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Looks great!

Right then Ice, April is here, wheres my update?
haha only kidding, ive seen on Gits' blog that you guys had a blast, and im following your team thread for more pics and updates, well done to all of you, the Wardens look great! (if you do get a score card or something, im sure im not the only one who wants to know about the discrepancies with the painting scores
cant wait to see how the rest of this story unfolds, and how the Ice Angels (and friends) kick the Xenos scums collective

Revenent Reiko wrote:Right then Ice, April is here, wheres my update?
haha only kidding, ive seen on Gits' blog that you guys had a blast, and im following your team thread for more pics and updates, well done to all of you, the Wardens look great! (if you do get a score card or something, im sure im not the only one who wants to know about the discrepancies with the painting scores
cant wait to see how the rest of this story unfolds, and how the Ice Angels (and friends) kick the Xenos scums collective

Thanks Revenent! I am working on the next update along with a couple other small random things so you'll have more Ice Angel action soon enough.

IceAngel wrote:

Revenent Reiko wrote:Right then Ice, April is here, wheres my update?
haha only kidding, ive seen on Gits' blog that you guys had a blast, and im following your team thread for more pics and updates, well done to all of you, the Wardens look great! (if you do get a score card or something, im sure im not the only one who wants to know about the discrepancies with the painting scores
cant wait to see how the rest of this story unfolds, and how the Ice Angels (and friends) kick the Xenos scums collective

Thanks Revenent! I am working on the next update along with a couple other small random things so you'll have more Ice Angel action soon enough.

Yay! cant wait man!

Sorry I haven't posted any new story yet but I would like to pose a question to those who've read my fluff.

If my story were a book, what would it be called? I realized that I never really named this tale. As I work on others I've been organizing some of my other writings and this one is just labeled as Ice Angel Fluff.

Ice! My God, you still live? ( )
only kidding man, i do still require more fluff from you though, highly disappointed lol
As to a name, the first thing that springs to mind is 'Blood and Ice', but im not sold on that just yet. TBH 'Ice Angels' is fairly appropriate, and as a bonus it works as a title.

"Death by Snu Snu!"

"Blood runs cold" or "Frozen Redemption" both sound appropriate to me.

Make it interesting, but ominous, like...

"Frozen Rage" or something

Revenent Reiko wrote:Ice! My God, you still live? ( )
only kidding man, i do still require more fluff from you though, highly disappointed lol
As to a name, the first thing that springs to mind is 'Blood and Ice', but im not sold on that just yet. TBH 'Ice Angels' is fairly appropriate, and as a bonus it works as a title.

Sorry to disappoint but I promise to continue my fluff as soon as other projects are completed. I do like Blood and Ice as a title though.

Gitsplitta wrote:"Death by Snu Snu!"

lol, i am not sure what that is but it is fun to say.

whalemusic360 wrote:"Blood runs cold" or "Frozen Redemption" both sound appropriate to me.

I do like Frozen Redemption. Good suggestion!

Battle Brother Lucifer wrote:Make it interesting, but ominous, like...

"Frozen Rage" or something

Frozen Rage is great, but that is the name of the vessel the Ice Angels are traveling on. I do really like the symbolism though, if you think about how the death company are dealt with. That could be a great sequel story if I had more focus on the death company.

Whoops. Knew it sounded familiar

Also, it could be a name of a short prequel, as well

IceAngel wrote:

Gitsplitta wrote:"Death by Snu Snu!"

lol, i am not sure what that is but it is fun to say.

It's taken from a Futurama episode which in turn took it from a very old dirty joke. :-)

It's 'Amazon Women in the Mood' form Futurama as Gits said.
No worries man, i do understand RL getting in the way (final year exams atm, so trust me, i KNOW ).
Glad you like the title idea, 'Of BLood and Ice' might work as well (to continue the theme as it were).

The plan was simple, its execution was precise. The engineering area of the ship was already under firm Ice Angel control. The remaining fight only lay near the bow of the ship between Razzik and the cornered ork captain.

