T42 Pt. 6 | "Watch on the Veritas"

Tales of the 42nd: Watch on the Veritas

+++CROSSROAD TOWN OF BASTION, ARDENNES+++

+++014.000.M42 / 1000 HRS 05 JAN 41000+++

Cecilia jumps out of the back of the Chimera with her holdall slung over her shoulder while she looks around at the others from the 42nd getting off the convoy. Along with the four officers, each officer has a command staff of five men along with the staff attached to the brigade for the admin side of the advisor duty make up the entire detached command under Cecilia's command. While she is looking around a young looking Lieutenant, not far into his late teens by his look, approaches her and is about to salute before Cecilia stops him.

"I'm going to stop you there Lieutenant, never salute an officer in the field unless you want them to get shot."

"Oh eh...Sorry Major, I don't want that Sir."

"It's okay Lt, no harm done this time. Am I to guess you are to be my attache for my time here?"

"That is correct Major, Lieutenant Stein Feist at your service."

Cecilia quickly but firmly shakes his hand before she gestures to what is clearly the HQ building for the brigade.

"Good to meet you Lt, care to show me to the General so I can introduce myself so we can figure out how we are looking."

"Emm well the General is currently in a meeting with the other senior commanders, and he doesn't like to be interrupted."

"That sounds like the perfect time for all of us to meet the commanders we are going to be working with. Lead on."

"As you say, Major."

When Feist starts to lead the way to the HQ building she gestures towards the rest of her advisor teams to follow her to the HQ building to catch the meeting and the Brigades officers. Cecilia looks around the entrance hall of the HQ building with a dismissive look when she takes in the luxuries and displays of wealth set up throughout it. The party of officers and enlisted get a few odd looks from the PDF staff personnel stood around in the main entrance hall of the HQ, the difference between them visible to even an untrained eye. For the officers, they have pretty standard gear in terms of functionality with only the basic full set of flak armour but with extra trimmings of wealth compared to the advanced Carapace armour of the Caledonians with only the necessary equipment and a few personal touches for the officers to set them apart. And for the enlisted the PDF they would have very basic gear offering little protection from the elements or the enemy, compared to the Caledonians who would be wearing the flak armour the same as the majority of Guardsmen across the Imperium but would also have flak armour lined greatcoats for extra protection from the enemy and the elements.

"I take it these decorations are not standard around these parts?"

"No they are not Major, the General brought them with him to make his command better suited for one of his status."

Cecilia offers a small derisive laugh at this.

"True commanders and people worth following don't need to decorate their HQ to remind people they are in charge."

Feist looks around at the other PDF to see if any overheard her before they reach the door to the Generals briefing room, Feist opens to the door and leads Cecilia and the three other officers in with the General angrily looking up at the intrusion while they do.

"What is it? Who would dare to interrupt my briefing."

"Eh, General. The staff from the 42nd Caledonian Black Watch have arrived, and they wanted to catch you and the other officers during the briefing."

"Oh is that so...they thought they were better than us to ignore our chain of command and barge in!"

The General looks at Cecilia with a frown when he takes in her Major insignia on her uniform. Cecilia raises a slight eyebrow while she returns his gaze before she turns to look at the other officers to get a feel for the room when she recognises Lieutenant Alexandra Aloy in the corner of the room, to whom she offers a nod before turning back to the General.

"General, we don't think we are better than you. We know we are better than you as every single Caledonian here has earned their rank through their service, unlike a large number of your senior officers including your self. On my way here I read up on you are your family, you have a long history of senior positions in the PDF but have no service history off-world or in combat..."

The General slams his fist down on the table to cut Cecilia off.

"I will not stand here and be insulted by some girl off some backwater planet who should never have received such a command. I am a noble scion of Xailiv, and I will not stand for this!"

Cecilia sighs softly at the Generals tirade, those standing near the doors would hear a slight commotion from outside along with the sound of boots striking firmly against the stone floor and moving towards the office.

