The first action.

[Beaviz81]

This is a novel (which is a work in process so if you like it, but don't wanna comment you are more than welcome to view it, though I would like some feedback) I concocted about the early life of the two of the three Commissars I'm writing about. It will take on the background of Carrus and Ionza and shows a bit of the motivation and drive for Harken who are the mentor and superior of the aforementioned Commissars. It follows the couple from their graduation to their time with the Harrikian Penal Legion before they join the venerated Freudakian 81st. Shadow-Tigers.

Chapter I

Dismounting from the Valkyrie in a ball of smoke the two Commissar-cadets Zachary Carrus a man of a little under 1.8 meter tall, athletic build, blue eyes, rather long dark blonde hair, dressed in a blackish Commissar-uniform with black carapace protecting everything important like the torso, arms and legs and Michelle Ionza about 1.67 meter tall, long brown hair to the middle of the back, athletic, quite attractive, dressed in a similar blackish Commissar-uniform as Carrus, but with less armour as she weren't strong enough to wear carapace and still fight efficiently. As weapons Carrus carried his trusty meltagun, laspistol and his family heirloom the power sword Bringer of Insanity. Ionza carried the longlas she had been practicing with for the last three years, a bolt pistol, a laspistol and her power sword.

Both the cadets were 19 with the squad of Storm Trooper-cadets about 16-17 dressed up in badly fitting green Storm-Trooper garbs with beads incorporated into their helmets quickly hit the ground, while rapidly taking cover while setting up firing-lanes. Other squads dismounted nearby. Carrus was immediately on the move helping the inexperienced cadets in taking cover, the Drill Abbot Brother Thoray, a tall lanky fellow with a balding head, brown eyes and goatee, dressed in the same ill-fitting Storm-Trooper-garb dismounted from another Valkyrie ordering his men to take cover. While he headed right for Carrus.

"That's a nice place for cover, right Commissar?" Thoray pointed at a bush.

"Yes, but-" Carrus was stopped mid-sentence .

"Excellent." Thoray jumped into the bush while Carrus just dove for cover. *KABOOOM!!!* Bloody chunks of Thoray rained over the place as he triggered the melta-trap Carrus had placed there earlier that week at the previous patrol.

"Emperor, what an idiot!" Carrus snarled as he picked himself up, he knew their ambush had been foiled. The feral cannibals would be at them. Not a long distance ago Ionza snickered wearing her perpetual smile, which tended to unnerve anyone but Carrus.

Worse the nutty Priest-cadet Jaan Vorlen (19) a personal rival of Carrus, quite tall, black hair, fair complexion, brown eyes, quite a lot of scars (Carrus don't like rivals, they are hospitalized), dressed in a brown robe while handling an Eviscerator started to chant. Both Carrus and Ionza had warned Vorlen about that behavior before this patrol. Both the Commissars were inching their way towards him. Ionza got there first, coldly drawing her bolt pistol. With a blast the head of the young, nutty though promising Eccleserian were split open as Ionza executed him for incompetence on the battlefield. Ionza span around, her cold brown eyes ran right at the soft, blue, peering eyes of Carrus. They swiftly exchanged smiles.

"Well, the ambush is foiled. We are to head north-northeast double-quick." Carrus told with a clear voice. He was worried. The worst of the Storm Trooper cadets were with him. He and and Ionza would clearly survive alone, as she was a deathworlder while he had extensive training in the jungle by his deathworld friends in these jungles, and not to mention his practical knowledge that was built up over the last three years warring there, often against Feral Orks as well.

The Storm-Troopers with them were nobles. Bribed into the Schola Progenium, not unlike how he himself were recruited (though the recommendation from Commissar-General Nathan Harken really flipped the scale). In opposition to Carrus they lacked every essential skill to survive here, as the jungles of Freudakia were ripe with not just feral cannibals, but also poisonous cats and the dreaded Shadow-Tiger which Carrus had fashioned his cape out of, after killing and skinning one two years ago, Ionza of course carried a very similar cape.

Carrus and Ionza sat a good pace as they heard explosions from behind them, the feral cannibals were closing in fast.

"No d-dont go-" Carrus was interrupted as five of the teenagers ran in a tight formation into another booby-trap. A loud boom later and the 30 Storm-Troopers were down by seven more.

"Emperor, you guys are morons." Carrus recovered with a quick grunt as he stated that after jumping behind a rock.

"AIIIIIIIEK, THE PAIN IT'S-" *Tchock* Carrus pulled out his laspistol giving the legless student the Emperor's peace.

"Michelle take the rest and try to convince them to not die." Getting up and looking agitated Carrus spoke again.

"And please try to listen if me or Ionza are telling you something, as me, her and people that know what they are doing actually have booby-trapped and mined the area."

"Sir. Enemy contact!!!" A Storm-Trooper-cadet yelled and started firing at moving shades at the treeline. He was joined with three more who enthusiastically and badly took positions and started to fire their lasguns at persons they couldn't see.

"CEASE FIRE IMMEDIATELY, ORDER BELAYED" Ionza roared with her shrieking voice which rang in people's ears, though normally it was mellow and pleasant to hear. Using her the sight on her longlas she scanned the woods looking for enemies.

"We must always ascertain enemy contact." Both the Commissar-cadets looked irritated.

"You three, search-party." Ionza pointed angrily at them, Carrus already veered at a course where he easily could give supporting fire, drawing with him about 10 of the Storm-Trooper-cadet.

"Me and Carrus will keep you covered." Ionza looked like she wanted to kill them, which weren't unusual as she was known as a particular draconian Commissar-cadet. As she slinked off, while ten more or so followed roughly in her path.

The budding Storm-Troopers incompetently tried to give each other cover while arching forward, while Carrus and Ionza stealthily followed.

"Glarrgh!!" the Roamers rushed forwards towards the teenagers while both the Commissar-cadets scoring effective kills quickly with meltagun and bolt pistol. As they were too close for Ionza to effectively use her longlas The meltablasts quickly turned three into sludge, while the precise bolt pistol brought down four more in a messy torrid of blood and guts. The lasgun-fire from the Storm-Trooper-cadets on the other hand were less than accurate, but it pinned down the feral cannibals for Carrus and Ionza to finish off.

Unfortunately the three cadets forgot about the two Commissars they couldn't see, and fear overcame them as they saw the savage cannibals all mutilated, knives sticking out of everywhere, growling showing off their knife-sharp teeth. Worse they dressed themselves in the flayed skin of their slain opponents. They fled. One of them ran past Ionza who promptly killed him with her bolter splitting the body in half. The other two ran into Carrus who bodyslammed them so they fell to the floor of the jungle writhing in pain.

"You did right in falling back, wrong in routing Uriel and Derek. Repeat it and die." Carrus told them with a flat voice totally devoid of feelings as he killed two more cannibals with laspistol leaving just a cauterized wound at the throat of the vile creature and meltagun melting down the second cannibal possibly a female as he placed himself right behind the two frightened teenagers.

"Up now and fight for the Emperor and thyselves." The two boys slowly rose to their feet shivering, they knew Carrus were lenient unlike Ionza who would have drawn her power sword and sliced both apart, but he like every Commissar never suffered fools lightly. So they started to fire at the enclosing cannibals, getting courage from their effective lasguns actually scoring kills while they tried to remain calm with Carrus and Ionza slowly organizing the battle-line into a kind of half-moon to deflect the head-on charge of the Roamers.

Problem was that the lasguns and armour the Storm-Trooper cadets were of low quality. The lasguns had little stopping-power. Even direct hits to the head of the rushing cannibals sometimes just left a scar. Also, they rapidly expanded their ammunition as only Carrus and Ionza carried spare ammunition. Three more of them lost their nerve. All where about to be cut down by Ionza who drew her power sword.

"I don't think so dear, we might need them." Carrus said softly while grabbing her wrist. With his free hand he hefted the meltagun with pistol-grip aiming it straight at the troopers who had just tried to flee. Then he raised his voice to such a level everyone heard it

"The next to try to retreat without orders WILL have their legs severed so the rest of us can withdraw and he WILL be raped, eaten and killed." Ionza hesitated a second then she simply said. 'Order seconded.' She shrugged visibly as Carrus drew his own jet-black power sword with the characteristic guard forged out of a skull made of adamnite, the progenia at the Schola called it the Bringer of Insanity due to it radiated a fear which normal humans shouldn't wield yet that irresponsible young man often had it in his hand wielding his family heirloom with a skill only talent and the training of a master could do. The troopers fought harder, but despite the cannibals suffering grievous wounds they arched closer into the range of close-combat.

Carrus and Ionza swiftly entered close-combat as two of the three cadets they were putting the Emperor's fear into died screaming as a feral cannibal slid his knifed hands under their armour gutting them. With their bellies sliced open and guts danging freely with the knifed hands deep inside of them, they shrieked in fear and pain, slowly dying as Carrus beheaded the cannibal responsible which head flew off in a torrent of blood.

"You shall die!!!! YOU SHALL ALL DIE!!!" Ionza shouted while eviscerating two while a third died in a torrent of blood as her bolter snapped and tore a body into gory pieces.

"YEAARGH!!!" The last trooper charged in, bayonet mounted. His inexperience was his doom as the nearby cannibal took out his legs, the good thing was that his bloody and painful death was quick. Carrus killed the cannibal doing that at range with his trusty melta turning it into a mix of metallic and organic goo. Three more rapidly followed as Carrus sprang into action with his sword leaving the field around him slippery with the blood, guts and brainmatter as he methodically with precise strikes quickly began to slay opponents left an right in his brutal style of fencing which included his meltagun as much as his sword during strikes. Another cannibal was killed by Carrus caving in it's face with the meltagun as it tried to assault him from above.

Carrus and Ionza were close-combat-specialists, so they managed greatly despite their young age, but both had been able to stand up to all but the very best fighters of the Schola since they were 15-16. By now as senior cadets they were regarded hands down as the finest save for some of the of the most senior staff. The other troopers fared far worse. During the four years there the 30 boys had been some of the worst recruits the Schola Progenium had ever had. And it didn't help that their parents got Thoray, a man who had never shot a gun in anger, never mind much at all installed as their Drill Abbot. He taught them badly. The drilling the pair did of them the last week before they went in improved somewhat the meager combat-skills of those youths, but both cadets wanted to flush them out while complaining loudly to the principal about their lack of talent. Thoray were under pressure from the parents of those kids to bring home some honors of battle. Of course Thoray just got the two finest and most combat-experienced Commissar-cadets plus a quite good Priest except for at war as that Priest was a good friend and drinking-buddy of Thoray to help them out. It didn't work very well, but that was actually Carrus' fault as he believed a frequent patrol-route where they countless times had gotten Storm Troopers cheap combat-experience in the past years would work wonders for them. He didn't know of the size of the Roamer-clan in the region, which had just taken out the much smaller clan Carrus was used in fighting.

The Storm-Trooper Cadets: Herri Clinton, Thierri Merc, Gav Nerva and Kaldor Flinch were the only ones at least Carrus didn't mean were better off dead as they at least got mild praise from him during their drills at occasion. Ionza thought they all were hopeless and even executed a member of the Royal Storm Troopers (which that gang were called) when he managed to discharge a lasgun at his foot when they first were inspected by both cadets.

At the flank where the Storm Troopers were holding alone Clinton, Merc, Nerva and Flinch where doing their best. They fired time and time again with their underpowered lasguns often only leaving scorchmarks. Worse nobody were there to give them any advice, as the Commissars were over at the other flank. Jack Pomona one of their number decided to stupidly charge the enemy. It didn't help that he moronically charged right into the firing-lane of Merc.

"Holy crap, Jack-- I-I" Merc looked perplexed, he shivered.

