Chapter 5: Final Thrust

Highhold, 3 Weeks Later

The world around him here was utterly alien, far beyond the confines of the worlds that could be expected to be found in this galaxy. It was one of far, far too many that graced Daniel Theisman's nightmares. He was well aware this was a nightmare. He could still do nothing to stop it. Such was a curse of interfacing with the soul-stuff of Reality.

The world burned, rendering its uniqueness into the same flames that had scoured countless other universes. Other than the crackling of the flames, distant structures collapsing into rubble and ash, it was silent, the bodies that surrounded him, their blood inevitably on his hands, still. For now. He knew that the dreamscape would get loud and chaotic very quickly. But he needed to press beyond the confines of just his mind.

He focused on his soul, the unknowing and unwilling supplier of these vistas, and searched for the barrier between this place and the mindscape that lay beyond. It was always tricky for him to access a noetic space such as the Immaterium, and he'd been attempting such intrusions for weeks after the Manufactorum skirmish, but regardless of the dangers that lay beyond, it would give him a vital edge.

He felt the border, as he had before, probing for a weak point, a thin stretch of the skin that separated the waking world from the world of thoughts and dreams, and the world of dreams from what madness lay beyond it.

There it was, right where he'd left it, requiring some kind of force to pierce through it. He'd still need to be gentle. If something picked up his intrusion, it could move through his mind into his body, then, quite violently, into the rest of the world. He'd need less a tear, more of an incision, as he pressed his focus on the weakness just so…

There. The pitted, blackened wall beside Daniel began almost to unravel with a hissing sound, like sand under the scales of a slithering snake. He glanced around himself, seeing the shadowed figures that forever haunted him, their eyes familiar daggers into his body and meeting his gaze with hollow intensity, beginning to appear. He needed to keep their attention, their accusing, pleading screams, carefully hidden.

He stepped through the slightly fraying portal, losing his human form as his soul trailed up from his dreams like a wisp of smoke, tethered to his body by the thinnest connection he could possibly find safe in any way. Even still he could see, if one could call his current perception seeing, the sweep of the Sea of Souls before him in all its chaotic beauty.

The Realm of Chaos, unsurprisingly, dominated his view, a maelstrom of emotion and sensation of all kinds that swirled with what could nominally be called a rainbow of colors that, to mortal eyes untuned to such expansive spectrums, would drive the uninitiated insane. Over there was a perilous journey should, or perhaps would, he be so brave, or foolish, to tread there.

But though it dominated the space, it did not take up all of it. Daniel found himself in a somewhat calmer space that surrounded the Realm of Chaos, though it was a relatively thin border. Within this space was a pale spider web that stretched up and down the 'walls' of this realm. The Webway, he supposed, dimly pulsing with whatever life still remained in it or traversed the ethereal road. There were more than a few dark spots and breaks in the branches of this web, and a knot of shadow and dim lights drew his eye toward what might have been the dark city of Commorragh.

The shouts of accusation, the screams of terror and pain, the weight of the eyes that waited for him in the dream piercing him like endless needles, began to echo into the void. Fearing discovery, he smothered them as best he could, his perception sweeping around him as he looked for something that might have found him out.

As he took the equivalent of a relieved sigh, he managed to catch a nearly translucent shimmer. A shimmer of… gold…

Then, seemingly in the distance, he heard a droning tone, repeating again and again. Morning muster. He needed to get back now. Hopefully, with the largely timeless nature of the Warp, he could explore further at his leisure another time.

His soul spiraled down to his body again as he fought to rouse himself from the nightmare. He couldn't afford to be entangled in the nightmare he had escaped from.

He dove through the dissolving dream…

and awoke to a ceiling of girders and pipes, his bedding only the sleeping cot that had been ferried over to them here.

Daniel stretched in one of the wide-open, dimly lit upper levels of the Manufactorum that had once served as what were likely menial labor housing. The only real difference was where the Guard got cots and glow-rods, the workers had gotten sleeping pads if they were lucky, straw if they weren't, and had to depend on memory in the darkness. The workers, now long gone as the city fell to the Orks, seemed to be more unlucky than not, gauging from the amount of straw scattered around the long, wide room.

