[@Bright_Ops][@agentmanatee][@Dannyrulx][@NecroKnight][@Andreyich][@Lmpwrkr][@Rultaos][@mackielars][@Hank][@The Lioness]


"Is it prepared yet?"

The scribbling sound of quill on parchment momentarily ceased, a sharp intake of breath coming from the hunchbacked scribe, his mechanical eyes whirring for a moment as he turned to focus on the black-clad woman standing by the window overlooking the hab-units from the central chamber of the Ministorum Headquarters. She had been stood there for hours now, the sharp angles of her face expressionless and her lips unchanged from the pout that had been there all this time, as Terebravisse had scratched out the final touches to the official document before him; upon completion, which had actually happened an hour earlier, he had had to make at least a dozen copies for other branches of the Guard, Ministorum and others, and each time she had asked him if he was finished...now he was getting annoyed.

"My dear Commissar," he wheezed through his teeth, "things of this importance take time, and it is a laborious process as you can see, but with a few more touches..." the fingertip quills worked swiftly and completed a final flourish, "...it is done."

With barely a sound Kata, Junior-Commissar and aide to Commissar Ismael Castor (for the moment), moved across and scooped up the delicate document in one gloved hand. As her glacial eyes focused on the writing, running back and forth over the High Gothic text, only now did the ghost of close-mouthed a smile begin to form on her lips; if anything it was more chilling to see her smile, giving her a half-crazed look that could not be good.

The document was concerned with the forming of a company within a larger regiment - a company under the command of a certain Captain J. Weiss, formerly of the Cadian 407th - one small part of a regiment that had been entitled for the time being simply as '87th Combined Regiment [i]Expeditio Vernum[/i]'; this regiment would be under the overall command of a Colonel, however Captain Weiss would not only have near three-hundred souls under her command, but also the added pleasure of both Castor and his second-in-command as company Commissars. Every other NCO and commission was up to the Captain's discretion, with ample supervision of course.

What the parchment stipulated was that members of her company should be taken from some of the most whittled down regiments currently enjoying themselves some storeys below, those such as the Cadian 132nd and 407th - these veterans more than likely to make up the solid core of the new company, if not the regiment at large - as well as drifting survivors from the relatively unknown Cyrothaxian 'Flashflooders', Foruzian Light Infantry, and Hirisit 482nd among others.

One decision that might not be widely well received was that Abhumans from at least two damaged regiments were to be included, the First Helhiem Warband and Felinid 'Nightstalkers' being a part of that, along with the usual smattering of thick-skulled Ogryns and swift-fingered Ratlings; it was something that did not overly concern the Junior-Commissar, but something she would have to nevertheless monitor.

"Excellent work, scribe. I hope we meet again some day."

Once he was certain that she was out of hearing range, he turned back to his desk - the wooden behemoth almost as large as he was - and gritted his teeth, "and I sincerely hope that we do not."

[hr]

Kata arrived just as order was being restored to a drunken ruckus, some sort of altercation having obviously taken place between the Beastmen and a more fanatical servant of the near lunatic [i]Frateris[/i], a pell-mell organsiation that the Commissar saw the use of but had her doubts about; all she could think as she approached was that it was a good thing someone else had stepped in, her eyes sweeping over Commissar Castor as she passed by the huge bonfire, the 'music' having thankfully fallen silent in the presence of a superior officer, because had she been the one to break up the fight then there would be significantly more corpses strewn about the place.

Once standing next to Captain Weiss, ignoring all looks directed her way, she snapped her heels together and snapped off a textbook perfect salute.

"Captain Weiss, I presume?" She asked cooly, the rank insignia clearly showing that she was indeed the Captain, "these are your orders for the formation of a new company - you will be required to select three hundred suitable candidates to join the 87th Combined Regiment under Colonel Hamid Nizar, the inspection parade taking place at o-five-hundred hours this morning."

She had been keeping her voice low for the moment, but after snapping off another salute she pivoted about on her heels and looked to the crowd gathered about the now diffused brawl, her voice carrying to those about the edges of the hab-units with the volume and levity of a parade ground Drill-Sergeant.

"At zero-five-hundred hours this morning, not too far away, those here present will be prepared for inspection and standing by rank-and-file in the open ground beyond the power-station. It is not hard to miss, so you are expected to be there whatever your current or future condition, everything cleaned and in order. Punishments will be given for insubordination and reprimands for errors in armament and uniform. That is all, carry on."

Looking back once more to the Captain, her sharp features shadowed by the peak of her cap in the light of the moon and fire, she made sure that the parchment was given over to Johanna, saluted, and began to walk back to the headquarter building where she was billeted.

One speech a night was enough for anyone.