Chapter VII:

Revolution and Imperium

Liberte Et Égalité, Republic of San Magnolia, June 24th SY 2148

"Oooh, it so delicious!" Lena exclaimed as she eagerly took another generous spoonful of Annette's strawberry shortcake.

"The whip cream's artificial but at least I managed to get some real strawberries again," Annette noted as she walked over to Lena with two mugs of tea in her hands. She sets her friend's mug next to her, "By the way… any chance you want to go shopping for party dresses next week? For the Revolution festival?"

"That time already, huh? Annette confirmed with a nod. Lena pouted, displeased at the prospect of dressing up for the event, "I'm probably going have to go to that aren't I?"

"No probably about it and we gotta hustle," Annette reminded her firmly, "All the good dress makers will be booked up if we don't get moving,"

"S-sorry… I'm a bit swamped right now," Lena said apologetically.

Annette turned around with a deadpan stare, upset with her reply, "You know, Lena? It feels like you haven't been around much lately," She pointed out, slightly annoyed.

Lena grinned sheepishly, "O-oh? You know… it might be fun shopping with a guy in your arm. I heard you've met another prospective partner too," She commented casually, dodging Annette's question.

"Oh, you mean Rudolph, right? He was a real cutie,"

"Hah! That's the first one I've heard you compliment. Does that mean-"

"No way." Annette cut her off immediately, "Because Rudolph…" She began by pointing at the row of pictures of her potential partners. Their ages varied differently, from as old as sixty to… "is five years old…"

Lena followed her gaze and landed on the picture of the named "suitor". It was clearly a five-year-old boy that just simply had a huge crush on Annette. "Ah… I see…"

"I get that they're after my family's money and all…" Annette continued nonchalantly, "But, like, at least try."

"What's with the photos? Are these your former marriage prospects?"

Annette's mood soured, "A prank by my team," She explained bitterly, "Lest I forget… they said…" Her silver eyes narrowed as she leaned forward, "Ugh, Lena, are you getting any sleep? Your face looks like hell,"

"Oh? Does it really?"

"You've clearly been overusing the Para-Raid. Didn't I tell you that sharing sensory data puts a strain in your brain?" Annette berated her like she was scolding a mere child.

"That's not it. I was just up all-night analysing combat data," Lena placatively explained. "And talking with high-ranking officers of the Imperial Guard, but that's nothing…" She thought sarcastically to herself.

Annette glared at her coldly, arms crossed over her chest, "I've told you before: doing favours for the Eighty-Six is a pointless waste of time."

Though she would disagree, Lena remained silent and only offered an apologetic smile again.

She spent the couple of nights negotiating and discussing with Captain Parris and Colonel Frazyer, two officers of the Cadian 501st Regiment. They have shared with her that their general will make himself and the rest of their forces known to the Republic but they needed people on the inside to vouch for them, to be able to convince or coerce the government to accept their aid and in doing so, stand up for themselves instead of hiding behind the Gran Mur.

To their disappointment, Major Milizé couldn't do much about that. Her mother might be a minor noble, but she wouldn't do much in the government since they overthrew their monarchy centuries ago. Sure, her uncle was an influential and authoritative figure in the Republic Armed Forces, he could shake things up in the government but unfortunately, Jérôme Karlstahl has abandoned his fight for justice and was as guilty as any other prominent figure in the Republic.

Only she and maybe Annette could be trusted to cooperate with the Imperial Guard but that was about it. All that she could do is provide daily intel from the inside… and trying her best to at least convince her uncle to accept them.

It is going to be a tough, uphill battle but she would do her best, if not for the sake of her country, then maybe for the sake of Spearhead Squadron, the Eighty-Six… and Shin.

She had finally learned the real names of her squadron when she talked to them days ago, after the last major engagement against the Legion. To hers and their relief, Kaie Taniya, Personal Name Kirschblüte, was alive and well, having returned to her unit a day later. Although her Juggernaut was completely destroyed, Lena have made a request to her uncle to send in another mech. She had been waiting for the answer since then.

The Eighty-Six have also made amends with her and have since called her by her name, and so did she, happy to have taken another step with them.

Republic of San Magnolia's Eastern Front, First Ward, June 30th SY 2148

The Chimeras of First Company rolled through the prairie with urgency to regroup with Spearhead Squadron. Captain Nouzen has alerted all Imperial Guard forces of a large unit of Legion going to assault the town.

As predicted, shortly after the alert was given, Krieg elements on the first defensive line reported enemy troop movement and have taken heavy fire. The centre front has collapsed by the time the QRF was deployed.

"How in the Golden Throne does that kid know way before our radars?" Sergeant Pavlo asked Holmes with growing suspicion. "I'm starting to think that kid is a psyker, no other explanation to this,"

"If Captain Nouzen is truly a psyker, then that just opens up a whole slew of problems, firstly the Kriegers since they detest psykers. And secondly, it opens the possibility of daemons that may be present in this world." Holmes stated gravely, "We'll cross that bridge when we'll get there. For now, game faces on, troopers!"

