Side chapter: Guardsman Perspective on the Galaxy

(??? Pov)

The news of the return of Lord Guilliman have returned to us. But to us that we could never have the chance to see Terra for the rest of our lives... It didn't matter to us, not while the Imperium is surrounded by all sides... While the officers was glad and celebrated that they are freed from the scythe that was High Lord Alexander on their necks as Lord Guilliman took charge of the Imperium, that the actual Sons of the God Emperor returned to us... Why now, when the Galaxy is split in half? Was in the minds of my regiment as we shipped off in the next field of the theater of war... And with news of the next destination was dealing Ork infestation of a Forge world in the Segmentum Tempestus, far beyond the light of our homes... We know the casualty rates, we joked and played a poker and betted when and who will survive and who will die at the first step on that Greenskins hellhole...

I listen from the Vox news of the Primarchs returning to the fold... I grew numb of the constant news of their return.

I stood attention as the commisar passed by as his eagle eyes stared at us...

I accepted my lot that we are going to die...

I am grateful that the Chaplain in the ship I was stationed on, listen to my worries and luckily I didn't got shot when I first turned around the corner meeting the Commissar for the first time...

A Young Bloke probably fresh from the Scholar Progenium... He was not like the last commissar that we "Accidently" misplaced... May the Emperor rest his "poor" soul.

When the news of the League spread to our Segmentum, we wary of our ancient allies. But they provided us with "material" support that is more important than our "spiritual" ones...

We got better Rations that we didn't puke and gagged from the smell. And my bunkmate was glad he have better boots to sleep tonight.

And the vehicles and weapons from the league we received was much better than what we had for years... And they were considerate enough to provide spare parts in the event it broke down. That the Local Techpriests often stayed up late to understand the intrinsically nature of the things that was given...

And the news of Alexander purge happened and the bloat removed, we noticed our Logistics is working normally and even a week earlier than our usual time... It was not much... But we are grateful.

When the news spread that we made several alliances with Xenos, many of us felt with disbelief as for how long did we fight those monsters only they acted as if we suddenly became friends?

It was until our CO informed us it was the high lord will to prevent more of us being sent to the grinder against Necrons and Eldar alike allowing us to handle the more "easier" pressing matter such as Orks and those Tyranids... I know what's like to be under fire of a Gauss rifle and those immortal machines... Eldar we could kill them if our saturation fire hits them. But a Necron, many of us was remnants of Regiments that survived against them... I rather drink myself to death than meeting those silent ghouls in the battlefield...

When we are further briefed of what we are up against. It would seemed that Ghazkull Thrakka was furious that the League was chipping away his forces and after the confirmed death of Sebastian Yarrick... He was in a frenzy and his Kaptains attacked on all fronts while he search for Angron... And our task is to defend the besieged forge world that is making a prototype vehicles for the League... easier said than done?

Seems like that they overrun the Manufactorum that was creating those prototypes and now wreaking havoc to the Hive cities... And the 212th League Ten Thousand Regiment is arriving shortly after we landed... I wonder how their meal ration is taste like? My thoughts ended as my bunkmate jabbed me at my ribs...

A steaming hot soup and cooked Meat with steaming white bread we had for dinner, instead of the usual Corpse starch and the Chef mystery meat special... My brothers in arms joked that this is our farewell meals as it is luxurious for those that were sent to a battlefield we are guaranteed "not" to survive.

I managed to get the League Hellgun somehow for free as my regiment managed to do a joint ops with a Imperium ancient friend to crush a Orc infestation and they found our equipment "subpar" they said and gave us newer weapons that those Chemdogs that join us in some of our joint campaign looked at our weapons with envy, after the mission ended they just left, they have a more bigger orks to fry, to see the gifts that they gave to us as a simple tool, they fixed the issues and now they are similar to a regular Lasguns until a poor bloke when facing the barrel end I recalled I shot plenty of Heretics in a single volley... While my Co got a Volkite Rifle...

I don't really envy him as now he have to do tedious maintenance and the machine spirit in that thing is more of a temper tantrum than my best friend. But didn't mind that weapon tantrum as that power that he wielded was worth it as it saved several lives with that fussy thing...

As we arrived at the besieged planet... What happens on the command deck is none of our concern as long as we land on the ground then our objectives will be met.

Our regiment stood ready on the hangars ready to be loaded into the battlefield.

The Commander gave the same old speech about saving the Imperium and whatnot... Many of us smiled a bit as he was pretty much incompetent and some are betting who will make him "Catachan special" at a opportune moment...

"Oi, We Gunna make landfall soon and pray to the God Emperor that none of us will die the first 15 seconds! " The sergeant yelled as we loaded up the Valkyries...

