FALLING ANGELS OF DEATH
Chapter 1: Fighting Beside Brothers
Veteran brother sergeant Septimus' helmet protected him from the thunderous roar of the nuclear engines of the Thunderhawk gun-ship that resonated throughout the hull of the aircraft.
"How many of the thirty space marines under my command must die to secure victory? No. We are the UDEC, Ultramarines Drop Elite Company, lightning at the heart of the enemy. I need not worry" Thought Septimus.
They were nine foot tall angels of death clad in battle-worn black armor. They were all willing to lay down their lives for the Ultramarines "U" painted on their blue, white trimmed shoulder-guards. Their piercing red eye lenses broke the darkness before them. They resembled nothing but statues as they stood absolutely still meditating on the battle ahead.
The UDEC was a secret branch of the Ultramarines that almost none knew of save the chapter master Marneus Calgar. They specialized in drop pod assault and insertion Thunderhawk landings. they were the elite of the elite. They were one hundred brothers strong and employed no scouts. They donned the MkVIII power armor, far ahead of the MkVII the normal chapter wore. It was lighter, more flexible, and it was faster. also the helmet lenses were equipped with 4x, 10x, and 40x zoom capabilities.
"One minute" said the deep voice of the pilot grimly through the com-link breaking the deadly silence, "prepare for landing and may the Emperor guide you."
"Affirmative," said Septimus, "Prepare to disembark. First squad secure the rear 180 degree perimeter. Second, repeat on the front."
"Affirmative, brother." Said the sergeants commanding first and second squads in unison.
"Third squad remain in reserve..." said Septimus, "Clear." Magazines were slammed into their sockets and bolt catches released, locking .75 calibre explosive bolts into place. He heard the Thunk
as 29 other pairs of armored feet slam into ready position as he did the same.
They shook with the jolt of the landing as the Thunderhawk slammed to the dirt below. "Contact..." said the pilot, eliminating, "Contact neutralized, disembark."
There was a great hiss as the pressure seals were released and the doors dropped to the ground.
Bright light flooded into the passenger chamber and temporarily filled the marines' lenses with blinding white light. This was quickly mended by the light equalizer in the helmets of the warriors.
"GO!" yelled Sergeant Septimus, "set up a perimeter around the ship and standby"
The thirty space marines charged out of the Thunderhawk and set up a perimeter employing whatever cover was in sight within the clearing. First and second squad hit the ground prone while third squad stood up behind them to create an effective base of fire should they need it.
The bodies of several Tyranid gaunts and genestealers lay strewn across the clearing. from when the heavy bolters unleashed their fire before they charged. There was a total and complete brown out and a deafening roar as the Thunderhawk headed for its standby position in orbit.
Vision cleared and silence swept upon the clearing like an eagle.
Septimus's soldier sense was buzzing and driving him crazy. Nothing was moving at all. It was too easy
"Its too quiet, I don't like this... First and second squad, probe the woods on my mark... mark." Each marine squeezed his trigger once at anything that looked suspicious and four explosive bolts were sent whizzing into the woods all around them. The air was rent with the roar of bolter fire... and the piercing screeches of dying tyranids.
Septimus' motion scanner was painted red as the tyranids charged the yellow circle on the scanner that was the marines from all sides.
Sick brown aliens with green carapaces shot out of the woods and charged the marines.
"Shoot to kill! Sent these foul abominations to the abyss!" screamed Septimus
Corpses piled up by the score as the tyranids fell to the unrelenting waves decimating bolter fire. One man fired while the man next to him reloaded. Effectively sending an endless chain of fire.
Septimus watched aliens get ripped apart from the inside and fall in sickly piles of flowing gore. Septimus shot unrelentingly sending self-propelling bolts into the midst of the vile insects. He sent multiple grenades spinning into the multitude of xenos which detonated propelling a wave of blood and body parts into the air. These promptly rained down into the ranks of the space marines covering their bodies in gross entrails.
