V2 Chapter 107: Restructuring. Everyone Gets Promoted.
On the eighth day after Operation Hellstorm began, the High Palace, the Oligarchy Zone, and the remaining Balopolis combat areas had been effectively cleared.
From the eighth day to the tenth, the large battle zones of Boru Naz hive, the western plains, and the Ascension Valley were wrapped up in succession.
From the tenth day to the nineteenth, the Takk Islands were still being subjected to their final conquest and clearance operations.
By the end of a full month, the main battle for Balhaut was over. The Imperial forces moved into the occupation, purification, mine-clearing, and reconstruction phase.
At this moment, Duvette and his Krieg Combat Group were operating across the western great plains alongside the White Scars, running down the remnant enemy units still attempting to flee into the open wilderness.
The wind out on the plains was strong, scattering the dust thrown up by distant armoured fire. The Eisenmark armoured battalion was pushing forward along a low ridge, its Leman Russ main battle tanks spread in a wide line across the horizon, turrets continuously swinging to track the fleeing enemy vehicles.
The White Scars' bikes swept past from the other side at speed.
Those Astartes did not slow. They cut through the enemy's flank like a blade, herding the remnants into the Eisenmark armoured battalion's fire. Several Blood Pact armoured carriers attempted to turn and break out. They were burning wreckage within seconds of the main guns opening up.
Duvette watched through his magnoculars as the last enemy squad was cut off by the White Scars riders.
He lowered them to find Evan approaching from nearby. The adjutant's face carried excitement he was visibly struggling to contain, and he was moving faster than usual.
"Commissar. Word has come down from the expedition's Departmento Munitorum."
Duvette looked at him.
"Say it."
Evan came to attention, his voice noticeably louder than normal.
"Your position will be adjusted to Major General, with commissarial authority retained and special Commissar-General powers granted across the expedition. The formal investiture ceremony will be held at the High Palace in two weeks."
Duvette gave a nod. His expression did not change much.
He had expected this.
After Balhaut, the expedition needed to give him a formal position.
Without one, a man still carrying a Colonel-Commissar's title while commanding the Krieg Combat Group, the Eisenmark armoured battalion, the 112th, and various attached support forces would eventually cause the Departmento Munitorum's own paperwork to contradict itself.
Evan paused, then continued. "There is one more matter. The Departmento Munitorum intends to split the Ash Watchers-Eisenmark 112th into four infantry regiments and one armoured regiment, and bring them up to full strength with new drafts."
Duvette's brow tightened slightly at that.
The 112th's designation had been with him too long. From its original veterans, step by step, it had become the Ash Watchers-Eisenmark combined force it was today, a force that had long since exceeded the scale of an ordinary Astra Militarum regiment.
The split made operational sense.
Sense did not mean he had to like it.
Duvette was quiet for a moment, then spoke. "Have Deputy Commander Dylan, Captain Anderson, Captain Stroud, Captain Kleist, Captain Elias, Captain Finn, Colonel Holst, and Commissar Rein report to the command tent."
He glanced at Evan.
"You as well."
"Yes, Commissar."
Evan saluted immediately and turned to go.
Duvette looked one last time at the smoke on the horizon, already being broken apart by the wind. The White Scars bikes had crossed the wreckage line and were pushing further out in pursuit. The Eisenmark armoured battalion was beginning to tighten its formation and prepare to take over the battlefield.
He put the magnoculars away and turned toward the command tent.
Inside the tent, several officers had already arrived.
These were faces he knew without having to think. They stood around the tactical table in small groups, speaking in low voices about the news of Duvette's promotion, speculating about why they had been called in separately.
Stroud was leaning against the tent frame nearby, a clear grin on his face.
"I'll bet ten lho-sticks this is good news. Whatever the Commissar's called us in for."
Anderson looked at him.
"You keep running that mouth, he'll have you on mine-clearing duty first."
Commissar Rein gave a short laugh and made no effort to stop them.
Then the tent flap opened. Duvette walked in with Evan, expression flat. Every sound cut off at once. The officers came to attention and rendered their salutes simultaneously.
Duvette gave a nod.
"Sit."
They sat in turn.
Duvette moved to the head position and let his gaze travel across each person present. Dylan, Anderson, Stroud, Elias, Finn, Kleist, Holst, Rein, and Evan standing to the side.
Something drew his thoughts back a long way.
From Farrak IV, to the derelict hulk in the void, to the shrine world, to Macragge, and now the Sabbat Crusade. He had taken these people across too many battlefields to count. There had been more than a few occasions where he genuinely had not known whether he would be able to keep them alive long enough to see the next one.
But here they stood.
More than a decade had passed and it seemed to have left few marks on any of them. Perhaps that was the System. Perhaps it was his own influence. Perhaps they had simply been changed by the Legion they had become part of.
That was at least one thing to be grateful for.
Stroud, feeling Duvette's gaze on him, eventually cracked.
"Commissar. You called us in separately. What's actually happening?"
Duvette looked at all of them and let himself laugh once.
"The Departmento Munitorum orders have come through. The 112th is to be split into four infantry regiments and one armoured regiment."
The tent went quiet for a moment.
Then several heads came up at once.
Duvette did not give them room to speak.