All of a sudden, every vox system blared to life with incoherent cries and wails of the damned.

"Mommy!"

"Help me, God!"

"It burns! Please help me, it hurts so much!"

"Goodbye my love…"

The wails were getting stronger and unlike before, there weren't any static, it was as if the dead spoke directly into their vox systems. The Chimera's crewmembers were getting unnerved by the incessant crying.

"These fragging bastards…" The tank commander muttered under his breath, "Using the voices of the dead as weapons!"

"Contact front!" The gunner shouted, alarmed.

The multi-laser opened fire, spewing out burst of lasfire into the ranks of Ameise. The APC grounded to a screeching halt, the ramp dropped open and the Kasrkins jumped out. Autogun fire was quickly drowned by the Cadians' hot-shot lasgun volleys.

Spreading out, the Juggernauts of Spearhead Squadron took to the high ground, jumping over the formation of Guardsmen thanks to their anchor wires, and quickly established cover fire for the ground troops to advance and intercept the enemy, in the hopes of taking some tension away from the centre line.

"Scatter! Don't stay on the street!" Holmes ordered loudly.

The rest of the armoured column joined them, dropping off more Kasrkins and provided suppressive fire. Through the vox micro bead, Holmes could still hear their voices, drowning out the voices of the living.

"Bloody hell! They are more irritating than usual!"

Not only did the voices of the damned restrained most vox comms between friendly units, but the Legion have launched another full-on assault. More Löwe and Skorpion types showed up to counter the Imperial Guard's tanks and Basilisks. The Ameise and Grauwolf drones were more aggressive, charging the defenders and restricting their ability for overwatch fire, isolating elements and forcing them to fight on their own.

Seeing this, Colonel Frazyer deployed all armoured companies in the regiment. Sentinels, Leman Russes, Basilisks, Chimeras and even Hydra Flak tanks, normally tasked with countering enemy aircrafts, were deployed to the front lines. He hoped that the armoured companies would push back the Legion enough for the ground infantry to regroup and reform their lines.

Armoured and Scout Sentinels jumped over obstacles as they gunned down the unrelenting wave of Legion with large array of Imperial firepower, from the humble multi-laser and Autocannon to the heavier and powerful Plasma cannon, Lascannon and Multi-Melta. Fast, nimble and packing a punch way above its weight, the Sentinels surged out and punched through the Legion forces. They were able to keep up with the lightly armoured Juggernauts of the Eighty-Six

Following behind were the armoured fists of the Guard, Leman Russ tanks and a single Rogal Dorn heavy battle tank. The armoured behemoth of a tank was equipped with a myriad of weapons, each as destructive as the other.

Nicknamed the Heretic Stomper, the Rogal Dorn battle tank was armed with two full-size 120mm battle cannons, pumping out tank shells at an impressive rate of fire and accuracy. But that wasn't all, it also sported a hull mounted Castigator Gatling cannon, designed to scythe down infantry in seconds, augmented with a pair of meltaguns to wipe out any close-ranged vehicles along with Heavy Bolter side sponsons. Larger, sturdier and sporting more guns than the already venerable Leman Russ, the Rogal Dorn battle tank was a sight to fear and admire. If the Leman Russ was made for breakthroughs just like the legendary Primarch of the Space Wolves, then the Rogal Dorn was made to withstand an unimaginable amount of enemy fire and still stand to reply in kind and with extreme prejudice, just like the Primarch of the Imperial Fists.

The next step up to the Rogal Dorn would be the Baneblade super heavy tank and all of its colourful and destructive variants.

Rockets and bullets harmlessly bounced off the Heretic Stomper's thick front armour. Its twin-linked battle cannons roared mightily, striking and destroying the Löwe tanks in frontal combat. They were simply no match for an opponent of this firepower and size.

Providing additional overwhelming firepower were the Hydra Flak tanks. It had the light and rapid chassis of the Chimera, and it was equipped with an automated turret armed with four massive autocannons, able to pour down a massive amount of 40mm rounds of pure destruction and death in a short burst. Although made to eliminate aircrafts, its long barrel autocannons were also very effective against infantry and light armoured vehicles.

Yet, with all the armoured might of the Cadian 501st Regiment and Krieg 12th Regiment, the tide of Legion seemed unending, forcing the Imperial Guard to send out all their forces with very few reserves to cover the rear.

Entire apartment buildings crumbled under the furious barrages of Grauwolf rocket fire, indiscriminately firing at everything on sight. Whole roads were blocked by the ruins, forcing friendly tanks to manoeuvre around and cutting off the infantry from their precious tank supports.

Pajk jumped into a shell crater, quickly ejecting the spent power pack of his lasrifle. A few metres behind him was a heavy weapons team armed with the Heavy Bolter, laying down cover fire for the retreating Cadian shock troopers. They were ruthlessly gunned down by the Grauwolves as they charged the line of Krieg guardsmen.

"Open fire!" A Watchmaster hollered sternly.

