Chapter 2
The vibration of the drop ship was steady and hard. Phantom Squad sat quietly in their harness, listing to the turbulence of the drop ships engines. The dark blue drop ship, strikes across the night sky fading in and out of dark clouds. In the Debelleo Lampas, Phantom Squad hears pilot's voice over the speakers.
"Prepare for drop, ten minutes till deployment,"
"Ok, listen up, you know the drill, once we hit ground deploy out of the Debelleo Lampas and find cover until I give the all clear. Do you got that," asked Sergeant Ambrose?
The members of Phantom Squad shot out their own acknowledgements.
The pilots voice echoes over the intercom once more.
"Five minutes".
Regulus gives the ok, for Vibius to start the Debelleo Lampas engines. The moment the chimeras engines starts the pilots voice shouts out through the inter com.
"Just lost contact with Echo 519 and Echo 623, not sure if there is interference standby…"
Just then the drop ship Echo 713 starts spinning in a deep dive, turning each way. The pilots voice echoes over the inter com once more.
"Hang on back there, we are going to stabilize in three, two, one, stabilizing,"
Just then Echo 713 evens out, then a massive crash. And drop ship Echo 713 starts vibrating harshly, then just stops.
"Is everybody ok," asked Sergeant Ambrose?
"Sarg? I think it would have been easier if we just jumped of the Black void," commented Halarious.
"Do you always, have to make a smart rear remark when something happens?" asked Cato.
"Regulus how is the Debelleo Lampas?" asked Sergeant Ambrose
"Sergeant I believe that we are operational. The latches stayed secure, so we didn't take any physical damage, except from some ricochet from some bolts that fired out of the hull. However Pax thinks the Machine Spirit is in pain. I believe that is do, to the loss of our drop ship," replied Regulus.
"Ok Marcus, Valerius see if you can open the drop ships hatch so we can get out of here. Tiberius, Felix check on the pilots and see if they are ok. Tacticus, Proserpina gather all the medical supplies, and anything else that could be of use and load it up onto the Debelleo Lampas. Pax, Regulus, and Vibius get the Debelleo Lampas ready to deploy. Halarious, Lucius go out through the personnel escape hatch and see if anyone is watching the drop ships ramp," commanded Sergeant Ambrose.
"Sergeant,"
"Yes Felix," asked Sergeant Ambrose
"The pilots have gone to the Emperors side; they are no longer with us. Shall I say a prayer?" asked Felix.
"You may lead the prayer," replied Sergeant Ambrose
As the Members of Phantom Squad finish their task and return they slowly gather around the cockpit to honor the remains of the pilots. In one voice they began…
"Dastard Augusta per Augusta eundrum que neonate inftium lucium maioremde glorium areternum vale. Fari thema Emperor!" chorused Phantom Squad
"Sergeant the latches have been removed and the drop ships ramp is ready to lower on your command," said Marcus
"We have gathered all the ammo, water, and medical supplies we could find," commented Proserpina
"The surrounding area is clear," said Lucius
"And the Debelleo Lampas is ready to deploy the moment the ramp is down," voiced Regulus
"Let's clear this wreck before hostiles find us let's move out," commanded Ambrose
Marcus and Valerius lowered the drop ramp. Allowing the Debelleo Lampas to clear the wrecked drop ship. Everyone silently boards the chimera and straps in. Soon only the hollow wind is heard over the finale drop of Echo 713.
A few hours later the chimera Debelleo Lampas arrives just outside of the designated zone, where they are suppose to regroup with Reaper and Ghost Squad.
"Squad, deploy night walker," commanded Sergeant Ambrose
Phantom Squad confirmed their acknowledgements, as the dim lights on the inside go out. Silently Phantom Squad deploys into the brush, like shadows fading into the dark.
"Cato anything on your scanner?" asked Sergeant Ambrose.
"No sir, scanners are picking up no signals at this mome- wait… I have something. Six heat signatures coming from the north east," replied Cato
"Squad, eyes out contacts moving in from the north east, possible friendly. Hold fire tell I give you the command," commanded Sergeant Ambrose.
"Sarg, the targets should be entering the clearing now. Wait they have stopped just at the edge of the tree line," replied Cato.
"Marcus," said Sergeant Ambrose
"On it Sarg," replied Marcus.
Marcus slowly lowers his grenade launcher, and slowly puts his hands to is mouth.