"At the same time, my position will be adjusted to Major General, with commissarial authority retained and special Commissar-General powers granted across the expedition. A 112th Combined Battle Group command structure will be established. Every one of your positions will be adjusted as well."
The tent immediately erupted.
Duvette coughed twice, hard.
Every sound went down at once.
"Evan."
Evan snapped to attention.
"Promoted to Colonel. Acting Chief of Staff, 112th Combined Battle Group."
Evan froze for a moment.
The shock lasted only a second. What replaced it was something close to barely-contained elation. He came to rigid attention and saluted, his voice carrying clearly.
"Yes, Commissar!"
Duvette did not pause.
"Dylan Perry. Promoted to Colonel. Commander of the Operations Staff Group, concurrently commanding the First Infantry Regiment following the split."
Dylan rose and rendered a formal salute.
"Yes, sir."
"Anderson Walker. Promoted to Colonel. Commander of the Assault Staff Group, commanding the Second Assault Infantry Regiment."
Anderson unfolded his considerable frame from the chair and looked down at his hands for a moment before saluting.
"Breaching, demolitions, and the hardest heads: those come to me?"
"They do." Duvette said. "Don't blow your own regiment apart in the process."
Several quiet laughs moved through the tent.
"Elias Hawthorne. Promoted to Colonel. Commanding the Third Assault Infantry Regiment."
The Cadian officer allowed himself a slight smile.
"I'll do what's expected of me."
Duvette's gaze moved to Stroud.
"Stroud. Promoted to Colonel. Commander of the Intelligence and Reconnaissance Staff Group."
The bald officer blinked.
"Commissar. I'm a Colonel now?"
"If you think the rank is too high, I can adjust it."
"No need." Stroud came to attention immediately. "Colonel suits me perfectly. Very well indeed."
Duvette looked to the quiet sniper.
"Finn Valentine. Promoted to Colonel. Deputy Commander of the Intelligence and Reconnaissance Staff Group, concurrently commanding the Long-Range Reconnaissance element."
Finn showed little on his face. He rose and saluted.
"Understood."
"The Fourth Infantry Regiment will remain under direct Battle Group command for now, pending Departmento Munitorum allocation of reinforcements and officers before a permanent regimental commander is confirmed. Until then, Dylan handles the structural framework and Evan handles the paperwork and the order of battle."
Evan recorded it immediately.
Duvette looked at Kleist.
"Kleist von Ludwig. Promoted to Colonel. Armoured Coordination Officer, commanding the Eisenmark Armoured Regiment."
Kleist rose with the precise bearing of an Eisenmark noble regimental officer. He was back where he had always belonged.
"The Eisenmark will continue to follow your orders."
"I know." Duvette gave a nod.
He looked then at Colonel Holst and Commissar Rein.
"Colonel Holst retains command of the Krieg 1173rd Combat Group and takes on the additional role of Artillery and Engineer Coordination Officer. Commissar Rein retains his existing responsibilities and heads the Commissariat Liaison Group."
Holst's voice was even.
"The 1173rd accepts that coordination arrangement."
Commissar Rein gave a slight shrug.
"Seems I'll be responsible for keeping an even larger number of people off the casualty lists."
Duvette looked at him.
"That's precisely what you're good at."
Rein smiled and did not argue.
Duvette's gaze moved across all of them one last time.
"Additional positions will be established for a Mechanicus Liaison, a Carpé Dynasty Transport and Logistics Liaison, and an Inquisitorial Affairs Observer. I will handle those appointments personally. You only need to manage your own sections."
He paused.
"All position changes come into formal effect after the investiture ceremony in two weeks."
The tent was quiet again.
Every officer present understood what this meant.
From today, they were no longer a collection of captains, adjutants, and veterans inside the 112th Regiment.
They would become the command spine of a battle group, a force capable of operating independently under Duvette's hand, and its absolute core.
Duvette stood.
"For humanity."
Every person in the tent rose together.
"For the Emperor!"
The words rang through the canvas.
Duvette looked at this group of people who were visibly struggling to keep the grins off their faces, and waved a hand.
"Right. Get out, all of you. The fighting isn't completely finished. Don't get so caught up celebrating that you get yourselves killed in the final clearance operations."
Stroud was the first to laugh openly, and then Anderson shoved him toward the exit. Elias and Finn were exchanging quiet words. Kleist had already moved on to thinking about the armoured regiment's future order of battle. Commissar Rein clapped Holst on the shoulder and received a measured look in return.
Within moments, the tent held only Duvette and Evan.
Evan was still standing there, data-slate in both hands, his expression not quite settled.
Duvette looked at him.
"Chief of Staff. Stop standing there. You're going to have ten times the paperwork you're used to."
Evan came back to himself immediately.
"Yes, Commissar—yes, Commissar-General!"
He got that out, clutched the data-slate to his chest, and left at a quick march.
Duvette eased back in the chair.
Outside the tent he could still hear those officers, their voices lowered but still obvious, laughter and calls cutting through the sound of the wind. The artillery in the distance had thinned to almost nothing. The wind coming off the western great plains moved the tent canvas and brought with it the faint smell of propellant and engine oil.
More than a decade.
From a Commissar on Farrak IV who had nothing but himself, to this chair, to this table, to this moment.
He was no longer driving forward alone.
In this damned universe, he had finally built something he could stand on.
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