Tales of the Amber Vipers Chapter 118
Crusaders were dying by the thousand, cut down by implacable metal foes. They fought with all their zeal and courage but could not hold back the silver tide. Lasguns split the air with energy shots, tank shells flew free and heavy weapons thundered but they were barely slowing the tide. No matter how many Necrons they cut down ever more took their place. The lines of undying warriors stretched from the city to the horizon and for every one cut down three more would step forward.
Coluber saw it all from the back of Drakones. He saw valiant last stands and hopeless defiance. He beheld stubborn courage and futile nobility in equal measure, the crusader's bravery was the stuff of legends but to no avail. The first line of defences was crumbling and the Necrons advanced relentlessly into the gaps. Only the Amber Vipers were holding back complete collapse, squads racing from crisis point to crisis point. Bolters boomed, missiles flew free and meltas hissed, bringing salvation to those fortunate enough to stand in their shadow. The rapidly moving bikes of Secundus and Rhinos of Primus has proved their worth thrice over and the snakelets of Tertius stood shoulder to shoulder with the bravest of men. Where the Space Marines stood the crusaders took heart yet the Amber Vipers could not be everywhere, there were too many Necrons and not enough Astartes to hold the line. The conclusion was inescapable; they were losing.
As Drakones banked about a pyramid Coluber yelled into the vox, "Pull your men back to secondary positions!"
Warmaster Drake snapped, "I am already, but my men are being cut down as they flee."
Coluber snapped, "Then send forth the Stormlord."
"It won't last long."
Coluber retorted, "Neither will we if the Necrons take the main boulevard. We can't lose that street before we fallback or they'll cut off our withdrawal."
He cut the link and switched to a Chapter channel as he commanded, "Brothers, the crusaders are falling back, cover their withdrawal, buy them time to regroup at the second line." Across the battlefield, mortals began their retreat, falling back in waves to prepared positions. They were professional about it, platoons covering each other as they withdrew in staggered pairs but it wasn't making much difference. The Necrons advanced into the teeth of Imperial fire, scornful of the damage they suffered. Only the barking bolters and roaring chainaxes were making a dent, notes of resistance in an orchestra of death.
Coluber spied a platoon of guardsmen fleeing between two pyramids. They were firing as they staggered their withdrawal but it was pointless. In their wake charged a stream of silver bodies, metal feet stamping relentlessly as the Necrons gave chase. Gauss weapons obliterated men with effortless ease and the crusader's courage wavered as their number dwindled. The retreat was seconds away from becoming a rout.
"There! Take us to them!" Coluber bellowed and Drakones banked about. The underslung assault cannons span and the plasma cannon blazed brilliantly as they dove at the foe with tremendous speed. Drakones skimmed three metres over the heads of the mortals and then the weapons let rip. The Frost-field flickered as the rounds passed through and the nose of the Land Speeder erupted with a storm of fire. The Necrons were mowed down by the barrage, sliced to splinters by scything bullets and blown off their feet by plasma bolts. Blessed plasma, cleaner and purer than filthy Fission shots. Warriors tumbled to the ground in bits, shimmering and phasing away as Drakones shot over them. A jagged furrow was torn in the ranks of the undying and they turned to fire up at the Land Speeder, but the craft was already darting away at top speed. Coluber had a brief glimpse of the crusaders falling back in good order and then they shot around a mausoleum and he lost sight of them.
Coluber held on tight as they tore along the next street and then took a hairpin turn to the right. They were travelling as fast as a plane but mere metres across the ground, relying entirely on Transhuman reflexes to avoid slamming into a building. Coluber's world was a kaleidoscope of light and dark, fire and smoke as they zoomed through the battle. He saw lasfire traded with gauss blasts, piles of dead mixed with broken Necron constructs. Flaming tanks sat amongst heaps of Necrons who shimmered away to leave no trace they had ever been there. The pounding of the assault cannons and the snap-hiss of the plasma cannon filled his ears as they flew along. The pilot and gunner reacting to threats before he even saw them.
