Omake: Ordos Hereticus Report C-Bar
The C-Bar heretically designated as the Standard Protectorate Emergency Ration Pack is the standard emergency ration for Cainite Protectorate Forces. The bar has the dimensions of 2.5 cm X 2.5 cm X 15 cm and weighs about .45 kilograms. The bar is shelf stable for about 10 years or longer when kept in its original packaging. The bar is segmented into 9 equal pieces with each piece being the total daily nutritional need for an active duty guardsman. The entire bar with a ceramite tablet will fulfill the total daily nutrition of an Astartes. Additionally, the C-Bar possesses minor analgesic and mood enhancing properties.
Developed around 40 years from the establishment of the Cain Protectorate, C-Bars are ubiquitous amongst protectorate forces. Their manufacture is currently unknown, but they are currently suspected to be a derivative product of the protectorate's earlier emergency ration "Black Sludge". "Black Sludge" has no official designation within the protectorate due to its short duration of active use and universal revulsion. Black Sludge has the same nutritional properties of C-Bars, but while C-Bars have a mild, somewhat meaty taste with a pleasant texture, Black Sludge is described as having 14 new sensations of horrible. The speculated connection between Black Sludge and C-bars is that the machines used to manufacture Black Sludge are frequently captured, but Black Sludge has rarely been captured alongside it. Note: Investigate possibility of using Black Sludge in torture and compliance operations.
After extensive examination, barring individual instances of contamination, the C-Bar has been declared safe to eat. Although it appears several Guardsmen regiments have been over eager and have already captured several stockpiles of C-Bars. Oddly, C-Bars appear to be one of the most popular targets of capture with regiments frequently ignoring opportunities to capture more valuable equipment such as Cain Battle Tanks or Cain Pattern Las Carbines.
Interestingly the protectorate forces appear to be phasing out the C-Bar for the P-25 ration bar and other variants. Despite this, the advantages of the C-Bar over traditional Imperium rations such as the venerable corpse starch are clear and investigation into the manufacture of C-Bars is currently a high priority.
Decades Earlier
"Ok Cain, you're drunk and you need to sober up for Zerayah. I need to eat something. Looking around, we have some vat-grown mushrooms, the crappy black sludge that STG machine makes, and some truly piss poor rotgut. How can I make this work?