It fucking stinks. See, in kaiju centric movies and series, whether it be Gojira, King Kong, Gamera, Ultraman, Kamen Rider, and even Power Rangers, the plot pretty much wraps up after the big bad monsters got blown to smithereens. Tangmo was currently living the aftermath of those happy endings and those fucking films failed completely to capture the encompassing offal rot that comes with dead kaijus. After they had successfully turned the Molecular Kinetic Disruptor on and left behind several companies of Guardians and guardsmen to secure the device and the surrounding area, Tangmo, his homies, and the main characters had returned to the mine proper, joining Leilatha and the canonesses in sallying forth against the orks and skavens. Shit was pretty anti-climactic if he was being honest, the greenskins and rats were dazed and hurt after their kaijus went berserk and started killing each other. Dispatching them had been quick and satisfying. The the albino King Kong, the last kaiju standing, was obliterated after Ae-Shin and the air force dropped enough ordnances to level a metropolis on him. The sharp whistles of burning engines and diving bombs and missiles were not able to mute the horrid death scream. Now nothing remained of the gargantuan beasts beside mutilated mountains of burning, dripping meat. Gigantic bones making grotesque architectures, pillars and arches of milky crimson rearing above the remains of life, terminated ignominiously and suddenly.
"The heat is making the smell worse," Nikki sniffed as she gaze at the white Kong's steaming carcass. Like Tangmo the Ukrainian exarch, along with Laura, Yuki and the main characters, were gathered around a gilded Sororitas Exorcist. Now that the golden organ were not unleashing its missiles, the Battle Sisters manning the vehicle were playing a song for the resting battlegroup. The heavy melody sounded suspiciously like Sword in the Wind by Manowar.
"And not a fucking cloud in sight," Yuki scooped up a spoonful of the battlegroup MRE, spicy blood Larb on white jasmine rice, and chomped down with unnecessary aggressiveness. "Fuck, I love Thai food but the fucking stink is seriously ruining my enjoyment."
"Nothing we can really do about it I'm afraid," Tangmo shrugged apologetically before slurping up a mouthful of cold soba swimming in chilled black sauce, a perfect remedy for the unrelenting heat. His loud noodles sucking drew aggrieved look from Alistair and Emily, both of whom were politely enjoying their meal. "Sorry. But hey, at least we have a few moments to catch our breath and fill our bellies, and maybe a little bit of shut eye too."
"Yes, a little inactivity is always good," captain Binaaswi of the Wind Walker said after a mouthful of water, his face a study of calm contentment as several Chimeras with bulldozer teeth carried away ork and skaven corpses toward large pits filled with their fallen comrades, where eager Sororitas and Fire Dragon Aspect Warriors awaits with incendiary weapons. "I heard it was not common for orks to be vanquished in such great numbers, with next to none able to flee the killing field."
"By the time we committed the counteroffensive they were already dazed and injured, the kaijus can be both a boon and a liability," colonel Al-Rahman fixed the Chimeras with a narrow gaze, then waved his spork at the dead rodents. "I'm still perplexed by the appearance of the skaven though. Orks are hostile to every race in the galaxy, with alliances reduced to mere backbreaking servitude. The skavens fought alongside the orks as near equal."
"The green sum bitches are probably copying us, considering how we're now buddies with the eldar," colonel Joanna commented after devouring her sandwich, wiped her hands on her trouser, and stabbed her thumb at the dead kaijus. "Besides, if I was to make a guess, the rats are probably the one responsible for those kaijus over there."
"Please explain, colonel Joanna," Galatea asked, the canonesses were also dining with them.
"I heard one of the skaven main forte is genetic, right?" Nods answered Joanna. Everyone have read the briefing the Eight had provided to the battlegroup, which was essentially the skaven's codex before Game Workshop decided to axe Warhammer Fantasy and replaced it with Age of Sigmar. Tangmo swore he heard Warhammer Fantasy was getting a revival though. "Orks are stupid, we all know that, but from what we've seen of the skavens they're quite smart. The rat's weapons are biological in nature, we all got a whiff of their gases and poisons, and they also sculpted abomination to fight their battles too. I wouldn't be surprise if it was the rats who figured out how to domesticate the kaijus."
"How many of the kaijus do you think are in their control?" Gaoseng Zhensu, the co-canoness of the Celestial Serenity, asked the dark question on everyone's mind. Her visage was calm as she, with the correct application of manner, popped a piece of stir fried cabbage into her mouth.
"A lot seems like the most likely answer," Tangmo finished his soba and threw away the empty MRE, the same moment a quartet of heavy transports took off back into orbit behind them. Even from five kilometers away the dust cloud still managed to reach them in a powerful gale. "Let's hope we can get all the resources back to the fleet before more kaijus and orks shows up."
"The Molecular Kinetic Disruptor is still functioning," colonel Bruce piped up and waved at the mountain range to the north. Barely visible amongst the slate grey peak was a blinking antenna like tower. "That should keep the bloody kaijus off our backs."
"The orks and skavens can just attack the Disruptor directly," lord Zolwyken of the Aeldari Winged Hussar commented, earning begrudging murmurs from the main characters. He looked at Tangmo then said, "how long until we reach the necessary capacity to sustain the battlegroup? Army and navy both?"
"To sustain us sufficiently? Bloody hell love, with the Immortal Spirit's civvies helping us we should be able to get everything done soon," Laura answered Zolwyken, because per the British inquisitor's request the domestic sector of the battlegroup had pitched in to help the army with the requisition effort. Hundreds of thousands of men and women were now assisting them. "But the thing is love, there's a lot of room on the Immortal Spirit and the other ships, and we plan on filling it to the fullest. Therefore, the entire operation should take about six to seven days."
"And we are to simply hold position in the meantime?" Canoness Crestienne spoke up. She didn't appear bothered by the prospect, only bored.
"Yeah, pretty much," Nikki nodded. "The attack on both fronts had been repelled. Damien and Henry are itching to go on the offensive but Lita and Erik are holding them in check."
"Why are we not engaging the orks?" Alistair put forward his question, earning hearty nods from the more bloodthirsty leaning main characters. Lakshmi and Rani were more than surprised by the Praetorian colonel's eagerness to put himself in danger. "Wouldn't it be wiser to try and eliminate the orkish threat before they can muster another attack against us?"
"In theory yeah we should go on the offensive, but Kim Jor Urrk's WAAAGGHHHH is massive and we risk getting encircle if we do. So our strategy must be one of the defensive persuasions," Tangmo explained. "We'll get a lot of action in the meantime guys. Kim wants these resources as much as we do, so our objective now is to bleed the fuckers until the others arrive."