In the engineering room Brother Shu-Takii had already begun taking apart and adjusting some of the controls the orks had been using. Everything in the room was painted a different shade of red and on the floor was a huge metal grin. The remnants of squad Kujara were posted around the room, several were moving ork bodies while others were guarding the entrance. Brother Nefas sat away from them all in a dark corner watching and listening while waiting for his bolter to cool down. On the inside of the nearest bulk head stood Honored Brother Inigo with his eyes closed. His beard was partially burned away and his armor was doused in blood from orks and other creatures. He leaned forward on the haft of his hammer, the head of the mighty weapon laying level on the floor. The pulsing energy that the weapon discharged had cleansed the weapons head of ichor but now that the energy had dissipated the scratches and damage could be easily seen.

As Nefas examined Inigo from afar he realized just how similar the weapon was to the marine. The battle fury had left him, the moment of near life and death had passed. Now he stood sentinel, a monument to the empire, a living engine of destruction waiting for its next use.

A deep sigh escaped the sentinel marine and slowly, he opened his eyes. With one massive gray gauntlet he scratched his chin and reexamined his surroundings. When he caught the eye of Brother Nefas his mouth went back to its nearly perpetual smiling position. The Son of Hades picked up his massive hammer and walked towards the shadowed corner.

With a muffled thud the hammer once again hit the floor only a few inches from Brother Nefas. The bearded giant leaned forward and smiled at the black armored Sinner.

“What?” Brother Inigo chuckled.

Nefas unclasped his helm and removed the only white and silver piece of armor that he wore. His gaunt features the opposite of the marine in front of him. Nefas looked down at the smear on his helmet. “I have only known you for a short time, but until a moment ago, I had only ever seen you smile. Is that a Sons of Hades trait, or just you?” he spoke quietly.

His words hung in the air between the two marines, after a few moments Inigo chuckled once again. “Sons of Hades are from a series of worlds full of smoke and fire, hammers and echoes. In those filthy dark places you learn to fight, to survive, and to never give in! That is not only the trait of the Sons of Hades, but of Vulkan.” His smile grew wider at the mention of his primarch. “As for the smiling, that’s all me,” his grin widen until its corners were hidden beneath his shaggy beard.

The pale features of Nefas turned for a moment into amusement before Brother Inigo spoke again. “Only when I pray does my smile evade me.”

“I too, do not smile when I pray” Nefas began.

“HA! So you never smile then?” Inigo bellowed.

Nefas looked past Brother Inigo and paused, “I will when my job is done and I stand before the Emperor.” His quite voice was nearly lost in Inigo’s response.

“Then I will pray for the Emperor to be prepared for your visit!” he nudged a gauntlet against the armored shoulder pad of Nefas. With that gesture he turned and began to assist the Ice Angels with their clean up, laughing and chatting with the other marines as he did.

Nefas watched from the shadowed corner and wondered when that day would come. He still had so much to do.

nice! great to see some more awesome writing!

Really like that Ice... well done!

Great work Ice, nice to see the excellent Ice Angles fluff hasnt been forgotten

Thanks guys! I have some good stuff coming up I think you will all enjoy. I think I am also going to set a goal for myself for writing and posting. I don't know what that goal will be but I may declare Thursday to be, Fluffy Thursdays or something like that.

With a satisfying crunch the orks skull caved in between his electrically charged fingers. As the greenskins brain matter splattered across the floor and his boot, Captain Razzik looked up at the fleeing orks. Casually he threw aside the remnants of the orks head and walked down the hall. Ahead of him Vetov of the Emperor’s Tears was tearing off a screaming orks arm before silencing him with the razor bottom edge of his shield. Hunzuu was next to Vetov reloading his handflamer while watching the orks turn and flee.

All around Razzik the Ice Angels were finishing off their kills and preparing for the next onslaught. No orders needed to be given, only the wounded were speaking as they reported their injuries to their superiors. After only a few minutes the capable marines were moving on, only Attikusu the Sanguinary Priest and his “honor” guard stayed behind dealing with the wounded.

In these moments in between battle Razzik would filter through reports of his units and squads. Blink clicking through submenus he would learn who was still fully functional, missing, wounded, or in the Emperors Grace. Several units were well below half strength including his old unit the Ashurbani. Attikusu now had nearly twenty marines around him that had all suffered grievous wounds. Before moving out Razzik looked back at the white armored Sanguinary Priest, his twin power scimitars were strapped on his back and he was removing the prized gene seed from one of the fallen. In a protective circle were his “honor” guard, those blessed with life yet taken from the front lines, several of which were missing limbs. One marine was drenched in so much gore and blood Razzik didn’t recognize him from this distance, but in the marines one arm he still held a bolter ready to dispense death as only an astartes could.

