Inspirational Friday: Chaos vs Blood Angels (until 9/23)

[Kierdale]

For those who do not know it, Inspiration Friday is a weekly (occasionally fortnightly) event within its home in the Chaos Space Marines forum, in which a topic is set for members to write short (or long, if you are so inspired) fluff pieces about their war bands, characters and models.

The current challenge (running until Sept 23rd) revolves around clashes between the noble ninth legion (and its successor chapters) and those who follow the gods of Chaos, hence this invitation for you to take part.

The Primordial Annihilator versus the Sons of Sanguinius
Or `Chaos versus the Blood Angels` for short.
The ninth legion. The sons of Sanguinius. The Blood Angels. How close they came to joining our cause at Signus Prime! But alas it was not to be and the noble sons of the Angel could not be turned. The warmaster’s slaying of his closest brother aboard the Vengeful Spirit in orbit above Terra ensured the ninth legion and its successor chapters would forever oppose those who fought the Long War. Culminating in the opening moves of the 13th Black Crusade, no less...
It is these struggles I wish you to tell us of this week. Clashes betwixt the sons of Sanguinius and the forces of the primordial annihilator, the four gods of Chaos.

Inspirational Friday: The Primordial Annihilator versus the Sons of Sanguinius runs until the 23rd of September.

Let us be inspired.

The greatest piece, most fitting the topic, will earn rewards. Not only the Octed amulet...

...but also the honour of judging who wins the next Inspiration Friday (though you may relinquish this questionable honour if you do not wish to read further tales of betrayal, bloodshed and the tearing down of civilization to leave naught but madness in its wake).
Please post your entries (and any questions you might have) in the main IF thread linked to above.

[LutherMax]

Thanks for the invite Kierdale!

 

Any Scribes from our sub-forum going in for this? I'm not one for writing (not much anyway) but would be interested to read...

[Indefragable]

How long does this have to be?

[Kierdale]

As long or short as you wish :)

[Ancient Terror]

Well, I have a deadline on the 21st and plans on the 22nd, but I'll try to cook something up if I manage to steal some time somewhere. I need to figure out the fluff for my BA anyway.

[Kierdale]

Would members like an extra week? :)

[Dolchiate Remembrancer]

I would as i just found out about this!!!

[Chaplain Gunzhard]

Hah ...figures I stayed up super late night writing mine. I mean, with more time I could maybe make it decent, but at the same time I'm glad to be done with it. :)

[Chaplain Gunzhard]

Ambush Force Untested

 

 

 

A baptism by fire indeed, it seemed only yesterday that Brother Salerio was a frail youth, scarred by the Baalite sun. Now his advanced biology could pick out the sweat of his adversaries from four clicks away. His unit had fast-crawled through heavy brush for half a day, tireless and full of anticipated glory. The squad's veteran sergeant, Tristan Genno brought them to a halt with a motion of his hand. Salerio could see enemy armour and the assembly of rough fortifications. A short distance to the south his eyes followed a trail of mustard colored smoke coming from a vaguely organic containment structure. Bright green lights spilled out of every vent and opening with a heat well enough to warp the air in its proximity. Void of any actual battle experience Salerio's gut told him that something very wrong was happening there.

 

This day's burden rested on the shoulders of the greenest Blood Angels inductees. Necessity spared none from duty. The Adeptus Astartes Blood Angels chapter had taken the brunt of the Black Legion's most recent advance into the Diamor system. It was but an opening salvo, yet with a clear, brazen intent to loose the head of the Imperial forces before any greater defense could be mounted. The Blood Angels matched the traitor's savage incursion with an even greater ferocity, thwarting their audacious push into Imperial province. The cost to the Blood Angels chapter was formidable. During the following phases of the engagement the Blood Angels were forced to deploy reserve companies in full, and the 10^th company now had a critical role to play.

 

Bike squadrons of the 10^th company ranged ahead along two flanks to deploy locator beacons for the lightning assaults of the red, black and gold Angels of Death. Salerio expected that he may never see those brothers again.

 

Sergeant Genno's unit was tasked with forward recon as well as the installation of a homing beacon to guide the remaining legends of the 1^st company into the heart of the enemy. Secondary objectives were noted but Genno didn't realistically expect his unit would make it that far.

