Date, 3/14/2894 

POV, Miles gregarius Ramiro Amor

The airbags quickly expanded to fill my cabin of the drop pod right before impact. Then the door’s explosive bolts activated and the airbags popped due to the sudden change in pressure to vacuum. Maybe joining the milites classe was a bad idea. No, you wanted this.

I pulled myself out of the cabin to join the rest of the fireteam. They got out of their respective drop pod cabins and coalesced around the corporal. The corporal said, “I’ve just received data on an enemy position, we are to assault them on the north side.” A waypoint appeared on my HUD and I turned until it was slightly to my left. We started our advance upon the heretical forces. You wanted to fight the heretics and bring the victory of God closer.

About two minutes after impact we made our way over a hill and caught sight of the target position. We were unable to flank them. Bullets raked grenadier Müller, sending him to the dust and ripping his power armor to shreds,  his blood boiling before it could hit the ground. Wha… how? I ducked just before a volley of bullets silently flew over my head. They will pay for that.

I raised my rifle over the crest of the hill and fired at the enemy. In the corner of my eye I saw the medic curl into a ball. I have no doubt if the link was open I would hear his crying, there is no room in heaven for cowards. The corporal’s voice screamed over the radio channel, “Move it, they know where we are.” I reluctantly pulled away from raining fire upon the enemy and pulled the medic out of his ball and he hesitantly followed the corporal.

We made our way about two hundred meters north and came up to the ridge. We took up positions and the corporal nodded. Time to fight and win. I popped over the ridge and sighted down my acog and hit a heretic in the chest with a burst of ten five bullets. Another one bites the dust.

The heavy machine gun turned and fired, I was able to duck before then. You’ll have to do more than that. I looked down to the corporal who looked to be in contact with the fleet. What am I doing, I spent two centuries in cryogenic stasis for this. I gulped and gripped my rifle tighter. Remember there is no room for cowards. 

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Several friendly FFID signatures appeared from a ravine. A voice filled the comms, “We received orders to provide aid.” The corporal’s voice was relieved, “the best place to strike them is probably four hundred meters south of our position.” There was an affirmative click and they headed in that direction. I blind fired over the crest. Best to provide a distraction.  

The word, “Engaging.” came over the radio, and the corporal ordered us to assault. We crested the hill and sprinted to the cover of a small ravine. We all fired a burst at the position before ducking the certain volley. What is the point of this, it is hopeless.

Bullets raked the dust and we flinched to the wall of the ravine. I saw the trails of dust just before I saw that the corporal’s right shoulder was shattered. His power armor started spasming, before I could break the cover of the emergency power cut-off his neck twisted to an unnatural angle and I knew he was dead. Why did this have to happen?

I left the still spasming corpse of man and machine to a deeper spot in the ravine. How much has to be sacrificed in this crusade, billions have already died in this war, how many more?

I opened my radio channel to contact the medic, “Chandra, our only hope is to advance.” Chandra responded, “No, I won’t sacrifice myself, you go… I will stay.” I will advance by myself.

Before I could get out of the ravine I felt a rumbling through the ground and heard a voice on the radio, “All forces, advance.” I climbed out of the ravine to see that all of the enemies were focused on three light tanks that had crested the hill. And the tanks were responding with fifty millimeter autocannon fire. A blessing in a cursed day. 

I picked off two enemy infantrymen before I had to lay prone to avoid getting shot. Advance to all of your capabilities, fight till the death, kill all the heretics… the life I wanted and already hate. 

I slowly crawled towards the enemy firing burst after burst. I was the streaks of the two gunships rushing to the surface. Crimson tracers streamed out of their autocannons towards the enemy position. A beautiful sight, as much as I want to go home. 

I felt several impacts and the rushing of air. I had no doubt that if I wasn’t pumped up on painkillers and stimulants  I would have at least frozen in pain. I tried to move but my legs were unresponsive. I rolled over onto my back in a desperate attempt to seal the breach.

When I felt the air sucked from my lungs I knew I was gone. I focused on the ice giant this moon was orbiting. Such a beautiful universe god made, why do we have to fight over it, why do we have to kill each other in an endless war?