Shovels and Shotguns: Prologue (Patreon)

Prologue

All was quiet on the front she was assigned to, yet it filled her with nothing but dread. For a few precious hours the guns of the Death Korp Siege Artillery attached to her regiment had stopped thundering as the walls of the fortress before them fell silent. There was still the staccato of gunfire from the look outs, but for one brief instance in this campaign there was just blissful yet uneasy silence.

After hours of non stop bombardment they were finally given some reprieve and rest. Taking advantage of this brief lull in the siege, the regiment she was attached to was quick to whip up a hot meal for the men and women on this front to lift their spirits; something that everyone needed with how long their lines had remained static in the face of such stiff resistance.

There she stood amongst beleaguered and weary soldiers as they lined up for their meal, “Here you go lassie, a hearty serving of vermin stew to fill you up. Should let you grow nice and healthy!” The cook joked as he took a jab at her height. It wasn’t something she could control given how she was born of a ratling. She was supposed to be small and cute, not tall and oafish like the rest of them.

“Ever the comedian Joyeuse,” She replied as she rolled her eyes while she held up her tray. Stirring the pot before him, he then lifted up his ladle and started pouring her share of the rations. She then frowned as she noticed that the soup in her bowl was just a tiny bit less filled than usual, “Hey, this is one less scoop than last time! Damn it, you know I’m already getting scraps here,” She complained as she kept holding up her tray, demanding he fix this at once.

“Sorry Cici, General’s orders. Can’t give you more food than is absolutely necessary. The supplies are stretched as it is, we need to make this one last before the next supply run comes our way,” the man apologized and she couldn’t help but grumble at that. It was that time of the month when the rations are just about to run out and they didn’t know if the rations were going to last. They just needed to last long enough before they could feast for a bit on fresh food, “Good news though! The quartermaster found several boxes of recaf hidden behind some Ammo boxes so you can drink to your heart's content.”

She sighed as she lowered her tray before she pulled out her flask and tossed it to the man, “Fine, but fill her to the brim, got it?” she replied as she tapped on her foot while waiting for the man to give her her drink.

With her canteen filled to the brim with the precious, life-giving liquid and her sad bowl of watered down corpse starch and vermin meat, she walked back to the mixed bag that was her squad as they tended to the campfire. She had to bite back a groan as they waved at her, “There she is! How’s our squad's mascot doing?” Her joker of a squad leader teased her as she plopped herself down. Even behind that scarf he wore over the lower half of his face his smile still reaches up to his eyes.

“Fuck off Hasim, I’m hungry,” She flipped him off as she was reaching for her pockets to pull up some vermin jerky her brother made for her. Tearing up the preserved meat, she sprinkled it over her bowl as garnishing for the insultingly thin stew they were served with.

“Aw, is someone getting a bit cranky?” Their group's heavy weapons specialist and resident beast man teased. For a beastman he looked for more like a horned man rather than the far more bestial abhuman he was. Despite that, he was just as rude and stupid as any beastman will ever be.

“Shut it, some of us want to enjoy peace and quiet while the artillery crews take their rest,” A heavily accented voice called out from their group. The beast man was quick to shut up with the Vostroyan leveling a glare at him.

“Remember your Retirement Plan, remember your house in the colonies,” She muttered, reminding herself of her dream. If she was ever to retire from old age she needed to keep her record clean enough and survive long enough. As tempting as it was to throttle the beastman, she didn’t want to risk her retirement just for the cheap thrill of seeing him bloodied.

Sometimes, she wondered if it would have been better if she had just volunteered for the scouting parties. At least she’d be far more appreciated in the field with her kind. Given how small and diminutive she was even compared to her already tiny brethren, she’d make for a great scout. Then again, she’d be exposed to the horrors of no man’s land and she’d be all alone; just her and her Long Las rifle.

As for why she, the sharpshooter extraordinaire that she was, and a Vostroyan Firstborn were stuck with these clowns? It was simply a matter of regiments being decimated and torn up by the campaign. With some regiments down to their last man, it was decided that the leftovers were to be lumped together. Thus, the 101st Irregulars was born.

