Finally some action in this one!
"New communication came in, Major while you were… out." Sergeant Binngs said to the hung over officer as he handed him a data-slate. Every Guardsman on Cyrus Jundi dealt with the crushing boredom in their own ways, like all Imperial Guardsmen do when stationed on a back water planet, but Horan drank. The agri-world didn't have much, but it had a lot of booze and Horan probably drank most of it. Binngs would usually find him passed out in his officer and wake him up around mid-day for administrative things.
"What's it say?" Horan held his head in his hands while Binngs slid a steaming cup of caffeine under his face. Binngs didn't care the Major was a drunk, neither did anyone else in the barracks. Horan was a poor officer at best and he did less harm drunk than when he was sober.
"Lieutenant Carmina of the Navy says the Eldar are raiding and that we should be prepared to fight them." Binngs said softly as he refilled the mug of caffeine from a thermos.
"Whatever you want to do, do it, I need to sleep." Horan mumbled into his cup. Binngs smiled to himself. This is what usually happened. Horan would wake up, eat something and then pass out again. The rest of the men understood Binngs was in charge and 'Major' Horan was merely a figurehead.
"Yes Sir.' Binngs had already alerted the rest of the 48th Cyrus Storm Troop regiment and had them gearing up right now. The 48th was the only regiment on the planet but Binngs wasn't worried. Three thousand Storm Troopers could stop anything thrown at them. Seven companies were garrisoned around the capital, Vamosi. Vamosi had the only space port planet side and thus was of strategic importance. The other three companies were broken up and stationed around the massive world, usually a platoon here or there around the massive silos that housed the crop or at the small townships that dotted the planet. 'Anything else Sir?" he asked. Horan was snoring, his head still in his hands. Binngs spun on his heel and strode out of the officer, pausing to close the door softly.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Target the leading mon-keigh ship with all weapons." Faeruithir hissed to his weapons officer. He and his squadron were closing fast with the enemy vessels, which were slow and lumbering compared to the graceful Hellebore class.
"Yes sir. All weapons are armed. The pitiful human-filth shields will not stand for long against our onslaught." The rest of the captains acknowledged readiness and now they merely had to wait till they closed to within range in approximately three minutes. The rest of the fleet was probably closing to within striking range of the planet by now. He almost felt pity for the humans on the planet, Marauth would leave none of them alive, but humans were in such numbers, their loss would go unnoticed.
Faeruithir leaned back in his simple chair and sipped on some rare wine he always within reach. He always had a few sips before battle. It was for luck. He had long forgotten why he did it for luck, but he always did.
"Are emergency crews ready in case they try to board?" The mon-keigh had never closed with his ships, but it never hurt to be prepared for such things.
"Yes sir. They will not find us unprepared. One minute to weapons range now!" Weapons officer Benieen called, his voice sounded excited.
"Thirty seconds!" Benieen called again.
"In range now! The mon-keigh are firing torpedoes!"
"Fire at will! Destroy the mon-keigh!" Faeruithir shouted, his eyes wild with excitement. The Hellebore shuddered as every weapon fired. Faeruithir slid a pic-screen from his chair and watched as the searing bright las-bolts and glowing torpedoes streaked towards the mon-keigh. Faeruithir pressed a rune on the screen, switching to the tactical view and saw a swathe of mon-keigh torpedoes heading towards his Hellebores. The center mon-keigh ship disappeared from the screen and was replaced with a debris field. Shortly after, the other ships disappeared from the screen.
"Torpedoes closing, sir!" shouted someone. Faeruithir couldn't identify who.
"Evasive maneuvers and make sure the close-defense turrets are activated!"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Binngs sat down in front of the comms-officer, a twitchy man named Jones, who had a vox-receiver pressed against his ear. He was listening to a long-range communication from that damned Lieutenant Carmina. Suddenly, Jones dropped the receiver like it was burning and rubbed his ear.
"What?" Binngs asked angrily.
"She got cut off, saying the Eldar were attacking. It was all static and screams, sir. They're probably dead."
"Damn it! Any word from the outlying units?" The first line of the defense for Vamosi was the outlying garrisons and Binngs relied on them for early warning.
"Nothing yet, sir."
"Damn it again! I want every man watching the sky! The Eldar raiders won't find us unprepared!"
The door to the comms room burst open, exposing a panting, sweaty Corporal. "Sir, flyers have been spotted to the south! Lots of them!"
"Get back to your post! Expect an attack within minutes!" Binngs shouted as he grabbed his chainsword and holstered pistol from a rack by the door and ran after the Corporal towards the low wall that surrounded the town. Binngs was immediately followed by his command squad, Sergeant Jannis, Privates Jenna and Tomas, Corporal Jones who was struggling to pull his vox-caster onto his back, and Medicae Yates.
"Guess we finally get to see some action, eh, Sergeant?" called Tomas, who was carrying a reeking flamer. The man always stunk of promethium and rumor was that he was an arsonist. Binngs could believe it.
"Yeah, I guess so." Binngs jumped up the wooden steps to the ramparts three at a time and was greeted with a host of greetings and calls from the other men on the wall. Binngs nodded his greeting and looked for the look. The look that told if a man would turn and run or would freeze up under fire, or generally not do his duty. A lot of men had it written across their faces. The regiments only Commissar was out patrolling the outlying garrisons almost permanently. It was the only way Major Horan wouldn't get shot on the spot.
"Keep watching the perimeter! Don't let them sneak up on us!" Binngs shouted to his men as he unlimbered his chainsword and drew his pistol. He was nervous; this was going to be his first combat. It was going to be the first combat for a lot of the men. Binngs breathed deeply, he couldn't show weakness in front of his men.
"Shouldn't we wake the Major, sir?" Yates asked.
"Nah. He needs his rest." Binngs snorted.