The adjutant read for a long, long time. An ordinary commander might not have remembered all of it, but Kester certainly would.
"Those are the exact figures. I also have a more detailed list here, including everyone's name, service records, and so on." With that, the adjutant placed the lists and documents on Kester's desk.
These were the figures for just one day. What appalling casualties. Even with ten million troops in the Astra Militarum, and a second contingent arriving soon to bring their strength close to twenty million, they couldn't fight a war of attrition against the Orks like this. They simply couldn't afford it.
Kester gently picked up the list from his desk and glanced over the names. Some belonged to people he knew, but far more belonged to people he did not. Behind every name was a life once full of vitality. Behind every name was a sacrifice made in loyalty.
Sacrifice... Sacrifice was the foundation of the Imperium of Man. Without sacrifice... It was only through countless sacrifices that the Imperium of Man had endured to this day. One day, it would be his turn, wouldn't it?
Kester could not help feeling sorrowful. There would be a place for him beneath the Golden Throne, wouldn't there?
"How are things going with Priest Kater?" Kester rallied his spirits, wanting to ask how production of equipment and ammunition was progressing.
The adjutant smiled. "Priest Kater has sent good news. The city conversions are going smoothly, faster than expected. And this system seems to be special. The machine spirits are more active here. The responses to prayers to the Machine God are clearer, too.
"If this system were somewhere safe, rather than within the bounds of the Unbroken Defensive Line, Priest Kater would even want to apply to the