The hull outside the Valkyries trembled as I reckon it was the Ork Flaks and the supposedly dakka that is raining on our transports... I could hear several explosions so close at home.. and the familiar explosion confirm that several of our squads ended up in a smoking pile of meat blown up in the air...

We silently prayed in Aquila and hoped that the pilot managed to pass the barrage...

After a short while the trembling stopped. Possibly at the low range.

"We are approaching the landing zone and get your arse off my ship before all of us don't make it home!" The sarge yell as the door of the Valkyrie opened. The hot dusty wind and ash batter in our faces as we took defensive positions.

The constant roars of the Orks have made us wary of the surroundings.

Greenskins everywhere...

And they pounced on us while we being unloaded and the first vehicles on the ground were Sentinels that is our only heavy support...

We all shot our new weapons and now the first wave was hindered, knowing the Orks... Some fled and return the place the crawled out from...

And they will be back in stronger numbers...

Several cargo ships landed nearby with materials for a forward command base, and we are tasked to build it up in record pace. Heavier vehicles are being unloaded and Artillery emplacements are being erected to provide support in the distance...

My hands felt like a blur as sentinel workers carried material to the makeshift defenses, and the Orks came in a night raid... We been fighting the orks for so long that the screams of those freaks is no longer a concern as we ready to repel them and do what we are made to do... 

"Hold the Line!" My company Commissar yelled as he raised his power sword. A gretchin tried to jump on him only to be met by the end of his sword... He felt a shudder as if he slain his first xenos... a Newbie?

Our group was tasked as a Bait to divert the majority of the Waagh barreling towards us, our Basilisk roared in the distance, making a short flash in the night and the Chimera fired aimlessly into the crowd as they massed into a singular force... many knew that none of us will come out alive... my hands slowly grew numbed from the amount of pulling the trigger... How many did I killed?

Ones, tens, perhaps a hundred at this point? The greenskins horde is endless...

Another body splattered next to my position, his head blown off by a ork dakka... It was one of the blokes that betted how long he would survive... 

I can hear the Medicae screamed behind us... Krak grenades and Ork missile exploded all around...

And my only thoughts was not to let them come closer to the line... And I done so...

My Voxcaster gave us a glimmer of hope...

"At Daybreak, Reinforcements will arrive soon, we must hold on until daybreak!" She yelled amidst the screams and gunfire, Many heard the call, and we smiled.

Morale...it is a mysterious thing... despite we are being outnumbered, if normal civilians facing the orks they would have long collapse and fled, but we the Imperium guard... we know why we fight...

Many of us came from a million planets, for all the different reasons... Some wanted glory but were numbed by the deaths of our own, some wanted to continue their family tradition and were killed in the same way those before them did...

But we are not the Emperor Angels created by the emperor himself, that we known that they were too few and too spread out to help... and if they truly arrived means that we are truly frakked to hell... we are the silent masses of flesh and lasguns, willing or not, held the line so that many more can live...

Such thoughts ran through my mind as the orks found that we are more of a favored target than the shielded void hives that held the people within...

We fight nonstop without rest without quarter, until what was a Regiment strong have become a mere company of abled men desperate to survive, others were either dead or wounded in the field hospital that we didn't know if they are still alive... Funny that our commissar managed to survive till now... Now that I think about it... he was taught by the Scholar Progenium that was held by Ciaphas Cain himself? Must have rubbed his luck from the Hero of the Imperium nonetheless...

We saw the glimpse of sunlight at the dawn of new age...

We saw titans and Attack craft that flew in the skies... and their hulls have shown the symbol of the League... And the Triangular ships arrived from orbit and began to rain artillery support and the land their beams landed was scoured from all life...

The Orks saw that these titans was green and they decided to go after them... Ironic that there were several Lancer strikes and obliterated the greenskins causing them to flee... And several drop pods containing Men of Iron rained from the skies as the Soldiers followed after them... 

We saw the usual standards of the league... but seeing this happen. Makes me smiled a bit...

I stood still as the Commander of the newly arrived regiment approached us.

He smiled as he knew of our achievements, and our wounded gotten the first aid and we were informed that they would be back by tomorrow. 

A more decent command base was erected and we were given certain privileges...

Some of the food we ate at the canteen was only what others would kill for, if we blabbed out...

A hot shower for once... we were told to stay until further reinforcements were being arrive to bolster our regiment. And the League March towards the Ork Badlands to cleanse the Infestation.

As of this recording... I am just enjoying a beer with my Bunk buddy that hidden his ass under a Leman Russ as we watch the soldiers of the league pass by... The Emperor Protects...

Must be nice being a hero of a story for once... <*Static* >