Claws's Glory

[Gree]

Author’s Notes: This is the last in the Karovioa arc.

 

Claws’ Glory

 

Chapter 1

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Traknor Primary complex

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Belsarius’s scouts peered out at the large form of Traknor Primary. The tall, grey edifice had a series of large alien symbols, spray-painted into the side of the complex, most likely by the Tau’s worker drones. A large symbol of the T’au sept dominated the side of building, with smaller, directional symbols down on the sides, leading to the access gates and lower refineries of Traknor Primary.

 

The building itself was quite large, as big as a city block, with tall, blocky towers, a leftover from Imperial occupation. Those led deeper into the water refinery. Around the refinery were patches of broken rock and trees, rough ground, with pipes leading to several smaller domes, where extra water processing took place, in the distance was a smaller version of the main building. Traknor Secondary.

 

Traknor Primary was a water refinery near the Traknor Waste, an arid piece of land that bordered the southern edge of the main Karovioan continent. Earlier the Imperial strategists had given it little notice, preferring to strike in the longer, but more temperate road in the Dorsean province.

 

But Lord General’s Healy’s latest offense after the capture of Newark city had ended in failure, three regiments annihilated by the Tau in a rapid encirclement movement, a battle that put the 23rd Army’s latest advances into a rapid halt. The Lord General’s office had been preparing for another offensive, this time with the help of Eagle Claws, an offensive, hopefully, that would change the course of the war and the recent setbacks.

 

The Operation’s name was Heavenfall.

 

Belsarius and his scouts had been stealthily inserted into enemy territory by Thunderhawk; flying low to avoid the Tau sensors, the gunship had deposited them in the low scrublands that bordered the Traknor waste. For there the scouts had set out in blackened armor and camo-capes, the stealth material and the skills of the young space marines, allowing them to slip past far-ranging Tau patrols.

 

From their entire journey through the hot, dusty scrublands, a place so unlike the cold, grey homeworld of the Eagle Claws, they soldiered on, eating the local lizards and poison brushes, their enhanced bodies easily coping with the toxins.

 

Belsarius was a veteran of the chapter, he had served it for almost two centuries, and had spent four years of those studying under the famed Sergeant Telion of the Ultramarines, he was the one who taught scouts their necessary skills. He did this because he cared more about the future of the chapter than his own glory, he had endured some comments from his power armored brothers for serving in the 10th rather than the 1st, as was his due, but Belsarius knew that he had made the right choice.

 

He lay out on his belly, crawling ever so slowly towards the side of the Refinery, shrouded in his camo-cloak like a blanket, the odd material taking the perfect appearance of the dusty ground beneath him.

 

Belsarius and his scouts had circled the place earlier in the night, noting that the south-eastern wing of the refinery was older and not as well taken care of as the other walls. It was situated on a low rise, bordering a series of rough and jagged rocks, opposite the refinery pipeline. It would be a good place for the Astartes to launch an assault, he had decided, he and Allus; one of his most promising pupils, now crept towards the wall of the Traknor Primary.

 

He could spot a fire warrior guard on one of the observation railings, looking out. He was about seventy feet away, a little too close for Belsarius’s liking. What the warrior bored? Belsarius couldn’t tell, he moved slowly, the camoline material of his cape would prevent almost all sensors from noticing him if he moved cautiously enough. He cradled a silenced bolter. Allus found a small outcropping in the ground. There he withdrew a short, camouflaged box, and placed it into the ground, digging quietly as he could.

 

Fortunately the Tau had not launched any drones yet. That could complicate any scouting attempts. Allus finished digging the hole and set the locator beacon down, activating the locator’s runes, just like Techmarine Galba had briefed him. With a small yellow flash it activated, hurriedly Allus covered it and looked up. He silently sighed in relief, the Fire Warrior hadn’t noticed. Quickly he brushed dirt over the homer and started crawling back. Belsarius covering him.

 

Once they where out of sight Belsarius and Allus got up and ran in the quick, ground-eating stride that the sergeant had trained his scouts in. Behind them, in the sky, the glowing red contrails of drop pods could be seen.

 

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A Week earlier-Aboard the Sword of the Emperor

 

Laetres finished with his weapons practice, the twin sharpened blades dripping with the syth-blood of the training servitor he had fought. The corpse of the cyborg now lay in pieces under his feet. Light shone off his shaven head from the illumination strips above.

 

He was not even breathing. The First Sergeant could handle two or three more of those before he was challenged; this was more of a refresher course for him than anything. He went over to the weapon lockers and handed them to a cleaning servitor who beeped and crawled off on tracked treads that replaced its legs. He was in the training halls of the Sword of the Emperor, a wide, spacious place that was indeed for use of honing close combat skills, a larger, different raining bay was located elsewhere in the ship for team exercises.

 

His team, he thought glumly. He rubbed the skin on the back of his neck; it still felt raw where he had been scrubbed with holy waters and oils in the after-battle purification rites for protection against daemonic corruption. After the battle at Dalu each Astartes, after they had been healed, underwent a series of purity checks by the Company Chaplains and Librarians, while their flesh was cleansed by the attention of the apothecaries and their purity-servitors.

 

All of the Eagle Claws had been found pure after two weeks of extensive checks. Rapidly Captain Basiculus had given out orders to prepare for another mission attempt on the surface of Karovioa.

 

‘’I thought I would find you here’’ a deep voice said behind him. Laetres whirled around.

 

Chaplain Britannicus stood there. He was unarmored, like Laetres, now clad in a simple black robe with a silver skull necklace around his thick neck, an eagle’s wing tattoo covered one cheek and his shaven head was covered with scars. His left arm was a bionic replacement.

 

‘’Brother-Chaplain, what are you doing here?’’ the First Sergeant questioned.

 

Brittanicus looked at him. ‘’I have come for you, naturally Brother, I feel that you have spiritual problems.’’ he explained.

 

‘’I have undergone the purity checks, there is no taint-‘’ Laetres began.

 

‘’It’s not that’’ Britannicus cut him off. ‘’It’s about your squad’’ he said.

 

Laetres held his breath. ‘’My squad?’’

 

The Chaplain nodded. ‘’Of course. Tell me, what are they to you?’’ he questioned.

 

‘’The most valuable things in the world’’ he replied distantly.

 

‘’Yet you had sustained heavy casualties, battle brothers where inducted from the 9th to fill in the gaps in the First squad’’ he said.

 

An odd sensation crawled in Laetres’s gut, what was he getting at.

 

‘’Battle brothers are inducted into the battle companies all the time, it’s hardly usual for that to happen’’ the sergeant replied.

 

‘’But this time is different’’ the Chaplain said. Laetres was silent. He pressed on.

 

‘’You where the First squad, where you not? That means you where the forefront of assaults usually, the company elite, and you took heavier losses than you expected, didn’t you? And now you have recently inducted line brothers in the elite?’’ the Chaplain questioned him.

 

‘’I’m not going to blame anyone but myself, Brother’’ he addressed Brittanicus.

 

‘’I will not blame by dead brothers’’ he said, his voice rising. The Chaplain lifted a hand.

 

‘’Forgive me brother, I did not mean any insult, but’’ he walked forward.

 

‘’You do not feel resentment towards them, you feel resentment towards yourself’’ he said. Laetres was silent again, with a shock he realized exactly what the feeling in his gut was.

 

‘’We both know that you can blame that on a variety of things, your inexperience fighting the Tau, the unexpected arrival of the daemonic, the chapter prides itself on preparedness.’’ The Chaplain said.

 

‘’I accept full reasonability, I was squad leader’’ Laetres replied hotly. ‘’And no brother, I know what you are thinking, I do not blame the Brother-Captain at all, he made the right choice-‘’

 

‘’Again it’s not that brother, although that does bring up an interesting point, I’ll have to look into that’’ he trailed off. He shook his head. ‘’Anyway the point I was trying to make is that your squad, to be filled with fresh line brothers, is to be rotated into a fire support role, as according with the codex.’’ The Chaplain said.

 

‘’I know that, every novice knows that’’ the sergeant said with annoyance.

 

‘’You want to prove yourself, even though you know it goes against doctrine, what causes a split in you is between doctrine and duty, whether to request your commander for the lead choice of the attack or comply with the Codex’’ Brittanicus summarized.

 

Laetres was taken aback. ‘’You’re completely right…… I think’’ he trailed off.

 

‘’I’m a Chaplain brother’’ Brittanicus chuckled. ‘’It’s what I do’’ his expression turned serious.

 

‘’You do not feel arrogant?’’ he asked him.

 

‘’Of course not-‘’

 

‘’Good, enough Space Marines have fallen to the sin of arrogance to make the whole thing distasteful to me’’ Britannicus explained.

 

‘’Our chapter-’’ continued.

 

‘’-Our chapter may seem aloof and prideful to outsiders, but we know our limits, when half the Emperor’s legion turned against him in the Heresy, they did so out of pride’’ he stated.

 

‘’Guilliman, our blessed father, made caution against pride and complacence in the Codex astartes, which we have followed since our founding. First Sergeant Laetres, pick those eyes off the floor and look at me’’ he commanded.

 

Immediately he did so. The Chaplain laid one hand on his shoulder, his organic one, ‘’Promise to me, on your life, that you will follow duty, the Codex has not failed the Astartes in its moral guidance for ten millennia’’ he stated.

 

‘’We are a warrior brotherhood, that means foremost we look out for our own, trust in the chapter, sergeant, and we will trust in you, we will be their for you, the chapter gives you strength, without a chapter a marine would be litter better than a mercenary or pirate.’’ He lectured.

 

‘’By that same standard a chapter is like a chain, a single weak link can break the chapter, the Eagle Claws do not tolerate weakness, purity in mind and body is something we all must strive for’’ Brittanicus said, with pride in his voice.

 

‘’The other chapters who fell, they ignored the codex, and acted on their own ambitions, ambition is a good thing, when moderated, but you should never ignore duty or the Will of the Emperor, will you promise me that Laetres?’’ Britannicus asked.

 

‘’Yes’’ the sergeant nodded. ‘’Yes, I Laetres Alerei swear upon my chapter and life I will follow the codex Brother-Chaplain’’ he finished.

 

Britannicus looked him in the eyes, measuring his worth, finally he let go. ‘’You should get back to your training, I will be in the chapel attending to the rest of my duties, in case you still desire to see me for more guidance.’’

 

He turned and walked out, right before he reached the doors he stopped and turned around. ‘’Brother, we will soon drop, if you wish to prove yourself then I’m sure the captain will allow you to find glory’’ Britannicus stated.

 

Wit that he left.

 

Another mission? So soon? Laetres felt hope surge though his being. All his previous doubts where gone now, he was filled with a sudden kind of clear thought, yes; he nodded to himself, walking over to the weapons locker.

 

He would find clarity.

 

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Three days earlier-Newark Trade Hall Seven

 

Brother-Captain Basiclus entered the meeting room of Lord-General Healy’s command building. He was followed by Kommneus and Laetres, both in freshly polished plate.

 

The building was formerly a large meeting hall for Karovioa’s trade guilders, the same ones who had negotiated with the Tau Water Caste agents, they where dead, now, executed by Imperial firing squads. They were in Newark city, barely a month after Imperial force had seized control, the Eagle Claws had missed most of that time, with their own purity rituals after the incident at Dalu.

 

The roof was situated in the highest level of the building. The light shone through pleasantly into the room. A wide holo-table was set up in the center with seats prepared; Healy was there, sitting with his aides. A tech-priests nearby tended to the holo-table. The building itself was heavily protected by an entire company of Hydra batteries and the Lord General’s personal lifeguard regiment. A necessary precaution if any Tau infiltrators tried to assassinate the commanders of the 23rd army.

 

However such was the veil of secrecy that the Eagle Claws had only recently been informed it was too take place, Basiclus and his brothers had barely boarded their Thunderhawk and gotten there in time. When they came to the doors they where stopped and scruitized by the Lord General’s Stormtroopers, this process was repeated twice over on their way into the briefing room.

 

Basiclus looked around, noting with some surprise that there where fewer people than he has first expected. A handful of Guard officers where around the holo-table, whereas many more could have been fitted easily.

 

A half-mechanized man in the uniform of an Elysian Colonel stood next to a pinch-cheeked man in a captain’s uniform while a young female commissar stood behind them. Next where three Tallarn officers and their commissars. Across the table was a Brimlock officer, a Stromtrooper major, a man in the uniform of Imperial intelligence and an Imperial tactician. The Lord General himself was seated in his command throne at the end.

