-XXVII - Holiday Special-
"Why am I doing this?" Julius asked himself.
Squad Extus moved sure-footed towards their objective but doubt started to creep into Julius' mind.
His former squad, his brothers died because of him. Even after the events he learned nothing. He continued to let his emotions ran amok.
His anger and hate got the better of him before. And now he lost his commander's trust.
He felt that his self worth is diminishing away.
"Maybe, maybe there was no retribution." Julius thought.
His mind raced with doubt and self-imposed shame.
He failed everyone and everything.
His brothers.
His lords.
His Emperor.
"I don't even deserve to die in battle." he thought.
Everyone around him was as shadows to him. He did not want to see anyone. His failure was rooted deep in his heart.
He felt it like it was a cancer in his lungs. It stuck like a black goo and hold him back.
As if his soul had petrified, he felt nothing other than the dark feeling in his gut.
"Orks!" shouted Iulius in alarm.
Auspex's monitor was lit with dozens of red skull marks designating Orks.
"Take cover and prepare for battle." ordered Ioras.
Extus broke into cover, some kneeling behind fallen columns while other rising to vantage points at debris slopes.
Iulius hefted his heavy bolter and knelt behind a broken aquila statue in the middle of the street.
There was a wide opening which looked like a gathering ground before the war but now it was pocketed with blast marks and filled with rubble.
Achagon climb atop a balcony where he can see afar thanks to his enhanced Astartes eye sight and his sniper-scope.
Iulius was taking cover behind a column, hiding from sight. Orks would not see him before they got close to Extus' position.
Julius stood behind him, bolter in hand.
"Arm bolters." ordered Ioras.
"Visual." said Achagon.
"How many?" asked Ioras.
"At least a dozen."
Orks shootas were the first ones to reach the opening and they climb over the rubble to spread out.
"Precision fire!" shouted Ioras and bolter barked.
Extus picked their targets and fired single shots to maim or kill.
Several Orks fell, not getting up.
Others reached pieces of fallen debris and took cover.
Shootas started firing with horrible accuracy on the Extus' position.
Dust rose as dakka fire landed around them but Spears was not fazed by the incoming fire.
"Return fire." shouted Ioras.
Julius got one Ork shoota on his irons and took the shot.
Ork's brains decorated the debris around him, his broken neck lolled forward making his half-torn chin swing side to side.
As the body dropped a dozen more Orks joined the battle. These were slugga boys carrying crude melee weapons and their signature pistols, the slugga.
"More mobs ahead, dozens of them." shouted Achagon and took a shot.
Iulius broke cover and chewed down the charging Orks with his heavy bolter.
Heavy bolter roared like a beast of war spitting bolt rounds. Huge weapon shook and gave birth to dozens of empty shells that clatter loudly, free from their 1.00 calibre rounds.
Several Orks were ripped apart by the initial burst. Explosive heads ripped muscle and broke bone like axe striking wood.
One Ork went down screaming in pain as the bolt round penetrated into his guts and exploded. His stomach, liver, kidneys and intestines first blowing outwards and turning into torn soup of organ meat and blood, they failed to penetrate the stomach muscles due to their density.
Ork fell on his knees, vomiting his own organs as his screams were cut short by the vomit.
Iulius fired again cutting down more Orks.
He ended the Ork change single handedly, but it cost him the precious ammo his backpack is feeding.
"Reserve, Iulius." shouted Ioras.
"Affirmative." said Iulius and packed his heavy bolter.
Julius fired again a single shot missing an Ork barely. Achagon corrected his mistake by dropping the Ork, leaving it with half a neck.
Orks shootas were firing but return fire from Deciaci, Herean and Horatus killed three of them and forced others into cover.
Combatzone fell silent for a moment but it was cut short as more Orks became visible, aiding their pinned brethren.
Sluggas and shootas all mixed, at least three dozen broke through the debris and charged at the Extus.
"There is so many of them." said Horatus in a calm voice, voicing his concern.
"We'll manage." said Ioras.
"Lord?" asked Iulius asking for fire permission.
"Fire at will." shouted Ioras breaking cover.
He walked forward firing from hip. His bolter ran dry a few seconds later but at least five Orks were dead. He grabbed a fresh magazine from his belt and rammed the butt of his hand into the spent magazine dislodging it from it's socket. In a moment his bolter was full again. He sprayed more at the oncoming Orks.
Julius also rose from cover and fired a full burst at the charging Orks killing two.
Ork shoota fire ricocheted off his armour but he ignored the impacts.
Orks closed firing sluggas. They were close now, only few metres before they reached Ioras.
Even under the hail of bolter fire and sniper fire, Orks charged. Their ranks died in droves but their frenzy carried them forward.
Rexus came into view and poured fourth a column of fire from his heavy flamer.
Heat cooked Ork guts in their own bodies as their flesh burned and wrinkled.
"They're keep coming." voxed Achagon but the mass of Orks was felt as their footsteps rumbled the very ground.
"Walkers" said Julius hearing the loud rumble the Ork machines make.
