"DROP PROCEDURES INITIATED..." The robotic voice from the main frame sounded loud and clear.
"Alright men! You heard the man!" the seargent barked.
"Take your seats gentlemen, and Iīll brief you while youīre at it."
"Sir, yes sir!" the Space Marines of the 8th tactical squad barked in perfect unison.
"We are to take this hill" the seargent pointed at the hologram that flickered behind him.
"Itīs 450mm cannons are punding the shit out of our brother marines down there and we are
to silence them. Luckiliy enough the centurion, may the emperor bless him, has decided to
send along brother Raevan" he looked in the direction of the Dreadnought positioned in the
back of the drop-pod. Itīs status screen flickered to life as it went from idle mode to active
upon hearing his name been mentioned.
"I would appreciete brother Equitum Cobol if you could use the codex regulatated jargon, it sounds Imperial Guardish when you speak like that."
You could trace a bit of deteste in brother Raevanīs semi-robotic voice.
"Yes sir" Cobol muttered, "Now, could I please proceed with the briefing?"
The dreadnought was higher in rank but the Codex didnīt allow dreadnoughts to lead units
on their own, but they were more or less free to roam the battlefield and take out the enmy at
itīs strongest points.
"So..." the seargent proceeded "Where was I?"
Brother Brutus raised his hand and said "The guns sir?"
"Ah, yes" the sergeant said as he remembered "as I was saying, the guns are to be taken out,
Julo and Janus are todays demolitions experts and are to place them as the rest of us provide cover.
Julo is in charge of the Demo team, Brutus and Jarek provide close support.
Brother Raevan, sir. What is your armament on this glorius day?"
The dreadnought rotated itīs torso so that his sarcophagus faced the direction of the sergeant.
"It is a Standard issue Mk. IX Power fist and Mk VI 25mm Assault Cannon, brother Equitum" Raevan
replied with his robotic voice.
"Understood" the sergeant nodded "then brother Reavan provides heavy support, right sir?"
"Aye, good thinking Equitum." the dreadnought replied.
The comspeakers in the roof crackeled to life and a voice said: "Sergeant, get yer men ready,
weīre over the hellhole. 3 minutes to drop." the dropshipīs pilot snarled.
"Alright. Caligatus Janus, secure the armament."
"Yes sir!" Janus said as he rose from his seat to secure the bolters in the confined
īArms secure hatchī.
"Take your seat" Cobol said as he also took his seat. Janus sat down and glanced to his left where
Julo was sitting in silence. Cobol pressed the "Ready" button on his console to signal to the
Drop-Shipīs pilot that they were ready for drop. Bars were lowered from above the seats to firmly
secure the marines during their bumpy ride that was ahead of them. Suddenly the pod
started shaking as it was lowered to the ejection hole in the side of the drop-ship.
The comspeakers crackeled to life again:
"Well, 15 secs to drop. 10 secs. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, MARK!"
The drop-pod vibrated and squeeked a bit and was released. They felt their hearts in their mouths as the drop-pod
descended towards the planetsurface with tremendous speed.
"Weeeeeeehah! Letīs get them!" Jarek yelled, trying to make himself heard over the immensly loud
sound of the shaking drop pod as it entered the atmosphere. Suddenly the drop-pod was shaken with
tremendous power and the bolters ratteled in their small cages, the doroship turned pitch black
"Shit! Weīve been hit! Get ready for chrashlanding!" Cobol yelled as the red emergency lights went on.
Julo came back to life after a while, looking around. Cobol was already on his feet and handing out
the bolters to marines who were eager to get into the fray. Julo shook his head to get some life
in it, something was definately wrong here he thought to himself as he looked around.
"Double quick Julo, donīt hang around!" Cobol ordered. Then it struck Julo as a lightning bolt.
He was hanging upside down in his seat! The drop ship had crashlanded "head"-first.
He pressed the emergency release button beside him and
the bars that firmly kept him in place loosened up which made him fall to the roof of the drop pod helmet first.
"Weīve been spotted by the acursed cultists, move it! And on top of the shit, we landed way offline, 2 kliks!" Cobol yelled as he handed
Jarek his bolter. The dreadnought rose to itīs feet and clacking sounds were heard as itīs weapons
were arming. It stepped towards the hole in the side of the droppod that had been tore of by the
AA gun.
"Aproximately 20 cultists approaching through the dense vegetation" the dreadnought reported.