 

There where two other officers, each in camouflaged greatcoats. The Malnian regiment, Basiclus realized, one was an older bulldog of a man and the other was a tall, slender man in the uniform of a major.

 

‘’Lord General’’ Basiclus began. ‘’I was expecting this be a larger meeting’’ he said.

 

‘’This is a small meeting, but it concerns a very large event, I assure you Lord-Captain’’ Healy said.

 

‘’Colonel Loric here’’ he indicated the mechanized Elysian. ‘’Will explain, but first I trust everyone will sample this tea? It’s a most delightful local blend taken from the local townships’’ he said as several of his servants began to pour out cups of local tea.

 

‘’Lord-General’’ Basiclus said, some irritation creeping into his voice, he had no real time for this, Healy was a born and raised hiver noble, but his fripperies did not need to concern the Eagle Claws.

 

‘’Nonsense captain’’ the general smiled, just taste it. Grudgingly Basiclus accepted the cup; Kommneus however refused the offer, while Laetres just looked bewildered. For the most part the Guard officers accepted their cups.

 

Basiclus tasted it, it was a strong, tangy blend, and the Astartes Captain did not know whether it was good or not, he had little experience with such matters.

 

‘’It’s nice’’ he replied in a guarded tone. ‘’You have good taste’’ he lied, just wanting to get on with the briefing.

 

Laetres tasted the tea and his face blanched at the usual sensation, he had drank worse things before, but he was simply not prepared to deal with the strong taste, quick he swallowed it and handed it a nearby batman.

 

‘’Thank you’’ the Lord General grinned. ‘’Now, Loric, Nealsen, you can begin’’ he said. Indicating the Elysian ,who stared at this cup in consternation, and the stone-faced tactician.

 

‘’Traknor Water Refinery lies ninety-six kilometers southeast of our position’’ Nealsen said, he was an old and balding man with a flat tone of voice. The holo-table activated, showing a map of the region.

 

‘’It is a hundred and ninety-nine kilometers southwest of Karovioa city, the plan that myself and Colonel Loric have constructed, revolves around taking the facility in a quick surgical strike, the facility will then be used to supply a southward thrust through the Traknor Wastelands towards Karovioa city.’’ He explained.

 

Basiclus mentally nodded, the Tau, expecting the Imperials to come over the temperate zone, would not expect a thrust over the flat deserts. Such a move could end the war months ahead of time.

 

‘’Will this work? We’ve all read the reports from Taros, about Operation Comet’’ the older bulldog Colonel of the Malnian regiments stated bluntly. Loric turned to face him.

 

‘’That operation was plagued by bad luck, my brother regiment was quite unfortunate in that regard, he have several factors working to our advantages however’’ he explained. Loric was a tall, muscular man, his right arm and face, along with half his chest and both legs where bionic replacements, the right arm was special however.

 

Basiclus’s trained eye spotted the form of a relic power fist, slender than most Guard pattern equipment the thing was clearly a very ancient piece of archeotech, most likely from the Dark Age of Technology, Galba would love to take a look at that.

 

Briefly the Captain wondered where the Guardsman had gotten it, before his attention was focused once again on the briefing. ‘’This plan, Operation: Heavenfall, differs in that we have a better source of supply than the army on Taros’’ he said.

 

Everyone knew that Healy, despite his outer image of indolent luxury, was a cautious and careful commander, he established a series of heavily fortified supply bases and sent a significant proportion of his fighting strength to protect the rear. Basiclus appreciated that. Although he himself was a bluntly self-admitted tactician he knew that it was the logistics that won wars. The Tau’s rearward raiding tactics had for the most part failed due to Healy’s vigilance.

 

‘’But our combat reports state that the Tau function well in desert conditions, what if we somehow manage to capture the facility, if the Tau don’t decide to blow it first, and cut us off in the desert? It would be a worse disaster than Greenhammer’’ the bulldog Colonel said. Referencing the abortive offense launched two weeks ago that lost the Guard army three regiments.

 

Healy’s forehead creased and Nealsen’s faced blanched, they remembered that fiasco all too well.

 

‘’I’m sure Xio, Jensen and Dorr would appreciate any attempt to avenge them’’ Healy said smoothly, naming the three commanders of the Karnak, Vahallan and Vendoland regiments that where destroyed.

 

‘’As long as we can maintain a good rearward supply line, we should be good’’ stated Nealsen.

 

‘’Besides’ Loric interjected, ‘’The Tau would never expect us to strike in the desert, our intelligence and combat reports indicate they are strapped for manpower, having shifted most of their troops northwards into the Newark downs’’ he said.

 

‘’What’s to stop the dammed xenos from blowing the place then?’’ questioned the old Colonel. I’ve really got to learn his name, thought Basiclus, he didn’t like being in the dark about the identities of the commanders.

 

Although he has studied the command manifest of the Guard commanders operating on Karovioa he had not thought the information important, mentally he assinsghed himself an extra hour of punishment duty in the firing ranges for the mistake.

 

‘’Yes’’ he interjected, several heads turned towards him. ‘’I apologize for the interruption.’’ The Captain stated. ‘’But I would assume the purpose for my Astartes is too take the facility?’’ he questioned.

 

‘’Exactly’’ Loric nodded, ‘’You are to take the facility, my regiment, the 39th, and a Astartes company will take Traknor Primary and secondary’’ he brought up the images of two large buildings with a tap of his left arm.

 

‘’But there will need to be a relief effort’’ Laetres guessed. His brothers looked at him; he unusually didn’t ask so many questions at briefings, preferring to take in information, what had changed?

 

Loric nodded and grinned. ‘’You are a smart man Captain-‘’ he replied.

 

‘’Sergeant’’ Laetres interrupted.

 

‘’Excuse me?’’

 

‘’I’m a sergeant’’ Laetres explained. ‘’First sergeant, Second company, Alerei Laetres’’ he stated proudly.

 

‘’I apologize, not familiar with you ranks there, you all look the same to me’’ the Colonel explained

 

The same? Laetres wondered Basiclus was tall and gaunt cheeked with dark, close cropped hair, was Kommneus was fair and noble with blonde hair, while he was bald and war-scarred.

 

‘’Thank you sergeant’’ Basiclus said, Laetres was silenced.

 

‘’I’m afraid that we have spend much time together to the point where we can pick out individual details much easier than strangers.’’ he said smoothly.

 

What’s he doing? Laetres wondered, he would have taken time to chastise this Loric for the implied insult. But then he saw his Captain’s guile, he was a very diplomatic man, apparently, he decided, not just a killer.

 

‘’I would need another company to escort the relief effort led by The Tallarn and the Malnians under Prince Asjaj and Colonel Barrgin’’ he said. Obviously the Barrign was the Malnian, the Captain summarized.

 

‘’Take the facility before the Tau can blow it up, hard and fast, that is how the astartes operate, I believe, Captain’’ Loric said. Basiclus nodded.

 

‘’Our course, that’s what he we do’’ he stated.

 

This is what a Captain did. An Astartes Captain was more than a mere warrior; he was a diplomat and lord. While many in the chapter distrusted the Guard, Basiclus embraced his allies and their skills.

 

‘’I have hear many good things about the people of Elysia, I hope you and your men won’t prove me wrong?’’ Basiclus questioned. Loric grinned.

 

‘’Our course not’’

[Gree]

Claws’s Glory

 

Chapter 2

The Primary

 

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Traknor Primary station is one of the cleanest and well ran stations in the sub-sector, the employees of Traknor take great pride in their help of the citizens of Karovioa Primaris. Fresh clean water is what the mineral company strives for. Quality is important, A friendly and helpful attitude is common.

 

-Guide to the Cities of Karovioa, .M41. 931. Twenty-second edition.

 

 

Above the Astartes Drop Zone-Traknor Primary.

 

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Librarian Zalk Chemosian sat aboard his retraining harness as he and the brothers of squad Parnus plummeted straight down in a fiery contrail towards Traknor Primary station. His force sword was in the weapons harness before him. Clakus, warrior-brother next to him was covered in purity seals and finished checking the seal of his plasma gun one last time.

 

Across Sergeant Parnus sat still, helmet on. Chemosian’s own helmet was off, he preferred it that way, there was something about it that made his psychic senses tingle at not having the feel of air on his skin.

 

The numbers on the chronometer ticked down, showing how close the final descent was for the brothers of Parnus, lights flashed from the runes on the ceiling and the pods went straight down.

 

Originally he was supposed to stay with Basiclus’s Second, and Demertius would go with the fifth as usual. But Parnus changed all that when he came to his personal prayer cell. Nikarnus Parnus had entered in the simple black bodyglove worn before the armor was donned. ‘’It’s been a while Zalk’’ he had simply said. Chemosian had been sitting, meditating in his Spartan quarters.

 

‘’No title brother?’’ he replied, barely shifting.

 

‘’We know each other well enough, your are not alone, just because you’re a pyrokene’’ Nikarnus retorted. ‘’You’re too aloof, I already told you about that Zalk’’

 

The Librarians shifted and got upon. ‘’I don’t feel much of a connection anymore since we last parted ways seven years ago.’’ Back then Parnus had been promoted to Veteran status and Chemosian to Epistolary.

 

‘’Then talk to me, I always valued your insight’’ Nikarnus insisted. ‘’You remember us! Nikarnus and Zalk! The two best hunters in the Hyro’’

 

‘’That?’’ Chemosian reminiscence briefly. The two of them as boys, troublemakers really, he the witch-boy of the tribe, supposedly born under a cloudless sky, and Nikarnus, the hunters son.

 

Both made and odd pair, the two had set out and slain their first fire cat together, taking it’s hide back to the Fortress-settlement, that took place almost two centuries ago, but Chemosian could still remember it.

 

‘’Is it because of the daemonic that has you so strained Zalk-‘’

 

‘’Don’t talk about that so lightly!’’ Chemosian snapped, then coughed briefly at his friend’s surprised expression. ‘’I apologize for my outburst Nikarnus-‘’ he began.

 

‘’Don’t be, I felt that evil at Dalu, and can only imagine what it must be like for a psyker’’’ Nikarnus stated a matter-as-fact. ‘’I’m not like you, I can’t see your mind, sometimes I wish I could’’ he apologized.

 

‘’Then I tell you this, Don’t. Ever. Wish that’’ Chemosian said, turning fully around.

 

‘’The trails I went through, I went through all that you did brother, and more, tests alone, watched only by guard servitors programmed to gun you down at the slightest hint of daemonic possession, the implantation of the psychic hood…..’’ he trailed off.

 

Quickly he recovered. ‘’Never mind that. What did you come for?’’ he questioned Nikarnus.

 

The other marine bowed. ‘’Share the Anointing of the Ash with my squadmates’’ he requested simply.

 

The anointing, an old combat suspicion really. On the Eagle Claws homeworld of Asclepieion the majority of the techno-barbarian tribes believed the Emperor to be a sky god who lived among the Eagles. Not so the Hyroites, they lived in the Hyro mountain range, where several volcanoes resided, both active and dormant. They made a harsh living among the ash and rock, ever mindful of the fire-breathing predators and the lava flows.

 

The Hyroites believed that the emperor was a phoenix who lived in Mt. Plyok, and that he was the king of all creatures, but the fire beasts of the mountains foremost. The tribe believed that he lived every day and died every night, only to be reborn the next day and so forth. When the volcanoes erupted it said the Emperor was expressing his emotions. Warriors of the Hyroites gathered the ashes after the firestorm had abated and waited for them to cool properly.

 

Then they adorned themselves with it, on their armor and bodies, believing that it would call the Emperor’s attentions to them and let him see their deeds and guide their weapons to kill their enemies. The Hyroites who where inducted into the chapter knew the story was not exactly true. But they still brought it into the chapter, where it spread to some other non-Hyroite recruits.

 

Not all in the chapter approved of it, Captain Kommneus was one. Basiclus allowed it. Lakaris was uncaring. The Anointing was the peculiar quirk of the sub-sect of the chapter cult.

 

Chemosian had not done it in a decade.

 

He thought about it.

 

‘’Fine’’

 

He shared the ash with Nikarnus Parnus, with Gilwe, the large heavy weapons marine and Clakus, the quiet, religious brother, and the rest of the 5th Company’s Third Tactical Squad. He cut open his palm and drew blood before it clotted. Then he mixed it with ash brought from the foot of Mt. Plyok, he anointed the shoulder guards and faces of each of his brothers.