Pajk peeked out of cover and joined his platoon into the fray, pouring concentrated laser beams down the street, taking out two Grauwolf before the last one vaulted and closed the gap between them. Its large metallic frame crushed four guardsmen before it went on a close quarters slaughter, slicing and shredding through the platoon of Kriegers.

A Korpsman armed with a meltagun had his torso sliced open in front of Pajk. His guts and organs instantly dropped out in a mushy heap as the soldier fell to his knees, clutching the intestines shakingly. Pajk rushed to the dying man and picked up his meltagun. With chilling and grim determination, the faceless Krieger rushed at the lone Grauwolf. He barely dodged the machine's stomping from its jointed legs and slid just under its belly. He pulled the trigger and continuously fired a stream of sub-atomic fusion. The stream punched through the armour and instantly melted its inside. Molten lava poured out of its grievous wounds and orifices. The Grauwolf staggered and fell to the side, almost crushing Pajk underneath it.

Pajk breathed heavily, he was certain that he was dead right after. His eyes were focused at the night sky before the head of a Krieg Commissar peered into his field of vision.

"Krieger? Are you dead?" He asked rhetorically. Pajk innocently shook his head, still clutching his new weapon. "Then get up! We got enemies to kill for the God-Emperor." He ordered firmly.

The trooper rapidly got to his feet and was about to follow the rest of the platoon when a stern hand stopped him in his track. He turned around and saw that the Commissar was still talking to him. "Was that your doing, Guardsman?"

"Yes, commissar."

The gas mask wearing Commissar nodded appreciatively, "If you survive this battle, I'll have you transferred to the Grenadiers company. Congratulations on your veteran status, Krieger." He stated with a friendly pat on the shoulder. "All right, now back to purging this land from these abominations."

Undertaker swerved around and glided past a pair Ameise, his high-frequency blades cutting through them. Both Scout types dropped dead followed by a Grauwolf to his right that was gunned down by Raiden and Kuroto.

The Legion were pinning down the Imperial Guard forces, they've managed to cut off the infantry from their tank supports, isolating them and forcing them to fight desperate last stands. The casualties would be catastrophic at this rate, and it was all due to the Skorpions' effective artillery fire. They voluntarily targeted key buildings that would section off roads and streets between friendly units.

He focused on his ability to "see" the enemy composition and locate the Skorpions. In seconds, withstanding the incessant screams of the dead, he spotted the artillery units.

"Gunslinger, heading 060, distance 800, the enemy's front rank, the line of Skorpions on the bridge." He instructed unhesitatingly.

"Roger, targets spotted." Kurena confirmed absolutely and relayed the coordinates to the rest of her platoon. They lined up and each acquired their targets.

"Mommy! Mommy!"

"Please help me!"

"For the Emperor!"

"Run! Run for your lives!"

"Wait! Don't kill me!"

Sixth platoon fired in unison, their accurate volley fire of 57mm shells pierced the Skorpions' weaker side armour, instantly silencing them.

"Targets silenced, Undertaker." She reported coldly.

"Good. That should give the breathing room the Imperials need to launch their counter-attack."

As the words left his mouth, he perceived at the corner of his eyes a formation of Death Riders charging through a barrage of enemy machine gun fire. The dauntless cavalrymen braved through the shower of bullets, guardsmen died and fell from their horses left and right, but they persevere through the hail of fury, their lances pointed forwards and poised to strike.

"What the...? Are they fucking nuts?!" Haruto shouted in disbelief.

"First platoon, provide cover fire for these men. Let them close the gap."

"Yeah, roger that."

From the roofs, Undertaker and his platoon followed the Death Riders and provided cover fire, eliminating Grauwolf and Löwe types that would've obliterated the Krieg Rough Riders. The charge was successful, the Death Riders punched through the disarrayed ranks of Ameise, their melta bomb tipped lances demolished their armour, leaving behind a trail of smoking husks.

With their main artillery support eliminated, the Legion have retreated quickly. The defenders pursued them until they were out of town, recapturing their lost first line of defence.

The battle has ended in a victory for the Imperial Guard and Spearhead Squadron, but the casualties were disastrous. Over the double of killed in action and triple of wounded was reported compared to the last major engagement. With casualties mounting and with zero reinforcements, General Farestein was getting impatient with the course of the campaign. He feels that the Spearhead Squadron was withholding crucial information that allowed them to detect the enemy before his own men.

Raiden brought a cup of substitute coffee to Shin's desk. The captain of Spearhead nodded gratefully.

"Good work out there," Raiden said with a tired sigh, "Looks like everyone brought out their A-game."

"They all wanted revenge," Shin commented plainly.

"It's a nasty motivator… but can't deny the results," Raiden gazed at the Eighty-Six that were gathered and relaxing in the recreation room. His soft iron greenish eyes frowned with another thought, "Though… I'm starting to worry about our allies." Shin continued to stare at Raiden, listening to him intently, "Their casualties are piling up with every battle, and with no reinforcements for them, they'll eventually die out here… with us and in vain."

