Warhammer: Start with a dog

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Lieutenant Colonel Leonid had followed his commander and his team to fight on several hellish planets, and his last battle was the Heart of Hydra. One of his comrades who fought side by side to the end was the 100 members of the Third Company of the Imperial Fists, who had red eagle wings on their breastplates and were respectable and courageous (Note 1).

So he thought that the number of Astartes he had seen was still... should be more than many people in this galaxy.

But now he began to doubt his eyes.

If he was a Space Marine... he was too... tall?

Was this a mutation caused by some kind of Chaos pollution?

The Iron Warrior slaver who died in the internal strife also looked huge because of distortion and mechanical transformation, but there was a big difference between the two.

There was no sign of mutation or additional blasphemous mechanical traces on the newcomer, only one arm was neatly cut off below the elbow and reinstalled with a simple and elegant mechanical prosthesis, with five metal fingers of normal size and shape on the top of the prosthesis.

In addition, this giant was wearing a bare, unmarked power armor painted silver-gray, which was obviously different from the others. One shoulder was painted black, and only a metal human skull mark was retained on the breastplate - but he was really too tall.

Leonid was a well-nourished and well-trained Imperial officer. He was about 5 feet 12 inches tall - usually his head was about at the level of the Space Marines' breastplate eagle, but the visitor was so tall that Leonid was like a child who had not grown up in front of him. His head could only reach the lower edge of the other's breastplate. The natural fear of humans for their own kind who were beyond reason instantly passed through the hearts of the Yolan people.

"Lieutenant Colonel Mikhail Leonid?"

The voice coming from the helmet of terrifying size was unexpectedly... normal and peaceful, but with a little imperceptible impatience.

"Although I know who you are, I need you to confirm it with me in person - Lieutenant Colonel Mikhail Leonid? The current supreme commander of the 383rd Yolan Dragoon Regiment and the current lord of the Tor Kristo Fortress, right?"

"Yes." Leonid has regained his composure, and Sergeant Elad has also run to his side. His strong and reliable deputy undoubtedly gave the lieutenant colonel more confidence - in these traditional Astra Militarum companies, the commander often needs to rely on the force of his adjutant to manage the company.

"I am Leonid." He straightened his chest, "What do you want to do? You evil and cursed..."

"Sir." Sergeant Elad quietly stepped on his foot.

"Erad, what's wrong with you? Facing these dark slaves, should we surrender..."

"Sir." His loyal adjutant raised his voice and began to step on his feet harder, damn! He is now only wearing thin slippers on his feet! Fortunately, Elad is also.

"You have a very loyal and reliable deputy, Lieutenant Colonel." The man in front of him seemed to think about it and took off his helmet before Samokan stopped him. Leonid heard the boy curse in a low Gothic dialect. The lieutenant colonel thought it was something like "idiot" or "big fool".

The Astra Militarum officer was presented with a face with neatly trimmed short wheat-colored blond hair, warm blue eyes and a strong face with a broad skull and cheeks brought by genetic modification. In addition to the extraordinary sense of alienation, there was a natural affinity. Although the idea of ​​standing next to this fierce warrior was still terrifying, he completely met the imagination of any Imperial soldier for the most ideal Emperor Angel who could stand and fight with him.

"Look, don't be nervous, Lieutenant Colonel, I am..."

The boy named Samokan suddenly hummed. He stood aside, crossed his arms and stared at the adults in front of him.

"...I am Anverk, Sergeant Anverk of the Second Company of the 'Silver Skull' Regiment."

The lieutenant colonel looked suspiciously at the unusually tall but friendly Astartes in front of him.

Isn't this Space Marine an Iron Warrior? But it could also be a trap, or it could just be the common internal strife among Chaos that allowed the Yorans to take advantage. After serving the Emperor for decades and traveling to many worlds that have become Chaos sacrifices, this appearance alone cannot convince him.

"Silver Skulls?" He repeated.

"Yes, the Silver Skulls Chapter - its origin can be traced back to the glorious and great Guilliman, we and the Ultramarines are the branches of my father's bloodline!" When the other party mentioned these words, there was some bitterness in his eyes, but more of it was pride and honor. This emotion that could not be concealed really touched Leonid a little.