 

Veteran Sergeant Genno was himself a relic of the Blood Angels chapter. He could have easily made the honourific roll in any of the primary battle companies but, a gifted tutor, he chose to instruct the neophytes and guide their path with a cautious wisdom. In this engagement however, the untried Sons of Sanguinius would likely sacrifice all for the Emperor and Primarch despite his expert direction.

 

With every step the sergeant brought Salerio and his new brothers closer to the first, and for many to be the last, real test these men would face. To hear the tales of foul chaos beasts and machines from the lips of power-armoured heroes somewhat diminishes the real life horror that seeing these monsters can cast. Salerio no longer knew base human fear, but awe and disgust overwhelmed him as he observed these twisted aberrations only a short distance from their location.

 

Still on the fringe of the traitor encampment Genno wasted no time planting the homing beacon firmly in the dirt. He armed the device and immediately set his unit moving towards the next objective. Just a jog from their disclosed position a tight mob, classified as raptor class combatants gathered readying their jump packs. The time for caution had passed, the sergeant said to his men only, “ready combat blades and pistols, leave none alive”, before charging with a roar into the enemy. The Blood Angels unit had seized the initiative, but to Salerio the raptors seemed oddly composed, and managed to get off a hurried volley into the charging scouts. Brother Cerimon's head vanished in a splash of red and his slumping body faded into Salerio's periphery as he continued to run. Like brother Salerio, Cerimon had never been in actual combat – Salerio would know the taste soon enough and whispered to himself a vow of revenge for his fallen comrade.

 

Raptors are bread for close quarters combat by whatever foul means the chaos lords employ. Salerio cared not as he felt the mighty blood of the Primarch Sanguinius surge through him. He fired low into the first raptor, leaping forward as the creature buckled to bring his blade down with such furious violence, shoving aside the enemy parry like so much tall grass. His blade now lodged deeply below the neck of the dying traitor, Salerio turned and fired two rounds into the head of another foe. As combat seemed to escalate around him Salerio became lost in the moment, briefly consumed by the lust of battle and perhaps even something darker beneath.

 

Sergeant Genno wasted no time reclaiming the moment and stabilized morale of the verdant warriors. The contest was brief, they were successful, and they had more to achieve. “We must set a charge on that wretched container, hopefully before its contents spill into reality”, he remarked.

 

As they ran towards the objective new enemies and war-machines moved towards their last position. Salerio felt a pressure build in his ears followed by a thunderous crack. Within a blink three full squads of hulking red, Tactical Dreadnought armour appeared near the beacon that Genno had set. The first opened fire without a moments haste, while the others prepared for a counter-charge that Salerio ached to witness. He saw only the 1^st company banner raised high as the massive heroes surged forward, his heart swelled with pride, but his attention was needed elsewhere.

 

The sudden arrival of terminators provided Genno's squad an adequate distraction and he was quick to capitalize, leading the scouts back into cover. As they carried on, careful not to arise more immediate alarm, the temperature increased steadily. At first Salerio was unsure if the heat was a condition of his genehanced physiology, an effect of battle-fueled adrenaline, or a byproduct of the objective they approached. Soon the answer was clear, the giant container stood before them, sheathed in metal and what could've been flesh, pocked and blistered. Not only did it radiate heat and a foul light but it also emitted a nauseating aura. Instinct told Salerio to back away from this position but the sergeant urged them forward. Genno unstrapped a melta-charge from his hip and fixed it to the infected container wall. At closer inspection the flesh-like armour of the wall appeared to be writhing and alive. The scouts then came around to what seemed the only obvious egress, a weeping iris the height of an Astartes. Sergeant Genno ordered shotguns and a hold position stance with unspoken commands.

