-XXII-
Squad had left the Balharethi guardsmen behind them as they moved closer to the battle line among the rubble of the outskirts of Hive Echtesia.
"Weak guardsmen blaming us for their own failings." breathed Horatus heavily.
"They are what they are, as long as they don't hinder us there is no concern." said Ioras.
"For you maybe, but I want respect from those we saved." said Horatus.
Julius had the rearguard as he did not want to be close to Ioras. With his every moment the shame and the guilt bare down on him.
First he let his brothers die and now he endangered others with his emotions.
"My emotions are my doom." he thought as he walked silently.
Deciaci slowed his pace to get close to Julius.
"I can feel your stress, brother." he said.
"Became a librarian eh?" asked Julius.
"It does not require the gifts to sense it. You're a walking krak." said Deciaci.
"I'm sorry I let you down back there."
"No need, this is war and we are not stone men."
"I should be better than this, mere anger cannot be my undoing, brother." said Julius.
He felt tired, he felt vulnerable, his mind felt as if the whole sky was resting on his shoulders.
"We are Astartes but even the great Primarch weren't soulless machines." said Deciaci.
"Primarchs? I never figured one of the Assault squad would be wise in such matters." said Julius honestly.
"I don't blame you, others think of us as crazed berserkers with jump-packs, some sure are but others are not void in the mind." replied Deciaci.
"What were you before this? Before becoming one?" asked Julius.
"I don't remember much but I remember a library. I guess my family owned it or they watched over it."
"Aegenian Great Library?" asked Julius.
"I don't think so, I came from Egytia." answered Deciaci.
Their conversation ended when the loud noises of artillery started to be heard.
"Enemy artillery?" asked Achagon trying to find the direction but the high buildings around them created echoes and he wasn't able to pinpoint the exact direction.
"No, I've got several mechanized units up ahead, heat signitures suggest small frames." said Iulius looking at his auspex.
"More guardsmen." snarled Horatus clearly displeased with the company of their weaker kin.
"Move!" ordered Ioras and they marched towards the location.
They came upon four basilisk artillery pieces coming towards them. Their long artillery pieces sprouting forth like spears.
Julius heard shouting as the artillerymen spotted the Space Marines. The hatch of the leading basilisk groaned open and a head popped out eyeing the marines.
"Don't shoot." shouted the head as the Marines closed in. Ten marines closing in was a terrifying sight to humans but this man was obviously more scared of something.
"Identify yourself!" shouted Ioras as the squad stood watching the Basilisk come forth. They stopped a few metres short of the squad and the man who shouted before jumped out of the basilisk in a hurry.
He took a quick peek at the end of the street where they were coming from and ran towards Ioras. He stopped a few paces ahead of them and shot a salute.
"7th Artillery group of Naphtali Brigadiers, Artillery officer Adir Ilan, lord!" shouted the man.
"Emperor's Spears, Apothecary Ioras." replied Ioras seeing the man had the proper military attitude and humoured him with the proper military reply.
"Lord we are being chased." said Adir hurriedly.
"By whom?" asked Ioras.
"Orks, we spotted them moving towards our position but we had no backup and had to run."
"How many Orks?"
"Many, I sent some of my men to scout on them, we only knew about them because of their slow movements and loud noises. We don't know the exact number but my scouts guessed at least thirty, with vehicles."
"Armour?"
"I think so, they all had the same type of rumbling machinery, they all look the same to me." said the officer.
"We encountered many Orks behind the defensive line, how did they even get behind and with armour as well?" asked Ioras seeking an answer to his long standing question.
"Lord, the defensive line is a mess. We got all kinds of reports and some say there are gaps between army units and the Orks just strolled through them. Some reported that Orks crushed their way in through guard units. We are not sure."
"Who is conducting this war effort?"
"At the moment? I have no idea. We were debriefed with several guard units but once the assault on the Red River began it was all chaos."
"Red River?"
"Yes lord, the defensive line you were talking about."
