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Silver Knights ~ The Forges III
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Highseat Outskirts. 24th Factory district. Gryphonne IV. 997. M41
Vandius wrenched his axe out of a Tyranid warrior's skull as he fired a bolter round into another twitching body. You had to strike these things in a specific place or else they would continue to fight on. Tyranids were tenacious like that.
All around him, his kill-team finished off another wave of Tyranids. Nearby groups of Guardsmen emerged from their defensive positions to help in finishing off the Tyranid corpses on the ground. The entire city street was filled with hastily constructed fieldworks and improvised defenses.
It had been two weeks since the Silver Knights had touched down. Vandius and his group had been constantly moving from hotspot to hotspot to counter Tyranid assaults and assist Guard and Astartes wherever they were needed. Vandius had fought alongside the armored columns of the Praetors of Orpheus in the wastelands, hunting down Tyranid Tervigons, he had fought inside mountain-sized forge complexes, watching tanks roll right off the line straight into combat. He had fought under the Titans of the War Griffons while the god-machines fought Tyranid bio-giants to the death. (Khaden had been especially excited to be along such city-killers) Gladius had fought in armored assaults, siege combat, covering actions and many other types of battle against the Tyranids.
They had not spotted the Swarmlord yet, although Vandius had not been present at the rear HQ for several days now. He did however, keep in touch with Tullius and Atreus, the Captain of the Praetors Third Company. He listened to Tullius's own tensions with Stormwolf and the handling of the war on the ground. The Ultramarine at least hoped Thora would be able to smooth over any problems. He himself had little desire to be engaged in that kind of squabbling.
In all honestly, to Vandius and his men it had all began to blur into one constant series of fights. The armor of the Silver Knights was battered and gouged from constant fighting. Their one shining argent warplate was not caked in blood and ichor. Normal humans would have broken long ago under the strain of constant combat, but Vandius and his brothers were not normal humans.
Stormwolf had been pushing the assault further and further ever since Senshi Thora had arrived with reinforcements. The Space Wolves had taken the chance to oversee the main thrust of the assault while the Genesis Chapter moved back to cover the flanks. At Chapter Master Theron's insistence, the Fifth, Seventh and Ninth companies of the Genesis Chapter had been transferred from orbit to provide much needed support on the ground.
Nearby a female Valhallan Lieutenant scrambled out of her foxhole. She rushed up to the Silver Knights, looking over the carnage.
''It's a good thing you got here when you did. Anymore and they might have overwhelmed us.'' She told them.
''It's what we do…you're from the 214th right?'' Cestus asked, looking at her unit markings.
''That's right.'' The woman nodded.
''Good unit, I've fought alongside them before.''
''Captain, these are of a more advanced strain than the ones near the beginning of the invasion.'' Nicander looked up from the corpse of the Tyranid Warrior he was examining. Vandius walked over to him.
''So they've evolving?''
''Yes, typical of Tyranids really, but this is quite rapid, more than I expected honestly.'' Nicander got up. Suddenly Vandius's vox activated.
''This is Captain Tullius of the Genesis Chapter. Emergency! This is a Code Red. A massive Tyranid force has appeared out from the sewer access tunnels. They are led by the Swarmlord. I repeat, positive identification on the Swarmlord!'' the Genesis Chapter Captain repeated.
Vandius swore, something that Nicander had only rarely heard him do.
''Requesting all available reinforcements.'' Tullius shouted into the vox.
''This is Vandius of the Silver Knights responding. How many Tyranids are present?'' Vandius asked. He heard the familiar roar of bolters and Tyranid screeches in the background.
''It's like half of the Guilliman-damned Hive Fleet out there. I need any sort of support ASAP.'' Tullius told him.
''We're coming.'' Vandius turned to Khaden. ''The Guard have several mechanized brigades here correct?''
''Yes that's correct but they're under the command of General Zhanke.'' he told his Captain. The Ultramarine opened up another channel.
''This is Knight-Captain Vandius to Guard division headquarters. Do you read me?'' he asked.
