Entry 3
Hard Contact
*The two regiments of Freeport began the campaign alone, though others would soon follow. However, as we were the closet, and the regiment that technically had first contact with the encroaching Tau, we were the first thrust into the fray. Loaded intro transports, the 1st and 2nd Freeport, escorted by a detachment from Battle Fleet Ultramar (yes, the 500 Worlds have a battle fleet, did you really think it was just the Ultramarines?), we made our way to the Agementa system.
Our destination: the Civilized or Developing World of Cruan; a temperate world that refused to submit to Tau rule. It had become the center for resistance and refugees in the system, with any Guard units able to escape their traitorous comrades joining forces there. It had also come under siege, with those ex-Guard regiments becoming Gue'vesa Auxiliaries and attacking their former brethren, eager to please their new Tau masters. Aided by Tau Pathfinders, Fire Warriors, and Battlesuits, the Auxiliaries landed and pushed the Agementa Regulars back to their cities, besieging them while the Tau established themselves in the system. It fell to us to break the Regulars out and to put the Tau on the back foot.
After the Imperial Navy cleared the way for the transports, we arrived in low orbit over Cruan, holding position alongside twenty-six other Imperial vessels that remained unidentified to us lowly Guardsmen. Time was of the essence, so the decision was made that 4th Battalion, 1st Freeport Fusiliers, would lead the way onto Cruan. What that entailed, well, let's find out now, shall we?*
Entry 3A
Y.999.M41.
Agementa System
Lunar Class Cruiser Undying Imperialis
Low orbit over Cruan
1st Company, Auditorium 1-1…
"Comp'nay, atteeeeen-SHUN!" Bellowed the voice of the company first sergeant. Six-hundred and twenty-four pairs of feet were planted on the deck and snapped to attention as our company commander, Captain Ferdinand Alverez, stepped up on a pair of ammo crates before a mess of maps and pictures.
"Let the trade go!" Ferdinand called, the first half of our company motto.
"And the money flow!" We belted back, an old Freeport tradesmen's saying, kept alive by the survivors of the doomed planet.
"At ease!" The captain called, and we all returned to whatever seating, leaning, or standing we could find. I sat atop a disused water barrel, notepad and pencil in hand, with my team on either side of me. "As you all have heard, the 4th Battalion has been selected to make the first retaliatory strike upon the Tau! The battalion's mission is to disrupt the Tau's communications, logistics, and chain of command around the city of Ard Allie by seizing their command post." He gestured behind him to a picture of an old manufactorum with defenses scattered around the edges.
"This is Barr Maol; an abandoned water purification plant situated atop a plateau. The Tau and their traitor Auxiliaries have made this their command post for the siege on Ard Allie. The battalion has been tasked with seizing this command post. First Company has subsequently been charged with leading the assault on the plant."
"Because of course we have," I heard Eddie mutter to my right, squatting on a water jug.
"Wouldn't make sense if it was 4th Company," Hob countered, sitting cross-legged on the ground, the big man's head peering over those sitting in front of him.
"Hush and listen," came the irritated voice of Sarge behind us all.
"We will depart from the Undying Imperialis via Valkyrie and conduct a combat drop at five hundred feet. First Company will land on the battalion's western flank and rendezvous at the Sruth River at this small bay." Captain Ferdinand indicated a small bay on the eastern side of the river, marked by a trio of rocks sticking up in the center. "From there, we will move towards Barr Maol, breaking through whatever limited defenses the traitors have in place, and arrive at the Battalion Rally Point, situated here," he indicated a position on the map denoted by a set of latitude/longitude coordinate, which I wrote down. My note pad was filled with notes and potential questions for when the captain was finished.
"From here, Second and Third Companies shall provide a base of supporting fire for us to assault the plant from the south, with Fourth and Fifth Companies hooking around to the east and north, and assaulting from there, with Sixth Company in reserve. We will plow through these traitors and Xenos, seize the command post, and await further orders. Questions?"
"How old is this information, sir?" Came the voice of the Redeye.
"A week old; pictures were taken by a garrison Marauder bomber. Increased Tau activity has prevented any further aerial or ground reconnaissance." The captain answered.
"And week-old intel is precisely what we need to be going on," Geo commented quietly, sucking her teeth in disgust.
"What can we expect from the enemy forces, sir?" I called out, raising a hand.
"We are expecting a minimal Tau presence, with only a few Fire Warriors to direct the traitors. As for their new Auxiliaries, they are the bulk of what we will face, armed with the weapons supplied to them by the Munitorum."
"Nothing like being shot at with your own ordinance," Irv said, scratching his jawline as he spoke.
"Are we the only Imperial forces in the area, sir?" Another voice asked.
"It is 4th Battalion alone; a detachment of the Cruan Regulars were in the area previously, but local forces have lost contact with them. They are expected to have been wiped out by Tau Pathfinders."
