Now, I want to remind everyone that I am portraying these marines as real people, and there fore, real people make mistakes. No matter how genetically modified.

Chapter 8: Hell hole

The drop pod hit ground, and opened to show three armies fighting each other, the orks, the elder, and the all mighty space marines. The light of the two suns came in fast as the drop pods doors fell open. Explosions, fire, and the occasional hurling body across the landscape, you couldn't miss the battle if you tried. Eric jumped out, gun at the ready, the squad made its way forward. Once out, Eric could see they had brought in 1st company terminators. Hulking soldiers with their thunder hammer and their storm shield, they slowly made their way across the battle field. Behind them, were more squads of first company, and from one of them, came brother captain Granger, rushing forward, passing most of the brothers working their way inward. Eric and his squad could see the eldar fighting the orks, but at the same time, they were also fighting their brothers, and this they couldn't allow. Positioned here was fourth company of dark watch; they were to hold the mine filled with unknown minerals, in an effort to use them to their advantage. So far, they held the entrance, but time wasn't on their side. Eric made his way forward, sticking close to the sergeant, in hopes of learning new things from the more experienced marine. V had his chainsword in one hand and his pistol in the other. He was firing randomly into the fray, in hopes of scoring a lucky kill. Eric started firing, and on about his fourth burst, he hit an eldar guardian in the throat, causing it to clutch its throat and fall over dead. Eric's squad finally made it to fourth company, and hunkered down beside them. Meanwhile, the terminators had finally made their way into the battle, and were going mad, killing eldar and ork alike. In an effort to take one of them down, and eldar guardian jumped on his back, and thrust his knife into the terminator's back. He grunted in pain, and tried to get the eldar off of him, but couldn't reach that certain part of his back. Eric saw this, and took careful aim; he shot a burst, catching the eldar with four rounds in the back. It fell off dead, and the terminator went back to killing. Eric then heard someone yell, "Nobs!"

Eric looked to his right to see a fully armed nob squad come bursting into the trench at the black armored brothers. They stabbed two brothers on their way in, and continued forward. Brother Sergeant V rushed forward, and plunged his chainsword into one of the nobs, and turned it on, spraying blood and gore all over everything. Another nob saw this, and rushed at V, Eric took quick, but steady aim, and fired, catching the nob in the head with a four round burst. It fell over, and V looked back and nodded his thanks. Eric returned the nod, and resumed firing on the other nobs that were in the trench. Another brother went down, but they managed to kill the last of the nobs. Eric returned to his firing position on the trench wall. It was going badly for the brothers, under the orks and eldar forces; they were getting beaten to a pulp. V then let out a battle cry, and the rest of the squad charged forward. Nathan firing his flamethrower, and Jask shouldered his rocket in favor of his knife. They first hit the orks head on, sending them flying, and blood and gore flying everywhere. Granger was in the middle of the battle, and losing. Eric caught up to his squad, and took out his knife, but kept his bolter un-slung in his right hand. He stabbed an ork in the in the gut, and shot him in the face. Eric then stopped, and reloaded. An ork came out of nowhere, and leaped at him. He was tackled by Jask, and had a knife put into his eye.

"First rule; don't reload in the middle of melee combat!"

Eric nodded, and then saw Granger surrounded, he looked at his squad, and saw they were handling themselves well, it helped that they were right next to the terminators. Eric made his way to the brother captain.

Eric made it to the brother captain, and lunged at an eldar that had decided to rush him; he plunged the knife into its throat and then tossed it away. Soon, Eric was right next to Granger, fighting off the eldar, and shooting at the ones that were to far off. Soon, the eldar force had been pushed back, and Eric started making his way back towards his squad, before Granger pulled him back.

"Don't you ever do that again brother Eric, your squad is your family, protect it well. I thank you for your help, but your priority is your squad, now go!" Granger said, pushing him off of him, and then rushing into the battle again.

Eric finally made his way back to the squad, and entered into melee combat with the nearest ork. Soon, the space marines were the only force on the battle field standing. V walked up to Eric.

"Where did you go when we needed you?!"

"I was helping the brother captain!" Eric yelled in reply

"Your duty lies in your squad first and foremost brother, get that into your head, and we won't be having this argument again!"

V then walked back toward the mine entrance. The rest of the squad lingered, but then soon followed. After collecting his thoughts, Eric followed as well, and then he met up with Granger.

"What is so important that we had to come down here brother captain?"

"It is easier to show you rather than tell you, I will be showing everyone soon what they fought for today. We lost fourteen good men, including a terminator, this better be worth it" Granger then walked away, with Eric high on his heels.

Meanwhile, off in the distance, a lone figure stood there with an orbital relay, transferring everything to a nearby ship for tactics and coordinates for further attack, he then got up, satisfied with his Intel, ran off down the other side of the hill.