" Chapter 25: Hardest Day
Heavy fighting was occuring all along the lines of defense the enemy leader had set up. Surprisingly for such crude constructions the metal overlords had established a stronghold which was repulsing his forces.
Their tenacity was astounding, even if their mortal slaves broke like the faithless wretches they were.
First Acolyte Phlegathon brandished his blade, he had lost several dozens of tanks and daemon engines in assaults on the enemy fortifications. They had constructed immense forts armed with immense Las weapons that prevented his vessels from coming close, savaging many of their ships when they attempted to engage the enemy's shipyard.
He stood atop one of their more formidable battle constructs, a heavily armored and armed droid which could stand toe to toe with an Astartes in open battle. Yet standing against one of Lorgar's Sons did not mean defeating them.
They were expending Daemon Engines quicker than he'd like, and had ordered them reserved for major assaults. Heavier engines were often struck by massed atmospheric craft or heavy Las cannon emplacements would target them.
He had been tasked with killing the enemy's leader. A vision had come to his master, granted to him by the Iron Collar, he had been dispatched to bring their Lord of Metal to heel.
"They are interesting constructions, many elements seem to be counterparts to Imperial weapons." Tel Bedar said, looking down at one of the D100s.
"You can see where they copied the Powerfist design common to Imperial Guard regiments, except I don't see any of the pieces that would project a powerfield, only the lightning projectors, almost like an extremely primitive form of some Necron weaponry I've encountered."
"You never struck me as a Warpsmith or a Techmarine."
"I have been involved in a great deal of work in the armory, I learned."
Phlegathon nodded and moved to look out at the enemy entrenchments. Massive turbo laser batteries kept his fleet from approaching, as their combined firepower with the enemy fleet would destroy his ships.
"We are being ground down in the fighting here First Acolyte, we need to draw the enemy out into the open or we will be unable to breach here, not with our current strength."
Heavy rocket bombardments punctuated Phlegethon's reply, their position had been hammered with artillery for some time, ranging standard Imperial Earthshaker rounds to Turbo Laser batteries. They had been returning fire but the enemy had fortified their heavy guns immensely, and assaults had been repulsed.
"We should draw him out of his fortresses, rampage through his people and sacrifice this planet to the dark gods!"
Phlegation was enraged, they simply lacked the manpower to strike at these defenders and unlike facing the guard, the metal soldiers would never even hear the words of enlightenment that would open the gates to a greater part in the divine plan.
"We will pull back, the enemy will need to face us in open warfare, or he will be faithless to his people and if they doubt, then we shall answer that doubt."
Chaos forces withdrew from the vicinity of the foundry, the smog from its furnaces obscuring the sun and gave the movement a greyed out feeling to it. Raiding groups began to scour the fringes of the Fredrick's planet, taking people in outlying settlements which had not evacuated or slaughtering them wholesale depending upon the whims of the twisted angels.
Fredrick had ordered maximum output and droids rolled off the assembly line in vast armies, and the subterranean storage warehouses, photoreceptors started to light,as an army of metal began to awaken in its great vastness. The tremor of metal feet could be heard and the human soldiers of the CIS watched in awe as their once conquerers rose to face this new challenge.
"Bring out the Defoliator type weaponry, I want my planet purged of these invaders." said Fredrick to an B7782, as he watched whole divisions emerge from a great passageway into the planet's crust.
"I've heard many of our subjects have gone over to the side of the invaders, they will be cleansed by fire."
The super tactical droid watched him, it had known him from their service during several campaigns in the Clone War, and never had he been so bent upon the destruction of a foe. The man from the Clone Wars had changed, and grown much harder as time passed but it hadn't been as dramatic as this change.
They watched as the battle droids poured forth in their millions from beneath the ground. The full force had taken some time to be reactivated and mobilized. Now however they would regain the offensive against the Word Bearers and drive them from Kursk's soil.
….
"First Acolyte, you should see this."
Phelgathon turned to see a Champion offering a pic capture of the enemy Foundry Citadel.
"Their must be millions of them, ready our forces we will not let this challenge go unanswered, bring word to Tel Bedar, tell him to ready our knights and greater daemon engines, they mean to meet us in the field."
They had been turning many of this planet to the worship of Chaos, for their father Lorgar had called them to bring to the Holy Word to the Galaxy. Soon the tide of faithful would wash away the metal xenos from this world purifying it for the proper worship of the Primordial Truth.
