-XXXVI-

Vox crackled loudly at Aaron's hip.

He grabbed it and held in his hand pushing the transmission slit. "Aaron here, repeat." he called in.

"Incoming...Orks...we got...inco..." vox went dead.

"Orks." Ioras growled, his temper was up. He was still looking at the horrible murder pit called the Red River.

"Yes, numbers unknown." replied Aaron "We must get back, come on, lord." he hurried.

As Ioras followed Aaron into the trench-tunnels once more the distinct cry of Ork rokkit barrage started wailing.

"Where is Ioras?" asked Horatus running towards the Colonel Ibrahim Adva.

The guardsmen accompanying him was alarmed and raised his lasgun instinctively, he wasn't expecting a giant angry Space Marine this day.

Colonel put a hand on his barrel and lowered the gun.

"He was with my Captain, they're at the front-trenches." Colonel said.

Extus was gathering and Horatus turned to them.

"We must go there." Horatus said.

"My men are capable of holding Orks off, hollowed marine." he heard Colonel say.

Horatus turned to look at the old men. He was about to say something insulting about the Colonel about their weak guardsmen but Julius' voice cut through.

"It's just protocol, Colonel, please return to your command-tent and assume command of your forces." he said.

Colonel nodded and went on his business.

Rokkit fire landed around them throwing chucks of dirt all over the place.

"How many?" asked Aaron to his sergeant.

"Front trench reported fifty sightings, at least." she replied.

They were keeping their heads down and had their backs to the trench walls.

Ioras was standing upright, looking directly ahead.

Two dozen Napthali were around them waiting in the trenches, lasguns at the ready. This was the personal unit of Aaron, Talamud's bodyguards.

Ioras decided that the Captain was much loved by his men, the old Colonel was the commanding officer but Captain Talamud was the men with them in the trenches.

He endured whatever they endured and it gained their respect.

Aaron looked up at Ioras and the thought of warning him to keep his head down crossed his mind for a second, but with a better judgement he decided not to warn the Space Marine on anything. He was sure the marine was more than capable in matters of war and might take a warning as an insult.

"Fifty is too low." said Ioras to himself.

Sergeant Hilaa looked taken aback.

"My Lord, our spotters never fail us." she said defensively.

Ioras looked at her and Aaron tensed for a moment not knowing what reaction the Space Marine would give.

Instead of an expected outburst Ioras came near them and knelt beside them. He was still was higher them.

"Orks do not attack without sufficient numbers, this gap is at least half a mile, they need more than fifty to reach us." he explained.

Hilaa looked scared from Ioras' sound. The helmet-grill turned his voice into a monster's.

From netted dug-outs Napthali heavy weapon teams started firing their autocannons on the advancing Orks.

One of them fired several single shots towards the advancing Orks and after his third round the rest four autocannons rattled.

"They're gauging range." Ioras thought to himself.

Several Orks toppled in the distant slope.

Aaron rose from the trenches to look at the situation. Ahead of them was the first trench.

"Is Roi in place?" he asked without looking at Sergeant Hilaa.

She also rose to take a peak over the trench, "He is, sir." she replied.

An Ork artillery shell landed behind them showering the trench with dirt.

"Shaaked, you got the mark?" Aaron said into his vox-bead.

"I have the target." came in a crackling voice.

"Open Fire!" Aaron shouted swinging his arm high to signal further firing.

A Griffon artillery hidden well beneath netting fired in the distance. Griffon was half buried in the trench and was well hidden. Artillery fire looked like a column of fire rose from the ground for those who does not know the position of the gun.

A loud thump came from the distance.

"Target?" Aaron voxed.

"Destroyed." came in Artillery officer's voice.

A smoke was rising in the distance where the shell landed.

Autoncannons rattled more, into unseen targets inside the chasm.

Ioras wasn't able to see the chasm from their position.

"Do we go to first trench, sir?" asked Sergeant Hilaa.

"We must make sure there is no more artillery barrage before making through the trenches, otherwise we'll be dead meat." Aaron said peering at the Ork territory.

Orks had reached the bottom of the Red River by now and was struggling to get across over the corpses. One stumble and fell into the mass of bodies, when he rose again his entire front was covered red with blood. Some Orks used their bloody hands to make battle marks on their faces with the blood.

Thumping autocannon fire landed among them, blowing body parts high in the air. Several Orks were shredded by the fire while others manage to pass unscathed. One Ork had his chest ripped open by an autocannon and fell on his back, guts swinging about. He immediately became a part of the hundred thousand dead he was on.

