Chapter 3

"If a soldier fails in his duties he will be demoted

He will be allowed to keep his patches

He will be placed on extra garrison details

Above all else he will be allowed only four hours of sleep

And one meal until he finds courage once more"

-Article 1 Section 1

"Sir, the men have all rifles turned in" Robert nodded as he looked at the last soldier hand in their rifle and join the gaggle of a dozen or so others in the back of the room sitting around in the armory. "Chances are we'll be on lockdown until all rifles are accounted for…. We'll wait here" Darius nodded and walked to the group of soldiers waiting about to spread the order and lighting a smoke along with a select group of others.

Raken stood with the others while I stood apart. It was due to no small part of the earlier encounter with Klein. At least that's what I figured. I cared little in regards to what they thought only if they were combat ready. I knew for a fact half of them if they survived would ask to leave the guard and return to the boring labor of the everyday civilian.

I tried to be a civilian. I went from job to job utterly lost doing a bit of everything. Farming to security for a bar. In the end, I realized I couldn't leave. I enjoyed being a soldier not needing to think only following orders. The structure of having no choices was a comfort with the security it brought. Those who left would no doubt find the same truth I did.

"Excuse me sir, I need you to turn in your laspistol also"

Robert turned to the voice to see a young boy with an outstretched hand. Robert rolled his eyes before handing the boy his laspistol. It didn't bother him like other officers. It was the rules and regulations of the ship, but what actually mattered to Robert was a tech priest or more likely the sergeant at arms would give the pistol a one over inspecting for any problems. While never the best of inspections, Robert knew the sergeant at arms in this hanger Sergeant Stienner was a hard worker and would at least insure the gun wasn't covered in blood. The guard hated the navy, but these deck hands weren't too bad in Robert's opinion.

The boy hurried away as Robert mulled over those thoughts. The rest of his soldiers an odd dozen with a few others joining in pairs or alone from other units waiting with 'Alpha company' waiting for word of any other surviving soldiers of their own company.

Robert paced the room waiting for some word of what was next. Captain Klein wasn't too pleased with the Raken situation. Robert heard another Captain was dead the other hardly able to give commands as his own command structure was in disarray. Robert had a whole company of 18 including the 5 lost soldiers waiting word for their own higher ups.

They were just wasting away. The loading process had probably just finished and Robert wasn't inclined to find the other officers for another stuffy meeting about pointless topics. The Chapter Master was the one creating all the battle plans instead of leaving it to senior command. While he couldn't argue that the Drake Lord had vastly more experience. Robert would've argued in private of course that a guard officer should decide where and when the guard deployed as they knew full well the capabilities of the unit instead of using horde tactics like earlier. Robert personally would've tried to shell that city to oblivion denying the horde valuable food and manpower while getting all the PDF forces for a counter offensive with Thunderhawks strafing, but Robert wasn't going to walk up to the eight foot avatar of war itself and try to argue his point of view.

As luck would have it a serf ran in. One Robert had never met before. Seeing for a brief second it's younger face before it screamed Robert put two and two together and figured it was just another nameless serf that would matter little in the grand scheme of things.

"HELP HELP! The soldiers! They're fighting and biting one another like madmen!" before anyone could say a word a green blur tackled the serf. Without a word spoken everyone froze in place watching the serf desperately hold the guardsman's neck as he tried to bite down on the serfs neck. The crazed soldier was able to beat the serf's face in like it was nothing soon leaving a purple lump that sooner resembled an eggplant than a face.

"OUT OF THE WAY LAND LUBBERS!" Sergeant at Arms Stienner unleashed a volley of rounds tearing into the pair on the floor as if they were nothing blasting away the head of the guardsman and a hole into the chest of the serf. Robert felt bile hit the back of his throat at the violent display shocked into inactivity.

"You saved that one up didn't you" Sergeant Darius spoke up suspiciously wiping away at the corner of his mouth. The Sergeant at Arms smirked before another green blur flashed past the door.

"Lock that shit I don't wanna die like that guy!" a voice yelped out. Stienner vocally agreed before unlocking the 'metal cage' housing our weapons. "C'mon we got work to do" in a way it didn't sound that different from a father casually talking about everyday work.

Robert wasn't one to be an officer. He was an uneducated NCO. His grammar poor as he would speak with an odd mix of low Gothic befitting a country bumpkin with the vocabulary of a priest. This allowed him a certain... Flexibility as an NCO but it created problems as an officer. Robert found humor in the fact how he talked impacted how he was going room to room killing undead creatures on a ship.