He took stock of the gear that was stowed by his side; armor, plasma rifle, laspistol, ammo, and the power sword that he had used at the generator level. Kinley had been issued another, and those Sisters who were present when he'd offered to return it rather gently rebuked him. The sword was, after all, as close as one could get to a sacred relic. The one who made it so should be the one to wield it until the God-Emperor willed it to pass to another.

The trip down to the main entry level was rather uneventful, an elevator ride down with most of the rest of the squad. Captain Kinley had likely gone ahead as part of a captain's meeting to vox over to Commander Usaria in order to plan their next move. The Commander, as he recalled, was a rather stern man when he made his brief inspection visits to the maniple, quite obviously hardened by war, and scarred by it as well, both eyes now having surgically given way to green lenses.

It left them at the Manufactorum's courtyard, now turned into a fortress of the Imperium as the scrap that had been strewn across the space had been taken and used to patch up the holes in the walls both man and Ork had made. The boom of artillery, powerful but inaccurate Basilisk shells exchanged for guided Manticore and Whirlwind missiles, and the fighting that continued throughout the city had been reduced now to a dim, almost distant background noise for most here. It was a bustling place, as Guardsmen, the Astartes of the Emerald Dragons, and yet another new arrival to the world of Salome as the Orks continued to prove intractable.

Set up to a side in the courtyard was a shrine to the God-Emperor, His sigil above that of the Sisters Order that had moved here to establish a forward base. Their sigil was of a blazing red rose, the flame bronze or gold and outlining the gleaming red of the rose. It was the mark of the Order of the Purified Flame.

Unsurprisingly, there were still more than a few eyes that turned to him, offered at the very least nods of respect if not outright deference. One of the figures that approached them, thankfully, didn't heap such attention on Daniel initially.

One of the Sisters of the Purified Flame, not yet dressed in her combat armor but in robes of red and brass, came up the stairs and into the massive foyer of the Manufactorum. She smiled widely, blue eyes that her sister shared glittering under equally similar white hair cut almost boyishly. "Leona!"

Leona smiled in turn as the two sisters shared an embrace. "Ruth. It's good to see you. I don't know about the rest of the front, but I'm glad to see you and your order out here with us."

Sister Superior Ruth Kartetz chuckled. "Where the God-Emperor wills it, we go. And His will has guided us here."

Ruth stepped back, taking in the Fighting Furies with a careful gaze. "So, these are your companions," she said with a slight nod. Her focus drifted over to Daniel and stayed there for long moments.

"I've heard a little about your deed to save my sister's squadmate," she said after a moment. "You've got the attention of most of this city's Sisters now. I hope you're ready to ward off some of their advances."

Daniel's brow arched slightly at the rather strange advice. "I only did what had to be done. What I would have done for any of my squadmates. Life is too precious to be wasted in such ignominy as this."

Ruth smiled slightly. "Your humility does you credit. As noble as it is to give one's life in the service of the Emperor, it is nobler still to continue in His service. All human life lost causes the God-Emperor to weep."

Daniel silently doubted that, something none of them noticed as Ruth nodded over to the shrine. "Come on. Morning prayers with Preceptor Orella are about to start. We'll give you our benediction for the battles ahead."

Leona nodded, the first to follow her sister, the others a little slower in their pace, as soldiers and Sisters knelt in front of the shrine, who was likely Canoness Preceptor Orella of the Preceptory stationed here in the city, dressed in robes more brass than red, with a weathered face and a head of bob-cut black-blue hair, leading out in a calm, level sermon in front of the shrine, trails of incense smoke framing its ornate facade as their smell battled with the stench of gunfire.

Daniel knelt at the back, those closest to them glancing back at the group, then glancing at him again. He bore the attention with a calm expression as he listened to the Preceptor.

