"At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst."- Aristotle

Being a part of a patrol group in the Arbites has never been more exciting in city 32 on Tartarian. It almost made me wish for the simpler days when the mutant scum would only occasionally show their faces before scurrying away into the depths of the undercity. Now though with these damn chaos worshippers to organize all the mutants and the gangs the undercity has become a warzone.

"Emperor damn these vile scum," said cadet Thak interrupting my train of thought. The Arbites were starting to get desperate; dangerously low on bodies we had to start throwing our cadets out of the academy early so that we had the man power to face the ever growing forces which beset city 32. I swear they were getting younger with each new one they threw me and they weren't getting any better at surviving.

"The Emperor may damn them cadet Thak but it is our job to punish them." Responded Arbite Zuriel sagely. I served with Zuriel for years and the man was three years my senior; I've learned to trust his advice and take it into consideration when making decisions in battle. The position of command sometimes came with great burden.

Before the uprisings patrols were carried out in groups of two. Now the standard was three the third usually being a new cadet needing to be trained. Thak was Zuriel and mines fourth trainee and with the Emperor's grace he would live. After all the forces of chaos were getting stronger each passing day. No one wanted to say it but we all knew that soon even the Adeptus Arbites would not be able to hold back the heretical flood building up.

I gripped my shotgun tighter and noticed Zuriel do the same with his power maul and suppression shield. The hairs on the back of my neck were standing up as our group approached the rundown hab-block. That is if you could even call these ramshackle slums habs. Most of the inhabitants seemed normal; occasionally you'd catch a glimpse of a deformed hand or hear the insane babbling of some chaos worshipper echoing from the depths.

But as normal as any of these people seemed I knew that more than likely they were against his glorious light. For that they must be punished the Lex Imperialis left no room for doubt on that point and it was something I was willing to believe without question. After a few years battling those who have shunned his teaching I no longer have any doubts maybe pity and perspective but not doubts.

It was then that the trap was sprung, and we walked right into it, the chatter of autorifles and the hiss of lasbeams as they sliced through the air over our helmeted heads. I sighted in on one of the attackers who hadn't taken cover and was shooting erratically missing us by a wide margin. The grotesque face of the mutant disappeared in a shower of gore as my shotgun boomed and let loose its deadly frag round.

"Form up behind me!" barked Zuriel as he threw his suppression shield in-front of him. Autorifle rounds panged off of the heavy plasteel as it crackled with electricity when Zuriel activated it. Thak and I followed his suggestion and got behind him letting his shield take the punishment. All the while I was looking for a way out, some kind of cover or at least a way to even the odds.

"Over there into that hab!" I yelled. Zuriel hearing my order began to move toward the opening of the hab letting his suppression shield take the endless torrent of fire. Thak and I stayed behind him both of us taking potshots with our shotguns as we proceeded along. We managed to take down a few more of the bastards before we finally found refuge in the rundown hab where a woman was cowering in the corner with her two children. A minor offense in itself; city 32 was overcrowded and population controls allowed for a mother to have only one child. But I would have to deal with that another time.

"Zuriel stay by the entrance, any of those heretics get close give 'em a good knock on the head otherwise try to keep their attention and draw them over here. Cadet Thak you follow me we're going to see if we can flank these bastards." My voice rang loud and clear and my companions did as they were told Zuriel stayed by the door and Thak was right behind me as I kicked down the back door of the hab. My shotgun at the ready should anything be on the other-side.

After a quick survey of the area we proceeded down the alleyway the door had lead to; I took cover at the corner and peered around. Satisfied I motioned for Thak to keep following me as I rounded the corner and came to a stop at the next, again peeking around to get a view of the situation. My helmet giving me heads up information on the number of hostile entities as I peered at the large group pouring a torrent of fire at the entrance of the hab we were just in; at least a dozen in all and packing only simple auto and lasrifles.

I could hear Zuriel cursing them even over the din of combat.

