Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Iron Cross. Enjoy the 2900-word chapter. I do not own Warhammer, Gameshop does.
Halius paused as he looked around and slowly started to march toward the command center with the rest of the squad…. It took some seconds for more reinforcements to arrive… But they did and slowly began to search for positions.
"Do we know how many ships the enemy has sent? Any sign of the strength of the fleet?" Titus asked over the vox box.
"None now…. All we know is the planning to look for something on Arcadia's surface" Cutter stated.
"Then we assume they are headed for the main city and reinforce there… The first order of business is to make certain the civilians can escape…. All we need is an escape route." Halius heard.
They finally entered what looked like a very old siege bunker. Halius and Igaros set themselves on one side while Forge, Douglas, and a Spartan known as Leon-011 spoke.
"Ok, we know they are going to head straight to the subway… Covenant love themselves some civilians… Which means we must take them to the evac points here, here, and here." Forge stated.
"They will swarm those locations. We will be pressed to attempt and hold out, even with stalkers." Halius stated.
"We can't just leave people…." Forge said as Halius shook his head.
"I am not… Is there any chance to pull in dropships to evacuate civilians?" Halius asked.
"Most pelicans are busy, fleet is sending most troops ground side," Forge said.
"There, VIP building," Douglas stated.
"Those landing pads are big enough to fit a half dozen Thunderhawks… Nice thinking." Halius stated. "Igaros? While we hold off the main siege? You bring as many civilians as you can above… Tell them to set down on the pads." Halius stated.
"You are going to fight off the entire army yourself…." Igaros said. "I always suspected you were mad," Igaros said with a chuckle.
"I will if I must," Halius stated before he looked at Douglas. "You and your men have picked a transport to secure?" Halius stated.
"We're saving two." Douglas heard. "Omega is handling 3." Halius heard.
"We are holding two and help you…. The other squads can aid Omega…. I assume Sergeant Forge will handle 1?" Halius asked.
"Yep, you boys have fun," Forge said before he exited.
"Let us finalize defenses…. Dividing our forces across the city will weaken them, and make it easier to kill…. I suggest we station a team who will escort the civilians to the pads." Halius stated.
"They will be overrun," Douglas stated.
"I will do what I can, we already have most air forces evacuating civilians… What did you suggest?" Halius asked to which Douglas hummed.
"I've got an idea…." Douglas stated before Halius hummed.
(In Orbit)
Titus sighed as he prepared to deal with the ground operations. A hologram of Halius appeared on the main port.
There were a lot of plans to deal with and he knew that such problems were going to be easy to deal with.
"We have fully prepared for the invasion…. As best as we can…. According to the data we have incurred, it will be hard to deal with…. But we can manage." Halius stated before he sighed and looked to the side.
"Good, start the evacuations… We ensure they reach a safe distance." Titus ordered. "I will join you when the city is evacuated… For now? Coordinate with Captain Cutter." Titus stated before he fell silent.
Titus watched as a pair of 7 Covenant ships all seemed to drop out of space towards them… A pair of what he considered cruisers and at least 5 destroyers.
Halius was about to demand fire only for the UNSC cruisers to open fire with the main weapons, tearing through one cruiser which ripped into pieces, exploding.
The others all responded with prisms of light at them as the Battle Barge shook, its void shields dispersing all firepower.
"Sir? The largest Xeno cruiser is heading toward the planet!" Titus heard as he sighed.
He frowned as the destroyers continued to open fire, keeping Titus and his forces occupied.
"Halius? One of the ships slipped through, start the evacuation!" Titus stated.
"As you command… Move the civilians, prepare for battle!" Halius ordered as the line went off. "Honor and courage, Captain!" Halius stated.
(At Earth)
Guilliman was silent as he waited for a response. He knew very well that war between this UNSC and the Imperium would help neither side, he was a warrior and a leader…. But he was also meant to be diplomatic and if there was a chance to bring humanity peace. He would do so without hesitation.
"What is it you wish, Primarch?" Guilliman heard before he frowned.
"To find peace between my people and the rest of humanity…. I can assure you if I wanted your destruction. I would have ordered it." Guilliman stated before he was silent.
He crossed his arms, knowing that such motions were going to be all too easily done for now.
He was too easily able to think, to act…. But he was able to try and figure out an answer to this sort of thing.
"If you do? Your…. Need to meet us on neutral ground." He heard as he nodded and set off to do so.
(With Arcadia)
The cruiser stated as CCS-U624, had set down ground troops at the end of Arcadia's city…. As in all its troops.
They were met by a barrage of Argent V missiles from M9 Wolverines hidden on an overpass. A pair of Spirits and a Banshee all crashed to the ground in explosions while other Banshees opened fire.
"They are landing ground troops!" Forge yelled as Halius turned to Igaros.