I didn't like this op one bit; operating on old information, going in solo, with nothing in the way of support or distraction? This was a recipe for disaster that some big wig at Campaign Command whipped up for cool points. A bevy of other questions followed, but I had zoned out, instead looking over the boards, maps, and picts before me, memorizing what I saw. I might be a private in the Imperial Guard, but the second lieutenant in the National Guard back in my world wanted every advantage he could get. Damn rank; I was going to know our side of the op inside and out before I stepped off.
Alarm klaxons began to blare, causing us to jump in surprise.
"4th Battalion, report to your Valkyries; departure time has been moved forward to 1600 hours local." A voice said over the intercom. I checked my watch; an analog time piece I'd scavenged from Grunnur. Through the cracked glass, the time read 1545 hours local.
"Fifteen minutes?! What the hell?" I whispered.
"To your posts, Guardsmen; the Emperor Protects!" Captain Ferdinand called over the sudden din of noise.
"The Emperor Protects!" We answered and flooded from the room. Nearly four thousand Guardsmen swarmed to armories and arms rooms, retrieving lasguns, stubbers, flamers, grenades, melta charges, parafoils *(Parafoil: The 40K variant of the parachute; not everyone has access to the fabled grav-chute like the Elysians or the Warhawks. And no, not every Valkyrie has them; in fact most don't) * , and flak armor, before proceeding to the drop bay. Looking out, I saw blips in the distant stars, and I realized that the Tau had sent reinforcements, threatening to block our assault.
The thought of being caught in the void urged me forward to my assigned Valkyrie; the Imperial Sister. On the port and starboard sides was the image of a Sister of Battle, clad in, well, form fitting armor; only dressed in armor after a thorough ass-chewing from Sergeant Volker and what felt like a day's worth of push-ups. *(And not a day goes by where I wouldn't do it again!)* I gave the silver-haired Sister a pat on the head and went to board the Valkyrie.
"Russ!" Called the voice of Sarge behind me. I turned, my squad leader moving quickly toward me with a small box in his right hand. "Corporal Shay has been promoted to sergeant."
"Would you like me to give this to him?" I asked, taking the box from Sarge's hands.
"No; I'd like you to open the box," Sarge answered. I did so, finding a duo of twin-striped insignias nestled inside. "Now, I'd like you to pin those on, Corporal Russman."
"Uhh…will do Sarge!" I answered, confused and excited at the same time. Not knowing what else to say, I exclaimed "See you on the ground!" and ducked inside the Valkyrie.
"What was he on about?" Eddie asked opposite me. I pulled the corporal ranks from the box, "Buuuuuuuulllshit!"
"Wha?" Came Hob's question from the end of the troop bay.
"Russ got promoted!"
"'Bout time," Hob replied, going back to fidgeting with his restraints.
"What do you mean about time?"
"He acts like he's in charge half the damn time, so it fits," answered Si. I glanced at the ex-ganger, who winked at me in reply.
"Did you think you were getting it next?" Vic asked as he adjusted his helmet's face plate.
"Well no, but-"
"So why are you complaining?"
Eddie spluttered as the now Sergeant Shay clambered on board, a set of sergeant's stripes pinned to his uniform. He glanced at me as he passed and nodded.
"Congrats," he said, his tone low.
"Same to you…sarge," I answered, earning an irritated look from Shay. He slunk into his seat opposite me, a look of anxiety across his face. Eddie didn't see that; all he saw were the stripes.
"Oh now look at this!" He declared and pointed at Shay. We all laughed at Eddie's whining as the doors closed and the Imperial Sister's engines began to growl.
"Stand by for takeoff,"came the voice of Billy Godfrey, our pilot. I ensured my restraints were firmly emplaced as the growl of the engines grew louder.
"Let the trade go!" Shay called as the growl turned to a roar.
"And the money flow!" We replied.
"Brace for descent in three…two…one, brace," Billy said calmly, the Imperial Sister lurching forward into low atmosphere. My ears popped at the sudden change in pressure and my body was pressed against my restraints as the Valkyrie dove towards the drop zone. The engines now howled through the skies of Cruan, alongside nearly three hundred other Valkyries, all laden with Guardsmen. For a minute, it felt almost surreal; soaring through the air uninhibited, with nothing but the engines and roaring wind to fill our ears. But, as with all things, it didn't last.
"Brace for evasive maneuvers,"Billy said calmly, taking a sharp turn. We lurched against our restraints as something hurtled past us, an explosion emanating from behind the Valkyrie. Outside, I heard the tell-tale sound of anti-air fire, just as I had awakening on Freeport. This time, however, it was aimed at me; a surreal feeling for someone who was Air Defense back in my own world.
"So, this is how it feels!" I said aloud as we dodged the AA.
"What?" Shay called.
"So this is what the real thing feels like!" I answered, louder.
