-XLIII-
Red River offensive started like any other. Unglamorous and daring. Once the military force made it through the Ork bridge, they spread out.
Zeevka Preta ordered the armour division forward and nine Leman Russ tanks came up the slope rising dust in their wake.
Orks had clearly understood the meaning of rising dust because a mortar barrage started when the Leman Russes reached the top.
Despite the heavy shelling of the basilisk artillery Orks had dug in well and in some cases they were entirely spared from the destruction of the shelling.
Captain Aaron knew that infantry must go there and extract the Orks from their dug in positions.
Ork were a violent race by design. They born into a world of violence and rivalry, many consider them to be only capable of mindless offensives. Some unfortunate Imperial commanders learn that Orks were not just capable of mindless charges but they were also extremely capable defenders in certain circumstances.
Tough and natural close combat fighters, Orks make the best trench warriors in existence. Their numbers and their size worked to their advantage with the trenches. They were also stubborn and had high endurance, which made them able to shrug of shrapnel wounds where a guardsmen would be out of commission.
Ioras knew that the situation before them was one such situation. Orks dug in and armed, waiting for the inevitable Imperial attack.
"Captain Aaron, move to the left flank and take into the trenches, you need to get your heavy weapons in place as soon as you can." voxed Ioras.
"Understood." came in Aaron.
"Colonel Malik, move in to the far left and support the Captain, I don't want any, and I mean any Orks to flank your position, is that understood?"
"Yes, lord." came in Malik's uncaring voice.
"Captain Jeliha, move in to the right with us."
"You need our support, eh?" came in Jeliha's snide voice.
"Shut your air-hole, or I will push you deeper into the trenches." Ioras snapped.
"Yes, sir. Moving to the right." came in Jeliha's annoyed but submissive voice.
"Lord, we see Ork movement ahead, seems to be stranglers or scout." came in Zeevka's voice over the vox.
"They're scouts, lieutenant." Ioras warned.
Tanks in trench warfare were the game changers but they worked both ways. If the enemy forces were poorly equipped and the enemy commander was dumb, the tanks would roll and win the day. However if the trenchers were equipped well and had a good commander well versed in the art of trench warfare, then the tanks are just lumbering pieces of metal waiting to be torn apart and block others from manoeuvring.
Ioras remembered the Defense of Silisdrat where two Imperial Fist devastator squads stopped two divisions of enemy armour with nothing but missile launchers.
"Trust not in the metal around you, but the men inside it." he muttered, remembering the teaching of Codex Astartes.
"Zeevka, harass any scouts you encounter but do not commit yourself, the Orks still have yet to reveal their cards." Ioras ordered.
"Understood, lord." replied Zeevka.
Then he push the button to active inner-vox of Duty Unending.
"Yoel, fire away at any strangler Orks you see, be generous son, make sure the greenskins had enough bolt rounds in them." he said.
"Yes, sir." came a young man's voice from the inner-vox speaker.
"We are not engaging?" asked Chava, his gunner.
"No, stand your fire." he replied.
"Move, move, move!" shouted Aaron to a thousand Naphtali guardsmen running up the slope. Some where heavy weapon teams that try to haul their bulky weaponry up.
"Run as if your beloved is on that hill." he roared again.
"We have arrived." came in Hilaa's voice over his vox.
A second later Roi Shachar's voice also reported in.
"Second platoon command arrived on point. Waiting orders." his strong voice came in.
There were still guardsmen running up the hill and many more coming towards Aaron from the bridge, it would take sometime for all of them to climb the slope.
"Dig in and wait for the body to arrive." Aaron ordered.
"Understood." came in Hilaa's voice then a blink later, and then more dimly as she walked away from the vox operator "Dig in and stay on alert!" she shouted at her troops.
This was the worst part. Despite the heavy shelling the basilisks gave the Orks, he still had a tingling sense of unease, being on open ground in such massed numbers always had him worrying.
He hated talking to Malik but still opened a vox channel anyway "Malik, what's your situation." he voxed.
A minute passed and he started expect that he would receive no reply. To his surprise his vox-bead whizzed with distortion as Malik's fuzzy voice came in.
"We are at the far edge. Orks are moving about in the distance, we can see them but they're out of range." Malik reported.
"Affirmative, hold your ground until lord Ioras transmits more orders." he said.
"I know." came in Malik's voice.
Malik's rank was higher than Aaron's in the Imperial Guard hierarchy. But the huge numbers and the variety of the regiments made ranks fuzzy. Some regiments were ruled by Commissars while other were literally commanded by sergeants and field captains where higher ups just sat in their command and control towers, never seeing the actual combat.
If it was another regiment Aaron would just sit back with the artillery and have ones like Hilaa or Roi have the field command. Not in Naphtali however.
There was an old Naphtal saying, "Every kingdom needs a king and every bridge needs a bridge-commander.". To an outsider this would mean nothing other than some fancy words put together but Naphtal was a planet of roaring seas and fledgling island. Bridges were built between the big island to keep them together and form a safe heaven from the immense waves and currents of the raging seas. A bridge commander is an important person who leads the workers and warriors of the bridge to keep it safe from the wraith of nature and from the enemy tribes trying to disable it. Without the bridges there were no kingdoms, without the commander there were no bridges.
Aaron rose the slope up alongside his troops, whatever was out there he was going to fight with them side by side to the Emperor's grace.
"Go with the troops, Commissar. Position yourself between the two regiments and make sure no one turns tail. Especially the Balharethi." Ioras ordered.
Gus Ibrak stood to a sharp salute, the three purple flowers at his cap shook violently before resting in place.
He had his Aidaites behind his, Beau and Leif. Both stood to salute at the same time Ibrak did, crossing their lasguns across their chest and standing upright, chin rose high as if watching the clouds.
Leif had a full vox-caster in addition to his usual gear. Both men were young, fifteen or sixteen. They had lasguns in their hands and laspistols in holsters. They also carried guard grade scimitars in finely made scabbards.
Commissar had brought three full squads of Echtesia House Guard, in their purple highlighted black uniforms and dark purple pants they looked better to be on a parade ground than a battlefield. They were all young men and all looked handsome, chosen for their looks rather than their fighting capabilities.
