Pity the Guardsman- a Warhammer 40k short story

A Krieger's tale

The ash and dust of a forgotten planet stirred in the light wind, whipped up into small dust devils that swirled across the forsaken world of Chalsar V. All but destroyed by the long decades of war against many foes, the once verdant garden world was now little more than a rad-scorched wasteland. And yet, they fought on...

A vast black sea of trenchcoats and gas masks greeted Colonel König as he strode out onto the Dias that raised him above the over ten thousand assembled Kreigsmen. A Lieutenant shouted an order and rifles were moved into a general salute for the Colonel, in perfect timing by the soldiers below. They were almost robotic in their movements, likely a result of their thorough mental conditioning that made the Death Corps of Krieg what they were- truly selfless, and fanatically ready to die in the Emperor's name. König spoke:

"This planet has been at war for over ten decades, as we have fought to cleanse the mutant, the heretic and the alien from this forsaken hellhole. For long decades our men and our women have fought, bled and died for the god Emperor of mankind. You have fought well and bravely, and now he asks for your service one final time. The enemies of mankind seek to topple this fortress, to cast it down and to defile it. I ask of you but one thing: that you will hold the line. Too long have these traitorous curs been allowed to run rampant. Today is the end. Today is the day that we cast down our enemies, once and for all. There is no retreat, there is no respite and there is no mercy save for the God Emperor's. This day, you shall bleed and you chall die.

BUT KNOW THAT IT SHALL NOT BE IN VAIN! For every life that is spent, we drive back the forces of chaos and we show them that while we draw breath, we shall fight, and that while they may break our weapons, our bodies and our souls, they shall never break our faith! For only in death does duty end! Remember this.

NOW GO, AND THERE SHALL BE GLORY FOR THE FIRST MAN TO DIE!!!"

--

'Glory.' Thought K-1168 as he tightened the bridle of his horse, 'A peculiar concept.'
He strapped a belt of frag grenades to his saddle and hoisted a satchel of last packs onto his shoulder. Finally, he prepared his melta lance and attached it so that it sat upright on the back of the saddle, as all death riders were taught to. All the others were doing the same. The vast, cathedral-like stables were full of men, yet they packed in complete silence, as always. Other regiments shunned them, civilians feared them and infants wailed in their presence but the Death Corps of Krieg didn't care. They had but one duty- to die for their Emperor. Nothing else mattered.

K-1168 was one of 5,000 death riders in his regiment. There were a total of around 300,000 other Kreigsmen planet side. All would be involved in the battle to come. This fortress was the last on the planet. Now, the Imperium's enemies sought to snuff out this last guttering candle amongst the darkness. No matter. Whatever the consequences, K-1168 would do his duty to the bitter end. If that was death, then so be it.

A huge bell began to toll. The signal to move out. K-1168 mounted up, and his horse joined the ranks of the others, in their march to war...

--

The rumble of artillery punctuated the air, a bass thumping that underscores the horses' breaths and the distant cries of the encroaching enemy. K-1168 sat, silent as all the others in the ranks around him, as he beheld the commissar that sat atop a black horse.

"Men and women of Krieg. Your time is nigh. Our time is nigh. Now is the time to prove to your god Emperor that you are his loyal children. We ride now into the heart of the enemy, into the heart of darkness, our souls shining bright like beacons of righteousness amongst the crushing darkness. We ride, men and women of Krieg, into the jaws of death and into the mouth of hell. For Krieg! For the Imperium! For the Emperor!"