Fox In A Stormcoat
Chapter 3
"It is a fundamental rule that has been set down since the reformation of the Imperial Army that every battle ready regiment of the Imperial Guard be assigned a Commissarial attaché, not just to prevent the taint of Chaos, but to also ensure that every man and woman fights with courage in their hearts and unshakeable determination in the face of His enemies. For that is the true worth of any commissar."
Commissar-General Adon Verrdges.
Two Weeks Later
Frontline Aquilia
It had been nearly two weeks since the fight along trench line Aquilia, and during that time Naruto had been relegated to light duties that involved being a glorified courier between the general and his company commanders much to his dismay and to the commanders delight. But that changed two days ago when General Daisen gave the order for the 221st to advance on the ork lines along with the seven other guard regiments that fell under his command.
Now on the third day the 221st Cadian were pressing their attack, brutally driving the orks into the war torn hive of Manis Tarpa – the fourth largest city on the planet – once home to thousands, now it lay as a mass grave for all who were trapped inside when the orks broke through the outer walls.
"Move up my boys! Another day in the Emperors service ends when we take this crossroad." Shouted the regimental XO, Major Cobal, moving through the ruined intersection snapping off a few shots from his hellgun as he went.
"Mckriss, get your platoon in gear. Secure the right flank and take the office building overlooking the main road."
"Yes, sir!"
"Vollen, suppress the orks in that building on the right." The chattering of a heavy stubber was his response, as the hard slugs chipped away at the two storey building across the street.
Cobal observed the firefight taking place, they'd caught the orks just before they reached the city perimeter and in typical ork fashion rather than retreat into the safety of the city's outer wall they turned and charged the pursuing imperial guard which so happened to consist of three cadian companies under his command.
His men had spread out into the ruined hab buildings and laid down a withering hail of lasfire cutting the greenskins down, while the company's chimeras tore apart the larger beasts in a mix of heavy las and bolter fire. It was just a simple task of clearing out the remaining orks before the real assault could begin.
Catching a flash of black in his eye, Cobal turned and found a grinning blond in a stormcoat crouched down in cover beside him. "Major, how goes the day."
The cadian grinned at the young man from beneath his helmet. "Going good so far, why come to check up on me?"
"Of course not sir, just wanting to know what's taking so long." Naruto replied, his impish grin never leaving his face. Let it never be said that Naruto Uzumaki wasn't a cheeky brat.
Unsnapping his bolt pistol, he racked the slide and added his fire to the mix. At this range he couldn't hit anything accurately but the harsh smack of a bolt round cooking of beside your head tended to make an enemy think twice. Ducking back down Naruto swapped out the empty mag, before shooting the major a look.
"We need to break them, otherwise this is going to take all day."
"I know, Nels tried to get close but the amount of fire they're putting out and the lack cover between us and them he bought it pretty quick." Cobal gestured to a burning corpse in the middle of the tarmac. "Waiting on Mckriss to get me that office building so we can establish a better firing line, then we push up and burn the bastards' outta their holes."
Naruto nodded looking at the building in question; it was one of the tallest buildings sitting on the crossroad. Must have acted as a traffic hub of sorts, watching over the coming and going from the city at one stage, now it was a hollow mess but it provided a decent line of sight in to the ork occupied buildings across the way.
He saw a flicker of movement in one of the windows before a volley of lasfire peppered the closest ork building. The blond commissar smirked, drawing his chainsword he awaited the following orders.
"Rockets make a hole, Clarion 2-1 move up, rake those xenos scum." Several rockets streaked from the Cadian line and tore through the occupied habs with a satisfying explosion, while a supporting chimera advanced from the line and let loose a long burst from its twin-linked heavy bolter raking the orks left to right. "All right, that's opened them up. Fire and suppress then finish 'em off with your bayonets." Cobal called into his internal vox bead all the while fixing his own hellgun with a long bayonet.
"Ladies first." Naruto smiled at that, and with a flourish he drew his chainsword. The blond commissar listened as the snap-and-crack of las fire overpowered the staccato of ork weapons.
Glancing over his cover he eyed a small hab parallel to his position, its rockcrete wall caved in from a high-ex rocket with numerous marks from incoming fire. His blood boiled, adrenaline pumping, eyes focused on his chosen destination that would either see him into the xeno scum as a whirlwind of death or into the arms of the Emperor.