"Thierri regain you composure. I don't wanna be devoured while I'm raped, and neither do you!" Flinch answered angrily while slowly learning the phases of his lasgun. Firing it into the chest of a Roamer leaving a neat cauterized hole there.

He then called: "Fall back, but remain organized." The teenagers slowly began to let their flank slide slowly.

"W-what a-about C-Carrus? His order-" A glance from Flinch cut the cadet's word short.

"I will answer to him if we survive. The retreat is ordered." Flinch didn't exactly look forward to answer to Carrus for cowardice as he remembered the harsh floggings Carrus had issued for the slightest breach of conduct, even through Thoray usually intervened.

It was too little too late, as they started to turn back three of their number along with Nerva were caught by the Roamers in close-combat. Nerva managed to strike out and kill one with his ornate sword, but they all were promptly devoured alive while screaming in pain.

Herri Clinton tried to lob off a grenade as he and two more were caught in a ditch by the Roamers, but a lucky arrow pierced his throwing arm, so he and the two other cadets lived their last moment in extreme agony.

Everyone including the two Commissars fell back. Both Carrus and Ionza knew they couldn't go on forever, and the last five Storm-Trooper-cadets they saw were messily killed by Heavy Bolter-fire. So they both withdrew as they had no plans to die that day.

Merc (a tall, wiry, olive complexion almost 10 cms taller than Carrus, brown a bit bulging eyes, black short well-groomed hair, actually quite handsome) and Flinch (same height as Merc, fair-skinned, dark blonde hair, more bulky, green eyes pock-marked face full of scars from a nest of Freudakian bees that almost killed him when he was a small boy) by the Emperor's miracle ran into the couple several kilometers away from where they fought the Roamers, the forest were less dense more open. It was obvious that the clearing was a rendezvous-point. Both the Commissars were smoking Ciralixian lho-rods. They were rested, looking relaxed, not that they five hours earlier had fought a foe out to violate them at every opportunity. Merc were shivering visibly, sobbing and tears ran freely down his cheeks. That quickly got the attention of Ionza.

"Battle-stress?" Her merciless brown eyes peered deep into the man's soul. Her voice was so soft and melodic, it was almost singing.

"Ehm he-he shot his best mate by accident." Flinch flinched with abject fear as Carrus stared into his soul. He sweated and felt really uncomfortable.

"Is that so?" Carrus made his voice needlessly sweet. Flinch merely nodded, the devilish smile of Carrus with the ignited lho-rod burned itself into the mind of Flinch.

"P-please d-don't *SOB* kill me." Merc squirmed under her gaze as he wet himself in abject terror of her.

"Concentrate soldier, a soldier having a psychic break are worse than none." Merc's body tightened as he heard the hammer at her bolt pistol get cocked. He shivered uncontrollably. When he opened his eyes it got far worse. Flinch shook with fear as he saw first Ionza who were fearful enough taking aim and threatening to shoot Merc, but now Carrus were lifting up his meltagun as well, taking careful aim.

"Girly is right. Concentrate. BEAT IT!" Pointed right at one eye were the bolt pistol of Ionza, at the other were Carrus hefting his meltagun. Merc saw the evil grins with ignited lho-rods of both Commissars. Telling him in his soothing voice to beat his last experience, where he shot his best friend by accident in the back of his head. Merc managed to beat it, stopped shivering and managed to meet the glances of the two Commissars without having a mental meltdown.

Swallowing heavily. Merc said: 'O-okay I-I s-shall beat this, I-I have little less to lose.' Carrus relented his aim lowering the meltagun. Ionza still kept her aim, while she said: 'And?' Merc looked confused back at the merciless girl. Carrus lowered her arm saying. 'Relax girly, we have survived, and Nate awaits our report.' Ionza merely nodded. Both of them had wicked grins running across their faces.

"Want a rod?" Carrus extended two lho-rods in his hand. He smirked, same with Ionza.
Both Flinch and Merc shiveringly accepted Carrus' two extended lho-rods, letting him ignite them with his laschisel.

"Congrats" Carrus grinned.
"You have both managed to survive your first battle, tomorrow your school really begins as you will then be full members of this proud Schola, not just the toy-soldiers who went into the jungle." Carrus exclaimed with pleasure.

"Excuse me, lady." Flinch shifted nervously, looking at Ionza.

"Speak your mind soldier." The coldness of Ionza's voice and attitude were clear for all to see and hear.

Flinch swallowed heavily. "I-I t-think there are other survivors left behind." He shrugged fearfully under the glare of Carrus who simply blew smoke in his face, as he went up to stand right in front of him.

"Is Nerva or Clinton alive?" Flinch shivered a bit under Carrus' gaze.

"N-no s-sir, b-but-" Carrus cut him off.

"No buts, the rest were a disgrace to this Schola."

Ionza cut in. "They are better off dead, so never talk about them again, unless you want to die." She gave them a grim look. Then Merc and Flinch froze in terror as both Carrus and Ionza started to laugh softly and coldly, as they in the distance saw the Valkyries coming in behind the couple.

[Beaviz81]

The Valkyries landed. Ionza gestured that Flinch and Merc were to enter the one farthest away, as they unlikely wanted a ride with both her, Carrus and Harken as the massive frame of Harken were standing in the doorway of the nearest Valkyrie. He was smoking a lho-rod, this was not of the Ciralixian stock Ionza and Carrus preferred, but from Hymeria, the home-planet of Harken. A death world. Harken's harsh steel-blue eyes met the glare of both Carrus and Ionza. Carrus held the glare for a while, while Ionza quickly looked away.

Ionza thought about how unsimilar, yet alike the two men were. Harken had a massively muscled body where Carrus were more built for speed and agility, Harken was well over 2 meter tall a full head taller than Carrus. Harken's broad and scarred features greatly contrasted Carrus' more delicate and quite unscarred face. The bronzed skin of Harken were the greatest contrast, as Carrus had a paler skin-tone. Carrus wore much armour, Harken never wore any, his muscles were very visible through the colorful uniform, in battle he tended to wear a more practical one akin to the uniforms Carrus and Ionza were wearing now, though only rarely could Carrus get him to wear something protective aside from the Rosariuses all three of them carried around their necks. Yet their similarities were there, the smiles were the same, The facial expressions of both men were much the same. Their eyes, though Harken's were steely were Carrus had a deeper hue, they still had the same merciless look. Their fighting styles were similar, brutal, both relied much on strength and agility when fighting and fought as dirty as possible no matter what.

"Michelle!" The harsh voice of Harken snapped through the air, like the sound of her favorite whip when she whipped cadets for missing targets at the firing-range, or for other mundane stuff like not knotting the shoes right, open uniforms and such. She rapidly snapped out of her line thoughts.

"Michelle, give those two-" Carrus interrupted Harken.

"They have names now boss." Harken looked angrily at the unflinching Carrus, which eyes peered right back at Harken.

"The names are Kaldor Flinch and Thierri Merc, now they are soldiers by my decree." Harken's response were a broad smile, Carrus as always was every bit as audacious and unflinching as he has taught him to be.

"Yes, Michelle and Carrus give Flinch and Merc a bottle each of the finest Freudakian wine." With a grace unbecoming of such a large man he handed them each a bottle of fine Freudakian wine.

Almost as one Carrus and Ionza yelled: "Catch!!!" The bottles quickly and precisely were airborne, and both the budding Storm-Troopers struggled with catching the bottles.

"Ehm thank you, sirs....lady." Flinch answered hardly shivering at all, which Carrus granted him a nod and a smile of grace with. Both Merc and Flinch quickly entered their own Valkyrie. As Carrus smilingly knew Flinch would be a good soldier, he could lead and was brave for a sixteen year old.

Harken stepped aside, and his two proteges jumped inside just as the Valkyrie took off. The ramp quickly closed as all three calmly sat down at the uncomfortable metal-seats within the Valkyrie. Harken calmly handed his two favorites a bottle of Freudakian wine each. Then he ignited a lho-rod with his las-chisel. He watched Carrus remove his armoured gloves and softly stroke through Ionza's long hair. She smiled back while snickering. They were two of the deadliest fighters at the Schola Freudakia.

Harken remembered full and well how he had recruited Carrus for killing a Genestealer rushing him when he was ten with only a laspistol to defend himself, three accurate shots later it died, all three were accurate hitting it's head with enough power for each to be deadly. Of course it helped that that old woman of the Sisters Frateris Joanna taught Carrus the basics. Harken had only to polish the teenager into the fine warrior he now were.

Ionza were recruited for coldly shooting an Ork Warboss he himself almost died fighting a year later. It also helped that she was an orphan, because unlike Carrus she didn't have to be bribed in. Ionza were initially placed in the Sororita-program, she didn't fit in. Too primitive beliefs to be a good Sororita, the Emperor like him and Carrus as well believed now was a scary god, not one you ran to and prayed needlessly to when you shouldn't, that only would bring down his vengeance upon you.

As for Carrus, there couldn't been a worse Storm-Trooper. Carrus was brave, but he questioned orders, he was a leader, not a follower. Harken had almost beaten the Drill-Abbot ordering that recommendation to death. That man was only saved due to the Enginseer Lucius telling him about Carrus' aptitude with meltaguns, then Harken joined the staff as the headmaster of the Commissar-cadets, with the permission of Head-Missionary James Natrax an old associate of his.

Ionza spoke first. "I assume you want our battle-report, boss?" Harken merely nodded as she took a good sip of the bottle. She continued. "First the moron Thoray committed suicide due to stupidity, then I executed that total jackass Vorlen who started chanting: The Emperor will help us! The Emperor will save us! Loudly. A bolter-shell to his brain provided what he needed, lobotomy and death."

Carrus snickered as Ionza gave her report, she also had trouble being serious. "Then we lost eight more to another trap of Carrus due to them being frakking idiots." Harken laughed harshly, this was hilarious to listen to.

Carrus now spoke. "Then we made contact with the Roamers. No less than six of the Emperor-cursed gretchins we led tried to flee. Michelle executed one of them, I rallied the five other, despite stopping Ionza in-"

Harken interrupted. "You are a fine cadet Carrus, but Ionza has seniority over you due to-"

Ionza interrupted Harken. "Boss if I may, our styles mesh well. He takes some edge out of my style, and keeps me from making mistakes. I bring some much needed hardness to his style, so Carrus is of equal rank as me no matter your orders and personal feelings Nate. He is so alike you, and you hate that, in your mind-"

Harken cut her off despite feeling uncomfortable under her gaze, he also knew her was right. She was easier to mold, less stubborn than Carrus. 'Yes, yes I know me and Carrus is well alike, sorry, I-I just think you are more mat-'

Master and students exchanged looks. Ionza continued. "Carrus rallied the troops. The first two who tried to flee he bodyslammed, then he inched over to my position. Three of them were fleeing towards me. Carrus stopped me in killing them, but it was for naught. They died screaming while the Roamers cut them open moments later." She shrugged and blew deeply of her lho-rod making a smoke-ring.

Harken then eying both spoke. "Flinch and Merc, tell me Carrus."

"Merc has a certain mercurial side, not much of a frontline soldier, but I think the Imperial Navy might be a good fit, and Flinch, well three months with me and his nick-name will be Never Flinch Flinch. He can be conditioned to be absolutely fearless, fine at a trench, fine in a comfortable war-room." Carrus stretched as he spoke. He looked as smug as usual holding a lit lho-rod in one hand, in the other he held a fine bottle of wine which he unceremoniously drank of.

Harken spoke. "Agreed, I will see-"

Carrus interrupted Harken, putting one finger to his lips he hissed: "Shh!" Then he got up, shambled a bit before he reached the Vox-caster onboard the Valkyrie, he started dialing his personal code, then the code for the Schola Freudakia. *dit-dit-dat-dit-dat-dit-dit* A harsh mechanical voice almost screamed. 'Access-code accepted, speak your mind Cadet-Commissar Zachary Carrus.'