Suddenly they found themselves shooting along an avenue lined with Necron wreckage. At the end of the street stood an Imperial Knight, Crusader class, firing a Gatling cannon and battlecannon into a mob of gory fiends. It was joined in this endeavour by supporting fire from the Cerberii, who rained down shots from a low roof crowned by an Obelisk. Their combined barrage was terrifying to behold but they were being overwhelmed.
Set against them was a horde of hunch-backed horrors, loping forward with wet skins hanging from their frames. Their hands ended in vicious talons and they ran like a pack of wild animals closing on their prey. Fission-blasts punched scores off their feet, Gatling fire and explosions accounted for more, but they kept coming. They reached the Knight's legs and swarmed up its torso, jumping onto its top and clawing at the pilot's hatch. The Cerberii shifted their fire, the Cadmus-Robots shooting continuously in an attempt to clear the Knight. The clicking of his rad-counter told Coluber any mortal within a kilometre would be receiving a lethal dose of radiation but he had no time to worry about collateral damage. Even as he watched the Flayed Ones ripped open the hatch and reached for the noble within, eager to strip the skin of his living muscle and bone.
"Target that man and fire!" Coluber barked. There were no protests, all knew the nobleman was as good as dead already and a storm of fire swept his position. Bullets threw Necrons off their feet even as the man jerked bloodily under the impacts, then a plasma shot engulfed him and ended his suffering in a ball of light. Bereft of its pilot the Knight swayed, then toppled forward to slam into the ground, crushing a score of Flayed Ones and sending the rest scurrying away.
Drakones banked and circled the building but as it did so the vox blared, "We've lost the Stormlord, I repeat we've lost the Stormlord!"
Coluber spat back, "Reform your lines and prepared to repulse the next wave."
"I can't," Drake spat, "I need another two minutes to close the gaps."
"You don't have two minutes, they'll roll straight over us!"
Suddenly Seyda interrupted, "Look!" Coluber saw where he was pointing and gasped as he spied the Cadmus-Robots breaking away. The three machines turned their backs on the foe and reached towards the obelisk in their midst. Mechandrites shot from their palms and burrowed into the structure and then all hell broke loose. The Necrons sagged and their grips went limp as malicious scrapcode flooded their minds, a djinn of bedlam and dismay that threw them into anarchy. They staggered about as they fired wildly, lashing out at all they surveyed. They smote walls and floors with wild firing, they whipped the air with mad shots and berserk blasts went off into the distance. They brought ruin to their city but they did not hit any Imperials. The Crusaders were left in awe as their foe stumbled about, unable to shoot straight.
"What's happening?!" Drake called in confusion.
"You've got your two minutes," Coluber snapped, "Make the most of them!"
Across the battlefield the mortals turned and ran, taking advantage of the foes' confusion. Meanwhile the Amber Vipers poured on fire, breaking metal bodies with bolt and shotgun. Guns roared, chainswords howled and bellows of fierce zeal were let loose as the Amber Vipers slaughtered thousands of Necrons. Ten seconds of carnage became thirty, then sixty, then ninety and the kill count rose exponentially. At one hundred seconds the Cadmus-Robots stepped back, withdrawing their mechandrites and sagging as if exhausted. Their efforts had been blocked but they had bought precious moments for the Imperials to regroup.
The Necrons surged back into action, cleaving the air with shots and Coluber bellowed, "Fall-back and regroup Brothers, Ferrac you must…" He was cut off as something tore at the flank of Drakones. The whole Land Speeder lurched to the left with a howl of mechanical woe and the deck tilted as the anti-gravs faltered. Coluber snatched at the bucking frame as he looked up and saw a Necron flying machine coming straight at them. It was a broad chariot, with two drivers, underslung gauss blasters and a rising rear section like a Scorpion's tail. Standing in that platform were two lordly Necrons, finer in make and attire than any others he had seen. Surely the Undying's leaders and they were coming right at him.
"Evade!" Coluber shouted.
"I am already!" Rinda yelped as he threw Drakones into an evasive pattern.
