On the streets of Gravelax,
Over the years, Cain himself had fought many street battles. If he had to choose a battlefield, urban areas were basically a place to avoid if possible.
Streets restricted the deployment of friendly fire, any window or corridor could hide snipers, and buildings completely confused his tactical awareness.
If a building didn't block the line of sight, it would certainly distort surrounding sounds, making it difficult to distinguish the source of fire. The only good news during engagement was that civilians usually weren't accidentally injured, because by the time the Guardians were deployed, any civilians who hadn't escaped would have already been bombed to dust by airstrikes and artillery.
However, the situation this evening was entirely different. The buildings were still intact, though the ominous orange-red glow in the sky portended that good times wouldn't last.
The streets were full of people, not shoulder-to-shoulder, but not deserted either. As the military truck accelerated, Cain glimpsed civilians seeking cover, trying to avoid or join the ever-gathering mobs at street corners.
Some people wore alien woven garments, while others declared their loyalty to the Imperium. Naturally, the Aquila was the most common, and the noisiest militiamen wore bright red sashes, similar to Cain's own insignia as a Political Commissar.
Although these people were nominally loyal to the Imperium, along the way, most of the crowds Cain saw were engaged in "zero-dollar shopping."
Kastin sat in the driver's seat, pressing herself against the passenger door, as far from Yugen as possible, just like Cain. Her hair was wind-blown, and the window was rolled down all the way, allowing her to breathe as much fresh air as possible, since car windows wouldn't stop Las-fire or live rounds anyway.
"See, at least it's not all about the Tau philosophy, is it?"
Cain pointed to the alien sympathizers rushing out of a burning pawn shop, their pockets stuffed with cash.
At this, Kastin quipped, "All thanks to the greater greed."
As they approached, these alien sympathizers recognized their military truck as an Imperial Army vehicle and began to hurl insults, with bottles and improvised projectiles flying towards the truck.
"Fire, over their heads, Sergeant Rustis."
Cain ordered, and the Soldiers in the cargo bay opened fire, their Las-fire just low enough to scare the people away. Yugen slammed the accelerator as they scattered.
Cain watched the chaos outside, recalling the beginning... As soon as the blue-skinned diplomats got into the vehicle, Li Feng ordered Cain and his party to leave the Governors Mansion and escort the Tau diplomats to the Tau embassy. At this time, the military truck traveled through the turbulent streets, the firelight from behind illuminating Sergeant Rustis and a platoon of Soldiers, forming two fire teams with the blue-skinned diplomats sandwiched in between.
This wasn't heavily fortified, but it was the best arrangement at the time.
"Stay safe on the road, Political Commissar."
Li Feng calmly bid Cain farewell, while Cain believed luck was their greatest aid. Cain gripped his hand firmly, thankfully his reinforced fingers prevented his inner tremor from showing, then nodded solemnly.
"The Emperor protects us."
Cain hypocritically prayed, then entered the driver's cabin. This box of iron and glass offered some protection, and with Kastin and Yugen on either side, it was the safest spot in the entire vehicle. Of course, the heavy bolter turret under the car provided a strong sense of security.
Just as Cain's life motto stated: "The Emperor always favors the clever who take precautions."
He watched Li Feng see them off, then turn and enter the Governors Mansion, where gunshots and Laser Gun flashes were now audible. That was his command post.
He knew in his heart that Li Feng wanted to fight these blue-skins, but absolutely not in this way. Li Feng was now the face of the Imperium, a man of the Emperor.
A man of the Emperor must act with proper justification. As long as Cain sent these blue-skins back and told them that their infiltration had let in "flies," that the Planetary Governor had become a Gretchin, and that such a large riot had occurred.
Faith in the Emperor, yes! Your greater good is utter nonsense.
Then Li Feng could simply blame everything on the Tau, and then Li Feng could legitimately kick the Tau's asses.
Cain remained vigilant for potential threats, while Kastin navigated Yugen through the tactical net, seeking the route with the least unrest. Along the way, they avoided the most intense areas of the riot.
"So far, so good."
Looking back now, Cain's words were clearly a challenge to fate, and fate responded with an unequivocal slap.
Almost as the military truck rounded a narrow alley onto the spaceport highway, he noticed a blurry figure ahead through the windshield. The relaxation and joy he had felt entering the city on this grand avenue were long gone.
Numerous metal barrels were piled in the middle of the road, combined with lit fires, forming a roadblock.
"Political Commissar! Roadblock!" Yugen unnecessarily repeated the obvious, staring at Cain, awaiting orders.
Cain replied, assessing the situation, "Don't be nervous, no need to attract enemy fire unless necessary."
The figures gradually approached, illuminated by the firelight, carrying Laser Guns. Cain tried to identify their uniforms, but the pale yellow firelight made color identification difficult; they might have been wearing light grey or light blue uniforms, with slightly darker light body armor over them.
"Planetary Defence Force."
Kastin confirmed their identity via the tactical net,
"Loyal troops, here to assist the Adeptus Arbites."
"Thank the God-Emperor," Cain muttered, relaying the information to Rustis in the rear compartment,
"They are friendly forces, for now."
"Understood, Political Commissar." The Sergeant's voice was calm, understanding the implicit meaning of Cain's order, which reassured Cain.
