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Ludd shot his auto-pistol at the lock of the armoured door and kicked down the badly damaged hunk of metal. He pulled out his sword in his left hand and his auto-pistol in the other. They were thrusting hard and deep into the centre of the compound. Still no sign of the Heathens, his men were getting jumpy. Metean with his flamer went ahead. Suddenly there was a sound of grating from behind him. He whirled round, greatcoat flying out faster than a thrusting Vera. He saw a man wearing the livery of Nikev. Ludd thrust his sword right through the belly of the heathen, between the gaps in his carapace armour.
"We have been compromised!" Ludd screeched into his micro-bead. "Look to the ground, they have a tunnels system!!!"

I pledge my mortal soul against the pelvic thrusters, May they die in an unmovable-pelvis hell.

(ignoring samus aran)
The vox network was alive with chatter, it was seemingly unhindered by their position underground, it was a tough job coordinating units underground but easy for any thruster as skilfull as Ludd.

Samus, PM Nikev to join.

although, having said that, I will destroy you.

Using a flamer in such a tight space would have been potent, but also lethal for his men as all the oxygen in the air would have been burnt away, killing him and his troops. Ludd grimaced, it would have to be done with bayonets and close ranged las bursts.

Maverick sighed. There was a tunnel network now? How far did it spread below the ground?

"All marauder teams, scan the ground! Look for heat signatures - I need to know how far the tunnels reach!"

"Sir, this is marauder six. Sensors show that the tunnels do NOT cross the river, sir."

Well, that was some consolation, Maverick thought. Now to cleanse them.

"Ludd, use grenades. Trust me."

Ludd grinned at the vox-message on his communicator. Very well.
"Men, it's frag time!"
Ludd grabbed a grenade from his bandolier under his greatcoat and lobbed it into the encroaching darkness.

Maverick glanced at the map. Ludd had disappeared, his signal lost temporarily as he went below ground. Radio contact was not broken, but the transmitters that gave position had a far weaker signal, and could not penetrate (OOC - i'll resist the urge to make a thrust and penetrate joke here) the cold ground.

Turning to the map again, he gave the order for the 42nd Elysian to attack. Airborne Death would rain upon the enemies of Shas'o Vera, and they would not like it. Not one bit.

Vera quickly grew weary of the fighting and decided on heading back to thruster comand, on foot with just his usual weapons and armour to protect him while suddenly an artillery shell exploded just a few feet away, sending him flying into the sky and landing against some ruins badly injured, but his pride and his pelvis are still ok, and with one move he activated his thrust activated distress signal and waited for rescue.

"Warmaster Maverick sends an arvus lighter to your position, Lord Vera."

The comms trooper turned to Maverick.

"It has been dispatched, sir."

"Very well. Get the medicae facility prepared. Lord Vera must be taken good care of."

Ludd hesitated, Vera was down... The unthinkable had happened. A collective groan went up from his men. Ludd's heart sank, he would have to push on, for the sake of this war.
"My men, my brothers. this is a dark day, but we will rise up from the ashes of this moment. All is not lost, you have your weapons, now give them hell... we will fight to the death. FOR SHAS'O VERA!!!!"

"thank you Maverick... how goes the cleansing of this planet? where is our back up fleets?"

Ludd bellowed a mighty cry of rage as he shot another heathen at point blank range. They had nearly finished their cleansing but nothing could stop the 63rd's hammer blow to the heart of the CP as they mopped up the last of the snivelling heathens.

Warmaster Maverick snapped to attention, and saluted Lord Vera, who was now in the control room.

"My lord, the war goes well. We have encircled their encampment, and we press the attack. Our fleet is in orbit, but I am holding fire - after all, I am british, and fair play is in my interest."

He offered a beer to vera. Pelvic Thrusting Tau like beer, right?

Munch woke with a start.
"Dear Khaine," he thought. "What happened."
He was suprised to see that he was in the command buner, instead of the poorly dug fox-hole he used. He searched his memory. He faintly remembered several blasts nearing his position, and the screams of his fellow brothers as they attempted to destroy the heathens that made up a fraction of Nikev's forces. Maybe when the other generals get back, he could ask what had happened. But right now there were things to be done.
Speaking into his ear-peice he said, "Come in pelvic thrusters, come in pelvic thrusters. This Farseer Munch. I have awoken and am currently awaiting orders."

In Ludd's mind, that couldn't have gone better, he couldn't stop smiling. They had captured the enemy CP, even now a convoy of gunships was moving to secure the area, the Elysians had dropped in in the nick of time, the 63rd and allies now working on suring up the defenses for the inevitable counter-attack and best of all, Shas'o Vera was alive! He gathered up his kit and headed towards his Valkyrie, he was off for debrief with Maverick and the others which would inevitably lead to a beer from Maverick, a beer well earned in his opinion...

