A lone guardsman wades his way through a field of dead bodies, ork or human, there was no difference. A lasgun in hand, he keeps his guard up and mind steady, it's inevitable that at any moment he would be killed. Below his feet are many layers of dead men, all from different stretches of the empire, all brave and loyal men of the imperium. Ahead is another silhouette of a guardsman, maybe, it was too hard to make out with his wounds, he came into view slowly, dropping to his knees, the lone surviving guardsman wasn't alone, he sprinted towards the kneeling figure, and held him in his arms.
"What happened...?" The once kneeling guardsman asked, the survivor grit his teeth and forced himself not to cry.
/////
A day earlierThe guardsman stood ready and waiting for his coming death, his brothers in arms stood beside him waiting for the same.
"It's almost like they aren't coming." One of them said.
"Why take millions of us off world to fight an enemy we have yet to see." Another said, the guardsman looked to them with a fire in his eyes.
"What are you saying?" He asked, not expecting an answer he continued, "The Emperor has every right to do with us what he pleases.", a weary eyed sergeant cut into the conversation, pulling the two heretics by the collar.
"QUIET DOWN! If the Commisar heard you two then you would consider yourselves lucky, you'll be dead before the orks arrive.", a quick and sharp order from the sergeant piped them down before they could say any more, they didn't need to, the whaaag of the orks can already be heard, the beat of their boots against the dirt.
"FORM A FIRING LINE! OPEN FIRE ON MY COMMAND!" The commisar shouted, a number of men fell backwards in fear and a number more decided a clean shot from the commissars' laspistol would be better than being ripped apart by the green tide. Five clean shots and they were dead, it was enough to bring the others back to their feet and ready to die in the name of the Imperium. The green skins came into view, their axes raised and their autoguns cocked, the guardsman was afraid, and even more afraid of the commisar, he will die here.
"OPEN FIRE!", a flurry of lights and the front row of orks hit the dirt with burning holes in their chests, another volley and the next row fell, again and again and eventually they came close enough to be hit by turret fire, the sound of the large bolter rounds being fired left the guards ears bleeding.
"FIX BAYONETS!", the guard was given only a moment of time to force the long blade into the lasgun, many had trouble but the guardsman fixed it quick and clean before a group of Gretchen made their way into the trench, two managed to steal away his lasgun and shoot another before he wrestled them to the ground and snapped their necks, stealing back his lasgun.
"CHARGE!" The commisar snapped, the remaining Gretchen were killed and the many guardsman still remaining rose to find that the ork horde had made its way to only a meter in front of them, the few brave men who charged were mowed down first, their armour easily ripped through by the strength of the grown ork, the guardsman charged too but was hit back by the butt of an ork autogun, knocked unconscious.
/////
PresentThe wounded guardsman cried and spit blood, he grabbed the lone survivors' armour to hold himself up.
"Don't let me die, please... please...", the lone survivor held his hand firmly.
"My name is Estrus, only in death does duty end." He said triumphantly, a moment passed and he lay the man down, he served the Imperium with honour, it was only fitting Estrus did the same. He rose after some time and continued down his set path, Estrus knew where the Orks were, and he knew who needed this information, the inquisition wouldn't let an imperial Titan go to waste on an ork infested planet. It's probably where they were or where they are heading, both parties, both sides, inquisition and Ork.
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