As the Emperor Protects, so must we.

-Unknown Guardsman, Cadian 13th Heavy Mixed Regiment "The First Youth"

Ask not what the Imperium and Emperor can do for you, but what you can do for them

-Lord General Ionna Keller, Imperial 75th Assault Army "The Thunder Hammers"

Death stands before us wherever we go. And wherever we go, we shall spit in its face and let our Tanks roll over it

-Colonel Matias Telos, Cadian 13th Heavy Mixed Regiment "The First Youth"

M41. Y999. M?. D?.

Unknown planet, post-events of the 13th Black Crusade

Cadian 13th Heavy Mixed Regiment:The First Youth

Lieutenant Elaine "Phoenix" Maaran. Sixth Squad of Scouts. Sixteenth Company.

Within few days, a bloody, long battle had been concluded. The Imperial Guard had fought hard and heavy against the 13th Black Crusade as it struck Cadia's shores with unparalleled ferocity. And the newly-christened 13th Heavy Mixed Regiment, a combo of multiple tactics ranging from Siege Artillery to Heavy Infantry and armored assault vehicles had been caught in the midst of combat. Then, something happened... And the Cadians awoke, scattered, within the green hills of this unknown planet. Thankfully, Vox still worked prim and proper.

"Thank the Emperor we found the Armored Companies, eh, El-Tee?" A younger girl asked, her lilac eyes scanning the trees as they advanced between them. Elaine murmured something in agreement, keeping her Las Rifle as close to her as she could. She didn't wanna get ambushed now of all times. Her squad had scattered at an interval of one meter from each-other in an effort to not get surprised by a Grenade. They took a wedge formation as well, with a solider hauling an Agripinaa-pattern Light Stubber and two packs of ammo for it.

Command hadn't had time to retrofit all of the 13th's units with Las-weapons, so some soldiers had to make do with Stubbers and the likes... Elaine squelched any thoughts of Cadia for now, looking up at the sky and noticing three plumes of smoke on their left, rising just enough into the clear sky to be seen past the canopy of the forest... She halted the squad with a hand signal and said "We've got a smoke plume at 9 o'clock. Redirect now."

"On it, ma'am." The gunner of the team said. The team swiveled about, weapons raised and scanning the trees around them. The Vox Officer stepped up beside the Lieutenant and extended her the transmitter and receiver. The woman took them, put the latter to her ear and the former to her mouth "This is Sixth Scout Squad. The Emperor Protects, Colonel."

"The Emperor Protects, Lieutenant." The youthful voice of the First Youth's colonel spoke. Despite being just a slight bit older than the rest of the Regiment at around 19 years of age, he was a good officer. Led them through the many skirmishes and engagements during the Battle for Cadia. "Status report?" His calm voice inquired. The woman paused for a moment as they approached the edge of the forest...

She hummed as she saw it, a burning village ahead. Dozens of civilians fled in motor vehicles, whilst soldiers clad in armors made of steel and brown uniforms gunned them down... Pursing her lips, the woman reported "We've got sight on a village under attack. Unknown military, resembling Feudal World PDFs is engaging and killing civilians as they attempt to flee..." And... Despite her best urges to stop herself, the Lieutenant asked "Permission to engage, Colonel?"

"Granted. Any requests for reinforcements?" The boy inquired... And the woman noticed long tanks with a single turret and what looked like a mortar sweeping into town. Small, very lightly armored and poorly designed... She hummed, then spoke "Requesting two Sentinels with Las Cannons to come in and assist us. The unknowns have light armor in town... I may just attempt talking to them, sir. If all else fails, we gun them down."

"Engage at your leisure, Lieutenant. The Sentinel Second Squad is en-route." The Colonel spoke "Telos out." And the line went dead. She handed the transmitter to the Vox Officer, then readied her lasgun. Gazing down the scope of the weapon, she saw a thick wooden gate under attack, where most of the unknown Feudal troops were converging. A girl and several Town Watchmen, as it seemed, engaged the incoming waves...

"That gate." The woman motioned toward it. "We move to reinforce."

The Guard Squad skittered down the mountain, keeping rifles raised and watching as not to be attacked suddenly. Creeping through buildings and into a side street that led to the Watch Group's position, the Imperial Guard squad emerged on the flank of one of the squads firing at them. Raising her Lasgun to greet an enemy unit, Elainesaid "Cease your fire! What is the meaning of this?!" in a demanding tone...

