Editing The Commissar and His Maid (section)

==Part 7==
Emperor on the throne, what a day.
Orks. God Damn Orks.

Turns out our little light show for the locals last night stirred up a pack of Orks left over from a waaagh a few years back. Not mentioned in any of the reports I received, but none the less there they were.

It's been a while since I have been caught in a shelling. We were still at our forward command post after the nights live fire practice. I was having a shower when I heard the whistle. That wasn't outbound shelling, there was none ordered for this morning.

The impact damn near threw me out of the tent. I wrenched the water off, and was in my pants and boots by time the next shells rained down. Those first shots were all range finders. I grabbed my mask and pulled it into place, when 6345 launched herself into the changing tent.

Another whistle, a very loud whistle, and were knocked from our feet. I don't know who landed on who, but 6345 Dragged me to my feet, pulled my hat onto my head, handed me my bolt pistol, and shoved me towards the door.

Another whistle, and she tackles me to the ground, as meters away, a mortar explodes. I feel shrapnel graze across my arm, as it's my turn to pull us both to our feet. I drag her with me to the nearest trench and we stop to take in our situation. I have my bolt pistol and sword, she has her rifle. We have no other idea what's going on.

And I'm missing my carapace. I left it back in the change room. Another whistle, and 6345 dives on top of me, as dirt rains down from another explosion.
She looks at me as if to say "We need to get out of here"
I nodded and she crawled over me, leading me towards what I reckoned to be the command chimera.
<...Buffering...>
what does that even mean? would it kill those cog boys to make you easy to understand?

So we crawled, and we crawled, and we crawled some more, till we finally reached the command chimera. Our guns had begun firing back, and the familiar five rounds a minute thudding out in precision timing. The trench we were crawling in lead to one of the side access hatches of the chimera. I helped 6345 out of the trench, and then hefted myself up.

What happened next was like something out of the holovids. Everything went slow, I saw the Orks charging. I saw Kriegers forming familiar firing lines, three men deep, las rounds strobing out in controlled bursts, each flash taking another foul xenos life. and then I saw the grenade. A crude cylinder of metal slam into the ground.

I did the only thing I could do. I tackled 6345 into the chimera. The grenade went off, I felt shrapnel scoring into me and then we landed in the chimera.
<...buffering...>
Again? what's the matter with you?

So there I am, lying on the floor of the chimera, as I feel the pool of blood slowly growing underneath me. Years of training kick in, as I roll over and push myself to my feet. What sort of commissar lets himself get bothered by a little bit of shrapnel in the back? If the legendary Johnathon Fuklaw isn't stopped by it, I won't be stopped by it either.

I looked at 6345, and noticed she was still wearing her apron. She looked at me, and then removed her pack, producing a thermos of recaf for me. What I would do without that girl, I don't know. I grabbed the thermos, lifted my mask and drained it. The command crew outlined the enemy, a small force of Orks, with artillery, which had mostly been neutralized.

Commissarial training guided my actions, If there is one thing Kriegers love more than dessert rations, its a good bayonet charge. Grabbing the external vox line, I roared out the order to fix bayonets, and on my command, to charge the orkish lines.
6345 was mumbling something to the chimera driver. He nods, and looks back at me. There was a look of total respect as he gunned the engine, and the chimera leaped forward
<...buffering...>

I thought back to the stories they had told us at the Scholar Progenium, of Cain, Fuklaw and Raege. I knew what I had to do.
And I wanted to impress her. I wanted to impress 6345.

Grabbing the external vox feed, I opened the top hatch of the chimera, and stood upon the firing platform. Drawing my sword, I pointed at the rapidly thinning line of Orks and Roared "In the name of the Emperor, BAYONET. CHARGE."

The yell from the men was deafening. More las rounds strobed as they charged, and the bark of the Chimera's pintle-mounted bolter added to the cacophony. I looked down at 6345, manning the pintle and smiled under my mask.

The Orks were slaughtered. minimal casualties were suffered on our side, one dead, a handful critically wounded. The usual combat scrapes were treated by field medics.

Unfortunately for me, I copped a piece of stray shrapnel to the leg right at the end, causing me to collapse down on top of 6345, dragging us both down into the chimera. I landed on top of her, and as the victory cheers of the men went up, we cuddled.

Don't give me that look. "Cuddle" is a perfectly acceptable word. The medics patched my leg up, but I'm desk-bound for a week.
Recorded 4124988.M41
68th Krieg Field Artillery – Saghalain
Autoscribe #303440288