"Stack up!" Any element of surprise was gone as the smell of burnt flesh and iron filled the air. With practiced ease, the squad surrounded the door. One on the left side angled ready to hit the open button. Three on the right side pressed as close as possible to the corridor. The trio also were pressed against each other able to feel the pound of each member's heart.

Three other guardsmen were ten to fifteen meters away aiming down their respective hallway. There for the right side four for the left. All were sweating from going door to door like this. There were 17 to start with. An oddly specific number only known as they only filled one table at chow with a seat to spare. Only 11 remained due to these new undead. Unlike the ones down planet side, these undead were closer to feral humans. Dead yet a crazed look in their eyes made them look like a human who hungered for human flesh in a morbid fashion not wanting to eat, but an odd fetish to consume another for the ultimate unholy pleasure.

Three Robert had to put down a number he remembered because all three were bitten at the same time and ironically were brothers. The other four bled out huge chunks missing and unable to be revived as zombies for an unknown reason to Robert. The duty of cleaning the ship was disgusting Robert found. The ship was massive and Robert's 'Company' soon found signs that people had already cleared the room. Seeing that a few of the zombies were pulverized at what looked like was a boot print Robert quickly understood they were clearing the left side of the ship while the Chapter Master annihilated the right half of the ship relatively speaking.

We decided the best way to tell our fellows a room was cleared was to use the very filth of the now dead undead to draw a large blood red X over doors. After we cleared the ship I heard we saved a few lives as crew members used this information to hide.

A sleek silent slide of a door brought me back into the fight. Robert tapped twice against the metal frame before violently rushing into the doorway rifle raised to engage any target. What he saw was an officer's room with all manners of furniture in a six by six room. Without hesitation Robert ripped the dresser to his left into the center of the room his soldiers following his example spilled into the room throwing everything they saw into the center of the room while four soldiers stayed out in the hallway guarding each way. Another two only a step into the room rifles drawn and pointed at the center of the room.

Aside from a bed, dresser and various seats three people sat on top of the pile shaking in fear with a bleeding animal. The little group if you could call it that were yelling or screaming at us the whole way. "1 UP!' thus started the chorus of the seven in the room yelling their designated number out to show that all were up and alive.

"Get off of us!" The lady shrieked. Darius paid her no mind prying her eye open looking for any sign of infection before the lady drew an object from under her clothes. Training kicked in, Darius caught her arm forcing it up skywards before her head slammed into Darius face leaving a bleeding mess. He was then pushed towards the guardsmen by the lady's male companion. With the woman's shaking hold out a kitchen knife, and the man's shiv pointed at the soldiers. The calm cool attitude of fluid movement changed to one of aggressive diplomacy.

"Ma'am we are checking you for infection!" The lady started to shake even more. The man drew up to his full height standing with the lady following putting the child behind them. There was still a chance to try and talk to them. Honestly, Robert doubted that as he noticed the absence of safeties being flicked off. The soldiers no longer bothered with that pointless precaution.

"We don't need to be check!" her hand was visibly shaking. A glint peered out. A ring?

"Yes you do honey" Darius shot back nursing back his pride of being pushed aside like a common worker.

"Put the fucking weapons down or I swear on the emperor! I will force you!" private Svien shouted out shoving his rifle towards the group.

"Are you threatening me!"

"I will kill you in 5!"

"I've done nothing wrong-"

"4!"

"-child!"

"3!"

"You peasant filth!"

"2"

"When I tell my hus-"

"1!"

"Band about th-!"

Everyone opened fire killing the lady, man child and animal. Their shots were precise shots into their heads leaving an odd family display of faceless people. "Check their bodies" Darius and Svien went to work.

"No crap? Sir the lady had two bite marks!" Svien yelled before checking the animal. Robert noticed the lady's hand no longer had a shine to it. Svien probably stole the ring. It was pointless to punish him they were all going to die in these grey hallways soon enough if they couldn't link up with other soldiers.

"Man has a bleeding wound right arm... probably nails!"

"The pet is clean!" Svien got up rejoining the semicircle arranged around the bodies.

