Chapter 1

Banesword Obergrad's Fury, 3rd Company Obryx Super Heavy

Transport Barge Sworn Voyager, Mastado Orbit

12.03.145.M41

"Oh god Emperor, our most holy lord, guardian and shepard of humanity, your servants humble themselves before you, oh most benevolent one..." Honoured Lieutenant Erasmus, upon hearing the prayer, crossed his arms into an Aquila and closed his eyes; joining comms officer Derek in prayer. Trying his best to drown out the relentless drone of the countless dehumanised voices chattering through the vox. The prayer was a common one on the world of Obryx, that home so very far from here. In the days of the Quinrox Crusade everyone in the tank would join in prayer, but those days where over, and now the crew of Obergrad's Fury where from many worlds. The crew he had once called his friends now pale faces buried beneath foreign dirt, Erasmus devoted prayer to their memory. "...Let our toil be our thanks to you, in your immortal wisdom and infinite generosity, shall you grant your loyal servants safe passage in this life and the next."

"Lieutenant, I'm scared…" Erasmus raised his head to address the voice of his 1st Gunner, Sergeant Corrke.

"What's the matter Corrke? You losing your nerve for a battle?"

Ever the proud soldier, Corrke bristled at the jab "No enemy of man frightens me! But this… metal box, within a metal box, dropping from space… it concerns me." The Sergeant was an artillery officer that served with the 1st Moab rifles, the commander of a platoon of heavy guns. His valor and accuracy with a cannonade was legendary, earning him a spot in a Super Heavy tank, but his low-technology background showed itself now. He was a deeply suspicious man, and he did not like what he could not understand. And a metal ship flying in space? It may well have been sorcerary to him.

"Cheer up Corrke, this isn't so bad. Those poor infantry bastards have got it way worse." Derek Interjected, trying to comfort the sergeant "Besides, it could be a while yet 'til we get dropped, so you're gonna have to get used to it."

"What do you mean by that!?" Corrke snapped, whirling in his seat to stare in horror at Derek.

Derek just signed and shrugged his shoulders, leaning back against the wall of the fighting compartment, "Well, I've only ever done a couple of these combat drops with Erasmus here, but last time it took 36 hours for us to drop. Some bureaucratic frack-up. We were trapped in the tank overnight... well, y'know, what passes for night in 'a metal box, within a metal box'."

Corrke looked to Erasmus in desperation, hoping he'd say it was all a lie and no such thing would happen.

Erasmus just gave him a small smile, then climbed down from his command chair to visit the other crew members busying themselves about the tanks hull. Leaving a horrified Corrke to whisper his own prayer to himself.

2nd Gunner Ganik and 1st Loader Boen rose to their feet in attention at the honoured lieutenants passing, to which Erasmus waved them down to continue their game of cards. Deep in the bowels of the tank, Tech Adept Rickard could be heard clanking around, muttering machine cant as he made final checks of the shell storage on the lower deck. He looked up for a moment at the lieutenant when he heard his boots clanging on the metallic floor of Obergrad's Fury, then returned to pre-battle preparations. Ever Diligent.

Carefully ducking under the bottom of the massive cannon breech and stepping around the shell elevator, Erasmus found 2nd Loader Gunter gambling away possessions with 3rd Gunner Malcolm; the tank's newest member from Auxilia.

"Now that's a load of Grox shite, I earned that pistol fair and square!" Malcolm roared. The much larger loader just gave a toothy grin to the fresh faced 3rd Gunner "In 'ere, lad, you get what you can keep 'old of. Y'll learn dat soon'r or late'r." flexing a massive bicep to punctuate his statement, the thick Barbaros Costan accent slurring his words.

"I dont give a gnat's left bollock what you think, that's absolute grox shit! I won fair and square, hand it o-oh crap!" Both men shot to attention when they saw their commanding officer was watching.

Erasmus just chuckled heartily "At ease men, where's Revok?"

"Sem place he's always at" Gunter shrugged, slouching back into his usual hunched posture.

"Very well. And Gunter? Please don't eat the poor boy." The two men laughed merrily as the new recruit sulked "W'll try not tu boss!" Gunter chuckled as Erasmus shuffled to the front of the tank to the driver's position.

The tank's only Valhallan crew member, Corporal Revok, sat quietly at his station, a crushed photo cupped in his hands. He didn't even notice his commanding officer's approach. Erasmus stood by patiently. When Revok didn't move for several moments, he politely cleared his throat. Revok threw himself up from his chair in a panic, then spun around stiff as a board "Comrade Lieutenant!" he greeted briskly, with a sharp salute.

"At ease corporal, I'm just checking on the men before the battle begins. Missing home I see." pointing to the displaced photo on the floor. It was a family photo of Revok, with presumably his wife and two children, couldn't have been more than 7 or 8 years old a piece. "Ah, no, that is nothing Comrade Lieutenant." Revok scrambled to snatch up the photo but Erasmus was quicker. Revok shot a wild look towards Erasmus, the Lieutenant just gave a broad smile and handed over the picture. "Relax, Revok, we are all brothers in here. You have nothing to fear from me or the rest of my crew." the Imperial officer shot a glance over his shoulder at the loud antics of Gunter and Malcolm, then uttered in a lower voice "And if it's just between me and you, I also miss home, Obryx is a long way from here and Derek is the only fellow man of Obyrx in this tank that still lives."