Razzik’s gaze dwelled on the one armed marine for another second before returning to the task at hand. One final push and this ship would be his. The orks would pay for the wounded and when he was done the dark eldar would pay for the death of Ruusa. Razzik began to grind his teeth at the thought of dispensing judgment on the xenos that he so hated. In a blur of ocular motion he issued orders. Two of the smaller units immediately pushed forward along the sides of the wide hall. After seven seconds Razzik took a step forward along with thirty other marines. They could have walked shoulder to shoulder in the hall but they took up a standard assault formation formed around the front point marine, Captain Razzik.

The hall would take them to the bridge of the vessel but he knew there was another threat still lurking in this metal behemoth. At the thought of fighting the ork weird boyz he felt a slight wave of heat pass over him, as if an inferno had passed over his head. He concentrated on the sensation when a forward unit reported an ork assault as bolt fire echoed around the curve of the hall.

The Ice Angels ran forward to join their brethren. In seconds they passed through a large blast door and saw the two small units of marines by opposite walls fending off a growing wave of greenskins. A huge green armored Nob several heads taller then any space marine was pointing and shouting orders, at the sight of the thirty marines running towards him he smiled a wide grin. His curved yellow teeth were the size of combat blades and when his grin turned to a snarl the horde of greenskins had an instant change of demeanor.

Razzik tingled at the unspoken challenge from the green armored ork and as he plotted his first few moves he closed the distance between them. Five paces away the ork howled, his deep voice a powerful surge of sound, “SNEAKY GITS!!!!!!!!!”

As the Ice Angel Captain deflected the first of the long armored punches from the ork, the marines around him opened fire. Several ranks of orks were laid flat by the fire, some of the more powerful weapons took out multiple orks at once, but in those few seconds their focused fire was on their forward flank. When the rear guard of the angels saw the orks emerging from side doors it was too late to stop them. The floor shook as several small devices exploded. The huge blast door behind them didn’t hesitate to drop into the floor as its supporting chains were shredded by the explosion. The metal floor rippled from the impact of the giant doors and through it all Captain Razzik relentlessly attacked the ork in front of him. The nob wore a kind of chainmail with heavy armor along his arms. The charged fists of the greenskin were bigger then a marine’s head and on several occasions Razzik could hear the ork chuckle as the captain narrowly avoided every attack.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Attikusu, the sanguinary priest, carefully removed the geneseed from the last of the fallen. With a prayer on his lips he tapped several buttons on his narthecium attached to his wrist, the small device traveled up his left arm into his shoulder pad. The precious geneseed was then locked away in a near impenetrable compartment on his back. Attikusu stood and bowed his head as he looked down at the most recently lost battle brother.

As he looked around at the fallen marines, the nearest living marines bowed their heads in silent respect as they always did. Attikusu was about to speak when a distant crash made every living marine in the hall look down its length. An eerie silence filled the wide body strewn space. A tingle started at his toes and slowly trickled up his body, Attikusu took several steps forward. Each marine pointed their weapons in various angles waiting, something was wrong.

Only Attikusu was moving, the white armored Priest took several more steps before coming to the edge of the loose defensive circle. The twenty marines stood sentinel when a wave of heat seemed to reach them and dissipate. Ahead of them a crackle of energy tore through reality. The marines all bore their weapons waiting for a target when a blinding flash of light gave them pause. Where there was open area, now stood a mob of orks. Their face paint and colorful armor a stark contrast to the solid black armor of the Ice Angels. In the center of their midst was a small group of misshapen orks, their bodies coursed with energy that appeared to jump from ork to ork. In unison the energized orks shouted, light poured out of their eyes and mouths.

The Ice Angels opened fire. Attikusu calmly watched the orks as he pulled out from behind his back, two long slightly curved power scimitars. He stepped to his side and looked at his enemies over his right shoulder.

Over the roar of guns and crackle of energy he pointed one of his scimitars and shouted, “BLOOD FOR BLOOD! MAKE THEM PAY FOR THE FALLEN!”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Around Razzik and the green armored nob, there was a near continuous blizzard of blood and limbs. The rear unit of Ice Angels had pushed back towards the fallen door and flanking orks. They had contained them in the side hall ways and Razzik smiled behind his helmet as the ranks seemed to thin out in front of him behind the nob.