Visibly shrugging when hearing his first-name, Carrus followed up with a slurry voice if a person listened carefully. "Cadet-Commissar Zachary Carrus here, I request psychiatric assistance for the cargo of Valkyrie K-1341X9, name Thierri Merc class D Storm-Trooper cadet. Cadet-Commissar Zachary Carrus over and out."

The metallic voice answered. "Order accepted, medical staff will be waiting for Thierri Merc, Schola Freudakia over and out."

"I just don't want the nervous Merc to off himself, rough day boss, killed his best mate by accident. Delicate mind, you know boss, we just don't want another Rienne." Carrus smiled smugly before deftly jumping back to his seat before sipping more of the fine wine. "I shall cut to the chase. You didn't fly all the way out here to hear our report about this action with the most horrid students this fine Schola have ever had boss. Was it something urgent you would have visited us at the Hole in the Wall (their room(s) Carrus blew the hole when he and Ionza started dating, was never punished for that damage on Schola-property). No Nate you are here for pressing business." His eyes gazed straight at Harken's.

"Yes my young protege. You always speak you mind, even when you shouldn't." Harken thought about how annoying Carrus could be with his frankness, he still wore the scars from when he and Carrus fought at the Hole in The Wall a year ago, after Carrus bluntly told him many women likely would lead to Slaanesh. It wasn't the lad's fault, he didn't know that Slaanesh-worshipers one hundred years earlier had slit his throat, and let his three kids and wife be possessed by demons while he watched. Carrus was almost killed, only Ionza shooting off Harken's hand with a bolt pistol stopped that fight, the wat-grown left hand of Harken had just been implanted. If he removed his leather-glove he could see it being a tad different in skin-color than the rest of his body due to the recent implantation. Harken continued. "It's time for you to graduate my young cadets, I have got us all assigned to the Freudakian 81st. Shadow-Tigers, we are in fact on the way there now."

Carrus rapidly snapped. "I still think I have duties to learn Flinch and Merc certain things-"

"Yes my hot-blooded young protege, I will grant you the three months, Ionza will help you out with Flinch and Merc. But that's your last duties as Drill-Abbots of this honorable Schola Progenium." Harken interrupted Carrus then he reached into his jacket-pocket proceeding drag out two scarlet sashes. "You are not cadets anymore Zachary Carrus and Michelle Ionza, now you are full Commissars on my decree, the decree of Commissar-General Nathan Harken." Harken smiled as he watched the surprised faces of his students.

Both Ionza and Carrus sat in stunned silence. They knew they had both been fine students of the Schola Freudakia, but neither thought they would graduate two years before their time. Especially not Carrus who basically was king fratboy which Harken countless times had admonished him about. His relationship with Ionza kept him grounded enough to mature into the excellent cadet he was slowly becoming.

Ionza finally spoke. "Excuse me master, but ain't the Freudakian 81st. some of the very elite I have heard the legends of the things they can do, I know me and Carrus are good troopers, but are we that good? What about the test? It's rumored that we have to kill daemons or worse." She looked worried at Harken.

Harken smugly smiled back and stretched while groaning. "Relax Michelle, you will both pass the test. Truth be told, you have already passed. Colonel James Stremm himself has requested us to be attached to the regiment as they are very elite, but also lacks Commissars to set limits for them." Harken comfortably made a smoke-ring before continuing. "The scouts you briefly tracked Carrus after destroying that Roamer-camp, no mean feat actually was the judges of if you should qualify or not. You passed with flying colors Carrus."

"As for you Michelle, the sniper-training you have done over the last three years have been very effective. Drill-Abbess Gabrielle McLandi, your trainer have told me that she have never had a better trainee with a longlas. That's no small compliment from a sniper of the 81st. Your part in destroying that Roamer-camp settled your attachment to the regiment as well."

Snickering Carrus deftly wrapped on the scarlet sash around his waist, Ionza smiled as she also got the scarlet sash on knowing well what her boy would say next. "Fine praise indeed boss, and it doesn't hurt that McLandi is your latest flame. Maybe you can finally-" The harsh glare in Harken's eyes shut him off. "Ehm I'm just joking my liege." Carrus smiled disarmingly.

"I know you are joking Carrus, it just ain't funny. You know fully well the reason for me to not settle down, last time we spoke about that I lost my hand. So learn to watch your frakking mouth if you want to survive." The harsh glare of Harken's eyes made it abundantly clear that his relationship with Carrus had soured lately.

"We are landing at Echo-Tango-Foxtrot 43-26-80-92. Base-Camp 81." The pilot's voice were heard over the internal vox of the Valkyrie. Carrus and Ionza dizzily checked their gear as they prepared for drunkenly inspect the troopers while Harken picked up his sword-belt and put it on swooning a bit as he felt the wine going to his head as he got up.

[Count Bagatur]

Not bad plot, sir.

[Beaviz81]

Not bad plot, sir.

Thank you.

[Beaviz81]

Chapter II

The Valkyrie landed. The three Commissars disembarked. Carrus and Ionza both displayed obvious signs of having just devoured a bottle of wine each the last hour as they inelegantly jumped out of the hovering Valkyrie not tripping as they landed. Harken at least didn't seem visibly drunk as he landed just behind Carrus.

Colonel James Stremm a huge Ogryn of a man stood smoking a fat lho-rod at the landing zone. He was very muscled, fair complexion, short hair of blackish color, massively scarred face, brown soulless eyes, easily as tall as Harken. Carrus wondered how they had managed to clean up the Ogryn so well as he had seen Ogryns before. He was dressed in some sort undisciplined green uniform that look like they never would fit anyone and some light armour of a green-black design at places where he felt the recoil of the Heavy Bolter who hung from leather-straps over his shoulder, he had a few other weapons like a laspistol and a monofilament knife clearly hanging in his belt, his left fist was a massive metallic power fist. The Shadow-Tiger cloak of his looked small on his huge body.

Next to him Scout-Captain Thomas Smith stood, narrow-faced and pale, about the height of Carrus, but looked a lot leaner and meaner. Fair complexion, long black hair in a pig-tail, brown eyes that held no compassion whatsoever, he was dressed in some sort of green-dark uniform with carapace armour greenish of design covering most of his body, his Shadow-Tiger cloak were carefully designed by him to wrap quite ably around his body. He didn't look much older than Carrus and Ionza, yet they couldn't determine his age. He hefted a boltgun in his hands, and Ionza thought he possibly had a few other weapons on him as well. Better left unchecked and this was Carrus' responsibility, not her's.

A foot or so behind Stremm Sniper-Captain Gabrielle McLandi were present. Dark-skinned, about 10 cm taller than Carrus, muscular, a few scars ran across her face but they were nothing compared to the heavily scarred faces of Harken and Stremm, long black hair in rasta-style, actually quite pretty, she were dressed in an unarmoured camouflage garb of grey-brown color, her longlas dangled behind her shoulder along with her cloak made of the hide of a Shadow-Tiger which expertly were wrapped around her. Her mellow brown eyes peered right at Ionza who felt a tad relaxed as she unlike Carrus actually had someone she knew inside the regiment already.

"As you see kids, this is your new employer." Harken let his hand go over the horizon, the camp was well hidden. "The Freudakian 81st. Shadow-Tigers." He smiled at Carrus as he continued. "Scout-Captain Thomas Smith is the finest tracker this proud regiment has ever produced, and I shall know, I have served in this unit before. He is the commanding officer of your section of this regiment the Scout-platoons." Nobody could hear that he had just taken in a full bottle of wine.

This part will tell about Carrus' first meeting with the soldiers he would go on to discipline.

Carrus went forward. Flashing a fast smile at Smith while nodding at him, which Smith returned. Carrus let his eyes peer into the soul of the man. He was used to this, most backed away even if he drunkenly stared into their eyes. Smith stared right back at Carrus. This was unexpected. Carrus eventually broke that contact puzzled about the hard eyes of Smith. Smith waved to Carrus to come with him, which he did.

Smith actually thought Carrus didn't actually look half-bad for a Cadet-Commissar. He knew Carrus were more than a mere peacock with nice feathers as he regarded the gritty uniform of Carrus. It was dirty and smelled of battle and blood.

"I guess we shall just drop the niceties?" Carrus looked bemused at Smith who merely nodded as they trailed into the jungle. "So give me the number of men I'm supposed to discipline Scout-Captain." Carrus let his soft voice seem disarming.

"993 men and women including me Cadet-" Carrus cut Smith off. "See this sash?" He let his cloak and greatcoat go aside. "That's the mark of a fully fledged Commissar, never forget that. Now give me a proper report Scout-Captain." He stopped Smith at the track, Carrus smiled bleakly as he saw the look of surprise crossing the face of Smith.

"Yes Commissar, there are 336 women and 657 men in the Scout-Platoons. Lieutenants Klarry Bolstrom, Nuts McHendrix not his real first-name, honestly I don't know what it is, Sammy McAllister, Jerome Pax and Lilly James are my COs of the scouts." Carrus glanced at Smith watching his Rosarius. He smiled knowing they would get along fine, eventually. But for now he was the new thing for the scouts to hate.

"Hm I can't say I feel wanted." Carrus smirked as he took a deep drag of his lho-rod before discarding it not igniting a new one while he drank of the wine watching the soldiers gazing at him from a distance with hateful eyes. He recognized that hatred, it was the seething hatred he felt when he done one of his many pranks on the Eccleserial cadets like utilizing the fire-hose as a way of waking them up or he made sure really high-born officer cadets were scrubbing floors with toothbrushes and working at the sewers for failing his most stringent test of mattresses or having a speck of dust at some unreachable place where only he could find it. Carrus decided to not tend to matters about dust at the windowstills as dying would be a rather poor start of this relationship.

"No wonder Commissar, the last we were having were absolute morons who killed brave men for idiotic reasons-" Carrus cut Smith short with a hand-wave. "You are frank Smith I'll give you that, it's actually the finest ability a man can possess." Carrus trailed on as they walked, playing his trump making sure he spoke loudly enough at his vox-beads so they heard him loud and clear, deliberately changing the channel to general as he saw the vox-station nearby. "Remember you picked me Scout-Captain Thomas Smith, not the other way around. I have qualified for this regiment, so have Ionza. We have slain a Shadow-Tiger each and not long ago we alone took out a whole camp of Roamers." Carrus fluffed his coat and cloak so the troopers clearly saw the shimmering fur on his cape, which were a conscious choice as he had to gain their respect, and quite fast.

The wild-eyed McHendrix stepped out of his quarters. About as tall as Ionza, an unruly crop of orange hair on the top of his head with an equally wild beard. He glared challenging straight into the gaze of Carrus. McHendrix was dressed in some sort of blackish battlesuit, not too different from Carrus' own sort of armour. Carrus shuddered a bit as he realized the man wore things he had pried from the dead hands of Commissars. The cold and mad eyes of McHendrix gazed straight at Carrus' more glazed eyes as he was both drunk and tired. He looked like he was between 40 to 50.

"Lieutenant McHendrix." Carrus nodded with his trademark smile at him, voice all calm and soothing. McHendrix lit up in a mad smile with yellow teeth before he spat some chewing tabac towards the boots of Carrus, who surprisingly managed to jump a step back avoiding that. Not that it was strictly necessary as the boots he wore were well dirty because of him playing in the mud of the jungle all day. It was a triumph for Carrus, now the troopers had seen that even when drunk he still reacted fast as quicksilver.

"McHendrix." Carrus laid his voice heavy with authority. "Don't try to spit on me again. Next time you will thank the God-Emperor if I doesn't just knock you out cold. I'm a Commissar not a spit-bucket." Carrus briskly turned. "I will meet the rest of your guys during the following months Smith." Carrus smiled his smug smile, his authority was secured. "I will find my way back to the LZ alone." He made his trademark nod with smile to Smith before trailing off into the night drinking the fine wine.