Thirty two Orks had made it through the chasm but now they had to climb the slope upwards towards the trenches.

A Napthali guardsmen peered through his rocket launcher scope, tracking the Orks. He pulled the trigger and a frag missile launched through the tube.

It blew in a gathering of Orks, killing two. The shrapnel scattering around manage to blind one and cause injuries in two more. Two Orks managed to move ahead slowly but the blinded one was struck with pain and lost his bearing.

"There is no other artillery fire, let's go, over the line." shouted Aaron and squad rose from the trench.

Ioras followed them into the first trench.

Just as they arrived a second rokkit barrage started.

Land mere seconds before they traversed erupted with explosions.

Several rokkits manage to hit the first trench. One blew a guardsmen apart, luckily the explosion stuck between two men and was contained with just three deaths. Another landed in a less populated corner and exploded harmlessly.

Last one landed at the trench wall and blew sideways hot dirt onto the face of one Napthali, blinding him with scorched dirt. Young boy wasn't even able to scream as his body went into shock. His face was fused and his body went limp, falling to the dirt trench floor. A medic ran over at him. Ioras looked at the situation, it was bad. He did not had any intention of helping guardsmen and let the medic handle it.

"How bad is it, rofa?" Aaron asked the medic.

Medic was a young man not much older than the poor fellow he was tending to.

Ioras realised that 'rofa' was their language substitute for 'doc'.

"Bad." he just said.

Ioras raised an eyebrow, he wasn't expecting someone to talk curt with Aaron.

"We need to get him to Chief Yoram." said Aaron hurried.

"I can handle it." said the medic annoyed, he unhooked a spike from his belt.

"Come on, Zev, don't turn this int..." said Aaron.

"Just shut up, sir." medic Zev cut in.

Aaron stayed silent.

Medic Zev stabbed the choking guardsmen in the neck, then pulled a tube from his belt.

He pushed the tube as he pulled back the spike. Guardsmen was able to breath through the tube and Zev made sure the tube stuck in place.

"Nothing much I can do." he said rising back.

"Thank you." Aaron said.

"Keep it." Zev said with a sharp turn and walking away.

Aaron let out a breath and turned to saw Ioras unsheathing his giant chainsword and checking his boltpistol.

"That won't be necessary, they won't reach here." he said.

Several closer guardsmen had felt nervous by having an armed Space Marine so close.

"Just in case." Ioras said.

Several rokkit barrage came streaking through the air and fell short, blowing at the slope not even reaching the trench. One Ork was blown apart by a stray rokkit. His corpse fell back towards the chasm floor rolling all the way.

Officer Shaaked's Griffon roared a shell over the chasm in response.

Ork noises can be heard now, they were close by. Ioras picked up their lumbering noises way before the guardsmen.

As the first Orks manage to scale the slope and run towards the trenches over the straight ground, a nearby heavy bolter started firing. A heavy weapons team was laying fire at the Orks. He manage to kill four Orks but they still came at the trench.

"Lasguns fire!" shouted Aaron.

Red las-bolts filled the air. Some guardsmen were bursting their lasguns while others picked aimed shots at the Orks.

Bursting las-fire mostly missed but Ioras realised their point. They slowed the Orks down and caused hindrance, while the aimed shots had killed off the Orks one by one.

Some lucky burst-fire manage to score some kills but the aimed shots took their toll from the Ork mob. Ork sluggas fired back but the walls of the trench held back the crude dakka fire.

Two nearby autocannons started firing on the Orks at mid-range and ripped the remaining ones apart.

Orks still came at them dying by the second. Their combat fever overtook their reasoning.

Ioras tensed as the Orks closed in, ready to strike.

Orks died more and more and eventually only one remained alive to reach the trench-line.

Grunting and shouting the lone Ork charged towards Ioras, distinguishing him as a worthy figure to fight, judging from his light-blue gigantic armour.

Ioras was ready, he turned to the side waiting for an eventual clumsy swing, which he would reply with a sudden chainsword strike.

Ork's head popped open as a loud 'BANG' rang around the now silent trenches, startling the guardsmen.

Horatus' boltpistol was smoking.

"We missed it?" he asked annoyed looking at the dead Orks.

"Scout five, report." voxed in Aaron.

"Clear Napth-one." report came in.

Looking at the gathered Space Marines "It's clear, no more Orks." said Aaron as if to ease them into calm.

Horatus was pacing as Julius stood atop the trenches trying to see ahead into the Red River.

"Julius get down, now." ordered Ioras.