''This is General Zhanke in command of the 18th Armored Division. We read you and Captain Tullius.''
''Then you know are the Space Wolves are in a dire position at the capital area.'' Vandius told her. Of course he had no doubt that Senshi Thora would be able to blanket the field in lightning and sunder any Tyranid brood that stood before here, but if the Tyranids encircled them and overran the capital city, then things could get bad very fast.
''If we move the divisions then this area will be lacking any reinforcements for the time being.'' Bison told him.
''Then they'll have to hold. If we don't move right now then Senshi Thora and the Space Wolves will be encircled. If you want I can take full responsibility for any of the fallout.'' Vandius offered. If Highseat fell it could be catastrophic.
''No, we are moving by Serenity's grace. Tullius will be reinforced. Zhanke out.''
Vandius dropped the connection and stride back to the waiting Storm Raven, they had already aquired a replacement craft from the forges as soon as they arrived on this world.
''Well?'' Dovah asked.
''We're heading out for immediate combat deployment. Let's go.''
The industrial wasteland of Highseat was a massive rubble strewn plain on the outskirts of the city. Thirty miles away in the sprawling forge-city, The Space Wolves and Senshi Thora drove right into the heart of the Tyranid swarm.
Here the true strength of the Tyranids was revealed. It was the oldest trick in the book really, suckering in your opponent and drawing them out for a surprise attack from another direction. What nobody had expected was the sheer number of Tyranids that had poured out of the sewer system and into the city outskirts.
Four companies of the Genesis Chapter poured weapons fire into the immense horde. Massive Carnifexes and Tervigons towered over countless Gaunts and Genestealers while Zoanthorpe's cast psychic lightning over the battlefield. That was only the vanguard, other nameless horrors lurked at the back of the Tyranid horde.
The Astartes weapons fire downed thousands of Tyranids, but the xenos climbed over the corpses of their fellows to reach the Astartes and Guardsmen. Screaming warrior beasts closed and promptly began tearing at the Imperials.
Tullius fought a magnificent defensive battle, falling back were needed and counterattacking when required. It was simply impossible for the forces under his command to permanently withstand the massive numbers arrayed against them.
Then the sound of Basilisk shells filled the air as artillery rounds began to impact in the Tyranid horde, blowing up dozens of nids with each blast. The roar of Valkyrie engines filled the air as sixty Valkyries and Vulture gunships swooped over the horizon, a single Storm Raven at its head.
Vandius moved towards one of the weapon racks on the Storm Raven and grabbed a single Mk X plasma pistol. He paused to check it over before holstering his bolter. They needed heavy firepower to deal with something like the Swarmlord.
The Swarmlord. A part of Vandius's mind was shocked that he was going to face it. A part of Vandius's mind desperately hoped that he was wrong about the Swarmlord, that such a beast would never appear again to threaten the Imperium, but he knew that was a foolish hope.
Cestus had switched out his thunder hammer for his storm shield and sword. Next to him Dovah sat. The Librarian could feel the psychic presence in a way that none of his squadmates could. It made the normally composed Astartes feel apprehensive. The presence of the Swarmlord was a powerful one, a vortex at the head of the Hive Mind.
Below, hundreds of tanks and armored vehicles moved out, tracking and firing as soon as they entered range. Tens of thousands of Guardsmen and Skitarii disembarked and began moving in to support the beleaguered Imperial line. Before the Storm Raven the Imperial gunships moved up and blasted a path free of any Tyranid anti-air beasts for the gunship to deploy.
The Storm Raven swooped down, ahead was the Swarmlord at the vanguard of the Tyranid army. The ramp of the Stormraven lowered and Vandius looked out. It was huge, twice as tall as any Astartes and wielding four boneswords. Around it was a dozen Tyrant Guards.
''They're coming in sir, I just got word from the Genesis First Company in orbit, Theron sends his regards.'' Khaden told him as he readied his heavy bolter.
