Galaxy at War: 5K (IS X Alt. WH40K)

Part 5, Cadia Stands

3rd Person POV, outside in the camp

As the 501st Cadians prepared for battle, the men of the 1st Contubernium were now confused as to where their  Commander, Decanus (Sergeant) Yarrick was, he had been missing for several hours now and was now being called by Centurion (Captain) Maximus. 

Evocatus (Corporal) Cogburn then asks, "Have any of you seen the Sergeant? The Captain called for him for hours now!" Princeps (Private 1st Class) Johnson then says, "Sir, last I checked, he was in the Medical ward, carrying out an inspection on one of the prisoners in the ward who was wounded during their attempt to attack this base?" Another soldier, the 16 Year old Hastatus (Private) Eren Tyler then says, "The specific prisoner was the one called the white Knight, real name Chifuyu," Hastatus Eren Tyler finished, his voice uncertain as the other men exchanged puzzled glances. 

Evocatus Cogburn furrowed his brow. "As in the Angel White knight who destroyed several Dominion Heavy Vehicles in our previous attempts to assault this system? The one who was rumored to single-handedly take down an entire battalion? Are you sure it was her?" 

"That's the one, sir," Johnson confirmed, a hint of awe in his voice. "Yarrick was last heard being with her, I... Don't know what he's doing with her now.." Cogburn then said, "Tyler! Johnson! With me! Sergeant Yarrick needs us. If he's in there with that woman, we need to find out why he hasn't reported back."The three men moved quickly through the camp, the air thick with tension and the distant rumble of artillery fire. As they approached the medical ward, the sound of raised voices filtered through the sterile atmosphere. Cogburn paused, exchanging worried glances with Tyler and Johnson."What do you think they're talking about?" Eren asked, his voice barely above a whisper. He shifted nervously on his feet, the weight of the situation pressing down on him. 

 "Does it matter? We're about to find out," Cogburn replied, determination etching lines into his brow. He pushed open the door to the ward, the hinges creaking ominously as they stepped inside. 

The sight that greeted them was unexpected. Yarrick was asleep in the bed alongside Chifuyu. Cogburn then yells, "WHAT THE ABSOLUTE FUCK, SERGEANT?! YOU'RE SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY?!" Yarrick then yelled as he immediately got up, "Corporal! What is it now?!" His voice was thick with confusion and surprise as he abruptly sat up, glancing between the wide-eyed soldiers and Chifuyu, who remained calm, her expression betraying nothing. 

"Sir, we thought you were in trouble!" Cogburn exclaimed, his heart racing. "You've been missing for hours, and we were worried you were compromised. What's going on here?"Yarrick rubbed his eyes, his mind still foggy from sleep. "Compromised? No, no, nothing like that! I was—" He paused, glancing at Chifuyu, who smiled slightly, then turned back to his men. "I was here to gather intelligence. Chifuyu has valuable information about the enemy's plans. We were discussing strategy." 

"Strategy?" Johnson echoed, incredulity rising in his voice. "It looked more like you were taking a nap, Sergeant!" Cogburn then adds, "Yeah, you been snuggling with her all night, Sarge!" Yarrick then puts his armor and peaked cap back on as he orders, "No matter! Why did you come to get me anyhow?" Tyler then says, "Captain Maximus wishes to speak with you immediately. He wants all the Squad Commanders of the 5th Century to report in and discuss the current status of our defenses. The enemy is preparing for another assault, and we need every available officer on deck."

Yarrick rubbed the back of his neck, the weight of responsibility settling back onto his shoulders. "Understood. Thank you for bringing me the message. But first, I need my Coffee... Either regular cups or Coffee paste will do..." Tyler then hands him a small cup of steaming coffee from a thermos he had been carrying. The rich aroma filled the room, momentarily distracting Yarrick from the tension. He took a grateful sip, the warmth igniting his senses and shaking off the remnants of sleep.