Disclaimer: see first chapter
The rainstorm picked up during the night. More ships of marines and guardsmen from Kolstec and Krieg arrived overnight, some engaging Chaos ships in orbit. Lights flashed from above the dark clouds for hours as the battleships engaged in fierce firefights. Once, the burned out hulk of chaos cruiser bearing the signs of the alpha legion fell through the sky, trailing flames and smoke, and burning apart in the atmosphere, charred bits falling into the churning oceans that covered most of the planet.
The howls of Emperor's children as they charged into battle echoed throughout the night, as well as the gruff shouts of the Alpha Legion and the Iron Hands as they fought. Weapons discharging could be heard, making some of the guardsmen of the Kolstec division nervous.
Zaltyd stood at the fore of his platoon, rain rolling off his helmet as he led his proud warriors forth. They walked in two columns, armor and dreadnoughts in the center, the columns of infantry surrounding them.
"Report." he ordered curtly, placing his axe in his back and removing his shoulder mounted bolter, slamming a sickle mag into the side feed.
"Commander Okkodai here, White Scars chapter, 5th company. We have engaged the Alpha Legion, and are currently quickly pursuing."
"Lord Militant General Johaan van Strommel here, Krieg Death corps. We wiped out a group of Noise Marines and are quickly moving across the countryside. So far, we have come across three cave communities that were not destroyed. The people here use a chemical rifle similar to a weak melta. It is able to penetrate marine armour, if it gets a lucky hit."
"Dreadnought-Commander Thordian here." voxed a dreadnought. Heavy bolter fire and shouts could be heard, as well as the firing of the dreadnought's twin lascannons. "We have come under heavy attack by the Alpha Legion. We will be out of commission for several hours."
Several hours passed before Zaltyd saw the first signs of human life. Orange light flickered from a cluster of caves, and a group of humans with strange weapons cam out to greet them. The first came up to Zaltyd and bowed low.
"I am called Rukil off-worlder." He said in heavily accented low Gothic. "I am the leader of this village." he gestured around himself, at the group of grey clad militia. "If you seek the Lord, like the others who came before you, Aurrius is at the main continent, thousands of hectares from here." Zaltyd nodded. Aurrius was probably the name given to the primarch.
"The others who came before us," he asked "What did they look like?" Rukil shrugged.
"Tall and in bright, pointed armor and pointed ears. Full of arrogance and power."
Zaltyd turned away for a moment. So the Eldar were here too.
Rukil and a dozen of his militia joined Zaltyd's platoon, riding in the lead Land Raider with Zaltyd and his veteran honor guards. The column had loaded up in vehicles, realizing that time was of the essence. The dreadnought trio that accompanied them clambered into thunderhawk gunships which flew low to the ground. Groups of landspeeders and White Scars bikers raced around fighting with chaos vehicles. The entire planet was a warzone, between Imperials and locals trying to establish a foothold to get up some equipment sent down and the chaos forces trying dearly to defend their transports. More ships of troops landed every hour, escalating the conflict. The Kolstec tank division couldn't be sent down, thanks to a lack of camps, and the Krieg had 5 Leman Russ battle tanks to a thousand guardsmen.
They had been traveling for almost two hours when an autocannon shell slammed into the side of the nearest predator. Alpha Legion Marines poured over the surrounding hills, firing indiscriminately into the armored column. The wounded predator's right sponson bolter and it's auto cannon opened fire, joined by that of the other vehicles. Transports came forward and vomited forth Iron Hands marines, who in turn spat bolter fire at the oncoming Alpha Legion.
Zaltyd's warriors charged out of their land raider, opening up with bolters. The Iron Father rammed a sickle mag home into his bolter and pulled the trigger, leaving his axe on his back. Rain still cascaded from the heavens and and unearthly scene unfolded before him. Lights from the orbital battle still flashed above the clouds, and oil fires burned from flamers, casting a reflection on the water and wet cliffs. Bright white bolter fire sprayed out in the dark, lighting up the battlefield. Bright purple beams of plasma struck the traitor marines, and bright blue and red las shots discharged from both sides.
As bolter shots from Zaltyd turned an enemy marine into a gory pulp, he noticed something strange. What he thought had just been a trick of the light, hadn't been so at all. When he saw the marines charging down the hill, their armor gleamed a dull black, instead of the customary dark silver of the Alpha legion. He thought it was the absence of light, making it difficult for his eyes to fully see colors. Maybe of he was still some weak eyed Imperial Guardsmen, but that hadn't been so for several centuries. The Black Legion, The Sons of Horus, had joined in the battle for the last primarch.