"Helikia preserve me. Sir the kid is clean"

Robert swore under his breath before looking at his men. They had made this mistake a few times. The biggest reasons were the itchy trigger fingers, but Robert blame the civilians themselves as they would run towards the soldiers without obeying direct orders given to them. "We don't have an option we treat everyone as a threat. We know bites…. Cause this infection and that girl next to those two could've easily caused a problem." Robert trailed off. He realized none of the soldiers actually cared. Instead, there seemed to be an overall feeling of relief as the soldier's realized they were justified. An innocent death wiped clean off their hands. There wouldn't be any judgement on their heads. Darius was the only one who cared. His eyes kept flickering back to the small body that laid on top of the furniture clinging to the crazed mother.

*DAKKA DAKKA* each shot was followed by a harsh metallic clang. There was only one weapon with that distinct sound. "Praise the emperor it's the Drake Lord! We'll see this through!" Private Serjin excitedly said as he nudged another.

"Or it means we're close to the source…. Darius take half cover our ass-" Darius quickly pointed to several troopers and quickly left to reclear areas already cleared and to protect the corridor. "Everyone else on me. There's filth that needs cleansing."

The firing intensified as we ran forward. Darius' soldiers always a ways away. I only knew they were close by the isolated shots of a lasgun. The route I went down were covered in gore covered walls and destroyed bodies. A loud boom caused us to pause as we scanned the walls for a potential breakthrough before we continued in an even faster pace. We were probably only meters away, but the ship was intentionally designed to be a maze to fight against borders. Unfortunately, it also caused my lungs and legs to burn like when I went through Option 5 training.

Finally, we saw the sight. A youth on the floor slowly dying with at least two dozen rag tag soldiers standing around. With that soldier was the Drake Lord. He was on a knee talking to the soldier. My heartbeat pounded in my ears. I only heard the last bit.

"Honor and sacrifice"

"Honor and sacrifice" under my own breath I uttered the words also head bowed to respect not only the youth, but those fresh faced soldiers that no longer stood besides me. The Drake Lord slowly got up if he did anything special for the dead soldier I couldn't see as the backpack blocked my view. After a few seconds, we saw the Iron Guardian turn to us and then stalk down the corridor filled with those dead infected. There was no words said. The soldiers just awkwardly looked at one another and quietly argued who would be the point man. Chances were they would die just like that youth.

"Sir?" I turned to Darius in an after thought still staring at the bloodied body of the youth. I don't know why as not even hours ago I witnessed terrors worse than this.

"Sergeant Darius?"

"This is a cursed mission isn't it?" I looked into Darius' hopeless eyes. Pits of despair clashed greatly with his usual determined eyes that sought the mission no matter the odds. It didn't fit his usual Helikian demeanour of endless energy to finish the mission despite the odds.

"Whether it is or isn't doesn't matter" I quickly remembered the Helikian creed and picked out a quote. "-We will always finish the mission even if I am the lone survivor." I hoped that the sense of duty would restore Darius' crumbling hope. I felt more comfortable in the field than playing a shrink.

"-For in my duty another will find hope" Darius finished. His eyes held a slight spark as the original squad that followed the Drake Lord quickly followed with our own soldiers slowly bringing up the rear. No doubt a deal was struck over taking the other's garrison duties and such. Promises that had no way of insured they would be fulfilled.

"Darius we signed up for something larger than us. Our sacrifice is the oil the burns brightest in these dark days. Keep it together and maybe the Drake Lord will end all this chaos on this planet."

"And if he fails?" another officer would call Darius a heretic but Robert understood it was the battle stress causing Darius to lose it. Perhaps, the child's death did more than Robert assumed.

"Then we fail as Helikians not cowards" Darius nodded a little light returning to his eyes before slapping his rifle.

"Then let's bring the pain." Robert walked away before hearing Darius mutter.

"It doesn't matter they don't feel pain." Robert walked past his soldiers and looked in a few of their eyes. He only saw hardened eyes that flicked from one place to the next completely absorbed in the task on hand. Their survival and their battle buddies. A hand reached down to feel an ammo pouch filled the brim with identification tags. He saw a few soldiers reach for their own tags that ran around their necks. How many more were they going to collect before the ship was cleansed?

We waited days for the final battle

We ate our fill like pigs before the slaughter

I rather enjoyed it to be honest

We were the last to deploy the day of battle

To this day I have no idea how Robert pulled that off

-The Historian

My men were in a catatonic state. The space marine did little to rouse us. Most of the guardsmen did regain steel in their veins after his speech fortunately, but the fire all but left me as I climbed into my thunder hawk ready to go back into the hell hole.

