[U]Left Breach - [@Lord Coake][@Sarpedon][/u]


All was not going too well for the Cadian 88th and their comrades at the left breach; as skilled as both the Brontians and the Xenonians were with their chosen weapons, their flamethrowers far more effective against the fungus-spawned enemy that they now faced, it would only be a matter of time until the Greenskinned monsters got the upper hand. It was well known, and well stated in the [i]Uplifting Primer[/i] that going toe-to-toe with an Ork in close-quarters was almost certain suicide, but for two regiments as centered upon personal combat that could mean only annihilation at Orkoid hands [b]or[/b] the complete destruction of their enemies.

Was it then the Emperor's hand at work, an unseen and unheard signal from their own Orkish overlord, or genuine fear from the Xenos that caused them to break from their formerly aggressive assault on the humans? Perhaps, as some who were there later stated, it was a combination of all three? It is well known that those proclaiming it was just the grit-and-strength of the Guard are talking out their arses.

Slowly backing away from their adversaries - roars on their tusked lips and pot-shots from ill-working Sluggas as they did so - the Orks eventually turned away from the Guard completely, thumping their way back through the ruins of the city and in the direction of the Governor's Palace.

Now, what the four bloodied regiments of the breach would make of this, only they knew! 

Maybe they would even have remained put, digging in and holding the breach against an assault they were certain would come, but orders were son forthcoming from HQ and staying in place to consolidate was [b]not[/b] an option.

[hr]

[U][i]Imperator Era[/i], Imperial HQ - Late Afternoon, Incoming Storm.[/u]


"It appears that the Harakoni have done it, Lord General," exclaimed Major Erstos, professional appreciation for their skills obviously quite clear in his voice, "the Greenskins are withdrawing back onto the Palace."

"The Harakoni, they will not make it out?" Questioned Van Deer, idly inspecting a smattering of dust on the lapel of his black dress coat.

"No, sir," came another voice, this time of Major Augustian, always eager to lick the boots of his superior - in spite of his excellent service record and general dislike of the smaller and weaker man, "it does seem that our Captain Keris and his regiment will fight, and probably die, to the last man."

This received a grunt from the Lord General Militant, finally taking the time to peer at the constantly moving pieces on the board, inspecting everything with a look that had silenced the sternest of commanders; there were many who forgot that the Lord General [b]had[/b] once been a career soldier, who had once commanded his own regiment - the Yugurtan 28th - and who had gained his position of rank not simply through connections, the way some other officers did. His body may have become more idle and less healthy over the decades, but his mind was just as keen as it had been when he was a young subaltern.

Around the table, large enough to seat the entire General's Staff, silence soon began to wash over them to leave only the whirring of the Servitors, the soft humming of the engines, and the occasional cough that was soon followed by an apology.

"Major Erstos," spoke Van Deer to the Cadian officer, his voice calculated and smooth, an obvious change having come over him somehow, "listen very carefully to my orders, then relay them through a secure (Ork proof) vox channel to every regiment presently engaged with our enemy, is that understood?"

A few moments passed as Erstos made the preparations, informing the Vox-General of the Capitol Imperialis of his superiors instructions, before the Cadian gave a curt nod to his commanding officer and awaited the message.

"This is Imperial HQ to our forces in the field - please stand by for orders," there was a slight pause and the slight man, his fingers steepled before him, went on, "your orders are to converge on the Central Present-Day God-Emperor's Church of Holy Light Cathedral, located in the very centre of the city, coordinates to be transmitted presently. This is a take and hold, I repeat a take and hold operation. You must hold the cathedral and surrounding area until the Second Wave has time to surround our enemy. When the occurs, we shall reign victorious upon this planet and your loyal service shall not go unrewarded; the Emperor protects.

[Center]************[/center]

"The Vox Operators of the nine regiments that made up the First Wave, assuming any remained alive among their number, would shortly receive the coordinates upon their vox' pict-screens and, essentially, directions to the centre of the city...and their new position.

The Cathedral of Holy Light could be reached by a number of routes, every road in the city actually leading back to it, and the structure itself a most impressive piece of Imperial engineering; crafted from stone but reinforced by metal, the cathedral stood at over one-hundred-and-fifty feet tall at the highest point (that being the largest of several spires), as well as being over four-hundred feet in length. Contained within it was central hall of worship, cloisters for the holy men and women that had previously worked the Emperor's will there, and windows - now shattered by gunfire and explosives, like so much of the outside and inside of the cathedral - that made mere mortals wonder at the power of their divine overlord.

True, chunks of masonry had been blown from it, rotting corpses of those that had tried to shelter there could still be found, and the windows and vast doors were of little use now, but if there was a place that could be well-defended by determined fighters then it was here.

Spread out on all sides of it was an open space that had been a huge circular garden, once upon a time, but now was blackened and filled with craters, PDF equipment and bodies. Beyond this were buildings of the city's hab-district, fully equipped and supplied domes that could had held many extended families, and intersecting through the whole space were four broad roads - large enough to manouvre along them at least six tanks abreast - which formed a cross.

It just so happened that the Endoran 3rd [@Vahir], and because of them the Elysians sent in to support them - currently encircling the Orks, using their own tactics against them [@Tenlock] - as well as the tanks of Nendardel [@Agent B52], were only a few klicks north-east of that position. Should they choose to attempt it, they could most likely reach it via a short march back toward their allies and more probably safety.

Meanwhile, it appeared that the Tushiena sent to look for the Endorans had, far from being hacked apart by angry Orks, actually found their way to the location simply by following one of the roads straight through the city! Before them, through the hab-domes, rose the towering form of the monolithic site of worship, but what would they do now?

[Center]************[/center]

Back at the right breach ([@agentmanatee][@Bright_Ops]) it did not seem that the issue of who was in command was going to be corrected by the time all light had faded from the sky, and with it the pendulous and swollen clouds had fallen across the city to pour ice-cold rain upon them; with some trepidation Lieutenant Greyson of the 72nd Albankin, although probably not the highest ranking officer out of all those currently assembled, stepped into the role of overall CO without any opposition from his peers.

"Keep low, keep to the road and use any available cover on our flanks," he said to the small cadre of leaders without a leader, pointing toward the same road that the Cadian 978th had taken not so long ago, "we shall be using that road there, which should get us to the cathedral in quick order...or at least before it gets too dark to see the green bastards."

With their orders given the officers dispersed back to their own regiments, Colour-Sergeant Bourne checking his weapons and uniform, as well as those of each of his soldiers, before joining up with the rest of the 72nd. It was they, the so-called 'redcoats', that would be taking point - as the largest formation out of the three regiments, they could afford to soak up some enemy fire if it came to it; separating between themselves, one line on one side of the road and one on the other, bayonets held low and ready, and feet making almost not a sound, the Albans advanced in a half-crouch and the entire mass of Guardsmen moved off.

They had not been moving for long when they came upon what remained, or rather [b]the[/b] remains of the arrogant Cadians, the entire bit-regiment laid out in a mound in the centre of the road. Orks, while not known for being intelligent, at least seemed to have some sick and base sense of humour; everything was piled there, weapons and armour, limbs and heads, and anything that the 'Skins hadn't been willing to take with them when they pulled back.

What a shock it must have been then when the foremost men of the 72nd, eager both for action but quite happy to take what they could, padded forward on quiet feet to start rooting about \for anything of value - spare power packs, lho-sticks and generally anything else they could find.

Probably best that they did so now though, for soon enough that could well be them as well.