The streets were empty and the city was eerily quiet. No crowds were gathering around the newcomers, no Arbites were arriving to secure the crash site. Jhon couldn't even see any nosey faces peering down at them from the broken windows of the nearby Hab blocks. Jhon's voxbeam cracked into life, it was local, Mesarine's clipped High Gothic tone "Bravo Unit; investigate the source of that las-fire". Clearly Mesarine had assumed active command as Tempestor Prime Ballinjay had been onboard the downed Valkyrie. Jhon wouldn't lose any sleep over Ballinjay, he was a hard bastard and ruled over his troopers with an iron rod. But he was a devout and faithful warrior and he would be at the Emperor's right hand now.
Jhon was part of Alpha Unit, the detachment's heavy unit. They were made up of him, Reburrus their Tempestor, the two Volly gunners, Scion's Alain and Cuthbert and Trooper Venesh. Standard dispersion pattern put him close to Reburrus, as the Comms man. He could see Alain and Cuthbert with their heavier weapons braced against their legs, covering the two most wide open approaches. Venesh was on their other flank, close to Mesarine and her Command Squad, who had disembarked from the other flyer. Jhon could see that they were occupied by keeping control over their one remaining Ogryn and trying to make sure that it didn't realize that it's brother was now a huge mound of grilled meat.
Jhon followed Venesh's eyes as they tracked Bravo unit entering the hab. Through the darkened windows it was easy to see the glow from their plasma weapons as they rounded each flight of stairs. They got to the roof and the Vox net lit up again. Reports of "Contact!... Enemy weapon emplacement!... Possible Xenos!...Non-Ork, repeat Non-Ork!". They could all now see the glow of Plasma and Las fire spilling down from the roof end being reflected on the dark buildings all around them. Jhon wanted to help, but he knew that it had neither been requested nor ordered, so he stayed out and watched his rifle sight.
Eventually the shooting stopped, things were quiet for a moment. But then Jhon saw two figures falling from the roof of the hab block. It was clear that one was a helmeted Scion. But their hands seemed to be locked around the neck of what might have been human, but which seemed to have purple, ridged skin. Jhon could do nothing but watch as the two figures hit the ground with a low thud and stopped moving. This was followed by the report in his ear from Tempestor Grace that the roof was clear "Confirmed Non-Orkoid Xenos element. Possible Local Heretic. Returning to LZ".
Jhon had barely the time to process this information when a warning chime alerted another signal which was being broadcast in the area. He turned his Vox-dial and wanted to vomit at the blasphemous Xenos chittering that assaulted his ears. As he reported this to Reburrus, who was about to respond, they both paused. There was definitely a new vibration coming from the ground around them. Not the monotonous hum of Mechanicum-sanctified machinery, but the wild and disjointed blur of an approaching wave. The remaining four members of Bravo Unit were just exiting the Hab when the rest of the detachment seemed to feel this as well.
They hesitated as they left by the building, just long enough to be caught in a blast of rockcrete from the sewer to their right. "Hold!" Reburrus yelled across the box as similar blasts daisy chained themselves across the square in front of them. Plumes of dust mixed with the burning Promethium and reduced their visibility to only a few meters. Four of the five members of Bravo Unit emerged from the cloud and fell into the cover to their right. Their two plasma gunners were still in the fight and were clearly increasing the charge on their weapons; Jhon could feel the ionising effect on the air. "They're coming out of the sewers! By the Emperor, there are so many of them. What foul warp sickness has done that to them?!".
Jhon didn't have time to think about the question, from out of the dark grey cloud in front of him emerged a hoard. Around thirty, scrawny, bald headed figures, wearing Factorium robes charged towards him. They looked weak and only seemed to be carrying crude blades and autoguns. But they were frenzied and seemed to have too many limbs reaching, clawing towards him. He wanted to end their miserable lives, but he held true to his training and his duty. He checked his weapon and waited for the order. It seemed like an age before he heard Reburrus yell "Open Fire!" Into his earpiece.
Jhon wasn't the best marksman in the squad but he was a member of the Tempestus Scion, he remembered their childhood training maxim 'slow is smooth and smooth is fast'. He carefully and deliberately picked his targets and fired his Hellgun with reverence. Continuous beams of energy speared from his weapon, boring through the chests and heads of those getting closest to him. He picked his targets and made each shot count. Storms of lasfire smashed into the group from the Volly guns and he could hear the plasma weapons tearing through other groups nearby.
Despite the careful work, the crowd seemed to be getting closer, he could hear their screams and their stech assaulted his nostrils, even through his were still going to reach their position, there fundamentally weren't enough of them there. Jhon was ready to commend his soul to the Emperor when, as he watched, explosive bolts tore into the crowd. Door gunners on the sides of one Valkyrie, which should have already left the airspace, shredded the flimsy uniforms that the attackers wore.
"Forward! Get moving, clear the square to the west and head for the Alcazar" Mesarine's voice broadcast across the squad. Jhon glanced at his vox readout and confirmed that his unit was working as an effective relay from Mesarine's Command Squad. At least their communications were still working. Jhon knew that he should be one of the first to fall back. He raised his weapon and moved low behind the still firing Volly gunners. He fell in behind Chen, who still had their regimental banner in his hand. Forgoing his Hellgun in favour of upholding their honour. It lightened Jhon's heart to see it flying there in the hot wind. They formed a loose semicircle around the Magos Enginseer and Mesarine and moved as quickly and carefully as they could; aiming and firing as they moved. Jhen kept his rifle fixed tightly into his shoulder, swinging it in wide arcs.
One of Jhon's secondary responsibilities as Vox Operator was to make status reports to High Command. As they moved he compiled a casualty report. Five Scions, one Ogryn Auxiliary and two Aeronautica Pilots killed in the crash. One Scion killed clearing the rooftop and now two more, including one plasma specialist taken by enemy ambush. Their current strength was thirteen, plus their advisor. He paused before sending the report, to punch a las beam through the neck of a purple skinned degenerative who emerged from the shadows.
They had moved a little way further into the city when the air was split with a blood curdling scream. The column halted and Jhon heard Mesarine's hard voice detailing him and Estevez to scout ahead to see what they were walking into. Jhon knew Estevez, they had been at the Progenium together, he had always been athletic, fast. Jhon had spent much more of his time in Meditations Upon the Motive Force; a fact that was proving itself now as Estevez took off ahead of him into the dark ruins. Jhon tried to keep up as they were guided by the sound of the ongoing screaming.