As luck would have it, Captain Klein survived the "raid" on the ship. He once again asked for Raken to head down to the next series of battles we would no doubt face. He continued to harass Alpha company insuring we ate chow last. Uniform inspections at random times. All it caused was those in first battalion viewing Klein as a ruthless dictator. Those from the feudal world now saw Helikians as fellow brothers oppressed by the nobles. I of course didn't try and correct them. I'd be damned if Captain Klein had the last laugh. A few even asked to join our 'tribe' or to be introduced into Helikian ideas. Those fully 'converted' as Darius called it received the sacred sun on their right shoulders.

Hilko even went as far to ignore uniform problems on Alpha as he saw what was going on a waste of time, but he still continued to advocate the elimination of my command posting. The higher ups no doubt saw this as a chance to relax. The officers in the guard saw it as a chance to argue politics, policy and gain influence.

I eventually looked for the day of deployment Raken earlier not finding him until the moment I almost left. He was alone as no one else was staying on the ship aside from the wounded. Raken's right half of his face was still covered in blood from the blow against the bulkhead hours earlier no doubt placed as a last priority for the medicare. A few thugs no doubt Klein's goons had spent nearly half an hour beating my cousin before Darius, Sevien and Soujin had found the goons and Raken's beaten body.

"Ro- Sir" I expected a look of worry or doubt I would return. All over his face was just a blank one thousand yard stare. If I didn't know better the only reason he greeted me was out of some after thought. A distant echo he could barely hold onto and reason with. Nonetheless, I went to reassure Raken placing a hand on his shoulder preventing him from wandering off.

"Raken, We'll be back before you know it" a nod was all I was given before I released him. Both hands were desperately clutching a rag against the wound on his head as he wandered around like one of the undead. I noticed a limp and how he clutched his abdomen hunched over. I swore I knew I should've had Darius with him at all times. This had to be Klein. With that in mind, I swiftly made my way to the hanger not wanting to linger and give Klein the satisfaction.

"El- tee!" Turning, I saw Sergeant Darius walking his way towards me. He wore the standard flak armor minus the helmet as he used his last one to bash a foe's head in earlier. I didn't blame him for not wearing it. Who would want to wear a helmet covered in the gore of an undead. Plus, a helmet just added more problems fighting the undead as in the end they would try to bite the arms and neck for the most part.

"Yes sergeant?"

"We're loading up on Hawk 4 this way" without a need for response Darius turned and walked farther into the hanger with Robert in hot pursuit. It was only then I really noticed the state Darius was in. His boot were a blackish red from the grit mixed with blood soaking into the boots. His skin in some places were wiped clean or the grit scratched away to show how a literal layer of warp knew what had accumulated on his skin. The flak jacket was worn more like an over sized jersey worn by Schola sports teams as a few of the straps were all but sliced apart...or bitten apart.

While the rank and file had time to decontaminate, Alpha had trouble finding time to sleep as Captain Klein had insured we had every duty available. We were cleaning up corpses when the other soldiers had eaten their fill. Another sin I would have avenged.

Robert punched both the front and back of Darius' flak jacket. The front hit solid flak the other side nothing. Darius snorted before I could question him. "Ten pounds less, and I doubt an asshole is going to shoot me in the back." I snorted likewise thinking about Hilko wearing both of his plates on his back.

"You understand your mission?" Darius chuckled as he started to walk to the designated Thunderhawk. Our conversation hiding among the tech priest benedictions and the sounds of war as weapons were loaded.

"Easy, the good captain won't be causing us problems."

"Go for the head he'll probably be wearing two plates also. He never wears his helmet. Klein is old and hates the heat."

"He should've stayed out of the battlefield."

"Then I suppose you're putting him out of his misery, and our future plans."

"For Helikia"

"For The Forever Empire"

With a nod of understanding they walked onto the ramp and into the Thunderhawk. The rest of Alpha hardly noticed the pair over the noise of the preparations. A few were asleep. Barrels resting against the deck and head resting against the butt stock. The lasguns being held steady only by their knees and loosely held grips of the soldiers. The few that were awake were shaking in anxiety too nervous to talk. The Thunderhawk's ramp shut soon after the pair entered and grabbed their seat. Robert closed his eyes as he settled in and fell asleep. The ride was a long one and boring one.

