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The sky was red.
the atmospheric gas clouds reflecting the light of hundreds upon thousands of explosions of lance fire from orbit. Whirlwind missile batteries scarred the sky with vapour trails, massed missile and heavy bolter fire from the 9th company, arrayed in pefect formation on the sides of the valley, razorbacks emitting blinding bolts of lascannon fire, scorching the ground and destroying armour.

To the right of the devastators ambush, the dense underbrush shook as a detatchment of scouts took up firing positions, wraping their shimmering camo-cloaks around them to disguise thier locations to the crude enemy sentry turrets. a grizzled sergeant swept his long-barreled rifle across the enemy settlement, there must have been tens of thousands living there, in the corner of his scope he spotted a figure, running, hunched over, towards a stack of promethium barrels, he took the easy shot at the barrels, a wave of fire took out a nearby building, three bikes and the intended target, releasing cloud of billowing smoke into the air.

Captain Helios flinched at the explosion, he felt the heat from it across his unhelmeted face. Looking up to the cloud, now a venomous purple, he saw dozens of pin-pricks of light across the sky, falling from the ramps of their thunderhawks.

Sergeant Theseus locked his helmet on, the seals hissed as it re-pressureized, he grasped the handhold above and looked around, his assault squad sat along the walls, all waiting for the signal to jump, their bright yellow armour was dirty, this was the climax of a three year campain to cleanse this sector, and the thunder guard had been in the thick of it. He checked the fuel gauges on his jump pack, full tank, he was going to need it, the entire fith company was deploying from thunderhawk gunship. To his left Theseus saw the rear ramp of the gunship lower, on the vox link a beep rang out, the pilot flicked a switch, the stilted mechanical voice of a servitor came over.

"This is the battlebarge Tempest ceasing orbital bombardment, you are clear to deploy."

Theseus checked his ammo and hefted his chainsword.

"To arms brothers!"

The marines around him stood up, checking equipment.

"For the Emperor! Like the storm we fly! Like lightning we strike! On Wings of fire! With armour of contempt! With fists of might! TAKE TO THE SKIES!"

The green light flashed, Theseus flung himself into the fume choked atmosphere, the target below was a a burning speck. The wind rushed around him, the oxygen meter was at full, the air to thin to breath at this altitude, the marines were sustained by there armours independant supplies.

They fell fast, Theseus looked at his altimeter, 50,000. 40,0000. 35,000. 20,000. on his helmets display the internal pressureisation was lessening, leveling out as the outside pressure became bearable, his oxygen symbol flickered out too, he was running on his own three lungs now, the 5,000 feet mark flashed.

"++Brothers!++" he called into the vox "++On me++"

He engaged his jump pack, slowing himself, he angled towards a new wave of enmy troops, emptying a full clip into the mob.

He flicked the activation stud on his chainsword, the well oied motor purred into action. Close enough to see the whites of their eyes now, Theseus fell, feet first into the face of the first, hacking the arm of another as he came down and rolling out his momentum and slicing throigh the groin into the abdomen of a third ans he stood up. He pulled another clip from his belt, whipping another assailant with the butt of his bolt pistol, and slotted the ammo into the grip if the heavy gun.

On the sides of the valley Helios opened up his vox-link.



haven't quite finished, It's supposed to be a prologue sort of thing.

C&C?

Nice!!

2 years from now thatll be sold at games days

Nice start. Just don't fall into the trap of a purely combat-based story.

Let's see some more of it!