Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

The sound of bolter fire drew the command elements of the 85th to the Blood Ravens command chamber, sergeant Moody among them. Over the vox-bead they heard frantic chatter before General Draves addressed them all.
"I've been informed by my signal-man that over a private, encrypted channel Lord Angelos has given us new fall-back channels to use. It would seem that our normal band-widths have been decoded and are being used by the enemy. From now-on we use coded-level sigma. All switch and confirm."
A number of assents came back over the amended vox link. "Good." Draves continued. " Now lets find out what the Feth is going on!" with that he picked up the pace, drawing his power sword as he went. Moody, running just behind him, did not have his chainsword to hand so instead he primed his bolt pistol and flexed his augmetic arm. It was stronger than any sword wielded by him anyway...

The bolter roared. Varn rolled to the side, the bolt pulverized the vox. Varn was unarmed so he rushed towards the marine. The bolter roared again it hit Varn full on in the chest. His Armour saved him but he was knocked of his feet and winded.
The bolter was pointed at Varn's head. It clicked. It had jammed.

The marine tossed the bolter to the side and drew his combat knife he approached Varn.

"Death to the false emperor and you brother." he spat

Armored feet rang out as company champion Teyrion rushed in his power sword humming. He casually decapitated the marine.

"By the emperor what was that?" Varn asked.

"I don't know, but what is that?"

He pointed at the marines shoulder guard. Paint had chipped off revealing flecks of blue and green. Varn rubbed at it, more paint came off revealing the symbol of the hated Alpha Legion.

The attack commenced, the main push from the column reached the entrenched heretics, however, there was no resistance upon approach. The traitor astartes that had accompanied them had vanished, most likely preoccupied by other engagements, however, the remaining cultists abandoned their vehicles and were in a trance.

The trap was sprung, the cultists had opened a rift in the warp, allowing daemons to possess their very bodies. The lumbering form of a great unclean one lumbered out of the portal.

"Full reverse" ordered General Serik in his command tank. Yano could feel his Salamander jolt back, as it attempted to reverse, the column was in disarray.

Fortunately, the Chaos powers were as fickle as they were dangerous. As soon as the portal had opened, it had already closed and the daemons were already being pulled back into the warp. If the heretics had the experience of Daemonancy or Sorcery from Astartes the warp rift may have been stable enough to fully destroy the guard.

Unwilling to spring any more traps, the Imperials retreated back to base. The threat of attack had dissipated. It would be running skirmishes with heretical forces on Aurelia.

Yano received the order to scour the area for remaining traitor forces, the Salamander would be on the frontline engaging and observing enemy movements. For the first few days of this mission there would be little activity, the occaisonal cultists in light reconaissance vehicles which Yano's autocannon made short work of.

Two guardsmen had come in shortly after the alpha legionnaires death, a general and a sergeant. He had informed them of the situation. In return they informed him that similar occurrences had happens around the camp as his sergeants and command squad were attacked. Two sergeants were found dead while the rest had bested there opponents and as some were helped by fellow marines or guardsmen. He was also told that Captain Niak had denounced the emperor. Niak had gone missing shortly before the Tartauraus campaign presumed lost in the warp a new company was raised to fill the losses.

The alpha legionnaire had also claimed to be working for Niak. That probably meant that Niak had defected and joined the alpha legion. They must pay for this treachery, but that would have to wait the orks were attacking.

Kain watched from the Serpents Spite as the Space Marines tried to figure out his vile plans. He quietly hummed as he directed the orbital cannon into position and began the countdown as it targeted the Blood Raven command post and unleashed a beam of super heated energy against the Space Marines.

"Sir the beam has destroyed or damaged most of the bases defences and has killed several Space Marines, what are your orders?"

"Keep the ship in orbit and alow the Imperials to take the bait , and contact our armour on the ground. Prepare for a assault on the planet to spearhead an assault on the Blood Raven HQ."

OOC: Errr, what planet are you above now blood reaper? I'm losing track...