"I need to see what's down there." Julius replied.

"Just the dead, you don't need to do anything expect following my orders." said Ioras.

"Affirmative." said Julius obediently and dropped himself, landing into the trench with a loud thud.

Guardsmen were visibly annoyed by having these colourful brutes with them in the trenches. Space Marines made perfect targets within the trenches with their light-blue armour and their giant bulk. And none of the Napthali wanted to die because some Ork had the smarts to shoot at the colourful thing in the trenches.

"We came here for nothing, then." said Horatus annoyed.

"Orks never ran out, brother." said Deciaci beside him playing with the teeth of his chainsword.

"They better not." Horatus said.

"Stop pacing, now." said Ioras.

Horatus halted and looked squarely at Ioras.

Ioras ignored his stare and turned to Aaron.

"It seems I was wrong, there were no more Orks."

"But what forced them to such a mad attack?" asked Aaron puzzled.

"I've seen Orks use battle-drugs before, I would expect such an idiocy." replied Ioras.

Aaron didn't reply, his sergeant came near them and told something into his ear.

Captain nodded and she dashed off into the trenches.

"It appears you are needed at the command." said Aaron.

"I'll leave you with your men then." Ioras said.

He turned and marched in a steady pace through the guardsmen. His vox clicked and adjusted to squad comm frequency.

"Squad Extus, back to Command Tent, double time." he ordered.

As they leave, Ioras caught Captain Aaron shouting into his vox-bead.

"Patrol Six, respond. Damn it." Aaron swore in the distance.

Ioras stopped and the squad halted their advance as he did.

"Hilaa, get me a vox-caster." he heard Aaron call.

Sergeant Hilaa appeared with a vox-trooper running at her heels.

Aaron immediately grabbed the vox-mic "Patrol six, respond."

He waited a second and was startled when a screaming voice came through the vox.

"Help!" a voice almost screamed, garbled voices kept coming as Aaron listened.

"Help us, they're in the trenches-"

"Oh great Emperor, they tore Taluk's limbs-"

"Oh Terra-"

The man sounded dazed.

Aaron pushed the comm-button "Talk to me, where are you? What is going on?" he shouted into the vox-mic.

He released the button and waited anxiously for a reply.

"We-we...we're at trench three, east-seven-"

"They killed all of us-"

"They butchered-"

The guardsmen's rambling voice came through, several guardsmen had turned and threw scared glances at Aaron's direction.

"Listen to me, we are on our way, do you hear? We are..."

"Link died, sir." informed the vox-trooper.

Aaron let go of the vox-mic and it fell towards the vox-trooper's leg, dangling on it's cord.

He felt numb, but he needed to keep it together.

A shadow loomed over him.

"It appears you need help." said Ioras.

"Yes, but you need to go back. We can handle this." said Aaron.

"A breach in the trenches would serve us no purpose, we will help you." said Ioras.

"Thank you, we must move quickly." said Aaron composing himself.

He turned to his Sergeant "Hilaa grab your squad and follow me, inform Roi to keep vigil over both sides." he said.

Medic Zev had appeared at the trench, his movements claimed that he too was coming with them but he did not inform Aaron about this.

"You can't come, it's too dangerous." Aaron said realising Zev's intention.

"There are wounded." said Zev.

"Yes, but you are the only medic here, I can't afford to lose you."

"Only medic mad enough to serve in the front is what you mean, but I won't take orders from you 'Captain'" Zev said, saying the last word like an insult.

"You do, I am your Captain." said Aaron almost angry.

"No sir, Medic division take direct orders from the Command Squad, so you can put that 'Captaincy' of yours into it's unshining place."

Ioras watched the two men bicker and half-expected a fist fight.

"A Commissar would be a great addition." he thought to himself.

As the issue was not resolved he realised he did not care.

"We are moving now." he said pulling at Aaron's collar.

"I need you to lead me to the point." he said curtly.

Aaron and Hilaa's men were at their heels and Zev was at the back carrying his medic-bag with him.

Hilaa signalled her guardsmen and the squad fanned out taking cover behind ammo crates and metal stands. Some used mud-corners to peer into other trenches. The zigzagging trenches made them harder for the enemy to clear them out but it also made them harder to retake once captured.

"Clear." signalled one guardsmen and moved ahead.

Achagon was behind three guardsmen.

Rexus, Fextus and Herean had taken another route to clear while Ioras, Julius and Cussax took another.

Horatus and Deciaci was at Achagon's heels with their chainswords and boltpistols at the ready.

