Chapter 4

Guardsman Noah Silastar of the Urban Tigers 25th Regiment

There was a buzz of excitement around the Outpost this afternoon. The 25th Regiment had been called to rally in the main hall in thirty minutes. That alone was enough to excite the Guardsman occupying the outpost, as for the past two weeks their lives had been nothing but performing maintenance, drills, beating back the persistent flora, trying to stay warm and sitting around trying to pass time.

The Western Post, more often simply called the 'Outpost', was nothing more than a few buildings atop a mound. It consisted of the dorms, where all the Guardsmen were housed; the main hall, where everyone dined; a garage for the few Chimeras and Sentinels the 25th possessed; and the tall communications array. The Outpost was encircled by an armoured wall.

For the past two weeks, Guardsman Noah's life had been much less glorifying than he had expected life in the Guard to be. The only good thing to come from his incarceration was that he had managed to become good friends with many of his squadmates.

Closest out of all his friends were Kara Obellon, Vincent Thornton and Jack Osborne. Jack was a regular Guardsman like Noah, and was with him virtually all the time. Kara and Vincent were engineers, and spent much of their duties away from the squad, serving under the Outpost's Enginseer, but the group managed to spend their free time together.

Noah hadn't had much direct contact with Sergeant Samson Cutter, but had come to resent the man less. He knew how to run a squad. Indeed, it seemed as though he ran every squad in the Outpost, as everyone either respected or feared him.

However, as influential as Cutter was, even he had no idea the cause for the rally this morning. Noah could tell that this annoyed the man by the way he had informed the squad of the rally earlier and his sour mood.

Once the whole Regiment had crammed itself into the main hall, the Colonel stepped up to the podium at the front of the hall and raised his hand for silence.

The room fell silent, yet still hummed with anticipation.

It seemed like hours before the Colonel opened his mouth to speak.

"Early this morning," he began, choosing his words carefully. "A scout party returned, reporting a massive Ork horde heading for us."

The energy in the room rose. This was the regiment's chance to prove themselves.

"The horde is of an unprecedented size and is expected to hit us and several other outposts tomorrow morning. I'm sure you will all remember your duty and honour the Emperor as we stand and fight."

A door slammed at the rear of the hall. Noah turned to see Samson Cutter storm out of the hall and into the rain that just began.

"We will fight for the Emperor and the Imperium, in the name of the Lord General!" The Colonel continued, undeterred and inspiring the men. "Now is the time to prove your worth! Prepare for battle!"

The Colonel stiffly threw his fist into the air, and was met with a great roar from the Regiment.

"Dismissed!"

The rest of the day had been spent readying the Outpost for battle. Guardsmen had packed their kits. The Enginseer, aided by the various engineers amongst the Regiment, had prepped the vehicles, and heavy armaments had been installed along the Outpost's walls. Several scout parties had been sent forwards to track the Orks movement.

Once the Outpost was ready, the men had been ordered to rest up before the fight. Noah found himself lying on his bunk in his dorm, with Kara Vince and Jack. Most of his squad was resting in the dorm, talking quietly amongst themselves.

Carlos, the squad's medic and self appointed cook, was sitting in the corner making a brew for the squad. Everyone liked the burly old man, who was quiet and caring despite his stoic exterior. Noah studied the man and wondered what made him so generous.

"You sure you don't want one?" Noah was interrupted from his thoughts by the hand dangling in front of him. Vincent was lying on the bunk above Noah, and was relentlessly offering him cigarettes to 'soothe his nerves'.

"No, thanks," Noah replied. He had been withstanding Vincent's assault for almost an hour.

"He doesn't want to get as greasy as you," Kara said from across the room. Vincent indeed was an oily man, and his gaunt appearance was made worse by his lanky body. A mop of thin black hair covered his head, and a dark shadow ran along his jaw line. He had dark, deep-set eyes. His dark features were only broken by the pearly white smile that he often wore. Noah knew that he was smiling right now; he could hear it in his voice.

"That Sentinel basically pissed oil over you after you damaged the sump," Vincent shot back. "You'll have oil oozing out of you for a week."

"Yeah well-" Kara began before getting cut off by a huge groan.

"Shut up you guys," Jack moaned from the bunk above Kara. "Unlike you, I want to be refreshed for the fight tomorrow."