 

Together they called upon their father, the Phoenix Emperor to watch their deeds, see the glorious acts wrought in his name, guide their weapons and purge all mercy in their twin hearts.

 

That was all redundant when concerned with the astartes of course.

 

 

Aboard the Sword of the Emperor-Nine hours before the drop

 

‘’What’s bothering you sir?’’ Marius asked his command, Captain Gaius Kommneus.

 

‘’Well, What do you think is bothering me Marius?’’ Kommneus snapped. They had both just come form the armament rituals, their bodies sheathed in purple power armor and their weapons readied and sanctified, their armor was anointed with lapping oils and fresh purity seals.

 

‘’Sir?’’ the sergeant asked.

 

‘’You can talk freely now, we are in the Halls of the ancients here, they are asleep, none of them are going to talk and Galba isn’t around to tend to his precious regulators’’ Kommneus sighed.

 

‘’Is this about the drop?’’ he asked.

 

‘’Of course it’s about the drop Marius, you don’t think the Fifth is going ot get out of this oen qithout a beating will oyu? We already lost Quitius and his entire squad’’ he explained.

 

‘’I trust the Second captain-‘’ Marius began.

 

‘’Well you shouldn’t’’ Kommneus cut him off. ’’I’ve heard a lot about him even before I meant him.

 

‘’I was at Qunal II, do you know how fast he raced by the Second to kill the chaos cult leader? Dammed fast I tell you, he left the third to clean up the mess’’ The fifth captain sneered.

 

‘’Don’t you think Antigonus may be a little biased?’’ Marius questioned.

 

‘’Antigonus is an arrogant ass but be is a truthful ass at that, plus we all saw what he did at Ravenna, launching a thunderhawk assault during an orbital bombardment just to catch the Eldar off guard! That’s what the Sons of Russ do! Not the inheritors of Guilliman!’’ he exclaimed.

 

‘’It worked’’ Marius shrugged. Kommneus mentally signed, this was the reason why he had Marius on his command squad, safely away from commanding an actually squad, he made a good second in command and fighter, but was not especially independent or brilliant.

 

He also had the bait of believing the best on everyone.

 

‘’It was dammed dangerous, he wants glory, I can see it in his eyes, he may speak well but he wants to win.’’ the captain said.

 

‘’And that’s a bad thing?’’ his sergeant replied.

 

‘’It’s a bad thing when he is willing to step on the heads of others just to get to the top’’ Kommneus explained. ‘’He already got Lakaris killed-‘’

 

‘’Lakaris isn’t dead’’ Marius interrupted.

 

‘’That’s not the point, he’s not going to command again,’’

 

‘’I don’t think the second captain would send an entire company just to bait the Tau? He’s got the Elysians supporting us as well and I heard from Parnus that Chemosian is coming along’’ Marius stated.

 

‘’He talked to me in his personal quarters, have me a nice speech on drawing the Tau into a trap, being the anvil.’’ He snorted. ‘’ He just wants to swoop in and get the glory, Antigonus knew him as an initiate back then’’ Kommneus growled.

 

‘’Well we don’t know that until the Tau come’’ Marius suggested.

 

‘’That’s why I’m afraid of’’ Kommneus said dryly.

 

 

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Traknor Primary- Zero Hour

 

Hurling through the air went the drop pods of the Eagle Claws strike force, mostly drawn from the brothers of the 5th Company. They plummeted through the atmosphere like comets towards Traknor Primary. The Primary was equipped with orbital quad guns and flak batteries mounted on the surface of the refinery, but these where too slow and inaccurate to react to the rapidly approaching drop waves of the Eagle Claws.

 

The first few slammed into the ground, disgorging squads of astartes, three of the pods opened up, revealing the forms of Honored Brothers Xenaphon, Caius, and Licinus, the latter two now outfitted as Ironclad siege breakers. Kommneus’s pod landed right after the first hit the ground, the clamps digging in, the doors abruptly blowing as the space marines exited into combat formations perfected by countless drills.

 

The defenders themselves where only just rousing themselves to action, sporadic bouts of las-fire and pulse rounds began to answer the approach of the invading marine troops that where advancing. ‘’Welis, Yonas, Phocas, covering fire, the rest advance’’ Kommneus ordered, as the Fifth Company rapidly responded to his orders like a well-oiled machine. Bolter fire quickly answered the Tau defenders, keeping them pinned down.

 

The Ancient assault wave stormed forward, ignoring the hail of pulse rifle shots and turret defense guns, Xenaphon’s assault cannon blazing as Caius and Licinus clashed with the rockrete outer wall of the refinery. The immense siege drill of Caius spun, the seismic hammers of Licinus crackled with energy and they smashed their way into the wall, firing their meltas to clear the thick walls in advance of their brothers.

 

With a mighty crack the two dreadnoughts working together ripped a massive hole in the wall, sending enemy defenders tumbling down. Thick streams of fire issued from form the heavy flamers of the Ironclads and the Dreadnought swept into the refinery.

 

Kommneus waved his power sword back and forth. ‘’Pure Hearts! Pure Souls! Pure Blades!’’ he yelled and the advance squads of the Fifth swept in, Squad Welis remaining beind to provide more covering fire.

 

It was here Kommneus got a good look at the enemy, While there was the familiar form of the Tau Fire Warriors shooting at the advancing marines, there where dozens of Human auxiliaries. Kommneus’s enhanced vision made out a mixture of plundered Imperial flak armor and Tau style carapace, he saw blue tattoos in the fashion of the Tau and many with topknots. They where mostly armed with looted lasguns.

 

Many of the enemy force on Karovioa where human auxiliaries, ether offworld troops that where raised on Tau controlled worlds or local conscripts, send to fight for their alien masters against the Imperium. Here it was mostly the latter, with a few of the former thrown in to boost the morale of the human auxiliaries. Kommneus leveled his storm bolters and fired a burst, blowing three of the traitors apart.

 

‘’Nero! Yonas! Close in with the flamers! Phocas cover them! Advance and purge!’’ he shouted in the chapter combat-cant. Quickly the Eagle Claws followed his commands, disciplined volleys of bolter fire cutting down human auxiliaries while the astartes flamers went into work.

 

A thick stench of burning flesh filled the air along with the screams of the auxiliaries as thick gouts of flames brunt them to death, blackening and incinerating flesh and bone, spreading smoke and death. Squad Parnus came up form the rear, the Plasma gun of Calkus firing, the marine screaming the lines of the Canticle of Hatred as he did so. Gilwe covered the rest of the squad, heavy bolter spitting death.

 

Chemosian went alongside his old friend, blasts of roiling green flames spearing death to the Tau as Parnus revved his chainsword, raising his blade arm to lead his’s squad’s advance around the enemy flank. They came upon the rear mineral distillers, las-rounds pattering of their purple power armor. Bolter rounds answered, blowing their enemies to smithereens. It was then, out of the smoke and flame Chemosian got a good look at them.

 

The human auxiliaries where different than the Tau fire warriors, they where a mix of the local conscripts, in looted PDF uniforms, and off-world traitors, who spoke the Tau language and covered themselves with blue tattoos and topknots. They wore Tau style armor. All of them where armed with a mix of looted lasguns and autoguns, with a few pulse rifles wielded solely by the off-world auxiliaries, gifted to them by their Tau masters.

 

They where good, he had to admit, but only human, the Astartes moved quick and fast, closing in before any ample amount of returning fire was brought to bear, bringing in their gene-enhanced advantages.

 

They moved quickly, securing the mineral distillers. Xenaphon stomped behind them , the barrels of his assault cannon spinning, flames licking from the edges of his heavy flamer limb. Smoke billowed from the rear stacks, forming a halo of black.

 

‘’Brother-Librarian, we are to smash into the wall’’ Xenaphon rumbled, striding forward, the brothers of Parnus moving quickly out of the way of the gilded and bronze giant he brought a fist down into the rockcerte wall.

 

It caved in, immediately, through a storm of pulse shots and las rounds, the dreadnought brought his heavy flamer about and send a tornado of fire into the secondary refinery center.

 

Brief screams where cut off as the assault cannon spoke again. ‘’Come over Parnus, I suggest you secure the center, Welis is coming to take the minerals refineries, I cannot go in, it is too small for me’’’ the dreadnought rumbled.

 

‘’It seems like everything is too small these days, just children now’’ the war machine mumbled off and stomped off around the corner. Nikarnus stared in confusion. ‘’It’s his mind, I didn’t expect him right n the middle of combat’’ Chemosian explained.

 

‘’Then let’s go’’ Nikarnus moved, first in, followed by Clakus and another astartes.

 

They came into a charnel house, two dozen auxiliaries and several Tau fire warriors, lay dead, caught in the close halls of the secondary center, having no room to take cover, they where slaughtered. The astartes moved over the bodies and rounded the corner, where they came face to face with a dozen more auxiliaries. The lead traitor gave a surprised squawk briefly, but he and his men where blown apart with a volley of bolter rounds.

 

The hallway was long and covered with several Tau symbols that looks to be hastily added on. Others where instructions on proper cleanliness in Low Gothic. The entire place was short and cramped. Nikarnus indicated that the squad should move down the hallway where the rest came with a single chop of the hand. The squad split, one in front and another handing back to cover them if things went wrong.

 

They entered then into some sort of information facility. Footsteps sounded behind them. Parnus turned, bolters raised. But it was only the familiar forms of Squad Welis, armor smoke-stained and blood-splattered.

 

‘’We have the flamer ready Nikarnus’’ their sergeant said. ‘’Kommneus’s orders, clear out the warrens’’ he stated.

 

Nikarnus nodded, mentioning the rest of Parnus away. ‘’Go ahead’’ he mentioned. ‘’We didn’t scout far yet brother, so he cautious’’

 

They went though halls and room filled with discarded paper work and old mineral processing machines that drew dirt and mineral from the water deep within the desert sands. Then they turned the corner into the long narrow hallway. Extending back hundreds of feet it was quite big, it could fill over a hundred people.

 

And indeed it did.

 

It was filled with dozens upon dozens of human auxiliaries, they where apparently in the middle of constructing a makeshift barricade at the entrance to the main mineral processing center. They had clearly come across the intersection to the main and secondary halls.

 

Time froze for a second. There was over a hundred traitors and xenos, far too many for even the marines.

 

‘’ Fall back-‘’ Chemosian barely had time to issue the order before a storm of las-rounds impacted as the Tau and traitor Guard opened fire. Four marines where slain by the sheer amount of firepower and more and more foes hurried into firing positions.

 

Fortunately the marines got lucky, a stray las round hit Squad Welis’s flamer pack, turning it and the unfortunate marine into a raging inferno, smoke and flame lashed across the halls, obscuring the vision and aim of the enemy. Parnus and Welis fell back quickly as pulse rounds shot around them. They fell back towards the corner. Nikarnus was the last in line when a pair of pulse shots tore through a weak spot in his hip armor and went through the side.

 

Nikarnus went down in a heap. Chemosian turned around and cursed deeply, around the corner where the running footsteps of the Tau, over a dozen auxiliaries where coming around the cover. He charged one hand with green flame and sent into down the corridor, roasting the fist dozen into charred skeletons. He heard the footsteps retreating away. Good, that would keep them away.

 

Clakus had set aside his plasma gun and hauled Nikarnus back around the corner, Welis checked the wound. ‘’He’s alive, but I don’t know how that could change’’ he reported.

 

‘’What do we do milord’’ he addressed the Librarian.

 

Chemosian looked at a nearby mineral collector. He gestured to two marines. They understood in an instant. They uprooted it quickly, ripping it away from the steel bolts with superhuman strength.

 

It was quite large and Gilwe took up a position behind it along with Clakus.

 

‘’We are covering their rear, if Kommneus is pressing the assault then we are their only escape option’’ he said. Even now there was the stamping of feet and the crackle of las-bolts.

 

‘’Therefore we have to hold whatever the cost may be’’ he proclaimed. ‘’Welis avenge your brothers, Parnus, the Emperor is watching your deeds, do not fail them’’ he said, reminding them of the Ash.

 

Chemosian never made a speech before, that was reserved for Captain Basiclus and Chaplain Britannicus, but the brothers of Welis and Parnus cheered. Well, he thought, it can’t be that hard.

 

Then there was a loud crash and a swooshing sound, along with screams. The familiar sound of bolter fire reached their ears. They shoved the mineral collector out the way, two marines remained guarding Nikarnus. The sight that greeted Chemosian was one of utter devastations. Xenaphon was standing in the room, the top smoke-stacks barely scraping the top of the hallway. Licinus and Caius where behind him, several large holes torn into the walled intersection..