"Targets acquired..." it said as his Vulcan cannon spun to life. The cultists in te forefront
were litteraly ripped apart in a hail of defeaning 25mm assault cannon fire. The marines behind the dreadnought
opened fire and cut down the rest of the cultists.
"Deploy DELTA formation, cover the grounds!" Cobol barked. The marines jumped out of the drop pod and secured
the surrounding terrain, taking cover behind trees and rocks. The dreadnought rotated itīs torso 360 degrees
as it scanned the surroundings.
"No vital signs readings" it reported in itīs monotone voice."Although I can detect an aircraft 800 metres away..."
"Well, letīs move it troopers!" Cobol said and pointed in the direction of the hill that rose towards the sky
2 kilometres away. The marines started moving in stages of small groups, the one behind provinding cover to the
advancing group. Suddenly the crashed drop ship was ripped apart in a blazing explosion as one of the guns on the
hill fired.
"Damn it! Weīve been spotted by the artillery! On the double!" Cobol yelled. The marines immediately spread out, just
as they were trained to do and had done on countless occasions.
"The aircraft is approaching our vector" the dreadnought reported. "Locking on signal."
It started aiming in the direction of the unseen aircraft. Itīs assault cannon started spinning but didnīt fire
just yet. The marines could hear the skimmers humming noise in the distance, picking up strength as it approached.
"Range 40 metres, maximum target range reached." It said as the assault cannon started firing, itīs bullets ripping through the
treetops and hopefully hitting the aircraft. Suddenly a hissing noise was heard and Brutus started screaming in pure agony as his
Power Armour was melting onto his body as the heretic tornadoīs multi-melta hit itīs target. The surrounding vegetation also burst in flames.
"There! Blast him out!" Cobol barked as he pointed towards the treetops, he gripped his bolter and started firing.
Julo spotted the low-flying skimmer and opened fire in short controlled burts. The Dreadnought aimed again;
"Correcting targeter... Acquired." The assault cannon started firing again, suddenly the skimmers heavybolter started opening fire.
One shell hit half a metre behind Julo and split a tree wide open but he didnīt even flinch as he kept on firing, aiming at the exhaustports, although he couldnīt see them.
Finally the skimmers humming noise was replaced by a hissing noise as it was hit square in the engine by the assault cannon and started
scraping against the treetops. It exploded moments later as itīs fueltank caght fire, turning the Tornado into a ball of flames.
"Target destroyed" the dreadnought reported at the same time as the skimmer hit the ground 20 metres away.
"Brutus is dead sir." Jarek was kneeling beside the melted remaines of the once so proud marine.
"Leave him. Weīll have to retrieve him later on..." Cobol said.
Juloīs acute ears picked up a high pitched sound from the direction of the hill, which normally meant that either a mortar shell or
a grenade was on itīs way.
"Incoming, hit the dirt!" he yelled as he threw himself to the ground, the rest of the marines did the same. The grenade hit about
10 metres to his left where it sprayed the surrounding trees full of shrapnel. The marines rose to their feets and started advancing again.
After about 15 minutes of slow advancement Cobol rose his fist, the silent signal for halt. Everyone stopped moving immediately.
"Cultists dead ahead. 30 metres in front of us." he whispered over the comnet. Surround them." the order was short and
concise. Julo started advancing in the direction of the foe. He halted as soon as he saw one of them looking around
trying to spot something.
"I canīt see īem!" the cultist yelled, looking back, probably in the direction of his heretic commander. Luckily enough Julo wasnīt a Blood Angel as his crimson armour would give away his position
immediately, he was a blackpainted Legio Infernalis marine with red shoulder pads. He aimed his bolter at the heretics head, ready for the "open fire" signal.
"Fire at will!" Cobol barked. Julo pulled the trigger at the same instant. The bolter shells hit the cultist in the head
and exploded inside, ripping it apart like a ripe watermelon being dropped from the 10th floor off some balcony in 20th century earth.
"Fire in the hole!" someone yelled and Julo went down behind a fallen over and decayed tree-trunk. The fragmentation grenade sprayed
itīs shrapnel amongst the hapless cultists, dealing death and dismembering them. Screams and wails filled the air after the silence
of the explosion. He saw brother Raevan stepping up beside him, advancing towards the position of the cultists. Julo followed.
