Vol I | Chapter I

◹][◸ ~ Astra Militarum ~◹][◸

On the outer rim edges of known space – outside the grace of the Emperor – far from the reach of the Segmentum Solar of Holy Terra and its Imperium, a backwater planet; Jules, had become a victim to an incursion when warp sensitive humans began to be used as warp portals for daemon to emerge. At a frightening pace, the corruption that was brought forth had ruined and twisted the people in its radius that gradually in haste the ruinous chaos forces began to grow, their numbers increasing by tenfold with each hive city that fell.

Alerted and alarmed by the invasion of Jules, the distress signals that had been sent to the Imperium were returned in the response of massive warships and giant space cruisers that upon entering through the planet's orbit, the humongous space ships and their huge canons – obliterated a confirmed chaos-controlled hive city – and upon its wake, the ground shook with tremendous force that it toppled buildings and causing others to collapse due to the sheer heavy bombardment. Exhausting their aerial attack, anything that was in the hive city – was laid flat – a dismembered limb or the traces of blood would have all been erased; cleansed, from both its unsightly and heretical existence.

At the colossal warships and cruisers landing, the loud noises that the space ships projected were loud and proud, the Omnissiah be pleased, as soon the gate dropped and rolled out from the mammoth cruisers – armored vehicles and the nerve-wracking column of a unified, perfect, and exact stoic looking gas masks wore by every guardsman who marched out in sync.

The parade almost seemed intended to display the might and discipline of the regiment and perhaps even; the reputation of the Death Korps of Krieg.

Pouring to the streets and near areas, officers and captains to individual platoons directed positioning and placement of base of operations – preparing to settle in for uncalculated years till their succession in killing and wiping out all chaos insurgents and contamination on the planet. Be it, three to five years, or two at best. "Make a perimeter in these sectors, and set up strategic positionings along the pathways to the hive!" An officer continuously relayed orders as he inspected the environment; thinking, of the best-situated defenses that should be installed and implemented.

Like any other standard hive colony, it was built upon structures, and structures, until these layers gradually built up until at the top was what could appear like a sharp point of a spear. In regards to the standardized layout of a hive colony, entrances were easy to monitor and defend, and such entrances could easily be reinforced. "Squadron-057! Take a position on the outer defenses of the walls and begin construction of trenches with other troops!" A Kommisar ordered, who stood out among the rest as he wore the eye-catching coat and the symbolic Aquila cap, he barks out commands as he does bellow in a loud and stern voice – the Kommisar was in his prime element; leading fearless men into battle and onto death, such as the way of Krieg, as were the destiny of those born in Krieg.

Gawking in a distance, the Captain of the Planetary Defense Force watched as these battle-hardened imperials move on such a large scale yet be so efficient and smooth it was almost surreal. It may have been jealousy, to imagine commanding such disciplined soldiers. However, from the tales peripherally told and what the captain could see – the display of a battalion of soldiers marching almost soulless brought an unsettling shiver down the captain's spine.

"Captain Greg of the local PDF of Jules; What can I do to assist?" Captain Greg began, opening a dialogue with the nearest officer who could easily be identified in rank as the quality and design of the uniform screamed; a Kommisar, who was relaying strict orders to the front. Upon interruption, the commissioned officer turned to give an ominous side glance, who by then had stopped speaking and had opted to stare at the man and the soldiers behind him. "Kaiser Von; a Kommisar, in the 107th Siege Artillery Regiment of the Death Korp of Krieg." He greeted back, and internally sighing in relief, the captain began to loosen up but still remained formal and professional and offered a hand – to which the Kommisar took a brief second before accepting it.

◹][◸ ~ Astra Militarum ~◹][◸

Settled within a makeshift tent, Kommisar Kaiser who has been busy in filing reports was suddenly forced to push aside the task when the siege artillery stationed just foots away began to roar in a continuous roar as it continuously unleashed shells after shells. It had been a whole day since their arrival that no chaos activity even lurked anywhere near their position, which gave the 107th Siege Regiment the opportunity to establish a much proper defense and the installment of their infamous siege artillery. At hearing the sounds of impending war, in much delight to the Korpsmen – that a battle was finally underway.

Within the trenches that acted as the first line of defense; it was eerily quiet among the soldiers. The scene is almost an ironic play as the guardsmen stood unflinching and disciplined, while as a mob of thousands of crazed-twisted and blood-thirsty cultists rampage in their sprint to the hive city defenses. Their sickened and incoherent screams matched their expression; a heretic who has become consumed by chaos – saliva drips from their mouth as though hungry, and eyes red from their lack of sleep, all in the desire to offer blood for their Blood God; Khorne.

◹][◸ ~ Astra Militarum ~◹][◸

In the face of overwhelming numbers and the concerning threat, the guardsmen of the Death Korps of Krieg; remained unreactive and stoic, and only their oddly stabled muffled breathing could be heard within their line. Until joining in the pool of senseless yelling – were the artillery shells exploding – into the massive river of advancing cultists, yet like ants, their swarming numbers would not be deterred with just the siege bombardment. However, the Death Korps of Krieg held no ordinary guardsmen of the Imperium – these were most zealous of Imperial Guardsmen, their tactic; aggressive and brutal, and often than not – prompt suicidal assault to simply achieve victory; even if just a margin of the land, for the cost of a hundred men. This act, of utter disregard to one's life, is an act to repent for their ancestral sin to the God-Emperor, and his Imperium of Man.

