"Ahel."
This is a phrase uttered by the Space Marines after announcing the gathering of survivors, a High Gothic language not well understood by the hive residents.
At first the commander and the soldiers thought it was a greeting, then they guessed it was a curse, then they realized it was neither.
The phrase was passed down orally among the citizens of various shelters and strongholds, men and women whispered it to each other when they met, parents would say it to their children as if it were a cure for fear, and old friends would Hold hands and say it before parting.
None of the soldiers asked the survivors what it meant, and those who did were met with shaking heads and gloomy looks, as if they had just asked why people were breathing.
Then, just as the soldiers' curiosity wore off, volunteers stepped up.
At first there were only a few, brave men in rags, and then many more came - old and young, men and women, all gathered together.
When the officers appeared, the ragged citizens would say that they had volunteered to fill the void left by the fallen soldiers, that they were willing to drive any war machine and obey any order.
At first the scattered Guardsmen officers refused, but with each Ork attack the losses mounted.
They can replace machines. Unused munitions are scattered in forgotten corners and bunkers in bunkers. Most of the equipment is old and damaged, or it is brand new but incomplete, but the damage can be repaired, or Replace with found parts.
What cannot be replaced are those who operate the machines, control the guns, and press the triggers.
So, in the end, the terrible arithmetic of war gave the surviving residents of Hades's fallen zone what they wanted - they would launch raids on the land they had lost, killing those who had taken it from them. s things.
The old, weak, women and children were sent to a safer place, and the remaining people were taught how to operate armored vehicles, how to load artillery, how to aim, fire, and how to use a microphone.
As training, it was too short and inadequate, the soldiers knew it, and the citizens knew it too.
Most people know that harsh reality will either teach them or kill them, but no one talks about it.
What’s the point of speaking this truth out loud?
After less than twenty-four hours of training, volunteers were assigned to units that had suffered losses.
A small number of them, those with talent and skill, were given vehicles to control.
Later, only after realizing that they would live and die together, did the soldiers ask the mysterious Adepts Astartes what "A'hel" meant.
The explanation of the Astartes is simple. It comes from the distant planet Nessen IV and has many meanings, but here and now, it has only one meaning.
"revenge."
They say so and so.
"It means revenge."
After the meeting, Maxin returned to the extremely busy camp. Ten thousand soldiers in gray uniforms gathered near the original armory. Hundreds of workers were working on the Chimera and Cerberus that were covered with traces of battle damage. The hull climbed up and down, inspecting armor plates, repairing track gear, testing turret rotation, raising and lowering gun barrels, chanting battle prayers to appease the angry machine spirit of the great war machine.
This armory had a semi-buried structure, so it was not discovered by the Greenskins. A group of retreating Guardsmen used it to defend it. In the end, these weapons became the key to the newly formed army.
The roar of engines, the hum of servos, and the chant of mechanical chants filled the air.
The exhaust fumes from the vehicles are as pungent as the planet's atmosphere, and the air vibrates with the roar of the vehicles' engines. Unless you see it with your own eyes, no one can truly appreciate the complexity and hustle and bustle of getting an army on the move.
Even Maxin did not expect that there were so many survivors in the occupied areas.
In just one week, they gathered more than two hundred thousand young men and women.
Before the battle begins, everyone can feel the atmosphere of secret excitement and suppressed fear.
But when a person has been surrounded by fear and isolation for several months, he will no longer be so afraid of death, after all, there are so many more people around him.
"Have you contacted the Nineteenth Regiment?"
"Sir, we have made contact. The other party is moving towards the scheduled assembly point. They are relatively close to the greenskin gathering area, so it may take some time."
They passed a row of Chimeras, and the crew lay on military blankets with their heads resting on their luggage, checking their light guns. Masin occasionally nodded to familiar people along the way. From the siege to now, the familiar faces he could recognize were already very common. not enough.
Passing a long row of trucks with idling engines, the drivers stuck their heads out of the windows and looked around. Several people shouted at the troop carrier in front and asked what was going on when they were waiting there.
"what's the situation?"
Massing soon discovered the reason for the team's stagnation.
A truck broke down due to mechanical failure, blocking the entire convoy. A team of workers and their tractors were lowering a metal crane to the front of the truck, hoping that the crane rail could successfully lift the truck.
Another team attached a chain to the truck's front tow hook to pull the trapped vehicle away.
Maxin quickened his pace and left the chaotic place on foot.
In front is a large area covered with bubble-shaped tents. This was originally a sports ground and is now the main gathering place for the Armageddon Counterattack Corps.
In the open space between the camping areas, a company team is taking the time to train and repair equipment.
Officers always like to keep their soldiers busy.
"Look at these guys."
Masin said, waving his big hand with his right arm and pointing at a bunch of new recruits.
"They should go back to church and pray."
Massin's deputy glanced but said nothing, probably because he felt the same way.
A large part of the crowd were new faces. Many of these teenagers, who were just fifteen or sixteen years old, still had choir-shaped dome haircuts. Their childish looks were all too familiar to veterans.
According to the time span of this war, they were like this not too long ago.
At this time, a veteran made a low whistle often used to express happiness.
"Why don't you go up and impart some life lessons?"
"Don't delay things."
These newly recruited soldiers are still sharp-edged and full of vigor, and it is obvious that they have not been beaten on the battlefield.
Maxin knew that a large number of them would not live long enough to mature. This was not a matter of foreboding, but that they had experienced many battles.
They quickly moved to the core area of the camp. After two inspections by the guards, there were very few people here. Only officers and technicians wearing standard uniforms occasionally hurried past.
This is not only the command center of the counterattack group, but also the location where the Astral Knights Chapter, the real pillar of the counterattack, is stationed.
