Fame Cimex Chapter 2
Ajax advanced relentlessly, dim moonlight glinting off the smooth plates of his chassis while the air distorted around the crackling energy of his Atomantic energy field and the lightning surrounding his power fist. He could have been a figure cut straight from legend, his mechanical body the product of sciences whose true understanding had long since passed into myth and fable. He was an echo of ancient glories brought to life, a Goliath set loose upon the world and at his core lay the scraps of a warrior held one inch from death for five thousand years.
Squads made way as Ajax charged, still firing into the horde even as his footsteps shook the ground and made their teeth gnash. Ahead of him a veritable mountain of scythed Hormagaunts barrelled headlong in a chittering mass, closing with claws and fangs ready as the Zoanthrope floated overhead. It was a disgusting sight to behold; its limbs withered and stunted leaving only a long snake-like body and tail hanging from a bloated skull that was swollen with Psychic potential. Ajax lowered his Kheres assault cannon and cried, "THE EMPEROR ORDERS YOUR DESTRUCTION!" as he unleashed its power.
A blazing contrail of rounds flared into existence, a thunderous roar drowning out even the Xeno's chittering as he panned his aim back and forth. The mass of Hormagaunts parted before the Contemptor, bodies being ripped asunder and blown apart in a wide swath before the Dreadnought, leaving a gaping chasm in the mountain of chitin. Wasting not a second Ajax charged into the gap he had blown, smashing into the smaller beasts with such impetus that the force of his impacts knocked them down to be crushed under metal feet. Ajax lashed out left and right with his power fist, each blow sending broken bodies flying away and blasting Xenos into ash with flaring discharges of power. He was like a great nautical ship ploughing through an ice field, sundering all before him as he advanced, his great metal feet gouging away at the earth beneath him as his immense weight forced his bulk inexorably forwards.
The Tyranids reeled before the might of the Dreadnought, pulling back in a hissing, snarling mass, but they were not cowed for long. With the Hive Mind guiding them the Hormagaunts surged forwards, seeking to bury the Dreadnought under their weight and bounding Xenos leapt upon his body, trying to encumber his limbs with their mass. Bellowing in mechanical rage Ajax fought on, kicking and punching Tyranids aside and unleashing the flamer built into his fist to clear the way. The Dreadnought was still moving but his pace was slowing and more Tyranids kept piling on. Seeing his distress the Zoanthrope drifted closer, its fanged maw making it look like it was grinning evilly. With a flare of incandescent power the Xenos vomited a lance of psychic energy, channelling the hunger of the Hive Mind into a spear of unnatural destructive might. Ajax saw the blast coming but could not move to avoid it; instead he spurred his reactor to critical levels and stoked the Atomantic shield around his frame. The energy field caught the beam but was unable to entirely stop it, managing merely to divert the blast slightly so that it carved into his right arm instead of his sarcophagus. Servos blew out and blessed oils ran freely as the assault canon ground to a halt and fell limp, leaving the Dreadnought wounded and vulnerable.
From afar Toran saw Ajax's distress and knew he had to act, he drew his shining sword and cried, "Wrethan, hold this line. Assault squad and command squad with me, draw the foe away from Ajax, give him the opening he needs!"
Instantly the command squad leapt forward and Bylan raised the Company Standard high to call, "+The Captain leads the way!+"
Toran led his brothers into the heart of the foe, slashing and hacking at the wall of chitin with all his fury. The Sword of Thiel parted Xeno hides effortlessly and he slew Gaunts left and right. Purple ichor stained his armour and besmirched his proud colours, yet for every beast he slew there were ten more to take its place. The Tyranids were swift to respond, turning from the stricken Dreadnought to face this new threat, meeting the squads with a wave of scything claws. The squads met the avalanche of hacking, biting chitin by standing shoulder to shoulder, united in resolute determination to deny the Xenos at any cost, yet they were inundated by the tide of hungry monsters and the numbers coming at them soared beyond counting. Toran was forced to take one step back and then another as he fought for his life, he knew his squad could not last more than a few seconds, but then the Assault squad intervened.
On blazing contrails of fire Sergeant Lorath and his squad jumped vertically into the sky, then came straight back down. Their impacts smashed craters into the dirt and threw aliens away with stunning force. Chainswords and lightning claws sprang into life and with a cry of fury they leapt at the stunned beasts, slaughtering everything within reach. Toran cried aloud, "Follow me Brothers!" as he leapt to re-engage the foe and in a heartbeat the Astartes had reaped a fearful tally amongst the Tyranids.
Even as he fought Toran could see that Ajax had resumed his charge, smashing aside Hormagaunts as he ploughed his way to the Zoanthrope. The Synapse creature fell back before him, stunted limbs thrashing as Psychic power blazing around its bloated skull. Yet Ajax's charge was unstoppable, crushing all in his path as he propelled his massive bulk at the Xeno beast. With a thunderous blast Ajax smashed into the Synapse creature, power fist blazing as he swung it right at the beast's heart. Crackling fist met psychic barrier in a magnesium flare of light that washed out all colour and the Zoanthrope quivered as its defence was tested to the very limit.
