by Marc
The Space Marines each stepped back into the small alcove which served as their resting place during transportation, grabbing hold of the brass grip rails to steady themselves. Hurriedly Ramesis ducked back into the chapel to extinguish the sacred brazier before taking his own position. The Thunderhawk banked sharply to starboard for a moment, the artificial muscles within Ramesis’s armour easily compensating for the movement. The gunship continued to zigzag sluggishly to evade the eldar fighters, before a sudden screech rent the air and a bolt of energy smashed against the armoured fuselage. The blast was mirrored inside the hull in a spray of violet energy, and Brother Lysonis was hurled to the decking. Ramesis took a step forward to aid the veteran-sergeant, but his comrade held up a hand to indicate he was well, before slowly standing up. Sparks of energy crackled around a gash in his abdominal armour, but there was no blood. The blast had just inflicted a glancing hit on the Space Marine. As Lysonis reclaimed his place in one of the unoccupied alcoves, the gunship’s reeling interior echoed with the sound of more energy bolts hitting the hull. Another fusillade was followed by the thump of a detonation, sending the gunship falling to one side.
‘We’ve lost two engines.’ the pilot informed them in a calm voice. ‘Prepare for emergency landing!’
Ramesis felt his weight lightening as the Thunderhawk pushed forward into a steep dive, rushing down towards Slato’s surface. For perhaps half a minute the rapid descent continued until the pilot fired the retro-jets, all but stopping the gunship dead in mid-air. The sudden increase in g-forces would have crushed a normal man, but Ramesis hardly even noticed, protected by the strength of his genetically modified physique and further enhanced by his ancient suit of power armour. With a skidding impact the Thunderhawk hit the ground a moment later, sliding to the right for several seconds before coming to a halt. Within a heartbeat the assault ramp had been lowered and Ramesis was charging out, the rest of his force pounding down the ramp behind him.
‘THIS IS BROTHER-CAPTAIN Nubean. We have made landfall in the high ground, at position secundus-deca as intended. Ramesis, lead your force to point secundus-octus; I will converge on your position from the other side.’ Even carried across several miles by the comm-net, Nubean’s voice was as clear to Ramesis as if he were next to him. The chaplain signalled an affirmative and then switched frequencies to address the Space Marines under his own command.
‘Advance by squads, pattern Enflamus. Squads Delphus and Lysonis will lead; squad Malesti will form rearguard.’ Ramesis ordered in a clipped, precise tone. The three sergeants signalled confirmation and the two lead squads set off at a trot, the long strides of their power armoured legs covering the ground quickly. Ramesis fell in with Veteran Sergeant Malesti, whom he had known since he was first inducted into the Chapter. They had fought together as scouts in the Tenth Company and though Ramesis had advanced more rapidly in the Chapter’s hierarchy, they still shared a special friendship. As tbey ran along, Ramesis modified the comm-net controller on his wrist so that he could talk with Malesti alone.
‘Eldar again, my brother. We will have to be vigilant.’ Though Ramesis’s words seemed grim, he was in a light mood. It had been several weeks since he had been in battle and he had looked forward with anticipation to fighting once more against the Emperor’s enemies.
‘We have defeated the eldar before.’ Malesti replied. ‘We know their guile. Their arcane trickeries and sorceries will not avail them against us this time.’
‘I share your confidence, brother.’ Ramesis said. ‘Captain Nubean is a strong commander. The honour of the Fourth Company prospers under his guidance.’
‘And yours!’ Malesti added with a chuckle. ‘In the years you have been our chaplain, our battle-brothers’ faith has been sure and steady. They conduct themselves with honour and respect, and do all that we ask of them and more. They do not fail in their duties as warriors of the Adeptus Astartes and they shall not fail us this day either.’
‘They’ll fight like steppe-lions, of that I’m sure!’ Ramesis remarked.
They continued in silence for a while, jogging easily through the waist-high grasses of the plain, turned into a blaze of gold by Slato’s setting star.
A few miles to the north ahead of them, the plains rose quickly into the foothills that eventually became a sharp mountain range. In every other direction stretched leagues of cereal plants, heavy with grain. The majority of Slato’s landmass was given over to farming. Food grown here would feed the workers on mining worlds and industrial hive planets. Without such agri-worlds, the Imperium’s labour forces would starve and the eternal manufacturing of arms and armour would cease, spelling the end for mankind’s presence in the sector. It was paramount that Slato did not fall into the hands of the eldar.
