Malachi awoke to sounds of panic outside of his quarters. His eyes shot open and he put on his armour and lightning claw in a flash. He grabbed his combi-bolter and kicked open his door. The sight that greeted him was one of fire and blood. The ship was under attack, and Malachi had a feeling who by. "Die, loyalist bastard!" He heard a scream to his left, and punched out with his lightning claw, turning on the power as he did so. His claw cut through the neck of a corrupted Chaos Space Marine in crimson and black armour. "Red Corsairs. I knew as much." Malachi thought aloud.
Malachi ripped the claw from the Red Corsair who attacked him, and his enemy's throat was torn out, his oesophagus trailing from the wound in the throat. Malachi strode off down the corridor to his left, to find his brother Terminators. He heard sounds of gunfire and crackling flames, and knew that Konstantinos was deep in battle. Malachi ran faster towards the sounds and a gory sight came into view. Magnus and Konstantinos stood back to back at a cross section in the corridor, being assailed by various cultists. Konstantinos kept a steady stream fire going from his combi-flamer, while Magnus fired bursts of autocannon shells ahead, letting the blood of the cultists splatter onto himself. Malachi shouted to them, "Brothers, we must get to the bridge, and defend the captain!" "Gaius and Visari are on their way there already brother; Artemis led a group of Guardsmen off to battle the traitors elsewhere!" Magnus shouted over his autocannon blasts. "Open a comms link so we can keep track of him!" Konstantinos sprayed his bolter ahead along with the flamer, cutting the cultists down and burning them too. Malachi turned on power to his comms-link and contacted Artemis.
"Artemis, are you there?" "I am indeed Malachi. I'm leading some Guardsmen against the Red Corsairs head on. These bastards are dirty fighters I shall say. I think there is a sorcerer in their ranks too. Hold on!" A whooshing sound came from the comms-unit, and the screams of some Red Corsairs was heard. "Just needed some melta fire for that. As I said, I have a feeling there is a sorcerer here." "What makes you think that brother?" "I've been fighting Bloodletters of Khorne most of the time brother. Watch out, I've come close to a swift death many times thanks to those abominations." "Acknowledged. Konstantinos, Magnus, there is a sorcerer on the ship, and he's summoned Khorne's Bloodletters. Be on watch." Malachi stalked off towards the bridge of the ship, spraying anything that got in his way with combi-bolter fire. The corridors were tight while he was in his armour, almost claustrophobic, and he was at risk from all directions as the Red Corsairs had made many breaches on the ship, some even smashing through airlocks. He spotted a flash of red darting across at another intersection of corridors ahead of him, and knew that Bloodletters were nearby. He readied his lightning claw for a pre-emptive strike. His senses told him to turn around and slash, so he did. A Bloodletter had crept behind him and tried to stab him; this was a failed attempt, as Malachi gashed the face of the daemon open, and came close to severing the neck. He swiped across with the chain-bayonet on his combi-bolter, cutting the final nerves to the Bloodletter's neck and letting the head leave the shoulders to clatter onto the floor. Malachi spat on the corpse and stalked off ahead again towards the bridge.
Scenes of carnage and death awaited his every turn as the Guardsmen on-board were butchered and the Imperial Fists fought to the last. Over 60 Imperial Fists Marines were on-board including Malachi and his Terminators, most of a full company. Yet even a few groups of the Emperor's finest weren't immune to bullet wounds and sword attacks, especially if caught unawares. The bodies of some initiates in the Tactical squads were littered around the ship's corridors, not dead, but close to it. Dead Guardsmen were abundant, with some corpses not even having a clear face thanks to the grievous wounds inflicted. Many more Bloodletters came at Malachi, but each time they were smashed with ease. "Artemis, are you still there?" "Yes Malachi, but I've been bogged down on the 7th floor, near the ship's boiler rooms. Cultists are coming from all sides and Bloodletters are with them. The guardsmen are doing well, but we are all struggling. I saw Magnus and Konstantinos not far away in another corridor; they must have had a lift down. I'll try to join them. KEEP FIRING THAT HEAVY STUBBER, THE BASTARDS DON'T STAND A CHANCE IN HELL AGAINST IT!" Artemis shouted down the comms unit, encouraging a Guardsman with him to go gung-ho and crazy with the gun.