"Thus, the God-Emperor watches over us all from his Golden Throne on faraway Holy Terra, judging our actions as we stand together against the darkness. He bolsters our courage, and mourns with us for our comrades, but ultimately, he asks us to give all that we can in his service. Even our very lives." the Preceptor said, her voice amplified by a circular device hanging around her neck on a cord.

'I don't know how much of that at the moment,' Daniel mused darkly. Likely, he was more worried about keeping his soul from flying apart and dooming humanity to utter darkness and destruction.

"You there, soldier. Theisman, as I recall."

Daniel looked up at the Preceptor a little more quickly than he probably should have, all eyes now on him. "So I've heard," the Preceptor continued, fixing him with surprisingly motherly green eyes, "you have had a brush with the God-Emperor's power gracing you with the strength to save your squadmates. Please, tell us of what happened."

'We'll see how good I am at explaining myself without getting a stake through my chest now, I suppose,' Daniel thought grimly as he followed the Preceptor's motion to stand. He looked on the gathered soldiers, well over a hundred in all, all looking intently at him.

"I simply stayed behind to try and ensure as many in my squad got a chance to live as possible," Daniel began. "I was willing and able to give my life for those who needed it. The Orks were many. And it seemed that their Warboss, a beast that named itself Kugmark Gearstrika, decided to intervene as well. As I let go of my fear and focused on the task at hand, the power filled me almost to bursting, allowing me to stand tall over my comrade, clinging to life as she was, and slay the creatures trying to seal her fate and mine. As the Warboss retreated, I was… constrained to lay hands upon my squadmate Katherine. The power left me, and made her whole again. It is why we stand before you today."

Daniel turned his gaze back to the Preceptor, who had… an oddly intent look in her eyes. "I see," she said as softly as the amplifier could allow. "Perhaps the God-Emperor relayed his power to you through one of his Saints. Ollanius Pius comes to mind. His blessing is often associated with duty and sacrifice. Thank you, Mr. Theisman."

Daniel took that as his cue to kneel again as the Preceptor continued. "Few soldiers have such an experience as Mr. Theisman does with the God-Emperor's power. I would hazard that in several decades, he shall still be unique among your number. But do not let such talk of an outward display of His power dissuade you or give you pause. We are all buoyed up by the strength of the God-Emperor, whether we are aware of it or not. As we return to battle, call upon that strength, and He shall aid you. So shall He be."
"So shall He be," the intonation rippled through the crowd.

"Go now," the Preceptor said. "Attend to your preparations. We shall reclaim this city swiftly through your faith and your actions."

With that, the crowd stood, dispersing as a pair of transports rumbled their way into the courtyard to the digital sounds of bells that came from the shrine.

Daniel watched the transports as who were likely the sundry squad captains filed out of them. One of them, remarkably, was Captain Kinley, who now had a prominent cybernetic arm, thanks to the ministrations of the Order of the Rerforged Physick.

She met his gaze for a moment, her expression inscrutable before she began to walk towards them, her walk briefly held up by another soldier who she turned to talk to.

"Daniel?" he heard Leona say, blinking as he turned to face her. She and Ruth were standing beside him, the rest of the squad making their way over to him after fraternizing with other soldiers.

He saw the rather strange, wondering expression on Ruth's face. "I didn't… say something wrong to the Preceptor, did I?"

"No," Ruth said. "No, in fact… I've never seen that look in her eyes unless someone's caught her attention. Or her fancy. Not that I've seen her fancy extend to anyone who wasn't a Sister before, but there are exceptions, I've heard."

"Now, wait a minute," Iago said, his brow furrowed in all too apparent confusion. "I thought you Sisters of Battle had to take vows of chastity. You're Daughters of the Emperor, aren't you?"

"Many do take such vows quite seriously," Ruth said with a sage nod. "We, however, recognize the deeply human qualities our God-Emperor has blessed us with are nothing to be ashamed of. Such connections strengthen our faith in the God-Emperor and his divine watch over us."

"Oh," Iago said rather lamely as Leona grinned slightly.

"Furies."