"It fucking sucks!" Eddie screamed, gripping his restraints for dear life. Down the way, Hob held onto his stubber, his eyes glued to the floor. Si's eyes were closed, head bowed, while I heard Vic praying something. Penny and Geo were taking deep breaths to calm themselves, while Irv tapped his foot on the floor. Corporals Mal, Julie, and Douglas all looked sick at the end of the Valkyrie, and felt more eager than anyone to get out of the aircraft.
"Taking a dive; twenty seconds to drop zone," Billy reported, taking a brief, sharp nose dive before moving into a smoother, though no less perilous angle. Red light filled the bay, indicating the time to jump was nigh. I released my restraints, as did Shay, retrieved my lasgun, went to the door, hit the button next to it, unlocking the door, and waited. The Imperial Sister leveled out.
"Ten seconds to drop zone." Orange light filled the bay; I grabbed the door handle with both hands and ripped it open. The howl of rushing wind filled the bay from both sides, followed by the sounds of flak and explosions. I clipped my rifle to my armor so I wouldn't lose it during the jump and grabbed the door frame with both hands, taking a lunging stance.
"Five seconds; four…three…two…one, Go-Go-Go!" The green light flicked on; I took a deep breath, leaned back, and threw myself from the Imperial Sister. The roar of the engines were swallowed by the wind and ongoing ground-to-air battle and I free-fell through the air.
In my world, my father was an infantryman, qualified to be a paratrooper in both airborne and air assault operations. As I free-fell through the sky, I remembered his words about the difference between the two: Airborne drops take the longest; it's out the door and three-two-one, open the chute. In air assault, it goes six, five, four, shit, shit, shit, shit, chute!" In training, I hadn't known the difference, but as tracer rounds surged around me, those six seconds spanned into eternity. I put a hand to my parafoil's harness, found the primary handle, and pulled hard.
FWOMP! Was the sound I would've liked to have heard. Instead, I heard nothing.
"Are you KIDDING?!" I roared to the wind, found my secondary handle and ripped it across my chest. FWOMP! Went the secondary parafoil, yanking me upwards in the air, my harness digging into my skin. It was then I realized I'd been a bit…overzealous with where the crotch harness straps had gone, and I about passed out from the pain. My vision swam a bit before I regained control of myself.
I looked downwards, searching for a place to land, finding a small clearing that looked halfway decent. I pulled on the parafoil's handles and guided myself toward it, tucking my legs into my chest as I closed the distance. The ground raced to meet me, and I braced myself for the impact. I landed; rolling with the impact, my legs and side protesting in pain as they met the earth of Cruan, but I ignored it. I hit the release on my chute and harness, unclipped my lasgun, and made ready for whatever the hell was next. A shadow passed over me, causing me to look up.
"Russ, shit!" Hissed a deep voice, followed by a crash of human body and parafoil meeting wood and leaves. Hob had made planetfall and was getting quite familiar with the local plant life.
"You alright?" I asked, quickly clambering up the tree had gotten stuck in to help him.
"Minimal resistance, huh? Must've gotten their intel from the Uplifting Primer," Hob chuckled, causing me to laugh as well. We got him disentangled, detaching him from harness and parafoil, and he landed on his feet. Big man was ready to go.
"You know where we're at?" He asked, checking his stubber.
"No clue, I just went for the clearest patch of land," I answered. As we spoke, we heard a rustle in the trees.
"Blueblood," whispered a voice.
"Redeye," we replied, and Eddie emerged from the tree line; shaken, but alive.
"You alright?" I asked him as he approached. Eddie shrugged.
"Fucking mental, man," he said, gesturing around us.
"Nothing we haven't trained for; come on, let's get going," I patted the ex-conman on the shoulder; he was scared, and if he didn't get ahold of himself, or if someone didn't guide him, Eddie would break. Not on my watch.
"But where-" Eddie began
"Anywhere but here, come on," I pulled out my compass, turned until I faced north, and started walking. We didn't even make it fifty meters.
"Stop," Hob said, kneeling behind a tree. Eddie and I crouched down and listened as someone or something trampled through the woods. Up ahead, I saw a glint of dull yellow.
"I saw three go down this a-way!" One of them said. Through the trees, I saw five Tau Gue'vesa Auxiliaries moving towards us in a wedge. Traitors. They hadn't spotted us yet, which gave us time. I glanced to my right; Hob had planted his stubber on the tree, to my left, Eddie looked to me for guidance.
"Hob, hit them!" I hissed. Hob chuckled and racked the slide on his stubber.
CHUNK-CHUNK
"Wha' was tha'?" One of the traitors said, causing them all to stop. Hob's stubber roared; the stubber rounds finding their mark in two of the five traitors.
"Open fire!" I called to Eddie, shouldered my lasgun, and pulled the trigger. Red light hurtled through the air, finding its mark in the chest of the rearmost Auxiliary, punching through their flak armor, penetrating their flesh, and coming out the other side. He fell as Eddie stood and put a bolt clean through the fourth traitor. "There he is!" I called, encouraging him as Hob's stubber felled the fifth. "Cease fire!"
