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Here's an elegant solution...

Yorke scanned the woods with the aid of his handy scope-o-matic 2000's. Two areas of activity presented themselves. A pair of mutually supportive defensive points occupying the high ground within the trees. 

"Right!" he said decisively, "I'll go this way with Khan, Hadj, Alenko and Barbary." 
The cadets did not look excited at this prospect.
"The rest of you go that way, with Delano." 

Har Har. Only kidding. 

I'll write up something for Gaelos, then I'll see what I can do with Vireak.

I'm about to be swamped by work for college the next few days. Looks like Alenko's POV might have to wait.

No worries WK, if you tell us when you want to write that from and to, we'll wait on you and not get screwy with time.

Don't wait on me. I'm a painfully slow writer when it comes to Alenko, so I'd rather see what other post regarding the battle, and put my own spin on the whole thing

I still forget this is a thing and still have no idea where I need to start writing from.

 Avatar 720 wrote:
I still forget this is a thing and still have no idea where I need to start writing from.

Story of my life.

 Avatar 720 wrote:
I still forget this is a thing and still have no idea where I need to start writing from.

We've just deployed if you want to jump in there.

Alright Av here's the summary. 

After all the introductions the cadets had a hard time in training when some Astartes pounded the tar out of them in an exercise. 

Barbary returned from med-bay drunk and got in a bit of a fight with Ardo. Felix had to split them up. 

Jhonus got injured, again.
Alenko is getting more and more paranoid about someone finding out about his family lineage. 

Barbary does seem to be somehow connected with that and Khan has found out about it.

Yorke and Delano don't seem to best of buds and there's a bit contention growing there which can only come to a head in the coming combat as we find out who's really in charge or more importantly who the cadets will  choose to follow.

They've just been shipped out to fight the Tau alongside the Mordian 183rd so Ardo is hell-bent on revenge and Tau scalps. And we've had a few scenes of various characters and how they're feeling on the to the front lines. 

Next up it's the battle to write. Battlefield is Temperate, Forest landscape, The Guard taking on the Tau. Looking forward to reading more from Felix .
I've no idea about Tau so I'm in frantic research more now trying to come up with anything worth writing. Battle scenes aren't my strong suit so I'm not hopeful. 

That's why I handed out the goggles - the cadets can either get in there and fight, or direct the troops to where they see movement. I'm not a skirmish writer either.

Well, I'll be right at home writing about some Kroot. Fighting the Tau was the best thing that ever happened to this cadet squad, IMO. Don't mind me, I'll just be narrowing down all of the ideas I have until I get something manageable and that actually has organization.

I'm so sorry this one is so long. Talk about a tale that grows in the telling... 


Beyond the noise of the bustling camp a series of shots carried on the wind reached their ears. A flurry of startled birds in the distance confirmed the direction and the cadets set out. Accompanied by a squad of Mordian Iron Guard they made their way cautiously through the trees, beneath the vail of forest that shrouded the landscape.

The morning sun had yet to crest the eastern hills. Cool air poured down into the wooded valley where a misty chill clung about the boles, damp and dreary and grey. A silence pervaded the air, despite the twenty plus men and women of the patrol, fully equipped and armed for combat stalking the forest with grim intent.

Barbary was on point. The natural adrenaline of battlefield stress was working wonders. If only he could be this with-it all the time, he thought, and not such a mess off the field. He had a lot to prove to his fellow cadets and he was determined to win their respect again.

His fist shot up signalling all behind to take cover. Away in the distance his goggles were picking up flashes of heat between the trees. Heat registering as human, but he knew enough to be cautious. The Tau had been known to make use of human mercenaries before. He stood steady and raised the goggles up onto his crown. Surveying the same point with fresh eyes Barbary caught flickers of white in the grey. A man in the familiar uniform of the 183rd was running toward them.

"Sergeant Bird," He called back to the Mordian sergeant who led the accompanying squad, hoping a friendly face or uniform would be the best bet to receive a wayward charge, "friendly approaching at one o'clock." 
The sergeant moved up beside him and eyed the firing lanes between the trees warily. He was taking no chances and he certainly wasn't taking Barbary at his word. At last the stranger stumbled into view. 