Large throngs were gathered, and brothers who had the talent of their father were sent out to whip them into a fervour. Many of them had eagerly turned to chaos, as in recent months their Xenos lords had proven as cruel as some of the worst Imperial task masters, for others it was simply the human prejudice against the Xeno and fear of Astarte's wrath that turned them, and finally for others it was genuine belief in the Word.
Idol of Dark Vengeance, a traitor knight was standing vigil under the darkening skies, its chain sword and cannon so typical of a knight were quiet for the moment, such engines rarely stayed that way once called and even now Phelgathon could tell that the enemy would come soon. Whispers from the Realm of Souls told him this and much more. He would face the enemy machine lord and claim his skull for Khorne, his body for Nurgle, knowledge for Tzeentch and soul for Slaanesh.
He knelt in prayer and communed with the servants of the Dark Gods. Tel Bedar would care for the body's and might of his host, but his duty was to their souls. One would rise tomorrow he knew, one soul was bright and would attract the gaze of a great patron, and would be blessed with might and power, many others who aspired to this feat would in turn be cast down for their own sins and pride, into Spawndom, a fate of those who are unworthy of the favor of the Dark Gods.
Rising from his meditations, he broke his silence. His champions and Tel Bedar surrounded him.
"As the First War Master commanded so long ago, LET THE GALAXY BURN!" He roared, and drew forth his blade, and as he did he felt the blessing of chaos upon him and the blade burst into flames, the Daemon inside it enriched by the forces of creation, intoning for blood and souls to sate its thirst.
"To war brothers, send forth the faithful, and we too shall strike the enemy and bring mankind one step closer to union in the Truth. Honor our father and he shall bring us glory in the eyes of the Gods!"
A motley assortment of war machines strode forward at his command. Masses of newly converted cultists swelling the mortal contingents to beyond what they had arrived with, amongst the rabble that he had been allotted by the Dark Apostle.
Fredrick had sent his army out, every where he could deploy his soldiers he did and they arrived in vast numbers. Even in orbit this sudden mobilization was felt as Confederate Navy left its defensive moorings around the Shipyard. They engaged while numerous smaller confederate craft lifted off from the Planet's surface, Hardcell class transports packed with battle droids and equipped with magnetic docking ports. They were on a collision course with the Chaos navy.
….
Battle droids began to move in mass towards the Word Bearers units, vanguards of droid scouts had already made contact with the lead elements, and artillery was being prepared. The day was clear, and the sun made the morning warm.
Predator tanks emplaced themselves, Land Raiders began forming up behind the Predators. Daemon Engines had to be restrained far behind the lines of defense. Bestial howls could be heard into the night as the bound daemons vented their fury towards the sky.
The main body of the chaos force was ready, its infantry dug in, numerous cultists and stiffened by the by the Guardians of the Faithful, units of trained, indoctrinated and fanatical soldiers, they would keep the rabble from Kursk and many of the soldier slaves from the Word Bearer's fleet in line.
Leman Russ tanks, taken from depots on the planet that had been overrun, and many from the deep holds aboard several transport vessels provided armored support, even Malcador tanks, marked with eight pointed stars were emplaced, their heavy armor and armament turning them into mobile fortresses.
In reserve of this force were the Brothers of Host, several hundred Word Bearers were mounted in Rhinos, Land Raiders or crewed Predator tanks, all of them ready and awaiting the signal to counterattack. Daemon Engines and Traitor Knights would accompany this charge, crushing hard points while the Chaos Marines swept the field of the enemy's resistance.
The human slaves and willing servants of the Dark Gods awaited the onslaught of the robotic host, and at 0630 it began in fire. Hailfire tanks let loose a flurry of black trailed rockets, dozens of HAGs turned their turbo lasers upon the redoubts. These were not the reinforced bunkers that the Imperium had erected against the first invasion and many of the slaves of darkness were turned to ashes by the searing bolts or blown apart by rocket fire.
Yet the bombardment as fierce as it was, failed to dislodge the defenders. Heavy stubber nests, hidden las cannon emplacements and quick dugouts sheltering cultists were ready for the encroaching droids.
The droid army smashed into the Word Bearer's forces, entire battalions of droids crashing into the defenses. Leman Russ tanks traded fire with AATs once again on the surface of Kursk, while Malcador tanks acted as mobile fortresses, screaming preachers using them as mobile podiums, screaming words of praise to the Dark gods and urging their followers onwards.
