-V-
"Come in, Tempes squad, respond." came in vox traffic.
"Tempes command listening." responded sergeant Julius.
"This is Golema communication officer Zehrus." reported communications officer.
"Where is Chaplain Galieo, why hasn't he contacted us himself?" asked Julius.
"Lord Galieo is unavailable at this time, I am authorized to relay his orders to all squads for the time being, my lord" voxed Zehrus.
"Well, get on with it then officer." hurried Julius, distant gunfire sound was getting louder.
"Ehm...Lord Galieo ordered the Tempes squad to aid Carthius squad at sector 8-4-alpha." officer was unnerved at the sound of gunfire. Even though the void combat was full of death
and destruction it was never as personal as conventional battle. Most naval officers went their entire career without firing a single shot at an enemy.
After a short pause the officer added "You were to defend and aid the squad to hold off any Ork forces trying to make a push."
"Our orders were to move to Sector S-4-A. Carthius squad is fully capable of withstanding enemy forces at long range, do they really need our support?" pointed out Julius.
"These are the orders issued by the Chaplain, I am just relaying them to you, my lord." said the officer.
"Acknowledge, we will comply right away." ended Julius.
As the Tempes squad moved through the rubble they came across a group of Imperial Guardsmen of the Idagenia regulars.
"Hail, sir." greeted the leading guardsmen awkwardly. He had no idea how to greet or respond to these armoured giants that march towards them. He probably only seen Space Marines from picts and never up close. Up close these looming giants felt more like killers than saviours to him. He was obviously scared but fought against his fear and try to keep the confrontation as casual as it can be.
Julius felt the man's unease but also admired the courage of the guardsmen, but his courage was learned probably through fighting the greenskins. War made cowards into man, if they survived. And guardsmen are notorious for their low survival rates.
"Hail guardsmen, what division are you?" asked Julius directly.
"222nd, sir. We are fighting the greenies for over two weeks at the market plaza." said the guardsmen.
"Greenies?" Julius raised an eye brow.
"Uhm...That's...That's the name squad came up with for the Orks" said the guardsmen then added a "sir" at the end to make it look more serious than it sounded to be.
"What is your name, guardsmen?" asked Julius looking at the distance for any trace of enemy movement, always on guard.
"Uh...Gerrat, sir." guardsmen was puzzled, he expected a harsh discipline or an angry retort from this giant armoured killer, instead the marine asked his name.
"Guardsmen Gerrat, never mock your enemy, it only makes you softer to their existence. Hate the greenskins, hate them and kill them. They deserve only death and they already have a name you can call them." said Julius and waited the guardsmen to ask.
"What is it, sir?"
"Xenos. That is how the Emperor called them and that is how we will call them. He also ordered us to destroy them and not suffer their existence."
"Yes, sir." said guardsmen more because of he had no idea how to respond to what the Space Marine is talking about.
"What is your next objective?" asked Julius.
"We are scouring this site for greenie...xenos movement then we are to report to Bastion Wallfire and aid in the defence effort, there seems to be a giant Ork force moving to take the bastion." said guardsmen.
"Wallfire Bastion?"
"Yessir."
"I thought the Idagenia command is stationed at Wallfire?"
"Yessir, Orks want to turn it into rubble."
"I need to check this in with the command, you carry on guardsmen. May the Emperor guide you."
"Thank you sir, Emperor protects." replied guardsmen and the guard squad left off into the streets in loose formation with no coherent unity. They just strides past the marines into the streets, on the contrary the marine squad was covering every possible corner and angle as their sergeant trying to raise the command.
"Command, respond." Julius voxed.
He tried a few more times untill a voice responded.
"Yes? My lord Julius, this is Zehrus the communica..."
"I know who you are, put Lord Galieo on the vox." Julius cut in.
"Lord Galieo is currently unava..."
"I don't care if he is, we need update on the situation, I heard that the Wallfire bastion is about to be attacked."
"Well my lord, I don't know anything about that, your current orders are to move and support the Carthius squad."
"I know what our orders are officer, I need to clear them with Lord Galieo before we make the effort. Get me the Chaplain."
"My lord, I don't know where Lord Galieo is and even if I were to sent for him it might take hours to find him in this giant ship."
"How can he be lost on the damned ship of ours?" Julius roared in anger.