"Easy pickin's," Hob drawled.
"Emperor's teeth," Eddie breathed, "they've got patrols out hunting for us."
"Which is why we need to keep moving and find our friends; first, let's see what they've got," I moved to the five traitors, all dead, and searched them. Four of them were armed with lasguns, while the fifth clutched a stubber. We stripped the traitors, coming away with their ammo, four frag grenades, two krak grenades, and two disks that we knew to be Tau flashbangs. A smattering of gunfire further ahead caught our attention; comns silence had been ordered across the platoon, but it appeared that order had gone out the window.
"This is Second Lieutenant Apelles to 1st Platoon, the mission has changed; all squads are to locate the Sruth River and cross it. Squad leaders, report in upon success; further orders to follow, out!"
"Russ," Hod said, "what do we do?" The gunfire ahead was mixed with a sudden scream.
"Help whoever that is, then make for the river, go!" I pushed forward, moving before Eddie could protest. The pair followed me, Hob's heavy footfalls and clanking stubber rounds marking his movement, while Eddie seemed to move quietly, so much so I had to look behind me to make sure he was still there.
We came upon the skirmish; a quo of Guardsmen holding out against a squad of Auxiliaries, led by a Tau Pathfinder. The Auxiliaries formed a half-circle around the Guardsmen, hunkered down behind a small rise in the earth, steadily wearing them down through fire, all directed by the Pathfinder.
I didn't waste any time, grabbing a looted frag grenade, pulling the pin, and counted down. "One, two," and I threw, aimed straight at the Pathfinder. It landed a few feet from him, bouncing off a tree root before coming to rest. He saw the grenade and, too late, attempted to get away, before disappearing a sudden puff of dirt, bark, and fragmentation.
Hob planted his stubber on a fallen log and got to work, sawing the weapon across the Auxiliaries' positions, catching two in the first go around. Eddie went to my left, slamming into a tree, bracing his lasgun, and laying down fire on the traitors. The sudden appearance of new hostiles and loss of their leader caused the traitors to succumb to confusion; a confusion we exploited.
With the volume of fire directed at them reduced, the four Guardsmen emerged from cover and returned fire, laying into the traitors with withering las fire. Two Auxiliaries went down, followed by a third from Eddie, a fourth from the last round in Hob's stubber, and a fifth to me. There was an odd quiet for a moment, only broken by distant gunfire.
"Clear!" I called, standing from cover.
"Clear!" Called one of the other Guardsmen. I got a better look at the four we had rescued, and I realized I didn't know them.
"Corporal Russman, 1st Company," I greeted.
"Corporal Teague, 3rd Company," the apparent leader of the four introduced.
"The hell's 3rd Company doing over here?" Eddie asked.
"Emperor knows, our comns have gone crazy since landing," Teague answered. Teague was taller than me by half a head, broader than me, but seemed my equal in age, around the mid-twenties.
"Where's your rally point?" I asked.
"Further inland; we've lost half of the team trying to get there, including our sergeant," Teague replied.
"Come with us; 1st is headed west to the river," I suggested.
"Seems better than sloggin' inland," one of Teague's comrades agreed.
"Seven is better than four; we'll come with," Teague said, "lead on." I nodded, found west on the compass, and led the way.
A glance up revealed the Undying Imperialis locked in combat with harassing Tau Barracuda fighter craft and Manta Missile Destroyers. As I watched, I was struck by the revelation that Imperial intelligence had seriously dropped the ball on this one. Said revelation came in the form of three massive discharges somewhere to the northeast, followed by three streaks making impact on the Lunar-class cruiser's Void shields. The ground and air seemed to shake beneath and around us, like a massive drum line had just erupted.
"Emperor's teeth," Eddie said aloud, gaping at the shimmering shield of the cruiser.
"This is Captain Keenan of the Undying Imperialis; all Valkyries RTB (return to base); Tau forces are threatening to overwhelm us! I say again, all Imperial aircraft return to the Imperialis!" Crackled the voice of the cruiser's commander in our vox beads.
"Does that mean-" one of Teague's comrades began to say.
"We were on our own from the beginning; come on, let's keep moving," I said, pushing forward. They followed as we made our way to the Sruth River, the sounds of combat beginning to intensify as we neared.
"Do you think that-" one of Teague's comrades began. He was cut off by the sound of a pulse weapon, followed by a hole opening up in his chest,
"Contact!" Teague called. A Fire Warrior opened fire on us, his rifle downing another of the 3rd Company Guardsmen as two of his comrades directed a cluster of Auxiliaries.
"Concentrate your fire! Glory to Tau!" One of them bellowed.
