Authors Note: Sorry bout the long update time, sometimes I just stop writing, don't complain, embrace it!
Noxtras Chewtski, Captain of the 567th Grand Voystroyan Artillery smiled grimly at the morning light that filtered through the dense foliage of the swamp.
All around Noxtras Voystroyan men in crumpled, filthy tunics were awakening with yawns, groans, curses and the sounds of alcohol being poured. Pickets were stumbling into the awakening camp, eyes bleary with fatigue after a night on duty.
Chewtski patted each one on the back as they passed him, forcing words of encouragement through his mouth. The effort of forming the syllables was due to the fact of his entire face being scarred due to a Nid' acid hitting him in the face.
The fight which had claimed nearly 30 of his gunners had been named a "Minor Engagement" by the Adminstratum, the planet had even been named yet, just a dam backwater.
Bastards, need to see one of those Minor Engagements.
Noxtra's face folded into a frown, the only expression the scarred tissue seemed able to create with ease. That frown quickly turned into a scowl as his already filthy boots sunk into the muck which constituted as ground in the Southern Coast of Yanir.
The average rainfall in the south was nearly 2,000 centimeters of rain a year plus the tropical storms which carried floods and monsoon winds to the already flooded cities. The result of such a climate meant that much of the land in the south consisted of flooded plains and bog like marshes, inhabited by a variety of creatures which a great many of Adeptus Biologis adepts would love to study.
Noxtras ended his thoughts as he arrived at the first battery of Basilisk artillery platforms which were Voystroyan's means of war. The machines were simple in design but ingenious due to that same simplicity.
Basilisks were essentially a stripped down and modified Chimera chassis with a open topped hull which mounted a huge Earthshaker Cannon, the mainstay of all Imperial Guard artillery regiments.
At the moment the guns, capable of such destruction stood silent, their tired crews clambering up to their spots in the vehicles. Scratching at the uncountable amount of bug bites which accumulated on them overnight despite bug netting and pesticide dispensers stationed outside the ratty, standard issue Guard tents.
Noxtras nodded to the men, receiving hasty salutes and making lively banter with the men. After nearly two weeks of fighting having passed now on the Tau held planet many combat units had been stretched to the limit.
Commissars had been administering moral boosting speeches and enforcing discipline but there was only so many of the feared officers.
Troops needed morale in the hellish battlefield of coast and perhaps today was the day it was gained.
Chewtski strode over to the comms-tent the sludge of the ground pulling at his boots as he walked. He had to avoid cars of shells being moved up to the Basilisks, preparing for today's firing.
Always firing to be had on this Emperor forsaken rock.
Noxtras listened to the myriad amount of swamp life around him.
He strode on to the comms-tent.
The tent was a bustle of activity, vox operators and Army Tac Corps were moving around with a sense of purpose, "Operation Blastwave" was about to begin.
Lord General Felix Durntz had created the operation as he had received the increasingly dismal reports from the vicious fighting in the marsh areas separating the coastal cities from the main continent which most life on Yanir was situated.
The casualty figures resulting from the fighting in the marshes was unbelievable, so the command staff had realized they needed something decisive to break through the Tau ring of steel.
Operation Blastwave was the answer they believed would solve the problem.
Relying on the staple of the Imperial Guard, firepower. The Voystroyan's would use their artillery to commence an all out ordinance assault against the Tau positions which using ground artillery and flights of bombers from the Navy.
"Sir! Captain!"
Noxtras turned as a man in a intelligence officer uniform hurried over to him. Noxtras forced a smile onto his face, "Gausser, nice to see you."
Gausser weaved his way through the bustle of the tent before stopping in front of the Captain. "What a wonderful day for a offensive sir!"
Gausser seemed exhilarated by the news of the operation but Noxtras was not, just another chance for his men to die on this terrible battlefield.
Over these past weeks the Voystroyans had learned that the Tau missile artillery was incredibly accurate.