In an instant, the Fighting Furies came to attention facing Captain Kinley, who waited silently for a moment before continuing. "We'll be moving out in the next 3 days. Our target is going to be the governor's palace, which the Orks have decided to turn into their own personal castle. Our maniple will be working with the Astartes, the Sisters, and three other Guard maniples, including Commander Usaria's. As we get closer to the day of the assault, you'll learn more about the plan. Until then, we continue patrolling the walls here and throwing back any Ork assaults."

"Yes, ma'am," was the reply, Kinley nodding them over to the makeshift vehicle park.

As they made their way towards their Chimera, Daniel pondered silently. 3 days. Hopefully, enough time to do a little more investigation.

. . .

Daniel was asleep again, pressing past the barriers of his mind into the Sea of Souls beyond. He took care as best he could to secure the path behind him from any notice or intrusion before once again taking in the Immaterium.

This time, he had a greater intention than simple scouting. He had a location to reach. After what could have been hours or mere milliseconds, he spotted the golden haze again. Checking that nothing had its notice on him, he concealed his soul as best he could and began his trek across the wild dimension.

It had been some time since he'd traversed a place such as this fully as himself, but the basics were still there. Even with the concealment he'd put on himself, he took great care to keep his thoughts centered on his task, away from the emotional charges that might draw him off course towards one god of Chaos or another. The destination was just a place to be reached. Nothing more.

Then, at last, he was at the threshold of this hidden space, kept apart from the rest of the Immaterium. The golden shimmer, just barely perceptible even this close to the space, gave him an idea of what, exactly, this place might be.

But that would only be a guess until he managed to breach the veil before him. Doing so without drawing undue attention… that was surely going to be tricky.

He started by making contact with the veil. A sense of peace, security, subtle solidity, and a tinge of melancholy met his thought-touch, suffusing him as if he'd come to rest beside a well-kept campfire. Daniel's concentration focused on the space right in front of him…

And he felt the veil beginning to part. 'I see subtlety over security is the order of the day here,' Daniel mused at a murmur as he pushed through. There was a golden light that slowly took up his whole vision…

And then he was somewhere else entirely. He blinked at the brightness that came from a bright light, then looked down at himself. He had a body again. Interesting.

He studied his surroundings and found them remarkably idyllic. A bright yellow sun in a blue sky, with rolling hills somewhat obscured by an orderly grove of trees, many of them laden with fruit, to his left, and a sprawling garden filled with familiar crops and vegetables to his right. He stood on a long, winding path that went down the hill that he was standing on, and a gentle breeze rolled across him, causing the heavy branches to creak gently and the crops to rustle gently, filling his nose with the smells of growth and life and…

home.

The homely feeling, seemingly infused into the breeze and seeded into the earth alongside the garden, threatened to prick his eyes and make tears flow down his face. It was a feeling he hadn't felt in… ages. Despite his best efforts, Daniel closed his eyes and took in the emotion, breathed it in deeply and let it wrap about his mind and soul, treasuring it for how fleeting he knew it would be.

+Who are you?+

Daniel's eyes flashed open, and he turned to see…

A man about his height, maybe a few inches taller, with long flowing black hair that reached his upper back, tanned and muscled as if he worked this place day in and day out and dressed in a simple shirt and skirt, his feet shod with sandals. His voice radiated power, subtle but unmistakable. It was a power that, as curious and calm as it was at this moment, demanded attention. Respect.

The man frowned slightly, his jet-black, iridescent eyes narrowed in slight confusion. +I cannot read your soul. And yet, you are not tainted by Chaos. Remarkable.+

Daniel gathered his wits and took a deep breath. "No. I am… a visitor. Not only to this place, but to this universe." There was little reason to lie to someone such as this.

+I see,+ the man replied with a slight nod. +You thus intend no harm upon me or my guests?+

Daniel blinked. "I was unaware there were guests here. I thought… well, frankly, I thought you would be alone."

+Then you are aware of what I am,+ the man said softly, sighing quietly, an indescribable weight to the sound. +Where I come from.+

"You are the Star Child," Daniel said, his tone equally quiet.

