Alarm klaxons blared as the mortal crews rushed to arm themselves and take up positions to repel boarders. His Varagyr followed him. The loud metal thuds from the terminator clad footprints rang out through the corridor. Even with the shout of orders, alarm klaxons, and the occasional robotic tones of the intercoms, the sheer weight of their ancient suites of tactical dreadnought armor made their footfalls as loud as church bells.
The march to war is a march he has done thousands of times before in the centuries that he has served as a Knight of the Wolf King, as a Son of Leman Russ. Today was hardly any different though this was the first time since he took command of the Chapter that traitors had managed to defile the venerable Battle Barge with their mere presence. A defilement that would be easily remedied when his sword drank deeply in the blood of the traitors.
Reports had filtered in that the traitors who teleported when the void shields flickered down for a brief moment were armored in blood red suits of Cataphractii terminator warplate and armed solely for the purpose of slaying as many as possible by their own hands.
He knew what that meant. That they were Red Butchers, an ancient and dark brotherhood of the most insane and bloodthirsty among a legion known for its insanity and bloodthirst.
For any other chapter of Space Marines it would be a daunting challenge, but for the Sons of the Russ this was the battle they were created for. To take the enemy to battle; blade to blade, and slay them with the unbridled wrath of the Emperor. Whether they be Xenos, Mutants, or Taitors. Since the days of the Great Crusade, this is what the scions of the Sixth Legion had been created for. Blessed by the Master of Mankind, no Xenos or Traitor, no matter how foul could stand before them. As these dogs of the blood god would soon realize.
The path of the Butchers was displayed on his HUD. They were being delayed trying to kill everything in their path rather than push forward towards the primary reactor, bridge, or CIC. This gave Luis and his Varagyr time to intercept the traitors.
A bulkhead hissed as it opened. Blood curdling screams were heard as soon as the bulkhead opened. As the bulkhead finally cleared. He saw the origin of the screams. The traitors were slaughtering the armsmen and serfs that were attempting to do the impossible by trying to give him and his Varagyr enough time to intercept the traitors.
He quickly raised his right arm, the IR targeting laser of his wrist mounted storm bolter fell upon the helm of the nearest traitor. With a single thought, the storm bolter roared to life releasing a viscous burst of bolter fire. The bolts hit the terminator warplate's shield detonating on the arcane energy. As he intended it got the traitor's attention.
The World Eater launched a salvo of grenades from his carapace mounted launcher. Luis easily blocked it by raising his storm shield. The blast from the grenades was easily repelled by the energy field created by the Storm Shield.
The World Eater charged at him. Power Ax raised high. Its disruption field crackled with its arcane energy.
Luis parried it with ease and blocked the following thrust via the Butcher's chainfist. The colliding fields sparked, sending fountains of sparks from the impact point After a few moments they broke their lock circling each other like two alphas of rival packs looking for the slightest weakness in the other.
From their brief exchange, he could tell that this butcher was the leader of this particular squad of traitors. Luis smiled under his helm. This was a great way to start off the battle. Slaying a Devourer of the Red Butchers was a fine kill to add to his tally.
Luis took the initiative and attacked with a quick cut and thrust of his blade. The Blade of Wulfen. The blade he forged himself, that carried the primal fury of all Sons of Leman Russ and the power that the Emperor had crafted into the Wolf King's genetic material. The legacy that Luis carried within his body. His psychic might flowed into the adamantine and arcane psi-convectors, it engulfed the blade with holy fire and forced the spirit of wulfen within to rise to the surface. His mental discipline and fortitude kept it in check, but this was the price of such power. Everytime he fought with the blade, he walked the line between the noble and fierce warrior that embodied all the virtues that Russ had instilled into his Legion, and the savage beast who slaughtered anything that wasn't a part of its pack.
The psychically charged blade cut through the Adamantine and ceramite plate. Only the suit's size and the light nature of the cut and thrust saved the traitor as even the traitor legions were not immune to the ravages of time which made the shield generators of the cataphractii warplate far less reliable than they would have been during the height of the Great Crusade.
Luis caught the counter from the Butcher's chainfist on his shield again. Sparks flew again from the colliding disruption fields.
Icons appeared on his HUD indicating that his Varagyr had fully engaged the Butchers of the 12th Legion that stood before them. He blinked them away as he parried another swing from the Chaos Champion's ax.
The Chaos champion yelled out with acidic spittle flying, "I CLAIM YOUR SKULL, LOYALIST DOG, FOR KHORNE! SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE, BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD"!
Luis replied, "You may try, traitor".
The traitor came at him again Bringing his chainfist down in a viscous arc. Luis sidestepped it with ease and channeled his bestial fury into his sword. He cut through the adamantine and ceramite that made up the cataphractii warplate's arm. He severed the arm cleanly at the elbow. It send the chainfist crashing into the floor with loud crack and screech of metal being shredded before its power ran dry.
The Traitor screamed in rage and swung his ax seeking bloody revenge. Luis caught the ax on his shield. Massives fountains of crackling sparks erupted from the two energy fields colliding. He pushed off the ax and went in for the attack. Luis feinted high, but went low, cutting into the inside of the left knee joint. Cutting deep, nearly severing the leg before the traitor swung his ax downard. Luis caught it flatly on his shield. The Chaos Champion was a fool, but he was strong. Much stronger than the average Astartes. His storm shield saved him, he drew out his sword and fell back to prompt the traitor to follow. The Traitor attempted, but soon collapsed under his own weight with the near destruction of his leg.
The Traitor yelled, "DAMN YOU LOYALIST DOG!"
Luis didn't bother replying as he quickly disarmed the traitor by severing the remaining arm at the wrist before he brought his sword up to fulfill his duty as a Son of the Emperor's Executioner. In a quick fluid movement he drove the swordpoint through the gap between the traitors head and warplate, cutting straight down through the traitor's body. Severing his spinal column and cutting through both of his hearts, other organs, and geneseed.
Luis knew the Chaos Champion was dead before he drew out his blade. In addition to physically destroying multiple vital organs, the flames of his blade would have burned out the traitor's soul.
He looked around and saw that his Varagyr were not far behind him slaying the traitors, just taking longer. Though their victory was assured.
He blinked through the data being sent to his HUD checking on the progress of the other packs that were responding to the traitors that had boarded his ship. Erak and a pack of Varagyr Terminators were engaging with some traitor marines possessed by warpspawn. A pack of Grey Hunters were engaged with some traitor legionnaires, while a pack of Blood Claws had fallen upon another squad of traitor legionnaires in a perfect ambush.
Luis thought to himself that perhaps that Blood Claw was now ready to become a hunter instead of a claw.
Luis rejoined the battle by thrusting his sword through the back of the nearest butcher, his blade destroying both of the traitor's hearts with the single thrust. He turns to see that his brothers have started cutting down their own opponents. He saw Avar pull his Great Frost Axe from a traitor's body and catches the sight of another of his brothers destroying the chest plate of the traitor with a blow from his power fist.
Luis smiles a feral smile. They had made short work of the traitors and everywhere else his brothers had pulled off successful ambushes and interceptions. Only Erak's battle would take long given the data Luis picked up from the auspex and data network systems built to their terminator warplate.
The traitor squadron would be destroyed soon enough and then they can trap the traitors between the anvil of the planet and its planetside defenders and their fleet. Even a Gloriana Class Battleship shouldn't be able to take sustained fire from their fleet and the planet's own anti-orbital defense batteries.