Over the next half an hour the only sounds were the roars of the flamers and the hideous screams of the dying as the marines in the fire teams went about their work. The screams disturbed no one; they were Space Marines, hardened against all the horrors of this galaxy. And the dying were Chaos cultists, traitors that had betrayed humanity when they swore allegiance to the foul Chaos Gods. To the marines, they were heretics who defiled the Imperium and were beneath contempt.
Though there must have been a hundred cultists in either direction, they had no room to overwhelm the marines and were forced to face them one or two at a time. Coupled with the effectiveness of the flamers in the confines of the trench, the clearing out was swift and brutal in is efficiency.
Raan was the first to report objective achieved.
"All opposing forces removed sir. Returning to battle group"
"Good work sergeant" Rexus cut the link and opened one to Wulf.
"Progress Wulf?"
"Heretics eliminated, but two Brother-Marines down. Dorn is dead and Viel is badly wounded. One cultist threw a grenade before we could take him out. Dorn and Viel had point at the time."
Agmar cursed. Despite its incredible effectiveness, power armour was not impregnable and two Brother-Marines were out of the fight. Wulf continued.
"I take full responsibility for this, as leader I should have taken point, I..."
"Not your fault Wulf. Casualties are terrible but inevitable. We fifty marines are waging a battle against twenty times as many cultists, and no matter how better trained, equipped and armoured we are, lives will be lost. But it is our sacred duty to ensure that we wipe out these heretics to the last man. We will have our vengeance. We will bring the full wrath of the Blood Angels upon their headquarters and the corridors will run red with the blood of the damned. But now, I pray for Dorn's spirit and Viel's life."
"As do I sir."
"Good. I am diverting one of the Rhinos from supply runs to your position. Get Dorn and Viel into it, then you and your remaining marines return to us. We have work to attend to."
"Yes sir" he replied, his voice heavy with wrath and zeal. "Wulf out."
When the Veteran Sergeant arrived back with his remaining three marines, the battle group was ready. The second Rhino had been to HQ and back for ammo and supplies. Armour had been field repaired by Techmarine Altus where necessary, weapons reloaded and checked for jams. The bikes and jump packs had been re-fuelled, and were ready to go. The battle group was at nearly full strength, minus Dorn, Viel, and one bike after its less experienced rider had tried to repeat his Captains trench-jumping feat and failed. But the rider had survived unharmed, and after a disciplining by Rexus, was moving out on foot.
In total, they had so far wiped out around 400 cultists, leaving around 600 garrisoned at the HQ. It would be a hard fight, but they were Blood Angels; proud, noble and lethal.
They would prevail.
He turned to his second in command.
"Wulf, I've had the Rhino bring you a jump pack up from HQ. For the final attack, I want you to lead the assault squads. You will be in the midst of the battle, at close-quarters with the enemy. Do you accept?"
"Yes sir!" Wulf replied instantly, his joy barely concealed. He have the opportunity to take his vengeance face to face.
"Then get ready. We attack in..."
"BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!!"
This unholy scream hang in the air for a few seconds, everything else silent and still before the Space Marines exploded into action. Instantaneously every member of the battle group had his weapon trained in the direction of the scream.
"Vectus, what the hell was that? Report marine."
Squad leader Vectus, who had been leading a patrol to watch for enemy movements replied "one hundred to two hundred cultists have appeared, charging for your position.
They are armed for close combat, they mean to overrun you with strength of numbers."
"Thank you. Next time I expect you to inform me of enemy attacks before the enemy do. Re-join the battle group, we will need your help."
"Yes sir, on my way"
Rexus addressed all his troops.
"There are one hundred to two hundred cultists heading for this position. Everyone into the trenches, double file. I want a tactical marines with ranged weaponry in front, all assault marines behind. When they get too close for bolters, take them in hand to hand. Wait for my signal to fire."
The marines dropped into positions, and prepared to lay down a devastating hail of fire to take out as many cultists as possible before mopping up the remainder in close combat.