"Send them up the tower…. Brothers? Send in our air units and pick them off as they draw closer! We hold them off or we die here!" Halius yelled.
He sighed before motioning for the others to begin the attack, more dropships began to emerge and he fired at one of the Banshees, a handful of rounds sending it crashing to the ground.
Out from the cruiser like a horde of ravenous insects poured dozens of elites, grunts, and jackals whom all roared and charged forwards towards them.
The line of a dozen Ultramarines and the Spartans raised and opened fire, bullets, and a rocket surging towards them.
Halius watched as grunts were torn into pieces, jackals collapsed bleeding on the ground, and elite after elite fell to combined fire.
"They are going to push us hard soon," Douglas stated.
"When they do? Then we push back, not before." Halius stated.
"Where are the civilians?" Halius asked before watching as a line of people began to stream towards the Banta-Class Colony ship known as Transport 1.
"I do not see your surprise anywhere," Halius said before turning and putting a bolter round in a jackal before dropping behind cover. "Forgive me but I am not well versed in Spartan tactics…. And normally I fight for a different cause." Halius said as he and Douglas opened fire.
(Shield World Trove)
The Arbiter growled as the Covenant forces were cut down by these new demons. They fought with the old, slicing through Covenant warriors like nothing.
"You promised me you would kill these 'Space Marines!'" Arbiter hissed.
"Calm… We will, my boyz just needed time to get there." He stated as the Arbiter turned his attention back to the battle.
(Back on Arcadia)
"They break, keep on…." Halius started to say before a scream cut the air.
"NO!" Halius heard as he blinked.
It was a human woman… Who had fallen, her infant child behind her on the ground.
A pair of elites advanced, energy blades poised to kill them. Halius felt his blood boil and let himself fall silent.
Then he moved, vaulting the makeshift cover, and drawing his bolter pistol and chain sword at the same time.
Douglas was about to speak before watching as the Ultramarine sprinted at speeds at least 45MPH… Equal to a Spartan at full tilt at least.
He fired once, sending the elite over the woman staggering back before he turned and shoulder-checked it to the side.
He turned, scooping the infant up with one hand and using the other to block the sword with his own. He glared at the elite who almost seemed to fall flabbergasted before Halius removed its head with one stroke.
He turned and executed the elite with a headshot, all the while cradling the infant with a gesture that looked so alien to him.
"Thank you." The woman said as he handed the child back to the woman.
"Escape, now. They will slaughter you if you do not." Halius said before returning to shooting with his sidearm and downing a pair of jackals and a handful of grunts.
He did not give them a second glance as he sprinted back into cover alongside the Spartans.
"Impressive," Douglas stated as Halius nodded. "Sadly? I do not think we get that lucky with every single civilian." Douglas stated to which Halius was silent.
"We do what we can…. For now? I will draw fire and…." Halius started to say before a scream broke into the skies.
"SPACE MARINE!" They heard as he turned to watch an army of familiar foes show up.
It was green and it carried a gun which it used to fire dozens of rounds into the sky. It was joined by small green creatures as well.
Orks… There were Orks on Arcadia.
Every single Space Marine blinked and then as one all opened fire, showering Orks in bolter rounds as the battle began anew all over.
"Greenskins!" Halius muttered before he angrily looked at Douglas. "The Covenant has allied with the Orks and nobody knew?!" Halius asked.
"What's an Ork?" Douglas asked.
"Ask later, shoot now," Halius said as he and Douglas began to open fire on the waves of Orks and Covenant, Halius now knowing evacuating civilians would be MUCH better a tactical choice.
(With Igaros)
Igaros paused as the building shook, the result of plasma fire below but nothing that breached the building's ability to stand.
He and a group of Ultramarine raptors herded the remaining 500 civilians towards the roof where another of the human transport ships was located.
"Igaros? We have Orks here, the damn Orks are pressing us alongside the Covenant, take the civilians, evacuate them, and then attack the rear flank!" Halius stated. "Captain Titus, we have a second…." Halius stated.
"I am aware, four Ork cruisers just emerged from warp…. We are holding them off as best as we can…. Evacuate the civilians and then fall back, I will greet you at the command post when you are done." Titus stated.
"As you command… Igaros? Your mission and then cut the flank, I shall remain with the civilians, I am shooting them down one after another…. And it is here I shall plant my sword." Halius stated to which he was silent afterwards.
(With Halius)
Halius fired and gunned down a single Ork, then continued to shoot and take apart Elite after Elite.
Halius was silent, very silent, and very unable to do more than relax and stick to the plan. There was more to life than this and he knew it, this attack was coordinated, it was precise and it was clear the Covenant was willing to commit a lot more men to it.
He watched as a squad of marines collapsed, plasma burning holes in chests. They were taking something which needed to be done now, something that needed to be over for now.
He knew they would lose the city. The Orks were going to bring in heavier equipment and it did not matter how many they killed, there was more to this and more to fight often.
