This is my second short story- When a World Dies following the Cadian 81st regiment and their attempt of taking back a major planet in the Imperium.
When A World Dies
Prologue
Countless die across the Imperium each day, each hour, each minute and each second, it’s normal. People of the Imperium die for the emperor, every man, women and child knows that, it’s an honor.
Worlds also die, they can be plagued with chaos and this can create a much larger hole in the Imperium. Major industrial planets plagued with chaos or xenos, halting a much needed supply of weapons and goods. The workers turn and rebel, taken over by chaos and turned into the cultists set to kill.
That’s how worlds die and that’s how Xnofry XIII died.
Xnofry XIII was a large sprawling industrial planet that provided a large quantity of weapons and goods across the imperium each day. Each strip of land was covered with factories and warehouses. Its population was made up of hard interdustrial workers of who spent their life laboring in harsh working conditions often dying of young ages.
But then the chaos came, the Traitor Astarties and there sprawling armies of death guard plagued the world turning once well-disciplined labors into crazed cultists. Work came to a halt. No more cargo ships landed or took off, not a single machine grinned or moved.
It only took the Departmento Munitorum 1.67 minutes to realize something was wrong and their fears were proven correct after no delivery had been made any ware in the imperium within 3.56 hours since the first alert.
With no contact from any cargo ships the only thing they could do was to send the Cadian 81st regiment to check things out.
Chapter I
“Sir I’ve found an entrance point” crackled Lacks voice over the command vox channel. “Right, where are you at” replied Corpt. “Umm… just around the corner sir” Corpt cut the channel now at the top of his rage, images of Lack hanging from a roof was now circling his mind, that cheeky son of a….!
“Cadian 81st follow me” Corpt cut the channel before anyone could reply as he raised his chain sword and headed around the side of the crumbly warehouse, minding his footsteps trying to avoided the smashed up crates on the wet sloppy ground. The regiment followed their orders with lasgun raised on Corpts tail.
Around the corner Corpt, followed by the rest of the regiment met lack and his scout squad beginning to barge in the heavy locked metal door. Eventually the door gave way and clashed slowly to the ground as the guard carefully moved into the warehouse each squad assigned to a certain area. Corpt and his command squad entered first pointing there lasguns pointed into the darkness of the abounded building taking a left to the northern side of the building, lack and his squad entered next taking the southern side, Jabber took his squad to the center and Julien took the basement.
Corpt could hear it already and he reckoned everyone else could to, the sound of screams echoed across the now empty room. He had a feeling this may be the last few minutes of life for every guardsmen at present. He could feel his hands beginning to tightening their grip on his chain sword as an almighty scream could be heard, but this time from below…
Julien and his squad unwillingly descended the rusty ladder down to the very pits of the horrible place. He could start to smell death and smoke as he came to the end of the ladder, jumping of the last step landing… landing on something very squishy, turning his torch on he met a disgusting sight. He was standing on a decaying corps he jumped and further more landed on another corps. It was the he met the horrifying realization that he was standing in a room of corps.
“Sir” began Julien “I have something, the basements floor is covered in corps”. “Okay Julien we have found nothing at the northern perimeter, diverting to you hang in there” replied Corpt.
It was then when Julien released he wasn't standing a room of corps, he was in fact standing in a room of very alive cultists. Whom where now emerging and beginning to surround him and his squad.
“Corpt these corps are very alive and there surrounding us, I need help now!” Panicked Julien over the command vox channel.
“Damn” thought Corpt as he and his squad began making their way towards the rusty stairs to the doom of whatever was down there. From Julian’s reports it is not just going to take the small proportion of the regiment at the ware house he was going to need back up now.
But first he needed the only resource he had at present “Attention men of the Cadian 81st we have a primary threat reported in the basement can as many units as possible drop what they’re doing and come. We need every last man.”
Chapter 2
Gish was a normal looking 30 year old Cadian, he was skinny, and he had wrinkles beginning to appear at around the surface of his hardy face and of course violet eyes.