"What others?" Colonel Evangeline of the Mordian asked with a quirked brow.
"Navigator Eurydice had sent a coded directive across the empyrean, alerting the Imperium at large that a new planet choke full of resources had been found," Laura said. "And who else but Jaghatai Khan and his crusade fleet would be the one to pick up the transmission. The Great Khan is en route, but it will be a couple of months before he gets here. We'll be done by then and already heading to our next assignment."
"Seems rather…sacrilegious to simply let a Primarch fight the orks on his lonesome," colonel Kenshin spoke up.
"Nah, he'll probably enjoy it, Jaghatai and the White Scars loves a good hunt, they'll have a grand time kicking orkish ass all over the planet," Yuki grinned brightly. "Besides, our job is to collect the STCs. Sure, we destroy the enemies of the Imperium and the Aeldari too, but only if there's a tactical reason to do so. And seriously, this is a Death World, it doesn't have any strategic significant, so we don't need to be heroic and hold our line until the end."
"Your logic is sound, unfortunately," Miriya was sighing when she perked up suddenly and tapped her earbud. The Martyred Lady Celestian leapt off her seat and glanced southward, prompting everyone to stand up. "Saint Celestine and Isha is coming here…there! The Valkyries carrying them is already making a final approach."
"Shit, and here I was hoping to just sit on my ass and watch the orks and skavens get blasted to bit by our guns," Tangmo adjusted his awesome commissar coat and cap. "Well then ladies and gents, let's go give them a warm welcome."
Hurriedly finishing their meals, the loud slurping adding more mess to the already grimy uniforms, the main characters did their best to make themselves presentable as they followed Tangmo, Laura, Yuki and Nikki to the newly constructed airfield, already bustling with activities after being brought into existence a mere two hours ago. The Valkyrie touched down near the trucks and heavy machineries as Tangmo, his homies and the main characters formed a crescent around the lowering ramp. Celestine and Isha stepped out first, regal and radiant, haloed in an exuding aura of pure undiluted power. But before Tangmo can appreciate the beatific display he spied Damien, Henry, Erik and Lita waltzing after the goddess's bodyguards.
"Always a pleasure to have you with us, lady Saint, your eminence," Tangmo saluted handsomely and the two divine women bowed in greeting. "I should also point out that Brother Captain Damien and lord general Henry is grinning like a buncha lunatic, while High Ranger Erik and Warseer Lita are moping like they've been denied ice-cream."
"A most understandable reception," Celestine said, her bearing calm but the grim undercurrent was undeniable, "for I am here to convince the battlegroup to go on the offensive."
"I see," Tangmo turned to the equally stoic Isha. "You are of the same mind?"
"I am," Isha traded stern gaze with Celestine. "After much deliberation, we have come to the conclusion that this must be the way forward if victory is to be achieved."
"Alrighty then, let's get to the command tent so we can discuss this more thoroughly," Tangmo turned around and bumped into Lakshmi. The Lohid Chakram colonel and major Rani was staring wide eye at Celestine, the lady Saint smiled charmingly at the pair. "Yo, dude, don't just stand there come on."
"M-My lady Saint," Lakshmi and Rani fell to their knees, hands clasped in an Indian wai, tears streaming down their faces in rapturous torrent as they beheld the Living Saint. "By the God Emperor…y-you're here, standing before our unworthy self."
"No servant of the God Emperor is ever unworthy. Now please, rise," Celestine closed her distant and the two women stood up on shaky legs. "You must be colonel Lakshmi and major Rani of the Lohid Chakram, you had gallantly held the orks at bay against all odds. It is an honor to meet you."
"Oh, my lady Saint," Lakshmi was on the verge of prostrating again but stopped herself at the last minute, instead squaring her shoulders in a correct military posture, but the tears of joy continued to flow. "Thank you…I will strive to be worthy of your trust and glory, this I swear upon my life."
"A task I'm sure you will accomplish with flying colors in the coming days," and Celestine had to go and give Lakshmi and Rani collective heart attacks by shaking the two women's hands. "I expect nothing less from you and the Lohid Chakram."
"If you weren't already a demigod, you'll make one hell of a politician," Tangmo smirked and Celestine rolled her eyes endearingly at him. Lakshmi and Rani though, glared at him like he'd just stepped on a picture of the God Emperor. "Seriously, I'm now more mortified of you."
"As you should be," Celestine waved at a wide tent situated about eight hundred yards from the airfield. "You were taking me to a tent?"
"Yes, I was," Tangmo and the Eight took off toward the aforementioned area with the main characters in towed. Guardsmen, Sororitas and eldars parted wide avenue for them, heads bowed in respect. Taking off his awesome commissar cap, Tangmo wiped his sweaty brow with a contented sigh when they entered the command tent. The place was equipped with enough water fans to fight off the heat. "Phew, that's a lot better." Tangmo waved at the hologram table in the middle of the room. "It's a little cramp but please take a seat. You want some refreshments?"
"No thank you lord commissar," Celestine and Isha seated themselves down opposite the Eight and the guardsmen officers, the Sororitas and the Aeldari joining the two divine women. "Me and Isha are sufficiently hydrated."
"Then let's get down to business," locking his fingers then resting his face on the knuckles, Tangmo struck the badass Gendo pose and honed his sharp gaze on Celestine and Isha. "You and Isha have suggested that we directly attack Kim Jor Urrk's WAGGGHHHH. Personally, I want to hold position and let the orks and skavens break their fucking heads on our defenses."
"Under normal circumstance I would wholeheartedly agree with your strategy. Unfortunately a danger greater than a simple ork WAAAAGGGHHH had been discovered," Celestine waited until the hubbub died down before glancing at Isha. "The floor is yours."
"Thank you," Isha nodded at Celestine and sat up straighter, the queenly posture made Tangmo's heart skipped a beat, goddamn she was beautiful. "When all of you went to deal with the orkish onslaught, me and Celestine entered into a meditative state, our minds becoming one with the current of the Warp that permeate all of reality. We found ourselves fording through a riptide of cadaverous offal, the assailing taint feverish in intensity, and soon enough the reason for this anomaly was discovered. A Warp portal is being forced into existence."
"Oh come on, again?!" Unlike the main characters who reacted to this news with hisses and prayers and warding gestures, Tangmo and the Eight threw their arms exasperatedly into the air. "Another fucking Warp bullshit?! What the fuck man?! And the orks are responsible this time?! Chaos orks?! Holy shit this is so goddamn unoriginal that it's not even funny anymore."
