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Explosions erupted along the ground before the door. Razzik studied the pattern trying to decipher what was firing and from where. None of the survivors fired back, they were all in hiding, waiting. The gun fire and sounds all came from the blasted open doorway far across the expansive chamber, more than a thousand yards away. The Dark Eldar were firing through the doorway at empty tanks and trucks. They were unaware of the sheer size of the chamber and were only hitting abandoned vehicles placed just to do distract.

Without looking Razzik let go of the headset piece. It had gone silent shortly after the explosions had begun. They must have hit the hard line somewhere in all the blasts. The thought of Shar-Takazz and reinforcements tickled the back of his mind but he could do nothing but follow his plan. Now, however, the delays he could cause were that much more important. Help, of some kind was coming, and he knew it.

He heaved the thought out of his way and focused on the task at hand. He waited and watched. His end of the chamber, where the survivors hid, was shrouded in complete darkness. A handful of lights and glow orbs were placed around the scattered groupings of vehicles and torn down statues ahead of him. The beauty of the chamber had been replaced with a prepared battlefield, all hand made by the survivors over the course of several weeks.

Shapes began to enter through the open doorway, the whine of engines pierced the smoking gloom. Vehicles and bikes were approaching above the running eldar.

Razzik looked over his shoulder at the soft glow coming from within the red land raider. The half machine face of Philosir looked up at him. Razzik gave a short nod. “Omicron, the floor is yours,” he heard Philosir say into a vox unit.

Raiders entered at ground level spreading right and left. A column of soldiers came up the middle running towards the burning cover of vehicles. The piercing scream of jet bikes reached a crescendo and the swarm entered the room above them all. Their speed was high and they spread out in every direction. Halfway through the room, the moment when they began to align their weapons at Razziks position. Explosions began to fill the chamber in the air. Dangled grenades and mines hung on thin wires at various heights. The swarm, lowered closer to the ground and slowed to avoid them. Then the survivors took their shots.

Well defended positions opened up on the slower moving targets. Entrenched vehicles and weapon batteries carefully fired at the sleek targets.

Razzik casually watched before looking back to the glowing doorway. Larger vehicles began to enter. Dark Eldar vehicles with longer range. One in particular had ruined several of his plans so far and Razzik watched the smooth shape hover in above the other craft like a king above its lessers. It was easily six times the size of a raider and quite capable of taking out a knight with its twin barreled cannon. Even from this distance he could make out the long skirt of barbed chains that hung beneath it. He clenched his jaw holding back his ire as he made out the distant forms of corpses hanging in the chains.

“Philsor, whenever you are ready. Our targets have arrived,” he mentioned while turning his head so that his voice traveled directly into the open hatch.

Expletives and binary blurts shot out. The land raider blurted back. Philosir began to speak in his monotone but at a surprisingly high volume. “I have built you from the ground up. What do you mean you” the words were cut off as a plume of fire shot out from the ground next to his land raider. Debris peppered the top of the land raider and Razzik shielded his eyes. He looked away from the hatch at the mounted weapon on the roof of the vehicle. The weapon was twice as long as the raider and sat on the vehicle like a mutated growth. It was connected by countless cables and mounting brackets. A stand was holding up the dual barrels far in front of the land raider. It looked as if the tank was morphing into something far more sinister with an extra limb reaching forward, grasping for its target. The weapon was designed to be carried by knights but Omicron suggested the raider power and utilize the extra weapon.

A sudden gasp of power from the weapon created a wash of static. Every hair on Razzik stood on end as the weapon began to thrum. The land raider engines growled in defiance like a man screaming away his pain. The light from the weapon grew brighter and brighter.

Razzik hid behind the ceramite wall once again. A loud snap followed by a crack, and the light disappeared, the power bled out like an ebbing tide. The land raider went silent.

Nearly silent. Philosir continued having his own conversation, now even faster then before, and once again in binary.