McHendrix stood in the night looking at the Commissar walking away from him. He knew Carrus were a dangerous man, worse a man that knew the truth. He wasn't like the other Commissars, not by a longshot, he had felt the gaze of Carrus peer through his soul. McHendrix feared the fun were over now with a stern fast-reacting new disciplinarian.

As for Ionza's meeting with the snipers it went a lot more differently than Carrus' meeting with the scouts. She sheepishly followed McLandi wondering how the hell she should be able to assert any authority over the sharpshooters, not that she was too bad in that herself. Even worse her friend and mentor was the one she had to execute if she failed in her sworn duty.

"We doesn't have quite the numbers of the other two branches, only 318 snipers are in this regiment. Most are female. It's 254 females and 64 males serving as the snipers both of us included." McLandi spoke softly while Ionza smiled bleakly.

"Name your lieutenants or whatever you call them McLandi." Ionza calmly inhaled deeply from her lho-rod as they entered the camp of the snipers. She took note of how disciplined they seemed to be.

"Gavin Grey and Patrice Mackey are my chief-snipers, both have over one thousand confirmed kills at battles going back over twenty years." Ionza whistled pretending to be impressed shifting a tad with her longlas. "Let me meet them Gabby." Ionza calmly inched her way over towards their quarters.

"Oh are those the quarters?" Ionza smiled sadistically, pointing straight at the second finest barrack at the compound, while she fished up her hidden lockpick from a pocket in her greatcoat which she was damn glad he carried on her now. As Carrus had told her it would be stupid to carry as they were more likely to run for their lives after everyone died than breaking and entering again.

"Yes, but we can't just-" McLandi started. Ionza swiftly cut her off. "We can't just what?" With a small groan from it she had picked the lock. "I'm a full Commissar Gabby now, so this isn't breaking and entering it's investigation." Ionza opened up the door and slipped inside after discarding her lho-rod, while she smiled a wolf-like smile as she knew she now had McLandi unsettled.

She found both Gray and Mackey asleep, with an evil grin she turned on the lights. "Is this the sort of welcome your new head of discipline is getting?" Ionza seriously wondered how in the Emperor's name she managed to utter that sentence without keeling over and laughing, she had never been happier that the many years of training had instilled in her good emotion-suppressors.

The look on the couple's faces said it all. They had messed up, gone to sleep when the new Commissars arrived. Ionza thought they looked too similar. Almost like brother and sister. Both were blonde about 1.7 meters tall, their faces, and general body-shapes were the same, neither was very attractive.

"I'm the new Commissar of the Sniper-wing, Michelle Ionza, you can call me Commissar, Ionza or lady. Now get dressed, we have business to attend to." Ionza unblinkingly looked at both who tried to cover behind the duvet looking at her with eyes buring of cold hatred. They uneasily saw mud slipped off her onto the clean floor, noting the longlas she were hefting along with other equipment. The longlas was for the new protege of McLandi, they had heard good things about that one. They didn't know she was the charge of their old Commissar. Ionza exited their house with a smug grin.

"McLandi." Ionza nodded flashing the same type of smile Carrus tended to flash when he nodded. "Well the turtle-doves should be freshed up now, why weren't they alerted of my arrival?" She let her merciless eyes peer deeply into the soul of McLandi who shrugged nervously.

"Ehm I-I alerted them, but they haven't had a Commissar here for three years, and Harken-" Ionza interrupted McLandi. "Now that I'm of rank, it's not Harken anymore, it's Commissar Harken, same goes for Carrus, it's Commissar Carrus when you are addressing him or talking about him. Understood?" McLandi resisted the urge to strangle the young woman. "Understood lady."

"Also at a more personal note Captain Gabrielle McLandi, your relationship with Commissar Harken ends here and now. From now of your relationship are strictly professional. Understood?" Ionza looked annoying at McLandi as she had never fancied that relationship and it would undermine unit-morale if allowed to go on. McLandi looked back. She so much wanted to murder her former protege, yet in the core she was right. Her jaw tightened, she nodded a consent, unlike Carrus and Ionza this wasn't a relationship she knew would last. Hell Harken never tended to land at one woman for long anyway, so it was a good way out for her without wondering if Harken would be pissed off.

Gray and Mackey yawned as they got out, they dressed up in grey greatcoats obviously intending to go to sleep as soon as the troublesome brat left the camp. Ionza flashed a wide grin at them. "Aaah nothing is like a little night-action? Right?" She smiled at them, seeming like she had never invaded their privacy and waken them up. Ionza saw they were between 30 and 40.

"I apologize for my breach of privacy and conduct, but it's unacceptable that I shouldn't be able to meet the officers in my command." Ionza again looked at McLandi. Gray spoke instead, his voice were hoarse and gravelly, Ionza could see that he hadn't shaven in a few days. "Commissar I'm sorry. We knew you would come, but Commissars due to their nature rarely serves with the snipers. Anyway-" Ionza interrupted him. "Excuse accepted, we will get to know each other the next few months. I won't hold your relationship against you, and Commissar Carrus won't either. If you catches flak for it let me or him know." Ionza stretched and yawned hefting the longlas, the day had been very long for her.

"Gabby, I will take my leave now. Gray and Mackey, dismissed." Ionza trailed back towards the LZ studying her longlas. It felt nicely as always, she had modified it herself and added a sight that let her see in pitch darkness. She was a bit mournful over being so bitchy towards McLandi, but she had to in order to get the fear of the Emperor into her. Carrus no doubt established his authority in a similar manner. Now she just looked forward to get some sleep after a good warm bath, or maybe she would just plunder the wine-cellar of the Schola Freudakia again as there were a fortythree year old red wine screaming for her down there. Though now as a fully fledged Commissar she could just confiscate it.

[Beaviz81]

I will now take on the relationship between Stremm and Harken.

Watching the two teenagers with their respective officers trail off at hidden tracks Stremm and Harken was left. They grinned hard grins as they saw the two inebriated young commissars follow the two captains.

"Do you think they will manage?" Harken looked a bit perplexed at Stremm. "Oh they will old friend, have no doubt about that. You have trained them well Nate." Stremm answered with his harsh, growling voice. It was as pleasant to listen to as a fist hitting your ear.

"I have some Freudakian wine you shall taste Nate, it has been so long since we spoke." Stremm was happy, sure Harken was a Commissar, but lenient for a Commissar, better yet he actually had a sense of humor. He waved to Harken to follow him, which he did.

"It has been nearly over twenty years now old friend, apart from bits and pieces from time to time of course." Stremm laughed harshly. "Damn, both of the kids weren't even born yet when we fought together on Zidon." Harken smiled as they trailed on towards the HQ of Stremm, then Harken said. "Oh I found Ionza there by the way, cold girl that one. Rest assured never found a finer candidate." "What about Carrus?" Stremm looked quzzingly at Harken who just grinned. "Carrus coldly killed a charging Genestealer the year before I found Ionza, no-one keeps his cool in close range firefights like him. He ain't insanely brave, and actually a master in taking cover. That's why he is so good at close range, his ability to shield himself comes with an instinct nothing can teach any man nor woman."

Patting on his fat lho-rod, Stremm liked what he heard. He briefly saluted the two sentries outside his HQ. "Describe their styles as Commissars." Harken smirked. "Relax old buddy, they will mesh, nether is stupid enough to be hardliners. Ionza is a tad more draconian than Carrus, but neither will flog your soldiers for small matters, and if they do, I sure as hell will flog them."

They entered the office of Stremm in the grey bunker. The office were surprisingly elaborate and nice for such a roughhewn fellow. The office-desk was of some grayish marble. Stacks of papers were surprisingly orderly laid up on it. A nice red carpet lined from the entrance to the fine skin-chairs Stremm had his guests sink into. He himself had a red-clothed office-chair which made him look even more impressive as his guests even Harken sank into the soft chairs there. Bookcases and computers were also present there.

"Just sit down Nate." Stremm calmly got out a set of keys and unlocked one of the bookcases. It was a hidden bar. He got a fine 37 year old Freudakaian red out. It was quickly opened, and following that he poured into two crystal glasses. One were handed to Harken.

"Cheers for the future of Freudakia and the Imperium." Harken and Stremm said as one just before they swallowed the expensive liquid in a manner which would have most wine-knowers cringe. "Aaah that was good. I have the data-slates here, Ionza should be able to choose where she ends up. Top marks in every category. Hm her disciplinary chart is squeaky clean, same with Carrus." Stremm glanced skeptical at Harken before continuing. "Same with Carrus, not impressive in the theoretical department, borderline insubordinate and squeaky clean record?" "Forgive an old thief Commissar, but he can't quite believe that." Stremm grinned.

"They are the best cadets of the Schola Freudakia right now. Both have passed the test just as I did when I first entered this honored regiment almost 100 years ago." Harken knew Stremm had seen through the cover of the two new Commissars, sure they were widely regarded as the finest cadets. Few cadets were allowed so much leeway and responsibility as them, yet they were known to steal like ravens, though they called it confiscations.

"You are hiding fact from me my friend. Neither Commissar is perfect, but I won't parlay with you about this as we will meet and greet with them. I will send lieutenants Gruer and Finlay to the Schola to observe them as their adjutants. Both are young officers, recently promoted." Stremm looked annoyed at the lack of trust from his old friend. All he demanded was honesty, and even that small gift were denied him. So now he appointed those two as their adjutants, they would report the truth.

Stremm clicked on the buzzer. "Adjutant, please bring me lieutenant Jordan Gruer and Ivona Gruer." He looked at Harken with a sneer. Harken just mercilessly peered back, he felt outmaneuvered he hated that. Stremm continued. "We went to this honored Schola Progenium together. Both of us are orphans." Glancing down at the report-card of Carrus. "Heyh he ain't even a death worlder, hell he is a silver spoon-" Harken cut him off. "Say that to Carrus' face and he is likely to kick your off if you are lucky. He might not be born at a battlefield, but he sure as hell grew up on one. I should know, as he has faced me down one on one and survived."

The face of Stremm went pale. "You-you are saying Carrus can stand up to you..." His word trailed off. "By the Emperor I thought that weren't possible." Stremm looked at Harken worried. "You ain't lyin-" Harken's harsh glare cut him off. Pressing the button of the buzzer again, Stremm said. "Order belayed, I don't need the lieutenants anyway." Harken stretched in the comfortable chair while sipping fine wine. Stremm watched the confident Harken stretch. He shuddered, even Space Marines couldn't stand up to Harken in close-combat and here a mere teenage, not looking as much either could hold him at bay. That certainly meant something when Harken had told him last year that he finally had found a Commissar for the scouts in the data-slate he sent him.

Carrus and Ionza met up at the LZ. They quickly entered the vox-shack and voxed in a Valkyrie. We will return to them returning to the Schola Freudakia later on.

As Harken and Stremm was reminiscing of old times and getting drunk together, Smith and McLandi came and demanded entry. The adjutants swiftly let them inside Stremm's office.

Stremm laughingly got seated, same with Harken, they leered towards the officers. "Speak up laddie, or did the cat catch your tongue." He smiled, four bottles of wine were on the desk, most of the paper were spread around the floor or stained with the rings of wine from the glasses Stremm and Harken drank heavily off, not that they did that anymore. Both were now drinking out of a bottle each, the bookcase was open, showing off the bar.

"Just take a bottle officers. Smile and be happy, and tell us whatcha think of the new Commissars." Harken drunkenly told both while regarding them with slurry eyes. Mclandi and Smith hesitates a little, exchanging glances, then they got a bottle of wine getting a hold of deep chairs each.