A solid thump awoke Robert as they touched solid ground. The soldiers who slept on their butt stocks awoke to their rifles on the floor and necks sore. They all swiftly left their seats to walk out. Robert didn't even want to bother with regulations anymore. I led the troops to our stationed area. A gathering area near a PDF unit fresh as anything else. If I had a say in the matter I would say they shouldn't be here. They looked like they just finished their first day in training. Their uniforms fresh and crisp. The guard was to be spread out with the PDF units in hopes to encourage a steady wall. Breif introductions were mase before the sounds of artillery wailed out in the sky.

"300 meters away" after the one sided artillery duel and the slow march to close the distance. We created a miniature sun as we fired in archaic volleys. Eventually the tide seemed to roll over our volleys and mortars either having no munitions or we were too far away. In all honesty probably the second as I was sure I stood near the last round fired at it's greatest distance. Free fire was given and at that moment I knew we we're in trouble.

"Chaos giants!" a man hollered down the line. The Chapter Master marched steadfast into the dying horde as we struggled to maintain good footing and go with him. The order rang out to fire at the tide and then the giants but it did little to stop them from decimating our lines and eating my men. But emperor willing we barely made it to the final push. Trained traitors now mingled with the undead horde. The Chapter Master somehow managed to make a bulge in the enemy's lines but the guardsmen we're slowly losing ground and the horde threatened to cut off the Chapter Master off from the main battle lines.

"Sir! The horde is separating us from the Drake Lord!" I barely understood the words over the cry of battle. I did notice that the tall gray warrior had waded through the horde as if it was water. It caused the few soldiers that stayed with him to be utterly separated from the rest of us. The worst part from the tactical point of view was the horde was creating even more pressure around the focal point that the Chapter Master had created.

The Astarte would never fall, but if he were to disappear underneath the horde all hope would be lost without a visible icon to lead them.

I looked around me as guardsmen trembled and stood steadfastly as death held no hold on them already wishing to join their friends. "Charge!"

Darius blasted zombies apart with lethal accuracy. I parried a biting head before pummeling the poor bastard with the butt stock of my rifle. The rifle was knocked out of my hands as I was tackled by a guardsman and saw a red flash go where I was standing. quickly scrambling up I saw my Savior with a trench tool in hand upper cut the shovel head up lodging the shovel in the traitor's head. Rifle out of hand and mounds of bodies surrounding me I pulled a rusted blade out of a zombie out of the body of a traitor.

Not a moment too soon. My squad barely finished the zombie wave as another came mixed with even more traitors in their midst. I used my blade to slice into the fleshy part of a traitor's calf. As it took a knee unable to support his weight. I back handed it throwing it hard to the ground and stabbed it's that resulting in a satisfying gurgling noise.

Pulling my blade back I barely managed to swing my blade to cut off a rotten arm as the zombie tried to grab me.. I wasn't the only one suddenly shocked by the appearance of a zombie. All around soldiers I never saw before fought for their lives wielding all manner of weapons. The most common steel toed boots and fists.

"Kill!" another traitor tackled me in an ever repeating cycle. This time I stood my ground. Being slightly taller, I pushed back against the shorter soldier. The foe realized we were stuck unable to take me down. His face blood red with exertion. In desperation he bit down on my flak jacket where the strap covered my right shoulder. I tried to wrestle my right arm out of his bear hug as both of my arms were pinned.

With a roar as I felt his teeth break the strap I bit my cheek before head butting the helmet-less traitor. People always think a head butt causes the other to stagger back. What the truth was in my case was he hugged me tighter as I bashed my helmet against his face twice before he released me.

He didn't step five steps back like in the movies holding a bleeding face. Instead he was a foot away holding his head as if he had a headache. Without thinking, I dropped my knife and ripped my helmet off. Holding the straps, I swung the helmet like a mace into his chin causing his head to snap straight up. I shoved him to the ground and continued to smash his face in…. Her face. I realized as noticed her hair was in a bun and her pleads for the pain to stop. I had no remorse this bitch tried to kill me and asked for mercy? I was death incarnate and I demanded her soul. Two more hits her face was just jagged bone sticking out and blood creating a lake within that depression that was once a head.