"I see what you mean. No matter what they do, even with superior firepower, they have a limited number of manpower and supplies. At the rate we're going, they'll have to fight the Legion with bayonets and bare hands."

"Yeah, I think their cavalrymen was an early sign that it would be the case," Raiden reminded him of the Death Riders they witnessed hours ago. "God knows if they are as crazy or crazier than us," He added with a wry smile.

Firm knocks echoed from the room's door, silencing everyone. Raiden raised an eyebrow and turned to Shin. He shrugged in response. It was unusual that the Cadians would want to speak with them, it was usually the other way around.

"Uh, yes? Come in." Raiden answered unsurely.

Opening the door was Captain Parris, commanding officer of the First Company, with Lieutenant Holmes and Commissar Darius standing behind him.

"Captain Parris, what can we do for you, sir?" Raiden asked formally, eyeing the other two officers in confusion.

"Second Lieutenant Shuga, Captain Nouzen, may we speak with you two privately." Captain Parris requested in a serious tone, "In this room." He insisted firmly.

With a wave of his hand, Shin ordered the rest of the squadron to leave the room, letting the three Imperial officers in and they waited patiently for everyone to head out. Closing the door behind him, Holmes stood stalwart at the door, staring wordlessly at Raiden and Shin.

"What's this about, Captain Parris?" Shin asked with a suspicious gaze.

"Captain Nouzen," Commissar Darius spoke up instead. His voice was stern and grave. He was a veteran that was battle-hardened and tempered by gruelling years of wars against every possible threat in the galaxy. "Despite us possessing advance technology and high-end auspexes and early warning systems, we were somehow alerted quite earlier and frequently by you. You somehow know where the Legion are coming from, how many are they and, by some innate instinct of yours, you know exactly where to attack and which target to prioritise."

He took a menacing step towards Shin and Raiden, easily towering over them, in part thanks to his jet black and blood red peaked cap.

"I've fought through countless campaigns and fought many foes of the Imperium, Captain Nouzen, but never in my life have I seen or heard of a detection system or auspex that was this effective and precise. Even when considering that vox comms in this world is hindered greatly by a global jammer and the infamous voices of the damned…" Commissar Darius gently pushed aside his dark leather greatcoat, intentionally revealing his holstered laspistol. "Captain Nouzen, I value the contribution of your pilots and yourself. You are fierce warriors, and I am honoured to fight alongside you but when I sense treachery, I will do anything necessary to protect the integrity of the Imperial Guardsmen under my command, do you understand me?"

Shin nodded slowly, eyeing warily the laspistol.

"Good, now come clean and truthfully with it. If I detect any lies or half-truths, I will have you and your squadron executed under suspicion of heresy and Chaos corruption. Explain to us how you are able to detect the Legion before us."

As Shin was about to answer, he felt his Para-Raid resonate, a soft silver bell like voice echoed through his ear.

"Captain Nouzen… I wanted to apologize-"

"Sorry, Major Milizé," Shin announced apologetically, not wanting to sound rude for immediately cutting her off, "But I must report to you that you're currently in the presence of Lieutenant Holmes, Captain Parris and Commissar Darius. I'm about to explain to them how I can detect the Legion before anyone else. Do you mind holding your thought for a couple of minutes?"

"Hah? T-there all present in the same room? Um, uh, yes, please go on! I'm all ears." Major Milizé replied nervously.

Shin couldn't help but let a small, soft grin, charmed by her antics, "Thank you, Milizé…" He sighed heavily and cleared his throat, "When I was younger… I came very close to dying. Or to be more accurate, I think I actually did die," He began by removing his sky-blue scarf, revealing the gruesome scar around his neck. It was all jagged and unprecise, as if his head was cut off hastily by an amateur.

Holmes perked up at the sight, it all made sense with Shin's almost apathetic attitude and the personal mark of his Juggernaut, the headless skeleton knight.

"So that's why I can hear them. The voices of the dead. The ghosts who died but who are still here… just like me."

"Ghosts?" Darius asked inquisitively, "Does it perhaps have to do with the fact that they collect human brains, damaged or not, to assimilate into their ranks?"

"Yes… I think that they are ghosts too. Somehow, the brains they assimilate with always had their last memories replayed on a loop, hence their wails we hear in our Para-Raid and your vox comms. They are an army of a lost country; they have no reason to exist now that the Empire has fallen."

"So, you can constantly hear them? Day in and day out?" Parris asked worryingly.

"Exactly and depending on the distance it could be incredibly loud or just audible enough," Shin explained stoically.

"By the Throne! How do you sleep, Nouzen?" Holmes asked in disbelief.

Shin's Pyrope eyes turned to meet Holmes's dark purple Cadian orbs, "I barely sleep but I get used to it," He replied with a wry grin.

"Wait… does that mean that you hear them right as we speak? Do you know how far you can hear them?" Darius asked seriously, his hands rested on his hips as the information slowly dawned on him.

"Yes. I don't know how far but I can hear enough to tell every single Legion out there."