They wore black slick parade boots rather than weather proof guardsmen postals.
"Your forces look inexperienced, commissar." said Ioras.
"They maybe, lord, but they will serve the Emperor nonetheless." replied Gus, smiling a broad smile and his eyes burning eagerly for the anticipation of combat.
"See to it they do." Ioras ordered.
"Will do, Lord." Ibrak said.
"I know cannon fodder when I see one." voxed Horatus.
He looked at Julius standing beside him, expecting a reprimand. None came.
"I said, I know..."
"I heard you the first time, and I couldn't agree more." Julius said.
Horatus shrugged.
"Well, that's new."
"Commissar brought them here to be his personal meat shield if things go rough." Julius said.
"Well, that's what the guardsmen are for, aren't they?" asked Deciaci.
"They do whatever they can, for the Emperor's cause." Julius said frowning.
"And I appreciate that." replied Deciaci trying to keep off the blame.
"We might be needing some of that meat shield if things get complicated out there." said Achagon fixing his camo-netting.
"I need no weakling guardsmen to shield me." said Horatus fever in his voice.
"Fine, fine. We will make sure that you are in the direct fire of Ork guns." joked Julius.
"Silence yourselves." Ioras voxed.
"One last thing Commissar, I ask you to pass the ownership of the two Chimeras you came here with. The third you can have." Ioras said.
"As you wish, my Lord." Ibrak bowed.
He turned and led the House Guard away.
"There he goes, what now?" asked Renon.
"Now, we make war." Ioras replied.
"We got the call, ride on, Kalam." ordered Zeevka lowering his command chair and locking the hatch above his head.
Driver Kalam pushed at a lever and the Tank rolled forwards.
Duty Unending roared forward as it's frontal heavy bolter spat deadly rounds at the Ork scouts.
Zeevka set his vox caster at the short range division frequency.
"Land Afar, take the right, Emperor's Bridge, left." he ordered.
"We have more mortar fire incoming." warned driver Kalam checking on his long range motion detection monitor.
"Brace." Zeevka ordered and several thudding explosions landed around them with no effect.
"Armour groups, spread few metres but keep coherency, I don't want any stranglers." Zeevka ordered.
He punched in the controls to active the long range comms.
"This is Benet Strike, we are under mortar fire, what are our orders?" asked Zeevka.
"Troops still need more time, I'll call in some artillery fire." Ioras voice came.
Zeevka waited impatiently, sitting on his command chair, tapping his fingers annoyingly.
"Do you have to do that, sir?" asked gunner Chava annoyed.
"We are sitting here whil..." started Zeevka.
Vox buzzed.
"Lord, we are getting low on ammo and we have no direct fire to that position, however we can try to suppress them." came in artillery group leader Matan's voice.
"Understood, we need the coordinates, Zeevka do you have them?" said Ioras.
"Negative, sir. Our range finders does not scan that far." replied Zeevka.
"Lord Astartes, I can find the range if need be." came in the whizzing voice of Nuzilliad.
"How are you to do that?" asked Ioras.
"I require the data on bombardment drop angle, so that I can triangulate the estimated position of origin with plus-minus 10 metres error at most." replied the Enginseer.
"How are you to acquire the data?" asked Ioras confused.
"I need to see the explosions." answered Nuzilliad in a expecting tone as if he was unsure how his first explanation was not understood.
"We have a new batch incoming." said Zeevka as he heard the muffled thudding of mortar fire inside his sealed hatch.
Nuzilliad's chimera ride forward and stopped behind the Benet Strike.
Enginseer rose through the hatch and watched as the mortar shells landing ahead with nothing resembling accuracy.
He dropped inside immediately and bowed his head in calculation-prayers as his mindless servitors watched him in the dim hold.
"Seven degrees to the ten, radius five-zero. Shell mass of one-seven-eight of the sacred kilogroth. Drop distance of seven-beta-o metrinath." he intoned as his internal sub-cogitator embedded in his remaining brain calculated the humanly impossible measurement.
"Officer of artillery, fire on these coordinates." he said relaying a binary code stream.
"Got it." replied Matan as his hand-held pict display pinpointed the enemy position.
"Adjust the angle four clicks up, seven to the side." he ordered his men.
They loaded up the gun.
"Fire." he dropped his hand and six basilisks fired simultaneously.
Distant explosions rose, the aim was horrible but still far better than firing blind.
"I hope that hit somebody." said Zeevka.
"Infantry reports all ready, commander. Invade and destroy." ordered Ioras.
Men and machine moved against the trenches held by hundreds of Orks. There were no quarter. No respite. Opening scenes of the battle kept everyone on edge. Tanks broke over the trenches spewing fire from their guns. Blowing apart Ork defenders. Naphtali Infantry charged forwards wanting to grab the precious cover laid down before them.
Ork fire broke through the day like a thousand lightning cracking all around them.
Ork trenchers had dug at the secondary trenches, they left the first one to be pounded by the Imperial artillery. But even then they were well entrenched in the second line, so well that it would take bloody hand to hand fighting to root them out.
A day of blood awaits. A day of death.
"Run to the trenches!" roared Aaron leading a hundred Bridagier forward. Fire rippled through their ranks dropping a dozen to the ground.
A bullet whizzed over his head. Naphtali infantrymen beside him wasn't so lucky. Four bullets ripped through his body. His neck blew and meat lobbed aside still clinging to the bloody throat. The men choked as he clutched helplessly to the wound at the side of his face. He collapsed a second later.
"Go! Go! Don't sto..." and explosion rocked around him and he had fallen down.
"Mortars!" roared someone on the vox.
Benet Strike returned fire three Leman russ battle cannos roaring in unison. Orks blew apart in their trenches.
In the distance great columns of dust rose as the artillery provided indirect fire at the Ork lines.
Aaron got up.
"We have arrived the trenches, encountering light resistance." cut in Malik's voice.
"Charge for His name! In the glory you shall bask! Fight for His throne! For Terra! For the Emperor!" Aaron heard the Commissar roar on the vox-general frequency.
"For the Emperor!" he gritted his teeth and pushed himself to his feet.
