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The 1st Spartan Battalion is my Imperial Guard Army. I will be posting a series of stories showing their history and their journey from being a Combat Team from the 465th Cadian to becoming their own unit.I would really appreciate C&C and hope to entertain a lot of you fiction fans out there.

I will be adding more shortly so watch this space.

Part One: Combat Team Shadow And P.M803

398.M41. The Macharian Crusade is nearing what will eventually become it's farthest limit of exploitation, the edge of the Halo Zone. Lord Solar Macharius and his Imperial War Machine are still sweeping across the galaxy with the full might of The Imperium Of Man behind them. After years of fighting countless victories have been won, and hundreds of planets are brought under the rule of The Emperor.

At the edge of the Halo Zone a medium sized planet is discovered and is given the designation P.M803. Numerous scans of the planets atmosphere and environment reveal it to be habitable by humans, although no signs of intelligent life are detected on its surface.Intelligence reports show the topography of the planet to consist largely of rugged rocky plains dotted with large rocky mountains and divided by deep valleys.Low light levels reaching the surface cause flora to be very scarce and surface temperature to be slightly lower than average however large amounts of water are clearly visible and traces of many different valuable metals are detected in numerous locations.Given these findings it is decided that P.M803 will be colonized if,after a period of observation conducted by a research element placed on the planets surface, it is deemed valuable to The Emperor.

With forces already stretched to their limits, and P.M803 being classified as a low threat to I.G forces due to the absence of any hostile presence, it is decided that only a small Cadian Contingency from The Fourth Army Group will be deployed to the planets surface to conduct a recon operation and secure a safe perimeter for a research team to insert into at a later date. Three Platoons of Veteran Soldiers of the 465th Cadian combine to form Combat Team Shadow, and prepare for descent to the planets surface to begin their mission.This is their story.

SHADOW TOUCHES DOWN

"10 minutes to touchdown" came the announcement over the vox-speakers inside of Combat Team Shadows tightly packed dropship.
" 'Bout damn time" grumbled 1st Platoons Sgt Black as he took the cigar from his mouth and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke.Not unlike the other men on board, Sgt Black made no attempt to disguise his frustration with the current situation.The 465th had just been relieved after 6 months of fighting a Feral Ork warband on a nearby planet, and had been granted 21 days to rest and refit by their commanding officer.Less than 24hrs into the stand down, Black found himself in front of the Company Commanders desk, along with 2nd Platoon's Sgt Yurik and 3rd Platoon's Sgt Kane, receiving a brief about P.M803.
"I hate to do it to you men" Captain Merrit had said "But i need to send a team to secure a site for our researchers, and your the best i've got."
"With all due respect Sir, this is bs!" Black piped up "Our guys went through some serious gak with those green sons a' bitches, we lost a lot a' good men down there and..."
"That'll do Black!" Merrit interrupted harshly.
Sgt Black was well known for his temper and for always speaking his mind, and on more than a few occasions it had landed him in hot water.But Black had more than earned his keep on the battlefield, his reputation as a soldier and a leader was legendary among the ranks of the 465th.A bear of a man, he stood almost two metres tall and was almost as broad as two regular guardsmen. Always leading from the front, Black had charged headlong into the jaws of death countless times since his first battle as a sixteen year old Conscript almost 20 years ago.He had outlived all of his peers by years and quickly rose through the ranks to become the 465th Cadians' most Veteran Sergeant, and time still showed no signs of slowing him down.
"You'll take your platoons to the surface and secure that site." Merrit continued " Yurik, Kane, congratulations again on your recent promotions, i understand this will be your first assignment as platoon sergeants.Its just a routine recon and asset protection mission, we don't expect any resistance so don't worry, just keep an eye on Black and do what he does, I'm sure you'll be fine."
Yurik and Kane were not bad soldiers by any standards, they had proven themselves on the battlefield many times and their promotion to Sergeant was a testament to their knowledge and skill in combat.Still they were no where near the soldier Black was though,both had served as privates under him years ago,he had become a mentor and inspiration to them both and they aspired to do him proud.
"Ill make sure they don't mess up." Black assured his superior "Who's coming along with us Sir"
"I've only been issued orders to deploy your three Platoons, along with a small Hq unit, a Lieutenant Sharp and Sergeant-Major Holt with a few bodyguards i believe.A total of 100 men will be deploying....tomorrow. Transport will leave no later then 0330, we'll have you back in a week for whats left of the stand down.Understood?"
"Yes Sir" the reply shot from the mouths of all three sergeants simultaneously.
"Outstanding" the Captain responded before coming to attention "Dismissed."
"Sir" the men came to attention and responded, before turning and marching from Captain Merrit's office to go ready their Platoons.