"If you say so Gausser."
The young man seemed confused at the comment before his confused expression changed to one of slyness.
"Seems someone hasn't had their morning drink of rhazhavod, sir."
Gausser quickly produced a flask out of his coat and handed it to Chewtski, which he accepted with a nod. He unscrewed the battered cap of the flask and knocked back a shot of the alcohol his tense muscles easing up as the drink burned its way down his throat.
He handed the flask back to Guasser, "Make sure the Commisar doesn't see you passing that stuff around."
"Yes, sir"
They entered into the back room of the comms-tent where messages were received and transmitted, men were sitting around multiple sets of vox, adjusting dials and pressing buttons which served no reasonable purpose to Chewtski's eyes.
"So any messages for us, Gausser?"
"No sir, we are to stick with the plan that's been assigned to us."
Noxtras nodded, "Thank you, dismissed."
Gausser saluted and strode out of the room. Noxtras turned to Kharkay, the Chief Vox Operator of the regiment, "General Channel, Kharkay."
"Yes, sir."
The vox operator quickly tuned in Chewtski's microbead with the General Channel of the regiment, boosting its power greatly. He listened to the vox chatter a moment before speaking, "Men of Voystroya today we strike the first blows of the offensive, lets give them hell."
Outside the guns began to fire.
Shas'El'B'kak listened to the reports coming from the front with a grimace of distaste on his blunt features.
B'kak was the commanding officer of the Tau forces on the southern tip of the mainland, given the task of defending the coastal cities vital promethium resources which the Tau would need to help expand its resource hungry empire.
Unlike the fighting on Yanir proper which was centered around the control of the hive cities the fight in the south depended first on destroying the Tau defenses in the marshes surrounding it.
The southern coast was impossible to reach by land due to the marshes surrounding it, so whoever wanted the south needed the skies first.
But the Tau had stationed their troops, with much difficulty, in the thick marshes along with numerous anti-air defenses to make sure that the Imperials couldn't get through without destroying the Tau first.
B'kak had also stationed the rest of his anti-air defenses along the former PDF fortifications which surrounded the tip of coast forcing the Imperials to go through the marshes first, unless they wanted to risk the chance of a faster invasion with the ten times the amount of aircraft lost.
Even though B'kak's masterful placement of defenses had stymied the Gue'la so far he knew from the reports he was receiving that they would not hold much longer. He just didn't have the amount of room to maneuver that he needed, if he did he be able to make the Imperials dilute their power across multiple strong points instead of just one location.
The front was falling, that much was clear.
He had received reports from his various commanders, many of them not even Shas'vre, they were only Shas'ui. The desperate state of his command was one of the most crippling factors in the engagement. Many of his eyes in the field were freshly trained recruits, confusing the Shas'El's grasp of the battle even more with their own inexpierence.
This war is nothing but a disaster.
He was startled from his reverie as a flight of bombers which had managed to get through his defenses sailed overhead the city of Dhirim. Immediately the cities air defenses opened up, steaks of missile fire flew overhead from SAM batteries destroying the bombers.
Clouds of burning debris fell to the earth in molten scraps, the machines so quickly destroyed that the pilots didn't even have to try to eject. Though destroyed the bombers had managed to release a clutch of bombs which fell to the ground and detonated with several loud crump's.
Several of the soaring spires of the city caught fire, columns of smoke and rubble flying from the buildings, followed by the rising wail of panic and city alarms.
"So comes the end" B'kak whispered to himself.
A aide scurried in the door before stopping abruptly and flashing a quick salute.
"Shas'El the bombs had hit several of upper administrative buildings of the humans, most are dead. Emergency response teams are en route, enforcer teams are out on the streets to control civil unrest as well."
B'kak was glad of the aides briskness, he had been trained not to bother the commander with meaningless details.
"Good, report to me any new developments and assemble casualty figures."
"Yes Shas'El."
