[QUOTE="SirLagginton, post: 12366795, member: 1688"]"Lord of Man and Machine, I give praise for this opportunity to carry out your will in the extermination of the unclean." He whispered under his breath, before kicking the abomination far away. He shouldered his seldom-used lascarbine, letting loose a flurry lasbolts at the xenotech construction. Shaking his head, he turned and tore the scabbard from the man's belt, the last thing as far as he could see that constituted anything like a weapon, and then paused. He brought up its matching sword, for all the barbarity of these mercenaries it didn't look like a heresy against the machine god, and while he was no artificer he was reasonably certain that the blade was of fine make, a valuable prize all told.

He caught Aimen's eye and held up the blade. "Permission to claim this as a trophy sir?"[/QUOTE]

"Thank you for your assistance Corporal. Your halberdwork is inspiring.", The Junior Commissar says. At your mention of the blade, he holds out a gloved hand, and you reluctantly place the blade in his hand. He studies the blade's surface, then gives an experimental swing.

The blade sings through the air, an imaginary foeman no doubt slain.

Aimen turns back to you, an unreadable look on his face. "A fine blade-wasted on a pagan and Xenophile."

He shakes his head "I'm afraid I will have to deny that, Corporal. Perhaps it will make it's way back to you after processing-perhaps not."

[QUOTE="Shephard, post: 12353144, member: 511"]Valentin cleared his throat. "Vox is down all o'er the place. Dust kicked up from the bombardment, and the damn alien magics. We've been running up and down the city checking up on people. Been through everything from an artillery bombardment to hunting deserters with this one hardcore Visern leash-Sorry, Commissar-" Valentin coughed, glancing apologetically at Aimen. "Sad he ain't with us Bolwerc."[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE="Kharn_Valnikov, post: 12353267, member: 828"]"Reason why we got sent here was that command was having trouble getting a transmission through the air, so they sent us to check on you lot. Glad to see that you're all still active despite the circumstances." She said before turning back to Daalman. "As what Guardsman Valentin here said, we were running all over the city checking up on several key positions. Been encountering threats one way or another, still glad we got out mostly with just some limbs torn." She replied with a sigh.

He undid the claps on his helmet and pulled it free with a sigh. "One of the other positions went silent 'cause 'a the T'au, not the dust. Had to hold it against a T'au armored fist unit. Put four of ours in the hospital." Valentin grimaced as he ran a hand through his sweat slick hair. "Still, better off than you lot were. Wish we'd gotten 'ere sooner. Sorry about your men."
[/QUOTE]

The Junior Commissar glances at Valentin for a moment, studying. His face is unreadable, and the veteran can't help be uncomfortable after he finishes his sentence. The Junior Commissar however, does not rebuke him, which must be a good sign?

"Just some limbs torn?" Sergeant Gunther says, guffawing. "You must really want to come closer to the Omnisiah Emperor with an attitude like that." He does not laugh at his own joke. At Valentin's elaboration, he shakes his head "If only the Tau'd assault us in close quarters and these bloody pagans and their pets only took potshots like cowards. Galaxy would be a better place."

"We already saw them off-we didn't need you." The Corporal, Rickard, growls to Valentin's apology. A sharp glare both from his sergeant and the Junior Commissar shuts the man up, but he still glares at Alpha, and especially Lienhard.

+++++++++


Sometime later, on the return march, the Mercenary commander wakes up. It must be quite a shock to find himself zip tied to a stretcher, his weapons gone ,and carried by two Bolwercs. "Wêr bin ik?" the man says, confused. Aimen does not speak up, nor do either of the Whiteshield stretcher bearers.

A minute passes, before the mercenary speaks again. This time in gothic, though roughly accented. "I never thought i'd be captured by Imperials." The Whiteshields continue to ignore him, though Aimen gives a momentary look back across the marching column. "I thought you don't take prisoners?-I haven't heard of ritual sacrifices for your Emperor." The Whiteshields continue to ignore him, though Aimen is headed back to his position near the rear of the collumn.

"Burn or cut as you like-i'm sure my soul will nourish your god or saints, yes? He prefers humans, no?" The Prisoner says-it almost sounds congratulatory, with a tinge of curiosity.
The Repubilican Guard prisoner at the front of the column says "I don't know what the Nobs were thinking hiring them." A glare from Aimen as he paces backwards shuts that up.
"They recognize talent, friend. Like Bolwercs, yes? I am glad I was captured by worthy fighters." The mercenary says-nearby Kurt gives a questioning look to Carnelia, who shrugs.