"The orks might be involved lord commissar but it is not them who are attempting to reach the Immaterium," Isha went on easily, finding Tangmo's tantrum to be amusing. "No, the perpetrator for this calamity is the skaven. They are the ones who had found the breach and are now widening it."
"This actually relates to the kaijus too," Damien piped up, took out his Astartes size data-pad and started tapping away at the screen. "Got a little reading done on my way here, where is it…bingo! Okay, so, like every freaking monster movie that had ever existed, it appears that the gargantuan faunas of Darwin IX might be the result of radioactive mutation, but instead of nuclear its Warp juice that's making them abnormally big, basically setting them on an accelerated path of evolutionary gigantism. The Magos Biologis theorize that a great concentration of Warp power, which had coalesced into a massive crystalized pillar, was responsible for spreading the taint of the Immaterium across the planet."
"Let me guess, this crystal is inside the mine Kim Jor Urrk currently occupies?" Laura asked her rhetorical question.
"It's nearby," Damien connected his data-pad with the hologram table via Bluetooth and brought up the map of the continent they occupied, complete with the latest updates provided by the navy. The amount of red dots in proportion to the green dots did not inspire confidence. "The northern mine had basically been turned into a factory fortress by Kim Jor Urrk, they're plundering the resources and shitting out tanks at the same time, quite quickly too."
"And orbital bombardment is out of the question because a direct strike could unleash the Warp portal on the entire planet," Henry sighed audibly when Damien nodded solemnly at him. "Typical clichés shit, I swear to the God Emperor. Welp, guess we're doing this the hard way." The American general then glanced at Celestine and Isha with an almost pleading look. "So waiting for Jaghatai is out of the question?"
"We can try and wait, lord general. But from what myself and Celestine was able to glean the empyrean is currently very volatile, therefore I don't know what will happen if we remain passive," Isha said. "Also, the skavens are proving to be an enigma to us. It is more than clear there is a Warp deity they worship, but his agency and behavior is extremely unpredictable."
"The Horned Rat, that's the skaven's Chaos god for any of you who'd forgotten to read the briefing, is harder to define as oppose to the big four," Laura now took the rein of the conversation. "His machination, beside the destruction of all his enemies, is not clear cut, and his mode of operation is extremely difficult to pin down. For now, I think we can assume that the Horned Rat is looking to expand his influence across the galaxy. Compare to Khorne, Nurgle, Tzeentch and Slaanesh the bloke is ultra-light weight. It makes perfect sense that the skaven had taken a liking to Darwin IX, the place is brimming with Warp energy and wild life they can experiment on. We're also in the southern region of Segmentum Solar. They can use this place as a launching point for an invasion into the Imperium."
"The skaven would not need this planet as a staging ground," canoness Amaryllis of the Ebon Chalice spoke up. "Although it is true that Darwin IX is more conducive to the ratmen biological approach to warfare."
"Oh? You know something we don't Amaryllis?" Laura grinned cheekily at the canoness.
"Reports from Ophelia VII, lady inquisitor," Amaryllis inclined her head. "Multiple Hive Worlds across the Imperium had either fallen or are heavily infested by the skavens, prompting the Ministorum and the Ecclesiarchy to sanction crusade fleets to these stricken planets. In the short time since their emergence, the skaven had successfully carved a large dominion for themselves."
"I think we can all agree that we'll spare Darwin IX of such ignoble fate?" Tangmo said and agreeing murmur answered him. "So how does the orks play into this?"
"Kim Jor Urrk is not your average ork, he might even be as smart as Ghazghkull when tactics and strategies are concern," Damien spoke up and stroke his chin thoughtfully. "It could be as simple as finding a convenient ally. I mean, this is orks we're talking about, I don't think we need to spare that much thought on the intricacy of their alliance with the rats."
"Yes, killing all of them takes precedence over everything else," Laura leaned forward, her eyes narrowed on the digital map hovering before them. "Shit, just looking at this and I know it's gonna be one bloody fight, any idea on how to proceed and keep our casualty to the minimum?"
"We are lucky in this regard," Celestine waved at the hologram, dragging the focal point away from the ork's stronghold and toward a mountain cluster south of the occupied mine, the distant between the two locations quite significant. When the Living Saint changed the view to three dimensional, Tangmo saw a massive dead volcano at the epicenter of a dense forest of rocky spires, each towering higher than Mt. Everest. "The crystalized block of calcified Warp energy resides here, within this mountain range. Preliminary reading indicates that the Warp Crystal sat at the center of a vast tunnel network, the passages wide enough to accommodate several tanks."
"I sense a plan coming," Yuki grinned. "Let's hear it then."
"We launch an attack on the mine and draws Kim Jor Urrk's attention away from the Warp Crystal," Erik laid out the plan with an easy shrug, "a basic by-the-book diversionary tactic, nothing much to it than that."
"But given the size of the two targets both attack groups need to be proportionately large," Yuki also got into a Gendo pose, it was very intimidating to behold, "there's also the problem of the tunnel themselves. Orbital readings will only be able to yield a very basic two-dimensional map, which could potentially fuck us if we try to get an army in there."
"Oh, don't worry about mapping the place, that shit is easy," Nikki waved Yuki's concern off nonchalantly. "We can just plant several seismic mappers down at the tunnel entrance and get ourselves a complete reading of the damn place."
"That will take time," canoness Galatea spoke up, "and considering that the seismic mapper uses kinetic sonar to map the earth, the sound will more than likely attract the attention of the defenders."
"The attack on the mine must be in full swing before we can move on the tunnel," Laura leaned back into her seat, took off her awesome inquisitor hat, and started fanning her face. Tucking a stray lock of brunette behind her ear, and making sure to look pretty doing it, Laura turned to Damien and Henry. "How long do you think the attack should go on? Thirty, forty minutes?"
"I think an hour would do," Lita said and nods answered her, "just to be clear, the attack on the mine is a feint? As in, the objective will only be to distract the greenskins so they would redirect the WAAAGGGHHH away from the Warp Crystal and leave it lightly defended?"
"Pretty much," Tangmo shrugged. "You can also kill them in the process too, and I mean kill as many as you can by burying them under an ungodly amount of firepower."
"You can count on us," Lita grinned handsomely as Damien, Erik and Henry reaffirmed her position with vigorous nodding. "So it will be you, Laura, Yuki and Nikki who's going down the diggy hole. Who else is going with you?"
"The same team that took the mine," Tangmo waved at the guardsmen, eldars and Sisters of Battle. "If you want some reinforcement on your front, I can spare several battalions your way."
