Prologue
The cold, heavy, gun metal grey ceramite door screeched open with a spine shattering howl spewing a thick vaporous cloud of smoke. A solitary figure stepped through clad head to toe in battered Cadian issued carapace armour, a long flowing dusty chameleon cloak in tail. As the smoke dispersed the features became clear. It was a man. A sergeants insignia gleamed upon his chest plate, a crescent scar gashed from his left cheek under a strong line of stubble. Old brown eyes and a shock of greying hair swept back over his brow.
"ROLLCALL!" He shouted slamming his fist twice into the valkyrie's hull.
"OORAH!" The first man on the left hollered smashing his hands against the side of his helmet which adorned the name "Grunt" scratched into the crest. At his side, a well worn M40 Autogun with a second magazine strapped to the side.
"Mmmhm" The large balding man on the end acknowledged with a heavy sigh completely focused his one eye on cleaning the firing mechanism of his stripped out heavy bolter that he affectionately named "Eve"
"Medical Lance Corporal Sera Valentine reporting sir!" Exclaimed the young blonde woman to his right, standing to attention with a full salute her armour and cloak pristine alike with a medical armband wrapped perfectly around her left arm.
A whistle came from a second slightly larger man sat beside her beneath a tattered stetson. A mechanical bionic arm from the left shoulder down was folded loosely against his chest over his right.
"Corporal Tatyana Volkova" Called the tall elegant woman, legs crossed in the next chair up with a thick Vostroyan accent. Icy white hair tied back in a fishtail. Her ghostly grey eyes were matched only by her ethereal complexion.
"Over 'ere Sarge!" waved a short grubby woman with long, thick black matted hair grinning through a tar-like mouthful of chewing tobacco. "Just patchin' the Vox" she added.
"Yah, yah me too" laughed the sharp man standing next to her as he adjusted his green "Cadia's finest" cadet's cap which was lovingly adorned with imperial patches to reveal a short chestnut ponytail.
"Alright!" began the sergeant. "Who we missing?"
Just with that another man came hurtling through the door.
"S..sorry Sarge" He panted and affixed with a sloppy salute. "Corporal Cain Grey r..reporting" he continued.
"Take your place son" The sergeant nodded.
"We all got the mission briefing." He paused.
"We all know why we're here. We do this by the books we'll all get back in time for tea."
"Take her up private" He howled as he thundered his fist into the hull yet again.