Orks in their hundreds broke through the debris and filled the clearing as a green tide.
"WAAAGH!" roar rose as at least a hundred Orks charged.
There was no stopping them. On top of them two crude Ork walkers lumbered forwards on their bipedal feet.
Their pistols rose and fell as the foul Ork engine inside them coughed smoke and ash onto the air to keep them marching.
These were killa kans, rumbling ork walkers piloted by grots.
They came in firing their big shootas, one of them fired it's rokkit launcher and manage to his the body of charging Orks.
Explosion rose dust and rained body parts all around.
"Fall back." ordered Ioras and Extus started to retreat.
They ran from the mass of Orks following them just behind.
"Switch to close combat." voxed Ioras and Julius gripped his chainsword.
Its hilt felt good in his hand. He wanted to hear its roar as the teeth saw through Ork flesh.
He wanted his boltpistol to blow Ork heads.
He wanted to kill them all.
"Kill them all." he said.
"Repeat that." said Ioras.
"I will kill them all." said Julius to himself.
"What?" Ioras looked at Julius.
They were still running but Julius stopped in the instant.
"Come to me you inbred aliens!" he shouted raising his chainsword.
Ioras ordered the rest of the squad to retreat but he stopped and ran back at Julius.
"Julius, listen to me. You can't do this, you can't win." he shouted.
"All I have to do is die, Ioras. Then this will all be over, I will be over." he said.
Ioras grabbed his shoulderpad and pulled backwards but Julius stood still.
Orks were close now, so close.
A distant shot rang and the lead Ork dropped. Achagon had his sniper rifle smoking in the distance. He took another shoot and felled another one.
"You don't need to die, Julius. You need to live. To avenge. Come on." shouted Ioras pulling at his backpack.
"I need to avenge my brothers, I need to kill Orks. Kill them all." mumbled Julius.
"We need to go now!" shouted Ioras but Julius was not registering his words.
"There is no hope for me now. Only death." said Julius and lunged forwards.
He shouldered his way onto the Ork mass but was dragged behind. The Ork in front of him was being crush by him and the mass.
Orks pushed forward not stopping for only one Space Marine. Their charge was overeager and they continued it for the sake of charging now.
As the Orks in front of him started to stop to fight this one Space Marine there became a still point in this flowing mass of green.
Julius ducked under a choppa swing and strike out with his chainsword. Then fired his boltpistol to end another Ork.
He fought three Orks at the same time.
"Not again." he said through gritted teeth.
His chainsword ripped an Ork's eye and into his brain.
"I won't lose again." he said.
Butt of his boltpistol cracked one Orks skull.
"For Decimus!" he shouted.
Chainsword chewed up a leg maiming the Ork.
"For Duros!"
He rammed his boltpistol at a mouth and pulled the trigger.
"For Herkon!"
Chainsword parried a choppa and landed on an Ork shoulder in a looping motion.
"For Hekeran!"
Slugga round rocked his shoulder.
"For Rusuf!"
Another slugga round blew just above his visor plate and he was dazed.
"For Taarus!"
Ork shoulder landed on his chest sending him backwards.
"FOR TEMPES!"
He was falling. Boltpistol rang and Ork's head vaporized.
Land greeted him like and old lost friend. His armour groaned under the impact.
"This is the end. At last." Julius thought as four Ork came at him weapons wishing for blood.
He did not close his eyes. He wanted to see his death. Death is coming. Death. Peaceful and concluding death.
Orks ripped apart as bolter fire rang over the marching of the Orks.
Bolter fire rose so high that for an instant it drowned the street.
One after the other Orks died and died and died and died.
Littering the streets, Ork organs, heads, eyes, tongues and teeth all around. Blood crawled among their dead like red snakes but the Orks kept coming.
The charging mass roared another "WAAAGH" as they charged ahead of Julius.
Julius grabbed his helmet and clicked it free. His visor was clogged with blood and body fluids. His eyes were also burning from irony blood.
"Cursed Ork blood." he said as the Ork around him blew apart with each roar of the bolter fire.
A shadow fell over him as he tried to rise.
"Want to die, marine?" the figure asked in high gothic.
Julius realised that the figure was holding out a white armoured hand.
He grabbed it taking his chances.
"Death is my release." he said.
"A meaningless death does not befit a Space Marine. For the Emperor, we rise and fall." figure said.
Now Julius could see his saviour in full detail.
He had a white hair and a huge white beard locked together with brass ornaments. His power armour was bright blood red save for his gauntlets. Over his shoulder pads was the fur of an ice bear of old terra, as white as snow itself.
"Who are you?" he asked.
He looked at his left shoulder pad for insignia and saw a green pine coming out of a skull, the skull was crying blood.
"We are the Winter Bringers." said the figure.
Julius realised the dozen armoured figures standing behind his saviour.
They all wore the same coloured armour expect the white fur.
Accompanying them was at least a hundred smaller figures. These were odd figures that look almost human. They wore padded green combat jackets and had pointy ears and freckles on their faces. Their hair was burnt orange coloured. They all carried lasguns and shotguns.