He had no such idea of how long it would take but the line of skirmish would break.
Another 4 more marines fell then 8 more as the Covenant shot at the less armored members of the lines… The Spartans and Ultramarines responded.
He would not be able to act, much less fight so much that it was hurting him now. He was tired and he was worn down… Yet? Here he was and here he would stand.
He looked over at Douglas who was silent as the grave, knowing that he could not act.
"How long until the transports are loaded?" Halius asked as he sighed and gunned down another Ork.
"10 minutes…. And we might not last 5." Douglas stated.
"We can… I just did not expect Greenskins to show up…. Sergeant, do you have any heavy armor we can use?" Halius asked.
"Scorpions? Yeah, got some…. How tough are these SOBS?" Forge asked, putting down a jackal.
"Strong enough to rip you in half… And to survive anything stronger than a tank round…. Why?" Halius asked with an eyebrow raised under his helmet. "I do not expect you to fight them hand to hand… Even the Spartans might have trouble, we do." Halius stated.
The rounds of gunfire continued to cut down Ork and Covenant soldiers as they began to realize swarming the landing pads did not work.
The Covenant began to take cover… The Orks? Just continued to charge over at the lines and were cut down, rounds from their weapons still flying even as they were diced by bolter rounds.
"First transport is away!" Forge stated as they watched the first transport flee, as full of civilians as possible.
Which left two more… The transport flew overhead as he paused, more interested in the battle than it.
"I'm going to escort the remaining civilians to 3, you all dig in!" Forge yelled as Halius hummed.
"How likely is it they overwhelm us?" Halius asked to which Douglas shrugged.
"I like those odds…. Push back, the civilians will reach us and we will mount a counterattack on their landing pad." Halius stated as he and Douglas along with the rest of his squad and the Spartans vaulted cover, firing as they went.
(In orbit)
Titus watched as an Ork cruiser was diced into pieces, blistering like a split pig as it spiraled out of control.
In exchange? 2 of the UNSC cruisers listed to the sides, their superstructures ablaze with fire.
"Sergeant? The Covenant line is collapsing and Spirit OF Fire is headed to reinforce, what is the situation?" Titus asked.
"We have killed over 100 of their men and they are still assaulting the position, blasted Greenskins, I shall shatter them like a gnat against a hurricane…. One of the transports is escaping, I believe we have almost evacuated the city…. We cannot hold it against this army." Halius stated.
"Not without the cruiser gone?" Halius heard.
"No… If it was not for the space battle? I would fear them glassing the planet to nothing." Halius stated before he sighed and looked to the side with interest.
There was still a battle being waged and they would win it… The problem was simple, they could not sustain a campaign here, they needed more supplies and a base, and they held neither, not even a little bit and it disturbed them to no degree.
Halius fired his bolter, decapitating the next few Orks as he and his brothers continued their assault.
(With Igaros)
The building shook but it was clear they were ok, Igaros turned and gunned down the pair of Elites chasing them.
"Halius, we are at the roof. The humans will lift off in 2 minutes… After they have loaded the ship." Igaros stated.
"Good. The Orks are pressing us hard, they fight like rabid mutts and are throwing themselves at us like a wall of flesh…. Captain? We will be overrun soon; I have burned at least 3 clips on the Orks and Covenant." Halius stated.
"I am sending reinforcement pods to your location when the second transport is away. Head to the first pad." Halius heard.
"We will…. Igaros? Get them out then get back here, I require reinforcements…. Ah, UNSC air support." Halius stated.
Igaros looked upwards in time to see the Spirit of Fire overhead…. As well as a strike cruiser which quickly began to engage the Covenant Cruiser.
"Hmm, seems some of us are lucky…" Igaros stated as more and more civilians streamed past him and up and into the transport.
He knew more and more that this was not the end of the campaign here, this battle would continue at least when it came down to the ground battle.
He was silent, he had been able to think as much as Halius and perhaps this was going to be the end of something big, the end of something chaotic and frightful.
All he could do was push himself.
Author Notes
Phew. Another chapter is done. So, a few things.
The UNSC would… If the Ultramarines wanted to kill them? They would nuke them to the stone age. From what I have seen of Guilliman? He does not go 'KILL!' On everything, I am treating him as a reasonable but flawed Primarch.
For the person comparing Spartans and Astartes? Thanks, not an expert on Astartes, and reading up just leaves questions…. To Warhammer fans? No, the Ultramarines do not double-curb stomp Spartans, they are both super soldiers and both have things in common.
One reason for the Orks? Because I want an enemy from Warhammer and the Ultramarines. One reason the Imperial Military is not all here? This would not be a long war.
The next chapter is in 2-10 months and will show the Ultramarines and UNSC pulling back from the city and the second phase of the battle. Until the 900–6500-word chapter, Lighting Wolf out!