The sybarite's companion was attempting to circle around behind the Helez for the kill. Hezekiah rushed forward and beheaded the creature before it could react. The creature's helmeted head hit the ground nano-seconds before the top half of its body. Hezekiah used his stormbolter to parry the leader's weapon as it too tried to strike Helez. The alien's next attack managed to strike Hezekiah before he could counter. The agonizer gouged into his trusted armor, but the solid ceramite held. Hezekiah brought his humming blade around in an arc. The sybarite's body, split in twain, fell to the ground in a body heap. With the death of the sybarite, the remaining dark eldar fled. Presise burst from the marines holy bolters thinned down their number. The Ravenwing landspeeder intercepted the eldar that had escaped from Nathaniel's squad. The renegades fell in droves from the crossfire. Not one alien managed to escape on foot. Three marines had been wounded. To were already moving about as their super-human constitutions regenerated damaged flesh and organs. Only Helez's injury required aid from the apothecarium. The Razorback transported Helez back to the compound for transport back to the Divinitus Duci. In the meantime, the marine custodians of the damaged Rhino effected field repairs. In litter over an hour, the faithful transport was fuly functional. Soon after, they were re-joined by the returning Razorback. The armored column of marines resumed its mission to relieve their brethren. Part Five: As reports from the various Ravenwing patrols poured in, Hezekiah surveyed the scene of the previous night's battle. After he was done examining the corpses, Hezekiah ordered the farmhands to gather them up and burn them in front of the homestead. As the stench of burning flesh filed the air, he consulted with Brother-Sergeant Jeremiah on the previous day's encounters. All reports indicated the raider's had multiple slaving parties operating throughout the area. According to Interrogator-Chaplain Gabriel's theory, the raiders had tried to capitalize on the perceived weakness of the PDF. The elimination of the garrison had been the first step in staging large-scale slaving raids. The presence of the Dark Angels had apparently been an unexpected complication and had sown confusion amongst their ranks. The raiders' initial plans had been disrupted. Now the raiders had two choices: face the marines or try to escape from them. There can be no escape from the Emperor's Wrath, thought Hezekiah; we will force them to come to us. Hezekiah knew that the xenos' leader was definitely the shadowy figure from the assault on the PDF outpost. The alien commander would have remained in the area to insure he got first pick of the spoils. With the planets local topography, the raiders' routes to off-planet extraction zones would be limited. The natural isolation of the peninsula and the nearby western mountains, once very favorable to the slavers' goals had become a trap. The pirate leader's greed, typical of the chaos-tainted, now would be his undoing. As the combined force returned to the Dark Angel's ground-base, Hezekiah contacted Master Michael aboard the Divinitus Duci. Master Michael gave his unequivocal support of Hezekiah's plan. The strike cruiser executed a slight shift in its orbit. Its new position would effectively trap the slavers on the peninsula by preventing orbital-landers from rescuing the aliens. In addition, the force's Librarian, Codicier Uriel, arrived planet-side with several Ravenwing squadrons. With Uriel's arrival, the ground forces were split into three detachments. The revered Librarian would take command of the main sweeping force south from the northern-tip of the peninsula. His psychic powers would be useful in trying to locate the hidden eldar or force them to attempt to flee into the path of the other two forces. The second section, under Interrogator-Chaplain Gabriel, would remain at the newly fortified control center. They would use their superior firepower and position to maintain control over the main trade routes. Brother-Captain Hezekiah's force, the smallest of the three, would return to the original landing site. Once there they would deny its use to the enemy. After all individual equipment sacraments were completed; the marines gathered together and knelt before the force's silver and gold trimmed portable altar. As night rapidly approached, Gabriel led the assembled Dark Angels in prayer. Hezekiah knelt in the front as the assembled might of the strike force. Row upon row of marines joined him as they sang hymns of praise to the Emperor and their beloved Primarch. After wards, they listened attentively to the Interrogator-Chaplain's