Another set of blast doors across from the Dark Angels opened. Out poured a dozen devotes of the ruinous powers. Each was clad in baroque power armor adorned with a variety of skulls and sigils. Their black armor trimmed in gold marked them as the Sons of Horus. Once know as Lunar Wolves, now known as Black Legionnaires, they were fanatical devotees of the ruinous powers. Chanting praises to the foul powers, they rushed protectively around Antiochus. As they emerged, they began to fire their ornate ancient bolters at the Terminator clad marines. "Hear a just cause, O Emperor. Attend unto our prayer. For the honor of our father, the Lion, we fight." yelled Elijah. The Brother-Captain bounded forward and charged the black-armored heretics. His heavy armor easily shrugged off the oncoming bolter rounds. Quickly closing in on the nearest Legionnarie, Elijah swung his massive meteor formed sword. There was a horrible squealing noise as the black weapon rent into the ancient ceramite. It easily tore into the traitor marine and set his two halves spinning to the deck. Black gore spewed forth from the traitor's corpse. The rest of the Deathwing Terminators surged forward to meet Antiochus's bodyguard in hand-to-hand combat. The Emperor is gracious, thought Elijah as he swung his blade at his next foe. The chaos marine's ceramite armor ripped open, exposing the corroded cables and wiring beneath. The traitor marine, unfazed by the massive loss of dark fluid which poured out of the wound, brought his whirling chainsword towards the Brother-Capitan. The teeth of the chain axe chewed into Elijah's bone-white armor, gouging his right side. Gritting his teeth in pain, Elijah ignored the wound. Elijah's next strike was true and the black-armored foe collapsed at his feet. The wounded captain's enhanced organs quickly staunched the flow of blood. Brother Rutilus's multi-barreled autocannon began to send streams of high velocity shells into the traitors midst. Easily chewing through the traitor's armor, several quickly fell into wet heaps. The traitor's responded to the threat and focused their corrupted bolter fire at Rutilus. One mass-reactive round managed to pierce Rutilus's armor. The explosive bolt detonated inside the Terminator Armor. The resulting shrapnel shredded the unfortunate marine trapped inside as his near impenetrable suit served only to contain and concentrate the bolt round's blast." Brother Alto sliced though one of the Legionnaires firing at Rutilus and came face to face with Antiochus. The Fallen's great armored bulk moved faster than was humanly possible. Antiochus easily avoided Atlo's sweeping energy blades. A quick swipe of his demonic weapon easily cut deep into the Terminator. The glowing blade sucked Alto's life-force away. As the demonic energy coursed around Alto, the bone-white cremate blistered and corroded into a heap of ruined material. Brother Narnus, one of Brother-Sergeant Chassan's marines, stuck at Antiochus with his crackling power-fist. The Fallen's inhumanly quick reaction prevented the energy released from disintegrating the traitor's torso. Instead, the powerfist managed to score a deep wound in Antiochus's side. Bellowing in pain, the traitor brought his daemon-weapon around in a wide-arc. A quick flick of his wrist change the direction of the blade and it glowing blade thrust forward. The warp-tainted weapon skewered Narnus's helmet, putting an end to his service to the Immortal Emperor. Antiochus relished the deaths of the two loyalists. Weaklings, he thought as Narnus's lifeless body slid off the edge of his blade. With a thought he sent an impulse into the Peccavi's systems, opening up a nearby hatch. His remaining Obliterator lumbered out of the hidden hatchway, flanking the advancing loyalists. The creature's arms flowed, creating a hellish twin barreled weapon. Molten plasma poured forth from the twin-barrels, striking two more of the enemy Terminators. One went down, as the streaming liquid melted most of his right side, the other terminator staggered as his revving chainfist was vaporized. Two icons inside of Brother-Sergeant Michael's helmet flickered. Brother Alfred's symbol blinked red as he slumped to the floor. Hezekiah's icon began to flash orange. "Obliterator, at my four o'clock," chimed Hezekiah over the squad's vox-frequency. Michael turned and loped forward as gracefully as a seven-foot tall Space marine could in Tactical Dreadnought Armor. The Obliterator charged at the wounded Hezekiah, spikes extending out from its body as it morphed its arm into a crackling powerfist. Michael thrust his blue-bladed powersword deep into the silent foe. The monstrosity ignored the deep wound and swung its large fist at Michael's chest. Gingerly as he could, Michael