crescent Rose up in a C movement to hit, with the back of the handle, the area when the enemy's face would be.
Ruby kept adding and combining all the techniques and moves she learnt by heart, increasing her speed with each action. She didn't use her Semblance, but even without that, she moved with such speed, that her motion felt like one single, harmonious attack, instead of a series of multiple, different movements.
She continued this for a while, each time adapting her attacks, based on the kind of opponents she imagined fighting in that instance: Grimm, attacking in hordes, their movements mostly resembling those of beasts; the Orks, who she guessed attacked in hordes as well, but whose humanoid shape meant their attacks would be different, demanding some adjustments; huge opponents, be it living like the Nuckelavee or mechanical like a Mech, that required a more vertical approach; smaller, human-like enemies, with various degree of skill, which proved to be the most difficult. The face of Cinder, Tyrian, Neo and Salem appeared when she practiced the latter, and it took a lot of self-control to keep her emotions in check and to stop anger for hindering and disrupting her movements.
When she stopped for a moment, in order to catch her breath, she heard a wolf-whistle.
"I know I've already seen you using it, but damn, you are fierce and deadly with that weapon, Ruby.
Thank the Emperor you are on our side."
Ruby turned and, despite the low visibility of that hour, she still recognized the figure of Ismail, who waved back at her when their eyes met. His uniform and traditional gilet were spotless and worn with great care, though the bandages around the wound he had sustained could still be discerned on a closer look.
"Ismail!" Ruby exclaimed as she reached him, her joy and relief in full display. "So glad you are alright! I wanted to see you, but I couldn't get access to the infirmary. How are you feeling?"
"Yeah, Sister Espasia is pretty adamant when it comes to her patients and doesn't let anyone in the infirmary.
As for how I am doing? Well, I am still alive, so I can't complain." He answered, chuckling to himself.
"They wanted to let me rest until the battle, but I honestly couldn't stay in bed any longer when people all around me were working so hard."
Ruby wanted to retort, but she couldn't, being aware that she wouldn't want to stay idle either if she was in his shoes.
The two spoke for a bit, mostly about what Ruby had been up to and the people she met, particularly about the members of the man's squad.
"I see we had the same idea on when and where to train. Mind if I join you? I promise not to get in your way."
The girl nodded earnestly, and the two went on different sides of the field, each doing their own workout routine.
Ismail first did several body exercises, and then picked up a lasgun and began practicing his firing skills.
And it was the latter that mostly drew her attention. Given her love for weapons, she had a rough idea about the level of accuracy of an average soldier. Ismail exceeded that. It seemed that no matter the distance of the mark, its size or the handicap he imposed on himself, the sergeant always hit the target.
"You are a pretty good shot." She told him at some point, in between a swing and a discharge.
"Thanks." Ismail answered, not leaving the eyes of the target. "I was able to score better than everyone here, including the few Stormtroopers still accompanying us. It's not brag to say that I am the best shooter of this regiment."
"Is that so? Don't you mean you were the best shooter of this regiment?" Ruby said with a mischievous smile.
"What do you mea- oh… is that a challenge I hear?"
Her answer was to grab the lasgun Ismail had just temporarily laid down and, after adjusting almost immediately to the different weight and feel of the energy weapon, take a perfect shot at one of the target dummies.
All while sporting an innocent smile.
In contrast, a predatory grin formed on Ismail's face.
"Oh, it's on!"
And so, a competition between the two began. Each with a lasgun at hand, they shot at various different targets, still or moving, each one increasingly more difficult than the last. And every time, the two matched each other.
"Not bad, Ruby. You are lucky that I am still recovering from my injury, though. And that I don't have my long-las. Otherwise, this wouldn't be a contest at all."
"Good thing a lasgun is not a weapon I use. Had I used my Crescent Rose, I would have left you breathless."
The sound of two hands clapping interrupted any other form of tease.
"That was impressive, you two. If every soldier of the Imperium had your level of marksmanship, no enemy of mankind would ever defeat us."