Naruto loved moments like these, ever since the scholam he thrived on a good challenge whether it be better grades or outperforming the person above him in combat classes he loved it all. Now rather than risk the ire of his fellow aspirants he risked death, Emperor help him he couldn't think of a better place to be.
"For Cadia, for the Emperor!" With a battle cry as old as the Imperium itself, Naruto threw himself into the war torn street. He didn't need to look behind to know his men were following, fifty metres that was the distance of open ground he had to cross. Thumbing the activation rune, his chainsword whirred to life.
Twenty metres, a face appeared, a burst of las over his shoulder sent it stumbling back. Ten metres, the face appeared again black blood marred its features the las blast clipped it, a messy cauterized wound across the aliens repulsive skin. The ork bellowed a disgustingly wretched noise, Naruto shot it through the mouth and blew out its head in a spray black blood and brain matter. Entering the ruined hab and weaving around the falling corpse, he caught a limping ork crawling on the floor. A rising swing of his chainsword ran up its jaw into the brain splitting the skull in two, firing his bolt pistol once more he killed another of the xenos before meeting a fourth.
Ducking under a vicious swing, Naruto brought his chainsword up and opened the beast's belly, bringing it over grasping in a futile attempt to keep its organs in place the blond maneuvered around it bringing his sword down upon its neck in a brutal display of blood and spinal fluid.
Only seconds upon entering, the blond had dispatched four of the greenskins, Naruto was only now dimly aware that the guardsman following after him were in amongst the remaining orks themselves. Time slowed down as he took in the situation, one cadian drove an ork to its kness with a blast of full auto las – orks would usually shrug off such things but at point-blank range, staring down the barrel of a hellgun exceptions were made – while three others bayoneted another before firing a burst in its face.
Regaining his focus Naruto hurled himself into the melee swinging his chainsword and firing his pistol as he went.
Behind the advancing frontline, Arram Daisen stood atop his command chimera binoculars in hand overlooking his advancing forces. Clothed in the battledress of his regiment, tan coloured fatigues underneath dark green carapace armour. Faded brown and orange stripes decorated his armour, black boots caked in mud.
Around him company vox casters were receiving reports from the various other imperial units partaking in the assault. From what garbled words he heard everything was proceeding smoothly, the initial breakthrough made by his men was met with great success by the mechanized companies from the 166th Markonne along with supporting elements from the 32nd Brevan Armoured Regiment.
And for the past three days, the men and women of the Army Group Daisen had capitalized on destroying the outlying Ork horde that had massed outside the city.
"General," cried out one of the vox officers. "Major Cobal reports that the main crossroads leading into the hive have been taken, sir."
Glancing away from the battle line, the cadian looked at his vox-man. "And how go the others?"
"All other sections report that primary objectives have been taken and they're awaiting new orders." The man replied.
Daisen allowed himself a wry smile to grace his handsome face, save the jagged scar that ran down from his left eye to his neck. Turning to another vox-man inquiring about the status of the other regiments.
"Much the same as us, general. All immediate objectives are complete and all stations are holding ground." The vox man reported. "As we speak the 28th Verimond Artillery and the 43rd Plummen Artillery are both breaking down their positions and will take up new positions by nightfall."
"Good, have 5th company deploy to cover arty's transition. I don't want to lose a single Throne provided earthshakers if we can help it." He ordered, jumping down from his perch. "8th company prepare to move out, we're joining the line."
The surrounding guardsmen suddenly moved with a purpose, each of them eager to rejoin the line. Daisen briefly stopped the first vox officer with a hand on the shoulder. "Anything else I should be aware of, trooper?" he asked.
The man's purple eyes darted to the side quickly. "Uhhh… yes, sir. The 1st Arreterran have been requesting marching orders every fifteen minutes for the past two hours. I politely told them that they'll receive marching orders when they get marching orders, sir." He finished lamely.
The general paused for a moment, then bumped the troopers shoulder with his hand. "They just want to see some action that's all." Before retrieving his helmet hanging from his belt, "And as admirable as that is, I will not allow them to endanger the rest of my army group because of their eagerness to bloody their knuckles in combat for the first time."
Snapping his helmet in place, Daisen turned to watch his men pile into their chimera's, packing up and moving to rejoin their comrades in the dying light of the offensive and if luck was on their side they'd see some action. Checking the charge on his hellgun, he turned to his own APC clambering up the ramp to join his squad.
