Argus stood at rigid attention along with the rest of Squad Alpha.
It had been 168 hours since they had been put on alert.
The Sacrum Pugnus had translated into the Mane system, received and transmitted a few short messages, then jumped back into the immaterium. The Crusade had need of them. But not before discharging the Lux Imperatoris.
The in-system journey aboard the Thunderhawk had been the most stressful period for the Scouts. Weeks of hard training, three-fold equipment checks - nothing could compare to sitting in one place for days.
It was good to have Danicus with them. The Veteran Sergeant had not spent the time idly, of course. After the original exchange between Captain Lexandro and the planetary governor of Mane Primus, Danicus had taken over communication. He had charted a course and established refueling stops at the various stations in-system. But most importantly, he had been in discussion with the officials of the hive world. Quickly realizing that the governor himself was an incompetent fop, Danicus had asked to speak with various military officials, from the Lord Commander of the PDF down to a pair of lowly lieutenants, frightened out of their mind about speaking to one of the Emperor's own. And in between, Danicus had spoken to his men, keeping their minds appraised and their spirits high, his gruff voice delivering information and encouragement alike.
Then came the descent into the planetary atmosphere. On screaming jets the Thunderhawk spiraled downward. Argus noticed a red light blinking at some point. There were mechanical noises from the cockpit and the light winked out. Argus thanked the Emperor for the alacrity of the techmarine piloting the craft, and gave the matter no further thought.
Having reached the ground, the scouts practically jumped at the opportunity to exit the craft. Argus held his squad back. Let the others enjoy freedom first. Sacrifice was a good way to strengthen resolve.
They got out of the Thunderhawk through the side doors, under the cover of swiveling heavy bolters. They were received by the governor himself and his top-rank dignitaries, but one could never be too sure. After all, Sergeant Danicus had designated the planet a warzone, and his word was law to Argus.
Endless hours of briefing followed. Danicus went over pict-captures and recorded vox casts. He listened to reports by civilians and soldiers alike. The other two Scout Sergeants looked less than pleased at the delays. Not that Argus liked to wait and plan, but he understood the necessity of it. The Imperial Fists followed the teachings of their Primarch well. They knew that the best way to control the battlefield was to own it. But building fortifications was not always an option. And so Argus listened and watched, memorizing dates and locations, city layouts and area maps.
And now this. Argus had had leave from the planning to train with his squad when his vox chimed. He responded immediately, and now the entire squad - his squad - was in the war room requisitioned by Danicus, looking at a grainy pict capture of a blocky imperial building.
'... the rebels captured the garrison at 06:00 with inside help.' - Danicus went on in his gravelly voice. 'A turning point, this is. We may assume the entire PDF corrupted. Unlikely, but possible.'
Argus raised a question.
'Are they simply rebels, Brother-Sergeant?'
'That we do not know, Argus. But you will find out soon. Standard military patterns dictate that they will disseminate the captured weaponry. I have already briefed squads Beta and Gamma. Each squad will receive a pathway to guard. You will eliminate rebel soldiers, and capture their leaders if possible for interrogation.'
'Understood, Brother-Sergeant.'
'And Argus?'
'Yes, Brother-Sergeant?'
'The Emperor protects.'
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