"Alright Thak on my order you run to the other side of the street and once you reach a covered position you start pouring fire into those heretical bastards backs." I said to Thak sternly, making sure the information stuck. I didn't need another dead cadet; we were going to need all the able bodies we could get. He merely nodded and waited for me to give the order. Good boy. Again I peered around the corner making sure mutants and regular rebels alike wouldn't notice Thak as he made his way across the street. Seeing that Zuriel had them all thoroughly distracted I gave the order. "Now!" and like that he was off racing across the street and getting into position.

Moments later the boom of Thak's shotgun was heard as he began to put his slug rounds into mutant and heretic backs felling them with surprisingly accurate fire. As soon as the mutants took their attention off of Zuriel to face the new threat the man charged toward the group. Brandishing his power maul he brought it down into the nearest mutant's head effectively obliterating its skull in a vivid display of black foul-looking gore. Then he casually batted another mutant away with his suppression shield the arcs of electricity frying its twisted body in the process.

Taking his action as my queue I stepped from behind my cover and began to unload frag-rounds into the throng of now disorganized mutants and heretics. Some tried to retreat only to be brought down by Thak's accurate shotgun slugs. I began to advance upon the foul creatures never pausing in my barrage. As I approached one of the mutants in a panicked attempt to flee came running straight at me. I drove the solid butt of my shotgun into what passed for the vile beings nose with a sickening crunch.

It gurgled and then fell clutching at its face howling in pain. I bestowed mercy on the foul creature with a blast from my shotgun effectively putting a fist sized hole in its skeletal chest and ending its misery. As I approached I witnessed the last of the heretics standing get on his knees and beg for mercy.

"There is no such thing for filth like you." Zuriel stated as he cracked the man across his temple killing him in an arc of blood with yet another crunching noise. A few who had merely been injured moaned as they lay dying. The street was bathed in their blood as we walked among those still alive and writhing on the cold rockcrete, Thak having joined us when I motioned for him to.

I spotted one that wasn't a mutant and looked like the leader if his slightly better dress was of any indication. He was among those still alive and with what looked like a survivable wound. He would be valuable for questioning back at the precinct courthouse. "Treat that one's wounds and make sure he lives Zuriel, he may have answers to some of our superior's questions. Thak send the rest to the warp." I said pointing to the one to be kept alive.

"If you say so sir; personally I think we should just kill the traitorous filth and be done with it." Replied Zuriel as he walked off to perform his duty.

As Thak and Zuriel went about their appointed duties I voxed our situation in, "I need a snatch team in the undercity at hab-block number 31-B. We have apprehended a suspected leader of the rebel forces, over."

"Copy that Arbite Drustos. Snatch team is outbound to your position please hold in the mean time over and out." The mechanical voice of the operator stated back. With that taken care of I sat back and listened for the booming echoes as Thak put these heretics out of their misery. It was far too merciful if you ask me but at least the scum would be dead. I walked over to where Zuriel was treating our prisoner and I was not surprised to hear the man screaming as Zuriel applied salves and sewed wounds shut with not much in the way of gentleness. To make sure the man would not attack Zuriel had bound him with our standard issue bindings his hands twisted behind him in an uncomfortable fashion.

"How is our prisoner holding up Zuriel?" I asked casually, the screaming having died to mere labored breaths.

"Wretch wouldn't shut up for a bit there, but I believe he should make it to the interrogators alive and well. Pity as that is." he replied.

"The false Emperor will not save you! You all will suffer at the hands of my brothers and the true gods!" The heretic all but screamed out of his overtaxed lungs.

"Perhaps he will not save us heretic. But he will ensure that your brothers and 'gods' will fail. None shall eclipse his divine light; the Emperor protects." I stated the benediction with great reverence.