These figures was midget sized but they looked well built nonetheless.
"Are those? Abhumans?" Julius asked.
"They're Wild Kin." replied the figure directly not giving any specific details.
"Dying for nothing is the true failure for a Space Marine, Julius. Remember that." red figure said.
"How do you know my name? What are you?" he asked.
"I'm called Lord Klaus and these are my humble warriors." he said gesturing towards the marines and the abhumans.
Julius realised that Klaus had a power-axe that looked like carved out of ice instead of any metal known to Imperium.
Klaus raised his axe towards the sky and a single snow piece fell from the sky.
Julius felt the air got cold and grey clouds filled the sky.
"Are you a librarian?" he asked in amazement.
"I don't attend to any library, save one." Klaus responded.
Winter Bringers were all tactical marines save two, who wore the hollowed terminator armour and had storm bolters.
They did not gave pause to the Orks amassing ahead and marched forwards passing Klaus and Julius.
"Where did you come from?" Julius asked.
"Time for questions are over. Time for war is now." Klaus said and marched forwards bidding Julius to join him.
Julius looked back before following Klaus but he failed to see where Extus went.
Fog intensified, snow fell more and more. Ice took hold of Klaus' axe.
"Ready?" he prompted.
"Always." replied Julius.
"Charge! Winter and Doom!" roared Klaus and the Winter Bringers charged.
Their bolters firing from hip they left their small compatriots behind with their long strides but the little warriors would not be kept out of fighting.
Power armour crashed onto the Ork mass. The endless greentide shoot as marines and terminators crashed into them breaking bone.
Klaus' power-axe fell and chopped clean an Ork head. Julius roared his chainsword into Ork brains ripping them out of their skull.
Ripped brains splashed onto his face. He felt alive.
"Kill them all!" he shouted.
Bolters were still barking at close range blowing Orks two and even three rows behind the fighting.
Terminator crushed an Ork breaking his spine onto his pelvis with his powerfist.
Ork defense was faltering but they still hold the numbers against the outnumbered marines.
That ended when the Wild Kin reached the battleline. They charged lasguns firing and shotguns spitting slugs at the Orks.
They also carried small wood axes that were well balanced and heavy to chop through flesh with ease.
Their axes rose and fell as their off hand lasguns kept firing at close range.
Orks died in their droves and they had to rise atop the Ork dead to advance.
Their slaughter was cut short as killa kans reached them.
Three Killa kans charged forwards but so did the two terminators. One Killa kan raised its sawing hand but the terminator punched it as it landed towards his head, obliterating it. Terminator locked his stormbolter barrel onto the visor plate of the kan and fired a burst, showering the grot inside all around the kan's drive pod.
Second Terminator was more direct, he used his Astartes speed to punch into the Kan's chest as pull out the screaming grot. He held the grot in his powerfist and shot at Orks with his stormbolters. Grot, limbless and bleeding from several forced amputations kept screaming.
Powerfist closed and his lungs burst from his mouth. The pink lungs choked his screams. Terminator threw the mutiated grot at the Orks.
Klaus and Julius was against the last Killa Kan. It roared it's saw-hand and hit Julius in the chest. He fell sideways but got back up again.
Klaus dodged the next swing with his quick feetwork and crashed his axe into the leg pistols of the Kan.
It got stuck. Grot fired his big shoota but Klaus was faster. He dropped avoiding the deadly close range fire and swung upwards chopping the barrel from the big shoota. He turned on his heels and grabbed the axe in a two-handed hold. It crushed at the chest of the kan. Grot inside avoided the blade barely but was screaming from fear anyhow.
Klaus did not pull his blade and let it stand there. Ice formed on Kan's chest. Then it grew and grew until it encompassed the entire body of the Kan.
Grot inside was frozen to death.
Julius came at Klaus.
Orks were already retreating before the might of this powerful enemy.
"I don't know what to say." said Julius.
"Don't say anything, just listen." Klaus said.
"You made a mistake before but remember that we are not gods, but we war against the gods. Their warped games upon our flesh, upon our soul. Their mocking cries, we fight against that, Julius. Remember, never to bow. Never give in, never let them beat you without a fight. Dying is not an end you can wish, for you live by Emperor's divine will alone, He is your lord and master and you don't own your life. He does."
"I..." Julius managed.
"You're not perfect. Be imperfect Julius, but kept fighting for him, not for yourself." said Klaus holding Julius shoulderpad.
"I will." Julius said nodding.
"Good. We leave now. Emperor guide your path, Julius." said Klaus walking towards his men waiting at the distance.
"Can't you stay, we could use your help." said Julius.
Klaus turned towards him and looking down shook him head.
"When the cycle is complete, Winter ends." he said and kept walking.
Winter Bringers and Wild Kin ahead walked into the fog and disappeared from sight.
Klaus was the last one to reach the fog and stopped for a second. He turned his head and smiled a thin smile at Julius before disappearing in the white fog.
*Winter Bringers and Wild Kin colour schemes are available at lambdgod blogspot page.
Let the new year burn.*