# Command Post 153



## IbramGuant17 (Nov 28, 2009)

Hi everybody,

This is an original work I wrote a while ago as an accompaniment to a mini campaign I had with a friend and my sister (whose bloodthirsty orcs wiped us out without mercy) and I was hoping to get some feedback. Now this is my first story (come to think of it, its my first post) so please keep criticism constructive. Thank you.

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The Varne IV Campaign
Start date: 9782:40
Planet: Varne IV
Planet data: Small hive/ large frontier world
Trigger: Heresy, refusal to pay tithes, assault on the Adeptus Arbites
Chaos influence: Minimal yet to be confirmed by Inquisition
Regiment Involved: 465th Yusarian Infantry
120th Sabrek Infantry 
512nd Cylkerian Infantry
307th Krieg Heavy Artillery
39th Falirian Armoured
6th Elysian Airborne
Casualties: 34,098 Guardsman
230 Tanks and armoured vehicles
Enemy casualties: Estimated at 57,000 not including naval bombardment
Estimated victory date 9801:40


This transcript is of a short sound file discovered in a broken vox caster by Imperial Guardsman 61:0432 of the 512nd Cylkerian Regiment. The vox caster was left on and recorded the following while situated at platoon command post 153.


-the recording begins-

Guardsman 1: [positively identified as Combat Medic March Helstius] You lucky bastard
Guardsman 2: [positively identified as Private Falst Valar] Am I missing something?
Guardsman 3: [positively identified as Vox-operator Dewd Craymek] yeah, a leg
Valar: Thanks for that, I was wondering to myself why I can't stand up. [to Helstius] I don't know about you but I am quite attached to all my limbs...
Craymek: Used to be attached...
Valar: So why am I so lucky?
Helstius: You got yourself a Cylikie [slang for homeworld of the 512th Cylkerian Infantry]. You will be on a ship out of this hellhole by the end of the week. Even Commisar Volskan does not expect his men to charge without legs. 
Valar: [doubtful] what about bionics?
Helstius: Are you kidding? Look at this dump. Do you think they are going to bother with bionics if they can barely give us ammunition. Don't worry. You will stay here for two days until we are rotated off the front line. Then its a trip to one of the supply ships. You will be back on Cylkie in three weeks.
Craymek: What! He gets to go home in three weeks because he stepped on a landmine, with [to Valar] how much money did you get off gambling?
Valar: Enough to buy a new leg and a fair sized farm back in Cylkie
Helstius: Wait a minute, what sort of a hand did you pull?
Valar: Emperor's hand with an 67 high. 
Helstius: [low whistle] You could have cleaned out the company with that. 
Valar: [smug] I did. 
Craymek: So you are going to buy a farm? Doesn't that seem a little dull?
Valar: You're a hiver, so the glories of Cylkeria are pretty lost on you. 
Craymek: Its hardly a hive. Cylkie is too much of an agriworld to have a proper hive.
Helstius: A farm eh? That sounds fantastic. Something to give to my son so he doesn't have to earn his money dodging bullets like the rest of us sorry bastards
Valar: I hope you aren't getting into a habit of calling me a bastard. 
Helstius: Whenever you have a go at me, remember that I alone hold the painkillers that allow you to open your mouth without screaming.
Valar: [mocking] Sorry sir but you doped me up so badly I can barely tell what I am saying. 
Craymek: Makes sense considering the absolute crap that has been escaping your mouth. 
Valar: Tsk Tsk. Teasing a cripple. What has the universe come to?
Craymek: [to Helstius] How old is your son?
Helstius: Three years. Sanya was pregnant when we left. 
Valar: So you have no idea what he looks like?
Helstius: Actually Sanya gave this to her brother when he deployed last month. He gave it to me yesterday. 
[whirring sound as a holograph projector is turned on]
Holograph: [the voice sounds ghostly due to double recording] I love you, Daddy. 
Craymek: Doesn't look much like a farmer to be. 
Valar: More like a pink blob. 
Helstius: I can add something to your painkillers that will make you look a whole lot more like a pink blob than my son
Valar: I jest. 
Helstius: Good because the next time...
[a vox caster crackles]
Craymek: Excuse me ladies but I have a job to do. [into voxcaster] This is platoon command. Codename: Loki. I hope you're still with us raven one.
Raven 2 vox operator: This is raven two reporting in. We have had no enemy contact, I repeat no enemy contact in the past three hours. I think they have given up. 
Craymek: Good, I'll check on first squad. Get some sleep boys. 
Raven 2 vox operator: That is all I need to hear.
Craymek: Goodnight raven two. 
[vox falls quiet]
Valar: You sound just like my grandma. 
Craymek: Shut up, raven one haven't reported in yet. 
Valar: Uskan probably got them lost again. 
Helstius: Oi, Uskan may not have the finest sense of direction but he remains my brother in law and I remain the sole distributer of painkillers in this room so...