"Barrett, Whitt!" the Sergeant called, moving forward immediately. Two Mordian privates brushed past Barbary to join their sergeant and together they advanced cautiously to intercept the stranger.

The man, who had looked flustered at first, pulled himself together and stood almost to attention.
"Private Darling, sir." he reported, breathless. "We have positive enemy contact... Three patrol, northern march... Five nine degrees north by one one east... casualties four by last count."

"Whitt, watch point. Barrett, get those coordinates on the vox to HQ."
"Five nine north, one one east?"
Darling nodded his affirmation and Barrett doubled back to the rest of the waiting patrol passing Delano and Yorke on the way. The two senior commissars joined Bird for the private's debrief

 "Alright, Darling." Sergeant Bird wanted the whole story, not just the highlights. "Take it slowly from the top."
Darling began to speak but the sudden appearance of a pair of Commissars shook his confidence.
"I swear I didn't run, Sarge... I mean I ran all the way here... but before that... I mean."
"It's ok, Darling" Yorke could barely keep his face straight "We're not here to frighten you." 
Delano didn't look impressed. She looked frightening.
"They hit Dickinson with the vox first... burst cannon. Both of 'em went to pieces" 
"So your Sergeant ordered you back as a runner to report contact." Delano interjected.
"Not exactly, S-sir... Ma'am... I m-mean, I... He..."
"Who is your Sergeant, Darling!" Bird was getting impatient.
"Harris, Sir. He's dead, Sir."
"Go on, Darling." Yorke urged, smiling inappropriately.
Darling was beginning to suspect there was something altogether strange about the tall ageing Commissar on his right. Ignoring the man as best he could he tried to continue.
"Harris ordered a wide volley in the direction of the thing that hit Dickinson, we couldn't see anything but we hit it alright. Stealth suit. Once we had it lit up though we poured on the las."
"and Harris?"
"Something hit him."
"The stealth suit?"
"Rail Rifle, we think. Looks like the suit had Pathfinder support and it stopped our patrol right in the middle of their firing lane. Nicko went down next before we even knew what was happening and then we all dived for cover. I think maybe Murray never made it...
"I was on the friendly side of the lane and Janick told me to leg it for help. I heard a shot, a long-las sniper, one of ours, close by, so I took my chance and made a break for it. Never thought I'd make it... sir." Darling looked up from his fearful recollections and noticed for the first time several other men in Commissar uniform amongst the patrol  he had fallen upon. Out of the frying pan... He thought.  

"Alright, private, fall in. We'll take it from here."
Bird gave the lad a solid pat on the back as he passed.
"Thankyou, Darling." added Yorke unable to help himself. He read Delano's cold-set glare and then kept his mouth shut.

The news was sent back to the HQ and soon a voice on the vox came back with orders to proceed with caution to discover the fate of the rest of Darling's squad. 

Walking on, Darling led the way, this time with Hadj on point. The humourless cadet was true to form, finding nothing in the least amusing about Private Darling's name. Hadj thought it only natural,  many names he recalled from his youth translated to much the same thing, his own cousin Habib amongst them. 

He stalked silently next to the shaken Mordian trooper, easily retracing the man's flight by the trail of footprints and freshly disturbed humus. Heavy footprints and big broken branches, a real breadcrumb trail for any Tau pathfinder to follow. Hadj had seen a score of men on patrol leave less of a mark on the landscape. 

A glint from the forest floor along a long firing lane to the left caught his eye. He shoved Darling to the side behind a thorny bush and likewise took cover himself in the undergrowth. With the use of his goggles Hadj noted no trace of heat from that location. He signalled his intent to Alenko who was keeping watch on the situation behind them before stalking off to investigate. 

Darling watched, frozen like a rabbit as Hadj approached and inspected the object. At last the cadet stood up and made the sign of the Aquilla, a good sign in any context, he thought. Hadj wasted no time in returning to the patrol. 
"Sniper drone," he reported. "0ne of ours has taken the lid off it with a high powered las-round. Probably saved your life, Darling."
Someone sniggered.
"We must be close!" announced Delano, cutting to the chase. "Darling?"
The man jumped. "Y-yes I think so, a few hundred yards maybe..." He didn't look at all sure. 
"Then fall in. Sergeant Bird! Get these men moving expect contact in 'a few hundred yards... Maybe'."
Darling slunk into line painfully aware of his inadequacies not daring to meet the surely withering gaze of any if his superiors.

