Chapter 6

The Angel of Aggression is the title I bear, upon my wings doth the sky do flair.

Battle Barge, Fury of the Lion, Flagship of the Angels of Aggression Chapter, 999. M41. Valorous Prime, Valorous System.

Nathaniel looked out upon the three companies here, the 1st, the Lionwing under High Master Mikaiel the 4th Company under Master Gavreel and the 6th Company under Master Erathaol. The plan was to have these companies as well as parts from the 2nd company, the Shadewing, strike down near the orks location. Meanwhile the 3rd, 8th and 9th companies moved towards the Imperial Guard command base, the deacon's cathedral and the recruitment grounds respectfully. He hoped that the overwhelming force of over three hundred Astartes breaking into a formation would shatter the orks morale enough to force a spear thrust through the lines and end this conflict fast enough to gather the recruits and head off to Cadia and aid in its defence. He would leave the rest of 2nd company as well as the 5th and the 7th Companies here in reserve under the command of High Master Malthiel.

Nathaniel looked around; his head now covered by the Maned Helm. The helm of the chapter master, its design was that of an old Teran beast, a lion a beast that shared its name with that of their Primarch. At his side was Angel's Fire, the symbol of the chapter and a gift from the Chapter's very first assignment to Nocturne to aid the Salamanders when they were attacked by the Emperor's Children traitor legion. After the battle, the forge-father gifted them this weapon a relic of a bygone age and a truly special piece of wargear. A master crafted combi-plasma that had more power behind its shots. Next to it was the Sword of Justice, a relic blade of glorious artifice. The chapter was gifted it and four others after the defence of Cala barely two millennia ago still it was old and it did have the iconography of the 1st Legion on it so it must have originally belonged to the Dark Angels anyways, still it felt off to be armed with such gear and being proud of it despite the lack of age to them. he can still remember receiving it from his predecessor, Lord Master Amenadiel during the campaign against the Eldar of Craftworld Saim-Hann on Avolia 3. All of these thoughts passed through Nathaniel's mind in a flash, his trans-human mind processed the memories in mere moments.

Nathaniel donned his helm, the vox-system inside allowing him to keep in contact with the strike force during the drop and the battle. He got into his personal Land Raider, Annihilation of Treason, and met up with his command squad. Brother Amon, the chapter ancient, held aloft the chapter banner. It's symbol, two crossed swords with a wing on each of the blades outermost tip of the guard crowned with a halo, beneath it the chapter motto was written. "Tremble Foe, For His Angels Have Arrived". Apothecary Narcariel was standing by, his narthecium at the ready extract gene-seed from fallen brothers. The rest were veterans of various companies, all battle hardened by the experience of thousands of battles and centuries of combat. Fastening himself into place, the Thunderhawk dropship moved out of the hanger, the sheer speed of it was almost enough to make one wonder if there ever was a voidcraft there in the first place.

"Brothers, this is our world, the Imperium's world and these xenos think they can have it, well they will learn like all of their disgusting race has learned that the Emperor's Angels do not let any foe of his go away unbroken." Nathaniel went quiet as one did not need to speak when going into the fray. They were off, Thunderhawks cutting through the void, racing down towards the planet while drop pods and terminator squads awaited the signal to let loose.

It was quiet, as it always was during a drop, occasionally the crack of person to person vox chatter could be heard it was only when the roar of the Thunderhawk could be heard again did the vox chatter stop not long after the sound of incoming orders of drop-pods and Terminator squads to begin dropping int could be heard. The Land Raider shook, then everything slowed down, there was a crash against the ground before Nathaniel took the overhead latch and looked out.

"FORWARD! ALL UNITS AHEAD TOWARDS THE XENOS!"

XXX

Solomon had been chosen to accompany the 4th Company under orders from the chapter master, to become familiar with the office of Chaplain. He waited for the moment the Thunderhawk let open its back doors. The opening of the back door was all the notice he needed to get into the fight. Powering up his jump pack, Solomon leapt out of the transport the thrusters on his back going to life. After moments in the skies he could feel the dirt beneath his boots again, the area was a blasted wreck of gore, scrap metal and equipment from both the PDF and the Greenskins. He had his crozius arcanum by his side and his storm bolter in his hands he looked to see the assault specialists of the 4th company around him. Sergeant Xeriel looked to him.

