Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Iron Cross. Enjoy the 2100-word chapter. I do not own Warhammer, Gameshop does.
They looked through their visors at the group of soldiers. There were plenty of multicolored soldiers…. Plenty of these Covenant soldiers.
They also appeared to have a base here, a purple structure rising into the sky with gun turrets and floating buildings…. He could even see plenty of soldiers milling around.
"We need to punch a hole into that doorway at the bottom. Then and only then will we be able to secure what it is the Xenos desire." Halius stated.
"Why do we not attack now?" Halius heard as he sighed.
"I figured I had let you notice something…. See the one in silver armor? He is their boss." Forge stated.
Halius focused on the wave of soldiers, scanning through them, interested in only one with silver armor.
He spotted him at the bottom of dozens of Xenos, barking orders and pushing soldiers out of the way.
"He leads with no ability to inspire his men," Halius stated. "Sergeant…. Forge, was it?" Halius asked.
"Yep," Forge stated.
"What do you propose we do?" Halius asked.
"Brother, do not ask…" The marine next to him stated as Halius finally removed his helmet.
What greeted Forge was not someone young, he looked semi-young but had the gruff of a soldier who had seen combat. The soldier looked to have 2 deep scars on either side of his chin.
"You know this enemy better than we do… How do you propose we face them without losing a massive number? I will not throw lives away to win…. Nor should you, brother." Halius stated, looking at the other Ultramarine with a scowl and Forge with another look.
"They got some supply lines they are trying to keep secret behind the base…. The boss thinks if we break that…." Forge stated.
"We distract them…. Hmm, I have an idea now." Halius stated before putting his helmet over his head.
He would not be willing to throw lives away, not for a small victory like this… Yet? It was clear in orbit things were very interesting now.
He had been tired for now as he looked to the ground. Whatever he could and should have done? There were many things to do, many which needed to be done and even plenty that needed to be completed for now, even then? He could not shake the idea something wrong would happen.
Wrong as in the worst idea…. Even as he repeated them, wishing only to fix it in the best way possible Whatever foul magics needed to be done and whatever monsters needed to be killed? It would be harder to deal with than before.
Even if it could be believed? It could not easily be done or dusted either… It had to be fixed and it had to be now, whatever came next would be horrid but they would face it united and he had no desire not to go down swinging.
He looked down upon the rows and rows of the covenant before the roar of some sort of weapon cut them off. A weapon that made them leap from the ridge.
A plasma round slammed into the ridge as they leaped down, Halius looking at the ridge before motioning to his brothers to attack as he donned his helmet.
There was already the clack of weapons fire as the UNSC marines opened fire, a grunt here or a jackal there falling as Halius sighed.
"Guess it is a standard assault…. Direct your men, I will deal with the covenant." Halius stated. "Brother, do not downplay the warriors…. We fight and bleed the same, I will gladly remind you that." Halius stated before popping up.
He unloaded his bolter on the groups of Xenos, watching as one or two at a time fell. While standing out in the open was a fool's tactic? There were plenty more of these Xenos to go and he could tell so.
The Ultramarines joined the UNSC a second later, firing their bolters in steady streams as covenant soldier after soldier continued to collapse into the snow.
"Advance!" Halius heard as he sighed.
"So begins the slaughter…" Halius muttered before he leaped into the snow.
Plasma fire and some sort of thin needle-like objects flew up at the Astartes and UNSC troops. Some of the Astartes withdrew objects attached to their forearms which activated with a flicker.
Combat shields, overlapping them to form a wall of solid plasteel which the plasma tried to burn into.
Halius watched as over a dozen of the Elites all drew swords…. No, half of them did. They craved a warrior's death against the UNSC and judging by how they seemed to charge the Ultramarines? Wanted to die fighting Astartes.
Halius drew his chain sword. If they wanted a warrior's death? He would send them to it.
The marines quickly fell into line behind the soldiers, pumping bullets into jackals and grunts the second they could.
Halius stabbed through an azure elite, putting a hole through them as he used his bolter pistol to gun down another. He watched as a squad of UNSC marines tried to push past him…. Only for a group of elites to try and gun them down.
Halius snorted before gripping a boulder and then leaped in front of the marines, he held up the boulder, blocking the barrage of gunfire.
"Thanks." One of the marines stated.
"Cover me," Halius stated with a respectful nod.
They nodded, raising their assault rifles, and adding their fire to the volume of fire.
Halius leaped and rolled from boulder to boulder, pausing to look at them only for more firepower to be poured in his direction. He sighed as he shook his head, juggling a pair of grenades in his hands as he did so.
He hummed and then tossed them both, pulling the pins on both grenades as he did so. The explosions showered the ground with bits of alien meat and charred flesh.
He hummed and looked at them, questioning what had been going on. Whatever it was? There was nothing here stopping him from doing something now.
