AN: Fallen Ryu kinda agreed to do some beta work for me so overall quality might improve a bit. As for my terrible grammar I am well aware of it, bit such are the hazards of writing dead tired after daily grind in military. I have some plot bunnies rocking around in my mind, the plot for this story is more or less finished in rough draft on sticky notes in my locker. Don't question why sticky notes ok? Already have a sequel in plan or rather a series of follow ups with other popular genres. Thank you for the favs, follows and reviews.
Anyway on with the chapter. As always read, enjoy review.
CHAPTER 8. Operation Snowball
Route 14 towards Victory Bay, 0700 hrs.
"Keep up with the rest Armadillo 4, Red flight do not veer of the vector, Marcus put some speed in that Ant." Blackwell supervised convoy movements via monitors in his modified Badger APC.
Normal Badger type Chimera was a minelayer slash engineering vehicle, with some time spent on gutting the machine and installing new equipment it came into a state of art mobile HQ. It retained the turret with autocannon but lost almost all cargo space in favor of various monitoring devices and vox uplink. Normally the PDA would function as command relay device, however it lacked versatility of fully computerized information center.
"Well sorry that you had the bright idea to let me drive in front arshloch." Marcus bit back while looking at the strain engine was under due to the travel rigor.
"You folks down there have jolly good time huh?" Forthecho chuckled listening to the chatter. He reclined in the comfortable pilot seat inside his Thunderbolt. His copilot and ECM operator was staring at the radar screen searching for any hostiles in the area.
"We really should have taken at least a day of break before this. This is a nightmare to manage." Blackwell grumbled as he looked at somewhat organized chaos that the line of machines resembled.
Over a hundred machines were traversing the road towards their ultimate destination – Victory Bay. Scores of Leapfrogs, Hummers, Chimeras, Banewolves and Hellhounds along with single super heavy tank Ant kicked up huge clouds of dust. Infantry was safely tucked inside the APCs or sitting on top of IFVs and the tank. Another two platoons of conscripts were flying inside Valkyrie dropships above the convoy. Two wings of Thunderbolt fighters flanked ground vehicles.
"Whose bright idea was it?" Brandt groused as one of the hummers sped ahead of him to scan the road ahead for mines or traps. Tank commander took a swing of the bottle he kept with him at all times. This time it was bourbon that lit the fire in his throat.
Blackwell snorted and took last drag from his cancer stick, before the stub flew out of the side hatch and into some unlucky trooper sitting on top of a Hellhounds turret. The Crow that had the mouth full of ash, due to the cigarette butt hitting him square in the face, spluttered and spit out grimy substance out. His other comrades sharing his seating arrangements roared in laughter, which prompted the unlucky trooper to flip them a bird.
"Pops seem to be agitated, smokes like a bloody stack on the factory today." Corporal in charge of the unit sitting on Hellhound muttered looking at another cigarette butt flying out of vehicle in front of them.
"Can you blame him? He saw opportunity to grab our home turf so as soon as he got more forces he left skeleton crew at the outpost and rode with Pyro and Shot." Lance Corporal responded fiddling with his rifle. Unclip magazine, pull back receiver, check chamber, put clip back, check safety, adjust the sights, rinse and repeat.
"Come on don't let them hear you speaking those names. It is bad enough some of our guys call old man Smokey, remember what happened when he found out?" Everyone shuddered at the fate last joker to call commander that name.
"Yup Calders still can't bring himself to look at latrines after that one. Heard he was in the outhouse for a whole day before someone let him out." The Calders was the sorry sod who took the long bath in the pile of refuse when he was thrown there headfirst by irate wisp.
"And that was our commander, so now think what other two officers would do if they heard you. We are pops men so we get some leeway, not much but still some is better than none." One of the privates droned as Leapfrog ran past their vehicle. Last statement plunged present company in silence as Hellhound drove on.
Flat grasslands were soon replaced with burned out ruins of suburban area of their destination.
