Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 317 Five Hundred Thousand New Recruits

With the issuance of the conscription order, Rostov became lively again.

Long lines quickly formed in front of the recruitment station as eligible men and women from various cities came to register.

Among them were young and strong men, veterans who had served in the military, and even descendants of Valhalla warriors who had retired many years ago.

Despite the passage of several generations, the fighting instinct in their bloodline seems never to have faded.

Like other people in the empire, Rostow did not oppose conscription; in fact, she looked forward to it and eagerly joined the army.

The recruitment officers skillfully registered the information, while the medical nuns conducted rigorous physical examinations and screenings on the sidelines.

Those who fail the test will be asked to leave on the spot, while those who pass will be given a temporary identity card and await further assignment.

This is mainly due to the empire's own martial and military traditions.

According to the propaganda of the state religion, joining the army, especially the Star Army, is a noble act of loyalty to the God Emperor and a glorious path to realizing one's own life value!

The recruitment poster shows fully armed Astronautical soldiers holding laser guns aloft, with a burning battlefield and a fluttering double-headed eagle flag behind them. The slogan reads: "Fight for the Emperor, fight for humanity!"

Not to mention, the Imperial Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Justice, and Ministry of Military Affairs all ensured the generous treatment of the Star Guardians and their families.

Although this point is questionable to some extent, corruption and embezzlement within the bureaucratic system are commonplace.

There is little doubt that the families of the Astronauts live well on their home planets.

The Loyal Fate Academy recruits its students from the families of the Astronauts. If something happens to them, it could really cause serious problems.

Of course, if you are just an ordinary soldier who dies on the battlefield without being promoted or achieving any merit, the compensation and benefits that the military affairs department can provide will naturally be much worse.

Overall, however, the allowance of an ordinary Astronautical soldier is still enough for his family to live a relatively decent life in the hive capital of Middlehound.

This is why the enthusiasm for joining the empire's army is quite high.

The Star Guardians never fail to recruit soldiers; there are only cases where soldiers are rejected because they don't meet the requirements.

As for the defense force assembled by the planetary governor himself, that depends on whether the governor is a decent human being.

Governors with a high degree of anthropomorphism generally do not have a problem recruiting soldiers, but there are also fools who end up being overthrown by the very defense forces they themselves built.

In Rostov, the local tradition of the Star Guardians is very strong, and the area is home to descendants of Valhalla's ice warriors, so the atmosphere for joining the army is excellent.

As soon as the conscription order was issued, a large number of volunteers flocked to the conscription station, and some even rushed from remote mining areas overnight to sign up.

For them, this is not just a job, but also a continuation of an honor.

In addition, the previous governor was quite human, and Chen Xi, the successor governor, did not do anything that would anger the people. So even though there have been several rounds of conscription, there are still enough people willing to join the army.

However, unlike previous rounds of conscription which mostly consisted of eligible young men, this time the conscription queue included many elderly people with gray hair and young women. The lines in front of the conscription station were noticeably more diverse than before.

The young women stood in twos and threes, some nervously clutching the hem of their clothes, while others stood tall with firm gazes.

Many of them were wearing overalls and thick boots, clearly ready to join the army.

On the other side of the line, the gray-haired veterans appeared remarkably composed. Their wrinkled faces carried the calm of seasoned warriors, and their rough fingers unconsciously rubbed together, as if recalling the feeling of holding a gun.

The presence of women in the military is easy to understand. After several rounds of large-scale conscription, most of the eligible young men have been deployed to the battlefield and no longer meet the conscription requirements, making women's enlistment inevitable.

Many women even volunteered, including factory workers, farm laborers, and even school teachers.

Although they lacked practical combat experience, thanks to the martial spirit of the planet itself and the militia policy promulgated by Chen Xi, they had generally received basic militia training and at least knew how to properly hold a gun and obey orders.

As for the elderly, most of them were veterans of the Rostov Defense Forces and people who had received military training.

Although these veterans are old, they are still in good health, and many of them still retain the military posture they had when they served.

They stood silently in the ranks, occasionally exchanging a few words in hushed tones, always revolving around their past battles and the impending threat of the Greenskins.

To a certain extent, these veterans are the focus of this recruitment drive.

Most of them had received military training from the former Rostov Defense Forces and possessed excellent military skills.

While they may not meet the standards of the Astrail Forces, the tactical manuals from the Valhalla ice warriors still give them a certain advantage and experience in dealing with orcs and fighting in icy environments.

Although the tactics manuals of the Valhalla snow warriors have been largely adapted to the arid and hot desert environment of Rostov due to environmental issues, some fundamental elements remain unchanged.

For example, squad coordination, firepower suppression, and precise strikes targeting the weaknesses of orcs—these tactical essences are already ingrained in their very being.

Chen Xi believes that these descendants of the Valhalla people, as long as they undergo a certain amount of adaptive training in the cold environment, will be able to rediscover what their ancestors excelled at.

At this moment, he stood at the second-floor window of the recruitment station, silently watching the crowd below, a hint of expectation flashing in his eyes.

These veterans and female recruits may not be the most ideal soldiers, but under the Emperor's banner, they will all become an indispensable part of humanity's defenses.

"Notify the Holy War Army to send 500,000 elite troops here. These new recruits will undergo two weeks of intensive training with the Holy War Army. After the training, they will be immediately reorganized into twenty legions and sent to the Kherson front!" Chen Xi said decisively, his voice becoming even more stern. "Tell the Holy War Army commander that the Greenskin threat in Kherson is escalating, and we cannot wait any longer!"

Chen Xi turned to the palace minister Rachel beside him and continued to issue orders: "In addition, immediately contact the representatives of the Mechanicus Casting World. Weapons and equipment must be in place as soon as possible!" He paused for a moment and quickly calculated the logistical requirements: "I don't expect them to provide heavy equipment such as the Leman Rustank or the Poison Blade super-heavy tank, but at least two hundred Chimera armored personnel carriers and fifty Petrified Lizard self-propelled artillery pieces are needed!"
And everyone must have at least a laser gun and bulletproof armor. I don't want my soldiers going into battle empty-handed!

Rachel quickly jotted down the commands, her data panel flashing with the highest priority red markers.

“Understood, Your Excellency.” She looked up and confirmed professionally, “I will personally oversee the negotiations with the Cult of Mechanics to ensure that all equipment meets the standards.”

(End of this chapter)