-XXXV-
Ioras and Ibrahim walked towards the forward trenches through a smaller trench.
Ioras in his giant armour caught interested glances but he ignored them.
Ibrahim was a middle aged man but carried himself well. Ioras wasn't able to detect any augmentations on him, despite his long service record. Expected forced-retirement age for Imperial Guard was early and this man has survived all that.
"Not everything is shown over the skin." Ioras reminded himself.
Ibrahim stopped when they reached a fortified dug-out with a vox-caster close by.
"What are we to talk about, lord?" Ibrahim said.
It was clear that the old veteran was not impressed by Ioras' size and only trying to keep the respect.
"You don't need to call me 'lord', just call me Ioras."
"However you wish."
"Look Colonel, I understand that your men did an outstanding job holding this position against everything that was thrown at them."
Ibrahim was expecting the next words.
"But I must ask you for more." Ioras finished waiting for his reaction.
Ibrahim removed his cap and strolled a hand through his bleaching hair.
"It is the way of things I guess. I wasn't expecting you until the Lady Agathe called in, but we still had the glimmer of hope that we would pull back to the safety of the hive walls. Your arrival destroyed that hope." he said neutrally.
"I'm sorry Colonel, but there is a great danger on this planet that we must put a stop to. Emperor calls his guardsmen to their duty once more." Ioras said.
"And as always, His Hammer shall answer." said Ibrahim Adva proudly.
Ioras put a hand on his shoulder.
"You're a noble soul and your men are devout as well." said Ioras.
"They are my sons, I know how your 'brotherhood' works in the Chapters. And I don't expect you to understand it."
"You fought with Astartes before?" Ioras asked.
"I did" he paused not sure as if to tell what he thought next.
"I saw some...things."
"Tell me." prompted Ioras.
Ibrahim looked uncertain.
"I wish to know what your men would think of us. I can't lead men into fire unless I understand them." said Ioras.
Colonel relaxed a little.
"Some marines were ruthless, chopping down guardsmen just because they were in the way. Not caring if their weapons would cause casualties among the civilians or guardsmen. And those like Lion Warriors led my men to massacre." he said.
He opened his hands around him.
"All these trenches were drenched in my men's blood. They left us. Called back our artillery and misplaced our armour. And those damn Balhareth ran away in the first chance they got." his voice was filled with anger and desperation.
For a moment he realised his outburst and looked at Ioras expecting to be punished or summarily executed.
Ioras grabbed his helmet and released its pressure-locks. With a click-hiss the helmet came off, revealing a human face beneath.
"Don't worry Ibrahim Adva, I won't let those who fight with us to fall to ruin."
"You came here with Lion Warriors, but I haven't seen Sergeant Orson." stated Ibrahim saying the name like a poison.
"He is in custody, rest your mind that he is not in any shape to hinder us anymore." Ioras comforted.
"I-I'm sorry that you received a cold treatment when you arrived. My men are weary of Astartes."
"I don't mind it. We were less than welcomed in Echtesia."
A long pause ensured.
"You talked about a 'grave danger' on Echtesia?" asked Colonel Ibrahim.
"There is an alien threat that is allowing Orks free entry to this planet, it must be stopped." explained Ioras.
"So, what is to be done?"
"We need to traverse the Red River into the Ork held territory and reach a certain objective. Then it's up to us to stop it."
"Over the Red River?" gasped Colonel horrified.
Ioras raised an eye brow.
"My lor-Ioras, have you seen the Red River yourself?" asked Ibrahim as politely as he can.
"No, Can I?" said Ioras.
"We need to get closer to firing positions, from there you can peer to the chasm." Ibrahim said.
"Lead the way."
They moved deeper into the trenches, there was occasional artillery fire and the moaning noises of Ork shelling but other than that the front seemed quiet.
"It's calm." said Ioras.
"Don't let it fool you, just the pull before the tide." Ibrahim said using his homeworld's saying.
As deeper they moved the trenches become more narrow, Ioras turned sideways to be able to pass them.
"Sorry, we need to keep the trenches narrow to bog down any potential Orks." said Ibrahim.
"It works against Astartes too." said Ioras unamused.
They reached an opening where two mortal pits were stationed.
Each was manned by two guardsmen. One of the guardsmen was a women and lobbed a shell into the mortal.
The gun thudded and lobbed the shell deep into Ork territory.
"We need to keep them off our back and disoriented." explained Ibrahim.
"Cease fire! Cease fire!" came in a guardsmen shouting.
