by Maugan Ra » Sun Jul 17, 2011 10:20 pm
[scribbled this down under the influence of my muse, which is officially an insistent bitch]
By the time the first actual reports of the fighting at Olynthus reached the Hartokii, the legions were already en route to their destination. Aboard the Mass Transit Carrier Pride of Elgin, Seras Winter sat in her throne and stared at the holographic projection in front of her, eyes hard.
“The Orks have come in significant numbers, it appears.” She mused quietly to herself, involuntarily clenching her slender hands into fists as she watched the swarms of dark red contact icons multiple and spread across the system. Never had she seen so many xenos in one place, and she felt her heart thundering at the mere thought of them.... endless hordes of green flesh despoiling the Emperor's lands with their filthy presence, vandalising everything they touched.
From the shadows behind her throne, Lord-Commissar Xephos listened intently, one gloved hand resting lightly on the butt of his pistol. “Is that fear I hear in your voice, Lady-General?” he asked coldly, hawk-like face set in a firmly impassive mask. All around the chamber, the dozens of tactical staff in their deep green uniforms paused in whatever they were doing, many of them turning to shoot hard looks at the political officer. Xephos and his ilk were not well-liked, and no matter what the Munitorum decreed that legions saw their appointment to Hartokki units as a deliberate slur on their honour.
Winter, for her part, didn't even deign to look at the off-worlder as she replied. “Anticipation, Commissar. Not fear. Never fear.”She corrected calmly. “I have two entire legions of Hartok's finest at my command, and the wrath of the Emperor in my heart. With such strength, what have I to fear from a horde of alien scum?” She crossed her arms under her breasts as she studied the way the hostile markers spread across the surface of Olynthus Prime, setting the long row of glittering medals clinking softly.
“All the same, I cannot deny the Ork strength is far greater than I had anticipated. Two million soldiers, no matter how valiant, will not be enough to win this war for us.” She shot a glance at the nearest of the tactical officers. “Send word back to Hartok. I want every active legion we have mustered and underway as soon as humanly possible.”
The officer paled slightly. “All of them, Madam General? We have not committed so many to the field in over a millennia...”
“And Olynthus has not known a threat such as this since the God-Emperor himself walked among us. If we win here, against such danger, our names will live forever. So yes, Tactician, all of them.”
The officer executed a polite bow, then turned and practically sprinted from the chamber. With a smile, Winter turned back to the rest of the cadre. “So, gentlemen. Give me your assessment.”
They looked at each-other for a long moment, then one with eyes like sapphires took a half-step forwards. “The primary theatre looks to be the capital world, Olynthus Prime. Judging from reports, approximately a full quarter of the invading force has made planet-fall there, and past analysis of greenskin tactical doctrine, such at it is, suggests that the enemy command will be located there.”
A second tactical officer tapped a few keys on his control panel, and the holographic display shimmered momentarily before focussing on the capital world. “With the agricultural facilities of Haven destroyed, presumably by sabotage, the capital will likely have depleted its food stocks within a month. Official figures suggest that the population can survive through rationing and shipments from other worlds until new supply lines can be opened up, but there is likely to be some unrest all the same.”
Seras frowned slightly at the euphemistic wording. She'd seen the results of planetary food shortages on hive worlds before.... unrest was putting it extremely mildly. She made a mental note to instruct the regimental commanders to post watches on their stores during operational deployments. The soldiers wouldn't like it – guarding food wasn't especially glorious – but she wagered that they'd like starvation even less.
“Secondary forces have deployed throughout most of the system.” the tactical officer continued, consulting a data-slate, “Reports indicate they are spread fairly evenly, which is somewhat unusual, given that all previous data suggests that such a simultaneous strike should be beyond the Orkish capacity.”
[will continue later]
Maugan, your slow descent into madness is starting to look more like a BASE jump...
- Rahvin
The 210th Cadian - Tanks, heavy weapons, and an ongoing hatred of Land Raiders.
W: 41
D: 6
L: 14