"Charge!" he roared as he led his command squad onwards.
Bullet whizzed around them, just a few metres left to the first trenches.
"Come on." he said through gritted teeth as he sprinted.
Some of his men burst lasbolts from the hip as they ran.
He saw the gap and jumped, landing hard on his chest into the trench.
Naphtali behind him didn't reach the trenches. Dakka ripped into his body and he convulsed violently in shock. He fall with his teeth gritted blood pouring between them, he had torn his tongue as the immense pain struck him.
"Return fire, rip those beasts apart!" Aaron roared raising his lasgun.
He aimed and took several shots, vaporising an Ork in the head.
"He have heavy resistance here." came in Hilaa's voice over the gunfire.
It felt like an echo as the air was thick with dakka fire.
He loosed several more shots and dropped another Ork.
Both sides were in the trenches and had good cover.
Aaron spotted another head sticking out from the trenches and fired.
Ork's helmet was hit and he was dropped back but Aaron knew it wasn't a kill.
In response several dozen shots landed around his position.
He ducked and leaned on the trench wall waiting for the fire to subside.
Beside him two of the Naphtali were taking pot-shots at the Ork line.
"Don't fire when you don't see. You're giving away your position, do you want them to lob grenades here?" he roared at them.
The men stopped firing.
"In His image we are made and for our devotion we are here! This is His war and we are his soldiers!" crackled vox with Ibrak's voice.
Aaron gritted his teeth in anger, this was being harder than they thought.
"Grenade!" he heard a shout few metres down the trench.
Naphtali guardsmen didn't react fast and the grenade went off inside the trench. Four guardsmen blew in the close blast and died immediately, flesh ripping and limbs flying around. Two more was grievously wounded. One was unconscious but the other screamed in pain holding his ripped leg. Bone was showing as he clutched to the bloody limb.
Aaron rose and loosed two more shots, dropping a grot firing his pistol.
He crouched back and glanced towards the dead guardsmen.
The trench was filled with another group of guardsmen already but among the fighting men was another figure.
"Zev? Zev!" shouted Aaron.
Junior Medic Zev had knelt beside the screaming guardsmen trying to stop the bleeding from the leg.
Zev wasn't hearing Aaron or didn't want to so Aaron sprinted over to him holding his helmet in place with one hand.
He took cover in the trench wall beside a lower section which provided a good firing position without the need to elevate oneself.
"What are you doing here? This is the frontline." he said.
"So? Naphtali needs me here, so I am." Zev replied while circling a tourniquet to the leg. The guardsmen he was attending had already passed out from pain.
"You can't leave now anyway." reflected Aaron to the situation.
He turned and fired over his iron sights into a shoota boy's head blowing it as the Ork tried to take cover.
Artillery fire landed the distant echoing their destruction.
"We are pushing in!" came in Roi's voice.
"Go for it, we will be there shortly." replied Aaron.
"We are pinned here, requesting tank support." came in Hilaa's voice over the general-vox.
"Assisting infantry, keep formation." said Zeevka.
Aaron could see the tanks turn their turrets as they stayed in the vedge formation.
Three battle cannons roared and dust rose from the Ork trenches.
"Good shot, good shot." came in Hilaa's voice.
"Moving ahead." reported Zeevka.
"Colonel our forced are advancing." reported Aaron.
Old colonel's voice came in echoing from the confined space of the Chimera cargo hold.
"Affirmative, Captain. Charge ahead, we are not to deploy yet so keep your men alive." Ibrahim said.
Colonel and his armoured fist group was keeping themselves in reserve to deploy against anything unexpected.
Aaron loosed two more shots and saw the Ork numbers were thinning.
Las-bolts and dakka fire exchanged over the trench but the Ork shoota fire was dimming with every passing second.
The massed number of the guardsmen had quenched the defenders one by one.
Lives of the guardsmen in exchange for land.
"Imperium's blood." roared Aaron and his command squad replied in kind.
Heavy weapon squads had also arrived but weren't deploying to this outer trench. Their assistance would be most helpful when the encountered the real opposition ahead.
"If these trenches were considered empty I don't know what we are to expect up ahead." said his guardsmen carrying the vox.
Zev had stabilized the guardsmen and had his laspistol in hand.
Aaron heard Hilaa's division charging over the no man's land. He heard many guardsmen jerk backwards as bullets entered their flesh. Several just collapsed as their lives ended instantly.
"Thank the Emperor they don't have advanced weaponry." Aaron commented on the carnage.
"Now what?" said one guardsmen.
Aaron used his magnoculars to look ahead then ducked back.
He rose his lasgun holding it one hand below the barrel.
"Charge over and invade!" he roared.
He was the first one up at the trenches and was gunning as he ran.
His guardsmen followed in his heels not wanting to leave their Captain alone. Some where even ashamed for their thoughts of safety and rest and sprinted more eagerly.
Several younger Naphtali had passed Aaron.
One boy, aged seventeen fallen face first, his leg taking a bullet in.
Flashing Ork shootas threw whizzing bullets around the charging guardsmen and rose puffs of dust from the ground where they fell.
Aaron was over the secondary trench now and had came face to face with a surviving Ork shootaboy. He burst fired his lasgun onto his face and watched him fall from the elevated firing position and onto the dirt.
He overcame his shock and jumped down into the trench.
A second later a dozen bodies landed around him, the guardsmen had caught up with him.
Aaron shouldered the trench wall and started firing.
Single dakka round glanced off his helmet and knocked it behind.
His neck hurt under the impact and he knelt.
"You hurt?" came in Zev asking.
"No, go away." Aaron said.
"Just asking." Zev said moving away.
"Wait! Why did you came to this trench, are you mad?" asked Aaron realising the medic's presence.
"Maybe I am, after what you did." Zev replied.
"That again. Not the best time." said Aaron.
He gritted his teeth and rose his head without a helmet over the trench to fire at the Orks. He manage to hit one on the shoulder and prevented him from firing at the still coming Naphtali.
He quickly crouched back to avoid his death.
Dakka fire threw dirt over his head ripping it apart above his position. He sat on his butt trying to minimize himself, a lucky shot could break through the dirt and cause needless injury.