His smile didn’t last long when several urgent reports came in and Attikusu’s bluish signal began to blink in his HUD. The realization of what had occurred startled him and for a moment he backed off the ork. The nob, however, didn’t give any ground. In fact he bull rushed the shielded space marine. Razzik hid behind his shield but was soon knocked over onto his back as the ork used his bulk to throw him down. Razzik grunted as he slammed into the flooring. The ork pushed his advantage and knelt over the prone marine. An armored green fist came down the moment Razzik punched back and their two hands collided knuckle to knuckle. The two powerfists met with an explosion of energy and light. They repelled one another with such a force that the ork stood back up and turned side ways. Razzik blinked away the pain and brought up his shield as the ork brought down the same fist once again. His shield crumpled under the pounding and soon his left arm was holding what looked like a deformed piece of scrap metal.

For a brief moment the pounding stopped, Razzik tossed aside his shield just before he saw the ork jump into the air. The giant treaded boots of the ork came down on top of Razzik. His triple lungs screamed in pain as they ceased to have room to function, the crushed breast plate was the only thing keeping him alive under the orks bulky form.

Razzik stabbed at the armed boots with his knife to no avail. His powerfist had also ceased to function. He continued to flail at the legs of the ork but could only watch the ork scream and yell as the pain grew stronger and stronger. Razzik closed his eyes as a scream attempted to flee his lips.

A sudden shift in weight allowed him a take a deep breathe. Commander Vetov had launched himself at the ork. The green armored behemoth had pivoted on Razziks chest in order to knock the marine aside. Several other marines had also stepped up to fire point blank, staying just out of reach as they fired. In seconds nearly a dozen bolt weapons were firing at the creature. Sergeant Hunzuu stepped up and unleashed his hand flamer up into the face of the ork. The nob continued to scream its hatred as its flesh began to melt off its face. As the burning creature stepped off of Razzik the Ice Angels pounced. Chainblades, power weapons, fists, and knifes struck at the ork. Hunzuu, was battered aside and two other marines took powerful hits from the ork before it finally succumbed to its wounds.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The nearest marine screamed a short burst of agony before collapsing onto the floor, his burnt husk smoking like freshly cooked meat. Attikusu danced away to his side taking the head off an ork with graceful ease as he passed. The orks were abnormally powerful from the weirdboyz presence and against the weakened marines the battle was going poorly. Attikusu fully concentrated on his dance knowing full well that the marines he had spent so much time keeping alive were dying around him. His anger was eating at the edge of his focus.

A one armed, gore covered, marine slid across the floor towards him on his knees, from a near prone position he blew the face off an ork attempting to engage Attikusu. The white priest returned the favor and twirled over the prone marine and sliced the chest open of another ork with both swords.

“We must kill those psykers!” the one armed marine shouted as he awkwardly reloaded with one hand, using the body of an ork to prop up his gun. Attikusu quick stepped over to another ork and lopped off his leg before he could take the life from another prone marine, Attikusu continued to move from ork to ork dancing and leaping through the air. He was trying to get closer to the psykers, when a small group of orks rushed him simultaneously. He danced away trying to stall long enough to determine how to best kill them, when a nearby explosion showered him in gore. Attikusu didn’t blink or pause; he took the moment to slash out with his powered blades. They easily cut through armor and flesh. The priest’s sixth sense tingled and he dove to the side. A column of light passed through where he was just standing to eviscerate one of the orks. An ork weird boy screamed in anger and it seemed to charge him with even more power. He pointed out a crooked finger when his hand began to glow with renewed energy.

As the power built within him a red chainsword flew through the air into the orks gut. The teeth of the blade continued to whir and like a bloody fountain it burrowed itself into the orks flesh. With energy augmented screams the power built up inside the dying ork until it was too much. The weakened ork exploded and the sudden evacuation of power took out several of the nearby weird boyz.

A beam of light from a side hall way passed through another weird boyz face. Attikusu sliced open three more orks before he saw who was assisting his wounded force. Brother Reven was firing his smoking plasma pistol as the gray armored Pyrox tore the arms of a standing ork. Thukoo was aiming his lascannon as Kuri shot into the flanks of the orks.

