Chapter 3
Salamander Truthsayer, 4th Battery Auxiliary Company 82nd Cadian
27 Miles South of Master's Spire, Mastado Mining Colony
12.03.145.M41
"Why do we always end up doing this in the emperor-forsaken rain?!" A very annoyed corporal Karmac whined, for the 11th time in an hour. Sergeant Reyn was tired of hearing it but silently agreed with the sentiment. The Salamander was not the ideal vehicle for wet weather, being an open topped vehicle the bloody thing had already filled with rain up to his ankles despite being drained 3 times already. But as a sergeant in the Emperor's Imperial Guard, he wouldn't dare let an inferior know his displeasure for his current duty, and turned to face the pouting corporal.
Karmac was huddled against the opposite wall of the Salamander's observation deck with his arms tucked closely to him, wrapping a waterproof blanket around him.
"Corporal this'll be your first and final warning. If I hear you say another Emperor-damned word about the weather, I'll have you transferred to Blackwell's foot regiment, I'm sure he'd love another body to throw at the enemy if you aren't happy here."
That did it. The corporal winced and gave a pleading look to his commanding officer "Please don't, sir…" Reyn barely suppressed a grin "Then shut up. You should count yourself lucky to be here." Karmac looked away, clearly embarrassed "Yes sir… sorry sir..."
Triumphant Reyn returned to observing the road for targets.
"He is right though, sir, some weather protection would be appreciated. My station is completely waterlogged." A grumpy sounding corporal Duran defended from the drivers position.
Reyn just let out a long groun. "You'll both learn sooner or later to deal what you're dealt, its bloody miraculous you assholes can even complain about a bit of wet weather!" The Sergeant paused. A black mass was approaching on the horizon. "Ah! Our first set of customers have arrived! Karmac! Make yourself useful and load the autocannon! And get me battery command!"
Diligently, Karmac scrambled to load a drum magazine onto the autocannon, and rushed the vox receiver over to Reyn while he thumbled to get the right channel.
The sergeant squinted through his optics at the black mass. It was mostly standard infantry. They were all pale white, unhealthily pale, like parchment. They looked even more gaunt and unnatural in their all-black uniforms, with jet-black flak armour vests, grey rifles and bleak muddy-brown ocean surrounding the cobbled road. Reyn's stomach turned in disgust at the chaos star emblazoned in bronze on their chest plates, standing out like a beacon against the pale faces and black uniform. Reyn's stomach did another backflip when he saw monstrously tall warriors among them, clad in all-black power armour. Traitor marines walked among the column.
"Battery command, do you read me?" Reyn asked, a somewhat urgent edge to his voice. Even with concealment and distance to protect him, the thought of traitor marines approaching didn't exactly bring him comfort.
"We hear you Truthsayer, what do you have for us?" A deep voice responded. "We have an infantry column. 10 wide, 50+ deep. They have traitor marines among them. Grid point 34-14-17 sector Victoria-Morlock. Requesting immediate concentration barrage. Over."
There was a pause at the mention of traitor marines, followed a hurried exchange of words away from the receiver, presumably as the information was passed on to the battery commander. "Affirmative. Firemission received; Overwatch, Infernus and Deathshroud Virus Ordnance. Concentration Barrage inbound. Keep your distance from the target area. This will be messy." There was a pause, then a different voice spoke down the line, presumably the battery commander judging by the more authoritative tone. "Be advised that we are low on shells. Major Magnor is advising all forward elements to withdraw, long range communications are down, and we can't support you if you get cut off." Reyn wasn't really sure how to feel about that news. On the one hand he wouldn't be left out to die, but on the other hand falling back the vanguard couldn't be good for this sector. "Could you repeat that last, sir?" Reyn asked anxiously, not quite believing he was being spared at the possible expense of the regiment, "You are to fall back to HQ after firemission. All Vanguard elements are being withdrawn. Is that understood?" Reyn gave an affirmative just before a holocaust of death and destruction rained down on the traitors he'd called out. Reyn hurriedly rose his optics to watch the carnage.
The barrage was a combination of Airburst Fragmentation, chemically-active bioagents and liquid-promethium incendiary shells. The perfect infantry-killing cocktail. The airburst fragmentation arced in and detonated far above, sending a blast of superheated atmosphere and shrapnel screaming down onto the enemy formation. The blastwave smashed fleshy bodies into bloody mist and fine giblets of gore. Reyn watched as the first wave of detonations turned the front of the column instantly into a fine red-brown mist, as the shells churned dirt and gore into a seamless veil of destruction. Through the mist, the bright lights a promethium-fueled fire, spat from fat Bombard-shells as they detonated against the hard cobles, illuminated a hellscape of vaguely man-shaped shadows running in frantic panic to escape the kill zone. Men screamed demented cries of agony as immolated flesh was washed from blackened bones. But by far the most sinister weapon was the bioagents meant to take down the superhuman space marines that may resist the firestorm. One of the giants staggered forth from the mist of vapourised comrades, dazed but seemingly unharmed to Reyn's horror, only to cough up off-coloured fluid through its helmet respirator. The acidic bioagents turning the super-human's innards into mush. The creature fell dead just a moment later.
The sergeant saw all of this and felt only savage joy overtake him, drowning out any ounce of terror he had felt. Pity did not even once touch his soul at such a macabre display. This was simply meant to be.
"I do love watching heretics get what they are owed. This right here, lads, is the Emperor's justice made manifest! Drink it in!" The other men in the salamander were similarly eager to see traitors die, and cheered along with their sergeant. After a few seconds, the shells stopped landing, and it was time to take stock of the kills. Reyn overlooked the field of smashed corpses and motionless power armour while the gore-mist settled. Nothing lived. "Firemission hit for full effect. All targets destroyed. Moving to HQ now." Reyn called over the Vox. "Very good Truthsayer. You're going to like what comes next."