Finis Fide Chapter 6
The target was a logging camp at the very edge of the forest, surrounded by crowds of emancipated, mindless slaves. The masses worked at the forest, felling trees and stripping them with crude tools. Old and young, some in sack cloths, some in the rags of former riches but their slack faces held no more resentment or bitterness than a servitor's would. In the centre of the activity sat a small logging station, blunt and blocky as only Imperial architecture could be with a metal tower supporting its vox antenna. The station buzzed with noise as the slaves dragged fallen boughs into its gaping hanger and processed the material for their Xeno overseers. This was not sustainable logging, this was the most brutal and ruthless strip mining of the world's resources, taking every last morsel of worth and leaving only barren wasteland behind.
It was almost Imperial in its efficiency.
From the forest Sergeant Toran observed the lines of drudging slaves, watching their movements and noting patterns and weaknesses. Alongside him stood Halis who held one of the precious Combi-Meltas and Daite who had his bolter ready. With them stood Jediah who was obsessively sharpening his combat blade over and over. On the far side of the station, Furion, Persion, Ophelian, and Novak were ready to attack and accompanying them was Canesh, who was a most unwelcome addition. Toran would have preferred to make the strike force entirely out of his own squad but Canesh had decided to come and one does not turn an Inquisitor aside from their path once chosen.
The plan was taken from the Codex Astartes and was elegant in its simplicity; a few platoons of the natives were preparing to launch a diversionary assault from the north, to create as big a distraction as possible. Their Las-locks and crude mortars would easily dispatch the slaves but the Psybrids were a different matter. Once the Xenos emerged from the logging station to deal with the attack the natives would fall back and withdraw, drawing the aliens out. The instant the Psybrids were exposed IXth squad would attack, Toran's group engaging them directly while the other combat squad demolished the vox tower to cut the station off from reinforcements.
Satisfied all was ready Toran turned about but forgot what he was about to say as his eyes landed upon Daite The Marines' hands were shaking and his head twitched. Toran could not see his eyes under his helm but knew they would be rolled back showing only white, for he was having a vision. Toran gritted his teeth for this was a liability they could ill afford right now. He stepped up and held Daite still whilst cursing the dogma that tolerated such aberrations in the Chapter. It was only a blessing that such visions never occurred during combat, in which case losing Daite to the enemy was probably the best possible outcome. He could only hope Daite would produce something useful this time, instead of cryptic puzzles.
For ten long seconds Daite quivered then fell still, breathing hard and finally his head slumped. Toran waited a few seconds for his squadmate to recover then asked "What did you see?"
"Betrayal," whispered Daite, "Betrayal in the ruins and ashes."
Halis snorted, "That's hardly a revelation, there is an Inquisitor with us... It would be more shocking if she wasn't planning a betrayal."
Daite shook his head as his voice became firmer and said "The betrayal will not be hers but ours."
Experience told Toran that he would get nothing else useful from Daite but at least the Initiates' mind was clear now and he said, "Daite once this attack is over I want you to sleep, a full cycle of four hours rest." Daite sharply looked up but before he could protest an explosion rang out across the fields, it was a series of mortar bombs going off, throwing slaves aside in ragged heaps. Smoke and fire spread liberally, covering the fields in billowing ash then from the north came a gaggle of native warriors, advancing in staggered pairs with their las-locks blazing. The mindless slaves reacted instantly, dropping their tools and surging forwards in a wave of hissing bodies. The natives held firm, laying down waves of las fire as mortar bombs sailed overhead mowing the foes down in droves. The natives' fire was relentless but there were hundreds of mindless slaves closing upon them, charging heedless of loss or danger and seeking to drown the militia in bodies. The natives met them with hacks and stabs from their bayonets but could not keep the masses at bay and were forced back step by step. They disappeared into the treeline followed by hordes of hissing, clawing slaves.
The fields quickly cleared of bodies but these were just the first wave, a large hanger door opened in the station and from it came a cloud of billowing green mist. Amongst the fogs were strange inhuman figures, the Psybrids had come at last, confident of victory. From the treeline Toran watched their advance but he held firm, waiting for the signal to attack. When the Xeno were about half way to the battlesite a booming roar rang over the station and a ball of fire rose from the far side. With majestic slowness the vox tower began to topple over, its inevitable fall declaring Toran's brothers had succeeded.
Toran raised his chainsword and shouted, "For Terra: Charge!" Instantly they ran forwards, angling to intercept the Psybrids before they could realise they were under attack. Toran aimed his bolt pistol and let off a volley but the rounds disappeared into the thick mist and he could not tell if he had hit anything so he raised his chainsword instead and dived into the fog. The world shrank into a luminous green bowl and even his autosenses struggled to see more than a few feet. All was dimness and vague swirling lights, then from the fog came a Psybrid with claws raised. Toran laid eyes upon the Xenos for the first time and saw it was a hairless humanoid with large eyes and a toothless lamprey mouth, yet its arms were multiple whipping tendrils with metallic claws for hands. The mists billowed about its body but did not emanate from it but rather seemed to be a part of its anatomy, almost like the mist was the Xeno and the body just a frame for it to cling to.