Suddenly a guttural yell was heard and a frenzied cultist leaped out of the bushes and started lashing at the dreadnought with his
chain sword. The dreadnoughtīs torso rotated swiftly so that it faced the cultist and itīs powerfist arm shot out at a baffling speed,
itīs "fingers" rotating into the chest of the heretic. Raevan lifted the still screaming heretic into the air and threw him into a tree
10 metres away with amazing power, crushing the cultists head as he hit the tree moments later.
"Gather up and advance. Line up, 5 metres distance." Cobol shouted.
Finally the dense vegetation thinned out as the marines reached the foot of the hill. Cobol halted the squad of now 9 marines and
a supporting dreadnought. He picked up his binoculars and started scanning the gun emplacement. Itīs gun opened fire at some far off target,
probably some of their brother marines. The thought enraged Julo and his muscles flexed involuntarily.
"Prepare yourselves for close combat, I can see a couple o berzerkers up there, theyīre probably more of īem..." Cobol said moments later.
Julo drew his chainsword and readied it, those treacherous bastards would die at his feet he thought to himself.
"Brother Raevan, give us some smoke please so that they canīt turn the guns on us, that would surely be the end of us..." Cobol said, still
watching the enemy through his binoculars.
"Aye, brother Equitum" the dreadnought replied as he loaded three smoke-grenades into the launcher. "Awaiting launch orders" he said.
Julo tightened his grip around both his weapons; the beloved bolter and his chainsword.
"NOW!" Cobol yelled. A hollow sound was heard as the dreadnought launched his grenades.
The grenades landed in front of the emplacement covering it in smoke within seconds. Baffled yells
could be heard as the guncrews wondered what was happening. The Khorne Berzerkers were quicker, they understood immediately what was
happening and that drew them into a stage of frenzy.
"BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOOD, SKULLS FOR KHORNE!" their yells could be heard as they started running down the hill through the smoke screen.
"Sweet mother of the Emperor!" Julo hissed, it wasnīt 2 or five berzerkers as heīd been expecting, it was 25!
"Fire at will!" Cobol yelled as he started opening fire. Julo dropped his sword and started firing into the lot of the
crazed marines. One was hit square in the chest and fell tumbling down the hill. Another one was hit in his head which ripped his helmet open.
The dreadnoughtīs assault cannon once again started chanting itīs hymn of 25mm death, hitting several berzerkers. The Berzerkers were
extremely lightfooted and covered the distance that Julo would have run in 20 seconds in 10. Julo now aware that close combat was inevitable
picked up his chainsword and readied it. The dreadnought stepped forward to meet the berzerkers. The rest of the marines did the same, yelling
their battlecries and charging towards the crazed berzerkers. What happened was just pure luck, the berzerker that had his sights set on
Julo, tripped and fell towards Julo who raised his chainsword, impaling the berzerker. He pulled the chainsword out of the twitching body
and charged at another one. He ducked the berzerkerīs blow, remembering that he should never try to parry a frenzied manīs blow as
they were ten times more powerful than a sane manīs and could break his sword. Juloīs blow hit the heretic marineīs arm, severing it below the elbow.
The berzerker went down on his knees screaming in agony as a crimson flow was pumped out of his stump in steady squirts, colouring the grass red. Julo relentlessly beheaded
the screaming berzerker. To his left he saw Cobol grab a marine by his neck with his powerfist. He raised the marine from the ground, hardened his
grip, causing the empowered glove to crush the berzerkerīs throat. Cobol threw the lifeless body at another berzerker that was preparing to
leap at him. To his right Jarek fell to the ground as his leg had been cut off just above the knee. The berzerker placed his sword on Jarekīs throat
and pressed firmly, causing the sword to go straight through Jarekīs neck. This really made Julo furios.
Jarek had been his best friend ever since
the first day at the ISMRC. They had fought side by side on coutless occassions against unspeakeble enemies. They had saved eachotherīs lives
uncountable times, creating a firm bond of friendship between the two of them. Now he was dead.
"DIE YOU HERETIC BASTARD!" he yelled as his chainsword hit the berzerkers neck from behind, the chainswordīs teeth grinded
unrelentingly as it chewed through the neckplates of the heretic power armour. Finally it stroke meat and Julo decapitated the berzerker from behind.
The twitching body went down on itīs knees and fell backwards, a guttural noise was heard from the now visible throat.