"The Emperor protects," both Zuriel and Thak echoed. The Heretic spat a gob of blood at our feet before Zuriel roughly hauled him to his feet aggravating his wound and making him grunt in pain. Throughout our conversation Thak had been taking care of the heretics still alive, the blasts from his shotgun sharp and piercing in the amphitheatre of the hab-block.

I turned in time to see the youth close in on the last breathing heretic and aim the shotgun at its head, holding its gaze as he did so. I couldn't help but feel proud of my cadet which prompted my response.

"The Emperor smiles upon you for doing his work today cadet Thak. I believe you will have a promising future in his service with the Arbites."

"Yes sir." Thak replied as he pulled the trigger yet again silencing another heretic. I just

stood there and smiled; the Emperor smiles upon us all indeed.

"If we don't change our direction we're likely to end up where we're headed."

-Chinese proverb

The deck plates thundered as we jogged in ordered formation into the troopships which would shuttle us planet-side. We were briefed that our regiment the 82nd death korps along with the 121st Hoarfell, and the 145th Randon would take city 32 along with help provided by PDF, and Adeptus Arbite forces already present. Our mission was to eradicate the heretical and insurrectionist factions within the city.

Up the ramp we went into our assigned dropship S-1050 and I got to our seats and strapped in securing our lasguns to the cradles next to them. That done we waited for the ship to fill up and for the boarding to finish. We were all strapped in and ready to go when the sounds of groaning metal reached our ears as the ship lurched forward out of the hangar-bay and into the void of space. I imagined the fiery inferno of atmospheric entry as the turbulence worsened, and we entered the embrace of Tartarian.

Some seemed sick and were trying to hold in their paste. A few failed and others yelled as half-digested pink-paste splattered against them. Most of us Korpsmen remained impassive save for those who were a little sickened by the motions of the ship as it swayed. Finally after what seemed an eternity the ship finally settled and the rest of the ride was smooth as we touched down.

"Alright boys and girls it's time to get those asses moving lets get out of here. Go, go, go!" bellowed one of the sergeants. I believe it was one of the Hoarfell sergeants judging by his speech. Despite this we all listened and unstrapped our harnesses, grabbed our war-gear and began to disembark. Thundering down the ramp and lining up outside on the massive landing pad which was on the top of one of the towers which lead to the innards of the massive hive city 32. The world around us outside of the city was dead for lack of a better word. The arid and pollution choked air made every korpsman thankful for their mask the guardsmen of other regiments around us could be heard coughing trying to soldier through it to the entrance. It must have been difficult for them.

The baleful sun looked down on us with what could be called distain or maybe disgust. Eventually we made it into the towers monolithic structure the large doorway swallowing us all as we entered what passed as the upper-class part of city 32. The denizens of city 32 looked at us with awe; probably due to the sheer amount of us that came poring out into the expanse of the uppermost part of this particular tower.

To think that this same scene was playing out all over the city at other landing pads was something to really be in awe of; so many of us being brought in to quell one insurrection. We then were lead into the centre of the inner tower and lined up yet again in solid blocks to await further orders. The watchmaster on hand gave no pause in beginning to assign duties to our respective squads. Fenria and I eagerly awaited and before long our squad was called forth to do our duty.

It seemed like an arbitrary thing but we were assigned to simply begin securing the area along with several other squads. It was without a doubt that if there was any safe place in this city it would be on the uppermost floors. However, ours was not to question why.

…

Watching the Guardsmen march into the tower centre was an awe-inspiring sight indeed; a true display of the Emperor's might, his divine hammer about to be brought to bear against the heretics in our midst. Thak and Zuriel stood to my left and right respectively. We had been recalled to help with the arrival of the Imperial Guard regiments which would be city 32's salvation.

"After you get past the sheer amount of them this is the most rag-tag looking group of guardsmen I've ever seen," commented Zuriel.

I couldn't help but agree, "Yes they do seem… varied"

"Hey who's the regiment in the gasmasks? There some kind of contamination we ought to know about?" queried Thak.