 

Within seconds the charge detonated, crumpling the rear of the container. Salerio was struck by the feeling that the container had screamed during the explosion and was now radiating a palpable sense of fear. Before he could contemplate too long beings began to pour from the iris, shielded momentarily by a bright green glow. Seven horned, orange and red creatures sprang forth with sinister looking long blades. Two at least seemed severely damaged and all possessed a fiery molten wash about them. The scouts unleashed a wall of shotgun shells as the red daemons came at them with reckless fury. One of the damaged things and three more were destroyed by the canny round of shotgun fire. Too soon after the forces clashed. These daemons possessed the martial skill to match an Astartes in open combat and the four remaining creatures outmatched the inexperienced scouts. Two of the young Blood Angels were cleaved beyond recovery in the first moments of the melee. Sergeant Genno's chainsword buzzed to life and cut down one of the daemons, another was brought down by a combined effort of combat blades. Salerio was knocked on his back repelling the vicious swing of a daemon's blade. The thing was upon him immediately, hacking at his light armour with a primal madness. A fumbled parry cost Salerio half of his hand and blood showered the deamon thing, it paused long enough to howl with elated frenzy, and long enough to allow a scout's bolt pistol to ruin its diabolical face. Salerio finished it off cleanly with his blade. By the time he got back on his feat the final daemon was already dead and his hand had already begun to clot.

 

Only five Scouts now remained and the explosion was drawing unwanted attention. In the distant sky exhaust trails followed dark figures heading in their general direction. With a curse Sergeant Genno searched for the nearest makeshift cover. The ruined container and surrounding area was soon to be a hotbed of activity but it would have to work for now. The sergeant hastily prepared for a last stand. Through the smoke of the burning container the scouts could now make out sixteen figures in dark armour and jump packs rapidly descending on their position. They could also see a red tide of power-armour heading their way at a sprint, blustering and howling in berserk rage. These undisciplined fiends likely broke off from fighting the 1^st company elites at the sight of a softer target.

 

Salerio braced for death, his only usable hand tightly gripping his combat blade. When the first of the aerial assailants landed Salerio looked to his sergeant. Veteran sergeant Genno, hunkered behind a warped sheet of plating suddenly stood and smiled.

 

“Chaplain Gunzard, I'm not often happy to see you”, said Genno with a grin. The enormous, black armoured warrior, adorned with scrolls and a skull aspect helmet walked toward the scouts. A full complement of Death Company marines touched earth behind him.

 

“I can come back later if you'd prefer venerable sergeant, your aspirants appear truly bold, bloody and resolute”, he replied. The sergeant countered, “No that's quite alright lord Chaplain, I'm not one to deny my brothers a glorious death.”

 

The Chaplain's skull visage bore down on the remaining scouts. He addressed them quietly but confidently, “There is naught left here but death and sacrifice, you are Sons of the mighty Sanguinius, and the Primarch has gifted you the power and nobility to die a death more glorious than any being in this universe should hope for. Your achievements shall never be forgotten, let the Primarch's fury carry us all further with purpose, to the last bloody toll. Now stand and fight brother Blood Angels!”

 

Chaplain Gunzhard nodded to Sergeant Genno and turned back to the Lost standing in formation, the enemy butcherhorde nearly upon them. Salerio looked upon the Death Company reverently, noting that even the robust, coal black power-armour couldn't mask their heavy, anxious breathing. He wondered if their eyes mirrored the berserk rage he saw in the enemy charging toward them.

 

Sergeant Genno urged his unit to fall in behind the Death Company while the Chaplain ministered the Rites of Battle to those in his charge. Exhaust kicked up at the scouts as the Death Company burst forward to close the gap on their adversaries. The sergeant offered only a sad smile to his unit, there was no time for praise or apologies, he triggered his chainsword and charged ahead after the Death Company, four brave young Sons of Sanguinius at his heels.

 

…....................

 

Salerio awoke to the prodding of a power-armoured boot. “This one breathes Priest.” - a skull adorned helmet peered down at the scout, noting the missing arm and other grievous wounds. “Well fought brother, you shall not need worry about your hand any longer”, he said with a chuckle. “Know that you were victorious here lad, the Primarch himself would have been proud to witness. I observed quite a, ferocity, in you. Perhaps one day we shall meet again.” Chaplain Gunzhard turned and walked away.

 

 

 

 

Posted in the Chaos forum as well - here for my Blood Angel brothers.

 

I have to admit it's kind of embarrassing exposing myself like this, but whatever I'm just happy that I was able to pump something out in such a short amount of time.

[Kierdale]

As we have four entries now I'll be closing the topic (for the purpose of the award) in about an hour. I'd have extended it if there were only two or three.

 

That said, if you do have any Blood Angel vs. Chaos tales to tell, please do post them in the Inspirational Friday thread anytime :)