The base was under attack. A laser had targeted the base. It hit the ork horde vaporising it. But the shock wave hit the base full on collapsing 2 bastions. The marines inside either got up as there Armour held but was severely battered or didn't as they were severely wounded or killed. Jutan got to work, administering the emperors mercy to those to badly wounded.

This was only the start of there problems however a strike like that would be followed by an attack. The blood Ravens and the guard manned the remaining defenses and there vehicles.

Imperial Monkey wrote:OOC: Errr, what planet are you above now blood reaper? I'm losing track...

OOC: and ignore my last post if not above Calderis.

Martes stud in the ruins of a building looking out at the capital. He watched imperial guard retreating from a great unclean one but the fouls summoned it done it wrong and their summoning back fired.

"What fouls they needed a bigger sacrifice." said Martes

His attention was drawen by some alpha legion troops running past. In his hatered of the alpha legion he leaped out of the ruin on to the Aspiring Champion crushing his head and the culitits shaked in fear 2 of them tried attack Martes he slashed 1 with his Manreaper the cultits organs spilled out. The other one got shot in the head the remaining culitits were killed in a hail of fire.

"My lord the guardsman Yano has been spotted shall we attack?" Spoke a death guard.

"Yes but not to kill. Lets watch how he handles under attack from all sides." Ordered Martes

Martes ordered all his troops to attack to attack Yano's Salamander. All his warrior's were hidden in the ruin as Martes watched from a distance "Fire at it" Ordered Martes. He saw the rounds hit the vehicle. 20 minutes later had vehicle sped off into the distance.

"He is not in control he is a regular guardsmen." spoke Martes.

A hail of fire envelops the Death Guard as two Predator tanks burst through the walls of a ruined building , several Plague Marines are torn apart by the heavy bolter fire and continue to attack the Plague Marines. Mortor fire also hits the Death Guard as Chaos Cultists begin fiering Frag shells at the Plague Marines.

Martes Yelled "FALL BACK....FALL BACK...USE THE BLIGHT GRENADES!!"

The death guard used all their blight grenades and pulled back into the thick ruins where some cultits had stole some imperial heavy lascannons as the death guard made it to the thick ruins one of the predators made it through the clouds of flies and disease. The driver did not see the heavy weapons and a giant beam hit the predator and it went up in a ball of flames.

The Predators left Heavy bolter is torn of but the vehicle is only imobilised , it's turret spins and crashes into the death guard before imploding. The Other Predator continues to bombardt the Death guard with its weapons. The Mortar fire also incresses as the Death Guard are pushed back.

(Also please try to improve you're writing.)

OOC: I am giving my best but ill try and improve.

BIC: The Death Guard had taken heavy loses but had escaped the Alpha Legion. They lost their heavy weapons and had now lost most of their army...Martes remembered about the Word Bearers in the capital.

"Aspiring Champion met me in this location." Ordered Martes sending some information to the Champion.

"My lord the Alpha Legion have left the ruins." Said one of the last of Martes's Plague Marines.

"Good, send scouts to follow them to their base." Ordered Martes.

"Yes my Lord." Replied the Plague Marine.

A Chaos Champion plunged his power weapon into the cheast of a Death Guard scout and kicked his body against the wall in anger
"Kain would not of been pleased if these scum had acctully made it within 2 miles of the outpost."
The Chaos Marine pointed towards the Champion
"Do you think I care about you're peety threats! Kain has shown more favour for me than you"
The Chaos Marine entered the Predator before leaving.

Little did he know having a petty argument with eachover one scout followed them back to their base. The scout sent the information back to Martes before being see and slaughtered.

"There thats where that coward is we will use this to my advantage." Spoke Martes

What base? It was a outpost.
The Predator tanks move towards the outpost and are repaired and are reloaded. Chaos Space Marines quickly leave the outpost for a teleporter array.

OOC: Sorry thought it was a base.

BIC: Martes ordered his men to attack the outpost but their was no defences.

"My lord this is only an outpost." said a cultits.