"Enemy sighted"
There they were, crossing the ridge that lead to the HQ. They were chanting, screaming, swinging chainswords and axes wildly, getting closer, closer, closer.
"Wait,.... Wait,.... FIRE!" Rexus bellowed.
The marines opened fire, their bolters spewing rapid-fire death. Dozens of cultists fell under this barrage, but still they came, driven by an unholy fire. The noise, from the bolters and the screaming would have been unbearable were it not for the ambient sound dampeners in the marines helmets that allowed them to select what they wanted to hear and filtered the rest out. The cultists were just too crazed to notice, or care.
Agmar sighted up, fired. A scream as his target died with a gaping hole in his chest. He sighted, fired again, and again, and again. Two thirds of the enemy force down he estimated.
And then they were upon them.
"Melee weapons!" He roared, and the marines dropped their bolters and switched to whatever close combat weapon they were carrying, and began hacking at the zealous cloaked figures dropping into the trench. For five minutes, a thin line of red power armoured figured fought the dark enemy with chainswords, power swords, power axes and their fists. Agmar only knew his part of the fight, he cut down cultist after cultist with his axe, then leaning over to deliver a sucker punch to one that shattered his skull and hurled him backwards. Another fell before him, and he crushed the life from the heretic with the boot of his power armour.
Then it was over.
The marines looked around, seeking another victim, but none were to be found, all were lying broken in the trench. Rexus hauled himself out, checked himself, his armour. He was unscathed.
"Casualties?"
"Three sir"
"Sanguinius bless their souls. Place them in the Rhino, get them back to base."
It was time.
The enemy were only four hundred strong. His marines, having tested their mettle and proved their abilities in hand to hand fighting were ready for more. And so was he.
"Marines, assume battle positions. Bikes down the right flank, stand watch outside the HQ when we reach it. Tactical Marines, prepare to enter via the ground floor access and clear it out one floor at a time, working your way up. I will lead. Assault marines, use your jump packs to get onto the roof, and clear it, and work your way down one floor at a time. Veteran Sergeant Wulf will lead. No prisoners. Move out."
"Yes sir!" the marines echoed.
It was time.
To be continued.
Though there must have been a hundred cultists in either direction, they had no room to overwhelm the marines and were forced to face them one or two at a time. Coupled with the effectiveness of the flamers in the confines of the trench, the clearing out was swift and brutal in is efficiency.
Raan was the first to report objective achieved.
"All opposing forces removed sir. Returning to battle group"
"Good work sergeant" Rexus cut the link and opened one to Wulf.
"Progress Wulf?"
"Heretics eliminated, but two Brother-Marines down. Dorn is dead and Viel is badly wounded. One cultist threw a grenade before we could take him out. Dorn and Viel had point at the time."
Agmar cursed. Despite its incredible effectiveness, power armour was not impregnable and two Brother-Marines were out of the fight. Wulf continued.
"I take full responsibility for this, as leader I should have taken point, I..."
"Not your fault Wulf. Casualties are terrible but inevitable. We fifty marines are waging a battle against twenty times as many cultists, and no matter how better trained, equipped and armoured we are, lives will be lost. But it is our sacred duty to ensure that we wipe out these heretics to the last man. We will have our vengeance. We will bring the full wrath of the Blood Angels upon their headquarters and the corridors will run red with the blood of the damned. But now, I pray for Dorn's spirit and Viel's life."
"As do I sir."
"Good. I am diverting one of the Rhinos from supply runs to your position. Get Dorn and Viel into it, then you and your remaining marines return to us. We have work to attend to."
"Yes sir" he replied, his voice heavy with wrath and zeal. "Wulf out."
When the Veteran Sergeant arrived back with his remaining three marines, the battle group was ready. The second Rhino had been to HQ and back for ammo and supplies. Armour had been field repaired by Techmarine Altus where necessary, weapons reloaded and checked for jams. The bikes and jump packs had been re-fuelled, and were ready to go. The battle group was at nearly full strength, minus Dorn, Viel, and one bike after its less experienced rider had tried to repeat his Captains trench-jumping feat and failed. But the rider had survived unharmed, and after a disciplining by Rexus, was moving out on foot.