He sat as he has always done in his command tent studding maps of the capital of Xnofry X111, Initial or as it was known among the natives “the thick smoke”. Even though a machine hasn’t grinned in a month the smoke was still forming a thick layer over the city.
That is what he was doing when Commander Corpt came over the vox channel “Sir we need help, we have countless numbers of cultists here, we need every last man.”
“Right Corpt, on our way!” replied Gish as calm as hell under the circumstances.
“Attention Cadian 81st we have primary threats at 45, 77, 89 current guard forces requesting immediate back up”
Corpt and his squad alongside all of the squads at the warehouse where now at the basement, firing countless shots of lasfire at the hundreds of cultists filling every last crack of the disgusting underground hell hole. The smell of death was worse than ever before as more fresh corps hit the ground from both sides.
Jabber and his now squad of eight like took cover behind a stack of rotten crates firing rounds upon rounds of las fire at the enemy. Jabber held his flame thrower tight blasting fire into the enemy, burning cultist was one thing Jabber really properly enjoyed, the thrill of watching those god damn plagued bests burned to the bone. Then again, would any Cadian or any Imperial Guardsman for that matter, not?
“Holy Emperor” thought Lack as he came to resting his foot onto the ground; he and his squad were held back with a group of cultists in there perimeter, delaying their arrival to this mess. Lasfire surrounded him, the heat was unreal, and the mass of cultists were beyond insane. This was it, today he will die for the Emperor.
The remainder of the Cadian 81st rolled through the streets of the plagued city. Gish sat in his command chimera attempting to get a clear idea of the situation from Corpt. Though it was impossible, the vox channel was weak and Corpts voice was a distant rumble. But Gish had not to be told twice that this was a very bad situation and that most of the guardsmen where on the way to their final resting place.
They had only been on the planet, what? A week, less and they were falling at the first major hurdle. It will take masses of guardsmen to reclaim this death world and have it running as normal.
“How long” Gish asked the driver in an almost whispered tone. “Two Minutes give or take; we have a lot of road blocks up ahead may be longer, most likely 4 minutes.”
“Corpt 4 minutes, on our way” Corpt crackled over the command vox channel before briefing his men “Cadian 81st, get ready to depart in 240 seconds. On arrival in the center of the warehouse there will be a rusty stair case leading to the last known position of the battle. Good Luck”.
Chapter 3
Twelve Chimeras of the Cadian 81st pulled up in a straight line formation outside their certain doom. 300 guardsmen piled out advancing to the already busted door. Entering the building in a V shape checking the entire warehouse before departing the staircase to the basement, Gish could already smell it. The smell of death enticed the area around the rusty, oily staircase.
Corpt was taking cover behind a greasy pillar throwing a grenade towards the disgusting mess of the cultists ahead of him. It was then when he heard the welcomed sound of hundreds of guardsmen horde down the ladder before hitting the ground and firing an unexpected burst of lasfire into the plagued cultists.
Gish new it would be bad, but he couldn’t have imagined how bad it really was, guardsmen from the original squads littered the ground alongside the dead traitors.
Now with an extra burst of lasfire, the cultists quickly began to fall back as the numbers evened out and began to grow for the guard. With another burst of grenades, flames and lasfire the cultists were burnt, blown and shot to death.
With the last few plagued beings falling, Corpt had a sudden realization that he was alive. He was shaking all-over but at any case 100% alive.
Lack was dead. He lay among at least a hundred guardsmen. He had fought to the last second for the Emperor and he was a good soldier to the very end.
Jabber was alive, so was Julien. They both stared at the blood splattered walls and the corpse filled floor.
Gish received a vox report from each and every commander that was still alive. The death toll was about a quarter of the regiment. Though it could have been a lot worse…
****
Corpt was making his way through the camp of the Cadian 81st, he had a fresh scar across his cheek but that was all he had from that horrible battle. It was a day since the battle and life was normal at the camp. He was making his way to Gish for a meeting on the current affairs on the reclamation task.