 

Behind them emerged the shapes of dozens of astartes, led by Kommneus. He raised his power sword. The rest of the marines swept forward. In the enclosed hallway, caught on three sides by Kommneus, Chemosian and Xenaphon, the Tau and the traitors where slaughtered in the cramped close quarters. Thick sheets of green flame joined the bright orange flames from the normal flamers and waves of bolter fire slaughtered the enemy.

 

They where all dead in under a minute.

 

Another astartes had died.

 

Chemosian walked over to the main body of astartes. He was walking on corpses at this point. He spotted the white-armored form of Apothecary Nerva. He strode over quickly.

 

‘’Parnus is wounded badly, I don’t know the extent’’ he reported, the apothecary nodded and walked off. There was a rumble of gears and a squelching noise as the great feet of Xenaphon crushed the corpses beneath his feet.

 

Chemosian wondered how he knew they where there. As he could not read the mind of the marine behind the warded hull of the dreadnought, he asked instead.

 

‘’Honored one, how did you know-‘’ he was cut off by the Ancient.

 

‘’I didn’t’ he rumbled. ‘’I got tired of waiting outside, so I tired to find a way in, I could not, so’’ he waved a power fist at the destroyed wall. ‘’I made a door’’ he said.

 

Chemosian was at a loss for words. ‘’ I can’t imagine the captain will be very pleased’’ he finally forced out.

 

‘’I’m not’’ came the sound of Kommneus’s voice. ‘’We are supposed to take this place intact’’ he said. Xenaphon did something equivalent to a shrug.

 

‘’It worked didn’t it?’’ he said. Before he stamped off. ‘’I don’t like this place now, it’s getting to cramped now.

 

Kommneus removed his helmet and ran his finger through his blonde hair. ‘’Emperor help me but the Honored ones are so-‘’ he struggled to find the right word.

 

‘’-Eccentric?’’ Chemosian finished for him. Kommneus looked in confusion before understand dawned.

 

‘’Oh right, psyker’’

[Gree]

Traknor Primary

 

In the aftermath of the carnage the Eagle Claws began the cleaning up. The entire facility was over two miles long, with a primary and secondary complexes, with secondary water distillers on the outside with the primary ones buried beneath the rockrete. Belsarius and his scouts had come in the aftermath of the battle, taking time to report in before leaving again to booby-trap the surrounding area.

 

Techmarines Galba and Epidemos, came in with the next wave. Along with the thunderhawks that disgorged the chapter’s heavy equipment. The Eagle Claws prepared quickly, knowing that the Tau would soon react.

 

Tarantula turrets where air-dropped, rubble shifted and walls covered with improvised fortification under the watchful eyes of Epidemos who turned the place into a temporary fortress. Galba did a quick switch of weapons in field, a rare and risky feat for an astartes dreadnought, with the help of the several brothers they lifted and attached new weapons mounts to Brothers Caius and Licinus for long range combat.

 

Apothecary Nerva, after recovering the geneseed of the slain, took Parnus under his personal care with three others, seven marines had been killed in the first assault, the low casualties thank to Kommneus’s use of the lighting assault and close quarters combat, where the advantages of the astartes counted for more than the numbers and technology of the enemy.

 

‘’He will live’’ Nerva told Chemosian and his squad. ‘’He will only walk again if I can conduct corrective surgery aboard the Sword of the Emperor ''he reported. Nikarnus was now in a meditative healing trance.

 

The damage was severe, the twin pulse shots had been very lucky, going through a weak spot it the armor, before coming out the side, a normal man would have been killed, but Nikarnus survived due to this redundant organs and gene-enhanced body.

 

Chemosian felt concern for his friends, but not s much regret as he would have thought. He had seen brothers die all the time of course, and while the event was regrettable it was not unsettling for an astartes, whose minds where hard-wired for combat. But still, he thought, he should feel something? Or was it just his own distance as a psyker? He had not seen Nikarnus in ages and now he was badly wounded right after the Anointing of the Ash, that spoke of an ill omen.

 

He shoved it away into his mind, he had the brothers of Squad Parnus to lead now.

 

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Traknor Desert.

 

The Elysians came, hundreds of Valkyries and Vendetta gunships, swarming over the sands. They has launched their flight right before the marines had dropped in, escorted by Imperial Navy fighters as escorts. Preparation was one of Healy’s good traits. For all his odd personality traits, he had a distinct ability to learn after a mistake was made. He had studied the war reports on Taros thoroughly and was determined not to suffer the same fate.

 

His process was slow, but careful something that annoyed several of his commanders who wanted to prosecute the war as rapidly as possible. But Healy was adamant, everything was completed. Each airfield for the Navy fighters was carefully constructed by the Tallarn engineer battalions and heavily fortified, the greater part of two regiments was assigned the airfields alone.

 

This paid off. The Tau attempted to attack the fields, but unlike on Taros they found them to be heavily fortified and defended by thousands of Guardsmen. Only a few of them had been destroyed so far.

 

For the control of the air Healy paid the price of speed. His conquest was taking far longer than it should be. The Crusade office was beginning to look into his actions. So far they had been blunted by his undeniable success.

 

Colonel Loric was currently thanking Healy’s good sense, for an air-assault regiment to go in without air support was tantamount to suicide. The 39th would not repeat the mistakes of the 23rd on Taros.

 

The regiment was divided into two groups, the first and second wave, the regiment did not have enough Valkyries to transport all of it’s men at once, so the first wave headed under the command of Loric while the second would launch when the initial wave’s Valkyries returned. The wave split into two groups, half of the Elysians under Colonel Loric and Commissar Grantz. The other went in under Major Whitefield, he would take the second mineral complex to the northwest of Traknor primary.

 

The Elysians went into Traknor Minoris with vigor and a well-executed battleplan. Valkyrie and Vendettas strafed the complex as hundreds of Elysians dropped from the assault carriers into the fray. Countless Dozens died in a firestorm of pulse rounds and las-bolts. But the Elysians where undeterred, they fought like devils, securing the courtyard and dropping in heavy weapons, slowly but surely they gained progress.

 

Major Whitefield sent in kill-platoons of men armed with flamers and meltaguns to clear out the traitor auxiliaries and the Tau fire warriors, despite heavy casualties Whitefield pressed them onward. Within four hours the facility was in Imperial hands, hurriedly the Elysians began the same processes as the Eagle Claws, hurriedly turning Traknor Minoris into a makeshift fortress.

 

They would need it.

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Traknor Primary

 

Loric’s Valkyrie had landed in the courtyard, disgorging his command squad and Commissar Mishka Grantz. He landed cat-like on the ground before the Valkyrie had even landed.

 

Behind him the assault carrier landed. Mishka stumbled out. ‘’Don’t do that’’ she scolded. ‘’What the hell where you thinking! That breaks almost every regulation in the book’’ she was upset.

 

As a commissar normally that would be a flogging offense for a trooper to do that. However Mishka did not think it would be a good idea to order such a thing in the middle of a war zone while surrounded by Elysians. Plus the astartes where waiting for Loric.

 

‘’It’s fine’’ Loric waved her away. ‘’I’m a lot tougher than a normal manjack’’ he tapped his metal chest plates. ‘’All adamantium and steel here’’ he boasted as the astartes took notice.

 

‘’Colonel, the brother-captain is wanting for you’’ A large astartes sergeant came up to the Valkyrie and indicted the direction with the sweep of one large armored hand.

 

‘’Thanks’’ he nodded. Loric turned to the commissar by his side. ‘’Let’s go Mishka, have you ever met a marine before?’’ he asked.

 

Mishka Grantz was a Vahallan women in her late thirties, although you couldn’t tell that from her Schola upbringing. She was in her late twenties and had red hair, blue yes and a stern face..

 

She shook her head. ‘’I have never, you sound as if you have met them before?’’ What’s it like? I’ve only seen them in chapels on the Schola before I was posted here.’’

 

‘’It’s an interesting experience, I’ve really only heard about them a few times before, in this kind of regiment you learn to appreciate people who fight like you do’’ Loric replied.

 

‘’And I see the good captain now’’ he said as he stopped Kommneus, Chaplain Scipo and Chemosian.

 

‘’Brother-Captain, a pleasure to see you’’ the colonel greeted.

 

‘’Colonel Loric, it’s good to see you have arrived? How fast are your men arriving here?’’ Kommneus questioned.

 

‘’Only companies 1 through 6, we’ve airdropped in our sentinels here, companies 6 through eleven are at the Minoris’’ Loric listed. ‘’The rest are coming in the next wave, from my past estimates they should come in by tomorrow night if they hurry’’

 

Kommneus waved over a nearby marine. ‘’Sergeant Welis, get Epidemos and tell him to coordinate digging actions with the Elysians, Colonel who have you got in charge?’’ he questioned him.

 

‘’Captain Greene, it’s the chap with the two scars over his lip.’’ The captain nodded and Welis left.

 

‘’And our air support?’’ Chemosian asked.

 

‘’Healy has them rotating around the clock coverage, he really is putting a lot into this operation, only naturally really after the disaster at Greenhammer’’ Loric recalled. He shrugged

 

‘’Anyway do you think the Tau are really going to come? Healy put eight regiments on the offensive against the Tau near Newark downs’’ Loric asked.

 

‘’They are going to come, they should arrive by the end of the day’’ Kommneus reported.

 

Loric raised an eyebrow. ‘’That seems to be an awfully close assumption’’

 

‘’It’s not an assumption, Colonel, we ate their brains’’ Kommneus said.

 

‘’Excuse me?’’ spoke Mishka, visibly shocked. ‘’What did you say-‘’

 

‘’One of the genetic enhancements of the is called the Omophagea, we can absorbed information by eating the flesh of our enemies, in this case the brain’’ Kommneus stated. It was a private little thing he enjoyed, freaking out Guard officers with that information.

 

‘’In this case the brain works well, where we can gain the memories and ideas that existed. Normally we would just have a Librarian psychically interrogate them, but we killed all of the defenders in the way in’’

 

Mishka’s mouth was opened, like a fish, Loric was nonplused. Chemosians’s opinion of him rose higher. He had a strong will this one.

 

‘’It took several tires but we found the one who send a communications message to the nearest Tau cadre of the attack, doubtless they are mobilizing a counter-strike as we speak.’’ Kommneus said.

 

‘’In other words Colonel, we should be expecting an attack in several hours from now’’ Chemosian said.

 

‘’I see Loric nodded, deep in though,. ‘’I think that’s very lucky’’

 

‘’Why do you think that?’’ Chemosian asked.

 

‘’It’s such a bother when we Elysians wait for the enemy right? We are fast drop troops’’ he explained. The marine nodded, they knew that style of battle well.

 

‘’I’m not scared at all, I’m excited, let them come. We are going to avenge the 23rd. We are going to perform the drop and we are going to succeed, sure as a grav-hawk’’

he proclaimed.

 

‘’You will have that chance soon then’’

[Gree]

Claws’ Glory

 

Councils and Movements

 

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Eagle Claws Homeworld of Asclepieon-255 years ago.

 

Basiclus stood in one of the many vehicle hangers in the depths of the Aquila Keep, the Eagle Claws Fortress-Monastery. He was there with eight others, the rest of his squad at the time. He had finally been made a full marine, he was now accepted into the 9th Devastator Company, after eight years of training and warfare, conducted out in the field alongside the full battle brothers as a scout marine.

 

He wore full power armor now, purple and grey plate with gold trim. A winged double-headed eagle symbol covered the chestplate, and a silver skull was present on the knee pads of his suit. When he had first donned the suit he marveled how different it was than carapace armor. Putting on the helmet and having access to the full auto-senses of the suit, and the full servo-assisted strength was an almost magical experience for him.

 

At first he felt uncomfortable in it, the implantation of his black carapace still new, the surgical scars still fresh upon his body. But he was informed most marines eventually saw their armor as a second skin. He was told that power armor was cumbersome even for those who where trained in it’s use for normal humans, like Inquisitors and Sororitas, not so for the astartes, the enhanced strength and black carapace made the armor operate with incredible ease.

 

Basiclus could crush a rock easily when armored and could barely notice the difference with power armor, compared to carapace armor in movement. He asked about why they used such armor to his training sergeant, Harken.

 

‘’Because lad, the full suit of power armor still has it’ limitations in stealth, and it has a bigger profile, carapace is smaller, and does not require the black carapace to function yet’’ he answered.