The aide turned to leave before B'kak called him. " Yes,Shas'El?"
The Tau commander was silent for a moment, his frame highlighted against the light streaming through the large window which lighted the study in which the commander had situated his quarters.
"Gather all the officials both Tau and human, plans need to be made."
The aide nodded and left the room with a quick, "For the Tau'va."
The Shas'El didn't reply, his eyes reflecting the flames of the buildings.
War whistled, danced and shrieked across the humid, dank air of the marshes, each sound perhaps heralding another life ended.
Lasfire snapped, pulse rounds crackled, grenades crumped and the constant sound of artillery and air combat drifted through the early afternoon breeze.
Corporal Delmar dived behind a huge cypress, the trunk shaking as a multitude of pulse rounds riddled the tree. He coughed up a mouthful of liquid muck, while simultaneously raising his rifle and aiming down the sights.
Originally the plan that the top brass had dreamed up had been going well, each ring of Tau defense had been blown through now that the full firepower of the Imperial Guard had been brought against it.
But after each successive ring broken the forces were being scattered and slowed resulting in less force being applied against each line. Now elements of the 34th Stratix were stranded throughout this sector of the battle in scattered groups trying to get through isolated pockets of resistance and regroup.
Delmar himself had been separated from his platoon, his squad moving forward cautiously before running into a Tau combat group. Right now men of the 34th were sheltering behind trees shrubbery or just getting as low into the muck as they can to avoid incoming fire.
Their flak jackets were filthy, the insignias stitched into them barley visible beneath the muck and grime.
The blood didn't help the mess either.
He looked down his rifles sights and aimed at a bush with a muzzle flash, exhaling slowly. He squeezed the trigger twice, then fired again just in case.
There was a grunt and the firing stopped, quickly followed by the smell of ionized blood. He got up and sprinted as best as he could through the mud towards new cover before his old spot was targeted again.
One of his squad mates moved up with him, Trooper Mollner, his rifle at his shoulder. They bellied down behind the previously occupied brush, breathing hard.
"Dam this is hell eh?"
Mollner looked up and fired a burst of las towards what seemed a lot of fire was coming from. "Sure is, what a wouldn't give for a heavy stub or flamer at this moment."
Delmar nodded, a quick burst of fire from a heavy stubber or a bit of blazing promethium would clear out the Tau Firewarriors dam quick from the brush. Too bad they didn't have any support weapons with them, now they had to have a protracted firefight with the xenos.
"Meybe we could", but before Mollner could finish his thought a pulse round crisped through the bush and blew off his head.
"Shit!"
Delmar tried to get as low as he could into the ground. He raised his rifle and fired a burst of blind fire, hoping to hit something.
In return another flight of pulse rounds thrashed the bush, passing just above his body. He fired another burst of fire before trying to crawl clear of the shrub, hoping to link up with some of his men. But before he could more pulse fire riddled the ground around him, forcing him back.
He was pinned and he was dead.
"Great, another day, another instance of sheltering in cover with someone else's body."
He popped his near empty power cell out of his rifle before jamming in a new one while simultaneously spitting into the breech to make sure none of the muck jammed up the weapon.
A lasrilfe could be sumberged in just about anything and work but the mud of Yanir was made especially for inconvenience. His feet knew that well enough.
He checked to make sure the charge meter on the side of the lasgun was full before peeking his head and trying to see where his last stand would best be made.
Another flight of pulse rounds blew off his ear.
He fell to the ground writhing and cursing at everything in the universe he knew and some stuff he didn't. But then just as soon as he had been fired upon the firing stopped, replaced with the sound of a hell of a lot of lasguns firing at once, though it sounded kinda diluted do to the absense of a ear.
He gingerly raised his head, his squad mates and his own blood spattered across his face, tenderly feeling the bloody nub of his ear. Around him members of his squad that weren't dead or wounded hauled themselves to their feet, blinking at the sight which greeted them.