Situations like theirs was the norm as not only did they fight back against Heretics but they also had to contend with the Orkish horde that had risen up due with the PDF no longer culling their numbers. There were even rumors of the thrice damned Eldar snooping around. The Heretics and the Orks were one thing, but the Eldar? She wished nothing but death and agony on the knife ears. If they were here, they were probably looking to swoop in and claim this planet while they were weakened. Considering this planet was the last line of defense to a nearby Forge World, that simply cannot happen.

She sighed as she dug into the watery gruel before her and grimaced at the bland taste that graced her tongue. Cardboard had far more flavor than what she was eating and not even the, admittedly tasty, scraps of vermin meat could save her meal. She had to force it down with her recaf else it wasn’t staying down. As she was eating, she noticed something peculiar over at the campfire where the still relatively intact Krieger Regiment sat.

There in their lonesome, amidst the sea of faceless soldiers in their orderly groups, was a lone Krieger separated from the rest by a good distance away. The man was just like any other Krieger, bigger yes, but still faceless like the rest of them with that same habit of theirs of wearing their mask almost all the time.

What piqued her interest was not the fact that the man chose to sit away from his brothers, but the fact that his only companion was an Ogryn of all things. What was weirder was the two having quite the animated conversation with the Ogyrn laughing at the muffled replies of the Krieger. For a second, she thought she was seeing double but even as she rubbed her eyes, they were still there.

“Hey guys, you see what I’m seeing?” She asked as she pointed over at two.

Hasim and the rest turned and almost all of them did a double take at the sight of the two. Yes, they could not understand the Krieger one bit, but the ogyrn looked like they were doubling over laughing. Yes, Ogyrns were easy to amuse but it wasn’t that ogyrn that was the problem here, it was who was currently amusing the Ogyrn and she just couldn’t make heads or tails of what she’s seeing right now.

“Wait, are those guys telling jokes to each other?” Hasim asked incredulously as he looked at the two in disbelief.

“Never in my life did I think I would ever see a Krieger having fun…” the Vostroyan mouthed as he too stared in disbelief.

“Do any of you know who those two are?” She then asked them as her curiosity got the better of her. All she got was head shaking in negative, making her huff out in annoyance, “Seriously? Nothing? You’re all useless I swear,” She complained as went back to eating her gruel to hopefully get them off her mind.

Hasim’s gaze, however, still remained on the two as he then stated, “You know, come to think of it. That’s the first time that guy came to this position. Never seen that guy before…” It was now their turn to look at the man in disbelief as he looked back at them in turn. Confusion was clearly painted across their faces as they asked, “What? You can spot the difference between Kriegers if you spend enough time with them.”

“So, what sets these two apart aside from the Ogryn,” Cici probed while she chewed on her meal. To her, all of them looked the same, smelled the same, and sounded the same. If it wasn’t for the name tag they had on their uniforms, it would be hard to know who she was talking to until they brought it up.

“See the guy's coat?” Hasim pointed out. Squinting, she noticed the dusty coat he wore. Despite the caked up mud and dirt with all the time they probably spent out in the field, it still looked relatively intact. Not a hole nor any patches could be seen in their gear.

“Yeah,” She replied.

“It’s brand new,” Hasim answered, “Actually, everything they have is brand new,” He then quickly added as he raised his brow.

“I don’t get it,” One of their squad mates asked. She frowned, wondering what that had to do with identifying a krieger. Everyone gets new gear from time to time as things were down or get damaged. Sure, they’d get a tanning from the quartermaster but it’ll eventually be all replaced.

“You know how our lasguns often get passed on to the next poor schmuck after we die? Those guys take it to a whole nother level. Weapons, uniforms? You name it, it gets passed on. Their gear is built to last and with rumors about them being vatborn, I can see why they don’t waste anything since it's going to fit them anyways,” He mused.

“And this guy’s gear is brand new...” She noted as her gaze drifted off to the other Kriegers. While his was dirty, theirs were a patch work of repairs over holes and tears. Their gear was worn in a way that only decades of use could mimic, “Now I’m getting all curious,” She mused as a call rang out from the Krieger line as their meals were finished. They were quick to stand up and run to their stations to await further orders. They all ran except the Krieger and his friend.