"MMMMMUUURRRRUUUP, MMMMMUUURRRUUUP" the reply came the same "MMMMUUURRRUUUP"
Soon six figures emerged out of the brush, Ghost Squad had made it. An hour later the remains of Reaper Squad emerge. As the remains of the three squads fan out and make a perimeter, the three squad leaders meet under a canopy of a tree.
"Did either of your squads encounter the enemy?" asked Ambrose
"Negative all the casualties I took were from the drop ship crash. You guys went off the radar and then we started to spin out of control," replied Decimus
"Yes, my drop ship scanners lost you and we lost control. I lost only Sirius in the crash," replied Gaius
"What happened to the rest of your men?" asked Decimus.
Gaius looked up at the night sky with a look of great pain upon his face, his fist clutch tight.
"Caro picked up a large heat signature about half a click from where our ship went down, on his scanner. We moved into a heavily wooded area, we found what I believed to be what took us out of the sky. It was massive cannon that faced up toward the direction in which we came. We moved in to set our demolition charges and, in name of the emperor we didn't stand a chance," replied Gaius
"What do you mean?" asked Ambrose
"There were a few kroot warriors moving around it. I had Augustus use his long-las to take them out; those kroot's didn't last long. We moved in, in a spreaded out formation. In a blink we were dead. I don't know how what's left of my squad manage to get out alive," replied Gaius.
"Continue what happened?" asked Ambrose
Tears start to roll down Sergeant Gaius face as the horror that fell upon them refreshes itself with in his mind. Sergeant Gaius eyes glaze over as the scene replays in his head.
"We started to cross the opening towards this massive cannon. We were about half way across the opening when, when it must have been a stealth suit team behind some thermal cover because, our scanners didn't pick them up. They just opened up on us. Augustus was killed instantly. Soon kroot warriors just came out of which appeared to me some rocks, were actually bunkers they tore into us from all sides," replied Gaius
His body starts to tremble from the pain of watching the memory of his long time friends and comrades dying. I gave the order to fall back to our fall back position. But right before we made it to the tree line, three crises suits just fell from the sky right in front of us; they unleashed hell with their heavy flamers and pulse weapons. Before I knew it only Caro, Giles and myself were in the woods running for our lives. The last I saw of anyone else was Arcturus being engulfed in flame, screaming for the pain to stop," replied Gaius.
Sergeant Ambrose and Sergeant Decimus looked at each other with looks of concern on their faces. Not knowing how to handle the situation with their brother Umbra Pladiatus. For his eyes were filled with tears, hand his aching limbs shaking with sorrow and fear.
"We need to take out that cannon if that hits a Heavy Lander, every life on board will perish. And it takes out more than one we will lose so many brothers, it would be a crushing defeat before it even began," said Sergeant Ambrose
"Here I will my squad and create a diversion using the chimera. A light vehicle should draw their attention. Mean while take the rest of your squad and move in quietly from the back and arm your charges," said Sergeant Ambrose.
"My men and I will be ready," replied sergeant Decimus
"Ok, we have three hours before the main force lands. The fate of our brothers lies in our hands," said Sergeant Ambrose
"What should we do about with Sergeant Gaius? It looks like he about to crack," said Sergeant Decimus
"I will take Phantom Squad on foot and put what's left of Reaper Squad into the Debelleo Lampas," replied Sergeant Ambrose
"Good idea, they can use the side mounts to provide covering fire, and it will keep them contain if they crack. Let's go," said Sergeant Decimus
"The time is (0100 Hours), mark for (0300 Hours), which is when the main force arrives. If we don't destroy that cannon by then we might as well say our home prayer, for them," replied Sergeant Ambrose
(0230 Hours)
Ghost and Phantom moved to their positions, just outside of the Tau cannon. As the squad scouts observe the cannon they notice changes in the cannons defenses. There is a Battle Suit guarding the front end of the cannon with several Fire Team Warriors moving about and around it. A Kroot Pack was huddled around what appeared to be food.
"Prepare to fire on my signal," said Sergeant Ambrose
"May I suggest we have the Debelleo Lampas concentrate its fire on the Battle Suit sir?" asked Cato.
"The Debelleo Lampas knows what to do, Cato," replied Sergeant Ambrose.