Corpt was known for coming exactly on time not early or not late. He came exactly on time. Today was no exception; he strolled into the tent just as it stroked 14 hundred hours. Jabber, Julian, Kool, Jaki and Gibb were present. Gish sat behind his desk studying maps of the “Big Thick Smoke” as usual.
“Afternoon Men” began Gish as the officers made the sign of the Aquila “As all of you are aware we have met the full scale of what we have at hand on this planet. We have the Cadian 1007th on route through the warp as we speak. We cannot take back this planet without help and help is what we are going to get.”
“Understood Sir” echoed the six men at present.
“Now, I have also assigned a commissar of which will arrive soon, we need the 81st at their very best and a commissar is the only way forward in that sense. For now we have no major planes but our scout senital squads will continue their work but apart from that nothing much, any questions? No, well then this meeting is dismissed.
Chapter 4
Commissar Hutys stood, waiting for Gish and a man by the name of Corpt. He had brown hair which lay greasy under his peaked hat. Hutys had young violet eyes (which was a tell-tale feature of Cadian) and a broad chin.
He was getting board. Hutys was a man of who liked getting down to business. Xnofry XII was a corrupt planet that needed to be reclaimed and every second that it’s not leaves such a gap in the Imperium.
Gish was unable to attend the meeting, he gave no reason, but then again Corpt shouldn’t have expected one. He made his way through the camp, enjoying the cool breeze blowing at face.
He was approaching Hutys now; he could make out the figure of a man tapping his foot against the concrete.
“Greeting Commissar, welcome to the Cadian 81st” Corpt said proudly before shaking the commissar’s hand.
“Right… you must be… isn’t there meant to be two of you? Inquired Hutys,
“Gish was unable to attend, apologies I should have said, I’m Commander Corpt”
“Okay then… Anyway I’m Commissar Hutys”
The two men began walking through the camp; Corpt told Hutys there plans for the future and plans that are currently in place.
“Interesting, I see you have cut back on the original plans”
“Yes” began Corpt “We lost around a quarter of the regiment in our last battle, our original expiations where proven wrong. We are continuing with as much as possible, but less men we had to change a few things until the help arrives from other regiments. We have senital scout squads out on a regular basis, but nothing large can be done until we have the resources” Explained Corpt as they approached the training area.
“I see, the plans do seem okay for now, but the second the backup makes planet fall we must be ready to make a major push forward, I presume your general knows and is preparing for that”
“Well in our last meeting nothing of the kind was mentioned, but you wouldn’t know with the likes of Gish” Corpt let out an awkward laugh.
Hutys kept a straight face, Corpt started to wonder if Hutys had ever laughed or even smiled in his lifetime.
Chapter 5
Hisld and Fagrad are the two suns of Xnofry X111, not that you can see them due to the thick smoke cloud covering most of the planet. Though they are rather pointless as no planets of animals live on the planet and the human population does not have access to it. The planet was and is just light by artificial light, which would have made an obvious appearance on its population before the chaos struck but now you wouldn’t tell the difference.
The only place where the two suns are obvious is a gap between the continents of Guily and Jockbe in the Fraster Ocean. Only the people that had importance ever saw the magical sight of real light.
From space the planet is not hard to miss, not that you can really see much of what’s bellow, but you can see a circler shape casted by a never ending grey cloud. It has often been described as the “Ball of Grey” or “A Circle of Smoke”. Though before the Humans came Xnofry was much like Catachan, but instead covered in forests, but as the first men to make planet fall described the place “Peculiar” as if the strongest of all strengths was at present. Something very powerful, something almost overwhelming…
Report XNOFRY X111 #1
Something is not right about this place, unlike anything I have ever experienced before, something unhuman. It feels as if I am being pushed downwards and being shook right to left in an almost practises rhythm. It scares me; this planet is very peculiar… I don’t like it…
Fifty Years after, the Catachan 899th was sent to check out what was up with Xnofry XIII, but they reported:
Company Commander Hokack of the Catachan 899TH Regiment:
No such feeling of being pushed down or side to side, a normal environment here nothing strange just a regular planet.