"Yes, the son of the God-Emperor, the miracle of the world, His Highness Guilliman who sleeps in the temple on the eastern border... I know this noble prince. I also know the Ultramarines. If so, why are you here? Isn't this the demon planet where we were captured? This doesn't look like a temporary camp. Could it be that the price of your settlement here is the betrayal of your noble bloodline and the sacred throne?" When he said the last sentence, the lieutenant colonel's tone became stern unconsciously.

Anverk looked at him in surprise, as if he had rarely encountered such a direct offense to an Astartes imperial soldier.

"Of course this is, but..."

"But we are here under orders, and now our operations will be assisted by experienced Imperial soldiers like you, Lieutenant Colonel."

A voice from behind a cold and unique breathing mask that Leonid had heard before interrupted Sergeant Anverk's words.

"Originally I wanted you to meet me in my office to be more formal, but now it seems that Sergeant Anverk is a bit slow in carrying out his mission." A Space Marine in silver and black power armor walked out from behind the extremely tall Anverk. He took off his helmet, but still wore a respirator. His light blue eyes sternly glanced at Anverk, and the latter's tall body moved uneasily under his gaze.

"You have been recruited, the 383rd Yolan Dragoon Regiment."

"Recruited? Under orders? Are you really acting in the name of the Emperor? The Emperor above! Are we really saved?! Who are you?"

"I am Soltarn Wo Bron, the captain of the 2nd Company of the Silver Skull Regiment. According to the rights granted to me by my father and my military rank, I have the right to recruit your Dragoon Regiment here as our auxiliary army. And I require you to report to me in detail the battles before you were captured and the situation when you arrived here."

"You are not an Iron Warrior?! But that bastard Obex just now obviously knew You! He was talking to you! He said you've served the traitors for 10,000 years!"

"Oh. That's part of our covert operation. My disguise here is one of them, a veteran, which is why I lure him out and kill him." Captain Soltann replied calmly, "If you stay here long enough, Lieutenant Colonel, haven't you noticed that I am - more than eight inches taller than the other Iron Warriors?"

That's right, no wonder he felt that Brother Soltann stood out from the crowd when he first saw him in the ranks of the Iron Warriors. It was not an illusion.

"As for the other battle brothers, most of them have not yet removed their disguises, so as to get closer to our targets and let them down. You have also seen the effectiveness of this action. The chances of the enemy being easily beheaded and our combat efficiency have been greatly improved. For the safety of all of us, before our military strength and base gradually grow to a sufficient size, maintaining our disguise here is not only prudent, but also responsible for everyone's life and mission."

"Blood of the Saints! My prayers were really heard! He appeared! He sent His messenger! Sir Captain! Can you swear?! You swear in the name of the Emperor that everything you said is true!"

The Space Marine, who called himself Soltan Wo Bron, raised his eyebrows at the behavior of the mortal.

"Watch your words, Lieutenant Colonel."

If he was angry, he didn't show it. On the contrary, he calmly pointed to the sky and the earth with the thirteen sacred titles of the one who sat high on the throne and skillfully swore various oaths - you see, he was neither struck by lightning nor burned to ashes on the spot - Lieutenant Colonel Leonid noticed the expressions of other Yolan people. Obviously, this was not the first time that the Space Marine Captain did this, so his subordinates just had the same expression.

The dragoon commander swallowed his saliva.

Well, you see, the new combat target provided to him must be much more attractive than the prospect of fighting alone in the wilderness without food and equipment. At least from the nutrient solution just now, the food supply here will not be too bad.

The lieutenant colonel looked at his adjutant and other soldiers again.

Then he gave the Space Marine a standard Skyhawk salute.

"If you allow me, my lord, I would like to count and reorganize my soldiers first..."

——————————

The memory ends.

So is all this really right?

Lieutenant Colonel Leonid's boots stepped over the gravel and rocky ground covered with ash in Medlengard, and he began to look at the dark fortress on the mountain in the distance that was devouring the observer's rationality at any time.

This was their final target of attack, the Kalan-Gol Fortress.

