In the Grimdark Sector with a System

Author Notes:

Recaf is love, recaf is life.

There are advanced chapters on P-atreon 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 654/700 USD

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/

--------------------------------------------------------------

Believe it or not, there are proper protocols to follow when encountering an unknown element. In this case, when seeing the incoming Chimeras with dark green livery, one is expected to ask questions first and shoot later. Since Johnson's group is busy setting up and positioning their two Chimeras in a hull-down position, contacting the four land bogeys is left to Weiss. I watch Weiss operate her vox-caster backpack, trying to contact the unknown units to no avail.

"Trouble in paradise?" I ask, gazing at the lead Chimera in the front.

There's no discernible weirdness in the exterior hull of the vehicle, so I can't say for sure that it's a corrupted Chimera. Yet, my instinct is giving me red warnings all over. Since that gut feeling carried me through many hairy situations, I am inclined to believe that the unknown Chimeras are Trojan Horses and the real troubles are hidden in their holds.

Weiss, hearing my questions, shakes her head. "No joy to be found, Corporal. I have tried broadcasting on all known Cadian military channels, even using the usually prohibited open-comms, but I can't seem to reach any of the vehicles... Do you think they're experiencing mechanical failures?"

"Pfft, as if." I snicker. "Each Platoon has at least one vox-caster with the additional comm-beads. Four Chimeras can carry two Platoons, with the Chimeras housing their own vox-casters. Tentatively, there should be at least six sets of vox-casters in the unknowns' formation and the appropriate amount of comm-beads. Yet, for two dozen of their vox transmitters to fail at the same time is literally nigh impossible when ours are perfectly fine."

Sergeant Johnson, sticking his head out of a recently constructed fighting position, says while looking up at us. "Ein got a point. This situation is getting a bit too stinky for my taste. New order, you two are to provide overwatch while we try our own method of getting them to stop."

I have an inkling of what the Sergeant is about to do, yet I still ask to confirm. "Which is...?"

Johnson smirks through the comm-link before slapping the hood of 3rd Platoon's Chimera. "This!"

On cue, the friendly Chimera opens up a brief one-second burst of its Multi-laser turret. Yet, in that one second along, one hundred red hot bolts are discharged and impacting right in the path of the unknown IFVs column. Capable of potentially killing a Space Marine with a well-placed, burst, the effectiveness of the Multi-laser is wasted when one intentionally misses the target by a mile. The laser beams kick up searing dirt and scorched materials instead of boring through anything worthwhile. Yet, they serve well as a warning shot, prompting the unknown column to halt on its path.

Strangely, all four Chimeras maintain their column formation with no visible dismount or commotion. They're just sitting there, exposed and mostly silent. For one full minute, nothing happens until suddenly, someone pops out the turret hatch of the leading unknown Chimera. Instead of controlling the IFV's pintle-mounted heavy stubber, this person of interest, draped in generic Cadian war gear, picks up a magnoculars to scan the horizon. It doesn't take him long to spot Johnson's entrenched position though making no overt action other than constantly eyeballing it.

At this point, the eariness prompts me to say. "Sergeant, I don't like where this is going..."

Knowing that Colonel Mustahim is viewing the proceeding through the pict-feed, Johnson communicates clearly. "Me too, kiddo... We are severely lacking in firepower here so... Donovan! I need you to start locking on to that lead unknown Chimera, the one with the heavy stubber! All other mud stompers, be prepared to combat enemy dismounts!"

Johnson then turns to the Chimeras some meters away from them. "Frogger 3-3, Frogger 3-4, if shit hits the fan, I need you to focus on disabling one IFV at a time before they can melt through our cover."

"Solid copy, 3-1. When needed, use our hulls for protection." Replies Frogger 3-3, one of the two Chimeras that carried 3rd Platoon.

Being hull-downed into the ground, with only enough clearance for their heavy bolters and Multi-laser, the Chimeras can act as durable bunkers for the soft-skinned soldiers.

"Wait." Weiss asks in a small tone that is only meant for me to hear. "Our unit's nicknamed Frogger? And are we seriously considering them to be hostile?" The last question is asked aloud.

I reply while keeping my finger near, but not on the trigger of my lasrifle.

"We named ourselves Froggers due to us being deployed a great many times as QRF and our tendency to land ourselves in situations like this one. As for why we're raising the alarm... Tell me, have you ever seen a military that stopped in the middle of nowhere after being shot at instead of rushing for cover and force deployment?"

"..." Weiss stares back at the unknowns with her magnoculars before sighing. "Point taken."

Weiss then puts away her magnoculars to grab her lasrifle. "Range is 600 for us. Johnson's position should be less than that."