"well my Maverick, you may get one medal for your britishness, and another for putting it inot some kind of pun, well done soldier"

Vera stood at the head of the tactical map, figureing out his next move, rearranging different plans and tactic's to see what would happen as he takes a swig of the beer he got from Maverick.

"hey, Munch, what do you contorl as of now? im sure they can be usefull...."

Lord Maverick sat in his command chair. Apparently the forward elements had caught Commissar Nikev after Ludd's assault on the compound, and he was being brought here. No sign of Fox, or the other Loyalist commanders yet.

Warmaster of the thrust crusade, Maverick sat in his chair, and summoned all the commanders to him, for a tactical debrief.

Ludd was the last to enter, Munch arrived moments after the call went out, as he was just across the plaza.

"Men, let me tell you of the glorious victory we have won here today."

Maverick looked around the room. Vera was knocking back a beer, Ludd was enjoying his also.

"We have decimated the entire fleet of the enemy, and broken the back of their ground forces. This is a proud day."

Ludd looked up.

"Commissar Ludd, for leading the assault, I promote you to Full Commissar, and I hereby award you the "Order of Vera" for your actions this day."

Munch turned away from the window.

"Farseer Munch, I commend you on your brave deeds. I also award you the order of Vera, and I present you with this, the Shining Thrust. It amplifies your psychic abilities with the sheer power of those thrusting near you.

Vera looked up from his beer.

"And to you, Lord Vera, I present you the victory we have here today."

Suddenly, a slam came from the far end of the room.

"Warmaster Maverick, we have brought the heretic Nikev to you. Shall we bring him in?"

Oh goodie, I do love a bit of torture...

(OOC - I have pmed Nikev but have not yet been added to the list due too his power failure is guess, please don't ignore this. )


Captain Coc0loc0 sat in his chair on his bridge grasping the arm-handles hard, he had never gotten used to the entering and leaving of warp space. As the sickening colours of the warp started to pour into realspace outside the bridge window, he could see the planet of Thrustabon appear in the distance. His mighty Battle barge of the Crimson Fists chapter, "The servant of Rynn", had almost fully emerged from the warp with the rest of the fleet soon to follow.

"Status report!" the captain shouted to one of the bridge it's serfs.
"We are emerging from the warp unnoticed sir." Said the serf "No in-space movement detected on this side of the planet and the gellar fields (the fields that protect ships from daemons) can be deactivated shortly. "

"Good, turn off the engines as soon as we have emerged and regroup with the rest of the ships, i don't want my fleet to get scattered." Coc0loc0 answered.


The Crimson fist battle fleet was preparing to join the anti-thruster force...

Lord Maverick slammed his beer on the table.

"Gentlemen, I bring you the famous... nay, INfamous Commissar Nikev!"

and with that, Nikev was thrown into the room.

Maverick walked right over, and ripped the board of medals from his chest.

"I'll take those, commissar. You won't be needing them any more."

Farseer Munch had not moved. He was thining, that this was too easy. The fleet had not ordered exterminatus, they never even used any titans. Was this a trap?

Maverick turned to the screen.

"Damnation! The heretical enemy sends more men!"

"Comms Trooper - Tell the batteries to open fire! and tell the fleet to defend themselves - No Crimson Fisting can Thwart our Thrusting!"

Maverick, I'm thirsty can you get me a beer?

Suddenly an alarm signal rocked the bridge.

"What in the Emperor's name is going on serf?!" Coc0loc0 cried out from his chair.

"Enemy movement detected on the other side of the planet sir, the thrusters seem to have attained space dominance. Shall i activate the batteries?" One of the serfs answered.

"Do that, and warn the rest of the fleet, this is about to get damn ugly..."

Maverick drew his blade, that C'tan Phase Sword he'd owned for so long.

"Commissar Nikev, on charges of Heresy, I sentence you to death!"

And with that, a massive explosion rocked the command center. Maverick was thrown across the room, slamming off the far wall. Nikev got up, and with his final breath, leapt through the doors to the landing pad.

Maverick got up, grabbed Ludd and Munch, and ran towards the door.

"Ludd, your beer will have to wait - He's going to steal a transport!"

The command center had been hit by an unauthorized long-ranged lance strike from one of the strike cruisers of the fists' fleet.

"What the Feth is going on Maverick, you told me this facility was secure" Ludd yelled over the sound of after shocks following the first.

"What was that?!" coc0loc0 cried

"The red defiance has fired a lance strike at the planet" answered a random serf.

"In the emperor's name, firing without orders, try to get them on the vox!"

Maverick burst through the door, but it was too late. Nikev was gone. Stolen an aquila lander, and was flying towards the crimson fists fleet. No doubt to retreat to another world.

Maverick turned to Ludd.

"Have your beer. Have your rest. Have your glory. For while this heretic lives, I shall not rest or have my glory. But I will have beer, because I'm british."

Maverick handed Ludd a beer, and shook his hand.