As the forty-strong company of marines began their march on the cultist's headquarters, an eerie silence descended upon the proceedings, a stark contrast to the deafening thunder of war that had come before. Rexus noted that his men appeared even more alert than usual, if that were possible, constantly scanning their surroundings, weapons at the ready. Good, he thought. The more alert, the better. Just so long as it did not make the transition to paranoia and nervousness. But these were Space Marines, the finest warriors the Imperium had to offer, and these marines under his command now were some of the finest his chapter had to offer. He would not have traded this unit for a million regular soldiers of the Imperial Guard. It is more than camaraderie that forms the bonds between marines, it is true brotherhood. The sense of unity and purpose within Space Marine chapters cannot be found anywhere else in the galaxy, and that of the Blood Angels chapter is as strong as any other's, if not more so. Despite their superior leadership, equipment and training, marines live and die by the basics. Never would a fallen brother-marine be left to the enemy, never would a marine retreat in the face of the enemy, even if this meant being wiped out to the last man. This is what it meant to be a Space Marine.
In this case, the basics were simple. There is no room for error here, so none would be made. There was too much at stake here for the slightest error in judgement, or the slightest lapse in guard. The marines knew this and were prepared. Forty-five against four hundred were not favorable odds, even for Space Marines, but fifty against one thousand would have been far worse.
The battle group reached the peak of the rise, and the objective came into view. The headquarters was barely recognizable from the schematics the Planetary Governor had transmitted them. What should have been a very large rockrete building with adjoining structures on the ground floor was at least half as big again, and covered in pipes and tubing that snaked across the structure. Banners of all four of the Chaos gods hung adorned the building, but predominantly those of Khorne, the God of War, The Blood God. No wonder these cultists were so anxious for close combat, Rexus though, they seek sacrifices for Khorne. He remembered the piercing cry the leader of the group that attacked them had shrieked. Blood for the Blood God. Alongside the banners, hung the grizzly mutilated bodies of those who had occupied this place when it was a City Hall. For the most part, the city had been leveled during the initial uprising, leaving behind plenty of debris for use as cover. Time to move in.
"Wulf, I want to maintain stealth for as long as possible. That means no jump-packs until I give the word, and Raan, tell the other riders that the bikes must run silent. Advance slowly, make as best use of cover as you can. Squad leaders, report in when your teams are as far forward as cover allows. Do not give your positions away prematurely. On my mark, attack according to plan."
Twenty minutes later, the last of the squad leaders checked in. Agmar ran through the plan one more time in his head. The four remaining bike units, lead by Raan, were to head straight for the front entrance, gunning down as many enemy troops as possible, securing the entryway. He would lead the two tactical squadrons, twenty men in all, along the same path as the bikes and into the building via the entrance the bikes had secured, eliminating all resistance and ascending to the next floor, one at a time. The two assault squadrons, twenty marines with jump-packs, led by Wulf would jump up to the roof, and do the same only working their way down. The goal was to locate the command room as quickly as possible, and take out any high-ranking cultists, transmitters, communications equipment and the like. But now with the increased size of the structure that could prove daunting. Who knows what alterations had been made inside the building, designed by some dark mind to keep intruders at bay? Rexus uttered a final word of caution to his troops, and gave the go-ahead.
The engines of the bike roared as the riders gunned the collective throttles and made their run on the objective. They opened fire on the group of cultist huddled round the doorway, cutting them down instantly. The assault squadrons took to the air in one long arc that would land them on the roof, whilst picking off any targets that presented themselves. Rexus gave the signal to the tactical squadrons, and they broke from cover and advanced. The bikes were drawing a fair amount of fire from open windows, and it would worsen the closer they got. Rexus activated his comm-link.
"Marines! Suppressing fire through any open windows, arm both rocket launchers with fragmentation rounds; aim for the mid-level stories. First squad; flank left, second squad; follow me down the right flank, pincer movement on the doorway. Go!"