"5 minutes to touchdown." came another announcement.
"Another glorious day in the Imperial Guard" joked Sergeant Yurik, a sly smile creeping across his face.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world" shot back Sergeant Kane as he went over his kit,making sure he was good to go when the ship touched down.
"Dont give me that gak" Black grumbled as he tried in vain to hide a chuckle "Another glorious day my ass."
The guardsman sitting nearby the three Sergeants all had a quiet laugh to themselves.They had done more than enough time in the Guard to know what it was really like.All the men in the combat team were veteran soldiers, they were the survivors,the natural fighters, the few who succeeded where most others failed, and did so time and time again.Every man understood that the next fight might be his last, that the next round his enemy sent down range might find its mark on his body, that the next planet he set foot on might the one where his lifeless body remained for the rest of time.None of that bothered these men, they were fearless, numb to the horrors of war through constant exposure to its harsh realities.They did what was asked of them and they did it well, with faith in the weapon in their hands and in the men beside them, and above all, with unquestioning faith in The Emperor himself.War was what these men lived for, and The Imperium Of Man is what they died for, and that's the way it had always been.
"2 minutes to touchdown." another announcement sounded.
"Listen in men" Lieutenant Sharp stood to address the combat team "We're two minutes out, i want a one-hundred percent stores check, Sergeants check your men, i want everything ready to go the second that door opens, do i make myself clear?"
"SIR!" came a chorus of replies,among others things said in a more hushed tone.
Sharp had wasted his breath, he was speaking to the most experienced men of the 465th, they had been through this process a hundred times before.They had cleaned their weapons and checked their gear for the final time before he had finished polishing his sword and writing in his journal.Sharp hard just been assigned to the team,until now he was unheard of.Rumor had it he was fresh out of officer training, the son of some diplomat who got his posting here based on his family name and not his merits.As far as the men were concerned he was fresh meat for the grinder and he wouldn't have their respect until he earned it on the battlefield.His second in command, Sergeant Major Holt , a new face in the team as well, was a transfer from the 522nd who had apparently brought his bodyguards across with him.
"Seems odd to send a team like us in under the command of a bunch of strangers don't it?" one guardsman said to another as he went about checking his kit like Sharp had ordered.
"Yeah your right...I don't like it at all." the other man replied as he shot a glare towards Sharp and Holt "Word is his old man pulled a bunch of strings to get him posted here, figured he'd be safer with us than anyone else i guess."
"Maybe that's why they pulled us from the unit and gave us this mission" a third man joined in "It supposed to be quiet down there, no one to kill,bit of a change of pace to the usual jobs we get." All three men let out a laugh and continued checking their gear.
It seemed the Sergeants shared the same opinion as their men about their new officer.
"Where the hell does he get off" Black snarled "Young pup probably wasn't even born when i was bayonetting my first dirty greenskin bastard"
"Im sure we'll have him figured out before we get off this rock" Kane said "I Know his type, all show and no go.He'll never last with us"
"He's lucky we don't have an enemy welcoming party waiting for us down there, looks like he'd crack at the first sign on a fight" Yurik added.
"10 seconds to touchdown" The final countdown began over the Vox-speakers
"Here we go again"Black muttered as he locked a magazine into his bolt pistol.
"9..8..7..6..5..4..3..2..1..TOUCHDOWN"
The rear skids of the landing craft came to rest softly on the rocky surface of P.M803, its downward thrusters causing a storm of dark dust to fill the dark, chill air.The rear landing ramp descended and the first members of Combat Team Shadow immediately began to disembark...