Jack was truly a fine human specimen. He stood a head taller than Noah, was heavily built and had a face that could seduce a daemonette. A dark brown crew cut complimented his strong green eyes that sat beneath a heavy brow. He was the kind of guardsman the Imperium put on propaganda posters. The kind of soldier women fantasized over. The kind of man that men envied; and he knew it.

"We've plenty of time for sleep yet," Carlos said, bringing four steaming mugs over. "Let's keep the good time alive as long as we can, eh? Get some of this into you, it'll keep you going for a week, I guarantee."

Noah took a gulp of the warm liquid. His whole body instantly felt warmer. He held the mug close to his face to warm it up.

"Still," Jack continued. "I want all my wits about me."

Carlos laughed. "I'm sure you'll have enough wits about you when you need them. Besides, what goods a night of nightmares going to do you?"

"You scared big man?" Jack teased. Carlos turned from handing out mugs to stare at the youth.

"Don't be so quick to assume, boy," he said, not unkindly. "When you've been around as long as I, you know when and when not to be afraid."

A shadow passed over Jack's haughty face.

"You don't know what I've seen," he muttered. The room went still. "I'm not afraid of war, but I've seen damned well enough it to know that I need to be prepared."

A faint, warm smile broke across Carlos's face.

"Relax, lad," he said soothingly. "That brew will help you sleep. Drink."

Like a disciplined child, Jack took a tentative sip of the drink. Then another, and another after that. With each gulp the unease in the air lifted slightly.

"You're trying to get me drunk," Jack said, waving the empty mug for everyone to see. Everyone laughed, breaking the tension in the room. Everyone was back to normal, and the moment passed as quickly as it had come.

Noah laughed too, but still felt an uneasy. He saw something in Jack's eyes that unnerved him. He got off his bed and headed for the door with his mug.

"Just need some fresh air," he explained to no one in particular.

Noah found himself walk outside. His feet carried him towards the Imperial Harbinger. The night was unusually clear. There were no clouds to stop the stars lighting up the sky. A chilly breeze cut at his face, so he turned up his collar and held his mug closer.

He came to a halt in front of the harbinger. The massive dozer blade was as tall as he was, and scarred from use. He stood there a moment, catching his breath. He hadn't realised he was so worked up until now.

Am I scared? He asked himself. I can't be, I've had so much training. We all have, we're too strong to lose.

A cough tore Noah away from his thoughts. He looked up past the Chimera's dozer blade to see Sergeant Cutter lying on top of the Chimera. A cloud of smoke hovered over his face.

Noah instinctively saluted the officer and stood to attention.

"At ease, soldier," Cutter said without even looking at him. "Emperor damn it," Noah heard the sergeant mutter to himself. "What brings you here?"

"I don't know," Noah replied meekly. "I was just thinking; about the fight tomorrow."

"You mean the slaughter?" Cutter snorted as he sat up to look at the young Guardsman.

"What do you mean?"

"Have you never seen the Guard fight when incompetents are in Command?" Cutter said, staring at Noah as he smoked his cigar. A glass bottle stood next to him on the hull of the Harbinger. "This Ork horde that's coming, it's massive. We've no hope of holding the line, you lot are only a fortnight out of training, by the Throne. We ought to retreat back and reinforce a fort further down the line."

"You think we're going to lose?"

"I know it. Command know it. The experienced know it. Why else do you think they have Valkyries coming in tomorrow?"

Fear struck Noah like a punch to the gut. He started pacing back and forth.

"So what's going to happen? We're all going to die? Is this what they trained us for?"

Cutter jumped down from atop the Chimera and grabbed Noah by the shoulders.

"Focus soldier!" he shouted, looking Noah square in the eyes. "You're not going to die. The Valykrie's will land when all hell breaks loose, so no one thinks that Command is abandoning them before the fight.

"That will be our chance. I need you focussed tomorrow. Don't worry about what might happen. Just keep your eyes on me. When the jets land, that will be our cue to leave. We'll take the Harbinger to the closest fort and fight from there."

"What about everyone else?" Noah asked, dreading Cutter's response.

"They'll be looking out for each other. Every Sergeant knows what's going to happen tomorrow. Those who have dedicated Chimeras will come with us. Those that don't will make a break for the Valkyries, or load up in other Chimeras."

"Does Command know about this?" Noah asked, feeling slightly reassured. Cutter laughed harshly and turned back towards the Harbinger.