Sounds of Imperial gun fire hesitated and Razzik whipped his head up. This was it. Despite the danger he stood up, unblinking. Giant flood lights sprang on all pointing at the growing advancing force. Razzik could see their forms struggling across the torn up ground and burning wreckage. Other than the handful of burning hulks there was precious little cover. It was a perfect killing ground. Above the infantry were quicker vehicles hovering at various levels.

The lights flooded the first few hundred yards of open ground. It only made the enemy hesitate moments but that was all they needed. Bombs, metal plates, statues, rocks, all manner of debris fell from the distant ceiling onto the tanks and infantry, all loosed by Omicron and teams of survivors. The Imperial tanks and clansmen waited with bated breath as one more surprise dropped from the ceiling.

Clan Champion of the Oshiashi, Xanshi Oshiashi in her dark knight, fell like the righteous fist of the Emperor. Razzik watched the metal angel unfold from her hidden perch. He watched the chainblades unfold from forearms to palms. He watched the chain blades spin up to full speed in the fraction of a second. The engines howled in vengeance and tore straight through the largest skimmer on the dark eldar force as the knight smashed into the floating platform. The tank dropped from the impact crushing other skimmers and countless foot soldiers in the process. Xanshi rode the burning ship to the ground holding onto the chain bladed daggers in a crouch.

Razzik smiled. He could not remember the last time he had, but it felt awkward. He wanted the feeling to stay a little longer but it was fleeting fast. He watched as the ravagers, raiders, and countless other vehicles turned to attack the knight or continued towards his line. She was vulnerable, he was about to be heavily distracted. Her knight was already heavily damaged from the past month of tunnel fighting. Now she was surrounded. The thought made the stump of his missing arm itch.

“Philosir, now would really be a good time to get this weapon working,” he remarked once again.

The lack of response made him turn around. He looked back down the hatch. The back lit techmarine stared up at him unblinking, his nostrils flaring above the mechanical bottom half of his face.

“I’ll leave you to it then,” Razzik said while quickly looking back towards the battle.

After a moment he heard the monotone voice of Philosir calmly speak to him. “Should we release the rest of them?” he asked.

Images of white ice angels covered in gore and blood, screaming uncontrollably, filled his mind. The sounds of their bottomless bloodlust overwhelmed his sense of hearing. Their ancient song of hatred made his skin crawl.

His vision returned to see dark eldar leaping off of raiders onto the ground in front of his troops. He saw clansmen shouting their war cries in response. The huge ogryn sized humans drew blades and hammers while the smaller of their kin continued to fire. It was not far from Razziks position, yet it seemed so distant. They seemed to be moving in slow motion.

“They have saved us once and it nearly cost us everything. We must wait, my friend, just a little longer.” Razzik whispered.

From a flanking position he witnessed the last seven Ice Angels of his company leap into action. They carried various blades and blunt objects but they put them to efficient use. Razzik watched as Shar-Takano, the last of his terminators, pull up a twin linked heavy bolter in his two powered arms. The weapon barked a deep staccato while shell casings flew out in opposite directions.

Razzik took a tired breath before taking a step towards the edge of the tank. He activated his faithful powerfist and looked down at the wired collection of weaponry that adorned its back. He looked back at Philosir and his red land raider.

“Fire that weapon Philosir. That is an order.”

Without looking back he leapt off the raider and ran through the darkness. There was killing to be done.

Exciting . Really feels like an action scene from a movie, keep it up!.

That was awesome!

Also small grammar potentially?

“I’ll let you to it then,” Razzik said while quickly looking back towards the battle.

Should it be

“I’ll leave you to it then,” Razzik said while quickly looking back towards the battle.

Thanks guys! When i am at my computer and not my phone I'll fix that grammar issue. Thanks for looking out Knightley. I have some extra goods new too! The next section is finished, I will post it tomorrow.