"Keep the line strong! Not one step backwards!" barked Septimus, "We will not move until this infection is gone!"
Gullies flowed with the blood of aliens and still the Ultramarines fought like the emperor's finest should But the tyranids slowly advanced inch by inch. By now the bodies were piled almost to the tree tops. the Ultramarines were now defending a crater, a major strategic disadvantage.
"Pull back to the defencive square formation and keep up the base of fire!" "This clearing MUST NOT FALL!"
"Sir" said Sergeant Exemis, "If we remain like this for much longer, we will be overrun."
"You are very right sergeant" said Septimus, " We are running out of ammunition, and we are fighting from the low ground inside a crater. We need some sort of advantage." thought Septimus "...Prepare to launch a counter-attack. tell the men to fight till he reaches the lip of this huge pile, that should give us some cover and a makeshift wall, an invaluable asset in this skirmish."
"We will be overtaken even faster if we counter them!" exclaimed Exemis, "I suggest we..."
"Sir, firstly, may i remind you of your rank. Our defenses are in no shape to withstand an assault for an untold amount of time. Secondly, our hopes cannot rest on Thunderhawk support as it is probably on the dark side of the planet and we would be overrun by the time the Descending Wrath has arrived and they would find nothing but our bodies... FIRE UP THE BAYONETS!" said the sergeant.
The screams of the foot-long bayonets filled the air. Their bayonets were essentially one sided chain-saws one the end of a bolter. They were devastating in close combat they could rip an alien limb from limb in seconds.
Sergeant Septimus received "standing by"s from first, second, and third squads.
"CHARGE!!" Thundered Septimus as the Space marines surged forward, splashing through streams and puddles of xeno blood and internals. They descended upon the tyranid menace like falling angels of death.
"FOR THE EMPEROR!" screamed Septimus, "WE MUST. NOT. FAIL!"
Septimus charged up the hill ripping apart numerous aliens leaving half bodies and severed limbs in his wake. Hideous claws tore at his armor, but none penetrating. he was and unstoppable force with unyeilding momentum. The remaining tyranids that he didnt kill circled to his back. Septimus was quickly brought to his knees by relentless creatures. He whipped around bringing his bayonet in a wide arc slashing three tyranids on top of him. Internals spilled from their bellies and covered him. Two claws penetrated at his arm and waist joint. blood spurted from the wounds, but was quickly clotted by his engendered blood stream. He rolled over with all the force he could muster crushing two under his weight, bones shattering. he sprang to his feet quickly, and one was squished on his landing. he gathered his senses to see another horrid bug charging him. He diverted all his body force to his shoulder guard crushing the life from the alien. Two more aliens charged him on his right flank and caught him by surprise. They both slammed into his legs in unison taking the ground from under him. He hit the mound of bodies with a dull splat and the various snaps of broken bones and cracked carapaces. He was up as quickly as he had fallen and saw the two xenos already scurrying after him again. Septimus stood his ground adrenaline pumping, and waited until the last moment possible. As the aliens neared, he chose the bug to his right to eliminate first. as they were nearly upon him, he jumped to his right and reached out for the head of the clawed menace. Septimus's hand met its mark and he squeezed and pulled and almost instantly the tyranid's neck twisted halfway around and snapped with a sickening crack.
"One down" he thought.
The other insect was carried through the tangle by his momentum and he cornered so hastily that he fell over and slid through the carnage of the crater. Septimus seized the opportunity to pick up his bolter, which he had dropped when he was hit, and sank four explosive shells into the alien's hardened carapace.
He charged to the lip of the creator to discover with grim satisfaction, the alien menace scurrying into the woods. He sent a hail of whizzing bolter rounds in pursuit of them, and they hit their intended targets felling three tyranids.