The Zoanthrope was quick to respond, gathering its power for another psychic blast but Ajax was faster, he barged forwards and crashed his armoured carapace into its body, the psychic barrier not preventing a non-lethal blow. The impact spun the Synapse creature to one side and its blast went wide, passing over the heads of the embattled Space Marines to crash into the defensive line far behind them. The Zoanthrope was momentarily distracted and Ajax drew back his fist to end this fight, but before he could land a blow the Hive Mind struck. Moving as one a deluge of Hormagaunts swooped around and leapt upon the Contemptor's frame, covering him head to toe in chitin and thrashing flesh.
Ajax roared in fury and stamped about, he lashed out with his fist but the Tyranids clung to every plate of his chassis and refused to be moved. With the Dreadnought momentarily pinned the Zoanthrope drifted closer and wrapped its long sinuous tail around Ajax, engulfing his left arm and trapping his power fist to his side. Scores of Gaunts leapt upon his back, chipping and gouging at the plate over his reactor core while the Zoanthrope gathered its power for a killing blast. The situation was dire but Ajax was not yet finished.
With a grinding howl of damaged servos and angry sparks, Ajax lifted his right arm upwards, dragging a clinging gaunt along with it until his assault cannon was pointed directly upwards. Impossible, the servos were ruptured, the Machine Spirit wounded, that arm shouldn't move, but Ajax's will overcame the limitations of his frame. The Contemptor jammed the sparking cannon right into the Zoanthrope's belly and bellowed, "DEATH TO THE ALIEN!"
A single mental impulse was all it took to trigger the cannon and in a microsecond it burst into life, spinning barrels blurring as they fired, unleashing a blizzard of rending bullets. A tongue of flame and metal erupted from the barrel, ripping into the Zoanthrope at point blank range. The beast screamed inhumanly as its guts were blown out, spraying vile ichor everywhere while its bloated skull convulsed and swelled with power. The vast psychic might of the Hive Mind surged through the dying beast and blew outwards, knocking the Tyranids back on all sides, but the mighty Contemptor stood firm in the storm of energy and was unmoved.
Finally the Zoanthrope fell to the ground in an oozing heap and the effect on the remaining Xenos could not have been more pronounced. Instantly they lost all cohesion, each beast stumbling as if bewildered, as their relay to the Hive Mind was lost and they reverted to instinctive behaviour. Those at the very edges of the horde seemed to forget why they were there and turned to scurry away, seeking to lurk in cover or find easier prey to feast upon. Toran was hacking away with the Sword of Thiel and saw confusion sweep over the Tyranids like a great wave; he pushed harder and cried, "Forwards brothers, to Ajax!"
The force redoubled their efforts and slaughtered a path to the Dreadnought, annihilating all in their way and leaving a trail of spilt ichor behind them. Caught between two foes the Hormagaunt's frenzy was finally broken and they turned to flee, racing away with their tails between their legs as they were chased by bolt rounds. Toran looked about and saw his Marines were battered and beaten but they stood triumphant, they kept their weapons raised, for they were ever alert, but pride was practically radiating off them.
Novak, in particular, was loudest in his celebration, raising his sword and crying, "Victory for the Chapter!"
Meanwhile while Bylan raised the Company Standard high and cried, "+Primarch's Own!+"
Toran frowned at that declaration, for such creeds smacked of cults of personality and were forbidden by the Codex Astartes in general, and Chapter Master Gorgall in particular. The Captain would have to rebuke Bylan later, but for the sake of morale he held his tongue, this was not the time and the place to tarnish the Astartes' triumph. From amid piles of slain corpses Ajax was slowly climbing back to his feet and he stomped about to face the victors as he growled, "DO NOT BE TOO EAGER TO CLAIM THE LAURELS CHILD, THIS WAS BUT A TASTE OF THE FOE'S MIGHT. WE SLEW HUNDREDS; BILLIONS MORE WAIT TO TAKE THEIR PLACE."
Toran knew the venerable brother was right and quickly reviewed his forces; the assault group had survived even though they were battered but when he looked over to the distant defensive line he found them to be a Marine short. The Captain hit his vox and called, "Casualties?"
Sergeant Priyar answered him with a pained tone, "Brother Moran was taken by a psychic blast."
Toran bowed his head in respect for the Sergeant's loss and while Chaplain Wrethan spoke up to say, "He died fighting for the Emperor and for Mankind, there is no higher calling. Moran's name shall be entered in the scrolls of honour."
Toran felt the loss as keenly as any other, as the commander he was responsible for the lives of his Marines, but he could not let the Company dwell upon it when there was a war yet to win. He turned to Persion and said, "Contact Chapter Master Gorgall and request an update of our orders."
There was a moment's pause then Persion replied, "The situation grows grave, the fifth defensive line is collapsing, the PDF is falling back to the sixth and final line before the spaceport. There is more, Second Company are taking fire from Bio-Titans, they urgently need support. We are tasked to advance and distract the Tyranids, so Captain Laryen can withdraw his squads."
A Demi-Company against Bio-Titans was a poor prospect but the Astartes refused to be cowed by long odds. Captain Toran sheathed his sword and lifted his bolter saying, "Then it seems there is yet more of the Emperor's work to be done this day. Form up and follow me, we have a Battle Company to rescue."