In total, they had so far wiped out around 400 cultists, leaving around 600 garrisoned at the HQ. It would be a hard fight, but they were Blood Angels; proud, noble and lethal.
They would prevail.
He turned to his second in command.
"Wulf, I've had the Rhino bring you a jump pack up from HQ. For the final attack, I want you to lead the assault squads. You will be in the midst of the battle, at close-quarters with the enemy. Do you accept?"
"Yes sir!" Wulf replied instantly, his joy barely concealed. He have the opportunity to take his vengeance face to face.
"Then get ready. We attack in..."
"BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!!"
This unholy scream hang in the air for a few seconds, everything else silent and still before the Space Marines exploded into action. Instantaneously every member of the battle group had his weapon trained in the direction of the scream.
"Vectus, what the hell was that? Report marine."
Squad leader Vectus, who had been leading a patrol to watch for enemy movements replied "one hundred to two hundred cultists have appeared, charging for your position.
They are armed for close combat, they mean to overrun you with strength of numbers."
"Thank you. Next time I expect you to inform me of enemy attacks before the enemy do. Re-join the battle group, we will need your help."
"Yes sir, on my way"
Rexus addressed all his troops.
"There are one hundred to two hundred cultists heading for this position. Everyone into the trenches, double file. I want a tactical marines with ranged weaponry in front, all assault marines behind. When they get too close for bolters, take them in hand to hand. Wait for my signal to fire."
The marines dropped into positions, and prepared to lay down a devastating hail of fire to take out as many cultists as possible before mopping up the remainder in close combat.
"Enemy sighted"
There they were, crossing the ridge that lead to the HQ. They were chanting, screaming, swinging chainswords and axes wildly, getting closer, closer, closer.
"Wait,.... Wait,.... FIRE!" Rexus bellowed.
The marines opened fire, their bolters spewing rapid-fire death. Dozens of cultists fell under this barrage, but still they came, driven by an unholy fire. The noise, from the bolters and the screaming would have been unbearable were it not for the ambient sound dampeners in the marines helmets that allowed them to select what they wanted to hear and filtered the rest out. The cultists were just too crazed to notice, or care.
Agmar sighted up, fired. A scream as his target died with a gaping hole in his chest. He sighted, fired again, and again, and again. Two thirds of the enemy force down he estimated.
And then they were upon them.
"Melee weapons!" He roared, and the marines dropped their bolters and switched to whatever close combat weapon they were carrying, and began hacking at the zealous cloaked figures dropping into the trench. For five minutes, a thin line of red power armoured figured fought the dark enemy with chainswords, power swords, power axes and their fists. Agmar only knew his part of the fight, he cut down cultist after cultist with his axe, then leaning over to deliver a sucker punch to one that shattered his skull and hurled him backwards. Another fell before him, and he crushed the life from the heretic with the boot of his power armour.
Then it was over.
The marines looked around, seeking another victim, but none were to be found, all were lying broken in the trench. Rexus hauled himself out, checked himself, his armour. He was unscathed.
"Casualties?"
"Three sir"
"Sanguinius bless their souls. Place them in the Rhino, get them back to base."
It was time.
The enemy were only four hundred strong. His marines, having tested their mettle and proved their abilities in hand to hand fighting were ready for more. And so was he.
"Marines, assume battle positions. Bikes down the right flank, stand watch outside the HQ when we reach it. Tactical Marines, prepare to enter via the ground floor access and clear it out one floor at a time, working your way up. I will lead. Assault marines, use your jump packs to get onto the roof, and clear it, and work your way down one floor at a time. Veteran Sergeant Wulf will lead. No prisoners. Move out."
"Yes sir!" the marines echoed.
It was time.
To be continued.