 

Basiclus had learned much, , how to use the advanced heavy weapons, how to use jump packs and advanced sword fighting techniques, he was required to memorize parts of the Codex Astartes, and how to operate vehicles.

 

‘’As you are a knight in the service of the Emperor, so is the Rhino your steed. Honor it , respect it, see that it’s needs are met, and it shall serve you well through all the battles you face’’ Techmarine Koskos said.

 

He was a strange sight, with sections of his dark purple armor plate painted a deep rust red of the Mechanicus. Half his face was incrusted with bionics, and odd whirling sounds where made whenever he walked. His power armor was modified extensively, with the symbol of the Mechanicus on one pad and a pair of servo arms that hung over him and protruded like the limbs of a Scarlet Death-tree, one of the death world’s most dangerous plant life.

 

‘’Those are the words of Guilliman, Brother’’ Basiclus said. It still felt strange now to call these men who where like demigods to him, brother, it was an odd feeling he relished.

 

Koskos nodded. ‘’The Rhino is the mainstay armored personnel carrier of the astartes, it transports you into battle’’ he lectured. ‘’The Razorback, by comparison is a worthy weapon, but the ability to transport a full tactical squad is invaluable’’ he said.

 

There where two vehicles pulled out, a purple Rhino with silver trim and a similarly painted Razorback, both bore the eagle’s claw of the Chapter’s symbol. The rhino had an image of an eagle’s head in front.

 

‘’Normally the brothers of the chapter strive to arrive in orbit and close with the enemy.’’ The senior brother said.

 

‘’However-’’ he continued.

 

‘’-Sometimes one cannot do that, whether the enemy is deploying orbital defenses, or is in a void shielded position, or if one does not have command of the air, then one must land away and go by ground’’

 

‘’That, is what the Rhino is for’’ Koskos said.

 

‘’What about the Razorback?’’ Basiclus said. ‘’Surely the advantages of an extra heavy weapon would offset the reduced transport space?’’ he asked.

 

‘’Because the extra transport space makes up for that’’ Antigonus said. Basiclus’s features stiffened.

 

Antigonus was a blonde, hard-jawed marine, recruited from the Syzor, same as Basiclus, in the same batch as him. The two where as different as night and day, and while Basiclus was told he looked like a gaunt-faced scarecrow, Antigonus fit the profile of a noble knight. And yet it was the opposite, with Basiclus being of noble birth and Antigonus being a common hunter’s son. Antigonus seemed to take his noble birth as a challenge to him, as if ne needed to prove himself.

 

Although the astartes where supposed to leave those things behind, it sometimes still remained.

 

‘’Brother Antigonus is correct’’ Basiclus hears Koskos say. ‘’A full tactical squad is more versatile ultimately on the field of battle, and is more maneuverable than the Razorback in urban environments, and can perform a greater amount of tasks’’ he explained.

 

‘’So that is why the Rhino is needed, in battle it’s lack of weapons is covered by the Predators and the Land Raiders, but that is another lesson for another time’’ Koskos said.

 

‘’When in battle, you will most likely take part in everything from simple patrols to immense blitzkriegs across the ground, during these actions the Rhino is invaluable,’’ he said.

 

‘’Will we learn how to command these on the field of battle?’’ Basiclus questioned. Koskos regarded the boy emotionlessly, this one had ambition.

 

‘’If you become a ranking officer in the chapter-’’ And Koskos could already tell this was his most likely fate, with the drive he had.

 

‘’Like that will happen’’ Antigonus muttered under his breath, Basiclus merely sneered back at him.

 

‘’-Then you most likely will, although a Razorback is more suited to the command squad anyway’’ Koskos explained.

 

He gestured to the Rhino. ‘’I will show you how to operate it in case the driver is killed by enemy fire, the Rhino is a notoriously resilient transport, even the untrained can affect repairs’’ he stated.

 

‘’’Now come, I will teach you’’

 

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100-Miles south of Traknor Primary

 

They came across the sands, through sun-baked rock, fields of ash waste and hot dirt. Through the beating heat and the winding pathways, through rocky valleys they came.

 

Ghostfire was their name.

 

They where the Shas of the Fire Rock cadre, of the Fire Caste Command Karovioa, part of the planet’s garrison force. They where a Stealth suit squadron, part of an elite reconnaissance and long-range patrol team. Normally Tetra squadrons would do this, but they had been sorely needed elsewhere, so now it was the Ghostfire squad that was sent instead.

 

They moved across the rocks, their armor blending in perfectly, casting faint shimmer-shapes across the heat, their sensors piercing the surrounding landscape for life.

 

‘’It’s supposed to be near here right?’’ the voice of Bal’ya, the second in command of the team asked.

 

‘’Negative’’ Shas’vre Val’try replied, the team leader of Ghostfire.

 

‘’We are just arriving really, it’s probably nothing, the Gue’la are just moving some supply convoys, depending in the strength, we might actually get to go out and get to work’’ he said.

 

They had been doing this for months, harrying the Imperial Guard supply columns, for whatever reason the humans were obsessed with guarding it with everything they had. It was not the weather ether. The weather was pretty nice by Tau standards, and they where sealed within the Stealth suits anyway.

 

It was the boredom of not finding anything.

 

‘’See anything?’’ Val’try asked.

 

‘’Negative’’ the rest of the team replied.

 

Val’try hopped over several rocks with the aid of the suit’s jet pack, and then into a low mesa.

 

‘’We’re almost at the end of the patrol range’’ he said. ‘’Let’s turn bac-‘’

 

‘’Found it!’’ came the excited voice of Bal’ya over the suit comm.

 

Val’try felt excitement. He rapidly turned around, engaging the jet pack to assist his jump onto the next hill. Bal’ya was far away, a few dozen feet, he gunned his jet pack. Within moments he was next to his second.

 

‘’What did you find…..’’ he trailed off, looking into the plains.

 

‘’Yeah, that’s a lot of gue’la.’’

[Gree]

100-Miles south of Traknor Primary-Imperial landing zone-45 minuties later.

 

Brother-Captain Basiclus walked down the length of the astartes vehicles, Rhinos, Razorbacks, Predators, Land Raiders and Whirlwinds where all lined up, the brethren of the 2nd and the 7th where lined up and ready beside each transport. The vehicles had been transported from orbit, and dropped in by Thunderhawk, they had all been triple-checked by the Techmarines and blessed with oils to sanctify the machine spirits.

 

Everything must work perfectly if they where to succeed.

 

Basiclus was well aware of the price at Traknor, if they failed they would probably suffer a severe loss to the Imperial military capacity. But if they succeeded then they would most likely win the war on Karovioa. He was a risk-taker. Nothing mattered to him, but the destruction of the enemy. Basiclus did not so much as take a shortcut, then go out and create his own easier path. That is what won his victories, and how he suffered his defeats.

 

He had lost before, he gambled that he could outrace the Speed Freeks at Harr’s Reach, and was ambushed as a result, fighting the Dark Eldar on Toron had resulted on several lost battle brothers to the enemy. He had assigned himself ritual fasting and flogging for the mistake, and only ceased when he took the head of the Dark elder kabal lord with his sword and avenged the deaths of his brothers. But he had never really forgiven himself for that kind of mistake.

 

But Basiclus was not stupid. He was a cunning warrior and leader of men. He rarely made the same mistake twice.

 

He walked over to his command squad. Claudius, the apothecary to the 2nd, Camillus, the plasma gun bearer, Lucian, the sergeant, Paulus, another veteran brother with a crackling power halberd, and Stillcho, the standard bearer of the 2nd, who carried the collapsible banner in it’s retracted form.

 

The Ten squads of the second stood ready. Laetres, Rezarin, Gnaeus, Kyriakos, Tor, the tacticals ready, Felixz and Gallus, the assault squads, Halteker and Livius, the stalwart devastators. Then there was the assorted brothers of the 7th, under their interim leader. Next to them was the honored brothers of the 1st. Fulgerion, Darius, Trajan, Rabix, and Sulla, all in their appointed transports.

 

Beyond them where hundreds of Imperial Guard vehicles, Chimeras and Leman Russes from the Malnian and Tallarn regiments, the Malnians where led by Major Asher, over a thousand of them, and Tallarns by Prince-General Naladin. Above them was the three Warhound titans. Even though they where the smallest of the god-machines, they still inspired awe in Basiclus.

 

He activated his comm.-link., reaching out to all his brothers. He then activated the Iron Halo on his suit’s armor. It created a golden glow around his helm. He did it solely for inspiring effect.

 

‘’I don’t need to tell you what’s at stake here Brothers’’ he let the words sink in.

 

‘’I know some of my critics accuse me of being a glory hound. We know how that turns out’’’ there was a chuckle.

 

‘’So I will tell you now, gloryhound or not, just get there, beside us stand the brave souls of the Guard, fight hard, steel their courage and show them an example of how the Emperor’s own sons fight!’’ he said.

 

They cheered.

 

‘’Go out and fight and kill, we race against time, We can’t let Kommneus and he men have all the fun, now can we?’’ they laughed again, deep-full-throated laughter. Some of the nearby Guardsmen where wondering what was going on.

 

‘’So go and fight, fight until your bolter runs out, until your sword breaks, until you throw your last grenade, will we will stop, we will not relent, we will fight on through a sea of blood!’’

 

‘’We are the space marines. The eyes of the Emperor upon us. We can only fail him through complacence’’ he paused.

 

‘’We will not fail him’’

 

They cheered more.

 

Then the shot came.

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Traknor Desert

 

Ghostfire, after seeing the thick concentrations of the Imperial troops, called in a nearby Devilfish of Pathfinders, attached as a rapid-response unit in the desert. It was the Shadoweye.

 

‘’How many of them are there?’’ Gar’los asked Val’tyr.

 

‘’Several thousand, including the enhanced gue’la’’ he said, moving along with his stealth suit. Gar’los nodded, shouldering a rail rifle, three drones accompanied him, hovering over the broken ground easily.

 

The rest of Ghostfire came along with the Pathfinder sniper on his mission. The cadre command has learnt of the concentration and sent Gar’los along in case any Imperial commanders where spotted.

 

‘’The Enhanced ones? I haven’t seen them for a long time at all’’ Gar’los mused.

 

‘’What are they like? I’ve only killed guardsmen’’ Val’try asked.

 

The Adeptus Astartes had only made a few appearances in the ground war so far, only committing themselves to the most vital and important missions, their limited numbers not allowing them to do much else. For the Tau on Karovioa, they had seen precious little of hide or hair of the Marines since the battle of Dalu city, and even then it was only five cadres extracted from the desolate ruin.

 

‘’They where a challenge, you had to get careful shots with a pulse rifle, and even then you had to be careful if you really got them properly, they had much better armor and weapons than the regular gue’la’’ he mused.

 

‘’We did a similar mission back on Gereziad you know, except it was a fortress, not an open field.’’ Gar’los admitted.

 

‘’Who did that?’’

 

‘’Shi’yon of Veiled Shadow who did it, turned out not to be the commander though’’

 

‘’Where is he now? I liked hear it.’’

 

‘’He’s not here’’ Gar’los said flatly’’

 

‘’But you are still here?’’

 

‘’I was wounded before the final mission, thus I was the only survivor of my group’’ the pathfinder shas’vre said in a tone that made it clear he did not want to talk about it.

 

They came to a small alcove on the top of the plateau. They had an excellent view of the thousands of gue’la stretched across the vast desert waste below.

 

‘’There is a lot of them’’ Val’try pointed out. ‘’Look I see the marines’’

 

Indeed he could. Gar’los looked through the scope of the rail rifle. He looked through the screen of the targeting device. He could see thousands of imperials and dozens of marines. They are purple-armored, very similar to those in Gereziad. There where some minor differences in armor and heraldry though. He cycled through the image until he found what he was looking for.

 

‘’Is that one of their leaders?’’ Val’try asked.

 

‘’Yeah, more ornate armor, although it’s hard to tell with this group, this one is glowing, must be some sort of rank thing.’’ he said.

 

‘Why not get the Guard officers then?’’ the Shas’Vre commander asked.

 

‘’We’ve already killed plenty, the Imperium can’t replace marines as well as they can the regular gue’la, we don’t understand why yet’’ Gar’los replied.

 

He locked on.

 

‘’Well here we go’’

 

He fired.

 

There was a light in the distance and a faint crack. The gue’la figure fell to the ground.

 

‘’Got him!’’ the Pathfinder said with satisfaction.

 

Then the figure struggled back up.

 

‘’What the-?’’ Gar’los had little to say as rockets began to arc over the horizon and into his position. A nearby explosion threw large rocks and debris into the air.