The air stood still as the Cadians and the Commissar took in the information. Such ability, though not unheard of, would've push any psyker to madness and psychosis, forcing either the Commissar or the Inquisition to execute them before their Warp powers unleashed uncontrollably… or simply their head exploded.

"So that explains the Black Sheep that you've mentioned, like they are supposed to be the command link between the rank-and-file and high command, correct?" Shin nodded at Holmes' statement, "But today's battle, the enemy was filled with these Black Sheep, what happened?"

"When there is an increase in Black Sheep, that would mean that a Sheperd is nearby," Raiden answered stoically, "They are the equivalent to a field officer, a commander or general even, taking control of every Legion in this frontline. Last intel we've got from the Republic is that there are few of them, about a hundred or so, but it is enough to take down the whole country."

"And Sheperds last longer than the Black Sheep since they are made with fresh brains, those of recently deceased or, if unfortunate, live victims." Shin added.

"That explains why you gun down your own dead, to destroy the brain," Parris figured out.

"Sometimes a bullet isn't enough, sometimes we need to torch the corpse to ashes just to be sure," Raiden clarified.

"This just puts a whole new perspective in this war," Darius commented pensively, "We need to get the citizens of the Republic off their asses and quickly."

"W-wait… you talked about assimilating fresh brains… does… does that mean the Legion's timer is renewed?" Lena asked fearfully.

"Yes," Shin replied, forgetting that the others can't hear her, "The Legion's lifespan is extended when they assimilate a new brain, damaged or not. And depending to the state of the brain, they could last far longer than previously reported or expected. It also helps that they could simply just copy the brain and pass it on to another Legion unit."

"Potentially becoming immortal," Holmes concluded.

"Oh of course! I knew it was too bleeding simple! Can't get a fragging break!" Parris kicked the nearby sofa in frustration. "Is the Republic even aware of the mistake they've done? Supplying the very enemy with human brains on the battlefield?"

"No, they aren't aware…" Shin replied coldly. He closed his eyes, not wanting to say the next words, but he needed to tell them, for them to prepare for the worst… he needed to warn Major Milizé, "Major… everyone… You may not know it, but you're going to lose this war,"

"What are you talking about?" Holmes asked incredulously, seemingly voicing Lena's question as well.

"With the Legion's new designs and constant evolution, we know for certain that they won't just last two years. Where does that leave us?" He asked rhetorically, "Most of the frontline troops are children Eighty-Six, we won't get any replacements. And you, the Imperial Guard, can always retreat to your vessels and either watch this world burn or blow it up yourselves, end everyone's suffering swiftly."

"That leaves the Alba," Raiden finished with closed eyes, suppressing a growing frustration and anger.

"And do the Alba stand up and fight for themselves? Will they even remember how to? After spending so much time sending us disposable Eighty-Six to our deaths and supplying the enemy with vital resources, would they be able to stop them?"

"Okay, hold on, Captain Nouzen," Darius raised his hands, his mind trying to understand the growing dire situation they've found themselves in. "Everything that you've said so far… they are not hypothetical, they are a reality, yes?" Shin nodded quietly. "All right, and those Sheperds you mentioned, is it safe to assume that the Legion will emphasize their protection and so let them assume command and control of a much larger Legion formation?"

"The Sheperds are Legion that have assimilated fresh or untouched human brains. Keeping their lifespans infinite and allow them to control vast armies of mindless sheep. They are by far the most dangerous types."

"And now with us in the picture, they are assembling and amassing their forces to fight us as well," Holmes presumed grimly.

"Correct." Shin confirmed without hesitation, "Sooner or later, they'll find a breach, break us and annihilate this country and everyone with it. They are the new dominant species on this planet. They have become the apex predators."

Republic of San Magnolia's Eastern Front, First Ward, July 1st SY 2148

The cargo aircraft shook gently as it shifted its direction. Brigadier-General Karlstahl was awakened by one of the crewmembers of the aircraft.

"We'll arrive to the base in ten minutes, general." Karlstahl nodded quietly.

He rubbed the fatigue away from his dreary eyes and turned to Major Edouart, the commanding officer of the Military Police's Special Assault Teams. Accompanying them were twenty other heavily equipped and armed Military Police officers of the SAT. They all wore coyote brown plate carriers and Kevlar helmets over their dark blue combat uniforms. They all had black balaclavas and dark shades covering their faces. The Special Assault Teams were an elite special forces unit of the Military Police and probably the only unit in the entire Republic Armed Forces to be properly called soldiers… by Jérôme's opinion. Yet, calling them "soldiers" is an overstatement even for him. Sure, they had the proper combat equipment and tactics for counter-terrorist operations, search-and-rescue and hostage rescue missions, but all twenty officers, including Major Edouart, had zero combat experience.

They were mostly used for the Revolution festival's parades, Palace Blancneige's guards and an intimidation tool for the government. All bark but no actual bite.

The high-ranking officer shifted his eyes to the bound and tightly fastened M1A4 Juggernaut that sat in the middle of the cargo compartment with a dozen of supply crates all securely tied down together behind the war machine.