"Sir, we are in position to move out, no casualties during the drop." Solomon checked the area; he could hear the Greenskins off to the north east.

"Right then Sergeant, we'll move out, it appears that the Greenskins are moving towards this location, we should move towards the west to flank them." The marines acknowledged and he and the rest of the assault marines moved, using their jump pack sparingly as the fuel inside was limited. The echoes of the screaming of the orks was growing as was the wanting to end this infestation. Solomon looked to see a ridge and ordered the men to get there. Atop the ridge they could see the orks, they were preparing for a strike, their crude war machines were forming up in what passed for formations among their kind. At the position they had, it gave them a perfect chance to charge them, striking first blood. Solomon waited until the whole of the assault troops were with him.

"Now, Brother." Sergeant Xeriel asked of him. Solomon just gave him an agreeing head nod. From atop the ridge, the assault marines of the 4th Company of the Angels of Aggression went forth, chainswords revving up as they jumped down, carving a pathway downwards. Solomon gave supporting fire from above with his storm bolter, the Greenskins' meager armour was cloth when against its firepower. After emptying out his clip, he too charged down, his new crozius arcanum flashing with power he activated it against the ork he was crashing down towards. It block the first strike with his crude weapon, choppas they called them but it did have the speed to stop the second, the crackling energy caved in the orks' skull, leaving dead on the ground, Solomon reloaded a new clip into his storm bolter and began firing again. Brother Sergeant Xeriel's group were losing impetus on their side but still pushing through Xeriel's plasma pistol burning away their flesh.

"Keep moving, we have a job to do and by the Lion, we will see it done." Xeriel yelled out as his chainsword severed an ork from his lower body the gore flying out onto the ground. Solomon could see some of the orks getting into their war-bikes, he turned his storm bolter towards them, some of the shot made it the mark but in the midst of combat, it was hard to get a shot off. He went on the vox in his helmet to Sergeant Guradiel, the other assault sergeant with him.

"Some of them are getting away, we need to cut them off." Guradiel acknowledged and his men moved up via jump pack assault, the sergeant's power fist turning the Greenskin underneath it to mush as well as turning its vehicle into a wreak, his men followed suit and began hacking away at their bodies. In the end, no casualties were taken for Solomon's charges but a whole squadron of speed-freaks had been removed from the conflict.

"Good work brothers, now let's keep moving."

XXX

High Master Mikaiel was up in the terminator bay with his company, the Lionwing all of whom were ready to make the jump into battle, it was not an easy thing to go into a terminator jump, one had to go through the Warp, even if it was for the briefest of seconds it still was entering the realm of daemons and chaos allowing its evil to try and take hold over one's soul.

Mikaiel looked around him to see the one hundred elite terminator veterans before him, each one was a walking tank, armed with the heaviest of weapons.

"Everyone is in place, sir we just await the order." Judicator Bronathiel told him, looking now to his superior. They waited for the signal, Mikaiel always hated the waiting, the lack of action going on around him he could never understand how Malthiel, his own twin brother, could be so lax during these times. The signal went and down they went, no words were said, they didn't need it after all they had gone through to become a member of the Lionwing. It wasn't so much a drop; a better term would be a jump into the void and the Warp. It was only for a split second, but it always brought the danger of the Neverborn to come and possess one of them during the jump.

Mikaiel felt him feet touch dirt again, and once more did he spring into action. He could see ahead of them were the Greenskins, moving through in their crude transports and war-engines. Against them were the forces of the chapter, moving towards them at break-neck speeds. Like most drops, his company was scattered but still in contact with each other.