General Kastriot stood behind them, showing fascination from what he had witnessed. Ismail immediately stood to attention upon seeing his superior. Ruby didn't behave so formal, though a quick blush from that compliment appeared on her face, before she quickly composed herself.
"At ease, sergeant. I'm glad to see you have recovered. We are going to need good soldiers like you, now more than ever."
"Thank you, sir. I'm ready to kill those detestable greenskins, sir."
"I'm glad to hear it. I bet your squad will be very happy to see you. I suggest you go and start preparing alongside them. They need their leader."
"Of course, sir." Ismail prepared to leave, though not before looking at Ruby one more time and saying to her, with a wry smile: " Guess we'll have to find out who's a better shot another time".
Ruby waved at the man as he left. When she was alone with the general, the huntress began to prepare leaving as well, before the general stopped her.
"Before you leave, miss Rose, can I ask you to do something?"
"Hmm, sure. I'll do what I can to help."
"Don't worry, it's nothing complex or problematic. The fact is, I watched you for a bit during your training, before your competition with Ismail. And while I am already impressed with what I saw, both with your skill in wielding that scythe, as well as your strength and speed, I know, both from Ismail's tale and my own instinct, that this isn't the full extent of what you are capable of.
So I would like a little demonstration."
The huntress found that request perfectly reasonable: the general, as a leader of a force that soon will engage an enemy, needed to know the full capabilities of every weapon and warrior fighting with him. She knew that, had the situation been reversed, she would have demanded the same.
Nodding to the general, Ruby took position on the centre of the field, where she had trained up to that moment. She would do what she did before, only this time she would use her Semblance and integrate it into her attacks and movements. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. And then, she disappeared into a burst of petals.
When General Kastriot had seen her training before, he had born witness to a girl fighting well beyond the limits of what a human could do without genetic or cybernetic enhancements. During his career, over one hundred and fifty years long, he had encountered several beings, both fighting on his side and not, that surpassed the strength and speed of a regular man: the loyal Space Marines of the Iron Shades chapter, and their twisting, corrupting cousins of the Word Bearers Legion; the more elite Aeldari warriors, like the white-armoured Howling Banshees, or their dark kin, the Incubi; mysterious, skilled assassins serving in the retinue of Inquisitors.
And Ruby Rose, in terms of combat prowess and physical abilities, was clearly in the same ballpark as such individuals.
Then he watched her second demonstration, following his demand. And he caught a glimpse of how powerful she truly was.
Surrounded by red petals, the huntress moved at such tremendous speed that his eyes could not perceive nor track her movements, and for him, she might as well be teleporting. Kastriot didn't claim to be any expert in physics – he left that knowledge to Restion and the other members of the Machine Cult -, but even he was aware that her incredible speed carried with it a lot of kinetic energy, which she used to her advantage: her weapon was imbued with far more power than before, the air vibrating with each strike.
Even outside the range of her scythe, it wasn't safe for any enemy facing her: the girl's movements were so fast, that they could generate vortices and whirlwinds that could trap and harm most opponents.
General Kastriot, among other things, was known for his ability to control his emotions even in the most extreme circumstances. But as he saw bewildered Ruby in action, he allowed himself a smirk, the same type sported by who is presented with an opportunity.
In those days, he had prepared the shields that would stand against the orks.
Now he found one of the spears that would strike back at them.
⁓
Following that training session, general Kastriot had asked her to be part of his entourage, for the period she would remain with them. After a brief consideration, Ruby agreed to his proposal.
The reasons for this decision were manifold: first and foremost, it allowed her to help in a more active way.
Secondly, it offered her a chance to learn more about the Imperium and the wider galaxy through inductive learning, by being near people who had personal experience on these matters. During this time, the huntress also came to value the insights about leadership, and what it entails, that she gained by observing the general more closely.
Last but not least, it finally gave her something to do. Inactivity was a terrible thing to experience…
Throughout those days, she got to meet and know several officers and high-ranking members of the regiment, like Lieutenant Bajramaj.
