Tearing another Gretchin off of his armor Teratus stopped to fire another burst of bolter rounds into a rushing ork noting with a grim satisfaction as the rounds embedded themselves in the creatures chest before ripping it in half in a bloody display of gore he had become well used to in the past few nights of Combat. Briefly the newly minted Battle Brother cast his glimpse at the hell surrounding him and his brothers.
In the distance explosions and fire enveloped scores of advancing orks, widow turrets set up to defend a ridge line had red barrels as they continued firing at the oncoming hordes of orcs. Looking to his left Teratus saw another squad of the 5th Company wreathed in flames from a burna boy. Admiring their conviction as they screamed in pain and righteous Fury while ripping the offending burna boy apart. Turning his head back to his own squad.
-SWACK-
With a flash of light and the feeling of a hammer pounding against his temple he feels his helmet shred in half by a lucky ork round. Stumbling for a moment his ears ringing Teratus looks up to see an ork jumping at him one of the Xenos crude axes poised to kill. Teratus lifts his bolter training it on the ork only for the Xenos to be cut down from a hail of bolts fired from one of his Squad mates. He recognized his savior Rathous another recently inducted battle brother and friend that he trained beside as a scout. Shaking his head and slamming back into cover Teratus looks back to Rathous give him what looked to be a thrillful nod. "Always the thrill seaker" Thinks Teratus with a smile a thanks forming on his lips only to see his friend's head burst as two rounds slam into his helmet.
Growling Teratus leans over his cover firing into the oncoming mob of orks taking out one after another before a hail of poorly returned fire forces him to duck back behind cover less he join Rathous. Taking in the full sense of the battlefield Teratus takes in the situation his squad is in.
The newly minted 5th Companies 6th squad was in a precarious position occupying some ruins in the center of the massive defensive line the 5th was trying to use to hold back the oncoming tide of Xenos from advancing into a nearby imperial settlement. The squad was down from its original seven members to 4 with one brother seriously wounded flayed out against a piece of rubble firing blindly with what was left of his remaining arm. His other two brothers were firing continuously into the oncoming horde spending time only to slap in a new clip before the spent one hits the blood soaked ground.
The only one who did not seem to give off any sense of duress was their Sgt. In his short (By Space Marine standard) Career as a Battle Brother there were none except for their Company Master that truly embodied what it meant to be a Dark Angel then their sergeant. A Veteran of countless battles Teratus admired as the man one armed a storm bolter stolen from the wreck of a still flaming rhino barely ten paces away. He Roared out Prayers and The Achievements of the 5th company and the Chapter as a whole as her sprayed scores of incoming orks with fire before delivering a punishing left hook with his power fist into any Xeno scum that delved too close.
Tearing his eyes away from the inspiring sight Teratus looked over the advancing war band of orks easily spotting the War boss as he towered over most nobs. Teratus suppressed a growl of before calmly reciting a prayer of fortitude.
They had tried three times now to pierce the mob surrounding the War boss only to be repelled. By the Emperors Grace Teratus's sergeant calmly stated reinforcements were inbound.
Teratus took this news grimly as he and likewise his brothers were forced back a few steps from their cover as the orks numbers began to overwhelm them. Pointing his bolter to the left Teratus bared his teeth as he and his entire squad sprayed clip after clip into the approaching armored nobs charging up the small hill towards his squad's position. Teratus draws his Knife yelling out prayers to the Lion and Emperor as the lead nob jumps over the fallen pillar Teratus was using as cover convinced on cleaving the Dark Angel in two.
The world around Teratus slows, out of the corner of his eye he sees one of his brothers have his head torn from his still firing body, his Sgt takes a step forward obviously intent on challenging the nobs leader, his last surviving brother looks torn between falling back and following their Sgt into hell. Glancing up at the slowly falling nob Teratus says his final prayer to the Emperor idly noticing a hush fall over the battlefield.
...
With a Sickening Shriek a beam of what appeared to be an arrangement of stained glass slammed into the nobs chest launching it back into its companions. With a deafening roar Teratus watches as a rift appears in the center of the nobs where the beam landed. Teratus lets out a pained grunt as something tore at his soul he glared at the still expanding rift unable to see into it past it's blinding light and realized that it wasn't just his soul being sucked in as he slammed into the pillar he was using as cover. Letting out a low roar as he watch blood from the wound on his temple fly into the rift Teratus digs his knife into the pillar.