The youngest of his command squad came beside him walking in the lowered section of the trench and safe from the gunfire. He had Aaron's helmet in one hand and his lasgun in the other.
"Thanks, Abe" he said.
Abe nodded and took cover beside him.
Aaron looked at Zev but he was already leaving.
"I said I'm sorry!" he shouted behind him.
Zev flipped him without looking as he disappeared at the trench corner.
Aaron donned his helmet and rose again, looking through his magnoculars.
"Waves of Naphtal." he gasped as he saw the armoured emplacement ahead of the tertiary trenchline.
Orks had armoured gun positions and even crude cannons in place. The trenches also had razor wire and tank traps.
He passed the magnoculars to Abe as he dropped back.
"That's one damn good position." Abe commented.
Aaron got the magnocular back and signalled to vox operator Zusman to come.
Zusman came over to them in a hunched position, his long radio antenna swinging from side to side with each step.
Aaron grabbed his long range comms, he needed clear signal for these commands.
"Hilaa, Roi. We have heavily defended and armoured positions up ahead, form your units into tight storm squads, otherwise this would be short battle." he ordered.
"Affirmative." came in Hilaa's voice.
"We are fine here but will do." said Roi.
"Doing fine how?" asked Aaron.
"These Balharethi have a way with them. You should have seen this." Roi replied.
"Just don't get carried away." warned Aaron.
He was curious as how the Raiders were faring against the Orks.
They were cowards and thieves in his opinion, but they also had a feeling of strength about their character, somesort of oblivious certainty that the Naphtali lacked.
Malik loosed off a dozen rounds at the Ork line with his pistols, dropping one grot and wounding an Ork that was trying to lob a stikkbomb to their trenches.
"Pin them!" he roared at his men.
Twenty autoguns went off simultaneously, ripping at the Ork position rising dust and causing minor casualties.
However the real deal was the Balharethi Qurmen running over the trenches at the Ork position while carrying the make-shift satchel charge.
Qurmen Raider was young and scared, he was unsure of his involvement with this deal but his honour and terror of his own kin solidified his decision. If he turned back now his own kinsmen were sure to kill him outright if the Orks did not first.
Still being on the no-man's-lan with an explosive satchel in your hand wasn't the best position to be in so he hurried his ass off like he was on fire.
Balharethi autogun fire created a rain of rounds at the Ork position.
The Orks were pinned and the ones tried to shoot at the 'volunteer' was shot dead as Malik picked them with his pistols.
Alexis was beside him firing in short bursts at the same position Malik is firing to make certain of a kill.
Their mass attacks were somehow effective, lacking any accuracy or elegance.
Roi was amazed at how blunt but useful the Balharethi tactics were, he was also shocked at how little they regarded the live of their 'volunteer' as the Qurmen fired their autoguns at full auto.
Volunteer Qurmen lobbed the satchel into the Ork trench and jumped away from the trench flat onto the ground, he embedded in head onto the dust and grabbed it with his arms.
Second later a huge explosion roared all around the Ork trench as the satchel poured burning promethium all over the trench.
Qurmen was already crawling to the Balharethi side away from the flaming fury behind him, his face white with fear.
"Make another satchel, we got more trenches to cleanse!" shouted Malik at his Qurmen.
"I have never seen anything like this." said the Naphtali sergeant Roi Shachar.
"Don't be amazed yet, we got more cards to reveal." grinned Malik.
His men grabbed another full prometheum tank fit for a flamer and strapped it into a frag grenade. The also taped in several caltrops around the flamer tank to make sure the Orks trying to throw back the satchel have problems.
"Nice job, Erhan!" shouted Malik with a grin on his face to the returning volunteer Qurmen.
"Majd Alkarim!" said Erhan his face covered with black dirt. Several Qurmen padded him on the back.
"You're a men now." one Qurmen said slapping him on nape joyously.
"You have done your duty, now I need another volunteer." shouted Malik looking around.
He spotted one guy he didn't like in the crowd of Balharethi.
"You, Amed, come here." he called.
Amed had no choice but to obey. Otherwise would made him a dishonoured coward.
As Amed was given the crude makeshift satchel charge, Malik turned to Roi.
"Even among the Raiders there is honour, Naphtali. It's just more crooked than your soft-life version." he grinned.
He turned and the Balharethi charged over the trenches and into the still rising black smoke of the trench.
"Rise up ya gitz!" Makog roared kicking one of the shoota boys in the leg.
"Rise an shoot at dem humies." he pointed at the dark-blue wearing humans charging at the secondary trenches.
His mob was pinned by the artillery fire and didn't wanted to get up, while Agrof's mob was firing at the human's and scoring many kills.
"Ya grot-thingz! Iz said get up an shoot yer dakkas." he roared.
He burst fired his dakka onto the face on a nearby grot, killing the screeching creature.
Sadly Makog wasn't big enough to rally his mob but he still knew tricks.
"If ya don't fire on dem guard-boyz, Iz tell the lot dat you mob are pink-flesh, not fit to be Ork n propa." he shouted.
"Ya talk zog, Makog." shouted Gozok at him one of his shootaboy.
"I ain da un cowerin like grots, Gozok." he countered and rose up the trenches to fire at Naphtali.
He satisfied himself as one of the young guardsmen caught several of his dakka and crumpled forward.
A lasbolt flashed beside his head and he dropped at the trenches.
Agrof's mob was still firing at the humans, he saw three more guardsmen got killed by Agrof's fire.
"Dat Agrof's boyz are more killa than ya gitz." Makog shouted firing again, killing a female guardsmen this time.
"Iz shot meself a girly-un." he boasted.
Other boyz overcame their fear with the eagerness to kill and make noise with their shootas.
Korgo came beside Makog, placing his big shoota at the trench wall.
He didn't even aimed it but pulled the trigger.
The weapon roared violently as it spewed out rounds without any accuracy or a care for accuracy.
"Dakka Dakka Dakka Dakka." repeated Korgo as his big shoota threw out spent cartridges all over them.
One casing landed on Makog and burned his cheek.
"Oi! Care where da shoota goes." he said.