The small group of four marines took out the unprotected psychers before the other orks had realized they were being flanked. As the last psykers fell the remaining orks turned and fled. Attikusu nodded his gratitude towards the guest marines and their fortunate timing as he put away his swords. He looked down once again at the fallen marines, with a sigh the narthecium slid back down his arm.

Awesome! It's refreshing to see people sticking to their stories, and you've done a great job. Keep it coming!

Very well done Ice! Gripping action!

The marines around Razzik were once again marching down the hall towards the bridge. Relief passed over Razzik when Attikusu’s symbol abruptly stopped throbbing and returned to a positive battle status. A stack of picture icons appeared along the top rim of his HUD, a few blink clicks later and he witnessed the carnage that Attikusu had just lived through. While thinking back to the “honor” guard he had left with Attikusu, Razzik shook his head.

“The Emperor Protects” he quietly spoke to himself.

“The Emperor Protects” Vetov echoed.

Razzik hadn’t realized that the marine from the Emperor’s Tears chapter was marching right beside him. The quartered black and blue armor of Vetov was battle damaged and dirty, the bottom half of his storm shield was dripping in orkish blood.

As the marines rounded a corner Razzik spoke to Vetov. “Your assistance against that nob was most appreciated.”

“I didn’t think I would get the opportunity to assist you so soon.” Vetov hesitated, “I didn’t realize how reckless you would fight against these orks.”

Razzik shot Vetov a glare, but didn’t speak. He knew what the Tear was getting at. Razzik was a tactical expert and that last fight had left a sour taste in his mouth. A nob had nearly killed him because he recklessly assaulted the ork alone. Meanwhile a secondary unit had assault his Priest. Within seconds a dozen other strategies passed through his mind, Razzik nearly stopped moving at the realization of how he had acted further sank in.

A private vox channel opened between the two marines, “Thank you for your bluntness Vetov. I didn’t realize how much my anger has clouded by vision.”

There was a moment of silence between them as the group of marines came to another hall way that opened to their left. The bridge was just around the corner. “This is not how I…” Razzik started.

“I know.” Vetov interrupted.

The entire group of marines paused at the intersection as the rumble of a vehicle began to shake the floor. The screams of orks grew louder and a panicked mob of greenskins ran around the corner at them. The Ice Angels murdered them with bolter fire as the black form of a vindicator tank drove from their left and slammed into a wall in front of them. A dozen orks were pulverized in the collision.

The top hatch flew open as the white helm of Timigiratee poked out from the vindicator, called the Crystalfist. “The Bridge is clear, sir!”

Razzik gave the marine a quizzical look, “How did you get into the bridge?”

The question seemed to throw the gunner off guard, “As you ordered Captain.”

“I didn’t order you to storm the bridge with a vindicator?! Who went with you?!” Razzik was both agitated and curious at the thought.

“Inushi, Aquilum, Jaska, and Kvothe, sir.” He responded without hesitation.

Before the gunner of the Crystalfist had finished his short sentence Razzik was storming past the vindicator towards the bridge, the other marines quickly followed. When the last one passed, the vindicator backed up slightly and turned 180 degrees. It then followed behind the marines leaving a trail of smeared ork parts.

LOL! Love that last bit between the Vindi driver & Razzik. :-)

prime12357 wrote:Awesome! It's refreshing to see people sticking to their stories, and you've done a great job. Keep it coming!

Thanks prime12357! I have been in a writing mood lately so I have a feeling you'll be seeing some updates in the near future. Thanks for the post.

Gitsplitta wrote:LOL! Love that last bit between the Vindi driver & Razzik. :-)

In the back of my mind I wrote that last bit for the sole purpose of wanting to have a vindicator crushing some orks inside a space ship. The rest I had to make up to give it at least some purpose, lol.

Hey Ice,

I finally finished all your stories, I know i've PM'd you about most of it, so I thought I would post here about the rest.

Shattermantle is a totally awesome name.
I would think that a hulk hitting the planet would do more than damage in habitants, what happened to the ecosystem?

Brother Frank, awesome. need to hear more from him!

I felt that in the first Rok incursion there wasn't enough orks about, my understanding was roks teemed with Orks

Bursting into the room was interesting, the way I understood the words they were in a corridor which wasn't very wide how did they break the door down without getting in each others way?

