T42 Pt. 23 | "The siege of Klirsey III"

Tales of the 42nd: The siege of Klirsey

+++ALBIAN II, ALBIAN SYSTEM+++

+++NORTH OF TRENCH SECTOR B-3-C+++

+++735.000.M41 / 1127, 24 SEP 41000+++

Cecilia sighs when she pushes herself away from the table inside the command tent, moving away from the reports that are still on it. She runs her hand over her face, trying to rub some energy back into her sleep-deprived eyes after having only been able to get a couple of hours sleep in the last 24 hours. Halwood offers a salute when she steps into the tent before offering a dataslate to Cecilia.

"Major, final casualty figures have just come in. 5th Platoon is KIA, merging the remnants into the other platoons. 3rd and 4th, both took heavy losses as well, 1st and 2nd got off the lightest in the support trench," Halwood says to summerise the report.

Cecilia nods, "Thanks, Halwood. Will add it to the pile."

Halwood nods before she moves over to the planning table to take a look at the map. Cecilia places the dataslate next to the others before she puts her elbows on it and leans into her hands.

She sighs softly to herself when she hears a slight commotion at the entrance to the tent before the flap is moved to the side to let someone enter.

"Major Skye," The person says.

Cecilia looks up when she is addressed, taking in the white stripe over their shoulder pauldron and then up to their youthful face. She looks at them for a moment before waving down their salute.

"Yes?" Cecilia says.

"Officer Cadet Gabriela McEvoy, 7th Youth Platoon. I have orders to report to be attached to your command, sir." Gabriela says.

Cecilia pinches the bridge of her nose for a moment before speaking again, "How old are you, McEvoy?" She asks.

"Major? I am 14, sir." Gabriela says, a slightly confused note to her voice.

"Ok, cadet. Speak to the First Sergeant, and they will give you an assignment helping with the logistics." Cecilia says.

"Aye, Aye, Sir." Gabriela snaps off a salute before she moves over to Halwood for her platoons assignment.

Rayna steps in just while the youth officer moves, and places her commissars' cap down onto the edge of the table that Cecilia is at, "Major, had to report to Commissar Apker, before checking in here."

"Kern, not a problem. Anything from battalion?" Cecilia asks.

"Nothing really, bar that an offensive is going to be happening today. Though we are in reserve for it," Rayna says.

"Thanks for the heads up, we will probably get our exact orders soon then..." Cecilia trails off for a moment while she glances at Gabriela leaving the tent, "I sometimes wonder what we can do for the youth regiments..."

"What do you mean?" Rayna asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Just pretty much all of them have never known anything except service. Even those of us born on Caledonia and were trained for war had a semblance of civilian life, and they are so young..." Cecilia says.

Rayna looks at Cecilia for a moment before she responds, "You know you are only six years older than her, that is not much."

"That is fair...it just feels like such a big gap with experience," Cecilia sighs softly.

"They don't have a lot of experience which is true, but they have plenty of chances to get it...also means that you have a bigger pool of reinforcements as the only female unit in the division bar the scouts and another if I am correct," Rayna says.

"Aye, there is that...that and the female replacements coming in, means we can absorb losses a bit more," Cecilia says.

"Always a good thing that, the Xailivians are in a similar position aren't they now?" Rayna asks.

Cecilia nods at this, "Aye, Leana was talking about it after the last time they got some new people in."

Before Rayna can speak again, Hastings looks up from her vox-caster. "Major got battalion on the line for you."

Cecilia quickly moves over, taking the offered handset while she leaves Rayna to take a quick look at the casualty report.

+++NORTH OF BRODERBOUR+++

+++22 XAILIV STAGING GROUND+++

+++736.000.M41 / 2155, 24 SEP 41000+++

Leana opens the commanders hatch on her command chimera before she turns out to look at the assembled assault force of Chimera's, Leman Russ's, and other AFV's. She picks up the vox handset in the cupola before she starts transmitting on an open frequency to her force.