"Shoot the mouthy bastard!" I called. Eddie ducked under a low-hanging tree bough and opened fire, an Auxiliary falling with two holes in his torso. I raised my lasgun, getting off four shots before I heard the tell-tale click! of an empty power pack. Ducking down, I swapped the empty one for a fresh one, taking care to keep the empty pack so I could charge it later. A pulse blast shattered the side of the tree I hid behind, showering me with bark and wood splinters.
Turning back, I leveled my rifle towards the nearest Fire Warrior, only to be beaten to the punch by Si. The ex-ganger had materialized from nowhere, a bayonet in his right hand and a laspistol in his other one. He fought like he had in the hive cities of Freeport; sneaking up to his enemy before stabbing them in the back. The bayonet plunged down into the space between the Fire Warrior's neck and shoulder, the laspistol aimed and fired into the back of an Auxiliary. As blood spurted from the Fire Warrior, Si slipped into the brush, Irv and Vic appearing and firing into the backs of the traitors.
Then, from the east, we heard something howl; Patricia Hillebrand, 4th Battalion's own Commissar, emerged from the brush, chainsword roaring, bolt pistol held aloft.
"Forward! Burn their Greater Good in the Emperor's holy light!" She bellowed, leveling her pistol and firing. A baseball sized hole opened in one of the Fire Warriors, one of the Auxiliaries turning to face her with a bayoneted autogun. He stabbed forward and the Commissar batted the lung aside with her chainsword, thrusting her pistol into his chest and firing again. The traitor flew backwards, his comrades stunned by sudden and violent appearance of the Commissar.
Commissar Hillebrand was unlike most Commissars; she understood when a tactical retreat was needed, where to judiciously apply her bolt pistol in panicking Guardsmen, and when a decision was made for the benefit of the mission. However, she was a Commissar; when a Commissar says "Forward" you move the fuck forward. Knowing this, I quickly drew my bayonet, locked it into place on my lasgun, and pushed out into the open.
"Come on!" I called to my team, narrowly dodging a las beam. I returned fire, inaccurate as it may be, but return fire nonetheless. The traitors ducked as I advanced, Hob briefly keeping them down with his stubber before lumbering after me. Eddie appeared on their flank, got in close, and rammed his bayonet into the ribs of a traitor. He tried to rip it out, but the blade caught on one of the ribs, causing the traitor to scream.
"Twist, Guardsman, twist!" Hillebrand barked, and Eddie did so. The blade slid from betwixt the traitor's ribs, and Eddie finished them with a las round to the head. "Well done; keep it coming!" We swept through the remnants of the squad; the final traitor carved from shoulder to hip by the Commissar's chainsword. "Well done, Guardsmen! What company is this?"
"Mix of 1st and 3rd ma'am; we're moving for the Sruth River now," I answered.
"To what end, Corporal?"
"The Redeye has ordered us across, no idea why."
"The Redeye has a sound head atop his shoulders, I trust his decision. Follow me," Hillebrand said, loading a fresh magazine into her bolt pistol and moving west. We trailed behind her.
"Safe landing, lads?" Vic asked as he came alongside Eddie, Hob, and I.
"Safe as can be," I said.
"At least you two landed together," Eddie grumbled, his usual complaining returning, which was a good sign…in this case.
"At least you didn't land in a bleedin' tree," Hob retorted.
"My Valkyrie blew up behind me," Teague said, coming up to us.
"Oi, first of all it ain't a contest, and second, he said landing," Eddie snipped. Teague grinned.
"Sounds like a competition to me," he replied.
"If you have time to speak, you have time to run, double time!" The Commissar called and doubled her pace. We nine Guardsmen matched her pace, our eyes scanning the foliage around us. It was a short movement, and we came to the Sruth River.
*I still remember the first days on Cruan with near perfect clarity. The drop, the first blood, all of it; the memories of the ill-fated air-assault and the Fusiliers who died still live with me. As I live and breathe, as long as the Emperor wills me to fight in this grimdark universe, I will do everything in my power to ensure disasters like Cruan never happen again. Oh wait, I haven't finished the disaster, have I?*
The Sruth River was the heart of a warzone. All along the east side of the river, Tau, Gue'vesa, and Imperial Guardsmen brawled in storm of explosions, blue pulses, red lasers, and stubber rounds. Across from us on the west side, what elements of the 4th Battalion had crossed laid down a steady hail of supporting and suppressive fire, doing their best to cover those trying to cross the river. In the center of it all, on a small, rocky island that defied the river's current and marked the crossing, stood the Redeye, SFC Volker, and a pair of Vox casters, into which he was barking orders. Next to him, directing the fire, was Sarge.
"Across the river, Guardsmen!" Hillebrand bellowed, and we surged forward. A traitor Auxiliary appeared from behind a rock, a flamer leveled, but he was met with the Commissar's bolt pistol before he could do anything about it. We surged into the current, splashing into the water as a stubber opened fire on us.
