Across their lines, armored vehicles advanced abreast, pursuing the Orks as they drew back their front.
When an Ork tank appeared on the left flank, the Astra Militarum crew of a Venom Tank prepared to fire. But once they trained their sights on it, they saw a Space Marine standing atop its hull.
"Friendly! It's a friendly!" the tank commander roared to his crew.
Jenos and his apprentice drove their tank within fifty meters of the Venom Tank, close enough for short-range communications to connect.
"Give us your tank. Head to the rear and get a new one from the alliance's logistics personnel," Jenos said over the channel.
The crew hesitated, but in the end they stopped the Venom Tank, opened the hatches, and climbed out.
"Do you need me to assign a couple of men to help you drive it?" the mortal tank commander asked, watching the two Space Marines climb out of the Ork tank and onto the Venom Tank.
Jenos and Krogar said nothing.
"Please, let me send a few men to help. We're allies, and there are only two of you—"
"No. Only one of us will be driving the tank." Jenos gave Krogar a kick to get the boy inside, then jumped into the vehicle himself.
The Venom Tank was a super-heavy tank, packed with weapons and equipment.
Space Marines did not field this model, so as Krogar watched his mentor move through the vehicle, working one device after another, he wondered why Jenos had learned to operate a mortal tank.
"Enable override mode."
Seated in the commander's position, Jenos issued the command to the operating system.
"Please state the override password."
"For the Emperor."
"Password accepted. Override mode enabled."
"So that password really is standard across the entire Astra Militarum—"
Multiple control windows appeared