She, in particular, thanks to her expansive knowledge in several aspects of military life, like administration, logistics, data gathering, and many more, had been of great help to the huntress whenever she was having doubts or questions regarding different topics. Despite her seemingly detached demeanour, she was actually quite accommodating with her.
Ruby suspected that she might be somewhat aware of the truth about her, or at least part of it, even if she didn't ask her directly on the matter – being the closest adjutant of both the General and the Commissar, it wouldn't be surprising if she had been made privy of her situation -.
Hopefully, it appeared she was the only one, and considering the aid she offered, the girl didn't mind.
Being part of General Kastriot's staff, Ruby took part in many tasks that the old man was involved with, like assisting battle simulations of the various companies, or overseeing the inventory and examination of the regiment's weapons and vehicles. As it was pretty clear to anyone who had even a superficial idea of who Ruby Rose was, the latter was by far her most favourite ones: she barely contained herself when she laid eyes on the vast array of weapons carried by Arbanon's Vengeance, a Stormhammer that commanded all remaining armoured vehicles in the regiment.
But the most frequent activities were the meetings.
Countless meetings with the leaders and officers of both the regiment and the planet's forces.
Each filled to the brim with statistics, charts, holographic projections and graphs, regarding various topics.
Astra Militarum and PDF numbers.
Weapon and ammunition supply.
Projection of their industrial production and how much their number can be increased before the attack.
Defence lines.
Troop disposition across said lines.
Sustainable defence strategies.
Unsustainable defence tactics.
Estimated ork forces and possible attack patterns based on previous encounters.
Feasible countermeasures against these attacks, compared to each other and to unfeasible ones.
The amount of information presented staggered the huntress. And she found herself even more flabbergasted when Bajramaj, almost amused by the girl's astonishment, whispered during one of said meetings that this was nothing compared to the reports regarding bigger theatres of war across the galaxy, like the Gatamax Campaign, which she had taken part of seven years prior: Kanrilia was, ultimately, just a planet, and not even a big one; the Gatamax Campaign was conducted against a xenos species called the Abusir across fifteen star systems and thirty-seven worlds simultaneously.
During these war councils, Ruby never took part in the various discussions actively. Instead, she merely listened, trying to absorb as many details and info she could. After all, the world of the military wasn't one she actually belonged to, even back home and despite the more recent events in her life.
As with many things, there was one exception.
⁓
"I can inform you, with no small amount of delight, that we have been able to quintuple the number of people conscripted to Kanrilia's Defence Forces, which, at this moment, has seventy-three thousand, one hundred and twenty-four men ready to triumph over these savage xenos."
General Kastriot outwardly displayed his typical stoic and impassive face, yet inside his mind he sighed in exasperation, and forced himself not to roll his eyes at that statement by closing them.
He was currently attending a smaller briefing, with just four people present, beside him. Only two of them were part of his staff, not sitting on the table with him and the others, but always alert and ready to intervene when addressed. One was Lieutenant Bajramaj, of course: she was indispensable in this sort of meetings.
And then there was Ruby Rose. The mysterious huntress.
Despite the limited time they had spent together, Kastriot had come to slowly appreciate her company. There was something about the girl that seemed to uplift those around her, her presence radiating a sense of optimism and hope.
Many in the Imperium would call her naive or even stupid for holding onto those beliefs, in a galaxy that spits on good intentions.
For his part, Kastriot believed that following these ideals, even after the horrible things she had witnessed and endured - and she did, he could see the signs -, was a testament of her inner strength. He prayed she would resist as long as possible, before time and the cruelty of this galaxy began to take their toll, like it did with everyone else...
Governor Alalgar was one of the two men who sat at the table with the general. He wasn't the one who had uttered those words, and judging by the strained, hesitant smile he was displaying, he didn't feel that reassured by them.
Good, that meant he wasn't a complete fool who failed to realize the gravity of the situation.