He had been willing to figure out what was going on now… He looked back to see them starting to falter only for an elite to leap at him.
He reached out, slitting its throat with his knife and dropping it for now. He had held it to be too interesting as of now.
"They retreat, push the Xenos back!" He heard as he nodded before rising to greet them.
They retreated slowly despite Elite after elite falling. It was clear they were determined to die in this place rather than give it to them. It only furthered the questions on his mind, why were they willing to die over this structure?
Was it perhaps a fuel depot? A base? A weapon? He did not know…. But he felt he would either way if he had his chance to.
Halius watched as the groups seemed to melt back into the base, the sound of gunfire and bolters told him this battle was far from over.
Still? He knew they were starting a step closer to it.
(Above in Orbit)
Despite the fact, the Covenant was shown to be inferior to the fleet? He would give them the credit they fought with guts.
The crack of their nova cannons could be heard as 8 Covenant Cruisers engaged the UNSC and Astartes fleet.
"Continue to hammer those cruisers, do not give them a chance to regroup…. Destroy their destroyer." Their captain stated.
They held their own as cannon blasts and plasma created spears, streaking lines across the atmosphere like a light show. It would probably remain the same.
Well, if there was a way to consider this a show? It might be.
The Astartes continued to fight with every single tactic they held. Nova cannons, weapon batteries…. Sending terminator units to their warships.
He watched as one ship, a dozen fires crackled from every burnt piece and piece of wreckage floating in the sky.
It was clear that such a thing would be easily harder to figure out…. Even if they wanted to. Such was life and it was part of them being part of the great war machine they needed to be and would be at the end of the day.
Such was life and it was clear that they were beginning to break the enemy all too easily when push went to shove and it all came crashing down into a pile.
Perhaps he had to figure it out himself for it to win at all… Or perhaps it needed to be distracted and broken apart before it all came crashing to the ground like this?
Yes, it had to end and end rightfully for now as he looked to the ground. There was more to this, a lot more to see and do at the end of the moment, he seemed to try and figure it down.
He was a lot more to try and figure out as he turned toward the Marines. He watched as they rushed past the Astartes and he sighed, looking to the ground, knowing what was going on at the end of the moment.
Whatever he needed to do? It was getting done.
"There's bound to be stragglers, keep your weapons high, boys." He heard as he looked to the side as he looked to the side and then paused to think of it once more.
There was a lot more to this, a lot more to their next goal as he clicked his fingers and looked once more.
Marines streamed past him and there were still loosened banshees fighting with their aircraft. He motioned for his brothers to walk inside, sweeping behind him, and looking over dozens of covenant corpses… And the corpses of at least a dozen marines. He knew there were plenty of battles on Harvest to go.
He sighed and thought of all the rest of their brothers. He seemed to be completely ready for this to end despite himself.
Despite what he could deal with? He seemed to be at odds with himself. He thought of what the future held once more and then looked to the side, whatever was going on as he clicked his fingers and marched in.
The rest of his brothers began to secure the area. They knew what was going on now before he looked downward and then finally needed to be dealt with for now as he clicked it into place once more.
The Ultramarines were here to stay, even if this galaxy was different and they had zero idea of what it was like now, and for a good reason.
He motioned for the rest of them to enter, knowing there were going to be more covenant troops. If he was the enemy commander? He would have lured them inside to where there were plenty of options to deal with it.
Still? He held onto it as best he could if he did not. They would die eventually and they were going down sooner or later, the only real problem was how well they could handle it.
He seemed to be dealt with it for now as he sighed once more. Whatever seemed to be dealing with it? Well, he prayed they continue to handle it as best they could.
The alternative…. Was damnation at the hands of their worst enemies.
And damn them to hell if it happened here on their watch.
Author Notes
Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to clear up some things for the readers since I have a small army of Warhammer readers.
I am not using WH40K lore to the dot. So going 'Well, this is wrong because!' Cool, I am going by some lore and other bits.
Those going 'the imperium would spit on the UNSC because of this and…' I am ONLY adapting the Ultramarines and their group, NOTHING ELSE from Warhammer is going into the story besides enemies. The Ultramarines are not going to punch dogs or murder Marines because of WARHAMMER. Their SOLDIERs, that is what I am adapting, not 'the imperium is dark and hates the UNSC because….' Only the Ultramarines are showing up and maybe some guards or such.
Anyone who says Halius 'Isn't acting like the codex so!' I am making it like Space Marine the game. Not every ultramarine is a frothing rules lawyer or above humans or this. Halius has a personality and you are seeing how he acts in battle.
The next chapter is in 2-10 months, is 900-6500 words, and will show the UNSC meeting the Ultramarines and their next move after Harvest is secure. Until then, Lighting Wolf is out!