" All squads, the Greenskins base in ahead of my current position. Mark it and head forward from it, we will assist chapter forces making course towards it from the south by south- east." From there, they marched the footsteps of terminator armour on the moved echoed along the plains. It was a slog to get to, the price of donning terminator armour: greater protection, lessened mobility but charged they did, and battle was joined. When they arrived, they could see the orks in melee, where they thrived against their brothers.

Like a hammer blow, the 1st Company warriors rushed against the orks, their heavy armour blocking out all but the most vicious and brutal blows. Mikaiel first move against this filth was to slash out against three of there number with his sword, the Sword of Valor, cutting them all down. Meanwhile, his company bashed, slashed, and shot up the Greenskins by the scores. Squad Mariel's heavy support weapon reaped a toll from his assault cannon while his squad brothers aided with storm bolter and power fist. His Justiciars blocked blow after blow with their storm shields whist hammering away with their maces and flails.

"MOVE AHEAD! GET TO THE WARBOSS!" Mikaiel ordered out, putting enough bolter shells into one ork to make his guts turn to jelly and forward they went.

XXX

Nathaniel could see now ahead the forces of the orks, gathering enforce for what they believed to be a final blow against the PDF forces they had grown used to fighting over their campaign, they would get a taste of ceramite this day. Overhead, the view of the chapter's transports rolling out along the route towards the orks was in full. Rhinos, Razorbacks, and Land Raiders were in full speed, their cargo ready to make warfare against the foe. Inside his helm, Nathaniel bellowed orders and plans for the men, of the three companies that were sent down, none were of the 1st , and only half of the 4th and 6th were with him, still it was enough, the transports had enough firepower to off set this difference. Like old Teran clockwork, His brothers leapt out of their transports, bolter already primed and firing the moment they got out of them.

Annihilation of Treason stopped and like those before him, Nathaniel and the others inside of the Land Raider got out, weapons primed and firing. His command squad fell out with their chapter master, the chapter banner flying high overhead. Veteran warriors trudged forwards bolter ablaze with suppressing fire as close combat specialists moved out and rushed into melee range. Leaving no room for pause, Nathaniel moved Angel's Fire into his hands and began to lay down fire with his brothers. The bolter fire laid low the orks upon the ground, their bodies turning to gore from the shots striking their flesh. The transports own firepower was giving its own support as assault cannons, storm bolters, lascannons, and multi-melta fire lent its own weight into the shooting.

Even under the hail of fire they had been under, some orks managed to get into melee range, Nathaniel could see one, a Nob by the looks of him, and switched Angel's Fire to its plasma gun. The searing heat of the shot burned through the orks armour, flesh and bone to put a hole right through its body. Those few others that made it through the barrage of firepower met with those few marines armed fully dedicated towards close quarters combat: Lightning claws, power mauls, and chainswords gave answer to the orks question of whether or not they were going to were going to win, and that answer was no.

The ork waves of attack began to grow greater in both numbers and strength: Nobs began to strike down in whole groups, more and more Boyz were making it through the firing fields. Nathaniel could now see Master Gavreel, in his terminator armour, making his way towards them from the western flank with the rest of his company in tow. The strike from the side relived some pressure from Nathaniel's shoulders.

"Gavreel, nice of you to show up, and with the rest of your company." Nathaniel said, glad to see his brother coming to into the fray.

"Not just me." Was all Gavreel said before transports of the 6th company came rolling down the flanks along side the remaining 4th companies. Master Erathaol appeared right along side of his brother-master. The combined force of the 4th and 6th companies broke whatever resistance was still left in the Greenskins. As they fled the field, the marines still firing upon them as the tucked their tails between their legs.

"They'll be back, orks are always looking for a fight." Gavreel said as he approached the chapter master along side Erathaol.

"What are our casualties, Brother-Apothecary?" Nathaniel looked Apothecary Galathros of the 6th company.

"6 brothers will fight no more and 25 wounded including Brother Mendakiel, who has accepted Dreadnought internment." As a Stormraven moved overhead to pick up their fallen brother so that he may be forever entombed inside the body of a dreadnought.