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

The masked figure paced back and forth. He rubbed his hands together in anticipation while staring at the bank of monitors. He had watched his prized heavy platform get destroyed. He had watched more than his jetbike riding allies get torn to shreds. Yet he still urged them forward. The ground forces were at a stalemate. He waited and paced pondering what else lingers for his minions to die upon. He wondered how sweet it will feel when he has the lifeless head of that astartes captain.

Savra slowly blinked her eyes and reopened them. She kept herself perfectly still. Her shallow breathing was kept thin with silent effort. She did not want any of his attention to be on her or her allies. Vonsokah, along with several of his hand picked best, were to her right. The incubi of Master Scuvven were near the edge of the small platform. Haemonculi worked in the background carrying wounded and dead to their overburdened grav transports. Rows of tanks and ground forces huddled around the sides of the massive broken door waiting for the command to engage.

Scuvven watched yet another explosion go off from one of the screens. A blast among of mass of warriors lunging at the imperial gun line. His piercing gaze passed over the knight still ducking and weaving through tanks but now on fire. One arm blown off above the elbow. “Now it is time. They have set off their traps, their mechanical behemoth is barely functioning. Vonsokah, it is time!” Scuvven turned away from the monitors just in time for Vonsokah to dart forward and slam his venom covered dagger into Scuvven’s chest.

Scuvvens guards grabbed at weapons but Vonsokah’s men were already in place and in perfect position to keep them at bay. The guards paused, everyone knowing it was over before it started. Savra smiled.

“Indeed, it is time. MY time.” Vonsokah snarled. He twisted the blade with a jerk. Blood sprayed out of Scuvvens mouth and dribbled down the nose holes of his mask.

Savra smiled and licked her lips, she was getting aroused by the scene. Betrayal had always been one of her favorites.

“You have kept us here too long. You have worn us too thin. What glory remains for us in this tomb? We should have departed weeks ago. Now your forces scatter and flee, yet still we linger.” Vonsokah spit in Scuvvens face after the words. “You are finished.”

Not a word came from Scuvven as the venom and wounds took the life out of his body. Vonsokah panted and looked down his nose at the corpse. He straightened himself up and relaxed the grip on his dagger.

“Let us leave this worthless place.” He nodded to his elites and they cut down the unarmed Eldar that had failed to protect Master Scuvven.

“HEY!” a voice in Imperial Gothic shouted.

Vonsokah spun on his heels just as a thrown spear plunged into his chest from across the hall. A dirty unarmored marine stood between dark eldar corpses. “Thanks for doing a lot of the heavy lifting.” He saluted and darted behind a parked raider.

Savra blinked and met the confused gaze of Vonsokah. She was looking deep into his eyes when a bolter round impacted with his nose and exploded his head and torso into chunks. Gunfire erupted all around her as Vonsokah’s elites fired at the fleeting figure and several others further down. From somewhere unknown a missile slammed into the bank of monitors sending her sprawling to the ground. A tank behind her lifted off the ground before another explosion rocked it onto its side filling the vicinity with dark smoke.

She looked down around her as pieces of monitors and gore splattered her bare skin. A chunk of armor landed next to her arm. It was Vonsokahs ornate breastplate. She pulled out a piece of flesh and turned it over. It was a three inch piece of skin with a part of his nipple. She rolled away, with the piece in her hand, and bolted to the side alcove where her new coven waited. A smile crept across her face and she began to laugh.

And that is the folly of the DE, backstabbing! So good

Also note sure on the grammar here:

Vonsokah spun on his heels just as a thrown spear plunged into this chest from across the hall.

Should it be

Vonsokah spun on his heels just as a thrown spear plunged into his chest from across the hall.

Yeah, should be "his". Didn't catch that.

I love it when the DE implode...

Indeed. The folly of evil is always fun and satisfying to watch implode. Thanks for another grammar catch. Both it and the prior error have been corrected.

I don't know about you guys, but I certainly liked writing about Philosir again.

One of my favorite characters. Like the air of mystery that surrounds him.