"Grenadier, target 3 o'clock, sixty meters, fire!" Came the crack of Volker's voice. A Guardsman wielding a Voss-pattern grenade launcher appeared from cover, leveled the inaccurate weapon at the stubber's position and unleashed two grenades FWOOMPFWOOMP! The first grenade went wide, the second landed smack-dab on it, detonating the weapon's ammo and sending the gunners pin-wheeling through the air.
"Go-go-go!" I cried, turning and ushering the rest of my group forward. Eddie was first, followed by Hob, Si, Irv, Vic, Teague, and his remaining two comrades. I pivoted on my left foot, angling towards the small island, when something went off next to me. I was briefly lifted from the river, thrown sideways, spun twice, and plunged into the Sruth. The water whirled around me as I struggled to right myself, dazed by the blast and with no air in my lungs, I floundered in the current. Darkness blurred the edges of my vision as a hand grasped the back of my flak armor and ripped from the water.
"-right lad?" Came the voice of Sarge. I gasped for air, my lasgun banging against my thigh and side, the strap of the rifle keeping it on my body. "You're alright, breathe lad!" Sarge barked, hauling me backwards. We ducked down as an autogun sprayed the river, giving me a moment to twist and get my footing. "There he is, cross-cross-cross!" He urged me forward and I stumble-ran forward, my boots finding purchase in the pebble-strewn island. I slammed myself down next to one of the vox casters, panting and spluttering, trying to catch my breath.
"Nice to see you made it, Russman!" Volker bellowed over the gunfire, "Stubber, adjust fire left, two Fire Warriors!" The stubber gunner, someone from 4th Company of all places, turned and sprayed his weapon.
"Who all have you found?" Sarge asked, kneeling down next to me.
"Vic, Eddie, Hob, Si, and Irv, Sarge!" I replied, getting to a knee and peering out from behind the rocks. Across the river, more and more Tau appeared as Guardsmen streamed through the crossing…and then I saw him.
What I assumed was a Tau officer moved amongst his troops, directing the battle. His armor was smoke gray, with two pairs of three white claw marks crisscrossing his chest piece, and he wore a visored version of the standard Tau Fire Warrior helmet with a wide brim. The officer moved through the battle with practiced ease, as if he was at home fighting us. I raised my rifle at him, ready to fire, when something emerged from the trees; a XV8 Battlesuit, its burst cannon leveling towards us.
"Move-move-move!" The Redeye screamed, and we hurtled from the island, the pulse weapon shredding the stones we had hidden behind. One of the vox casters was too slow and was shredded by the cannon, sending super-heated gore everywhere. The splashing of the Sruth wiped any of the gore off me as we made for the other side of the river through the storm of weapons fire. From the west side, a heavy weapons team had reassembled and were directed at the Battlesuit; the Freeport's own High-Velocity Anti-Armor Rocket-Propelled Grenade Launcher Pattern 32, (HVAA, RPG-32, or the ole' 3-2/32).
For the record, one of these things can seriously mcfuck the side armor of a Leman Russ, which the XV8's armor is just below in comparison; more akin to Astartes Power Armor. Now imagine what happens when two anti-armor warheads hit dead center, where the pilot just so happens to be? It's…messy.
The two warheads struck the Battlesuit in the chest, blowing the XV8 into the tree line onto its back, a smoking hole where the pilot once was. Now, normally when you take something like that out, it damages morale, which it did amongst the Gue'vesa. The Fire Warriors on the other hand, got really, really, really pissed off; fighting with an intensity I had only seen from the Orks on Freeport. Another Guardsman collapsed into the river, a pulse rifle atomizing his upper thigh, the current taking him down river. Ahead, of me, the Redeye had found a log to hunker behind with the remaining vox caster.
"This is Vendor 1-1 to Imperialis, come in, over!" I heard him bark as I stood behind a tree. I was panting hard, my body was soaked from the river, while sweat and dirt clung to my armor. "Vender 1-1 to Imperialis, requesting gun run across the east side of the Sruth River, over…WHAT?" My eyes shot to the Redeye as he threw the hand-mic away in disgust, his gaze cast upward. I followed them and watched as the Undying Imperialis began to ascend int space. "Bastards."
"Did you think they'd let us retreat, sir?" I called.
"I expect a modicum of aid once we made planetfall," the Redeye answered, peering over his log.
"Nah, sir, you're making too much sense!" I retorted; an old adage from an assistant of mine back home. I poked my head out from behind the log, raised the las, and fired a burst towards the other side of the river, the shots hurtling through brush and air. An abrupt crackle on the vox caster caused the Redeye to lung for the hand mic.
"Vendor 1-1," he said as a faint rumble filled the air. I turned to see the heartening sight of five Valkyries on approach across the east side of the river. In the lead was the Imperial Sister.