IN THE LAST rays of the alien sun, Ramesis’s force was continuing its forced march, making their way swiftly along one of the mountain valleys. But for the last few minutes, the sound of cannonfire had been echoing off the valley’s steep sides.
‘It appears the eldar are engaged in another attack,’ Malesti was speculating. ‘Landing behind the accursed aliens’ position may prove to be an advantage: we can catch them between our guns and those of the Guardsmen at the portal. The Emperor has blessed us.’
‘Beware of over-confidence, my brother,’ Ramesis warned. ‘The eldar are as slippery as a lava serpent and twice as venomous. They may have left a rearguard to protect them from such an attack.’
‘True,’ Malesti said. ‘That is why we have come with two separate forces, so that if one is delayed the other may still fight through. With the Emperor’s blessing…’ Malesti’s voice trailed away. His attention had become fixed on something ahead. Ramesis followed his gaze and saw that the two squads leading the march had halted. He was about to signal Sergeant Lysonis when the comm-net chimed in his ear.
‘Chaplain Ramesis, this is Sergeant Lysonis. The valley ahead is filled with woodland, a possible ambush site. Request orders.’
‘I’ll be at your position shortly. Stay alert,’ Ramesis commanded.
A minute had passed before Ramesis and Squad Malesti reached the other Space Marines where they were half-hidden in the long grass and rocks of the valley floor. The woodland ahead nestled firmly in the base of the valley which they had been following, stretching up the mountain slopes to either side. It was impossible to tell how far along the valley the woods continued, but Ramesis did not even consider the option of circumnavigating it. To do so would cost valuable time and still offered no surety that they would reach the site of the gateway unhindered. Ramesis peered at the small forest, trying to discern any activity in the shadowy depths between the thin, tightly clustered boles of the trees.
‘Sergeant Lysonis, activate your auspex. See if you can detect anything within those woods.’ Ramesis’s order was quiet but authoritative.
‘We risk the eldar detecting the signal, chaplain. They may not know we are here yet.’ Lysonis cautioned.
‘Rest assured, sergeant.’ Ramesis informed him. ‘The eldar are very aware of our presence. Even if their machines did not locate us, their mind-magic will undoubtedly have detected our presence by now.’
The sergeant’s head was bowed as he unhooked the auspex from his utility belt and adjusted the dials. As he held it in one hand, passing it left and right in the direction of the woods, its screen threw a flickering green glow onto the black paint of his armour, harshly lighting the helmet from underneath, so that he almost looked like some daemon from the pits of Chaos. Lysonis adjusted one of the many brass dials set next to the display, then tapped a switch into a different position.
‘There are definitely human-sized life signals within the woods, chaplain, possibly a dozen or more,’ Lysonis reported, replacing the arcane device on his belt and pulling his power sword from its scabbard.
Ramesis looked at the trees once more, seeking any sign of movement or life. There were none. After glancing at the chronometer reading on his visual display, the chaplain ma
de a decision.
‘We do not have time to circumnavigate the woods. Prepare for attack. May the Emperor guide our weapons.’ As he spoke, Ramesis strode to the front of the gathered Space Marines.
‘For the Emperor and Vulkan!’ Ramesis cried as he sprinted forward, the actuators of his armour turning every step into a bounding leap across the plain. Around him the Salamanders charged forward too, echoing his battle cry. The air was filled by a soft whistling noise and Ramesis noticed tiny slivers of crystal starting to patter off the armour of the Space Marines around him. Looking into the woods once again, half-seen shadows of movement caught Ramesis’s attention as another volley of fire swept into the Space Marines. Behind him Ramesis heard a startled cry. He looked back over his shoulder to see what had happened. One of the Space Marines of Squad Delphus, Brother Lastus, was clutching at his helmet with one hand. Another member of the squad turned on his heel to grab Lastus’s arm and haul him forwards. As the chaplain looked on, the toxins contained within the crystal sliver were already seeping into Lastus’s bloodstream. The Space Marine gave a choked cry and his body began to shudder. The power armour amplified the shivering Space Marine’s movements into flailing paroxysms as Lastus dropped his boltgun and fell to one knee.
