My pleasure at seeing a group of relatively attractive women standing to attention was soured into guilt when I realized the implications of their having locked themselves in the prefab. I wondered briefly how long this had been going on, and exactly who was responsible for allowing such concerns. Hopefully Sergeant Matalow, seeing as I already had him in a form of custody, but I would check on that later. The female troopers held their lasguns point upward, resting against their arm and shoulder in a proper rifle salute. I nodded, pleased. 

"Don't be sorry. At least you had the good sense to lock yourself in a place where you could perform your damned duty, unlike these fool drunkards out here." I remarked, indicating beyond the sandbags with a gesture of my head. "They can't even hold their liquor. I'd say their tolerance for alcohol isn't the only thing that's lacking about them." 

There were a few smiles at that, which caused me to give a curt one back. I glanced past them into the small but solid structure. There was a small light flashing, painting the wall in red every few moments. "At ease, and show me the inside of your facility. I should have at least a cursory knowledge of your station, just in case. Corporal, stand by the door and keep an eye on if you see any flasks meet anyone's lips." 

"Right, sir!" She said, and while she did a good job of it, I know now I should have specified she did the same with herself. However, Sel was never extremely irresponsible. She knew her business, and more besides. The women turned and strode into the structure with me in tow. For once, I did not feel unsafe entering an enclosed space within the grounds of this platoon's area, though I likely should have been. I have seen trooper Sparks break the jaw of a leering Steel Legionarre from Armageddon with a right hook that could only be described as a thing of art. I'd seen trooper Nexis, the slim woman with a shock of blonde hair that sat down at the auspex, catch a live grenade and throw it into the gullet of a carnifex with insane precision. I would have similar anecdotes for some of the men, of course, but I have to impress it upon you that female troopers are every bit as dangerous as their male counterparts.

"Hmmm, curious." Nexis said, furrowing her brow and turning a small knob at the base of the console. The other women congregated together in curiosity, and I had to squeeze my way through them to get a better look. I could not tell hide nor hair from the various buttons and switches, but whatever was occurring now could take precedence over my brief education. 

"What is it?" I asked with my most commanding flair of voice. 

"Sir, it's not the auspex, or not only the auspex. There an indicator that the orbital starships have picked up some asteroids on their augurs." 

"And what's on the auspex?" 

"I don't know, it's...it's almost like a mountain is moving." She said, but before I could inquire further, she flipped a yellow switch, and the room was filled with static that eventually coalesced into a strange, consistent rumbling, with a low hissing that sounded like sizzling bacon. I then made a mental note to take lunch soon, and then compartmentalized that for later. I squinted my eyes for a moment, something tickling my mind. I had heard something like this before... 

At once, the thought struck my head like an earthshaker round. Emperor's Teeth! 

"This is the comm station as well, isn't it?" I asked breathily. A few of the women nodded. "Patch me through to command. Now." 

There was an unspoken question on Nexis lips, and Sparks raised an eyebrow to a trooper whom I would later learn was called Elara. However, after a moment she picked up the comm and handed it to me, adjusting the frequency as I placed it to my lips, hoping I would be clear through the vox. 

"What is it J-Artillery?" A voice asked blandly. 

"This is first Lieutenant Kayden Caladwarden of 3rd Platoon. I require clarification on the augur readings from orbital. Over." I declared, the static lasting a few more moments before the voice came back. 

"Lieutenant, this is a feed for emergencies only." They did not even bother to say 'over.' I was not unused to being ignored, as when one is a lord, you simply get ignored by other lords who think you are undeserving of the title, or your overbearing family that thinks you're not worthy of the name Caladwarden. But it still irked me. 

"This is priority, command. I am well within my right to ask for clarification. Please do so, over." I said, and the women in the room had grown quiet. Even Sel poked her head in, the building so small she could hear everything, regardless.   

There was an audible sigh, before a few moments of keyboard clicking. "First Lieutenant, Star Cruiser [i]Impenetrable[/i] spotted some small asteroids that were set to miss Kaurava III by a few thousand kilometers. They have been aware of the approach for some days. The cogboy supposed they were shifting from solar winds, but they recanted the report. Over." 

My heart skipped a beat. "Command, patch me to the Colonel, now. Over." 

"What? First Lieutenant, I know you are new-" 

"Command if you do not patch me through to the Colonel then I will drive there and make you myself. THIS. IS. PRIORITY. DAMMIT!" My voice had risen to a barking cadence a hardened veteran would use, and the eyes in the room had grown wider. They shifted uneasily, and Sel looked like I was a madman. I certainly hoped she was right. I used this moment of pause to point at the auspex. "I want exact coordinates to the sound, trooper." Nexis was on it, recording the auspex readings. After a small breathless moment, I had believed I had simply been cut off, but then the static whirred again, followed by a familiar voice. 

"This is the Colonel, speaking. Over." 

"Colonel, this is First Lieutenant Kayden Caladwarden. We are about to be hit by Orks, sir. Over." 

"Orks? What do you mean?" The Colonel asked. 

"Those asteroids read by the [i]Impenetrable[/i], they are Ork Roks. They're entering the atmosphere as we speak! They are set to land at..." Nexis handed me the parchment, and I took it with a wribble of the page and held it up. "49 degrees, 3.627. The asteroids have changed course, and they are landing. Sir, I advise you place all regiments on high alert, get eyes on the landing sight and redirect your artillery." 

"Lieutenant, I don't know if your high birth has made you arrogant or simply insane. However, I will look into these claims, stand by. Over." 

I did not stand by. I put the comm down and pushed past the troopers, who had begun pelting me with different questions, ranging from 'what in the frak!?' to 'what are we going to do, sir?' I stepped outside, feeling wind from the west that smelled acrid and tinged with metal. Squinting, I looked into the sky. I could not tell, but I fancied I could see multiple black dots in the distance like solid dark stars. 

"Sel, can you drive a Chimera?" I asked her, turning to face the women. She looked at me, dumbfounded, and then nodded. "Good. Find me two other drivers that aren't inebriated. I want all three Chimeras ready to go in 10. Trooper Nexis, tell the basilisk crew to redirect their guns with the coordinates you gave me, change for ten degrees east." I did not stop walking, raising my voice and laspistol as I walked down the hill. "REDCON! REDCON!" Once I found the laudhauser, I repeated and filled the men in on the current situation.

The next few minutes were a flurry of activity, and it looked all the world like a sale at a habmerchant shop rather than a military view of readiness, but it was better then nothing. Men who had been drinking half an hour before were now hauling sandbags to the western edge of the perimeter and reloading lasguns. Morek had found me, informing me Sergeant Matalow had been stuffed into the infirmary, still tied up. It would have to do for now. However, what Morek had in his hands had my eyes popping out of my head. 

"What in the blazes is that!?" I exclaimed, and Morek looked down at the huge piece of equipment he held. It was like a block of plasteel and iron, easily twelve kilos if not heavier. Its stock shot out at a 45 degree angle from its heafty barrel, and I could not imagine its clip held what amounted to anything less than astartes bolter shells. At the end of its barrel was a broad bayonet that could spit a wild ambull. The design was simple, but brutal. Morek patted the hunk of what appeared to be a shotgun with what almost passed for affection. 

"Ripper gun." He said, curt as ever.