I Really like the Ork descriptions of the vehicles the Thunderhawk in particular

One missile to destroy them all? I could imagine a full barrage doing so, that's just my opinion though

I would have done a lead in about the Sacred blade on the marines thigh/leg, as I had no context about is so I wasn't entirly sure what its purpose was

The marine Rocket jumping = win

Blown away by the inqistor section, fantastic. the abuse of power took me back to my time in the military.

I had a great laugh at space boars!

Not a fan of the word murder, dispatched, killed would be better (again my opinion)

Would the grot in the shoulder bubble of the deff dread have been sucked out into space.. through the bullet hole?

On a side note, how did the snotlings survive in space in the back of the Vindicator?

One of the best lines ever

Why did you follow me?

I have no idea...

brilliant.


*subbed*

Oh man Knightley, where to begin. First of all thanks for sticking with it and reading it all! I like the short notes about certain sections too.

Shattermantle is a totally awesome name. I would think that a hulk hitting the planet would do more than damage in habitants, what happened to the ecosystem

I never really went into detail about the ecosystem of Shattermantle before the collision but I imagined that anything on the surface was killed, only those eco systems that functioned underground and in the hive/tunnel systems would have survived. So only the areas that the humans had managed to save would have survived the collision.

Brother Frank, awesome. need to hear more from him

I have a feeling you may get to see him again.

I felt that in the first Rok incursion there wasn't enough orks about, my understanding was roks teemed with Orks

When the Ice Angels infiltrated the rokk it was near the tail end of that particular series of battles so most of the orks had already been deposited on the planet or killed else where. The Ice Angels were essentially on clean up duty getting rid of the last few remaining rokks before leaving the system.

Bursting into the room was interesting, the way I understood the words they were in a corridor which wasn't very wide how did they break the door down without getting in each others way?

I will have to go back and do some clarification on this one. Actually, I should really go back and update a lot of my older posts.

I would have done a lead in about the Sacred blade on the marines thigh/leg, as I had no context about is so I wasn't entirly sure what its purpose was

lol, this particular sequence was written for the sole purpose of practicing my action scenes. The sacred blade was just something that felt like needed to be there. Adding random details like that give me lots of options of things to revisit later. Sometimes they have a direct purpose, other times they are added just to add a bit more depth. At the beginning he is just a foot soldier, by the end you learn he has a troubled past, he has some darkness behind him.

The marine Rocket jumping = win

Blown away by the inqistor section, fantastic. the abuse of power took me back to my time in the military.

I had a great laugh at space boars!

Thanks! I especially like the boars as well.

Not a fan of the word murder, dispatched, killed would be better (again my opinion)

I try to use a variety of words to describe the act of killing. Each of those words brings on different emotions, dispatched is what Ice Angels do most of the time. It sounds simple and cold. Killing sounds a bit more basic. Murder........ That is done with emotion behind it. If you kill someone there is most likely a variety of reasons behind it, where as with murder it is usually hatred, anger, jealously. I don't remember where exactly I used murder in my story but I hope it pointed to the fact that whomever was doing the murdering did it passionately.

Would the grot in the shoulder bubble of the deff dread have been sucked out into space.. through the bullet hole?

If there was a bullet hole, most likely. I may have to revisit that section. Good eye!

On a side note, how did the snotlings survive in space in the back of the Vindicator?

The back of the vindicator is encased, there is atmosphere inside the vehicle. At least until the crew open it up to the zero gravity, then they all died.

One of the best lines ever

Why did you follow me?

I have no idea...

brilliant.

Sometimes the story writes itself and in that instant that's what I heard Inushi saying in my head.

If that is as far as you've gotten so far Knightley you still have some more to go! I can't wait for your next stack of responses, please keep them coming!

In under a minute Captain Razzik rounded the final corner to the bridge. During the 49 seconds it took him to arrive he thought about what needed to be asked and what should be done. The punishment for falsifying orders was steep but this wasn’t done by one of his marines. Or was it? Captain Razzik more then ever wished Cyaxeres or Ruusa was with him so he may ask for their opinions, but he didn’t have that luxury at the moment.

