Fan Fiction ❯ The Reya Campaign ❯ The Landing Grounds ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: Do I really need this to be put here from now on this disclaimer will go for the rest of the series got it. OK I don't own Warhammer 40k need I say much more I don't intend to make any money so don't bloody well sue me ok. Anyway on with the story

On the Landing Grounds

"Well, sir" said Silgan "It has to be said that the new recruits are coping well with the training"

"Obviously we don't know how they'll cope with actual fightin' though". Prett put in a little more pessimistically "They are still as green as the grass."

"Naturally," replied the sergeant "The same goes for just about everybody that joins the guard, except the poor bastards who join it after a war which has destroyed their homes. What are they doing right now?"

"Imitating fish, sir" answered the gunner.

"Drinking or looking round with their mouths open?"

"Both." Came the answer from the two soldiers.

"Then tell them to stop it immediately" Bist ordered with a tone of severity.

"That's not like you, sir. Why the change of attitude," Silgan found himself compelled to ask

"Because," here Bist began to whisper I've got reasons to believe that Carron is going to be coming to inspect the efficiency."

"You'd better be fuckin' joking." Prett managed without shouting.

"Not that Blue-blooded Bastard!" Groaned the vox-trooper.

"Who?" inquired one of the recruits with long hair and smoking a thick self-rolled cigarette which smelt like nothing either of the three veterans had smelled before. Or rather nothing legal that either of the three veterans had smelled before.

"Colonel "Lord" Evid Carron commands the regiment and is as strict on discipline as they come. "Bist answered as the others were reeling from the aftershock of hearing of the inspection. "And on that note what the hell are you smoking!?"

"Medication." Answered the trooper, taking out a sheet of paper and showing the sergeant.

Bist flicked over the medical form, he nodded. "Yeah this is authentic alright signed by Dr. Tanil himself, Trooper Hox here is actually allowed to legally smoke obscura (So long as it is from a legal source.) To keep him sane. But listen here, trooper you better hide that and all the rest of that stuff that you have. Don't let Carron see it and not one of the Commissars especially not Commissar Stilan who will be coming around with Carron in about half an hour. Stilan would shoot you dead before you could even touch that form. Anyway start to look busy and tell the rest of the platoon to do the same start bayonet drills, knife drills, target practice, I couldn't give a fuck, just keep it legal and keep it sensible.

"Got it, sarge!" Hox shouted with a mock military voice and salute before putting out his half smoked joint and pocketing it for later, then walking off to look busy.

Within 20 minutes as expected an officer accompanied by a Commissar arrived to inspect Bist's platoon. The troops, as per orders were pretending to be busy with bayonet drills, knife drills and the like. On the arrival every single trooper stopped what he was doing and saluted immediately. The officer smiled and nodded in the general direction of the men then started to look for the sergeant while the Commissar spoke with a few of the soldiers servicing their kits. "Don't seem as bad as you made them out to be." Hox whispered to Silgan beside him.

"That, Silgan whispered back while servicing the heavy vox-caster" is because they aren't the ones we made out to be bad. That's Commissar Judix and General Mklure.

"General?" Bist asked.

"Why so surprised, sergeant? Or do I already know why?" The general inquired, although Bist gathered he knew the answers to both question. "I'll explain Captain Bilk and Colonel Carron were supposed to inspect the new troops and all that sorta stuff. I was supposed to greet the local command and stuff like that. All handshaking and celebrations, just isn't my scene……."

Bist laughed. "I remember when you told a Lord Militant Commander to go fuck himself for asking you where your commander was. You always were strange in addressing people you call most of your superiors by name or rank, but you address a good number of your inferiors by sir."

"Yes, I use sir as a mark of respect. So, I sent Carron to do all that stuff, he was trained at it from an early age, all your nobles seem to be. Unfortunately I do have to check how everything is, how are you finding the billets?"

"For a war zone," Bist paused in thought, "I suppose that they don't come much better." With these words he surveyed the warehouse his and 3 other platoons were sharing. "It's a shame about all these crates in the way."

Mklure laughed, then opened one of the crates with his power sword and drew out two bottles of a local drink most likely alcoholic. He handed one to Bist. "You sure about that one, Jordi."

"Perhaps not, Glym." He said pulling out two glasses.

"Sorry," The General said, "can't get pissed on the rounds Judix said it gives a bad image to the new-bloods. Oh and before I forget Bilk gave Detta permission to organize a fireworks display, you might want to take your boys round, they might learn something interesting."

"One last thing boss." Bist said. "Not complainin' but why did you give me Silgan. You said yourself that he was the best vox-operator in the regiments and he was your vox-operator for the last good while."

"Isn't it obvious?" Mklure asked as if it was. "You're a very competent platoon leader I know that. Carron wanted to give you a bunch of raw recruits. New Sergeant new men he said. I pulled a few strings and now you've got our best gunner and vox-operator."

"Well then I guess I'll go see the display. How much are the tickets?"