"General you forget your self, I am not the one who is having to defend their home against a bunch of traitors who you called a neighbour. And I am not some nobody as you think. I am the first born of Lord General Fiona Skye, Commander of the Caledonian System Guard. Neice of Lord General Kira Skye, Commander of the 7th Army who was fighting at Cadia and a long line of other commanders. I may be a noble scion as you are as well, but I am not like you in the slightest. I am not a coward, and I fight for my home, I don't hide behind my wealth and expect people to do what I say."

The General is about to respond when suddenly the door to the office is thrown open causing the general to look up in anger at the door again before the suddenly sit down trying to calm them self down due to the sigh of a Commissar standing in the doorway along with a junior commissar behind them.

"Major Skye?"

Cecilia turns to look at the Commissars when she is addressed.

"Commissar Apker, and Commissar Kern, I did not expect to see either of you here."

"Brigade gave the order for two commissars to be sent to attach to your command as well, but you had just set off before the order was given. It's a good thing too with the news we bring."

The general looks up at the mention of news.

"What news exactly? Commissar?"

"General, the news is that the traitor forces launched an attack into the Ardennes region a few hours ago."

The officers around the room all looked shocked at the news due to the lack of any intel regarding this attack, the General just stares down at his table with this news.

"Do we have an eta until they get here?"

"The orders we got told to pass on indicate that they estimate that the first traitor forces will be here in less than two days. In that time elements of the Caledonian 1st Airlanding Brigade are in route to our location while the 1st and 2nd Drops are getting sent to over key locations through the Ardennes."

"Ok...people you heard the commissar, return to your commands and start digging in..."

With that dismissal from the General, the officers start to exit the room, with the Caledonian officers attaching to those in command of the battalion they are attached to. Cecilia looks over her shoulder one more at the General who was still staring at his desk before she turns with a shake of her head to exit the HQ building when Aloy catches up with her.

"Cap...Major, now it seems."

"Lt, good to see you again. At least I know there are a few decent officers here then."

Alexandra looks down at her boots for a moment at the compliment.

"Thank you for saying so Major, I am just another officer in a brigade of many fine soldiers."

Cecilia lightly rests a hand on Alexandra's shoulder while they walk.

"Of that, I don't doubt, it's just the senior officers I doubt."

The two of them fall into a moment of silence while they walk towards were the 12th/22nd are set up when they a joined by Junior Commissar Rayna Kern at a slight jog.

"Major."

"Commissar Kern, good to see a familiar face for my command team."

"Aye is good to be serving with you again after getting shot down at the start of this campaign."

"Yeah, that is not the best way to start a campaign."

Cecilia and Rayna quickly share a brief but firm handshake.

"So aye, you won't know the Lt. Lieutenant Alexandra Aloy, Junior Commissar Rayna Kern. The commissar is usually attached to my company."

Alexandra offers a handshake to the commissar as well.

"Good to meet you, Commissar. I'm in command of the 6th Company of the 12th/22nd, but technically also got command over the 7th and 8th as well due to these three companies being the ad-hoc merged ones from the leftover 22nd and the remnants of the 110th."

"Pleasure to meet you Lt, heard good things about a promising young officer of the 22nd who has ended up in the thick of it with the 42nd every step of the way."

Cecilia shares a small grin and nod with them before she gets serious again.

"Right, back to business though. How are the battalion and the brigade as whole looking?"

"It's not looking great Major, everyone is still trying to recover from the fierce fighting that got us here, and we still need more reinforcements as the entire brigade is at about half strength, along with being low on pretty much everything."

Cecilia nods while she takes a few notes on her tactical tablet.

"Right, time to see what we can do then in less than 48 hours for this brigade."

With that Cecilia, Rayna and Alexandra link up with the 12th/22nd where Cecilia's command team are already getting them organised and lined up before they move out to drill and prepare defences.