Finishing her meal as far as she could, she then set aside her plate and said, “Hey, I’m going to be snooping around, talking to some people. Just want to know more about those two.”

The turbaned man snorted as he waved her off, “Good luck getting a Krieger to talk. You’ll have a better chance of having an actual conversation with a rock than those guys,” The man replied with a shake of his head.

She smiled, making the man tilt his head at her, “Who said I’m going to be talking to the soldiers?” She fired back as her sights drifted off to the figure of a man wearing a distinct peaked cap amongst the faceless crowd.

-x-x-x-

“Good afternoon Commissar! Is this seat taken?” Cici greeted the man with her best smile just as the man was about to take a large bite out of the sausage in his fork. Being all wide eyed and innocent always came in handy when talking to men and getting what she wanted. After all, what was a little girl going to do to such a big and strong man? She could do plenty, but she’d rather have them underestimate her; especially with who she was dealing with.

Some would say that what she was doing was crazy and suicidal, walking up to a commissar of all things to strike up a conversation, but she would say she was just doing a calculated risk. Yes, Commissars aren't really the most reasonable of the bunch, but she wasn’t talking to just any old and regular commissar. No, she was talking to the commissar of the Death Korp of Krieg. They were by far the calmest and most reasonable of them all, a not so high bar but a trait essential for keeping these soldiers from essentially flying off the handles.

The man blinked before he bit down on his sausage and chewed. Swallowing, he then replied, “... No, not at all,” He scooted over a bit to give her a seat. Seeing that she didn’t have a hole in her head, she sat down by his side with a happy hum, “So, what do you want to know about the soldiers under my care?” The man asked while he continued eating.

“Me? Curious, what makes you say that? Can’t a girl have an honest conversation with someone?” She replied, doing her best to look offended but the snort of amusement the commissar made had her drop her act, ‘Nothing really does get past these guys huh?’ She thought to herself.

“Please, I’ve encountered enough ratlings to know when something caught your eyes, so spill it and make it easier for the both of us,” The man chuckled as he stabbed the last sausage in his platter, “Also, no, I will not share my rations.”

Cici pouted but conceded to the fact that the commissar saw through her act almost immediately. Then again, they were commissars for a reason, “Fine. Here I thought I could finesse you out of that meal you’re eating,” She sighed out. Turning her attention to the two enigmatic figures nearby, she then asked, “What’s with those two? Never seen a Krieger ignore orders and just play around with his friend.”

“Charles and Bosco? Best damn soldiers I’ve ever met, even if they have a few loose screws in their heads,” The commissar answered without a hint of hesitation. There was no false platitude or praise directed at the two, just sheer respect and admiration. Something that was hard to believe given how the Krieger was currently balancing a shovel on the nose of his mask while the Ogryn clapped in amusement.  

“Loose screws is an understatement,” She remarked as she kept watch, “Looks like a whole toolbox’s loose inside that head,” She added at the absurdity of it all.

“Charles has that effect on people. He’s nuts, but if you ever land yourself in trouble you can bet your ass that he’ll be there to back you up. There’s a reason why his friend Bosco follows him around,” The commissar explained. Ogryns, as simplistic as they were, were good judges of character. Their childlike innocence lended itself well in making them extremely loyal to those they perceived as their friend.

“Did he save him?” Saving a ogyrn? They were living and breathing tanks, and they were technically walking tanks as they wore tank armor. To save them meant that there was enough trouble in the first place to bother such a large man.

“Yup, and taught him his numbers,” The commissar answered, making her turn to him with mouth wide open.

“Excuse me?” She asked, seeing if she might have misheard him for the first time.

“Yup. He taught him basic arithmetic and everything,” The man chuckled as he shook his head. His jovial expression soon melted away as finished his meal, “As for why he doesn’t follow orders? Well, he’s an irregular that the General loves to toss around the theater. You don’t usually see him and his friends around unless things are going to get messy. Consider this your warning kid,” He then said as he gathered his things and got up to get it cleaned.