I also like that he swears, albeit in binary.

The knight thundered amongst the waves of enemies. Her heavy stubber blasted until the barrels were red and her ammo was spent. She stabbed with her heavy chainblades until they were mangled metal. She then smashed scores of infantry when she threw them into their midst. Weaponless, she entered a state of calculated rage that he could feel, even from a hundred yards away. She never lost control, each move was perfect and deadly, but he could sense the disgust by the way she stomped wounded enemies as she took position for another strike. She was neglecting her own safety to cause maximum death upon the enemies that were staining the sanctity of her family's vault.

He watched in motionless silence. He was fascinated by her actions. The dance of the knight surrounded by firing vehicles and darting creatures. He stared unblinking as she grabbed the edge of a raider as it tried to pass through the massive door way. The knight grabbed the vehicle and slammed it into another nearly broken vehicle that had crashed nearby. The explosion shredded dozens of fleeing eldar. She was a hurricane trying to hold back a tsunami and it was beautiful.

Mortifex held position in the corner of the vaulted room with two score of Clan Ivory Clawhorn. They were all that remained of the Clan that had escaped into the Spire. They reminded him of his homeworld Jahga and the dower people that his chapter come from. He had grown particularly fond of them over the past few weeks, even though he knew he should not. Now they took cover, hidden in trenches and behind statues. A trio of transports along with a handful of support vehicles rounded out his force. It was not much but he would do his part. The words of Captain Razzik echoed in his thoughts yet again. “She must survive. If we make it out of here, the entire system will need her.” There was so much wisdom in his commands yet a hint of uncertainty.

Mortifex took a moment to look to his left. He saw the battle raging on in the distant gloom of the room. Bright flashes and explosions. He returned to watching the knight as her shields flared and fizzled. She elbowed a passing jetbike and kicked a grotesque into a handful of others. A ripple of weapons fire ripped through her side and suddenly her left arm ripped off with a screech of metal.

Without hesitation she spun around and backhanded another skimmer that was trying to fly above her. She caught the tail end of the vehicle and it spun out of control and careened into the wall. She finished her spin back where she had started and she swiftly knelt down to pick up her lost arm.

She began to slam her broken arm into the ground like a giant bug swatter. The limp iron arm came down time and time again. When it had been smashed into an unrecognizable twisted bit of metal she tossed it into a position of eldar out of her reach.

Mortifex straightened himself. He calmly withdrew his sacred gravgun. He spoke calmly into his private vox channel. “Prepare yourself, our time is soon,”

He felt the engines of the transports begin to rumble. He heard weapon systems adjust and take targets. Meanwhile he continued his vigil.

Explosions ripped all down the back of the knight. She stumbled to one side narrowly avoiding more fire. Several of layers of armor had been melted off her back and right leg. Her movement was greatly hindered. She limped back several steps as the eldar sensed blood. She took a brief respite behind the flaming wreckage of the massive skimmer she hand landed on at the beginning of the encounter. He watched as the knight tilted and fell over onto its side, lights flickering and shooting sparks.

Mortifex raised his hand and pointed at a trio of skimmers moving into get a better line of fire. “Tartarine, target and fire at those skimmers.” The response was the whirring of servos and stabilizers as the missile battery adjusted. A set of missiles leapt forwards on trails of fire each one impacting into the flanks of the vehicles.

He ran after the missiles with the transports moving behind him. Ivory Clawhorn members opened fire with their heavy weapons sending missiles and grenades streaking into the confused attackers. Smoke filled the area around the fallen knight but before it billowed up Mortifex saw the top hatch of the fallen behemoth pop open. Xanshi was pulling herself out.

He ran faster. He would not fail in this task. He already lost nearly everyone in his squad, not that he liked them much.

Gosh darn it I like this battle. A firm grasp on tactics and immersion, specially that knight taking names!

Good work Ice. I really like the back and fourth of the knight giving and taking damage as it slowly degrades. Very much like how the game plays currently actually.

