{oOo}
It took almost a week to fight through the outer layer of the globe and that was good progress. Three of the other four assaults had managed to create bridgeheads for Imperial Guard regiments to take over, which had just lead to bogging down of the Guardsmen with brutal losses despite support from World Eaters. The fifth attack had failed outright, the Black Legion laying down their lives to cover the retreat of the support elements.
Teleute had consolidated the Black Legion into this attack and was using the Guardsmen to secure their rear areas. It hadn't stopped casualties but it at least kept them to a manageable level and as a result the Imperial forces now controlled a secure route from an improvised dock to a minehead two hundred kloms away on the inside. Now all they had to do was work out where on the four and a half million square kloms of the inner surface the rebel leaders could be found.
No one had questioned Teleute leading the assault out of the mineshafts although she had appeased any desire to recommend caution by letting the company's two dreadnoughts and squad of terminators take point. There had been seven casualties among that echelon, which had been almost half their losses in the operation. Approximately two thousand rebel soldiers had been killed – the tenuous atmosphere inside the globe was entirely the result of millenia of pollution so the breach of a space suit would have been fatal even if the pressure hadn't been barely greater than that of space outside the globe.
Inside one of the resealed domes that housed the minehead, Teleute was being assisted in repairs to her armour by two techmarines – the assistance being their doing the work while she watched, learned and occasionally held tools for them. Being out of her armour felt strange after six days and she had already made a mental note to bring a bodyglove or robe for this contingency in the future.
She was examining her helmet when Hundred Leader Belisarius entered the chamber. "What do you make of this?" she asked, holding it so he could see the small 'M' that the techmarines had engraved above the brow without asking her. "I'm not sure it's a good idea."
"Was it your idea?" the towering Astartes asked bluntly. Teleute had grown accustomed to being surrounded by near-giants at all times but had to admit to herself that she had been almost embarassingly glad to learn that the XVI Legion had female serfs so that she at least had other women to talk to at times.
"Oh this is their fault." She pointed at the two unrepentant Techmarines.
Belisarius nodded in understanding. "Then it is a good thing, Thousand Leader Teleute." And he saluted. The Black Legion did not salute their officers.
"Stop that, it's a sniper check," she told him automatically.
"My apologies, Thousand Leader." He didn't sound particularly abashed. "You have guests."
The next person through the hatch was a World Eater officer. Such was the shrouding effect of the battle plate that it wasn't until the white helmet came off that Teleute recognised Umi. The other young woman – young, they must each be past forty now! - had her hair in tight braids flat against her skull and secured at the nape of her neck. "He~ey!" She hugged Teleute which was a nervous moment since she had lightning claws (inactive thankfully) jutting from one of her gauntlets. Enhancements or not, those claws could have torn the unarmoured woman apart with ease. "Help me?"
"Certainly," Teleute agreed quickly. "Ah... what with?"
"My marines!" Umi leant closer and half-whispered into her ear: "So stupid."
Umi was calling someone stupid? Umi? Teleute winced. "Why don't you tell me a little more about this." She relaxed slightly only to tense up as she saw the helmet of the next World Eater to enter was battered as if by some hardened club. One that apparently had an aquila stamped on it just like the reinforced butt of the bolt pistol that sat at Umi's hip.
She could practically feel the glare she received from the World Eater, whose black armour proclaimed him to be a Chaplain.
{oOo}