A standalone Imperial Guard short story by Matt Smith, The Price of Duty takes a familiar setup – a straight-laced commissar serving with an ill-disciplined regiment of Catachan Jungle Fighters – and delivers a slightly different take to usual. For young Commissar Jasper Nevin, serving under a Lord-Commissar whom he idolises is a dream come true, however the soldiers of the Catachan 64th don’t seem to hold him in much regard. Surrounded by warriors of strength and fortitude, Nevin finds his own skill and bravery lacking, but to survive he’s going to have to find a way to earn at least someone’s respect.
It’s an interesting angle to take, and Smith plays upon Nevin’s youthful naivety to portray a different kind of commissar to the usual hard-nosed bastards, one who’s in over his head and caught between the proverbial rock and hard place. Tonally it’s a little inconsistent however, at times feeling almost tongue-in-cheek with how oblivious Nevin is to what’s really happening while other times leaning more towards the usual 40k grimdark. While it doesn’t fully deliver on either front, and could have benefited from digging a bit deeper into Nevin’s character, there’s enough to enjoy in the plot and the supporting cast for this to still provide an entertaining snippet of Imperial Guard life.