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OUTPOST PATER 2200 hrs previous day
"We need to reinforce, resupply and move out before they can send more forces to Victory Bay." Nefron argued motioning at the holographic map in the command building.
"They have only 5th Company there and at most two squads of traitor marines to act as overseers. My boys flew over there before we made it here." Air force commander supplemented his idea with recon intelligence his forces acquired.
"We will need to go full force if we want to retake that place mostly intact. Some factories suffered up to 80 % damage during the fighting, but underground stores are intact. They are also untouched last time I saw them." Brandt supplied his opinion and additional information pointing at four places in Victory Bay.
"Those two are intact for sure, right under my forward outpost. Locked them myself. One is full of spare parts and power cells. Other holds enough weaponry to arm small country. This one here is stocked with food and water. It is directly under late high command. Last one had machinery for the factories, it is located under the industrial sector." Marcus described four strategic places by touching them on the map and changing their color to green.
"Those are our primary objectives. Secondary is to secure factories in industrial zone here. Also we need to put down the turncoats that started this mess. They haven't moved from their quarters in market here." Armor commander nodded as Air wisp painted red circle in another section of the map.
"I can take my men to empty out the stores. However, to take care of factories and traitors I will need air and armor support. From your recon I see some heavy bolter turrets at intersections leading to the market square." Twelve flags appeared on roads leading to enemy base, as Blackwell painted his concerns.
"I don't fancy loosing half of my lads on yolo charge against those. That is rough estimate for me, more if 5th has someone competent leading them. They will station some guards there to supplement turrets." Mike described likely problems depicting more dots on holographic display.
"I can strafe turrets with missiles then drop some bombs at their buildings. I can guarantee to take care of three hotspots, but then I will have to return for rearming. I do have something that will need factories up and running." Nefron idly played with a lighter gazing at the flame while he was providing solution for imminent problems.
"Oh you do have an ace in the hole? " Blackwell asked throwing away another cigarette stub.
Forthecho didn't answer verbally, instead he pulled out the blueprints of a flying fortress. At least that was what Mike would describe the machine he saw.
"This is mother of all gunships, The Pheonix. It packs enough firepower to level any stronghold and crush all that dares to stand in its way. Marcus you might be familiar with design, it was the same manufacturer that supplied chassis for your tanks." Air force Wisp crowed with pride showing others his greatest treasure so far.
"Problem is the same as with your tanks, all necessary parts need to be built from scratch, you had enough resources to pump out two tanks and enough spare parts for them to keep it going, I did not." Nefron patted blueprints deep in thought as he looked at the other officers.
"So basically once we get our hands on the production sites we will be able to grind Chaos to dust here right? We will snowball toward their base in Deimos Peninsula with that birdie." Marcus supplied his opinion concerning mighty machine.
"So let's make it official. We call it operation Snowball. I will need couple hours to get my forces up and running. I plan to take with me at least battalion worth of men in that fight." Blackwell announced standing up and putting another smoke in his mouth. The other officers nodded and also left the building to oversee the preperations.
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Victory Bay 1000 hrs.
The bridge leading to the heart of the city was devastated from previous fighting. Two flak armored figures were walking along the stone sidewalk holding laser rifles. Eight pointed star figured under emblem of fifth company.
"You think LT did the right thing with our new gig?" One Guardsman asked his companion. He hefted bulky weapon over his shoulder.
"Sure hope he did, last one was absolute wan-" Whatever response his compatriot might have given was cut short as 20 mm bullet decapitated traitor.
The first turncoat merely had the time to look at the falling body of his squad mate before another sniper round left huge hole where his face once was.
"Dagger here. Entry clear. Moving in on secondary objective." Brief movement in far bushes revealed presence of Crowguard squad. They sprinted across the bridge to avoid detection from any remaining sentries posted.
"Copy. Blue leader here, making my attack run." Forthecho responded gunning engines of his craft and leading a wing Thunderbolts toward enemy fortifications.