+That is one of the many appellations those who are aware of me have bestowed upon me, yes,+ the Star Child replied. +There are many others like it, I am sure. It has been some time since I have looked upon the benighted galaxy that has come from my works.+

"I see," Daniel said quietly. His mind began to turn, considering the implications of a place such as this.

+I can see your thoughts,+ the Star Child said, his voice only somewhat pointed. +I admire your tenacity, your desire to see this galaxy become a better place. But if you intend for me to aid you, I cannot do so. I have only survived this long as a lone soul by concealing myself and my guests. Should the Chaos Gods see that a portion of their Anathema strides the galaxy again, they will do their uttermost to destroy me.+

"I will not ask for your direct aid," Daniel assuaged. "But I cannot hope to positively change this galaxy alone. Greater beings than either of us have tried and failed. When the time comes… I only ask that those I might bring with me be welcomed as well. You may well be the only being that can show some of the people of the Imperium the truth."

It was silent for a moment, the Star Child cupping his chin thoughtfully. +That may perhaps be the case,+ he admitted. +I will consider it, and give my answer the next time you visit.+

"Very well," Daniel said, nodding reverently. "Thank you for your willingness to help. This is going to take time, but I truly believe it is possible."

The Star Child smiled slightly. +And do come back when you are able. I get the feeling we have much we can teach each other.+

Daniel nodded, and thus left the little abode in the Warp that the Star Child had created.

. . .

Daniel's eyes opened and he found the barracks a flurry of activity. One night to himself before the battle. He still wondered if it made any sort of tactical sense for a place that was, by its definition, not fully sane, but a single day here would hopefully throw anything inquisitive off the scent.

He rose and made himself ready, and with the rest of the squad made his way to the open foyer. Hopefully, the plan that Kinley had been privy to would be revealed now. She was waiting for them in the foyer nodding as they came to attention. "Get to the Chimera," she said, "and we'll talk about our part."

As they walked to the Lion with the Las-breath, Kinley began her briefing. "We'll be at the right of a three-pronged assault, trying to beat down the southeast gate. From what scouts have been able to gather, that's where their vehicle park is, if you can call a scattered mess as the scouts saw a park."

The Furies shared a hesitant glance. "Ma'am," Galen said, first to speak, "I have to admit that as good as I know we can be, that could become an awfully hairy situation to be in rather quickly. How certain are we that we'll be able to breach the perimeter quickly enough to neutralize the vehicles?"

"We've had advance commando units planting det-packs on the gate when they've gotten the chance," Kinley said as they reached their Chimera. "Which is remarkably often. When we get close to the gate, the det-packs will blow, and we'll have a clear run through their vehicle park. All told, I'd expect about a third of their vehicles, maybe, to be operational. Easy pickings for vehicles and heavy weapons."

Entering their transport, Joris, Lucia, and Luper got the Chimera going as Kinley continued her briefing over the rumbling of the engine. "Our attack is going to be timed to coincide with Sororitas units pushing through secret tunnels that originate from the governor's palace. They'll be in charge of cleansing the palace while we secure the grounds."

"What about the Space Marines?" Jinley asked. "Surely they wouldn't be sitting something like this out."

"They'll have elements reinforcing each assault," Kinley replied with a slight smile. She paused for a moment, her head tilted just so as she seemed to listen for something.

The others strained to hear for a moment when… there. A deeper rumble than the Chimera's already hefty engine, just beside them.

Daniel, adjusting the power sword on his belt, decided to peek out from the firing port in front of him, a wall of glittering green greeting metal him before he leaned closer. The wall resolved into a massive broadside, a track whirling around its edge while a massive sponson carried twin-linked lascannons.

Daniel sat back with a whistle. "Well, I'll be damned… they sent Land Raiders along with us."

"Not just a pair of Land Raiders," Lucia called out from the turret. "We've got some Predators as well."

"Get ready," Kinley said, checking her carbine, the others following suit as the sounds of battle began to creep in over the sound of the engines. She looked over to the driver. "How far away are we from the gates?"