The Valkyries swept low, their multi-lasers strafing the eastern bank of the Sruth with red beams of energized light. Tau and traitor alike were sent flying or were blown apart by the VTOLs as they hurtled over the battlefield, the east bank engulfed in smoke and earth. The Guardsmen on the west bank, myself included, cheered as the Valkyries swung around.
"Good effect on target, safe travels, out!" The Redeye returned the handmic to the vox caster, turning to Volker. "They're making for Ard Allie; turns out we're not the only ones left to fend for ourselves."
"Lucky them," Volker replied, glancing at the shore of Guardsmen behind him, "and what of us? Any word from the company commander?"
"Nothing; we're on our own," the Redeye answered, glancing over the river, "gather what NCOs we have; we're moving into the woods. We mark a departure point, then move a minimum of two kilometers northwest before we set down."
"Can we convince the Commissar, sir?"
"You leave her to me."
"Aye sir," Volker turned and hustled through the brush, calling the names of every sergeant he could find.
As I leaned back out of cover, looking for targets, I heard a distant, familiar rumble. The memory of my first engagement with the Tau surfaced in my mind.
"Sir, we need to go!" I hissed as the quo of Devilfish rose over the opposite tree line. The Redeye's organic eye widened at the sight.
"Weapons team, target those gunships!" He called. One of the weapons teams brought the RPG to bear on the Devilfish and fired, the rocket striking the right engine. It faltered, fell, stabilized, and turned its burst cannon on the weapons team. A pair of screams were abruptly cut off by the cannon.
"Lieutenant!" Commissar Hildebrand appeared next to the Redeye, her greatcloak soaked from the waist down. "What's the plan?"
"A lateral advance northwest to regroup, Commissar!" The Redeye answered, causing me to smile; how to tell the Commissar you were retreating without actually saying it.
"Make it happen! We are being overrun by those gunships!" Hildebrand barked. I leaned from cover again, firing a burst into a traitor, when the gray-armored officer appeared again, rifle leveled. He fired once, then melted away into the brush. I cocked my head, then turned it as I heard a leafy THUD.
Commissar Patricia Hildebrand lay dead on the ground, the left side of her head missing.
"Damnit!" The Redeye snarled. To this day, I will swear his organic eyes was the same shade of red as his cybernetic as he gave the command. "Redeye to 1st Platoon; all forces on the west side of the Sruth are to break contact with the Tau. Proceed northwest and await further orders, I say again, break contact and proceed northwest, out!" The battle shifted as we began executing a retrograde movement. *(Retrograde: defensive task that involves organized movement away from the enemy. Used when units need to break contact with the opposing force and regroup.) I looked to my right and saw a confused mess of privates, mostly from other platoons and companies, as we shift away from the Tau.
"Break contact and move northwest, go!" I called. The word was passed down and the confused Guardsmen began to move, a pair of stubbers turning away from the fighting. "Hey, you two, hold position!"
"Fuck you!" One of them said as he made to move past me. Stubbers in a retrograde moved last, providing a base of fire so that others could pull back and provide the same. This jackass was trying to run. He took a step past me and I introduced his face to the butt end of my lasgun, causing him to fall backwards.
"Commissar may be dead, but you still do your job," I hissed, leveling my bayoneted rifle at the man's throat. His eyes darted between the rifle and me, then grabbed his stubber, rolled away, and pointed it towards the Tau. "And you?" I asked the second gunner, by the name of Stimpson, who shrugged and sprayed a burst towards the Tau. Satisfied, I waited and pulled back with the pair, moving deeper into the woods.
The Tau noted the retreat and took the opportunity to intensify their fire, with a Devilfish pushing across the river. Unbeknownst to them, the second weapons team still lived, and fired a rocket directly above the burst cannon. The cannon detonated, causing a chain reaction through the gunship, causing it to explode in a hail of energy and metal shards. The Tau Auxiliaries took this as an invitation to charge; as we pushed into the woods, the traitors followed, bayonets glinting in the gray late afternoon light of Cruan.
I turned, planted my feet, and put a pair of shots into the chest of an advancing traitor. As he fell, I shifted, placing one into the gut of another, then ducked as a third fired an autogun at me. Wood chips and splinters splattered across me as I ran, another Fusilier spraying his lasgun on low power behind me. Another of my comrades plucked the pin from a grenade and sent towards the traitors, the frag going off between a trio of pursuing traitors.
Ahead of me, the situation was clearer, if more hazardous; with the crossing behind us, the Devilfish strafed the woods, felling both Guardsmen and tree alike. Another RPG fired, the rocket going wide and striking the opposite bank. A sergeant bellowed orders, pushing people forward, then fell as a pulse rifle opened his chest. Sparing a glance across the river, I spied the gray armored Tau again, melting into the trees, visor down. A quick connection was made in my head; the Tau officer was picking off our leadership to behead us. Further up, I heard the voice of the Redeye, and, with a sudden spike of fear, I increased my speed.