"Better than Undivided cultist rabble or Orks-you fight good. My kinsmen died cleanly." The Mercenary says as Aimen arrives.
The Commissar stares down at him. "Your treatment and eventual fate depends on how much of a moral threat you are, Pagan."
The Mercenary considers for a moment. "Emperor is a good god-very merciful, I hear?  And i'm sure he'll be pleased if I told you all things I know, yes?"


++++++++++

@Zeitgeist Blue @mcclay

A few days later

"Never thought i'd have one of these." Kristen says, flexing her bulky new cybernetic arm. Though a bulky mass production model, the gears are all freshly oiled and the surfaces shined, courtesy of the techpriests who had done the activation ritual not long ago.

"Never thought i'd need one-my family were scribes and they never saw the need for such obvious replacements." Kristen continues, as she, Gerard, and Angard limp out of the field hospital, looking for a ride back to 2nd company's billet.

"It's...so dull feeling. How's yours treating you, Gerard?" She asks, looking quizzically at the Heavy weapons specialist, or more specifally the claw of oversized digits that is his new right hand. The heavy feels out of breath-much of it is simply just being out of the hospital, but he can't help but recall the munitorium paperwork for the augmetics. A new hand-because that was needed to operate a weapon-but no replacement lungs for the horrific burns he knows are covering his own. The medicaes had been apologetic when asked, but it had been clear that there was no replacements forthcoming.

Make due, in the Emperor-Omnisiah's name, they had told him. That was all a Bolwerc could do, appearently.

(OOC: You are not getting free Replacement lungs-if you want them you'll have to work for them somehow. As such, you've permanently lost 5 toughness until you can get a replacement)


++++++++++++

The return to base was relatively uneventful-besides Aimen disappearing with the prisoner down into the cells below the old courthouse serving as a firebase. After the ordeal, actual food and sleep was a welcome escape, and fortunately nothing got in the way of such a release.

The next few days pass relatively uneventfully-no major operations occurring. Guard duty, shorter foot patrol rotations, occasionally garrisoning a fortified house and exchanging ineffective fire with distant foes. At the end of the week, the squad's wounded return, and with them the squad is officially placed on light duties-allowed to rest and recover after the mauling that they received last time.

Though a soldier of the Imperium's duty never ends, it is perhaps wise to take the opportunity to see to personal matters.

Rumors:
"The enemy outside the city is conserving their mechanized and armored forces-command thinks we've got them on the run and they're husbanding resources."
-Lieutenant Savatier, 2nd Platoon

"I'm glad to be in a city-even in a Chimera. Can't be worse than what the armored and mechanized regiments are facing on the agricultural plains and the hill country campaign-the Battlesuits and Hammerheads hunt our tanks like Wolf packs, and their infantry takes apart entire companies from kilometers away. Progress is almost as slow as it is here, just more stretched out."
-A Bolwerc Chimera commander

"Lot's of the second line units surrender without much of a fight-I hear outside they're marching entire battalions and brigades into internment camps after one battle. Only exception is when the local Guerillas are involved-then they fight to the death. Guess the thought of the noose puts a spine in them."
-Sergeant Thorsan, Delta Squad

"I heard from a friend of mine in the Navy that the fighting out to the east is going pretty bad. Apparently this one army group got pinned down in a port town and overrun to the point a Lord-Commissar called for final protective fire from one of our cruisers. Apparently their voids were down for some reason, so...Not a lot left of them. Wonder why it was a Commissar giving the order-Usually they leave that to the proper officers."
-Anonymous Munitorium Clerk

Events of Interest:
-Recovered from his previous injuries, Sergeant Vecario of Gamma squad has restarted his fighting ring-no doubt intending to get back in shape. As always, the soldiers of Alpha Squad are welcome.
-Betting pools over tau souvenirs continue
-The Regiment train has been shuttled down from orbit and has taken up position behind the frontline. Rumor says they've recieved luxuries and food from home.
-Refugees offer services to passing soldiers in exchange for food-a great deal of money or whatever else a soldier could want are to be had if one is willing.
-The Visern company set up next to 2nd company has begun brewing alcohol-they're selling them, but they're offering free drinks to Alpha for "Fighting with the martyred Lieutenant Valerie"
-A theater has been set up in the rear line, and propaganda holos along with favorites from back home are being shown to soldiers off duty.
-Valentin's family has written-they've been exhausted by work for the past few days-Feena dealing with the wounded and Vanessa providing secondline labor and security duties with other whiteshields.