All around me soldiers fought in a loose battle. The sides mixed together as a desperate melee continued. That's what I thought until I saw the piles of dead behind us that were a wall and the flood that ran over the piles. The only ones intelligent enough to notice us were traitor guardsmen as the infected ran towards the battles only beacon of hope.

I saw those to my right rally with an armory of an odd assortment of melee weapons. Trench tools and survival knives dominated the majority but Robert saw one soldier using a helmet to bash in skulls with lethal efficiency. Robert scanned the battlefield to see another wave coming but it was soon killed as the Drake Lord absent minded destroyed them on his warpath to the center of the horde. Robert watched emotionless as dozens fell. It took a guardsman seconds to kill one with a lasgun. It took the Astarte seconds to destroy dozens. Robert noticed a few more hostiles emerge and charge the soldiers.

Six zombies and two traitors. "Helikian!" Robert saw two helmeted guardsmen free from the desperate melee to the right point at the wave with a trench tool. the other tightly gripped a club or what roughly resembled a club. Bits of flesh clung to the odd metal shape as he started to run towards the horde with the other guardsman.

Robert ran out of any ranged weapons so cold steel was all he had as he ran towards the wave with the blade shoved in front of him to act like an improv spear. The first guardsman impacted with a traitor rolling to the ground before losing his grip on his weapon and resulting in a desperate brawl of survival. The other guardsman slammed his shovel into a zombie's head making the damn head explode before head butting a zombie leaving a dent in the zombies face before he was tackled by the remaining traitor.

Robert speared his first zombies before kicking another in the gut and leveling one to his right with a sucker punch. Grasping his combat knife on his waist a zombie bite that hand before Robert jammed his armored fist down it's throat and using his knife to stab the zombie in the face four times. The other guardsmen seemed to be alive since nothing else tried to bite Robert. Throwing the now dead undead to the ground Robert slammed his head into his next for that stumbled towards him missing a foot. Robert stumbled back from the pain it brought his head before the guardsmen with a shovel used it like an as to cleave the frontal lobe off of the zombie ending the threat. Robert saw the survivors all around him panting for air in their restrictive gas masks.

The right flank must've finished off their attackers and joined him as he fought with the zombie biting his arm. Robert scanned the sparse group and counted seven. Robert collapsed to the group the ache of battle finally ending his energy. His men followed suit as no zombies seemed to appear. Robert didn't realize it but they collapsed not even 20 feet away from the Chapter Master who stood victorious over a grotesque scene that made Robert glad he only had to guard the Chapter Master's rear.

The majority of PDF forces cheered glad they saved their home. The guardsmen stayed quiet recounting their dead. Sharing tales of the fallen. Until, one of the privates said. "I better be getting laid after this" everyone chuckled before spouting off their own jokes. No one wanted to talk about the piles of dead friends.

"SIR SIR!" I recognized Private Serjin as he ran towards me. His uniform was blood red everywhere. I didn't even want to know as it looked like he swam in the blood of his enemies. I should recommend him for a promotion. That was until I noticed he ran oddly a mix of walking, running, jogging, sprinting and a very healthy does of stumbling and falling from muscle exhaustion. Freaking weirdo.

"Private" a 'sharp' salute rendered which was more of a hand slightly raised. While private Serjin caught his breath Robert started at the sky. It was pretty damn blue not like home. " Sir, Captain Klein has been shot"

"No shit" I muttered glad Darius had done his job.

"Sir Darius is being questioned" that wasn't the plan, I ran a hand over my hair. My helmet lost somewhere in the battle. Probably when I skulled that one guy.

"What?"

A lasblast was seen and Darius might get court martialed." Robert knew the only punishment worthy for an attempt on an officer's life.

"Everyone on your feet! We're going to fix this" the soldiers got on their feet slowly as they walked to the center of the Tarth formations. It was easy to tell as Thunderhawks were relatively close by carrying off the wounded and dropping off medical supplies and a warm meal. It was easy to tell at the size of the food being off loaded a naval officer did it without permission as it lacked the large quantity they had received before the battle. It was also heart wrenching realizing that the four containers full of food was probably more than enough for the battered Tarthian guard.

At the center was the officers. They were easily identified by their black carapace armor instead of the subdued green of the flak jackets issued to the enlisted boys. Robert also saw Darius on his knees with cuffs on his wrists and a pistol aimed at his head.

"What's going on here!" Private Sage yelled out over Robert's shoulder.