“Wait, what do you mean by messy?” Cici questioned him just as he was about to go away.

The man looked back at her with a grave and serious expression as he answered, “The General ran out of fucks and patience so he’s going to toss his best to break the enemy lines.”

“I’ll keep that in mind…” She replied as she looked back uneasily.

“It’s best you keep your distance as things tend to get a little weird around them,” With those parting words, he left which left him with more questions than answers. The mystery only deepened the more she dug around. Who the hell just was this guy?

She walked back to her squad, her mind abuzz as her mind was occupied with the mysterious man. She sighed as she realized that she was going to have to ask the man himself if she was going to get anything. She couldn’t talk to anyone else and she’d rather not risk herself any further with talking with the commissar again.

Her thoughts were delayed as a voice called out behind her, “Staff Sergeant Hasim Nazer and Sergeant Charlotte Corday?” There standing behind them was a bored looking lieutenant who looked a bit ruffled, probably with how it looked like he was pulled away from an office with the distinct lack of mud and dirt in his uniform.

“Yes?” Hasim asked as the rest of the squad looked up to what they were doing.

“High Command requests your squad's presence at the command tent immediately,” The man declared, making her stomach drop while the warning of the commissar rang in her ears. She had to bite back a curse as she, along with the rest of her squad were escorted to a nearby transport waiting just for them.

-x-x-x-

“I should have listened to that Commissar,” Cici muttered while biting her thumb as she tapped her heels against the cheap and hastily laid rockcrete floor of the command tent. There they sat around a table inside one of the many rooms inside the large spacious tent of the general. Away from the fighting only the distant din of the gun fire and artillery strikes could be heard from the distance. Despite being away from the action, she wished she was back on the front line as not only was her squad here but also the strange Krieger that had caught her attention earlier.

“Cheer up Cici, at least you won’t die alone!” Hasim joked as he chuckled nervously. Not even the normally unflappable Vostroyan was unaffected as he crossed his arms across his chest. Everyone was on edge. After all, it wasn’t every day that the high command called for soldiers away from the front line.  

“Shut up!” She hissed back as she rocked on her seat. Scratching her head, she complained,  “Damn it! How can I retire now if I’m going to be sent on a damn suicide mission.”

“Are you sure it’s a suicide mission? They only rounded up our squad and that guy you were interested in in this tent. Maybe they’ll get attached to our unit?” Hasim suggested, giving her some pause as she thinked about it.

“Maybe you’re right. I have to think positive.” Cici replied as she took deep calming breaths Maybe, just maybe, but probably unlikely as they could have just sent a message over at vox to give the order or even a courier. Still, there was a slim chance it was something else. Maybe they were being promoted!

Before she could think any further, the flaps that served as the door parted revealing the heavily decorated and imposing commander of this region. He was trailed by a young blonde girl whose sharp gaze sent shivers of fear down her spine along with a techpriest who held onto a device with reverence. Everyone stood up, bar the Ogyrn who knelt, as they saluted the man, “Sir!”

“At ease gentlemen,” The man ordered as he sat at the head of the table. They soon followed suit. His adjutant(?) stood by his side while the tech priest set up the device in front of him while praying a litany of binary chants and prayers.

Clearing his throat, he called upon their attention as he said, “I’ll keep it short and simple. I need you here for two reasons,” Nodding over to the Krieger, he then announced, “First of all, Staff Sergeant Hasim, meet your new squadmates, Staff Sergeant Charles-0412 and Bosco. This assignment is only temporary and will last so long as I deem it so, understand?”

“Yes sir,” Hasim replied as they looked at the two. Up close, and in the presence of a commanding officer, they looked quite normal. The ogyrn was quite well behaved while the Krieger looked a little bit pent up as she noticed the man's foot tapping on the floor.

“As for the second reason, I need your squad for a crucial mission for this front,” He then said, as he nodded to his adjutant, “Major Tanya, you can take over from here.”

