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" Copy that. We're held up in the farmhouse overlooking the village. Providing fire support on my mark. Fire!"

The old farmhouses walls shook as the autocannons pounded the distant cult horde. Those not caught in the gunfire we fleeing from the Helhounds. Massive spouts of flame incinerated the cultists by the dozen, illuminating the evening twilight. Still they came, the village streets choked with fanatical cultists, clambering over their dead. Huge shells rained on the ones further back, blasting rock and bone apart. The Helhounds advanced towards the village center, cowing the cultists to the Dragoons killing zone.

They began to run towards the farmhouse, attempting to halt the autocannons fire. Lasfire dropped the ones in front, nearly every shot caused a fatal wound, but still they came. Dozens dropped but they still ran, clambering over the piles of their dead.

"Sir, their almost upon us!" yelled sgt. Cromwell, slipping a fresh clip into his lasgun.

"Chimera's into position!" voxed Sherman

The two chimeras rumbled out of the courtyard. Multi laser and heavy bolters pumping fire into the cultists.

"Firing on co-ordinites"

Colm heard the Earthshakes command say into the vox.

"Nickname Sky Light"

Colm couldn't help but wonder what was going on down there as the Guns behind him roarer with power
The commander bwgan to speakinto the vox again.

"Give us the word and we'llmove the barrage impacts further into enemy lines to let you advance."

''Glad to hear you have us covered sky light,''

''Sherman, i got you right flank, Hold on!''

The hellhounds lept pouring flame onto the cultists, the heavy bolters were mowing down the cultists like a harvest

Those auxillery flamer fuel tanks were a good idea, though Ilya to Himself,

As he checked his viewfinder a massive walker entered the center of the village, its body half metal half skin, it's head rose to the sky and it emitted an earsplitting scream.

''Oh no, not again!'' sighed Ilya, the Soul Grinder smashed buildings like they were toys.

''Sky light, fire towards the center pf the village! I hope you aims good!

Ilya could see that Shermans position was very threatend

''I think we could do with reinforcements,'' said Ilya into his vox caster, casting on all frequncies.

Colm heard his vox opperator shout to him.

"Time to move sir, orders to support a push that the guns there are supporting."

"MOVE! INTO THE CHIMERAS BOYS! GO,GO,GO"

The guns adjusted and fired. Hell rained down on the village centre.

The Dragoons accurate, rapid fire volleys cut through the cultists in droves. A line of dust kicked up as berzerker ogryns charged up the hill, smashing through the cult crowd. The autocannons aimed at the new threat. Heavy shells tore chunks of flesh and bone as they pounded the ogryns, dropping three of them. The remaining mutants charged, eyes fixed on the troopers in the front line. Another dropped mere metres from the line, brought down with concentrated las fire. The surviving two smashed into the line, crushing troopers as they swung their massive cleavers wildly. Blood pumped from their massive, gaping wounds. The Dragoons concentrated their fire at their vitals, dropping them finally.

The Chimeras finished off the remaining cultists, accurately shooting short bursts from their heavy stubbers.

"Front line switch out! Bring your wounded and dead to the field station, Cromwell take the front!"

"Yessir!" replied Sgt.Cromwell, "Form up! and take the front!"

"Vox operator, find us some reinforcements! and tell our commander of the enemies push"

''do we even have a commander anymore?'' yelled ilya over the vox caster,

one hellhound had been badly damaged by the soul grinder, he instinctivly bent low when the basilisks had started firing, pouring fire down into the village, the other hellhounds pulled back to refuel from the nearby refulling truck, leaving Ilya to watch as the mighty engine was brought down.

As the cultist tide seemd to have been stopped for now Ilya climbed out his tank and dropped onto the muddy ground, on the way grabbing his specially modified autogun, he took his personal scanner out his pocket and walked up to the great beast,s head, it's breathing sounded like nothing he had ever hear, though it was on it's last legs. sliding his autogun onto his shoulder, he took out his personal vox

''Number 2 and 3 hellhound, when you are done refuelling, drag this beast behind the lines, it may be usefull to us. Make sure he's dead first though..'' He put his caster away in his deep pocket. he was just turning to walk back to his tank when there came a beeping from his scanner.