"Heavy troops would be much appreciated, thank you," Henry flashed a mischievous grin at Tangmo. "In return, we will be transferring the Valhallan and Antari to your command. As you know both regiments have ample experience fighting in confine spaces, mine shafts and tunnels especially, and I believe they would be of great help to your endeavor."
"You just want them out of your hair, don't you?" Laura deadpanned knowingly.
"Oh my God, yes, take them please!" Lita gave her temple a slow rubbing. "They're the best at what they do, that is without question, but holy crap they bicker and try to out stage each other all the time! Good thing the Cadian 101st was stationed between them, captain Minka actually managed to get them to work together…you know what we're giving the 101st to you guys too."
"No need to fret, lady Warseer, they will behave," Celestine and Isha traded sharp looks, "for myself and Isha will also be heading into the tunnel."
"The Warp Crystal must be neutered, not destroy," Isha added. "With my power and that of Celestine combine, we can render the crystal inert, severing its tie with the empyrean beyond, leaving only a lifeless rock for the skavens and orks to tinker with."
"And this must be done with you two standing next to the Warp crystal?" Tangmo asked and the two women nodded. "Welp, I like a good challenge as any, and now that we have a clear objective I'm ready to kick some ass. Anybody got anything to add?" The rest of the Eight and the main characters all shook their heads. "Okay then, meeting adjourned ladies and gentlemen, and good luck in the coming battle."
"Seriously, how bad was it?"
"The lord general is prone to hyperbole, but there were indeed moments where our plan veered too close to jeopardy."
"I heard you were the one who sorted them out, now that's soldiering."
"I just did what I thought was necessary lord commissar, I've seen firsthand what disunity can do to an army."
"You're doing good work Minka, keep it up."
"Thank you, lord commissar."
Tangmo was really glad that, after multiple battles fighting side by side, Minka Lesk was finally thawing to his charming self. She doesn't even flinch when he shows up anymore. The jungle of Darwin IX was an absolute pain in the ass to traverse, but right now Tangmo was very thankful of the thick vegetation, the rippling green foliage was currently the battlegroup's greatest ally. Not only was the entrance to the Warp Crystal tunnel far away from the ork's mine, it was also boxed in by the jungle, which effectively shielded the battlegroup from detection. Already arrayed before the gigantic entrance, which looked suspiciously like the open maw of Gork and Mork, the battlegroup swiftly formed a firing line around the gaping cave. The unceasing thunder from the east, where Henry, Damien, Erik, Lita and their attack force had commenced the assault on the mine, muted Tangmo's troops as they readied their weapons. The skavens and orks garrisoned along the cave mouth were more concern with the fighting beyond.
"Raine, Cain, what's the ETA on your end?" Tangmo tapped his earbud as two King Russes rolled up behind him, the turrets turning to the many battlements that studded the mountain face. The greenskins and rats were too busy arguing with each other to take notice of the war machines that had rolled to a stop not three hundred yards in front of them.
"Five more minutes Tangmo, Sulla is bringing in the tanks as we speak," Cain responded.
"We're just about done Tangmo, awaiting further instruction," Raine chimed in a nanosecond later.
"Stand by and hold your position, the center with be launching the first salvo," Tangmo swept his gaze over their position and grunted a very pleased tune. Beneath the shadows of the gigantic leaves and branches, the warm breeze stirring the green canopy, the battlegroup had settled down amongst the dancing shade and waited. Every barrel trained on the unsuspecting prey loitering across the shallow, languid stream that separated the flora from the mountain. Gathered around Tangmo were the 89th and the 101st Cadian, the Death Korps, the Martyred Lady Sororitas and the Dark Reaper Aspect Warriors. The infantries were arrayed in a loose line, emphasizing speed and precision over grinding, sustain firepower. And stationed behind them were the Fire Prisms, Falcons and King Russes, their idle engines purred almost too loud for Tangmo in the pregnant silence that preludes every battle.
"Cain in position."
"Raine in position."
"Acknowledged," Tangmo tapped his earbud and cringed when the orks and skavens shouted and hollered loudly. Thankfully, the stupid bastards were cheering the explosions rolling down from the north. If he looked hard enough he can just make out the very top of a mushroom cloud. "Laura, Yuki, Nikki, ready?"
"Aye mate."
"Yeah, we're good to go."
"Let's roll."
"Okay," Tangmo held up his lasgun, stared down the optic sight, fixed a guffawing ork within the center of the red dot, turned the power output to maximum, flipped the switch to semi-auto, and pulled the trigger. The ork's head exploded in a brilliant splatter of pink red gore, his greenskin buddies and the skavens stared dumbly at the dead body as it collapsed to the ground, the lifeless arms pinwheeling all the while. "That's our cue people, unleash the God Emperor's wrath upon them and may Isha have mercy on their souls! Let none survive!"
The tanks opened fire in quick succession, every shell striking the ramshackle fortifications arrayed across the base of the mountain. The volley lasted for five seconds, and within that time spans every tower, pillboxes, battlements, vehicles and large swathe of the metallic palisades were destroyed in a kaleidoscopic staccato of thunderous fireballs, flaming body parts and debris scythed scintillating across the air. It was a killing blow by all estimation, but the Immortal Spirit battlegroup wasn't done.
"Heavy gunners open fire, keep them suppress," Tangmo emerged from cover as the heavy bolters, lascannons, autocannons and rapid-las poured a deluge on the stunned and confused orks and skavens, pushing those that survived the tank's barrage deeper into the destroyed fortification. "Signal the general advance, double time, we need to cross the stream before they can regroup. Follow me!"
Tangmo, with Krillen, Minka, exarch Elraleath of the Dark Reaper, and a chainsword wielding Hildebrandt at his side, sprinted into the open. A dozen squads of guardsmen, eldars and Battle Sisters jogged close at their heels, the muzzles of every death dealing weapon spewing fire. Although the troopers were packed densely together the characteristic of the charge was not the human wave attack of the Napoleonic Era or the First World War, but leaning more toward the run and gun assault performed by the Allies of World War II, backup by ample armor support. They cleared the stream easily, the deepest part coming just passed the ankles, and within heartbeats was in spitting distant of the defenders. Not wasting time with bayonet or swords, Tangmo swiftly gunned down every orks and skavens that appeared in front of him and plowed deeper beyond the burning wall. As expected the interior was filled with fuel tanks, vehicles and rickety huts spewing noxious smoke, the usual greenskin's slum.