Alalgar, after all, wasn't like most governors Eskender had met during his career: while the majority of them were nobles who inherited their title from birth, leading many of them to be blinded by the immense power it represented, on Kanrilia the position of Imperial Commander was elective, appointed every fifteen years by the Oligos - a council composed of the wealthiest men and women of Kanrilia, its nobility and the leaders of the industrial and commercial corporations – to one of its members. The temporariness of the role, combined with the fact that the Oligos oversaw every action taken by it, meant that whoever became Governor couldn't be idle or carefree in his duty.
The figure who had spoken was Marshal Ubam, commander of the Planetary Defence Forces of Kanrilia. When he focused his attention on the marshal, Kastriot's opinions could be summarized in a single sentence:
Oh my Emperor, this guy is pretentious!
Everything, from his posture, to his clothing, to his tone of voice, screamed of him being the typical imperial high officer who had the ego the size of a star, and might as well believe that the Imperium revolved around him and cheered for every action he took.
He mentioned the increase of troops as a great accomplishment.
Ignoring that a lot of worlds in the core sectors of the Segmentum were capable to do that and more. And that the majority of the newest conscripts never fired a weapon in their life, and a crash course of a couple of days would not be enough to prepare them for what was coming.
Most importantly, there was the fact that the man was severely underestimating the greenskins, basing his close-minded judgement on the few skirmishes he had against a small, disorganized, pack of feral orks.
A fitting quote, from the De Bello Gothica – a book detailing the events of the 12th Black Crusade he enjoyed reading in his free time – attributed to Admiral Spire, sprang to Eskender's mind:
"From long experience have I learnt that underestimating the green-skins is a fast route to the grave".
As the marshal continued explaining the details of his work, the looks of smartness and defiance directed to Kastriot didn't go unnoticed.
Great, he was turning this into a political display. No wonder he seemed so proud of that number: he probably didn't like that an outsider, commanding an undermanned regiment, was the one giving the orders around, and used his increased forces as a show of strength.
The old veteran didn't have the time nor the desire to engage in these useless political disputes. As long as he refrained from directly obstructing the defence measures, limiting himself only to defiant glances and comments, the general didn't bother.
The meeting continued along these lines for a little while, until the Governor presented a new item on the agenda.
"As the governor of this planet, it is my duty, for the sake of all the people of Kanrilia, to take into considerations all the outcomes, no matter how improbable. So, I ask you: what is your suggested course of action for the people of Epidamnus in the unfortunate scenario, Emperor preserve us, that the xenos overwhelm our defences and enter the city?"
Despite being behind his back, Kastriot could feel that Ruby perked up when the matter was brought to their attention, showing its importance for her.
For the sake of the people, sure. If by people he meant himself and his associates in the Oligos.
Leaving aside Alalgar's tendencies to keep appearances of public spirit, he raised a major, yet tricky topic. He would do anything in his power to exterminate the greenskin menace – he thought while looking at his ring -, but between the urgency of preparing to face the orks, and the awareness of their current state of isolation, with no help coming from the rest of the Imperium, and the Solar Flame incapable of arriving prior to the attack, there seemed to be no way to perform any sort of evacuation.
As he was about to answer and expose the hard truth of that situation, though, the marshal opened his mouth first.
"Your dedication to duty is commendable, Lord Governor, but what you are asking has no reason to even be considered: there isn't any chance that we would lose against these savage beasts. But, for an instance, let us indulge your impossible scenario: if the orks breach the walls and enter the city, then every man, woman and child have the obligation to fight to their last breath against the enemies of Men and defeat them. That is what the Imperium demands of them!"
Oh, so he wasn't just delusional. He was fanatical as well.
Make no mistake: Kastriot firmly believed the core ideal expressed by Ubam.
He believed, with all his heart and soul, that every citizen of the Imperium, when their time comes, needs to fight with all they have for the Emperor, for the Imperium and, especially, for the survival and safety of Mankind. They should do anything in their power for this great purpose. Even if it means sacrificing their own lives.