Chapter 6
It was visible now. The massing troop ship was making planet fall to Xnofry XII, bringing with it the Cadian 1007th Regiment. New hope was about to be found within the reclamation task. Gish stood by Corpt and Hutys waiting to greet Company Commander Rull of the Cadian 1007th. As the ship hit the ground, a creaking noise could be heard as the ramp began to gradually make its way to the ground. A clank rung out across the camp as the Men of the 1007th declined of the ship.
A man approached the three men of the 81st making the sign of the Aquila. The man looked to be thirty though his face was covered in wrinkles.
“Greetings, I’m Company Commander Rull of the Cadian 1007th Regiment”
The men formed the sign of the Aquila against their chests as Gish Began “Same to you, I’m Major Gish of the Cadian 81st Regiment and beside me is Company Commander Corpt also of the Cadian 81st alongside Commissar Hutys”
“Very well, let’s run over the plans will we?”
****
A large meeting took place in the newly pointed Command Prefab with all Commanders of both regiments including Commissar Hutys. Gish, Corpt and Rull stood up at the front of the gathering making final checks on the plan made in the hope that it will take back the capital of Xnofry and then the rest of the planet. Gish had previously had ran over the main details with Rull, insuring any queries he had could have been sorted in private.
Gish stood up making the sign of the Aquila before the rest of the gathering did so. He began:
“Welcome, I’m Major Gish of the Cadian 81st Regiment along with Company Commander Corpt and Commissar Hutys also both of the Cadian 81st with me also is Company Commander Rull of the Cadian 1007th.”
Gish gave a brief summary of the reclamation proses to present before running through the plans of the all-important final plans:
“To reclaim this city we need straight, we need will and we need fire power. We must show the traitors who is boss before pushing of this planet for good. Over the past week after plenty of consideration and help I give you the plans of Reclamation Initial. Using reports from our scouts we have pined pointed the areas most plagued by chaos.”
“Underground floors under warehouses in the southern region are home to the worst areas across the city. Half of our regiment was lost in one floor of one underground Floor. One Half of the Cadian 1007th and one fifth of the 81st will cover that area. The remanding squads of the 81st will take the slum regions to the north. The remaining 1007th will take the Factory region to the west. As all of you have either witnessed or heard this is no walk in the park. This will not be easy but we must stick together. Every last man has a duty and this duty is to kill the enemy for the Emperor!”
A cheer erupted across the gathering as the chant “For the Emperor” echoed in the background.
As the gathering quietened down, Gish dismissed the meeting.
Chapter 7
Warehouse/Storage District South, Initial
Time to descend again, time to relive the horrors that lay beneath, time to fight the forces capable of destroying half a regiment and time to meet my most guaranteed doom. But we will do it for the Emperor of Mankind and if we must die, we can say “We did so fighting for the Emperor”!
Company Commander Corpt of the Cadian 81st Regiment
Corpt did not know the man who was taking the place of Lacks door barging duties, all he knew was that the man was of the 1007th. As the door crashed to the ground in an almighty clack of metal the guardsmen, as half did so before carefully entered the new warehouse. Each warehouse was the same, no matter who was using it. Meaning once more in the middle of the open space there was an old rusty ladder leading to the once storage space nut now horrors beneath.
The guardsmen performed the regular check across the warehouse but as previously expected the search found nothing.
It was time, time to make their way down to the pits of hell. Corpt went first, luckily this time he did not meet the squishy feeling of a cultist, though a concrete floor with a large print yellow sign that marked “LG1”.
The space was light up, with no plagued one in sight. Was that a good sign or not? After a quick search it was decided that declining the stairs to LG2 was best. Once more Corpt was not met by a squishy body but concrete. Though there was one difference on this floor. To the far side there was a small gathering of about twenty plagued beings. Not too much bother for the guard as they overwhelmed the distant enemy’s with las fire, only receiving bad amid and panicky shots back.