"I can see that!" replied Martes lifting his Manreaper but stop knowing he will need all his Warriors.

a plague marine ran over.

"My lord the Alpha Legion left a predator behind." Said the Plague Marine.

"We shall take it." Martes replied.

As the Death Guard left they planted a bomb to destroy the base. The cultits who placed the bomb ran to their fellow warrior they made it as the bomb detorated.

"We are one more step to destroying the Alpha Legion led by Kain." Spoke Martes a a cheer came from his warriors as they reached the ruins where they hid and the met up with their word bearer allys.

They fortified their position for any attack.

The Salamander ground to a halt. It had been hit by accurate autocannon fire, which managed to kill crewman Orek and concussed Yano. Luckily, the extra ablative armour had protected the driver and they managed to escape.

Yano inspected the Salamander, the rounds that hit the Salamander had managed to damage the track links of the tank which had finally buckled and broke under the stress of the high speed which they were travelling.

It appeared that the Salamander was "bleeding". The hits from the traitor autocannons had already caused the exposed metal to rust, and a dark red liquid oozed out of the seams of the vehicle.

"It's beyond repair, set up the melta-bombs, we'll sabotage it so the enemy can't loot it". Demolition charges and melta bombs set, Yano and his driver made it clear before detonating the Salamander. No doubt it would alert sentries of their positions, however they still had their cameleoline cloaks and special weapons on hand, they would have to trek back to the nearest outpost before they could get an evac.

Yano's vox network lit up, it was a new order from HQ, to rendezvous with the survivors of another scouting force, they had managed to retrieve valuable data that would require the tech adepts of Mars to decipher. All forces in the nearby sector would be required to protect the vehicle convoy containing the precious cargo and act as it's vanguard.

Looking at the auspex map reference, the rendezvous point was less than a mile from Yano's position. Only a forty five minute journey by foot.

still OOC: blood reaper, we need to know if you were bombarding the Calderis base!!

"You have done well to escape me Yano. I am Martes fear leader of this small force but we are growing, im here to give you a offer you and you allys join me or you can perish. I will give you time to think about this offer, if you or your allys fire at use you will die slowly and painfully it is your option?" Speaking to Yano through his mind.

"My lord the sacrafice is about to begin." said a Plague Marine

Martes and the Plague Marine left the ruined building the sacrafices were the bodys of all the dead found in the capital.

The cultits chanted, Plague Marines kneeled and Martes offered the body of a imperial commander. Suddenly a rip in the warp appeared 20 Plaguebearers stumbled out and a Great Unclean One behind them.

"MY ARMY GROWS STRONGER!" Spoke Martes letting out an evil laugh at the end.

There was a buzzing noise in Yano's head. He couldn't make it out.

"You alright there?" his companion asked.

"Must be comm static, can't make it out" he replied, as they hastily made their way to the rendezvous point.

OOC; I am
Kains ship slowly positioned it's self over Caldaris and began to glass any Imperial fortification or unit within range , Kain happly watched as he burned the Imperials with his fleet. The Alpha Legion ships raining burning fire apon the Imperials and bombarding them with missiles and their orbital cannons.
"Sir our Dropships have begun to deploy and are being supported by Gunships and fighters , several of our ground forces have cleared the way and destroyed AA-Gun positions."

"Tell them to continue the landings and crush the Imperials under the Iron heel of the Alpha Legion! Let none survive and burn the Imperials."

The 85th armoured moved out into the mountains, what remained of the artillery companies were stationed to re-enforce the Blood Ravens stronghold. Moody, newly field-promoted has chosen to remain in charge of his squad. It had been his, or rather, Haars' idea, to turn the artillery company's weapons skyward as the traitor's drop ships began to descend, beginning to take a toll on the attackers as the crews got their eyes in. Fortunately most of the hydra tanks had escaped the battle against the orks and they were now being put to great effect turning alpha legion ships and fighters to blazing wrecks.
Even as Moody mused (OOC: hehe, alliteration) a large force was moving to the capitol's space port to take command of the laser defences in an attempt to wipe the heretics from the sky!
Moody's vox-bead burst to life in a haze of static and Haber's voice patched through, "Sir, the General has patched through a communicae with Captain Varn. He wishes to discuss how to tackle this new threat."
With a low growl Moody climbed back into the Chimera, pulling the hatch shut behind him.