PART TWO

THE OCCUPATION

Combat team shadow disembarked from their landing craft with fierce aggression,even though they expected no resistance they treated this mission as though they were landing in the middle of a warzone.It was incredible discipline, initiative and aggression like this that had led these soldiers to so many victories, and allowed them to live long beyond those that didn't possess such qualities. Less than a minute had passed before all 100 men were on the ground, they had secured a perimeter immediately around the ship with Hq taking up position near it's center.
Sharp radioed the ships pilot "Falcon this is ShadowRunner, all callsigns are in position, you are clear to return to the Nest, over"

"ShadowRunner this is Falcon,Acknowledge,we are returning to the nest,good luck Sir, over" Came the reply.

"ShadowRunner Out."sent Sharp as he ended contact with Falcon for the final time, before positioning himself behind a rocky outcrop in the hope of avoiding the bulk of the force of the ships thrusters as they roared to life.

The downwards thrusters spewed hot air onto the ground with a deafening roar as the ship began to take off.The men surrounding the landing zone put their heads down and shielded their eyes from the small rocky debris that was thrown a good 100 yards in every direction, amidst a massive cloud of Blue-black dust so dense it was hard to see their hands in front of their own faces.Nothing else could be heard but the deafening whine of the thrusters internal turbines and the sound of their jets pounding the planets surface as the ship began to gain altitude.Over as quickly as it started,the sound grew distant and the dust began to settle again, a glance skywards allowed the men a view of the ships flashing lights disappearing into the outer atmosphere,beginning it's trip back to the 465ths cruiser in distant space.

Silence.It was just Combat Team Shadow on the surface.The Landing zone had been on the top of a small hill surrounded by rocky plains as far as the eye could see.By now the combat team had spread out in a circular formation,the platoons had divided into sections and positioned themselves in makeshift fighting pits around the perimeter, the rocky outcrops littering the hilltop afforded perfect cover and concealment.The height of the feature allowed for clear observation and firelanes for several kilometers in every direction.Autocannon teams were employed at the 12, 4, and 8 O'clock positions, while all three mortar teams set up centrally, near the HQ position.Three lascannon teams remained in the centre of the position as a heavy firepower quick response team, able to quickly deploy to any part of the perimeter threatened by a target that might particularly need their attention.
The Sergeants checked the men and their positions, they ordered the few minor adjustments they found were necessary and radioed Sharp to confirm their positions were set.
"Acknowledged,Move in to me now for orders" Came Sharps reply.
"Roger"
"Roger"
"Roger" they sounded off in order.
The three Sergeants all moved in to the HQ position to receive their commanders next set of orders.
"Ok."Sharp began "Here's what I want to happen, it's getting dark quickly, when night sets in around an hour from now,Temperatures will drop to almost freezing.We wont be moving tonight, I want the mens shelters up ASAP, two man overwatch will be run from all three Autocannon positions starting now.Everyone will be up and ready to stand to by 0615 tomorrow morning.Next orders will be afterwards.Make sure everyone has a good feed and gets some rest.Any questions?"Sharp looked to each of the three before him in turn, but as he expected none asked questions.
"Good,get to it men."
"Yes sir." Black,Yurik and Kane responded before parting and returning to their platoons positions to relay the orders.
"Not bad for his first day" Black thought to himself as he made his way through the position "Might Turn out alright....if he lives long enough."