"Looks like we'll reach the gates in about 10 minutes at our current pace," Luper said as Lucia opened up on foes that the squad hoped, and trusted, she would hit, Luper pausing for a moment to open up with the hull-mounted bolter. "We won't, uh… we won't be caught in the blast. Right?"

"They'll detonate about twenty meters ahead of us," Kinley said firmly. "Besides, the blast is only meant to blow the doors open."

And thus, the squad waited, hunched in a moving metal box that all were remarkably aware could explode at any moment if they were unlucky. Daniel felt four hands brush against his shoulders, Jinley, Farrah, Trav, and Matley looking for a little of his 'good luck' to rub off on them. Not that they needed to do such little rituals for it, but he didn't dissuade them. If it calmed them before battle, they'd be that much easier to protect.

Then… boom. An explosion that sent a rumble through the Chimera, slightly jostling the squad. "1 minute out," Kinley said over the growing din. "Finish your prayers now and prepare to disembark."

Daniel, closest to the door, activated his plasma gun, the powerful buzz added to by the whirring of the lasguns activating as well. The sounds of battle grew louder and louder, the slicing growls of lascannons and drumbeat staccatos of twin-linked bolter fire from their Astartes escorts added to Lucia and Luper's barrage.

Then, the Chimera stopped, the braking maneuver sending the squad swaying toward the front. But only briefly.

"Go, go, go!" Kinley shouted as Leona opened the rear hatch. The squad filed out, the rows splitting to go to either side. Daniel led the way for those who went left, finding a nice protective corridor as the Land Raider, slightly angled out from their Chimera, lowered its own ramp, a squad of Space Marines darting out and finding cover behind one of the larger Ork trukks.

Daniel decided it was wise to follow their lead, his back hitting pitted metal, riddled with holes, after a dead sprint as their Chimera moved forward and to the right in order to make room for the heavy hitters, the Leman Russ' and heavy Sentinels. Galen, Vherra, Stavros, and Jinley were behind him.

There was certainly incoming fire in no small amount, Daniel peeking his head out and taking a few shots at several Orks who were attempting to climb into a looted tank. The first one fell with a shout, the others turning and drawing massive, blocky pistols as they forced Daniel back into cover.

"Allow us," one of the Astartes beside them said, stepping smoothly past the Guardsmen, the rising and firing of his bolter almost a single motion. His brothers followed suit, forming an arrowhead that incoming fire began bouncing off rather harmlessly.

"We'll be the vanguard," the Astartes now at its head continued. "Watch our flanks as we move up."

"Yes, sir," Daniel replied, falling in behind the walking armored wall and sweeping his plasma gun to the sides and behind as the other squad members followed his lead. Even with the ceramite barrier taking most of the fire for them, Daniel kept his focus sharp as he fired on a group of Orks that was trying to flank them.

So they went, covering the rest of the squad as they leapfrogged from vehicle to shambolic vehicle. The governor's palace, a sweeping spire of a structure, buttressed by various depictions of nobles, soldiers, and saints, loomed large over them, Orks shooting from the parapets and minarets that emerged from and surrounded it. On the loudspeaker system connected to the palace, a guttural voice shouted commands and encouragement to its troops below. If it wasn't Gearstrika, then it was one of its lackeys.

Finally, the towering gates of the palace proper, easily the height of a scout Titan, dwarfed them, the other maniples moving towards them across the vast courtyard. The Orks had piled a barricade across the steps leading to the doors, a river of green flowing from the battered, broken doors to fight against the oncoming Imperial forces.

The Astartes took cover behind an overturned looted tank, Daniel and his compatriots following suit as they began to lay down fire on the barricade. Daniel, in particular, aimed for the base of the walls with his plasma gun, looking to topple them from the structural weaknesses he put in between putting fist-sized holes in Orks.

After long moments of vehicles and men exploding around them, a section of the barricade collapsed, Orks spilling over into the line of fire and beginning to slowly disintegrate under a barrage of light and fire.

Daniel peeked out, ducking back in as one of the Astartes fell beside him from the fire that came their way.