The Redeye returned fire amidst a cluster of fallen trees, directing a stubber and a grenadier as he simultaneous organized the retreat. I looked across the river again; there was the gray armor, the rifle leveled. I put everything I had left in me into a single, desperate sprint forward, letting out a wordless cry of alarm. The Redeye turned, confused and alarmed as I leapt forward, wrapping him in my arms, and driving him to the ground. A sudden burst of heat crossed the space at the back of my neck as we tumbled to the ground, scorching the tree trunk the Redeye had stood in front of.
"Sniper; aiming for leaders," I gasped out.
"Well bloody hell, don't let him kill me via suffocation!" The Redeye exclaimed, pushing me off him and crouching. "Same bugger who got the Commissar?" I nodded. "Do you see him?" I poked my head up, only to throw myself down as a Devilfish sprayed over my head. "Nevermind that, keep going! Find your sergeant!" I nodded and stumbled away. Around me, Fusiliers were screaming obscenities and for cover fire, trading shots with the Tau, praying to the God-Emperor for protection, and dying. As I half ran, half tripped through the woods, a fifth Devilfish appeared, disgorging Tau Fire Warriors onto the west bank of the Sruth.
"Please, not here, not now!" I prayed in my mind. And then, as if by divine deliverance, a glorious thing happened.
BOOM! The Devilfish exploded in a shower of metal and smoke as something to my left fired. I turned; the smoking barrel of a Leman Russ Main Battle Tank made evident in the trees, alongside the Guardsmen that materialized in the wood line. The lost detachment of Cruan Regulars had been found.
"At them lads, get the bastards!" Roared a thickly accented voice, and the Regulars charged, dirty, disheveled, and full of rage. They came low as the Leman Russ lumbered forward, the two side-mounted Heavy Bolters unleashing fury upon the enemy. Atop the Leman Russ, the owner of the thickly accented voice stood behind the command hatch, holding a heavy stubber affixed to the turret. "Oi, who are you lot?" He called down to me as the Leman Russ passed.
"1st Freeport Fusiliers, 4th Battalion!" I called back.
"You still have an officer?" The man asked, and I noted the corporal rank on his chest.
"We have our lieutenant!"
"Good, get him in this bloody tank!" The corporal yelled. I turned back, sighting the Redeye as he ushered the final Guardsmen past his position in the fallen trees, and I moved towards him.
The wounded Devilfish appeared across the river and fired a hail of seeker missiles, the cluster of fallen trees disappearing in a storm of explosions, smoke, and earth. I felt my gut drop through the dirt. The Leman Russ sighted the offending gunship and fired, blowing clean through the cockpit.
"That was our LT!" I called, and the Regular swore in an unfamiliar language.
"Follow us!" He barked, then opened the turret hatch and spoke in his strange tongue. The Leman Russ reversed, firing across the bank to cover.
"Pull back, this way!" I started calling, and the Fusiliers began to retrograde with he Regulars, the threat of the Leman Russ preventing any further advances. A small ridge marked a safe barrier, which I stood atop and ushered my fellow Guardsmen over. My team crested the ridge, caked in mud, dirt, blood, and wood chips, but alive, alongside Corporal Doug and Mal. I noted, with increasing worry, that SFC Volker, Sarge, or indeed, any NCO above the rank of corporal had crested the ridge. As I took another look around, I felt a familiar presence over my shoulder.
"Alright, lad?" Said Sarge. I turned; blood ran in a slow, steady stream down the side of Sarge's head, dirt caked his cheeks, but he was alive and well.
"I'm alright, Sarge," I replied, my voice hoarse from the screaming and panting. I checked my watch out of curiosity; 1658 local time. Not even an hour had passed. "They got the Redeye and the Commissar, Sarge."
"So they have," he said, whipping some mud from his right shoulder. The shoulder that carried his sergeant's stripes.
PING!
I shouldn't have looked around in confusion. I shouldn't have thought about it. I should have just gone with my gut. But I didn't.
Sarge, the man who had carried me from the rubble of Freeport, guided me into the Imperial Guard, and barely an hour earlier had promoted me to corporal, jerked as a pulse hit him square in the back.
There was a look passed between us; a looked that seemed to pass responsibility from the falling Sergeant Kellogg onto me.
As he fell, I caught a glimpse of a cluster of Fire Warriors beyond. The gray armored Tau knelt with a smoking gun.
I caught Sarge's falling body and dragged him down the hill with me, landing at the feet of Eddie.
"What the…fuck," he breathed. He bent down, hauled Sarge's body off me, and checked for life as I lay stunned. "Come on, get up, we can't stop now," Eddie said, dragging me to my feet and pushing me forwards. Just as I had done for him an hour earlier.
I don't know how far we went, the distance melted away under my feet. I was too busy holding back the shock and tears of the first hour.
We, the 4th Battalion of the 1st Freeport Fusiliers, were stranded, cut off, and leaderless in enemy territory.
We were alone.