"Those fools hardly know what's going on amongst themselves, let alone the Regiment. They'll most likely be killed tomorrow. Insubordination has been rife throughout the Tigers since the Commissar was murdered. Turns out a lot of good is coming from it; the Tigers are producing a new breed of officer. Incompetent commanders don't last long before a lasround finds its way through their chest." He placed his finger on Noah's chest for emphasis. "Its grisly work, to be sure, but it makes us stronger.

"Anyway, dawn is about eight hours away. I suggest you get some rest," Cutter concluded. He climbed back onto the Chimera and lay down, ending the conversation.

Noah turned and headed back towards the dorm. His sergeant had given him a lot to think about. Once, he had thought that Command were the only things standing between the Guard and annihilation. Now, he didn't know what was keeping them alive. For the first time in his life, he doubted the strength of the Imperial Guard. Since day one in training, it had been drilled into him that his superiors were always right and knew what they were doing, but now he just felt like a puppet.

Everyone was asleep when he reached his dorm. Trying not to wake anyone, h walked quietly through the room and tucked himself into his bed. Before he had time to begin worrying about the impending battle, he was asleep.

A war horn blasted across the valley that the Outpost stood guard over. Noah turned his gaze towards the source of the sound on top of the large wall around the Outpost. The only man on the wall was the Enginseer. He alone manned the dozens of turrets atop the wall. Noah marvelled at the man who had so much machinery attached to him that it made him appear as big as a Space Marine. The Techpriests of the Urban Tigers were few, but their skill was rivalled only by the Tiger's Stormtroopers.

A second blast rolled across the valley. Noah's heart jumped into his mouth. Two blasts meant the Orks were on the other side of the valley.

"Attention!" Cutter shouted. The squad straightened themselves in a line next to the Harbinger. Other squads ran throughout the camp. The camp was mostly empty. Many of the infantry squadrons were at the front line. Noah could hear the crack of lasguns from the other side of the wall. Several of the Enginseer's turrets had joined the fray.

"Our job is simple; we're to tank shock the horde before they get to our men. It's our job to drive them down, retreat and repeat. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" the squad replied in unison.

"Mount up!" The squad quickly ran into the hull of the Chimera. The tank fired up its engines and lurched out of the courtyard, four other Chimeras following.

Noah's jaw dropped when he saw what awaited them. From inside the Chimera he could see the valley before him. The Guard had set up a firing line on their crest of the valley and were mowing down the Ork stampede. Orks dropped volley after volley, yet still they poured into the valley. They had managed to push themselves to the base of the valley and were beginning to head towards the Guard's lines.

The Chimeras lined themselves up next to each other on the crest of the valley. Samson Cutter wired himself up to the Chimera's vox system, amplifying his voice.

"Charge!" he shouted.

In unison, the five tanks surged forwards and hurtled down the valley. Noah clutched at his mounted turret, his palms slippery with sweat. Adrenaline pumped through his body, and everything seemed to happen in slow motion.

The Harbinger hit the Ork line with a sickening crunch. The dozer blade pushed crushed Ork bodies aside. The Chimera pushed itself into the Orkish throng. Despite the tank shock, the Orks still passed the Chimera like water passes a rock. Noah fired his turret into the sea of green, but it seemed to do nothing. Some Orks ran on top of the tank and tried to bash their way in, but try as they might they couldn't penetrate the tank's skin.

"Pull back!" Sergeant Cutter shouted.

The Chimeras put their engines into reverse and withdrew from the mob, throwing themselves back up the valley. It wasn't until they were back up the valley that Noah finally saw the damage they had dealt, and it took him by surprise.

The charging Chimeras had amassed huge piles of green bodies. The Orks now had to run between the mounds of their fallen comrades. They had effectively been bottlenecked. The Enginseer unleashed the fury of his turrets on the choke points, while the line of Guardsmen picked off any Orks that climbed over the mounds or made it through.

"Charge left!"

The Chimera lurched forwards again, charging back into the Orks to the left of their last charge. After creating more chokepoints, they pulled back.

"Charge right!"

They charged again. By now, Noah's doubts had vanished. At the rate they were going, they would be able to hold the line without losing a single man. He was safe in the Chimera, and the men on the line safe while the Chimeras were in the fight.

His heart dropped when he heart Cutter swear.

"Pull back!" He cried, half way into a charge. "Back, damnit!"

Noah wondered what had put Cutter on edge. He wasn't wondering for long however, when he felt the shockwave of an explosion pass through the cabin.

