A slightly smaller Mess

+Still...thanks+

Charles: exactly

she does not reply, merely looking at him again

Tyren lapses into silence again.

Hera half laughs, half snorts, then covers her mouth in embarrassment.

Laurence: "Lets get moving then."

charles smiles at that, warmly

she nods

"Don't you even.." she slowly lowers her hand.

moving is done, over the moors, towards the line

Charles: what?

the ruststalker proves to be absurdly fast and agile

Hera: "I don't like my laugh."

Laurence and the curious squad of soldiers move at an average human run. At a word from laurence, the daemon leaves his side, ranging ahead of them with genuinely inhuman speed and poise, seeming to flit in and out of sight as she darts between short trees, and leaps gracefully over hedgerows.

Charles: I love it.

the ruststalker noticably watches her

Hera: "Dont lie. Its stupid"

She seems to notice, making a game of it, switching direction on a dime, hiding, only to bolt out a second later in an attempt to loose their gaze.

Charles: I'm not lying.

the ruststalker seems to notice this. After a few turns and dodges, the daemonhost loses sight of her

Hera gives him the full commissar stare.

Sidonai runs straight at a tree, planting a foot on the trunk, she leaps into the air, describing a graceful arc. Hanging unnaturally at the apex, seeming to slow as if falling through syrup not air, she turns a full circle, affording her a panoramic view of the landscape.

Charles: your laugh means you're happy *smiles* How could I not love it?

Ruststalker: *behind Sidonai suddenly, and uncomfortably close* You display impressive agility.

Hera: "The softest inquisitor. In the sector." She raises her glass, as if to toast.

Sidonai looks over her shoulder, her mouth for a split second half open, the skittari glimpses cruel serrated teeth, as she starts to talk, her mouth closes, and when it opens again, her teeth are straight and white as could be. "I can show you just how agile i can be..." She reaches up to rest her index finger on the ruststalker's cheek.

he laughs at that

she silently stares back, rather creepily

Hera: "Pretty sure you're softer then mute."

Sidonai tilts her head to one side ever so slightly, while she draws her finger down the skittarii's 'cheek'. "Did they leave you all the... equipment?"

Charles: Most of the time.

she again does not respond

Hera: "You've seen him swinging that axe about."

Sidonai: "Oh come on cog-girl... you can tell me."

Laurence goes past, slowing with lazarus to a walk as they approach. "Sidonai, leave her alone."

Charles: everyone has their sharp edges.

the ruststalker darts away suddenly

Hera: "I don't think Hakken has a soft one... Or jack for that matter... Or bandit..."

Sidonai: "Ruin my fun why don't you."

Laurence: "We have a job to do. Now do it."

Charles: all men do. They just bury it sometimes. *he sips*

*the ruststalker continues to dart around, often unseen, following them as she does*

Hera: "I've met some proper bastards, Charles. Hakken is the thin end of the wedge. You should've met Bones."

Sidonai, now jogging beside laurence: "She's stealing my thing."

Charles: Even the arch traitors had softer sides.

*continues*

Hera: "You're telling me Horus motherfucking Lupercal had a soft side?" There is a level of incredulous disbelief in her voice

Drawing close to the lines, the barrels of earthshaker cannons can be seen above the hedgerows.

Charles: he was the emperor's favourite before he fell.

the ruststalker has climbed a nearby tree to get a better look

Hera: "The arch traitor? Fuck right off. Sanguinius was the emperor's favorite, everyone knows that."

Charles: Then why was horus the warmaster? I've told you, the version of history most are taught these days is...heavily edited to say the least. Propaganda and such. *sips* Interestingly, the arch traitor would have agreed with you. He always believed Sanguinius more worthy of the warmaster title than himself.

Hera: "When all this is done with, i'm going to spend a fucking week in the library... and i'm dragging my mother in there too."

The earthshaker guns are basalisk mounted, dug into pits, with a ramp to the surface to drive it out. Enough munitions to level the city and build another from the dust is boxed and stacked.

Charles laughs at that
"I've never heard someone aggressively threaten to read before"

she spends several seconds simply staring at the defence lines

Hera: "I don't make much of a habit of it. Besides the lectitio, most of the reading material you get in the guard is complete shit."

They're expansive. Multiple trench lines thick, with bunkers, concrete and sandbags. Miles of razorwire, tens of thousands of landmines. Enough troopers with lasguns to project a holovid show on the damn moon.

Charles: aye. Administratum wants men shooting and dying, not learning.

Ruststalker:... there are holes in your overlapping fire lines. Multiple exploitable weaknesses. Fall back points too narrow and easy to congest.

Hera: "The regimental standard is much better than the toilet paper though. So there's that."

Laurence: "It's far too late to address that now."

charles laughs at that

Ruststalker:.... *darts onward*

Hera: "Is it weird that i kind of miss it?"

Laurence: "Hold here! Lets not freak out the pdf."

Charles: go on

*the ruststalker pauses*

Hera: "You know, the front. Fighting a proper war."

Laurence gestures her back up to the small hilltop.

Charles *nods and sips*

she darts there

Hera: "All this... Clandestine, tactical strike stuff... It's not what the guard's for really." She takes a large gulp of wine, and leans back in her chair, talking into the air away from charles. "They're doing well for it, for sure. But, we're on the back foot with this kind of work."

Laurence crouches down, turning the comm in his helmet to monitor, and listens to the traffic. Meanwhile, he expands the reach of his mind, gliding over the low level thoughts of people nearby

Charles: They?

Ruststalker: May I ask, why not merely remove the lines of retreat if they will be useless?

Hera: "You know, the guys." She gestures vaguely at the door

Laurence: "Because there is no point having men fight to the death, once the line is no longer effective, and for that number, the avenues will suffice."

Charles: I'll admit. I've not had men like them to fight beside in a... well a very long time.

Ruststalker: throw your soldiers into positions whence there is no escape, and they will prefer death to flight.

Hera: "We're-" She stops herself "They're good soldiers. Loyal, skilled as any schola stormtrooper, but not at this."

Laurence: "But allow them to fly, and they can fight more than once."

Charles: do you have any suggestions?

the ruststalker doesn't reply. she appears to be...humming to herself. Softly, but playfully.

Hera: "Not a one. We'll have to learn."

Laurence returns to focusing on the minds of those around him. Lazarus spreads out, taking up positions. Sidonai, for her part, lies down in the short heather, staring up at the night sky.

Charles: I may need your help with that.

He seems to find nothing out of the ordinary
the ruststalker begins to sing quietly to herself in the same playful tune and tone
"Hell on earth, the trenches mean death. Keep your head down low. Charge their lines, the ultimate test, its a synchronised, sacrifice"

Hera: "It's sort of my job."

Laurence: "Do be quiet skittarii. I need to concentrate."

Charles: You alright?

she goes back to humming

Hera: "Eh, not so bad. Good wine and good company counts for something right?"

Laurence goes back to waiting and watching.

he smiles
"If you were ever...unhappy with any of this...you know you'd only have to say"

*he aint findin shit...cept he is noticing movement in orbit*

Hera seems to contemplate this for a moment. "I'm unhappy about the amount of wine in my glass." Proffering her glass for charles to fill.

*Le focus on orbit stuff*

he smiles and refills it for her

at least one ship, maybe more. Moving into bombardment range.

"Apart from that. Can't say i have any problems."

He puts in a call on the general channel, calling men to cover.

his smile widens
"Glad to hear it"

Rustsstalker:...You know this is unlikely a killing blow?