"Their service to the Emperor will not be in vain. Do either of you have anything to report? Have you seen the Lionwing and Grand Master Mikaiel?" Nathaniel looked to his two Brother -Masters looking for any kind of answer as to why Mikaiel had not yet arrived with his troops.

"No sir, and its not just the Lionwing that are not hear but my assault squads have failed to meet up with us, as well as Chaplain Solomon." Gavreel said, not liking the fact that his assault marines were under command of a brand new chaplain.

"He knows his job, even with the lack of formal training. We'll see him soon enough either on the field or in the casualties." Erathaol said as he looked towards the direction of the orks retreat.

"We should move out now, continue harassing them while they're still retreat." All officers nodded in agreement; Nathaniel included. All battle-brothers once again loaded themselves into their transport and made their way towards the retreating Greenskins.

XXX

Solomon and his assault marines had been on the march for the beater part of an hour, periodical using their jump packs to make quick scans over the horizon to see if anything was ahead with no such luck as of yet. The landscape was rough, in a way. It wasn't the chem-soaked landscapes of some hive worlds nor was it the dead plains of some death worlds. It was a mix between a dusted landmass and fertile plains, or at least the were before the Greenskins came, but it mattered very little, their trans-human bodies allowed them to going like this for days at a time, so exhaustion wasn't a problem of becoming tired but becoming lost like this wasn't any help towards the campaign in and of itself.

"Fury of the Lion, This is Brother Chaplain Solomon of the 9th company, I require a location of other chapter assets, acknowledge." Solomon said over the vox-comms in his helm, however there was no answer to be had.

"Anything brother?" asked Sergeant Xeriel, the hope was for the battle barge up ahead to give coordinates towards the rest of the chapter so that they might link up and join in the greater assault, but it seemed that was out of the question.

"No, and I don't think we'll be getting any support from the chapter fleet any time soon." Solomon knew that the fleet was most likely engaging the xenos fleet above orbit as to complete their annihilation. The group doubled pace when it was clear the fleet wasn't going to be of any help to those on the ground. It was only after miles of travel did some good fortune arrive, they had found to be what looked like a command position of some kind, imperial for sure but whether or not it was the chapters of the PDF's was unsure, for it was to far away. Solomon looked up upon this while it wasn't the rest of the chapter, it was friendly forces none the less.

"Brothers, I have visual on a garrison of some kind. Its one of ours." With that, the assault marines more with even more haste towards the garrison and perhaps some communications with the rest of the ground forces of the chapters attack. When the got their they were disappointed with what they saw: a broken base, men half dead from the attacks, the parade grounds full of craters and burned out engines of both imperial and orkish in nature.

"It seems we're too late here, the xenos have already been hear. Squad Xeriel, I want a full sweep of this location, make sure there aren't any stragglers, and if anyone survived this bloodbath." Squad Xeriel went off, jump packs flying high. While still looking around on foot, Solomon could see that this action had taken place very recently, however not so recent as to have smoke bellowing out of the blasted gravesite this place had become.

"Two days, three at the most. Some of the bodies are still in rigor mortis." Sergeant Guradiel told him, knowing what they would have to do in order to truly find out what happened here. Seeing a body on the ground, Solomon ripped off an arm and removed him helm and began to eat it, allowing one of his astartes organs to do its work: the Omoplagea or Remembrancer. It allowed an astartes to gain the memories of those whose flesh the marine had devoured, literally learning by eating. The flashes of new memories came into his mind: guardsmen up upon the ramparts, lasguns firing away at the orks, heavy bolter round echoing through out the complex, the few armoured vehicles the base had were moving out not in the direction of the attack, but away.

"Sir, we'll never make it, they have the base surrounded." A voice said, it was his or the persons whose memories he was viewing. He sounded defeated, from what Solomon could see, it would have been beater to stay inside and hold up inside the complex.

"And you , like me, have seen what is heading for us upon the ramparts, Guardsman. You will get inside the Chimera. You will be leaving this facility and you will like it. Am I understood?" The officer told him, it looked like the commissar, if he was in charge, things must have gotten desperate for them.

