Chapter VI: In to the bowels of the beast (Continued) The genestealer patriarch sat up on a dais, surrounded by a milling crowd of cultists, hybrids and a few pure strain genestealers. The patriarch was three hundred meters away. It had taken the vastly powerful psyche of the patriarch about fifteen seconds to feel the rift in the warp created by the teleporting squad. As soon as the rift closed, he knew that the enemy had arrived. But it had taken him another fifteen seconds to localize the intruders to the alcove. At near light speed his commands and thoughts were transmitted to the surrounding sycophants and the mob turned with a vengeful snarl. But by that time the adamantium tipped mass reactive rounds from both Gideon's and Quintus' assault cannons had been in flight for a full ten seconds. The first cultists to turn towards the terminators were flung backwards in a mass of shattered flesh and a spray of red and purple mist. All hell broke loose as the terminators advanced slowly with their full firepower cleaving a path through the mob towards the Patriarch. Lucius rapped commands rapidly. "Lucidian, pattern omega drop: delay thirty seconds." He shouted in to his comm-link to the librarian, praying that he was listening. The initial assault by the terminators had, by their sheer surprise and ferocity carried them a hundred meters towards the Patriarch. Time was important and he had to gain as much ground as possible before the enemy recovered and reacted. "Deploy pattern Sigma four nine" The squad changed formation immediately on that command. The flankers falling back, the assault cannons stepping forward and the sergeant taking the point. The shift immediately confusing the enemy as they milled about. Two hundred meters! Lasgun fire and some bolter fire started to patter off their armour now. The genestealers were charging.The squad kept the fire discipline up. The terminators changing magazines alternatively while the others covered them. Every burst hitting a target. Lucius wished they had had a heavy flamer onboard their ship but gratuitously he noted the relative lack of pure strain genestealers. The litany of hatred resonated in his ears as Adonus started reciting those soul awakening versus. The squad joined in. They were nearly there, another seventy five meters and the squad was still alive. A minute and a half had passed since they had arrived. The floor was soaked in ichor. Adamantium boots crushed the fallen to pulp. There was no humanity in the mob which charged them. They died to a man, woman and child before the neared the terminators. But they were acting as shields for the few genestealers left "Cover fire right flank" Screamed Lucius as he saw the threat! A genestealer had vaulted over the line of cultists and had slid towards Adonus. Adonus was changing magazines to his storm bolter. Gideon tried to track the 'stealer. Adonus saw the threat too late. Far too late he realised the gravity of the situation. He dropped his stormbolter in desperation and swung his powerfist. In a crackle of energy and clang of armour on chitin Adonus' powerfist tore the genestealers head off it's body. At the same moment the rending claws of the genestealer punched cleanly through the thick adamantium breast-plate of the terminator suit. Both died instantly, the remnants of their bodies falling intertwined in their death agony. Lucius cursed and swung his power sword. Crackling in energy it tore through the minimally armoured cultists. Lucius was like a man possessed. A slash here! a deft swing of his wrist there! Parry! Thrust! Now a giant cleave! Bodies were torn asunder. The crackling of his fellow marines' weapons a staccato bark in the back ground. The force of his assault caused the cult to momentarily pause in their advance. Suddenly he realised that he wasn't moving forwards anymore. Every step was weighted down. A massive force was preventing him and his squad advancing. He saw the patriarch nod in concentration. That powerful being was exerting his gigantic psychic potential to slow the threat down. Time slowed again The cultists regained their composure and began to move forward again. The hybrids advanced. His men were unable to communicate with him, but were keeping up their fire.. But were also weighted down by the psychic power of the patriarch.. he saw red lightning-like flames erupt from a bald man next to the patriarch.. That must be the Magus!! The lightning arced across the room and crackled on to Quintus' assault cannon. Another marker went black in Lucius' helmet display. Quintus died instantaneously, fried to cinders within a millisecond inside his suit. He didn't even have time to scream in