 

‘’Let’s go’’ Val’tyr said. ‘’We’ll talk about that later’’ he shouted. Moving off.

 

Gar’los grabbed the rail rifle and ran off as fast as he could

[Roguemarine]

I really like this story....is there a continuation after this one? i cannot find it if there is.

[Gree]

Their is, this story is not complete, I still have more parts to post.

 

Traknor Desert-Imperial staging ground

 

When the shot connected, there was panic in the ranks of the Guard as the marines swarmed around, readying weapons for an imminent attack. Whirlwinds tracked the shot to it’s source with the machine augers and began firing.

 

Claudius ran over to Basiclus who was now standing very unsteady on his feet.

 

‘’My lord’’ he shouted. He and Paulus grabbed Basiclus and moved his quickly into the armored bulk of his command Razorback. They sat him down in one of the communications chairs.

 

‘’Are you alright?’’ Claudius asked, removing his golden helmet as he deactivated the Iron Halo. The captain’s head was bruised.

 

‘’I’m fine’’ he said, rubbing the wounds in annoyance. ‘’It’s hard to focus now, I just need to have a few seconds’’ he said. Claudius ignored him, stabbing the narthicum into his next.

 

‘’Arg! I told you I’m fine’’ the captain snapped.

 

‘’You don’t know that’’ the apothecary fished a device form his belt and began scanning Basiclus. ‘’That weapon may have some odd side affects that we don’t know about’’ he said.

 

Then Lucian ran in. ‘’My lord, the rest of the force is moving into the tanks for their protection’’ he reported. ‘’We have bombarded the area but the Tau seemed to have escaped’’ he said.

 

Their was a beep. Basiclus and Lucian recognized it as an affirmative command from the days of their medical training. ‘’Well then’’ the captain said as he shifted himself.

 

‘’I’m fine then’’

 

Claudius pursed his lips. ‘’Very well then, but my duty is to watch over your health-‘’

 

‘’Don’t worry about me’’ Basiclus cut him off. ‘’I can function, I’m feeling better already’’ he said, taking his helmet back and examining it carefully.

 

‘’You got lucky my lord, that shot, whatever it was, was almost completely absorbed by your Iron Halo field’’ Lucian said. ‘’Almost all of the force it was taken by your field then’’ he said smiling.

 

‘’What are you grinning about?’’ Basiclus asked.

 

‘’Well my lord, it’s the first time I say vanity save someone’s life’’ the sergeant said, lightly chuckling. Basiclus checked his Iron Halo.

 

‘’Yes I suppose that’s ironic’’ he said.

 

Then a sweating guardsman in a camouflaged uniform of the Tallarn regiments arrived. ‘’Sir, the honored Prince Naladin wishes to know of your condition’’ he reported, his young sweat-streaked face was in awe at seeing the marine.

 

‘’I’m fine, tell the Prince that we are moving out now’’ the captain said. Sitting back up, the rest of his command squad arrived, the guardsman leaving, darting through the purple armored astartes.

 

‘’Let’s go’’

 

 

Traknor Desert

 

The vast Imperial armored forces drove out, Hydras, Chimeras, Leman Russes, Salamanders and Hellhounds drove along the Rhinos, Predators, Razorbacks, Land Raiders, Whirlwinds and bikes of the Eagle Claws.

 

They came on a slow and steady pace, the route taken from an old Karovioan map that the Lord General’s office had appropriated and planned out carefully for the shortest route available.

 

Major Jan Asher inched back into the compartment of his command chimera. He shut the hatch, closing off the billowing dust in the air. He eased down and sat on a nearby bench in the vehicle. He removed the air hose to his breath mask and removed it, revealing a face in his early thirties with dark brown hair and green eyes. ‘’Tough up there?’’ Des Corlan, his vox-man asked him.

 

‘’Nope’’ he answered. ‘’Just like home’’ he said with a grin.

 

Malnia was a vast militarized hiveworld, the once verdant forests and fields turned into polluted ash wastes by millennia of pollution from the Hive factories that turned out weapons and tanks for the Guard.

 

‘’I wanted to see how bad the full sand was when we drove past it, a little grainer than Malnia though’’ he said.

 

‘’The Tallarn don’t seem to have a problem.’’ Tess Ureled said. A woman who was the squad standard bearer. Tess, and all the women in the Malnian regiments where sterile, unable to bear children.

 

This was because Malnia was a world dedicated to war. The women on it where for the most part, forbidden to serve in the military, not for sexism, but for cold unfeeling logic, as Malnia was ruled by a military bureaucracy, who where concerned with only getting more soldiers available. Fertile women on the front lines can’t help that. So they where remained home, while the commoner men where sent off into war, along with the women who could not produce, they where educated in boot camps from a young age and taught to wield a lasgun before they could walk.

 

Asher was a noble, he got to lead a more normal life than the commoners, whereas the commoners where simply assigned a woman to mate with before they left to fight, nobles could actually marry and have lasting relationships.

 

That did not mean Asher did not know how to fight or lead, from day one, he was educated on how to command guardsmen, how to duel and how to operate a bolt pistol and other weapons., and how to speak authoritatively. The officer class of the Malnian regiments where drawn from the nobility. Instead of the commoner’s choice of becoming a factory worker, a soldier, or a civilian. They where simply a ruler, or officer.

 

He was told that he was to be wed to some noblewoman when the regiment was to be refounded. Until then he was spending as much time as he could spreading his wild oats. There was a delightful female tactician on the Lord General’s staff he had become recently acquainted with……..

 

‘’Sir?’’ asked Corlan.

 

‘’What?’’ he was snapped back to reality.

 

‘’The other company commanders want to know what happened back there?’’

 

‘’Oh, I see’’

 

Barrgin’s liver was acting up, as a result of his old age. Thus temporary command had been given to Asher. At this point he was commanding most of the regiment that was not mounted in Chimeras, plus the armored companies attached from the Malnian armor.

 

‘’Tell them the marine recovered fine’’ he said.

 

Corlan fiddled around.

 

‘’Well I heard from the Tallarn commander’s vox-aid, that the astartes had some sort of refractor field going on.’’ Corlan confessed.

 

‘’Well obviously he did’’ Asher drawled out, pulled out a flash of water. ‘’But it’s better if the tale spreads out of control among the troops, it’s a nice propaganda tool really’’ he said, taking a sip of the water.

 

‘’I don’t think the astartes will like that.’’

 

‘’I don’t think the astartes will care’’ Asher shot back.

 

‘’Well sure with respect I don’t think we know how they will take it’’ Corlan replied.

 

‘’Barrgin does, he was at the Ryza wars eighty years ago’’ Asher stated .’’You don’t get to come to the company commander meetings, but he loves to talk about his old glory days’’ he said.

 

‘’Those astartes, the Eagle Claws where there, they operated alongside the Guard, killed orks, they repelled the Waaagh of Braktoof and helped evacuate several regiments, this one included’’ he recalled.

 

‘’Hey Tess! Do you have the banner? Where is the Battle of Frindock’s edge?’’ he asked, curious. She unveiled the banner quickly, searching through it quickly. Looking through the ornate detailing.

 

‘’Here it is, silver edging, it’s near the beginning’’ she stated. Asher nodded.

 

‘’There, it happened, whatever the marines are going now they are too busy for any minor rumors.’’

[Roguemarine]

excellent addition, can't wait for the next installment.

[Gree]

Fire Caste Base Camp-55 miles North of Traknor

 

Shas’El Vior’la Vash’ka yawned as he finished drying himself, pulling on his combat uniform after finishing with the shower in his air-dropped field headquarters. He blinked his eyes and walked out in the halls. The young Tau commander had only recently passed his latest Trials by Fire, fresh from the battlefields of Gereziad and Canticar, promoted to the command of the Sunknife Cadre, a battlesuit-heavy assault team of XV8’s.

 

One of his shas’vre came up to him. To’las.

 

‘’Vash we have some new orders’’ he said, he was excited. The Shas’el looked him over, as close friends he was allowed to use his commanders name so causally.

 

‘’Well what is it? More Guardsmen?’’ he hoped that. When he first arrived at Karovioa as part of the garrison force he had been bored, he felt cheated at fighting on a frontier planet while other conflicts raged.

 

When the Imperium attacked, whereas the other Tau bemoaned the inevitable carnage that followed, Vash’ka was elated, he wanted to kill, and kill the enemy again. He hoped the enhanced gue’la where among the force. The good news is that they where, the bad news was he had never encountered them. He had only killed Guardsmen in the long bloody months of conflict on Karovioa. There was no changed, nothing that fueled his desire to prove himself.

 

It was just the same old thing.

 

Fighting the ork nobs and warbosses, Tyranid warriors, Space Marines, those where the foes that made Vash’ka truly feel alive and worthy of himself. He sought then out on the battlefield.

 

On Gereziad he had killed several but other than that, he was hard-pressed to find them. When he heard Kir’cea had fought them in the south at Dalu, he had tracked her down and asked her about the conflict. All she had told him that the forces of chaos had somehow gotten in, and she left the marines to deal with the problem, hoping that the two enemies might kill each other, A day after she left, the marines left Dalu and destroyed the place from orbit.

 

It was a curious thing, the Imperials where fighting to take the planet, then they destroy it? It was something that he could never understand, these strange and foolish gue’la.

 

‘’Nice sir, it’s the enhanced gue’la marines’’ To’las reported with a grin.

 

Vash’ka felt his excitement rise in his stomach. ‘’This isn’t a joke now is it To’las?’’ he asked, afraid that it might be.

 

‘’I’ve heard reports from Ghostfire that the water facility that the gue’la called Traknor-’’ he said, having some trouble pronouncing it ’’-Was attacked by Imperial marines, we just lost contact with them-‘’

 

‘’Well then we will have to hurry’’ Vash’ka said. ‘’Where is Par’Von? I need him to okay an immediately assault’’ he said, grinning, his heart began to beat with excitement.

 

‘’The shas’el is calling for an immediate meeting for strategy, he wants to think this through’’ To’las said. Vash’ka looked annoyed.

 

‘’Well then let’s get this over with.’’

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Fire Caste Command Center-60 miles to the North of Traknor

 

The room was crowded, with dozens of cadre commanders, gue’vesa, shapers and Vespid sting-leaders, The Tau moved to get what chairs they could while the Kroot and Vespid simply stood. Vash’ka and Tos’las entered last.

 

The building was one of the pre-invasion Tau buildings constructed, originally it was to be a agricultural hall, but now it was refitted as a command center for the Fire Caste. A large circular table dominated the center. Shas’El T’au Par’von stood next to it, waiting for the last of his subordinates to enter the room completely.

 

‘’Welcome’’ he said. He tapped the bottom on the side of the table, bringing up the tactical situation.

 

‘’Doubtless you have already heard about the new development here’’ he said. The holo-screen now showing a three-dimensional image of Traknor Primary and then it flipped to Traknor Minoris.

 

‘’The two refineries that the Gue’la call Traknor has been taken been invaded by the gue’la marines, considering the nature of the attacking force and the fact that we have lost all contact with both of them we must be force to conclude that they are lost to us’’

 

A murmur broke through the crowd. El’Par’von watched them, gauging their reactions.

 

‘’We are going to recapture them both.’’ He sated.

 

The murmurs grew louder. Someone raised their hand. El’Par’von quieted them.

 

‘’Yes I know it would be better for us to destroy it instead, however we have human allies and a local gue’la population to supply with water in the Traknor desert, destroying it is only the last option’’

 

That quieted many of them down. Some of the gue’vesa looked nervous.

 

‘’Now we have recived orders from Shas’O O’res Kais to take it back, but that is not all’’ he stated. He hit another button, this showed an image of a massed imperial force in a desert.

 

‘’This was taken 2 decs ago, almost a hundred Tor’kan south of here’’ he sated.

 

‘’As you can see the Imperials are preparing a relief convoy, just like-‘’

 

‘’T’ros’’ Shas’El Myo’li said, she was a cousin of Par’von.

 

The senior Shas’El nodded.

 

‘’It looks like that, but we can’t be sure, the Shas’el has looked over the plans and says this entire thing might be a faint for the real assault into the Northern Heathers’’

 

‘’I don’t agree’’ came another Shas’El, El’Bel’ten. ‘’I think this is the real thing we should move everything south’’ he said.

 

‘’The gue’la might have learned from the past battle, they will not drive into a desert again so readily, they are not stupid’’ El Myo’li argued back.