Thanks guys! As always, I enjoy cooking up the battles and the process of describing the fight. I think it's almost time to sit gears though.

Let's see what happens next.

Ooh, exciting cool battlescene!

With a forceful stomp, the neck of the vile xenos crunched into a warm patte. He ducked and punched, parried, and lunged. His dance was awkward, yet brutal and deadly. He was still adjusting to one arm fighting and it felt like he had a stone in one of his boots. Nevertheless, he bludgeoned and rushed into enemies. He went wherever the danger was thickest. He put himself in front of countless eldar, snarling and yelling as he went. The enemy could not resist trying to fight him, meanwhile he killed only those that approached him. His suit mounted hurricane bolters and run out of ammo weeks ago. He could not wield any weapon other then his powerfist. Instead he used his presence as his greatest weapon.

Around him the Dark Eldar died in waves, heaps of them falling before him, and he watched it happen. The survivors were dug in, prepared, and now filled with hope. While the eldar focused on Razzik and the remaining Ice Angels, the true threat became evident to the Eldar. The humans of Mortimon Secondus had had enough. No command was given but when the tide of Eldar slowed and they hesitated, the yell to charge was given.

Razzik saw it begin right next to him, not from a veteran soldier or clan champion, not from some grizzled war hero, but from a middle aged woman. She looked like she had never held a gun in her life. She climbed up from her trench and screamed with all the hatred and disgust she had. She thrust her autogun up before her firing wildly.

The men and women around her did the same and soon a flood of people were rushing forward to meet the confused Eldar. Razzik surged forward, not in front of them, but with them. The other Angels did the same and within moments the mob swept over the remaining xenos.

Razzik heard the brutal sounds of stabbing and smashing. He watched one of his brothers intervene with one dark eldar that was holding her own. The human retaliation took only a few minutes before he found himself standing tall watching the remaining Eldar turn and flee. He took the moment to assess the battlefield once again.

The seemingless endless flood of Eldar had slowed to a trickle. Separate parties had broken off and slowed or even stopped. Many vehicles were picking up their own and departing. Razzik studied them and realized that something behind the scenes must have changed. There were still more then enough enemies to finish them off, yet they were fleeing. Around him he could sense the urge to push forward, to run down the enemies, to fill their hearts with much needed vengeance.

He pondered for a split second before he made an important decision, “Gather the wounded! Fall back to the trenches. The enemy is regrouping!”

The survivors did just that. They followed his commands without question. The Ice Angels slowly gathered around him, ahead of the returning mob. They were alert and as vigilant as always. Yet, unlike the survivors, they did not overflow with vengeance or hatred. The mention of reinforcements or the thought of actually surviving all of this, seemed to decapitate their emotions entirely. He was tired and so were his men. They had survived where so many had not.

A rumble began to grow off to his right. Razzik turned to watch Philosir’s tank vibrate and shake. The massive weapon began to glow in earnest once again. He raised an eyebrow at the sight, then the back end of the land raider exploded outward in a shower of sparks and smoke. A moment later Philosir climbed out of the top hatch, backlit by glowing white smoke. The tech marine kicked the hatch shut and stormed off the vehicle, his frustration was painted into his every movement.

“CAPTAIN!” a messenger shouted. Razzik spun around to see a member of clan Batterhorn running up. “You are needed at Gorehzingus’ forward position. Something is happening behind the door you demanded kept shut.”

The messenger was nearly knocked over as Razzik and his seven Angels broke into a sprint. Shar-Takano in his broken terminator armor could only move at a brisk walk but each moved as fast as they could. The remaining members of the White were behind that door and everyone would be danger if they got out.

Hope, danger, elation, dread all in this passage.

My god man... my god.

Thanks Knightley!
Thank you Khaine!

I have to admit, this part of my book has really taken a lot longer then expected. My outline was originally much shorter, but i like how this has turned out. I think you guys have liked all the extra time I've spent on the ending.