Ioras was about to ask more questions but Adir cut him off.
"Lord please, we need help. We have no backup and the Orks are coming, the basilisks aren't fast enough to outrun them." pleaded the guardsmen.
Horatus moved in "Can't you just leave them."
"No lord, we are duty bound to never leave them, we just can't" said Adir.
Ioras scaled the situation for a second. This man knew more and open enough to tell them about the fighting at the hive Echtesia.
"We need more information on the command structure, the events of the fighting and the locations of the command units." said Ioras.
The man looked uncertain and didn't answer for a second, he glanced awkwardly at Horatus, Ioras knew what he was thinking.
"We won't leave you after we get the intel, if you had such information we will provide you with protection from your pursues but I can't promise more than that." said Ioras.
"That is more than enough thank you." said the man.
Horatus moved close at Ioras and voxed "What? We can't spent more time and ammo on these guardsmen, how many did we helped already? Don't you remember what that sand-begger said to you after we saved their pathetic lives." Horatus was referring to Malik and the Balharethi they left behind.
Ioras was not fazed from Horatus' angry stance and his close proximity.
Officer Adir wasn't able to hear the Space Marines talk but from Horatus' movements he did understand that the man was objecting to helping them.
"Lords, please we need help, for the love of Emperor help us!" he said throwing himself to his knees.
Adir's men was watching their officer begging to the Space Marines for protection from the hatches and gun-decks of their artillery.
Ioras pushed Horatus away from himself with an elbow "Get up Officer Adir, we will help you." he said.
"Thank you, the Orks are close by." he said his voice relieved.
Horatus turned and walked towards the squad not making a sound.
"Can we use these guns to fire at the Orks?" Ioras asked referring to the basilisks.
Officer Adir looked around at the tall ruined buildings all around them before answering.
"Lord if we were to fire them directly we might hit a closer building making it our tomb."
"So we can't use them." muttered Ioras looking at this basilisks.
The cloud and dust was hindering long range visibility but Ioras was able to see several taller buildings up ahead.
"How about those ones." he said pointing.
"We can make those, Lord." said Adir.
"You sure, we would only have one shot at this."
"We won't fail you." said Adir as if Ioras' doubt about their aim was an assault on his honour.
"Then turn the basilisks around and we wait for the Orks to come to us. Then we spring our trap." said Ioras.
"Yes, lord." saluted Adir and went to his men waiting in an orderly fashion near their basilisks.
Ioras went near the squad. Achagon was on the second floor scanning the long street. The visibility was poor but his scope would be all better than mere eye-sight.
Horatus, Julius, Iulius and Deciaci came close to Ioras. The rest of the squad didn't broke their watch over the surroundings.
"Orks are coming, we don't know how many but if the guardsmen stay true then this will be over quickly." said Ioras.
"And what if they don't" said Horatus.
"Then it would be messy." said Ioras.
"So what's the plan?" asked Iulius putting his heavy bolter to the ground to relax his hands.
"Once the Orks show their faces we fire the cannons and topple the buildings on them, afterwards we either stay and shoot or charge and finish it." said Ioras.
"Depending on what?" asked Horatus.
"Shoot if the guards miss and fail, charge if they succeed." deducted Julius.
Ioras was impressed with Julius' skills, he was a good fighter and a good tactician. He wished that he would be more under control and obedient.
"Yes." Ioras confirmed.
"As always we need to stick our necks to fill the gaps the guardsmen make." said Horatus.
"That is why the Emperor made us." said Iulius.
"This mission wasn't started as I expected and it is not going as well." said Horatus.
"You wanted something more 'By the Codex' I assume." said Julius.
"As it should be." said Horatus.
"Codex Astartes points us in the right direction, it surely does not dictate every shot and every blow. I think Primarch Gullimann had faith in us to make our own way while writing the Codex" Julius said.
That shut Horatus and Ioras was smiling inside his helmet.
"Take positions and get ready, we finish this and move on." Ioras ordered and the squad dispersed.