As Razzik strode onto the bridge he was met by the salute of the four guest marines. The floor was riddled with bodies and as Razzik took in the scene he envisioned each of the marine’s path. According to the kills Inushi, with his long power sword, had moved left taking out four orks before sending his sword through the seat of another ork now crumpled on the floor next to a dimly lit screen. Jaska had moved right firing his plasma pistol at orks near the rear of room while tearing through two orks and beheading a third, the splatter patterns gave away the chainsword kills.

In the center of the room laid the largest corpse, next to it stood Aquilum, but as Razzik approached he saw the wound that had slain the creature. It wasn’t from Aquilum’s fist or storm bolter but from Brother Kvothe’s meltagun. Razzik looked down through the ork’s skull, then to the rear wall of the room. The perfect shot had passed through the ork and into the back wall between two large screens.

Razzik looked at each marine in turn before he turned back to the Ice Angels at the door. ‘Combat squads, clear the area’ he issued as he sent an update to Philosir, Cyaxeres, Seluku, and Attikusu. Sergeant Hunzuu and the other officers nodded and turned, they broke into smaller units and began to search for enemies.

As the last Ice Angel left the room he returned his focus to the guest marines that hadn’t moved. Jaska stood proud, his dark red armor still dripping from ork splatter. Aquilum removed his own helmet and spoke as he did, ‘Excellent strategy Captain. I know the Emperor smiled upon us when you told us to take the ships bridge.’

Kvothe shook his head in disbelief before speaking, ‘Creating your own entrance near the bridge while the main body fights off the ork horde was very intuitive.’ The Shadow Sanctus marine seemed reluctant to praise the unorthodox plan but it did work without error.

Captain Razzik turned to look at Inushi, but the Mantis Warrior seemed distracted by his own thoughts and simply nodded at the Captains look. Aquilum began to clean off his helm with a chuckle, ‘Shall we go hunting before your Angels take all the fun?’

‘Indeed,’ Razzik paused and stared at Aquilum, ‘but first I need to know. How you did you falsify an order in our system?”

“What order was falsified?” Aquilum responded with a look of surprise.

“The order to take the bridge with four marines and the Crystalfist,” Razzik retorted.

‘Captain,’ Aquilum looked shocked, ‘you wound me. I would never falsify an order. I will tell you when I plan on going against your orders.’

Razzik absorbed the words but realized that Aquilum was blunt enough to do something like that. ‘Then who……’

Jaska stepped forward and stood with his arms behind his back, ‘I did Captain.’

The guest marines looked between each other shocked, Razzik simply adjusted his stare.

‘Aquilum, Kvothe, Inushi, go with the Crystalfist and make sure it makes it to the hanger safely.’ Razzik’s stare didn’t leave the red armored marine.

As the order was issued Kvothe saluted and left the room with Inushi not far behind. Aquilum measured up both remaining marines before he placed his helmet back on. He then casually stepped past the marines and left the bridge.

The two marines left on the bridge stood in silence before Razzik spoke, ‘Explain yourself Jaska. Why did you create an order to attack the bridge?’

‘Given the circumstance and resources available to me it seemed a wise decision. We could take the bridge while the orks were away trying to stop you. We would then be able to move forward with your plan to search the system quicker. Timing was paramount so I created an order in such a way that would move the needed tools immediately.’

‘Falsifying orders in a combat zone….’ Razzik started to speak.

‘I’m aware of the penalty Captain. Punish me as you see fit.’ Jaska interrupted.

Captain Razzik took a deep breath and let the marines words sink in. ‘In any other situation I would but if you ever do that again.’ The end of the sentence lingered for a moment before the older Marines Chrysemys responded.

‘Yes Captain.’

getting even better!

Very good Ice. I like the fact that all the marine's personalities are not just cookie-cutters of the gung-ho stereotype. Makes the whole saga and the interplay between characters much more interesting and believable.

Very interesting indeed.

My interpretation of Razziks actions infers to me that he is still not fully comfortable taking over the new captaincy role. To me it seems his actions are quite muted or restrained (I guess the flip side is that if he was over zealous he could alienate himself from his brother marines - Positions of power can corrupt and change people) He knew that he would have to punish the one who gave the order, but chose not to because the attack was successful and I believe that also because his either not competent or comfortable he went down the path of making less waves.

Really like the analysis of the room when he enters such a great narrative without describing the full fight.

Can't wait for the next installment.