Part 2
Markos body slumped to the ground where he sat a steady stream of blood cascading from his open neck. The wych lifted the body up from its hair and held it out to its fellows. He snarled a war cry then tossed it to another Wych who readily ripped it to pieces. It hardly had time to scream as its head was vaporised by a bolt shell. From across the bridge a squad of Jade Dragons and Ultramarines had gathered in ready stance letting loose massive amounts of ammunition on the wyches. Two more fell but now they were aware the wyches stormed forward with daggers and pistols, firing on the move. The clash happened on the bridge which was suspended 250 ft above a ravine on the east wing of ridge side base. Branse was in the middle of the swirling combat barely realising that the base was nearly overrun by dark eldar. This was it: the last stand.
Capatain Razzelon was fighting alongside Praetor in the control room for the base.
Only a handful of their marines were left, two huge figures stood out in the crowd of smaller dark eldar, there armour black with skulls painted onto there helmets. The two huge figures carried massive two hander blades which it was rumoured could cut a space marine apart in one blow. These were the incubi. Razzelon began barking orders.
"Concentrate all fire on the new targets, now!" And a hail of bolts flew at the incubi but only one fell, the space marines watched in horror as two more appeared from a supposedly secured side door, calmly dispatching two marines standing by it. The control room was a hell hole now, splinters and bolts flying in all directions, human and alien blood spattered on the walls and growing numbers of bodies on the floor. It turned out the incubi had been the bodyguard for someone even more fearsome and here it came, striding out of the dark eldar line.
Branse watched in horror as an eldar hellion swiped the head clean off his best marine Venvictus. As another made for him he ducked low thrusting his sword above his head. The sides of the board split off in different directions tearing the elders feet off. The flaming wreckage and bloodied body skidded off the bridge into the crag below. Over the sounds off battle Branse could clearly hear the Captain's voice over the intercom
"Branse clear the bridge im sending the serpent in to pull you out, the chapter cannot afford to lose a fighter like you in a foolish last stand. Im going to go and meet my family beside the emperors throne, you shall be appointed captain of the 3rd battle company. Emperor be with you brother" Branse was devastated by the message but honoured to be appointed as captain. Bringing up the intercom Branse said briefly
"Also with you, Brother Captain"
The fighting stopped in the control room, Archaon Desrendile strode forward showing the side to Razzelon. The combatants threw aside their pistols and launched into battle. Desrendile the bile eater as they called him threw a deliberetly clumsy claw throw onto the floor. Foolishly thinking he was in no danger Razzelon lunged at the immense beast that was the bile eater exposing his chest. Desrendile quickly drew a power sword with his free hand and sliced a treacherous diagonal line through Razzelons chest plates. The slit was wider than it first appeared as two hearts fell to the floor.
Branse looked as his enemy was ripped to pieces by thousands of bolter and auto cannon rounds from the serpent which hovered above the bridge, he could see the turbo laser getting energy for another shot which would certainly destroy the bridge. It did. Nearly 30 dark eldar which had not been butchered by the serpent plummeted to their death 300ft below. With the danger passed the mighty thunderhawk descended its frontal ramp so that Branse and his men would get inside. The mental battle started here.