Iulius was above the trenches where he had a clear view of the surrounding. If anyone wanted to flank one group by going over the trenches they would have a nasty surprise.

Three guardsmen moved ahead signalling each other for clear.

They came upon a trench filled with five dead guardsmen. Achagon was at the corner and he realised the guardsmen died very close to each other as if they had been ambushed.

Napthali guardsmen moved about the dead, trying to recognize any. One of them removed the dog-tags from the corpses as he moved about.

As Deciaci came behind them he realised the halt.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Just some dead guardsmen." answered Horatus uncaring.

"They died so close to each other." Achagon said to no one in particular.

"So? Who cares." Horatus said and started to move ahead.

Just as he moved Achagon looked ahead the trench where a group of tucked in tent-clothing and guardsmen's equipment boxes laid.

He also realised the crude barrel of a gun.

"Enemy!" he shouted at the guardsmen in warning but it was too late.

The big shoota opened fire ripping through the guardsmen. Two of them died immediately and the last was wounded at his guts.

Shoota turned on Horatus next. It's rapid firing cycle brought a dozen bullets at his chest. One of the landed on his forehead lurching his head backwards. Among sparks and ricocheting lead Horatus turned the corner and got away out of the line of fire.

They all had their backs to the trench wall. Achagon could hear the moaning guardsmen still alive. He was expecting the Ork gunner to shoot the guardsmen but the rattle of shoota never came.

"Could he be waiting for us to help the guardsmen?" he thought to himself.

Orks were dumb beasts but this one was much clever than the usual rabble. Whoever it was.

"We need to be quick, he might still be saved." Achagon said.

"I don't care." said Horatus checking his chestplate for any punctures. It had none.

"You got a plan?" Deciaci asked Achagon ignoring Horatus' remark.

"I need a bearing, run towards the side trench and the Ork will fire on you, can you do that?" he said.

"Easy." Deciaci said and readied himself for the run.

Achagon had removed his scope for the trench was to narrow and too short to use a scope effectively.

"Go." he marked.

Deciaci broke into a run. He passed through the trench and reached the other side with Dakka fire at his heels.

Dust rose from the puncture points the dakka was landing. Achagon raised his sniper and calculated the likely point of origin from the bullet trajectories.

Without breaking his elevation he turned the corner and took the Ork in his iron sights.

He fired.

Bolt round flew direct and exploded in the mass of tent-netting and equipment crates.

Canned food flew around as the round blew.

Achagon heard the Ork swore in his crude language but also realised that he had missed.

He was readying for a second shot but a large object fell on the Ork as he tried to rise.

Achagon realised that it was Horatus, he had traversed over the trenches for no necessity and might have exposed their position and endangered himself.

He felt anger flare in his mind, the Assault Sergeant was rash and direct. He could be targeted by artillery or sniper fire and there was no reason for him to go over other than a rash and not thought out idea.

Him and Deciaci approached the Sergeant as he punched the Ork again and again, breaking his face.

"What were you doing?" asked Achagon almost angry.

Horatus looked up from the Ork "What do you mean?" he said, amusement returned to him voice now that he was punching an Ork senseless.

"I could take him out." said Achagon.

"I have every confidence in your amazing abilities Lord Achagon." mused Horatus punching the Ork once again in the face.

"But see? I got him alive." he said grabbing the Ork and pulling him to his feet.

Ork's entire face was ruined, his jaw broke and half his neck had gaped in.

"He is in no condition to speak let alone think." Achagon said.

"Just drop it, you won't win." Deciaci advised, more attuned with his sergeant's behaviour.

"Is he now?" said Horatus kicking the Ork in the back.

Ork fell flat on his face and tried to rise a second later.

Horatus picked his boltpistol and put a round through his head. Exploding head splashed all over Achagon's feet.

"He doesn't need thinking no more." commented Horatus.

"Such inefficiency." thought Achagon to himself but kept his council.

"Cunning Orks though." said Deciaci.

Horatus kicked the Ork to turn it face upwards.

"Kommandos." he sneered.

"We got Kommandos." came in Ioras' vox.

"Affirmative." replied Rexus.

Fextus and Herean moved to his sides covering the corners.

Sergeant Hilaa and two more guardsmen stood behind him.

Rextus advanced in the middle of the trench-line.

"Is he so arrogant that he does not even care about taking cover." thought Sergeant Hilaa eyeing the marine from the back.

She then realised that the marine was carrying the Heavy Flamer at ease, putting up a lax posture, one can be tricked by thinking that the marine was arrogant and not-alert.