Half the marines broke left, headed in a wide curve for the entrance, bolters chattering, aimed upwards. The rocket launcher marine stopping every fifty meters to reload, take aim and fire, the remaining marines adjusting pace to ensure he did not fall behind. The second squad waited for his lead. Rexus slung his axe over his backpack, hefted his bolter into one hand and pulled the plasma pistol out of its holster, activated it, hearing the dull hum of the weapon as the firing chamber charged, ready to fire. He checked his bolter's magazine, full. Ready. He jumped to his feet, clambered of the stone wall he had been crouched behind, half crushing it under the combined weight of him and his power armor. Clear of cover, he broke into a fast paced jog through the debris strewn streets and collapsed buildings that had formed the city, but not so fast as to distance him from the squad and make him an easy target.
Just then, a large half-track open-topped vehicle made its move from behind a damaged but still standing structure behind Agmar to the right. Like the bikes, it had been powered down, waiting to strike. He could see that it would pass in front of his squads on a diagonal intercept course for the bikes. The bolters mounted on the bikes were fixed and forward firing, and the half-track was approaching from a direction from which they could not defend themselves. The half-track was well armed, Rexus observed, a tripod mounted twin-autocannon with a probable 360 degree field of fire, and then there were about half a dozen cultists aboard it as well, armed with lasguns and autoguns. The bikes were on a straight road with no room to get out of the way, they would be out-gunned and out-maneuvered.
"Open fire on that vehicle! Don't let it get within range of the bikes" He ordered, but he knew it would not be enough. The half-track had not passed in front of them yet, but it was getting close. Agmar holstered his bolter, too cumbersome for what he had in mind, and reached for his power axe. He broke into a full run for the point where the half-track would pass them. He was closer, and would reach it first, but only just. By now the half-track's crew had noticed him, and were bringing their weapons to bear. Shots pinged off the ground and whizzed past him, but a moving target shooting to hit a moving target were not favorable conditions for accurate fire. Rexus saw the building nearest to the road the half-track was on was only partially destroyed, and contained a stairwell. Excellent, he thought, and headed for it as fast as he could. He smashed through the broken door frame, too small for him anyway, and hoped the stairs would take his weight, but he doubted it was designed to take the full load of an eight foot tall, heavily built and muscled space marine warrior clad in two hundred and fifty pounds worth of power armor running at full speed. But the stairs held. He charged up them as the half-track roared ever closer, and reaching the top he located the wall parallel to the road and without pause grabbed his power axe and charged through it into thin air. The upper wall of the house exploded outwards and a blood-red figure with it, just as the vehicle passed by. Power armor is not designed for aerodynamics, but Rexus had put enough force behind the leap to cross the requisite distance, firing his plasma pistol, and bringing his axe over his head, ready to strike. The six cultists barely had time to react before Agmar slammed into the passenger compartment, a massive impact that threw two cultists clear of the half-track into a hail of bolter fire. He had brought his power axe in a vertical arc that, on landing, had cleaved another in half from head to toe. Simultaneously he raised his plasma pistol and put a flaming hole in the fourth mans chest, and swung his axe, horizontally this time, and gutted the last two. The gunner manning the twin autocannon finally swung it round to bear on Agmar, but before he could open up a hail of rapid fire to stop Rexus dead, he had ducked under the twin barrels and decapitated him, his severed head landing at the road side. The driver, unsure of what was going on over the noise of the engine, sped up, hoping to throw the attacker off. Rexus holstered his pistol, slung his axe over his backpack and grabbed the triggers of the twin auto cannon, pivoted it round to point at the driver's compartment, and opened fire. The caseless autocannon shell shredded the driver and the controls of the vehicle, sending it veering out of control. It locked into a hard right turn and rolled over, smashing into a pile of rubble. Its fuel tanks detonated, and a huge fireball consumed it. Agmar had leapt from the vehicle the second after he killed the driver, crunching into the ground without falling over thanks the suits built in stabilizer, and had gotten clear just before the explosion which scorched his armor.
The ten marines of his assigned squad caught up with him shortly after, but there was no time for congratulations and pats on the back, the HQ, now only yards away, was waiting. The bikes, free from hindrance had completed their run and had parked up at the entrance, the way clear for the tactical squads. There was a scream from above and a cloaked figure crashed to the ground. Rexus contacted Wulf.
"Update sergeant"
"We have taken the roof sir, more resistance than expected, but no casualties."
"More resistance than expected. That phrase seems to be cropping far too often."
"Yes sir. Saw your stunt from up here. I think we should talk to the Planetary Governor when this is all over."
