Harrus was a simple man. But a man who did not hesitate to launch himself into a war in which he was one among billions and battles for what he considered right.
This story is narrated by Harrus himself. Passages recorded directly from his personal...
It's been 6 days since our unexpected visit to Tarzin's hive world. Long and tortuous days, where I spend most of the time making reports and reading many others. I must admit that, for the first time in my life, I am able to feel the satisfaction that a report written by me has had some value. Ironically, instead of fearing that Colonel Tairon would find some error in my writings, I felt more joy knowing that he was at least reading them.
However, that was not the biggest of my problems. Having to spend time with my troops is by far one of the worst situations I have ever had to experience in my life. Hiding the truth from them when I see their faces of suffering and regret makes my stomach twist. However, orders are orders, and must be followed despite my disagreement.
To make matters worse, Mason must be by my side almost all the time, helping me with reports and tasks as the new commanding officer of all the Cantus military forces that managed to escape the tragedy. Actually, I take care of all the paperwork, but he has a strong enough character to handle any kind of problems. He is my right-hand man, and therefore, second in command of the more than one hundred thousand men and women of the civil forces. Now officially baptized as the Ultionem Milituim, which translates as Troops of Revenge in Low Gothic.
And if the situation were not more ironic, the surviving reserve forces were also assigned under my command. Although that is only in the public eye, within our "social circle" Murphy and Crosta still have complete control over their men and resources. In any case, I will be the one to follow your orders. This thing about being a "heroic" figure to inspire the troops is by far one of the things I hate the most. I feel as if I am surrounded by a lie that only hides my ineptitude. I just hope I can be ready when the moment is right.
As soon as we arrived at the hive world Manfi, we saw the colossal fleet massing in its orbit. From frigates like ours, to colossi that looked more like moons than warships. How many warships were there? Only the Emperor knows that.
A transport took Colonel Tairon and me to what looked like the largest ship in the fleet, where our superior was waiting for us. I was not even able to hide my amazement, as we walked through the colossal corridors of the warship. They were even more titanic than those at the Cantus Administratum headquarters, and those bureaucrats like opulence.
Thousands and thousands of soldiers and servants moving from one place to another, while we followed the cervoskull that led us to our destination. Astra Militarum troops of various corps, and their clothing and weapons were as varied as a star in this universe. However, nothing so shocking, when "they" passed by us.
The first thing I heard was the rumble of his footsteps. Footsteps that shook the passages and made my body tremble with fear, even without knowing what caused them. However, standing out from the crowd, I could see the most legendary warriors of our species approaching us. The definitive human beings. The Emperor's Angels. It was, astartes.
They passed by us, without even taking their eyes off the front. About twenty of them, with black armor and patterns he didn't recognize. Each one of them stood eight feet above the ground, and weighed almost three hundred or more kilograms each. Swords as big as me, and bolters whose ammunition had a diameter similar to my forearm. If it had not been for the fear of being left behind and getting lost in that place, I would have remained admiring such a display of brutal and majestic war machinery.
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