As he sat down his adjutant turned to him, handing him a sheet of paper. "Sir, this just came through from command, senior staff eyes only."
Eyeing the paper he noticed its main glaring feature. The winged skull motif of the commissariat. Briefly looking over the message in its entirety one thing stood out. Reassignment.
Only one thought went through his mind. Vasik was not going to be pleased.
The battle finished more than half an hour ago, the crossroad was theirs now. And there were no orks left to dispute that fact, las shots still echoed out from the surrounding buildings. Single sharp cracks. Coup de grâce shots were being handed out to all greenskins still clinging to their wretched lives.
Naruto sat in the middle of the street on an old wooden stool he'd recovered from one of the habs, paintwork chipped and flecked with blood. His chainsword lay across his lap, a fine brush in his hand as he went about picking out ork flesh from its inner workings.
Messy things chain weapons but it just left His enemy's in such desirable states of dismemberment that it made meticulous maintenance cleaning regimens almost worth it. Almost. Sliding the brush in between the diamond hard teeth removing yet another chunk of ork flesh, Naruto whistled a tune to himself vaguely aware of the guardsmen moving about the crossroad shoring up their makeshift defences with flak boards and in some places the grisly corpses of their fallen enemies.
Cobal sauntered up to the young mans side hellgun slung over his right shoulder. "Fierce work today, have you seen the casualty list yet?"
"I have." Naruto said, still focused on his chainsword. "Forty-eight dead, seventy-two wounded with only two unaccounted for." He let out a long sigh.
"So, a good day overall then."
"Yes sir, we're still alive the enemies dead and the list of our casualties is reasonably small. So a good day."
Cobal shook his head at the commissars seemingly blasé attitude. Looking around the crossroad he saw the wounded being loaded into a chimera heading back to Anvil Head. The men were in good spirits, those who weren't assigned to the defences were lounging around catching what quiet time they could before the next offensive, playing cards, smoking and grabbing some much needed food.
"We'll be up against that soon enough." Naruto said, blindly gesturing to Manis Tarpa's walls in the distance. "Won't be long."
Standing up, Naruto thumbed his sword's activation rune watching the blade cycle through a few times before deactivating it and sheathing it at his side once more. Turning to face the major, Naruto couldn't help but stare at the man, he was still wore his helmet, face hidden behind his rebreather and eyes shaded by the orange visor.
"Have we received new orders." He asked.
Cobal shook his head again. "No same drill as always, hold and fortify. Establish a new base line, and if they're stupid enough kill any alien that tries to come back for this place."
The blond nodded along absently as they looked upon the city in the distance, this was what the 221st excelled at – and as far as anyone of the other serving regiments were concerned, their primary tactic – take and hold. Kill the enemy and hold the line everything a good guardsman was meant to do. And Naruto had seen Daisen employ this tactic time and again with great success, the next step would be no different. They would assault the walls with cannon and flamer and burn every alien mongrel out of the ruined city of Manis Tarpa. It would be another glorious tale told around the mess hall.
"So I take it our grand general's plan is already proceeding to the next phase."
"Without a doubt. Mark my words Commissar we'll be in that city within two weeks' time and it'll be us hoisting the 221st banner aloft in the palace district."
"2nd Company all the way huh?" A small smile coming to the blonds face.
"2nd Company all the way." The cadian echoed.
Trundling tank tracks gave pause to their conversation, salamander rolled up to them stopping a few meters away. A cadian jumped out and jogged over to the pair and saluted.
"Sir, Commissar-General Vasik requests that Commissar Uzumaki return Anvil Head immediately."
A blond eyebrow rose, he wasn't in trouble again was he. Naruto had thought that the messenger duty punishment had already been carried out.
"Did the commissar-general say why."
"No sir, although if it helps sir, the commissar wasn't in the best of moods when he sent me here."
"That doesn't inspire me with confidence trooper." Naruto said blandly, as an afterthought came to him. Why Anvil Head? Why not send me to meet him on the left flank."
"Not my place to question, commissar. I'm just carrying the message." The trooper said in his defence.
Shooting Cobal a look of uncertainty who offered a shrug in response, the blond sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Well if I am in trouble might as well get it over with. Let's get on with it trooper." Making the sign of the Aquila, Naruto made his way to the open topped vehicle and before he jumped in he heard shout of 'Emperor protects.' The major didn't even try to hide the humour in his voice.
Bastard.