''Number 2 and 3 hellhound, get back here on the double, ignore the last order!''

he turned and ran back through the mud towards his tank, slipping face first into the soft wet ground as he did so.

Atris chuckled softly.

"He doesn't need luck, he needs a rest."

Her hand jotted on the piece of paper. It didn't matter that she was in her dank room. It didn't matter that she had been broken in mind and body. She was happy with her pen and paper.

"Oh, Tarkus, you are so difficult to sum up."

ervtertert

Lynessa knew those slaaneshi wouldn't bow down to her without some kind of show of force.
She was walking through the slaaneshi army block with her command squad along, she didn't trust these fetish crazed perverts.
The camp was very brightly lit with gold and purple everywhere. Out in the open you could see horrible acts of perversion being made and even every know and then a slave running away only to be caught by 6 men who ravaged her afterwards. It was the usual for a slaaneshi camp nothing worse then ever.
She walked into the tent of gashi the rapist as lynessa liked to call him. He was busy tanning one of his flesh banners when she entered.
Without warning she began speaking. ''You muttering gutter rat why did you send so much troops to attack the front lines are you utterly stupid?'' Gashi only seemed to take pleasure and ecstasy in her words and spoke with a soothing voice. ''Well my lady i had to to bring pleasure to my men.'' Lynessa spoke with fiery anger and let the words fall. ''Well you aren't fit for command bow down and just let me take your forces into my wing!'' Gashi looked at her with a confused face and began speaking again. ''Sorry Lynessssa but you will first need to prove yoursself bring me a sacrifice worthy of a keeper of secrets and we will join you.''

Lynessa knew this was slightly harder then the usual those keeper of secrets where the most perverted and actually also idiotic of the whole lot.
Although a crying khornate cultist would bring that humiliation that those slaaneshi just love.

Lynessa had him bound to a table now he was screaming about tearing my head of and sticking it on a spike and whatnot.
She didn't really care and began her work. She placed both his hand on his ears and began muttering an incantation that would break his mind and emotions free.

A minute later.

He was laying on the table his spirit broken and tears kept flowing of his cheeks. She finished the sacrifice by sticking his sword in the ....
They where rolling him towards the tent again, his tears where flowing everywhere it was one of the most comical sights lynessa had ever seen.
After throwing him in the tent Gashi immediatly said without hesitation, but you could hear he was holding in his laughter. '' We will serve you lynessa.''

Lynessa was proud her work done she was returning to her tent to talk about business with that pitiful nurgle commissar.

"I need a drink or something, life is so tedious."

The sergeant opened the wardrobe. Many bottles of liquid lined the shelves that were secreted in it's wooden paneling.

"God, the captain's gotta stop getting me these. I've got enough to embalm a man or two."

Atris grabbed a slender-necked bottle of fluid labeled with strange xenos print. She set down a filthy glass in the vacant shelf space and poured a glass of bright blue liquid.

Colm's five Chimeras were being lead into the vilage by two punisher tanks.
They were nearing the centre of the village when the chimers stopped and they got out.

"Form up! Fire team spread now!" he shouted over the roar of distant autocannon fire and screaming cultists

He jogged up to the lead tank and spoke to the commander.

"Can you lead us in and give support?"

"Would we miss the fun?" asked the commander retoricaly

Colm moved his men up to the line behind and between the to Punishers. They turned into the village square to see the havok rought by Sky Light. Burning cultists and the surrounding area were three hellhounds. The punishers' guns joined in and sounded like an old terrain weapon.

"MOVE TO THE LINE! DON'T WASTE YOUR AMMO, SET YOUR LASGUNS TO HALF POWER AND DON'T WASTE YOUR LIVES!"