THERES SOMETHING OUT THERE

"0135..." Private Challenger muttered through chattering teeth as he checked his watch.Laying on a bed of dirt and rock in the almost freezing cold, he had been unable to get anything other than broken stints of shallow sleep.Almost every man in the position was in the same boat as he was.The ground was shockingly cold and sucked the heat from a mans body quickly while the air was cut by a chill wind that wouldn't stop blowing.This was a miserable planet.
"At least it's dry" Challenger joked to himself quietly as he shuffled into the dirt and tried to get comfortable,he closed his eyes,balled up tight and tried to get back to sleep.
Suddenly something grabbed his ankle and tightly and shook his leg
"Challenger,your on" a voice came from the dark.It was private Gable waking him for his watch.
"F**k" he cursed under his breath as he rolled out of his shelter, put on his webbing and took up his rifle "Lets go"
The two men walked in silence to second platoons autocannon, located at the 4 O'clock position, where the platoons overwatch was being run from.
Gable broke the silence "Laing will give you a quick brief mate, see you in a couple of hours" he said before turning to go back to his shelter to attempt to get some amount of sleep.
"Hey,how you doin"Laing whispered to Challenger as he moved out from behind the Autocannon and took up position beside it
"Just fantastic mate" Challenger sarcastically replied as he positioned himself behind the weapon and looked out over it's sights into the darkness beyond.
"I hear that."Laing said before starting his brief "Okay, your left of arc is that rocky outcrop just there,your right of arc is that tall jagged rock over there, Seen?"
"Seen" Challenger confirmed.
Laing continued "Anything that moves between those two positions, kill it, simple."
"Got it."said Challenger with a smile.
"Don't get excited,there's been no sound and no movement out there since we landed,don't know why we're even bothering."

An hour quickly passed,Laing and Challenger chatted quietly to each other about days gone by, old campaigns and old friends,about battles won and lost.They had both served together in the unit for a few years now and had seen a lot in that time,most of which they'd rather forget.
Laing checked his watch "0250, that's me done, I'm gonna go swap out, see you in a few hours hey."
"Good luck getting any sleep" Challenger jested as Laing headed off.

It was dead silent now he was alone.Cold and dark were the only two things Challenger could sense around him as he sat at his post staring out into the distance.Nothing.He stared deeper into the darkness straining to take in the barely existent amount of light reaching the surface from one of the planets nearby moons.One thing stood out,a small
smooth almost white rock with a shiny surface off which the light faintly reflected.Challenger honed his sight in on the rock, becoming fixated on it, he stared at it.Then for a split second it disappeared, then reappeared.He kept watching, even harder now,it happened again.Then again,and again.Then he saw it,a shadow appeared on top of the rock and crept into the dim shimmer of light reflecting off it's surface.The light spilled onto what Challenger now realized was not a shadow at all but rather a silhouette.Even in the dimmest light, at only fifty meters away it was clear that what he was seeing wasn't a friendly,and not human,not entirely anyway.He'd seen enough.He squeezed the Autocannons hand grips tightly,swung his barrel to face the silhouettes position and screamed as loudly as he could
"CONTACT FRONT!"
Challenger jammed his thumbs down hard on the butterfly trigger of the Autocannon and let it's report speak for him.
'BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM' a hail of high calibre rounds flew down range and met their target,the noise inciting a chorus of yells and curses from inside the position as the men realized the severity of the situation. Every soldier scrambled from their shelters to make for their positions along the perimeter.
Challenger squeezed off another burst,raking the area in front of himself with fire.In the light of the muzzle flash the enemy became visible, there was so many of them,whatever they were, some no more than 30 meters away.Then came the retaliation, an overwhelming wall of small arms fire erupted,not just to the front,but all around the Combat Teams position, they were surrounded.The other autocannons barked loudly in reply along with the sound of every lasgun which could be bought to bear as a deadly exchange of fire began.
PHOO-PHOO-PHOO
BANG-BANG-BANG
the mortars began sending their messengers of death into the enemy horde to great effect, every blast sending bodies flying through the air and causing a flood of screams to roll out of the darkness.The incoming fire intensified,the enemy was utilizing some form of primitive autogun style weapons to send countless small calibre rounds into Shadows position.The men were well protected in their earlier prepared positions and much of the enemy fire struggled to find it's mark.Even still,all to frequently the unmistakable thud of bullets meeting flesh could be heard, followed by screams of agony.The incoming fire increased still while the amount of outgoing lasgun fire began to slow as casualties and suppression took their toll.