Two of the Feudal-armored soldiers looked to each-other, then raised strange stubbers... And fired first. Bullets whizzed past the woman's ears and two rounds hit her armor plate, falling to the floor or shattering on impact with the plate. The woman sighed deeply, shaking her head, then said "There's never a dull moment in the Guard... SQUAD! EXECUTE THE TRAITORS THAT DARE FIRE UPON HIS HAMMER!"

"The Emperor Protects!" The squad chanted in unison, raising their energy weapons... A wave of scarlet light washed over a platoon of enemy units as Town Watchman Captain Alicia Melchiott, a woman with chestnut-colored hair and hazel eyes watched in horror. The East Autocratic Empire's infantrymen seemed to char immediately under the focused fire of a squad of 12 troopers clad in emerald armor and overalls with unseen-before camouflage patterns. Their weapons were boxy and emanated heat energy that seemed to boil the air ahead as well as the Imp troopers that charged at them.

"... My God..." Alicia muttered, eyes wide in shock. Her friend and fellow town watch member, Susie, stared on, a hand covering her mouth as she held a medical bag in one hand. Her rifle lay leaning against the sandbag wall they took cover behind. A woman led the team of 12 futuristic-yet-actual-looking soldiers. She had a strange symbol on the left armor plate on her shoulder. A skull, a helmet and two crossed weapons, below which was written in white letters of an odd font the name of their unit...

Cadian 13th

"The First Youth"

Scanning the face of the woman, Alicia froze up... She had the looks of a 16-year-old girl you'd see in Gallia's high schools, but her demeanor, her toned body and even the scars on her face told Alicia it was no mere schoolgirl. Instead, she gave the feeling of a nightmare, of a soldier that had seen too much for her age and that had enough experience to outdo even Gallia's most hardened veterans...

The Squad Leader, turned her lilac eyes to meet Alicia's. She lowered her rifle as she noticed wounded Watchmen and even two dead ones in the far back of the defensive position, then said "Greetings... Hope you'll be more cooperative than your..." She looked at the corpses burned and honeycombed by Laser Fire that her squad had left on the ground, then turned to Alicia again and said "Compatriots."

She looked to her team, then gazed over the 'boulevard' that led to a cracked gate and signaled her team to scatter and ready for an incoming second attack. She then jumped over the sandbag wall, slinging the weird rifle she wielded on her back and looking at Alicia. Alicia gave a nod and showed the Town Watch to lower their rifles too, before placing a hand on her chest and saying "I'm Alicia Melchiott... Captain to the Bruhl Town Watch... Who... Who are you people?"

The Lieutenant spoke calmly, at an unspoken behest of Alicia. "I'm Lieutenant Maaran. Sixth Scout Platoon. And we, Captain Melchiott? We are the Cavalry."

"Ma'am! Approaching enemy Light Armor!" Reported the Vox Officer, readying his weapon. "Counting 2 extra enemy units in support, at least Platoon Strength!"

"Fear not, Voxcaster." The Lieutenant drew her rifle and took up a defiant posture. "We've weapons able to pierce that weak armor of theirs coming our way! Stand fast, men! The Emperor watches! Let us show Him He did not spare us for naught!" and, as her men gave a cheer in response, she looked to Alicia, then spoke calmly "You and your fellow watchmen may rest... Let the Guard handle this."

The woman stepped over the sandbag wall, rifle at the ready, then took cover beside the man in heavier armor and hauling what looked like a projectile-based LMG. The house they hid behind took a first shell from a tank, sending brick and glass fragments flying into the street. But the Scout Squad found themselves relatively unharmed... The Lieutenant peeked out as bullets struck pavement and walls and snapped off a shot with her Laser weapon. The angry lance of light slammed into the chest of one of the Troopers and sent him to the floor, a cauterized wound where his heart used to be.

A volley of laser fire then followed the Lieutenant's own, as well as the chattering of the Stubber, forcing the enemy to take cover. Return fire came quickly from the tanks in the form of SMG and Rifle fire. A stick grenade flew in the middle of the Formation of troopers, between the Lieutenant and another of the men. The latter grabbed the 'nade and hurled it back, only for it to explode mid-flight.

A tank shot its main gun and struck the gate, making a sizable dent... But it didn't break. The second tank's shell went high and wide, striking a hilltop behind it. Shrapnel from the shell struck a Civilian transport, wounding few of the people inside. The Lieutenant scowled, swiveling from her cover and firing again with pin-point accuracy. The bastard that charged toward her had his throat burst open from the heat. Left with a cauterized stump for a neck and head, the man fell to the floor, skidding a mere few steps away from the woman. She didn't stop firing.

