Five Hundred Worlds, the military world of Amatla.
Rowell McKane woke from his sleep as the reveille sounded outside his window. After several months of training, he could now sit up two seconds before the call sounded instead of being roused by it.
It might have seemed meaningless, but only those who had experienced it firsthand understood what it meant: he was still in fighting shape.
The reveille was piercing and grating, yet to Rowell's ears, it carried a unique charm.
Being awakened by reveille meant the guns of war had not yet arrived, and he had survived another day.
Rowell's roommates finished washing up at top speed, while he enjoyed a small privilege. It had nothing to do with his influential family on Macragge. It was simply because he was a—remembrancer.
Remembrancers were a profession found throughout the Imperium of Humanity, usually made up of poets, journalists, photographers, and writers. Their origins lay in an order from the Emperor: through their own firsthand experiences, they were to share what the Imperial forces saw and heard with the common people of the Imperium, including but not limited to local customs, curious anecdotes, and heroic deeds.
In the vast Imperium of Humanity, 99.9% of people would never have the chance to leave their homeworld in their entire lives. Their understanding and imagination of other worlds largely depended on the biographies and accounts of remembrancers.
The 627th Company of Amatla, where Rowell was stationed, was a mortal auxiliary force with a long history. It had been among the first mortal auxiliary forces personally ordered into formation by the Primarch and was responsible for defending the important world of Amatla.
"I hope something different happens today. It's military drills every day. I wouldn't mind even conducting joint operations with the Astartes stationed here."