“Thank your General,” The Major replied. Stepping forward, the diminutive looking woman thanked the techpriest who nodded before slinking back to the edge of the room. For a brief second, she stood there observing them, judging them. Cold sweat dripped down her forehead as they waited in bated breath until finally, she spoke up, “Now you might be wondering why your squad was specifically chosen. Why out of all the men and women serving under the Irregulars, you were chosen? The answer is simple. Your squad is by far the most varied among all the regiments, even within the Irregulars themselves. Not only that, but your combat record speaks for itself. Twelve months with few casualties? You're certainly up to the task we have in store for you.”

The woman started strong as she felt a bit of pride well up her chest, but she had lived through so much shit that she wasn’t fooled. She could feel when the woman was buttering them up. Yes, they were technically the last of their respective regiments and groups but this squad also had quite the number of ab humans. A small voice in the back of her head reminded her that technically she was undesirable but she squished it as she focused back on the topic at hand.

“We searched for the best and we found the best. Do not betray the expectations that we have set upon you.” The woman challenged them. Now, everyone's attention was on her as she felt what little pride she had inflamed by the woman's words. She was good, she had to admit.

Reaching out, she pressed a small button on the flat device on the table before lit up. Suddenly, the table before them was overlaid with a green holographic rendition of the lone continent of the world they were on, “Now, I would like you all to turn your attention to the live feed map before you,” She called out as he pointed at the map before her. Immediately, the colors changed as the map was divided into three sections.

There in the west, colored in gold, were the territories held by the Imperium. To the north the map stayed green denoting the territories held by the Orks. There in the east, beyond the great mountain range that split the continent in twain, was the blood red territory held by the traitors to the emperor.

Gesturing at the map below, the image zoomed in as the mountain range soon became visible. Pointing at the singular pass blocked by a formidable fortress, the same fortress that they had been bombarding all this time, “As you can see from the map before you, our lines stalled after our forces reached this fortress. Flanked by two large mountain ranges, this fortress sits right at the only entrance leading to heretic heartlands. Due to this lone heretic stronghold, the line has remained static for the last six months. We have thrown everything at it yet the cultists inside remain and the fortress still stands. Not even the famed soldiers of Krieg can break their walls from the outside,” She explained. To the Kriegers' defense, they were but a small regiment.

She then pointed at them as she declared, “That’s where your squad would come in. Our scouting forces have found a hidden goat path up the mountains that leads to a relatively undefended section of the fortress. Unfortunately, due to the nature of this path, we can only send in one squad at a time. Any bigger and you’d just be slowed down and detected.”

The map zoomed in once more to show the large, towering mountains flanking the fortress. A small golden trail soon traced itself from the camp surrounding the western end of the fortress, up to the mountains beside them and towards the southern flank of the fortress.

“Under the cover of darkness, you are to take this path and scale the walls in that part of their strong hold. Once inside, you have two objectives. Your first objective is to plant explosive charges inside their armory to cause a distraction. Your second, and most important, objective is to head for the gate, open it up, and keep it open long enough for our forces to storm in and take control of the entrance,” The woman ordered as she gave them a blank requisition sheet that was already signed. If she wasn’t being tossed into what was effectively a suicide mission she would have rejoiced, but now she she had to be serious about filling up what they need. Yes, they were given a blank check but they could only carry so much. They needed to make this count.

Leaning down on the table, the Major then said, “I can not stress enough how important this mission is for our campaign. So long as this fortress remains a thorn in our side the heretics can remain secure in their end of the continent and regroup enough that they can launch their own counter offensives. The fate of this theater is in your hands.”

With that, the hologram faded away as the Major pressed another button. The tech priest came forward once more to retrieve the device and performed their prayer upon it. Given how advanced it was it was no wonder that they worshiped it.

“Any other questions?” The woman questioned to which they responded too with shakes of their heads. The mission was simple. Get in, crash the party, hold the door open, and stay alive long enough for their forces to flood in. The lack of any commands asking them to value their safety was concerning, but they just had to deal with the cards dealt for them, “Good, Operation Ragtag starts at 0200 hours tomorrow. The Emperor protects.”

And thus, her adventurer with this weird Krieger started. If she was given the chance to back out now and choose the emperor's mercy instead she would have considered it, but what was to come might just be the single most defining moment of her life. She only wished that she wasn’t going to be in so much danger.