Excellent work Ice. Love the cliff-hanger and the "people's vengeance" meted out to the DE.

Razzik bolted through the smoke and debris. He casually punched the head off of a wounded Eldar as he ran past. His powerfist crackled at the short impact. The Dark Eldar were fleeing en masse now. The other survivors were firing at them but mainly letting them flee without pursuit. The Angels finished off any stragglers as they moved. Razzik did not like the idea of the Eldar trying anymore tricks, he had already seen enough underhanded tactics by these filthy xenos.

Up ahead, a smoky haze was lingering near the front of the vault. Numerous fires and the smoke screen were dissipating slowly. The outline of the tall double doors was one of the first things Razzik could see through the trails of gray mist. To his relief they were still shut.

The giant form of Gorezhingus came into view next. He was surrounded by his entourage of veteran soldiers. His well trained clan members had done well in supporting the Ice Angels, but now only a score of his fighting men and women still lived. Gorezhingus looked from the door then over to Razzik then back to the door.

A weighted silence clung around the clan members. Razzik ran right up next to the clans Champion. The champion looked down at Razzik, “during our counter strike, sounds of battle came from behind the door. We saw bright lights coming from the cracks. Now there is only…..” the giant man leaned down to Razzik with a whisper of breath, “laughing.”

Razzik gave the champion a puzzled look and opened his mouth to speak. Before he could utter a word the champion hefted his ten foot long pole arm and spoke a single command in a foreign dialect. Clan Batterhorn turned and moved away into the smoke, back towards the defensive lines. Gorezhingus lingered a moment before giving a slow nod, he knew this was a private matter, and he knew Razzik wanted it kept that way.

With his back towards the smoke, Razzik moved up to the barricaded door. He heard the distant laughing, it was a deep throaty chuckle. Slow and broken up by vox static. He could hear the voice pause to take breathes, then the chuckling would continue. Razzik swallowed and took a breathe. He motioned to have his Angels help him open the door. He saw the melta charges placed around the hinges to blast it open if the circumstance was dire enough. Two of his Angels disarmed the charges while Razzik and the others moved the metal beams that were bracing the doors shut.

It took them a long time to move everything out of the way. Not a single survivor or clansmen interrupted them while they worked. Behind them the battle had died down. He could hear distant gunfire and the cries of the wounded. The rumble of tanks as they moved to secure the entrance was a constant noise in the background.

Eventually the debris was out of the way and Razzik stood at the double doors. The laughing continued while they worked and even when he opened the door the chuckling relentlessly danced in the air. As the doors swung open Razzik envisioned all manner of death and slaughter but when the doors finally stopped, he stopped with them.

The deep room was lined with metal columns, equipment and debris was pushed up against the walls. Light globes adorned every pillar giving the room a dull amber glow. A ramp descended into murky water that had not here when the White had been herded into the chamber. Razzik did not hear any rushing water and was unsure where it had come from. The water was not very deep but it was filled with corpses. Not far from the door two members of the White were face down in the water, countless blasts pierced their white armor. Yellow armored xenos were scattered around them. Their body parts were on every surface, several had been smashed around the metal pillars creating gruesome pillars of death. One of the eldar had his eyes burned out and his mouth was scorched as if he had been burning from the inside.

Razzik carefully entered the room, his Angels stepped in behind him. Two stayed by the door. Shar-Takano stood inside the doorway at the top of the ramp with his heavy bolter pointing into the room. Razzik sloshed through the ankle deep water. The chuckling was coming from up ahead.

On its side, the blasted form of a dreadnought lay limp against a wall to his left. A massive two handed crozius was in the murk at its feet. Lights flickered on and off the ancient chassis, Razzik wondered if the entombed marine was still aware. Several more steps and he saw the sitting form of an Ice Angel propped up against a broken pillar of metal. Razzik carefully moved up and knelt beside him. The black armor of the Chaplain was burned and slashed, a blade was pinning him to the pillar.