Battle droids were cut down in scores as they advanced into the teeth of enemy fire but they never stopped coming. MTTs disgorged their droids directly into the fray, their heavy laser cannons cutting down enemy armor that was moving to counter attack.
HMP droid gunships swooped into the fray delivering immense payloads of rockets and bombs into the fray, laying down an indiscriminate bombardment. The battlefields were rapidly obscured with smoke and debris from the conflict.
….
Bajir was huddled in his slit trench, clutching his autogun to his chest. The masters, children of the blessed Lord Lorgar were not with them and the metal xenos were delivering great deluges of fire upon them. They streaked through the sky in vast numbers while only small numbers of their own fighters fought back.
A cloud of dirt rose up in front of him as an enemy shell impacted the ground close to them. Intermittent bombardments were erupting all over this area, its wooded areas offering cover from enemy aircraft which were constantly overhead.
A unit of battle droids emerged from the forests to his right, large silver bodied droids firing las weapons into the nearby faithful.
He fired his autogun into a pair of smaller brown colored droids, other auto guns started firing upon the droids, and then the band's dual heavy stubber open up, giving voice to the frustrations of the men and women, who had not had a chance to come to grips with those who had been bombarding them. The fire from the cultists cut down the smaller droids, and several of the larger ones fell, but the storm of blaster fire intensified as a large ball shaped droid emerged, four short stubby legs supporting a large head which carried a single large cannon. More of them began striding forth, autogun and heavy stubber fire ricocheting off their armor. Several score more battle droids followed in their wake, a skittering mass of steel intent on eradicating them.
A battle cannon roared and heavy shells began impacting into the droid ranks, scattering those unlikely droids on the edge of their blasts.
The noise was deafening and Bajir ducked down into his hole, praying to Khorne for strength to make it through this battle, and the courage to not disgrace himself, surely if any force out their would carry a man through this hell of concussion and blasts, the Lord of Battle could.
He could see the explosions in the sky as their airforces exchanged bursts of missiles, laser and cannon fire in the heavens, and flak batteries roared up into that tumult.
He popped back up and fired at the advancing droids, destroying a lesser droid, and popping back down when one of the Dwarf Spider Droids rotated to face him, its cannon sending a flurry of blaster fire his way.
It was at that point that a jet of fire from one his fellows enveloped several droids, putting up a wall of fire in between him and the advancing spider droid. Rockets were fired at several of these tank droids, destroying a handful but like the rest of the droid horde, there were always more.
Bajir saw a man trying to bludgeon one of the Super Battle Droids with a mace made of scrap metal, pounding relentlessly at its steel body. It grabbed him by his throat, slamming the emaciated wretch into the ground, crushing his throat in its metal fist. He shot at that droid, its already damaged armor was still up to the task of stopping autogun fire until a frag grenade exploded too close to the droid.
Gaping holes began opening in the assaulting droids, these became readily filled with more pouring in from other units, many coming from the side as other sections of the Word Bearer line were punctured and more of the metal soldiers poured forth. The fights against the conscripted men had been easy by comparison even the most foolhardy charge into defenses was nothing compared to the industrial machine army now hammering itself upon them.
Droideka began arriving in force, the shielded droids shedding heavy stubber bullets like a stone shed water, while returning a punishing fusilade of blaster fire.
Over a million battle droids had been committed to this battle, representing only a fraction of their total strength, by sheer dint of numbers they began to rout all but the fanatical Guardians of the Faithful, who fought even as they burned from flamethrower droids.
Finally Defoilitator tanks had to be brought up to root out these stubborn knots of resistance, but the fighting was harsh, for the Word Bearers had been generous to their faithful, providing many of their slave tanks and other archaic weaponry from the early days of the Imperium.
….
Blasts of alchemical fire cleansed the soil of these tainted foes, yet their tenacity did not go unnoticed. For in battle they honored Khorne. At this moment the merest fraction of his servants watched this slaughter, and reaching out from the Empyrean touched the tainted souls of these men, and before they could die, the vitality of the warp surged into their mortal frames. While an Astartes could handle these gifts with ease, and shaped by the rigours of the Faith of Lorgar these mortal men and women could if they were at their strength embrace these gifts, those touched began to writhe as their flesh blossomed with new growth.
A battle droid looked down as one of the enemy began to twitch, raising its blaster to fire, these soldiers had proven stouter than any others its limited memory banks recorded. An inner fire had driven them past even what it would recognize as hardened clone units.
