Author music suggestion: "Do you think I'm Saxon - Hans Zimmer (King Arthur OST)"
(Youtube) watch?v=faQa4jJ8pfM
Gritknife and one of the smaller Meks finished setting up vox casters around there area where the Warboss was going to make a big speech. It was a little too close to the fighting but that was to be expected. It was the Orks farther back that wouldn't be able to hear as well and they would be rushing closer to the fight to see what the Boss was yapping about.
That and the Ork artillery fire was making it harder to hear.
"Jobs a good 'un boss!"
"'Bout time!"
Taking the vox Skarbad held it near one of the big speakers long enough for it to give of the familiar screech of a feedback loop.
"Turn it up higher!" he urged the Meks before climbing up on top of his Deff Rolla Battlewagon. Clearing his throat he belted out a "WAAAAAAAGGGGHH!" as loud as possible over the vox to get the attention of all the Orks on the peninsula. Meks not working on keeping the sound system running nervously checked over the shields in case the humies took notice.
"AWRIGHT YOUZ, LISSEN UP! WE'Z HAVIN A ROIGHT PROPPA WAAAAGH DOWN ERE!"
"WAAAAAAAGGGGHH!" Thundered the response of the surrounding Orks.
"I loves hearin' dat. IN CASE YOUS RUNTS FORGOT, ORKZ IS MADE FER' TWO FINGS! FIGHTIN' AN WINNIN'!
WE FIGHT COS WE WOZ BORN TO FIGHT, AN' WIN!"
The latest round of screaming died down when a few boys and grots were thrown into the air by human artillery fire. For fun the Warboss shot one of the grots out of the air with his custom shoota, causing blood and bits to rain down on the Ork hordes, much to the crowd's amusement.
"DEZ HUMAN DONT KNOW NUFFIN BUT RUNNIN AWAY! WE WANTS A PROPPA FOIGHT BUT THEY'Z TOO SCARED, HIDING BEHIND THER GARGANTS!"
Skarbad flipped off the pair of Titans working to build more defenses, accompanied by the jeering of the other Orks.
"IT'Z TIME TA BRING EM DOWN TA OUR LEVEL. FOR THAT IZ BROUGHT DIS CHOPPA! THE CHOPPA OF GORK!
WE'VE SHOT PLENTY OF DAKKA AT EM, NOW ITZ TOIME TA GET CHOPPY!"
Most of the Ork masses didn't really get what the Warboss was going on about. How was a choppa, even one that big going to help? Still, it sounded fun to them.
"GORK AN MORK ARE THE BIGGEST 'ARDEST ORKS DERE EVA WAZ. WE NEED GORK TA PICK UP DIZ ERE CHOPPA!"
While some of the boys thought the Warboss was going mad he signaled one his older Nobs to start the show.
The Giant Choppa was set up so that mechanisms taken from an old catapult would swing the weapon in a chopping motion. Activating it the cleaver shot up from it's sitting position, the blade slamming down on a pair of boyz too slow or stupid to get out of the way. Grots soon started up motors to crank it back into position.
While plenty of the boys still thought the boss had gone loony they had to admit it was fun to see that big choppa thrown about.
"Tell tha Weirdboys ta start faze two." Ordered Skarbad.
Farther up the peninsula each of the Minder's told their Weirboys it was time to go to work. Most were near their limits with the amount of psychic WAAAGH energy they were trying to channel. Thankfully the most powerful and experienced of their number were near the Warboss where things would be the most dangerous.
"Gork'll get 'em!" mumbled the weirdboy as he summoned the psychic strength of the WAAAGH.
"THIS CHOPPA IZ PLENTY CHOPPY FER GORK! OI, LOOKS LIKE SUMMONE'S COME TA GET IT!"
In the distance to the north the ground began to shake from what felt like artillery strikes from macrocannons. Those boyz that were high enough up to see the impacts and their resultant craters soon began to shout out what was happening.
"Iz dat a giant foot?"
"Nah, its bombs."
"ITZ GORK!" Yelled a few Shouta boyz the Warboss had placed through the crowd earlier.
"GORK'LL GET EM!"
"LOOKS LIKE GORK IZ 'ERE FOR HIS CHOPPA!" Yelled the Warboss.
Some of the Orks genuinely didn't know what was happening, but excitement quickly spread through the crowd as the stomping of invisible feet drew closer. Soon they were calling out Gork's name in time with the impacts.
"GORK! GORK! GORK! GORK! GORK!"
Starting things out had felt a little forced this time to Skarbad but it seemed to be working. More boyz called out louder with each foot step or clanged their weapons together.
The more Orks that seemed to realise what was happening, the larger and heavier the footfalls became as the Weirdboys channeled more of the WAAAGH! The larger the impacts the more Orks became aware of it. It was all building towards a critical mass where the weirdboys wouldn't be able to survive the WAAAGH energy.
By now a dozen orks were being crushed beneath each footstep but it hardly mattered. If anything it made it more real to the horde.
