Disclaimer: I don't own Warhammer, Stargate and Mass Effect, yada yada yada you get the point. Anyway hope you like the previous chapter. I'll try make chapters longer cause compared to other chapter in stories I've read mine was relatively short. Also not going to include quite a bit of the latest stuff that has happened in 40k, mainly the gathering storm storyline. Anyway hope you like this chapter. P.S reviews are welcome and encouraged
Techmarine Hammel had begun organising the remains of Remith's tactical squad into recon teams, while Apothecary Ricttus began the process of retrieving the undamaged cybernetic enhancements throughout the dead librarians body. Along with his geneseed which would be passed on to a new recruit once they came in contact with the Blood Raven chapter elements again.
Corporal Raela Trimane had also volunteered the help of herself and the remnants of her squad in patrolling the area around the grounded stormbird. Hammel had agreed and the guardsmen had begun their task immediately.
Techmarine Hammel and Brother Remith were conversing in the tactical room about the situation of available equipment and sending Remith and his squad on recon missions. "What equipment have we got to work with Techmarine Hammel" asked Brother Remith as he looked over the holographic Tacmap made up of scans from the local surroundings that they were getting updates from a few servo-skulls that were stationed aboard.
"We have a fully stocked armoury, and enough material to maintain our current equipment, vehicles and create a manageable amount of new ammunition for weaponry for a while, as well as five newly built centurion warsuits" the techmarine said. Looking through more of the stormbirds manifest and continued on "And for our vehicle compliment we have only two land speeders, an attack bike and Brother Ardormun encased in a Dreadnought walker, but I think he should only be awoken only in dire need".
Remith nodded in agreement, and asked the techmarine "Are the land speeders and attack bike fuelled up and loaded with ammunition, I want to start the recon missions as soon as possible". "Yes Brother Remith they are ready for the missions". "Land speeder one and two will scout outwards of hundred and fifty mile and around that radius, while Attack bike one will do the same but only at a fifty mile mark". Remith acknowledged his orders and left for the vehicle bay, ordering his squad to meet him there so he could brief them on their mission and to be assigned to each vehicle.
Imperial Guard Alcarion Squad 6.3km Southeast from landed Stormbird
Corporal Trimane and the survivors of her squad made their way through the snowy forest landscape. With the low howl of the wind in the rustle of the trees and the crunchy of snow under their boots being the only other noise apart from breathing of her and her squad mates. It was peaceful and beautiful was what came to mind compared to the previous worlds of ice and snow she had been deployed too. Aurelia came to the forefront of her thoughts.
That emperor-forsaken planet made her skin crawl even now not even being a universe away from it could stop the feeling about that foul place. How wrong it felt every time the loyalist of the 85th had deployed there. Mostly alongside loyalist elements of the Blood Raven chapter to provide support. She hated the damned planet most of all, for it was the place she lost her right arm and eye to a bloodletters daemon sword near the end of the Aurelian Crusade.
It was only thanks to the space marine librarian Jonah Orion that saved her not only from being killed that day but also from the corruption of chaos that would have set in. If not for the librarian purifying her flesh she could have suffered a fate far worse and gladly preferred the immense pain of the purifying process to becoming a servant of chaos.
The voice of Private Lucian over the vox broke through her thoughts "Corporal I think I got something here, you will want to check this out". "Copy that Lucian, alright Valeria, Tibias watch your spacing and keep up" Raela ordered the other two members of her squad as she pushed through the forest towards Lucians position.
As the rest of Alcarion squad pushed into the small they were met with an object they had never seen before. A large ring with symbols carved equally apart from one another and was encased in a small set of stairs and a small raised platform with tablet sized panels on it going in circles with symbols etched into them. "What in emperors name is that" exclaimed Private Tibias as they continued to approach the unknown object.