Once more they descended to the third floor with again only a handful of cultists at range. According to records and plans of the warehouse structures on Xnofry XIII there was two ground floors and four underground floors. Meaning if there was something it was going to be on the next floor
Slum/Housing Regions North, Initial
Gibb had the highest rank of all guardsmen on their way to the far slum regions to the north. Therefore had the privileges of taking control of the squads with him and his very own Command Chimera. He sat in it now, looking over maps of the area. I was simple really. It was just Forty miles of rows after rows of ten story buildings. With a tram sort of transport station every two rows with tracks leading to the factory regions. His job was to check each and every slum building and kill anything that wasn’t Cadian, simple.
It was a long way from the camp to the very top of the city. The roads were rough and none where direct except for the occasional tram track that was somewhat accessible. Originally the forces on their way to the factory regions were behind them, but now they were well gone. Currently they were entering the Warehouse regions and that’s when the guns from the chimeras opened fire. Groups of plagued beings spread out for about a mile. Not proving much of a bother. The beings where weak and had little to know counter fire to offer. But they were still there slowing down the progress.
Though they didn’t last long and the journey could be once more continued correctly. Though it didn’t take much longer until the first of the slum regions where visible. It was finally to depart.
Chapter 8
XNIG Factory Region, Initial
XNIG- Xnofry Interdustrial General
Company Commander Rull stood staring around at his surroundings, miles and miles of dense factory regions. As the maps had shown the roads were thing in-between the old drab factory structures. The factory designs where straight forward enough. Nothing unusual or unworldly, the smaller factories were the simplest. They were boxy in shape with a small office space to the back. Though the large and most common ones had a unique design, they had large production spaces with large storage rooms and larger offices.
The mission was simple, search for and kill the plagued ones in the factory. It was the objective given to each and every commander, no matter what region they were taking. All Rull needed to do now was to split the regiment and give each few squads the same area to search. That was all he needed to get this mission undergoing and get the planet back on its feet once more.
Warehouse/Storage Regions North Initial
LG4 was not what any guardsmen had hoped for but it was what the dreaded. As Corpt had originally feared, he landed on a body. The guardsmen opened fire, as did the rising plagued ones and as before the guard where in trouble. With no help available they must fight alone in the pits of hell.
The 1007th had been taken entirely by surprised they had been told it was bad, but not one person even the stickiest minded could have imagined it. The room was stuffy and warm and smelt like death, it was horrible and there was no backing out.
Commissar Hutys new from the way both Corpt and Gish had accounted it that is was going to be bad and it was. It became reason of the loss of so many guardsmen became clear. Not a single man he knew, let alone single guardsmen would have much of a hope. It was a death match and that’s and they were losing, badly.
The guard were not loosing as bad as before. Having large number from the start was a help and the plagued ones seemed weaker. But it was still a blood bath.
It doesn’t happen overnight, the world grew over a century slowly growing to the world it is today. But it has old roots that lead back 1000s of years. Roots that dig deep, maybe it is different like originally thought….
Chapter 9
Slum/Housing Regions North, Initial
The buildings were old; Gibb had a very strong feeling that they were the same buildings since the start of the Interdustrial wave on the planet.
The inside was drab, even the higher class was poor. The deep red paint was almost black and bricks were peeping threw.
Four beds lined the perimeter of the rooms with a table and four chairs in the middle. The design was simple; each room was square and compact, making the search alto easier. Gibb was on the top floor of the first slum building. So far only a few plagued beings were found. But it looked like once there were once plenty of them. Blood plastered the walls and there was a smell of death and rot along with the musty smell already at present. Were had they all gone? Only the weak dying ones remained. Now Gibb and his squad of 9 were killing a handful of cultists in a long passageway on the top floor. They were weak and once more they proved a little annoyance for the guard. The slum regions were going to be an easy task.
XNIG Factory Region, Initial
Rull and his command squad entered the first factory on the long list. The machines were silent and the conveyor belts were paused with goods still lined upon them. The building at a first glance seemed deserted. It was silent until craters all of a sudden crashed to the floor, Rull and the rest of the guardsmen looked around but could see nothing. It was silent once more for another wile until the unwelcomed sound of a rifle bullet being fired. It was a terrible shot, clanging harmlessly of a machine.