In his long service, he had witnessed, on multiple occasions, the heroic sacrifices of not just guardsmen and other soldiers of the Imperium, but also of regular people. And he knew, with absolute certainty, that the men and women serving under him will do it too when their moment comes, just like he would.
But he also believed that sacrifice needs to have a purpose, to make a difference, even if it is a small one.
Otherwise, it is only a waste.
And the struggle, followed by the inevitable death of the people of Epidamnus if the orks entered the city, would be just that.
A waste of lives that would make no difference and serve no purpose save from entertaining the orks and indulging their bloodlust.
"How could you let all these people die?!
Isn't it our duty to protect them, to find every possible way to preserve their lives, at all cost?!"
Ruby's outburst, as she reached the table and slammed her hands on it, was so sudden that it left everyone in the room speechless.
Even Kastriot was surprised by the huntress' action. During those days he had seen a kind and quiet girl, but now, as he caught sight of her eyes, staring at the marshal, and the intensity of her glare, he was reminded once more of her vigour.
Ubam, after a few moments, quickly composed himself, his shock turned into indignation.
"How… How dare you speak to me in that tone?!
General Kastriot, how can you allow your subaltern to perform such a blatant, dissident act of insubordination?"
"Well, technically, she is not my subordinate." He answered, forcing himself not to display the smirk that was forming on his face.
"But you are right. Miss Rose, you should refrain from interjecting in such a manner without permission, and you should behave adequately with senior officers like the marshal over here."
Ruby remained silent, while the marshal began nodding, expecting a reprimand and waiting for further chastisement.
"With that said, I would like you to elaborate further on your claims."
Ubam was at a loss for words, mouth agape and eyes widened: not only the general wasn't going to apply any disciplinary action against this impudent girl, but he even had the nerve to let her continue speaking!
Kastriot totally ignored him, instead focusing his whole attention on the huntress, which Ruby reciprocated in turn.
"You are pretty aware, more so than the marshal apparently, of how dangerous this enemy truly is, and how desperate and grim our situation is.
Don't you believe, that, in the aforementioned scenario, your intention to save their lives, while noble, is an unachievable, grandiose romanticism?"
Ruby didn't answer immediately, instead pondering what she had just heard and her response to that. Then, averting her gaze, she replied.
"I know I sound childish sometimes. Others, even ones close to me, have told me so. But I'm not ingenuous. Not anymore. I know that there are times when horrible things are unavoidable and that suffering and death are inevitable."
She paused, letting the meaning of those words and memories of her past engulf her.
"But I also believe that everyone deserves to live fully, to find a meaning in their life, all of it. And yes, even at the end of it.
There will be no meaning to the massacre they will be subjected to, in case we fail to stop them. And I won't allow their lives to be wasted, not when there is a chance, no matter how minuscule, to bring them to safety."
"What chance are you referring to? You know we can't contact the Imperium for reinforcements or aid in the evacuation, and even if we could, the warp is too unstable to allow any ship to reach the system. The only vessel here, the Solar Flame, is too badly damaged and won't reach orbit before the attack begins."
He could have also added that even if the Solar Flame was here, it could carry only one hundred thousand people, at full capacity, which would leave behind over 15 million souls.
But there was no need to hammer the point further. He admired the girl's moral strength, but he needed to make her face the crude, brutal reality.
…We do have plenty of ships, actually."
"What are you talk- ah."
Then he dawned on him. And judging by the widened eyes of Bajramaj and the governor, so it did on them.
"This planet revolves around its ocean and the food it provides. I saw the countless ships in the harbour, both tiny and colossal, and I know there are just as many out in the sea. I've heard some of them stay offshore permanently, and are enormous, less ship and more massive mobile platforms the size of towns. We can use them to carry as many people as possible far from the land and the orks.
They are not going to chase them there, and even if they decide to, the vastness of the sea plays to our advantage."
