The soldiers were clearing the battlefield.
Aside from delivering coup de grâce to the Greenskins, they were mostly searching for the wounded and collecting weapons.
Sith had been operating without logistics for so long that every soldier and every round of ammunition was precious beyond measure.
But unlike their usual focused industry, the soldiers' attention kept drifting toward the center of the battlefield.
Steel Pincer's corpse lay atop the mountain of bodies, bathed in the final rays of the setting sun like a trophy displayed on high.
Below that mountain of corpses, three towering 'iron giants' in black armor, their faces completely hidden behind helmets, looked down at the 'tiny' human before them, and...
...the mountain of Greenskin corpses behind him!
Davi Luo stood at the front of the three-man squad, his eyes narrowing slightly behind his visor as he carefully sized up the Sith before him.
According to the information from the Departmento Munitorum, this colonel and his Mortal infantry regiment were nothing more than bottom-tier cannon fodder, no matter how one looked at it.
But looking at the surrounding battlefield, the ferocity on the faces of the Imperial Guardsmen, the towering heap of Greenskin corpses behind Sith, and the Greenskin Boss at the very top—one that even he would find difficult to eliminate easily—Davi Luo could not reconcile this unit with the records of the Departmento Munitorum!
Davi Luo was the squad leader, a large man with a white beard.
As a veteran with three golden service studs in his skull, he had been an Astartes for three hundred years.
In those three centuries, he had fought in countless wars and witnessed the courage of many Mortals.
Yet this local Planetary Defense Force, which had never even been to space, had completely redefined his understanding.
Glancing around at the battlefield and seeing a defensive line with almost no vehicles and a severe lack of heavy weapons, Davi Luo's eyes widened a fraction more as he looked at Sith.
"This Mortal unit actually held back the Greenskins with nothing but their own flesh..."
Davi Luo's expression was so solemn that he found himself at a loss for words while facing Sith.
Behind him, the two Astartes who had previously disregarded Mortals—deeming them unworthy even as auxiliary troops—remained silent.
The scene was quiet. Davi Luo felt a complex mix of emotions, but Sith, looking at the black-armored Astartes—especially Davi Luo at the front—felt even more conflicted.
While the two Astartes in the back bore the emblems of their original Chapters on their left shoulder guards, Davi Luo's was a void of solid black.
Sith was cursing inwardly. He hadn't expected to be coordinating not just with the Deathwatch—who specialized in xenos warfare and dealt with the galaxy's most bizarre threats daily—
...but that their leader would be a 'black shield'!
A black shield was an Astartes who had completely severed ties with his parent Chapter, and in the Deathwatch, those from traitor Legions who remained loyal were almost all black shields!
At the thought that Davi Luo might be an Astartes from a traitor Legion, Sith felt as if he had swallowed a mouthful of promethium; the bitterness spread from his mouth to his very soul.
Sith could almost foresee that after the mission, having had deep contact with xenos and a 'traitor' Astartes, he wouldn't receive any rewards. Instead, he would likely face a total purge.
After all, among the trillions of Mortal troops in the Imperium, the one thing never in short supply was people!
Unless...
Sith's eyes sharpened as he looked up at the towering Davi Luo.
Unless he could earn Davi Luo's recognition, prompting the Deathwatch to personally petition the Departmento Munitorum to turn them into a specialized anti-xenos Astra Militarum Legion!
Snap!
Sith stood at attention and gave a military salute:
"101st Regiment. It is an honor to fight alongside you!"
Sith took the initiative to break the silence. Davi Luo, who hadn't known where to start, was momentarily stunned before nodding silently back at Sith.
Without any preamble, Davi Luo spoke directly:
"Our objective is a fallen Hive City completely controlled by rebels."
"A massive xenos force led by several Greenskin Bosses is gathered outside the Hive City. We need you and your men to attack the Greenskins and draw their fire so we can breach the city."
Having stated his initial plan, Davi Luo paused slightly as he looked at Sith and the fierce soldiers around him, adding a rare clarification:
"If you can keep up, you may enter the Hive City with us."
The other two Astartes looked at Davi Luo in surprise, their helmets turning slightly. But after looking at Davi Luo and then at the fierce 101st Regiment, neither of them voiced an objection.
Sith's expression, however, grew increasingly grim.
Several Greenskin Bosses?
Sith couldn't help but let out a soft breath.
Holding off one Greenskin Boss had been incredibly taxing; now he was expected to take the initiative against several times that number?
If they were left outside the Hive City, even he would meet no end other than being overwhelmed by an endless tide of Greenskins.
Davi Luo understood this as well, which was why his final sentence offered Sith a way out—even if that path was a narrow one!
Sith had no bargaining power. After all, not even Guilliman had a way out when faced with such a mess.
To survive, humanity had only one option: to charge forward! There was no other way!
The pause lasted only a fleeting moment. When Sith looked back up at Davi Luo, his face was a mask of calm:
"For Humanity."
Sith accepted the mission. Davi Luo watched him intently, and seeing no fear in his eyes, he actually returned Sith's salute:
"For the Emperor."
His right hand struck his chest, the heavy ceramite armor sending a dull thud echoing across the ground.
The two Deathwatch members were even more shocked. Their helmets turned visibly, their red eye-lenses fixed squarely on Davi Luo.
This was Davi Luo showing his respect for a Mortal. In past wars, Davi Luo had occasionally shown such recognition to heroic Mortals.
But that was always after enduring many bloody battles together, not after a mere half-hour meeting.
Stunned, they watched for a moment before turning their gaze back to Sith and the mountain of corpses behind him.
Though he hadn't witnessed it firsthand, Davi Luo could imagine what Sith and his 101st Regiment had gone through to get from being a cannon-fodder unit to where they were now.
The mere fact that they still stood there, calmly accepting their fate, made Sith worthy of Davi Luo's recognition.
Sith was also somewhat surprised, but before he could speak, Davi Luo lowered his arm, his voice returning to its icy tone:
"You have one hour to prepare. We move out in one hour."
Having said that, Davi Luo looked past Sith and suddenly added a reminder:
"If I were you, I would make the most of this final hour to replenish your ranks as much as possible."
Replenish ranks?
Sith was even more confused, but he didn't ask. Instead, he followed Davi Luo's gaze behind him.
In the final fading light on the horizon, deserters who had been hiding were converging on the vast battlefield from all directions.
And now, the eyes of all those deserters were fixed on Sith and Davi Luo, filled with expectation and hope.
Sith's expression froze. Looking at the hope in the crowd's eyes, he felt it was almost hellish.
Had they suddenly found their courage?
No, they simply felt that with Sith's 101st Regiment and the Emperor's Angels...
...if they followed Sith and Davi Luo, their chances of survival...
...would be higher!