his agony. His assault cannon exploding as a fiery finale to his death. Lucius knew he had to act quickly. He knew that they couldn't get any closer than they already were. A hundred more meters to the Patriarch, noted his display. He shouted again in to his comm link. "One hundred meters! Now! Now!" and hoped that Lucidian could hear him and prayed that he remembered the plan. And he pressed the trigger that activated the arcane device attached to his arm as hard as he could. Gideon swung his empty assault cannon in frustration at the closest hybrid. It was too fast for him, encumbered by a piece of useless weaponry. Quintus' assault cannon had been fried. He ducked the hybrids reposte' and punched his fist cleanly through it's chest, crushing its life in his armoured gauntlets. Belasus was by his side in a flash, throwing him Adonus' stormbolter and kicking a few spare clips in his direction. Belasus was the quiet one. Older, wiser and quieter than lucius. A hardened veteran, he had refused promotion to sergeant so that he may remain with his squad. Gideon dropped his assault cannon and started firing with Adonus' stormbolter, when he realised that Belasus was aiming at his head!!!! Chapter VII: War of the Minds A sudden release of pressure! The familiar smell of ozone. A flash of blue shimmering appeared ten meters from the Patriarch's dais as Lucidian made his appearance. Many things occurred within the next few seconds. Distracted by this sudden appearance the Patriarch's concentration was divided for a fleeting moment. Lucius felt the pressure ease and he could move again. It happened so suddenly that he nearly fell forwards. Instead, gaining his balance he lopped another two heads off with an almighty swing of his sword. Belasus blinked unbelievingly, wondering why he was pointing his strombolter at his brother marine. Gideon, realising that the Magus' hold on Belasus was broken, screamed at him to follow him. Lucidian thumbed his force axe, and swinging it with ease, firing his stormbolter and singing the hymns of devastation, he charged at the Patriarch. He charged like he had never charged before. The life of a world depended on his reaching the Patriarch. He charged for his fallen comrades! He charged for his chapter! He charged for the memory of his great great grand uncleTwo Heads talking all those centuries ago. For he was dancing wolf, born with the witching sight and shaman of the people of the plains world! The magus appeared suddenly, interposing himself desperately in Lucidian's path and then disappeared in an explosion of flesh and blood as bolter rounds from Gideon and Belasus shattered his face. Lucius felt relief. He willed the librarian to succeed. They had come this far despite the odds. He must succeed The patriarch must die!! He kept a steady fire, clearing the right flank for the librarian knowing that Gideon and Belasus would be doing the same on the other side. His auto sensor displays were identifying hundreds of more foes coming towards them through the rabbit warren of tunnels. They were not really going to get out alive, but they Patriarch must die! His mind wondered for a moment as to where Gladius was. The techmarine was meant to follow with the librarian. A massive blast of hot air threw him forwards answering his question. The combined energy released by the simultaneous activation of ten melta implosion devices creates such an expansion of gas, that within the confined underground caverns it's effects were multiplied a hundred fold! The blast threw Lucius sprawling to the ground, joining Gideon and Quintus. Brothet techmarine Gideon had indeed arrived! Lucidian was more fortunate. The blast picked him up like a giant's hand and as if guided by the Emperor's will in person, threw him at the Patriarch. There was nothing the bloated ,suffused and hideous creature could do but try and ward off the swinging arc of the force sword. Lucidian swung the axe with every ounce of hatred in his mind, every ounce of strength in his body and willed the weapon to split the force field around the Patriarch. As he exerted his will and strength he felt a tiny nudge in the warp. A sense of pride washed over him as he realised what caused that sensation. He triggered his comm-link and said 'They're here!" and willed his entire being on to the strength of the force axe. Up on Qurbitus Station 978, Senior astropath Glengard pushed himself up weakly as he recovered from his black out, noting the energy flash in the underground caverns releasing to the surface and wincing as the psychic beacon abruptly intensified and died altogether. |
DEATH ON QADIS III By ( Shadow Guard ) |
FABLES OF THE UNFORGIVEN |