Several squads of Stratix guardsmen were moving through the mud, checking too see if all the Tau were dead or gone. Delmar waved his squad mates away while striding towards the saviors of his men, hoping that they knew where the main body of the regiment was, trying not to look to relieved.
The first man that Delmar approached was a young man, probably still a greenhorn, if you could say that about any man that had fought in this front. The young man, perhaps maybe twenty-three Terran years old, turned towards Delmar and grinned a toothy grin.
"Glad to see your guys are still alive, it seemed like you were in a shitstorm."
"Yeh, we sure were, thanks for the help. Where is your commanding officer soldier?"
The men surrounding their conversation snickered before the young trooper silenced them.
"I think it would be good to inform you that I am there commanding officer, Major infact."
Delmar was genuinely surprised, though it wasn't uncommon for younger troopers to be field promoted during battle they never, unless in extreme circumstances rose to the rank of major.
"Major you say? I'm sorry, sir, bit hard of hearing these past few minutes."
If the officer noticed Delmar's discomfort he didn't let it show. Dam! I am older than the guy, and he is supposed to command my troops?
"No problem Corporal, but we need to regroup and head forward."
The major had sharp eyes, he had to hand that to him though, he had managed to see his rank through the filth covering him.
"Yes sir, but if I may ask what is your name?"
The major, his eyes still bright with the spirit of youth, turned his head towards Delmar, " Just call me Major Matz, Corporal…."
Delmar realized he hadn't introduced himself, "Delmar, sir."
"Nice to make your acquaintance, now move your ass."
Delmar looked around and saw that the group of men were moving off, leaving the dead behind after stripping them of ammo.
He didn't bother to ask what to do with the bodies, if someone wants them they can take them.
He shouldered his rifle and trudged through the muck, following a boy into the Jaws of Hell.
"You see I cannot allow that too happen."
The impassive man sitting in the booth in front of Dhirim's aereodome seemed to have no other answers to Falkeyhn von Klopas questions beside that line.
Falkeyhn was one of the wealthiest and influential men on the planet, owning most of the oil dredgers which pumped the southern landmasses oceans of promethium from the crust of Yanir. Now with most of his requests being buffeted away by the drone like workers of the Tau Administration, he was infuriated.
No one had ever refused to listen to Falkeyhn. He had been driving through the hive city for nearly an hour, ordering his driver to take him to the aereodome as soon as he had heard the first bombs hit.
The streets had been so crowed with people he had ordered his bodyguard, Heinrich, to fire his pistol out the window of his car to scare away the wretched workers of the lower habs. He still shuddered to think how the filthy people were crowding around the side of his expensive car, nearly getting it dirty!
For Emperor's sake the car was worth more than most of their homes combined.
Now as the city collapsed and the Tau forces were nearly in full retreat Falkeyhn was ready to take his personal shuttle away from the doomed city. But this dam commoner was keeping him here, the mere thought of such a man keeping one so prominent as Falkeyhn filled his veins with rage.
"Step aside peasant and let me to my shuttle, I am departing at once."
"I'm sorry but all evacuations are being organized by the Administration if you wish to leave you must wait for the clearance."
"There is no time for clearance you fool, I must get myself and my fortune away from here to help continue the Klopas lineage!"
"I am sorry sir, but I cannot allow you to leave for security reasons."
"Dam you, let me pass or I will make sure you never work in any place for the rest of your miserable life!"
In response to Falkeyhn's outburst the man just closed the gate and shut the window of his booth. Falkeyhn snarled and stormed back to his car, his fine silken robes swirling around his frame.
Thinks he can stop me well lets see how he responds once he learns who he is messing the hell with.
He went to trunk of his car ignoring the questions of his driver and bodyguard before popping the trunk. Inside the velvet lined interior of the trunk was his possessions along with a smaller storage compartment in the side.