"He is goading them to himself." She thought to herself, also considering the huge advantage the marine had in the narrow trenches with his flame weapon.

"Stay behind me, don't want you to cook." Rexus said raising his Heavy Flamer muzzle.

"Yes, sir." said Hilaa.

"I am not your sir, call me Rexus."

Hilaa looked at the marine before replying, not sure to comply or not.

"Yes, Rexus." she said.

"I did not catch your name, sergeant." the marine said.

"Sergeant Hilaa of Napth..." she began.

"Well met. Sergeant Hilaa, you fought with the Lion Warriors?" Rexus asked.

"We did, although they were not present in our ranks." she replied.

"They stood back while you fight off?" Rexus asked his voice curious.

"They did, we were backed by some other Imperial Guard, Balharat or something."

"I know of the guardsmen you speak off."

"You fought with them?" she asked probing Rexus for his standing with the Balhareth.

"Not with them but for them, apparently. We saved their infantry from butcher but they blamed us for their failings." Rexus said not caring about complaining about a guard unit.

"In character I suppose, they ran the first chance they got, leaving us to dead with the Orks." she said.

"You hate them?" Rexus said curious.

"I do, there is nothing worse than a coward guardsmen."

"The great sin of the guard so I heard. Leaving combat."

"It is, a direct insult to the Emperor of Mankind" she pointed out putting a hand on her breast, underneath her coat was where she kept her copy of the Uplifting Primer.

Rexus was silent. Still walking at a slower pace.

"If you don't mind me asking, why were you..." she began.

What happened next took only a second.

Rexus turned in one motion, Hilaa realised the boltpistol in his hand.

Her mind raced, was she about to be executed? Did he dislike something she said? She thought of her home in that fraction of a second where the boltpistol rose up and fired.

A loud bang, she felt deafened by the sound. I was like a hammer landing on her head. The blast itself hit her and she felt her innards rise as the shock overtook her body. Her ears hurt.

Her hand instinctively reached for her Uplifting Primer, placing a hand on hear breast, inside it was her son's picture, she kept it close, close to her heart.

But she was alive, how? Did the shot missed? Was the shot not intended for her?

She reached back into reality as the deafening shot echoes off into the trenches. She heard a meaty thud of a giant corpse hitting the muddy trench floor but she had no time to turn and look.

"We are under attack!" roared Rexus' vox-caster.

"Take cover." The giant marine boomed as he locked his boltpistol and rose his Heavy Flamer to firing angle.

A guardsmen rammed at Hilaa, pushing her behind a crate, other one was beside them firing his lasgun at some target Hilaa could not see.

Her eyes were locked at Rexus.

The marine towered in the middle of the trench.

Four Ork Kommandos were ahead of the trench and two more were behind them.

"We're ambushed." she heard one other marine vox-in.

Fextus let out a volley down the trench, trying to suppress the Orks. While Herean fired twice, wounding an Ork. Kommando fell his knee blown.

Behind them was an Ork Kommando with a pair of sluggas. He fired the crude weapons at Rexus. Chinks and sparks flew around Rexus but he kept his footing.

Other Ork was armed with one slugga and one choppa. They were standing wide apart trying to minimise Rexus' effectiveness.

Trenches however was perfect for a flame weapon.

Hilaa heard a fissing sound as the Heavy Flamer pulled in the flammable gas and chambered it. The next sound was a wush where gas turned to immolation once it reached the outer igniter.

Her eyes were blinded by the shining column of fire. Rexus poured the deadly weapon at the Orks.

Kommando with the sluggas was caught entirely while his comrade jumped into a nearby trench corner to survive.

Ork screamed as the flames took him. He trashed for a few seconds until his brain boiled in his skull and his burning corpse dropped onto the mud. Hissing at the ground, unmoving and still.

The second Ork had survived by sheer reflex and he revealed himself, charging ahead.

Hilaa expected a second fire column but it never came.

Instead Rexus turned on his heels aiming at the other side.

The Orks were close now, Kommando had reached the front side where Fextus and Herean was blazing bolters at them.

These Orks were different than their kin, they moved faster and more clever, hiding behind crates until the bolter burst spent themselves.

They were close now, at charging distance.

Fextus let out a burst blowing one Kommando apart.

Behind them was the lone Kommando charging at Rexus. He was within arm distance but Rexus kept ignoring him.

In a blur Herean shouldered into the charging Kommando blowing him behind. They landed side by side tumbling at the trench floor.