After another 3 minutes the battle was over, all the berzerkers were slain but only Raevan and 2 marines remained; Julo and Cobol.
Raevan had had his powerfist destroyed by one of the raving lunatics, Cobol powersupplying backpack had had itīs cables destroyed
causing itīs fission reactor to pump out the radioactive waste and a tremendous ammount of heat and smoke.
"Letīs finish īem off...sir" Julo said as he started jogging up the hill, with his satchel charge under his arm. He reached the emplacement,
the cowardly crew had retreated as their bodyguards were slain. Julo placed a charge under one of the gigantic guns, set itīs timer on 5 mins.
There! Movement at the crest of the hill! The cultist sniper looked through his telescopic sight. Ah, yes... It was a dirty space marine he thought to himself,
unaware of his own nauseating body odours. But what chapter was he? He wasnīt an Ultramarine because they were blue... or were the Dark Angels blue? Blood angel?
No, he was black with red shoulderpad rims. Space Wolf? No, he had sniped one last week, they were dark blue with a red fist on their shoulders.
He aimed and pulled the trigger... Damn! Nothing happened. Why? He hit the weapon with his fist a couple of times,
trying to get it to work, then he realized. He had forgotten to load it.
"Come on! Come on!" he murmured as he started to put in round after round into the empty clip unaware of the fact that the sniper rifle didnīt require a full clip to fire.
Julo put another charge under the barrel of another gun, their goal was just to disable the guns and their AA support so that they could be retrieved.
Cobol had taken Janus satchel and he too had started placing out charges, he then spun around and asked:
"What is your timer set on?"
"Five minutes."
Julo answered
Cobol nodded;
"You startled me for a while, I thought you had placed them on 3 or somethinī"
Julo nodded too and placed yet another charge in the control hatch of a Flakk gun.
"Come on! Come on you stupid nurgling! Please? I want to snipe now..." the cultist wailed
as he accidentaly dropped a whole box of ammo in pure excitement.
"All timers set to five, call in the extraction crew, they should be here in a jiffy, sir" Julo said.
"Aye" Cobol nodded. He pulled out the radio;
"HQ, this is Strike Squad Gaius, we need immediate pickup, charges are in place and emplacement AA defence is disabled, over."
"Gaius, this is HQ, Extraction crew on itīs way, locking onto your beacon, sit tight, over"
"HQ, this is Gaius, over and out."
"Come one, COME ON!!! MOVE YOU PITIFUL SLAVE!"
Raevan appeared over the hillcrest;
"My torso is damaged and so are all scanner facilities, the Vulcan is out of use and my Gyros are experiencing problems" he reported.
"Take it with ease brother, extraction team is on itīs way."
Caligatus Julo had an uncertain feeling that something was wrong...
"YES! Gotcha!" the sniper shouted as the last round was put in the clip, he cocked the rifle and
started aiming again.
"Iīm gonna get ya, Iīm gonna get ya, Iīm gonna..."
The tug slowed down as it approached the hill, thrusters on full reverse.
"HQ, this is extraction team OMEGA, we have visual with target, initiating pickup procedures, over."
"OMEGA, this is HQ, you are cleared, proceed. Over"
The shuttle slowed down even more and started hovering 50 centimetres above the ground, the pilot
maneuvering it with extreme precision. Itīs side doors opened and Raevan stepped in first...
"Got ya in my sites!" the cultist gibbered to himself as he was aiming at the marine without the smoking
backpack, he looked more important because he looked cleaner.
"You gonna die..."
Cobol climbed aboard and offered a helping hand to Julo. Julo stopped and started the timers, he put his right foot on the boarding
stairs that the pilot had opened so that they could board the craft easier and grabbed the sergeantīs powerfist. He took one last glance and started to prepare
himself to take the last step to enter the shuttle...
"You tryinīto get away, huh? Well I show you, man. This one is for Slaanesh..."
The cultist pulled the trigger and one round went off, straight in the direction of Juloīs throat...
"Yes, I made it..." was not the last thing that went throuhg Juloīs mind, it was a 12.5mm AP round
fired from a cultist sniper...
"SNIPER! SNIPER! Iīm aborting!" The Pilot yelled, and immediately closed the doors and throttled up so that he could get
the hell out of the acursed planet.
"NO! Heīs still alive!" yelled Cobol as he was pounding on the closed doors...
//By Bahman Dehnavi, the founder of Legio Infernalis