With a sudden gust of wind the Rift seals as if never there. Panting Teratus notes with satisfaction that the entire squad of nobs was nowhere to be seen. Hearing a roar of an engine above him Teratus turned toward the sound shocked by what he saw.
A Dark Talon hovered above his position like a bird of prey wings poised to strike. With a rewarding rapid cackle of fire the Dark Talon opens up with its hurricane bolters slaughtering tens of orks every second.
"The Ravenwing is here." The gravelly voice of his Sgt proclaims causing Teratus to look at him with a mixture of awe and silent relief. Noting sadly that there is no sign of his other brother Teratus turns back to the enemy who seemed to be stunned by the Dark Angels new air support and the display of its main gun many looked as if they would break right then and there.
"GET GOIN' YA GITS. AINT NO TIME TO BE GAWKING. KILL DE SPACE MARIENS. WHAAAGH!" The War boss yelled out rekindling the fire for combat that resides in all orks. Following their leaders example all orks let out a resounding "WAAAAGH" and renew their charge at the entrenched Dark Angels.
Silence. Not one rider nor machine made a sound as they watched the doomed company try to hold off against impossible odds. Who were they? They were blurs of shadow that glide silently across the land, they were Knights on an endless hunt, and they were the Ravenwing. I am Ravenwing and we shall teach the enemy retribution for our brothers.
A silent hand order is given from our Huntsman and as one we respond. Over our decades of serving together we don't question, don't hesitate, we are fearless. Our beasts of machines spool their wheels against the dried rock before shooting off toward our temporary target. At one point I expected a roar or shouts of anger when we made haste towards a foe. But that has long been beaten out of me by experience and our nature. Not a sound. One would strain to hear the massive engines of our machines over the rolling nearby dust storms as we moved towards the enemy.
My bike was the deepest black adorned with litanies of faith etched painfully into the armor. I have long learned every mechanism and working part of it and its weapons any less would be against my duty of one in my position. As Knights we must always give our best. Lest we fail in our duty. Clasped to my Left forearm is a relic of the Chapter. An Ancient Storm Shield made in the image of the old Knights of Caliban. With it I have blocked or repulsed attacks that otherwise would have run me through. Its surfaces is covered in gouges and from a certain angle you can see the small field of protection reflecting light. At my waist hangs my Corvus Hammer. A Weapon adorned with many rituals and one that I like all my Brother Knights have spent hours upon hours of training to become incredibly proficient with however, I do not prefer the hammer on the field of battle. It is to slow. To cumbersome should one be knocked from his machine. No. I leave my hammer where it is on most situations. My true weapon is my ancient power sword. This weapon and I are one as we assault our foes. Long have I trained to follow our Primarchs example of excellence in swordplay. I am. "Proficient." Attached to my bike in easy reach as I ride is a holster where the bolt pistol I have used since my first day as a Dark Angel lies. My armor is the black in memory of the past and my position, silver gleams from my left shoulder indicating my knighthood, and finally a shroud of Heroes is wrapped around my torso and hooded over my head. It was not the first time I was awarded such an honor and as duty demands I would find one just as worthy after this campaign to award it to.
Perhaps the New initiate. If he proved himself. Looking over the rest of his squad it's easy to understand the wonder behind the Ravenwing. Cloaks billowing in the wind, the sun nearing its set gleaming off the black metal, they looked like shades moving across the horizon.
Taking a breath as the cool Zen of battle washed over my mind I return my focus to my enemy.
"Encircle the target, Spiral formation. Damion, Ezekiel, take him." Our Huntsman Abraxas spoke with nearly three hundreds of years of experience and devotion. Together Ezekiel, myself, and Abraxas had trained together as scouts, fought beside each other as battle brothers, rode together in the Ravenwing, and hunted as black Knights. We knew all there is to know about each other. We worked together seamlessly, knowing each other's weaknesses and strengths as if they were our own. Together slowly pushing each other forward through brotherly rivalry we grew strong.
I pushed up revving my engine to form the spearhead beside Abraxas, on the other side of him Ezekiel. Our spear closed with the enemy line shooting past the Dark Talons position as a blur of shadow. Our two other Knights made up the shaft of the spear bolters at the ready.