Before it could fire off a killing bolt, a mass of flesh slammed into it, a new horror born from pain, suffering and war took its first steps of life. Chaos Spawn began erupting from those still living.
Phelgathon's sacrificial offering to the God of Battle had been accepted, and he felt as a surge of Daemons took notice of this battle, bringing the blessed gaze of the Gods with them. Now it was time for his Brothers to gain their share of the glory, he gave the order and the Chaos Space Marines began their counter assault, two vast arms spreading to destroy the onrushing droid army.
….
Fredrick's army had fought and destroyed the defenses of this world, they had beaten back Imperial armored formations and ground the soldiers of Kursk beneath their metal heels, they were completely unprepared for the ferocity of Word Bearers in the open, lead into battle by Traitor Knight Titans.
The clouds began to take upon a dark caste, shapes occasionally seen in the clouds, and every so often a droid aircraft would come down to earth, taken down with no enemy in sight.
AATs and Homing Spider droids fought back as Predator and Land Raiders tore into tank formations with their las cannons.
In the terrain of these badlands, the fighting was close and brutal, and this is where the Daemon Engines came into their own, defilers and maulerfiends tearing into the massed tank droids.
Traitor Knights tore a bloody swath through the ranks of the Droid army, with only the most heavily armed battle groups successfully engaging them. Heavy armor was rent asunder as the Sons of Lorgar went to war. Chaos Marines beat back the droids, their bolters and chain swords along with other more potent weapons driving the CIS host before them. Helbrutes came in the vanguard sending forth death from their tormented bodies.
The assault was devastating, outside the protective entrenchments, even this great host lacked the strength to face off against the Word Bearer onslaught. Knots of resistance however prevented total disaster. A group of D100 droids, operating alongside the immense Heavy Assault Tanks held against the storm, the immense battle droids matching the Space Marines in combat, Magnaguard cohorts brought to bear their Radiation weapons, marring the land around their battles in order to slow the Word Bearers.
A group of Land Raiders charged through Laser Cannon fire and disgorged their payload, The Anointed, Terminators of the Host, their great strength being employed against these fierce knots of resistance. Too small for the quad turbo lasers of a HAT and out matching even the D100s in raw power, the Droid Shock Army began to crack.
One of the tactical droids from its command tank watched as repeated blows brought down its unit.
"Redeploy flame droids to combat enemy super heavy infantry, send in grapple droids to slow down enemy advance."
"You, call in a bombing mission upon the enemy advance, several of their super heavy walkers have been spotted advancing towards us, the 2nd and 5th Battalions have been destroyed, close proximity bombardments have been authorized."
It held a small command post station in a valley, artillery J-1 droids positioned to intercept the incoming forces. The area for a square mile around it was swarming with droids, many of them from the shattered 5th and 2nd battalions who had retreated to its position. Orders from higher were to hold until impossible, all ordinance was cleared for use, even the Radiation and Defoliator warheads. The Tactical droid analyzed a flow of information from sensors as the enemy lightning advance began to finally slow down. Large flights of Hyena bombers flew over the enemy battle lines, proton bombs leveling sections of the landscape in order to catch one of these surprisingly durable warriors in its blast.
Several of these Astartes had been probing their defenses, encountering large concentrations of laser fire as the Droids reformed, demonstrating a resilience that had served them well during battles with the Imperium. They had even managed to recover a corpse of one of these super soldiers intact, the Astartes had taken an errant shot to the head, and without his helmet, the blaster shot had killed him. It was not uncommon to see some of the enemy without a helmet.
One corpse was being collected by a HMP gunship, a pair of claws grasping the fallen warrior, an entire Flight of vulture droids had landed to escort the Gunship back to the primary lines.
The fighting to claim this body had been fierce with several of the enemy throwing themselves recklessly at droid units several times their number in order to try and reclaim it, but they had been beaten back with massed use of flamethrower droids.
The tactical droid had made a note of this and sent a detailed data entry from its own memory logs and the collect logs of droids who had been present during the initial engagement and the subsequent recovery efforts. This log was also stowed aboard the HMP for usage by the Intelligence section for better adjustments to tactics and to the Engineering Corps for the creation of stronger, more suited droids for possible future developments.
This was the hardest day for the Droid army, they had within the span of a few hours sustained immense losses to one of their principal spearhead armies and the situation in the Void War above Kursk was becoming grim.