Under the pretence of delivery supplies and a replacement Juggernaut for the Processors of Spearhead Squadron, Karlstahl, with the permission of the Republic's elected president, deployed the SAT to surround and arrest the culprits that assaulted two Republic soldiers last month. He was well aware that Major Milizé, his own niece and family, hid something from him. He knew that Lena has grown complacent and attached to the Eighty-Six of this particular squadron, but he won't allow himself to pretend any longer.

She's been asking more and more favours for these Eighty-Sixers, requesting more supplies and reinforcements almost on a daily basis. There were even rumours that spread around the headquarters that Lena was also secretly leaking military intelligence to the Eighty-Six. He had to put his foot down and get to the bottom of this.

"Two minutes…" Came the cool announcement of the pilot through the loudspeaker… shortly followed by: "Woah! … what the hell are those?!"

Everyone looked out of the small and thick portholes of the aircraft and collectively gasped with shock. Flying beside the massive cargo aircraft was another, unfamiliar military aircraft. Painted in a khaki and sand camouflage pattern, the bulky aircraft sported missile and rocket pods under its large wings. A large calibre-like cannon protruded from the aircraft's nose.

The aircraft's pilots wore unrecognizable uniforms and casually stared back the Republic's heavy cargo flyer. It then suddenly and swiftly veered off to the side, soaring away from them.

"Everyone, please, remain in your seats. We're about to land."

The four engine turboprop transport aircraft landed on the airstrip with a light shudder, its massive landing gear screeching to a halt as it slowed its acceleration.

"Fourth platoon, up!" Major Edouart ordered sternly.

The armed officers stood up straightly and checked their weapons, finally chambering a round and flicked the safety off. They were to fan out and apprehend the Eighty-Six Processors with shock and awe. But it seemed that someone else beat them to it.

As soon as the rear ramp lowered, the SAT operators were immediately met with the sight of dozens of soldiers in heavy armour, woodland camouflage and two bipedal and armoured walkers, all pointing their weapons at them.

Major Edouart's silver eyes flashed open with fear and dread. They were instantly outgunned and outnumbered; one mistake will only spell their own demise.

A man, probably the leader of the group of soldiers, stepped towards the aircraft, hands clasped calmly behind his back.

"I am Captain Parris, commanding officer of First Company, Cadian 501st Regiment, of the Astra Militarum and the Imperium of Man." The man stated loudly and sternly, "By the authority invested in me by General Farestein, the Imperial Guard and the God-Emperor of Mankind, I order you to lay down your weapons and surrender peacefully to us. Refusing to comply will result in your immediate termination and summary executions of any survivors. Do you comply?"

The SAT officers, with their rifles still at a low-ready, nervously glance at Major Edouart, who in turn tensely looked at the Brigadier-General. "S-sir…? What do we do?" He inquired apprehensively.

Karlstahl stared down severely at Captain Parris and his force of Imperial Guard. They were clearly not the Eighty-Six the Republic has sent to fight and die in their stead, but they were neither a military force that came from any nation he remembered. Just where they came from? He stepped forwards, gently pushing aside a SAT operator that blocked his path.

"S-sir! What are your orders?!" Edouart asked shakingly.

"For God's sake, Major!" Karlstahl reprimanded the younger officer coldly, "Can't you see that we're at a disadvantage here? Lay down your weapons and raised your hands in surrender! Think like a reasonable officer, for crying out loud!"

He turned to face Captain Parris and surrendered his sidearm, "I am Brigadier-General Karlstahl. The highest-ranking officer of the Republic Armed Forces. I formally offer my surrender to you, Captain Parris." He stated stoically, staring straight into the Cadian officer's mauve eyes. They were far different to a Viola's, the hue in their eyes seemed to glow brighter.

"I formally accept your surrender, Brigadier-General. Your men will have to stay on the aircraft while I present to you to my superiors where we can start negotiating." Parris informed plainly after grabbing the 9mm handgun.

"Will my men be treated fairly and humanely?" He asked cautiously.

Parris blandly stared at him, "So long as they do not act foolishly, you'll find your men alive and well, general." He replied bluntly.

Karlstahl wordlessly followed the captain while a group of Cadian soldiers walked in the aircraft and sternly ordered the Republic soldiers to get down on their knees with their hands behind their heads.

His silver Alba eyes wandered around, observing the soldiers and unfamiliar armoured vehicles that surrounded him. Well, unfamiliar for he didn't know the vehicles' designations nor the country of origin, but the designs were overall similar to pre-Legion invasion designs. They were conventional vehicles, not walkers, with treads or wheels, armour plating and a gun turret, operated usually with three- or four-men crews.

He then passed by a hangar with the more familiar M1A4 Juggernaut, a poorly and rushed made armoured walker that was supposed to defend the Republic from the unrelenting tidal wave of Legion. The war machine was originally a prototype weapon meant for conventional warfare… where humans fought other humans, where they were rules of engagements, international war laws, honour and discipline. Where real men fought for their beloved country and families. Now it is fought by cowards dressing up and pretending to be soldiers while the real fighting is forced upon the unjustly discriminated and abused Eighty-Six, those of different colour, the Processors.