Hilaa heard a bone crunching under the impact.

Two remaining Kommandos barged into Fextus. He was knocked onto the ground.

Orks triumphantly charged at the fallen Space Marine, he was easy prey.

One stood over his stabbing down with his custom-choppa. It was a long blade similar looking to Imperial stormtrooper combat knifes.

Fextus stopped the blade with the lower barrel of his bolter, then turned the gun sideways. Blade slipped behind the barrel and was locked by the sickle-magazine of the bolter.

Fextus lunged sideways throwing the blade with his momentum, he also turned and rolled using this force.

In the fraction of a second two Kommandos stood alone within the trench, Rextus' Heavy Flamer muzzle looking directly at them.

Flame roared and enveloped the Kommandos.

"Burn, alien." Rexus said as the Orks trashed around burning crisp.

Hilaa was still shaking, she had seen combat before. She was an Imperial Guard. But the Space Marines fighting felt entirely different. They felt sure, tactical and most importantly powerful.

It was like watching a sledge hammer breaking a cow's head, turning it into a smear of gore.

They were not just overarmoured and overarmed giants, they were the Angels of Death.

Ioras and Julius walked side by side covering ahead with their boltguns while Cussax had the back.

Captain Aaron and his men was spread to the walls their lasguns at the ready.

"Why did you do it, Julius?" asked Ioras.

"Lord?"

"Why did you go against the orders on Idagenia?" Ioras asked.

"I thought it was the right thing to do." answered Julius not sure of himself.

"Despite everything the Chapter and the Codex thought you, you decided that your Lord's are not worthy enough to make true judgements." Ioras said.

"I never said anything about Lord Galieo's command." Julius objected.

"But you did, you went against his direct orders and caused your brother's demise." Ioras said.

Julius stayed silent.

"Do you think it was worth it?"

"No, I don't." answered Julius.

"You got on easy, Galieo should have executed you." said Ioras.

"Do you despise me, Lord?" asked Julius with a new found courage.

"I do."

"Have you never went against any order?"

"I did, however it did not cost the lives of my brothers." answered Ioras.

"I can't change the past, only make amends."

"You are doing a poor job of it."

"I-"

"You go against my orders, you act rash and furious, we are not some Chapter which boasts several thousand battle brothers, we are the Emperor's Spears and we need to calculate our movements and actions."

"You're correct."

"If I am, then why don't you do as I bid?"

"I am torn between duty and guilt."

"I understand but you need to steel yourself, you need to rise above your weakness."

"I have no weakness." objected Julius.

"And that is where you deceive yourself." said Ioras shaking his head in disappointment.

They kept traversing the trenches in silence.

"Movement ahead." said Julius.

"Where?" came Captain Aaron.

"I don't see anything."

"Something slipped into the leftmost tunnel." said Julius without changing posture, he did not want his body to give away anything.

They moved in closer.

A metre to the tunnel they grabbed the trench wall, moving beside it like glued to it.

Ioras was behind Julius, when Julius gave the mark both of them moved fast and pointed their guns at the tunnel entrance.

"Don't kill me!" a scream came out.

They were able to see two hands swinging at them inside the darkness.

"Get out here." ordered Ioras.

"Please don't kill me." said the man complying.

His shirt was ripped and there was a deep gash on his forehead. His own blood coated face dripping onto his shirt.

The terror of death made the men numb to his injury.

"Calm down, we are with you." said Aaron revealing himself.

"Thank the Emperor, Captain, it was horrible, they're still after me, they killed them all, we had no-" rumbled the men.

"Okay, you're safe now, tell me where they are."

"We-we we were..." trailed the wounded man, his body finally giving in, he slumped onto the mud floor.

"Levan and Oren, grab him." Aaron said lifting the man's head from the mud.

Two guardsmen put the man's arms over their shoulders and lifted him to his dangling feet.

Ioras and Julius had the area covered with their bolters.

"Check the tunnel." ordered Ioras to two guardsmen and they went obediently into the dark tunnel.

Medic Zev had reached the wounded and looked into his eyes.

"He's out, lay him there, that wound needs stiching." he said pointing at a nearby plank of wood.

Two guardsmen laid the wounded men down slowly.

"We need to get him away from here."

"Nobody leaves." said Ioras scanning around.

"This is a combat zone." objected Aaron.

Ioras stood silent.

"You know something I don't, what happened?" Aaron asked piecing together Ioras' silence.

"We are under attack." said Ioras silently.

Aaron's eyes grew as he raised his lasgun to his chest clasping it tight.