His main concern wasn't the casing but his inability to outdo the shootiness of Korgo with his puny shoota.
Korgo ignored him still firing.
Makog fired a burst at the Naphtali, wounding one inside the trenches.
All around him shoota boyz had rose to fire at the Imperials.
The roar of the shootas were proper but still not enough, if there were not enough shootas then there would be no victory for the Orks.
Makog's taste for proper victory came over his jealousy of Korgo and he instinctively felt the urge to lead his mob.
"Gather ya gitz, fire at dem humies in da same place, see dem many-boyz? Fire at dem. Dakka dakka dakka!" he fired his shoota and several other boyz joined their fire at the same spot.
Three Naphtali died from the fire and others were pinned. One Naphtali who was trying to lob over a frag got a dakka round in his arm and dropped the live frag inside the trench.
An explosion rose and the Orks cheered on at the mayhem they were causing.
Makog's mob was almost as shootier as Agrof and it made him proud.
Gozog got hit in the ear but shrugged off the pain.
"Keep it at dem, boyz!" roared Makog.
Far to their left were the human armour rolling forward. A trio of them fired their huge guns and the leftward trench exploded outwards.
Makog decided that it must have killed many boyz but it wasn't his so he cared little.
He ducked under a hail of lasbolts and rose up again to return fire.
With each passing second more pinned Orks grab the courage and joined in on the shooting.
Agrof's boyz were more numerous than Makog's so their noise was more loud.
Human artillery wasn't able to shoot them this far but the still fired to cause some harm at the Orks.
"'oomans have more dakka than us, boss." squealed a gretchin as he loosed off an entire clip at the humans from his crude handmade revolver.
Makog didn't know who the heck was this gretchin but he had an orky respect for him, being in the front and fighting like a good and proper Ork.
"Dem shootas make shiny dakka n silent, we make more dakka wif da noise." reflected Makog, obviously the Ork guns were superior to the puny and silent human guns.
"Small humie guns make noise like sickling grots." laughed Korgo well pleased with his big shoota still firing.
His laugh cut short as he fired the last of his dakka and his big shoota fell silent.
"Zog it, me dakka is gone. Ya grot grab me dem ammo." he pointed at the nearby ammo crate.
"Yus, boss. Zugub fetch da ammo fer ye, boss." squealed grot and brought Korgo several heavy ammo packs, dropping one as he overburdened himself with the ammo.
Korgo slammed a fresh one into his shoota and grinned.
"Now dis firin good an propa." he turned and opened fire at the guardsmen without pause.
Benet Strike roared forwards, cruising over the trenches. Duty Unending blew apart an Ork hard-position with it's turret gun.
Behind them Orks were still alive in the trenches but they rose to find more tanks coming.
Iron Yoodan was specific anti-infantry group, Promised Home led by Sergeant Liorit and Unbroken Faith scattered the Orks with their frontal heavy bolters. Never Ending led by the crazy tank commander Hadar burned the Orks inside their trenches with it's frontal heavy flamer.
Zeevka could hear the crew of Never Ending roar in their tank as they inhaled the burned Ork flesh with a sick satisfaction.
"Damned maniacs." commented Zeevka.
"Keep it silent, Never Ending." came in Liorit's harsh voice.
"Yes, Ma'am." roared Hadar over the vox, his eagerness was bleeding off his voice.
Duty Unending's frontal gunner Yoel fired the heavy bolter at a group of fleeing Orks cutting them down.
Land Afar came in to support the massacre with its sponson heavy bolters.
The spitting bolt rounds slew a dozen Orks and pinned another dozen.
Emperor's bridge fired it's battle cannon and blew the pinned Orks apart within the meagre covers.
"Benet Strike, ahead is cleared." reported Zeevka to the other tank groups.
"Understood, second infantry suffered heavy casualties, do we assist them?" asked Liorit.
"Let us roll in and scorch the alien to burning carcasses!" roared Hadar over the vox.
"No, do not break formation. Besides they're too close to the Orks. We can't suffer friendly fire." said Zeevka.
"Affirmative." came in Liorit's voice over the roaring tank engine.
Armour division continued to cut through the trenches and mowing down Orks they came across, secondary trenches were just ahead.
The fight had clogged at the secondary trenches. The trechline had vertical and horizontal tunnels forming it connecting the entire trench in a chaotic way.
"Frontal assault had reached the secondary trenches, sir. Reinforcing squads stayed behind at the first trenchline." reported vox operator Zusman.
They had huddle inside the trench as Ork gunfire landed around them. The trenches were so close that grenades had become a serious threat.
Moments ago one of Naphtali had failed in throwing his grenade as he got shot in the process and dropped the thing into the trench causing two deaths.
All guardsmen expected an Ork grenade to land near them and snapped at every thudding sound expecting it to be a live frag in their midst.
The terror of a surprise death was worse than the whizzing gunfire above their heads.
Armour division had also advanced and crushed the first of the trenches before them, scattering the Ork scouts hiding inside. Luckily the Orks had no apparent anti-armour capabilities but Lord Ioras advised caution against Ork infantry with possible explosives.
Ork were notorious to came up with unorthodox methods in warfare than one cannot prepare for.
Colonel Ibrahim's armoured fist squad consisting of four Chimeras packed with guardsmen waited near the tank division in response to any unexpected circumstances.
Hilaa's infantry charge had succeeded in capturing the secondary trenches although their casualties were high.
Aaron didn't heard from Roi or Malik for a long time and thought to prompt them.
"Roi, come in. Come in." he repeated pressing his vox-bead.
"Yes?" came in Roi's voice. There were clattering autogun fire at the background.
"How is the advance?" Aaron asked.
"We are at the secondary trench but the Orks are well dug in. Malik ordered his Captain, Gazam, to stay behind to prevent any flanking Orks."
"He is keeping him away from the fight." thought Aaron to himself. He had well observed the rivalry between the two Balharethi leaders.
"Keep cautious and let them encounter dangers first." warned Aaron.
"Affirmative." replied Roi.
Aaron cut the link and started checking his lasgun for defects.
"What's our casualties?" he asked as his hand scoured the rifle expertly.