"Well Carrus didn't too bad, and even stared down Nuts McHendrix, so I guess the lad is talented enough. He can obviously track..." Smith trailed off as he glanced at the data-slate lying open at the desk. It showed off the profile of Carrus. He read it carefully, and the slow reactions of the inebriated Harken couldn't hide the truth about him being in a relationship with Ionza.

A smiling McLandi saw it as well, then she spoke. "You know she dragged my two Chief-Snipers out of bed-." Harken interrupted. "Did you let your Chief-Snipers sleep while new Commissars entered the regiment?" Harken looked at her with a coldness he had never had in his eyes before. He continued. "You can count yourself lucky you wasn't executed McLandi." She swallowed heavily then took a good slurp of the wine-bottle before speaking. "Commissar Harken sir. Commissar Ionza has ordered our relationship cancelled. I had my doubts about that when she ordered it, but I will follow that order." Harken's face reddened. McLandi continued. "Colonel Stremm sir, permission to be dismissed.?" Stremm merely nodded, and McLandi swiftly left the room.

Harken looked ready to explode with anger, he had much love for McLandi. And now that brat Michelle Ionza had ordered her to stop her relationship with him, and she was gonna hide behind it. He knew Carrus would also sanction the order, so there were no way in hell he could countermand it. He thought a moment how easy life were before either entered his life. Always going from regiment to regiment, woman to woman. Then two kids who he normally never cared about did stuff he didn't expect and next he knew he were at the Schola teaching them stuff, if they were knocked down, he taught them a new way of breaking an arm or worse, then they were up and fighting again. He sighed and his anger quickly gave way to a proud smile. The birds were learning to fly already.

"Smith continue your report." Stremm's harsh voice snapped Harken right out of the education of Carrus and Ionza as both humans, but also as military personnel. "Yes, sir. Commissar Carrus would fit in, most of the troopers unsurprisingly hates him already, but he is intelligent enough to flag that he were chosen not chose to enter the regiment." Harken looked at Smith, halfway as in wondering if he could read his lips. Halfway as in wondering why they were still rambling on about his charges.

The trio continued to drink well into the next morning, talking about anything but relevant stuff, so we will trail it off from here.

[Count Bagatur]

I like it, sir. Very good

[Beaviz81]

Chapter III

We will now have a short fallback to Flinch and Merc.

Both Flinch and Merc boarded the Valkyrie coming to ship them back to the Schola Freudakia. Merc shivered and drank of the wine-bottle as he went onboard the transport. He wimped as he felt boxed in by the gray walls inside it. Everytime he closed his eyes he saw the emotionless eyes of Carrus and Ionza, their evil grins with lit lho-rods. One hefting that thrice-cursed meltagun at him, the other with that bolt pistol.

"Relax Thierri." The soothing voice of Flinch snapped Merc out of his negative chain of thought. "Soon we will be home and all this will be over." Both knew that was a lie. Now they were to be cadets, worse Carrus and Ionza would both personally keep an interest in them, and that was not good.

They drank of the wine-bottles. Merc passed out before they landed, he was mentally and physically drained after a long day of fighting. Flinch weren't in much better shape. Both were dehydrated as neither had the iron-constitution the hard jungle-fighting made you develop. Both were medivaced to the infirmary by the medical teams Carrus had ordered. The last thought trailing through the mind of Flinch before he passed out were: "Maybe Carrus ain't so bad at all." He thought it right after hearing: "Thank the Emperor that Cadet-Commissar Carrus had the foresight ordered us here, if not we would have transported them to the morgue."

Now we will trace forward to Carrus and Ionza returning from action, back to the Schola.

Carrus and Ionza stumbled out of the Valkyrie, their armour laid in a mixed heap on the floor of it. That was tomorrows business. They were drunk as they trailed past the sentries and guards entering the huge grey building. Searchlights scaled the high walls with barbed wired atop. Every guard the couple met gave perfect salutes as they fearfully glanced at the scarlet sashes both had around their waist.

The couple trudged through the hallways, the occasional guard looked at them in fear as they saluted. They merely gave a shrill nod with a fast smile each back with lit lho-rods in their mouths. They rapidly got to their room, the Hole in the Wall. The primitive brown wooden sign had been crudely bolted into place. The cracks in the concrete wall was visible for all to see. Carrus and Ionza went past that door. A much more discrete almost invisible door were swiftly opened. Finally they were home.

Inside were the rather large rooms they possessed, it was a luxurious shack. None but the best of the best progenia were allowed to sleep in such quarters. Yet they had for the last two year. The nicely furnitured room showed a mix of style and decadence. The best part was that bathroom complete with a hot-tub. Not even Harken had the keys for this room, the private quarters of Carrus and Ionza. Just picture a luxurious and neatly kept apartment with mostly red and green carpets and white marble floors and walls with lots of finer paintings.

Carrus and Ionza were allowed to sleep the day in. They had fought hard yesterday. Both woke up with hammering headaches, and choose to take it quite easy. Now not even Head-Missionary Natrax couldn't order them around anymore, even if he for any reason should have such an odd wish. Now the couple dressed in more colorful unarmoured Commissar-uniforms. They retained the sword and maingun, but they were unlikely to see action now with sashes adorning their waists. The couple went through the bar-like Hole in the Wall, they felt sad knowing their happiest days were over. Not even the custom floorboards that croaked, or the jukebox brought either much joy. The barroom were adorned with the skull of various creatures both had slain. It was a testament to their youthful exuberance despite all the time they had faced certain death, and mostly together. Pride over their new position were washed away, their graduation weren't the public spectable the promotion of a Commissar normally were with all the Commissarial cadets assembled in the Commissarial hall. No they had discretely been given a sash each by the headmaster of the Commissars of the Schola Freudakia. Both felt sullied. by the thought.

They quickly exited through the main entrance of the Hole in the Wall. "Commissars." A nervous-looking Cadet-Commissar in their class looked at the couple. "Speak your mind CC (Calling a Cadet-Commissar CC is a horrendous insult to that person) Hanson." Ionza said while she let her angry eyes go through his uniform hoping to find some error. "Head-head. Head." The man stuttered. "Speak your mind man, or loose your own." Ionza looked ready to explode, Carrus held her back. "No-no dear, I'm hungover, so the last thing I want is you kicking Hanson in the groin again. Just focus and speak your piece Hanson." Carrus looked tired at the Cadet-Commissar who enviously looked down at his sash. Hanson were a full year older than Carrus, yet Carrus were treated like gold just because he were an unparallelled fighter. Yet he was kinder than Ionza, whose response to a wrong guess tended to be a roundhouse-kick.

Adam Hanson were a tall, lanky 20 year old. Green eye, one bionic eye of mediocre quality (Ionza pierced one of his eyes with a knife when he insulted her once, worse Carrus had offered him one of premium quality) it glowed red in the metallic placement it had in his flesh, he had scars running across his face from both Drill-Abbots and that couple which had mangled his previously good looks, his skin were palish, narrow face almost with no nose (Ionza again), he was dressed in a greyish Cadet-Commissar garb which were far to short for him and weren't allowed to carry any weapons unlike the well-armed couple. As a person despite for all the physical harm Ionza had done him, he hated Carrus the most. He was everything Carrus weren't, theoretically good, but Carrus was practical and popular. Man how Hanson hated Carrus.

Hanson continued. "Head-Missionary James Natrax summons you both to his office." "See, everything works as long as you concentrates." Carrus smiled and met Hanson's cold glare of hatred with his smile and warm blue eyes. "So run along now Hanson and have some fun with....oh, theology-class (Carrus undoubtedly looked at the class-table hammered into the wall opposite the door of the Hole in the Wall)." Carrus had a teasing smile. He was so frakking glad he didn't have to go there anymore. Infact he hadn't attended that class in three years. Investigation-class with the Arbites-Cadets were much funnier, and taught both Carrus and Ionza valuable lessons in how to plant evidence as well as uncovering of course.

They swiftly went over to that compound not far from their rooms, finger-prints, eye-scans and voice-scans confirmed it was them of course. The compound of the Drill Abbots was now entered. The walls were overtly decorated in visions of the Emperor and Primarches fighting endless battles. Neither Ionza nor Carrus liked that style, they fought enough themselves and fighting usually showered both in mud, blood and things rather not written down. Several soldiers (with neatly fitting gray-black Storm-Trooper uniforms along with hotshot lasgun held on their waists) on guard did spotless salutes, only to be greeted by their small nods with smiles as the couple went through the hallways.

Eventually Carrus and Ionza reached the outer confines of the Office of the Principal. Both subjected themselves to the frisk-searches and further scannings, until Natrax a man with wild green eyes, dark complexion, grey heavy beard, heavy furrowed brow, blank skull, clad in a greenish robe which didn't reveal the heavily muscled figure beneath it, almost a head taller than Carrus waved them inside.

The couple rapidly found themselves inside the luxurious office of James Natrax. The walls was lined with bookshelves who actually were in use as they contained the reports of the students of the different sections of the Schola Freudakia. Carrus shrugged a bit looking at the size of his disciplinary-profile.

"Take seat Commissars." The gnarled voice of Natrax sounded old, extremely old. The hair on the back of both Commissars stood. The couple carefully got seated in the fine chairs with Grox-bones as handles and legs, dressed in the finest silk humanly possible to get. Both Carrus and Ionza returned the smile of Natrax when they got seated. As usual Natrax himself remained standing. He let his all-seeing green eyes peer into the souls of the couple. "Now you have graduated. No surprise there. Two years early is a bit more of a surprise." Natrax looked especially at Carrus when he said the last part. "I have come to understood that you both are to spend about three months here as Drill-Abbot and Drill-Abbess." Natrax thought it was fun with those titles, as neither was meant to be monk or nun. "Oh God-Emperor how both would reek as that." He thought in his silent mind while only his odd smile gave out that he thought of anything other than lectures, at least in Carrus' mind as he was all but certain the man was totally devoid of humor.

"Get to the point Master Natrax." Natrax snapped back and out of his line of thought with the small contempt Carrus said master with. Natrax knew it was more a habit than meaning for the young man to speak that way, but yet it unsettled him. Carrus' blue eyes glared back at his with unrelenting faith in the Emperor.

"Yes the point, forgive an old man to marvel a bit about the work his former student had done." Natrax smiled at both of them, who glanced confused at each other. "Sorry my dearest lad." Natrax's glance fell right at the slightly squirming Carrus. "I just couldn't help glancing at what Harken could have been. Anyway, your mum Carrus is terminally ill. I have cancelled the order for you about joining the Shadow-Tigers. Instead you will see out your three months here, then I'm sending you home with your best friends young Carrus to mourn your mother. Not many progenia ever gets to know their." Natrax glared at the emotionless face of Carrus, he saw sorrow in his eyes, but worse he saw ambition, unbridled ambition. "You are both dismissed Commissars." Both Carrus and Ionza did sharp military salutes with their black Commissar-hats (they wore the same style, rather low peaked-caps with a blackened out skull similar to the guard of Carrus' sword at the center of their caps) under their arms. Natrax did the same salute back.

[Beaviz81]

Carrus felt out of this world as he exited the office of Natrax, rapidly retrieved his meltagun and power sword from the guards of Natrax. His mum were dying, he could remember some tenderness and such, but mostly it was old Sister Joanna who were his mother, not his biological one. Yet he felt pain in his heart as he knew his mother was dying. Ionza was also lost in wonder, Carrus had time and time again bragged about the day he would be king. Now the opportunity were here. His mother were dying, he was ripe and full of ambition unbridled. She watched her young prince, he seemed lost in thought as she retrieved her own power sword and bolt pistol.

The couple rapidly trailed over to the infirmary after asking about Flinch and Merc. The walls changed from the war-glorifying walls the Drill-Abbots lived and worked between to the somber white walls for the sick and injured with surgeons, doctors and nurses of all vocations hurried to save the life of students who had been out from anything from accidents at live fire drills to students who had tried to commit suicide by any means.