stepped back and avoided the hammer-blow. Striking back, Michael fiented at the fiend's head. A quick change of his weapon's arc caused the humming blade to slice through the corrupted Chaos Marine's arm. The techno-virus infected traitor stepped back away from Michael without a sound. It's other arm began to shift into a multi-barreled assault cannon. Still walking backwards, the Obliterator tried to use the cauturized stump of its other arm to protect itself. Michael's next stroke killed the traitor before the first round flew out of its half-formed weapon. PART EIGHT: Antiochus's screams of anger could be heard over the cracking of bolter fire filling the enclosed command node. He screamed not because of the death of the last of his precious man-machines. Still linked to the Peccavi, the Fallen had felt the agonizing laser barrage that devastated the ship's hull. Flames swept the decks of the Peccavi, charring mutants as they gibbered in terror. Several sections of the ship's hull were ripped open. The heretics manning much of the ship's remaining weapons were suddenly exposed to the airless void. The doomed crewmen were frozen mid-scream as their pleas went unanswered by the foul powers. With the Dark Angels still aboard the chaos ship, Admiral Romanoff's Fleet had begun its offensive. Concentrating their barrage at the Peccavi's position, the massive Imperial fleet wheeled about and drove towards Nagah's lines. Romanoff had been persuaded by Inquisitor Zeitzler urging after passive sensors had confirmed the Peccavi's impotence. Zeitzler had argued to attack before Nagah could receive a distress call from the ship. At any inkling of trouble, the crafty Chaos Lord would not hesitate to shift his fleet to cover his exposed flank. After all, Zeitzler had argued, the lives of a few Space Marines are nothing. Nothing compared to the glory that would be yours if Nagah's fleet is broken. Surely we cannot risk our own ships waiting for the Adaptus Astartes to disable the ship and escape. The chances of success diminish while we wait. Millions of lives hang in the balance. Here, now, is your chance for glory, Admiral. From aboard his Emperor Class Battleship, the Unity of Terra, Romanoff led his ships forward. Sensors had confirmed that the Peccavi was helpless, its shields down and its weapons had ceased to fire. Imperial fighters poured forth and led the way, screening the larger frigates from enemy craft. Now, the combined might of the Imperial naval fleet was driving into Nagah's under-protected side. Back aboard the Peccavi, fires swept across the cathedral-like command deck. A massive explosion rocked the vessel, dropping large chunks of equipment down from the ceiling. Traitors and Loyalists alike were killed as girders smashed into the swirling struggle. Brother Charus and two traitor marines were crushed under a large section. Brother Ezra was knocked to the floor by a tumbling girder. Small blazes began to ignite amongst the debris. Antiochus sent his consciousness forth in an effort to save his ship. A small overhead panel crashed to Brother-Sergeant Michael as he watched Brother-Captain Elijah hew through the remaining Black Legionnaire. The Chaos Marine had stepped forward to protect the distracted Fallen, blocking the Brother-Captain's way. A quick thrust had skewered the Legionnaire, and the traitor oozed black bile around the blade. Ripping out the traitor's breastplate as he withdrew his sword, Elijah rushed towards the immobile Antiochus. Grabbing his midnight-black blade in a two-handed grip, he sliced downward at the Fallen in a massive arc. The servo-enhanced strike met corrupted armor in swirl of reddish sparks. Antiochus's consciousness returned to his body as his corrupted armor to give way. Elijah's downward slash sliced through Antiochus right shoulder. The Brother-Captain's strike exited the Fallen's left side. The wound sprayed forth gobs of corrupted flesh and gore. The sickening black sludge obscured Michael's vision. Only when Elijah collapsed did Michael see Antiochus's glowing blade protruding from his captain's body. The dying Fallen's counterstrike, too late to save him, had pierced his killer. The remaining traitors swept forward in a disheartened attempt to break the Dark Angel's resolve. Brother Vitalus charged forward and made quick work of two. The last three turned and fled back towards the rear of the burning bridge. Brother-Sergeant Michael blade made quick work of one through the back. Brother-Sergeant Chassan finished of the final duo with a blinding whirl of his lightingclaws. Bits and pieces of the traitors hit the floor as Tech-marine Vretil rushed forward to aid the bleeding Elijah. |
THE PECCAVI By Trent Hoffman ( OCAC ) |
FABLES OF THE UNFORGIVEN |