"HOLD POSITION MEN,GIVE THEM EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT" Came a shout from Sharp as he struggled to gain his bearings and take control of the situation.
Some members of first platoon opened up with their flamers, the acrid smell of burning flesh immediately filled the air along with the blood screams of their victims.The flames cast enough light on the enemy to get a good look at them,they appeared to be some form of abhuman species,short and lean, around 5 foot tall and no more than 50kgs each,they had large yellow eyes with elongated slit shaped pupils.Their Pale veinous skin was covered in dirty rags, they were dressed like humans and moved and acted in much the same way too.Their weapons seemed to be hand built improvised rifles made up of scraps of wood and metal, however there was no doubting their effectiveness when they were used in such large numbers.The flamers sent another jet of burning fuel into the oncoming horde,the light produced this time gave them a view of a very different enemy.A massive creature, an abhuman mutant at least 15 feet tall and 6 feet across the shoulders strode towards the position, shrugging off lasgun fire and roaring ferociously through a massive mouth filled with rows of jagged rotting teeth. The creature slammed into the position,swinging giant rocks held tightly in each of it's clenched fists.A deadly melee followed, each swing of the creatures makeshift bludgeons decimating another defenseless guardsman.
Seeing the threat, Sharp barked a set of orders to the Lascannon squad by his position
"BRING THAT F****NG THING DOWN NOW"
In an instant the three lascannons were brought to bear on the crazed beast
"FIRE!"
Hot bolts of energy snapped through the air and thudded into the creatures chest, punching straight through and destroying a number of the smaller enemies behind, it was staggered but still held it's footing and made to take another swing at a nearby guardsman
"FIRE" CRACK,CRACK,CRACK
"FIRE" CRACK,CRACK,CRACK
Every shot found it's target and the creature was utterly decimated, it's huge chest torn asunder by the devastating power of the numerous lascannons shots.
The autocannons barrels glowed white hot as they continued to pour fire into the flood of incoming creatures,which seemed now to be losing momentum.Multiple melees had erupted around the perimeter but the larger and stronger guardsman were more than a match for the slightly built and poorly equipped enemy.The enemy ranks began to thin and the volume of incoming fire became weaker as their casualties began to mount severely.

"THEY ARE LOSING MOMENTUM!" Shouted sharp as he drew his sword and held it aloft "FOR THE EMPER....."
Sharp was cut short by a massive explosion that originated in the centre of the HQ's formation, nearby guardsman were knocked to the ground by the earthshaking blast.As the smoke and dust resided the men's worst fears were confirmed, Sharp, Holt and their bodyguards were gone, completely decimated by the explosion which had left a massive crater that still billowed black smoke into the air above.Immediately a squad of guardsman moved to the position where there Commander had stood moments before to search for survivors,as they approached the crater a deafening Warcry erupted from its depths followed by a charge from no less than a dozen Enemies.Before the surrounding guardsman could even fire a shot the enemy were upon them engaging them in a vicious melee.These were different creatures again, easily two foot taller than an average guardsman they wore crude metal plate armor and wielded great cleaving axes which they used to deadly effect.In an attempt to rescue their comrades another squad of guardsman charged into the melee, only to meet the same fate at the end of the enemies weapons.A final figure emerged from the crater, similar in size to the others but wearing heavier, less crudely crafted armor adorned with trophies and various foreign markings.He wielded a battlehammer in one hand and a firearm akin to a ripper gun in the other, both of which he put to work wreaking havoc on his attackers.
Black seen the enemy emerge and immediately realized that this was their leader.Having tunneled beneath the position, and destroying the Commander, he was now trying to decisively defeat the leaderless defenders from the inside out.He had to be stopped.
Black quickly initiated a counter attack he.He took a squad of troops, along with Yurik And Kane and made for the enemy leader, the melee still tying the enemy up long enough for the team to get into position. Finally the last guardsman fell to a vicious hammer blow from the leader himself and the enemy began to charge at the backs of the beleaguered defenders still fighting off the attack from the outside.

