Chapter 4 The First Wave
Triton walked over his position at the front of the trenches so he could face the enemy at its strength. Triton and 100 other Battle brothers were waiting for the advancing Blood Pact. The Guardsmen were left to man the wall and the rear trenches.
"Sir! Auspex reads the approaching army will hit in about one minute"
"Roger that" replied Triton, "Men Stand Ready! Here We GO!"
Just then the advancing army ran right into the trenches. Bolter fire rang out all along the plain. There was mass hysteria but in the middle you could see the calm of the Marines slashing with knives, firing their bolters, and killing all who oppose.
A trooper ran forward and saw Triton killing all his men. He was filled with rage and ran harder. He fixed his bayonet and jumped high in the air. He drove the knife right into Triton's back but the armor was too strong. The knife just bent than broke away. He knew he had screwed up now. Triton turned to face his adversary, raised his bolter, and fired one round right into the skull of the trooper. His exploded in a puff of red mist and fresh pulp.
The battle was immense. The trenches were like a river of blood. Three Marines had already been killed but there were already a thousand pact troopers dead. The Marines were holding their own and very slowly turning the tide. Little did they know that this couple thousand strong attack was only the beginning.
Strum watched the battle from atop the wall. He could see the flashed of the marines' bolter fire and hear the crack of the Pact's las rifles. The sound off all this gunfire was defining. He could feel the power of each bolter round as it fired and than exploded on impact within the target. He saw knife on knife fights and gun on gun fights. But the most intriguing of all was how calm the marines were and how worked up the Pact was.
"Holy Emperor what is happening?"
Triton gave the word to fall back to the second trench. The first one was just too full of bodies and the blood had turned the ground to mud. Triton was the last to leave the trench he lobbed 4 grenades all at once and ran back, just as he had reached the trench the grenades went off and sent body parts flying.
The first wave of Pact troopers was starting to diminish. The marines were holding their position. As the Pact ran down the first trench to reach the second grenades were being lobbed over and more and more troopers were dying. Morale was rising among the Imperials and the first wave was just about over.
Triton walked the trenches looking for Pact survivors. Depending on rank he would either shoot them or throw them over to the awaiting guardsmen to interrogate. He could hear the scattered shots of remaining Pact troopers trying to kill something before they themselves are killed.
'We survived, well that's a start'
"Men, search the trenches and than burn 'em we'll need the trenches for the next wave"
A chorus of "Yes Sir" was heard all along the trenches.