Four meters from the enemy line we were given our order. "Fire." Abraxas commanded as calmly as ever. Pressing the stud next to the accelerator the plasma talons mounted forward on me and my companions bikes fired with a steady bursts of plasma, in a matter of seconds we passed by the charred remains of the first line right into the War boss's bodyguards.
Our spear fragmented Abraxas shooting left with our two other squad mates as myself and Ezekiel shot forward towards the war boss. My pistol kicked in my hand as it spat a hail of bolts towards an enemy. My Bike jerked from side to side Plasma Talons still firing as I shot, disintegrated, backhanded, and gruesomely ran over any ork in my way.
"WAAAAGHH!"
I grit my teeth and roar my engine just in time shooting away from the spot now littered with bolts from the War boss's arm mounted shoota. This was the closest I or any marine had been to him and lived. His face was a grisly mass of scars and the orks "prosthetics," His entire right forearm had been replaced with a massive power claw, in his other he held an axe as long as my bike, looking at the nob closest to him I realized he was a giant even among them.
Sending a flurry of bolts from my pistol I learned another grim detail. As the bolts neared him a field seemed to encompass him protecting him from harm.
"Power field." I notified my squad calmly while wondering the best way to take the beast down.
"Understood, clear the area around him. Defensive circle." Abraxas responded.
The orks bodyguard was dead or fleeing. My three brothers gave a wide birth to the War boss and shot at any ork trying to get close as Ezekiel and I attempted to close distance with the War boss to deliver a fatal blow. Try as we might the ork was fast given its size. Already my shield boasted new gouges from his claw.
"Assistance reacquired." I voxed the response immediate.
One of the brothers forming the outside of the circle pointed his specialized grenade launcher in and fired out two rounds. With a blue flash static washed across my vision and I felt a small sense of nausea the stasis shells found their target and detonated against his chest. Not meant to damage the stasis shell much like the bomb carried by the Dark Talon temporarily disrupted time resulting in extreme reactions of nausea. The effect on the War boss was as expected. He leaned over emptied his stomach onto the ground while swaying like a drunken man.
Quickly holstering my pistol I drew my sword relishing in the familiar comfort of its hilt and weight and took off towards my target. Ezekiel reached him first and with a passing blur swung his corvus hammer into the brute's knee. Gore flew away from his knee his leg nearly coming off as the beast sank to the ground. I was next slashing at the beast's still flesh arm cutting its bolter in half.
As I wheeled my bike around on another charge I saw Ezekiel already in charge hammer poised over his head for the killing blow. The beast wasn't moving and… he was grinning.
"Ezekiel peel off!" I Voxed roaring towards the beast. I was too late.
Turning on his good knee with the speed I've never seen before the beast dug his claw into Ezekiel's bikes first wheel immediately stopping it's forward momentum and throwing the rider up into the air. Pulling his claw deftly from the ruined bike he caught my brother in midair with him and squeezed. The metal blades making up the claw coursed with energy empowering them. With ease they buried through the layers of adamantine and into his flesh.
Ezekiel twitched and spammed at the end of the beasts claws. Aiming his pistol at the beasts head he fired his entire clip watching them all bounce harmlessly off the beasts shielding.
With a growl the War boss held my dying brother far from him and yelled out "I'VE HAS ENOUGH OF YOUUU SPACE MARIENN!" Bringing his massive axe around I watched as Ezekiel's head was torn from his body.
I had stopped my bike after Ezekiel's death 7 meters or so from the ork and simply stared at him. The beast was sporting a wide grin of mismatched and metal teeth as he let my brother's body side off the end of his claw.
My brothers in the outer circle were silent as they held off horde after horde of approaching orks. As one they began the prayer in a near whisper "We are Space Marines, the Swords and Shields of the Imperium. We fight for its people and its glorious leader our Emperor!"
I knew what I had to do. Retribution was needed. So I turned off my bike, stepped off, and took 10 paces towards the grinning abomination.
It let out a gruff laugh and hobbled towards me on its good leg. As I raised my shield holding my sword to the side I remembered my years on the rock as a scout.
I remembered my lectures, I remembered learning of the spiral, the value of an inner circle defending and outer one and eventually realized the significance implied to our chapter as a whole.
