"I 'ave seen the glorious comin' of the vengeance of tha lord, and we'll be fucking up the heretics that dare withstand his sword," he hefted the power pack and clicked it into the magazine well of his laspistol, pulling back the charging lock and checking the juice. Full up. Wonderful. His gun made a satisfying ratcheting clack as he locked it in, and he slipped it into his holster. "We are now the instrument of violence used against those 'e does abhor, the emperor lives on!" He wished he had the rest of his company with him, they could belt out this song proper, they could. "We fight and we die standing! We fight and we die standing! We fight and we die staaaaanding, what a helluva way to die!"
He didn't sing his own version. The warhawk version. That, might not be appropriate. Ah, well, fuck it. He'd sing it. Unclipping his full mask, he began to sing properly
"'E was just a rookie jumper and he surely quaked with fright,
makin' sure to check his gear and that his grav-chute fitted tight,
'E had to sit and listen to those fuckin' engines roar,
And 'e ain’t gonna jump no more."
"Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
'E ain’t gonna jump no more."
"'Is everybody ready?' cried the Sergeant, looking 'round.
Our trooper shook and answered 'ye, and they stood him up.
'E leaped right out into the blast, his static line unhooked.
'E ain’t gonna jump no more."
Damn, was it already time to go? They marched onto the lander, and he took his rucksack off and placed it between his feet. Straight into the action, just how he loved it. The lander's door closed, and he felt a single twinge of sadness. He didn't have a chute rigged to his back. He wouldn't hear the hissing roar as it slowed his descent, wouldn't get to see his enemies below him as he fired down on them from above. Instead he'd get this sterile bullshit. Ah, fuck it, who really cared. He'd shoot the bastards anyway.
An' then everyone was being shut up. Really? Oh, no, fuck that. He was singing.
"'E counted long, he counted loud, he waited for the shock;
'E felt the wind, he felt the clouds, he felt the awful drop;
'E hit the button, the chute failed to pop,
'E ain’t gonna jump no more!"
"Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
'E ain’t gonna jump no more!"
"Tha promethium scorched 'is back, the grav chute cracked 'gainst 'is dome
'Is gear wasn't fastened proper, flapped all around 'is bones
'Is uniform became his shroud, his facemask was 'is veil
AND HE AIN'T GONNA JUMP NO MORE!"
"Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
'E ain’t gonna jump no more!"
"Hey! Sarge!" He looked at the red uniform of the praetorian. "Thay say that your lot don't feel fear! You'd make one of us pretty good then, wouldn't ya? Gotta 'ave them big balls to drop from a ship with nathing but a bit 'o metal strapped to ya back!"