A short distance further, dropping down into a small gully a voice from beyond the undergrowth called for the Sergeant, startling Darling from his private fears. He knew enough by now to know he would soon be required. 
There in the brush lay a blood stained uniform barely containing what remained of a man.
"E. T. Head." read Sgt Bird, the man's tags in hand. 
"Eddie. Our Specialist." Darling croaked, barely a whisper. The trail of blood answered as many more questions as needed to be asked and they followed.

The scene was much as they had feared. Dead men, plasma burns and head wounds. A trap laid by the enemy and viscously sprung. Once the area was secure Darling helped to identify his former squad mates and directed the search for the stealth suit. 
They found the thing some distance from the fallen troopers, heavily damaged with innumerable las-burns but empty. Darling, who had been holding out for this moment, holding onto all his hurt and anger to release it, direct into the face of his enemy, was faced with nothing but a blank visor, and an empty shell. He slumped beside the suit and finally gave his heart over to weeping.

After a moment, a man sat beside him sharpening a blade with slow deliberation. A man in the black uniform of the commissariat. Darling straightened and, concentrating on his breathing, composed himself. 
"They took everything from me, the Tau." said Ardo, still drawing the stone along the edge of a standard issue Imperial combat knife. 
"My home... my family..." he paused and tested the edge with a practiced thumb, his thoughts still drifting a million miles away.
"This knife," he began anew, "belonged to your Sergeant..." 
"Harris" Darling added, emerging from his despair.
"This is you." Ardo explained. "Hard, and sharp and thirsty. A heart of iron honed for one purpose." Ardo rose to his feet and thrust out a hand to pull Darling up. He pressed the warm blade into the trooper's palm. Darling tested the blade's balance with a set of neat and savage thrusts and slashes in the air. Intellectually he knew it was no different to the one sheathed at his side yet his heart swelled with a new pride and purpose.

The all too familiar crack of lasgun fire interrupted Darling's rebirth and they both raced to join the fight. Above the shouting of orders and the relentless volley fire of lasguns a rising rush of air was swelling some distance away. A pair of tetras were slowing to a halt at the furthest range of the lasguns' strength and accuracy. A pathfinder was helping a wounded Tau confederate into the rear seat of the craft in front which sped away with all haste. A krack missile sailed in on a plume of smoke but failed to hit the remaining craft as it turned into the cover of an immense pine and accelerated away. The tree tilted noisily and fell at an angle upheld by a number of it's smaller siblings, then all was silence and smoke.

"Well," said Delano, dropping her hot potato back into its holster, "They know we're here. Let's be ready for them."

Absolutely wonderful work there. I was causing some raised eyebrows by sniggering while reading.
Poor Darling. I'd be there with Yorke.
I really liked Ardo's inspiration, very well done indeed.

I have a few decision style scenes to throw in, but I think you guys need some rough and tumble first, so I'll let you have a crack.

I'm not quite sure how to go about writing up this scene, so if you want to write something up first Buttery, then I say go for it. I can't speak for the others, but I don't really know where to begin with this, so don't wait up for me right now.

My plan was to have a nice stroll through the woods and possibly have them fend off an ambush of sorts, or something like that, but I don't want everyone to have to be stuck with that specific scenario if they had other plans.

To be honest I don't know what to do, so I'll let the others post what their lot is doing so I have an idea of what I can do.

I got another one on the go. It's half done and already its pretty big. I kinda stopped to see where you guys were taking things cause i didn't want to monopolise the thread with my bulky blurbs. But if no-one has anything in the meantime I'll happily post part one of the fighting in the forest.
Come to think of it, it doesn't even really follow on exactly from where I left off. It's pretty separate, maybe from a time further into the war.

Well what I have doesn't link directly to this, so I'll do a little Yorking and pull it together. I would like to try and get anyone still actively posting (WK, BJ, TheCrowe, jhe and 720?) to give an explanation what their cadet would do, even if they don't write a piece for it.

Edit: If you have something, go for it! There's no rules. I feel bad that I basically didn't pick a cadet so a lot of my stuff is Yorke waxing lyrical about being highly irresponsible.