If anything happened, the Astra Militarum would be ready. Cain adjusted his uniform, making sure he looked like a proper Political Commissar.
A military truck slowly stopped, and a slender figure stood in front of it, raising a hand to signal Yugen to stop. It was a very young child, his face still bearing fading acne scars, wearing an oversized helmet painted with the prominent Lieutenant insignia of the Planetary Defence Force. In the night and on the battlefield, it conspicuously marked his rank, as if reminding the enemy to prioritize attacking him.
"Who's in the vehicle?" the young Lieutenant demanded.
Colonel Kastin leaned out of the driver's window, responding coolly, her tone devoid of hesitation: "Colonel Kastin, Valhalla 597th Regiment, and accompanying Political Commissar Cain. Order your men to let us pass."
"I can't do that," the Lieutenant replied stubbornly, a hint of apology in his voice.
Kastin frowned at him, as if scrutinizing some stain on her pristine foot: "I thought a Colonel's rank was higher than a Lieutenant's, wasn't it, Political Commissar?"
Cain looked coldly at the child, questioning his attitude: "Unless you Gravelax people have your own system?"
Cain's sharp gaze visibly paled the Lieutenant's face, and the Lieutenant immediately replied timidly:
"No, Political Commissar. But I have orders not to allow anyone to pass."
Cain took a deep breath, maintaining his composure: "I have the authority as a Political Commissar to override any order you have been given." The authority in his voice made the other party waver for a moment.
The Lieutenant hesitated, saying, "But... the rebels control the adjacent block, and the Tau forces are also moving out..."
"Baka-yarou!" Iil Hasse jumped out from behind.
Clearly, his appearance startled the Lieutenant and his Soldiers.
"We Tau forces have an agreement with you and are staying behind the border!"
Cain saw Iil's impulsive behavior, disregarding the situation, and secretly suppressed his displeasure. At this moment, the Lieutenant suddenly raised his Laser Gun, aiming at Cain and his party, and the Soldiers behind the roadblock also raised their guns.
In this tense moment, Cain remained calm and commanded: "By my authority as a Political Commissar, I order you to let us pass immediately."
However, these words seemed to have no effect on the other party; instead, they drew curses from the Soldiers: "They are traitors! There are blue-skins in the car! This car was stolen by them!"
Cain frowned slightly and replied coldly: "Go find your superior, the liaison office can confirm our identity."
The Lieutenant's eyes were still hesitant, but his gaze darted between Cain and Kastin, clearly still undecided on how to proceed.
"Arrest these traitors!"
Cain knew he needed to act quickly, so he unhesitatingly raised his laser pistol. With a gunshot, half of the child's face disappeared in the beam.
Cain had made countless similar decisions in his life, but this time, complex emotions surfaced in his heart. The Lieutenant before him was not an enemy, just a clumsy child overly eager for merit, yet in his final expression, that instant of terror and unwillingness was deeply imprinted in Cain's mind.
"Fire!" Cain ordered in a low voice.
The Guardians in the military truck's rear compartment immediately raised their Laser Guns, and a dense, rain-like barrage overwhelmed the Planetary Defence Force. Only a few Planetary Defence Force members recovered from the shock in time, forced to flee to cover by the Las-fire, while Yugen immediately stomped on the accelerator.
"Damn it!" Kastin retracted her bolt pistol from outside the window, narrowly dodging a Guardian's Las-fire, her side door sizzling from the impact.
Cain knew that all his decisions had not overstepped the Political Commissar's authority; the other party had defied his direct order, and in such a situation, any Political Commissar's only choice was one.
But Cain inevitably recalled how he had gone to great lengths to save the lives of those five criminal Soldiers on the wrath of justice, and these idiots just now were far less deserving of death.
Regardless, Yugen slammed the accelerator to the limit, and the military truck crashed through the roadblock. An unlucky Planetary Defence Force member was caught in the wheels, emitting a teeth-grinding crunch, like accidentally crushing a bone-in sausage.
The oil drums of the first roadblock scattered like bowling pins, spinning across the highway, severely damaging surrounding buildings and parked vehicles.
Most Planetary Defence Force members didn't even survive until the oil drums stopped. Their basic combat training was simply no match for these veterans who had crushed Hive Fleet alive.
Although some tried to fight back, their stray shots were no match for the precise marksmanship of the Valhalla elite warriors, and burning craters quickly appeared on their heads and body armor.
A few muffled curses came over the comms channel; the Planetary Defence Force's wild return fire finally hit a Guardian Soldier, and Sergeant Rustis immediately crouched to check on him.
"Are you alright?"
"Suka! Harasho, I'm very harasho now!"
But from her fluent cursing, Cain knew the injury was not serious.
"Hold on, Political Commissar."
Yugen shifted gears, and the military truck swayed as it crashed through the second roadblock, knocking over a burning oil drum. It spun away, and the burning promethium inside spilled onto the road behind them, incinerating the casualties from the recent conflict.
"No escape."
Kastin aimed her bolt pistol and fired a supplementary shot, the wisp of smoke pointing directly at the fleeing Planetary Defence Force member's back, piercing his body armor and blowing him into chunks of flesh and a spray of blood.
Cain connected his communicator,
"Rustis?"
"That was the last one, Political Commissar." He replied dryly. Cain knew Rustis's thoughts; these helplessly resisting friendly forces had become the first blood for their brand new regiment.
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