Inside the trunk was nearly one hundred million Imperial Credits, along with an untold amount more in art, clothes and jewelry. He ignored the wealth and reached inside the smaller compartment and pulled out a finely made autorifle, a Turop Model V.
The rifle grip was stubby, crafted to allow aiming in any stance or position but the rifle barrel was long enough to be considered a sniper. He quickly placed the three shot magazine into the rifles breech before cocking and aiming the gun.
The rifle was designed to hunt large, exotic game and in the cases when it was in the hands of the servants of Imperial nobility, punch through armored cars and kill the nobles sheltering within.
Falkeyhn aimed down the Turop's scope and fired a shot which burst through the booth operators window with ease before pulping the man's chest and exiting out the back of the booth.
The next two successive shots destroyed the locked gate hinges which kept the gate in the way of cars and people.
Then Falkeyhn calmly placed another clip into the smoking breech of the rifle and got into the car with the shocked Heinrich. He eased himself into the comfortable upholstery of his car and then looked up to see the shocked faces of his servants.
"What are you staring out you fools, drive the car to my shuttle, we are leaving!"
With that Falkeyhn's car thundered down the road leading to the aereodome, not realizing what consequences their actions had caused.
Delmar laughed as the marsh plants burned. All around him Stratix guardsmen fired or ducked as the Stratix regiments broke the back of the last Tau resistance. Flamer and heavy weapon teams that had been lagging behind the main advance before catching up with the bogged down, in the most literal sense of the word, Stratix.
Blazing promethium immolated groups of Tau, Kroot and Rebel troopers. Lines of heavy stubber creeped through the marshy brush, punching through bodies in fountains of gore. Grenade bursts and lasbeams perforated the air, along with the screams of the wounded and dying soldiers of all species.
The remnants of the Tau Firewarrior cadres were forming around a more solid core of Kroot and Rebel troop strengths. The Stratix regiments, with supporting fire from the Voystroyan artillery, had forged to the very edge of the mashes, and now the Tau were making their stand.
Overhead the constant aerial battle was raging, Lighnings dueling with Tau Barracudas and Piranhas and Rebel aircraft, in a ballet of death. To either side of Delmar were Imperial Guardsmen, trying to cover each other and not get killed at the same time.
The ground had started to level out towards the edge of the marshes allowing some armor to be moved but very little, unlike the Tau. The Tau armor had skimmer technology which allowed them to float above the ground, negating the natural armor stopping capabilities of the swamps.
Imperial tacticians had warned of the Tau's advantage and had equipped every platoon of Guardsmen with at least two rocket tubes in the face of the threat.
Those rocket tubes were pretty dam handy.
As soon as the Imperial forces had cleared the worst of the brush, Tau armor had assaulted. Devilfish troop transports armed with twin burstcannons and hull mounted missile platofrms skimmed out to meet the Imperials.
Waves of burstcannon fire pulped men while flights of missiles spiraled through the air before exploding in heavy weapon positions, incinerating the men. One such transport was gliding towards Delmar and his squad, its cannons tracking them.
Before it could fire into the fleeing men two streaks of light leapt from a nearby tree trunk, impacting upon the Devilfish. The shield built into the machine absorbed nearly all of the damage, resulting in only minor hull damage and one burstcannon being knocked out.
Luckily they had more launchers.
Another rocket then sailed forward and hit the skimmer in the side armor, crumpling it and causing it to shudder and catch fire. Just as quickly as the cheer started then it died as packs of Kroot began to leap towards the men, hoping to catch them by surprise.
Several more transports followed behind them along with a least two platoons of rebel PDF. It seemed to signal the collapse of the Stratix advance as the Tau counterattacked.
Photon grenades were launched from the ranks of the Firewarriors, detonating in the midst of the men, causing to panic as their senses were rendered useless. Kroot ball bombs hurled through the air, fuses sparkling, before detonating above the scrambling Guardsmen.