"Fifty-five left behind, assuming casualties." replied Mosse the veteran.
Mosse was one of the few veterans among the Naphtali 62nd infantry. His regiment, the 631st Bridagiers had died out on some distant battlefield and the remaining Naphtali returned home battered and half-mad. Not mosse though. He returned silent and grown up. It was as if he had lost all emotions and replaced them with a solid block of ferrocrete.
Ork rounds flew over the heads and threw a piece of hard dirt on Mosses face.
Mosse rose over the trench and fired his grenade launcher directly at the Orks. Round exploded at the dirt but the explosion ripped the Ork's face to the bone. The dead body fell backwards into the trench.
"What was I saying?" Mosse asked casually.
"Fifty-five, is that correct?" asked Aaron.
"Plusminus five." replied Mosse.
"Waves! Fifty men just to get here." Aaron reflected.
"We still have this trenchline to clear out." said Mosse.
As they were talking shout rose among the ranks "Grenade!".
Everyone snapped their heads up in the air with the hope of spotting it.
A metallic shape landed on guardsmen Abe's helmet and bounced off it with a clink.
"Help!" shouted Abe frozen in fear.
Aaron was nearby and turned toward the young boy as quickly as he could.
They had mere seconds before a frag went off, an having made with horrible Ork technology maybe even less.
He had heard the clinking sound and his ears led him to the possible landing position of the grenade.
His eyes darted among the dirt to spot anything that looks like an explosive and they came to a rest on something else.
Aaron grabbed the thing and rose it so that everyone can see.
"It's-it's a..." he muttered.
"...pin." finished Mosse calmly.
Makog jumped away from the boy that was still holding the live frag stikkbomb in his hand.
He roared as he fell on his chest and bounced off the dirt floor as the frag went off behind him.
Shoota boy's upper body exploded violently showering around with gore as his lower body dangled dead onto the lower floor.
Makog jumped on his feet, his anger up.
"Ya gitz, I told ya to throw the uvver un!" he shouted at the mob.
"Dis un?" asked another shootaboy holding out an Imperial issue tin food canister.
"Das no splosive ya stoopid git." he punched the shootaboy in the head with the hope it would restore his intelligence.
Luckily no one else was dead other than the moron who misused the stikkbomb. Not that Makog cared about their fate but the mob might break if the number of boyz ran low.
"Throw in anuvver stikkbomb an dis time hold onto da pin an throw da otha part." he said reloading his shoota.
He rose up the trench and killed a Naphtali, his burst fire ripped apart the man's face.
Korgo's big shoota killed another Naphtali and wounded another.
A stray artillery round landed amids the distance right into trench where Agrof's mob were and blew apart Ork parts high into the air.
Makog grinned "Dis day still might turn out gud." he said as he killed another Naphtali with his shoota.
"Throw in a frag, kill those bastards!" shouted Aaron as he snap fired his lasgun, he missed an Ork by inches.
Abe scored a kill and cheered to himself.
An Ork grenade landed into the far left trench and exploded. Two guardsmen were killed in the explosion but four more filled their place and started firing at the Orks.
"Keep firing, shoot the ones with the grenades." ordered Aaron his voice high.
Zusman fired his lasgun shooting down on Ork.
Mosse rose and launched a frag from his grenade launcher killing two Orks.
"Diminish them." Aaron said.
"...by His name the eagle rises and our weapons roar in defiance to these Xenos scum..." Ibrak's voice came over Zusman's vox speaker.
"Easier to said than done." commented Mosse at Commissar's speech.
"Do not blaspheme." warned Zusman.
"Just saying, he isn't here with us in the trenches." said Mosse.
"Fair enough." agreed Zusman snapping several lasbolts towards the Orks, missing all.
Aaron saw one Ork trying to throw a frag to them and started blazing at him.
He manage to scare away the Ork but he still kept the grenade primed.
Ork decided to throw the frag indirectly and lobbed it high in the air, it travelled far and landed behind Aaron's position, exploding harmlessly in no-man's-land.
"Shift positions, they know where we are." Aaron said.
Four of them moved along the trench and came upon a six men squad.
"Where is sergeant Meyer?" Aaron asked.
One of the guardsmen pointed at the bloody carcass on the dirt floor.
Aaron put a hand over his mouth as not to vomit, sergeant Meyer was in several pieces and his guts laid over the mound.
"We hole up here, these men need our help." said Aaron and his command squad took cover around the possible firing positions.
Abe and Zusman snapped several rounds over the trench as Mosse reloaded his grenade launcher and fire it indirect over the trench.
A thud came a second later.
"There is a heavy gunner out there, it's spitting fire at us!" cried Abe over the din of gunfire.
Aaron ran to the otherside of the trench and spied from a cracked piece of metal, trying to hide is presence.
He saw an Ork firing a bigger gun than usual.
He laid his lasgun on the metal and aimed it as best as he could, then took the shot.
Lasbolt hit the Ork right in the cheek and dropped him backward, stopping his relentless fire.
A fresh squad of guardsmen had arrived at the trench from a nearby overcrowded trench.
Aaron went beside the newly arrived sergeant "Meshul" called Aaron recognizing the sergeant.
"Reporting in, Captain." said Sergeant Meshul as his men dispersed into firing positions.
"Meyer is gone, take these men under your command." he said.
"Yes, Captain." Meshul said looking at the leftovers from the squad.
"Zusman, patch me to the mortar squads." ordered Aaron.
"Patching." replied Zusman and keyed in the frequence codes into his vox dial, then held out the wired vox bead at Aaron.
Aaron grabbed the bead "This is Aaron, what's your status, report." he called.
"This is Aliza, reporting for the mortar teams, we have deployed in the first trench and waiting orders." she said.
"Fire a salvo over the second trench we may scare the Orks out of their trenches, make sure you do not hit us." Aaron said.
"Affirmative." came in Aliza's voice.
Few seconds have passed and Aaron held his breath. A wrong calculation might deliver a mortar shell into their midst but he it was the easiest way to lure out the greenskins.
He wasn't going to ram his guardsmen at the Ork trenches with that many Orks in it.