"We can't stay here!" Galen said. "They'll tear this tank apart if we-"

He was cut off by a rocket exploding on their cover, the fireteam huddling into cover for a moment before they began to fire again.

"I don't think we have much choice," Daniel replied with a shout. "Until the Sisters show up and make an opening, we have to stand firm!"

"How long is that going to be, you think?" Jinley asked.

Before Daniel could reply, the sound of stomping grew louder and louder from the gates behind them. That stomping was nearly drowned out by the shouts of the ostentatious walkers' pilots.

"Turn aside, xenos! We shall have the forgiveness of the God-Emperor, in life or death!"

Daniel watched for a moment as a trio of bulky, gothic blocks, striding in on bare, reverse-jointed legs and wielding flails, buzzsaws, and flamers, charged into the Orks' lines, the pilots, hanging from their open restraints at the front of the vehicle, continued to shout as others joined them.

From within the bounds of the palace gates, flickers and flashes of gunfire and billowing flames made themselves known as the flow of Orks from the palace began to slacken. Over the chants and shouts of the Penitent Engines that lay about the ruined, wreckage strewn courtyard, there came the sound of singing, battle lays and killing hymns as the Sisters within consecrated their slaughter.

The sight and sound of it all sent a shiver down Daniel's spine. Such fanaticism was a boon at the moment as he and the others at his began to push towards the steps of the palace. But that holy blade could all too easily be turned to run him through, even from those he considered friendly at the moment. He would need to tread carefully around the faithful going forward.

For now, his tread was a charging tramp, taking the stairs into the palace one at a time as Orks fell to the assault, straining the limits of Daniel's defensive measures close to their limit as he protected his squadmates.

As he came to the border of the gates, the flames of the Sisters growing hotter and hotter, the last Orks finally fell. Daniel joined the shout of relieved victory that rippled from the gates. At last, they could establish themselves at the doorstep of the hive city's once-beating heart.

Daniel looked out at the carnage that had filled the courtyard. Ruined Guard, Astartes, and Sororitas vehicles joined the Orkish wrecks, sending pillars of smoke and flames into the sky. In addition to the Ork corpses that were scattered like fallen leafs across the ground, Sisters, Astartes, and Guards joined them almost in equal measure.

"Lucky you," Daniel heard, looking over to see Kinley and the rest of the Furies walking up the steps as best they could over the corpses. "You got an Astartes escort. We had the… spirited shouting of some Penitent Engines."

"Emperor help your eardrums, then," Galen chuckled.

Daniel chuckled along with them, looking out at the slaughter again with a quiet sigh. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I hope this means that there's a light at the end of the tunnel."

"With the governor's palace about to fall into our clutches," Kinley said, "we'll be able to coordinate the liberation of the rest of the city much more easily."

"We just have to hope that they don't flee into the… canyons…" Daniel trailed off as his gaze settled on a particular Leman Russ. One that had a crackling corpse coming out of the hatch, and marked in a particular pattern that the flames were slowly consuming.

"Is that…" Daniel began, his words drawing the attention to the tank wreck.

"Commander Usaria," Kinley said grimly. "May he go to the Emperor's grace."

"Well, damn…" Iago said as Leona began a quiet benediction. "So who takes his place?"

"Nominally, Lieutenant Commander Linim," Kinley replied. "We'll need to find her.

. . .

Lieutenant Commander Linim was also dead, surrounded by Ork corpses with her body in at least three separate pieces. Lieutenant Foley, her next-in-command, was decapitated and pinned to an errant spike on one of the vehicles in the Orkish vehicle lot.

In short, the command structure of the Silver Scales' 1825th Battalion was utterly ravaged. It would need a completely new staff, save for a few of the auxiliaries such as the Commissariat and the sanctioned psykers.

With the Sisters and Astartes taking charge of clearing out the governor's palace, the Guard could take a moment to secure the courtyard and take stock of their losses.

Daniel and the rest of the Fighting Furies save Captain Kinley sat by their Chimera watching as Ork corpses were piled up and burned. Their fungal forms allowed them to be remarkably tenacious, returning over and over again.