The Juggernaut was a rushed project. It was supposed to have different variants, each dedicated to different roles: reconnaissance, siege warfare, shock assault and more. But with the Legion at their door and now a fresh and large manpower of basically livestock in human form, there were no need or consideration to increase the combat effectiveness and survivability of the pilot. They were suddenly renamed as combat drones. Drones piloted by living beings inside of their thin hulls.

Karlstahl crossed path with a group of Processors, who stared back at him with varying reactions; some were maliciously happy to see an Alba, a high-ranking officer to boot, be treated as a common prisoner, some contained their wrathful anger and hatred, but most were indifferent, uncaring of his fate or reason behind his presence. It looked like the presence of these unknown soldiers didn't shock them, already used to them.

Captain Parris led him to a small military green tent, "Take a seat and wait. General Farestein will shortly arrive," He instructed uncordially. The Alba general nodded wordlessly and sat on the aluminium folding chair.

Major Edouart stared at the Cadian Kasrkins nervously. They wore heavy armour that seemed to cover almost their entire body and their weapons looked more advanced than anything he has seen. While the filthy Eighty-Six unloaded the supply crates with the help of their Scavenger units, another otherworldly group approached the aircraft. He and his men were visibly startled by the horrible sight of the techpriestess and her cohort of lobotomized and heavily modified Servitors.

These mindless drones of flesh and metal were once human convicts who were sentenced to "Servitude Imperpituis". The sentenced prisoner would undergo through a series of gruesome and life-threatening surgeries, often alive and awake. They would be lobotomized, mind-wiped, reprogrammed and cybernetically enhanced to serve rudimentary or specific functions. Though metal do not decay, the Servitors' flesh, what was left of their original body, were sickly pale green, barely holding together thanks to drugs and chemicals being pumped into their blood streams to keep the body… functioning.

Techpriestess Zigi Beta 8-8 turned her hooded and mechanical face to the apprehended Republic soldiers. The men shifted uncomfortably in place, trying to back away from the ungodly sight. Her head clicked and hissed as it tilted to the side, as if curiously observing them.

"Hmm… these varlets would make great candidates for this unit's Servitors," She stated inhumanly. Her back servo arm pinched loudly as if in emphasis.

"S-stay back!" Edouart warned hesitantly, sweating profusely.

"Leave them alone, Zigi," One of the Kasrkins casually reprimanded the enginseer of the Adeptus Mechanicus.

She retracted her head straightly, shifting her four glowing bionic eyes to the Cadian stormtrooper, "I was just jesting, trooper," She replied in a cheery tone, "Of course these varlets wouldn't make good Servitors…"

The Alba soldiers sighed in relief…

"…because they would die prematurely during surgery." She finished as a matter of fact, causing one of the Alba to go white pale and on the brink of fainting.

Karlstahl waited half an hour before someone finally entered the tent. He was immediately taken aback and gasped in horror when three gasmask wearing soldiers walked through, their lifeless, black lenses staring forbiddingly back at him. One of them seemed to be an officer, wearing the same bleak steel helmet with a taller top spine and a cuirass reminiscent of the San Magnolian Cuirassiers heavy cavalry units before the monarchy was overthrown.

Seconds later, another man walked in. He wore a woodland camouflage pattern battle uniform with a khaki green rigid armour over it. His impressive display of medals clicked with each movement and a bright red sash ran diagonally down from his shoulder. He was followed by another, much taller officer that had a metallic prothesis left arm, and Captain Parris himself.

"Brigadier-General Karlstahl, correct?" The man at the head of the group asked politely.

"Yes, that is correct. To whom do I have the honour to speak with?"

"General Farestein, acting commander-in-chief of all Imperial forces present on this planet. To my left is Death Marshal Arnem, brigade commander of the Death Korps of Krieg's 12th Siege Regiment and 78th Heavy Mortar Company, and to my right is Colonel Frazyer, regimental commander of the Cadian 501st Regiment." He introduced his associates indifferently. "Please take a seat. I'm sure you have plenty of questions and so do I."

Karlstahl complied quietly and relaxed on his chair, glancing at the other officers standing rigidly behind their general, particularly the so-called Death Marshal.

"All right, so let's comb over the basics to save some time. No, we are not from this planet, we came from Segmentum Obscurus, and our vessels got lost during a Warp jump. We are part of the Astra Militarum, the primary armed forces of the Imperium of Man, led by the God-Emperor of Mankind. We are now here and we intend to cleanse this world of this Legion menace and bring it back to the Emperor's Light."

"Was that all clear?" The Alba officer slowly nodded, albeit unsurely as certain terms were foreign to him. "I thought so, but don't worry, we already made contact with another officer of yours from within, and she's willing to cooperate with us."

"Lena…" Karlstahl immediately thought bitterly.

"In a couple of days…" Farestein continued without pausing, "We will make ourselves known to the rest of the Republic of San Magnolia and we will take overall command of your forces, whether you want to or not. Is that clear?"