Thuds of mortar was heard and the whooshing shells landed far deep into the trenches exploding dirt up high.
"Long missed. Cease fire." said Aaron into the bead and dropped it.
He jumped at the trench to see if the Orks were routing or not.
They were not.
"It has to get bloody isn't it." Aaron said to himself letting out a resigned breath.
"Ya gonna be fine." said Makog dragging Korgo.
Korgo still held onto his big shoota not wanting someone else to steal it while he was out.
His cheek had fused in from the las-blast but other than that he was fine.
Makog let go off the shootaboy as the gretchin came back with bandage.
"Did what ya want, boss?" gretchin asked
"Yus, giv 'ere." Makog grabbed the bandage and dropped it on Korgo.
"Patch yerself up, Korgo. Is justa fleshy wound" he said tapping the Ork in the head.
He turned to the tiny gretchin "Ya iz quite useful, whaddaya called?" he asked.
"Zugub, boss, Zugub." repeated Zugub a second time as if the Ork would missed the first one.
"Ya my personal slave now, Zugub." said Makog.
"Yus, boss." replied Zugub.
Korgo was already on his feet.
Gozok ran at the trio, his face not pleased.
"'is comin, 'is comin." he said flailing his arms.
"Whos comin? 'umies?" asked Makog snapping his shoota up as if in response.
"Nah ya git, Agrof is comin. 'im an 'is mob." said Gozok.
"'ow many?" asked Makog.
"Um...un...fo..free...um." Gozok counted his fingers.
"Well? Today!" shouted Makog.
"Dere be lotz ov boyz wif 'im. Lotz o boyz." concluded Gozok.
"Lotz? Des no good fing to 'ear." brooded Makog.
Their talk cut short as four shootaboyz came striding into the trench with their shootas raised.
"Yer Makog?" one asked.
"Aye, wassit to ye?" asked Makog defiantly brandishing his own shoota.
Korgo also had his big shoota pointed at the newcomers.
Even Zugub had his revolver in the ready.
"Boss Agrof wants ye at his...um...uhm...wha was dat word again?" asked the shoota boy turning to the one on his left.
"Pressunsh." replied the one spoken to.
"Nah ya git, itz pressuns." said the one on the right.
"Whaever" dismissed the middle Ork.
"Ye come wif us to Boss Agrof or we shoot ya good." he threatened.
Makog wasn't taken aback, threats were the 'kindly asking' version of the Orkoid society.
"Fine, we go den." said Makog and followed the boyz on.
"There is more Orks coming in." warned a guardsmen from nearby.
"Keep firing, level their numbers down." ordered Aaron snapping several lasbolts.
Mosse fired his grenade launcher again, killing two Orks with one shot.
"Lucky." he commented.
Abe was able to pick off one Ork with his lasguns and ducked as a round near missed his head by an inch.
"Roaring waves, there is too many." he said.
"Keep your heart up, boy. We aren't done yet." Aaron said grabbing Zusman's vox bead again.
They pushed Makog towards Agrof and he fell down on his knees.
He looked up the huge Ork rising his gaze.
"Hah! Ya git look punier n smaller when close." mocked Agrof, kicking Makog in the belly.
Makog toppled over holding out his stomach.
Agrof put out a feet on Makog's head.
Korgo, Gozok and Zugub was frozen solid, accepting the bigger, badder Ork as the dominant one.
"Ya puny, Makog." Agrof insulted.
"Me boyz killed many blue-humies. Dey re now scared runnin. Many lay def unda my feet." Agrof boasted.
Makog tried to rise but Agrof pushed down his feet and locked him in place.
"Dis ere mob is mine for da takin. But Iz gonna let ya live. Iz just take too much fun from yer puny live." Agrof said kicking Makog in the chin.
Makog's vision darkened as his entire skull shook under the impact.
Agrof laughed as Makog crawled in the dirt trying to rise.
"Ya should av been a krawlinboy." Agrof laughed and the mob laughed with him.
Even Korgo and Gozok was laughing.
Zugub was too scared to laugh.
"Youz gonna pay fer dis, ya 'uge git." whispered Makog to himself as he crawled away from Agrof, blood pouring out from his broken teeth.
"Salvo, fire!" ordered Aaron and mortar squads lobbed shells over the trenches.
Aaron saw Ork parts flying as the mortar fire landed right on it's mark.
"Die you green-scum." shouted Abe as Ork screams came from the trench.
"Over the line! Go!" shouted Aaron as he grabbed a solid rock to pull himself over the trench.
Naphtali followed him onto the trenchline and towards the Ork filled trenches.
Luckily the Orks were too dazed by the attack and only some manage to fire on the charging Naphtali.
Mosse found several Orks huddled together and fired his grenade launcher right in the middle.
Orks were torn apart, a blown arm flew far while the rest of the bloody corpses fell around in a circle.
Aaron burst fired his lasguns at a nearby Ork and killed it.
There were still many orks but more guardsmen.
An entire squad of guardsmen charged down into the trench, bayonets raised.
They started hacking at the downed Orks.
One Ork manage to get up and chop down a guardsmen, the men screamed in pain as his arm split open.
His friends shot the Ork at point blank range and dropped it.
"Kill them all!" shouted Aaron stabbing a shootaboy in the neck. Ork gurgled as his blood filled his airpipe, but the beast was not done yet.
Ork swung his choppa around but missed Aaron.
Aaron stabbed down again this time aiming for the eye. He missed.
Bayonet went into the Ork's cheek toring a piece of meat.
Ork head butted Aaron's chest and a bloody smear sprawled on his flak vest.
He was pushed backwards under the impact but manage to stay upright.
He fired two rounds into the Orks chest and that finally got him.
Ork stayed dead as Aaron looked on, half expecting it to rise again.
Beside him a choppa missed Abe's head by a hair's breath, scratching his flesh. Blood poured beside the young men's head as capillary veins poured blood.
Abe felt the hot blood covering his cold sweaty skin and shrieked in terror, imagining he was horribly wounded despite it being a flesh wound.
"Help!" he shouted as he put a hand over the side of his head.