"Dog company reporting. We have secured objective number 1. Everything accounted for. We had brief spat with guards near outpost entrance." Vox chatter announced acquisition of first supply cache.
"Baker company here. Second objective secure. No casualties, nine tangos downed." Another unit reported capture of strategic location.
"Able on line, we are approaching industrial sector. No opposition. Severe damage in most structures. Securing strategic places." Last insertion unit reported their status and resumed vox silence.
"Hotel Quebec here. Moving in with rest of the assets towards tertiary objective." Blackwell intoned his status and motioned for driver to cross the bridge. Leapfrogs forgone the process of walking and simply jumped over the river after brief sprint. Ant tank along with Hellhounds drove at full speed across metal structure and crossed into the city.
HQ Badger rolled behind last IFV and stopped behind large pile of rubble. City was almost completely reduced to rubble, at least residential sector was. Mike stepped out of his APC and waited for the rest Chimeras to disgorge their troops.
"Our objective is Market area where enemy set up their shop. If they surrender take them prisoner, if they resist put one in their noggin. Onwards lads." Blackwell led his men, whole five squads of fresh recruits from yesterday's reinforcement.
The flames were visible even before they crossed the first street. Thunderbolts roared overhead, their work done. Birds were returning to base after dropping payload of death and destruction on the traitors heads.
"Gotta get him something nice." Blackwell mused as he waved at retreating aircraft. Afterward he took out another ciggy and lit it with zippo lighter.
"Lock and load, Search and Destroy." Michael reloaded his pistols and checked new toy he took from stores, the handheld 40 mm grenade launcher. It was pump action weapon which held 5 grenades. Looked like a China Lake.
Combined Imperial forces moves swiftly through the city annihilating everything that dared to stand in their path. Ant reduced any remaining turrets into the piles of rubble. Any Sentinel that tried to contend with Leapfrog was severely outclassed and outgunned. Their burning wrecks marked the route of armored forces. Hellhounds burned out any traitors holed out in gutted buildings.
Crow Infantry and Kriegans mowed down all pockets of resistance that they happened across. Grenades torn turncoats cover and shrapnel perforated their bodies. Flamethrowers lit up running chaos guardsmen turning them into human torches.
"Kriegan second platoon moving to secure objective number three." Distinct German accent filtered the vox channels as a quarter of assaulting infantry broke off towards another storage location.
"Kriegan first platoon here, going for forth cache, requesting Hellhound escort. Multiple footmobiles sighted in that area." As soon as their request was granted the infantry supported by mechanized detachment moved to capture last primary objective.
"Bravo here, all nests purged, vermin skittering in the open. Permission to sanitize." Banewolf commander asked as he trailed chemcannon on panicking traitor remnants. Their base was turned into hellish landscape of scorched earth, collapsed buildings and heaps of metal that once were vehicles.
As soon as Crow infantry approached traitor guardsmen threw down their weapons and kneeled before approaching force begging for mercy. Blackwell motioned his troops to secure firearms and bind prisoners for processing. Chaos marines were long dead by the time turncoats surrendered.
One squad was torched by hellhound while it tried to flee towards Deimos. Their foul armor acted as an oven while they baked to death inside it. Other failed supervisor squad was crushed beneath the rubble of unstable building as Ant pit HE shell in main support.
With no encouragement from chaos marines rest of the traitors folded like wet tissue paper.
"I am Lieutenant Erik Gunnarsen, I pledge myself and my men of 5th Company to the Glory of Emperor." One fair haired officer walked out from wreck of Chimera APC.
"Too little, too late." Blackwell responded and put one 50 cal bullet in traitors neck. Tip of the projectile lodged itself in the spine while the rest of the bullet fragmented inside the wound. Gunnarrsen's neck erupted in crimson fountain. Turncoat's body slumped down on dirt marking that moment as a victory for imperials.
Snowball hit the slope and turned into avalanche.
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Next chapter Keep on Rolling.
AN: Fun fact this one was written in bursts for last week or so.