"Agreed. For now though, break your men into five-man combat teams, give them orders to sweep and clear every room on every floor. Wait for my signal before engaging."
"Yes sir. Wulf out."
The two tactical squads completed their flanking arcs and regrouped with the bikes at the doorway. Rexus put his twenty marines into four five-man teams, and gave them the same orders and to comm him as soon as the command center was located.
Agmar gave the signal to engage, grabbed his power axe, breathed a silent prayer, and walked through the doorway into the darkness.
In this case, the basics were simple. There is no room for error here, so none would be made. There was too much at stake here for the slightest error in judgement, or the slightest lapse in guard. The marines knew this and were prepared. Forty-five against four hundred were not favorable odds, even for Space Marines, but fifty against one thousand would have been far worse.
The battle group reached the peak of the rise, and the objective came into view. The headquarters was barely recognizable from the schematics the Planetary Governor had transmitted them. What should have been a very large rockrete building with adjoining structures on the ground floor was at least half as big again, and covered in pipes and tubing that snaked across the structure. Banners of all four of the Chaos gods hung adorned the building, but predominantly those of Khorne, the God of War, The Blood God. No wonder these cultists were so anxious for close combat, Rexus though, they seek sacrifices for Khorne. He remembered the piercing cry the leader of the group that attacked them had shrieked. Blood for the Blood God. Alongside the banners, hung the grizzly mutilated bodies of those who had occupied this place when it was a City Hall. For the most part, the city had been leveled during the initial uprising, leaving behind plenty of debris for use as cover. Time to move in.
"Wulf, I want to maintain stealth for as long as possible. That means no jump-packs until I give the word, and Raan, tell the other riders that the bikes must run silent. Advance slowly, make as best use of cover as you can. Squad leaders, report in when your teams are as far forward as cover allows. Do not give your positions away prematurely. On my mark, attack according to plan."
Twenty minutes later, the last of the squad leaders checked in. Agmar ran through the plan one more time in his head. The four remaining bike units, lead by Raan, were to head straight for the front entrance, gunning down as many enemy troops as possible, securing the entryway. He would lead the two tactical squadrons, twenty men in all, along the same path as the bikes and into the building via the entrance the bikes had secured, eliminating all resistance and ascending to the next floor, one at a time. The two assault squadrons, twenty marines with jump-packs, led by Wulf would jump up to the roof, and do the same only working their way down. The goal was to locate the command room as quickly as possible, and take out any high-ranking cultists, transmitters, communications equipment and the like. But now with the increased size of the structure that could prove daunting. Who knows what alterations had been made inside the building, designed by some dark mind to keep intruders at bay? Rexus uttered a final word of caution to his troops, and gave the go-ahead.
The engines of the bike roared as the riders gunned the collective throttles and made their run on the objective. They opened fire on the group of cultist huddled round the doorway, cutting them down instantly. The assault squadrons took to the air in one long arc that would land them on the roof, whilst picking off any targets that presented themselves. Rexus gave the signal to the tactical squadrons, and they broke from cover and advanced. The bikes were drawing a fair amount of fire from open windows, and it would worsen the closer they got. Rexus activated his comm-link.
"Marines! Suppressing fire through any open windows, arm both rocket launchers with fragmentation rounds; aim for the mid-level stories. First squad; flank left, second squad; follow me down the right flank, pincer movement on the doorway. Go!"
Half the marines broke left, headed in a wide curve for the entrance, bolters chattering, aimed upwards. The rocket launcher marine stopping every fifty meters to reload, take aim and fire, the remaining marines adjusting pace to ensure he did not fall behind. The second squad waited for his lead. Rexus slung his axe over his backpack, hefted his bolter into one hand and pulled the plasma pistol out of its holster, activated it, hearing the dull hum of the weapon as the firing chamber charged, ready to fire. He checked his bolter's magazine, full. Ready. He jumped to his feet, clambered of the stone wall he had been crouched behind, half crushing it under the combined weight of him and his power armor. Clear of cover, he broke into a fast paced jog through the debris strewn streets and collapsed buildings that had formed the city, but not so fast as to distance him from the squad and make him an easy target.