fervent prayers and passionate sermonizing. At the completion of the service, Gabriel finished his oratory with the force's motto: "Imperator Angelis, Angelis Morti, Qui Sominae Audet, Res Vera Persta Atque Obdure. Oderint dum metuant." "The Emperor's Angels, Angels of Death, Our faith is our shield. Stand firm and have strength. Let them hate, so long as they fear" echoed the assembled marines as they stood up. Hezekiah stood up and faced the marines. Before dismissing them, he quickly reviewed the various squad and unit assignments. As they left to their tasks, Hezekiah offered one more silent prayer to the Emperor for the safety of his command. Darkness gently fell over the pristine hills surrounding the outpost. The glow of McLeod's setting sun caused the wheat in the field to shimmer and glow. The thrusters of Uriel's departing Thunderhawks dimmed in the distance and Hezekiah's convoy slipped out of the compound. Squad Hananiah led the column in their ancient MkII Razorback. Behind them in a Rhino filled with Squad Jeremiah. Following behind was the force's old 'Thalia' pattern Whirlwind, Abed-nego. Bringing up the rear of the column was Squad Mishael, riding in another Razorback. They were once again at full strength with the return of Brother Helez from the Divinitus Duci's Apothecarium. Rotating around the column in a scouting pattern was the lone Ravenwing Landspeeder not assigned to Uriel's detachment. The pilot of the Samuel kept in constant contact with Brother-Captain Hezekiah inside of Squad Jeremiah's Rhino. The column continued south past the sleepy town of Bellitoris as darkness consumed the landscape. The twin moons of McLeod III rose low in the southern sky and provided faint ambient light. The machine spirits of the vehicles began feeding advanced targeting and full spectrum scans into the various marines' power armor. To each marine the landscape was a riot of color and light. Hezekiah still was amazed that his ancient MkVI Corvus armor had so many small advantages over his previous suit of armor. That suit had served loyally until it had been damaged beyond repair during the defense of Lysander Prime. His new suit's machine spirit was superior to those of even his sergeants. It had originally been crafted for an almost-forgotten Lieutenant Commander of the old Dark Angels legion. This relic had served the chapter's commanders for millennia. The additional systems the beaked helmet contained allowed him to see more clearly at night than any normal human could in the daytime. With a thought he could access any one of his individual marine's suits. It allowed him to instantly receive or transfer data and images. The force's Techmarine, Brother Raziel, was constantly anointing the armor with oils and unguents and took special pride in its long history. Truly the Emperor has graced me with a remarkable instrument to fulfill his divine will, mused Hezekiah. A warning rune flashed in his visor as a beam of dark energy impacted the left side of the Rhino. Part Six: The dark beam pierced the Rhino's side armor. It burrowed through the sensitive systems and ignited the primary fuel cells. The resulting explosion was wholly contained within the engine compartment. The damaged Rhino ground to a tortured halt. Auto-gyros inside of power armor instantly compensated for the lack of forward travel. Squad Jeremiah and Brother-Captain Hezekiah smoothly exited from the transport with practiced ease. Combined centuries of training were evident as they quickly spread out in reaction to the ambush. Hezekiah remained near the disabled Rhino as he coordinated the detachment's response. He quickly ordered the remaining squads to dismount. The Whirlwind's crew began their targeting rituals. Brother-Sergeant Hananiah reported a dozen of misshapen shapes lumbering out of a cluster of trees to block the road ahead. Using his ocularius, Hananiah could make out the gaunt corpse-like figure that goaded them into position. To the left, Hezekiah's internal infrared scanners allowed him to locate two scores of alien warriors in positions of cover. Squads Misheal and Hananiah took up support positions behind Squad Jeremiah. Instead of the expected 'mon-keigh' panic, the Dark Angels fired controlled bursts of bolter fire and quickly advanced towards the aliens. A fusillade of fire tore through the ambushers' positions as a dozen aliens were mowed down. The eldar raiders, more from fear than courage, managed to returned fire. Brother Germael was vaporized by a direct hit from a disintegrator. Another marine, Brother Lucas went down as a concentrated hail of splinters shredded his ceramite chest plate. |
PURGE THE XENOS By Trent Hoffman |
EPICS OF REDEMPTION |