A small shape landed at the trench beside Julius.

"Grenade!" shouted Julius and kicked the small shape.

It flew a metre away from them and exploded.

A conflagration filled the trench, it was a Firey Stikkbomb, an incendiary Kommando explosive.

Column of flame enveloped Julius. Aaron dived into the tunnel but the others were not so lucky.

Ioras crouched beside Zev and took the brunt of the heat on his shoulder pad.

Cussax manage to sidestep into a corner and let the flames pass, two guardsmen followed his example and manage to survive.

The other two guardsmen beside the wounded with Zev had no where to hide. Levan hid behind Oren and only had half his body got licked by flames.

Oren crumbled instantly without so much as a scream as his flesh immolated and his mind locked under the immense pain. His hair had burned and eyes blackened by the fire. He fell in an awkward position, his body still burning. Levan had his right arm burning and threw himself to the ground rolling over the flames trying to douse them. His trashing ended after a few seconds but he stayed laying despite his success at saving himself.

Cussax was already firing. His burst firing alerted the rest as the flames ceased.

Two shaped appeared ahead of Julius' position and charged at him. Julius fired a burst into the smoke and the Orks returned fire with their sluggas. A bullet whizzed past his helmet and another glanced off his shoulderpad.

He unlocked his chainsword but did not clasp it. He fired into the smoke and heard the exploding bolt round inside flesh. One figure among the smoke was felled while other charged ahead.

Ioras rose from his position and turned with his bolter in hand. He came face to face with an Ork, Kommando was above the trenches carrying a shoota.

Ork had the initiative and fired a full burst at Ioras at close range.

Rounds hit Ioras' armour and was stopped by the ceremite plating. Even the glancing rounds hit home with a force that rocked Ioras on his feet. He tried to stay upright and lowered his upper body to compensate under the hail of fire. He was not aware of the second Kommando above himself on the otherside of the trench.

Ioras heard a Heavy Bolter fire from distance, despite the range Iulius was on the mark. Kommando with the shoota was blown apart by the hail of bolt rounds. His body pieces landed back above the trench.

The second Kommando saw his demise and jumped atop Ioras. He landed on Ioras stabbing his choppa. It was a short knife with knuckle-duster spikes.

Ioras felt blade bit deep on his neck just near his shoulder-blade. His body numbed out the pain and he threw himself back crashing into the trench wall.

Ork exhaled a breath as his chest was crushed and several ribs broke under the weight of the Space Marine.

Ioras threw the Ork over his shoulder, the blade came out from his wound as the Ork gripped it tight.

He pressed his boltgun's muzzle on his face and let a round into it. Brain exploded around.

Two more Kommandos jumped into the trenches. One was struck by a heavy bolter round mid-air, his feet exploding away. The Ork landed on his arm with a crunch, breaking his wrist.

Aaron was atop the Ork in the instant stabbing down with his bayonet.

Other Ork let a round onto Ioras' chest then swung his choppa hard. Ioras glanced the blow from his shoulder-pad and punched the Ork in the nose with his right fist.

Cussax was fighting against two Orks as the remaining guardsmen fired at them. Cussax dived from one blow and fired a burst into the Ork. Lasbolts rained on the other Ork but the Kommando was not fazed. He stabbed at a guardsmen and knocked him away wounding his arm. Kommando charged at Cussax with both his choppas. Cussax blocked one choppa with his boltgun but the second one landed on his head. His helmet rocked hard as the spiked axe caused sparks, deflecting off the armour.

It was a lucky save but Cussax was dazed for a moment. Kommando capitalised on this and swung again with both his choppas. One lucky lasfire landed on his calf, Ork's leg crumpled as his muscle melted under the las-bolt. He fell on his knee his blows landing in an awkward position. Cussax hit the Ork in the face with the butt of his boltgun and slumped him backward into the mud.

Julius ducked under the choppa swing and grabbed his chainsword in one motion. He was still grasping his boltgun in his other hand.

Ork Kommando fired a volley from his shoota clasped in one hand. Most of it's rounds flew away and only two manage to land near Julius blowing dust near his feet.

Julius fired a burst with his boltgun, but his aim was also off, not being able to brace the bolter with just one hand. Two rounds landed beside the Ork showing him with rocks from the trench wall. One other bolt near missed the Ork clanking off his crude shoulder-pad. Ork lunged at Julius.

They both dropped their ranged weapons into the mud and clashed. This Ork was bigger in stature and in generally better shape then the rest. His face was painted with black paint and had metal shoulder-pads and knee-pads. His choppa was also better made than the rest. It had spikes at the sides following the blade.

