Waino put his bag down in Verro’s tent with a thud. The spectacled man stood by the tent’s entrance flaps, reading a book in one hand.

“What are you here for? To instill discipline?” Verro asked.

“No, I’m here to get some field experience. But if I see something, I’ll say something,” Waino said, turning around.

“No vanquisher regiment has needed a commissar since our founding so you might be disappointed. We’re a disciplined force. We’re Cadian trained.”

Waino nodded. Verro did come off a bit tense and now he realized why. Having a commissar gave the impression that the normal chain of command wasn’t doing its job in keeping up morale and discipline. At least, that’s what it appeared like to regiments that never had one before.

“I assure you second lieutenant, I’m not here to cause trouble. I’m a cadet here to learn and slog it out with some real Guardsmen.”

Verro closed his book and put it in his pocket.

“You’re quite formal. So you’re looking to get shot at?”

“And shoot back.”

“Have you ever been in combat before?”

“We did war games at my scholam and we used live fire sometimes.”

“So no?”

Waino shifted uncomfortably.

“No. I guess not.”

An awkward silence followed. Waino turned his attention to a cot. There were two in the tent. One was full of books and other memorabilia while one was empty. A lasgun leaned against it.

“The cot’s free,” Verro said, noticing Waino’s gaze.

“The gun?”

“Also free for you to use. Its previous owner died.”

Waino picked up the weapon and began to look it over. It had short pattern modifications.

“I’m assuming the previous owner slept in this cot?” Waino inquired.

“Yep. First Lieutenant Mellas of third platoon shared this tent with me. He stepped on a mine last week.”

Waino was taken aback by Verro’s bluntness.

“I-I see. Sorry for the loss.”

“It’s war. It happens.”

Verro came into the tent and sat on his cot. He took his book back out and began to read.

“We have a few hours before we head out. Do whatever you want till then.”

Waino nodded and left the tent. It was still daylight out. The Guardsmen continued to loiter about, looking bored out of their minds. Waino decided to make himself acquainted with some of them. A good commissar had to get along with their Guardsmen. He approached a group sitting on their kits outside a tent. They frantically rose and stood at attention.

“Good afternoon sir!” one said, saluting.

Waino returned the salute even though it wasn’t deserved. This was going to get very tiring, very quickly. These men should know the difference between a cadet and a true commissar but given they probably had never seen a commissar before, they couldn’t tell.

“At ease people, I’m just making my way around.”

The men exchanged glances and tried to relax but their bodies still seemed stiff. There were three of them. The one in the middle clearly hadn’t shaved that morning and was clearly regretting it.

“I’m not a full commissar. I’m a cadet,” Waino explained for what felt like the umpteenth time. “I would like you all to know that so spread the word. I haven’t earned the honor yet.”

“No wonder you look so young sir,” the one on the left stated. “Can you execute people?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Jenkins owes me money and hasn't paid me back yet. Kill him please.”

The guardsman on the right shot a glare.

“Shut up Rogers I paid you!”

He looked at Waino with pleading eyes.

“He doesn’t know what he’s talking about sir.”

Waino chuckled.

“I don’t have the authority to execute people without permission first. Also owing money is not an executable offense.”

Trooper Jenkins sighed in relief.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“But you need to shave,” Waino told the trooper before him.

“Yes sir, right away sir.”

The man nodded and quickly turned around into the tent.

“Sir I think you made Rodriguez defecate himself in fear,” Rogers joked.

“Noted. Hopefully his pants are cleaned before we head out.”

Rogers and Jenkins looked at each other in surprise. Was that a joke? Waino said it so seriously they couldn’t tell. Waino smiled so they broke into laughter. He left them, going down the line of tents, talking to every trooper he came across. A pattern emerged. He’d approached, they’d be nervous, and he’d put them at ease. He tried his best to be pleasant. All the best commissars were. That way, when he pointed out minor discrepancies in their appearance, they didn’t become upset. He had the easiest time with lower ranks but once he started to talk to the NCO’s, he noticed they were more reserved.

Unlike the standard troopers, they knew he was a mere cadet who technically had no power. They would be amicable but Waino could tell that words were entering one ear and going out the other. NCO’s were like that with any outsider in fact. He took what he could get. The sun was beginning to set by the time he reached the end of the line of tents, finding a crowd of about 25 troopers around another trooper standing atop a box. He had dark skin and a shaved head with dark brown eyes. He spoke in a loud voice with the tone of a preacher.

“Let us bow our heads and intone our faith brothers,” he said.

The Guardsmen did so.

“God-Emperor, we pray that you continue to look over us from Terra, giving us your blessings as we head out on our mission tonight to smite thy enemies, and to make this world yours. We pray that you keep us clean from the taint of Chaos. We pray that you give us strength. This world Banshee has not known thy grace for three hundred years. May it come back into your fold and its people enlightened. Let this world be cleansed and begin anew.”

