Author Notes:
Ok~! I am back with another GSS chapter, and boy, these past few days have been something alright. As planned, I have signed my Mom up for therapy, treatments, on a weakly basis. Hopefully, it will help alleviate her daily stress and pain.
Now, as per usual, the Monthly Recruitment Drive is up! It will end on the 23rd of August, so take your time, but don't miss out on the newcomer discount!
As for the new chapter, I think it's quite cool. I am still working on the pictures for the two of our characters, however, and I am pushing my graphic card very, very hard. I am pushing its to the edge of what it can possibly do as a second-handed GTX 960 card. Fingers-crossed, mates.
There are advanced chapters on Pa-treon for both of my fics, with a couple of special bonuses if you read the fine print :D
https://www.patre-on.com/Heartbreak117
https://ko-fi.com/heartbreak117/goal?g=0
Income goal 764/8800 USD (Mom is now signed up for medical therapy every week, so the increase is to help me cover the treatment cost. Many thanks to whoever is helping me reach that mark.)
For my fics:
https://www.scribblehub.com/series/55793/reich-marshal-of-the-belkan-reich/
https://www.webnovel.com/book/reich-marshal-of-the-belkan-reich_23809095505377305
https://photos.app.goo.gl/waZgkRa3UQhqKQBi9
https://www.scribblehub.com/series/1375924/in-the-grimdark-sector-with-a-system/
---------------------------------------------------------------
Briefing? Done.
Gears? All good.
Morale? Battle Meditation takes care of that.
So what now? Queue a cool walking sequence out of a hangar and onto the tarmac where the Valkyries are parked.
Jokes aside, we really are taking a good walk to the Roughnecks, the resident aerial transports of 3rd Platoon. And speaking of 3rd Platoon, given the already bloated size of our units, including the crews of both the Valkyries and Chimera IFVs, I am surprised we haven't been elevated to become an actual Echelon-level unit. After all, each vehicle has its associated maintenance staff. I think the only reason we aren't reclassified is that either the chain of command is too lazy or we are treading on the edge between a Guard Platoon and a Guard Echelon. It's a fine line, with both classifications having the number 50 as their biggest or smallest required number of personnel.
But I digress.
"That's our ride." Scorpin gives us a two-finger salute before leading her Special Weapon Squad to board a Valkyrie with its rear ramp already down. It's when getting on the ramp that Scorpin and Yang, Roughneck 1-2's pilot, perform a fist bump.
"Come on then, it's time we board as well." Sergeant Johnson says before crushing a discarded cigarette with his foot. "Second Lieutenant Blake."
Johnson nods at the Felinid with black hair and cat ears, her amber eyes shine a keen glint as she salutes in greeting. "Sergeant, the carrier is prepped for takeoff. It's armed with a Multi-Laser, a pair of door-mounted Heavy Bolters, and two Rocket Pods with Frag warheads as specified."
Johnson smirks. "You outranked me, Lieutenant." Johnson returns the respectful gesture.
Blake nods seriously, saying. "I've read the unit's files, Sergeant. Given your experience and seniority, saluting you and the rest of your Platoon is perfectly acceptable in my book." Our pilot also spares us a respectful glance.
Seeing and hearing the Felinid being very cordial, I lead the rest of the Squad to salute her as well. Doesn't hurt to be polite, especially when we will be putting our lives in her hands shortly.
Johnson grins, giving Blake a thumbs up. "Keep up that attitude, and you will have us going through thick and thin for ya in no time, lass."
"Roger that, Sergeant. The two Bolters are currently locked in a fixed forward-firing position. In this configuration, it's only useable by us pilots, but it will give your squad ample room to set up a sniper overwatch or a rappel maneuver by the side doors. If the need arises, you can unhook the Heavy Bolters and use them normally as door gunners to support our ground forces."
"Thanks for the heads-up, lass." Johnson then turns around, gesturing his head and ordering us to get aboard the Valkyrie.
In an orderly manner, the rest of the Squad sets our feet upon the metallic flooring of Roughneck 1-1.
"Dib on the ramp seat."
"You're always the first to bail out, Oz."
"I'll be the one to be shot at first upon disembarking. In other words, treat me as your meat shield."
"Yeah, totally have nothing to do with your fear of exploding vehicles."
"Hey, try rodeo one jackass, we'll see if you won't develop a phobia after all is said and done."
I chuckle at the banter I'm hearing between members of our group. Before I fully board the Valkyrie, however, I turn to Blake. "Lieutenant, this may sound redundant, but when we do circles around the AO, can you do it in a clockwise manner."
Hearing my request, Blake nods with an attentive look. "Just so we can use the Multi-Laser in conjunction, right?"
"That's the idea, at least. Although I will leave what to make of the details in the hands of a true expert." I wink, earning a small smile from the Felinid before we both move to our respective stations. I take my position next to Weiss and by the right-side door while Blake circles around the airframe and mounts up on the pilot seat.