Both shuddered as they walked past rooms were doctors declared students dead and nurses took the time. People they met in the corridors jumped even more than usual, they were already feared, but this was ridiculous a scarlet sash shouldn't have this effect. Eventually they met the Sister Hospitallier Nana Grace. Tall for a woman as she was slightly shorter than Carrus, unblinking dark-green eyes, golden long hair, shapely formed, an ugly scar totally marred her beaty as it ran from her forehead at the left side over one of her eyes to the neck, she was dressed in a rather practical white lab-coat.

Grace smiled at both, she had been a classmate of Ionza who were an old friend of her's, with her hoarse voice which Carrus actually thought were quite sweet to his ears she said. "Congrats." She made a curtsy to both as she saw their scarlet sashes. "Thank you Grace, but I must be brief sister. Do you know were Kaldor Flinch and Thierri Merc are? We have only three months before we must go to Ciralix, Carrus might give you the details if he sees fit to do so." Ionza had little time for curtsies and such dwaddle, though she made a small and gracious one.

"Yes, follow me Commissars, I was in charge of treating them both." Grace paused a little, then spoke again. "Ehm Commissar Carrus what is sister Ionza referring to? Anything I could do?" She looked worried at Carrus, their religious standing was far from each other, yet he had always been a support for her even thought she at times felt he was corrupting Ionza. "My mother is dying, we shall see out our time here. Can you be kind enough to travel home in advance Sister Grace? I have no-one I trust more with medical issues than you, so I want you to go there to keep my mum alive until I return home." Like him Grace hated her own first name, so he was persistent in calling her Grace, who had a healthy respect for both as she had been the best mate of Ionza since they were 12 as Sororita-adepts. Her respect for Carrus were more due to him always treating her with courtesy as he would never try to cross her.

Ionza was Grace' bunk-mate when they started attending the Schola Freudakia many years earlier. New progeni are often sleeping in bunks, many powerful friendships are forged which can last for centuries. She was the only student at the Schola Freudakia Carrus actually was scared of, no wonder she had stood up to him more than once in close-combat, but what really scared him were her aversion to drugs even alcohol she regarded as impure even when doing surgery she rarely used drugs on the patient. Her skill as a torturer were peerless, Carrus had been forced to watch many a time as he had wrangled in a cadet worshiping the ruinous powers for her. As combat gear she wore a blackish combat-suit very similar to Carrus, a power sword, laspistol as backup and a bolter which she was quite the shot with. She also had a pelt of a Shadow-Tiger as the last progenia there. Three students had one, she, Ionza and Carrus.

"Commissar Carrus I'm deligthed in your faith in me, and I will travel to Ciralix Prius in a day. Also I'm truly sorry for your loss." Grace heard how sad Carrus were when he asked her to take care of the medical issues, and it was a golden opportunity as many friends and associates of Carrus had traveled to Ciralix Prius the last two years. She was a bit jealous of Carrus there, he unlike most progeni knew his parents. For her the parent-case were classified, not even Harken had the clearing to retrieve that information.

The trio rapidly made they way through the infirmary, walking past many of the pinkish doors were young soldiers fighting the Roamers were held up, at times they met a Cadet-Commissar coming out of a room after giving a cadet beyond saving the Emperor's peace, he saluted them and the two true Commissars responded as usual. "There they are, room 241. I'll wait on the outside my lieges." Grace made a small curtsy, receiving smiling nods in return. Carrus and Ionza entered the room.

Merc and Flinch were weak and dehydrated. Carrus and Ionza had made critical mistakes in giving them alcohol, but how the hell could they know they hadn't drank anything at all at that point? The two Commissars didn't exactly look pleased at their young proteges. "So!" Ionza sort of screeched. "At least you are awake. Were you too retarded to even get a sip of water?" She let her cold brown eyes peer into their souls while sounding quite irritated. Flinch answered. "Sorry lady, but we-we were out of water and didn't know if the streams we passed were safe to drink of." Now Carrus butted in. "What with your water-purifying tablets? Did you forget about them?" Flinch answered again. "Brother Thoray said we didn't need them. OW!!!" Ionza rapidly drew her whip and a quick lash left a bloody scar across his torso. "What did I say about Brother Thoray?" She snarled. In unison both Merc and Flinch loudly stated. "Brother Thoray is a fool, never listen to Brother Thoray!!!" Ionza smiled a shrill smile before they left.

The next few weeks flew by, Merc and Flinch were both introduced to the officer-program by Carrus who were the more reasonable of the couple. Then they rounded up the men and women who would be part of Carrus' honor guard when they returned to Ciralix Prius. Grace was included of course, so were the Cadet-Commissars Rick Higgins, Jurten Mack and Cal Simpson. All three were tall, bulky deathworlders, with burning brown eyes, short black hair, bronzed skin save for Simpson who was dark-skinned and lots of scars from battle and ritual practice despite the Drill-Abbots at the Schola Freudakia always meting out severe punishments for such acts. Most of the friends of Carrus and Ionza were regarded as troublemakers with all their less than mature pranks, so Natrax was glad to see them go, though Grace was a model student which were a severe loss.

Ionza like Carrus had no desire to fight for her life. She like her mate thirsted for the good life with good wine, exotic food, riches and the least amount of fighting that could be desired. Few knew about the true nature of them. Here they were the iron-willed Commissars that drilled fearlessness and duty to the Emperor into budding Storm-Troopers, none were finer in finding what cadets really were fit for than them. Indeed they were a rare breed, they had the ear of both young and old at Schola Freudakia.

Meanwhile Head-Missionary James Natrax took a Valkyrie to the basecamp of the Shadow-Tigers. He was worried which showed at his face. Lord-Inquisitor Selpid had ordered him to send home young Carrus with his friends. Natrax knew Harken and Stremm his former students wouldn't be too happy finding out that the two Commissars Harken carefully had groomed for the purpose were to go Ciralix Prius. Harken knew well of Selpid, and that threat would even stifle his rage. For the occasion Natrax dressed in a rather greyish robe, it hid some weapons as he knew Harken were a violent man.

At the LZ Stremm stood with his two guards. Their high-powered lasguns were slung over their waists. Stremm shuddered in the cold rain, not just from the cool temperature of the rain which slipped off his green greatcoat, but also of the thought about going up against his mentor, Natrax. He thought over all the harsh lessons Natrax had dished out to both him and Harken as boys. Whipping them into shape, making them able to face down quite a lot of the horrors of the universe. Stremm induced all his training to avoid shivering as he saw the Valkyrie with Natrax land, and felt even worse when he met the eyes of Natrax.

"So Commissar-General Harken is a problem my former charge?" Natrax spoke with his voice needlessly sweet. He could barely contain his outrage. "Yes Missionary. Harken have been a prob-" Stremm trailed off as Natrax put a finger to his mouth. "Pathetic, you should be able to discipline him yourself." "Sir. I'm a Colonel, so I have no authority over Harken. Had Commissar Carrus or Commissar Ionza been here, they would without no doubt have kept Harken in line." Stremm looked angrily back at Natrax who just nodded. "Take me to the quarters of Harken." The two men were walking as they talked.

As for Harken, his regret over Ionza's order had him slipping into a depression, which neither her nor Carrus were aware off. Worse his former lover seemed to spend too much time with Stremm, which annoyed him to unknown degrees. He missed the kids, they colored his life in a color no woman, fighting or other friends could. As usual Harken were drunk in his quarters, half-naked and not really in a mood for anything but a fight.

Suddenly there were a knock on the iron-door. "Get lost!!!" Harken growled picking up a boltgun of Astartes design, he gripped it tightly as he slammed the door open, pointing it straight at Natrax who just glared at him. "Is this a way to receive your old mentor?" Natrax was about as tall as Harken himself. Harken thought a bit, then slowly lowered the bolter. "Sorry master. I-I'm just so confused." Natrax saw the depression in the eyes of his former protege.

"Pathetic." Natrax shook his head while he rapidly disarmed Harken, and pushed him back into the room so he hit his bed which collapsed under his weight. The whole room were dirty and dusty, a far cry from the pedantic Commissar Carrus and Ionza were used to teaching them. "There must be something in that old saying, that the teacher always go better along with the pupils of his student, than his student." Natrax looked at Harken in cold disregard, his voice were chilly. "You have seen wars which have ripped every woman you have loved to pieces, and you mull over a couple of over-independent kids? Who ain't even dead, and looks to live past our age?" Natrax was full of suppressed rage. "Had Commissar Carrus or Ionza been here, God-Emperor, they would have flogged you for dereliction of duties Commissar-General. So on your feet SOLDIER the regiment needs you as a Commissar not a lout!!!"

Harken stumbled onto his feet, but was unsuccessful, one half-empty bottle of sujamma made him stumble so he collapsed back onto his bed with a loud groan. Natrax only facepalmed. "Emperor what an idiot I raised." Then he shrieked. "GET ON YOUR FRAKKING FEET SOLDIER!!! I HAVE NO TIME FOR YOUR STUPID EXCUSES!!! THIS ROOM SHALL BE SPOTLESS WITHIN THE HOUR!!! UNDERSTOOD???!!!" Harken quickly got on his feet, making a stiff and surprisingly good salute considering his condition before he answered. "Yes sir, fully understood sir."

Natrax smiled glumly, neither Carrus nor Ionza never were stupid enough to disregard him, like Harken at times did. He exited the bunker. "Stremm!!!" Stremm hurried over to him. "Make sure Harken is on jungle patrol the next few days, and walk with me." Stremm quickly answered. "Yes sir." They walked to a secluded area, then Natrax spoke. "I'm sorry my lad, but Carrus and Ionza have important duties now, far beyond the reach of even your regiment. I'm sorry laddie, but there are things you can't know." Stremm's jaw tightened as he just nodded in response. Natrax grabbed him by the shoulders looking straight into his eyes. "Don't tell Harken, I don't like it anymore than you do, but keeping silent of this is the imperative right now. Understood?" Stremm merely nodded as he realized that Carrus and Ionza, two excellent Commissars wouldn't join his regiment. He was very worried, his regimental Commissar went on drinking-binges, the two who kept that man grounded were bound for better things and he would likely have to choose from "the finest" Cadet-Commissars which usually meant he would get the useless hardliners better suited for a Penal Legion than anything else. Stremm watched his old master walk away, while he thought about how the hell he should ready the troops for them not having two rather sympathetic Commissars but now hardliners Harken was more than likely to execute.

Not that it was that bad, most of the Commissars at the Schola Freudakia were indoctrinated and tough, but Harken, Carrus and Ionza had personally executed those with mental disorders and the cadets that viewed human life as easily wasted tended to have Ionza sniping them so they spent hours dying. Most of the Cadet-Commissars were competent and loyal soldiers who regarded it as a sin to waste human life as Harken repeatedly had laid heavy weight on, of course they were skilled in ferreting out Genestealer-infestations and cultists as well. He was more than just the mentor of Carrus and Ionza, he shaped the generation of Commissars coming from Schola Freudakia in the years around M42 as Harken made sure that the tutors, Drill-Abbots and other teachers held his views. If not he executed them, or he let one of his students execute them as heretics as their first kill.

The Commissars were, Jack Little a heavyset and rather short male with a fair complexion, scarred facial features which included a misshapen mouth and a lacking ear, Dominic Woods a tall dark-skinned male with brown striking eyes, face was not too scarred compared with most students there, his bodily features were heavily muscled as he was pretty damn good with a chainsword and then you had Taylor Wasnewski, tall and thin, half his face was of metal after a disagreement with Carrus, both his eyes were bionic lasers after he looked too closely at the axe of a Feral Ork, most of his body were metal after Carrus blew up an Ork Dreadnaught and it promptly and literally blew up in his face. Despite the horrendous injuries Carrus had inflicted on him Wasnewski felt no ill will towards him. All were quite sensible as political officers who just were a tad too bad for the regiment as soldiers as they weren't quite the elite-soldiers Carrus and Ionza were, as neither had the Shadow-Tiger cloak. It must be noted that neither was very close to Carrus and Ionza.