Malachi ran off towards the bridge, nearing it with every step. He found the entrance under siege from some Red Corsair Raptors, trying to breach the bridge with a melta bomb. The door was strong enough to withstand it though, which sent the raptors into a frenzy of expletives and violent bangs against the door. Malachi took his chance to take them by surprise, and shot the jump pack of one of them. It exploded instantly and took most of the other Raptors with it. One survived however, and boosted towards Malachi with a meltagun held aloft. Malachi dived out of the way as the Raptor fired his meltagun, creating a hole in a wall. The Raptor went through the hole and discovered too late that it was a weapons cupboard, and before his life flashed before his eyes, a power sword impaled him through the eye, killing him instantly. Malachi stalked to the bridge's entrance and banged on the door with his fist. "Open up! It is Malachi of the Imperial Fists!" The door shot open and Malachi was greeted by a dishevelled captain with her blonde hair tied in a ragged ponytail. "Get in here quick!" Malachi jumped through the door and it closed shut behind him. "The traitors have breached every floor and every sector of the ship, we're in deep trouble. We can push them back, but it will be hard. I need you to direct the Imperial Fists that are on-board towards the centre of the Red Corsair attack. We have comms-links set up and security cameras along with floor blueprints to help guide them in that station over there." The Captain pointed a gloved hand at a station with security camera screens and comms-units. "My guardsmen are dying fast but they can assist. Get to it sir so we can get home safe." The captain went back to the navigation controls with her Astropath psyker. Malachi sat at the communication station and connected to the first tactical squad.
"Tactical squad Sigma, can you read?" "Yes company-master, we read you. We are bogged down in the cultists at the moment." "Destroy the cultists as soon as possible and then head down the corridor to your immediate left, that should take you to a control room to activate security turrets on that floor." "Roger that company-master." Malachi caught sight of them on the camera, and watched them slaughter the last few cultists, and tracked them moving to the control room. "Squad Sigma, there are a group of Bloodletters coming your way behind you, watch out." Malachi reported. Squad Sigma performed an about turn and launched a flurry of bolts at the oncoming Daemons, stopping them in their tracks thanks to the concentrated fire. "Daemons destroyed company-master. Heading to the control room." The squad ran to the control room, and the Sergeant in charge flipped the switch to turn on the security turrets. The Daemons and Red Corsair forces that were on that floor were quickly cut down in a swathe of multi-las fire. "Excellent Squad Sigma. Now make your way to the captain's bridge, I will be waiting."
Malachi disconnected from Squad Sigma and turned focus to the floor below. Artemis was leading a group of Guardsmen and Squad Phi of the Imperial Fists through the floor, decimating the traitor threat. He thought it best to leave them to it and skipped to the floor below. Visari and Gaius were seen leaving an elevator and jumping right into a group of Raptors. They launched themselves at Visari and Gaius, hoping to rush them. Malachi quickly set up a comms-link. "SHOOT THE JUMP PACKS BROTHERS! THEY WILL EXPLODE!" Visari and Gaius sprayed with their combi-bolters and the Raptors' jump packs ignited, immolating them and sending various body parts flying in random directions. "Roger that Malachi!" Visari shouted down the comms-unit. "Brothers, I want you to head to the elevator systems on the other side of that floor. On the way, find a control room to turn on security turrets. That floor will then be defended against the chaos taint." "Will do brother. We can manage from here." "Find tactical squad Alpha on that floor as well, they have a Chaplain and Librarian Solomon with them." Malachi eyed the security camera that had Squad Alpha in his sight, watching them awe at their prowess in combat, taking down Red Corsair Chosen squads with nary a need for more than one shot. "No problem Malachi. Leave it to us." Gaius ended communications.
Malachi watched them stalk off on the security camera, spraying anything that got in their way with bolts. Malachi switched to the final floor. His first sight on the security cameras were Squads Gamma, Delta and Beta cornered in one corridor by Bloodletters. "Squad Delta, do you read me?" "Loud and clear company master. The Daemons have us cornered here. We are close to a control room where we can turn on security turrets to help clear the floor." "Good, go there as soon as possible, and turn on the turrets. Then make your way up to the captain's bridge here, I and the rest of the forces we brought will be waiting. Bring every Guardsman you can find as well." Malachi cut off communications and tracked the 3 squads, as they moved slowly along the corridors towards the control room. "Captain, I've performed the best I can in getting the squads here." The captain and his navigator ignored him. "Captain, are you listening?" Malachi was ignored again. "Captain! Listen to me!" Malachi stood up from his seat and drew his combi-bolter, pointing it at the captain. Malachi heard malicious laughter from the captain.