MHA: Guardian of the Golden Throne

Location: Imperium Nihilus, Orphyrax System, Orphyrax II, Lux-Hive, Provisional HQ of the 9th Cadian.

The astropathic relay remains in the Imperium's hands. Twelve months have passed since the 9th Cadian and the Indomitus Vigilance rescued the 4th Platoon of the 24th Orphyrax Stalwarts.

The native regiment of Orphyrax received new orders, leaving the arduous task of maintaining control of the relay to the men and women of the 9th Cadian.

For seven interminable months, they dug trenches, inhabited and patrolled by the regiment’s infantry companies, while heavy weapons squads set up positions in strategic, easily defensible spots to maximise their firepower and create overlapping fields of fire without a single blind spot. The 5th and 10th Companies hammered the green-skinned advances thanks to the Magniloquens cannons and the rocket storms of the Malleus batteries.

For seven months, the 9th Cadian fought without yielding ground, or else reclaimed it from the Ork hordes. No Guardsman of the 9th intended to repeat the dishonourable act the original regiment committed during the Fall of Cadia.

By the grace of the Emperor or the readiness of the Avenging Son, the Regiment received reinforcements in the form of the 13th Orphyrax Stalwarts, the 142nd Attilan, and the 44th Total Siege Regiment of the Death Korps.

These reinforcements were invaluable in bolstering the already strained defences. Yet despite these additions, the presence of siege experts like the 44th, and the support of their artillery companies, the Orks never cared whether the enemy received reinforcements. To them, all that matters is fighting, and as long as there are lines to crash into, they have never backed down. And now, five more months have passed since those reinforcements arrived.

Commissar-Colonel Katarina Steele has led the 9th since its reformation, at the explicit request of Shield-Captain Izuku Midoriya Valorian, the Guardian of the Golden Throne, whom she served during the fall of her homeworld until reaching the Realm of Ultramar.

The rank of Commissar-Colonel is exceptionally rare among officers of the Officio Prefectus, especially when their commander is as young as Katarina. Many turned their noses up at the idea of entrusting command of an entire Cadian regiment to such a young Commissar. Still, when the appointment comes from a Custodian, opposition falls silent immediately. Even so, Katarina has proven time and again that she is a worthy vessel for the rank and the Shield-Captain's trust, leading the reformed regiment by example and charisma, and fighting on the front lines.

Now, the entire defence of the relay rests on Katarina Steele’s shoulders, along with command of the three regiments sent as reinforcements.

Inside the 9th's temporary HQ, dark circles were deeply etched under Katarina’s eyes. Yet, her violet gaze remained focused and resolute despite two days without sleep. The documents spread before her were reconnaissance reports, casualty counts, and Officio Logisticarum approvals for weapons, ammunition, and ration requests.

«Blood of the Emperor...» Katarina hissed in annoyance, clutching her cup of recaf. «Those Krieg bastards truly don't know the meaning of self-preservation, and now Colonel Schweiger has gone and gotten himself killed too?» she stated while reading the casualty report.

The Death Korps are famous across the Imperium not only as specialists in siege and attrition warfare, but also for a stark absence of any self-preservation instinct—willingly taking massive casualties or even risking the extinction of entire regiments solely to secure victory.

This characteristic is openly documented and proven: the 44th is now down to 40% of its original strength, and the lieutenants of the remaining companies rely entirely on Katarina’s directives.

«Damned Kriegers, now I understand why my colleagues attached to the 44th used to look at me with pity. Grox shit!» Katarina exclaimed, slamming the casualty report onto the table.

She barely had time to take a sip of her recaf before a knock at the door made her look up, irritated. Almost instantly, she felt a strange sensation of... revulsion.

«What is it?!» she called out sharply.

«Ma'am, you have visitors,» reported the guard from the other side of the door without opening it.

«Who?»

«Knight-Centura Sophea Ulmacu and Khan Arghun.»

«Send them in.» Katarina said, letting out a heavy sigh.

The door opened, and both the Sister of Silence and the commander of the 142nd Attilan entered.

Khan Arghun is over fifty years old, but he looks carved from old leather and bronze. His head is partially shaved, featuring a long grey queue braided with Ork fangs and the dog tags of enemy officers he decapitated personally with his power sword. Though considered outdated, he takes great pride in his golden scale armour, scratched and dented, patched with scrap metal, and draped with the furs of apex predators from distant worlds.

Arghun positioned himself far from Sophea and, though he tried not to show it out of respect for the Oblivion Knight, the Khan did everything he could to avoid staring at her.

«Khan Arghun.» Katarina addressed him authoritatively. «What brings you here instead of being at your camp sharpening your sabre?»

«Got to say me farewells, Commissar-Colonel. The 142nd had orders to go huntin’ green sheep down on the lower plains. Seems the 12th and 51st Titanian Armoured are lackin’ the eyes and the quick turn o' speed they need to keep their advance moving proper.»

Arghun does not speak Low Gothic well, so much so that his heavy native Attilan accent is unmistakable. A man of few words, Katarina understood that Arghun was not one to beat around the bush.

«...If such is the will of high command, I have no right to detain you. When do you depart?»

«At once.» Arghun replied. «Fair turns me stomach, mind, thinkin’ I can’t keep me word to ye: I’ve ordered the 6th Company to stay put right here. Captain Temür-Zhen’ll do as ye tell him, same as if I’d laid down the order meself.»

With that, Arghun nodded to both Katarina and Sophea and left the room without waiting for a further reply. He had said what he came to say.

Once the door closed, Katarina slumped into her chair and looked up at the ceiling, letting out a deep sigh of dismay. Moments later, her attention shifted to Sophea.

«Huntress, don't tell me you've been reassigned somewhere as well.»

«No,» Sophea gestured sharply. «I came only to gauge how matters stand. Ah, and since it's just the two of us, feel free to call me by name,» she concluded, making calm and confident signs.

Reading that last remark brought the ghost of a smile to Katarina's face.

The two had known each other for years and fought together on so many occasions that the 9th and the Vigilance under Sophea’s command had practically merged into a single force. Another bond between them was that both knew and had fought alongside Izuku Midoriya Valorian. Though they suspected their joint deployments resulted from some unseen orchestration by the venerable Shield-Captain, they had forged a deep mutual respect. They valued each other's presence to the point of friendship—even if Katarina could never quite shake off that innate repulsion caused by Sophea’s nature.

Gesticulating toward the chair opposite the table, Katarina motioned for Sophea to sit, handing her a cup of recaf as well—one the Knight-Centura would almost certainly not drink, but which Katarina offered nonetheless as a gesture of hospitality.

«Do you want the Officio Prefectus official version I put in the reports...» she began gravely, «or the real, uncensored, utterly fucked situation we’re actually in?»