Coluber was forced to cling on for dear life as the Land Speeder tore across the city, swaying from side to side like a drunk. The turbines howled as they fought to escape and the jinking made Coluber's vision swim. Flaming buildings dashed by on either side, blurring past as they shot along like a rocket. Left and right and left again they jerked, desperately seeking to lose their pursuer but The Necron Chariot matched them metre for metre, the ungainly craft easily overtaking the sleek Land Speeder. Flaming turbines were set against dimensional drives and were found wanting. They could not outrun this foe.
A lashing gauss blast ripped panels off the turbines and Vardat yelled, "The Frost-field is doing jack all!"
"It wasn't meant for Necron weapons," Coluber snapped just as a colossal impact hammered into Drakones' rear.
Thin armour peeled back and exposed the left turbine, which exploded in a blaze of shattered spars. Coluber was almost thrown from his perch as Drakones wailed in agony, the whole left side dropping as power was lost. He held on for dear life as the rear skidded wildly and Rinda fought to keep them aloft. Brother-Exemplar Vardat was not so lucky. He was thrown through the air and fell helplessly toward the ground, arms and legs flailing for purchase. Coluber frantically reached out to grab his arm and their fingertips passed mere centimetres from each other. Then a Gauss blast ripped through Vardat's chest, annihilating his hearts and lungs to leave a gaping hole through him and he was lost forever.
Coluber gaped disbelievingly at the loss but he had no time to mourn. The Necron Chariot pulled level with the struggling Land Speeder and a warrior leapt across the distance. Two metal feet slammed into the tilting faring behind his head and Coluber spied a burly form with an axe and shield looming over him. Instantly he reached for Venom's hilt but before he could draw steel Brother-Exemplar Seyda leapt to intercept, Burst-lance flaring.
The two met blade to blade and Coluber could not reach past his bodyguard to intervene. He was left to watch, mouth agape, as the pair traded blows. A hurricane of strikes and counters passed between the pair, their thrusts and chops enough to end another opponent ten times over. The Necron had strength and endurance on his side and fought with relentless fury. His attack was skilful and brutally direct. Seyda countered with a dazzling display of Kusanagi, the kata of the lost Amber Vipers flowing through his soul like the purest mountain spring. His sweeps were graceful and swift, flowing into each other with sublime skill. His thrusts were cunning and his parries elegant, deflecting and diverting with precision rather than blocking with brute strength. He wove a web of deception about himself, luring his foe into ungainly poses and concealing his intent with dazzling flourishes.
The Necron lunged, trying to take off Seyda's head but as he did so the Burst-lance swept low, bobbing under his guard and slicing both legs clean off. The undying champion fell and Seyda instantly reversed his stroke and drove his Lance into the Necron's chest, tearing out the heart before metal had a chance to hit the surface of Drakones. All was silence for a moment then the foe phased away, disappearing completely and leaving Seyda victorious.
Coluber was amazed at this display of skill but their victory was short-lived. The Chariot arose from behind like a whale breaching the surface of an ocean and its weapons fired once more, tearing out Drakones' right turbine. The Land Speeder was instantly thrown into a flat spin, racing crazily through the air like a spun coin. Flames and mechanical screams filled the air and the world blurred as they spun out of control. Seyda was thrown from the rear by the force of the spin, flying away to be lost in their wake. Coluber himself was slammed into a bulwark, unable to break free of the weight pinning him down.
The world blurred as the Land Speeder fell, flung helplessly through the air. The craft wailed as its spirit was wounded deeply and jagged sheets of metal fell off its rear as the anti-gravs failed. Drakones was crippled, unable to fly or fight, the noble craft had nothing left to give and was careening out of control. Coluber heard Rinda yelling over the vox, "Subitis, Subitis, Subitis! We are going down, we are…"
Then the nose of Drakones ploughed into the ground and flipped the whole craft over. Coluber was thrown clear by the first impact. He slammed into the stone with an impact that shook his genhanced bones and made his teeth rattle. Hastily he rolled over just in time to see Drakones' rear rising high, then topple over and crash down right on top of him.