Toran greeted it with a swipe of his chainsword but he felt a curious dragging sensation. His chainsword dragged through the mists like a stick through mud and even his genhanced strength made little difference. While he was slowed long shimmering claws swiped at his face but he battered them aside with one fist, he gripped his Chainsword tighter gunning the motor. Roaring chainteeth chewed through the preternatural mist and where brute strength had failed the sawing blades cut through. Finally he contacted Xenos flesh and Toran roared and pulled his sword free in a shower of green gore, leaving the two halves of the Psybrid to fall to the ground.
Immediately he launched himself at a blurry knot of Psybrids, relying on his roaring Chainsword to cut through both macabre mist and Xeno bodies. Whipping claws tore at his plate, leaving deep furrows in its sacred colours but Toran was not daunted. He hacked and slashed at the creatures, smiting Xenos down with every blow, he felt rage and loathing flow through him setting a fire in his limbs and empowering his blows.
Toran roared "The Xenos are but flesh and blood, kill them all, no mercy for the alien!"
His brothers heard his battlecry and redoubled their efforts, smashing the Psybrids down as they shouted, "No mercy!"
Toran saw Jediah tackle a thrashing body to the ground, he had lost his helm somewhere in the fray and as he slid his combat blade up through an elongated jaw his eyes lit up. Those moments when the blade slid home were moments the savage warrior lived for and his enjoyment of the kill was evident. Meanwhile Halis sidestepping a Psybrids' attack then kicked out and knocked it back with sheer force. With a moment of respite he brought up his combi-melta and unleashed a stream of fusion fire. The foul mist sizzled as it was boiled away but it could not drown out the inhuman screams of the Xeno as its flesh liquefied into a disgusting pile of offal. Elsewhere Daite was parrying a frenzied Psybrid with his combat blade, falling back step by step before the onslaught of whipping tendrils. He was overmatched by the multiple claws whipping before his face but Toran saw his distress and stepped up to bring his chainsword down hard on its back. The blades cut through its pallid flesh and tore it open letting its entrails drop to the ground and with that the area was clear.
With the last Psybrid dead the mist began to dissipate letting Toran take stock, the field was clear of threats but from beyond the complex he could still hear the sounds of more fighting. Immediately he waved his combat squad forwards and they raced around the station and dove into more mists. As they rounded a corner of the blocky station they found their brothers locked in combat with more whipping and lashing Xenos. Without pause they leapt into the fray but Toran saw Inquisitor Canesh beset by three Psybrids, fending them off with her energised blade. She was fighting well for a mortal, using her longsword with great skill and elan but she was outnumbered and clearly could not last much longer.
Toran charged forwards to intervene but before he could strike Canesh grabbed one of the strange devices from her belt and threw it at the ground. The canister burst, releasing a choking cloud of black particles that shimmered and drifted in ways that had nothing to do with the wind or the light. Toran felt absolutely nothing from the black dust but the mist rolled back like a feral animal from fire and the effect on the Psybrids could not have been more extreme. The Xenos wailed and screamed at the merest touch of the black particles, tearing at their own heads and cutting into the pallid flesh as they frothed and fell to the ground. They lay there, frothing at the mouth and shrieking like they had been set on fire while the humans were totally unimpeded. Before Toran could grasp what was happening Inquisitor Canesh stepped forwards and with three sure strokes she beheaded them one by one.
Toran reached her side and looked about in confusion as he inquired "What was that?"
Canesh gestured to her belt where two more canisters were attached and replied, "Psyk-out grenade, very powerful and beyond rare."
Toran had never heard of such a thing, but then the Inquisition had access to all manner of strange lore and forbidden artefacts. He turned away and saw the rest of IXth squad cutting down the last Xenos, the Marines were covered in green blood and their armour was scored but none of them had fallen. The station fell silent at last, the day was theirs. IXth squad took two minutes to sweep the station looking for stragglers but they found nothing, the alien fiends had been eliminated. Confident of their victory they headed back to the militia, who were re-emerging from the treeline. The mortal men looked in wonder at the piles of dead Xenos corpses and whispered among themselves in amazement, never had they seen the Psybrids bested so completely. The natives gathered round the approaching Space Marines, cheering at their first major victory.
Toran paused among the cheering mortals and declared, "The day is ours, the liberation of Odiosis has begun!"
From the crowd Kalos stepped forwards and said "We've never seen a fight like that, the Psybrids never stood a chance."
Toran bowed his head as he said, "This was but the first step, much more hard work awaits us."
Kalos did not seem dismayed as he replied confidently, "After this you can have whatever help you want. Tell us what you need, we are with you now."