Alicia stared in awe at the soldiers that fought to defend them. She was glad all of her own team were too busy to bother raising rifles when they saw these green-clad warriors step into full view of the line of defense. She felt fear too, as she watched them mirthlessly fire their weapons. Cold and calculate, each shot meant for a target. Several rounds scraped one's armor, knocking him off-balance. Doubling over and regaining his composure, the soldier wearing a helmet, goggles and a respirator mask on his face snapped up his strange, box-like rifle with a skull and wings of gold on its side and snapped off a shot right back...

... One of the tanks that was about to engage them burst aflame as a lance of energy punched through its front armor, melting it from the inside out. The tank exploded as the ammunition inside cooked, spewing flame out of the melted hole in its front... And, hearing the blonde girl next to her, Susie, gasp, she turned to see an incredible sight... Bipedal walker vehicles, fast and agile, emerged from between the buildings, their weapons spewing death toward the enemy vehicles...

A second lance, one from the leading armored Walker, shot out. The second tank burst aflame as its thin side armor was punched clean through in diagonal by the energy weapon. The snap-crackle of infantry-based Laser weapons filled the air as a second platoon of Infantry, this one with heavier armor than their counterparts, also appeared behind them, with five more Walkers. Eight walkers per total appeared in the square, their 'heads' moving to aim the weapons. One had a heavy machine gun that spewed 40mm rounds down range. Rounds that detonated on impact...

The soldiers in armor were sent into a rout. A dozen infantrymen scrambled for their lives, throwing away black rifles and machine guns to run away. Dozens were picked off by Lasguns and cannons, burning their skin. The Lieutenant looked to her team and declared loudly "Not one escapes! KILL THEM!" then raised her rifle and snapped off six shots, each hitting a retreating enemy in the back and killing or wounding them.

"W-W-W-WHAT?!" Alicia balked, staring up at the mechs walking speedily past them and chasing down retreating East Empire troops just as she processed the visual information. Her eyes bulged out of their sockets as she watched one of the mechs' "heads" cock around quickly, scanning the place... She then saw a man clad in light armor, with a brown uniform and a black tanker's hat, emerge from the top of the vehicle. He seemed as young, if not younger, than the Lieutenant... Pulling out a pair of binoculars, he scanned the surrounding area... Then spoke something into his Radio.

"Armor, heavier Variation! Approaching our area!" An Infantryman spoke as he approached from the Alleyway "Doesn't look hostile, ma'am!"

"What, it painted blue?" The Lieutenant sarcastically asked. She got a nod from the soldier... Then saw the armored vehicle approach. It had rolling frontal armor, heavy side-skirts and a mid-length 8,8cm Cannon. Alicia stood up and moved toward it, to which the Lieutenant asked her "Know this tank, Captain Melchiott?" to which the girl shrugged... A young, blonde-haired man appeared from the top cupola and turned bug-eyed at the sight of the mechs.

"Welkin?! Since when do you have a tank!" Alicia yelled at him "And do you know these people!?"

"Weapons down!" Ordered the Lieutenant to her men. She walked up beside Alicia and said "I'm Lieutenant Maaran, Cadian Thirteenth. State your name, rank and unit."

The man looked upon Elaine and seemed a hint surprised... But he answered calmly "Welkin Gunther... I haven't been instated with a rank or unit yet." Before he jumped out of the vehicle... A young, blue-haired girl wearing a shoal popped her head out of the driver's hatch of the tank, her dark-blue eyes wide as she stared at the Sentinel Walkers and Infantry pouring into town.

The Lieutenant hummed, then looked over to her Voxcaster as the soldier approached, handing her the transmitter. "Elaine here... Yessir... Understood, sir. We'll get in line with the Civilian Column as soon as possible, sir. Roger. Scout platoon out..." Before handing the mic back and saying "All units, rally up! We're moving out to assist in escorting the Civilians from this village and rendezvousing with the rest of the Regiment on the road to the capital! Mobilize!"

"Yes, ma'am!" The entire unit, including the drivers of the Sentinels, chorused, before turning to their work. The Lieutenant cocked her head to the boy named Welkin, then said "We will require a person who knows their way to your Capital... We mean no harm to your people, but we wish to have a clear sight picture over whom we can shoot and those we cannot."

"... I see..." The man said, then gave a nod "Alright... We'll lead the way."

"Welkin, are you sure?!" Alicia snapped "These guys just-"

"Saved you, Captain." The Lieutenant said with a tone that sent a chill up Alicia's spine "You're welcome..." And with that, she looked to her men and called out "Move out!" before walking toward a convoy of civilian vehicles and people with her squad. Welkin and Alicia exchanged glances... Then the girl boarded the vehicle with him and let it leave... She didn't want to look at Bruhl. Not like this...