"Destroy those buildings quickly!" Tangmo switched the lasgun to full auto and held the trigger down on a longhouse until it exploded. Immolated skavens stumbled into the open and died trying to roll away the fire. "Don't let the orks and skavens call for backup! Fuck them up!"
"They're running into the cave!" Miriya was sending bolts after bolts of plasma at a mob of squealing skavens fleeing for the tunnel, their panicky return fire bounced harmlessly off the Celestian's armor. "After them, hurry!"
The Martyred Lady sisters' start of a sprint was interrupted by a blazing salvo of Aeldari missiles and shurikens. The ordnance shot through the air with eerie sentience and struck the skavens with inhuman accuracy, turning the ratmen into blossoms of fiery viscera. The carnage must've lasted only a few seconds, but by the time it was finished a smoldering carpet of sizzling gibs was rolled out before the battlegroup.
"Targets destroyed, lord commissar," Elraleath appeared beside Tangmo. The exarch of the Dark Reaper traded respectable nod with Hildebrandt as the skull faced Aspect Warriors unleashed more missiles on anything that was green or covered in fur. "We shall slaughter them all."
"That's great and all Elraleath, but I need your troops to concentrate fire on every building within the vicinity. We need to stop the orks and skavens from…!"
Tangmo never had the chance to finish his instruction when thunderous explosions, seemingly having materialized simultaneously around him, send him rolling across the ground. The fact that Hildebrandt and Elraleath were also on their asses made Tangmo felt marginally better. Coughing and swiping his hand quickly across the air, the sight that greeted Tangmo was of complete destruction. An extremely one sided destruction too, because beside groans and curses the soldiers of the battlegroup were unharmed. The orks and skavens however had been reduced to burning corpses, charcoal flakes drifted off their blackened skeletal frame.
"By the God Emperor, are you alright lord commissar?" Tangmo, who was still seated on the ground, craned his head upward and found a black haired woman looking down at him. Her pretty visage was wrecked with concern, a hand crackling with power held out to him. He took the offered hand, and after a moment remembered the woman. "Are you injured?"
"Just my pride, but otherwise I'm as healthy as an elephant," Tangmo smirked and tipped his awesome commissar cap at the Primaris psyker of the Antari Rifle. "Were you responsible for that explosion Lydia? Because damn, that was loud."
"I should've given some warning lord commissar, for that I apologize," Lydia bowed lowly. After spending quality time with the Immortal Spirit battlegroup, the psyker doesn't look starve anymore. She had more certainly filled out, in all the right way. "But I felt it was imperative that the enemies were quickly eliminated."
"That was a good call," Tangmo made another sweep of the now silent battlefield then tapped his earbud. "Yo Laura, Yuki, Nikki, give me some updates dude. I'm not hearing any gunfire so I'm feeling a tad optimistic."
"I think all of them are dead," there was clear astonishment in Laura's voice. "Seriously, I'm not seeing any hostiles. Looks like that magic explosion killed everything."
"Yeah, that seems to be the case," Tangmo grinned goofily and held his thumb up at Lydia, the gesture of approval easing the tension from her shoulders. "You guys hurt? Any casualties on our end?"
"Besides those that got killed by the orks and rats, no, we're unharmed, although many were thrown flat on their arses," there was a smile in Laura's voice. "So who's the individual responsible for this?"
"Lydia, the Antari's Primaris psyker," Tangmo winked at the suddenly mortified Lydia. "She did it."
"And I shall vouch for her action," Tangmo flinched when Severina Raine appeared beside Lydia, the Antari main characters not far behind, the lady commissar's stern gaze could make granite crack. "Lydia followed my direct command, if you must find fault then I will gladly take full responsibility."
"Chill Raine, nobody is getting into any trouble," Tangmo waved off the concern with a chuckle and Raine and the Antari relaxed visibly. "If anything, I'm buying Lydia a drink afterward, because that was some mighty fine work of extermination."
"We have secured the cave entrance, lord commissar Tangmo," Sulla cut into the conversation, her tone clip, clearly not liking that the Antari were getting more compliment than the Valhallan. Childish, but totally unexpected, "do you wish us to press the advantage? Seems like a waste of opportunity now that the path is clear."
"Your enthusiasm will always be an inspiration to us all, lady general Sulla," Celestine swooped in next to Raine, stopping her from parting extremely choice words at the Valhallan general. "But I must ask that you refrain from pursuing for the moment. Per the high command's plan, we must first map the labyrinthine tunnels and find the location of the Warp Crystal. Only when we have a clear path forward shall we pursue. For now, I must ask that you and the Valhallan hold your position around the entrance and remain vigilant of any counterattack that might be forthcoming."
"Of course my lady saint, your will be done," Sulla answered smartly before cutting transmission.
"I have learned from experience that polite words are more effective than harsh reprimand," Celestine gave Raine a knowing look.
"Regardless of how deserving," Raine bowed lowly at Celestine the same moment Isha and her retinue joined them. "I shall get my troops into position my lady saint."
"Good thing you're here," Tangmo scooted closer to Celestine as Raine led her troop toward the cave, the Thai commissar and the lady Saint and the Aeldari goddess following close. "Minka's at her wits end with those guys man, and I think nothing would encourage unity better than a heavenly winged woman with a sword."
"I doubt I would have the time to discipline the troops, lord commissar," Celestine smirked. "But I believe my presence will instill the necessary discipline amongst the soldiery."
"I wish I had such power," Isha sighed wistfully, behind them the tanks and Chimeras rolled across the tiny stream and arrayed themselves like the walls Caesar used to defeat the Gaul at Alesia, one line of war machines facing outward, the other facing inward at the cave.
"Dude, as awesome as Celestine is, you're pretty freaking amazing yourself," Tangmo waved at Leilatha, Laura, Yuki and Nikki, the quartet were directing the Chimeras in offloading the seismic mappers. The cylindrical devices, four in numbers, the tips tapered into spiraling drills, were carried to the ground by the Wraithguards and the Paragon Warsuits. Like planting flags on a recently won battlefield, the eldars and Sororitas placed the mappers down along the entrance at wide intervals. Once they were firmly lodged into the rocky earth, the mechas made way for the engineers who quickly flipped open the consoles on the rounded side and started calibrating the devices. "The moment people see's you, they know they're saved. You give them hope Isha, and don't let anybody say that's not a superpower."
"If only you had shown more of this side, then the canonesses would be less incline to parting unkind words about your person," Celestine and Tangmo shared a chuckle as Isha blushed furiously from the complement, but the Aeldari goddess moment of bashfulness ruptured into a terrified squawk when thunderous rumbles rippled across the ground. The seismic mappers had been activated and programmed to pound the earth in perfect sync, the tempo slow, the sonorous boom must've reached the very core of the mountain. "That is very loud."