The squad, along with the drivers and gunners of the Lion with the Las-breath, were largely silent, watching the hastily erected tent, guarded by another squad whose sole job was to ensure none could interfere with what was going on within.

"So," Joris said, "who d'ya think is going to be our new commander?"

"Good question," Kat replied. "I could see Captain Whittaker. He's fairly level-headed. Decent enough negotiator, as well."

"No love for Captain Kinley?" Lucia asked. "She's not so bad, either."

"She's a little too abrasive," Iago replied. "And I don't say that just 'cause she's a hardass to me. Though maybe that means she could straighten some people up the hard way."

"She's got a diplomatic streak in her, though," Leona said pointedly. "Much of the support our maniple got from the Astartes and the Sororitas was because of her. We can probably attribute our relatively light casualties to Kinley speaking up for us."

"Fair point," Iago said. "Either way, I just hope whoever gets promoted doesn't like the Commissar overly much. War's hell enough as is."

"Frankly, I doubt anyone does more than tolerate Alberis," Luper said drolly. "I've barely even met the man myself, and I know how much of an ass he's made of himself. To say nothing of the people who have to interact with him on a regular basis."

The soldiers shared a quiet chuckle, at least after glancing around to make sure the man in question wasn't around to hear them.

The idle chatter continued until the tent began to empty of people. Kinley briefly conversed with a trio of other soldiers before making her way to the Furies. As she drew close, the squad stood to attention, saluting.

"What news, ma'am?" Corrin asked.

Haelin Kinley, nursing a wound on her leg, was silent for long moments before sighing quietly. "From now on, you are to refer to me as Commander Kinley," she said quietly. "Is that clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," the squad said.

"Congratulations, Commander," Daniel said. "I and the rest of the squad wish you the best in your command."

Kinley nodded. "Thank you, Captain Theisman. I… appreciate your support, even as I hesitate for a moment to take on these duties. I can't say I accepted my calling enthusiastically.

Daniel smiled slightly. "Humility is a sign of a great commanding officer, I find."

Then, Daniel blinked as the rank that she'd said clicked. "I believe you also offered me a promotion in there too, then?"

Kinley smiled slightly. "Sharp as ever, Theisman," she said. "With my promotion, I'm leaving a hole in the Furies that needs to be filled. You were the obvious choice, with how well you work with the rest of the squad. The fact that, to some extent or another, you seem to have the Emperor's favor does also have some weight to it."

Daniel nodded. "Thank you, ma'am. I'll do my best to fill your shoes."

Kinley chuckled softly. "I think you'll do just fine. Maybe even better." she paused as she sighed quietly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a number of other captains, sergeants, and other high and mighty persons to go and meet with. I'd advise getting ready to support the Astartes and Sororitas in the palace proper."

With that, she turned and started making her way to another destination, leaving the now slightly undermanned squad to its devices.

"Captain, huh?" Iago said with a chuckle. "Congratulations. Now you get to wrangle us mad bastards yourselves."

"Hardly by myself," Daniel replied. "I'll have some help on that front. And I'll need to find us a new squad member to make sure we're at strength."

"Well," Stavros said, "with how the recent battle has ravaged the maniples, I don't think you'll have a shallow pool to pick from."

Daniel nodded slightly. Captain Theisman. He got the feeling that, if he kept his squad alive, their rise in the ranks might be rather more meteoric than any of them were expecting.

'And such a rise would put me in a better position to get the resources I need to break the system,' Daniel mused. Slowly, the pieces were coming together. He just needed a few connections in a few more places, and the Imperial contingent might be ready to go in a few years at best, a few decades at worst. Either way, time would allow his efforts be bear fruit.

Time. It was both with and against him. And simply working within the Imperium wouldn't be enough.

'I need to find a way to contact other nations,' Daniel mused as he set out to find a new member for the Fighting Furies. 'Perhaps through the Warp? Dangerous, but possible. Maybe a passing Craftworld? Depends on the Craftworld, honestly.'

Plans spun within the mind of the newly minted Captain as he considered how to change the galaxy.