Just then, a large half-track open-topped vehicle made its move from behind a damaged but still standing structure behind Agmar to the right. Like the bikes, it had been powered down, waiting to strike. He could see that it would pass in front of his squads on a diagonal intercept course for the bikes. The bolters mounted on the bikes were fixed and forward firing, and the half-track was approaching from a direction from which they could not defend themselves. The half-track was well armed, Rexus observed, a tripod mounted twin-autocannon with a probable 360 degree field of fire, and then there were about half a dozen cultists aboard it as well, armed with lasguns and autoguns. The bikes were on a straight road with no room to get out of the way, they would be out-gunned and out-maneuvered.
"Open fire on that vehicle! Don't let it get within range of the bikes" He ordered, but he knew it would not be enough. The half-track had not passed in front of them yet, but it was getting close. Agmar holstered his bolter, too cumbersome for what he had in mind, and reached for his power axe. He broke into a full run for the point where the half-track would pass them. He was closer, and would reach it first, but only just. By now the half-track's crew had noticed him, and were bringing their weapons to bear. Shots pinged off the ground and whizzed past him, but a moving target shooting to hit a moving target were not favorable conditions for accurate fire. Rexus saw the building nearest to the road the half-track was on was only partially destroyed, and contained a stairwell. Excellent, he thought, and headed for it as fast as he could. He smashed through the broken door frame, too small for him anyway, and hoped the stairs would take his weight, but he doubted it was designed to take the full load of an eight foot tall, heavily built and muscled space marine warrior clad in two hundred and fifty pounds worth of power armor running at full speed. But the stairs held. He charged up them as the half-track roared ever closer, and reaching the top he located the wall parallel to the road and without pause grabbed his power axe and charged through it into thin air. The upper wall of the house exploded outwards and a blood-red figure with it, just as the vehicle passed by. Power armor is not designed for aerodynamics, but Rexus had put enough force behind the leap to cross the requisite distance, firing his plasma pistol, and bringing his axe over his head, ready to strike. The six cultists barely had time to react before Agmar slammed into the passenger compartment, a massive impact that threw two cultists clear of the half-track into a hail of bolter fire. He had brought his power axe in a vertical arc that, on landing, had cleaved another in half from head to toe. Simultaneously he raised his plasma pistol and put a flaming hole in the fourth mans chest, and swung his axe, horizontally this time, and gutted the last two. The gunner manning the twin autocannon finally swung it round to bear on Agmar, but before he could open up a hail of rapid fire to stop Rexus dead, he had ducked under the twin barrels and decapitated him, his severed head landing at the road side. The driver, unsure of what was going on over the noise of the engine, sped up, hoping to throw the attacker off. Rexus holstered his pistol, slung his axe over his backpack and grabbed the triggers of the twin auto cannon, pivoted it round to point at the driver's compartment, and opened fire. The caseless autocannon shell shredded the driver and the controls of the vehicle, sending it veering out of control. It locked into a hard right turn and rolled over, smashing into a pile of rubble. Its fuel tanks detonated, and a huge fireball consumed it. Agmar had leapt from the vehicle the second after he killed the driver, crunching into the ground without falling over thanks the suits built in stabilizer, and had gotten clear just before the explosion which scorched his armor.
The ten marines of his assigned squad caught up with him shortly after, but there was no time for congratulations and pats on the back, the HQ, now only yards away, was waiting. The bikes, free from hindrance had completed their run and had parked up at the entrance, the way clear for the tactical squads. There was a scream from above and a cloaked figure crashed to the ground. Rexus contacted Wulf.
"Update sergeant"
"We have taken the roof sir, more resistance than expected, but no casualties."
"More resistance than expected. That phrase seems to be cropping far too often."
"Yes sir. Saw your stunt from up here. I think we should talk to the Planetary Governor when this is all over."
"Agreed. For now though, break your men into five-man combat teams, give them orders to sweep and clear every room on every floor. Wait for my signal before engaging."
"Yes sir. Wulf out."
The two tactical squads completed their flanking arcs and regrouped with the bikes at the doorway. Rexus put his twenty marines into four five-man teams, and gave them the same orders and to comm him as soon as the command center was located.
Agmar gave the signal to engage, grabbed his power axe, breathed a silent prayer, and walked through the doorway into the darkness.