After a few seconds, the rear ramp is raised until the whole rear compartment is enclosed. The entire compartment has barely adequate instrumental lighting, enough for you to accomplish menial tasks but leaving much to be desired when one tries to, let's say, perform an impromptu surgery. The whole setup is as boxy and claustrophobic as it can get, but at least there are still a few vision slits scattered around for us to view the 1-star vista outside.
"Takeoff procedure initiated. Make sure that all of you are buckled up back there." Comes Blake's voice through the Valkyrie's intercom. "Hulterbring ATC, this is Roughneck Section, holding on Pad 27 and 28, requesting clearance for takeoff from Pad 27 and 28."
"Roughneck Section, you're cleared to takeoff from Pad 27 and 28. The wind condition is mild here but may pick up some speed when you hit the open sea. Assume holding pattern at Point Echo until the Wing Leader is airborne."
"Copy that, Hulterbring ATC, Roughneck Section is cleared for takeoff from Pad 27 and 28. Will assume holding pattern at Point Echo."
"Happy hunting, Roughnecks. ATC, out."
With a bit of a groan of metal and the purring of the VTOL engines, 3rd Platoon is taken to the sky aboard a pair of Valkyries. Sitting in our jumpseats, the jostling of the airframe momentarily pushes Weiss and me together. Nobody in the troop compartment notices that moment, with them either chatting away or viewing the disappearing airbase via the vision slits, but the two of us do share a brief chuckle before righting ourselves straight. However, we make no attempt to scoot away, opting to remain just a tad closer than before as if we have reached a tacit understanding.
If one of us falls off her jumpseat, then the other can prevent her from faceplanting into the hard flooring, probably.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Far from the airbase that the invasion force is deploying from, yet right at the enemy's gate, Tempestus Scions are infiltrating the satellite defensive positions around Installation 08. Units from the Lucifer Blacks and Kasrkin use special submersibles to bring themselves to the towering edges of these positions and then, with a variety of means and tools, break in through cargo bays or scale the very edges themselves. There are a great many ways for these Scions to go undetected for quite some time, and they use everything they have at their disposal to silently clear their ways to the heart of these sites... For the most part, at least.
Stealth is maintained when no enemy lives to tell the tale, am I right?
Jokes aside... The external communication system that these perimeter stations employed is being jammed by the full computational power of the Adeptus Mechanicus from orbit. Even when they wanted to, the heretics aboard these stations wouldn't be able to call for help or warn the main installation of the upcoming attack. So, the Tempestus Scions can blaze a loud, fiery path toward the control centers of these stations if they want to. However, doing so risks the traitors alerting Installation 08 the old-fashioned way, which is literally firing their large-caliber battery sky-high as a rudimentary signal flare. As such, a bit of discretion won't hurt anyone, the righteous ones at least.
From the lower cargo areas to the regularly patrolled hallways and into logistical corridors sprawling in shoddily hidden heretical inscriptions, men and women of the Lucifer Black and Kasrkin maintain a steady pace. They dodge roaming patrols and confuse internal security measures whenever possible, but it doesn't mean that they will shy away from slitting the throats or burning new holes in the bodies of the traitors. To complete their primary objective, no matter what cost it may take, is to disable the anti-air systems of these perimeter stations. The best outcome is to seize the control centers and lock away all access to the weapon batteries, thus paving a path for the main assault to take place on Installation 08 and for trailing units to secure these perimeter stations in their entirety. This outcome ensures operational integrity and minimizes damage dealt to the precious infrastructure. Nonetheless, if need be, the Scions have no qualms about the physical sabotaging of all weapon batteries. Better useless equipment than total operation failure.
Indeed, due to the haphazard nature of the heretics, the layout of these perimeter stations and their control centers are anywhere in that general direction. Nearly half of the Scion units are unable to locate their assigned control centers in a reasonable time frame, so they opt to hunt down the weapon batteries instead. In these circumstances, firefights are common, and despite their best skill set being put to good use, none of these Scion units take pride in it. They know that with the passing of time, more and more variables will be introduced, further increasing the chance of the whole thing being blown up, quite possibly literally, and alerting the enemy in advance.
Fortunately, as if the Emperor Herself has blessed them, the heretics are quite content with being put down like the trash they are, more so than actually trying to find a way worth a damn to warn Installation 08. When the last pair of perimeter stations are rendered combat-ineffective, it's also the time when the first of the Cadian Air Wing's aircraft appears on the edge of the sensor range. They come terrain-skimming like a flock of speedy shorebirds. Flying low and fast in a great deal of airframes like Valkyries, Vultures, Arvus Lighters, and even more specialized Thunderbolts, Avengers, and Marauders, most of the Air Wing bypass the inert perimeter stations and hold their course toward Installation 08. However, some transports part way with the Air Wing and divert to reinforce the Tempestus Scions' positions. This is also to ensure that the heretics don't find a way to reactivate the stations and let them loose on the Aeronautica Imperialis. Such scenarios will be nothing short of catastrophic.
For now, that feared event hasn't come to pass, and may it never be.