This Chaos Fortress had such an oppressive presence on the horizon, like a silhouette of a mountain range projected from the strangely white burning sky. Its dark and heavy walls were made of strange boulders, and every crack in its wall was constantly oozing out black and red blood. The towering spires that swirled up like black smoke and pierced the sky stood above, and various kinds of lightning flashed below them, the gray fog that lingered, and the howling black shadows with fleshy wings that flashed from time to time.

Behind him were the 2,613 surviving members of the 383rd Regiment out of the more than 3,000 people who survived the Battle of Heart of Hydra, were captured and brought here. Before arriving at the fortress they were ultimately going to attack, they had been led by the Space Marines of the Silver Skulls Chapter and had quietly wiped out several smaller fortresses or factories ruled by different Chaos Lords along the surrounding areas. Among them were even more horrible and disgusting things, some "factories" that used the human species itself as feeders and as raw materials for products put on the assembly line to be slaughtered. The lieutenant colonel didn't want to recall or talk about them at all.

In most cases, these battles were actually much lighter than the responsibilities and losses he thought they would bear. As they fought, the Yolans seized equipment and ammunition from the opponent to arm themselves. In addition, they were mainly responsible for cleaning. Battlefields, cleaning up, guarding and managing the increasing number of slaves under their command who were liberated from the Iron Warriors' camps and factories, allowing these people to turn to producing logistics supplies for them during normal working hours. Partly from traditional management and working-class backgrounds, members of the Dragoons found themselves unexpectedly qualified for these tasks outside of combat.

In this series of smooth mopping up operations, the role played by Captain Soltarn and the camouflage of the Iron Warrior obviously played a big role.

They used the same trick almost every time to deceive the fortress gate or lure the opponent's leader out of his hiding place, but strangely they succeeded every time. They were called "Stone Caller" or "Forger" by those Iron Warrior Chaos Lords. Captain Soltarn of the "Stone Man" or the "Old Stonemason Man" clearly possesses powerful witchcraft that can kill the opponent with one blow - oh, no, that should be the psychic ability of the Imperial Think Tank, Leonid I was once saved by such an Imperial Fist think tank. May his soul rest in peace beside the throne.

Captain Soltarn can obviously use his psychic power to directly kill those Chaos traitors, but every time he is very patient and must talk to the other party first, as if he is deciding something, and then frowns in the end. Kill them.

As this has happened so many times, a consensus has begun to form among the Jolan people that this may be because the Captain is tasked with some kind of screening due to his psychic powers and miraculous ability to answer prayers. Just like sometimes, after some battles, not all the Iron Warriors will be killed. At least they have noticed many times that some traitors end up not being swallowed by the rocks of the planet, but from the edge of the battlefield. Missing quietly.

Generally speaking, within a few days after such a situation occurs, more silent "silver-skull battle brothers in the disguise of Iron Warriors" will appear in their ranks.

So as Soltarn said at the outset, "We're going to grow here."

Now the people of Joram began to understand what he meant.

"How trustworthy do you think Captain Soltarn is, even if he swears by the God-Emperor and the throne?"

During a break in a certain battle, they sat in the trenches, drinking the delicious nutrient solution while using spoons to scoop out spoonfuls of mixed and pressed pink meat chunks from the cans given to them. In fact, they all Knowing that this is just starch with plenty of spices and salt, probably with appropriate amounts of synthetic fats added, is good enough here. Eating synthetic starch here is really much better than eating any questionable meat. , both mentally and gastrointestinal.

"I don't know, sir, but I think this is the best situation for us at this time."

"Why? Elad, you have to know that if he lied to us, that means..."

"It means that even in the worst case scenario, we are following a group of enemies of the Empire to attack another group of enemies of the Empire and humanity. And this actually kills more enemies than if we went out alone. Sir, this is revenge, this is loyalty. ”

Leonid paused, and the sound of rumbling artillery was heard in the distance - it was the Predator tank recovered from a fortress they had recently captured in Soltarn, and the drivers of the Yoland Dragoons were now driving it. With it, the Predator is much stronger than a tanker or a forklift.

"You're right Elad, no matter what, we didn't give up and we were as loyal as we could be."