 

‘’You where never at T’ros, you never saw the-‘’

 

‘’Enough’’ El’Par’von said, raising a hand.

 

‘’Regardless, we have received orders and we will follow then, the Greater Good demands it, you are like a bunch of orks just now’’ he said.

 

The two immediately quieted down.

 

‘’Now don’t be so morose, we can still regain the water facilities’’ he returned to the briefing.

 

Vash’ka watched with interest, he hoped desperately to take part in the assault.

 

‘’We will move down and secure each of the facilities from the gue’la, we must also send a force to stop the convoy’’ he stated.

 

‘’Unfortunately the war in the north has diverted many resources, he have only six Mantas for use, and if the gue’la employ Titans, we must carefully husband their use’’ he reported.

 

‘’So in other words, most of the transportation will be by Orca and Devilfish’’ he explained.

 

Vash’ka was bored, as long as he got into combat he did not care how.

 

‘’This gue’la column to the south is confirmed of also having gue’la also’’ Vash’ka’s interested peaked. ‘’This is a mixed force of normal gue’la and enhanced ones.’’ El’ Par’von said.

 

‘’We will divide the forces into three groups, one will the smaller one, another will take the larger one, and the reminder one will stop the convoy, the first two forces will be the most reinforced.

 

He began to list off the assignments for each cadre and leader, however when he reached Vash’ka he was interrupted.

 

‘’You can’t be serious!’’ he exclaimed.

 

Par’von looked a this quizzically. ‘’What is the matter El’Vash’ka?’’ he asked.

 

‘’I have been killing the normal gue’la for moths now, we all have, I feel that I would be best suited to fighting the enhanced ones’’ he said.

 

El’Par’von stared at him back. ‘’You would be more suited to leading the assault on Minoris, you have shown to be an excellent fighter against the nor-‘’ he began.

 

‘’I have proved myself before! I am a Shas’El! I have fought the enhanced ones before’’ he shot back. ‘’On Karovioa! With K’yos-‘’ he was cut off.

 

‘’You have only seen limited action compared to the others in the room, of K’yos was here he would agree with me that the Greater Good would be best served this way’’ Par’Von.

 

‘’ O’res says that we should all go further in the pursuit of the greater good’’ Vash’ka argued.

 

‘’Enough’’ Par’von snapped.

 

‘’This discussion is over with, There is nothing more to be said, you will take your place in the station assigned to you, and protect your fellow Fire Caste members and serve the Greater Good, no more, no less’’ he said, his voice growing hard.

 

Vash’ka was ready to argue more but then bit on his tongue when he noticed that the rest of the room was looking at him with a kind of tense curiosity at the argument between the two.

 

His face contorted with displeasure as he stepped back. ‘’Of course, sir, I apologize for stepping out of line, Sunknife cadre will serve the Greater Good with every bit of courage out hearts posses.’’ He said.

 

Par’von nodded, smiling peacefully. ‘’Alright then, further instructions will be sent to the cadre commanders and their Shas’vre, familiarize yourself with them’’ he stated.

 

‘’We move within the Tor’kan’’

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Traknor Primary

 

Chemosian walked through the hallways of the recently repaired main buildings of Traknor primary. His brothers and the Elysians had done a good job when considering the circumstances at hand. A piece of plaster on the floor crunched and he stepped over it as gingerly as his power-armored bulk allowed. Of course, Techmarine Epidemos was not a miracle worker, and neither where the guard unfortunately.

 

He entered a section of the buildings that served as a temporary field hospital, Apothecary Nerva was administering to some blood samples when Chemosian entered.

 

‘’I know where he is’’ the librarian said offhandedly. The apothecary went back to his business.

 

Laying on conference table was Nikarnus, stripped of his armor from waist up. His wounds had been covered with synth-flesh and wrapped in durable flak bandages, the Apothecary had probed his inner organs and injected a healing situation.

 

‘’Brother, you have you been’’ Chemosian asked.

 

Nikarnus cracked open one eye. ‘’I feel better than ever’’ he replied in a light tone.

 

‘’I don’t really appreciate sarcasm Nikarnus’’ Chemosian said.

 

‘’Didn’t the Brother-Chaplain say to embrace despair is to invite defeat? I’m just holding true to the Emperor’’ Nikarnus said slyly. Chemosian sighed.

 

‘’Somehow I don’t think the Chaplain mean that’’ said Chemosian dryly.

 

‘’Then why are you here then? Is it because you care?’’ Nikarnus replied, eyeing the Librarian.

 

‘’I do not have a greater attachment to you than the others’’ Chemosian began.

 

‘’I don’t believe that, and neither do you, I don’t need to be a psyker to know that’’ Nikarnus shifted slightly.

 

A moment passed between them.

 

‘’Nerva said you will probably not need surgery, you are recovering quite nicely’’ Chemosian stated.

 

‘’Don’t talk about me, What I care about this moment-’’ he said, shifting back into a more comfortable position. ‘’-Is my Squad’’ he replied.

 

‘’The Second? They are in good hands’’ Chemosian stated.

 

‘’Whose are those hands then? Welis?’’ he asked.

 

‘’Mine’’ the librarian replied.

[Gree]

Claws’s Glory

 

The Beginning of the End

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

Gereziad-Two years before

 

‘’I have a question for you, Shas’el’’ Vash’ka asked.

 

El’ Shi’ren looked at him, to have Vash’ka meet him like this was so…….. unusual.

 

The Shas’vre was young, and hot-blooded, it was obvious to anyone with a pair of functioning eyes, that he wanted to prove himself in combat very badly. And prove himself he did. Vash’ka was a talented warrior, but he was too reckless for the older warrior, he had little concept of restraint or mercy, much like the Kroot. In fact it seems sometimes that Vash’ka went and sought death wherever he could possibly find it.

 

‘’Yes Shas’vre? What do you want?’’ he said calmly.

 

‘’It’s about K’yos’’ Vash’ka asked.

 

‘’What about the Shas’O?’’ Shi’ren replied.

 

‘’Why does he use blades? I heard he got the technology from the gue’la’’ he said.

 

‘’Don’t you use it yourself?’’ Shi’ren referred to Vash’ka own retractable khopesh that he modified his suit with, a common practice among some of the Shas’vre, K’yos was quite inspirational.

 

‘’It’s a new thing, I feel strange using it’’ he admitted.

 

‘’A bad thing?’’ Shi’ren said.

 

‘’No, I never really fought like that’’ Vash’ka explained. ‘’After I saw K’yos fight and kill that gue’la officer, I wondering why he uses blades? I’m not complaining’’ he added hastily.

 

‘’K’yos……… is different’’ Shi’ren said. ‘’He very adaptable and posses a kind of certain……. genius, I can’t find the right words for it really’’ he said.

 

‘’What exactly do you mean?’’

 

‘’The closest I can describe, K’yos is one of those rare beings who are born once a generation, such beings are natural leaders, and seem to go beyond what others expect of him’’ Shi’ren explain.

 

‘’Like O’Shovah?’’ Vash’ka said.

 

Shi’ren turned upon him, eyes angry. ‘’Do not speak that name so casually young one! You have no idea of what he was like at all’’ he said, his voice surprisingly fierce. Vash’ka was taken aback.

 

‘’I apologize Shas’el’’ Vash’ka said hastily, now wanting to antagonize the senior Fire Warrior. ‘’But he won against the gue’la in hand to hand combat, why do you insist that we do not do that?’’

 

‘’Because, the method carries a certain amount of risk, the more traditional method of combat preserves lives’’ Shi’ren said. ‘’While I respect K’yos and would follow him to the death, his methods produce more casualties than I am entirely comfortable with’’ he stated.

 

‘’Look at Aestara City, a victory of course, but at such cost’’ Shi’ren said.

 

‘’We must be prepared to lay down our lives for the Tau’va’’ Vash’ka quoted.

 

‘’Of course, but we do not need to lay down out lives in such a brutish matter as the gue’la do, our race should have left such things as clubs and spears long ago, in the Mon’tau’’ the elder Shas’el lectured.

 

‘’But we are encountering races out there, who can and do employ such close quarter methods to great effect’’ Vash’ka shot back.

 

‘’Then we adapt’’ Shi’ren said simply.

 

‘’Would not adoption of the gue’la not count as an adaptation?’’ he stated.

 

‘’Why would we need the technology from the gue’la? We have done well so far, it pains me to think we need to steal from such a barbaric race? The kroot may be free to use the technology, but I don’t see why we need to use it’’. He explained.

 

‘’I see’’ Vash’ka said slowly. ‘’Your opinions are most illuminating.’’ He left quickly.

 

Shi’ren did not notice the emphasis on ‘’opinions’’.

 

 

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Traknor Desert- Six Miles from the Refineries

 

Dozens of Orcas and countless Devilfish, Sky Rays, Hammerheads, and Tetras, moved over the sun-baked sands. Behind them came the great horde of kroot, kicking up a vast could of dust. Over them the sun set in the distance. Six Mantas came over the skies, escorted by several Barracuda fighters, the Tau had trouble maintaining air superiority on Karovioa’s skies with Healy’s extreme caution, and tendency to make his airfields some of the most heavily fortified places on the planets.

 

The two great refineries stood tall in the distance, twin great bastions, the Minoris was located closer to the Tau at Karovioa Primaris, now Kar’vo’Tan, while Traknor Primary was located five miles further southwest in rock-heavy terrain.

 

Flocks of Tetras scouted over the rocks, skimming gracefully, ignoring the great tan rocks and depression in the hot sandy desert that stretched as far as the eye could possibly see into the horizon. They came in cautiously, moving in to gauge the range of the Imperial guns. Several of them tracking and plotting the positions of the Imperials, and the arc of the temporary heavy weapons brought up

 

Rockets streaked from the positions of the two refineries at the Tetras, who banked hard and turned around, heading back to their own lines at full possible speed. It was almost enough. Several solid-fuel rockets caught and obliterated one Tetra, while another clipped a scout skimmer and sent it careening into the ground, the metal ripping apart as the mass hit the ground at great speeds.

 

The rest came back safely.

 

 

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Traknor Minoris

 

The Mantas circled overhead, multiple heavy weapons and missile banks sending a wave of death into the entrenched Elysian troopers below in the buildings of Traknor Minoris. Three great refineries stood in the courtyard, alongside with several minor buildings, the area below was covered with hastily constructed barricades and trenches.

 

El’Vash’ka’s Crisis suit stood in the landing bay of the Manta, the seven other battlesuits and the four Devilfish transports, each with a full squad of Shas inside, fully armored and armed.

 

‘’Prepare for launch’’ the online drone system in the hanger said, as lights blinked from the ceilings, the local launch bay drones buzzed around and retreated to their charging alcoves. Information ran across his suit monitors, informing him of his readiness.

 

‘’This is it’’ Vash’ka spoke into the local intercom of the Sunknife Cadre. He was still bitter about being forced to kill yet more of the common gue’la while there where still worthier opponents to be fought.

 

Two Mantas, laden with a pair of hunter cadres, would launch on attack on the Minoris, behind them where almost fifty Devilfish skimmers, six orcas escorted by a Barracuda flight, and over thirty Hammerhead gunships and Sky Ray missile ships. Flocks of Tetras moved like shoals of fish before them, clearing a path. The Tau’s own tanks began a bombardment, railguns, ion cannons and racks of missiles where unloaded into the great bastion walls of the Minoris.

 

Great chunks of masonry where blasted from the walls, killing dozens of Elysians, the falling debris fell on many of the hiding Guardsmen, causing yet more deaths. The Mantas moved in, as the fleet of Devilfish banked over a low rise and sped towards the shattered and ruined walls. Missiles and las-beams from heavy weapons on the ground blasted chunks of metal and circuitry from the Mantas, but it was useless against the flyer’s thick armor.

 

The Guard commander, Major Whitefield, realizing the real threat was approaching over the wall, frantically issued orders for the heavy weapons to be turned on the Devilfish instead. The Elysians obeyed, switching targets even under the punishing hail of fire from the Mantas and Barracudas. Dozens of missiles, las-beams from heavy cannon and hundreds of heavy bolter rounds blasted apart nine Devilfish.

 

The burning hulks crashed to the ground, but more where coming in, a lot more, under the cover of the bombardment from the Hammerheads and Sky Rays who blasted apart the Guard fortifications.

 

A flight of Devilfish moved in front of the Orcas , while overhead the Barracudas opened fire, clearing out the landing zones for the drop ships and the troop carriers. The Devilfish flew over the wall and opened fire with burst cannons, sending hundreds of pulse rounds into the guard fortification blowing apart dozens of heavily fortified guardsmen.