"We have twenty minutes sir we need to move," said Marcus
"FIRE!!!!" yelled Sergeant Ambrose
Phantom Squad unleashes a furry of las and grenades from the tree line. Several Fire Team Warriors are shredded in the hail of las. The Kroot Pack was caught in a grenade a blast from Marcus in the opening hail. Debelleo Lampas burst out of the tree line unleashing salvo after salvo from its multi-laser. The Tau Battle Suit locked on the Debelleo Lampas firing of a shot from its rail gun, just missing the Debelleo Lampas.
"Sergeant Ambrose I need your men to take out that Battle Suit NOW, before it turns my girl into a moving coffin," screamed Regulus!
"Felix take out that battle suit," commanded Sergeant Ambrose.
Felix took off out of cover, running in fall out sprint towards the Battle Suit, firing his las-rifle on full auto at the Battle Suits optics. In return the Battle Suit fires a volley from its massive rail guns, then firing off all of its rockets. Phantom Squad slowly stops firing, staring in amazement at the flow of Felix's movements. Felix jumps into the air spinning as rockets start skimming pass him, only to detonate harmlessly behind him into the ground. Felix throws the demolition charges with a grunt, for them to land right under the Battle Suit, and in the blink of the eye an explosion engulfs the Battle Suit in a fiery furry.
"How in the Emperors name did he do that," asked Lucius
Soon the massive Cannon goes up in a massive blue blast and Ghost Squad comes charging through the blue fire right behind the Tau lines, unleashing volleys of las fire. Killing many purple armored warriors as the hot-shot las rounds puncture clean through them. Then everything was quiet except the low rumbling of the chimera, and the heavy breathing of the Umbra Pladiatus.
"Shit sarge, I think we ended with a bang," commented Halarious as he began to laugh.
The two squads started to laugh at his cheesy joke, then all of a suddenly an inhuman roar emerges from the other side of the clearing. A mass hoard of Kroot Warriors com charging through the opposite tree line, screaming and jumping over the bodies of their allies, littering the ground. Ghost and Phantom Squad are joined by the remains of Reaper squad in a last stand effort. The chimera Debelleo Lampas opens up with her multi-laser. The front lines of the charging mass drop as more las-rounds hit home. All across the opening the sound of small arms fire, the wet meaty impacts of energy on flesh, howls of pain from the wounded.
Halarious starts to laugh as if he just heard the funniest joke of his life.
"What's so funny, little man?" asked Valerius.
"In this situation, most units would see this as an overwhelming force. I see this as a target rich environment," replied Halarious between burst of laughter.
"You know what that's actually funny," commented Marcus as he launches a grenade into a pack of Kroot's.
Soon everyone was laughing at yet another joke from Halarious, even as projectiles flew over head. As the firing continued, the Kroot Warriors began closing the ground on the Umbra Pladiatus.
"Cato, see if you can reach fleet command!" yelled Sergeant Ambrose over all the noise of combat.
"Copy that sir," replied Cato.
Cato pulls out his las-pistol and begins to fire one handed at the oncoming enemy, as he tries to reach fleet command.
"This is Strike Team Roman. Does anybody read me?" asked Cato
"Well Cato? Are you picking up any signals?" asked Sergeant Ambrose.
"No sir," replied Cato.
Then a static reply comes over the com.
"This is General Magnus Maximus of the Umbra Aluada. Strike Team Roman do you copy?" asked General Magnus.
"This is Strike Team Roman we need air support, navel bombardment, reinforcements anything we have a large hostile force charging our position," replied Cato with a slight hit of panic on his face.
"Hold tight we already have Valkyrie's on their way, we sent them when that massive explosion appeared on orbital scanners," replied General Magnus.
Soon a Squadron of Valkyrie gunships flew over head, unleashing a volley of missiles from their under wing pods. Then circled around, doing strafing runs on the mass, closely packed, exposed kroot warriors.
A cheer rose from the broken strike team as the carnage fell upon the kroot's forcing them to retreat at full pace. As the last of the Kroot Packs retreats out of sight a single Valkyrie lands right outside of the Strike Teams cover. A squad of the elite Umbra Poreliator deploy, followed by a tall man, with his head held high.
"Congratulations troops, you have just single handedly pushed back the Tau lines, and cleared out our landing zone. I'm very impressed and pleased at this act. Now load up we have a transport on its way to pick up your Chimera. Good work," said General Magnus Maximus as he turned his back to return to his attack craft.
Within moments massive shadows cover the morning land as troop transports and Heavy Landers land in the massive clearing over the hills. The Umbra Aluada has arrived.