Courage little one

The scream of shells hurtled passed and a pitiful wail could be heard coming from a small frame. Looming over her a titanic Space Marine of the Emperors Dragons returned fire upon the unseen enemy. The little girl with hands over her ears looked up in terror as the retort from the Space Marines bolter thundered. It was a nightmare. A deep gash ran along the girls right cheek from a rogue piece of shrapnel, already forgotten as present horrors sought to consume her. Blood was on her clothes, yet none of it was hers.

Another storm of fire came over them and a sickening crack was heard. A grunt of pain emerged from the Space Marine. Sparing a glance up at him the girl saw the Marine had been hit in the head. But he was still moving. Slamming a new magazine into his bolter he then removed his helmet and discarded it, ruined with a breach to its forehead. It had done its job but there was a gash upon the Primaris Marines head. Blood had already congealed and started to heal the wound, even before the tiny girls eyes.

“Courage little one” came a deep gravelly voice. A stolen glance downward and the marine’s deep-set eyes bore into the little girls. Though not unkind they were lit with the fury of battle. With the Marine’s encouragement, she broke free of her terror born paralysis. The girl crawled deeper into cover, allowing the Space Marine who had been shielding her with is body to also move.

The fire coming towards them seem to be intensifying and the girl let out a shriek as bullets sprayed around them. Suddenly the fire slacked off as quickly as it had started, and the girl could not help but look up.

“My brothers have come” Said the marine with a nod towards something the girl could not see. Through the dust, seen as silhouettes at first, came the sons of Zedekiel. Moving forward like gods of war they shrugged off the fire that diverted to them. Stalking forward in superhuman precision they unleashed their Bolters towards the enemy beyond the girls vision. Their fire was precise and brutal, and the enemies fire fell off quickly.

A tremendous roar was building and looking up the drop pods of the Emperor’s Dragons legion started crashing in around them, Marines stor… Commander Marstrong… ming out unloading their…
COMMANDER MARSTRONG!

Broken from her reverie Commander Marstrong of the Imperial Guard looked down at a young man standing before her breathless. His face was scared at having interrupted her so. His uniform and markings indicating him as a runner. A quick glance at her watch told her it was 05:47 Terra time.

“What is it boy, speak” Commander Marstrong said, her wits returning to her.

“Marines have come! Space Marines!” The awe could not be held back in the boys voice, he could not have been older than 15. Finally she thought. The campaign had been brutal and progress had come to a dead stop.

“I will be there to greet them presently” She responded, “and do control yourself”.

“Sorry Ma’am”

“Tell the Lieutenant I am on my way, Dismissed” With that the boy disappeared with the patter of quick feet.

Taking a moment to compose herself for the greetings to be had with the Emperors finest, she could not help but raise her hand to a scar on her right cheek. A ghost of a smile tilted her lips to disappear just as quickly, and with a high chin she marched out of the bunker.