"This is Intrepid Wolf of the Sand, where are you Cannon Screamer?" The vox opened up for the first time since leaving the base."This is Cannon, we are having problems...." Came the reply. "We may need Priest."Intrepid Wolf roared as its main gun went through an old, burnt out, Leman Russ tank. "What did you do now, Harja? Did you run into a Mukaali again?""Damn it, Harak! Stop bringing that up! It happened once!" Harja screamed into the open channel, causing everyone in the formation to laugh."This is Holy Crusader, cut the chit-chat. We can't even have target practice without you two idiots screwing it up." The commander said in a calm voice.*"Yes sir." They both replied, not wanting to have to face him."Cannon Screamer, what is wrong?" Asked the captain of Holy Crusader."Sir, the cannon won't barking scream for me." Harja replied in an irritated tone.Ar'Rei sighed in his Banesword. "Damn those idiots. They are making me want to kill them." He turned to his driver. "You see where Cannon is?""No, sir, I just see sand." The driver replied quickly, fearing to be shot by his captain. The stories of the commanders past horrified anyone that talked to him."Of course there is sand. We are in a dessert you idiot." Ar'Rei said in his normal calm voice. "Find them." Ar'Rei smiled. He liked being feared. The rumors are lies, of course, but it brought enjoyment to his day. "Yes sir!" The driver started looking at the surveyor, looking terrified. "Sir, I can't see them. They must be outside the surveyors' range.""Use your eyes. They are there." The commander sat in his seat, looking slightly annoyed. Idiots, he thought, they are all idiots. This is a practice run and they screw it up! Now, the stupid driver can't look outside the infamous Slot to see them."I," He paused and looked embarrassed. "I found them sir. Shall I inform the Priest?"Ar'Rei nodded, shifting uneasily at the thought of that thing they call Priest. He started to think. It is an abomination! It isn't human! It is just metal in a cloak! Harja yelled at his misfortune. "Barking tank! The Mechanicus sure screwed up on it!" His crew glancing at one another, snickering. The turret hatch opened, followed by a mechanical voice. "Do not insult the Machine. You need the Spirit more than it needs you." Priest opened used several of his mechadendrites to tinker around inside the tank and the others to poke and prod at the main gun. "Whatever you say." Harja studied the movement of the mechanical arms as they tried to find the problem with his Leman Russ. "Your machine is fine." The hideous man, full of moving arms, finally said."Then why wont it barking shoot!" Yelled Harja in reply. "If it can't sho-"Harja was interrupted as the main cannon fired. "It must not like you." The thing stepped off the tank and said a prayer for the Spirit.Harja stared at the gunner, ready to pull out his pistol. "It barking worked! You are useless! You couldn't even do the most basic thing you trained for!""It didn't work!" Replied gunner Te'za. The captain is going to have a fit for the rest of the day, he thought.The armoured regiment returned to their base before it became dark. The tank crews left to go eat, while the captains joined together to talk."Eh, Harja, how is it that you can't get your gunner to shoot right?" Asked the captain of Imperial Steel."Shut up! Priest is lieing! It didn't work!" Retorted the angry captain.The tank leaders laughed, they all knew Priest couldn't tell a lie. Harja would never forget this."Captain Harja! Get in here!" Yelled Ar'Rie from the window of the Officers barracks.Everyone stopped what they were doing, and looked solemnly at Harja. They all knew they will never see him again. Harja walked slowly to the barracks."You couldn't even shoot!" The commander sat in his chair with his plasma pistol on his desk."Sir, it was a mechanical difficulty! Priest is lieing, it did not work!" Harja eyed the pistol as he stood at attention in Ar'Rie's office."You know what I think?" The commander was enjoying this. I want to see how far he will fall, he thought, I wonder if he will piss himself. That would make my day.Harja gulped, turning white as a ghost. "No sir, what sir?" He noticed the pistol was charged fully. Oh, dear Emperor, please don't let me die!Chapter One-Incoming Message-Authorization: SapphireSegmentum: Segmentum Tempestus Sector: KilxeSubsector: DeroHive world Narosa Status: Under attack by legions of chaos cultists.Recommended course of action:Exterminatus: Negative. Promethium production will drop 20 percent in the sector.Send in 5th Fleet:Negative. It will take to long for them to reach.Send in 6th Army Group:Negative. They have taken high casualties in their last deployment.Send in 3rd Army Group:Affirmative. They are equipped for the situation. Send in the Raiders."We are being sent now?" Ar'Rie asked as he walked into the command bunker. "We just got out of training! We won't last long against a force that big!""I understand your concern, but it is the Sub-Sector is under attack. We are the closes ones." The Lord General Militant explained. "I hope you read the briefings?""Yes, we won't be able to take out that many!" Yelled Ar'Rie, trying not to be shot for insubordination "You are forgetting that they are sending the entire 3rd Army. You won't be alone."Ar'Rie sighed and shook his head. He knew that the entire army group would be slaughtered. The cultists would be easy to suppress, but their new support wouldn't. The last report that came through even stated the fact. They were screwed and everyone knew it. "The heretics are not alone now! They have the Legion!""We have tanks. We have men. We have the Emperor." Lord General Militant Zetal started saying the propaganda crap he gave every time during the parades.
Tallarn Raiders Book (Name later)
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