"Hence all the people we brought," Tangmo flashed a series of hand signals and went to join his homies and the main characters, Celestine and Isha shadowing his steps. "I had hoped this would be a quick special force attack, but judging by how well entrenched the orks and skavens are this is gonna be a slog fest."
"Even if the majority of their forces are redirected elsewhere, the fight ahead will not be easy," Celestine agreed as they fall in behind the palisade the Death Korps had made around the entrance. Although the defenses were hastily constructed from debris and destroyed vehicles, the Krieg men and women managed to make it look sturdy and intimidating in the most 40k way possible, the hopeless dystopia façade was very pronounced. "But we will triumph, by the God Emperor and victorious arms."
"I'll be sure to help along the way," Isha peered above the barricade and narrowed her eyes on the gaping darkness beyond. "Personally, I am perplexed as to what the skaven wishes to do with the Warp Crystal. Such concentration of power are extremely dangerous, they should've been destroyed a long time ago."
"Unluckily for us those rat bastards figured out how to harvest Warp energy and store them, hence the Warp Stones. They use it for most of their machines, war engines and the many grotesque experiments you see waltzing around the battlefield," Isha tried her best to affect a mask of nonchalant when Tangmo fixed a questioning gaze on her. "This was in the dossier. I thought you already read through the thing?"
"It was an extremely long read, filled with run on sentences and unnecessary usage of hyperbolic descriptions," Isha gave Tangmo an apologetic smile, and holy God the exuding warmth and sweetness was more than enough to melt his heart. "In my haste I might have missed certain details."
"Skimping on your homework, very naughty Isha," Tangmo tsk like a disappointed teacher. "But yeah, I'll admit, the dossier can get a bit wordy. Don't worry we'll fill you in along the way. Now can you please step away from the barricade, I'm getting a bit nervous." Isha skipped back and squeezed herself in between Elnys and Greyfax as Tangmo narrowed his eyes on the cave. Low yellow lights dotted the cavernous maw, the illumination unwelcoming and barely able to brighten the interior. He tapped his earbud when he saw dark shapes darting amongst the blackness between the glowing bulbs. "Yo, I want an estimation on when the mapping is gonna be done. Because I swear I'm seeing shit moving in the fucking cave."
"Thank Isha, I thought I was the only one," Nikki breathe a sigh of relief as the Battle Sisters, guardsmen and eldars braced their weapons along the barricade. Behind them the Falcons flew into position while the King Russes' turrets swerved toward the cave mouth. "They're keeping to the shadows. I can't get a good lock on them."
A glaring line of las shot from the barricade. A nanosecond later a loud shriek, amplified by the cavern's oval acoustic, rolled through the entrance, heralding a messy salvo of bullets that peppered the battlegroup's position. Fortunately none of the slugs found their marks. The furious muzzle flashes revealed the churning mass of skavens that had gathered, the rats were fucking pissed.
"Welp, they definitely know we're here," Yuki deadpanned as the battlegroup returned fire, a prodding conservative effort with the purpose of gouging the overall strength of the skavens and what kind of armament they possessed. Light though the application of firepower may be, the skavens were killed in droves. "Honestly, I thought they would realize sooner, the mappers aren't exactly quiet."
"Which brings me to my earlier question," Tangmo groaned when a warrior rat managed to dodge his burst of lasbolts and slipped behind an outcrop jutting out of the ground. "How long until the mappers is done?"
"Approximately forty minutes, lord commissar," captain general Marwen told him, the woman had decided to personally lead this contingent of eldars. "Do we hold the line or attack the cave?"
"Hold the line people, we're not going anywhere until the mappers finishes mapping," Tangmo sprayed a group of rats trying the setup an autocannon. His lasbolts struck an ammunition crate and blew those fuckers straight to hell. He would've cheered if it wasn't for the fact that other heavy gun nests were popping up all over the place and exchanging fire with the battlegroup, large chunks of the barricade were blown to bits by barrages of bolts and shells. "Motherfuck, I keep forgetting the rats can fight. Armored unit, I need you to – fuck!" The metal plate next to Tangmo's head burst apart in a ricocheting hail of superheated shards. No one was hurt, but it nicked the tip of his awesome commissar cap. "My hat! You sons of bitches, you're fucking dead! Falcons, lay down a suppressive fire on the rats and pin them down. King Russes, switch to canister rounds and paint the cave red, fire at will!"
Hails of glittering shurikens flew across the empty one hundred yards separating the battlegroup from the cave, the silvery shower was quickly specked with wet rubies as the Aeldari projectiles tore into the skaven's ranks. Hundreds were scythed to pieces while the survivors quickly took cover. The rats continue to fight though, desperately firing blindly over their covers, putting up staunch resistance despite the evident futility. It was when skaven reinforcement started emerging from the cave, infantries accompanied by jeeps and trucks, that the King Russes opened fire in timed sequence. The anti-personal rounds were indiscriminate in destruction, metals and fleshes torn apart until the two became indistinguishable.
"Goddamn motherfuckers are still fighting back," Tangmo gritted his teeth. The skavens were battered and reduced in number but startlingly not giving up. Sure, the slave rats hightailed it the moment the tanks opened fire, but the warriors and the Storm Vermin refused to lie down and die. Those with functioning hands trained their guns on the battlegroup and pulled the triggers, the projectiles wholly ineffective in dealing damages but they nevertheless persisted. Tangmo was nodding his begrudging respect when a Gatling salvo forced him to duck. Letting out a slew of Thai curses, Tangmo turned to Celestine and tapped her on the shoulder. "Tell the Sisters of Battle to make ready. Something isn't right, they must be planning something!"
"I agree lord commissar," Celestine emptied her bolter on a machine gun nest, tapped her earbud, and relayed Tangmo's instructions to the Battle Sisters. She was just finishing up when an ear shattering blast of archaic war horns erupted from the cave. The rat raised their voices in shrieking cheer and the ground trembled to the pounding tempo of a cavalry charge. "Just in the nick of time lord commissar! Brace yourself brave soldiers of the Immortal Spirit!"
"Plasma and melta! Plasma and melta to the front now!" Laura bellowed across the intercom. "Oi Falcons, get the Pulsars and Pulse lasers ready! Same goes for the Russes, anti-armor rounds now!"