Staging Base Novum Ultra
On a hill overlooking the base and far away from any chance of real combat, a young man sat underneath a small outcrop of trees. A ruck sack propped up against his head as he gazed at the clouds above. They were different he decided. The clouds were different from what they were back home, here columns of smoke trailed into the sky and turned the puffy white clouds an ashen grey.
Back home in Konoha they didn't have many factories within their great hive, so the sky wasn't stained with clouds of industrialization. Back home he could stare at the sky and get lost in its beauty, here he was reminded just how far away home was, here he was reminded that life out amongst the stars was completely different from forests that he grew up in. Here such majesty of the great forests of Konoha would be lost amongst the men and women who fought upon this world's soil.
Such thoughts plagued him recently. For once in his life he yearned to do something to relieve himself of his boredom and allow him to forget about a home he'd never see again. To be swept up in the storm of emotions that only combat could bring. But alas it was not meant to be.
So alone with his thoughts, he was only dimly aware of the badge he kept turning in his right hand. A single silver bar. Running a hand through his jet black hair idly toying with his spiky ponytail, his ears were pierced two plain silver studs in each ear. His face was marred by a lazy expression with black eyes that hid a benign cunning intelligence.
He wore the uniform of his regiment, a dark almost blackish blue that allowed him to seemingly blend with the shadows, a simple flak vest of similar colour overtop, greaves of the same colour over black boots. On his shoulder the regimental patch stood out against his dark ensemble, a blazing flame bisected straight down the middle by a black knife. A kunai, the tool of Arreterra's warriors before the Imperium won the 'War of Reclamtion' and stripped them of their identity as a warrior race. With the words 'For the Emperor, Light the Will of Fire,' running around the outside.
"Shikamaru!"
Shikamaru Nara, 1st Arreterran Regiment, 3rd Company a.k.a Gaurdian Company, let out a sigh. Seems he'd be found by his company's troublesome medicae and his lifelong friend.
"Shikamaru, you lazy bastard. How you made lieutenant is beyond me. We've been looking everywhere for you." The officer turned his head ever so slightly to the voice of the most troublesome person he's ever known. Ino Yamanaka. "Figures you'd just be lazing about. I swear you haven't changed one bit since we left Konoha." She said coming into view.
Dressed much like he was the only difference was the white band and a red cross wrapped around her left bicep. A rather beautiful woman in her own right – some whispered too beautiful to be placed in front line combat – she possessed bright blue eyes with an oval face, a long bang of blond hair fell over her face, and her lips were set in a thin line which usually meant she was mad at something. She had curvy figure that the uniform of the Imperial Guard did no justice too. But her looks were deceiving as many a man found out the hard way.
Leaning over him, blocking out his view she looked him in the eye.
"Well Shikamaru, you got anything to say for yourself?"
"Troublesome blonde, aren't you supposed to address me as lieutenant." He cocked an eyebrow back at her.
"Hell no. I've known you since we were in diapers, so I get to call you anything I damn well please." She huffed, brushing her bang out of the way.
"What do you want Ino?"
"Captain Sarutobi has recalled the company which means everyone, including oh so high and mighty officers like yourself need to get your ass in gear and report back to base."
Sighing deeply, Shikamaru sat up stretching out the kinks in his back. Rising up to his full height he slung his pack up onto his shoulders and retrieved his lascarbine leaning against the tree. And started walking down the trail that led back to camp.
"Well you coming or not." He called to the medicae over his shoulder.
Silently fuming at the Nara's lazy attitude she stomped after him and proceeded to talk his ear off by blathering on about this and that, in an attempt to annoy him in a way only she could.
AN: Wow, I had no it had it had been two years since I last updated. Apologies' to all who were waiting for this chapter. Suffice to say life caught up with, finishing final exam papers, graduation, work and then losing the original version of this chapter more than a year ago. Which was a huge down buzz. Still here you go apologies again for the long wait, I hope there are still some readers left out there.
Read, review, let me know what you think or if i'm heading in a direction you're really unsure about - but ultimately this is my story, but it doesn't mean i won't take ideas into consideration. In addition drop a review or PM me if you guys would like me to see some prequel pieces. A brief interlude of how Naruto made it into a Schola or perhaps some battles with the 221st Cadian. I'v got an idea banging around about, just a brief overview of the Reclamation War by an Inquisitor type figure.
And thanks for the reviews that have already come by and those who have favourited/followed this story, makes me know that some are interested.