"No that's probably just part of their doctrine. Guard regiments vary wildly in tactics and dress depending on what world they originate from." I responded backhandedly.

In truth I wasn't really paying attention to my young cadet. The very guardsmen he had pointed out were a cause for concern in and of themselves if who I thought they were was correct. The Death Korps of Krieg; I've only ever heard of them second-hand through idle chatter and such. But the rumors surrounding them were disturbing to say the least. Faith and loyalty to the Emperor is something which should be upheld; however, sometimes there are shades of grey and if the rumors were true these particular guardsmen would not be able to distinguish such a thing and cause unneeded destruction because of it.

"I don't care if it's their doctrine. How am I supposed to trust in a man who won't show me his face?" Zuriel stated while munching on… something.

"So long as their faith in the Emperor is firm there is no reason we should not trust them," replied Thak in a droning voice.

"Emperor, what are they teaching you cadets these days?" Snorted Zuriel as he finished his food with two audible munches.

"What is that supposed to mean arbite Zuriel? If I didn't know any better I would swear you were a heretic." Thak replied subtle warning in his voice.

"What he means cadet Thak is that there are sometimes shades of gray. Do not interpret the Lex Imperialis of the Arbites so literally. Sometimes one must look within oneself for the Emperors true will to be seen." I said passively as I gazed out at the tight block-like precision formations of the masked guardsmen.

"Besides, with this lot coming to our city we will have enough blind faith for all of us."

…

Looking at the blanks as they marched beside us one would have to do a double take. As a matter of fact now that we were all off the cramped passageways of the Nosce Te Impsum it was easy to see how ragtag we really were. No two regiments were from the same world or had the same uniform pattern. Hell I'm pretty sure that no two regiments from that ship even fought the same.

The blanks marched in precise square configurations. The 121st Hoarfell myself included seemed to imitate them but we were much more loose, less disciplined I suppose. Plus the contrast in uniform was an oxymoron in itself; The Hoarfell's olive fatigues, ragged cloaks, and flak jackets clashed against the black and grey greatcoats and fatigues of the Death Korps. Plus there was the Randon 145th; they wore some kind of bright red getup, white circle on the chest plate usually with a dark handprint in it.

To think we were all supposed to save this world. Even worse was the thought that this ragtag conglomeration of different Imperial Guard regiments and others like them saved Surris, my own home world. Looking to Cain on my right I noticed many of the same feelings written all over his face. Eventually we came to a halt and given an objective to take care of; Cain and I were put to work unloading the multitude of equipment we brought with us. Specifically Cain and I along with the rest of our unit were tasked with unloading the most precious of all the Imperial Guards supplies, food. Crates and crates of the prepackaged stuff all to be transported to the area which was designated and being transformed into the bases makeshift mess area.

"Hey, we should grab a few extra rations now while we can. You know as soon as we get out to the field we'll be scrounging up rats to eat. Besides when are we gonna be this close to solid food again before the damn blanks turn it into that paste?" said Dorn 'Hack' our units medic.

"Ya know that's the first good idea I've heard from you in all this time Hack. All in favor?" said Cain gaining the response of the three others which made up our unit.

I was the voice of reason and I voiced my own opinions as we passed the two blanks guarding the entrance to the makeshift mess which was once a lobby of some sort. "Better not guys, stealing food is grounds for execution. And with blanks all around us do you guys really want to take the chance, and get caught? We all know they'd shoot us without hesitation, and worse yet they have permission, hell they have explicit orders to do it from their officers." The end of my statement was met with silence. They all knew I was right, better to go a little hungry later than get shot now.

"You hear that from that friend of yours?" asked Garvel, slight contempt lacing his words. It was well known among my unit that Jericus was a friend of mine, and a blank. The only one of them who trusted me enough to accept it was Cain the others I sometimes caught giving me suspicious looks as if I was a blank myself. I took it all in stride though; if you let things like that get in your head then you're liable to die. Or so our drill sergeant told us all.