The "fireworks display" was beginning to start as the platoon arrived. There were at least a hundred soldiers to watch the magic. The area was a large docking plot in the middle of the storage area. Many of the newer soldiers were looking more than a little puzzled they had been told there were fireworks but couldn't see a single one in sight just an old unusable Leman Russ. Then a figure appeared on top of the turret. He had short black hair a reasonable build and an unusually pale skin complexion for a Catachan.

"Thank you for coming to this demonstration, gentlemen." He shouted to the assembled troops. "No doubt you already know or have guessed I'm Detta and despite what you may have heard I am here for the purposes of educating you. Now watch for you will only see this once, as a demo at least."

With these words he ran around the tank marking areas and describing what an explosive would do to these areas and giving handy tank busting advice. Then as if to demonstrate his teachings planted a grenade in the joint at the turret. Blowing the main cannon 7 feet into the air

"And that people," he said with a note of finality, "is how to kill a tank effectively." Then he smiled looking at stares of disbelief on the faces of just about everyone in the vicinity.

"Well then." said a familiar voice behind Bist's head. "Are your boys impressed or what? Of course as Bist here can tell ya when Detta does that trick in a battle it's even more impressive."

The speaker was the Catachan sergeant Afagis a tall, well-built sergeant with quite dark skin and eyes that it was often joked could cut as sharp as the sergeant's sword and put fear into the daemons of Chaos. His character was just as dangerous as his appearance. He was renowned for the killing of an Ork Warboss in a one on one fight. Because of occasions like this he had been known to say he would rather go into battle without his pistol or rifle than his long blade. True to this statement he now stood before them with his sword, lovingly called the "Ork Gutter", at his side sheathed in an ork-skin covered sheath. Aside from this if you knew the man chances are you would get on ok with him.

"We're in for a laugh today lads." He chuckled. "Just found out who happen to be sharing the area with us for billets.

"What kind of a death-trap have you got rigged up?" Bist found himself compelled to ask with genuine fear as this Catachan was famous for his sense of "humour." Very few had forgotten his last good laugh which resulted in four occupied beds in the infirmary.

Afagis shook his head slowly. "Turns out we have the honour of being billeted close to a batch of the Adeptus Sororitas."

Prett and Silgan began laughing and eventually Bist joined in along with them realising the only potential outcome of some confrontations between the two. Many of the younger troopers were confused, but then again they didn't know the regiment's workings as of yet. A lot of soldiers would undoubtedly make sexist remarks. It was common knowledge that while the Commissars and the colonel tried to stop these outbreaks anyone needing a remark to make but failing to find one could always ask Major Bilk, the third acting commander or even General Mklure who never seemed to have a shortage of remarks.

"Listen to me, General! This is not a matter to be taken lightly! Many of my warriors were appalled and insulted by abuse from your soldiers! What are you doing!?

The General was writing on a data slate. "I'm sorry," he smiled, "I just have to record this one." Then read out aloud what he was writing. "New record, two hours, thirty three minutes and… he checked his watch … 27 seconds before the bitch came yapping. Now what were you saying, Canoness?

The Canoness was dumbfounded she couldn't find the words to describe her shock. She opened and closed her mouth multiple times still incapable of expressing her anger. "This is not the form of attitude," she managed, "I would expect from a senior officer."

At this point a trooper came into the room took one look at the furious battle sister and one look at his regimental commander, smiling innocently, and said, "This will be brilliant. Do you mind if I watch, Glym?"

"Not at all, Barrith, take a seat. Now, Canoness Rufia, you look like something large has just been shoved up your arse. Please enlighten me as to what your problem is."

"This has to be," the Canoness whispered, "the least disciplined force in the entire segmentum possibly the whole Imperium. For one, this man," here she indicated Barrith, "not only failed to address you by rank, but used your first name to address you!"

Glym smiled almost confused as to what the problem was that had arisen then replied, "So? What's your point here? In your order punishment for that type of detail may be commonplace. However PMS is also commonplace in your order and my regiments have yet to endure that."

Barrith was now laughing as hard as he could without making a noise. Rufia was about to speak when there was an explosion outside which shook the room, an old supervisors office.

"What was that?!" She screamed

"I believe you mean; what the fuck was that." Mklure replied without as much alarm in his voice as the Sister of Battle. "And it was I believe trooper Detta blowing something up. Before you start gurnin' again, yes, it is authorised I gave it authority myself. So, if you're done now, I think you should get back to your troops."

She then turned to leave but before she had gone out of the door the General shouted, "After all, the place won't clean itself!"

The door slammed shut.

"So Barrith, I believe this isn't a social visit so why are you here?"

"These reports just arrived. I was told to give them to you."

Glym took the reports and glanced over them then re-read them he hadn't been wrong the first time

"Five non-Imperial ships have been detected. They're landing in two and a half hours and about a mile from the city walls. We have to investigate. Scrounge up some transports and hand me my weapons I'm gonna get some men."