The line stretched for miles and miles. From the open plains in the south where oil slicked the sands and wells from the sheer weight of imperial armour deployed to hold back the advancing Tau from the cities beyond, to the dense forested highlands where trees shrouded cloud-billowed heights and glacier-carved valleys alike.

Generals and their staff officers in offices and field HQ's with maps decades if not centuries old tried to  make sense of the landscape. What seemed like a straight march on paper turned out to be a long slow punishing climb or a treacherous hike through nigh impenetrable country. Years of heavy rains had delved valleys and precipitated landslides causing untold havoc with the distribution of forces along the line. What intelligence the enemy Tau possessed was anyone's guess.

Yorke checked their positioning on the auspex and frowned. The river was still there, they had followed it down-stream from it's source but already it was a raging torrent deep in the cleft of a rocky gorge. The steep sides were over-grown with slippery greenery fed by the fuming mists that rose from the tumult below.

The cadet squad's position in the line was supposed to be on the western bank of the river, supporting the Mordian infantry there. On the eastern bank the line was to continue but there was no indication on the map that crossing the river would be so difficult, it was supposed to be a fordable forest tributary. The map, he conceded was woefully inadequate. He'd seen gretchin produce more accurate cartography with sticks and gak.

A voice came on the vox: A local-wave transmission. They were getting close. Who knew what other surprises lay in store for them. Yorke had a bad feeling about this.

When the cadets and their accompanying Mordian infinity finally made contact with the main fighting all was in chaos. The air was thick with the stink of blood and charged with ozone. A large tarpaulin sheltered a triage unit receiving wounded beyond the medic's capacity for treatment and the shouted orders of a score of officers battled the noise of small arms fire and screaming men to bring order to the madness.

The men and women of Yorke's company were much needed reinforcements and as such they dropped all equipment not immediately required for the fighting and their respective officers began the task of directing their units. Yorke and Delano drew their weapons, signalling to the others to do the same.

"After you, my lady." offered Yorke in mock chivalry, not wishing to waste any time in debating the matter. Delano did not even grace the remark with a scowl but simply took the proffered lead and ran with it. Scanning the forces arrayed before them, and gauging the strength of resistance in each area as best she could she quickly selected a likely spot where their help would be of most benefit.

"Cadets," she began, "prepare yourselves to engage the enemy. This is no heroic charge for the glory of the Emperor." She raised an eyebrow pointedly at a couple of the more eager cadets, "We shall comport ourselves with cool heads and intelligence."
A number of cadets, who looked in need of a little cool intelligence caught the message and steadied their hot heads.
"Beyond these defences I expect to see more trees, more men and more Xenos. Check your fire and utilise all available cover.
We WILL work as a team,"
She caught a few sideward glances between cadets; they knew who she was speaking to.
"Now fix bayonets, cadets. We advance."
With that she turned and strode with purpose and composure into the heart of the fray and those whom she led followed with grim determination.

As Delano crossed the boundary of the camp the full extent of what was transpiring there became apparent. Utter devastation, fragments of squads, of trees, of men. Crumbling defences, dwindling numbers, flagging morale. The brutal assertion reality obliterated her expectations and caused her heart a pause that she dared not allow her feet to match. Vaulting over a splintered wooden barbican the cadets plunged forward into the fight as they knew they must.

Brilliant piece.

I have a response to it to finish, but I also have a bit that came between the two. It just popped out on the train (ooh err).

There is an un-named naughty cadet in it, and I'd like for one of you to decide who's most likely, and work with that. It wouldn't be Frant or Hadj, nor likely Alenko or Khan.

"Looking for gold fillings?" Cadet Barbary's voice interrupted Commissar Yorke's concentration as he knelt beside the Mordian corpse, his fingers lightly tracing the bloodied jawline down to the charred crater that was once a loyal soldier's chest.
The commissar's shoulders stiffened, but he stayed silent. Catching the concealed chain with a single finger, Yorke pulled along it and uncovered a metal tag from the bloodied mess. He unhooked it from around the dead man's neck, and placed the trooper's cap over the strangely peaceful face.