Karlstahl wordlessly nodded in understanding.

"Good, now tell me who are the other generals and your political leaders, their experiences, your Armed forces numbers and overall morale. I want to know everything about your pitiful and coward nation."

"Coward?"

"Don't play dumb with me, general," Farestein admonished menacingly, "We are well aware that your people are hiding behind the corpses of the Eighty-Six. Corpses that the Legion are gleefully collecting to regenerate their operational lifespans. The state of your army is pathetic, and your own soldiers are a disgrace to the uniform. They won't last an hour on the battlefield at this rate and would even make horrible cannon fodder."

"Well to be perfectly frank, none of them has seen combat." Karlstahl admitted bluntly, "Veterans like me either died of old age or simply used their status as war heroes to bloat themselves… figuratively and literally."

"I see…" The Cadian general nodded pensively, "A shame and quite a pain… we needed the experienced personnel to shape up the Republic's military…"

"Shape up? I don't follow, general Farestein."

"We intend to train your forces so that they may stand up for themselves against the Legion. Once your lost territories recaptured, we shall expand to other nations and finally best the Legion and liberate this world." Farestein explained.

"That's… that's quite generous and ambitious,"

Farestein raised a placatively hand, "Nonsense, general Karlstahl. We will draft your people and form the first battalions for the Planetary Defence Force. They will fight with the available equipment and arsenal. Don't expect us to fight your wars while sharing our already limited supplies, general. They will fight and die as the Emperor wills it. They will follow my command and those of my officers as if the orders came from immortal Emperor's mouth. And if they refuse or dare defy the Imperium… then they will be severely punished and swiftly executed. Is that clear, general Karlstahl?"

Karlstahl hesitated. There were too many factors. He had not foreseen this type of scenario or encounter. But he needed to decide and fast. The fate of the Republic and the Alba rest in this moment, either they perish under the weight of the Legion or bow down and pledge allegiance to the Imperium. Either way, the Republic and its people won't fight… they can't. They have forgotten their once proud military records and history. The Republic of San Magnolia was a nation that the whole continent feared. Being the first republic to be free of monarchy, it tipped the balance of power in the continent between the Empire of Giad, the United Kingdom of Roa Garcia, the Alliance of Wald and the Holy Theocracy of Noiryanaruse, among other smaller monarchies. Its revolution set a precedent in History, spreading its idealistic values of freedom, equality, brotherhood, justice and nobility.

Those were the Republic's moral principles. Principles that were quickly forgotten and violated by its own people. The irony was not lost to Karlstahl. If siding with the Imperium guarantees the survival of the Republic and maybe let its people purge their sins, then so be it. At the very least, they'll die fighting.

"Perfectly, general Farestein. I'm willing to pledge my blood and soul to the Imperium of Man."

Farestein grinned confidently, "We shall see, Karlstahl."

Republic of San Magnolia's Eastern Front, First Ward, July 20th SY 2148

Shin emotionlessly watched as the Cadian Shock troopers gently extracted the bloodied and mangled body of Ochi Anton, personal name "Gladiator".

His right arm was gruesomely cut off, blood profusely tainted his desert jumpsuit as pieces of his guts tried to fall off. As they extracted him off his Juggernaut, the barely alive Anton left behind a trail of blood.

The combat medics delicately lowered him to the asphalt ground. His faint Pyrope eyes stared mindlessly at the clear blue sky. His breathing was ragged, short and uneven. Shin approached him silently. He was the second casualty of the day, the other being Kariya Rohga, callsign "La Bête", which he had to end his suffering.

The Shock troopers stepped aside, letting the captain of the Spearhead Squadron handle with the gravely wounded pilot. They were well aware what must be done. They paid no mind, nor did they express anything. They've all been there, having to deliver the Emperor's peace for a dying comrade.

Despite the indescribable pain that spread all over his body, Anton managed to smile weakly at the sight of Shin.

"Heh… thank you… Reaper…" He closed his eyes wistfully, embracing his end.

Shin unholstered his sidearm, an old 9mm handgun, it had just enough stopping power to kill a man, but nothing more, not even a Self-Propelled Mine type could be stopped. He took aim and pulled the trigger. The pistol barked; the empty bullet casing bounced against the asphalt with a light metallic echo.

The guardsmen stood a minute in silence, blankly watching the corpse or the ground. The sounds of distant gunfire pulled them off their trance. They left Shin alone, returning to their duties to fend off the Legion once again. Only two combat medics stood behind, taking out an olive-green body bag. They carefully placed the corpse into the body bag and pulled off the dog tags.

"Here, captain," One of the combat medics offered plainly, "We'll handle the incineration of the corpse."

"Thank you, sergeant."

Although the battle continued, Shin knew that the Legion will shortly withdraw thanks to his cursed ability to hear the wails of the damned. Without a second to waste, he pocketed the dog tag and drew out his combat knife. He headed for Gladiator, mechanically readying himself to chip off a piece of its mangled hull.

The Reaper did his duty and got to work.