[vox caster crackles]
Craymek: ravan one, what took you so long? Cause if it was Uskan remember to give him a good kick in the...
Raven 1 vox operator: We have hostiles coming in from the north. They're coming in heavy with...
[muffled explosion]
Raven 1 vox operator: with artillery support. We are being over run. I repeat we are...
[autogun fire and screams]
Guardsman 4: [positively identified as NCO Paks Uskar] This Paks Uskar, can you hear me?
Craymek: We're hearing you loud and clear.
Uskar: I am not sure we can make it much longer.
Craymek: I'm sending in Raven 2. Sit tight and you'll pull through. 
Uskar: Wait, I can see our heavy weapons teams are coming into position on the ridge. If we just hold this trench we will blow those bastards back into hell. 
Craymek: Hold the trench?
Uskar: Is March there?
Craymek: What?
Helstius: Yeah.
Uskar: Tell Sanya that I did not mean what I said. She will understand. 
Helstius: You'll make it home, Paks. 
Uskar: March, when you go home take my farm. Your kid needs a father more than an uncle.
Craymek: What the hell are you trying to do Paks?
Uskar: [faint] trooper, give me your frags. 
Helstius: Paks, answer me!
Uskar: [to himself] For the Emperor.
[shouts, stubbler fire, screams, a loud explosion. The vox crackles for a period then turns off. A stunned silence prevails]
Helstius: [audibly shaken] Wake up raven two. We have a war to fight
[crackling as the vox is tuned]
Raven 2 vox operator: Listen Dewd, if this is your idea of a joke...
Craymek: Shut up and move to the North trenches. We have enemy forces coming in hard. Our heavy weapons on the ridge will cover you. Move, move!
Raven 2 vox operator: Yessir!
[vox crackles. There is a long silence]
Craymek: Emperor help us if Raven 2 don't get there in time.
Valar: If you've ever seen our heavy bolters, you wouldn't be so worried. Those things fire rounds the size of my fist!
Craymek: I guess...
[doors slam. There are hurried foot steps]
Guardsman 5: [positively identified as Captain Mikael Epilius] Help!
Helstius: Sir! What happened?
Epilius: [heavily] we ... lost ... the ridge this morning and have ... been fighting ... a retreat since .... then. 
Craymek: But we still have heavy weapons... GET ME THAT VOX! 
[there is a scrambling noise and the vox crackles. On the other end, screams and the distinctive racket of heavy bolters]
Craymek: Raven 2, Raven 2 can you hear me!
[the screams stop but the heavy bolter fire does not slacken]
Craymek: Come in, damn it!
[the heavy bolter fire stops. The vox crackles and falls silent] 
Helstius: Captain?
Epilius: [painfully] What?
Helstius: I have four wounded in this post and only one is even conscious.
Epilius: So?
Helstius: I want to take them to safety, sir.
Epilius: That would be desertion, soldier.
Helstius: I know but I still want to do it. 
Eplilius: [strained] Listen, Helstius, you are a good man and I think you have the makings of an officer. None of that can happen if I shoot you.
Helstius: I refuse to leave these men to die.
[there is a silence]
Epilius: [quietly] Go. 
Helstius: Sorry sir?
Epilius: I said go! But when you arrive, the Commisar will be there.
Helstius: Thank you sir. 
Valar: Stop! March are you crazy? Volskan will shoot you on the spot!
Helstius: Then at least you can go home with the others. 
Valar: Think of your child, March. He needs a father.
Helstius: Dewd, give me a hand, there is a Chimera out back I'll take to Company HQ.
Valar: Put me down damn it. I'm not worth dying for!
[there are some footsteps away and doors being kicked open. The Captain clicks a lighter. A Chimera rumbles away]
Eplilius: [to no-one] Damn that commisar. I've lost more men to... But that's... I just don't know anymore. 
Craymek: [deadpan] we've lost raven 1 and 2. The traitors will be here soon
Epilius: Do you have much battlefield experience?
Craymek: Two years in the Whiteshields
Epiliius: Two years? Most don't make it through two weeks. 
Craymek: I had good squad-mates...
Epilius: Private Valar?
Craymek: And my younger brother.
Epilius: Is he still...?
Craymek: Friendly fire from a Basilisk battery.
Epilius: Oh. 
[silence]
Craymek: Should we go up to the firestep?
Epilius: Give it another minute. 
Craymek: Sure.
[there is a silence. Outside the command post, the sound of shells grow closer]
Craymek: Should we go up now?
[the lighter clicks again]
Epilius: OK
[there are footsteps, the door slams. Outside the sound of autoguns starts up. The sound is met by the disciplined whine of las-gun fire]
Epilius: [outside] Do not take one step back! The Emperor watches, the Emperor protects, the Emperor ...
[there is an explosion as the artillery hits home]
Craymek: [outside] This is for Janus!
[the autogun fire intensifies as the lasguns fire dwindles. Soon the gunfire stops altogether, replaced by feral yells and the whirring of chainswords. Even this diminishes, leaving an empty silence filled only by the shells and the screams of dying men]