As their homeworld; Krieg, in the Segmentum Tempestus was near the brink of being usurped in the hands of rebelling traitors – the losing Loyalists was forced into a difficult decision – which was done by Colonel Jurten of the Krieg 83rd Imperial Guard Regiment.

Under strict orders to not let Krieg fall, but with the knowledge that no fleet on the scale needed to relieve them was available, Jurten decided that Krieg would either belong to the Emperor or to no one. On the day of the Feast of The Emperor's Ascension, Jurten unleashed a counter-attack of atomic cleansing in what became known as "The Purging". For days, Krieg was engulfed in a sea of nuclear fire, resulting in a total collapse of its ecosystem and subsequent nuclear winter, but yet, the civil war dragged on. The survivors from The Purging would fight on, forced to exist in underground bunkers or deep in the radioactive chem-wastes, as their descendants do to the current day. From the self-annihilation of their homeworld, Loyalist troops slowly retook their world inch by inch over the course of five-hundred years until finally returning to Imperial rule in the year nine-hundred-nine of the 40th Millennium. It would be from this cataclysmic event that the Death Korps were born.

More than centuries in, the Death Korps of Krieg were the utmost loyal Imperial Guardsmen to the God-Emperor who sat on his throne on Holy Terra. Pledging themselves all and through to him, and dedicating their lives to his words – to hear his hate on the mutants and xenos, were more than enough to erupt a sense of great despise for the non-humans, and to execute the filths without remorse and without questions. Such has become the Imperial Guardsmen of Krieg – to serve only the Imperium and seek atonement for its home world's treachery.

◹][◸ ~ Astra Militarum ~◹][◸

"Fire!" A voice yelled command over the roar of ground-shaking thunder of their artillery and the approaching screams of undeterred mindless heretics. At once, hundreds of lasguns shot and struck their marks at the wave of unseeingly unending enemies. The marksmanship of each individual was rating in above average, their hellish training in Krieg, was to breed and train the most 'perfect' guardsmen to the Imperium, and at the current setting, each shot was ammunition not wasted. But the damages being inflicted upon the chaos cultists were not sufficient as inch by bloody inch, these blood-thirsty ravagers continue to run amok – even so to climb over barb wires as it tears through their skin; their face, their lips, and their hands, others their eyes as their fellow behind pushes against them and uses them as blankets to get over.

Atop a viewpoint as the artillery becomes covered in its own mist of smoke. A watching eye looking through the dark lenses of its gas mask – observed the front line that was far below. In one case, a cultist had tripped in her sprint, but given no time to stand, she had the back of her skull caved in by the thousands of feet that ran over her without a blink. "Coordinate 154, 554 – Fire!" At the instructive command, the machines were altered to match the pinpoint position and soon it began to shower the skies again and the ground trembled once more.

Back to the trenches, the occasional muffled breathing of gas masks was all that sounded, only the exception of grunts and groans from the wounded who either continued to fight with a heavy sustained wound or the latter who succumbed to their death and cease their moans. The enemy was drawing near, and as close to more in a group were being smattered to pieces by an artillery shell, and their blood imploding all around like rain and staining a few Korpsmen who peeked up to aim. It wasn't long until the bombardment finally came to an end, and followed was the eerie silence – until a quick command that was understood by all guardsmen was heard – "Equip bayonet! Fix bayonet! Charge!" and then a whistle. All at once moving up from their trenched position, the guardsmen in their haste to the open field met the awaiting and coughing cultists that couldn't navigate from all the dust until it had been too late to prepare and counter the charge. Skewered by the shocking force of the Death Korps of Krieg, their bayonet performed a hefty job as it easily pierced through the enemy's flesh. Though the heretics who had become lost and turned maniacs upon warp corruption, whose sole purpose then was only to shed further blood, regardless of side. In the end, the said maniacs still knew the dreadful feeling of fear, and like animals who had thought themselves the predator, had just become the target of a hunter.

After a series of brutal close-quarter combat, the guardsmen gave chase until the fleeing foe was too far out. The Kommisars were content at the number of stragglers slaughtered, though the guardsmen would have no doubt in having any trouble in giving further chase. However, the Kommisars would not allow it, for fear that it would leave them vulnerable and without support. Ironic, that in other military regiments, Kommisars were to enforce morale and to keep their troops from routing and continue onward to fight and charge the enemy. Yet, in the Death Korps, Kommisars was to restrain the guardsmen for simply charging a suicidal assault and actually keep them alive from simply killing themselves. Again, Kommisars has been in cases executed by the Korps-guardsmen for signs of cowardice. Had the Krieg Guardsmen felt the Kommisar has been showing such signs, it would have been a telltale. Upon direct orders, the Krieg Guardsmen returned to the trenches, much to their dissatisfaction to hopefully die on the battlefield as destined be, as all children of Krieg are destined to be.

◹][◸ ~ Astra Militarum ~◹][◸