Putting the crate that Cain and I were carrying down we turned to the Korpsman responsible for the cataloging of all the food none other than Mess sergeant 562.

"That's the entire supply of synthetic meat Guardsman Xavier. Next are the spices." Replied 562 clearly.

"Spices? You actually use spices. I've never tasted any in that slop you make. It's protein paste at best and if we're lucky it doesn't have any taste at all," grumbled Cain as he put one foot up on the crate. 562 abruptly brushed Cain's foot off the crate and affixed him with that empty eyed stare that blanks were so infamous.

"Please carry on with your duties as instructed Guardsman Cain." Replied 562 tersely. The rest of our unit watched on with mild interest as Cain and 562 engaged in a tense staring contest. Eventually 562 won and we were all walking back to where the crates were being unloaded from the supply-ships.

"Emperor, did you know 562 knew our names? I don't remember talking to the guy on the Ipsum other than that one time to complain about the food. Guess it was a small ship after all," said Cain muttering the last bit under his breath.

"You know how those blanks are man. Wouldn't be surprised if he's just waiting for an excuse to off ya; I'd be more careful around old 562 if I were you Cain," replied Eli our designated marksman.

"It wouldn't be a bad idea to be a little less hostile to him." I said absently.

"I was just kidding with him. 562 an' me go all the way back to day one mess on the Ipsum with our little spats. Granted he only ever said about five words to me before today and I didn't know he made the food, or his name, but we're all good," said Cain in a joking manner making wild gestures with his arms. It got a good laugh from the rest of the unit; even I chuckled a little bit.

Soon we were all hauling more crates back to the mess and back to 562 and his checklist. Strangest thing was we really were hauling spices and I'm sure the one thing going through all our minds was where in the warp were these when we were on the Ipsum.

"Hey lads how goes stock duty?" Sergeant Grim asked casually while leaning against a nearby wall eating some-kind of fruit.

"Where'd you get that?" asked Eli excitement in his voice. From what we gathered about him his family business had been a fruit stand in one of the markets on Surris.

"Some local fair," Grim replied spitting out some seeds as he did so. Then he tossed the half eaten fruit to Eli and walked away to do whatever. None of us questioned why the sarg wasn't working with us; we all figured the vets deserved a little more respect than that. Eli took a bite out of the fruit visibly relishing the taste then he passed it along to Hack who nodded appreciatively before nibbling on it himself. The others finished up what was left before we got back to 562. Emperor only knew what he'd do to us if he thought we stole some of his food. It was going to be a long day getting these essential supplies off the ship.

…

After a few hours of arbitrary work S-1050, 1052, 1045, 1046, and I were finally done securing the perimeter and were being relieved by another unit who would begin to set up defenses including some barriers as well as some auto-cannons to help keep the area secure. We were to head back to the main area which had by now been set up as what would be our barracks and main base of operations for the duration of our stay in city 32. Once there new orders would be issued. Rumors had permeated that we were going to be sent into the city proper to the lower levels where the fighting was starting to get bad.

If these rumors interested any of those around me though you wouldn't be able to tell, stoic as we all always were these days. When we had finally returned to the main operating base we were quickly debriefed by our superiors then sent out yet again but this time in force and large contingent of the 82nd along with the 121st Hoarfell to the lower levels. The rumors had turned out to be true the fighting had gotten bad. Local PDF and Arbite forces were being pressed hard by the rebels. Their defenses starting to strain, the 82nd Krieg and 121st Hoarfell were to reinforce the main line and begin to drive the rebel lines back. The campaign was starting to get underway as the last of our preparations were put in place at our base of operations. In just one more day we were going to war.

A/N: So, I know the shift to first person pov may have thrown a few of you off, but I just wanted to try something a bit different with this chapter, get more into the characters heads a bit. Don't worry for those of you craving more action it will be coming in the next few chapters as the war ramps up. See you next week. Kindly R&R.

300-709.