"Gork" closed in on the giant Choppa as it slammed down again. This time the grots disconnected it from the catapult and nobs pushed it to point the oversized handle skyward.
The shouts of GORK! soon began to change to CHOP!
"NOW!" Skarbad signaled to his best weirdboy, a Warphead that had been with him since he'd started testing this trick.
Directing the surrounding psychic might he hurled the choppa into the air, looking to all as though Gork -still invisible- had picked it up. The presence of Gork had grown to such a size now that it only took a few steps for the apparition to cross the remaining distance to the Human fortifications. The Giant Choppa flew unerringly towards the body of one of the Titans.
"All I'm saying is that a tractor bea- HOLY SHIT!"
The crew of Agamemnon's Apostle suddenly realised that there was a giant slab of metal flying towards them. Switching all void shields to full power proved useless as it was already within their shield perimeter.
The Choppa cleaved into the Titan's body at an angle, punching through layers of armor below the cockpit, and severing power connections and other vital systems. The force of the impact coupled with the loss power to half the stabilization systems caused the enormous engineering vehicle to slowly topple over onto its back.
On the peninsula the Orks watched the Titan fall, debris from its collapse kicking up a large dust cloud. The boom of its fall echoed across the gap to the Ork army.
The collective "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHH!" shouted by the Orks was loud enough that the crew of the second Titan could almost hear it.
"SEND IN THA GARGANTS!" ordered Skarbad.
Admiral Saacronal and Farseer Lananelle had come down to the surface with their respective parties to inspect the base and scout out positions for eldar constructs. The existing webway gates on the planet were so badly damaged that the bonesingers were considering simply building new ones.
The Admiral also wanted to see what progress had been made in building up ground vehicles to counter the army massing to the north.
"I had better be impressed Serth. You can let Dorst know I said that too."
"You have certainly built up an impressive arsenal in a short period of time." Admitted the Farseer. "It's unfortunate you lack the numbers to make use of much of it."
"That's part of the reason we want to quietly recruit humans from worlds within the Imperium. I hope we'll be able to screen them for any of these Chaos worshipers you and others have warned about."
"I would like to meet this person you rescued if possible. There may be things you don't know about them."
Agreeing, the Admiral led them to the company barracks where Captain Vadith's unit was stationed.
Saacronal stopped suddenly just after entering the building. "What the hell?!"
It seems Atar had taken his role as Chaplain rather seriously, having made use of the back wall of the building to erect a small shrine.
"Apparently you're having more trouble with the Imperium's ideology than you realised." said Lananelle, amusement clear in her voice.
It didn't take long for both the unit's Captain and Chaplain to approach.
"An Eldar witch, why am I not surprised." Were the first words out of Atar's mouth.
Lananelle shook her head. "Really Admiral? You've been reliant upon this cretin for your information? No wonder you didn't believe it."
Attempting to be diplomatic Captain Vadith introduced herself and explained that Atar had been assisting in training their people to better utilize their Terminator armor.
"All well and good but it doesn't explain that." Thorin pointed to the symbols of the Imperium.
"I want it out of here."
"Then give me the means to build a temple." Shot back Lavidian.
"We don't have room for the mindless followings of your Emperor here."
The Farseer of all people turned to the Admiral and lowered her voice. "While I agree with you that little good will come of letting your people convert, there are... worse alternatives. Those who follow this man's teachings are slightly less likely to fall to the temptations of Chaos should they present themselves. At least at first."
Saacronal traded glances with the Farseer and the Space Marine, his scowl deepening.
"Build your blasted temple and be done with it. But it will be done without using up the heavy or vehicle STC's."
Before anyone could respond alarms began to go off.
"What is tit now?"
The building intercom soon began to relay a message form the command building.
"Attention base personnel; the Orks have taken down one of our Titans. Recovery and combat teams report to the Megara."
Vadith and Atar rushed to their power armor to begin suiting up. More people appeared from other parts of the barracks and before long ninety of them were fully equipped and heading for the teleport pads.
"Alert: Gargants have been detected on the peninsula. All level 2 and level 3 trained Princeps report to the Titan bays. Titans crews are to be given priority over combat teams."
Personnel teleported in from all over the base and rushed to their assigned Titans. A few arrived late having previously been assigned to forward units. Crossing the catwalks they stepped into the head like control rooms and began power up sequences.
"All Level 3 Princeps are to prep for combat deployment making use of the neural linked command chairs. Crews with level 2 training are to conduct normal deployment providing fire support."
As crews reported readyness the base engineers began to open the doors to each of the bays. Many of the Titans had only just been completed hours before while others still needed weapons. Only the last few built had been fitted with construction bays to support the new automatons. Fortunately a number of the APCs would be ready to help.
"Control to all Titans, you are cleared for launch once systems show green."
"Titan Angelus Destinatus moving out."
"Titan Aurum Zapateado Launching."
Unlike the engineering Titans already deployed the first two out of the bays were fully equipped for combat. Additional shields, point defense, armour and weaponry.
Other the next few minutes another fifteen Titans struggled out of the bays and headed northwards.