Many troopers were temporarily blinded by the blast of grenades while others were on the ground shrieking from shrapnel wounds. Others lay still, draped against whatever cover they had been behind, their skin riddled with sharp metal splinters.
Then the Kroot were amongst the humans and the fight started in earnest.
Delmar had been lucky enough to have been able to get most of his squads bayonets attached, and helped meet the charge of the Kroot. Wicked blades and claws carved into men, killing and maiming with ease. Teeth ripped into throats, sending spouts of arterial blood into the weapon discharge filled air.
Delmar hacked and stabbed with bayonet, firing point blank lasrounds into bodies. Around him men died screaming and crying. One slip in the treacherous ground and your life would be snuffed out by the monsters attacking you.
Delmar dodged a misfooted strike from a Kroot and stuffed his blade into the aliens ribcage in return, wrenching upwards to free his bayonet. He turned and felt a lighting sharp fist crack into his head and send him tumbling to the ground.
Bloody mud filled his mouth and nose, along with the multitude of organisms living in the mud. On top of him he felt the weight on his back stab a object into his back, screaming in pain at the jagged feel of the weapon.
He jerked to side and was rewarded with the alien being thrown off balance and surfaced from the mud. He retched the bloody foam out of his mouth and quickly picked up his falled rifle and stabbed it into the scrambling Kroots forehead with a loud crunch.
He turned and saw what seemed the leader of the Kroot slice thorugh one of his squad mates, Siebracht, with a slash of his serrated sword. It turned to regard Delmar through the thrashing meelee and strode to meet him with a hunger filled grin.
His bayonet was lodged too deep into the Kroot's skull so instead he reached behind him and wrenched out the blade burried in his back with a snarl. The weapon came free after a few seconds of painful tugging and turned to find a hook like weapon in his hand, the feel unfamiliar.
He was in no position to be picky as the Kroot swung up his sword and attacked him.
He quickly dodged the first strike but then was jammed in the gut with the aliens bony knee. He fell to the ground swiping his weapon the at the things knees hoping to cripple it, but the Kroot sidestepped.
He managed to ward away another blow before stepping forward and smahing it mouth with his head. It writhed away, stumbling backwards, it turned back and ludged its blade into his shoulder with a flash of steel. Despite the immense pain Delmar shoved the Kroot away, the alien seeming to back off. For a moment he thought it was because of him.
The real reason was far better.
Groups of raft like vehicles were zooming through the trees towards the group of battling soldiers. When the Imperial Guard had first entered the marshy zones of the south they had found a vehicle which the locals used to get around in and quickly adopted it to their cause.
Each vehicle was really a large raft with a fan and steering wheel to drive it around the swamps. Mechanicus adepts had soon learned that the rafts could not only transport men but be equipped as a sort of gunboat.
As the vehicles approached the fight they opened up with mounted autocannons and heavy missile lanuchers. The fire soon killed most of the supporting elements of the Kroot attack along with the Devilfish skimmers. They had broke and fled, being gunned down as they did so.
They had lost a lot of good comrades in the swamp, and now they would make sure the Tau did too.
The bodies of the recent dead sunk into the muck of the swamp, forgotten already.
When the first Imperial forces had reached the coastal city of Dhirim they had found it in full scale chaos.
After Falkeyhn had lifted off from the aereodome the civilians population had thought that maybe the Tau had been lying to them and stampeded for the aereodome. Thousands had fought eachother to reach the aereodome, hoping to save themselves or their families.
The events that ensued had caused the Tau to lose control of the city not by military means but by the act of one man. Teams of enforcers hoping to control the riot had been ripped and apart and trampled. Thousands more were killed by the press of bodies. Looting and violence continued through the night.
Falkeyhn had been killed in mid-flight to his island hideaway by a flight of Navy Lightnings, thinking him to be a Tau official escaping.
In truth B'kak had stayed in his room, watching the city fall. He had already sent word of his failure to the Shas'O, his part had been played.
Shas'El'B'kak sat down and watched the world burn.