"Squiggoth!"

Ork bodies hammered down on the Chimera and fire passed through the horde. It took Noah a moment to realise that the Chimera next to the Harbinger had blown up. Panic gripped at Noah's chest. He didn't know what a Squiggoth was, but he was sure that he didn't want to see one anytime soon.

The Harbinger managed to pull itself out of the Ork horde. Two more Chimeras had exploded by the time they made it out. Noah could see three plumes of smoke within the horde. He saw half a Guardsman fly towards the human lines. He thanked the Emperor that he was still alive.

But he thanked the Emperor too soon.

A huge explosion on the other side of the Chimera sent the tank flying across the valley. The cabin wall opposite Noah was ripped off, taking half the squad with it. Noah rolled with the other half of the Chimera until it stopped. He lay there for a second, dazed after hitting his head.

"Get up!" someone shouted at him. A smack to the face brought him back to focus. "Up!" Kara was kneeling near him. Grabbing his hand, she pulled him up. Noah's head was spinning. All he saw around him was green. Green from the Orks. Green from the plants. Green from the Guardsmen. He had no idea where he was.

A strong hand clamped around his shoulder.

"Keep your head down and follow my boots!" Samson Cutter shouted into his ear, before storming off and dragging Kara by her arm. Kara pulled Noah along.

Suddenly, Kara was torn from the centre of the group. A huge green brute had managed to wade through a volley of lasrounds and caught up with the flailing Guardsmen.

The Ork grabbed Kara by her narrow waist and yanked her from between Noah and Cutter with enough strength to knock them both over. The Ork gutted Kara with the tip of its cruel sword and threw her broken body of its shoulder with a victory roar.

The sight of his friend being murdered snapped Noah back into consciousness. He screamed with fear and desperately crawled backwards away from the Ork.

Noah's weakness seemed only to anger the Ork brute. His scream drew the Ork's attention. The monster advanced on Noah. It slashed at him. Instinctively, Noah raised his right leg in a pathetic attempt to block the attack. The Ork's blade lodged itself below Noah's knee. Noah's vision went white and he screamed in agony.

He was sure his life was over until another body entered the fray. The guardsman that was a monstrosity of a woman threw herself at the Ork, pushing the beast away from the downed Noah.

He watched in horror as the beast roared in fury at the woman, before punching her face so hard that it imploded and her head snapped back with a crunch. The woman fell and the Ork strode towards Noah, reaching for its sword that was embedded in Noah's leg.

Suddenly the Ork dropped to one knee. Sergeant Cutter stepped around from behind the beast, his power sword crackling with energy. He slashed at the Ork's throat and chest, before unloading several rounds into its face. The beast finally slumped over with a groan.

Without speaking, Samson reached for Noah and dragged him by the elbow towards the Guard's line. Noah was fading in and out of consciousness, but he knew that something had scattered the Orks. The whole battlefield was broken into smaller skirmishes. Fire was everywhere.

He saw a Valkyrie do a strafing run on a dense pack of Orks, scattering them. He finally understood what was happening. The Valkyries had arrived and scattered the Orks, but it had not been enough to stop them from reaching the human lines.

He saw Cutter cut and shoot his way through several orks. He saw some Guardsmen fighting for their lives, others fighting to get to a Vaylkrie. Several of them had landed and were providing covering fire as Guardsmen scrambled aboard. He looked up to see the Enginseer valiantly holding his post, but even he wouldn't last long as the Orks threw themselves at him.

Miraculously, Samson Cutter managed to drag him to a Valkyrie. He threw the wounded Guardsman on board. Noah looked back at the battlefield. There weren't many humans left on the field; they were either dead or on a Valkyrie. He saw a new wave or Orks appear on the other side of the valley. Amongst the horde he spotted several armoured, hulking beasts almost ten metres tall. Without asking he knew that they were the Squiggoths that had broken the Guard's defence.

Still fading in and out of consciousness, Noah felt the Valkyrie finally lift off of the ground. He turned his gaze towards Cutter to see him shouting at a finely dressed man with various medals on his breast. He couldn't hear anything, but he could tell that the man was the Colonel.

The men's argument reached a climax and Cutter drew his pistol and shot the Colonel in the leg. He picked the man up by the scruff of his neck and said something to his pale white face before throwing him out of the Valkyrie and into the Ork horde below.

Then, Noah blacked out.