Before them there was a crack of light and the forms of thirty Genesis Chapter Terminators appeared. The elite of the Chapter, these First Company veterans immediately moved into aid their battle brothers, storm bolters and assault cannons barking.
The Swarmlord gestured with one limb and then six Carnifexes barreled towards the Terminators, massive talons and crusher claws raised to kill. Immediately the Terminators, the Carnifexs and the Swarmlord's bodyguards all collided in furious combat.
Above the Stormraven hovered and Vandius and his kill team dropped down. The Ultramarine's helmet sensors immediately picked out the forms of the Swarmlord and its bodyguards ahead in the swirling melee. Vandius promptly gave a series of sharp, curt orders his kill-team raced forward.
The Silver Knights rapidly cut through way through a group of Gaunts just in time to reach the Swarmlord. Six dead Terminators surrounded the Swarmlord, whose hide was covered with punctures and wounds that the Genesis Marines had inflicted on it.
Vandius pulled out a plasma pistol and aimed. There was no point in using his bolter with the Swarmlord before him. He squeezed the trigger, sending out a plasma bolt that blew off one of the monster's four arms. His second shot clipped it in the knee, scorching off muscle from the leg.
This third shot was blocked by a Tyrant Guard, who threw itself in front of its master. Vandius didn't get the chance to use it a fourth time as a blast from a fleshborer blew it out of his gauntlet and somewhere into the swirling melee.
Rapidly, the Silver Knights moved in to kill the Swarmlord. Vandius drew his axe and Cestus readied his power sword and storm shield. Behind them Khaden and Nicander laid down covering fire while Dovah concentrated on countering the psychic powers of the Swarmlord and his Zoanthropes, the Salamander now aided by a nearby Genesis Chapter Librarian.
The Salamander Librarian felt blood trickle down from his nose and eyelids as he contorted the psychic maelstrom of the Swarmlord and the Hive Mind. The weight of a million screaming voices bore down in his mind as he gritted his teeth and repeated the lessons that he had been taught by Vel'cona. He was Fire-born and would not fail his comrades.
Cestus hit the Swarmlord, storm shield raised, while propelled by his jump pack. The thing staggered, chips of chitin flying off as the White Consul collided with it. Cestus's power sword flashed as the Sword lord managed to block it with one sword-limb.
Vandius moved in, beheading a wounded Tyrant Guard with a two-handed blow. The Ultramarine continued his charge, his Axe of Ultramar at hand as he prepared to aid Cestus against the greatest Hive Tyrant of them all, the beast that led the invasion of Ultramar itself.
Five blades clashed together, the Swarmlord's three boneswords, Cestus's blade and Vandius's axe. The three warriors battled in a high-paced fight, power fields clashing against the psychically coated blades of the Tyranid.
In a way it was Cestus's finest hour. Badly wounded as the Swarmlord may be, it still was an extremely dangerous opponent for any Astartes to face. The White Consuls was pushed to his very limits in matching it. Deep down Cestus knew, whether he won or lost, that this would be the crowning moment of his career, fighting the Swarmlord. It excited him, even as he fought for his life.
As one of the Swarmlord's blades rebounded off the White Consul's storms shield, Cestus saw a chance. His Macraggian-crafted legion blade struck out and severed the Swarmlord's upper right sword-claw at the wrist.
The blade tumbled down as the Swarmlord shrieked in what almost sounded like anger. The two blades struck out faster and faster as Cestus struggled to keep up with the Swarmlord. Then Vandius saw his chance. He hammered his Axe of Ultramar two-handed into the Swarmlord's leg and ripped it up, creating a huge wound.
Suffer. The Ultramarine thought. Die.
Then, one of the Swarmlord's blades flashed out, slashing through Vandius's armor plating from shoulder to hip and sending him flying away. Vandius's visor flashed with warnings of a breach while his armor released painkillers into his body.
But that was the opening that Cestus needed. As Vandius lay on the ground he saw the Swarmlord stumble from the lamed leg and Cestus thrust his sword forward, right into the Swarmlord's jaws and out the back of its head, then Vandius's consciousness faded away.