"Daughters of the Empire, Sisters of Xailiv, hear me. Today we show the Imperium that the spirit of Xailiv is loyal and that we fight on no matter the foe. Our foe does not know this, but they have set themselves up to die this day. The Immortal Emperor is with us, and we can not fail. We shall strike them down. Our war machines shall crush them under their treads. Our mighty guns will bring the very sky crashing down upon them. They can not win, for the Emperor has given us his greatest weapon to wield. So make yourself ready, we are the 22nd Xailiv Battalion, and today shall be our victory day!" Leana announces across the vox network before she checks her watch to check the time for the assault beginning, and with her watch about to hit the launch hour, she starts to transmit again. "Xailvians, this is the moment of truth. You will not fear. You will not falter. You will not hesitate before the enemy. All units, begin the assault!" Leana shouts over the roar of the basilisks renewing their full barrage while she chops her arm downwards and towards Klirsey.

With the signal given the battalion and its attached support begins the assault, driving through the front lines of the 42nd and racing towards Gilsdorf and the bridges there.

Leana remains turned out watching her command advancing before she turns her eyes to Caledonians when they pass. she takes in their battered look with their uniforms and armour still covered in the dirt of battle, but all their weapons were almost gleaming. Her eyes land on the unlit pyres of the dead soldiers where they linger for a while, before they land on Cecilia, standing there and watching the advance. Even at that distance, she can see how tired and battered Cecilia is, with a slight nod and offered salute that Cecilia returns, Leana pulls her eyes back to her objective to focus on the mission.

While Cecilia's hand slowly returns to her side from the salute, she sighs softly watching the 22nd and the aircraft beginning the assault.

She starts walking, her right hand resting on the top of her power axe while her left-hand runs through her loose hair after she took it out of her usual ponytail for when in the field. Kiera and Rayna nod to her while the three of them group up close to the pyres.

Cecilia takes a moment to look at the pyres, holding the bodies of close to 150 of her troops, with her eyes lingering on Gracia's body before she slowly steps forward to address the assembled troops, after receiving a node from the Ministorum Priest.

"We are here to say goodbye to our sisters, to our mothers and our friends. Our fellow women who fought and died together so that we might live and gain victory. Everyone in the Imperium owes them a debt that can never be repaid. It is our duty and our honour to carry their memory with us, while their spirits rest waiting to be called into service again. This battle may be forgotten, but their names will live forever on the memorials on Caledonia, we all signed the same one the day we entered service. They did their duty to the Emperor; they held the line and were the shields that guarded humanity. For the Emperor, for Caledonia." With her final words, she about-faces to face the pyres before snapping off a salute while the chosen troopers march forward and light the pyres.

The moment the first flames touch the pyres, the company piper starts to play and old Caledonian tune that has been used for Millenium at such events.

With the flames engulfing the pyres, Cecilia walks back to Rayna and Kiera, keeping her face stoic to hide anything she is feeling from the people under her command. She reaches them when the priest is just starting to lead a prayer for the fallen.

"How many more children will we send to their death or to await the next call to arms?" A note of sadness in Cecilia's voice, but also one of resolve.

Kiera turns slightly to look at Gabriela and her youth platoon for a moment before responding, "As many as the Emperor asks or is needed to protect our home."

Cecilia nods slowly, rubbing the bridge of her nose, "Aye, that we will...still does not make it any easier."

Rayna nods, placing a hand on Cecilia's shoulder, "It never will be, but that is what makes a good commander. The ability to send others to their death but knowing the cost and weight of that decision but still doing it."

Cecilia offers Rayna a small smile before she starts to move back towards her command tent, leaving the pair of them to watch over the pyres.

+++OITLAND+++

+++736.000.M41 / 2347, 24 SEP 41000+++

Leana observes the advance of the 22nd with its attached armour down the main road through Oitland and towards Klirsey. They had been making good progress and were overrunning the heretic forces, inflicting massive casualties with the ferocity of their attack. Reports from across the battlefield were similar with the heretics being forced back on all fronts with entire regiments getting encircled and wiped out.

Sergeant Kimber Maccini looks over at Leana, shouting to be heard over the sounds of the battle, "Colonel! Flank elements have made contact with the 375th Kreig. They are marching into town from the East!"

"Copy that, relay that to the companies and tell them to hold at the edge of town, unless they can take the hill. We will continue the assault onto the city with the Krieg," Leana says.

Kimber nods before she quickly relays the orders to the companies before she tries to see if she can get in direct contact with the Krieg regiment.

Leana lets herself have a small smile while she watches the heretic forces starting to rout, knowing that the siege is all but over now with the might of the entire army assaulting the city.