Raela's eyes roved over the thing with wonder and a small ounce of fear what this could be. For all the campaigns she had been in and worlds that she had been too, she had never encountered anything quite like this. Private Lucian was inspecting the platform with symbols. "Lucian, have you found anything else other than these things in the surrounding area" asked the corporal. Lucian turned around from the platform and looked at his commanding officer and said "Unsure ma'am I decided until you arrived I'd just take a look at whatever these things are".
"Fair enough private" Raela said as she looked around the clearing for anything else that could indicate that there was other intelligent life on this planet other than themselves. Valeria commented about the strange structure "I wonder what these things are used for", and Tibias answered her "Perhaps it's a shrine or a weapon, emperor forbid it could be like an Eldar webway gate". The possibilities of what it could and could not be were endless but right now she should make Techmarine Hammel aware of her squads discovery she thought and reached for her headset and activated it.
"Techmarine Hammel come in" spoke the corporal into her headset, and for a few seconds all there was, was static and then the Techmarine answered her hail "I hear you loud and clear Corporal Trimane, what's your status". Raela then began too relay her squads discovery to Hammel. "Interesting, I will be along shortly in Attack Bike Alpha stay at your position and be advised Land Speeder Alpha and Beta have just been launched on their scouting missions" answered the Techmarine, and Raela acknowledged "Understood, Techmarine Hammel".
As Raela began to order her squad into a guarding position when a loud howl emanated from outside of the clearing and they all snapped up their guns to the shoulder and scanned the treeline for any movement. "What in the name of throne was that" yelled Tibias looking down the sights of his combat shotgun as the wind started to pick up and the snow was coming down more heavily making a lot more difficult to see what was out there. "Form a back to back circle on the stairs, now" shouted Raela as she backed up towards the structure and stopped only when she felt the backs of her squad mates.
"Ready" Raela shouted and she got a unison of ready's yelled back at her. Eyes darted left and right for several seconds searching for anything out the ordinary before she caught a less than second glimpse of a shape of something moving extremely fast around them before it was lost in the snow fall once again, but what was more startling was how large it was and could yet move at speeds at speed that could rival that of a space marine at full pace.
"It's stalking us, interesting" Lucian mused and Valeria rebuked angrily "I wouldn't call something that wants to kill us and eat us and the shit out what's left of us interesting Lucian" Tibias said laughing aloud while Raela shook her head but then her eyes widened as a large shape approached her.
As it continued its advance it became clearer and clearer what it was. Holy throne she thought that thing nearly looks like a large wolf, and not just any normal wolf, it looked like it could match one of the kinds of fenrisian wolves of the Space Wolves Homeworld. And Raela could just hear it growl and snarling at her over the roaring winds. It had a deep looking four claw marked scar running from just above its left eye socket which had no eyeball, down its upper jaw crossing its mouth down to its lower jaw, and it had white fur with steaks of black and silver across its body.
It then let a snarled roar at Raela and her team, while using powerful rear legs to lunge at her and all she could mutter out before it reached her was "This is not our day" and pulled the trigger on her M40 autogun and began firing.
Sorry it took longer to put this out than I said i would my laziness and gaming habit won out over the past week plus I have go through a lot wiki and what not on stuff I don't already know about the universes or have to refresh on. Hope you enjoyed it. BTW I will might update this chapter over the weekend so come back every once in a while.
The Stormbird is a pre-heresy predecessor to the thunderhawk which boasted a larger cargo and armament compliment due to it being at least three times the size of its younger brother. Its STC was lost long ago just before the heresy ended or just after I believe and now those still around are either used by the traitor legions or gathering dust in a space marine armoury or something of the like due to not knowing how they are to be built, serviced or repaired.
The one in this story is a heavily modified version of the Stormbird but I'll get to explaining it in the story codex and a little in the story how it works. So until next time have a fine day.
What is your life?
My honour is my life.
What is your fate?
My duty is my fate.
What is your fear?
My fear is to fail.
What is your reward?
My salvation is my reward.
What is your craft?
My craft is death.
What is your pledge?
My pledge is eternal service