Rull scanned the building while the rest had there lasguns raised looking for movement. Another terrible shot echoed and Rull’s expert vision caught a shadow behind a stack of craters. “Target spotted in a South/West direction behind crates”. Almost on the queue another shot was fired again failing miserably. The guardsmen began to shoot into the distance as an almighty scream echoed off the walls as a figure fell, dead.
Warehouse/Storage Regions North Initial
Corpt was in his finest hour, he was doing outstandingly well, this time he was prepared and his body worked up for the very moment. He threw grenades at the mess, which had worked well last time round. The plagued ones were weaker than before and there shots were awful.
Commissar Hutys was getting back on his feet; he had embarrassingly fallen over a dead body. He charged back at the enemy swaying his power sword from left to right. It was therapeutic, killing plagued beings while an array of lasfire surrounded him. The guard were winning and only a few remained, in fact it just seemed to be too good to be true.
Chapter 10
The roots grow deep, strange roots carved from the rock beneath. Leading to the core, where the light shines brightly and naturally filling the inner core with privileges the crust desires. Strange things happen, it is not normal the things that go on down there.
Slum/Housing Regions North, Initial
The guard had gotten through the slums easily enough. Apart from minor fights and struggles towards weak and dying plagued ones. Gibb was reflecting now, reflecting on how easy it was and how strange it was. The plagued ones were weaker yes, but what would you expect from such decade beings. The short numbers may have been to do with death but if so, where were the bodies? His task was done and he had filled his report, in fact what was he doing questioning the world and its wonders. Corpt has asked for immediate back up and it was his duty to respond…
XNIG Factory Region, Initial
Rull wanted to finish up quickly, Corpt is in trouble not that that bothers him. The rest of the factory region were quite. All they had found was one or two half dead beings every few buildings. It was time to roll out- if there was to be a revelation in the reclamation proses it was going to be at the warehouse regions…
Report by Company Commander Hooly of the Cadian 12th Regiment:
“It is dark down here, torches is all we have. No light of any kind could truly open it up. They are old, but not un-human. They are definitely human, the smell is horrific and it is damp. Very damp, it is weird but not extra ordinary weird it is hard to explain. Help should arrive soon. That’s what is keeping me going.
Report by Commissar Hutys
“I have not entered such a compact hidden area before. It is human, most likely a mine maybe of an older version of the city. I believe that it was plagued before though I am not sure. It is strange never the less, there seems to be a pushing feeling. Such as the old records said, it is very strange….
_______________________________________________________________
Gibb noticed that the city was once more quitter than before. It had a lot less plagued ones roaming around freely. The reports given from Hooly were strange, then again Corpt is strange. It is indeed weird; this planet has thrown us off many times before. I hate it…
Chapter 11
The Tunnels
They were dark, but the flashlights kept them alight. It was stuffy and Corpt was struggling to breathe. Two regiments stuck down in old mine tunnels, oh joy! The tunnels were carved many years before, they were abandoned all of a sudden by the look of things. Drills and mining tools lay deserted across the mass.
“We’ve got primary targets at 12 o’clock and they’re firing” the unwelcomed words blared over the vox as the guard opened fire in the thin space. Maybe within their favour the tunnels began to get wider until they were in a large open space but unfortunately full of stronger plagued ones, firing rounds of bullets into the front lines. The death toll was already taking shape on the front lines.
Rull was shocked, he was expecting squishy and weak plagued beings not stronger ones that had a good shot. The guard had no tank that’s what they need to push the messy plump back. There was nowhere to take proper cover except a few drills, all which had been taken. This was dirty warfare…
Gish was at the front lines, firing as much as he could at them. Grenades were no use without creating a mess and worse still, blocking them ou…
A burst of fire erupted from a flame thrower picked up by one of the plagued ones. Setting the front lines a blaze in an explosion of mess, Gish had been burnt alive laying in a pile of ash.
“Damn!” Corpt yelled in frustration. All they needed was an enemy with flame throwers. The guard had though; played them at their own game by bursting flames from the flame throwers they had at hand, setting the mess ablaze in a series of high pitched screams of agony and torment. Maybe the sides were turning maybe
40.334, Initial.