Less than a month later the two Commissars with their allies were traveling home, on the Dauntless-class Light Cruiser Heritage. Which Ionza joked must be a sign from the Emperor himself, even through saying that made her shudder as if the Emperor himself glared at her.

[Beaviz81]

Chapter IV

The flashback.

Enginseer Lucius an extremely tall man of almost 2.5 meters, with only two human organs left in his body, brain and taste-buds, the rest were metal, dressed in a dark dirty burgundy colored robe having two red las-eyes, five different set of arms sticking out of his body with different things attached to them, like one drill, one adjustable screwdriver, one crane mounted on his back just to lift heavy stuff, the rest remained human-like as human hands are quite handy due to the adaptability of them when fixing guns, walked through the armory of Schola Freuddakia with his heavy iron legs making heavy ringing noises.

Rows of guns stood along gun-placements at the different tall, metallic, gray shelves in the dimly lit armory. The heavy ironed boots of acolytes scurrying out of the way as Lucius neared became dimmer. Lucius didn't care, he was drawn towards the rows with the meltaguns.

This sound was new, and totally different, Lucius picked up the weapon. He had heard weapons groan over misuse, hard handling, dropping and clumsy reloading. This one didn't, he examined it closely. It was pining, it was pining about a Storm-Trooper cadet. That made no sense, after studying the weapon he took it with him outside, he loathed being outside with humans scurrying around, noisy, inefficient humans, they were not like the harmonic machines. Worse were that blasted sun, it always was so sharp. Lucius didn't like going outside one bit, still the weapon were obviously pining, and it gave him an headache.

Lucius stepped outside. The sun almost blinded him, so he adjusted his las-vision. He groaned, students were everywhere, still the weapon were pining for that blasted cadet. The Schola Freudakia were bathed in sun-light, hadn't it been for the occasional transport carrying live targets for the senior students landing, it would seem like a very pleasant place to be with the bird-songs and the sun. It wasn't, it was a Schola Progenium, were innocent boys and girls were learned to kill and be drilled in the name of the Emperor. Teenagers with screaming Drill-Abbots/Abbesses were running in front of the huge concrete buildings singing odd songs, other cadets were making pushups while merciless tutors lashed them for every mistake, only a few of the senior progeni had any time off at all. Lucius continued forward as everyone made sure they gave him a wide berth, an Enginseer were best avoided.

Seeing Drill-Abbot Henan a scrawny tall man, merciless dark eyes, balding head, probably in his late thirties, dressed in a greenish Storm-Trooper garb without the armour, Lucius just went up to him. As usual he was abusing and kicking some of the fourteen year old Storm-Trooper cadets from the tiniest error in their pushups. Lucius cared more for a mice scurrying across the floor inside the armory than he did for any of these young boys.

"Drill-Abbot." Lucius' shrill mechanical voice rang out. The students rapidly rose to their feet trying not to shiver. Henan also straightened up, with a visible shiver he replied in his rather ratty voice. "Enginseer."

"Where do I find Storm-Trooper Carrus?" The red eyes of Lucius glared at Henan.

"Storm-Trooper Carrus? Excuse me, but that-" Henan was immediately cut off. "Storm-Trooper Carrus, where is he?" Lucius had adjusted his volume to almost shrieking, Henan and more than one cadet lost their bladder as they watched in terror the many arms of Lucius flail.

"At-at-at the central hall, I-I had him scrub it-" Henan began. A harsh glare from Lucius stopped him. Lucius continued towards the central hall.

Zachary Carrus at 14 a rather thin boy, not very tall either, sat on his knees in his dirty brown robe while scrubbing the marble-tiles of the central-hall with a toothbrush. Once more punished by Drill-Abbot Henan for a stupid reason, he had performed well in the live-fire exercise, yet he was punished. What could he have done to prevent the plasmagun malfunctioning? Nothing. Worse his best friend and bunk-mate Friesen was the one killed.

Dutifully Carrus carried out his punishment, Henan had it in for him from day one. Even ignoring the recommendation of Commissar-General Nathan Harken. Henan hated him because he was a silver spoon, but one day he would have his revenge, Carrus knew that as he cleaned the tiles one by one while the toothbrush slid out and in to the cold water in the bucket by his side.

Suddenly a shadow of something inhuman appeared over Carrus. He froze in abject terror, then got up. It wasn't like the other passing shadows that paid him no heed. Carrus got up and turned. Glaring down at him were Enginseer Lucius. Carrus felt his heart pound with fear.

"Are you Carrus?" The sound rang in Carrus' ears, one of his eardrums burst leaving a small trickle of blood dripping down his right ear onto his mattered brown greatcoat.

"Storm-Trooper cadet Carrus, Enginseer sir." Carrus spoke loud, only the closest scrutiny would have revealed that he shook with fear of the Teach-Priest.

"So you are responsible for this?" Carrus knew he had been responsible for stuff like spiking the oldest Storm-Trooper cadets rations with sleeping-drought and other stuff, but his chain of thoughts were interrupted when he saw the meltagun the Enginseer were cradling. Lucius had dampened his voice-box a bit now.

"Enginseer?" Carrus looked up at Lucius with a mix of both terror and surprise at his face. "This holy weapon pines for you." Carrus was literally knocked down by the force of which Lucius gave him the gun. He spat blood as he tried to get on the feet. Five Drill-Abbots saw what happened. They didn't see Lucius often, and this was indeed an unique occurrence, he was volunteering a weapon without agony to a cadet. None, but the most honored of the senior cadets were allowed to carry a weapon.

"Carry this on you at all times Carrus." Lucius quickly scurried through the hall, as Drill-Abbot Nabokov, a tall, lanky, grey eyed and haired, hair and beard were in a style reminiscent of R.E. Lee dressed in a greyish, thought colorful Commissarial garb, he hurried over to Carrus who obviously got injured.

"Are you okay cadet?" Nabokov's hoarse voice asked while he looked compassionate at Carrus who just nodded despite coughing blood. Nabokov knew he was lying, getting a hold of the injured Carrus, getting one of his arms over his shoulders.

"That was damn impressive. Few can face down Enginseer Lucius as calm as you boy." Nabokov rarely gave praise, Carrus just coughed out. "I wish I had ran, but he would likely have used that damn drill-" Carrus trailed off.

Another Drill-Abbot lifted Carrus' other arm over his shoulders picking up the meltagun with his free hand. They froze in terror as Lucius returned. "Carrus." Lucius pointed a finger straight at the chest of Carrus who had pinkish spittle dripping out of his mouth. "Tomorrow you shall report to the armory."

Carrus smiled as he passed out. Any punishment was better than the punishment that idiot Henan laid at him for no reason whatsoever. He knew Drill-Abbot Nabokov at least were on his side at times, the last thing he heard was Nabokov whispering to his colleague. "Why the hell is Carrus assigned to the Storm-Troopers? He would be much better as a Commissar or Arbiter."

Carrus of course didn't hear the two Drill-Abbots argue as the other meant Carrus was a horrible student, and one week later he awoke in a hospital-bed with Nabokov standing over him as he came through.

"I have good news young tiger." The old man croaked. "What is it Drill-Aboot Nabokov? *cough* Sorry, sir." Carrus were weak. his ribcage had been mainly broken when Lucius handed him the meltagun. "What the hell?" Carrus saw the meltagun lying on the small desk beside him.

"That's the present from Lucius, Carrus." Nabokov smiled over the shock and surprise on Carrus' face. "Hm, there went my theory of this being a dream. I ain't drafted over to the Commissar-cadets as well?" Carrus' head spun. He glanced confused over at Nabokov.

"Get dressed Storm-Trooper cadet. Enginseer Lucius awaits you in the armory." Nabokov made his voice harsh, he knew Carrus' days as a Storm-Trooper cadet were numbered, soon he would be a Commissar-cadet. Yet he couldn't hide the pride that Natrax had informed him that Commissar-General Nathan Harken was on the way. Nabokov grew up hearing about that Commissar, and Harken had personally recommended Carrus' entry to this honored Schola Progenium two years ago. He knew Carrus' fortunes were about to change for the better.

Within the hour Carrus with his meltagun were trailing through the armory. He used a flashlight as it was damn dimly lit down there. Half of the rods in the ceiling had flared out, the other half blinked. It was clinically clean down in the bunker were the weapons of Schola Freudakia were kept. Carrus looked around. "Where the hell were Lucius?" He thought.

The flashlight shone brightly in the dim darkness, at times Carrus shuddered as he recognized failed cadets who had been lobotomized and mind-scrubbed, they had been turned to monstrous servitors. That was the prize of failure at this most honorable Schola. Worse for Carrus, he was a bad Storm-Trooper cadet. Which meant he was likely to face such a fate. He shrugged off the negative thoughts continuing inside looking for the Enginseer.

"Acolyte?" Carrus finally stopped a non-lobotomized member down at the armory. He smiled regarding the plae face of the man, he thought, the brown greatcoat didn't exactly reveal features. "Take me to Enginseer Lucius at once, I'm Carrus he has ordered me down here." The guy looked at Carrus with a look that could kill, as Carrus interrupted him in maintaining the Machine Spirit of the lasgun laying on the table. Yet the name Carrus had been mentioned by Enginseer Lucius the man in charge of the weapons and ammunition here. He waved his hand and Carrus followed him through the dimly lit corridors with shelves full of weapons.

"There he is." The irritated tech-acolyte pointed at Enginseer Lucius who was busy repairing a Valkyrie under the hangar. He was muttering for himself as he changed some piping on it while doing a total overhaul of it's engines. It had been used hard, Lucius hated that. Those stupid human pilots always used the Valkyrie too hard when airlifting cadets of any kind to the jungle.

"Excuse me Enginseer." Carrus called out. Lucius didn't hear him, far too busy cleaning out filth from the engine. "EXCUSE ME SIR!!!" Carrus yelled at the top of his lungs. Now Lucius heard him. He let his arms holding him many meters up in the air of the hangar slowly lift him down. His red glare met the blue glare of Carrus who barely flinched.

"Ah yes, Carrus." Lucius' metallic voice called out, Carrus merely shifted a little looking back, he felt safe with the meltagun resting at his belly, hanging from straps over his shoulders. He smiled to his teacher. "What is my duties Enginseer?" Carrus smirked as he expected to be told something mundane like changing the failing rods in the ceiling or wash a Chimera.

"Go through 103 rows, take right, and maintain the meltaguns." Lucius went up to Carrus, and as Carrus blinked and shifted he conjured forth a key-card, it was one of the most powerful at the Schola Freudakia, Carrus had seen such a card only in the hand of Head-Missionary Natrax and other extremely high-ranking personnel. He recognized the AdMech symbol at it and a horrid picture of him splatted on it in the typical lack of style the Tech-Priests had.

"Sir I have no-" The stern look of Lucius got Carrus to trail off, this was more of a golden opportunity. "Ehm I meant thank you, Enginseer Lucius." Lucius merely looked as mad as ever back on Carrus. "Why are you still here? Get over to the meltaguns and maintain them." Carrus could hear the anger in the voice of Lucius as he was handed the key-card and a set of keys. He rapidly ran towards the section of the melta-weaponry as Lucius went back to maintaining the holy Machine Spirit of the Valkyrie.