Officers voice was now half trembling and scared of Julius' outburst "M-My lord I overheard that the Chaplain is in his private quarters on a vox-communication with the Chapter Master."
"Then you know where he is, call him."
"B-but my lord he explicitly ordered not to be disturb and the Captain Quintus wont let calls to his chambers."
"Patch me Quintus now." Julius' patience was running thin.
"V-very well my lord."
"This is Captain Quintus, what is it sergeant?" responded Quintus.
"Quintus, I heard that the Wallfire bastion is about to came under attack we need to assist them if we wish to preserve the continuous aid of the Imperial Guard."
"Lord Galieo gave you your orders, it is not up to me to change them. Obey them Julius. Remember the Codex brother 'Obey thy masters and lords'." quoted Quintus.
"Guardsmen are no use to us dead. If the Ork forces we saw grew in numbers than the Wallfire will fall and the Idagenia Regulars will be no more."
"It is unfortunate but all must do what we must brother. Please don't make this harder."
"Is it true that the Chaplain is talking to the Chapter Master?" asked Julius changing the subject.
"It is."
"Then it is more dire than we thought. You don't tell me something, brother." accused Julius.
"Look brother, we all fight our wars on our scales. I know you serve the Emperor wholeheartedly but you need to obey the Codex more to rise as a hero. Obeying the Codex sometimes mean turning a blind eye to other's perils but orders are orders. Emperor commands and we obey."
"We do brother but I don't believe that the Emperor orders us to abandon guardsmen to slaughter."
"Julius, please don't do anything harsh, we need coherency more than ever, the battle of the guardsmen aren't going well, we need you more than ever, now that the 7th Idagenia regulars are annihilated the guardsmen are useless in the war effort. We need to see the big picture."
"What are you saying, brother?"
Quintus sighed "We are pulling off Idagenia, brother."
Julius cut off the vox. He stayed silent for a moment looking around.
"We move towards Wallfire bastion, we aid the guardsmen as best as we can." announced to his squad.
"What? This is a clear violation of the Codex law. We have direct orders from Lord Galieo." Modius moved towards the sergeant in quick steps.
Aegon moved in to intercept Modius but Modius shoved him aside and came face to face with Julius.
"Our orders are not applicable now, I am the commanding Astartes of this squad and we will not leave the Emperor's subject to massacre." Julius explained.
"You had no problem with leaving them before, what changed?" pointed our Modius.
"Modius calm down." said Decimus moving in and looming a shadow over him.
"I made a mistake then Modius, if we would help them maybe the 7th would not be destroyed. Maybe the battle would turn in our favor." Julius said.
"No you didn't made a mistake, you're doing one now." Modius said.
"Maybe I didn't, but now the stakes are higher. If we let the Orks conquer Idagenia, it would mean that we leave the Emperor's domain to the Xenos scum to plunder."
"It is against the Codex Astartes that we disregard our orders. I will not be part of such a..." he stopped for a moment "heresy!" he concluded.
"You wouldn't dare." hissed Aegon.
"That is quite enough." concluded Decimus separating Modius from the sergeant presence.
"Modius, how dare you accuse me of such a claim." said Julius, more disappointed than angry.
"I have always followed the Codex, obeyed my lords and Emperor. How dare you?" pressed on Julius.
"I-I'm sorry sergeant, I was carried away." apologized Modius.
"We will do this deed and after we return to Golema I will ask for your reassignment." said Julius with eyes that cut through Modius.
"No one, and I mean no one. Not you, not the Chaplain or even the Chapter Master dares to accuse me of faithlessness." Julius' voice was stern and razor sharp. His reserve only came through years of Astartes training and experience. If Julius were a newly assigned marine he would launch towards Modius in a moments notice.
"I have served more than you being an Astartes." Julius concluded then he turned towards the squad and addressed them.
"I hereby revoke the orders of Chaplain Galieo and aid the Wallfire bastion in its defence. Anyone who does not wish to partake in such an effort is free to leave." declared Julius.
None of the marines moved for a moment. Then Aegon moved towards the sergeant and raised his fist high. "For the Emperor!"
Rest of the squad did the same thing and the street filled with their voice. "For the Emperor!"
Julius turned towards the Wallfire bastion and started moving. Rest of the squad moved behind him in unison.
Modius stood for a moment alone. He watched as the Tempes squad moved away from him. Then he started marching towards the Wallfire.