"Sir, it's here, it's right on top of us augh…" was all a single guardsman could say before his message became static on the wind. Then the image appeared before him, it was enough to break Solomon out of his state of memory, in such as he punched the ground next to him.

"What is it sir?" asked Guradiel, the action indicated something truly bad had happened here.

"The Greenskins have a Gargant."

XXX

Command Post of PDF troops under Major Kuiler, 5 Miles from Deacon Zaurti's Cathedral. Valorous Prime, Valorous System, 999. M41

Sister Abagail dug into her new home for the foreseeable future , a trench line, no more than two meters deep at the lowest point, and only long enough to hold the sister squad of ten, hardly a fitting defence but then they were probably going to expand on it over time. And it wasn't like they were there alone, the Major had sent over a platoon of guardsmen to assist them in the defence of the flank, still, they didn't exactly inspire confidence inside her to see them. However good a leader the Major might be it still didn't change anything about his troops overall… readiness towards the fight ahead of them.

"Sister Abagail, I need you for a moment." Sister Superior Sabrina asked of her. The Sister Superior and her and never been on good terms due to her constant tendency to be, in her words, Overzealous, when it came to destroying the foes of the Emperor. As if one could be 'overzealous' when it came to obliterating His enemies, still if she were asking for her, it must be something either important or another tongue-lashing. When Abagail got to the Sister Superior, she could see one of the PDF officers with her. They were in the midst of conversation over something more than likely it was about the defence of the area, as that was the only thing to talk about now.

"Yes, Sister Superior, you wanted me?" Abagail could see the vox-caster down on the ground behind the two.

"Yes, Sister Abagail this is Lieutenant Victor Prayton of the Major Kuiler's forces, his platoon will be assisting us here." Abagail gave a look over the man, he wasn't much to look at, he had the look of a civil servant not a field officer, even one in the PDF.

"Yes, Sister Superior I have been briefed on this, is there anything else that you require me for? Or do you have something else for me?" Abagail asked, knowing full well the amount of sass she had just given the Sister Superior.

"Yes, I do. The lieutenant is going out in a recon en force so to speck, I wish for you to accompany him out, seeing as you are so bored here with the rest of us in the mud and trenches." The Sister Superior gave sass right back at Abagail. She did have a point though, she was the most militant minded of her sisters, a fact that Abagail took pride in.

"Of course, Sister Superior. I will be honored to accompany the troops of the Emperor to whatever ends they see fit." Abagail lied through her teeth; she wasn't all to keen towards the idea of being alone among the guardsmen seeing as most of them hadn't see a woman in weeks or even months. Abagail would do her duty nonetheless for the Emperor.

"Good, the platoon is just over there, behind the bushes." The lieutenant told her. "I have something to take care of first, so I'll meet you there."

XXX

Abagail arrived at the lieutenant's platoon at it was worse than what she had thought it was going to be: the men were ragged and beaten down from the fighting they had done, the heavy weapons looked about to break down from constant use, they only had a single transport Chimera and 25 men.

"Not much of an 'en Force' now is it?" She said to herself, almost embarrassed to be along side them. Abagail could see the lieutenant just now ready to leave, now done with whatever tasked he needed to perform before he left.

"Sir, you finished what you needed." Abagail asked of the officer.

"Yes and I have what I need." Abagail could see following him was a Sentinel walker, a weak armoured unit but for what they were planning, it was more than enough.

"Alright men, on ya feet, the Lieutenant's back which means your break is over." One of the guardsmen said, he looked to be a sergeant, the only sergeant left by the way they looked. All the guardsmen started to get up, their moans and wines were grating on Abagail's ears. They formed into groups of fives with the sergeant in front of them all.

"All men accounted for, sergeant?" the Lieutenant asked, his eyes were moving over the men, get a feel for them and how they would perform in action.

"Yes sir, all men are accounted for, 2nd Platoon is ready to move out." the stern look from the sergeant said everything he needed to Abagail: Solid, unmoving, having seen it all, a real soldier.