The troopers raised their heads and began to disperse. Waino got the attention of one of them. He was a young trooper with freckles and blue eyes.

“Trooper, what was going on here?”

The trooper saluted.

“Hellosir. Wejusthadaquicksermonisall.”

“W-what?”

“Chapsdoesthisbeforeeverymissionsir.Itmakesusfeelbetterbeforegoingintobattle.”

Waino paused. He had absolutely no idea what the trooper had said. It sounded like he had a stroke.

“Are…you alright?”

“Don’t mind him sir!” a guardsman said, coming alongside the strange trooper.

The trooper had a large build, standing about two heads taller than Waino himself. The sleeves from the trooper’s undershirt, exhibiting his muscular arms. Waino subconsciously noted the uniform regulation violation.

“Chatterbox doesn’t know how to speak correctly,” he explained.

“It’struesirIcouldn’tslowdownevenifIwantedto,” the trooper added.

Waino stared at them, utterly confused. He decided to ignore it.

“Very well. I just wanted to know what this whole meeting was about.”

The trooper he could understand began to look nervous. Like the rest of them, they thought Waino was trying to sniff out any wrongdoings, which technically was true. The trooper wiped his brow.

“Sir it is not what you think. No heresy happening here. We simply had Chaps giving us a quick sermon before we head out.”

Waino glanced at the trooper in question. He didn’t look like a member of the Ecclesiarchy. The one they called “Chaps” noticed and came over.

“Evening sir,” he greeted.

“Evening. You’re the chaplain?” Waino responded, sounding skeptical.

“Oh no sir. We don’t have an official chaplain. They call me Chaps because I’m the closest thing we got.”

“Hemakesdosir.He’sspecial,” Chatterbox tried to explain.

Waino gave a confused look.

“He said he’s special. Ain’t that right Chaps?” the large trooper said.

“I’ve only experienced what anyone can, Vanc. I saw an angel because of my faith.”

“Excuse me?” Waino asked, confused.

“Are you familiar with Faeburn sir?”

Waino shook his head. Unfortunately he hadn’t even heard of the planet.

“It’s a blessed planet sir,” Chaps said. “Before we left during our founding, I saw a vision. The Aurora Illuminato fills the skies of Faeburn and the blessed see things.”

“Sometimes bad things,” Vanc added.

“Only if they deserve it,” Chaps clarified. “But not me sir. I’m blessed. I saw a face in the sky and I knew it was an angel. No daemon could have been so pretty.”

Waino wanted to ask more about it but the troopers began to move, drawing his attention. Whistles began to go off. A sergeant joined them.

“Get moving, we’re heading out,” he barked.

The soldiers acknowledged and began to move.

“You’re coming with us, right sir?” Vanc asked.

“That’s right. I’ll see you out there.”

Waino went back to his tent, finding Verro standing outside it, holding two lasguns. He handed Waino one of them. Behind them, the whole company had gathered at the gate, about 200 Guardsmen in all. It was a small force but they were only heading out for a scouting mission. Each one of them was checking their kit and weapon before checking the equipment of the man next to him, only to check themselves once again.

“You ready for this?” Verro asked.

Waino nodded.

“Good,” Verro said. “You’ll be sticking next to me.”

“I’m not a child that needs to be babysat. I’m supposed to lead.”

“Not my men, you're not. I don’t care if you’re a cadet commissar, if you get any of my men killed we’re going to have problems, understand? If you’re as green as they say I’m not entrusting my men’s lives to you.”

“Alright.”

Waino was irked. He was being treated like a kid by a man his age. Even though the reasoning was sound it still didn’t sit right with him. Captain Carnell was by the gate, fitted out with a lasgun and flak armor. He climbed a truck so he could see all of the men and cleared his throat.

“Guardsmen! We set out to do the Throne’s work! Keep your heads on a swivel, listen to your chain of command, and we’ll get through this in one piece. This is a simple mission, but if I’ve learned anything is that small crap becomes big crap real quick. It doesn't matter what happens out there as long as you keep your faith and have enough las shots. Are you ready to get it on till you die?”

“Hell yes sir!” the company yelled.

Waino scanned the crowd, noticing that no vehicles were manned.

“How are we going to get there?” he whispered to Verro.

“The way Guardsmen do best. We march.”

Waino recalled that the distance to Hill 937 wasn’t close. It was going to take them a few days if going by foot. He shook his head. No time to get discouraged. The gate slowly opened. Verro moved to his platoon, putting on his helmet while Waino checked that his lasgun had a charged power pack.

“Let’s move!” he heard Captain Carnell call.

The mass of soldiers began to leave Firebase Macharius. The mission had begun.