With a roar I came back to the present my body institutionally dodging the overhead swing the brute took with his axe after taking a surprisingly long lunge given that his bad leg was hanging on by literal threads of flesh. Bringing my shield up I blocked the follow up by the beast's power claw getting knocked into the mud as a result. Rolling to the side I dodge another strike and lash out with one of my own digging into the beast's ribs. Roaring in pain the Xeno slams the shaft of its axe into my head knocking me back a few paces. I stagger back to my feet ignoring the pain as I circle the creature.
"We are Dark Angels, The Knights of the Imperium, Our Duty Sacred, our Oaths unbreakable we stride to defeat our Emperors enemies in the name of his son the Lion!"
I charge forward slashing and hacking at the beast which sluggishly parries or blocks my blows with its axe or claw. Bringing its axe up for another overhead I step to the side as it comes down taking off a section of my robe with it. Slamming my shield down on the shaft of the massive axe I hold it in place as I bring my sword up and back down slicing off the shaft in half. I look back towards the creature to see its fist make contact with my helmet denting the metal. Disoriented I take a step back. Shaking my head I slam my shield against its power claw as it approaches parrying the attack. Another first slams towards my face. This time I'm ready. In a quick flash my blade sings as the Xenos blood burns off of it. It lets out another roar of pain as half its hand flies away. Quickly I slash at its other good leg. Forcing me back with its claw the beast falls to its knees.
"We are Ravenwing, we honor the past with our colors, and we honor the future with our Fortitude!"
Again I charge. Where I once saw a beast, a giant, a xenos warrior now I see an animal, cornered and there you can see it in the beasts eyes. Fear.
I slash at the beast's chest with all the speed and precision that I have acquired through years of training and combat. It brings its claw down again and I see my chance. Blocking with my shield once more I slash at the creatures shoulder separating it, its arm, and its power claw from each other. Turning to look the creature in the eyes I expect the kill to be easy. How foolish of me. The beast slams its head into my. Gritting my teeth in anger for both my brother Ezekiel and for all the brothers that this beast has killed this day I respond as kind slamming my armored head into his nose shattering it. The beast glares at me its nose disfigured and bleeding it surges at me mouth wide attempting to bite me. Calmly I present my sword and thrust it into the beast's mouth. With a gag its eyes go wide. I see my sword protrude through the other side of the beasts head.
"We are Black Knights. Our Hunt is eternal, our duty unknowable, we fight to redeem that we may be forgiven in your eyes our Emperor. We will be forgiven. We will Hunt. We Will Redeem. We will be reborn and serve the Emperor and the Imperium as Knights of honor. This is our Oath!"
With a swish of my wrist the beasts head rolls from its body. The battle has stopped. From one line to the others all our watching. I lift the beasts head high into the air. The orks nearest to our squad react first.
"RUN FOR IT!"
As one the horde seems consumed by chaos. Yelling, shooting, and clubbing each other as they move the horde retreats and splinters, any nob trying to hold the lines is instantly fired upon by the 5th forcing them to rout as well. The day is ours. Though the cost is great.
I walk over to Ezekiel's body. I remove the pendent wrapped around the remains of his bike. A gift from a watcher he told me, and his most prized possession. Walking back to my bike I wrap the pendent around the accelerator and take off towards my already departing squad. Catching up Abraxas begins the briefing on the last sighting of our target. The orks were not the reason were on this planet. They were in the way. Our true target is hidden away in the mountain settlements ahead. We will find him and we will redeem him. My thoughts briefly think about Ezekiel. He will be mourned later. We are Knights. Our Duty is our life. We are to be an example for not just Dark Angels but all Space Marines to strive behind. As if sensing my thoughts Abraxas begins again. "
"We are Space Marines, the Swords and Shields of the Imperium. We fight for its people and its glorious leader our Emperor, We are Dark Angels, The Knights of the Imperium, Our Duty Sacred, our Oaths unbreakable we stride to defeat our Emperors enemies in the name of his son the Lion, We are Ravenwing, we honor the past with our colors, we honor the future with our Fortitude, We are Black Knights. Our Hunt is eternal, our duty unknowable, we fight to redeem that we may be forgiven in your eyes our Emperor. We will be forgiven. We will Hunt. We Will Redeem. We will be reborn and serve the Emperor and the Imperium as Knights of honor. This is our Oath!"