Razzik motioned for one of his brothers to remove the helmet. Carefully the skull helm of his Chaplain was removed, “Gonatzu, are you still with me?” Razzik said as he looked at the burned out sockets of his eyes. The chaplain opened his ashen mouth and moved the blackened flesh where his eyes once laid. “Razzik,” he weakly said. The chaplain raised a hand and Razzik grabbed it in his large powerfist. The other marine helped keep the Chaplain upright.

“It happened,” he mumbled. “You must take him,” his head began to droop and he sputtered. “Find the Unspeakable,”

A loud splash erupted beside him. Razzik fell backwards onto his butt into the water. A yellow armored corpse had fallen into the water next to them. The laughing grew deeper more sinister. Another yellow corpse fell with a splash into the water. Razzik looked up and his eyes went wide. Jammed against the ceiling of the room were dead eldar. Countless dead eldar, each held by an unknown force. They were pinned to the ceiling in broken awkward positions, some were held up by an arm or a leg, or even their face or backs. It was as if their flesh was magnetized to the archways that lined the chamber and every one of them had burned out faces. Those agonizing faces all seemed to stare into Razzik.

One at a time, they began to fall. Quickly more and more of them were released and plummeted into the frigid water. Razzik got up and stood over Gonatzu, batting the corpses aside as they fell. Soon the corpses littered the watery chamber and as soon as it started, the last had fallen and the chamber fell into a dark silence. Razzik gritted his teeth and waited, he scanned the water and the ashen faces.

For a moment Razzik could only hear the shifting water and the breathing of his marines, then the laughing resumed. A deep maniacal laugh that raised every hair on Razzik’s body.

Spooky!

Seems fitting that halloween is this month with that creepy vibe, I can only assume its a librarian who's turned to the white.

Or a demon summoned due to all the slaughter

Or a Dark Eldar who's been granted magnetic powers.

Or the Emperor has returned.

In fact, I have no idea.

It is a little spooky. Apparently I subliminally have been thinking about Halloween. It has wormed its way into my writing.

Knightley, you are right.

Sort of.....

Water and corpses sloshed around his feet as Razzik pushed forward towards the laughing. Near the back of the room he saw a member of the White drenched in blood. Dark splatter was all down his chest and splattered across his helmet. The marines lower half had been crushed. A dead eldar had fallen across the remnants of the marines legs. A chainsword was sticking out through the back of the yellow armored foe. An ice blue pistol gleamed just under the surface of the water next the marines hand.

The laughing seemed to be coming from the marine, but the marine was not moving. Slowly Razzik approached, he could sense his brothers were not far behind him, each spread out amongst the pillars and the dead. Razzik paused before the white marine and waited, the laughing paused and there was a crackle in the sound, like vox static. Razzik reached out to the marines helmet with his powerfist. He grasped the head and pulled it upwards with little effort. The helmet came up and the decapitated marines head came with it. As he raised the helmet up the head oozed out of the helmet with a wet sound, like a boot being pulled out of mud. The laughing was suddenly louder, it was coming out of the vox unit from inside the helmet. The laughing began to crescendo as every other helmet in the room began to mimic the laugh. Razzik looked from corpse to corpse and realized that not only were the vox units from the dead Ice Angels laughing, but even the communication units of the Dark Eldar had begun to fill with laughter. Every helmet in the room was chuckling with the same dark cackle. Razzik and his marines each looked around, weapons drawn and ready, but nothing moved except them.

Until Razzik noticed that the dreadnought he had passed earlier was now standing in the middle of the room with the two handed crozius in its massive metal arms. The filthy white machine was damaged in countless places. Exposed wires and twitching cogs could be seen inside the deep cracks adorning the once magnificent sarcophagus. Black sections of the warmachine had red script etched in them, countless battlefields were listed upon its wide shoulders. Weapon mounts were now empty and barren, yet it looked more menacing than anything Razzik had seen in weeks.