Julius pushed the Ork, shouldering it. Ork pushed back. They interlocked for a second but Julius side stepped in the hope of dislodging the Ork. He did not rev his chainsword motors for the Ork's blade had extra chains on it that was probably used to lock chain-blades. Ork did not topple over but instead reversed his push and left a gap between them.

A gap perfect for swinging his blade. Julius ducked under the blade and felt it struck one of his backpack vents. Ork did not let his advantage slip by and attacked again.

Julius parried the attack with his chainsword. Ork knew the Space Marine was better armoured so he pulled out a stikkbomb from his belt. He armed it and then lunged at Julius.

He rose to a crouching position and dropped the stikkbomb behind a nearby crate. It exploded half a metre away behind the crate. The blow threw Julius on his back and showered him with splintered wood and canned food.

Kommando landed on him stabbing down with his choppa. Julius blocked the attacks with his chainsword. He locked the blade between the chain-blades of the chainsword and revved the motor. The chains around the cross guard got sucked in by the chainsword and stopped the blades from spinning.

However that was what Julius expecting to happen, now the two blades were locked together and Kommando was unarmed as well as Julius.

He punched the Ork in the face. Ork fell sideways to the mud. As the Ork rose he found himself looking at his own shoota.

Kommando grinned.

"What are you grinning at?" Julius said and pulled the trigger.

It clicked but nothing happened. He pulled it several times but still nothing.

"Warped piece of Ork dung." Julius said and threw the shoota aside.

Ork was reaching for another grenade but Julius pulled out his boltpistol and shot the Kommando in the face.

"That's that." he said.

Nearby Ioras kicked the Ork backwards onto the trench wall, Kommando swung his choppa keep Ioras in distance. Ork swung his choppa several times more to intimidate Ioras.

Lasfire rained on the Kommando from both sides. To Ioras' right Aaron was on his feet firing at the Ork, to his left was Junior Medic Zev had grabbed the lasgun of the burned guardsmen firing at the Ork in bursts. Ork was struck by a dozen lasbolts from both sides and fell to the ground.

"Is that the all of it?" asked Aaron coming near Ioras.

Julius was returning to their side.

"I hope so." Ioras replied.

His hand went to his wound on his back, his gauntlet came back without blood. It had already clogged. Even a deep gash like that would not stop a Space Marine.

"You were hurt." said Zev coming close to Ioras.

"I'll survive." Ioras replied.

"Emperor Protects" Zev said.

Ioras looked at the half burned Guardsmen Levan still lying on the ground "Most of the time." he said.

One guardsmen came from Cussax' direction running.

"We got one, come quick." he said.

Two marines and Aaron ran while Zev stayed behind with the wounded.

Ork was coughing blood on the floor with Cussax's bolter pointing to his face and his feet on his chest. Other guardsmen were also around them pointing their lasguns at the downed Ork.

Cussax released his feet and stood beside the Ork.

Ioras came in and kicked the Ork in the arm.

"Tell us what you know, Ork." he spat.

"I'z Kommando, I don tell ya anyfin mareen." grumbled Ork spitting a bloody teeth.

Ioras bent down and grabbed the teeth.

Ork rose to sitting position.

"Oi, dez mine." he shouted behind the teeth.

Ioras looked at the Ork then kicked him again.

"Speak, who is leading you? What did you hoped to accomplish by this infiltration." he asked shouting.

"Youz grot-mareens are weak." said the Ork nodding towards the Napthali Guardsmen.

"Cursed greenskin." shouted Aaron.

"Wez loot ya gud, wez wontta loot sum more, know wham sayin?"

"How did you manage to get past the sentries?" asked Ioras.

"Dem boyz chargin over da blod riva." Ork said.

"How did you manage to get them to suicide charge?"

"Dok Blud fed dem stupid boyz sum, maniak-juice." Ork spat another goblet of blood.

"Maniac-Juice?" asked Juice.

Ioras shoot his head.

Ork was fast dying before their eyes.

"What is your plan? Tell us abo-" shouted Ioras.

Ork choked on blood and fell back.

"Youz all gunna die, Big boss Skargor will getch ya-" he said giving out his last breath.

"That wasn't helpful" Julius said.

"We need to go back to the command tent." said Ioras and started walking.

"Grab the wounded." Aaron ordered his guardsmen.

"We can't wait for you." said Ioras turning.

"Go, we'll catch up. Orks are dead anyway." Aaron replied.