"Lieutenant Moonsun! Your soldier here is suspected of fragging an officer!" the officer who yelled it was one of Robert's Helikian soldiers. He wore a one hundred patch proudly on his shoulder. His name was Corr one of the better Helikians Robert had.

"Why would he do that?" the Helikian officer motioned to one of his soldiers. "Private Petrov saw a lasblast hit Captain Klein before he went down, and we came to assist." well crap, Robert couldn't say it held no legs as there was an eye witness. While the Helikians widely respected Robert with Tarth witnesses and a few Tarth officers demanding blood. Anyone was fair game. The eye witness wore a scarf obscuring his face no doubt to block out the disgusting smell. I was half tempted to do the same but I was covered in blood and didn't want to risk becoming one of those things. Darius stubbornly started at the ground before eking out.

"I got detached from my unit. I ran out of ammo when the chaos giant ate that guy. I rounded the corner and saw a lasblast also but it was from farther back near the PDF…"

"That's convenient where's the unit you followed?" a Tarth officer asked sarcasm at its purest form.

"I don't know. I lost them after the Chapter Master charged into enemy lines. I couldn't keep up without ammo" Darius stressed out.

"Look Darius, I respect you but you need to start giving us facts or we're going to kill you" Lieutenant Shinn spoke up. His voice was void of emotion. Shinn was also Helikian and didn't like the idea of killing a fellow. There were few of them already.

"Hold up, we can't kill him without a trial! Article four covers that!" Robert voiced out.

"We aren't in the Helikian forces anymore. They don't apply Robert" Shinn quietly spelled out. There was no way Darius was getting out of this one without some creating a false story and a good one at that.

"Wait! How do you know it was him if you didn't keep him under guard during the battle?"

"We know Private Sage because Private Tarkov gave us a full report and detailed Sergeant Darius."

"Then where's Private Tarkov? Sir?"

Helikian Characters

2nd Lieutenant Robert Moonsun 1st Battalion CO of Alpha Company "The Walking Dead"-Leader of the Helikians or those trained by them. He is well known and respected by all due to his heroic charge into the heart of the chaos horde in the last battle of the plague wars.

1st Lieutenant Shinn- 1st Battalion CO of Delta Company "Fire Troops"- A well liked officer by all the spokesperson for the guard in civilian affairs. He is a tall lanky soldier with an obsession with fire.

1st Lieutenant Hilko -CO Charlie Company "Hilko's Men"- A well liked officer who was formerly a noble who is on bad terms with Robert, but they are willing to work with one another time to time. Tarth natives like this officer and is often found as a PR representative for the guard.

2nd Lieutenant Fell -1st Battalion CO of Foxtrot Company "The Reapers"- a short officer known for being blunt but well liked by the NCO corps. He is known for single handedly holding the right flank during the final charge.

2nd Lieutenant Corr -1st Battalion CO of Theta Company "Dread Guard- A Toujin officer known for his controversial stance on Helikian reinforcements. Known for guarding Captain Klein's injured body despite horrendous casualties.

Staff Sergeant Darius -1st Battalion NCO in Alpha Company- known as being Robert's unofficial XO of Alpha Company. He is also known for being a sadist by his trainees.

Recruit Raken Moonsun- Robert's younger cousin and relatively close to Aragon. He is known as a drawer and for his demotion. Despite this, he is well liked in 1st Battalion. He is currently in the process of being kicked out of the guard under Article 1 Chapter 1.

Tarth Officers

Captain Klein 1st Battalion "The Warriors" CO- The commander of 1st Battalion who was shot twice in his back and receiving a blow to his head after threatening to send Raken planet side unexpectedly. It is unknown whether it was foul play or just a bad day. What is known is Klein and Robert have a rocky relationship despite having a good relationship before the plague wars.

A/N

I just got a tutor to help my grammar, and I've been strolling around YouTube to find videos to help with the story telling aspects of writing. I wanted to get this chapter more fleshed out but decided against it as I feel like by reading both this FF and Austan's A Special Founding you get the basic idea and would prefer if I just moved on to the unwritten bits that Austan's FF hasn't mentioned or gone in depth with. I have a 10K chapter already written and will be posted soon after I make sure there's no conflict with the story so far.

On other news what would you like to see more of. The huge battles, small unit fighting or the admin aspect. I just want to get an idea what to focus on and what not to bore you all with. See you later.

-SITH