"Then we move out." The lieutenant got into the Chimera and moved ahead. The Sentinel was up front followed by the men and the Chimera around it, the guardsmen kept to their five person groups , each one covering for the others, standard military action when going into a plan such as this. Abagail was next to the Sentinel, her bolter moving over to the next place ever few seconds, she was not one to become lax in time such as these. The Sergeant moved next to her; up close she could now see the full extant the wars he had suffered through his arms were slashed and scared from actions, shrapnel from large explosions most likely, his left eye was replaced by simple bionics, his equipment wasn't that grand either; a Laspistol, normally holstered at his left side now in his right hand while a chainsword was in his left hand, occasionally revving it up at any sign of movement in and among the trees and bushes.

"So, why are you 'ere, Sista? Did ya not pray 'ard enough for the canoness?" the Sergeant asked of her, breaking her out of the stupor of her focus on the sergeant's scars and back to reality, when she remembered that he was still an enlisted guardsman and enlisted guardsmen are notoriously pig headed, even the sergeants were not above this.

"No, I was asked to by the lieutenant to make sure none of you died while out here, saying he didn't like his chances without me around." Abagail knew how slighted the sergeant was by the statement. Hours passed and Abagail now knew that this was going to be longer than just a day's work. It was midday when they left, now it was darkening, and they needed to rest.

"All right men, we'll rest here for the night. At daybreak, I want you up, gear prepped and on the march." Lieutenant Prayton said coming out of the chimera when it hit, a shot right at his throat, he went down almost instantly. Orks with purple cloth around their mouths jumped out of the bushes and started the attack.

"AMBUSH! KOMMANDO AMBUSH!" Abagail said as she let lose her bolter, firing it at any ork she could see, which wasn't many unfortunately. The rest of the guardsmen lad down fire as the bushes became alive with orks, they're wasn't that many, and both the Chimera and Sentinel's cover fire were more than enough to kill most of them, the rest were displaced by mass lasgun fire and the occasional bolter fire from Abagail's own gun. She moved towards the Lieutenant, he was still alive but barely and not for long.

"Sir, can you here me? Sir? SIR?" Abagail told him, he wasn't going to make it, they were too far from the base, even at full speed, the Chimera was just too slow.

"Si-Sister? Are you there? I need you now," The Lieutenant said, still able to speak, even with his throat now a mess of flesh and gore.

"Yes sir, what is it?" Abagail looked to the Lieutenant, kneeling down to him to here him speak.

"My-My mission, it ne-needs to be akgh done, I can't now, so I need y-you to do it." Lieutenant Victor Prayton's last words in this world was the information of his now last mission to a single Sister of Battle, And passed his power sword to her, then passed from this world.

"He's gone, the Emperor's light has left his body." Abagail took up the sword, holstering her bolter to her back and now taking in the information she had been given to her.

"So what now, do we just go back to the base then?" the sergeant asked of Abagail demanding answers from her.

"No, We are to stay the course, sergeant. We have a mission to complete." Abagail stood up now from the Prayton's body and had the guardsmen gather around her. Aside from the lieutenant, three other had gone to see the Master of Mankind. They all looked to her, she felt nervous about being in charge, but felt not to get that off her chest.

"Before passing on, Lieutenant Prayton's last words were of the mission we are currently on, which from this point onwards shall be led by myself, as per the Lieutenant's last wishes. Our mission, which shall not be spoken of by anyone outside this platoon to anyone that is either not here or the following people: Major Kuiler, Sister Superior Sabrina and the man we are to find."

"And who exactly is that Ma'am?" the sergeant said, now being respectful to her. Abagail moved away from the group, then turned to them, igniting the power sword as she turned.

"Master Domiel of the Angels of Aggression 3rd Company."

AND GOT DONE IN UNDER A MONTH, YEAH! And it now being my longest chapter of this to date, more of this to come but I think I should give you give a numbers game ( For those, like me, who like see the numbers of the armies fighting.) that well be next.