Colm pulled out his chainsword and bolt-pistol, shot two charging cultists and cut the third in half before shouting and ingaging the rest in close combat with the rest of his platoon.

rterte

Gareva's pain killers were running out and he began to fell the pain again, each claw and tooth cutting through his armour. Gareva began to think soon the imperial guard would attack and reclaim the land but after a hour that though left his mind along with everything else now he could only feel pain.
"STOP! PLEASE STOP!" Gareva yelled, he turned his head and saw the Tzeentch warrior walk in and talk to the Nurgle corrupt commissar, Gareva managed to free one of his hands and attack one of the daemons torturing him the others hissed in anger and forced their claws deeper. Darkness slowly began to take Gareva in his mind he knew there was only one way he could cheat this and with his a deep sigh he uttered the words.
"I will join you!" all around him he heard laughter, the daemons knew they won. Around him Gareva felt tentacles wrap around him, Slaanesh was taking him. Inside Gareva felt stronger and urges that were once removed have returned.
"Yes! YES! I feel the power within me" Gareva yelled he broke his bonds and stud up, he grabbed his weapon but his axe melded into a claw infused with the powers of Slaanesh.
"I wish to serve you warrior of Tzeentch" Gareva said bowing his head.

new appearance

Lynessa turned to see the chaos corrupted techpriest stand up. She felt a rush of sensation through her, he was the most beautiful man she had ever seen. She felt enthralled by his presence but didn't let him take notice with strict words she began speaking. ''Hello its good you joined us. Now get to the slaaneshi camp if you can seize control of them then i will allow you in the council until then you are mine!''

Cultists swarmed the village once again, running in the splashing mud towards the village, ignoring Ilya, as he looked up he saw the distand silouete of a column of friendly tanks and infantry, he tried to call to them but the noise of battle and the mud in his mouth prevented him from doing so. A flash made him look up to the left and he saw his 2 hellhounds driving towards him, their heaby bolters cutting a path towards him, however they were not using their flamers. Ilya hoped it was because they didn't want to risk hurting him, not because they had run out of fuel. As the lead tank roared up beside him Ilya stood up and climbed onto the tank, within seconds the cultists were all over the tank, Ilya grabbed the heavy stubber and started firing at the cultists, knocking a few off the tank, but still they swarmed it.

''GET. OUT. OF. HERE!'' yelled Ilya as bullets and lasers whipped past him, and the tank began to reverse back towards the village, covered by hellhound number 2, As they backed up flame Lit up the cultists lines, and Ilya seethed with hatred as he fired his stubber.

Colm saw one of the Hellhound get swarmed and pull back.

"Support the hellhounds, cut those cultists of it!"

He fired his bolter into the cultist swarm happy to see fire spurt from the cannon. Colm shouted over the noise of battle.

"PUSH FORWARD! TAKE THE VILLAGE AND DRIVE THE TOO THE HILLS!"

His men spured forward driven by his words. They come up beside the hellhounds along side the Punishers still screaming bullets.

"You up there!" Colm shouted to a man on the nearists hellhounds turret. "Whos in charge!"

A bottle and a half lay empty on the shelf. Atris was lain back on her chair. She laughed hysterical as the contents of the bottles took affect. Colours grew more vivid as they took a hold of her mind.

"Ah, this is the life! I got a man, food, a job and my booze."

She cackled manically once more. She lifted herself up and began to walk.

Sgt. Cromwell lead his men down the hill, thrusting their bayonets into any cultists still squirming on the muddy ground. Sgt. Shaw followed with his flamer team, incinerating the more monsterous of the cultists. Cromwell reached the village walls, leading his men into the ruined houses. Clambering over rubble and timber, they took up positions overlooking the town square. The autocannon teams scanned the street, looking for any sign of movement.

Cromwell and his men burst from cover, and sprinted across the crater marked street. Leaping over broken bodies of cultists, they charged into a runined shop building. Leaping up the stairs, and turning into what was once a bedroom, Cromwell felt something pulling at his ankle. He kicked his heel back, shattering the nose of the wretch clawing at him. He plunged his bayonet into the wretchs neck. His men took up firing positions in each of the windows, smashing loose glass out of the way with their rifles.