‘Sniper’s needle hit Brother Lastus in the eye-plate.’ Sergeant Delphus reported over the comm-link.
‘Bring him with us!’ Ramesis ordered as he turned his attention back to the woods. The first of the Space Marines were fifty paces from the trees now. Squad Lysonis stopped their advance and as one they raised their bolters and let loose a salvo of fire. Explosive bolts tore through the woodland, smashing swathes of shredded leaf and bark into the air, shattering branches and punching gaping holes into the boles of the trees.
Ramesis heard a high-pitched cry and a figure staggered forward from the shadows, a hand raised to its shoulder where bright red blood was spilling down the ever-shifting camouflage colours of its cape. It was tall and swathed in a long coat that shifted colour to match the shades of the trees and grass. Ramesis aimed his pistol, the crosshair imposed over his vision fixing on the eldar’s hooded face. He could see its thin, pointed nose, the delicate features of its high cheeks and brow, and a pair of large eyes glittering with alien intelligence. The chaplain squeezed softly on the trigger and a moment later the eldar’s skull exploded, the headless body flung forward several metres by the bolt’s detonation.
As he reached the treeline, Ramesis found three more alien bodies. The first had two massive holes blown in its chest, another’s leg was ripped off at the hip while the third had been turned into an almost unidentifiable crimson mess by several simultaneous bolter hits. Looking back across the grasslands, Ramesis saw Lastus being carried between two of his battle-brothers who were firing their bolters with their free hands. The wounded Marine was still twitching as his system tried to clear away the alien poisons. The armour of another Space Marine lay close by, sprawled in the grass like a casually discarded doll. The chaplain could see a neat hole in the flexible armour of the warrior’s left hip joint where the needle shot had entered. The shot must have hit a major artery for it to have killed the bio-enhanced Space Marine so quickly.
‘May thy soul be forever in the light of the Emperor. By His grace he has taken you into his embrace. Serve Him as well in death as your sacrifice served Him in life,’ intoned Ramesis, whilst inwardly cursing his force’s lack of an apothecary. He could not afford for one of his warriors to carry the dead Space Marine’s body and by the time the apothecary from Captain Nubean’s formation could arrive, the fallen fighter’s gene-seed would be useless. Every gene-seed not recovered was lost forever, weakening the Chapter.
Glancing around, Ramesis saw that all of the remaining men had reached the shelter of the trees. Of the eldar there was no sign. For the next few minutes the dim light was occasionally broken by the orange glow cast by the jets of fire from Squad Delphus’s flamer as the Space Marines methodically swept through the trees for any surviving eldar. Ramesis sent Squad Malesti ahead to ascertain whether the route to the rendezvous with Captain Nubean was clear, then sought out Brother Lastus.
The chaplain found him crouched with his back against the trunk of a tree, thumbing bolts from a pouch at his belt into a boltgun magazine. Beside him was his helmet, with the left eyepiece cracked. Blood was dried across the left side of Lastus’s face, a reddish stain against his dark skin, and his left eye had been stitched shut. The rest of his face was marked by the scars of the Salamanders’ ritual branding. Three dragon-heads were scorched into his forehead, each representing a commendation from the company captain, whilst several lines were scarred along his nose and chin, each scar burnt forever as recognition for a particularly noteworthy kill. As Ramesis approached, Lastus looked up.
‘I’d swear that devil-spawned eldar had been aiming for Brother Nitras next to me. No accuracy, these aliens!’ the Space Marine joked.
‘How are you faring, brother?’ Ramesis asked, crouching next to Lastus and removing his own helmet.
‘I can fight on.’ Lastus declared with a wide grin that curled the lines of his scars into ragged swirls. ‘The toxin is still affecting my hearing and smell, but my vision is almost clear. Well, through this one, anyway.’ He stuck a thumb towards his good eye.
‘And how is your aim, Brother Lastus?’ Ramesis asked. He needed to know how much he could rely upon his battle-brother in a firefight.
‘Still true, lord.’ Lastus assured him. The Space Marine gestured towards his helmet. ‘That’s an old Mark VI Regis pattern. It can compensate for the loss of one eye by boosting another signal through the remaining optical link. I won’t even realise I’m handicapped. It fits a bit tightly – I almost asked for a different helmet when the armour was given to me – but praise the Emperor I persevered with it.’