In one blurred motion, Yorke was on his feet and had grabbed the cadet's collar, hauling him up some distance to eye level.
"Dog tags," he stated, before holding the retrieved set close to the young man's face, blood and charred flesh as yet uncleared, "you will find them, you will retrieve them, and you will record them. We have fifteen minutes. And for every man unaccounted for, you and your entire squad will be whipped. Are we clear?" He dropped the startled cadet back on his feet and stared at him with a total lack of emotion.
"Y-you were making light too, before we got here." Barbary panted, too confused to remain silent.
"And now, I'm not," Yorke spoke slowly, "do you know whose tags these are?" he raised his arm again, his voice staying low, but increasing in intensity, "I do, without reading them. I could name every man on the ground around us. You spent months living amongst these men. You will learn when it is time for jokes, and when it is time for respect. Until then, you follow my lead."

The cadet broke his gaze, and stepped back, "Yes, sir."
"Same goes for the rest of you," Yorke didn't turn his head, but was fully aware of the ring of frozen movement around the pair of them, "these men are not just resources! They are your family. You will live, and you will die beside them. And when they die you will treat them with the respect they do not get from anyone else-."
With the last sentence, Yorke wheeled around hard, and without looking, kicked a crouching cadet square in the teeth with his boot-heel, knocking him away from the dead man he was crouched over, "-Dogtags are worn around the neck, not in the jacket lining or wallet."
The cadet fell back, blood pouring out from between the hands he clasped to his mouth.

Delano watched from her position on guard, and felt curious surprise at the apparent change in demeanour from her comrade. She turned her attention back to the forests, and made a note to think more on it later. Now was a dangerous time to be distracted.

*

After the fifteen minutes, Alenko nervously approached the tall, ragged commissar and held out a bundle of cloth. He had in an enterprising move, used his own cadet sash to clean and gather the tags.
"Good work, Alenko. Thank you." Yorke nodded, but gestured to Darling, who was stood also guarding the site, anything to get his eyes away from the massacre.
"Yes sir." the cadet nodded, and walked with the commissar to where the trooper stood, concentrating and pale.
"You will take these back to the Nubila, Darling. They won't be forgotten." Yorke spoke this time without any tone of amusement as Alenko passed the cloth over.
Darling nodded, and stowed the bundle into his jacket, his eyes no longer red with tears, but burning fiercely with an anger that Yorke recognised. Ardo had successfully stirred up resolve from an empty barrel, and the commissar felt his anger at the group lessen slightly.
Gripping Alenko and Darling by the shoulders, Yorke then smiled again for the first time since encountering the site of the slaughter, "We move."

Fantastic stuff! Gotta love when the big man starts dishing out P.E. Lessons for the kids. Talk about kicking ass and taking names.

think i'm gonna sit and wait and hope for a flurry of activity here. I'd love to see some more reactions to whats going on and some more all new action. Looking forward to finding out who's getting the toothless aggression award too.

Yeah, I can commissar until the cows come home, but it'd be nice to see some other cadet viewpoints on the proceedings so far.
And anyone can pick who Yorke kicked, even if it's not their cadet. I just think it's more fun if it's someone other than me.

I'm working on something now, and I expect it to be done tomorrow.

No stress. Like theCrowe, I am happy to write bits, it's just a concern of dominating the flow.

I'm sorry, but a nasty virus is getting around my area, so I spent more time sleeping yesterday than writing. If I feel up to it I can finish up that writing though. I have the general idea for what happens all thought out, and a decent chunk of it written, so we have that at least.

Sorry to hear you're down bud. Hope you're feeling well again soon. Much as i'm looking forward to your piece there's no pressure.

I've made a decent amount of progress on the installation, and it's much lengthier than I anticipated it to be. It also needs editing on some parts to make some characters not incompetent, and to have their reactions be more in character.

I've just gotten off a long period of essay writing and now I'm heading into final exam and projects for my freshman year. Expect sweet feth all from me this month. Between this and Crusade of Fury and I'm going to have to pick one probably

Don't sweat it, either of you. there not timescale.
My next part can go in at any point, or I can follow up theCrowe and write a little Tau-bashing.

I'm scratching together a little interim tau-bashing myself but i'd like to know where the lads are writing so i dont knock any WIP out of whack in the meantime.

tho I'm pretty busy writing smirking these days anyway so i'm in no hurry.