"NOW" screamed Black.His team sprang from cover and unloaded into the enemies flank from almost point blank range, a combination of frag grenades, shotgun slugs and bolt pistol fire mowing down the enemy fighters in a seconds.All but the leader fell to the devastating hail of fire, instead he turned and charged Black and his men, unloading his weapon into them as he charged, each round smashing through a target and stopping them dead.The now empty weapon was discarded in favor of the battlehammer which he wielded with great menace.The distance between the combatants closed and the remaining guardsman scrambled for cover, knowing they were no match for such an enemy in close combat.Black stood his ground, raised his bolt pistol at the approaching enemy, took a deep breath and squeezed, releasing a single perfectly aimed round which found its target between the creatures chest plate and its helmet.The impact blew a gaping hole in the creatures throat, the following explosion blasting its spine out through the back of its neck.The creature went limp in an instant and face planted on the rocky ground,sliding to a stop at Blacks feet.He rolled his fallen foe onto its back with a solid kick.The creatures eyes still moved in its head, a gurgling sound emitting from its neck as it attempted to speak, it lived,although the loss of its spine left it completely paralyzed.Black bent down, removed its helmet,threw it aside and took up the battlehammer.
"Time to say goodbye, you ugly son of a bitch"
Black slammed the hammer down onto the creatures face with every ounce of strength he could muster,smashing its skull into a bloody pulp.
The loss of their leader had an immediate and devastating effect on the attackers, they immediately began to retreat, many discarding their weapons in the process.
"Kill em all" Shouted black
Autocannons, Lascannons, Mortars and lasguns pounded the enemy relentlessly as they fled into the dark,hundreds fell before the firing stopped.

"Check the dead and wounded,stretcher bearers and medics get to work.Re-arm and reposition.Its Gonna be a long F****NG night."

(SPACE RESERVED FOR PART 3) SORRY FOR BUMP

Finally updated.Second Post is next installment.Hope it gets a few views. C&C welcome don't be shy. Enjoy, there is more on the way. Let me know if your interested as i have a lot to write and if i get enough interest i will make more effort lol

Not bad at all mate. Didnt know cadians were from australia though lol. Keep it up mate. Looking forward tovthe next bit

Cheers Dragoons.Wow 95 views and one response haha maybe it's so bad no one can sit through reading the whole thing.Hope not ( The shame!) Strangely I only noticed cadians are From Australia as I wrote this story.Next installment will be up before the weekend finishes....Just for you I guess mate haha

Nicely done, mate Give them a g'd day mate!

It's okay.
I'm not sure if it's just me but i think you could do a bit more to 40k it up a bit...
That's the only problem i had with it.

It will get much more 40kish in the following instalments, its all part of a pretty large story I have in my head.The minor battles between IG and lowly, otherwordly beings that inhabit the distant universe are easy to forget about in the hectic universe of the 41st millenium with all its glory . Things will get a lot more 'familiar' i promise

Hey sorry to revive my own (Fairly dated) thread, but as I have stated in a few other posts I have just finished having both my shoulders reconstructed and am just rehabilitating my master side now and as a result have been very out of action for quiet a while now. I am fairly busy trying to catch up on my P&M and a few other projects but I love writing and would like to (Finally) complete my next instalment in this series although i'm not sure if anyone wants a Part 3? I'm thinking of a number in my head (its pretty low lol) and if I can get this many people to want a part 3 I will make sure I get one to you.Thats sure to motivate me lol.I really hope to hear from a few people in the not too distant future and thanks a lot for your time.Cheers and enjoy

I found it.Good action descriptions,not too much metaphor. Creates interest in what will happen.
You asked me what my interest in your planet idea was... I put a fluff/fiction intro together. Its in my signature.

zariart wrote: I found it.Good action descriptions,not too much metaphor. Creates interest in what will happen.
You asked me what my interest in your planet idea was... I put a fluff/fiction intro together. Its in my signature.

Cheers mate, working on the next installment. can't wait to see where you go with your fluff,definitely keeping my eye out for more.