Suddenly the laughing stopped and the glowglobes died down. The room was drenched in thick darkness. A whisper floated into Razzik’s ear, “The Emperor is waiting for you Razzik,”

Green fire danced along the outline of the crozius as it was raised high into the moist air. The fire crawled down the arm of the weapon and surrounded the entire warmachine with iridescent dread. The slit in the sarcophagus was brightest of all, the sickly green light pulsed out of the opening in heavy waves. Razzik could do nothing but watch as the light seemed to reach out towards him.

Heavy bolter fire interrupted the slow ascent of the weapon. The explosions rocked the back of the dreadnought and one of its arms exploded in a shower of sparks. The crozius fell from its grasp and smashed the dead form of an eldar.

“YOU!” the chorus of vox units boomed. The dreadnought spun around and sprinted down the room at Shar-Takano. Razzik could not see past the bulk of the machine but the heavy bolter fire stopped abruptly as the terminator was batted out of the room like a discarded toy.

Growls echoed throughout the room from countless speakers. Razzik ran towards the exposed back of the dreadnought as his brothers converged on the machine. Of the remaining marines, he had the best shot of stopping their wounded berserking brother. The dreadnought thrust its armored sarcophagus forward and green fire shot from it like it was a dragon torching its victims. One of Razzik’s men fell backwards clutching at his burned out eyes.

Razzik leapt off of a pile of rubble to pound the machine in between the shoulders but with uncanny speed the remaining arm of the dreadnought grabbed him mid air. Slowly the dreadnought turned its bulk to bring the glowing green slit of light closer to Razzik.

The last few marines bashed and stabbed at the dreadnought, yet its grip did not slacken. One of his brethren was running up with a blasting charge in his hands. The laughing had stopped and the whispers resumed, this time each one was different, like a hundred voices all trying to speak softly over one another. Throughout the whispers Razzik heard the familiar thrum of a melta charge being placed and charging.

The dreadnought drew him closer when a final crystal clear whisper filled his ears, “Will you send them to their damnation or save them all? What will you choose, Master Razzik?!”

An explosion rocked the back of the dreadnought, and it fell onto its side spilling Razzik back into the corpse filled water. The voices faded away and the glow globes resumed providing their shadow killing light. Razzik laid stunned on a submerged pile of corpses unsure of what had happened or what had been said.

I liked it Ice, but I thought the following line was too convenient...

"The last few marines bashed and stabbed at the dreadnought damaging it beyond repair, yet its grip did not slacken."

The dreadnought slaughters and pastes dozens of enemies to the ceiling like a bunch of post-it notes and swats a terminator like a fly, but a couple of marines with improvised weapons can damage it beyond repair with a couple of stabs? I just don't see it.

Where is the magical green fire coming from if this is just an insane dreadnought? Or did I misinterpret that?

When I read your post Git at first I was a little confused, then I went back and reread my post. In my mind, I had added in a bit about the blasting charges, but apparently that stayed in my mind and never made it into the writing. I have rectified that. To answer your second grouping of questions, the insane death company dreadnought is creating the magical fire. His insanity is more then just uncontrollable hatred and killing etc. More about that later. Thanks for the quick response.

AH got it. Makes a lot more sense now. Thanks Ice. I was just a bit confused by what was otherwise a really cool segment of your story. Glad I could help sort it out.

Okay, funny story. I was doing some research on my own story. I have not done as well keeping track of what has happened to specific guys so I have to go back and double check things from time to time. In doing so I discovered that I had actually killed Vonsokah earlier in my story. I rewrote that section and came here to post the update and I discovered that I could not find the original post. I found out where it should have been in order but it was not there. Your comments led me to believe it had been there at one time but now I had a different section in that spot.

Long story, but I reposted the updated section, then moved the other section to a different comment. Not quite sure what happened.

Dakka does that some times...