 

The ramps lowered and Fire Warriors rappelled out. Seeing the infantry finally come out the survivors opened fire with everything they had.

 

Entire Fire warriors teams where blasted apart, while others, sheltered in the rear escaped. Regardless those who landed immediately returned fire, gunning down Guardsmen in revenge.

 

As a storm of las-fire and pulse rounds whipped down in the ground, as the Mantas readied themselves, Barracudas came down in an attack run, dropping the rest of their munitions into the helpless Elysians marked out by the Fire warriors on the ground. The doors opened and Vash’ka grinned savagely. ‘’Insertion in five dec’taa’’ the online drone systems voice came again and the docking clamps on his suit released it’s hold on his crisis suit as he and the others prepared to launch.

 

‘’There are too many here, El’Vash’ka’’ came the voice of Myo’li over his suit comm. ‘’We cannot land safely, let the Devilfish cadres of Stormknife, Skyblade and Blackout secure the area-‘’

 

‘’Then won’t have to’’ Vash’ka said with amusement. He checked his weapons again. ‘’They are going to die down there. Every single last one of them’’ he emphasized the last words.

 

He leapt.

 

Three Crisis suit squadrons followed him, as he leapt out of the Manta bay and gunned his thrusters, behind them where four Devilfish, laden with the rest of his Fire Warrior cadre. He landed in the middle of a Guard squad, crushing two men under the feet of his suit. He opened fire with the burst cannon and flamer attachments, laughing as they blew apart the stunned Guard.

 

A nearby officer pointed a chainsword at him and shouted orders. Vash’ka moved with starting speed and lashed out with the leg of his XV8, pulping his upper body with a single move. ‘’Ko’vash Tau’va!’’ he cried as he did so.’’ He then turned around and opened fire with his flamer, incinerating the panicking gun crew he was giving orders to in a torrent of fire. Las-rounds pinged off his armor and he continued laughing.

 

Up ahead he could see the shapes of Elysians moving in and out of the main refinery station. He leapt over, gunning his jet pack, weapons blazing, gunning down more guardsmen as they fire at him.

 

‘’Come in Sunknife! The weather’s fine!’’ he chuckled, taking out the nearest Guardsmen with lethal precision and power.

 

The rest of his crisis suits landed behind him, spreading out to clear the landing zone for the Fire Warriors, who moved up slowly, firing their pulse rifles and teams with carbines moved out, providing covering fire for their comrades. A Las-round hit a Crisis suit in the knee, the battlesuit turned and fired a burst from it’s arm cannon at the offending Guardsmen. Then a krak missile came from behind and blew it to pieces.

 

Through sheer luck, a frag missile from an Elysian emplacement hit a Devilfish, just as it opened it’ s ramp, blowing part all of the Fire Warriors in an instant and annihilating the innards of the assault carrier, sending it crashing to the ground. Another Devilfish was hit in the grave-plate by a grenade and hung there, shot over and over again by lascannon rounds and autocannons, blowing it apart.

 

Crisis suits came in, flying, weapons blowing apart Guardsmen with ease. Autocannon rounds blew apart three crisis suits and a krak missile narrowly missed Shas’el Myo’li as she outflanked a guard platoon.

 

A pair of las-rounds arced into the throat of a Fire Warrior, blowing apart the neck and upper chest of the warrior. Enraged, his squad Shas’ui, aimed the markerlight at the offending squad and pressed the button. A nearby crisis suit blew them to shreds with a burst cannon.

 

‘’Is that enough for you Myo’li?’’ Vash’ka opened a channel to her. ‘’You looked like you had a close shave back there’’ he taunted. She ignored him.

 

Other squads where moving up to continue the main thrust of the attack. Above the Mantas came in for another attack run, rail guns, ion cannons burst cannons and missiles spelling death for the Guard below, annihilating them.

 

Then the Tau halted their attack.

 

Groups of Fire Warriors, found cover in the various great fallen chucks of stone masonry and former Elysian earthworks, returning fire, marking out gunnery and command positions, that where targeted by fast roving groups of Crisis suits and Piranhas. The Guard commanders where confused, as they and they shattered troops regrouped desperately in the hastily fortified hallways of Minoris’s three great refinery complexes, leaving behind the rest of their defenses.

 

‘’What are they doing?’’ Major Whitefield asked, ducking his head as a pulse round whistled overhead. Toby, his vox-man looked up.

 

‘’I-I don’t know sir’’ he said breathlessly. ‘’Haws and Michealson are dead, we’ve lost the Seventh, Ninth and Tenth already!’’ he said in a fearful tone.

 

Whitefield slapped him. ‘’You are a drop trooper of Elysia! If Mishka was here she would shoot you!’’ he explained. ‘’If Loric was here you would be wishing you where dead’’ he snarled.

 

A shout came from an Elysian lieutenant near Whitefield, who narrowed his blue eyes through a thin hole in the compound wall created by a stray pulse rifle round. His eyes widened.

 

A deep screeching came, as hundreds of kroot warriors came leaping over the wreckage of Minoris’s walls, coming in through the gaps and going through the ranks of their Tau brethren, who ceased fire, allowing the kroot to pass. They, and their leader, Borchak, came, in a swift, tidal wave of death. Whitefield screamed and swore, ordering everything to be launched, no exceptions at all

 

A storm of las-rounds autocannon rounds, heavy stubbers and frag missiles devastated the front ranks of the kroot, blowing apart dozens upon dozens of the bird-like aliens as they continued on.

 

‘’Let’s create an opening’’ Vash’ka said, as he opened a channel. ‘’Ko’vash Tau’va!’’ he proclaimed, blasting off with startling speed, for such a machine as large as an XV8, his Shas’vre followed behind.

 

Other Crisis suits followed, until their where over twenty from various cadres. Missiles and a storm of las-rounds blew apart five suits, but they where undeterred. Vash’ka ordered them on. Form the rear Broadside suits sighted a section of the wall marked out by Vash’ka, and opened fire, the great rail slugs ripping through the ancient rockcrete and steel of the primary refinery building of Minoris like paper.

 

‘’In now!’’ Vash’ka commanded. A Crisis suit landed with an earth shaking thud in the opening, only to be blown apart by dozens of lasguns firing at once. The same fate followed the second crisis suit. The forms of Elysians where emerging from the rubble.

 

Vash’ka cursed in Tau, and opened fire with his reserves missiles, sending them into the gap. A pair of faint explosions sounded out, and then far more audible human screams.

 

Then, as he landed, a storm of las-fire and autocannon rounds that clipped and battered his Crisis suit, the kroot came like an ocean around him, leaping and launching themselves forward with powerful inhuman muscles. They came into the broken walls of the refinery complexes, bounding forward, crashing into the groups of terrified Guardsmen, spinning their rifles like bladed clubs, bashing in brains and removing limbs with ease.

 

A pack of kroot hounds rounded the corner of a building, their masters bounding behind, butchering Guardsmen who fought back with rifle butts, knives and shovels against the kroot.

 

A XV8 blasted a hole in the wall with a plasma rifle, allowing the kroot hounds straight into Major Whitefield’s command post. The Major cursed and withdrew his chainsword as las rounds blew three of the hounds apart. A hound leapt onto the screaming Toby and tore his throat out with a single bound.

 

One leapt after Major Whitefield, the major ducked over it’s lunge and bought his chainsword up, disemboweling it, another came bounding to Whitefield’s side, the Major brought his chainsword down, decapitating it right before it got him. A white-hot-pain came from his right arm as a Kroot hound’s powerful jaws came upon it, tearing muscle and exposing white bone to the air. Whitefield screamed and brought the butt of his chainblade down, crushing the hound’s skull.

 

The Crisis suit from earlier lumbered in, it’s plasma rifle blowing away the few survivors of the guard command squad. Whitefield realized he was alone suddenly, the remaining kroot hounds where now bounding off in search of more prey.

 

‘’Surrender gue’la’’ the voice that came form the suit was female, to his faint surprise. ‘’Surrender now, and we will stop the kroot’’ she said Whitefield just stared at her.

 

How dare she, this alien bitch and her dammed hounds where eating his men, he could hear their screams now. He switched his chainsword to his other hand and leapt screaming at Myo’li.

 

The Plasma rifle swung up and blew apart the charging Major into ash before the blade connected.

 

‘’Foolish gue’la’’

 

 

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3 Miles outside Traknor Minoris

 

Shas’El Par’von stood in the middle of the desert in his command XV8, watching the streams of combat data that where fed directly into his specially modified command sensors.

 

‘’The Minoris refinery is most neutralized’’ Myo’li reported over the comm. ‘’Most of the gue’la are either dead or have surrendered, it will be a simple task to clear out the remainder of the Minoris’’ she stated.

 

Another voice buzzed in.

 

‘’El’Par’von’’ It was Vash’ka.

 

‘’I am finished here, we have won a complete victory’’ he said. ‘’I want to move Sunknife in right now, I need the Mantas to be brought around for me to board’’ he demanded.

 

‘’That is a negative El’Vash’ka’’ Par’von said.

 

‘’What?’’ Vash’ka was incredulous. ‘’Did I hear you correctly?’’

 

‘’Yes you did’’ the senior Shas’el replied. ‘’Myo’li’’ he commanded. ‘’How many casualties did we take?’’ he asked.

 

‘’Although the ground lies thick with humans it lies thick with the Shas’la and the Kroot,’’ she reported.

 

‘’In this case, it would be unwise to throw a bloodied unit directly unto action, especially when I am already moving up my remaining reserve cadres for the assault on the Primary facility’’ Par’von stated.

 

‘’This is-‘’ Vash’ka began.

 

‘’-Your orders’’ Par’von interrupted. ‘’Thank you for your services, that will be all’’

 

He shut off the connection to them both, and then sent out orders to the Hammerheads and Sky Rays to move up to support his remaining reserves.

 

The earlier Mantas where returning to the Tau airfield to be repaired and rearmed. Par’von had little Mantas available to use against a potential counter thrust. Therefore he had to make use of them as ready as possible. Three more Mantas, along with five Orcas and almost thirty Devilfish would attack the Primaris with the support of the Hammerhead and Sky ray cadres. Once that was accomplished then they would deal with the gue’la relief column.

 

Ko’vash Tau’va.

 

 

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Traknor Primary

 

‘’What did you get from the Minoris?’’ Kommneus asked.

 

‘’Death, pain, terror and anger from them all’’ Chemosian reported. The Imperials at Traknor Primary had Chemosian monitor the soul-feelings and moods of the troops at Minoris.

 

They had been unable to contact the Minoris conventionally. The Tau had done something that messed up anything beyond short-range communications. However they where able to get around this because of Chemosian.

 

‘’I see’’ Loric trailed off. Kommneus could not read his mood. He could be indifferent or sad for all he knew.

 

‘’I spotted the forms of the Tau Mantas, I don’t believe that we have anything that can hurt them effectively here, now do we?’’ The fifth captain said.

 

‘’You are correct’’ answered Loric. The Guard and the Marines where in a room in the primary refinery that was used as an office space, Kommneus’s had his senior sergeants with him and Loric had several of his officers with him.

 

‘’Johnson?’’ he asked one of his captains.

 

‘’Nothing beyond lascannons or autocannons, and our Sentinels, sir’’ he reported, his face neutral.

 

‘’We have Whirlwinds, the Honored Ancients, a trio of Predators, and three of our Whirlwinds are the Hyperios model.’’ Kommneus said.

 

‘’We also have access to the base’s anti-air defenses’’ reported Techmarine Galba. ‘’Brother Epidemos and I have finished bringing them into operation, but they will only be effective against the smaller Tau transport carriers’’ he stated.

 

‘’Then we are in a bit of a bind’’ Loric stated.

 

‘’There may be a way’’ Chemosian said. ‘’I may be able to contact Healy’s psykers and our ships in orbit. I can urge them to send anything that can fly and shoot here as soon as possible’’

 

‘’The Lightning’s and Thunderbolts are busy across the planet’’ Loric stated. ‘’Only a few will be able to respond’’

 

‘’Then we will get out Thunderhawks’’ Kommneus said. ‘’And what about your Valkyries and Vendettas?’’ he asked.

 

‘’Calling them in now will mean they have no time to ready the troops for transportation’’ the Colonel said.

 

‘’If they don’t come then the troops will have no position to reinforce them’’ Kommneus declared. He turned to the librarian.

 

‘’Send it’’