The horns blared again, no melody or notes, just an abrasive noise with the singular purpose of being obnoxiously loud. Orks poured from the cave in a torrent of billowing dusts and yep, he fucking knew this was gonna happened, and it did happened, because why the fuck not?! Having successfully domesticated the kaiju, it was only logical that the orks would have no problem taming the lesser, but no less lethal, faunas of Darwin IX. And here was the result, the orks were riding beasts the size of mini buses, the slate grey armored adorning its huge ovoid body looked thick enough to withstand a direct hit from an artillery shell. They were not the rhinos Tangmo encountered earlier, these lots were bugs. The most apt description Tangmo can give would be that the insectoid mounts shared the morphology of Hercules beetles, if said beetles were pumped full of steroid, enhancing and enlarging their already formidable physique. The horns they sported, like helms of knight and samurais, were delightfully unique and intimidating, with sharp ridges, spikes and thorns blooming out in wicked curves. Beneath the gleaming crest were eyes of glowing fae green and mouths filled with needle sharp teeth. Stone like legs, ten in number, punched mini craters into the ground with every step taken. And finally, no orkish engineering would be complete without the greenskin's penchant for nailing guns and armors on to everything, which successfully made the beetles looked more nightmarish. The bugs reminded Tangmo of the Ohmu from the Studio Ghibli movie Nausicaä, but he wasn't magnanimous enough to step in front of a stampeding horde with arms spread wide, beseeching the beasts to let go of their hatred and anger.
"Crestienne, pull the Argent Shroud back right fucking now!" Yuki's voice boomed across the intercom. "Power halberds ain't gonna do shit against that – oi, I'm talking to you too Firnera, get your ass back!"
"The insects are maddened with anger," Isha appeared beside Tangmo, the Aeldari goddess was leaning over the barricade and watching the cavalry charge as if she was a kid at the zoo. How no bullets had caught her yet Tangmo didn't have a fucking clue. "And it is not the orks who are doing this, I can feel nothing but hatred and the need to kill coming from them. The Warp had altered their minds."
Tangmo was deciding whether to thank Isha for the input or tell her to get the hell away from an active warzone when the tanks made the choice for him. Isha bounded back from the barricade with an embarrassingly high pitched squeal, landing hard on her ass as the King Russes and Fire Prisms unleashed their weaponries on the beetle. He knew things weren't going to be easy but Tangmo was nevertheless disappointed when the cavalry charge wasn't stemmed. The beetles might have made spectacular flips as they died but the motherfucker just kept on coming.
"Move it! Make way for the tanks!" Nikki bellowed the same moment claxon horns blared from the King Russes. The infantries swiftly abandoned their position as the rumble of tracks rose in octave to match the pounding footfall of the beetle cavalry. "This is gonna be loud people, take fucking cover!"
"Get behind the fucking tanks!" Being the badass Thai commissar that he was, Tangmo waved his troops back while heroically remaining behind to make sure everyone was safe. He laughed aloud when Celestine hefted Isha on her shoulder and flew passed the four King Russes speeding for the front, the war machines plowed easily through the threadbare barricades before closing ranks into an armored phalanx. Wiping dust from his face Tangmo quickly dashed left and joined the main characters behind a ridge of chest high boulders, the position granted him an unobstructed view of both the tanks and the beetles. "Holy fucking shit – everybody brace yourself!"
Machines and beasts collided, the shockwave was so powerful that it knocked Tangmo and the main characters to the ground, the concussive blast of air struck like a freaking fist. Teeth gritted, Tangmo waited until the ringing in his ears passed before propping himself on the boulder, his jaw dropping when he saw that the King Russes were actually losing to the bugs. Both engines and insects roared but the Immortal Spirit's venerated war machines were getting lifted off the ground by the beetles' wickedly curved horns. To make matters worse, the ork riders had leapt off their saddles and were now engaged in an all-out gunfight with the troopers manning the hatches. Some of the more daring greenskins were already bounding across the air, itching to melee the tanks.
"Kill the Ohmu! Kill them!" Tangmo dashed out of cover and ran at one of the bug, his lasgun spewing laser at full auto. Most of the lasbolts struck true, the insectoid carapace burning and cracking from the superheated light. But some shots, when hitting from certain angles, ricocheted off the rocky armor. "Fucking hell, pour the heavy guns of them, quickly! And get the rest of the tanks and APCs up here now!"
"What is an Ohmu?" Leilatha slid in beside him, her awesome commissar coat flapping epically in the wind as she emptied her bolt pistol into the face of a bug who was on the verge of flipping a King Russ over. The beast stumbled back with a shrilly cry, it's face obliterated into a mess of pulping flesh and shell. "You already got a name of the ork's newest beasties?"
"Oh yeah, I'm calling the bug Ohmu from now, and I don't fucking care if Studio Ghibli sic their lawyers on me!" Tangmo spat a slew of extremely impolite Thai words when he saw more of the bugs emerging from the cave. These new lots bulled into the rear of the already engage first wave, using number and weight to push the tanks back. Funnily enough the Immortal Spirit's armored units were doing the same thing, more King Russes, Chimeras and Castigators entered the fray until the battle took on the shape of two shield walls shoving and heaving against each other. "God fucking damn it this is turning into a massive clusterfuck! Pour it on them boys and girls! Protect the mappers, don't let the fuckers overrun us!"
"They will not take another step forward lord commissar! Domine Libra Nos sisters, forward!" Crestienne announced over the intercom as boisterous feminine war cry erupted to Tangmo's left. And running through the dust came a blistering forest of power halberds, power guandaos and power naginatas. The sisters of the Argent Shroud and the Celestial Serenity, shoulders to shoulders, their schiltron uniform in speed and shape, were charging full tilt at the now immobile Ohmus. The orks controlling the bugs tried to veer their mounts around to face the new threats but the mosh pit had gotten so congested that any movement was rendered impossible. The blades of their weapons blazing sapphire, azure and cobalt, the Sister of Battle rammed into the Ohmu's flank, surf of blood cascaded skyward as the warrior women plunged deep like a sword sinking into unprotected flesh.
"Oi Yuki, where's the other pincer at?!" Tangmo was slamming a new magazine into the Zetton lasgun, a rare occurrence considering the power capacity, when he saw Laura standing atop an Ohmu, a headless ork sprawled at her feet. "My flank is already engaged!"
"We're already here, calm down will you?!" Right on que Yuki appeared on the right side of the mosh pit. And bobbing behind the Japanese exarch loomed the shapes of Wraithguards and Paragon Warsuits, cacophonic flashes of gunfire and swooping arcs of power blades raked the ranks of insects. "Nikki, we got them pinned, go, go, go!"