"Eh, I have made harder shots than this. Lasrifle makes it too easy." I comment.

Weiss is just about to ask something when I notice movements from the unknowns and my danger sense spikes with red alerts. The unknown Chimeras are forming a line... A firing line.

"Johnson, get down!" I shout a warning through the comm-link.

-----------------------------------------------------

Acting on the trust we have forged through battles, Johnson and his unit dive behind cover, just in time for countless lasers to sweep across the hill they're on. If a single Multi-laser has a standard rate-of-fire set at 100 lasers per second, imagine what four Multi-lasers will do to a makeshift entrenchment. Thanks to prior preparations, Johnson's group of Guards have dug deep enough into the ground so that they're safe from being directly hit by the incoming lasers. Yet, being shot at is still not a pleasant experience for any of them as they clasp their helmets tight. That said, none of the Guards voice any of their negative emotions. Cadians, particularly those that fight constantly like the 3rd Platoon, are much too hardy to wear their fear and displeasure on their hearts.

When five seconds have passed, gone is the green hill where Johnson and the rest of the Platoon are. Now the hill is left charred, barren, and is even burning and smoking on some of its parts. Scorched were the foliage the Guards had hidden behind, thus revealing to their confirmed-to-be hostiles their relatively intact fighting positions and Chimeras. At this point, Johnson is given the go-ahead by Colonel Mustahim to dispense all pleasantries and fire away.

Poking his head out to survey the situation, Johnson turns to Donavan, their Anti-tank Specialist, and nods. The Specialist, sitting on the ground in a foxhole and poking only his Cadian-pattern missile launcher out, returns the nod before pulling the trigger of his weapon. Accompanied by a popping sound and a backblast, a krak missile is soft-launch out of its munition tubes. A blink of an eye later, the missile booster is activated and propelled the krak warhead upward. Guided by its seeker, the krak missile uses its flight control surfaces to maneuver for a top-down attack on the leading hostile Chimera.

To protect the Specialist and to attract the attention of the enemies, Frogger 3-3 and Frogger 3-4 open up with their own Multi-lasers and Heavy Bolters. The lasers and bolt rounds get to the targets faster than the krak missile can and pelts heavily on the enemy IFVs. Unfortunately, the thick frontal platings of the Chimeras prove to be hard to beat for anything other than the incoming krak missile. Punching through the turret hatch of the lead enemy vehicle, the krak missile explodes internally, taking out the IFV and its many occupants in a blast of ashes and fire. After confirming the kill, the AT Specialist cycles another rocket tube as part of a two-tube disposable magazine before aiming for another enemy Chimera.

His effort is cut short when the hostiles wise up to deploy a thick smoke screen to protect their force deployment. Unable to lock onto the enemy heat signatures, the Specialist curses.

-----------------------------------------------------

From our vantage point, Weiss and I can see over the smoke screen. I report over the comm-link.

"Johnson, I got multiple enemy dismounts in sight. You good down there?"

"Peachy, Corporal!" Comes Johnson's confident reply. "Donovan thinks he can squeeze out one last shot before the return fire makes his position untenable. Even if they're down two Chimeras, they still have more las than us so we're in the thick till CAS arrives!"

"Ain't nothing we haven't done before, sir." I add with a bright grin. "By the way, they're moving into a defilade for cover. From their mismatching attires, I don't think they're any standing militia, much less a Guard unit."

"Aye, then it's them traitors again. Bloody wankers can't go to sleep without causing mayhem here and there." That's 40K in a nutshell.

"For now, focus on taking out the deadlier ones and try not to attract too much heat on your position. Since support is on the way, we don't need to mount anything too desperate." Johnson reminds.

"Got it, though don't blame us if we end up hogging all the kills." I say with giggle.

Pulling the trigger, a fire a laser through the dissipating smoke screen and hit a traitor manning a heavy stubber on one of their Chimera. The traitor now sports a gaping hole as his charred corpse slid back into the vehicle. Right after, Donovan launches another krak missile to eliminate another IFV. The man is swift to drop the disposable tube, only retaining the fire control unit, before dashing into Johnson's trench. The Sergeant pats his subordinate on the shoulder as a compliment before addressing my comment.

"Daring today, aren't we?"

"Eh, I may be feeling a tad too energetic, what's with all the actions to be had." I reply with a smile, eyeing Weiss who is looking at me in slight surprise. "Come one, come on~! What are you waiting for, Weiss? It's time to do your part~!"

The look of 'What's the fuck is going on?' that Weiss is wearing is gold. Ah, Emperor blesses that I can move the world with recaf alone.