Kastriot saw that Governor Alalgar was already tapping something on his data-slate, no doubt contacting his advisors about this option and already making preparations. He turned on Bajramaj, who was running her own calculations, and the lieutenant, before he could ask, said:
"There are several parameters to take into accounts. We will need time to coordinate so many vessels for the evacuation, and we will certainly still be in the middle of it when the battle begins. But yes, it is a possibility worth following."
"We will buy as much time as we can. That's exactly the reason why we fight."
The finality of Ruby's words pervaded the room, carrying her conviction to all present.
"This is ridiculous!" From whom came the interruption was pretty obvious to anyone who might have witnessed the scene up to that point.
"Why waste time and resources on this purposeless endeavour, encouraging the people of Kanrilia to run away like vermin, when victory is at hand? Even if the greenskins enter the city, they will lose, overwhelmed by our superior number."
If a look could have killed, then Marshal Ubam would have been utterly obliterated by the silver gaze of Ruby.
The sound of a snicker, coming from Eskender, interrupted any kind of response the girl could have given him.
"Holy Emperor, I have suffered your ignorance for quite a while, but I honestly cannot endure any longer.
Let me tell you, with absolute sincerity and certainty, as someone who has fought orks on dozens of campaigns across the Segmentum and beyond, who saw them overwhelm and conquer worlds far more defended than this one: the moment the greenskins breach the walls and pour inside the city, victory will only belong to them. The only thing awaiting the citizens of this world will be total extermination, regardless of their number. Every human in this world will be slaughtered.
And then what?
What do you think the Imperium will do when they see a world lost in its entirety, with not a single human soul left on it?
It will not waste men and resources for a planet already dead in its eyes.
But if we follow Miss Rose's idea, many might survive, even if we all die performing our duty. And when the Imperium can hear them again, it will find a world that can still be saved.
Even with our death, there might still be a future for Kanrilia and its people.
Ubam looked as if he wanted to reply, but then desisted, no doubt sensing the mood wasn't in his favour.
After a few minutes of additional exchanges, Governor Alalgar and Lieutenant Bajtamaj took their leave, beginning to prepare the evacuation, soon followed by the grumbling marshal, who kept muttering under his breath something about cowardice and insolence.
The young girl and the old general remained alone for a few moments, in silence.
Ruby nodded to Eskender, expressing her thanks for backing her up.
Despite the lack of words between the two, Kastriot could still imagine what emotions were currently predominant in her mind, judging from her expression.
Gladness. For finding a way to save as many people as possible.
Determination. To do everything in her power in the upcoming fight.
But, hidden amidst these two, he could detect something else. Smaller, just a hint, but nevertheless still present.
Repugnance.
The general wasn't surprised. He guessed that this is what they call"culture clash".
Ruby Rose got a glimpse of what mentality most of the Imperium and its ruling class followed.
And it was obvious that it was completely opposite to everything she stood for.
He was sure her revulsion was, even if in small part, directed at him as well: while it was true that he had supported her, he hadn't done so following some idealistic principle, but rather plain and simple pragmatism, thinking more in terms of future campaigns of reclamation and planetary gains.
Unfortunately, there was nothing he could say on the matter.
This was how things were, no matter how he felt on the matter.
⁓
Days passed, filled with these and other events.
Then, as Kanrilia's sun was beginning to set on the fourth day...
⁓
Denir and Sajrat were the names of the two guardsmen assigned as sentinels on Tower Apollonia, the highest one in the walls. Sajrat was smoking, as he watched the sun slowly descending towards the ocean, illuminating Epidamnus with a mesmerising ocre shade. Denir was scanning the inland with magnoculars.
"Hey Saj" he suddenly spoke "Remind me again, how many stars does this system have?"
"One. It's setting as we speak." said, wondering if his friend had drunk a bit too much amasec that day.
"Well then, I guess it gained a new one that is rising right now." Denir replied sarcastically, as he pointed towards the land.
Sajrat threw his half-finished lho-stick and took the magnoculars Denir offered him. Thanks to them, he saw a corona of light slowly rising from the horizon, interrupted by pillars of smoke.
"Raise the alarm." Denim said, his tone now totally serious
"They are here."