[Beaviz81]

Two years later. Carrus encountered the bully and rapist Storm-Trooper progeni Kettil in a hallway. Kettil was 19, would have been handsome but his disfigured face had been mangled horribly by a Commissar-cadet when he began there, that one met his end in the furnace. He was blond, blue eyes, tall and muscular, dressed in the sky-grey Storm-Trooper outfit. His eyes got narrow as he saw Carrus, he looked forward to kill the teenager for that throwing-knife to his shoulder a week ago. He drew closer to the grey-clad cadet. He knew Carrus wouldn't have the time raising his meltagun.

Grabbing a hidden knife he lunged at him. Carrus side-stepped, then Kettil felt a sting deep inside him. Everything slowed down, the pain was mind-numbling, he tried to gasp for air, instead blood filled his lungs, he tried to move, nothing, then pain, it hurt like hell.

"Now you die Kettil as you deserve. I'm only sorry I couldn't save Louise from you." Carrus spoke with barely controlled rage.

Kettil realized Carrus had stabbed him with hidden monofilament knives. He slumped back at the gray concrete the stairs were made from. He was gutted, worse he still lived. Now old man Nabokov appeared at the stairs.

Carrus thought he would face execution for certain now. He was covered in blood, Kettil was only mortally wounded not dead. He would speak up, Carrus looked up at the grey figure of Nabokov.

"Carrus, draw your laspistol, and execute failed cadet Kettil for attacking a Commissar-cadet." Nabokov sounded as stern as always. *Tchock* Carrus without hesitation, but with a damn big smile on his face drew his hidden laspistol and executed Kettil. He had gotten revenge for more than a few beatdowns over the years, not to mention the injuries he had suffered on the field of sports from Kettil.

Nabokov smiled glumly. Now he knew Henan would go openly for him Kettil were his favorite student (no wonder they were rumored to be father and son, though Kettil was the son of the sister of Henan), but that didn't matter, one year and the tumor inside him would kill him. At least he had protected Carrus from meeting his fate at the hands of Henan. Instead he was to be put in with the most dour of the students at Schola Freudakia, the students of the Commissariat. For Nabokov himself, he had served over forty years undistinguished as a Commissar. He had five grown kids and a deceased wife, for the last five he had been teaching budding Commissars despite his lack of frontline service.

"Commissar-Cadet Zachary Carrus, that was your first execution, now follow me." Nabokov saw Carrus simply nod smilingly then follow him. They trailed over to the quarters of the Commissar-cadets. Most of the Drill-Aboots and students rapidly got out of their way. They trailed all the way over to the central-hall of the Commissars.

Carrus saw the smile of Ionza, his lover, standing at the main hall. She looked so cute in the Commissar-garb she now were wearing, red quite tall peaked cap, nice greatcoat adorned with gold edges, black pants and combat boots, a dark purple coat hung over her shoulder and she was hefting the longlas over her shoulders with her hands resting on the gun behind her head. She smiled at him.

They had met at 13. She gave him his first kiss then as old Natrax told her Carrus wasn't likely to last long. Now they had a badly concealed relationship as Ionza were known to often spend time in Carrus' quarters with the meltaguns. He had a bed there as he hated sleeping with 200 other guys and blanket-parties aimed at him on Henan's behest had soured him.

Drill-Abbess McLandi discovered Ionza's ranged abilities when she fired at targets on the 500 meter range instead of the 100 meter-range as ordered. None of the Drillers ever take much note of her except the few times she was singled out for praise. So Ionza quietly just adjusted her sights at the 500 meter range which the snipers utilized.

The lasgun was of poor qulity, yet after a few shots she hit the targets. Drill-Abbess McLandi saw that. She was in charge of training the snipers. She was impressed as she thought that weapon was pretty much useless at ranges over 300 meters, yet the young woman laid there silently notching down the targets.

"Nice firing." McLandi smiled at Ionza who looked shocked back. "Relax I won't punish you for not following orders. Just get on your feet."

Ionza was rapidly on the feet. "Yes ma'am." She made a sharp salute to the experienced Drill-Abeess.

"Follow me." McLandi started walking while she hefted her longlas, they went on top of one of the grey concrete buildings. The weather was all fine.

"I have someone I would like you to kill, a tall, dark and handsome male of the commissar-cadets. It's the one with the flashy ear-ring, and with the girls flocking around him." McLandi spoke, Ionza merely nodded as she followed her.

McLandi handed Ionza her longlas. "See the cadets sitting in the shade of that large tree?"
"Yes ma'am." Ionza replied quickly while she settled down.
"Shoot h-." *Tchock* Ionza had already gotten the sights and range adjusted. With on shot the student leaning against the tree was shot right between his eyes.
"Permission to take out the rest." Ionza sat crouching, she let the excellent sight of the longlas pinpoint the position of a female cadet of the Storm-Troopers, she was pretty. "Granted" *Tchock* She was dead with a gaping hole in the back of her head.

Three more quickly followed, Ionza shot them so they died suffering for the next hours. McLandi was much impressed, she now knew she had a candidate for the honored 81st.

"I trust you didnt mind the twist of me shooting the other guys fatally?" Ionza smirked, she was confident. McLandi observed the snipings through her binoculars. She merely shook her head.

McLandi penned down an order. "Here, and go see Zachary Carrus in the armory, he will give you the weapon." She handed Ionza a quickly written order. "Thank you ma'am." Ionza made a sharp salute as she ran towards the armory.

She entered the armory, her order laid written in her pocket. She saw him. He had changed, he was still gaunt, but looked much stronger and taller now, she had grown herself to her full size, though a fair bit skinnier than at 19. Carrus were polishing an ordinary and well-functioning lasgun, in the brightly lit armory. Much had changed in the two years since Lucius appointed him Master of Arms.

He was wearing a burgundy-colored greatcoat, she was in her black sisterhood-garb. She heard him whistle an old tune as the lasgun were swiftly dissembled then he used his rug to carefully while sitting on a table leaning himself on the wall cleaned the gun, just as Lucius had impatiently taught him (the part with dissembling the gun, not whistling and carelessly sitting on the table while doing that).

Carrus saw Ionza before she saw him. He smiled at her, not too often did he get visited down there. Rapidly reassembling the lasgun he jumped down from the table. She walked calmly over to him.

"I got orders-" Ionza started to speak, Carrus just cut her off. "Really? Like I never heard that one before." He Looked at her with a teasing grin. Ionza rapidly gave him the order.

"Ah Drill-Abbess McLandi, she is okay." Carrus smiled at her as he read the note. "Hm longlas, you are a sniper? And must be a damn good one, not often do I get requests from Drillers to allow a student to wear weapons when they are sixteen. Infact I have been the only non-graduating student to be allowed to wear anything but a laspistol." Carrus looked skeptical at Ionza, it was clear he had reservations about the order.

"Well you can face down Drill-Abbess McLandi yourself." Ionza was annoyed, not only did this young man patronize her, but he also dared to brag. "Heyh I meant no harm, I merely how unusual such an order is." Carrus smiled and sounded disarmingly, then he paused a little, as if his glazed eyes recognized her. "You look familiar, have we met?" Ionza merely snickered. "Three years ago, you were cleaning a Chimera up. We talked briefly. I'm glad to see you still alive and kicking." Ionza smirked as she talked to him.

"Ah it was you." Carrus remembered full and well, he lit up in a wide smile. "Why did you kiss me?" He looked confused at her. "I don't know. It just happened." Ionza shrugged as she didn't have a good answer. She kissed him after old Natrax told her that he was unlikely to last long. She had just entered the Schola as a student, and they had walked past him scrubbing down the vehicle.

They walked over to the longlas storage, with Carrus unlocking and locking doors as they went past. Since he was taken under the protective wings of Lucius he had changed the armory as Lucius preferred to operate the more advanced equipment leaving it to Carrus to reorganize it as he saw fit. Now Skitarii sentries were stationed everywhere, only Carrus and Lucius had access to everything. Carrus had installed rooms where it before were just shelfs with racks of guns. Now green metal lockers had replaced the gun-holders. Many of the Drillers had objected due to their restricted access, but Lucius had permitted the changes and Natrax personally congratulated Carrus on them.

Carrus opened up a final crate, inside it laid a longlas in pieces. Quickly Carrus assembled the weapon, while talking. "This is the finest longlas of this Schola Progenium. Lovingly made by Lucius himself. Effective range 3 kilometers, shoots special hotshot ammunition as well as ordinary lasgun-bolts, weight less than 3 kilograms. It's a Lucius Mark II Longlas. Worth a fraking fortune." Ionza stared perplexed at the weapon.

Then Carrus held up the sight. "This one is designed at the forges of Caracus IV. Caracus Vision sight. It can see anything, infrared, ultraviolet, things I can't even name, can zoom so things being 3 kilometers away seems like they are standing next to you." He looked seriously into the eyes of Ionza as he spoke. "This is the finest longlas ever made, only the legendary snipers of the 81st. Freudakian has access to such a weapon." He held the longlas in his hands, before resting it's stock onto the ground. It was almost as tall as Ionza.

"And now it seems like you, a mere teenager also has it." Carrus sighed as he surrendered the fine weapon to her. "Yes it's the finest weapon I have ever seen." Ionza glanced perplexed on the fine longlas. It seemed like it was made for her. "You can keep the weapon as your own." Carrus swiftly penned down an order taking a notepad on the grey metallic desk which the Tech-Acolytes used to maintain the longlases, prongs and other tools for weapon-maintenance were hanging on the wall behind the desk easily accessable. He then forged the signature of Lucius on it. "Relax, Lucius never punishes me for forging his signatures." He smiled as he looked on the surprised girlish face with her mouth half-open. "He only grades my forgeries." Then she was handed the order.

A fine bottle of 42 year old Freudakian white wine came up to rest on the desk, along with two drinking glasses. "I hope you drink, whatcha name by the way?" Carrus glanced over at her as the wine-bottle were opened.

"Ehm yes I drink, my name is Michelle Ionza, you can call me Michelle if you want to. Your name then?" Ionza was a bit perplexed about Carrus suddenly sitting down at the desk and opening a fine bottle of wine. "Zachary Carrus. Call me Carrus, dad must have hated me." Carrus shrugged as he poured the wine into one of the glasses. He continued while handing Ionza the bottle. "Naming a kid Sack was a horrible idea, should be a law against it."

Ionza merely snickered as she poured the wine into the second glass. "Few here knew their parents me included. Cheers." Both lifted their glass and tasted the fine liquid inside. "What about Lucius? Doesn't he object to the alcohol in here?" Ionza looked a bit scared at Carrus as the Enginseer were quite the scary sight.

Smirking Carrus brought up fine Ciralixian lho-rods from his robe. He handed one to Ionza, then took one himself, using his laschisel to ignite both. "No problem, Lucius was the one ordering the wine. He caught me drinking some cheaper stuff a year ago. So I had to request the good stuff instead." Carrus drank deep of the glass, smiling as he sat there smoking.

"Emperor, I was certain he would kill me when he caught me drinking. Lucius was mad at me for drinking what he called Grox-spittle ordering me to get some Freudakian White 20 years or older." Ionza giggled as Carrus talked, while she sipped of the fine wine. "Luckily for me, no planet makes finer wine than Freudakia." He smiled. "Do you like it?" She smiled a broad smile as she nodded. Neither teenager knew what they started as they rapidly started to pour down wine. Next day they confused and with headaches woke up in the same bed.

Ionza smiled at Carrus as they stood in the Central-hall of the Schola-Commissars. She knew Henan the tormentor of Carrus would be dead soon. Carrus quickly dressed up in the flowing Commissar-garb.

"You are both to report to Head-Missionary Natrax." Nabokov looked at both cadets, with a smile on his face, he knew they would be effective. Ionza was gifted as a Sororita, just her fear of the Emperor made her less than willing to pray. Carrus he had tutored from time to time over the years. He would adapt.