It was a young man, in his mid-twenties
"Aliza, Gavid, pack that up and re-deploy at east-seven-one." he ordered.
The guardsmen shouldered the still smoking mortar piece, not touching the barrel as not to get burned, while the guardswomen grabbed several metal boxes containing the shells. They ran and disappeared into the trenches to the east.
"Aaron, come here." said Colonel Ibrahim.
Young guardsmen ran towards them and seemed to just realise the huge light-blue armoured figure standing at the trench.
"Sir." he said.
"This is Lord Ioras, he is our Force Commander now." Ibrahim introduced.
Guardsmen locked his heels and stood upright, his hand snapped not to his head but to his opposite shoulder with an open palm. He stood like a statue.
"Cholam! Bridge Captain Aaron Talamud of 62nd Naphtali Brigadiers at your service, Lord!" he shouted at Ioras.
"At ease, soldier." Ioras said.
Aaron looked at Ioras' head awkwardly for a second unable to pull off his gaze.
"Stop staring." warned Ibrahim.
"S-sorry, sir. I just..." Aaron trailed off.
"Never seen an Astartes helmetless up close?" finished Ioras.
"Yes, lord, my apologies."
"None needed." Ioras said.
He gazed the young officer for a moment, noticing that Naphtali did not had their rank-insignia on their shoulders but had a piece of rank-signifying cloth column over their heart. Aaron had three skulls in a downwards column signifying his rank.
"I heard of that name before." Ioras trailed.
"Sir?" asked Aaron and looked at Colonel with an unsure look.
"You're the one Adir Ilan talked about." Ioras remembered.
"Adir? Haven't seen him for days, lord." Aaron said.
"He was back at the outer cluster."
"But the cluster is overrun by Orks. You met him? Is he alright?" Aaron asked with a fever.
"We made sure he is. He and the rest of Naphtali artillery will meet us here." Ioras ensured.
"Bless the Emperor, thank you my lord." said Captain.
"Was he a close friend?" asked Ioras.
"Yes, very close." Aaron said.
Colonel Ibrahim cleared his throat to get their attention.
"Aaron, Lord Ioras wants to see the Red River with his own eyes. I need you to led him to a good vantage point." said Colonel.
"Yes, sir. Will do." said Aaron nodding.
"Excuse me my lord, but I am not fit anymore to raise myself above the trenches." said Ibrahim.
"No worries, you are probably needed at the command tent." said Ioras.
Then he pointed at one of the nearby guardsmen laying on his belly with lasgun ready.
"You! Yes, you. Accompany your colonel to the command tent." Ioras ordered.
"If it's okay with you too, Captain." Ioras prompted.
"Double time, soldier!" roared Aaron at the guardsmen to emphasize his allowance.
"I can manage my own, lord." Ibrahim said.
Ioras turned to him "I insist, don't make me order it, Colonel." he said.
"Be safe, Lord Ioras." Colonel said and left with the accompanying guardsmen.
"Now if you follow me." Aaron said and led the way.
They went inside a closed tunnel network and Ioras had donned his helmet back on, for his head scraped the roof.
"Sorry, sir." excused Aaron.
Ioras didn't reply.
These damned narrow trenches and tunnels started to get on his nerves. His Astartes instincts screamed to just roll over all the way inside the Chimeras crushing everything underfoot.
"Thinking that some Chapters excel at this trench-crawling." Ioras grumbled to himself.
"Just a few metres, lord." Aaron ensured.
And they were out again.
Ioras froze. They came at a fortified position overlooking the battlements. It was a little mud hill and was circled by broken building parts but it was high enough to see the whole area.
And the chasm.
A long and deep chasm.
A chasm that was originally deeper.
Deeper if it wasn't filled with bodies.
It was red. Just red.
Despite the green of the Ork flesh.
And the uniforms of the guardsmen.
It was red.
"Red River." gasped Ioras.
Aaron looked sad just looking at it.
Filled with hundreds of thousands of corpses.
A mass grave that filled the chasm. All the way through.
Ork and men on top of each other.
Blending together in death. In red blood.
"Do you feel it?" asked Julius.
Renon looked up at the marine.
"Feel what?" he asked.
"The iron." Julius mumbled.
"What iron? The armour?"
"No, in the air, around us."
"That don't make sense." said Renon.
"It's-it's the blood."
"Blood?" Renon looked confused, they were surrounded with mud and debris but no apparent blood.
"So much blood." Julius trailed off.