Mosse was nearby finished stabbing an Ork to death with his combat knife. He lunged at the Ork and slashed it's arm with his bloodied knife.
Ork didn't even register the cut but was aware of the presence of the new opponent. It swung backwards with the choppa poorly. Clearly this Ork was not well versed in close combat and just went on pure instinct.
"Thank the Emperor for that." thought Mosse and tried to stab again.
Ork caught the blade mid air and shouldered into Mosse. Despite his strength the Ork was more powerful than him and easily toppled him over.
Abe was behind them shaking in fear looking at his blood covered hand.
Aaron reached them and loosed a bolt into the Ork's tight, trying to slow it down.
Mosse was on ground and raised his combat knife in a defensive hold.
"You're okay, grab your gun and fire at it." shouted Aaron at Abe.
"I-I-" muttered Abe looking around numbly, cold sweat showered at his back and he felt a tingling horror rise in his guts as he felt his own blood pouring out.
Aaron shot the Ork again in the back and manage to wound it, Ork jerked backwards and tried to reach at his wound as a reflex.
Mosse was up and punched the Ork in the eye with the butt of his knife.
Ork roared in more pain, but it also got angry.
Nearby a shoota boy was up and took aim towards the group.
"Duck!" shouted Aaron shouldering Abe into a crouch.
Shootaboy spurt out random fire on full auto, swinging the gun from one side to another.
A bullet landed right beside Aaron's head and exploded out dust onto his eyes.
"Damn it!" he said as trying to get rid of the dust.
Two bullets the Ork, one in the leg and another at the side of his torso. Shootaboy toppled and Mosse jumped beside it trying to survive through the hail of dakka.
"Die, 'uminz." shouted the shootaboy as he fired around.
The next batch of guardsmen had arrived and started blazing at the shootaboy, finally killing it after five hits.
Mosse rose atop the downed shootaboy beside him and started hacking down, again and again.
After half a minute of stabbing Mosse let go off the corpse.
"Warped Xenos is sturdy." he said letting himself rest and catch his breath.
Agrof grabbed one human and crushed it's skull with a swing from his choppa.
He had two bodyguard shootaboyz beside him, blazing away at the oncoming guardsmen.
Shootaboyz killed four guardsmen that try to charge at the Ork leader.
Agrof had a slugga in hand and pumped several dakka into a nearby guardsmen.
"Shoot dem deaf!" he roared as the gunfire roared around him.
Several guardsmen were taking cover behind the rocks.
Three shootaboyz appeared from the trench and started shooting at the guardsmen.
One guardsmen had a plasma gun with him and shot two shootaboyz dead.
Agrof seen the danger and hid behind one of his bodyguard.
Guardsmen rose again from cover and pumped another plasma bolt into one of Agrof's bodyguards.
Agrof loosed off his slugga and wounded the guardsmen.
Seeing the a female guardsmen ran towards the downed guardsmen and grabbed his plasma gun.
She dived into cover and avoided death from the shoota fire.
"Kill 'er, kill 'er." shouted Agrof's last remaining bodyguard.
She rose and shot the bodyguard through the chest, Ork roared in pain as he died.
Smoke rose from his dead mouth as his lungs burned inside his body.
"Dank gobberz." swore Agrof as he took cover behind a wooden crate with lots of stuff in it.
Guardswomen with the plasma gun rose again and pulled the trigger.
Plasma gun went hot and poured a thousand degree ionized air onto her face.
Guardswomen didn't had time to scream as her face melted in and her brain boiled from her facial orifices.
Her hair burned in the blink and she collapsed, chest, face and shoulders fused into a burned meat slab.
"Hah! Stoopid 'oomans an deir gunz." laughed Agrof as he rose from cover.
He walked towards his dead bodyguards, wanting to arm himself with their shootas.
He grabbed one and looked it over.
"Ifs broken." he concluded dropping it to the floor.
He took the other one and felt satisfied when saw it was in proper condition. He was leaving as a figure rose over the trenches.
"Oi, tossa!" figure yelled at him.
Agrof glanced upwards and froze in place when he saw Makog with a mortar shell in his hand.
"Krawl dis." said Makog and threw the shell to Agrof.
Shell hit Agrof in the leg and exploded, blowing his legs apart and spilling his guts around. His torn upper body bounced off the trench and fallen face first onto the trench floor.
Makog dived away from the blast, he rose to look at the carnage and felt pleasure pouring over him when he saw the torn body of Agrof.
"Youz still alive ya git?" he shouted at Agrof.
Agrof moved in response. He was in so much pain but still lived and remained concious.
Makog jumped down and reached to grab a shoota.
He placed the muzzle on Agrof's head and said "Dakka."
Akgofs brain blew all over the floor and Makog rose the shoota to his shoulder, pleased with himself.
His joy was cut short when he saw more Naphtali charging at his position.
Three full squads of guardsmen were coming at him, guns blazing.
Makog broke into a run and turned a corner as a launcher grenade blew the trench apart.
"Dem humie gitz." he swore as he ran.
He came to another trench where shootaboyz were fighting in brutal melee with more guardsmen.
Humans outnumbered the Orks but the brutal Orks were clearly winning.
Makog shot two guardsmen on full auto along with a boy who was wounded.
He realised that some of his former boyz were among the crowd.
He needed to rally them so they could mob up.
Another burst of shoota saw a guardsmen dead.
He moved through the corpses as a female guardsmen appeared before him.
She raised her lasgun and pulled the trigger.
Human weapon didn't fire, she looked at the weapon in fear and tried to reload it but Makog moved closer and knocked the lasgun from her hands.
She fall on her knees with tears in her eyes and reached up a hand "Please." she begged for mercy.
Makog brought down the butt of his shoota down on her face and cracked her nasals.
Her face caved in but she was still alive, her mouth open, moaning in pain.
He slammed her again and felt the brain oozing out of her shattered skull.
She fell down and stayed still.
"Iz hate nuffin more than da quittaz." he commented and moved ahead to rally his mob.
+++More horrible story related art on my blog and on my deviantart page(yes my cancer spreads)+++
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l-a-m-b-d-a-g-o-d-.-b-l-o-g-s-p-o-t-.-c-o-m