"More undead!"

Onjage swung his power axe, decapitating yet another of a seemingly endless swarm.

Cultist and Plague Marine fire all but ceased, having been killed or preferring the undead to do their work. What at first seemed like over-whelming odds, slowly but surely their ranks began to thin. The Undead, despite their incredible toughness and disease-riddled attacks, had lost whatever combat prowess they had once possessed. They marched stupidly, attacked stupidly, and died in droves. They were not entirely harmless, however. Being reborn under Nurgle had done nothing to deminish their strength, which still threatened even power-armored space marines. But after an hours fighting, it became clear that it was only a matter of time before the space marines succeeded. Whoever the mastermind was behind the ambush was not present at the battle, and his simple servants had no guidance but their own stupid intuition, and it cost them dearly. Nurgle's taint was nearly gone from this world.

Onjage was eager to return to the surface to aid his brothers against the orks. He did not trust Sall to keep his self-rightous mouth shut.

The Litany of Fury had found the enemy fleet. They were hanging in low orbit above Caldaris. They didn't spot the Litany and supporting imperial ships until it was to late as half it ships were already crippled. While there crew streamed out into the void.

Varn watched the fireworks from the ground the shelling had stopped as the enemy ships turned to face the Litany. Varn could see that it was too late for the ships it couldn't withstand the imperial fleet. Varn turned his mind on how to deal with the ground forces.

The Serpents Spite directed its attention at the Litany of Fury and began it's bombardment against the enemy ship destroying several of its key sections and unleashesing a massieve group of Hell talon fighters. Kain stood up from his chair and pointed at the ship from the bridge
"Concentrate all forward fire against the enemys bridge and open a portal."

Sirens were sounding on the Fury, several sections had been forced to seal. The enemy fleet was decimated only a few ship remained, it would be over soon.

The Litany took a direct hit in the bridge, the crew streamed out space marines and serfs. The Sword of Vengeance avenged the bridge crew by delivering a killing blow to the ship that did it. Chain reactions tore it apart, then it became a bright new star as it exploded.

As the command Chimera rocked, rolling over the mountainous terrain, Moody nodded to General Draves. It had to be done. Draves turned back to the vox-link mouthpiece. "Magos Sensidere? You have ground forces permission, Magenta level, to fire the cylonic warhead."
The reply that came back was hard to hear over the background noise at both ends but the monotonous tone ratified him as the Magos, commander of the Adeptus Mechanicus vessel, engaged with the Alpha Legion fleet. "You realise that the radiation backwash will interfere with all transmissions on the planet and from surface-to-fleet leaving you stranded for a minimum of 24 hours. There are then, longer-term biological hazards that.."
"I don't want to hear it!" Draves snapped, "we can't lose the Blood Ravens or their fleet."
"Very good." was the curt reply before the link was severed.
"I don't like this Torias." said Draves turning to Moody, this could doom us all.
"If you hadn't sir," Moody replied, "with respect, we'd be dead within hours anyway!"
Night was falling and the vox-beads were filled with the astonished exclamations and profanities of the men as they watched the night light up above them.

The Serpents Spite began to back away from the Blood Raven forces as a Warp portal opened behind it allowing the massive crusier Hydra to pass through , the massive Size off the ship allowed it to take several hits from the incoming Blood Raven fleet without being heavily damaged. The Crusier soon turns its guns on the Litany of Fury and let lose a massive hail of fire that tore through the shields of the ship.

The enemy fleet was on the verge of defeat until a new ship appeared from the warp. it fired on the Fury severely crippling it and forcing it to withdraw.The Adeptus Mechanicus using arcane technology they , forced the remaining enemy ships to withdraw.