"Roger that! Let's go!" A column of Falcons and Fire Prisms zoomed passed the engaged frontline and curved sharply until they disappeared behind the mass of shoving, grinding bugs. Tangmo laughed triumphantly when flames bloomed across the cavalry's rear, the shrieks of dying insects was music to his fucking ears. "We got them surrounded! Ha! We just Cannae their asses!"
"Lord commissar, the seismic mappers just completed mapping the mountain and the labyrinth!" Meko announced across the intercom and the battlegroup raised their voices in a boisterous cheer, the rousing jubilation managed to drown out the din of battle for several seconds. "And in startling details too…sir, according to the real time map the orks and skavens are mustering inside a chamber one kilometer into the mountain, they're preparing to sally forth again."
"We need to attack them, now!" General Sulla shouted into the communication line. "The longer we wait the more chance the enemy has to regroup!"
"Holy freaking shit, I actually agree with Sulla this time, we need to stop those assholes," although it was next to impossible to see over the gigantic bugs, Tangmo quite clearly noticed that the Ohmus were able to maneuver more freely, with many being reined back to the cave. "Anybody knows how many of the bugs are left? Can the tanks push through?"
"Most of them are dead mate, at least the ones on the flanks and the rear," still waltzing across the bug's heaving back Laura, now joined by Yuki, made a show of surveying the battlefield. "The center is intact but wavering."
"Push a path though, now!" Yuki waved her two katanas energetically in the air. "What are you waiting for?! Do it!"
"The bugs are not giving up without a fight, lady exarch!" A tank driver spoke up. "Our turrets are out of place, we can't get a clear shot!"
Yuki was about unleashed a barrage of extremely rude admonition on the tanker when the Ohmus, the ones still alive, suddenly stopped howling. Without presage a bout of collective docility settled, the bugs no longer heaving with uncontrollable rage and bloodlust. Instead they just stood around, swaying slightly like grasses caught in a gentle breeze, and with their riders slaughtered by Laura and Yuki the formidable mounts simply look neutered. Again, this totally reminded Tangmo of the climax of Nausicaä, when the titular heroine got crushed then resurrected by the Ohmus after they calmed down, red eyes turning blue.
"I know what must be done, lord commissar," Tangmo spun around and saw a somber Isha standing behind him, her raised hand haloed in radiant silver light. She cast one last look at the bugs and turned away, her visage pained. "This is your chance to strike them down, do not waste this opportunity."
"You heard the goddess armor pierced those fuckers and clear a path for Sulla!" Tangmo bellowed and pointed at the Ohmus, the King Russes wasted no time blowing the bugs inside out. They died silently, raising no sound as the battlegroup's ordnance tore them apart in shards and splintered of gore, leaving behind hollowed flaming husk, the innards bubbling and steaming. Grunting appreciatively, Tangmo returned his attention to Isha, the goddess looked about ready to cry. "Out of curiosity, what did you exactly?"
"I put them to sleep," Isha sighed sadly, "I also deadened their senses. So they would feel nothing when the battlegroup commences the attack."
"Thank you, I know this is hard but you just save a lot of people, take heart in that," Tangmo nodded firmly and Isha offered him a soft smile in reciprocation, but the moment of levity ended when the previously engaged King Russes blasted their claxon horns victoriously and plowed into the dead Ohmu, flattening the bugs into pulping gibs. The tanks then swiftly spread out to form a corridor for Sulla's armored company, now rumbling two hundred paces behind them. Not waiting a second longer the Valhallan general, astride atop an open hatch of the foremost tank, swung her sword down and the column sped into the cave.
"That's one way to deal with the orks," Laura, with Yuki and Nikki in tow, strolled casually across the steaming mess left behind by the Ohmus fiery, visceral demise. Sulla and her tanks were opening fire when the Falcons that had boxed in the bugs zoomed into the cavernous corridor, the speed more than a little eager, obviously not wanting the Valhallan to have all the fun. "But fucking goddamn mate, this is what you went through when you landed?"
"Nah, this was way more horrifying," Tangmo grimaced and cast a disgusted gaze at the dead war beetles. The fucked up carcasses didn't bother him, but holy shit the near tangible reek simmering in the air was extremely toxic on the sinuses. "The smell is pretty bad too, fuck."
"Sir, the map of the Warp Crystal labyrinth had been downloaded to the central server, you can access them now," Meko told Tangmo with a thumb up.
"Thanks dude," Tangmo and his homies swiftly tapped the data-pad on their arms, skimmed over the detail, and exchanged looks of surprise, the good kind. "Oh whoa, the many branching tunnels notwithstanding the main cavern housing the Warp Crystal look to be directly in front of us. As in, it's a freaking straight line…I am seeing this correctly, right?"
"That's an affirmative," Nikki grinned. "If we stick with the plan and advance carefully, we should be able to easily deal with the crystal…"
"We got them! We got them all!" Sulla's maniacal laughter boomed across the intercom. The battlegroup responded with a hearty roar but Tangmo, Laura, Yuki and Nikki felt nothing but icy dread settled in their stomachs. The quartet's collective fears were confirmed a moment later. "Come on then my friends, the orks and the skavens are on the run, after them! For the unending glory of the God Emperor, smite them beneath the rolling wave of our mighty rumbling tanks!"
"Sulla, I must ask that you belay that order," oh thank God, Cain stepped in and put a break on Sulla's suicidal banzai charge impulse. "The plan is to stop the orks and skavens from regrouping, that task had since been completed, so kindly remain where you are."
"But we got them on the run!" Sulla countered. Her whiny tone was actually pretty cute. "This is a perfect opportunity to go after our enemy and achieve glory!"
"Please remain where you are, general Sulla," Celestine went airborne above Tangmo, wings unfurled to the fullest, glorious heavenly light painting the carnage of the battlefield in a soft gossamer of gold. The Living Saint might be polite in words, but her utterance was iron. "I will be joining you promptly."
"Praise be to the Living Saint," Tangmo snickered as Celestine shot into the cave on streamer of glittering starry vapor. Quirking a brow at his homies, Tangmo stabbed his thumb at the yawning entrance. "Well then ladies, shall we?"
"Of course my good sir," Laura made a pretty bow then tapped her earbud. "Tend to the wounded and reinforce our rear ladies and gents, I don't want any surprises biting me in the arse. Those still in fighting shape, form up on me, we're going in." Magnetizing her claymore and drawing her hellgun, Laura flashed Isha a pretty grin, "ready for a little stroll in the dank dark cave, your eminence?"