-the recording ends-


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## snarst (Aug 22, 2009)

nice one, I liked it :victory:


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## waltzmelancholy_07 (Sep 30, 2008)

It was brilliant.. Will be there be any stories that will take me deeper into this?:victory::grin:... Oh yeah, have a rep:victory::biggrin:...


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## IbramGuant17 (Nov 28, 2009)

Thanks alot for the compliments [and for the rep ; )]. 
@waltzmelancholy_07. I have actually started work on a story set in the same campaign but focusing on different characters and view points. Keep an eye out for my friend CSM and the bloodthirsty orcs! In the meantime, here is a taster (i.e. Its too small to be a proper chapter) of what is to come, apologies for grammer and spelling but I am doing this on a phone:

[four days before Varne IV broke into open revolution]
Felix Karantis was laughing, a rare enough occurance and the asorted revolutionaries listened to the staccato bark of his laughter with a certain nervousness. Last time Karantis laughed, it had been as a man was being dragged out of the chamber, begging desperatly for his life. The poor fool. The Fist had dispatched of him and his broken, bloody corpse had been nailed to a wall, probably while the man was still alive. And yet it was not fear of Karantis that made the revolutionaries nervous. It was the magnitude of the heresy they were on the verge of committing. The Eyes and Ears spoke first. He had once been a successful merchant, disgusted by the outdated and inpenetrable beaurocracy that had destroyed his buissness. He had short, storm grey hair, a hard, chisseled appearence and the best, most well connected intelligence circle in the whole of Varne IV under his direct command. His voice betrayed not a hint of the stress he was under. 
"Sir,  why..."
Felix Karantis turned to him and silenced him with a gesture. He stood heavily and strolled to the pexiglass of the huge window. Below him, Hive Quandus was alive with the menial bustle of existence. Huge ore transports carried raw metals to the various manufactorums. A group of ant like children scurried behind the transport in the hope of catching a loose piece of metal which they could sell and buy another days worth of food. Another day of miserable existence in the eternal twilight of the subhive. The corruption and beaurocracy of the Imperial Government had to stop. Karantis would make it stop. At last, he turned to the revolutionaries assembled in the chamber. They were determined men and women, devoted entirely and unconditionaly to one thing: the revolution. He felt a surge of pride in his chest. They would take this world by strorm and in the fires of war, they would forge a new order, a new system, a new existence, free from the opression of the Imperium and the tyranny of the Planetary Government. 
"Gentlemen, today we make history."

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An exercitus round is probably the single most deadly piece metal that isn't coming out of a Tau railgun. It travels at almost three times the speed of sound, ripping through even the toughest armour, flying unimpeded through any shield. As it was loaded, the camoline cloaked figure whispered a prayer of accuracy to the God Emperor. The long rifle made no sound as the figure slid the well oiled mechanism into the firing position. The rifle was raised to the window sill of the tall hab unit. The sights of the weapon gave the figure an eerie view of the hive, its thermal sensors as unimpeded by walls as the chambered round. But the figure was only interested in a single shape. The sights scanned the shape's face and body. A scroll of runes descended down one side of the figures vision. It was him. The figure took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as the crosshairs moved down the shape. The figure drew another breath and held it, the crosshairs settling in the middle of the shape's head. With the coolness of a man who lived only for this moment, the assasain allowed itself a small smile and squeezed the trigger.


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