By the early 40th Millennium Initial was a thriving fuel to the imperium. Until 40.500 when the chaos struck. The city and the planet was overrun by chaos, the city as it is now was ruined in a plague swarm of cultists. Everything seized and the Cadian 1006th was sent.
At the time Initial was also used for mining purposes also, the 1006th had reported that a high amount of cultists in the mining system but the report was never looked into. After the 1006th had cleared the planet and left the city and the planet was re built and the old mining shafts were forgotten.
Reports Made By the Cadian 1006th Regiment:
“When we made planet fall the streets and building were full, full of the plagued ones but then they left. Only weaker ones remained and we found them in the mine shafts beneath”
The question still reminds and the question is why they came again…
****
Gish was receiving worrying reports from Corpt and Rull. He scanned up and down the maps of the old mines. They went deep very deep, he had sourced the maps from the back of the pile he had of the area given. No one mentioned mines before now and the map was old, but detailed and very well put together. He was giving Corpt an idea of the surrounding area while trying to pin point the best areas to check out. But that’s only if the battle brings survivors. These were dark times indeed…
Chapter 12
The Tunnels
The fire spread across the front lines of the plagued ones. Causing more chaos among both forces, was the battle over? Or was it still ongoing? The flames began to die down unveiling more plagued ones emerging from the tunnels firing a burst of bullets into the guard killing more and more guardsmen. The Cadians were losing and it was becoming clear, each time the sides began to turn more plagued ones emerged making the battle near impossible.
Corpt was as the rest of the guard trying to fire as much as possible, it was warm down there and it made fighting harder. Grenades won’t work, flame throwers make it harder and lasfire is all that they had left to use. It was hell and if the first battle didn’t claim many this one surely will, at least a third of a regiment has died already.
Rull hated this sort of warfare, it was awful and he truly hated it. Down here in the pits of the planet that had claimed plenty already.
The plagued ones were winning and they were growing stronger in numbers by the minute, eventually they should run out shouldn’t they? The guard had plenty full of men also, just not as well armed. The fight was hard and the odds were not good.
Gish
Gish wanted to help, but that he could not. He had to stay put and study the maps and try to figure out where the plagued ones were coming from. They were slowing down according to the latest reports; maybe that was a good sign. The tunnel they were coming from went deep, almost to the mantle but no further. It leads to a open space that marks the end of the mining space in Initial. The guard were going to have to get down there… but how?
The Tunnels
The plagued ones were slowing and the new supply had almost stalled, the guard had a mass death toile but not much compared to the amount of dead plagued cultists. The guard seemed to be jumping in moral it was a good sign as a happy guardsman is a good guardsmen. It was beginning to go well; maybe a burst of a few flamethrowers would finish things of. Corp ordered the men armed with flame throwers to fire a fury of flames into the forces, killing the remaining.
Gish gave the order of making the way down the tunnel to the supposed centre of the gathering of cultists. It was time to venture deeper.
The 81st were at the front lines and therefore had the most amount of loss. But about a quarter of the regiment remained. The 1007th lost about a half of their regiment and still had a good number of men. They descended down first before the 81st followed.
By the look of things, this was the oldest of the mining tunnels, Corpt was near the back of the forces and was getting an idea of they were they were descending to. The tunnel should open into a large open space with tunnels leading to the next city of Munoi, but that was not there territory and would not venture down that far. Hopefully the plagued ones will be low in numbers and they can finally get rid of them.
The Bottom
The Cadians began to see the entrance to bottom of the hell. Rull entered first to find about twenty weak plagued ones, all they could do was kill them and that is what the guard did, killing the last of the plagued ones. The battle was over.
Corpt looked around the “room” it was large and it smelt horrible but nothing was down there except twenty dead bodies.
Epilogue
The planet was once more, re built. Not a single civilian on the newly formed Xnofry had no idea of the past version of the planet. The planet was once more boosting the Imperium with much needed goods. The hole was filled in with in the imperium and it was down to the brave men of the Imperial Guard.