Cromwell pressed his finger against his ear. "Position clear sir, minimal resistince, proceed with caution" he voxed.

"Copy that, rolling forward" replied Major Sherman. He slapped his palm onto his drivers sholdar, signalling him to drive. Sherman steadied himself
as the Chimera lurched forward.

"Sir, we're picking up friendly vox chatter, 2 klicks north east" reported vox operator Lee.

He was a bright lad, terrible shot, but eager to please thought Sherman. "Patch me through"

"This is Major Lancaster Sherman of the 14th Alustdor Dragoons. Thanks for the assist. Who am I talking to?"

A voice made Ilya stop firing for a moment.

''I don't bloody know! I was was just told by a runner to cover the retreet.....'' As he said that a voice came through the vox


"This is Major Lancaster Sherman of the 14th Alustdor Dragoons. Thanks for the assist. Who am I talking to?"

Ilya Shouted to the guy next to his tank '' I think this guy is!''

'' Major Sherman, this is Staff Sergeant Ilya of the 12th Light cavalry, nice to hear a friendly voice sir.''

The hellhounds kept firing into the cultists lines as Ilya took advantage of a lull in the battle to get back into his own hellhound. Radioing the friendlies that had come to his rescue

''Hey, thanks for rescuing us there, have you got a name?''

"Sergeant Teris of the 9th Gunbads." replied Colm's platoon vox carrier. "My Commander is talking to the commander of the hellhound colume. We need support. If you come around and into the side of the enemy push north of our position, we could do with the relief. If you can do that we'll be able to push these chaos scum back to the old front and hold there until the wounded are tended to. After we'll take about taking new grround but thats for later."

er

''We have a hellhound column? I though my an my boys were the only hellhounds around, I belive shermans deployed in the villgae, if we drive them there we could trap them, I shall flank attack and try to force them that way''

Ilya let the vox speaker hang whilst he settled himself into his tank. The refeulling truck had driven up and had began to refeul all 3 tanks.

The grand halls of the fortress seemed to warp through time and space as Atris walked along. Time began to slow. Her thoughts drifted to Tarkus.

"Oh god, Tarkus! I need to get ready for him!"

"Sgt.llya and Sgt. Teris, we're pushing north through the village streets. As of yet resistince is minimal, we seem to have broken the first wave. More will be coming, take this chance to see to your wounded. A field station is set up within the farmhouse. Over"

Sherman closed the vox link, and heaved himself up and out of the chimeras turret. The chimera was parked in an alley looking out across the square infront. Thick smoke and clouds of dirt blocked their view of the buildings on the far side.

"Sgt. Shaw! Load your men into the other chimera! You have the glory of being the vanguard!"

Shaw grinned, he was more ogryn than man. Murder and conflict has always being a passion of Shaw, joining the guard was an obvious choice for him. "Yessir!" he yelled, as he began to jog with his men to the waiting transport. He squeezed his huge frame through the Chimeras rear door. The Chimera jerked into motion and began to rumble across the courtyard.

ertertgg

Atris was sat in the canteen. Her mind was a lot clearer than earlier, the effects of the fluid wearing off. She was poking lumps of 'meat' with a blunted plastic fork.

"Oh, Ratlings. Filthy little buggers, unless you pay them a fortune you have to eat either wild berries or this gak."

Soldiers began to filter in as they returned for the night. Several were maimed, and more tried to swing by her, but to no avail.

ertertertrt

"I see you've returned relatively unscathed. So, now that we're here, what do you wanna do?"

Atris grinned at Tarkus. She placed her hand on his shoulder and began to rub the wound.

rter

rtrtrtrtrtrt

Atris undid the laces and unwrapped the package. Inside lay pieces of fine meats and fruits.

"I know a drink that'll go great with this!"

She pulled out the same alien bottle. It was half empty, yet it still contained enough drink for two glasses.

"Want a glass? You need something to take your mind off of that wound."

She proceeded to grab a pair of steel cups and pour in the blue liquid.

"Thank you for the meal, by the way. It means a lot, having actual food."