Ramesis stood up and told Lastus to report back to Sergeant Delphus. With a salute the battle-brother fixed his helmet back on and strode off towards the other Space Marines.
Sergeant Malesti strode up to Ramesis and reported that the firesweep was complete; no other eldar had been discovered.
‘Understood.’ Ramesis replied, rubbing a hand through the short curls of his hair before donning his own helmet once more. ‘Lead the force to the ridge. The eldar definitely know now from which direction we approach, and Captain Nubean will not want to tarry long waiting for us.’
RAMESIS AND HIS force arrived at the rendezvous point first. As the sun dipped below the horizon, Ramesis’s vision was augmented by the aura-intensifier of his helmet, bathing his view of the landscape in a red sheen. From the crest of a ridge the chaplain could see the repeated glow of the Imperial Guard guns, further up into the mountains. It was another hour before Captain Nubean and his Space Marines marched into view. With the aid of the artificial eyes of his armour, the chaplain could see the shimmering heat surrounding the advancing force, plumes of pure white jetting from the exhaust vents cut into their armoured backpacks. Their guns glowed a dim red, which Ramesis knew could only mean they had been involved in a protracted battle. As they came closer, Ramesis did a quick head count: there were twenty-one of them, seven less than had set out. Several more appeared to be wounded and as Captain Nubean approached with his command squad, Ramesis could see that Apothecary Suda’s reductor was covered in the dark red of Space Marine blood; he had been busy extracting the progenoid glands from the missing warriors. The gene-seed he had recovered would allow the Chapter to create more Space Marines to replace those that had fallen.
‘We were ambushed shortly after insertion.’ Nubean explained as he stopped in front of Ramesis. ‘They came in fast, carried inside two fast, skimming transports, our weapons unable to penetrate the force shields protecting the vehicles. There was another anti-grav tank there too, gliding out around us, trying to pick us off with rapid volleys from a pulse laser. Brother Kolenn managed to take it down with his lascannon, but not before Squad Mauria lost three warriors. We were mostly facing r
egular line troops, which did not present much of a challenge. Their shuriken catapults were unable to penetrate our armour, while our bolters punched them off their feet with every shot! It was the specialists, the ones they call Striking Scorpions, that caused me the most consternation – we’ve fought them before, Ramesis…’
‘I remember. It was on Corronis IV. Close combat experts, with those infernal laser dischargers in their helmets.’ Ramesis said, gesturing with a finger either side of his jaw to imitate the aliens’ strange mandible-like weaponry.
‘That’s them.’ Nubean agreed. ‘Their armour was as good as ours; our bolters were virtually useless. They had managed to slip behind us, elusive scum. It was Squad Goria that they attacked first. Their leader had some kind of power glove that punched through Sergeant Goria’s chest with ease. We managed to stave off the others by getting a crossfire on the alien wretches, and once that distraction had been disposed of we could concentrate our fire on the close combat fighters. We left none of them alive.’ Nubean finished with a grim smile.
The captain pointed to a Space Marine whose left arm ended at the elbow in a blackened stump; with his other arm the wounded warrior was gesturing expansively to Sergeant Lysonis, not at all disconcerted by his injury.
‘Brother Kahli’s plasma gun detonated, but he brought two of the enemy down first.’ Nubean explained. ‘That’s the fourth time in the last seven missions I have had a plasma weapon failure, though this is the first time it has been so catastrophic. I will have words with the Master of the Forges when we return. It matters not that our plasma weapons are ancient artefacts, I need them to be better maintained.’
The captain turned his gaze towards the distant flashes of fire coming from the distant Imperial Guard encampment. ‘We must press on. I want to reach the Imperial Guardsmen before dawn.’ he said, turning his attention back to Ramesis. ‘It was well we did not try to mount an airborne landing at the battle sector itself. We came across a pair of the enemy’s anti-aircraft vehicles about four miles back. They have gigantic crystalline lasers; they would have shot the Thunderhawks out of the sky with ease.’ With a thin smile, the captain directed Ramesis’s attention to two thin columns of smoke to the south. ‘Still, they won’t be causing us any more worries.’