Revok breathed a sigh of relief at the words of comfort, and gave another more respecting salute to his commanding officer, "Thank you, Comrade Lieutenant, let us kill many of these traitors! For home and kin!" Erasmus grinned "For home and kin indeed!" The moment with Revok was shattered by the bellow of comms officer Derek "Erasmus! Company Command is on the horn! We drop in 10!"

Back in the fighting compartment Corrke and Derek were in their seats with combat harnesses on, Corrke was still muttering prayers to himself in Moabian, at least Erasmus assumed they were prayers.

"Nerves still getting to you, huh?" Erasmus shot at Corrke, who didn't answer but just scowled back, earning a chuckle. Corrke softened a little after that.

Derek looked over from his station. "Sir, it's Honoured Captain Volk, he wants to address all tank commanders in the company." Erasmus put his headset over his ears to the infernal sound of thousands of men chattering over vox comms "Put him through." Derek flicked a switch on his console and in a moment the chatter was replaced by the raspy voice of Honoured Captain Volk crackling through the head piece.

"-he higher-ups say we are dropping any minute now, so brace yourself for a rapid fire brief. Any protests speak now and forever rest in grox dung." There were a collection of chuckles from the company commanders. "Ok, so our main objective is Master's spire. Big ol' city slapped right on top of one of Mastado's big mines. Those traitor dogs have dug in deep and pounded our boys down there into a pulp. 3rd Company has been given the honour of smashing them into a pulp. We'll be spearheading the Counter offensive from the east down there with what's left of the guys on the ground and the 172nd Axilian Rifles, who'll be dropping with us. I expect each one of you to show these bastards no mercy, they sure as hell don't show any of our guys mercy! Make me fracking proud to be in the Imperial Guard! For the Emperor!"

"For the Emperor!" was roared back by a dozen voices and the line was cut and replaced with a bored sounding naval officer.

"Combat Drop is imminent. All personnel please make sure everything is tied down and you are wearing your harnesses. The last thing I want is to be scraping a bunch of you off the walls of your own tanks."

Erasmus switched to internal comms, "All hands, are we ready for combat drop?" a series of 'aye sirs' and a 'yes, comrade lieutenant' told Erasmus everything he needed to know.

"So what now?" Corrke asked nervously.

"Now we wait for the navy boys to lift us off and take us away" Derek responded.

Erasmus took off his headset and reached over to place a hand on Corrke's shoulder, who jumped and looked over. "Don't you worry, friend, you are in good company. Nothing bad is going to happen to you as long as I'm in charge. That's a promise."

The Gunner Sergeant gave a pale smile before a heavy metallic screeching could be heard from outside the tank. There was a rushing sound, and vox chatter picked up as last checks were made.

"Ah, that must be the magna-clamps. Hold on tight boys!" Derek shouted, as everyone in the tank clung to their harnesses for dear life.

Suddenly the tank was hoisted into the void by a heavy landing craft, and everyone inside the tank became weightless, only to be plastered hard back into their seats as the craft shot towards the planet at hypersonic speeds.

"Emperor's Teeth!" Corrke shouted, before shouting a long string of colourful curses in his native tongue as the tank screeched through the void towards Mastado.

The rumbling made everyone's teeth chatter constantly, the roar of super massive engines, each the size of flat complexes drowned out any noise, besides the occasional particularly passionate curse from Corrke who had lost all composure. His knuckles white as he clenched the harness that kept him alive as hard as he could will himself to.

The bored Navy officer could be heard again over the Vox "We'll be landing in the battle zone 30 miles East of Master's Spire in approximately 30 seconds. Prepare for landing." said with all the passion and interest of a man watching paint dry.

"You hear that boys!?" Erasmus shouted over the deafening roar of the engines "Prepare for battle!" Corrke quietened down and his face hardened, his clenched fists loosening as the anticipation of battle set in. Around the tank final prayers and chants were ushered as men readied themselves for a contested landing.

The relentless roar of the engines took a lighter tone as the heavy plasma thrusters were switched out for atmospheric turbo-jets; the tank shook as the heavy drop ship punched through the atmosphere of the planet. Shaking violently as a wall of flak was hurled at the hulking vessel as it descended.

"Oh merciful Emperor! Let it end!" Corrke yelled, slamming his eyes shut and gritting his teeth as a particularly violent tremor shook the bowles of the transport.

"Ready yourself, Sergeant! This is the final approach!" Erasmus shouted, struggling to be heard over the deafening sounds.

Right on que the engine sounds cut to a low whine as the transport set itself a half dozen metres above the surface of Mastado.

There was a heavy clank followed by hissing as the magna-clamps that held the tank in place released the tank and a loud metallic shrieking as the heavy blast-doors opened in front of the Obergrad's Fury to reveal the stormy surface of Mastado below.

The Augars all around the tank responded as Rickard roused the machine spirits to action. The outside was revealed to Erasmus and his 3 Gunners via aurgar screens and targeting data flooded the cogitators as a low rumble indicated the engine of a great beast roused to life.

Erasmus blinked a few times to adjust for the light difference, even in a storm the outside was blinding to man who had been in the dark belly of a transport barge for months.

"End of the line. Get off my ship." the naval officer stated, matter-of-factly, moments later the voice of Honoured Captain Volk shouted through the vox "Away, Away, Away! I want no delays 3rd Company!"

Erasmus didn't give him a response, but instead switched to crew comms "Rickard, prime the transmission! Revok, ahead full!"

With a great roar the Super Heavy tank lurched forward into the sheets of rain and tempest of fire, as fresh landing craft dropped off their payloads all around the behemoth.