Back by popular demand, another installment of A Recruits Tales. Sorry this took bloody forever (fur immer for you German folks); I had my senior paper and shit to work on.

With the shout of 'Go' by the bare-headed Marine, I leap into a run, trying to ignore the pain in my legs and arms. I can hear the other hopefuls fighting each other to catch up with me.

I fall forward, feeling a sharp pain in the back of my skull, like a needle was punching into my brain.

"Scout-Sergeant Vandius, are you alive?" A harsh voice interrupts my dreams. I see Apothecary Servenus standing just in front of me, his white-armored hands on my shoulder-guards. Memories flood back, and I remember exactly what has happened, causing my anger to rise.

After being recruited by the Warhawks Space Marine chapter, I underwent years of testing, surgery, implantation and surgery to become a Scout-Brother. For five years, I fought as a Scout-Brother, eventually being promoted to Scout-Sergeant before the viscous campaign on Kopal, the world from whence I was recruited.

The foul forces of Chaos had fallen upon the world in a fury and a million people died in a single night of blood-shed and death. When the Warhawks returned for the next batch of recruits, they found what was left of the population in slavery. A crusade to retake the world was launched in an instant.

The First Company descended upon Kopal like a bolt of lightening, but the Space Marine forces bogged down almost as fast. The deserts were of ash, human ash, with piles of bones marking the high ground. The world of Kopal was a grave-world.

Scout-Sergeant Vandius and his squad had been sent way out on the left flank to secure the Black Rock and set up sniper positions there. Except Raptors spotted the scouts and eliminated all but one.

A Raptor had grabbed Vandius by his shoulder-guards and soared towards the sky, more than likely planning to drop Vandius from hundreds of meters in the air. The Scout-Sergeant had different ideas. Vandius had revved his chain-sword to full and cut off the Raptors feet while they were still only twenty meters in the air. Still, that was far for a Marine to fall and Vandius had lost consciousness until Servenus and his body-guard had come searching for the scouts gene-seed.

Servenus helped me to my feet and clasped my shoulders again, saying, "I thought you had been killed and I was about to return your gene-seed to the Chapter!"

"I'm glad you did not, Apothecary. I wish to avenge my brothers' deaths before the day is out."

"Sergeant Vandius, have you taken the Rock?" It was Mepesto, captain of the 1st Company, who had returned the Chapters honor when he hunted down and eliminated the traitorous companies.

"No, Captain, my squad was ambushed by Raptors and we suffered ninety-percent casualties. What are your orders?"

"Servenus, have you retrieved the gene-seed?" Mepesto responded.

"Yes, of course, Captain. I used the opportunity to instruct the apprentice Apothecaries." Servenus's bodyguard was made up of eight veteran Marines who were on their way to becoming Apothecaries. Because Servenus was such a highly-decorated Apothecary, apprentice Apothecaries came from all over the Chapter to train under him.

"The left flank has been overrun by the traitor filth and a large number of traitor Marines and cultists are approaching your position. Do not let the gene-seed fall into their hands before you can be relieved. Expect reinforcements in two standard days. That is all."