As he was about to order a status report, a deafening roar and the snapping of trees as an enormous lone carnifex crashed through the border of the foliage. The fearsome creature charged Septimus at a lumbering run. The creature tilted its head downwards leveling two horns at him that were as big around as his leg and nearly as tall as him. he prepared to dodge to the side, but underestimated the huge creature's speed and the carnifex swung his head to the left and the huge bony scythe made contact with Septimus's side and he was sent sprawling into the air. He came down and dug a crater in the floor of bodies. even with the shock absorbing power of his cushion of gore, multicolored circles exploded into his vision. He got up slowly to notice the gigantic monster circling in a wide ark to retain its momentum.
Septimus groped for his bolter and found the handle in the carnage. he brought the weapon of devastating power to bear on the carnifex and loosed to powerful bursts. Four of the rounds bounced harmlessly off of the carapace of the monster while three lodged into the carapace. only one found a penetrable spot and disappeared inside the alien. The monster seemed to take no notice as black blood sprayed from the wound. The carnifex was parallel for another charge and he increased his speed. This time, Septimus dove and rotated, landing flat on his back below the monster. The carnifex was unable to stop, momentum taking Septimus's side again.
As the monster passed over him, pulverizing hooves punching holes in the carnage beside him, Septimus lurched up and caught the monsters tail. The spiked mace on the end of the monster's tail sheared his armor as The space marine groped forward inching inching his way forward. The carnifex whirled around searching for him, and his tail flung Septimus through the small expanse of air between him and the monster's naturally armored back. Septimus crashed against the carnifex's carapace and once again circles of color expanded across his field of vision. He tasted blood. He gathered his wits just soon enough to catch the edge of the carapace as he was sliding off. he shimmied up the monster's back as it thrashed around trying to reach him.
He reached the head and wrapped his legs around its neck as he accelerated his bayonet. He drove the devastating saw into the carnifex's neck. The chain-saw's torque pulled against his hold. The weapon shot gore behind him as it dug ever deeper into the monster's flesh.
The carnifex howled so loudly, it probably got the attention of every being on the planet. suddenly, the saw caught on bone and it yanked against his hold, escaping his grip. It flung itself nigh on ten yards and crashed into the ground of bodies. Losing his weapon, he instinctively reached for his bolt-pistol. without even looking down he whipped the weapon out of its holster and pressed it against the bas of the monster's skull. He unleashed the force of a whole magazine of bolts and the monster staggered, letting one more roar escape him. He crashed to the ground and Septimus slid off and slowly slipped into the black, loosing consciousness. After all not many, even a glorious space marine face a carnifex one on one and live, not to mention win.
"Status, all squads." inquired Septimus over the com-link.
"Four from first. All WIA"
"Three from second, WIA"
"Three from third, all wounded"
"Any that can fight, make it so, any that cant, evac them to chapter." ordered Septimus, "Form a perimeter around the lip. I want half of first squad on watch first. rotate in four hour lapses."
Septimus switched channels to a private one between him and the crew of Descending Wrath
only and no one else.
"LZ is clear, and we have wounded. Begin approach angle and land in the clearing. After wounded are off the ground, I need intel on a more defensible location." ordered Septimus.
"Affirmative brother sergeant." said the pilot
"Prepare wounded for evac, get them stable and clear the landing zone!" Barked Septimus
"I need a scout party of four others not including me. We have to see what we are up against here."
Septimus handpicked four of his best at stealth, as he knew the abilities, strengths and weaknesses of each man under his command.
"All right, we are going silent on this one. Attach the silencers and regular knife bayonets, we cannot afford to let the bugs know of our actions. No grenades, stock up on ammo once the Descending Wrath touches down. When you are ready, report back for an official briefing. Dismissed."
All of the soldiers immediately left to fulfill their orders, it wouldn't be long until the Descending Wrath touched down again and their mission would be under way.
"Prepare for touch down, thirty seconds and counting" exclaimed the pilot.
"Roger that, standby" mumbled Septimus into the com-link. "CLEAR THE LANDING AREA ON THE DOUBLE!" yelled Septimus and turned his attention back to the com. "Clear."